Sacerdote (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

The sacerdote is a divine spellcaster class that is powerful and versatile enough to compete with arcane casters like the wizard. Specialized in divine spellcasting, they are less practical than clerics and have no weapon training. Sacerdotes cast cleric and domain spells and have a huge number of spells per day. They rely on magic in combat and on channeling their spells into devastating manifestations of divine wrath.

Class Information

Sacerdotes are focused miracle workers, completely absorbed with service to their patron or creed. A sacerdote focuses on channeling divine powers to the exclusion of everything else. Unlike clerics, sacerdotes are not warriors. They work towards their goals by invoking miracles and divine wrath. Their mastery of domain spells exceeds that of clerics, letting them delve deeply into the specific powers of their faith.

Background

Sacerdotes are students of divine knowledge, delving both deep and wide into the mysteries of their faith. They study myths and legends to discover hidden meaning and pattern, using this knowledge to replicate miracles in a reliable way. The sacerdote is an educated class and starting age is in the oldest category.

Religion

Sacerdotes tend to worship organized, civilized gods, working their way up through the hierarchy of the church. Many work as priests, teachers, or religious academics. They serve entire pantheons of gods, or have their own views of the divine that they try to propagate. Yet others serve spirits or other less-than-divine patrons, often several at once.

Alignment

A sacerdote may be of any alignment, but he cannot draw upon the divine power of a patron who has an alignment opposed to his own, either on the law-chaos or good-evil axis. See domains, below. Sacerdotes tend toward neutral alignment, having studied many ethical viewpoints but making none of them their own.

Adventurers

Each adventuring sacerdote has his own reasons. Those who are part of a church may be sent on missions into the world, those who strike out on their own might be banished for their free-thinking ways or just be forced to support themselves. Either way, sacerdotes easily fit into most adventuring parties, their wide repertoire of spells and powers making them useful and dangerous spellcasters as well as good support for all other classes.

Relations

Sacerdotes are very high-brow and theoretical. They tend to find physical tasks demeaning, and look down their noses at the physical classes—while appreciating the service and security they provide, they would never dirty their own hands with physical labor or martial training. This and their theoretical approach to alignment and faith often puts them at odds with clerics and oracles, who feel they have a practical understanding of the divine as opposed to the sacerdotes' theology. On the other hand, sacerdotes can also clash with wizards and other academic classes, competing for academic credibility. Still, their wisdom tells them that cooperation is of primary importance, rivalries are usually saved for classrooms and debates.

Abilities

A sacerdote needs a high wisdom score for his spells and Intelligence for divine wrath and skills. A healthy Constitution gives a measure of security while Dexterity allows them to call on divine power quickly, when it does the most good.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills

The sacerdote's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (Planes) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Starting Wealth: 2d6 × 10 gp (average 70 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the sacerdote.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Sacerdotes are proficient with the club, dagger, and quarterstaff but not with any type of armor or shield. A sacerdote that wears armor or uses a shield risks arcane spell failure on divine spells from the sacerdote class, see advanced spells below.

Spells

A sacerdote casts divine spells, which are drawn from the cleric spell list and from clerical domains. His cleric spells and domain spells make up two different spell lists, and a sacerdote prepares spells from each category separately. His alignment may restrict him from casting certain spells opposed to his moral or ethical beliefs; see domains and chaotic, evil, good, and lawful spells, both below. A sacerdote must choose and prepare his spells in advance.

To prepare or cast a spell, a sacerdote must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a sacerdote's spell is 10 + the spell level + the sacerdote's Wisdom modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a sacerdote can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Sacerdote. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score. A sacerdote prepares this many cleric spells each day and this many domain spells each day; in effect, the sacerdote has two sets of spells and receives Wisdom bonuses to both.

Example: A third level sacerdote with a Wisdom of 12 can prepare three first-level and one second-level cleric spell, and the same number of domain spells from among those listed for his domains.

Sacerdotes meditate for their spells. To prepare spells, they must get eight hours of sleep and then spend 1 hour in quiet contemplation to regain their daily allotment of spells. A sacerdote may prepare and cast any spell on the cleric and domain spell lists respectively, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but must prepare the proper type of spell in cleric and domain slots and choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation.

Advanced Spellcasting

Sacerdotes studying the divine do not adapt their spells to practical use the way most divine spellcasters do. Their study of the divine is deeply theoretical and has just as exacting requirements as arcane spells. This includes spell preparation as noted above and also somatic components. When casting divine spells with somatic components while wearing armor, a sacerdote is subject to arcane spell failure just like an arcane caster.

Sacerdote spells are harder to learn than normal divine spells, and this restricts which prestige classes they can benefit from. A prestige class that improves the casting of arcane spells works for a sacerdote, but a prestige class that improves only divine spells does not.

Bonus Languages

A sacerdote's bonus language options include Celestial, Abyssal, and Infernal (the languages of good, chaotic evil, and lawful evil outsiders, respectively). These choices are in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of his race.

Calculated Targeting (Ex)

The sacerdote can choose to use his Intelligence bonus instead of the attribute he would normally use on attack rolls with spells or divine wrath rays. This does not apply to physical attacks improved by spells, only to attack rolls granted by the spell itself.

Example: A sacerdote applies this bonus to divine wrath rays and to attack rolls with spells like searing light or spiritual weapon, but not to the attacks of a weapon enhanced with magic weapon.

Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells

A sacerdote can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to his own. Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaotic, evil, good, and lawful descriptors in their spell descriptions. Note that some spells take on an alignment descriptor depending on how they are uses, such as summon monster spells that have alignment descriptors that matches the summoned creature's alignment.

Domains

Sacerdotes study the divine in unique ways, achieving both a breath and depth unavailable to clerics. Beside divine spells from the cleric list, they also have access to a large number of domains and a separate but equal daily limit on domain spells they can prepare. Combine all the spells granted by the sacerdote's domains; these become his domain spell list.

A sacerdote normally serves a pantheon rather than an individual deity. He can draw upon the domains of all deities of his pantheon who are not of an alignment opposed to his own, either on the law-chaos or good-evil axis. He cannot select an alignment domain (Chaos, Evil, Good, or Law) unless he shares that alignment. Each sacerdote selects six domains among those offered by his pantheon. In addition, all sacerdotes know mage armor as a 1st level domain spell. These domains are the same ones clerics use. Each domain gives the sacerdote access to a domain spell at each spell level he can cast, from 1st on up. The sacerdote gets no granted powers from his domains.

Example: Asilah is a first level sacerdote with the charm, community, earth, fire, good, and healing domains. Her domain spell list consists of all the collected domain spells of these domains, plus mage armor which all sacerdotes know. This gives her a first level domain spell list consisting of: bless, burning hands, charm person, cure light wounds, mage armor, magic stone, and protection from evil. She uses this as her spell list when she prepares her 1st level domain spells. All the domain spells of higher levels are on her spell list as well, so she can use a divine scroll of breath of life even tough she cannot prepare that spell yet, since that spell is offered by the healing domain. If she had had the archon subdomain of the good domain, she would have exchanged protection from evil for the 1st level spell of the archon subdomain, divine favor.

A sacerdote that serves a philosophy, dualistic deity, monotheistic deity, or other religion that is established in the world selects six domains available to his faith. A sacerdote who follows a personal revelation can instead select any five domains, but must still follow the limitation on alignment domains.

A sacerdote that changes to a non-allowed alignment or to the worship of a different pantheon loses any domains they are no longer allowed. The next time he advances in level, the sacerdote can choose replacement domains allowed by his new alignment.

List of domains and subdomains.

Divine Wrath (Su)

As a standard action that triggers an attack of opportunity, a sacredote may channel his spells trough his divine focus to deal damage.

Divine wrath can be either positive or negative energy. The type of energy channeled is decided each time the ability is used, but is restricted by alignment; a good sacerdote cannot channel negative energy while an evil sacerdote cannot channel positive energy. Both types of energy do damage to all kinds of targets. It does full damage to incorporeal creatures. Divine wrath is not subject to energy resistance, and death ward or similar spells offer no protection.

Like most energy attacks, divine wrath does only half damage to objects, and Hardness applies. Objects carried or worn by a creature are not affected by divine wrath unless the wearer rolls a "1" on its saving throw to avoid the effect. See damaging objects in the Pathfinder core rule book.

To use this ability, the sacerdote spends a standard action and sacrifices a sacerdote spell of level one or higher. This can be a cleric or domain spell, but orisons cannot be channeled. The spell is expended as if it was cast, but has no effects besides powering the divine wrath ability. The amount of damage dealt is 1d6 points per level of the spell used. This damage increases as the sacerdote advances in level. At level 2 and each even level thereafter add another d6 damage, to a maximum of 10d6 additional damage at level 20.

Example: A 13 level sacerdote channels a 4th level spell into divine wrath. The damage is 4d6 for the spell level and 6d6 for the class level, for a total damage of 10d6.

Divine wrath can take two forms, a 40 ft. cone burst or a ray.

A burst shoots away 40 ft. in a quarter-circle in a direction designated by the sacredote. As a burst, it does not spread around walls or other solid cover, but as a Will-save effect there are no cover modifiers. Creatures that take damage from a divine wrath burst receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + the level of the spell channeled + the sacerdote's Intelligence modifier.

Divine wrath channeled into a ray has medium range (100 ft. + 10 ft./level). This is a ranged touch attack that only affects a single target, but there is no saving throw for half damage.

A sacerdote must be able to present his divine focus to use this ability. Divine wrath counts as channeled energy of the same type and number of dice when exploring, such when channeled energy is used as a key to open a door or to trigger an event.

Orisons

Sacerdotes can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level cleric spells, each day, as noted on Table: Sacerdote under "Spells per day". These spells are treated like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again. A sacerdote has no level zero domain spells.

Bonus Feats

At level 3 and every 4 levels thereafter (at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level) a sacerdote gains a bonus feat. At each such opportunity, he can choose a metamagic feat, an item creation feat, or a wrath feat. The sacerdote must meet all prerequisites for each bonus feat.

Manifestations (Ex)

At 5th level, the sacerdote learns to manifest his divine wrath ability in new ways. Select one of the following manifestations at 5th level. Every four levels after 5th (level 9, 13, 17) add another manifestation. Unless otherwise noted, a particular manifestation can only be selected once and cannot be changed once it has been selected.

• A ray with long range (400 ft. + 40 ft/level) affecting a single target.
• A split ray, affecting two targets at short range (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 caster levels). Roll to hit each target separately. This cannot strike the same target twice.
• A 60 ft. line. This manifestation can be selected several times, each additional time adds 60 ft. to the line.
• A cylindrical burst (20-ft. radius, 10-ft. high per level) within medium range (100 ft + 10 ft./level). To determine how it interacts with cover, positive energy originates at the upper end of the cylinder and bursts down; negative energy begins at the low end of the cylinder and travels up. This manifestation can be selected twice, the second time it gets long range (400 ft. + 40 ft/level).
• A snake shaped spread that can expand into a number of continuous squares the sacerdote can see equal to half his caster level; the snake shape can have any form and begins in a square next to the user.
• An extended cone, that adds 20 ft. to the size of the basic cone. This manifestation can be taken up to two times; the effect stacks.

All manifestations that are area effects allow a saving throw in the same manner as the basic cone burst.

Table: Sacerdote

Level

Base Attack Bonus

Fort Save

Reflex Save

Will Save

Special

Spells per Day

0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

1st

+0

+0

+0

+2

Advanced spellcasting, calculated targeting, divine wrath, domains, orisons

3

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

2nd

+1

+0

+0

+3

Divine wrath +1d6

4

2+2

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

3rd

+1

+1

+1

+3

Bonus feat

4

2+2

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

4th

+2

+1

+1

+4

Divine wrath +2d6

5

3+3

2+2

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

5th

+2

+1

+1

+4

Manifestation

5

3+3

2+2

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

6th

+3

+2

+2

+5

Divine wrath +3d6

5

3+3

3+3

2+2

—

—

—

—

—

—

7th

+3

+2

+2

+5

Bonus feat

6

4+4

3+3

2+2

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

8th

+4

+2

+2

+6

Divine wrath +4d6

6

4+4

3+3

3+3

2+2

—

—

—

—

—

9th

+4

+3

+3

+6

Manifestation

6

4+4

4+4

3+3

2+2

1+1

—

—

—

—

10th

+5

+3

+3

+7

Divine wrath +5d6

6

4+4

4+4

3+3

3+3

2+2

—

—

—

—

11th

+5

+3

+3

+7

Bonus feat

6

5+5

4+4

4+4

3+3

2+2

1+1

—

—

—

12th

+6/+1

+4

+4

+8

Divine wrath +6d6

6

5+5

4+4

4+4

3+3

3+3

2+2

—

—

—

13th

+6/+1

+4

+4

+8

Manifestation

6

5+5

5+5

4+4

4+4

3+3

2+2

1+1

—

—

14th

+7/+2

+4

+4

+9

Divine wrath +7d6

6

5+5

5+5

4+4

4+4

3+3

3+3

2+2

—

—

15th

+7/+2

+5

+5

+9

Bonus feat

6

5+5

5+5

5+5

4+4

4+4

3+3

2+2

1+1

—

16th

+8/+3

+5

+5

+10

Divine wrath +8d6

6

5+5

5+5

5+5

4+4

4+4

3+3

3+3

2+2

—

17th

+8/+3

+5

+5

+10

Manifestation

6

5+5

5+5

5+5

5+5

4+4

4+4

3+3

2+2

1+1

18th

+9/+4

+6

+6

+11

Divine wrath +9d6

6

5+5

5+5

5+5

5+5

4+4

4+4

3+3

3+3

2+2

19th

+9/+4

+6

+6

+11

Bonus feat

6

5+5

5+5

5+5

5+5

5+5

4+4

4+4

3+3

3+3

20th

+10/+5

+6

+6

+12

Divine wrath +10d6

6

5+5

5+5

5+5

5+5

5+5

4+4

4+4

4+4

4+4

In addition to the stated number of spells per day for 1st- through 9th-level spells, a sacerdote gets an equal number of domain spells for each spell level, starting at 1st. The "x+x" in the entries on this table represents these extra spells. Bonus spells the sacerdote may receive for having a high Wisdom score apply to both regular spells and domain spells separately and is thus applied twice.

Wrath Feats

Wrath are a type of feats that modify the divine wrath class feature of the sacerdote.

Abjure Outsiders (Wrath)

Your connection to the divine can force outsiders away from you.

Prerequisites: Divine wrath class feature

Benefit: When you use divine wrath, outsiders must make a Will save (DC 10 + the level of the channeled spell + your Intelligence modifier) or flee from you, as if frightened. Immunity or resistance to fear does not offer any protection against this ability. Outsiders that fail their save flee for 1 minute. Outsiders able to teleport or plane travel away may do so. Outsiders of Intelligence 6 or more receive a new saving throw each round to end the effect. If you use divine wrath in this way, it does no damage and cannot power any other effect.

Abjure Undead (Wrath)

Undead recoil when you channel divine wrath.

Prerequisites: Divine wrath class feature, ability to channel positive energy.

Benefit: When you use divine wrath with positive energy, undead must make a Will save (DC 10 + the level of the channeled spell + your Intelligence modifier) or flee from you, as if panicked. Undead that fail their save flee for 1 minute. Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each round to end the effect. If you use divine wrath in this way, it does no damage and cannot power any other effect.

Aligned Wrath (Wrath)

You can target divine wrath against certain alignments.

Prerequisites: Divine wrath class feature

Benefit: When you use divine wrath, you can chose to damage only opposing alignments. This can be done in two ways. Used the first way, creatures whose alignment is opposed to yours, either on the law-chaos or evil-good axis are affected normally, all others are immune. Used the second way, those who share your exact alignment are immune, all others are affected normally. Aligned wrath never does damage to non-intelligent creatures or objects of neutral alignment.

Extra Manifestation (Wrath)

Prerequisites: Manifestation class feature.

Benefit: You learn an additional manifestation, as the sacerdote class feature.

Heightened Divine Wrath (Wrath)

Prerequisites: Divine wrath class feature.

Benefit: Using divine wrath with this ability is a full-round action. When you do so, the save DC of your divine wrath is 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Intelligence modifier. This applies to spells channeled into damage only, not for other uses of the divine wrath ability.

Improved Divine Wrath (Wrath)

Prerequisites: Divine wrath class feature.

Benefit: Increase the save DC of your divine wrath by +2.

Improved Placate (Wrath)

Prerequisites: Divine wrath class feature, wrath feat with placate in the name.

Benefit: The maximum number of hit dice you can placate is equal to twice your sacerdote caster level. No individual creature can be of a higher hit dice than your caster level.

Placate Elementals (Wrath)

Your link to the elements allows you to charm elemental creatures.

Prerequisites: Divine wrath class feature, elemental domain (air, earth, fire, or water)

Benefit: You can use your divine wrath to charm outsiders of the elemental subtype instead of causing damage. You can only command elementals of a type matching an elemental domain you know (including subdomans if used). If you know multiple elemental domains, you can command elementals of any of these types. You can placate an elemental with multiple elemental subtypes if you have a domain matching any of it's elemental subtypes. You can never placate elementals of an alignment opposed to your own, either on the law-chaos or good-evil axis.

When you use divine wrath in this way, outsiders of relevant subtype(s) must make a Will save (DC 10 + the level of the channeled spell + your Intelligence modifier). Affected outsiders that fail their saves become your close allies, as if under the effects of charm person targeting outsiders instead of humanoids. Outsiders with an Intelligence of 6 or more receive a new saving throw each hour to resist the effect. You can placate any number of outsiders, so long as their total Hit Dice do not exceed your sacredote level. If you use divine wrath in this way, it has no other effect (it does not harm nearby creatures). If an outsider is under the control of another creature or if there is a conflict of interests, you must make an opposed Charisma check or your command will be ignored. If you use divine wrath in this way, it does no damage and cannot power any other effect.

Placate Native Outsiders (Wrath)

Calling on divine authority, you can command the spirits of your world.

Prerequisites: Divine wrath class feature

Benefit: You can charm outsiders native to your plane of origin. You can never charm outsiders of an alignment opposed to your own, either on the law-chaos or good-evil axis.

The effect is the same as that of Placate Elementals.

Placate Outsiders (Wrath)

Calling on divine authority, you turn outsiders into allies.

Prerequisites: Divine wrath class feature, shared alignment

Benefit: Select one subtype of outsider when you take this feat: chaos, evil, good, or law. You must share this alignment.

The effect is the same as that of Placate Elementals.

Special: You can take this feat multiple times. It does not stack. Select a new subtype of outsider each time you pick this feat. You must fulfill the requirements each time you take the feat. If you change to an alignment that no longer allows you to command a selected subtype of outsiders, you can replace it with a new subtype the next time you increase in level.

Placate Undead (Wrath)

Using your affinity to outsiders sharing your alignment, you can make them into your servants.

Prerequisites: Divine wrath class feature, ability to channel negative energy.

Benefit: When you channel negative energy with divine wrath, undead hit by a ray or in the area must make a Will save (DC 10 + the level of the channeled spell + your Intelligence modifier). Undead that fail their saves fall under your control, obeying your commands to the best of their ability, as if under the effects of control undead. Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each day to resist your command. You can control any number of undead, so long as their total Hit Dice do not exceed your sacredote level. If you use divine wrath in this way, it does no damage and cannot power any other effect. If an undead creature is under the control of another creature or you force the undead to do something against its nature, you must make an opposed Charisma check or your command will be ignored.

Selective Divine Wrath (Wrath)

You can choose whom to affect when you channel divine wrath.

Prerequisites: Divine wrath class feature

Benefit: When you use divine wrath as an area effect, you can choose a number of targets in the area up to your Intelligence modifier. These targets are not affected by your divine wrath.

See Also

• Domains - List of domains and subdomains

Earlier Versions

Theurge - Spells Domains

• Astral Magician^VS
• Ecclesiastic Druid
• Cloistered Theurge
• Crusading Preacher
• Druidic Teurge
• Healing Theurge
• Spirit Theurge

External Links

Spellcasting Guides

• Animate Dead
• Overcoming Arcane Spell Failure
• Polymorph Guide - Wild Shape Guide useful to all polymorphers.
• Polyharmony Guide - Futher polymoph guidance.
• Shadow Conjuration - Shadow Evocation
• Summoning guide
• Summon Monster
• Touch Spells, Spellstrike, and Spell Combat

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