Souldrinker (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Souldrinkers learn the worst of daemonic magic while gaining the ability to bind and devour souls. With every soul they consume, these casters tithe a fraction to their patrons. They are the proxies of death, serving the architects of the apocalypse until eventually their own souls are drawn into their masters’ waiting maws.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype, a spellcaster who trades souls to a daemonic patron for power.

Prestige Class: Souldrinker from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Book of the Damned, Vol. 3.

Build Classes: Arcanist, cleric, oracle, psychic, sacerdote, sorcerer, witch, or wizard.

Role: A souldrinker seeks to collect souls for personal power, and as bribes to their daemonic masters.

Alignment: Neutral evil. A souldrinker must worship one of the four horsemen.

Hit Dice: d6.

Class Skills

The souldrinker’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

These are all the class features of the souldrinker. The prestige archetype is open to many classes, with slight modifications. It replaces all of the class features of whatever class it is taken with, except as noted below under weapon and armor proficiency, build class, build numbers, and spells.

Table: Souldrinker

Level	Special
1st	Build class, build numbers, daemonic patron, damned, souldbound familiar
2nd	Energy drain, soul pool
3rd	Paid summoning
4th	Paid extension
5th	Summon Souleater
6th	Cacodaemon familiar
7th	Energy drain (touch)
8th	Lesser oblivion
9th	Improved soul pool
10th	Energy drain (100 ft.)
11th	—
12th	Oblivion
13th	—
14th	Greater soul pool
15th	—
16th	Greater oblivion
17th	—
18th	Energy drain (2 levels)
19th	—
20th	Daemonic assumption

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Souldrinkers gain the proficiencies of their build class. In addition, they gain proficiency with the favored weapon of their daemonic patron.

Spells

The souldrinker learns and casts spells exactly like the build class, including type of magic (arcane, divine, or psychic), the effect of ability scores on spellcasting, and cantrips, knacks or orisons. Since the number of spells per day, spell slots, and known spells depend on the build class, these numbers are not given in Table: Souldrinker.

Aura

The souldrinker has an alignment aura as if he was a cleric of a neutral evil deity. See detect evil for details.

Bonus Language

A souldrinker can pick Infernal or Abyssal in addition to the languages available to the character because of his race.

Build Class

The souldrinker inherits a few class features from the build class, as follows.

Arcanist None.

Cleric A souldrinker keeps the chaotic evil good and lawful spells and domains abilities. A souldrinker selects two domains from those offered by his patron.

Oracle The souldrinker oracle gains a mystery, including mystery skills and spells. He gains both an oracle's curse and a revelation at level 1, but no further revelations.

Psychic The souldrinker psychic can spend points from her soul pool as if it was phrenic pool class feature. and gains a phrenic amplification at level 3, 7, and 11.

Sacerdote The souldrinker sacerdote keeps the advanced spellcasting, bonus languages, chaotic evil good and lawful spells, divine focus, divine wrath, domains, and manifestation class features. She gains the domains offered by her patron, and can fill out her selection with domains offered by other patrons, up to the usual 5 domains. This class is from Legendary Classes: Sacerdote.

Sorcerer A souldrinker sorcerer has a bloodline, but gains only bloodline arcana, bloodline skill, and bloodline spells from that bloodline.

Witch A souldrinker witch stores spells in her soulbound familiar, and later in her cacodemon familiar. The cacodemon familiar absorbs all spells in the earlier familiar when it eats it.

Wizard The souleater wizard gains the wizard's bonus languages, in addition to the souleater ones.

Build Numbers

The souldrinker's base attack bonus, base save bonuses, and type of hit die is the same as that of his build class. Since these numbers vary depending on the build class, they are not given in Table: Souldrinker.

Cacodaemon Familiar (Ex)

At 1st level, the souldrinker gains a cacodaemon familiar, as if she had the Improved Familiar feat. If the souldrinker already has a familiar, the cacodaemon devours it (which does not penalize the souldrinker). The souldrinker counts as an evil outsider for the purpose of utilizing cacodaemon soul gems.

Daemonic Patron (Ex)

At 1st level, a souldrinker must choose one of the Four Horsemen to serve as her patron. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.

Damned (Ex)

Starting at 1st level, when a souldrinker dies, her patron instantly claims her soul. In time, the soul is consumed for its power or transformed into a daemon appropriate to the patron’s needs and interests. Any character attempting to resurrect a slain souldrinker must succeed at a caster level check equal to 10 + the souldrinker’s level or the spell fails. That character cannot attempt to resurrect the souldrinker again until the following day, though other characters can attempt to do so if they please.

Soulbound Familiar

The diabolist gains a familiar identical to that of a wizard's arcane bond feature. A diabolist may not bond with an object, and the familiar is always neutral evil in alignment and hued only in greys, lacking all color.

Energy Drain (Su)

At 2nd level, a souldrinker gains the energy drain ability. By touching a helpless opponent, she bestows one negative level on the target. The souldrinker gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level she bestows on an opponent. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour. The DC to remove this negative level is 10 + the souldrinker’s class level + her spellcaster ability modifier.

At 7th level, the souldrinker can use energy drain as a melee touch attack. By making a touch attack as a standard action, she bestows one negative level on the target (two levels on a critical hit).

At 10th level, she can use energy drain as a ranged touch attack with a range of 30 ft.

At 18th level, soul drain bestows two negative levels as a melee touch attack (four on a critical hit).

Soul Pool (Su)

At 2nd level, a souldrinker gains a pool of soul points, stolen life energy she can use to accomplish unnatural feats. The number of soul points in the pool begins at 0 and only increases when the souldrinker uses her energy drain ability on a suitable target. A souldrinker gains 1 soul point for each negative level bestowed by her energy drain, but only if the target has an Intelligence of 1 or more and Hit Dice of at least half the souldrinker's class level. Exceptional creatures, such as nobles and artists, might qualify even if they lack sufficient Hit Dice. The maximum number of soul points a souldrinker can have in her pool is equal to 1/2 her class level plus her spellcasting ability modifier; any points above this are wasted. Note that soul points are fragments of souls and do not prevent a slain creature from being raised.

A souldrinker can use soul points for the following:

Material Components: A souldrinker can use soul points in the place of expensive material components. Each counts as 100 gp toward this purpose.

Recover Spell Slot: As a full-round action, a souldrinker can expend soul points equal to the spell level to regain a spell or slot as if it had not been cast of a cast spell or used spell slot (similar to using a pearl of power, except it also works for spontaneous casters).

Replace Familiar: A souldrinker can replace her slain familiar at any time by spending 1 hour and soul points equal to half her class level in a specialized ritual.

Paid Summoning (Sp)

At 3rd level, a souldrinker can use points from her soul pool to cast summon monster spells. The cost is one point per spell level, which must be paid when the spell is cast. Good creatures cannot be summoned this way.

Paid Extension (Sp)

At 4th level, when using summon monster to summon an evil creature, she can spend two points from her soul pool to extend the duration by 1 minute/level. These points can be spent as a part of casting the spell, or as a standard action while the spell is running.

Lesser Oblivion (Su)

At 8th level, a souldrinker’s patron invests her with a specific ability, described under daemon patrons, below.

Improved Soul Pool (Su)

At 9th level, a souldrinker's gains new options when using soul points:

Item Creation: A souldrinker can use soul points as part of crafting magic items. Each counts as 100 gp toward this purpose.

Recharge staff: This works like recharging a staff in the normal manner, but instead of spell slots, the souldrinker expends soul points equal to the spell level needed.

Oblivion (Sp)

At 12th level, the souldrinker is granted more power by her patron, gaining a spell-like ability usable at will, but costing 1 soul point for each use.

Greater Soul Pool (Su)

At 14th level, a souldrinker'ssoul pool has a maximum capacity equal to her class level + spellcasting ability modifier. She also gains the following new option when using soul points.

Soul Charge: The souldrinker can use soul points instead of charges from a wand or using up a scroll. This costs one point per spell level.

Greater Oblivion (Sp)

At 16th level, the souldrinker gains further power from her patron. The spell-like abilities listed here are usable at will, but cost 3 soul points for each use.

Daemonic Assumption (Su)

When a souldrinker reaches 20th level, she can transform into a unique daemon and back as a standard action. His type changes to outsider with the daemon, evil, and native subtypes. He gains damage reduction 10/good and silver, immunity to acid, death effects, disease, and poison and resistance to cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10.

This transformation must be paid for in souls. It costs four soul points to gain these abilities for 1 minute/level. While transformed, the souldrinker can spend a full-round action and an additional 4 soul points to extend the transformation by one hour.

Ex-Souldrinkers

A souldrinker whose alignment becomes anything other than neutral evil or who blatantly goes against the will of her daemonic patron loses access to all class features except for Damned. She cannot thereafter gain levels as a souldrinker until she atones for her deeds.

Appendix: Daemon Patrons

A souldrinker has mad an unholy pact with one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Each offers a different preferred weapon and different powers for the lesser oblivion, oblivion, and greater oblivion abilities.

Horseman of Pestilence

Unholy Symbol yellow scythe covered in polyps and diseased, fleshy tendrils.
Domains Air, Darkness, Destruction, Evil.
Favored Weapon scythe.
Lesser Oblivion (Su) Immunity to diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.
Oblivion (Sp) contagion (DC 10 + the souleater’s class level + her spellcasting ability score modifier).
Greater Oblivion (Sp) creeping doom (DC 10 + the souleater’s class level + her spellcasting ability score modifier).

Horseman of Death

Unholy Symbol grinning skull, its eye sockets covered by two gold coins.
Domains Death, Evil, Knowledge, Water.
Favored Weapon quarterstaff.
Lesser Oblivion (Su) Immunity to aging effects and effects that give penalties to Strength and Constitution.
Oblivion (Sp) vampiric touch.
Greater Oblivion (Sp) Gain fast healing 10 for 10 rounds. This counts as a 6th-level spell.

Horseman of War

Unholy Symbol pale hand holding a black sword.
Domains Evil, Fire, Strength, War.
Favored Weapon greatsword.
Lesser Oblivion (Su) Immunity to bleed effects and effects that give penalties to Strength.
Oblivion (Sp) rage.
Greater Oblivion (Sp) Greater magic weapon (+4 enhancement bonus). Like a paladin with a weapon divine bond, the souleater can use the enhancement bonuses to add any of the following weapon properties: mighty cleaving, unholy, vicious, wounding.

Horseman of Famine

Unholy Symbol black jackal’s skull devouring an eclipsed sun.
Domains Earth, Evil, Madness, Weather.
Favored Weapon spiked gauntlet.
Lesser Oblivion (Su) Immunity to ingested and inhaled poisons, and the subject no longer needs to eat or drink.
Oblivion (Sp) bestow curse (DC 10 + the souleater’s class level + her spellcasting ability score modifier).
Greater Oblivion (Sp) horrid wilting (DC 10 + the souleater’s class level + her spellcasting ability score modifier).

Appendix: Feats

Summon Souleater Monster

Prerequisite Ability to cast summon monster I, neutral evil alignment.

Benefit: Add the following creatures to the list you can summon with summon monster.

Summon monster III: cacodemon ^B2, vargouille.

Summon monster IV: ceustodaemon ^B2, vulnadaemon ^B3.

Summon monster V: nightmare, shadow mastiff ^B3.

Summon monster VI: hydrodaemon ^B2.

Summon monster VII: leukodaemon ^B2, piscodaemon ^B2.

Summon monster VIII: erodaemon meladaemon ^B2.

Summon monster IX: derghodaemon ^B2, thanadaemon ^B2.

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Section 15 Addendum

Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Book of the Damned, Vol. 3 © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Todd Stewart.