Spirit of Vengeance (3.5e Prestige Class)

Summary::Transform into a hellfire wielding divine entity who is able to smite the guilty with supernatural chains and fire. Length::3 Minimum Level::0 Base Attack Bonus Progression::Good Fortitude Save Progression::Good Reflex Save Progression::Good Will Save Progression::Good Class Ability::Other Class Ability Progression::Other

Spirit of Vengeance
"Your time has come to an end, demon... and vengeance is upon you."

There are times where a mortal may become host to a possessive spirit, an outsider of hell (and occationally heaven) whose purpose is to bring divine judgement to those not yet dead. These beings, born of contract or accident, become half-outsiders capable of amazing feats of strength and speed and whose bodies are consumed by the divine flames of judgement. Classically the spirits of vengeance were subjects of Baator's manipulation, trying to bring their punishment down early. Even so, the mortals are not entirely possessed and if they have the will to control their devil, then they can break free from their cursed fate and act for the force of good.

Even though fiendish spirits of vengeance are often evil, they are charged with finding evil beings and punishing them. Typically they are sent out to punish those who have tried to escape a Faustian contract. As a result, even evil spirits of vengeance are able to smite their own. For this reason they are often also kept on a tight leash, lest this powerful anti-evil weapon turn on its masters.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Spirit of Vengeance.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Spirits of Vengeance are proficient with all simple weapons, all martial polearms (such as a lance), nets, spiked chains, scythes, and whips. They are proficient in light and medium armor, and with shields (but not tower shields).

 : A spirit of vengeance has an aura of their appropriate alignment as a cleric of their character level.

' PS undefined:' A spirit of vengeance may use detect evil'' at will as a spell-like ability.

 : When a spirit of veangence transforms, their mortal flesh is replaced by burning divine flames leaving their exposed skeleton. Creatures striking the spirit of vengeance with natural weapons or non-reach weapons take 1 point of fire damage per character level. His own weapons and natural weapons the spirit of vengeance wields also deal an extra point of fire damage, up to a maximum of twice their class level (+6 at 3rd).

This flaming body ability transfers to any object, vehicle, or creature the spirit of vengeance rides, such as a horse or a motorcycle. It may result in a physical change in appearance to match the new, flaming, and frightening look that lasts as long as the transformed spirit of vengeance remains mounted.

 : The spirit of veangence is bound with an outsider who can manifest and fuse them into a half-outsider being of its own. Transforming is a move action and lasts 1 minute per character level, burning away the mortal flesh and replacing it with divine fire and leaving an exposed and terrifying skeleton visible to all. The spirit of vengeance can only use the flaming body, animated chain, hellfire breath, and unstoppable rider abilities while transformed. They may transform 1/day at 1st, 3/day at 2nd, and at will at 3rd level with an unlimited duration.

 : A transformed 2nd level spirit of veangence may animate and control any flexible weapon (typically a whip or spiked chain) with their will. They can manipulate objects with the same degree of precision as their own hands out to the weapon's range, as well as perform any combat maneuvers such as disarming or grapple, or deflecting arrows as if they had a free hand. If grappling, the weapon is grappling so the user is not considered grappled themselves (though they must hold onto their weapon, and cannot use the weapon for anything else but to grapple). They also count as having Improved Unarmed Strike for the purposes of pre-requisites, as well as having the hand free. They can even use it to perform somatic components. Once per round as a free action, the animated weapon can last out on its own at the user's highest attack bonus. This extra attack occurs even if they didn't make an attack or full attack that round, but it does not stack with extra attacks such as those granted by haste or any other source.

 : A transformed 2nd level spirit of vengeance can breath out a cone of burning fire which deals 1d6 points of fire damage per character level out to 5 ft per character level (maximum 90 ft cone at 18 HD). Creatures get a Reflex save for half damage, DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Con modifier, and can only breath once every 1d4 rounds. At 9 HD, half the fire damage becomes divine damage as per flame strike. At 18 HD, all of it becomes divine damage.

 : A 2nd level spirit of vengeance can smell guilt and sin from others. They gain scent but not for normal smells. Good creatures have no oder, while neutral creatures can be detected as normal. Evil creatures count as a strong oder for the purpose of tracking and the range they can be detected.

 : A 2nd level spirit of vengeance gains smite evil of a paladin of their character level, including times per day and damage done. If they actually have smite evil, they add +4 to their effective paladin level for smite evil, if higher.

They become an Outsider, though they still count as a member of their original type when beneficial, and they gain DR/magic equal to half their character level. They also gain fast healing equal to half their character level as the flames rage forth from their planar origins. Their transformation becomes a swift action, though many choose to keep their transformation on all the time. They may bypass any alignment based DR with their attacks, and count as native to their home plane as well as the plane of their associated hosted spirit (typically Baator or Celestia). When the spirit of vengeance reaches 10 HD they may use plane shift 2/day as a spell-like ability, but only to their home planes.

In your transformed state you are more hellfire than body. You are immune to effects which sever limbs, including the effect of a vorpal sword, and you are immune to petrification and polymorphing. You also gain hinder fire 50%, darkvision 60 ft, and do not need to eat, sleep, or breath. At 10 HD, you become immune to fire instead.

Lastly, spirit of vengeance levels now count as levels in any class which grant a special mount or animal companion.

' :' A 3rd level spirit of vengeance may use detect thoughts'' at will as a spell-like ability. A creature who saves is immune to further uses of this ability for 24 hours. The saving throw is Charisma based.

 : A 3rd level transformed spirit of vengeance can make a gaze attack out to 60 feet against a single target as a standard action. It subjects the target to the pain of all those they have harmed in their life, causing those with much sin on their souls to experience much more suffering. The target must make a Will save or become shaken for 1 minute and take 1 nonlethal damage per HD they possess if they are good, become shaken and take 1d6 nonlethal damage per HD they possess if they are neutral, or become shaken and take 1d10 points of lethal damage they possess if they are evil, save negates the damage but not the shaken effect. The shaken effect does not stack with other fear effects. Creatures with the [Good] subtype are immune, and creatures with the [Evil] subtype take a -4 penalty on their saving throw. This is a mind-affecting effect.

 : A 3rd level transformed spirit of vengeance is difficult to slow down when they are riding a vehicle, creature, or mount. They may cross any surface, be it the surface of water, up a cliff wall, and on other surfaces which should not support them as long as they move at least 10 feet in the round. If they do not move at least 10 feet, they fall off or through surfaces as normal. They are not slowed by difficult terrain or any spell or effect as if they had freedom of movement, though they are not immune to grapples, paralysis, or other effects which physically encase them in a solid object. They take any damage from crossing hazardous surfaces as normal.

The spirit of vengeance may never be forcefully removed from their mount, all attempts to do so fail.

Ex-Spirits of Vengeance
While a chaotic spirit of vengeance cannot take levels in this class, they are free to become chaotic and retain their abilities. Those that betray the nature of their bound spirit, such as a fiend-bound spirit of vengeance becoming good aligned, are often hunted by their previous employers for the transgression.

Playing a Spirit of Vengeance
Combat: CLEAVE AND SMITE EVIL! Be you evil settling debts, or good taking revenge on those who would harm others, you are out to bring divine justice to the living.

Advancement: Why not paladin?

Resources: Spirits of vengeance typically come into being due to infernal contract with a mortal, which the devil uses as their hand in the material world. As such they have a infernal host of devils ready to aid them, or threaten them into compliance.

Spirits of Vengeance in the World
"Oh god I'm on fire!"

NPC Reactions: A flaming skeleton approaches carrying a spiked chain. How do you think a commoner is going to react? Its best to not transform in front of them...

Spirit of Vengeance Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge The Planes can research spirits of vengeance to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Spirits of Vengeance in the Game
Adaptation: While infernal themed, it could come from anywhere. For examples, they could be servents of the Silver Flame of Eberron.

Sample Encounter: The baron is being haunted by a "flaming skeleton" who wants him dead. Is it a random monster, or is something else going on? Will the PCs protect their charge even if they find out his guilt?

EL 7: PENDING