Witchblood [Base]

[sirpercival]

Witchblood



Alignment: Any nongood.
HD: d6
Races: Any.
Abilities: Charisma determines the potency of your rituals and other class features; Constitution is always useful (everyone needs more hit points, and witchbloods are somewhat squishy).

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Rituals	Special
1	+0	+0	+0	+2	0*	Evil eye, ritual casting (minor)
2	+1	+0	+0	+3	0*	Dark whispers
3	+1	+1	+1	+3	0*	Bloodstained Ritual
4	+2	+1	+1	+4	0*	Dark infusion I, dark shepherd
5	+2	+1	+1	+4	2	Ritual casting (least)
6	+3	+2	+2	+5	3	Blood Curse
7	+3	+2	+2	+5	3	Abominable gaze
8	+4	+2	+2	+6	4	Dark infusion II
9	+4	+3	+3	+6	5	Ritual casting (lesser)
10	+5	+3	+3	+7	5	Sacrificial Ritual
11	+5	+3	+3	+7	6	Blooded casting, fearsome might
12	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	7	Dark infusion III
13	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8	7	Ritual casting (greater)
14	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9	8	Sacrificial Animation
15	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9	9	Terrifying visage
16	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	9	Dark infusion IV
17	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10	10	Ritual casting (advanced)
18	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	11	Horrible power
19	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	12	Nefarious rite
20	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	13	Dark transformation, the bitter end

* At 1st-4th level, you can have a number of simultaneous minor rituals charged equal to your Charisma modifier; beginning at 5th level, the number of stronger rituals you can have charged at a time is given by the table.

Class Skills (4+Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device.

Class Features

   Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You are proficient with simple weapons and light armor, but not shields.

   Ritual casting: You gain the ability to cast rituals, which are magical effects similar to a spells.  You can cast a ritual at any time, any number of times per day; after casting, the ritual remains "charged" until you decide to discharge it with an act of will (as a free action, unless otherwise specified), at which point the ritual takes effect.  In this way, a you can store up ritual charges until they are needed.  A ritual that is not discharged within 24 hours of its casting fades away with no effect.  The duration of your ritual effects is equal to 1 round plus 1 round per class level, and the caster level of your rituals is equal to your class level.
   Rituals come in five flavors: minor, least, lesser, greater, and advanced.  Casting any ritual requires you to draw a diagram on a flat, solid surface with a piece of chalk or charcoal; it also requires a drop of your blood (which deals 1 point of damage for any ritual stronger than a minor ritual), and chanted words (a ritual cannot be cast while under the effect of a silence spell, for example).  The length of time it takes to cast a ritual depends on its strength: a minor ritual takes 1 minute, a least ritual takes 5 minutes, a lesser ritual takes 10 minutes, a greater ritual takes 15 minutes, and an advanced ritual takes 30 minutes to cast.  Rituals cannot be counterspelled, and you may charge the same ritual more than once.  The DC to resist the effect of any of your rituals is equal to your 10 + your Charisma modifier + a number depending on the strength of the ritual: 0 for minor, 2 for least, 4 for lesser, 6 for greater, and 8 for advanced.
   You begin by knowing every general minor ritual, as well as the minor rituals on your class list, below.  You can have a number of minor rituals equal to your Charisma modifier charged at any one time.  At 5th level, you learn how to cast least rituals, and you know every general least ritual, as well as the least rituals on your class list, below.  Similarly, at 9th level you learn to cast lesser rituals, at 13th level you learn to cast greater rituals, and at 17th level you learn to cast advanced rituals.  Unlike rituals of lower strength, there are no general advanced rituals; the only advanced rituals you know are the ones on your class list, below.
   For rituals stronger than minor, you can have a number of them charged at any time as shown on the table above, and you gain bonus charges equal to half your Charisma modifier, rounded down.  When you reach 9th level and gain access to lesser rituals, you cannot cast a lesser ritual unless you have at least one more least ritual than lesser rituals already charged.  For example, a 10th-level witchblood with one least ritual and one lesser ritual charged must cast a second least ritual before casting a second lesser ritual.  At 13th level, when you learn how to cast greater rituals, you cannot cast a greater ritual unless you have at least one more least ritual and one more lesser ritual than greater rituals already charged.  For example, a 14th-level witchblood with one each least, lesser, and greater rituals charged could not cast another greater ritual until she had at least one more least and one more lesser ritual charged.  When you reach 17th level and are able to cast advanced rituals, you cannot cast an advanced ritual unless you have at least one more each least ritual, lesser ritual, and greater ritual than advanced rituals already charged than .  For example, an 18th-level witchblood with one each least, lesser, greater, and advanced rituals charged could not cast another advanced ritual until she cast at least one more least, lesser, and greater ritual each.

   Evil eye (Su):  You have the ability to turn the evil eye on an opponent within 60 feet; that opponent must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your witchblood level + your Charisma modifier) or take a penalty to attacks, saves, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls equal to half your witchblood level (rounded up) for 1 hour thereafter.  You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier, as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.  Spell resistance does not apply.  You cannot affect the same target more than once every 24 hours with this ability (a creature that makes its save has not been affected).  In all ways other than those defined here, it counts as the active version of a gaze attack.

   Dark whispers (Su): When you reach 2nd level, you gain the ability to whisper subversive secrets, turning weak minds to your purpose.  You may use this ability once per day per class level, as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.  It functions exactly like the command spell, except that it is not subject to spell resistance, and you may only use it against creatures with Hit Dice less than or equal to your witchblood level.  This is a mind-affecting, language-dependent effect, with a caster level is equal to your class level and a DC of 10 + 1/2 your witchblood level + your Charisma modifier.

   Bloodstained Ritual: At 3rd level, you gain Bloodstained Ritual as a bonus feat.  You must meet the prerequisites.

   Dark shepherd: Beginning at 4th level, the fiendish beings which taught you the secrets of ritual magic also grant you a companion, similar to a wizard's familiar, to guide you on your dark and twisted path.  The type of creature depends on your alignment: if you are lawful, your dark shepherd is an imp, and if you are chaotic, it is a quasit (if you are neutral, you choose one or the other when you gain this ability and it does not change).  Your dark shepherd cannot use its commune ability, but is otherwise a normal creature of its type -- however, it gains in power as you increase in level, as detailed below.
   You cannot dismiss your dark shepherd; however, if it dies, you must make a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw or lose 200xp per witchblood level; success reduces the loss to one-half that amount. However, your experience point total can never go below 0 as the result of the dark shepherd's demise. A slain dark shepherd is replaced after a year and day.  You may not use your dark shepherd in a Bloodstained Ritual.

   Dark infusion I: When you reach 4th level, the fiendish rituals and rites you have performed begin to affect changes on your physical makeup.  Your Dexterity increases by 2 points, and you gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.  In addition, you gain a natural armor bonus equal to half the number of rituals you have charged at any time (or your existing natural armor increases by the same amount).

   Blood Curse: At 6th level, you gain Blood Curse as a bonus feat.  You must meet the prerequisites.

   Abominable gaze (Su): Beginning at 7th level,  whenever an opponent fails a save against your evil eye ability, they must make a Fortitude save against the same DC (with a penalty from being affected by the evil eye) or be paralyzed for 1d4 minutes.

   Dark infusion II:  When you reach 8th level, the twisted rituals infusing your essence have wrought more changes upon your body.  Your Constitution increases by 2 points, and you become immune to poison.  In addition, you gain resistance to acid, cold, electricity, and fire equal to the number of rituals you have charged at any given time.

   Sacrificial Ritual: At 10th level, you gain Sacrificial Ritual as a bonus feat.  You must meet the prerequisites.

   Blooded casting: Beginning at 11th level, whenever you cast a ritual using the Bloodstained Ritual feat, you may deal additional damage to the willing or helpless participant to increase the potency of the ritual.  For each 2d8 damage you deal, the ritual's duration increases by 2 rounds, the caster level increases by 1, and the save DC increases by 1.  If the other participant dies due to this extra damage, the ritual fails and you cannot cast that ritual again for 24 hours.

   Fearsome might: At 11th level, whenever you discharge a ritual, instead of gaining its normal effect you may choose to activate this ability for the duration of the ritual.  You gain two claw natural attacks and a bonus to Strength; the base damage of the claw attacks and the amount of the Strength bonus depend on the strength of the ritual you discharge, as shown in the following table.

Ritual Type	Strength bonus	Claw damage
Minor	+2	1d4
Least	+4	1d6
Lesser	+6	1d8
Greater	+8	2d6
Advanced	+10	3d6

   Dark infusion III:  When you reach 12th level, more changes have twisted you even further to the darkness.  Your Intelligence increases by 2 points, and you gain damage reduction X/good, where X is equal to the number of rituals you have charged at any given time.

   Sacrificial Animation: At 14th level, you gain Sacrificial Animation as a bonus feat.  You must meet the prerequisites.

   Terrifying Visage (Su):  When you reach 15th level, your evil eye becomes a full-blown gaze attack.  You can activate or deactivate it as a swift action; while it is active, opponents must save against the passive effect as normal for a gaze attack, and you can use the active effect as an attack action an unlimited number of times per day.

   Dark infusion IV: When you reach 16th level, you have nearly subsumed the dark power of your rituals into your body.  Your Dexterity increases by another two points, and you gain spell resistance equal to 10 + the number of rituals you have charged at any time.

   Horrible power (Ex): At 18th level, whenever you attack someone with the claws you gain from your fearsome might ability, you may attempt to demoralize them as a free action.  This ability works even against opponents immune to fear, though such creatures gain a +4 bonus on the opposed check.

   Nefarious rite:  Beginning at 19th level, whenever you discharge a ritual, you may choose to activate this ability instead of gaining its normal effect.  You release the stored ritual charge in an instantaneous burst of negative energy around you (spell resistance applies); the radius of the burst and the amount of negative energy damage depends on the strength of the discharged ritual, as shown in the following table.  Creatures struck by the burst may make a Fortitude save for half damage (DC equal to the DC of the discharged ritual).  In the case of a greater ritual, no save applies, but the subject regains lost levels after a number of hours equal to the caster level of the ritual; if the discharged ritual is advanced, there is no saving throw to avoid gaining the negative levels, but 24 hours after gaining them, the subject must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC equal to the DC of the discharged ritual) for each negative level. If the save succeeds, that negative level is removed, while if it fails, the negative level also goes away, but one of the subject’s character levels is permanently drained.

Ritual Type	Radius	Damage
Minor	10 feet	1d8
Least	30 feet	3d8
Lesser	60 feet	6d10
Greater	90 feet	1d4 negative levels
Advanced	150 feet	2d4 negative levels

   Dark transformation:  When you reach 20th level, your transformation is complete.  Your Charisma increases by 4 points, your type changes to outsider with the evil subtype, and you grow a pair of batlike wings that allow you to fly with good maneuverability, at a speed equal to 5 feet per ritual you have charged at any given time.

   The bitter end (Su):  At 20th level, your evil eye has become an unstoppable force.  Any creature who rolls a natural 1 on the Fortitude save to prevent paralysis dies instantly; 1d4 hours later, they rise as a chanting echo under your control.  You cannot control more hit dice of chanting echoes this way than twice your class level.

Ex-Witchbloods
A witchblood who becomes good loses the benefit of her ritual casting, evil eye, dark whispers, dark shepherd, fearsome might, and nefarious rite class features (as well as any bonus feats which require non-good alignment) and cannot advance as a witchblood.  If an ex-witchblood gains the ability to cast rituals from another class, she cannot cast rituals from the witchblood class list.



Dark Shepherd

Basics
Use the basic statistics for a creature of the shepherd's kind, but make the following changes:

• Hit Dice -- For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the witchblood's character level or the shepherd's normal HD total, whichever is higher.
• Hit Points -- The shepherd has one-half the witchblood's total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice.
• Attacks -- The shepherd uses the witchblood's base attack bonus, as calculated from all her classes. Use the shepherd's Dexterity or Strength modifier, whichever is greater, to get the shepherd's melee attack bonus with natural weapons.  Damage equals that of a normal creature of the shepherd's kind.
• Saving Throws -- For each saving throw, use either the shepherd's base save bonus (Fortitude +3, Reflex +3, Will +3) or the witchblood's (as calculated from all her classes), whichever is better. The shepherd uses its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any of the other bonuses that the witchblood might have on saves.
• Skills -- For each skill in which either the witchblood or the shepherd has ranks, use either the normal skill ranks for a creature of that type or the witchblood’s skill ranks, whichever are better. In either case, the shepherd uses its own ability modifiers. Regardless of a shepherd’s total skill modifiers, some skills may remain beyond the shepherd’s ability to use.
  

Witchblood's Level	Natural Armor Adj.	Int	Special
4th-7th	+1	11	Alertness, improved evasion, share rituals
8th-11th	+2	12	Telepathy, dark touch
12th-15th	+3	13	Spell resistance
16th-20th	+4	14	--

Dark Shepherd Ability Descriptions
Every shepherd has special abilities (or imparts abilities to their witchblood) depending on the witchblood's class level level, as shown on the table above. The abilities given on the table are cumulative.

• Natural Armor Adj. -- The number noted here is an improvement to the shepherd's existing natural armor bonus.
• Int -- The shepherd's Intelligence score.
• Alertness (Ex) -- While a shepherd is within arm’s reach, the witchblood gains the benefit of the Alertness feat.
• Improved Evasion (Ex) -- When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a shepherd takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.
• Share Rituals -- At the witchblood's option, she may have any ritual she discharges also affect her dark shepherd. The shepherd must be within 5 feet at the time of discharging to receive the benefit; if the shepherd moves farther than 5 feet away, the ritual stops affecting the shepherd, and will not affect it again even if it returns to the witchblood before the duration expires.  This ability does not work on Zone rituals, or witchblood class features that replace the normal effect of a ritual.
• Telepathy (Su) -- Starting at 8th level, the witchblood has a telepathic link with the dark shepherd out to a distance of 1 mile.  The witchblood cannot see through the shepherd's eyes; however, because of this telepathic link, the witchblood has the same connection to an item or place that her dark shepherd does.
• Dark touch (Su) -- If the witchblood is 8th level or higher, she can discharge a currently charged ritual to allow her dark shepherd to perform touch attacks to do negative energy damage.  The total number of successful touch attacks and the damage of each attack depends on the strength of the discharged ritual, as shown in the following table.

  Ritual Type	# of touches	Damage
  Minor	2	1d4
  Least	4	1d8
  Lesser	7	1d10
  Greater	10	2d6
  Advanced	14	2d8

• Spell Resistance (Ex) -- If the witchblood is 12th level or higher, a dark shepherd gains spell resistance equal to the witchblood's class level + 5.

[sirpercival]

Witchblood Ritual List

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Circle of Blood, Minor
   Whenever a creature within 10 feet of you takes damage, increase that damage by 1.  This ritual affects all creatures (including your allies) within range, except you.

Circle of Pain, Minor
   Whenever a creature within 10 feet of you takes an action, that creature must make a Fortitude save or suffer 1d6 nonlethal damage.  This ritual affects all creatures (including your allies) within range, except you; if a creature makes multiple attacks with a full attack action, they must save for each attack.

Ritual of Bitter Winter, Minor
   The air around you in a 10 foot radius emanation becomes bitter cold, dealing 1d4 points of nonlethal cold damage to creatures each round.

Ritual of Blood Summoning, Minor
   When you discharge this ritual you can choose to reduce your hit point total to summon a powerful outsider to attack your enemies.  Since this is a voluntary reduction in hit points, it cannot be prevented or reduced by any means, or paid for with temporary hit points.  If you attempt to spend more hit points than your current hit point total + 9, the ritual fails.  The summoned creature disappears when the ritual effect ends.  4 hp: A fiendish creature from the "Summon Monster I" list. 6 hp: A Lemure. 8 hp: A Dretch.

Ritual of Plague, Minor
   You become a carrier of an infectious disease that infects any creature that comes into direct physical contact with you (even if only for the moment of a single attack). The initial infection functions as the contagion spell, using this ritual's save DC. For the duration of the ritual, you take a penalty to your ability scores equal to the maximum total amount of ability damage or drain the disease can cause to that score at once (even if you are otherwise immune or resistant to disease or ability damage).  When you cast this ritual, you may choose either Mindfire or Filth Fever.  A given creature is at risk of infection no more than once per round.

Vampiric Circle, Minor
   You draw lifeforce from creatures nearby into yourself.  Every round, any creature within 10 feet of you takes 1 point of negative energy damage; if any creature is affected this way then you gain 1 temporary hit points.  Temporary hit points from this ritual stack with each other, and last until used up or the ritual effect ends.

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Circle of Blood, Least
   Whenever a creature within 20 feet of you takes hit point damage, increase that damage by 1d4.  This ritual affects all creatures (including your allies) within range, except you.

Circle of Despair, Least
   Whenever you suffer a penalty, all other creatures within a 30 radius emanation must make a Will save or also suffer that penalty for as long as you have it and they remain in the emanation.

Circle of Pain, Least
   Whenever a creature within 20 feet of you takes an action, that creature must make a Fortitude save or suffer 2d6 nonlethal damage.  This ritual affects all creatures (including your allies) within range, except you; if a creature makes multiple attacks with a full attack action, they must save for each attack.

Hexed Circle, Least
   Whenever a creature other than yourself within 10 feet makes a melee attack, the attacker must make a Will save or the attack is instead directed at a random creature within the attacker's reach instead of its intended target.  The redirected attack's target is chosen randomly from all targets the attacker could attack, including the intended target, the attacker itself, you (if you are in range), and creatures the attacker is not aware of or is unable to damage.

Ritual of Bitter Winter, Least
   The air around you in a 20 foot radius emanation becomes bitter cold, dealing 1d4 points of nonlethal cold damage to creatures each round.  Living creatures that take damage from this ritual must make a Fort save or be fatigued for 1 round.

Ritual of Blood Summoning, Least
   When you discharge this ritual you can choose to reduce your hit point total to summon a powerful outsider to attack your enemies.  Since this is a voluntary reduction in hit points, it cannot be prevented or reduced by any means, or paid for with temporary hit points.  If you attempt to spend more hit points than your current hit point total + 9, the ritual fails.  The summoned creature disappears when the duration of the ritual effect ends.  12 hp: An Imp or a Quasit.  22 hp: A Bearded Devil.

Ritual of Plague, Least
   You become a carrier of an infectious disease that infects any creature that comes into direct physical contact with you (even if only for the moment of a single attack). The initial infection functions as the contagion spell, using this ritual's save DC. For the duration of the ritual, you take a penalty to your ability scores equal to the maximum total amount of ability damage or drain the disease can cause to that score at once (even if you are otherwise immune or resistant to disease or ability damage).  When you cast this ritual, you may choose either Devil Chills or Shakes.  A given creature is at risk of infection no more than once per round.

Vampiric Circle, Least
   You draw lifeforce from creatures nearby into yourself.  Every round, any creature within 20 feet of you takes 1d6 points of negative energy damage; if any creature is affected this way then you gain 2 temporary hit points.  Temporary hit points from this ritual stack with each other, and last until used up or the ritual effect ends.

Witchblood's Spell Ritual, Least
   This ritual duplicates the effect of one necromancy spell of 1st level or lower, from any spell list. The spell to be duplicated must have a casting time no greater than one standard action, a duration longer than instantaneous, and must be of personal or fixed range.  The caster level of the spell is equal to your caster level for the ritual, and the duration is determined by the duration of the ritual or the duration of the spell (for the given caster level), whichever is less.  You choose the spell to be duplicated when you cast the ritual.  Discharging this ritual requires a full-round action.  Valid uses for Witchblood's Spell Ritual

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Circle of Blood, Lesser
   Whenever a creature within 30 feet of you takes hit point damage, increase that damage by 3d4.  This ritual affects all creatures (including your allies) within range, except you.

Circle of Pain, Lesser
   Whenever a creature within 30 feet of you takes an action, that creature must make a Fortitude save or suffer 4d6 nonlethal damage and become sickened for the duration of the ritual.  This ritual affects all creatures (including your allies) within range, except you; if a creature makes multiple attacks with a full attack action, they must save for each attack.  A creature immune to nonlethal damage is also immune to the sickening effect; a sickened creature that moves out of the area of effect receives an additional save to remove the condition.

Circle of Torment, Lesser
   Whenever you gain a condition, all other creatures within a 30 radius emanation must make a Will save or also gain that condition for as long as you have it and they remain in the emanation.

Hexed Circle, Lesser
   Whenever a creature other than yourself within 20 feet makes a melee attack, the attacker must make a Will save or the attack is instead directed at a random creature within the attacker's reach instead of its intended target.  The redirected attack's target is chosen randomly from all targets the attacker could attack, including the intended target, the attacker itself, you (if you are in range), and creatures the attacker is not aware of or is unable to damage.  You are half as likely as any other creature to be attacked.

Ritual of Bitter Winter, Lesser
   The air around you in a 30 foot radius emanation becomes bitter cold, dealing 2d6 points of cold damage to creatures each round.  Living creatures that take damage from this ritual must make a Fort save or be fatigued for 1 round.  In addition, snow falls in the area, imposing a -2 penalty on Spot, Search, and Listen checks, and ranged attacks.  Any space that is within the area of this ritual for 3 consecutive rounds becomes snow-covered (costing 2 squares of movement to enter) until 3 rounds after it is no longer within the area. You are not impeded by snow.

Ritual of Blood Summoning, Lesser
   When you discharge this ritual you can choose to reduce your hit point total to summon a powerful outsider to attack your enemies.  Since this is a voluntary reduction in hit points, it cannot be prevented or reduced by any means, or paid for with temporary hit points.  If you attempt to spend more hit points than your current hit point total + 9, the ritual fails.  The summoned creature disappears when the duration of the ritual effect ends.  27 hp: A Chain Devil or a Succubus.  35 hp: A Blood Elemental or a Hellcat.  43 hp: An Erinyes.

Ritual of Plague, Lesser
   You become a carrier of an infectious disease that infects any creature that comes into direct physical contact with you (even if only for the moment of a single attack). The initial infection functions as the contagion spell, using this ritual's save DC. For the duration of the ritual, you take a penalty to your ability scores equal to the maximum total amount of ability damage or drain the disease can cause to that score at once (even if you are otherwise immune or resistant to disease or ability damage).  When you cast this ritual, you may choose one of Blinding Sickness, Red Ache, and Slimy Doom.  You can affect a given creature with this ritual any number of times per round.

Vampiric Circle, Lesser
   You draw lifeforce from creatures nearby into yourself.  Every round, any creature within 30 feet of you takes 1d8 points of negative energy damage and 1 point of Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution damage (your choice when you cast the ritual; Fort save to negate the ability damage).  If any creature is affected this way then you gain 5 temporary hit points.  Temporary hit points from this ritual stack with each other, and last until used up or the ritual effect ends.

Witchblood's Spell Ritual, Lesser
   This ritual duplicates the effect of one necromancy spell of 3rd level or lower, from any spell list. The spell to be duplicated must have a casting time no greater than one standard action, a duration longer than instantaneous, and must be of personal or fixed range.  The caster level of the spell is equal to your caster level for the ritual, and the duration is determined by the duration of the ritual or the duration of the spell (for the given caster level), whichever is less.  You choose the spell to be duplicated when you cast the ritual.  Discharging this ritual requires a full-round action.  Valid uses for Witchblood's Spell Ritual

Zone of Animation, Lesser
   This ritual affects a 50-foot radius emanation centered on a corner of your space. The affected area is determined when you discharge the ritual, and does not move with you.  Each round, a corpse chosen at random within the area animates as a skeleton or a zombie, similar to the effects of an animate dead spell. If there are no corpses available, a skeleton or zombie is instead summoned into the area, as though with the summon undead II spell. Undead created or summoned by this ritual will not attack you, your allies, or other targets you designate, but are not otherwise under your control. These undead remain only as long as the ritual lasts and only while they remain within its area (they are not aware of the area boundary).

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Circle of Agony, Greater
   Whenever you would take hit point damage, you instead take half as much damage (rounded up), and the rest is divided evenly among all creatures within a 30 foot radius emanation. You choose which such creatures suffer any remaining damage if it cannot be evenly divided.  This ritual protects you from taking damage from a Circle of Agony discharged by any other creature..

Circle of Blood, Greater
   Whenever a creature within 50 feet of you takes hit point damage, increase that damage by 6d4, and the following round they take 1d6 damage of the same type (a single creature can only take 2d6 total damage of a given type the following round).  This ritual affects all creatures (including your allies) within range, except you.

Circle of Chaos, Greater
   Each round, each creature within a 30 foot radius emanation (centered on you) must make a Will save or become confused for 1 round. This affects all creatures in the area other than you, including your allies.

Circle of Pain, Greater
   Whenever a creature within 50 feet of you takes an action, that creature must make a Fortitude save or suffer 8d6 nonlethal damage and become nauseated for the duration of the ritual; that creature is sickened for the duration of the ritual on a successful save.  This ritual affects all creatures (including your allies) within range, except you; if a creature makes multiple attacks with a full attack action, they must save for each attack.  A creature immune to nonlethal damage is also immune to the sickening and nauseating effects; a sickened or nauseated creature that moves out of the area of effect receives an additional save to remove the condition.

Hexed Circle, Greater
   Whenever a creature other than yourself within 30 feet makes a melee attack, the attacker must make a Will save or the attack is instead directed at a random creature within the attacker's reach instead of its intended target.  The redirected attack's target is chosen randomly from all targets the attacker could attack, including the intended target, the attacker itself, and creatures the attacker is not aware of or is unable to damage.  You will never be targeted unless you are the only valid target, and your enemies are twice as likely to be targeted as any other possible targets.

Ritual of Bitter Winter, Greater
   The air around you in a 50 foot radius emanation becomes bitter cold, dealing 3d6 points of cold damage and 1d6 points of negative energy to creatures each round.  Living creatures that take damage from this ritual must make a Fort save or be exhausted for 1 round.  In addition, heavy snow falls in the area, imposing a -2 penalty on Spot, Search, and Listen checks, and ranged attacks.  All sight, including darkvision, is reduced to a range of 5 feet, and creatures 5 feet away have concealment.  Any space that is within the area of this ritual for 3 consecutive rounds becomes snow-covered (costing 4 squares of movement to enter) until 3 rounds after it is no longer within the area. You are not impeded by snow.

Ritual of Blood Summoning, Greater
   When you discharge this ritual you can choose to reduce your hit point total to summon a powerful outsider to attack your enemies.  Since this is a voluntary reduction in hit points, it cannot be prevented or reduced by any means, or paid for with temporary hit points.  If you attempt to spend more hit points than your current hit point total + 9, the ritual fails.  The summoned creature disappears when the duration of the ritual effect ends.  50 hp: A Bone Devil or a Vrock.  60 hp: A Barbed Devil or a Retriever.

Ritual of Plague, Greater
   You become a carrier of an infectious disease that infects any creature that comes into direct physical contact with you (even if only for the moment of a single attack). The initial infection functions as the contagion spell, using this ritual's save DC. For the duration of the ritual, you take a penalty to your ability scores equal to the maximum total amount of ability damage or drain the disease can cause to that score at once (even if you are otherwise immune or resistant to disease or ability damage).  When you cast this ritual, you may choose one of Cackle Fever, Demon Fever, and Mummy Rot. Creatures adjacent to you at the beginning of your turn are also at risk of infection as though you had touched them, and you can affect a given creature with this ritual any number of times per round.

Vampiric Circle, Greater
   You draw lifeforce from creatures nearby into yourself.  Every round, any creature within 50 feet of you takes 3d8 points of negative energy damage and 1 point each of Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution damage (Fort save to negate the ability damage); you gain 3 temporary hit points for each creature affected this way.  Temporary hit points from this ritual stack with each other, and last until used up or the ritual effect ends.

Witchblood's Spell Ritual, Greater
   This ritual duplicates the effect of one necromancy spell of 5th level or lower, from any spell list. The spell to be duplicated must have a casting time no greater than one standard action, a duration longer than instantaneous, and must be of personal or fixed range.  The caster level of the spell is equal to your caster level for the ritual, and the duration is determined by the duration of the ritual or the duration of the spell (for the given caster level), whichever is less.  You choose the spell to be duplicated when you cast the ritual.  Discharging this ritual requires a full-round action.  Valid uses for Witchblood's Spell Ritual

Zone of Animation, Greater
   This ritual affects a 50-foot radius emanation centered on a corner of your space. The affected area is determined when you discharge the ritual, and does not move with you.  Each round, two corpses chosen at random within the area animate as skeletons or zombies, similar to the effects of an animate dead spell. If there are no corpses available, an allip or ghast is instead summoned into the area, as though with the summon undead IV spell. Undead created or summoned by this ritual will not attack you, your allies, or other targets you designate, but are not otherwise under your control. These undead remain only as long as the ritual lasts and only while they remain within its area (they are not aware of the area boundary).

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Annihilation Zone, Advanced
   Three rounds after discharging this ritual, all matter within 30 feet of your space when you discharged it is completely annihilated, as if it had come in contact with a Sphere of Annihilation.

Circle of Blood, Advanced
   Whenever a creature within 75 feet of you takes hit point damage, increase that damage by 12d4, and the following round they take 2d6 damage of the same type (a single creature can only take 6d6 total damage of a given type the following round).  This ritual affects all creatures (including your allies) within range, except you.

Circle of Pain, Advanced
   Whenever a creature within 50 feet of you takes an action, that creature must make a Fortitude save or fall unconscious for the duration of the ritual; that creature suffers 8d6 nonlethal damage and is nauseated for the duration of the ritual on a successful save.  This ritual affects all creatures (including your allies) within range, except you; if a creature makes multiple attacks with a full attack action, they must save for each attack.  A creature immune to nonlethal damage is also immune to the other effects of the ritual; a sickened, nauseated, or unconscious creature that moves out of the area of effect receives an additional save to remove the condition.

Hexed Circle, Advanced
   Whenever a creature other than yourself within 50 feet makes a melee attack, the attacker must make a Will save or the attack is instead directed at a random creature within the attacker's reach instead of its intended target.  The redirected attack's target is chosen randomly from all targets the attacker could attack, including the intended target, the attacker itself, and creatures the attacker is not aware of or is unable to damage.  You and your allies will never be targeted unless you are the only valid target; if the attack is redirected back at the attacker, the attack automatically threatens and confirms a critical hit.

Ritual of Bitter Winter, Advanced
   The air around you in a 75 foot radius emanation becomes bitter cold, dealing 6d6 points of cold damage and 2d6 points of negative energy to creatures each round.  Living creatures that take damage from this ritual must make a Fort save or be exhausted for 1 round, and creatures that fail their Fort save must also make a Will save at the same DC or gain a negative level.  In addition, heavy snow falls in the area, imposing a -2 penalty on Spot, Search, and Listen checks, and ranged attacks.  All sight, including darkvision, is reduced to a range of 5 feet, and creatures 5 feet away have concealment.  Any space that is within the area of this ritual for 3 consecutive rounds becomes snow-covered (costing 4 squares of movement to enter) until 3 rounds after it is no longer within the area. You are not impeded by snow.

Ritual of Blood Summoning, Advanced
   When you discharge this ritual you can choose to reduce your hit point total to summon a powerful outsider to attack your enemies.  Since this is a voluntary reduction in hit points, it cannot be prevented or reduced by any means, or paid for with temporary hit points.  If you attempt to spend more hit points than your current hit point total + 9, the ritual fails.  The summoned creature disappears when the duration of the ritual effect ends.  100 hp: An Ice Devil or a Nalfeshnee.  150 hp: A Marilith or a Horned Devil.  Your maximum hp plus 9 (minimum 200 hp): A Balor or a Pit Fiend.

Ritual of Plague, Advanced
   You become a carrier of an infectious disease that infects any creature that comes into direct physical contact with you (even if only for the moment of a single attack). The initial infection functions as the contagion spell, using this ritual's save DC. For the duration of the ritual, you take a penalty to your ability scores equal to the maximum total amount of ability damage or drain the disease can cause to that score at once (even if you are otherwise immune or resistant to disease or ability damage).  When you cast this ritual, you may choose one of Enervating End and Psychic Degeneration. Creatures adjacent to you at the beginning of your turn are also at risk of infection as though you had touched them, and you can affect a given creature with this ritual any number of times per round.  In addition, creatures infected by this ritual's disease can also spread it to creatures other than yourself until cured, as per Greater Ritual of Plague (using the disease's normal save DC)

Vampiric Circle, Advanced
   You draw lifeforce from creatures nearby into yourself.  Every round, any creature within 75 feet of you takes 6d8 points of negative energy damage and 1d4 points each of Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution damage (Fort save to negate the ability damage); you gain 7 temporary hit points for each creature affected this way.  Temporary hit points from this ritual stack with each other, and last for 1 hour or until used up.

Witchblood's Spell Ritual, Advanced
   This ritual duplicates the effect of one necromancy spell of 7th level or lower, from any spell list. The spell to be duplicated must have a casting time no greater than one standard action, a duration longer than instantaneous, and must be of personal or fixed range.  The caster level of the spell is equal to your caster level for the ritual, and the duration is determined by the duration of the ritual or the duration of the spell (for the given caster level), whichever is less.  You choose the spell to be duplicated when you cast the ritual.  Discharging this ritual requires a full-round action.  Valid uses for Witchblood's Spell Ritual

[Garryl]

Evil Eye needs "minimum -1" so it does something at 1st level. The class could probably use something else at 1st level, regardless. Poor BaB, simple weapons, light armor, and a d6 HD doesn't make for much at 1st level, even if you are tossing out the occasional small penalty.

[sirpercival]

Would bumping the dark shepherd to level 1 make up for it?  Or should I leave that at level 2 and add something else?  I could add in minor rituals, too...

[Garryl]

I'd be tempted to move the Dark Shepherd up to 4th or 5th, personally. Imps and Quasits are actually tough little buggers at 2nd level, and with some good skills and SLAs, too.

How about moving all of the ritual casting up a level (minor @1st, least at 5th, etc.), Dark Shepherd to 4th, and something minor at 2nd. Maybe the ability to use Command on weak minds (creatures with HD less than your class level), similar to that Witchblood-race racial thingy?

[sirpercival]

Great ideas!  I'll do it.  I may redistribute the other things slightly so there are no dead levels, as well.

[Garryl]

Hey, I was just taking another look at the ritual list. Does the Witchblood have any unique rituals (other than the spell rituals) on its list? It has a very limited list, and just about everything there is copied from the Ritualist list.

[sirpercival]

Hey, I was just taking another look at the ritual list. Does the Witchblood have any unique rituals (other than the spell rituals) on its list? It has a very limited list, and just about everything there is copied from the Ritualist list.

I think just Circle of Pain.  I always meant to do more unique rits for this and Redeemed, but I never really got around to it.  Of course, CoP is also on the Circle Master list, but w/e.

[Garryl]

Some new rituals, designed specifically for the Witchblood.

Hexed Circle: Whenever a creature other than yourself within range makes a melee attack, that is instead directed at a random creature within the attacker's reach instead of its intended target if the attacker fails a Will save. The redirected attack's target is chosen randomly from all targets the attacker could attack (including the intended target, and creatures the attacker is not aware of or is unable to damage).
- Least: 10' radius, all targets have an equal chance of being attacked
- Lesser: 20' radius, you are half as likely as any other target to be attacked
- Greater: 30' radius, you will never be attacked unless you are the only valid target, and your enemies are twice as likely as any other targets to be attacked
- Advanced: 50' radius, as greater, and your allies will never be attacked unless they are the only valid targets, and if the attack is redirected to the attacker it automatically threatens and confirms a critical hit

Ritual of Plague: You become a carrier of an infectious disease that infects any creature that comes into direct physical contact with you (even if only for the moment of a single attack). The initial infection functions as a contagion spell, using this ritual's save DC. For the duration of the ritual, you take a penalty to your ability scores equal to the maximum total amount of ability damage or drain the disease can cause to that score at once (even if you are otherwise immune or resistant to disease or ability damage).
- Minor: Can cause Mindfire or Filth Fever. A given creature is at risk of infection no more than once per round.
- Least: As minor, and can choose from Devil Chills and Shakes.
- Lesser: As least, and can choose from Blinding Sickness, Red Ache, and Slimy Doom. Can affect a given creature any number of times per round.
- Greater: As lesser, and can choose from Cackle Fever, Demon Fever, and Mummy Rot. Creatures adjacent to you at the beginning of your turn are also at risk of infection as though you had touched them.
- Advanced: As greater, and can choose from Enervating End and Psychic Degeneration. Creatures infected by this ritual's disease can also spread it to creatures other than yourself until cured, as per Greater Ritual of Plague (using the disease's normal save DC).

Annihilation Zone (Advanced): Three rounds after discharging this ritual, all matter within 30 feet of your space when you discharged it is completely annihilated, as if it had come in contact with a Sphere of Annihilation.

[sirpercival]

Are you going to port those diseases over to minmax?

These are awesome, I'll definitely add them.  Maybe this will give me the motivation to update all the ritual lists in the class pages...