General Prestige Class : Soulguard
"Your claim on this soul is unjust. Free him at once, lest I take him by force." - Halagrad Doomhammer, soulguard
Hell's devils are crafty fiends, always angling for some way to steal the souls of the unwary. Whether cementing deviously foul bargains with mortals or stealing souls as they travel to their final rest, they use whatever means they can to feed their own power through the misery and corruption of mortals. Soulguards openly oppose these practices by the baatezu and go to great lengths to protect those beset by the power of Baator.
Soulguards are almost always clerics or paladins who recognize the balance between the gods and the devils, but also know that the baatezu work to circumvent the agreement binding them. These characters have a profound understanding of Hell's politics and the beings that control the plane. Clerics have the easiest time gaining access to the class, but druids sometimes abandon their duties as stewards of nature to right the greater imbalance in the planes. Favored souls prefer a more warlike approach to the battle against fiends, but they cannot gain entry to this class until higher levels.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Soulguard, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Lawful good or lawful neutral
- Skills: Intimidate 4 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 9 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 4 ranks
- Feats: Iron Will
- Spellcasting: Ability to cast 1st-level divine spells.
- Language: Infernal
Class Skills
The soulguard's class skills are Concentration, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Sense Motive, and Spellcraft.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
As you gain levels in this class, you sacrifice some degree of your spellcasting potential to develop the necessary abilities to free souls from Hell.
Spellcasting: At each level above 1st, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a soulguard, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
Pierce Deception (Sp): You gain the ability to channel your spell power to pierce all deceptions. For a number of times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum one), as a standard action, you can sacrifice a prepared spell or spell slot to use true seeing, as the spell (no material component needed). This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell sacrificed, and you can target only yourself with this spell-like ability. The caster level equals your caster level.
Divine Rebuke (Su): Starting at 2nd level, as a swift action, you can sacrifice a spell slot or a prepared spell to rebuke an evil outsider within 30 feet. The outsider must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + level of the spell sacrificed + your Cha modifier) or cower for a number of rounds equal to the spell slot of the spell sacrificed. The effect ends if the fiend is attacked.
Immunity to Charm (Ex): At 2nd level, you gain immunity to enchantment (charm) spells and effects.
Dispel Evil (Sp): Beginning at 3rd level, you can use a dispel evil effect once per day. Your caster level equals your divine caster level. The save DC is Charisma-based.
At 6th level, you can use this ability twice per day. At 9th level, you can use this ability three times per day.
Absolution (Sp): Starting at 4th level, you gain the ability to use atonement once per day as a spell-like ability.
Alternatively, if you are using the corruption mechanics from Fiendish Codex II, you can purify a creature to redeem it from evil. Only a creature that desires absolution can be affected. Furthermore, any gains (monetary, political, personal, and so on) a creature has attained through evil acts must be abandoned. If the target creature has 3 or fewer corruption points, they are all removed. If the creature has 4 or more corruption points, you can reduce the total by 1. A single creature cannot receive the benefit of absolution more than once unless the DM permits it for exceptional story-driven reasons. For more information on corruption, see page 30 of Fiendish Codex II.
Immunity to Compulsion (Ex): At 5th level, you gain immunity to enchantment (compulsion) spells and effects.
Purging Radiance (Su): At 7th level and higher, you can spend a daily use of your turn undead ability to deal damage to nearby fiends. As a standard action, the area around you fills with a pure, holy energy that deals 1d6 points of damage per class level to evil outsiders within 30 feet. This ability does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
If you do not have the turn undead ability, this ability has no effect.
Resistance Aura (Su): From 8th level on, you and all allies within 20 feet of you gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects generated by evil outsiders.
Dimensional Anchor (Su): At 10th level, your presence blocks the teleportation abilities of evil outsiders. No evil outsider can use a teleportation spell or effect while within 20 feet of you.
Multiclass Note: A paladin who becomes a soulguard can continue advancing as a paladin.
| Soulguard | Hit Die: d8 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spellcasting |
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Pierce deception | - |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Divine rebuke, immunity to charm | +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Dispel evil 1/day | +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Absolution | +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Immunity to compulsion | +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Dispel evil 2/day | +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Purging radiance | +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 8th | +6 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Resistance aura | +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 9th | +6 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Dispel evil 3/day | +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
| 10th | +7 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Dimensional anchor | +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class |
Soulguard Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can research soulguards 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: Soulguards are heroic individuals who fight on behalf of those wronged by evil.
- DC 15: These individuals oppose the wrongful acquisition of souls by devils.
- DC 20: Devils can't abide the righteous stare of soulguards and flee before them. Soulguards can see right through the lies of devils, and seek to expose their evil wherever they can.
- DC 30: Characters who achieve this level of success can learn important details about a specific notable soulguard, the areas in which he operates, and the kinds of activities he undertakes.
Soulguards make a special effort to be available to those who need them, so tracking one down is rarely a problem. Characters looking for a soulguard have little trouble so long as they are in a large town or larger community. To find one, they must succeed on a DC 15 Gather Information check. If a soulguard lives in the community, they learn his whereabouts. If not, they find someone who knows how to get in touch with one nearby.
Source: Fiendish Codex II