Epic Prestige Class : High Proselytizer
The high proselytizer is the holy inspiration that begins religious movements. She is the word of her deity, spreading the teachings of her god and sharing her beliefs in a truly stirring display of rapture and fervor. All who listen to her preaching find it easy to accept her words as truth. They come to understand that committing themselves to the dogma of the high proselytizer's order will grant them enlightenment in her deity's name. Entire nations have fallen under the glorious sway of a high proselytizer's ardent zeal.
Clerics most often command the attention of the people well enough to begin the work of a high proselytizer, and paladins sometimes hear the calling as well. Druids and rangers rarely experience such a calling, and other characters simply do not have the proper relationship with their deities.
High proselytizers generally work within a society already worshiping the character's deity, although it is not uncommon for a high proselytizer to be at odds with the established religious leaders of the temple. Often, a high proselytizer's deity takes a particularly active role in the events of her world and leads the deity's followers to action.
Requirements
To qualify to become a High Proselytizer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Diplomacy 12 ranks and either Knowledge (religion) 24 ranks or Knowledge (nature) 24 ranks.
- Feats: Leadership.
Epic Feats: Epic Leadership. - Spells: Ability to cast 5th-level divine spells.
- Special: Must have a patron deity.
Class Skills
The high proselytizer's class skills are Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), Profession, Sense Motive, and Spellcraft.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: High proselytizers are proficient with all simple weapons, all armor, and all shields.
Spells per Day: At every other high proselytizer level, the character gains new spells per day as if he or she had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class to which he or she belonged before adding the prestige class level. If already an epic spellcaster, the character gains only the benefit noted under the Spells entry for that epic class. He or she does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If the character had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a high proselytizer, the player must decide to which class to add each high proselytizer level for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Proselytize (Sp): At 1st level, the high proselytizer gains the ability to preach the word of his or her deity to large crowds with great effect. He or she may speak in such a manner once per day, plus one additional time per day per ten class levels thereafter.
Proselytize has three effects. First, any time the high proselytizer is speaking in this manner, he or she is treated as though affected by a sanctuary spell. Second, his or her voice can be heard clearly by anyone within a radius of 100 feet plus 50 feet per class level, regardless of background noise, and his or her speech can be understood as though the audience were affected by a comprehend languages spell. Finally, everyone in the range of the high proselytizer's voice immediately has a chance of becoming enraptured:
| Type of Listener | Effect |
| Followers of the same deity | Automatic if 10 or fewer HD, otherwise Will save (DC 20 + 1/2 high proselytizer's class level + Wis modifier) |
| Others of the same alignment | Automatic if 5 or fewer HD, otherwise Will save (as above) |
| All others | Will save (as above) |
Enraptured audience members act as though affected by a symbol of persuasion, changing alignment as appropriate and otherwise functioning according to the charm person spell. The high proselytizer can inspire the crowd to take any of a number of actions, depending on his or her alignment. Any suicidal suggestion grants audience members a new saving throw to break the rapture (with the exception of low-level followers of the same deity, who never got a save in the first place). This rapture lasts for 10 minutes plus an additional 5 minutes per high proselytizer level.
At 3rd level, the high proselytizer's proselytize ability includes deific touch once per day, plus one additional time per day per ten levels thereafter (13th, 23rd, 33rd, and so on). During her speech, she can move among the enraptured, shaking hands, caressing brows, and otherwise making contact with audience members. Anyone so touched is healed of 1d4 points of damage and cured of any natural disease or poison. Up to six individuals per round can be so affected. An audience member can benefit from deific touch only once per proselytize session. The high proselytizer can use deific touch as long as her proselytize ability lasts.
At 5th level, the proselytize ability includes deific word once per day, plus one additional time per day per ten levels thereafter. The words spoken by the high proselytizer can, if he or she chooses, function as a triple-strength sound burst spell (3d8 points of sonic damage and a Will save to avoid being stunned for 3 rounds) to all who are not enraptured, as the spell cast by a 20th-level cleric. The deific word can occur at any point during his or her proselytize speech.
At 7th level, the proselytize ability includes deific face once per day, plus one additional time per day per ten levels thereafter. When the high proselytizer speaks, he or she can cause a blinding burst to shine from his or her face. Deific face functions against all in the audience who are not enraptured as the sunburst spell cast by a 20th-level cleric. The deific face can occur at any point during his or her speech.
At 9th level, the proselytize ability includes deific aura once per day, plus one additional time per day per ten levels thereafter. When the high proselytizer speaks, he or she can cause a rolling wave of deific power to spring from his or her body that functions as either a blasphemy, dictum, holy word, or word of chaos spell (as appropriate for his or her alignment), affecting only those in the audience who have resisted becoming enraptured. Deific aura otherwise functions as the relevant spell cast by a 20th-level cleric. The deific aura can occur at any point during his or her speech.
Heal (Sp): At 2nd level, the high proselytizer can use heal on his or herself or another creature once per day, plus one additional time per day per four levels thereafter.
Bonus Feats: The high proselytizer gets a bonus feat at 4th level and an additional bonus feat every four levels thereafter. These bonus feats must be chosen from the following list: Armor Skin, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Bonus Domain, Enhance Spell, Epic Reputation, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Spellcasting, Epic Will, Extended Life Span, Great Charisma, Great Wisdom, Ignore Material Components, Improved Alignment-Based Casting, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Legendary Commander, Multispell, Negative Energy Burst, Permanent Emanation, Planar Turning, Polyglot, Positive Energy Aura, Spectral Strike, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Domain Access, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic, Undead Mastery, Zone of Animation.
| High Proselytizer | Hit Die: d8 | |
|---|---|---|
| CL | Special | Spells per Day |
| 1st | Proselytize 1/day | |
| 2nd | Heal 1/day | +1 level of divine spellcasting class |
| 3rd | Proselytize (deific touch) 1/day | |
| 4th | Bonus feat | +1 level of divine spellcasting class |
| 5th | Proselytize (deific word) 1/day | |
| 6th | Heal 2/day | +1 level of divine spellcasting class |
| 7th | Proselytize (deific face) 1/day | |
| 8th | Bonus feat | +1 level of divine spellcasting class |
| 9th | Proselytize (deific aura) 1/day | |
| 10th | Heal 3/day | +1 level of divine spellcasting class |
Source: Epic Level Handbook