Favored Soul Cleric Archetype

The favored soul follows the path of the cleric but is able to channel divine power with surprising ease. She is able to perform the same tasks as her fellow divine spellcasters but with virtually no study; to her, it comes naturally. Scholars wonder if favored souls have traces of outsider blood from unions, holy or unholy, centuries ago and generations removed. Others suggest that divine training of the proper type awakens the ability, or that favored souls are simply imbued with their gifts by their gods when they begin the cleric’s path. In any case, favored souls cast their spells naturally, through force of personality rather than through study. Though this gives them extraordinary divine abilities no normal person could ever match, they see their gift as a call to action, and so in some ways may lag behind their more studious colleagues.

Favored souls cast divine spells by means of an innate connection rather than through laborious training and prayer, so their divine connection is natural rather than learned. These divine spellcasters know fewer spells and acquire powerful spells more slowly than clerics, but favored souls can cast spells more often, and they have no need to select and prepare them ahead of time.

Saves: A favored soul uses the good saving throw progression for all saves. This alters the cleric’s saves.

Class Skills: The favored soul’s class skills are Craft (any), Diplomacy, Fly, Heal, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), Profession (any), Sense Motive, Spellcraft and Use Magic Device.

This alters the cleric’s class skills.

Spellcasting: The favored soul draws divine spells from the cleric spell list, but because the favored soul’s magic comes by virtue of force of personality, she can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a favored soul must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a favored soul’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the favored soul’s Charisma modifier. Use the sorcerer table to determine spells per day at each level.

A favored soul’s selection of spells is extremely limited. Use the sorcerer table to determine the favored soul’s spells known at each level. Unlike a sorcerer, these spells are divine and do not suffer the spell failure chance for arcane spells for casting in armor.

If a spell on the Cleric spell list keys its effects on Wisdom, the Favored Soul instead keys the effects on Charisma.

This alters the cleric’s spellcasting; archetypes that alter the cleric’s spellcasting, may also alter the favored soul’s spellcasting.

By Blood or by Spirit: Choose one domain granted by the favored soul’s patron deity, and one bloodline that fits the portfolio of her patron deity (cannot be the mongrel bloodline; also see note below). She gains the domain spells of the chosen domain as additional spells known to those she selects upon leveling up as she is able to cast a spell of that level, but she does not gain the ablities of the chosen domain. She does not gain the bloodline spells of the chosen bloodline, nor the bloodline arcana, but she does gain the 1st, 3rd and 9th level bloodline powers.

Further with this dual nature of her power, she may choose alternate favored class bonuses from either the cleric, or the sorcerer list, so long the bonus applies to a feature she possesses.

This replaces domains, but the favored soul counts as having both domains or a bloodline for the purpose of feats or other prerequisites. It is also considered having domains for the purpose of archetypes that might replace domains, in which case this entire feature is replaced by the archetype’s feature.

What bloodline should I choose?

A bloodline can be chosen based on the portfolio of a deity, or a general concept of the deity’s divinity. For example, the Destined bloodline could be applicable to just about any favored soul. The Celestial bloodline could be used for most good aligned deities, while Infernal or Abyssal could fit most evil ones. Fey powers might lend themselves to the Fey bloodline, while a god of darkness would lend themselves to choosing the Shadow bloodline, or a god of undeath might suggest the Undeath bloodline; a draconic deity could tie to the draconic bloodline. Ultimately you can come to an agreement with the GM if you’re in question about a bloodline choice.

Marked by the Gods: At 1st level, the favored soul carries some distinctive marking that is representative of the deity who has showed their favor. This could be a birthmark or other sort of marking that harkens to the symbol or portfolio of the chosen power; it could even be something that was self affected, like a tattoo. Whatever it may be it is distinctive, and may not be easily concealed. With it, the favored soul is always treated as having a divine focus, and using her divine abilities or casting her spells does not require her to brandish one in hand. This replaces the Cleric’s Temple Training.

Channel Energy, Spontaneous Casting, Temple Training: The favored soul does not gain the ability to channel energy either positive or negative, nor does she have the ability to convert a spell into a cure or inflict spell. The following special abilities replace entirely these two features.

Deity Weapon Focus: At 3rd level, the favored soul gains Weapon Focus in her patron’s favored weapon. If she already has the Weapon Focus feat in this weapon, she may choose another combat feat for which she qualifies that has Weapon Focus for the same weapon as a prerequisite.

Bonus Feats: At 5th level the favored soul gains a bonus feat, and another at 10th and 15th levels. These bonus feats must either be the bloodline feats from her chosen bloodline, or a metamagic, spell focus or spell penetration feat, or a combat feat for which she qualifies that applies to her Deity Weapon Focus weapon. She may also select Deific Obedience as a bonus feat, and receive her first boon upon receiving the feat, and gain the successive boons 2 levels earlier than normal (she must still perform the acts of obedience daily in order to receive the benefits of this feat). She may opt instead of her 15th level bonus feat to gain the 15th level bloodline power of her divine bloodline.

Energy Resistance: At 7th level, the favored soul chooses a form of energy — acid, cold, fire, electricity, sonic, negative (if good), positive (if evil). She gains resistance 5/- to this energy type. At 11th level she selects another energy type, and is resistant to both energy types and the resistance increases to 8/-. At 15th level, she chooses another energy type, for a total of three, and the resistance increases to 10/-.

Any energy resistances gained from racial traits or other class features do not stack with this resistance.

Martial Champion: At 10th level, the favored soul counts half her levels as fighter levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats, prestige classes and other features.

On Lofty Wings: At 17th level, the favored soul grows wings and can fly at a speed of twice her land movement with average maneuverability. The exact appearance of these wings is dependent upon alignment or the nature of the deity that is her patron, be they feathered wings, leathery bat-like wings, draconic wings or gossamer insect-like wings. If the favored soul gains wings through a racial feature or from her bloodline powers in addition to this ability, then her flight maneuverability increases to perfect.

If you would opt to not have wings, you may choose another bonus feat instead.

Divine Apotheosis: At 20th level, the favored soul becomes a mortal petitioner of her patron. She becomes a native outsider, and gains the immunities and vulnerabilies that go along with it, such as immunity to humanoid-only affecting magic, but vulnerable to magic that specifically targets outsiders. She gains 10 points of damage reduction, the bypass for which is the opposing alignments of her deity. For example, if her deity is Lawful Good then her damage resistance is 10/evil or chaotic. If her deity is neutral on both axes, her damage reduction is your choice of 10/cold iron or 10/silver; once chosen, this cannot be changed.

You may also choose to take an alternate capstone, or the 20th level power of the favored soul’s chosen bloodline in lieu of this capstone.