Favored Soul is a base class that was introduced in Mask of the Betrayer.
Description[]
The favored soul follows the path of the cleric but is able to channel divine power with surprising ease. She is able to perform the same tasks as her fellow divine spellcasters but with virtually no study. Favored souls cast their spells naturally, as much through force of personality as through study. Though this gives them extraordinary divine abilities no normal person could ever match, they see their gift as a call to action, and so in some ways may lag behind their more studious colleagues.
Favored souls cast divine spells by means of an innate connection rather than through laborious training and prayer, so their divine connection is natural rather than learned. Mortals who perform great services to deities, devoting their lives and work to the cause of their god or goddess, sometimes become the Chosen of that deity.
Being born a favored soul has both advantages and disadvantages. Like a cleric, a favored soul has access to her god's divine magic. Unlike a cleric, however, the magic of a favored soul is natural. As such, it is unlikely to be denied by her god. Because favored souls do not need to pray for their spells, deities don't need to approve or disapprove each and every incantation. This and the many divine powers of a favored soul make members of the class quite powerful. Despite these powers, favored souls are often hindered by a sense of inescapable destiny that surrounds their births. They didn't choose their paths and may not want anything to do with their religion. In this way, the powers of a favored soul can be a burden rather than a blessing.
Class Features[]
Hit die : d8 | |
Base Attack Bonus progression : | Medium |
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Saving Throws : | ||
High = | Fortitude, Reflex & Will | |
low = | NONE |
Proficiencies : | ||
Weapons: | Simple & Deity's Favored Weapon. | |
Armor: | Light, Medium & Shields. (except tower shields) |
Skill Points : ( 2 + Int modifier ) ×4 at 1st Character level. |
Class Skills : Concentration, Craft (alchemy, armor, weapon), Diplomacy, Heal, Lore, Parry and Spellcraft. |
Spellcasting: Divine (Charisma-based, no need for spell preparation). Must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell's level to cast a spell.
Special: Wisdom-based for spell DC only. Caster's Wisdom ability score, not Charisma is utilized in determining the DC of attack-based spells.
Additional Progressions[]
Level | Features Gained |
---|---|
1 | Deity's Weapon Proficiency |
2 | |
3 | Weapon Focus - Deity's favored weapon |
4 | |
5 | Energy Resistance 10/- |
6 | |
7 | |
8 | |
9 | |
10 | Extra Energy Resistance |
11 | |
12 | Weapon Specialization - Deity's favored weapon |
13 | |
14 | |
15 | Extra Energy Resistance |
16 | |
17 | Haste |
18 | |
19 | |
20 | Damage Reduction 10/alchemical silver or 10/cold iron |
21 | |
22 | |
23 | Bonus Feat |
24 | |
25 | |
26 | Bonus Feat |
27 | |
28 | |
29 | Bonus Feat |
30 |
Deity's Weapon Proficiency[]
At level 1, Favored souls gain a weapon proficiency feat that allows them to use their deity’s favored weapon. For example, favored souls of Kelemvor will gain the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat, enabling them to use a bastard sword. If the deity's favored weapon is an unarmed strike, the favored soul receives Improved Unarmed Strike instead.
- seems to be bugged; souls of Tyr cannot equip any martial weapons, including longsword. at level 3 with the weapon focus longsword can be equipped, but if you want to dual wield with a shortsword you need to waste a feat on martial weapons*
- The bug is that if the "Back" button is used at any time during character creation, a FS will not get their first weapon proficiency feat. If you make a mistake creating the character, choose cancel instead and start over.
Weapon Focus - Deity's favored weapon[]
At level 3, a Favored Soul automatically gains the Weapon Focus feat for their deity’s favored weapon.
Energy Resistance[]
At 5th level, a favored soul chooses an energy type and gains resistance (10/-) against that type. At 10th level and 15th level, the character gains resistance (10/-) against another energy type of her choosing. These effects don't stack; you simply choose a different energy type.
Note: If your build has high enough Spellcraft and possesses sufficient Prestige Class levels (at least 3) that boost the Favored Soul's Spellcasting level to 9th-level, this can enable a Favored Soul to instead select an Epic Spell in place of another type of Energy Resistance.
Weapon Specialization - Deity's favored weapon[]
At level 12, a Favored Soul automatically gains the Weapon Specialization for their deity’s favored weapon.
Note: If the Favored Soul changes deity then Weapon Specialization will be of the new deity e.g. a Favored Soul of Jergal becomes a Doomguide. Weapon Focus: Scythe will remain, but on their 12th level they will receive Weapon Specialization: Bastard Sword
Bug: Favored Soul will not get Weapon Specialization if deity's favored weapon is battle axe.
Haste[]
At 17th level, a Favored Soul can use the spell Haste three times per day.
Damage Reduction[]
At level 20, depending on alignment, the Favored Soul gains damage reduction 10/alchemical silver if lawful, or 10/cold iron if chaotic. A neutrally aligned Favored Soul can choose either type.
Note: In the current patch, 1.12, a Favored Soul can choose between the damage reductions regardless of alignment.
Note: If your build has high enough Spellcraft, the Favored Soul can instead select an Epic Spell in place of one of these two types of damage resistance.
Epic Levels[]
An Epic Favored Soul receives bonus feats at levels 23, 26, and 29.
Spellcasting[]
Key ability | Type | Prepared |
Charisma Wisdom |
divine | No |
A favored soul casts divine spells, which are drawn from the cleric spell list.
To learn or cast a spell, a favored soul must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. Also, Favored Souls use their Charisma ability modifier to determine bonus spells. However, the Difficulty Class (DC) for a saving throw against a favored soul's spell is 10 + the spell level + the favored soul's Wisdom modifier + other bonuses. For a more complete explanation, see the wiki page on DC's.
Initial selection[]
A favored soul begins play knowing four 0-level orisons and three 1st-level spells of your choice.
Leveling[]
At each new favored soul level, he gains one or more new spells. The number of spells known increase at each new favored soul level according to the favored soul spell progression. It is not affected by the character's charisma score. These new spells are drawn from the cleric/favored soul spell list.
Replacing[]
Starting at their 6th class level, and every two levels after, favored souls can replace one known spell with a new spell of the same level. The spell that can be replaced must be two spell levels below (or lower) what the favored soul can currently cast (1st level spell at 6, 1st or 2nd level spell at 8, 1st or 2nd or 3rd level spell at 10, and so forth).
Casting[]
A favored soul need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he’ll cast.
Favored souls can also use metamagic feats instantly when choosing spells to cast.
Spellcasting Prodigy[]
- Although it might seem that this feat would not work properly for Favored Souls, it actually does. For the purposes of determining bonus spells, the Favored Soul's Charisma is treated as being 2 points higher. For the purposes of determining DC, the Favored Soul's Wisdom is treated as being 2 points higher.
NWN comparison[]
- This class did not exist in NWN (but was included in the fan-made PRC pack).
DnD 3.5 comparison[]
- The pen-and-paper version of the Favored Soul grants them wings at level 17, which allows flight. As NWN2 does not support flight mechanics, wings are not given to favored souls.
- In PnP, weapon proficiency is granted only to the deity's favored weapon, not all of its type. In NWN2, the Favored Soul received proficiency to all weapons of the same type as his/her deity's favored weapon. This was presumably due to the way weapon proficiency is handled by NWN2.