Hey you guys, I put together a new class that borrows heavily from Final Fantasy 4 and whatnot, and I just wanted to see what you thought about it, balance, flavor, mechanics and whatnot. Thanks for your opinions!
Dark Knight
Solitude, in body and in soul. Pain, mental and physical. Power, transcending all limitations. These are the traits of the Dark Knight, a warrior who knows suffering as if it were a part of himself. In combat, he is feared by any with concern for their lives and those who want to live to see the next day submit to him, for his exceptional fighting ability is enhanced with a force that is incomprehensible to most beings. Away from battle, he knows nothing but a stoic formality. The Dark Knight is a merciless warrior who does not know fear. He has been trained since birth in the ways of warfare, and equals or excels most other warriors. He is also incredibly resilient to pain, even more resilient than the hardiest fighter. His might is enhanced by a special ability unknown to many. The Dark Knight does not fear the sight of his own blood, and he can literally destroy a part of his life for increased strength against his foes. This power takes many forms and increase in magnitude as the Dark Knight grows in experience. Becoming a Dark Knight is a tortuous process. One must either be raised by birth to be one, or have such a miserable existence he can override his natural aversion to pain. The training involves undergoing arduous acts of endurance, and there almost always needs to be a master to train a Dark Knight, for no man can willingly put himself through such pain. In his training, which may last years, the Dark Knight is subject to torture in any form, for only after enduring this torture may he know the power of sacrificing his body and soul to become the most fearsome warrior of all. Only a being with human blood can walk the bloody path of the Dark Knight. The blood of any other race simply lacks a property that gives the Dark Knight's powers true strength. An elf's blood is too everlasting to be spent in such a way, a dwarf's blood too plain, an orc's blood too unrefined, whatever the reasons, only human blood can fully tap the potential of the path of the Dark Knight.
Alignment: dark knights are almost always lawful, but they can be of any alignment.
Hit Die: d12
Starting Wealth: 5d6 x 10 gp (average 175gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.
Class Skills
Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Int Modifier.
Class Features
The following are the class features of the Dark Knight
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: a Dark Knight is proficient in all simple and martial weapons. They are also proficient with light, medium, and heavy armor, plus all shields (except tower shields).
Souleater: a dark knight, as a swift action, imbue his weapon with the Vicious magical weapon ability until the beginning of his next turn. He gains a bonus to the damage caused and taken by the Vicious ability effect equal to half his dark knight level per damage die, rounded down (minimum 1), while using this ability. He can stop using this ability as a free action.
Endurance and Diehard: a dark knight gains the Endurance and Diehard feats as bonus feats at 1st level, even if he does not qualify for them.
Osmose: as a melee touch attack, a dark knight of 2nd level or higher can absorb life from the subject of the attack. He can do this a number of times per day equal to 1/2 his level (rounded down) plus his Wisdom modifier. The attack deals 1d6 damage for every two levels the dark knight possesses. The dark knight gains the damage he dealt as hit points. In addition, a dark knight can transfer life to a target with a touch, restoring hit points instead of taking them, but he takes damage equal to the number of hit points restored.
Dark Will: at 2nd level, a dark knight adds his Wisdom modifier to all of his saves, even applying it again to his will save.
Fearless: at 3rd level, a dark knight becomes immune to fear (magical or otherwise).
Painless: at 3rd level, a dark knight becomes immune to pain effects (magical or otherwise). He still feels pain, but it is not enough to affect him in combat
Soul Burn: when the dark knight reaches 4th level, he can sacrifice hit points to deal damage to all enemies near him as a standard action. He can sacrifice a number of hit points up to his HD to this ability. If he does, he deals damage equal to twice the amount of hit points sacrificed to all enemies within 30 ft. of him, will save for half damage (DC 10+1/2 level+Wis mod).
Damage Reduction: at 4th level, the dark knight’s willpower grants him the ability to reduce the damage he takes. The bonus granted by this ability is halved for the purpose of using his powers that require the sacrifice of hit points. The damage reduced by this ability does not change the amount the dark knight paid for his abilities, only the damage he takes from them. At 8th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the bonus to DR increases by 2.
Doom: at 5th level, as a swift action, a dark knight can designate an enemy, dooming it to oblivion. If the dark knight strikes the enemy with an attack in the same round he uses this ability, 1 round later the enemy takes 1d6+1 damage for every point of the dark knight’s Wisdom modifier. He can use this ability once per day, and one additional time per day at 10th level and every 5 levels thereafter.
Tireless: at 6th level, a dark knight becomes immune to sleep, fatigue, and exhaustion effects, but he still needs to sleep or he will be affected by fatigue penalties, as normal. In addition, the dark knight only needs to sleep for half the time a normal human needs to benefit from a full night’s sleep.
Shadow Armor: when the dark knight reaches 7th level, he can sacrifice hit points to gain a deflection bonus to his AC. For every 3 hit points sacrificed this way, he gains a +1 armor bonus to his AC for a number of rounds equal to his Wisdom modifier. Manifesting this power is a swift action. He can sacrifice a number of hit points up to his total HD when using this ability.
Dark Wave: as a standard action, a dark knight of 8th level or higher can manifest his dark power into a wave of pure destruction. By sacrificing hit points, a dark knight can unleash dark energy in a 5 ft. wide and 60 ft. long line, dealing 3 damage per hit point sacrificed, reflex save for half damage (DC 10+1/2 level+WIs modifier). He can sacrifice up to a number of hit points equal to his total HD. He can do this a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom modifier.
Resolve: a dark knight of 9th level or higher is immune to charm spells and spell-like abilities.
Repository of Pain: at 10th level, a dark knight can store some of the pain he endures as energy in an item, most commonly a ring or amulet, which must be chosen when this ability is gained. For every 5 hit points he loses, he stores 1 hit point in his chosen item. As a free action, when the dark knight attacks, he can unleash all the energy from his pain repository onto his opponent, dealing 2 damage per point of energy he has stored. Alternatively, he can use the energy, as a swift action, to heal himself a number of hit points equal to twice the amount of points in the artifact. He can also heal an ally with this ability as a move action. A repository cannot store more hit points than the dark knight has HD. If a dark knight’s repository is lost or destroyed, he can make a new one by getting a new medium to use, and meditating with it for a full day. At 17th level, the amount of damage needed to store a point in the repository becomes 3.
Defy Death: at 11th level, the dark knight becomes a truly terrifying force to be reckoned with. He gains the Deathless Initiate and Deathless Master feats if he does not already have them. If he does, he can choose a combat feat in place of the one (or ones) he already has. In addition, the dark knight adds his Wisdom score to his Constitution score when determining when he would die from hit point loss
Dark Vengeance: when the dark knight reaches 12th level, he can strike back at those who attack him. As an immediate action, a dark knight makes himself flat-footed for a single round. If he does, he can make attacks of opportunity against any enemy that attacks him while in his threat range. He can make a number of AoO this way up to his Wisdom modifier. They still count against his AoO in a round. The dark knight can use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom modifier.
Improved Toughness: at 13th level, the dark knight gains 1 hit point per HD plus his Constitution modifier immediately upon leveling up. These bonus hit points do not affect the ones gained from leveling up normally.
Seal Fate: at 14th level, whenever a dark knight confirms a critical, he gains half the damage he does as hit points. This does not affect how much damage he does with the critical hit.
Angel of Death: when the knight reaches 15th level, he grows a pair of black-feathered wings, granting him a fly speed of 60 ft. with average maneuverability. Also, the maximum armor check penalty on his fly checks becomes -4, he cannot have a higher penalty on his fly checks from his armor than that.
Aura of the Shadowmind: when the dark knight reaches 16th level he becomes immune to compulsion spells and spell like abilities. In addition, he gains a permanent +2 deflection bonus to his AC. Lastly, the dark knight becomes immune to damage caused by negative energy.
Scourge: a dark knight of 17th level can cause his enemies to be struck by various conditions. By spending one full round summoning up his power, he can inflict the cowered, panicked, and blinded conditions upon all his enemies within 30 ft. For each enemy affected, the dark knight takes 1d10 damage. Upon using this power, each enemy within range must immediately make three Will saves. What happens to them is as follows below.
No save is successful: The creature is cowered, panicked, and blinded for 3 rounds, then panicked and blinded for 2 rounds, and then blinded for 1 round.
1 save is made: The creature is panicked and blinded for 2 rounds, then blinded for 1 round.
2 saves are made: The creature is blinded for 1 round.
All saves are made: no effect.
*a creature with more hit dice than the dark knight cannot be affected by this ability.
Dark Regeneration: at 18th level, a dark knight’s body has been put through so much pain that it has learned how to heal itself at exceptional rates, granting him fast healing 5.
Scathe: at 19th level, the dark knight’s Dark Pulse ability becomes a truly magnificent force of death, it’s sheer power cutting a scar into the earth. The width of the ability is increased to 15 ft, the length increases to 120 ft, and the damage increases to 5 damage per hit point spent. In addition, this ability ignores evasion and improved evasion.
Avatar of Darkness: at 20th level, the dark knight gains the ability to become darkness incarnate. While in this form, he does not need to pay for his abilities with hit points and when he uses them, he is considered to have paid the maximum amount possible. Also, his speed is doubled and his size increases by one step. The area of effect on his powers is also doubled. He can be in this form for a number of rounds per day equal to his Wisdom modifier, which need not be consecutive. It is a full-round action to change to this form, which does not count against the rounds per day allowed by it. It is a swift action to stop using this ability.
