Faerûnian Prestige Class : Silverhair Knight
by James Jacobs, Dragon #315
The faithful of Eilistraee are known throughout the Realms for their devotion to the arts of dancing and song, to the moonlit hunt, and to various graceful styles of sword fighting. Yet one aspect of the Dark Maiden's faith that is often overlooked by outsiders is her stance against the unsaved drow of the Underdark. Whereas the worshipers of Lolth, Vhaeraun, and the other drow deities view the clergy of Eilistraee as bitter enemies and hated rivals, the faithful of the Dark Maiden are taught not to hate their deep-dwelling kin but to pity them and offer them mercy and sanctuary when they are encountered.
One sect of worshipers have taken this dogma a step further. These are the silverhair knights, selfless and merciful priests who seek out evil drow and use their sins against them in an attempt to show them the errors of their ways. Most silverhair knights fight these drow only with nonlethal attacks, offering them mercy even when none is sought. The most powerful silverhair knights are capable of pulling a drow's sins from his body and absorbing them with her own strength of faith. This is a dangerous ritual, but its effects cannot be dismissed. The silverhair knights might just be the redemption of the drow race, if they can only withstand the terrible despair of the sins they release from their tortured hosts.
Silverhair knights, also known as "sin eaters," train to aid in the conversion and subsequent protection of drow who have come to the surface of Faerûn. The silverhair knights are most active in regions where drow attempt to establish a foothold on the surface; at this point, most of the knights in this relatively new order are based in Cormanthor. Silverhair knights avoid killing drow if at all possible. Their theory is that if other drow see that silverhair knights do not advocate the slaughter of their enemies, they themselves can feel safer about abandoning the teachings of Lolth and her kin. Only when the death of a drow would directly result in saving the life of others is lethal force permitted, and even then, the silverhair knight must seek atonement for her dreadful deed.
Multiclass clerics with some levels of fighter, ranger, bard, or even barbarian have the greatest ease becoming silverhair knights. Although most silverhair knights are female drow or half-drow, any worshiper of Eilistraee that can meet the requirements, regardless of race or gender, is welcome to join the order. When a silverhair knight finds an encampment of drow, she is expected to observe the group from hiding for some time, learning their ways and personalities from afar, so that she can identify members of the group who might wish to convert. Eventually, she is expected to infiltrate the group, identify and approach possible converts, and organize their escape to a safe location.
Silverhair knights dwell in out-of-the-way areas and generally avoid cities or other large metropolitan areas unless they are guiding a reformed drow to some sanctuary within. NPC silverhair knights are thus most often encountered in the wilds, especially in areas with heavy drow activity.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Silverhair Knight, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Chaotic good.
- Skills: Bluff 8 ranks, Diplomacy 8 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks, Sense Motive 8 ranks.
- Feats: Combat Expertise, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Weapon Focus (any sword).
- Base Attack: +6.
- Spells: Ability to cast 2nd-level divine spells.
- Patron: Eilistraee.
- Special: A character who wishes to become a silverhair knight cannot have slain or caused the death of a drow of any alignment at any time in her past. If the character cannot meet this requirement, she must receive an atonement from a cleric of Eilistraee before being accepted into the order: payment for this atonement usually requires going on a quest for the church.
Class Skills
The silverhair knight's class skills are Bluff, Concentration, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (religion), Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Sense Motive, and Spot.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the silverhair knight prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Silverhair knights gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spellcasting: A silverhair knight continues training in divine magic while practicing her other skills and abilities. When a new odd-numbered silverhair knight level is gained, the character increases her spellcasting ability as if she had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or destroying undead, bonus feats, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of silverhair knight to the level of some other divine spell casting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly. If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before she became a silverhair knight, she must decide to which class she adds each level of silverhair knight for purposes of determining spellcasting when she adds the new level.
Awaken Sins (Su): A silverhair knight may cast awaken sins once per day as a supernatural ability. At third level, she may use this ability twice per day, and at fifth level she may do so three times a day.
Drow are particularly susceptible to this spell-like ability and suffer a -2 penalty on saving throws made to resist its effects.
Merciful Edge (Ex): A silverhair knight who opts to deal nonlethal damage with any sword she has the Weapon Focus feat in does not suffer the standard -4 penalty on the attack roll for striking to subdue with a lethal weapon.
Blade of Compassion (Ex): If a silverhair knight attacks an opponent with a sword she has selected for the Weapon Focus feat and she strikes to deal nonlethal damage, she can strike a vital spot for extra nonlethal damage. If the silverhair knight possesses the sneak attack ability, she can deal nonlethal sneak attack damage with the sword she has selected for the Weapon Focus feat (a character normally can not deal nonlethal sneak attack damage with a weapon that deals lethal damage), and additional nonlethal damage gained from this ability stacks with any additional nonlethal damage done with a sneak attack. Using the blade of compassion attack requires concentration and focus; the silverhair knight cannot wield a weapon in her off hand or use a shield when attacking in this manner, although she can use both hands to attack if the sword can be wielded two-handed. [his attack is subject to all the restrictions of a rogue's sneak attack, and it is only effective against creatures that can suffer nonlethal damage.
Voice of Serenity (Su): At 3rd level, a silverhair knight's voice takes on a strangely trustworthy and friendly lilt that soothes the suspicions and doubts of those with whom she interacts. She gains a +2 sacred bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks. Additionally, all enchantment spells she casts that have a verbal component gain a +1 sacred bonus to their save DC.
Consume Sins (Su): A 5th-level silverhair knight can perform a mysterious ritual to attempt to change the alignment of an evil fey, giant, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid to neutral. The silverhair knight must maintain unbroken physical contact with the target for a number of minutes equal to the target's Hit Dice. The target must be conscious for the duration, but need not be willing; usually such a target is kept tightly bound for the duration, but a silverhair knight can disguise what she is doing by making a Bluff check (opposed by the target's Sense Motive check). A new Bluff check must be made each minute. At the end of this duration, the target suffers 10d6 points of nonlethal damage as the full weight of sins on his conscience overwhelms him. Additionally, he must make a Will saving throw (DC = 10 + the knight's class level + the knight's Charisma modifier) to resist having his alignment changed to neutral.
If the target makes the Will save to avoid alignment change, his alignment remains the same, but his sins overwhelm the caster and fill her with rage, sadness, and despair. The silverhair knight immediately gains a number of negative levels equal to half the target's Hit Dice plus the target's Charisma modifier. If this reduces the silverhair knight's level to 0 or less, she immediately dies and rises within 24 hours as a ghost with the same alignment as the creature whose sins she last consumed. If the negative levels do not slay the knight, she instead lapses into a coma for 24 hours, at the end of which she awakens and must make Fortitude saving throws to keep the negative levels from becoming permanent (as normal with negative levels.
Negative levels gained through a failed use of consume sins can be removed normally with a restoration spell, but doing so frees these "undigested" sins and grants the original target a +1 profane bonus per negated negative level to skill checks, attack rolls, and Will saves for the next 24 hours. Once the 24-hour coma has passed, any negative levels that have become permanent can be restored with a greater restoration spell without effect on either the silverhair knight or the target.
If the target fails the Will save to avoid alignment change, the sins are absorbed by the silverhair knight's soul and obliterated by her purity and devotion to Eilistraee. The target's alignment immediately changes to neutral, and the silverhair knight gains a +4 sacred bonus to her Charisma and a +1 sacred bonus to her caster level when casting spells with the Good descriptor. These bonuses persist for a number of hours equal to half the target's Hit Dice plus the target's Charisma modifier.
A creature whose alignment is changed to neutral by this supernatural ability is free to make its own choices regarding future actions. Most creatures see the error of their evil ways and do not return to their evil patterns of behavior. Many switch alignments to match that of the silverhair knight out of gratitude for the service provided.
Consume sins is a mind-affecting supernatural ability and a fear effect. A silverhair knight may consume sins once per week. Drow are particularly susceptible to this ability and suffer a -2 penalty to saving throws made to resist alignment change. A single target can only be affected by an attempt to consume sins once per year.
| Silverhair Knight | Hit Die: d6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells per Day |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Awaken sins 1/day, merciful edge | +1 level in existing class |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Blade of compassion +1d6 | - |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Awaken sins 2/day, voice of serenity | +1 level in existing class |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Blade of compassion +2d6 | - |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Awaken sins 3/day, consume sins | +1 level in existing class |
Ex-Silverhair Knights: A silverhair knight who willingly causes the death of a drow (directly or indirectly) must seek out atonement for her deed within 24 hours; this atonement must come from a cleric of Eilistraee. If the silverhair knight does not atone in this time, if she acts grossly out of accordance with the teachings of the Dark Maiden, or if she becomes any alignment other than chaotic good, she looses all special abilities and granted spells from her silverhair knight levels. She may regain these abilities at a later date by accomplishing a major quest for the church and then receiving an atonement spell from a priest of Eilistraee of equal or higher level than her character level.
Source: Dragon #315