Hand of the Dead

The Hands are one half of the bifurcated clergy of the Omban Empire and its successor states. This all-female sect is responsible for interactions with the undead, particularly bubun (animated corpses), which they create, command, and use for indentured labour. They are the commanders and leaders among the priesthood, and their political authority is considerable. They render sentences for major crimes and are the source of moral authority underlying the system of justice. They attend births, caring for mothers and children, and the care of children to become corpseborn after their mothers’ deaths.

Level	BAB	BDB	BMB	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1	+1	+0	+0	+2	+2	+2	Hallow, Investigate haunt, Hallowed Fist
2	+2	+1	+1	+2	+2	+2	Interdiction
3	+3	+1	+2	+3	+3	+3	Command bubun
4	+3	+1	+2	+3	+3	+3	Create bubun
5	+4	+2	+3	+4	+4	+4	Enhance bubun
6	+5	+2	+3	+4	+4	+4	Eyes and ears
7	+6	+2	+4	+5	+5	+5	Remove curse; heal bubun
8	+6	+3	+4	+5	+5	+5	Puppetry
9	+7	+3	+5	+6	+6	+6	Control haunt
10	+8	+3	+5	+6	+6	+6
11	+9	+4	+6	+7	+7	+7	Hallow building
12	+9	+4	+6	+7	+7	+7	Rapid render
13	+10	+4	+7	+8	+8	+8	Holy Strike
14	+11	+5	+7	+8	+8	+8
15	+12	+5	+8	+9	+9	+9	Bubun legion
16	+12	+5	+8	+9	+9	+9
17	+13	+6	+9	+10	+10	+10

Hit Die: d8
Ability requirement: Charisma 16
Class Skills: Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (all), Perception, Perform, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand
Skill points: 6 + Int
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: All simple weapons, light armor and shields

Powers

1st level: Hallow: Hands can call upon their holy power to benefit themselves and their allies. A Hand may use her hallow power twice per day plus half her Hand level (rounding down) as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A Hand must be able to gesture with one or both hands in order to hallow. There are three distinct basic functions of this power:

• As a standard action, a Hand may expend a hallow power to grant herself and all allies within 30 feet (including bubun under her control) a +1 morale bonus to all saving throws for a number of rounds equal to two plus her Charisma modifier. This bonus increases to +2 at 4th level, +3 at 8th level, +4 at 12th level, and +5 at 16th level.
• As a standard action, a Hand may expend a hallow power to grant herself (but not anyone else) a +1 competence bonus to any one ability check or skill roll. This bonus increases to +2 at 4th level, +3 at 8th level, +4 at 12th level, and +5 at 16th level.
• As a standard action, a Hand may expend a hallow power to channel positive energy to neutralize a haunt within 30 feet. This causes 1d6 points of damage plus 1d6 points of damage for every two levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, and so on), with a Will save for half damage (DC: 10 + ½ level + Charisma modifier).

1st Level: Hallowed Fist: The Hand's fists are always treated as weapons capable of delivering lethal damage (1d6 damage, crit x 2). As a standard action, the Hand may expend a hallow power to turn her hands into +1 weapons for a number of rounds equal to 2 plus her Charisma modifier. At 5th level, the use of hallow turns the hands into the equivalent of +2 weapons (+2 to attack, 1d10 damage, crit x 3) and at 9th level, the equivalent of +3 weapons (+3 to attack, 2d8 damage, crit x 4).

1st level: Investigate Haunt: The Hand may identify disembodied spirits in the vicinity. She may make a Perception check to detect spirits within sight range, even if they are incorporeal or invisible.

2nd level: Interdiction: As a standard action, the Hand may designate one 5-foot square adjacent to her. Anyone, friend or foe, wishing to enter that square must make a Will save (10 + ½ level + Charisma modifier) or be unable to enter that square for the duration of the effect (1 round / level). The Hand can change the designated square in a later round, but can only have one interdicted square at any time. Mindless creatures, including bubun, are not affected by this power. At 8th level the square may be any square within 10 feet of the Hand, and at 14th level, any square within 15 feet of the Hand.

3rd level: Command bubun: As a move action, a Hand may give commands to one bubun (bubun) which will be understood and followed to the best of its ability. Learning the intonation and force of these commands is an art that is passed down through the Hands and never taught to outsiders. This power can be used as often as desired - if a bubun is given a task, it will continue to perform it without direct control until such time as the task is complete or it is given a different command. As such, even a relatively low-level Hand could command a large number of bubun performing rote tasks such as planting or harvesting. At each level above 3rd, the number of bubun the Hand can control at a time doubles (4th = 2; 5th = 4; 6th = 8, etc.). A Hand may take control of a bubun commanded by another Hand by succeeding at an opposed Diplomacy check.

4th level: Create bubun: The Hand’s most renowned ability is the power to turn a dead body into a bubun. This ritual requires over an hour of preparation and is not undertaken lightly, but is automatically successful and can be used multiple times per day. The body must be reasonably intact and fresh. The process of creating a bubun preserves it from substantial further decay for a period of seven years, although they can be damaged and destroyed.

5th level: Enhance bubun: The Hand may use her hallow power to give all the bubun under her control +1 to attack, +1 AC and +1d8 temporary hp for a number of rounds equal to two plus her Charisma modifier. This bonus increases to by an additional +1 to attack, +1 AC, and +1d8hp at 8th level, 11th, 14th level, and 17th level.

6th level: Eyes and Ears: The Hand may make a Perception check (DC 15) as a standard action to see and hear through a bubun under her control for up to 10 minutes. The bubun has the ability to see and hear at a normal human range and needs light to see.

7th level: At this level, the Hand may use her hallow power to remove curse.

7th level: Heal bubun: The Hand may use her hallow power as a standard action to heal a bubun completely to full health. This does not work if the bubun is destroyed.

8th level: Puppetry: At this level, the Hand may make a Sleight of Hand check (DC 15) as a standard action to make a bubun under her control move their body as she does, for up to 10 minutes. The Hand may get the bubun to perform fine manipulations, and even to speak, regardless of the distance to the Hand.

9th level: Control Haunt: As a standard action, the Hand can manipulate incorporeal spirits in order to direct them to a specific known location, object, or person within a 10km range. Upon a successful Intimidate check, the haunt is compelled to change the focus of its activities permanently, but is otherwise undamaged and unaffected.

11th level: At this level, the Hand may use her hallow power to sanctify a building or natural area as per the hallow spell.

12th level: Rapid Render: As a standard action, the Hand can animate a dead body temporarily as a bubun. The corpse must be relatively intact and recently dead (as with any bubun) but does not need any other special treatment or ritual. The bubun does not have the standard seven year lifespan of ordinary bubun, but much shorter (1 day per level), but is otherwise an ordinary bubun in all respects.

13th level: Holy Strike: Once per day, as a standard action, the Hand may make a powerful gesture to channel the power of life and death, releasing a blast of deadly energy in a 40-foot radius around her, with dire effects (Fortitude save, DC 10+½ Hand level + Charisma modifier):

• Those with equal or higher hit dice/levels as the Hand are deafened for 1d4 rounds (save = unaffected).
• Those with 1 to 4 fewer hit dice/levels than the Hand are blinded and deafened for 2d4 rounds (save = blinded for 1d4 rounds).
• Those with 5 to 8 fewer hit dice/levels than the Hand are blinded, deafened and paralyzed for 1d10 minutes (save = paralyzed for 1d4 rounds).
• Those with 9+ fewer hit dice/levels than the Hand are killed instantly (save = 3d6 + 1/level damage).

15th level: Legion: You can instill rudimentary tactics into your bubun hordes. Choose any one feat (including teamwork feats). All of the bubun currently under your control get that feat. In addition, they learn how to get into position to flank without your command and they all gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC from movement.