Logion
2007-10-04, 02:51 PM
I’ve played DnD for a couple of months, DMing some of that time. I wanted to give homebrewing a go. This is the result: A paladin/rogue thing.
The Left Hand of God Base Class
The lich gazed across the chapel filled with undead, looking with satisfaction at his army. If he had any facial muscles, he might have smiled. Suddenly he saw something out of the corner of his eye, just a flicker. He wheeled about just as a metal projectile neatly severed his right hand. He started as he stared at the tall, gaunt man dressed in a long black coat. "Bad choice, mortal," he hissed in a raspy voice. "Didn't have a choice, Nehor," the man answered back. The lich whispered a few fleeting words to bind the man, cackling as his limbs stiffened. The laughter died in his throat as the man burst the spell with a shout of rage, cowing the undead in the pews. Pulling out rapiers glowing with energy, the man viciously struck the lich, who stumbled backward, bringing up his remaining hand and launching a bolt of lightning. The man tumbled out of the way, reacting with uncanny speed. When the lightning had died, the man was gone. The lich glared around, as the undead began sweeping the building. Seconds later, he suddenly felt an unbearable heat. Grasping convulsively at his phylactery, his hands came away with nothing. Turning with a sense of terror, the lich saw his phylactery pierced on the end of a glowing blade. Another was between his ribs. He chuckled, mocking a man who would attack him with steel, but as he laughed the unlife began to leave him. his legs crumbled, and he fell to the ground. "Who...are...you?" he whispered, in the first moment of fear since his transformation. "I don't know, but you might," the man answered. His energy waning, the lich looked into his eyes, and shock overcame him at the last..."Hector...my...brother..."
The Left Hands of God are rogue fighters of evil who are rarely directly associated with any clerical order. When after a certain target, they often contact the local priesthood for support anyway. Their power is derived directly from their deity, even more so than paladins, who often resent the intrusion on their domain and the threat they offer to an idealistic vision of the beneficial gods. They get along well with good and even neutral characters, and are not below allying themselves with evil in order to defeat a greater evil. Due to their specific skills, they often act as powerful mercenaries employed by divine sources to carry out their will on the material plane.
Each good deity has usually only a few of these at his or her command at any given time. A single Left Hand is reincarnated in lifetime after lifetime, rediscovering his purpose and power. At a young age, a Left Hand often shows a disregard for rules and laws that often lands him in considerable trouble. He also develops an unrivaled hatred of evil that drives him to oppose oppression in all its forms. Left Hands do not always appear athletic, and someone who watches his combat from childhood scraps to the height of his power usually recognizes the impossibility of his feats. Upon their first contact with an evil creature, the Left Hand is brought to a realization of his purpose and position. From that moment on he trains relentlessly to hone his natural abilities, both physical and mental. By the midteenage years, his community already recognizes the Left Hand as a brooding, enigmatic figure with uncanny power over himself and others around him. Other aspiring adventurers often look up to the Left Hand and his quiet ways. By the time he reaches adulthood, the Left Hand is a cunning fighter with few moral qualms about the way evil in which evil is defeated. As he advances in his personal fight against evil, he becomes more in tune with both his deity and his own inner spiritual power as an emmisary of that deity. At the height of his power, he may have visited holy planes any number of times and be in communication with Archons and Guardinals on a daily basis. These outsiders are rarely comfortable with the Left Hand, and are usually directly assigned to aid him as a punishment for failure. Conversely, other deities assign the task to their most trusted servants, since existance and missions of the Left Hands are both sensative and often not of a "lawful good" nature. Occasionally two or more Left Hands will work together, but there no kind of formal organization whatsoever, as it would hinder the operations of individual Left Hands. On occasion, several Left Hands will be working on the same mission and not even be aware of the other's existance.
There are few easily identifiable Left Hands in history, because they can often pass for a strange fighter or especially proficient rogue or ranger. Even the Left Hands themselves are not aware of their previous lives, besides knowing that they had them. Some villains, such as a lich or vampire, might know and recognize a Left Hand from an encounter in a previous life, and take advantage of that knowledge to confuse and defeat the new incarnation.
Few NPCs or other characters will be aware of the status of a Left Hand unless they are informed. Paladins and Clerics are always distrustful of Left Hands, almost on instinct.
Alignment: Any non-evil
Hit Die: d8
LEFT HAND OF GOD
{table=head]Level|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Base Attack Bonus|Special
1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+1|Smite Evil, Divine Protection
2nd|
+0|
+3|
+3|
+2|Divine Grace, Divine Recovery
3rd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+3|Aura of Courage, Divine Health
4th|
+1|
+4|
+4|
+4|Evasion, Lesser Ravage Blade
5th|
+1|
+4|
+4|
+5|Uncanny Dodge, Smite Evil 2/day
6th|
+2|
+5|
+5|
+6|Holy Surge
7th|
+2|
+5|
+5|
+7|Ravage Blade, Death Attack
8th|
+2|
+6|
+6|
+8|Mask Presence
9th|
+3|
+6|
+6|
+9|Divine Gift
10th|
+3|
+7|
+7|
+10|Smite Evil 3/day
11th|
+3|
+7|
+7|
+11|Greater Ravage Blade
12th|
+4|
+8|
+8|
+12|Divine Gift
13th|
+4|
+8|
+8|
+13|Divine Ward
14th|
+4|
+9|
+9|
+14|Hide In Plain Sight
15th|
+5|
+9|
+9|
+15|Divine Gift, Smite Evil 4/day
16th|
+5|
+10|
+10|
+16|Heaven's Wrath
17th|
+5|
+10|
+10|
+17|Aura of Righteous Fury
18th|
+6|
+11|
+11|
+18|Divine Gift
19th|
+6|
+11|
+11|
+19|Divine Disjunction
20th|
+6|
+12|
+12|
+20|Divine Ravage Blade of Vengeance[/table]
Class skills: Tumble, Jump, Intimidate, Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Bluff, Sleight of Hand, Concentration, Sense Motive, Spot, Search, Listen, Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Use Magical Device
Skill Points at first level: (6+intelligence modifier) * 4
Every Other Level: 6+Int modifier
1st Level
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Crossbows (including hand), whips, daggers, darts, slings, short swords, rapiers, hand axes, throwing axes, bolas (two ball), nets, ward cestus, quarter staves, fukimi baris, chakrams, throwing irons, whip-daggers, light armor, and bucklers. Other weapons may be added as desired, as long as they fit the theme.
Warrior’s Code: If a Left Hand ever kills a good creature, unless specifically instructed to by his patron or a servant of his patron, he loses all class abilities until he has atoned for his action, generally including a quest and a week of meditation. The quest is assigned by his patron deity and is most likely extremely life-threatening. A Left Hand who is no longer good also loses all class abilities until he has received the atonement spell.
Divine Protection: A Left Hand adds his charisma bonus, if any, to his AC.
Smite Evil: As a paladin
2nd Level
Divine Grace: As a paladin
Divine Recovery: As a swift action, a number of rounds per day equal to his charisma bonus, a Left Hand gains fast healing equal to half his class level, rounded down.
3rd Level
Aura of Courage: As Paladin
Divine Health: As Paladin
4th Level
Evasion
Lesser Ravage Blade: A number of times per day equal to 1/3 his level; a Left hand may cause a melee or ranged attack to be coated with Unicorn Blood or Jade Water. This must be announced before the attack is made.
5th Level
Uncanny Dodge, Smite evil 2/day
6th Level
Holy Surge: Once per day, a Left Hand may dispel one spell, spell-like ability, and any other magical or supernatural effects that target him as a free action. He may not be affected by that specific effect for the remainder of the day.
7th Level
Ravage Blade: this functions as lesser ravage blade, but can also be used to simulate golden ice and purified couatl venom. This replaces lesser ravage blade.
Death attack: As an Assassin of half his level, adding Charisma bonus instead of Int bonus to the save DC. Sneak attack damage is always 1d6 on a failed attempt.
8th Level
Mask Presence: For a number of minutes per day equal to his class level, A Left Hand is difficult to detect or recognize. He acts as if under the spell invisibility and can alter his features to resemble any humanoid or monstrous humanoid of the same size category. This does not grant any special abilities. he also gets a +10 circumstance bonus on move silently checks.
9th Level
Divine Gift: At the ninth level and every three levels thereafter, a Left Hand is granted a bonus to one of his class abilities of his choice. The list is as follows:
Ravage Focus: choose one of the ravages usable by Ravage Blade. The save DC increases by 5 when that ravage is used through the Ravage Blade Class ability. If the Left Hand chooses to forego the use of all other ravages permanently, the save DC increases by 10. This may be taken multiple times, but the second effect may only be chosen once.
Exalted Death Attack: A Left Hand's death attack affects undead.
Greater Holy Surge: Holy Surge may remove all effects, both baneful and beneficial.
Improved Divine Recovery: Divine Recovery can be used double the normal number of rounds.
Improved Evasion
Improved Uncanny Dodge
Bonus Feat
+6 ranks to any skill
Improve a base save by 2
Gain one ability point
10th Level
Smite Evil 3/day
11th Level
Greater Ravage Blade: This functions as Ravage Blade, but the save DC for all ravages increases by 5.
13th Level
Divine Ward: A Left Hand and every ally within 20 feet are immune to death effects.
14th Level
Hide in Plain Sight
15th Level
Smite Evil 4/day
16th Level
Heaven’s Wrath: Once per encounter, a Left Hand may make a full attack as a standard action instead of a full round action against any opponent that injured him in the last round. This is usable after a charge.
17th Level
Aura of Righteous Fury: Any evil creature within 30 feet of the Left Hand must make a will save equal to 10 plus his charisma modifier plus one half his class level or be shaken as long as he remains within 30 feet of the Left Hand and for 1d4 rounds afterwards. Reentering the aura grants a new save. This ability requires a conscious action on the part of the Left Hand.
19th Level
Divine Disjunction: Once per day, the Left Hand may travel to a holy plane for one minute. At anytime during that minute, the Left Hand may return to the material plane at any place within 1,000 miles of his point of entrance. If he does not do this by the end of the minute, he is deposited back where he started.
20th Level
Divine Ravage Blade of Vengeance: Once per day, the Left Hand may make a single attack as a full round action. This attack gets a +10 insight bonus to the attack roll, which is always taken at the highest possible bonus. A target hit with this attack is afflicted by all possible ravages, and the save DC increases by 10. If the attack fails, this ability is wasted.
Smite Evil 5/day
Possible problems: Holy Surge might be too powerful for that level. They gain abilities almost every level.
The Left Hand of God Base Class
The lich gazed across the chapel filled with undead, looking with satisfaction at his army. If he had any facial muscles, he might have smiled. Suddenly he saw something out of the corner of his eye, just a flicker. He wheeled about just as a metal projectile neatly severed his right hand. He started as he stared at the tall, gaunt man dressed in a long black coat. "Bad choice, mortal," he hissed in a raspy voice. "Didn't have a choice, Nehor," the man answered back. The lich whispered a few fleeting words to bind the man, cackling as his limbs stiffened. The laughter died in his throat as the man burst the spell with a shout of rage, cowing the undead in the pews. Pulling out rapiers glowing with energy, the man viciously struck the lich, who stumbled backward, bringing up his remaining hand and launching a bolt of lightning. The man tumbled out of the way, reacting with uncanny speed. When the lightning had died, the man was gone. The lich glared around, as the undead began sweeping the building. Seconds later, he suddenly felt an unbearable heat. Grasping convulsively at his phylactery, his hands came away with nothing. Turning with a sense of terror, the lich saw his phylactery pierced on the end of a glowing blade. Another was between his ribs. He chuckled, mocking a man who would attack him with steel, but as he laughed the unlife began to leave him. his legs crumbled, and he fell to the ground. "Who...are...you?" he whispered, in the first moment of fear since his transformation. "I don't know, but you might," the man answered. His energy waning, the lich looked into his eyes, and shock overcame him at the last..."Hector...my...brother..."
The Left Hands of God are rogue fighters of evil who are rarely directly associated with any clerical order. When after a certain target, they often contact the local priesthood for support anyway. Their power is derived directly from their deity, even more so than paladins, who often resent the intrusion on their domain and the threat they offer to an idealistic vision of the beneficial gods. They get along well with good and even neutral characters, and are not below allying themselves with evil in order to defeat a greater evil. Due to their specific skills, they often act as powerful mercenaries employed by divine sources to carry out their will on the material plane.
Each good deity has usually only a few of these at his or her command at any given time. A single Left Hand is reincarnated in lifetime after lifetime, rediscovering his purpose and power. At a young age, a Left Hand often shows a disregard for rules and laws that often lands him in considerable trouble. He also develops an unrivaled hatred of evil that drives him to oppose oppression in all its forms. Left Hands do not always appear athletic, and someone who watches his combat from childhood scraps to the height of his power usually recognizes the impossibility of his feats. Upon their first contact with an evil creature, the Left Hand is brought to a realization of his purpose and position. From that moment on he trains relentlessly to hone his natural abilities, both physical and mental. By the midteenage years, his community already recognizes the Left Hand as a brooding, enigmatic figure with uncanny power over himself and others around him. Other aspiring adventurers often look up to the Left Hand and his quiet ways. By the time he reaches adulthood, the Left Hand is a cunning fighter with few moral qualms about the way evil in which evil is defeated. As he advances in his personal fight against evil, he becomes more in tune with both his deity and his own inner spiritual power as an emmisary of that deity. At the height of his power, he may have visited holy planes any number of times and be in communication with Archons and Guardinals on a daily basis. These outsiders are rarely comfortable with the Left Hand, and are usually directly assigned to aid him as a punishment for failure. Conversely, other deities assign the task to their most trusted servants, since existance and missions of the Left Hands are both sensative and often not of a "lawful good" nature. Occasionally two or more Left Hands will work together, but there no kind of formal organization whatsoever, as it would hinder the operations of individual Left Hands. On occasion, several Left Hands will be working on the same mission and not even be aware of the other's existance.
There are few easily identifiable Left Hands in history, because they can often pass for a strange fighter or especially proficient rogue or ranger. Even the Left Hands themselves are not aware of their previous lives, besides knowing that they had them. Some villains, such as a lich or vampire, might know and recognize a Left Hand from an encounter in a previous life, and take advantage of that knowledge to confuse and defeat the new incarnation.
Few NPCs or other characters will be aware of the status of a Left Hand unless they are informed. Paladins and Clerics are always distrustful of Left Hands, almost on instinct.
Alignment: Any non-evil
Hit Die: d8
LEFT HAND OF GOD
{table=head]Level|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Base Attack Bonus|Special
1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+1|Smite Evil, Divine Protection
2nd|
+0|
+3|
+3|
+2|Divine Grace, Divine Recovery
3rd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+3|Aura of Courage, Divine Health
4th|
+1|
+4|
+4|
+4|Evasion, Lesser Ravage Blade
5th|
+1|
+4|
+4|
+5|Uncanny Dodge, Smite Evil 2/day
6th|
+2|
+5|
+5|
+6|Holy Surge
7th|
+2|
+5|
+5|
+7|Ravage Blade, Death Attack
8th|
+2|
+6|
+6|
+8|Mask Presence
9th|
+3|
+6|
+6|
+9|Divine Gift
10th|
+3|
+7|
+7|
+10|Smite Evil 3/day
11th|
+3|
+7|
+7|
+11|Greater Ravage Blade
12th|
+4|
+8|
+8|
+12|Divine Gift
13th|
+4|
+8|
+8|
+13|Divine Ward
14th|
+4|
+9|
+9|
+14|Hide In Plain Sight
15th|
+5|
+9|
+9|
+15|Divine Gift, Smite Evil 4/day
16th|
+5|
+10|
+10|
+16|Heaven's Wrath
17th|
+5|
+10|
+10|
+17|Aura of Righteous Fury
18th|
+6|
+11|
+11|
+18|Divine Gift
19th|
+6|
+11|
+11|
+19|Divine Disjunction
20th|
+6|
+12|
+12|
+20|Divine Ravage Blade of Vengeance[/table]
Class skills: Tumble, Jump, Intimidate, Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Bluff, Sleight of Hand, Concentration, Sense Motive, Spot, Search, Listen, Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Use Magical Device
Skill Points at first level: (6+intelligence modifier) * 4
Every Other Level: 6+Int modifier
1st Level
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Crossbows (including hand), whips, daggers, darts, slings, short swords, rapiers, hand axes, throwing axes, bolas (two ball), nets, ward cestus, quarter staves, fukimi baris, chakrams, throwing irons, whip-daggers, light armor, and bucklers. Other weapons may be added as desired, as long as they fit the theme.
Warrior’s Code: If a Left Hand ever kills a good creature, unless specifically instructed to by his patron or a servant of his patron, he loses all class abilities until he has atoned for his action, generally including a quest and a week of meditation. The quest is assigned by his patron deity and is most likely extremely life-threatening. A Left Hand who is no longer good also loses all class abilities until he has received the atonement spell.
Divine Protection: A Left Hand adds his charisma bonus, if any, to his AC.
Smite Evil: As a paladin
2nd Level
Divine Grace: As a paladin
Divine Recovery: As a swift action, a number of rounds per day equal to his charisma bonus, a Left Hand gains fast healing equal to half his class level, rounded down.
3rd Level
Aura of Courage: As Paladin
Divine Health: As Paladin
4th Level
Evasion
Lesser Ravage Blade: A number of times per day equal to 1/3 his level; a Left hand may cause a melee or ranged attack to be coated with Unicorn Blood or Jade Water. This must be announced before the attack is made.
5th Level
Uncanny Dodge, Smite evil 2/day
6th Level
Holy Surge: Once per day, a Left Hand may dispel one spell, spell-like ability, and any other magical or supernatural effects that target him as a free action. He may not be affected by that specific effect for the remainder of the day.
7th Level
Ravage Blade: this functions as lesser ravage blade, but can also be used to simulate golden ice and purified couatl venom. This replaces lesser ravage blade.
Death attack: As an Assassin of half his level, adding Charisma bonus instead of Int bonus to the save DC. Sneak attack damage is always 1d6 on a failed attempt.
8th Level
Mask Presence: For a number of minutes per day equal to his class level, A Left Hand is difficult to detect or recognize. He acts as if under the spell invisibility and can alter his features to resemble any humanoid or monstrous humanoid of the same size category. This does not grant any special abilities. he also gets a +10 circumstance bonus on move silently checks.
9th Level
Divine Gift: At the ninth level and every three levels thereafter, a Left Hand is granted a bonus to one of his class abilities of his choice. The list is as follows:
Ravage Focus: choose one of the ravages usable by Ravage Blade. The save DC increases by 5 when that ravage is used through the Ravage Blade Class ability. If the Left Hand chooses to forego the use of all other ravages permanently, the save DC increases by 10. This may be taken multiple times, but the second effect may only be chosen once.
Exalted Death Attack: A Left Hand's death attack affects undead.
Greater Holy Surge: Holy Surge may remove all effects, both baneful and beneficial.
Improved Divine Recovery: Divine Recovery can be used double the normal number of rounds.
Improved Evasion
Improved Uncanny Dodge
Bonus Feat
+6 ranks to any skill
Improve a base save by 2
Gain one ability point
10th Level
Smite Evil 3/day
11th Level
Greater Ravage Blade: This functions as Ravage Blade, but the save DC for all ravages increases by 5.
13th Level
Divine Ward: A Left Hand and every ally within 20 feet are immune to death effects.
14th Level
Hide in Plain Sight
15th Level
Smite Evil 4/day
16th Level
Heaven’s Wrath: Once per encounter, a Left Hand may make a full attack as a standard action instead of a full round action against any opponent that injured him in the last round. This is usable after a charge.
17th Level
Aura of Righteous Fury: Any evil creature within 30 feet of the Left Hand must make a will save equal to 10 plus his charisma modifier plus one half his class level or be shaken as long as he remains within 30 feet of the Left Hand and for 1d4 rounds afterwards. Reentering the aura grants a new save. This ability requires a conscious action on the part of the Left Hand.
19th Level
Divine Disjunction: Once per day, the Left Hand may travel to a holy plane for one minute. At anytime during that minute, the Left Hand may return to the material plane at any place within 1,000 miles of his point of entrance. If he does not do this by the end of the minute, he is deposited back where he started.
20th Level
Divine Ravage Blade of Vengeance: Once per day, the Left Hand may make a single attack as a full round action. This attack gets a +10 insight bonus to the attack roll, which is always taken at the highest possible bonus. A target hit with this attack is afflicted by all possible ravages, and the save DC increases by 10. If the attack fails, this ability is wasted.
Smite Evil 5/day
Possible problems: Holy Surge might be too powerful for that level. They gain abilities almost every level.