Syphon
(Source: Sorcery and Shadow)
RequirementsBase Attack Bonus: +8. |
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Hit Die: d10.
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Syphons gain no additional
proficiencies with either weapons or armor.
Death Knell (Sp): At first level, a syphon is able to use death knell once per day as a spell-like ability. In addition to the normal effects of the spell, the syphon absorbs 1d4 points of bonus spell energy from the target. A syphon can store an amount of bonus spell energy in excess of his own spell energy equal to his spellcasting ability modifier plus his syphon level. This spell energy vanishes when the death knell effect expires. This ability works even on creatures without the Magecraft feat.
The syphon can use this ability twice per day at 3rd level and three times per day at 5th level.
Deathwatch (Sp): The syphon has a supernatural ability to see the darkening shadow of death. At first level, the syphon gains the ability to use deathwatch once per day as a spell-like ability. Unlike other spell-like abilities, however, the syphon can activate deathwatch additional times per day by spending one point of spell energy each time.
At 3rd and 5th levels, the syphon can use deathwatch additional times per day at no cost in spell energy.
Improved Spellcasting (Ex): The syphon's effective caster level increases by one. This affects level-related spell effects, caster level checks, and the level of spells that the character can learn. It does not grant him any bonus spells or spell energy.
Syphon levels stack with channeler levels for the purposes of determining the highest-level spells the character can cast. A character with more channeler and syphon levels than levels in other classes adds +1 to his character level to determine the highest-level spell he can cast. For example, a chn5/syp3/wld7 can cast up to 8th-level spells.
Ignore Armor (Ex): A syphon seldom has the luxury of using his powers without needing his armor. As such, he adapts to the difficulties of casting spells while in armor. At 2nd level, he subtracts 10% from the arcane spell failure chance imposed by armor or shields he is using. This bonus increases to 20% at 4th level.
Blood Syphoning (Su): At 2nd level, the syphon develops the ability to drain power from fresh and strong targets. By spending three points of spell energy and making a successful melee touch attack, the syphon is able to deliver a syphoning blow to his enemy. This affects the target and the syphon exactly like a vampiric touch spell, except the target also loses up to 1d4 + the attacker's syphon level in points of spell energy, which are gained by the syphon. This ability cannot extract spell energy from creatures with no spell energy, and never causes Con damage.
The syphon can use a melee weapon or an unarmed strike to deliver a syphoning blow.
Spell Syphoning (Su): At 4th level, the syphon is able to use his blood syphoning ability to draw spells from his victims. The syphon can use this ability in one of two ways. Both ways function like blood syphoning, but with the following changes.
First, the syphon is able to extract the knowledge of any one spell from a target he hits with his blood syphoning ability. The syphon retains the ability to cast this spell until he next recovers his own spell energy through sleep, when the spell fades from his mind. He casts this spell as if he had learned it himself, at his own caster level. Syphons may use an extracted spell to create a scroll or other magic item, provided they have the appropriate item creation feat.
Alternately, if the sypon can get a grip on his target, he can cast spells the target knows, using the target's own spell energy. To do this, the syphon must succeed at a blood-syphoning attack as normal. The syphon and his target then make oposed grapple checks. If the syphon succeeds, he has the target in his grip and may cast any spell the target knows, using the target's spell energy, at the target's caster level, on subsequent rounds. The target is entitled to a grapple check or an Escape Artist check on his turn to escape the syphon's grip. Neither participant is considered grappled during this exchange; the victim may attack, move, cast spells, and otherwise act normally, but cannot leave the syphon's threatened space without a successful grapple or Escape Artist check, unless the syphon releases him or is incapacitated.
Blood Talisman (Su): The spell energy cost of using the blood syphoning ability is reduced to two.
| Class Level |
Base Attack Bonus |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Death knell 1/day, deathwatch 1/day, improved spellcasting |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Blood syphoning, ignore armor 10% |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Death knell 2/day, deathwatch 2/day |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Spell syphoning, ignore armor 20% |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Death knell 3/day, deathwatch 3/day, blood talisman |