Back

Home

Dustman (HD d12)

By Christopher Campbell (planehopping@hotmail.com)

Mephagor seized the priest by the wrist. The man gasped in pain as a numbing cold coursed throughout his body. Mephagor’s face remained expressionless, but his words were spoken with contempt. “You think your god of light and life is so wonderful? I can arrange for you to visit him this very moment…”
This is not life - all that is, is death. Once this truth is accepted, a person can part the veil and embrace True Death. True Death is a new step in evolution, impossible to comprehend while clinging to this existence. Look to the undead; they have begun to cross the threshold and their metamorphosis is advancing. Accept death. See the True Death.
The dustmen believe this stage of the multiverse is a transitional period in existence, and most creatures are stuck without direction or a goal. They urge everyone to accept their fate and move toward death, regarding it as another step in their evolution. Powerful alliances are established with all manner of undead, the better to demonstrate the “truth” of the faction’s doctrine. Priests and followers of death gods make up the majority of faction members, but just about everyone can be swayed to the dustman philosophy (with the possible exception of paladins).


Class
Level		 Base
Attack
Bonus
Fortitude
Save
Reflex
Save
Will
Save

Special
1+0+2+0+2Dead Truce
2+1+3+0+3Embrace Undeath
3+1+3+1+3Speak with Dead
4+2+4+1+4Embrace Undeath
5+2+4+1+4Chill of the Grave
6+3+5+2+5Embrace Undeath
7+3+5+2+5Death Acceptance
8+4+6+2+6Embrace Undeath
9+4+6+3+6Maleficent Boon
10+5+7+3+7Embrace Undeath

Class Requirements:
To qualify to become a dustman, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Base Attack Bonus: +4.
Base Will Save: +3.
Special: The character must have died some time in his adventuring career, and he cannot have either the lich or the vampire template.
Class Skills:
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Dexterity: Hide, Move Silently.
Constitution: Concentration.
Intelligence: Alchemy, Decipher Script, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion).
Wisdom: Listen, Spot.
Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the dustman prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Characters who take a level of dustman gain no proficiency in armor or weapons.

Dead Truce: Undead will not attack the dustman unless attacked first. Mindless undead follow orders to the best of their ability but stop short of actual violence, surrounding the character or creating a barrier as necessary. Intelligent undead abide by the letter of the Truce but attempt to provoke the dustman or his allies into violating the pact. An attack by the dustman's allies is considered a violation of the Dead Truce and frees the undead from any obligation for the duration of the encounter.

Embrace Undeath: Starting at 2nd level and each even level thereafter, the dustman chooses one of the following abilities:
Darkvision (Ex):
The dustman has darkvision with a range of 60 ft.; if he already has darkvision, the range is increased by one half.
Disease Immunity (Ex):
The dustman is completely immune to all forms of magical or normal disease.
Energy Reversal (Ex):
The dustman suffers damage from cure spells and is healed by inflict spells just like undead.
Paralysis Immunity (Ex):
The dustman is completely immune to all forms of paralysis.
Poison Immunity (Ex):
The dustman is completely immune to all magical and normal poisons.
Stunning Immunity (Ex):
The dustman cannot be stunned.
Subdual Damage Immunity (Ex):
The dustman is immune to subdual damage.
Speak with Dead (Sp): At 3rd level, the dustman is able to cast speak with dead as a sorcerer equal to his dustman level. This spell-like ability is usable once per day per level.

Chill of the Grave (Su): At 5th level, the dustman is able to generate a paralyzing touch three times per day. This touch attack corresponds in all ways to the lich's paralyzing touch ability (see the Monster Manual) except that it must be declared before attempted; if the touch attack fails, that use of the ability is lost for the day. The Fortitude save DC is 10 + 1/2 dustman's level + dustman's Charisma modifier.

Death Acceptance (Ex): At 7th level, the dustman comes to terms with the inevitable and continues to function normally when disabled or dying. Upon reaching -10 hit points, the dustman dies.

Maleficent Boon (Ex): At 9th level, the dustman is a full initiate of the inner circle. If reduced to -10 hit points, the dustman dies and rises 10 minutes later as either a lich or a vampire. If a phylactery was prepared prior to death (see the lich template in the Monster Manual), apply the lich template to the dustman; otherwise, apply the vampire template.