Survivor (3.5e Prestige Class)

Survivor
"I will see you buried."

Those who have gone through great stress and trials quickly learn the tricks to surviving. Fueled by aldrenaline and instinctive self preservation, survivors go to any length as they find victory will occur by outlasting their opponents.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the survivor.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A survivor is proficient with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).

It only functions on class features you already possess, you do not gain any new class abilities or spells known from this ability.

 : Through expert deflecting or toughened scar tissue, a survivor can endure blows which would fell a lesser man. Survivors gain DR 1/-, plus an additional DR 1 for every additional survivor level they have.

 : Survivors must often brave the harrow winds, burning flames, and shocking blasts of their enemies. Survivors gain energy resistance 2 to acid, cold, electric, fire, and sonic damage, plus an additional 2 points of resistance for every additional survivor level they have past 1st.

 : A survivor must remain standing even in face of massive blows. Once per day if a survivor is struck with a blow which would drop him below 1 hp, he can negate any further damage and leave himself at 1 hp as a free action.

 : A survivor is able to avoid blows which with unnatural awareness. A survivor retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a survivor already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

 : At 2nd level if a survivor makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a survivor is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless survivor does not gain the benefit of evasion.

 : At 2nd level, survivor becomes immune to disease, fatigue, and death by massive damage as his body learns to brush off its weaknesses.

 : At 3rd level a survivor gains twice his class level as a bonus on death effects. In addition if they fail a save against death they may use their Sturdy ability to drop them down to 1 hp instead of dying.

 : At 3rd level, a survivor can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the barbarian by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has survivor levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.

 : At 3rd level, a survivor gains spell resistance equal to his HD + 13. In order to affect the survivor with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the survivor's spell resistance. Unlike most spell resistance, the survivor may toggle it on and off as a free action to allow friendly spells through.

 : At 4th level, a survivor's evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. Unlike normal evasion, this form of improved evasion may be used in medium and heavy armor. A helpless survivor does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

 : At 4th level a survivor becomes immune to energy drain, exhaustion, and poison.

 : A survivor can bounce back from any harm. At 4th level he gains regeneration equal to 1/2 his HD (minimum 1) which is bypassed by magic weapons and untyped magic damage (but not energy damage). If the survivor has 21 or more HD, their regeneration is bypassed by epic weapons.

 : At 5th level a survivor has endured many hardships. His current damage reduction becomes 2/- per level, and he adds 1/2 of his non-survivor class levels to his damage reduction. For example a Survivor 5/Paladin 10 would have 10 + 5, or DR 15/-.

 : At 5th level a survivor can survive any environment. His current energy resistance becomes 4/level, and he adds 1 to his energy resistance for every non-survivor class level. For example a Survivor 5/Barbarian 10 would have 20 + 10, or Energy Resistance 30 against acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic.

 : At 5th level, a survivor gains maximum hit points per hit dice for all current and future levels, and any current and future HD become d12s.

 : At 5th level, a survivor can resist magical or unusual attacks with great willpower of fortitude. If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as a spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious survivor does not gain the benefit of mettle.

 : As the ultimate expression of rejecting death, once per day as an immediate action the survivor can activate a heal spell on themselves, often to save themselves from a horrible death. The spell is a caster level equaling their HD, and unlike heal has no cap on the maximum hit points healed. If the user is undead or a construct the heal is of negative energy or animating magic instead, functioning the same.

Playing a Survivor
Combat: Survivors simply wish to survive. Their melee combat suffers, but in return they gain fantastic defensive abilities to make it to the end. With a fair skill set, a survivor is likely one who supports his allies, using them as his sword in battle. Survivors must seek other classes to determine how they shall do battle with others.

Advancement: Survivors are not always just survivors alone, they are other things too. Be they commoners who managed to endure a rough life, or player characters who took up a defensive streak, their advancement is often based not on survivor but what they were before and what they will become.

Resources: Survivors do not gather, to be a survivor is to earn it all your own.

Survivors in the World
"Did you know the tarrasque's insides have floral patterns? That was quite an experience there."

NPC Reactions: Survivors are often respected for their ability to endure the punishments which should kill other men. Their reputation as undefeatable juggernauts is well deserved.

Survivor Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Local can research survivors to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Survivors in the Game
Adaptation: 0 BAB growth is true to the original class, but if you desire all classes have some BAB growth, consider giving poor BAB to the survivor.

Sample Encounter: A survivor of the town has gone off to rid the town of a terrible yaun-ti menace... and has not returned. Has the survivor been slain? Seek him out, and find what happened.

EL 6: PENDING