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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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There is a Legacy version here.

PFS StandardHerexen

When a cleric rebels against their deity and dies in the grip of blasphemous rage, the heresies they committed in life may fuel their transformation into an undead herexen. Herexens seek vengeance against the deity they once worshipped, defiling temples, slaying the faithful, and rallying lesser undead and death cultists to aid them in their unholy quests. Though a herexen's divine gifts have mostly been corrupted into the vileness of undeath, they stubbornly cling to remnants of their former power, still wielding magic and armaments favored by the deity they so greatly despise.

Groups of herexens that blasphemed against the same deity sometimes combine to form a mockery of a congregation, conducting blasphemous rites with something approaching euphoria. These congregations are often formed from a blasphemous cult whose members practiced their heresy together in life and died together, though some gather independent herexens of the same former faith.

Recall Knowledge - Undead (Religion): DC 18
Unspecific Lore: DC 16
Specific Lore: DC 13

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

HerexenCreature 2

Uncommon Medium Undead Unholy 
Source Monster Core pg. 195
Perception +6; darkvision
Languages Common, Necril
Skills Athletics +4, Deception +5, Religion +8, Stealth +4
Str +2, Dex +2, Con +1, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +3
Items defiled religious symbol of Pharasma, dagger
AC 15; Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +8
HP 30 (void healing (page 360)); Immunities bleed, death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
Final Blasphemy (divine, void) When the herexen is destroyed, it explodes in a wave of void energy with the effects of a 3-action harm spell (DC 16). The herexen is destroyed, so it doesn't gain any Hit Points from this use of harm, and it doesn't need to have any harm spells remaining to use this ability.
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] dagger +8 [+4/+0] (agile, versatile S), Damage 1d6+4 piercing plus heretic's smiteDivine Prepared Spells DC 16; 1st harm (×4)
Cleric Domain Spells 1 Focus Point, DC 16; 1st death's call
Heretic's Smite (divine, unholy) While wielding the favored weapon of its former deity (such as a dagger for an ex-Pharasmin herexen), the herexen's Strikes deal an additional 1d6 spirit damage to creatures with the holy trait.

Sidebar - Locations Herexen Lairs

Most herexens settle down in a particular town or region to corrupt the local populace. Powerful herexens may boldly lair in a defiled temple, creating a vile parody of the building's former glory. However, most herexens hide in decrepit places such as ruins, forgotten basements, or tombs.

All Monsters in "Herexen"

NameLevel
Faithless Ecclesiarch6
Fallen Champion8
Herexen2

Herexen

Source Monster Core pg. 195
When a cleric rebels against their deity and dies in the grip of blasphemous rage, the heresies they committed in life may fuel their transformation into an undead herexen. Herexens seek vengeance against the deity they once worshipped, defiling temples, slaying the faithful, and rallying lesser undead and death cultists to aid them in their unholy quests. Though a herexen's divine gifts have mostly been corrupted into the vileness of undeath, they stubbornly cling to remnants of their former power, still wielding magic and armaments favored by the deity they so greatly despise.

Groups of herexens that blasphemed against the same deity sometimes combine to form a mockery of a congregation, conducting blasphemous rites with something approaching euphoria. These congregations are often formed from a blasphemous cult whose members practiced their heresy together in life and died together, though some gather independent herexens of the same former faith.

Building Herexens

The herexen presented in the stat block below was originally a cleric of Pharasma, but there are as many kinds of herexens as there are deities. To create a herexen of a different deity, do the following.
  • Swap out the herexen's weapon for the deity's favored weapon. If the weapon is simple, increase the damage die by one step; if it's two-handed, decrease the herexen's attack bonus with that weapon by 2.
  • Swap out the herexen's domain spell for a 1st-rank focus spell from a domain associated with that deity.
  • Swap the defiled religious symbol for the correct deity. For example, an ex-Sarenite herexen carries a scimitar and a defiled religious symbol of Sarenrae, and can cast fire ray (attack +12) as a focus spell.

Greater Herexens

More powerful clerics, or herexens that have existed over long spans of time, might become a more powerful 8th-level variant known as a greater herexen. In addition to the typical increases to its statistics, it casts harm as a 4th-rank spell, gains a second Focus Point and a 4th-rank domain spell, and deals 2d6 spirit damage with heretic's smite instead of 1d6.