Grim Reaper (3.5e Prestige Class)

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Grim Reaper

“	Lay forth in eternal slumber, bewitching not the gentle living.	”
—Darius Saltheart, Human Grim Reaper, The Lays of the Dead

Grim reapers are a well-known feature of folklore; known as the staunchest foes to the walking dead. Grim reapers are specialists in ridding the world of the scourge of the undead. Grim reapers' duties are also to take care of the recently deceased, preventing them from suffering the evils of undeath. They are often seen at battlegrounds and cemeteries protecting the dead before any necromancers arrive to take advantage of the bodies available.

Becoming a Grim Reaper

Grim reapers are mostly culled from the ranks of priests or paladins; rarely some are drawn from the countless ranks of those who have suffered attack or loss at the hands of the living dead. The most important abilities for Grimreapers are Strength and Wisdom.

Entry Requirements  

Alignment:	Any.
Base Attack Bonus:	5.
Race:	Any.
Spellcasting:	Ability to cast 1st level divine spells..

Table: Grim Reaper

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+2	Turn undead, Resist Undeath, Detect Undead	+1 of existing spellcasting class
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+3	Minor Disruption, Restful Slumber	+1 of existing spellcasting class
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Reaper's Aura	+1 of existing spellcasting class
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4		+1 of existing spellcasting class
5th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Improved Disruption	+1 of existing spellcasting class
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5		+1 of existing spellcasting class
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Eternal Lullaby	+1 of existing spellcasting class
8th	+6	+6	+2	+6		+1 of existing spellcasting class
9th	+6	+6	+3	+6	Greater Disruption	+1 of existing spellcasting class
10th	+7	+7	+3	+7	Aura of the Armored Soul	+1 of existing spellcasting class

Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis). Spellcraft (Int).

Class Features

Grim reapers exist to destroy the abominations which are the undead, and those who would create them. A grim reaper will always focus his attacks on the undead if encountered, unless for an extremely good reason. It is very rare for grim reaper powers to be used against anyone other than undead creatures or necromancers. All of the following are class features of the grim reaper.

Spellcasting: At every level you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. You must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Turn or Destroy Undead (Su): Any grim reaper, regardless of alignment, has the power to affect undead creatures by channeling the power of his faith through his holy (or unholy) symbol (see Turn or Rebuke Undead).

A grim reaper can turn or destroy undead creatures; any previous ability to rebuke or command such creatures becomes turning or destroying. All grimr eaper levels stack with any levels from a previous class for turning ability.

A grim reaper may attempt to turn undead a number of times per day equal to 3 + his charisma modifier + his grim reaper class level. A grim reaper already possessing this ability adds his grim reaper levels to the total number of daily uses. A grim reaper with 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (religion) gets a +2 bonus on turning checks against undead.

Resist Undeath(Ex): A grim reaper becomes immune to ability drain/damage and energy drain from the extraordinary, supernatural or spell-like abilities of an undead creature. He also gains +3 to all allowed saves versus any extraordinary, supernatural or spell-like attacks of undead creatures.

Detect Undead(Sp): The grim reaper may use detect undead at will.

Minor Disruption(Su): At second level, the grim reaper gains a +1 divine bonus to weapon damage, and a +1 caster level bonus, per three grim reaper levels to all attacks made against the undead.

Restful Slumber(Sp): A grim reaper of 2nd level may place his hand upon the corpse of a mortal being and intone a benediction against undeath, insuring that thereafter the body cannot become undead by any means short of using a wish to remove the benediction; this takes one minute and lasts for one year per level of the grim reaper at the time of use. At level 10 this effect becomes permanent.

The grim reaper is likewise permanently protected from becoming one of the undead upon his death (Ex).

Reaper's Aura(Sp): At third level, the grim reaper gains an aura against the undead. Any undead within five feet of the grim reaper automatically suffers divine damage equal to 1/2 the grim reaper's class level per round and takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks against the grim reaper. Undead of greater HD than the grim reaper has class levels are immune to damage from this effect, but will still take the –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.

Improved Disruption(Su): At fifth level, the grim reaper's held melee weapons become capable of critical strikes against the undead, also allowing him to make coup de grace attacks against helpless undead targets; undead suffer a penalty to their SR equal to twice the grim reaper's class level.

Eternal Lullaby(Su): At seventh level all damage caused to an undead creature by the grim reaper's aura,spells, turn undead ability and disruption effect cannot be fast healed, regenerated or rejuvenated until one hour per grim reaper level has passed since the encounter.

Greater Disruption(Su): At ninth level, all melee weapons held by the grim reaper are considered to have the disruption weapon enhancement, regardless of damage type, against any undead. Undead with less HD than the grim reaper has class levels has any critical threat to them by the grim reaper automatically confirmed.

Aura of the Armored Soul(Su): At tenth level, the grim reaper gains an aura that protects all living beings within 15 feet of him from the undead. All living beings within the aura, ally or not, gain the benefits of the grim reaper's resist undeath class feature. Furthermore, all undead suffer a -2 penalty to hit with melee attacks while attacking anyone within the aura; this does not stack with the penalty from reaper's aura.

Campaign Information

Playing a Grim Reaper

Combat: Grim reapers are melee combatants with moderate divine spellcasting abilities. They are highly effective at challenging the undead, but are somewhat weaker against living foes.

Advancement: Grim reapers typically focus on gaining levels as a grim reaper, some take additional levels of cleric, paladin or blackguard.

Resources: Grim reapers aren often affiliated with a local religion. Even grim reapers of normally opposing religions will cease hostilities against each other long enough to destroy any undead threat in the area.

Grim Reapers in the World

“	Come at me you stinking corpses! Feel the power of Moradin rip thru ye!	”
—Pavehk, Dwarven Grim Reaper

Grim reapers are wanderers, always seeking the next undead abomination to end. Sometimes a grim reaper may find a small town or a village that they protect from harm, but they could move on as quickly as they came, with no warning.

NPC Reactions: Most grim reapers are greatly respected for their fight to protect the living from the undead, but are sometimes seen as over-serious and close-minded.

Grim Reaper Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) can research grim reapers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Arcana)

DC	Result
11	Grim reapers are powerful warrior-priests that protect us all from the undead.
16	Grim reapers are often able to destroy the undead with a single divinely charged blow.
21	Specifics or history of individual grim reapers.

Grim Reapers in the Game

Grim reapers are solemn, dedicated foes of the undead; encountered in peaceful areas tending to the local dead; or out in the world taking the fight against undeath to all who defy the rightful order of things. A grim reaper might appear as the ecclesiastical strongarm of a small town, or as a wandering mercenary, but they all have the same desire: to put to rest as many undead as possible.

Adaptation: Grim reapers aren't difficult to work into a campaign without creating an imbalance in power. Most grim reapers can easily be treated as a cleric or paladin with little need for change.

Sample Encounter: Pavehk, a skilled grim reaper, defends the small town of Sunnydale from the seemingly unending undead terrors sent by a ruthless necromancer bent on conquest. The PC's could meet him while wandering the town, encounter him fighting the latest undead horror sent to attack the town.

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