Nihilistic (but not evil) prestige class

[Jlazarin]

I'm trying to help a player design a neutral-neutral wizard that is sort of a mix between Thanos and a zen monk, who wants to put an end to all suffering in Faerun. That is, he kills not because he's evil or gets pleasure from it, but because he thinks it's the right thing to do. He also has a particular disdain for other wizards, as he feels they just perpetuate the cycle of suffering.

There are a few prestige classes that would be okay for this, such as fatespinner, mage-killer, or wild mage -- but none of them really capture the duty-bound, dispassionate approach. Many of the other classes focus too heavily on being intentionally evil or chaotic, which doesn't really work either.

It might be something where I have to craft this personality apart from a defined class, but I thought I'd check to see if there are any interesting prestige classes that I'm not thinking of that might work well with this idea.

[BWR]

Evil is as evil does.
Going around killing everyone on an ethical basis is solidly, intentionally evil, regardless of the pleasure involved in the act...unless you want to radically redefine morality in your game.

[Helluin]

First of all, actively killing people because you believe it relieves them from the suffering is most assuredly evil. No amount of “but it’s just misguided nihilism” will fix that.

If you simply don’t want to play up the evil aspect, check out Entropomancer

[DrMotives]

Doomguard from Planar Handbook fits thematically, but is a class for gishes instead of straight mages. It's a full BAB class, but is only 5/10 casting advancement. Strictly speaking, there are no alignment requirements in the class, but you do have to belong to a group of people that think entropy ending the universe is A) inevitable and B) maybe a fun thing to push along.

[Particle_Man]

Alienist perhaps?

[Jlazarin]

Both Alienist and Doomguard are decent options. They are perhaps a bit underpowered for prestige classes, but they'd make for an interesting character. I'd like to try to pick a class where they get normal spells increases at each level.

I also should say that I don't intend to make this a discussion about morality in the game. I think any non-good and/or non-lawful would work, I just want to avoid classes that are evil for evil's sake and revel in causing pain and suffering.

[Thurbane]

Void Disciple might also fit, but I would second a vote for Entropomancer (you'd need the DM to OK an arcane adaptation) or Doomguard Doomlord.

[Trandir]

Well if you want a wizard that wants to end all suffering go dread necromancer.
You cast spells. And since for him death comes for all he will always have fresh corpses to raise.
After all no mind of your own no suffering right?

Also in D&D evil is objective so he can't be true neutral at best evil neutral. His moral compass can tell him that what he is good but a paladin will probably damage him with his smite.

[Saintheart]

If you had LA for playing an Inevitable, they could be a malfunctioning Inevitable with class levels.




...okay, I only came up with this stupid suggestion just so I could have an Inevitable saying "I am inevitable." Of course, the answer to this is to Awaken an Iron Golem somehow so the golem can say "And I ... am Iron Man."

[The Glyphstone]

So we're looking for a class that can be Evil, without being skin-puppies-and-eat-babies mustache-twirling cartoon Evil like most Evil-only PrCs are.

Alienist, Entropomancer, Doomguard, Fatespinner are all good candidates. If you want 'dispassionate and duty-bound', look at various 'Must Be Lawful' type PrCs, since that seems a Lawful sort of attitude.