The sundered are those who fall under the view of Zodiark, the dark god that waits at the heart of creation. Though they and many of his faithful or enthralled servants were sundered, the dark spark of their true selves remain, and they can be awoken to this power. By controlling an ancient form of magic, they can weave their will into reality.
The sundered is a deific order of the cleric class.
Limit Breaks (Su)
At 1st level, the sundered receives the Limit Breaks (Embody Shadow and Sea of Pitch).
Embody Shadow (Su): This Limit Break allows the sundered to convert his flesh to darkness, gaining the incorporeal subtype for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four cleric levels after 1st. This limit break only requires a swift action.
Sea of Pitch (Su): This Limit Break allows the sundered to create a tear in space and time, rending the void open to consume all. The sundered chooses a point within 60 feet. At that point, a dark abyss opens up with a 20-ft.-radius, plus 5 feet per four cleric levels after 1st. This abyss lasts for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four cleric levels after 1st. Enemies who start his turn in the abyss must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half of the cleric’s level + his Charisma modifier) or be pulled 10 feet towards the center, plus 5 feet per four cleric levels after 1st. If pulled into or adjacent to the center, he take shadow damage equal to the sundered’s Charisma modifier.
Spells
A sundered casts illusionist spells which are drawn from the illusionist spell list.
To learn or cast an illusionist spell, the sundered must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Wis 11 for 1st-level spells, Wis 12 for 2nd-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a sundered’s spell is 10 + the spell level + his Wisdom modifier. In addition, a sundered gains additional MP for having a high attribute (Wisdom). All illusionist spells learned by the sundered uses his Wisdom modifier instead of Charisma for all spells’ effects.
Class Skills
A sundered adds Bluff (Cha) to his list of class skills. In addition, he gains a bonus on Knowledge (Planes) skill checks equal to half his cleric level (minimum 1).
Favored Weapon
A sundered adds power staffs to his list of weapon proficiencies.
Domains
A sundered gains access to two of the following domains: Darkness, Chaos, Destruction, Death, Void.
Deity Abilities
A sundered gains the following abilities from his deity as he increases in level.
Dark Prognostication (Su)
At 1st level, the sundered is awoken to his true nature. By tapping into the darkness of the beginning of all things, the sundered can twist that into power and form. The sundered adds the Dark line of spells (Dark I-IV, Darkra, and Darkga) to spells available to be added to his spell list.
Umbral Step (Su)
At 3rd level, up to 3 times per day, plus an additional time per day for every three cleric levels after 3rd, the sundered may, as a standard action, step through the dark. The sundered enters the Shadow plane, and returns at the beginning of his next turn. The sundered may only move at half speed within the Shadow plane. If struck by an attack, the sundered may spend 2 uses of this ability as an immediate action to reduce the damage taken by half. If used in this way, the sundered may take his move action (at half speed) before returning on his next turn.
Cognizant Creation (Su)
At 6th level, as a free action while casting an illusion spell of 1st level or higher, a sundered can, up to a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier, at any time on his turn during that spell’s duration, choose one inanimate, non-magical object that is part of the illusion to become real. He must be able to take actions to do so, and the object remains real until the end of his next turn. The object he chooses can be of any size within the spell’s area of effect (so, he can create an illusion of a bridge over a chasm and then make it real long enough for his allies to cross). The object cannot deal damage or otherwise directly harm another creature in any way.
The True Epithet (Su)
At 9th level, the sundered learns of his true purpose, and is able to call to himself his true name, drawing power from it. Once per day, when initiative is rolled, he may activate his name, which lasts until the combat is over, 1 minute has passed, or the sundered falls unconscious. His name appears as a visible red glyph that floats above his face, unique to every sundered. When the sundered gains this ability, he chooses the nature of his glyph:
- Creator: The sundered increases his caster level by 1 and his spell DC by 1 when casting illusion spells.
- Explorer: The sundered gains Blindsense (30 feet) and Telepathy (60 feet), and may pass knowledge from this sight to allies within this range without words or gestures.
- Healer: The sundered may cast Dark spells on allies to heal them. This does not work on a living creature that has dealt Holy damage in the current combat.
- Protector: The sundered grants allies within 30 feet DR 2/- and Holy/Shadow Resistance 5, which doesn’t stack with all other sources of DR and ER.
- Scholar: The sundered may choose one of the elements (except Holy) and convert dark spells to that element.
- Warrior: The sundered gains 2 natural claw attacks for a creature of the sundered’s size (1d4 medium, 1d3 small) that deal an additional 1d6 shadow damage each, and use the sundered’s Charisma modifier for attack and damage rolls.
Universal Manipulation (Su)
At 12th level, usable a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier, when the sundered casts an Illusion spell of 1st level or higher, he may apply one of the following effects:
- Reality Assertion: When anyone rolls to perceive the illusion, he suffers the unlucky status effect.
- Reverberation: One target within 60 feet of the sundered takes 1d6 shadow damage for each level of the spell as the world seems to warp around them. A successful Will save (using the DC of the spell) reduces the damage by half. In either case, the effect does not do anything to tip off the target to the illusion.
- Spark Revelation: When anyone rolls to perceive the illusion, if they fail, they gain the Frightened status for 1 round + the sundered’s Charisma modifier.
Passage of Darkness (Su)
At 15th level, the sundered may use 2 uses of Umbral Step while not in combat to step a large distance, as the time mage spell, Dimension Door, or 4 uses of Umbral Step for Bend Space and Time. The sundered may spend an additional 2 uses of Umbral Step to roll twice on the d100 for the spell. The sundered may also spend 8 uses of Umbral Step while not in combat to pass between planes, as the time mage spell, Plane Shift.
Ascendant Darkness (Su)
At 18th level, when an ally within 30 feet strikes with an attack, the sundered may take an immediate action to add 4d8 Shadow damage to the attack. If any of these dice rolls maximum, the sundered may choose one of the following effects:
- The sundered gains another swift action on his next turn (this may be used to take another immediate action).
- The sundered rolls 1d4 and regains that much MP.
- The sundered heals himself by an amount equal to the damage dealt by this ability.
The sundered may only use this ability 3 times per day. If the sundered is in a holy site of Zodiark or a place of sufficiently deep darkness, the use of this ability is unlimited, but he may only choose each effect up to 2 times before his next turn.
Ephemeral Shadow (Su)
At 20th level, the sundered has truly realized the sundered nature of the world and his god, and within this, himself. Once per day, if the sundered dies, unless killed by a weapon of Auracite, Crystal, or some other special material (as defined by the dungeon master) after taking Holy damage within 2 rounds, his body immediately resurrects as the arise spell. The sundered has an innate sense of the vague direction of the creature or object that slayed them, lasting for a number of months equal to his Charisma modifier. Additionally, the sundered may use The True Epithet twice in a day.
