Gray GardenerSource Paths of Prestige pg. 24
A secretive society brought into being during the early days of the Red Revolution in Galt, the Gray Gardeners are unswerving executioners who maintain their anonymity behind hoods and veils made from gray silk. Wildly popular with the bloodthirsty mobs that periodically hunt for suspected traitors, the Gray Gardeners put the condemned to death in gory public spectacles using magical guillotines known as final blades.
Charged as justices and executioners by the Revolutionary Council, Gray Gardeners skillfully uncover and track down those marked as traitors to Galt. Gray Gardeners pierce obfuscation or mendacity by collaborators who might aid or abet a fugitive, and their presence provokes nervous trepidation from certain segments of Galt’s populace. Their notorious questioning and interrogation techniques inexorably break many suspects.RequirementsTo qualify to become a Gray Gardener, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Feats: Combat Reflexes.
Skills: Bluff 2 ranks, Diplomacy 2 ranks, Disguise 2 ranks, Intimidate 5 ranks, Perception 2 ranks, Sense Motive 5 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast 2nd-level divine spells.
Special: The character must publicly execute a tried and sentenced individual. Whether the victim is actually guilty or innocent is irrelevant.Class SkillsThe Gray Gardener's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Stealth (Dex).
Skill Points at each Level: 6 + 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 | Anonymity, sneak attack +1d6 | — | | 2nd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | Harsh judgment 1/day, stern gaze | +1 level of divine spellcasting class | | 3rd | +2 | +2 | +1 | +2 | Bane, dramatic interrogation | +1 level of divine spellcasting class | | 4th | +3 | +2 | +1 | +2 | Execution feat, grim investigator, second judgment | +1 level of divine spellcasting class | | 5th | +3 | +3 | +2 | +3 | Improved bane, sneak attack +2d6 | — | | 6th | +4 | +3 | +2 | +3 | Execution feat, harsh judgment 2/day | +1 level of divine spellcasting class | | 7th | +5 | +4 | +2 | +4 | Sinister bane | +1 level of divine spellcasting class | | 8th | +6 | +4 | +3 | +4 | Execution feat, slaying judgment | +1 level of divine spellcasting class | | 9th | +6 | +5 | +3 | +5 | Greater bane, sneak attack +3d6 | — | | 10th | +7 | +5 | +3 | +5 | Execution feat, final demise, harsh judgment 3/day, true death | +1 level of divine spellcasting class |
The following are class features of the Gray Gardener prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Gray Gardener gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Anonymity (Ex): A Gray Gardener receives a morale bonus equal to his class level on Bluff and Disguise checks made to conceal his identity.
Sneak Attack (Ex): This ability is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt starts at +1d6 and increases by +1d6 every four additional levels (5th, 9th). If a Gray Gardener gets sneak attack bonuses from other sources, the bonuses on damage rolls stack.
Harsh Judgment (Su): At 2nd level, a Gray Gardener can pronounce judgment on his enemies. This ability functions like the inquisitor judgment ability, except a Gray Gardener can choose only the destruction, piercing, purity, and smiting judgments. For the purpose of determining the bonuses provided by these judgments, a Gray Gardener’s class levels stack with any levels in other classes that grant the judgment ability. At 6th level, and again at 10th level, a Gray Gardener can use this ability one additional time per day.
Stern Gaze (Ex): At 2nd level, a Gray Gardener receives a morale bonus equal to 1/2 his class level on Intimidate and Sense Motive checks. A Gray Gardener’s class levels stack with levels in other classes that grant the stern gaze ability.
Bane (Su): At 3rd level, a Gray Gardener can enhance his weapon so it excels against certain foes. This ability is identical to the inquisitor’s bane ability, and he can use it for a number of rounds per day equal to his class level. These rounds don’t need to be consecutive.
Dramatic Interrogation (Ex): At 3rd level, if a Gray Gardener threatens a helpless creature, he gains a +5 competence bonus on Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Perform checks to influence creatures that have a starting attitude of hostile, unfriendly, friendly, or helpful toward the helpless creature, including the helpless creature itself.
Execution Feats (Ex): At 4th level, and every two levels thereafter, the Gray Gardener gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement. These feats must be taken from the following list: EnforcerAPG, Gang UpAPG, SidestepAPG, Vital Strike. At 8th level, the following feats are added to the list: Dastardly FinishAPG, Deadly FinishUC. A Gray Gardener need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.
Grim Investigator (Ex): At 4th level, a Gray Gardener can use Intimidate instead of Diplomacy to gather information. He can reroll any Sense Motive check that opposes someone’s Bluff check before the results of the check are revealed, but must take the result of the reroll, even it’s worse than the original.
Second Judgment (Su): At 4th level, whenever a Gray Gardener uses his judgment or harsh judgment ability, he selects two different judgments. This consumes only one use of this ability. As a swift action, he can change one of these judgments to another type.
Improved Bane (Su): At 5th level, whenever a Gray Gardener uses his bane ability, the damage dealt by the weapon against creatures of the selected type increases to 3d6.
Sinister Bane (Su): At 7th level, whenever a Gray Gardener uses the bane ability on a melee weapon, his weapon also gains the menacingAPG weapon special ability.
Slaying Judgment (Su): At 8th level, while using the judgment or harsh judgment ability, a Gray Gardener can declare a slaying judgment against a foe when he makes a melee attack (or ranged attack, if the foe is within 30 feet) against the target. If the attack hits, it deals damage normally and the creature must make a Fortitude saving throw as if struck by a slaying arrow of its creature type. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + the Gray Gardener’s class level + the Gray Gardener’s Wisdom modifier. A Gray Gardener can use this ability once per day.
Greater Bane (Su): At 9th level, whenever a Gray Gardener uses his bane ability the damage dealt by the weapon against creatures of the selected type increases to 4d6.
Final Demise (Su): At 10th level, once per week, when a Gray Gardener kills a creature with a melee weapon, he can draw the soul out of the dead body and imprison it in his weapon as if using a soul bind spell (caster level equal to the Gray Gardener’s character level). Destroying the weapon or dispelling this effect frees the soul. After spending 24 hours in the weapon, the captured soul escapes. However, by touching the weapon holding a captured soul to a final blade, the Gray Gardener can transfer the soul into the magical guillotine to remain trapped inside indefinitely. In addition, at 10th level, a Gray Gardener receives initiation in the secret rituals that can release a soul from a final blade (The Inner Sea World Guide 300).
True Death (Su): At 10th level, anyone slain by a Gray Gardener becomes more difficult to bring back from the dead. Attempts to use raise dead or similar magic to resurrect such a creature require a successful DC 25 caster level check, or the spell fails and any material components are wasted.
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