Demoniac (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Those who seek to worship and gain power from a specific demon lord are known as demoniacs. All demon worshipers understand that sinful mortal souls become demons once the Abyss digests them, but the demoniac simply cannot wait for death to begin this transformation, and instead begins the transformation while he yet lives. Depending on which demon lord a demoniac devotes himself to, his evil obedience, suite of powers, and resistance changes. Yet in the end, all demoniacs are damned, their souls transformed by the Abyss into demons upon their deaths. The drow are particularly fond of this prestige class archetype, but typically refer to the demoniacs as demonic initiates.

Class Information

This is a prestige class archetype.

Prestige Class: demoniac.

Build Classes: cleric

The demoniac is a cleric devoted to devolving himself into a demon.

Role: A demoniac is filled with abyssal energy, which he uses to chape himself, his comrades, and the world around him in the image of his demon lord.

Alignment: Chaotic evil. Demoniacs must devote themselves to one particular demon lord, a creature of godlike power and stature.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The demoniac's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Stealth (Dex).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

These are all the class features of the demoniac.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Demoniacs are proficient with all simple weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). Demoniacs are also proficient with the favored weapon of their patron.

Bonus Languages

A demoniac adds Abyssal, Aklo, and Infernal (the languages of chaotic evil outsiders, aberrations, and lawful evil outsiders, respectively) to their list of bonus languages. These choices are in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of her race.

Evil aura (Ex)

A demoniac has a particularly powerful evil aura. A lawful or chaotic demoniac also has the corresponding alignment aura (see detect evil for details).

Spells

A demoniac casts divine spells which are drawn from the cleric spell list. Her alignment, restricts her from casting certain spells opposed to her moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Good, and Lawful Spells below.

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

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

Demoniacs meditate or pray for their spells. Each demoniac must choose a time at which she must spend 1 hour each day in quiet contemplation or supplication to regain her daily allotment of spells. Time spent resting has no effect on whether a demoniac can prepare spells. A demoniac may prepare and cast any spell on the cleric spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.

Orisons: Demoniacs can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level cleric spells, each day, as noted on Table: Demoniac under “Spells per day.” These spells are treated like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

Chaotic, Good, and Lawful Spells: A demoniac can't cast good spells or spells of an alignment opposed to her patron's (if she has one). Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaotic, evil, good, and lawful descriptors in their spell descriptions. A demoniac must choose and prepare her spells in advance.

Domains

A demoniac knows the Evil domain (this can be a subdomain if these are in use) and can choose one additional domain. A demoniac cannot select an additional alignment domain. If a demoniac is devoted to a particular patron, she selects one domain from among those offered by her patron. The restriction on alignment domains still applies.

Demoniac levels count as cleric levels when using domains. Each domain grants a number of domain powers, dependent upon the level of the demoniac, as well as a number of bonus spells. A demoniac gains one domain spell slot for each level of demoniac spell she can cast, from 1st on up. Each day, a demoniac can prepare one of the spells from her two domains in that slot. If a domain spell is not on the cleric spell list, a demoniac can prepare it only in her domain spell slot. Domain spells cannot be used to cast spells spontaneously.

In addition, a demoniac gains the listed powers from both of her domains, if she is of a high enough level. Unless otherwise noted, activating a domain power is a standard action.

Spontaneous Summoning (Ex)

A demoniac can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that she hasn't prepared ahead of time. She can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast any summon monster spell of the same level or lower.

Augment Summoning (Ex)

A demoniac gains Augment Summoning as a bonus feat at 2nd level. She need not fulfill the prerequisites of this feat.

Sacred Summons (Ex)

A demoniac gains Sacred Summons as a bonus feat at 4th level. She need not fulfill the prerequisites of this feat.

Darkfire Pact (Su)

At 3rd level, a Demoniac may choose one evil outsider subtype from among the following: asura, daemon, demodand, demon, devil, div, kyton, oni, qlippoth, or rakshasa. Against outsiders with that subtype, she gains a +1 profane bonus on saving throws, caster level checks, Charisma checks, and Charisma-based skill checks. When using the planar ally or planar binding spells, she can call 2 additional Hit Dice of outsiders with the chosen subtype, and those creatures gain temporary hit points equal to her class level, a +1 profane bonus on saving throws, and a +1 profane bonus to the caster level DC for effects that would banish, dismiss, or dispel them.

At 7th level and every 4 levels after level 7, the Demoniac may select an additional evil outsider subtype for her darkfire pact. In addition, the bonus against any one of her selected subtypes (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by +1.

Darkfire Eruption (Sp)

At 4th level, a Demoniac can sacrifice a prepared spell or spell slot of 4th level or higher, calling forth a searing ebon vortex in the spell's stead. A darkfire eruption acts as unholy blight, but its maximum damage is increased by 1d8 points (2d6 against good outsiders) per level of the sacrificed spell above 4th. The saving throw DC is based on the level of the sacrificed spell. A darkfire eruption ignores the hardness of objects, as it unravels their fundamental reality. A creature slain or an object destroyed by a darkfire eruption is reduced to ash, as by the disintegrate spell. This is a conjuration effect.

Darkfire Taint (Su)

At 6th level, as a standard action, a Demoniac can corrupt the planar substrate into strands of darkfire that create a destructive resonance between herself and a target within 30 feet. She gains a +1 profane bonus on attack rolls and caster level checks against the target, and the target takes a –1 penalty on saving throws against the adept's attacks. The taint lasts a number of rounds equal to her class level, though a successful Will save (DC 10 + ½ the Demoniac's class level + the Demoniac's Charisma modifier) reduces this to 1 round. The effect immediately ends if the target moves more than 30 feet away from the Demoniac.

The profane bonus and penalty become +2 and –2 at 12th level. They become +3 and –3 at 18th level.

Breaching (Su)

At 9th level, when a Demoniac attempts to call or summon a creature from one of her darkfire pact subtypes into an area where summoning is blocked by a magical effect (such as magic circle against evil, forbiddance, or dimensional lock), or when a creature within 30 feet she has called or summoned from her darkfire pact would have its attacks against a creature blocked by such an effect, as a swift action she can sacrifice a prepared spell or spell slot of the same level as the warding effect. If her caster level is higher than the caster level of the warding effect, it is immediately negated. If it is the same or lower, a caster level check (DC 11 + the caster level of the warding) is required to negate the warding effect.

At 16th level, a Demoniac's breaching can penetrate and destroy an antimagic field, a prismatic sphere, or an extradimensional shelter like a mage's magnificent mansion, though a caster level check is always required regardless of the Demoniac's caster level. She can summon creatures into a naturally magic-dead with a successful DC 31 caster level check, but the magic-dead area is not negated.

Profane Summons

At 10th level, when using summon monster to summon creatures whose alignment subtype includes evil, you may cast the spell as a standard action instead of with a casting time of 1 round. Not that this applies to the actual creature subtype, not merely its alignment.

Breaching Legion (Su)

At 13th level, when a Demoniac summons a creature from one of her darkfire pact subtypes, she can choose to allow that creature to use any innate summoning abilities it possesses. The creatures it summons are not under the Demoniac's control. Once this decision is made, it cannot be reversed until the summoned creature is sent back to whence it came.

Accursed Sympathy (Su)

At 14th level, whenever a Demoniac or her called or summoned creature deals hit point damage to a target affected by her darkfire taint, as a swift action she can increase the damage dealt by the attack by 1 hit point per class level. If the target dies, the Demoniac gains temporary hit points equal to 1/2 the target's total number of Hit Dice. These temporary hit points last 1 hour and do not stack.

Fast Summons

At 17th level, when using summon monster to summon creatures whose alignment matches your aura, you may cast the spell as a standard action instead of with a casting time of 1 round.

Riftward Breaching (Su)

At 20th level, whenever one or more creatures appear via a conjuration effect (including calling, summoning, or teleportation effects) within 30 feet of a Demoniac, she can as an immediate action unleash a darkfire eruption that targets all such creatures within 30 feet (but does not affect other creatures). Creatures that fail their saving throws are immediately transported to a random plane in the evil Outer Planes as though affected by a plane shift spell.

Table: Demoniac

Level

Base Attack Bonus

Fort Save

Ref Save

Will Save

Special

Spells per Day

0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

1st

+0

+2

+0

+2

Evil aura, domains, orisons, spontaneous summoning

3

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

2nd

+1

+3

+0

+3

Augment summoning

4

2+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

3rd

+2

+3

+1

+3

1st darkfire pact

4

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

4th

+3

+4

+1

+4

Sacred Summons

4

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

5th

+3

+4

+1

+4

4

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

6th

+4

+5

+2

+5

Darkfire taint

4

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

7th

+5

+5

+2

+5

2nd darkfire pact

4

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

8th

+6/+1

+6

+2

+6

Darkfire eruption

4

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

—

—

9th

+6/+1

+6

+3

+6

Breaching

4

4+1

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

—

10th

+7/+2

+7

+3

+7

Profane Summons

4

4+1

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

—

11th

+8/+3

+7

+3

+7

3rd darkfire pact

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

12th

+9/+4

+8

+4

+8

Darkfire taint (+2)

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

13th

+9/+4

+8

+4

+8

Breaching legion

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

14th

+10/+5

+9

+4

+9

Accursed sympathy

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

15th

+11/+6/+1

+9

+5

+9

4th darkfire pact

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

16th

+12/+7/+2

+10

+5

+10

Breaching (greater)

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

17th

+12/+7/+2

+10

+5

+10

Evil Summons

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

18th

+13/+8/+3

+11

+6

+11

Darkfire taint (+3)

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

19th

+14/+9/+4

+11

+6

+11

5th darkfire pact

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

3+1

20th

+15/+10/+5

+12

+6

+12

Riftward breaching

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

Ex-Demoniacs

A cantor who grossly violates the code of conduct espoused by his patron loses the favor of the patron and the granted domain, but keeps all other powers and can regain a domain either by atonement or by finding another patron. Even a demoniac that stops believing in and working towards the end times still keep their powers, and their destiny is such that they might still be key persons in the fate of the world. Only through the agency of a good deity and atonement can a demoniac leave the archetype and possibly become a regular cleric after many trials.

Summary of Lost Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Aura
• Channel energy
• Spontaneous spells