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Some people are fascinated with the undead and the dark arts. Many believe following those arts is the path to power. A small group of these people know that to gain ultimate power, one must embrace this path fully. The dread champion is one of these people. Through delving into these forbidden subjects, the dread champion has found a way to join the ranks of the undead. This has its risks, but the dread champion knows the reward is worth the effort. By completing a ritual found within ancient texts, the dread champion transforms himself.

Requirements

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the dread champion prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dread champions are proficient with simple and martial weapons, and all armor (heavy, medium, and light), and shields.

Manifesting: At every even numbered level, the dread champion gains a psychic warrior level with regards to power points gained and powers discovered. His effective manifester level is increased by one for each level of the prestige class.

Psionic Combat: The dread champion gains no additional psionic attack and defense modes while advancing in this class. (Characters do not forget previously discovered attack and defense modes.)

0-Level Powers: Dread champion levels count toward the level of the psionic character for determining the number of free manifestations per day of 0-level powers.

Undeath (Ex): By embracing this path, the dread champion becomes an undead creature. He becomes immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, polymorphing, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromantic effects. He also ignores mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), but he is still subject to psionic combat. Dread champions are also not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. He has no Constitution score and is therefore immune to any effect requiring a Fortitude save (unless it affects objects). A dread champion uses his Charisma modifier when making Concentration checks.

As an undead, a dread champion is no longer healed normally. He requires negative energy (such as an inflict wounds spell) to heal, though regeneration and fast healing effects work normally.

A dread champion is not at risk of death due to massive damage, but he is immediately destroyed if reduced to 0 hit points or less. He can no longer be raisedor resurrected. He can be brought back to existence only through use of a wish or _psionic reality alteration+.

A dread champion gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

A dread champion can be turned.A dread champion can no longer use Psychometabolism powers and uses his Charisma modifier for Psychokinetic powers.

Ability Gains (Ex): As the dread champion gains levels in this prestige class, his ability scores increases as noted in the class table. These increases stack and are gained as if through level advancement.

Hit Dice Promotion (Ex): At 1st level, each previous Hit Die gained promotes to a d8 if it was less than a d8. At 4th level, each promotes to d10, and then they promote to d12 at 8th level. Any levels gained after becoming a dread champion use the current dread champion Hit Dice type to determine hit points gained.

Damage Reduction (Su): At 2nd level, the dread champion's body toughens, giving him damage reduction of 2/-, this power improves to 3/- at 4th level, 4/- at 6th level, and to 5/- at 8th level.

Natural Armor Class (Ex): Due to the increasing toughening of his body, the dread champion gains the listed natural Armor Class bonus.

Fear Aura (Su): As a standard action, a dread champion can exude an aura of fear in a radius of 15 feet. Once activated, the aura lasts one round, Anyone in or entering the area must make a Will save of DC 10 + the dread champion's class level + dread champion's Charisma modifier. Those who fail suffer a -2 penalty on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws for 5d6 rounds.

Negative Energy Blast (Sp): Once per day, the dread champion can create a blast of negative energy, doing 1d6 points of damage per level of the character (max 20d6). This blast has a radius of 20 feet and long range (400 feet + 40 ft./level).

The negative energy of this ability also rebukes undead creatures, causing them to cower in fear. Undead in the area may be rebuked. The dread champion makes a turning check to rebuke them as a cleric of 2 levels lower than their level.

Power Resistance (Su): At 5th level, the dread champion gains power resistance equal to 15 + his dread champion levels. At 9th level, this improves to 20 + his dread champion levels.

Turn Immunity (Ex): At 5th level, the dread champion becomes immune to turning effects. He cannot be turned, rebuked, or commanded, but he is still subject to spells and powers that affect undead, such as sever the tie.

Cold Immunity (Ex): At 7th level, the dread champion becomes immune to cold damage.

Chilling Touch (Su): At 10th level, the dread champion completes his connection to the Negative Energy Plane. His unarmed strikes do a base d8 points of damage, and he is considered armed if he chooses to fight this way. In addition, he may choose to infuse his attacks with negative energy. This adds 1d8 points of negative energy damage to his attacks and causes 1 point of temporary Constitution damage, unless a Fortitude save (DC 20 + dread champion's Charisma modifier) is made. Effects that block negative energy will protect against this attack. Dread champions cannot use this to heal themselves.

Advancement