Hallowed Vessel (3.5e Prestige Class)

A hallowed vessel is a priest dedicated to the occult who consecrates his body with the symbolism of vestigial powers. By doing so, he transforms himself into the perfect conduit for their otherworldly power courtesy of pact magic. The strength of these pacts work both ways; the vestiges get to experience the world of the living more vividly than they do through other binders, and thus are more eager to accept the vessels pacts. This deeper intimacy is the key to the hallowed vessels abilities.

While tattooing is the art used by more civilized hallowed vessels, other forms of body modification are certainly possible. The scarification favored by barbarian berserkers and the many piercings of the masochistic tribesmen of the jungle lands are but two examples. Feel free to work with your Dungeon Master in order to invent an interesting cultural background for your hallowed vessel.

Becoming a Hallowed Vessel

Entry Requirements

Skills:	Craft (Alchemy) 5 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 8 ranks
Feats:	Improved Binding.
Special:	You must possess the Soul Guardian class feature and be able to cast 2nd level divine spells.

Table: The Hallowed Vessel

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Soul Binding, Tattoo Sigil	+1 level in existing divine spellcasting class
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Soul Guardian	+1 level in existing divine spellcasting class
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Potent Sigils, Vestige Expulsion	+1 level in existing divine spellcasting class
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	--	+1 level in existing divine spellcasting class
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Fast Ability, Perfect Pact	+1 level in existing divine spellcasting class
Class Skills: Autohypnosis, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Forgery, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge (any, taken individually), Listen, Perform, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, and Use Magic Device Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int modifier per level

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: You gain proficiency with all simple weapons and with light and medium armor, but not with shields.

Spellcasting: When a new hallowed vessel level is gained, you gain new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever divine spellcasting class you possessed before he added the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one divine spellcasting class in which you could cast spells before you became a hallowed vessel, you must decide to which class you add each level of hallowed vessel for the purpose of determining spells per day, spells known, and caster level.

Soul Binding: At each hallowed vessel level, your soul binding ability improves as if you had also gained a level in the binder class. Thus, your hallowed vessel levels and binder levels stack for the purpose of determining your bonus on binding checks, the effectiveness of your vestige-granted abilities, your ability to bind higher-level vestiges, and the number of vestiges you can bind. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a binder would have gained, such as bonus feats of pact augmentations.

Tattoo Sigil (Ex): For each hallowed vessel level you gain, choose one vestige you can currently make a pact with. Using your skill in alchemy, you create a special ink (costing 100gp per level of the vestige) that you can use to tattoo the vestige's sigil into your flesh. The process takes approximately one hour per level of the vestige. At the end of this time, make a binding check (you may take 10 or 20 on this check, though it increases the time it takes to tattoo the sigil as per the standard rules) using a DC equal to the vestige's standard DC +10. If successful, from that point forward you can bind that vestige as a move-equivalent action without needing to draw their sigil. This increases to a swift action if you have the Rapid Pactmaking feat. Each tattoo you possess also grants you a +1 bonus on any future binding tests you make regardless of vestige.

Only a limited wish or wish spell can erase a tattoo once it has been successfully scribed. If such measures are taken, you may choose to tattoo another sigil in its place using the same process detailed above.

Soul Guardian (Su): As a hallowed vessel, the pacts you make create a strong bond with your vestiges, allowing you to become even more resistant to outside influence. Add your effective binder level together with your hallowed class levels to determine the strength of your soul guardian class feature. This increased effectiveness only applies when you are bound to at least one vestige with which you have had their sigil tattooed. When not bound to such a vestige, your soul guardian class feature is based solely on your binder class levels.

Potent Sigils (Su): For every tattooed sigil you possess, you gain a +1 bonus to the DC of any supernatural abilities granted by your vestiges.

Vestige Expulsion (Ex): Once per day per hallowed vessel level, you may freely expel any vestige you possess as long as it is not one for which you have tattooed their sigil. This requires an immediate action and a standard binding check. If you fail, the attempt counts against your normal daily limit and may not attempt to expel another vestige for 5 rounds. The strength of their bond to the hallowed vessel makes tattooed vestiges immune to this ability (but not the Expel Vestige feat).

Failure to expel a vestige in this manner results in 1d6 points of non-lethal damage per level of the vestige, and the hallowed vessel must make a Fortitude save (DC equal to the vestige's binding DC) or be shaken for 1d4 round.

Fast Ability (Su): While bound to any vestige who's sigil you have been tattooed with, you wait one round less between uses of their granted abilities.

Perfect Pact (Su): When binding a vestige who's sigil you have been tattooed with, it is always considered a good pact for all purposes except influence. A binding check is still required, however, with a successful check protecting you from their influence. Additionally, an illusion of the vestige no longer appears unless you desire it, and you are not forced to bargain with it in order to forge a bond.

Finally, you may bind one additional vestige above your normal limit, but at least one of your vestiges must be one with whom you have a sigil tattooed. If you attempt to expel such a vestige while over your normal limit and you are not bound to any other tattooed vestige, you must make an immediate Fortitude check with a DC equal to the most powerful vestige you are currently bound to. Failure indicates that you suffer 1d6 points of non-lethal damage per level of the vestige expelled and are dazed for 1d4 rounds.

Class-Specific Feats

Extra Tattooed Sigil [General]
You may tattoo an additional sigil onto your flesh with which to bind vestiges.
Prerequisite: Tattoo Sigil class feature.
Benefit: Using the same process you use to tattoo sigils onto yourself, you may tattoo one additional sigil for any vestige you can bind upon taking this feat.
Normal: You are limited to a number of tattooed sigils equal to your class level as a hallowed vessel.

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