Giegue
2018-07-19, 04:38 AM
The Reaper
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Alicia Sinclair, Lesser Aasimar Reaper
It is a known fact that the Dark Powers of the Demiplane of Dread take an avid interest in evil mortals. Many know the tales of how some of the mortal plane's most wicked individuals where seized by the mists of the Demiplane of Dread by the Dark Powers and given their own domain, known as a Domain of Dread, to act as both kingdom and prison. However, what fewer people know is that some wicked individuals who catch the attention of the Dark Powers with their acts of evil aren't dragged away to become a Dark Lord of a Domain of Dread, but instead directly claimed by the Dark Powers to act as their mortal agents, whether they want to or not. Called "Reapers" by the common folk due to their ability to both deal death and raise undead, these individuals are both blessed with divine magic, and cursed to be forever tortured by the Dark Powers they serve.
Much like a Domain of Dread, the powers of a Reaper are equal parts blessing and curse. While Reapers are powerful divine spellcasters comparable in magical might to a cleric, their dark gifts come at a dire cost. The Dark Powers never reward evil without also punishing it at the same time, and as a result when they choose one to become their Reaper, they also take from them the person or thing they care about most, and then make that loss utterly, completely, and irrevocably permanent. Not even reality-bending magics like Wish, or the intercession of a God, can get back that which was taken from them, though the Reaper is not aware of this fact. As a result, many Reapers will try in vain to gain back that which was taken from them, chasing after greater and greater power in any way they can, no matter how dishonorable or wicked.
Unlike Clerics, who are tasked directly by their gods to do specific things for them, the Dark Powers don't directly communicate with their Reapers or send them on quests. Instead, they subtly guide and steer them towards helping them achieve their inscrutable, unknowable designs for the mortal plane. Once created, a Reaper is loosed upon the mortal plane by the Dark Powers, left with the deep scars of their loss and the dark, magical power to chase after any means they can to undo it. However, while most Reapers act thinking they are doing as they will, in reality all Reapers are simply unwitting agents of the Dark Powers, their increasingly evil acts always helping further the inscrutable, unknowing designs of the Dark Powers, many times without them even realizing it. Thus, as the "hands" of the Dark Powers among mortals, the magic of Reapers is divine in nature and surprisingly similar to that of Clerics.
However, the similarities between Clerics and Reapers end at casting the same spells and having the ability to command the undead. While Clerics are heavily armored warrior-priests, Reapers are more akin to divine rogues or assassins. Being chosen to become Reapers specifically for their wickedness, Reapers are ruthless and pragmatic, and will do whatever they can to achieve their goals. Thus, due to both this ruthlessness, and due to the persecution Reapers face in good-leaning societies, Reapers learn both the skills of a spellcaster and the skills of scoundrel, and this unique blending of talents makes them exceptionally skilled at dealing death. However, unlike assassins who often favor convenient, easily-concealed weapons, Reapers instead prefer to weald deadly blades crafted specifically to deal death. Most commonly this is the Scythe due to its association with death and undead, and it is this affinity for such blades that earn "Reapers" their grim moniker.
Adventures: Chosen for their wickedness, tortured by loss, and empowered with dark divine magic comparable to a cleric of an evil god, Reapers are naturally driven to adventure. Scored by the good and forced to forever bear their loss, the vast majority of Reapers adventure solely to gain as much power as possible and become strong enough to take back that which was stolen from them by their masters, and no longer be forced to dwell in the shadows of society. However, while most Reapers are tortured by their loss and adventure to undo it, some instead see their transformation into a Reaper as a true blessing, and instead adventure to actively do the work of the Dark Powers, often aiming to create the circumstances that will turn individuals to true evil and make them the perfect candidates to be dragged into the Demiplane of Dread and made into the Dark Lord of a Dread Domain.
Thus, regardless of their outlooks and goals, the "adventures" many Reapers embark on are often the type of things members of other classes adventure to stop. Spreading death and undeath into villages and towns, gaining political power through manipulation, treachery, or outright open conquest, locating and obtaining long-lost evil artifacts, and conquering people and nations to the side of evil are all things Reapers often feel compelled to do. Yet while evil clerics are called upon to perform these acts in broad daylight by their Gods, Reapers carry them out from the shadows, insidiously working towards their dark agendas with every quest they take. In fact, it is exceptionally common for Reapers to play the part of the "hero", saving towns and helping protect the innocent only to use the good favor they win to subvert those very towns and corrupt those very innocents. Such adventuring Reapers typically do these deeds under the guise of another class, usually a Cloistered Cleric or multiclass Cleric/Rogue, using their skill at deception to mask their true intentions.
Characteristics: As wicked individuals driven by strong desire and often times passion as well, Charisma is the Reaper's most prominent attribute. This same Charisma that gives them the strength of personality to long, strive, corrupt, and conquer also powers their divine magics, as unlike clerics who must interpret the signs and portents of their deities, a Reaper's magic is directly fed to them by the Dark Powers and flows easily and quickly, being powered only by the strength of desire. As a result, Charisma is almost always a Reaper's highest ability score. Both the persecution Reapers often face if their true nature is exposed, and their own willingness to do whatever is needed to achieve their goals, they often are driven to hide in the shadows, meaning that they also tend have strong Dexterity scores. Dexterity also helps them kill their enemies, as they favor light armor and finesse over brute strength. Reapers also tend to be fairly clever and smart, as their lifestyle demands that they have the Intelligence to pick up both the skills of a spellcaster and scoundrel. Constitution is also important to them, as they often deal with poisons, corpses, and disease.
Alignment: All Reapers start their lives as evil individuals. Indeed, to even become a Reaper, one must be so thoroughly wicked that they attract the attention of the Dark Powers in the first place. Thus, no Reaper can start their path with a good or neutral alignment. However, while the vast bulk of Reapers never make an effort to become better people, the Dark Powers don't paticuarly care if one of their Reapers chooses to do so. Indeed, some even believe the Dark Powers desire redemption for their Reapers, and take from that which they care about while bestowing them to facilitate a redemptive journey for the Reaper rather than use them as an unwitting pawn in a dark game. While most Reapers don't see it this way, those that do can often achieve neutral or even good alignments as they work to better themselves, and when they do they will still retain all their powers. However, the frequency with which they cast [evil] spells and the very dark nature of their powers often pushes them towards an evil alignment regardless of how much good they do.
Religion: While Reapers are divine spellcasters, they are often not religious in the same sense as Clerics or Archivists. Indeed, their "Gods," the Dark Powers, never speak to them nor give them clear guidelines to live by or ends to achieve. As a result, most Reapers are concerned purely with the secular acquisition of power and undoing of their tragic loss. Some may devote themselves to evil deities that align with their own ethos, but this is rare, as most Reapers are supremely self-concerned and will only do the work of wicked gods if it helps them achieve their own ends.
However, there are some Reapers actually do actually worship the Dark Powers. These reapers see their loss and divine magic not as a burden but instead a blessing, and since they are given no guidance by the Dark Powers they often develop their own idea of what they want and how to best serve them. Some come to view the Dark Powers as being cruel, sadistic, evil beings like themselves, who punish the Dark Lords of the Domains of Dread for their own sadistic pleasure rather than out of any desire for justice. Such Reapers thus endeavor to corrupt individuals and create the circumstances that will allow people to become the kind of evils that the Dark Powers would desire to drag to their realm and set up as a Dark Lord with their own Domain of Dread. Others instead come to view the Dark Powers as agents of justice, who use extreme means to punish extreme evil. These Reapers thus try to walk away from their wicked past and redeem themselves, seeing their loss as a just punishment and their divine powers as a means to "redeem" themselves by dealing out the same kind of horrible punishments the Dark Powers deal to the Dark Lords trapped in their prison to living people they deem suitably wicked.
Background: While a Reaper can come from any walk of life, all Reapers share one core similarity: all of them must have been suitably wicked to attract the attention of the Dark Powers. The level of wickedness required to draw their attention goes beyond the petty evil that most average evil individuals engage in; indeed, one must be as depraved as the Dark Lords of the Demiplanes of Dread where in their own mortal lives to shift the Dark Powers' gaze to them. As a result, most reapers are born of extremes. The most common origins for Reapers are those of great decadence or great tragedy. Spoiled, privileged, decadent young nobles for whom the pleasures of wealth quickly become mundane are the most common target of the Dark Powers, as their lives of hedonism and cruelty towards the common people under them often spur them to truly depraved acts of evil. However, by the same token just as many reapers rise out of great tragedy or need, as such desperate individuals often perform acts just as heinous as the arrogant and privileged in the name of revenge, or undoing the misfortune that's befallen them. Thus, when making a Reaper, the most important question to ask is "what did they do that was so evil it earned them the attention of the Dark Powers?"
Races: Any race can produce Reapers, though some are more prone to doing so than others. Humans, with their short-sighted and often selfish mindsets, are particularly prone doing the level of evil required to become Reapers. Half-Orcs, Tieflings and other "monstrous" races who already feel the pull of evil and find themselves persecuted by the faiths of good deities are also prone to slipping into the level of wickedness required to earn the attention of the Dark Powers. Aasimar, and particularly the lesser Aasimar who are not as closely tied to their heavenly heritage, are sometimes known to perform acts of great evil as a blasphemous yet liberating rejection of a destiny they feel was thrust upon them without their consent. Beings of such goodness being driven to evil prove especially interesting to the Dark Powers, and as a result such Aasimar usually end up becoming Reapers whether they endeavor to or not. However, in the end all being a Reaper requires is leading a life so wicked that the Dark Powers take note of you...which is something that can be achieved regardless of one's race
Other Classes: Being underhanded scoundrels who traffic in death and undeath, Reapers get along best with classes that share their inclinations. Thus, they prefer to work with individuals who embrace undeath, such as evil Clerics, Dread Necromancers, and Necromancy Specialist Wizards, or those who understand the value of subtlety like Assassins, Beguilers, Rogues and Factotums. Reapers also appreciate a strong body between them and their enemies, so they often look to Warblades, evil Crusaders and especially Blackguards to protect them. However, while Reapers value the safety adventuring with martial classes provides, they have little respect for them as individuals, and see them as little more than mobile walls of meat to place between them and their enemies.
Druids, Clerics of good deities, and other classes opposed to evil or undeath consider Reapers a plague to be wiped out, and will usually refuse to adventure with a known Reaper. Repaers repay this hatred in kind, though they have a degree of respect for evil Druids due to their reverence of death and predation. However, the class that detests Reapers the most is undoubtedly the Paladin, whose code of honor, penchant for honesty, and hardline stance against evil and the undead puts them in direct opposition to everything a Reaper is. Paladins will not hesitate to smite a Reaper on-sight as soon as she is identified as such, and Reapers likewise relish the chance decapitate a Paladin with an elegant swing of their scythes. Seeing this, Reapers of all alignments tend to detest Paladins just as much as they detest them, and often view Paladins as arrogant, self-righteous fools too afraid or deluded to acknowledge their inner selfishness and face their shadow self.
Role: As a class that is mechanically similar to a Cleric, the Reaper can fill many of the same roles a Cleric can. Her unrestricted access to the Cleric spell list allows her to be just as potent a support, crowd control, and utility caster as a Cleric. Her ability to rebuke undead, cleric spell access, and her Undead lord feature all make her an undead master superior to a cleric, and surpassed only by the hyper-dedicated Dread Necromancer. Much like a Cleric, a Reaper can use her plentiful self-buffs to fight respectably in melee; however, unlike the Cleric who boasts solid hit points and wears heavy armor, the Reaper is frail by comparison, and thus favors a skirmishing combat style akin to a rogue as oppose to the fighter-like way Clerics approach melee combat.
However, in exchange for her frailty, the Reaper gains an edge over clerics when it comes to dealing damage; due to their breath of skills, they learn how to exploit their opponent's weaknesses and deal greater damage against enemies who are caught off guard or in a tactically compromising situation. So while Clerics may have an edge over Reapers when it comes to protecting their allies and staying in a fight, Reapers have an advantage over them when it comes to ending fights quickly.
Outside of combat, the reaper's plentiful skill points and deep class skill list allow them to fill a number of roles, though they can't fill every role their class skill list allows due to the skill taxes that come with being a spellcaster, such as Concentration and Spellcraft. As a result, most Reapers choose to devote themselves to either being their party's face and lead negotiator, or their party's scout. With their Charisma-based casting and plentiful social skills, Reapers are natural party faces, and being skilled at social interactions can often help them achieve their more sinister ends. However, by the same token their thievery and stealth skills can let them fill in for a Rogue in a pinch, and in a party without a better candidate for scout a Reaper can fill that role competently. Regardless of whether they become a dedicated scout or party face, Reapers tend to have skill with stealth due to their high skill points and underhanded fighting style, though those that take up the face role often lack skills like spot, listen and disable device that are needed to be an effective scout.
Adaptation: While the Reaper is tied to the Demiplane of Dread and thus the both the Ravenloft Campaign setting and canon D&D model of the multiverse, it's lore can easily be retooled to work in settings that are not part of the D&D multiverse and/or don't use its model of how the multiverse works. In such settings, the Reaper could be refluffed as a kind of specialty priest of a fittingly wicked deity, or perhaps instead a druid-like divine spellcaster who learns to hear the whispers of the departed instead of the voice of the natural world. The Dark Powers themselves could also be slightly retooled for such settings and divorced from the Demiplane of Dread and Ravenloft, and instead given a similar realm within the cosmology of that original setting.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Reapers have the following game statistics:
Abilities: Charisma powers a Reaper's divine magic, so it should be her highest score. Her second highest score should be Dexterity, as it allows her to hide in the shadows and wield her weapon in battle. Constitution is important for bolstering her low hit points and letting her effectively work with corpses and poisons, while Intelligence is important for letting her access a wider variety of skills.
Alignment: Any Evil. However, a Reaper does not need to maintain an evil alignment after entering the class to retain their powers or continue to gain levels in it.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: As a Sorcerer. The path of the reaper does not require intensive study or training; all that is needed is a wicked enough soul to earn the attention of the Dark Powers.
Starting Gold: As a Fighter. Many Reapers come from wealth, and even those that don't tend to quickly amass funds through dubious means in the name of achieving their goals.
Class Skills: The Reaper's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)
Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier
Saves
Spells Per Day
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
1st
+0
+0
+2
+2
Reaper Style, Rebuke Undead, Reaper's Strike +1, Eternal Loss
3
1
2nd
+1
+0
+3
+3
4
2
3rd
+2
+1
+3
+3
4
2
1
4th
+3
+1
+4
+4
Undead Lord
5
3
2
5th
+3
+1
+4
+4
5
3
2
1
6th
+4
+2
+5
+5
5
3
3
2
7th
+5
+2
+5
+5
6
4
3
2
1
8th
+6/+1
+2
+6
+6
Reaper's Strike +2
6
4
3
3
2
9th
+6/+1
+3
+6
+6
6
4
4
3
2
1
10th
+7/+2
+3
+7
+7
6
4
4
3
3
2
11th
+8/+3
+3
+7
+7
6
5
4
4
3
2
1
12th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+8
Reapers Strike +3
6
5
4
4
3
3
2
13th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+8
6
5
5
4
4
3
2
1
14th
+10/+5
+4
+9
+9
6
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
15th
+11/+6/+1
+5
+9
+9
6
5
5
5
4
4
3
2
1
16th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+10
Reapers Strike +4
6
5
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
17th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+10
6
5
5
5
5
4
4
3
2
1
18th
+13/+8/+3
+6
+11
+11
Hide in Plain Sight
6
5
5
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
19th
+14/+9/+5
+6
+11
+11
6
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
3
3
20th
+15/+10/+5
+6
+12
+12
Cursed by the Dark Powers
6
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Reapers are proficient with light armor, and with clubs, daggers, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows, heavy crossbows, sickles and scythes. They are not proficient with any kind of shield.
Aura of Evil (Ex): A Reaper has a Neutral Evil aura as a cleric of her Reaper level regardless of her actual alignment.
Spells: A Reaper casts divine spells (the same type of spells available to the cleric, druid, paladin, and ranger), which are drawn from the cleric spell list. A Reaper must choose and prepare her spells in advance (see below). To prepare or cast a spell, a Reaper must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spells level (Cha 10 for 0-level spells, Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Reaper's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the Reaper's Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a Reaper can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on the table above. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score (see Table 11: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells, page 8). Reapers do not acquire their spells from books or scrolls, nor do they prepare them through study. Instead, they have them fed to them directly by the Dark Powers.
Each Reaper must choose a time at which she must spend 1 hour each day in communion with the Dark Powers, which allows her to regain her daily allotment of spells. Typically, this hour is at dusk or midnight, though other times are not unheard of. Time spent resting has no effect on whether a Reaper can prepare spells. Like a Cleric, a Reaper can leave spell slots open and prepare spells into them at different times during the day regardless of how many times she has prepared spells prior, though in the same way as a cleric she must spend 1 hour each time she dose so. (regardless of how many spells she is preparing.) A Reaper may prepare and cast any spell on the cleric spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily communion.
Spontaneous Casting: A Reaper can channel stored spell energy into undead-related spells that she did not prepare ahead of time. The Reaper can "lose" any prepared spell in order to cast any spell of the same spell level or lower from the following list: Animate Dead, Lesser (https://roll20.net/compendium/pathfinder/Animate%20Dead,%20Lesser#content) (as a 1st level spell)*, Desecrate, Animate Dead, Pack of Ghouls, Revive Undead (as a 5th level spell), Create Undead, Awaken Undead, Create Greater Undead, Plague of Undead. These spells count as Reaper spells if not normally on the Cleric list. So for example, a Reaper who has prepared Command (a 1st-level spell) may lose Command in order to cast Animate Dead, Lesser (also a 1st-level spell).
*(This spell comes from the 1st edition Pathfinder RPG, but is completely compatible with 3.5e. Any DM allowing this class in their game is encouraged to add Animate Dead, Lesser to the spell lists of other classes at the levels they appear on their spell lists in Pathfinder, or in the case of the Dread Necromancer as a 1st level spell. If they wish, a DM can also replace this spell with Command Undead (as a 1st level spell) if they do not wish to port Animate Dead, Lesser.)
Good, Lawful and Chaotic spells: A Reaper cannot prepare and cast any spells with the [good], [lawful] or [chaotic] descriptor that are opposed to her deity's alignment. However, she can cast spells with those descriptors if they could have the [evil] descriptor instead if cast differently. (So for example, a Lawful Evil Reaper could not cast Cloak of Chaos, but could cast Magic Circle Against Evil despite the fact that spell has the [Good] descriptor, because it could instead have the [evil] descriptor if cast as Magic Circle Against Good.)
Reaper Style (Ex): A Reaper learns to use the weapons of her trade through finesse rather than brute force, a fighting style unique to their grim calling. She can use Dexterity instead of Strength on attack rolls with slashing melee weapons (including those that are slashing and/or another damage type, such as a scythe) and Necromancy spells she casts. This counts as the Weapon Finesse feat for purposes of fulfilling prerequisites. Unlike Weapon Finesse, this benefit applies regardless of weapon size.
Additionally, she may use her Dexterity instead of her Strength to qualify for feats with a Strength prerequisite (such as Power Attack). However, using the Reaper Style requires devotion to her path; if the Reaper ever gains one or more levels in a base class other than Reaper, she loses the benefits of this feature. (This does not apply to levels gained in other base classes as a result of the Gestalt variant rules)
Rebuke Undead (Su): A Reaper can rebuke (and control) undead as an evil cleric of her level a number of times per-day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier.
Reaper's Strike (Ex): At 1st level the Reaper learns how to more effectively deal death with the weapons of her trade. When she makes a melee attack with a sickle or scythe against a target that she is flanking or that is denied their Dexterity bonus to AC, she increases that weapon's critical threat range by +1. This bonus is applied after all other multipliers (such as the Keen property or Improved Critical feat) are applied. At 8th level, this increases to +2, at 12th level this increases to +3, and at 16th level to +4.
Eternal Loss (Ex): Also at 1st level, the Reaper pays a horrible price for their powers. In return for being given their powers, the Reaper loses both their own soul, and the person or thing they care about most. This loss of their most cherished person or thing is rendered entirely irrevocable through mundane and magical means. Not even epic magic, artifacts, or the work of gods can undo the loss of this person or thing, and any attempts to change the past to undo this loss fail.
Undead Lord (Su): As an agent of the Dark Powers, a Reaper gains the ability raise stronger undead and control a larger hoard of minions. Starting at 4th level, undead the Reaper raises or creates with any necromancy spell gain a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and +2 hit points per Hit Die. Additionally, when using the Animate Dead spell, she can animate 3 times her caster level HD of undead instead of 2 time her caster level, and can control 6 HD of undead per-caster level instead of 4 HD per caster-level. The Reaper also counts as having the Corpsecrafter feat for the purpose of meeting any prerequisites (including feat and prestige class requirements).
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): At 18th level the Reaper learns how to hide in plain sight; this functions as the Assassin class feature of the same name.
Cursed by the Dark Powers (Su): At 20th level, the Reaper is cursed by the Dark Powers to forever walk the mortal planes and suffer her eternal loss. She gains the Curst template without gaining its ability score adjustments and madness feature. Additionally, she retains the appearance she had in life despite her transformation. However, she also becomes aware of her eternal loss (as-per her Eternal Loss feature), if she is not already. She retains all her class levels and features, and can still gain levels and XP, as normal for a Curst.
https://honeysanime.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/owari-no-seraph-shinoa-hiiragi-wallpaper-500x322.jpg
Alicia Sinclair, Lesser Aasimar Reaper
It is a known fact that the Dark Powers of the Demiplane of Dread take an avid interest in evil mortals. Many know the tales of how some of the mortal plane's most wicked individuals where seized by the mists of the Demiplane of Dread by the Dark Powers and given their own domain, known as a Domain of Dread, to act as both kingdom and prison. However, what fewer people know is that some wicked individuals who catch the attention of the Dark Powers with their acts of evil aren't dragged away to become a Dark Lord of a Domain of Dread, but instead directly claimed by the Dark Powers to act as their mortal agents, whether they want to or not. Called "Reapers" by the common folk due to their ability to both deal death and raise undead, these individuals are both blessed with divine magic, and cursed to be forever tortured by the Dark Powers they serve.
Much like a Domain of Dread, the powers of a Reaper are equal parts blessing and curse. While Reapers are powerful divine spellcasters comparable in magical might to a cleric, their dark gifts come at a dire cost. The Dark Powers never reward evil without also punishing it at the same time, and as a result when they choose one to become their Reaper, they also take from them the person or thing they care about most, and then make that loss utterly, completely, and irrevocably permanent. Not even reality-bending magics like Wish, or the intercession of a God, can get back that which was taken from them, though the Reaper is not aware of this fact. As a result, many Reapers will try in vain to gain back that which was taken from them, chasing after greater and greater power in any way they can, no matter how dishonorable or wicked.
Unlike Clerics, who are tasked directly by their gods to do specific things for them, the Dark Powers don't directly communicate with their Reapers or send them on quests. Instead, they subtly guide and steer them towards helping them achieve their inscrutable, unknowable designs for the mortal plane. Once created, a Reaper is loosed upon the mortal plane by the Dark Powers, left with the deep scars of their loss and the dark, magical power to chase after any means they can to undo it. However, while most Reapers act thinking they are doing as they will, in reality all Reapers are simply unwitting agents of the Dark Powers, their increasingly evil acts always helping further the inscrutable, unknowing designs of the Dark Powers, many times without them even realizing it. Thus, as the "hands" of the Dark Powers among mortals, the magic of Reapers is divine in nature and surprisingly similar to that of Clerics.
However, the similarities between Clerics and Reapers end at casting the same spells and having the ability to command the undead. While Clerics are heavily armored warrior-priests, Reapers are more akin to divine rogues or assassins. Being chosen to become Reapers specifically for their wickedness, Reapers are ruthless and pragmatic, and will do whatever they can to achieve their goals. Thus, due to both this ruthlessness, and due to the persecution Reapers face in good-leaning societies, Reapers learn both the skills of a spellcaster and the skills of scoundrel, and this unique blending of talents makes them exceptionally skilled at dealing death. However, unlike assassins who often favor convenient, easily-concealed weapons, Reapers instead prefer to weald deadly blades crafted specifically to deal death. Most commonly this is the Scythe due to its association with death and undead, and it is this affinity for such blades that earn "Reapers" their grim moniker.
Adventures: Chosen for their wickedness, tortured by loss, and empowered with dark divine magic comparable to a cleric of an evil god, Reapers are naturally driven to adventure. Scored by the good and forced to forever bear their loss, the vast majority of Reapers adventure solely to gain as much power as possible and become strong enough to take back that which was stolen from them by their masters, and no longer be forced to dwell in the shadows of society. However, while most Reapers are tortured by their loss and adventure to undo it, some instead see their transformation into a Reaper as a true blessing, and instead adventure to actively do the work of the Dark Powers, often aiming to create the circumstances that will turn individuals to true evil and make them the perfect candidates to be dragged into the Demiplane of Dread and made into the Dark Lord of a Dread Domain.
Thus, regardless of their outlooks and goals, the "adventures" many Reapers embark on are often the type of things members of other classes adventure to stop. Spreading death and undeath into villages and towns, gaining political power through manipulation, treachery, or outright open conquest, locating and obtaining long-lost evil artifacts, and conquering people and nations to the side of evil are all things Reapers often feel compelled to do. Yet while evil clerics are called upon to perform these acts in broad daylight by their Gods, Reapers carry them out from the shadows, insidiously working towards their dark agendas with every quest they take. In fact, it is exceptionally common for Reapers to play the part of the "hero", saving towns and helping protect the innocent only to use the good favor they win to subvert those very towns and corrupt those very innocents. Such adventuring Reapers typically do these deeds under the guise of another class, usually a Cloistered Cleric or multiclass Cleric/Rogue, using their skill at deception to mask their true intentions.
Characteristics: As wicked individuals driven by strong desire and often times passion as well, Charisma is the Reaper's most prominent attribute. This same Charisma that gives them the strength of personality to long, strive, corrupt, and conquer also powers their divine magics, as unlike clerics who must interpret the signs and portents of their deities, a Reaper's magic is directly fed to them by the Dark Powers and flows easily and quickly, being powered only by the strength of desire. As a result, Charisma is almost always a Reaper's highest ability score. Both the persecution Reapers often face if their true nature is exposed, and their own willingness to do whatever is needed to achieve their goals, they often are driven to hide in the shadows, meaning that they also tend have strong Dexterity scores. Dexterity also helps them kill their enemies, as they favor light armor and finesse over brute strength. Reapers also tend to be fairly clever and smart, as their lifestyle demands that they have the Intelligence to pick up both the skills of a spellcaster and scoundrel. Constitution is also important to them, as they often deal with poisons, corpses, and disease.
Alignment: All Reapers start their lives as evil individuals. Indeed, to even become a Reaper, one must be so thoroughly wicked that they attract the attention of the Dark Powers in the first place. Thus, no Reaper can start their path with a good or neutral alignment. However, while the vast bulk of Reapers never make an effort to become better people, the Dark Powers don't paticuarly care if one of their Reapers chooses to do so. Indeed, some even believe the Dark Powers desire redemption for their Reapers, and take from that which they care about while bestowing them to facilitate a redemptive journey for the Reaper rather than use them as an unwitting pawn in a dark game. While most Reapers don't see it this way, those that do can often achieve neutral or even good alignments as they work to better themselves, and when they do they will still retain all their powers. However, the frequency with which they cast [evil] spells and the very dark nature of their powers often pushes them towards an evil alignment regardless of how much good they do.
Religion: While Reapers are divine spellcasters, they are often not religious in the same sense as Clerics or Archivists. Indeed, their "Gods," the Dark Powers, never speak to them nor give them clear guidelines to live by or ends to achieve. As a result, most Reapers are concerned purely with the secular acquisition of power and undoing of their tragic loss. Some may devote themselves to evil deities that align with their own ethos, but this is rare, as most Reapers are supremely self-concerned and will only do the work of wicked gods if it helps them achieve their own ends.
However, there are some Reapers actually do actually worship the Dark Powers. These reapers see their loss and divine magic not as a burden but instead a blessing, and since they are given no guidance by the Dark Powers they often develop their own idea of what they want and how to best serve them. Some come to view the Dark Powers as being cruel, sadistic, evil beings like themselves, who punish the Dark Lords of the Domains of Dread for their own sadistic pleasure rather than out of any desire for justice. Such Reapers thus endeavor to corrupt individuals and create the circumstances that will allow people to become the kind of evils that the Dark Powers would desire to drag to their realm and set up as a Dark Lord with their own Domain of Dread. Others instead come to view the Dark Powers as agents of justice, who use extreme means to punish extreme evil. These Reapers thus try to walk away from their wicked past and redeem themselves, seeing their loss as a just punishment and their divine powers as a means to "redeem" themselves by dealing out the same kind of horrible punishments the Dark Powers deal to the Dark Lords trapped in their prison to living people they deem suitably wicked.
Background: While a Reaper can come from any walk of life, all Reapers share one core similarity: all of them must have been suitably wicked to attract the attention of the Dark Powers. The level of wickedness required to draw their attention goes beyond the petty evil that most average evil individuals engage in; indeed, one must be as depraved as the Dark Lords of the Demiplanes of Dread where in their own mortal lives to shift the Dark Powers' gaze to them. As a result, most reapers are born of extremes. The most common origins for Reapers are those of great decadence or great tragedy. Spoiled, privileged, decadent young nobles for whom the pleasures of wealth quickly become mundane are the most common target of the Dark Powers, as their lives of hedonism and cruelty towards the common people under them often spur them to truly depraved acts of evil. However, by the same token just as many reapers rise out of great tragedy or need, as such desperate individuals often perform acts just as heinous as the arrogant and privileged in the name of revenge, or undoing the misfortune that's befallen them. Thus, when making a Reaper, the most important question to ask is "what did they do that was so evil it earned them the attention of the Dark Powers?"
Races: Any race can produce Reapers, though some are more prone to doing so than others. Humans, with their short-sighted and often selfish mindsets, are particularly prone doing the level of evil required to become Reapers. Half-Orcs, Tieflings and other "monstrous" races who already feel the pull of evil and find themselves persecuted by the faiths of good deities are also prone to slipping into the level of wickedness required to earn the attention of the Dark Powers. Aasimar, and particularly the lesser Aasimar who are not as closely tied to their heavenly heritage, are sometimes known to perform acts of great evil as a blasphemous yet liberating rejection of a destiny they feel was thrust upon them without their consent. Beings of such goodness being driven to evil prove especially interesting to the Dark Powers, and as a result such Aasimar usually end up becoming Reapers whether they endeavor to or not. However, in the end all being a Reaper requires is leading a life so wicked that the Dark Powers take note of you...which is something that can be achieved regardless of one's race
Other Classes: Being underhanded scoundrels who traffic in death and undeath, Reapers get along best with classes that share their inclinations. Thus, they prefer to work with individuals who embrace undeath, such as evil Clerics, Dread Necromancers, and Necromancy Specialist Wizards, or those who understand the value of subtlety like Assassins, Beguilers, Rogues and Factotums. Reapers also appreciate a strong body between them and their enemies, so they often look to Warblades, evil Crusaders and especially Blackguards to protect them. However, while Reapers value the safety adventuring with martial classes provides, they have little respect for them as individuals, and see them as little more than mobile walls of meat to place between them and their enemies.
Druids, Clerics of good deities, and other classes opposed to evil or undeath consider Reapers a plague to be wiped out, and will usually refuse to adventure with a known Reaper. Repaers repay this hatred in kind, though they have a degree of respect for evil Druids due to their reverence of death and predation. However, the class that detests Reapers the most is undoubtedly the Paladin, whose code of honor, penchant for honesty, and hardline stance against evil and the undead puts them in direct opposition to everything a Reaper is. Paladins will not hesitate to smite a Reaper on-sight as soon as she is identified as such, and Reapers likewise relish the chance decapitate a Paladin with an elegant swing of their scythes. Seeing this, Reapers of all alignments tend to detest Paladins just as much as they detest them, and often view Paladins as arrogant, self-righteous fools too afraid or deluded to acknowledge their inner selfishness and face their shadow self.
Role: As a class that is mechanically similar to a Cleric, the Reaper can fill many of the same roles a Cleric can. Her unrestricted access to the Cleric spell list allows her to be just as potent a support, crowd control, and utility caster as a Cleric. Her ability to rebuke undead, cleric spell access, and her Undead lord feature all make her an undead master superior to a cleric, and surpassed only by the hyper-dedicated Dread Necromancer. Much like a Cleric, a Reaper can use her plentiful self-buffs to fight respectably in melee; however, unlike the Cleric who boasts solid hit points and wears heavy armor, the Reaper is frail by comparison, and thus favors a skirmishing combat style akin to a rogue as oppose to the fighter-like way Clerics approach melee combat.
However, in exchange for her frailty, the Reaper gains an edge over clerics when it comes to dealing damage; due to their breath of skills, they learn how to exploit their opponent's weaknesses and deal greater damage against enemies who are caught off guard or in a tactically compromising situation. So while Clerics may have an edge over Reapers when it comes to protecting their allies and staying in a fight, Reapers have an advantage over them when it comes to ending fights quickly.
Outside of combat, the reaper's plentiful skill points and deep class skill list allow them to fill a number of roles, though they can't fill every role their class skill list allows due to the skill taxes that come with being a spellcaster, such as Concentration and Spellcraft. As a result, most Reapers choose to devote themselves to either being their party's face and lead negotiator, or their party's scout. With their Charisma-based casting and plentiful social skills, Reapers are natural party faces, and being skilled at social interactions can often help them achieve their more sinister ends. However, by the same token their thievery and stealth skills can let them fill in for a Rogue in a pinch, and in a party without a better candidate for scout a Reaper can fill that role competently. Regardless of whether they become a dedicated scout or party face, Reapers tend to have skill with stealth due to their high skill points and underhanded fighting style, though those that take up the face role often lack skills like spot, listen and disable device that are needed to be an effective scout.
Adaptation: While the Reaper is tied to the Demiplane of Dread and thus the both the Ravenloft Campaign setting and canon D&D model of the multiverse, it's lore can easily be retooled to work in settings that are not part of the D&D multiverse and/or don't use its model of how the multiverse works. In such settings, the Reaper could be refluffed as a kind of specialty priest of a fittingly wicked deity, or perhaps instead a druid-like divine spellcaster who learns to hear the whispers of the departed instead of the voice of the natural world. The Dark Powers themselves could also be slightly retooled for such settings and divorced from the Demiplane of Dread and Ravenloft, and instead given a similar realm within the cosmology of that original setting.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Reapers have the following game statistics:
Abilities: Charisma powers a Reaper's divine magic, so it should be her highest score. Her second highest score should be Dexterity, as it allows her to hide in the shadows and wield her weapon in battle. Constitution is important for bolstering her low hit points and letting her effectively work with corpses and poisons, while Intelligence is important for letting her access a wider variety of skills.
Alignment: Any Evil. However, a Reaper does not need to maintain an evil alignment after entering the class to retain their powers or continue to gain levels in it.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: As a Sorcerer. The path of the reaper does not require intensive study or training; all that is needed is a wicked enough soul to earn the attention of the Dark Powers.
Starting Gold: As a Fighter. Many Reapers come from wealth, and even those that don't tend to quickly amass funds through dubious means in the name of achieving their goals.
Class Skills: The Reaper's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)
Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier
Saves
Spells Per Day
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
1st
+0
+0
+2
+2
Reaper Style, Rebuke Undead, Reaper's Strike +1, Eternal Loss
3
1
2nd
+1
+0
+3
+3
4
2
3rd
+2
+1
+3
+3
4
2
1
4th
+3
+1
+4
+4
Undead Lord
5
3
2
5th
+3
+1
+4
+4
5
3
2
1
6th
+4
+2
+5
+5
5
3
3
2
7th
+5
+2
+5
+5
6
4
3
2
1
8th
+6/+1
+2
+6
+6
Reaper's Strike +2
6
4
3
3
2
9th
+6/+1
+3
+6
+6
6
4
4
3
2
1
10th
+7/+2
+3
+7
+7
6
4
4
3
3
2
11th
+8/+3
+3
+7
+7
6
5
4
4
3
2
1
12th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+8
Reapers Strike +3
6
5
4
4
3
3
2
13th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+8
6
5
5
4
4
3
2
1
14th
+10/+5
+4
+9
+9
6
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
15th
+11/+6/+1
+5
+9
+9
6
5
5
5
4
4
3
2
1
16th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+10
Reapers Strike +4
6
5
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
17th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+10
6
5
5
5
5
4
4
3
2
1
18th
+13/+8/+3
+6
+11
+11
Hide in Plain Sight
6
5
5
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
19th
+14/+9/+5
+6
+11
+11
6
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
3
3
20th
+15/+10/+5
+6
+12
+12
Cursed by the Dark Powers
6
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Reapers are proficient with light armor, and with clubs, daggers, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows, heavy crossbows, sickles and scythes. They are not proficient with any kind of shield.
Aura of Evil (Ex): A Reaper has a Neutral Evil aura as a cleric of her Reaper level regardless of her actual alignment.
Spells: A Reaper casts divine spells (the same type of spells available to the cleric, druid, paladin, and ranger), which are drawn from the cleric spell list. A Reaper must choose and prepare her spells in advance (see below). To prepare or cast a spell, a Reaper must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spells level (Cha 10 for 0-level spells, Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Reaper's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the Reaper's Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a Reaper can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on the table above. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score (see Table 11: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells, page 8). Reapers do not acquire their spells from books or scrolls, nor do they prepare them through study. Instead, they have them fed to them directly by the Dark Powers.
Each Reaper must choose a time at which she must spend 1 hour each day in communion with the Dark Powers, which allows her to regain her daily allotment of spells. Typically, this hour is at dusk or midnight, though other times are not unheard of. Time spent resting has no effect on whether a Reaper can prepare spells. Like a Cleric, a Reaper can leave spell slots open and prepare spells into them at different times during the day regardless of how many times she has prepared spells prior, though in the same way as a cleric she must spend 1 hour each time she dose so. (regardless of how many spells she is preparing.) A Reaper may prepare and cast any spell on the cleric spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily communion.
Spontaneous Casting: A Reaper can channel stored spell energy into undead-related spells that she did not prepare ahead of time. The Reaper can "lose" any prepared spell in order to cast any spell of the same spell level or lower from the following list: Animate Dead, Lesser (https://roll20.net/compendium/pathfinder/Animate%20Dead,%20Lesser#content) (as a 1st level spell)*, Desecrate, Animate Dead, Pack of Ghouls, Revive Undead (as a 5th level spell), Create Undead, Awaken Undead, Create Greater Undead, Plague of Undead. These spells count as Reaper spells if not normally on the Cleric list. So for example, a Reaper who has prepared Command (a 1st-level spell) may lose Command in order to cast Animate Dead, Lesser (also a 1st-level spell).
*(This spell comes from the 1st edition Pathfinder RPG, but is completely compatible with 3.5e. Any DM allowing this class in their game is encouraged to add Animate Dead, Lesser to the spell lists of other classes at the levels they appear on their spell lists in Pathfinder, or in the case of the Dread Necromancer as a 1st level spell. If they wish, a DM can also replace this spell with Command Undead (as a 1st level spell) if they do not wish to port Animate Dead, Lesser.)
Good, Lawful and Chaotic spells: A Reaper cannot prepare and cast any spells with the [good], [lawful] or [chaotic] descriptor that are opposed to her deity's alignment. However, she can cast spells with those descriptors if they could have the [evil] descriptor instead if cast differently. (So for example, a Lawful Evil Reaper could not cast Cloak of Chaos, but could cast Magic Circle Against Evil despite the fact that spell has the [Good] descriptor, because it could instead have the [evil] descriptor if cast as Magic Circle Against Good.)
Reaper Style (Ex): A Reaper learns to use the weapons of her trade through finesse rather than brute force, a fighting style unique to their grim calling. She can use Dexterity instead of Strength on attack rolls with slashing melee weapons (including those that are slashing and/or another damage type, such as a scythe) and Necromancy spells she casts. This counts as the Weapon Finesse feat for purposes of fulfilling prerequisites. Unlike Weapon Finesse, this benefit applies regardless of weapon size.
Additionally, she may use her Dexterity instead of her Strength to qualify for feats with a Strength prerequisite (such as Power Attack). However, using the Reaper Style requires devotion to her path; if the Reaper ever gains one or more levels in a base class other than Reaper, she loses the benefits of this feature. (This does not apply to levels gained in other base classes as a result of the Gestalt variant rules)
Rebuke Undead (Su): A Reaper can rebuke (and control) undead as an evil cleric of her level a number of times per-day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier.
Reaper's Strike (Ex): At 1st level the Reaper learns how to more effectively deal death with the weapons of her trade. When she makes a melee attack with a sickle or scythe against a target that she is flanking or that is denied their Dexterity bonus to AC, she increases that weapon's critical threat range by +1. This bonus is applied after all other multipliers (such as the Keen property or Improved Critical feat) are applied. At 8th level, this increases to +2, at 12th level this increases to +3, and at 16th level to +4.
Eternal Loss (Ex): Also at 1st level, the Reaper pays a horrible price for their powers. In return for being given their powers, the Reaper loses both their own soul, and the person or thing they care about most. This loss of their most cherished person or thing is rendered entirely irrevocable through mundane and magical means. Not even epic magic, artifacts, or the work of gods can undo the loss of this person or thing, and any attempts to change the past to undo this loss fail.
Undead Lord (Su): As an agent of the Dark Powers, a Reaper gains the ability raise stronger undead and control a larger hoard of minions. Starting at 4th level, undead the Reaper raises or creates with any necromancy spell gain a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and +2 hit points per Hit Die. Additionally, when using the Animate Dead spell, she can animate 3 times her caster level HD of undead instead of 2 time her caster level, and can control 6 HD of undead per-caster level instead of 4 HD per caster-level. The Reaper also counts as having the Corpsecrafter feat for the purpose of meeting any prerequisites (including feat and prestige class requirements).
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): At 18th level the Reaper learns how to hide in plain sight; this functions as the Assassin class feature of the same name.
Cursed by the Dark Powers (Su): At 20th level, the Reaper is cursed by the Dark Powers to forever walk the mortal planes and suffer her eternal loss. She gains the Curst template without gaining its ability score adjustments and madness feature. Additionally, she retains the appearance she had in life despite her transformation. However, she also becomes aware of her eternal loss (as-per her Eternal Loss feature), if she is not already. She retains all her class levels and features, and can still gain levels and XP, as normal for a Curst.