General Prestige Class : Darkhagard
Only those Rhennee men who have exhibited a high degree of skill and vigor are considered for membership in the darkhagard. A darkhagard has devoted himself to defending the Rhennee way of life. He sees all landfolk as threats to his continued existence, and has left behind his mundane duties aboard the barge to keep a constant vigil against outside forces. To this end, he pursues weapon mastery and seamanship with equal ardor, honing his dual crafts so that his people will not have to fear giving up their nomadic lifestyle at the demand of a foreign prince. Being bound by any sovereign rule would be tantamount to death.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Darkhagard, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Rhenee
- Gender: Male
- Skills: Profession (Boater) 4 ranks
- Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (darkha), Weapon Focus (darkha),
- Base Attack Bonus: +5
- Sneak Attack: +1d6
Special: Must have been blooded in a battle with a hostile lake creature (dragon turtle, giant lamprey, etc.)
Class Skills
The darkhagard's class skills are Balance, Knowledge (navigation), Profession (boater), Spot, Survival, Swim, and Use Rope.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the darkhagard prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A darkhagard is proficient in all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor, and shields.
Prone Fighting (Ex): Having spent countless hours training with their darkhas, the darkhagard suffer no penalties to melee attacks using a darkha while prone. Further, opponents fighting a prone darkhagard enjoy no melee attack bonuses due to his prone status.
Bonus Languages: In their travels, the darkhagard come into contact with various merchants from other cultures, and have picked up some of their speech. This gives the darkhagard an edge in dealing with trading partners and potential enemies. Each time the darkhagard achieves a bonus language, choose one tongue from the Player's Handbook or the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. The darkhagard can read and write in this language as if he had acquired it in the usual manner. The language must be one with which the darkhagard has had some contact.
Darkha Specialization (Ex): The darkhagard gains Weapon Specialization (per the feat) with the darkha, giving him a +2 damage bonus with that weapon.
Increased Range (Ex): Each time this ability is acquired, a darkhagard may add 25% to the base range increment when hurling his darkha.
Uncanny Swim (Ex): On a successful Swim check, a darkhagard may swim one-half of his speed as a move-equivalent action or his full speed as a full-round action (failure indicating no progress). Furthermore, members of the darkhagard suffer a Swim penalty of only -1 per 10 pounds of gear they carry.
Superior Weapon Focus (Ex): Stacking on top of any existing Weapon Focus bonus, this ability grants the darkhagard an additional +1 to attack rolls with the darkha.
Instant Stand (Ex): Naturally agile and train for combat, a darkhagard has learned to lead to his feet from a prone position as a free action.
Darkha Mastery 1 (Ex): Through arduous practice with his weapon and rope, the darkhagard has mastered his weapon to the degree that it can be considered to have reach, allowing him to make melee attacks against enemies within 10 ft. Further, he may swing the darkha and strike with the blunt haft of the weapon, inflicting subdual damage at a to hit penalty of only -2.
Darkha Mastery 2 (Ex): The darkhagard has mastered his darkha and rope to the degree that he can make trip attacks with it against enemies within 20 ft. If tripped during his own trip attempt, the darkhagard may drop the weapon to avoid being tripped.
Hold Breath (Ex): Having conditioned his lungs and learned to control his respiration, a darkhagard may hold his breath for a number of rounds equal to three times his Constitution score.
Water Tracking (Su): The most difficult skill for a darkhagard to master, the ability to track creature on water poses a mighty challenge to even the most veteran seaman. In effect, this allows members of the darkhagard to follow a creature's trail across the surface of the Nyr Dyv, as per the Track feat. In a sense, the darkhagard consults the water itself, reading signs and portents from waves and ripples. In this manner the darkhagard may track a creature that has not even broken the surface. The base DC for such checks is 25, and the usual modifiers for Track checks apply. This is a supernatural ability.
Member of the darkhagard are seldom far from their special two-pronged harpoon, the darkha. The darkha is considered a large exotic melee weapon with the following statistics: Cost 4 gp; Damage 1d8; Critical x3; Range Increment 30 ft.; Weight 4 lbs; Type Piercing. A darkhagard takes great pride in his weapon, which has been individually crafted to his personal specifications. Some warriors prefer shorter, heavier darkhas for more effective hand-to-hand combat. Others affix iron rings to the butts of their weapons in order to use the darkhas as harpoons, with ropes attached to draw the darkhas once it's been thrown (this counts as a partial action, and assumes the darkha is free to be pulled back). Certain darkhagard have been known to conceal slender daggers, potion vials, or lockpicks in the shafts of their darkas. Handling a warrior's darkha without permission is considered an insult to the weapon's owner.
| Darkhagard | Hit Die: d10 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1 | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Prone Fighting |
| 2 | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Bonus Language, Darkha Specialization |
| 3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Increased Range (33 ft.) |
| 4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Uncanny Swim, Improved Weapon Focus |
| 5 | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Instant Stand |
| 6 | +6 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Bonus Language, Darkha Mastery 1 |
| 7 | +7 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Increased Range (36 ft.) |
| 8 | +8 | +6 | +2 | +2 | Bonus Language, Darkha Mastery 2 |
| 9 | +9 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Hold Breath |
| 10 | +10 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Water Tracking |
Source: Web