Grim and determined, the bishop roots out enemies of the faith, using trickery and guile when righteousness and purity is not enough. Although bishops are dedicated to a deity, they are above many of the normal rules and conventions of the church. They answer to their deity and their own sense of justice alone, and are willing to take extreme measures to meet their goals.
The bishop is an archetype of the cleric class.
Stern Gaze (Ex)
Bishops are skilled at sensing deception and intimidating their foes. A bishop receives a morale bonus on all Intimidate and Sense Motive checks equal to half her cleric level (minimum +1).
This ability replaces spell proficiency.
Determination (Ex)
At 1st level, the bishop is a person of few words on the battlefield, but those words hold great power and authority. Once per day, the bishop can use this ability to create one of the following effects. Each is an immediate action to use.
- Aggression: The bishop may reroll an attack roll that she just made before the results of the roll are revealed. She must take the result of the reroll, even if it’s worse than the original roll.
- Defense: When the bishop would be hit by a melee or ranged attack, as an immediate action she may add a +4 insight bonus to her Armor Class against that attack, and if this makes the bishop’s AC higher than the opponent’s attack roll, the attack misses.
- Warning: When a bishop’s ally within line of sight would be hit by a melee or ranged attack, she may call out a warning to that ally, and the attacker must reroll the attack and use the results of the second roll.
The ally must be able to hear the bishop and must not be helpless for this ability to have any effect. At 6th level, a bishop can use this ability an additional time per day, plus once more every five levels later (at 11th and 16th level); up to four times per day at 16th level.
This ability replaces faith.
Judgment (Su)
Starting at 2nd level, a bishop can pronounce judgment upon her foes as a swift action. Starting when the judgment is made, the bishop receives a bonus or special ability based on the type of judgment made.
At 2nd level, a bishop can use this ability once per day. At 4th level and every other level thereafter, the bishop can use this ability one additional time per day. Once activated, this ability lasts until the combat ends, at which point all of the bonuses immediately end. The bishop must participate in the combat to gain these bonuses. If she is frightened, panicked, paralyzed, stunned, unconscious, or otherwise prevented from participating in the combat, the ability does not end, but the bonuses do not resume until she can participate in the combat again.
When the bishop uses this ability, she must select one type of judgment to make. As a swift action, she can change this judgment to another type. If the bishop is evil, she receives profane bonuses instead of sacred, as appropriate. Neutral bishops must select profane or sacred bonuses. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.
- Destruction: The bishop is filled with divine wrath, gaining a +1 sacred bonus on all weapon damage rolls. This bonus increases by +1 for every three cleric levels she possesses.
- Healing: The bishop is surrounded by a healing light, gaining fast healing 1. This causes the bishop to heal 1 point of damage each round as long as the bishop is alive and the judgment lasts. The amount of healing increases by 1 point for every three cleric levels she possesses.
- Justice: This judgment spurs the bishop to seek justice, granting a +1 sacred bonus on all attack rolls. This bonus increases by +1 for every five cleric levels she possesses. At 10th level, this bonus is doubled on all attack rolls made to confirm critical hits.
- Piercing: This judgment gives the bishop great focus and makes her spells more potent. This benefit grants a +1 sacred bonus on concentration checks and caster level checks made to overcome a target’s spell resistance. This bonus increases by +1 for every three cleric levels she possesses.
- Protection: The bishop is surrounded by a protective aura, granting a +1 sacred bonus to Armor Class. This bonus increases by +1 for every five cleric levels she possesses. At 10th level, this bonus is doubled against attack rolls made to confirm critical hits against the bishop.
- Purity: The bishop is protected from the vile taint of her foes, gaining a +1 sacred bonus on all saving throws. This bonus increases by +1 for every five cleric levels she possesses. At 10th level, the bonus is doubled against curses, diseases, and poisons.
- Resiliency: This judgment makes the bishop resistant to harm, granting DR 1/magic. This DR increases by 1 for every five levels she possesses. At 10th level, this DR changes from magic to an alignment (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful) that is opposite the bishop’s. If she is neutral, the bishop does not receive this increase.
- Resistance: The bishop is shielded by a flickering aura, gaining 2 points of elemental resistance against one elemental type (earth, fire, ice, lightning, water, or wind) chosen when the judgment is declared. The protection increases by 2 for every three cleric levels she possesses.
- Smiting: This judgment bathes the bishop’s weapons in a divine light. The bishop’s weapons count as magic for the purposes of bypassing damage reduction. At 6th level, the bishop’s weapons also count as one alignment type (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful) for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction. The type selected must match one of the bishop’s alignments. If the bishop is neutral, she does not receive this bonus. At 10th level, the bishop’s weapons also count as adamantine for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction (but not for reducing hardness).
This ability replaces faith talents and advanced faith talents.
Second Judgment (Ex)
At 7th level, whenever a bishop uses her judgment ability, she selects two different judgments, instead of one. This only consumes one use of her judgment ability. As a swift action, she can change one of these judgments to another type.
This ability replaces prayer.
Faith Sustains (Su)
At 11th level, a bishop draws upon her convictions to sustain her in battle. As a move action, she gains a +2 morale bonus to Constitution for a number of rounds equal to 4 + her cleric level + her Constitution modifier. The morale bonus increases to +4 at 15th level, and to +6 at 20th level.
This ability replaces deity’s intuition.
Third Judgment (Ex)
At 14th level, whenever a bishop uses her judgment ability, she selects three different judgments, instead of just two. This only consumes one use of her judgment ability. As a swift action, the bishop can change one of these judgments to another type.
This ability replaces devotion.
Slayer (Ex)
At 17th level, a bishop learns to focus her judgment. Whenever a bishop uses her judgment ability, she must select one type of judgment. She is treated as if she were 5 levels higher for the purposes of determining the bonus granted by this judgment. Unlike other types of judgment, the one enhanced by this ability cannot be changed for the remainder of the judgment.
This ability replaces true channeler.
True Judgment (Su)
At 19th level, a bishop can call true judgment down upon a foe during combat. Whenever a bishop uses her judgment ability, the bishop can invoke true judgment on a foe as a swift action. Once declared, the bishop can make a single melee (or ranged attack, if the foe is within 30 feet) against the target. If the attack hits, it deals damage normally and the target must make a Fortitude save or die. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + half of the cleric’s level + her Charisma modifier. Regardless of whether or not the save is made, the target creature is immune to the bishop’s true judgment ability for 24 hours. Once this ability has been used, it cannot be used again for 1d4 rounds.
This ability replaces aspect of the deity.
