Holy Fury Ck2

[Denisha Simcoe]

Devilsand their ilk can go only so far before their actionsdemand a response. At some point, a devil will destroy enoughlives that someone has to take a stand. That someone is oftena hellreaver - a warrior whose outrage at the actions ofthe fiends and their ability to corrupt and seduce withoutconsequence fuels an array of combat abilities. These potentoptions make these warriors tremendously effective combatantsof the baatezu.

Though entry into this prestige class demands cross-classskill point expenditures, barbarians gain the most by takinglevels in this prestige class. A barbarian's rage ability workswell with the holy fury abilities granted by the hellreaverclass. Likewise, paladins who become hellreavers find thatthe class features complement their paladin abilities eventhough it means abandoning their former class. Good-alignedfighters and rangers might also seek out this class. Finally,some monks and martial clerics find a powerful assortmentof abilities that augment their innate capabilities.

You have had enough. It's time to make these fiends pay.Someone must stop the baatezu, and that someone is you. Youhave heard all the stories about how the gods have some sortof special deal with the devils that allows them to harvest evilsouls, but you're confident that such an arrangement didn'tinclude actively working to seduce mortals into signingmisleading contracts. Let the clerics and their ilk fret aboutthe immortal soul. Warning folks doesn't do a thing but makethem want to dabble in darkness even more. If you're going todeal with fiends, the best way to do so is to butcher them - andtheir mortal allies - wherever you find them. Those foolswho are in cahoots with devils had better not expect mercyfrom you, because you have none to spare.

You are a frontline warrior. Since your holy fury abilitiescan all be activated quickly, try opening with a charge attackto put your enemy on the defensive. Using your holy furyabilities early lets you improve your combat abilities fromthe outset. Be sure to keep at least 1 or 2 holy fury points inreserve to respond to spells and attacks as needed.

One brush with infernal power, and you knew the shape ofyour destiny. The existence of creatures such as devils enragedyou. The thought of an entire race of creatures that served noother purpose than to harvest mortal souls and deny themtheir heavenly reward filled you with so much outrage thatyou had to take action.

Once you committed yourself to the path of the hellreaver,strange things began to happen. When you fought, you coulddraw power from that inner reservoir, that wellspring ofhate that impels you to greater and greater acts of daring.At first, you were able to shrug off minor injuries. In time,you found you could pierce your enemies' defenses, ignoretheir attacks, and more. Through it all, you have learned youmust keep the fires of yourwrath stoked lest you falterin your mission.

Though Strength andConstitution are important,Charisma is vital for yourholy fury abilities. In additionto investing in magicitems that augment yourphysical abilities, be sure topick up a cloak of Charisma.As for feat choices, don't overlookAbility Focus at higherlevels to boost the DC of divineretribution. Also,tried and true combatfeats, such as PowerAttack and Cleave,aid a hellreaver inher goals.

Few share your directand violentapproach to dealingwith devils. Certainly,most good individualssee fighting the baatezuas proper, but your enthusiasmis intimidating. As aresult, you have a difficult time forging longtermassociations with organized groups thatfight fiends. Instead, you rely on your cadre of companionsfor support and aid. Your allies likely share your vision anddo their part to help defeat your chosen foes.

"Hellreavers are as dangerous as the devils they fight. Their recklessassault lacks the subtlety needed to fight such intelligent foes.Certainly, these warriors have their uses, but they are thoroughlyunsuited to missions requiring a gentle hand."

At the forefront of a righteous horde, leading ranks uponranks of holy warriors into the teeth of fell infernal armies,rides the hellreaver. More a holy avenger than a paragon ofvirtue, the hellreaver lives to fight, and often dies in battle.Many hellreavers are celestials; hound archons turn to thisclass after facing fiends one time too many. Astral devas whofailed in their efforts to protect mortals sometimes abandontheir duties to take up arms against the devils. However, nohellreaver is as feared as a solar that has taken up this pathto batter the walls of Hell with its wrath.

Mortal hellreavers are rare, since the mortality rate is high.Eventually, a hellreaver's path leads him to the Lower Planes,where he takes the fight to his enemies. On occasion, hegathers a host of like-minded zealots to accompany him onhis mission. While courageous, such forays are nearly alwaysdoomed to fail.

Mortal hellreavers attract fanatics and zealous followers.Though they don't operate in large organizations, wordof their exploits attracts membersof fringe religiousgroups that hope to jointheir struggle. While ahellreaver's mission neverchanges, those who rallyto her banner extend theirenmity to others they perceiveas wicked and evil.

In time, this oppositionto devils and their mortalservants extends to otherswho might or might notshare the creed of the fiends,and who might not be evil at all.As a result, hellreavers oftentry to dissuade others fromjoining their crusade.

Clerics of most good andneutral religions regardhellreavers warily, being indifferentat best. They seethese individuals as reckless warriorswho are willing to sell theirlives cheaply in the face of the monolithicevil they oppose. Superstitiousback water types might flock to hellreavers, regardingthem as heroes of legend. Friendly, ifnot helpful, they abandon their homes to follow a hellreaverout of some genuine offer of assistance or to further theirown, often darker, ambitions.

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can researchhellreavers to learn more about them. When a charactersucceeds on a skill check, the following lore is revealed,including the information from lower DCs.

DC 15: A hellreaver draws strength from her moral outrage,from a deep and abiding hatred of those who prey on mortals.I heard of one hellreaver who stood against a dozen devils byherself. They say that she couldn't be killed, that her angerkept her standing despite many grievous wounds.

DC 20: Hellreavers derive their power from their outrageover infernal plots and the devils' manipulations of mortals.They use this anger to great effect, growing stronger, tougher,and more dangerous. The most powerful of them can channeldivine power with their fury and make devils explode.

Though tales of their efforts might be heard in taverns andpubs across the land, a specific hellreaver is tough to trackdown, since she is constantly on the move. A character canpick up a hellreaver's trail by succeeding on a DC 20 GatherInformation or Knowledge (local) check.

Since hellreavers are so few, they might have existed in acampaign for a long time. Famous religious figures, especiallysaints and martyrs, might have been hellreavers in life, a factthe PCs might have only recently discovered. In any event,so long as devils exist as a cohesive force in your campaign,hellreavers have a place.

Players who appreciate the tactical side of combat willbe attracted to this prestige class, since it requires quitea bit of resource management. The class is also appealingto players who take an attack first approach to combat andhave little use for the subtleties of character interaction.On the other hand, hellreavers make for great doomedchampions, and they might be a fine alternative for questdrivenadventurers.

The hellreaver is a specialized warrior with a wide arrayof abilities to aid her when facing devils. For campaignsfeaturing some other kind of adversary, a hellreaver can bethematically changed to deal with all sorts of threats. So longas an enemy is evil, most of a hellreaver's abilities continueto be effective.

A hellreaver might be alone, striving to fulfill some personalvendetta, or she might have the company of several hundredoverzealous fanatics. Such appearances cause all sorts ofconfusion and panic among common folk, as accusationsfly about who's in league with whom, which poor peasantis in fact a filthy witch, and how various people were seencongregating under the light of the moon to conjure up theminions of Hell.

EL 13: Camren Lightbringer (CG female aasimar monk 7/hellreaver 5)is a famous folk hero. Believedto have destroyed a coven of devil-worshiping cultists in asmall, nameless village, tales of her exploits spread throughoutthe land. It's whispered she was once a mystic, a masterof a rare fighting style from an esoteric order of monks, buther zealous ways and bloodthirstiness make such rumorsfarfetched. Camren might be encountered as a temporaryally, an individual who shares the player characters' missionfor a time, or she might be an adversary, believing the PCsare somehow in league with devils.

Holy Fury (Ex): When you face your enemies, a raginganger fills your mind. Avenging, divine power surges throughyou, allowing you to generate magical effects. Entering thisstate is a free action. While in a holy fury, your melee attacksare good-aligned. You also gain immunity to fear effects.In addition, you gain a number of holy fury points equalto your hellreaver level plus your Charisma modifier. Youspend these points to activate many of your hellreaverclass abilities.

Furious Strike (Su): As a swift action, you can spend 1holy fury point to pour divine energy into your weapon. Yourblade crackles with a divine aura that is baneful to your foes.You gain a +2 bonus and deal an extra 1d6 points of damageon your next attack. These bonuses apply only to an attackthat targets an evil creature. If you accidentally use furiousstrike against a creature that is not evil, or your attack misses,the furious strike has no effect, but the holy fury point isstill spent.

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