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View Full Version : Pathfinder Culex - A home-brew assassin/antimagic user class [Eschaeon]



TheMikeBest
2014-03-31, 04:38 PM
I built this for my Pathfinder game in my home-brew Eschaeon setting as an anti-magic user class with a focus on assassinations. Originally, he was a little less powerful and versatile, but I beefed him up when my one of my players commented that he was a little too pigeonholed.

What do you all think?


The culex is a living scar in the fabric of the aether, disrupting arcane and divine magical energies alike. Considered by some to be a type of humanoid abomination, the culex is naturally resistant to all known forms of magic and magical effects. The culex exudes an aura that allows him to sense and interfere with magic. With training, a culex is able to channel his disruptive energies into deadly attacks. This, combined with the culex’s quick speed and resourcefulness, has made them the ideal assassin.

Hit Die: d10
Class Skills
Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks per Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Table: Culex
Level |Base Attack Bonus |Fort Save |Ref Save |Will Save |Special
1st |+1 |+0 |+2 |+2| Spell resistance, Aura of Protection +1, Detect magic, Culex Talent
2nd |+2 |+0 |+3 |+3 |Null pool
3rd |+3 |+1 |+3 |+3 |Healable, Dazing blow, Smite +1d6
4th |+4 |+1 |+4 |+4 |Aura of Protection +2, Culex Talent
5th |+5 |+1 |+4 |+4 |Overcome magic
6th |+6/+1 |+2 |+5 |+5 |Fatiguing blow, Smite +2d6
7th |+7/+2 |+2 |+5 |+5 |Aura of Protection +3, Culex Talent
8th |+8/+3 |+2 |+6 |+6 |Uncanny Dodge
9th |+9/+4 |+3 |+6 |+6 |Sickening blow, Smite +3d6
10th |+10/+5 |+3 |+7 |+7 |Aura of Protection +4, Culex Talent
11th |+11/+6/+1 |+3 |+7 |+7 |Disturb spell
12th |+12/+7/+2 |+4 |+8 |+8 |Staggering blow, Smite +4d6
13th |+13/+8/+3 |+4 |+8 |+8 |Aura of Protection +5, Culex Talent
14th |+14/+9/+4 |+4 |+9 |+9 |Improved overcome magic
15th |+15/+10/+5 |+5 |+9 |+9 |Deafening blow, Greater disturb spell, Smite +5d6
16th |+16/+11/+6/+1 |+5 |+10 |+10 |Aura of Protection +6, Culex Talent
17th |+17/+12/+7/+2 |+5 |+10 |+10 |Cannibalistic counter spell
18th |+18/+13/+8/+3 |+6 |+11 |+11 |Stunning blow, Smite +6d6
19th |+19/+14/+9/+4 |+6 |+11 |+11 |Antimagic Field, Aura of Protection +7, Culex Talent
20th |+20/+15/+10/+5 |+6 |+12 |+12 |Disjunction


Spell Resistance (Ex): The Culex is highly resistant to magical effects, and has a Spell Resistance equal to 10 + Class Level + Wisdom modifier. This Spell Resistance is automatic and cannot be turned off, even for harmless or beneficial spells, spell-like abilities or supernatural effects. If the culex ever attempts to cast any spells, their spells must overcome their own spell resistance in addition to any spell resistance possessed by their target.

Aura of Protection (Ex): The Culex’s antimagic effects create a 30’ radius aura, granting him and his allies a +1 bonus to saving throws against magical effects. This goes up to +2 at level 4, +3 at level 7, +4 at level 10, +5 at level 13, +6 at level 16 and +7 at level 19.

Detect Magic (Ex): As a move action, the culex can can focus on the interaction between magical energies and his aura, allowing and detect magical energies. This is similar to the detect magic spell.

Null Pool (Ex): At level 2, the Culex is able to focus his antimagic properties into concentrated bursts of effect. The Culex’s null pool is equal to one half his class level, plus his Wisdom modifier. The null pool is replenished after eight hours of rest.

Smite - As an immediate action, the culex may expend one null point to imbue their weapon with disruptive energy that will smite their opponent when their next attack hits. At level 3, this grants +1d6 damage. At level 6, it goes up to +2d6. At level 9, it goes up to +3d6. At level 12, it goes up to +4d6. At level 15, it goes up to +5d6. At level 18, it goes up to +6d6.

Sunder magical items - As a swift action, the culex may expend one null point and suppress the magical bonus to objects’ hardness for one round.

Suppress magic items - As a swift action, the culex may expend one null point and attempt to temporarily suppress the magical properties of an item, as per the dispel magic spell.

Damage Reduction - As an immediate action, the culex may expend one null point and gain DR 1 against damage from magical sources for one round.

Suppress AoE spell - As an immediate action, the culex may expend two null points and attempt to use his spell resistance to completely suppress the effects of a spell, spell-like ability or supernatural effect if he is within that effect’s area of effect.

Dispel Magic - As a swift action, the culex may expend two null points and duplicate the dispel magic spell within his Aura of Protection.

Dazing Blow (et al) (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, the culex’s aura allows him to sense the precise flow of energies, and target his attacks according. As a swift action, the culex may expend one null point and deliver a dazing blow to his opponent, who must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Wis modifier), in addition to taking damage normally. A defender who fails this saving throw is dazed for 1 round (until just before your next turn). At higher levels, the culex may choose to inflict a different condition on his opponent for 1 round. This applies to only one attack per round, regardless of how many attacks the culex makes that round.
----- (End Null Pool)

Healable (Ex): At third level, the culex has learned to allow some beneficial spells to bypass his spell resistance. Whenever the culex passes his spell resistance check against one of the cure spells, he is still healed for the minimum possible damage.

Overcome Magic (Ex): At 5th level a culex that succeeds on a saving throw against a spell, spell-like ability or supernatural effect that would normally deal reduced damage on a successful save, instead negates the effect completely much like a Rogue's Evasion feature. This does not stack with Evasion.

Improved Overcome Magic (Ex): At 14th level a culex that fails on a saving throw against a spell, spell-like ability or supernatural effect that would normally deal reduced damage on a successful save, still reduces the effect much like a Rogue's Improved Evasion feature. This does not stack with Evasion or Improved Evasion.

Disturb Spells (Ex): Each time a spellcaster is struck by a culex during spellcasting, he must make a successful fortitude save (DC 15 + the culex’s Wisdom modifier) or automatically fail his concentration check and lose the spell. A creature need only to make one save per round, no matter how many times it is affected. Even if the caster succeeds on the save, he must still make a concentration check as normal to succeed. Casting defensively has no effect on this.

Greater Disturb Spells (Ex): If a spellcaster is struck by a culex and casts a spell before the culex's next turn, he must make a successful fortitude save or automatically fail his concentration check and lose the spell. A creature need only to make one save per round, no matter how many times it is affected. Even if the caster succeeds on the save, he must still make a concentration check as normal to succeed.

Cannibalistic Counterspell (Ex): The culex has mastered the ability to draw magical energies into his body and neutralizing them. The culex is able to counterspell a spell being cast within his aura by drawing it into his body, taking 1d6 points of damage per spell level. If the culex succeeds on a Fortitude saving throw, the damage is halved.

Antimagic Field (Ex): Once per day the culex can, as a move action, convert his aura into an antimagic field as per the spell.

Disjunction (Ex): Once per day the culex can, as a full round action, create a mage’s disjunction within his aura, as per the spell.


Culex Talents:

Bleeding Attack (Ex): A culex with this ability can cause living opponents to bleed by hitting them when they would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not) or when they are flanked. This attack causes the target to take 1 additional point of damage each round for each die of damage (e.g., 4d6 equals 4 points of bleed). Bleeding creatures take that amount of damage every round at the start of each of their turns. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or the application of any effect that heals hit point damage.

Special: Bleeding damage from this ability does not stack with itself. Bleeding damage bypasses any damage reduction the creature might possess.

Catch Off-Guard: A culex who takes this talent gains the Catch Off-Guard feat and the Throw Anything feat as bonus feats.

Combat Trick: The culex who takes this talent gains a bonus combat feat.

Deft Palm (Ex): A culex with this talent can make a Sleight of Hand check to conceal a weapon while holding it in plain sight, even while she is being observed.

Fast Movement (Ex): A culex’s base speed increases by +5.

Special: This talent can be taken multiple times. Its effects stack.

Fast Stealth (Ex): A culex with this talent can move at full speed using the Stealth skill without penalty.

Hidden Weapons (Ex): A culex with this ability can easily conceal weapons on his body. The culex adds his level on opposed Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a weapon. In addition, he can draw hidden weapons as a move action, instead of as a standard action.

Improvised Weapon Mastery (Ex): You do not suffer any penalties for using an improvised weapon. Increase the amount of damage dealt by the improvised weapon by one step (for example, 1d4 becomes 1d6) to a maximum of 1d8 (2d6 if the improvised weapon is two-handed). The improvised weapon has a critical threat range of 19–20, with a critical multiplier of ×2.

Poison Use (Ex): A culex with this ability does not risk exposing himself to poisons when preparing them, and can use the Craft (alchemy) skill as a class skill.

Lasting Poison (Ex): A culex with this talent can apply poison to a weapon in such a way that it is effective for two successful attacks instead of one. The poison has a reduced effect, however, and saves made against the poison receive a +2 circumstance bonus.

Special: Applying poison in this way requires a full-round action.

No Trace (Ex): A culex learns to cover his tracks, remain hidden, and conceal his presence. The DC to track a culex using the Survival skill increases by +1. In addition, his training gives him a +1 insight bonus on Disguise skill checks and on opposed Stealth checks whenever he is stationary and does not take any action for at least 1 round. Every three levels thereafter, the increase to Survival DCs and the bonuses on Disguise and opposed Stealth checks increase by 1.

Offensive Defense (Ex): When a culex with this talent hits a creature with a melee attack that deals smite damage, the culex gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC for each smite die rolled for one round.

Unarmed Strike (Ex): A culex with this talent gains the Improved Unarmed Strike feat.

Wall Climber (Ex): A culex with this ability gains a climb speed of 20 feet, but only on vertical surfaces. This ability cannot be used to scale smooth surfaces.