Evil / Undead Class : Fiend of Possession
A fiend that rends with claws or smites with a blazing sword is a fearsome foe indeed, but a fiend of possession is harrowing on a far deeper level. Able to abandon its physical form and inhabit or even control a mortal body, a fiend of possession is an invasive presence that taints the very soul, corrupting from within.
As the name suggests, only fiends can enter the fiend of possession prestige class. Some can qualify without any levels in other classes at all, while others gain levels, often as sorcerers or bards, before joining the prestige class. Many fiend clerics approach the fiend of possession prestige class as part of their spiritual agenda, viewing the possession of mortals as something of a religious obligation. Fiends with fighter levels tend to prefer a more direct approach no conflict on the Material Plane, and rarely show interest in becoming fiends of possession.
Fiends of possession generally work alone. Some use their power simply to wreak as much chaos and destruction as they can, experiencing the carnage and debauchery much more intensely because of the nature of mortal flesh. Others use their mortal hosts as part of a much more insidious plot of corruption. In any case, their victims never feel clean or safe again.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Fiend of Possession, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Outsider with the evil subtype
- Skills: Hide 6 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 6 ranks
- Base Save Bonuses: Will +5.
Class Skills
The fiend of possession's class skills are Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Hide (Dex or Int; see below), Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, and Spot.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The following are Class Features of the fiend of possession prestige class. Saving throws against a fiend of possession's supernatural abilities have a DC of 10 + the fiend of possession's class level + its Charisma modifier, unless noted otherwise in the ability description.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Fiends of possession gain no proficiency with any weapons, armor, or shields.
Ethereal Form (Su): An will, a fiend of possession can become ethereal, as though using etherealness as cast by a sorcerer of the fiend's total Hit Dice or its sorcerer caster level (when using its spell-like abilities) plus its fiend of possession level, whichever is higher. Possessing an object or creature effectively ends a use of this ability, so time spent in another body or object does not count against the duration of this ability.
Hide Presence (Ex): A fiend in possession of an object or creature can attempt to hide its presence by making a special Hide check. This "mental" Hide check uses the fiend's intelligence modifier instead of ins Dexterity modifier. A successful check allows a fiend of possession to avoid virtually anything that would betray its presence in the possessed creature or object: in can pass through a magic circle against evil, enter a temple warded by forbiddance, or escape detection via detect evil. The DC for this Hide check is the same as the saving throw DC for the spell the fiend is trying to avoid. The fiend gains a +4 circumstance bonus on this check if it is not controlling the possessed creature or object at the time of the check. When possessing a creature, a fiend of possession can make this Hide check to protect the possessed creature from the full effects of alignment-based spells such as holy smite. If the fiend makes a successful Hide check (against the save DC of the spell), the possessed creature takes damage appropriate to ins actual alignment, but if the fiend fails the Hide check, the possessed creature is affected as if it were the fiend.
Making this check is not an action; the fiend can do it in response to another creature's action (such as casting detect evil).
Possess Object (Su): A fiend of possession in ethereal form can possess an object on the Material Plane. The object must be an least Tiny and no larger than Huge. Magic items and attended items receive Will saving throws. Unattended nonmagical items are automatically possessed.
A fiend of possession becomes part of the object it possesses, so it is no longer ethereal. The fiend is aware of what is going on around the object: it can see and hear up to 60 feet away as if using ins normal senses (it does not gain blindsight). In any round in which it takes no other action (such as using a spell-like ability), it extends its senses to twice its normal range (120 feet).
The fiend is vulnerable to spells that specifically affect outsiders or creatures of the fiend's alignment (such as holy ward and holy smite, as well as chaos hammer or order's wrath) and mind-affecting spells or effects, but in is unaffected by physical attacks or standard magical effects (such as fireball). Harming the object does non harm the fiend, although if the object is destroyed, the fiend is forced back into ins ethereal form.
While possessing an object, a fiend of possession can use any ability it has that requires no physical action, such as using a spell-like ability or telepathy. It cannot cast spells (since it can neither speak nor move), attack physically, or perform any other physical action, until in reaches a high enough level to make the possessed object perform these tasks for it.
Curse (Su): At 2nd level, a fiend of possession gains the ability to make a possessed item radiate a corrupt and befouling nature. Anyone touching the object must make a Will save or fall under the effect of a bestow curse spell. The affected creature does not know that the curse came from the item, and in fact might not know right away that he or she is affected by the curse. Nothing about the object's appearance suggests that in is possessed. The curse lasts until it is removed, even if the fiend vacates the object it possessed.
Magic Item (Su): Also an 2nd level, a fiend of possession gains the ability to make a possessed weapon or armor function as a magic item. The fiend can bestow powers on the item with a value as an enhancement bonus of up to its class level, so a 3rd-level fiend of possession could make a sword a +3 weapon, a +2 keen weapon, or a +3 wounding weapon, for example. If the possessed item is already magical, the fiend can increase the powers on the item by the same amount - so a 5th-level fiend of possession could turn a +1 sword into a +1 vorpal sword, for example. When a fiend uses this power on a nonmagical item, the possessed item does not actually become magical. Detect magic does not reveal an aura on the item, though detect evil does.
If a fiend possessing an item attempts to possess a creature that uses the item or keeps in on its person, the target's save DC increases by 1 for each day the possessed item has been on its person or in its use, to a maximum of +10. A character who makes a Search check (DC 25) while examining the possessed item can tell that there is something "strange" about it.
Control Object (Su): When possessing an object with some inherent mobility, a fiend of possession of an least 3rd level can control the object's movement. The fiend can cause a vehicle or similar object to move at a speed up no the fiend's own land speed in ins corporeal form. Other moving parts - such as a clock's hands or a crossbow's firing mechanism - are under the fiend's control. Thus, a fiend could make a wagon steer toward a pedestrian, or roll out of a stable without a horse to pull it. It could make a crossbow cock and fire (but not aim or load itself). Exerting control is itself a free action, though actually moving an object requires a move action.
Animate Object (Su): At 4th level, a fiend of possession gains the ability to force an object with no inherent moving parts to animate, effectively animating in as with the animate objects spell. See the description of animated objects in the Monster Manual. At this level, a fiend of possession can also possess (and animate) Gargantuan objects.
Possess Creature (Su): An 4th level, a fiend of possession gains the ability to possess creatures as well as objects. The fiend must be in ethereal form and adjacent to its target, and must use a standard action no attempt possession. A protection from evil spell or similar magic wards a creature against being possessed in this manner. An unprotected target must make a Will saving throw. Evil creatures take a -2 penalty on this saving throw, as do creatures that are engaged in an evil act at the time the possession attempt occurs (at the DM's discretion). If the saving throw is successful, that creature is immune to that fiend's possession attempts for one day. If the saving throw is failed, the creature is possessed, though it is not necessarily aware of this fact.
A fiend possessing a creature becomes a part of the victim, so it is no longer ethereal. It cannot be targeted by spells or attacks separately from the victim, including attacks from ethereal creatures. Damage taken by the possessed creature has no effect on the fiend. If the victim dies, the fiend is forced back into its ethereal form. The fiend can sense anything the victim can, even including the benefits of blindsight or other exceptional senses the victim may have. At any time, the fiend of possession can communicate with the victim telepathically, projecting words in any language the victim understands directly into the victim's thoughts. The fiend is constantly aware of the victim's current thoughts. It can also choose to probe the creature's memories as well, but the victim is allowed a Will save. If this saving throw is successful, the K, fiend cannot probe than creature's thoughts for one day.
Ally or Enemy (Su): At 5th level, a fiend of possession gains the ability to reward or punish a creature in is possessing. if the possessed creature is aware of the fiend's presence and willing to host the fiend, the fiend can bestow a +4 profane bonus on any of the creature's ability scores. This bonus lasts as long as the fiend wants it to: The fiend can retract in as a free action at any time, particularly if the possessed creature starts acting contrary to the fiend's wishes.
Similarly, a fiend of possession can bestow a -4 profane penalty on any of the possessed creature's ability scores, usually when attempts to control the creature have failed or the creature contradicts the fiend's wishes. As with the bonus, the fiend can remove this penalty an any time, as a free action.
Bestowing either a bonus or a penalty is a free action for the possessing fiend.
Possess Noncontinuous Object (Su): An 5th level, a fiend of possession can use its possess object ability to take control of an "object" more loosely defined: a pool of water, a cloud of dust, or a section of wall or floor. At this level, a fiend of possession can also possess (and animate) Colossal objects.
Control Creature (Su): An 6th level, a fiend of possession gains the ability to exert direct control over a creature it is possessing. Attempting to establish control is a standard action for the fiend. The victim must make a Will saving throw each round until the fiend abandons the attempt, or the victim fails a saving throw and the fiend gains control, or the victim makes three consecutive successful saves, indicating that the fiend cannot control the victim that day (though in remains in possession of the victim). Each round of struggle, the victim can take only a single move or attack action. Once the fiend gains control, in automatically maintains in for a number of rounds equal to its class level (6) + ins Charisma modifier, + 1 for each previous occasion on which in has controlled this host. When this time elapses, the fiend can attempt to reassert control or not, as it chooses.
While in control of a victim, the fiend of possession has access to all the creature's abilities, skills, feats, and spell knowledge. The fiend now acts as though it is the creature in all respects, until it loses or relinquishes control. The fiend uses ins own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, but adopts all of the possessed creature's physical ability scores. In can make use of its own spell-like abilities as well. The fiend retains the creature's type, and is affected by spells and other effects as if in were the possessed creature except in regard to its alignment. For instance, a cornugon possessing the body of a wolf is subject to spells that affect animals, even though in is far more intelligent than a normal wolf. A balor possessing the body of a paladin is not subject to unholy blight, however, but is fully affected by holy smite.
The fiend can choose whether the possessed creature retains awareness of its body's senses and actions, in which case in can mentally communicate with the fiend, or simply blacks out for the duration of the control.
Ending Possession: Spells such as dismissal and banishment are among the only effects that can target a fiend of possession separately from the object or creature in inhabits. When these spells are directed against a fiend of possession, the spell effect is resolved as if the fiend were in its normal, corporeal form, using its own Hit Dice, saving throws, ability scores, and so on. If successful, these spells drive the fiend out of the victim and back to its home plane. Holy word and similar spells can also drive out a possessing fiend and send it back to its home plane, but a fiend can hide its presence to escape the effects of such spells. Certain other special abilities (such as the granted power of the Exorcism prestige domain can force a fiend of possession out of a victim and back into its ethereal form.
| Fiend of Possession | Hit Die: d6 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +2 | +2 | Ethereal form, hide presence, possess object |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Curse, magic item |
| 3rd | +1 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Control object |
| 4th | +2 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Animate object, possess creature |
| 5th | +2 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Ally or enemy, possess noncontinuous object |
| 6th | +3 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Control creature |
Source: Fiend Folio