Painbearer of Ilmater Cleric Archetype

The followers of Ilmater are often perceived as being intentional sufferers, but in reality they concentrate a lot of effort on providing proper treatment and healing to those who have been hurt. They put others ahead of themselves, are sharing, and emphasize the spiritual nature of life over the material body. Painbearers exemplify this to an even higher level, and the Crying God grants them many gifts not given to the rank and file cleric in order to endure, and to alleviate the suffering of others.

The process of joining the clergy of Ilmater is simple: A novice enjoys a gentle walk and talk with a senior priest, during which they talk and explore the novice’s views of life. They then dine and the novice is (knowingly) given a wine that puts him or her into a gentle trance where various clergy and wizards friendly to the faith can easily employ mind-scrying spells to thoroughly explore the novice’s true feelings, loyalties, and aims. If no dedication to evil or precluding religious or secular loyalties are found, the novice is accepted and adorned with the simple robes of Ilmater.

The Painbearer is an archetype of the Cleric with the following features:

Deity and Alignment: Painbearers must be of Good alignment, and must hold Ilmater as their patron. 

Class Skills: Add Acrobatics, Climb and Survival to the Painbearer’s list of class skills. This modifies the Cleric’s class skills.

Proficiencies: Painbearers gain no armor or shield proficiencies.

The Painbearer was very likely the inspiration for the ages old tale that clergy could not use weapons that draw blood, as they are forbidden from using any weapons that cause open wounds. The Painbearer is only proficient in simple weapons of the solely bludegeoning type (in other words, weapons such as a morningstar are not usable by the cleric). They are further forbidden to use other sorts of weapons, even if they gain proficiency in another class, and to use such and thusly draw blood from an opponent is sufficient to lose their abilities granted by this archetype until Atonement is made. In addition, they are trained sufficiently in unarmed defense that they gain Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat at 1st level. This modifies the class’ armor and weapon proficiencies.

Armor of Insight: At 1st level, the Painbearer gains +1 to her AC as an insight bonus. At 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter this increases by another +1 to a total of +5 at 18th level. As an insight bonus, it applies to her flatfooted and touch AC, but not when she is helpless, unconscious or otherwise unable to move. If the Painbearer wears any sort of armor or uses a shield, she loses this bonus. The levels from this bonus stack with levels in any class that grants the AC bonus of a Monk. The Painbearer does not, however, add her Wisdom bonus to her AC like a Monk, unless she has levels in monk.

Channel Energy: A Painbearer does not gain the ability to channel energy.

Domains: The Painbearer gains no clerical domains, nor any domain spell slots, and the following features are considered replacing the Cleric’s domains.

Blessing of Healing: The Painbearer receives the Healing Blessing of a warpriest and acquires the powers and uses of the blessing as a warpriest of a level equal to her Painbearer level. Should the Painbearer gain warpriest levels, one of the blessings selected as a warpriest must be Healing, and her Painbearer levels stack with warpriest to determine the power and progression of this blessing.

Spontaneous Casting: The Painbearer has a wider range of spontaneous spells than does a cleric, and they are geared not only toward healing but aiding others. The Painbearer may may lose any prepared spell of equal or higher level in exchange for any of the following spells:

• 1st — Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Sanctuary;
• 2nd — Aid, Cure Moderate Wounds, Shield Other;
• 3rd — Cure Serous Wounds, Prayer, Remove Curse;
• 4th — Cure Critical Wounds, Restoration, Spell Immunity;
• 5th — Atonement, Mass Cure Light Wounds;
• 6th — Mass Cure Moderate Wounds, Heal;
• 7th — Greater Restoration, Mass Cure Serious Wounds;
• 8th — Holy Aura, Mass Cure Critical Wounds;
• 9th — Mass Heal.

Skilled Healer: The Painbearer is trained in all aspects of the humanoid anatomy and treatment of all known disease, injuries, and conditions; they can recognize even the rarest maladies with but a glance at a patient. The Painbearer adds half of her class level to all Heal skill checks, and at 5th level, she unlocks additional uses of the Heal skill as if she had the Signature Skill feat, and she is always treated as if she has the proper tools and kit for any task using the Heal skill.

Healing Provisioner: At 1st level the Painbearer gains Brew Potion as a bonus feat. At 8th level, she may brew potions of 4th level spells, but only those of healing or curative nature (such as Restoration or Neutralize Poison). At 10th level she may brew potions of 5th level with the same limitations, and every two levels thereafter gaining the ability to brew a potion of the next higher level spell until she can brew potions of curative 7th level spells at 14th level. All other limitations of the Brew Potion feat including its limitation to single target spells still apply.

Lay on Hands: Beginning at 2nd level, a Painbearer can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 her cleric level plus her Wisdom modifier. This otherwise functions identically to the paladin ability of the same name with her Painbearer level counting as her paladin level for the purpose of hit points healed and qualifying for feats that modify or augment the ability.

Merciful Touch: At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the Painbearer may select one mercy from the paladin’s list of mercies, and may lay hands upon a subject to remedy any and all affects alleviated by her chosen mercies. This functions exactly as the Mercy feature of the paladin’s lay on hands ability, with her Painbearer level determining the uses per day and which mercies may be selected, and qualifying for feats that modify or augment this ability.

Perfect Mind and Body: At 20th level, a Painbearer reaches apotheosis with her patron. She is treated as a native outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the Painbearer’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the Painbearer gains damage reduction 10/evil. She automatically succeeds at any Will save for which she does not roll a 1 to resist torture, charm and compulsion effects, and fear effects.