General Prestige Class : Hellbreaker
"They steal our souls, I steal their stuff. That's fair, right?" - Trienath Salazar, hellbreaker
Hellbreakers are consummate adventurers. Called thieves by their detractors and heroes by their apologists, they specialize in infiltrating infernal strongholds and relieving them of their treasures. To this end, they develop a number of abilities and fighting techniques useful for combating the legions of Hell.
Rogues likely make the best hellbreakers, since they have access to both Bluff and Sense Motive as class skills and gain the fastest sneak attack progression. Many hellbreakers also have ranger levels, since the favored enemy ability complements those gained from this prestige class. Others dabble in forbidden magic, having one or more levels of binder or truenamer to augment their other class features. A spellthief does well in this class too, as does a ninja, though it takes longer for both classes to meet the entry requirements.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Hellbreaker, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Any chaotic
- Skills: Bluff 8 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 4 ranks, Sense Motive 8 ranks.
- Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Undo Resistance
- Special: Sneak attack +2d6, skirmish +2d6, or sudden strike +2d6.
- Language: Infernal
Class Skills
The hellbreaker's class skills are Appraise, Bluff, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, and Tumble.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
A hellbreaker dismantles a creature's magical abilities. By sacrificing sneak attack damage, she can steal their spell-like and supernatural abilities. She can foil divination spells and make it harder to cast conjuration spells, and when she needs to slip away, she can catch a ride on another caster's teleportation spell or step onto another plane.
Mantle of Darkness (Ex): You can make Hide checks in any kind of darkness, even when observed by creatures that can see in darkness.
Telepathic Static (Su): Beginning at 1st level, you emit a field of psychic chatter out to a range of 20 feet, negating the telepathy ability of all creatures within range. In addition, divination spells and spell-like abilities cast or used in the area are impeded. To use divination magic, a caster must succeed on a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + the level of the spell). If the check fails, the spell or spell-like ability does not function but is still lost as a prepared spell, spell slot, or daily use. If the check succeeds, the spell functions normally. You can suppress this ability for 1 round as a free action.
Steal Spell-Like Ability (Su): Starting at 2nd level, you can use a sneak attack to temporarily steal a creature's spell-like ability. If you hit an opponent with a sneak attack, you can choose to forgo 2d6 dice of sneak attack damage and instead gain one use of one of the target's spell-like abilities. If the target is willing, you can steal a spell-like ability with a touch as a standard action (you do not need to damage a willing target).
This spell-like ability can originate from the target's class, race, template, or any other source, and can be of any spell level up to a maximum of 1/2 your class level. You can select a specific spell-like ability to borrow; otherwise, the DM chooses the ability at random. If the ability has a limited number of uses per day, the target must have at least one such use left, or you can't steal the ability. If the target can't use its ability (such as a summoned devil's summon ability), you can't steal it. If you steal and use an ability with limited uses per day, your use of the ability also counts as one use for the target creature.
You can use a stolen spell-like ability once. For all purposes (caster level, save DC, and so on), treat the spell-like ability as if the creature whose ability you stole were using it. You must use the stolen spell-like ability within 1 minute of acquiring it, or it is lost. Until you use the ability (or until 1 minute elapses), the target cannot use the stolen ability.
If you have a similar ability, such as the spellthief's steal spell-like ability, you can steal two spell-like abilities at once, but each is subject to its respective spell level restriction. Once you have stolen a spell-like ability, you cannot use neutralize spell-like ability (see below) until you have used the stolen ability.
Sneak Attack: Beginning at 3rd level, you deal extra damage when you are flanking an opponent or at any time when a target would be denied its Dexterity bonus to AC. This extra damage applies to ranged attacks only if a target is within 30 feet. (See the rogue class feature.)This extra damage increases to +2d6 at 6th level and +3d6 at 9th level. If you have levels in another class that grants sneak attack damage, the extra damage stacks.
Stowaway (Su): From 4th level on, you can hitch a ride on a conjuration (teleportation) spell or spell-like ability cast or used within 30 feet of you. If the target is unwilling, you must succeed on a level check with a DC of 10 + the caster level of the effect as an immediate action. If the target is willing, this ability functions automatically. When the spell is cast, you appear wherever the caster appears, in the same position you were at the time of the spell's casting. If this would force you to appear in a solid object, you appear in the nearest open available space. If the conjuration spell has variable results, such as teleport, you suffer the same effect as the caster.
Neutralize Spell-Like Ability (Su): Beginning at 5th level, you gain the ability to neutralize one of a target's spell-like abilities. This ability functions like the steal spell-like ability class feature, except you do not gain the ability to use the spell-like ability. Instead, you prevent the target from using the ability for a number of rounds equal to your class level. You cannot use this ability while holding a stolen spell-like ability. You can neutralize any number of spell-like abilities.
Foil Summoning (Su): At 7th level, your telepathic static intensifies so that you also impede conjuration (calling) and conjuration (summoning) spells and spell-like effects within 20 feet. See telepathic static, above, for details.
Steal Supernatural Ability (Su): From 8th level on, you can steal supernatural abilities. This ability functions like the steal spell-like ability class feature. While in possession of a stolen spell-like or supernatural ability, you cannot use steal spell-like ability, steal supernatural ability, or neutralize spell-like ability again until you lose access to the stolen ability (by discharging it or after 1 minute, whichever comes first).
Plane Hop (Sp): At 10th level, you can use plane shift as an immediate action once per day. This ability functions like the spell, but it has a range of personal and a target of you.
| Hellbreaker | Hit Die: d6 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Mantle of darkness, telepathic static |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Steal spell-like ability |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Sneak attack +1d6 |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Stowaway |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Neutralize spell-like ability |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Sneak attack +2d6 |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Foil summoning |
| 8th | +6 | +2 | +6 | +6 | Steal supernatural ability |
| 9th | +6 | +3 | +6 | +6 | Sneak attack +3d6 |
| 10th | +7 | +3 | +7 | +7 | Plane hop |
Hellbreaker Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can research hellbreakers to learn more about them. When a character succeeds on a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
- DC 10: Hellbreakers are thieves who specialize in robbing devils.
- DC 15: While hellbreakers can circumvent a devil's keen senses, they are said to come into their own when they can steal a devil's magic.
- DC 20: Hellbreakers are known to latch onto teleportation magic, crossing vast distances through little effort of their own. In fact, the most powerful ones are thought to be able to step onto entirely new planes of existence with nothing more than a thought.
- DC 30: Characters who achieve this level of success can learn important details about a specific notable hellbreaker, the areas where she operates, and the kinds of activities she undertakes.
Tracking down a hellbreaker is not easy; members of the class like to stay hidden. To locate someone who knows about hellbreakers, a character must succeed on a DC 25 Gather Information check and spend 3d10 gp in bribes. From there, the character can gain directions to the last known community where a hellbreaker operated. Upon traveling to this new location, a character must succeed on a DC 20 Gather Information check and spend the same amount in bribes. This process continues for 1d6 communities until a hellbreaker finally seeks the character out.
Source: Fiendish Codex II