A kindly meddler, sometime rabble rouser, and full time wondermaker who can be seen as a stalwart or a bit of a swindler. They belong to many schools of thought that coalesce into a worldview and gateway to a form of divine magic lying unawakened in the ebb and flow of community. A chaplain's mysterious gifts are unlocked by her influence and social standing. People believe them because they hold such a foundational place in society, thus (society would have to vanish or) people would have to struggle against that ideal to take away the chaplain's power. Role: Chaplains are armed with an understanding of both the material world and the people and behaviors who vie for control over it. Chaplains are comfortable mentors, whether serving the poor as instructors, the sick as doctors, or the rich as administrators. They often start as scholars or scientists whose discipline takes them into the field because no one else is capable enough to carry out their mandates. They work well as leaders, but are more comfortable advising whoever is in charge, ever willing to step into the spotlight when their services are the only answer to the apparent problems. Chaplains belong to dedicated organizations that espouse their own doctrine and methodology. Some seek to mitigate suffering through medicine and are known as activists for ecological study and in staunching the effects of war. Some belong to fraternal agencies of professionals that serve as arbitrators and lobbyists to the public, though their secret agendas are rarely up for appeal. Some are graduates of prestigious universities, who protect society from itself as investigators who examine, predict, and protect against society's failures and atrocities. Alignment: Any. Hit Die: d8. Class SkillsThe chaplain's class skills are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perform (oratory) (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int). In addition, chaplains receive additional class skills depending upon their organization. Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the chaplain. Weapon and Armor ProficiencyA chaplain is proficient with all simple weapons. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields. Spells
A chaplain casts divine spells drawn from the chaplain spell lists. To learn or cast a spell, a chaplain must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a chaplain's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the chaplain's Charisma modifier. Like other spellcasters, a chaplain can cast only a certain number of spells per day of each spell level. Her base daily spell allotment is given in Table: The Chaplain. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score. Unlike other divine spellcasters, a chaplain's selection of spells is extremely limited. A chaplain begins play knowing four 0-level spells, one 1st-level spell determined by her pledged organization, and one 1st-level spell of her choice. At each new chaplain level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Chaplain Spells Known. Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a chaplain knows is not affected by her Charisma score; the numbers on the table are fixed. In Table: Chaplain Spells Known "+1" represents the number of organization spells known. Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered chaplain level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a chaplain can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the chaplain loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. A chaplain may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level. A chaplain can never swap an organization spell. Unlike a cleric, a chaplain need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her spells per day for that spell level. Every chaplain spell has a verbal component (recitation) and chaplains do not need to provide a focus or divine focus to cast chaplain spells that list a focus (F) or divine focus (DF) as part of the components. Orisons Chaplains learn a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: Chaplain Spells Known. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again. Orisons prepared using other spell slots, such as those due to metamagic feats, are expended normally. Organization AbilityAt 1st level, a chaplain must pledge herself to a specific organization. Service to this organization shapes and defines the chaplain, directing how her skills and talents are utilized. An organization grants the chaplain a number of class skills, bonus spells known, and special abilities. Eschew MaterialsA chaplain gains Eschew Materials as a bonus feat at 1st level. Gravitas (Su)The chaplain's voice and personality carry so much power and unearthly authority, that she can bolster or weaken a creature's resolve with a single utterance. Each day she can use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 her chaplain level (minimum of 1) plus her Charisma modifier. With one use of this ability, a chaplain can bestow 1d6 + the chaplain's Charisma modifier temporary hit points to one ally (including herself) within 30 feet that can hear her. The amount of temporary hit points bestowed by gravitas increases by 1d6 at every odd numbered level after 1st. These temporary hit points last for 3 rounds plus 1 round for every two levels the chaplain possesses, and they do not stack with temporary hit points from any source. Alternatively, a chaplain can use gravitas to inflict an amount of nonlethal damage equal to 1d6 + the chaplain's Charisma modifier to one enemy within 30 feet that can hear her. The amount of nonlethal damage dealt by gravitas increases by 1d6 at every odd numbered level after 1st. Creatures that take nonlethal damage from gravitas receive a Will saving throw to halve the damage (minimum 1). The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the chaplain's level + the chaplain's Charisma modifier. Nonlethal damage dealt with gravitas can never become lethal damage. Using gravitas is a standard action, and does not provoke attacks of opportunity. For every two levels the chaplain possesses, she may target one additional creature with gravitas. If the chaplain targets a creature with gravitas, and that creature is still affected by a previous use of gravitas (or the effects of any previously applied elocutionary talents), the effects of the previous use of gravitas immediately end on the creature, and then the effects of the new use of gravitas are applied. Gravitas is a mind-affecting, language-dependent ability. Rumor Mill (Ex)As perennial busybodies and community spokespersons, chaplains and the circles they run in become storehouses for disparate bits of information. A chaplain adds half her level (minimum of +1) on Knowledge (local) checks and Diplomacy checks made to gather information. In addition, the chaplain can make any Knowledge skill check untrained. Resilient Persona (Ex)At 2nd level, a chaplain gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells and effects. Elocutionary Talents (Su)As she gains levels, a chaplain's extreme force of personality bends and shapes how her gravitas ability, and other natural talents, manifest. At 3rd level, a chaplain gains one elocutionary talent of her choice. She gains an additional elocutionary talent at 6th level and for every three levels attained after 6th. Each elocutionary talent marked with an asterisk (*) adds an effect to the chaplain's gravitas ability. Only one of these elocutionary talents can be applied to an individual use of gravitas at a time.
Slippery Mind (Ex)Starting at 10th level, if the chaplain is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails her saving throw, she can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. She gets only this one extra chance to succeed on her saving throw. Absolute Charisma (Su)The chaplain's personality permeates reality in ways that extend beyond the aural and visual senses. At 20th level, creatures normally immune to mind-affecting effects, but that can understand language, are subject to the chaplain's mind-affecting spells and abilities as normal, except that such creatures gain a +5 bonus to their saving throws against such spells or abilities. Chaplain SpellsChaplains gain access to the following spells. 0-Level Chaplain Spells—daze, detect magic, detect poison, guidance, message, read magic, resistance, stabilize, touch of fatigue, unwitting ally, virtue. 1st-Level Chaplain Spells—adoration, beguiling gift, cause fear, charm person, command, compel hostility, comprehend languages, confusion (lesser), cure light wounds, delusional pride, forbid action, fumbletongue, hideous laughter, ill omen, innocence, invigorate, liberating command, lock gaze, memory lapse, moment of greatness, murderous command, remove fear, sanctuary, share language, sleep, timely inspiration, touch of gracelessness, unprepared combatant, ventriloquism. 2nd-Level Chaplain Spells—acute senses, bear's endurance, bestow weapon proficiency, bull's strength, calm emotions, cacophonous call, cat's grace, compassionate ally, cure moderate wounds, daze monster, eagle's splendor, enthrall, fox's cunning, gallant inspiration, heroism, hidden speech, hold person, honeyed tongue, miserable pity, oppressive boredom, owl's wisdom, qualm, rage, reckless infatuation, scare, silence, sound burst, suggestion, tactical acumen, tongues, touch of idiocy, unadulterated loathing, unnatural lust. 3rd-Level Chaplain Spells—charm monster, communal tongues, confusion, crushing despair, cure serious wounds, deep slumber, elemental speech, fear, geas (lesser), glibness, good hope , invigorate, mass, malicious spite, overwhelming grief, speak with animals, smug narcissism, terrible remorse. 4th-Level Chaplain Spells—break enchantment, cure critical wounds, daze, mass, denounce, discordant blast, dominate person, envious urge, hold monster, locate creature, modify memory, primal scream, repel vermin, sending, serenity, shout, speak with plants, stay the hand, utter contempt. 5th-Level Chaplain Spells—breath of life, cacophonous call, mass, command, greater, feeblemind, foe to friend, heroism, greater, joyful rapture, suggestion, mass, resonating word, vengeful outrage. 6th-Level Chaplain Spells—bear's endurance, mass, bull's strength, mass, brilliant inspiration, cat's grace, mass, charm monster, mass, eagle's splendor, mass, euphoric tranquility, fool's forbiddance, fox's cunning, mass, geas/quest, heal, irresistible dance, overwhelming presence, owl's wisdom, mass, shout, greater, waves of ecstasy. |
Pure Steam Campaign Setting. Copyright 2012 ICOSA Entertainment, LLC; Author(s): Brennan Ashby.