Archmage - New Kits
Thanks to DK at StarComm and Tim Larson
Judge (Paladin)
Description: A Judge is a Paladin who has been authorized by the
goverment (whatever that is in your campaign...but a Judge will never serve
under an evil leader) to ride the land and speak justice wherever he goes.
He may arrest, trial and execute anyone he considers a criminal, which
makes the Judge a powerful figure indeed. A Judge must have a minimum of 15
in both INT and WIS, in addition to the normal requirements for a Paladin.
Role: Although they are almost invariably of noble birth, Judges can
usually be found among common people, becausethey are there to take care of
the small scum, the irritating arguments and legal problems that are bound
to arise wherever people live together. Therefore, they are both loved and
feared. A Judge can be a big help, because his word is law and when he has
made a decision, it is final. On the other hand, there is often a winner
and a loser in his decisions (compromising isn't always possible) and
losers have a tendency to be prejudiced against all Judges.
Secondary Skills: Probably something like Lawyer, but who uses the
rules for secondary skills anyway?
Weapon Proficiencies: Judges must be proficient in either the Long
Sword or the Bastard Sword, and they must be proficient in a Lance. They
cannot specialize. They must choose one of those swords, because it is a
symbol of their authority, and it looks very impressive to see a Judge
holding his Long Sword in the air, sitting on his beautiful Warhorse. The
lance is needed to attach the government's banner to. A banner attached to
a Lance gives it a -1 penalty to hit.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: Heraldry, Local History. Suggested:
Direction Sense, Etiquette, Riding (Land-based), Ancient History, Reading/
Writing, Religion.
Spheres: The Judge does not use the normal Priest Spells allowed to a
Paladin. Instead, he only uses spells from the spheres of Charm,
Divination, Guardian and Protection.
Equipment: A Judge automatically receives a War Horse of a type
chosen by the player. Judges disdain non-metal armor and they will wear the
best metal armor they are able to afford.
Special Benefits: In addition to the normal Paladin Abilities, a
Judge of 5th level or higher can Detect Lie 3/day. This ability functions
exatcly like his Detect Evil Ability (The lie must be spoke within 60', no
components other than concentration for one round, but the lie must be
clearly audible to the Judge). The Judge gains one extra daily use of this
ability for every three levels he gains above 5th. Hence, he can use Detect
Lie 4/day at 8th level, 5/day at 11th level, etc.
At 12th level, a Judge can use his Command of Truth. He must point
his finger at a victim and speak a Command Word (Casting Time of 1) in a
very loud voice. The victim is hypnotized for 2 rounds per level of the
Judge if he doesn't make a Saving Throw vs. Spells. During these rounds,
the victim is compelled to answer any question the Judge asks truthfully,
without hesitation and without any "stretching of the truth". The victim
stands as if he were under the effects of a Hold Person spell and will not
remember what he said while hypnotized. For each level of the Judge above
15th, the victim gets a -1 penalty to his Saving Throw, with a maximum
penalty of -5.
Special Hindrances: Judges have no healing abilities, though they are
immune to disease. They cannot keep more treasure than they can carry and
they do not build strongholds. Once they settle down, it is impossible for
them to gain experience.
Any time a Judge wants to punish an offender, he is observed by his
god. If the Judge does not give the offender a fair trial or gives a
punishment that is too hard, the Judge loses his status as if he had
committed an incredibly evil act by his own choice. If the Judge was under
strong (magical) influence, he can regain his status as a Paladin by
completing some very hard quest.
Finally, a Judge always has a reputation, even if he has done nothing
to deserve one. Because he is always recognized for what he is (see below),
people tend to react to him in a different manner. If the Judge is unlucky
enough to encounter someone who has had bad experiences with other Judges,
that person is probably prejudiced against all Judges. On the other hand,
villagers who have been helped by a Judge may react very friendly to the
Judge. Others who have never dealt with these Holy Justicebringers, are
sometimes simply in awe. Anyway, a Judge is always the centre of attention
and never gets normal reactions.
Ethos: In addition to the normal rules of a Paladin, a Judge has the
following extra ethos which he must abide by if he wants to keep his status
as a Paladin:
A Judge will always speak justice in the best way he can, impartial
and unbiased. If necessary and possible, he will call on the help of other
Judges.
A Judge will make sure that any punishment he deals out is in correct
relation with the offense.
Pride is no virtue for a Judge. He must let his personal motives
never get in the way of true, impartial justice. If a Judge has a personal
vendetta against a certain criminal, he is required to let another Judge
arrest that criminal.
A Judge may not lie, but he is not required to answer any question he
is asked. This is why so many Judges are silent.
A Judge must always wear his signs that indicate that he is a Judge.
He may not disguise himself, and must always make sure that there is no
doubt that he is a Judge.
Deserters: Some corrupted Judges ride the land claiming to be true
Judges. Any Judge can recognize these traitors at face value, but the havoc
they create before they are found is sometimes disastrous, because many
people follow a Judge's Orders without question.
Notes: In the Forgotten Realms, Judges are always in the service of
Tyr. They are active in Cormyr, and there are rumours of an extensive order
of these Paladins operating in Sossal...
Wanderer (Paladin)
Description: The Wanderer is a lonely Paladin who travels the land in
search of evil. They are often friends of the common man and are of all
Paladins the least arrogant and aloof. They can come from any background.
To become a Wanderer, a Paladin must meet the normal requirements of a
Paladin, except for his Constitution, which must be 14 or higher.
Role: Wanderers often help the weak and defenseless citizens of a
society. They are not as law-bound as most paladins and can therefore allow
themselves some freedom in their actions.
Secondary Skills: Any reasonable.
Weapon Proficiencies: A Wanderer must be proficient in either the
Staff, the Dagger or the Knife. These weapons know many uses on the road
and knowing how to use at least one is essential for a Wanderer. Many
Wanderers spend two Weapon Slots to become proficient in all Polearms, as
per the Complete Fighter's. This is not required, however. A Wanderer
cannot specialize in a weapon.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: Running, Direction Sense. Suggested:
Tracking, Mountaineering, Local History, Herbalism, Healing, Animal Lore,
Agriculture, Survival, Endurance, Fishing, Hunting.
Spheres: A Wanderer has access to the following Spheres of Influence
once he can cast Spells: Travellers, Healing, Protection, Sun. If you do
not have the Tome of Magic, you can substitute Travellers for Guardian.
Special Benefits: A Wanderer travels the lands on foot. To increase
his speed, he can use his Running Proficiency, or he can Force March. Any
penalties on Attack Rolls, etc. due to Forced March only, are halved,
rounded up (so there's always a -1 penalty). When Running, a Wanderer has
no penalties on the first day of Running.
The second benefit of a Wanderer is that while he is as Lawful Good
as any Paladin, he only respects one authority; his religion. Therefore, he
is not penalized very hard if he commits Chaotic Good actions in relation
to a country's laws, e.g. if he breaks the law in service of Good and his
Religion. In a Party, a Wanderer must behave himself as any Paladin.
Although a Wanderer must tithe like a normal Paladin, if he can spend
his money any way he wants if there is no place where he can tithe within a
day's walk that he knows of.
Special Hindrances: A Wanderer disdains steeds. He cannot learn any
Riding Proficiency and cannot call for his Warhorse at 3rd level. He can
acquire a Horse like a normal character, and ride it without any benefit.
Although there are no penalties for Horseriding, a Wanderer would rather
show his worth and go by foot. Wanderers hate the game "Elfenroads".
A Wanderer does not radiate any authority like a normal Paladin.
Therefore, they cannot Turn Undead.
A Wanderer cannot keep more possessions than he can take along on his
travels.
Ethos: A Wanderer is the most free of all Paladins. Although he must
always further the cause of good wherever he is, he is not punished much if
that involves breaking certain laws. The penalties become normal if the
Wanderer breaks laws without good reason.
A Wanderer does respect one authority and one order: his religion.
That he considers the true Law and Rule of the Universe.
Notes: in the Realms, Wanderers can be found as far as the the most
western of Oriental countries, like Khazari or Semphar. They are quite
common in Faerun.
Commander (Paladin)
Description: The Commander is a battlefield leader, who inspires his
troops to courageous deeds for the greater glory of his god, nation or
faith. Commanders have a great sense of honor, and they may never betray
their leaders (the King, Emperor, etc.).
Because so many Commanders are leaders, they have a tendency to be a
bit bossy when it is not required. Every Commander thinks that the only way
to fame and fortune is through heroism, and that the only true place for
heroism is in the army.
To be a Commander, a Paladin must have, in addition to the normal
requirements, an Intelligence score of 9 or higher. Understanding of
battlefield tactics is very important for any Commander.
Role: The Commander's skills tend to be very helpful when he is with
an army. In a small party, he will be a bit out of place.
But although Commanders are usually with an army, this does not have
to be the case. PC Commanders are obvious exceptions. There are a number of
reasons for Commanders to go adventuring. A low-level Commander might be
required to show his worth in an "individual war" (an adventure). Once he
reaches a certain level, he may return to take his place as a true
Commander. Another interesting storyline could be that the Commander was the
leader of an army that has been beaten by a powerful, evil force. The Good
King's Realms are suddenly overrun by Orcs...The Commander must go on a
personal quest, out of loyalty for his king, to do that which an army could
not.
Almost all Commanders come from a Noble background. Players may find
it useful to read the Noble Warrior and the Myrmidon Kit descriptions
(Complete Fighter's) , because these kits resemble the Commander in some
aspects. Myrmidons are more inclined to follow orders, however, while
Commanders would rather give them.
Secondary Skills: Commanders may have Secondary Skills like Armorer,
Bowyer/Fletcher or Weaponsmith, but they will usually leave these jobs to
others once they have enough power.
Weapon Proficiencies: A Commander can use his Weapon Proficiency
slots any way he chooses, but he cannot specialize.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: Heraldry, Reading/Writing (Home
Tongue). Recommended: Direction Sense, Etiquette, Fire-Building, Riding
(land-based), Weather Sense, Engineering, Navigation, Ancient History,
Armorer, Bowyer/Fletcher, Weaponsmithing.
Spheres: Once he reaches sufficient level, a Commander casts his
Priest Spells from the following Spheres: War, Combat, Healing and Protection.
Special Benefits: Because he has to help his troops as much as he
can, a Commander has the following special benefits:
Four times a day, he can use an innate courage ability. This functions
like the first-level Priest spell described in the Tome of Magic,
except that the range is 60'.
The Charisma of the Commander is one point higher towards his troops.
If soldiers leave the army without losing sympathy for it, they still see
the Commander with this bonus.
When a commander casts a War spell, his casting level is one higher
than it would normally be. The Commander cannot learn extra spells or gain
any other higher-level benefit.
Special Hindrances: Because Commanders do not get attached to their
mounts, they do not gain the usual special benefits of Paladins for owning
mounts. Commanders will only ride War Horses.
Ethos: A Commander has the following special rules to abide by:
A Commander will never refuse an assignment from his leaders.
A Commander willlead his army with Honor and Valour, and will not
dishonor himself in front of his troops. Inevitable retreat is not
considred to be dishonor, but any retreat less than inevitable, that was not
ordered, is.
Commanders will not allow their soldiers to loot and/or pillage
defeated enemies. Civilians are not to be hurt and enemies must be treated
fairly.
Failure to live up to these rules is espessially dishonorable for a
Commander. Besides losing his status as a Paladin, he will suffer from
depressions, the exact effect of which are left to the DM.
Choirsinger (Bard)
Specialty: Holy Bard/Religious Performer
Qualifications: A Choirsinger must have a DEX of 10, an INT of 13, a CHA of
13 and a WIS of 15, or higher. They must be Good in alignment, although
they can be Lawful, Neutral or Chaotic. Choirsingers are therefore an
exception to the rule that bards should be neutral.
Thief Skill Adjustments: A Choirsinger recieves the following adjustments
to the standard bard's Thieving Skills:
PP: -25%
DN: +5%
CW: -5%
RL: +10%
Furthermore, a Choirsinger can only use his Pick Pockets ability in the
most extreme circumstances, and even then only on evil enemies of the
Choirsinger. This rule is applied less strict on Neutral Good Choirsingers,
and even less on Chaotic Good ones. A Lawful Good Choirsinger, however, has
the largest choice of Priest Spells.
Description: A Choirsinger is a Bard with a Holy Mission. He believes in
his religion, but not to the point of fanaticism.
Choirsingers differ according to their religion. Lawful Choirsingers
are often a lot like paladins, although they do not have to abide by the
same strict rules. They often live in temples, serving the function that
the name suggests. Neutral Choirsingers are more outgoing, friendly folk,
and can often be found trying to make contact with peasants in taverns.
Chaotic Choirsingers are unpredictable, like all Chaotic characters.
Sometimes, they are loners who want to find enlightment in themselves or want
to contemplate on the world, but they might just as well be crusaders on a
mission they made up themselves.
Choirsingers often come from a noble background, but a given
Choirsinger can have any background the DM finds acceptable.
Role: As the name suggests, Choirsingers often serve as a temple's musicians.
They sing, chant and hum during rituals, and play organs or other
instruments that make an impressive sound. But these functions are usually
filled by lower-level Choirsingers. More experienced Choirsingers can have
a lot of other functions. They can be Masters of certain ceremonies,
converters of the "heathens", elite adventurers called on when the temple
needs something set right, or Master of a Choir. Choirsingers can fill a
lot of different purposes in a temple or even a complete religion because
of their diverse skills. Their main advantages over the usual clergy of the
temple are the influence they have over the followers, and the fact that
thay are better musicians than Priests.
Secondary Skills: Usually none.
Weapon Proficiencies: Choirsingers may use only Bludgeoning weapons, but
you may consider using the weapon range of the Specialty Priest of the
Choirsinger's religion.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: Religion; Singing; Reading/Writing; Musical
Instrument. Suggested: Languages, Ancient; Etiquette; Languages, Modern;
Healing; Heraldry; Ancient History; Local History; Chanting; Crowd Working;
Spellcraft; Astrology. Some of these Proficiencies are in the "Priest"
group, but see below.
Armor/Equipment: If you use the Specialty Priest's weapons, then you should
also use the same armor. Otherwise, a Choirsinger can wear only the
standard armor allowed to bards.
They always carry a Holy Symbol of their faith, but there are no
special penalties if the Bard loses its Holy Symbol.
Special Benefits: Instead of the normal Special Abilities of a Bard, the
Choirsinger has the following:
Rally Followers: a Choirsinger can Rally any follower of his faith
(including other Choirsingers, Priests, etc.), with double normal effect.
They can choose to double one effect of the ability (e.g. a +2 on Attack
Rolls, +2 on Saving Throws or +4 on Morale) or use two effects at the same
time. A Choirsinger cares about the wellbeing of his fellow believers,
however, and if he sends them into a battle which they are bound to loose,
without good reason, he could be punished by his god, Patriarch, or even
his own consciousness.
Convert Heathens: The Choirsinger can try to convert people to his
religion. This works like a normal Bard's ability to Influence Reactions,
but it is more difficult. The ability can only be used on one person at a
time, not at a group. The person may make a Saving Throw vs. Paralysis,
with the penalties of higher-level bards. Wisdom adjustments apply to this
Saving Throw. If the person his of a higher level then the Choirsinger, he
gets a bonus equal to twice the difference in levels. If the bard and the
person to be converted are of the same level, the person gets a +1 bonus.
In addition, there is an alignment bonus, equal to the number of straight
steps the person's alignment is removed from the bard's alignment,
multiplied by two. So, a 1st-level Choirsinger trying to convert a 2nd-level
CE Fighter with a +1 WIS bonus would have a hard time indeed. The Fighter
gains a +2 bonus for being a level higher, a +1 bonus for his high Wisdom,
and a +8 bonus for the alignment, because it takes four steps to go from
square "1" to square "9" in a 3x3 diagram. The total bonus for the Fighter
is +11, which means he has to roll 4 or higher on 1d20.
Converting a person takes 1d12 turns. After that time, the Saving
Throw is made. The person to be converted must be willing to sit down and
talk to the bard. After being converted, the DM will decide on the exact
actions of the NPC. If he failed his Saving Throw by more than 10 points,
the victim has suddenly seen the light, and is utterly converted to the
bard's faith. His alignment may change to be in line with the faith (use
the Worshipper's Alignment of the faith). In less extreme cases, the NPC
will usually show interest in the faith and will believe the Choirsinger's
statements about the benefits of belonging to the faith.
If the NPC succeds in its Saving Throw, its reaction is judged by the
DM. In normal circumstances, it is unlikely he will do more than shake his
head and walk away.
This ability does not work on Priests, Paladins, Crusaders, Rangers,
or other Choirsingers. Note that it is possible that an NPC always makes
its Saving Throw because of the modifiers. It's impossible, however, that
an NPC always fails the Saving Throw. A natural 20 always indicates succes.
Priest Training: A Choirsinger can learn proficiencies from the
Priest group at no extra cost than Priests, but this only works if the
proficiency is taught by a follower of the Choirsinger's faith.
Cast Priest Spells: A Choirsinger can cast priest spells, even in
armor. They do not recieve Bonus Spells. Their Spell Progression is like a
normal Bard's Wizard Spells. Their Spheres are dictated by their alignment.
Lawful Choirsingers have access to All, Healing, Combat and Charm. Neutral
Choirsingers have access to All, Healing and Charm, and Chaotic
Choirsingers have acces to the Spheres of All and Charm. In all cases, the Bard
has only Minor Access to these Spheres. Choirsingers can never gain Major
Access to a Sphere.
Special Restrictions: Lik a Cleric, a Choirsinger must follow the ethos of
his religion. If he fails to do this, he will lose spells accordingly.
Dazzler (Wizard)
This is a wizard kit. Must have a 13 CHA. Dazzlers like flashy,
showy spells. They can influence reactions (as a bard) through bedazzlement
with their spells (color spray, fireball, other impressive magicks). They
have a -1 to all spell damage dice, as they have unconsciously altered their
spell formulae to avoid doing damage to people in case a spell should
get beyond their control in a show. They often pose as stage magicians,
and then use real spells in addition to sleight-of-hand. Bonus NWP:
crowd working. Necromancers cannot be dazzlers.
Sage (Wizard)
This is a kit for elven wizards. Must have a 15 INT. Half of
their NWP slots must be devoted to "academic" pursuits. They must
choose one field of expertise at first level and put a slot into it. In
addition, they get two NWP slots for free to put into that same proficiency.
All their WP slots after first level must be used as NWP instead (i.e.,
they are only proficient in one weapon). They have the legend lore
ability as a true bard half their level, rounded down. They have a -1
to hit in melee.
Swordsman (Thief)
This is a kit for elven thieves. Must have a 12 DEX, CHA 13. They
have three special abilities. One, the weapons display. To perform a
weapons display the swordsman whirls a non-missile weapon about his body,
those with less than a 6 INT have their morale lowered by two (assuming
they can see him and understand the concept of weapons) but does not force
an immediate morale check, and his allies are inspired into having a +1 to
hit for a number of rounds equal to his level. He must perform this
display for a full round, uninterrupted, for these effects to occur. The
swordsman is automatically considered ambidextrous, giving him a 0/-2
penalty to hit when fighting with two weapons. He may also perform a
defensive/offensive spin. In a defensive spin, he lowers his AC by half
his level, just like a parry, but if someone makes a successful attack
on him they take damage equal to half his level unless they save vs
paralyzation, up to the max damage of the weapon including bonuses. In
an offensive spin he makes an attempt to appear especially fearsome and
dangerous to one opponent for one round, and if the swordsman successfully
hits that opponent the next round that opponent must make a morale check
or try to stay at least 10' away from him for the rest of the encounter.
For an offensive spin to work, the swordsman cannot have been injured before
by that particular opponent during that encounter.
Required WP: sabre, rapier, or short sword.
Required NWP: crowd working.
They receive only
50 skill points at first level and only 20 every level after that. They
must spend at least every other WP slot on a sword.
Gypsy-Mage (Wizard)
This is a wizard kit for humans, elves, and half-elves. Specialist
wizards cannot be gypsies. They cast divination spells as if they were
one level higher than they are. If they possess any type of scrying device
they can cast divination spells as if they were one level higher yet. They
have a -1 reaction penalty from non-gypsies. They can never learn
invocation or necromancy. Automatically have a wild psionic talent.
Bonus NWP: modern languages (gypsy).
Required NWP: fortune-telling, dancing.
Required WP: knife.
Strongman (Bard)
This is a bard kit. Must have a 14 STR, 12 DEX, 9 INT, 15 CHA. They
get all the standard abilities of a bard (thief skills, magic, etc.) They
also have four special abilities.
Exertion: he can boost his STR by two
categories for one round by shouting and grunting. The following round
his STR is one category below normal, after which it returns to normal. He
can use this ability once/day/level.
Enhanced strength: any magic that
alters STR affects him as if he were a fighter. He may roll for exceptional
STR if he has an 18. He gets a second save vs magic that would reduce
his STR (if it does not usually allow a save, he doesn't get one either).
Heavy-handedness: strongmen are excellent bouncers; they have a +1 to hit
and +3 damage when brawling (punching, wrestling, overbearing).
Swoon:
members of the opposite sex react with a +2 at the sight of his perfect
physique, members of the same sex react with a -1. Strongmen learn spells
as if they were one level lower than they are. They have a -5% to their
RL chance, but +5% to CW.
Bonus NWP: endurance, gaming.
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