Faerûnian Prestige Class : Luiren Marchwarden
The Luiren marchwarden is the defender of the frontier in the land of the halflings. In Luiren, much of the territory is still verdant and untamed. The hi rarely settle down for long stretches, but their communities are still threatened by encroaching monsters and would-be invaders from other lands. The halflings need protectors to watch over them and keep dangers from slipping past the borders unobserved. Such is the task of the Luiren marchwarden.
Rangers and druids are best suited to become marchwardens, but sometimes other classes choose this path. Of those classes, only wizards and sorcerers truly lack the defensive instincts necessary to carry out the tasks of the marchwarden effectively. Barbarians are unusual in Luiren, and thus they are also rare as marchwardens.
Marchwardens work alone and in small groups. Either way, they accept responsibility for a specific region of the countryside, and they consider it their duty to defend that plot of land - and the halflings who reside on it - from any and all threats. They seldom roam beyond their home territory, because many of their abilities and powers are tied to the region where they stand vigilant.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Luiren Marchwarden, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Halfling
- Alignment: Any nonevil
- Skills: Knowledge (Luiren local) 5 ranks, Knowledge (geography) 8 ranks.
- Feats: Alertness, Investigator, Track,
- Base Attack Bonus: +4.
- Spells: Able to cast 1st-level divine spells.
- Region: Luiren
Class Skills
The Luiren marchwarden's class skills are Climb, Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (Luiren local), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Search, 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 Luiren marchwarden prestige class:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Luiren marchwarden gains no proficiency with any weapons or armor.
March Bonus (Ex): A Luiren marchwarden gets a morale bonus on saves and to Armor Class whenever he is within the boundary of his march (see Sanctify March, below). He also gets this bonus on Hide, Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Survival checks while within his march. This bonus starts at +2 and improves with every odd marchwarden level, until it reaches +4 at 5th level.
Sanctify March (Ex): A Luiren marchwarden establishes a territory, called a march, which is his to defend against all threats. This march is an area 5 miles per marchwarden level in a radius from a central point - usually the center of a village or town, but sometimes an unusual place, such as a sacred grove or a waterfall. To consider a location for his march, a marchwarden must know the terrain exceptionally well (as indicated by the skill requirements for this class). While a marchwarden is within his sanctified march, he gains all the additional abilities and bonuses of the class as specified below.
If a Luiren marchwarden chooses to establish a new march, he must first create familiarity with the location by living there for a month. Once he has become accustomed to the area, the marchwarden can designate the locale as his march, but the benefits of the march are not fully vested immediately. The first week a Luiren marchwarden occupies his new march, he has only the benefits of a 1st-level marchwarden. During the second week, the benefits due a 2nd-level marchwarden activate, and so on each week, until the maximum benefits of the marchwarden's own level function. The moment a marchwarden establishes a new march, he loses all benefits in the old one.
Detect Evil (Sp): A Luiren marchwarden can use detect evil at will while inside the boundary of his sanctified march.
Share March Bonus (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a Luiren marchwarden can share the morale bonuses he gains from his march bonus ability with a single ally within 30 feet. Sharing the march bonus is a free action that can be performed at will, but a marchwarden must be able to see his ally at the time the ability is activated. The effect lasts until the target is out of range or until the Luiren marchwarden ends it as a free action.
Easy Trail (Su): From 2nd level on, any time a Luiren marchwarden is inside the boundary of his sanctified march, he can move through all types. of terrain as though under the effects of an easy trail spell.
Safe Clearing (Sp): A 3rd-level and higher marchwarden gains the ability to use the spell safe clearing once per day. The effect is treated as if improved by the Widen Spell metamagic feat. A marchwarden must be within his march to use this ability, and he uses it at a caster, level equal to twice his Luiren marchwarden level.
Dispel Evil (Sp): Once he reaches 4th level, a Luiren marchwarden inside the boundary of his sanctified march can use dispel evil once per day. His caster level is equal to twice the character's Luiren marchwarden level.
Land Womb (Sp): A 4th-level Luiren marchwarden gains the ability to use the spell land womb once per day, so long as he is inside the boundary of his sanctified march. His caster level is equal to twice the character's Luiren marchwarden level.
Commune with March (Sp): Beginning at 5th level, a marchwarden can gather information about her entire march once per day as if he had cast the commune with nature spell.
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): At 5th level, within the confines of his march, a marchwarden can use the Hide skill even while being observed.
| Luiren Marchwarden | Hit Die: d8 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | March Bonus | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Sanctify march, detect evil |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | +2 | Share march bonus, easy trail |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Safe clearing |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +3 | Dispel evil, land womb |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Commune with march, hide in plain sight |
Source: Shining South