What man is, God once was. What God is, man may become.
The MessiahMan has always longed for a savior, someone to take from them the very pains of day-to-day existence.
And sometimes, one comes to them.
What man never checks is where this messiah came from, and what they will do to save them...
Long live the new flesh.
Alignment: Any, though they tend towards Evil.
HD: d8
Skill points per level: 4+int
Skill points at 1st level: 4*(4+int)
Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Blemishes Readied | Blemishes Known |
1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Penitents like Grains of Sand (1), Unnatural Form, Disguised Form | 1 | 1 |
2 | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Stern Voice of the Teacher (Command), Vinegar as Honey Understanding | 1 | 2 |
3 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Penitents like Grains of Sand (2) | 1 | 2 |
4 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Favored Mutilation, Voice of the Choir | 2 | 3 |
5 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Penitents like Grains of Sand (3) | 2 | 4 |
6 | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Stern Voice of the Teacher (Willing Service), Sacrosanct Beauty | 3 | 4 |
7 | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Penitents like Grains of Sand (4) | 3 | 5 |
8 | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Favored Mutilation | 4 | 6 |
9 | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Penitents like Grains of Sand (5) | 4 | 6 |
10 | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Stern Voice of the Teacher (Greater Command), Ascended Form (Outsider) | 5 | 7 |
11 | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Penitents like Grains of Sand (6) | 5 | 8 |
12 | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Favored Mutilation | 6 | 8 |
13 | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Penitents like Grains of Sand (7) | 6 | 9 |
14 | +7/+2 | +4 | +4 | +9 | Stern Voice of the Teacher (Part of One's Nature), Ascended Form (Untouchable Grace) | 7 | 10 |
15 | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Penitents like Grains of Sand (8) | 7 | 10 |
16 | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Favored Mutilation | 8 | 11 |
17 | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Penitents like Grains of Sand (9), Ascended Form (Beauty without Measure) | 8 | 12 |
18 | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | Stern Voice of the Teacher (As the Birds and Bushes) | 9 | 12 |
19 | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | Penitents like Grains of Sand (10) | 9 | 13 |
20 | +10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | Favored Mutilation, Faith as Fetters | 10 | 14 |
Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Oratory), Search (Int), Speak Language (NA), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex)
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Messiah is proficient in all Simple weapons and Light armor.
Outcast: A Messiah is an Outcast, a being that does not belong to the place where they are, no matter where they are. Every Outcast has an Outcast level, which is equal to the sum of their levels in every Outcast class; in addition, every Outcast has a Warp score, which is equal to half their Outcast level (but see Favored Mutilation, below).
Blemishes: All Outcasts gain preternatural abilities that are in direct violation to the world around them, called Blemishes. An Outcast's Blemishes warp the world around them until the Universe is forced to accept their presence, resulting in the strange powers of the Outcast. All Blemishes are extraordinary abilities unless stated otherwise, and those Blemishes which allow saves have a DC equal to the 10 + the Outcast's Warp score + the Outcast's key ability modifier, as detailed in the individual Outcast class descriptions.
Blemishes may be suppressed by a creature which has the ability to Turn or Rebuke a particular type of creature, based on the specific Outcast class. Such a creature makes a turning attempt, rolling their Turning check against a DC equal to the Outcast level of the Blemish; if they are successful, all Blemishes benefiting the Outcast are suppressed until the Outcast readies them again (see below).
The saving throws against a Blemish are equal to 10+the character's Warp+the granting class' Key Ability Modifier; a Messiah's Key Ability Modifier is Charisma.
Unnatural Form (Ex): At every level other than 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th, a Mesiah learns a Blemish, a physical or metaphysical mutation that grants them certain powers. However, they don't automatically benefit from these mutations; they must prepare a selected few from the ones they have gained through their Messiah levels, which are drawn from their class Blemish list below. They learn new Blemishes and may ready a number of them according to the table above, along with any they would be able to prepare due to any other classes that grant Blemishes Known and Readied.
To prepare their Blemishes a Messiah needs 10 minutes to utter blasphemous prayers and unholy rites to their masters. During this time, they choose from among their known Blemishes those which they wish to use and prepares a number of Blemishes as shown on the table above. They do not benefit from any Blemishes they have not chosen through this process, although they are considered to have them for the purposes of prerequisites. They may prepare Blemishes at any time during the day, any number of times in a day they wish, as long as they have the time to do so.
A Messiah must prepare their maximum number of Blemishes, unless a feat or ability says otherwise. A Messiah's Blemishes gained through their Messiah levels may be suppressed by spending a use of Turn or Rebuke Heretics, within the area of a Divine Interdiction spell, or spending a use of a Quell's [Insert name of Quell's Divine Interdiction ability].
Of course, there are drawbacks to this capability that are all too readily apparent to the people around the Messiah. A Messiah receives a penalty to all Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal, and wild empathy checks equal to their Warp, and are detected as Evil by any ability that detects evil alignment. This class feature counts as having Aberration Blood and Evil Brand for the purpose of meeting prerequisites.
Disguised Form (Ex): You were sent to bring a glorious message of change to the world; however, they run, screaming, from the one that would teach them! And so, you must learn what they find normal and pleasing, and allow that to define your presence...
A Messiah receives a competence bonus on all Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks equal to their Warp.
Penitents like Grains of Sand (Ex): Those that here your message tend to listen; yes, verily, your beautiful words tickle the ears of those in power, giving you friends in places others would not expect...
At 1st level, a Messiah begins to gain
Contacts as in the variant linked; however, they gain Contacts at a rate given by the progression above.
In addition, they may, at their option, forgo any normal benefits a Contact might give to instead gain the benefits of associating with a guild, along with any benefits that being Favored in that guild might bring.
Finally, their Contacts are their Supplicants; due to this, the Messiah gains a number of points of Temporary Warp equal to the number of living Supplicants they have, which may be spent as a free action on a Blemish to increase its warp by 1 for a duration of 1 round. The Messiah's Temporary Warp pool refreshes whenever they take time to change their blemishes.
A slain Supplicant may be replaced after a week, as their beautiful words take time to percolate throughout society. A Messiah who has no living Supplicants cannot use any of their supernatural class features until they replace at least one Supplicant.
Supplicants are defended from the prying eyes of outsiders; there is no way for a Divination effect to determine whether or not a given creature is a Supplicant or not.
Vinegar as Honey Understanding (Su): Unlike some of your cousins, the ability to cast off your beautiful form and walk amongst your beloved flock is not yours to use. And so, you simply alter your presence to bring your beauty into their eyes.
At 2nd level, any creature that looks at a Messiah is required to make a Will Save against the save DC for one of the Messiah's Blemishes. If they fail, the Messiah treats all penalties to skills and other checks as untyped bonuses when dealing with that creature. A creature receives a new save if they see that Messiah do anything that they would define as horrific behavior (eating rotting flesh, wearing the flayed skin of a child, and so on and so forth), but otherwise the duration of this ability is indefinite.
This is a Mind-Affecting ability.
Stern Voice of the Teacher (Su): Your message means nothing if people will not listen to you; it means nothing indeed...
At 2nd level, a Messiah gains the ability to use
Command as a Supernatural ability at-will.
At 6th level, this ability is no longer a Compulsion effect.
At 10th level, this ability is upgraded to the ability to use
Greater Command at will, with a caster level equal to their Outcast level.
At 14th level, this ability is no longer Mind Affecting.
At 18th level, this ability is no longer Language Dependent; they simply speak, and the world obeys, as is only right.
Voice of the Choir (Ex): It would be ridiculous for one who speaks to the world for the world to be unable to understand;and it is only right that penitents would lay their wealth below the feet of one who speaks to them the truth.
At 4th level, a Messiah may make a Perform (Oratory) check to be understood by any creature listening to them; the DC for this check is DC 20 for languages that share an alphabet with one that the Messiah knows, and DC 30 for languages unrelated to any that they know.
This Perform (Oratory) check counts as a normal perform check to make money, except that the money made is from a single speech of at least 30 minutes, as those sermonized to simply divulge themselves of their valuables, laying them at their savior's feet.
Favored Mutilation (Ex): It would be ridiculous to be held to a single standard of development; that is for heretics and the useless. The prayers of the faithful are more than enough to shape you, and to shape them in turn.
At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a Messiah may select a single Blemish that they know through this class; their Warp for that Blemish is equal to their Outcast level.
Sacrosanct Beauty (Su): The mere fact of one's presence brings tears of joy to the eyes of those with faith; it would disappoint if that beauty was lost, wouldn't it?
A Messiah of at least 6th level adds their Charisma bonus as a bonus to all their Saving throws as a Perfection bonus.
Ascended Form (Su): The faith of the faithful is enough to cause one to ascend to nigh godhood... it is wonder and beauty.
At 10th level, a Messiah's type changes to Outsider; do not recalculate their BAB, HP, skills, or saving throws due to this change. They can still be resurrected as if they were their original type.
At 14th level, the Messiah is permanently under the effects of a Supernatural Sanctuary effect, except that the save DC is determined as if it were a Blemish, and the Messiah is able to attack another creature without risking the Sanctuary effect being lost.
At 17th level, the Messiah gains their Warp as a bonus to all Charisma based skill checks and ability checks, and calculates their HP total using their Charisma modifier in the place of their Constitution modifier.
Faith as Fetters (Su): The faithful will not let their teacher leave; is this not a thing of horror?
A Messiah of 20th level is immortal; at a single time each day that they designate for worship, they are restored to their most pristine form.
All ability score damage, drain, and burn is removed; in addition, they are healed to full health, any curses, diseases, or poisons that might be affecting them are removed, and any negative effects that they are subjected to are negated.
In addition, if they are dead at this time, they are restored to life as with a True Resurrection spell, either where their body lies, or where one of their supplicants are praying.
Notes
So, as you might notice, this class is a lot less combat focused than the Pariah; however, they are far better at having friends in high places, and, while they may have less of them, their Blemishes can be empowered to make them far stronger than those of a Pariah.
Also, it is important to realize; your supplicants don't have to be important people; in fact, you could designate a random farmer's wife as a Contact, for example, using her to learn of local gossip.
Impressions that helped form this class are the SCP Foundation, some Sci Fi short stories I can't remember right now, and Friend from 20th Century Boys.