Champions of the Dark Seven is a class from the Green Ronin book: the Unholy Warrior's Handbook.
Given all of the Sin based material within Rise of the Runelords alone, has anyone considered retooling this class to:
A. Fit more with the themes of the Runelords
B. Mix a bit better with Pathfinder?
I'd need to give it a second look when I find the time and energy...
Without even having re-read it, my initial thought is to divide the class along the lines of the Runeforged weapons, giving any particular Champion access to 2 of the Sins powers.
Having spent the morning going over the class from the original, I see now that I had forgotten how awful of a class it was. BoVD awful.
It's basically a 7 level PrC with cleric style BAB & FRWsaves.
2 skill points and...a list of 7 class abilities based upon sins that are equal to what a 1st-4th level character might get, along with a drawback.
The level 7 capstone ability allows you to bypass the drawback for the ability that you got at 7th.
Thematically its nice, but it looses lots of points on the style and mechanical sides (things like if you want to be a gluttonous champion, you should wait until you reach 7th to get your gluttony ability..)
I do have some ideas to, however, take some of these ideas, and design something that could look like one of those, and be stylistically and mechanically stronger.
As PrCs are a bit out of favor, the basic format would be to create it as a Magus archtype, use the Staff Magus as a basic template, but instead use pole arms as the weapon, and grant some of the pole arm fighter abilities. Add in some specialist wizard and sin abilities, stir, sand, varnish, buff.
<dust off hands>
I'll see what I can do about posting it in the next day or so.
OK, as this is kind of log its Spoiler tagged.
This is a rough 1st draft, I know that there are a few areas that it could be cleaned up, but I think it's a pretty sound basic template.
There are certainly other routes I could have used to get in the things I wanted to see, my chief reservation is, as an archetype most likely to be used by an NPC and run by the DM, it only ADDS the the fiddliness of a Magus.
The Runelords were not just masters of the arcane, but also weilded terrible implements of rule, commanding armies and forces unknown in modern times. These champions are not just masters of using arcane magic along with combat but also exemplars of not only the might of the Runelords themselves but of their sins as well.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Champion of Sin is proficient with simple weapons and all weapons in the pole arm weapon group. He can cast magus spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a magus wearing medium armor or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass magus still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.
This replaces the normal magus weapon and armor proficiency feature.
Unrepentant Sinner (Su)
Each runelord was a master of a school of magic, a specialist wizard of the deadliest caliber. In Thassilon, there were only seven recognized schools of magic (their wizards lumped divination magic into the universal school), and each school was associated with one of the seven virtues of rule. A Champion of Sin must choose one of these sins to represent, gaining the following bonuses and penalties. Champions of Sin are unashamed and concealing their base nature and take a -2 profane penalty on all Bluff and Sense Motive skill checks. Champions of Sin recieve a +1 bonus to all saves against spells of the Related School for their sin and a -1 penalty to all saves against spells of the opposition schools.
Envy: The art of suppressing magic other than your own. Related School: abjuration. Prohibited Schools: evocation and necromancy. A Champion of Sin (Envy) gains +1 on Perception skill checks, and Perception is treated as a class skill.
Sloth: Calling agents and minions to perform your deeds for you, or creating what you needed as you need it. Related School: conjuration. Prohibited Schools: evocation and illusion. A Champion of Sin (Sloth) may, once per day, ignore one fatigue effect, or reduce an exausted effect to fatigued.
Lust: Magically controlling and dominating others to satisfy your desires, and controlling other creatures’ minds, emotions, and wills. Related School: enchantment. Prohibited Schools: necromancy and transmutation. A Champion of Sin (Lust) gains +1 on Diplomacy skill checks, and Diplomacy is treated as a class skill.
Wrath: Mastery of the raw destructive powers of magic, and channeling those destructive forces. Related School: evocation. Prohibited Schools: abjuration and conjuration. A Champion of Sin (Wrath) gains +1 on Intimidate skill checks, and Intimidate is treated as a class skill.
Pride: Perfecting your own appearance and your domain through trickery and illusions. Related School: illusion. Prohibited Schools: transmutation and conjuration. A Champion of Sin (Pride) gains +1 on Disguise skill checks, and Disguise is treated as a class skill.
Gluttony: Magic that manipulates the physical body to provide an unending thirst for life. Related School: necromancy. Prohibited Schools: enchantment and abjuration. A Champion of Sin (Gluttony) gains +1 on all saves against poison.
Greed: Magically transforming things into objects of greater value or use, and enhancing the physical self. Related School: transmutation. Prohibited Schools: enchantment and illusion. A Champion of Sin (Greed) gains +1 on Appraise skill checks, and Appraise is treated as a class skill.
Sin Magic Specialist (Su)
The Champion of Sin casts and memorizes spells as a normal magus with the following enhancements and restrictions. He gains access to an expanded spell list, he learns and places 4 spells from the wizard’s spell list into his spellbook as magus spells of their wizard level. These spells must be from a the school of magic associated with his sin. Two of the spells must be 0-level and two 1st level. Every 3 levels beyond 1st, he gains two more wizard spells not on the magus spell selected from the school of magic associated with his chosen sin, these spells must be from the new spell level gain at the apporpriate level, ie, 2nd level spells at 4th, 2rd level spells at 7th, 4th level spells at 10th, 5th level spells at 13th and 6th level spells at 16th.
He can ignore the somatic component of these spells, casting them without the normal chance of spell failure.
A Champion of Sin can never prepare a spell that is in one of his prohibited schools—he treats these spells as if they were not on the magus spell list. If using a spell trigger or spell completion item to cast a spell from one of his prohibited schools, he must use the Use Magic Device skill to do so.
One of the spells the Champion of Sin memorizes each day must come from the school of magic associated with his chosen sin.
It all other ways the Champion of Sin treats access to and use of spells as a magus.
Sin Focus (Ex)
At 5th level, a Champion of Sin gains Spell Focus for the school of magic associated with his chosen sin. If he already has Spell Focus for that school, then he gains Greater Spell Focus for that school.
This replaces the bonus feat gained at 5th level.
Polearm Defense (Ex)
At 7th level, while wielding a polearm, the Champion of Sin gains a shield bonus to his Armor Class equal to the enhancement bonus of the polearm, including any enhancement bonus on that polearm from his arcane pool class feature. At 13th level, this bonus increases by +3.
This ability replaces the medium armor and heavy armor class abilities.
Sin Magic Pool (Su)
At 7th level, when a Champion of Sin prepares his spells, he can decide to expend 1 or more points from his arcane pool, up to his Intelligence bonus. For each point he expends, he can treat any one spell from the school associated with his sin from the magus and wizard spell lists as if it were in his spellbook and can prepare that spell as normal that day. If he does not cast spells prepared in this way before the next time he prepares spells, he loses those spells. He can also cast spells added in this way using his spell recall ability, but only until he prepares spells again.
This replaces the Knowledge Pool gained at 7th level.
Polearm Training (Ex)
At 8th level a Champion of Sin gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with spears and polearms. The bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 8th.
This replaces the Improved Spell Combat gained at 8th level.
Favored of the Runelord (Su)
At 10th level a Champion of Sin doubles the bonuses and penalties associated with Unrepentant Sinner ability above.
In addition once per day he may either: roll two dice for a saving throw against a spell of his Related School keeping the best roll; or force a single opponent to roll two dice for a saving throw against a spell of his Related School that he has cast and the opponent must keep the lower roll.
This ability replaces fighter training.
Improved Spell Combat (Ex)
At 11th level, the magus’s ability to cast spells and make melee attacks improves. When using the spell combat ability, the magus receives a +2 circumstance bonus on concentration checks, in addition to any bonus granted by taking an additional penalty on the attack roll.
This ability replaces the bouns feat gained at 11th level.
Master of Sin Magic (Su)
When you apply metamagic feats to a spell from the Related School for your selected sin, that adds at least 1 level to the spell, treat its actual level as 1 lower for determining the spell's final adjusted level.
This ability replaces Greater Spell Combat gained at 14th level.
Step Aside (Ex)
At 17th level, when a creature threatened by a Champion of Sin takes a 5-foot step into a square adjacent to him, he can take a 5-foot step as an immediate action. This 5-foot step must be subtracted from his movement on the next turn. He also gains a +2 dodge bonus to his AC against that opponent until the end of his next turn.
This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 17th level
Exemplar of Sin (Su)
At 19th level a Champion of Sin again doubles the bonuses associated with Unrepentant Sinner ability above for a total of +4 for most effects, but does not increase the penalties.
The the Champion of Sin gains access to an expanded spell list. He learns and places 7 spells from the wizard’s spell list from the Related School for his selected sin into his spellbook as magus spells of their wizard level. He gains one of each of the following wizard spells not on the magus spell list:
0-level, 1st-level, 2nd-level, 3rd-level, 4th-level, 5th-level, and 6th-level.
He can ignore the somatic component of these spells, casting them without the normal chance of spell failure.
This ability replaces Greater Spell Access gained at 19th level.
I suppose I could have built a new system out of Magus Arcana.
Another draw back to this is that it doesn't really call to mind the idea of particular Sins a matter of faith or religious obeisance.
This works pretty well as one of the Warriors of Wrath in Sins of the Saviors, but not really what I was going for. Perhaps an Oracle Archetype?
I suppose I could craft an Oracle Curse based upon each sin, and an Archetype to go with it, wouldn't be that difficult.
And a revised version of the above Magus Archetype, it keeps the guts of the Archetype (access to specialist magic, polearm use) without tinkering too much with the mechanics of the class.
Champion of Sin
The Runelords were not just masters of the arcane, but also weilded terrible implements of rule, commanding armies and forces unknown in modern times. These champions are not just masters of using arcane magic along with combat but also exemplars of not only the might of the Runelords themselves but of their sins as well.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Champion of Sin is proficient with simple weapons and all weapons in the pole arm weapon group. He can cast magus spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a magus wearing medium armor or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass magus still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.
This replaces the normal magus weapon and armor proficiency feature.
Unrepentant Sinner (Su)
Each runelord was a master of a school of magic, a specialist wizard of the deadliest caliber. In Thassilon, there were only seven recognized schools of magic (their wizards lumped divination magic into the universal school), and each school was associated with one of the seven virtues of rule. A Champion of Sin must choose one of these sins to represent, gaining the following bonuses and penalties. Champions of Sin are unashamed and concealing their base nature and take a -2 profane penalty on all Bluff and Sense Motive skill checks. Champions of Sin recieve a +1 bonus to all saves against spells of the Related School for their sin and a -1 penalty to all saves against spells of the opposition schools.
Envy: The art of suppressing magic other than your own. Related School: abjuration. Prohibited Schools: evocation and necromancy. A Champion of Sin (Envy) gains +1 on Perception skill checks, and Perception is treated as a class skill.
Sloth: Calling agents and minions to perform your deeds for you, or creating what you needed as you need it. Related School: conjuration. Prohibited Schools: evocation and illusion. A Champion of Sin (Sloth) may, once per day, ignore one fatigue effect, or reduce an exausted effect to fatigued.
Lust: Magically controlling and dominating others to satisfy your desires, and controlling other creatures’ minds, emotions, and wills. Related School: enchantment. Prohibited Schools: necromancy and transmutation. A Champion of Sin (Lust) gains +1 on Diplomacy skill checks, and Diplomacy is treated as a class skill.
Wrath: Mastery of the raw destructive powers of magic, and channeling those destructive forces. Related School: evocation. Prohibited Schools: abjuration and conjuration. A Champion of Sin (Wrath) gains +1 on Intimidate skill checks, and Intimidate is treated as a class skill.
Pride: Perfecting your own appearance and your domain through trickery and illusions. Related School: illusion. Prohibited Schools: transmutation and conjuration. A Champion of Sin (Pride) gains +1 on Disguise skill checks, and Disguise is treated as a class skill.
Gluttony: Magic that manipulates the physical body to provide an unending thirst for life. Related School: necromancy. Prohibited Schools: enchantment and abjuration. A Champion of Sin (Gluttony) gains +1 on all saves against poison.
Greed: Magically transforming things into objects of greater value or use, and enhancing the physical self. Related School: transmutation. Prohibited Schools: enchantment and illusion. A Champion of Sin (Greed) gains +1 on Appraise skill checks, and Appraise is treated as a class skill.
Sin Magic Specialist (Su)
The Champion of Sin casts and memorizes spells as a normal magus with the following enhancements and restrictions. He gains access to an expanded spell list, he learns and places 4 spells from the wizard’s spell list into his spellbook as magus spells of their wizard level. These spells must be from a the school of magic associated with his sin. Two of the spells must be 0-level and two 1st level. Every 3 levels beyond 1st, he gains two more wizard spells not on the magus spell selected from the school of magic associated with his chosen sin, these spells must be from the new spell level gain at the apporpriate level, ie, 2nd level spells at 4th, 2rd level spells at 7th, 4th level spells at 10th, 5th level spells at 13th and 6th level spells at 16th.
He can ignore the somatic component of these spells, casting them without the normal chance of spell failure.
A Champion of Sin can never prepare a spell that is in one of his prohibited schools—he treats these spells as if they were not on the magus spell list. If using a spell trigger or spell completion item to cast a spell from one of his prohibited schools, he must use the Use Magic Device skill to do so.
One of the spells the Champion of Sin memorizes each day must come from the school of magic associated with his chosen sin.
It all other ways the Champion of Sin treats access to and use of spells as a magus.
Sin Focus (Ex)
At 5th level, a Champion of Sin gains Spell Focus for the school of magic associated with his chosen sin. If he already has Spell Focus for that school, then he gains Greater Spell Focus for that school.
This replaces the bonus feat gained at 5th level.
Polearm Defense (Ex)
At 7th level, while wielding a polearm, the Champion of Sin gains a shield bonus to his Armor Class equal to the enhancement bonus of the polearm, including any enhancement bonus on that polearm from his arcane pool class feature. At 13th level, this bonus increases by +3.
This ability replaces the medium armor and heavy armor class abilities.
Sin Magic Pool (Su)
At 7th level, when a Champion of Sin prepares his spells, he can decide to expend 1 or more points from his arcane pool, up to his Intelligence bonus. For each point he expends, he can treat any one spell from the school associated with his sin from the magus and wizard spell lists as if it were in his spellbook and can prepare that spell as normal that day. If he does not cast spells prepared in this way before the next time he prepares spells, he loses those spells. He can also cast spells added in this way using his spell recall ability, but only until he prepares spells again.
This replaces the Knowledge Pool gained at 7th level.
Polearm Training (Ex)
At 10th level a Champion of Sin gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with spears and polearms. The bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 10th, This bonus also applies to CMB for attacks using the Polearm, and to CMD for attacks against the Polearm.
This ability replaces fighter training.
Step Aside (Ex)
At 17th level, when a creature threatened by a Champion of Sin takes a 5-foot step into a square adjacent to him, he can take a 5-foot step as an immediate action. This 5-foot step must be subtracted from his movement on the next turn. He also gains a +2 dodge bonus to his AC against that opponent until the end of his next turn.
This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 17th level