Fiendish Devotions
If you read yesterday’s Best in Class, you know that I’m super excited about our latest release, The Deluxe Guide to Fiend Summoning and Faustian Bargains, because it’s almost certainly the most impressive undertaking Necromancers of the Northwest has tackled yet, and, besides, who doesn’t love summoning fiends? I sure do! Anyway, to celebrate this massive book—which, in case I forgot to mention, is available for the unbelievably good price of $17.99, and you don’t even have to give up your soul—we’re devoting this entire week to fiends, and those who summon them.
There aren’t any feats in The Deluxe Guide to Fiend Summoning and Faustian Bargains for me to show off, and while I considered making some feats that interact with the summoning rules presented in the book, I just don’t think that “you gain a bonus on all calling checks” would make for a very fun feat. So, after a bit of thought, I landed on feats that represent devotion to a specific fiend (there are 72 outlined in the book), which would be a bit more powerful than normal, but come with a drawback, much like everything related to fiends. So, I picked a handful of my favorite fiends, and went to work. I hope you’ll like the results.
Devotee of Agares (Devotion)
You are devoted to Agares, a duke in the lower planes and an emissary of entropy and destruction.
Benefit: Your attacks, both magical and mundane, are more destructive, and you gain a +2 bonus on all damage rolls you make (this bonus applies only once per spell, so a fireball that normally dealt 6d6 points of damage would deal 6d6+2 points of damage, instead, and a magic missile that would normally deal 3d4+3 points of damage would deal 3d4+5 points of damage, instead).
Drawback: It is difficult for you to heal. Whenever you would receive magical healing of any kind (such as a cure light wounds spell), you regain 1 less hit point for every two Hit Dice you possess, rounded up (so a 15th-level character would regain 8 less hit points). Additionally, you regain only half as many hit points as normal when you rest (1 hit point per two Hit Dice, rounded down).
Devotee of Amdusias (Devotion)
You are devoted to Amdusias, a free-spirited fiend who believes in free love and open sexuality at any cost.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on all Bluff and Diplomacy checks. Additionally, the saving throw DCs of all spells you cast with the charm descriptor are increased by +2. This bonus does not stack with Spell Focus or Greater Spell Focus.
Drawback: You are particularly receptive to charm attempts from others, and suffer a -2 penalty on Will saves made to resist spells with the charm descriptor.
Devotee of Astaroth (Devotion)
You are devoted to Astaroth, a pain-obsessed fiend who was once an angelic purifier, and now serves as a fiendish torturer.
Benefit: The saving throw DC of any spell that you cast with the pain descriptor is increased by +3. This bonus does not stack with Spell Focus or Greater Spell Focus.
Drawback: Whenever you successfully cast a spell with the pain descriptor, you are overcome with euphoric feelings that impose a -2 penalty on Will saves for one minute.
Devotee of Amon (Devotion)
You are devoted to Amon, a bloodthirsty fiend who thrives on conflict and hatred.
Benefit: Amon’s drive to push oneself against greater and greater foes fuels your fighting, and you gain a +2 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls made against creatures whose CR is at least 1 higher than your Hit Dice. For every two points beyond that that the creature’s CR exceeds your Hit Dice, this bonus increases by an additional +1 (to a maximum bonus of +5, for a creature whose CR is 7 higher than your Hit Dice).
Drawback: You are driven to recklessness, and suffer a -1 penalty to AC. This penalty increases to -2 if you are currently gaining a morale bonus to attack or damage.
Devotee of Bael (Devotion)
You are devoted to Bael, one of the kings among fiends, a creature consumed by a terrible, never-ending hunger and predatory desire.
Benefit: You are surrounded by an aura of majesty, a subtle gift from Bael that makes it difficult for others to refuse you. You gain a +4 bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in either of those skills, the bonus increases to +8. This bonus does not stack with the Persuasive feat.
Drawback: You must eat three times as much food as the average person in order to avoid starvation. Additionally, you can go for only 24 hours without food before you must begin making Constitution checks to avoid taking nonlethal damage, and must make such checks every two hours, rather than every day. Finally, you cannot benefit from a ring of sustenance or similar effects that remove the need for you to eat.