General Prestige Class : Hexer
"Do not meet the gaze of the shaman with the evil eye," warn townsfolk who have crossed paths with a hexer. Unfortunately, the typical intrepid adventurer rarely hears such advice in time. The hexer profits by this ignorance, surprising his victims with the power of his gaze. Many hexers inflict curses that follow their victims like a plague. The more powerful practitioners can engender fear, cause magical slumber, or enthrall their victims as slaves with a mere glance.
Hexers are unknown among civilized peoples; they are found only among tribes of goblins, ogres, and orcs. Prior to pursuing the path of the hexer, most of them were adepts who served as witch doctors for their tribes. Hexers often assume leadership of their tribes as well - who would dare to gainsay them, after all?
Most hexers are villainous, evil cretins lacking any code of morality, and the vast majority of them hate humans, elves, dwarves, and other civilized races. Neutral hexers are no less dangerous, especially when something threatens the welfare of their tribes.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Hexer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Monstrous humanoid, giant, goblinoid, other primitive humanoid, such as orc, gnoll
- Alignment: Any non-good.
- Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 10 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks, Survival 10 ranks.
- Spellcasting: Able to cast lightning bolt as a divine spell.
Class Skills
The hexer's class skills are Concentration, Craft (any), Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (any), Profession (any), Spellcraft, and Survival.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The following are class features of the hexer prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Hexers gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each hexer level, the character 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. He does nor, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (additional wild shape options, metamagic or item creation fears, or the like). If the character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a hexer, the player must decide to which class to add each hexer level for determining spells per day and spells known.
Hex (Sp): At 1st level, the hexer gains a gaze attack. He can use this ability once per day at 1st level and twice per day at 2nd level. Thereafter, he gains one additional use per day of this ability for every two hexer levels he acquires.
Activating this power is a standard action, and it lasts for a number of rounds equal to the character's hexer level. Each round, the hexer's gaze attack automatically works against one creature within 30 feet that is looking at (attacking or interacting with) him. Targets who avert their eyes have a 50% chance of avoiding the gaze, but the hexer gains one-half concealment (20% miss chance) relative to those who successfully avoid the gaze. Targets can also close their eyes or turn away entirely; doing so prevents the hex from affecting them but grants the gazer total concealment (50% miss chance) relative to them.
An affected target must make a Will save (DC 10 + hexer level + hexer's Wisdom modifier) or suffer a -4 enhancement penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks. These effects are permanent until removed with a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell. This is an enchantment effect and cannot be dispelled.
A hex does not affect undead creatures or extend beyond the plane that the hexer occupies. The hexer is subject to the effects of his own reflected gaze and is allowed a saving throw against them.
Bonus Spell: At 2nd level, the hexer adds a new spell of his choice to his spell list. This spell must come from the wizard/sorcerer spell list and must be of a spell level that the hexer can cast. He can prepare this new spell as the same spell level as it appeared on the wizard/sorcerer list. He gains one additional bonus spell for every two hexer levels he has.
Sicken Hex (Sp): At 3rd level, the hexer can use his gaze attack to inflict a debilitating illness. This ability functions like the hex ability (above), except that the target must make a Fortitude save instead of a Will save so resist, and the effect is as described below. A sicken hex requires one daily use of the character's hex ability
A target who fails the save is overcome with pain and fever, which causes him or her to move at one-half normal speed, lose any Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, and suffer a -2 circumstance penalty on attack rolls. These effects are permanent until removed with a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell. A sicken hex is a necromancy effect that cannot be dispelled.
Fear Hex (Sp): At 5th level, the hexer can use his gaze attack to engender fear. This ability functions like the hex ability (above), except that target is affected as if by a fear spell. A fear hex is a mind-influencing, compulsion, enchantment effect, and it requires one daily use of the character's hex ability.
Sleep Hex (Sp): At 7th level, the hexer can use his gaze to generate a sleep effect. This ability functions like she hex ability (above), except that duration is 10 minutest the character's hexer level and the target is affected as if by a sleep spell. A sleep hex is a mind-influencing, compulsion, enchantment effect, and it requires one daily use of the character's hex ability.
Charm Hex (Sp): At 9th level, the hexer can use his gaze attack to generate a charm monster effect. This ability functions like the hex ability (above), except that duration is 1 day per hexer level and the target is affected as if by a charm monster spell. (Should the hexer fall victim to his own reflected gaze attack, he is affected as if by a hold monster spell.) A charm hex is a mind-influencing, charm, enchantment effect, and it requires one daily use of the character's hex ability.
| Hexer | Hit Die: d6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells |
| 1st | +1 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Hex 1/day | +1 level of existing class |
| 2nd | +2 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Bonus spell, hex 2/day | +1 level of existing class |
| 3rd | +3 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Sicken hex | +1 level of existing class |
| 4th | +4 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Bonus spell, hex 3/day | +1 level of existing class |
| 5th | +5 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Fear hex | +1 level of existing class |
| 6th | +6 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Bonus spell, hex 4/day | +1 level of existing class |
| 7th | +7 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Sleep hex | +1 level of existing class |
| 8th | +8 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Bonus spell, hex 5/day | +1 level of existing class |
| 9th | +9 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Charm hex | +1 level of existing class |
| 10th | +10 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Bonus spell, hex 6/day | +1 level of existing class |
Source: Masters of the Wild