Exalted Prestige Class : Infused
In the never-ending battle of good against evil, the odds often seem unfairly stacked in favor of the forces of darkness. The black-hearted denizens of the Lower Planes have always used mortals to enact their plans of violence, debauchery, and mayhem. In answer to the fiendish corruptions, the celestials have empowered their most devout servants, creating a new breed of holy warriors learned sages call "the infused."
The infused are mortals the creatures of the Upper Planes deem worthy of being agents for good in a time of peril. Each infused's soul is bonded with a celestial who then lives inside her. As the chosen mortal performs good deeds, the bonded celestial grants the infused more of its powers. All those who are given this highest of honors receive a holy mark, an icon of glory that is a graphic representation of the blessings of the celestial and the divine powers it serves.
There exists a wide variety of infused, each with their own unique powers.
Those bonded with angels have a predisposition to protect good extraplanar creatures. Astral deva-infused often find themselves guarding planar portals or protecting those who live near them. Planetar-infused doggedly seek out fiends to slay. Solar-infused enthusiastically perform great works of good whenever opportunity allows.
Archons make infused more willing to follow laws, so long as they do not oppress people. Lantern-archon-infused are direct in their dealings with others, but they tend to be somewhat flighty. Hound-archon-infused become better team players and develop a protective mentality similar to the alpha male in a pack of dogs. Trumpet-archon-infused often sing merrily, whether while traveling, in combat, or when they are at rest.
Eladrins make the infused more rebellious and resistant to authority, but not to the extent of repulsing goodness. Bralani-infused are driven to wanderlust, becoming traveling do-gooders. Ghaele-infused usually become leaders of freedom-fighter bands, inspiring the common folk to rise up against tyrannical evil.
Guardinals make their infused more protective of others and give them a new respect for life. Avoral-infused are more at home in the air than on the ground and often gaze longingly at the sky. Leonal-infused are regal and proud, and are capable defenders of good.
More often than not, the infused are chosen from the ranks of mortals who already revere good deities. Clerics and paladins of deities of justice, light, and love are therefore the most likely to become infused. These individuals already have positions of power in the hierarchies of good-aligned churches, and the powers granted by their bonded celestial are strong tools to motivate good in the world.
Besides rewarding their most faithful followers, the forces of good also have a desire to redeem. In rare cases, a celestial fills the corrupt soul of an evil-doer for the purpose of moving her life away from the darkness and into the light.
The infused prestige class presents two paths of advancement, one for the spellcaster and one for the combat-oriented character. A character who wishes to become an infused can choose from either prestige class path, but once a path is chosen, the character cannot then progress in the other. Both paths have the same class requirements, class skills, skill points per level, and abilities, but they differ in fighting prowess and spellcasting ability.
As the infused grows in power, the celestial bonded with his soul pushes him toward performing more and greater acts of good. To reward the infused for his good deeds, the celestial grants him more and greater powers based on the celestial's own powers.
Requirements
To qualify to become an Infused Warrior, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: A creature of any alignment may become infused, but an infused cannot advance in the class when possessing an evil alignment.
- Base Attack Bonus: +4 / Base Will Save: +2
- Special: The character must share her soul with the personality of a particular celestial. A character may only progress as an infused warrior or an infused spellcaster, she can not take levels in both classes. Once the character chooses a celestial to become infused with she is bonded to that creature for the rest of her life and may not later become infused with another celestial.
To qualify to become an Infused Spellcaster, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: A creature of any alignment may become infused, but an infused cannot advance in the class when possessing an evil alignment.
- Base Attack Bonus: +4 / Base Will Save: +2
- Special: The character must share her soul with the personality of a particular celestial. A character may only progress as an infused warrior or an infused spellcaster, she can not take levels in both classes. Once the character chooses a celestial to become infused with she is bonded to that creature for the rest of her life and may not later become infused with another celestial.
Class Skills
The infused's class skills are Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Heal, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Ride, Search, Spellcraft, and Spot.
Skill Points At Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the infused prestige class. When the celestial grants spell-like abilities, they have a caster level equal to the infused's character level.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The infused gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.
Spellcasters: No matter what their alignment, infused spellcasters cannot cast spells of the Evil descriptor.
Clerics: Clerics who used negative energy to rebuke undead and spontaneously cast inflict spells now use positive energy to turn undead and spontaneously cast cure spells. They do not increase their turning ability when they take levels of the infused prestige class.
Spells Per Day/Spells Known: At specified levels gained in the infused spellcaster prestige class, the character gains new spells per day and new spells known as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (metamagic or item creation feats, new familiar abilities, increased turning ability, and so on). This means that she adds these levels of the infused spellcaster class to the level of another spellcasting class she has, then determines spells per day, caster level, and spells known (if a bard or sorcerer) accordingly. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an infused spellcaster, she must decide to which class she adds the new effective level for the purposes of determining spells per day and spells known.
Icon of Glory (Ex): Beyond a simple identifying mark, the icon of glory is a powerful glyph encoded into the flesh of the infused. Typical icons of glory are runes in the Celestial tongue, the holy symbol of a good deity, or another powerful word or emblem of righteousness. It grants the infused a +2 bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with individuals of good alignment.
Celestial Power I: At 2nd level, the celestial begins to gift the infused with its divine powers. The power granted depends on the type of celestial bonded to her soul.
- Astral Deva - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 3/day - detect evil; 1/day - remove fear.
- Planetar - Resilient (Ex): The infused is immune to petrification and gains a bonus on all saves against poison equal to half her infused level.
- Solar - Archery Mastery (Ex): The infused gains proficiency with longbows and composite longbows. In addition, any bow the infused uses (and the arrows it fires) is treated as good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
- Lantern Archon - Improved Initiative: The infused gains Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.
- Hound Archon - Expert Tracker (Ex): The infused gains the Track feat as a bonus feat and always considers Survival a class skill.
- Trumpet Archon - Minor Trumpet (Su): The day after the infused gains this ability, she awakens to find a gleaming trumpet lying at her feet. The trumpet functions as a masterwork musical instrument. If the trumpet is ever stolen, it becomes a useless chunk of metal until the infused can recover it. If the trumpet is destroyed, the infused must receive an atonement spell. The day after she atones, a new trumpet appears.
In addition, the infused can, as a free action, transform the trumpet into a masterwork greatsword once per day per infused level. The trumpet can remain in its greatsword form for one round per infused level per transformation. The greatsword cannot be enchanted as a normal weapon, but it can be the target of weapon-enhancing spells. The infused gains Martial Weapon Proficiency (greatsword) as a bonus feat. - Bralani - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 1/day - detect evil and gust of wind.
- Ghaele - Holy Energy (Ex): Whenever the infused attacks with a natural weapon, unarmed attack, or melee weapon, she deals an additional point of damage to evil creatures and +1d4 points of damage to evil outsiders and undead. This bonus damage does not stack with the holy weapon special ability.
- Avoral - Lay on Hands (Su): This ability functions as the paladin ability of the same name . If the infused already has levels of paladin, her infused levels and paladin levels stack for the purpose of determining how much healing she can do.
- Leonal - Lay on Hands (Su): This ability functions as the paladin ability of the same name. If the infused already has levels of paladin, her infused levels and paladin levels stack for the purpose of determining how much healing she can do.
Minor Physical Change: At 3rd level, the infused's body begins to show signs of the positive influence inside her. The change does not grant any special bonuses or penalties, but it often brings attention to those who see it. The exact change depends on the type of celestial.
- Astral Deva: The infused's skin takes on a bronze sheen.
- Planetar: The infused becomes completely bald.
- Solar: The infused's eyes become a shining topaz shade.
- Lantern Archon: The infused's skin takes on a silvery shine.
- Hound Archon: The infused grows a doglike muzzle.
- Trumpet Archon: The infused's skin takes on a green shade.
- Bralani: The infused's hair and clothes always appear windswept.
- Ghaele: The infused's eyes become pupilless and pearly white.
- Avoral: The infused's arms grow feathers, and her hair takes on a feathered style.
- Leonal: A thick mane surrounds the infused's head.
Celestial Power II: At 4th level, the infused is deemed worthy to receive more powerful gifts.
- Astral Deva - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 1/day - discern lies and remove disease.
- Planetar - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 1/day - dispel magic and remove disease.
- Solar - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 1/day - dimensional anchor and invisibility.
- Lantern Archon - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 1/day - teleport.
- Hound Archon - Change Shape (Su): Once per day, the infused gains the ability to turn into any canine form of Small to Large size and back again as a standard action. This ability functions like the polymorph spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for hour per infused level, or until she changes back. Changing form doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of a doglike creature. For the purpose of this ability, canines include any doglike or wolflike creature with the animal type.
The infused loses her ability to speak while in animal form and is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained canine can make, but she can communicate normally with other doglike beings of the same kind as her chosen form. - Trumpet Archon - Greater Trumpet Sword (Su): When in greatsword form, the infused's trumpet acts as a +2 greatsword
- Bralani - Wind Column (Su): Two times per day, as a move action, the infused can surround herself with a column of wind. While within this wind column she gains a fly speed equal to her base land speed with average maneuverability. The infused can maintain this column of wind for 1 minute per infused class level.
- Ghaele - Gaze (Su): While not as powerful as the gaze of a true ghaele, the infused's gaze attack is still quite potent. Evil creatures of 5 HD or less within 30 feet that meet her gaze become shaken for 1d10 rounds. Nonevil creatures and evil creatures with more than 5 Hit Dice can make a Will save (DC 10 + infused level + Charisma modifier) to resist the effect.
- Avoral - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 3/day - magic missile.
- Leonal - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At will - speak with animals.
Beneficence: At 5th level, the infused begins to show signs of her bonded celestial's positive influence. If the character fails to help a person in need or perform another act of goodness when the opportunity presents itself, the celestial becomes slightly disgusted with the character, causing her to suffer a -1 penalty on all attacks, saves, and checks for day.
Moderate Physical Change: At 6th level, the infused's body undergoes another change, more dramatic than the previous one.
- Astral Deva: The infused's muscles grow, increasing her Strength by +2.
- Planetar: The infused grows beautiful wings from her back, giving her a fly speed equal to her base land speed with average maneuverability.
- Solar: The infused grows majestic wings from her back, giving her a fly speed equal to her base land speed with average maneuverability.
- Lantern Archon: The infused's skin gleams and her nose, ears, and lips become less pronounced. She gains resistance to electricity 10 and immunity to petrification.
- Hound Archon: The infused's teeth sharpen into a powerful set of fangs, granting her a bite attack that is a natural weapon that deals 1d6 points of damage (1d4 for a Small infused). This can be a primary or secondary attack. Note that the infused does not gain multiple natural attacks for having a high base attack bonus.
- Trumpet Archon: The infused grows beautiful wings, giving her a fly speed equal to her base land speed with average maneuverability.
- Bralani: The infused gains the grace of the wind, increasing her Dexterity by +2.
- Ghaele: The infused's muscles bulge with the might of the eladrin, increasing her Strength by +2.
- Avoral: The infused's arms meld into wings, giving her a fly speed equal to her base land speed with average maneuverability. Her hands are unaffected, but she can't use an item held in her hands while flying.
- Leonal: The infused's jaw extends, and her teeth sharpen into fangs, granting her a bite attack that is a natural weapon dealing 1d6 points of damage (1d4 for a Small infused). This can be a primary or secondary attack. Note that the infused does not gain multiple natural attacks for having a high base attack bonus.
Celestial Power III: At 7th level, the infused is gifted with even more powerful benefits, due to her increasingly noble efforts.
- Astral Deva - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 1/day - cure serious wounds and greater invisibility.
- Planetar - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 1/day - blade barrier and remove fear.
- Solar - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 1/day - cure serious wounds and holy sword.
- Lantern Archon - Light Ray (Ex): The infused can, at will, shoot light rays that deal 1d6 points of damage and ignore damage reduction of any type. These light rays have a range of 30 feet and require a ranged touch attack to hit.
- Hound Archon - Immunities (Ex): The infused gains immunity to petrification and poison.
- Trumpet Archon - Complete Trumpet (Su): The infused's trumpet reaches its full potential. It now functions as a +4 greats word while in sword form. In trumpet form, the infused can now create a blast of paralyzing energy three times per day. All non-archons and non-infused within 100 feet that can hear it must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the infused's Charisma modifier + class level) or be paralyzed for 1 round.
- Bralani - Spell-Like Ability (Sp): 1/day - cure serious wounds and wind wall.
- Ghaele - Alternate Form (Su): Once per day, for a number of rounds equal to her infused level, the infused can switch between her natural form and that of a glowing globe of eldritch colors. While in her globe form, the infused is incorporeal, and thus has no Strength score. While incorporeal, the infused can only be harmed by other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better magical weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. She is immune to all non-magical attack forms. Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, she has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source (except force effects or attacks made with ghost touch weapons).
- Avoral - Spell-Like Ability (Sp): 1/day - lightning bolt and magic circle against evil.
- Leonal - Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the infused must hit with its bite attack. It may attempt to start a grapple as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The infused can only use this against creatures at least one size category smaller than she is.
Tongues (Su): At 8th level, the infused gains the ability to speak with any creature that as a language, as though using the tongues spell.
Major Physical Change: At 9th level, the infused undergoes an extremely obvious physical change; so much so that she now resembles the celestial she shares her soul with.
- Astral Deva: The infused is filled with an otherworldly grace, which increases her Charisma by +2.
- Planetar: The infused's skin turns emerald green, and she gains immunity to cold and petrification.
- Solar: The infused's skin appears silver, and she gains damage reduction 5/epic or evil.
- Lantern Archon: The infused glows with the brightness of a torch in the dark (20-foot radius of light). She can suppress or resume this aura at will as a free action. While the infused glows, she gains immunity to electricity and petrification, but she suffers a -8 penalty on all Hide checks.
- Hound Archon: The infused's skin becomes tougher, granting her a +2 natural armor bonus, and her increasingly muscular legs improve her base land speed by 10 feet.
- Trumpet Archon: The incredible power of the trumpet archon flows through the infused, increasing her Constitution by +2.
- Bralani: The infused is filled with the endurance of the eternal gale, increasing her Constitution by +2.
- Ghaele: The infused gains the resiliency of the eladrin, granting her damage reduction 5/cold iron or evil.
- Avoral: The infused's eyes become hawklike, granting the infused a +8 bonus on Spot checks. In addition, the infused's skin hardens, giving her a +2 natural armor bonus.
- Leonal: The majestic power of the leonal grants the infused spell resistance equal to 11 + infused level.
Celestial Power IV: At 10th level, the celestial deems the infused worthy of its most powerful gifts.
- Astral Deva - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 1/day - blade barrier and dispel evil.
- Planetar - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): i/day - greater restoration and polymorph (self only).
- Solar - Slaying Arrows (Su): Once per day, the infused can make an arrow she fires from a bow into a slaying arrow. She must declare the creature type the arrow is to affect before she draws it from her quiver.
- Lantern Archon - Aura of Menace (Su): A righteous aura surrounds the infused when angry or fighting. Any hostile creature within a 20-foot radius of the infused must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 infused level + Charisma modifier) to resist its effects. Those who fail take a -2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the infused that generated the aura. A creature that has resisted this effect cannot be affected again by the same infused's aura for 24 hours.
- Hound Archon - Teleport (Su): The infused gains the ability to greater teleport twice per day, as the spell cast by a 14th-level sorcerer, except that the infused can only teleport herself and up to 50 pounds of objects.
- Trumpet Archon - Call to the Heavens (Sp): The infused's trumpet can be used to call for aid. Twice per day, the infused can blow the trumpet and invoke a summon monster IX spell that can only summon creatures of lawful good alignment.
- Bralani - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 3/day - blur and lightning bolt.
- Ghaele - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 2/day - lesser glove invulnerability and magic circle against evil.
- Avoral - Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 3/day - true seeing; 1/day - lightning bolt.
- Leonal - Rake (Ex): A leonal-infused that successfully grapples using its bite attack can make two rake attacks with its hind legs, each dealing 1d4 points of damage plus her Strength bonus Gd3 for Small characters).
| Infused Warrior | Hit Die: d12 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Icon of glory |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Celestial power I |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Minor physical change |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Celestial power II |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Beneficence |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Moderate physical change |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Celestial power III |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +2 | +2 | Tongues |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Major physical change |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Celestial power IV |
| Infused Spellcaster | Hit Die: d8 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells per Day |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Icon of glory | +1 caster level |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Celestial power I | - |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Minor physical change | +1 caster level |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Celestial power II | - |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Beneficence | +1 caster level |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Moderate physical change | - |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Celestial power III | +1 caster level |
| 8th | +6 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Tongues | - |
| 9th | +6 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Major physical change | +1 caster level |
| 10th | +7 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Celestial power IV | - |
Source: Dragon #321