Necropolis Survivalist
![Necropolis Survivalist]
When the kingdom of the Uchun fell to undead hordes, not all were able to escape, nor did all who remained succumb to the undead advance. Those who did stay, however, were forced to adapt, to become survivalists par excellance.
Role: Perfectly at home in the darkness, the necropolis survivalist capitalizes on stealth and attacks blessed to harass their undead and evil outsider opponents. The necropolis survivalist focuses on surprise, their heightened underground senses, and poison to take down unwary foes.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: D10.
Starting Wealth: 4d6 × 10 GP (average 140 GP.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 GP or less.
Class Skills
The Undead Survivalist’s class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Weapon) (Int), Handle Animal(Cha), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (Planar)(Int), Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Profession (Wis), Ride(Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival(Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier
Table: Necropolis Survivalist
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Blessed Water |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Macabre Expertise |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Armor Training, Undead Tracking |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Quick and Deadly, Makeshift Bone Plating |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Extempore Martialist, Extempore Survivalist |
| 6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Macabre Expertise |
| 7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Extempore Martialist, Advanced Armor Training |
| 8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +2 | +2 | Exanimate Ambuscade, Makeshift Boneplating |
| 9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Greater Blessed Water |
| 10th | +10/+5 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Macabre Expertise, Exanimate Ambuscade |
| 11th | +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Armor Training, Extempore Martialist |
| 12th | +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +4 | +4 | Exanimate Ambuscade, Makeshift Boneplating |
| 13th | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +4 | +4 | |
| 14th | +14/+9/+4 | +9 | +4 | +4 | Macabre Expertise, Exanimate Ambuscade |
| 15th | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +5 | +5 | Armor Training, Extempore Martialist |
| 16th | +16/+11/+6 | +10 | +5 | +5 | Exanimate Ambuscade, Makeshift Boneplating |
| 17th | +17/+12/+7 | +10 | +5 | +5 | |
| 18th | +18/+13/+8 | +11 | +6 | +6 | Macabre Expertise, Exanimate Ambuscade |
| 19th | +19/+14/+9 | +11 | +6 | +6 | Extempore Martialist |
| 20th | +20/+15/+10 | +12 | +6 | +6 | Extempore Martial Mastery (Ex), Exanimate Ambuscade, Makeshift Boneplating |
Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A necropolis survivalist is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light and medium armor and shields (including tower shields). Additionally, they are proficient with Uchun thumbows.
Blessed Water (Su)
At 1st level, the necropolis survivalist gains the ability to bless a flask of water as per the bless water spell (as a standard) and can then bless their arrows, bolts or melee weapon with the flask as a swift action. A hit by such an attack deals an additional 2d4 points of holy damage to an undead creature or an evil outsider. If the attack misses, the use of the blessing is wasted. The blessing lasts for one minute (10 rounds).
Macabre Expertise (Ex)
At 2nd level, a necropolis survivalist gains a +2 bonus on Stealth checks made when blessing water, loading a bow or crossbow, poisoning or blessing ammunition, and making sniping attempts. This bonus increases by +2 for every four levels beyond 2nd. Additionally, with a pinch of powdered silver and a muttered incantation, any flask of water they bless is considered to grant hide from undead as per the spell to any creature who sprinkles it upon themselves. This additionally works against evil outsiders. Use the necropolis survivalist’s character level as the caster level. Finally, the necropolis survivalist gains a +2 when identifying undead and evil outsiders with knowledge religion checks.
Makeshift Bone Plating (Ex)
At 4th level, the necropolis survivalist learns to fashion a plates of bone harvested from undead kills, granting DR 1 for 2 successful hits from an enemy. This ability scales to DR 2 for 4 successful hits from an enemy at level 8, DR 3 for 6 successful hits at level 12, DR 4 for 8 successful hits at level 16, and DR 5 for 10 successful hits at level 20. Harvesting and fashioning the bone plates requires five rounds. This plate does not count as armor, as it gives no benefit or detriment to AC or dex, but is rather worn over the necropolis survivalist’s armor.
Medium Armor Training (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, a necropolis survivalist learns to be more maneuverable while wearing armor. Whenever he is wearing armor, he reduces the armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by his armor by 1. Every four levels thereafter (7th, 11th, and 15th), these bonuses increase by +1 each time, to a maximum –4 reduction of the armor check penalty and a +4 increase of the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed.
In addition, a necropolis survivalist can also move at his normal speed while wearing medium armor.
Advanced Armor Training: Beginning at 7th level, instead of increasing the benefits provided by armor training (reducing his armor’s check penalty by 1 and increasing its maximum Dexterity bonus by 1), a necropolis survivalist can choose an advanced armor training option (see Advanced Armor Training below) . If the necropolis survivalist does so, he still gains the ability to move at his normal speed while wearing medium armor at 3rd level.
Undead Tracking
At third level, the necropolis survivalist adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow the tracks and telltale disturbances in the natural order that are specific to mindless undead who have moved through the area, as well as intelligent undead at a -2 penalty to knowledge survival. The survivalist may roll a knowledge religion check to ascertain the abilities and difficulty of the undead faced.
Quick and Deadly (Ex)
At 4th level, the necropolis survivalist can move at full speed while using Stealth at no penalty and can apply poison or blessing to a single arrow, crossbow bolt, dart or weapon as a swift action.
Extempore Martialist (Ex)
Starting at 5th level, an necropolis survivalist can improvise weapons with greater skill than the typical warrior. In addition to instantaneously improvising found items as weapons. They are able to quickly survey the scene, spotting any table legs, nails, length of rope, string, a random iron pot, sharp rock and so on, that might be quickly fashioned together into a functional weapon using a craft weapon check as a full action, adding a +2 bonus to the check. They can specify the martial or simple weapon they are imitating, including ranged weapons, ignoring the usual crafting cost. To any other individuals who try to use the crafted weapon without the Extempore Martialist ability or Improvised Weapon Mastery feat, it is treated with the broken condition. Additionally, such crafted weapons are worth a quarter of the weapon’s regular cost if sold.
Also, starting at 7th level, every four levels thereafter (11th*, 15th, and 19th), a necropolis survivalist increases their attack and damage with weapons they craft by 1. Additionally, they increase the amount of damage dealt by the weapon by one step (for example, 1d4 becomes 1d6) to a maximum of 1d8 (2d6 if the improvised weapon is two-handed). The improvised weapon has a critical threat range of the weapon imitated.
A necropolis survivalist also adds this bonus to any combat maneuver checks made with the weapons. This bonus also applies to their Combat Maneuver Defense when defending against disarm and sunder attempts made against weapons from this group.
Extempore Survivalist (Ex)
At level 5, the necropolis survivalist is adept at locating items that might help them survive, spotting items that might be adapted to uses other than originally intentioned. As a result, if they succeed at a survival check over a quarter-hour, they may identify up to 50 GP per day per class level. See Table Extempore Survivalist for DC checks. This can be any kind of gear that can reasonably fit into a backpack, including potions and scrolls (but not any other sort of magic item). As a full-round action, the necropolis survivalist may survay the scene to gather an item they specify at that time, deducting its value from the allocated amount of GP per day. This item cannot weigh more than 10 pounds. They may make this check multiple times per day but may not exceed the GP per day specific to this ability.
Additionally, utilizing items found in their surroundings, as per the aforementioned ability, undead survivalists may use their craft weapon skill to craft traps according to the craft traps skill but at a fourth of the cost. They may use their own wealth in addition to wealth identified by the extempore surivalist ability. These traps gain a +2 on checks versus undead and evil outsiders.
Table: Extempore Survivalist
| Surroundings | Survial DC |
|---|---|
| Ruins, abandoned city, well-travelled road | 10 |
| Bustling City, artisan center, city docks | 15 |
| town, village, blacksmith, stables | 20 |
| wilderness, desert, forest, mountains | 25 |
Exanimate Ambuscade
At 8th level, an undead survivalist is able to craft traps that specially target the undead. He gains the skill Craft Traps as a class skill. This works as the regular craft traps skill, but the traps created specially attract undead as the spell Command Undead. The undead traps the survivalist crafts specially feature a cloth puppet or bag full of charms which attracts any undead within a 30 foot radius as the spell Command Undead. The only command issued by the bag or puppet is “come here.” The survivalist may craft traps against the non undead, but all traps he creates work against the nonundead at a -5 and do not attempt to control the living unless otherwise specified by the trap. Any act by you or your apparent allies that threatens the commanded undead (regardless of its Intelligence) breaks the spell.
As part of this ability, the survivalist may create moats of 10 ft. by 10 ft. or mounds, 10 ft. deep/2 levels or 10ft. high/2 levels, which may attract or repell undead. This is often used to fill moats with mindless undead to protect against nonundead entities, but survivalists may use this simply to slay the undead at their leisure. Time taken to build pits or mounds is as per rules, including the addition of spikes and other implements.
Greater Blessed Water (Su)
At 9th level, a necropolis survivalist can use blessed water to bless their attacks, making them effective against incorporeal undead. With blessed water, the necropolis survivalist may imbue a single wielded weapon with the ghost touch special ability as a swift action, causing it to deal damage normally against incorporeal creatures in addition to its normal blessed water effect.
Extempore Martial Mastery (Ex)
At 20th level, an undead survivalist can makeshift a particular weapon, melee or ranged. Any attacks made with that weapon automatically confirm all critical threats and have their damage multiplier increased by 1 (×2 becomes ×3, for example). In addition, he cannot be disarmed while wielding a weapon of this type.