Erekose said:
I can see why you have suggested the changes in the class but to be honest this takes it into exactly the direction that I do not want it to go, i.e. a variant cleric.
I do not say your class is a cleric or a cleric variant.
I compared your class with a cleric because of three reasons:
1.) the cleric seemed to the most fitting class to be compared with your class
2.) your class get his powers form an outsider (a demon) which is similar to a cleric and his deity
3.) the abilities of your class are magical. They must be either divine magic, because your class can wear armor and use this abilities or these abilities must be spell-like abilities.
Erekose said:
My idea was for an ordinary person who would otherwise had an NPC class like Expert but has become so desperate and disillusioned that he or she has petitioned a demon lord.
?? This sounds like a prc to me. It sounds that you want to build an prestige class rather than a core class.
Your class is a core class. Every character class level 0 or any character with a nyclass can enter your class. You can build a prc out of your class which every class can enter.
I assume that every character level 6 can enter your diabolist prc.
It is not so easy to make a prc which is available for commoners and!!! other classes at level 6, because the commoner has the lowest saves, BAB, etc. If you use BAB, Saves as requirements other classes can achieve the requirements before advancing to level 6.
Requirements:
Alignment: Chaotic neutral, chaotic evil or neutral evil.
Skills: two skills at rank 9
HD: 6 HDs
Feat:
Demonic Thrall
Attributes: int at least 8
I choose the requirements because some monsters can have 9 ranks in two skills and also have 6 Hds.
Perhaps you may add further requirements:
Demons favour strong personalities: Cha 13+
Demons favour only physical strong persons: Str 13+
Demons favour only persons with strong personalities and physical strength: Cha 13+ and Str 13+
A prc can be more powerful than a core class. If a character can enter the prc at level 5 instead of 6 you can give the prc access to summon monster IV at level 7 (2nd level of the prc)
Hit Die: d8.
BAB/SAVES: As Cleric.
Class Skills
The diabolist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana, Planesy) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the diabolist.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A diabolist is proficient with all simple weapons, light armour, medium armour and shields (except tower shields).
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Special
1 - Demonic Bond (wrath and neutralize poison), bonus language
2 - Demonsight, Call Demon (Summon Monster IV)
3 - Demonic Bond (Vitality) Outsider (native)
4 - Demonic resistances 5, Call Demon (Summon Monster V)
5 - Demonic familiar (quasit), Poison 3x/day
6 - Call Demon (Summon Monster VI)
7 - Demonic Glare, Natural Armor +2 (or another ability)
8 - Glare of the Abyss, Call Demon (Summon Monster VII)
9 - Demonic resistance 10, ritual
10 - Soulless: DR 10/good Call Demon (Summon Monster VIII)
Call demon is a spell like ability (CL= HD) which can not be enhanced by augment summoning or any metamagic feat. It can only enhanced by feats which enhanced spell-like abilities.
Erekose said:
I know this could be considered similar to the cleric but in my mind it is fundamentally different.
This sounds like a mutation based on the ingested gutworm on me. Your class get its power from the demon blood in his body similar to a sorcerer.
Erekose said:
(Int), Decipher Script (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
You want to build a class or prc for a NPC expert who is disilllusioned and petitioned a demon.
With all knowledge skills as class skills the expert becomes a sage. I would limit the knowledge skills to: Planes, Arcana and perhaps religion.
Erekose said:
Demonic Bond (Su): As part of his or her pact with a demon lord, the diabolist willing becomes infected with a gutworm. The gutworm acts as the focus for the diabolist to call upon his or her demonic patron for all subsequent abilities. Unlike the standard parasite-host relationship the gutworm normally establishes with its host, the gutworm becomes a normal part of the diabolist and so is not affected by spells such as cure disease.
I really love the idea how you revised demonic bond. IMC I would make only one small change: The demon gives the knowledge how to perfom a special ritual on a gutworm. In this ritual which oly a person with a demonic thrall feat can perfom the diabolist ingests only blood of a gut worm. This blood is the focus for the diabolist to call upon his powers.
The diabolist can teach the ritual only to everybody with the demonic thrall feat. Any person who tries to raid this secret ritual out of the mind of a diabolist either by spell, diplomacy or otrher means gets a curse on himself. Nobody without the demonic thrall feat understands what the diabolist says if he speaks about the ritual.
Erekose said:
Wrath (Ex): At 1st level, the diabolist can take advantage of the gutworm’s ability to incite a frenzy in it’s host once per day. The diabolist gains +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, and a +2 bonus on Will saves but suffers a -2 AC penalty. The frenzy lasts for only 4 rounds but the diabolist is not fatigued afterwards.
the special treated blood of the gutworm grants this power to the diabolist... The wrath is like the barbarian rage ability except that the duration is limited to four rounds and the diabolist is not fatigued afterwards and this ability do not stack with any rage ability.
Erekose said:
Neutralise Poison (Su): From 2nd level, the level of integration of the gutworm with the diabolist deepens. Once per day, the gutworm will automatically neutralise the first poison that is introduced into the diabolist’s body.
Sounds ok because it is limited to the body of the diabolist.
Erekose said:
If the diabolist does not dismiss the demon before the duration of effect ends, the summoned demon remains in the mortal realm and is no longer subject to the diabolist’s command.
Very nice feature.
Does a dismissal or banishment send these demon back to their home plane?
Does a demon who is no longer under the command of a diabolist attack the diabolist?
Call Demon sounds like a planar ally with payment: after finishing the service stay on the material plane to me
Erekose said:
Superior Calling (Su): From 4th level and higher, the demons that answer a diabolist’s call are more powerful than normal. Each demon has +1 hit dice per 4 levels a diabolist has up to a maximum of +4 (i.e. +1 at 4th, +2 at 8th, +3 at 12th, and +4 at 16th level).
+1 hit dice means for an outsider: +1d8, +1 BAB, +1 on each save and 8+ int mod skill points. I do not know how I should rate this ability. +1 hd +1 bab +1 saves sounds like +1 CR for this demon, at level 16 +4 CR.
Can this ability combined with augment summoning?
Erekose said:
Soulless (Su): At 20th level, a diabolist’s damned soul becomes demonic. He or she becomes an outsider (native) with damage reduction 10/good.
IMHO you can give the type outsider (native) only after the complete transformation of the gut worm, so the diabolist is immune to charm person.
I really like this version. I have only one problem.
I can see this class as elite member of a cult who worships demons, but I can not see this class as class for a disillusioned NPC expert.
A NPC expert e.g. a shoemaker who petitioned a demonic lord becomes a diabolist.
He gets a benefit: Demonic Bond, but he has to change his life because of the skill list he also has to become a sage.
After reaching level 5 the NPC expert gets no real benefit.
How often does a NPC expert need to summon demons which fight for him if he stays in a city. The call demon ability is for adventuring persons, so if the NPC expert/diabolist wants to use this ability often he has to abandon his former lifestyle. Also the poisonous touch ability is for persons who fight often.