The
Banisher
by
Kwan Darkwood
There are many followers of the various deities who simply live their
lives quietly, simply working their religious duties amongst common
mortals, whether they are the loftiest church of Pelor to the foulest
institution of Nerull. However, there are a select few out of these
followers who are have the courage and are granted the power to stand
against some of the most powerful denizens of the universe.
Clerics, paladins, and rangers often take on this class, either serving
for their deity, out of honor and piety, or simply out of a hatred
of a certain type of creature. Barbarians have been known to take
this class due to their dislike of the supernatural. Other classes
are rare but not unseen here as well.
Table 1-1: The Banisher
Class Base Fort Ref Will
Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save
Special
1st +1 +1
+1 +1 1st
planar enemy
2nd +2 +1
+1 +2 See
invisibility
3rd +2 +2
+1 +2 Strike
of Return
4th +3 +2
+2 +2
Planar survival
5th +3 +2
+2 +3 2nd
planar enemy
6th +4 +3
+2 +3 Summon
spell dampening
7th +4 +3
+3 +3 Damage
Reduction 10/+1
8th +5 +3
+3 +4 Banishment
9th +6 +4
+3 +4 3rd
planar enemy
10th +7 +5
+5 +5 Plane
Shift
Table 1-2: Spells per Day
Class 1 2 3 4
Level
1 - - - -
2 - - - -
3 - - - -
4 0 - - -
5 1 0 - -
6 1 1 0 -
7 2 1 1 -
8 2 2 1 -
9 3 2 2 0
10 3 3 2 1
Requirements:
To qualify to become a banisher, a character must fulfill all the
following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +5.
Knowledge (the planes): 7 ranks.
Special: To become a banisher, the character must have encountered
an outsider of some sort prior to taking the class. They must also
possess the ability to cast divine spells, either through spell-like
abilities, class spell lists, or other sources deemed appropriate
by the Dungeon Master.
Class Skills:
The banisher’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are
Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate
(Cha), Knowledge (The Planes), Jump, Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str).
See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the banisher prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A banisher is proficient with all simple
and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, and shields.
Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply
to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently,
Pick Pocket, and Tumble.
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a banisher gains the ability to cast
a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, the banisher must
have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so a banisher
with a Wisdom of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Banisher bonus
spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells
have a Difficulty Class of 10 + spell level + Wisdom modifier. When
the banisher gets 0 spells of a given level, such as 0 1st-level spells
at 4th level, the banisher only gets bonus spells. A banisher without
a bonus spell for that level (see Table 1-1: Ability Modifiers and
Spells, page 8 of the Player’s Handbook) cannot yet cast a spell of
that level. The banisher’s spell list appears at the end of this description.
A banisher has access to any spell on the list and can freely choose
which to prepare. A banisher prepares and casts spells just as a cleric
does (though the banisher cannot use spontaneous casting to lose a
spell and cast a cure or inflict spell in its place).
Through 3rd level, a banisher has no caster level. Starting at 4th
level, a banisher’s caster level is one-half his class level.
Planar Enemy: At 1st level, a banisher may select a specific type
of outsider (celestial, slaadi, demon, efreet, etc.) as a favored
enemy. Due to his extensive study of his foes and training in the
proper techniques for combating them, the banisher gains a +3 bonus
to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks when
using these skills against this type of creature. Likewise, he gets
the same bonus to weapon damage rolls against creatures of this type.
A banisher also gets the damage bonus with ranged weapons, but only
against targets within 30 feet (the banisher cannot strike with deadly
accuracy beyond that range). Due to his experience with such creatures,
the banisher also ignores the damage reduction of his planar enemies,
having developed a supernatural ability to overcome it.
At 5th level and at 9th level, the banisher may select a new favored
enemy, and the bonus associated with every previously selected favored
enemy goes up by +2. For example, a 5th level banisher has two planar
enemies, with bonuses of +5 and +3.
See Invisibility (Su): Upon reaching 2nd level, a banisher has the
ability to see invisibility at will, as per the spell cast by a 5th-level
sorcerer. This ability allows him to see (but not affect) ethereal
creatures.
Strike of Return (Su): Powerful banishers are often capable of returning
outsiders to their home plane with a single, powerful blow. This is
a standard action, in which the banisher makes a normal attack roll.
They must declare their intent to use this ability before making the
attack roll. If it is successful, the outsider must make a Will save
(DC = Banisher level + Wisdom Modifier + 15) or be instantly returned
to his or her own plane. This may be used a number of times per day
equal to the banisher’s class level plus their charisma modifier.
Planar Survival (Ex): At 4th level, a banisher becomes attuned to
the nature of the planes he visits and personally immune to their
natural planar effects. Any effect that would be negated by the avoid
planar effects spell is negated by the planar survival ability as
well.
The banisher is immune to the “normal” fires of the Elemental Plane
of Fire, but fire-based attack forms and unusually fiery areas there
still affect him. Because this extraordinary ability is the result
of attuning himself to a particular plane, the banisher remains vulnerable
to the same sort of damage in other planes where that attack form
is not part of the natural order. Fires on other planes, including
the Material Plane, affect him normally.
Summon Spell Dampening (Su): Banishers often aggravate outsiders by
inhibiting their ability to summon reinforcements. Three times per
day, a banisher of 6th level or higher can create a dampening field
that extends 100 feet in every direction. Summoning and calling spells
and spell-like abilities are suppressed within this radius, though
creatures summoned outside the dampening field can enter it normally.
The dampening field lasts 10 rounds. Creatures summoned or called
before the banisher creates the dampening field are unaffected.
Damage Reduction: A banisher of 8th level or higher has damage reduction
10/+1. This means that the character ignores (instantly regenerates)
the first 10 points of damage from any attack unless a weapon with
a +1 or higher enchantment bonus deals the damage, by a spell, or
by a form of energy (fire, cold, and so on). This ability does not
stack with other damage reduction abilities.
Banishment (Sp): The banisher may use this ability once per day, and
it functions as the spell of the same name. This is a spell-like ability.
Plane Shift (Sp): The banisher may use this ability once per day,
and it functions as the spell of the same name. This is a spell-like
ability.
Spells
Table 1-3: Banisher Spell List:
1st-level Banisher Spells:
Cure/Inflict Light Wounds
Resist Elements
Identify
Light
Protection From Good/Evil/Law/Chaos
Read Magic
Summon Monster I
2nd-level Banisher Spells:
Darkness
Lesser Restoration
Summon Monster II
3rd-level Banisher Spells:
Dismissal
Dispel Magic
Lesser Geas
Magic Circle against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law
Neutralize Poison
Positive/Negative Energy Protection*
Safety*
Summon Monster III
Zone of Respite*
4th-level Banisher Spells:
Chamber*
Death Ward
Dimensional Anchor
Lesser Planar Ally
Make Manifest*
Summon Monster IV
*Manual of the Planes