[4e Paragon Path] "Your Head. I will Cut It. Off."

[Shadow_Elf]

Executioner
“My liege has deemed that your head and shoulders are no longer a matched set”

http://www.art.eonworks.com/gallery/fantasy/executioner_fantasy-200107-SM.jpg

Prerequisites: Fighter or Paladin, Weapon Proficiency Execution Axe, Strength 15, Must Worship the Raven Queen

You are the executioner. You are the lord of the headman’s block, the ultimate servant of the Raven Queen. Each blow you land is fatal, and the blood of the criminals you have decapitated stains not your conscience at all. You are a heartless slayer of men, using your axe as a means of butchering your fellow sentient beings like cattle. None dare stand in the way of your axe.

Executioner Path Features
Great Axe Mastery (11th level): Increase the dice size of your weapon when wielding an execution axe by one
Decapitating Action (11th level): When you spend an action point to take an extra action, you gain a +5 bonus to attack rolls when you have combat advantage until the start of your next turn
Mutinous Melée (16th level): You gain a +1 shield bonus to your AC and Reflex defences when wielding an execution axe

Executioner Powers
Headsman’s Cleave Executioner Attack 11
“Your axe passes through one foe, then another, as it separates limbs and parts weapons and shields alike”“
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding an execution axe
Target: One enemy in range
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Effect: Each adjacent enemy other than the target takes damage equal to your strength modifier.

Stunning Execution Executioner Utility 12
“You perform the act you’re being paid to do; and you do it very well”
Encounter * Martial
Free Action Personal
Requirement: You must be wielding an execution axe
Trigger: You perform a Coup-De-Grace
Effect: The target of the Coup-De-Grace dies.

No Escape Executioner Attack 20
“Your target tries to run; but he wasn’t expecting you to throw your axe at him!”
Daily * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged 10
Requirement: You must be wielding an execution axe
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage and the target is knocked prone and dazed (save ends).
Special: If the target is bloodied and this power lands a critical hit, the target dies.
Effect: Your execution axe lands in an unoccupied square adjacent to the target.

[insecure]

For some reason, this reminds me of an hourglass.:smalltongue:

[Shadow_Elf]

:smallfrown:...

:smalleek:...

:smallannoyed:...

:smallmad:...

:smallfurious:...

May your Soul burn in Hell for an infinite forevers and a day

[insecure]

:smallfrown:...

:smalleek:...

:smallannoyed:...

:smallmad:...

:smallfurious:...

May your Soul burn in Hell for an infinite forevers and a day

:smallamused:

[Zocelot]

Reposted from the Vote up a campaign setting, and spoilered for length.

It's feedback time!

Powers:
No Escape's effect doesn't make sense realistically. I believe there is another power from Martial Power that lets you throw your weapon, and then the weapon drops into any square adjacent to the target.

Headsman’s Cleave isn't particularly exciting, but it works.

I especially like Stunning Executioner, although you don't stumble upon helpless enemies very often, so you could make it an encounter utility without really affecting it's power level.


Features:
Great Axe Mastery and Decapitation action are fine seperately, but put together are either underpowered or overpowered. If the Executioner is a Minotaur, then oversized will put the normal damage as 2d6, and Executioner will make it 2d8, which is a lot normally, and a ton more on a critical for an attack that does several [W] worth of damage. With a non oversized creature though, it's only an increase from 1d12 to 2d6, an increase that doesn't even affect a critical. Either one combined with Eternal Defender's class feature is broken. My suggestion to fix is to go with something more traditional for the action point spending, such as adding your Con modifier to damage on all attacks in a round where you spend an action point.

Mutinous Melée is essentially wielding a heavy shield without having to spare an arm. Level 16 features should be powerful but a +1 shield bonus to AC and Reflex is powerful enough. I like the accent on the é in Melée.


Finally, I think that the entry requirements should be a bit more strict. A fighter only PP would make sense based on it's fluff.

[afroakuma]

I've been quoted in a thread title? :smallbiggrin:

[Shadow_Elf]

I've been quoted in a thread title? :smallbiggrin:

Yes, Yes you have.

[Raz_Fox]

This looks very interesting. There's only one thing I would suggest to improve it.

An hourglass theme.

Seriously, sand running through the hourglass is one of the most memorable ways of remembering that time will always run out.

You could call the Stunning Execution: "Empty Hourglass." No Escape: "Hourglass Thrown." Mutinous Melee: "Hourglass's Protection." Decapitating Action: "Tip the Hourglass." Headsman's Cleave: "Inevitability of the Hourglass."

Really, you need to theme Paragon Paths like this. Otherwise, they won't be as memorable. And what better way to theme an executioner PP than with the symbol of time running out and death coming:

THE HOURGLASS. :smallbiggrin:

Yes, I looked it up and read the entire thing on the Vote a Campaign Setting thread, just so that I knew what I was doing with this post. Raz has an evil sense of humor and mischief.

[Shadow_Elf]

THE HOURGLASS. :smallbiggrin:
Yes, I looked it up and read the entire thing on the Vote a Campaign Setting thread, just so that I knew what I was doing with this post. Raz has an evil sense of humor and mischief.

Raz is also about to perish; I give you a five second head start.

[RTGoodman]

I like it, but here's a couple of things. I agree with Zocelot that for the action point thing, make it so the Executioner gets a bonus to damage rolls equal to his Con modifier until the end of his next turn. Also, how do you feel about Stunning Execution giving the Executioner a bonus on Intimidate checks until the end of the turn or even encounter? I think it fits with the name of the ability and would be a neat little bonus. Finally, I don't really like the No Escape power, but off-hand I can't think of anything to replace it with; to me, though, it doesn't really seem to fit with the rest of the class.

[Mercenary Pen]

There should- according to the fluff you've posted- be another prerequisite for this Paragon Path; The character taking it must worship the Raven Queen (or an equivalent homebrewed deity)... That single requirement could well make the executioner one of the scariest characters on the battlefield. It's just a pity there's no fear aura to back it up IMO.

[Mewtarthio]

So, let's start out with a Brutal Rogue multiclassed into Fighter with all initiative-boosting feats (eg Quick Draw, Improved Init) and the "Knockout" power...

[Shadow_Elf]

There should- according to the fluff you've posted- be another prerequisite for this Paragon Path; The character taking it must worship the Raven Queen (or an equivalent homebrewed deity)... That single requirement could well make the executioner one of the scariest characters on the battlefield. It's just a pity there's no fear aura to back it up IMO.

Done.

@Mewtarthio: Rogues can't Sneak Attack with Execution Axes...

[afroakuma]

Raz is also about to perish; I give you a five second head start.

No, no, Shadow. It's "I take your head in five seconds."

[puppyavenger]

looks awesome!

although I would suggest a glass or sand themed power...

[afroakuma]

It's a good thing I have nothing to critique in the above post.

Your head cut off.

[Eighth_Seraph]

It's a good thing I have nothing to critique in the above post.

Your head cut off. This is now my signature. It's too bad that I can't make the big letters camouflage into the quote box...

[Ascension]

This is now my signature. It's too bad that I can't make the big letters camouflage into the quote box...

I think you can with the right color... I'm just not sure which one's the right one.

[Eighth_Seraph]

Nah. Wheat and Lemon Chiffon (whatever that is) come pretty close, but no exact matches.

On topic: I know very little about 4e, but I imagine that there are still creatures immune to Coups-de-grace. As worded, Stunning Execution kills even those creatures without or, anything else to cleave, really. I understand that 4e is less simulationist than 3.x, but that may be a problem you want to address.

[Juhn]

Does this forum accept hexadecimal for font colors? If it does, then you should be able to find an exact match.

[horngeek]

Wait, so afroakuma will cut off the head of anyone who makes jokes about either:

Hourglasses
Sand
Any other jokes related to the title.

Do I have it right? Then there is absolutely no need to highlight the completely blank space below this paragraph.

Good thing I'm wearing power armour. HA! He can't cut my head off!

[Yakk]

Change the name to Queen's Executioner, to reference the Raven Queen. :)

[afroakuma]

horngeek? You doubt my power???

Well:


Your you cut off.

And yes, I can get an exact match if and only if the forum accepts hex, since there is no web color matching that hex triplet.

[Juhn]

You doubt my power???

How many times have you asked that question during the Vote Ups? I think that used to count as your catch phrase.

I liked it better.

[Ascension]

Y'know, you could still change the name of the campaign setting if you really don't want people to talk about hourglasses.

[afroakuma]

Nah. They'd come get me in revenge.

And yes, Juhn, that did used to be my original catchphrase. I will continue using it as such, when needed.
Provided I no longer need to declare decapitations.

[AgentPaper]

Just making sure you realize, that increasing the size of the executioner axe's dice by one actually increases it's average damage from 7.5 to 9, which seems a bit powerful, seeing as how fighters and paladins get a good number of high [W] powers. Then again, maybe it's just in line with the other paragon path powers for that level, I dunno.

[Zocelot]

Actually, it goes from 1d12 to 2d6, which is raising the average damage from 6.5 to 7 (per [W])

@Afroakuma
Whatever happened to the good old, size 5 no?

[afroakuma]

Bold centered size 5 no?

God, I love that.

If there's ever a next time for VUACS, rest assured, it will see a return, should I be on the project staff.

[Alteran]

I find the prerequisite of worshiping the Raven Queen a bit odd, but I figured the mention of her in the descriptive text was symbolic. I could have just read it wrong.

I would suggest making Stunning Execution only work on creatures no more than 2 levels above you, so that you don't get mid-high level characters abusing it to destroy high level solos. Also, it appears to not consume a standard action. It is a free action itself, and the trigger is "You would make a coup-de-grace". I would change it to "You make a coup-de-grace."

I like the flavour overall. I also think that No Escape doesn't seem to fit, but I can't find anything actually wrong with it.

[Shadow_Elf]

I find the prerequisite of worshiping the Raven Queen a bit odd, but I figured the mention of her in the descriptive text was symbolic. I could have just read it wrong.

I would suggest making Stunning Execution only work on creatures no more than 2 levels above you, so that you don't get mid-high level characters abusing it to destroy high level solos. Also, it appears to not consume a standard action. It is a free action itself, and the trigger is "You would make a coup-de-grace". I would change it to "You make a coup-de-grace."

I like the flavour overall. I also think that No Escape doesn't seem to fit, but I can't find anything actually wrong with it.

I'll fix the wording(s).
As you may have noticed, some of the class's features are for when an execution goes wrong. That's where Great Cleave, Mutinous Melée and No Escape come into play, in theory.
And if an executioner has the intelligence to worship a god, I think that 99.9% of the time its going to be the Raven Queen. You kill people indiscriminately and without judging for a living. If you don't worship the Raven Queen, you must be seriously weird.

[AgentPaper]

Actually, it goes from 1d12 to 2d6, which is raising the average damage from 6.5 to 7 (per [W])

@Afroakuma
Whatever happened to the good old, size 5 no?

You're forgetting that the executioner's axe is brutal 2, which effectively raises the average damage by 1 for each dice you roll. Since you're rolling 2 with 2d6, that increases it's normal damage by 2 instead of 1.

[Alteran]

And if an executioner has the intelligence to worship a god, I think that 99.9% of the time its going to be the Raven Queen. You kill people indiscriminately and without judging for a living. If you don't worship the Raven Queen, you must be seriously weird.

I don't think you need to worship the Raven Queen, I think you need to be lawful. You mentioned not judging, part of being an executioner is accepting the judgment of others, for example, the judge who sentenced your next victim. I can even see a true neutral or neutral evil person being an executioner, and maybe chaotic evil.

[horngeek]

horngeek? You doubt my power???

Well:


Your you cut off.

Two problems with that. One, what do you intend to do by cutting off my "you"?

And I'm desperately trying to think of a second reason...

Ah-ha! No Hourglasses!

[Mercenary Pen]

I don't think you need to worship the Raven Queen, I think you need to be lawful. You mentioned not judging, part of being an executioner is accepting the judgment of others, for example, the judge who sentenced your next victim. I can even see a true neutral or neutral evil person being an executioner, and maybe chaotic evil.

Not a problem in 4e terms. By 4e RAW, an Unaligned deity (such as the Raven Queen) can be worshipped by characters of ANY alignment. Though it is rather strange that you're talking in terms of 3.x alignment for a 4e thread.

[UnChosenOne]

afroakuma. What if guy without head makes a joke about the hourglass. You know, you can't cut the 'ead of from 'eadlesguy. And this guy look's like that than he need's more hourglasses.

[afroakuma]

See horngeek's punishment for reference.

[Shadow_Elf]

Not a problem in 4e terms. By 4e RAW, an Unaligned deity (such as the Raven Queen) can be worshipped by characters of ANY alignment. Though it is rather strange that you're talking in terms of 3.x alignment for a 4e thread.

I've made it well known (I hope) that I very much prefer the 3.Xe alignment system to the 4e alignment system, and tend to incorporate them into my homebrews when necessary.

[Saint Nil]

Isn't sunning execution too powerful? Once per encounter, you instantly kill something.

No, I'm not mentioning the hour glass. Thats dumb. and is mearly annoying to others. Like Afrokuma, I like this path.

[Shadow_Elf]

Isn't sunning execution too powerful? Once per encounter, you instantly kill something.


YOu have to be performing a Coup-De-Grace. Which means that once/encounter you can instantly kill an unconcious person :smallamused:.

[Saint Nil]

Wait, I thought the power was causing a Coup Da Grace?
V-Ah, sorry about that, misread it,.

[Shadow_Elf]

[SIZE="5"]
Stunning Execution Executioner Utility 12
“You perform the act you’re being paid to do; and you do it very well”
Encounter * Martial
Free Action Personal
Trigger: You perform a Coup-De-Grace
Effect: The target of the Coup-De-Grace dies.


See? The Trigger is "You perform a Coup-De-Grace". The Effect is that the Coup de Grace you were performing anyways is lethal.

[Moff Chumley]

What's with the hourglasses?

[Juhn]

Again, read through the VUACS thread, or at least the last vote (the setting name vote)

[AgentPaper]

I think you should edit the execution power to instead just deal double damage instead of out-right killing. It will still likely kill most anything, but if it literally just outright kills, that's just asking for people to try and abuse it. As well, I think it should have a bit more utility, for example giving you a bonus to intimidate checks against anyone who sees you do the thing.

Also, you're taking into account that increasing the executioner's axe's damage dice by one is more significant than with most other weapons, as I pointed out earlier, yes?

[Shadow_Elf]

Time to pull out the stamps...

I think you should edit the execution power to instead just deal double damage instead of out-right killing. It will still likely kill most anything, but if it literally just outright kills, that's just asking for people to try and abuse it. As well, I think it should have a bit more utility, for example giving you a bonus to intimidate checks against anyone who sees you do the thing.


No.

The main abuse I can see is that people will take Quick Draw and get a Lullaby Mace as their secondary weapon, use it to put the opponent to sleep, then use Stunning Execution. However, this would require them to fail two saving throws, and since this is most broken against solos, this is not easy. Plus, Lullaby Mace is a daily power, and it will take several turns to pull off (even with Quick Draw.) If Lullaby was applicable to axes, I would consider changing this. But its going to stay the same for now.


Also, you're taking into account that increasing the executioner's axe's damage dice by one is more significant than with most other weapons, as I pointed out earlier, yes?


Yes.

I am aware of that.

[Alteran]

I think that having the coup-de-grace be an auto-kill is acceptable, but that it should only work on enemies who are not higher level than you. That way you can't auto-kill a solo who gets a few unlucky saves.

[Mewtarthio]

The main abuse I can see is that people will take Quick Draw and get a Lullaby Mace as their secondary weapon, use it to put the opponent to sleep, then use Stunning Execution. However, this would require them to fail two saving throws, and since this is most broken against solos, this is not easy. Plus, Lullaby Mace is a daily power, and it will take several turns to pull off (even with Quick Draw.) If Lullaby was applicable to axes, I would consider changing this. But its going to stay the same for now.

What about the rogue's "Knockout" power?

Also, you don't have a weapon prerequisite for Stunning Execution. Did you mean for it to only be usable with execution axes?

[LurkerInPlayground]

I'll fix the wording(s).
As you may have noticed, some of the class's features are for when an execution goes wrong. That's where Great Cleave, Mutinous Melée and No Escape come into play, in theory.
And if an executioner has the intelligence to worship a god, I think that 99.9% of the time its going to be the Raven Queen. You kill people indiscriminately and without judging for a living. If you don't worship the Raven Queen, you must be seriously weird.
Umm, I didn't get that interpretation of the Raven Queen at all. She doesn't advocate mindless slaying. Her religion seems to merely imply that death is merely the natural end of life and that it is highly reprehensible to try and stave it off through undeath because of "hubris." Basically, she expects her most devoted followers to destroy undead.

(This is reinforced because Orcus is set-up to be her rival, the Demon Lord of Undeath. Incidentally, Orcus also wants the Raven Queen's throne.)

Aside from that, she doesn't really seem to care what mortals do with the time they've allotted to them. As a "Neutral" deity, she doesn't seem to say much to recommend in the way of what you should do with your life or what stance you should take in promoting the survival and good of the "herd." She also doesn't really seem to care about criminals either, that's a secular issue that she's perfectly content letting mortals administrate for themselves. It's all the same to her if mortals prosper or perish or whether they die early or late.

[AgentPaper]

I just think a flat "they die, that's it" just doesn't fit into 4E in general. I mean, this is just going to cause rouges to multiclass to fighter or paladin to get the PP, then try to sneak into dragon lair after dragon lair at night, giving them a swing, and slaughtering them. All you gotta do is optimise your sneak skill a bit, and you could sneak into a epic level dragon's lair and finish him off in a single round, 100% with a single ability. A coup-de-grace will likely kill most anything but an elite or solo already, and if you double the damage, that's double the chance of killing them outright.

[Mercenary Pen]

Umm, I didn't get that interpretation of the Raven Queen at all. She doesn't advocate mindless slaying. Her religion seems to merely imply that death is merely the natural end of life and that it is highly reprehensible to try and stave it off through undeath because of "hubris." Basically, she expects her most devoted followers to destroy undead.

(This is reinforced because Orcus is set-up to be her rival, the Demon Lord of Undeath. Incidentally, Orcus also wants the Raven Queen's throne.)

Aside from that, she doesn't really seem to care what mortals do with the time they've allotted to them. As a "Neutral" deity, she doesn't seem to say much to recommend in the way of what you should do with your life or what stance you should take in promoting the survival and good of the "herd." She also doesn't really seem to care about criminals either, that's a secular issue that she's perfectly content letting mortals administrate for themselves. It's all the same to her if mortals prosper or perish or whether they die early or late.

On the other hand, she seems to be fairly keen on protecting death as her own private preserve, making certain that all things come to her when their end is upon them. Also, the Executioner (as a servant of the Raven Queen) would fit with her first two commandments (PHB p22): Hold no pity for those who suffer and die, Bring down the proud who try to cast off the chains of fate. IMO an impassive executioner almost completely embodies those tenets.

[LiteYear]

You're forgetting that the executioner's axe is brutal 2, which effectively raises the average damage by 1 for each dice you roll. Since you're rolling 2 with 2d6, that increases it's normal damage by 2 instead of 1.

I have brutal pegged a little bit differently. On a Executioner Axe, you re-roll anything below a three. This effectively means that your damage roll range is 3-12. This can be simplified to 1d10+2 damage, for an average of 7.5 damage. Increasing the die to 2d6 means that, for each die, the range is 3-6, which can be simplified to 2d4+4, or 9 average damage.

[AgentPaper]

I have brutal pegged a little bit differently. On a Executioner Axe, you re-roll anything below a three. This effectively means that your damage roll range is 3-12. This can be simplified to 1d10+2 damage, for an average of 7.5 damage. Increasing the die to 2d6 means that, for each die, the range is 3-6, which can be simplified to 2d4+4, or 9 average damage.

That's...exactly the same as how I did it, and that's the same conclusion I got from it. What exactly are you trying to get across here anyways? :smallconfused:

[Shadow_Elf]

I just think a flat "they die, that's it" just doesn't fit into 4E in general. I mean, this is just going to cause rouges to multiclass to fighter or paladin to get the PP, then try to sneak into dragon lair after dragon lair at night, giving them a swing, and slaughtering them. All you gotta do is optimise your sneak skill a bit, and you could sneak into a epic level dragon's lair and finish him off in a single round, 100% with a single ability. A coup-de-grace will likely kill most anything but an elite or solo already, and if you double the damage, that's double the chance of killing them outright.

Note here that Execution Axe doesn't work with Rogue powers, and so the character would be very unplayable except for the 1/encounter lethal coup-de-grace and the other executioner powers.

@Mewtarthio: Yes, Stunning Execution needs the Execution Axe requirement. I'll fix that up.

@ those calculations: I understand that brutal makes this upgrade more pronounced, but the other features of the class are hardly amazing.

[LiteYear]

@AgentPaper: Oops, misunderstanding on my end.

[AgentPaper]

Still, it effectively does infinite damage once per encounter, which was seen as unbalanced when you had to have a character built around the concept and he could do it once a day. The only thing you need other than the one encounter power is a way to make the target helpless, which you can do with a level 1 wizard power and a magic weapon, without too much trouble. Effectively, it makes going unconscious a save-or-die for anything that doesn't have multiple heads. I really don't see what you loose when you make it just do more damage - all it does is prevent is abuse.

[Job]

Looks very entertaining, actually know a player that might be interested.

Same issues that have already be brought up:

The auto-kill on coup-de-grace will be abused unfortunately, the flavor is fantastic though.


Special: If the target is bloodied and this power lands a critical hit, the target dies.

Can’t be abused per-say but the auto-kill makes the power very swingy, maybe maximize all additional dice rolled for the critical hit.

[Zocelot]

Can’t be abused per-say but the auto-kill makes the power very swingy, maybe maximize all additional dice rolled for the critical hit.

In 4e, that's what a crit does anyway.

[Alteran]

He said additional dice, which I interpreted as the bonus dice from your weapon that you only get on a crit.

[Job]

He said additional dice, which I interpreted as the bonus dice from your weapon that you only get on a crit.

You are correct sir.

[Mewtarthio]

Can’t be abused per-say

What's the name of that Paragon Path that lets you upgrade an ally's hit into an automatic critical once per encounter? Divine Oracle?

[Job]

Divine Oracle?

:sigh: I just can't seem to win.

[KKL]

What's the name of that Paragon Path that lets you upgrade an ally's hit into an automatic critical once per encounter? Divine Oracle?

That's it. Level 11, Standard Action, Ranged 10 I believe. Next ally who attacks the target automatically crits.

[RTGoodman]

How about instead of auto-killing the target, the power goes something like this:

Stunning Execution Executioner Utility 12
"You perform the act you’re being paid to do; and you do it very well"
Encounter ♦ Martial, Weapon
Free Action Personal
Requirement: You must be wielding an execution axe
Trigger: You perform a Coup-De-Grace
Effect: You gain a bonus to damage equal to your character level.


That way, the target has a bigger chance of dying (since a coup de gras only auto-kills if your damage is greater than or equal to its bloodied value). Heck, you might could even say "twice your character level," but I don't have my MM handy to tell you how much 60 extra damage could be to a normal Level 30 monster. Any reason that couldn't work?

[AgentPaper]

You could just give him a class feature, whenever he performs a coup-de-grace, ALL damage dice he rolls are maximized. A special note that for any effects other than damage determined by the roll of a damage die, roll the damage die for that effect, but deal maximum damage anyways. I'm not sure if there are any effects like that, I think I remember there were a few though, for some reason. Bonus damage on top of the maximum damage could help if this isn't enough, but I think it's plenty. And it scales rather well, too.

[UnChosenOne]

See horngeek's punishment for reference.

Er. If I don't have the what you mean? What then you do? Send the Shadow_elf after me?

[KKL]

That way, the target has a bigger chance of dying (since a coup de gras only auto-kills if your damage is greater than or equal to its bloodied value). Heck, you might could even say "twice your character level," but I don't have my MM handy to tell you how much 60 extra damage could be to a normal Level 30 monster. Any reason that couldn't work?

60 damage for a level 30 monster is kind of extremely piddling. A level 32 Solo Brute with 31 Con has 1475 HP, 60 of that is like...roughly 4% of it's health.

It's honestly better off as it is without changes, as CdGs are kind of real rare. I myself have never really run into a situation where it was needed, or usable.

[imp_fireball]

Yo, if its an executioner why don't you focus on things like 'improved coup de grace' or an extraordinary ability that allows you to telepathically (or with a glare) make someone fall prone so that you can execute them?

Also, the concept of an executioner exists no where but in the Raven Queen's Domain?

[Shadow_Elf]

Yo, if its an executioner why don't you focus on things like 'improved coup de grace' or an extraordinary ability that allows you to telepathically (or with a glare) make someone fall prone so that you can execute them?

Also, the concept of an executioner exists no where but in the Raven Queen's Domain?

You cannot coup-de-grace a prone person. Only unconscious people can be coup-de-graced in combat. A fully bound prisoner may also count as helpless at DM's discretion.
I think that the Encounter Utility counts as improved coup-de-grace.