| Prime Requisite: | WIS and DEX |
| Requirements: | None |
| Hit Dice: | 1d4 |
| Maximum Level: | 14 |
Death priests are dark cultists of the powers and mysteries of death. They combine the assassin's arts with the cleric's magic.
Death priests are trained in the art of murder. At first level, death priests hit an unarmored foe (AC 0) with an attack throw of 10+. They advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every four levels (as thieves). Death priests can wear leather armor or lighter, and can fight using any one-handed melee weapons and any missile weapons. They can fight wielding two weapons or wielding a weapon two-handed. They may use any magic item usable by clerics and thieves.
Death priests must obey the strictures of their cult, which usually involves taboos about interacting with the living, strict obedience to their superiors, and absolute secrecy of cult matters—often even their membership. Depending on the setting, they might be required to maintain a specific alignment—although this might be any alignment, depending on the nature of their deity. Most death priests worship a Chaotic death deity and actively seek to bring death and misery to the world.
Death priests have the ability to control undead, just as standard Chaotic clerics. Starting at 2nd level (Death Acolyte), death priests may cast divine spells, as standard clerics. Death priests may backstab, move silently, and hide in shadows, just as thieves of their level.
When a death priest reaches 5th level (Death Disciple), he may begin to research spells, scribe scrolls, and brew potions as a cleric. At 9th level (Death High Priest), he is able to create more powerful magic items such as weapons, rings, and staffs. At 11th level, a death priest may learn and cast rituals spells of great power (6th level and 7th level), and craft magical constructs such as golems and animated statues, as well as create necromantic servants or become undead.
Upon attaining 9th level (Death High Priest), a death priest may establish or build a dark temple. So long as the death priest is currently in favor with his cult, he may buy or build his dark temple at half the normal price due to the help of fervent worshippers. Once a dark temple is established, the death priest's reputation will spread and he will attract 5d6×10 0-level soldiers armed with various weapons, plus another 1d6 death priests of 1st – 3rd level of the same religion to serve the temple. They are completely loyal (morale +4). While in the death priest's service, his followers must be provided food and lodging, but need not be paid wages. The Judge determines which proportions of followers are archers, infantry, etc.
Death Priest Proficiency List: Acrobatics, Alertness, Armor Training, Art, Bargaining, Bribery, Combat Trickery (disarm), Command, Diplomacy, Eavesdropping, Fighting Style, Healing, Knowledge, Land Surveying, Language, Leadership, Lip Reading, Magical Engineering, Mapping, Mimicry, Performance, Precise Shooting, Prestidigitation, Running, Skirmishing, Swashbuckling, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus
| Spell Progression | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experience | Title | Level | Hit Dice | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 0 | Death Neonate | 1 | 1d4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1,200 | Death Acolyte | 2 | 2d4 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 2,400 | Death Initiate | 3 | 3d4 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 4,800 | Death Curate | 4 | 4d4 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 9,600 | Death Disciple | 5 | 5d4 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 20,000 | Death Priest | 6 | 6d4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 40,000 | Master of Death | 7 | 7d4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 80,000 | Father of Death | 8 | 8d4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 180,000 | Death High Priest | 9 | 9d4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 280,000 | Death High Priest, 10th level | 10 | 9d4+2* | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 380,000 | Death High Priest, 11th level | 11 | 9d4+4* | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 480,000 | Death High Priest, 12th level | 12 | 9d4+6* | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 580,000 | Death High Priest, 13th level | 13 | 9d4+8* | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 680,000 | King of Death | 14 | 9d4+10* | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| * Hit point modifiers from Constitution are ignored | ||||||||
| Level | Move Silently | Hide in Shadows | Backstab |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17+ | 19+ | ×2 |
| 2 | 16+ | 18+ | ×2 |
| 3 | 15+ | 17+ | ×2 |
| 4 | 14+ | 16+ | ×2 |
| 5 | 13+ | 15+ | ×3 |
| 6 | 12+ | 14+ | ×3 |
| 7 | 10+ | 12+ | ×3 |
| 8 | 8+ | 10+ | ×3 |
| 9 | 6+ | 8+ | ×4 |
| 10 | 4+ | 6+ | ×4 |
| 11 | 2+ | 4+ | ×4 |
| 12 | 2+ | 3+ | ×4 |
| 13 | 1+ | 2+ | ×5 |
| 14 | 1+ | 1+ | ×5 |
| Level | Petrification & Paralysis | Poison & Death | Blast & Breath | Staff & Wands | Spells | Attack Throw |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 13+ | 10+ | 16+ | 13+ | 15+ | 10+ |
| 3–4 | 12+ | 9+ | 15+ | 12+ | 14+ | 9+ |
| 5–6 | 11+ | 8+ | 14+ | 11+ | 13+ | 8+ |
| 7–8 | 10+ | 7+ | 13+ | 10+ | 12+ | 7+ |
| 9–10 | 9+ | 6+ | 12+ | 9+ | 11+ | 6+ |
| 11–12 | 8+ | 5+ | 11+ | 8+ | 10+ | 5+ |
| 13–14 | 7+ | 4+ | 10+ | 7+ | 9+ | 4+ |
| First Level Divine Spells | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cause Fear* |
| 2 | Cause Light Wounds* |
| 3 | Command Word |
| 4 | Darkness* |
| 5 | Detect DangerPC |
| 6 | Detect Magic |
| 7 | Detect UndeadPC |
| 8 | Protection From Good* |
| 9 | Pass Without TracePC |
| 10 | Sanctuary |
| Second Level Divine Spells | |
| 1 | Augury |
| 2 | Bane* |
| 3 | ChameleonPC |
| 4 | Choking GripPC |
| 5 | Delay Poison |
| 6 | Find Traps |
| 7 | Righteous WrathPC |
| 8 | Silence 15' Radius |
| 9 | Silent StepPC |
| 10 | Swift SwordPC |
| Third Level Divine Spells | |
| 1 | Bestow Curse* |
| 2 | Cause Disease* |
| 3 | Cause Major Wounds*PC |
| 4 | Continual Darkness* |
| 5 | Cure Blindness |
| 6 | Feign Death |
| 7 | Glyph of Warding |
| 8 | Necromantic PotencePC |
| 9 | Speak with Dead |
| 10 | Striking |
| Fourth Level Divine Spells | |
| 1 | Animate Dead* |
| 2 | Cause Serious Wounds* |
| 3 | Control UndeadPC |
| 4 | Death WardPC |
| 5 | Dispel Magic |
| 6 | Divination |
| 7 | Infravision |
| 8 | NondetectionPC |
| 9 | Poison* |
| 10 | Protection From Good, Sustained* |
| Fifth Level Divine Spells | |
| 1 | Atonement |
| 2 | Commune |
| 3 | Cause Critical Wounds*PC |
| 4 | Fear |
| 5 | Finger of Death* |
| 6 | Flame Strike |
| 7 | Insect Plague |
| 8 | Quest |
| 9 | True Seeing |
| 10 | Weakness of Mind* |
| * Reversible spell | |
| PC Spell found in the Player's Companion | |