Hierarch Cleric (Apath)
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A high cleric is noble born, from a family of wealth and rank, destined for high position in the church. Selected for their education and peers rather than faith, they are powerful in faith, learned in dogma, and taught all the secrets of all miracles, but they lack the radiance of a cleric who advanced by merit alone.
Class Information
This is a prestige class archetype.
Prestige Class: Noble Scion.
Build Class: Cleric.
The high cleric is a noble making a career in the church.
Role: A high cleric has the resources to organize and equip adventuring teams, the connections to keep them well employed, and the miracles to keep them alive.
Alignment: Any. Like a cleric, the high cleric must be of an alignment no more than one step removed from that of their patron. Most high clerics are members of a well-organized and wealthy church. Some are actually members of secret societies. Chaotic or evil high clerics might keep their religious ties secret and be nobles that just happen to run a cult on the side.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Features
The high cleric has all the class features of the cleric, except as follows:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
High clerics are proficient with all simple weapons, as well as the long sword and rapier. They are proficient in light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). High clerics are also proficient with the favored weapon of their deities.
Affluent (Ex)
At each level, a high cleric gains a stipend worth a number of gold pieces equal to 750 multiplied by his class level. (He gains 750 gp at 1st level, an additional 1,500 gp at 2nd level, and so on.) This replaces spontaneous casting.
Prestigious Influence (Ex)
At 2nd level, a high cleric can use his influence to receive special treatment, favors, and other services. He effectively has a pool of virtual gold pieces equal to 150 gp plus 10 gp per class level to spend on services and non-material goods. This pool replenishes at the beginning of every week.
Services and nonmaterial goods available to a high cleric include:
- Pay for lodgings, stabling, taxes, and tolls.
- Improve his lifestyle quality.
- Hire entertainers, messengers, mounts, servants, transport, workers, and so on.
- Obtain invitations to exclusive events, or entry into privileged locations.
- 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 his class level (50 gp).
A high cleric cannot permanently gain goods or wealth from this ability; boons attainable from this ability are generally only available in settlements of 5,000 people or more. The exact benefits available in a location are subject to GM discretion. This replaces channel energy form level 1.
Aristocratic Erudition (Ex)
At 3rd level, a high cleric gains a bonus equal to 1/3 his class level on Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) checks. This ability also reduces the DCs of Diplomacy and Knowledge (local) checks others make to gather publicly known information about the high cleric by the same amount. This replaces channel energy form level 3.
Servitor (Ex)
At 4th level, a high cleric gains a faithful NPC servitor of the same level as a cohort granted by the Leadership feat. This servitor can only have levels in NPC classes and comes equipped with gear appropriate for a character 1 level lower than the servitor's actual level. The servitor does not follow the high cleric as would a cohort or follower, but instead can run various errands for his master while the high cleric is adventuring, such as delivering messages or maintaining the scion's manor in his stead. This replaces channel energy form level 11.
Regional Expertise (Ex)
At 5th level, and again at 10th and 15th level, a high cleric gains a bonus feat from one of the lists below, depending on where he is from. These feats must be taken from the same list at each level (except for feats under the “general” category, which can be taken by nobles from any region). A high cleric need not meet the prerequisites for these feats. At their discretion, GMs may add other feats to these regions or create lists for other regions. This replaces channel energy form level 5, 9, and 15.
Land of the Fallen Dragon Kings: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (dueling sword), Flanking Foil, Step Up, Weapon Focus (dueling sword).
The Empire of Devils: Careful Speaker, Enforcer, Intimidating Prowess, Skill Focus (Knowledge [planes]).
The Land of the Ten-Thousand Gods: Improved Unarmed Strike, Skill Focus (Perform [dance]), Voice of the Sibyl, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike).
The Elven Forest Kingdom: Agile Maneuvers, Breadth of Experience, Skill Focus (Knowledge [nature]), Weapon Focus (longbow).
The Shadow Kingdom: Blind-Fight, Diehard, Shadow Strike, Stealthy.
The Kingdom of Pharaohs: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (khopesh), Self-Sufficient, Skill Focus (Knowledge [history]), Weapon Focus (khopesh).
The Satrapy of the Desert: Animal Affinity, Quick Draw, Skill Focus (Appraise), Weapon Focus (scimitar).
The River Nations: Improved Dirty Trick, Improved Steal, Ironguts, Skill Focus (Knowledge [local]).
The Fallen Empire: Dazzling Display, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (falcata), Skill Focus (Bluff ), Weapon Focus (falcata).
The Gothic Kingdoms: Combat Reflexes, Focused Discipline, Skill Focus (Knowledge [nobility]), Stoic.
General: Acrobatic, Additional Traits, Alertness, Antagonize, Athletic, Cosmopolitan, Deceitful, Deft Hands, Fleet, Improved Initiative, Persuasive, Prodigy, Rhetorical Flourish, Run, Scholar.
Leadership (Ex)
At 7th level, the high cleric gains Leadership as a bonus feat. This replaces channel energy form level 7.
Greater Leadership (Ex)
At 13th level, a high cleric can recruit a cohort up to one level lower than himself an doubles the number of followers. At 19th level, he can recruit a cohort of the same level as himself and quadruples the number of followers. This replaces channel energy form level 13 and 19.
Peerless Patrician (Ex)
At 20th level, once per round a high cleric 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, he can assume the roll resulted in a natural 20. This replaces channel energy form level 17.
Table: High 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, aura, channel energy 1d6, domains, orisons, spontaneous casting | 3 | 1+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Prestigious influence | 4 | 2+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Aristocratic erudition (+1) 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 Servitor | 4 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Aristocratic erudition +2 | 4 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Channel energy 4d6 Leadership | 4 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Regional expertise | 4 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Channel energy 5d6 Aristocratic erudition +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 | Channel energy 6d6 | 4 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | 1+1 | — | — | — |
| 12th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Regional expertise | 4 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 3+1 | 3+1 | 2+1 | — | — | — |
| 13th | +9/+4 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Channel energy 7d6 Greater leadership | 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 | Channel energy 8d6 Aristocratic erudition +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 | Regional expertise | 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 | Aristocratic erudition +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 | Channel energy 10d6 Greater leadership | 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 |
Summary of Lost Class Abilities
These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:
- Class Skills
- Weapon Proficiency
- Channel Energy
- Spontaneous Spells