Elaraiah
2013-09-28, 09:13 AM
This started out as an idea from many years ago for a class that could inflict debuffs on enemies and consume said debuffs to gain greater strength. With no reprint or reflavoring of the Hexblade from 3.5 currently existing in Pathfinder (to the best of my knowledge), I thought it fitting to try my hand at homebrew. Much of the fluff for the class remains to be written, but I feel the mechanics are solid and not too far off from their final state. Input of any type, however, is gladly accepted!
Curseblade
"The weight I must suffer each day will soon be yours to bear as well. Your only relief will be met at the end of my sword.
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Curse Potency
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Ancestral Curse, Cursed Wounds, Resilient|
2
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Cursed Blade +1d6|
2
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3||
2
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Cursed Wounds|
3
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Cursed Blade +2d6|
3
6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+2|
+5||
3
7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+2|
+5|Cursed Wounds, Mettle|
3
8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+2|
+6|Cursed Blade +3d6|
4
9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+6|Bestow Curse 1/day|
4
10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+7|Cursesense|
4
11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+3|
+7|Cursed Wounds, Cursed Blade +4d6|
4
12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+4|
+8||
5
13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+4|
+8|Bestow Curse 2/day, Twin Curse|
5
14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+4|
+9|Cursed Blade +5d6|
5
15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+5|
+9|Cursed Wounds|
5
16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+10|
+x||
6
17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+x|Bestow Curse 3/day, Cursed Blade +6d6 |
6
18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+11||
6
19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+11|Cursed Wounds|
6
20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+12|Master of Curses, Cursed Blade +7d6|
6[/table]
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Curseblades have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Curseblades have an innate familiarity with the dreadful magic of curses, due to the ancestral curse they each individually bear. A Curseblade takes great satisfaction in his enemies' suffering, and by weakening his foes in very calculated ways, the Curseblade can provide the needed edge for allies that were having difficulty bringing down a tough opponent. Though not studious enough to practice traditional magic on their own, Curseblades are skilled at martial combat, finding the need to defend themselves (and others) invaluable, especially when faced with the daunting task of going through life with an ancient curse.
Alignment: Any non-good. Though the blight a Curseblade must bear is not of his own doing, the curses he uses against is foes (and the necromantic nature of drawing power from their weakness) usually leads those with moral qualms down a different path in life.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Gold: 3d8 x 10 gp (average 135gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.
Class Skills
The Curseblade's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (History) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + int
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Curseblade.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Curseblades are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).
Ancestral Curse (Su): Curseblades are the bearers of terrible curses, passed down from their ancestors. Whether the curse was a result of divine ire, a powerful spellcaster who held a grudge, or some other such source is often lost knowledge. However, the Curseblade feels the result of this ancient affliction quite clearly, and is plagued by it for the rest of his life. At 1st level, choose one of the following ancestral curses to bear. Once selected, this curse cannot be changed. This curse cannot be removed by normal methods, such as remove curse. Only the deliberate action of the bestower of the original curse can end this constant affliction; however, doing so also causes the Curseblade to lose all class features except proficiencies. As a result, Curseblades learn to live with the constant suffering brought upon by this ancestral curse.
Weak Spot: Whenever an enemy threatens a critical hit against the Curseblade, that enemy rolls the confirmation roll twice and takes the higher result.
Vulnerable Mind: The Curseblade’s Will save progression rate becomes slow (as his Reflex save progression rate.)
Vulnerable Body: The Curseblade’s Fortitude save progression rate becomes slow (as his Reflex save progression rate.)
Cursed Burden: The Curseblade’s base movement speed is reduced by 10 ft. (if base is 30 ft.) or by 5 ft. (if base is 20 ft.)
Critical Errors: Whenever the Curseblade threatens a critical hit against an enemy, the Curseblade must roll the confirmation roll twice and take the lower result. In addition, any weapon wielded by the Curseblade has its critical multiplier reduced by one step, to a minimum of x1.5 (round down for critical damage dealt by a weapon with a x1.5 multiplier). For example, a longbow would deal x2 damage on a critical hit, a scythe would deal x3 damage, and a longsword would deal x1.5 damage.
Cursed Wounds (Su): The Curseblade uses the affliction he carries to weaken his foes in combat. As a move action, the Curseblade can whisper a terrible curse and charge his weapon with the curse’s power. If the Curseblade hits an enemy with a melee attack using his held weapon before the end of his turn, that enemy suffers the effect of the chosen curse. If the enemy has spell resistance, the Curseblade must make a caster level check, using his Curseblade level in place of his or her caster level. If the Curseblade does not hit an enemy with a melee attack before the end of his current turn, the curse’s power is dispersed from his weapon and the use is wasted. The Cursed Wounds lasts for 1 minute, or until the Curseblade uses this ability against a different target (whichever comes first). Any effect that removes or dispells a curse eliminates the effect of a Curseblade’s Cursed Wounds.
At 6th level, the Curseblade can activate Cursed Wounds as a swift action instead of a move action.
The Curseblade must choose what type of curse to bestow upon the target of his attacks when he activates this ability. These curses apply a penalty to one aspect of the target, some offensive and some defensive. The penalty applied is equal to the Curseblade’s Curse Potency, unless otherwise listed. An enemy can only be affected by one type of curse from Cursed Wounds at a time; if the Curseblade uses Cursed Wounds to apply a different curse against a target already suffering from Cursed Wounds, the effect of the new curse overrides the old one (but see Twin Curse).
The Curseblade can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + the Curseblade’s Charisma modifier.
At 4th level and every 3 levels thereafter, the Curseblade selects a new type of curse to learn from the list below. Some curses cannot be learned until the Curseblade reaches a certain level.
Cursed Wounds options (any level):
Cursed Defense: penalty to AC and CMD
Cursed Accuracy: penalty to attack rolls and combat maneuver checks
Cursed Might: penalty to weapon damage rolls
Cursed Resilience: penalty to saving throws
Cursed Wounds options (7th level minimum)
Cursed Movement: penalty to all speeds equal to 5 ft. x curse potency
Cursed Body: penalty to elemental resistances (Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire; not immunities) equal to double curse potency. If the target has no such resistances, this curse has no effect.
Cursed Mind: penalty to skill checks of one attribute (i.e. Dexterity, Charisma, etc., chosen at time of Cursed Wounds activation) equal to double curse potency
Cursed Wounds options (10th level minimum)
Cursed Protection: penalty to all forms of damage reduction
Cursed Resistance: penalty to spell resistance
Cursed Wounds options (13th level minimum)
Cursed Blood: the target bleeds for an amount of damage per round equal to Curse Potency. Unlike normal bleeding, this type of bleeding cannot be stopped by magical healing or a Heal check; the bleeding stops when this effect is removed, either through the actions of the Curseblade (such as his Cursed Blade ability) or the casting of any effect that removes or dispells curses.
Cursed Magic: penalty to caster level. (Note: this temporary caster level penalty does not prevent a creature from casting a spell it has either prepared or knows and can cast spontaneously; rather, it simply reduces the caster-level dependent elements of spells cast during the duration of the curse. Spell-like abilities are not affected.)
Resilient (Ex): Due to the Curseblade’s intimate familiarity with curses and other debilitating magic effects, he gains a bonus on saving throws against Enchantment and Necromancy spells equal to his Curse Potency.
Cursed Blade (Su): The weapon a Curseblade carries can be empowered by the very same curses he inflicts upon his foes. If the Curseblade attacks an enemy suffering from that Curseblade’s Cursed Wounds ability or bestow curse ability, as a swift action, the Curseblade may choose to remove one such effect from the target enemy. If he chooses to remove an effect, any melee attack the Curseblade makes before the end of his turn that hits an enemy deals extra damage based on the Curseblade’s level. This damage starts at 1d6, plus the Curseblade’s Curse Potency, at 2nd level, and increases by 1d6 every 3 levels thereafter.
Mettle (Ex): Starting at 7th level, a Curseblade can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower or fortitude. If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping Curseblade does not gain the benefit of mettle.
Bestow Curse (Sp): At 9th level, a Curseblade can use bestow curse (as the spell) once per day as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to his class level. At 13th level he can use this ability twice per day, and at 17th level he can use it three times per day.
Cursesense (Ex): At 10th level, a Curseblade becomes familiar with the signs that a creature has been cursed, and with the subtle nuances in the auras of magic items that carry a curse. The Curseblade may, as a free action, attempt to recognize the signs that a single creature or magic item within a 30 ft. radius is cursed. To do so, the Curseblade rolls 1d20 and adds his Curseblade level and Charisma modifier to the result. If the total result is equal to or higher than this caster level of the curse effect (in the case of a creature that has been cursed) or the caster level of the item (in the case of a magic item bearing a curse), the Curseblade recognizes that the item or person in question is cursed, though the effects of such curses are not revealed, nor are the other properties of the magic items in question. Once a Curseblade has attempted to discern the presence of a curse on a creature or magic item, he may not use Cursesense on the same creature or magic item until 24 hours have passed.
Twin Curse (Su): At 13th level, whenever a Curseblade uses his Cursed Wounds ability, he chooses any two curses he knows from the list. His successful weapon attacks apply the effects of both curses to the target. If the Curseblade uses his Cursed Blade ability against an enemy suffering from two curses from the Curseblade’s Twin Curse ability, the Curseblade may remove one such effect, leaving the other curse still affecting the target. An enemy can only be affected by two types of curses from the Cursed Wounds ability at a time; if the Curseblade uses Twin Curse against a target already suffering from one or more curse effects from Cursed Wounds, the effects of the new curses overrides the old one(s).
Master of Curses (Ex): At 20th level, a Curseblade’s power with and resilience to curses reaches unparalleled heights. The Curseblade becomes immune to the bestow curse and major curse spells, as well as any spell that has the “curse” keyword. The Curseblade does not suffer any ill effects from cursed magic items; any beneficial effects of such items continue to function as normal. In addition, if the Curseblade kills an enemy that is suffering from the Curseblade’s Cursed Wounds or bestow curse abilities, the Curseblade gains fast healing equal to his Curse Potency for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier.
Curseblade
"The weight I must suffer each day will soon be yours to bear as well. Your only relief will be met at the end of my sword.
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Curse Potency
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Ancestral Curse, Cursed Wounds, Resilient|
2
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Cursed Blade +1d6|
2
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3||
2
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Cursed Wounds|
3
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Cursed Blade +2d6|
3
6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+2|
+5||
3
7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+2|
+5|Cursed Wounds, Mettle|
3
8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+2|
+6|Cursed Blade +3d6|
4
9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+6|Bestow Curse 1/day|
4
10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+7|Cursesense|
4
11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+3|
+7|Cursed Wounds, Cursed Blade +4d6|
4
12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+4|
+8||
5
13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+4|
+8|Bestow Curse 2/day, Twin Curse|
5
14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+4|
+9|Cursed Blade +5d6|
5
15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+5|
+9|Cursed Wounds|
5
16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+10|
+x||
6
17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+x|Bestow Curse 3/day, Cursed Blade +6d6 |
6
18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+11||
6
19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+11|Cursed Wounds|
6
20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+12|Master of Curses, Cursed Blade +7d6|
6[/table]
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Curseblades have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Curseblades have an innate familiarity with the dreadful magic of curses, due to the ancestral curse they each individually bear. A Curseblade takes great satisfaction in his enemies' suffering, and by weakening his foes in very calculated ways, the Curseblade can provide the needed edge for allies that were having difficulty bringing down a tough opponent. Though not studious enough to practice traditional magic on their own, Curseblades are skilled at martial combat, finding the need to defend themselves (and others) invaluable, especially when faced with the daunting task of going through life with an ancient curse.
Alignment: Any non-good. Though the blight a Curseblade must bear is not of his own doing, the curses he uses against is foes (and the necromantic nature of drawing power from their weakness) usually leads those with moral qualms down a different path in life.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Gold: 3d8 x 10 gp (average 135gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.
Class Skills
The Curseblade's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (History) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + int
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Curseblade.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Curseblades are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).
Ancestral Curse (Su): Curseblades are the bearers of terrible curses, passed down from their ancestors. Whether the curse was a result of divine ire, a powerful spellcaster who held a grudge, or some other such source is often lost knowledge. However, the Curseblade feels the result of this ancient affliction quite clearly, and is plagued by it for the rest of his life. At 1st level, choose one of the following ancestral curses to bear. Once selected, this curse cannot be changed. This curse cannot be removed by normal methods, such as remove curse. Only the deliberate action of the bestower of the original curse can end this constant affliction; however, doing so also causes the Curseblade to lose all class features except proficiencies. As a result, Curseblades learn to live with the constant suffering brought upon by this ancestral curse.
Weak Spot: Whenever an enemy threatens a critical hit against the Curseblade, that enemy rolls the confirmation roll twice and takes the higher result.
Vulnerable Mind: The Curseblade’s Will save progression rate becomes slow (as his Reflex save progression rate.)
Vulnerable Body: The Curseblade’s Fortitude save progression rate becomes slow (as his Reflex save progression rate.)
Cursed Burden: The Curseblade’s base movement speed is reduced by 10 ft. (if base is 30 ft.) or by 5 ft. (if base is 20 ft.)
Critical Errors: Whenever the Curseblade threatens a critical hit against an enemy, the Curseblade must roll the confirmation roll twice and take the lower result. In addition, any weapon wielded by the Curseblade has its critical multiplier reduced by one step, to a minimum of x1.5 (round down for critical damage dealt by a weapon with a x1.5 multiplier). For example, a longbow would deal x2 damage on a critical hit, a scythe would deal x3 damage, and a longsword would deal x1.5 damage.
Cursed Wounds (Su): The Curseblade uses the affliction he carries to weaken his foes in combat. As a move action, the Curseblade can whisper a terrible curse and charge his weapon with the curse’s power. If the Curseblade hits an enemy with a melee attack using his held weapon before the end of his turn, that enemy suffers the effect of the chosen curse. If the enemy has spell resistance, the Curseblade must make a caster level check, using his Curseblade level in place of his or her caster level. If the Curseblade does not hit an enemy with a melee attack before the end of his current turn, the curse’s power is dispersed from his weapon and the use is wasted. The Cursed Wounds lasts for 1 minute, or until the Curseblade uses this ability against a different target (whichever comes first). Any effect that removes or dispells a curse eliminates the effect of a Curseblade’s Cursed Wounds.
At 6th level, the Curseblade can activate Cursed Wounds as a swift action instead of a move action.
The Curseblade must choose what type of curse to bestow upon the target of his attacks when he activates this ability. These curses apply a penalty to one aspect of the target, some offensive and some defensive. The penalty applied is equal to the Curseblade’s Curse Potency, unless otherwise listed. An enemy can only be affected by one type of curse from Cursed Wounds at a time; if the Curseblade uses Cursed Wounds to apply a different curse against a target already suffering from Cursed Wounds, the effect of the new curse overrides the old one (but see Twin Curse).
The Curseblade can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + the Curseblade’s Charisma modifier.
At 4th level and every 3 levels thereafter, the Curseblade selects a new type of curse to learn from the list below. Some curses cannot be learned until the Curseblade reaches a certain level.
Cursed Wounds options (any level):
Cursed Defense: penalty to AC and CMD
Cursed Accuracy: penalty to attack rolls and combat maneuver checks
Cursed Might: penalty to weapon damage rolls
Cursed Resilience: penalty to saving throws
Cursed Wounds options (7th level minimum)
Cursed Movement: penalty to all speeds equal to 5 ft. x curse potency
Cursed Body: penalty to elemental resistances (Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire; not immunities) equal to double curse potency. If the target has no such resistances, this curse has no effect.
Cursed Mind: penalty to skill checks of one attribute (i.e. Dexterity, Charisma, etc., chosen at time of Cursed Wounds activation) equal to double curse potency
Cursed Wounds options (10th level minimum)
Cursed Protection: penalty to all forms of damage reduction
Cursed Resistance: penalty to spell resistance
Cursed Wounds options (13th level minimum)
Cursed Blood: the target bleeds for an amount of damage per round equal to Curse Potency. Unlike normal bleeding, this type of bleeding cannot be stopped by magical healing or a Heal check; the bleeding stops when this effect is removed, either through the actions of the Curseblade (such as his Cursed Blade ability) or the casting of any effect that removes or dispells curses.
Cursed Magic: penalty to caster level. (Note: this temporary caster level penalty does not prevent a creature from casting a spell it has either prepared or knows and can cast spontaneously; rather, it simply reduces the caster-level dependent elements of spells cast during the duration of the curse. Spell-like abilities are not affected.)
Resilient (Ex): Due to the Curseblade’s intimate familiarity with curses and other debilitating magic effects, he gains a bonus on saving throws against Enchantment and Necromancy spells equal to his Curse Potency.
Cursed Blade (Su): The weapon a Curseblade carries can be empowered by the very same curses he inflicts upon his foes. If the Curseblade attacks an enemy suffering from that Curseblade’s Cursed Wounds ability or bestow curse ability, as a swift action, the Curseblade may choose to remove one such effect from the target enemy. If he chooses to remove an effect, any melee attack the Curseblade makes before the end of his turn that hits an enemy deals extra damage based on the Curseblade’s level. This damage starts at 1d6, plus the Curseblade’s Curse Potency, at 2nd level, and increases by 1d6 every 3 levels thereafter.
Mettle (Ex): Starting at 7th level, a Curseblade can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower or fortitude. If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping Curseblade does not gain the benefit of mettle.
Bestow Curse (Sp): At 9th level, a Curseblade can use bestow curse (as the spell) once per day as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to his class level. At 13th level he can use this ability twice per day, and at 17th level he can use it three times per day.
Cursesense (Ex): At 10th level, a Curseblade becomes familiar with the signs that a creature has been cursed, and with the subtle nuances in the auras of magic items that carry a curse. The Curseblade may, as a free action, attempt to recognize the signs that a single creature or magic item within a 30 ft. radius is cursed. To do so, the Curseblade rolls 1d20 and adds his Curseblade level and Charisma modifier to the result. If the total result is equal to or higher than this caster level of the curse effect (in the case of a creature that has been cursed) or the caster level of the item (in the case of a magic item bearing a curse), the Curseblade recognizes that the item or person in question is cursed, though the effects of such curses are not revealed, nor are the other properties of the magic items in question. Once a Curseblade has attempted to discern the presence of a curse on a creature or magic item, he may not use Cursesense on the same creature or magic item until 24 hours have passed.
Twin Curse (Su): At 13th level, whenever a Curseblade uses his Cursed Wounds ability, he chooses any two curses he knows from the list. His successful weapon attacks apply the effects of both curses to the target. If the Curseblade uses his Cursed Blade ability against an enemy suffering from two curses from the Curseblade’s Twin Curse ability, the Curseblade may remove one such effect, leaving the other curse still affecting the target. An enemy can only be affected by two types of curses from the Cursed Wounds ability at a time; if the Curseblade uses Twin Curse against a target already suffering from one or more curse effects from Cursed Wounds, the effects of the new curses overrides the old one(s).
Master of Curses (Ex): At 20th level, a Curseblade’s power with and resilience to curses reaches unparalleled heights. The Curseblade becomes immune to the bestow curse and major curse spells, as well as any spell that has the “curse” keyword. The Curseblade does not suffer any ill effects from cursed magic items; any beneficial effects of such items continue to function as normal. In addition, if the Curseblade kills an enemy that is suffering from the Curseblade’s Cursed Wounds or bestow curse abilities, the Curseblade gains fast healing equal to his Curse Potency for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier.