Dissident of Dawn (Apath)
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Whenever religions splinter, whenever the faithful turn against each other or when a faith is persecuted, there are those who take their faith underground. The dissidents of dawn is such a group in the sun religion.
Class Information
This is a prestige archetype. The dissident of dawn is a sun cleric who has been forced to hide her religious allegiance.
Prestige Class: Dawnflower dissident from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Paths of Prestige.
Build Classes: Cleric.
Role: A dissident of dawn is a cleric able to work under the noses of hostile observers. She is excellent support in an intrigue campaign.
Alignment: Like a cleric, a dissident of dawn can have an alignment no more than one step removed from the alignment of the patron. The dissident of dawn has gone underground, but continues the work of her faith— in whatever way she considers right. A dissident of dawn has a certain lassitude in obeying the forms of religion, but must remain devout in belief. In fact, most dissidents of dawn are far more stringent with their beliefs that the deity actually requires to mark their devotion. Many are intolerant extremists , some are working to heal the schisms and conflicts within the faith.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills
The dissident of dawn's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Stealth (Dex).
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The dissident of dawn has all cleric class features, except as noted.
Armor and Weapon Proficiency
Dissidents of dawn are proficient with all simple weapons, light armor and shields (except tower shields). They are also proficient with the favored weapon of their deity.
Channel Energy (Su)
This is the same as the cleric ability, except the dissident of dawn only channels positive energy, and only to harm undead. An dissident of dawn with an evil patron would instead channel negative energy to harm living creatures.
Divine Deception (Ex)
A Dissident of dawn adds a sacred bonus equal to 1/2 her level on Bluff or Sense Motive checks to send, interpret, or intercept coded messages, and on Sleight of Hand checks for innocuous spellcasting. She also adds the following spells to her spell list:
- illusion of calm
- rope trick
- nondetection
- detect scrying
- mage's private sanctum
- veil
- mage's magnificent mansion
- screen
- communal mind blank
In addition, the duration of these spells doubles when they target worshipers of the same faith (including the caster). This does not affect the level of the spell or its casting time, and does not stack with other effects that extend duration, such as Extend Spell.
Sun Domain
A dissident of dawn has the Sun domain and no others. If her deity grants a subdomain of the sun domain, she can choose that instead. Otherwise, this is the same as the cleric domains ability.
Eschew Materials
At 2nd level a dissident of dawn gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat, and she can ignore any divine focus (holy symbol) components for her spells.
Schismatic Apostle (Ex)
At 6th level, a Dissident of dawn adds a +1 bonus to the DC of mind-affecting effects used against followers of the same faith, and one opposing faith chosen at this time. Any bonuses she gains from her judgment increase by 1 when used against followers of the same faith or the chosen opposing faith.
Burning Blade (Su)
At 8th level, an eye of dawn can choose to expend one use of her channel energy ability as a swift action to imbue her deities favored weapon with the flaming weapon special ability for a number of rounds equal to her caster level. If the weapon strikes another worshiper of the same faith, as a free action the wielder may choose to make all damage from the attack nonlethal, as if wielding a weapon with the merciful weapon special ability.
At 14th level, this power grants the touched weapon the flaming burst weapon special ability instead.
Shift Blame (Su)
At 12th level, when a Dissident of dawn provokes an attack of opportunity, she can attempt to deceive the creature making the attack of opportunity into believing the provoking action was performed by another creature as long as it is adjacent to the Dissident of dawn and also threatened by the attacker. Doing so requires a Bluff check opposed by the attacker's Sense Motive check. The attacker gains a bonus equal to its base attack bonus on this Sense Motive check. If the Bluff check is successful, the attack of opportunity instead targets an adjacent creature chosen by the Dissident of dawn.
Morning Light (Su)
At 16th level, a Dissident of dawn can spend a full-round action reciting the litany of wisdom while expending two uses of channel energy. This grants each ally within 15 feet of her a new saving throw against any one ongoing condition or effect that allows a save. This does not affect instantaneous or permanent effects or effects that do not allow a saving throw. Allies that worship the same god (including the Dissident of dawn) can instead attempt a new saving throw against every ongoing condition or effect that allows a save.
Flight of the Phoenix (Su)
At 20th level, when a dissident of dawn is killed her body is engulfed in a column of holy fire equivalent to a flame strike at her caster level. At the beginning of her next turn, her spirit returns in the form of a phoenix that fights as she directs for up to 1 minute and then disappears. This phoenix is not considered called or summoned. The Dissident of dawn is reborn (as resurrection) 1d4 rounds after it disappears in a random location within 1 mile, with her gear intact but with two permanent negative levels. If the phoenix is killed before it disappears, the Dissident of dawn cannot be reborn via this ability, though other methods of raising her still work.
Table: Dissident of Dawn
| 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 | Aura, channel energy 1d6, divine deception, orisons, spontaneous casting, Sun domain | 3 | 1+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Eschew Materials | 4 | 2+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Channel energy 2d6 | 4 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | — | 4 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Channel energy 3d6 | 4 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Schismatic apostle | 4 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Channel energy 4d6 | 4 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Burning blade (flaming) | 4 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Channel energy 4d6 | 4 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — | — |
| 10th | +7/+2 | +7 | +3 | +7 | 4 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — | — | |
| 11th | +8/+3 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Channel energy 6d6 | 4 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Shift blame | 4 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Channel energy 7d6 | 4 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — |
| 14th | +10/+5 | +9 | +4 | +9 | Burning blade (flaming burst) | 4 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — |
| 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +9 | +5 | +9 | Channel energy 8d6 | 4 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — |
| 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Morning light | 4 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — |
| 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 | Channel energy 9d6 | 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 | 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 | Channel energy 10d6 | 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 | Flight of the phoenix | 4 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 |
Ex-Dissidents of Dawn
A dissident of dawn who grossly violates the code of conduct required by her god loses all spells and class features, except for armor and shield proficiencies and proficiency with simple weapons. She cannot thereafter gain levels as a dissident of dawn until she atones for her deeds (see the atonement spell description).
Summary of Lost Class Abilities
These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:
- Channel energy
- Domains
Alternate Dissidents
The dissident of dawn is worshiper of the sun god, but other religions can have dissidents. All that changes is the domain given, the effects of channelling, the burning blade ability at level 8 and 14, and the flight of the phoenix ability at level 20. Dissidents of different faiths would call the morning light ability by different names, but the benefit remains the same. Here are some examples of different dissidents by domain.
Darkness
Channeling: Creates a darkness effect in a 30 ft. radius centered on the dissident. This is a spell-like effect with a caster level equal to the dissident's class level and an effective spell level of half the dissident's class level. At level 10, this lowers light in the area by two steps.
Blade of Darkness The blade does negative energy damage.
Dark Phoenix Column is of darkness, does negative energy damage, and the dissident is reborn as an ankou from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 4 .
Death
Channeling: Only negative energy to heal undead.
Blade of Death The blade does negative energy damage.
Wrath of the Dybbuk Column is of negative energy, the dissident is reborn as a dybbuk from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3.
Destruction
Channeling: Only negative energy to harm the living or positive energy to harm undead.
Screaming Blade The blade does sonic damage.
Return to Destroy Column is of sonic energy, the dissident is reborn as a plasma ooze from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3.
Healing
Channeling: Only positive energy to heal the living.
Blade of Searing Blood The blade does acid damage.
Glorious Return Column is of acid, the dissident is reborn as a emperor kirin from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3.
Repose
Channeling: Only positive energy to harm undead.
Blade of Pale Luminence The blade does positive energy damage.
Eternal Duty Column is of searing positive energy, the dissident is reborn as a Memetim psychopomp from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Bestiary.
Strength
Channeling: Only positive energy to heal the living or negative energy to heal undead.
Cold Iron Blade The blade does physical magical cold iron slashing damage.
Life is Power Column is of fire, the dissident is reborn as a ypotryll from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 4.
Weather
Channeling: Alter winds effect at the dissident's class level in 30 ft. radius instead of normal channeling.
Lightning Blade The blade does electricity damage.
Storm's Revenge Column is of cold, the dissident is reborn as a akhlut from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3.
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