Spoken of only in hushed tones around the campfires of weary soldiers, the Butchers of Sarak are unholy reavers of the battlefield. Swearing allegiance to no king or country, their purpose is only to glorify the horrors of war and the brutality of violence. Their single-minded mission can make them strange bedfellows from time to time, and can even put them in conflict with one another. However their loyalty is rarely assured as they often switch sides in a given conflict only to protract the murder and suffering of all involved.
Code of Conduct: A butcher must be of chaotic evil alignment and loses all class features except proficiencies if he willingly and altruistically fosters peace and non-violence. This does not mean that an butcher cannot take actions someone else might qualify as good, only that such actions must always be in service of advocating war and bloodshed. A butcher code requires that he always seeks the violent solution to situations above all else, as well as inflict painful bleeding wounds, slay all in his path (except those to ritually torture and sacrifice), and stand in the way of peace, provided such actions don’t interfere with his goals. A butcher is less concerned with corrupting the forces of good and focuses more on wholesale slaughter.
Art of War: Butchers are somewhat more subtle than the typical antipaladin. They gain diplomacy and knowledge (planes) as class skills and receive 4 + int mod skill points per level. They are not proficient with shields or heavy armor.
This replaces the standard skill points and proficiencies of an antipaladin.
Bloodletting Touch: Instead of negative energy the butcher channels raw destructive power. Each day he can use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 his butcher level + his Charisma modifier. As a touch attack, the butcher can cause 1 point of bleed damage for every two butcher levels he possesses. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If this ability is used against the butcher’s smite good target, the bleed damage is especially hard to heal and requires any kind of magical healing to make a caster level check (DC 10 + ½ butcher’s level + charisma modifier) to have any effect. The DC for using the Heal skill to stop this bleed damage also increases by a number equal to the butcher’s level.
Alternatively, a butcher can use this power to grow blood-drenched claws from his fingertips as a free action. These claws are treated as natural weapons, allowing him to make two claw attacks as a full attack action using his full base attack bonus. Each of these attacks deals 1d4 points of damage plus his Strength modifier (1d3 if you are Small). At 5th level, these claws are considered magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming DR. At 7th level, the damage increases by one step to 1d6 points of damage (1d4 if you are Small). At 11th level, these claws gain the keen magical weapon property. These claws last for a number of rounds equal to 3 + his charisma modifier.
This ability is modified by any feat, spell, or effect that specifically works with the lay on hands paladin class feature where applicable. For example, the Extra Lay On Hands feat grants an butcher 2 additional uses of the bloodletting touch class feature.
This replaces the touch of corruption class feature.
Sanguine Aura: At 3rd level, a butcher radiates an aura of wanton bloodshed that causes all enemies within 10 feet to be unable to heal from bleed damage through any means. Creatures that are normally immune to bleed damage lose that immunity while within 10 feet of a butcher with this ability. The butcher also becomes immune to bleed damage, though he can choose to allow bleeding abilities to affect him if he wishes. This ability functions only while the butcher remains conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead. This ability does not negate a creature’s fast healing or regeneration ability.
This replaces the aura of cowardice class feature.
Warmonger: At 3rd level the sanguine reaper has honed his abilities at manipulation and war. He gains the Warmonger feat as a bonus feat.
This replaces the plague bringer class feature.
Carnage: At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, a butcher can select one carnage. Each carnage adds an effect to the butcher’s bloodletting touch ability. Whenever the butcher uses bloodletting touch to deal damage to one target, the target also receives the additional effect from one of the carnages possessed by the butcher. This choice is made when the touch is used. The target receives a Fortitude save to avoid or reduce this carnage. If the save is successful, the target takes the damage as normal, but not the effects of the carnage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the butcher’s level + the butcher’s Charisma modifier.
Some carnages affect the butcher’s blood claws instead of his bleeding attack. These carnages are noted with an asterisk (*).
At 3rd level, the butcher can select from the following initial carnages.
- Channeling Claws*: Before the butcher makes a melee attack roll with his blood claws, he may choose to spend one use of bloodletting touch ability as a swift action. If the butcher hits with his claw attack, the target suffers the effect of his bloodletting touch. Other carnages that affect a target can be applied to this ability.
- Murder: The target is compelled to assault his nearest ally as the murderous command This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.
- Sickened: The target is sickened with agony for 1 round per level of the butcher. This is a pain effect.
At 6th level, a butcher adds the following carnages to the list of those that can be selected.
- Bloodhound: For the next 24 hours, the butcher can track the target as if he had the scent special feature. This carnage does not offer a saving throw.
- Improved Blood Claws*: When manifesting his blood claws, they deal damage as if they were one size category larger and have a natural critical threat range of 19-20/x2
- Staggered: The target is staggered for 1 round per two levels of the butcher. This is a pain effect.
At 9th level, a butcher adds the following carnages to the list of those that can be selected.
- Bloodlust: The target is confused, as per the spell, except it rerolls any result that isn’t 50 or below on the confusion table.
- Invigoration: As long as the target bleeds, the butcher gains an equal amount of fast healing.
- Nauseated: The target is nauseated for 1 round per three levels of the butcher. The butcher must have the sickened cruelty before selecting this cruelty. This is a pain effect.
- Penetrating*: The butcher’s blood claws ignore five points of the target’s damage reduction (except DR/-).
- Multi-Tap: By spending two uses of bloodletting touch, the butcher can inflict his normal bleed damage to all creatures within 10 ft. A successful fortitude save halves the damage from this effect.
At 12th level, a butcher adds the following carnages to the list of those that can be selected.
- Ravaging Touch: The target takes one point of physical ability score bleed (butcher’s choice).
- Agony: The target suffers a -4 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks for 1 hour. This is a pain effect.
- Eviscerate: The target takes 2d6 points of constitution damage. A successful saving throw reduces halves this damage. This carnage must be used in conjunction with channeling claws. A butcher must possess the channeling claws carnage to select this carnage.
- Greater Blood Claws*: The butcher no longer spends a use of bloodletting touch to manifest his blood claws. If he does expend a usage of bloodletting touch while manifesting his claws, any bloodletting touch he channels through a claw attack is resolved as a touch attack for that manifestation. The butcher must possess the channeling claws and improved blood claws carnage to select this carnage.
At 15th level, a butcher adds the following carnages to the list of those that can be selected.
- Heartripper: The target’s heart is ripped out of its chest, causing death. A successful save negates this death but the target takes 10d6 points of slashing damage instead. Using this carnage costs 4 uses of bloodletting touch and he must be channeling this carnage through his blood claws. The butcher must possess the channeling claws, eviscerate, and greater blood claw carnages to select this carnage.
- Soul Razer: The target’s mind is infected with Sarak’s maddening bloodlust. On a failed save the target’s alignment switches to chaotic evil and he now reveres Sarak as his chosen deity. This otherwise functions as the psychosis madness. This carnage can be removed. The butcher must possess the murder, bloodlust, and agony carnages to select this carnage.
- Greater Multi-Tap: When using the multi-tap carnage, the range extends to 20 feet and the butcher can select another carnage to affect all targets. Each affected target requires an additional expenditure of his bloodletting touch ability. Targets that succeed their fortitude saves negate the additional carnage effect. The butcher must possess the multi-tap carnage to select this carnage
This replaces the cruelty class feature.
Channel Destruction: At 4th level the butcher can focus his destructive energy in a burst of deadly energy. By spending 2 uses of his bloodletting touch ability, the butcher can channel pure destructive energy which deals 1d6 points of damage for every two butcher levels he possesses to every creature and unattended object within 30 ft. A successful fortitude save halves this damage. Against unattended objects this ability ignores an amount of hardness equal to half the butcher’s level.
This replaces the channel negative energy class feature.
Fiendish Boon: The butcher gains a special version of the weapon boon that enhances their blood claws. Calling upon this weapon boon is a standard action, and only applies to the blood claws he manifests through his bloodletting touch ability. This ability’s progression otherwise functions the same as listed for an antipaladin. He can divide his enhancement bonuses between his claws as listed under the Dual Enhancement feat.
This alters the fiendish boon class feature.
Wrathful Smite: At 11th level the butcher gains the ability to finely focus his smiting powers. By expending two daily uses of smite good he can gain the benefits of smite good against any creature regardless of alignment.
This replaces the aura of vengeance class feature.
Greater Sanguine Aura: At 14th level the butcher’s sanguine aura expands to terrible effect. The range of his sanguine aura extends to 20 feet and also suppresses fast healing and regeneration effects (except for untyped regeneration). Bleeding damage cannot be healed while within this radius and for 1d4 rounds after the subject leaves the aura. Creature’s fast healing and regeneration effects are similarly suppressed for 1d4 rounds after they leave the aura.
This replaces the aura of sin class feature
Child of Sarak: At 20th level, a butcher becomes a conduit for Sarak’s bloodlust. His DR increases to 10/good. His daily usages of bloodletting touch doubles (to once per butcher level + twice his charisma modifier). Additionally whenever a creature dies within his sanguine aura, he gains the effect of death knell.