Holocaust Warrior

Despite its edgy name, the Holocaust Warrior has nothing to do with /pol/. Rather, it is a githyanki gish caste specializing in the use of fire elementalism, combining warrior skills and the use of fiery magic to destroy whatever is in its way. Perhaps because of this, after being introduced as a prestige class particularly associated with the duthka'gith in Polyhedron Magazine #159, it was renamed the Pyroclast when it returned as a githyanki monster in Secrets of the Astral Sea.

Great Wheel Version

Some attribute it to their ancient pact with red dragons, while others just chalk it up to pyromania, but certain githyanki gish are particularly adept with the magic of fire. The holocaust warrior is the perfect example: a gish who hurls fireballs between swings of his flaming greatsword. In the martial philosophy of the githyanki, fire is the symbol of the consuming power of the githyanki race, which will soon destroy all other races and burn triumphantly through eternity.

Holocaust warriors are always gish, learning both martial skills and seplls, focusing on Evocation and fire magic. Many holocaust warriors are Fighter/Sorcerers, while many others are Fighter/Wizards. A few Barbarian/Sorcerers become holocaust warriors, but most holocaust warriors are highly disciplined and well-trained fighters, not rampaging berserkers. Gish with other martial classes rarely become holocaust warriors.

In githyanki military units, holocaust warriors are found with the other gish - marching in their own units to fight with flaming sword and fiery spell as the need arises. Holocaust warriors often lead units of other gish, simply by virtue of their high level.

Hit Die: d8

Requirements:

Race: Githyanki

Alignment: Any Evil

Base Attack Bonus: +5

Base Save Bonuses: Fort +4, Will +4

Skills: Concentration 6 ranks

Feats: Combat Casting, Martial Weapon proficiency (All), Spell Focus (Evocation)

Spellcasting: Able to cast Fireball

Special: Must have been reduced below 0 hit points by fire and then revived. This is usually done in a rite of initiation, but falling on the battlefield and then being revived also counts.

Class Skills: Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana, The Planes), Spellcraft

Skill Points At Each Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features:

Weapon & Armor Proficiency: None

Bonus Spells/Day: Each level in holocaust warrior grants bonus spells per day, which can be added to whichever spell level that the holocaust warrior desires from those she can currently cast. No more than one of these bonus spells may be added to the character's highest current spell level. If the holocaust warrior has two or more arcane spellcasting classes, they must choose which previous spellcasting class gains each bonus spell. Bonus spells cannot be added to a divine spellcasting class. Once a holocaust warrior has chosen how to apply a given bonus spell, it cannot be shifted.

Additional Spells Known: A holocaust warrior that was previously a Sorcerer or Bard gains additional spells known with each level attained in holocaust warrior. These additional spells known can be of any levels of spels that the holocaust warrior can currently cast, but no more than one can be added to the character current highest spell level. In addition, the character can never know more spells of a certain level than she does of a lower level (except cantrips).

Incinerator: A holocaust warrior uses her character level as their caster level for all spells with the Fire descriptor.

Improved Combat Casting (Ex): The holocaust warrior gains +4 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity provoked by casting a spell. Additionally, if they fail a Concentration check whilst casting a spell defensively, they can choose either to lose the spell or to cast it anyway, provoking an attack of opportunity.

Flaming Weapon (Su): The holocaust warrior can grant a weapon the Flaming quality (+1d6 fire damage on a hit) for 1 round per character level. The number of times per day they can use this power depends on their holocaust warrior level. At 5th level, this ability is upgraded to Flaming Burst Weapon, conferring the Flaming Burst trait (+1d6 Fire damage on a hit, +1d10 Fire damage on a critical hit) instead.

Armored Casting (Ex): The holocaust warrior reduces the arcane spell failure chance for casting spells in armor by 10%.

New Spell Level: At every third level, a holocaust warrior gains the ability to cast spells of one level higher than she was previously able to cast. Initially, she can cast 0 spells of this level, but bonus spells (from a high ability score or holocaust warrior bonus spells) can increase this number. She also initially knows 0 spells of this level (if a Sorcerer or Bard), so in order to cast any spells, she must allocate her additional spell known to that level.

Fire Resistance/Immunity (Ex): A holocaust warrior gains Fire Resistance 10 at the indicated level, which upgrades to Fire Immunity at the indicated level.

Burn (Su): Any weapon that a holocaust warrior wields gains the Flaming trait so long as she wields them - she can also still bestow the Flaming Burst trait on her weapon 3/day. Any creature struck by the holocaust warrior's burning weapon must also succeed on a Reflex save (DC 20 + the holocaust warrior's Constitution modifier) or catch fire, burning for 1d4 rounds or until they use a move action to douse the flames. Creatures hitting the holocaust warrior with natural weapons or unarmed attacks also take 1d6 Fire damage and must make the aformentioned Reflex save to avoid catching on fire.

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Bonus Spells/Day	Additional Spells Known
1	+0	+2	+0	+2	Incinerator, Improved Combat Casting	2	2
2	+1	+3	+0	+3	Flaming Weapon (1/day), Armored Casting	2	2
3	+2	+3	+1	+3	New Spell Level	3	1
4	+3	+4	+1	+4	Fire Resistance 10	2	2
5	+3	+4	+1	+4	Flaming Weapon (2/Day, Burst)	2	2
6	+4	+5	+2	+5	New Spell Level	3	1
7	+5	+5	+2	+5	Fire Immunity	2	2
8	+6	+6	+2	+6	Flaming Weapon (3/Day)	2	2
9	+6	+6	+3	+6	New Spell Level	3	1
10	+7	+7	+3	+7	Burn	2	2

World Axis Version

Masters of telekinetic power that can conjure flames with the power of their minds, githyanki pyroclasts revel in consuming their enemies with summoned fire. Sometimes referred to as holocaust warriors due to their penchant for burning their enemies to a crisp, pyroclasts turn their enemies’ minds against themselves, making it more difficult for those foes to avoid the pyroclasts’ deadly flames. Those that have faced githyanki pyroclasts claim that they can create hot, intense flames that sear holes in flesh in the blink of an eye. Githyanki pyroclasts believe that their minds are the true weapons that will purge the cosmos of their enemies, including the dwellers in the dark that once enslaved them. Few enemies survive the mind flames of githyanki pyroclasts once in their grip.

A githyanki pyroclast’s main tactic is to use fire of the mind on as many of its enemies as it can. When it has several enemies wrapped in flames, the pyroclast then uses psychic flames to further reduce the most injured enemy. A pyroclast also prefers to use searing ray early in the fight, ensuring that its enemies that are burned do not easily recover.