Boneblade Reaper (3.5e Prestige Class)

Author: Frank and K Date Created: 2006 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Boneblade Reaper

“

I have bested Death itself and cannot die. Your powers do not impress me.

”

Necromancy is the magic of death, and the study of this art can reveal martial secrets for dealing of death. To be a Boneblade Reaper is not just to study death as a means of bringing it to your enemies, but it is a path of dark enlightenment. To reach a pinnacle of this art, one must embrace death as a lover, and to erase his name from the book of life and enter it into the book of death. This is not the embrace of corrupted state of undeath, but the rewriting of the self as an avatar of an implacable and unknowable force of existence... death itself.

To begin this path, one masters the boneblade, a symbol of the art of dealing death. Then he etches the necromantic runes into his own flesh that mark him as one of Death’s Own. From there, he begins learning the death art of the boneblade, mastering martial techniques culled from the study of necromancy.

Becoming a Boneblade Reaper

Entry Requirements

Skills:	Move Silently 9 ranks, Concentration 4 ranks.
Feats:	Boneblade Master, Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Finesse.
Spellcasting:	Must be able to cast first-level spells.
Special:	Cannot be undead.
Special:	Evasion ability.

Table: The Boneblade Reaper

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+2	+2	Deathscribed Flesh, Death Art Strike	+1 Spellcaster Level
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Secrets of the Boneblade Art	+1 Spellcaster Level
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+3	Dark Life	+1 Spellcaster Level
4th	+4	+4	+4	+4	Stunning Blade, Speed of Death +20 feet	+1 Spellcaster Level
5th	+5	+4	+4	+4	Runes of Lifetrapping	+1 Spellcaster Level
6th	+6	+5	+5	+5	Speed of Death +40 feet	+1 Spellcaster Level
7th	+7	+5	+5	+5	Ghost Strike	+1 Spellcaster Level
8th	+8	+6	+6	+6	Speed of Death +60 feet	+1 Spellcaster Level
9th	+9	+6	+6	+6	Dance with the Reaper	+1 Spellcaster Level
10th	+10	+7	+7	+7	Runes of the Dark Reaper, Speed of Death +80 feet	+1 Spellcaster Level

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level)
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Spellcraft (Int).

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Boneblade Reaper gains no proficiency with armor or weapons, although if he has the flurry ability he may use it with any Boneblade weapon.

Spellcasting: Every level, the Boneblade Reaper casts spells (including gaining any new spell slots and spell knowledge) as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he had previous to gaining that level.

Deathscribed Flesh (Ex): The Boneblade Reaper has scribed necromantic runes into the own flesh of his arms and chest, never healing and faintly shimmering with dark energy. As long as these runes are not covered by clothing or armor, these runes provide protection from the blades and claws of the Boneblade Reaper’s enemies. In game terms, this counts a +8 armor bonus that counts against touch attacks and incorporeal touch attacks. For each additional level of this class, this bonus increases by +1. These runes also make the Boneblade Reaper immune to any effect that would turn him into an undead creature, even if he is currently dead.

Death Art Strike (Su): Each time the Boneblade Reaper kills an enemy with a boneblade weapon melee attack, he may make an additional touch attack with a free hand at the same attack bonus. If this attack hits, it does 1d6 points of Con damage plus 1 for every HD of the killed enemy (Will save for half).

Secrets of the Boneblade Art (Su): From 2nd level on, the Boneblade Reaper may cast his targeted Necromancy spells through his boneblades. On any successful melee attack on an enemy with a boneblade weapon, the Boneblade Reaper may cast a targeted Necromancy spell as a swift action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. This spell affects the enemy as if the boneblade had been enchanted with the Spellstoring attribute and the spell had been inside it when it struck (and been activated during the attack).

Dark Life (Su): At 3rd level, the Boneblade Reaper has learned to draw power from negative energy. Any damage he would receive from negative energy is instead converted to healing on a point for point basis. He is still healed by Positive Energy as well.

Stunning Blade (Ex): At 4th level, the Boneblade Reaper can make stunning attacks and similar special attacks with a bone blade as if it was an unarmed strike.

Speed of Death (Ex): Even light is not faster than the dark, and nothing living is faster than death. When the Boneblade Reaper achieves 4th level, his speed increases by 20 feet. His speed increases 20 more feet at 6th, 8th, and 10th level.

Runes of Life Trapping (Ex): At 5th level, the Boneblade Reaper is immune to any effect that moves his soul from his body, even if he is currently dead. This includes effects like magic jar, soul bind, trap the soul, and the class features of PrCs like Soul Merchant and Heartless Mage (even if he has levels in these PrCs). Also, the Boneblade Reaper gains Heavy Fortification in addition to the armor bonus he gains from his Deathscribed Flesh ability.

Ghost Strike (Su): At 7th level, the Boneblade Reaper can “lose” any prepared spell in order to cast wraithstrike, even if this spell is not on his spell list. This casting does not provoke Attacks of Opportunity

Dance with the Dark Reaper (Ex): Due to a bargain with Death, you must battle the Dark Reaper to win freedom from Death’s grasp. Should the Boneblade Reaper die, his body is pulled into a featureless pocket demiplane that cannot be accessed or exited by dimensional traveling magic. Once there, the Boneblade Reaper is stripped of his equipment and he receives the effects of a true resurrection spell and a disjunction, and he is fully healed. A boneblade weapon is created for him while he is in this demiplane. He is then immediately forced into a battle with the Dark Reaper (treat as an Entropic Reaper without the Entropic Blade ability). Should he win this battle, he is returned with all his equipment to a safe location 1d4 miles from the place where he died and he does not age for 10 years. If he loses, he dies again and can only be returned to life with resurrection magic that does not require his body; casting this kind of spell calls a Dark Reaper to the location of the spellcaster and he must kill the Dark Reaper without aid for the spell to take effect. Once returned to life, the Boneblade Reaper’s equipment is transported to the location of his new body. The Boneblade Reaper cannot refuse to return to life if resurrection magic is used on his behalf. If the Boneblade Reaper dies due to reaching his maximum age, his life is extended long enough for him to finish his battle with the Reaper. Should he defeat the Reaper, his maximum age is instead increased by 10 years (during which he does not age any further). If he fails, he cannot be returned to life by any means.

Runes of the Dark Reaper (Ex): At 10th level, the Boneblade Reaper ascends to the honored position of Dark Reaper, and so he cuts the representative runes into his flesh. Any creature he kills with a boneblade is affected by a soul bind effect that binds the soul to the body of the Boneblade Reaper. The only way to release a soul affected by this power is to convince the Boneblade Reaper to release the soul (he can do so as a standard action). At this level, the Boneblade Reaper also becomes immune to mind-affecting magic or effects.

Boneblade Reaper, Dungeonomicon Version

While the original Boneblade Reaper was intended to address the fact that Monk levels from the PHB don't make a spellcaster any good in combat (although admittedly they do allow you to come in second in any 1 on 1 combat), the Boneblade Reaper for the Dungeonomicon Monk should be there to address the problem that taking Wizard levels doesn't really help your Monk combating.

Becoming a Dungeonomicon Boneblade Reaper

Entry Requirements

Skills:	Move Silently 9 ranks, Concentration 4 ranks.
Feats:	Boneblade Master, Weapon Finesse.
Spellcasting:	Must be able to cast second-level spells.
Special:	Cannot be undead.
Special:	Must have two Fighting Styles or must have the Evasion ability.

Table: The Dungeonomicon Boneblade Reaper

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+2	+2	Deathscribed Flesh, Death Art Strike	+1 Spellcaster Level
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Secrets of the Boneblade Art	+1 Spellcaster Level
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+3	Dark Life	+1 Spellcaster Level
4th	+4	+4	+4	+4	Fighting Style, Speed of Death +20 feet	+1 Spellcaster Level
5th	+5	+4	+4	+4	Runes of Lifetrapping	+1 Spellcaster Level
6th	+6	+5	+5	+5	Speed of Death +40 feet	+1 Spellcaster Level
7th	+7	+5	+5	+5	Ghost Strike	+1 Spellcaster Level
8th	+8	+6	+6	+6	Master Fighting Style, Speed of Death +60 feet	+1 Spellcaster Level
9th	+9	+6	+6	+6	Dance with the Reaper	+1 Spellcaster Level
10th	+10	+7	+7	+7	Runes of the Dark Reaper, Speed of Death +80 feet	+1 Spellcaster Level

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level)
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Hide(Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis),Move Silently(Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot(Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Boneblade Reaper gains no proficiency with armor or weapons, although if he has any ability that applies to a Slam attack he may use it with any Boneblade weapon.

Death Art Strike, Alternate (Su): Each time the Boneblade Reaper kills an enemy with a boneblade weapon melee attack, he may make an additional touch attack with a free hand at the same attack bonus. If this attack hits, he may cast one targeted spell against the target of his attack as a free action.

Fighting Style: At 4th level, the Boneblade Reaper gains a Monk’s Fighting Style. Appropriate names are generally of a dark tone such as "Wasting Serpent Style" or "Hopeless Basilisk Stance".

Master Fighting Style: A Boneblade Reaper of 8th level gains access to a Master Fighting Style as a Monk.

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