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.

Demonic Aura (Ex)

A demoniac has a particularly powerful aura of chaos and evil (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 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 debase themselves to their demonic patrons to gain 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. This is also the time the demoniac does her daily obedience (see below)

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.

Good Lawful Spells: A demoniac can't cast good spells or spells of good or lawfulness. 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 selects two domains, selected from among those offered by her patron. She cannot choose the Law or Good domains.

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. Add brimorak to the demoniac's list of monsters available for summon monster iv.

Obedience (Ex)

In order to maintain the abilities gained from this class (including all spellcasting abilities), a demoniac must indulge in a daily obedience to his chosen demon lord. This ceremony is how the demoniac prepares spells.

Demonic Obedience

At second level, a demoniac gains Demonic Obedience as a bonus feat, without having to fulfill the prerequisites of this feat.

Demonic Mark (Ex)

At 4th level, the demoniac is branded with the sign of his chosen demon lord as a tattoo-like mark somewhere on his body. Once per day, a demoniac can call upon the profane power of this mark to power a spell as he casts it. Doing so causes the spell to gain the chaotic and evil descriptors, and causes the spell not be expended as it is cast, allowing the demoniac to cast the spell again at a later point in the day.

Damned (Ex)

At 6th level, the demoniac definitely sells his soul to his demon lord. When a demoniac is killed, his soul is instantly claimed by the Abyss. In time, the demoniac’s soul is transformed into a demon appropriate to the greatest sins the demoniac gloried in while he lived. Any character attempting to resurrect a slain demoniac must succeed at a caster level check equal to 10 + ½ the demoniac’s level or the spell fails. That character cannot attempt to resurrect the demoniac again until the following day, though other characters can attempt to do so if they please.

Demonic Boon

As a demoniac gains levels, he gains Boons from his demonic patron as his body and soul become increasingly infused with demonic energies. The nature of the Boons granted varies, depending upon the demoniac’s chosen demon lord. Each demon lord grants three Boons, each more powerful than the last. At 8th level, the demoniac gains the first boon.

At 12th level, he gains the second boon, and at 16th level, he gains the third and final boon. Consult the Demonic Obedience feat and the various demon lord descriptions for details on demonic Boons. When a demonic boon grants a spell-like ability, his caster level for the spell-like ability equals his total character level. This ability allows a demoniac to access these Boons earlier than normal; it does not grant additional uses of the Boons once the character reaches the necessary Hit Dice to earn the Boons normally.

Energumen (Su)

Once per day at 10th level, a demoniac can open his soul to a demonic spirit as a free action. This spirit possesses the demoniac for a number of rounds equal to his demoniac level, granting a +2 profane bonus to one ability score of the demoniac’s choice.

At 14th level, energumen grants a +4 profane bonus to one ability score, electricity resistance 10, and a +4 bonus on all saving throws against poison.

At 18th level, energumen grants a +6 profane bonus to one ability score and also immunity to electricity and poison.

When the energumen ends, the demoniac becomes confused for a number of rounds equal to his demoniac level as the demonic spirit has its way with his mind. At the start of each round of confusion, the demoniac can make a DC 25 Will save to end the confusion effect immediately.

Energumen is a possession effect, and is negated by protection from evil or protection from chaos. A demoniac can prevent or end the confusion side effect by having one of these spells cast upon him when (or before) the energumen ends, but being affected by such a spell before the energumen has run its course also causes the benefits granted to end prematurely.

Demonic Form (Ex)

When a demoniac reaches 20th level, he may undergo a temporary transformation into a unique demon. His type changes to outsider with the chaotic, demon, evil, and native subtypes. He gains damage reduction 10/good and cold iron, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10, and telepathy to a range of 100 feet. When he gains this ability, he chooses one additional physical transformation from the following to gain when he transforms: wings (fly speed of 40 feet with good maneuverability) ===, gills (ability to breathe water and a swim speed of 30 feet) ===, or a single natural attack (a claw, bite, gore, slam, or tail sting—damage inflicted as appropriate for the demoniac’s size) ===. Once this additional physical transformation is chosen, it can never be changed. The newly created demon’s natural weapons, as well as any weapon it wields, are treated as chaotic and evil for the purpose of resolving damage reduction. The demoniac can remain in this form for a number of minutes per day equal to his caster level; this duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be used in 1 minute increments. Returning to his normal form is a free action.

Ex-Demoniacs

A demoniac whose alignment becomes anything other than chaotic evil, or who goes against the will of his demonic patron, loses all class features of this prestige class, in addition to all spellcasting ability that has been enhanced by levels of this class (even if that spellcasting ability comes from a class that normally does not rely on the approval of a divine patron). He cannot thereafter gain levels as a demoniac until he atones for his deeds (see atonement spell). This is the only route a demoniac can take to switch to a different demonic patron—the atonement must come from a worshiper of the new demon lord.

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

Demonic aura, domains, obedience, orisons, spontaneous summoning

3

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

2nd

+1

+3

+0

+3

Demonic Obedience

4

2+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

3rd

+2

+3

+1

+3

4

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

4th

+3

+4

+1

+4

Demonic mark

4

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

5th

+3

+4

+1

+4

4

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

6th

+4

+5

+2

+5

Damned

4

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

7th

+5

+5

+2

+5

4

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

8th

+6/+1

+6

+2

+6

Demonic boon 1

4

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

—

—

9th

+6/+1

+6

+3

+6

4

4+1

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

—

10th

+7/+2

+7

+3

+7

Energumen +2

4

4+1

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

—

11th

+8/+3

+7

+3

+7

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

12th

+9/+4

+8

+4

+8

Demonic boon 2

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

13th

+9/+4

+8

+4

+8

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

14th

+10/+5

+9

+4

+9

Energumen +4 (resistances)

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

15th

+11/+6/+1

+9

+5

+9

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

16th

+12/+7/+2

+10

+5

+10

Demonic boon 3

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

17th

+12/+7/+2

+10

+5

+10

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

Energumen +6 (immunities)

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

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

Demonic identity

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