Demonspawn Harbinger (PRC, martial adept/warlock theurge)

[Elves]

12/20: see post @ end

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Demonspawn Harbinger

Warlocks wield fiendish magics obtained in a sinister pact, but some crave an even more direct kind of fiendish bond. Demonspawn are warrior-warlocks who fuse themselves with demons in order to gain the strength and powers of a demon in melee combat.


ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any nongood
Base Attack Bonus: +4 (entry warlock 4/swordsage2, warlock 3/crs or wbd 2 or warlock 5/crs or wbd 1)
Class Feature Eldritch blast 2d6
Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 6 ranks, Martial Lore 4 ranks
Martial Maneuvers: Must know one stance and one maneuver of at least 2nd level
Invocations: Eldritch glaive or hideous blow


Table: the Demonspawn Harbinger------Hit Die: d6
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Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Man. Known
Man. Readied
Stances Known
Special
Invoking


1st
+1
+2
+0
+0
0
0
0
Armored invoking (medium)
—


2nd
+2
+3
+0
+0
1
0
1
Demon bond, demon trait I
+1 level of invoking class


3rd
+3
+3
+1
+1
0
1
0
Demonic transformation 1/day
+1 level of invoking class


4th
+4
+4
+1
+1
1
0
0
Eldritch adept
+1 level of invoking class


5th
+5
+4
+1
+1
0
0
0
Demonic transformation 2/day
+1 level of invoking class


6th
+6
+5
+2
+2
1
1
0
Demon trait II
—


7th
+7
+5
+2
+2
0
0
0
Armored invoking (heavy)
+1 level of invoking class


8th
+8
+6
+2
+2
1
0
1
Claws and bite
+1 level of invoking class


9th
+9
+6
+3
+3
0
1
0
Demonic transformation 3/day
+1 level of invoking class


10th
+10
+7
+3
+3
1
0
0
Stance of abyssal chaos
+1 level of invoking class



Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Disguise, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device.

Skill points at each level: 2 + Intelligence modifier


CLASS FEATURES

Invoking: At each level except 1st and 6th, you gain new invocations known and an increase in invoker level as if you had also gained a warlock level. You don’t gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained, and your eldritch blast ability doesn’t advance.

Maneuvers and Stances: At each odd level, you learn a new maneuver from the Infinite Torment, Shadow Hand or Tiger Claw disciplines. At levels 3rd, 6th and 9th, you can ready an additional maneuver. At levels 2nd and 8th, you learn a new stance from one of those disciplines.

Armored Invoking (Ex): You can use your warlock invocations in medium armor without incurring a chance for spell failure. At 7th level, this extends to heavy armor.

Demon Bond (Su): At 2nd level, you gain the class’s trademark ability: by eating the heart of a demon you can imbibe its essence, taking on some of its qualities. Different types of demons grant different benefits, as described in the next post.
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In order to bond with a certain type of demon, you must encounter a demon of that type, subdue it, and cut out and eat its heart. This is a toxic ordeal, requiring you to make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the demon’s HD) or be sickened for 48 hours. If you fail the save by 5 or more, you fail to establish the bond, are nauseated for 12 hours and then sickened for 48 hours, and you take 1d8 damage per HD the demon possessed. Even if you succeed on the save, you’re sickened for 1 hour.
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You can only have one demon bond at a time. Each new bond supersedes the last one.

Demonic Transformation (Su): At 3rd level you gain the ability to unleash the full power of your demon bond. During a brief fit of fury, your appearance changes to resemble the type of demon whose essence you’ve imbibed, and you gain more of its powers.
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Once per day, you can use this ability to gain the transformation benefit provided by the type of demon you have bonded with (see below for details). This ability lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + your Constitution modifier. When it ends, you’re fatigued for the rest of the encounter. At levels 5th and 9th, you gain an additional daily use of this ability.

Eldritch Adept: Starting at 4th level, when you initiate a standard action strike maneuver that involves making a single melee attack, you can make that attack as if with the hideous blow invocation, if you know that invocation. When you initiate a full-round action strike maneuver that involves making a melee attack or melee full attack, you can make those attacks as if with the eldritch glaive invocation, if you know it. Despite being used as part of a maneuver, using these invocations with this feature still provokes attacks of opportunity.

Claws and Bite: At 8th level you gain two claw attacks and a secondary bite attack, as per the half-fiend template. If you have the Eldritch Claws feat, your claw damage can replace your unarmed strike damage when using the feat.

Stance of Abyssal Chaos (Su): At 10th level, you gain a stance substitution effect that surrounds your body in a torrent of dark energy, granting you SR equal to your HD + 5 (max 25), and DR 10/cold iron and good.
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Lastly, while both this effect and your demonic transformation ability are active, you may use greater teleport as a spell-like ability at will, but may only transport yourself and up to 50 pounds of equipment, and the maximum distance you can travel is 400 ft. + 40 feet/CL.

[Elves]

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Demon Bonds

Starting at 2nd level, you gain the ability to establish a demonic bond. By eating the heart of a certain kind of demon, you gain specific benefits, as described below.

Each type of demon grants two benefits that are always active while you’re bound to them. Benefit I is gained immediately, while benefit II is only gained starting at class level 6th.

Each demon also grants one or more transformation benefits, marked Tr., which you gain only while using your demonic transformation class feature. If a transformation benefit has a level marked after it, your class level must be that high for you to gain the benefit.


Using any benefit with per-day uses or a daily limit prevents you from accessing other demons’ corresponding benefit until the next day. For example, if you’re bound to a succubus and use its benefit I to cast suggestion, then imbibe the essence of another demon later that day, you wouldn’t gain the other demon’s benefit I until the next day (though you could still gain its benefit II). Transformation benefits are never per-day.

Unless specified otherwise, spell-like abilities and spell-like effects granted by these abilities have their DCs determined as if they were warlock invocations.




I. Sneaky (Ex): You gain a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Search checks.

II. Sneak Attack (Ex): You gain 2d6 sneak attack damage.

Tr. Extra Sneaky (Ex): Your racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Search checks increases to +8.
Tr. Protective Slime (Su): You exude corrosive red slime. Any weapon that attacks you takes 1d8 + [class level] points of acid damage (the weapon’s hardness doesn’t reduce this damage). Creatures who use an unarmed strike, natural weapon, or touch spell on you automatically take this damage themselves.
Tr. Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At will—darkness, see invisibility. All instances of these effects end when your transformation does.
Tr. (8th) Dispel Magic (Sp): Usable at will.

I. Death Throes (Ex): If you’re killed, a blinding flash of energy deals 10 points of damage per class level to everything within 10 feet per class level. A Reflex save (DC = your HD + your Constitution modifier) halves the damage. Unlike a balor, your body isn’t destroyed in this explosion, only charred.
I. Flaming Body (Su): Your body is wreathed in flame. Creatures you’re in a grapple with take 1d6 points of fire damage per class level each round. You can activate or deactivate this ability as a free action.

II. Fire Storm (Sp): Usable once per day.

Tr. Flame Aura (Su): You exude a 10-ft.-radius aura of flame that deals 1d6 fire damage per class level to anyone who enters or begins their turn within it. You aren’t affected. A creature can take this damage only once per turn.
Tr. Shadow Wings (Su): You grow two dark wings. They don’t grant you a fly speed, but they let you glide and hover if you find yourself in the air.
Tr. (6th) Special Weapons (Su): As a free action, you can cause a +1 shocking longsword and/or a +1 flaming whip to appear in your hands. You’re treated as proficient with these weapons, and are treated as having the Two-Weapon Fighting feat for the purpose of attacks you make with them. If you make a successful attack with the whip, you and the target make opposed Strength checks; if you win, you drag the target against your flaming body (see above). The target remains anchored against your body until it escapes the whip. If these weapons leave your hand, they vanish (and so can’t, for example, be thrown) but you can conjure new ones in your hand as a free action. They vanish when your transformation ends.
Tr. (10th) Vorpal Sword: The sword conjured with your special weapons ability becomes a +1 shocking vorpal longsword.


I. You gain a climb speed equal to half your land speed. This grants you a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and means you can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. It also means you aren’t flat-footed while climbing.

II. Abduction (Su): Whenever you use a teleportation ability that normal teleports only yourself, you may bring other creatures with you. You may bring along one creature of your size or two creatures smaller than you. You can even bring along unwiling targets. Unless you currently have them pinned, an unwilling target receives a Will save (DC = your HD + your Constitution bonus, if any) to avoid being transported.

Tr. Your size increases by one category, as if you were a monster who’d been advanced in size. Your equipment increases in size with you. This doesn't stack with size increases granted by spells.
Tr. You gain the benefits of the Improved Unarmed Strike feat.
Tr. Improved Grab (Ex): If you hit a creature smaller than you with an unarmed attack or natural weapon, you may attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Tr. (6th) Snatch (Ex): As an immediate action, you can start a grapple against any creature who moves adjacent to you without provoking an attack of opportunity.


I. Web (Ex): You can throw a web 4 times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 30 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet. The web anchors the target in place, allowing no movement. An entangled creature can escape with an Escape Artist check or burst the web with a Strength check. The DCs for both checks equal 15 + your Consitution modifier +1 per class level above 5th. The web has 14 hit points and hardness 0. If the web is set on fire, there’s a 75% chance it won’t burn (check each round). This attack can’t affect Colossal or larger creatures.

II. Spider Climb (Su): You can traverse surfaces as if under the effect of a spider climb spell.

Tr. Claws and Bite: While transformed, you gain two claw attacks and a secondary bite attack as per the half-fiend template, even if you haven’t gained this class feature yet.
Tr. Rend Armor (Ex): If you hit a target with both your claw attacks, you deal 4d6 + (2 × Str mod) points of damage to any armor they’re wearing. Armor reduced to 0 hit points is destroyed. Damaged armor may be repaired with a successful Craft (armorsmithing) check.
Tr. (6th) Poison (Ex): Your bite attack delivers bebilith venom on a successful hit: Injury, Fortitude DC 15 + your Con mod + 1 per class level above 5th, initial damage 1d6 Con, secondary damage 2d6 Con.


I. Wounding (Ex): Each time you hit and damage a living creature with a melee attack, they take 1 point of damage every round thereafter. Multiple wounds deal multiple instances of ongoing damage.
All instances of this ongoing damage can be ended with a DC 15 Heal check or the application of any amount of magical healing, except for magical fast healing.

II. Fear Aura (Su): As a swift action, you can create an aura of fear in a 5-foot radius around you. This effect works like a fear spell. A creature who saves against your fear aura can’t be affected again by it for 24 hours.

Tr. Drone (Su): While transformed, you grow gross insect-like wings. While too fragile to let you fly, you can beat these wings as a full-round action to create a droning buzz in a 60-foot-radius spread. Each creature in the area must succeed on a Will save (DC 15 + your Charisma modifier) or fall asleep for 2d10 rounds. Creatures immune to sleep effects are immune to this effect.
Tr. (6th) Insect Plague (Sp): Usable at will. However, the swarms vanish when your transformation ends.


I. Temptation of Gold and Rings (Su): As a standard action, you can flourish some kind of bangle or treasure you have on your person in the direction of one intelligent (Int 3+) creature within 30 feet. They must make a Will save (DC 15 + your Charisma modifier) or be fascinated so long as you remain within 30 feet of them and continue to enticingly dangle the treasure (a standard action each round).

II. Temptation of Earthly Power (Su): Once per day you can grant one willing creature a benefit inversely proportional to the effect of a bestow curse spell. However, if they perform any good or altruistic action (even using the Aid Another action), they lose the benefit and gain an equivalent penalty. Both effects last 24 hours. Remove curse can remove this effect even while it’s beneficial.
II. Tempter’s Voice (Su): You gain 60-foot telepathy.

Tr. Pincers: You grow two additional arms tipped with vicious pincers, primary natural weapons which deal 1d8 points of damage for a Medium creature. These pincers can’t wield or manipulate objects.
Tr. Improved Grab (Ex): If you hit a creature smaller than you with a pincer attack, you may attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Tr. Rend (Ex): If you hit a creature with both pincer attacks, and can’t or don’t utilize your improved grab ability with either attack, you deal 2d6 + (1.5 * Str mod) rend damage.
Tr. (6th) Your size increases by one category, as if you were a monster who’d been advanced in size. Your equipment increases in size with you. This doesn't stack with size increases granted by spells.


I. Slam: You gain two slam attacks as primary natural weapons. They deal 1d6 damage for a Medium creature.

II. Stamp (Su): Three times per day, you can produce a shock wave by stamping on the ground as a standard action. The shock wave lasts for 1 round and duplicates the effects of an earthquake spell in an 80-foot radius around you. You aren’t affected by it.

Tr. Gore and Hoof: You gain two secondary natural weapons, a gore attack and a hoof attack, which each deal 1d6 damage for a Medium creature.
Tr. Powerful Slam (Ex): While transformed, your slam attacks are treated as two-handed weapons for the purpose of applying modifiers to damage with Power Attack and from your Strength bonus.
Tr. Barging Bull (Ex): Your goristro slam and gore deal double damage when you attack with them at the end of a charge. Any time you hit and damage a creature with them at the end of a charge, you can choose to bull rush that creature as a free action. However, you can’t follow them.
Tr. (6th) Your size increases by one category, as if you were a monster who’d been advanced in size. Your equipment increases in size with you. This doesn't stack with size increases granted by spells.


I. You gain a +2 natural armor bonus, or your existing natural armor bonus increases by 2.

II. You can hock up a poison with the following properties: Contact; Fortitude DC 15 + your Constitution modifier; initial effect nauseated 1 round; secondary effect nauseated 1 minute. You can produce 1 dose per class level each day. You can spit this poison at a target up to 15 feet away, requiring a standard action and a ranged touch attack, or you can store it for use; it loses potency after 24 hours.

Tr. Stench (Ex): Your skin produces a foul-smelling, toxic liquid. Any living creature who gets within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 15 + your Constitution modifier) or be nauseated for as long as they remain within the affected area and for 1d4 rounds afterward. Creatures that successfully save are merely sickened for as long as they remain in the area. This counts as a poison effect for the purpose of immunity and resistance. The save DC is Constitution-based. A creature that successfully saves can’t be affected again for 24 hours.
Tr. Toxic Skin (Ex): Any creature you successfully grapple or who tries to grapple you must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 15 + your Constitution modifier) or be nauseated for as long as the grapple lasts and for 1 round afterward. Any creature who successfully uses a touch spell on you must make the same save or be nauseated for 1 round.
Tr. (6th) Your size increases by one category, as if you were a monster who’d been advanced in size. Your equipment increases in size with you. This doesn't stack with size increases granted by spells.
Tr. (8th) Improved Grab (Ex): If you hit with both of your claw attacks (see the claws and bite class feature), you can attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.


I. Bloody Nails (Ex): Your nails and fingertips turn bright red and elongate. You can deal lethal damage with unarmed strikes even if you don’t have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat. If you have claw attacks, their damage die increases by one step.
I. Nightfiend (Ex): You gain 30-foot darkvision if you don’t have better darkvision.

II. Fast Healing (Ex): You gain fast healing 2.

Tr. Aura of Retribution (Su): Whenever you take damage from any source, every enemy within 30 feet of you immediately takes half as much damage. Overflow damage (past what it would take to kill you) isn’t counted. A successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 15 + your Charisma modifier) negates 90% of the damage (round down). Self-inflicted harm doesn’t trigger this ability. Needs numbers tuning!
Tr. Rejuvenating Violence (Ex): Whenever you hit and damage a creature with a melee attack, you heal hp equal to your class level.
Tr. (6th) Fast Healing (Ex): While transformed, your fast healing increases, becoming equal to your HD.


I. Magic Weapon (Sp): Usable at will.

II. Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 3/day—greater magic weapon. 1/day—blade barrier.

Tr. You gain two extra arms. You don’t gain any additional magic item slots.
Tr. Multiweapon Fighting (Ex): You gain the benefit of the Multiweapon Fighting feat.
Tr. (6th) Constrict (Ex): Your lower body becomes snakelike while transformed. On a successful grapple check, you deal 4d6 + (1.5 × Str mod) damage, and the constricted creature must make a Fortitude save (DC 18 + your Strength modifier) or lose consciousness for as long as they’re grappled and for 1d4 rounds afterward.
Tr. (10th) You gain four extra arms, not two.


I. Feed (Su): If you make a coup de grace against a living creature that kills it, you eat out its throat or organs and capture its departing life, gaining the effects of a death knell spell.
I. Statue-Like (Ex): While in low light or darkness, you gain a +8 bonus on Hide checks so long as you remain completely still.

II. Plane Shift (Sp): Usable twice per day, only between the Abyss and the Material Plane and vice versa, and only affecting yourself.

Tr. Regeneration 5 (Ex): Damage dealt by good-aligned weapons deals lethal damage to you.
Tr. Death-Stealing Gaze (Su): Your eyes glow red. Once per turn as a free action you can turn them upon one living creature within 30 feet, who must make a Fortitude save (DC 15 + your Charisma modifier) or receive 1 negative level. Any creature drained to 0 levels by this ability is immediately transformed into a ghoul (MM 119) under your control. Any ghouls created this way crumble to nothing 1 minute after your transformation ends.
Tr. (6th) You gain a 30-foot fly speed with average maneuverability.
Tr. (9th) Gaze Around (Su): You can use your death-stealing gaze as a full-round action to have it affect all living creatures within 30 feet of you. This counts as your use of it for your turn.


I. Dark Judge (Su): Nalfeshnees are perverse judges who assign the fate of souls sent to the Abyss. You gain some of their control over chaotic and evil souls. Creatures who are chaotic or evil have a -2 penalty on saves against your spells and abilities, and you have a +2 bonus to overcome their spell resistance. Creatures who are both chaotic and evil take a -3 penalty, and the bonus you get to pierce their SR is +3.

II. Smite (Su): Three times per day as a free action you can create a damaging nimbus of unholy energy. When you use this ability, you start to glow. Creatures nearby can tell an explosion is coming. One round later, you exude a burst of light in a 30-foot radius. All creatures in the area must succeed on a Will save (DC 17 + your Charisma modifier) or be dazed for 1d10 rounds.

Tr. Corpulence: While transformed, you become piggish and grossly rotund. Your physical movement speeds are halved and you can’t run, jump, or climb, but you gain a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves. Moreover, whenever you take physical damage from an attack, you can make a Fortitude save. If your save result equals or exceeds the attack roll, you take half damage. If you fail but come within 10 points of the attack roll, you still reduce the damage by your class level.
Tr. Tiny Wings: While transformed, you gain a pig face and crappy little wings. The wings grant you a 10-foot fly speed, but while flying this way you can’t ascend more than 5 feet per turn. This fly speed is not reduced by Corpulence (see above). If you already have wings, they instead become tiny, and in addition to your flight speed being halved by Corpulence, you can’t ascend more than 5 feet per turn.
Tr. (6th) Your size increases by one category, as if you were a monster who’d been advanced in size. Your equipment increases in size with you. This doesn't stack with size increases granted by spells.
Tr. (9th) Stand for Sentencing (Sp): Any chaotic evil creature you hit and damage with a melee attack must save or be plane shifted to the Woeful Escarand, Abyssal court of the mad nalfeshnee judges. A target who successfully saves is immune to this ability for the rest of the encounter.

I. Demonic Burn (Ex): Any creature you hit with an unarmed strike or natural weapon must make a Reflex save (DC 15 + your Dexterity modifier) or catch fire (see Catching on Fire).

II. Lesser Orb of Fire (Sp): Usable at will, but its damage is capped at 2d8.

Tr. Skeletal Body (Ex): Your body becomes skeletal, making you immune to precision damage, poison, sleep, disease, and death effects. You don’t gain any other undead immunities. You also become immune to fire damage and cold damage. However, if you are subject to an effect that deals cold damage, your fiery shield (see above) is suppressed for 1 round.
Tr. Wreathed in Flames (Sp): Anyone who makes a melee attack against you takes 1d6 + [class level] points of fire damage, unless they’re attacking with a reach weapon.
Tr. (6th) Lesser Orb of Fire (Sp): Usable at will.
Tr. (6th) Orb of Fire (Sp): Usable once per transformation.
Tr. (6th) Fireball (Sp): Usable once per transformation.
Tr. (9th) You can use your fireball and orb of fire SLAs twice per transformation.


I. Alternate Form (Su): You can assume any of the following forms as a standard action: bat, Small or Medium monstrous centipede, toad, wolf. Changing back to your normal form is a standard action.

II. Invisibility (Sp): Usable at will.

Tr. Tiny: Your size decreases by two size categories. This doesn't stack with size decreases granted by spells.
Tr. Any claw attacks you possess apply the following poison on a hit:
Injury, Fortitude DC 13 + Constitution modifier, initial damage 1d4 Dex, secondary damage 2d4 Dex.
Tr. (6th) You gain a 20-foot fly speed with perfect maneuverability.


I. Strong Willed (Ex): You gain a +4 bonus on saves against mind-affecting effects.

II. Mind Reading (Sp): Once per round as a free action, you can read one creature’s mind. This functions like a detect thoughts spell, except that the effect is immediate. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to this ability for 24 hours.

Tr. Aura of Loss (Su): While you’re transformed, any creature within 30 feet of you must make a Will save (DC 21+ your Charisma modifier) or be overwhelmed with despair, suffering a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks. In addition, due to the distracting nature of the aura, any affected creatures that attempt to cast spells must succeed on a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level) to avoid losing the spell. Creatures that leave the aura and reenter must make another save upon reentry or be affected once more, regardless of whether they made their initial saving throw. You can suppress or activate this ability as a free action. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Tr. (6th) Whispers of Loss (Su): Once per round, as a free action, you can use this ability on one non-mindless creature within 60 feet. Choose one of the following effects to apply:
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Future Sorrow: The target is stunned for 2 rounds. This is a fear effect.
Great Emptiness: The target becomes confused for 5 rounds.
Past Losses: The target is dazed for 3 rounds.
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Regardless of which effect you choose, the target receives a Will save (DC 19 + your Charisma modifier) to negate it. Any creature that has succumbed to both your aura of loss and your mind reading ability takes an additional –2 penalty their save. A target who succeeds on their save is immune to that particular effect (but not the other two effects) for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting ability.


I. Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 3/day—charm monster, suggestion.

II. Energy Drain (Su): You may kiss a willing or grappled victim as a standard action to bestow one negative level (Fortitude DC 12 + your Charisma modifer negates). The kiss also has the effect of a suggestion spell, asking the victim to accept another kiss from you.

Tr. Change Shape (Su): You can assume the form of any Small or Medium humanoid. While using this ability, you gain a +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks.
Tr. You gain a +2 bonus to Charisma.
Tr. (9th) You instead gain a +4 bonus to Charisma.

Special: While bound to a succubus, the duration of your demonic transformation is 10 minutes per class level, and you aren’t fatigued when it ends.


I. Stunning Screech (Su): Once per hour you can emit a piercing screech. All creatures within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 15 + your Constitution modifier) or be stunned for 1 round.

II. Spores (Ex): You can release masses of spores from your body once every 3 rounds as a free action. The spores deal 1d8 + [class level] points of damage to all creatures adjacent to you. They then penetrate the skin and grow, dealing an additional [class level] points of damage each round for 10 rounds. A delay poison spell stops the spores’ growth for its duration. A bless, neutralize poison, or remove disease spell kills the spores, as does sprinkling the victim with a vial of holy water.

Tr. Flight (Ex): You gain a 60-foot fly speed with average maneuverability.
Tr. Dance of Ruin (Su): You begin wildly chanting and dancing. At the end of 3 rounds of dancing, a wave of crackling energy flashes outward in a radius of 10 feet per class level. All creatures within the radius take 2d6 points of damage per class level (Reflex DC 15 + your Charisma modifier half). Stunning, paralyzing, killing or otherwise incapacitating you stops the dance.

[aimlessPolymath]

The fact that this asks you to eat a demon's heart to qualify, but doesn't functionally "remember" that you had done so at level 2, slightly bothers me. Other than that, this seems pretty reasonable to me- I haven't read through the benefits of all the bonds, but the fact that they're gated behind being able to subdue the demon to take its heart makes for a pretty strong requirement.

One thing you might do is grant a moderate demonic trait(ex. darkvision) at level 1, which is pretty bare right now.

[Elves]

The fact that this asks you to eat a demon's heart to qualify, but doesn't functionally "remember" that you had done so at level 2, slightly bothers me.

Removed it from the prereqs, since they'll need to do it later anyway. Originally, the Demon Bond ability was gained at level 1 (and you would automatically gain the corresponding bond to the type of heart you ate to qualify), but even with the lost caster level I think that makes too strong of a dip because it opens up so many potential abilities.


One thing you might do is grant a moderate demonic trait(ex. darkvision) at level 1, which is pretty bare right now.
If you look at the document link, there's a "demon disciple" class variant that is just dual progression plus progressively gain the benefits of the half-fiend template a la Dragon Disciple. I already think this class has perhaps too many features, everything past dual progression (trade eldritch blast advancement for maneuver progression) is already extra.


Because level 1 is kind of dead, maybe switch maneuver gained to odds instead of evens. One flaw in TOB's method of giving PRCs their own maneuver gained columns instead of doing it through virtual class advancement is how it restricts you to wanting to enter the class at a specific level....

[NigelWalmsley]

Class: Warlock level 1st

Is there a different way to get Eldritch Blast?


Invoking: At each level except 1st and 6th, you gain new invocations known and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a warlock level. You don’t gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained, and your eldritch blast ability doesn’t advance.

You already have to lose three levels of progression to get in. Zero reason to lose more after you do. It's not like we're talking about someone sticking Sublime Chord and Ur Priest in a pile then taking Mystic Theurge levels.


In order to bond with a certain type of demon, you must encounter a demon of that type, subdue it, and cut out and eat its heart. This is a toxic ordeal, requiring you to make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the demon’s HD) or be irremovably sickened for 48 hours. If you fail the save by 5 or more, you fail to establish the bond, are irremovably nauseated for 12 hours and then sickened for 48 hours, and you take 1d8 damage per HD the demon possessed. Even if you succeed on the save, you’re irremovably sickened for 1 hour.

This is the kind of thing that sounds cool, but seems like it would be a massive pain in practice, and make the class super dependent on the DM. Especially since you apparently seem to lose the abilities when you get new ones. I can very easily imagine a situation where your normal bond is Hezrou, you want to swap to Babau for an infiltration, and then back, and every part of that is an adventure in and of itself.

Honestly, and I can't believe I'm saying this, I think this class would be improved (from a design perspective, not necessarily a balance one) by access to Planar Binding. If you have the ability to pull demons out of your hat to change your abilities, this gets a lot less annoying.


Demonic Invoker Stance (Su): At 4th level, you gain a stance substitution effect called demonic invoker stance. While it’s active, your natural weapons and any weapons you wield are considered chaotic and evil aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction, and the caster level for all your invocations increases by 1.

This seems pretty medium. Also, is there some reason this can't just be a stance? "Stance substitution effect" sounds like the sort of thing you write when you have made rules that fundamentally do not do what you want and are unwilling or unable to change them.


Stance of Abyssal Chaos (Su): At 10th level, you gain a stance substitution effect that surrounds your body in a torrent of dark energy, granting you concealment, SR equal to your HD + 5 (max 25), and DR 10/cold iron and good. Lastly, while the effect is active, you’re capable of moving around just like a demon: once per round as a standard action you may use greater teleport as a spell-like ability, but may only transport yourself and up to 50 pounds of equipment, and the maximum distance you can travel is 400 ft. + 40 feet/CL.

I think it's better to just say "Long Range" here. I think there's nothing that would care, but we have terminology for a reason, and it should be used where it applies.


I. Sneaky (Ex): You gain +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Search checks.

Is there a reason why they get Hide and Move Silently, but not Listen and Search as class skills? Also why this doesn't grant spot?


II. Sneak Attack (Ex): You gain 2d6 sneak attack damage. This doesn’t stack with sneak attack damage from classes but does stack with sneak attack damage from other sources, such as maneuvers.

Why the weird stacking restriction? There's no way to get a better rate from this than you would from just taking Rogue levels.


I. Death Throes (Ex): If you’re killed, a blinding flash of energy deals 10 points of damage per class level to everything within 10 feet per class level. A Reflex save (DC = your HD + your Constitution modifier) halves the damage. Unlike a balor, your body isn’t destroyed in this explosion, only charred.

I get that this is an iconic Balor ability, but this seems really useless. You go out and beat up a CR 20 monster, and in exchange you get an ability that activates if you die? They couldn't get the Vorpral Sword or the Flaming Whip now, instead of on transform?


II. Spider Climb (Su): You can traverse surfaces as if under the effect of a spider climb spell.

This seems very marginally better than the Bar-L'gura ability for something you get four levels later.


I. Feed (Su): If you make a coup de grace against an intelligent (Int 3+) living creature that kills it, you eat out its throat or organs and capture its departing life, gaining the effects of a death knell spell.

It feels like this could just be "whenever you kill" and possibly "with more than X HD".

[Elves]

You already have to lose three levels of progression to get in. Zero reason to lose more after you do.
Remember the IL advancement from your warlock levels. Your warlock casting is only losing 1-2 levels to qualify.


Also, is there some reason this can't just be a stance? "Stance substitution effect" sounds like the sort of thing you write when you have made rules that fundamentally do not do what you want and are unwilling or unable to change them.
It's not completely arbitrary -- only a class that grants additional maneuvers, stances or maneuvers readied provides full IL advancement. So you have a class like bloodstorm blade in TOB that has substitution effects, but doesn't grant new maneuvers and hence doesn't advance IL.

For non-stance maneuvers there's a clear function for substitution effects -- an effect you can substitute for any of your readied maneuvers of a specific type, and dont have to ready.

But maybe carrying over the idea of stance substitution effects from TOB is needless legacy baggage.

That said, there's enough verbiage in it -- you'd have to give each one its own key ability and level, plus a clause that it can't be traded out when learning an alternate discipline, possibly a couple other clauses -- that I dont know if it would come off as simplification.


Why the weird stacking restriction? There's no way to get a better rate from this than you would from just taking Rogue levels.
True, removing.


I get that this is an iconic Balor ability, but this seems really useless. You go out and beat up a CR 20 monster, and in exchange you get an ability that activates if you die?
That's why there are 2 abilities there. the real ability is Flaming Body [fire damage on grapple].
But you're right it may be better to give them weapons as a constant because it's awkward if they have to sheathe their preferred weapons on transformation, plus that gives them the option of centering their combat strategy on those weapons which if they can't do will make using them at all unappealing. Swapping weapons & flaming body.


This seems very marginally better than the Bar-L'gura ability for something you get four levels later.
Good point. Will revise bebilith to fix. To-do.


It feels like this could just be "whenever you kill" and possibly "with more than X HD".
Since it's like crouching over and eating them or sucking up their soul or something, feels like it should be an action in itself. As long as it takes an action, no need for HD cap.


Planar binding -- I think the demon killing element is a cool flavor thing, but maybe planar binding 1/week SLA, demons only, as a safety net.

[Elves]

Here's a simplified version of the class. It removes the entire Demon Bond ability and replaces it with advancing both eldritch blast and invocations.

---------------


-

Demonspawn Harbinger

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any nongood
Base Attack Bonus: +4 (entry warlock 4/swordsage2, warlock 3/crs or wbd 2 or warlock 5/crs or wbd 1)
Class Feature Eldritch blast 2d6
Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 6 ranks, Martial Lore 4 ranks
Martial Maneuvers: Must know one stance, plus one Infinite Torment maneuver of at least 2nd level
Invocations: Eldritch glaive or hideous blow


Table: the Demonspawn Harbinger------Hit Die: d6
-


Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Man. Known
Man. Readied
Stances Known
Special
Invoking


1st
+1
+2
+0
+0
0
0
0
Armored invoking (medium)
—


2nd
+2
+3
+0
+0
1
0
1
—
+1 level of invoking class


3rd
+3
+3
+1
+1
0
1
0
—
+1 level of invoking class


4th
+4
+4
+1
+1
1
0
0
Eldritch adept
+1 level of invoking class


5th
+5
+4
+1
+1
0
0
0
—
+1 level of invoking class


6th
+6
+5
+2
+2
1
1
0
—
—


7th
+7
+5
+2
+2
0
0
0
Armored invoking (heavy)
+1 level of invoking class


8th
+8
+6
+2
+2
1
0
1
Claws and bite
+1 level of invoking class


9th
+9
+6
+3
+3
0
1
0
—
+1 level of invoking class


10th
+10
+7
+3
+3
1
0
0
Stance of abyssal chaos
+1 level of invoking class



Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Disguise, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device.

Skill points at each level: 2 + Intelligence modifier


CLASS FEATURES

Invoking: At each level except 1st and 6th, you gain new invocations known, an increase in invoker level, and an increase in eldritch blast damage as if you had also gained a warlock level. You don’t gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained.

Maneuvers and Stances: At each odd level, you learn a new maneuver from the Infinite Torment, Shadow Hand or Tiger Claw disciplines. At levels 3rd, 6th and 9th, you can ready an additional maneuver. At levels 2nd and 8th, you learn a new stance from one of those disciplines.

Armored Invoking (Ex): You can use your warlock invocations in medium armor without incurring a chance for spell failure. At 7th level, this extends to heavy armor.

Eldritch Adept: Starting at 4th level, you can attack with your eldritch blast as part of strike maneuvers. When you initiate a strike maneuver that involves making a single ranged attack, you may attack with your eldritch blast instead. When you initiate a strike maneuver that involves making a single melee attack, you can make that attack as if with the hideous blow invocation, if you know it. When you initiate a full-round action strike maneuver that involves making a melee attack or melee full attack, you can make those attacks as if with the eldritch glaive invocation, if you know it. Despite being used as part of a maneuver, using these invocations with this feature still provokes attacks of opportunity.

Claws and Bite: At 8th level you gain two claw attacks and a secondary bite attack, as per the half-fiend template. If you have the Eldritch Claws feat, your claw damage can replace your unarmed strike damage when using the feat.

Stance of Abyssal Chaos (Su): At 10th level, you gain a stance substitution effect that surrounds your body in a torrent of dark energy, granting you SR equal to your HD + 5 (max 25), and DR 10/cold iron and good. In addition, while this effect is active, you may use greater teleport as a spell-like ability, but may only transport yourself and up to 50 pounds of equipment, and the maximum distance you can travel is 400 ft. + 40 feet/CL. You can use this spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to your Charisma bonus (minimum 1).


------

Notes

The demon bonds need to go for a simple reason: the hideous blow/eldritch glaive synergy doesn't make sense if the class doesn't advance EB, but if it doesn't advance invocations it doesn't feel like a real theurge, and it can't have both of those plus the demon bonds without being overstuffed.

In addition, the bonds were too long and weren't connected to the concept of mixing maneuvers with invocations.

What I could see is the demon bonds being more direct modifications of your invoking ability. Maybe they grant a package of invocations mirroring the demon's SLAs -- which could replace a normal invocation progression or just grant invoking-related abilities.

The demon bonds could also grant or enhance maneuvers. This could be a basis for expanding the Infinite Torment (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MQw10YrfrVaYIdrnpT-uqjMkLGqvsD9NcT-FEwXZGhU/edit) discipline with a maneuver themed after each demon in the Monster Manual. A demon bond would either grant or enhance the corresponding maneuver.

Thoughts?

[khadgar567]

well looks bad in my book as no dice increase to eldricth blast and basicly no way to merge my glorious pimp slap invocation with martial maneuvers all in all it looks 10 level useless prc when i can go hellfire warlock for less investment for more power. if you want warlock to get martial goodness make sure you give class early way to initiate via eldricth blast and keep warlocks bread and butter features intact. and put back demon bond so we hav flavor back.

[Elves]

The new version does progress eldritch blast. Demon bond has strong flavor but it needs a connection to invoking or initiating, or else it's unrelated to the rest of the class features. Have to think how to do that, listed a couple options above.