The Lupine Channeler
Awoo! It’s Werewolf Week here at Necromancers of the Northwest, a weeklong celebration of our favorite lupine shapeshifters, and just in time for Halloween. Some of you may remember that when Vampire Week came around, I committed to making an archetype for every Paizo class (a process that is still ongoing), but our werewolf rules found in Marchen der Daemonwulf and Marchen der Daemonwulf II (available for a bargain at distinguished online retailers) are already reasonably well adapted to characters of any class, and require only a single feat to get started, which will be reprinted in tomorrow’s Extraordinary Feats (for the handful of you who don’t already have the books, for some strange reason). As a result, archetypes aren’t really necessary for expanding the potential of these lupine shapeshifters. Instead, we’re going to focus on a prestige class for those who really want to delve into their werewolf abilities.
New Prestige Class
The Lupine Channeler
A lupine channeler is a potent shapeshifter who has dedicated his life to embodying not just the physical form of a wolf, but also its spiritual aspects. A lupine channeler is capable of performing a great number of transformations, but also of transforming into shapes that are spiritually enhanced with a variety of powerful natural abilities.
Hit Die: d8.
Requirements
To qualify to become a lupine channeler, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Feats: Curse of the Beast, Iron Will.
Base Attack Bonus: +4.
Special: Base Will save +5.
Class Skills
The lupine channeler’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Intimidate (Cha), Perception (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A lupine channeler receives no new proficiencies with any kind of weapon or armor.
Bonus Feat: At 1st level, and every odd-numbered level thereafter, a lupine channeler gains a single werewolf feat of his choice for which he qualifies. See Marchen der Daemonwulf and Marchen der Daemonwulf II for more information on werewolf feats.
Expanded Shifting (Su): At 1st level, a lupine channeler can make an additional willing transformation per day with his Curse of the Beast feat. At 3rd level, and every 2 levels thereafter, he gains another use of his willing transformations when using his Curse of the Beast feat.
Terrible Form (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a lupine channeler can embody the terrifying spirit of the wolf, frightening his enemies when he shapeshifts. Whenever he transforms into a wolf using his Curse of the Beast feat, he may expend an additional daily use of his willing transformations in order to project an aura of fear. For as long as he remains transformed, at the beginning of each of the lupine channeler’s turn each round, creatures within 15 feet of him must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + the lupine channeler’s class level + the lupine channeler’s Charisma modifier) or become shaken for as long as they remain within 15 feet of him. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Bestial Transformation (Su): Beginning at 4th level, a lupine channeler can embody the feral and vicious killer spirit of the wolf to shred his opponents. While he is transformed into a wolf using his Curse of the Beast feat, as a swift action, he may expend an additional daily use of his willing transformations in order to become more bestial. This increases his enhancement bonus to natural armor by +4, and grants him a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with his bite attack, as well as granting him the ability to make an additional bite attack at his highest base attack bonus whenever he uses the full attack action. This additional attack does not stack with those granted by haste or similar effects. These benefits last for a number of rounds equal to the lupine channeler’s class level, or until he stops being transformed with the Curse of the Beast feat, whichever comes first.
Primoridal Howl (Su): Beginning at 6th level, a lupine channeler can embody the wild howling spirit of the wolf and channel that power into a potent blast of sonic energy, which can reduce his opponents’ bones to dust. While transformed into a wolf using his Curse of the Beast feat, a lupine channeler can expend one daily use of his willing transformations in order to create a 30-foot cone of sonic energy which deals an amount of sonic damage equal to 1d6 per class level to each creature and object in the area. Additionally, each creature within the cone must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the lupine channeler’s Charisma modifier) or become deafened for 1 hour. Using this ability requires a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Shadow Wolf (Su): Beginning at 8th level, a lupine channeler can channel a wolf's cunning and elusiveness in order to become one with the shadows. While the lupine channeler is transformed into a wolf using his Curse of the Beast feat, as a standard action, he may expend two daily uses of his willing transformation in order to become incorporeal for a number of rounds equal to his class level. This causes him to gain the incorporeal subtype and all benefits and drawbacks inherent to that subtype.
Dread Wolf Form (Su): Beginning at 10th level, a lupine channeler can channel the dread and wicked aspects of the wolf in order to greatly enhance his combat prowess. Whenever he transforms into a wolf using his Curse of the Beast feat, he may choose to expend an additional two daily uses of his willing transformation in order to assume the form of a dread wolf. If he does, he gains damage reduction 10/silver and deals an additional 2d6 points of damage with his bite attack for as long as he remains transformed. Additionally, he may make an additional bite attack at his highest base attack bonus whenever he uses the full attack action. This additional attack does not stack with those granted by haste or similar effects, but does stack with the extra bite attack gained by using his bestial transformation class ability, if both are used at the same time.