Theurgist (3.5e Class)

Theurgist

It may be argued that clerics in the service of something other than a god aren't really clerics at all. While few even know of their existence, and most that meet them mistake them for servants of some unknown deity, some have speculated on where their power stem from. It is said that belief is the currency of the planes, and that the very foundation of divinity is build by worship. Those sages that have speculated upon the nature of these clerics - or theurgists, as they call them, to distinguish them clearly from their faithful brethren - have thus assumed this characteristic must remain true.

Several theories have been suggested. Even the most widely accepted of these have been met with some controversy among many faiths, as it deals with the very nature of the planes. It suggests that these individuals - through birth or through some mystical acquired means - possess a particularly strong link to one of the cardinal principal planes of the multiverse, and that they through that link may channel the divine energy of that principle itself - or more precisely, the mortal faith in the principle in question. A theurgist of Law (or a Mechanus Theurgist, as some entitle them, after the principal plane of law, Mechanus) would draw upon the worship of the principles of that plane, be it "spillover" faith in a deity residing there, such as Helm, or perhaps the love of Law by Faithless mortals, whose worship is not directed at any deity in particular.

Making a Theurgist

A theurgist is a cleric, yet is not. The two classes share many features and abilities, yet differ greatly from each other. While a cleric studies her faith in monasteries or chapels, driven by faith in her divine patron, the theurgist knows her faith as an ever-present bond, a link that requires no questioning or reasoning, no rituals or prayer. As such, theurgists tend to lack the inner fire that driver a cleric ever onward despite all odds. They also tend to lack the fearlessness shared by many clerics, as they typically have no deity to offer them shelter and bliss, should death find them and whisk them away. What they lack in resolve, however, they often make up for in versatility, as they tend to be far more open to new ideas than a cleric who's spent years cementing her faith.

Due to their lack of formal training, theurgists have lower BAB and fewer hitpoints than clerics, and are skilled in the use of only light and medium armors, and no shields.

Abilities: In difference to clerics, who rely primarily on wisdom to channel the divine influence of her deity into the world, a theurgist instead depends on her own force of personality, her own intuitive weight and presence in the world, to channel the presence of the principle she serves. As such, she relies on Wisdom and Charisma for her divine spellcasting. Intelligence, too, is important to the theurgist as it helps her further her knowledge in many areas relevant to her cause.

Races: Theurgist may be found amidst nearly any sentient race.

Alignment: Any lawfull or any chaotic, though many tend to lose sight of the values of good or evil, favoring a neutral alignment.

Starting Gold: 1d4x10gp

Starting Age: Complex.

Table: The Theurgist

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spells per Day^1
		Fort	Ref	Will		0	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	5^th	6^th	7^th	8^th	9^th
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Turn or Rebuke Undead, Mechanus Domain or Limbo Domain, Spontaneous Conversion	3	1+1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Extra Domain, Detect Law or Chaos	4	2+1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+1	+0	+1	+3		4	3+1	1+1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4		5	3+1	2+1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Extra Domain	5	3+1	2+1	1+1	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Aligned Theurgy	5	4+1	3+1	2+1	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5		6	4+1	3+1	2+1	1+1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6		6	4+1	3+1	3+1	2+1	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6		6	4+1	4+1	3+1	2+1	1+1	—	—	—	—
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Extra Domain	6	5+1	4+1	3+1	3+1	2+1	—	—	—	—
11th	+5	+3	+3	+7		6	5+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	2+1	1+1	—	—	—
12th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8		6	5+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	3+1	2+1	—	—	—
13th	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8		6	5+1	5+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	2+1	1+1	—	—
14th	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9		6	5+1	5+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	3+1	2+1	—	—
15th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9	Extra Domain	6	5+1	5+1	5+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	2+1	1+1	—
16th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10		6	5+1	5+1	5+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	3+1	2+1	—
17th	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10		6	5+1	5+1	5+1	5+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	2+1	1+1
18th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11		6	6+1	5+1	5+1	5+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	3+1	2+1
19th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11		6	6+1	5+1	5+1	5+1	5+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	3+1
20th	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Extra Domain	6	6+1	5+1	5+1	5+1	5+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1
In addition to the stated number of spells per day for 1st-through 9th-level spells, a theurgist gets a domain spell for each spell level, starting at 1st. The "+1" in the entries on this table represents that spell. Domain spells are in addition to any bonus spells the theurgist may receive for having a high Charisma score.
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int). Class Features Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Theurgists are proficient with light and medium armor and no shields, and can use only simple weapons. Spells: A theurgist casts spells that are divine in nature. To prepare or cast a spell, a theurgist must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The DC for a saving throw against a deviant’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the deviant's Charisma modifier. Like other spellcasters, a theurgist can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on the table above. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score. A high score however doesn't allow her to learn spells of a higher level than that she knows. Domains: A theurgist must choose either the Mechanus or the Limbo domain at first level, depending on her alignment (Mechanus for lawfull theurgists, Limbo for chaotic ones). She may then pick one additional domain of her choosing at second, fifth, tenth, fifteenth and twentieth level. Turn or Rebuke undead: A theurgist may turn or rebuke undead as a cleric. If neutral aligned, she must choose which of the two feats she is able to perform at first level. A theurgist of good alignment is always able to turn and never rebuke undead; an evil aligned theurgist is always able rebuke and never turn undead. Spontaneous Conversion: Like clerics, a theurgist may choose to convert any prepared spell to instead cast a cure of inflict spell. In difference to clerics, however, a theurgist of neutral alignment may always choose which type of spell to convert it to on a case-to-case basis. Detect Law or Chaos: Depending on her alignment, a theurgist may detect Law or Chaos (whichever is opposite to her own alignment) at will as a supernatural ability. Doing so is a swift action if attempted in combat. Aligned Theurgy: At sixth level a theurgist may add +1 to her caster level for spells with a [law] or [chaos] descriptor, depending on her alignment. Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Classes → Base Classes