Prestige Classes

BLACKWEAVE WARLOCK

The blackweave is the githyanki term for negative energy, which they view as an essential component of all matter. The blackweave warlock is an arcane spellcaster who specializes in harnessing this energy, unleashing its powerfully destructive force on the enemies of the githyanki. At the cost of progressing in her knowledge of other schools of magic, the blackweave warlock becomes a master of necromancy, to the point where her entire body becomes suffused with negative energy and her touch is as deadly as that of the undead. Many blackweave warlocks are sorcerers, though a number of necromancer wizards also choose to focus on necromancy so extensively. Although blackweave warlocks are very combat-focused (like all githyanki warlocks), they almost never multiclass except with this class, choosing instead to attain the maximum development of their spellcasting ability. Blackweave warlocks are not the sort of necromancers who hide in cemeteries performing grotesque experiments on corpses or undead. Rather, they are respected and feared members of the githyanki armies, marching into battle in the name of the Lich-Queen. In the current invasion, blackweave warlocks are valued for small-scale operations including raids and missions of assassination or terror.

Hit Die: d6.

Requirements

To qualify to become a blackweave warlock, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Race: Githyanki.

Alignment: Any evil.

Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 9 ranks, Spellcraft 9 ranks.

Feats: Spell Focus (Necromancy).

Spellcasting: Able to cast ray of exhaustion and vampiric touch.

Special: In order to be accepted into the order of blackweave warlocks, a character must perform a sacrifice of a living, intelligent humanoid, using only magic to torture and then kill the victim.

Class Skills

The blackweave warlock's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table: The Blackweave Warlock

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the blackweave warlock prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Blackweave warlocks gain no proficiency with any weapons or armor.

Bonus Spells per Day: Similar to bonus spells for high ability scores, for each level of blackweave warlock that a spellcasting character attains, she gains bonus spells to the number of arcane spells per day she normally casts. These bonus spells can be added to whatever levels of spells the blackweave warlock can currently cast, but no more than one can be added to the character's highest current spell level. In addition, the character can never have more daily spells of a certain level than of a lower level (except cantrips). For example, Khosuvh is a 6th-level sorcerer who takes one level in blackweave warlock. He can give himself one bonus 3rd-level spell (his highest as a 6th-level sorcerer), and one bonus spell in one other level: 0, 1st, or 2nd.

If a blackweave warlock has two arcane spellcasting classes already, she must choose which previous spellcasting class gains each bonus spell. For example, Geatroth is a 6th-level sorcerer/3rd-level wizard, with one level of blackweave warlock. Conceivably, Geatroth could have a bonus 2nd-level wizard spell and a bonus 3rd-level sorcerer spell, or he could put both bonus spells in either sorcerer or wizard, but then only one of them could be his maximum spell level. Bonus spells cannot be added to a divine spellcasting class.

Once a blackweave warlock has chosen how to apply a given bonus spell, it cannot be shifted.

Additional Spells Known: If she was previously a sorcerer or bard, a blackweave warlock gains additional spells known with each level of blackweave warlock she attains. These additional spells known can be of any levels of spells the blackweave warlock can currently cast, but no more than one can be added to the character's current highest spell level. In addition, the character can never known more spells of a certain level than she does of a lower level (except cantrips). For example, Khosuvh is a 6th-level sorcerer who takes one level in blackweave warlock. He can learn one additional 3rd-level spell (his highest as a 6th-level sorcerer), and one bonus spell in any other level, 0 through 2nd.

Necromancer: A blackweave warlock adds her class level to any previous arcane spellcasting levels to determine her caster level for spells from the Necromancy school. For example, Khosuvh is a 6th-level wizard/3rd-level blackweave warlock. When casting Necromancy spells, his caster level is 9th; for all other spells it is 6th.

For every 4 levels of blackweave warlock, the character's caster level for Necromancy spells increases by an additional +1. When Khosuvh reaches 4th level, his caster level increases to 11th for spells of the Necromancy school.

Weapon Focus: A blackweave warlock gains Weapon Focus as a bonus feat at 1st level. She can choose whether to apply the feat to rays or to touch spells.

Death Touch (Su): Starting at 2nd level, a blackweave warlock has the supernatural ability to slay living opponents with a single touch. She must succeed at a melee touch attack against the target. When she touches, she rolls 2d6 per warlock level. If the total at least equals the target's current hit points, it dies. This is a death effect.

A blackweave warlock can use this ability more often as she increases in levels, as shown on Table: The Blackweave Warlock.

New Spell Level: When a blackweave warlock reaches 3rd level, and again when she reaches 6th level and 9th level, she gains the ability to cast spells of one level higher than she was previously able to cast. Initially, she can cast 0 spells of this level, but bonus spells (from a high ability score or her blackweave warlock bonus spells) can increase this number. She also initially knows 0 spells of this level (if she is a sorcerer or bard), so in order to cast any spells she must allocate her additional spell known to that level. For example, Khosuvh is a 6th-level sorcerer/2nd-level blackweave warlock. When he reaches 3rd level as a blackweave warlock, he gains the ability to cast 4th-level sorcerer spells. He must allocate one of his bonus spells to 4th level in order to cast any 4th-level spells, unless his Charisma is high enough (18 or higher) to give him a bonus 4th-level spell. He also must allocate his additional spell known to 4th level so that he has one spell to cast.

Death Ward (Su): At 7th level, a blackweave warlock gains immunity to negative energy and death attacks, as if constantly protected by a death ward spell.

Energy Drain (Su): At 10th level, a blackweave warlock's touch drains life energy, just like the touch of certain undead creatures. Living creatures hit by the warlock's touch attack receive two negative levels. The Fortitude save to remove the negative level has a DC of 20 + the warlock's Charisma modifier. (If the blackweave warlock has Weapon Focus with touch spells, it applies to this energy-draining touch as well.)