About Araton FalAraton Fal
Awful Presence (Su): Every non-evil creature within 30 ft. of an unholy creature automatically takes a –1 penalty on all attack rolls, checks, and saves. Awful presence is a mind-affecting fear effect. Mystery (Ancestor): Each oracle draws upon a divine mystery to grant her spells and powers. This mystery also grants additional class skills and other special abilities. This mystery can represent a devotion to one ideal, prayers to deities that support the concept, or a natural calling to champion a cause. For example, an oracle with the waves mystery might have been born at sea and found a natural calling to worship the gods of the oceans, rivers, and lakes, be they benign or malevolent. Regardless of its source, the mystery manifests in a number of ways as the oracle gains levels. An oracle must pick one mystery upon taking her first level of oracle. Once made, this choice cannot be changed. At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, an oracle learns an additional spell derived from her mystery. These spells are in addition to the number of spells given on Table: Oracle Spells Known. They cannot be exchanged for different spells at higher levels.
Oracle's Curse: Haunted (Ex): Each oracle is cursed, but this curse comes with a benefit as well as a hindrance. This choice is made at 1st level, and once made, it cannot be changed. The oracle’s curse cannot be removed or dispelled without the aid of a deity. An oracle’s curse is based on her oracle level plus one for every two levels or Hit Dice other than oracle. Each oracle must choose one of the following curses.
Revelations: At 1st level, 3rd level, and every four levels thereafter (7th, 11th, and so on), an oracle uncovers a new secret about her mystery that grants her powers and abilities. The oracle must select a revelation from the list of revelations available to her mystery (see FAQ at right). If a revelation is chosen at a later level, the oracle gains all of the abilities and bonuses granted by that revelation based on her current level. Unless otherwise noted, activating the power of a revelation is a standard action. Unless otherwise noted, the DC to save against these revelations is equal to 10 + 1/2 the oracle’s level + the oracle’s Charisma modifier.
Aura of Evil (Ex): The power of an antipaladin’s aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to his antipaladin level. A paladin who uses smite evil on an antipaladin deals 2 points of damage per paladin level on his first successful attack. Detect Good (Sp): At will, an antipaladin can use detect good, as the spell. An antipaladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single Item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is good, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the antipaladin does not detect good in any other object or individual within range. Smite Good 2/2 (Su): Once per day, an antipaladin can call out to the dark powers to crush the forces of good. As a swift action, the antipaladin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is good, the antipaladin adds his Charisma bonus (if any) on his attack rolls and adds his antipaladin level on all damage rolls made against the target of his smite. If the target of smite good is an outsider with the good subtype, a good-aligned dragon, or a good creature with levels of cleric or paladin, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the antipaladin possesses. Regardless of the target, smite good attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess. In addition, while smite good is in effect, the antipaladin gains a deflection bonus equal to his Charisma modifier (if any) to his AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the antipaladin targets a creature that is not good, the smite is wasted with no effect. The smite good effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the antipaladin rests and regains his uses of this ability. At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the antipaladin may smite good one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Antipaladin, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level. Unholy Resilience (Su): At 2nd level, an antipaladin gains a bonus equal to his Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws. Touch of Corruption (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, an antipaladin surrounds his hand with a fiendish flame, causing terrible wounds to open on those he touches. Each day he can use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 his antipaladin level + his Charisma modifier. As a touch attack, an antipaladin can cause 1d6 points of damage for every two antipaladin levels he possesses. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Alternatively, an antipaladin can use this power to heal undead creatures, restoring 1d6 hit points for every two levels the antipaladin possesses. This ability is modified by any feat, spell, or effect that specifically works with the lay on hands paladin class feature. For example, the Extra Lay On Hands feat grants an antipaladin 2 additional uses of the touch of corruption class feature. Aura of Cowardice (Su: At 3rd level, an antipaladin radiates a palpably daunting aura that causes all enemies within 10 feet to take a –4 penalty on saving throws against fear effects. Creatures that are normally immune to fear lose that immunity while within 10 feet of an antipaladin with this ability. This ability functions only while the antipaladin remains conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead. Plague Bearer (Ex): At 3rd level, the powers of darkness make an antipaladin a beacon of corruption and disease. An antipaladin does not take any damage or take any penalty from diseases. He can still contract diseases and spread them to others, but he is otherwise immune to their effects. Cruelty (Su): At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, an antipaladin can select one cruelty. Each cruelty adds an effect to the antipaladin’s touch of corruption ability. Whenever the antipaladin uses touch of corruption to deal damage to one target, the target also receives the additional effect from one of the cruelties possessed by the antipaladin. This choice is made when the touch is used. The target receives a Fortitude save to avoid this cruelty. If the save is successful, the target takes the damage as normal, but not the effects of the cruelty. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the antipaladin’s level + the antipaladin’s Charisma modifier.
Channel Negative Energy (Su): When an antipaladin reaches 4th level, he gains the supernatural ability to channel negative energy like a cleric. Using this ability consumes two uses of his touch of corruption ability. An antipaladin uses his level as his effective cleric level when channeling negative energy. This is a Charisma-based ability.
Background:
House Fal, a cadet branch of the once illustrious lineage of House Darius, had fallen into poor times after the Mitrans had taken control. Due to their allegiance to House Darius as well as their belief in religious freedom, House Fal has slowly but surely watched as their assets are seized by more enterprising and loyal houses to the crown. After a lethal birth of a sickly child and the head of the household's suicide, this decrepit house was left in the care of Araton Fal II; a child of weak constitution who no one expected would survive.
Taken advantage of by his councilors and regents, the young lord grew up within his sickbed. Trapped physically, he instead sought after knowledge from his family's library and, when all that interested him there had been read, from his family's personal records. It was within these dusty, ancient tomes that his fate would forever change into the darkness. Curious of his lineage and why the Fal family line had diverged from the main branch, Araton unwittingly released a spirit that was bound to the book of his family lineage. This spirit, an Asmodean who had died during the first Asmodean Purges, spoke the truth to Araton. His family line was that of devil-worshippers, those who sought power and knowledge from the fiends that inhabited the nine layers of Hell. In time, this spirit who called itself Rozas Fal and declared itself his ancestor, guided the young half-elf on his path of self-discovery. The strange colored eyes, his dark fingernails, they were not the signs of sickness but that of infernal heritage. A tiefling was what Araton was and these dark rituals would help him seize control of his life, his home, and his destiny. The Fal Estate became a hushed and whispered place, rumors of dark rituals and disappearing villagers spread among the townsfolk. Araton beseeched dark spirits to help reshape his body; growing strong and faster. His confidence grew and he reached out quietly to those who could help him grow in power. This would be his undoing. While Araton's means were secure, his eventual cohorts were not so subtle. The Inquisition came down harshly upon his home, killing his fellow worshippers and imprisoning the fallen lord. Unable to take part in the ritual that would grant him stamina and wholeness of body, the tiefling wept as his profane books and heritage were burned to ash. Rozas has gone silent as the last member of the noble blood of Fal was brought to Brandenscar prison, to await his day to burn on the pyre for his crimes of blasphemy. |
