Spirit Thief (3.5e Template)

Author: Leziad (talk) Date Created: 31st March 2014 Status: Finished Editing: Clarity edits only please

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This template is made to work with the level adjustment dice variant rule.

Spirit Thief

Spirit thieves are unique members of any humanoid species, they possess a powerful baneful touch that can easily kill a weaker creature. Experienced spirit thieves are capable of using this life-draining touch to absorb a creatures' capacities. Spirit thieves are very rare, only discovering their talents around puberty, however, their birth is very often fatal to the mother. When spirit thieves are discovered they are often killed with great prejudice, however, those that survive soon learn the full extent of their gift. While contact with their skin is naturally harmful, spirit thieves are capable of concentrating that power with a touch, not only greatly harming a creature but also possibly stealing a part of them. The origin of spirit thieves is unknown, some say a powerful demon was responsible for their birth while others claim they are the sign of a coming elder evil. In any case, spirit thieves almost always find themselves at odds with society and most keep their gift hidden.

Spirit thieves encountered by adventurer (or in adventuring parties) are usually neutral or evil, they are those who decided to use their powerful gift for themselves, often at the detriment of society. A few spirit thieves are of good alignment, either refusing to use their power or using it for the betterment of mankind.

Creating a Spirit Thief

Spirit Thief is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid.

All of the spirit thief's DCs are equal to 10 + half character level/CR/ECL + highest mental ability score's modifier.

Size and Type: A spirit thief creature's type change to aberration (augmented humanoid or monstrous humanoid). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, hit points, or skill points. Size is unchanged.

Ability Scores: A spirit thief gain a +4 bonus on constitution and charisma.

Feat: A spirit thief receives two floating bonus feats, they however do not choose the feats. They are instead gained through the steal feat ability (see spirit theft for details). As a full-round action, she may change any one or both floating feats for any other feats she gained through the steal feat ability. A spirit thief cannot use any of her floating feats for prerequisites.

Skills: A spirit thief counts all class skills from the creature she used her spirit theft on as class skills. She also gains an extra skill point when she steals skill (see spirit theft).

Saving Throw: A spirit thief receives a +8 bonus on saving throws against the spirit theft ability of another spirit thief.

Special Attacks: A spirit thief gains the following special attacks.

Harmful Touch (Su): A spirit thief deal a number of additional damage on her unarmed attack and natural attack equal to her CR or ECL (whichever is appropriate). On a natural 20 when making an unarmed attack you may immediately initiate a spirit theft instead of dealing a normal critical hit (the touch attack is unnecessary since you already hit).

Steal the Last Spark of Life (Su): A spirit thief is capable of stealing whatever little life remains from a dead creature as a standard action. Doing so requires her to use her spirit thief ability on a body that was dead for at most 1 round, doing so immediately net her a number of temporary hit points equal to that creature's CR x5. Those temporary hit points do not stack with other sources of temporary hit point and vanish after a number of hours equal to the spirit thief CR or ECL (whichever is appropriate).

Spirit Theft (Su): The spirit thief's most dreaded ability is her ability to steal a creature's power and abilities with a mere touch. Using spirit theft require a standard action and a touch attack, unlike a normal touch attack the spirit thief can user her charisma instead of her strength for determining attack bonus. The attack deal 1d10 points of typeless damage equal to the spirit thief's CR or ECL (whichever is appropriate), a number of damage dice can be traded for other effects. A spirit thief can trade any number of dices up until you have one left, that means a Spirit Thief 4/Fighter 6 could trade up to 9d10 for special effects. A creature affected by spirit theft touch is allowed an initial will save, if successful the spirit theft damages cannot reduce the affected creature's hit point below 1 and some special abilities are negated. A spirit thief cannot use spirit theft on herself, other spirit thieves, or mindless constructs and mindless undeads.

Spirit thief choose special effects from the list below:

• Skill Theft: If the affected creature fails it initial will saving throw the spirit thief gain the ability to grant herself a bonus equal to the number of ranks the targeted creature had in the chosen skill, that creature takes a penalty to that skill equal the spirit thief's CR. Both the bonus and penalty last for 24 hours. The stolen feat permanently becomes a class skill for the spirit thief. This ability lower spirit theft damages by 2d10.

• Attribute Theft: The spirit theft replicate the effect of Tholan's attribute theft (with the usual saving throw), this ability lower spirit theft damages by 2d10.

• Steal Health: If the affected creature fails it initial will saving throw the spirit thief recover 50% of the damage she dealt with her spirit theft in hit points, gaining any excess as temporary hit points that last 1 minute per character level (do not stack with repeated use of steal health or another source of temporary hit points). This ability lower spirit theft damages by 3d10.

• Steal Feat: If the affected creature fails it initial will saving throw the spirit thief is able to 'steal' a feat. The spirit rogue may choose any feats the creature's possess, however she may only benefit from it if she herself meet the prerequisites, the spirit thief gain the benefits of these feats for 1 minute per point of CR or ECL and the affected creature lose the benefits of the feat for 24 hours (and any feats that used this feat as a prerequisite with the exception of the 1st level only prerequisite. After the duration expires, if the spirit thief was qualifying for the feat she may add it to her list of feats she can use for her two floating feats. If the feat had a specific option chosen (such as weapon focus [longsword] or expanded knowledge [mind thrust]) the spirit thief must choose the same option. This ability lower spirit theft damages by 3d10.

• Steal Stamina: If the affected creature fails it initial will saving throw it become exhausted, if the saving throw is successful the creature only become fatigued. In any case, if the spirit thief was previously exhausted she becomes fatigued. If she was already fatigued, she no longer is. This ability lower spirit theft damages by 4d10.

• Steal Memories: If the affected creature fails it initial will saving throw the spirit thief may decide to view some of its memories, you can view up to 5 minutes of memory per ECL or CR instantly, effectively 'living' the events you viewed and they forever become part of your own psyche. After you view the memories you may attempt to delete them entirely or partially from the target (as modify memory), however a second will save to negate the deletion is allowed. This ability lower spirit theft damages by 5d10.

• Permanent Skill Theft: If the affected creature fails it initial will saving throw the spirit thief can steal one of the creature's skill. The spirit thief gains a number of ranks in the skill equal to half her CR +3 or equal to the creature's own ranks in the stolen skill, whichever is lower and the class becomes a class skill for the spirit thief either way. If she already had ranks in the chosen skill she keeps whichever is higher. The creatures take a penalty to that skill equal to the Spirit Thief CR indefinitely but can be restored by greater restoration or similar effects. This ability lower spirit theft damages by 6d10.

• Waste Mana: If the affected creature fails it initial will saving throw it lose spell slots and power points as if it took a number of negative levels equal to the spirit thief's CR or ECL. This ability lower spirit theft damages by 8d10.

• Steal Spell-Like Ability: If the affected creature fails it initial will saving throw the spirit thief may decide to steal one of the creature's spell-like or psi-like ability. The spirit thief can use the spell-like ability as often as the creature can, or three times per day, whichever is less while the affected creature becomes unable to use said spell-like or psi-like ability for 24 hours. This ability last 24 hour or when the spirit thief steals another spell-like or psi-like ability, whichever come first. This ability lower spirit theft damages by 9d10.

• Transfer Ills: If the affected creature fail it initial will saving throw the spirit thief is immediately affected by heart of a champion, the affected creature also receive any status effect cured by this maneuver with the same duration, DCs, and penalties that the spirit thief suffered. This ability lower spirit theft damages by 10d10.

• Steal Life: The spirit theft replicate the effect of steal life (with the usual saving throw), unlike the spell the rapid age gain do not need to be made in a desecrated or unhallowed area nor during a full moon night. This ability lower spirit theft damages by 13d10.

• Steal Spell or Power: If the affected creature fails it initial will saving throw the spirit thief may decide to steal one spell or power known from the target, the targeted creature lose the ability to use said spell or power for 24 hours. If the spirit thief would be capable of using said spell or power (necessary level in a spellcasting or psionic class, high enough ability scores, and the spell or power are on her class list) she may add it to her list of power or spell known permanently. This ability lower spirit theft damages by 14d10.

• Permanent Attribute Theft: If the affected creature fail it initial will saving throw she take five points of ability burn on one ability score, this drain cannot be healed past -1 unless the creature use a miracle or wish. If the chosen ability score was 18 or higher before the drain, the spirit thief gains a +1 inherent bonus to the drained ability score. As an extra requirement this ability can only be used on humanoid, monstrous humanoid, intelligent undead and outsdier. This ability lower spirit theft damages by 15d10.

• Supernatural Theft: If the affected creature fails it initial will saving throw the spirit thief may decide to steal one of the creature's supernatural ability. The spirit thief can use the supernatural ability as often as the creature can while the affected creature becomes unable to use said supernatural ability for 24 hours. This ability last 24 hour or when the spirit thief steals another supernatural ability, whichever come first. This ability lower spirit theft damages by 15d10.

Special Qualities: A spirit thief gains the following special qualities.

Assumed Defense (Ex): A spirit thief gains a +4 dodge bonus on her armor class and a +2 insight bonus on saving throws against any creature that she successfully used her spirit theft on (failed the initial will save) within the last 24 hours. This bonus is halved after 24 hours but persists indefinitely.

Harmful Skin (Su): Any creatures that touch the spirit thief's naked skin take a number of typeless damage equal to the spirit thief CR or ECL (whichever is appropriate). The spirit thief may decide to deal nonlethal damage but cannot suppress this ability. The harmful nature of the skin is immediately apparent, an affected creature is allowed a will save each round to notice the damages otherwise it will remain oblivious. After 3 or more rounds of prolonged contact, the spirit thief may deliver a spirit theft as an immediate action.

Humanoid Shape (Ex) A spirit thief still look and feel like a member of its previous type. Despite being aberration, a spirit thief counts as its former type when it would be advantageous. For example, she can disguise herself as a creature of its former type without penalties.

Immunities: A spirit thief is immune to the harmful touch and harmful skin of another spirit thief (and her own obviously).

CR: +4

LA: +4

Starting at Higher Level

A spirit thief's power relies a lot on what it was able to snatch away from people, sadly if the game start at a higher level it is difficult to determine what the character previously stole. As a result, I present you this optional rule for starting at a higher level:

Stolen Feats: For each character level, a spirit thief has over 4 she may choose one feat she qualifies for as a feat on her floating feat list. She needs to qualify at the exact character level it is taken (so an epic level spirit thief could not take 16 epic feats as her stolen feats).

Stolen Skills: For each character level a spirit thief has over 4 she may choose two skills to be permanently assigned as class skills, if she starts at 10th level or higher she has all skills as class skills instead. For every 2 levels above the 4th, the spirit thief also receives 1/2+3 ranks in one skill she has no ranks in, if you start below tenth those skills must be class skills.

Permanent Attribute Theft: If the spirit thief starts at ECL 16 or higher it gain a +1d4 inherent bonus on all her ability scores (each rolled separately) to represent what she was able to steal. If the spirit thief starts with epic levels just give the maximum allowed of +5 to all ability scores.

CR or ECL or Character Levels

If you use the level adjustment dice variant rule ignores any mention of ECL and CR and use character level (class level + racial HDs + LA HDs). Otherwise, if the spirit thief is a PC, use ECL, and if the Spirit Thief is a monster or NPC, use CR.

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