Hunter of the Dead

The hunter of the dead spends each restless night tracking undead to their lairs and cleansing the land of their foul presence.

#### Requirements

**Base Attack Bonus:** +5

**Alignment:** Any nonevil

**Skills:** Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks

**Special:** Able to turn undead.

**Special:** *Scar of Unlife:* The character must have lost one level or had an ability score point drained by an undead creature. Even if the loss is later offset by magic, this is the scar of unlife that all hunters of the dead carry.

#### Class Features

**Weapon and Armor Proficiency:** Hunters of the dead gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

**Spells:** Beginning at 1st level, a hunter of the dead gains the ability to cast a number of divine spells. To cast a spell, a hunter of the dead must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level, so a hunter of the dead with a Wisdom of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Hunter of the dead bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the hunter of the dead's Wisdom bonus (if any). When the hunter of the dead gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level (for instance, 1st-level spells for a 1st-level hunter of the dead), she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Wisdom score for that spell level.

The hunter of the dead's spell list appears below; she has access to any spell on the list and can freely choose which to prepare. A hunter of the dead prepares and casts spells just as a cleric does (though a hunter of the dead cannot lose a spell to cast a *cure* spell in its place).

**Detect Undead (Sp):** At will, a hunter of the dead can use *detect undead* as if casting the spell of the same name.

**Smite Undead (Su):** Once per day, a hunter of the dead of 2nd level or higher can attempt to smite undead with one normal melee attack. She adds her Wisdom modifier (if positive) to her attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per level. For example, an 8th-level hunter of the dead armed with a longsword would deal 1d8+8 points of damage, plus any additional bonuses for Strength and magical effects that normally apply. If a hunter of the dead accidentally smites a creature that is not undead, the smite has no effect but it is still used up for that day. Note: A paladin/hunter of the dead can both smite evil and smite undead in the same day, potentially against the same target (if it's an evil undead).

**Spurn Death's Touch (Ex):** A hunter of the dead of 3rd level or higher applies her Wisdom modifier (if positive) as an additional bonus on all saving throws against effects and spells used by undead. This bonus stacks with the Wisdom modifier already applied to Will saves.

**True Death (Su):** Undead slain by a hunter of the dead of 5th level or higher, either by melee attacks or spells, can never rise again as undead. They are forever destroyed.

**Extra Turning:** At 6th level, a hunter of the dead receives Extra Turning as a bonus feat. This benefit allows the hunter to turn undead four more times per day than normal. It stacks with any turning ability the character has from another class.

**Positive Energy Burst (Su):** At the cost of two normal turning attempts, a hunter of the dead of at least 8th level can use a standard action to create a positive energy burst that deals 1d6 points of damage per class level to all undead creatures within 20 feet. Undead are allowed a Reflex save (DC 10 + the hunter's class level + the hunter's Cha modifier) for half damage.

**Sealed Life (Su):** A 10th level hunter of the dead cannot lose levels due to energy drain effects (although death still results in level loss, as do other level- or experience-draining effects).