Hell Rider

[Prak]

(After finally seeing Ghost Rider, I had the urge to make a prestige class for it, and gestalt it with my old Hellspawn PrC in a forum game, then I figured I'd post both PrCs on here to get some worthwhile feedback on balance and how well the classes represent their literary counter parts)

Hell Rider
Once in a while, Mephistopheles will make a faustian pact with a mortal. In this pact the mortal is turned into a Hell Rider, a sort of Infernal bounty hunter weilding pure Hellfire. In return, the mortal will get whatever it is mortal's want, money, love, the life of a love one saved from some horrible disease, or some other thing that could just as easily be obtained with the proper spell from a cleric or wizard.

Requirements
skills: Ride or Drive 8r
feats: Devil's Favour
Base Ref Save: +4
Special: Must make a pact with mephistopheles. The pact need not be formed for the express purpose of creating a Hell Rider

Game Info
HD: d8
Good Ref
Good BAB
Skills(6+int): Bluff, Control Shape, Diplomacy, [Drive], Handle Animal, Intimidate, Kn. Arcana, Kn. Religion, Kn. the Planes, Move Silently, Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device

Lv Special
1st Mephistophelen Tracker, Hell Rider Persona, Alternate Form, Hell's Mount, Penance Stare, Produce Hellflame, Hellfire Infusion(+2d6)
2nd Hellfire Infusion(+3d6)
3rd Hellfire Infusion(or +4d6)
4th The Long Ride, Hellfire Infusion(+5d6)
5th Hellfire Infusion(+6d6)

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: The Hell Rider gains proficiency in all chain weapons, longsword, and lances. He also gains proficiency in leather, studded leather and brigandine armour(Oriental Adventures).

Mephistophelean Tracker: Once a year, the Hell Rider must track down a bounty for his fiendish patron.
This task can vary to include the following: humiliating a target, aquiring a specific object, capturing a specific creature, bringing a creature dead or alive to a specific point. These are not the only tasks that the Hell Rider's devilish master may appoint to them however; often the assigned tasks are meant to removed the agents of rivals or to indirectly aid Mephistopholes other minions or his enemies rivals.
Often the handing over of a powerful devil to celestial authorities by a Hell Rider is followed up by both the release and aid of said devil to continue their work that was hampering the archedevil of contradictions.

Hell Rider Persona: All Hell Riders come in one of three general types; scheming, cunning or impressive. Each of these types is linked to the highest mental stat that the Hell Rider has when not affected by magic.
Scheming Hell Riders are those whose highest mental stat is Intelligence; Cunning Hell Riders are those whose highest mental stat is Wisdom; Impressive are those whose highest mental stat is Charisma.
As the Hell Rider improves their personas become more defined.
At first level the Hell Rider gets a +1 bonus to all skill checks related to his persona type and the saving throw of Penance Stare. This bonus increases to +2 at lvl three and +3 at level five.

Alternate Form (Ex): At night, the Hell Rider is affected by a terrifying transformation into an image of hellish death. The skin of his head and hands burns away to reveal bone wreathed in hellfire, and his clothes take on a more menacing appearance(metal studs become spikes, the clothing becomes darker, etc.). This transformation has no mechanical effect, except to give studded leather armour spikes(happy birthday). In this form, the Hell Rider gains profane bonuses of +6 str, and +4 con, and a deflection bonus to his armour class equal to his Hell Rider Persona Ability Score modifier (if positive) and immunity to fire and hellfire. He also gains a hellfire aura that functions as the burn ability of the fire elemental, except that it deals hellfire damage rather than fire damage. The Hell Rider cannot maintain this alternate form in direct sunlight, and reverts to his normal form at daybreak. He may still assume the form in shadow(or otherwise outside of direct sunlight) during the day with a successful Control Shape check (DC 20). Control Shape can also affect this ability in all ways as it does the lycanthrope ability of the same name, treat this form as an 'animal' form, and use the diliniation of night and day rather than moon phase.

Hell's Mount (Ex): Any vehicle piloted by or mount rode by a Hell's Rider is possessed by a diabolical steed spirit that is loyal to that Hell Rider. Once possessed, it is affected by a transformation similar to the Hell Rider's alternate form, it is left skeletal and wreathed in hellfire. This aura of hellfire gives the steed the fire and hellfire immunity and hellfire burn ability of the Hell Rider's alternate form. The spirit can animate objects it possesses, and it has an intelligence score of 3. It can be trained with Handle Animal as if it were a magical beast, but already knows the command "heel". The vehicle or mount can travel indefinitely without need for rest, food/fuel, or healing/repair so long as it is taking at least a double move action, and does not suffer non-lethal damage from extended hustling, running or forced march. The Hell's Mount can travel upon any surface at normal speed, at any angle(Air is not a surface, but water is, as are clouds). The mount and Hell Rider share an empathic link. A creature gains 2 bonus HD per Hell Rider level of master, while an object gains 5 bonus hardness(min 10) and 15 bonus hp per master class level, both types of mount gain an additional 50% speed per master class level. The Hell's Mount of a 3rd level Hell Rider has spell resistance as the special mount of a paladin of the master's character level, and a fifth level Hell Rider's Hell's Mount can command devils.

Penance Stare (Su): You can cast Enervation at will. The target gets a save (DC = 10 + 1/2 Char lvl + Persona Stat + Persona Bonus) to only take half the negative level. You get to deal +1d4 if the target is not good in any way or +2d4 if the target is evil. The target takes 1 Neg lvl, this single neg lvl is not a spell effect but an effect of Penance Stare.

Produce Hellflame (Sp): As the spell produce flame, except that damage is 1d4 Hellfire damage per character level. Caster Level is equal to the Hell Rider's Character Level and the Hell Rider can Produce Hellflame at will.

Hellfire Infusion (Su): Any weapon, damaging spell, spell like ability or magic item weilded by a Hell Rider in Alternate Form can be infused with Hellfire to dealthe indicated amount of additional hellfire damage. Each use of this power deals one point of con damage to the Hell Rider.

The Long Ride(Ex.): A Hell Rider traveling on his Hell's Mount ability has no need to eat, drink, or sleep. This ability functions even in direct sunlight so long as the journey began in shadow or at night.



so what do you guys think? I included to versions of additional damage for Hellfire infusion because I couldn't decide which would be better, the additional dice is less breakable, that's for damn sure...

[Catharz]

I haven't seen the movie, so any comments aren't made from that perspective.

1) I want to see one of these guys in a flaming bobsled or steamboat.

How about making penance stare a gaze attack which leaves a single target shaken for 1d4+1 rounds?

Kyton's animate chains ability?

Does a hell rider in his alternate form need to eat at all? How about giving him a type or something, like outsider or undead?

Control shape lets a hellrider keep from shifting, right?

Isn't produce flame pretty weak, even with the hellfire infusion?

[Prak]

well, penance stare actually kills people. I think. ooh... I should add that it only works on living creatures with souls...

no reason for Kyton's animate chains...

I'd say native outsider in Alt Form.

control shape allows the hell rider to resist the change during night, or voluntarily change during the day.

and I mis-remembered produce flame.... let's make that 1d4/character level, thrown only...

how's that?

[Prak]

bump, c'mon guys, I need some feed back on this, especially from people that know all the exploits, and will compare it to the tome series.

[Brobdingnagian]

Go-Kart.

Anyway. Looks good, I guess, but... where does it fit? Really? I mean, who gets into this class? Maybe... make the Hell's Mount ability stack with Paladin Special Mount? That'd be interesting...

"I have always been a servant of the greater good. To that end, I made a deal with the devil so that I may better defeat evil wherever it rises."

[fbmf]

What's wrong with the Frank/K Bonerider. It is essentially the same thing.

Game On,
fbmf

[Prak]

1178229937[/unixtime]]Go-Kart.

Anyway. Looks good, I guess, but... where does it fit? Really? I mean, who gets into this class? Maybe... make the Hell's Mount ability stack with Paladin Special Mount? That'd be interesting...

"I have always been a servant of the greater good. To that end, I made a deal with the devil so that I may better defeat evil wherever it rises."

well, seeing as how the movie described Ghost Riders as hell's bounty hunters, I see it as being a class for rangers, but paladins would be good too... Technically the Hell's Mount ability works with the paladin mount, or an animal companion used for riding anyway, due to the way I wrote it...

as to 'why not just use the bone rider'... didn't look at it before I did this, and I like some of the specifics of this class better for Ghost Riders.

[Brobdingnagian]

I'm also a little iffy on Penance Stare. It's certainly useful and worth it, but... I dunno, something doesn't seem to flow properly with it. Might just be that fourth level where it doesn't come in. Hmm...

Maybe 1d12 at fourth level, then 2d6 at fifth? Rather than upping the max damage, up the average.

[Catharz]

So what do Mephistopheles's bounty hunters hunt?

[Prak]

1178315807[/unixtime]]I'm also a little iffy on Penance Stare. It's certainly useful and worth it, but... I dunno, something doesn't seem to flow properly with it. Might just be that fourth level where it doesn't come in. Hmm...

Maybe 1d12 at fourth level, then 2d6 at fifth? Rather than upping the max damage, up the average.

that sounds good, maybe I'll do that...

and catharz, I imagine they'd hunt anyone mephistopheles told them to, from celestials, to demons, to troublesome devils

[Judging__Eagle]

1178349601[/unixtime]]

1178315807[/unixtime]]I'm also a little iffy on Penance Stare. It's certainly useful and worth it, but... I dunno, something doesn't seem to flow properly with it. Might just be that fourth level where it doesn't come in. Hmm...

Maybe 1d12 at fourth level, then 2d6 at fifth? Rather than upping the max damage, up the average.

that sounds good, maybe I'll do that...

and catharz, I imagine they'd hunt anyone mephistopheles told them to, from celestials, to demons, to troublesome devils

That's a class feature then.

Sort of how the demon samurai has to sacrifice a magic item worth more than 15,000 gp a year to his patron fiend.

[Prak]

1178391544[/unixtime]]

1178349601[/unixtime]]

1178315807[/unixtime]]I'm also a little iffy on Penance Stare. It's certainly useful and worth it, but... I dunno, something doesn't seem to flow properly with it. Might just be that fourth level where it doesn't come in. Hmm...

Maybe 1d12 at fourth level, then 2d6 at fifth? Rather than upping the max damage, up the average.

that sounds good, maybe I'll do that...

and catharz, I imagine they'd hunt anyone mephistopheles told them to, from celestials, to demons, to troublesome devils

That's a class feature then.

Sort of how the demon samurai has to sacrifice a magic item worth more than 15,000 gp a year to his patron fiend.

you mean the hell rider having to take on bounties from mephistopheles?

[Judging__Eagle]

Yes, make it a class feature.

Mephistophelean Tracker: Once a year, the Hell Rider must track down a bounty for his fiendish patron.

This task can vary to include the following: humiliating a target, aquiring a specific object, capturing a specific creature, bringing a creature dead or alive to a specific point. These are not the only tasks that the Hell Rider's devilish master may appoint to them however; often the assigned tasks are meant to removed the agents of rivals or to indirectly aid Mephistopholes other minions or his enemies rivals.

Often the handing over of a powerful devil to celestial authorities by a Hell Rider is followed up by both the release and aid of said devil to continue their work that was hampering the archedevil of contradictions.

[Prak]

ok, sounds good.

how do the form mods sound? should I increase the class to 10 levels? is there anything else I should do? what do you guys think of the Hell's Mount?

[Judging__Eagle]

Nah, it's good as a 5 lvl class.

If you want this sort of character to do other stuff, write an other 5 lvl PrC that you can enter as lvl 10 PC or one that has an early Hell Rider ability as a pre-req.

I'd put that 'trait' that I wrote up as a 1st lvl thing, so dippers or new Hell Riders have a task looming in front of them.

[Prak]

*nod* definately first level.

[Judging__Eagle]

Make the Hellfire infusion in d6's, not percentages, but I'm sure you've figured that out too.

[Brobdingnagian]

Hmm...

Penance Stare should be Will save for half, not Will to negate.

[Prak]

yeah, I realised what minmaxers could do by simply adding a level or two of this class to their charge builds, so definately d6s.

and will change the save for PS.

[Catharz]

Yep, it is quite the dip class. I mean, I'd one-level dip it if I was going to be in service of Meph.

[Prak]

had another idea for penance stare, still a gaze attack with a range equal to natural reach

Penance Stare, xdy, x=stated amount for character's detect evil rating, y= dice size for class level, as above. Only works on living, non-plant targets.
Faint 2dy
Moderate 5dy
Strong 8dy
Overwhelming 10dy
each vile feat adds 5 to their hd for determining aura strength.
each exalted feat subtracts 5 from their hd for determining aura strength.
characters with active progression(currently progressing) in a evil aligned class have hd granted by said class counted as 1.5 per level for aura strength(a 4th level blackguard would be counted as having 6 hd.)

[Endovior]

How in hell does a character with Exalted feats radiate evil? As written it's effectively "characters who are not evil take no damage, as they don't have an evil aura... exalted characters are especially immune... they might even heal".

Also, "range equal to natural reach" is stupid. I have long arms, so my gaze attack goes further? WTF? If you want to make it short range, make it short range, but please don't add a dumbass variable to the equation.

[Prak]

1178697207[/unixtime]]How in hell does a character with Exalted feats radiate evil? As written it's effectively "characters who are not evil take no damage, as they don't have an evil aura... exalted characters are especially immune... they might even heal".

I'm speaking of characters who have changed alignent, from evil to good or from good to evil.

Also, "range equal to natural reach" is stupid. I have long arms, so my gaze attack goes further? WTF? If you want to make it short range, make it short range, but please don't add a dumbass variable to the equation.

by natural reach, I mean a character's statistical reach, before modifiers such as spells. So, a small or medium character has a range of 5', large character has a range of 5 or 10', depending on what they are, and so on.

[JonSetanta]

I have doubts on the power of Penance Stare, tone it down a bit?

[Brobdingnagian]

I dunno, seems fair to me. What's the entry level of this class?

...

Yeah, it seems appropriate the way it was originally done. That extra method becomes too complex.

Look at it this way. Anything that becomes strong has had to kill something to get that way. Except for Dragons. And Wizards. But their big sin is being broken.