FeatsFiendish Codex I
MAIN SECTION FEATSABYSS-BOUND SOUL [VILE]You have pledged your immortal soul to a particular demon lord in return for a gift that aids your evil works in life. Prerequisite: Evil Brand, Thrall to Demon. Benefit: Your evil brand incorporates the personal symbol of your demon lord patron, who watches over you from the Abyss. You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws made against spells with the good descriptor. Additionally, a tiny portion of your patron’s power infuses your body, granting you an additional benefit. The exact benefit gained depends on who your patron is, as given below. Baphomet: You deal double damage with weapons when you charge. Dagon: You can breathe water as well as you can breathe air. Demogorgon: Once per day, you can automatically summon a tanar’ri with a CR equal to or less than one-half your character level. The summoned demon follows your commands and remains at your side for up to 1 hour. This ability is the equivalent of a spell cast at a level equal to your character level. Fraz-Urb’luu: You cast illusion spells at +1 caster level. Graz’zt: You have immunity to fear effects. Juiblex: You gain resistance to acid 5 (or your current resistance to acid increases by 5). Kostchtchie: You gain resistance to cold 5 (or your current resistance to cold increases by 5). Malcanthet: You cast enchantment spells at +1 caster level. Obox-ob: Your natural armor bonus increases by 1. Orcus: You cast necromancy spells at +1 caster level. Pale Night: You have immunity to insanity and confusion effects. Pazuzu:While flying, you gain a +2 profane bonus on Reflex saves. Yeenoghu: When you attack with natural weapons, you gain a +1 profane bonus on attack and damage rolls. Zuggtmoy: You ignore extra damage from critical hits and sneak attacks 25% of the time. Special:When you die, your soul becomes the personal plaything of your demon patron. You can be restored to life only by true resurrection,miracle, or wish. BLOOD WAR CONSCRIPT [VILE]Your evil brand indicates your rank in the armies of the Blood War and infuses you with fury. Prerequisite: Evil Brand. Benefit: Against lawful or good enemies, you gain a +1 profane bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. CHAOTIC SPELL RECALL [ABYSSAL HERITOR]A few choice spells never stray far from your mind. Prerequisite: Any one Abyssal heritor feat, ability to prepare and cast spells. Benefit: Once per day, you can recall one spell with (he chaotic descriptor that you had prepared and then cast. The spell is then prepared again, just as if it had not been cast. You recall the spell as a swift action. The spell can be of any level you know, and you can recall the same spell or a different spell every time you use this teat. You gain an additional daily use of this ability for every two abyssal heritor feats you possess. Special: Your mind frequently fills with chaotic thoughts, imposing a –2 penalty on Concentration checks. CLAWS OF THE BEAST [ABYSSAL HERITOR]Your hands are twisted like claws. This deformity allows you to deal more damage than usual with your unarmed strikes and sneak attacks. Benefit: Your natural weapons or unarmed strikes gain a +1 profane bonus on damage rolls. This bonus increases by 1 for every two Abyssal heritor feats you possess. Special: Your talons make subtle manipulation of objects more difficult, imposing a –2 penalty on Sleight of Hand checks. CLOAK OF THE OBYRITH [ABYSSAL HERITOR]The chaos of the Abyss suffuses your being, as it does the ancient obyriths. Prerequisite: Chaotic alignment. Benefit: You gain damage reduction 1/lawful. The amount of damage reduction increases by 1 for each additional Abyssal heritor feat you possess. Special: You are careless when it comes to your own fundamental well-being and take a –2 penalty on Survival checks. DARK SPEECH [VILE]You learn a smattering of the language of truly dark power. Prerequisite:Will save bonus +5, Int 15, Cha 15. Benefit: You can use the Dark Speech to bring loathing and fear to others, to help cast evil spells and create evil magic items, and to weaken physical objects. The four basic uses are detailed below. Dread: Whenever you use Dark Speech in this manner, you take 1d4 points of Charisma damage, and every other creature in a 30-foot radius must attempt a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Cha modifier). The result of a failed save by a listener depends on the listener’s character level and alignment, as detailed on the table below.
Power: Whenever you use Dark Speech in this manner, you take 1d4 points of Charisma damage. By incorporating the Dark Speech into the verbal component of a spell, you increase its effective caster level by 1. By using it during the creation of an evil magic item, you increase its caster level by 1 without increasing the cost. Corruption: As a full-round action, you can whisper vile words at an inanimate object and reduce its hardness by half. This use does not drain you, but you cannot use the ability more than once on a single object. Dark Unity: You can use Dark Speech to establish a hive mind in any swarm of vermin or animals with an Intelligence score of 2 or lower. Thereafter, you can give the swarm one command as per the suggestion spell (caster level equals your Hit Dice). Whenever you Infuse a swarm in this manner, you take 1d4 points of Constitution damage. Normal: Attempting to utter a word of Dark Speech always ends in immediate death for a speaker who is not trained in its dark power. It is impossible to make someone use the Dark Speech it he is unwilling because the language’s pronunciation is so exacting. Special: You gain a +4 circumstance bonus on saving throws made when someone uses the Dark Speech against you. DEMONIC CONDUIT [VILE]Your evil brand incorporates blasphemous runes and sigils that augment magical attacks you make against lawful and/or good targets. Prerequisite: Evil Brand. Benefit: The save DC for any spell you cast against a lawful or good creature increases by 1. Against lawful good targets, the save DC increases by 2. DEMONIC SKIN [ABYSSAL HERITOR]Your skin has rough, scaly patches that enhance your natural armor. Benefit: Your natural armor bonus improves by 1. This improvement increases by 1 for every two Abyssal heritor feats you possess. If you do not have natural armor, assume your natural armor bonus is +0. Special: Your thickened skin tends to catch on objects and makes you less flexible. Because of these effects, you take a –2 penalty on Escape Artist checks. DEMONIC SNEAK ATTACK [ABYSSAL HERITOR]You know exactly how to twist the blade to get the most out of your sneak attacks. Prerequisite: Sneak attack class feature. Benefit:When you make a successful sneak attack, you can reroll a number of sneak attack damage dice equal to the number of Abyssal heritor feats you possess. You must take the results of the rerolled dice. Special: You trade feints for finesse and find it difficult to hide your more malicious intentions; consequently, you take a –2 penalty on Bluff checks. DEMON MASTERY []You are particularly skilled at summoning demons and convincing them to serve you. Benefit: You gain a –2 bonus on Charisma checks made to resolve the effects of planar binding and similar spells. Additionally, whenever you use a spell to summon a demon, your effective caster level increases by 1 for the purpose of resolving its effects. EVIL BRAND [VILE]You are physically marked forever as the servant of an evil power greater than yourself—in this case, a demon lord. The symbols is unquestionable in its perversity, depicting a depravity so unthinkable that all who see it know beyond a doubt that you serve the lords of the Abyss. Benefit: Evil creatures automatically recognize the symbol now emblazoned upon you as a sign of your utter depravity or discipleship to a powerful demon lord, although the brand does not necessarily reveal your patron’s identity. You gain a –2 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks made against evil creatures. EXTRACT DEMONIC ESSENCE []You can draw upon the living essence of a willing or captured demon to fuel the creation of items or the casting of potent spells. Prerequisite: Any two item creation feats, Demon Mastery. Benefit:Whenever you need to expend experience points to craft a magic item or cast a spell with an XP component, you can draw upon the life force of a nearby demon to reduce the XP cost to you. Before beginning the process, you must secure a demon whose Hit Dice equal or exceed the easier level of the item or spell in question. The demon could be one that you summoned with a planar ally spell, or one that you have bound with a planar binding255 spell, or even one that you simply encountered and convinced to aid you. The demon need not be willing, but it must remain within 30 feet of you for the duration of your work on the item or the casting time of the spell, and you must have line of effect (but not necessarily line of sight) to it during that time. Drawing essence from a demon does not increase the time required to craft the item or cast the spell, but the process is draining for both you and the demon. Each of you takes 1d6 points of Constitution damage when the essence is channeled from the demon into your body, then converted into magical energy. An unwilling demon can attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Cha modifier) to resist removal of its essence. Success negates your use of this feat and forces you to either pay the full cost yourself or abort the creation or casting. Successfully drawing essence from a demon in this way reduces the XP cost of the spell or item creation by one- half, but it complicates the process. If you use this feat to reduce the XP cost of a spell, you must succeed on a Concentration check (DC 20 + the demon’s HD) to cast the spell, if you use this feat to offset the XP cost of crafting a magic item the demon’s essence has a 10% chance to corrupt the item in someway, imbuing it with a curse. (The DM determines the nature of this curse randomly by rolling on the tables on pages 272–273 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. EYES OF THE ABYSS [ABYSSAL HERITOR]Your eyes glow with an inner tire of some unusual color. This glow increases your perception and allows you to see in the dark. Prerequisite: Any one other Abyssal heritor feat. Benefit: You gain darkvision out to a range of 30 feet and a bonus on Search and Spot checks. The amount of this bonus equals the number of Abyssal heritor feats you possess. Special: Your glowing eyes are disconcerting and distracting to those with whom you interact. This effect manifests as a –2 penalty on Diplomacy checks. HEART OF THE NABASSU [ABYSSAL HERITOR]Your ancestry traces back to a place where the Abyss meets the Negative Energy Plane. Benefit: You can absorb harmlessly a number of negative levels per day equal to the number of Abyssal heritor feats you possess. For example, if you have two Abyssal heritor feats, you can gain up to two negative levels on a given day and not suffer any ill effects. Special: Your barest tie to the Negative Energy Plane is offputting to animals. You take a –2 penalty on Handle Animal checks. KEEPER OF FORBIDDEN LORE [ABYSSAL HERITOR]A shred of demonic racial memory grants you knowledge of numerous ancient magical secrets. Prerequisite: Int 13. Benefit: You gain a bonus on Knowledge (the planes), Spellcraft, and bardic knowledge checks. The magnitude of this bonus equals the number of Abyssal heritor feats you possess. In addition, Knowledge (the planes) and Spellcraft are always class skills for you, and you can use them untrained. Special: You have trouble acquiring information in more conventional ways, which translates to a –2 penalty on Gather Information checks. ORDERED CHAOS []You are an unusually lawful Abyssal heritor. Prerequisite: Nonchaotic alignment. base Will save +4. Benefit: Your alignment is not affected by the Abyssal heritor feats you possess. Spells and effects that are keyed to alignment affect you as if you were chaotic, as well as your actual alignment. For example, you become immune to spells such as chaos hammer and word of chaos, you could wield an anarchic weapon without tear of gaining a negative level, and you could take the Primordial Scion feat despite its chaotic alignment prerequisite. OTHERWORLDLY COUNTENANCE [ABYSSAL HERITOR]You are either stunningly beautiful or wretchedly hideous. Either way, your appearance can be terribly unsettling to others upon whom you focus your attentions. Prerequisite: Cha 15. Benefit:When you take this feat, you must decide whether you are unusually beautiful or unusually hideous. Once you make this choice, you cannot change it. You gain a bonus on Perform checks (if you chose beauty) or Intimidate checks (if you chose ugliness) equal to the number of Abyssal heritor feats you possess. As a full-round action, you can attempt to distract a target within 30 feet by focusing your attention upon it. The target must be able to see you and can resist your distracting appearance by making a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Cha modifier). Failure indicates that the target is fascinated (if you are beautiful) or sickened (if you are ugly) for as long as you remain in its line of sight. You can affect a specific creature in this manner only once per day. This ability is usable a number of times per day equal to the number of Abyssal heritor feats you possess. Special: Your appearance is so striking that it’s difficult to hide. You take a –2 penalty on Disguise checks.256 POISON HEALER []Poison isn’t always bad for you. Prerequisite: Great Fortitude, Con 13. Benefit: Any time you succeed on a Fortitude save against a poison, you heal a number of hit points of damage equal to your Constitution bonus. POISON TALONS [ABYSSAL HERITOR]Your claws drip with poison. Prerequisite: Claws of the Beast, any two other Abyssal heritor teats. Benefit: Once per hour, you can secrete poison onto your claws as a swift action. This poison remains in place until you damage a target with your claws. At that point, the creature struck must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Con modifier) or take 1d4 points of Strength damage. One minute later, the victim must save again or take an additional 1d4 points of Strength damage. You are immune to your own poison. The poison you secrete from your talons cannot be collected or preserved. Special: Although you are immune to your own toxin, its presence tends to complicate the process of providing medical aid to others. Therefore, you take a –2 penalty on Heal checks. PRECOGNITIVE VISIONS [ABYSSAL HERITOR]You periodically experience visions from the near future. Prerequisite:Wis 13, any one Abyssal heritor feat. Benefit: Your visions reflect possible futures, and you can act to ensure or resist them. You gain a number of floating+1 insight bonuses equal to one-half the number of Abyssal heritor feats you possess (minimum 1). The bonuses last 24 hours, and you must reassign them at the start of each new day. You can assign each bonus to one of the following:
Since insight bonuses do not stack, it’s best to assign each one to a different kind of roll or check. Special: Your visions tend to create unwelcome hallucinations. This effect imposes a –2 penalty on Spot checks. PRIMORDIAL SCION [ABYSSAL HERITOR]The Abyss beckons… Prerequisite: Chaotic alignment, any one Abyssal heritor feat. Benefit: Your natural weapons, as well as any weapons you wield, are treated as chaotic-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. In addition, attacks you make with such weapons deal an extra 1d6 points of damage to lawful creatures. This bonus increases by an additional 1d6 for every four Abyssal heritor feats you possess. Special: Because of the chaotic whispers in your head, you take a –2 penalty on Listen checks. THRALL TO DEMON [VILE]You formally become a supplicant to a demon lord. In return for your obedience, you gain a small measure of that demon lord’s power. Prerequisite: Chaotic evil alignment. Benefit: Once per day, while performing an evil act, you can call upon your demonic patron and gain a +1 luck bonus on anyone attack roll, saving throw, ability check, skill check, or level check. Special: You can take this feat only once. If you take it, you cannot take the Disciple of Darkness or Scion of Sorrow feats (both described in Champions of Ruin), which link you in a similar way to powerful archdevils or yugoloth lords. VESTIGIAL WINGS [ABYSSAL HERITOR]A pair of vestigial wings sprouts from your shoulders. Benefit: Your wings aren’t formed enough to allow true flight, but they do enhance your ability to jump. You gain a bonus on Jump checks equal to +3 per Abyssal heritor feat you possess. Your wings can also slow your fall. As long as you can take move actions, you can control a fall so that you land without taking damage. You cannot, however, alter the direction you fall. Special: Because your wings create additional drag while you swim, you take a –2 penalty on Swim checks. |