The Doom Lord
Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting edition of Best in Class, where we bring you the best in new class features and archetypes each and every week. Today marks off the beginning of 2012 Week, which takes a look back at all the good work we did last year and celebrates our triumphs—or in the case of today’s article, addresses our shortcomings.
As you may know, prior to last year, this article, and indeed all of the articles in our current lineup, didn’t exist at all, and these articles have come a long way since. Best in Class, for example, provided new archetypes for nearly all of the base classes (and two of three alternate classes), and for those classes without archetypes we have provided the next best thing: oracles got a new mystery, sorcerers got new bloodlines, cavaliers got get new orders, etc. But one class (actually an alternate class) has been left in the cold. Well, that ends today.
New Antipaladin Archetype
Doom Lord
The doom lord is an engine of chaotic destruction, spreading misery and woe wherever he travels. He is not the type to concoct intricate plots, but is instead somewhat opportunistic, seizing every chance to sow discord and damnation that happens to come his way.
Aura of Chaos (Ex): A doom lord radiates an aura of chaos. The power of this aura (see the detect evil spell) is equal to his antipaladin level.
This ability replaces the aura of evil class feature.
Vision of Discord (Su): A doom lord can enter a trance-like state of perfect malice in which he feels he can do no wrong (figuratively speaking), and in which he sees a route to perfect destruction. When he uses this ability, he gains a morale bonus equal to his Charisma modifier to all attack rolls and deals an additional 1d6 points of damage on a successful weapon attack roll. At 4th level, and every 3 levels thereafter, this bonus to damage increases by an additional 1d6. He may use this ability for a total number of rounds per day equal to 3 + his antipaladin level. Choosing to enter this trance-like state is a swift action. At 11th level, the doom lord can use this ability as a free action.
This ability replaces the detect good and smite good class features.
Touch of Ruin (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a doom lord can surround his hands in an aura of chaotic fire that damages whatever it touches. As a standard action, the doom lord can make a melee touch attack, which, if successful, deals 1d6 points of damage for every 2 antipaladin levels he possesses, if the target is a creature, or 1d4 points of damage for every 2 antipaladin levels he possesses, if the target is an object. The doom lord can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1/2 his antipaladin level + his Charisma modifier.
This ability replaces the touch of corruption class feature.
Blood Frenzy (Su): Beginning at 4th level, a doom lord can channel forces of pure chaos in order to become a powerful killing machine. As a swift action, by expending 3 or more uses of his touch of ruin class feature, the doom lord can enter a trance-like state that grants him all the benefits of his vision of discord class feature (but which does not count against the number of rounds he can use that ability that day). This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the number of uses of his touch of ruin class feature that he spends in this way.
Tapping into the forces of ruin in this way is dangerous, however, and as long as he is benefitting from this ability, the doom lord finds it hard to control himself, and must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + the number of uses of touch of ruin expended + his Charisma modifier) immediately upon using this ability, and at the beginning of each of his turns for as long as he is benefitting from the ability. If he fails, he must assault a random creature that he can see (executing a full-attack action or charge action against that target, if able; or moving and attacking the target, if he cannot charge or full attack; or moving as close to the target as he can, if he cannot move and attack).
The doom lord must wait at least one minute after a blood frenzy ends before he can use this ability again.
This ability replaces the channel energy class feature.
Cruelty (Su): This ability functions identically to the antipaladin class feature, except that the doom lord applies cruelties to his touch of ruin class feature.
This ability modifies the cruelty class feature.
Aura of Malice (Su): At 11th level, a doom lord can channel his chaotic energies to create a localized orgy of violence. As a swift action, the doom lord may expend 6 or more uses of his touch of ruin class feature. If he does, he may choose any number of creatures within 30 feet of himself (including himself, if desired). Each of these creatures is affected as though by his blood frenzy class feature for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 the number of uses of his touch of ruin class feature that he expended in this way. The bonuses to attack rolls, the bonus damage, and the saving throw DC all use the doom lord’s own antipaladin level and Charisma modifier, rather than those of the affected creatures. Unwilling creatures do not receive a Will save to resist the effect, but are still entitled to the normal Will saves to maintain control over their actions.
This ability cannot allow a creature to benefit from the blood frenzy class feature without waiting a full minute between uses, and has no effect on a creature who was affected by this class feature or by blood frenzy within the last minute.
This ability replaces aura of vengeance.
Aura of Destruction (Su): At 14th level, a doom lord makes even potent and magical defenses fail. Each creature within 10 feet of him whose damage reduction could be overcome by weapons made of a specific material (such as adamantine, cold iron, or silver) has its damage reduction reduced by an amount equal to 1/2 the doom lord’s antipaladin level, rounded down (for example, if a creature with DR 15/adamantine was within 10 feet of a 14th-level doom lord, that creature would be treated as though it’s damage reduction were 8/adamantine, instead). At 17th level, this ability also affects creatures whose damage reduction could be overcome by weapons associated with an alignment (for example, a creature with DR 15/evil that was within 10 feet of a 17th-level doom lord would be treated as though it had DR 7/evil, instead).
This ability replaces the aura of sin and aura of depravity class features.
Champion of Doom (Su): At 20th level, a doom lord becomes a pillar of violence and mayhem. Whenever a creature suffers damage from an attack that has been enhanced by the doom lord’s vision of discord class feature (whether the attack is made by the doom lord or by a target of his aura of malice ability), that creature must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the doom lord’s antipaladin level + the doom lord’s Charisma modifier) or become panicked for 1d6 rounds. Additionally, whenever the doom lord uses his touch of ruin ability, he automatically deals maximum damage.