Many believe that good and evil must co-exist for the fine hinges of reality to remain active. I for one, do not. I am Thulman, the Dark Priest of Misty Dawn – and you will obey or I will have your soul…
This ‘character’ is probably going to be a back up character for a game I playing at the moment. The current game is based in Greyhawk with Gestalt Characters and I feel if my poor rogue there dies I will try push the GM’s hand in letting this character in…
The Theme idea is loosely based off of the Death Knell spell once again, with some variations. Similar to Death Sight and Blood Mind, this character is instead a melee fighter and a brutal one, using a spiked morning star and shield in combat he renders people dead in a short amount of time. In addition, once downed, he invokes his divine might and attacks their very soul (as per Death Knell), gaining enhancements with every creature he kills in this manner.
Ok, let us get started. Using Eclipse we…
As a level 1 human, 48cp +6 level 1 feat +6 human feat + 4 fast learner (not specialised…) Total there is 64cp. We could add disadvantages etc but I dont want to bother with any personally.
Total CP Available: 64cp
The Basics
Hit Dice: d8 – 4cp. This character is almost a Battle Priest…
Saves: +2 Will – 6cp
Warcraft (BAB): +0– 0cp
Skill Points: 8cp (this represents the standard 2 skill points for a cleric x 4 for level 1)
Proficiencies: Light Amour, Medium Armour, Shields (12cp), Simple Weapons (3cp)
This Totals: 33cp
Magic
As a dark priest, but a battle one at that, I think saving points on the package deal is worth it.
We take Cleric Package for 10cp. Limit this by Conduct, Restrained (no direct ranged damaging spells), and add Studies to this – a Spontaneous caster of spells using the Cleric Progression list. This drops the cost down to 9cp.
This package includes:
Two Domains
Soul Reaving and Protection (Both are custom paths as follows)
| Level | Soul Reaving | Protection |
| 1 | Chill Touch | Sanctuary |
| 2 | Death Knell | Stay the Hand |
| 3 | Vampiric Touch | Hesitate |
| 4 | Consumptive Field | Contingent Energy Resistance |
| 5 | Negative Energy Aura | Sanctuary, Mass |
| 6 | Stalwart Pact | Antilife Shell |
| 7 | Consumptive Field, Greater | Globe of Invulnerability |
| 8 | Heat Drain | Death Dragon |
| 9 | Energy Drain | Anti Magic Field |
Two Feats
Soul Reaving – Death Strike. This is bought as Reflexive Training (6cp), if you drop a living creature to less than 0 hit points in melee combat, immediately gain a standard action. This standard action can only be used to cast Soul Feast (see below)
Protection – Death Ward. You have immunity to death spells and effects. This is bought as Inherent Spell, as a Third Level Spell (Only Effects you), activates when ever needed up to maximum number of rounds per day equal to your level.
Spell Conversion – Instead of Healing or Harming, we use the alternative – Domain Conversion. As a spontaneous caster, this effectively means he gets 2 bonus ‘known’ spells per level…
Spell Slots – This effectively is giving him +1 spell per spell level (other than 0) that can only be used to cast Domain Spells or Inflict Spells (alternate setting for Spell Conversion)
The character serves a dark deity. Death, Vengeance, War, Cruelty, Mayhem…. Anything on those lines fit.
So far so good.
Total Magic cost is only 9cp
Spell Progression
As a spontaneous caster, he knows 5 level 0 spells, and 3 level 1 spells. He can cast 3 level 0 spells and 1 level 1 spell. Excluding bonuses for high Charisma. Charisma determines bonus spells, Wisdom Determines power of those spells (Much like the Favoured Soul)
He also gains +1 floating Level 1 Domain Slot that he can use for domain spells or any inflict spell he knows. Because he is spontaneous caster he does not have to prepare that slot ahead of time either.
Specials
Soul Feast (Inherent Spell) (6cp) This spell is bought as a level 3 spell. A modified version of Death Knell. The spell targets a single creature on less than –1 hit points but still alive. Creature makes a Will save (DC 13 + Wis Mod) or dies. If the creature dies, you gain +1d8 temp hit points, +2 strength, +1 spell slot and +1 caster level. These effects lasts for 1 minute per level (not 10), but stacks with itself. Maximum stackable effects equal to half your level, min 1. Increased Caster Level does not let you gain access to higher level spells or spell slots, but modifies durations of spells caster after this comes into effect, and any other caster level based items. The bonus spell slot can be used to power any domain spell only.
This is a Level 3 spell and usable once per day, and is only activated by a Death Strike (See above)
Total Specials Cost: 6cp
This actually finalises a level 1 character class with all you need.
Feats
We have 2 feats, one for being level 1 and one for being human.
Good choices here are shield base, power attack, cleave, spell focus and the like…