Forsaker

Forsaker

Magic is evil. Magic tempts. Magic perverts. Magic corrupts. Anyone who cannot embrace these truths has no business considering the path of the forsaker. The forsaker rebels against the magic of the fantastic world around him. It's not that he doesn't believe in it ; he knows full well that magic is real. He has felt its all too tangible power burn over his skin or wrest control of his mind from him. While others may ignore the dangers of magic and succumb to its siren call of power, the forsaker knows better. To him, sorcery is nothing but a crutch that coddles and weakens its users. By depending upon his own resources alone, the forsaker becomes stronger, tougher, smarter, and more nimble than any of his companions. To that end, he treads a lonely path, deliberately depriving himself of magic's benefits and destroying any magic items he finds.

Forsakers can take up any standard or philosophy, though they tend more toward chaos than law. Evil forsakers hunt down and kill the most powerful users of magic that they can find, as if to demonstrate the ultimate weakness of the wizard and the sorcerer. Good forsakers commit themselves to expunging evil sorcery from their world, but they too see themselves as examples of how mundane strength can conquer foul enchantments. Though forsakers do their best to resist all spellseven beneficial ones-cast upon them, some eventually learn to tolerate their companions' magic. A few claim that they are leading by example; others rationalize that only by consorting with lesser villains can they defeat greater ones. Whatever justification they use, the alliance between forsaker and spellcaster, no matter how temporary or how necessary, is seldom a peaceful one. Few characters other than dwarven fighters and human or half-orc barbarians can appreciate the lifestyle of the forsaker. Elves, half-elves, and gnomes are surrounded by the benefits of magic from birth, so they are unlikely to choose this path. Dwarves, on the other hand, are naturally suspicious of sorcery, and many rural humans are just as distrustful. Certainly, no spellcaster should consider this career choice, since it means the virtual end of advantages gained from a former class. Even paladins and rangers must think hard before leaving behind their spells and spell-like abilities. Fighters and rogues occasionally take up this prestige class, but most forsakers are barbarians. Some say that only such a primitive, focused mind could ever manage to forsake magic for good.

Hit Die: d12.

Requirements

To qualify as a forsaker, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

Feats: Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes.

Special: The character must once have been the victim of a magical attack that seriously wounded him or threatened his life. He must also sell or give away all his magic items (including magic weapons, armor, and potions) and renounce the use of any spellcasting and spell like abilities he previously used.

Class Skills

The forsaker's class skills (and the key abilityfor each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (any) (Int), Handle Animal (Wis), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4 Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int of the modifier.

Class Features

The following are class features of the forsaker prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Forsakers gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.

Ability Bonus (Ex) : Beginning at 1st level, the character gains a +1 inherent bonus to any desired ability score for each forsaker level.

Fast Healing (Ex) : Forsakers regain hit points at an exceptionally fast rate. At 1st level, the character regains 1 hit point per round, to a maximum of 10 hit points per day. The number of hit points regained per round increases by +1 for every four forsaker levels, and the maximum restorable per day increases by 10 for every two forsaker levels. Except as noted above, this ability works like the fast healing ability described in the introduction of the Monster Manual.

Forsake Magic: In addition to avoiding all use of spellcasting, spell-like abilities, and magic items, the forsaker must also refuse any benefits from others' magic-including magical healing. Thus, he must attempt a saving throw against any spell that allows one. For most beneficial spells, such displacement or neutralize poison, a successful save negates the spell's effects; for a cure spell, it halves the benefit. Any forsaker who unwittingly uses a magic item or casts a spell (while under the influence of a charm person or dominate person spell, for example) loses all the special abilities of the prestige class for one' week.

Spell Resistance (Ex) : At 1st level, the forsaker gains spell resistance 11. This value increases by +1 with each forsaker level gained and stacks with any other applicable spell resistance he has.

Damage Reduction (Ex): At 2nd level, the forsaker gains damage reduction 3/+1. This damage resistance rises by 2/+1 for every two forsaker levels he gains thereafter. This ability remains in effect only as long as the forsaker destroys the required value of magic items every 24 hours (see Magic Destruction, below). This does not stack with any other damage reduction he already has.

Magic Destruction : The forsaker gains access to his damage reduction ability (see above) through the destruction of magic items. If he goes more than 24 hours without destroying magic items whose market prices total at least 100 gp per point of damage reduction, he loses that ability until he does so.

Tough Defense (Ex): At 3rd level, a forsaker gains a natural armor bonus equal to his Constitution bonus (if any).

Natural Weapons (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, the forsaker can fight as though he and his weapon were one. Any weapon he uses functions as if it were a natural weapon for overcoming damage reduction (see Damage Reduction in the introduction of the Monster Manual). That is, if the forsaker has damage reduction 3/+1, any weapon he uses functions as if it were a +1 weapon for overcoming a foe's damage reduction.

Slippery Mind (Ex): At 6th level, the forsaker can wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise control or compel him. If he fails his saving throw against an enchantment effect, he can attempt his saving throw again 1 round later. He gets only one extra chance to succeed at his saving throw.

Ex-Forsakers

Forsakers can multiclass normally, as long as they continue to abide by the strictures of the prestige class. Any forsaker who willingly violates those strictures by using magic items or casting spells loses all special abilities of the prestige class and can progress no further as a forsaker. If he thereafter remains pure (uses no magic) for a period of a year and a day, his abilities are reinstated at their previous levels and he may once again progress in the prestige class.