Abyss Wielder

*The order of knights known as abyss wielders have taught themselves to tap into both the powers of fiends and demons, shaping their abyssal magics into powerful veils with which they accomplish their selfish goals.*

### **Alignment**

An abyss wielder can be any evil or neutral alignment. If an abyss wielder worships a deity, that deity must be evil-aligned.

*This alters the antipaladin’s alignment restrictions.*

### **Code of Conduct**

An abyss wielder who ever willingly commits an altruistic act loses all of their class features except their proficiencies. They should strive to uphold the tenets of their faith, but failing to do so is not a violation of their code, and other than altruistic actions, they can do whatever else they feel is necessary to accomplish their goals.

*This alters the antipaladin’s code of conduct.*

### **Wielder of the Abyss (Su)**

At 1st level, the abyss wielder gains the ability to shape the Balor’s Whip veil with a veilweaver level equal to their class level, uses their Charisma as their veilweaving modifier, increases their total veils shaped by 1, and gains a pool of essence. This pool of essence contains 1 point of essence at 2nd level, and increases by 1 at each class level except 5, 9, 13, and 17. Shaping veils gained from their abyss wielder levels requires 1 hour of meditation and quiet brooding.

When the abyss wielder invests essence in their Balor’s Whip, all of the additional dice of damage are derived from their unholy power, rather than only half.

In addition, beginning at 2nd level, the wielder of their abyss can use their Balor’s Whip to deliver their touch of corruption. Doing so still requires a standard action, attacks the target’s full AC, and deals both the damage from their whip and their touch of corruption on a successful hit.

*This replaces the antipaladin’s smite good class feature.*

### **Abyssal Power (Su)**

At 4th level, and again at 13th level, the essence capacity of the abyss wielder’s veils granted by this archetype increases by 1.

### **Ruler’s Crown (Su)**

At 4th level, the abyss wielder gains the ability to shape the Iron Crown veil with a veilweaver level equal to their class level, and increases their total veils shaped by 1.

In addition to its normal effects, each point of essence invested in their Iron Crown increases the range of their aura of cowardice by 5 feet.

*This replaces the antipaladin’s channel energy class feature.*

### **Balor’s Bind (Su)**

At 5th level, the abyss wielder gains the ability to bind their Balor’s Whip to their Hands chakra. They cannot bind other Hands-slot veils using this ability. At 10th level, they can bind their Balor’s Whip to their Wrists chakra as well.

*This replaces the antipaladin’s fiendish boon class feature.*

### **Crown Binding (Su)**

At 7th level, the abyss wielder gains the ability to bind their Iron Crown to their head chakra. They cannot bind other Head-slot veils using this ability.

In addition, the abyss wielder’s aura of cowardice imposes a -4 penalty to their saving throw against the effects of their Iron Crown veil, in addition to its normal effects.

### **Shaper of Fear (Su)**

At 10th level, the abyss wielder gains the ability to shape the Pit Fiend’s Shroud veil with a veilweaver level equal to their class level, and increases their total veils shaped by 1.

In addition, whenever a creature enters the aura provided by the Pit Fiend’s Shroud, the abyss wielder can choose whether or not that creature is affected by the veil.

### **Aura of Corruption (Su)**

At 11th level, the abyss wielder’s connection to the lower realms slowly begins to corrupt their nearby allies. As a free action once per turn, the abyss wielder can spend 1 use of their corrupting touch to cause all allies within 10 feet, including themselves, to add the abyss wielder’s Charisma modifier as a damage bonus to their weapon attacks until the beginning of the abyss wielder’s next turn. Allies only receive this bonus damage for attacks they make while within 10 feet of the abyss wielder. This bonus damage results directly from unholy power and is therefore not subject to damage reduction or resistances.

*This replaces the antipaladin’s aura of vengeance class feature*

### **Binder of Fear (Su)**

At 16th level, the abyss wielder gains the ability to bind their Pit Fiend’s Shroud to their Shoulders chakra. They cannot bind other Shoulders-slot veils using this ability.

### **Shaper of Hunger (Su)**

At 19th level, the abyss wielder gains the ability to shape the Demon Lord’s Hunger veil with a veilweaver level equal to their class level, and increases their total veils shaped by 1.

Whenever this veil deals damage to a weapon, that damage ignores any hardness less than 20.

### **Body of the Abyss (Su)**

At 20th level, the abyss wielder becomes so suffused with the powers of the abyss that they become a fiend themselves. They become an outsider with the native subtype, and their DR increases to 10/good. In addition, they gain the ability to bind their Demon Lord’s Hunger to their Chest chakra. They cannot bind other Chest-slot veils using this ability.

*This replaces the antipaladin’s unholy champion class feature.*