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View Full Version : So a paladin and a cleric walk into a re-imagining... [3.5e Base Classes]



tarkisflux
2013-01-25, 10:18 PM
... and turn into a couple of full-list, spontaneous casting classes. The punchline is that I actually did that (well, it was me and a couple of other guys. also it's been a while now, but I'm finally getting around to putting them up here).

Why? Well, a few reasons. Like many here, I've never really liked the preparation model of divine casters. They get their spells by asking their deity for help, and the limitation that they have to ask them for things ahead of time never really made sense. If any of the spellcasters should be able to call down the appropriate spell whenever, it ws the cleric. I was also unhappy with the small role that domains played in the classes. Clerics of radically different faiths had basically the same tools in their closets, and that seemed a rather poor use of the conceptual space. Lastly, I'm over them being fighter replacements (which also overlapped with the paladin revision I was working on), so I pulled a lot of their martial prowess. And then threw in some rather minor or expensive class features, because no one likes dead levels.

But the paladin went through a much larger revision. It's no secret that the class has never really worked right since it gets patched quite a lot around here, and there was certainly a desire to make one that worked. But I also felt that the basic "paladin"-ness of it restricted it's design too much. Traditionally, a paladin is a servant of law and good and their code, and that's been kind of bolted on to a setting appropriate deity. It left a lot of other deities out of the militant arm loop, particularly with the priest changes. And while there are patches for paladins of different alignments, I figured I would just make it a broader class while I was rewriting it anyway. What came out in the end was a class that you can make very like a paladin, or a blackguard, or lots of other things but that still have strong thematic ties to a faith. Also bard style casting, because then I don't have to re-level spells between the priest and the templar.

The goal for these was probably Tier 2 or 3. I say probably because they were originally put up on dnd-wiki.org, and we use a different metric over there. Shouldn't be too far from there though (hopefully).

If that sounds like something interesting to look at, take a gander at the next post (where the priest will be posted in just a moment) and the one after (where the templar will be posted shortly after).

tarkisflux
2013-01-25, 10:19 PM
The Priest

Although deities have phenomenal cosmic power, most cannot work this power in the mortal world directly. Instead, they must rely on their agents to make their will understood (and carried out) in the world that their worshipers must live in. Their most direct agents are the priests - individuals given part of the deity's power. These individuals walk the world or staff temples and shrines to better share the teachings and miracles of their patron with the world, whether the people want them or not.

The priest is an individual possessed of a very strong, and very real, connection to a higher power. Every action they take is divinely assisted, every step they take is divinely guided. The will of a deity is a difficult thing to know, however, and not all priests take the same interpretation of the will of their patron. Priests of the same god do fail to get along at times, but they are all cherished by their deity nonetheless.

Making a Priest

Priests can fill a wide variety of roles, depending on their patron deity. As there are many deities and many creeds to follow, so too are there many types of priests walking the land.

Abilities: Charisma is the most important ability score for a priest, as it determines the power and number of their spells each day. Although not strictly necessary, having a high Dexterity and Constitution is also helpful for their continued survival.

Races: Anyone can become a priest, regardless of race, so long as a deity will accept them. As a result, most races have their own priests, as racial deities are notoriously narrow recruiters.

Alignment: There are plenty of deities for every alignment, and thus priests of every alignment. Most priests fall within 1 degree of their deity's alignment, but it is not a requirement. An evil priest can still serve a good deity, even if the deity disagrees with their methods sometimes, so long as they mostly tow the line.

Starting Gold: 5d4×10 gp (125 gp).

Starting Age: Complex


The Priest


LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial0lvl1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7t h8th9th

1st+0+0+0+2Divine connection, domain power (1st)53————————

2nd+1+0+0+3Scribe64————————

3rd+1+1+1+3Domain power (2nd)643———————

4th+2+1+1+4Untouchable (sanctuary)654———————

5th+2+1+1+4Domain power (3rd)6543——————

6th+3+2+2+5Aura of conviction6554——————

7th+3+2+2+5Domain power (4th)66543—————

8th+4+2+2+6Divine metamagic, untouchable (resistances)66554—————

9th+4+3+3+6Domain power (5th)666543————

10th+5+3+3+7Servants of the deity666554————

11th+5+3+3+7Doorway to the heavens, favored in death6666543———

12th+6/+1+4+4+8Divine metamagic6666554———

13th+6/+1+4+4+8Immortal, Lesser demesne (1 acre)66666543——

14th+7/+2+4+4+9Untouchable (regeneration)66666554——

15th+7/+2+5+5+9Undying Faith (as raise dead)666666543—

16th+8/+3+5+5+10Alter reality (lesser miracle)666666554—

17th+8/+3+5+5+10Lesser demesne (4 acres)6666666543

18th+9/+4+6+6+11Undying Faith (as resurrection)6666666554

19th+9/+4+6+6+11Gate to the heavens6666666655

20th+10/+5+6+6+12Alter reality (miracle)6666666666



Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d6

Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spellcraft
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the priest.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Priests are proficient with all simple weapons, plus their deity's favoured weapon (see Divine Connection). They are proficient with light armour, but not with shields.

Spells: Priests cast divine spells, which are drawn from their deity's domains (see Divine Connection), as well as their spell list below. Their caster level for these spells is equal to their character level, and any save DCs for these spells are equal to 10 + the spell's level + the priest's Charisma modifier. Priests can use their spells a limited number of times before having to pray for more, as indicated on Table: The Priest. They receive additional spells if they have a high Charisma score.

Priests may cast any spell they know, provided they have a slot of that level or higher to cast it with. They do not need to prepare their spells first.

In order to receive their spells, the priest must pray for 1 hour without interruption, in a place free from distractions or noise. At the end of this time, the priest receives their spell slots. After praying, the priest cannot pray again until one whole day (24 hours) has passed.

In addition to the spells from their deity's domains (see Divine Connection below), all priests have access to spells from the following list:

0th— create water, cure light wounds, detect magic, guidance, inflict light wounds, light, purify food and drink, read magic, resistance

1st— aid, bless, cure moderate wounds, detect chaos/evil/good/law (opposing alignments only), deathwatch, divine favor, find temple, inflict moderate wounds, protection from chaos/evil/good/law (opposing alignments only), remove fear, rhino’s rush, shield of faith, zone of truth

2nd— align weapon, augury, brand heretic, calm emotions, consecrate, cure serious wounds, delay poison, divine mount, inflict serious wounds, lesser restoration, mass cure light wounds, mass inflict light wounds, prayer, remove blindness/deafness, shield other, status

3rd— air walk, atonement, commune, cure critical wounds, greater dispel magic, inflict critical wounds, glyph of warding, knight's move, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law (opposing alignments only), mass cure moderate wounds, mass inflict moderate wounds, remove disease, speak with dead

4th— death ward, discern lies, dismissal, divination, freedom of movement, harm, heal, holy sword (or unholy sword), mass cure serious wounds, mass inflict serious wounds, mark of justice, remove curse, restoration

5th— banishment, break enchantment, contact other plane (own deity only), dispel chaos/evil/good/law (opposing allignments only), mass cure critical wounds, mass inflict critical wounds, raise dead, righteous might

6th— binding, greater glyph of warding, heroes’ feast, mass heal, quest (willing creatures only), refuge, soul bind, word of recall

7th— lesser miracle, resurrection

8th— dimensional lock, foresight

9th— freedom, miracle

Divine Connection: A priest has a close connection to a particular deity or pantheon. This connection grants the priest access to five domains associated with the deity or pantheon. If the deity does not offer 5 domains, the priest may supplement the selection with an alignment domain (Chaos, Evil, Good or Law), provided their own alignment has this component (thus, for a priest to choose Law, they would have to be lawful, etc). All of the spells in those domains are added to the priest's list of spells known at the same level at which they appear in the domain.

My Deity Only Has Four Domains...
It can often happen that a deity or pantheon a priest wants to choose won't have enough domains available, even with the alignment domain provision in here. In this case, it is perfectly acceptable for the priest to choose additional domains that they feel suit their interpretation of the deity's teachings and ideas until they have five in total. It's a good idea to run these past the DM, though - everyone should be on the same page.

Domain Power: When a priest first begins their service, they only have access to a single domain power from among their chosen domains. The DC for a domain power is 10 + half their priest level + their Charisma modifier unless otherwise listed. They may select an alternate domain power from among their available domains every time they pray to recover their spells.

At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level the priest's connection to their chosen deity or pantheon grows stronger.. At each of these levels the priest gains access to an additional domain power, so they may have 2 domain powers at 3rd level, 3 at 5th level, and so on. These may also be changed when the priest prays to recover their spells, providing they do not already have access to all 5 domain powers.

Scribe: A 2nd level priest gains scribe scroll as a bonus feat.

Untouchable (Su): A 4th level priest can temporarily channel the awe and power of their deity. As a swift action, they can gain the benefit of modified a sanctuary effect for 5 minutes. The save DC for the effect is 10 + 1/2 the priest's character level + the priest's Charisma modifier. Targets who fail their save may attempt another 1 minute later. If the priest takes any offensive action while under this effect, the effect is broken only for those who were targeted. Channeling divine power in this way is not without it's cost, however, and the priest suffers 2 points of Charisma burn when they use this ability. At the end of the 5 minute duration the priest becomes fatigued (or exhausted if already fatigued). An exhausted priest may not use this ability.

At 8th level their ability to channel their deity's awe improves. While they are untouchable they also benefit from Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, and Sonic Resistance of 15.

At 14th level their ability to channel their deity's power reaches its peak. While they are untouchable they gain the benefit of Regeneration 20 in addition to their resistances. They suffer normal damage from divine power (such as half of the damage done by flame strike) and aligned sources (such as anarchic or holy).

Aura of Conviction (Su): At 6th level, a priest's faith becomes infectious, inspiring their allies to greater acts. Whenever an ally within Close range of the priest (including the priest themselves) rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll, saving throw, or skill or ability check, they may re-roll it. The second roll stands (even if it's another 1).

Divine Metamagic (Su): An 8th level priest can amplify the lesser powers of their deity without strain. They reduce the total metamagic cost applied to a spell by 1 level, to a minimum of 0, for any spell 4+ spell levels lower than the maximum they can cast. For example, an 8th level priest they may cast silent orisons without using a level 1 spell slot.

At 12th level they may reduce the total metamagic cost applied to a spell by 2 levels, to a minimum of 0, for any spell 6+ spell levels lower than the maximum they can cast. This replaces the 1 level cost reduction ability for these spell levels.

They may not benefit from any other metamagic reducers while using this ability.

Servants of the Deity (Sp): A 10th level priest can call upon outsiders that serve their deity to assist or fight for them. The priest must spend 1 round communing with their deity and sacrifice a spell slot to summon assistance. A number of creatures with an EL equal to twice the level of the sacrificed spell are summoned, though the total EL gained may not exceed the priests' level -4. For example, a 10th level priest could sacrifice a 3rd level spell slot to summon up to EL 6 worth of creatures or a 1st level spell slot to summon up to EL 2 worth of creatures. A priest may only have one group of servants summoned at any given time.

These summoned creatures must be outsiders that could realistically work with the priest's deity (entries on the ''summon monster'' table that share an alignment are acceptable). These creatures remain for up to 10 minutes, but may be dismissed by the priest at any time. The priest can direct these creatures mentally, and does not need to have a language in common with them to give them instructions. Summoned creatures may not use a spell or spell-like ability with a higher spell level than the spell sacrificed to summon them.

Doorway to the Heavens (Sp): At 11th level a priest has a closer connection to their patron, and their home plane, than others could ever hope to have. They may spend 1 minute creating a gate effect between their home plane and their patron deity's demesne. The gate remains open for 5 rounds (though it may be dismissed earlier), does not require concentration, may only be used for transport, and has the same lack of precision as a plane shift spell so a specific location within the demesne can not be targeted. This ability may only be used on the priest's home plane and in their patron deity's demesne, it fails without effect if used elsewhere. After the priest has opened a portal this way, they become fatigued (or exhausted if already fatigued). An exhausted priest may not use this ability. This ability has an effective spell level of 5th level.

At 13th level, the priest may use this ability to travel to their lesser demesne directly, though they still may not target a specific location with precision. They may still elect to open a doorway to a random location in their deity's demesne if they prefer.

Favored in Death (Su): The divine power wielded by an 11th level priest grants them a strong connection with their physical form even after death, one that can be used to make a return to it less difficult. An 11th level priest may elect to suffer 2 points of Charisma burn in place of level or attribute loss when raised from the dead.

Immortal (Ex): As the priest's connection with their deity grows, they become something more than simply mortal. A 13th level priest can no longer die of old age, and will live forever unless slain (a difficult proposition on its own). They still accrue both age bonuses and penalties, however.

Lesser Demesne: At 13th level, a priest is rewarded by their patron deity with a little plot of planar land to call their own. This land is approximately 1 acre (a square approximately 200 feet per side) in area and located within the deity's demesne. This area is still divinely morphic, and the priest can shape it to their will to some degree. Any substantial changes from the original form, including the addition of buildings, natural features, or fantastic geography or changes which would alter the other traits of the deity's demesne require the deity's approval (if not their intervention).

At 17th level priest is rewarded with an increase in their plot of land. Their land grows to 4 acres (a square approximately 400 feet on a side).

Undying Faith (Su): Fifteenth level priests are extremely difficult to kill. The priest may elect to gain the benefit of a raise dead spell at any time within 1 minute of being killed. If they do, their return is announced by a powerful flash of light (as a daylight spell) for 1 round. Instead of the normal level loss, they suffer 2 points of Charisma burn. Once used, they may not return from the dead in this way for 24 hours; a priest who dies twice in a day will need someone else to bring them back to continue their work.

At 18th level, this ability improves to offer the benefit of a resurrection spell instead, though the priest only returns with half of their maximum hit points.

Alter Reality (Su): At 16th level, the priest gains some of their deity's power to affect reality, although to a much lesser degree. As a standard action, the priest can sacrifice a 7th level or higher spell slot to cast lesser miracle as a supernatural ability. They may not create any effect that would fall outside of their deity's portfolio, however, and they must still spend experience points if the effect would require them from a standard casting. After the priest has cast the ''lesser miracle'', they become fatigued and suffer 2 points of Charisma burn. An exhausted priest may not use this ability.

At 20th level, they may instead alter reality with a miracle by sacrificing a 9th level spell slot instead. This ability otherwise functions as the 16th level lesser version.

Gate to the Heavens (Sp): At 19th level, a priest can open a portal between any outer or prime material plane as a standard action. This is otherwise identical to the gate spell, except that it lasts for 5 rounds (though it may be dismissed earlier), does not require concentration, and can only be used for travel. After the priest has opened a portal this way, they become fatigued (or exhausted if already fatigued) and suffer 2 points of Charisma burn. An exhausted priest may not use this ability. This ability has an effective spell level of 9th level.

Ex-Priests

A priest who wishes to pursue other classes is welcome to do so. There are no multiclssing restrictions against them.

A priest who willingly leaves his faith or who is cast out loses all spells, spell-like, and supernatural abilities of the class, but they retain any extraordinary abilities. They may return to the faith if an atonement is cast for them by a member of the faith of the same or higher level. Alternately, they may pursue a new faith entirely. They must still find a member of the faith to atone them, however. When joining a new faith in this way, the templar loses all of their old vows. They may swear a new one each day until they have reached the level allotted them based on their level.

tarkisflux
2013-01-25, 10:20 PM
Reserved, just in case

nonsi
2013-01-26, 04:39 AM
... I've never really liked the preparation model of divine casters. They get their spells by asking their deity for help, and the limitation that they have to ask them for things ahead of time never really made sense.


The vancian system never made sense to me, definitely not for divine casters, but also for all other casters.

Waiting to see how you cook this one, especially the domains (just don't spread them too thin).

super dark33
2013-01-26, 06:04 AM
I think wisdom still needs to be a part of the priest's main abilities.
He is after all a wise advisor and healer.

Nightcanon
2013-01-26, 06:36 AM
I agree that wisdom should remain the prime requisite of a cleric-type, otherwise it ends up being just for will saves and skill checks and might as well be merged with Int. The small element of MAD introduced with turning being Cha dependent and spellcasting Wis gives a little balance to the Cleric as is. I liked the way that 2e priests had spells strongly tied to their deity, and this seems to reinstate that nicely.

tarkisflux
2013-01-26, 01:01 PM
Answers are faster than porting a long class, so we'll do those for now :-)


Waiting to see how you cook this one, especially the domains (just don't spread them too thin).

I don't currently have plans to put revised domains up here. I have them (or the co-authors I worked with here have them), but I'm still in the middle of reviewing and tweaking them. It should work fine with the standard domains though.


I think wisdom still needs to be a part of the priest's main abilities.
He is after all a wise advisor and healer.

He can still be those things, but I disagree that all priests are. I'd argue that the wise healer is better represented by the Druid. Priests call down miracles to heal the sick and injured, and there's nothing particularly wise about that. Charisma seems more important to a group of people who are going around trying to convert or extol the virtues of their faith.


I agree that wisdom should remain the prime requisite of a cleric-type, otherwise it ends up being just for will saves and skill checks and might as well be merged with Int. The small element of MAD introduced with turning being Cha dependent and spellcasting Wis gives a little balance to the Cleric as is. I liked the way that 2e priests had spells strongly tied to their deity, and this seems to reinstate that nicely.

Turn Undead is not present in here, which is only sort of an oversight. I honestly haven't decided if I want to put it back in by default or not (I seem to remember a feat for it anyway). Rebuke undead missing is not an oversight though, and I have no intention of putting it back in. This is a direct result of my desire to have a Necromancer and not any random evil priest be the best at controlling undead. So they wouldn't see much MAD from being reverted to a Wis caster unless turn was restored, and it's such a small benefit that I'm not sure I want to do it. Any balancing effects on this class should come from their greatly reduced spell list and options, not from a tiny bit of rather forgettable MAD.

Past that though, there are plenty of other SAD classes for whom Wisdom is secondary, and they seem to do just fine. This class has a lot of potentially interesting and viable builds with different secondary attribute needs based on their faith and what domains they grab, and that works for me.

All that said, if you like the rest of the class and would prefer a Wisdom based priest in your own games, go nuts ;-). Just be sure to change both their spellcasting and drain costs.

Rakoa
2013-01-27, 01:56 PM
I really like this class here. What I would recommend though is a bit of flexibility in the trait. There are the sort of fire and brimstone priests, focused on charisma, but wisdom is also an archetype.

Perhaps let the Priest choose from the two when he begins his career which attribute he will focus on, which cannot be changed later? That will also keep paths open if he wants to multiclass Druid instead of another Charisma-based class down the road. Just a suggestion, but I think it would work.

Otherwise, well done. I can't wait for the Templar.

tarkisflux
2013-01-27, 06:28 PM
The Templar

Every religion has priests, those tasked with performing the duties of the religion. Many also have faithful members who leave their homes to travel distant lands, spreading the word of their god or pantheon. Templars are ordained warriors tasked with spreading the faith and defending the faithful, while also beating down the foes of a deity.

Templars are the militant arm of their church and/or cause. They are often guards of sacred places, dispatched away from the temples as agents of higher powers, or simply wander to share the virtues of their philosophy and ideal with others. Initially able and zealous warriors combining martial abilities with the power of their deity, they eventually become an active sword or shield for their deity, with high levels of offensive prowess and devastating crowd control. Whether as a bodyguard or a support character, they often find themselves in the ranks of adventuring parties who can make use of the talents.

A templar generally exemplifies a particular ideology of life, and associated nomenclature may depend on the side with which he aligns himself. A good templar, for instance, might assume the title of paladin while those who embrace evil are often known as blackguards and those who serve neutrality are called gray wardens. What truly differentiates these characters are the vows that they swear to uphold.

Making a Templar

Templars are often on the front lines, attempting to spread the word of their deity or knock some sense into the heads of unbelievers and enemies.

Abilities: Templars value Charisma greatly, as it allows them to better convince those they encounter of the importance of their deity and provides force to their spells. They also value Strength as it allows them to beat up those who steadfastly refuse to believe and get in the way of the templar's work. Constitution is often the third most important ability for a templar, as it allows them to stand longer in the fray.

Races: Any. Every race that has deities has templars to spread their teachings.

Alignment: Any, though a templar may only select a deity who allows worshipers of the templar's alignment. Conversely, a templar of a specific deity is limited to only those alignments which would be allowed by the deity for a follower.

Starting Gold: 3d10 x 10 gp (165 gp).

Starting Age: Moderate.


The Templar


LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial0lvl1st2nd3rd4th5th6th

1st+1+2+0+2Avenger of the faith (primary), code of conduct, spells2——————

2nd+2+3+0+3Divine vow (once vowed), vow of piety (1 domain)3——————

3rd+3+3+1+3Avenger of the faith (secondary)32—————

4th+4+4+1+4Divine vow (once vowed)32—————

5th+5+4+1+4Avenger of the faith (primary)332————

6th+6/+1+5+2+5Arms of the faithful, divine vow (once vowed)332————

7th+7/+2+5+2+5Avenger of the faith (secondary)3332———

8th+8/+3+6+2+6Inquisitor, divine vow (twice vowed), vow of piety (2 domains)3332———

9th+9/+4+6+3+6Avenger of the faith (primary)3332———

10th+10/+5+7+3+7Divine vow (twice vowed)33332——

11th+11/+6/+1+7+3+7Avenger of the faith (secondary)33332——

12th+12/+7/+2+8+4+8Sustained by faith, divine vow (twice vowed)33332——

13th+13/+8/+3+8+4+8Avenger of the faith (primary)333332—

14th+14/+9/+4+9+4+9Divine vow (thrice vowed), vow of piety (3 domains)433332—

15th+15/+10/+5+9+5+9Undying faith (as raise dead), avenger of the faith (secondary)443332—

16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+5+10Divine vow (thrice vowed)4443332

17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+5+10Avenger of the faith (primary)4444332

18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+6+11Undying faith (as resurrection), divine vow (thrice vowed)4444433

19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+6+11Avenger of the faith (secondary)4444443

20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+6+12All things are possible4444444



Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d6

Class Skills: Appraise, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (religion), Listen, Ride, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spellcraft, Swim
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the templar.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A templar is automatically proficient with simple and martial weapons, all forms of armor, and all shields.

Avenger of the Faith:[\B] A templar trains himself in multiple forms of combat, so as to serve as both the weapon and shield of their church or ideals. At first level, they choose a primary combat form (see Avenger of the Faith Styles) and gain its initial abilities. They gain the the second set of abilities from this style at 5th level, the third set at 9th level, the fourth set at 13th level, and the fifth and final set at 17th level.

At 3rd level, a templar chooses a secondary style and gains its initial abilities. They gain the the second set of abilities from this style at 7th level, the third set at 11th level, the fourth set at 15th level, and the fifth and final set at 19th level.

[B]Code of Conduct: Like any other character, a templar does what he must to uphold the duties given to him by an organization of which he is a part, even if that organization is as loose as his alignment group. But let’s face it; sometimes even the good and honorable knight may want to lie about his identity or consort with unscrupulous characters in order to root out the evil, demonic cult. And evil knights can be obsessed with battle, honor, and battling with honor. A templar is not specifically prohibited from acts that lie outside of their alignment or run counter to their deity's wishes. Many aspire to these things and most follow them, but not all do so and no templar is punished for being found slightly wanting. Templars who actively displease or betray their deity may still be stripped of their powers and dismissed, however.

Spells: A templar cast divine spells, which are drawn from the list below and supplemented by their deity's domains (see Vow of Piety). His caster level for these spells is equal to his class level. The save DCs for these spells are equal to 10 + the spell's level + his Charisma modifier. A templar must have a charisma score of at least 10 + the spell's level in order to cast the spell.

A templar know all of the spells on his class list, and may cast any of them without preparation so long as he has an appropriate spell slot available and an Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell's level. His maximum available slots per day are determined by his class level (as seen on Table: The Templar), and he gains bonus slots from his Charisma score.

In order to receive their spell slots, the templar must pray for 1 hour without interruption in a place free from distractions or noise. At the end of this time, he receives his spell slots. After praying, the templar cannot pray again until one whole day (24 hours) has passed.

A templar’s spells are more for utility than combat efficacy, either allowing him to better solve problems through non-violent means or enhancing his combat abilities past even their already formidable limits.

0th— create water, cure light wounds, detect magic, guidance, inflict light wounds, light, purify food and drink, read magic, resistance

1st— aid, bless, cure moderate wounds, detect chaos/evil/good/law (opposing alignments only), deathwatch, divine favor, find temple, inflict moderate wounds, protection from chaos/evil/good/law (opposing alignments only), remove fear, rhino’s rush, shield of faith, zone of truth

2nd— align weapon, augury, brand heretic, calm emotions, consecrate, cure serious wounds, delay poison, divine mount, inflict serious wounds, lesser restoration, mass cure light wounds, mass inflict light wounds, prayer, remove blindness/deafness, shield other, status

3rd— air walk, atonement, commune, cure critical wounds, greater dispel magic, inflict critical wounds, glyph of warding, knight's move, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law (opposing alignments only), mass cure moderate wounds, mass inflict moderate wounds, remove disease, speak with dead

4th— death ward, discern lies, dismissal, divination, freedom of movement, harm, heal, holy sword (or unholy sword), mass cure serious wounds, mass inflict serious wounds, mark of justice, remove curse, restoration

5th— banishment, break enchantment, contact other plane (own deity only), dispel chaos/evil/good/law (opposing allignments only), mass cure critical wounds, mass inflict critical wounds, raise dead, righteous might

6th— binding, greater glyph of warding, heroes’ feast, mass heal, quest (willing creatures only), refuge, soul bind, word of recall

Divine Vow (Su): A templar’s code is somewhat variable; different deities and philosophies extol different virtues that a templar must try to uphold. But more than that, each templar is permitted to extol these virtues in slightly different ways. The vows a templar makes are a representation of his personal or religious code, and determine which aspects he attempts to uphold most strongly. These vows grant him extraordinary powers (the nature of which vary based on the vows he takes). These are detailed in the section below.

A templar may sear a new vow every even level. At 2nd level, when a templar swears a new vow they may only gain one rank 1 vow of their choice. They may not advance a vow beyond rank 1 at this time.

Beginning at 8th level, when a templar swears a new vow they may reaffirm one vow for which they already possess the rank 1 ability, in order to gain the rank 2 ability. A vow that has been reaffirmed in this way is known as "twice vowed." Instead of reaffirming a rank 1 vow, they may instead select two new vows at rank 1. They may not advance a vow beyond rank 2 at this time.

Beginning at 14th level, when a templar swears a new vow they may reaffirm any other vow for which they already possess the rank 2 ability, in order to gain the rank 3 ability. A vow that has been reaffirmed in this way is known as "thrice vowed." Instead of reaffirming a rank 2 vow, they may instead select a new vow to gain both the rank 1 and rank 2 benefits, or they may select two new rank 1 vows.

Vow of Piety: When you prepare your spells, you may also prepare one of your deity's domains. The spells of a prepared domain are added to your list of spells known, and you may cast them so long as you have a slot of the appropriate level remaining. You also gain access to the associated domain power, using your class level to determine any relevant variables. When you next prepare spells you may choose to gain a different domain from among those offered by your deity. If you do so, you lost access to the spells and power of the previously prepared domain, and instead gain access to the spells and powers of the new domain.

At 8th level you may prepare two domains at a time, gaining access to all sets of spells and powers for as long as they remain prepared. At 14th level you may prepare three domains at a time.

Arms of the Faithful: At sixth level a templar gains Craft Magic Arms and Armor as a bonus feat. When crafting any magic items with this feat, they are treated as having access to the spells of the war domain in addition to those on their class list. If they already possess Craft Magic Arms and Armor, they may select another item creation feat for which they qualify.

Inquisitor (Su): An eigth level templar can detect the alignments of any creature that he can see as a swift action. He instantly gains all information about their alignment as if he had spent three rounds concentrating on them with the appropriate spells. If the creature is warded, the templar may make a caster level check against the warding spell to gain the information if such a check is allowed by the ward.

In addition, all the templar’s natural and weapon attacks are automatically considered aligned (good or evil, lawful or chaotic, etc. based on his alignment) for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Sustained by Faith (Ex): An eleventh level templar gains everything they need to live from their relationship with their deity. They no longer need to eat, drink, or breathe. They can still do these things if they want to of course.

Undying Faith (Su): Fifteenth level templars are extremely difficult to kill. The templar may elect to gain the benefit of a raise dead spell at any time within 1 minute of being killed. If they do, their return is announced by a powerful flash of light (as a daylight spell) for 1 round. Instead of the normal level loss, they instead suffer 2 points of Charisma burn. Once used, they may not return from the dead in this way for 24 hours; a templar who dies twice in a day will need someone else to bring them back to continue their work.

At eighteenth level, this ability improves to offer the benefit of a resurrection spell instead, though the templar only returns with half of their maximum hit points.

All Things Are Possible (Sp): The prayers of a twentieth level templar are taken very seriously. Once per day they may cast miracle as a spell-like ability, though they must still spend experience points if the effect would require them from a spellcaster casting it.

Ex-Templars

A templar who wishes to pursue other classes is welcome to do so. There are no multiclssing restrictions against the templar.

A templar who willingly leaves his faith or who is cast out loses all spells, spell-like, and supernatural abilities, as well as any ability stemming from one of their vows. They may return to the faith if a ranking member casts an atonement for them. They may also pursue a new faith entirely. They must still find a member of the faith to atone them, however. When joining a new faith in this way, the templar loses all of their old vows. They may swear a new one each day until they have reached the level allotted them based on their level.

Avenger of the Faith Styles

As there are many different vows that a templar can swear, so to are there different combat styles that they may practice. A templar selects one of these styles as their primary style and another as a secondary. They are both then advanced as the templar gains levels.

Charger
A charger is a very straightforward templar. They see their foes, and they run or ride out to meet them. This generally leads to the defeat of their foes.

Knight Errant (Ex): A charger needs to reach his foes in order to strike them down. You may charge up to three times your normal base speed when you make a charge as a [[SRD:Full-Round Actions|full-round action]]. If you would only be limited to a partial charge, you may move twice your base speed as part of that action. You may make 1 turn up to 90 degrees as part of your charge action, though you must still travel at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before you attack a target. Additionally, you are not required to move to the closest space to your opponent during a charge, and may make your charge attack when your opponent is in any of your threatened spaces. This does allow you to take a charge attack while running past an opponent, but this movement would provoke attacks of opportunity as normal.
Cataphract (Ex): When charging, you may make a full attack with a weapon in your primary hand. If you destroy an effect in your path, render a charged opponent unconscious or dead, or otherwise clear the way forward while charging you may continue the charge along the same path (following all normal restrictions as they apply) up to your full allowed distance. If you have any remaining attacks, you may make them against those in your way along this additional distance as if they were your intended charge target. You may not make a full-attack when you perform a partial charge, however. This benefit also applies while you are mounted.
Charge of Necessity (Su): While charging or running, you gain the benefit or air walk for the round, until the start of your next turn. If you do not continue running or charging at the start of the next round, you instead fall to the ground under the effect of feather fall. If you begin a fall from other circumstances you do not benefit from this effect. This benefit also applies while you are mounted.
Charge of Destruction (Ex): In addition to charging foes, you can also charge barriers and zones of magic. If you make an attack against a physical object or barrier and your attack roll is greater than it's AC + it's hardness, a 10' cube of it is lost as if it had been disintegrated (force effects are treated as if they had a hardness of 30 for the purposes of this attack). If you make an attack roll against a magic effect in a space, your attack duplicates the effect of a targeted greater dispel magic, and your dispel check is equal to your attack roll. This benefit also applies while you are mounted.
Charge of Glory (Su): When you kill a foe with an attack while charging, they are destroyed utterly as if they had been immolated or disintegrated. Further, while charging or running you may leave behind a blade barrier as you leaves each space. The wall need not be continuous, and may have as many or as few breaks in it as you desire. This wall deals 15d6 points of damage, has a save DC of 16 + the templar's Charisma modifer, and dissipates at the start of your next turn. This benefit also applies while you are mounted.

Harrier
Templars who follow the harrier path frustrate the efforts of foes by interrupting and directing their attacks.

Vanguard (Ex): While wielding a reach weapon, you threaten adjacent spaces and may attack adjacent enemies as if you were not wielding a reach weapon. Additionally, you may wield a two-handed polearm reach weapon at the same time as you wield a small or larger shield in your off hand, gaining the shield's benefit. When you do so, you still deal damage with the weapon as though it was wielded in two hands.
Focused Offensive (Ex): You may focus your attention on a specific target within your threatened area for 1 round as a swift action. For the next round, if this target makes an attack not directed at you you may make an attack against them. If you attack deals damage to the target, they automatically fail their attempted attack. These attacks are not attacks of opportunity and occur in place of them. You may use an attack of opportunity instead of these bonus attacks if you wish. Your stance makes this obvious, and they are aware of the consequences of not attacking you if they can see you.
Warding Thrust (Su): Any time you strike with a two-handed weapon, you may attempt to force the target back as a free action. The target must then succeed on a DC 10 + half templar level + Cha mod reflex save or they are thrown back 1 square per five points of damage dealt, plus any reach you have with your weapon, and then fall prone. If they are unable to move the full distance, they suffer 1d6 points of damage per square they could not move. Against the target of a focused offensive, any damage you have dealt to them within the last round in response to their attacking other creatures may be added together to determine the total distance they are thrown back, should you elect to force them at any point.
Resounding Thrust (Su): As a standard action, you may target any or all creatures or objects within a cone extending out to Close range (25' plus 5' per 2 class levels) plus any reach you have from your weapon with a melee attack. Roll a single attack roll and compare it to the AC of each target. If the roll would hit them, they take damage and suffer effects as if you had hit them with a normal melee attack.
Divine Offensive (Su): You may immediately make an attack against anyone in your threatened area who makes an attack that is not directed at you, even if they are not the target of your focused offensive. These attacks are not attacks of opportunity and occur in place of them. You may use an attack of opportunity instead of these bonus attacks if you wish. You may also select the target of your focused offensive out to Close range (25' plus 5' per 2 class levels) plus any reach you have from your weapon. For the purposes of attacking them when they make an attack that is not directed at you, your reach is considered equal to your target selection range.

Herald
A herald is a shining beacon of the strength of their patron or philosophy. While they generally do so with protective and restorative auras, they are eventually capable of showing the terrible might of their beliefs as well.

Aura of Vitality (Su): As a swift or move action, you may radiate a protective divine aura. All designated creatures within Close range (25 ft, +5 feet per 2 class levels) of you when you activate the aura gain its benefits until the start of your next turn. You must have line-of-effect to a creature to designate them, however. You may also exclude yourself from the effect if you prefer. There is no limit to the number of times per day that a herald may create a dine aura. <br />Creatures benefiting from your protective aura gain temporary hit points equal to your class level or your charisma modifier, whichever is higher. These temporary hit points last until used or 1 day has passed, and they do not stack with additional exposure to the aura or with any other source of temporary hit points.
Aura of Sanctuary (Su): Creatures benefiting from your protective aura also gain the effects of the sanctuary spell. If a warded creature takes an offensive action, the sanctuary effect is only broken for them. The effect may be restored next round as long as they remain within range of you when your aura is renewed, however. If a creature attacks any warded creature and successfully saves against the sanctuary effect, they are considered to have saved against it for all creatures protected by your aura. Further, they need not make any additional saves against the sanctuary effect of your aura for 24 hours, and ignore it even if you continue to renew it during that time.
Aura of Protection (Su): Creatures benefiting from your protective aura are protected by a protection from X spell, where X is any alignment descriptor opposed to your own. Characters with a Neutral alignment may select an opposed alignment. You may change the alignment protected against whenever your aura is renewed.
Aura of Assistance (Su): You may add the benefits of one personal or touch range spell of level 2 or less that you currently benefit from to your protective aura. A creature who is not a legal target for the spell may not gain the benefit of it from your aura, however.
Otherworldy Aura (Su): As a standard action, you can project an otherworldly aura of divine might. You may project this aura in addition to your protective aura, but you must spend both actions to do so. When you project this aura, every creature within close range must make a will save or cower for 1 round. Creatures that are immune to fear are instead dazed for 1 round on a failed save.

Protector
Protectors understand a simple truth about the world and faith: when faced with throngs of unbelievers or the enemies of your deity, it's important to stand your ground. Which they do quite admirably.

Hardline Stance (Ex): You may enter a hardline stance as a move action, and may maintain it additional rounds as a swift action. While holding a hardline stance you are treated as if you had readied an attack against any foe's movement within the spaces you threaten. There is no limit to the number of attacks you can make against moving opponents in this way, and you may make an attack against a foe for each space moved. These attacks are not attacks of opportunity and occur in place of them. You may use an attack of opportunity instead of these bonus attacks if you wish. You may only take a 5' step each round you maintain a hardline stance, regardless of the mode of movement. Moving farther through a movement mode causes you to leave the stance, but you do not lose the stance if moved by an outside event such as falling or a creature's ability, or if you move instantaneously via magic.
Hardline Emanations (Su): While holding a hardline stance you gain reach as if they were one size larger (small and medium are considered to be the same size category for these purposes). Additionally, if you are carrying a shield the emanations may provide cover to creatures targeted by any attack or spell that passes through a space you threaten at your discretion.
Dividing Aegis (Su): While holding a hardline stance you may create a force effect that breaks line of effect across your threatened spaces as a free action on your turn. This break must be a straight line that passes from one side of your threatened area to the opposite side and passes through yourself. It can be maintained for as long as you maintains your hardline stance, but it may only be changed on your turn.
Hardline Lock (Su): While holding a hardline stance, your threatened spaces may also block teleportation effects as with a dimensional lock. A creature that exits your threatened area remains affected by this until the start of their next turn. Your shield bonus to AC is added to your caster level for the purposes of overcoming spell resistance with this effect. Additionally, you are treated as readied against the use of any ability blocked by dimensional lock while you maintain your hardline stance, and may strike creatures who attempt to use such abilities as if they had moved.
Mirrored Aegis (Su): When your dividing aegis would block a spell, spell-like, or supernatural effect targeted at those past you as a result of it's line of effect interruption, you may choose to instead absorb the effect into your aegis. You may only have one effect absorbed at a time, and if you absorb a second effect the first drains away immediately. As a standard action you may release a captured effect at a valid target of your choosing. This released effect has the same numeric effects as when it was originally cast. If not used within a number of additional rounds equal to your shield bonus to AC (minimum 0), it simply drains away. The effect also drains away immediately if you leave your hardline stance.

tarkisflux
2013-01-27, 06:29 PM
Divine Vows
A templar formulates his personal code of conduct around a set of oaths that he makes and bind himself to in the everlasting covenant between himself and whatever power to which he swears allegiance. These vows give him tremendous power and serve to differentiate one templar from another, while not necessarily limiting him to one form of play. Initially, a templar may only select new vows to make and new ideals to uphold. As he gains levels, the templar is able to renew vows, essentially swearing upon the same vow again. This reaffirmation of his faith and dedication to that vow results in further powers related to that particular oath. Of course, since no one is perfect, breaking these vows does not necessarily result in the loss of class features.

Unless otherwise noted, the default saving throw for any effects related to the paladin's earthly vows is 10 + ½ the templar's class level + his Charisma modifier.

Vow of Charity
First: Once per round on your turn you may aid another as a free action.
Second: Once per round when you are targeted by a spell with an effect beneficial to you, you may allow another creature within Close Range to also gain the benefits of that spell. The spell must also be beneficial to the creature you wish to share it with (interpreted at the DM's discretion), or the sharing fails.
Third: An ally within Close range of you may use your spell slots to cast a spell of an equivalent or lower spell level, so long as you possess the minimum charisma score to use the slot yourself. Your ally may use this slot to cast any spell that they have prepared or that they know (in the case of spontaneous casters), using your slot instead of their own. Your ally may also cast spells from your spell list, even if they would not normally be capable of casting divine spells. Anyone casting a spell in this fashion uses their own attributes, feats, and character level to determine the effects and DC of the spell. They do not need to meet the minimum charisma score requirement for a particular spell level cast from your list, but they must be of a sufficient level that they would be able to use the spell slot were they a templar of the same level.
Roleplaying Ideas: Perhaps your church decrees that its members must give aid to others, or maybe you give out of the goodness of your heart. You are the quintessential selfless knight, giving to others without necessarily thinking of your own gains. There are times when you may give up more important things than money; the truest sacrifice a templar can make is to offer their own life in the service of their cause.

Vow of Clemency
First: Whenever you deal lethal damage with a weapon or spell, you may freely opt to deal nonlethal damage instead without suffering a penalty to attack or damage rolls.
Second: You may automatically stabilize any creature within Close range of yourself. Additionally, you may keep them from being killed outright through hit point or ability damage. If a creature within Close range would reach -10 hit points or 0 in an attribute, you may instead set them to -9 hit point or 1 in the attribute, whichever is more appropriate. Creatures who are saved from reaching 0 in an ability score are rendered unconscious for 24 hours, though you may rouse them as a standard action at any time before that. You must be aware of a creature to use this ability.
Third: You may administer healing or other status restoration effects to creatures who have been dead for less than 1 hour as if they were still alive. If you would heal a creature in such a way that they would not be dead, they recover from that condition without penalty.
Roleplaying Ideas: A good templar may see legitimacy in the concept of defeating enemies in a non-fatal fashion, but it's just as possible that you may simply need to capture them so as to transport them to a more grisly fate.

Vow of Confrontation
First: When you deal damage to a creature with an alignment component opposed to your own, you add your templar level to the damage. A lawful good templar, for example, would add this damage to chaotic or evil creatures. Neutral creatures are considered opposed to creatures with no neutral portion of their alignment. You may suppress this bonus damage at-will.
Second: Any weapon you wield gains the benefits of an alignment related weapon ability. Chaotic templars gain the anarchic property, lawful templars gain the axiomatic property, good templars gain then holy property, and evil templars gain the unholy weapon property. If you would qualify for multiple properties, you gain them both. If you qualify for only 1 property, you may gain that one or select either one from your neutral alignment axis. If you do not qualify for any property, you may select one. Altering your selection requires a swift action.
Third: Any foe who suffers additional damage from your alignment related weapon properties must also succeed on a Fortitude save or die. You may suppress this effect at will, and may not combine this with any other strike that would inflict a status condition. A creature that makes their save suffers normal damage from the strike and is immune to this effect until the start of your next turn. If the creature would only suffer additional damage from one weapon property, they gain a +4 bonus to this save. If you are a Neutral templar, the target gains an additional +2 on their save. This is a [Death] effect.
Roleplaying Ideas: You don't back down in the face of your enemy, don't stomach the foes of your faith, and do what you can to quickly remove them from the world. It doesn't really matter what the rest of the world thinks about the plan.

Vow of Conquest
First: Your first successful melee attack against an opponent in a round causes them to make a Fortitude save or become fatigued. This ability cannot be used to confer exhaustion on a creature that is already fatigued.
Second: Your first successful melee attack aginst an opponent in a round deals an additional 1 point of Wisdom damage.
Third: Your first successful melee attack aginst an opponent in a round confers 1 negative level.
Roleplaying Ideas: Only by destroying the will to fight can you truly conquer a people, and this shows is all of your deeds and words.

Vow of Greed
First: As a standard action, you may detect metals and minerals as a Rod of Metal and Mineral Detection for 1 round. After this time you must wait 5 minutes before acting in this fashion again.
Second: You can steal the health from those you harm, and recover hit points equal to the damage you deal to a living creature in melee or your class level, whichever is less. This healing cannot restore you beyond your normal hit point total.
Third: Once per round when a spell is targeted on another creature within Close range of you, you may also gain the effects of that spell. A spell leeched in this fashion has the same duration (if applicable) for you as it does for the other recipient, but if it ends prematurely for the recipient it does not end for you. This ability is only useable at the moment the spell is cast, but does not grant you any particular knowledge of what spell is being cast. You must be a valid target for the spell; if you are not this ability is not considered expended. You can even use this ability to teleport along with a caster; if you do so you appear in the space next to them instead of in the same space.
Roleplaying Ideas: While many religions place Greed among their sins, being selfish and simply taking your due is seen as a virtue in many eyes. The church also loves money and various assorted shiny things, and has its knights seek to recover either wherever possible (by scrupulous methods as often as not). Or perhaps covetousness and greed is more specific to you, and the church merely puts up with it because they like having badasses who do good things for them.

Vow of Loyalty
First: Once per round you may intercept an attack, spell, or supernatural effect that specifically targets a creature adjacent to you. When you do this, you become treated as the intended recipient of the attack or effect. You must declare this after the creature has been targeted but before the success of the action has been determined.
Second: Once per round as a free action, you may teleport to a space adjacent to any ally within Close Range (25 feet + 5 ft./2 levels) of you. This provokes attacks of opportunity.
Third: You may designate one creature adjacent to you as protected as a free action on your turn. So long as you remain adjacent to them and don't designate a different creature, you grant them full cover and block line of effect from anyone other than yoruself. You may still intercept attacks for other adjacent allies as normal, however, and if you use your ability to teleport to a nearby ally you bring the protected creature with you as well.
Roleplaying Ideas: Whether it's guarding a cleric of the church or some other less individually capable VIP, you protect them with your body and your life.

Vow of Perseverance
First: You no longer suffer penalties to your base movement speed caused by wearing medium or heavy armor. Secondly, you do not suffer the fatigued or exhausted conditions directly. An effect that would normally cause you to be fatigued is reduced to having no effect, while an effect that would normally cause you to become exhausted is instead reduced to fatigued. Should you be exhausted again while suffering fatigue from a previous exhaustion, that still stacks to exhausted as normal.
Second: You no longer needing to sleep 8 hours or trance for 4 hours in a night, and are instead sufficiently rested after a single hour. You have no sense of the outside world during this time and are treated as unconscious, though you can be roused in the same way as any sleeper would be. Further, you gain immunity to any natural or magical effect that would cause you to lose consciousness, aside from the dying condition. This does not affect the schedule on which you regain spells, and you must still meet any other rest requirements before regaining spells even if you simply sit on watch. It does allow you to craft things twice as quickly however (if you have sufficient spells available in the case of magical items), or perform many other downtime tasks in half as much time.
Third: Once per round, you can elect to not be affected by an attack, ability, or other effect that would cause you to die, begin dying, or be transformed into an inanimate form. You may do so even if you have already failed a save against the ability or been successfully hit by the attack.
Roleplaying Ideas: A good templar may work tirelessly for the advancement of a city or group, while an evil one might work tirelessly for their own. He can sleep when he wants to, or when he's dead.

Vow of Perfidy
First: You gain Bluff as a class skill, and any effect that would interfere with your ability to lie has a 50% chance to not affect you at all. This is rolled before spell resistance and saving throws.
Second: You are shielded by a constant ''[[SRD:Nondetection|nondetection]]'' effect with a caster level equal to your class level. If you successfully block a ''detect'' spell, you may provide instead provide a false reading for the caster of the divination if you wish.
Third: You are able to mimic other templars, down to gaining the benefits of vows that they receive. You gain the once vowed and twice vowed ability of one vow that you do not already possess; by meditating without interruption for 8 hours, you may change which vow you possess the abilities of.
Roleplaying Ideas: Deceitful churches employ deceitful templars, able to disguise themselves and assume the mantles of other churches and knightly orders. In order to protect the secrets of your faith, you have sworn to become such a templar.

Vow of Resilience
First: You become immune to the shaken and frightened conditions, and only suffer the penalties of the shaken condition if you happen to become panicked. Against [Fear] effects that do not result in one of the above conditions, you gain a +4 bonus on your saves.
Second: You can prevent yourself from losing consciousness or dying as a result of hit point loss for 1 round, no matter how low your hit point total falls. You may gain this protection as a swift or immediate action, and it automatically activates in any round you use an ability from your Avenger of the Faith styles.
Third: Once per round as a free action you may revive a dead ally within Medium range in order to allow them to keep fighting. This ability lasts until the ally takes damage again, suffers a condition that would kill them, or until the beginning of your next turn. You may revive an ally multiple times with this ability, but may not return them to life permanently without suitable magic.
Roleplaying Ideas: Open to cliches galore. You are the sole survivor of a group of knights slaughtered by some great opponent. Your experience in the horrors of war has seen you lose many comrades, but hardened your body and soul in the face of imminent danger.

Vow of Purity
First: You gain immunity to all poisons and diseases (even those of magical nature).
Second: You gain immunity to [Mind-Affecting] effects cast by those whose alignments are oppose yours. Neutral creatures are considered opposed to creatures with no neutral portion of their alignment.
Third: As a move action useable at will, you may purge your system of any negative condition affecting you including: ability penalties (such as from ray of enfeeblement, touch of idiocy, etc.), ability burn, ability damage, ability drain, blindness, confusion, dazing, dazzling, deafness, entanglement, exhaustion, fatigue, fascination, fright, level drain, shaken, panicked, cowering, nausea, paralysis, sickness, stunning, and any other condition that this list does not include but the DM deems permissible. If you are unable to take a move action but are still conscious, you may purge yourself of one negative effect as a 1-round interruptable action.
Roleplaying Ideas: You keep a clean body, and a clean soul. And maybe you force everyone to try to live that way as well...

Vow of Taint
First: If an ally within Close range is afflicted by a harmful condition listed below (death and dying do not count) that could also affect you, you may take a move action to take that condition from them and instead apply it to yourself: ability penalties (such as from ray of enfeeblement, touch of idiocy, etc.), ability burn, ability damage, ability drain, blindness, confusion, dazing, dazzling, deafness, entanglement, exhaustion, fatigue, fascination, fright, level drain, shaken, panicked, cowering, nausea, paralysis, sickness, stunning, and any other condition that this list does not include but the DM deems permissible.
Second: You may suppress the effects of one of the above negative status effects currently imposed on yourself. While suppressing it in this fashion, you suffer no penalties for it. You may suppress an effect or select a new effect to suppress once per round as a free action on your turn. Additionally, you may spread your suppressed condition to an enemy struck with a melee attack, forcing them to make saving throws as needed to avoid contracting the same ailment. If they make their save, they are immune to this effect until the start of your next turn. You may not apply this effect when your attack would deliver another status effect. If the ailment stacks, such as negative levels, you may apply it to a target additional times in later rounds.
Third: Taint oozes off of you, even when you're otherwise clean. On a successful attack, you may force the target to make a save or become Nauseated for 1 round. If they make their save, you may not attempt to nauseate them again until the start of your next turn. You may not apply this effect when your attack would deliver another status effect, either with the above ability or another spell, feat, or similar feature.
Roleplaying Ideas: Evil power can only be contained by the body and will of good's greatest servants, or harnessed by the most ambitious and ruthless of tyrants.

Vow of Truth
First: You may radiate a Zone of Truth for 1 round by concentrating as a standard action. This is a supernatural ability useable at will.
Second: You may not be compelled to lie or be untruthful to your faith. If a spell would cause you to act against a known adherent to your faith or philosophy (including alignment), break a vow, or lie you may instead state that you are unable to commit such an act and perform no actions for the round. If the effect would end following the completion of the compulsion, as in suggestion, it is automatically discharged and ended at the start of your next turn. Otherwise you gain a new save against the effect, with a +4 bonus.
Third: You are constantly under the effects of a true seeing spell. This is a supernatural ability.
Roleplaying Ideas: Dishonesty really sticks in your craw, and you like to rattle the saber against those who would use treachery and subterfuge. For without truth, how can anything ever be accomplished in the world?

Vow of Valor
First: You respond quickly to the threat of a charge. If a charge attack is ever declared against you, you may declare a charge against the opponent charging you as an immediate action. You gain all normal charge benefits on this action. You and the opponent charging meet at the midpoint of your charges, regardless of your respective speeds.
Second: Your valor allows you to stand in the face of adversity when others can not. As a swift or immediate action (or as a free-action in any round you use an ability from your Avenger of the Faith styles) you can become rooted to a space unless you elect to move from it. If you are falling or sinking, you immediately cease at your current elevation. Should you allow yourself to fall in later rounds, you suffer falling damage from your new position. Your position can be changed, however, but it requires substantial effort. You gain a bonus equal to twice your templar level on any check or save to resist falling, losing your footing, or being forcibly moved to another space. This protection lasts until the beginning of your next turn. You may take move actions normally while this effect is active.
Third: Your fearlessness is terrifying in its own right. On a successful attack, you may force the target to make a save or become Frightened for 1 round. If they make their save, they are immune to this effect until the start of your next turn. You may not apply this effect when your attack would deliver another status effect.
Roleplaying Ideas: You are one of those hardcore zealots who throw themselves at the enemy, striking fear deep into their hearts. It's hard for enemies to fight someone who doesn't fear death.

tarkisflux
2013-01-27, 06:38 PM
New Spells

Divine Mount
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Templar 2, Priest 2
Components: V, S, DF
Casting time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One mount
Duration: 12 hours (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As the last syllables of the spell fall from your mouth, a horse clothed in your deity's color appears ready to carry you forth.

You create a large, quasi-real horse-like mount. It's coloration is similar to your deity's, and wisps of color and energy seem to trail from it when it moves at speed. Your mount has either a base speed or a swim speed of 60', as selected when you complete the spell. It has an armor class of 14 (–1 size, +5 Dex) plus a deflection bonus equal to your caster level, maximum hit points equal to half of your own maximum (minimum 12), and the same saving throw values as you do. Your mount does not respond to direction from any creature other than you. It can make no attacks and does not fight, but does not shy away from carrying you into battle if that is where it is directed. It has the same carrying capacity as a heavy warhorse.

If your mount is the target of a water walk or air walk, the duration of the spell is increased to match the remaining duration of your divine mount.

You may suppress this spell at any time during its duration as a swift action, causing the mount to fade out of existence. Time spent suppressed counts against the duration as normal, however. You may resume the spell and create the mount again as a full-round action, at which time you may select a different base speed option if you desire.

Yitzi
2013-01-27, 07:18 PM
Why? Well, a few reasons. Like many here, I've never really liked the preparation model of divine casters. They get their spells by asking their deity for help, and the limitation that they have to ask them for things ahead of time never really made sense. If any of the spellcasters should be able to call down the appropriate spell whenever, it ws the cleric. I was also unhappy with the small role that domains played in the classes. Clerics of radically different faiths had basically the same tools in their closets, and that seemed a rather poor use of the conceptual space.

I agree 100% about the cleric.

Milo v3
2013-01-27, 08:59 PM
These are interesting, though they are definitely still tier 1.

May I use a modified version of the priest in my setting?

tarkisflux
2013-01-27, 09:08 PM
These are interesting, though they are definitely still tier 1.

May I use a modified version of the priest in my setting?

Can you expand on the Tier statement please? They have access to a much smaller subset of the big tricks, which should bring them down to T2 at the least (unless you think Miracle on it's own is a T1 thing, which I would dispute).

These are up on the wiki you can't access under the CC-BY-SA 3.0, so feel free to use and modify away. If you do repost them, attribution would be appreciated :-).

Milo v3
2013-01-27, 09:25 PM
Can you expand on the Tier statement please? They have access to a much smaller subset of the big tricks, which should bring them down to T2 at the least (unless you think Miracle on it's own is a T1 thing, which I would dispute).
Automatic resurrection is amazingly powerful, especially since the penalty is reduced to 2 charisma burn, which can be healed with single day of bedrest. You get Genesis as a class feature at level 15, which means infinite gp at level 15.

Also, where is Lesser Miracle from?


These are up on the wiki you can't access under the CC-BY-SA 3.0, so feel free to use and modify away. If you do repost them, attribution would be appreciated :-).
Of course.

tarkisflux
2013-01-27, 09:52 PM
Automatic resurrection is amazingly powerful, especially since the penalty is reduced to 2 charisma burn, which can be healed with single day of bedrest. You get Genesis as a class feature at level 15, which means infinite gp at level 15.

Also, where is Lesser Miracle from?

Once per day auto-res doesn't seem that impressive to me, particularly not when they're coming back at CL hit points and about half of remaining spell slots (level 13) or even half hp (level 17). It's not particularly hard to just kill them twice. Yes, they suffer 2 Cha Burn from it that they can recover in the morning, but that also makes them a worse spellcaster and makes the rest of their class features less appealing until that time. It mostly prevents the loss of a character more than it prevents the loss of the mission.

The genesis equivalent does grant them infinite money, but they already had that via plane shift to the elemental mineral plane. Or PaO tricks at level 15 for those with the Trickery domain. Whatever you were using to deal with your players not doing that already will work here as well. And infinite money isn't even a T1 trick so far as I know.

Lesser Miracle is a custom spell. I'll see if I can get permission to put it up here. If I can't you can think of it as equivalent to lesser wish but with a preference for divine spells instead of arcane ones. Thanks for pointing it out though... I should probably see if there's other custom ones in the list that I need to talk about.

Yitzi
2013-01-28, 09:29 AM
Automatic resurrection is amazingly powerful, especially since the penalty is reduced to 2 charisma burn, which can be healed with single day of bedrest. You get Genesis as a class feature at level 15, which means infinite gp at level 15.

That's still tier 2. It's not tier 1 until it not only can break the game but has nearly limitless choices on how to do so.

Rakoa
2013-01-28, 02:31 PM
I don't think discussing the tier of a homebrewed class is worthwhile at this point. And if it is, well, perhaps leave it to Morph Bark? :P

Milo v3
2013-01-28, 09:03 PM
I don't think discussing the tier of a homebrewed class is worthwhile at this point. And if it is, well, perhaps leave it to Morph Bark? :P

Which could take several months.

Zman
2013-01-28, 09:09 PM
Interesting, I like fixed list spontaneous casting.

Priest, I feel Immortal comes far too early and should be a much later ability. I'm not a fan of Undying, really cheapens the Priests death and could be very annoying. I'm really not a fan of Lesser Demense.

Also, Remove Curse is listed as a 4th level spell when it's a 3rd level Cleric Spell.

tarkisflux
2013-01-28, 09:44 PM
I don't think discussing the tier of a homebrewed class is worthwhile at this point. And if it is, well, perhaps leave it to Morph Bark? :P

I'm pretty sure it's still worthwhile. I aimed at an equivalent tier of 2 or 3 with these, so if they're not actually sitting at that point it would be nice to know. And then to also know why that is, so I can evaluate whether it's something I want to fix or not.

For example, in the case of the demesne I'm considering a "deity approves the building plans" sort of line, which would be a de facto DM veto on any sort of abuse they didn't want to deal with. I'm not sure it's necessary, but I'm pretty unsure it would hurt anything.


Interesting, I like fixed list spontaneous casting.

Priest, I feel Immortal comes far too early and should be a much later ability. I'm not a fan of Undying, really cheapens the Priests death and could be very annoying. I'm really not a fan of Lesser Demense.

Also, Remove Curse is listed as a 4th level spell when it's a 3rd level Cleric Spell.

Immortal lets them get old, just never pass away. It's a really toned down version of the immortality that other classes get as a capstone, so I thought it worth dropping a few levels. I think it's an entirely fluff ability and don't think it likely to ever be relevant in a game, but if you have specific concerns I'm willing to tweak it a bit.

I don't think undying cheapens anything honestly. It's a save for the class that is supposed to be saving everyone else, and a reasonable backup IMO. Do you have any specific complaints about it or lesser demesne, or just not a fan based on preference?

Remove curse was an error, thanks for catching it :-).

Zman
2013-01-28, 09:52 PM
Immortal lets them get old, just never pass away. It's a really toned down version of the immortality that other classes get as a capstone, so I thought it worth dropping a few levels. I think it's an entirely fluff ability and don't think it likely to ever be relevant in a game, but if you have specific concerns I'm willing to tweak it a bit.

I don't think undying cheapens anything honestly. It's a save for the class that is supposed to be saving everyone else, and a reasonable backup IMO. Do you have any specific complaints about it or lesser demesne, or just not a fan based on preference?

Remove curse was an error, thanks for catching it :-).

Immortal it seems like an ability that many classes seek to achieve, ie higher level. I'm not opposed to the ability, simply gaining at mid levels.

Undying already cheapens death when the plethora of raise options already start doing that. At least I feel it should be a higher level ability.

Just the standard abuses of lessor Demense.

Milo v3
2013-01-28, 10:56 PM
Immortal lets them get old, just never pass away. It's a really toned down version of the immortality that other classes get as a capstone, so I thought it worth dropping a few levels. I think it's an entirely fluff ability and don't think it likely to ever be relevant in a game, but if you have specific concerns I'm willing to tweak it a bit.

The capstones of other classes never give something as powerful as automatic resurrections. There Immortality is generally no death from aging, this is eternal life except from aging. Even this is stopped after you gain immunity to death from old age.

Yitzi
2013-01-28, 11:32 PM
Immortal lets them get old, just never pass away. It's a really toned down version of the immortality that other classes get as a capstone, so I thought it worth dropping a few levels. I think it's an entirely fluff ability and don't think it likely to ever be relevant in a game, but if you have specific concerns I'm willing to tweak it a bit.

Fluff-wise, I'd advise you switch it for the "doesn't get aging penalties" ability that monks and druids get. "Never dies of old age" has all sorts of fluff implications that you probably don't want (most notably that you're almost never going to change who the high priest of a religion is), whereas the "no aging penalties" approach actually has precedent (Deuteronomy 34:7)

tarkisflux
2013-01-29, 01:01 AM
The capstones of other classes never give something as powerful as automatic resurrections. There Immortality is generally no death from aging, this is eternal life except from aging.

I think you may be conflating things here a bit, because that seems precisely backwards or extremely hyperbolic.

Immortal removes their maximum age limit. It does not stop penalties from future aging, nor does it involve a type change (generally to Outsider) that makes them immune to bunches of spells. They just get to be really, really old. I'd argue that it's somewhat worse than the druid 15 ability, quite a bit worse that the monk 20 ability, and not inappropriate at 13 at all.

Undying allows them to come back from dead once per day. It's a very narrow form of contingency that arguably drops all of their buffs when it gets triggered (because dead things are objects, not creatures, and aren't valid targets). That comparison does make me reconsider its level though, and I might bump it to 15. But it's really not that strong and doesn't preclude them just dying a second time.


Fluff-wise, I'd advise you switch it for the "doesn't get aging penalties" ability that monks and druids get. "Never dies of old age" has all sorts of fluff implications that you probably don't want (most notably that you're almost never going to change who the high priest of a religion is), whereas the "no aging penalties" approach actually has precedent (Deuteronomy 34:7)

Precedent is nice when it fits, but I'm pretty willing to ignore it when it doesn't ;-). In this case, I'm not very happy with the penalty removal part of the other class features. I don't have a reason to want to protect the physical attributes of the class in old age. And I am pretty happy with the fluff stuff and the high priest just changing really slowly. It means that, barring violence, every major religion has a high priest in the world at any given time without having to bring a new character up a bunch of levels every few decades. I imagine what would actually happen is that they would just retire to their deity's domain when new blood had risen to take over for them, and be summoned back if there was ever an opening for too long.

Rakoa
2013-01-29, 04:56 PM
I would agree that Undying is not gamebreaking at all. Death is already avoidable at these levels, this just makes it easier to do by itself, once per day. Perhaps a small XP penalty would dissuade players from being too crazy with using it. Not enough to really bump them back, but enough so that if they are totally reckless it could add up.

And as for aging penalties...well, you're right, it doesn't change much other than allow you to accrue aging advantages and disadvantages without dying. I don't see the big deal. All that does is make your character optionally really old if you start off at that level, or change about nothing if you hit the level naturally. Well, nothing, or you could go meditate in a cave or something for X years to gain the benefits, but I digress. Nothing gamebreaking there either.

tarkisflux
2013-01-29, 05:44 PM
I've tweaked the wording of lesser demesne and reduced the size (to better line up with genesis). You can still use it for infinite money tricks, but only if your deity (read: DM) okays it.

I don't think I'll be tweaking undying at all though. I forgot to mention this before, but it's important to note that the 13th level version keys off of raise dead. It still requires a corpse and it doesn't work against [Death] effects. There are plenty of ways you can kill a priest without triggering the ability if you want to (disintegrate, finger of death, etc.). You have fewer options with the 17th level resurrection version, but I'm even less worried about getting to come back once a day at that level. Both versions are also (Su), so you can just kill them in an AMF if you really want to (which you may want to do anyway, since they're a low BAB full caster now, and that's a bad time for them).

---

I know it's longer and changes a lot more stuff, but did anyone have any comments on the templar?

tarkisflux
2015-02-01, 03:20 PM
A bunch of changes were made to the Templar a few months back, which I have now ported over here. Short list:

-Swapped avenger styles and vow progression, to give them a more martial feel.
-Cleaned up the avenger styles to make them more even.
-Cleaned up a few of the vows, added a couple of new ones.

The class didn't get any commentary at all when it first when up, as most people were focused on the priest, so that short list probably doesn't need to be any more detailed. If you'd like to take a look and don't feel like scrolling up, here are direct links: Class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=14604641&postcount=9) Vows (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=14604641&postcount=10)

Zireael
2015-02-02, 08:30 AM
Where did the holy companion go? And I'm not sure templar spells should be connected to Charisma. Paladins used Wisdom and I think it fit better.

tarkisflux
2015-02-02, 03:02 PM
Where did the holy companion go? And I'm not sure templar spells should be connected to Charisma. Paladins used Wisdom and I think it fit better.

The companion got turned into a spell actually, divine mount. I forgot to include it earlier, but I've added it above (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=14604688&postcount=11). It doesn't last as long at higher levels but you can dismiss and recall it multiple times, and you can hot-swap between air and sea modes if you need to. It doesn't get any attacks at all, nor command or SR at higher levels, but otherwise I think it's just different initially. It was an intentional pull back from the animal companion mount though, as I don't think the class needs the combat stuff there with everything else going on.

As for Wisdom, I don't think it fits the class at all. Templar's don't have to be LG, they don't have to be wise, they just have to go forth and do the work of their deity, whatever that work happens to be. That says "force of personality" much more than "wise" to me.