Hierarch Cleric (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

A hierarch cleric is a noble born from a family of wealth and rank, destined for hierarch position in the church. Selected for their education and pedigree rather than raw faith, they are politically powerful, learned in dogma, and taught all the secret miracles, but lack the true radiance of a cleric who advanced by merit alone.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype. The hierarch cleric is a noble making a career in the church.

Publisher: Purple Duck Games.

Prestige Class: Noble Scion

Build Class: Cleric.

Role: A hierarch cleric has the resources to organize adventuring teams, the connections to keep them well employed, and the miracles to keep them alive.

Alignment: Any. Like a cleric, the hierarch cleric must be of an alignment no more than one step removed from that of their patron. Most hierarch clerics are members of a well-organized and wealthy church, and as such generally lawful. Some are members of secret societies and might keep their religious ties secret and seem to be normal nobles that just happen to run a cult on the side.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The noble scion's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. The increased class skills and skill ranks replaces channel energy from level 9 and 11.

Class Features

The hierarch cleric has all the class features of the cleric, except as follows:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Hierarch clerics are proficient with all simple weapons, as well as the sword cane and fighting fan. They are proficient in light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, and shields (except tower shields). Hierarch clerics with a patron are also proficient with the favored weapon of their deity. The increased weapon and armor proficiencies replaces channel energy from level 15.

Affluent (Ex)

At each level, a noble scion gains gold pieces equal to 750 multiplied by her character level as stipend. (She gains 750 gp. at 1st level, an additional 1,500 gp. at 2nd level, and so on.) This is the noble's private spending money, a result of the increase in standing her level advancement brings.

A multiclass character only gets this stipend when increasing in level as a noble scion, not when increasing her level in any other class. The amount received is based on her character level, not class level. So a wizard 3 who takes a level of scheming noble gains 3,000 gp (750 times her new character level of four).This replaces spontaneous casting.

Noble Paragon (Ex)

In order to impress commoners and peers alike, the noble scion is brought up to be a paragon of her culture. At 1st level, the noble scion selects a culture she has been brought up in and three class skills. If a particular skill already a class skill, the scion instead gains a +1 trait bonus on that skill.

Prestigious Influence (Ex)

At 2nd level, a noble scion can use her influence to receive special treatment, favors, and other services. She effectively has a pool of virtual gold pieces equal 25 gp per class level to spend on services and non-material goods. This represents the wealth of her house, but also connections; naturally the theatre will offer their best tickets for free to honor their great sponsor and beneficiary who just happens to be the noble characters uncle. This pool replenishes at the beginning of every week. Unspent resources are lost and do not accumulate. Services and nonmaterial goods available to a noble scion include:

• Pay for lodgings, stabling, taxes, and tolls.
• Pay off bandits or pay ransom.
• Pay for social gifts and bribes.
• Improve her lifestyle quality.
• Hire entertainers, messengers, mounts, servants, transport, workers, and so on.
• Obtain invitations to exclusive events, or entry into privileged locations.
• Gather information, spread rumors, or start a whispering campaign.
• Purchase spellcasting services.
• Employ an expert hireling to make a skill check with a check bonus of +10 plus half her class level at a cost of 50 gp.

The noble can spend some of these funds on her companions, but spending more than half your allowance on your friends could be seen as overly egalitarian. A noble scion cannot permanently gain goods or wealth from this ability. Boons attainable from this ability are generally only available in settlements of 500 people or more. The exact benefits available in a location are subject to GM discretion.

When in the home territory of her noble house, the scion has access to luxurious lodging at the manors or town houses of her family, and can use such facilities to throw parties, lodge her companions in comfort, or otherwise use the properties of her family to advantage. When traveling, she can expect at least modest accommodation with other nobles, and a noble visitor is often the occasion of parties and other entertainment. The backside is of course that the scion is expected to attend all these social functions, which can hinder her other activities.This replaces channel energy form level 1.

Fame And Fortune (Ex)

At third level a noble scion gains a bonus equal to 1/3 her class level on Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) checks. This ability also reduces the DCs of Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) checks others make to gather information about the noble scion by the same amount. This replaces channel energy from level 3.

Servitor (Ex)

At 4th level, a noble scion gains a faithful NPC servitor of the same level as a cohort granted by the Leadership feat (minimum 1st level). This servitor is of the expert NPC class and comes equipped with gear appropriate for a non-heroic NPC of the servitor's level. The servitor does not fight for the noble scion as would a cohort or follower, but instead can set up camp, act as a valet or maid, and otherwise provide food and comforts. The servitor can also run various errands while the noble scion is adventuring, such as delivering messages or maintaining the scion's interests. This replaces channel energy from level 5.

Leadership (Ex)

At 7th level, the noble scion gains Leadership as a bonus feat. The cohort and followers come with equipment appropriate for their level. Pay and upkeep is provided by the noble scion's house. Followers serve their noble leader, but their ultimate loyalty is to the land and holdings; they may report unusual activities to others in the house and refuse orders that they perceive to be dangerous to the clan as a whole. This replaces channel energy from level 7.

Greater Leadership (Ex)

At 13th level, a noble scion can have a cohort up to one level lower than herself and the level of all her followers increases by one. At 19th level, she can recruit a cohort of the same level she is and the level of her followers increases by two. This also improves the noble scion's servitor. This replaces channel energy from level 13 and 19.

Peerless Patrician (Ex)

At 20th level a noble scion can roll twice on any Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (nobility), or Sense Motive check and take the better roll. Once per day, instead of rolling one of these skill checks, she can assume the roll resulted in a natural 20. This replaces channel energy from level 17.

Table: Hierarch Cleric

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

Affluent, noble paragon, aura, domains, orisons

3

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

2nd

+1

+3

+0

+3

Prestigious influence

4

2+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

3rd

+2

+3

+1

+3

Fame and fortune +1

4

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

4th

+3

+4

+1

+4

4

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

5th

+3

+4

+1

+4

Servitor

4

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

6th

+4

+5

+2

+5

Fame and fortune +2

4

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

7th

+5

+5

+2

+5

Leadership

4

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

—

—

8th

+6/+1

+6

+2

+6

4

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

—

—

9th

+6/+1

+6

+3

+6

Fame and fortune +3

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

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

—

12th

+9/+4

+8

+4

+8

Fame and fortune +4

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

—

13th

+9/+4

+8

+4

+8

Greater leadership (+1 level)

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

—

14th

+10/+5

+9

+4

+9

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

3+1

2+1

—

—

15th

+11/+6/+1

+9

+5

+9

Fame and fortune +5

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

3+1

2+1

1+1

—

16th

+12/+7/+2

+10

+5

+10

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

Fame and fortune +6

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

Greater leadership (+2 levels)

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

Peerless patrician

4

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

4+1

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