General Prestige Class : Acolyte of the Skin
The temptation of power drives some people to extreme lengths, regardless of the consequences. Replacing your own skin with that of a living demon is a goal that most couldn't even conceive of, let alone consider. But this ghastly fate is exactly what some spellcasters seek in their desperate quest.
The Ritual of Bonding is a blasphemy that was long ago eradicated from most arcane libraries, but a few barely legible copies - or at least references thereto - survive along with promises of great power. Spellcasters who happen upon such documents can choose to destroy or ignore the find, but the temptation has already occurred. Those who give in can eventually stumble upon the complete ritual, usually through extended contact with one or more summoned fiends that are all too eager to share their terrible knowledge.
The Ritual of Bonding is painful and not to be undertaken lightly. The ritual requires 10 rounds from initiation to completion, and, once begun, nothing can halt its progress. The fiendish essence consumes the caster's own skin, an agonizing process that deals 1d4 points of damage in each round of the ritual - wise candidates keep some cure potions on hand. At the end of the rite, the acolyte's skin sports an oily, almost unnoticeable sheen. However, as he gains additional levels in the prestige class, his skin darkens, sprouts spikes, and gradually gives him a fiendish visage. The fiendish essence also begins to whisper foul secrets to its wearer, urging him to evil. (The wearer can accept or ignore this advice according to his temperament.)
Acolytes of the skin are ill suited for any position other than one that provides temporal power. Although NPC acolytes might sometimes serve more powerful evil characters as sinister captains, they would rather be calling the shots. They prefer to remain safely ensconced in well-defended fortresses of evil, though sometimes an acolyte might lead an expedition to retrieve a rumored tome of evil arcane magic or other artifact of malign power.
Adaptation: Almost any setting can accommodate the notion of those who go to any length to grab power for themselves, even so far as to bind demons to their own flesh. If your world does not include demons, per se, you could link this class to some other malign force or race of supernatural evil creatures instead of demons. For instance, an acolyte of the skin could be a scholar who unearths an ancient treatise on the topic of humanoid interspecies blending.
Requirements
To qualify to become an Acolyte of the Skin, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Any non-good.
- Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 6 ranks.
- Spells or Spell-like Abilities: Caster level 5th.
- Special: Must have made peaceful contact with a summoned evil outsider.
Special: Must undergo the Ritual of Bonding.
Class Skills
The acolyte of the skin's class skills are Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, and Spellcraft.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All the following are class features of the acolyte of the skin prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Acolytes of the skin gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each even-numbered level, an acolyte of the skin gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or destroying undead, a bonus feat, and so on). If he had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an acolyte of the skin, he must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.
Wear Fiend (Su): An acolyte of the skin summons the essence of a fiend and wears it like a second skin. The bonded fiendish skin is for all intents and purposes the character's own. It increases the acolyte of the skin's natural armor bonus by 1 and grants a +2 inherent bonus to Dexterity. The acolyte also gains darkvision out to 60 feet.
The DM determines the actual nature of the skin, be it demonic, devilish, or from some other fiendish creature.
Poison (Sp): An acolyte of the skin can use poison once per day as an 8th-level caster. The save DC is 14 + the acolyte's primary spellcasting ability modifier (Intelligence for wizards, Charisma for sorcerers and warlocks, Wisdom for clerics, and so forth). At 5th level, an acolyte can use this ability two times per day.
Flame Resistant (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, the fiendish skin binds more tightly, granting an acolyte resistance to fire 10.
Fiendish Glare (Su): From 3rd level on, an acolyte of the skin has the supernatural ability to unnerve opponents with a ferocious glare once per day. This is not a gaze attack, and the target need not meet the acolyte's eyes or even see the acolyte (although the acolyte must have line of effect to the target). Glaring is a standard action that affects any creature the acolyte can see within 100 feet. The target becomes shaken for 10 minutes, and must also attempt a Will save (DC 10 + acolyte's class level + Cha modifier) or be stunned. The duration of the stun effect depends on the target's hit points:
| 50 or less | 10 rounds |
| 51 to 100 | 3 rounds |
| 101 to 150 | 2 rounds |
| 151 or more | 1 round |
Fiendish glare is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Skin Adaptation (Su): By 5th level, an acolyte's skin and its wearer have grown more comfortable together, as if they had never been separate. The increase to natural armor granted by the fiendish skin improves to +2, the acolyte gains a +2 inherent bonus to Constitution, and the acolyte's darkvision is effective out to 120 feet.
Cold Resistant (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, an acolyte has resistance to cold 10.
Glare of the Pit (Su): At 7th level and higher, an acolyte has the supernatural ability to produce fiery rays from his eyes. Once per day as a standard action, he can project two rays (one from each eye) with a range of 100 feet. Each ray requires a ranged touch attack to hit and deals 8d6 points of fire damage. The rays can be aimed at two different targets within range, but the target of each ray must be designated simultaneously.
Summon Fiend (Sp): At 9th level, an acolyte learns to draw on another power of his fiendish skin. If the skin is demonic, once per day he can summon a babau; if devilish, once per day he can summon a chain devil. The summoned creature does the acolyte's bidding, but it automatically returns whence it came after 1 hour. A summoned creature cannot use any innate summoning abilities it might have. An acolyte's caster level for this ability is equal to his spellcaster level.
Fiendish Symbiosis (Ex): At 10th level, the fiendish skin and acolyte become one, and only final death can separate them. The acolyte's type changes to outsider. Additionally, an acolyte of this level gains damage reduction 10/good. Unlike other outsiders, an acolyte can be raised or resurrected.
| Acolyte of the Skin | Hit Die: d8 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spellcasting |
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Wear fiend, poison 1/day | - |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Flame resistant | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Fiendish glare | - |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | - | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Skin adaptation, poison 2/day | - |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Cold resistant | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Glare of the pit | - |
| 8th | +6 | +6 | +2 | +6 | - | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 9th | +6 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Summon fiend | - |
| 10th | +7 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Fiendish symbiosis | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
Source: Complete Arcane
Tome and Blood