Deathlock

[Stratovarius]

Deathlock



Skeletally thin, this figure wears a dramatic cloak fringed with magical sigils. Its cadaverous eyes sizzle with cursed power, and deadly spells dance on its fingertips.

Deathlocks are undead born of the corpses of powerful spellcasters whose remains are so charged with magic that they are unable to lie quiet in the grave. Animate, but shorn of the spirit that once ruled their forms, deathlocks seek to bring all those they meet into an intimate embrace with death. Only their knowledge of spellcasting remains, though twisted and changed.

Sometimes deathlocks retain a single shred of memory from their former spirits. If the recollection was dear to the spirit that once inhabited the now shriveled and blasted body of the deathlock, the creature usually seeks out the source of that memory, hoping to destroy it, compromise it, or undo the deeds associated with it.

Table 1: The Deathlock
Hit Die: d12

Code: [Select]

Level  BAB    Ref   Fort  Will   Special Abilities   
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  1    +0     +0    +0    +2     Deathlock Body, Remembered Magics 
  2    +1     +0    +0    +3     Remembered Magics           
  3    +1     +1    +1    +3     Remembered Magics, Magic Eternal   

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration (Cha), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)

Requirements:
Special: Must be humanoid or monstrous humanoid
             
Class Features
A deathlock prefers to use its spell-like abilities from a distance, disdaining melee. Thus, it can also use inflict minor wounds to heal itself.

Deathlock Body
The Deathlock loses all other racial bonuses, and gains the following Undead traits.

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* No Constitution score.
* Darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
* Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
* Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
* Heals naturally.
* Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
* Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
* Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
* Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
* Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

It is a medium sized undead with one bite natural attack dealing 1d4 + 1.5 Strength modifier damage and a base speed of 30 feet. It gains a +2 bonus on turn resistance, and a +1 bonus on natural armour.

Remembered Magics
At each level of the Deathlock class, the character recalls some small, but increasing, measure of the power that he once had. His caster level is equal to his class level.

At first level, he gains the ability to cast detect magic, inflict minor wounds, and read magic at will.
At second level, he gains the ability to cast cause fear, magic missile, and summon monster I three times a day.
At third level, he gains the ability to cast death knell and ghoul glyph twice a day.

Magic Eternal
If the Deathlock subsequently takes a level in an arcane casting class, his levels in Deathlock stack with the arcane caster class for all casting purposes (caster level, spell slots, spells known).