General Prestige Class : Evangelist

Evangelists travel the world proclaiming their devotion to a particular deity, pantheon, or religious doctrine. They seek to convert others to their way of thinking and to spread their word throughout the land. All races and cultures have evangelists of one type or another. Most evangelists come from the charismatic laity of a culture. They do not possess the learning or perhaps temperament to he spellcasting clerics but have found other ways to proselytize. Those who worship deities often find themselves working in cooperation with clerics of the same faith while those who simply evangelize a particular belief - even one embraced by a deity or pantheon - can find themselves at odds with even those of their own alignment. An evangelist is often a leader and, in some ways, a loner. Even though his abilities strengthen his allies, he stands apart.

While clerics and even druids can make powerful evangelists, few trade in their spellcasting abilities for the power this prestige class offers. Bards, naturally charismatic, may find religion and become evangelists. Rogues can benefit from this class. A few paladins, particularly those who seek to convert evil to good (rather than simply destroying evil), may set their feet upon this path. Gnomes, halflings, and humans tend toward evangelism more than most other races.

The half-races, both half-elves and half-orcs, can find purpose along this path, though it is a strange half-orc that can follow it successfully. Elves often disdain evangelists and dwarves see them as busybodies or troublemakers.

Good evangelists bolster and strengthen their allies and often see other people as students or even a flock to be educated or guided. Evil evangelists view others as unenlightened and seek to enforce their will upon others. While a good evangelist may use his abilities to sway or even convert others to his belief system, those who follow the path of evil tend to intimidate and dominate others.

Adaptation: Bards who revere St. Cuthbert sometimes become inspiring or terrifying evangelists. Any deity that inspires particular zealousness in his followers or who sponsors active efforts to increase the size of the faith would make a good patron for an evangelist.

Requirements

To qualify to become an Evangelist, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

Class Skills

The evangelist's class skills are Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills taken individually), Listen, Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, and Speak language.

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The following are class features of the evangelist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Evangelists gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.

Great Orator (Su): An evangelist can inspire, protect, and otherwise improve the situation of his allies simply by speaking clearly and being heard. This ability is similar to the bard's bardic music ability and, indeed, evangelist levels stack with bard levels to determine the strength of known bard songs. For example, a bard 3/evangelist 5 improves his inspire competence ability, but does not gain any new bard abilities. He could use bardic music to convert the unfaithful, countersong, fascinate, inspire the righteous, inspire courage +2, inspire dread or inspire hope, but would not gain the inspire competence, inspire greatness, or suggestion abilities. Alternately, a bard 7/evangelist 1 would be able to use bardic music to countersong, fascinate, inspire competence, inspire courage +2, inspire dread or inspire hope, and suggestion. Evangelist oratory abilities function in exactly the same manner as bardic music except the evangelist must speak loudly and clearly, rather than sing or play an instrument.

Inspire Dread (Su): An evil evangelist with 9 or more ranks in Perform (oratory) can inspire hopelessness in all enemies within 30 feet. This ability imposes a -4 penalty on Will saves on all enemies within 30 feet of the evangelist. Delivering this oratory requires a full-round action to activate and requires concentration each round to continue the effect. The effect lasts as long as the evangelist speaks and for 3 rounds thereafter. Inspire dread is a mind-affecting ability.

Inspire Hope (Su): A good or neutral evangelist with 9 or more ranks in Perform (oratory) can inspire spiritual resilience in all allies within 30 feet. This ability gives the evangelist and all allies who can hear his oratory a +4 sacred bonus on Will saves. Delivering this oratory requires a full-round action to activate and requires concentration each round to continue the effect. The effect lasts as long as the evangelist speaks and for three rounds thereafter. Inspire hope is a mind-affecting ability.

Inflame the Righteous (Su): An evangelist of 3rd level or higher with 11 or more ranks in Perform (oratory) can use this ability to wreath himself and any of his allies within 30 feet in divine flame. Each beneficiary of this ability gains the benefit of a fire shield spell. Use the evangelist's level +5 to determine the caster level of the spell. The damage caused by the spell is, however, purely divine and not subject to a creature's resistance or immunity to fire.

This oratory requires a full-round action to perform and requires concentration each round to continue the effect. The effect lasts as long as the evangelist speaks and for three rounds thereafter.

Convert the Unfaithful (Su): An evangelist of 5th level with at least 13 ranks in Perform (oratory) may attempt to convert a single enemy within 30 feet. As a full-round action, the evangelist delivers an impassioned speech on the righteousness of his beliefs to a single enemy, who must attempt a Will save (DC 10 + class level + Cha mod). If the creature succeeds, it is shaken for one round, If the creature fails its saving throw, it converts. Creatures with an alignment subtype (such as angels and devils) are immune to this ability.

A converted creature is effectively charmed by the evangelist (similar to a charm monster spell). In addition, a converted creature temporarily assumes the alignment of the evangelist and acts accordingly. This may mean some of the creature's class abilities, spells, or other abilities are unavailable to it for the duration of the spell (a paladin converted to something other than lawful good, for example, loses her class abilities for the duration).

When the duration elapses, the creature then has a choice: It can continue to act according to its new alignment, or it can shift back. If the creature chooses to permanently change its alignment to the evangelist's, it acts as if a cleric of the appropriate alignment had cast atonement on it. If the creature chooses to change back, it must make another saving throw (with the same save DC as before), if it fails this saving throw its alignment changes back but it needs an atonement spell to gain back any abilities it lost due to its temporary alignment change.

Fast Talk (Ex): At 2nd level, the evangelist knows the right thing to say at the right time. He may make a rushed Diplomacy check as a full-round action at only a -5 penalty.

Skill Mastery (Ex): Ar 4th level, the evangelist becomes so certain in the use of certain skills that he can use them reliably even under adverse conditions. Upon gaining this ability, the evangelist selects a number of skills equal to 1 + his Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1) from the following list: Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Intimidate, and Sense Motive. When making a skill check with one of the selected skills, he may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent him from doing so.

EvangelistHit Die: d6
CLBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st+0+0+0+2Great orator (inspire dread or inspire hope)
2nd+1+0+0+3Fast talk
3rd+2+1+1+3Great orator (inflame the righteous)
4th+3+1+1+4Skill mastery
5th+3+1+1+4Great orator (convert the unfaithful)

Source: Complete Divine

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General Prestige Classes