Darkfire Adept (Apath)
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The darkfire adept works for the ultimate goal; the annihilation of reality and a return to primal nothingness. Not popular even at the best of times, believers in the end times are usually shunned or shut away as madmen. But a few of these fanatics manage to reach out to the power of darkfire, the cleansing flame they believe will ultimately undo all creation.
Class Information
This is a prestige archetype working towards the end of the world.
Prestige Class: Blackfire adept from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Paths of Prestige.
Build Classes: Cleric.
Role: The darkfire adept serves nothing and wishes to bring power and glory to nothing. Darkfire adepts seek to further the end of all things, or at least the dissolution of any semblance of meaning in their surroundings. They become brigands or join apocalyptic cults. Some show their allegiance openly and go preaching, others hide behind a veneer of civilized behavior and seek to unravel society from within.
Alignment: Any non-good. Not all darkfire adepts are evil, but they are all surrounded by an aura of evil. They seek patrons among the lords of evil, well knowing that even such mighty lords will be undone in the end. They need not do evil in their everyday life; their dedication to ending the world marks their souls even if they live fairly ordinary lives. No non-evil power will ever grant divine spells to a darkfire adept.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills
The darkfire adept's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
These are all the class features of the darkfire adept.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Darkfire adepts are proficient with all simple weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). Darkfire adepts are also proficient with the favored weapon of their patron, if they have one.
Bonus Languages
A darkfire adept 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 darkfire adept has a particularly powerful evil aura. A lawful or chaotic darkfire adept also has the corresponding alignment aura (see detect evil for details). She is affected by spells and effects as if she was evil, regardless of her actual alignment.
Spells
A darkfire adept 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 darkfire adept must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a darkfire adept's spell is 10 + the spell level + the darkfire adept's Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a darkfire adept can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Darkfire Adept. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).
Darkfire adepts meditate or pray for their spells. Each darkfire adept 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 darkfire adept can prepare spells. A darkfire adept 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: Darkfire adepts can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level cleric spells, each day, as noted on Table: Darkfire adept 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 darkfire adept 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.
Evil Domain
A darkfire adept knows the Evil domain (this can be a subdomain if these are in use) but no additional domain.
Darkfire adept levels count as cleric levels when using the evil domain. The domain grants a number of domain powers, dependent upon the level of the darkfire adept, as well as a number of bonus spells. A darkfire adept gains one domain spell slot for each level of darkfire adept spell she can cast, from 1st on up. Each day, a darkfire adept can prepare spells from her domain in that slot. If a domain spell is not on the cleric spell list, a darkfire adept can prepare it only in her domain spell slot. Domain spells cannot be used to cast summon spontaneously.
In addition, a darkfire adept gains the listed powers from her domain, if she is of a high enough level. Unless otherwise noted, activating a domain power is a standard action.
Spontaneous Summoning (Ex)
A darkfire adept 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 darkfire adept gains Augment Summoning as a bonus feat at 2nd level. She need not fulfill the prerequisites of this feat.
Sacred Summons (Ex)
A darkfire adept 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 Darkfire Adept 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 Darkfire Adept 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 Taint (Su)
At 6th level, as a standard action, a Darkfire Adept 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 Darkfire Adept's class level + the Darkfire Adept's Charisma modifier) reduces this to 1 round. The effect immediately ends if the target moves more than 30 feet away from the Darkfire Adept.
The profane bonus and penalty become +2 and –2 at 12th level. They become +3 and –3 at 18th level.
Darkfire Eruption (Sp)
At 8th level, a Darkfire Adept 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.
Breaching (Su)
At 9th level, when a Darkfire Adept 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 automatically 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 Darkfire Adept'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 Darkfire Adept'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 Darkfire Adept 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 Darkfire Adept'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 Darkfire Adept 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 Darkfire Adept 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 a summon monster spell 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 Darkfire Adept, 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: Darkfire Adept
| 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, evil domain, 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-Darkfire Adepts
A darkfire adept 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 darkfire adept 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 determining the fate of the world. Only through the agency of a good deity and many trials can a darkfire adept get rid of the taint of darkfire.
Summary of Lost Class Abilities
These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:
- Aura
- Channel energy
- Domains
- Spontaneous spells