Scourge Champion (Antipaladin/Druid)

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

The scourge champion is proficient with all simple weapons plus the cat-o’-nine-tails, falcata, flambard, handaxe, hooked axe, sawtooth sabre, scimitar, scorpion whip, scythe, short sword, spiked chain, thorn bracer, thorn bow, and whip. The scourge champion is proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, he may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. The scourge champion may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. The scourge champion is proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones.

Spellcasting

A scourge champion casts divine spells drawn from the druid spell list. He removes all summon nature’s ally spells from the list and adds the following spells to it at the indicated spell levels: 

1st–bane, corrosive touch, curse water, doom, inflict light wounds, summon monster I

2nd–animater dead (lesser), corruption resistance, death knell, desecrate, pernicious poison, summon monster II

3rd–bestow curse, blindness/deafness, defile armor, eruptive pustules, inflict moderate wounds, summon monster III, toxic gift, 

vampiric touch

4th–animate dead, fleshworm infestation, inflict serious wounds, summon monster IV

5th–inflict critical wounds, major curse, slay living, summon monster V

6th–circle of death, creeping doom, harm, inflict light wounds (mass), summon monster VI

His alignment may restrict him from casting certain spells opposed to his moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, and Lawful Spells.

Whenever the scourge champion casts the summon monster spell, creatures that normally gain the celestial or fiendish template when summoned instead gain the vermin type and demonic vermin template, regardless of their creature type. A scourge champion must choose and prepare his spells in advance.

To prepare or cast a spell, the scourge champion must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a scourge champion's spell is 10 + the spell level + the scourge champion's Wisdom modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a scourge champion can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Scourge Champion. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score.

A scourge champion must spend 1 hour each day in a trance-like meditation on the mysteries of nature to regain his daily allotment of spells. A scourge champion may prepare and cast any spell on the druid spell list or those added to it, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation. This replaces the antipaladin’s spellcasting ability.

Blight Bond

At 1st level, a scourge champion forms a bond with an unholy power. He gains the druid’s nature bond ability, except that the scourge champion can either call a familiar as a wizard of her scourge champion level or form a close tie with the natural world around him.

A scourge champion that bonds with a familiar may only choose from the following list of familiars: donkey rat, giant isopod, greensting scorpion, house centipede, raven, scarlet spider, skunk, viper. The chosen familiar also gains the vermin type and the demonic vermin template, regardless of their creature type.

A scourge champion that chooses to bond with nature may select from the Chaos, Death, Destruction, Evil, or Fire domains, the Curse, Decay, Radiation, Toil or Venom subdomains, the Badlands, Cave, Frog, Serpent, Swamp, or Vulture animal and terrain domains, and the new Mudbog, Ooze, Poison, Vermin, Volcanic, or Wildgrove domains instead of those listed in the druid nature bond. This ability replaces fiendish boon.

Smite (Su)

This is exactly like the antipaladin’s smite good ability, except that the scourge champion smites chaos or good as determined by his alignment. A true neutral scourge champion must choose what type of alignment to smite.

Vermin Empathy

A scourge champion can improve the attitude of vermin as a normal druid can with animals. Vermin have a starting attitude of unfriendly. The scourge champion can also improve the attitude of animals and mindless undead creatures that were formerly animals, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check unless the animal or undead has a disease special attack. This ability replaces aura of evil.

Touch of Pestilence (Su)

Beginning at 2nd level, a scourge champion surrounds his hand with a fiendish toxin, causing terrible wounds and sickening those he touches. Each day he can use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 his scourge champion level + his Wisdom modifier. As a touch attack, an scourge champion can cause 1d6 points of acid damage for every two scourge champion levels he possesses and may attempt a Fortitude saving throw or become sickened for 1 round per scourge champion level. At 10th level, creatures that fail their Will saving throw becomes nauseated. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Alternatively, a scourge champion can use this power to wither a single plant of any size. An affected plant creature withers and takes 1d6 points of damage for every two scourge champion levels he possesses and may attempt a Fortitude saving throw for half damage. A plant that isn't a creature doesn't receive a save and immediately withers and dies. This has no effect on the soil or surrounding plant life. This ability is modified by any feat, spell, or effect that specifically works with the lay on hands paladin class feature. For example, the Extra Lay On Hands feat grants a scourge champion 2 additional uses of the touch of pestilence class feature. This ability replaces touch of corruption.

Woodland Stride

Starting at 3rd level, a scourge champion gains the druid’s woodland stride ability. This ability replaces the cruelty gained at 3rd level.

Channel Variant Energy (Su)

At 4th level, a scourge champion gains the ability to channel energy like a cleric, but may only channel the harm effect of one of the following channel energy variants: Disease, Death, Earth, Farming, Nature, Poison, Sun, Strength, Hunting, Undeath, Weather. Once chosen, it cannot be changed. Using this ability consumes two uses of his touch of pestilence ability. A scourge champion uses his level as his effective cleric level when channeling his chosen variant energy. This is a Wisdom-based ability. This ability otherwise functions as and replaces channel negative energy.

Afflictions (Su)

This is exactly like the antipaladin cruelty ability, except that scourge champion gains his initial cruelties at 6th level, and each subsequent set of additional cruelties at 9th, 12th and 15th level. This ability is a Wisdom-based ability.

Aura of Decay (Su)

At 5th level, enemies within 10 feet of a scourge champion must make a Will saving throw or be subject to the bleed spell. This ability functions only while the scourge champion is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead.

Aura of Sickness (Su)

At 8th level, a scourge champion is immune to the sickened and nauseated conditions. Each enemy within 10 feet of a scourge champion takes a –4 penalty on all saving throws against the sickened or nauseated conditions. This ability functions only while the scourge champion is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead. This ability replaces aura of despair.

Aura of Plague (Su)

At 11th level, any creature that strikes a scourge champion with a touch attack, unarmed strike, or natural weapon must succeed at a Fortitude save with a DC of 10 + 1/2 the scourge champion’s level + the scourge champion’s Wisdom modifier or contract a disease, as the contagion spell. If the creature makes its save, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours. This ability functions only while the scourge champion is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead. This ability replaces aura of vengeance.

Aura of Infection (Su)

At 14th level, enemies within 10 feet of a scourge champion must make a Fortitude save or take 1 point of Constitution damage. Creatures thus affected take a –5 penalty on any Heal check attempts used on them and increase the number of saves required to cure injury and contact poisons by 1. If the creature makes its save, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours. This ability functions only while the scourge champion is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead. This ability replaces aura of sin.

Aura of Infestation (Su)

At 17th level, enemies within 10 feet of a scourge champion must make a Fortitude saving throw of be subject to the fleshworm infestation spell for a number of rounds equal to the scourge champion’s level. Once a creature has been affected by this aura, regardless of whether or not the save is made, that creature is immune to that scourge champion’s aura of infestation for 24 hours. Creatures that are immune to bleed damage are also immune to this ability. This ability functions only while the scourge champion is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead. This ability replaces aura of depravity.

Unholy Scourge

At 20th level, a scourge champion becomes a conduit for the might of the unholy powers. He gains DR 5/law or good according to his alignment, and is immune to the effects of dehydration and any spells that evaporate moisture from the body, such as horrid wilting. In addition, whenever he uses smite and successfully strikes a druid, fey, or plant creature, the creature is also subject to a greater contagion spell using his scourge champion level as the caster level. If the creature fails its saving throw against this effect, it contracts the disease, even if it is immune to diseases. After the greater contaigon effect and the damage from the attack is resolved, the smite immediately ends. This ability replaces unholy champion.