Flagellant class for ACKS

The followers of the Flayed Lady see pain as the pathway to penitence and spiritual purity. They view martyrdom as the pinnacle of faith a believer can achieve, and wounding of the mortal flesh as a road to clearing one's soul of dark Chaos. Their cleric, therefore, is the flagellant - marching through the corrupt mortal world to call the sinful to repent and flogging her own flesh to ward away the bestial call of the carnal body.

An iconoclast, an enemy of slavers, resentful of the haughty, the flagellant fights with zeal. She may lack the martial training of an ordinary cleric of the Invincible Sun, but makes up to that in burning religious fervor. A simple robe or a leather armor to her skin, she carries her two characteristic flails to rend the flesh of the Chaotic idolater and the mortal tyrant.

Flagellant

Requirement: None

Prime Requisite: WIS and DEX

Class Build

(see the ACKS Player's Companion)

Hit Dice 1 (500XP): 1d6 hit dice.

Fighting 1a (500XP): as a cleric; however:

• Weapom selection remains at Narrow - bows/crossbows and flails/hammers/maces.
• Armor selection reduced from Unrestricted to Restricted - hide armor or lighter: 2 powers.
• Fighting styles: reduced to two weapons (which also allows one weapon without a shield): 1 power.

Divine 2 (500XP): as Cleric.

XP for level 2: 1,500XP.
Attacks, Saving Throws, and Magic Item Use: as a cleric.

Powers: 2 at level 1, another traded for powers at levels 5 and 9.

Level 1:

• Flagellation: the character can whip herself into a furious religious zeal. She suffers 1 point of damage per level of experience, but gains a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls and becomes immune to fear. The character may not retreat from combat while this lasts. Furthermore, the Judge may rule that she will have to attack, to the best of her lethal ability, the nearest enemy of her faith, even if the player thinks this is not a prudent choice. The zealous fury lasts until the combat ends.

• Blade-Dancing: The character gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class if wearing leather armor or lighter and able to move freely. At level 7, the AC bonus increases to +2, and at level 13 the AC bonus increases to +3. For flavor, mystics call this power graceful fighting. While Blade-Dancing is similar to taking the Swashbuckling proficiency selected as a custom power, for game balance reasons, consider Blade-Dancing as a separate class power and allow it to stack with Swashbuckling.

Level 5:

• Martyrdom: upon reaching 0 hit points, the character may choose to remain in full fighting condition, functioning as if she has above-zero hit points, and applying any further damage as negative hit points. She may continue fighting until she reaches a negative number of hit points equal or exceeding her Constitution score, or stays conscious for a number of rounds equal to her level of experience - the sooner between them. Then she falls, unconscious mortally wounded. The price of her sacrifice is that she suffers a penalty of -1 per level of experience to both Mortal Wounds *and* Tampering with Mortality rolls related to that injury.

Level 9:

• Holy Fervor: Any hirelings of the same religion as the character gain a +1 bonus to their morale score whenever she is present.