Templars(Dragon Age: Origins) help

Hikarizu · 10-09-2012, 03:48 AM

I need help recreating them in 3.5e. Here's a link for them in Dragon Age. I am thinking something along the lines of Fighter/Paladin/Spellthief(with different, more limited spell list, but having Armored Caster as a class feature). Resources everything, but ToB(or other new casting systems).

Diovid · 10-09-2012, 04:32 AM

Take a look at the Mage Slayer, Pierce Magical Concealment and Pierce Magical Protection feats from Complete Arcane.

Also take note of the Witch Slayer prestige class* (Tome of Magic) and the Occult Slayer prestige class (Complete Warrior).

*I realize Tome of Magic may be outside of the allowed sources because Tome of Magic introduced new casting systems, however the Witch Slayer itself does not use these new systems.

Alleran · 10-09-2012, 04:54 AM

From what I recall, the Templars are mentioned as using lyrium to fuel their magic, to the point that one or two people actually doubt that it's "not magic" in the first place (and they're just using a different power source than the Fade or blood - after all, blood magic is available to anybody, not just a mage, noted by the Reaver specialisation).

Based on that, using them as a Paladin with the Mystra substitution levels from Champions of Valor (the dispel magic strike and so on) might be the cleanest way of doing it. You could swap them out for things like Paladin of Freedom or Paladin of Tyranny, depending on the temperament of the individual Templar (some would be LG, but others... well, LE isn't out of the question).

darksolitaire · 10-09-2012, 05:36 AM

Few things not yet mentioned are Favored Enemy: Arcanist for more "hunters-que" templars, Witchborn Binder if you want to use Incarnum as substitute for Lyrium (does incarnum count as new? Probably), the Oriental Adventures Witch Hunter which grants many Paladin's abilities and advances casting, and Suel Arcanamach which are semi-casters with dispelling abilities and self buff spells.

I'm not saying all of these are good, depends on whether you consider class fluff as mutable or not, or how comfartable you are with spellcasting on your templar. I'd mix and match.

Hikarizu · 10-09-2012, 05:40 AM

Witch Slayer is perfect. I will look up the other things mentioned. The DM is new and I don't want to tax her with a lot of new things to learn(so no new casting systems), but a single/couple of PrC is acceptable. I noted ToB because all inside is based on the Sublime Way.
EDIT: Mystic Fire knight(Champions of Valor substitution levels) is also very good for this sort of thing.

Quote:

Templars are mentioned as using lyrium to fuel their magic

Alistar in the first game mentioned that lyrium might just be used as a highly addictive drug. The Chantry controls the lyrium supply = The Chantry controls the Templars.
Here's what I did so far:

Spoiler

The idea is for at lower lvl to be able to deal with spellcasters(magic will be nerfed. I presume no access to all spells, like Fly for example.). Harder than normal to debuff/disable(high fort,will+bonuses), but just as easier to blast(low ref). High lvl templars are needed to take on abominations(not 1 on 1 of course). And they get no spellcasting because of the Mage Slayer feat chain

Person_Man · 10-09-2012, 08:11 AM

How about Hexblade? Arcane Resistance, Mettle, half casting from a decent list (includes Alter Self and Polymorph), and a bunch of ways to impose penalties. The RAW version is pretty weak, but I have a homebrew fix you could consider. (And if you don't like that one, there are dozens of others, including one by the original author).

I'd also point out the importance of nets. Since it's a touch attack, it virtually always hits. And if you use a trailing rope, your enemy must beat you on an opposed Str check to move away from you. When combined with Mage Slayer, it makes it extremely difficult for any caster to get away from you or hurt you with spells.

Alleran · 10-09-2012, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Alistar in the first game mentioned that lyrium might just be used as a highly addictive drug. The Chantry controls the lyrium supply = The Chantry controls the Templars.

Fuel it, power it, whatever. It boosts and hones their abilities, which leads me to think that yes, it is being used as a control measure by the Chantry, but it is also powering their magic as a fuel source from the get-go.

Do note that with the Mystic Fire Knight, you're obviously going to have to radically alter the fluff and change the implicit patron deity requirement (perhaps "Patron: Maker [Chantry]" or something), since Mystra is anything but somebody who wants to limit and confine mages. It's fairly reasonable, though. I can't see why somebody would refuse it.