Prestige Classes

ARVOREEN'S WARDER

The more militaristic branch of Arvoreen's favored, Arvoreen's warders lack the spellcasting abilities of their keeper brethren, but they make up for this limitation with sheer tenacity. Skilled trackers and warriors, warders often serve as scouts, man hunters, and commanders of halfling militias and military regiments. Where keepers tend to take a more deductive route in most of their pursuits, warders are willing to let their blades loosen the tongues of the guilty. Sometimes more brash than Arvoreen's keepers, both orders follow the same code of conduct, although warders also believe that it takes a sharp sword to cut through the world's injustices.

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

To qualify to become an Arvoreen's warder, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Race: Halfling.

Alignment: Lawful good, neutral good, or lawful neutral.

Base Attack Bonus: +4.

Skills: Craft (trapmaking) 4 ranks, Listen 4 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks, Spot 4 ranks, Survival 4 ranks.

Feats: Alertness, Martial Weapon Proficiency (short sword), Track, and either Martial Weapon Proficiency (shortbow) or Simple Weapon Proficiency (sling).

Deity: Arvoreen.

Special: Must be accepted for training and be judged worthy by a cleric of Arvoreen.

Class Skills

The Arvoreen's warder's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: The Arvoreen's Warder

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Arvoreen's warder prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Arvoreen's warders are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields.

Trapfinding: Arvoreen's warders have the trapfinding ability just as rogues do. With this ability, warders can use the Search skill to locate magic traps and mundane traps with DCs higher than 20.

Bonus Feats: At 2nd level, Arvoreen's warders gain Weapon Focus (short sword) as a bonus feat. Their use of the short sword becomes more deadly at 4th level, granting them Weapon Specialization (short sword) as a bonus feat. At 6th level, warders get Greater Weapon Focus (short sword) as a bonus feat. Finally, at 8th level, warders master the short sword, gaining Greater Weapon Specialization (short sword) as a bonus feat.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 3rd level, an Arvoreen's warder gains uncanny dodge, just as a 4th-level rogue. This ability allows the character to retain her Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker.

Defensive Parry (Ex): At 5th level, Arvoreen's warders have truly mastered the defensive maneuvers of combat. When executing the fight defensively standard or full-round action, the warder gains an additional +1 dodge bonus to her Armor Class (see Fighting Defensively). In addition, when executing the total defense standard action, the warder gains an additional +2 dodge bonus to her Armor Class (see Total Defense).

Subduing Strikes (Ex): Arvoreen's warders often serve as local sheriffs charged with capturing criminals. At 7th level, the warder can deal nonlethal damage with a weapon that deals normal damage without suffering a -4 penalty on the attack.

Team Player (Ex): Arvoreen's warders support, as well as lead, their communities. At 9th level, a warder has learned how to pool his prowess most effectively with his allies. When using the aid another action, the warder grants a +4 bonus instead of the usual +2 bonus.

Defensive Roll (Ex): At 10th level, Arvoreen's warders can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it. Once per day, when a warder would be reduced to 0 hit points or less by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), she can attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC equals the damage dealt) to take only half damage from the blow.

Multiclass Arvoreen's Warders: Arvoreen's warders are allowed to multiclass freely as paladins.

Code of Conduct

Arvoreen's warders must be lawful good, neutral good, or lawful neutral. Additionally, the warders' code requires they never attack first (although preemptive strikes against known raiders or invaders - who are considered to have attacked first - are generally acceptable), aid and protect those in their charge or their community, never flee from an enemy unless all those under their protection have safely escaped (even if it means the warder's own death), defend the honor of their god and race, and respect and obey the clergy of the halfling gods.

Ex-Warders

Arvoreen's warders who cease to be lawful good, neutral good, or lawful neutral, or who grossly violate their codes of conduct, lose all supernatural, spell-like, and spellcasting abilities (regardless of class) and the ability to progress as Arvoreen's warders. An offending warder regains her abilities and her ability to progress as an Arvoreen's warder if she atones for her violations (see the atonement spell description).