Kellus
2008-10-11, 10:24 PM
The Connoisseur
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/compscoundrel_gallery/102046.jpg
Connoisseurs are that rare breed which rejects the rules and expectations of civilized humanity and indulge in that most forbidden practice: cannibalism. The master of a hundred humanoid tastes, connoisseurs gradually learn to augment themselves with the knowledge and history contained in their favourite foods. Frightening and wily, connoisseurs will go to any length to discover a new taste.
Adventures: Connoisseurs adventure for any number of reasons. Some wish merely to experience new tastes and find new victims, while others are motivated by altruism, greed, piety, or any other reason that adventurers normally justify their travels with.
Alignment: Although non necessarily a complete fiend, connoisseurs are by nature self-interested beings that have rejected the taboos of society. As such they cannot be good or lawful.
Religion: Connoisseurs rarely find a deity that condones their activities. However, some of the eviller gods, such as Vecna, and especially Doresan, God of Ghouls, are happy to add connoisseurs to their ranks of worshippers.
Background: Connoisseurs provide many exciting backgrounds to players. Perhaps the character was a law-abiding citizen who was tempted by the lure of the flesh of the living. Perhaps she was forced to resort to cannibalism in an extreme circumstance to survive, and has been unable to resist it since. Perhaps she is a misfit who has always been rejected from society, and is now taking her revenge.
Races: Humans are the most common connoisseurs, due to their sheer variety of styles of life. Although dwarven culture is usually too restrictive to allow for many connoisseurs, those that do arise are among the most terrifying of all.
Classes: Although not necessarily incompatible with other classes, many connoisseurs run into problems when other players have moral problems with their activities. Obviously, the one class the connoisseur doesn't play well with is the paladin. Connoisseurs wishing to play in the same party as a paladin should talk together beforehand with the other player and establish a means of dealing with the conflict so that it doesn't waste time ingame.
Role: Connoisseurs can truly fit any role in a party. Depending on their favourite feasts, they can augment themselves in many terrifying ways, and contribute to a party by casting devoured spells from the rear, or charging into battle in a furious feeding frenzy. In addition, they eventually gain the ability to steal some of the vitality from their victims to close their own wounds, and to avoid traps and hazards as they hunt for their meal.
Game Rule Information
Abilities: Connoisseurs need a high Constitution score to gain the full benefit of her class features, as well as to augment her hit points. A high Charisma score augments the stolen spellcasting a connoisseur may acquire, and a good Intelligence score helps her augment her capacity for skill points.
Alignment: Any nonlawful and nongood.
Hit Die: d6.
Skill Points and Class Skills: None. The connoisseur forgoes learning talents herself, preferring to instead learn them indirectly through the flesh of her foes, as described in her Swallowed Skill class feature below.
Table: The Connoisseur
{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1st|+0|+2|+0|+0|Favourite feast, swallowed skill
2nd|+1|+3|+0|+0|Swallowed spell (0th), thrill of the hunt
3rd|+2|+3|+1|+1|Feeding frenzy
4th|+3|+4|+1|+1|Feat of the flesh, swallowed spell (1st)
5th|+3|+4|+1|+1|Favourite feast
6th|+4|+5|+2|+2|Swallowed spell (2nd)
7th|+5|+5|+2|+2|Devour vitality
8th|+6/+1|+6|+2|+2|Swallowed spell (3rd)
9th|+6/+1|+6|+3|+3|Devour memories
10th|+7/+2|+2|+3|+3|Favourite feast, swallowed spell (4th)
11th|+8/+3|+3|+3|+3|Feat of the flesh
12th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+4|Swallowed spell (5th)
13th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+4|Devour luck
14th|+10/+5|+9|+4|+4|Swallowed spell (6th)
15th|+11/+6/+1|+9|+5|+5|Favourite feast
16th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Swallowed spell (7th)
17th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Devour defence
18th|+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+6|Feat of the flesh, swallowed spell (8th)
19th|+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+6|Devour form
20th|+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+6|Devour youth, favourite feast
[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the connoisseur.
A note on the nature of the connoisseur's class features: many of the class features presented below require the consumption of flesh. Although the time required to consume flesh can vary based on the size of the morsel, the assumption in most of the class features is that it requires a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity to eat it. Drawing a morsel from a pocket or something similar is a move action or a free action as normal for the character.
Another note: A connoisseur may not eat her own flesh to activate any of her class features. That's a little too weird.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A connoisseur is proficient with all light armour and simple melee weapons. In addition, the connoisseur is proficient with three martial weapons of her choice to represent her particular hunting style. Connoisseurs are not proficient with medium or heavy armour or shields of any kind.
Favourite Feast (Su): The connoisseur develops a taste for the living. Different connoisseurs have different tastes, however. At 1st level, a connoisseur may select one of the following preferences. When sampling their favourite feast, connoisseurs gain additional benefits, as described below. A connoisseur may benefit from their favourite feast a number of times per day equal to 3 + their Constitution modifier. At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, the connoisseur may select an additional favourite feast, or gain additional uses per day of a favourite feast they already have the taste for.
Any benefit gained from the connoisseur's favourite feast lasts for 1 minute per class level. Activating the benefit of a favourite feast is a swift action used at the same time as the action required to eat the morsel (generally a standard action). If the connoisseur has more than one favourite feast that could be applied to the same morsel (such as having both the Tongue and Muscle feasts when eating a tongue), she must select one of them to activate upon consuming the flesh.
The connoisseur may only benefit from a single favourite feast from any particular being. Once she has sampled their flesh, she must hunt out a more exotic taste to satisfy her continual cravings.
If the target creature does not have the requisite body part, you gain no benefit from this ability.
Blood: When sampling the blood of a victim, the connoisseur gains temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + 2 per class level.
Brain: When sampling the brain of a victim, the connoisseur gains an bonus to Will saves equal to +1 +1 per 3 class levels.
Eye: When sampling the eye of a victim, the connoisseur gains any of the following special abilities that the victim posessed in life: blindsight, darkvision, dweomersight, and low-light vision.
Heart: When sampling the heart of a victim, the connoisseur increases the caster level and save DCs of her class spell-like abilities by +1 +1 per 5 class levels.
Fat: When sampling the fat of a victim, the connoisseur gains a bonus to Fortitude saves equal to +1 +1 per 3 class levels.
Skin: When sampling the skin of a victim, the connoisseur gains a natural armour bonus equal to +1 +1 per 3 class levels.
Muscle: When sampling the muscles of a victim, the connoisseur gains bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls equal to +1 +1 per 3 class levels.
Sinew: When sampling the sinew of a victim, the connoisseur gains a bonus to Reflex saves equal to +1 +1 per 3 class levels.
Tongue: When sampling the tongue of a victim, the connoisseur gains a bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Gather Information checks equal to +1 +1 per 2 class levels.
Swallowed Skill (Su): By devouring the bodies of her enemies, a connoisseur absorbs a part of their memories of life. Whenever she consumes the flesh of a being with an Intelligence of 3 or greater, she gains 1 skill point that she may allocate as normal into any skill that the being had ranks in. Every level, she may only gain a number of skill points in this way equal to 8 + her Intelligence modifier. The connoisseur may only gain 1 skill rank from every being, even if she consumes their flesh multiple times.
The connoisseur may also use this ability to learn new languages the victim knew, although learning a language counts as two skill points from her total available for the level.
If the 1st level of connoisseur is the character's 1st character level as well, they may gain 4 times the number of skill points at 1st level that they would normally be able to.
If at the end of a level the character has not eaten their full number of potential skill points for the level, they carry unused potential skill points over to their next level. In effect, they never get 'cheated' out of possible skill points.
Swallowed Spell (Sp): The true connoisseur may begin to glean arcane power from her victims. Beginning at 2nd level, whenever she consumes the flesh of a being that has the ability to cast arcane spells or use spell-like abilities that mimic arcane spells, she may select a single arcane spell the being knew or had prepared (but had not used) of 0th level to use as a spell-like ability. She may not select a spell that has an expensive material component or XP cost. Once she knows this spell, she may use it once per day per point of her Charisma modifier. The save DC for a swallowed spell is equal to 10 + the level of the spell + the connoisseur's Charisma modifier.
The connoisseur may know one 0th level spell at a time. If she later swallows the flesh of a victim with a spell she prefers, she may trade spell-like abilities. However, changing spells does not refresh her number of uses of this ability for the day.
At 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 18th levels, the connoisseur gains a new capacity for a spell-like ability, but of a higher spell level, as indicated on Table: The Connoisseur. These spell-like abilities follow the same rules as the 0th level spell-like ability she gains at 2nd level. Each of these spell-like abilities may be used once per day per point of her Charisma modifier.
A connoisseur's caster level for her swallowed spells is equal to her class level.
Thrill of the Hunt (Ex): At 2nd level, the connoisseur gains the connoisseur gains special intuition that allows her to hunt with unfailing speed. She gains the Scent special ability and the Trapfinding class feature. The connoisseur may use the Search skill to locate traps with a DC higher than 20 and may use the Disable Device skill to bypass a trap or disarm magic traps. See the rogue class feature on page 50 of the Player's Handbook.
Feeding Frenzy (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, the connoisseur may go into a feeding frenzy whenever she smells the flesh of a living being. She may enter this state as a free action whenever she succeeds on a Survival check to smell a being with her Scent ability. She gains a +4 bonus to her Strength and Dexterity scores, and deals an additional 1d6 damage with melee attacks per 3 class levels against the target she has smelled. This frenzy for a number of rounds equal to 3 + her Constitution modifier, or she has eaten the flesh of the enemy, whichever comes first. While under the effects of this frenzy, she is unable to undertake any kind of complicated activity, such as using her Swallowed Spell class feature or making complex skill checks. In addition, she takes a -6 penalty to attack rolls against any target that is not the being she has smelled.
While in a feeding frenzy, the connoisseur also gains a natural bite attack that deals 1d6 damage for a Medium connoisseur. If the connoisseur deals damage with her bite attack, she may swallow one of the following body parts of the being she attacks: blood, fat, skin, muscle, or sinew. Thus, she may use her Favourite Feast class feature, as well as any other class feature that she has access to that requires her to eat flesh, in conjunction with this bite attack.
A connoisseur may not activate a feeding frenzy by smelling herself or any other creature that she has spent at least 1 week in close proximity to.
Feat of the Flesh (Su): At 4th level, the connoisseur gains a special feat slot. Whenever she devours the flesh of a victim, she instantly gleans the knowledge of all the feats that victim possessed. She may then select any one feat that she meets the prerequisites for, and use this special feat slot to hold it. She gains the benefits of this feat until she selects a new feat to replace it. She may use this feat to qualify for prestige classes, feats, and other venues, but if she later loses the feat she loses all benefits of the prestige class, feat, or similar that required this feat. For more information on losing access to prestige classes, see page 16 of Complete Warrior.
The connoisseur gains an additional special feat slot at 11th level and 18th level.
Devour Vitality (Su): By eating the flesh of her foe, a connoisseur of 7th level can channel the life force of her victim. Whenever she eats the flesh of a living being, she gains a number of vitality points equal to the Hit Dice of the being. Every day she can absorb a number of vitality points equal to twice her Charisma modifier times her class level (2 x Cha x class level). She can channel vitality points she has accumulated at a 1:1 ratio to heal the wounds of herself or another. This is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
Devour Memories (Su): Beginning at 9th level, a connoisseur may access the memories of her victim when she eats their flesh. She may use this ability once per day per point of her Intelligence modifier as a swift action when consuming the flesh of a victim. She learns the victim's surface thoughts as if by the detect thoughts spell, and may learn the answers to up to three questions concerning the past of the victim. These must be simple 'yes/no' questions that she has decided upon before eating the flesh.
Devour Luck (Su): Beginning at 13th level, the connoisseur may extract the undiluted fortune from her food of choice. Whenever she consumes the flesh of a being with a luck reroll that is unused, she may extract this reroll for herself as a swift action. She may have a number of luck rerolls from this ability at a time equal to her Charisma modifier. She may expend these rerolls on any kind of d20 roll, regardless of the outlets that were available to the victim. For more information on luck rerolls, see Complete Scoundrel. If the victim is still alive when she uses this ability, they lose the luck roll that is devoured by the connoisseur for the day.
The connoisseur knows if the being has a luck reroll available to steal before she uses the swift action.
Devour Defence (Su): Beginning at 17th level, the connoisseur gains the ability to gain the arcane resistance of her victims simply from sampling their flesh. Whenever she swallows the flesh of a being with spell resistance, she may use a swift action to gain the same spell resistance herself. This spell resistance lasts until it has stopped a single effect from targetting the connoisseur, at which point it ends. If the connoisseur uses this ability again before the first effect has been used, only the higher spell resistance applies going forward.
Devour Form (Su): At 19th level, the connoisseur gains the ability to use the taste of her enemies to become them. Once per day, when she swallows the flesh of a being, she may choose to transform into the being as if by the shapechange spell. She may remain in this form for up to 1 hour per class level, or until she uses a swift action to transform back to her natural form. Using this ability is a swift action used in conjunction with the action to eat the flesh of the victim.
Devour Youth (Su): At 20th level, the connoisseur has learned how to effectively live forever by stealing the youth from her victims. Whenever she eats a baby, she may decrease her age by 1d4 years. This can restore physical ability points lost from aging, but has no effect on mental ability point increases; since that is based on experience, the time required to gain these ability increases is calculated from the connoisseur's original age. This ability cannot reduce the connoisseur to below the minimum adventuring age for her race. Using this ability is a swift action used in conjunction with the action to eat the flesh of the victim.
A Special Note: The author in no way endorses cannibalism, and urges you to not engage in any kind of activity that a member of this class would enjoy pursuing. (Whew!)
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/compscoundrel_gallery/102046.jpg
Connoisseurs are that rare breed which rejects the rules and expectations of civilized humanity and indulge in that most forbidden practice: cannibalism. The master of a hundred humanoid tastes, connoisseurs gradually learn to augment themselves with the knowledge and history contained in their favourite foods. Frightening and wily, connoisseurs will go to any length to discover a new taste.
Adventures: Connoisseurs adventure for any number of reasons. Some wish merely to experience new tastes and find new victims, while others are motivated by altruism, greed, piety, or any other reason that adventurers normally justify their travels with.
Alignment: Although non necessarily a complete fiend, connoisseurs are by nature self-interested beings that have rejected the taboos of society. As such they cannot be good or lawful.
Religion: Connoisseurs rarely find a deity that condones their activities. However, some of the eviller gods, such as Vecna, and especially Doresan, God of Ghouls, are happy to add connoisseurs to their ranks of worshippers.
Background: Connoisseurs provide many exciting backgrounds to players. Perhaps the character was a law-abiding citizen who was tempted by the lure of the flesh of the living. Perhaps she was forced to resort to cannibalism in an extreme circumstance to survive, and has been unable to resist it since. Perhaps she is a misfit who has always been rejected from society, and is now taking her revenge.
Races: Humans are the most common connoisseurs, due to their sheer variety of styles of life. Although dwarven culture is usually too restrictive to allow for many connoisseurs, those that do arise are among the most terrifying of all.
Classes: Although not necessarily incompatible with other classes, many connoisseurs run into problems when other players have moral problems with their activities. Obviously, the one class the connoisseur doesn't play well with is the paladin. Connoisseurs wishing to play in the same party as a paladin should talk together beforehand with the other player and establish a means of dealing with the conflict so that it doesn't waste time ingame.
Role: Connoisseurs can truly fit any role in a party. Depending on their favourite feasts, they can augment themselves in many terrifying ways, and contribute to a party by casting devoured spells from the rear, or charging into battle in a furious feeding frenzy. In addition, they eventually gain the ability to steal some of the vitality from their victims to close their own wounds, and to avoid traps and hazards as they hunt for their meal.
Game Rule Information
Abilities: Connoisseurs need a high Constitution score to gain the full benefit of her class features, as well as to augment her hit points. A high Charisma score augments the stolen spellcasting a connoisseur may acquire, and a good Intelligence score helps her augment her capacity for skill points.
Alignment: Any nonlawful and nongood.
Hit Die: d6.
Skill Points and Class Skills: None. The connoisseur forgoes learning talents herself, preferring to instead learn them indirectly through the flesh of her foes, as described in her Swallowed Skill class feature below.
Table: The Connoisseur
{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1st|+0|+2|+0|+0|Favourite feast, swallowed skill
2nd|+1|+3|+0|+0|Swallowed spell (0th), thrill of the hunt
3rd|+2|+3|+1|+1|Feeding frenzy
4th|+3|+4|+1|+1|Feat of the flesh, swallowed spell (1st)
5th|+3|+4|+1|+1|Favourite feast
6th|+4|+5|+2|+2|Swallowed spell (2nd)
7th|+5|+5|+2|+2|Devour vitality
8th|+6/+1|+6|+2|+2|Swallowed spell (3rd)
9th|+6/+1|+6|+3|+3|Devour memories
10th|+7/+2|+2|+3|+3|Favourite feast, swallowed spell (4th)
11th|+8/+3|+3|+3|+3|Feat of the flesh
12th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+4|Swallowed spell (5th)
13th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+4|Devour luck
14th|+10/+5|+9|+4|+4|Swallowed spell (6th)
15th|+11/+6/+1|+9|+5|+5|Favourite feast
16th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Swallowed spell (7th)
17th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Devour defence
18th|+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+6|Feat of the flesh, swallowed spell (8th)
19th|+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+6|Devour form
20th|+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+6|Devour youth, favourite feast
[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the connoisseur.
A note on the nature of the connoisseur's class features: many of the class features presented below require the consumption of flesh. Although the time required to consume flesh can vary based on the size of the morsel, the assumption in most of the class features is that it requires a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity to eat it. Drawing a morsel from a pocket or something similar is a move action or a free action as normal for the character.
Another note: A connoisseur may not eat her own flesh to activate any of her class features. That's a little too weird.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A connoisseur is proficient with all light armour and simple melee weapons. In addition, the connoisseur is proficient with three martial weapons of her choice to represent her particular hunting style. Connoisseurs are not proficient with medium or heavy armour or shields of any kind.
Favourite Feast (Su): The connoisseur develops a taste for the living. Different connoisseurs have different tastes, however. At 1st level, a connoisseur may select one of the following preferences. When sampling their favourite feast, connoisseurs gain additional benefits, as described below. A connoisseur may benefit from their favourite feast a number of times per day equal to 3 + their Constitution modifier. At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, the connoisseur may select an additional favourite feast, or gain additional uses per day of a favourite feast they already have the taste for.
Any benefit gained from the connoisseur's favourite feast lasts for 1 minute per class level. Activating the benefit of a favourite feast is a swift action used at the same time as the action required to eat the morsel (generally a standard action). If the connoisseur has more than one favourite feast that could be applied to the same morsel (such as having both the Tongue and Muscle feasts when eating a tongue), she must select one of them to activate upon consuming the flesh.
The connoisseur may only benefit from a single favourite feast from any particular being. Once she has sampled their flesh, she must hunt out a more exotic taste to satisfy her continual cravings.
If the target creature does not have the requisite body part, you gain no benefit from this ability.
Blood: When sampling the blood of a victim, the connoisseur gains temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + 2 per class level.
Brain: When sampling the brain of a victim, the connoisseur gains an bonus to Will saves equal to +1 +1 per 3 class levels.
Eye: When sampling the eye of a victim, the connoisseur gains any of the following special abilities that the victim posessed in life: blindsight, darkvision, dweomersight, and low-light vision.
Heart: When sampling the heart of a victim, the connoisseur increases the caster level and save DCs of her class spell-like abilities by +1 +1 per 5 class levels.
Fat: When sampling the fat of a victim, the connoisseur gains a bonus to Fortitude saves equal to +1 +1 per 3 class levels.
Skin: When sampling the skin of a victim, the connoisseur gains a natural armour bonus equal to +1 +1 per 3 class levels.
Muscle: When sampling the muscles of a victim, the connoisseur gains bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls equal to +1 +1 per 3 class levels.
Sinew: When sampling the sinew of a victim, the connoisseur gains a bonus to Reflex saves equal to +1 +1 per 3 class levels.
Tongue: When sampling the tongue of a victim, the connoisseur gains a bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Gather Information checks equal to +1 +1 per 2 class levels.
Swallowed Skill (Su): By devouring the bodies of her enemies, a connoisseur absorbs a part of their memories of life. Whenever she consumes the flesh of a being with an Intelligence of 3 or greater, she gains 1 skill point that she may allocate as normal into any skill that the being had ranks in. Every level, she may only gain a number of skill points in this way equal to 8 + her Intelligence modifier. The connoisseur may only gain 1 skill rank from every being, even if she consumes their flesh multiple times.
The connoisseur may also use this ability to learn new languages the victim knew, although learning a language counts as two skill points from her total available for the level.
If the 1st level of connoisseur is the character's 1st character level as well, they may gain 4 times the number of skill points at 1st level that they would normally be able to.
If at the end of a level the character has not eaten their full number of potential skill points for the level, they carry unused potential skill points over to their next level. In effect, they never get 'cheated' out of possible skill points.
Swallowed Spell (Sp): The true connoisseur may begin to glean arcane power from her victims. Beginning at 2nd level, whenever she consumes the flesh of a being that has the ability to cast arcane spells or use spell-like abilities that mimic arcane spells, she may select a single arcane spell the being knew or had prepared (but had not used) of 0th level to use as a spell-like ability. She may not select a spell that has an expensive material component or XP cost. Once she knows this spell, she may use it once per day per point of her Charisma modifier. The save DC for a swallowed spell is equal to 10 + the level of the spell + the connoisseur's Charisma modifier.
The connoisseur may know one 0th level spell at a time. If she later swallows the flesh of a victim with a spell she prefers, she may trade spell-like abilities. However, changing spells does not refresh her number of uses of this ability for the day.
At 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 18th levels, the connoisseur gains a new capacity for a spell-like ability, but of a higher spell level, as indicated on Table: The Connoisseur. These spell-like abilities follow the same rules as the 0th level spell-like ability she gains at 2nd level. Each of these spell-like abilities may be used once per day per point of her Charisma modifier.
A connoisseur's caster level for her swallowed spells is equal to her class level.
Thrill of the Hunt (Ex): At 2nd level, the connoisseur gains the connoisseur gains special intuition that allows her to hunt with unfailing speed. She gains the Scent special ability and the Trapfinding class feature. The connoisseur may use the Search skill to locate traps with a DC higher than 20 and may use the Disable Device skill to bypass a trap or disarm magic traps. See the rogue class feature on page 50 of the Player's Handbook.
Feeding Frenzy (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, the connoisseur may go into a feeding frenzy whenever she smells the flesh of a living being. She may enter this state as a free action whenever she succeeds on a Survival check to smell a being with her Scent ability. She gains a +4 bonus to her Strength and Dexterity scores, and deals an additional 1d6 damage with melee attacks per 3 class levels against the target she has smelled. This frenzy for a number of rounds equal to 3 + her Constitution modifier, or she has eaten the flesh of the enemy, whichever comes first. While under the effects of this frenzy, she is unable to undertake any kind of complicated activity, such as using her Swallowed Spell class feature or making complex skill checks. In addition, she takes a -6 penalty to attack rolls against any target that is not the being she has smelled.
While in a feeding frenzy, the connoisseur also gains a natural bite attack that deals 1d6 damage for a Medium connoisseur. If the connoisseur deals damage with her bite attack, she may swallow one of the following body parts of the being she attacks: blood, fat, skin, muscle, or sinew. Thus, she may use her Favourite Feast class feature, as well as any other class feature that she has access to that requires her to eat flesh, in conjunction with this bite attack.
A connoisseur may not activate a feeding frenzy by smelling herself or any other creature that she has spent at least 1 week in close proximity to.
Feat of the Flesh (Su): At 4th level, the connoisseur gains a special feat slot. Whenever she devours the flesh of a victim, she instantly gleans the knowledge of all the feats that victim possessed. She may then select any one feat that she meets the prerequisites for, and use this special feat slot to hold it. She gains the benefits of this feat until she selects a new feat to replace it. She may use this feat to qualify for prestige classes, feats, and other venues, but if she later loses the feat she loses all benefits of the prestige class, feat, or similar that required this feat. For more information on losing access to prestige classes, see page 16 of Complete Warrior.
The connoisseur gains an additional special feat slot at 11th level and 18th level.
Devour Vitality (Su): By eating the flesh of her foe, a connoisseur of 7th level can channel the life force of her victim. Whenever she eats the flesh of a living being, she gains a number of vitality points equal to the Hit Dice of the being. Every day she can absorb a number of vitality points equal to twice her Charisma modifier times her class level (2 x Cha x class level). She can channel vitality points she has accumulated at a 1:1 ratio to heal the wounds of herself or another. This is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
Devour Memories (Su): Beginning at 9th level, a connoisseur may access the memories of her victim when she eats their flesh. She may use this ability once per day per point of her Intelligence modifier as a swift action when consuming the flesh of a victim. She learns the victim's surface thoughts as if by the detect thoughts spell, and may learn the answers to up to three questions concerning the past of the victim. These must be simple 'yes/no' questions that she has decided upon before eating the flesh.
Devour Luck (Su): Beginning at 13th level, the connoisseur may extract the undiluted fortune from her food of choice. Whenever she consumes the flesh of a being with a luck reroll that is unused, she may extract this reroll for herself as a swift action. She may have a number of luck rerolls from this ability at a time equal to her Charisma modifier. She may expend these rerolls on any kind of d20 roll, regardless of the outlets that were available to the victim. For more information on luck rerolls, see Complete Scoundrel. If the victim is still alive when she uses this ability, they lose the luck roll that is devoured by the connoisseur for the day.
The connoisseur knows if the being has a luck reroll available to steal before she uses the swift action.
Devour Defence (Su): Beginning at 17th level, the connoisseur gains the ability to gain the arcane resistance of her victims simply from sampling their flesh. Whenever she swallows the flesh of a being with spell resistance, she may use a swift action to gain the same spell resistance herself. This spell resistance lasts until it has stopped a single effect from targetting the connoisseur, at which point it ends. If the connoisseur uses this ability again before the first effect has been used, only the higher spell resistance applies going forward.
Devour Form (Su): At 19th level, the connoisseur gains the ability to use the taste of her enemies to become them. Once per day, when she swallows the flesh of a being, she may choose to transform into the being as if by the shapechange spell. She may remain in this form for up to 1 hour per class level, or until she uses a swift action to transform back to her natural form. Using this ability is a swift action used in conjunction with the action to eat the flesh of the victim.
Devour Youth (Su): At 20th level, the connoisseur has learned how to effectively live forever by stealing the youth from her victims. Whenever she eats a baby, she may decrease her age by 1d4 years. This can restore physical ability points lost from aging, but has no effect on mental ability point increases; since that is based on experience, the time required to gain these ability increases is calculated from the connoisseur's original age. This ability cannot reduce the connoisseur to below the minimum adventuring age for her race. Using this ability is a swift action used in conjunction with the action to eat the flesh of the victim.
A Special Note: The author in no way endorses cannibalism, and urges you to not engage in any kind of activity that a member of this class would enjoy pursuing. (Whew!)