Life is power. Dark knights can also command the energy that flows through blood and bone, but it is not an easy path. The reaver specialization trades pain for strength in a constant balance of selfish sacrifice. At first it seems that reavers are doing the work of their enemies, damaging themselves in gruesome fashion. But reavers can transform their own living essence into raw damage, and then replenish that health by stealing the life from their foes. It’s a dangerous gamble that counts on added strength to destroy enemies before incoming attacks or the reavers’ own abilities kill them. At its best, the reaver specialization results in a brutal harmony. The closer they are to their own deaths, the more efficient they are at inflicting the same on others.
The reaver is an archetype of the dark knight class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The reaver mainly focuses on STR for martial combat and CHA for their class features and spells, as well as CON for other class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
2nd – Shared Offense. 3rd – Defile. 6th – Defile. 9th – Defile. 12th – Defile. 15th – Defile. 18th – Defile.
Stamina Pool (Ex)
At 2nd level, the reaver gains a reservoir of stamina that he can draw upon to fuel his talents that he gains below. This stamina pool has a number of points equal to half his dark knight level + his Constitution modifier (minimum 1). The pool refreshes once per day when the reaver rests for a full 8 hours. Sustained modes take up a static amount of stamina points from the reaver’s current and maximum stamina pool and most sustained modes stack.
Some talents are activated as a sustained mode. When activated, these talents both consume stamina and reduce the user’s maximum stamina by the listed amount. While active, they provide their listed bonuses until the user deactivates them as a free action, falls unconscious, or dies, at which point the reduction to the user’s maximum stamina is removed. Multiple sustained mode talents may be used at the same time as long as the user has enough stamina, though some talents may specify others that they cannot be used with.
By spending 1 stamina point as a swift action, the reaver can do one of the following:
- Increase his speed by 10 feet for 1 round, or
- Delay and suppress his fatigue or exhaustion for 1 round, or
- Increase one saving throw by +1 for 1 round.
This ability replaces shared offense.
Talent Trees (Su)
The reaver gets access to the talent tree from the reaver talent tree from below. At 3rd level and every two levels thereafter, the reaver chooses to learn one talent from the talent tree below. The reaver may pick up Extra Defile feats to select these talents. Weapon Requirement: Any manufactured melee weapons.
Reaver Specialization Talent Tree
- Blood Frenzy: The reaver knows no pain, but is no stranger to vengeance. As long as the reaver has at least 1 stamina point in his stamina pool, for every wound he sustains, attack damage increases. For every 10 hit points the reaver is missing, he gains a +1 bonus to damage rolls. This extra damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.
- Sacrificial Frenzy: At a cost of 5 hit points, as a swift action, the reaver sacrifices health to increase the effect of Blood Frenzy. Sacrificial Frenzy lasts a number of rounds equal to the reaver’s Constitution modifier and the reaver gains double the bonus to damage rolls for Blood Frenzy. Prerequisite: Blood Frenzy.
- Sustained Frenzy: Sacrificial Frenzy now lasts longer, lasting a number of rounds equal to double his Constitution modifier. Prerequisites: Blood Frenzy, Sacrificial Frenzy.
- Aura of Pain: As a swift action, the reaver may activate this talent as a sustained mode. Radiating an aura of psychic pain, the reaver takes constant shadow damage while this mode is active, as do all enemies nearby. The reaver and any enemies within a 15-ft.-radius take 1d6 points of shadow damage and an additional +1d6 damage per four dark knight levels per round while this mode is activated. Enemies can make a Will save (DC 10 + half of the dark knight’s level + his Charisma modifier) to reduce damage by half. This mode uses up 3 stamina points of the reaver’s current and maximum stamina pool.
- Frenzy of Pain: Aura of Pain now consumes less stamina to maintain, decreasing to 2 stamina points of the reaver’s maximum stamina pool. Prerequisite: Aura of Pain.
- Torrent of Pain: Aura of Pain now causes greater harm to enemies without increasing the reaver’s own health loss. Enemies now take an additional 1d6 points of shadow damage per round. Prerequisite: Aura of Pain.
- Fervor: The death of a foe quickens the reaver’s actions for a short time. As long as the reaver has at least 1 stamina point in his stamina pool, enemies within a 30-ft.-radius that die causes him to become hasted for the round, temporarily gaining a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus to Reflex saves, +1 bonus to Attack Rolls, a +30 ft. movement speed, and an additional attack at his highest attack bonus. Prerequisites: Blood Frenzy, Sacrificial Frenzy, Aura of Pain.
- Devour: At a cost of 1 stamina point, as a standard action, the reaver tears into an enemy, consuming its life force to heal the reaver. The reaver makes a standard attack at his highest attack bonus, if it hits, it deals normal damage and heals the reaver for half of the damage dealt.
- Voracious: Devour becomes so vicious that an enemy affected by Devour have a chance to be stunned. The creature hit by Devour must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half of the dark knight’s level + his Charisma modifier) or be stunned for one round. Prerequisite: Devour.
- Insatiable: Devour is now much more effective, the reaver heals for the full amount of damage dealt. Prerequisite: Devour.
These abilities replace defile.
