Merciful Redeemer (Paladin/Inquisitor)

The difference between good and evil is easy to ascertain, but concepts such as right and wrong are often filled areas of grey. Certain gods don’t tolerate any form of injustices, even if they are performed in the name of goodness, and so they rely upon special servants called redeemers, imbued with the divine power of discernment, to convict and imprison the guilty, and protect or free the innocent if they are wrongfully condemned. According to the redeemer’s creed, individuals are judged only upon the actions they perform, and not their thoughts or moral outlook. Thus, in the eyes of a redeemer, a righteous zealot who ruthlessly massacres helpless enemies must be brought to justice, while a knowingly malevolent general who serves his lord in loyalty and honor must be given his due respect. However, despite their often logical and unemotional detachment from the pleas of condemned, redeemers are ever ready to grant leniency to the truly repentant in hopes that they will become a powerful force for good in the world. (Original Concept by Bardess)

Primary Class: Paladin.

Secondary Class: Inquisitor.

Alignment: Lawful good, neutral good, or lawful neutral.

Hit Dice: d10.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The merciful redeemer may select six inquisitor skills to add to her class skills in addition to her normal paladin class skills. The merciful redeemer gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A merciful redeemer is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, the favored weapon of her deity, with all types of armor, (heavy, light, and medium), and with shields (except tower shields).

Spellcasting: The merciful redeemer cast divine spells drawn from the paladin spell list, and adds the following inquisitor spells to her list. These spells are cast as divine spells of the indicated level: 1st level–bane, brand*, burst bonds*, forbid action**, forced quiet**, interrogation**, lend judgment**, peacebond†, persuasive goad**, tireless pursuit*, wrath*; 2nd level–align weapon, blood biography*, bloodhound*, castigate*, confess*, follow aura*, retribution*, terrible remorse*, witness**; 3rd level–brand (greater)*, denounce*, find quarry†, interrogation (greater)**, judgment light†, leashed shackles*; 4th level–atonement, castigate (mass)*, coward’s lament*, lend greater judgment**, rebuke*, shared wrath*. A merciful redeemer otherwise prepares and cast spells like as a paladin equal to her merciful redeemer level. She also receives additional spells per day if she has a high Charisma score. (Advanced Player’s Guide*, Ultimate Magic**, Ultimate Combat†)

Aura (Ex): A merciful redeemer has a particularly powerful aura corresponding to her own alignment–aura of good and law (lawful good), aura of good (neutral good), aura of law (lawful neutral). This ability otherwise functions as and replaces aura of good.

Detect Alignment (Sp): At 1st level, a merciful redeemer gains the inquisitor’s detect alignment ability. This ability replaces detect evil.

Stern Gaze (Ex): At 1st level, a merciful redeemer gains the inquisitor’s stern gaze ability. This ability and track replace divine health.

Sword of Judgment (Su): Starting at 2nd level, a merciful redeemer may use her power to judge the guilty or absolve the innocent. As a standard action, a merciful redeemer may announce she is bringing her god’s judgment upon a target who is accused of an offense against society, a liege, an individual, or her deity. She then makes a melee attack with her weapon against the target as part of this judgment. The target must be accused of one of the following offenses, or anything like unto them: adultery/lust, assassination/murder, blasphemy/impiety, burglary/theft, deception/fraud, gluttony/greed, laziness/sloth, sedition/treason, or violence/wrath.

If the target is innocent of what he is accused, the attack stops just short of striking him, as if hitting an invisible wall, and is immediately healed for 1d6 hit points of damage for every two levels the merciful redeemer possesses. A merciful redeemer can choose to use this ability to heal herself as a swift action, leaving the judgment of her own guilt or innocence in the hands of her deity. If she is found guilty by her deity of any grave offense, the healing attempt fails and the use wasted.

Alternatively, if the target is guilty of what he is accused, the attack automatically hits with a flash of white light and immediately deals 1d6 hit points of damage to the target for every two levels the merciful redeemer possesses. Should a target guilty of an offense plead for mercy from the merciful redeemer, the damage dealt by this ability becomes nonlethal damage.

This attack requires no attack roll and cannot critically hit. If the target is protected by an effect that inhibits divinations (such as mind blank), the attack bounces off the target with an unpleasant metallic hiss, like quenching a red-hot blade in water. Sometimes people wrongly accused of great crimes beg for the intercession of a merciful redeemer, knowing this power will exonerate them. The merciful redeemer may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1/2 her merciful redeemer level plus her Charisma modifier. This ability replaces lay on hands.

Track (Ex): At 2nd level, a merciful redeemer gains the inquisitor’s track ability.

Channel Positive Energy (Su): This is exactly like the paladin’s channel energy ability, except that a merciful redeemer consumes two uses of her sword of judgment ability.

Verdict (Su): Starting at 3rd level, whenever a merciful redeemer uses her sword of judgment ability, a verdict is also pronounced upon the target. This only consumes one use of her sword of judgment ability. Each verdict adds an effect to the merciful redeemer’s sword of judgment ability. Whenever the merciful redeemer uses sword of judgment against one target, the target also receives either a verdict of condemnation or a verdict of absolution according to his guilt or innocence of the offense he is accused of.

If the target is innocent of the offense, he is granted a verdict of absolution and may freely accept or reject the benefits granted by that verdict. He is otherwise healed as described in the sword of judgment entry.

Alternatively, if the target is guilty of the offense, he receives a verdict of condemnation and must make a successful Will save to avoid the effect. If the save is successful, the target takes the sword of judgment damage as normal, but not the effects of the verdict of condemnation associated to the offense he is accused of. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the merciful redeemer’s level + the merciful redeemer’s Charisma modifier. A merciful redeemer can end any verdict (condemnation or absolution) as a free action. A verdict of condemnation or absolution remains in effect for 1 round per level of the merciful redeemer. This ability replaces the 3rd-level mercy.

A verdict announced through a merciful redeemer’s sword of judgment bestows the following benefits or penalties upon the target according to the guilt or innocence of the offense for which he was accused. 

Adultery/Lust 

• Verdict of Absolution—The target gains a +1 bonus on saving throws against charm effects and abilities based on fascination or physical attractiveness, such as a nymph’s blinding beauty and stunning glance abilities.

• Verdict of Condemnation—The target receives a –1 penalty on saving throws against charm and fascinate spells or effects. 

Assassination/Murder

• Verdict of Absolution—The target automatically stabilizes when reduced to 0 hit points.

• Verdict of Condemnation—The target takes 1 additional point of bleeding damage whenever a critical hit is confirmed against him.

Blasphemy/Impiety

• Verdict of Absolution—The target gains a +1 bonus on saving throws against divine magic.

• Verdict of Condemnation—The target receives a –1 penalty on saving throws against divine magic for 1 minute.

Burglary/Theft

• Verdict of Absolution— The target gains a +1 bonus on his CMD to resist any dirty trick, disarm, drag or trip combat maneuver.

• Verdict of Condemnation—The target receives a –1 penalty on his CMD to resist any dirty trick, disarm, drag or trip combat maneuver.

Deception/Fraud

• Verdict of Absolution—The target gains a +1 bonus on all Perception and Sense Motive skill checks.

• Verdict of Condemnation— The target receives a –1 penalty on all Perception and Sense Motive skill checks.

Gluttony/Greed

• Verdict of Absolution—The target gains a +1 bonus on all Appraise and Craft skill checks.

• Verdict of Condemnation—The target receives a –1 penalty on all Appraise and Craft skill checks.

Laziness/Sloth

• Verdict of Absolution—The target gains a +1 bonus on all checks and saves made when running or holding his breath, to resist nonlethal damage from exhaustion, forced marches, hot or cold environments, starvation or thirst, or resist damage from suffocation.

• Verdict of Condemnation—The target takes a –1 penalty to his Strength and Dexterity.

Sedition/Treason

• Verdict of Absolution—The target gains a +1 bonus when making opposing skill checks against Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate skill checks.

• Verdict of Condemnation—The target receives a –1 bonus when making opposing skill checks against Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate skill checks.

Violence/Wrath

• Verdict of Absolution—The target gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.

• Verdict of Condemnation—The target receives a –1 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.

Divine Bond (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a merciful redeemer forms a divine bond with her god. This bond can take one of two forms. Once the form is chosen, it cannot be changed.

The first type of bond allows a merciful redeemer to form a bond with her weapon. This is exactly like the paladin’s divine weapon bond, except that she replaces the defending weapon property with the bane (evil humanoids and evil outsiders only) weapon property.

The second type of bond allows a merciful redeemer to gain the service of a faithful outsider servant. This functions as summon monster III, except the duration is permanent and the merciful redeemer can only gain the service of a single creature of the outsider type and that creature must either have the good and/or lawful subtypes or it must be a celestial or resolute animal, as appropriate for her alignment. Once selected, the choice is set, but it may be changed whenever the merciful redeemer gains a level. Upon reaching 7th level, and every two levels thereafter, the level of the summon monster spell increases by one, to a maximum of summon monster IX at 17th level. Once per day, as a full-round action, a merciful redeemer may magically call her servant to her side. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the merciful redeemer’s level. The servant immediately appears adjacent to the merciful redeemer. A merciful redeemer can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every four levels thereafter, for a total of four times per day at 17th level.

At 11th level, the servant gains the advanced template. At 15th level, a merciful redeemer’s servant gains spell resistance equal to the merciful redeemer’s level + 11.

Should the merciful redeemer’s servant die or be banished, the merciful redeemer may not summon another servant for 30 days or until she gains a merciful redeemer level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the merciful redeemer takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls. This ability otherwise functions as and replaces divine bond.

Discern Lies (Sp): At 6th level, a merciful redeemer gains the inquisitor’s discern lies ability. This replaces the paladin’s 6th-level mercy.

Improved Verdict (Su): At 9th level, any bonus granted by a verdict of absolution increases to +2, while any penalty bestowed by a verdict or condemnation increases to –2.

If a verdict of absolution against assassination/murder is pronounced, the target is automatically stabilized when reduced to 0 hit points and gains 1 additional hit point. If a verdict of condemnation against assassination/murder is pronounced, the target’s bleed damage increases to 2. This ability replaces 9th-level mercy.

Aura of Clemency (Su): At 11th level, a merciful redeemer may grant clemency to any opponent willing to surrender and become her ally. During this temporary alliance, the opponent must fight alongside the merciful redeemer and her allies. While this truce is in effect, the opponent gains the benefits of one verdict of absolution of the merciful redeemer’s choice as long as the opponent remains within 10 feet of the merciful redeemer. If an opponent moves beyond 10 feet of the merciful redeemer, the benefits of the verdict of absolution cease, but recommence once within 10 feet of the merciful redeemer.

Should the opponent betray the merciful redeemer or her allies, or in any way break this truce, the benefits of the chosen verdict of absolution immediately end, and the opposing verdict of condemnation is pronounced upon the opponent instead. Moving beyond 10 feet of the merciful redeemer is not treated as breaking the truce. The effects of a merciful redeemer’s chosen verdict of absolution or its opposing verdict of condemnation remains in effect for a number of minutes equal to 1/2 the merciful redeemer’s level + the merciful redeemer’s Charisma modifier from the time the alliance is made, or the truce is broken. This ability replaces aura of justice.

Second Verdict (Ex): At 12th level, whenever a merciful redeemer uses her sword of judgment ability, up to two different verdicts can be pronounced upon the target instead of one. This only consumes one use of her sword of judgment ability. This ability replaces the 12th–level mercy.

Aura of Divine Wrath (Ex): At 14th level, a paladin's weapons are treated as chaotic, evil, good, and lawful for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction of any creature that is the target of her verdict ability. Any attack made within 10 feet of her against the target of her verdict ability is treated likewise aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. This ability functions only while the merciful redeemer is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead. This ability otherwise functions as and replaces aura of faith.

Greater Verdict (Su): At 15th level, any bonus granted by a verdict of absolution increases to +3, while any penalty bestowed by a verdict or condemnation increases to –3.

If a verdict of absolution against assassination/murder is pronounced, the target is automatically stabilized when reduced to 0 hit points and gains 2 additional hit points. If a verdict of condemnation against assassination/murder is pronounced, the target’s bleed damage increases to 3. This ability replaces 15th-level mercy.

Third Verdict (Ex): At 18th level, whenever a merciful redeemer uses her sword of judgment ability, up to three different verdicts can be pronounced upon the target instead of two. This only consumes one use of her sword of judgment ability. This ability replaces the 18th–level mercy.

True Redemption (Su): At 20th level, a merciful redeemer can grant atonement (as the spell) to any target under the effects of her sword of judgment ability, as a swift action. The merciful redeemer must make a single melee attack (or a ranged attack if the target is within 30 feet) against the target, but she must declare she is using this ability prior to making the attack roll. If the attack hits, she deals damage normally, but the target must choose to accept or reject atonement. If the target accepts, the atonement takes immediate effect and requires no material components. If the target rejects, it must make a Fortitude save or die. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the merciful redeemer’s level + the merciful redeemer’s Charisma modifier. Regardless of whether or not the save is made, that creature is immune to that merciful redeemer’s true redemption for 24 hours. True redemption may be used once every 1d4 rounds. This ability replaces holy champion.

Table: Merciful Redeemer