[Archetype] Black Blade Zealot

[Xuldarinar]

BLACK BLADE ZEALOT (ARCHETYPE)
While most black blades are wielded by the arcane, there are those that walk a different path. Warriors sworn to their patron and the sword are sometimes bestowed with living blades as devoted as they are, sometimes even more so.


(WiP)

Special: A black blade zealot must worship a deity that has a one-handed slashing weapon, a rapier, or a sword cane as their favored weapon.

Sacred Weapon (Su): At 1st level, a black blade zealot gains the sacred weapon feature as normal. However, this ability does not grant the 4th-level ability to enhance the black blade zealot's weapon with divine power, nor does it grant subsequent increases to that ability.

This ability alters Sacred Weapon

Divine Black Blade (Su): Upon reaching 3rd level, the black blade zealot acquires a sentient black blade. This blade must take the form of their patron's favored weapon. This blade advances as a black blade using the black blade zealot's class level in place of the magus's class level. If the black blade would restore points to the zealot's arcane pool, via Life Drinker, the black blade instead restore 1 use of the black blade zealot's fervor. A black blade zealot with this class feature cannot have a familiar of any kind, even from another class.

Because of the nature of this form of black blade, the blade always has an alignment matching the black blade zealot's deity. Should the black blade zealot's alignment no longer match that of their deity, the blade becomes prone to rebelling against the zealot or leaves. This is completely dependent upon the blade, the patron, and the GM's discretion.

This ability replaces the bonus feats gained at 3rd level.

Magus Arcana: Starting at 7th level, a black blade zealot gains one magus arcana. He gains an additional magus arcana for every 3 levels of warpriest gained thereafter. For the purpose of qualify for arcana, the black blade zealot treats their magus level as their war priest level -4. A black blade zealot uses his Wisdom score in place of Intelligence for the purpose of utilizing magus arcana, and any arcana that require points from an arcane pool to be expended instead consume uses of fervor.

This ability replaces sacred armor.

[khadgar567]

BLACK BLADE ZEALOT
While most black blades are wielded by the arcane, there are those that walk a different path. Warriors sworn to their patron and the sword are sometimes bestowed with living blades as devoted as they are.

(WiP)

Blade Patron: A black blade zealot must have a patron that has a one-handed slashing weapon, a rapier, or a sword cane as a favored weapon.

Patron's Black Blade (Su): Upon reaching 3rd level, the black blade zealot acquires a sentient black blade. This blade must take the form of their patron's favored weapon. This blade advances as a black blade using the black blade zealot's class level in place of the magus's class level, and does not gain an arcane pool. Instead, when the black blade zealot prepares he spells for the day, he invests a number of uses of his blessing ability into his black blade equal to the black blade's Intelligence modifier + 1. Each of these invested uses function as a 'divine pool', with which the black blade's abilities function. A black blade zealot with this class feature cannot have a familiar of any kind, even from another class.

Because of the nature of this form of black blade, the blade always has an alignment matching the black blade zealot's patron's. So long as the black blade zealot's alignment remains within one step of their blade's patron's alignment, no negative levels will be applied for picking it up. This blade If the black blade zealot becomes an ex-warpriest, the black blade will try to drive the zealot to atone, leave, or attempt to slay the zealot. This is completely dependent upon the blade, the patron, and the GM's discretion.
This ability replaces the bonus feats gained at 3rd and 9th level.

I know this is gonna be witch arcthype but it feels to me that we want magus flavor in this fiendish union

[Xuldarinar]

I know this is gonna be witch arcthype but it feels to me that we want magus flavor in this fiendish union

This is a warpriest archetype.. I knew I missed some things, I guess explicitly stating that is one of them.



But, I see a point there. There could use a bit more magus in the archetype. Im open to suggestions.

[khadgar567]

This is a warpriest archetype.. I knew I missed some things, I guess explicitly stating that is one of them.



But, I see a point there. There could use a bit more magus in the archetype. Im open to suggestions.

Like giving spell combat in lets say one or two level later allowing mighty walloped hammer to deal ( insearth spell name) damage along with regular attack

[Xuldarinar]

Like giving spell combat in lets say one or two level later allowing mighty walloped hammer to deal ( insearth spell name) damage along with regular attack

Your phrasing confuses me, but your point is valid.


Ideas:

Spell Combat: This class feature works wonderfully in of its own right and is certainly a magus's bread and butter. Blending it with war priest could certainly hold some interesting results, and it would discourage someone utilizing anything in their off-hand as one, not that having a one-handed slashing weapon thrust upon them at 3rd level doesn't already do that given casting.

If I threw it in at first level, one thought would be cutting away one of their blessings. If a later level, it would really depend.

Spellstrike: Evermore a magus-esque ability. Given potential interactions with the Cure/Inflict Wounds line of spells, I'd be more in favor of this getting an appearance, especially given that the blade adept arcanist archetype also gets access to this. Were I to bring it in, I don't think I'd have it do so at 2nd level but later. perhaps replacing a bonus feat?

Magus Arcana: A thought I was kicking around already, but was uncertain whether or not to implement. In place of bonus feats, allowing a black blade zealot to pick up a magus arcana of their choice, using their Warpriest level in place of Magus level.

Given the lack of a pool, without allowing something else to stand in for them, the following would be able to function without multi-classing and gave both Spellstrike and Spell Combat: Close Range, Concentrate, Critical Strike, Disruptive, Divinatory Strike, Empowered Magic, Maneuver Mastery, Maximized Spell, Natural Spell Combat, Quickened Magic, Rakshasa's Fortune, Ranger Trap, Reach Magic, Rod Mastery, Rod Wielder, Silent Magic, Spell Blending (though.. GM approval whether it works or not), Spell Trickery, Spell-Scars, Spellbreaker, Still Magic, Wand Mastery, and Wand Wielder.

[khadgar567]

your inbox full mate

[Xuldarinar]

your inbox full mate

Oh.

Just emptied it out

[Xuldarinar]

If you have noticed the archetype periodically changing, not only is it a work in progress but i am also getting input through the Paizo forums. While here it is easier to edit, there I am getting more responses.

Current thought is; We should do something about Channel Energy, and possibly with fervor. I'd prefer to leave blessing alone, but if we leave those two alone then we should do something about blessings.


If we do something about blessings, it would be remove one of them, and give them something minor to least tide them over to 3rd level when the archetype comes online.

[inuyasha]

Hmm, this is just a completely random idea, but the purpose of this class is to have a unique intelligent item bonded to a Warpriest, like the Black Blade, but with a more religious bend...

What if you changed Fervor to not necessarily represent the zeal of the Warpriest, but rather that of the blade itself? This could create a system of influence sort of like the Medium class.

I don't know if that's helpful or not, but I've just recently started getting really into the ACG and OA books, and this is the first idea that came to mind when I saw this archetype.

I really like the concept. Do you think it would be a bad idea to alter the archetype (and perhaps even the Magus archetype) to function with all melee weapons? "Black-Blade" Warpriests with hammers and greatclubs sound fun

[Xuldarinar]

Hmm, this is just a completely random idea, but the purpose of this class is to have a unique intelligent item bonded to a Warpriest, like the Black Blade, but with a more religious bend...

What if you changed Fervor to not necessarily represent the zeal of the Warpriest, but rather that of the blade itself? This could create a system of influence sort of like the Medium class.

I don't know if that's helpful or not, but I've just recently started getting really into the ACG and OA books, and this is the first idea that came to mind when I saw this archetype.

I really like the concept. Do you think it would be a bad idea to alter the archetype (and perhaps even the Magus archetype) to function with all melee weapons? "Black-Blade" Warpriests with hammers and greatclubs sound fun

I won't be taking that route, but once I am happy with this archetype I am strongly considering bringing the black blade to a psychic class. Most likely occultist, not unlike the necrocultist, but I could certainly work in influence.


I don't think it is perhaps a -bad- idea, but it certainly diverges from theme. Piercing and Slashing weapons, ok. Light weapons being permitted, sure. Two-handed presents some problems, but alright. Bludgeoning though.. eh.. Kind of steps far away from a soul sucking demonic entity in the form of a blade that rips life with the slightest cut when you turn it into a blunt instrument.


Though.. Perhaps someone could make a black blade archetype that you get the black blade blended with a natural weapon.. No. No...

[inuyasha]

Ah, good ideas on all fronts. Occultist would be pretty fitting, as the black blade could function as a strange sort of implement.

And you're right about the piercing/slashing thing, I guess the elegance of the weapon has to deal with being able to pierce the skin for great effect, not hammer them into a meaty paste.

And about the natural weapons thing. Is there any sort of Monk archetype that gives you a demon-possessed hand or something similar? That's common in a lot of fiction, and I could almost see it as a black blade sort of deal.

[Morphic tide]

Though.. Perhaps someone could make a black blade archetype that you get the black blade blended with a natural weapon.. No. No...

There's several ways to go with that, of which Black Blades are just one. The two classes that a direct conversion would make it work best are Bloodrager and Skald. They have casting, so the magic needs are met quite well, and they do the "murderkillrage" thing more than a little bit. Monk and Barbarian also have some level of reasoning for using the mechanics of Black Blades.