Chorister (3.5e Class)

Summary::A divine singer who can turn the tide of battle with a word. Class Ability::Spontaneous Divine Spellcasting Class Ability::Bardic Music Class Ability Progression::Partial

Chorister
In many cultures, the use of song and dance are used as a means to communicate with the divine. The chorister represents a member of a religious order who seeks to uplift the fallen, convert the unfaithful and chastise the wicked with their words. Choristers are often found in the midst of a travelers hoping to convert others to their faith, though they are not an uncommon sight in the ranks of a conquering army.

Making a Chorister
Choristers make excellent healers and support for a group. With their high charisma they often find themselves as the spokesperson for an adventuring party. While they can wade into the melee with the aid of defensive spells and their smite ability, a chorister is most effective behind more durable party members.

Abilities: Charisma is the most important stat for a chorister. It determines the strength and number of spells they can cast, as well as the effectiveness of their Holy Scripture abilities. A high dexterity can help shore up the choristers armor class and is especially useful should the chorister favor ranged weapons.

Races: Though any race can produce choristers, they are most likely found in societies that allow for freedom of expression. Gnomes, Halflings, Humans, Elves and Half-Elves are the races most likely to produce choristers.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: As Bard.

Starting Age: As Bard.

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

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A chorister is proficient with all simple weapons, plus their deity's favored weapon. Choristers are proficient with all light and medium armor and light shields.

She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. When a chorister gains access to a new spell level, she automatically learns all the spells for the level listed on the chorister's spell list. Essentially, her spell list is the same as her spells known list. Choristers also add Domain spells (see below) to their list of spells known. To cast a spell, a chorister must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a chorister’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the chorister’s Charisma modifier. Like other spellcasters, a chorister can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Chorister. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score. As noted above, a Chorister need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level. Choristers choose their spells from the following list:

0&mdash;Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Guidance, Inflict Minor Wounds, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Resistance, Virtue.

1st&mdash;Bane, Bless, Bless Weapon, Cure Light Wounds, Divine Favor, Doom, Endure Elements, Inflict Light Wounds, Magic Stone, Magic Weapon, Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Remove Fear, Sanctuary, Shield of Faith, Summon Monster I

2nd&mdash;Aid, Align Weapon, Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Consecrate, Cure Moderate Wounds, Delay Poison, Desecrate, Eagle's Splendor, Fox's Cunning, Inflict Moderate Wounds, Owl's Wisdom, Remove Paralysis, Resist Energy, Lesser Restoration, Shield Other, Spider Climb, Status, Summon Monster II

3rd&mdash;Bestow Curse, Blindness/Deafness, Cure Serious Wounds, Dispel Magic, Inflict Serious Wounds, Magic Circle Against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Magic Vestment, Prayer, Protection From Energy, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Curse, Remove Disease, Summon Monster III, Water Breathing, Water Walk

4th&mdash;Air Walk, Cure Critical Wounds, Death Ward, Dimensional Anchor, Divine Power, Freedom of Movement, Inflict Serious Wounds, Greater Magic Weapon, Neutralize Poison, Poison, Restoration, Spell Immunity, Summon Monster IV

5th&mdash;Atonement, Break Enchantment, Mass Cure Light Wounds, Dispel Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Hallow, Mass Inflict Light Wounds, Raise Dead, Righteous Might, Spell Resistance, Summon Monster V, True Seeing, Unhallow

6th&mdash;Mass Bear's Endurance, Mass Bull Strength, Mass Cat's Grace, Mass Cure Moderate Wounds, Greater Dispel Magic, Mass Eagle's Splendor, Forbiddance, Mass Fox's Cunning, Harm, Heal, Heroe's Feast, Mass Inflict Moderate Wounds, Mass Owl's Wisdom, Summon Monster VI, Wind Walk

Aura: A chorister of chaotic, evil, good or lawful deity has a particularly powerful aura corresponding to their deity's alignment. Choristers who don't worship a particular deity but choose the Chaos, Evil, Good or Law domain have a similarly powerful aura of the corresponding alignment.

Deity, Domains, and Domain Spells: Choose a deity for your chorister. The chorister’s deity influences her alignment, what magic she can perform, her values, and how others see her. You may also choose for your chorister to have no deity. If the typical worshipers of a deity include the members of a race, a chorister must be of the indicated race to choose that deity as his own. When you have chosen an alignment and a deity for your chorister, choose two domains from among those given for the deity. While the chorister of a particular religion are united in their reverence for their deity, each chorister emphasizes different aspects of the deity’s interests. You can select an alignment domain (Chaos, Evil, Good, or Law) for your chorister only if her alignment matches that domain. If your chorister is not devoted to a particular deity, you still select two domains to represent her spiritual inclinations and abilities. The restriction on alignment domains still applies. Each domain gives your chorister access to a domain spell at each spell level she can cast, from 1st on up, as well as a granted power. Your chorister gets the granted powers of both the domains selected. The domain spells are automatically added to the choristers list of spells known.

Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells: A chorister can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to her own or her deity’s (if she has one). For example, a good chorister(or a neutral chorister of a good deity) cannot cast evil spells. Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaos, evil, good, and law descriptors in their spell descriptions.

Holy Scripture : The chorister can begin quoting scripture to strengthen her allies or hinder her foes. Quoting scripture requires a standard action to make a Perform (Oratory, Poetry or Singing) check, though maintaining the effect requires a move action. While using this ability, the chorister may not cast spells, activate spell complete, trigger or command magic items. The chorister may activate this ability once per day per chorister level. A chorister may maintain a Holy Scripture for a maximum of 1 minute, unless the specific performance says otherwise. After a performance stops, the effects continue for three rounds, unless the specific performance says otherwise. Feats and classes that progress or interact with Bardic Music may be applied to Holy Scripture.

Verse of Valor: A chorister with at least 3 ranks in Perform can armor her allies with her holy words. All allies within 60ft who can see and hear the chorister gain a +1 AC. At 5rd level and every five levels thereafter, this bonuse increases by 1. In addition, allies affected by this performance gain a bonus against being Bullrushed, Disarmed, Grappled and Tripped equal to the chorister's charisma modifier.

Temerarious Council: A chorister with at least 3 ranks in Perform can invoke reckless behavior in her foes. All foes within 60ft who can see or hear the chorister take a -1 AC. At 5rd level and every five levels thereafter, this penalty increases by 1. In addition, an opponent who is affected by this scripture is denied the option of taking attacks of opportunity. An opponent must make a Will sv (DC= 10+1/2Chorister Level+Cha Modifier) to ignore both effects.

Words of Restoration: A chorister with at least 3 ranks in Perform can heal her allies with but a few words. All allies within 30ft who can see and hear gain immunity to poison and disease for as long as the Holy Scripture is maintained. If the ally is already suffering from a poison or disease the effects are suppressed and they are entitled to a new save with a bonus equal to the chorister's charisma modifier. In addition they gain Fast Healing 1, at 3rd level and every three levels thereafter Fast Healing improves by 1. At 4th level this ability also grants the effects of Lesser Restoration. This ability can only restore an ally once per Holy Scripture. At 8th level this ability grants the effects of Restoration. At 14th level this ability grants the effects Greater Restoration.

Verse of Ardor: A chorister of 5th level or higher with at least 8 ranks in Perform can invigorate her allies and free them from hindering effects. All allies within 30ft who can see and hear the chorister may ignore the effects of fatigue/exhaustion, paralysis, stunning, daze and slow. At level 10, this ability includes any effect that would be countered by Freedom of Movement as well.

Remonstration of Sloth: A chorister of 5th level or higher with at least 8 ranks in Perform can shackle her foes with her scriptures. All foes within 60ft who can see or hear the chorister are affected as if by the Slow spell. At level 10, this ability also includes the effects of Dimensional Anchor, preventing all teleportation effects within 60ft of the chorister. An opponent must make a Will sv (DC= 10+1/2Chorister Level+Cha Modifier) to ignore both effects. The chorister may affect a number of enemies equal to half her chorister level per performance.

Words of the Immaculate Mind: A chorister of 5th level or higher with at least 8 ranks in Perform can armor her allies minds against the influence of others. All allies within 30ft that can see and hear the chorister are immune to compulsion and fear effects, as well as possession effects. If they are already under such an effect, the effects are suppressed and they may make another save against it with a bonus equal to the choristers Charisma modifier.

Verse of the Inviolate: A chorister of 10th level or higher with at least 13 ranks in Perform can make her allies skin tougher than iron. All allies within 60ft who can see or hear the chorister gain DR 5/- and energy resistance 10 against acid, cold, electricity or fire and spell resistance 20. The energy type is chosen at the start of the performance. At 15th level and again at 20th level, DR increases by 5, energy resistance by 10 and SR by 5.

Words of Equality: A chorister of 10th level or higher with at least 13 ranks in Perform can grant her allies the ability to strike true. Allies who can see and hear the chorister can strike incorporeal and ethereal creatures as if their weapons had the Force descriptor and may ignore an amount of DR equal to their chorister level. This ability does not affect DR/- or DR/Epic.

Denying the Leyline: A chorister of 10th level or higher with at least 13 ranks in Perform can cut off her opponents from accessing magic. For as long as the performance is maintained, foes who cast spells or use spell-like abilities must make an opposed caster level check against the chorister. If they fail the check they take a penalty to caster level equal to the chorister's charisma modifier. In addition, for as long as the chorister maintains the performance she may ready an action to counterspell. If she successfully identifies the spell, she may counter it by sacrificing a number of Holy Scripture performances equal to the spells level.

Sacred Voice : By expending a use of Holy Scripture, a chorister may expand the range of any Cure/Inflict spell from Touch to Close (25ft +5/2 caster levels). At 6th level, this ability may be used to extend the range of any other spell with a range of Touch. At level 12 you may apply the benefits of any spell modified by this ability to another ally/level, no two of which can be more than 30ft apart.

Solemn Prayer : By expending a use of Holy Scripture a chorister may grant her allies a peaceful rest. She may designate a circle up to 50ft in diameter as being blessed for 24 hours. Invoking a prayer requires a 10 minute ceremony. Allies who rest within the circle gain the benefits of 8 hours sleep in 2 hours, though spellcasters must still spend six more hours at rest to regain spells. If they spend 8 hours sleeping, they recover as if they had full bed rest. If they do have full bed rest, they recover as if they had a full week of bed rest. Furthermore the area is warded with an alarm spell and those who rest within are protected from possession as if they were warded by Protection from Evil and immune to effects that influence dreams, such as Nightmare.

Roar of the Just : By expending a use of Holy Scripture as a swift action, a chorister can grant a target ally a special smite attack. The next melee or ranged attack made by the ally gains a bonus to hit equal to the chorister's charisma modifier and damage equal to her chorister level. If the attack misses, it still expends a use of this ability.

Blessings of Fortune : Whenever a chorister or an ally within 30ft fail a saving throw, the chorister may expend a use of Holy Scripture as an immediate action to reroll the save with a bonus equal to the chorister's charisma modifier. They must accept the results of the second roll, even if it is worse.

Turn Undead : When a chorister reaches 4th level, she gains the supernatural ability to turn undead. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier. She turns undead as a cleric of three levels lower would.

Wisdom of Brevity : By expending an additional use of Holy Scripture, a chorister may begin a Holy Scripture as a swift action rather than a standard action. Maintaining the performance still requires a move action.

Hymn of Exhilaration : By expending a use of Holy Scripture as a standard action, a chorister may grant an ally within 60ft an immediate move action. This movement may provoke attacks of opportunity. At level 9 a chorister gains the ability to grant an ally an additional standard action by expending three uses of Holy Scripture. At level 14, a chorister may expend three uses of Holy Scripture to grant all allies an immediate move action.

Turn the Blade : As an immediate action, a chorister may expend two uses of Holy Scripture to render a critical hit by an enemy as a normal hit. The chorister must see the enemy making the attack and cannot be flat-footed. If the chorister uses this ability on an ally other than herself, the ally must be within 60ft.

Deny Fortune : By expending three uses of Holy Scripture as an immediate action, a chorister may force an opponent within 60ft to reroll a saving throw. The chorister must be able to see the opponent and cannot be flat-footed.

Voice of the Soul : A chorister gains further insight into the divine. At level 11, a chorister gains the power to turn Outsiders who have an alignment subtype opposite to the chorister's aura and bolster Outsiders who share their alignment. For example, a Good chorister can turn outsiders with the Evil subtype and bolster outsiders with the Good subtype. Turned Outsiders cannot be destroyed by this ability.

Inspired Refrain : At level 17, a chorister may call upon his divine patrons to grant him additional power. A chorister may temporarily gain an additional spell slot by expending a number of uses of Holy Scripture equal to the spell level. The slot stays for one hour per point of the chorister's charisma modifier (minimum 1). If it is unused before then, the slot is lost without benefit.

Voice of the Heavens: At level 20 a chorister reaches the pinnacle of their abilities. They may now activate and maintain the effects of two performances Holy Scriptures at the same time. This still requires the same expenditure of Holy Script uses as individually activating a performance.