Belmonts are entrusted with the duty of slaying undead and other creatures of the night. They wield sacred whips, bear holy crosses, and employ holy water that make them formidable enemies of the creatures of darkness.
The belmont is an archetype of the paladin class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The belmont mainly focuses on STR for martial combat and CHA for their class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Weapon Proficiency, Limit Break, Cover, Lay on Hands. 2nd – Shared Defense, First Into Battle. 3rd – Blessing. 6th – Blessing. 9th – Flash of Light, Blessing. 10th – Cleansing Flame. 12th – Blessing. 14th – Restore. 15th – Blessing. 17th – Aura of Healing. 18th – Blessing. 20th – Holy Champion.
Alignment
Belmonts must be of non-evil alignment.
Weapon Proficiency
A belmont is only proficient with the whip, dagger, scorpion whip, spiked chain and throwing axe.
This ability replaces the paladin’s standard weapon proficiencies.
Improved Whip Proficiency (Ex)
A belmont’s natural comfort with the movement of his whip and the effort required to attack with it allows him to not provoke attacks of opportunity when making an attack with the whip. In addition, when making an attack with the whip, scorpion whip or spiked chain against undead creatures, the damage is always considered lethal.
Limit Break (Su)
At 1st level, the belmont receives the Limit Break (Grand Cross).
Grand Cross (Su): This Limit Break allows the belmont to present his holy symbol, damaging undead and evil outsiders. Undead and evil outsiders within a 30-ft.-radius of the belmont take 1d6 points of holy damage per paladin level and are inflicted with the Frightened status effect for 1 round + 1 round per four paladin levels after 1st. A successful Will save (DC 10 + half of the paladin’s level + his Charisma modifier) reduces the damage by half and negates the status effect.
This ability replaces one of the paladin’s standard Limit Breaks.
Vampire Hunter
Beginning at 1st level, a belmont gains the Vampire Hunter Tradition as a bonus feat.
Sacred Whip (Su)
At 1st level, a belmont imbues any whip, scorpion whip or spiked chain he wields with divine energy against the undead. While attacking and damaging undead creatures with his whip, scorpion whip or spiked chain, he gains a +1 sacred bonus to attack and damage rolls. This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and every four paladin levels thereafter.
This ability replaces cover.
Vial of Holy Water (Su)
At 1st level, a belmont gains the Throw Anything feat as a bonus feat and is very adept at infusing holy water with divine energy to create powerful vials that he can hurl at his undead enemies. Drawing the components of, creating, and throwing a vial requires a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. Thrown vials have a range of 20 feet and use the Throw Splash Weapon special attack. Vials are considered weapons and can be selected using feats such as Point-Blank Shot and Weapon Focus. On a direct hit against an undead creature, a belmont’s vial inflicts 1d6 points of holy damage + additional damage equal to the belmont’s Charisma modifier.
The damage of a belmont’s vial increases by 1d6 points at every odd-numbered paladin level (this bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit or by using feats such as Vital Strike). Splash damage from a belmont’s vial is always equal to the vial’s minimum damage (so if the vial would deal 2d6+4 points of holy damage on a direct hit, its splash damage would be 6 points of holy damage). Undead caught in the splash damage can attempt a Reflex save for half damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + half of the paladin’s level + his Charisma modifier.
This ability replaces lay on hands, cleansing flame, and restore.
Whip Crack (Ex)
At 2nd level, the belmont gains Whip Mastery as a bonus feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites. When an undead creature whose number of Hit Dice is less than or equal to the belmont’s level takes damage from the belmont’s whip, scorpion whip or spiked chain, it is shaken for 1 round. This does not stack with other fear effects.
This ability replaces first into battle.
Vampiric Focus (Su)
A belmont knows the sinister power of the undead. Through discipline and precision, he can temporarily turn the unholy powers of the undead against them.
At 2nd level, the belmont must select one common vampiric power to mimic from the vampiric foci listed below. Each vampiric focus grants the belmont a bonus or special ability. Once this decision is made, the belmont cannot change which vampiric focus he knows. At 9th and 16th level, the belmont learns an additional vampiric focus.
As a swift action, the belmont can activate his vampiric focus. Ending the vampiric focus is a free action.
He can use each vampiric focus for a number of minutes per day equal to his paladin level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be spent in 1-minute increments. Once the belmont ends a focus, it cannot be reactivated for 1 minute. The belmont can have only one vampiric focus active at a time. Benefits from different vampiric foci do not stack with one another, including temporary hit points from multiple foci.
Vampiric Agility: All of the belmont’s movement speeds are increased by 5 feet. At 9th level, his movement speeds are increased by 10 feet and he gains evasion, as the thief class feature. At 16th level, the belmont gains improved evasion, as the thief advanced talent.
Vampiric Call: The belmont summons base creatures of the night—bats, rats, insects, and the like—to swarm around him. These creatures provide a measure of defense against damage, granting the belmont a number of temporary hit points equal to his paladin level. At 9th level, he also gains a +2 deflection bonus to AC. At 16th level, the deflection bonus increases to +4.
Vampiric Cunning: The belmont gains a bonus on Perception and Stealth checks equal to half his paladin level. At 9th level, he can move at his normal speed while using Stealth with no penalty. At 16th level, the belmont can use Stealth while charging (but not while making any other attack); when charging (and only when charging), he can attempt a Stealth check even if he lacks cover relative to his target.
Vampiric Heart: The belmont gains elemental resistance equal to half his paladin level against ice and lightning. Additionally, the belmont’s heartbeat is undetectable. Any ability that detects or identifies the living, such as the lifesense ability, does not perceive him. At 16th level, once per day when reduced to 0 or fewer hit points while this focus is activated, the belmont immediately turns gaseous for up to a number of rounds equal to half his paladin level and he gains a number of temporary hit points equal to half his paladin level. The belmont can leave gaseous form at any time without losing these temporary hit points. This effect ends after these rounds have elapsed, after the belmont loses the temporary hit points, or once this focus is no longer active, at which point the belmont immediately becomes corporeal and loses these temporary hit points. If he has not received healing in the interim, this returns the belmont to the number of hit points he had after the attack or effect that triggered this ability.
Vampiric Might: The belmont gains a +2 circumstance bonus to Strength and his weapons are always treated as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. This bonus increases to +4 at 9th level and +6 at 16th level.
Vampiric Momentum: The belmont is treated as being under the effects of the spell choco feather. At 9th level, he is also affected as if by the spell wall climb and can move normally through difficult terrain. At 16th level, he is treated as being under the effects of the spell freedom of movement, and can use up to two consecutive move actions in the same turn to cross areas of open air or calm water (or similar substances) as if they were solid ground, though the belmont must begin and end this movement on solid ground. This allows the belmont to cross water, open air, lava (though he takes fire damage as normal if not immune), and the like without falling or sinking.
Vampiric Presence: The belmont gains a +2 circumstance bonus to Charisma. At 9th level, this bonus increases to +4, and he can cast charm as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to his adjusted Charisma modifier. At 16th level, the enhancement bonus to Charisma increases to +6. The belmont treats his paladin level as his caster level when using the spell-like ability this ability grants.
Vampiric Resilience: The belmont gains protection against energy drain. Each time this vampiric focus is activated, the first two times he would gain a negative level, he instead does not. At 9th level, the first four times he would gain a negative level while this focus is activated, he does not. At 16th level, the first six times he would gain a negative level while this focus is activated, he does not gain any negative levels.
Vampiric Resolve: The belmont gains a +2 bonus on Will saving throws against mind-affecting effects. If he has already been affected by a mind-affecting effect when he activates this focus, he can immediately reroll his saving throw against that effect with a bonus equal to half his paladin level. At 9th level, this bonus increases to +4. At 16th level, he is immune to mind-affecting effects.
Vampiric Sight: The belmont gains darkvision to a range of 60 feet (if he already has darkvision, its range increases by 30 feet). At 9th level, the range of the belmont’s darkvision increases by 30 feet. At 16th level, the belmont also gains blindsense to a range of 30 feet.
These abilities replace shared defense.
Relentless (Ex)
At 3rd level, a belmont can travel for an extended period of time without rest. The belmont (and his mount, if he has one) can walk 16 hours in a day of travel without it being considered a forced march, but at the end of that day, he must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw. If he fails, he can travel for 8 hours the following day, and he (as well as his mount, if he has one) is fatigued for the following 24 hours. If he succeeds at the saving throw, he can use this ability again the following day. The DC of the Fortitude saving throw increases by 2 for every additional day the belmont has been traveling for more than 8 hours. The belmont does not need to attempt a separate saving throw for his mount. After the belmont rests for 24 hours, the saving throw DC resets to 15.
This ability replaces blessing.
Holy Cross (Su)
At 9th level, a belmont can present his holy symbol against an undead creature within 30 feet. The undead creature takes an amount of holy damage equal to the belmont’s paladin level plus his Charisma modifier and must make a Will save (DC 10 + half of the paladin’s level + his Charisma modifier) or become panicked, fleeing for 1 minute. Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each round to end the effect. The belmont can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier.
This ability replaces flash of light.
Critical Reflexes (Su)
At 17th level, upon confirming a critical hit against an undead creature, the belmont can attempt a special combat maneuver check to produce an item and immediately use it upon that foe. The belmont decides whether or not to use this ability after dealing additional damage for his critical hit. At that point, he can attempt a combat maneuver check against the target’s CMD (the target is denied its Dexterity modifier to resist this attack). If the belmont succeeds, he produces a piece of equipment he has on his person and immediately uses that item upon the target creature. This ability does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Items used in this manner are typically alchemical items, such as acid or holy water, or his vial of holy water ability. Items that require attacks against the target automatically hit and deal damage as normal (potentially to the belmont, as well, if the item affects an area). Items that would have no direct effect against the target (such as a fishing hook or a lantern) or that require another combat maneuver to use (such as a rope or manacles) cannot be used as part of this ability. Other melee and ranged weapons cannot be used with this ability. This ability can be used against incorporeal creatures.
This ability replaces aura of healing.
Master Vampire Hunter (Su)
At 20th level, the belmont becomes the bane of the undead. As a standard action, he can make a single attack against his undead foe at his full attack bonus while choosing one of the following effects: destroy, stake, or paralyze for 2d6 rounds.
If the attack hits, the target takes damage normally and must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw or suffer the additional effect. The DC for this save is 10 + half of the paladin’s level + his Charisma modifier. Whether or not the attack succeeds, the creature cannot be targeted by this ability again (by any belmont) for 24 hours.
If the belmont chooses to destroy the target, the target is killed. If the target is a vampire, it does not assume gaseous form, and its healing powers do not come into effect; it is destroyed outright. If the belmont chooses to stake his target, the target is killed if it’s a non-vampire. If it’s a vampire (or similar creature affected by having a stake driven through its heart) it is killed, but returns to life if the stake is removed.
Additionally, at 20th level, each day when the belmont regains his MP per day, he chooses one vampiric focus to be active on himself for the entire day. This focus is in addition to uses of his vampiric focus class ability.
This ability replaces holy champion.
