Souldrinker (Apath)

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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.

Publisher: Purple Duck Games.

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

Build Classes: The souldrinker is built on the wizard, but the following alternate build classes are described below: arcanist, cleric, oracle, psychic, sacerdote, sorcerer, or witch.

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. If other daemonic lords offer oblivion abilities to mortals, a souldrinker can worship one of these instead, but that is outside the scope of this book.

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.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Souldrinkers are proficient with all simple weapons, but not with any armor or shields, and wearing armor can cause arcane spells with somatic components to fail. In addition, they gain proficiency with the favored weapon of their daemonic patron.

Spells

The souldrinker learns and casts spells exactly like a wizard, including using arcane magic, the effect of Intelligence on spellcasting, spellbooks, automatically learned spells, and cantrips.

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 wizard gains the wizard's bonus languages, in addition to the souldrinker ones.

Daemonic Patron (Ex)

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

Damned (Ex)

Starting at 1st level, when a souldrinker dies, his patron instantly claims his 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

At 1st level, the souldrinker gains a familiar identical to that of a wizard's arcane bond feature. A souldrinker may not bond with an object, and the familiar is always neutral evil in alignment and black and white in appearance.

Energy Drain (Su)

At 2nd level, a souldrinker gains the energy drain ability. By touching a helpless opponent, he bestows one negative level on the target. The souldrinker gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level he 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 + his Charisma modifier.

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

At 10th level, he 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 he can use to accomplish unnatural feats. The number of soul points in the pool begins at 0 and only increases when the souldrinker uses his energy drain ability on a suitable target. A souldrinker gains 1 soul point for each negative level bestowed by his 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, at the GMs discretion. Summoned creatures never give any soul points. The maximum number of soul points a souldrinker can have in his pool is equal to 1/2 his class level plus his 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).

Summon Familiar: A souldrinker can replace his slain familiar at any time by spending 1 hour and 2 soul points in a ritual. This avoids the gold piece cost of summoning a familiar.

At 3rd level, a souldrinker can use points from his soul pool to cast summon monster spells. The cost is one point per spell level, which must be paid when the spell is cast. Creatures of good alignment cannot be summoned this way, while creatures of the evil subtype that has neither the lawful or chaotic subtype only demand 1 soul point per 2 spell levels (minimum 1 soul point).

At 4th level, when using summon monster to summon an evil creature, he can spend one point per spell level from his 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.

Cacodaemon Familiar (Ex)

At 6th level, the souldrinker gains a cacodaemon familiar, as if he had the Improved Familiar feat, ignoring all prerequisites. 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.

Lesser Oblivion (Su)

At 8th level, a souldrinker’s patron invests him 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. The souldrinker need not know a spell the staff provides.

Oblivion (Sp)

At 12th level, the souldrinker is granted another, more powerful ability by his 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's soul pool has a maximum capacity equal to his class level + spellcasting ability modifier. He also gains the following new option when using soul points.

Soul Charge: The souldrinker can use soul points instead of charges from a staff or 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 his patron, even more powerful than before. 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, he 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.

Table: Souldrinker

Class
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 Build class, daemonic patron, damned, souldbound familiar 3 1
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Energy drain, soul pool 4 2
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Paid summoning 4 2 1
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Paid extension 4 3 2
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Summon Souleater 4 3 2 1
6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Cacodaemon familiar 4 3 3 2
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Energy drain (touch) 4 4 3 2 1
8th +4 +2 +2 +6 Lesser oblivion 4 4 3 3 2
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Improved soul pool 4 4 4 3 2 1
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Energy drain (100 ft.) 4 4 4 3 3 2
11th +5 +3 +3 +7 4 4 4 4 3 2 1
12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Oblivion 4 4 4 4 3 3 2
13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1
14th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 Greater soul pool 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2
15th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1
16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Greater oblivion 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 Energy drain (2 levels) 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 Daemonic assumption 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Ex-Souldrinkers

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

Alternate Build Classes

The souldrinker can be built on these alternate classes: arcanist, cleric, oracle, psychic, sacerdote, sorcerer, or witch.

A 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. He only suffers arcane spell failure in armor if he casts arcane spells.

In addition, the souldrinker inherits the following class features from the build class. This replaces the build class feature, above.

Arcanist None.

Cleric A souldrinker cleric has the same base attack bonus, base saving throws, hit dice, and armor and weapon proficiencies as a cleric. A souldrinker cleric keeps the chaotic evil good and lawful spells and domains abilities. A souldrinker selects two domains from those offered by his patron.

Oracle A souldrinker oracle has the same base attack bonus, base saving throws, hit dice, and armor and weapon proficiencies as an oracle. At 1st level the souldrinker oracle gains a mystery (including mystery skills and spells), an oracle's curse, and a revelation, but he gains no further revelations at higher levels.

Psychic The souldrinker psychic does not gain a phrenic pool, but can spend points from his soul pool as if it was phrenic pool class feature. and gains a phrenic amplification at level 3, 7, and 11. He cannot select major amplifications.

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. He gains the domains offered by his patron, and can fill out his selection with domains offered by other daemonic patrons, up to the usual 5 domains. This class is from Legendary Classes: Sacerdote, also by Purple Duck Games.

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

Witch A souldrinker witch stores spells in his soulbound familiar, and later in his cacodemon familiar. The cacodemon familiar absorbs all spells in the old familiar when eating it.

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 + his spellcasting ability score modifier).
Greater Oblivion (Sp) creeping doom (DC 10 + the souleater’s class level + his 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 souldrinker 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 + his spellcasting ability score modifier).
Greater Oblivion (Sp) horrid wilting (DC 10 + the souleater’s class level + his spellcasting ability score modifier).

Appendix: Feats

Summon Souleater Monster (General)

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 (no kiss ability).

Summon monster IV: ceustodaemon B2, lacridaemon BoD3, vulnadaemon B2, yeth hound (no bay ability).

Summon monster V: genthodaemonAP71, nightmare, shadow mastiffB3, venedaemon BoD3.

Summon monster VI: hydrodaemon B2, sangudaemon BoD3, soul eater B2, suspiridaemon BoD3.

Summon monster VII: leukodaemon B2, piscodaemon B2, night hag.

Summon monster VIII: cauchemar erodaemon BoD3, meladaemon B2.

Summon monster IX: derghodaemon B2, thanadaemon B2, temerdaemon BoD3.

Favored Class Bonuses

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a favored class, some races have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored classes. The following options are available to the listed race who have souldrinker as their favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed favored class reward.

  • Dwarf: Increase the value of each point of your soul point by 10 gp when used to create magic items.
  • Elf: Add 1/2 to your Spellcraft skill bonus.
  • Gnome: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known, spellbook, or familiar, as appropriate. This spell must be from the illusion school.
  • Half-Elf: When casting enchantment spells, add +1/3 to the effective caster level of the spell, but only to determine the spell’s duration.
  • Half-Orc: Add a +1 bonus on concentration checks made due to taking damage while casting spells.
  • Halfling: Increase your maximum soul pool by 1/4.
  • Human: Subtract 1 from the strength of your alignment aura (see detect evil) and from your class level for the damned class feature.


  • Drow: Gain 1/4 of a Weapon Proficiency, Armor Proficiency, or Shield Proficiency feat. You must fulfill the prerequisites. For each proficiency gained this way, reduce the chance of arcane spell failure by 5% when wearing armor.
  • Erkunae: FEC Gain 1/4 of a Weapon Proficiency or Armor Proficiency feat. You must fulfill the prerequisites. For each proficiency gained this way, reduce the chance of arcane spell failure by 5% when wearing armor.
  • Qit'ar: FEC Add 1/6 to your size category, but only when calculating the damage of your natural attacks.
  • Samsaran: ACG Gain 1/4 additional skill you can use with shards of the past.
  • Tengu: ARG Gain 1/5 daily use of death knell (sp), with a caster level equal to your class level. Multiply the benefits of each use of the spell by your number of daily uses if you use death knell on a creature with a challenge rating equal or greater than your level.
  • Tiefling: ACG Add 2 to the strength of your alignment aura. A powerful aura can stun those who detect it, see detect evil.

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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.