The Priest (Alternate Class)

The Priest Character Class is for use in the Western campaign that I intend to run.  While magic exists in that world, I do not want to include a class that is strong in healing magic so the historical aspect of the setting remains a bit more "Gritty" than my regular D&D campaign.

THE PRIEST

The Priest is a spiritual leader of the masses, directing the faith of worship of God.

Adventures: Priests conduct masses, deliver sermons, and guide the faithful through troubled times. They investigate miracles and heresies while suppressing knowledge of the supernatural.

Characteristics: A Priest uses the teachings of his faith and his ability to communicate his faith to others to accomplish his goals.

Alignment: The majority of Priests are generally of Good alignment.

Religion: Priests are members of the Catholic Church.

Background: A Priest attends seminary, seeking a formal education in matters of religion. Those who show promise and discretion are recruited by an investigative branch of the Church and introduced to more esoteric aspects of the Church's duty.

Other Classes: Priests get along fairly well with most other classes but Bards and Rogues, if their skills are not used for the betterment of mankind, tend to draw out the Priest's intolerance. They also clash with Clerics of other beliefs.

Game Rule Information

Abilities: Charisma is the key ability for the Priest's ability to inspire and lead the faithful. Wisdom is also important for many of the Priest's skills.

Alignment: Any Good

Hit Dice: d6

Class Skills: The Priest's Class Skills are Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Religion (Int), Perform (Oratory) (Cha), Profession (Wis), and Sense Motive (Wis).

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

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2+ Int modifier

Class Features:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Priest is proficient with Simple Weapons and Light Armor.

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Blessings
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Create Holy Water
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Detect Evil
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Turn Undead
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Inspire Courage +1
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Contact (1)
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Inspire Competence
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	Sanctify
9th	+6/+1	+3	+3	+6	Bonus Feat
10th	+7/+2	+3	+3	+7	Inspire Greatness
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7	Inspire Courage +2
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Contact (2)
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Exorcise
14th	+10/+5	+4	+4	+9	Bonus feat
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+9	Inspire Heroics
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Convert the Unfaithful
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Excommunicate
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+11	Contact (3)
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Inspire Courage +3
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Resurrection

Blessings (Su): A Priest may bless a parishioner. The recipient gains a +2 morale bonus on their next Skill Check or Saving Throw. This bonus remains for 1 day/level of the Priest or until it is used.

Create Holy Water (Sp): The Priest is able to create Holy Water. He can create a single 1-pint flask/Priest level/day. A direct hit by a flask of holy water deals 2d4 damage to an undead creature or evil outsider. Each such creature within 5' of the point where the flask hits takes 1 point of damage from the splash.

Detect Evil (Sp): At will, the Priest can use Detect Evil as the spell.

Turn Undead (Su): When a Priest reaches 4^th level, he gains the supernatural ability to turn undead. He may use the ability a number of tumes per day equal to his 3 + his Charisma modifier. He turns undead as a Cleric of 3 levels lower would.

Inspire Courage (Su): A Priest with 3 or more ranks in Perform (Oratory) can use sermonize and quote scripture to inspire courage in his allies(including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the Priest speak. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the Priest speak and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 11^th level, this ability increases to +2 and again to +3 at 19^th level.

Contact: The Priest gains a contact, either in the Church Hierarchy or among the congregation, as an ally of equal level who will provide information or equipment (once until the Priest's next level is achieved) as a favor to the Priest. The maximum value of this equipment is equal to half of the Priest's level x 100 gp. Additional contacts are gained at 12^th and 18^th levels.

Inspire Competence (Su): A Priest of 7^th level or higher with 6 or more ranks in Perform (Oratory) can use Scripture and sermons to help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the Priest. The Priest must also be able to see the ally. Depending on the task that the ally has at hand, the Priest may use his Scripture and sermons to lift the ally’s spirits, to help him or her focus mentally, or in some other way. The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as he or she continues to hear the Priest. The DM may rule that certain uses of this ability are infeasible—chanting to make a rogue move more quietly, for example, is self-defeating. The effect lasts as long as the Priest concentrates, up to a maximum of 2 minutes. A Priest can’t inspire competence in himself. Inspire competence is a mind-affecting ability.

Bonus feat: At 9^th and 14^th level, a Priest gets a bonus feat from the list of General feats. These bonus feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets from advancing levels (see Table 3–2: Experience and Level-Dependent Benefits, page 22). The Priest must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.

Inspire Greatness (Su): A Priest of 10^th level or higher with 12 or more ranks in Perform (Oratory) can use Scripture and sermons to inspire greatness in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet, granting him or her extra fighting capability. For every three levels a Priest attains beyond 10^th, he can target one additional ally with a single use of this ability (two at 13th level, three at 16th, four at 19th). To inspire greatness, a Priest must speak and an ally must hear him. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the Priest and for 5 rounds thereafter. A creature inspired with greatness gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells such as sleep. Inspire greatness is a mind-affecting ability.

Exorcise (Su): The Priest is able to drive out possessing spirits, ghosts, demons, and other entities. He may make one attempt per day (opposed level check + Cha modifier). A failure indicates the possessing spirit remains in control of the victim. Success drives the spirit out. The Priest can also use this ability to disrupt other outside controlling influences like Charm, Dominate, Geas, etc.

Inspire Heroics (Su): A Priest of 15th level or higher with 18 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use Scripture and sermons to inspire tremendous heroism in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet, allowing that creature to fight bravely even against overwhelming odds. For every three Priest levels the character attains beyond 15th, he can inspire heroics in one additional creature. To inspire heroics, a Priest must speak and an ally must hear the Priest speak for a full round. A creature so inspired gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws and a +4 dodge bonus to AC. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the Priest speak and for up to 5 rounds thereafter. Inspire heroics is a mind-affecting ability

Convert the Unfaithful (Su): A Priest of 16th level with at least 13 ranks in Perform (oratory) may attempt to convert a single enemy within 30 feet. As a full-round action, the evangelist delivers an impassioned speech on the righteousness of his beliefs to a single enemy, who must attempt a Will save (DC = 10 + class level + Cha mod). If the creature succeeds, it is shaken for one round. If the creature fails its saving throw, it converts. Creatures with an alignment subtype (such as angels and devils) are immune to this ability. A converted creature is effectively charmed by the Priest (similar to a charm monster spell). In addition, a converted creature temporarily assumes the alignment of the evangelist and acts accordingly. This may mean some of the creature’s class abilities, spells, or other abilities are unavailable to it for the duration of the spell (a paladin converted to something other than lawful good, for example, loses her class abilities for the duration). When the duration elapses, the creature then has a choice: It can continue to act according to its new alignment, or it can shift back. If the creature chooses to permanently change its alignment to the evangelist’s, it acts as if a cleric of the appropriate alignment had cast atonement on it. If the creature chooses to change back, it must make another saving throw (with the same save DC as before). If it fails this saving throw its alignment changes back but it needs an atonement spell to gain back any abilities it lost due to its temporary alignment change.

Excommunicate (Su): This ability prevents a single the target from entering the afterlife. The creature may attempt a Will save (DC10 + ½ the Priest's level + the Priest's Cha modifier) negates. When an affected creature dies, its soul dissipates, preventing creature from being raised or resurrected. Excommunication can be lifted by a Priest of higher level after an act of atonement has been completed.

True Resurrection (Sp): 1/month, the Priest can use True Resurrection as the spell. The target must be of the same faith as the Priest.