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New
Causes to Champion
New Options for The Champion Class
One
of the more dynamic classes in Monte
Cook's Arcana Unearthed is the champion, because
its abilities depend so much on the cause the character
chooses to champion, and the number of causes is almost
limitless. Here are two more causes to champion that
you can add to those found in the rulebook.
Justice
The champion is interested in wrongs being made right
and seeing the guilty punished. Champions of justice
are not representatives of some higher good -- justice
and benevolence only sometimes share the same goals.
Nor are champions of justice interested in upholding
laws, for the letter of the law often confounds justice
rather than supports it. Rather, they strive to find
those who have acted unjustly, or those who have wronged
another in a fundamental way and punish them. Better
yet, if they see an injustice being performed, they
try to stop it before it actually transpires. Punishment
at the hands of this champion is swift and without
mercy or favoritism. Champions of justice do not listen
to excuses and are not interested in rationalizations.
The ends do not justify the means, if the means involve
harming an innocent. In their eyes, injustices include:
killing or harming an innocent, stealing from another,
cheating another, being wasteful while others do without,
and discriminating against others because of their
race, to name just a few. However, murdering someone
who deserves it, stealing something from a thief,
and so on, are just not unjust.
Some
champions of justice are far less interested in punishing
the guilty as they are in dealing with injustices
like hungry children, disease, catastrophe, and so
on.
The
champion of justice often wears a symbol of scales,
or of a woman with her eyes blindfolded (for justice
is blind).
-
Special: The champion of justice has Sense
Motive and Search as class skills.
-
1st Level -- Touch of Justice (Sp): The
champion of justice can, once per day per class
level, touch another intelligent, living creature
and learn of the most unjust thing that creature
has done (and if he or she ever paid the price for
doing so). The creature can make a Will saving throw
(DC 10 + champion of justice's class level + his
Charisma modifier) to resist. This requires a touch
attack and is a standard action to perform. If the
creature is shown to owe a debt of justice (DM's
discretion), the champion of justice gains a +1
bonus to damage rolls against that creature henceforth.
-
5th Level -- Blast of Castigation (Sp): The
champion of justice can cast blast of castigation
once per day per three class levels as a caster
of his class level using Charisma as his spellcasting
ability score.
-
10th Level -- Reap the Whirlwind (Su): While
fighting against someone shown to owe a debt of
justice (using the touch of justice), the champion
of justice gains a +4 circumstance bonus to attack
and damage rolls.
-
15th Level -- The Keen Eye (Su):
The champion of justice gains a +4 competence bonus
to all Spot, Search, and Sense Motive checks.
- 20th
Level -- Finger of Death (Sp): The champion
of justice can cast finger of death once
per day as a caster of his class level using Charisma
as his spellcasting ability score. The target must
be someone shown to owe a debt of justice (using
the touch of justice).
Knowledge
The champion of knowledge defends learning and information
for its own sake. Lost lore, wisdom, developments,
or secrets is the greatest crime, and new discoveries
and ideas are the greatest accomplishments in the
eyes of this champion. Champions of knowledge are
close companions to akashics, as champions of magic
are to magisters.
Champions
of knowledge use knowledge as a weapon and a shield.
The power of information is without bounds. These
champions are thoughtful, careful, and intelligent.
They don't go into battle without a plan, and they
try to keep some winning stratagem in reserve, just
in case.
Champions
of knowledge often carry a book as a symbol, strapped
to their side next to their scabbard or prominently
on their back.
- Special:
The champion of knowledge can use any spell-completion
or spell-trigger magic item involving the divination
school.
-
Special: The champion of knowledge gains
an additional 2 skill points per level.
- 1st
Level -- Loresight (Sp): The champion of knowledge
can use either creature loresight or object
loresight a number of times per day equal to
her Intelligence bonus as a spell-like ability.
If she does not have an Intelligence bonus, she
can use this ability once per week. If her Intelligence
bonus is 2 or greater, she can use the abilities
in conjunction with each other. For example, a champion
with a +3 bonus can use creature loresight
three times in one day, object loresight
three times in one day, creature loresight
once and object loresight twice, and so on.
- 5th
Level -- Combat Insight (Sp): The champion of
knowledge gains an insight bonus to damage equal
to her Intelligence modifier, which stacks with
any adjustment gained from her Strength modifier.
- 10th
Level -- The Gift of Knowledge (Su): The champion
of knowledge gains a +4 competence bonus to all
Knowledge checks.
- 15th
Level -- Defensive Insight (Sp): The
champion of knowledge gains an insight bonus to
Armor Class equal to her Intelligence modifier,
which stacks with any adjustment gained from her
Dexterity modifier.
- 20th
Level -- Knowledge From Beyond (Sp):
The champion of knowledge can use either of the
following spells at will: locate creature, locate
object. She can also use these spells once per
day (each): foretell future, learn truename.
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Causes to Champion" is Open Game Content. "New
Causes to Champion" ©2003 Monte J. Cook.
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