Character Classes

FAVORED SOUL

The favored soul follows the path of the cleric but is able to channel divine power with surprising ease. She is able to perform the same tasks as her fellow divine spellcasters but with virtually no study; to her, it comes naturally. Scholars wonder if favored souls have traces of outsider blood from unions, holy or unholy, centuries ago and generations removed. Others suggest that divine training of the proper type awakens the ability, or that favored souls are simply imbued with their gifts by their gods when they begin the cleric's path. In any case, favored souls cast their spells naturally, as much through force of personality as through study. Though this gives them extraordinary divine abilities no normal person could ever match, they see their gift as a call to action, and so in some ways may lag behind their more studious colleagues. Favored souls are often loners, wandering the land serving their deities. They are welcomed by their churches but treated as unusual and are sometimes misunderstood. They are emissaries of their deities and outside the church's command structure - respected mystics not requiring the support normally crucial to a priest's success. This makes them sometimes revered and sometimes envied by their cleric cousins. While favored souls are occasionally disrespected for their perceived lack of discipline, devout worshipers know that they are a powerful message from, and indeed a living manifestation of, their deities. Favored souls cast divine spells by means of an innate connection rather than through laborious training and prayer, so their divine connection is natural rather than learned. These divine spellcasters know fewer spells and acquire powerful spells more slowly than clerics, but favored souls can cast spells more often, and they have no need to select and prepare them ahead of time. Divine magic is intuitive to a favored soul, not a matter of careful prayer. This intuitive nature leads to a freer interpretation of faith and doctrine, and so favored souls tend slightly toward chaos over law. A favored soul is often of the same alignment as her deity, though some are one step away. For example, a favored soul could serve a lawful good deity and be neutral good herself. A favored soul may not be neutral unless her deity is neutral. A favored soul can be of any religion. The most common deity worshiped by human favored souls in civilized lands is Pelor, god of the sun. Among nonhuman races, favored souls most commonly worship the chief deity of their racial pantheon. Unlike clerics, favored souls are not able to devote themselves to a cause or a source of divine power instead of a deity. Favored souls learn of their connection with the divine at a young age. Eventually, a young favored soul understands the power that she has been wielding unintentionally. Favored souls, as naturally inclined divine channelers, are also born loners. Unlike clerics in a temple, they gain little by sharing their knowledge and have no strong incentive to work together. The innate talent of spontaneously channeling divine power is unpredictable, and it can show up in any of the common races. Divine spellcasters from savage lands or from among brutal humanoid tribes (such as orcs or half-orcs) are more often favored souls than clerics. Favored souls have the most in common with members of other self-taught classes, especially sorcerers, but also druids and rogues. They sometimes find themselves at odds with members of the more disciplined classes, specifically clerics, whom they sometimes view as too wrapped up in doctrine and rigidly defined attitudes. The favored soul serves as a group's backup healer and defensive magic specialist. She can hold her own in a fight, especially if she chooses to focus on powers that aid her in combat.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The favored soul's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge(arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Favored Soul

Table: Favored Soul Spells Known

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the favored soul.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Favored souls are proficient with all simple weapons, with light and medium armor, and with shields (except tower shields). A favored soul is also proficient with her deity's favored weapon. Although a favored soul is not proficient with heavy armor, wearing it does not interfere with her spellcasting.

Spells: A favored soul casts divine spells (the same type of spells available to clerics), which are drawn from the cleric spell list. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time the way a cleric must.

To cast a spell, a favored soul must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell's level (Cha 10 for 0-level spells, Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a favored soul's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the favored soul's Wisdom modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a favored soul can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Favored Soul. In addition, she receives bonus spells for a high Charisma.

Unlike a cleric, a favored soul's selection of spells is limited. A favored soul begins play knowing four 0-level spells and three 1st-level spells of your choice. At each new favored soul level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Favored Soul Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, her Charisma score does not affect the number of spells a favored soul knows; the numbers on Table: Favored Soul Spells Known are fixed.)

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered favored soul level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a favored soul can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the favored soul "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level favored soul spell the favored soul can cast. A favored soul may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level.

Unlike a cleric, a favored soul 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 spells per day for that spell level.

Deity's Weapon Focus: At 3rd level, a favored soul gains the Weapon Focus feat with her deity's favored weapon. If the character already has that feat, she can choose a different one.

Energy Resistance (Ex): At 5th level, a favored soul chooses an energy type and gains resistance 10 against that type. At 10th level and 15th level, the character gains resistance 10 against another energy type of her choosing.

Deity's Weapon Specialization: At 12th level, a favored soul gains the Weapon Specialization feat with her deity's favored weapon. If she already has that feat, she can choose a different one.

Wings (Ex): At 17th level, a favored soul gains wings and can fly at a speed of 60 feet (good maneuverability). A good-aligned favored soul grows feathered wings, and an evil-aligned favored soul gains batlike wings. A favored soul who is neither good nor evil may choose either type of wings.

Damage Reduction (Su): A 20th-level favored soul gains damage reduction. If the character is lawful-aligned, the damage reduction is 10/silver. If the character is chaotic- aligned, the damage reduction is 10/cold iron. A favored soul who is neither lawful nor chaotic may choose either type of damage reduction.

FAVORED SOUL VARIANTS

Dead Levels

The favored soul has thirteen dead levels, but gains new spells per day or spells known during each one of those levels. The favored soul is a curious character class in that no special abilities are received at 1st level, creating something of a conceptual design void. This void is offset by having all good saving throws, but mechanical bonuses and spell choices alone can leave some people feeling cold at 1st level.

Faith Healing (Su): Starting at 1st level, a favored soul can selectively channel a small amount of divine energy when handling the wounds of a dying creature. The favored soul is so certain in the use of first-aid (see Heal) that the character can use it reliably even under adverse conditions. When making a first-aid check on anybody who is within one step of their deity's alignment, the favored soul may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent the character from doing so. At 6th level, these first-aid checks heal 1 point of damage. This amount increases by 1 hit point every five levels thereafter (11th and 16th).

Knowledge Specialty (Ex): At 1st level, a favored soul can choose whether to make Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (religion) a class skill. Once this choice is made, it cannot be reversed.

Exalted or Vile Presence (Su): At 2nd level, a favored soul is more influential when interacting with people of the same faith. A favored soul gains a +2 bonus on Charisma when using any skill that treats Charisma as the key ability, but only when interacting with people who worship the same deity. This bonus increases by +1 at 4th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 13th, 14th, 18th, and 19th level. A favored soul gains one-half of this bonus (rounded down) when interacting with anybody who is within one step of their deity's alignment. When making Use Magic Device checks, this bonus also applies to magic objects that are divinely created or intelligent objects with alignments.

Deity's Favor

The favored soul enjoys the flexibility of spontaneous spellcasting, but her limited spell selection can hinder her ability to provide the healing expected from a divine caster. Choosing the deity's favor class feature means you'll be a bit less potent in combat, but lets you use the spells you're already casting to help you and your allies last longer in a fight. Favored souls who choose this option should expect a lot of requests for support spells such as bless, bull's strength, and prayer, but remember that your cure spells gain this benefit as well.

Level: 3rd.

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the deity's weapon focus or deity's weapon specialization class features (you still gain proficiency with your deity's favored weapon).

Benefit: Beginning at 3rd level, whenever you cast a favored soul spell, you can choose any one ally affected by that spell (including yourself) to gain temporary hit points equal to three times the spell's level. These temporary hit points last for up to 1 minute per level of the spell. If the spell would also grant temporary hit points, use only the larger value and its duration.

If you use this ability on a creature that is still under the effect of a previous use, the new temporary hit points overlap (do not stack with) the temporary hit points the creature had remaining.

Beginning at 12th level, you can choose to grant these temporary hit points to any number of allies affected by the spell.

Drow Favored Soul

Viewed with a combination of awe and jealous hatred by other drow, the favored souls of Lolth hold substantial power in their society, but also occupy a truly precarious position. As Lolth's "elite," favored souls are expected, even more than others, to be able to defend themselves and their positions from other drow who seek to take them. Otherwise, they clearly weren't worthy after all, were they? Favored souls often compete with clerics for positions in the priesthood and other high offices.

Sense Prey

The Weaver of Webs has graced you with the predatory senses of her favored minions. Although you are no longer as resistant to damage as other favored souls, it is almost impossible for the enemy to hide from you.

Level: 5th.

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the standard favored soul's energy resistance at 5th, 10th, and 15th level.

Benefit: Three times per day, you can use a standard action to gain tremorsense (MM 316) out to of 5 feet for 1 round per class level. This is a supernatural ability.

At 10th level your tremorsense extends to 20 feet, and at 15th level to 30 feet.

Favored of Bahamut/Favored of Tiamat

Although humanoid worshipers of draconic gods are unusual, their numbers are growing. No one knows whether these deities have taken an active hand in gifting lesser creatures with divine blessings, or whether the ranks of the faithful swell only by chance. Either way, those who serve Bahamut or Tiamat as divine emissaries can manifest draconic abilities and sorcerous powers, much to the surprise of their enemies.

Class: Favored soul.

Level: 3rd.

Special Requirement: You must be devoted to either Bahamut or Tiamat to select this class feature.

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the Weapon Focus feat with your deity's favored weapon at 3rd level, and you do not gain the Weapon Specialization feat with your deity's favored weapon at 12th level. Furthermore, other class features gained at later levels change, as described below.

Benefit: You grow claws that deal damage (1d6 points if you are Medium, 1d4 if you are Small, and 1d8 if you are Large). As a full attack, you can make one primary natural attack with each of your two extremities, or you can make one secondary natural attack with one claw when attacking with a melee weapon. The claws are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

In addition, you can choose a sorcerer spell (rather than a cleric spell) as your newly learned 1st-level spell. As long as the spell remains on your list of spells known, you can treat it as being on your class spell list for all purposes.

You also gain the Dragontouched feat as a bonus feat.

At 12th level, you can learn one additional sorcerer spell as if it were a cleric spell. This spell can be one of your newly learned 5th- or 6th-level spells, or you can use your ability to replace an existing known spell with a new sorcerer spell.

At 17th level, instead of growing batlike or feathered wings, you grow draconic wings that resemble those of your deity.

At 20th level, instead of gaining damage reduction 10/silver or 10/cold iron, you gain damage reduction 10/epic.

Favored of the Fiends

Cultists of archdevils and demon princes are uncommon and secretive, but they are a potent force for evil in the world. On occasion, when a servant proves his devotion to his vile masters, he undergoes a profound transformation.

Class: Favored soul.

Level: 3rd.

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the Weapon Focus feat at 3rd level, nor do you gain the Weapon Specialization feat at 12th level.

Benefit: Your nails lengthen into ragged claws and your teeth extend into sharp fangs, dealing damage as indicated on the following table.

Your claws are your primary natural weapons. When you are not wielding a weapon, you can use your claws when making an attack action. When making a full attack, you can use both claws and your bite. When wielding a weapon, you can use the weapon as your primary attack and your bite as a natural secondary attack. In addition, if you have a free hand, you can also attack with a claw as an extra natural secondary attack.

Your natural attacks count as if they were evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.