Archpriests are the favored servants of Wee Jas, powerful characters that command a powerful synthesis of arcane and divine magic. It is not a path for the weak or doubtful – the Lady of Book and Bone presents hard tests to anyone seeking her favor – but the rewards are great for those strong enough to endure.
Archpriest of Wee Jas
By: Nellisir
Posted with permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.
Archpriests are the favored servants of Wee Jas, powerful characters that command a powerful synthesis of arcane and divine magic. It is not a path for the weak or doubtful – the Lady of Book and Bone presents hard tests to anyone seeking her favor – but the rewards are great for those strong enough to endure.
Archpriests that reach the higher ranks usually become leaders in the church of the Dark-Eyed Goddess. At lower levels, many archpriests curry their goddess’s favor by seeking out or creating powerful magic items and magical lore. Others seek out unique undead, persuading them to pledge allegiance to Wee Jas, or else destroying them.
Most archpriests are cleric/wizards or cleric/necromancers. Fewer are cleric/sorcerers, and there are no more than two currently known cleric/bards seeking the higher ranks of the archpriests. There are no druidic archpriests of Wee Jas.
Hit Die: d4.
Requirements
To qualify to become an archpriest of Wee Jas, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 13 ranks, Knowledge (undead) 13 ranks.
Feats: Extra Turning, Improved Turning, any two Item Creation feats.
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 4th-level divine spells; Ability to cast 2nd-level arcane spells.
Special: Ability to rebuke undead; Lawful Neutral or Lawful Evil alignment; Archpriests must have Wee Jas as their patron deity.
Class Skills
The archpriest’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Knowledge (undead) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2+ Int modifier.
Table 1-1: The Archpriest of Wee Jas
Level
| Base
Attack
Bonus | Fort
| Ref
| Will
| Special
| Spells per Day
|
1
| +0
| +0
| +0
| +2
| Divine Lore
| +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
|
2
| +1
| +0
| +0
| +3
|
| +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class/
+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
|
3
| +1
| +1
| +1
| +3
| Voice of the Dead
| +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
|
4
| +2
| +1
| +1
| +4
|
| +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class/
+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
|
5
| +2
| +1
| +1
| +4
| Lady of the Book
| +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
|
6
| +3
| +2
| +2
| +5
|
| +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class/
+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
|
7
| +3
| +2
| +2
| +5
| Lady of the Bone
| +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
|
8
| +4
| +2
| +2
| +6
|
| +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class/
+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
|
9
| +4
| +3
| +3
| +6
| Arcane Versatility
| +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
|
10
| +5
| +3
| +3
| +7
| Eyes of the Taker
| +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class/
+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
|
Class Features
All the following are features of the archpriest prestige class.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Archpriests gain no proficiency with any weapon, armor, or shield.
Spells per Day: Archpriests gain new divine spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) every level, as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, or the like). If the character had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming an archpriest, the player must decide to which class to add each archpriest level for the purpose of determining spells per day, spells known, and overall caster level.
Archpriests gain new arcane spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) at every other level, as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, or the like). If the character had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming an archpriest, the player must decide to which class to add each archpriest level for the purpose of determining spells per day, spells known, and overall caster level.
Divine Lore: The archpriest may choose a new domain from Wee Jas’s available domains. The archpriest recieves the domain’s granted power and may choose the domain’s spells as granted spells. (The archpriest now has three choices each level for domain spells instead of two.)
Archpriests also add their archpriest levels to their cleric levels to determine the level of effect of any domain granted power.
Voice of the Dead: Archpriests can telepathically communicate with any undead within 60 feet.
Lady of the Book: At 5th level the archpriest gains a +3 bonus to her Knowledge (arcana) skill.
Lady of the Bone: At 7th level the archpriest gains a +3 bonus to her Knowledge (undead) skill.
Arcane Versatility: At 9th level the archpriest can choose to cast any arcane spell she knows using a domain spell slot of the same or higher level. The spell must be prepared ahead of time, as per a normal domain spell, regardless of how the archpriest traditionally casts arcane spells.
Eyes of the Taker: The archpriest, through long association with Wee Jas and her servants, transcends her mortal form and becomes an outsider. Her type changes to Outsider [Native], which means she acquires some immunities and vulnerabilities based on her type (see below). As a free action she can ward herself with a protection from chaos/good spell. (She chooses which form to have when she gains the transcendence power and cannot change it thereafter.)
Upon transcending, the pupils of the archpriest’s eyes become black, and her pupils change to resemble bone-white skulls. All worshippers of Wee Jas, including her outsider servants, immediately recognize her transcendent nature, and she gains a +2 bonus on all Charisma-based skill and ability checks in regard to these creatures.
As a native outsider, the archpriest is affected differently by several types of spells.
First, spells that affect only Humanoids (charm person, dominate person) have no effect on the archpriest.
Second, spells and effects that are targetted at outsiders are more likely to affect the character. A spell that drives outsiders back to their home plane does not affect an archpriest on the Prime Material Plane, but banishment -- a spell that removes outsiders from the caster’s home plane without specifying a return to outsider’s native plane – would work just fine.
Finally, archpriests can be raised or resurrected on the Prime Material Plane.
