Grave Cleric, Variant (3.5e Class)

Grave Cleric

Unlike their more contemporary counterparts, Grave Clerics have forgone the typical spread of divine magical studies. Choosing instead to focus solely on understanding the very forces and nature of Death itself. Therefore, they do not have access to a typical domain of spells. Instead they wield a variety of necromantic spell-like abilities.

Making a Grave Cleric

Abilities: The Grave Cleric's primary attribute is Wisdom, with Dexterity and Constitution being of secondary import for survivability.

Races: Any.

Religion: Typically followers of deities of death, such as Wee Jas or The Raven Queen. Evil aligned ones may fall to worshiping gods of murder such as Bhaal.

Alignment: Normally neutral aligned, but evil works also.

Starting Gold: 4d6×10 gp.

Starting Age: "Moderate"

Table: The Grave Cleric

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Turn/Rebuke Undead, Call of the Grave, Grasping Grave, Return thy Blood
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	DeathWatch, Death Knell
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Call of the Grave, Path to the Grave
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Speak with Dead, Return thy Blood
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Eyes of the Grave
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Call of the Grave, Gravekeeper's Vigilance
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Grasping Grave
8th	+6/1	+6	+2	+6	Return thy Blood
9th	+6/1	+6	+3	+6	Call of the Grave
10th	+7/2	+7	+3	+7	Spare the Dying
11th	+8/3	+7	+3	+7	Gift of The Grave
12th	+9/4	+8	+4	+8	Call of the Grave, Return thy Blood
13th	+9/4	+8	+4	+8
14th	+10/5	+9	+4	+9	Grasping Grave
15th	+11/6/1	+9	+5	+9	Call of the Grave
16th	+12/7/2	+10	+5	+10	Return thy Blood
17th	+12/7/2	+10	+5	+10
18th	+13/8/3	+11	+6	+11a	Call of the Grave
19th	+14/9/4	+11	+6	+11
20th	+15/10/5	+12	+6	+12	Return thy Blood, Shepard of Souls
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Grave Cleric. For any determining saves related to these, the Wisdom stat is used as the casting stat. While not acually appropriate for spell-like abilities, If a spell level determination is needed, They are considered to be the same as corresponding spells if applicable. Where not applicable, see ability description.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: All Simple Weapons, and light armor.

Languages: Grave Clerics begin play knowing any automaic racial languages, and bonus languages as appropriate. They also have a unique language known only to their order called Gravetoungue. The oldest and most revered tomes of the Grave Clerics are written in this ancient, near dead, language.

Turn/Rebuke Undead - As Cleric except in that the Grave Cleric's Wisdom modifier is used in place of Charisma, Cleric levels equal Grave Cleric Levels

*NOTE, while not listed individually, all the abilities following are Spell-like Abilities (Sp), not subject to counterspell. But,are otherwise affected normally by magic such as Dispel, or Anti-Magic Field. Caster Level of Grave Cleric abilities is equal to class level.

Call of the Grave -At 1st level, Concentration, with an attack action a stationary cloud of fog rises from the earth and covers a 30 ft domed area around the Grave Cleric, obscuring vision for all creatures within except the user. Dead in the area are animated under their control, up to a number equal to the Grave Cleric's Wisdom modifier, provided there is sufficient supply. They are not restricted to the space the fog exists in after creation, although if slain outside the boundry of the fog they turn to dust and are unable to be reanimated. They do not suffer vision obscurement from the fog either. As long as concentration is maintained, as an action, if any of the Grave Cleric's undead have fallen or the maximum was not intially animated, they may animate more dead who are within the fog, up to the prior established max. Control lasts until the user loses or drops concentration, and when the control ends the dead revert back to simple corpses. It is considered a 1st level spell for any intents and purposes. At 3rd level and every 3 levels there after the Grave Cleric's Call of the Grave ability lasts an aditional round after concentration, they can cumulatively enhance the animated, increasing HD by 1, and Strength by 2, and spell level is considered 1 higher, to a max of 6 rounds, +6 HD,+12 Strength, and 7th level spell.

Grasping Grave -At 1st level, as an attack action, skeletal hands burst forth from the ground at a target within a range of 60 feet and whom the Grave Cleric can see, grasping the legs and attempting grapple. If successful, they begin dragging the target into the earth at the beginning of the Grave Cleric's subsequent turns. The Hands have a bonus to grapple equal to the Grave Cleric's class level + Wisdom modifier, and an additional +2 per section the opponent is pulled into the ground. Ankels to knees, knees to waist, waist to chest, chest to head, and finally the opponent submerges into the ground. If the opponent wins a grapple at any point after the initial check, they struggle slightly free and go back one section. For any necessary intents and purposes, it is considered a 2nd level spell. At 7th level the grapple bonus per section becomes +3 and may target 1 additional creature as well as being considered a 4th level spell, at 14th level, it becomes +5 being able to target 2 additional creatures and is considered 6th level. Only a number of Grasping Grave castings equal to half the Grave Cleric's Wisdom modifier, rounded down, may be active at once. Subsequent castings replace the oldest current active cast.

Return thy Blood - At 1st level, considered a 1st level spell for intents and purposes as needed. A Grave Cleric can heal creatures who are near enough their own blood, by returning it to their bodies. Using an attack action, They can heal 1d10 + Wisdom modifier to a creature within 5ft feet of a minimum of 1oz of the creature's own blood. They can use this ability 1/ day + Wisdom modifier. This ability increases to 2d10 + Wisdom modifier at and spell level is considered one higher fourth and an additional d10 and spell level at every 4 levels after, to a max of 6d10 + Wisdom modifier at 20th level and 6th level spell..

Deathwatch - Once at 2nd level, As spell of Cleric equal to Grave Cleric Levels - at will

Deathknell -Once at 2nd level, As spell of Cleric equal to Grave Cleric Levels - at will

Path to the Grave -Beginning at 3rd level, as an attack action you may curse one creature within 60 ft and that the Grave Cleric can see, the next attack roll that successfully strikes that creature is automatically a critical hit. Considered 3rd level spell for intents and purposes.

Speak with Dead - Upon reaching 4th level, As spell of Cleric equal to Grave Cleric Levels - at will

Eyes of the Grave - A Grave Cleric of 5th level or higher knows how hearty their opponents and allies are. When using Deathwatch, they now know the number of HD for any creature they can see within 30 feet of them. They can also tell if the creature is below half its total hp.Considered 4th level spell for intents and purposes.

Gravekeeper's Vigilance - A Grave Cleric of 6th level and up can use their Reaction (AoO) to negate a critical hit upon any creature within 30 ft of the cleric, the attack follows as normal, but is no longer considered a critical strike. Considered 5th level spell for intents and purposes.

Spare the Dying -Starting At 10th level, when a creature within 30 feet would fall below 0 hp, the Grave Cleric may expend their reaction to reinforce the soul and instantly stabalize the creature, returning it to 1 hp. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal the the Grave Clerics wisdom modifier. Considered 6th level spell for intents and purposes.

Gift of the Grave - Beginning at 11th level, A Grave Cleric can expend a reaction to borrow from the exponentially increased lifeforce that is generated by the souls of the dying during their transition. Any creatures who die during this round within 30 feet of them produce a Soul Ember that the Gravy Cleric then automatically absorbs. They can then use an action to use this excess energy harvested from the dead to bolster or heal themselves or their allies. A Grave cleric can hold a number of Soul Embers equal to their Grave Cleric Level, halved (rounding up), and they can be held onto for 14 days maximum. Each function expends 1 ember on use. Considered 6th level spell for intents and purposes.

Soul Ember functions;

Soulforging - the bolstered individual gains bonuses to 1 stat equivilent to the spells of ; (Bull's Strength, Bear's Endurance, Cat's Grace, Fox's Cunning, Owl's Wisdom, and Eagle's Splendor) and functions identically, with the spells CL equal to the Grave Cleric's class level , this ability increases to 2 stats at 15th level, the same stat may be selected twice, though a creature may be affected by no more than one Soulforging at a time. Subsequent Soulforgings will replace the current.

Dead's Respite - The Grave cleric can use the ember to heal a wounded individual, healing 10 hp per Grave Cleric class level, as per the Heal spell, functioning identically, to a max of 150 hp at 15th level

Shepard of Souls - At 20th Level the Grave Cleric's understanding of death has reached untold heights. They can now add their wisdom modifier to the calculated max number of held Soul Embers, and may retain them for 1 year. They can also further assist their allies with the embers;

Now, considered 8th level spell for intents and purposes.

When using Soulforging, in addition to the previous stat boosts, the target creature recieves the benefits of the spell Heroes Feast with the caster level equal to the Grave Clerics class levels. The benefits of the Stat boost also last the duration of Heroes Feast.

When using Dead's Respite, the Grave Cleric can instead choose to replicate the effects of Greater Restoration instead of the Heal spell.

New function;

Memento Mori- Finally, if the Grave Cleric posseses a Soul Ember that was generated by a specific creature, they may use that Ember to replicate the effects of the spell Resurection on THAT specific creature. If there is no appropriate ember in possesion, Raise Dead is instead useable with no such ember restriction. This particular facet of the ability may only be used a number of times per day equal to the Grave Cleric's Wisdom modifier, halved and rounded up.

• Request from creator, please do not edit. In use, please create own variant.

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