View source for Akuma Samurai (3.5e Prestige Class)

===Becoming a Akuma Samurai===

Only characters that belong to a select few classes can qualify to become Akuma Samurai, very few of those would even consider doing such a thing. In exchange for fealty, fiends grant much power and the Akuma Samurai gain an edge very few have.

{{3.5e Prestige Class Prereqs
|alignment=
|bab=+5
|skills=[[SRD:Intimidate Skill|Intimidate]] 8 Ranks, [[SRD:Knowledge Skill|Knowledge]] (The Planes) 5 Ranks
|feats=[[SRD:Weapon Focus|Weapon Focus]] (Ancestral Weapon)
|otherpower=Class Feature
|otherpowerreq=Must have the ability to have an Ancestral Weapon (or a similar ability) by class ability or the [[Artifact Weapon (3.5e Feat)|Artifact Weapon]] feat.
|special=Must have made peaceful contact with a powerful evil outsider capable of casting [[SRD:Wish|''wish'']] and pledged fealty to it.
}}

{{3.5e Class Simple
|prestige=true
|classname=Akuma Samurai
|hitdie=10
|length=5
|bab=Good
|fort=Good
|ref=Poor
|will=Good
|special1=[[#Code of Conduct|Code of Conduct]], [[#Mantle of the Youkai|Mantle of the Youkai]], [[#Partial Advancement|Partial Advancement]]
|special2=[[#Dark Iaijutsu|Dark Iaijutsu]], [[#Face of Evil|Face of Evil]]
|special3=[[#Armor of Sins|Armor of Sins]]
|special4=[[#Commander of the Legions|Commander of the Legions]], [[#Face of Death|Face of Death]]
|special5=[[#Usurp the Darkness|Usurp the Darkness]]
|skillpoints=4
|skills=
Appraise, 
Balance, 
Bluff, 
Climb, 
Concentration, 
Craft, 
Diplomacy, 
Disguise, 
Escape Artist, 
Forgery, 
Gather Information, 
Handle Animal, 
Heal, 
Hide, 
Intimidate, 
Jump, 
Knowledge (Local), 
Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty), 
Knowledge (The Planes), 
Listen, 
Martial Lore, 
Move Silently, 
Open Lock, 
Perform, 
Profession, 
Ride, 
Search, 
Sense Motive, 
Sleight of Hand, 
Speak Language, 
Spellcraft, 
Spot, 
Survival, 
Swim, 
Tumble, 
}}

====Class Features====

All of the following are class features of the Akuma Samurai.

'''{{Anchor|Code of Conduct}}:''' An Akuma Samurai must establish peaceful contact with a powerful evil outsider, trading power for fealty. She must follow the code of conduct below:

* Once per year, the Patron of the Akuma Samurai may ask her to perform a reasonable task without payment.
* Alternatively, for a very difficult or unreasonable task, the Akuma Samurai may accept or refuse. If she refuses, she must offer a powerful soul in compensation within a year; the CR of the soul must be at least the Demon Samurai's CR −2. If she accepts and succeeds, then her patron must grant her a [[SRD:Wish|''wish'']].
* The Akuma Samurai is expected to fight for the cause of her patron for at least 1 month per year.
* The Akuma Samurai must never betray her patron or conspire against it.

If the Akuma Samurai fails to follow her code of conduct, she loses all Akuma Samurai class features for a full year or until she finds a new willing patron. In the case of a betrayal or if her patron is killed, the loss of class features is permanent until a new patron is found.

'''{{Anchor|Mantle of the Youkai}} {{Su}}:''' A 1st level Akuma Samurai's pact with the underworld taints the very gear she uses. After donning any armor, it transforms into a [[SRD:Demon Armor|Demon Armor]] after 1 minute has passed, retaining any existing abilities or bonuses as well the statistics of the original armor. If the armor would normally inflict negative levels due to the Demon Samurai’s alignment, it no longer does so after transforming into Demon Armor. The Demon Armor generally looks the same with every transformation, but generally becomes more stylized as the Akuma Samurai grows in power.

Similarly, the Akuma Samurai's Ancestral Weapon or [[Artifact Weapon (3.5e Feat)|Artifact Weapon]] will catch aflame once they are drawn, either burning with red flames ([[SRD:Flaming|Flaming]]) or blue flames ([[SRD:Frost|Frost]]) as long as the battle persists, these enhancement stack with any actual enhancement on the weapon. This stacks with any other enhancements on it. 

Only the transformation of the armor and weapon is a supernatural ability; its new form persists even in an [[SRD:Antimagic Field|''antimagic field'']]. The Akuma Samurai counts as evil-aligned whenever beneficial for the purpose of her equipment. 

'''{{Anchor|Partial Class Advancement}}:''' The Akuma Samurai gives advancement to pre-existing class features, such as sneak attack, bardic songs per day (but not bardic music known), caster level (but not spells known), and initiator level (but not new maneuvers) to the class which granted her Ancestral Weapon (or similar ability). If she qualified with the [[Artifact Weapon (3.5e Feat)|Artifact Weapon]] feat, then she may select any class she had level in to progress. It does not grant new class features, nor does it grant spells per day, spells known, or similar abilities.

'''{{Anchor|Dark Iaijutsu}} {{Su}}:''' A 2nd level Akuma Samurai can make a powerful attack as she draw her weapon. As a standard action she may make a single attack while her ancestral weapon is sheathed, drawing the weapon and striking at the same time. The attack deal an extra 2d6 unholy damage per class level, if it slay the creature it soul is trapped within the Akuma Samurai's ancestral weapon and it body disintegrated into ashes (as the [[SRD:Disintegrate|''disintegrate'']] spell). 

The Akuma Samurai's ancestral weapon may only hold a single soul at any time, if she capture another soul the previous soul is displaced. She may move a soul into a proper receptacle as a full-round action, and if the soul's CR is less than her own CR by at least 5 she may consume and destroy it as a free action.

'''{{Anchor|Face of Evil}} {{Su}}:''' A 2nd level Akuma Samurai may cast [[SRD:Fear|''fear'']] as a supernatural ability usable at will as a swift action. When she uses this ability, her face transforms into a demonic visage, and creatures which do not meet her gaze are not affected. This demonic visage is the same every time, and is a reflection of the Akuma Samurai’s particular sins. If a character makes their saving throw against this effect, they may not be affected by it again for 24 hours.

'''{{Anchor|Armor of Sins}}:''' A 3rd level Akuma Samurai may now qualify for [Fiend] feats as if she was a fiend herself. However, unless she is herself a fiend, she only benefits from her [Fiend] feats while her demon armor is worn. Similarly, any change on her body or penalties applies only when the armor is worn.

The Akuma Samurai gains a [Fiend] feat she meets the prerequisites for as a bonus feat.

'''{{Anchor|Commander of the Legions}}:''' A 4th level Akuma Samurai can lead armies on the battlefield; she gains [[Variant Leadership (3.5e Feat)|Variant Leadership]] (Master of Arms) and [[Pushover Followers (3.5e Feat)|Pushover Followers]] as bonus feats. She may only recruit evil outsiders as her followers and contacts.

If the Akuma Samurai already possesses followers from another source, the number of followers she commands doubles and she is no longer restricted to commanding only evil outsiders.

'''{{Anchor|Face of Death}} {{Su}}:''' When a 4th level Akuma Samurai uses [[#Face of Evil|Face of Evil]], she may focus her gaze on a single creature to kill it with fright. This replicates the effect of the [[Improved Phantasmal Killer (3.5e Spell)|''improved phantasmal killer'']] spell, except that it cannot be turned against you and the focus is your ancestral weapon (tarp[ping the soul within, as per Dark Iaijutsu). Like Face of Evil, the creature must be subject to your gaze and a successful save grants immunity to this ability for 24 hours.

'''{{Anchor|Usurp the Darkness}}:''' A 5th level Akuma Samurai has absorbed much power from the forces of evil, partially ascending in the process. She gains [[SRD:Plane Shift|''plane shift'']] (self only) as a spell-like ability usable at will as well as [[DR]] 10/Good. She also become immortal and cease to age, although she may still be killed normally.  

If the Akuma Samurai defeats her patron in single combat, she no longer needs to be non-good and no longer needs to follow her Akuma Samurai's code of conduct. She also gains the ability to sponsor other Akuma Samurai, using her as their patron. She gains the ability to use [[SRD:Wish|''wish'']] as a spell-like ability once per year; it can only be used to grant the wishes of someone else in exchange for service.
Article Balance	Very High +
Author	Leziad +
Base Attack Bonus Progression	Good +
Class Ability	Other +
Class Ability Progression	Other +
Fortitude Save Progression	Good +
Identifier	3.5e Prestige Class +
Length	5 +
Minimum Level	5 +
Rating	Undiscussed +
Reflex Save Progression	Poor +
Skill	Appraise +, Balance +, Bluff +, Climb +, Concentration +, Craft +, Diplomacy +, Disguise +, Escape Artist +, Forgery +, Gather Information +, Handle Animal +, Heal +, Hide +, Intimidate +, Jump +, Knowledge +, Listen +, Martial Lore +, Move Silently +, Open Lock +, Perform +, Profession +, Ride +, Search +, Sense Motive +, Sleight of Hand +, Speak Language +, Spellcraft +, Spot +, Survival +, Swim + and Tumble +
Skill Points	4 +
Summary	A rework of the Demon Samurai to be more usable without much tome stuff in games. +
Title	Akuma Samurai +
Will Save Progression	Good +