Banelock

Banelocks revel in physical combat, preferring to meet their foes with force and an arsenal of dire weapons.

The following abilities change or replace the class features of the direlock base class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

A banelock adds shields to the proficiencies normally gained by a direlock. A banelock does not suffer from arcane spell failure while using a shield – though a multiclass banelock still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes while using a shield.

Diminished Spellcasting

The banelock casts arcane spells drawn from the direlock spell list, and gains and casts spells as a direlock of her level -1.

Bane Pool (Su)

At 1st level, the banelock gains a reservoir of mystical eldritch energy that she can draw upon to fuel her powers and enhance her bane weapon (see below). This bane pool has a number of points equal to 1/2 her banelock level (minimum 1) + her Charisma modifier. The pool refreshes once per day when the banelock completes 8 hours of rest. Bane pool is treated as dire pool for any ability that requires dire pool to function.

At 1st level, a banelock can expend 1 point from her bane pool as a swift action to grant her bane weapon a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. For every four levels beyond 1st, the bane weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 17th level. These bonuses can be added to the bane weapon, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.

At 5th level, the enhancement bonuses granted by the banelock’s bane pool can be used to add any of the following weapon properties:

1 point of bonus: bane, cruel, huntsman, menacing, merciful, ominous, vicious

2 points of bonus: anchoring, defiant, lifesurge, negating, phase locking, stalking

3 points of bonus: nullifying, repositioning

These properties are added to any the bane weapon already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the bane weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the bane pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the banelock uses this ability. These bonuses do not function if the bane weapon is wielded by anyone other than the banelock.

All inimica, incunabula and any dire zone related abilities do not function if the banelock has no points remaining in her bane pool.

This ability otherwise functions as and replaces dire pool.

Bane Weapon (Ex)

This ability is exactly as the dire weapon direlock ability except:

The banelock cannot use her bane weapon to perform a counterspell.

While wielding her bane weapon, a banelock adds a +1 competence bonus to her CMB when attempting any bull rush, disarm, overrun, sunder or trip checks. This increases by +1 for every 4 banelock levels (maximum +5);

At 1st level, a banelock can expend 1 point from her bane pool as a swift action to grant herself an insight bonus to her CMB equal to half her Charisma bonus (minimum +1) for 1 minute.

This ability otherwise functions as and replaces the direlock’s dire weapon ability.

Dire Combatant (Ex)

At 2nd level the banelock can choose one of the following as a free bonus feat: Deflect Arrows, Improved Critical, Improved Disarm, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip or Toughness whether or not she meets the prerequisites for that feat. This ability alters but is otherwise the same as dire sense.

Second Bane Weapon (Ex)

At 3rd level, a banelock may select and empower a second bane weapon. A banelock may choose a throwing weapon as a bane weapon.

If the banelock wields two bane weapons she is still limited to a maximum enhancement bonus from her bane pool based on one weapon – e.g. the maximum enhancement bonus must be divided between the two weapons.

This ability replaces the incunabula gained at 3rd level.

Medium Armor (Ex)

At 5th level, the banelock gains proficiency with medium armor as the 7th level direlock ability.

Third Dire Weapon (Ex)

At 6th level, a banelock may select and empower a third bane weapon. A banelock may choose a missile weapon as a bane weapon.

This ability replaces the incunabula gained at 6th level.

Heavy Armor (Ex)

At 10th level the banelock gains proficiency with heavy armor as the 12th level direlock ability.

Fearful Recompense (Su)

At 12th level the banelock gains the use of the retribution major hex.

This replaces the incunabula gained at 12th level.

Dire Resistance (Ex)

At 14th level, the banelock can withstand enormous amounts of punishment. By expending one point from her bane pool as an immediate action, the banelock can substitute her Charisma instead of Strength or Dexterity for a Fortitude or Reflex save. If she makes a successful Fortitude or Reflex saving throw that would normally result in half- or partial- damage she instead takes no damage.

This ability replaces dire presence.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

The Direlock Base Class © 2013 Forest Guardian Press. Authors: Morgan Boehringer and Jim Wettstein.

scroll to top