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Xuldarinar
2016-12-19, 09:51 AM
APOSTATE (CLERIC ARCHETYPE)
Not all clerics follow the living. Known as apostates, these clerics serve gods and demigods long dead, channeling remnants of the very essence of fallen divinity. Befitting their name, most channel from the quasi-souls of slain demon lords, drawing from the Rift of Repose.
-Alignment: An apostate must have an alignment no more than one step on each axis from their patron deity.
-Patron: An apostate must have a dead god or demigod as their patron.
-Quasi-Spirit (Su): As part of the apostate's preparation of spells, she performs a ritual not unlike that of a seance to channel a portion of the remnant essence of their patron deity, henceforth referred to as the deity's quasi-spirit.
By channeling the quasi-spirit of their deity, the apostate allows them to gain 1 point of influence over her. If the apostate loses that 1 point of influence, she loses contact with her deity's quasi-spirit and loses all remaining prepared spells. When the quasi-spirit leaves after a 24-hour duration and before she prepares her spells again, her deity's quasi-spirit's influence over her resets to 0.
When the quasi-spirit gains at least 3 points of influence over her, she takes a -2 penalty on initiative checks as well as Fortitude saves, Will saves, and Armor Class. However, this also grants the apostate a +4 bonus against possession effects and a +2 bonus on saving throw against mind-affecting effects not related to possession.
If the quasi-spirit of the apostate's deity attains 5 or more points of influence over her, the apostate completely loses control to the quasi-spirit. She effectively becomes an NPC under the GM's control until she awakens the next day with the quasi-spirit gone.
-Spiritual Domains: At 1st level, apostate gains a single domain of her choosing, though tit must be associated with her patron deity in some way. Domain powers that have a number of daily uses equal to 3 + her Wisdom modifier instead provide a number of daily uses equal to 1 + her Wisdom modifier.
This ability alters Domains.
-Inspirited Channeling (Su): An apostate only gains 1 + her Wisdom modifier uses of Channel Energy. However, when an apostate's influence points reach 3 or more, the DC of her channel energy increases by +2 and it does +1d6 additional damage/healing.
This ability alters Channel Energy.
-(To be named later) (Su): At 1st level, an apostate gains Silent Spell and Still Spell as bonus feats. Whenever an apostate casts a spell, she may allow her deity's quasi-spirit to gain 1 point of influence over her in exchange for applying a metamagic feat to the spell being cast, reducing the level cost of the metamagic feat by 1. Starting at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, she may allow her deity's spirit to gain 1 additional point of influence (to a maximum of +5 at 20th level) when using this ability, allowing her to lower the cost of the metamagic feat by 1 per point of influence gained. Using this ability cannot place you at more than 6 influence.



Regretfully, the vast majority of dead deities lack domain lists. We don't know what they were, and we never will. Many are just names, with a title or a snippet of portfolio. Some don't even have stated alignments. Below I'll suggest some domain options for each dead deity with a few possible subdomains. My goal is 2 domains excluding alignment ones, which I will not be listing even if subdomains are appropriate, and I'll base strictly on what we have. For the purpose of the section below, parenthesis indicate subdomains. I will be skipping any that have domains already listed. These are by no means what others have to use, only my take.

Acavna: Darkness, War (Moon, Resolve)
Alinythia: Air, Charm (Lust, Wind)
Alir: Earth, Plant (Radiation, Thorns)
Amaznen: Knowledge, Magic (Arcane, Thought)
Aolar: Repose, Strength (Ferocity, Souls)
Azinym: Animal, Luck (Curse, Fur)
Azverindus: Knowledge, Rune (Memory, Language)
Belatruve: Death, Trickery (Ambush, Murder)
Bezwarluu: Animal, Travel (Insect, Portal)
Colyphyr: Plant, Scalykind (Dragon, Venom)
Curchanus: Animal, Travel (Fur, Exploration)
Deluria: Sun, Water (Ice, Thirst)
Gorg: Charm, Magic (Divine, Lust)
Halvireg: Water, Weather (Oceans, Storms)
Ibdurengian: War, Water (Blood, Oceans)
Ihys: Knowledge, Liberation (Freedom, Thought)
Illaren: Charm, Earth (Captivation, Metal)
Illmarendus: Death, Sun (Thirst, Undead)
Kexervix: Animal, Plant (Insect, Rot)
Korluuraud: Death, Ruins (Undead)
Kovalarue: Strength, Trickery (Deception, Ferocity)
Luralune: Death, Charm (Murder, Undead)
Melarach: Healing, War (Blood, Medicine)
Mharah: Death, Trickery (Deception, Murder)
Migorg: Charm, Nobility (Aristocracy, Lust)
Mirogo: Animal, Travel (Exploration, Feather)
Nahyndri: Charm, Earth (Captivation, Caves)
Namzaruum: Void, War (Duels, Stars)
Peacock Spirit: Knowledge, Strength (Memory, Self-Realization)
Raknus: Ruins, Trickery (Thievery)
Talerox: Death, Plant (Plague, Thorns)
Tharvool: Fire, Magic (Ash, Arcane)
Typhon: Earth, Fire (Metal, Smoke)
Urvog: Destruction, Ruins (Hatred)
Uzail: Luck, Void (Fate, Stars)
Vaetuu: Artifice, Death (Construct, Trap)
Vazglar: Darkness, Ruins (Loss)
Vyriavaxus: Darkness, Repose (Night, Souls)
Xar-Azmak Earth, Plant (Decay, Metal)
Zimhain: Animal, Rune (Fur, Language)

ShiningStarling
2016-12-20, 05:47 PM
I absolutely love this idea... however, it states that losing influence points will render her unable to use her abilities, but there is then no way to lose influence points other than 24 hours passing. Bit of an odd design, but I still like it somewhat.

Xuldarinar
2016-12-20, 05:59 PM
I absolutely love this idea... however, it states that losing influence points will render her unable to use her abilities, but there is then no way to lose influence points other than 24 hours passing. Bit of an odd design, but I still like it somewhat.

Im glad you love the idea.

I know it is an odd design element. It is text I brought over from the Medium class. I know of no way to lower influence, but the text is there so I might as well have it come over as well in case a means exists or will exist.

ShiningStarling
2016-12-20, 06:02 PM
Im glad you love the idea.

I know it is an odd design element. It is text I brought over from the Medium class. I know of no way to lower influence, but the text is there so I might as well have it come over as well in case a means exists or will exist.

Perhaps something similar to a Psionics Overchannel? Take some damage and burn an influence point to cast a spell at a higher caster level? Maybe successfully saving against an enchantment will lower influence if you're over 1? Ideas~

Secret Wizard
2016-12-20, 06:25 PM
I like the concept, but I'm not in love with what you did with Channel and Domain Powers. Extra uses of these abilities are extremely easy to use and rather boring.

How about this instead:

1. You only get one Domain rather than two.

2. You don't start with influence at the beginning of the day and can use features normally without it.

3. Your influence penalty applies to Fortitude and Will saves. If 3 or higher, it also applies to your AC, but the DC of your Channel Energy increases by +2 and you roll an additional +1d6 when channeling. If 5 or higher, you get NPC'd as usual.

4. You gain Silent Spell and Still Spell as bonus feats at 1st level.

5. You can spontaneously add metamagic feats to any spell you cast by taking 1 influence point, and this also reduces the spell level adjustment by 1 to a minimum of 0. At 5th level and every five levels thereafter, you can take an additional influence point to reduce the spell level adjustment by a further 1 (so at level 20, you can take 5 influence points immediately to spontaneously apply 5 spell levels worth of metamagic and then NPC your dude :tongue:). You cannot take influence in excess of 5 points this way.

I think this makes it much more engaging and more likely that a PC will incur 2-4 points of influence per day, and sometimes even get NPC'd to get that Empowered spell out.

Xuldarinar
2016-12-20, 06:32 PM
Perhaps something similar to a Psionics Overchannel? Take some damage and burn an influence point to cast a spell at a higher caster level? Maybe successfully saving against an enchantment will lower influence if you're over 1? Ideas~

Such things are a possibility. I would however want it such that you couldnt infinitely cycle, and losing influence woukd carry its own problems.

Another thing; You are an apostate of (insert nams of dead deity here). Other than the fact you are an NPC for the rest of the day, in the service of one's patron.. why wouldn't one wish to max influence?


I like the concept, but I'm not in love with what you did with Channel and Domain Powers. Extra uses of these abilities are extremely easy to use and rather boring.

How about this instead:

1. You only get one Domain rather than two.

2. You don't start with influence at the beginning of the day and can use features normally without it.

3. Your influence penalty applies to Fortitude and Will saves. If 3 or higher, it also applies to your AC, but the DC of your Channel Energy increases by +2 and you roll an additional +1d6 when channeling. If 5 or higher, you get NPC'd as usual.

4. You gain Silent Spell and Still Spell as bonus feats at 1st level.

5. You can spontaneously add metamagic feats to any spell you cast by taking 1 influence point, and this also reduces the spell level adjustment by 1 to a minimum of 0. At 5th level and every five levels thereafter, you can take an additional influence point to reduce the spell level adjustment by a further 1 (so at level 20, you can take 5 influence points immediately to spontaneously apply 5 spell levels worth of metamagic and then NPC your dude :tongue:). You cannot take influence in excess of 5 points this way.

I think this makes it much more engaging and more likely that a PC will incur 2-4 points of influence per day, and sometimes even get NPC'd to get that Empowered spell out.

Now that is a novel idea. Though, not starting with any influence is of some issue. I think I will impliment some of these though and see where it gets us

ShiningStarling
2016-12-21, 02:58 AM
Such things are a possibility. I would however want it such that you couldnt infinitely cycle, and losing influence woukd carry its own problems.

Another thing; You are an apostate of (insert nams of dead deity here). Other than the fact you are an NPC for the rest of the day, in the service of one's patron.. why wouldn't one wish to max influence?

Well... being an NPC is not exactly 'fun'. It doesn't give the player options, it states that taking certain action will remove all choice. It's cool for some character that's already an NPC to start being a puppet of a dead god, but it will essentially make a player sit and watch other people play a game for a while, not to mention put extra burden on a DM, having to know how to play that character well and be called upon to do so possibly as much as... I'd say twice a session could happen easily in a moderately long play session.

it would seem I had a different idea on the focus... perhaps I'll make my own version of this soon, who knows

Xuldarinar
2016-12-21, 06:46 AM
Well... being an NPC is not exactly 'fun'. It doesn't give the player options, it states that taking certain action will remove all choice. It's cool for some character that's already an NPC to start being a puppet of a dead god, but it will essentially make a player sit and watch other people play a game for a while, not to mention put extra burden on a DM, having to know how to play that character well and be called upon to do so possibly as much as... I'd say twice a session could happen easily in a moderately long play session.

it would seem I had a different idea on the focus... perhaps I'll make my own version of this soon, who knows

I meant strictly from the standpoint of the character's perspective, but you are right, it isn't fun. It is something perhaps best reserved if the person has to step out for any reason.


If you make your own version of things, I look forward to seeing it.

khadgar567
2016-12-21, 07:19 AM
I meant strictly from the standpoint of the character's perspective, but you are right, it isn't fun. It is something perhaps best reserved if the person has to step out for any reason.


If you make your own version of things, I look forward to seeing it.
I would agree with you xulnidar but lets put that option on dms hand not.

Shimeran
2016-12-21, 10:07 PM
Part of the odd bit to me is they can tell exactly how close they are to full possession. As such, I think they're likely just take it up to 4 and stop there. I'd be tempted to make it a will save with escalating DC. For a bit of padding, let the DM set a "Suggestion" as the spell on a failed save with full mind control requiring failure by a certain margin or failing the save while already under the suggestion effect.

ShiningStarling
2017-01-06, 02:19 PM
Did my idea of this as the first entry here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?511092-Clerical-Apocrypha-PEACH)

Waker
2017-01-06, 09:00 PM
An interesting concept. Some things that I would change would be something small to ease the cleric's loss of Domain and Channel attempts before they reach 5th lvl. Maybe a boost to one or two Knowledge skills like History, Religion or The Planes. After all, your deity is dead and followers are presumably few and far between. Finding the dogma would probably require some work.
Otherwise maybe raise the influence cap as you level up? The fact that your deity can claim your body with as much ease at lvl 20 vs lvl 1 is a little odd. Maybe 1 extra influence per 3 or 4 levels.