General Prestige Class : Deep Warden
While clanwardens guard dwarf cities and clanholds as a last line of defense, deep wardens serve as a living early warning system against threats from both the environment and other creatures. Deep wardens are typically adventurers or retired dwarf militia members who wish to explore the depths of the earth. They travel deep underground and survive on their own, far from civilization. There they search for new resources, threats, or other interesting findings, and send reports back to their city comrades.
Deep wardens are considered the first line of defense against invasions or other threats, and as such they must be both physically hardy and able to survive in the wilderness for an extended period. A warden's first duty is to find out the nature of any threats to the community, then stay alive long enough to make sure his city is warned and can prepare. If a dwarf can meet these criteria, whether through magic or might, he is welcomed among the deep wardens.
Unlike most dwarf NPCs, a deep warden spends most of his time away from other dwarves and far from dwarf communities. Many join with adventurers for a time as patrons or guides. Dwarven lore is full of tales of deep wardens who saved a group of lost or imprisoned surface adventurers.
Adaptation: The deep warden prestige class has many class features suitable for any class whose members spend a long time away from civilization yet still need to communicate with it. Animal messenger, sending, and greater animal messenger would be appropriate class features for other prestige classes that focus on long-range reconnaissance, whether above the ground or below.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Deep Warden, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Dwarf
- Skills: Climb 5 ranks, Heal 5 ranks, Jump 5 ranks, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 5 ranks, Survival 5 ranks
- Feats: Endurance,
- Base Attack Bonus: +5.
Class Skills
The deep warden's class skills are Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Speak Language, Spot, Survival, Swim, and Use Rope.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the deep warden.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Deep wardens are proficient with all types of simple and martial weapons, all types of armor, and shields (except tower shields).
Track: A deep warden gains Track as a bonus feat.
Trap Sense (Ex): A deep warden has an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses increase by 1 at every three deep warden levels thereafter (4th, 7th, and 10th). Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack.
Stone Warden (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a deep warden knows how to use his strengths to compensate for his weaknesses. He adds his Constitution bonus to AC instead of his Dexterity, if the character's Constitution bonus is higher. The deep warden loses this bonus to his Armor Class whenever he would normally be denied his Dexterity bonus to AC. In such a situation, the deep warden would still be considered flat-footed.
Animal Messenger (Sp): From 3rd level on, a deep warden can compel a Tiny animal to carry a message to his allies at a spot he designates. This ability functions as the animal messenger spell, with a caster level equal to the deep warden's class level.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 4th level, a deep warden gains the ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus (if any, or his Constitution bonus, if it's higher) to AC even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity (or Constitution) bonus to AC if immobilized.
If a character gains uncanny dodge from a different class (a deep warden with at least four levels of rogue, for example), he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.
Stubborn Mind (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a deep warden has a mental resistance to outside influences. If a deep warden with the stubborn mind ability is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails his saving throw, he can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. He gets only this one extra chance to succeed on his saving throw. This ability also works against a mind flayer's mind blast attack.
Sending (Sp): Beginning at 6th level, a deep warden can contact a particular creature with which he is familiar and send a short message of twenty-five words or less. This ability functions as the sending spell), with a caster level equal to the deep warden's class level.
Swift Tracker (Ex): Beginning at 7th level, a deep warden can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal -5 penalty. He takes only a -10 penalty (instead of the normal -20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 8th level and higher, a deep warden can no longer be flanked; he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the deep warden by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has deep warden levels.
If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a different class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.
Greater Animal Messenger (Sp): At 9th level, a deep warden gains the greater animal messenger ability. This functions as the animal messenger ability (see above), except the deep warden can use an animal of up to Small size as his messenger.
| Deep Warden | Hit Die: d12 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Track, trap sense +1 |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Stone warden |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Animal messenger |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Trap sense +2, uncanny dodge |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Stubborn mind |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Sending |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Swift tracker, trap sense +3 |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Improved uncanny dodge |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Greater animal messenger |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Trapsense +4 |
Source: Races of Stone