Ruler of Souls (3.5e Class)
Ruler of Souls
A melee class with the supernatural ability to mimic a few abilities of beings.
Making a Ruler of Souls
Its strength and greatest asset is versatility.
Abilities: Primary: Dexterity or Strength for damage. Secondary: Intelligence (Some abilities use this) and Constitution (if 'tanking').
Races: Humanoids Only.
Alignment: Any Chaotic or Neutral.
Starting Gold: 3d10x10 Gold Pieces.
Starting Age: As Ranger.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | The Weakening | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Power of Dominance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Arms Mastery: Weapon Focus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Arms Mastery: Weapon Specialization | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +6 | Arms Mastery: Greater Weapon Focus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th | +10/+5 | +7 | +7 | +7 | Detect Soul, Greater Dominance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11th | +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +7 | +7 | Arms Critical Attack | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12th | +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +8 | +8 | Arms Mastery: Greater Weapon Specialization | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13th | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +8 | +8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14th | +14/+9/+4 | +9 | +9 | +9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15th | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +9 | +9 | The Ruler's Command | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16th | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +10 | +10 | +10 | Seals of Darkness | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +10 | +10 | +10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +11 | +11 | +11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19th | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +11 | +11 | +11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20th | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +12 | +12 | +12 | True Power of Dominance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Ruler of souls is proficient with only Light Armor, all simple and martial weapons. No shields, tower shields or bucklers.
The Weakening (Ex): The powers at work within the Ruler of Souls have yet to manifest themselves in any significant way in terms of usefulness. They do over time get stronger however as the powers within require there to be a balance. Each weakness is the opposite of your second alignment (Good/Evil/Neutral), so if you are good, negative energies are your vulnerability and vice versa. If you are neutral or true neutral you pick which will be your weakness. These are influenced from all forms of energies, such as effects that may stun you, negative levels, energy drains, positive/negative energy from healing/inflicting spells, ect;
- 1st Level: Energy influences that are your weakness cause you to be nauseated for two rounds or if in an area of effect it lasts two rounds after you exit.
- 2nd Level: You are no longer nauseated by energy influences, but your weakness has increased. You now take double the effects from energies of your weakness.
- 10th Level: You maintain your double effects weakness, and in addition you become sickened for the duration of the effects afflicting you for a minimum of one round. (A Sickened character takes -2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.)
- 20th Level: If you are killed by a weapon made of your weakness (Silver for Evil, Cold Iron for good), or by the energy of your weakness, you are unable to be brought back to life except by a Wish or True Resurrection spell cast by someone of the same secondary alignment as you. IE, Good/Neutral/Evil.
The Power of Dominance (Ex): Your powers as a Ruler of Souls have finally awakened completely and now show themselves as their true power. You now possess the ability to absorb the soul of a being that has died within the last 24 hours and use one of its unique qualities it had in life for yourself. Doing this takes one standard action.
You may only have a number of souls at a time of each type equal to your Ruler of Souls level plus your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 soul per level). You may take the souls only if the creature has died within 24 hours, and you must roll to see if you successfully absorb it. Roll 1d20+Int Mod, and if you are level 10 or higher you may also add your total Ruler of Souls levels. If you roll equal to or higher then the being's total number of hit dice, you successfully absorb its soul and you select one of its traits for it's soul to grant you when you have it prepared. The ability granted by the soul is constant or at will depending on the ability in question. You may select the following from a soul when you absorb the soul (providing it has it available):
- -Ability Scores: The ability score replaces your own while in use. These are always passive souls.
- -Extraordinary Abilities
- -Movement Speeds: You grow appendages as necessary.
- -Natural Armor
- -Natural Attacks: You grow appendages as needed.
- -Racial Abilities/Anatomy: Such as camouflaging fur you may get from a Leopard.
- -Spells: You select one spell the soul has access to, and may only cast it as many times per day as the soul's owner could.
- -Spell-Like Abilities You select one if they have more then one and may only cast it as many times per day as the soul's owner could.
- -Supernatural Abilities
- -Traits: You may select an entire trait or subtype from a soul and apply it to yourself, but you may only have one of these in use at any one time.
You may only have one soul from each type of creature, so you may not have two hydra souls. Additionally, you cannot have two souls that do the same thing such as having both a troll and hydra soul that grant regeneration. Souls do not grant feats, skills (unless specified by an ability, such as a +8 Racial Bonus for a particular form of new movement such as a Swim Speed for growing fins), hit die, items, size bonuses (unless by shape change or similar abilities), or game breaking powers such as a terrasque's unique ability to always be able to regenerate back to life no matter how dead they were. You may not have two souls of the same being even if they do different abilities such as the wings from a dragon and another granting the dragon's breath weapon.
You may only have one type of soul prepared at a time, and they can only be changed with 8 hours of rest as a wizard would change their spells. You may release a soul (if you are good) or destroy a soul (if you are evil) at any given time as a standard action, but you will not be able to reclaim that specific soul ever again. However, the act of doing so also makes a lasting impression in the world around you. If you are Good, then the soul you release will heal you or one touched target for 1d8 per two Ruler of Souls levels plus your Intelligence Modifier. If you are Evil, this will instead cause you or one touched creature 1d8 damage per two Ruler of Souls levels plus your Intelligence Modifier. No saving throw, not subject to spell resistance or immunity unless under order of a wish spell. If you are neutral, you may perform either, but it may only effect you. You may only benefit from this damage or healing a number of times per day equal to your Ruler of Souls level plus your Int modifier. The damage and healing is counted as positive or negative, respectively in line with your alignment.
If the ability of the soul you are using is limited to the number of uses per day, conditions, grants any weaknesses, or other forms of drawbacks, you also gain those drawbacks. There are two types of souls and they are as follows:
- -Active Souls: Active Souls are the souls take from creatures that grant you abilities that are on-use only. Such things may include offensive spell-like abilities, bite attacks, extra attacks, breath weapons, change shape, ect.
- -Passive Souls: Passive Souls are the souls taken from creatures that provide passive or defensive benefits such as ability score increases, natural ac, regeneration, ect. While having this soul equipped you also know any languages the creature had in life and any memories (although these memories do not grant any additional benefits).
- Notes: This class feature cannot be disabled by anything that can normally disable extraordinary abilities. Permanency also does not work with any features or abilities gained through these souls. Souls may be granted through Wish or Unlimited Wish
- If you fail to absorb a soul, if you are in the presence of the soul at the end of 24 hours from your attempt, you may try once more. If you fail this second time, you are unable to obtain that soul.
Arms Mastery: Not solely relying on the power of their souls, a Ruler of Souls spends time training in martial combat of their choice. You get the feats Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Focus, and Greater Weapon Specialization at the corresponding levels. They must all be for the same weapon, and this cannot be changed. This class feature also does not grant you the ability to qualify for the same feat at other levels.
Arms Critical Mastery (Ex): A Ruler of Souls channels the innate powers within themselves to greater levels of potential then most can do. This feature grants the Ruler of Souls an improved threat range on any weapon they use. This may only stack with the Improved Critical feat.
Detect Soul (Su): At 10th level, now being in tune with the flow of souls for such a time, the Ruler of Souls can now sense any and all creatures who have a soul, by sensing and tracking that soul itself, as each soul is unique. This includes undead if the soul is enslaved or being used for power, living constructs, living beings, half-constructs, ect; This acts detection wise as the spell Detect Life. Use the Ruler of Souls level you possess to calculate the spell.
Greater Dominance (Ex): At 10th level, you have gained superior control over souls and may have either two passive souls or two active souls in use at once (meaning two passives and one active, or two actives and one passive). The choice must be made at the start of the day when souls are prepared. At 20th level, this becomes even greater allowing for two of each, but never any more in use at once regardless of the source. Unlike the other abilities of this class, this class feature takes place when your ECL is level 10, however to be able to use four souls at once you must still have 20 levels taken in this class.
The Ruler's Command (Su): At 15th level the Ruler of Soul's command over other souls by themselves has grown substantially. If the Ruler of Souls is Good, they may once a week perform a ritual. This ritual acts as the spell True Resurrection, resurrecting a creature whose proper material they have (like a part of the creature deceased) or using their soul. Example, if the Ruler had absorbed the soul of a level 6 human paladin, they could use this ritual to resurrect said paladin. If the Ruler of Souls is Evil, it acts as the spell Create Undead, usable once per week. If the Ruler of Souls is Neutral, they pick which of the two they will be able to do. The choice can not be undone. Does not require the gold cost or other material components (other then the soul or part of the creature) because of the week long wait between uses. Treat your total Ruler of Souls levels as your caster level for either spell.
For purposes of either spell, if a restriction is incurred regarding to whether the creature died of natural causes or not, ignore it and the creature is resurrected at the youngest possible age for their race/class combination.
Seals of Darkness At 16th level, with greater mastery of their powers, the Ruler of Souls has learned to use souls to unlock their own hidden potential in two ways:
- Passage of Movement (Su): The Ruler of Souls may use Dimensional Door as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to their Intelligence modifier.
- Ancient Knowledge: Having worked with the souls of the fallen for so long and gained some understanding of their powers, they add their Ruler of Souls class level as a bonus to Use Magic Device, and any Knowledge checks they already have ranks in.
True Power of Dominance (Ex): Having fully mastered their command over their souls they possess, a Ruler of Souls can as a Standard Action change souls once per day (though she may still rest and change as many times as desired with each rest). In addition, as a price for having gained such power and control over a normally forbidden art, the Ruler of Souls becomes a magical creature. They are forever more treated as an Outsider (of matching to their alignment) rather then as a humanoid (or whatever their creature type was before) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the Ruler of Souls gains damage reduction 10/Silver if they are evil or damage reduction 10/Cold Iron if they are good. Unlike other outsiders a Ruler of Souls may be brought back from the dead as if she were a member of her previous creature type unless they were slain by their weakness as explained in "The Weakening" class feature.
Campaign Information
Playing a Ruler of Souls
Religion: No particular mindset, but some have been known to go crazy from the power of ruling souls and begin to believe they are gods themselves.
Other Classes: Most other classes, would assume until its explained that they are just a unique fighter/wizard combination. Any reactions caused by the class explaining itself to another is usually based on alignment. Paladins and most monks will usually treat a Ruler of Souls with great distrust or even dislike.
Combat: In combat the role of a Ruler of Souls is not defined due to their adaptability through the souls they can absorb and use. However, most stick to dealing melee damage or ranged.
Ruler of Souls in the World
| “ | If the greatest victory is stirring the hearts and souls of your people, then imagine the power you have if you can control that. | ” |
| —Cruz, Human Ruler of Souls | ||
A Ruler of Souls is typically someone who wants power. Seeks out a specific goal in a world based on ideals, weather it be a world or land where he is supreme controller, or a land free of all, fit for chaos, or even as a liberator of the people. When one shows up, it often signals a great change will happen, or one has already happened and they are probably the cause of it.
Organizations: While they do not have their own specific group or cult, many Rulers of Souls have been known to act under the command of Death itself, or sometimes deities depending on what needs to be done as being in control of souls you are uniquely attuned to that wavelength of power and energy just as other similar beings are.
NPC Reactions: An average NPC will not have knowledge of a Ruler of Souls or how they work and treat them as they would a fighter, paladin, wizard, or mix there of. If explained, most will treat them with confusion or distrust. Mostly only the more intelligent NPCs will know anything such as wizards or higher ranking clerics or paladins and the like. If the class is expalined to an NPC, oppositely aligned NPCs will dislike or distrust this class on principle alone. However, like-minded NPCs will agree and usually start off neutral.
Ruler of Souls Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Arcana, Religion, or Local (covering legends) can research Rulers of Souls to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 15 | A Ruler of Souls is someone who through either a dark or good gift, can control the souls of their fallen foes. |
| 20 | A Ruler of Soul can absorb the soul of a foe, making them no longer able to resurrect without a deities' influence, and in the process gain the powers of the soul's original owner. |
| 25 | A Ruler of Souls has different levels of weakness varying on how strong they are and their alignment. |
| 30 | Specific information available by choice. |
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