Class Archetype · Beta

Patron of Life and Death

Most divine servants are known for what they give: healing, guidance, absolution. The Patron of Life and Death is known for two things — and only one of them is spoken of in daylight. To her congregation she is the shepherd, the healer, the gentle voice of her god's mercy. They do not know that the same hands that bound their wounds have also carried out her deity's judgment in the dark. They do not know — and they will not know. That is the compact she has made with her god. Both faces are real. Both are sacred. The line between them is grey.

Becoming a Patron of Life and Death

Entry Requirements

Skills: Heal 5 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 5 ranks.

Spellcasting: Able to prepare and cast 3rd-level divine spells.

Special: Cleric, Inquisitor, and Paladin only. Must have the Channel Energy class feature or the Lay on Hands class feature.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills

The Patron of Life and Death's class skills are Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Stealth (Dex).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Progression

At each level, the Patron of Life and Death gains +1 level of her existing divine spellcasting class, gaining new spells per day and an increased effective caster level. She does not gain other benefits of that class such as new class features, except for additional spells per day and, if applicable, spells known.

Class Features

The following are class features of the Patron of Life and Death.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

The Patron of Life and Death gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Hidden Calling (Ex)

At 1st level, the Patron maintains two distinct identities: the Shepherd and the Hand of Wrath.

The Shepherd is her public face — healer, spiritual advisor, and leader of her community. In this identity she appears as a normal divine caster with her true alignment and appearance.

The Hand of Wrath is her secret identity — a hidden instrument of divine judgment known only to her deity. While in this persona, the Patron is shrouded in a permanent grey haze, as if under the constant effect of a Blur spell. This haze grants a 20% miss chance on attacks against her and imposes a -10 penalty on Perception checks made to identify her. The haze is a supernatural ability that cannot be dispelled or suppressed by any means short of a True Seeing effect.

Additionally, while in the Hand of Wrath persona, the Patron benefits from permanent Undetectable Alignment and may choose to appear to have any alignment for the purpose of divination effects.

Switching between identities requires 10 minutes of uninterrupted prayer and a physical change of appearance — different garments, a mask, or similar. The Patron may not switch identities while being observed. The two identities are treated as different individuals for purposes of social interactions, memory effects, and all alignment-based divination.

Divine Sanction (Su)

At 1st level, the Patron's deity has granted explicit divine sanction for both roles. She retains all divine spellcasting abilities, class features, and deity-granted powers regardless of which persona she operates in. A Paladin Patron's code of conduct is not violated by acts performed in the Hand of Wrath persona, provided those acts serve her deity's divine mandate. An Inquisitor Patron's judgment abilities function normally in both personas. The Patron's true alignment is used for all mechanical purposes — the alignment displayed in the Hand of Wrath persona does not affect her actual alignment or her connection to her deity.

Shepherd's Grace (Su)

At 1st level, while in the Shepherd persona, the Patron's Channel Energy or Lay on Hands heals an additional 1d6 hit points per use. This bonus increases to 2d6 at 4th level and 3d6 at 8th level.

Mark of the Condemned (Su)

At 2nd level, while in the Hand of Wrath persona, the Patron may designate a target as Condemned as a swift action. She gains a bonus on attack rolls against Condemned targets equal to half her Patron level (rounded down, minimum +1) and deals an additional 1d8 divine damage per 3 Patron levels on each successful attack against them — 1d8 at 2nd level, 2d8 at 5th, and 3d8 at 8th.

A Condemned target remains marked until it dies, the Patron rests and regains her daily abilities, or the Patron revokes the designation as a free action. The Patron may maintain a number of active Condemned designations at one time equal to her Wisdom modifier. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Wisdom modifier.

Righteous Wrath (Ex)

At 3rd level, while in the Hand of Wrath persona, the Patron's melee attacks are treated as the alignment of her deity for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. She also gains a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against spells and effects originating from Condemned targets and is immune to fear effects generated by them.

Shepherd's Mercy (Su)

At 4th level, while in the Shepherd persona, the Patron may expend one use of Channel Energy — or two uses of Lay on Hands — as a standard action to remove a harmful condition from one ally within 30 feet. Conditions that may be removed: fatigued, shaken, sickened, or staggered. At 8th level, she may also remove frightened, nauseated, or paralyzed.

Wrath Empowered (Su)

At 5th level, while in the Hand of Wrath persona, the Patron may expend one use of Channel Energy as part of a melee attack. If the attack hits, it deals bonus divine damage equal to her Channel Energy dice (or Lay on Hands healing dice). This is declared before the attack roll and the Channel Energy use is expended regardless of whether the attack hits. The Patron may use Wrath Empowered a number of times per day equal to her Wisdom modifier.

Congregation's Shield (Su)

At 6th level, while in the Shepherd persona, whenever the Patron uses Channel Energy to heal, all affected allies gain temporary hit points equal to her Patron class level. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute.

Greater Mark (Su)

At 7th level, the Mark of the Condemned grows more powerful. At the start of each of their turns, Condemned targets must make a Will save (DC 10 + Patron level + Wisdom modifier) or be Shaken for 1 round. On a failed save, they also suffer a -2 penalty on all attack rolls made against creatures other than the Patron for 1 round, as divine dread fixes their attention on her. Additionally, the attack roll bonus against Condemned targets increases to the Patron's full class level.

Hand Revealed (Su)

At 8th level, once per day as a swift action while in the Hand of Wrath persona, the Patron may channel both aspects of her calling simultaneously. All allies within 30 feet are healed as if by her Channel Energy without expending a Channel Energy use. All enemies within 30 feet must make a Will save (DC 10 + Patron level + Wisdom modifier) or be Frightened for 1 round and then Shaken for 1 minute. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The grey haze intensifies immediately — witnesses perceive a surge of divine power. They do not see a face.

Shepherd's Miracle (Su)

At 9th level, once per day as a swift action, the Patron may expend one use of Channel Energy to replicate the effect of Breath of Life on one ally within 30 feet. This requires no spell slot and no material components. The ally must have died within 1 round of this ability being used.

The Grey Revelation (Su)

At 10th level, once per day as a full-round action, the Patron releases the grey haze in a devastating 30-foot burst of divine power that channels both life and death simultaneously.

• All allies within the burst are healed for the Patron's full Channel Energy dice + her Patron class level in hit points.

• All enemies within the burst must make a Will save (DC 10 + Patron level + Wisdom modifier) or be Frightened for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom modifier. Enemies who fail the save are also memory-sealed: they cannot accurately recall, name, describe, or identify the Hand of Wrath. They remember divine shadow and terrible judgment — not a person. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.

• Enemies who succeed on their save are Shaken for 1 minute but retain their memories.

The grey haze returns immediately after the burst. Any witness who fails the saving throw cannot be compelled — by Zone of Truth, Detect Thoughts, Discern Lies, or any similar effect — to identify the Hand of Wrath. Such effects yield only images of grey shadow and divine fury. The Patron's secret endures.