Despot (3.5e Class)

Despots are much like paladins, in that they wish to lead people along a path that they choose. The despots just have a darker path.

Abilities: The despots main abilities are Charisma and Constitution. Constitution gives the Despot the health they need to successfully fight and be able to take more hits. Charisma helps the Despot convince both allies and enemies alike to side with the Despot.

Races: Any race that can be in the alignment Lawful Evil can be a despot.

Alignment: All despots are Lawful Evil.

Starting Gold: 6d4 x 10 gp (150 gp).

Starting Age: As paladin.

All of the following are class features of the despot.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: All unholy warriors are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).

Smite (Su): All unholy warriors can smite a certain type of enemy a number of times per day. Smiting a target requires a normal melee attack. The unholy warrior adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per unholy warrior level. If the unholy warrior accidentally smites a target that is inappropriate, the smite attack has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.

At 5th level, and at every five levels thereafter, the unholy warrior may smite one additional time per day, to a maximum of 5 times per day at 10th level.

Aura of Law: The power of a despot's aura of law (see the detect law spell) is equal to her despot level.

Detect Chaos (Sp): At will, a despot can use detect chaos, as the spell.

Smite Chaos (Su): A despot's smite targets creatures with a chaotic alignment.

Divine Grace (Su): At 2nd level, the unholy warrior gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throw.

Slippery Mind (Ex): The despot has a powerful sense of self and free will, and her mind fights much harder against magical control than most other minds. If a despot is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails her saving throw, she can attempt the saving throw again 1 round later to break free of the effect. Failing this second saving throw does not grant the despot further saving throws against the enchantment.

Aura of Fear (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, the unholy warrior exudes an almost palpable aura of menace and evil. Each enemy within 10 feet of her suffers a -4 morale penalty on saving throws against fear effects. The unholy warrior herself is deadened to the emotion of fear, and is immune to all fear effects. This ability functions while the unholy warrior is conscious, but not is she is unconscious of dead. An unholy warrior can suppress or activate this aura as a free action.

Indomitable Will (Su): At 3rd level, the despot's mind has become an unassailable fortress of ego. She is now completely immune to all spells of the charm subschool.

Oppression (Su): When a despot reaches 4th level, she gains that supernatural ability to oppress other living creatures by speaking to them and channeling negative energy into the power of her voice. This is a language-dependant, mind affecting ability.

When a despot tries to oppress, she makes a turning check (1d20 + her Charisma modifier) as if she were a cleric of three levels lower turning undead. The result of the check indicates how many targets withing 60 feet (who must be able to understand the despot's words) are potentially affected, and the turning damage indicates the total Hit Dice of targets affected. Creatures with chaotic alignments are affected last. Withing the alignmen spectrum, closer creatures are affected first.

A target that is oppressed becomes sickened with guilt and depression (-2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throw, skill checks, and ability checks) for 1 minute.

If the despot has twice as many levels (or more) than any creature that is oppressed, that creature is instead nauseated (can only take a single move action each turn) for 1 minute.

A despot can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier.

Leadership (Ex): Upon reaching 5th level, a despot gains the Leadership score.

Mark of Justice (Sp): At 7th level, a despot can cast mark of justice, as the spell, once per week. She can use this ability one additional time per week for every four levels after 7th, to a maximum of 4 times a week at 19th level.

Code of Conduct: A despot must be of lawful evil alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever willingly commits a chaotic act (such as breaking a vow or contract or betraying an ally). She must at all times work to expand and grow her domain, either by virtue of the Leadership feat or by strong-arming those less fortunate and powerful than herself. She is allowed to abuse her sovereignty in any way she sees fit to further her own personal strength and glory, but she must protect and defend her subjects and allies from harm from other forces. Likewise, she must not oerburden her subjects so that they cannot support her.

Associates: A despot adventures only with characters of a non-chaotic alignment and remains suspicious and wary of those who are not lawful. She will never knowingly associate with chaotic characters, nor will she continue an associate with chaotic characters, nor will she continue an association with someone who consistently offends her moral code. This includes remaining in a group in which she is not equal or superior to the highest-level member. A despot can adventure or asociate with those of equal level, although doing so makes her more uncomfortable and irritable than normal. A despot may only accept henchmen, followers, or cohorts who re lawful evil.

Spells: Despot choose their spells from the following list:

1st—Alarm, bane, bless, curse water, command, cure light wounds, detect poison, divine favor, endure elements, magic weapon, profane weapon, protection from chaos, protection from good, resistance, virtue.

2nd—Bull's strength, eagle's splendor, enthrall, fox's cunning, hold person, resist energy, status, zone of truth.

3rd—Crushing despair, cure moderate wounds, discern lies, helping hand, lesser geas, magic circle against chaos, magic circle against good, prayer, suggestion.

4th—Break enchantment, charm monster, cure serious wounds, dispel chaos, dispel good, dominate person, geas/quest, greater command, hold monster.

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Bonus Feats: The epic gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic bonus feats) every levels after 20th.

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Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

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Characters with ranks in can research to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

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