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Although clerics are faithful servants of their divine patron by choice, others have less agency in their calling. Whether due to divine selection or simply the whims of fate, emissaries are thrust into the role of speaker for their deity whether they desire it or not. They wield great authority, but this power comes at the price of a grim curse—and yet they are unable to turn aside from their path, else greater misfortune befall them. Though they may live many years in the manner they wish, there will come a day when they must deliver a message to their deity’s intended audience.

The emissary is an archetype of the cleric class.

Class Skills

The emissary adds Bluff (Cha) and Intimidate (Cha) to her list of class skills but she loses Knowledge (nobility) (Int) and Knowledge (history) (Int), from her list of class skills.

Mysterium (Su)

Each emissary draws upon a divine mystery associated with a specific deity to grant her spells, special abilities, and domains. At 1st level, an emissary must serve as a mouthpiece for a specific deity, and so gains the benefits of its deific order; once made, this choice cannot be changed. The emissary may pick only one domain associated with her deific order, but where her deific order specifies Wisdom score for spellcasting, the emissary instead uses her Charisma score.

This ability modifies deific order.

Emissary’s Curse (Ex)

Each emissary 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 emissary’s curse cannot be removed or dispelled without the aid of a deity. An emissary’s curse is based on her emissary level plus one for every two levels or Hit Dice other than emissary. Each emissary must choose one of the following curses:

Aged

  • She became an emissary late in life, or perhaps she aged and grew wise at an unnatural rate.

  • She is a venerable member of her race. However, her physical abilities are affected as though she was old, rather than venerable.

  • At 5th level, her physical abilities are affected as though she was middle-aged, rather than old.

  • At 10th level, she is immune to magical and non-magical disease.

  • At 15th level, she will never die of old age and she is immune to death effects.

Branded

  • She has a visible scar on her forehead or arm that depicts a mystical symbol of some significance. She had no choice in the matter; the brand appeared with fire and searing pain.
  • Her brand cannot be disguised or altered, even with magic, although she can still benefit from cover or concealment, and she can cover it by wearing a hood or robe (as appropriate). Some NPCs may recognize the brand and become hostile, per the GM’s choice. As a supernatural ability, she can touch an enemy for 1d6 + (half of her cleric level) points of fire damage; any opponent who takes damage bears her symbol until an equal amount of damage is healed. Any branded opponent takes -2 to save versus her spells and spell-like abilities. She can perform this branding touch a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
  • At 5th level, she may add her Charisma modifier to her Fortitude saving throw bonus.
  • At 10th level, she gains fire resistance 5.
  • At 15th level, her fire resistance increases 10. The penalty branded opponents take increases to -4, and she may roll twice to overcome the SR of branded opponents.

Catatonic

  • She seemed lost in thought, responding slowly and unreliably to things happening around her. However, she sees things others don’t.
  • She has the staggered condition, and she suffers a -2 penalty to initiative. However, she is immune to confusion, and she receives a +1 insight bonus to AC and saving throws during surprise rounds or when she is unaware of an attack. Her insight bonus increases by +1 for every five cleric levels.
  • At 5th level, she can not be caught flat-footed, and does not lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if her opponent is invisible, although she can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. She can still be feinted.
  • At 10th level, spells she casts that normally have a casting time of 1 round can be cast as a standard action.
  • At 15th level, she becomes immune to mind-affecting and illusion effects.

Clouded Vision

  • Her eyes are obscured, making it difficult for her to see.

  • She cannot see anything beyond 30 feet, but she can see as if she had darkvision.

  • At 5th level, this distance increases to 60 feet.

  • At 10th level, she gains blindsense out to a range of 30 feet.

  • At 15th level, she gains blindsight out to a range of 15 feet.

Cold-Blooded Lizardfolk

  • Available only to bangaa.

  • Her blood turns sluggish without sufficient heat, and she must seek warmth and shelter earlier than most. This emissary curse is common among lizardfolk and other emissaries with the reptilian subtype. She takes a –4 penalty on saves against cold spells and effects, and whenever she fails such a saving throw, she is staggered for 1 round. She can survive without food four times longer than a typical creature of her species before she begins to starve.

  • At 5th level, poisons affecting her has their onset time doubled and last half as long if they end after a set time (for example, a poison with a frequency of 1/round for 6 rounds would instead have a frequency of 1/round for 3 rounds). Poisons with no onset time gain an onset time of 1 round.

  • At 10th level, whenever an action she has readied is triggered, she can take an additional move action at half her speed—along with her readied action—even if she has already taken a move action that round.

  • At 15th level, she can take an additional move action a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier. She can take these additional move actions only on her turn, and can take only one of these extra move actions per turn.

Consumed

  • Her connection to chaos has left her diminished but still able to scorn many mortal frailties.
  • Whenever she takes lethal hit point damage, she takes an additional number of points of nonlethal damage equal to half the lethal damage she took. She automatically stabilizes when brought below 0 hit points.
  • At 5th level, whenever she makes a saving throw against a disease or poison effect, roll twice and use the higher roll as her result.
  • At 10th level, she can go without food or water for a number of days equal to her cleric level before suffering any ill effects due to starvation or thirst.
  • At 15th level, whenever a creature within 30 feet takes damage while in combat, she automatically gains 1 temporary hit point. she can benefit from this ability a number of times per round equal to her Charisma modifier, and she can gain a total number of temporary hit points in this way equal to her cleric level. Temporary hit points gained this way disappear after 1 hour.

Covetous

  • She must wear fine non-magical clothing and jewelry worth at least 75 gil + 150 gil per cleric level she has beyond 1st. If she does not have sufficient wealth to purchase this additional equipment, she feels a strong desire (but are not compelled) to sell existing items or steal from others to obtain it. she is sickened whenever she does not meet this requirement; she is also sickened for 24 hours after anything worth 30 gil × her cleric level or more is taken from her against her will. Use Magic Device becomes a class skill for her.

  • At 5th level, she gains a +4 insight bonus on Appraise checks, Spellcraft checks to identify magic items, and Use Magic Device checks.
  • At 10th level, she adds summon mage’s robes to her list of spells known.
  • At 15th level, she adds half her cleric level to her CMD against steal combat maneuvers and to the DC of Sleight of Hand checks to take items from her.

Deaf

  • She cannot hear and suffers all of the usual penalties for being deafened. she casts all of her spells as if they were modified by the Silent Spell feat. This does not increase their level, MP cost, or casting time.

  • At 5th level, she receives a +3 competence bonus on Perception checks that do not rely upon hearing, and the initiative penalty for being deaf is reduced to –2.

  • At 10th level, she gains the scent ability and she does not suffer any penalty on initiative checks due to being deaf.

  • At 15th level, she gains tremorsense out to a range of 30 feet.

Demonic

  • Her heart is cursed with the pull of the Abyss.

  • She cannot cast spells with the good or lawful descriptors, nor can she summon good or lawful creatures. Good and lawful creatures instinctively distrust her, and she takes a –4 penalty on all Diplomacy checks against such creatures.

  • She gains a +2 bonus on all Bluff and Intimidate checks. Diplomacy is not a class skill for her, but Bluff or Intimidate (choose one) is.

  • At 5th level, she gains a +4 bonus to all saving throws against fear effects.

  • At 10th level, she gains immunity to poison.

  • At 15th level, any weapon she wields is treated as chaotic and evil for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Frenetic

  • She is frenetic and excited, never pausing.

  • She can never take “take 10” on a skill check, and she takes a -2 morale penalty when she “takes 20.” However, she rolls initiative twice, taking the better result.

  • At 5th level, she adds her Charisma modifier to her Reflex saving throws.

  • At 10th level, she gains the Wind Stance feat, even if she doesn’t qualify for the prerequisites.

  • At 15th level, she rolls initiative three times, instead of twice, taking the best result. She gains the Lightning Stance feat, even if she doesn’t qualify for the prerequisites.

Ghoul

  • While her actual dietary needs don’t change, she craves the flesh of sentient creatures.

  • She can only go without food for 12 hours before she begin to starve, and when she does starve, the DC of the Constitution check to avoid taking damage increases by 5. If she feeds on fresh, raw flesh (no older than 1 hour) from a creature of her own race, she gains a +1 morale bonus on all saving throws for 24 hours.

  • At 5th level, she adds ghoul touch to her list of 2nd-level spells known.

  • At 10th level, she becomes immune to paralysis and disease.

  • At 15th level, she gains the effects of summon feast whenever she feeds on the raw flesh of a sentient creature, and the effects of this summon feast doubles if the flesh she eat comes from a member of her own race (this effect applies no more often than once per day).

Hellbound

  • Infernal influence grants her profane insight and weighs on her soul.

  • She cannot cast spells with the good or chaotic descriptors, and she can’t summon good or chaotic creatures. Good and chaotic creatures instinctively distrust her, and she takes a –4 penalty on all Diplomacy checks against such creatures. She gains a +2 bonus on all Bluff and Intimidate checks.

  • At 5th level, she gains a +4 bonus to all saving throws against charm effects.

  • At 10th level, she gains immunity to fire.

  • At 15th level, any weapon she wields is treated as lawful and evil for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Hive

  • She was exposed at a young age (perhaps even before she was born) to the alien species known as the hive, but this exposure did not result in a full-blown infestation by these otherworldly monsters. Others (including animals) find the unsightly spines and rough growths that periodically emerge from her flesh to be disturbing and distracting.

  • She takes a –4 penalty on Bluff, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, and Ride checks. Once per day as a standard action, she can cough up an ovoid, leathery sphere that can be hurled as a flask of acid, though it becomes inert after 24 hours.
  • At 5th level, she gains the benefits of endure elements in hot environments and is immune to infestations. (save for those from the hive itself )
  • At 10th level, her skin deformities grow numerous enough to increase her natural armor bonus by 2.
  • At 15th level, she gains earth resistance 20.

Hunger

  • Ravenous hunger wracks her body in stressful situations. She gains none of the benefits from spells or magic items that provide nourishment, such as summon feast or a ring of sustenance. She also gains a bite attack that deals an amount of piercing damage appropriate for her size (1d8 for a Large creature, 1d6 for Medium, 1d4 for Small) as a secondary natural attack. She begins each combat with the sickened condition until she deals damage with her bite attack.

  • At 5th level, she gains the grab monster special ability on bite attacks against creatures smaller than herself.

  • At 10th level, her bite attack deals damage as if she was one size category larger.

  • At 15th level, she gains the blood drain monster special ability with her bite, dealing 1d2 points of Constitution damage at the end of a turn if she grapples a foe.

Infested

  • Her body is full of writhing parasites, which occasionally burst forth through her skin, mouth, and eyes. She tends to inspire repulsion, pity, and disgust in others.

  • She takes a -4 penalty on Charisma-based skill checks.
  • On the upside, she cannot be further infested by other parasites, being immune to parasitic infestations, implantation of eggs or organisms, or attachment by blood drinkers. Such attempts either assimilate into her existing parasites, doing no further harm, or are simply unsuccessful. She is immune to the attacks of rot grub swarms.
  • At 5th level, she is immune to the sickened condition.
  • At 10th level, she is immune to the nauseated condition.
  • At 15th level, as a standard action she can summon a grub swarm, which appears adjacent to her. The swarm will attack anyone (other than her) in its space but is otherwise stationary and does not pursue creatures. The swarm dissipates after one minute per cleric level, crawling into her body or withering into gore and slime. She may use this ability once per day.

Lame

  • One of her legs is permanently wounded, reducing her base land speed by 10 feet if her base speed is 30 feet or more. If her base speed is less than 30 feet, her speed is reduced by 5 feet. Her speed is never reduced due to encumbrance.

  • At 5th level, she is immune to the fatigued condition (but not exhaustion).
  • At 10th level, her speed is never reduced by armor.
  • At 15th level, she is immune to the exhausted condition.

Legalistic

  • The shackles of Hell impose savage consequences should she violate a covenant, but also imbue her with remarkable guile.

  • Whenever she breaks her word (either purposefully or unintentionally), she becomes sickened for 24 hours or until she meets her obligation, whichever comes first. However, once per day, she can make a vow to herself that grants a +4 morale bonus on any one roll she makes while trying to fulfill a promise made to another individual.

  • At 5th level, she gains a +3 competence bonus on Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks while talking to an individual one-on-one.

  • At 10th level, she can make a new saving throw each minute to resist mind-affecting effects as her subconscious searches for loopholes.

  • At 15th level, any creature that violates its freely given word to her takes a penalty to AC, to spell resistance, and on saving throws against her attacks and abilities equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1) for 24 hours.

Merciful

  • She is bound to offer tender aid to those who are most wounded.
  • If a non-enemy character who is adjacent asks her to heal them, or asks her for help and she can tell they have taken damage or drain or suffer from a disease or poison, she must help them on her next tum. If they have a condition or suffer from a poison or disease that she can neutralize or cure with any ability she possesses or any spell she can cast, she must do so as her next action. Otherwise, if they have taken any damage, she must cast a spell or use an ability that heals hit points. Also, she cannot perform a coup de grace. She gains the ability to lay on hands, as the holy knight ability, using her cleric level as her holy knight level.
  • At 5th level, she gains a blessing, as the holy knight ability.
  • At 10th level, she gains a second blessing, and can exchange her first blessing for a different one.
  • At 15th level, she gains a third blessing, and can exchange one of her existing blessings for a different one.

Powerless Prophecy

  • She is forewarned of danger but can’t act to prevent it. She gains uncanny dodge, as the thief class feature. However, she can’t take any actions in a surprise round, including free actions. In the absence of a surprise round, she is staggered for the entire first round of combat.

  • At 5th level, she gains a +4 insight bonus on initiative checks.
  • At 10th level, she gains improved uncanny dodge as the thief ability, using her cleric level as her thief level.
  • At 15th level, she gains a +4 insight bonus on all her saving throws and to her AC during surprise rounds and when she is otherwise unaware of an attack.

Putrid

  • Her presence stagnates water and befouls all liquids carried on her person, including magical items such as potions, and unattended sources of still water within 10 feet. Creatures who drink such a liquid are nauseated for 1 round (though potions and similar liquids still convey their usual benefits as well). Affected liquids remain stagnant for 1 hour after leaving her presence. Purify food and drink can cleanse a stagnant potion or water with a successful caster level check (DC = 15 + double the potion’s caster level).

  • At 5th level, she becomes immune to the nauseated effects created by liquids her presence has befouled.
  • At 10th level, her body is covered in noxious slime, and each creature adjacent to her at the beginning of its turn must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + half her cleric level + her Charisma modifier) or become sickened for 1 round.
  • At 15th level, her slime coating grants her DR 10/—.

Reclusive

  • She is reclusive and paranoid to the point that her allies cannot easily help her in times of stress or unease.

  • Whenever she is in combat, her allies must succeed at a melee touch attack to affect her with touch spells, and she must attempt saving throws to resist all spells cast by anyone other than herself, even those cast by allies. Instantaneous spells she casts only on herself affect her as though her caster level were 1 higher.
  • At 5th level, any spells she casts only on herself affect her as if they were modified by the Extend Spell feat. This does not increase their level, MP cost, or casting time.
  • At 10th level, she is immune to charm spells and spell-like abilities.
  • At 15th level, she gains spell resistance equal to 10 + her cleric level.

Sanguine

  • She is slow to recognize adversity or danger, although her optimism can be contagious.

  • She takes a -5 penalty to Perception checks to notice opponents or traps and to Sense Motive checks. She cannot be demoralized, and during surprise rounds and against traps, she gains a +1 luck bonus to AC and saving throws. Her luck bonus increases by +1 every five cleric levels.

  • At 5th level, she gains lay on hands, using her cleric level as her holy knight level..

  • At 10th level, when her wounds would normally make her unconscious, she becomes staggered and remains conscious for one round.

  • At 15th level, she gains immunity to compulsion spells and spell-like abilities. Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against compulsion effects. This ability functions only while she is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead.

Tongues

  • In times of stress or unease, she speaks in tongues.

  • Pick one of the following languages: Aquan, Auran, Auroran, Enochian, Ignan, Terran, Thorian, or Umbran.
  • Whenever she is in combat, she can only speak and understand the selected language. This does not interfere with spellcasting, but it does apply to spells that are language dependent. She gains the selected language as a bonus language.
  • At 5th level, pick an additional language to speak in combat and add it to her list of known languages.
  • At 10th level, she can understand any spoken language, as if under the effects of tongues, even during combat.
  • At 15th level, she can speak and understand any language, but her speech is still restricted during combat.

Waking Dreamer

  • She is drowsy and afflicted by fleeting hallucinations.

  • She takes a -5 to Perception checks and take a -2 penalty to save versus illusions. However, she is immune to sleep effects.

  • At 5th level, she adds sleep and hypnotism to her spells known.

  • At 10th level, she adds dream to her spells known.

  • At 15th level, she adds project image to her spells known.

Wasting

  • Her body is slowly rotting away.

  • She takes a –4 penalty on Charisma-based skill checks, except for Intimidate. She gains a +4 competence bonus on saves made against disease.
  • At 5th level, she is immune to the sickened condition (but not nauseated).
  • At 10th level, she gains immunity to disease.
  • At 15th level, she is immune to the nauseated condition.

Wolf-scarred Face

  • Her face is deformed, as though she was born with a wolf’s muzzle instead of an ordinary nose and jaw. Many mistake her for a werewolf, and in areas plagued by lycanthropes, she must take pains to hide her face.

  • She has a severe speech impediment, and any spells she casts with a verbal component have a 20% chance of failing, wasting her action but not expending the MP. She gains a natural bite attack that deals 1d4 points of damage if she is a Medium creature or 1d3 points of damage if she is Small.

  • At 5th level, she adds magic fang to her list of known spells and her bite damage increases to 1d6 if she is Medium or 1d4 if she is Small.

  • At 10th level, the damage dealt by her bite attack increases to 1d8 if she is Medium or 1d6 if she is Small.

  • At 15th level, she adds greater magic fang to her list of known spells and the damage dealt by her bite attack increases to 2d6 if she is Medium or 1d8 if she is Small.

Wrecker

  • The destructive power of the Abyss and its teeming hordes of demons seeps from her very pores and into her belongings and surroundings.
  • Held objects gain the broken condition when she uses or equips them but regains their actual condition if employed by anyone else. If a held item is restored to unbroken condition, it becomes broken again the following round. Disable Device becomes a class skill for her and she can make Disable Device checks to destroy non-magical traps as a move action without the need to use tools or take any action beyond simply touching it.
  • At 5th level, whenever she attempts to damage an object with a melee attack, reduce its hardness by an amount equal to her cleric level before determining the damage she deals with that attack.
  • At 10th level, any attacks she makes against objects and constructs automatically bypass any damage reduction they may possess except epic.
  • At 15th level, whenever she is dealt damage by an attack with a manufactured weapon, she can require the weapon’s wielder to make a Reflex save (DC 10 + half her cleric level + her Charisma modifier) to avoid having the weapon collapse into dust immediately after striking her (magical weapons receive an additional saving throw against this effect).

This ability replaces faith, divine combat, divine spellcasting, and devotion.

Speaker for the Gods (Su)

At 4th level, the divine call becomes truly audible to the emissary’s ear for the first time, and she grows able to convey the weight of its authority in mortal tongues. The emissary adds half her cleric level to all Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Linguistics checks.

At 7th level, a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier, the emissary may share divine words of encouragement or rebuke as she wishes. All allies within 30 feet gain a +2 sacred or profane bonus (depending on whether the cleric channels holy or shadow energy) to Will saves and to AC, with an additional 5 foot range and +1 to Will saves for every four cleric levels beyond 7th (up to a maximum of 45 feet and +5); the total bonuses of any fellow devotees of the emissary’s deity are doubled, to a maximum of 5 + the emissary’s Charisma modifier. These bonuses persist for a number of rounds equal to the emissary’s Charisma modifier. Enemies within range, in contrast, take a corresponding penalty to their Will saves for the same duration. After making her pronouncement, the emissary is fatigued for 1d4 rounds.

At 17th level, the emissary may now speak confidently with the full authority of her deity. Once per day, when issuing a pronouncement as above, allies also gain the emissary’s Charisma modifier as a sacred or profane bonus to their attack rolls, skill checks, or ability checks for one round. Enemies, however, must make a Will save (before the penalty above takes effect) with a DC of 10 + half the cleric’s level + her Charisma modifier; failure results in the Staggered condition for 1d4+1 rounds. If an affected target was already Staggered, it becomes Shaken; likewise, if it was Shaken, it becomes Frightened; if it was Frightened, it becomes Panicked. Additionally, the emissary no longer becomes fatigued when making pronouncements.

This ability replaces blessing of the faithful, prayer, and true channeler.

Emissary