Demonskin adept

Demonskin adepts are sorcerers who, for their spells and other abilities, rip away the power of the Abyss, stealing it from the skins of the demons to whom it belongs. This gives them access to powerful abilities but comes at a cost, for such power is indelibly tainted with the evil of the plane from which it comes, corrupting the heart of those who wield it. More to the point, the demons from whom the power is stolen rarely take kindly to the sorcerer's possession of it.

Culture
Arcane magic, in of itself, has no moral value, one way or the other, the ethics of its use more properly pertaining to its use rather than its source. However, some would maintain that the path of a demonskin adept is an exception to this rule, for unlike most sorcerers or wizards, demonskin adepts draw their power from the depths of the Abyss, a plane filled with the very essence of evil. To do this, demonskin adepts ritually treat the skins of demons, binding them to their clothes and armor and opening a direct link between themselves and the fiendish forces of the Abyss. This give demonskin adepts a ready avenue to power, but it also means their soul is exposed to the heart of the Abyss itself, a bond which some believe can lead only to corruption.

Besides the potential for moral corruption, there are other dangers and hidden risks that inevitably face a demonskin adept. Unlike warlocks, who acquire their fiendish power through pacts, demonskin adepts do no such thing, instead stealing the very power they wield from those who consider themselves the rightful wielders. As a result, any demonskin adept faces the unavoidable wrath of powerful forces from beyond the Prime, forces that may, in the end, get the best of the demonskin adept, killing them or worse.

Abilities
Demonskin adepts acquire a wealth of abilities from their unholy source of power, which can serve them in a multitude of ways, though such abilities often come with a cost. For instance, from early on in their training, demonskin adepts learn to channel the power of the Abyss into a powerful rage, which enables them and their allies, increasing the effectiveness of their attacks. However, it does so at the cost of enabling the adept's enemies as well, so they now become more successful in their attacks against the sorcerer. Similarly, when a demonskin adept deals a particularly lethal blow towards their enemy, both they and the enemy are temporarily blinded as a result. However, not all abilities of the demonskin adept swing both ways, and sorcerers who choose the path are able to change their elemental resistance on an infrequent basis, as they choose.

Demonskin adept spells are less dual-sided as well and work only to serve their caster. Demonic wrath is an early-learned spell that allows a demonskin adept to channel their pain into arcane power. Another of the spells adepts learn is sword of the marilith, which allows the sorcerer to summon a field of swords.