While nearly all dark knights weaponize their malice, none can do so quite like the shadowrager. Just beneath their skin lies a burning hatred that comes out in a glorious display of wrath, with which they lay their enemies flat.
The shadowrager is an archetype of the dark knight class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The shadowrager mainly focuses on STR for martial combat and CHA for their class features and spells, as well as CON for other class features and STR for optional class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Weapon and Armor Proficiency, Darkside. 2nd – First Into Battle 3rd – Abyssal Arts. 6th – Abyssal Arts, Defile. 7th – Dark Resilience. 9th – Abyssal Arts. 11th – Aura of Cowardice. 12th – Abyssal Arts. 13th – Aura of Crushing Despair. 15th – Shadow Wall, Abyssal Arts. 17th – Aura of Quietus. 18th – Abyssal Arts. 19th – Aura of Rage. 20th – Dark Champion.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
The shadowrager is proficient with all simple weapons, martial weapons, and knight swords, and is proficient with all armor, but not shields.
This ability changes the proficiencies of the dark knight.
Dark Rage (Su)
At 1st level, the shadowrager can tap into her inner darkness and unleash it in a furious bloodlust. She can enter a dark rage for a number of rounds equal to her 4 + her Constitution modifier, and can rage for an additional 2 rounds per level after 1st. Temporary increases to Constitution, such as that gained from the dwarf’s endurance spell, do not increase the total number of rounds that the shadowrager can rage per day. A shadowrager can enter a dark rage as a free action. The total number of rounds of dark rage per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours need not be consecutive.
While in a dark rage, a shadowrager gains a +2 bonus on melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, thrown weapon damage rolls, and Will saving throws. In addition, she takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class. She also gains 2 temporary hit points per dark knight level. These temporary hit points are lost first when a character takes damage, disappear when the dark rage ends, and are not replenished if the shadowrager enters a rage again within 1 minute of her previous dark rage. While in a dark rage, a shadowrager cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skill (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration (such as spellcasting).
A shadowrager can end her dark rage as a free action, and is fatigued for 1 minute after a dark rage ends. A shadowrager can’t enter a new dark rage while fatigued or exhausted, but can otherwise enter a dark rage multiple times per day. If a shadowrager falls unconscious, her rage immediately ends. This ability is considered to be the berserker’s rage ability when qualifying for feats or other abilities with rage as a prerequisite, but does not stack with rage.
This ability replaces darkside.
Dark Rage Powers
At 3rd level, a shadowrager has gained some mastery over her animus and can utilize her dark rage in new ways. She gains use of a dark rage power at 3rd level and every three dark knight levels afterwards. These powers are only usable while her dark rage is active, and some of these powers require an action to be taken while raging. Unless otherwise noted, a shadowrager can only take a dark rage power once. Some of the following dark rage powers are stances. Activating a stance dark rage power is a move action. A shadowrager can’t have more than one stance dark rage power active at a time. If she activates a stance dark rage power while another one is active, the current stance immediately ends. The stance can be intentionally ended at the beginning of the shadowrager’s turn as a free action; otherwise, it lasts until the dark rage ends. These count as rage powers when determining prerequisites and the effects of feats and other abilities involving rage powers. Alternatively, the shadowrager may select a rage power from the berserker’s list of rage powers, applying them to her dark rage as if they were dark rage powers.
Bloodthirst (Su): The shadowrager can revel in the carnage she leaves in her wake, feeding her hunger for destruction. Whenever she brings an enemy to 0 hit points or lower while raging, she is healed a number of hit points equal to the creature’s HD. If the attack was a critical hit, she is also granted a number of temporary hit points equal to half the creature’s HD that stack with the temporary hit points granted by her dark rage. Prerequisite: Dark Knight 6
Burning Hatred (Su): When the shadowrager makes a successful attack that adds the damage of the soul eater ability, the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half of the dark knight’s level + her Charisma modifier) or be inflicted with the Imperil (Fire) status for 1 round. If the shadowrager uses her harm touch ability directly (a weapon with the conductive property does not trigger this ability), the target is inflicted with the Imperil (Fire) status for a number of rounds equal to the shadowrager’s class level instead, and replaces any defile that the shadowrager may have applied to her harm touch ability. This ability’s duration does not stack with itself, resetting the duration instead if the creature fails another save, but the Imperil (Fire) status does stack with itself as normal. This dark rage power can only be used while the infernal wrath dark rage power is active. Prerequisites: Infernal Wrath dark rage power, Dark Knight 12
Deathly Form (Su): The shadowrager lets the darkness within pour out and surround her body. She gains ice and shadow resistance equal to half of her level, and deals an additional 1d6 points of shadow damage with all melee attacks. At 12th level, she has a 25% chance to ignore a critical hit made upon her, making the critical hit deal damage as though it was a normal hit, and increases the shadow damage to 2d6. At 18th level, the chance to ignore a critical hit increases to 50%, and the shadow damage dealt increases to 3d6. This is a stance dark rage power. Prerequisite: Dark Knight 6
Demonic Ferocity (Ex): The shadowrager’s melee attacks ignore an amount of damage reduction equal to half of her dark knight level.
Devil’s Face (Ex): The shadowrager adds half of her dark knight level to Intimidate checks, and does not increase the DC of further demoralization attempts by 5 if she fails. She may also make Bluff checks without penalty while in a dark rage, and at 12th level, can make an Intimidate check as a demoralization attempt once per round as a free action upon a successful hit with a melee attack.
Fear the Reaper (Ex): When bringing an enemy to 0 hit points or lower, the shadowrager can make an Intimidate check as a demoralization attempt as a free action, and apply it to all enemies within a 30 ft. radius. At 16th level, successfully demoralizing an enemy with this ability gives them the frightened condition instead of shaken, and are then shaken for an appropriate number of rounds afterward. Further demoralization attempts do not extend the duration of the frightened condition. Prerequisites: Devil’s Face dark rage power, Dark Knight 9
Hellish Implacability (Su): The shadowrager adds her Constitution modifier to all saving throws against mind-affecting effects, increasing the bonus by +1 for every three dark knight levels. At 10th level, she is immune to any effects that would end her dark rage, aside from unconsciousness.
Infernal Wrath (Su): The shadowrager gains fire resistance equal to half of her dark knight level, and fast healing 1. All of her melee attacks deal an additional 1d6 fire damage, and her harm touch and soul eater abilities deal fire damage instead of shadow. At 12th level, the fire damage increases to 2d6 and the fast healing increases to 3. At 18th level, the fire damage granted by this dark rage power, as well as the damage dealt by harm touch and soul eater ignore fire resistance, deals half damage to enemies who are normally immune, and deals no damage to enemies that absorb fire (thereby preventing any healing from their fire absorption). In addition, the fast healing increases to 5. This is a stance dark rage power. Prerequisite: Dark Knight 6
Miasma of Hellfire (Su): While the Infernal Wrath stance is active, the shadowrager’s melee weapons function as though they have the flaming burst property with a critical multiplier 1 higher than the weapon actually is for determining the effects when landing a critical hit. Unlike the actual flaming burst property, the weapon does not deal an additional 1d6 fire damage atop the stance’s extra fire damage, although it treats the fire damage dealt from the burst as the rest of the fire damage dealt by the Infernal Wrath stance. Prerequisites: Infernal Wrath dark rage power, Dark Knight 12
Rip and Tear! (Ex): The shadowrager adds her Charisma modifier to her CMB when making sunder checks, adds her dark knight level to all damage dealt by the sunder, and if she destroys the item with the sunder attempt, then all excess damage is dealt to the one who was holding or wearing the item. At 12th level, the shadowrager also deals bleed damage to the target creature equal to her Charisma modifier per round when successfully sundering an item while in a dark rage.
Soul-Crushing Fury (Su): The shadowrager may apply the extra shadow damage from her soul eater ability to both her first and second attacks that round, rather than only the first. She still takes damage for both attacks. Prerequisites: Soul Eater, Dark Knight 6
Spiritfire Stance (Su): The shadowrager expends 5 additional hit points when using her soul eater ability and deals an additional amount of shadow damage equal to the number of dice her harm touch ability deals. At 12th level, she may treat any melee weapon she wields as though it has the conductive property for the purposes of channeling her harm touch ability through her weapon. This is a stance dark rage power. Prerequisites: Soul Eater, Soul-Crushing Fury dark rage power
Stubborn Fiend (Su): The shadowrager gains a bonus to her CMD against awesome blow, bull rush, grapple, overrun, and trip attempts equal to her Charisma modifier, and her bonus to Will saves from raging applies to all saving throws against effects that forcefully move her (including teleportation) or knocks her prone. If the combat maneuver or other effect fails, then the shadowrager may make an attack of opportunity that does not count towards her total attacks of opportunity that round, so long as the enemy is within melee range.
These abilities replace abyssal arts.
The Chase is On (Ex)
At 2nd level, the shadowrager has become a fast and deadly foe. She increases her base land speed by 10 feet, and while raging, ignores difficult terrain. Her speed increases again by 10 feet at 12th level. Carrying a heavy load negates this ability.
This ability replaces first into battle.
Rage Casting (Su)
At 6th level, the shadowrager gains the ability to cast spells even while in a dark rage. She can also cast these spells defensively and can make concentration checks for these spells while in a dark rage. While in a dark rage, she can cast and concentrate on only her dark knight spells; spells from other classes cannot be cast during this state.
This ability replaces a defile gained at 6th level.
Indomitable Will (Ex)
At 7th level, a shadowrager gains a +4 bonus on Will saves to resist enfeebling spells while in a dark rage. This bonus stacks with all other modifiers, including the bonus on Will saves she also receives during her dark rage.
This ability replaces dark resilience.
Greater Dark Rage (Su)
At 11th level, the shadowrager’s bonus to melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, thrown weapon damage rolls, and Will saves increases to +3. In addition, the amount of temporary hit points gained when entering a dark rage increases to 3 per dark knight level. Furthermore, upon entering a dark rage, the shadowrager can apply the effects a dark knight spell she knows of 2nd level or lower to herself. The spell must have a range of touch or personal. If the spell’s duration is greater than 1 round, it instead lasts for the duration of the dark rage. This consumes MP, as if she had cast the spell.
This ability replaces aura of cowardice.
Aura of Anger (Su)
At 13th level, while raging, the shadowrager emits a 10-ft.-aura that bolsters her destructive capabilities. She may expend one use of harm touch as a free action to add her Charisma modifier to her damage rolls with melee weapons for 3 rounds, and enemies who make a successful attack against the shadowrager, while raging, provoke an attack of opportunity from her. All allies within range while she is raging gain the bonus to melee attack rolls and melee damage rolls normally granted to the shadowrager by her dark rage ability.
This ability replaces aura of crushing despair.
Black Heart (Su)
At 15th level, the shadowrager reduces all ability damage and ability drain taken by a number equal to half of her Charisma modifier, and reduces all negative levels taken by 1. These abilities only function while raging.
This ability replaces shadow wall.
Aura of Madness (Su)
At 17th level, the shadowrager forces all enemies within a 10-ft.-radius to make a Will save (DC 10 + half of the dark knight’s level + her Charisma modifier) or be inflicted with the Berserk status for 1 minute. If the shadowrager successfully lands a critical hit, the enemy must make a similar Will save or be Confused for 2d4 rounds. A successful save renders the enemy immune to this ability for 1 hour.
This ability replaces aura of quietus.
Tireless Dark Rage (Ex)
At 19th level, the shadowrager no longer becomes fatigued after ending her dark rage. If she enters a dark rage again within 1 minute of ending a dark rage, she doesn’t gain any temporary hit points from her dark rage.
This ability replaces aura of rage.
Mighty Dark Rage (Su)
At 20th level, the shadowrager’s bonus to melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, thrown weapon damage rolls, and Will saves increases to +4. In addition, the amount of temporary hit points gained when entering a dark rage increases to 4 per dark knight level. Furthermore, the spell she can apply to herself at the beginning of a dark rage due to the greater dark rage class feature is not limited to only spells of 2nd level or lower.
This ability replaces dark champion.
