Soulfire Adept (3.5e Class)

Soulfire Adept

“	A cutter's best aspect is his soul. And guess what, berk? It burns	”
—Sarazeveronephonex, Soulfire Adept

The most reprehensible act one can take is to harm the soul of another. Some souls can be harmed more easily than others, though the power they contain is often enough to return the favor. The soulfire adept is willing to take this ultimate risk, completely and utterly baring her soul to her enemies to make every attack one that protects her immortal aspect. By putting her soul in such danger, she becomes the ultimate adrenaline junky - a smoldering spirit just waiting for the thrill of battle to come again. The flames of her soul are her weapons and armor, and that irrepressible spirit simply refuses to be held at bay.

Making a Soulfire Adept

Soulfire adepts are thrill-seekers, likely to be seen in adventuring parties simply because they want to show off. In combat, they are particularly reckless melee combatants, only occasionally acting as a blaster. They also act as scouts, if only to burn off extra energy between battles.

Abilities The key ability scores for this class are Charisma, which helps determine how hard their soulfire is to avoid, and Constitution, which not only raises their hit points but also increases the power of their soulfire. Dexterity helps to improve their AC, and Strength is second only to Constitution for determining damage.

Races The soul of any race has the potential to burn hot enough to use as a weapon. Soulfire adepts run the gamut from a plethora of humans and half-elves to the incredibly rare dwarf; any creature capable of blending ambition with wanderlust can become a soulfire adept.

Alignment Any non lawful.

Starting Gold 4d4 x 10 gp (100 gp).

Starting Age As sorcerer.

Table: The Soulfire Adept Hit Die: d12

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	Force of Personality, AC bonus, unarmed strike, frenzy (1/day)
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	Uncanny dodge
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Soul blaze (armor), fast movement
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Frenzy (2/day), burning touch, unarmed strike enhancement +1
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	Improved uncanny dodge, soulfire mania (shaken)
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Over soul +1
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	Frenzy (3/day), soulfire burst (increase radius), unarmed strike enhancement +2
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Soul blaze (shield)
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	Over soul +2
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	Greater frenzy
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	Frenzy (4/day), soulfire mania (frightened), unarmed strike enhancement +3
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	Soulfire retort
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	Over soul +3, soulfire burst (maximize)
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5	Timeless body
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	Frenzy (5/day), unarmed strike enhancement +4
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Soul blaze (damage), tireless frenzy
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	Over soul +4, scatterburst
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	Soulfire mania (panicked)
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	Frenzy (6/day), soul conflagration, unarmed strike enhancement +5
Class Skills (4 + Int modifer) x4 at 1st level The soulfire adept's class skills (and the key modifier to use each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the soulfire adept.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency Soulfire adepts are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shields.

Force of Personality Much like a sorcerer, some of a Soulfire Adept’s strength comes from his own personality, in its own way. Saves against the Soulfire Adept’s blasts of soulfire do not have the set Reflex save DC of 20. Instead, the DC is equal to 10 + the Soulfire Adept’s Charisma bonus (minimum 1) + ½ the Soulfire Adept’s class levels (minimum 1) in the attack. Their drive to succeed fuels their willpower, rather than their perception.

AC Bonus (Ex) A souflire adept regularly practices at avoiding unnecessary blows. When unarmored and unencumbered, she adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, she gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five soulfire adept levels thereafter. These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the soulfire adept is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load.

Unarmed Strike A soulfire adept gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat at 1st level. She deals unarmed damage as a monk of her class level. If a soulfire adept gains levels in another class that has an unarmed strike progression, she adds her levels in the two classes together to determine her unarmed damage.

A soulfire adept's unarmed strike improves as the character gains higher levels. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, the soulfire adept gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls (+2 at 8th level, +3 at 12th level, +4 at 16th level, and +5 at 20th level).

Frenzy (Ex) A soulfire adept can enter a reckless frenzy a certain number of times per day. In a frenzy, she gains a +4 bonus to Strength and a +4 bonus to Dexterity, but takes a -4 penalty to Wisdom and a -2 penalty to AC. While frenzied, a soulfire adept cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Jump, Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, and Tumble), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience and concentration, nor can she cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. She can use any feat she has except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, and metamagic feats. A frenzy lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character's Constitution modifier. A soulfire adept may prematurely end her frenzy. At the end of the frenzy, the soulfire adept loses the frenzy modifiers and restrictions and becomes fatigued for the remainder of the encounter.

A soulfire adept can enter a frenzy only once per encounter. At 1st level she can use her frenzy ability once per day. At 4th level and ever 4 levels thereafter, she can use it one additional time per day (to a maximum of six times per day at 20th level). Entering a frenzy takes no time itself, but a soulfire adept can do it only during her action, not in response to someone else's action.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex) At 2nd level, a soulfire adept retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a soulfire adept already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Soul Blaze (Su) At 3rd level, the soulfire adept earns her title, as she can set her soul into a glorious blaze around her body. Treat the character as if she is the target of a permanent faerie fire spell, except that her flames can be any color and the light produced by them pierces even magical darkness. She also gains an armor bonus to her AC equal to her Constitution modifier; however, this bonus can never be more than half her soulfire adept level, rounded down.

At 9th level, the adept's soul blaze glows brighter. Treat her as if she is the target of a continual flame spell. She gains a shield bonus to her AC equal to half of her Constitution modifier, rounded down, and applies the armor bonus granted by this ability to her touch AC.

At 17th level, the adept's soul blaze inflicts 1d8 points of damage (half of which is fire damage) to any creature in her area of bright illumination at the beginning of each round. Add the soulfire adept's Charisma modifier to the damage her soul blaze deals to any creature she designates as a foe.

Fast Movement (Ex) At 3rd level, a soulfire adept gains an enhancement bonus to her speed. When unarmored and unencumbered, she gains a speed bonus as if she were a monk of her level.

Burning Touch (Su) Starting at 4th level, a soulfire adept can heal wounds (her own or another's) by touch. This is in all ways identical to the dragon shaman's touch of vitality (PHB page 14), including the ability to heal statuses at 11th level, but it is treated as the paladin's lay on hands class feature for purposes of using magic items or other effects. However, this ability deals one point of nonlethal damage to both the soulfire adept and the character being healed for every point expended from the pool.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex) At 5th level, a soulfire adept can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the soulfire adept by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has soulfire adept levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.

Soulfire Mania (Ex) Beginning at 5th level, the soulfire adept's reckless streak becomes plain for all to see, giving others a sense of unease whenever she smiles. With a glance and a wolfish grin, she can render everyone who can see her within 30 feet shaken for 1 round (Will negates; save DC 10 + 1/2 soulfire adept level + Cha modifier). Characters who succeed their saves are immune to that soulfire adept's soulfire mania for 24 hours. Using this ability is a move action.

At 12th level, a character who fails the save is instead frightened, and a character who succeeds is shaken. At 19th level, an enemy who fails the save is panicked and an ally who fails is frightened, and a character who succeeds the save is shaken.

Over Soul (Su) At 6th level, a soulfire adept gains the ability to enhance her unarmed strike. She can add any weapon special ability that has an enhancement bonus value of +1.

At every four levels beyond 6th (10th, 14th, and 18th), the value of the enhancement a soulfire adept can add to her unarmed strike improves to +2, +3, and +4, respectively. A soulfire adept can choose any combination of weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by her level.

A soulfire adept may reassign the ability or abilities she has added to her unarmed strike. Doing so requires 8 hours of rest followed by 1 hour of concentration, much the same as a spellcaster must have to prepare his or her spells.

Soulfire Burst (Su) At 8th level, a soulfire adept gains her signature ability, which takes a small portion of her fiery soul and creates something akin to a thrown bomb. Using this ability is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, but you need not make an attack roll. Each soulfire burst can be thrown up to 60 feet away and explodes in a 20 foot radius burst that deals a number of d4s of damage equal to her class level, half of which is fire damage (Reflex half; save DC 10 + 1/2 soulfire adept level + Con modifier). The soulfire adept takes 5 points of damage whenever she throws a soulfire burst. As a swift action, she may deal herself an additional 5 points of damage to double the radius of the burst for that one attack.

At 14th level, the adept becomes more versed in the use of her soulfire. The damage die for her soulfire burst increases to d6, and she can now choose to deal herself 10 damage when attacking with a soulfire burst to maximize the burst's variable numeric effects as a swift action. This ability can be used as part of the same swift action in which she increases the burst's radius, but she takes the damage for each. The soulfire adept also becomes immune to soulfire.

Greater Frenzy (Ex) At 11th level, a soulfire adept's bonuses to Strength and Dexterity during her frenzy each increase to +6, and the penalty to her AC decreases to -1. The penalty to Wisdom remains -4.

Soulfire Retort (Su) At 13th level, the adept's spirit is nearly fully ablaze, so that she becomes a danger whether attacking or defending. Whenever she takes damage from a melee attack, she can release a burst of soulfire as a free action on her next turn. The retort inflicts damage as a soulfire burst (see above), but cannot be maximized and the radius cannot be increased. A soulfire retort affects all creatures adjacent to the adept, with a Reflex save (DC 10 + damage dealt + Con modifier) for half damage. The flash of light given off by a soulfire retort is sufficient to dazzle creatures with light sensitivity or blind those with light blindness.

Timeless Body (Ex) By 15th level, the burning of an adept's soul is enough to keep the chill of age from creeping in, for now and forever. She no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the soulfire adept still dies of old age when her time is up.

Tireless Frenzy (Ex) At 17th level and higher, a soulfire adept no longer becomes fatigued at the end of her frenzy.

Scatterburst (Su) At 18th level, the adept can throw soulfire more quickly. When using the full attack action, she can throw one soulfire burst in place of two of her normal attacks, or throw two soulfire bursts in place of attacking normally. She decides the extent of each soulfire burst separately and takes damage for each accordingly.

Soul Conflagration (Ex) At 20th level, the soulfire adept has succeeded in her goal and literally bared her soul to friend and foe alike. Her type changes to outsider, and she gains the native and chaotic subtypes. Her natural weapons and any weapons she wields are treated as chaotic-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. In addition, the soulfire adept is no longer subject to death from massive damage as long as she has at least one daily use of her frenzy remaining. When she would normally attempt a Fortitude save to avoid death from massive damage, she instead attempts a Will save (DC 10 + damage taken) to avoid entering a frenzy. If the soulfire adept fails this save, she enters a frenzy that cannot be ended unless either all creatures within 30 feet are dead or she makes a second Will save (DC 20 + number of rounds frenzied). After such a frenzy, the soulfire adept is exhausted.

Furthermore, once per week as a full-round action, she may release her power in a horrific burst of soulfire that travels in a 60 foot radius burst. Her enemies get no saves against this attack, which deals 10d6 points of damage plus the number of points of damage left in her burning touch class feature and half of her remaining hit points (which are deducted from her remaining hit points), half of which is fire damage. Her allies get Reflex saves as if they had improved evasion (save DC 10 + soulfire adept level + soulfire adept's Con modifier). Should any enemies caught in the blast survive, they must make Fortitude saves at the same DC or die of shock. Foes who succeed their Fortitude saves are exhausted. The soulfire adept must sleep immediately after using this attack.

Ex-Soulfire Adepts

An adept who who becomes lawful in alignment cannot progress in levels as a adept, though he retains all his adept abilities.

Epic Soulfire Adept

Table: The Epic Hit Die: d

Level	Special
21st
22nd	Over soul +5
23rd
24th	Frenzy (7/day), unarmed strike enhancement +6
25th
26th	Over soul +6
27th
28th	Frenzy (8/day), unarmed strike enhancement +7
29th
30th	Over soul +7
+ Int modifier skill points per level.

:

:

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

Epic Bonus Feat List: .

Soulfire Adept Starting Package

Weapons .

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

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty

Feat .

Bonus Feats .

Gear .

Gold .

Playing a Soulfire Adept

Playing a soulfire adept is a matter of thinking on your feet. You can be a fighter, scout, or blaster, but trying to play jack-of-all-trades is likely to get you killed. Try to focus on being a scout, as you can certainly hold your own until your party catches up, and only blast on the rare occasion you get to the fight after they do.

Religion Most adepts have no deity; they prefer to keep faith in their own immortal aspects, rather than in the immortal aspect of another. A few, however, pay lip service to Fharlanghn (god of roads), while others pay token homage to chaotic deities, chiefly Olidammara (god of rogues) and Erythnul (god of slaughter).

Other Classes A soulfire adept feels most comfortable among those who share their spontaneity, namely barbarians, sorcerers, wilders, and especially bards. She is favorably inclined toward most psionic classes and the occasional rogue as well, who aren't often dissimilar to herself. Paladins, monks, and spellcasters tend to grind on her nerves, however.

Combat An adept is likely to charge in first and ask questions later. The typical soulfire adept - if there can be said to be such a thing - simply wades into a melee and deals damage like no tomorrow, often using some of her flashier abilities just to show off. Once you have the soulfire burst and soulfire retort class features, combat gets even more fun; should you kill them yourself or let them kill themselves trying to kill you? Don't worry about creativity when combat comes calling.

Advancement Most soulfire adepts opt to stay soulfire adepts for all of their 20 levels. But that's their choice. An adept is best served taking either general combat-enhancing feats like Power Attack or feats that increase her durability.

Soulfire Adepts in the World

“	Baring one's soul for use as a weapon is a dangerous gamble, and almost as detestable as harming the soul of another.	”
—Vivian Demonsbane, human cleric of Io

Soulfire adepts are wandering adrenaline junkies, shining examples to free spirits everywhere and barely tolerated by proponents of order. Even though they really only do what they want to do, even evil soulfire adepts are a welcome sight for most: the arrival of a soulfire adept always promises that things are going to get interesting, very soon.

Daily Life Soulfire adepts have very little in common, even in routine. However, they are always doing something to burn off energy, but whether they pace, fight air, or do some random other thing depends on the adept in question. Thus they generally adventure on a whim, and usually only until their attention veers onto another course. If an adept develops a relationship, it is always with another adventurer, hopefully one with the same limitless energy to burn as the adept.

Notables Sarazeveronephonex (that's Sara Everone to nondragons) is the most well-known of soulfire adepts, if only because of her god blood. She's certainly got the most aplomb of the adepts, some say this is due to her natural talent. Sara Everone is also wanted in twelve cities for various reasons, not the least of which is vandalizing property.

Organizations Soulfire adepts don't have any. Their ever-burning spirits simply refuse to stick together for long, and they never allow others to control them or try to control others. Their attention spans just won't allow it.

NPC Reactions Where adepts are known, they are known well. Most chaotic or neutral-aligned people start out with an attitude of friendly if they've heard of the adepts before. People of lawful alignment usually start out unfriendly if not hostile to an adept.

Soulfire Adepts in the Game

Adaptation .

Sample Encounter .

EL whatever .

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