Reaper

The Garleans’ forebears were once humble farmers who made their home among the sun-drenched fields of southern Ilsabard. That was, until they were driven from this paradise by invaders wielding arcane magicks. Forced from their home, the survivors sought a means to tap into the reservoir of aether otherwise closed to them. A daring few found their answer within the void, binding themselves to its creatures to gain power. This power is fed by the souls of the slain. They once more took up their scythes with their void avatar partners, but this time, to reap a crimson harvest.

The reaper is an archetype of the dark knight class.

Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The reaper mainly focuses on STR for martial combat and CHA for his class features.

Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Weapon and Armor Proficiency, Limit Break (Living Dead), Harm Touch, Grit Stance. 2nd – Abyssal Arts, Dark Pool. 3rd – Shared Offense, Defile.  4th – Aura of Obedience, Spells. 9th – Last Resort. 11th – Aura of Cowardice. 13th – Aura of Crushing Despair. 14th – Dark Emissary. 15th – Shadow Wall. 16th – Enervating Touch. 17th – Aura of Quietus. 19th – Aura of Rage. 20th – Dark Champion.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

The reaper is proficient with all simple weapons and the scythe and with all armor (light, medium, and heavy) but not with any shields.

This ability modifies the dark knight’s starting weapon and armor proficiencies.

Limit Break (Su)

At 1st level, the reaper receives the Limit Break (Arcane Circle).

Arcane Circle (Su): This Limit Break causes any attacks the reaper makes that successfully hits to heal him. For the duration of 1 round + 1 round per four dark knight levels after 1st, the reaper heals for 1d6 points of damage + an additional 1d6 points of damage per four dark knight levels after 1st whenever the reaper makes a successful attack. Each successful attack deals additional damage equal to the amount healed. This limit break requires only a swift action.

This ability replaces the Limit Break (Living Dead).

Stamina Pool (Ex)

At 1st level, the reaper gains a reservoir of stamina that he can draw upon to fuel his talents that he gains below. This stamina pool has a number of points equal to half his dark knight level + his Constitution modifier (minimum 1). The pool refreshes once per day when the reaper rests for a full 8 hours. Sustained modes take up a static amount of stamina points from the reaper’s current and maximum stamina pool and most sustained modes stack.

Some talents are activated as a sustained mode. When activated, these talents both consume stamina and reduce the user’s maximum stamina by the listed amount. While active, they provide their listed bonuses until the user deactivates them as a free action, falls unconscious, or dies, at which point the reduction to the user’s maximum stamina is removed. Multiple sustained mode talents may be used at the same time as long as the user has enough stamina, though some talents may specify others that they cannot be used with.

By spending 1 stamina point as a swift action, the reaper can do one of the following:

• Increase his speed by 10 feet for 1 round, or
• Delay and suppress his fatigue or exhaustion for 1 round, or
• Increase one saving throw by +1 for 1 round.

This ability replaces harm touch and dark pool.

Scythe Mastery (Ex)

At 1st level, a reaper gains mastery with a scythe. He gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls with a scythe he wields. The bonus improves by +1 for every four dark knight levels beyond 1st.

This ability replaces grit stance and aura of obedience.

Lemurian Discipline (Su)

The reaper gains access to the reaping and shroud talent trees from below. At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, the reaper may choose to learn one talent from below. Weapon Requirement: A manufactured scythe.

Reaping Talent Tree

• Slice: At a cost of 1 stamina point, as a standard action, the reaper can strike at his opponent with devastating force. The reaper deals double weapon damage and may add double his Strength bonus on the damage roll.
• Waxing Slice: Slice also inflicts Dimmed status unless the target makes a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + half of the dark knight’s level + his Charisma modifier) for 1 round. Prerequisite: Slice.
• Infernal Slice: At a cost of 3 stamina points, as a free action, Slice now can be used as a full-attack action, making a number of attacks he’s entitled to with a full attack. Prerequisites: Slice, Waxing Slice.
• Spinning Scythe: At a cost of 2 stamina points, as a full-round action, the reaper can strike all enemies within his reach. The reaper makes a separate attack roll for each enemy at his highest base attack bonus, dealing double weapon damage and may add double his Strength bonus on the damage roll. Prerequisite: Slice.
• Nightmare Scythe: Spinning Scythe now costs 2 extra stamina points. It deals triple weapon damage and gains an additional 5-ft. of reach. Prerequisites: Slice, Spinning Scythe.
• Death’s Design: At a cost of 1 stamina point, as a swift action, the reaper can mark an enemy he can see. Until the end of the encounter, or the marked enemy is killed, the reaper deals 1d6 precision damage on successful attacks against the marked target.
• Whorl of Death: Death’s Design may mark as many enemies he can see, costing 1 stamina point per target. Prerequisite: Death’s Design.
• Soulsow: Once per round, while the reaper has Darkside active and successfully deals damage to an enemy marked by Death’s Design, he heals an amount of hit points equal to his damage bonus from Darkside. Prerequisite: Death’s Design.
• Harvest Moon: Once per round, when the reaper deals damage with Soul Eater against an enemy marked by Death’s Design, he heals for half the shadow damage dealt. Prerequisites: Death’s Design, Soulsow.
• Plentiful Harvest: As a swift action, the reaper may activate this talent as a sustained mode. Whenever the reaper would deal shadow damage from any source while Darkside is active, he heals for half the shadow damage dealt, except for the damage of Soul Eater. This mode uses up 2 stamina points of the reaper’s current and maximum stamina pool. Prerequisites: Death’s Design, Soulsow, Harvest Moon.

Shroud Talent Tree

• Tempered Soul: As long as the reaper has at least 1 stamina point in his stamina pool, he gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls plus an additional +1 per 5 stamina points in his stamina pool.
• Avatar’s Strength: As long as the reaper has at least 1 stamina point in his stamina pool, he may use Strength in place of Dexterity for ranged touch attacks. Prerequisite: Tempered Soul.
• Enhanced Avatar: Tempered Soul now also grants a +1 bonus on damage rolls plus an additional +1 per 5 stamina points in his stamina pool. Prerequisite: Tempered Soul.
• Enshroud: As a swift action, the reaper may activate this talent as a sustained mode. He can treat any damage he deals as shadow damage. This mode uses up 1 stamina point of the reaper’s current and maximum stamina pool. Prerequisites: Tempered Soul, Avatar’s Strength.
• Blood Stalk: At a cost of 2 stamina points, as a standard action, the reaper can summon his void avatar to strike. The reaper makes a melee touch attack with his scythe to deal double weapon damage as shadow damage.
• Gluttony: Blood Stalk now makes two melee touch attacks and in addition is able to double his Strength bonus on the damage roll.  Prerequisite: Blood Stalk.
• Communio: As long as the reaper has at least 1 stamina point in his stamina pool and he is not at full health, his attacks grow stronger. Whenever the reaper would damage an enemy, he may treat his scythe as having the vicious weapon special ability, even if the weapon does not have an enhancement bonus. Prerequisites: Blood Stalk, Gluttony.
• Cross Reaping: At a cost of 2 stamina points, as a free action, Blood Stalk now can be used as a full-attack action, making a number of attacks he’s entitled to with a full attack. Prerequisites: Blood Stalk, Gluttony.
• Void Reaping: As long as the reaper has at least 1 stamina point in his stamina pool, each time he kills an enemy, his void avatar is replenished. The reaper gains 1 stamina point for every enemy death. Prerequisites: Blood Stalk, Gluttony.
• Lemure’s Slice: As a swift action, the reaper may activate this talent as a sustained mode. The critical hit range of his scythe is increased by 1. This stacks with Improved Critical and similar abilities and is calculated before all other modifiers. This mode uses up 2 stamina points of the reaper’s current and maximum stamina pool. Prerequisites: Blood Stalk, Gluttony, Cross Reaping, Void Reaping.

This ability replaces abyssal arts.

Bloodbath (Su)

Starting at 3rd level, whenever the reaper would take hit point damage from his class features, he regains 1 stamina point. This cannot restore his stamina pool above 1/3rd of its current maximum (i.e. accounting for the reduction caused by active sustained modes).

At 11th level this limit is increased to instead be no more than 1/2 of his current maximum stamina pool.

This ability replaces shared offense and aura of cowardice.

Harpe (Su)

Beginning at 3rd level, a reaper can call upon his void avatar to unleash an attack on an enemy. This is a ranged touch attack with a 30-ft. range that deals 1d6 shadow damage for every three dark knight levels he possesses. A reaper can use this ability a number of times equal to half his dark knight level + his Charisma modifier. A reaper may also choose to expend uses of the harpe ability instead of uses of the harm touch ability for things such as items, class features, etc.

This ability replaces defile, dark emissary, and enervating touch.

Hell’s Stride (Su)

At 4th level, as a move action, the reaper can spend 1 stamina to instantaneously teleport to any other spot within 25 ft. + 5 ft. per two dark knight levels. If the spot the reaper chooses is within line of sight, he arrives there unerringly. If the destination is not in line of sight, he must be able to visualize the spot or state the direction and distance to it, but the stride has a 25% chance of a mishap, and he cannot take any further actions until his next turn. No matter what the reaper’s destination is, he can transport only himself and a maximum of 100 lbs. (or his maximum load, whichever is less) of objects he carries or touches. The reaper cannot transport any creature except for their familiar, an animal companion, or cohort of up to Tiny size (whose weight counts against his load limit). If the reaper suffers a mishap or arrives in a place already occupied by a solid body, he and any creatures with him take 1d6 points of damage and are shunted to the closest random open space on a suitable surface of the intended location.

At 8th level, this ability can function as Dimension Door instead.

At 10th level, the reaper can spend 2 stamina to create a “Hellgate,” a small hole in reality that collapses at the end of the next round when using Hell’s Stride. While the Hellgate is open, the reaper can, as a free action, return to the position of the gate.

At 14th level, the reaper can create a stable Hellgate by spending 3 stamina as a full-round action . This portal is magical and can be dispelled with the reaper’s level at time of creation as his caster level. The portal can be hidden from view without removing its usability, including painting over the portal in question. Once placed, the reaper can use it like a temporary gate once per day, returning to it. This effect transports him any distance within a plane but cannot travel between planes. He can transport, in addition to himself, any objects he carries, as long as his weight doesn’t exceed his maximum load. A reaper can maintain one of those gates at a time; if a new gate is created in a new location, the previous gate stops existing.

At 16th level, the reaper adjusts to long-form teleportation. He may also bring one additional willing Medium or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) or its equivalent per three dark knight levels. A Large creature counts as two Medium creatures, a Huge creature counts as two Large creatures, and so forth. All creatures to be transported must be in contact with one another, and at least one of those creatures must be in contact with the reaper. Exceeding this limit causes the teleport to fail.

This ability replaces spells and MP Pool. Reapers do not gain any spells or spellcasting ability, do not have a caster level, and do not count as having a dark knight spell list for spell trigger or spell completion magic items.

Soul Scythe (Su)

Starting at 9th level, a reaper is able to cleave into a target’s very being to bring out their life force. The reaper can activate this as a free action before an attack is made, and if the attack hits, it is a confirmed critical hit. The reaper may use this ability once per day at 9th level and an additional time per day at 14th and 19th level.

This ability replaces last resort, shadow wall, and aura of rage.

Lemurian Shroud (Su)

At 13th level, the reaper’s worn armor may be treated as having the dread spikes armor special ability, even if it does not have an enhancement bonus. At 17th level, his armor can also be treated as having the umbral spikes armor special ability.

This ability replaces aura of crushing despair and aura of quietus.

Grim Reaping (Su)

At 20th level, the reaper becomes a conduit for the abyss. When he uses a lemurian discipline to damage a creature, he deals the maximum amount possible.

This ability replaces dark champion.