[Raven Bloodmoon]

Well, here's the 4th installment of Crap You'll Have to Fight in Elyria. It is a warrior who has embraced taint and is basically a homocidal maniac that you REALLY don't want mad at you. For clarification, I am using the taint rules out of Heroes of Horror with one modification - you don't get free feats for being tainted. Being tainted is suppose to suck horribly. So having a taint score fo 10 is a tad nasty, just for a point of reference. Also, any PC who actively pursues this class is asking to have every Purifier of Shala and more importantly every Sacred Bow of Shala chasing him around trying to smite him. So I think that coupled with the drawbacks of taint combine to make this an unpleasant class to take as a PC. Which leaves it filling the roll for which it is intended - NPC bad guys.

So without further ado, here is the Soul Slayer (suggestions for a better name are currently beign accepted).

[super sorcerer]

I think it is maybe a little too powerfull for a PC (bring on the purifiers and see if that Soul Slayer care). Since the common aproach where I come t is too allow PC everything I allow NPC. Even though a Sacred Bow of Shala can chalenge a Soul Slayer of equal level (though I still bet on the Soul Slayer) a Purifier is not too much of a chalenge for these guys. I believe that a character who realy want to becoume a Soul Slayer becouse of its great power (which happens to many adventurers) will aquire the 10 taint just for that cause (a few characters I played where crazy enough to do things like that). I hope that your players don't have control freak charaters (even though it is nice to play one like that) but this looks like a very nice prestige class.

[Raven Bloodmoon]

Allow me to clarify a few things for you.

1) A Purifier of Shala is not a warrior. They are healers and spiritual leaders. They would not actively seek out and duel anyone unless they believed they must.

2) A Sacred Bow would, however, hunt these, and they should be able to take on one. Especially if they make use of their abilities.

3) Taint sucks. And to take this clas, you would have at least Moderate taint, which is quite debilitating (on the order of a paralyzed face, uncontrollabel seizures, or bein delusional). Only charcaters that pull off a Constitution score of over 21 will manage to suffer lesser effects.

4) PCs would be welcome to become tainted and take this class, but they will suffer the full concequences of setting themselves against several major organizations dedicated to the eratication of anything tainted, not to mention becoming tainted will likely involve breaking the laws of pretty much any nation at soem point (I'm hard pressed to see someone acquiring taint in a legal way), and thus would have the force of nations after them in some degree. If a player wishes to suffer the wrath of the world, they are welcome to try.