Weeping Executioner (Paladin/Ninja)

(Original Concept by MultiClass Productions)

Primary Class: Paladin.

Secondary Class: Ninja.

Alignment: Any nonevil.

Hit Dice: d10.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The weeping executioner may select six ninja skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal paladin class skills, one of which must be Stealth. The weeping executioner gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The weeping executioner is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the kama, katana, kusarigama, nunchaku, sai, shortbow, short sword, shuriken, siangham, and wakizashi. He is also proficient with light armor and medium armor, but not with shields.

Code of Conduct: A weeping executioner never allows lesser evils to distract her from her pursuit of just vengeance.

Oath of Vengeance: At 1st level, a weeping executioner takes the oathbound paladin’s Oath of Vengeance and is tasked with eradication of evil in all its forms.

Divine Ki Pool (Su): Starting at 2nd level, a weeping executioner gains a pool of divine ki points, supernatural energy granted by her devotion to her cause that she can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in the weeping executioner’s divine ki pool is equal to 1/2 her weeping executioner level + her Charisma modifier. As long as she has at least 1 point in her divine ki pool, she treats any Acrobatics skill check made to jump as if she had a running start. At 13th level, she also reduces the DC of Acrobatics skill checks made to jump by 1/2 (although she still cannot move farther than her speed allows).

By spending 1 point from her divine ki pool, a weeping executioner can increase her speed by 20 feet for 1 round. A weeping executioner can also spend 1 point from her divine ki pool to give herself a +4 insight bonus on Stealth checks for 1 round. Finally, a weeping executioner can spend 1 point from her divine ki point to heal her own wounds. She can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to her weeping executioner level. Each of these powers is activated as a swift action. A weeping executioner can gain additional powers that consume points from her divine ki pool by selecting certain ninja tricks.

The divine ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive. If the weeping executioner possesses levels in another class that grants points to a ki pool, weeping executioner levels stack with the levels of that class to determine the total number of ki points in the combined pool, but only one ability score modifier is added to the total. The choice of which score to use is made when the second class ability is gained, and once made, the choice is set. The weeping executioner can now use ki points from this pool to power the abilities of every class she possesses that grants a ki pool. This ability replaces lay on hands.

Ninja Tricks: At 2nd level, a weeping executioner gains the ninja’s ninja tricks ability, except that she can select a ninja trick for which he qualifies at 2nd level and every four levels thereafter. This ability, light steps, master tricks, and no trace replace the paladin’s spellcasting ability.

Sorrows (Su): At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, a weeping executioner can select one sorrow. Each sorrow adds an effect to the weeping executioner’s smite evil ability. Sorrows are magical traumas that turn the moral corruption of evil creatures into physical corruption that wracks their bodies. Whenever the weeping executioner uses smite evil, the target also receives the additional effect from one of the sorrows possessed by the weeping executioner. This choice is made when the smite evil is used. The target receives a Fortitude save to avoid this sorrow. If the save is successful, the target takes the damage as normal, but not the effects of the sorrow. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the weeping executioner’s level + the weeping executioner’s Charisma modifier. This ability replaces mercy.

At 3rd level, the weeping executioner can select from the following initial sorrows.

At 6th level, a weeping executioner adds the following sorrows to the list of those that can be selected.

At 9th level, a weeping executioner adds the following sorrows to the list of those that can be selected.

At 12th level, a weeping executioner adds the following sorrows to the list of those that can be selected.

These sorrows are not cumulative. For example, a 12th-level weeping executioner’s smite evil ability deals normal damage against an evil creature and might also cause the target to become fatigued, weakened, frightened, or blinded. Once a sorrow is chosen, it can’t be changed.

Channel Wrath (Su): At 4th level, a weeping executioner can spend 2 points from her divine ki pool to gain an extra use of smite evil that day. This ability replaces channel positive energy.

Ki Weapon (Su): At 5th level, a weeping executioner can spend 1 point from her divine ki pool to enhance her weapon as a swift action for 1 minute. This grants the weapon a +1 enhancement bonus. For every three levels beyond 5th, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon bonuses to a maximum of +5, or they can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: advancing*, bane, brilliant energy, courageous*, defending, flaming burst, flaming, holy, keen, speed, and stalking*. (*Ultimate Equipment)

Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property's cost. These bonuses are added to any properties the weapon already has, but duplicate abilities do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the divine ki pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the weeping executioner uses this ability. These bonuses do not function if the weapon is wielded by anyone other than the weeping executioner. This ability replaces divine bond.

Light Steps (Ex): At 7th level, a weeping executioner gains the ninja’s light steps ability.

Vengeful Smite (Su): At 8th level, if a weeping executioner studies the target of her smite evil for 3 rounds and then makes a smite attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, she can immediately spend 1 point from her divine ki pool to make a vengeful smite. Studying the victim is a standard action. The bonus to damage against the target of her smite increases to twice her weeping executioner level on her first successful attack. The target must also make a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + the weeping executioner's class level + the weeping executioner's Charisma modifier) or become shaken for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per two levels of the weeping executioner. Once the weeping executioner has completed the 3 rounds of study, she must make the vengeful smite within the next 3 rounds.

If the weeping executioner does not launch the vengeful smite attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before she can attempt another vengeful smite. This ability replaces aura of resolve.

Powerful Justice (Su): At 11th level, a weeping executioner may spend one use of her smite evil ability to grant her allies within 10 feet the ability to smite evil, except they only gain the weeping executioner’s bonus to damage, not her smite’s attack bonus or ability to bypass DR. This ability replaces aura of justice.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): At 17th level, a weeping executioner can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. As long as she is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a weeping executioner can hide herself from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. She cannot, however, hide in her own shadow. This ability replaces aura of righteousness.

Holy Vengeance (Su): At 20th level, anyone slain by a weeping executioner’s vengeful smite becomes more difficult to bring back from the dead. Spellcasters attempting to bring a creature back from the dead using raise dead or similar magic must make a caster level check with a DC equal to 15 + the weeping executioner 's level or the spell fails and the material component is wasted. If the caster level check succeeds, but does not also surpass a DC equal to 20 + the weeping executioner's level, the weeping executioner is instantly made aware that the creature has been returned to life, and may seek it out once again. Casting remove curse the round before attempting to bring the creature back from the dead temporarily suppresses the effect of Holy Vengeance. The DC of the remove curse is 10 + the weeping executioner 's level.

In addition, whenever she uses smite evil and successfully strikes an evil outsider, the outsider is also subject to a banishment, using her weeping executioner level as the caster level (her weapon and holy symbol automatically count as objects that the subject hates). After the banishment effect and the damage from the attack is resolved, the smite immediately ends.

Table: Weeping Executioner