Prestige Classes

SQUIRE OF LEGEND

“Behind every legend stand the folks who had to do the real work.” —Ezria Birrinsdottir, squire to Mikolai Laziros Not everyone who reveres the Six from Shadow (see page 65) desires to shape her entire life around her chosen paragon. Some wish only for a slight taste of their hero’s abilities, others simply recognize that no champion can stand alone. The Six from Shadow could not have defeated Tharizdun’s cult without the efforts of the thousands who fell beside them. It is this philosophy that the squire of legend embraces. Whether she seeks to stand behind heroes such as the mythic exemplars, propping them up and aiding them in their quests, or simply to honor her favored paragon without following in his footsteps, she is a hero in her own right, skilled beyond her humble title. BECOMING A SQUIRE OF LEGEND Like the mythic exemplar, the squire of legend devotes herself to a single path based on a chosen patron, but her abilities are much less rigidly defined by that path. Thus, a broader array of characters can benefit from this prestige class. PLAYING A SQUIRE OF LEGEND You follow in the footsteps of a legend, but you embrace your legendary hero’s influence to a lesser degree than some others do. You don’t honor your hero any less than your comrades do—you simply choose not to devote your entire life to following that person’s example. You are more firmly devoted to the notion that a true hero aids her comrades rather than seeking glory for herself. Whether you accompany a Disciple of Legend or simply team up with an ally for adventuring, your primary concern is to ensure that your heroic comrade survives to complete the task at hand. You are content with a smaller share of fame and glory; it is enough to know that your comrade could not have succeeded without you. The Disciples of Legend accord you respect, but not to the same degree as they do the mythic exemplars. They honor the assistance you provide and your commitment to the precepts of the Six from Shadow, but even they—like so many others—tend to give more credit to the flashier heroes and underestimate the contributions of those who stand behind. So far this attitude has not disturbed you unduly, since you have been content with your own contributions, but someday you might become one of those few squires who have quit the organization in disgust. Combat Becoming a squire of legend does not fundamentally change what you are. The benefits you can gain from this prestige class are somewhat limited because of its short progression, so your combat tactics depend largely on your levels in other classes. Thus, if you’re a heavy fighter, you should still stand in the front line, and if you’re a wizard, you should still cast from the rear. Even so, however, you realize perhaps better than most that adventuring and combat are group activities. Your class abilities are designed to aid your comrades, bolstering them in battle, granting them new or improved tactical options, or simply helping them survive. Thus, you must stay close to your allies so that your gifts are available on a moment’s notice. Advancement You are slightly less fanatical about the Six from Shadow than those who strive to become mythic exemplars. You respect them well enough, but you prefer to follow their example in a general sense, rather than specifically. You have also come to realize that while those worthies are the best known of all the brave souls who fought the Mad God’s cult, their victory would have been impossible without the assistance of the hundreds of unnamed and unremembered heroes who died beside them. Though you are still a member of the Disciples of Legend, you sometimes choose to go off on your own and offer your assistance to other allies. You do not chase glory; rather, you seek out situations in which your talents can do the most good. The Disciples of Legend offer you additional training and access to written records of the Six from Shadow, but given your limited advancement possibilities within the organization, these benefits might not be enough to entice you to stay for the rest of your career. Resources The Disciples of Legend have few resources to offer beyond a research library and moral support. When it comes to monetary or magical acquisitions, you’re on your own.

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

To qualify to become a squire of legend, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Skills: Knowledge (history) 3 ranks and any one of the following: Diplomacy 7 ranks, Intimidate 7 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 7 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 7 ranks, or Move Silently 7 ranks.

Special: Must be a member of the Disciples of Legend.

Class Skills

The squire of legend's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int), Knowledge (Int), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str).

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Table: The Squire of Legend

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the squire of legend prestige class.

Your class features vary according to your paragon, but are all oriented toward aiding and bolstering your allies. You know that when a hero falls, when a knight is unhorsed, or when a champion surrenders to despair, it is up to his squire to set him right. Thus, your allies know they can always count on you when the day is darkest.

Spellcasting: At 2nd and 3rd level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a squire of legend, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Paragon’s Path: Upon becoming a squire of legend, you must choose one of the legendary Six from Shadow after whom to model your skills and abilities. Once made, your choice cannot be changed.

Save Bonus (Ex): At 1st level, you gain a +1 bonus on a saving throw determined by your paragon, as given on the following table. This bonus increases to +2 when you attain 3rd level.

Squire’s Burden, Least (Su): You gain the first of several supernatural abilities that let you use the skills of your chosen paragon to aid others. Unless otherwise noted, each paragon’s gift (least, lesser, and greater) requires a swift action to invoke, lasts for a number of rounds equal to twice your squire of legend level, is usable once per day, and has a caster level equal to three times your squire of legend level. When the description of a squire’s burden ability specifies an ally, it means only an ally; you cannot use the effect on yourself unless so stated.

Dardallion: You can grant yourself and one ally flanking bonuses against a foe that both of you threaten, even if you are not properly positioned to flank. The bonus persists as long as you both threaten that enemy.

Imdastri: You can use sanctuary, as the spell.

Ktolemagne: You can use comprehend languages, as the spell.

Orsos: You can use speak with animals, as the spell.

Reikhardt: You can grant one ally within 30 feet the ability to take an immediate action of a specified type out of turn. If you invoke this ability as a swift action, the ally can take a 5-foot step. If you invoke it as a move action, she can take a move action. If you invoke it as a standard action, she can take a standard action.

Sunyartra: As an immediate action, you can negate a single critical hit against one ally within 30 feet. The ally still takes normal damage from the hit.

Squire’s Burden, Lesser (Su): At 2nd level, you gain a new supernatural ability that you can use once per day. This ability follows all the guidelines for least squire’s burden (above), unless otherwise noted. If you choose, you can forgo your daily use of this ability for an extra use of your least squire’s burden.

Dardallion: As an immediate action, you can grant one ally within 30 feet the opportunity to reroll a saving throw, skill check, or ability check.

Imdastri: You can use shield other, as the spell. The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to three times your squire of legend level.

Ktolemagne: You can use see invisibility, as the spell. The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to three times your squire of legend level.

Orsos: You can use lesser restoration, as the spell.

Reikhardt: You can grant an ally within 30 feet a second use of an extraordinary or supernatural ability normally usable only once per day. If you gain a second daily use of this ability, you cannot use it twice in one day on the same ally.

Sunyartra: You can use true strike, as the spell, but only on a single ally within 30 feet.

Faithful Companion (Ex): At 3rd level, you learn to place yourself between an ally and harm. If you and an ally within 5 feet are both subject to an area spell or effect that allows a Reflex save for partial damage, you can grant your ally a bonus on her saving throw by taking a penalty of equivalent magnitude on your own. The value of the bonus and penalty can be any amount up to the value of your base Reflex saving throw. You must decide to invoke this ability before either you or your ally has attempted the saving throw.

Squire’s Burden, Greater (Su): At 3rd level, you gain a new supernatural ability you can use once per day. It follows all the guidelines for least squire’s burden, above. If you choose, you can forgo your daily use of this ability for an extra use of the least or lesser squire’s burden.

Dardallion: You can grant one ally within 30 feet the ability to move through threatened areas without provoking attacks of opportunity for 2 rounds. Other actions, such as casting in a threatened area, still provoke attacks of opportunity as normal.

Imdastri: You can grant one ally within 30 feet immunity to one of the following effects for a number of rounds equal to three times your squire of legend level: disease, exhaustion/ fatigue, mind-affecting spells and abilities, negative levels, or poison. You choose the effect when you activate this ability.

Ktolemagne: As a swift action, you can take over concentrating to maintain an ally’s spell or spell-like ability, allowing her to take other actions. Once you have assumed control of an effect, you cannot give it back.

Orsos: You can grant one ally within 30 feet energy resistance 10 to an energy type of your choice for a number of rounds equal to three times your squire of legend level.

Reikhardt: When an ally within 30 feet of you uses an extraordinary, spell-like, or supernatural ability that affects all allies within a given number of feet, you can use an immediate action to extend its range and duration by 50%.

Sunyartra: As an immediate action, you can grant one ally within 30 feet the opportunity to reroll an attack roll or critical hit confirmation roll.