Gore Painter
People always said that art is an expression of the soul. Clerics always said that the blood is representative of life. Most people aren’t creepy enough to connect these two together; you’re not most people.
Requirements: To qualify to become a Gore Painter, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria:
Alignment: Any non-good
Skills: Craft (Painting) 8 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 4 ranks
Feats: Spell Focus (Illusion) or Spell Focus (Necromancy)
Spells: Ability to cast 3rd level arcane or divine spells, and must not have Illusion or Necromancy as banned schools
Hit Die: d4
Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomancy, Forgery, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana, History, Nobility & Royalty, Religion), Move Silently, Spellcraft
Skill Points at each level: 4 + Int mod
Level I BAB I Fort I Ref I Will I Special I Spells per day/known
1 I 0 I +2 I 0 I +2 I Blood Art Technique I +1 per existing level
2 I +1 I +3 I 0 I +3 I Portrait Jump I +1 per existing level
3 I +1 I +3 I +1 I +3 I Visual Monstrosity I +1 per existing level
4 I +2 I +4 I +1 I +4 I Advanced Techniques I+1 per existing level
5 I +2 I +4 I +2 I +4 I A Painting of the Soul I +1 per existing level
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Gore Painters gain no proficiency with any new weapons or armor.
Spells per day/spells known: When a new Gore Painter level is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever spellcasting class in which he could cast spells before he added the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had more than one spellcasting class in which he could cast spells before he became a Gore Painter, he must decide to which class he adds each level of Gore Painter for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Blood Art Technique: A Gore Painter can infuse his spells within works of visual art. They can be as small as a doodled sketch or as large as a painting. Tiny objects can hold up to 4 levels worth of spells, Small objects 8 levels worth of spells, and Large Objects 12 levels worth of spells. The spells must be of the Illusion or Necromancy schools. Creating a piece of Blood Art costs a number of Blood Points equal to the total spell levels.
The Gore Painter needs the positive energy dormant in the blood of living beings to paint his creations. A Gore Painter does not need to kill a creature to gain his blood, and can siphon it off through bleeding with a DC 15 Heal check. The siphoning deals 3 points of Constitution damage per Blood Point, or 1 point of Constitution drain per Blood Point. The collective blood of a slain creature is less potent, and is only worth 1 Blood Point per Hit Die. The positive energy does not remain within the Blood Art for long, and dissipates in a number of days equal to the Gore Painter’s caster level. A Gore Painter can only have a total number of Blood Points equal to 10 x his Gore Painter level.
It takes 2 minutes per spell level to infuse the spell within the Blood Art. A Gore Painter can then activate one spell as a standard action if he’s within 60 feet of the painting and has line of sight to it.
Portrait Jump: A Gore Painter can enter into a work of art that is Small or Medium Size. He can bring it to life from within, and the art becomes an Animated Object of its size. Portraits gain a Fly Speed equal to 30 feet (Average Maneuverability). A Gore Painter can teleport between objects of a similar nature as a move action, provided that they’re within 60 feet of each other. If the object is destroyed while the Gore Painter’s still inside it, he is “shunted” out and the damage of the object is transferred to him. He can remain within an object for a number of hours equal to his Caster Level. Statues and literary books count as works of art.
Visual Monstrosity: A Gore Painter can imbue spells of the Conjuration School into his Blood Art. Spells with the Summoning subschool infused into Blood Art are automatically Extended.
Advanced Techniques: A Gore Painter can now infuse more powerful spells into even larger objects. Huge objects can hold 16 levels worth of spells, Gargantuan objects 20 levels worth of spells, and Colossal Objects 24 levels worth of spells. He now gains 2 Blood Points per Hit Die, and can siphon them off through bleeding with a DC 15 Heal check. The siphoning deals 2 points of Constitution damage per Blood Point, or 1 point of Constitution drain per 3 Blood Points. His Portrait Jump Ability can now inhabit Diminutive, Tiny, Large, and Huge objects.
A Painting of the Soul: You can now power your Blood Art with negative energy. Whenever you cast a spell that deals negative energy to a living opponent, you gain a number of Blood Points equal to the spell’s level. Sorcerer and Wizard Blood Painters can add one Inflict spell per PrC level to their spellbook or list of spells known. You also can use the souls of living opponents (gained from spells such as Magic Jar and Trap the Soul) to gain Blood Points by destroying them. You gain 5 Blood Points per hit die of the slain creature.
I took inspiration from Brauner the vampire painter of the Castlevania series for this idea. Several of the class features are based off of his attacks.
Too powerful/gimmicky? Any exploitable loopholes? Where can i improve?
Edit: A Painting of the Soul allows arcane Gore Painters to add one Inflict spell per PrC level (five in this case) to the spellbook or list of spells known.
