I developed this class idea from a class I used to love playing when I used to MUD over a decade ago. I've gotten some input from a couple people (one of which says that it sits solidly in tier 3), but I would like thoughts from a wider range of sources. And I know this website has a lot of DMs, so this should be pretty perfect. So here goes, the Reaver for D&D 3.5e.
Alignment: Any Evil
HD: 1d8
BAB: Good
Saves: Fort/Will - Good, Ref - Bad
Class Skills: Bluff, Climb, Craft, Decipher Script, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spot.
Skills Points/Level: 4 + Int Modifier
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Reavers are proficient in Light, Medium and Heavy armor, all shields (except Tower Shields), and all Simple and Martial Weapons.
Abilities
Soul Weapon: At level 1, the Reaver chooses a specific melee weapon. This weapon must be of Masterwork quality. The Reaver then spends 24 uninterrupted hours attuning his soul to the weapon with the aid of a cleric of his own deity. Once the process is completed, the resulting weapon takes on a blood-red tint and confers multiple bonuses to the Reaver.
A Reaver may untie his soul from his weapon permanently if he so chooses. He may either do this gradually or forcefully. If he does it gradually, he must spend 24 uninterrupted hours, untying his soul from the weapon with the aid of a cleric of his own deity. If he does it forcefully, he must spend 1 minute severing his ties with the weapon. Either way, tearing the soul away from his weapon may potentially put the Reaver in a state of shock. If he chooses to do it gradually, he must roll a DC 15 Fort Save. Doing so forcefully requires a DC 20 Fort Save. A successful Fort Save results in 1 day of feeling Sickened. A failed Fort Save results in 1 day of feeling Sickened for every 2 class levels. Additionally, if the Reaver forcefully severs ties with his Soul Weapon, he must roll a second Fort Save at DC 25, failure resulting in taking a penalty of half his base Con score (natural Con, before enchantments, buffs, etc., rounded up) for 1 day per 4 class levels. These saving throws are required 1 hour after the Reaver has been completely cut off from the Soul Weapon.
A Soul Weapon that is broken is treated as if it had been forcefully severed from the Reaver, but the connection remains unless he willingly unties himself from the weapon. Repairing the weapon requires a drop of blood from the Reaver during the repairing process. If the Soul Weapon is disintegrated or otherwise removed from existence, the Reaver cannot remake the weapon and must instead bind himself to a new one.
Reavers may only have 1 Soul Weapon in existence at any given time. If the Reaver attempts to create a Soul Weapon while another weapon attuned to his soul is still in existence, his soul will be forcefully severed from his current Soul Weapon.
A Reaver may attune himself to a new weapon only after he has fully recovered from Sickness and Con penalties associated with untying his soul from his previous Soul Weapon.
Corruption (Su): At level 1, a Reaver gains the ability to corrupt and steal souls through his Soul Weapon. The Reaver first issues a standard grapple attack. If the target is below 50% health and the grapple is successful, he may use his Soul Weapon in a touch attack, dealing standard weapon damage without his strength modifier. Every round that the Reaver has his target grappled in this way, he may continue to deal lethal damage through his Soul Weapon as a touch attack. If the target would be killed in this way, its soul is forcibly taken from its body and stored inside the Reaver's Soul Weapon. His weapon gains a number of Charges equal to the HD of the Soul captured.
Corruption can only be used on targets who have a soul (or are constructed of one). This means that he may also steal the soul of summoned creatures before they return to the plane they originated from. Anything that does not have a soul, such as undead, constructs, etc. are immune to Corruption, and the negative level effects of the advanced Soul Smite abilities. If a target is killed by use of Corruption, the loss of its soul will speed the body's decaying process drastically, decaying into dust within 12 hours.
Souls that are trapped in a Reaver's Soul Weapon are corrupted and turned evil. Should the soul be released whole for any reason, it should be treated as malign. If any Charges conveyed to the Reaver's Soul Weapon by a creature's soul are used, that soul is considered too damaged to be used in any spells or rituals that would normally require a soul in order to perform them, and dissipates immediately if it is released from its entrapment.
Alignment: Any Evil
HD: 1d8
BAB: Good
Saves: Fort/Will - Good, Ref - Bad
Class Skills: Bluff, Climb, Craft, Decipher Script, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spot.
Skills Points/Level: 4 + Int Modifier
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Reavers are proficient in Light, Medium and Heavy armor, all shields (except Tower Shields), and all Simple and Martial Weapons.
Abilities
Soul Weapon: At level 1, the Reaver chooses a specific melee weapon. This weapon must be of Masterwork quality. The Reaver then spends 24 uninterrupted hours attuning his soul to the weapon with the aid of a cleric of his own deity. Once the process is completed, the resulting weapon takes on a blood-red tint and confers multiple bonuses to the Reaver.
Unholy Weapon (Su) - A Reaver's Soul Weapon is considered Evil for the sake of bypassing Damage Reduction. It also radiates an evil aura that can easily be identified by detection abilities such as Detect Evil.
Weapon Focus (Su) - At 1st class level, while wielding his Soul Weapon, the Reaver is treated as having the Weapon Focus feat, even if he would not normally meet the prerequisites for this feat. This only effects the Reaver's Soul Weapon.
Weapon Specialization (Su) - At 3rd class level, while wielding his Soul Weapon, the Reaver is treated as having the Weapon Specialization feat, even if he would not normally meet the prerequisites for this feat. This only effects the Reaver's Soul Weapon.
Greater Weapon Focus (Su) - At 5th class level, while wielding his Soul Weapon, the Reaver is treated as having the Greater Weapon Focus feat, even if he would not normally meet the prerequisites for this feat. This only effects the Reaver's Soul Weapon.
Greater Weapon Specialization (Su) - At 7th class level, while wielding his Soul Weapon, the Reaver is treated as having the Greater Weapon Specialization feat, even if he would not normally meet the prerequisites for this feat. This only effects the Reaver's Soul Weapon.
Blood Theft (Su) - When a Reaver draws blood with his Soul Weapon, it draws out the target's life force, storing it inside the weapon. Every time lethal damage is dealt to a target with the Soul Weapon, it accumulates 1 Blood Point for every HD of the target. The Reaver may use a standard action to draw on the the power accumulated in the blade, healing himself for 1 hit point per Blood Point drawn in this way. The Reaver does not have to use all accumulated Blood Points at once, and may break up the healing in any increment he chooses as long as there are Blood Points left within the weapon. The maximum number of blood points capable of being held in the Soul Weapon at one time is equal to 4x class level.
Recall (Su) - At class level 2, the Reaver may use a Swift Action to recall his Soul Weapon. If this weapon is on the same plane as the Reaver, it will teleport into the Reaver's hand.
Soul Scrying (Su) - At class level 4, the Reaver may scry on his Soul Weapon as if using the Scrying spell. This ability has no component requirement. Being bound to your soul, the Soul Weapon is afforded no Will Save.
Any feats that require prerequisites of one or more feats that are conferred as part of the Supernatural Abilities (Such as a feat that requires Weapon Focus as a prereq.) listed above may be taken normally (as long as you meet all other prerequisites) as if the Reaver had taken the above feats normally (such as through level, or bonus feats). Any feats taken that use the above Supernatural abilities as feat prerequisites may only use the purchased feat in conjunction with the Reaver's Soul Weapon. A Reaver may untie his soul from his weapon permanently if he so chooses. He may either do this gradually or forcefully. If he does it gradually, he must spend 24 uninterrupted hours, untying his soul from the weapon with the aid of a cleric of his own deity. If he does it forcefully, he must spend 1 minute severing his ties with the weapon. Either way, tearing the soul away from his weapon may potentially put the Reaver in a state of shock. If he chooses to do it gradually, he must roll a DC 15 Fort Save. Doing so forcefully requires a DC 20 Fort Save. A successful Fort Save results in 1 day of feeling Sickened. A failed Fort Save results in 1 day of feeling Sickened for every 2 class levels. Additionally, if the Reaver forcefully severs ties with his Soul Weapon, he must roll a second Fort Save at DC 25, failure resulting in taking a penalty of half his base Con score (natural Con, before enchantments, buffs, etc., rounded up) for 1 day per 4 class levels. These saving throws are required 1 hour after the Reaver has been completely cut off from the Soul Weapon.
A Soul Weapon that is broken is treated as if it had been forcefully severed from the Reaver, but the connection remains unless he willingly unties himself from the weapon. Repairing the weapon requires a drop of blood from the Reaver during the repairing process. If the Soul Weapon is disintegrated or otherwise removed from existence, the Reaver cannot remake the weapon and must instead bind himself to a new one.
Reavers may only have 1 Soul Weapon in existence at any given time. If the Reaver attempts to create a Soul Weapon while another weapon attuned to his soul is still in existence, his soul will be forcefully severed from his current Soul Weapon.
A Reaver may attune himself to a new weapon only after he has fully recovered from Sickness and Con penalties associated with untying his soul from his previous Soul Weapon.
Corruption (Su): At level 1, a Reaver gains the ability to corrupt and steal souls through his Soul Weapon. The Reaver first issues a standard grapple attack. If the target is below 50% health and the grapple is successful, he may use his Soul Weapon in a touch attack, dealing standard weapon damage without his strength modifier. Every round that the Reaver has his target grappled in this way, he may continue to deal lethal damage through his Soul Weapon as a touch attack. If the target would be killed in this way, its soul is forcibly taken from its body and stored inside the Reaver's Soul Weapon. His weapon gains a number of Charges equal to the HD of the Soul captured.
Soul Smite (Su): At level 1, a Reaver who has consumed a Soul using his Corruption ability may use it to fuel his blows. Each Soul Smite uses one of these Charges. A successful Soul Smite adds 1/2 of the Reaver's Class Level to his Damage, in the form of Negative Energy Damage.
Soul Beam (Su) - At level 4, A Reaver who has trapped a soul within his Soul Weapon may expend two Charges to make a ranged touch attack as a standard action, up to a range of 60 ft. This attack is equal to the Reaver's weapon damage + Wisdom Modifier.
Soul Blast (Su) - At level 6, A Reaver who has trapped a soul within his Soul Weapon may expend 4 charges to make a burst attack, centered around the Reaver, as a standard action, up to a radius of 15 ft. This attack deals damage equal to double the Reaver's class level as negative energy. Targets within the blast radius may make a Reflex Save for half damage, at DC 10 + Wisdom Modifier + 1/2 class level.
Domination (Su) - At level 8, A Reaver who has trapped a soul within his Soul Weapon may use it to command undead forces. Using a standard action, he may release the soul trapped in his Soul Weapon in order to gain control of undead, expending all remaining charges. The number of undead brought under the Reaver's control with this technique is HD equal to the number of charges the current trapped soul conveyed to the Soul Weapon (For example, a Soul with 5 charges remaining could use Domination to bring up to 5 HD of undead under the Reaver's control). This effect explodes in a burst shape with the Reaver as its center, affecting undead starting with those closest to the caster, radiating outward to a 60 ft. radius. The control exerted over the undead lasts 1 min./class level.
Greater Soul Smite (Su): Upon reaching level 10, a Reaver may use the essence of a particularly powerful Soul to actually damage the soul of a foe he is combating. If a Reaver lands a Soul Smite attack and the Soul powering the Corruption ability still has at least 10 Charges (after subtracting one for the current Soul Smite) he may shatter the target's soul immediately to deal 1 Negative Level to the victim of the Soul Smite.
Reaving Soul Smite (Su): Upon reaching level 15, a Reaver may deal 1d4 Negative Levels with a Greater Soul Smite.
Soul Extinction (Su): Upon reaching level 20, a Reaver may deal 2d4 Negative Levels with a Greater Soul Smite. If the Soul has 20 Charges remaining (after subtracting the 1 for the current Soul Smite attempt) then you may roll 3d4 and drop the lowest die result.
A Reaver may only have 1 soul trapped in his Soul Weapon at a time. An attempt to capture a soul while one already resides in the weapon will result in the current soul being released to make room for the new soul. A Reaver may release a soul from his weapon willingly with a move action. Corruption can only be used on targets who have a soul (or are constructed of one). This means that he may also steal the soul of summoned creatures before they return to the plane they originated from. Anything that does not have a soul, such as undead, constructs, etc. are immune to Corruption, and the negative level effects of the advanced Soul Smite abilities. If a target is killed by use of Corruption, the loss of its soul will speed the body's decaying process drastically, decaying into dust within 12 hours.
Souls that are trapped in a Reaver's Soul Weapon are corrupted and turned evil. Should the soul be released whole for any reason, it should be treated as malign. If any Charges conveyed to the Reaver's Soul Weapon by a creature's soul are used, that soul is considered too damaged to be used in any spells or rituals that would normally require a soul in order to perform them, and dissipates immediately if it is released from its entrapment.
