Jinx

Fortune is universally praised and feared despite being completely intangible and theoretical. When a person beats the odds in a favorable way a few times they are considered lucky. Conversely, a person beating the odds unfavorably a few times is considered unlucky. And when people beat the odds unfavorably whenever a certain individual is around, that person is considered a bearer of bad luck, a jinx.

Misfortune is a fragile toy, but a jinx has few other options. If they are destined to bring bad luck with them wherever they go, it is better that they focus it on those who deserve it. Who deserves a bit more bad luck is entirely up to the jinx.

Anyone can seem like a jinx, but certain people excel at it. Clerics, particularly those of chaotic or evil gods, enjoy catching their enemies off-guard. Sorcerers and wizards benefit from an increased hit die and base attack progression, although at the expense of their casting ability. Although good clerics qualify for the class, healing their allies becomes a mixed blessing because of their radial curse.

Role: Jinxes make good arcanists, as their radial bad luck serves them like an ongoing spell. Many good-intentioned jinxes try to be healers, but there are obvious drawbacks.

Alignment: Fate, not morality, decides who becomes a jinx. However, fate tends to choose those with less strident ethics, preferring chaotic targets.

Hit Die: d8

Requirements

There are three ways to qualify for the jinx prestige class. All characters must fulfill the following criteria.

Alignment: Non-lawful.

A character must also fulfill either this criteria:

Spells: Ability to cast bestow curse.

Or this criteria:

Base Attack Bonus: +5.

Special: Curse spell-like ability. This can be a class feature, a racial feature, or an ability granted by some other source.

Or this criteria:

Base Attack Bonus: +5.

Special: Must have been affected by a curse, such as being targeted by a bestow curse spell.

Class Skills

The jinx’s class skills are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: Jinx
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Spells per Day
1st +0 +0 +0 +1 Radial curse +1 level of existing spellcasting class
2nd +1 +1 +1 +1 Armored cursing +1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd +1 +1 +1 +2 Bonus curse
4th +2 +1 +1 +2 Curse gets worse +1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th +2 +2 +2 +3 Lucky bond +1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th +3 +2 +2 +3 Bonus curse
7th +3 +2 +2 +4 Curse gets worse +1 level of existing spellcasting class
8th +4 +3 +3 +4 Lingering curse +1 level of existing spellcasting class
9th +4 +3 +3 +5 Curse reach
10th +5 +3 +3 +5 Bestow curse, curse gets worse +1 level of existing spellcasting class

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the jinx prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Jinxes are proficient with all simple weapons and light armor.

Spells per Day

At each level except 3rd, 6th, and 9th, a jinx gains new spells per day and an increase in caster level as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If he had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a jinx, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.

Radial Curse (Sp)

Bad luck lingers and spreads. Anyone, friend or foe, who comes within 30 feet of a jinx suffers a -1 penalty to hit and -1 penalty to AC. A jinx cannot turn off radial curse, although it can be repressed in an antimagic field or by dispel magic.

Armored Cursing (Su)

When everyone thinks someone is unlucky, that someone has to learn to protect himself. Beginning at 2nd level, when wearing light or medium armor, a jinx ignores arcane spell failure when casting a spell that applies a penalty or a condition to a target.

Bonus Curse

At 3rd and 6th, a jinx learns additional curses. He adds any one spell with the word “curse” in its name, except remove curse and its derivatives, to his spells known/spells per day. The jinx must be high enough level to cast this spell. If this spell is not on the jinx’s class spell list, he treats it as a spell equal to the highest level spell he can cast.

Curse Gets Worse (Su)

At 4th, 7th, and 10th level, a jinx chooses one of the penalties below to add to his radial curse. He may choose the same penalty more than once. Its effects stack.

  • -2 to all Str-based skill checks
  • -2 to all Dex-based skill checks
  • -1 to hit (stacks with existing radial curse penalty)
  • -1 to AC (stacks with existing radial curse penalty)
  • -2 to Perception skill checks
  • Must make a Concentration check to cast (DC 15 + double spell level)
  • Vulnerability to fire
  • -1 to all Fortitude saves
  • -1 to all Reflex saves
  • -1 to all Will saves

Lucky Bond (Su)

Beginning at 5th level, a jinx chooses one person who, from that point forward, is immune to the jinx’s radial curse.

Lingering Curse (Su)

Beginning at 8th level, anyone exiting a jinx’s radial curse continues to suffer the penalties for a number of rounds equal to the jinx’s Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

Curse Reach (Su)

Beginning at 9th level, a jinx can cast bestow curse at a range of close (25 feet + 5 feet/2 levels) rather than touch, or he increases the range of his curse spell-like abilities by 30 feet. This does not affect bestow curse‘s spell level.

Bestow Curse (Sp)

Beginning at 10th level, a jinx can cast bestow curse without preparation three times per day.


Section 15: Copyright Notice

Strategists and Tacticians. Copyright 2010, 4 Winds Fantasy Gaming; Author Ryan Costello, Jr.

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