Agent of the GraveSource Pathfinder #45: Broken Moon pg. 67
On their twisted route to immortality, adherents of the Whispering Way learn secret rites that aid them on their path. Every step brings a member that much closer to the final secret. Particularly promising members earn invitations to join an elite group within the organization. In their role as agents of the grave, these members serve the desires of the current leadership, yet more often than not, agents of the grave act solely for one cell or faction.
Agents of the grave learn the deepest arcane secrets of the Whispering Way in their quest for undeath, gaining undeadlike traits before their final elevation to a state beyond death. These vile powers, paired with the ability to veil their intentions and increased breadth of knowledge, make agents of the grave perfect members for the task of turning powerful wizards and clerics to the path of the Whispering Way, as well as collectors of the foul relics, components, corpses, and morbid secrets that lie scattered across Golarion.
Role: Agents of the grave master the necromantic arts, yet instead of controlling hordes of undead minions, they instead seek ultimate enlightenment, and possess subtle and murderous skills to help them attain it. Agents of the grave infiltrate other organizations to glean their magical secrets and have an interest in turning talented members to their own blasphemous discipline.
Alignment: Agents of the grave are devoted to gaining personal power through the transition into undeath and advancement within the Whispering Way’s macabre hierarchy. Callous to the needs and agendas of others, these elite servants of death are unwaveringly evil in their pursuit of an ascended death.RequirementsTo become an agent of the grave, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any evil.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks.
Spells: Must be able to cast animate dead.
Special: Must be a member of the Whispering Way for 1 year.Class SkillsThe Agent of the Grave's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Hit Die: d8.Class Features| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Spells Per Day | | 1st | +0 | +1 | +0 | +1 | Inspired necromancy, lich's touch, unholy fortitude | — | | 2nd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | Undead manipulator | +1 level of existing class | | 3rd | +1 | +2 | +1 | +2 | Negative energy conduit | +1 level of existing class | | 4th | +2 | +2 | +1 | +2 | Death's shroud, negative energy affinity | +1 level of existing class | | 5th | +2 | +3 | +2 | +3 | Secrets of death, undead initiate | +1 level of existing class | |
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All of the following are class features of the agent of the grave prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Agents of the grave gain no proficiency with any weapons or armor.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: When a new agent of the grave level is gained, the character gains new spells as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If the character has more than one spellcasting class before becoming an agent of the grave, he must decide which class he adds the new level to for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Inspired Necromancy (Ex): When determining the maximum number of Hit Dice of undead he can control with spells like animate dead, a character counts his agent of the grave levels twice. This ability does not factor into how many undead he can create with a single casting of a spell. Thus, a cleric 7/agent of the grave 3 would be able to control 52 Hit Dice worth of undead with animate dead.
Lich’s Touch (Su): At 1st level, the agent of the grave becomes a conduit for negative energy and the chill powers of death, allowing him to make a melee touch attack dealing 1d6 points of damage from negative energy per level of the agent of the grave class he attains. This ability allows him to heal undead minions, and himself upon attaining the negative energy affinity ability at 4th level. He can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma bonus.
Unholy Fortitude (Su): At 1st level, the agent of the grave can tap into his conviction and bolster his health. Starting with the hit points he rolls for gaining his first agent of the grave level and every time he gains a level in any class thereafter, the character may choose to add either his Constitution bonus or his Charisma bonus to the number of new hit points he gains for that level.
Undead Manipulator (Ex): At 2nd level, the agent of the grave gains great insight into the minds and necromantic forces controlling undead creatures. An agent of the grave’s spells and spell-like abilities with mind-affecting effects treat undead creatures as their original type. Thus, an agent of the grave can use charm person against a humanoid zombie or confusion against a horde of skeletal champions.
Negative Energy Conduit (Ex) At 3rd level, an agent of the grave bolsters undead around him. As a standard action, an agent of the grave manifests an aura identical to the desecrate spell, except this foul aura has a duration of 10 minutes per level. An agent of the grave can use this ability once per day. In addition, any undead the agent of the grave creates is treated as having been created within the area of a desecrate spell.
Death’s Shroud (Su): As an agent of the grave gains power within the organization, he often must infiltrate other groups to gain further knowledge. At 4th level, he learns how to cloak his true intentions, gaining the ability to use nondetection or undetectable alignment once per day. The caster level for this ability is equal to the agent of the grave’s highest caster level.
Negative Energy Affinity (Ex): At 4th level, the agent of the grave, while still technically alive, reacts to positive and negative energy as if he were undead—positive energy harms him, while negative energy heals him. If the agent of the grave is already undead, this ability grants no additional benefit.
Secrets of Death (Ex): At 5th level, an agent of the grave draws upon secrets held by the Whispering Way to gain insights into necromancy. At the time he gains this ability, the character may add a number of necromancy spells that are not normally a part of his class’s spell list to his spell list. The number of spells that the character may add is equal to his Intelligence modifier. For example, an agent of the grave with levels of wizard might choose to add spells like death watch, inflict critical wounds, and slay living to his spell list, while an agent of the grave with levels of cleric might choose to add spells such as enervation, magic jar, and vampiric touch. An agent of the grave may choose to add spells he cannot yet cast—this does not allow the agent of the grave to cast spells of a higher level than he normally could, but rather merely grants him access to those spells when he reaches the level required to cast them.
Undeath Initiate (Ex): At 5th level, an agent of the grave has prepared his body and mind for the transition into undeath. He gains a +5 bonus on any ability check, skill check, or saving throw related to the process of transforming into an undead creature. This bonus can be used on any check related to becoming a creature like a lich (the process of which is largely left up to the GM’s discretion). Additionally, if slain by an undead creature with the create spawn ability, the agent of death retains his Intelligence (regardless of the type of undead he is transformed into) and free will (he is never under the control of the creature that killed him). Unless otherwise noted by the undead creature’s create spawn ability, the newly created undead agent of the grave loses all of his class levels. This makes transformation into a lich and vampire among the most appealing options for an agent of the grave seeking undeath.
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