Charlatan Priest (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Charlatan priests have a gift for disguising their arcane magic as god-given divine magic, and in the use of divine scrolls, staves, and wands. They roam the lands as prophets of a new faith, using their power to convince the unfaithful of their misplaced loyalties in other gods and governments and to defeat those who oppose them.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype. The charlatan priest is a wizard that fakes divine magic.

Prestige Class: Razmiran priest from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Paths of Prestige, along with the charlatan priest sorcerer archetype and False Casting from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Magic.

Build Classes: Wizard.

Role: The charlatan priest brings a message to the masses. She can sway onlookers in her favor and discredit divine authority.

Alignment: Any non-good. The charlatan priest works hard to study her faux clerical powers. The church hierarchy tries to control charlatan priests, tempting them with the riches a church career offers.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills

The charlatan priest's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

A charlatan priest has all the class features of the wizard, except as noted.

Domain

A charlatan priest may select one of the following domains: Charm, Evil, Law, or Trickery. A charlatan priest gains the granted powers of that domain, using her arcane spellcaster level as her cleric level and her Intelligence modifier in place of her Wisdom modifier. She does not gain any domain spells from this domain. At 10th level, a charlatan priest may select a second domain from those listed above and may use the granted powers of that domain as well. This replaces arcane bond.

False Casting

When a charlatan priest uses a magic item or a spell-like ability to create a magical effect, she may add additional magic-seeming words and hand gestures to trick onlookers into believing she cast the spell herself. If using an item that is recognizable as a magical implement (such as a wand or ring), she can trick viewers into thinking she is just using the item as a focus component.

Onlookers who have no ranks in Spellcraft have no knowledge of what is genuine spellcasting, and automatically believe the charlatan priest is casting a spell. If an onlooker attempts a Spellcraft check to identify the “casting,” her check is opposed by the charlatan priest's Bluff check. If she succeeds, she realizes the deception. If she fails, she believes the charlatan priest cast the spell. Regardless of the result of that opposed check, she uses the result of that Spellcraft check to identify the “spell” cast, except the DC is 20 + the spell’s level instead of 15 + the spell’s level.

When using false casting to cast a spell on the cleric spell list with a spell level no higher than half his class level, he receives a +10 circumstance bonus on the Bluff check made when casting the spell.

Master of Lies (Ex)

At 2nd level a charlatan priest adds half her class level to any Bluff check made as part of a lie or deception. She can use Intelligence in place of Charisma for Bluff checks. In addition, whenever she is subject to a spell or special ability that can discern whether or not she is telling the truth, she is automatically aware of such magic. She is not immune to such spells or abilities, but she can choose to remain silent or avoid answering questions. Master of lies, false channel, first ritual, second ritual, third ritual, conversation, and true pretender replaces arcane school.

False Channel (Su)

Starting at 3rd level, a charlatan priest can channel illusory energy to heal living creatures like a cleric, healing 1d6 points of damage. The amount healed increased to 2d6 at level 8 and by another d6 for every four levels after level eight. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. This is an illusion (shadow) spell with a duration of 10 minutes/level. The hit points healed are illusory healing, temporary hit points that stack with other illusory healing but cannot exceed the damage the creature has currently taken. Illusory healing do not stack with normal temporary hit points. This ability does not count for the purposes of meeting any prerequisites that call for the ability to channel energy.

False Ritual (Su)

A charlatan priest adds a number of spells what are normally divine spell list top his spell book and spell list. He gains these spells as soon as he can cast spells of that level.

1st— bless, cure light wounds.
2nd— aid, cure moderate wounds.
3rd— cure moderate wounds, prayer.
4th— cure serious wounds, remove disease.
5th— cure critical wounds, neutralize poison.
6th— burst of glory, cure light wounds (mass).
7th— Cure moderate wounds (mass), heroe's feast.
8th— Cure serious wounds (mass), heal.
9th— Cure critical wounds (mass), miracle.

Whenever he casts a spell that heals hit point damage using this ability, that spell undergoes a number of changes.

• The spell becomes an illusion (shadow) spell with a duration of 10 minutes/level.
• The hit points healed are illusory healing, temporary hit points that stack with other illusory healing but cannot exceed the damage the creature has currently taken. Illusory healing do not stack with normal temporary hit points.

Whenever a charlatan priest uses False Casting to cast a spell on the cleric spell list with a spell level no higher than half his class level, he receives a +10 circumstance bonus on any opposed Bluff check made when casting the spell.

False Focus (Ex)

By using a divine focus as part of casting, you can cast any spell with a material component costing the value of that divine focus (maximum 100 gp) or less without needing that component. For example, if you use a silver holy symbol worth 25 gp, you do not have to provide material components for an arcane spell if its components are worth 25 gp or less. The casting of the spell still provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. If the spell requires a material component that costs more than the value of the divine focus, you must have the material component on hand to cast the spell, as normal.

Conversion (Su)

At 14th level, the charlatan priest can use her own magic to power spell completion and spell trigger items that uses divine spells. She expends a charlatan priest spell slot that is at least 1 level higher than the level of the spell she’s trying to activate, then makes a Use Magic Device check. If she succeeds, the item’s spell occurs and the item or charge is not expended. If she fails, nothing happens. Whether she succeeds or fails, her spell slot is expended.

Also, whenever a charlatan priest heals himself using cure spells or false channel, the effect heals damage instead of granting temporary hit points. Others affected by the same use of the ability get the normal effect.

True Pretender (Su)

At 20th level, a charlatan priest attains true power. Whenever she uses false channel, she can spend two uses of that ability to heal damage to all living creatures in the area, instead of granting temporary hit points. In addition, when determining what spell trigger and spell completion magic items she can use, she acts as though all cleric spells were on her spell list. This makes it so that she does not need to make a Use Magic Device skill check when using such items, but she must still make Bluff skill checks when using False Casting with such spells.

Table: Charlatan Priest

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	+0	+0	+2	Cantrips, domain, False Casting	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Master of lies	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	False channel 1d6	4	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	First ritual	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Bonus feat	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Second ritual	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5	—	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	False channel 2d6	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6	Third ritual	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Bonus Feat	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+5	+3	+3	+7	False Domain (second)	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	False channel 3d6	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—
13th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	Greater leadership (+1 level)	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
14th	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9	Conversion	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—
15th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9	Bonus feat	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—
16th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	False channel 4d6	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	—	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
18th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	—	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2
19th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	—	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3
20th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	True pretender, false channel 5d6	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4

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