Vindicator (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Many faiths have within their membership an order of the church militant, be they holy knights or dark warriors, who put their lives and immortal souls on the line for their faith. They are paragons of battle, eschewing sermons for steel. These men and women are living conduits of divine power, down to their very blood, which they happily shed in a moment if it brings greater glory to their deity or judgment upon heretics, infidels, and enemies of the faith.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype. The vindicator is a holy warrior that channels energy to harm enemies.

Publisher: Purple Duck Games.

Prestige Class: Holy Vindicator from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Player's Guide, turned into a full base class.

Role: The vindicator has substantial combat skills and her power to channel harm is prodigious. Those whose religious views align well with the vindicator will find a ready ally. Allies whose alignment conflict with the vindicator's may find themselves blasted by her devotion.

Alignment: Vindicators may be of any alignment. Vindicators must have an identical alignment to that of their patron, and mostly worship gods of pain, sacrifice, striving, renewal, or conflict.

Hit Die: d12.

Class Skills

The vindicator’s class skills are Climb (Str), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

These are all the class features of the vindicator.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A vindicator is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and all armor and shields (except tower shields). A vindicator with a patron is proficient with her patron's favored weapon.

Aura (Ex)

Like a cleric, a vindicator of a chaotic, evil, good, or lawful deity has a particularly powerful aura corresponding to the deity's alignment (see detect evil for details).

Channel Harm (Su)

Regardless of alignment, any vindicator can release a wave of energy by channeling the power of her faith through her weapon. A good vindicator (or a neutral vindicator who worships a good deity) channels positive energy and can deal damage to undead creatures. An evil vindicator (or a neutral vindicator who worships an evil deity) channels negative energy and can deal damage to living creatures. A neutral vindicator of a neutral deity (or one who is not devoted to a particular deity) must choose whether she channels positive or negative energy. Once this choice is made, it cannot be reversed. Objects and non-living creatures like constructs are not affected.

Channel harm causes a burst that affects all creatures of the relevant type (either undead or living) in a 30-foot radius centered on the vindicator. The amount of damage dealt is equal to 1d6 points plus 1d6 points for every two vindicator levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, and so on). Creatures that take damage from channel harm receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the vindicator's level + the vindicator's Charisma modifier. A vindicator may channel energy a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1) plus half her class level. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A vindicator never deals damage to herself with this ability.

Channel Harm is a variant of the cleric's channel energy ability, and can be used with feats and abilities that work with channel energy used to inflict harm.

Channel Smite

At 1st level, a vindicator gains Channel Smite as a bonus feat.

Flexible Channel (Su)

At 2nd level, when the vindicator channels harm, she can choose to channel positive energy to harm undead or negative energy to harm the living, regardless of alignment concerns. She cannot harm both undead and living creatures at the same time, nor can she harm constructs or objects.

Domains

A vindicator is the strong right hand of her deity, and this relationship colors what magic she can perform. A vindicator knows three domains belonging to her patron. If the GM allows a vindicator not devoted to a particular deity, she selects three domains to represent her spiritual inclinations and abilities (subject to GM approval). A vindicator can select an alignment domain (Chaos, Evil, Good, or Law) only if her alignment matches that domain.

The domains are the same as those available to clerics. The vindicator gains spells but not domain powers from their domains. Collect all the domain spells of level one to four the vindicator gains from all her domains; this is her spell list and list of known spells. This is the only benefit a vindicator gains from domains. These spells are cast using the spells ability, below.

In addition, all vindicators know the following spells:

1. Cure light wounds, doom
2. Cure moderate wounds, death knell
3. Cure severe wounds, curse
4. Cure critical wounds, terrible remorse

Spells

Beginning at 4th level, a vindicator gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells drawn from her domains (see above). Through 3rd level, a vindicator has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is equal to her vindicator level – 3.

To learn or cast a spell, a vindicator must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a vindicator’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the vindicator’s Charisma modifier (see FAQ at right).

Like other spellcasters, a vindicator can cast only a certain number of spells per day of each spell level. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Vindicator. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).

Unlike other divine spellcasters, a vindicator’s selection of spells is limited. A vindicator knows only the spells gained from her domains class feature (see above).

Unlike a paladin, a vindicator need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her spells per day for that spell level.

Blood Mastery (Su)

At 4th level the vindicator can use bleed and stabilize as spell-like abilities at will, using the same type of action she uses to control the flow of blood.

Stigmata (Su)

A vindicator willingly gives her blood in service to her faith, and is marked by scarified wounds appropriate to her faith and personal history. At 4th level, her stigmata start to bleed whenever she takes cutting or piercing damage. She can also stop or start the flow of blood by force of will as a standard action; at 8th level this becomes a move action, at 12th level it becomes a swift action, and at level 16 a free action. Bleeding stigmata causes bleed damage equal to one-quarter the vindicator’s class level, and this bleed cannot be halted except as above. While the stigmata are bleeding, the vindicator gains a sacred bonus (if she channels positive energy) or profane bonus (if she channels negative energy) equal to one-quarter her class level. Each time the stigmata activates, the vindicator decides if the bonus applies to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, Armor Class, caster level checks, or saving throws; to change what the bonus applies to, the vindicator must deactivate and reactivate her stigmata. While her stigmata are bleeding, the vindicator ignores blood drain and bleed damage from any other source.

Faith Healing (Su)

At 6th level, any cure wounds spells the vindicator casts on herself are automatically empowered as if by the Empower Spell feat, except they do not use higher spell level slots or an increased casting time. This applies even to spells cast from magic items. If the vindicator targets herself with a cure spell that affects multiple creatures, this ability only applies to herself. Note that empower spell multiplies the final result of the spell, including level bonuses.

Vindicator’s Shield (Su)

A 6th level vindicator can channel energy into her shield as a swift action; this consumes one daily use of channel harm. This gives the vindicator a sacred bonus (if positive energy) or profane bonus (if negative energy) to her shield bonus equal to the number of dice of the vindicator’s channel harm. This bonus lasts until the beginning of the vindicator's next round. The shield does not provide this bonus to any other wielder.

Doom The Infidel (Sp)

At 8th level, when a vindicator suffers a critical hit, she may cast doom upon the attacker, even if the attack incapacitates or kills the vindicator. This is a free action that does not trigger an attack of opportunity The save DC is the same as for channel harm. The vindicator can also use this ability when she verifies a critical hit, then the save DC increases by +2 if her weapon has a ×3 damage multiplier, or by +4 if it is ×4. The vindicator can only use one of doom of the infidel, curse the infidel, or divine vengeance with any one critical hit.

Bloodfire (Su)

At 10th level, while a vindicator’s stigmata are bleeding, her blood runs down her weapons like sacred or profane liquid energy; when she uses Channel Smite, the damage increases by 1d6, and if the target fails its save against channel harm, it is sickened and takes 1d6 points of bleed damage each round on its turn. The target can attempt a new save every round to end the sickened and bleed effects.

Divine Judgment (Ex)

At 11th level, when a vindicator’s melee attack reduces a creature to –1 or fewer hit points, she may cast death knell upon the target as a free action. As vindicators mete out divine judgment, this is not an evil act. The save DC is the same as for channel harm.

Versatile Channel (Su)

At 12th level, a vindicator’s channel harm can instead affect a 50-foot cone or a 120-foot line.

Curse The Infidel (Ex)

At 14th level, when a vindicator suffers a critical hit, she may cast bestow curse upon the attacker, even if the attack incapacitates or kills the vindicator. This is a free action that does not trigger an attack of opportunity. The save DC is the same as for channel harm. The vindicator can also use this ability when she verifies a critical hit, then the save DC increases by +2 if her weapon has a ×3 damage multiplier, or by +4 if it is ×4.

Divine Vengeance (Sp)

At 17th level, when a vindicator suffers a critical hit, she may cast terrible remorse upon the attacker as an free action that does not trigger an attack of opportunity, even if the attack incapacitates or kills the vindicator. The save DC is the same as for channel harm. The vindicator can also use this ability when she verifies a critical hit, then the save DC increases by +2 if her weapon has a ×3 damage multiplier, or by +4 if it is ×4.

Bloodrain (Su)

At 18th level, while her stigmata are bleeding, the vindicator’s harmful channeled energy is accompanied by a burst of sacred or profane liquid energy, increasing the damage by 1d6. Creatures failing their saves against the channeled energy become sickened and take 1d6 points of bleed damage each round. Affected creatures can attempt a new save every round to end the sickened and bleed effects. This supersedes (does not stack with) bloodfire, above.

Universal Channel (Su)

At 18th level, when the vindicator channels energy, she can choose to channel a mix of positive and negative energy that harms all types of targets, including objects, constructs, and other non-living creatures.

Favored Class Bonuses

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever she gains a level in vindicator, the following races have the option of choosing an alternate bonus depending on their race.

Dwarf: Add a +1 bonus on concentration checks for vindicator spells.

Elf: Add +1 to Heal skill checks.

Gnome: + 1/6 of an additional domain choice.

Half-Elf: Add +1 to either Knowledge (planes) or Knowledge (religion) skill checks.

Half-Orc: Add 1/6 to the holy vindicator’s stigmata damage and benefit.

Halfling: Add +1/4 bonus to AC against opponents with an aura of opposed alignment.

Human: Add a +1 bonus on caster level checks made to overcome the spell resistance of outsiders.

Polkan: Add +1 to damage with their god’s favored weapon when charging.

Table: Vindicator

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						1	2	3	4
1st	+1	+2	+0	+2	Aura, channel harm 1d6, Channel Smite	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+3	Flexible channel	—	—	—	—
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+3	Channel harm 2d6	—	—	—	—
4th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Blood mastery, domains, stigmata 1 (standard)	0	—	—	—
5th	+5	+4	+1	+4	Channel harm 3d6	1	—	—	—
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+5	Faith healing (empower), vindicator’s shield	1	—	—	—
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+5	Channel harm 4d6	1	0	—	—
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+6	Doom the infidel, stigmata 2 (move)	1	1	—	—
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+6	Channel harm 5d6	2	1	—	—
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+7	Bloodfire	2	1	0	—
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+7	Channel harm 6d6, divine judgment,	2	1	1	—
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+8	Stigmata 3 (swift), versatile channel	2	2	1	—
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+8	Channel harm 7d6	3	2	1	0
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+9	Curse the infidel	3	2	1	1
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+9	Channel harm 8d6	3	2	2	1
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+10	Stigmata 4 (free)	3	3	2	1
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Channel harm 9d6, Divine vengeance	4	3	2	1
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Bloodrain, universal channel	4	3	2	2
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Channel harm 10d6	4	3	3	2
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Stigmata 5	4	4	3	3

Ex-Vindicators

A vindicator who changes alignment or violates the code of conduct required by her patron loses all spells and class features, except for weapon, armor and shield proficiencies. She cannot thereafter gain levels as a vindicator of that god until she atones for her deeds (see the atonement spell description).

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