Hellknight Signifer - Catechesis

[Worldbuilder]

I really like the new hellknight Signifier Class, but I'm slightly confused how one of his best abilities works:

All right all, question about the hell knight Catechesis Special ability - for reference

Catechesis:

If a Hellknight signifer has the Warrior Priest feat, his Hellknight signifer level stacks with other divine spellcasting classes for determining the effects of those classes' domain powers, inquisitions, and mysteries. This doesn't grant any new powers or abilities. In addition, a signifer with the Warrior Priest feat gains Alignment Channel (chaos) as a bonus feat, and treats his Hellknight signifer levels as cleric levels when determining the amount of damage chaotic outsiders are either healed or dealt, and when determining their saving throw DCs to halve this damage.

So, I have a few questions:

1) Do you gain the level 8 domain abilities at level 8, or does it only advance the domain abilities you already have?

2) Would you continue to gain Mysteries - or do you only get the 2 - assuming you pick it up at level 6?

I was thinking of doing a cleric with it, but as I reread the class it seemed that you may only advance the abilities you've already unlocked, which means An oracle is actually better for me (I could take it at 8th, and have 3 good revelations) rather than 9th (to have the domain abilities unlocked.) Thanks.

[Worldbuilder]

bumping

[Victor Zajic]

you wouldn't get the new level 8 power and you would never get any mysteries, as it doesn't mention them.

[Rhasuel]

Indeed, this only boosts the domain abilities/ mysteries you have prior to taking the class.

[Worldbuilder]

Thanks, that's what I suspected.

[Matt Goodall]

There's got to be a 'cost' for prestige classes, and a cleric going into Hellknight Signifier doesn't really give up that much to get in. If a cleric got to get new domain powers, then the only cost would be the that channeling wouldn't increase.

[The World Is Square]

Just to clarify: If I already possess a Mystery that grants new abilities at certain Oracle levels, would my Hellknight Signifier levels unlock them as well?

For example, the Maneuver Mastery revelation grants a string of feats for Oracles. Let's say I get up my to Oracle to level six with this Mystery, then take a level in Hellknight Signifier. Would I gain the improved combat maneuver feat?

Maneuver Mastery (Ex): Select one type of combat maneuver. When performing the selected maneuver, you treat your oracle level as your base attack bonus when determining your CMB. At 7th level, you gain the Improved feat (such as Improved Trip) that grants you a bonus when performing that maneuver. At 11th level, you gain the Greater feat (such as Greater Trip) that grants you a bonus when performing that maneuver. You do not need to meet the prerequisites to receive these feats.

I guess my confusion is with the assertion that your Mysteries level up with your Hellknight Signifier class, but you don't gain new abilities. It seems a little contradictory... or perhaps the wording just muddles me up a bit.

[Victor Zajic]

Your current mysteries would get addition abilities or uses of abilities as if you had leveled up in oracle.

My Chelish Cleric is planing on going cleric 8 before Signifier, to maximize his domain abilities. More channel negative dice too.

[Matt Goodall]

Catechesis (Ex) If a Hellknight signifer has the Warrior Priest feat, his Hellknight signifer level stacks with other divine spellcasting classes for determining the effects of those classes' domain powers, inquisitions, and mysteries. This doesn't grant any new powers or abilities. In addition, a signifer with the Warrior Priest feat gains Alignment Channel (chaos) as a bonus feat, and treats his Hellknight signifer levels as cleric levels when determining the amount of damage chaotic outsiders are either healed or dealt, and when determining their saving throw DCs to halve this damage.

I should have written this a little cleaner. My intention was to make it a choice for a cleric or oracle to have to decide between. I would say you wouldn't get the 7th level Improved feat as this seems to me to be a new power not an increase on an existing one. The 'treat your oracle level as BAB for CMB' ability would increase though.

All that said, if your GM reads it differently and is cool with you getting the 7th level bonus feat, go for it.

I guess I could have not put in the sentence about levels of the PrC stacking, but I wanted to help clerics and oracles not have their domain abilities and mysteries stagnate when they become sigifiers.

[Seranov]

It looks fine to me, it specifically says effects of the qualifying class' class features. So it obviously would not give you new Domain powers or Revelations, simply make the ones you already have better.

I really like the concept of this PrC, but I never get high enough or into campaigns where the Hellknights show up. A shame!

[Giventhar]

Sorry to dig this up.

I'm asking myself if catechesis would stack with warpriest blessings.

It's not metioned, but the reason could be that warpriest came out after Hellknights.

[avr]

You're right about the reason Giventhar, but that doesn't change the fact it's not written to work with blessings. Ask your GM if you want to make it work anyway.