Faerûnian Prestige Class : Arvoreen's Warders
Throughout the Forgotten Realms, the deity Arvoreen watches over halfling communities and individuals, wherever they may wander. Stern and practical for a halfling deity, Arvoreen has instructed his like-minded flock to protect and look after others as he does them. Thus, the religious orders of Arvoreen's keepers and Arvoreen's warders were born, road and village marshals of the halfling god of vigilance.
The more militaristic branch of Arvoreen's favored, Arvoreen's warders lack the spellcasting abilities of their keeper brethren, but they make up for this limitation with sheer tenacity. Skilled trackers and warriors, warders often serve as scouts, man hunters, and commanders of halfling militias and military regiments.
Where keepers tend to take a more deductive route in most of their pursuits, warders are willing to let their blades loosen the tongues of the guilty. Sometimes more brash than Arvoreen's keepers, both orders follow the same code of conduct, although warders also believe that it takes a sharp sword to cut through the world's injustices.
Requirements
To qualify to become an Arvoreen's Warder, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Halfling
- Alignment: Lawful good, neutral good, or lawful neutral
- Skills: Craft (trapmaking) 4 ranks, Listen 4 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks, Spot 4 ranks, Survival 4 ranks.
- Feats: Alertness, Martial Weapon Proficiency (short sword), Simple Weapon Proficiency (sling) or Martial Weapon Proficiency (shortbow), Track.
- Base Attack Bonus: +4.
- Religion: Arvoreen.
- Special: Must be accepted for training and be judged worthy by a cleric of Arvoreen.
Class Skills
The warder's class skills are Appraise, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (religion), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival, and Use Rope.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All the following are class features of the Arvoreen's warder prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Arvoreen's warders are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields.
Arvoreen's warders have the same abilities, gained at the same levels, as the Arvoreen's keeper prestige class. However, warders are far more adept in combat than keepers and have the following benefits.
Bonus Feats: At 2nd level, Arvoreen's warders gain Weapon Focus (short sword) as a bonus feat. Their use of the short sword becomes more deadly at 4th level, granting them Weapon Specialization (short sword) as a bonus feat. At 6th level, warders get the Greater Weapon Focus (short sword) as a bonus feat. Finally, at 8th level, warders master the short sword, gaining Greater Weapon Specialization (short sword) as a bonus feat.
Trapfinding: Arvoreen's warders have the trapfinding skill just as rogues do. With this ability, warders can use the Search skill to locate magic traps and mundane traps with DCs higher than 20.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 3rd level, an Arvoreen's warder gains uncanny dodge, just as a 4th-level rogue. This ability allows the character to retain his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker.
Defensive Parry (Ex): At 5th level, Arvoreen's warders have truly mastered the defensive maneuvers of combat. When executing the fight defensively standard or full-round action, the warder gains an additional +1 dodge bonus to his Armor Class. In addition, when executing the total defense standard action, the warder gains an additional +2 dodge bonus to his Armor Class.
Subduing Strikes (Ex): Arvoreen's warders often serve as local sheriffs charged with capturing criminals. At 7th level, the warder can deal nonlethal damage with a weapon that deals normal damage without suffering a -4 penalty on the attack.
Team Player (Ex): Arvoreen's warders support, as well as lead, their communities. At 9th level, a warder has learned how to pool his prowess most effectively with his allies. When using the aid another action, the warder grants a +4 bonus instead of the usual +2 bonus.
Defensive Roll (Ex): At 10th level, Arvoreen's warders can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it. Once per day, when a warder would be reduced to 0 hit points or less by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), he can attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC equals the damage dealt) to take only half damage from the blow.
Code of Conduct: Arvoreen's warders must be lawful good, neutral good, or lawful neutral. Additionally, the warders' code requires they never attack first (although preemptive strikes against known raiders or invaders - who are considered to have attacked first - are generally acceptable), aid and protect those in their charge or their community, never flee from an enemy unless all those under their protection have safely escaped (even if it means the warder's own death), defend the honor of their god and race, and respect and obey the clergy of the halfling gods.
Multiclass Arvoreen's Keepers: Arvoreen's warders are allowed to multiclass freely as paladins.
| Arvoreen's Warder | Hit Die: d8 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Trapfinding |
| 2nd | +2 | +0 | +3 | +0 | Weapon focus (short sword) |
| 3rd | +3 | +1 | +3 | +1 | Uncanny dodge |
| 4th | +4 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Weapon Specialization (Sword Sword) |
| 5th | +5 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Defensive parry |
| 6th | +6 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Greater Weapon Focus (Short Sword) |
| 7th | +7 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Subduing strikes |
| 8th | +8 | +2 | +6 | +2 | Greater Weapon Specialization (Short Sword) |
| 9th | +9 | +3 | +6 | +3 | Team player |
| 10th | +10 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Defensive roll |
Ex-Keepers: Arvoreen's warders who cease to be lawful good, neutral good, or lawful neutral, or who grossly violate their codes of conduct, lose spellcasting granted by Arvoreen's warder levels and the ability to progress as Arvoreen's warders. An offending warder regains his abilities and his ability to progress as an Arvoreen's warder if he atones for his violations (see the atonement spell description).
Source: Dragon #321