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View Full Version : Pathfinder The Dark Scholar v2 [A Pathfinder Base Class PEACH]



Urist Mcmage
2016-12-02, 01:24 PM
The Dark Scholar


The dark scholar is the seeker of hidden truths, the master of forbidden lore and the speaker of forgotten words. Unlike a sorcerer, who casts spells using the innate talent in their blood, or a cleric, who receives spells from the gods, the dark scholar takes his power from scraps of forbidden lore and dread secrets. Ancient lore, words of fell power and invocations of binding and summoning are all part of the dark scholar's arsenal. To a dark scholar, the only truly valuable currency is knowledge. Dark scholars are often viewed in the same light as depraved cultists and sinister necromancers. While it is true that the powers wielded by a dark scholar are at first glance often indistinguishable from those of demon-worshipers or devotees of chthonic entities from beyond the stars, the magic of the dark scholar is not (usually) inherently evil.

Role:The dark scholar is a potent user of magic. Their abilities are varied and broad, making her very versatile, albeit lacking the raw power of a wizard or a cleric. Depending on the dark scholar’s focus they might be a master of sinister spells, a commander of dark minions, a superlative sage and scholar, or any combination thereof. Like most spell users, their role depends largely on the magic they choose. Those who walk the dark road of the occult must fortify themselves against ancient powers and dark secrets. Few dark scholars are leaders of adventuring groups, being more concerned with expanding their knowledge of occult secrets

Alignment:Any, but very few are good
Hit Dice:d6

Class Skills
The dark scholar’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha) Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (The Planes), Spellcraft (Int), Linguistics (Int) Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier



Level
BAB
Fortitude
Reflex
Will
Special


1st
+0
+0
+0
+2
Occult Scholar, Scribe Scroll, Dark Utterance Limit 4/day


2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3
Forbidden Secret, Ritualist


3rd
+1
+1
+1
+3
Invocation


4th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Forbidden Secret


5th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Dark Utterance Limit 5/day


6th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Forbidden Secret


7th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Toughened Psyche


8th
+4
+2
+2
+6
Forbidden Secret


9th
+4
+3
+3
+6
Invocation, Dark Utterance Limit 6/day


10th
+5
+3
+3
+7
Forbidden Secret


11th
+5
+3
+3
+7
Adept Ritualist


12th
+6/+1
+4
+4
+8
Forbidden Secret


13th
+6/+1
+4
+4
+8
Dark Utterance Limit 7/day


14th
+7/+2
+4
+4
+9
Invocation, Forbidden Secret


15th
+7/+2
+5
+5
+9
Master of Lore


16th
+8/+3
+5
+5
+10
Forbidden Secret


17th
+8/+3
+5
+5
+10
Invocation, Dark Utterance Limit 8/day


18th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+11
Forbidden Secret


19th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+11
Dark Utterance Limit 9/day


20th
+10/+5
+6
+6
+12
Blasphemous Immortality





Class Features
All of the following are class features of the dark scholar.

Weapon & Armor Proficiency:Dark scholars are proficient with all simple weapons. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a dark scholar wearing light, medium or heavy armor incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component.

Spells:An dark scholar casts arcane spells drawn from the dark scholar spell list presented below. To learn a spell, the dark scholar must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level, while in order to cast a spell, the dark scholar must have a wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level.
The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a dark scholar’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the dark scholar’s Int modifier. A dark scholar can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level safely per day. If a dark scholar casts spells above this limit, she must make a DC 12 + spell level will save or suffer 1d4 wisdom damage. Each time you cast a spell in this manner, the DC of the will save increases by +2 for the rest of the day. A dark scholar cannot cast in this way if they are immune to wisdom damage. His base safe daily spell allotment is given on on the table below. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score (see Table 1–3 in the Core Rulebook). A dark scholar may know any number of spells.


Spellbook:A dark scholar must study his spellbook each day in order to be able to cast his spells. He cannot cast any spell not recorded in his spellbook. A dark scholar begins play with a spellbook containing three 1st-level dark scholar spells of his choice. The dark scholar also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to his Intelligence modifier to add to the spellbook. At each new dark scholar level, he gains three new spells of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on his new dark scholar level) for his spellbook. At any time, a dark scholar can also add spells found in other spellbooks to his own (see Chapter 9 of the Core Rulebook).[/LEFT]
Dark Utterance:you can speak words of power in a tongues mortal minds are not meant to know. As a swift action you may speak a word of power that shatters concentration and breaks weak minds. All creatures within 30 feet of you must make a will save with a DC of 10 + ½ dark scholar level + Int modifier or be sickened for ½ dark scholar level rounds. The dark scholar may use this ability at will, but they may only do so safely a certain number of times per day, as indicated on the table below. For each use beyond this limit, the dark scholar must make a will save with a DC equal to the DC of your Dark Utterance ability or takes 1d4 points of wisdom damage. Each time you use your Dark Utterance in this manner, the DC of the will save increases by +3 for the rest of the day. If the dark scholar is somehow immune to wisdom damage, they may not use this ability beyond its normal limit.[/LEFT]
Occult Knowledge:A dark scholar gains an insight bonus to all Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (The Planes) and Knowledge (Religion) equal to ½ his dark scholar level (minimum one).[/LEFT]
Forbidden Secrets:As a dark scholar gains experience, she learns a number of talents that aid her a number of ways. Starting at 2nd level, a dark scholar gains one Forbidden Secret. She gains an additional forbidden secret for every two levels of dark scholar attained. Unless stated otherwise, a dark scholar cannot take an individual forbidden secret more than once. Forbidden secrets marked with an asterisk add effects to the dark scholar's Dark Utterance ability. Only one of these secrets can be applied to an individual use of dark utterance and the decision must be made before the ability is used.[/LEFT]


Blood Magic (Su): You have dabbled in blood magic, harming yourself to increase the power of your spells. When you cast a spell, you may as an immediate action inflict 1d4 damage per spell level (minimum one) to yourself. If you do so, you may increase the DC of the spell by +1. The damage dealt by this ability cannot be reduced or ignored.

Incantation of Primal Fear* (Su): You utter words channeling the power of dark things in dark places that evoke a desperate fear in the living. When you use your dark utterance ability, you can choose to inflict the shaken condition instead of the sickened condition. Alternatively, you may utter it as a full-round action instead of a swift action. If you do so, all enemies within the radius of your Dark Utterance ability must make a will save with a DC of 10 + ½ dark scholar level + Int modifier or be panicked for 1d4 rounds. This is a mind affecting ability

Lore of Fell Flame (Su): You have established mastery over the fires of the lower planes. You may add Burning Hands to your spellbook. At 4th level, you may also add Scorching Ray and Flaming Sphere to your spellbook. At 7th level, you may add Fireball to your spellbook. Any time you would kill a sentient creature with a spell with the [Fire] descriptor, you gain temporary hitpoints equal to that creature’s HD x 2.

Incantation of Binding Chains* (Su): You have studied the forbidden chain-lore of the Kytons. When you use your Dark Utterance ability, you may choose to utter it as a full-round action rather than a swift one. If you do so, all enemies within the radius of your Dark Utterance must make a reflex save with a DC of 10 + ½ dark scholar level + Int modifier or be entangled for 1d3 + Int modifier rounds.

Dark Curses (Su): You are adept at weaving foul curses penned in tomes best left forgotten. You may spend one use of your Dark Utterance ability to cast Bestow Curse as a full-round action. You must be at least 4th level to take this secret.

Master of Hellfire (Su): You have learned the infernal art of weaving soul energy into your fire magic, burning the soul as well as the flesh. When you cast a spell with the [Fire] descriptor, you may inflict 1 constitution damage on yourself per spell level of the spell as you are casting it. If you do so, you may add one metamagic of your choice to that spell without increasing its casting time or spell level, and half of the damage is divine damage that cannot be resisted in any way. You must be at least 8th level and have taken the Lore of Fell Flame secret in order to take this secret. Note that if you are immune to constitution damage, then you instead take 1d8 divine damage per spell level of the spell you were casting. This damage cannot be resisted in any way.

Psionic Secrets (Su): You have studied forbidden lore pertaining to the darker powers of the mind. You gain two power points per level (this applies retroactively as well) and gain the Psionic Talent feat as a bonus feat. When you take this secret, as well as whenever you gain you learn a new spell afterwards you may choose to instead learn one psionic power of the same level from the Clairsentience, Telepathy, Metacreativity, Psychometabolism and Psychoportation disciplines. That is on the Psion/Wilder’s power list. (Requires Dreamscarred Press’s Ultimate Psionics)

Psionic Lore of Nightmares (Su): You have dabbled in the study of psionic nightmares and the power of fear itself. You gain the Devastating Touch ability as a Dread of your level -3, and you gain one Terror whose prerequisites you meet. Additionally, you may select powers from the Dread power list when swapping spells for powers using the Psionic Secrets forbidden secret. You must have taken the Psionics Secrets forbidden secret in order to take this one. Special: You may select this secret more than once. Each time you select it after the first, you may choose another terror to learn.

Lore of the Underworld (Su): The shades of the ancient dead have whispered to you some of their secrets. You may expend one use of your Dark Utterance ability to cast Speak with Dead or Speak with Haunt as a full-round action. You must be at least 4th level to take this secret.

Dark Summoning (Su): You are a master of fell summoning rituals. You may expend two uses of your Dark Utterance ability to summon any number of non-good outsiders with a total HD equal to or lower than your level. Unless your dark scholar level is at least two levels higher than the HD of the strongest outsider of the group you just summoned the creature or creatures are not bound to serve you, but you are able to banish them back to their home plane with a full round action. Depending on the outsider, it may accept souls, treasure, sacrifices other more esoteric goods in return for serving you. Depending on the type of outsider being summoned, you may even be able to intimidate it into serving you. The creature lasts for twenty-four hours or until you release it back to its home plane.

Incantation of Decay* (Su): You speak words first taught to mortals by the Horseman of Death, withering flesh and rusting metal under the inevitable onslaught of time. When you use your Dark Word ability, you may cast it as a full-round action rather than a swift one. If you do so, all enemies within the radius of your Dark Utterance ability must make a fortitude save with a DC of 10 + ½ dark scholar level + Int modifier or instead take 1d4+1/five class levels strength and constitution damage, and creatures without a constitution and/or strength score instead take 2d6/class level damage. You must be at least 6th level to take this forbidden secret.

Soul Fuel Magic (Su): You have delved even deeper into the magic of the Four Horsemen. Whenever you kill a creature with HD greater or equal to your own, as an immediate action you may choose to have the next spell that you cast be effected by one metamagic of your choice without increasing the casting time or level. You must be at least 8th level in order to take this secret. A spell cast this way gains the [Evil] descriptor.

Minor Incantation of Ruin* (Su): You speak the lesser words of unmaking said to have been first uttered by the gods themselves. When you use your Dark Utterance ability you may utter it as a full-round action rather than a swift action. If you do so, all enemies within the radius of your Dark Utterance ability must make a will save with a DC of 10 + ½ dark scholar level + Int modifier or take 1d8/dark scholar level damage (maximum 10d8).

Incantation of Ruin* (Su): You speak the words of unmaking said to have been first uttered by the gods themselves. When you use your Dark Utterance ability you may utter it as a full-round action rather than a swift action. If you do so, all enemies within the radius of your Dark Utterance ability must make a will save with a DC of 10 + ½ dark scholar level + Int modifier or take 1d10/dark scholar level damage (maximum 10d10). You must be at least 4th level and have taken the Minor Incantation of Ruin secret to select this secret.

Darkbolt (Su): You have learned how to hurl bolts of baleful darkness at your foes. As a move action you may gather dark energy into your hand. You may unleash that energy as a standard action, sending a bolt of night-black energy arcing towards your enemies. This is a ranged touch attack which deals 1d6/dark scholar level untyped damage. Additionally, any living creature struck by the Darkbolt must make a DC 10 + ½ th dark scholar level + Int modifier fortitude save or be staggered for 1d3 rounds. Once you use this ability, you must wait five rounds before using it again.

Lore of Binding (Su): Your skill at bending minor planar entities to your will has increased, allowing you to bind a extraplanar creature as your familiar. You gain Improved Familiar as a bonus feat. The familiar that you select must have the outsider, aberration or undead type or have at least one non-good alignment keyword.

Greater Blood Magic (Su): You have fully mastered the study of blood magic. When you deal damage to yourself for any reason, you may as an immediate action double the amount of damage that you just took. If you do, the next spell you cast ignores spell resistance and is effected by one metamagic of your choice that you know, without increasing its casting time or increasing the spell slot it uses up. Only one metamagic may be applied to a spell in this way. You must be at least 12th level and have taken the Blood Magic forbidden secret in order to take this one.

Major Incantation of Ruin* (Su): You speak the greatest of the words of unmaking said to have been first uttered by the gods themselves. When you use your Dark Utterance ability you may utter it as a full-round action rather than a swift action. If you do so, all enemies within the radius of your Dark Utterance ability must make a will save with a DC of 10 + ½ dark scholar level + Int modifier or take 1d12/dark scholar level damage (maximum 10d12). Any creature that is killed by this damage is erased from existence, and cannot be resurrected by anything other than a Wish or Miracle. You must be at least 12th level and have selected the Minor Incantation of Ruin and Incantation of Ruin secrets to select this one.

Greater Dark Curses (Su): Your skill at weaving curses has grown. Whenever you use your Dark Curses ability, you may spend two uses of Dark Utterance instead of one in order to cast Greater Bestow Curse rather than Bestow Curse. Additionally, using your Dark Curses ability is now a full action instead of a full-round action. Your must be at least 8th level and have taken the Dark Curses secret in order take this one.

Incantation of Balefire* (Su): You have discovered potent words of power that can summon forth gouts of unearthly fire. When you use your Dark Utterance ability you may utter it as a full-round action. If you do so, all enemies within the radius of your Dark Utterance ability take 1d6/dark scholar level fire and unholy damage and become fatigued. Creatures that make a reflex save with a DC of 10 + dark scholar level + Int modifier take half damage and are not fatigued. Any creature that fails its reflex save catches fire in addition to being fatigued. You must be at least 6th level to select this secret.

Incantation of Agony* (Su): Your weave vile curses with your words. When you use your Dark Utterance ability you may utter it as a full round action. If you do so, all enemies within the radius of your Dark Utterance ability must make a will save with a DC of 10 + ½ dark scholar level + Int modifier or be cursed, as the spell Bestow Curse. When you use this ability you may choose the exact effects of the curse, with the same guidelines as the original spell. You must be at least 10th level to take this secret. You must have taken the Dark Curses and Greater Dark Curses secrets to take this forbidden secret.

Soul Siphon (Su): You use dark magic to drain the soul of a foe. As a standard action you may select one creature within 30 + ½ dark scholar level feet. That creature must make a DC 10 + ½ dark scholar level + Int modifier will save or take 1d4/dark scholar level damage (maximum 15d4) and be fatigued. Creatures that make the save take half damage and are not fatigued. At the beginning of your next turn, you may choose to continue siphoning the enemies’ soul by spending a standard action. If you do so, the target must make another DC 10 + dark scholar level + Int modifier will save or take 1d6/dark scholar level damage (maximum 15d6) and be fatigued. If the creature is already fatigued, then it is instead exhausted. If you continue siphoning for a third turn, the targeted creature must make a DC 10 + dark scholar level + Int modifier will save or take 1d8/dark scholar level damage (maximum 15d8) and gain 1d3 + 1 negative levels. If you kill a creature in this way, you can choose to gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the slain creature’s HD x 2 + Int modifier. You can use this ability 2 + Int modifier times per day. You must be at least 6th level to select this forbidden secret.

Soul-Thief Master (Su): Your ability to drain the souls of others has improved to a point were you have enough control to trap the souls that you drain, binding them to you and forcing them to do your bidding. Whenever you kill a creature using your Soul Siphon ability, instead of gaining hitpoints, you may bind the soul to yourself. You may only do this with creatures that possess a sentient mortal soul (Constructs, Elementals, Oozes, Aberrations, Animals, Magical Beasts and Plants do not count). In order to bind it to you must make a Will check with a DC equal to 10 + the ECL of the bound spirit’s former body. Beings with Truesight, as well as incorporeal undead can see spirits that are bound to you, but most mortals do not sense anything, although certain animals might become nervous around you. Spirits that are bound to you are considered to be a valid target for the Speak with Dead spell. You must be at least 8th level and have the Soul Siphon forbidden secret to take this secret. The maximum number of spirits you can have bound to you is equal to 1 + Int modifier

Shroud of the Damned (Su):): You gain a +1 deflection bonus to AC for each spirit bound to you. Any time you would suffer damage from a ghost touch weapon, or from a creature within the ethereal plane, or you are targeted with a Undeath to Death spell you lose one bound soul. You must be at least 6th level and have the Soul-Thief Master or Spectral Summoning secret in order to take this secret.

Spectral Seekers (Su): You may use your bound spirits as spies to locate targets. This functions as the Locate Creature spell cast at your caster level, but can only be used to locate creatures you know the name of. You may use this ability once per day. A dark scholar must be at least 9th level and know the Soul-Thief Master or Spectral Summoning secret to select this secret. You must have at least one spirit bound to you to use this ability.

Greater Spectral Seekers (Su): Your control over your seeking spirits has grown, allowing you to find those who are hidden with even greater ease. Whenever you use you Spectral Seekers ability, the ability functions as the spell Discern Location rather than Locate Creature. You may still only use Spectral Seekers once per day. You must be at least 14th level and have the Spectral Seekers secret to take this one.

Spectral Summoning (Su): You have learned summon spirits from the ethereal plane directly, rather than being forced to harvest them from those you have slain. You may spend ten minutes performing a ritual to summon up long-dead spirits. This ritual requires an onyx gem worth 1000 gp. The gem is consumed during the ritual. At the completion of the ritual, you automatically gain 1d3 spirits bound to you. You must be at least 5th level to take this forbidden secret.

Spectral Minions (Su): You have mastered the spirits under your control to the point that you can force them to fight for you. As a full round action you can release one of the spirits bound to you, giving it a 5 + Int modifier word task to complete. The spirit will attempt to complete the task to the best of it’s ability. The spirit is the same creature it was in life, with the Ghost template applied to it (Ghosts created this way do not have the Rejuvenation ability). If the spirit is destroyed while attempting to complete the task, then it moves on to the afterlife, and is no longer bound to you. You must have Spectral Summoning forbidden secret to select this one.

Lore of Trapped Souls (Su): You have learned how to consume bound spirits to power your magic. Whenever you would cast a spell, you may choose to consume one or more bound spirits, losing those spirits permanently. For each spirit consumed, the spell being cast is cast at +1 caster level (to a maximum of +3) and with +1 to its DC (to a maximum of +3). If five or more spirits are consumed this way, then the spell being cast is counts as being effected by the Empower Spell metamagic feat.

Incantation of the Souldrinker* (Su): You know the chant created by creatures from the plane of shadow. This chant can drain the life and soul from the living. When you use your Dark Utterance ability, you may choose to utter it as a full round action. If you do, all creatures sickened by your Dark Utterance instead suffer 1d6 temporary negative levels. These negative levels last for 24 hours. You must be at least 15th level and already possess the Soul Siphon secret to take this secret.

Lore of Dark Channeling (Su): You have learned how to channel life-killing negative energy in much the same manner that a cleric or antipaladin might. You gain the Channel Negative Energy ability, as a cleric of your dark scholar level -3.

Lore of the Crypt (Su): You have gleaned much from your studies of death and the undead, and this knowledge serves you well in combat. You gain the Death domain and the Undead subdomain, replacing every instance of the word cleric with the word “dark scholar”. You are not granted the bonus domain spells. You must have taken the Lore of Dark Channeling forbidden secret to select this one.

Lore of the Dark Tapestry (Su): You have studied the things that lurk in the blackness between the stars. You gain the Void domain and Dark Tapestry subdomain, replacing every instance of the word “cleric” with the word “dark scholar”. You are not granted the bonus domain spells.

Lore of the Gibbering Mind (Su): You have studied things which shatter minds and break wills, allowing you to render someone a raving madman with but a few words. You gain the Madness domain, replacing every instance of the word “cleric” with the word “dark scholar”. You are not granted the bonus domain spells.

Lore of the Vile Hand (Su): You have managed to learn a means of channeling dark energies through a touch. You gain the Hand of Corruption ability, as a antipaladin of your dark scholar level -3 (minimum 1). When you select this secret, select two antipaladin cruelties. You gain those cruelties. Special: You may select this secret more than once. Each time you select it after the first, you may choose another cruelty to learn.

Lore of the Twisted Hags (Su): You have studied tomes penned by hag sages, and learned much in the art of cursing your enemies. You gain one witch hex that you qualify for, treating your effective witch level as your dark scholar level -3 (minimum 1). You cannot select the Cackle hex using this secret. This secret can be taken more than once. Special: You may select this secret more than once. Each time you select it after the first, you may choose another hex to learn.

Improve Lore of the Twisted Hags (Su): Your knowledge and mastery over the magical lore of the hags has increased greatly. You gain one major hex that you qualify for, treating your effective witch level as your dark scholar level -3. You must be at least 10th level and have already possess the Lore of the Twisted Hag secret in order to select this one. Special: You may select this feat more than once. Each time you select it after the first, you may choose another major hex to learn.

Lore of the Divine Vessel (Su): You search for true enlightenment through the mysteries of the oracle. When you select this secret, choose one of the following oracle mysteries: Ancestor, Bone, Dark Tapestry, Lore and Outer Rifts. You may select one revelation that you qualify for. For the purpose of this secret, your oracle level is equal to your dark scholar level -3 (minimum 1). Special: You may select this secret more than once. Each time you select it after the first, you may choose another revelation to learn. You do not gain the bonus mystery spells.

Incantation of Exsanguination*(Su): You speak words of power that cause surrounding enemies to bleed uncontrollably. When you use your Dark Utterance ability you may utter it as a full round action. If you do, all creatures sickened by your Dark Word also takes dark scholar level + Int modifier bleed damage. If they are already suffering bleed damage, double the amount of bleed damage they are currently suffering.

Invocations: Invocations are quick litanies spoken in elder tongues that affect the world around the dark scholar. At 3rd, 9th, 14th and 17th level, you may choose one spell from the dark scholar spell list from a level that you can cast and whose casting time is a standard, move, swift, or immediate action; you may now cast that spell as a spell-like ability at-will. Each time you cast a spell this way, you must make a DC 12 + spell level will save or take 1d6 Wisdom damage. Each time you use an invocation the DC of the will save increases by +2. The DC resets after a long rest. If the dark scholar is somehow immune to wisdom damage, they may not use this ability beyond its normal limit. A spell with material components worth more than 10 gold pieces cannot be chosen as an invocation. Additionally, all spells cast this way count as having a verbal component. You cannot select spells higher than 4th level as invocations.

Ritualist: Much of your magical knowledge concerns itself not with the normal casting of spells, but rather the use of ritual magic. Whenever you would gain a level, you may add a ritual to your spellbook (for rules on rituals, see the Occult Adventures rulebook.). Additionally, you may add rituals that you discover to your spellbook as well.

Toughened Psyche: You have seen and heard things that mere mortals are not meant to know. Some say this has taken a toll on your sanity, but if it has, you do not care, reveling in the protection your scarred mind provides. Three times per day you may re-roll a failed will saving throw, and you are immune to effects with the [Fear] descriptor.

Master of Lore:In your quest for knowledge and power, you have amassed a trove of knowledge that rivals that of the mightiest royal libraries and wizard academies. You may take 20 on knowledge checks without increasing the time it takes to do so. Additionally, at the beginning of each day, you may re-select the spells chosen as your invocations.

Blasphemous Immortality: You have discovered knowledge of life eternal, changing your form. When you gain this class feature, choose one of the following rituals to perform:
* Ritual of the Fiend's Heart: You perform a ritual first invented by a red dragon of great power, tearing out your own heart and replacing it with the heart of a greater demon. In order to perform the ritual, you must have a bound demon and 20,000 GP worth of ritual equipment and rare reagents. Although the exact specifications of the ritual are left up to the DM, in all cases, at the end of the ritual, the dark scholar must kill a bound demon with a ritual dagger and remove its heart. The dark scholar must then cut out their own heart (or have another cut it out) and, while still alive (healing magic may be used to make this easier), place the demon's heart within their chest cavity. This process deals 1d10 Constitution damage and 1d8 Strength damage, and the dark scholar is considered exhausted and sickened until the damage heals. Once the ritual is complete, the dark scholar gains the Half-Fiend template and ceases to age, becoming effectively immortal.
* Ritual of the Sepulchral Soul: You perform rites intended to transform you into a creature of death and magic. In order to perform the ritual, you must have an item you have selected to house your soul and 20,000 GP worth of ritual equipment and rare reagents. The exact specifications of the ritual are up to the DM, although in all cases although in all cases the dark scholar must ritually mix the reagents to create a potion of lichdom, then drink the elixer while lying in a place with a strong connection to the negative energy plane (graveyards, plague pits, old battlefields, gallows, etc.). If successful, the dark scholar gains the Lich template.



[SIZE=4]Spells Per Day:


1st
3
1
0
0
0
0
0


2nd
3
1
0
0
0
0
0


3rd
3
2
1
0
0
0
0


4th
3
2
1
0
0
0
0


5th
3
2
2
1
0
0
0


6th
3
3
2
1
0
0
0


7th
3
3
2
2
1
0
0


8th
3
3
3
2
1
0
0


9th
3
3
3
2
2
1
0


10th
3
4
3
3
2
1
0


11th
4
4
3
3
2
2
1


12th
4
4
4
3
3
2
1


13th
4
4
4
3
3
2
2


14th
4
4
4
4
3
3
2


15th
4
4
4
4
3
3
2


16th
4
4
4
4
4
3
3


17th
4
4
4
4
4
3
3


18th
4
4
4
4
4
4
3


19th
4
4
4
4
4
4
3


20th
4
4
4
4
4
4
4




1st Level: Bane, Break, Bungle, Barbed Chains, Cause Fear, Command, Forbid Action, Ill Omen, Litany of Weakness, Litany of Sloth, Memory Lapse, Murderous Command, Summon Monster I, Vanish
2nd Level:Animate Dead, Lesser, Arrow of Law, Aristocrat’s Nightmare, Blood Biography, Blistering Invective, Burning Gaze, Blindness/Deafness, Calm Spirit, Castigate, Confusion, Lesser, Curse of Keeping, Curse Terrain, Cacophonous Call, Confess, Dispel Magic, Dread Bolt, Death Candle, Death Knell, Dust of Twilight, Enemy’s Heart, Feast of Ashes, Ghost Whip, Haunting Mists, Hold Person, Howling Agony, Inflict Pain, Life Pact, Mad Hallucination, Magic Circle against Good/Law/Chaos, Oneiric Horror, Psychic Leech, Purge Spirit, Stricken Heart, Suggestion, Shatter, Stone Call, Shard of Chaos, Scare, Summon Monster II, Time Shudder,Twisted Space
3rd Level:Agonize, Accursed Glare, Abhorrent Blight, Augury, Air Geyser, Animate Dead, Arcane Concordance, Blood Sentinel, Blood Transcription, Babble, Bestow Curse, Barrow Haze, Crushing Despair, Condensed Ether, Conditional Curse, Curse of the Outcast, Charnel House, Call the Void, Cast Out, Cackling Skull, Chain of Perdition, Dreadscape, Excruciating Deformation, Ectoplasmic Snare, Gloomblind Bolts, Grasping Tentacles, Hold Monster, Hostile Juxtaposition, Haunting Choir, Jester’s Jaunt, Litany of Escape, Loathsome Veil, Litany of Sight, Litany of Entanglement, Litany of Eloquence, Marionette Possession, Malicious Spite, Pain Strike, Phantom Steed, Riding Possession, Spirit-Bound Blade, Scrying, Speak with Dead, Speak with Haunt, Spiritual Ally, Sands of Time, Summon Monster III, Vision of Hell, Vampiric Touch
4rd Level:Black Tentacles, Boneshatter, Curse of Burning Sleep, Chaos Hammer, Control Summoned Creature, Commune, Contingent Scroll, Call Spirit, Curse Terrain, Dismissal, Divination, Dimension Door, Debilitating Portent, Entrap Creature, Etheric Shards, Enervation, Eyes of the Void, Fear, Flesh Puppet, Flesh Puppet Horde, Feed on Fear, Fleshworm Infestation, Inflict Serious Wounds, Litany of Madness, Litany of Thunder, Moonstruck, Order’s Wrath , Possession, Poison, Shadow Step, Symbol of Revelation, Symbol of Slowing, Slay Living, Silver Darts, Summon Monster IV, Wracking Ray, Wall of Bone, Unholy Blight
5th Level:Astral Projection, Lesser, Blood Boil, Bolt of Bedevilment, Blood Tentacles, Castigate, Mass, Create Undead, Cruel Jaunt, Curse of Magic Negation, Curse, Major, Flamestrike, Feeblemind, Flesh Wall, Ghoul Army, Hungry Darkness, Trap the Soul, Magic Jar, Nightmare, Pain Strike, Mass, Planar Binding, Planar Ally, Lesser, Scouring Winds, Shadow Walk, Song of Discord, Suffocation, Summon Monster V, Symbol of Pain, Symbol of Sleep, Vampiric Shadow Shield
6th Level:Banshee Blast, Blasphemy, Create Greater Undead, Cloak of Dreams, Curse Terrain, Greater, Cosmic Ray, Dictum, Death Clutch, Eyebite, Hellfire Ray, Hostile Juxtaposition, Greater, Lash of the Astradaemon, Mislead, Oneiric Horror, Greater, Phantasmal Revenge, Rift of Ruin, Scrying, Greater, Scourge of the Horseman, Sirocco, Soul Bind, Summon Monster VI, Symbol of Weakness, Umbral Strike, Word of Chaos


[FONT=Arial][SIZE=4]New Feats:

Additional Utterances
You have gained more insight into the Dark Speech, allowing you to safely use it more often.
Prerequisites: Dark Utterance class feature
Benefit: The maximum number of times that you can use your Dark Utterance ability safely increases by two.
Special: You can choose this feat more than once.

Dark Arcana
You have specialized in sinister magic, delving deep into vile magical lore to increase your power, though it taints your very soul.
Prerequisites: 10th level Dark scholar, Spell Focus (Necromancy) and Spell Focus (Conjuration), Spell Focus (Enchantment)
Benefit: Spells with the [Curse], [Evil], [Pain], [Emotion] and [Summoning] subtypes have their DC and Caster Level increased by +1. Additionally, you are counted as evil for the purpose of being detected by the Detect Evil spell, as well as spells that are more powerful against evil creatures.

Dark Tapestry Summoning
The creatures called forth by your abilities are twisted monstrosities from the darkness between the stars.
Prerequisites: Dark Summoning forbidden secret
Benefit: Whenever you use your Dark Summoning ability, you may choose to use it to summon aberrations rather than outsiders. Outside of this difference, the Dark Summoning ability functions as normal.

Sepulchral Summoning
You can call forth undead monstrosities in addition to the usual fiends
Prerequisites: Dark Summoning forbidden secret
Whenever you use your Dark Summoning ability, you may choose to use it to summon aberrations rather than outsiders. Outside of this difference, the Dark Summoning ability functions as normal.

[B]Extra Secrets
Your research into the dark arts has payed off, granting you secrets mere mortals could not dream of.
Prerequisites: Forbidden Secret class feature
Benefit: Choose a forbidden secret that you are eligible to take. You gain that forbidden secret.
Special: You can choose this feat more than once.

Improved Occult Knowledge
Your knowledge of the arcane secrets of the world is vast, and continues to grow at a steady pace.
Prerequisite: Occult Knowledge class feature
Benefit: The bonus granted by Occult Knowledge is now equal to your full dark scholar level.

Precise Utterances
Rather than applying your Dark Utterance to the area around you indiscriminately, you have found that by changing the inflections words in your Dark Utterance, you can effect a single creature at a time.
Prerequisite: Dark Utterance class feature
Benefit: When you use your Dark Utterance ability, rather than effecting all creatures within 30 feet, you may instead choose to effect only a single creature within 30 feet with your Dark Utterance.

Rushed Incantation
You have trained yourself to chant the words of your incantations at great speed, though doing so is risky.
Prerequisites: 5th level Dark scholar, Dark Utterance class feature
Benefit: When you use your Dark Utterance ability and apply a forbidden secret to it, you may utter it as a full action instead of a full-round action. If you do so, you must make a will save with a DC of 15 or take 1d6 wisdom damage and be stunned for one round. You may use this ability as often as you want, but each time you use it, the DC of the willpower save increases by +2. The DC resets after you take a long rest.

Selective Utterances
You can control the baleful power that you wield enough to prevent it from affecting your allies.
Prerequisites: Precise Utterances feat
[B]Benefit:[B/] When you use your Dark Utterance ability, you can choose up to 2 + Intelligence modifier creatures that would normally be affected by your Dark Utterance. These creatures automatically make their saving throw against it. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + Int modifier

Sayt
2016-12-03, 02:25 AM
Class is pretty interesting! Good mix of knowledge monkey and caster, IMO. Just a few questions and comments:

Lore of Binding: The fluff indicates you might have meant the Improved Familiar feat: most normal familiars are animals.

Master of Hellfire: Does the spell consume a higher level spell slot? Does this work for characters without constitution scores (IE, liches)? Does it work if you reduce or are immune to the con damage?

Urist Mcmage
2016-12-04, 02:33 PM
Change Log:
*Merged Lore of Binding with Greater Lore of Binding
*Made Lore of Hellfire dangerous to use even without a constitution score

Just curious, what tier would you put this at. I was going for a tier 3, but I feel like I may have given them too good of a spell list. Would you as a DM let a player use this?

Basic Idea of the Class: I origninally designed this class for 3.5, with the intention of creating a sort of mix between a warlock, archivist, truenamer and binder. It started out as an invocations user, and eventually, morphed into a casting class. When I discovered pathfinder I realized that it would be a much better fit for this class than 3.5. The goal of this version of the class was to create a very versatile caster specializing in dark magic. Please tell me if there is anything you think I should add.

ImperatorV
2016-12-04, 02:49 PM
The difference between tier 2 and tier 3 is that tier 2 has gamebreakers. While I haven't read through everything here yet, I haven't seen any "I win" buttons yet, so it should be tier 3. Maybe someone else will point out something I missed.

Incidently, I love this class, and I love that it's not alignment restricted. You've got a lot of very cool stuff here. I'd like to see more necromacy stuff, maybe a variation of Dark Summoning to call undead (like you have the feat for abberations). I just love the idea of summoning Nightshades and this class seems like the type that would do that.

One thing that I immediately Identified as being "missing" was a method of obtaining immortality. This class, of all classes, should have a way of escaping death by old age - it's practically the oldest type of forbidden lore out there - actually, it is the oldest, goes back all the way to the Epic of Gilgamesh. Granted, that could be covered by the Occult Rituals, but that'd require becoming a lich (which is not for everyone) or coming up with a new ritual (which is DM fiat). Another common thing in seekers of forbidden lore is the ability to bring back the dead, so a way to get resurrection spells or (more likely) turn people into intelligent undead would not be amiss.

JoshuaZ
2016-12-04, 03:34 PM
I really like this. Some of the formatting tags look like they are slightly off. A few quick comments:


Invocations are quick litanies spoken in elder tongues that affect the world around the dark scholar. At 3rd, 9th, 14th and 17th level, you may choose one spell from the dark scholar spell list from a level that you can cast and whose casting time is a standard, move, swift, or immediate action; you may now cast that spell as a spell-like ability at-will. Each time you cast a spell this way, you must make a DC 12 + spell level will save or take 1d6 Wisdom damage. Each time you use an invocation the DC of the will save increases by +2. The DC resets after a long rest. If the dark scholar is somehow immune to wisdom damage, they may not use this ability beyond its normal limit.

I like the idea of having to risk damaging one's self, but the damage rate is high. Also, someone could just use healing magic to heal the wisdom damage. Maybe instead make it wisdom burn that can only be healed by rest, have it explicitly bypass all immunities and have it only be 1d4.

Also


A dark scholar may not apply metamagic to their spells via normal methods, but some of their talents give them the ability to add metamagic effects to their spells using the souls of slain enemies, or by sacrificing their own life-force.

Is there a specific reason you have banned regular metamagic? This seems like it is unnecessarily weakening them and pushes them to the lower end of T3.


You have studied forbidden lore pertaining to the darker powers of the mind. You gain two power points per level (this applies retroactively as well) and gain the Psionic Talent feat as a bonus feat. When you take this secret, as well as whenever you gain a level afterwards you may choose to replace one spell you know with one psionic power of the same level from the Clairsentience, Telepathy, Metacreativity, Psychometabolism and Psychoportation disciplines. That is on the Psion/Wilder’s power list. (Requires Dreamscarred Press’s Ultimate Psionics)

I'm not completely sure how this secret functions since they lose spells but their spells are recorded in their spellbook? Do you mean that they gain a power known of that level or lower instead of gaining a spell? That seems reasonable. What level do they manifest at? I presume at their Dark Scholar level. If so, should say that explicitly.
Also, it may make sense to have a followup secret that just lets you take a psionic feat you meet the prerequisites for.

Soul Fuel Magic is going to be extremely difficult to use. I would suggest instead of it being at least your hit die to activate instead increase based on the level of the metamagic increase. Maybe 1 level per every 3 hit die? So if you want to a level 2 metamagic adjustment, you need to kill something that has at least 6 hit die.

It would also be a reasonably balanced secret to have one that allows them to add a necromancy spell, [evil] spell or summoning spell from either the cleric list or sorcerer/wizard list to their Dark Scholar list. You could presumably take this secret multiple times.

It also isn't unreasonable to let them take another Forbidden Secret at 20th level, since the current capstone is nice but not amazing.

There really should be something minor at 15th level, but I'm not sure what.

Urist Mcmage
2016-12-07, 07:52 PM
Is there a specific reason you have banned regular metamagic? This seems like it is unnecessarily weakening them and pushes them to the lower end of T3.

I did that because I thought that otherwise it might be overpowered, but since no one seems to thinks so, it seems that it is ok to change it. I have removed that restriction


I'm not completely sure how this secret functions since they lose spells but their spells are recorded in their spellbook? Do you mean that they gain a power known of that level or lower instead of gaining a spell? That seems reasonable. What level do they manifest at? I presume at their Dark Scholar level. If so, should say that explicitly.
Also, it may make sense to have a followup secret that just lets you take a psionic feat you meet the prerequisites for.

You are correct, that is along the lines of what I intended. I have changed the wording to make it easier to understand.



There really should be something minor at 15th level, but I'm not sure what.

I moved master of lore to level 15 and added a new capstone for level 20


Incidently, I love this class, and I love that it's not alignment restricted. You've got a lot of very cool stuff here. I'd like to see more necromacy stuff, maybe a variation of Dark Summoning to call undead (like you have the feat for abberations). I just love the idea of summoning Nightshades and this class seems like the type that would do that.

Thanks, I am glad that people seem to like it. I added a feat that allows undead to be summoned with Dark Summoning.


It would also be a reasonably balanced secret to have one that allows them to add a necromancy spell, [evil] spell or summoning spell from either the cleric list or sorcerer/wizard list to their Dark Scholar list. You could presumably take this secret multiple times.

I am working on a couple of secrets at the moment that do just that. I am going to be adding them soon.


One thing that I immediately Identified as being "missing" was a method of obtaining immortality. This class, of all classes, should have a way of escaping death by old age - it's practically the oldest type of forbidden lore out there - actually, it is the oldest, goes back all the way to the Epic of Gilgamesh. Granted, that could be covered by the Occult Rituals, but that'd require becoming a lich (which is not for everyone) or coming up with a new ritual (which is DM fiat). Another common thing in seekers of forbidden lore is the ability to bring back the dead, so a way to get resurrection spells or (more likely) turn people into intelligent undead would not be amiss.

I totally agree. The only reasons that becoming a lich is not the capstone is because I did not want to force dark scholars who specialize in aberrations and had a lovecraftian theme to become undead as well. In the end I decided that the capstone would allow you to choose one of a number of different rituals, each of which would grant a different template. I will be adding more capstone rituals over the next few days.

ImperatorV
2016-12-07, 09:24 PM
Sepulchral Summoning has a typo from copy-pasting it. The capstone rituals so far look really good.

JoshuaZ
2016-12-09, 11:30 AM
Two other ritual options for the capstone:

Ritual of Dark Resurrection This ritual duplicates the spell True Resurrection except with five differences. First, the ritual takes 1 hour and must be performed at night. Second the sacrifice of a willing or helpless intelligent(intelligence greater than 3), living creature of at least as many hit die as the being to be resurrected; this replaces the normal material component. Third, the ritual may be used to restore undead beings to life. Fourth, the ritual can be used to resurrect a being that is unwilling to return as long as one has the intact corpse (although the being is allowed a will save if it is unwilling). Fifth, the being sacrificed loses 2 permanent levels if it is ever restored to life, in addition to any other losses incurred.

Ritual of Soul Magic This fearsome ritual allows one to drain the lifeforce and the soul of a being directly into the making of magical objects. This ritual can only be taken by a Dark Scholar who has at least one item creation feat. This ritual allows one to sacrifice a willing or helpless being to reduce the cost of making a magical object. For every 1 hit die the being has, this reduces the cost of the object by 1000 gp. You can sacrifice multiple beings to make the same object, but you cannot no matter what reduce the cost of an object below a quarter of its regular cost this way, and any being sacrificed in order to reduce cost must have at least as many hit die as the object's caster level divided by 3. Any object made this way has a necromantic aura in addition to its regular magical auras, and it may have other aspects which reflect its dark creation, such as being unusually cold to the touch, or occasionally weeping blood.

If you do decide to include these rituals as options, suggest then changing capstone name to something like "Supreme Blasphemy" since they aren't all then about immortality.

NarcoticSqurl
2016-12-09, 01:45 PM
Is there a reason your save DC seems to be all over the place? I'm not complaining, but I saw 12+1/2 level, and 10 plus spell level plus interest just as two examples. I'm more curious how you're calculating save DC for this class rather than airing a complaint or concern. As for the rest of your post though, I like the class a lot. Seemingly very similar to a class I'm working on, as I have a soft spot for dark, blood, and soul magic. Have you play tested this against other casters? And how well do players enjoy the class? I'm having a hard time imagining anybody hating it.

Zhentarim
2018-01-31, 08:13 PM
This class looks pretty good so far.

The spells table has 7 columns instead of just 6. Does this class have cantrips?

Also, when you say you can learn spells from other spellbooks, do you mean just other dark scholars? Elaborate.

Urist Mcmage
2018-01-31, 10:50 PM
This class looks pretty good so far.

The spells table has 7 columns instead of just 6. Does this class have cantrips?

Also, when you say you can learn spells from other spellbooks, do you mean just other dark scholars? Elaborate.

No, the class does not have cantrips. As for learning spells from spellbooks, they can't learn a spell from, for example, a wizards spellbook unless it was already on the dark scholar spell list.

aimlessPolymath
2018-01-31, 11:13 PM
I'm also confused by the spells per day table. Adding a row of labels with the spell level for each column would help a lot.

Urist Mcmage
2018-02-01, 02:42 AM
I'm also confused by the spells per day table. Adding a row of labels with the spell level for each column would help a lot.

Ok, I must have forgotten to update that. The version posted on the forums is slightly out of date. A pdf of the most up to date version is here (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KF_VeNkvL3gUCEmkHJiZrcGBXs_trXP2/view?usp=sharing).