Call of Duty

Preface The paladin class has captured the imagination of players since its introduction. The paladin is the most difficult class to play, not because of a lack of combat power, but because of its roleplaying restrictions. Many players would like to play one, but are afraid to try. However, a well-played paladin is worth the extra effort. Why is this? The other classes are fun to play because of what they can do. The paladin is fun to play because of how they do it. The call of duty sets paladins apart. However, it is also something else. In the real world, we could use a few wizards to make our lives easier or clerics to heal our sick. However, we need heroes more than anything, and paladins are the epitome of heroic fantasy. In those dreary times of real life that happen in between games, try to live your life a little more like a paladin. Focus on how you accomplish your goals a bit more, rather than the bottom line. Dont let fear run your life. And never make a deal with a dragon; smite the beast. Chapter One: Feats and Prestige Classes....... 2 New Feats ............................................................. 2 Prestige Classes ................................................... 5 The Paladin as a Prestige Class .................... 5 Archon ............................................................ 9 Chaos Knight ................................................ 13 Forge Avenger .............................................. 16 Golden Pride Hunter ..................................... 19 Merseus ........................................................ 22 Penitent Sniper ............................................. 25 Seelie Knight................................................. 28 Sensate......................................................... 32 Sword Saint .................................................. 35 Chapter 2: Roleplaying Paladins .................... 38 Answering the Call .............................................. 38 Paladins and Alignment ...................................... 40 The Code of Conduct .......................................... 40 The Fall from Grace ............................................ 45 Chapter 3: A Variety of Paladins ..................... 46 Multiclassing........................................................ 46 Paladin Orders .................................................... 50 Variant: Customizing Paladins ........................... 53 Chapter 4: New Magic....................................... 55 Spells................................................................... 55 Magic Items ......................................................... 59

James Gargoyle Garr james@chainmailbikini.com Game Designer

This book uses the d20 Standard Stat block from www.d20statblock.org. For help with this product see: www.chainmailbikini.com/files/cod-errata-faq.pdf

Credits
Designer: James Garr Additional Design by: Bryon Dahlgren Design and Copy Editor: Heather J. Garr Art Direction: Heather J. Garr Cover Art: Rob Katkowski Interior Art: Brian England David Zenz Internal Playtesting: Heather J. Garr, Andrew Greer, Monty J. Llama, Mark Mullaney, Brad Shea, a blind Celestial Half-Llama Half-Kobold Commoner 1/Ex-Bard 3/Paladin 6/Sword Saint 6/Martial Artist 4 named Fred External Playtesting: (Nobodys Friends): Bryon Dahlgren, Linda Dahlgren, T.J. Lofgren, Brian Smith, A Thousand Llamas in Tu-Tus

Call of Duty requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition Core Books, and the Psionics Handbook, published by Wizards of the Coast Dungeons & Dragons and Wizards of the Coast are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast and are used with permission. This product is published under both the Open Gaming License (OGL) and the D20 system license. More information about the D20 system license can be found at: http://www.wizards.com/D20/ More information about the OGL can be found at: http://www.opengamingfoundation.org A copy of the OGL can be found on the last page of this book. Open Content is material that is solely rules related, and can be redistributed as long as you follow the conditions of the Open Gaming License. Product Identity is material that is copyright 2002 by Chainmail Bikini Games, Ltd. and may not be duplicated without written permission. Terms derived from the d20 System Reference Document are all Open Content. All artwork in this book including the cover art is copyright 2002 by Chainmail Bikini Games, Ltd. and is not considered Open Content. This product is 100% Open Content with the exception of the interior and cover artwork. If you have questions about what is Open Content or any other questions about Call of Duty, please contact us at help@chainmailbikini.com. 'd20 System' and the 'd20 System' logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 3.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com. Call of Duty and Chainmail Bikini Games are trademarks of Chainmail Bikini Games, Ltd. All Your Base Are Belong To Us.

Chapter One: Feats and Prestige Classes

New Feats
All of these feats are designed with paladins in mind, but some are perfectly appropriate for other classes as well. There is no reason why a cleric could not take Bolster Spell, or why an honorable rogue would not take Salute of Honor. Feats listed as Fighter feats may be taken by fighters as bonus feats. You may only take Paladin feats if you have certain paladin class abilities, such as lay on hands. These feats are supernatural and can be powerful, but if you lose your paladinhood, they become useless. Divine feats are supernatural feats that allow those with the ability to turn undead to channel positive energy for other purposes.. Your aura of courage glows like daylight. Prerequisites: Paladins aura of courage ability, Wis 13+, Cha 15+ Benefits: As a move equivalent action, on your turn you may cause your aura of courage to glow like curtains of bright daylight. This illuminates an area up to a 30ft. radius from you. Creatures who suffer penalties from bright light suffer from this effect. Undead creatures within the light suffer a 2 penalty to attack rolls. Magical darkness can suppress this effect, and you can dismiss it as a free action.

Bolster Lay on Hands [Divine, Paladin]

By channeling positive energy into your lay on hands ability, you may heal more damage per day. Prerequisites: Paladins lay on hands ability, ability to turn undead, Wis 13+, Cha 13+ Benefits: While using lay on hands, you may give up one of your chances to turn undead in order to heal an additional amount of damage up to your Wisdom bonus. This ability does not require an action, other than the action required to lay on hands.

Aura of Healing [Paladin]

Your aura of courage accelerates healing. Prerequisites: Paladins aura of courage ability, Wis 13+, Cha 15+ Benefits: Any use of cure spells cast on you or your allies within your aura of courage heals an additional +2 damage. Cure spells may only be affected by one aura of healing at a time.

Aura of Protection [Paladin]

Your aura of courage protects you and your allies. Prerequisites: Paladins aura of courage ability, Wis 13+, Cha 15+ Benefits: You and all allies within your aura of courage gain a +1 sacred bonus to all saving throws.

Bolster Smite Evil [Divine, Paladin]

By channeling more positive energy into your smite, you cause more damage. Prerequisites: Paladins ability to smite evil, ability to turn undead, Cha 13+ Benefits: By giving up a chance to turn undead before making the attack roll, when using smite evil you may add an additional +1d6 holy (good) damage. If your opponent is undead, add an additional +2d6 holy (good) damage instead. This ability does not require an action, other than your attack.

Aura of Strength [Paladin]

Your aura of courage grants power. Prerequisites: Paladins aura of courage ability, Wis 13+, Cha 15+ Benefits: You and all allies within your aura of courage gain a +2 sacred bonus to the roll whenever performing one of the following tasks: making a Strength ability score check, using a Strength based skill, or making a grapple check.

Bolster Spell [Divine, Metamagic]

By channeling positive energy into your divine spells, you may make them more powerful.

Aura of the Sun [Paladin]

2

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats Prerequisites: Divine spellcaster 3rd level, ability to turn or rebuke undead Benefits: By giving up one of your chances to turn or rebuke undead for the day, you may cast one of your divine spells at +2 caster level. This ability does not require an action, other than that required to cast the spell. Even though this is a metamagic feat, spellcasters who prepare their spells must choose to use it at the time of casting. It does not increase the casting time of the spell. Benefits: Once per day, before rolling, you may choose to add your paladin level as a luck bonus to a saving throw or attack roll. For example, Keda, a fighter 2/paladin 9 with the Heroic Effort feat really needs to make an attack roll in order to smite a dangerous foe. She adds a +9 luck bonus to her attack roll.

Inspire Mount [Fighter, General]

With a whisper or nudge, you can urge your mount to great speed. Prerequisites: Mounted Combat, Handle Animal skill 5 ranks, Ride skill 5 ranks Benefits: As a move equivalent action, you may attempt to use the Handle Animal skill at DC 15 to inspire your mount. Inspired mounts add +10 ft to their speed, and when charging on an inspired mount, you gain a +6 bonus to melee attack rolls that replaces, and does not stack with, the normal +2 bonus for charging. Your mount is inspired until the end of the encounter.

Combat Healing [Paladin]

You are good at healing while in close combat. Prerequisites: Paladins lay on hands ability, Cha 13+ Benefits: You no longer provoke an attack of opportunity when using lay on hands.

Craft Divine Arms [Item Creation, Paladin]

You can enhance weapons with divine power. Prerequisites: Ability to cast bless weapon Benefits: You may craft righteous*, holy, or holy burst* weapons, or holy avengers without meeting any of the listed prerequisites except for caster level. Your caster level for this feat is equal to your paladin class level. Crafting such weapons costs the normal amount of gold and experience points, and is done as if you had the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat. As always, special ability enhancements can only be added to weapons with a +1 enhancement bonus or higher, but you cannot use this feat to craft a weapon without one of these special abilities. For example, a 12th level paladin could create a holy longsword +4, but not a longsword +4 or a flaming longsword +1. A 7th level paladin would be able to create a holy longsword +1 or +2. (the holy special ability requires a 7th level caster, while 6th level is needed for a +2 weapon) Special: If you are using the prestige paladin class (see page 5), your caster level for this feat is equal to double your paladin level, (maximum 20), and you must be at least a 3rd level prestige paladin to take this feat. *New weapon special abilities, see Chapter 4.

Knowing Gaze [General]

You can sense evil in a heartbeat. Prerequisites: You must be able to detect evil, or use some other detect spell, as a spell-like ability Benefits: You can use your ability to detect evil as a move equivalent action, without provoking an attack of opportunity. You may only use detect evil once per round. Only the presence or absence of evil (the first round use of detect evil) may be detected. Special: This feat can be taken to use other 0 or 1st level spell-like detect abilities instead of detect evil as a move equivalent action, including: detect animals or plants, detect chaos, detect good, detect law, detect magic, detect poison, detect secret doors, detect snares and pits, or detect undead. You cannot discern information that normally takes more than one round to detect with this feat. This feat does not affect the casting time of any spell, only the use of the above spell-like abilities permanently gained through a class ability, racial ability, or feat. You can gain this feat more than once. Each time you take this feat it applies to a different spelllike ability from the above list.

Heroic Effort [Paladin]

You triumph when needed the most. Prerequisites: Paladins divine grace ability, Cha 13+

Lend Life [Paladin]

You can sacrifice your own health to heal others. Prerequisites: Paladins lay on hands ability, Cha 13+ 3

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats Benefits: If you have used up your lay on hands ability for the day, you may continue to use the ability by taking temporary Constitution damage. For every two points of Constitution damage you choose to take, you may heal an amount of hit points equal to your Charisma bonus. You cannot avoid taking Constitution damage from this feat by any means, but it heals normally. Your Constitution score cannot be reduced by this feat to less than 3. Once your Constitution score is at 3 or less, you can no longer use this feat. Prerequisites: Cha 13+, must be lawful Benefits: If you use a move equivalent action to salute your opponents before attacking, they receive a 1 morale penalty to attack and damage rolls against you. This feat may only be used once per combat on a particular opponent or group of opponents and only before attacking them. The salute itself is a respectful gesture, usually a raised open hand, combined with a battle cry in a strong voice. The opponents must have an Intelligence of 3+ and must be able to hear or see you for the Salute of Honor to have any effect, but need not understand the language spoken.

Martyr [Paladin]
You meet death willingly and go down fighting. Prerequisites: Paladins smite evil ability Benefits: Whenever an enemy brings you to 1 hit points or less in melee, it provokes an attack of opportunity from you. You strike immediately before your condition changes to dying, and may use your smite evil ability with this attack, if appropriate, even if you have already expended all uses of that ability for the day.

Smite Favored Enemy [Paladin]

You hunt a particular type of evil creature. Prerequisites: Paladins smite evil ability, rangers favored enemy ability Benefits: You may use smite evil one additional time per day, as long as that use is against one of your favored enemies. Furthermore, whenever you use your smite evil ability against a favored enemy, count your ranger levels as paladin levels when determining the amount of smite damage. For example, Julius is a ranger 5/paladin 9 with demons as his first choice for favored enemy. When he uses smite evil against a demon, he does 14 additional points of damage with smite evil (5 levels of ranger + 9 levels of paladin), plus the normal +2 points of damage for the favored enemy ability for a total of +16 points of damage.

Masters Mark [Fighter, General]

You fight more skillfully with weapons you have forged and enhanced. Prerequisites: Craft (bowmaking) or Craft (weaponsmithing) Benefits: Whenever you wield a masterwork or magical weapon that you created with a Craft skill, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to attack rolls with that weapon. If you have magically enhanced that weapon with an Item Creation feat such as Craft Magic Arms and Armor or Craft Divine Arms*, then you also gain a +1 circumstance bonus to damage with that weapon. For ranged weapons, this damage bonus is only gained against targets within 30ft. *New feat in this book

Stunning Smite [Paladin]

Your divine power stuns evil foes. Prerequisites: Paladins smite evil ability, Cha 13+ Benefits: Whenever you cause extra damage with your smite evil ability, your opponent must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC equal to 10 + your paladin class level) or is stunned for one round. Special: Multiclassed paladin/monks also add their monk level to the save DC.

Natural Leader [General]

You were born to command. Prerequisites: Must be taken at 1st level, Cha 15+ Benefits: You may purchase the Leadership feat at 3rd level. Your cohorts and followers obtained through the Leadership feat within 10ft. gain a +2 morale bonus to their saving throws, and you gain a +2 bonus to all Diplomacy skill checks.

True Smite [Paladin]

Your attacks against evil rarely fail. Prerequisites: Paladins detect evil and smite evil abilities Benefits: If you use your detect evil ability to confirm that an enemy is evil, on the following round the lingering visible aura gives you a +10 insight bonus to your attack roll against that opponent when using smite evil.

Salute of Honor [Fighter, General]

Your sense of fair play unsettles your enemies. 4

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats

Prestige Classes
Most of the following prestige classes are designed for paladins. Two of these classes are exceptions. The prestige paladin is a variant class designed to replace the core paladin class presented in the Players Handbook. The chaos knight is presented as a paladin-like class that can make an interesting villain, rival, or ally to a paladin. Remember that no matter what other classes, prestige or otherwise, that a paladin obtains, their primary class will always be paladin. For a paladin, that is prestigious enough.

The Paladin as a Prestige Class

Protecting the innocent is my sacred privilege, not a burden. This variant prestige class replaces the core paladin class in the Players Handbook. If you allow players to take this class, then you should not allow the core paladin class in your campaign. Prestige paladins of 1st level differ from 1st level core paladins in that they have proven they are effective at fighting evil before they are called. Otherwise, their outlook and role in the campaign is the same. They have the same Code of Conduct and restrictions on associates, and exist to defend the innocent and to thwart evil. Like most prestige classes, prestige paladins may multiclass freely. In the campaign world, prestige paladins are referred to simply as paladins. They are designated as prestige paladins here to avoid confusion with the core paladin class. Design Notes: Using this variant class has several side effects that you should be aware of. First, it may take a while for a campaign to reach a high enough level to take the class, meaning you may not have paladins in your group for a long time. In addition, the absence of the core paladin class means that certain other prestige classes may be more difficult to enter. However, using this variant can be very fun in the end. Players often have difficulty roleplaying paladins correctly, and this class forces them to earn the privilege of playing a paladin by roleplaying like one. Finally, using this variant gives paladins a prestigious reputation in your campaign world, since they are all at least midlevel characters of some power. Hit Dice: d10

Special: You may not take this prestige class on a whim. You must earn it by roleplaying like a paladin. To become a prestige paladin, you must first possess the Call of Duty feat (see boxed text) while advancing one full character level. This feat is no longer need upon becoming a paladin, and is discarded. The DM may require you to go on a special quest during this time, or to join an order of paladins as a squire or initiate member. For example, Daren is a lawful good 7th level fighter. The player wants Daren to become a prestige paladin and the DM agrees, so he takes the Call of Duty feat at no cost, and Daren is called. Daren lives according to the paladins Code for several months while traveling across the land and fighting evil. He also joins the Brothers of Kandar paladin order as an initiate member. Upon advancing to 9th character level, he has retained the Call of Duty feat over one full character level (8th level) and becomes a fighter 8/ paladin 1. Call of Duty [Special]
A deity, abstract force, or philosophy has called you to become a paladin, but you have not yet answered the call. Prerequisites: You must be lawful good Benefits: This feat is a prerequisite for the prestige paladin class, and has no other benefit. If the prestige paladin is not used in your campaign, then this feat cannot be taken. Special: Call of Duty does not cost a feat slot, but instead is taken for free whenever the player and DM agree that the character has received the call to become a prestige paladin. To keep this feat, you must follow the core paladins Code of Conduct and associate restrictions. If you willingly commit an act of evil, you lose this feat forever and can never be a paladin. If you grossly violate the Code of Conduct, then you lose this feat, but may receive it again with the help of an atonement spell. Before taking the prestige paladin class, you must retain this feat while advancing one full character level. After becoming a prestige paladin, this feat is no longer needed and is lost.

Requirements
Alignment: Lawful good Base attack bonus: +5 or higher

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats Lvl Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15 Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 Special Spells per day 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 4 0 1 1 1 1 1 2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Detect Evil, Divine Grace, Divine Health, Lay on Hands Aura of Courage, Smite Evil 1/day Remove Disease 1/day, Turn Undead Special Mount

Smite Evil 2/day

Smite Evil 3/day Constant Heart

Table 1-1, theTrue Paladin prestige class

Class Skills
The prestige paladins skills (and the key abilities for each) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Ride (Dex). Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The prestige paladin is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as all types of armor and shields. Code of Conduct and Associates: Prestige paladins have the same Code of Conduct and restrictions on their associates as core paladins. Detect Evil (Sp): You can detect evil at will. Divine Grace (Su): You may add your Charisma bonus, if any, to all your saving throws. Divine Health (Su): You are immune to all diseases, including magical diseases. Lay on Hands (Sp): You may heal a number of hit points up to your Charisma bonus times your paladin level, if any, per day. You can cure yourself or others, and do not have to use it all at once. Aura of Courage (Su): You are immune to fear, both magical and otherwise, and any allies

within 10ft. gain a +4 morale bonus to saving throws against fear effects. Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, you may attempt to smite evil with one standard melee attack (choose which one before attacking). You may add your Charisma bonus, if any, to your attack roll, and deal 1 extra point of damage per paladin level when striking an evil creature (maximum +15). If you attempt to smite a non-evil creature, the attack roll and damage bonuses are negated and this ability is still used up for the day. At 8th level you gain the ability to smite evil twice per day, and at 14th level you may smite evil 3 times per day. Remove Disease (Sp): Beginning at 3rd level, you can remove disease once per day. Turn Undead (Su): You may turn the undead a number of times equal to 3 plus your Charisma modifier. You turn undead as a cleric two levels lower than your prestige paladin level. You may take the Extra Turning feat by spending one of your feat slots. Spells: You can cast a small number of divine spells. Prestige paladins use the paladin spell list (see the Players Handbook, Chapter 11:Spells), and prepare and cast spells in the same manner as a cleric. You must have a Wisdom of 10 plus the spell level to be able to cast a spell, and therefore cannot cast any spells if your Wisdom is less than 11. You may choose any spell on your spell list to cast but cannot spontaneously cast as a cleric can. Your caster level equals your paladin level, up to a maximum of 10th level. 7

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats Special Mount (Su): Upon reaching 4th level or higher, you can call a special mount. This ability is the same as the core paladins ability (see the Players Handbook, Chapter 3: Classes, Paladin). Instead of calling a special mount, you may instead choose to be able to use your smite evil ability an additional time per day. You can change your mind later and give up the second use of smite evil to call your special mount when you need it. Constant Heart (Su): Your dedication to the Code is faultless and the divine truly favor you. Once per day, whenever you fail a saving throw, you may reroll the result. Ex-Paladins: Prestige paladins who are no longer lawful good, who willfully commit an evil act, or who grossly violate the code of conduct suffer the same fate as ex-paladins. They lose all special abilities and spells, and may no longer progress as paladins. They may atone for their actions with the atonement spell as appropriate. Prestige paladins who become ex-paladins are treated the same as core ex-paladins for taking classes such as the blackguard. Ex-blackguards who become paladins do not gain any special powers. The powers of law and good are most reluctant to recruit such characters, as it is easy to fall from grace, yet difficult to redeem oneself. Honor*, Spirited Charge, Weapon Focus (heavy lance). * New feat, see next section. Paladin Spells Prepared (2/2): 1-bless weapon, divine favor; 2-remove paralysis, shield other SATurn Undead (Su): Lord Lairden turns undead as a 6th level cleric up to 6 times per day. SASmite Evil (Su): Once per day, Lord Lairden may add +3 to an attack roll against an evil opponent and add +6 to the damage. SQDetect Evil (Sp): Lord Lairden may detect evil at will. He may use the first round of detect evil as with a move equivalent action due to his Knowing Gaze feat (new feat, see next section). SQLay on Hands (Sp): Lord Lairden may heal up to 18 points of damage per day, divided up among any number of creatures. SQAura of Courage (Su): Allies within 10ft. of Lord Lairden gain +4 morale bonus against fear effects; Lord Lairden is immune to fear. Equipment: +1 holy bastard sword, +1 heavy lance, mw composite longbow (mighty +3), 20 arrows, mw dagger, +1 full plate armor of comfort with a divine mark(+0) **, +2 ring of protection, +2 large steel shield. **New armor special abilities, see Chapter 4. Heracles, male heavy warhorse: Large Magical Beast (warhorse);HD 6d8+18; hp 45; Init +1;Spd 50ft; AC 23 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +8 natural, +5 chain barding); Melee +6 hooves (x2) (1d6+4, 1d6+4), +1 bite (1d4+2); SQ Scent, Improved Evasion, Share Spells, Empathic Link, Share Saving Throws; Saves Fort +13, Ref +7, WIll +10; Str 19, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 6. Skills: Listen +7, Spot +7. Equipment: Military saddle, mw chain barding, saddlebags, bit and bridle. History: Lairden was born a noble and raised to become a knight of the realm. Appearance. Lord Lairden is the archetypical heroic knight and might be considered the iconic prestige paladin. He is famous for his long mustaches and highly polished gear. Personality: Lord Lairden is extremely polite and cultured. He is generous to the poor, respectful of authority, surprisingly tolerant of the beliefs of others, yet unmerciful to evil. He roams the land protecting the innocent from evil while upholding the virtues of honor, chivalry, and compassionate justice.

Sample NPC
Stand your ground. We can defeat them. Lord Lairden, male human Ftr5/Prestige Paladin 6: CR 11; Medium-sized Humanoid (human); HD 11d10+11; hp 71; Init +1; Spd 20ft; AC 26 (+1 Dex, +9 full plate, +2 ring of protection, +4 large shield); Melee +1 holy bastard sword +15/+10/+5 (1d10+4/crit 19-20), +1 heavy lance +16/+11/+6 (1d8+4/crit x3); Ranged mw composite longbow (mighty +3) +13/+8/+3 (1d8+3/crit x3);SA smite evil 1/day, turn undead; SQ detect evil, lay on hands, aura of courage, remove disease 1/day; AL LG; SV Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +10; Str 16, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Climb +7(4), Concentration +7(4), Handle Animal +7(4), Knowledge (religion) +2, Ride +15(14); Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Knowing Gaze*, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Ride-by Attack, Salute of

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats

Archon
Everyone is guilty of something. Even I will face judgment eventually. The archon (AR kon) is a traveling judge and executioner of justice. Archons are called, much like a paladin, by a lawful neutral deity or by the philosophy of justice itself to bring order to the borderlands of wilderness and civilized areas. They also sometimes frequent cities with high crime rates, but rarely stay in the same place for long. Governments usually welcome archons as additional enforcers of the law, but sometimes regard them as vigilantes. Archons regard laws that promote chaotic behavior as illegitimate, and ignore them. Therefore, they ignore any laws prohibiting their own vigilante activities, or any law that unduly restricts their behavior. They follow the laws of mortals, but only when such laws do not conflict with the higher laws set by those forces who called them into service. Regardless of any support or endorsement given to them by the local government, most people are uncomfortable around archons, particularly those with an active aura of truth. Archons tend to be suspicious and disapproving of everyone, and are generally not very pleasant. Good and evil are concepts that may or may not be important to the archon. Paladins who become Lvl Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 Special archons tend to have a lawful neutral tilt (see Chapter 2), but are still good. They believe laws are needed to promote benevolent behavior. Lawful evil archons tend to believe that law and order are needed to give power to those who deserve it, and may include blackguards in their ranks (again, with a lawful neutral tilt). Most archons are lawful neutral, however, and try to be as impartial as possible. Archons can be of any race, but humans and dwarves are the most common. Rangers most commonly take the class, but fighters, paladins, and monks sometimes do so as well. A particularly lawful cleric sometimes takes the class, and can be a frightening enforcer of the law. Hit Dice: d10

Requirements
Alignment: Any lawful Base attack bonus: +6 Feats: Iron Will, Track Special: You must swear to follow a Code of Conduct that is similar to that of paladins, but more focused on lawful behavior.

Class Skills
The class skills of the archon (and key abilities for each) are Climb (Str), Concentration Spells per day 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 4 -

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Detect Chaos, Clean Kill Judge, Smite Chaos Aura of Truth Quick Kill Verdict Jury Effortless Kill Executioner, True Seeing

0 1 1 1 1 2

0 1 1 1

Table 1-2, the Archon

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (laws of the land) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Wilderness Lore (Wis). Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier Clean Kill (Su): Whenever you perform a coup de grace, you may also add your archon class level to the damage. Judge (Su): A number of times per day equal to half your archon class level rounded down, when attacking a creature in melee you may choose to judge that creature by stating the crime they have committed. This ability is a free action. For example, before rolling a melee attack at a rogue caught picking a pocket, Baron Fornst, a ranger 6/archon 6, declares You are guilty of theft. Judging a creature inflicts a judge mark, a scar caused by the damage of your attack, if you successfully strike your opponent. You still use up one of your chances to judge when you miss. The mark glows softly and remains until you choose to dismiss it, or if removed by a wish or miracle. You may only mark one creature at a time, and no creature may bear more than one mark from you, so the mark disappears if you judge another. The judge mark gives you certain bonuses against the creature. When tracking a judge marked creature, you gain a competence bonus equal to your archon class level. At any distance from the mark, you may use the Intuit Direction skill to determine the direction of the marked creature. You automatically know if they have left the plane of existence you are on, but not where they went. If you have the aura of truth ability, a marked creature has a penalty to their saving throw equal to your archon class level. Finally, you gain a circumstance bonus equal to your archon class level to melee attack rolls against the marked creature. Smite Chaos (Su): You gain the ability to smite chaos. Once per day, you can smite chaotic opponents with one melee attack. When smiting chaos, you add your Charisma bonus, if any, to your attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per archon class level. If you attempt to use your smite ability against an opponent who is not actually chaotic, it has no effect and is wasted for the day. Aura of Truth (Su): A zone of truth spell surrounds you with a 10ft radius at all times. Your caster level is equal to 10 plus your archon class level. Creatures subjected to this aura get a saving throw when first entering the area of effect, and every minute afterwards. You can suppress or reactivate this aura as a free action at the beginning of your turn. Quick Kill (Ex): You may perform a coup de grace as a standard action, instead of a full round action.

Class Features
Weapon and armor proficiency: Archons are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all types of armor and shields. Code of Conduct: Archons must be lawful. They must swear to uphold their personal honor and the edicts of legitimate authority. Examples of dishonorable behavior include: lying, cheating, the use of disguises or other extreme trickery, disloyalty, or disobeying the letter or spirit of the laws set by legitimate authority. Archons have no reservations about striking a helpless opponent or using ambushes or sneak attacks, ranged weapons, or poison (when allowed by laws of the land). Almost any tactic is fair, as long as it does not rely primarily on deception. For an archon, legitimate authority is defined as those who are most capable of bringing order to the land. Often, an order of archons will add several tenets to this code (see tenets in Chapter 2. Archons might be proponents of the concepts of chivalry (see boxed text on page 44). Associates: You may not associate with chaotic creatures or known criminals, and you may not have hirelings of a chaotic alignment. Spells: Beginning at 1st level, the archon gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, you must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spells level, so an archon with a Wisdom of less than 11 cannot cast spells. When you get 0 spells of a given level, you receive only bonus spells, if applicable. You prepare and cast spells as a cleric, but use the following spell list. You have access to every spell on the list. 1st level: command, divine favor, mending, protection from chaos, remove fear, vigilant sleep* 2nd level: calm emotions, dispel fear*, hold person, make whole, silence 3rd level: discern lies, dispel magic, magic circle against chaos, shadow bane*, speak with dead 4th level: death ward, dispel chaos, greater command, status *New spell in this book, see Chapter 4. Detect Chaos (Sp): You may detect chaos at will.

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats Verdict (Sp): Once per week, you may attempt to place a judge mark on a distant creature that you know of. The range of this ability is unlimited, except that the target creature must be on the same plane of existence. You need only know the creatures name, history, appearance, and an alleged criminal act well enough to distinguish them from anyone else. For instance, I proclaim Jarek the Unclean, a halfelven blacksmith of the Omral village, guilty of murdering his elven brother. The target creature described is judge marked as if you used your Judge ability, unless it makes a Will save at DC 15. Whether or not they are guilty of the crime is irrelevant. Instead of a scarring wound, this judge mark causes the creatures body to glow softly. Using this ability takes 10 minutes of contemplation, ending with your stated verdict. Jury (Sp): Once per week, beginning at 8th level you may use lesser planar ally to summon two faceless jurors. Your caster level is equal to your archon class level. These outsiders are named Mercy and Vengeance, and require no payment for their services. They are both lawful neutral, however Mercy leans toward lawful good, while Vengeance leans toward lawful evil. They appear as cloaked (one black, the other white), armored figures wielding greatswords. When passing judgment, they draw back their hoods to reveal smooth, featureless, vaguely human faces. They never speak, but instead use telepathy within 60ft. Faceless jurors follow the archons nonchaotic orders to the letter. They can be used to help in combat, to assist in tracking criminals, or as a jury if the archon needs help making a decision. Faceless Jurors, Ftr6: CR 7; (Medium-size Outsider); HD 6d10+12; hp 45; Init +0; Spd 20 ft, 60ft fly (good); AC 22 (+8 half-plate, +4 natural armor); Melee +1 greatsword +10 (2d6+6/crit 1920,x2); SQ faceless juror traits; AL LN; SV Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +8; Str 14, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Knowledge (law) +10, Wilderness Lore +10; Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Track, Weapon Focus (greatsword), Weapon Specialization (greatsword), Iron Will. SASmite Chaos (Su): Once per day, the faceless jurors can make a normal attack to deal an additional +6 damage against a chaotic foe. SQFaceless Juror Traits (Ex): Acid, Cold and Electricity resistance 10, Damage Reduction 5/+1, Spell resistance 12, natural armor +4, flight 60ft (good), Telepathy. Equipment: greatsword +1, half-plate +1 Effortless Kill (Su): You may perform a coup de grace as a move equivalent action. Executioner (Su): Whenever you score a critical hit in melee against a non-lawful creature, your opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or die. The DC increases to 18 for chaotic creatures, or 20 for those bearing your judgment mark (see Judge ability). True Sight (Su): You have permanent true seeing, as the divine version of the spell, and can see the aura (alignment) of creatures at a glance. Ex-Archon: If your alignment becomes nonlawful, or you willingly commit an act of extreme chaos, you become an ex-archon. Ex-archons lose all supernatural and spell-like abilities of the class. They may regain their abilities by returning to a lawful alignment or seeking atonement from a lawful cleric. An archon who slays a judge marked creature (see Judge ability) while knowing that the accused is innocent of the stated crime becomes an exarchon forever.

Sample NPC
Trial? Youll get one in the afterlife. Pale, male human Rgr 6/Archon 4: CR 10; Medium-sized Humanoid (human); HD 10d10+10; hp 65; Init +0; Spd 20ft; AC 22 (+10 full plate, +2 ring); Melee +1 lawful greatsword +16/+11 (2d6+5/crit 17-20); Ranged crossbow, hvy +10 (1d10/crit 19-20); AL LE; SV Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +7; Str 18, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +9(7), Hide +9, Intuit Direction +9, Intimidate +5(3), Knowledge (laws of the land) +5(4), Listen +9, Move Silently +9, Spot +13, Wilderness Lore +13; Expertise, Improved Critical (greatsword), Iron Will, Power Attack, Track, Weapon Focus (greatsword). Ranger Spells Prepared (1): 1 entangle Archon Spells Prepared (1/1): 1 command, 2 hold person SASmite Chaos (Su): Once per day, Pale can add +2 to an attack roll against a chaotic creature, and if he hits, cause an additional +4 damage. SAClean Kill (Ex): Pale causes an additional +4 damage when performing a coup de grace. SAJudge (Su): When attacking in melee, Pale can put his judge mark on a creature twice per day. The mark allows him to gain a +2 circumstance bonus on future attack rolls against that creature, as well as bonuses to track the creature. SAQuick Kill (Ex): Pale can perform a coup de grace as a standard action, instead of a full round action. SQFavored Enemy (Ex): Pale gains a +2 bonus to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot and 11

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats Using Pale: You should use Pale as an Wilderness Lore checks against humans, and a +2 enforcer of the law in a lawful neutral kingdom bonus to damage against humans. besieged by chaotic threats such as barbarian SQAura of Truth (Su): When he activates it, hordes or monster ridden wastelands. this aura acts as a zone of truth spell with a DC of Pale can present difficult moral and ethical 14 and a radius of 10ft. dilemmas for paladins. He is certainly evil, but Equipment: +1 lawful greatsword, +2 full never breaks the laws of the land. The lawful plate, +2 ring of protection, potion of cure neutral kingdom he protects fears and respects moderate wounds x2 him. Many say that he does more good than harm History: Pale is the name given to this by defeating numerous chaotic evil invaders. creature years ago, because he spends all his time Paladins who oppose Pale directly may break their encased in armor and an executioners hood. He Code by ignoring legitimate is technically still human, but authority, that is, the lawful neutral something happened to him at Law vs. Chaos king who has given Pale his right an early age that caused him to to enforce the law. It would dedicate his life to hunting For a twist, your campaign can feature a struggle between law and chaos instead certainly pit the commoners who alleged criminals. of good vs. evil. The villains of such a respect Pale against the paladin Pale is a knight of the campaign can be either lawful or chaotic. and his order. This is a rare realm, and has the power to Lawful villains tend to use legitimate situation where chaos can be a enforce the laws as a proxy of governments or religious organizations (or both at the same time in the case of a greater threat than evil. its lawful neutral ruler. theocracy) to gather wealth or power at the A better way to oppose Pale Pale enforces the law with a expense of others. They may even be might be in the courts. Getting the savage cruelty that shocks most lawful good, except when dealing with a king to create more benevolent around him into hiding. He once minority of the population. For example, they might persecute those of a certain race (i.e. good) laws would certainly tie decapitated a man for or religion. Paladin player characters might Pales hands and may force him to committing arson. The man find themselves opposed to such an fight the paladin directly. Pale will was burning leaves in the fall. establishment for their sins against certain follow the law to the letter, but if At his trial, Pale argued his case parts of the populace. Chaotic villains tend to be more the laws are overly benevolent, he with no emotion, and despite the destructive than cruel. A chaotic good may declare the kings laws as dead mans honest intentions, villain might rob the rich to give to the poor, weak and seek to overthrow him Pale was found innocent of any but could end up causing an economic and take control of the throne. wrongdoing since the man did crisis that hurts everyone. Barbarians might raid civilized lands, but only take what Stopping Pale at this point would not get a permit to burn leaves they need to survive, and may even protect be seen as heroic, as most people from the court, and the penalty their victims from even greater threats. respect the king and his laws even for arson was death. The court The struggle between law and chaos more than they fear Pale or the received hundreds of can be tangible rather than philosophical. Lawful and chaotic outsiders might choose dangers that he protects them applications for burning permits the prime material plane as recruiting from. the next day. grounds, a neutral zone, or even as a A good way to get them to Despite his reputation, battleground for their endless struggle. oppose Pale is to have the party some consider Pale a hero for A campaign based around law vs. chaos tends to have many shades of gray, falsely accused of some crime. defeating various criminals and rather than the black and white morality of a Pale comes after them, and they chaotic monsters rampaging campaign based on good vs. evil. must avoid capture or execution through the countryside. while trying to prove their Appearance: He only innocence. After shown evidence takes his executioners hood off of their innocence, Pale may ally with them to in public in places where it is against the law to destroy whoever framed them. Pale is a doubleconceal your face with masks or helms, or when edged sword. He can be an enemy or ally of the speaking to someone of higher authority. When player characters. he does, it reveals a gaunt, albino man with You can also change Pales alignment to blackened teeth and dead, staring eyes. lawful neutral or lawful good. In this case, the Personality: Cold as a dead fish, Pale is party may seek him for help, or he may need their rumored to be undead. If he were to become help in quelling some chaotic threat. His undead, it is doubtful anyone would notice without personality does not need to change, just his magic. He only speaks to those who have reputation and history. committed crimes, or who obstruct justice.

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats

Chaos Knight
This is boring. Lets go kill something. Chaos knights have a loose alliance with nameless forces of change and turmoil. They swear allegiance to no deity, though they respect any god that promotes freedom and diversity. The most important thing to a chaos knight is change. They despise stagnation, and often fight for the underdog or the oppressed. Chaos knights do not refer to themselves as such. They disdain labels of any sort, and just refer to themselves as warriors or wanderers, or by simple names designed to inspire terror. Often hiring themselves out as mercenaries, chaos knights enjoy the sheer confusion of battle. They thrive on personal combat and often challenge others to duels for no reason other than to test themselves and to feel the rush of victory. Chaos knights prefer to wear outlandish clothes and armor, and usually wield exotic weapons. They thrive on expressing their individuality, and often sport tattoos and body piercings. Despite their devotion to chaos, chaos knights can work well with others who share their interests. They can see the value of a battle plan that is not Lvl Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 Special too complex. However, do not expect them to take orders all the time, or to stick to a plan. Half-orc barbarians are the most likely to become chaos knights, but paladins have been known to lose their faith in the idea of law and order, and take this class out of rebellion. Hit Dice: d12

Requirements
Alignment: Any chaotic Base Attack Bonus: +6 Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Any), Toughness Skills: Intimidate 5 ranks Special: You must have the barbarians ability to rage, or you must be an ex-paladin. Chaos knights swear to no Code of Conduct, except to oppose law and order, but are called by chaotic neutral outsiders.

Class Skills
The class skills of a chaos knight (and key ability scores of each) are Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), Swim (Str).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Spike Expertise, Uncontrollable Rage, Smell Oppression Smite Law, Winds of Change Additional Rage Aura of Aggression Incite Panic Additional Rage Incite Panic (+4 to DC) Additional Rage Immune to Transformation, Primal Rage

Table 1-3, the Chaos Knight

13

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier when grappling, and does not count as an action. Uncontrollable Rage (Ex): Your devotion to chaos has required you to give up some control of your barbarian rage ability. Whenever you take damage from any source while not using rage, there is a 50% chance that you will lose control and must use your rage ability, if possible. You may not voluntarily end a rage brought on this way. Smell Oppression (Sp): At will, you can detect law as a spell-like ability. This ability works just like the spell, but utilizes your sense of smell. Smite Law (Su): Once per day, you can smite lawful opponents with one melee attack. When smiting law, you add your Charisma bonus, if any, to your attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per chaos knight class level. If you attempt to use your smite ability against an opponent who is not actually lawful, it has no effect and is wasted for the day. Winds of Change (Su): You can bend the laws of probability to give you an edge. A number of times equal to half your chaos knight class level, rounded down, you may reroll the result of a single melee attack. This ability can only be used once per round, and the results of the second roll always count, even if they are worse than the first. This ability may only be used while raging. For example, Bedlam, a barbarian 6/chaos knight 4, can reroll a melee attack twice per day when enraged. Aura of Aggression (Su): Act first, plan later. You and all allies within 10ft. gain a +2 luck bonus to initiative rolls. This bonus stacks with all other bonuses, except the aura of aggression of another chaos knight. Incite Panic (Su): While raging, whenever you strike someone in melee with a critical hit, your target is automatically affected as if you had cast a cause fear spell. Your chaos knight class level is your caster level. At 8th level the saving throw DC for this ability increases by +4. Additional Rage (Ex): You may use your barbarian rage ability one additional time per day. Primal Rage (Su): Whenever you rage, you transform into a mass of shifting primal matter. While raging you gain damage reduction 5/+5, fast healing 3, resistance 5 to all energy types, and your twisting features and equipment are unrecognizable. Immune to Transformation (Su): Your sense of individuality suppresses the supernatural. You are immune to any spell that changes your form. Polymorph other or petrification may change your form for a moment, but as a free action, you can resume your normal form.

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Chaos knights are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and all armor and shields. Spike Expertise (Ex): Most chaos knights cannot resist the appearance of spiked armor and spiked gauntlets, but they do not don such equipment just for looks. Whenever you are in a grapple, you gain a free attack with armor spikes or spiked gauntlets at the beginning of your turn. This is in addition to any other actions you take Paladin Level 1-2 Extra ability Rage (Ex): You gain the ability to use the rage ability once per day as if a 1st level barbarian. If you have this ability already, you may rage one extra time per day. Smite Law (Su): Once per day, in addition to the ability granted to all chaos knights at second level. Lay on hands (Sp): You may use the paladins lay on hands ability to heal a number of points of damage up to your Charisma bonus multiplied by your chaos knight class level, but only for yourself or those of non-lawful alignment. You may use this ability while raging. Summon Slaad (Sp): You have an inherent connection to the chaotic planes. Once per day, you may summon a red slaad, as if casting a summon monster VI spell with a 40% chance of success. Your caster level is 5 plus your chaos knight class level. You can use this ability while in a rage. In fact, if you do so, you summon a more powerful blue slaad instead. Polymorph Self (Sp): Once per day, you can use polymorph self. You may use this ability while raging. Anarchist. You are a true champion of chaos. You may immediately trade levels of ex-paladin for an equal number of levels of chaos knight, becoming up to a tenth level chaos knight. Any ex-paladin levels traded in this way do not count toward gaining other abilities on this table.

3-4

5-6

7-8

9-10

11+

Table 1-4, Fallen Paladin Chaos Knight Abilities

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats Ex-Chaos knights: If your alignment changes to become non-chaotic, then you become an exchaos knight and lose all spell-like and supernatural abilities of this class. Returning to a chaotic alignment restores all lost abilities. Changing to a lawful alignment causes you to become an ex-chaos knight forever. Ex-Paladins: Those who lost their paladinhood by changing to a chaotic alignment make powerful chaos knights. Ex-paladins who become chaos knights gain extra powers as shown on Table 1-4. Ex-paladins who become chaos knights can never regain their paladinhood. Equipment: +1 chaotic spiked chain (named Wildcat), breastplate, armor spikes, large sack with stolen food, dice bag with bone dice. * New feat, see page 3. History: Durgut was born as a slave deep under the ground. Forced to mine for silver, he finally escaped his orcish family and lived off the wilderness as a savage for many years. While hunting, a patrol of knights attempted to capture him for stealing livestock. The sight of manacles unleashed a fury unlike any he had felt, and Durgut slew them all with the chains they tried to shackle him with, and became a chaos knight in the heat of battle. He discarded the name his hateful family gave him, and took the name whispered to him in his dreams: Bedlam. Now he wanders the world as a mercenary, and sometimes attracts followers, usually low level rogues or warriors who help him rob travelers or who just want to be on the winning side of a fight. Appearance: Bedlam wears a patchwork of armor pieces lodged with daggers, arrows, and spear points equivalent to a breastplate with armor spikes. He has piercings and crude tattoos, some of them obscene, all over his large, muscled body. Despite his startling appearance, he has excellent personal hygiene and speaks eloquently. Unfortunately, while his vocabulary may be broad, he often uses large words incorrectly. Personality: Like all chaos knights, Bedlam thrives on battle, and roams the world looking for the next big fight. The best way to sum up Bedlams personality is that he is a bully. He loves to fight those weaker than himself, and is secretly afraid of humiliation in battle by anyone weaker than he is. He has no desire for accumulating wealth, but loves to gamble and waste money on human women and ale. Using Bedlam: Bedlam can be a major henchman of one of your campaigns villains, but is not clever enough to be a long-term villain himself. He is extremely deadly in a melee against lawful characters, and can be used to challenge paladins, monks, or others of lawful alignment. However, as a direct opponent of the party, he will not last long, so you might have more fun with him by making him a mere annoyance or rival. Setting up a non-lethal fight with him is a good idea. In a city setting, he might come into conflict with the player characters at a gambling table, or in a tavern brawl. Remember that Bedlam is not really evil or cruel, but is definitely out for himself. Someone who can beat him might impress him. Bedlam may even befriend such a person for a while.

Sample NPC
Lets party. Bedlam, male half-orc Bbn 6/Chaos knight 4: CR 10; Medium-size Humanoid (orc); HD 10d12+33; hp 95; Init +2 (+2 aura of aggression); Spd 40 ft; AC 15 (+5 breastplate); Melee +1 chaotic spiked chain +16/+11 (2d4+6, +2d6 against lawful opponents); SA rage, spike expertise, smite law, winds of change; SQ fast movement, half-orc traits, uncanny dodge, uncontrollable rage, smell oppression, aura of aggression; AL CN; SV Fort +12, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 20, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +14(13), Listen +3(4), Wilderness Lore +4 (5); Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain), Knowing Gaze (detect law)*, Power Attack, Toughness. SARage (Ex): 3/day, Bedlam can fly into a screaming blood frenzy for 8 rounds. Bedlam gains +4 Str, +4 Con, and a +2 morale bonus vs. fear, but suffers -2 to AC. After the rage, Bedlam is fatigued. SASpike Expertise (Ex): While grappling, Bedlam gains an additional attack each round with his armor spikes. SASmite Law (Su): Once per day, Bedlam can strike a lawful creature with an attack bonus of +1, and a damage bonus of +4. SAWinds of Change (Su): While raging, Bedlam can reroll melee attack rolls twice per day. SQHalf-Orc Traits (Ex): 60 foot darkvision, orc blood. SQUncanny Dodge: Dex bonus to AC, can't be flanked. SQUncontrollable Rage (Ex): Whenever Bedlam takes damage, there is a 50% chance he will be forced to use his rage ability if possible. SQSmell Oppression (Su): Bedlam can detect law at will using his sense of smell. SQAura of Aggression (Su): All of Bedlams allies within 10ft. gain a +2 bonus to initiative.

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats

Forge Avenger
My faith is forged in the hottest fires. Sometimes the spirits of long dead dwarven ancestors call dwarves who epitomize the virtues of their race to become forge avengers. Forge avengers defend and represent all dwarves against the forces of evil and chaos. Forge avengers are much like paladins, but they have a more specific code of conduct requiring them to favor dwarven interests over all others. Dwarves place a high value on their families and homes, and revere their ancestors. Forge avengers receive their powers from the spirits of their ancestors rather than a deity or philosophical force. Hit Dice: d10 follows, with a few extra tenets. Conduct, below) (See Code of

Class Skills
The forge avengers class skills (and the key ability scores of each) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis). Skill Points per Level: modifier 2 + Int

Requirements
Alignment: Lawful good Base attack bonus: +7 Skills: Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks, and any one of the following: Craft (armorsmithing) 5 ranks, Craft (stonemasonry) 5 ranks, Craft (weaponsmithing) 5 ranks, or Knowledge (history) 5 ranks Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency and Weapon Focus with any dwarven weapon such as the dwarven war axe Race: You must be a dwarf. Special: Forge avengers must swear to abide by the same Code of Conduct that a paladin Lvl Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 Special

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The forge avenger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all types of armor and shields. Code of Conduct: A forge avenger has the same Code of Conduct as a paladin, but must also: Respect his ancestors and avenge any slight on their honor. Favor dwarves over all other races. This Code does not mean that forge avengers do not protect or respect other races, only that

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Smite Dwarven Enemies Summon Ancestral Heroes Aura of Dwarven Justice Reach of the Dwarves Armor of Faith (light fortification) Living Forge Armor of Faith (moderate fortification) Ironbeard

Table 1-5, the Forge Avenger

16

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats given the choice, they will defend dwarves and their interests first. Associates: A forge avenger has the same restrictions on associates as a paladin, but additionally may not associate with dwarven enemies such as giants or orcs, unless they have proven themselves friends of dwarves. Half-orcs are acceptable, though some forge avengers stubbornly refer to them as half-humans. Smite Dwarven Enemies (Su): Once per day, forge avengers can smite the common enemies of dwarves with one melee attack. Dwarven enemies include racial enemies such as giants, orcs, half-orcs, and goblinoids (goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears), and evil dwarves, including most derro and duergar. The DM is encouraged to add or subtract from this list to suit the campaign. When smiting dwarven enemies, you add your Constitution bonus, if any, to your attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per forge avenger class level. If you attempt to use your smite ability against an opponent who is not actually a dwarven enemy, it has no effect and is wasted for the day. This ability may be used at the same time as smite evil or any other smite ability, if appropriate. Summon Ancestral Heroes (Sp): Once per week, you may summon a number of lawful good celestial dwarven fighters up to half your forge avenger class level. Treat this spell-like ability as lesser planar ally except that the casting time is 1 action, and there is no payment required. Your caster level is your forge avenger class level. These dwarves are the spirits of your ancestors. You should only summon them for combat. They will follow any of your orders, however summoning them to perform some task other than guarding someone or combat is disrespectful and violates your Code of Conduct. They are willing and eager to die for you, and sending them into a suicidal fight is not disrespectful, or even unexpected by them. Their spirits simply reform on a higher plane of existence. The player is encouraged to give these heroes names, personalities and backgrounds, to make them more interesting. Ancestral Hero, celestial dwarf Ftr6: CR 7; Medium-size Humanoid (dwarf); HD 6d10+12; hp 45; Init +0; Spd 15 ft; AC 21 (+8 half-plate, +3 large shield); Melee +1 battleaxe +10 (1d8+6/crit x3); SQ dwarven traits, celestial traits; AL LG; SV Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 14, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Climb +9, Jump +9; Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Sunder, Weapon Focus (battleaxe), Weapon Specialization (battleaxe), Iron Will. SASmite Evil (Su): Once per day, the ancestral hero can make a normal attack to deal an additional +6 damage against an evil foe. SQDwarven Traits (Ex): 60 foot darkvision, stonecunning, +2 save vs. poison, +2 save vs. spells or spell-like abilities, +1 attack vs. goblinoids or orcs, +4 dodge vs. giants, +2 craft with stone or metal. SQCelestial Traits (Ex): Acid, Cold and Electricity resistance 10, Damage Reduction 5/+1, Spell resistance 12. Equipment: battleaxe +1, large shield +1, halfplate +1 Aura of Dwarven Justice (Su): You and all allies within 10ft. gain a +2 morale bonus to attack rolls against dwarven enemies (see the smite dwarven enemies ability for a suggested list of these creature types). Reach of the Dwarves (Su): Any nonthrowing masterwork or magical melee weapon of dwarven make that you wield gains the throwing and returning special abilities. This ability goes away if others hold it. A side effect of this ability is that your shoulders appear wider and your arms appear more muscular. This ability has no effect if the weapon already has the throwing and returning abilities. Armor of Faith (Su): At 5th level, any masterwork or magical heavy armor of dwarvenmake gains the fortification (light) special ability while you wear it, causing a 25% chance that the effects of any critical hit or sneak attack damage are negated. A side effect of this ability is that your armor looks thicker and heavier than normal. At 8th level, this ability grants moderate (75% chance) fortification. Living Forge (Su): Any masterwork or magical melee weapon of dwarven make gains the flaming special ability while you wield it. A side effect of this ability is that sparks show in your eyes. This ability has no effect if the weapon already has the flaming ability. Ironbeard: You are the epitome of the dwarven race. You gain the following abilities: Stony Skin (Ex): You gain damage reduction 15/+1. Immune to Poison (Ex): You are immune to all natural, but not magical, poisons. Spell Resistance (Su): You gain spell resistance equal to 18. Smite Dwarven Enemies (Su): You may smite dwarven enemies one additional time per day. Ex-Forge Avengers: A forge avenger who is no longer lawful good or who grossly violates his Code of Conduct becomes an ex-forge avenger and loses all class abilities. Returning to a lawful good alignment and receiving the benefits of an atonement spell recovers these class abilities. 17

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats Dwarven ex-paladins/ex-forge avengers need only use the atonement spell once to recover the abilities of both classes, if a single act caused them to lose the abilities of both classes. A forge avenger who willingly commits an evil act becomes an ex-forge avenger forever, with no chance to atone. Treat levels of ex-forge avenger the same as levels of ex-paladin for the purposes of classes such as the blackguard. SQAura of Dwarven Justice (Su): Farrus and all allies within 10ft. gain a +2 morale bonus to attacks against traditional dwarven enemies. SQSummon Ancestral Heroes (Sp): Once per week, Farrs can summon up to 3 ancestral heroes. SQArmor of Faith (Ex): The dwarven armor Farrus wears grants a 25% chance to negate damage from critical hits or sneak attacks. Paladin Spells Prepared: cure light wounds, divine might Equipment: +1 holy dwarven waraxe of mighty cleaving Orcs Lament (adamantine), adamantine breastplate, +2 large shield Wall of Truth, +2 ring of protection, boots of speed. Note: Farrus forged Orcs Lament and enhanced it with the Craft Divine Weapon feat. Therefore he gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls while using the axe. This is accounted for in the stats above. History: Farrus heard the call of duty at a young age. He was always a serious child, and stayed that way as he grew up. As an adult, he served in his clans elite guard, and constantly pushed his father, a powerful thane, for more aggressive patrols deep into enemy territory. Unfortunately, one such deep patrol left the palace too lightly defended. A horde of enemies swept on the palace and slew half his clansmen before being repelled, including his father. Appearance: Farrus wears adamantine armor decorated with his family crest, a lion slaying a wyrm. His beard is gray beyond his years and his wrinkles are deep. His voice is quite loud and harsh. Personality: Farrus never laughs and never jokes. Farrus is a pessimist. He is grim and dour, and more stubborn than the armor he forges. Farrus is accustomed to military order and discipline, and disdains those who are not. Farrus does not hate half-orcs, but has a particularly annoying habit of patronizing them with sympathetic pity over their mixed heritage. Using Farrus: Farrus Stoneglaive can be an excellent, if gloomy, mentor for paladins, dwarven defenders, or even dwarven fighters. He is an excellent craftsman, and skilled at forging holy adamantine weapons. Farrus is only likely to help dwarves or those allied with dwarves. He will only forge weapons for dwarves or those willing to go on a quest of his choosing.

Sample NPC
Ach, leave him alone. He cant help it; it be the orc blood in him wot tainted his mind and soul. Farrs Stoneglaive, male dwarf Pal 7/Forge Avenger 6: CR 13; Medium-size Humanoid (dwarf); HD 13d10+52; hp 123; Init +0; Spd 15 ft; AC 23 (+7 adamantine breastplate, +2 ring of protection, +4 large shield); Melee +1 holy dwarven waraxe of mighty cleaving (adamantine) +19/+14/+9 (1d10+7/crit x3); SA smite evil, spells, turn undead, smite dwarven enemies, reach of the dwarves, living forge; SQ aura of courage, detect evil, divine health, dwarven traits, remove disease (2/week), special mount, aura of dwarven justice, summon ancestral heroes; AL LG; SV Fort +14, Ref +4, Will +6; Str 14, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Craft (armorsmithing) +17(16), Craft (weaponsmithing) +17(16), Knowledge (religion) +17(16); Power Attack, Cleave, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Dwarven Waraxe), Weapon Focus (Dwarven Waraxe), Craft Divine Weapon* *New feat, see page 3. SATurn Undead (Su): 2/day, Farrus Stoneglaive can attempt to turn undead creatures. He can turn undead with no more than (1d20+4)/3 HD. Each attempt, he turns 2d6+4 total HD. Undead with 2 or fewer HD are destroyed instead. SASmite Evil (Su): 1/day, if the target of a normal melee attack is evil, Farrus Stoneglaive gains a +7 damage bonus. SASmite Dwarven Enemies (Su): 1/day, if the target of a normal melee attack is a traditional dwarven enemy, Farrus Stoneglaive gains a +4 bonus to the attack roll and a +6 damage bonus. SAReach of the Dwarves (Su): While Farrus wields it, Orcs Lament gains the throwing and returning special ability. SALiving Forge (Su): While Farrus wields it, Orcs Lament gains the flaming special ability. SQDwarven Traits (Ex): 60 foot darkvision, stonecunning, +2 save vs. poison, +2 save vs. spells or spell-like abilities, +1 attack vs. goblinoids or orcs, +4 dodge vs. giants, +2 craft with stone or metal.

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats

Golden Pride Hunter

What lion wants to lie down with a lamb? The lamb is best served while the lion stands guard. Ser Nathan Myrcelon is a powerful warrior and brilliant combat leader. A 7-foot tall, lion-headed celestial, he is truly awe-inspiring to behold. Myrcelon keeps a close eye on those warriors that fight for the cause of honor and righteousness. When he finds a truly worthy warrior, he will appear to them and offer to show them the ways of the Golden Pride. Those selected are called hunters, and are charged with defending the weak, destroying evil, and recruiting others. Almost all hunters are humans or half-elves. Though half-orcs of sufficient noble nature and dedication are rare, when found, they often make the most overwhelming and dedicated of hunters because they seem to relate naturally to the animal aspect of their powers. Myrcelon does not accept those with no human blood as a Golden Pride hunter. Because of Myrcelons affinity for the lion form, he tends to select members from those who revere the lion. As such, most Prides are found amongst chivalric knights who claim the nobility of the lion or among the leaders of primitive people of great savannahs and forests where lions are seen as the apex of power. In the wilderness, a Pride is usually very small. Two or three hunters usually account for the entire order. These hunters serve as the guardians for a single tribe or a small collection of allied tribes. In other areas, the Prides tend to be much more structured, with clear chains of command and formal honoraries for higher-ranking members. These formal Prides often have as many as a dozen or more hunters, as well as numerous fighters, clerics and paladins who serve the cause of the order, but are not themselves called hunters. Hit Dice: d10

Requirements
Alignment: Lawful Good Race: Human, Half-Elf or Half-Orc Skills: Animal Empathy 2 ranks or Handle Animal 8 ranks Feats: Power Attack Base Attack Bonus: 6+ Special: You must be accepted into the Golden Pride, which includes accepting the appropriate vows. An invitation into the Pride may only be offered from the archangel Myrcelon, or another Golden Pride hunter of at least 6th level. You must not have a paladins special mount.

Class Skills
The golden pride hunter class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Animal Empathy (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Listen (Wis), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Wilderness Lore (Wis). Skill Points at each level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features
Code of Conduct: The paladins code of conduct applies in all ways to a Golden Pride hunter. Nobility and duty are of utmost importance. Duty applies both to their leaders in the church and the righteous nobility, as well as to the flocks of common people whom they are responsible to defend. The Pride disdains dirty fighting tactics, such as sneak attacks. However, the art of the ambush 19

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats Lvl Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 Special

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Animal Senses, Speak with Cats Roar of Myrcelon, Hunter Form 1/day, Lion Form 1/day, Stalk Blind Fight Hunter Form 2/day, Lion Form 2/day Pounce Hunter Form 3/day, Lion Form 3/day True Hunter

Table 1-6, the Golden Pride Hunter

as perfected by the lion is considered an honorable practice against a known enemy. The Pride uses ranged weapons only as a last resort. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You gain no new proficiency with any weapons or armor. Animal Senses (Ex): Your eyes shift to slightly resemble those of a cat and you gain an animals awareness of your surroundings. You receive a +2 bonus for all Spot, Listen and Search checks. You also gain low-light vision, allowing you to see twice as far as a normal human under low light conditions. Speak with Cats (Su): A Golden Pride hunter can speak with cats of all types. Roar of Myrcelon (Su): A number of times per day equal to half your Golden Pride hunter class level, you may roar with awe-inspiring volume. A roar of Myrcelon causes all allies within 50ft to be affected as if you had cast bless (+1 morale bonus to attack rolls and saving throws against fear), and all enemies within 50ft. to be affected as if you had cast bane (-1 morale penalty to attack rolls and saving throws against fear). Enemies are unaffected if they make a Will save (DC 10 plus your Golden Pride hunter class level). The positive sonic energy of the roar magically deafens undead creatures within 50ft. for 1d4 rounds (20% chance of arcane spell failure with spells that have a verbal component, -4 penalty to Initiative rolls, automatically fail Listen checks). Your caster level is your Golden Pride hunter class level, and the duration of the bless and bane effects is one minute/level. You can roar once per round as a free action. Hunter Form (Su): Starting at 2nd level, once per day you may change into a hybrid lion/human form (or hybrid lion/half-orc or lion/half-elf) with prehensile lion claws and thick fur. Your creature type is now both humanoid and shapechanger.

Beginning this shape shifting process is a free action, but the shift itself is not complete until next round at the beginning of your turn. During the shape shifting you may take actions normally. When you change into this form, you regain hit points as if you had rested for a day. Any gear carried by you, including weapons and armor, shifts to match your new form and remains functional. Your size does not change. In hunter form, you gain the following benefits: Ability Score bonuses: + 2 bonus to Strength (at 5th level this bonus is increased to +4, and at 8th level it becomes +6). Natural Armor bonus to AC: +2. Hyper Senses: You gain a +4 racial bonus to Listen, Search, and Spot skills. Scent: You gain the Scent special ability (See the DMG, Chapter 3: Running the Game, Special Abilities). Attacks: Claw attack for 1d4 + Strength bonus damage, Bite attack for 1d8 + half your Strength bonus damage. You may attack with both claws or with a normal weapon at no penalty. If you attack with a normal weapon and a claw, the usual penalties for two weapon fighting apply. Hunter form lasts for up to 1 hour and may be used twice per day starting at 5th level, and three times per day at 8th level. Shifting back to your original form takes one round, but starting the change is a free action. Stalk (Ex): You gain a +2 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks whenever you are in tall grass or areas of heavy undergrowth. Blind Fight (Ex): You gain the Blind Fight feat for free. Lion Form (Sp): Beginning at 3rd level, once per day you may shift into a powerful dire lion (see the MM) from hunter form. This ability is like polymorph self, except no other forms may be

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats chosen. Like the spell, you heal an amount of damage equal to your hit points as if you had rested for the day. When shifting to lion form, you gain a Strength bonus equal to your Golden Pride hunter class level. For example, a 5th level hunter in lion form would have a 30 Strength, not 25. Shifting back to your original form takes one round. At 5th level, this ability may be used twice per day, and at 8th level it can be used 3 / day. Pounce (Ex): You gain the pounce ability of a lion at all times, not just when in lion form, allowing you to make a full attack during the first round of combat, even if you have already moved. True Hunter (Su): At 10th level, the hunter form becomes your natural form. You may still shift into your original form and back again at will using the hunter form ability. You may also shift to lion form at will for as long as you like, but must be in hunter form first. You heal as if resting for one day when shifting, up to 6 times per day. Finally, you gain the scent ability at all times. (See the DMG, Chapter 3: Running the Game, Special Abilities) Ex-Golden Pride Hunters: If a hunter grossly violates the Code of Conduct or changes to a nonlawful good alignment, they lose all supernatural abilities of the class. Their class abilities may be regained if their alignment changes back to lawful good and they seek atonement from a cleric of their faith. Golden Pride hunters who willingly commit an act of evil become ex-Golden Pride hunters forever. Their ex-hunter levels are treated exactly like levels of ex-paladin for the purpose of classes such as the blackguard. Hunters who are also paladins may not call a special mount. The ability does not work for them. (6), Listen +9 (7), Ride +17 (16), Search +2 (0), Spot +6 (4); Blind Fight, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Cleave, Sunder, Toughness, Mounted Combat, Improved Critical (bastard sword). SATurn Undead (Su): 5/day, Ser Nathan Blackclaw can attempt to turn undead as a 2nd level cleric up to 5 times per day. SASmite Evil (Su): 1/day, if the target of a normal melee attack is evil, Ser Nathan Blackclaw gains a +2 attack bonus and a +4 damage bonus. SQLay on Hands (Sp): Ser Nathan Blackclaw can heal up to 8 hit points per day, divided among any number of creatures. SQRoar of Myrcelon (Su): 3/day, Ser Nathan Blackclaw may roar. Allies within 50 feet gain the benefits of the bless spell and all enemies within 50 ft. must make a will save against a DC of 13 or suffer the effects of a bane spell. SQHunter Form (Su): Twice per day Ser Nathan Blackclaw may change into a hunter form. His strength increase is +4. SQLion Form (Sp): Ser Nathan may shift into a dire lion form twice per day from his hunter form. Equipment: +2 bastard sword, +2 chainmail, +1 large steel shield, cloak of resistance +3, amulet of health +2, ring of protection +2. History: As a paladin, Nathan became frustrated at his inability to perform the most basic divine spells. Just as he prepared to abandon his vows, Myrcelon appeared to him. He spoke of bravery and honor and of the oaths taken by the Pride. Nathan accepted the call and became a Golden Pride hunter. Appearance: Nathan is a tall, strong man. His hair is long and blond. He wears gleaming chainmail, with a rampant lion emblazoned in mithral across his chest. In a battle with a minor demon several years ago, Ser Nathan was forced to rip out the throat of the creature with his claws. The fur and talons on his left paw in hunter and lion form have been permanently blackened as a result. He took his surname after this event. Personality: Ser Nathan is a pragmatic and somber man. He is loyal and dedicated, but has never had time for simple pleasures or humor, and does not understand those who do. He prefers to lead in battle. Using Ser Nathan: Ser Nathan will join forces with a party if their cause has been presented to him in a convincing manner. He is not likely to lead until actual battle starts. Then he will expect quick and certain response to his orders. It is very possible that someone who knows him will need to intervene on his behalf to explain that he truly is a good person, despite his dour and direct persona.

Sample NPC
Trouble is nearby. Ser Nathan Blackclaw, male human Ftr2/Pal4/Golden Pride Hunter7: CR 13; Medium-size Humanoid (human); HD 13d10+42; hp 113; Init +1; Spd 20 ft; AC 23 (+7 chainmail, +3 large steel shield, +1 Dex, +2 ring of protection); Melee bastard sword +18/+13/+8 (1d10+5/crit 1720); SA smite evil, turn undead; SQ aura of courage, detect evil, divine grace, divine health, lay on hands, remove disease (1/week), animal senses, speak with cats, roar of Myrcelon, hunter form, lion form; AL LG; SV Fort +20, Ref +9, Will +8; Str 17, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Craft (weaponsmith) +6 (6), Handle Animal +11 (9), Knowledge (religion) +6

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats

Merseus
We still need you. Dont walk into the Light yet. Sometimes a warrior has seen too many comrades fall in battle, and pledges their lives to saving others. The merseus (MUR-see-us) is a combat healer called by the same types of powers who recruit paladins. Her goal is to win battles while preventing the death of her allies. All mersi (MUR-sigh, plural) are paladins, but may be multiclassed as clerics or fighters. Mersi can fight like a paladin, and heal nearly as well as a cleric. Adventurers and the armies of good value their services. They tend to travel the world in search of those who need their skills the most. Mersi do more than merely heal the body. They work tirelessly to boost the morale of their allies, as well as their spiritual health. They are a combination of combat medic, paladin and priest. Adventurers most often view mersi as specialized paladins. They fit in well with paladin orders, and seldom feel the need to create their own organizations. Tactically, they work well as a supporting warrior, perhaps as a second or third fighter type to round out the group. However, they are not a replacement for the cleric when it comes to healing, especially at high levels. Hit Dice: d10 Skills: Heal 9 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks Special: You must have the paladins lay on hands ability. Mersi take a vow that is very close to that of paladins.

Class Skills
The merseus class skills are Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (Herbalism) (Wis), Ride (Dex). Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features
Weapon and armor proficiency: Mersi are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all types of armor and shields. Paladin Abilities: You gain the paladins divine health ability if you do not have it already, making you immune to disease. Code of Conduct: Mersi vow to follow the paladins Code of Conduct, and pledge to heal their allies and captured enemies whenever Spells per day 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 4 -

Requirements
Alignment: Lawful good Feats: Combat Healing (New feat, see page 3) Lvl Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 Special

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Paladin Abilities, Enhanced Lay on Hands Aura of Hope Purging Hands 1/day Enhanced Recovery Aura of Life Purging Hands 2/day Heal Revive Purging Hands 3/day Returning Soul

0 1 1 1 1 2

0 1 1 1

Table 1-7, the Merseus

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats possible. Associates: Mersi follow the same restrictions regarding associates that paladins follow. Spells: Beginning at 1st level the merseus gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, you must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spells level, so a merseus with a Wisdom of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. When you receive 0 spells of a given level, you gain only bonus spells. You prepare and cast spells as a cleric, but use the following spell list. You have access to every spell on the list. 1st level spells: cure light wounds, detect poison, purify food and drink, remove fear 2nd level spells: cure moderate wounds, delay poison, lesser restoration, remove paralysis 3rd level spells: cure serious wounds, remove blindness/deafness, remove disease, shield other 4th level spells: cure critical wounds, neutralize poison, restoration Spontaneous Casting (Su): You may exchange a prepared spell for a cure of the same level, just as a good aligned cleric can. Enhanced Lay on Hands (Sp): You have the paladins ability to lay on hands, and your paladin levels stack with your merseus levels. However, each merseus level you have counts as two paladin levels for the purpose of determining how many points you may heal per day. Aura of Hope (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, you radiate an aura of hope and comfort that causes you and all allies within 10ft. to gain a +2 morale bonus to all saving throws. Purging Hands (Sp): Once per day, while using lay on hands you may also use one of these spell-like abilities on a target creature: delay poison lesser restoration remove blindness/deafness remove disease remove fear remove paralysis This ability does not require an additional action or by itself provoke an attack of opportunity. It happens the same time you use lay on hands. You may lay on hands for 0 points of healing, if you just want the effect of purging hands. Your caster level is your merseus class level. You may use this ability twice per day at 6th level, and three times per day at 9th level. Enhanced Recovery (Su): You begin to heal quickly, so that you may concentrate on healing others instead of yourself. You heal 1 point of damage per character level every hour instead of every day. (The Heal skill cannot accelerate this healing.) Subdual damage heals at the rate of 1 point of damage per level every 5 minutes. Aura of Life (Su): All dying allies within 10ft. have a 50% chance to become stabilized and stop losing hit points each round, instead of 10%. This ability does not require an action. Your aura of life does not function if you are dying, and thus does not help you stabilize. Heal (Sp): Once per day, you can cast heal. Your caster level equals 10 plus your merseus level. Revive (Sp): Once per day, you may cast raise dead with a caster level of 10 plus your merseus class level, and without any material component. Unlike the raise dead spell, the target creature must have died within the last minute, and loses no levels or Constitution. Using this ability is taxing. Afterwards you are fatigued (See DMG, Chapter 3: Condition Summary). Returning Soul (Su): If you die, and have not yet used your revive ability for the day, you are automatically raised from the dead, targeted by your own revive ability. This requires no action and uses up your ability to revive for the day. You have no choice about using this ability; it is automatic and always functions immediately after your death unless you have already used revive for the day. Ex-Mersi: If you change from a lawful good alignment, or grossly violate your Code of Conduct, you become an ex-merseus until your alignment changes back to lawful good and a cleric casts atonement for you. If you willingly commit an evil act, you become an ex-merseus forever. An ex-merseus loses all supernatural, spelllike, and spellcasting abilities, and is treated like an ex-paladin with regard to classes like the blackguard who seek to corrupt good to evil.

Sample NPC
This is going to sting. A lot. Darsi Phaedron, female human Pal 6/Merseus 4: CR 10; Medium-size Humanoid (human); HD 10d10+30; hp 85; Init +1; Spd 20 ft; AC 19 (+9 half-plate); Melee +1 longsword +12/+7 (1d8+1/crit 19-20); SA smite evil, spells, turn undead; SQ aura of courage, detect evil, divine grace, divine health, lay on hands, remove disease (2/week), special mount, aura of hope, purging hands 1/day, enhanced recovery; AL LG; SV Fort +18, Ref +9, Will +12; Str 11, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 19. Skills and Feats: Concentration +16(13), Heal +14(13), Ride +14(13); Bolster Lay on Hands, Combat Healing*, Mounted Combat, Rapid Healer, Weapon Focus (longsword). 23

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats Appearance: Darsi wears her hair short to * New feat, see page 3. avoid problems in a fight, and wears shining halfSATurn Undead (Su): Darsi can attempt to plate when in battle. turn undead creatures 7/day. She turns undead When not fighting, she is as a 4th level cleric. fond of wearing feminine SASmite Evil (Su): Variant: Alternatives for Lay on Hands clothing and sweet perfume, and 1/day, if the target of a normal is quite lovely. Her breathmelee attack is evil, Darsi Lay on hands is a method of channeling taking beauty sometimes takes gains a +4 attack bonus and a positive energy, much like turning undead. her comrades-in-arms aback +6 damage bonus. Conceivably, paladins could use the ability for other effects that use positive energy. Below are and they often find themselves SQLay on Hands (Sp): some ideas on using the positive energy from lay speechless, much to her Darsi can heal up to 56 hit on hands to do more than just heal. amusement. points per day, divided among All of these abilities require you to spend Personality: On the any number of creatures. your entire allotment of lay on hands for the day; you must be able to heal at least one point of battlefield, Darsi is unforgiving to SQPurging Hands (Sp): damage. her enemies and gruff with her 1/day, Darsi can use any of This system does discourage paladins from allies. Like all mersi, she is an the following spell-like using their lay on hands ability, but makes the expert at healing, but Darsi abilities: delay poison, lesser ability useful even when there is no one to heal, even if the cleric is doing all the healing, and chooses not to be careful about restoration, remove even if the paladins Charisma isnt very high. causing undue pain to her blindness/deafness, remove patients. Some believe she disease, remove fear, or Bolster Smite (Su): You gain a +2 sacred goes out of her way to inflict a remove paralysis. bonus to your attack roll when using smite evil. bit of pain as she binds wounds, SQAura of Hope (Su): Bolster Attack (Su): You gain a +1 sacred and even when laying on hands. Darsi and all allies within 10ft. bonus to a single (non-smite) attack She does not deny this if asked gain a +2 morale bonus to all roll. directly. Her opinion is that if saving throws. Bolster Defense (Su): You gain a +1 sacred bonus to your AC for one she makes healing painless, SQEnhanced Recovery round. then the one she heals is more (Su): Darsi recovers from Bolster Paladin Spell (Su): You can cast a likely to repeat the mistake that injury very quickly. She paladin spell you have prepared at +2 caused their wound in the first recovers 10 hit points per hour caster level. Light (Sp): You may cast light as a spellplace. normally. like ability, with half your paladin level Off the battlefield, Darsi is Paladin Spells Prepared: as your caster level. quite gentle and kind, and not 1- divine favor x2 Turning Touch (Su): When using lay on ambitious at all. She spends Merseus Spells Prepared: hands as a touch attack against an undead creature, the paladin may much of her time flirting with 1- detect poison, remove fear, decide to turn the touched creature commoners, going to formal 2- remove paralysis instead of dealing damage, and gains dances or anything else that lets Equipment: +1 longsword a +2 bonus to the turning check. This her dress up, and just having (called Silencer), +2 shining** is useful for paladins who have expended all their regular turn fun. Unlike most paladins, when half-plate, +2 amulet of health, attempts, or who need to turn a times are peaceful she makes it boots of speed, potion of cure powerful undead creature. a point to enjoy life. She has serious wounds x2. seen it slip away all too often. ** New armor special ability, Using this variant increases the power of the paladin class slightly because it gives them Using Darsi: Darsi makes see Chapter 4. more options for no cost. a great support NPC for a party History: Darsi became a This rule may encourage paladins not to with only a few members. The paladin to end the suffering of use lay on hands as much, and may cause some PCs might not realize she is a her people, commoners resentment from other players, particularly those playing clerics. paladin if they meet her in a city threatened by bandits. After due to her carefree nature. years of fighting off threat They might be surprised when after threat, she grew tired of she dons her plate and charges to the front lines seeing her comrades die, and after a week of during a battle. fasting and meditation, became the first merseus of her order.

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats

Penitent Sniper
Thou shalt kill. Paladins use ranged weapons, but they are not exactly famous for it. Some strict (and probably foolish) orders of paladins actually forbid the use of ranged weapons on the field of battle. These orders are usually obsessed with honor and feel that ranged weapons, particularly crossbows, require no skill to use, and are therefore beneath them. But whether a ranged attack is seen as honorable or not, the forces of good sometimes need someone who can kill evil at a thousand yards with one shot, and call a penitent sniper into service to do just that. A penitent sniper is much like a paladin. No one decides to become one; they are called by deities or mysterious forces of good. Common folk do not often see penitent snipers as heroes. Indeed, penitent snipers try not to be famous, and are rarely the member of an organized church or order. More often, they operate as loners, or as part of a motley group of good adventurers, and provide combat support from a distance. Typically, they refer to themselves only as wandering bowmen, or as humble servants of their deity. Most penitent snipers are neutral good or chaotic good, and feel that the virtuous should fight evil however they can, without any restrictive rules. Nevertheless, many penitent snipers are lawful good, or even paladins, and fight as honorably as anyone. They just do not believe Lvl Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 Special that something as difficult to use as a bow is dishonorable in combat. Penitent snipers usually have a patron deity, but not always. When they do, it is always of good alignment, and usually a deity of goodness, protection, or war. Religious members of the class usually offer a quiet prayer with every shot. Elves, half-elves, and humans are the most common members of this class, and most of them are fighters or rogues. The class has a religious tilt, however, so a surprising number are paladins and clerics. Design Notes: This class is loosely based on good aligned snipers from various movies, and on some real-life heroic sharpshooters, with some added religious flavor. Hit Dice: d8

Requirements
Alignment: good Base attack bonus: +6 or higher Skills: Knowledge: Religion 2 ranks Feats: Point Blank Shot, Far Shot, Weapon Focus with any bow or crossbow. Any

Class Skills
The class skills of a penitent sniper,

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Detect Distant Evil, Paladin Abilites Wisdom Grants Strength, Ranged Smite Evil Aura of Accuracy, Call Celestial Spotter Arrow of Healing Pierce Evil Ranged Smite Evil 2/day Blessed Arrows Greater Pierce Evil Holy Arrows, Ranged Smite Evil 3/day

Table 1-8, the Penitent Sniper

25

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats and the key abilities for each, are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str) Skill Points per Level: 2+ Int modifier in its path, giving you an extra attack with same attack bonus against that creature. This works much like the Cleave feat, except that the second target must be directly behind the first target and within range. If the creature struck was not evil, or there are no evil creatures directly beyond, this ability will not activate. Aura of Accuracy (Su): You project an aura that helps your allies with ranged attacks. You and all allies within 10ft. gain a +1 sacred bonus to all ranged attack rolls. Call Celestial Spotter (Sp): Once per day you can summon a lantern archon. Penitent snipers usually use lantern archons as spotters. These archons can seek out targets and illuminate them for the sniper to fire at, spoiling concealment. They can also act as a diversion. Treat this ability like a lesser planar ally spell, but you need not pay the lantern archon for its services. Your caster level is 10 plus your penitent sniper class level. Arrow of Healing (Sp): You may launch a single arrow or bolt at an ally. If it hits, it magically does no damage, but instead turns into a healing dust. You may use your lay on hands ability on the target as if touching them. Shooting the arrow or bolt is not a separate action, but is instead part of the spell-like ability, which is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. Blessed Arrows (Su): Every arrow or bolt you fire is treated as though bless weapon were cast on it. This ability, like the spell, cannot affect arrows or bolts with magical enhancements that affect critical hits, such as keen arrows. Greater Pierce Evil (Su): This feat works much like the Great Cleave feat. You may now use pierce evil to fire through even more evil creatures. Every time an evil creature falls from one of your arrows and there is an evil creature directly beyond and in range, you get to attack that creature with the same arrow or bolt, until the maximum range of the arrow or bolt is reached. Holy Arrows (Su): Every arrow or bolt you fire is enhanced with the holy special ability (see the DMG, Chapter 8, Magic Items, Weapons). Holy weapons cause an additional +2d6 to evil creatures. Ex-Penitent Snipers: Changing to a nongood alignment or grossly violating your Code of Conduct will cause you to become an ex-penitent sniper until your alignment becomes good again, or you have a cleric cast atonement for you. If you willingly commit an evil act, you become an expenitent sniper forever. An ex-penitent sniper loses all supernatural and spell-like abilities. They are treated like expaladins with regard to classes like the blackguard who seek to corrupt good to evil.

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Penitent snipers are proficient with simple weapons and all ranged martial weapons. They gain no proficiency with armor or shields. Code of Conduct: Penitent snipers have their own Code of Conduct, similar to that of paladins. A penitent sniper must be of good alignment and must never willingly commit an evil act. They must protect the innocent, and punish those who threaten or harm innocents. Associates: Penitent snipers follow the same restrictions regarding associates that paladins follow, except that they may hire anyone who is good. Detect Distant Evil (Sp): You may use detect evil at will, with a range equal to your line of sight. At a distance of farther than 60ft., you can only detect the presence or absence of evil, and only in that general direction. You must still use a Spot check to find a distant or hiding target, but this ability can tell you where to start looking, and also gives a +2 bonus to Spot checks when looking for evil creatures. Paladin abilities (Su): You gain the paladins lay on hands ability. Your effective level for using this ability equals your penitent sniper class level plus your paladin levels, if any. Wisdom Grants Strength (Su): When using a mighty composite bow, you may use your Wisdom instead of your Strength to determine your damage bonus, if any. Ranged Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, penitent snipers can smite evil opponents with one ranged attack. When smiting evil, you add your Charisma bonus, if any, to your attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per penitent sniper class level. If you attempt to use your smite ability against an opponent who is not actually evil, it has no effect and is wasted for the day. At 6th level, you may use this ability 2/day, and at 10th level you may use it 3/day. If you have the paladins smite evil ability, your paladin levels stack with your penitent sniper levels for this ability. Pierce Evil (Su): Whenever an evil creature is killed or rendered unconscious by one of your arrows or bolts, and another evil creature is directly behind them, the arrow or bolt will continue

26

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats

Sample NPC
And Siditherus let loose a volley of death... <TWANG> And slew the hosts of Gurgamesh.. <TWANG> And drove back the foul man-beasts of Rodizz <TWANG> Sarevus, male elf Ftr6/Penitent Sniper 5: CR 11; Medium-size Humanoid (elf); HD 6d10+6+5d8+5; hp 66; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; AC 18 (+6 chain shirt, +2 Dex); Melee rapier +12/+7 (1d6+2/crit 18-20); Ranged +1 holy composite longbow +19/+14 (1d8+5/crit x3); SQ elven traits; AL LG; SV Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +5; Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Climb +9 (7), Knowledge (religion) +2, Ride +9 (7), Spot +12 (10); Alertness, Point Blank Shot, Far Shot, Mounted Combat, Mounted Archery, Weapon Focus (composite longbow), Weapon Specialization (composite longbow). SQElven Traits (Ex): Sleep immunity, +2 save vs. Enchantment, low-light vision, proficient: longsword or rapier, proficient: longbows and shortbows. SQDistant Detect Evil (Sp): May detect evil at will with line of sight range. SQLay on Hands (Sp): Sarevus may heal up to 5 points of damage per day, divided up among any number of uses. SQRanged Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, Sarevus has a +1 bonus to a ranged attack roll and a +5 bonus to damage against an evil opponent. SQAura of Accuracy (Su): Sarevus and all allies gain a +1 sacred bonus to all ranged attack rolls. SQCall Celestial Spotter (Sp): Once per day, Sarevus may summon a lantern archon ally. SQArrow of Healing (Sp): Sarevus can fire arrows to deliver his lay on hands healing. Equipment: +1 holy composite longbow (mighty +2), mw rapier, bracers of archery, +2 chain shirt, wooden holy symbol, several holy books. History: A nomadic tribe of elves raised Sarevus as a horse warrior. He was not the most skilled archer or rider among his people, but was talented at both disciplines. Sarevus spent long hours with the tribal clerics, and longed to become a holy man, but his

father, one of the chieftains, would not allow it. Therefore, with a heavy heart, he left his tribe, taking several copies of his tribes holy books, a combination of history textbooks and spiritual guides. Appearance: Sarevus has long black hair, never cut, as is his family tradition. He prefers chain shirts and leathers, and is never without his bow. He usually wears riding boots, and when in the wilderness rides a fine riding horse. His bracers of archery were a gift from his father, and have scenes from his village carved into them. His rapier is actually a cavalry saber, a long curved blade, and is usually in a scabbard on his horse. Personality: Sarevus makes friends slowly, but keeps them for life. He particularly enjoys the company of humans, but finds all races very interesting. Sarevus is not the type of archer to shoot from hiding, but prefers to fire from horseback, canter away, and then fire again. He is not afraid of melee, but knows what his capabilities are. Sarevus has a habit of quoting his tribes holy books while in combat. He claims that it helps him aim. He has no patron deity, but instead reveres the neutral good philosophies of his tribe. Sarevus has great respect for paladins, and enjoys adventuring with them, as he usually finds a great deal of synergy between their abilities. Using Sarevus: Sarevus makes a great cohort or hireling for a paladin or other good character. He can stay back out of the majority of danger, and still be quite effective. Sarevus might join an order of paladins at some point as a ranged attack specialist, or may even multiclass into paladin. This might require a change in his religious beliefs, which despite his alignment are mostly neutral good. Converting Sarevus to the faith of a paladin order with the intention of getting him to join might be part of an adventure. Succeeding would gain the order a powerful new member who would complement the existing paladins quite well. If his tribe were in danger, Sarevus would return to defend it, and the player characters may wish to help. Paladins trying to get Sarevus to join them would go a long way by aiding his village, and may even gain other elven allies in doing so. One or two narrow-minded paladins in the order may need to be convinced to help the sometimes chaotic elves instead of defending others or going on some other quest.

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats

Seelie Knight
Once upon a time Somewhere in between reality and illusion lies the realm of the Pixie Queen, the beautiful ruler of all fey, and leader of the seelie court. The seelie court is far removed from the lives of most common people. Nevertheless, its intrigues and struggles often touch the lives of many without them ever knowing it. Still, there are often times when the Pixie Queen needs the direct help of elves or men. The players in the court have long known that those of the mortal races can be a powerful tool. To fill this role, the Pixie Queen sometimes selects a capable character as a seelie knight to represent her interests in the affairs of mortals. The Pixie Queen selects any hero whom she believes to be worthy and attractive. She prefers half-elves more often than any other race, but occasionally selects humans or elves. Seelie knights are usually male, but not always. The seelie knight must play a difficult balancing game at all times between the mortal and fey realms. Seelie knights will always have an adventurous life. They forever are at battle with swords and with words, often at the same time. Seelie knights live with one foot in each of two wildly separate worlds. Few are worthy of the task, but seelie knights dread the thought of a different life. Hit Dice: d8 Skill Points at each level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Seelie knights are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all types of armor and shields. Pixie Queens Oath: A seelie knight must accept the Pixie Queens Oath during a solemn and mystical ceremony. During this magical event, the Pixie Queen gains an empathic connection to the knight. She can determine if the knight has abandoned the oath simply by concentrating, regardless of range. The Oath requires the following of the seelie knight: Help the poor with small favors. Serve the Seelie Court. Punish evil. Commit no evil act. Remain celibate, unless with the Pixie Queen. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A seelie knight gains no new proficiency with any weapons

Requirements
Alignment: Any Good Base Attack Bonus: 5+ Feats: Choose any one of the following: Weapon Focus (Shortbow), Weapon Finesse (Rapier), Weapon Finesse (Dagger), Skill Focus (Diplomacy) Skills: Perform (storytelling and singing must be two of your chosen) 4 ranks, Diplomacy 6 ranks Special: Must be selected by the Pixie Queen and accept the Pixie Queens Oath.

Class Skills
The seelie knights class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge: Arcana (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Profession (Wis) and Use Magic Device (Cha). 28

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats or armor. Fey Friend (Ex): You are a member of the Pixie The Seelie Court is a Queens court, in good benevolent collection of standing. As a result, you fairies and other fey that gain a bonus equal to desire to exist peacefully along with the mortal world. your class level to all As fey, they are Charisma and Charisma strongly associated with based skill checks when nature, as well as the dealing with non-evil fey. supernatural. They are often found in natural Clear Mind (Ex): The settings of special value, experience of close such as secluded glens or mental contact with the ancient forests. Sometimes Pixie Queen strengthens they are associated with ancient barrow mounds. your mind. You gain a +4 The actual homes of the bonus to all saves against members of the court may enchantment, illusion and be hidden within these mind influencing magic, areas. Or they may actually live in a completely separate as well as against fear plane or pocket dimension, effects from any source. which can only be accessed At 5th level, this bonus through entrances at these increases to +8. locations. Virtually any of the fey Detect Evil (Su): You presented in the MM may be can detect evil in the found amongst the Seelie same manner as a Court. Many other types of paladin. Further, if the fey may also be represented. source of evil is of the fey While the fey of the type, or an item strongly Seelie Court are generally of associated with the fey, good intentions, they often you will also know this exhibit some of the worst attributes of mankind. Pride, during the first round of vanity and lust are the flaws concentration. This ability most commonly associated tends to quickly alert you with them. to unseelie involvement. Fey Blood (Su): Your soul becomes more magical and you gain Spell Resistance equal to 12 + your seelie knight class level. Pixie Shot (Su): You gain the knowledge of how to craft sleep arrows as used by pixies. The Seelie Court Lvl Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 Special Crafting one arrow requires an hour and a Craft: Bowmaking check DC:20. The arrow may be crafted as a masterwork arrow first if desired, but the extra hour and skill check are still required. A failed check to make a sleep arrow does not harm the arrow. Only one attempt may be made per day. Sleep arrows revert to normal after ten days if not used, or if used by a non-fey creature other than you. Sleep arrows turn to dust on impact (even if they miss) and deal no damage. However, the target, regardless of Hit Dice, must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or be affected as though by a sleep spell. Court Intrigue: Your presence begins to attract a significant level of scrutiny from other members of the court. At least once per month, you must make a Diplomacy check against a DC of 20 plus your seelie knight class level. A successful Sense Motive check against the same DC provides a +2 bonus to the check. If you fail the skill check, you have lost standing within the court. You may regain your lost standing by performing a special quest or favor for the Pixie Queen. The exact details of the quest are up to the DM, but should include the defeat of an appropriately challenging unseelie opponent, either in direct combat, or in some sort of competition or mental challenge. Until the service is complete, you lose any benefits from the Fey Friend, Clear Mind and Fey Mind abilities. Further, a seelie knight in disfavor may not advance to a higher level in the class. If the check is made by ten or more, you have actually enhanced your favor within the court. You gain a +4 bonus to any one Charisma or Charisma based skill check within the next two weeks. In all cases, at least one court intrigue check

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fey Friend, Clear Mind Detect Evil, Fey Blood Pixie Shot, Court Intrigue Invisibility Minor Image Polymorph Self Major Image Fey Lord

Table 1-9, the Seelie Knight

29

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats must be made before you may gain each new class level, starting with fourth level. The enhanced favor bonus may only be gained once per level. Design Notes: Court Intrigue is an attempt to capture the complicated politics of the fey within a game mechanic. Depending on the nature of the game, this may be an expedient way to get back to the action, or a clumsy replacement for roleplaying. In many campaigns it may be either depending on the current events. The DM should maintain full control of this class feature and use the mechanics as little or as much as desired. If the DM wants to maintain the full role-playing potential of the class, political intrigue should be played out as much as possible. If the player meets the challenges set before them, allow the character to take 10 on the Diplomacy skill check. Give the character the enhance favor bonus only if he really earns it. If the flow of the game makes it difficult to roleplay everything out, just make the roll and move on. Spell Like Abilities (Sp): You gain several spell-like abilities as you advance in level. These abilities are the same as or similar to the spell like abilities of pixies. They all function as spells cast by an 8th level sorcerer. Invisibility: cast 1/day at 4th level and 2/day at 7th level Minor image: cast 1/day at 6th level Polymorph self: cast 1/day at 8th level Major image: cast 1/day at 9th level Fey Lord: While a 9th level seelie knight, you must make a special visit to the Pixie Queen before you can advance to 10th level. During this visit, you re-affirm your vows in a formal ceremony. At the conclusion of the ceremony, you become a Fey Lord (or Lady). A Fey Lord is a powerful member of the Court, and is a proxy for the Queen herself. This promotion grants significant political and magical power to you, but also greatly increases the political complications of your life. As a Fey Lord, you may use each of your spell-like abilities one additional time per day. You may also summon 1d4+1 pixies once per day, as if casting a summon monster VII spell. Your caster level for this ability is your character level. One out of ten pixies summoned have the ability to cast irresistible dance (roll a d10 for each pixie, on a 1, the pixie can cast the spell as an 8th level sorcerer). These pixies are relatives of the Pixie Queen, and their safety is important. The death of any of them causes your next court intrigue Diplomacy check to be at a 2 penalty. Rarely, the Pixie Queen may refuse to allow one to advance to become a Fey Lord. If she refuses, you must either gain a level in some other class, or choose not to advance until you have 30 proven yourself worthy by completing additional favors for the Queen. Ex-Seelie Knights: A seelie knight who is no longer of good alignment, or who grossly violates the Oath of the Pixie Queen becomes an ex-seelie knight. The only way to regain your class abilities is to return to a good alignment, or perform some special favor for the Pixie Queen. This is always a difficult task that your political enemies will try to sabotage. A seelie knight who willingly commits an evil act becomes an ex-seelie knight forever. Ex-seelie knights cannot use any of their supernatural or spell-like class abilities. The Unseelie Court
The Unseelie Court is in many ways a mirror of the Seelie. They share many of the same supernatural traits and abilities. The flaws such as pride and lust are also found within the unseelie. However, they are often exaggerated to a vile extent. The members of the Unseelie court seek to harm and torment mortals as much as possible. Their preferred activities include the destruction of crops and material goods and the theft of children. They are resentful and spiteful towards the Seelie. They will attempt to bring harm, sorrow or shame to their Seelie cousins at any opportunity. It is worth pointing out that no evil fey are presented in the core rules. One simple way to create the Unseelie is to simply ignore the alignment recommendations for the available fey. A chaotic evil pixie or dryad is a simple and practical representative of the Unseelie court. Feel free to substitute alternate spell-like and supernatural abilities to complement the evil nature of these creatures. For example, an evil pixie might be able to use arrows that bestow curse.

About the Oath

The Oath as presented is simple and complete. It can be used as is with no further complications. However, if you want to present the Seelie Court as a deeply intricate and fickle society, a more complicated take on the code may be considered. Help the Poor with small favors: This is in keeping with the philosophy of the Pixie Queen and does not require great charity or sacrifice, but sincere modest aid. A basic judgment of worthiness may be included, and in some cases, the help provided may come in the form of a lesson in character. The lesson may be one that the pupil may not always be glad to receive. Serve the Seelie Court: This requirement is vague, and keeping it often demands great skill in the area of Diplomacy. Skill in Sense Motive and Perform are also valuable in managing the complicated politics of the Seelie Court. A basic task that may be required of a seelie knight is the simple delivery of messages or goods to mortals or other fey. The Seelie Court often tasks seelie knights with defending areas of special importance from goblins or men. They may also be required to disrupt the plans of the unseelie.

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats The real complications of these tasks come when various members of the seelie court engage in efforts to gain prestige. A pixie may send the seelie knight to bless the birth of a royal child. The task may be important to maintaining the relations between the mortal kingdom and the Seelie. Or it may simply be a ploy to draw him away from the protection of a grove sacred to a dryad who is a rival of the pixie. The seelie knight must determine which task is the most important to those currently in power as well as those who may be gaining in power. Punish Evil: The Seelie Court considers humiliation to be the greatest form of punishment. But the knight is given significant latitude in determining the best course, so long as the intent remains true. Commit No Evil Act: The only tenet of the Oath that is clear. Usually. Remain Celibate (unless with the Pixie Queen) The most direct sounding promise is always the most complicated in reality. In general, the knight must remain celibate. However, like the Pixie Queen, many of the highest members of her court are known to take human or elf form on regular occasion. The seelie knight must determine the political cost of disappointing a high member of the court versus the risk of upsetting the Pixie Queen. And they must always be careful to maintain the highest appearance of propriety, regardless of other necessities. Further, many lower members of the seelie (as well as the unseelie) community consider it a great political victory to seduce a seelie knight. All seelie knights know better than to risk being alone with a nymph. Focus: Rapier, Dodge, Skill Focus: Diplomacy, Improved Critical: Rapier, Mobility. SASneak Attack: +2d6 damage when flanking target or when the target is denied their Dex bonus to AC SAPixie Shot: Target must make a Fort DC 15 save or sleep when shot. SQHalf-Elf Traits (Ex): Immunity to sleep, +2 Save vs. enchantment spells and effects, low light vision, +1 bonus to Search, Spot and Listen checks, Eleven Blood SQFey Friend (Ex): +4 bonus to Charisma and Charisma based skill checks when dealing with non-evil Fey SQClear Mind (Su): +4 bonus to saves vs. enchantment and mind influencing magic SQFey Blood (Su): SR 18 SQInvisibility (Sp): As spell 1/day SQMinor Image (Sp): As spell 1/day. Equipment: +2 cloak of charisma, +2 gloves of dexterity, +1 mithral shirt, +1 small steel shield, +1 ring of protection, +1 rapier, +1 dagger. History: Several years ago Ternallav happened upon a clearing where a beautiful girl knelt, crying in terror as a pair of orcs hacked at a lone tree with their crude blades. Ternallav leapt upon the orcs and quickly dispatched them. He soon discovered the beautiful woman was, in fact, a dryad, and the orcs were attempting to steal her tree, in hopes of taking her captive as well. Ternallav soon found himself greatly enamored with the dryad, and stayed with her. Ternallav soon became a friend of all the dryads of the wood. Eventually, the Pixie Queen herself heard of his bravery and summoned him. Stunned by her beauty, he immediately dedicated himself to her service. Appearance: Ternallav wears bright clothing and is always smiling. He wears his hair in a variety of braids and styles, often adding feathers or a bright, exotic leaf for flair. He is thin and athletic, but not muscular. His open, charming face makes people trust him before he ever says a word. Personality: Ternallav is dedicated only to the Pixie Queen. The people he meets today are friends and the people he met yesterday are acquaintances. He is fun to be around, but is never around long enough to know. Using Ternallav: Ternallav can be very useful if the party has any business with the Pixie Queen. Or he can be a good way to introduce the Pixie Queen and her court into the adventures of the party. If the party is working for the side of a good cause, it is likely Ternallav will aid them, unless a service to his Queen demands him elsewhere. He is not likely to stick around for long.

Sample NPC
Pardon me, is that your nose or do you need healing? Ternallav, male half-elf Ftr3/Rog3/Seelie Knight6: CR12; Medium-size Humanoid (half-elf); HD 3d10+3d6+6d8+24; hp 73; Init +9; Spd 30 ft; AC 24 (+5 mithral shirt, +2 small steel shield, +1 ring of protection, +5 Dex, +1 dodge); Melee: +1 rapier +18/+13/+8 (1d6+2/crit 15-20); Ranged: +1 dagger +17 (1d4+2/crit 19); SA sneak attack, pixie shot; SQ half-elf traits, evasion, uncanny dodge, fey friend, clear mind, fey blood, spell-like abilities; AL NG; SV Fort +8, Ref +13, Will +7; Str 12, Dex 21, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +9, Climb +10, Craft: Bowyer +16, Diplomacy +18, Gather Information +9, Handle Animal +8, Hide +11, Move Silently +11, Perform +11, Use Magic Device +8; Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse: Rapier, Weapon

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats

Sensate
Blessing? I suppose. Sometimes I just wish it would go away. Sensates, sometimes known as mind knights, are psionic characters so repulsed by evil that they find the mere presence of evil to be discomforting. Long term exposure to creatures and items with auras of evil causes them anxiety or even pain. Destroying evil relieves these symptoms and provides a sense of peace. Most sensates are paladin/psychic warriors, but some are paladin/psions. Becoming a sensate is a natural process. One is not called to become a sensate, but the path is not taken by choice, either. Often, the class is taken subconsciously, with the character merely thinking of themselves as psionic paladins. Experienced sensates realize what they are and sometimes form organizations of their own. The powers of sensates are both divine and psionic. They may get their divine power from a patron deity, or it may be absorbed from the philosophies of law and good, but their minds always augment these granted powers. Most sensates are humans, but there are sensates from all races. Design Notes: This class uses the rules from the Psionics Handbook, and is appropriate only for campaigns that use those rules. Hit Dice: d8

Requirements
Alignment: Lawful good Base attack bonus: 5+ Base power points/day: 2+ Psionic Powers: You must have at least one psionic attack mode Special: You must be able to detect evil at will as a spell-like ability.

Class Skills
The class skills of a sensate (and the key abilities of each) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Ride (Dex), Stabilize Self (Con), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Psionic Device (Cha). Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sensates gain no new proficiencies with weapons or armor. Evil Sensitivity (Su): Whenever you are attacked by a creature, you automatically sense whether the attacking creature is evil or not, and which direction the attack is coming from. This ability makes it impossible for sensates to

Lvl

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Base Attack Bonus +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Special

Evil Sensitivity, Psionic Smite, Restoring Hands, Retribution (+1) +1 Manifester Level, Defense Against Evil Dodge Evil (dodge bonus), Mobility Against Evil (+4) +1 Manifester Level, Detect Evil Thoughts +1 Manifester Level, Retribution (+2) +1 Manifester Level, Dodge Evil (cannot be flanked by evil) Mobility Against Evil (+8) +1 Manifester Level +1 Manifester Level, Retribution (+3) +1 Manifester Level, Psionic Karma, Perfect Mobility Against Evil

Table 1-10, the Sensate

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats +1, you acquire new power points per day and associate with evil creatures over long periods. access to discovered powers and psionic combat After an hour in close proximity with an evil modes as if you had gained a level in your psionic creature, you gain a headache and suffer a 1 class (psion or psychic warrior). You gain no other circumstance penalty to all attacks, skill checks benefits from those classes. and saving throws. This penalty only goes away Defense Against Evil (Su): You have an when you have been away from evil creatures for uncanny intuition about how an evil at least an hour. creature will attack you. You gain a Effects that disguise or hide Dealing with Detection dodge bonus to AC equal to half your alignment, such as an undetectable sensate class level, rounded down, alignment spell, can fool this ability. The paladins detect evil ability, against attacks from evil creatures. Psionic Smite (Sp): Once per and the sensates detect evil Dodge Evil (Su): Your sensitivity day, before using a psionic attack thoughts can present problems to evil causes you to never lose your mode against an evil creature, you for those attempting to run a campaign with lots of hidden dodge bonuses to AC against evil may choose to make the attack a villains. A mystery adventure creatures for being flat-footed or psionic smite with a bonus to your is no fun when the players unaware. psionic attack roll equal to your figure out that the butler did it At 7th level, evil creatures Charisma bonus, if any. within 5 minutes. High-level divination spells can unravel A psionic smite adds half your surrounding you no longer effectively plots very quickly. sensate level, rounded down, to the flank you. There are two ability score damage rolled against an Evil rogues 4 levels higher than approaches a DM can take to evil psionic creature. your character level ignore this ability. makes such adventures challenging without taking Non-psionic evil creatures Mobility Against Evil (Su): At 3rd away abilities from the player subjected to a psionic smite are level you gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC characters: stunned for one additional round against attacks of opportunity Fight fire with fire: The instead. provoked from evil creatures by bad guys can use spells too. Undetectable alignment can If the attack is unsuccessful, or moving through their threatened foil detect alignment spells. the target creature was not evil, your areas. At 7th level, this bonus Nondetection can be adequate use of psionic smite is wasted for the increases to +8. protection from scrying. A day. Detect Evil Thoughts (Sp): You villain using detect good may spot the party as a threat You may perform a psionic smite may manifest detect thoughts (the before they spot him, and may twice per day at 5th level and three psionic power) with no power point take steps to avoid themor to cost, but only to read the mind of evil times per day at 9th level. take them out first. creatures. Restoring Hands (Sp): With a Give them lots to detect: Perhaps a city is filled with touch, you may heal a number of Perfect Mobility Against Evil mildly evil people, or the (Su): You never let your guard down ability score points per day equal to masquerade ball the paladin is against evil. When an evil creature your sensate class level. You may attending has mostly evil makes attacks of opportunity against heal up to this amount all at once, or guests. This works best in civilized settings where you that are provoked by movement spread it out over the day. paladins cannot just go around through their threatened areas, they You can use this ability to attack slaying everyone who shows always miss you. undead foes. Whenever succeeding up on their radar without Psionic Karma (Su): This ability with a melee touch attack against an breaking the law. If all the suspects are evil, then the may be used once per round when undead creature, you may cause paladin must do some you take damage from an evil creature temporary ability score damage to detective work. in melee, and does not require an their Strength score, up to the same However, do not forget action. amount that you can heal. A Will save that paladins were given the ability to detect evil for a Pay half your power points at DC 15 halves this damage. reason: to find the enemy. Let (minimum 2 points) to use psionic Retribution (Su): Whenever you them benefit from it most of the karma. You may attempt to cause a attack a creature that you have time without complications. wound inflicted on you by an evil determined to be evil through the use creature in melee to also inflict your of your detect evil or evil sensitivity attacker. Make a free attack with any abilities, you gain a +1 insight bonus psionic attack mode against your attacker. If to attack rolls against that creature for the rest of successful, instead of causing psionic damage, the combat. your opponent takes the same amount of melee This bonus increases to +2 at 5th level, and +3 damage you have just taken. at 9th level. Ex-Sensates: A sensate who willingly Manifester Level +1: Sensates continue to commits an act of evil or takes on an alignment develop their psionic powers as psions or psychic other than lawful good becomes an ex-sensate, warriors. Each level you gain manifester level 33

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats and loses all supernatural and spell-like abilities of the class (except they keep their manifester levels, bonus feats, evil sensitivity, and their dodge evil ability). An ex-sensate may regain its abilities by receiving atonement from a good cleric. cloak of resistance +2, psionic tattoos: body adjustment (x4), time hop (x4), mindlink (x4) History: Early in life, Delos was small for his age and often chased by bullies through the streets of the large city he called home. He got in fights every day and finally left home as a teenager to seek his fortune. Soon, he came upon a small village terrorized by an ogre named Garik. Garik regularly raided the village, taking what he wanted and beating anyone opposing him to death. Delos stood up to the huge creature and fought him off with a tree branch. A wandering paladin, also responding to the villages plight, witnessed this bravery and Delos incredible speed, and offered to take him into his order as a squire. After traveling with the paladin and becoming impressed with his selflessness, the order accepted Delos as a member. Some time later, when his liege died in battle, Delos began to feel pain whenever evil came near, and became a sensate. He has left the paladin order, and now wanders the world, looking for a powerful psion to help him deal with his abilities. So far, none have been able to help, but he has gained numerous contacts in the psionic underworld, and has a mentor of sorts who occasionally scribes psionic tattoos for him. Delos dislikes cities, but haunts them anyway, always in search of someone who can explain his abilities, and possibly offer a cure. Appearance: Delos is a thin man, appearing over thirty even though he is in his twenties, who nearly always wears a pained expression when in populated areas, due to his sensitivity to evil. Delos conceals his mithral shirt under voluminous cloaks and robes, and often poses as a traveling wizard or sage. His numerous tattoos are more difficult to conceal, and often mark him as a stranger. Personality: Delos personality is like that of a kind, cheerful man who happens to have a headache. Fits of irritability and impatience spoil his otherwise benevolent nature. He is always fighting to suppress the constant pain of evil auras. Using Delos: Delos can be used as a cohort by a psion or paladin, or as a source of information in a city. He is especially good at finding strong sources of tangible evil, such as evil outsiders or spellcasters. Delos might come to the player characters for help if an evil too powerful for him to fight is nearby.

Sample NPC
Evil destroys itself; our struggle is an easy one. Delos Ranthoon, male human Psychic Warrior 6/Pal 1/Sensate 3: CR 10; Medium Humanoid (human);HD 9d8+1d10; hp 59; Init +4; Spd 30ft; AC 23 (+5 Dex, +4 mithral shirt, +4 Inertial Armor); Melee +1 impact quarterstaff +10/+5 (1d6+6); SA psionic smite 1/day, psionics, retribution (+1); SQ: detect evil, lay on hands, evil sensitivity, restoring hands, dodge evil; AL LG; SV Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +8; Str 13, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Autohypnosis +11(10), Heal +11(10), Stabilize Self +11(10), Use Psionic Device +11(9); Inertial Armor, Great Sunder, Power Attack, Speed of Thought, Sunder, Weapon Focus (quarterstaff), Weapon Specialization (quarterstaff). Power Points: 16 /day Powers known: 0 level-burst, catfall, detect psionics; 1st level- biofeedback, call weaponry, hustle; 2nd level- body equilibrium, combat prescience; 3rd level - displacement Psionic Combat Modes known: empty mind, id insinuation, ego whip, mind blast SAPsionic Smite (Su): Once per day, Delos can add +2 bonus to a psionic attack roll, and a +1 bonus to the ability damage done by his psionic attack modes to evil psionic creatures, or stun an evil non-psionic creature for an additional round. SQLay on hands (Sp): Delos can heal up to 2 points of damage per day, and does not need to heal it all at one time. SQRestoring hands (Sp): Delos may heal up to 3 points of ability score damage per day, and can divine this healing up. He can also using these points to cause temporary Strength damage to undead creatures with a melee touch attack. SQRetribution (Su): Delos gains a +1 insight bonus to attack rolls against creatures he has detected as evil. SQDodge Evil (Ex): Delos never loses his Dexterity bonus to AC against evil creatures. Equipment: mithral shirt, impact quarterstaff +1 (Named Sorrow, this staff is mentally audible. It telepathically weeps every time it slays anything.),

34

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats

Sword Saint
Battle is righteous. A sword saint is a type of paladin who channels divine power into a holy blade. Sword saints usually do not refer to themselves as such, but typically call themselves paladins. Only the most powerful (usually level 7+) members of the class ever dare to use the title sword saint. Design Notes: This class is primarily for paladins who do not like casting spells. Some paladin players just like to fight, and this class gives them the opportunity to be very good at it without taking levels of fighter. Hit Dice: d10 each) are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Ride (Dex). Skill Points per Level: 2+ Int modifier

Class Features
Paladin abilities (Su): Your effective level for using the following abilities equals your sword saint level plus your paladin levels, if any: lay on hands and smite evil. In addition, sword saints may use smite evil one additional time per day. Code of Conduct: As paladins, sword saints follow the same Code of Conduct and associate restrictions. Heal Blade (Sp): You may use your lay on hands ability to cure damage dealt to a righteous, holy, or holy burst sword, including a sword that gained its ability from one of your sword saint class abilities or one summoned by you with the call holy avenger ability. Righteous Blade (Su): After meditating and attuning yourself to it for a full 24 hours, any single magical sword (including any of the following: bastard sword, great sword, long sword, rapier, scimitar, short sword, two-bladed sword) you wield gains the righteous special ability (See Chapter 4) but only while you wield it. Putting down the blade returns it to normal. If the sword already had the righteous, holy or holy burst special ability, then this class ability has

Requirements
Alignment: Lawful good Base attack bonus: +6 or higher Feats: Weapon Focus with any two of the following: bastard sword, great sword, long sword, rapier, scimitar, short sword, or two-bladed sword Special: You must have the paladins smite evil ability.

Class Skills
The sword saints class skills (and key abilities for Lvl Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 Special

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Paladin Abilities, Heal Blade, Righteous Blade My Blade is My Life Holy Blade Bonus Feat Holy Burst Blade Bonus Feat Call Holy Avenger

Table 1-11, the Sword Saint

35

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats no effect. Swords with the blasphemous, unholy, or unholy burst special abilities or with an evil alignment cannot be affected with this ability. You may only enhance two blades in this manner at any one time, one for each hand, and may remove the effect as a free action, if you wish to enhance a different blade. Smite Evil Blade (Sp): The corruption of steel cannot be tolerated. Once per day, whenever you are attacking a magical weapon, you may add your Charisma bonus to the attack roll, and deal 1 extra point of damage per sword saint class level. Your effective level for using this ability equals your sword saint class level plus your paladin level. My Blade is My Life (Su): Any time a sword enhanced by your sword saint class abilities takes damage; you may choose instead to take the damage yourself. Damage absorbed by you in this manner is not affected by damage reduction or spell effects, and must be taken. Using this ability is not an action. For example, Katrina, a sword saint, is battling Garog, an evil ogre fighter with the Sunder feat. Garog smashes his Huge greatclub down on Katrinas holy rapier +2 with a critical hit for 40 points of damage. To the ogres amazement, the sword holds true and does not even show a nick, but Katrina winces as blood trickles out of her mouth. Holy Blade (Su): This ability works the same as the righteous blade ability, except that the sword gains the holy special ability (see the DMG, Chapter 8, Magic Item Descriptions, Weapons) for as long as you hold it. Bonus Feat: Sword saints gain bonus feats at 5th and 9th levels. They may choose any feat they meet the prerequisite for that requires them to specify a weapon type or that has the paladins smite evil ability as a prerequisite. The weapon type they specify must be a sword (including any of the following: bastard sword, greatsword, katana, longsword, rapier, scimitar, shortsword, or two-bladed sword). Holy Burst Blade (Su): This ability works the same as the righteous blade ability, except that the sword gains the holy burst special ability (see Chapter 4) while you wield it. Call Holy Avenger (Sp): Once per day, as a standard action you may summon an ancient blade used by a legendary paladin. The blade appears in your hand for a number of rounds equal to the sum of your paladin and sword saint levels. The blade is usually a holy avenger, but the DM may choose a different weapon with a good alignment of equal or lesser value if it better fits the situation. For example, a sword saint facing a horde of undead may receive a sun blade. 36 Blades summoned in this manner may also be intelligent, if the DM so chooses, and can offer advice or knowledge, and not just serve as a weapon. Ex-Sword Saint: If you ever lose the ability to smite evil, for instance by becoming an ex-paladin, then you become an ex-sword saint and lose the use of all your special abilities until you regain the smite evil ability by atoning. Deathblade: A deathblade is an evil prestige class with abilities similar to that of a sword saint, except they gain no paladin abilities, and instead of righteous, holy and holy burst blades; the deathblade imbues his blades as blasphemous, unholy, or unholy burst weapons, respectively. Instead of smite evil blade, they can smite good blades, and can call an unholy destroyer (see Chapter 4) instead of a holy avenger. In addition, deathblades do not need to be able to smite evil. They only need to be evil, to have a base attack bonus of +6 or higher, and to swear an oath to serve an evil outsider in exchange for their powers, the same as a blackguard. Ex-sword saints who take this dark path exchange all of their ex-sword saint levels for deathblade levels. Returning to the sword saint class after taking this oath is impossible. Deathblades who violate their oath or become non-evil lose all class abilities and become exdeathblades forever. Like ex-sword saints, exdeathblades lose all their special abilities.

Sample NPC
Time to send you back. Katrina Hellbane, female human Rng3/Pal3/Sword Saint 5: CR11; Medium-size Humanoid (human); HD 11d10+22; HP 71; Init +3; Spd 30ft; AC 18 (+3 Dex, +5 large shield); Melee +2 keen longsword +14/+9/+4 (1d8+2/crit 1520/x2); SA smite evil 3/day, favored enemy; SQ detect evil, divine grace, divine health, lay on hands, aura of courage, remove disease 1/week, turn undead, heal blade, my blade is my life, holy blade; AL LG; SV Fort +15, Ref +9, Will +7;Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Animal Empathy +9(6), Heal +4(3), Hide +7(6), Knowledge (the planes) +7(6), Listen +7(6), Move Silently +7(6), Ride +12(9), Spot +7(6), Wilderness Lore +7(6); Bolster Smite, Improved Critical (longsword), Expertise, Smite Favored Enemy*, Track, Weapon Focus (rapier), Weapon Focus (longsword). * New feat, see page 4. SAVirtual Feats (Ex): As long as she wears nothing heavier than light armor, Katrina may use the Two Weapon Fighting and Ambidexterity feats.

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 1: Classes and Feats her the paradise she would someday visit. The She sometimes uses this ability to bash with her experience overwhelmed her, and she answered shield when faced with multiple, weak foes. the call of duty with a proud heart. SA-Favored Enemies (Ex): Katrina has Now the same creatures that killed her sister selected devils as her favored enemy. She gains are conquering her land, and she searches for a a +1 bonus to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot way to fight them while hoping to and Wilderness Lore checks rescue her sister from hell itself. regarding devils and deals +1 point Organization Statblocks Recently, Katrina accepted of damage in melee to devils. leadership of the Sisters of Far SASmite Evil (Su): Three See Chapter 2 and 3 for more information on tenets and paladin Isle, a paladin order spanning the times per day, Katrina may add +3 orders. island archipelago she calls home. to an attack roll against an evil By summarizing organizations Appearance: Katrina shuns opponent, and if she hits, adds +8 to into a statblock-like format, you can armor, preferring warmer climates the damage. If the opponent is a give players information on your campaign at a glance. and as little clothing as possible, devil, she does +11 damage and even going topless when the instead, plus the damage from the Sisters of the Far Isle: Paladin Order local culture allows it. Her body is favored enemy ability. One of her Summary: The Sisters of the Far toned and deeply tanned. She smites for the day can only be used Isle are an all female order of ranger/paladins, some of which are likes jewelry, but seldom wears against devils. sword saints. They were originally much when fighting. She usually SQLay on Hands (Sp): Katrina formed when a magical plague killed carries a magical longsword, and may heal up to 33 points of damage most of the men on the islands. sometimes a backup weapon, per day. She can divide his healing Recently, the order has not been active, but an invasion of devils has usually a masterwork shortsword. up as she likes. caused them to rally. Note that they Personality: Katrina is driven SQTurn Undead (Su): Katrina have no prejudices against males, but to fight the fiends of hell on their turns undead as a 1st level cleric up there are very few males on the Far own ground. She knows she to 6 times per day. Isles and none have been called to duty in recorded history. cannot confront them directly, at SQMy Blade is My Life (Su): Race: Any, but humans are the least not yet, and is content to Katrina may take any damage most common. All are female. merely thwart their plans on the inflicted on a blade she wields. Patron Deity: none, the Sisters prime material plane. Being a SQHoly Blade (Su): Any are secular Common Feat Progression: paladin is a source of great pride sword Katrina wields gains the holy Bolster Smite, Weapon Focus, to Katrina; it gives her a focus in special ability (+2d6 holy damage Improved Critical, Smite Favored life. She does not think of herself against evil creatures). Enemy. as a sword saint, but simply as a Equipment: +2 keen longsword, Skills: Max out Heal and Knowledge (the planes) (crossclass) paladin who disdains spellcasting. +3 large steel shield, mw May freely multiclass as: Using Katrina: Katrina is shortsword, mw chainmail bikini Rangers likely to be encountered away History: Tired of fighting a Tenets: Must never surrender, from her homeland on a quest to guerrilla war from the wild jungles of though they may retreat. (tactical) Must not have a patron deity. All find allies against the diabolic their island, Katrinas older sister, a Sisters of the Far Isle worship their invaders of her islands. powerful wizard, summoned fiends ancestors and gain their powers from What she does not realize is to protect their tropical island home the spirits of female warriors. that her sister Elena is now a from invaders. Though her sisters (cultural/tactical) Alignment (Tilt): LG (NG) powerful succubus wizard and a intentions were good, she made one key part of the invading force. pact too many with a pit fiend and Rather than destroying Katrina, lost her soul to darkness. Katrina Elena seeks to corrupt her into becoming a watched her sisters soul sink into hell, and was deathblade. Elena will attempt to seduce any forever changed. At the age of 20, she picked up paladin helping Katrina with the same goal in mind: her mothers sword and charged through the still corruption. Elena does not want to destroy open portal into a dark place of fiery doom. anyone; she is looking for recruits to join the forces She remembers well the torture she suffered. of hell for the blood war. Shortly after her foolish attack, a raiding party of solars rescued her. They healed her and showed

37

Chapter 2: Roleplaying Paladins

Three things define a paladin: 1. Paladins are called into service. No character chooses to become a paladin. The player may choose to have his character multiclass as a paladin, but the character cannot choose this path. 2. They must be of lawful good alignment. 3. They swear to follow a strict Code of Conduct and not to associate with those of evil alignment. The paladin is the only class that can lose their class abilities forever because of a roleplaying restriction. The goal of this chapter is not to tell anyone how they should play paladins, or to give definitive rules on what is Good, Evil, or even Honorable. The DMs interpretation of alignment and the Code of Conduct is the only one that matters, not what it says in this book. The main goal of the chapter is to get the DM and paladin player thinking and talking about these issues before playing the game. The biggest problem with playing paladins is the potential for misunderstandings between the DM and player. Take some time to talk about the issues in this chapter between game sessions, and fewer problems will pop up during play.

Answering the Call

I remember when I first saw the unicorn beckoning me to follow him into a verdant forest. At first it was merely in my dreams, and I convinced myself that I had merely eaten too much rich food, even though never before had I dreamed in color or smelled such sweet air. I ran away from the noble beast. I was afraid, not of the creature, but to accept such responsibility. After some time, the wicked deeds of others and the cries of the victims hurt like a splinter in my heart, and the nighttime dreams became daytime visions. Walking to the unicorn gave me peace and took the pain away. I am no longer afraid. You and the DM should decide who has called your paladin into service and why. Picking up a level of paladin is not like taking a level of rogue or fighter. It is much more than a skill set or a style of fighting. Becoming a paladin is a serious life event that starts with the call. Paladins have all answered the call of duty, but not all do so for the same reasons. Choosing the motivation for your paladins drive is essential. The reason for taking on the challenge of paladinhood defines how a paladin will operate. 38

Paladins and Religion

There are a couple of myths regarding paladins and religion. The first myth is that paladins are called by and must follow a patron deity. This is not always the case. Paladins can be called by the philosophy of righteousness, by a powerful abstract force, or a powerful creature that is not quite a god. The second myth is that paladins always gain their powers from a patron deity. There is no need for a paladin to follow a specific deity, and even if a paladin chooses to do so, that god may not be the source of their powers. Usually, whatever called the paladin in the first place grants the paladins powers, but not always. Gods or creatures who grant powers to paladins must have levels as paladins themselves, and are therefore lawful good and follow the same Code of Conduct. The fact is that some paladins are not very religious at all. These secular paladins may swear allegiance to a good government, an honorable conclave of wizards, or even a benevolent thieves guild that operates to thwart an evil government. They may answer to no one except their conscience and operate independently. However, secular paladins are the exception in most campaigns. Paladins rely on clerics, most of whom have a patron deity with an organized religion. They need clerics for their wisdom, their healing power, and sometimes for their ability to cast atonement.

Following are some motivations, with examples, and implications of each. You can choose one or more for your character.

Benevolent
Motivation: You have a deep caring for others. Examples: You have seen too many innocents die, perhaps in a war or massacre. Implications: Your main goal is to prevent the plans of evil from succeeding and save as many lives as possible. Given the choice of rescuing captives or killing their oppressors, you will not hesitate to choose the former.

Justice
Motivation: You have been wronged by evil and you want innocents to have justice. And yes, perhaps you want vengeance as well. Examples: A loved one was murdered, you were enslaved, something you created was destroyed, or perhaps you grew up in an evil land where all of these things happened, or worse. Implications: You focus on punishing evil for wrongdoing.

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 2: Roleplaying Paladins Given the choice of defending a ravaged town from further attacks or hunting down the raiders in a preemptive strike, you will choose the latter every time. cleric of your deity, or may have even spoken faceto-face with your god. Implications: Religion is a cornerstone of your paladinhood. You are likely to take the advice of clerics of your faith, and spend a great deal of time studying religion and defending your church. You focus on defeating foes that follow opposing faiths.

Lawfully Inclined
Motivation: You want the power to enforce the law of the land. Examples: You are in a land that has descended into anarchy, or have been victimized by criminals. Implications: You focus on fighting chaotic enemies and working with legitimate authority.

Tradition
Motivation: You were raised to fight evil. Examples: Your father was a paladin and so was his. You learned to wield a sword as soon as you could walk, and could ride a horse before that. Implications: All of your life you have known that you would answer the call. Doing so came as naturally as breathing, and you know little else. You have a hard time relating to non-paladins, and tend to fight the same forces of evil that your to play a elders faced. option that

Redemption
Motivation: You have committed terrible acts in your past, and hope to redeem your soul with acts of goodness. Examples: You may have done a series of evil acts, or perhaps only one terrible thing. It may or may not be a secret. You may have enemies who were once allies, mentors, or students. Implications: You tend to fight those who committed evil acts similar to your crimes. Planning to Fail

Reluctant

Motivation: You did not really want to be a paladin, but the calling was too strong to ignore. Examples: Sometimes the need for a paladin is so great that it is forced on a creature. A higher power drafts these reluctant souls into service, and forces them to become paladins. Implications: Even though you did not want to answer the call, you have a great sense of responsibility and now that you are a paladin, you find it difficult to reject the burden. You are cynical about the whole situation, and tend to disdain other paladins and religious organizations. You do not exactly think of paladinhood as a curse, but it is certainly no blessing to you.

When planning paladin, there is an many players and DMs overlook. You can plan to play a paladin who violates the Code of Conduct and eventually becomes an expaladin. Why would you want to do this? You may be interested a prestige class that rewards expaladin levels, such as the chaos knight or blackguard. However, do not forget the roleplaying opportunities gained by playing a character with expaladin levels. If the focus of your game is on roleplaying instead of combat, playing a fallen paladin can be great fun. Imagine the angst and uncertainty of such a character, the relationships with those he may have betrayed, and the temptations he will face from those trying to get him to ally with evil as a blackguard.

Pride
Motivation: You have a craving for power, and believe it should go to the righteous, that is, you. Examples: You might be a religious leader, noble, or politician. You have a lot of confidence, and are probably successful and respected in the community by many. Implications: Paladins motivated by pride may be righteous warriors of law and good, but also wish to make themselves more powerful because they believe they are more worthy than others. If you are interested in a holier than thou personality, or plan to play an ex-paladin (see boxed text) this is one way to go.

Zealous
Motivation: You are driven to fight evil. It is an addiction for you. Examples: Defeating evil gives you an emotional high, almost like a drug, or you feel physically sick if you allow evil to win, or both. Implications: You tend to fight evil wherever you find it, and as quickly as possible. Given the choice between traveling for a week to slay a great source of evil like a demon, or traveling overnight to fight a lesser evil, you would choose the latter, then would do a forced march to defeat the demon while hoping to run into bandits along the way. 39

Revelation
Motivation: You have recently been divinely inspired. Examples: Your faith in your patron deity is new and sudden. You may have witnessed a miracle, may have been healed or raised by a

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 2: Roleplaying Paladins

Paladins and Alignment

paladin might prefer to fight a chaotic evil monster Being lawful good means that you are honorable on a rampage rather than topple the regime of a and compassionate. You are willing to risk lawful evil ruler. yourself to protect the innocent and to fight evil in They tend to prefer open combat an honorable way. You keep your rather than tactics requiring stealth, word and follow the laws of legitimate Does Alignment ranged weapons, or deception. They authority. You see the value of Determine Behavior? never lie, even if innocents might be organization and teamwork. hurt, but might stay stubbornly silent. However strict paladins may be, Remember that you are Orders that have this tilt may place a they sometimes commit acts that are not required to roleplay in heavy emphasis on honor and not purely lawful good. Typically, accordance with your alignment. Instead, your tradition, and often promote the ideals paladins and organizations of paladins alignment should be of chivalry. lean in one of two directions when determined by the way you Neutral Good Tilt: Paladins with straying from the perfect path of lawful play your character, as this tilt sometimes go with the belief good: They lean towards lawful interpreted by the DM. You choose your starting that the end justifies the means. To neutral or neutral good. These alignment, but after that, the a paladin with this tilt, service to the leanings are the tilt of a paladin or DM decides what it is, based forces of good is slightly more paladin organization. on your behavior. important than a dedication to law. Remember that if a paladins In other words, the DM should never say Youre This tilt is more common, because alignment actually changes to one of lawful good, you cant do that!, the paladins Code of Conduct these alignments, then they violate but could say Are you sure promotes good behavior more their Code of Conduct and become you want to do that, it may vigorously than lawful behavior. ex-paladins until they atone. A tilt affect your alignment?. If the DM feels you have Paladins with this tilt are more merely defines which way a paladin committed an evil act, you likely to use deception, sneak attacks, errs when confronted with a moral could end up playing an exand disguises to protect the innocent dilemma requiring him to choose paladin. If that seems too and fight evil. They still do not lie or between the ideals of law and good. restricting, do not play a paladin. The class is defy legitimate authority. However, Some paladins do not have a tilt, or go subjective and challenging to such paladins have been known to back and forth between the two ideals, play, and may not be fun for use loopholes in the law, omit certain and a few paladins (but almost no you. facts, and ask for forgiveness rather organizations of paladins) are beyond than permission. reproach and tread the difficult path of Orders of paladins with a neutral good tilt tend law and good with perfection. to place more importance on individuality and Lawful Neutral Tilt: A paladin with a lawful occasionally go on covert missions, frequently neutral tilt is sometimes more concerned about law using the undetectable alignment spell. and order than the well being of others. Such a

The Code of Conduct

You must understand that the Code is more than a set of guidelines, rules, or even religious laws. It is our strategic plan for defeating the forces of evil. You may win a few battles without the Code. However, those who are called must rise above our enemies; only by fighting from a higher moral ground can we hope to win the war. - An unnamed mentor The paladin is one of the few examples in the d20 system of using roleplaying restrictions to balance game mechanics. That is because the paladin is a special class, and worthy of such an exception. The fantasy genre would not be complete without them. Unfortunately, the Code makes the paladin hard to play. Its interpretation is subjective. The 40 goal of this section is to explain the paladins Code of Conduct in detail. It is one view of the Code, and not necessarily your DMs view, so be sure to talk to your DM about their interpretation before play. The paladins restrictions on associates technically are not part of the Code of Conduct, but are a part of the Code in spirit and so are commented on here.

The Code, Line-by-Line

A paladin must be of lawful good alignment Remember that while the player chooses the initial alignment of a character, the DM may change it to reflect your actions (see the Players

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 2: Roleplaying Paladins Handbook, Chapter 6: Description, Alignment). spell. Note: A paladin who willingly and Lawful good means that you are both honorable deliberately commits an evil act can never regain and compassionate. It does not mean following her paladinhood. Unwillingly, unwittingly, the rules just because you dont and deliberately are the key want to be punished, or being Evil Player Characters words here. Committing evil good to others when it is acts because of the influence of convenient for you. Being lawful Where does it say you cant play an a magical item or spell is not a good means that you go out of evil character? According to the Players willing violation. Being tricked your way to uphold the best ideals Handbook, The first six alignments, lawful good through chaotic neutral, are the into performing an evil act is of society in order to make things standard alignments for player characters. also not willingly committing an better for others. The three evil alignments are for monsters evil act. All of this is subjective. and villains. So if the DM allows evil player Acts of evil performed Others often view people who characters, understand that youre playing a variant, and not the standard rules. unwillingly or unwittingly are not think they are lawful good in real An evil player character in the party truly evil, just as forcing or life as neutral good or even presents a problem. It limits the class tricking a demon into doing neutral. In fact, even the most choices of the other players. You cannot something good would not truly notorious villains, in both fiction effectively play a paladin if there is an evil player character in the group because of be a good act on the part of the and real life, rarely think of the paladins restrictions on associates, and demon. However, evil acts themselves as evil, and often the evil character also cannot be effectively committed unwillingly may be consider themselves righteous. played, at least not without potentially considered dishonorable; the However, this is not real life; it is a disruptive conflicts between the characters, or even the players. Paladins dont look the DM may rule that they leave a fantasy roleplaying game. In the other way with regard to the behavior of stain on the soul and still cause game, the DMs point of view on their companions. a paladin to lose his special your alignment is the only one that abilities until the paladin atones. counts. There are several solutions to this problem: Note that since paladins Talk with the DM before play 1. Do not allow evil player characters. cannot cast atonement, most about alignment changes. There This is the simplest solution, and is paladins have close ties to is no hard rule on when a DM can recommended. Many evil character clerics. The temple or church change your alignment, so when concepts, especially grim anti-heroes out for vengeance can be portrayed may have quite a bit of influence playing a paladin you need to with a neutral alignment just fine, and over paladins in the campaign know how strict your DM will be. a neutral character can commit an evil world. Will they change your alignment at act now and then without becoming Committing an evil act while the slightest infraction, after a evil. 2. Modify the paladins associates under duress is still considered series of violations, or somewhere restriction so that she can adventure to be willingly and deliberately in-between? Alternatively, will with evil characters for limited times. committing evil. Paladins of 2nd they give you a warning, or even This is not recommended, since it leave alignment changes up to level and higher are immune to cheapens the paladin class and is not logical. But perhaps the evil character you? Any of these methods are fear, so tactics such as is trying to change his ways, and the within the rules and perfectly intimidation, threats or torture paladin is trying to convert him. This acceptable, and since this directly have no direct effect on them. shouldnt go on forever though. If the affects the game play of your However, they may be tempted evil character does not change alignments, the paladin should stop character, you should know how it to go astray to save innocents. associating with him. will be handled. For example, a paladin harming 3. Do not allow paladins as player If you are the DM, go out of innocents under the order of an characters. This is obviously not your way to let players of enemy holding his companions recommended; since you are reading this book, it is unlikely that this option alignment based classes hostage would become an exinterests you. (paladins, monks, etc) know how paladin. This may seem unfair, you handle these issues. but to a paladin, evil should not There may be other solutions, but it be dealt with, it should be and loses all special really boils down to this: If youre running a heroic campaign, then evil player defeated, and giving into the abilities if she ever willingly characters dont belong, and if youre not demands of those who take commits an act of evil. running a heroic campaign, then paladins This is perhaps the most hostages merely encourages dont belong. misunderstood part of the code. more hostage taking. The To truly understand it, you must worldview of a paladin with also reference the atonement spell description: respect to good and evil is black and white, with no shades of gray to hide in. A paladin who has lost her class features due All it takes is one willing, deliberate act of evil to unwillingly or unwittingly committing an evil act to turn a paladin into an ex-paladin forever, no may have her paladinhood restored to her by this 41

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 2: Roleplaying Paladins not consider that a gross violation of the Code matter the severity of the evil. Even if the paladins unless the tactic is repeated often or when alignment does not change from lawful good, and alternatives are available. Remember that even if the end seems to justify the means, one paladins are heroes. Fighting against terrible odds small act of evil is all it takes. No one said being a is always considered a valid alternative, and paladin was easy. risking your life is not an option, it is expected. Additionally, a paladins code requires Using surprise, attacking with a ranged that she respect legitimate authority, weapon, using the Bluff skill to feint, attacking an Here, the code shifts gears. Beginning with unaware enemy, or attacking a fleeing villain is this line, only gross violations of the code can perfectly acceptable and does not violate the cause a paladin to lose their special abilities and Code. Remember that deception is part of the art become an ex-paladin. The definition of a gross of war, and a paladin is a warrior class. In fact, violation is subjective and up to the DM. It could one of the spells on the paladin spell list is mean only clear and flagrant violations such as undetectable alignment, a spell designed to openly refusing the direct orders of a good king, or deceive. it could mean repeated violations, The abilities of other classes are like consistently avoiding taxes over The Culture Trap not automatically dishonorable. A the course of a year or more. multiclassed rogue/paladin can use Legitimate authority can be People in different times and lands often have vastly sneak attack in combat without taken to mean a non-evil leader or different values. Concepts violating the Code. Sneak attacks organization of a leader respected by considered barbaric in the real st represent striking a vital spot when an the majority of the beings they have world in the 21 century (at enemy is not in a position to protect influence over. If the majority of the least in most of it, thankfully), such as slavery, torture, and themselves effectively, and are not people want to overthrow an human sacrifice were not necessarily the same as a stab in the unpopular monarch, then the current considered to be all that bad back. government might not be considered by some in medieval times, Likewise, a sorcerer/paladin or the legitimate authority by the Code. and just another part of a very rough place where life had little cleric/paladin could use non-evil spells Religion can help here. A paladins value. such as charm person, harm or hold church usually specifies the legitimate Take a fresh look at your person in combat without violating the political authority in a region. campaign world and decide Code. Such spells might seem Also, please note that paladins how it is socially the same, and how it is different from the real unfair, but so is stabbing someone need not respect evil authority. A truly world. with a sword and wearing armor, from evil government, such as a land ruled Players of paladins need a certain point of view. by a devil, a wicked king who uses to know what is considered Attacking a helpless foe, slaying terror to enforce his authority, or an good and evil by the forces that grant them their powers, someone for committing a minor act of evil temple or clerical order can be and more importantly, by the evil, or not showing mercy to a openly opposed. Evil is never DM. Rescuing the princess surrendering foe could be considered considered legitimate, and the fight might not be the lawful good dishonorable. Using poison is clearly against evil takes priority over any thing to do at all. prohibited. respect due to authority. Nevertheless, it is ultimately up to act with honor (not lying, not the DM what dishonorable means. Remember cheating, not using poison, etc.) that it takes a gross violation of this part of the Honor can be quite subjective and often Code for a paladin to lose their abilities. Slaying a depends on culture. This aspect of the Code surrendering or fleeing foe might be an appropriate should never restrict the paladin so much that they action, if the paladin believes the foe is able and cannot effectively and vigorously fight evil. willing to escape and harm innocents, or if the It is clear that not lying means that paladins paladin has no means of taking prisoners. Using should always tell the truth. Lying to your allies poison against a foe immune to your normal and those in legitimate authority is clearly against attacks might be the only way to save innocent the Code. However, not lying does not mean lives. For reasons such as this, the Code is not as that you have to speak at all. Remaining silent strict on matters of honor as it is on committing when questioned is quite acceptable. In addition, acts of evil. not lying does not mean that deceptive tactics In any case, remember that the paladin is a like disguising yourself to infiltrate an enemy fighting class, and perfectly capable of winning fortress are forbidden. Even if you do lie, against evil in a fair fight, and sometimes when the remember that it would take a gross violation of odds are stacked against them. Paladins should this part of the Code to lose your powers. If lying always try to win with honor. to an enemy saves the lives of innocents or otherwise thwarts evil, your DM probably should 42

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 2: Roleplaying Paladins Getting back to what this part of the Code help those who need help (provided they does say, the word punish is probably the most do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends) ambiguous word in the Code, and Refusing to help an innocent is for good reason. Paladins are only acceptable if the paladin has prior Punishing Paladins empowered, and indeed required, to obligations that are more critical in the use force to protect and avenge the overall fight against evil. This is a You are the DM and one of innocent. The type of force, or judgment call that the paladin must the player characters, a paladin, has just done something that you punishment, depends on the threat. make. find questionable. Should you They are the judge, jury and Should he stay and help protect take away his powers? Force executioner of those who harm or the village against an impending him to seek atonement? Give seek to harm an innocent creature. attack by ogres that might not come him some subtle warnings? Talk to him out of character? Often, lethal force is not required for a week or more, or continue on his There are many ways to or advisable. For example, slaying quest to slay the evil troll lord, thereby handle the situation, but always an evil king who tortures his subjects saving many villages? Perhaps a consider the following: The might seem like the correct thing to preemptive strike on the ogres on the paladin isnt much different from a lawful good fighter/cleric as far do, but if it throws the land into a way to the troll lords fortress would be as role-playing considerations or chaotic civil war where many more possible. Balancing the needs of the abilities. In most campaigns, a innocents will suffer, another course many with the needs of the few is lawful good fighter/cleric almost of action may be advisable. difficult. Ultimately, the paladin must never loses his class abilities for infractions or even highly Punishment in this case may be accept that he cannot help everyone questionable actions. simply finding a righteous ruler and and must make a choice. Consider how you would imprisoning the current ruler. A wise paladin will realize that treat a lawful good fighter/cleric The word innocents is also when someone asks for help, what who committed the same act. Would you do anything? If not, subject to interpretation. A simple they say they need and what they then consider giving the paladin a definition of an innocent is someone really need are not necessarily the break. Whoever or whatever in who is not guilty of committing or same things. Staying a day to teach your campaign granted the planning to commit an evil act. This the villagers how to defend against the paladin his powers would be loath to take them away. As long includes those of neutral alignment ogres might be more helpful to them in as the paladin is performing, that who have not committed evil acts the long run than waiting around and is, effectively protecting the and do not intend to do so. Some helping in the actual fight. innocent and fighting evil, a few neutral creatures are certainly not The spirit of this part of the Code minor infractions on the Code of Conduct will likely be overlooked innocent and have evil inclinations. is that the paladin does whatever is by those powers, and should be Evil creatures are not innocent, possible to help others. He must go overlooked by you. since they have committed acts that the extra mile and do beyond what The focus of the game is on have caused their alignment to shift others would do. Every waking hour heroic fantasy, not morals and ethics in the real world. to evil, or are simply evil by nature. is spent upholding the ideals of the Paladins should be held to a In any case, a paladin should Code, and a paladin should never higher standard than lawful good consider a creature to be innocent deny others aid just because it is fighter/clerics, and as long as the until they prove otherwise. inconvenient or dangerous. moral challenges the players face are fun, it is ok. But try not to be Remember, however, that a and punish those that harm or too strict. Let the paladin get paladin is not restricted from aiding threaten innocents. away with a few mistakes if the an evil creature. The most This section of the Code of action was borderline. No benevolent paladins have been Conduct has great meaning, not matter what type of ruling youre making, its generally better for known to save villains from fates because of what it says, but because the campaign to err on the side of that even they did not deserve, and of what it omits. the players. They only control have even managed to redeem such There is no mention in the Code one character, and taking away souls. that evil must be punished, or that that characters powers is an extreme measure. Of course, the most evil evil needs to be slain. Being evil is offenders, the types that paladins not enough to warrant a paladins seek out with the most vigor, must attention. A creature must be a threat be destroyed, and a paladin should not hesitate to to innocents to incur a paladins wrath. carry out that sentence. Clerics of evil deities, evil Paladins do not go hunting red dragons or outsiders, and undead are examples of creatures attacking tribes of ogres just because they are who radiate a palpable form of evil that must be almost always evil, nor do they use their detect evil banished. Granting mercy to such a foe is ability like a police radar designed to catch inadvisable, as it is unlikely they will change their speeders. Paladins exist to thwart the plans of evil ways. in order to prevent suffering and to deter future acts of evil. 43

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 2: Roleplaying Paladins Associates: While she may adventure with Adding to the Code with Tenets characters of any good or neutral alignment, a paladin will never knowingly associate with evil Because the Code is part of the game balance for characters. A paladin will not continue an the paladin class, we do not recommend changing association with someone who consistently it. Making it less strict dilutes the paladin class. offends her moral code. A paladin may only hire However, adding to the Code to reflect a religious henchmen or accept followers who are lawful or cultural aspect of your paladin is a good idea, if good. done in moderation. Additions to the Code of Simply put, paladins only ally with heroes. Conduct are called tenets. Paladins will use their detect evil ability on The tenets of your organization may change prospective companions, and so will over time. For instance, an invasion of not foolishly ally with evil creatures. undead might prompt a paladin order Paladins and Chivalry Nothing, however, prevents a to adopt a tenet requiring paladins to paladin from having friends of good always destroy any undead Paladin orders (particularly or neutral, or even chaotic, encountered before any other those with a lawful neutral tilt) alignments. Many paladins will enemies. sometimes promote the ideals of respect the opinions and advice of chivalry. Chivalry is defined as Alternatively, your order may The qualities idealized by such friends, even if they disagree experience a schism, dividing into two knighthood, such as bravery, on some or many points. sides with different tenets. They need courtesy, honor, and gallantry Paladins will never approve of not become sworn enemies or attempt toward women. It is best dishonorable or chaotic behavior, represented by the use of tenets. to destroy one another, but may Suggested tenets for an order and will not tolerate evil. They will simply be rival churches with committed to chivalry include: not conveniently walk away when irreconcilable philosophical Always show courtesy to the partys chaotic neutral rogue is differences. Even lawful good women (or men if you are interrogating prisoners or pilfering female and your culture organizations can bitterly disagree on perceives men as the the temple coffers. Lawful good some points. weaker sex) (cultural) does not mean lawful stupid; Tenets can be cultural or tactical Always offer a salute to your roleplay paladins according to their in nature. Tactical tenets are the most enemy before going into Intelligence scores, but do not battle. A salute is a restrictive, and include anything that respectful gesture that takes compromise their integrity. restricts how the paladin behaves in a move equivalent action to If the other player characters combat or when adventuring. Cultural perform (It is probably a consistently and flagrantly violate tenets are usually more religious in good idea to take the Salute your moral code, talk to them and of Honor feat, see chapter nature and impact roleplaying instead 1). (tactical) the DM out of the game, and try to of combat. Some examples of tenets Never surrender to the find a solution. Paladins belong in that could be added to the Code of enemy (tactical) heroic campaigns, and if that is not Conduct might include: Never run from the enemy the type of game you are in, there unless the odds are Undead (or some other will be problems. On the other overwhelming. (tactical) specific foe, such as evil Show proper respect for hand, you cannot expect the other outsiders, drow, evil giants, authority by always following characters, even if they are lawful blackguards, etc.) must be formal rules of etiquette. good, to follow the Code like a destroyed at every opportunity (cultural) paladin, so try to show some before any other enemies. Always wear brightly tolerance, especially if the party is polished heavy armor of the (tactical) highest quality and helping you fight evil and protect the Paladins must tithe to the appearance. (tactical) innocent. temple or church (that is, you Note that although paladins can must donate 10% or more of detect evil, they have no magical your wealth). (tactical) way of determining whether a potential henchman Paladins may only own a certain amount is lawful good. It can be assumed that they only of wealth. (tactical) hire those that they know personally or by You may only own one or two magic items reputation, or depend greatly on detect good and of each type. (tactical) detect law spells cast by a friendly clerical order. A paladin must remain celibate. (cultural) Violating the paladins rules on associates A paladin must not eat meat, or a certain should be treated like a gross violation of the Code type of meat. (cultural, or tactical if food is of Conduct. Paladins who do so should lose their scarce) special abilities until they atone. Mercy must always be offered to a surrendering foe. (tactical) 44

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 2: Roleplaying Paladins Mercy must never be shown to an evil opponent. (tactical) Paladins may not attack an unaware opponent, or use sneak attacks. (tactical) Paladins must pray for at least 1 minute at dawn or some other specific time. (cultural, but may have tactical implications Hold them off while I pray!) Ranged weapons, or certain types of ranged weapons such as crossbows, are dishonorable and must never be used. (tactical) Senior paladins or clerics of the faith must always be obeyed. (both cultural and tactical) Only a specific weapon type or types, (swords and lances, bludgeoning weapons, etc.) or perhaps only a gods favored weapon, may be used (tactical) Remember that adding to the Code of Conduct can make an already difficult class to play even more so. Do not make the paladin class unplayable. Adding one or two additional requirements to the Code to customize it to your campaign is more than enough. The Code should not be so strict that paladins cannot vigorously fight evil.

The Fall from Grace

Becoming an ex-paladin is more than just losing your powers. It is a painful experience. First, imagine that you are a fearless paladin with the power of good coursing through your veins like ice water. Every step you take and every word you speak are deliberate and full of conviction. Others notice the confidence of your stride, and a quiet calm surrounds you, even when the most horrible evil approaches. Your mind is full of determination and your spirit brimming with hope. You have been touched by the divine, and know what it is to be blessed. It is no wonder that even the most cynical, self-centered adventurers are willing to follow a paladin into battle. Now, imagine that you have violated the Code and have lost your powers. The first thing to leave you is your immunity to fear. Doubts worm their way into your mind. You begin to falter and become uncertain of your actions. Others notice the subtle signs: the sweat on your brow, the shaking of your sword arm, and your inability to look them in the eye. In battle, you attempt to smite your foe, but your ability to smite evil has left you, making the fight a desperate one. Your noble warhorse smells the taint on your soul and refuses your orders, eventually not even letting you ride him. As you walk, you grow tired from your wounds, but cannot heal them, and feel a cold coming on. However, worst of all is the feeling of loneliness. As a paladin, you were never alone. The power of the divine was always there, like a comforting friend, a suit of impregnable armor, or the sun at your back. It whispered advice, both in times of combat and peace, and urged you on in times of sorrow or doubt. It was more than a good feeling; it was tangible, as real as your now aching heart. The realization of what you have lost always leaves a hollow space in your heart, and a heavy burden on your mind. Atonement for an ex-paladin is only possible for those who violated the Code but did not commit an evil act. Those who can atone usually do. The physical pain of losing your powers and the all-encompassing fear can drive an ex-paladin to great lengths to atone. Fallen paladins are those who cannot atone. They cope with this loss in different ways. Most simply bear it until their deaths, and look forward to experiencing the same bliss in the afterlife. Some refuse to simply accept their fall and endlessly try to redeem themselves, even though it is futile. Others shift the blame for their fall on the deity or force that called them and turn to chaos or evil, even becoming blackguards or chaos knights. 45

Chapter 3: A Variety of Paladins

A paladin can be defined simply as a heroic knight. However, do not let the stereotype of a knight in shining armor blind you to what a paladin can be in your campaign. A heroic knight need not wear armor or wield a sword. A paladin can be a lightly armed swashbuckler, a sharpshooter, or even a spell-slinging wizard. The skill set of a paladin is less important than their dedication to fighting evil and protecting the innocent. Below are some ways to make individual paladins unique.

Multiclassing
Even if you enforce the rule that paladins cannot multiclass then return to gaining paladin levels (see the boxed text for other ways to handle it) there is still room for a multiclassed paladin. Many paladins pursued other careers before answering the call of duty. Most were fighters or clerics, but many started as sorcerers or even monks. Sometimes paladins choose to stop advancing as a paladin and take up other paths. However, being a paladin is more than having a set of skills and abilities. Characters who stop advancing as a paladin, in order to pursue other skills, still consider themselves paladins above all else. Multiclassed paladins treat their other classes as skill sets, not as identities, no matter how many levels they have of each class. Suppose you encounter a high level group containing a sorcerer 1/paladin 19, a rogue18/paladin 2, a fighter7/dwarven defender 10/paladin 3, a cleric 19/paladin 1, and a monk19/paladin 1. If you ask them Who are you? they would respond with one answer: We are paladins.

is given on both the game play and roleplaying aspects of each choice. Many of the prestige classes Variant Rule: Multiclassing in this book reward or require Paladins multiclassing from the paladin class.
Paladins are not allowed to multiclass and then return to the paladin class. Once multiclassed, they can never return. But it doesnt have to be that way in your campaign. The paladins multiclassing restriction (and the same restriction on monks) is not there for game balance, it is for flavor. You can rule that in your campaign, paladins can freely multiclass with certain other classes, or any class. Allowing them to freely multiclass with only certain classes encourages certain character types in your campaign. For instance, you could rule that a paladin multiclassing as a cleric or with certain prestige classes may return to the paladin class later. A paladin/cleric could be a combat healer, or have a more religious role in her paladins order. An order of dwarven paladins may include many paladin/dwarven defenders. The best option, however, is to allow paladins to multiclass just like other classes. Players have more fun if they have more choices.

Cleric/Paladins: The Hospitaller Gameplay: Multiclassed cleric/paladins can be a weak choice if you are not careful. Either put only one level into the paladin class to gain divine grace, or put one level into cleric to gain clerical domain powers and a few extra spells. Putting equal levels into both classes ensures that you will not be as good in melee as single-classed paladins, and will never gain the high level spells of a single-classed cleric. However, such a character is good in a support role for a large party of adventurers. If you have at least four other players in the group, it can be an effective path. Roleplaying: Cleric/paladins make sense in a way; why would a holy man not be called by his god to serve in a more martial manner? However, such a god

Multiclass Archetypes
Listed below are some ideas about multiclassing paladins. Advice 46

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 3: A Variety of Paladins may find that the best way to fight evil is to look would likely prefer that the cleric gain more clerical inward and develop their own abilities by levels and gain access to the more powerful spells. harnessing ki. There should be a good reason why the cleric has Since paladins and monks must both be decided to change the way he serves, or vice lawful, it is likely that paladin/monks are very lawful versa. The deaths of many paladins or clerics and may prefer to fight chaotic foes. might create openings that need to be filled, or maybe the character has just reconsidered his faith and has become the cleric or paladin of Ranger/Paladin: Protector of the Wild Lands another god friendly to his original patron deity. Gameplay: This is a good combination since This type of paladin is most likely to focus on a both classes are warrior-like. The rangers favored patron deitys agenda and to have a formal enemy ability works well with the paladins outlook relationship or position within an organized on life and can focus the paladin in a religion. particular direction. Choose Paladins using Sneak something inherently evil for a Fighter/Paladins: The Crusader Attack? favored enemy, such as demons or In earlier versions of the game, devils. Remember that the favored Gameplay: This combination the thief class had an ability called enemy ability does not work well has strong potential if you plan to backstab. Now, the thief has been against undead, so rely on your use a special mount. Take a couple replaced with the more respectable ability to turn undead, smite evil, and of levels as a fighter for a few extra rogue, and the backstab has given way to the more honorable sneak spellcasting to defeat these foes feats, preferably riding feats. Stay attack. instead. away from Weapon Specialization A sneak attack is merely It is probably best to simply take and other weapon related feats so striking someone where it hurts the a level of ranger, then concentrate that you can use any type of holy most while they cannot defend themselves effectively. The same on being a paladin, but taking even weapon without feeling as if you thing can be accomplished by firing levels of each class is fine if you are have wasted a feat. There are th a bow from a distance at a creature not interested in spellcasting. Also, some nice 4 level paladin spells, so that has only melee weapons. do not discount the importance of remember that you may never get Simply put, sneak attacks do not explicitly violate the Code of the rangers skills at higher levels. them if you take too many fighter Conduct. (See Chapter 2). Having a great Spot and Listen levels. However, this is really up to check can be priceless when faced Roleplaying: Fighter/paladins the DM. The DM may decide that with an assassin, and can save you are usually ex-soldiers or paladins should not sneak attack at all, may only use sneak attacks from being surprised many times. In adventurers who have found a more gained by flanking. Different addition, being able to track with a noble use for their abilities. paladin orders in the campaign may high Wilderness Lore check can This type of paladin is the most have different rules as well. Find help you find evil to smite. likely to be secular, maybe even a out what your DM thinks before playing a rogue/paladin. Roleplaying: Ranger/paladins noble, and may have sworn fealty to are the protectors of the innocent in a king or other ruler. He may be rural or wilderness areas. They are regarded as a knight and may have also the hunters of evil, and tend to be more some legal authority in the land. proactive. Instead of waiting for an evil creature to strike then avenging the dead, they hunt it down Monk/Paladins: The Disciple and slay it in its lair. Favoring light armor, they tend to be quicker than most paladins and often Gameplay: Monks do not multiclass well. gain their paladin abilities from some abstract They have the same multiclassing restriction as force, rather than a deity. Rumor has it that many paladins, but even if your DM ignores that rule organizations of rangers who protect the innocent most of the best monk abilities are gained at high in the wilderness were started by paladin/rangers. levels. However, the monks good saving throws and evasion combined with divine grace means that you will avoid the effects of a lot of spells, if Rogue/Paladin: The Divine Agent you have a good Charisma and wear only light Gameplay: Take a level of rogue first. You armor. A single level of monk might be worth it to can stick with the rogue class for a while to gain a gain evasion, +2 bonuses to every saving throw, good sneak attack ability and many skills, or just Improved Unarmed Strike, and a stunning attack take a couple of levels to get evasion. that will help you smite evil the following round. Picking the proper skills is important. How Roleplay: During their meditations, monks often will a rogue/paladin be able to use Bluff, may be seeking enlightenment, but may instead Forgery, Open Locks, or Pick Pockets without receive the call of duty. These types of paladins 47

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 3: A Variety of Paladins violating the Code of Conduct? You may never use these skills, but might use them quite often, especially if there is an evil government to fight. Consider the campaign world. Roleplaying: The rogue/paladin is sometimes considered a curious combination. However, not if you remember what a rogue really is. From the Players Handbook: Rogues dont have much in common with each other. Some are stealthy thieves. Others are silver-tongued tricksters. Still others are scouts, infiltrators, spies, diplomats or thugs. A paladin who is also a scout or diplomat is very reasonable, and some paladins could even be infiltrators or spies against evil organizations. This is exactly the purpose of the undetectable alignment spell. The paladin is an identity class and is as far away from being a skill set as possible, while the rogue is the definition of a skill set class. Some rogue/paladins may be scoundrels turned good guy, but others may have been pretty good guys all along, and just possess some skills more appropriate for a spy, diplomat, or scout than for a warrior. Some rogue/paladins tend to skirt the edge of the Code, and sometimes seek atonement quite a bit for bending or breaking the rules. Some players may see this as a weakness; others see it as an endless opportunity for fun as you try to find how far you can go. However, your rogue/paladin might be an honorable knight who shuns armor and uses only light weapons. The rogue levels just define his style of fighting. It takes a rogue to catch a rogue, and this type of character might focus on fighting evil rogues and assassins. Interaction with old friends from a shady past could be interesting. Sorcerer/Paladin: The Arcane Defender Gameplay: High Charisma anyone? This combination has a lot of potential as long as the levels are not taken evenly. One level of sorcerer can be a big help to paladins by giving them useful spells like shield and true strike (cast before smiting evil, just to be sure) and a familiar to scout around, 48 preferably a raven or other flyer. More levels of sorcerer can grant spells like bulls strength, but this is probably not the optimal path. A single level of paladin gives the sorcerer a great bonus to saving throws with divine grace, and a boost to hit points at low levels. Roleplaying: Force of personality is likely to be the most outstanding trait of this character. Arcane magic comes naturally to him, and yet the forces of good called him to a different path. Conservative orders of paladins may regard his sorcerous abilities as strange and unbefitting, so this type of character might wish to work outside such a group (maybe with a motley party of adventurers...). However, characters with more sorcerer levels than paladin levels may serve to counter enemy magic for paladin orders during large conflicts. This archetype might be especially repulsed by evil magic, and seek to defeat evil sorcerers and wizards before all other enemies. Wizard/Paladin: The Other Arcane Defender Gameplay: The sorcerer/paladin is a better choice than this if you want just one or two spellcasting levels, but if you want to have more spellcasting levels than paladin levels, this option gives you access to higher-level spells and more feats. Unfortunately, paladins and wizards require completely different ability scores. To a wizard, Intelligence, Dexterity and Constitution are most important, while the opposite is true for paladins. This combination is not recommended from a powergaming point of view. Roleplay: Paladins who feel like they can serve the forces of good more by studying magic would logically multiclass into wizard as soon as possible. Wizards may hear the call to become a paladin early in their career and abandon their studies, probably upsetting their masters and whoever funded their education, if anyone. The dichotomy of this class combination makes this a cool roleplaying choice.

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 3: A Variety of Paladins Wizard/paladins and sorcerer/paladins share many of the same motivations. a pattern of behavior is what is required. You should probably avoid using rage at this point; you are going to lose it anyway. Roleplay: This combination makes a lot of sense from a certain point of view. The barbarian is more of a culturally based class, and not really a skill set like the rogue class. As the barbarian begins to see more of the world and interact with more civilized people, then his views may change to become lawful. Doing so may separate him from his own culture. His family and old friends may see him as weak or tainted by civilized thinking, but this represents a logical character development. Ex-barbarian/paladins may choose to strike at the evil enemies of their homelands, in an attempt to keep some connection with home. Ex-Druid/Paladin Forsaker of Nature Gameplay: Ex-druids lose all their abilities, making this a very weak combination unless the DM allows you to play a lawful good druid. Even if the DM lets you play a druid/paladin without losing your druid abilities, you have to follow the druids weapon and armor restrictions, unless those restrictions are also ignored in your game. You will also lose a lot of great spellcasting and wildshape abilities at high levels by multiclassing. However, a paladin who cannot be tracked through the wilderness, can wildshape, and who casts druid spells can be great at fighting evil in the wilderness. If you have mostly paladin levels, and are allowed to keep your druidic abilities, this archetype can be ok. Roleplay: This combination represents a real shift in a characters outlook on life and has a lot of roleplaying potential. It does not necessarily mean that the druid has forsaken nature to the point where they do not care about it at all, but it does mean that they have expanded their priorities to also include protecting innocents from evil. An ex-druid/paladin would probably defend the wilderness as well as the innocents who travel through it. Your interactions with single-classed druids and paladins are certainly going to have some conflicts of interest, and you may find yourself becoming the reconciler or liaison between two such groups, or may just as easily become disliked or disdained by both sides. If you are allowed to keep your druidic powers, the roleplaying aspects become easier. Both paladins and druids are forced to recognize that your philosophy of nature living in harmony with good creatures is a valid one, shared by those who grant your druidic and paladin powers.

Odd Combinations
Ex-Bard/Paladin: Glory Singer Gameplay: Bards must have some element of neutrality, so to multiclass into paladin, they must become ex-bards. Luckily, this really is not much of a problem, and is not even such an odd combination from a gameplay point of view. Exbards can no longer progress in level as a bard, but retain all of their special abilities. In addition, their bardic music depends on their Perform skill, not their level as a bard. Finally, a high Charisma is useful to both classes. The questions you should consider are: How many levels do you progress as a bard before changing alignment? Will your DM be willing to change your alignment? It is up to you on how many levels you want to gain as a bard, but some stopping points are whenever youve gained enough levels to cast a new spell level (1st, 4th, 7th, etc). Try to get a high Intelligence so that later you can easily gain ranks in Perform as a cross-class skill when taking paladin levels. Alignment changes are up to the DM, not you, so ask what it would take. Some DMs require a lot, some very little. It is best if you try to roleplay into the alignment smoothly and in a logical way. Roleplay: An ex-bard/paladin is probably the most inspiring character in the game. With an aura of courage and bardic music, their ability to raise the morale of troops can be unbelievable. Such a character would probably focus on supporting others, rather than taking a front-line role. They are certainly team players (if not leaders), and would never be loners. The motivation of an ex-bard/paladin could be that they became tired of telling tales of legend and jumped at the chance to become one. Ex-Barbarian/Paladin: Primitive Champion Gameplay: Barbarians who become lawful lose the ability to rage, so this would be a rare combination indeed, particularly for a higher-level barbarian. A lower level barbarian does not lose much, however. Being able to rage once per day is nice, but the barbarians initial d12 hit die, fast movement, skills, and uncanny dodge are quite good. Take two levels as a neutral good barbarian, and then ask your DM what you need to do to change to a lawful good alignment. Usually

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 3: A Variety of Paladins

Paladin Orders
Paladins, due to their lawful nature, usually belong to some type of organization. Most paladin organizations are called orders. Orders can be secular or religious, and may be part of a larger organization, such as a church or kingdom. Some orders are autonomous and take commands only from the divine. Orders are typically well organized with a military-like hierarchy. Everyone knows their place in the chain of command, and understands their responsibilities to the letter. Some orders are not like this at all, however. Some are loosely organized associations of paladins adventuring in the same geographical area, and may not even have a formal name, headquarters, or leader. These types of orders are commonly referred to as brotherhoods (for those with male and female members) or sisterhoods (for all female groups). The first step to creating a customized paladin order is to decide why the order exists in the first place. You can pick more than one, and the orders purpose may have changed over time. Even if you pick several purposes, choose one as its primary function in current times. Some Purposes for a Paladin Order: Specific Enemy: Long ago, a great evil threatened the land. Many paladins united in an order dedicated to destroying that evil, and the organization still exists. The ancient threat that catalyzed the birth of the order may be destroyed, it may still be active, or it may be dormant. Perhaps it has been sealed away beneath the orders headquarters. General Defense: The paladins are there to protect the land from invasions of any sort. Law Enforcement: The order is there to enforce the laws of legitimate authority. This could be the laws of a king (secular) or of a church (religious). Tradition: The order has been around so long that no one knows why it was formed, but it has a grand history and joining brings much prestige. These types of orders usually have a lawful neutral tilt. (See Chapter 2 about alignment tilts). Source of Power: In some campaign worlds, it may be that a god of paladins requires them to join the order. Being expelled from the order results in a becoming an ex-paladin until you are allowed to rejoin. Instead of a god, it might be the presence of the other paladins that is it the source of their power, or some mysterious artifact that the paladin order guards. Religion: Paladins may be required to take a vow of loyalty to an organized church or temple. The paladin order may be merely a department within a large church hierarchy. It may be a department with much freedom, or it may serve the priests. The paladin order could be answerable only to the highest religious leader or leaders, and could act as their right hand as a sort of elite divine task force. Violating the commands of a priest may be considered a gross violation of the Code, but it is likely that paladins in such an organization would know their chain of command very well, and would certainly know who has the right to order them around. Cadre: Paladins sometimes form the core of a larger military organization. They are often the elite fighting force within a lawful good military. Some orders define an entire knighthood, for example, while other orders may be elite units within a larger organization of knights. Camaraderie: Paladins share an uncommon bond. They enjoy each others company and want to adventure with each other. Paladins have a strong sense of duty, however, and go where they are needed. An organization based on camaraderie may be loosely organized to enable members to come and go as they need to, or it might even be mobile. Prestige: Paladins are rarely proponents of pride, and usually let personal glory take a backseat to protecting the innocent and fighting evil. Nevertheless, there are those who take great pride in simply being paladins, and see others as less worthy. Such individuals often band together in very formal knighthoods to revel in their own godliness. Unfortunately, orders of this type sometimes fall into corruption as a whole, creating powerful legions of blackguards.

Example: We will create a religious order that now exists primarily for law enforcement. After you have decided what prompted the creation of the order, you need to answer some critical questions about the order.

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 3: A Variety of Paladins Questions about the order: What is the name of the order? How many members does it have? How much territory does the order influence? How do you become a member? Some orders may require that you take on a quest for the order, or that you are capable of casting a particular paladin spell. Others welcome any paladin into their ranks. Is there a rank structure or hierarchy? How is rank determined? Often the top leaders are elected or ascend because of right of birth. Even though your exact level probably cannot be determined by NPCs, your ability to cast certain paladin spells may be used to determine your particular rank in the order. Who is in charge? What does the organization chart look like? Where does one start in the organization, and how does one advance? What are the benefits of being a member? Usually the benefits of a paladin order are that the resources of all the paladins are pooled, with the exception of personal equipment. Therefore, if you have need of a place to stay, a meal, or healing, the order is usually a good place to go. Who are the orders enemies? Evil creatures, obviously, but this could also include corrupt governments, or even a corrupt church. This could also be an individual, such as a powerful lich or devil. Who are the orders allies? Monks and clerics are commonly allies of paladins, but so are governments, and other lawful good organizations. Celestial creatures, good rangers, or even a good rogues guild might be allies. Allies might aid the order from outside the ranks, or they may be allowed in the order as honorary members. What are the orders assets? Does the order have strongholds? Treasure? How does a member get to use any of it? Does the order have any legal authority in the land? A lawful good king might grant a paladin order within his realm the ability to arrest, or even the power to execute lawbreakers. Does the order add to the Code of Conduct with tenets? (See Chapter 2 about tenets.) Is there a tilt to the orders alignment? (See Chapter 2 for information about alignment tilts.)

Sample Order: The Silver Hand

Our organization will be called the Silver Hand. Its members include 25 paladins, 2 cleric/paladins,

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 3: A Variety of Paladins a paladin/merseus, and a paladin/penitent sniper. Most are humans, but other races are free to join. The Silver Hand works tirelessly to defend the laws of the temple of the Silver Lady, goddess of paladins and hope. The local Duke, the latest in a long line of nobles who worship the Lady, endorses the temples laws. Any paladin is free to join the Silver Hand. They must reside in the Brigham Duchy, and agree to enforce the laws within. There is an interview process, and an internship. The Silver Hands travel freely within the duchy, and report their activities The paladin/clerics in the order are very wise and act as leaders. Paladins who can cast discern lies are ranked as captains. Everyone else is simply titled Paladin or Silver Hand. Silver Hands may request basic equipment (up to 500gp per year) from the quartermaster and may use any of the Dukes horses until they call a special mount. They have the ability to enforce the laws, with lethal force if necessary. The order heals its members at no charge, and raises any member from the dead with a resurrection spell whenever possible. Members are expected to pay for spell components, and to take on quests as ordered. Drow in the region are trying to plant human spies within the order, but are having a difficult time of it. They are also working hard to corrupt high-level members without tipping them off that the drow are still around. Finally, they have paid humanoids such as ogres and orcs to make raids on the Duchy in order to collect intelligence about defense plans and capabilities. They want their revenge on the Silver Hand, but are patient. Several monasteries bordering other lands are allied with the Silver Hand and often work with the paladins against bandits and marauding humanoids. There are many clerics of other gods in the area that ally with the paladins in times of need. However, just as many clerics are neutral to them, or even hostile. The Silver Hand has a small, but well defended, castle near the Dukes main city, and also have access to the towers near the Duchy borders. They have nine +1 holy swords (Known as the Laws of Silver) that they sometimes lend to mid-level paladins. They also guard a single holy avenger that is prophesized to be the savior of the order in some future conflict. The Silver Hand has a few tenets. They believe that prisoners should always be taken whenever possible, so that they can be given a trial before being punished. Paladins more than a days ride from the castle are not expected to take prisoners, however, unless it is a person of some importance. All Silver Hands are expected to donate a full 20% of their wealth to the order. The Silver Hand leadership has a lawful neutral tilt, but most members have a neutral good tilt. They tend to be more benevolent in their enforcement of the laws of the land than the Dukes militia, who are sometimes harsh. Finally, you need to add details as necessary. Stats for every member do not need to be created, but you should develop the main NPCs that player characters will interact with and hear about. Detail the following: 1. Create personalities and motivations for major NPCs in the order. These include the main leaders, and anyone else in the chain of command to the player characters. Creating basic stats for these characters is a good idea to give the organization some scale. For instance, you may decide that the leader of an order is a 15th level human paladin. 2. Decide on some campaign events that are happening or will happen that affect the members of the order. Two paladin/clerics who claim the title of Warrior Saint lead the Silver Hand. These Warrior Saints are Celest Diada and Dapre Montegue. Celest is a rogue 2/paladin 3/cleric 10 and Dapre is a cleric 2 / paladin 13. They share the leadership of the church, but Celest, a pickpocket in her youth, takes more of an interest in law enforcement, while the more militaristic Dapre is concerned with defending the Duchys borders. Both rigidly follow the edicts of the Silver Lady. The Silver Hand is about to be tested. An army of spies from foreign lands who are intent on discrediting the order by planting false evidence is invading the Duchy. The drow have hired some of these spies, though not directly, and some are working for other nations of their own accord. In addition, a blackguard is rallying a mixed force of undead and gnolls near the western border. Instead of invading, he is goading the Silver Hand into attacking him by taking hostages. There is dissent within the order, as some wish to ride out and meet this challenge, while others see it as a trap or diversion. Making up your own paladin orders is easy. Just answer the questions with whatever you think is interesting and fun. Moreover, start small. The above example is large, and you really do not need this much information to start with.

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 3: A Variety of Paladins

Variant: Customizing Paladins

Paladins have some great class abilities, but wouldnt it be nice if a paladin from a particularly lawful order could smite chaos instead of evil? Or if a paladin who finds himself crawling in dungeons could have something instead of a special mount? Or if you could do something besides turn undead in a campaign world with few undead to turn? Below are some variant rules for customizing the paladin class to suit your campaign. Instead of customizing all paladins, you can just customize your individual character, or can have all the paladins in an order customized the same way. The concept is that each paladin ability can be sacrificed for one of several other abilities of roughly equal value. Some combinations do not work; and you have to use some common sense. For example, you obviously should not sacrifice the ability to turn the undead to gain some other benefit, then sacrifice something else to gain better turning ability. Abilities given up can never be regained, and abilities gained in this manner can never be sacrificed to gain new ones. No ability may be taken more than once unless specified otherwise. Additionally, you cannot be give up abilities if do not have them. You must wait until you are able to use an ability to sacrifice it. Finally, some abilities define the class and should not be sacrificed. All paladins should have an aura of courage and divine health, for instance. In any case, moderation is the best policy. The DM should feel free to limit the amount of substitution that players can do. Too much rulebending can make the game difficult to run, particularly if there are multiple paladins (NPC or otherwise) with different abilities. Note that this variant is designed for use with the core paladin class. If you use the prestige paladin class in this book, do not allow players to give up any spellcasting ability, since the prestige paladin variant gains spells more quickly. higher to do this, since a lower score means you do not really have the ability to lay on hands, and therefore could not sacrifice it. This option is still good for paladins who do not have a very high Charisma: Improved Smite (Su): Whenever using the smite evil ability, you gain a +3 bonus to damage. Clerical Turning: You turn the undead as a cleric of the same level. Smite Evil: At 2nd level, you may give up your ability to smite evil in order to gain any one of the following abilities: Clerical Turning (Su): You turn the undead as a cleric of the same level. Extra Spells (Su): You may cast paladin spells as if you were 2 paladin levels higher. At 18th level, you gain the ability to cast one additional 1st level paladin spell per day. At 19th level you gain an extra 2nd level spell slot, and at 20th level you gain an extra 3rd level spell slot. For example, a 20th level paladin with this ability would be able to cast four 1st level spells, four 2nd level spells, four 3rd level spells, and three 4th level spells, plus any bonus spells. Improved Lay on Hands (Su): You may lay on hands as a paladin two levels higher. Smite Chaos (Su): You may smite chaotic creatures, instead of evil creatures. This ability works the same as smite evil, except that only chaotic creatures are affected. Remove Disease: At 3rd level, or at any level that you gain the ability to remove disease one additional time per week, you may give up that use of remove disease to gain one of the following abilities. Each weekly use of remove disease is considered a separate ability, so you can give it up more than once to gain more than one of the following. For example, at 3rd level, you may decide to give up remove disease for remove paralysis, but could gain remove disease 1/week later, as soon as 6th level. Your caster level is half your paladin level (maximum 10): Delay Poison (Sp): 1 / week. Lesser Restoration (Sp): 1 / week. Remove Blindness/Deafness (Sp): 1 / week. Remove Curse (Sp): 1 / week. Remove Fear (Sp): 1 / day. Remove Paralysis (Sp): 1 / week.

Abilities you may sacrifice

Detect Evil: At 1st level you may give up your ability to detect evil in order to gain any one of the following abilities: Detect Chaos (Sp): As the spell, at will. Detect Undead (Sp): As the spell, at will. Improved Lay on Hands (Su): You may lay on hands as a paladin two levels higher. Lay on Hands: At 1st level you may sacrifice lay on hands to gain one of the following abilities. Note that you must have a Charisma of 12 or

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 3: A Variety of Paladins Extra Smite (Su): You may use your smite evil ability one additional time per day. Improved Lay on Hands (Su): You may lay on hands as a paladin two levels higher. Spellcasting: Upon reaching Improved Smite Evil (Su): Celestial Destriers 4th, 8th, 11th, or 14th level as a Whenever using the smite evil ability, you gain a +3 bonus to paladin, you may decide to give up These noble steeds once were damage. the use of spell slots of the new spell special mounts to long dead Extra Spells (Su): You may level gained, and instead, may use paladins, and now stand by, ready to cast paladin spells as if you smite evil one additional time per serve paladins in need of a were a paladin 2 levels higher. day. temporary mount. The advantage of At 18th level, you gain the ability Note that you must have enough being able to call a celestial destrier is that the paladin need not worry Wisdom to cast any spells to cast one additional 1st level about the beasts safety. It reforms sacrificed. For instance, if you have paladin spell per day. At 19th on the celestial planes after death, a Wisdom of only 12, you cannot level you gain an extra 2nd level and can be summoned again in a sacrifice the casting of 3rd level spell slot, and at 20th level you rd week. Celestial destriers do not gain an extra 3 level spell slot. spells when reaching 11th level, need constant care, and can be th For example, a 20 level paladin because you were never able to cast summoned when needed, even with this ability would be able to them in the first place. deep in a dungeon, on a distant cast four 1st level spells, four 2nd For example, Darius plane, or anywhere else that a Brightshield belongs to a militaristic level spells, four 3rd level spells, special mount may have trouble getting to safely. order of paladins who disdain and three 4th level spells, plus Celestial Destrier CR 3;Large spellcasting. At 4th level, Darius any bonus spells. Magical Beast; HD 4d8+12 (Animal); chooses to gain the ability to smite Improved Lay on Hands hp 30; Init +1; Spd 35; AC 22; Atk +1 (Su): You may lay on hands as evil a second time per day, and base melee, -2 base ranged; +1/-4 a paladin two levels higher. cannot use 1st level paladin spell (1d6+4, 2 Hooves; 1d4+2, Bite); SQ: slots. At 8th, 11th and 14th levels he Scent(Ex); AL LG; SV Fort +7, Ref th Special Mount: At 5 level, gains additional smites so that at +5, Will +2; STR 18, DEX 13, CON 14th level he can smite evil up to 5 you may give up your ability to 17, INT 3, WIS 13, CHA 6. call a special mount in times per day, but cannot cast any SA Smite Evil (Su): Once per day the celestial destrier can make a exchange for one of the paladin spells. normal attack to deal +4 damage following special abilities: Vardi also belongs to a against an evil opponent. militaristic order, but has a Wisdom SQ Celestial Traits (Su): Call Celestial Destrier (Sp): of only 12. He chooses to gain an Darkvision 60ft.,Acid, Cold, Once per day, you may additional smite evil attempt per day Electricity resistance 10, SR 8. summon a celestial war horse, at 4th level instead of 1st level spell Equipment: Full plate, Barding, complete with riding equipment. slots. At 8th level he decides to gain MW; Bit and bridle; Saddle, military. The celestial destrier the ability to cast 2nd level spells (but communicates with you gains no 1st level spell slots). Vardi telepathically, and follows your commands. This can still cast 1st level paladin spells at 8th level by ability is like a summon monster I spell; your caster using his 2nd level spell slots, since higher level level is half your paladin level, but the duration slots can be used to prepare lower level spells. He equals your paladin level in hours. See the text cannot give up spells at 11th level because he has box for more about celestial destriers. Instead of a no 3rd level spells to give up, due to his low celestial warhorse, your DM may allow a more Wisdom, and therefore may not opt to gain an exotic creature, or one more appropriate to the additional smite instead. campaign. Possibilities include celestial If Vardis Wisdom were to increase to 13 after hippogriffs, pegasi, rhinos, unicorns, or any other reaching 11th level, then he could choose to gain suitable mount with a CR of 4 or less. For such 3rd level spell slots or an additional chance to smite creatures, only allow this ability once per week evil. Once the choice is made, the decision cannot instead of once per day. be changed. Turn Undead: At 3rd level, you may give up your ability to turn the undead in order to gain one of the following abilities.

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 4: New Magic

Chapter 4: New Magic

Spells
Divine Spell Lists
Area: All allies and foes within a 30-ft. radius burst centered on you Duration: 1 round / level Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: Yes

Divine spellcasters have significant advantages Grant us the power to thwart your enemies. over arcane spellcasters. They do not have to This spell grants your allies a +2 luck bonus to worry about having to rest to prepare spells or attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill casting failure due to armor, and checks, and a 2 luck penalty on they have a larger and more all these rolls to your enemies. Summary of New Paladin Spells diverse spell list in some ways. XP Cost: 100XP st When adding divine spells to a 1 Level Paladin Spells Speed Mount: Your mount moves at casters spell list, we suggest that Dispel Fear double speed. for each spell added to the list, Vigilant Sleep: You can stand guard Abjuration one is removed. while resting. Level: Pal 2 For instance, if Dapre nd Components: V, S 2 Level Paladin Spells Montegue wants to add vigilant Dispel Fear: Makes allies immune to Casting Time: 1 action sleep to his spell list, he might fear for 1 hour or gives another chance to Range: 10ft. remove bless water from the list of resist fear effects. Area: All allies within a 10ft. spells he is allowed to cast. Drums of the Righteous: Allies gain +1 radius, centered on you. to attack rolls; enemies gain 1 penalty Changing your spell list should to attack rolls. Smiting evil enhances the Duration: 1 hour and see text only be done when a new spell is effect. introduced into the campaign. Mentor: Calls on the spirit of a long To answer your question plainly: I Removed spells should never be dead paladin for advice. predict we will be completely Unstoppable: Instead of being allowed back on your spell list, immobilized by effects like a web or wiped out by dawn. and spells added should never be paralysis, you are merely slowed. <silence> removed. rd So whos with me? The in-game reasoning for 3 Level Paladin Spells <thunderous cheering> such a limitation is that whoever Pious Strength: Your Strength Every ally within 10ft. gains grants these spells to the paladin increases by your Wisdom bonus. the paladins immunity to fear for 1 can only offer so many, due to the (Minimum +2) hour, making them immune to limitations of mortals to grasp the Shadow Bane: Sneak attacks against normal and magical fear. If cast you to provoke an attack of opportunity. powerful magic of the divine. The Shield Flash: Holy light shines from while an ally within 10ft. is real reason is that having an your shield and blinds evil creatures. suffering from a magical fear unlimited list of spells is unfair to Silver Beacon: A silvery spirit flies off in effect, that ally instead gets a new the arcane casters and makes search of innocents in danger. saving throw with a +8 bonus to choosing spells for divine casters th 4 Level Paladin Spells the roll. a slower process. Battle Prayer: Allies gain +2 on most Dispel fear counters and You may want to customize rolls, enemies suffer 2. dispels cause fear or fear. the spell list of paladins based on One Soul: You share hit points with your special mount. their membership in a paladin Rally: You and your allies are affected Drums of the Righteous order, or based on their patron by several helpful spells at once. deity. It would make sense if the Enchantment [Good, Sonic] members of an order or religion Level: Brd 2, Pal 2 had a certain spell list, preferably Component: V, S, F/DF with spells that aid in the goals of the order or god. Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30ft. Spell Descriptions Area: All allies within 30ft. Duration: 1 round/level Saving Throw: None Battle Prayer Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) Conjuration (Creation) Level: Pal 4 The heart beats still. Components: V, S, DF, XP When you cast drums of the righteous, a Casting Time: 1 action steady beat of drums begins, emanating from you. Range: 30ft. The drums grant all allies within 30ft. a +1 luck 55

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 4: New Magic bonus to attack rolls. It also causes all evil creatures within 30ft. to gain a 1 luck penalty to attack rolls. If a paladin within the area of effect successfully smites evil, they gain a +2 luck bonus to damage on the smite, the drums get louder, and the bonus and penalty to attack rolls granted by this spell is increased by 1, up to a maximum of +4/-4. The bard version of this spell is called drums of victory. Arcane Focus: A small drum. was prepared to the time it was cast. Thus, it is often more useful to prepare this spell some time in advance of casting it, so that the mentor can learn more about you and your situation before granting advice. The mentor always answers truthfully, but may choose not to reply or may be incorrect.

One Soul
Abjuration Level: Pal 4 Components: V, S, DF Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Target: Special Mount touched Duration: 1 minute / level (D) Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) Partners? No, we are more than that. You cannot prepare this spell unless you have a paladins special mount, and must be riding your special mount when casting it.

Mentor
Conjuration (Calling) [Good] Level: Pal 2 Component: V, S, DF Casting Time: 1 hour Range: 30ft. Effect: One summoned spirit (see text) Duration: 1 round/level Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No I cant do this alone. You may summon the spirit of a long dead paladin to give you advice. The mentor is the spirit of a lawful good paladin of 10th level or higher and must be summoned within sight. This ancient spirit can only be seen and heard by the caster, and is incorporeal. It cannot attack or be attacked, even by incorporeal creatures, and cannot move from the spot where it was summoned. The DM may have the same mentor appear each time the spell is cast, or a different one may respond. The mentor speaks all languages the caster speaks. The mentor can give advice that is similar to the effect of a phylactery of faithfulness, but also has the ability to impart advice on more general matters than religion and alignment. The DM should roleplay the mentor as an NPC with a Wisdom of 18 and Knowledge (religion) +10. It is suggested that the DM develop the personality of the mentor, and that it be different in some way from that of the caster. For example, a very serious paladin might gain a light-hearted mentor. The mentor answers any questions as best it can, but may instead choose to use its time to lecture the caster on some matter, ignoring any questions put to it. It usually takes one round to ask a question and one round for the mentor to answer. The mentor knows nothing of modern times or recent history, but much about paladins and their enemies, and has some knowledge of the paladin who summoned it, having watched the caster from the time the spell 56

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 4: New Magic Add your special mounts hit points to your hit Rally point total. For the duration of the spell your Evocation mount has no hit points, and uses your total Level: Pal 4 instead. Whenever you or your mount take Components: V, XP (see text) damage, your hit point total is reduced. If your hit Casting Time: 1 action points are reduced to zero, you and your mount Range: 60ft. are both disabled. If your hit points are reduced to Target: You and all allies less than 0 hp, you and your mount are dying. If Duration: See text your hit points are reduced to -10 hp, both you and Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) your mount are dead. Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) Dismounting ends the spell immediately. Whenever the spell ends, you each We. are. Not. FINISHED. get half of your current hit point total, You and all allies within 60ft. are Paladin Spellcasting rounded down, with any hit points over affected by the following spells, as if cast the normal maximum going to the Paladins are divine by you: bless, cure light wounds, divine other creature. This spell only affects warriors, not clerics. Their favor , remove fear, and remove spells do not need to be normal hit point damage. Effects like paralysis. worded as pious prayers, or poison or death spells function unintelligible mumblings. The bless and divine favor last for normally. Paladins stand for one minute, the other spells are For example, Sir Harus normally truth, and cast their spells instantaneous. loudly and plainly. A paladin has 100 hp, and his warhorse, Bolt, XP Cost: 250XP with the patron deity of Thor has 50 hp. After casting one soul, casting holy sword on his Harus has 150 hit points. When Bolt war hammer might bellow, Shadow Bane suffers a critical hit for 39 points of By the Hammer of Thor!! while banging his hammer damage, Sir Harus is reduced to 111 Abjuration against his shield. hp, the wound magically appearing on Level: Pal 3 A paladin might use a him, while Bolt remains unscathed. A Components: V, S, DF commanding tone of fireball causes 15 points of fire conversation for spells not Casting Time: 1 action used in battle. A paladin damage to each of them, so Harus Range: Personal slowly waving one hand and takes 15 points twice for 30 more Effect: see text saying Your words will be points of damage, reducing him to 81 Duration: 1 round/level as a sword, true and sharp. hp, while Bolt has no hit point total, might be casting discern Saving Throw: None lies. This does not disguise but is feeling fine. Sir Harus lays on Spell Resistance: No the spellcasting; anyone hands on himself for 36 hp, bringing watching will notice the him up to 117 hp. A few minutes later, I walk proudly with no regard for the raising of the paladins voice Sir Harus dismounts and ends the and the concentration. It shadows. simply adds style. spell. They each would get 58 hp, but While this spell is in effect, Try making up phrases Bolt only gets his maximum, 50, and whenever you are attacked by a sneak that fit your characters style Harus gets 66 hp. Even though Bolt attack in melee, the attacker provokes and beliefs, and use them took more damage than his maximum consistently. Before long, an attack of opportunity from you, even if everyone will know that hit points, Harus ends up suffering the you are flat-footed. when your paladin cries effects, but they both survived. Celestial hosts, grant me

Pious Strength
Transmutation Level: Pal 3 Components: V, S, DF Casting Time: 1 action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 hour / level Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

your might!!, youre actually casting divine favor, and that Damn the darkness! Charge on!! means you are casting bless.

Shield Flash

Evocation Level: Pal 3 Components: V, DF Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60ft. Target: Evil creatures Duration: Instantaneous, see text Saving Throw: Reflex negates Spell Resistance: Yes Those with dark hearts cannot bear the light. This spell causes a cone of holy light to shine momentarily from your shield. This light blinds any evil creatures failing a Reflex saving throw to avert their eyes. The blindness lasts for 1d4 rounds. 57

My faith grants me strength when I need it. Your Strength ability score gains an enhancement bonus equal to +2 or equal to your current Wisdom bonus, whichever is greater.

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 4: New Magic Blind creatures suffer a 50% miss chance in combat, lose any Dexterity bonuses to AC, grant a +2 bonus to any opponent attack rolls, move at half speed, and suffer a 4 penalty to Search skill checks, and most Strength and Dexterity based skill checks. Divine Focus: A highly polished shield. Godspeed. Your mounts speed is doubled. If it is a paladins special mount, this spell has an additional effect: The mounts jumps are no longer limited by its height, and it gains a +30 circumstance bonus to Jump checks. You must be riding the target mount for this spell to have any effect.

Silver Beacon
Conjuration (Calling) [Good] Level: Pal 3 Component: V, S, DF Casting Time: 1 minute Range: 5 miles Effect: Guiding spirit Duration: 1 hour/level (D) Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No Just follow the silver stag when in danger. A paladin casting a silver beacon summons a silvery, incorporeal spirit that flies at a speed of up to 240ft (good maneuverability). This guiding spirit seeks out innocents in danger within a 5 mile radius, and leads them back to the paladin. It can automatically tell the difference between the truly innocent in need, and those pretending. If they do not follow, the beacon disappears and telepathically informs the caster of its direction. It can communicate no other information. The DM determines how long it takes or even if the spirit finds innocents in danger, however, they may use the times in the helping hand spell as a guide. The spirit has no way of attacking, and cannot be damaged. It can pass through walls and other obstructions, but does not choose to do so except to get back to the caster. The form of the silver beacon is usually that of a silvery sphere, but it can also appear in the form of a silvery creature, a beckoning hand, or a symbol of the paladins deity. Paladins typically use this spell when patrolling large regions, or when expecting trouble.

Unstoppable
Abjuration Level: Clr2, Drd 2, Pal 2, Rgr 2 Component: V, S Casting Time: 1 action Range: Personal or touch Target: You or creature touched Duration: 10 minutes / level Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No You might slow me down, but youll never stop me. When your movement is negated by magic such as hold person, or web or by effects such as paralysis, you are not immobilized. Instead, your force of will enables you to take a partial action each round.

Vigilant Sleep
Abjuration Level: Pal 1, Rgr 1 Component: V, S, DF Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Target: Creature Touched Duration: 8 hours (D) Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) I am forever on duty. You must be in a relatively peaceful and quiet place for this spell to function. You fall asleep immediately after casting this spell, but your eyes remain open and active. While in this magical sleep, you remain conscious of your surroundings as if fully awake, can see in every direction, and gain the use of the Alertness feat. Also, you can wake up whenever you wish, and are not fatigued from sleeping in armor. Otherwise, this is a normal sleep. You may not move around. Loud noises or rough contact will wake you up. Waking up for any reason ends the spell. A creature under the effect of this spell with no need to sleep or who is immune to sleep spells, such as an elf, gains the Alertness feat for 8 hours, but is otherwise unaffected.

Speed Mount
Transmutation Level: Pal 1 Components: V, S, DF Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Target: One touched mount up to one size category larger than the caster Duration: 1 minute/level (D) Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 4: New Magic

Magic Items
Creating Memorable Magic Items
Some of the following items are unique, while others have been created in relatively large numbers. The number of such an item is up to the DM, who is of course also free to change the historical background as they see fit. With the DMs permission, player characters can create these items with the appropriate item creation feat. The costs were calculated using the rules in the DMG, Chapter 8: Magic Items, but note that some numbers were rounded off or adjusted. Creating magic items is not an exact science, and particularly powerful or useful items may warrant a higher price than normal, while items of limited use may be a little cheaper. All of these items are useful to paladins, but some are quite good for almost any character. The important thing to remember when creating a new magic item, or even when using a standard one, is to personalize it with a description and a historical background. Even a low powered item should have a name, short description and history. For instance, would you rather wield a longsword +1, or: Newals Folly: This blade, a long sword +1, was crafted with a rippled appearance to the blade and a bronze plated hilt. This weapon was one of many such swords crafted by a local wizard to help repel a gnoll invasion of the Brighton villages 30 years ago. Newal, a brave squire, fought valiantly but was slain when he refused to flee the overwhelming numbers of gnolls. A gnoll chieftain wielded the blade until adventurers recovered it. The blade was lost again when they never returned from a dungeon expedition. Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Market Price: 2,315 gp; Cost to Create: 1,315 gp + 80 XP. Notice that the description covers several points of interest: A name is given, it is physically described, the reason for its creation given, and its history is summarized. (See later for an enhanced version of this weapon, Newals Vengeance). The players can learn this information from NPCs interested in buying the item, or from those who know of the items reputation. Or you may just tell them the information and explain that it is common knowledge around the player characters region,

and that they heard bedtime tales of the item as children. If you make an item special, players will enjoy using it much more and will often enhance it with an item creation feat rather than simply replacing it. This adds a sense of history to your campaign. Feel free to apply the same method to items other than weapons and armor. The Mace of Evendryl, created in the moonlight by the Evendryl clan of elves for their greatest clerics, is more interesting than a disruption mace +1.

New Armor Special Abilities

Comfort: A suit of armor enhanced with this ability can be slept in without any ill effects, even if it has a 5 armor check penalty or higher. Barding can also be crafted with this ability, enabling a mount to remain armored through the night. Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, cure light wounds; Market Price: +2000gp. Divine Mark: This special ability can enhance any magical shield, breastplate, half-plate, or plate mail armor. A divinely marked item is magically emblazoned with the symbol of a deity or a special mark that is associated with a particular alignment in the campaign world. The mark can glow dimly (not bright enough to give off useful light) or merely be engraved or carved; the choice is up to the crafter. The basic benefit of this ability is that a divinely marked shield can serve as a divine focus, but more powerful marks can grant a sacred or profane bonus to the wielders ability to turn or rebuke the undead. Good marks gain sacred bonuses, and evil marks gain profane bonuses. Neutral marks can gain one or the other, chosen at the time of creation. The mark itself has an alignment that is the same as the alignment it is associated with, or the same as the alignment of the deity it represents. Only one divine mark can adorn an item, and the mark cannot be removed without destroying the item. Abilities with alignments that conflict with the alignment of the mark cannot enhance such a shield. This ability cannot enhance a buckler; it is too small to hold a proper divine mark. Caster Level: varies; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, consecrate or desecrate; Market Price: varies (See Table 4-1, Divine Mark 59

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 4: New Magic for the market price. This price is added to the cost of the item.) Turn or Rebuke Undead Bonus +0 +2 +4 +6
Table 4-1, Divine Mark

Caster Level 6th 10th 14th 18th

Market Price +300gp +3,000gp +12,000gp +24,000gp

Shining: This enhancement can only be placed on metallic armor polished to a mirror-like finish, such as banded mail, breastplate, half-plate, or plate mail armor. Anyone wearing shining armor has a 5 circumstance penalty to Hide skill checks. When worn by a paladin, shining armor grants a +2 enhancement bonus to Charisma. Caster Level: 10th, Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, enthrall; Market Price: +5,000gp

New Specific Magical Armor

Mount Sanctum: A mount sanctum enhancement can only be placed upon steel shields larger than bucklers. Paladins with special mounts holding such shields immediately learn of this ability. While the paladin is dismounted, their special mount can leap into the shield as a move equivalent action, passing into a special pocket dimension where time does not pass, as if in a temporal stasis spell. The shield immediately displays an intricate engraving resembling the paladins mount. No other types of creatures may enter a mount sanctum shield, and only one special mount may be inside such a shield at a time. The paladin can recall the mount as a move equivalent action, as long as he wields the shield and there is enough room for the mount in the area. The mount leaps out of the shield, and the engraving disappears. The mount can enter the shield and be recalled any number of times per day. If a mount sanctum shield is destroyed while a special mount is inside, that mount immediately returns unharmed by the event, as long as there is room for the mount in the area. If there is no room for the mount, such as if the shield is destroyed while in a very small room, the mount is also destroyed and never seen again. Bucklers are too small for this enhancement. A small shield can store a Medium-sized mount, a large shield can store up to a Large-sized mount, and a tower shield can store a mount of up to Huge size. Paladins calling their special mounts sometimes find mount sanctum shields instead, with the mount of a long dead paladin waiting within. Such a mount is willing to serve its new master, but may be concerned about its old one, and may have old-fashioned sensibilities if it has been in stasis for a long time. Shields may not have both a divine mark and a mount sanctum enhancement. Caster Level: 5th, Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, sanctuary; Market Price: +6,000gp Crescent Shield: Crescent shields were forged for a remote paladin order constantly under attack by hostile werewolves. Images of howling wolves often adorn these silvery, crescent moon-shaped shields. The shields are the enemy of lycanthropes everywhere. The shield is normally a small shield +2, but in the hands of someone with a lawful good alignment who is immune to lycanthropy (usually a paladin), it instead has a +5 enhancement bonus instead against the attacks of lycanthropes. Such a wielder can also force a lycanthrope to change involuntarily back to its original shape up to 3 times per day by using a command word. The lycanthrope must make a Control Shape skill check at DC 25 to resist. (See the MM: Appendix 3: Templates, Lycanthropes). The shield is mirror-like in appearance, and if anyone looks closely, the true form of a shapechanger can be seen in its reflection. It is a move equivalent action to look at the reflection of someone in the shield. Both the viewer and the target must be within 30ft. of the shield, and there must be adequate lighting. Caster Level: 15th, Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, true seeing; Market Price: 20,000gp.

New Weapon Special Abilities

Note that righteous, holy or holy burst weapons cannot also be blasphemous, unholy, or unholy burst. The first three are good aligned weapons; the last three are evil aligned weapons. Righteous: A righteous weapon is a weaker type of holy weapon. This special ability functions the same as the holy ability in the DMG, except it causes only +1d6 holy (good) damage when striking evil creatures. A weapon can only have one of the following special abilities: righteous, holy, or holy burst.

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 4: New Magic Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, consecrate; Market Price: +1 bonus Holy Burst: A holy burst weapon is a holy weapon (+2d6 holy damage to evil creatures) that also stuns evil creatures for one round on a critical hit. A weapon can only have one of the following special abilities: righteous, holy, or holy burst. Caster Level: 12th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, holy smite; Market Price: +3 bonus Blasphemous: A blasphemous weapon is a weaker type of unholy weapon. This special ability functions the same as the unholy ability in the DMG, except it causes only +1d6 unholy (evil) damage when striking good creatures. A weapon can only have one of the following special abilities: blasphemous, unholy, or unholy burst. Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, desecrate; Market Price: +1 bonus Unholy Burst: An unholy burst weapon is a unholy weapon (+2d6 unholy damage to good creatures) that also stuns good creatures for one round on a critical hit. A weapon can only have one of the following special abilities: blasphemous, unholy, or unholy burst. Caster Level: 12th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, unholy blight; Market Price: +3 bonus the lance reforms next to the body. Caster Level: 12th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, consecrate, shrink item, speak with animals, creator must be of good alignment; Market Price: 44,310 gp; Cost to Create: 22,310 gp + 1,760 XP. Newals Vengeance: This blade was originally a long sword +1 called Newals Folly. Newals Vengeance has a rippled appearance to the blade and a bronze plated hilt. This weapon was one of many such swords forged by a local wizard to help repel a gnoll invasion of the Brighton villages 30 years ago. Newal, a brave squire, fought valiantly with the blade but was slain when he refused to flee the overwhelming numbers of gnolls. A gnoll chieftain wielded the blade until adventurers recovered it. The blade was lost again when they never returned from a dungeon expedition. Years later a temple built near the massacred villages was given the sword as a donation by a mysterious wanderer, and the clerics have enhanced it to be a worthy weapon of good. It is now a holy gnoll-bane long sword +3, and vibrates slightly whenever a gnoll is within 60ft. Fear of the temple and the sword has kept the gnolls away, but rumor has it that the sword is missing again, so the gnolls may yet return. Caster Level: 12th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, detect evil, holy smite, summon monster I creator must be of good alignment; Market Price: 100,315 gp; Cost to Create: 50,315 gp + 4,000 XP. Pinnacle: Pinnacle is more than a weapon; it is a powerful NPC. It cannot remember its ancient beginnings, but is very wise. Pinnacle prefers to be used by higher level paladins, (16th level +), but its purpose is to protect all paladins and it may serve a lower level one for a short time before convincing or forcing them to give the blade up. Its personality can be thought of as fatherly or motherly. Instead of pressing paladins on into great danger, it urges wisdom, restraint, and careful planning. It never encourages cowardice, but always questions its wielder if his intentions seem rash. Pinnacle seems to speak with an ancient accent of whatever language its wielder speaks, and never uses contractions or a simple word when a complex one will work. Pinnacle has been destroyed many times, but seems to be a favored weapon of the gods. It always mysteriously returns to the mortal realm, usually after several years. It theorizes that 61

New Specific Magical Weapons

Dulans Surprise: Dulan was a paladin who favored mounted combat over all else. He charged carelessly into battle with this lance, which he named Dulans Charge, and ultimately met his doom when attacking a line of elite hobgoblin pikemen. The hobgoblins ransomed the lance to a temple, where a mysterious warrior stole it. The warrior had the famous lance magically enhanced to become a tattoo, so that he could smuggle it around without suspicion. The lance became known as Dulans Surprise for the way the warrior would activate it while charging. The temple never caught the thief, who owned the lance until he died years later in a tavern brawl. The current location of the lance is unknown. This righteous heavy lance +3 is engraved with the image of a cavalry charge against some indistinguishable dark foe. The lance grants anyone wielding it a +10 competence bonus to his or her Ride skill. Once per round, on command as a free action, the lance transforms into a large tattoo on the wielders body or back to a lance. If the wearer dies while the lance is in tattoo form,

Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 4: New Magic the god or powerful mortal who created it so long ago reforges it when necessary. It has also wondered aloud whether there are multiple Pinnacles in different parts of the world, but does not know. This holy burst defending bastard sword +5 has its hilt styled as a winged celestial flying to heaven, or charging into hell, depending on your point of view. Pinnacle is highly intelligent, and some consider it an actual saint or lesser artifact, or both. It is lawful good, has a Wisdom of 23, Intelligence of 16, and a Charisma of 16. A character with an alignment other than lawful good who so much as picks up Pinnacle immediately gains three negative levels. These levels never result in actual level loss, but can never be avoided or restored. Putting down the weapon removes the negative levels. Pinnacles ego score is 35, but it prefers not to dominate its wielder as long as they are attempting to do the right thing, that is, being rigidly lawful good. It will not hesitate to dominate a wielder considering a chaotic or evil act. Pinnacle communicates telepathically, and can read languages and read magic. Its wielder does not need to sleep or breathe, and gains free use of the rogues evasion ability. The wielder can also fly twice per day for up to 30 minutes at a time, and has true seeing at will. These powers can only be used when Pinnacle is held and drawn. Pinnacles purpose is to defend paladins. It has the ability to cast true resurrection on its wielder one time, but will usually only do so if the wielder is a paladin. Upon doing so, it will petition its owner to find a new owner for it, or dominate them and force them to do so if necessary. Pinnacle has the ability to act as a phylactery of faithfulness. Whenever consulted, it always gives the correct advice to avoid a course of action that might adversely affect the wielders alignment or displease a lawful good patron deity. Pinnacle also has Knowledge (religion) at 20 ranks and can answer most questions of a religious nature. Caster Level: 20th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, holy smite, shield of faith, creator must be of lawful good alignment; Market Price: 258,335 gp; Cost to Create: 129,335 gp + 10,320 XP. Saber of Adqua: This keen righteous rapier +2 features an ivory hilt and basket, and a gleaming blade. The saber is of elven design and is clearly marked as the property of the Adqua family, but no one seems to know where that clan of elves may be today. It is believed that a wizard hired by a rogue who recovered the blade placed the keen enhancement on it. The blade is a favorite of elven paladins. Any elves of good alignment gain a +2 enhancement bonus to Constitution as long as they wield the weapon or wear it on their person. Caster Level: 6th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, consecrate, keen edge, creator must be an elf of good alignment; Market Price: 40,000 gp; Cost to Create: 19,695 gp + 1550 XP. There are rumored to be several lesser sabers of Adqua without the keen enhancement: Caster Level: 6th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, consecrate, creator must be an elf of good alignment; Market Price: 25,000 gp; Cost to Create: 12,695 gp + 990 XP. Wyrmseeker: Wyrmseeker is a sword feared by all evil dragon-kind. The blade was created by the cleric Verao for the paladin/ranger Nemmon many years ago. Nemmon slew dragon after dragon with wyrmseeker, until his recent disappearance. A dragon too haughty to destroy it may guard the blade in its hoard. In the hands of anyone other than a paladin, this plain-looking weapon performs as an ordinary greatsword +1. When wielded by a paladin, the six-foot blade begins to glow like gold (light radius 20ft) revealing scrolling runes in draconic that list the names of all the dragons it has slain, and performs as a holy dragon-bane greatsword +3. It also bestows resistance 15 against all types of evil dragon breath to its wielder. Wyrmseeker received its name because of its unique ability to find dragons. When thrusting the blade point down into the ground, the blade churns the ground as it bends and the hilt slowly leans in the direction of the nearest dragon. This effect has unlimited range, but it can be fooled by mislead, nondetection, and polymorph spells. You cannot determine the distance to the dragon or the type of dragon, only the general direction. This ability takes a full round action to use. While the blade is not intelligent, wyrmseeker has a subtle effect on paladins that wield it. Whenever in a combat that includes dragon foes, paladins wielding wyrmseeker must make a Will save at DC 15 or be compelled to attack any dragon opponents they can reach instead of taking any other actions.

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 4: New Magic Any paladin wielding wyrmseeker learns all of the abilities of this blade empathically. Caster Level: 12th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, holy smite, divination, protection from elements, summon monster I, creator must be good; Market Price: 100,350 gp; Cost to Create: 50,350 gp + 4,000 XP. checks (DC 8), one every 4 hours just before an allowed minute-long break. After the reading, if all the skill and ability checks are made, the blood in the chalice changes to fine wine. Drinking the wine satisfies your hunger as if it were an entire days worth of rations, and for the next 24 hours or until you eat something, you gain a +4 sacred bonus (or profane bonus, if the chalice is evil) to Strength and Constitution. If the blood placed in the chalice was from a creature other than you, you also gain a a +2 sacred (or profane) bonus to damage against that specific type off creature. You may only be under the effect of one fasting chalice at a time. You must be literate to use a fasting chalice; the language the book is written in is up to the DM, but is usually Common, as these books are meant for holy warriors, not scholars. Fasting chalices have the same alignment as the deity or religion they are dedicated to, and are only effective when used by characters of the same alignment. If the fragile chain connecting the chalice to the book is broken, (a standard action by anyone with a Strength score of 3 or higher), the fasting chalice ceases to work. Typically, due to the fragility of these items, and because of their limited use during travel, they are kept in temples. Donating such items to temples or religious fortresses is especially appropriate. Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, divine power, endurance, Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks; Market Price: 30,000gp; Weight 5lb. Healing Sprinkler Rod: These rods were first employed during a siege against a remote mountain chapel. All three of the chapels clerics were killed during a surprise attack at the start of the assault. A group of young, inexperienced paladins at the chapel for training were left to lead the meager staff in the defense. A pair of hound archons appeared to the paladins, provided them with the first of these items, and passed along the knowledge of crafting more. With these rods, the small force was able to withstand the assault in time for a rescuing force to arrive. The sprinkler is a light mace +1 or light flail +1 with a hollowed out headpiece. The hollow chamber is sufficient to hold one flask of holy water. A single flask of holy water can be poured into the hollow chamber. Creatures struck by a

New Rods and Wondrous Items

Boots of the Equestrian: These boots were first crafted for a particularly high-ranking paladin who could simply not ride a warhorse with any measure of grace. His order was so embarrassed that they had these boots custom made. Whenever worn, these thigh-high, always magically clean, polished leather boots grant a +5 competence bonus to the Ride skill, allow you to mount and dismount using a free action without a skill check, and you always land on your feet when falling from a non-flying mount thus suffering no damage. Caster Level: 3rd, Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, cats grace; Market Price: 3,200gp; Weight: 2lb. Fasting Chalice: These large drinking goblets and books were created by an order of clerics and paladins besieged for decades by demonic armies. These paladins had little food, and lots of time. Fasting chalices sometimes appear ornate, sometimes plain, but are always chained to a book holy to a specific deity or religion. The fasting chalice is used to prepare for a fight against a deadly foe. The instructions for its use are in the first few pages of the book. To unlock the power of the chalice, you must first fast for a full day. Then fill it with either your own blood, or the fresh blood of a creature of the same type that you wish to fight. After filling the cup and holding it with one hand, you must read the holy book (or unholy book if the chalice is dedicated to some evil god or faith) attached with the chain. Every word must be read aloud, and the chalice cannot be dropped or set down, nor can any blood be spilled from it during the reading. This test of dedication takes approximately 24 hours, and requires six Concentration checks (DC 15) and Strength

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Call of Duty A Paladins Sourcebook: Chapter 4: New Magic sprinkler loaded with holy water are also struck by the holy water as it splashes on them. Using the sprinkler to heal involves shaking it and splashing holy water over the wound. This increases the time required to use the lay on hands ability to one full round, and heals an additional amount of damage equal to the paladins Charisma bonus during each use. One vial of holy water can provide up to three rounds of use. A particular character may only use a healing sprinkler 3 /day, so it is usually used by groups of paladins for maximum effect, and is rarely owned by a single paladin. Caster Level: 6th; Prerequisites: Craft Rod, bless water, cure serious wounds; Market Price: 2,600 gp; Weight: 5lbs. automatically, whenever the mount is reduced to zero hit points or less, but only works on a paladins special mount. Caster Level: 11th, Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, animal friendship, heal mount; Market Price: 14,000gp; Weight: 30lb. Captains Saddle: These saddles are quite rare and were given only to the leaders of the order. They have all the abilities of the defenders saddle, plus they strengthened the bond between a paladin and his special mount. A special mount with this saddle gains abilities as if the paladin were 3 levels higher. Caster Level: 12th, Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, animal friendship, heal mount, prayer; Market Price: 24,000gp; Weight: 30lb.

Lesser Artifacts
Unholy Destroyer: These foul blades were once holy avengers, but became corrupted by centuries of immersion in the same pits of the Abyss that spawn balors. Demons give these blades to blackguards as payment for a great service. They appear to be longswords with twisted holy symbols embedded in the hilt. A character with an alignment other than chaotic evil who so much as picks up an unholy destroyer immediately gains two negative levels. These levels never result in actual level loss, but can never be avoided or restored. Putting down the weapon removes the negative levels. To any character other than a blackguard, a deathblade, or chaos knight an unholy destroyer functions as a longsword +2. (See Chapter 1 for information on the deathblade or chaos knight.) In the hands of a character with one of the above classes, unholy destroyers are chaotic unholy longswords +5, and glow like a greenish torch (20ft radius) when a paladin is within 1 mile. Blackguards wielding an unholy destroyer gain the ability to smite good one additional time per day with the weapon. Chaos knights instead gain the ability to smite law an additional time per day. Deathblades gain no additional special abilities, but may be able to summon an unholy destroyer. (See Chapter 1 about deathblades.) Unholy destroyers have a rudimentary Intelligence (2), and are telepathically aware of their surroundings. They use this knowledge to planeshift, with their wielder, back to a random level of the Abyss whenever they feel they are in serious danger. Usually this is when they have taken damage, or when held by someone with good alignment. Caster Level: 20th; Weight 4lb.

Saddles of the Circle of Light: Once, when paladins were common in the land, a paladins warhorse sacrificed itself to save its master. That is not an uncommon event, but for that particular paladin, a half-elf named Keenan who loved his mount and leader of a legendary order of paladins, known as the Circle of Light, it was devastating. He commissioned elven craftsman and spellcasters to build saddles to protect all the mounts in the order, and to help his paladins in mounted combat. Ironically, he never called another mount himself. The saddles he created came in a variety of types. The less powerful types were given to lower level members of the order. Most are military saddles of masterwork quality, and have a distinctly elven design. There is a 10% chance that any of these saddles found is exotic, and designed for griffons or pegasi. Double the market price on such items because the rarity of these saddles. Initiates Saddle: These saddles were designed for the inexperienced rider and grant a +10 competence bonus to Ride skill checks. These are quite common. Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, animal friendship; Market Price: 2,200gp; Weight: 30lb. Defenders Saddle: These saddles were issued to paladins who had proven themselves in many battles and had called a special mount. As the initiates saddle, plus this saddle has the ability to cast heal mount once per day as an 11th level paladin. This ability is activated 64

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