Battle Priest

**Role:** In some Churches, the clerics and paladins train a select few to become the messengers of their god. These messengers travel the land, protecting their people from terrible threats with their powerful conviction. Battle Priests serve as great supporters in a party and also as great combat units against opposing allignments.

**Hit Die:** D10

**Requirements**

to become a Battle Priest, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria

**Base Attack Bonus:** +6

**Skills:** Knowledge Religion 6 Ranks

**Spells:** Must be able to cast 2nd level divine spells.

**Special:** Must have been initiated into a religion and must have been accepted for Priest training by the head priest.

**SKILLS**

A Battle Priest’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Diplomacy (Cha), and Martial Knowledge (Any two from previous class).

**Skill Ranks at Each Level:** 4 + Int modifier.

**Clergy (Ex)**

At 1st level, the Battle Priest has diverted it’s training into different fields, however it still walks the path of righteousness and follows the will of the church. Battle Priest levels are counted as Cleric, Oracle, Paladin, War Priest, and Inquisitor levels for the purpose of determining abilities based on how many levels you have in that class, or for the purpose of determining increased bonuses from specific abilities. Cleric’s healing burst still increase in efficiency, as do their domain powers as they take levels in Battle Priest, Paladin smite and times per day as well as Lay on hands both increase in ability, Oracle revelations increase in ability, as does their curse, and they gain their Mystery spells, though they don’t gain any new revelations, Inquisitors increase their judgment and the number of times they can use it as well as gaining new inquisition abilities, and War Priests Sacred weapon, blessings, and fervor all increase still.

**Battle Blessing (Sp)**

At 1st level the Battle priest gains a battle blessing that will aid him and his friends in combat. The battle blessing can be used once per day for every level you possess in the Battle Priest class, and it lasts 1 minute for every level of this class you possess.

This works the same as a Bless spell and as such grants a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and saving throws against fear effects. This effect stacks with a normal bless spell, and it cannot be cancelled by a Bane spell. Finally, creatures effected all gain fast healing 1 for the duration.

At 3rd level the duration increases to 5 minutes per level and the bonuses increase to +2. Effected creatures gain 2d6 temporary hitpoints, The Battle Priest gains a bonus damage die on all of it’s weapon damage for this duration.

At 5th level it increases to 10 minutes per level and the bonuses increase to +3, In addition at 5th level, the bonus is added to damage rolls as well. All creatures effected gain 4d6 temporary hitpoints, and all creatures gain a bonus damage die on all of their weapon damage rolls. For the Battle Priest themselves, they gain 24 temporary hitpoints instead of having to roll, the additional damage dice, and they add their Battle Priest to their level as sacred bonus to armor class.

**Divine Glory (Su)**

At 2nd level, you gain access to a Divine Glory. Divine Glories are abilities that greatly increase your ability to perform in combat or in general, and further your connection with your divine power. Divine Glories trigger whenever you activate a Smite, Judgment, Domain Power, Blessing, Revelation, or Battle Blessing. Divine Glories may be used 3 times per day at 2nd level, and an additional 1 time per day for every level you possess beyond 2nd in the Battle Priest class (Max 6/day)

This cannot be utilized with an ability that is always active, it can only be triggered through an ability that requires an action to initiate. This effect happens along with the activation of the ability and does not have it’s own action. If it has a saving throw, the DC is 10+ twice your levels in battle priest+ Relevant casting modifier. Any spells last for their normal duration.

When activating a Divine Glory, it triggers every one of them that you know all for one use.

*Bane:* All enemies within 30 feet of the target are effected by a bane spell if they fail their saving throw. This penalty increases to -2 at 3rd level, and -4 at 5th.

*Consecrate/Desecrate:* The area centered on you becomes the center of a Desecrate or Consecrate spell depending on your alignment.

*Early Judgment:* The target of the ability is effected by an Early Judgment spell. This cannot be used if your ability is personal or used on yourself.

*Divine Punishment:* You deal +1d12 holy damage for every level you possess in this class. This can only be applied to an ability that is an attack roll, or an ability that empowers you such as smite, or Judgment, in which it applies to the first hit you land in that round.

*Bestow Curse:* A single creature within 30 feet of you is effected by a bestow curse spell when you activate your ability. If your ability has a target enemy it must be the same enemy.

*Deadly Juggernaut:* Whenever you activate the ability, you are effected by a Deadly Juggernaut spell.

*Holy Javelin:* A single creature within 30 feet of you is effected by a Holy Javelin spell when you activate your ability. If your ability has a target enemy it must be the same enemy.

*Shield of Faith:* You effect a number of creatures within 30 feet equal to your Battle Priest level with a Shield of Fairh spell.

*Contagious Zeal:* The Battle Priest is effected by a contagious zeal spell.

*Prayer:* The Battle Priest casts a Prayer spell as a part of the action.

*Blessing of Fervor:* The Battle Priest casts a Blessing of Fervor spell when the ability is activated.

*Blessing of Speed:* The Battle Priest gains a +30 bonus to it’s movement speed and a +1 bonus to armor class and reflex saves for 1 round per level.

*Destroyer:* A single creature within 30 feet of you is effected by either a Chaos Hammer, Holy Smite, Order’s Wrath, or Unholy Blight spell when you activate your ability. Which spells you select depend on your alignment where Unholy can be selected by evil, Holy can be selected by good, and Order’s Wrath can only be selected by lawful creatures and Chaos Hammer by Chaotic creatures. If your ability has a target enemy it must be the same enemy.

*Spiritual Ally:* Cast a Spiritual ally spell along with the activation of the ability.

*Swift Strike:* Upon activating the ability, you can make an attack with a melee or ranged weapon as part of it’s activation.

**Domain (Su)**

At 2nd level, you gain access to a domain. This domain cannot be alignment dependant, and does not have to belong to your deity. If you do not cast spells, the spells you gain from the domain are added to your list of techniques known. To determine when you gain abilities, you count twice your Battle Priest level as your cleric level to determine class abilities. ½  of your other class levels apply as well, however if you have levels in cleric, the full levels apply instead of half. You cannot gain access to spells that you are not a high enough level to cast if magic or perform if technique.

**Holy/Profane Strength (Su)**

At 3rd level you reach a higher level of connection with your deity. Any weapon you hold is treated as having the Holy Enchantment (Unholy if evil, If neutral, choose whichever fits best). If the weapon you wield already gains the bonuses of the holy enchantment, this stacks with it. The additional damage from the holy enchantment is now multiplied on a critical hit and on a vital strike for the Battle Priest.

**Rampaging Smite (Su)**

At 4th level, Your conviction is pure and you can be bested by no enemy, whenever you activate your battle blessing, you gain a +4 bonus to a single ability score. This can be selected each time the ability is activated.

**Purification/Corruption (Su)**

At 5th level, the Battle Priest gains it’s most powerful ability. This is the ability to utilize it's god's power to corrupt or purify the souls of others. 3 times a day, the Battle Priest can make a single touch attack at his highest BAB. If it hits the creature, it the creature must make a DC: 20+ relevant spellcaster modifier Will saving throw, or have it's alignment shifted one step in the direction of your own alignment. If they succeed in their saving throw and resist, your divine powers still disrupt their bodies and they take 1d8 holy damage per caster level. If you have uses of your Divine Glory still available in the day, one can be triggered at any point during this if the Battle Priest likes. If the creature is not of an opposing alignment they take no damage. Neutral creatures only take 1/2 damage from this effect. Alternatively, this effect can double as an absolution spell in the case that you are qualified to alleviate a religious ally whom has done wrong of their sins.

*Note:* If in a campaign that uses the Karma System, this can be used to purge or grant bad Karma from creatures as well. Good creatures that use this alleviate 1d4 karma from an evil creature that fails it’s saving throw, or that amount is halved on a successful save (Minimum 0). Evil creatures can inflict 1d4 Karma on a creature on a failed saving throw, halved on a successful save (minimum 1). A good or neutral creature can have it’s karma lowered if it has been afflicted with bad karma, which requires a ritual, 1,000 mana, and 5,000 hl in a process that takes 3 hours. This works similarly to atonement. This can remove all magically inflicted karma that wasn’t earned naturally or inflicted by a god, or it can remove 1 bad Karma that was inflicted in any way so long as the creature is repentant. This secondary effect can only be used once on a creature, until the next time they level up. Evil creatures can complete the same ritual, with the same stipulations, however in doing so they grant themselves 1d4 bad karma.