Starbuck_II
2017-01-23, 07:03 PM
I don't I ever posted this here. I posted a version over at Pathfinder homebrew.
I wanted to rewrite the Corruptions because I feel they aren't exactly right.
Now for some, they feel that even if not perfect they good enough.
Others feel, they give too much penalties for too little power.
A third category, feel that it is too short a path (3 stages).
I will be changing the main mechanic of progression to similar to Possession Corruption, tweaked when needed, as this feel most closely to image of what Corrupting is.
Accepting power that toxically influences you. What I mean, is, for example, you accept greater corrupting score in return for more power.
The best example in the book is Possession. It works like Spirits used by the medium.
Their influence is counted with every manifestation power you get. If you have 4 or more, the manifestation Contaminated Personality grants you untyped +2 cha. This rewards you for straddling the line between extra corruption and safety.
The power Weightlessness lets you add 1 influence in exchange for using a spell-like ability of Levitate or Spider Climb.
Now without further ado:
All corruptions have influence like the medium's spirit, this is called Corruption.
Each day at sunrise, it returns to 1 (how changes with each, example, ghoul requires consumption of flesh within a week or doesn't reset).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same day. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
Note; While your daily* (sometimes monthly) Corruption drops to 1, you stage of Corruption does not.
1. Accursed:
(The progression is tied to spiteful actions you take that
have lasting consequences.) When you inflict a permanent or
long-lasting curse, such as bestow curse, or engage in brutal
retaliation (what constitutes brutal retaliation is up to the GM,
but usually includes disproportionate acts of violence against
living creatures), you lower your Corruption to 1 if first time done that day.
This corruptions have influence like the medium's spirit.
Each day at sunrise, Corruption returns to 1 (if you have caused brutal retaliation or a long lasting curse the previous day).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same day. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
You must also attempt a saving throw after any month in which you have failed to perform a number of spiteful retaliations equal to or greater than your manifestation level. If you fail any of these saving throws, you must use the most severe punishment at your disposal against
the next creature that wrongs you, even in a minor way.
If you fail the save but your allies or others prevent you
from exacting your retribution for three consecutive slights,
you shake off this urge. You avoid having to exact retribution
for the time being, and your corruption doesn’t progress.
However, the DC of the Will save against your corruption
progressing increases by 2. These increases stack each time
you shake off this urge, and they last until your corruption
reaches the next corruption stage.
When reaching the next stage:
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you engage in disproportionate punishment (voluntarily or because of a failed save), your alignment shifts one step toward evil and your face changes, making you memorably ugly or beautiful.
Corruption Stage 2: The second time you engage in this behavior, your alignment shifts another step toward evil and you take on an inhuman appearance, increasingly resembling the type of creature that cursed you.
Corruption Stage 3: The third time you engage in this behavior, you take on closer inhuman appearance, even more increasingly resembling the type of creature that cursed you.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourth time you engage in this behavior, you are utterly consumed by your hatred and become an NPC under the GM’s control
Manifestation for Accursed:
a) Cold Iron Allergy
Your skin is as hardened as your heart.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 4th.
Gift: You gain an amount of damage reduction equal to 1/2 your manifestation level. This DR is overcome by cold iron. You can double this DR for 1 minute by raising your Corruption by 1.
Stain: Whenever you touch cold iron, including being struck by a cold iron weapon, you are sickened for 1 round. Immunities don’t prevent this sickened condition, and you can’t remove it early by any means. You can attempt to hide this aversion from foes with a Bluff check opposed by their Sense Motive checks.
b) Cruel Deceiver
You can weave magical lies to set victims up for a downfall.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 2nd.
Gift: You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks. You can use dancing lights, disguise self, and ghost sound once per day each as a spell-like ability. You can perfectly mimic the sound of any animal or voice you have ever heard. At manifestation level 3rd, the bonus doubles. At manifestation level 5th, you can use mirage arcana once per day as a spell-like ability. You can cast any one of these an additional time by accepting 1 Corruption each time.
Stain: You can never speak or otherwise communicate the truth. You can still communicate by various methods, such as uttering insignificant lies, obvious lies, or nonstatements.
c) Grim Fate
You can twist the strands of fate to your desires.
Gift: In exchange for increasing your Corruption by 1 each time: As an immediate action, you can reroll an ability check, attack roll, caster level check, saving throw, or skill check after learning the result.
At manifestation level 8th, you can also lay a curse of unluck upon a creature once per day. This takes a standard action, and must target a creature you can see within 30 feet. You can use this an additional time by accepting 1 Corruption each time.
Stain: You can’t benefit from morale bonuses. You take a –2 penalty on Perform and Sense Motive checks. At manifestation level 3rd, the penalty doubles.
d) Horrific Shock: Same as book, haven't figured out how to change.
e) Spiteful Transformation: Same as book, but you can use this again by increasing your Corruption by 1 (but this doesn't count for retting your Corruption to 1)
f) Undying Hatred: Each use increases your Corruption by 1. But no daily limit.
g) Weakening Claws: Each use increases your Corruption by 1. But no daily limit.
Comment Note: I know, it seems strong, but remember Corruption limits useage unless really good saving throws.
h) Wish Peddler: Each use increases your Corruption by 1. But no daily limit.
Comment Note: Seems strong, but again, Corruption Limits and limited by Manifest level. By 9th level, assuming you had it at first, the strongest you can cast is 5th level spells, since you can only get a new manifestation every 2 levels.
I) Baleful Glare (I missed this one): Each use increases your Corruption by 1. But no daily limit.
2. Deep One:
Once the deep one corruption has taken root, the summons
calling you to the deep ones’ cold, lightless realm becomes
a constant thrum in the back of your mind. Exposure to sea
water becomes increasingly important to you. Each day that
you spend at least 1 hour per manifestation level fully
immersed in the ocean or a salt-water sea, you lower your Corruption to 1 if first time done that day.
This corruption have influence like the medium's spirit.
Each day at sunrise, Corruption returns to 1 (if you have immersed in ocean or salt water, a barrel or bathtub filled will suffice).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same day. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
You also need to attempt such a Will save whenever you are a target
of (or in the area of ) a divine spell or spell-like ability with
the evil descriptor.
When reaching the next stage:
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you fail, you lose control
of yourself for 24 hours. When you regain your senses, you
find yourself in the sea or an ocean, or at least on your way to
such a place if you were too far away to reach it. Either way,
your alignment shifts one step towards chaotic evil.
Corruption Stage 2: The second time you fail, you lose
control again, and you find that you have made contact with
an alien entity during the missing time. Your race changes to deep one
hybrid (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 70), if it wasn’t already, this rejuvenates you and restores you to middle age if already too old.
Corruption Stage 3: The third stage you fail, your alignment shifts again closer to CE (if you aren't already). Your Corruption starts each day at 2 instead of 2 each day.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourth stage you fail, you mind gets taken over completely into a Deep One under GM's control.
Manifestations for Deep One:
Only changed a two-
c) Claws of the Deep: Fine as Written, but deal an extra +1 hit/damage for 2 minute if increase Corruption by 1.
d) Deep Adaptation- You are acclimated to deep ocean pressures and temperatures.
Prerequisite: Loathsome gills*.
Gift: You gain cold resistance 5. At manifestation level 6th, you can survive safely at any ocean depth. At manifestation 8, you have Cold Resist 10.
Stain: Your flesh peels away to reveal fine, iridescent scales, and your movements become slow and awkward. You take a –2 penalty to your Dexterity score while on land.
3) Ghoul:
Each day at sunrise, it returns to 1 (ghoul requires consumption of flesh within a week or doesn't reset).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same day. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
In addition, each week, you need to consume one portion of flesh from a sentient creature. A creature one size category smaller than you counts as one portion, a creature of your size category counts as two portions, and each time you increase a size category, the amount of portions it provides doubles (a creature one size larger counts as 4
portions).
After a week, if you haven’t consumed enough flesh, you must succeed at a Will saving throw DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save each day until you’ve eaten enough, failure raises Corruption by 1.
If circumstances make it impossible to feed (such as if you are tied down or in a locale with nothing to feed upon), you start to starve as if you had not eaten in 3 days (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 445), and you continue to hunger for flesh and struggle to escape and feed until you have received five times the amount of flesh from sentient creatures you normally require. If your allies are able to restrain and feed you flesh from sentient creatures, your corruption doesn’t progress. Unlike normal, these increases stack each time this occurs, and they last until your corruption reaches the next corruption stage.
In addition to starvation, close brushes with death also increase your craving for flesh. Whenever you are dropped
below 0 hit points, your corruption starting point is 2 instead of 1; also you must attempt a single saving throw as if you hadn’t eaten enough flesh that week.
If you fail the save, the next time you rest your corruptions takes over and you unconsciously hunt and feed, devouring a living sentient creature completely. In this state, you can’t differentiate between creatures and might consume an innocent; if you do so, your corruption progresses to the next stage.
When reaching the next stage:
Corruption Stage 1: Once you feed on an innocent sentient creature—either willingly or because you failed a saving throw—your alignment shifts one step toward evil and spells that detect undead sense you, though the peculiar result they return informs the caster that you’re still a living creature. Other spells and effects don’t treat you as undead.
Corruption Stage 2:
The second time, your alignment shifts another step toward evil and you are affected by spellsand abilities as if your creature type were undead (including effects like bane and the favored enemy class feature). This doesn’t grant you any of the immunities of being undead, nor does it make you immune to effects that target living creatures or change how negative and positive energy affect you.
Corruption Stage 3: The third stage you fail, again your alignment shifts another step toward evil; your Corruption starts each day at 2 instead of 1 each day.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourth stage you fail, , you become an NPC ghoul under the GM’s control.
Manifestation for Ghoul:
a) Brain Eater: Prerequisites: Manifestation level 5th, gnashing bite*. Using this incurs 1 Corruption.
b) Corpse Armor: You can double the amount for 1 minute in exchange for increasing Corruption by 1.
c) Diseased Bite: Prerequisites: Manifestation level 6th, corpse armor*, stench of the grave*. By incurring 1 Corruption, the ghoul you create is under your Complete control for 1 day before it becomes free willed.
d) Gnashing Bite: Fine as Written, but deal an extra +1 hit/damage for 2 minute if increase Corruption by 1.
e) Greater Stench of the Grave: Prerequisites: Manifestation level 6th, corpse armor*, stench of the grave*. Fine as Written
f) Paralysis: Fine as Written, but by incurring 1 Corruption you paralyze the target for 1d4 instead 1 rd.
g) Rending Claws: but deal an extra +1 hit/damage for 1 minute if increase Corruption by 1.
h) Staggering Claw:
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 4th, rending claws*. Fine as Written
I) Stench of Grave: Prereq: Corpse Armor
You exude an aura of decay. Creatures that begin their turns adjacent to you are sickened for 1d6 rounds unless they succeed at a Fortitude save. A creature that succeeds can’t be affected by your stench again for 24 hours. At manifestation level 5th, this aura extends out to 10 feet.
Stain: The stench of decay you emit allows creatures with scent to notice you from twice the usual distance, and makes it extremely difficult to disguise yourself. Any living creatures that have a sense of smell have their starting attitudes toward you reduced by one step. Your supernatural scent is not affected by the negate aromaAPG spell.
New choice:
j) Feed: The ghoul is able to assimilate fresh flesh it eats on his own body. If it fully consumes a corpse that has been dead for no more than 1 minute per portion it would count as, the ghoul gains 5 temporary hit points for each HD of the eaten corpse. The ghoul cannot have more temporary HP than 5 times its own HD.
But the ghoul grows hungry again quickly. It loses 1 temporary HP per his own HD every 8 hours.
Strain: Your connection to negative energy is so intense you recoil from its anathema. Whenever you take damage from a positive energy source, you are frightened for 1 round.
4. Hellbound:
Each day at sunrise, it returns to 1 (must do an action that fits within devil’s portfolio within a week ago).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
Your diabolic patron’s portfolio determines what makes your corruption progress. When an opportunity to carry out a significant action that matches the devil’s portfolio comes up, you are tempted to take it, doing so lowers Corruption back to 1 (but only once each day). The action might include oppressing people using your authority or tempting someone closer to lawful evil. You must succeed at a Will save (DC = 12 + 2[your manifestation level]) or your corruption increases by1. What counts as significant is up to the GM. Usually, an act that wouldn’t harm anyone doesn’t count. If something prevents you from performing this act, the save DC increases by 2 permanently until you actually do the act or an act like it.
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you perform a significant act that matches the devil’s portfolio (either willingly or because you failed your save vs influence), your alignment shifts one step toward lawful evil (toward evil first, if you aren’t yet evil). Any attempt to raise you from the dead requires a successful caster level check (DC = 12 + double your manifestation level).
Corruption Stage 2: The second time you perform such an act, your alignment shifts another step toward lawful evil (toward evil first, if you aren’t yet evil).
Corruption Stage 3: The third time you perform such an act, your alignment shifts to lawful evil.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourth time you perform such an act, your contract comes due or you become the thrall to Hell, a living devil under DMs control.
Manifestation for Hellbound:
a) Darkest Desires
Your dark patron offers to grant you wishes to tempt you.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 6th.
Gift: You can use limited wish as a spell-like ability in exchange for increasing Corruption by 1. It can’t duplicate a spell requiring a material component costing more than 1,000 gp. Each time you get more or less what you wished for (GM’s discretion), you must succeed at a Will save or your corruption progresses to the next stage.
Stain: Wishes you make from this manifestation’s gift or your own spells are granted by your patron and interpreted from a devil’s perspective. The patron always tries to twist your wish away from your intent and to its own dark ends.
Special: Upon receiving this manifestation, you must take both the gift and the stain, even with the useful corruption or vile corruption variants.
b) Devil’s Horns
Horns grow upon your brow.
Gift: You gain a gore attack that deals 1d4 points of damage if your size is Medium (1d3 if Small). These horns appear in any form you take, so you still retain this gore attack in any form you assume with a polymorph effect. You deal an extra +1 hit/damage for 1 hour if increase Corruption by 1.
Stain: You gain horns that can’t be hidden by magic, but can be hidden by mundane means. Anyone who sees the horns recognizes them as unnatural. If someone leaves a loophole in an agreement with you that would allow you to gain an advantage, you must exploit it. This typically counts as an act that might progress your corruption.
Special: Upon receiving this manifestation, you must take both the gift and the stain, even with the useful corruption or vile corruption variants.
c) Devil’s Mark
You have the mark of a fiend on your body.
Gift: You gain a 1st-level sorcerer/wizard or witch spell of your choice as a spell-like ability usable a number of times per day equal to your manifestation level. It must not have a casting time longer than 1 standard action or a material or focus component costing more than 1 gp.
Stain: Your devil’s mark manifests on your body. It can’t be hidden by magic, but can be hidden by clothing or other mundane means. Anyone who sees the mark automatically recognizes it as unnatural.
d) Diabolical Servitor
You fraternize with devils who answer your call for aid.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 2nd.
Gift: As a spell-like ability in exchange for increasing Corruption by 1, you can summon a lawful evil outsider, as summon monster II with a duration of 1 minute per manifestation level. At manifestation level 4th, you can use summon monster III, but summon an accuser devil (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 84). At manifestation level 6th, you can use summon monster IV this way. At manifestation level 8th, you can use summon monster V this way.
Stain: You see lies and pain behind every exchange, even when it isn’t there. You take a –4 penalty on Perception and Sense Motive checks except for those made against devils.
e) Fiendish Tutelage
You learn secrets best kept from mortal minds.
Gift: You gain Infernal as a bonus language and a +2 bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks to interact with devils. When you acquire this gift, choose two Knowledge skills. You can attempt checks with them untrained. At manifestation level 3rd, the bonuses double.
Stain: Effects that vary based on your alignment treat you as lawful evil or your true alignment, whichever is worse.
f) Murky Futures
You can call upon Hell for clues about how to avoid your fate.
Gift: In exchange for increasing Corruption by 1, you can call upon the knowledge of Hell with 10 minutes of meditation. You gain the benefit of guidance, with a duration of 24 hours or until discharged. At higher manifestation levels, you can choose to gain the benefit of a different divination spell at the end of your meditation instead: augury at manifestation level 2nd, divination at manifestation level 4th, or contact other plane at manifestation level 6th (to consult Asmodeus or an intermediate deity).
Stain: Increase the DCs of Constitution checks you attempt to stabilize while dying, Heal checks targeting you, and caster level checks required for conjuration (healing) spells to benefit you by 2 (the DC increase applies on the caster level check required to raise you from the dead at corruption stage 1). At manifestation level 3rd, the DCs increase by 4 instead. Your soul flees immediately on death, so you can’t be revived by breath of life, the gift of life domain power, or any similar ability.
g) Passage through the Pit
The maw of Hell yawns wide to welcome you.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 3rd.
Gift: You can step through Hell to reach other places once per hour. As a full-round action, you can choose a direction, then teleport 2d10 × 5 feet away in that direction (or the nearest safe, unoccupied location). You can use this ability once per minute at manifestation level 6th, and at will at manifestation level 8th.
Stain: You register as lawful evil as well as your own alignment to effects that reveal alignments. This alignment aura is strong, as if you were a lawful evil cleric. You are treated as an extraplanar lawful evil outsider with the devil subtype by abjurations that protect against such creatures.
h) Serpent’s Tongue
You gain the persuasive power of a master deceiver.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 3rd, fiendish tutelage*.
Gift: You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks. By incurring 1 Corruption, when you succeed at a Bluff or Diplomacy check against a creature, you can attempt to influence it as if using suggestion with a caster level equal to your character level and a duration of 1 minute per level. At manifestation level 6th, the bonuses increase to +4.
Stain: Your tongue takes on a serpentlike fork that can’t be hidden by magic, though you can attempt a Disguise check to conceal it. Attempt one Disguise check per interaction, opposed by your opponent’s Perception. Your devil tongue rebels when you work against infernal interests. When you attempt to cast a spell for a chaotic or good cause (as determined by the GM), you have a 20% spell failure chance if it has a verbal components and a –5 penalty on concentration checks if it has a thought component (Occult Adventures 144).
i) Tenuous Soul
Your soul feels the constant and increasing pull of Hell.
Gift: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against emotion (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 137) and fear spells and effects. You are immune to spells and effects that would trap or destroy your soul except those employed by a devil. At manifestation level 3rd, the bonuses increase to +4. At manifestation level 6th, the bonuses increase to +6.
Stain: You take a –2 penalty on saving throws against spells and effects that would possess you or control your actions. At manifestation level 3rd, the penalty changes to –4.
5) Hive:
Each day at sunrise, it returns to 1 ().
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same day. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
In addition, a hive infestation increases over time as your body adapts. Each month, your infestation surges at unpredictable intervals a number of times equal to your manifestation level. Each episode lasts about an hour, during which you’re racked by pain and must attempt a Fortitude save (DC = 12 +2[manifestation level]). On a success, you weather the episode but gain 1 Corruption. If you fail, you start that day with Corruption 2 for one week.
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you fail the Fortitude save, your features shifts into an alien visage. You take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy, Disguise, and Handle Animal checks. Your alignment shifts one step toward neutral evil.
Corruption Stage 2: The second time you fail, your body transforms. You are affected by spells and abilities as if your creature type were aberration. Your mental link with the hive shifts your alignment one step toward neutral evil.
Corruption Stage 3: The third time you fail, you succumb to the link. . Your mental link with the hive shifts your alignment to NE if not already. You start each day with Corruption 2 instead of 1. If you failed your monthly Fort save, this holds it at 3 Corruption each day instead of 2.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourth time you fail, you succumb to the link. You seek out an isolated place and wrap yourself in a cocoon of resinous mucous, in which your body dissolves into hive larva swarms, which erupt after 24 hours
Manifestations For Hive
a) Acid Blood
Your blood burns like acid.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 3rd, transformed flesh*.
Gift: If a creature damages you with a slashing or piercing manufactured weapon, it must succeed at a Reflex saving throw or its weapon takes 2 points of acid damage per manifestation level; this damage is not halved before it is applied to the weapon’s hardness. If a creature damages you with a slashing or piercing natural weapon, it must succeed at the save or take that amount of acid damage itself.
Stain: Your acidic sweat damages your equipment. After using or wearing an item for 8 hours total, it gains the broken condition. If you use or wear a broken item for 8 hours, it is destroyed. This ability doesn’t break cursed items, artifacts, or similar items that are difficult or impossible to destroy.
b) Blindsense
You can feel the unseen.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 2nd, hive mind*.
Gift: As a move action, you can force the hive mind to use its senses to assist you. You gain blindsense with a range of 5 feet × 1/2 your manifestation level until the beginning of your next turn; during that time, you negate the penalty on Perception checks from the stain and instead gain a bonus on Perception checks equal to 1/2 your manifestation level.
You can use this as a free action, in exchange for 1 Corruption
Stain: You gain the light blindness universal monster ability. You take a penalty on Perception checks equal to your manifestation level.
c) Bristling Spines
Your body becomes covered in chitinous spines.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 3rd, living weapon*.
Gift: Your spines can pierce walls, allowing you to climb quickly. You gain a climb speed equal to half your base speed. You can accept 1 Corruption to double this climb speed for 1 hour.
Stain: Your spines make it difficult to move. Your armor check penalty for any armor you wear increases by 2. Even when not wearing armor, you take a –2 armor check penalty.
d) Greater Acid Blood
Your blood becomes even more vitriolic.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 5th, acid blood*, transformed flesh*.
Gift: Whenever you take slashing or piercing damage, all adjacent creatures take an amount of acid damage equal to 1/2 your manifestation level (Reflex negates). By accepting 1 Corruption, you deal damage instead equal to your Manifestation level.
Stain: Your blood is so thin it clots poorly, and its alien nature stymies magical healing. You take double the normal damage from bleed effects and lose double the normal amount of hit points per round when dying or when you act while disabled. The DC to stabilize you and stanch bleed effects on you with a Heal check increases by 5. Magical effects no longer stabilize you or end bleed effects—only a successful Heal check can do so.
e) Greater Hive Mind
The whispers of the hive call to you when awake or asleep.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 5th, hive mind*.
Gift: As a move action, you can communicate telepathically with one creature within 30 feet for 1 round. The hive whispers through the connection, causing a creature that doesn’t have the hive subtype or hive corruption to be shaken for 1 round (Will negates).
Once per round, you can use this as a free action, in exchange for 1 Corruption
Stain: The noise of the hive mind is strongest when you are at your weakest. Whenever damage causes you to drop below half your maximum hit points, you are also staggered for 1 round. Immunities don’t prevent this staggered condition, and you can’t remove it early by any means. This effect doesn’t trigger if you are already below half your maximum hit points before you take damage.
f) Hive Mind
You hear whispers of the hive’s collective consciousness.
Gift: The strength of the hive mind bolsters your own, granting you a +1 bonus on Will saves. At manifestation level 5th, this bonus increases to +2.
Stain: Your mind is cluttered with other disparate voices. You take a –2 penalty on concentration checks, as well as on Intelligence- and Wisdom-based ability checks and skill checks, and you can never take 10 on such checks.
g) Living Armor
You can sheathe your body in an armored carapace.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 2nd, living weapon*.
Gift: As a move action, you can cause chitinous plates of armor to grow out of your flesh. This armor grants a natural armor bonus to your AC equal to 1/2 your manifestation level and persists as long you maintain concentration with a swift action each round. You must succeed at a concentration check as if concentrating on a 0-level spell, and your bonus to this concentration check is equal to your character level + your manifestation level. If you fail a concentration check, the armor retracts.
You can use this as a free action and maintain it, in exchange for 1 Corruption for 1 hour.
Stain: Growing living armor is painful. You take 1 point of damage per manifestation level when you take the action to draw out your living armor and every time you retract the living armor (either voluntarily or by failing a concentration check). While your armor is retracted, you take 1 point of bleed damage whenever you take piercing damage.
Special: Upon receiving this manifestation, you must take both the gift and the stain, even with the useful corruption or vile corruption variants (see page 14).
h) Living Weapon
Your hands contort and mutate into horrible rending claws.
Gift: You gain two claw attacks as primary natural weapons. These claws each deal 1d4 points of damage if your size is Medium (1d3 if Small). You deal an extra +1 hit/damage for 1 hour if increase Corruption by 1.
Stain: You take a –2 penalty on ranged attack rolls and attack rolls with manufactured weapons because of your deformed hands.
i) Resin Secretion
Your body produces a resinous spittle.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 5th, living weapon*.
Gift: As a standard action, you can expel spittle that rapidly hardens into a resin. This effect is identical to the web spell with a caster level equal to your manifestation level, except it targets a single 5-foot space, has a hardness of 1, and has 2 hit points per manifestation level you have. Creatures caught in the spray can attempt a Reflex save to avoid the effect. The resin lasts for 1 minute before crumbling to dust.
Stain: Whenever you use your resin secretion gift, you are nauseated until the end of your next turn. Immunities don’t prevent this nauseated condition, and you can’t remove it early by any means. Once per hour, by accepting 2 Corruption, you are sickened instead after using Resin Secretion.
Special: Upon receiving this manifestation, you must take both the gift and the stain, even with the useful corruption or vile corruption variants (see page 14).
j) Transformed Flesh
Your gain some of a hive creature’s resistance to acid.
Gift: You gain acid resistance 5. At manifestation level 5th, this acid resistance increases to 10.
Stain: The entirety of your flesh darkens and mutates to look more like that of a hive creature. You take a –2 penalty to your Charisma score.
6. Lich:
Your Corruption each day at sunrise, it returns to 1(assuming you have been exposed to at least 5 negative energy within last 48 hours).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same day. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
However, Lich corruptions are rarely stable, and cause incredible mental and physical strain. Whenever you fail a saving throw against a necromancy effect, learn how to cast a new spell or spells, or are exposed to 25 points of negative energy damage or more from a single source (whether it heals or harms you), You must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 12 + 2[Manifester level]) or become spiritually disjoined as well as incurring 1 Corruption. Also whenever anyone successfully casts the death ward spell on you, you gain 1 Corruption. After either failed save, your spirit and body also disconnect, leaving your corporeal form helpless and your mind trapped within the Negative Energy Plane. This state lasts for 1 hour per manifestation level; At the end of the period, your Corruption returns to 1 (unless you reach Stage 3, then you return to 2).
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you fail the save for Corruption, you return diminished, taking a permanent –2 penalty to your Charisma score, and your alignment shifts one step toward evil.
Corruption Stage 2: The second time this happens, your alignment shifts another step toward evil and you take an additional –2 penalty to your Cha.
Corruption Stage 3: The third time this happens, your alignment shifts another step toward evil again, you take a -2 penalty to Con. Also you Corruption starts at 2 instead of 1 each day.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourt time, you die and your soul is consumed by the Negative Energy Plane. You can’t be raised or resurrected except by powerful magic such as miracle or wish. Even if you do get brought back, you are an evil lich NPC under the GM’s control.
Manifestations For Lich
a) Agonizing Touch
Your touch racks the living with pain.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 4th, death’s caress*.
Gift: Once per day per manifestation level, you can make an agonizing touch as a standard action. A living creature hit by this touch attack must succeed at a Fortitude save or be staggered for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your manifestation level.
By incurring 1 Corruption, the target is sickened as well as Staggered on a fail save for same duration.
Stain: Both of your hands wither to nearly skeletal appendages, and your emotions dim towards the coldness of undeath. You take a –2 penalty on attacks with manufactured weapons. Your spells with somatic or emotion (Occult Adventures 144) components have a 5% failure chance. This stacks with any spell failure chances you incur from other sources.
b) Bleak Aura
Entropy seeps from your body.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 4th, deathless*.
Gift: Any living creature that ends its turn adjacent to you takes 1 point of negative energy damage for every 2 manifestation levels you have. By incurring 1 Corruption, for 30 minutes, adjacent instead take double.
Stain: Animals are startled by your presence, worsening their starting attitudes toward you by one step. Any animal companion you have abandons you when you acquire this stain. Whispering voices fill the air around you, begging for release or cursing your existence. Any creature that succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check can hear these whispers, which might alert it to your presence if you’re using Stealth.
c) Cadaver’s Countenance
Your body takes on a deathly likeness.
Gift: You gain a +1 natural armor bonus to your AC and a +2 bonus on saves against mind-affecting effects.
By accepting 1 Corruption, for 1 minute, you instead gain a NA bonus equal to your 1 + ½ manifest level.
Stain: Your flesh tightens, turning corpselike and gray as your body rots. You take a –2 penalty to your Constitution.
d) Deathless
You are inured to negative energy.
Gift: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects that work only on living creatures.
Stain: You are healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy as if you were an undead creature.
e) Death’s Caress
Your touch drains the warmth of life from others.
Gift: You can make a touch attack as a standard action that deals cold damage equal to 1d4 + your manifestation level.
By incurring 1 Corruption, you deal double the amount for 5 minutes.
Stain: The flesh from one of your hands rots away, leaving it a blackened, skeletal claw. Spells that detect undead sense you, though the peculiar result they return informs the caster that you’re still a living creature. Other spells and effects don’t treat you as undead.
f) Greater Cadaver’s Countenance
You become emaciated and nearly skeletal.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 4th, cadaver’s countenance*.
Gift: You gain cold resistance 5 and DR equal to 1/2 your manifestation level that is overcome by bludgeoning damage.
Stain: You take an additional –2 penalty to your Constitution score and are affected by spells and abilities (including bane and favored enemy) as if your creature type were undead. This doesn’t grant you the immunities of undead creatures, nor does it make you immune to effects that target living creatures or change how negative and positive energy affect you.
g) Malevolence
You can wrench your soul from your body to possess another.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 7th, bleak aura*, deathless*.
Gift: You can touch a living creature as a standard action and force your soul into its body. If hit by this touch attack, the target must succeed at a Will save (DC = 15 + your manifestation level) or be affected by possessionOA. You can possess creatures for a number of minutes per day equal to your manifestation level. These minutes don’t need to be used consecutively, but must be spent in 1-minute increments. A failed attempt costs 1 minute of use and renders your target immune to your malevolence for 24 hours. Your body is helpless while you possess another creature, and if it is destroyed you die when the duration of malevolence ends. You can use malevolence while in another creature’s body to transfer your soul again (following the same rules for casting possession while in a body that’s not your own).
Stain: Your spirit is untethered from your body. You roll twice and take the lowest result on saves against spells that imprison or target your soul, such as magic jar and trap the soul, as well as against positive energy effects. If you drop below 0 hit points, your soul leaves your body and you instantly die.
h) Master of the Dead
You can animate the dead with your necromantic power.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 6th, agonizing touch*, death’s caress*.
Gift: You can cast animate dead at will as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to your character level. You must provide the material components, and you take 1 points of Corruption for every creature you animate. You still must abide by the usual Hit Die limits of animate dead.
Stain: Your emotions are nearly a thing of the past. You can’t benefit from morale bonuses or bardic performances.
i) Necromantic Knowledge
You have gained unusual insights into necromancy.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 2nd, ability to cast spells
Gift: You can add one necromancy spell from the sorcerer/ wizard spell list to your spellbook, familiar, or list of spells you can prepare or to your spells known. This spell must be of a level you can cast. A spell learned in this fashion is treated as though it were on your class spell list. If you normally cast your spells from the sorcerer/wizard spells list, you can add a necromancy spell from the cleric or witch spell list instead.
Stain: You cast any spell from a school other than necromancy as though your caster level were 1 lower, which might prevent you from casting the spell altogether.
Special: You can gain this manifestation multiple times. Each time you gain the gift, you gain a different necromancy spell, and each time you gain the stain, the penalties stack.
7. Lycanthropy:
Your Corruption each day at sunrise, it returns to 1 (assuming you have seen the moon the day before).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same Stage. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
Lycanthropy’s progress is tied to the phases of the moon. Each month, the moon is considered full for three nights. At the onset of the corruption, you must attempt a Will saving throw during one of the nights chosen by the GM. For each stage of lycanthropy corruption you have, you must attempt a save on one additional night, eventually needing to save on nights leading up to and possibly after the full moon. The DC of this save is equal to 12 + 2[manifest level]. If you fail a save, you don’t need to attempt more until the next full moon.
Failing a saving throw against this corruption causes you to black out, losing control of your character. During this time, your form becomes that of the associated creature and you give into your animalistic urges, hunting and killing with abandon. The next morning, you regain control, typically in the wilderness without any gear and soaked in blood. If you fail the save but your inner animal is prevented from running free, perhaps because you were restrained you gain 1 Corruption now and at beginning of next day. However, the DC of the Will save against your corruption progressing increases by 2. These increases stack each time this occurs, and they last until your corruption reaches the next stage.
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you lose control, you kill defenseless small animals, such as birds, rodents, and possibly even a dog.
Corruption Stage 2: The second time this occurs, you kill larger animals, such as a horse, a cow, or a pig.
Corruption Stage 3: The third time this happens, again kill a larger animal such as a horse, a cow, or a pig. Also your Corruption starts each day at 2 instead of 1.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourth time this happens, you kill a nearby sentient humanoid, at which point the corruption becomes incurable and you are doomed to live a life of lycanthropy, forever turning evil and a thrall of the DM.
Couldn't fit it all in one post.
I wanted to rewrite the Corruptions because I feel they aren't exactly right.
Now for some, they feel that even if not perfect they good enough.
Others feel, they give too much penalties for too little power.
A third category, feel that it is too short a path (3 stages).
I will be changing the main mechanic of progression to similar to Possession Corruption, tweaked when needed, as this feel most closely to image of what Corrupting is.
Accepting power that toxically influences you. What I mean, is, for example, you accept greater corrupting score in return for more power.
The best example in the book is Possession. It works like Spirits used by the medium.
Their influence is counted with every manifestation power you get. If you have 4 or more, the manifestation Contaminated Personality grants you untyped +2 cha. This rewards you for straddling the line between extra corruption and safety.
The power Weightlessness lets you add 1 influence in exchange for using a spell-like ability of Levitate or Spider Climb.
Now without further ado:
All corruptions have influence like the medium's spirit, this is called Corruption.
Each day at sunrise, it returns to 1 (how changes with each, example, ghoul requires consumption of flesh within a week or doesn't reset).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same day. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
Note; While your daily* (sometimes monthly) Corruption drops to 1, you stage of Corruption does not.
1. Accursed:
(The progression is tied to spiteful actions you take that
have lasting consequences.) When you inflict a permanent or
long-lasting curse, such as bestow curse, or engage in brutal
retaliation (what constitutes brutal retaliation is up to the GM,
but usually includes disproportionate acts of violence against
living creatures), you lower your Corruption to 1 if first time done that day.
This corruptions have influence like the medium's spirit.
Each day at sunrise, Corruption returns to 1 (if you have caused brutal retaliation or a long lasting curse the previous day).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same day. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
You must also attempt a saving throw after any month in which you have failed to perform a number of spiteful retaliations equal to or greater than your manifestation level. If you fail any of these saving throws, you must use the most severe punishment at your disposal against
the next creature that wrongs you, even in a minor way.
If you fail the save but your allies or others prevent you
from exacting your retribution for three consecutive slights,
you shake off this urge. You avoid having to exact retribution
for the time being, and your corruption doesn’t progress.
However, the DC of the Will save against your corruption
progressing increases by 2. These increases stack each time
you shake off this urge, and they last until your corruption
reaches the next corruption stage.
When reaching the next stage:
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you engage in disproportionate punishment (voluntarily or because of a failed save), your alignment shifts one step toward evil and your face changes, making you memorably ugly or beautiful.
Corruption Stage 2: The second time you engage in this behavior, your alignment shifts another step toward evil and you take on an inhuman appearance, increasingly resembling the type of creature that cursed you.
Corruption Stage 3: The third time you engage in this behavior, you take on closer inhuman appearance, even more increasingly resembling the type of creature that cursed you.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourth time you engage in this behavior, you are utterly consumed by your hatred and become an NPC under the GM’s control
Manifestation for Accursed:
a) Cold Iron Allergy
Your skin is as hardened as your heart.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 4th.
Gift: You gain an amount of damage reduction equal to 1/2 your manifestation level. This DR is overcome by cold iron. You can double this DR for 1 minute by raising your Corruption by 1.
Stain: Whenever you touch cold iron, including being struck by a cold iron weapon, you are sickened for 1 round. Immunities don’t prevent this sickened condition, and you can’t remove it early by any means. You can attempt to hide this aversion from foes with a Bluff check opposed by their Sense Motive checks.
b) Cruel Deceiver
You can weave magical lies to set victims up for a downfall.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 2nd.
Gift: You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks. You can use dancing lights, disguise self, and ghost sound once per day each as a spell-like ability. You can perfectly mimic the sound of any animal or voice you have ever heard. At manifestation level 3rd, the bonus doubles. At manifestation level 5th, you can use mirage arcana once per day as a spell-like ability. You can cast any one of these an additional time by accepting 1 Corruption each time.
Stain: You can never speak or otherwise communicate the truth. You can still communicate by various methods, such as uttering insignificant lies, obvious lies, or nonstatements.
c) Grim Fate
You can twist the strands of fate to your desires.
Gift: In exchange for increasing your Corruption by 1 each time: As an immediate action, you can reroll an ability check, attack roll, caster level check, saving throw, or skill check after learning the result.
At manifestation level 8th, you can also lay a curse of unluck upon a creature once per day. This takes a standard action, and must target a creature you can see within 30 feet. You can use this an additional time by accepting 1 Corruption each time.
Stain: You can’t benefit from morale bonuses. You take a –2 penalty on Perform and Sense Motive checks. At manifestation level 3rd, the penalty doubles.
d) Horrific Shock: Same as book, haven't figured out how to change.
e) Spiteful Transformation: Same as book, but you can use this again by increasing your Corruption by 1 (but this doesn't count for retting your Corruption to 1)
f) Undying Hatred: Each use increases your Corruption by 1. But no daily limit.
g) Weakening Claws: Each use increases your Corruption by 1. But no daily limit.
Comment Note: I know, it seems strong, but remember Corruption limits useage unless really good saving throws.
h) Wish Peddler: Each use increases your Corruption by 1. But no daily limit.
Comment Note: Seems strong, but again, Corruption Limits and limited by Manifest level. By 9th level, assuming you had it at first, the strongest you can cast is 5th level spells, since you can only get a new manifestation every 2 levels.
I) Baleful Glare (I missed this one): Each use increases your Corruption by 1. But no daily limit.
2. Deep One:
Once the deep one corruption has taken root, the summons
calling you to the deep ones’ cold, lightless realm becomes
a constant thrum in the back of your mind. Exposure to sea
water becomes increasingly important to you. Each day that
you spend at least 1 hour per manifestation level fully
immersed in the ocean or a salt-water sea, you lower your Corruption to 1 if first time done that day.
This corruption have influence like the medium's spirit.
Each day at sunrise, Corruption returns to 1 (if you have immersed in ocean or salt water, a barrel or bathtub filled will suffice).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same day. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
You also need to attempt such a Will save whenever you are a target
of (or in the area of ) a divine spell or spell-like ability with
the evil descriptor.
When reaching the next stage:
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you fail, you lose control
of yourself for 24 hours. When you regain your senses, you
find yourself in the sea or an ocean, or at least on your way to
such a place if you were too far away to reach it. Either way,
your alignment shifts one step towards chaotic evil.
Corruption Stage 2: The second time you fail, you lose
control again, and you find that you have made contact with
an alien entity during the missing time. Your race changes to deep one
hybrid (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 70), if it wasn’t already, this rejuvenates you and restores you to middle age if already too old.
Corruption Stage 3: The third stage you fail, your alignment shifts again closer to CE (if you aren't already). Your Corruption starts each day at 2 instead of 2 each day.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourth stage you fail, you mind gets taken over completely into a Deep One under GM's control.
Manifestations for Deep One:
Only changed a two-
c) Claws of the Deep: Fine as Written, but deal an extra +1 hit/damage for 2 minute if increase Corruption by 1.
d) Deep Adaptation- You are acclimated to deep ocean pressures and temperatures.
Prerequisite: Loathsome gills*.
Gift: You gain cold resistance 5. At manifestation level 6th, you can survive safely at any ocean depth. At manifestation 8, you have Cold Resist 10.
Stain: Your flesh peels away to reveal fine, iridescent scales, and your movements become slow and awkward. You take a –2 penalty to your Dexterity score while on land.
3) Ghoul:
Each day at sunrise, it returns to 1 (ghoul requires consumption of flesh within a week or doesn't reset).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same day. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
In addition, each week, you need to consume one portion of flesh from a sentient creature. A creature one size category smaller than you counts as one portion, a creature of your size category counts as two portions, and each time you increase a size category, the amount of portions it provides doubles (a creature one size larger counts as 4
portions).
After a week, if you haven’t consumed enough flesh, you must succeed at a Will saving throw DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save each day until you’ve eaten enough, failure raises Corruption by 1.
If circumstances make it impossible to feed (such as if you are tied down or in a locale with nothing to feed upon), you start to starve as if you had not eaten in 3 days (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 445), and you continue to hunger for flesh and struggle to escape and feed until you have received five times the amount of flesh from sentient creatures you normally require. If your allies are able to restrain and feed you flesh from sentient creatures, your corruption doesn’t progress. Unlike normal, these increases stack each time this occurs, and they last until your corruption reaches the next corruption stage.
In addition to starvation, close brushes with death also increase your craving for flesh. Whenever you are dropped
below 0 hit points, your corruption starting point is 2 instead of 1; also you must attempt a single saving throw as if you hadn’t eaten enough flesh that week.
If you fail the save, the next time you rest your corruptions takes over and you unconsciously hunt and feed, devouring a living sentient creature completely. In this state, you can’t differentiate between creatures and might consume an innocent; if you do so, your corruption progresses to the next stage.
When reaching the next stage:
Corruption Stage 1: Once you feed on an innocent sentient creature—either willingly or because you failed a saving throw—your alignment shifts one step toward evil and spells that detect undead sense you, though the peculiar result they return informs the caster that you’re still a living creature. Other spells and effects don’t treat you as undead.
Corruption Stage 2:
The second time, your alignment shifts another step toward evil and you are affected by spellsand abilities as if your creature type were undead (including effects like bane and the favored enemy class feature). This doesn’t grant you any of the immunities of being undead, nor does it make you immune to effects that target living creatures or change how negative and positive energy affect you.
Corruption Stage 3: The third stage you fail, again your alignment shifts another step toward evil; your Corruption starts each day at 2 instead of 1 each day.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourth stage you fail, , you become an NPC ghoul under the GM’s control.
Manifestation for Ghoul:
a) Brain Eater: Prerequisites: Manifestation level 5th, gnashing bite*. Using this incurs 1 Corruption.
b) Corpse Armor: You can double the amount for 1 minute in exchange for increasing Corruption by 1.
c) Diseased Bite: Prerequisites: Manifestation level 6th, corpse armor*, stench of the grave*. By incurring 1 Corruption, the ghoul you create is under your Complete control for 1 day before it becomes free willed.
d) Gnashing Bite: Fine as Written, but deal an extra +1 hit/damage for 2 minute if increase Corruption by 1.
e) Greater Stench of the Grave: Prerequisites: Manifestation level 6th, corpse armor*, stench of the grave*. Fine as Written
f) Paralysis: Fine as Written, but by incurring 1 Corruption you paralyze the target for 1d4 instead 1 rd.
g) Rending Claws: but deal an extra +1 hit/damage for 1 minute if increase Corruption by 1.
h) Staggering Claw:
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 4th, rending claws*. Fine as Written
I) Stench of Grave: Prereq: Corpse Armor
You exude an aura of decay. Creatures that begin their turns adjacent to you are sickened for 1d6 rounds unless they succeed at a Fortitude save. A creature that succeeds can’t be affected by your stench again for 24 hours. At manifestation level 5th, this aura extends out to 10 feet.
Stain: The stench of decay you emit allows creatures with scent to notice you from twice the usual distance, and makes it extremely difficult to disguise yourself. Any living creatures that have a sense of smell have their starting attitudes toward you reduced by one step. Your supernatural scent is not affected by the negate aromaAPG spell.
New choice:
j) Feed: The ghoul is able to assimilate fresh flesh it eats on his own body. If it fully consumes a corpse that has been dead for no more than 1 minute per portion it would count as, the ghoul gains 5 temporary hit points for each HD of the eaten corpse. The ghoul cannot have more temporary HP than 5 times its own HD.
But the ghoul grows hungry again quickly. It loses 1 temporary HP per his own HD every 8 hours.
Strain: Your connection to negative energy is so intense you recoil from its anathema. Whenever you take damage from a positive energy source, you are frightened for 1 round.
4. Hellbound:
Each day at sunrise, it returns to 1 (must do an action that fits within devil’s portfolio within a week ago).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
Your diabolic patron’s portfolio determines what makes your corruption progress. When an opportunity to carry out a significant action that matches the devil’s portfolio comes up, you are tempted to take it, doing so lowers Corruption back to 1 (but only once each day). The action might include oppressing people using your authority or tempting someone closer to lawful evil. You must succeed at a Will save (DC = 12 + 2[your manifestation level]) or your corruption increases by1. What counts as significant is up to the GM. Usually, an act that wouldn’t harm anyone doesn’t count. If something prevents you from performing this act, the save DC increases by 2 permanently until you actually do the act or an act like it.
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you perform a significant act that matches the devil’s portfolio (either willingly or because you failed your save vs influence), your alignment shifts one step toward lawful evil (toward evil first, if you aren’t yet evil). Any attempt to raise you from the dead requires a successful caster level check (DC = 12 + double your manifestation level).
Corruption Stage 2: The second time you perform such an act, your alignment shifts another step toward lawful evil (toward evil first, if you aren’t yet evil).
Corruption Stage 3: The third time you perform such an act, your alignment shifts to lawful evil.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourth time you perform such an act, your contract comes due or you become the thrall to Hell, a living devil under DMs control.
Manifestation for Hellbound:
a) Darkest Desires
Your dark patron offers to grant you wishes to tempt you.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 6th.
Gift: You can use limited wish as a spell-like ability in exchange for increasing Corruption by 1. It can’t duplicate a spell requiring a material component costing more than 1,000 gp. Each time you get more or less what you wished for (GM’s discretion), you must succeed at a Will save or your corruption progresses to the next stage.
Stain: Wishes you make from this manifestation’s gift or your own spells are granted by your patron and interpreted from a devil’s perspective. The patron always tries to twist your wish away from your intent and to its own dark ends.
Special: Upon receiving this manifestation, you must take both the gift and the stain, even with the useful corruption or vile corruption variants.
b) Devil’s Horns
Horns grow upon your brow.
Gift: You gain a gore attack that deals 1d4 points of damage if your size is Medium (1d3 if Small). These horns appear in any form you take, so you still retain this gore attack in any form you assume with a polymorph effect. You deal an extra +1 hit/damage for 1 hour if increase Corruption by 1.
Stain: You gain horns that can’t be hidden by magic, but can be hidden by mundane means. Anyone who sees the horns recognizes them as unnatural. If someone leaves a loophole in an agreement with you that would allow you to gain an advantage, you must exploit it. This typically counts as an act that might progress your corruption.
Special: Upon receiving this manifestation, you must take both the gift and the stain, even with the useful corruption or vile corruption variants.
c) Devil’s Mark
You have the mark of a fiend on your body.
Gift: You gain a 1st-level sorcerer/wizard or witch spell of your choice as a spell-like ability usable a number of times per day equal to your manifestation level. It must not have a casting time longer than 1 standard action or a material or focus component costing more than 1 gp.
Stain: Your devil’s mark manifests on your body. It can’t be hidden by magic, but can be hidden by clothing or other mundane means. Anyone who sees the mark automatically recognizes it as unnatural.
d) Diabolical Servitor
You fraternize with devils who answer your call for aid.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 2nd.
Gift: As a spell-like ability in exchange for increasing Corruption by 1, you can summon a lawful evil outsider, as summon monster II with a duration of 1 minute per manifestation level. At manifestation level 4th, you can use summon monster III, but summon an accuser devil (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 84). At manifestation level 6th, you can use summon monster IV this way. At manifestation level 8th, you can use summon monster V this way.
Stain: You see lies and pain behind every exchange, even when it isn’t there. You take a –4 penalty on Perception and Sense Motive checks except for those made against devils.
e) Fiendish Tutelage
You learn secrets best kept from mortal minds.
Gift: You gain Infernal as a bonus language and a +2 bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks to interact with devils. When you acquire this gift, choose two Knowledge skills. You can attempt checks with them untrained. At manifestation level 3rd, the bonuses double.
Stain: Effects that vary based on your alignment treat you as lawful evil or your true alignment, whichever is worse.
f) Murky Futures
You can call upon Hell for clues about how to avoid your fate.
Gift: In exchange for increasing Corruption by 1, you can call upon the knowledge of Hell with 10 minutes of meditation. You gain the benefit of guidance, with a duration of 24 hours or until discharged. At higher manifestation levels, you can choose to gain the benefit of a different divination spell at the end of your meditation instead: augury at manifestation level 2nd, divination at manifestation level 4th, or contact other plane at manifestation level 6th (to consult Asmodeus or an intermediate deity).
Stain: Increase the DCs of Constitution checks you attempt to stabilize while dying, Heal checks targeting you, and caster level checks required for conjuration (healing) spells to benefit you by 2 (the DC increase applies on the caster level check required to raise you from the dead at corruption stage 1). At manifestation level 3rd, the DCs increase by 4 instead. Your soul flees immediately on death, so you can’t be revived by breath of life, the gift of life domain power, or any similar ability.
g) Passage through the Pit
The maw of Hell yawns wide to welcome you.
Prerequisite: Manifestation level 3rd.
Gift: You can step through Hell to reach other places once per hour. As a full-round action, you can choose a direction, then teleport 2d10 × 5 feet away in that direction (or the nearest safe, unoccupied location). You can use this ability once per minute at manifestation level 6th, and at will at manifestation level 8th.
Stain: You register as lawful evil as well as your own alignment to effects that reveal alignments. This alignment aura is strong, as if you were a lawful evil cleric. You are treated as an extraplanar lawful evil outsider with the devil subtype by abjurations that protect against such creatures.
h) Serpent’s Tongue
You gain the persuasive power of a master deceiver.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 3rd, fiendish tutelage*.
Gift: You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks. By incurring 1 Corruption, when you succeed at a Bluff or Diplomacy check against a creature, you can attempt to influence it as if using suggestion with a caster level equal to your character level and a duration of 1 minute per level. At manifestation level 6th, the bonuses increase to +4.
Stain: Your tongue takes on a serpentlike fork that can’t be hidden by magic, though you can attempt a Disguise check to conceal it. Attempt one Disguise check per interaction, opposed by your opponent’s Perception. Your devil tongue rebels when you work against infernal interests. When you attempt to cast a spell for a chaotic or good cause (as determined by the GM), you have a 20% spell failure chance if it has a verbal components and a –5 penalty on concentration checks if it has a thought component (Occult Adventures 144).
i) Tenuous Soul
Your soul feels the constant and increasing pull of Hell.
Gift: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against emotion (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 137) and fear spells and effects. You are immune to spells and effects that would trap or destroy your soul except those employed by a devil. At manifestation level 3rd, the bonuses increase to +4. At manifestation level 6th, the bonuses increase to +6.
Stain: You take a –2 penalty on saving throws against spells and effects that would possess you or control your actions. At manifestation level 3rd, the penalty changes to –4.
5) Hive:
Each day at sunrise, it returns to 1 ().
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same day. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
In addition, a hive infestation increases over time as your body adapts. Each month, your infestation surges at unpredictable intervals a number of times equal to your manifestation level. Each episode lasts about an hour, during which you’re racked by pain and must attempt a Fortitude save (DC = 12 +2[manifestation level]). On a success, you weather the episode but gain 1 Corruption. If you fail, you start that day with Corruption 2 for one week.
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you fail the Fortitude save, your features shifts into an alien visage. You take a –2 penalty on Diplomacy, Disguise, and Handle Animal checks. Your alignment shifts one step toward neutral evil.
Corruption Stage 2: The second time you fail, your body transforms. You are affected by spells and abilities as if your creature type were aberration. Your mental link with the hive shifts your alignment one step toward neutral evil.
Corruption Stage 3: The third time you fail, you succumb to the link. . Your mental link with the hive shifts your alignment to NE if not already. You start each day with Corruption 2 instead of 1. If you failed your monthly Fort save, this holds it at 3 Corruption each day instead of 2.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourth time you fail, you succumb to the link. You seek out an isolated place and wrap yourself in a cocoon of resinous mucous, in which your body dissolves into hive larva swarms, which erupt after 24 hours
Manifestations For Hive
a) Acid Blood
Your blood burns like acid.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 3rd, transformed flesh*.
Gift: If a creature damages you with a slashing or piercing manufactured weapon, it must succeed at a Reflex saving throw or its weapon takes 2 points of acid damage per manifestation level; this damage is not halved before it is applied to the weapon’s hardness. If a creature damages you with a slashing or piercing natural weapon, it must succeed at the save or take that amount of acid damage itself.
Stain: Your acidic sweat damages your equipment. After using or wearing an item for 8 hours total, it gains the broken condition. If you use or wear a broken item for 8 hours, it is destroyed. This ability doesn’t break cursed items, artifacts, or similar items that are difficult or impossible to destroy.
b) Blindsense
You can feel the unseen.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 2nd, hive mind*.
Gift: As a move action, you can force the hive mind to use its senses to assist you. You gain blindsense with a range of 5 feet × 1/2 your manifestation level until the beginning of your next turn; during that time, you negate the penalty on Perception checks from the stain and instead gain a bonus on Perception checks equal to 1/2 your manifestation level.
You can use this as a free action, in exchange for 1 Corruption
Stain: You gain the light blindness universal monster ability. You take a penalty on Perception checks equal to your manifestation level.
c) Bristling Spines
Your body becomes covered in chitinous spines.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 3rd, living weapon*.
Gift: Your spines can pierce walls, allowing you to climb quickly. You gain a climb speed equal to half your base speed. You can accept 1 Corruption to double this climb speed for 1 hour.
Stain: Your spines make it difficult to move. Your armor check penalty for any armor you wear increases by 2. Even when not wearing armor, you take a –2 armor check penalty.
d) Greater Acid Blood
Your blood becomes even more vitriolic.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 5th, acid blood*, transformed flesh*.
Gift: Whenever you take slashing or piercing damage, all adjacent creatures take an amount of acid damage equal to 1/2 your manifestation level (Reflex negates). By accepting 1 Corruption, you deal damage instead equal to your Manifestation level.
Stain: Your blood is so thin it clots poorly, and its alien nature stymies magical healing. You take double the normal damage from bleed effects and lose double the normal amount of hit points per round when dying or when you act while disabled. The DC to stabilize you and stanch bleed effects on you with a Heal check increases by 5. Magical effects no longer stabilize you or end bleed effects—only a successful Heal check can do so.
e) Greater Hive Mind
The whispers of the hive call to you when awake or asleep.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 5th, hive mind*.
Gift: As a move action, you can communicate telepathically with one creature within 30 feet for 1 round. The hive whispers through the connection, causing a creature that doesn’t have the hive subtype or hive corruption to be shaken for 1 round (Will negates).
Once per round, you can use this as a free action, in exchange for 1 Corruption
Stain: The noise of the hive mind is strongest when you are at your weakest. Whenever damage causes you to drop below half your maximum hit points, you are also staggered for 1 round. Immunities don’t prevent this staggered condition, and you can’t remove it early by any means. This effect doesn’t trigger if you are already below half your maximum hit points before you take damage.
f) Hive Mind
You hear whispers of the hive’s collective consciousness.
Gift: The strength of the hive mind bolsters your own, granting you a +1 bonus on Will saves. At manifestation level 5th, this bonus increases to +2.
Stain: Your mind is cluttered with other disparate voices. You take a –2 penalty on concentration checks, as well as on Intelligence- and Wisdom-based ability checks and skill checks, and you can never take 10 on such checks.
g) Living Armor
You can sheathe your body in an armored carapace.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 2nd, living weapon*.
Gift: As a move action, you can cause chitinous plates of armor to grow out of your flesh. This armor grants a natural armor bonus to your AC equal to 1/2 your manifestation level and persists as long you maintain concentration with a swift action each round. You must succeed at a concentration check as if concentrating on a 0-level spell, and your bonus to this concentration check is equal to your character level + your manifestation level. If you fail a concentration check, the armor retracts.
You can use this as a free action and maintain it, in exchange for 1 Corruption for 1 hour.
Stain: Growing living armor is painful. You take 1 point of damage per manifestation level when you take the action to draw out your living armor and every time you retract the living armor (either voluntarily or by failing a concentration check). While your armor is retracted, you take 1 point of bleed damage whenever you take piercing damage.
Special: Upon receiving this manifestation, you must take both the gift and the stain, even with the useful corruption or vile corruption variants (see page 14).
h) Living Weapon
Your hands contort and mutate into horrible rending claws.
Gift: You gain two claw attacks as primary natural weapons. These claws each deal 1d4 points of damage if your size is Medium (1d3 if Small). You deal an extra +1 hit/damage for 1 hour if increase Corruption by 1.
Stain: You take a –2 penalty on ranged attack rolls and attack rolls with manufactured weapons because of your deformed hands.
i) Resin Secretion
Your body produces a resinous spittle.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 5th, living weapon*.
Gift: As a standard action, you can expel spittle that rapidly hardens into a resin. This effect is identical to the web spell with a caster level equal to your manifestation level, except it targets a single 5-foot space, has a hardness of 1, and has 2 hit points per manifestation level you have. Creatures caught in the spray can attempt a Reflex save to avoid the effect. The resin lasts for 1 minute before crumbling to dust.
Stain: Whenever you use your resin secretion gift, you are nauseated until the end of your next turn. Immunities don’t prevent this nauseated condition, and you can’t remove it early by any means. Once per hour, by accepting 2 Corruption, you are sickened instead after using Resin Secretion.
Special: Upon receiving this manifestation, you must take both the gift and the stain, even with the useful corruption or vile corruption variants (see page 14).
j) Transformed Flesh
Your gain some of a hive creature’s resistance to acid.
Gift: You gain acid resistance 5. At manifestation level 5th, this acid resistance increases to 10.
Stain: The entirety of your flesh darkens and mutates to look more like that of a hive creature. You take a –2 penalty to your Charisma score.
6. Lich:
Your Corruption each day at sunrise, it returns to 1(assuming you have been exposed to at least 5 negative energy within last 48 hours).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same day. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
However, Lich corruptions are rarely stable, and cause incredible mental and physical strain. Whenever you fail a saving throw against a necromancy effect, learn how to cast a new spell or spells, or are exposed to 25 points of negative energy damage or more from a single source (whether it heals or harms you), You must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 12 + 2[Manifester level]) or become spiritually disjoined as well as incurring 1 Corruption. Also whenever anyone successfully casts the death ward spell on you, you gain 1 Corruption. After either failed save, your spirit and body also disconnect, leaving your corporeal form helpless and your mind trapped within the Negative Energy Plane. This state lasts for 1 hour per manifestation level; At the end of the period, your Corruption returns to 1 (unless you reach Stage 3, then you return to 2).
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you fail the save for Corruption, you return diminished, taking a permanent –2 penalty to your Charisma score, and your alignment shifts one step toward evil.
Corruption Stage 2: The second time this happens, your alignment shifts another step toward evil and you take an additional –2 penalty to your Cha.
Corruption Stage 3: The third time this happens, your alignment shifts another step toward evil again, you take a -2 penalty to Con. Also you Corruption starts at 2 instead of 1 each day.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourt time, you die and your soul is consumed by the Negative Energy Plane. You can’t be raised or resurrected except by powerful magic such as miracle or wish. Even if you do get brought back, you are an evil lich NPC under the GM’s control.
Manifestations For Lich
a) Agonizing Touch
Your touch racks the living with pain.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 4th, death’s caress*.
Gift: Once per day per manifestation level, you can make an agonizing touch as a standard action. A living creature hit by this touch attack must succeed at a Fortitude save or be staggered for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your manifestation level.
By incurring 1 Corruption, the target is sickened as well as Staggered on a fail save for same duration.
Stain: Both of your hands wither to nearly skeletal appendages, and your emotions dim towards the coldness of undeath. You take a –2 penalty on attacks with manufactured weapons. Your spells with somatic or emotion (Occult Adventures 144) components have a 5% failure chance. This stacks with any spell failure chances you incur from other sources.
b) Bleak Aura
Entropy seeps from your body.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 4th, deathless*.
Gift: Any living creature that ends its turn adjacent to you takes 1 point of negative energy damage for every 2 manifestation levels you have. By incurring 1 Corruption, for 30 minutes, adjacent instead take double.
Stain: Animals are startled by your presence, worsening their starting attitudes toward you by one step. Any animal companion you have abandons you when you acquire this stain. Whispering voices fill the air around you, begging for release or cursing your existence. Any creature that succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check can hear these whispers, which might alert it to your presence if you’re using Stealth.
c) Cadaver’s Countenance
Your body takes on a deathly likeness.
Gift: You gain a +1 natural armor bonus to your AC and a +2 bonus on saves against mind-affecting effects.
By accepting 1 Corruption, for 1 minute, you instead gain a NA bonus equal to your 1 + ½ manifest level.
Stain: Your flesh tightens, turning corpselike and gray as your body rots. You take a –2 penalty to your Constitution.
d) Deathless
You are inured to negative energy.
Gift: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects that work only on living creatures.
Stain: You are healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy as if you were an undead creature.
e) Death’s Caress
Your touch drains the warmth of life from others.
Gift: You can make a touch attack as a standard action that deals cold damage equal to 1d4 + your manifestation level.
By incurring 1 Corruption, you deal double the amount for 5 minutes.
Stain: The flesh from one of your hands rots away, leaving it a blackened, skeletal claw. Spells that detect undead sense you, though the peculiar result they return informs the caster that you’re still a living creature. Other spells and effects don’t treat you as undead.
f) Greater Cadaver’s Countenance
You become emaciated and nearly skeletal.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 4th, cadaver’s countenance*.
Gift: You gain cold resistance 5 and DR equal to 1/2 your manifestation level that is overcome by bludgeoning damage.
Stain: You take an additional –2 penalty to your Constitution score and are affected by spells and abilities (including bane and favored enemy) as if your creature type were undead. This doesn’t grant you the immunities of undead creatures, nor does it make you immune to effects that target living creatures or change how negative and positive energy affect you.
g) Malevolence
You can wrench your soul from your body to possess another.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 7th, bleak aura*, deathless*.
Gift: You can touch a living creature as a standard action and force your soul into its body. If hit by this touch attack, the target must succeed at a Will save (DC = 15 + your manifestation level) or be affected by possessionOA. You can possess creatures for a number of minutes per day equal to your manifestation level. These minutes don’t need to be used consecutively, but must be spent in 1-minute increments. A failed attempt costs 1 minute of use and renders your target immune to your malevolence for 24 hours. Your body is helpless while you possess another creature, and if it is destroyed you die when the duration of malevolence ends. You can use malevolence while in another creature’s body to transfer your soul again (following the same rules for casting possession while in a body that’s not your own).
Stain: Your spirit is untethered from your body. You roll twice and take the lowest result on saves against spells that imprison or target your soul, such as magic jar and trap the soul, as well as against positive energy effects. If you drop below 0 hit points, your soul leaves your body and you instantly die.
h) Master of the Dead
You can animate the dead with your necromantic power.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 6th, agonizing touch*, death’s caress*.
Gift: You can cast animate dead at will as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to your character level. You must provide the material components, and you take 1 points of Corruption for every creature you animate. You still must abide by the usual Hit Die limits of animate dead.
Stain: Your emotions are nearly a thing of the past. You can’t benefit from morale bonuses or bardic performances.
i) Necromantic Knowledge
You have gained unusual insights into necromancy.
Prerequisites: Manifestation level 2nd, ability to cast spells
Gift: You can add one necromancy spell from the sorcerer/ wizard spell list to your spellbook, familiar, or list of spells you can prepare or to your spells known. This spell must be of a level you can cast. A spell learned in this fashion is treated as though it were on your class spell list. If you normally cast your spells from the sorcerer/wizard spells list, you can add a necromancy spell from the cleric or witch spell list instead.
Stain: You cast any spell from a school other than necromancy as though your caster level were 1 lower, which might prevent you from casting the spell altogether.
Special: You can gain this manifestation multiple times. Each time you gain the gift, you gain a different necromancy spell, and each time you gain the stain, the penalties stack.
7. Lycanthropy:
Your Corruption each day at sunrise, it returns to 1 (assuming you have seen the moon the day before).
It gains 1 when you certain circumstances occur.
When it reaches, 3, you difficulty struggling with corruption, you shift back and forth between your personality and a blend of your corrupt self.
When it reaches 5, you need a will save DC 12 + 2[manifest level]+2 per previous save in same Stage. Succeed, drops down to 4. Otherwise, it progresses to next stage.
Lycanthropy’s progress is tied to the phases of the moon. Each month, the moon is considered full for three nights. At the onset of the corruption, you must attempt a Will saving throw during one of the nights chosen by the GM. For each stage of lycanthropy corruption you have, you must attempt a save on one additional night, eventually needing to save on nights leading up to and possibly after the full moon. The DC of this save is equal to 12 + 2[manifest level]. If you fail a save, you don’t need to attempt more until the next full moon.
Failing a saving throw against this corruption causes you to black out, losing control of your character. During this time, your form becomes that of the associated creature and you give into your animalistic urges, hunting and killing with abandon. The next morning, you regain control, typically in the wilderness without any gear and soaked in blood. If you fail the save but your inner animal is prevented from running free, perhaps because you were restrained you gain 1 Corruption now and at beginning of next day. However, the DC of the Will save against your corruption progressing increases by 2. These increases stack each time this occurs, and they last until your corruption reaches the next stage.
Corruption Stage 1: The first time you lose control, you kill defenseless small animals, such as birds, rodents, and possibly even a dog.
Corruption Stage 2: The second time this occurs, you kill larger animals, such as a horse, a cow, or a pig.
Corruption Stage 3: The third time this happens, again kill a larger animal such as a horse, a cow, or a pig. Also your Corruption starts each day at 2 instead of 1.
Corruption Stage 4: The fourth time this happens, you kill a nearby sentient humanoid, at which point the corruption becomes incurable and you are doomed to live a life of lycanthropy, forever turning evil and a thrall of the DM.
Couldn't fit it all in one post.