TEXT: David Noonan
  Supplement
  
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  Visit our website at www.wizards.com/dnd
  D E S I G N
  DAVID NOONAN
  A D D I T I O N A L  D E S I G N
  FRANK BRUNNER, LUKE JOHNSON, 
  ROBERT J. SCHWALB
  D E V E L O P M E N T  T E A M
  ANDY COLLINS, JESSE DECKER, MIKE MEARLS, 
  STEPHEN SCHUBERT
  E D I T O R S
  MICHELE CARTER, JOHN D. RATELIFF, 
  M. ALEXANDER JURKAT, PENNY WILLIAMS
  E D I T I N G  M A N A G E R
  KIM MOHAN
  D E S I G N  M A N A G E R
  CHRISTOPHER PERKINS
  D E V E L O P M E N T  M A N A G E R
  JESSE DECKER
  D I R E C T O R  O F  R P G  R & D
  BILL SLAVICSEK
  P R O D U C T I O N  M A N A G E R S
  JOSH FISCHER, RANDALL CREWS
  S E N I O R  A R T  D I R E C T O R  D & D
  STACY LONGSTREET
  A R T  D I R E C T O R  D & D
  KARIN JAQUES
  C OV E R  A R T I S T
  DAN SCOTT
  I N T E R I O R  A R T I S T S
  STEVE BELLEDIN, STEVE ELLIS, 
  EMILY FIEGENSCHUH, CARL FRANK, 
  RALPH HORSLEY, DAVID HUDNUT, 
  MICHAEL KOMARCK, HOWARD LYON, 
  MIKE MAY, JIM NELSON, LUCIO PARILLO, 
  ERIC POLAK, STEVE PRESCOTT, MIKE SCHLEY, 
  RON SPENCER, FRANZ VOHWINKEL, 
  EVA WIDERMANN
  C A R T O G R A P H E R
  MIKE SCHLEY
  G R A P H I C  D E S I G N E R S
  DEE BARNETT, KARIN JAQUES
  G R A P H IC  P RODU C T ION  S P E C I A L I S T
  ERIN DORRIES
  I M A G E  T E C H N I C I A N
  CHRISTINA WILEY
  Some information in this book is taken from or derived from these sources: Complete Adventurer by Jesse Decker; Complete Ar-
  cane by Richard Baker; Complete Divine by David Noonan; Complete Warrior by Andy Collins, David Noonan, and Ed Stark; and 
  Defenders of the Faith by Rich Redman and James Wyatt.
  Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 
  game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison.
  This product uses updated material from the v.3.5 revision.
  This WIZARDS OF THE COAST® game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any 
  form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit www.
  wizards.com/d20
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, DUNGEON MASTER, d20, d20 System, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual, all other Wizards of 
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  laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission 
  of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. Printed in the U.S.A. 
  ©2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  U.S., CANADA, ASIA, PACIFIC, 
  & LATIN AMERICA
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  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
  ISBN-10: 0-7869-3918-4 
  First Printing: May 2006 
  ISBN-13: 978-0-7869-3918-3
  
  3
  TABLE OF
  CONTENTS
  Contents
  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
  What You Need to Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
  Chapter 1: New Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
  New Starting Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
  Beguiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
  Beguiler Spell List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
  Dragon Shaman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
  Duskblade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
  Knight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
  Ex-Knights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
  Chapter 2: Expanded Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
  New Starting Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
  Barbarian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
  Bard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
  Cleric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
  Druid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
  Favored Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
  Fighter  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
  Hexblade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
  Marshal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
  Monk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
  Paladin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
  Ranger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
  Rogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
  Scout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
  Sorcerer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
  Swashbuckler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
  Warlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
  Warmage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
  Wizard  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
  Chapter 3: New Feats  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
  General Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
  Ceremony Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
  Combat Form Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
  Divine Feats  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
  Heritage Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
  Metamagic Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
  Tactical Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
  Chapter 4: New Spells  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
  Dual-School Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
  The Polymorph Subschool . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
  Chapter 5: Building Your Identity . . . . . . . 129
  Character Background  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
  Artisan  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
  Ascetic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
  Drifter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
  Farm Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
  Gladiator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
  Guttersnipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
  Mariner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
  Noble Scion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
  Soldier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
  Tribal Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
  Personality Archetypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
  Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
  Challenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
  Companion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
  Crusader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
  Daredevil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
  Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
  Innocent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
  Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
  Martyr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
  Mercenary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
  Orphan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
  Prophet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
  Rebel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
  Renegade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
  Royalty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
  Sage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
  Savage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
  Seeker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
  Simple Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
  Strategist  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
  Theorist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
  Trickster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
  Wanderer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
  Personality Traits  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
  Being a Good Player at the Table . . . . . . . . . .143
  Managing the Paperwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
  Rolling Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
  Respect the Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
  Other Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
  Talk About Your Character . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
  Chapter 6: The Adventuring Group . . . . . . .147
  Party Backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
  Charter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
  Childhood Friendship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
  Chosen  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
  Circumstance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
  Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
  Building the Party  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
  Adventuring Party Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
  Being a Team Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
  Teamwork Beneﬁ ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
  What is a Teamwork Beneﬁ t? . . . . . . . . . . 157
  The Team Roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
  Teamwork Beneﬁ t Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . 158
  Awareness  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
  Camp Routine  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
  Circle of Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
  Crowded Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
  Cunning Ambush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
  Cunning Ambush, Improved . . . . . . . . . 159
  Expert Mountaineers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
  Foe Hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
  Group Trance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
  Indirect Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
  Like a Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
  Massed Charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
  Missile Volley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
  Steadfast Resolve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
  Superior Team Effort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
  Team Melee Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
  Team Rush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
  Team Shield Maneuver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
  Wall of Steel  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
  Chapter 7: Afﬁ liations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
  Broadening Your Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
  The Two Categories of Afﬁ liations  . . . . 164
  Why Join an Afﬁ liation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
  Membership Has Its Privileges  . . . . . . . 164
  Features of Afﬁ liations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
  Making Afﬁ liations Dynamic . . . . . . . . . 166
  Example Afﬁ liations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
  Bloodﬁ st Tribe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
  Brightmantle Weapon Forge 
   and Trading Consortium . . . . . . . . . . . 168
  Caravan of Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
  Castle Mairo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
  The Chalice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
  Darkspire College of Thaun . . . . . . . . . . . 171
  Dragon Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
  Elves of the High Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
  The Golden Helm Guild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
  The Land of Honor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
  Merata Kon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
  The One and the Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
  Restenford Guild of Insurers, 
   Solicitors, and Beggars . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
  Restenford Sewerworkers Guild . . . . . . 178
  Sharulhensa, the Alabaster Towers . . . . 179
  Sun Fane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
  The Thunder Sail Argosy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
  Wintervein Dwarves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
  Creating Your Own Afﬁ liations . . . . . . . . . . 182
  Example of Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
  Chapter 8: Rebuilding Your Character . . . 191
  Retraining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
  Class Feature Retraining  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
  Feat Retraining  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
  Language Retraining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
  Skill Retraining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
  Spell or Power Retraining  . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
  Substitution Level Retraining  . . . . . . . . 194
  Rebuilding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
  Ability Score Rebuilding . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
  Class Level Rebuilding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
  Race Rebuilding  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
  Template Rebuilding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
  Rebuild Quests  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
  Rebuild Quests in the Game . . . . . . . . . . 199
  The Gates of Dawn (Levels 6–8) . . . . . . . 200
  The Necrotic Cradle (Levels 13–15) . . . 203
  Appendix: Quick PC and NPC Creation . . . 207
  1. Choose a Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
  2. Determine Ability Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
  3. Pick Your Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
  4. Pick Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
  Skill Priority Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
  5. Pick Your Feats  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
  6. Miscellaneous Characteristics . . . . . . . . . .214
  7. Choose Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
  A la Carte Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
  Equipment by Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
  8. Pick Your Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
  Suggested Bard Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
  Suggested Cleric Spells 
   (Positive Energy Channelers*) . . . . . . 220
  Suggested Druid Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
  Suggested Duskblade Spells  . . . . . . . . . . 220
  Suggested Favored Soul Spells . . . . . . . . 220
  Suggested Hexblade Spells  . . . . . . . . . . . 220
  Suggested Marshal Auras . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
  Suggested Paladin Spells  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
  Suggested Ranger Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
  Suggested Sorcerer Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
  Suggested Warlock Invocations . . . . . . . 221
  Suggested Wizard Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
  Random Personalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
  
  Introduction
  When you play a character in a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® 
  game, it’s all about the choices you make. Every facet of your 
  character that makes him or her unique is the product of a 
  conscious decision on your part.
   Player’s Handbook II is all about expanding your choices—
  sometimes in ways you might expect (new classes, new feats) 
  and other times in ways you might ﬁ nd surprising, such as a 
  set of rules for re-engineering your character (about which 
  we have more to say below).
   Chapter 1: New Classes expands the roster of standard 
  classes by four, with the addition of the beguiler, the dragon 
  shaman, the duskblade, and the knight. Any of these classes 
  would be a ﬁ ne choice if you want to play a character that 
  doesn’t ﬁ t any of the archetypes that are represented by the 
  other classes we have published.
   Chapter 2: Alternate Class Options revisits eighteen of 
  those other classes—the eleven from the Player’s Handbook 
  as well as seven others (such as the scout and the favored 
  soul) that made their debuts in supplements. We look at 
  these classes with a fresh set of eyes, providing for each one 
  an alternate class feature, three new starting packages, and 
  a discussion of character themes that are appropriate for the 
  class in question. If you’re intrigued by the idea of playing a 
  cleric who spontaneously casts domain spells instead of cure 
  spells, check out page 37 for the particulars.
   Player’s Handbook II would not be a book worthy of its title if 
  it didn’t present new feats and spells. Chapter 3: New Feats 
  contains more than 100 additions to the vast selection of feats 
  in the D&D® game, and Chapter 4: New Spells presents a 
  similar number of new choices for spellcasters of all sorts.
   This book starts to blaze its own trail in Chapter 5: Building 
  Your Identity, which contains dozens of brief discussions 
  on how to add more depth and realism to your character’s 
  background and personality, plus some advice on how best 
  to fulﬁ ll your role as a player at the gaming table.
   Chapter 6: The Adventuring Group takes a step back 
  in perspective, focusing on the characters who collectively 
  make up a particular kind of party. How did these would-
  be heroes come together in the first place, and what part 
  does each one of them play in a well-rounded group of 
  adventurers? The chapter also includes a few new teamwork 
  beneﬁ ts, expanding on a concept that was introduced in 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide II.
   Characters are deﬁ ned not only by who they are as indi-
  viduals and by the other PCs they travel with, but also by the 
  relationships they form with likeminded individuals whose 
  heritage or interests compel them to follow a common cause. 
  Chapter 7: Afﬁ liations describes a new kind of group that 
  characters can belong to—they rise or fall in status within 
  their afﬁ liations according to their deeds and their qualiﬁ -
  cations, and the most motivated and successful of them all 
  can even advance to a leadership position. In addition to a 
  number of fully ﬂ eshed-out example afﬁ liations, this chapter 
  provides guidelines for players and DMs who want to create 
  afﬁ liations that are unique to their campaign.
   Perhaps the most intriguing new concept in this book is 
  presented in Chapter 8: Rebuilding Your Character. While 
  many DMs and players have created house rules for handling 
  situations involving the reselection of feats, reallocation of skill 
  ranks, altering ability scores, and so forth, the D&D game has 
  never before had ofﬁ cial rules on the topic of revising your entire 
  character. So whether your dwarf ﬁ ghter just regrets a single 
  bad feat choice or wishes he were actually a half-orc barbarian 
  or an elf sorcerer, Chapter 8 offers rules and advice that covers 
  the subject of character rebuilding from start to ﬁ nish.
   Finally, an extensive Appendix sets forth an efficient 
  method for quick generation of new player characters or 
  NPCs, which (among other things) streamlines the process of 
  selecting skills and feats. The next time you need a character 
  in a hurry—or even if you don’t—check out this system.
  WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY
  Player’s Handbook II makes use of the information in the three 
  D&D core rulebooks: Player’s Handbook (PH), Dungeon Master’s 
  Guide (DMG), and Monster Manual (MM). It also includes material 
  that expands upon some of the content of several supplements, 
  including Complete Warrior, Complete Divine, Complete Arcane, 
  Complete Adventurer, and Miniatures Handbook. Although pos-
  session of any or all of these supplements will enhance your 
  enjoyment of this book, they are not strictly necessary for you 
  to make use of the vast majority of this book.
  INTRODUCTION
   
  4
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  SWIFT AND IMMEDIATE ACTIONS
  The Miniatures Handbook introduced the concept of a new action 
  type: the swift action. Likewise, Expanded Psionics Handbook in-
  troduced another new action type: the immediate action. Some 
  of the class features, feats, spells, and items in Player’s Handbook 
  II use these concepts. A description of how they work follows.
   Swift Action: A swift action consumes a very small amount of 
  time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than 
  a free action. You can perform one swift action per turn without 
  affecting your ability to perform other actions. In that regard, a swift 
  action is like a free action. However, you can perform only a single 
  swift action per turn, regardless of what other actions you take.
   Casting a quickened spell a swift action. In addition, casting any 
  spell with a casting time of 1 swift action (such as blade of blood; 
  see page 103) is a swift action. Casting a spell with a casting time 
  of 1 swift action does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
   Immediate Action: Much like a swift action, an immediate 
  action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a 
  larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. Unlike 
  a swift action, an immediate action can be performed at any 
  time—even if it’s not your turn.
   Using an immediate action on your turn is the same as using a 
  swift action, and counts as your swift action for that turn. You cannot 
  use another immediate action or a swift action until after your next 
  turn if you have used an immediate action when it is not currently 
  your turn (effectively, using an immediate action before your turn is 
  equivalent to using your swift action for the coming turn). You also 
  cannot use an immediate action if you are currently flat-footed.
  
  his chapter introduces four new standard classes, 
  each designed to ﬁ ll a speciﬁ c niche in the game. 
  Like any new classes, they provide players with 
  more options when it’s time to make characters and 
  provide DMs with new potential foes to pit against 
  the PCs.
   Beguiler: The warmage (described in Complete Arcane) is 
  an arcane spellcaster who focuses on a tightly themed group 
  of spells. The beguiler takes that idea and does for enchant-
  ment and illusion spells what the warmage did for evocation. 
  With a dash of transmutation thrown in, the beguiler is the 
  ultimate versatile spellcaster, with a trick or solution for 
  every encounter.
   Dragon Shaman: Drawing on the ancient power of 
  dragons, the dragon shaman provides powerful boosts to 
  every character in the party. The defensive and augmentation 
  abilities of this class allow a group with a dragon shaman to 
  adventure without a cleric.
   Duskblade: This class provides melee combat abili-
  ties and arcane spellcasting in equal measure. Although 
  other ways to achieve this mix of powers exist, including 
  multiclass characters and prestige classes, the duskblade 
  offers this combination from 1st level and throughout all 
  levels of play.
   Knight: Skilled with armor and shield, a knight controls 
  the battleﬁ eld in ways that no ﬁ ghter or paladin ever could 
  and can ensure that foes center their attacks on the knight 
  rather than on more vulnerable allies. No other melee-
  oriented class has so much defensive prowess or ability 
  to inﬂ uence what foes do in combat, aspects of the game 
  that are usually the province of spellcasters. While an able 
  melee combatant, the knight is different in play from all 
  previous melee combat classes because of his control-
  oriented abilities.
  NEW STARTING PACKAGES
  One of the features of Player’s Handbook II is a new treat-
  ment for starting packages, expanding on the concept 
  behind the starting packages previously presented in 
  the Player’s Handbook and other publications. The new 
  classes described in this chapter and the eighteen 
  other classes discussed in Chapter 2 have three start-
  ing packages for you to choose from. Each package 
  has an evocative title that describes the character’s 
  role in the party (such as “Defender” or “Controller”) 
  to give you an idea of the concept behind it. Some 
  descriptions appear more than once—for example, 
  both the ﬁ ghter and the ranger have a starting pack-
  age called “The Archer.” Some of these titles match 
  those in Table A–3: Feat Progressions by Party Role 
  (starting on page 209), but such similarities do not 
  necessarily extend to the feats recommended. A race 
  is speciﬁ ed for each package, but you can adjust the 
  details to ﬁ t any race without too much trouble.
  5
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  
  6
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
   Each package speciﬁ es a race, ability scores (which include 
  racial modiﬁ ers), skills, feats, gear, and if appropriate, spells 
  and class features. The skills all have maximum ranks—4 
  ranks in each class skill and 2 ranks in each cross-class skill. 
  (Cross-class skills are designated by the letters “cc.”) Spells in 
  parentheses are available only if your character’s key ability 
  score for spellcasting is high enough to grant a bonus 1st-level 
  spell (or, if the character is a wizard, her Intelligence bonus 
  is high enough to grant bonus spells in her spellbook). The 
  class features section appears only for characters who have 
  optional class features available at 1st level, such as clerics 
  (domains), druids (animal companions), and sorcerers and 
  wizards (familiars).
   You can use these starting packages in any way you like. You 
  are welcome to swap one skill for another, one feat for another 
  (provided that your character meets the prerequisites), one 
  spell for another, or one piece of gear for another of roughly 
  equivalent value (within 5 gp). With a couple of exceptions, 
  the starting packages in this book use only information 
  available in the Player’s Handbook. Thus, if you have access 
  to other rulebooks, you might want to swap out a few feats 
  or weapons for options provided in those publications. The 
  class features are likewise customizable.
   Most packages include the standard adventurer’s kit—
  backpack, belt pouch, bedroll, ﬂ int and steel, two sunrods, 
  ten days worth of trail rations, 50 feet of hempen rope, and 
  waterskin. (Monks don’t get the sunrods because they have 
  too few gp at 1st level.)
  BEGUILER
  “You know me. I’m as good as my word, and my life is an open book.”
  —said with a straight face by Anastria Nailo, 
  half-elf beguiler
  Some hold truth to be the greatest virtue, but it can do 
  more damage than fiction. Everyone lives in a constant 
  state of deception. White lies, false smiles, and secret 
  thoughts keep society running smoothly. Honesty is a virtue 
  only up to a certain point. Beguilers understand these ideas 
  better than anyone, and they use deception, misunderstand-
  ing, and secrets as skillfully as a soldier employs weapons 
  of war.
   Beguilers see lying and manipulation as tools. Just as a 
  hammer can be used to build a house or crack a skull, deceit 
  and the ability to control others can be used for good or ill. 
  A lie whispered in the right ear can ruin lives, but a dishon-
  est smile and honeyed words can open doors, turn foes into 
  friends, and even end wars. Beguilers have reputations as 
  rakes, thieves, spies, and puppet masters, but they can also 
  be diplomats, peacemakers, or heroic leaders who give hope 
  in desperate situations.
   If you delight in manipulating others, either to their 
  disadvantage or for their own good, then the beguiler is the 
  class for you. More than any other kind of character, you rely 
  on Charisma-based skills to change the reactions of others, 
  while your other class abilities enable you to catch others off 
  guard with devastating spell-based attacks.
  MAKING A BEGUILER
  As a beguiler, you possess many useful skills and spells. 
  If your adventuring group lacks a rogue, you make a great 
  substitute for all but the rogue’s melee combat strengths. If 
  the group lacks a wizard or other arcane caster, you can also 
  ﬁ ll that role with your command of illusions and enchant-
  ments, although you lack a wizard’s array of spells that deal 
  damage and you possess less spellcasting versatility. Your 
  main strategy should be to control enemies, bolster your 
  allies, and take command of the battleﬁ eld.
   Abilities: Beguilers have quick wits, deft hands, and 
  compelling personalities. You need a high Intelligence to 
  get the most from your spells and skills. A high Charisma 
  helps you be more convincing in your deceptions, while a 
  high Dexterity helps you with the sneaky tasks you are likely 
  to pursue. Don’t neglect Constitution; although you have the 
  same Hit Die as a rogue, your Constitution score inﬂ uences 
  your ability to cast defensively and thus how well you can 
  use your surprise casting class feature.
   Races: Beguilers can be found among any race, but gnomes 
  and half-elves seem to most appreciate the beguilers’ ﬂ exible 
  philosophy about truth. Being tricksters and inquisitive by 
  nature, gnomes gravitate to the beguiler class due to the 
  interesting deeds it allows them to accomplish. Half-elves, 
  trapped as they are between the worlds of elves and humans, 
  ﬁ nd that a beguiler’s abilities help them better exist in both. 
  Humans, elves, and halﬂ ings also foster beguilers in their 
  midst, but dwarves and half-orcs rarely become members of 
  the class. Dwarves tend to dislike dissembling, and half-orcs 
  typically lack the mental discipline and likable personality 
  required to make a good beguiler.
   Alignment: The beguilers’ outlook about truth is neither 
  good nor evil, and beguilers of all alignments walk the world. 
  Nevertheless, those well practiced in the arts of deception and 
  manipulation rarely put much stock in others’ laws, and they 
  often display a self-centered attitude. Lawful good beguilers 
  are like lawful good necromancers—rare and foreign even 
  to their fellows.
   Starting Gold: 6d4×10 gp (150 gp).
   Starting Age: As wizard (PH 109).
  CLASS FEATURES
  Your spells and skills make you well suited to espionage and 
  dungeon delving. In addition to being able to ﬁ nd and disarm 
  traps your group might encounter, you can charm and con-
  found guards, turning what could be dangerous encounters 
  into simple steps toward your goal. In combat, you can use 
  your spells to trick and outmaneuver foes.
   Weapon and Armor Proﬁ ciency: Beguilers are proﬁ cient 
  with all simple weapons plus the hand crossbow, rapier, 
  shortbow, and short sword. Beguilers are proﬁ cient with light 
  armor, but not with shields.
   Spells: A beguiler casts arcane spells, which are drawn 
  from the beguiler spell list on page 11. When you gain 
  access to a new level of spells, you automatically know all 
  the spells for that level on the beguiler’s spell list. You can 
  cast any spell you know without preparing it ahead of time. 
  Essentially, your spell list is the same as your spells known 
  
  7
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  list. You also have the option of adding to your existing spell 
  list through your advanced learning class feature (see below) 
  as you increase in level.
   To cast a beguiler spell, you must have an Intelligence 
  score of 10 + the spell’s level (Int 10 for 0-level spells, Int 11 
  for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difﬁ culty Class for a 
  saving throw against a beguiler’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + 
  the beguiler’s Int modiﬁ er. Like other spellcasters, a beguiler 
  can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level 
  per day. The base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1–1. 
  In addition, you receive bonus spells for a high Intelligence 
  score (PH 8).
   A beguiler need not prepare spells in advance. You can 
  cast any spell you know at any time, assuming you have not 
  yet used up your spells per day for that spell level.
   Armored Mage (Ex): Normally, armor of any type 
  interferes with an arcane spellcaster’s gestures, which 
  can cause your spells to fail if those spells have a somatic 
  component. A beguiler’s limited focus and specialized 
  training, however, allow you to avoid any chance of arcane 
  spell failure as long as you restrict yourself to light armor. 
  This training does not extend to any other form of armor, 
  nor does this ability apply to spells gained from other spell-
  casting classes.
   Trapﬁ nding: Beguilers can use the Search skill to locate 
  traps when the task has a Difﬁ culty Class higher than 20. 
  Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher 
  if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the 
  level of the spell used to create it.
   Beguilers can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic 
  traps. A magic trap typically has a DC of 25 + the level of the 
  spell used to create it.
   A beguiler who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Dis-
  able Device check can study a trap, ﬁ gure out how it works, 
  and bypass it (with his allies) without disarming it.
   Cloaked Casting (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a beguiler’s 
  spells become more effective when cast against an unwary 
  foe. You gain a +1 bonus to the spell’s save DC when you cast 
  a spell that targets any foe who would be denied a Dexterity 
  bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity 
  bonus or not).
   At 8th level, you gain a +2 bonus on rolls made to overcome 
  the spell resistance of any affected target.
   At 14th level, the bonus to your spell’s save DC increases 
  to +2.
   At 20th level, you become able to automatically overcome 
  the spell resistance of any affected target.
   Surprise Casting (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, when you 
  successfully use the Bluff skill to feint in combat, your 
  target is denied its Dexterity bonus (if it has one) to AC for 
  the next melee attack you make against it or the next spell 
  you cast. You must remain in melee with the target, and the 
  attack must be made or the spell cast on or before your next 
  turn. The target is not considered ﬂ at-footed and therefore 
  can make attacks of opportunity against you if you do not 
  cast defensively.
   At 6th level, you gain the ability to feint in combat as a move 
  action instead of a standard action. If you have the Improved 
  Feint feat, you can now feint in combat as a swift action.
   Advanced Learning (Ex): At 3rd level, you can add a 
  new spell to your list, representing the result of personal 
  study and experimentation. The spell must be a sorcerer/
  wizard spell of the enchantment or illusion school and of 
  a level no higher than that of the highest-level spell you 
  Table 1–1: The Beguiler 
  Hit Die: d6
   
  Base
   
  Attack 
  Fort 
  Ref 
  Will 
   
  — Spells per Day —
  Level 
  Bonus 
  Save Save Save Special 
  0 
  1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
    1st 
  +0 
  +0 
  +0 
  +2 
  Armored mage, trapfinding 
  5 
  3 
  — — — — — — — —
    2nd 
  +1 
  +0 
  +0 
  +3 
  Cloaked casting (+1 DC), surprise casting 6 
  4 
  — — — — — — — —
    3rd 
  +1 
  +1 
  +1 
  +3 
  Advanced learning 
  6 
  5 
  — — — — — — — —
    4th 
  +2 
  +1 
  +1 
  +4 
  — 
  6 
  6 
  3 
  — — — — — — —
    5th 
  +2 
  +1 
  +1 
  +4 
  Silent Spell 
  6 
  6 
  4 
  — — — — — — —
    6th 
  +3 
  +2 
  +2 
  +5 
  Surprise casting (move action) 
  6 
  6 
  5 
  3 
  — — — — — —
    7th 
  +3 
  +2 
  +2 
  +5 
  Advanced learning 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  4 
  — — — — — —
    8th 
  +4 
  +2 
  +2 
  +6 
  Cloaked casting (+2 to overcome SR) 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  5 
  3 
  — — — — —
    9th 
  +4 
  +3 
  +3 
  +6 
  — 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  4 
  — — — — —
  10th 
  +5 
  +3 
  +3 
  +7 
  Still Spell 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  5 
  3 
  — — — —
  11th 
  +5 
  +3 
  +3 
  +7 
  Advanced learning 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  4 
  — — — —
  12th 
  +6/+1 
  +4 
  +4 
  +8 
  — 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  5 
  3 
  — — —
  13th 
  +6/+1 
  +4 
  +4 
  +8 
  — 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  4 
  — — —
  14th 
  +7/+2 
  +4 
  +4 
  +9 
  Cloaked casting (+2 DC) 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  5 
  3 
  — —
  15th 
  +7/+2 
  +5 
  +5 
  +9 
  Advanced learning 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  4 
  — —
  16th 
  +8/+3 
  +5 
  +5 
  +10 
  — 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  5 
  3 
  —
  17th 
  +8/+3 
  +5 
  +5 
  +10 
  — 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  4 
  —
  18th 
  +9/+4 
  +6 
  +6 
  +11 
  — 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  5 
  3
  19th 
  +9/+4 
  +6 
  +6 
  +11 
  Advanced learning 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  4
  20th 
  +10/+5 
  +6 
  +6 
  +12 
  Cloaked casting (overcomes SR) 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  6 
  5
  Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level): Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Decipher Script, 
  Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), 
  Knowledge (local), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Speak Language, 
  Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Magic Device.
  
  8
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  already know. Once a new spell is selected, it is forever added 
  to your spell list and can be cast just like any other spell on 
  your list.
   You gain another new spell at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th 
  level.
  Silent Spell: At 5th level, you gain Silent Spell as a 
  bonus feat.
  Still Spell: At 10th level, you gain Still Spell as a bonus 
  feat.
  PLAYING A BEGUILER
  Truth lies in the eye of the beholder. Manipulation of 
  truth—and others’ visions of it—is a part of life. Everyone 
  does it; you just do it better than everyone else. If you nudge 
  someone into doing something he otherwise wouldn’t have 
  done, that person still did the actual deed, and some part 
  of him must have wanted it done. You trick fools, charm 
  egocentrics, influence schemers, and control the weak-
  willed. In a way, you’re doing them a favor. If they’re clever 
  enough to figure out they’ve been manipulated, they’ll 
  be better prepared to defend themselves against the later 
  manipulations of those who mean them harm. If they don’t 
  ﬁ gure it out, they’ll get tricked again, but that’s no concern 
  of yours. Life is a game that you win by coming out on 
  top, and the best way to do that is to convince others to 
  give you a boost.
   You might adventure because you desire excitement. 
  Someone with your smarts gets bored with mundane 
  pursuits. Alternatively, you might have set off on 
  a life of adventure after some trick or manipula-
  tion gone wrong. You have to keep moving, and 
  adventuring offers you a regular change of scen-
  ery. In any case, a life of adventure allows you 
  to see new things, meet interesting people, 
  and garner a name for yourself. Of course, 
  it might not be your real name, but fame 
  is fame.
   You always look to expand your knowl-
  edge and increase your power. You are 
  clever enough to know there’s always more 
  to learn. Although you tend to be self-
  reliant, you understand the value of 
  friendship and allies in your 
  pursuits. Truth might be 
  mutable, but friends 
  value honesty and 
  trust, so you make 
  sure not to entan-
  gle your allies in 
  your webs of lies 
  and trickery.
  Religion
  Beguilers favor deities 
  who share their unfet-
  tered outlook and who 
  would seem to appreciate 
  their schemes and strategies. Most 
  beguilers look to Olidammara for obvious reasons, but others 
  prefer Fharlanghn since he shares their love of new begin-
  nings and travel. Gnome beguilers largely put their faith 
  in Garl Glittergold, and some nongnome beguilers follow 
  suit. Many also follow Boccob; the Lord of All Magics cares 
  little to what use beguilers put their spells, and beguilers 
  prefer it that way. Evil beguilers often join Vecna’s fold—the 
  Master of All that Is Secret and Hidden welcomes beguilers, 
  manipulating them toward ever greater acts of villainy even 
  as they take advantage of their victims.
  Other Classes
  Few know of characters such as yourself because many 
  beguilers pretend to be something other than what they are, 
  and you can easily pass as a rogue, bard, wizard, or sorcerer. 
  Those who learn of the class often have a poor impression 
  of beguilers unless they call one a friend. Wizards consider 
  characters such as you to be undisciplined and limited in their 
  Anastria and Korrik, beguilers
  Illus. by S. Prescott
  
  9
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  magic. Knights, paladins, and monks rightly think of you as 
  untrustworthy. Rangers, dragon shamans, barbarians, and 
  druids rarely have patience for your prevarications and your 
  enjoyment of civilized society. Rogues, duskblades, sorcer-
  ers, and ﬁ ghters tend to be more practical: If your abilities 
  make their jobs easier, then you ﬁ nd a welcome reception. 
  Bards often ﬁ nd the life led by beguilers fascinating and are 
  intrigued by a beguiler’s exploits.
  Combat
  You’re at your best when you can catch foes unaware. Use 
  your spells to hide and disguise yourself and your allies 
  so that you can employ surprise tactics. If you get into 
  melee, use the Bluff skill to feint in combat and thus get 
  the drop on your enemy with cloaked casting or surprise 
  casting. Control the terrain with spells such as grease and 
  fog cloud. Control foes with charm person and dominate 
  monster spells.
  Advancement
  Remaining a beguiler typically presents the best course of 
  advancement. The rogue class might seem like a natural 
  choice for multiclassing, but you don’t gain much from taking 
  levels in it. Although it gives you the sneak attack ability, it 
  detracts from your spellcasting prowess.
   You should assign skill points according to your role in your 
  adventuring group. If the group already has a rogue who is 
  good at ﬁ nding traps and sneaking about, boost your ranks 
  in social skills such as Diplomacy and Gather Information. 
  Remember that you can use spells such as invisibility and 
  silence for stealth, and spells such as knock and spider climb to 
  do things for which rogues must use skills. High bonuses in 
  Bluff and Concentration are a must if you’re going to use the 
  surprise casting ability.
   You have many good options for feats, but be sure to take 
  Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, and Improved Feint 
  to get the most from surprise casting and cloaked casting. 
  Complete Adventurer offers Mobile Spellcasting, a feat that 
  allows you to cast a spell and move as a single standard 
  action. Combining this with the beneﬁ ts provided to you by 
  Improved Feint and the Tumble skill, you could move into 
  melee, feint, and cast a spell that gets the beneﬁ t of cloaked 
  casting or surprise casting. You should also consider taking 
  the Battle Caster feat from Complete Arcane, which allows a 
  beguiler to wear medium armor without spell failure. Com-
  bining it with the Armor Proﬁ ciency (medium) feat gives 
  you much greater protection. If you’re interested in having 
  a lot of feats, it might be worthwhile to take a level of ﬁ ghter, 
  since the 1st level of the ﬁ ghter class gives you proﬁ ciency 
  with all types of armor and a bonus feat you could use for 
  Combat Expertise or Improved Feint.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Controller
  Human Beguiler
   Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 13.
   Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Disable Device, Hide, Move 
  Silently, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Spot.
   Languages: Common, Goblin, Orc.
   Feat: Improved Initiative, Spell Focus (enchantment).
   Weapons: Short sword (1d6/19–20),
   Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, spell component 
  pouch, thieves’ tools, 20 gp.
  Package 2: The Investigator
  Half-Elf Beguiler
   Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 13.
   Skills: Bluff, Gather Information, Hide, Move Silently, Open 
  Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Spot.
   Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin.
   Feat: Spell Focus (enchantment)
   Weapons: Rapier (1d6/18–20), shortbow with 20 arrows 
  (1d6/×3, 60 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, spell component 
  pouch, thieves’ tools, 23 gp.
  Package 3: The Trickster
  Gnome Beguiler
   Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 13.
   Skills: Bluff, Disguise, Escape Artist, Hide, Move Silently, 
  Search, Spot, Use Magic Device.
  Languages: Common, Giant, Gnome, Goblin.
   Feat: Spell Focus (illusion).
   Weapons: Morningstar (1d6), light crossbow with 20 bolts 
  (1d6/×3, 60 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy steel shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, spell component 
  pouch, thieves’ tools, 40 gp.
  BEGUILERS IN THE WORLD
  “Just wait ’till I get my hands on her. No one makes a fool of 
  Obramus Tumbor!”
  —Obramus Tumbor, being made a fool of by a beguiler
  The beguiler class gives players a chance to play the arche-
  typal trickster. The class provides the skill set of a rogue 
  and a selection of arcane spells without the complications of 
  balancing multiple classes. Beguilers also make great villains. 
  By manipulating NPCs and situations the PCs encounter, 
  an evil beguiler can operate behind the scenes and trick the 
  adventurers to his own ends.
  Daily Life
  The way a beguiler behaves depends on his or her individual 
  sense of morality. Some think nothing of adopting false 
  identities or impersonating others as a matter of course. 
  They rely on their spells and their charm to get others to 
  give them what they want. Other beguilers ﬁ nd themselves 
  driven to use their powers of persuasion to help people. 
  They see the daily troubles of others and can’t help getting 
  involved in solving arguments, matchmaking, and ending 
  feuds. Regardless of outlook, a beguiler in a civilized area 
  rarely gets bored. There’s always something to meddle in or 
  some grand scheme to enact.
  
  10
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
   Beguilers can become great leaders. With their sharp 
  minds and great charisma, beguilers would be natural leaders 
  were it not for their inconstancy. Beguilers regularly devise 
  brilliant plans for espionage or trickery—plans that usually 
  require them to play a major role—but their natural penchant 
  for improvisation and secrecy often means that such plans 
  possess unpredictable elements or key parts hidden from all 
  other participants. If a beguiler earns the trust of companions, 
  they value her leadership. Lacking that trust, a beguiler rarely 
  leads for long.
  Notables
  Beguilers often gain notoriety for their deeds, although 
  usually under a false identity. They earn fame, rather than 
  infamy, when they use their abilities to serve a greater good. 
  Anastria Nailo did so when she tricked an entire orc army 
  into a box canyon where it could be ambushed, and again 
  when she charmed a leader of a city and learned that he 
  had already been charmed by a mind ﬂ ayer. Since she was 
  pretending to be a famous elf bard at the time, Anastira can 
  still maintain a low proﬁ le despite her famous deeds, which 
  is just the way she likes it.
  Organizations
  Beguilers don’t organize together, but they often join other 
  organizations, especially thieves guilds and secret political 
  groups. A beguiler joining an organization probably has a 
  speciﬁ c goal in mind and takes a position that best allows her 
  to attain it. A long-term commitment to such a group rarely 
  appeals to a beguiler, but if the organization champions a 
  cause close to the beguiler’s heart, it can count on her very 
  best efforts.
  NPC Reactions
  Few common folk understand beguilers to be different 
  from sorcerers or wizards who have some rogue training, 
  and many more mistake them for bards. Beguilers further 
  confuse the issue by regularly adopting false identities 
  and hiding their varied abilities. Thus, the reaction a 
  beguiler gets from those she meets depends on what she is 
  pretending to be at the time. Individuals who know about 
  the beguiler class and the outlook common to its members 
  greet beguilers with an attitude one step more hostile than 
  normal. Paladins and knights in particular look poorly 
  upon beguilers, as does anyone who puts great importance 
  in forthrightness.
  BEGUILER LORE
  Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can research 
  beguilers to learn more about them. When a character makes 
  a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the 
  information from lower DCs.
   DC 15: Beguilers are arcane spellcasters who focus on 
  illusions and enchantments. They employ deception and 
  compulsory magic to get what they want.
   DC 20: Beguilers can cast spells in light armor, and they 
  have many of the skills of rogues.
  BEGUILERS IN THE GAME
  Beguilers ﬁ t smoothly into any ongoing game, since they are 
  little known and don’t require the insertion of an organiza-
  tion into the world or the addition of lots of new mechanics 
  to the game. You can have a beguiler ﬁ rst appear as a villain 
  when players discover a secret manipulator behind foul deeds 
  they have been investigating. A beguiler might ﬁ rst appear 
  as a foe and end up an ally, or the reverse could happen. A 
  PC beguiler can be introduced to the party just as any rogue, 
  bard, or wizard would be.
   Think of a beguiler as similar to Loki of Norse myth or 
  the Coyote in Native American tales. The player of a beguiler 
  wants her to be smooth, sly, smart, likable, and light on her 
  feet. Keeping this player happy is a matter of helping the 
  player to feel that way. You might be tempted to make the 
  player’s schemes go awry because that seems more interest-
  ing to you, but instead you should allow good schemes to 
  work most of the time. Let a player with a beguiler character 
  feel empowered to try crazy ideas and dangerous plans. If 
  it becomes too much of a good thing, then that’s when the 
  guards see through her disguise or the villain allows the 
  unwitting PCs to inﬁ ltrate their way into his clutches.
  Adaptation
  When adapting the beguiler to your campaign, look at how 
  rogues and bards fit into your game. The beguiler fills a 
  similar niche, and any organizations that cater to such classes 
  likely prove helpful for beguilers. A thieves’ guild might have 
  a small cabal of beguilers associated with it. The beguilers aid 
  the guild on any missions that require their magical talents. 
  In return, the beguilers receive protection, a share of the 
  loot, and a headquarters. Young thieves who show a knack 
  for magic might be shepherded into the beguiler class.
   In a kingdom or land where magic is common, beguilers 
  might replace the typical rogue, diplomat, or spy. A bandit 
  gang might consist of several beguilers and a number of 
  fighters. In such lands, magic supersedes a rogue’s talent 
  with skills.
   With their talent for deception, a beguiler might have a 
  reputation similar to the ninja. The common folk fear the 
  beguilers for their ability to bend minds and to use magic 
  to slip away from the authorities. Every royal court employs 
  a few mages charged with using their spells to ferret out 
  beguilers. In this case, the beguilers are secretive, clannish, 
  and difﬁ cult to ﬁ nd. They gather in secret societies and never 
  reveal their lore to those whom they do not trust. Becoming 
  a beguiler is a process of winning the trust of one’s master, 
  not simply mastering a few simple spells.
  Sample Encounter
  An encounter with a beguiler should highlight her use of 
  surprise tactics and manipulation of others to do her bidding. 
  In addition to charmed or dominated minions, a beguiler 
  often gathers allies under false pretenses. Fighting a villain-
  ous beguiler should be tricky for the PCs, because they will be 
  forced to ﬁ gure out who their real enemies are while trying 
  to avoid hurting innocents whom the beguiler has dragged 
  into the ﬁ ght. The PCs might even have to ﬁ gure out who 
  
  11
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  the beguiler is, since disguises and hidden spellcasting come 
  easily to such a character.
   EL 9: Unlike many half-elves, Anastria Nailo always found 
  it easy to live in either human or elf communities. Quick-
  witted, perceptive, and naturally empathetic, she could slip 
  from an elf’s detached interest to a human’s focused drive as 
  easily as she could switch speaking their languages. Always a 
  mischievous charmer, Anastria found the beguiler’s abilities 
  came easily to her and allowed her to do more than play at 
  being a human or elf. With the spells she learned, she could 
  pretend to be anyone and anything from a dwarf miner to a 
  goblin shaman. For a time she lived as a gadabout, adopting 
  the lives of the wealthy while they were away or impersonat-
  ing loyal retainers to gain the patronage of important people. 
  After foiling the plans of an orc warlord and the plot of a 
  mind ﬂ ayer accidentally while in the guise of a famous bard, 
  Anastria has gained a taste for heroics, and now she’s looking 
  to make a name for herself by helping people—even if she’s 
  the one who put those people in trouble in the ﬁ rst place.
  Anastria Nailo 
  CR 9
  Female half-elf beguiler 9
  CN Medium humanoid (elf)
  Init +2
  Senses low-light vision; Listen +6, Spot +7
  Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Orc
  AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16
   
  (+2 Dex, +6 armor)
  hp 43 (9 HD)
  Immune sleep
  Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +7 (+9 against enchantments)
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee +1 rapier +7 (1d6/18–20) or
  Melee touch +6 (spell)
  Ranged mwk light crossbow +7 (1d8/19–20)
  Base Atk +4; Grp +3
  Atk Options Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Still Spell, 
  surprise casting*
  Combat Gear potion of bless weapon, potion of shield of 
  faith +3
  Beguiler Spells Known (CL 9th):
   
  4th (5/day)—Chosen from beguiler spell list
  3rd (7/day)—Tasha’s hideous laughter, plus others chosen 
  from beguiler spell list
   
  2nd (7/day)—Chosen from beguiler spell list
  1st (7/day)—Nystul’s magic aura, plus others chosen 
  from beguiler spell list
   
  0 (6/day)— Chosen from beguiler spell list
  Abilities Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 14
  SQ advanced learning* (Nystul’s magic aura, Tasha’s hideous 
  laughter), armored mage*, cloaked casting*, trapfinding*
  Feats Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Silent SpellB, Spell 
  Focus (enchantment), Weapon Finesse
  Skills Balance +3, Bluff +14, Concentration +13, Diplomacy 
  +20, Disguise +13 (+15 acting), Gather Information +11, 
  Handle Animal +3, Intimidate +4, Jump +5, Listen +6, 
  Search +9, Sense Motive +10, Sleight of Hand +9, Spot 
  +7, Tumble +15
  Possessions combat gear plus +2 chain shirt, +1 rapier, 
  masterwork light crossbow with 20 bolts, cloak of 
  resistance +1, headband of intellect +2, disguise kit
  *Class features described on page 7
  BEGUILER SPELL LIST
  The beguiler’s spell list appears below. Spells printed in this 
  book are marked with an asterisk.
   0 Level: dancing lights, daze, detect magic, ghost sound, message, 
  open/close, read magic.
   1st Level: charm person, color spray, comprehend languages, 
  detect secret doors, disguise self, expeditious retreat, hypnotism, mage 
  armor, obscuring mist, rouse*, silent image, sleep, undetectable 
  alignment, whelm*.
   2nd Level: blinding color surge*, blur, daze monster, detect 
  thoughts, fog cloud, glitterdust, hypnotic pattern, invisibility, 
  knock, minor image, mirror image, misdirection, see invisibility, 
  silence, spider climb, stay the hand*, touch of idiocy, vertigo*, 
  whelming burst*.
   3rd Level: arcane sight, clairaudience/clairvoyance, crown of 
  veils*, deep slumber, dispel magic, displacement, glibness, halt*, 
  haste, hesitate*, hold person, inevitable defeat*, invisibility sphere, 
  legion of sentinels*, major image, nondetection, slow, suggestion, 
  vertigo ﬁ eld*, zone of silence.
   4th Level: charm monster, confusion, crushing despair, 
  freedom of movement, greater invisibility, greater mirror image*, 
  locate creature, mass whelm*, phantom battle*, rainbow pattern, 
  solid fog.
   5th Level: break enchantment, dominate person, feeblemind, 
  friend to foe*, hold monster, incite riot*, mind fog, Rary’s telepathic 
  bond, seeming, sending, swift etherealness*.
   6th Level: greater dispel magic, mass suggestion, mislead, 
  overwhelm*, repulsion, shadow walk, true seeing, veil.
   7th Level: ethereal jaunt, greater arcane sight, mass hold person, 
  mass invisibility, phase door, power word blind, project image, 
  spell turning.
   8th Level: demand, discern location, mind blank, moment of 
  prescience, power word stun, scintillating pattern, screen.
   9th Level: dominate monster, etherealness, foresight, mass hold 
  monster, power word kill, time stop.
  DRAGON SHAMAN
  “I possess a dragon’s power. Beware lest you awaken that 
  dragon’s wrath.”
  —Kalia, last and greatest dragon shaman 
  of the Blackspear tribe
  Empires crumble, eons pass, and even gods wither and 
  die, but dragons remain. Mortal but eternal, the races of 
  true dragons weather the roll of the ages because of their 
  unsurpassed might. Few creatures can match a dragon in 
  its full fury, whether in a combat of arms or battle of wits. 
  Dragon shamans recognize this fact and see true dragons as 
  more than powerful beings. To a dragon shaman, the passing 
  shadow of a dragon ﬂ ying overhead isn’t a sign that invokes 
  fear; it’s a blessing that reveals you to be in the presence 
  of greatness.
   Dragon shamans respect true dragons as power incarnate. 
  Some worship dragons, but most simply aspire to gain dragon 
  powers for themselves. In assuming the abilities and the 
  likeness of a dragon, a dragon shaman seeks to emulate that 
  might and embody that power within himself.
  
  12
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
   If you gaze at dragons with awe and aspire to share their 
  power and majesty, then the dragon shaman is the class 
  for you. By choosing a totem dragon, you partake of a true 
  dragon’s power and take on aspects of a particular kind 
  of dragon.
  MAKING A DRAGON SHAMAN
  As a dragon shaman, you primarily act as a melee combatant, 
  but your class features also allow you to grant beneﬁ ts to those 
  ﬁ ghting around you. In a standard group of adventurers, you 
  can stand in for the ﬁ ghter or the cleric. Your combat prowess 
  isn’t quite as great as a ﬁ ghter’s, but you can employ special 
  attacks and special defenses a ﬁ ghter can’t access. Although 
  you lack many of the cleric’s specialized spells, you do possess 
  the ability to heal and remove negative conditions. As a dragon 
  shaman, you can grow tough scales, breathe ﬁ re or another 
  type of energy, and soar on dragon wings—and that barely 
  scratches the surface of the powers at your command.
   Abilities: As with any melee-oriented class, Strength is a 
  key ability for dragon shamans. Constitution provides you 
  with increased hit points as usual, and it also increases the 
  save DC of your breath weapon. If you want to make good use 
  of the dragon shaman’s ability to heal and remove negative 
  conditions, you’ll need a high Charisma.
   Races: Although humans make up the majority of dragon 
  shamans, any community of people with a close connection 
  to true dragons can produce dragon shamans. Typically, 
  dragon shamans come from savage societies that live near 
  the lairs of dragons, but even highly civilized populations 
  can produce dragon shamans. In any race or society, dragon 
  shamans tend to dedicate themselves to the dragons native to 
  the area. Thus, elf dragon shamans from a forest nation often 
  aspire to the qualities of a green dragon, whereas the dwarf 
  dragon shamans of a high mountain citadel would seek to 
  gain the qualities of a silver dragon.
   Alignment: Attaining the abilities of a true dragon requires 
  a deep understanding of the chosen kind of dragon. An aspir-
  ing dragon shaman must make a study of the dragon’s typical 
  mindset and emotions; adopting these for himself opens the 
  door to the dragon’s power. Thus, dragon shamans align their 
  morals to suit the outlook of the color of true dragon to which 
  they dedicate themselves. Each kind of metallic or chromatic 
  dragon has a particular alignment with which it is associated. 
  A dragon shaman who turns away from the alignment of his 
  chosen dragon type loses many of his powers unless he can 
  successfully adopt another dragon type as his chosen dragon 
  (see Ex-Dragon Shamans, below). Neutral individuals with no 
  preference for law, chaos, good, or evil cannot properly attain 
  the outlook of a true dragon and therefore cannot become 
  dragon shamans.
   Starting Gold: 4d4×10 gp (100 gp).
   Starting Age: As druid (PH 109).
  CLASS FEATURES
  As a dragon shaman, you function most effectively on the front 
  lines of any combat. Your class abilities allow you to boost your 
  combat effectiveness and that of your party, and the touch of 
  vitality ability provides you with the power to heal others and 
  remove negative conditions that affect them, giving you more 
  reason to take the ﬁ ght to your foes and stay close to those 
  melee-oriented allies most likely to need your aid.
   Weapon and Armor Proﬁ ciency: Dragon shamans are 
  proficient with simple weapons, with light and medium 
  armor, and with shields (except tower shields).
   Bonus Languages: A dragon shaman’s bonus language 
  options include Draconic.
  Table 1–2: The Dragon Shaman 
  Hit Die: d10
   
  Base
   
  Attack 
  Fort 
  Ref 
  Will 
   
  Draconic
  Level 
  Bonus 
  Save 
  Save 
  Save 
  Special 
  Auras Known
    1st 
  +0 
  +2 
  +0 
  +2 
  Draconic aura +1, totem dragon 
  3
    2nd 
  +1 
  +3 
  +0 
  +3 
  Skill Focus 
  3
    3rd 
  +2 
  +3 
  +1 
  +3 
  Draconic adaptation 
  4
    4th 
  +3 
  +4 
  +1 
  +4 
  Breath weapon (2d6; 15-ft. cone or 30-ft. line), draconic resolve 
  4
    5th 
  +3 
  +4 
  +1 
  +4 
  Draconic aura +2 
  5
    6th 
  +4 
  +5 
  +2 
  +5 
  Breath weapon (3d6), touch of vitality (heal wounds) 
  5
    7th 
  +5 
  +5 
  +2 
  +5 
  Natural armor +1 
  6
    8th 
  +6/+1 
  +6 
  +2 
  +6 
  Breath weapon (4d6), Skill Focus 
  6
    9th 
  +6/+1 
  +6 
  +3 
  +6 
  Energy immunity 
  7
  10th 
  +7/+2 
  +7 
  +3 
  +7 
  Breath weapon (5d6), draconic aura +3 
  7
  11th 
  +8/+3 
  +7 
  +3 
  +7 
  Touch of vitality (remove conditions) 
  7
  12th 
  +9/+4 
  +8 
  +4 
  +8 
  Breath weapon (6d6; 30-ft. cone or 60-ft. line), natural armor +2 
  7
  13th 
  +9/+4 
  +8 
  +4 
  +8 
  Draconic adaptation (share with allies) 
  7
  14th 
  +10/+5 
  +9 
  +4 
  +9 
  Breath weapon (7d6), commune with dragon spirit 
  7
  15th 
  +11/+6/+1 
  +9 
  +5 
  +9 
  Draconic aura +4 
  7
  16th 
  +12/+7/+2 
  +10 
  +5 
  +10 
  Breath weapon (8d6), Skill Focus 
  7
  17th 
  +12/+7/+2 
  +10 
  +5 
  +10 
  Natural armor +3 
  7
  18th 
  +13/+8/+3 
  +11 
  +6 
  +11 
  Breath weapon (9d6) 
  7
  19th 
  +14/+9/+4 
  +11 
  +6 
  +11 
  Draconic wings 
  7
  20th 
  +15/+10/+5 
  +12 
  +6 
  +12 
  Breath weapon (10d6; 60-ft. cone or 120-ft. line), draconic aura +5 
  7
  Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level): Climb, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (nature), Search (plus others 
  depending on the chosen totem dragon).
  
  13
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
   Draconic Aura (Su): You can channel the mighty powers 
  of dragonkind to project an aura that grants you and nearby 
  allies a special beneﬁ t.
   Projecting an aura is a swift action (see page 4), and you can 
  only project one draconic aura at a time. An aura remains in 
  effect until you use a free action to dismiss it or you activate 
  another aura in its place. You can have a draconic aura active 
  continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of an 
  encounter even before you take your ﬁ rst turn.
   Unless otherwise noted, your draconic aura affects all 
  allies within 30 feet (including yourself) with line of effect 
  to you. Your aura is dismissed if you become unconscious or 
  are slain, but otherwise it remains in effect even if you are 
  incapable of acting.
   The bonus granted by your aura begins at +1 and increases 
  to +2 at 5th level, +3 at 10th level, +4 at 15th level, and +5 at 
  20th level. As a 1st-level dragon shaman, you know how to 
  project three auras chosen from the list below. At every odd-
  numbered level after that, you learn one additional draconic 
  aura of your choice, until all seven auras are known at 9th 
  level. Each time you activate a draconic aura, you can choose 
  from any of the auras that you know.
   Energy Shield: Any creature striking you or your ally with 
  a natural attack or a nonreach melee weapon is dealt 2 points 
  of energy damage for each point of your aura bonus. The 
  energy type is that of your totem dragon’s damage-dealing 
  breath weapon (see below).
   Power: Bonus on melee damage rolls equal to your aura bonus.
   Presence: Bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks 
  equal to your aura bonus.
   Resistance: Resistance to your totem dragon’s energy type 
  equal to 5 × your aura bonus.
   Senses: Bonus on Listen and Spot checks, as well as on 
  initiative checks, equal to your aura bonus.
   Toughness: DR 1/magic for each point of your aura bonus 
  (up to 5/magic at 20th level).
   Vigor: Fast healing 1 for each point of your aura bonus, but 
  only affects characters at or below one-half their full normal 
  hit points.
   Totem Dragon: You must choose a totem dragon from 
  among the true dragons appearing in the Monster Manual (black, 
  blue, brass, bronze, copper, gold, green, red, silver, or white).
   You must choose a dragon whose alignment is within one 
  step of yours, as described in the following table. You gain 
  additional class skills and a particular sort of breath weapon 
  based on the dragon you select as your totem.
   Skill Focus: At 2nd level, you gain Skill Focus as a bonus 
  feat. You must apply the feat to one of the three class skills 
  granted by your chosen totem dragon. For example, a blue 
  dragon shaman can select Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus 
  (Hide), or Skill Focus (Spellcraft).
   At 8th level, and again at 16th level, you gain Skill Focus 
  in another of the class skills granted by your chosen totem 
  dragon. If you already have Skill Focus in all three of the skills 
  associated with your totem dragon, you gain Skill Focus in 
  any other dragon shaman class skill.
   Draconic Adaptation (Ex or Sp): At 3rd level, you take 
  on an aspect of your totem dragon. Some adaptations are 
  extraordinary abilities that are always active; others are spell-
  like abilities that you can activate at will. Spell-like abilities 
  have a caster level equal to your class level and a save DC 
  equal to 10 + spell level + Cha modiﬁ er.
   Black—Water Breathing (Ex): You can breathe underwater 
  indefinitely and can freely use spells and other abilities 
  underwater (always active).
   Blue—Ventriloquism (Sp): As the spell (at will).
   Brass—Endure Elements (Sp): As the spell, except you can 
  only target yourself (at will).
   Bronze—Water Breathing (Ex): You can breathe underwater 
  indefinitely and can freely use spells and other abilities 
  underwater (always active).
   Copper—Spider Climb (Sp): As the spell, except you can 
  only target yourself (at will).
   Gold—Water Breathing (Ex): You can breathe underwater 
  indefinitely and can freely use spells and other abilities 
  underwater (always active).
   Green—Water Breathing (Ex): You can breathe underwater 
  indefinitely and can freely use spells and other abilities 
  underwater (always active).
   Red—Treasure Seeker (Ex): You gain a +5 competence bonus 
  on Appraise and Search checks (always active).
   Silver—Feather Fall (Sp): As the spell, except you can only 
  target yourself (at will).
   White—Icewalker (Ex): You can walk across icy surfaces 
  without reducing your speed or making Balance checks 
  (always active).
   At 13th level, you can choose as a swift action (see page 4) 
  to share the effect of your draconic adaptation with any or 
  all allies within 30 feet. In the case of spell-like abilities, you 
  must make this decision when you activate the ability. The 
  beneﬁ t lasts until you spend a free action to rescind it or (if 
  the effect has a limited duration) the effect ends, whichever 
  comes ﬁ rst.
   Breath Weapon (Su): At 4th level, you gain a breath 
  weapon corresponding to your totem dragon. Regardless of 
  the area one affects or the type of energy damage it deals, all 
  Totem 
  Acceptable 
   
  Breath Weapon
  Dragon Alignment 
  Class Skills 
  Energy Type
  Black 
  NE, CE, CN 
  Hide, Move  
  Line of acid
   
   
  Silently, Swim
  Blue 
  NE, LE, LN 
  Bluff, Hide,  
  Line of electricity
   
   
  Spellcraft
  Brass 
  NG, CG, CN Bluff, Gather 
  Line of fire
   
   
  Information, Survival
  Bronze 
  NG, LG, LN Disguise, 
  Line of electricity
   
   
  Survival, Swim
  Copper NG, CG, CN Bluff, Hide,  
  Line of acid
   
   
  Jump
  Gold 
  NG, LG, LN Disguise, Heal,  Cone of fire
   
   
  Swim
  Green 
  NE, LE, LN 
  Bluff, Hide,  
  Cone of acid
   
   
  Move Silently
  Red 
  NE, CE, CN 
  Appraise, Bluff,  Cone of fire
   
   
  Jump
  Silver 
  NG, LG, LN 
  Bluff, Disguise,  Cone of cold
   
   
  Jump
  White 
  NE, CE, CN 
  Hide, Move  
  Cone of cold
   
   
  Silently, Swim
  
  14
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  breath weapons deal 2d6 points of damage, plus an extra 1d6 
  points of damage for every two additional class levels (3d6 at 
  6th level, 4d6 at 8th level, and so forth). A successful Reﬂ ex 
  save halves the damage dealt; the save DC is equal to 10 + 
  1/2 your dragon shaman level + your Con modiﬁ er. Just like 
  a true dragon, once you breathe you must wait 1d4 rounds 
  before you can use your breath weapon again.
   Cone-shaped breath weapons extend out to 15 feet at 4th 
  level, increasing to 30 feet at 12th level and to 60 feet at 
  20th level. Line-shaped breath weapons are 30 feet long at 
  4th level, increasing to 60 feet at 12th level and to 120 feet 
  at 20th level.
  Draconic Resolve (Ex): At 4th level, you gain immunity 
  to paralysis and sleep effects. You also become immune to 
  the frightful presence of dragons.
  Touch of Vitality (Su): At 6th level, you can heal the 
  wounds of living creatures (your own or those of others) by 
  touch. Each day you can heal a number of points of damage 
  equal to twice your class level × your Charisma bonus. For 
  example, a 7th-level dragon shaman with a Charisma score of 
  14 (+2 bonus) can heal 28 points of damage. You can choose 
  to divide your healing among multiple recipients, and you 
  don’t have to use it all at once. Using your touch of vitality 
  is a standard action. It has no effect on undead.
   Beginning at 11th level, you can choose to spend some 
  of the healing bestowed by your touch of vitality to remove 
  other harmful conditions affecting the target.
   For every 5 points of your healing ability you expend, 
  you can cure 1 point of ability damage or remove the dazed, 
  fatigued, or sickened condition from one individual.
   For every 10 points of your healing ability you expend, you 
  can remove the exhausted, nauseated, poisoned, or stunned 
  condition from one individual.
   For every 20 points of your healing ability you expend, 
  you can remove a negative level or the blinded, deafened, or 
  diseased condition from one individual.
   You can remove a condition (or more than one condi-
  tion) and heal damage with the same touch, so long as you 
  expend the required number of points. For example, if you 
  wanted to heal 12 points of damage and remove the blinded 
  and exhausted conditions from a target, you would have to 
  expend 42 points (12 hit points restored plus 20 points for 
  blinded plus 10 points for exhausted).
  Natural Armor (Ex): At 7th level, your skin thickens, 
  developing faint scales. Your natural armor bonus improves 
  by 1. At 12th level, this improvement increases to +2, and at 
  17th level to +3.
  Energy Immunity (Ex): At 9th level, you gain immu-
  nity to the energy type of the breath weapon you gained 
  at 4th level.
  Commune with Dragon Spirit (Sp): At 14th level, you 
  gain the ability to contact your dragon totem directly to ask 
  questions of it. This is the equivalent of casting a commune
  spell, except that it has no material component, focus, or XP 
  cost and allows only one question per three class levels. After 
  using this ability, you cannot use it again for seven days.
  Draconic Wings (Ex): At 19th level, you grow a pair of 
  wings that resemble those of your totem dragon. They allow 
  ﬂ ight at a speed of 60 feet (good maneuverability). You can 
  even ﬂ y while carrying a medium load, though your ﬂ y speed 
  drops to 40 feet in this case.
   If you already have wings, you can choose whether these 
  draconic wings replace your own.
  PLAYING A DRAGON SHAMAN
  As a dragon shaman, you believe the acquisition of power is 
  a worthy end in itself. By having power, you can effect your 
  will in the world, be it beneﬁ cent or malign. Those who have 
  or seek power deserve your respect, while those who have 
  power but fail to use it earn your derision.
   Your strength comes from devoting yourself to dragons, 
  the primal embodiment of the principle of power, but you 
  worship dragons in the abstract, honoring them much as a 
  cleric might honor light as a symbol of purity and goodness. 
  Dragons gather power to themselves simply by living and 
  aging, but you must actively seek the inﬂ uence and might 
  you desire. As a dragon hungers for ﬂ esh to feed itself or for 
  treasure to enlarge its hoard, so you hunger for power.
   You adventure out of a desire to test yourself and prove 
  your worth; whatever the speciﬁ c inducement, the urge to 
  gain more power underlies every quest. Drawn by your power, 
  others follow your lead, and you are happy to command them. 
  Being a great leader is just one of the many ways you can 
  manifest your power.
  Religion
  Dragon shamans can worship any deity, but most worship 
  divine powers that encourage their worshipers to be proac-
  tive in pursuit of the deity’s goals. Dragon shamans often 
  worship Erythnul, Gruumsh, Heironeous, Hextor, Kord, or 
  St. Cuthbert, as well as dragon deities such as Bahamut and 
  Tiamat. They rarely ﬁ nd much to admire in more passive 
  or protective deities such as Boccob, Ehlonna, Fharlanghn, 
  and Yondalla.
   Dragon shamans from more primitive societies sometimes 
  worship true dragons. These savage dragon shamans might 
  worship all true dragons, assigning each color or metallic 
  hue its own place in a crude pantheon of totemic spirits. Or 
  they might worship a single color or metal as the best among 
  all the true dragons, ﬁ nding it the most representative of 
  pure power. In rare cases, a dragon shaman worships and 
  serves a particular true dragon. How the dragon reacts to 
  such worship depends on that individual dragon; even good 
  dragons might take advantage of a dragon shaman’s worship 
  to achieve their own aims.
  Other Classes
  You work well with melee-oriented allies such as ﬁ ghters, 
  duskblades, barbarians, rogues, and even druids. Those 
  characters value the beneﬁ ts a dragon shaman can grant them 
  and rarely make an issue of their source. Clerics, paladins, 
  knights, and monks are often suspicious of your moral out-
  look unless you have dedicated yourself to a kind of dragon 
  that associates itself with a code of ethics similar to their own. 
  Wizards, bards, and beguilers view you indifferently, whereas 
  sorcerers might seek you out to learn more of the source of 
  
  15
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  your power and your connection to dragons. Rangers might 
  or might not take issue with your abilities; a ranger whose 
  favored enemy is dragons might attack you on sight.
  Combat
  Dragon shamans lead from the front, rather than directing 
  battles from a safe position behind others. Keep as many 
  allies as possible within the range of your draconic aura, but 
  focus on those in melee with your foes. Pick a draconic aura 
  that grants your allies the best beneﬁ t for the situation, and 
  don’t hesitate to switch it during the ﬁ ght should conditions 
  change and another aura prove more useful. Outside combat, 
  employ the senses or presence aspects of your draconic aura. 
  If you have a cleric or other healer in your group, save your 
  touch of vitality for removing conditions or for emergency 
  healing. If no other healer is present, use it to heal yourself 
  and your allies after combat.
  Advancement
  You proﬁ t most from remaining a dragon shaman 
  throughout your advancement, so that your 
  breath weapon and draconic aura continue 
  to improve as you gain levels. If you do 
  multiclass, a level of barbarian is an ex-
  cellent choice; the beneﬁ ts it grants 
  help you in combat regardless of 
  when you take that 1st level. Al-
  ternatively, you might consider 
  beginning your career as a 1st-
  level barbarian for the greater 
  hit points and skill points that 
  option offers, then multiclass-
  ing into the dragon shaman 
  class at 2nd level. The ﬁ ghter 
  class might seem like a strong 
  second choice, but unless you 
  need a ﬁ ghter bonus feat for a 
  particular kind of character, 
  you’ll see better long-term ad-
  vantages from the barbarian 
  class. The bard class can be an 
  interesting multiclass option, 
  since the benefits provided 
  by bardic music stack with 
  those provided by your dra-
  conic aura.
  STARTING 
  PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Defender
  Dwarf Dragon Shaman (Gold)
   Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 12, 
  Con 15, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 13.
   Skills: Heal.
   Feat: Shield Specialization 
  (heavy)*.
   Weapons: Morningstar (1d8), five 
  javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy wooden shield (+3 AC 
  [includes Shield Specialization]).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 15 gp.
  Package 2: The Destroyer
  Half-Orc Dragon Shaman (Red)
   Ability Scores: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 13.
   Skills: Intimidate.
   Feat: Power Attack.
   Weapons: Morningstar (1d8), ﬁ ve javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy wooden shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 10 gp.
  Package 3: The Second-Rank Warrior
  Human Dragon Shaman (Copper)
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 13.
   Skills: Hide, Jump.
   Feat: Combat Reﬂ exes, Power Attack.
   Weapons: Longspear (1d8/×3), light crossbow with 20 bolts 
  (1d6/×3, 60 ft.).
  Thane and Iskara, dragon shamans
  Illus. by L. Parillo
  
  16
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 8 gp.
  DRAGON SHAMANS IN THE WORLD
  “There are differences from one to another, based on the dragon each 
  shaman honors, but the main thing to remember is this: The whole 
  lot of them are mad for power.”
  —Durven Ironscale, a dwarf sorcerer 
  instructing the young of the Ironscale clan
  Dragon shamans put the power and appeal of dragons in 
  players’ hands while providing DMs with a new way to put 
  dragons in the D&D game. The class provides an uncom-
  plicated way to have a new play experience, and each NPC 
  dragon shaman could provide the nucleus for an interesting 
  cult or villainous organization the PCs must face.
  Daily Life
  A dragon shaman remains ever ready to face the challenges 
  of a new day. Without the need to rest, study, or pray for 
  their powers, dragon shamans can leap up in pursuit of 
  power whenever they desire. This capability causes most 
  dragon shamans to be decisive and swift to act. Chaotic 
  dragon shamans are often impetuous and energetic, while 
  lawful dragon shamans tend to be more ready to improvise 
  and less rigid in their thinking than some might expect. 
  Dragon shamans desire power and constantly seek the 
  means to gain it. To dragon shamans, life and adventure 
  are one and the same.
   Dragon shamans often possess the charisma and take-
  charge attitude required of great leaders, but many suffer 
  from an inability to empathize with those they lead. Dragon 
  shamans respect the pursuit of might and its use, and they 
  often minimize the value of those who adhere to other 
  philosophies. Even among themselves, dragon shamans tend 
  to be contentious, and a single dragon shaman rarely takes 
  a leadership role over a group of his fellows for any length 
  of time. Although dragon shamans give great respect to one 
  another, each is always trying to outdo the others in all pur-
  suits. The most powerful dragon shaman leaders arise among 
  savage tribes that worship dragons, where a single dragon 
  shaman relies on his forceful personality and impressive 
  powers to win the hearts of comrades.
  Notables
  The pursuit of power garners notoriety for a dragon shaman, 
  but it also can bring about his death or force him into exile. 
  A powerful dragon shaman warlord might suddenly arise 
  and terrorize an area for a time, only to fall from power as 
  swiftly as he appeared. A case in point would be the history 
  of a barbaric human named Kalia. Under her leadership, her 
  tribe of red dragon worshipers raided and razed hundreds 
  of elf and human towns on the border between two nations. 
  Then she vanished, and soon afterward her leaderless tribe 
  was caught in an ambush and exterminated. Some say she 
  died in a squabble with a fellow dragon shaman, but other 
  believe she left her tribe to directly serve a red dragon wyrm 
  that laired in distant mountains.
  Organizations
  Dragon shamans rarely work together for long unless they 
  are led by a dragon of the type to which all the shamans 
  present have dedicated themselves. In such cases, the dragon 
  is either worshiped or leads because the dragon shamans 
  see it as the embodiment of all they seek; thus, obeying the 
  dragon’s edicts presents the swiftest path to that desired 
  goal. Rank and privilege rarely have much meaning in such 
  groups. Instead, the dragon decides each shaman’s duties 
  according to his or her merit, changing such assignments as 
  necessary. Such a group exists among the Ironscale clan. Tied 
  to a long-dead silver dragon by blood, the dwarf clan fosters 
  sorcerers and is led by a half-dragon. Despite these ﬁ rm ties to 
  dragonkind, the clan views its dragon shaman members with 
  some suspicion, since they follow the orders of an unrelated 
  silver dragon that lairs near the clan home.
  NPC Reactions
  Dragon shamans who don’t show aspects of their afﬁ liation 
  with dragons rarely elicit an unusual reaction from others. 
  To most they seem like simple warriors or perhaps barbar-
  ians. Those who know of their pursuit of draconic power or 
  who see evidence of it, such as scales or a dragon shaman’s 
  breath weapon, react depending on their attitude toward the 
  dragon shaman’s totem dragon. This reaction is one step closer 
  to hostile if the dragon is of a kind feared or hated by that 
  individual. The reaction is one step closer to friendly if that 
  individual is directly associated with a dragon of that kind. 
  Clerics, paladins, and others who are deeply entrenched in a 
  particular moral outlook view the dragon shaman’s devotion 
  with suspicion, and their reaction is one step closer to hostile 
  regardless of the dragon shaman’s totem dragon.
  DRAGON SHAMAN LORE
  Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can research 
  dragon shamans to learn more about them. When a character 
  makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, includ-
  ing the information from lower DCs.
   DC 10: Dragon shamans devote themselves to dragons and 
  aspire to their power.
   DC 15: A dragon shaman devotes himself to a particular 
  kind of true dragon and gains powers based on the dragon 
  chosen. He can use the dragon’s breath weapon and grow 
  dragonlike scales. Very powerful dragon shamans can grow 
  dragon wings and ﬂ y.
   DC 20: In addition to the details above, this result allows 
  the PC to know that a dragon shaman projects an aura that 
  can bolster himself and his allies in a number of ways and 
  can heal damage or remove negative conditions somewhat 
  like a paladin.
  DRAGON SHAMANS IN THE GAME
  Dragon shamans ﬁ t easily into any ongoing campaign because 
  true dragons are a cornerstone of nearly every DUNGEON & 
  DRAGONS game. The PCs might first learn of dragon shamans 
  by encountering a cult of dragon worshipers near a dragon’s 
  lair. Alternatively, a more civilized group of dragon shamans 
  might serve a dragon who rules a city. A lone dragon shaman 
  Illus. by L. Parillo
  
  Adventurers face off 
  against a black dragon
  
  18
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  makes an excellent new villain, a powerful temporary ally, or 
  an eager participant in an ongoing plot because his focused 
  pursuit of power can get him involved in anyone’s scheme 
  to gain it.
   Dragon shaman PCs should present no more difﬁ culty 
  than introducing a monk or cleric of a lesser-known deity. 
  Although the character’s abilities might be somewhat foreign, 
  the idea that an individual is so dedicated to one philosophy 
  that it grants him powers should be easily understood. The 
  player of a dragon shaman usually finds the character’s 
  association with dragons to be the most entertaining part of 
  the class. Before featuring adventures that deal with dragons, 
  ask that player about her character’s philosophy concerning 
  dragons. Does the character admire dragons in the abstract, 
  worship them as living gods, or hold to a philosophy between 
  these extremes? The answer should inform your adventure 
  planning and inspire new adventure ideas. Be careful 
  about using the PC’s dedication to dragons to manipulate 
  the character’s actions: Occasional use of this idea might 
  provoke some interesting roleplaying, but the player won’t 
  enjoy your game if a dragon shows up every session to boss 
  her PC around.
  Adaptation
  You can alter the dragon shaman to suit your game in a number 
  of ways. You could decide that all dragon shamans are barbaric, 
  or that all them are civilized and sophisticated disciples of 
  dragons who prefer to work behind the scenes through such 
  agents. You might decide that only good dragons are available 
  to your players for their totem dragons, or that a particular 
  organization fosters dragon shamans devoted to a single kind 
  of dragon. If you feature other dragons prominently in your 
  game, such as the gem dragons from Monster Manual II or the 
  deep dragon and the shadow dragon from Monsters of Faerûn, 
  you might consider changing the class’s features to allow a 
  dragon shaman to follow other kinds of dragons as well.
  Sample Encounter
  Dragon shamans make excellent villains and tricky allies. As 
  a villain, a dragon shaman dedicated to an evil dragon can 
  be paired with a cult of followers, half-dragons, and dragons 
  of all ages to make for exciting themed encounters. As an 
  ally, a dragon shaman’s blind pursuit of power could create 
  interesting friction with the PCs and turn an ally into an 
  enemy. A dragon shaman might become embroiled in the 
  PCs’ pursuits if they come into possession of an item of great 
  power, if both the PCs and dragon shaman seek the same 
  source of power, or if the dragon shaman’s attempts to gather 
  power endanger the PCs or those they care about.
   EL 7: Thane has admired blue dragons ever since he wit-
  nessed a blue dragon’s attack on his city when he was a child. 
  The power of the dragon and the futility of the defenders’ 
  efforts against it frightened him, but he also found the spec-
  tacle strangely thrilling. When he was older, Thane learned all 
  he could about blue dragons. With each new bit of knowledge, 
  his respect for them grew. In his search for information he 
  met a dragon shaman, and that encounter changed his life. 
  Now a dragon shaman himself, Thane seeks ever greater 
  power and hopes one day to have enough to challenge the 
  dragon that laid waste to his childhood home and prove 
  himself the stronger of the two. Thane seems single-minded 
  and focused. He always has a mental list of goals he wants 
  to achieve in any situation and doggedly pursues them. 
  Although outwardly calm and cold, he explodes into action 
  in an instant when thwarted.
  Thane 
  CR 7
  Male human blue dragon shaman 7
  LN Medium humanoid
  Init +1
  Senses Listen +2, Spot +2
  Aura draconic aura* +2
   
  *Class feature described on page 13
  Languages Common, Draconic
  AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 20
   
  (+1 Dex, +6 armor, +3 shield)
  hp 57 (7 HD)
  Immune paralysis, sleep, frightful presence (dragons)
  Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +6
  Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
  Melee +1 morningstar +9 (1d8+3)
  Ranged +1 light crossbow +7 (1d8+1/19–20)
  Base Atk +5; Grp +7
  pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs
  pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs
  EX-DRAGON SHAMANS
  Dragon shamans who change alignment could lose their powers. 
  If a dragon shaman changes to an alignment still appropriate 
  to the dragon to which he is already dedicated, nothing hap-
  pens. However, if the dragon shaman changes to an alignment 
  inappropriate for his chosen dragon, he immediately loses all 
  abilities granted by the dragon shaman class and becomes an 
  ex-dragon shaman.
   An ex-dragon shaman can choose a new color or metallic hue 
  of true dragon to emulate and thus regain the powers granted 
  by the class. To switch to a new totem dragon, he must find a 
  dragon shaman of higher level who is dedicated to that dragon 
  type. The higher-level dragon shaman must willingly expend 
  all her touch of vitality on the ex-dragon shaman each day for 
  a week. At the end of the week, the ex-dragon shaman gains 
  the class features of a dragon shaman dedicated to the newly 
  chosen totem dragon, including exchanging the focus of any 
  class-granted Skill Focus feats. Most dragon shamans who are 
  asked to perform this service demand payment in the form 
  of some great deed. This deed might be a demand that the 
  ex-dragon shaman retrieve magic items that will add to his 
  sponsor’s power or simply a short quest to prove the ex-dragon 
  shaman’s worth.
   Dragon shamans can go through the same process to switch 
  chosen totem dragons even if they don’t change alignment. If 
  a dragon shaman has an alignment appropriate for a different 
  true dragon color or hue, the shaman can switch to that kind of 
  dragon through a process identical to the one described above 
  for ex-dragon shamans.
  
  19
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  Special Actions breath weapon
  Abilities Str 15, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 14
  SQ touch of vitality (28 points)
  Draconic Auras Known Energy Shield, Power, Presence, 
  Resistance, Senses, Vigor
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th):
   
  At will—ventriloquism (DC 13).
  Feats Ability Focus (breath weapon), Alertness, Lightning 
  Reflexes, Skill Focus (Bluff)B, Weapon Focus 
  (morningstar)
  Skills Bluff +10, Climb +1, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +2 (+4 
  acting), Intimidate +9, Knowledge (nature) +4, Listen 
  +2, Speak Language +0, Spot +2, Survival +0 (+2 in 
  aboveground natural environments)
  Possessions +1 breastplate, +1 heavy wooden shield, +1 
  morningstar, +1 light crossbow, cloak of resistance +1, 37 gp
  Breath Weapon (Su) 30-ft. line, once every 1d4 rounds, 3d6 
  electricity, Reflex DC 17 half
  DUSKBLADE
   “My blade and my magic are one and the same.”
  —Yele, elf duskblade
  The duskblade blurs the line between spellcaster and 
  warrior, marrying the power of magic with hand-to-hand 
  combat prowess.
   A student of ancient elven spellcasting techniques, the 
  duskblade combines arcane spellcasting with the combat 
  skills of a ﬁ ghter. While the ability to cast arcane spells in 
  armor originated with the elves, over the millennia the secrets 
  of the duskblade have been disseminated to the other races, 
  and today members of any race can become a duskblade.
   If you find you can’t choose between being an arcane 
  spellcaster who zaps your enemies with powerful spells and 
  a nimble, powerful front-line melee character who lays them 
  low with a sword, the duskblade is the perfect class for you. 
  Combining arcane magic with melee prowess, you’re prepared 
  in any situation. Enemies who underestimate you never get 
  a second chance, since you don’t even have to switch back 
  and forth between hands-on combat and spellcasting; you 
  can do both simultaneously.
  MAKING A DUSKBLADE
  The duskblade is a quintessential hybrid character, simultane-
  ously a potent spellcaster and an effective melee combatant.
   The original duskblades were elite guardians in an ancient 
  elf empire, duelmasters and arcane spellcasters beyond 
  compare. Historical accounts vary on why they were called 
  duskblades; some say the name is symbolic of how they 
  combined swordplay and arcane magic—a night-and-day 
  combination. Others contend that the duskblades earned 
  their name when they were charged with preserving the elf 
  race in the face of a tide of darkness and evil.
   The most powerful duskblades can duel a ﬁ ghter to a stand-
  still and match a wizard spell for spell—for a while, at least. 
  But the class really comes into its own when you embrace your 
  hybrid nature, using a quick-cast spell to supplement your 
  melee attacks or combining a touch spell with a devastating 
  sword strike.
   The duskblade is a good choice for players who know they 
  want a sword-wielding arcane spellcaster from the begin-
  ning. By contrast, multiclass ﬁ ghter/wizard combinations 
  and prestige classes such as the eldritch knight are better 
  suited for characters who begin their careers as ﬁ ghters or 
  arcane spellcasters and only later contemplate embracing 
  their opposite.
   Abilities: Your Intelligence and Strength scores should be 
  as high as possible, since your spellcasting and melee combat 
  depend upon them. Your Constitution is also important, 
  because you need all the hit points you can get.
   Races: The duskblade class originated among the ancient 
  elves, and to this day most duskblades are elves. However, 
  some humans and half-elves also have proved adept at 
  mastering the class’s dual focus on combat and spellcast-
  ing. Halﬂ ings, gnomes, dwarves, and half-orcs rarely enter 
  this class.
   Alignment: Since the duskblade class originated among 
  the elves, those who undergo the intense training required to 
  master the class abilities at the hands of an elf mentor often 
  end their apprenticeship sharing the chaotic good alignment 
  of most elves. However, duskblades are highly individualist 
  and can be of any alignment.
   Starting Gold: 6d4×10 gp (150 gp).
   Starting Age: As wizard (PH 109).
  CLASS FEATURES
  Your class features are simple to characterize: constant 
  improvement in your spellcasting, a ﬁ ghter’s base attack 
  bonus progression, and ever-increasing mastery of arcane 
  magic in melee combat.
   Weapon and Armor Proﬁ ciency: Duskblades are pro-
  ﬁ cient with all martial weapons, as well as all armors and 
  shields (except tower shields).
   Spells: You cast arcane spells, which are drawn from the 
  duskblade spell list on page 98. You can cast any spell you 
  know without preparing it ahead of time.
   To learn or cast a spell, you must have an Intelligence score 
  equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Int 10 for 0-level spells, 
  Int 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difﬁ culty Class 
  for a saving throw against your spell is 10 + the spell level + 
  your Int modiﬁ er.
   You can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell 
  level per day. Your base daily spell allotment is given on Table 
  1–3. In addition, you receive bonus spells per day if you have 
  a high Intelligence score (see Table 1–1: Ability Modiﬁ ers 
  and Bonus Spells, page 8 of the Player’s Handbook.)
   Spells Known: You begin play knowing two 0-level spells 
  and two 1st-level spells, chosen from the duskblade spell list. 
  You also know one additional 0-level spell for each point of 
  Intelligence bonus.
   Each time you gain a new class level, you learn one 
  additional spell of any level you can cast, chosen from the 
  duskblade spell list.
   Upon reaching 5th level, and at every subsequent odd-
  numbered level, you can choose to learn a new spell in place 
  of one you already know. In effect, you lose access to the old 
  spell in exchange for gaining the new one. The new spell’s 
  
  20
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, 
  and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level 
  spell you can cast. For instance, upon reaching 9th level, you 
  could trade in a single 1st-level spell (two levels below the 
  highest-level spell you can cast, which is 3rd) for a different 
  1st-level spell. You can swap only a single spell at any given 
  level and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the 
  same time that you gain new spells known for the level.
   You need not prepare spells in advance. You can cast any 
  spell you know at any time, assuming you have not yet used 
  up your spells per day for that spell level.
   Arcane Attunement (Sp): You can use the spell-like 
  powers dancing lights, detect magic, ﬂ are, ghost sound, and read 
  magic a combined total of times per day equal to 3 + your Int 
  modiﬁ er. These spell-like powers do not count against your 
  total of spells known or spells per day.
   Armored Mage (Ex): Normally, armor of any type inter-
  feres with an arcane spellcaster’s gestures, which can cause 
  spells to fail if those spells have a somatic component. A 
  duskblade’s limited focus and specialized training, however, 
  allows you to avoid arcane spell failure so long as you stick 
  to light armor and light shields. This training does not 
  extend to medium or heavy armors, nor to heavy shields. 
  This ability does not apply to spells gained from a different 
  spellcasting class.
   At 4th level, you learn to use medium armor with no chance 
  of arcane spell failure.
   At 7th level, you learn to use a heavy shield with no chance 
  of arcane spell failure.
   Combat Casting: At 2nd level, you gain Combat Casting 
  as a bonus feat.
  Arcane Channeling (Su):
  Beginning at 3rd level, you can 
  use a standard 
  action to cast 
  any touch spell you know and deliver the spell through your 
  weapon with a melee attack. Casting a spell in this manner 
  does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The spell must 
  have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. If the melee 
  attack is successful, the attack deals damage normally; then 
  the effect of the spell is resolved.
   At 13th level, you can cast any touch spell you know as 
  part of a full attack action, and the spell affects each target 
  you hit in melee combat that round. Doing so discharges the 
  spell at the end of the round, in the case of a touch spell that 
  would otherwise last longer than 1 round.
   Quick Cast: Beginning at 5th level, you can cast one spell 
  each day as a swift action, so long as the casting time of the 
  spell is 1 standard action or less.
   You can use this ability twice per day at 10th level, three 
  times per day at 15th level, and four times per day at 20th 
  level.
   Spell Power (Ex): Starting at 6th level, you can more 
  easily overcome the spell resistance of any opponent you 
  successfully injure 
  with a melee attack. 
  If you have injured 
  an opponent with a 
  melee attack, you gain 
  a +2 bonus on your 
  caster level check to 
  overcome spell resis-
  tance for the remainder 
  of the encounter. This 
  bonus increases to +3 at 
  11th level, to +4 at 16th 
  level, and to +5 
  at 18th level.
  Yele and Hallia, duskblades
  Illus. by D. Hudnut
  
  21
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  PLAYING A DUSKBLADE
  A duskblade can take the ﬁ ghter’s place in the front ranks 
  of a party or ensorcel his foes from a distance like a wizard. 
  While you aren’t quite as good as either a dedicated ﬁ ghter or 
  a dedicated wizard or sorcerer in those roles, you’re reasonably 
  effective in either, and you can change roles on a round-by-
  round basis as needed.
   Choosing the path of the duskblade means you don’t have to 
  choose between being a combat specialist and a spellcaster. You 
  enjoy the best of both worlds, and you’ll undertake any quest 
  that promises to improve either your spellcasting or your melee 
  prowess. Driven to simultaneously master both swordplay 
  and spellcasting, you might devote yourself to delving into 
  ancient ruins to learn more about the original duskblades or 
  wander far and wide looking for other duskblades interested 
  in restoring the class to its previous glory. 
  Religion
  The demands of martial and arcane discipline don’t leave 
  much room for religion in the typical duskblade. Good-
  aligned duskblades typically venerate Corellon Larethian, 
  even if they aren’t elves, because he supposedly taught the 
  ﬁ rst duskblades the secret of combining melee combat with 
  arcane casting. A few worship Boccob as the personiﬁ cation 
  of their own mastery of magic, while more honor Wee Jas, 
  who exempliﬁ es both the magic they wield and also the 
  death that they deal.
  Other Classes
  You get along well with members of other classes who share a 
  rigorous devotion to a chosen path, such as paladins, dragon 
  shamans, and monks. You are the object of envy to sorcerers 
  and of admiration to bards, who sometimes try to emulate 
  your abilities (often with disastrous results). Among members 
  of the two classes whose portfolios you draw from, ﬁ ghters 
  and wizards, some view you with disdain while others are 
  fascinated by your unique meld of melee combat and arcane 
  spellcasting. Barbarians, clerics, and knights tend to distrust 
  you, while rogues, rangers, druids, and beguilers view you 
  and other duskblades with indifference.
  Combat
  You might sometimes feel you have too many options, too 
  many things you can do in a single round. Use that ﬂ exibility 
  to confound your enemies, outﬁ ghting what you can’t outspell 
  and outspelling what you can’t outﬁ ght. The monster that 
  engages you in melee, hoping to get an attack of opportunity 
  that spoils your next spell, is in for a surprise—a surprise 
  consisting of three feet of razor-sharp steel.
   Most of a duskblade’s spells target a single creature or have 
  a range of touch, so you are most effective when you single 
  Table 1–3: The Duskblade  
  Hit Die: d8
   
  Base
   
  Attack  
  Fort 
  Ref 
  Will 
   
  ————Spells per Day———— 
  Level 
  Bonus 
  Save Save Save Special 
  0 
  1st 
  2nd 
  3rd 
  4th 
  5th
    1st 
  +1 
  +2 
  +0 
  +2 
  Arcane attunement, 
  3 
  2 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  —
   
   
   
   
   
  armored mage (light)
    2nd 
  +2 
  +3 
  +0 
  +3 
  Combat Casting 
  4 
  3 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  —
    3rd 
  +3 
  +3 
  +1 
  +3 
  Arcane channeling 
  5 
  4 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  —
    4th 
  +4 
  +4 
  +1 
  +4 
  Armored mage (medium) 
  6 
  5 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  —
    5th 
  +5 
  +4 
  +1 
  +4 
  Quick cast 1/day 
  6 
  5 
  2 
  — 
  — 
  —
    6th 
  +6/+1 
  +5 
  +2 
  +5 
  Spell power +2 
  6 
  6 
  3 
  — 
  — 
  —
    7th 
  +7/+2 
  +5 
  +2 
  +5 
  Armored mage (heavy shield) 
  6 
  6 
  5 
  — 
  — 
  —
    8th 
  +8/+3 
  +6 
  +2 
  +6 
   
  6 
  7 
  6 
  — 
  — 
  —
    9th 
  +9/+4 
  +6 
  +3 
  +6 
   
  6 
  7 
  6 
  2 
  — 
  —
  10th 
  +10/+5 
  +7 
  +3 
  +7 
  Quick cast 2/day 
  6 
  8 
  7 
  3 
  — 
  —
  11th 
  +11/+6/+1 
  +7 
  +3 
  +7 
  Spell power +3 
  6 
  8 
  7 
  5 
  — 
  —
  12th 
  +12/+7/+2 
  +8 
  +4 
  +8 
   
  6 
  8 
  8 
  6 
  — 
  —
  13th 
  +13/+8/+3 
  +8 
  +4 
  +8 
  Arcane channeling (full attack) 6 
  9 
  8 
  6 
  2 
  —
  14th 
  +14/+9/+4 
  +9 
  +4 
  +9 
   
  6 
  9 
  8 
  7 
  3 
  —
  15th 
  +15/+10/+5 
  +9 
  +5 
  +9 
  Quick cast 3/day 
  6 
  9 
  8 
  7 
  5 
  —
  16th 
  +16/+11/+6/+1 
  +10 
  +5 
  +10 
  Spell power +4 
  6 
  9 
  9 
  8 
  6 
  —
  17th 
  +17/+12/+7/+2 
  +10 
  +5 
  +10 
   
  6 
  10 
  9 
  8 
  6 
  2
  18th 
  +18/+13/+8/+3 
  +11 
  +6 
  +11 
  Spell power +5 
  6 
  10 
  9 
  8 
  7 
  3
  19th 
  +19/+14/+9/+4 
  +11 
  +6 
  +11 
   
  6 
  10 
  10 
  9 
  7 
  5
  20th 
  +20/+15/+10/+5 
  +12 
  +6 
  +12 
  Quick cast 4/day 
  6 
  10 
  10 
  10 
  8 
  6
  Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level): Climb, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Jump, Knowledge (all 
  skills taken individually), Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Swim.
  pqs
  NEW ARMOR SPECIAL ABILITY: 
  TWILIGHT
  This armor special ability, which first appeared in the Book of 
  Exalted Deeds supplement, is of particular use to duskblades. 
  Such armor becomes translucent when donned and possesses 
  a faint sunset-colored sheen. Twilight armor reduces the chance 
  of arcane spell failure by 10%.
   Faint abjuration; CL 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Price 
  +1 bonus.
  pqs
  
  22
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  out and focus upon defeating a single opponent. Your spells 
  that affect areas are limited mostly to cones, which means 
  you need to be on or near the front lines to get the greatest 
  effect from them. Even if you come close to being as effective 
  as a ﬁ ghter or a sorcerer in his chosen ﬁ eld, you’re certainly 
  not as effective as a ﬁ ghter and a sorcerer. You’ll occasionally 
  cast a spell and strike with your blade in the same round, but 
  pure spellcasters such as the sorcerer are more able to affect a 
  crowd of foes or blast a group of opponents. That said, actions 
  are the D&D game’s most fundamental currency, and you’ll 
  be able to take advantage of additional actions in the round, as 
  you combine spellcasting with melee attacks and eventually 
  gain the ability to cast any spell you know as a swift action 
  a number of times per day.
  Advancement
  Like the sorcerer, you face a crucial decision: which spells to 
  put on your spells known list. The offensive spells on your 
  spell list fall into three primary categories: touch spells, 
  single-target ranged spells, and short-range cones. Choose at 
  least one touch spell, such as shocking grasp, to take advantage 
  of your arcane channeling ability. You should also take a 
  movement spell, such as swift expeditious retreat, and an attack-
  enhancing spell such as true strike or magic weapon. Future 
  spell selections can tailor your repertoire to the role you ﬁ nd 
  yourself most commonly ﬁ lling, whether it be a front-line 
  ﬁ ghter or a ﬁ nesse caster.
   Assign as many skill points as possible to Concentration, 
  Knowledge (arcana), and Sense Motive. For feats, take the 
  Weapon Focus (longsword) feat and also consider sudden 
  metamagic feats, such as Sudden Silent and Sudden Empower, 
  both from the Complete Arcane supplement.
   Do not neglect to put some thought into your gear as well. 
  Spend 30% of your wealth on the heaviest armor you can 
  manage without risking arcane spell failure chance (often 
  mithral and/or having the twilight special ability). Spend 
  20% on your primary weapon and 20% on items that improve 
  your Intelligence, Strength, and saving throws. Spend 20% on 
  wands and scrolls and the remaining 10% on miscellaneous 
  items and a basic adventuring package.
   Your spellcasting and ﬁ ghting prowess also allow you the 
  opportunity to enter into prestige classes that are suited to 
  either melee or spellcasting.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Blaster
  Human Duskblade
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8.
   Skills: Climb, Concentration, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), 
  Spellcraft.
   Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven.
   Feat: Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (ranged spell).
   Weapon: Greataxe (1d12/×3), 3 javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 10 gp.
   Spells Known: 1st—Kelgore’s fire bolt, ray of enfeeblement; 
  0—acid splash, disrupt undead, ray of frost, touch of fatigue.
  Package 2: The Defender
  Dwarf Duskblade
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 6.
   Skills: Concentration, Decipher Script, Knowledge (arcana), 
  Spellcraft.
   Languages: Common, Dwarven, Goblin, Orc.
   Feat: Toughness.
   Weapon: Dwarven waraxe (1d10/×3).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), light wooden shield (+1 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 22 gp.
   Spells Known: 1st—lesser deﬂ ect, resist energy; 0—acid splash, 
  disrupt undead, ray of frost, touch of fatigue.
  Package 3: The Skirmisher
  Elf Duskblade
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8.
   Skills: Climb, Concentration, Jump, Spellcraft, Spot (cc).
   Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan.
   Feat: Dodge.
   Weapons: Glaive (1d10/×3), ﬁ ve javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 42 gp.
   Spells Known: 1st—swift expeditious retreat, true strike; 0—acid 
  splash, disrupt undead, ray of frost, touch of fatigue.
  DUSKBLADES IN THE WORLD
  “Your spells cannot penetrate my magical defenses. You are help-
  less, wizard!”
  —Last words of Zuﬁ r Halaq, rakshasa lord
  The duskblade combines the best features of the ﬁ ghter and 
  wizard. Duskblades make dangerous foes because they have 
  so many options, magical and martial, available to them every 
  round; their ability to deliver touch spells through a melee 
  attack is particularly potent.
  Daily Life
  The life of a duskblade is one of constant training. Each 
  duskblade must simultaneously be a swordmaster, a deft 
  spellcaster, and an expert in the esoteric techniques of 
  arcane channeling. Each of those elements requires years 
  to master; put them together, and you have a training regi-
  men that only the most driven characters can maintain. 
  The typical duskblade is doing calisthenics in the castle 
  courtyard before the other characters wake up in the morn-
  ing and practicing somatic gestures long after everyone 
  else has gone to sleep in the evening. Exceptions exist, 
  of course, but in general duskblades have a reputation as 
  driven, focused individuals.
  Notables
  Since duskblades are few and far between, they are natural 
  loners, wandering far and wide in search of adventures that 
  will prove a suitable challenge for their unique combination 
  of abilities. Such is the case with Gwilor the Swift, a wild elf 
  who adventured in the woodlands of his people for a century 
  
  23
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  or so before he committed himself entirely to a crusade 
  against the duergar and spent the rest of his long career on 
  extended forays into the underground.
   Other duskblades join like-minded adventuring groups. 
  Given their own mix of melee and spellcasting abilities, 
  duskblades are willing to try unusual combinations, such 
  as in the case of Taiglin the Fair, a gray elf duskblade who 
  formed a highly successful party with a human hexblade and 
  a halﬂ ing warmage.
   Still others are restless, moving from group to group and 
  area to area in search of new challenges. For example, Hallia 
  Yelebane, a self-taught half-elf duskblade, rarely stays in the 
  same country more than a month or two. She arrives, seeks 
  out a suitable challenge for her talents, throws herself into 
  that adventure, and then moves on. In the course of her 
  career (brief by elven standards), she has rescued a halﬂ ing 
  metropolis from a cabal of mind ﬂ ayers who were “farming” 
  the small humanoids for their brains, teamed with a githzerai 
  monk to defeat a famed githyanki knight (and claimed his 
  silver sword as her own), and exposed malenti inﬁ ltrators in 
  an aquatic elf community and thus turned back a sahuagin 
  invasion, along with other exploits. Hallia’s nickname derives 
  from her unexpected victory, early in her career, over one of 
  her fellow duskblades, the elf Yele, who until then had boasted 
  that he had never been defeated in a one-on-one duel. The 
  two became fast friends and now make a point to duel at least 
  once every year.
  Organizations
  Because of the elven heritage of the class, many duskblades 
  gravitate toward the elf lands even if they aren’t elves 
  themselves. Knowledge of duskblade fighting techniques 
  is sufficiently rare that no large company of duskblades 
  exists—or, if one does, it’s a well-kept secret. For centuries, 
  the class has been sustained by nothing more than solitary 
  masters who teach duskblade skills and spells to worthy 
  apprentices, and by those who have taught themselves the 
  techniques from long-neglected tomes and training manuals. 
  More recently, some self-taught duskblades have appeared 
  who master the difﬁ cult techniques required by the class 
  through some innate instinct. No matter what their origin, 
  all are equals in the eyes of their fellow duskblades.
   Duskblades love to test themselves against each other; on 
  the rare occasions when the paths of two duskblade adventur-
  ers happen to cross, they will always make time for a friendly 
  duel before they part. Given elf life spans, some duskblades 
  maintain friendly rivalries that can last for centuries.
  NPC Reactions
  Few common folk understand who or what duskblades truly 
  are, and most assume those duskblades they happen to meet 
  are simply ﬁ ghters with a bit of sorcerer ability (or vice versa). 
  Legends speak of elf heroes skilled with both blade and spell, 
  but these tales do little to inform anyone of the speciﬁ c abili-
  ties of the duskblades. Most adventurers react to duskblades 
  with some wariness because a duskblade’s combination of 
  abilities makes it very hard to judge how powerful or capable 
  such a character is in any situation.
  DUSKBLADE LORE
  Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can research 
  duskblades to learn more about them. When a character 
  makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, includ-
  ing the information from lower DCs.
   DC 10: Some elves have the ability to cast arcane spells 
  while engaged in melee combat; such elves are known as 
  duskblades.
   DC 15: Not all duskblades are elves; sometimes members of 
  other races master the class’s special techniques of spellcast-
  ing in melee.
   DC 20: Duskblades preserve an ancient tradition that enables 
  them to deliver spell damage through weapon strikes.
  DUSKBLADES IN THE GAME
  Duskblades ﬁ t easily into an ongoing game because of their 
  small numbers and enigmatic mix of abilities. The presence 
  of the class is easily explained as your players explore more of 
  the world—they simply hadn’t encountered any duskblades 
  until now, or had mistaken those they did encounter for 
  multiclass ﬁ ghter/wizards. Now that they’ve discovered this 
  aspect of the setting, however, they’re free to multiclass into 
  the duskblade class or to begin a new character with levels 
  only in the new class.
  Adaptations
  One of the more interesting ways to adapt this class to your 
  campaign is to keep the class abilities more or less the same 
  but to change the race involved. For example, the githyanki 
  have a tradition of multiclass fighter/wizards known as 
  gish; these individuals could easily be reconceived as a gith 
  duskblade class. Unexpected combinations would be the most 
  striking, such as a previously unrevealed halﬂ ing duskblade 
  class. After all, few expect halﬂ ings to engage in melee except 
  when making sneak attacks, but when magically boosted 
  by bull’s strength and the like and fighting with oversized 
  weapons, they could prove unexpectedly deadly against those 
  who underestimate them—which, after all, is the essence of 
  the duskblade class.
  Sample Encounter
  An encounter with a duskblade should highlight his com-
  bined use of spells and melee abilities. The duskblade should 
  use his spells to force the PCs to close into melee with him, 
  and then he should batter them with a barrage of touch spells 
  delivered through his melee attacks. Fighting a villainous 
  duskblade should be tricky, because he’ll use the tools that 
  are most effective against each character (for example, spells 
  requiring Reﬂ ex saves against the ﬁ ghter and powerful melee 
  attacks against the wizard).
   EL 7: Yele has always been drawn to both physical combat 
  and the study of magic. As a duskblade, he combines the two 
  into one seamless ﬁ ghting style. An adventurer by trade, Yele 
  could encounter the characters as a friend or a foe. If as a foe, 
  it is because some enemy of the adventurers has encouraged 
  Yele to go after them for some reason, perhaps to gain some 
  magical treasure currently in their possession that would 
  signiﬁ cantly boost either his swordplay or his spellcasting. 
  
  24
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  If as a friend, Yele could join with the adventurers to search 
  for some lost piece of arcane lore or because their quest 
  strikes him as likely to prove an interesting challenge for 
  his talents.
  Yele 
  CR 7
  Male elf duskblade 7
  NG Medium humanoid
  Init +6
  Senses low-light vision; Listen +2, Spot +2
  Languages Common, Elven, Gnoll, Sylvan
  AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 19
  hp 35 (7 HD)
  Immune sleep
  Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +6 (+8 against enchantments)
  Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
  Melee +1 longsword +11/+6 (1d8+4/19–20)
  Base Atk +7; Grp +10
  Atk Options arcane channeling*, quick cast*
  Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8
  SQ able to notice secret or concealed doors, armored 
  mage*, spell power*
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th):
  5/day—dancing lights, detect magic, flare, ghost sound, 
  read magic
  Duskblade Spells Known (CL 7th):
  2nd (6/day)—ghoul touch (+10 melee touch, DC 14), 
  scorching ray (+9 ranged touch), swift fly
  1st (7/day)—ray of enfeeblement (+9 ranged touch), 
  resist energy, shocking grasp (+10 melee touch), swift 
  expeditious retreat, true strike
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, disrupt undead, ray of frost (+9 
  ranged touch), touch of fatigue (+10 melee touch, 
  DC 12)
  Feats Combat CastingB, Combat Expertise, Improved 
  Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
  Skills Concentration +10 (+14 casting defensively), 
  Knowledge (arcana) +12, Knowledge (the planes) +12, 
  Listen +2, Sense Motive +10, Spot +2
  Possessions +1 breastplate, +1 light shield, +1 longsword, 
  cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1
  *Class features described on page 20
  Duskblade Spell List
  The duskblade’s spell list appears below. Spells printed in 
  this book are marked with an asterisk.
   0 Level: acid splash, disrupt undead, ray of frost, touch of 
  fatigue.
   1st Level: Bigby’s tripping hand*, blade of blood*, burning 
  hands, cause fear, chill touch, color spray, jump, Kelgore’s ﬁ re bolt*, 
  lesser deﬂ ect*, magic weapon, obscuring mist, ray of enfeeblement, 
  resist energy, rouse*, shocking grasp, stand*, swift expeditious retreat, 
  true strike.
   2nd Level: animalistic power*, bear’s endurance, Bigby’s strik-
  ing ﬁ st*, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, darkvision, deﬂ ect*, dimension 
  hop*, ghoul touch, Melf’s acid arrow, scorching ray, see invisibility, 
  seeking ray*, spider climb, stretch weapon*, sure strike*, swift ﬂ y, 
  swift invisibility, touch of idiocy.
   3rd Level: crown of might*, crown of protection*, dispelling 
  touch*, doom scarabs*, energy aegis*, energy surge*, greater magic 
  weapon, halt*, keen edge, protection from energy, ray of exhaustion, 
  regroup*, vampiric touch.
   4th Level: Bigby’s interposing hand, channeled pyroburst*, 
  dimension door, dispel magic, enervate, ﬁ re shield, phantasmal 
  killer, shout, toxic weapon*.
   5th Level: Bigby’s clenched fist, chain lightning, disintegrate, 
  hold monster, polar ray, slashing dispel*, sonic shield*, waves 
  of fatigue.
  KNIGHT
   “I offer you surrender or an honorable death in battle. The choice 
  is yours.”
  —Archibold the Impetuous
  A knight is a proud, skilled melee combatant who ﬁ ghts in 
  the name of honor and chivalry. A knight relies on more 
  than a sharp sword and a stout suit of armor to defeat her 
  foes. Her drive, determination, and ﬁ ghting spirit allow her 
  to control the battleﬁ eld in ways that others cannot match. 
  A knight can challenge an opponent to a duel, calling upon 
  the foe’s pride and ego to force his hand. The knight’s talent 
  with heavy armor, shields, and defensive tactics grant her 
  the ability to disrupt her foe’s plans. Only the most talented 
  rogues and monks can slip past a knight’s defenses to strike at 
  her allies. An adventuring group with wizards, sorcerers, and 
  other lightly armored members thrives with the assistance 
  of a knight. While the knight keeps enemies occupied, her 
  allies can use their talents and abilities without fear of attack 
  or harassment.
   The knight class is a great choice if you want to play a tough, 
  durable melee combatant whose strong personality allows you 
  to manipulate your foes. Weaker foes cower in fear before you, 
  while stronger foes move to strike you rather than your allies 
  when you play on their egos and challenge them to duels. 
  Your expertise in using armor and carrying a shield allows 
  you to form an impregnable defensive line. Once you engage 
  a foe, he has difﬁ culty moving away to threaten your allies. 
  If you want to be a front-line melee combatant who defends 
  the rest of the party and manipulates opponents, the knight 
  is a good choice.
  MAKING A KNIGHT
  A low-level knight is similar to a cross between a ﬁ ghter and 
  a bard. You have many hit points, a high Armor Class, and 
  an ability similar to bardic music (the knight’s challenge 
  class feature). You can pick a single foe, usually the one who 
  poses the most dangerous physical threat, and gain a bonus 
  on attack rolls and damage rolls against that opponent. You 
  pqs
  SWIFT EXPEDITIOUS RETREAT, SWIFT FLY, 
  AND SWIFT INVISIBILITY
  Three spells on the duskblade’s spell list—swift expeditious re-
  treat, swift fly, and swift invisibility—appear in Spell Compendium. 
  If you do not have that book, treat these spells as their nonswift 
  versions, except that their casting time is 1 swift action and the 
  duration of each spell is 1 round.
  pqs
  
  25
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  must pay close attention to the knight’s code of conduct, 
  since it forbids you from taking advantage of several tactically 
  useful situations.
   You excel in combat in a manner similar to a ﬁ ghter—but 
  while a fighter can slay a monster, your primary talent is 
  your ability to keep that monster away from your allies 
  while you battle it. It might take you longer to win the 
  day, but your many hit points and strong defensive abilities 
  help preserve you. Best of all, your defense enables your 
  allies to function at full capacity without being subject to 
  the monster’s attacks. Any sorcerer or wizard in the party 
  thrives when you are there to absorb attacks and hold back 
  your mutual foes.
   As you advance in level, you gain the ability to dictate 
  a foe’s actions, forcing him to attack you instead of other 
  targets. Weaker opponents, which typically appear in num-
  bers too large for you to hold them all back, quail in terror 
  when you menace them. Even if they slip past you, they 
  take penalties when they attack your allies. Your knight’s 
  challenge and shield block class features combine to let 
  you excel in one-on-one melee, granting you a bonus on 
  attack rolls, damage rolls, and Armor Class against a single 
  foe of your choice. If the group faces a mighty villain or a 
  single, overwhelming physical threat, it’s up to you to keep 
  the monster occupied while your allies cast their spells or 
  maneuver for position.
   Abilities: You beneﬁ t from a high Charisma score, since 
  it determines how often you can use some of your abilities 
  and the save DC of those abilities. A high Constitution allows 
  you to increase your already impressive hit point total, thus 
  bolstering your capacity to defend your allies. Strength 
  improves your combat abilities, making you more effective 
  as a front-line character.
   Races: The majority of knights are dwarves, humans, and 
  half-elves. The dwarf’s tendency toward order, combined 
  with that race’s militaristic bent, gives rise to ﬁ ghting orders 
  dedicated to upholding justice and obeying an honorable code. 
  Dwarf knights also serve as wandering dispensers of justice 
  between isolated settlements who enforce the rule of law 
  and protect small clanholds. Humanity, with its sprawling 
  kingdoms and empires, produces many knights who ﬁ ght 
  as much for king and country as for personal honor and 
  monetary rewards. Some half-elves enter into such service as 
  well and can rise to high ranks within such orders. Gnomes 
  and halflings rarely become knights, since the knight’s 
  straightforward code of conduct runs counter to the small 
  races’ reliance on trickery and clever planning. Few half-orcs 
  have the opportunity to become knights, but when they do 
  their natural strength serves them well. Elf knights are rare, 
  since elves prefer freedom and ﬂ exibility over the rigid code 
  of honor all knights must follow.
   Alignment: Knights are always lawful. Their dedication 
  to a code of conduct is but one expression of their devotion 
  to order. Most knightly orders arise as institutions forged to 
  protect a kingdom from invaders or to enforce the law against 
  chaos from within.
   While knights value order, they tend in equal numbers 
  toward good, evil, and neutrality. Lawful good knights see 
  order as a tool to protect the innocent and weak from evil. 
  Lawful evil knights believe that the social order serves to 
  reward the strong. Lawful neutral knights abhor the destruc-
  tion and suffering that chaos can bring and so uphold order 
  for its own sake.
   Starting Gold: 6d4×10 gp (150 gp).
   Starting Age: As paladin (PH 109).
  CLASS FEATURES
  Your class features involve mastering the use of armor and 
  shields and learning how to manipulate your foes so that 
  melee combat takes place on your terms, not theirs.
   Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Knights are profi-
  cient with all simple and martial weapons and with all 
  armor (heavy, medium, and light) and all shields (except 
  tower shields).
   Knight’s Challenge: Your dauntless ﬁ ghting spirit plays a 
  major role in your ﬁ ghting style, as important as the strength 
  of your arm or the sharpness of your blade. In battle, you 
  use the force of your personality to challenge your enemies. 
  You can call out a foe, shouting a challenge that boosts his 
  conﬁ dence, or issue a general challenge that strikes fear into 
  weak opponents and compels strong opponents to seek you 
  out for personal combat. By playing on your enemies’ ego, 
  you can manipulate your foes.
   You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 
  1/2 your class level + your Charisma bonus (minimum once 
  per day). As you gain levels, you gain a number of options 
  that you can use in conjunction with this ability.
   Even if you and your foes lack a shared language, you can 
  still effectively communicate through body language, tone, 
  and certain oaths and challenges you learn from a variety of 
  different tongues.
   Fighting Challenge (Ex): As a swift action, you can issue a 
  challenge against a single opponent. The target of this ability 
  must have an Intelligence of 5 or higher, have a language of 
  some sort, and have a CR greater than or equal to your char-
  acter level minus 2. If it does not meet these requirements, 
  a use of this ability is expended without effect.
   If the target does meet the conditions given above, you 
  gain a +1 morale bonus on Will saves and a +1 morale bonus 
  on attack rolls and damage rolls against the target of this 
  ability. You ﬁ ght with renewed vigor and energy by placing 
  your honor and reputation on the line. If your chosen foe 
  reduces you to 0 or fewer hit points, you lose two uses of your 
  knight’s challenge ability for the day because of the blow to 
  your ego and conﬁ dence from this defeat.
   The effect of a ﬁ ghting challenge lasts for a number of 
  rounds equal to 5 + your Charisma bonus (if any).
   If you are capable of issuing a knight’s challenge more 
  than once per day, you can use this ability more than once 
  in a single encounter. If your first chosen foe is defeated 
  or flees the area, you can issue a new challenge to a dif-
  ferent foe. You cannot switch foes if your original target is 
  still active.
   At 7th level, the bonus you gain from this ability increases 
  to +2. At 13th level, it rises to +3. At 19th level, it increases 
  to +4.
  
  26
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
   Test of Mettle (Ex): Starting at 4th level, you can shout a 
  challenge to all enemies, calling out for the mightiest among 
  them to face you in combat. Any target of this ability must 
  have a language of some sort and an Intelligence score of 5 
  or higher. Creatures that do not meet these requirements are 
  immune to the test of mettle. You must have line of sight and 
  line of effect to the targets of this ability.
   As a swift action, you can expend one use of your knight’s 
  challenge ability to cause all your enemies within 100 feet 
  with a CR greater than or equal to your character level minus 
  2 to make Will saves (DC 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Cha 
  modiﬁ er). Creatures that fail this save are forced to attack you 
  with their ranged or melee attacks in preference over other 
  available targets. If a foe attacks by casting a spell or using 
  a supernatural ability, he must target you with the attack or 
  include you in the effect’s area.
   An opponent compelled to act in this manner is not thrown 
  into a mindless rage and does not have to move to attack you 
  in melee if doing so would provoke attacks of opportunity 
  against him. In such a case, he can use ranged attacks against 
  you or attack any opponents he threatens as normal. If anyone 
  other than you attacks the target, the effect of the test of 
  mettle ends for that speciﬁ c target.
   If you are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by an oppo-
  nent forced to attack you due to this ability, you gain one 
  additional use of your knight’s challenge ability for that 
  day. This additional use comes from increased conﬁ dence 
  and the knowledge that you have proved your mettle as a 
  knight against your enemies by calling out foes even against 
  overwhelming odds. This additional use disappears if you 
  have not used it by the start of the next day. You can only 
  gain one additional use of your knight’s challenge ability in 
  this manner per day.
   The effect of a test of mettle lasts for a number of rounds 
  equal to 5 + your Charisma bonus (if any). Whether a creature 
  fails or succeeds on its save against your test of mettle, it can 
  only be targeted by this effect once per day.
   Call to Battle (Ex): Starting at 8th level, you become an 
  inspiring figure on the battlefield. When all seems lost, 
  you are a beacon of hope who continues to fight on despite 
  the odds. No cause is yet lost when a knight still battles 
  on its name.
   As a swift action, you can expend one use of your knight’s 
  challenge ability to grant an ally another save against a fear 
  effect. The target gains a bonus on this save equal to your 
  Charisma bonus (if any). If the target succeeds on this save, 
  he gains the beneﬁ t for a successful save against the attack 
  or spell. This ability reﬂ ects your talent to inspire your allies 
  in the face of a daunting foe.
   For example, Lidda fails her save against a lich’s fear spell. 
  On his next action, Sir Agrivail uses his call to battle ability 
  to grant Lidda another save. If she succeeds, she immediately 
  shrugs off the effect of the fear spell.
   Daunting Challenge (Ex): Starting at 12th level, you can call 
  out opponents, striking fear into the hearts of your enemies. 
  In this manner you separate the strong-minded from the 
  weak-willed, allowing you to focus on opponents that are 
  worthy foes.
   As a swift action, you can expend one use of your knight’s 
  challenge ability to issue a daunting challenge. This ability 
  affects all creatures within 100 feet of you that have a CR less 
  than your character level minus 2. Targets must be able to 
  hear you, speak or understand a language of some sort, and 
  have an Intelligence score of 5 or more. All targets who meet 
  these conditions must make Will saves (DC 10 + 1/2 your 
  class level + your Cha modiﬁ er) or become shaken.
  Table 1–4: The Knight 
  Hit Die: d12
   
  Base
   
  Attack 
  Fort 
  Ref 
  Will
  Level 
  Bonus 
  Save 
  Save 
  Save 
  Special
    1st 
  +1 
  +0 
  +0 
  +2 
  Fighting challenge +1, knight’s challenge, knight’s code
    2nd 
  +2 
  +0 
  +0 
  +3 
  Mounted Combat, shield block +1
    3rd 
  +3 
  +1 
  +1 
  +3 
  Bulwark of defense
    4th 
  +4 
  +1 
  +1 
  +4 
  Armor mastery (medium), test of mettle
    5th 
  +5 
  +1 
  +1 
  +4 
  Bonus feat, vigilant defender
    6th 
  +6/+1 
  +2 
  +2 
  +5 
  Shield ally
    7th 
  +7/+2 
  +2 
  +2 
  +5 
  Fighting challenge +2
    8th 
  +8/+3 
  +2 
  +2 
  +6 
  Call to battle 
    9th 
  +9/+4 
  +3 
  +3 
  +6 
  Armor mastery (heavy)
  10th 
  +10/+5 
  +3 
  +3 
  +7 
  Bonus feat
  11th 
  +11/+6/+1 
  +3 
  +3 
  +7 
  Shield block +2
  12th 
  +12/+7/+2 
  +4 
  +4 
  +8 
  Daunting challenge
  13th 
  +13/+8/+3 
  +4 
  +4 
  +8 
  Fighting challenge +3
  14th 
  +14/+9/+4 
  +4 
  +4 
  +9 
  Improved shield ally
  15th 
  +15/+10/+5 
  +5 
  +5 
  +9 
  Bonus feat
  16th 
  +16/+11/+6/+1 
  +5 
  +5 
  +10 
  Bond of loyalty
  17th 
  +17/+12/+7/+2 
  +5 
  +5 
  +10 
  Impetuous endurance
  18th 
  +18/+13/+8/+3 
  +6 
  +6 
  +11 
  —
  19th 
  +19/+14/+9/+4 
  +6 
  +6 
  +11 
  Fighting challenge +4
  20th 
  +20/+15/+10/+5 
  +6 
  +6 
  +12 
  Loyal beyond death, shield block +3
  Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level): Climb, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (nobility and 
  royalty), Ride, Swim.
  
  27
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
   Whether a creature fails or succeeds on its save against 
  your daunting challenge, it can only be targeted by this effect 
  once per day.
  Bond of Loyalty (Ex): Starting at 16th level, your loyalty 
  to your comrades endures even in the face of powerful 
  magic. You can expend one use of your knight’s challenge 
  ability to make an additional saving throw against a mind-
  affecting spell or ability. You can use this ability once per 
  round as a free action and can continue to use it even if an 
  opponent is controlling your actions with a mind-affecting 
  spell or ability.
   Loyal Beyond Death (Ex): At 20th level, if you are reduced 
  to 0 or fewer hit points by an effect that otherwise leaves 
  your body intact, you can expend one use of your knight’s 
  challenge ability to remain conscious and continue to act for 
  1 more round before dying. You can use this ability even if 
  your hit point total is –10 or lower. If your body is somehow 
  destroyed before your next action (such as by disintegrate), 
  then you cannot act. You can continue to expend uses of your 
  knight’s challenge ability to survive from round to round 
  until you run out of uses. If you receive healing that leaves 
  you with more than –10 hit points, you survive (or 
  fall unconscious, as appropriate to your new hit 
  point total) when you stop using this 
  ability. Otherwise, death overtakes 
  you when you run out of uses of your 
  knight’s challenge ability.
   The Knight’s Code: You ﬁ ght not only to defeat your foes 
  but to prove your honor, demonstrate your ﬁ ghting ability, 
  and win renown across the land. The stories that arise from 
  your deeds are just as important to you as the deeds them-
  selves. A good knight hopes that her example encourages 
  others to lead righteous lives. A neutral knight wishes to 
  uphold the cause of his liege (if he has one) and win glory. An 
  evil knight seeks to win acclaim across the land and increase 
  her own personal power.
   The knight’s code focuses on fair play: A victory achieved 
  through pure skill is more difﬁ cult, and hence wins more 
  glory, than one achieved through trickery or guile.
  • A knight does not gain a bonus on attack rolls when ﬂ ank-
  ing. You still confer the beneﬁ t of a ﬂ anking position to 
  your ally, but you forgo your own +2 bonus on attack rolls. 
  You can choose to keep the +2 bonus, but doing so violates 
  your code of honor (see below).
  • A knight never strikes a ﬂ at-footed opponent. Instead, you 
  allow your foe to ready himself before attacking.
  • A knight never deals lethal damage against a helpless foe. 
  You can strike such a foe, but only with attacks that deal 
  nonlethal damage.
  If you violate any part of this code, you lose one use of 
  your knight’s challenge ability for the day. If your 
  knight’s challenge ability is not available when 
  you violate the code (for example, if you have 
  exhausted your uses for the day), you take a –2 
  penalty on attack rolls and saves for the rest of 
  that day. Your betrayal of your code of conduct 
  undermines the foundation of conﬁ dence and 
  honor that drives you forward.
   
   While you cleave to your view of hon-
  or, chivalry, and pursuit of glory, you 
  do not force your views on others. You 
  might chide a rogue for sneaking around 
  a battlefield, but you recognize (and 
  perhaps even feel a bit smug about) the 
  reality that not everyone is ﬁ t to follow 
  the knight’s path.
    Mounted Combat: At 2nd level, 
  you gain Mounted Combat as a 
  bonus feat.
   
   Shield Block (Ex): Starting 
  at 2nd level, you excel in using 
  your armor and shield to frus-
  trate your enemy’s attacks. 
  During your action, des-
  ignate a single opponent 
  as the target of this abil-
  ity. Your shield bonus 
  to AC against that foe 
  increases by 1, as you move 
  your shield to deﬂ ect an incoming blow, 
  possibly providing just enough pro-
  tection to turn a telling swing into a 
  near miss.
  Sir Agrivail and Lady Sorra, knights
  Illus. by E. Polak
  
  28
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
    This shield bonus increases to +2 at 11th level and +3 at 
  20th level.
    Bulwark of Defense (Ex): When you reach 3rd level, an 
  opponent that begins its turn in your threatened area treats 
  all the squares that you threaten as difﬁ cult terrain. Your 
  strict vigilance and active defensive maneuvers force your 
  opponents to move with care.
   Armor Mastery (Ex): Starting at 4th level, you are able to wear 
  your armor like a second skin and ignore the standard speed 
  reduction for wearing medium armor. Starting at 9th level, you 
  ignore the speed reduction imposed by heavy armor as well.
   Bonus Feat: At 5th level, you gain a bonus feat chosen from 
  the following list: Animal Afﬁ nity, Diehard, Endurance, Great 
  Fortitude, Iron Will, Quick Draw, Ride-By Attack, Spirited 
  Charge, Trample, or Weapon Focus (lance). You must still meet 
  any prerequisites for the feat. You gain an additional bonus 
  feat from this list at 10th level and again at 15th level.
   Vigilant Defender (Ex): Starting at 5th level, you stand 
  your ground against all enemies, warding the spot where 
  you make your stand to prevent foes from slipping past and 
  attacking those you protect. If an opponent attempts to use 
  the Tumble skill to move through your threatened area or your 
  space without provoking attacks of opportunity, the Tumble 
  check DC to avoid your attacks of opportunity increases by 
  an amount equal to your class level.
   Shield Ally (Ex): Starting at 6th level, as an immediate 
  action you can opt to absorb part of the damage dealt to an 
  adjacent ally. Each time this ally takes damage from a physical 
  attack before your next turn, you can take half this damage 
  on yourself. The target takes the other half as normal. You can 
  only absorb damage from physical melee attacks and ranged 
  attacks, such as an incoming arrow or a blow from a sword, 
  not from spells and other effects.
   Improved Shield Ally (Ex): At 14th level, your ability 
  to absorb damage increases. Once per round you can absorb 
  all the damage from a single attack directed against an 
  adjacent ally. In addition, you continue to absorb half the 
  damage from other physical attacks on an adjacent ally, if 
  you so choose. You must decide whether to use this ability 
  after the attacker determines that an attack has succeeded 
  but before he rolls damage.
   Impetuous Endurance (Ex): Starting at 17th level, your 
  ﬁ ghting spirit enables you to push your body beyond the 
  normal limits of endurance. You no longer automatically fail 
  a saving throw on a roll of 1. You might still fail the save if 
  your result fails to equal or beat the DC.
  PLAYING A KNIGHT
  As a knight, you are driven to prove your abilities, showcase 
  the code of chivalry as a proper way to live, and defend your 
  allies. You are impetuous and brave, never backing down from 
  a challenge. When you face a mighty foe, you take a moment 
  to call out a challenge to him, salute his ﬁ ghting ability, or 
  list his crimes that you seek to avenge.
  Religion
  Knights value order and honor in all things. They worship 
  lawful gods, though whether their patrons are good, neutral, 
  or evil depends solely on the knight’s preferences. Good 
  knights favor Heironeous, while neutral ones follow St. 
  Cuthbert. Evil knights, if they venerate a god, offer prayers 
  to Hextor. Knights of Heironeous and Hextor are renowned 
  for the epic duels they have fought against each other. 
  Opposing armies sometimes halt their advance to allow 
  these sworn enemies to duel to the death before the rest of 
  the battle is joined.
  Other Classes
  You respect paladins for their skill in combat and devotion to 
  a code of conduct, although their path is somewhat different 
  from your own. You see wizards, sorcerers, clerics, and bards 
  as useful allies who should stay back away from combat; indi-
  vidual knights sometimes travel partnered with a member of 
  one of these classes. Most knights consider barbarians to be 
  crazed lunatics who lack the honor, self-control, and training 
  to ﬁ ght in a proper civilized manner, yet a skilled barbarian 
  can earn a knight’s grudging respect through deeds in battle. 
  You have little regard for rogues, beguilers, or others who rely 
  on stealth or deceit. In general, you have no feeling one way 
  or the other toward druids, monks, and rangers. You distrust 
  the duskblade’s mix of melee combat and spellcasting but can 
  empathize with the dragon shaman’s devotion to his totem 
  dragon, though you might be wary of particular shamans 
  (those devoted to chaotic dragons). In general, you feel protec-
  tive (but with a touch of condescension) toward adventurers 
  who cannot handle heavy armor and weapons.
  Combat
  You serve two basic roles in battle. You excel at dominating 
  the ﬁ eld of battle, since your defensive abilities make it dif-
  ﬁ cult for opponents to move past you and strike vulnerable 
  members of your party. You believe that the best way to face 
  an enemy is to challenge him to an honorable duel and kill 
  him fair and square, claiming all the glory for yourself. When 
  faced with multiple foes, you can strike fear into some and 
  goad others into attacking you rather than your allies. You are 
  the sorcerer’s, wizard’s, or bard’s best friend. Your command-
  ing presence draws attacks to you, while your hit points and 
  heavy armor make you ideally suited to absorb blows. While 
  you are engaging foes in combat, your allies can use their 
  spells and special abilities without interference.
  Advancement
  When looking at feats to select as you gain levels, you have 
  two basic paths. You can focus on your ﬁ ghting skill, or 
  you can attempt to expand your capabilities to serve as the 
  party’s spokesman. The former option is best when you are 
  the group’s primary combat specialist. If the party includes 
  a barbarian, paladin, ﬁ ghter, ranger, or duskblade, you can 
  afford to dabble in feats that improve your Charisma-based 
  skills. Although Diplomacy is not a class skill for you, the 
  Skill Focus feat combined with your superior Charisma and 
  a few cross-class ranks makes you a serviceable emissary.
   When it comes to combat feats, look to ones that improve 
  your ability to deal damage. Your class features already 
  enhance your defense, making feats such as Power Attack, 
  
  29
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
  Weapon Focus, and so forth excellent options to boost your 
  offense. Alternatively, you could focus on crippling your 
  foe’s ability to deal damage. Combat Expertise combined 
  with Improved Disarm and Improved Trip form a potent 
  combo. When you lure a foe into attacking you, you can pluck 
  his weapon from his hand or knock him to the ground. In 
  either case, your opponent is neutralized as a threat to you 
  or your allies.
   Improved Initiative is a critically important feat, since it 
  allows you to act ﬁ rst, move forward, and defend your allies. 
  The sooner you ﬁ nd a place at the front line, the longer you 
  can hold back the monsters.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Cavalier
  Human Knight
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14.
   Skills: Diplomacy, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Ride.
   Feats: Mounted Combat, Skill Focus (Ride).
   Weapons: Lance (1d8/×3), longsword (1d8/19–20), three 
  javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC), heavy wooden shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 11 gp.
  Package 2: The Defender
  Dwarf Knight
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 12.
   Skills: Diplomacy, Ride.
   Feat: Shield Specialization (heavy).
   Weapons: Dwarven waraxe (1d10/×3), warhammer (1d8/×3), 
  5 javelins (1d6, 30 ft.)
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy steel shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 18 gp.
  Package 3: The Destroyer
  Half-Orc Knight
   Ability Scores: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 13.
   Skill: Intimidate.
   Feat: Power Attack.
   Weapons: Battleaxe (1d8/×3), ﬁ ve javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy steel shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 50 gp.
  KNIGHTS IN THE WORLD
  “I like having a knight in front of me in a ﬁ ght. He holds the line 
  and allows me to work my spells in peace. Best of all, so long as 
  he has his back to me I can’t hear him prattling on about honor, 
  strength, and chivalry.”
  —Vaarlis Runespeaker, mage-initiate of Wee Jas
  The concept of the knight, or cavalier, or chevalier has arisen 
  in many cultures that used mounted warriors in their armies. 
  Typically, knights were members of the rich, land-owning 
  upper class who could afford to buy and maintain heavy 
  armor and a horse. Such individuals served an elite role in 
  the military not only for their ﬁ ghting talents and ability to 
  ride over and smash through infantry who lacked polearms 
  but also for their social standing. For the historical knight, 
  his status as a rich landowner was the basis of his superiority 
  to others. Legend transformed the concept of the knight to 
  focus on one who sets forth searching for deeds that will win 
  him glory, drawing on his code of conduct and charismatic 
  personality to defeat his enemies. Since a character who 
  owns land and sits on a fortune in gold makes for a poor 
  adventurer in a traditional D&D game, the knight character 
  class focuses on the concept of a heavily armored melee 
  combatant who ﬁ ghts according to a strict code of conduct. 
  Fidelity to that code grants the knight the conﬁ dence and 
  ﬁ ghting spirit to excel on the battleﬁ eld and hence the glory 
  he or she seeks.
  Daily Life
  A knight adventures to prove her skill at arms, to advance 
  the cause of whatever lord she might serve, and to further 
  her own aims. She rides forth from her lord’s castle to right 
  wrongs, quest in her lord’s name, and prove herself worthy 
  of knighthood. By actively seeking fame, glory, and acclaim, 
  the knight brings praise and respect to the code of honor 
  that she ﬁ ghts under.
   Some knights are lone wanderers with neither castle nor 
  king. A bloody war might leave a knight without a master. 
  Homeless and with little more than her armor and weapons, 
  this knight adventures to further the cause she still holds 
  dear. She could work to bring down the enemies who defeated 
  her lord or attempt to do as much good across the land as 
  possible, winning glory all the while. She might seek for a 
  new cause worthy of her devotion. The knight’s order might 
  fall, but the concepts of honor and chivalry endure so long 
  as one knight holds them dear.
   Other knights are similar to paladins in that they place 
  their faith in a cause, though for a knight this cause is 
  rooted in the world rather than a divine power. A knight 
  might ﬁ ght against oppression and brutality in all its forms, 
  such as when a dwarf knight ventures into the underground 
  with his companions on a crusade to defeat drow, duergar, 
  and other horrors before they can threaten the surface. 
  Such a knight doesn’t need a lord or an order. All he needs 
  is a sharp sword, a stout shield, and an indomitable belief 
  in his cause.
   The knight of the D&D game is a wanderer who hunts 
  down the red dragon that has despoiled the countryside, or 
  the hero who mans the walls and rallies the town guard when 
  a horde of orcs appears on the horizon. The knight ﬁ ghts for 
  a cause, and it matters not whether that cause is upholding 
  the crown or a ceaseless desire to bring justice and hope to 
  the land.
  Notables
  Knights gain notoriety for their deeds, whether triumphs in 
  combat or selﬂ ess acts of great honor. Many an adventurer 
  grew up on stories such as that of Archibold the Impetuous, 
  who after the defeat of his liege’s army stood alone to block 
  pursuit on a narrow bridge while his allies withdrew to safety. 
  The bards claim that Sir Archibold slew more than a hundred 
  hobgoblins before he ﬁ nally fell, by which time his allies had 
  reached the safety of a nearby fortress.
  
  30
  CHAPTER 1
  NEW CLASSES
   Another legend tells of Lady Attis, an evil but brave 
  knight who drove off a rampaging red dragon that had 
  terrorized the region, not from any beneﬁ cence toward the 
  inhabitants but to win the fame of defeating a foe no one 
  else dared face.
  Organizations
  Knights often band together into orders of knighthood, and 
  many of these organizations have storied histories. Knightly 
  orders typically allow their members to spend much of their 
  time on individual quests, requiring only that the knight 
  live by the code of the order and be willing to return to the 
  order’s headquarters when called upon. Knightly orders 
  have a proud tradition of using heraldic symbols to identify 
  themselves, and knights who belong to the order often 
  carry these symbols on their shields and armor to identify 
  their afﬁ liation.
  NPC Reactions
  Individuals react to knights based on their previous interac-
  tions with other members of the class. A heroic knight meets 
  stony silence and suspicion in a land where evil knights 
  oppress the poor. By the same token, a villainous knight 
  finds that folk who assume knights are chivalrous, fair, 
  and honorable are quick to trust her and willing to believe 
  the best about her. Such trust might indeed bring out the 
  best in her, or it might lead swiftly to disaster, depending 
  on the knight.
   A knight who has retired from adventuring typically 
  acquires some position of authority, with commensurate 
  political power, whether as general, king’s champion, or ruler 
  of some city or outpost. People’s opinions of knights are thus 
  often the same as their views of authority in general.
  KNIGHT LORE
  Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nobility and royalty) 
  can research knights to learn more about them. When a char-
  acter makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, 
  including the information from lower DCs.
   DC 10: Knights are skilled mounted ﬁ ghters who special-
  ize in defensive combat.
   DC 15: Knights are combat-oriented characters adept at 
  protecting their companions and stopping foes from getting 
  past them. They follow a strict code of honor.
   DC 20: Knights are masters of armor and shield use. They 
  can lure foes into one-on-one combat through sheer force 
  of will.
  KNIGHTS IN THE GAME
  Because of their obvious place in real-world history, knights 
  ﬁ t well into any campaign with a medieval setting. The class 
  can be available to characters of almost any race or origin, 
  or you can tie the class to a specific kingdom or group of 
  cultures in your campaign world. Either way, the knight 
  provides an exciting option for players interested in a melee-
  oriented character capable of holding a line of combat and 
  really protecting her allies, as well as challenging monsters 
  in single combat.
  Adaptation
  This class can ﬁ t in a campaign in many ways—to serve a 
  speciﬁ c plot need, you can tie its history to a race or add a con-
  nection to a mysterious organization. The class description 
  assumes that many races and cultures produce knights, but in 
  your world perhaps only lawful societies might ﬁ eld knights 
  as part of their armed forces, creating an instant and ﬂ avorful 
  difference between lawful and chaotic culture groups. If you 
  take this route, create a chaotic-oriented group of hexblades, 
  rangers, or scouts who oppose the order of knights.
  Sample Encounter
  A knight can be encountered anywhere her quest for glory 
  might take her: at the head of an enemy army, on a lone 
  mission into the underground, or simply wandering the 
  countryside looking for suitable challenges. A knight often 
  appears partnered with an arcane or divine spellcaster, since 
  the knight’s class features work best in conjunction with an 
  unarmored or lightly armored partner.
   EL 7: Lady Sorra adheres to the code of knighthood for one 
  reason: it seems the fastest way to gain power in a world where 
  those of common birth lack opportunity. She could make a 
  temporary ally or suitable antagonist for any adventuring 
  group, perhaps ﬁ rst appearing as an ally in one adventure and 
  then again later in another as an antagonist. In the latter case, 
  she is likely to be found serving as the personal bodyguard 
  of a powerful evil spellcaster.
  Lady Sorra 
  CR 7
  Female human knight 7
  LE Medium humanoid
  Init +5; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0
  Languages Common
  AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 20; shield block* +1
  hp 65 (7 HD)
  Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +8
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee +1 longsword +11/+6 (1d8+4/19–20)
  Base Atk +7; Grp +10
  Atk Options Cleave, Power Attack, fighting challenge* +2, 
  test of mettle
  Abilities Str 16, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 12
  SQ armor mastery*, knight’s challenge* 4/day, knight’s 
  code*, shield ally*, vigilant defender*, wall of steel*
  Feats Cleave, Great FortitudeB, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, 
  Mounted CombatB, Power Attack
  Skills Handle Animal +11, Intimidate +11
  Possessions +1 breastplate, +1 heavy shield, +1 longsword, 
  cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1
  *Class features described on pages 25–28
  EX-KNIGHTS
  A knight who is no longer lawful loses the beneﬁ ts of her 
  knight’s challenge ability. As a result, she cannot use class 
  features that require her to expend uses of the knight’s 
  challenge ability, such as ﬁ ghting challenge, test of mettle, 
  and call to battle. She no longer takes penalties for violating 
  her code of conduct.
   A knight can regain her status by returning to a lawful 
  alignment.
  
  he choice of a class delineates some of the most 
  important aspects of a D&D character. With a class 
  comes a speciﬁ c role in the party, baseline mechani-
  cal attributes such as base attack and base save 
  bonuses, and a host of special abilities that deﬁ ne 
  the character. To complement the eleven standard 
  classes presented in the Player’s Handbook, supplements such 
  as the Complete series have introduced additional classes. This 
  chapter provides advice and insight on eighteen classes that 
  ﬁ t well within most D&D games and presents a set of options 
  to enhance characters of that class.
   Each class presentation in this chapter includes sample 
  character themes that help define a character’s role and 
  personality. These are not intended as an exhaustive catalog, 
  and you are not required to adopt any of them. Each class 
  entry also includes suggested backgrounds and suggested 
  personality archetypes; see Chapter 5 for more information 
  on these elements.
   In addition to this roleplaying advice, each presentation 
  offers one or more alternative class features and a set of alterna-
  tive starting packages.
   Alternative class features replace class features found in 
  the original class description. If you have already reached 
  or passed the level at which you can take the feature, you 
  can use the retraining option described on page 192 to gain 
  an alternative class feature in place of the normal feature 
  gained at that level.
   The format for alternative class features is summa-
  rized below.
  ALTERNATIVE CLASS 
  FEATURE NAME
  A general description of the ability and why you might 
  want to consider it.
   Level: You can select the alternative class feature only 
  at this level (unless you are using the retraining option 
  described in Chapter 8).
   Replaces: This line identiﬁ es the ability that you 
  must sacriﬁ ce to gain the alternative class feature.
   Benefit: This section describes the mechanical 
  effects of the new ability.
  NEW STARTING PACKAGES
  The final section of each of the presentations in 
  this chapter is a set of three new starting packages 
  for each class, each one designed for a character 
  that fills a particular role in the adventuring 
  party. For details about how to use these starting 
  packages (and to modify them, if you desire), see 
  page 5.
  31
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  
  32
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  BARBARIAN
  All stand in awe at the berserker fury you tap at will, enhanc-
  ing your strength and toughness at the expense of reason. 
  But what do cultured people know of the frozen wastes or 
  hellish jungles that forged your earliest experiences? The 
  cruel vicissitudes of growing up “savage” were normal to 
  you. When your older brother was lost on a bear hunt one 
  day, and your younger sister died of disease in the howling 
  dark late one night, how could you know that in other places, 
  they might not have had to die? These and other experi-
  ences marked you, and you stand apart 
  from those born into the comforts 
  of civilization.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose 
  one): Gladiator, Mariner, 
  Tribal Origin.
   Suggested Personality Ar-
  chetypes (choose one): 
  Challenger, Explorer, 
  Mercenary, Orphan, 
  Renegade, Savage, 
  Seeker, Simple Soul, 
  Wanderer.
  CHARACTER 
  THEMES
  One or both of the 
  following character 
  themes could apply 
  to you.
  Fearless: You are 
  made of stern stuff. 
  You’re not foolish, 
  but you’re not afraid 
  to test your mettle 
  and resourcefulness 
  against any foe. If you 
  are told a foe is beyond 
  your ability to defeat, 
  you need more evidence 
  than merely the claim. You 
  do not boast, but make bold 
  statements that echo your expe-
  riences and resolve.
  Once you are actually embroiled in a 
  conﬂ ict, you prefer a quick, urgent battle cry. 
  A battle cry is a yell intended to rally your 
  allies while putting fear into the hearts of enemies. See the 
  Barbarian Battlecries sidebar and create a few of your own 
  battlecries tailored to your experience.
  “Fear cannot thwart my will.”
  “I braved the deadly glacier’s darkest, coldest crevasse [/disease-
  rotted deep jungle] for three days—this trial cannot compare with 
  that feat.”
  “If you fear to cross swords with the foe, pray for a quick death, 
  for you’ll never ﬁ nd fulﬁ llment in this life.”
  “It is in hours such as these that heroes are born!”
  “Fear breeds fear!”
   Tattooed: Your ﬂ esh is scribed with one or more pictures 
  or symbols that signify your connection with the ancient 
  principles of your barbarian past. One or more of the follow-
  ing tattoos adorn your body.
   Arrowhead: You wear this simple pointed tattoo on your 
  forehead. You believe that it lends you alertness in your 
  dealings, both in combat and in your perception of the lies 
  others tell you. Most people are certainly distracted by it.
   Bear: Across your chest is tattooed a mighty bear, whose 
  inexhaustible strength is your strength, and whose capac-
  ity to keep fighting even when sorely wounded is a quality 
  you also possess.
    Butterﬂ y: This stylisti-
  cally rendered winged 
  thing is (you claim) a but-
  terﬂ y, and you tell all who 
  admire it that it signiﬁ es 
  everlasting life.
   
   Circle: This tattooed 
  open circle (or hoop) is 
  the universal symbol of 
  wholeness, female power, 
  and inﬁ nity. If you are 
  female, you have this 
  emblem tattooed on 
  your forehead, and all 
  who see it know that 
  you are an avatar of the 
  feminine spirit.
  Crossed Swords: The 
  weapons you choose 
  to wield say a lot about 
  you, but they gain great-
  er significance when 
  their representations are 
  tattooed upon your ﬂ esh. 
  Such tattoos are tokens of 
  good luck, and as long as 
  they are visible, you know 
  that you cannot suffer last-
  ing defeat.
  Demon: By tattooing a de-
  monic image on your chest (instead 
  of a bear), you indicate to others that 
  you have no love for piety, show no mercy 
  to your enemies, and don’t care the least bit 
  for propriety.
  Dragon Scales: Your cheeks are tattooed with radiant 
  dragon scales, which indicate the position of authority that 
  was yours prior to your leaving your savage land, or the 
  chiefdom that awaits you when you one day return to forge 
  a mighty barbarian horde.
   Lightning: Jagged lines scribed down your lower jaw and 
  neck represent bolts of swift lightning, and you believe 
  their presence lends you swiftness of pace and possibly 
  of thought.
   Mask: In lieu of other facial tattoos, you’ve chosen to cover 
  your face with a single tattoo representing a ﬁ erce animal or 
  Krusk the Conqueror, 
  barbarian warlord
  Illus. by F. Vohwinkel
  
  33
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  monster, a nature spirit, or an ancestor. Your tribal shaman 
  convinced you that the application of such a painful and 
  encompassing (and disﬁ guring!) tattoo would allow you to 
  more easily contact the spirit world and gain the power of 
  the spirit or animal represented by the mask. Alternatively, 
  you were shunned or cast out by your tribe. The tattoo cover-
  ing your face forever marks you as an outcast to your tribe, 
  unworthy to associate with the people of your birth.
   Naga: Instead of snakes spiraling up your arms, you have 
  tattooed human-headed nagas! The nagas represent anarchy 
  and indicate to others who understand the symbol that you 
  follow no law but your own, civilization be damned.
   Snake: Tattooed snakes coil around your upper arms, simple 
  but colorful. Their heads point toward your head, imparting 
  their wisdom to you in spirit, if not in voice.
   Spider: On the palm of one of your hands, hidden in normal 
  dealings with strangers, the tattoo of a night-dark spider lurks 
  with ﬁ ve of its legs extending up onto the undersides of your 
  ﬁ ngers. To you (and others familiar with the symbology), the 
  spider represents trickery and even death, though others 
  might say treachery instead of trickery. When engaged in 
  trickery (or treachery), it is your habit to reveal your open 
  palm to the victim of your trick (or double-cross) as the nature 
  of your action becomes apparent to them.
   Sun Rays: On the backs of your hands are tattooed the long 
  rays of the golden sun. Just like you can count on the sun rising 
  daily, people can count on you, as this tattoo signiﬁ es.
   Toad: You believe that this minor tattoo you wear on one 
  shoulder helps protect you from witchcraft, evil spells, and 
  demonic inﬂ uences.
  BERSERKER STRENGTH
  The decision of when to rage is one of the toughest faced by 
  a barbarian. Selecting the berserker strength class feature 
  in place of rage removes the need for this often complicated 
  tactical decision, replacing it with an automatically activated 
  boost to your combat prowess and durability. In short, when 
  the going gets tough, you get tougher.
   Level: 1st.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  rage (or any later improvements to that class feature).
   Beneﬁ t: Whenever your current hit point total is below 5 
  × your barbarian level, your berserker strength automatically 
  activates. You gain a +4 bonus to your Strength score, a +2 
  bonus on saves, damage reduction 2/—, and a –2 penalty to 
  your AC. The damage reduction granted by berserker strength 
  stacks with any similar kind of damage reduction.
   There is no limit to the number of times per day your 
  berserker strength can activate. While berserker strength is 
  active, you have the same limitation on actions as a barbarian 
  in rage (PH 25). You cannot voluntarily end your berserker 
  strength, although you automatically drop out of it while 
  unconscious, helpless, or (most likely) when you receive heal-
  ing to bring your current hit points above the threshold.
   At 11th level (or if you would gain the greater rage class 
  feature from any class), your berserker strength improves 
  instead. The bonus to your Strength score improves to +6, 
  your bonus on saves improves to +3, and you gain damage 
  reduction 3/— (or your existing damage reduction of the 
  same kind improves by 3).
   At 20th level (or if you would gain the mighty rage class 
  feature from any class), your berserker strength instead 
  improves again. The bonus to your Strength score improves to 
  +8, your bonus on saves improves to +4, and you gain damage 
  reduction 4/— (or your existing damage reduction of the same 
  kind improves by 4).
   Any effect that would normally apply only during your 
  rage applies whenever your berserker strength is active.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Destroyer
  Half-Orc Barbarian
   Ability Scores: Str 17, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 6.
   Skills: Climb, Jump, Swim.
   Feat: Power Attack.
   Weapons: Greataxe (1d12/×3), ﬁ ve javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 9 gp.
  Package 2: The Hunter
  Elf Barbarian
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8.
   Skills: Climb, Handle Animal, Listen, Survival.
   Feat: Track.
   Weapons: Battleaxe (1d8/×3), shortbow with 20 arrows 
  (1d6/19–20, 60 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC), heavy steel shield 
  (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 1 gp.
  Package 3: The Whirlwind
  Human Barbarian
   Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
   Skills: Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Swim.
   Feat: Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (kukri).
   Weapons: Two kukris (1d4/18–20), ﬁ ve javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 4 gp.
  pqs
  BARBARIAN BATTLECRIES
  Below are a few battle cries you enjoy screaming out to mark 
  the beginning of a conflict, or into an enemy’s face in the midst 
  of battle.
  [a shriek like a high-pitched yowl of a wildcat]
  Blood for the Blood God!
  Break the bones, hew the flesh!
  Death to the city dwellers!
  For the North! [or your tribe name]
  Scream your last!
  Your guts for a garter!
  Your skin for a shawl!
  Your skull for a cup!
  pqs
  
  34
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  BARD
  You roam the bright kingdoms and less savory regions of the 
  world alike, amassing lore, negotiating tricky deals, scouting, 
  gambling, spying, relaying messages, and telling epic stories. 
  You work magic with your music, inﬂ uencing the hearts and 
  minds of both friends and foes. In the end, the best stories 
  end up being about you.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Artisan, Drifter, Mariner, 
  Noble Scion.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Daredevil, 
  Explorer, Innocent, Mercenary, Orphan, Rebel, Renegade, 
  Royalty, Trickster, Wanderer.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
   Military Historian: This character theme requires you 
  to have at least one rank in Knowledge (history). You are a 
  student of conﬂ ict, an expert on the subject of the famous 
  battles between prehistoric tribes, ancient militaries, and 
  modern armies between kings and necromancers. 
   Now and then, you regale your friends with snippets of 
  these histories. You ﬁ nd it all so interesting that you know 
  everyone else would feel the same way, if only they were 
  exposed to the sagas.
   “We could learn something from the Battle of Rakdar, fought 
  three hundred years ago. When the army of King Yria encoun-
  tered an allied army of eight kings at Rakdar, it was utterly 
  decimated by the much larger force. King Yria learned the value 
  of alliances then.”
   “The Battle of Ceschremi sent ten thousand warriors to their 
  graves, because reinforcements didn’t arrive when Emperor Drezzar 
  ordered. Over the years, his generals had taken the money meant to 
  keep reinforcements at the ready and instead bought ﬁ ne mansions 
  for themselves in the countryside. Those were later burned by the 
  Ceschremi army, which advanced unopposed.”
   Negotiator: In some groups, your diplomatic skills will 
  exceed those of all your friends. To be a good negotiator, you 
  must be fair, but stern. While the Diplomacy skill provides 
  the mechanical resolution of a scene, DMs enjoy hearing the 
  gist of your negotiating points as a precursor to attempting 
  the skill check.
   Really, it’s all about the “spin.” With the proper spin, even 
  a three-day-dead orc can be made to sound enticing. For 
  example, if you are attempting to explain to a city ofﬁ cial 
  why your group was responsible for so much destruction in 
  a recent street altercation, you might say:
   “Your honor, consider the devastation that would have otherwise 
  been wrought. Consider the buildings unburnt, lives saved, and 
  money still safely in coffers precisely because of our actions!”
   On the other hand, if you are trying to trade in an unneeded 
  magic weapon for some other triﬂ e that you or a friend would 
  prefer, try:
   “Your eyes miss nothing, madam, but of course you couldn’t know 
  that this blade was once the boyhood dagger of the playwright 
  Isheuan. Indeed, his honeyed words are a delight to all. And this 
  blade was grasped in that same hand that also takes so ably to the 
  pen. Consider its value now!”
   Riddlemaster: You absorb stories, but you collect riddles. 
  A good riddle is a treasure in itself, and “a thorough knowl-
  edge of riddles keeps the intellect ﬂ exible and sharp,” as you 
  are fond of saying. More than that, a knowledge of riddles can 
  prove useful in negotiations with certain enigmatic beasts, 
  prideful kings, or any foe whose conceit compels it to agree 
  to test of riddles to resolve a dispute.
   Every bard knows at least a few riddles. Beyond these 
  beginning few, you are constantly on the lookout for more, 
  whether through research in dusty tomes, or by riddling with 
  strangers and friends, ally or foe, even when there is nothing 
  at stake. In this way, you are able to collect ever more riddles 
  for your growing repertoire. You are also adroit at creating 
  your own riddles.
   How To Write A Riddle: Use three rules when writing a 
  riddle.
   1) Pick an word or phrase as the answer to your riddle.
   2) Turn the word or phrase over and over in your head, 
  free-associating and making note of any unusual or off-the-
  wall idea that comes to mind.
   3) Come up with clues about these ideas you’ve just 
  generated.
   Put it all together, tidy it up, and you might have just created 
  a riddle that will last the ages.
   Spy: Even if you don’t have a commission, you can play up the 
  fact that you might be working under ofﬁ cial authority—after 
  all, you’ve (supposedly) done so in the past.
   Purchase a leather-bound journal (in game), and keep 
  copious notes about all your surroundings, exploits, and 
  the doings of your acquaintances. At some later point, your 
  habits could reveal an important clue that was missed earlier. 
  To prevent anyone else from gleaning the same information, 
  you keep this journal in a cipher.
   Ciphers: A cipher is a way to record information in such a 
  way that it is obscured to those without special knowledge. In 
  most cases, this special knowledge is a key (for simple ciphers) 
  that provides the necessary insight for rearranging letters into 
  their proper order or otherwise rendering a message legible.
   If you end up actually acting as a spy for a merchant guild, 
  temple, or other organization, you can pass a note every few 
  sessions to the DM using a simple cipher—assuming the DM 
  aids you in this endeavor.
   One of the simplest ciphers replaces each letter of the alphabet 
  with a different letter that is a certain number of letters away. 
  For instance, if the cipher is “letter +1” (replace each letter 
  with the one that follows it in the alphabet), then the message 
  “J bn b tqz,” when decrypted, reads “I am a spy.”
   Storyteller: You are a repository of stories both ancient and 
  contemporary. From the wealth of stories at your disposal, 
  the lessons of history and adages of past bards and sages are 
  at your ﬁ ngertips. Use this knowledge to your advantage 
  when you wish to inﬂ uence an ally’s (or foe’s) opinion about 
  something, such as a plan of action or a proposed agreement. 
  By preceding your point with a reference to a story (real or 
  made up), you lend additional weight to the point you make 
  immediately afterward. Most sentient creatures feel the 
  pressure of precedent of others’ past experience on a similar 
  matter, even if you’ve invented the story on the spot (as long 
  
  35
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  as they don’t know you’re making it up). Of course, it’s better 
  if you actually have a story, or a piece of history told as a story, 
  in mind before you attempt this tactic.
   For example, when confronted with a particular thorny 
  problem, especially if you see a solution, stroke your chin 
  and say:
  “This reminds me of the time Prince Voltred tried to enter his 
  falcon in the archery contest. Funny thing about that. . . .”
   Or, when you disagree with a conclusion, try:
   “The slave Medricar thought the same thing, when he once 
  escaped his master to live in the forest. He ﬁ gured he could survive 
  on the wild herbs and honey he would ﬁ nd. Good thing he changed 
  his mind. . . .”
   Or, when you believe not enough forethought has gone 
  into an ally’s proposed course of action:
   “Might work, yes, but you remember Darvn, who rushed into 
  the Cave of the Yellow Skull? If he had just watched a little longer, 
  he’d have seen the giant sleeping behind the stone.”
  BARDIC KNACK
  Wandering bards learn more mundane skills and less esoteric 
  knowledge on their travels. If you select this class feature, 
  you have done a little bit of everything; maybe you spent a 
  few months as a wilderness guide, and you also had a cousin 
  in an ambassador’s retinue who regaled you with tales of 
  courtly intrigue.
   The bardic knack class feature makes you more capable of 
  accomplishing simple tasks with a wide variety of skills. You 
  don’t need to dabble in noncritical skills (unless you want 
  to be considered trained in their use), freeing up your skill 
  points to focus on a small range of crucial skills.
  Level: 1st.
  Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  bardic knowledge.
  Beneﬁ t: When making any skill check, you can use 1/2 
  your bard level (rounded up) in place of the number of ranks 
  you have in the skill (even if that number is 0).
   For example, a 5th-level bard would have the equivalent of 
  3 ranks in Appraise, Balance, Bluff, and so on (but only for 
  the purpose of making skill checks).
   You can’t take 10 on checks when you use bardic knack 
  (to take 10 you have to use your actual ranks). If the 
  skill doesn’t allow untrained checks, you must 
  have at least 1 actual rank 
  to attempt the 
  check.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Controller
  Half-Elf Bard
   Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 15.
   Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Informa-
  tion, Knowledge (local), Perform, Sense Motive.
   Languages: Common, Elven, Celestial.
   Feat: Skill Focus (Perform).
   Weapons: Longsword (1d8/19–20), shortbow with 20 arrows 
  (1d6/×3, 60 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Common musical instrument, spell component 
  pouch, standard adventurer’s kit, 9 gp.
   Spells Known: 0—detect magic, lullaby, mage hand, prestidigitation.
  Package 2: The Problem Solver
  Gnome Bard
   Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 15.
   Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft (alchemy), Listen, Per-
  form, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device.
   Languages: Common, Gnome, Goblin.
   Feat: Arcane Flourish*.
   Weapons: Longsword (1d6/19–20), shortbow with 20 arrows 
  (1d4/×3, 60 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC), 
   Other Gear: Common musical instrument, spell component 
  pouch, standard adventurer’s kit, 4 gp.
   Spells Known: 0—dancing lights, detect magic, mage hand, 
  read magic.
  Package 3: The Vanguard
  Human Bard
   Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 15.
   Skills: Concentration, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Listen, 
  Perform, Spot, Tumble.
  Languages: Common, Draconic.
   Feats: Combat Expertise, Still Spell.
   Weapons: Rapier (1d6/18–20), ﬁ ve javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC), light wooden shield (+1 
  AC, 5% arcane spell failure).
   Other Gear: Common musical instrument, spell compo-
  nent pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 22 gp.
   
   Spells Known: 0—detect 
  magic, ghost sound, light, 
  message.
  Gimble, Herald 
  of the High Crown
  Illus. by S. Belledin
  
  36
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  CLERIC
  You are a representative of an almighty deity’s authority in the 
  mortal world. You give thanks daily to the good fortune that 
  put you in such an enviable position. You know ﬁ rsthand that 
  the places of natural beauty, the structure of societies, and 
  even existential cosmic laws would falter and perhaps collapse 
  altogether without divine inﬂ uence and intervention.
   However, deities work through agencies other than mere 
  divine decree. In fact, gods prefer to work through interme-
  diaries such as you when possible. You use the power of your 
  deity to make your god’s will manifest. In doing so, your lot 
  improves, as you are raised slowly up in the eyes of the deity you 
  serve with each deed you accomplish in your god’s name.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Artisan, Ascetic, Noble 
  Scion.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Compan-
  ion, Crusader, Innocent, Leader, Martyr, Orphan, Prophet, 
  Royalty, Sage, Seeker, Simple Soul, Theorist.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character 
  themes could apply to you.
  Giver of Blessings: Since you are an 
  instrument of your deity’s will, you of-
  ten ﬁ nd yourself (along with your 
  companions) in tight spaces. In 
  such circumstances, it is custom-
  ary for you to bless yourself 
  and your companions with 
  your god’s beneﬁ cence im-
  mediately prior to taking 
  desperate action.
   Keeping such blessings 
  to a minimum number of 
  words is a good idea, given that 
  you are usually only moved to 
  give a blessing when circum-
  stances are dire.
   You are partial to one or 
  more of the following blessings 
  (substituting your deity’s name 
  for Pelor):
  “Refresh and gladden our 
  spirits.
   Purify our hearts.
   Illumine our powers.
   We lay our hope in Pelor’s hands.”
  “Bless us, oh Pelor,
   and these thy weapons which
   we are about to deploy in thy name,
   through your beneﬁ cence.”
  “We humbly beseech you from the bottom of
   our hearts to succor us in our necessity.”
  Missionary: You believe without question that others would 
  beneﬁ t by conversion to the worship of your deity. You have taken 
  it upon yourself to be a propagator of your religion, and draw 
  upon one of the following methods of proselytization.
   Conversion through Exhortation: You are a strident evangelist 
  who exhorts others to consider your deity’s worship at every 
  opportunity. For instance, whenever you heal a companion, 
  you murmur:
   “Through Pelor’s grace, be healed. If your belief were greater, how 
  much greater would the relief from your wounds be?”
   On the other hand, when smiting enemies, you scream 
  (regardless of whether your friends have yet converted):
   “When you cross me, you cross the great god Pelor and earn his 
  wrath, and the wrath of all his disciples!”
   Conversion by Example: You never exhort your companions 
  to convert, but instead serve your deity lovingly and well. You 
  heal your companions at need, smite enemies, and accomplish 
  other duties required by the company you keep.
   After months of showing how the grace of Pelor helps you 
  through example, you are ready 
  to choose your moment. At 
  some point your aid, heal-
  ing prayer, or other good 
  work will come at just the 
  precise moment to save or re-
  new one of your companions. 
  This is the time to whisper per-
  suasively in his or her ear:
    “Consider what Pelor has done for 
  you—it is through his aid that I have aided 
  you. If you say so now, I will tell you more of 
  Pelor later.”
   In this way, you can slowly bring one or 
  more of your companions into the fold.
   
   Prayerful: You know that 
  maintaining the channels of 
  communication between 
  yourself and your deity is 
  necessary, not just when your 
  god grants your spells, but all 
  day through. However, the ad-
  venturing life being what it is, 
  your prayers are short and sweet, 
  and you drop them into conver-
  sation when possible.
   
   For instance, whenever 
  you make a particularly force-
  ful assertion, you append one 
  of the following phrases (substi-
  tuting your deity’s name for Pelor):
   “. . . as Pelor’s grace demands.”
  “. . . just as Pelor sweeps aside foes.”
   “. . . so that Pelor may smile upon us.”
  “. . . in Pelor’s name, let it be so.”
   “. . . in this we ask Pelor’s aid.”
  “. . . and in so doing we will be instruments of Pelor’s peace.”
   “. . . and in this we shall have Pelor’s divine aid.”
  “. . . for behold, Pelor has smiled on us from the very beginning.”
   “. . . and may all sin in Pelor’s eyes be washed from our souls, so 
  that our purposes are pure.”
  Jozan, High Priest of Pelor
  Illus. by H. Lyon
  
  37
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
   Sermonizer: You are familiar with the trials and travails 
  of your deity, especially if your god or one of his saints or 
  other associated entities was forced to undergo a great trial 
  to reach a higher spiritual understanding or vision.
   You are given to dropping in bits and pieces of this story 
  prior to expressing your point. You hope that by being made 
  aware of holy example, your companions will see the wisdom 
  of your words.
   For instance, you might say as part of your arguments 
  (substituting your deity’s name for Pelor):
   “. . . but as the One Hundred Writs of Pelor tell us . . .”
   “. . . lest we suffer as Pelor suffered in his many trials . . .”
   “. . . but even the purest hearts can fall. Remember Eyria, the 
  devoted paladin of Pelor? Renowned for her piety and courage, 
  she was slain in battle with a death knight, but in her destruction 
  she was victorious.”
   “. . . long before you were born and long after you’ve become but 
  dust, Pelor’s disciples will continue their good works and see to it 
  that Pelor’s will is accomplished.
   Soldier of Divinity: You stand a little closer to the paladin 
  ideal than other clerics. You disdain blessings and prayers, 
  and you avoid healing your compatriots except in the direst 
  of circumstances. Instead, you select your spells, feats, and 
  magic items so that your deity’s divine grace directly infuses 
  your strength at arms and defense. If you pray for just the 
  right combination of aid, your ability to fight your god’s 
  battles comes close to equaling any warrior’s combat ability, 
  and in some cases exceeds those capabilities.
   Of course, being a soldier of your deity doesn’t mean that 
  you can’t be prayerful (see above), though your pleas to your 
  god take on a much more military context:
   “Move, inﬁ del, or feel divine wrath.”
   “Kill them all, Pelor commands it!”
  SPONTANEOUS DOMAIN CASTING
  After a while, clerics can start looking very similar. Even with a 
  variety of domains to choose from, domain spells take up such 
  a small portion of the average cleric’s repertoire that they don’t 
  have much effect on the overall feel of the character. With spon-
  taneous domain casting, though, your domain choice becomes 
  a more important element of your character. You won’t be able 
  to provide as much healing to your party as a typical cleric, but 
  the ability to prepare cure or inﬂ ict spells in your domain spell 
  slots keeps you from falling too far behind in that area.
   Level: 1st.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  the ability to spontaneously convert prepared spells into cure 
  or inﬂ ict spells.
   Beneﬁ t: You can convert stored spell energy into the spells 
  of one of your domains. Pick one of your two domains. You can 
  “lose” any prepared spell (other than a domain spell) to cast any 
  spell of the same level or lower on that domain list. Your choice 
  is permanent unless an alignment change, deity change, or other 
  dramatic event leaves you incapable of accessing the domain.
   In addition, when preparing spells you can choose to ﬁ ll 
  any or all of your domain spell slots with either cure or inﬂ ict 
  spells (depending on whether you would normally convert 
  prepared spells to cure or inﬂ ict spells) of the same level.
   Example: Crucius is a cleric of Heironeous with the Good 
  and War domains. At 1st level, he chooses to spontaneously 
  cast War domain spells. Thereafter, he can lose a prepared 
  1st-level spell to cast magic weapon, a prepared 2nd-level spell 
  to cast spiritual weapon (or magic weapon), and so on. Further-
  more, in each domain spell slot he can prepare a spell from 
  the Good domain, a spell from the War domain, or a cure spell 
  of the same level.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Defender
  Dwarf Cleric of Moradin
   Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 8, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 11.
   Skills: Concentration, Knowledge (religion).
   Feat: Improved Turning.
   Weapons: Morningstar (1d8), light crossbow with 20 bolts 
  (1d8/19–20, 80 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy wooden shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, wooden holy symbol, 2 gp.
   Class Features: Channels positive energy; Good and Protec-
  tion domains.
   Spells Prepared: 1st—command, protection from evilD, shield of 
  faith; 0—detect magic, light, resistance.
   D: Domain spell.
  Package 2: The Destroyer
  Half-Orc Cleric of Heironeous
   Ability Scores: Str 16, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 11.
   Skill: Concentration.
   Feats: Divine Justice*, Martial Weapon Proﬁ ciency (long-
  sword), Weapon Focus (longsword).
   Weapons: Longsword (1d8/19–20), 2 javelins (1d6, 20 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy wooden shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, wooden holy symbol, 5 gp.
   Class Features: Channels positive energy; Good and War 
  (longsword) domains.
   Spells Prepared: 1st—bless, divine favor, magic weaponD; 
  0—guidance, resistance, virtue.
   D: Domain spell.
  Package 3: The Healer
  Human Cleric of Pelor
   Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 13.
   Skills: Concentration, Diplomacy, Heal.
   Feats: Combat Casting, Sacred Healing*.
   Weapons: Longspear (1d8/×3), light crossbow with 20 bolts 
  (1d8/19–20, 80 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, wooden holy symbol, 12 gp.
   Class Features: Channels positive energy; Healing and 
  Sun domains.
   Spells Prepared: 1st—endure elementsD, protection from evil, 
  sanctuary; 0—detect magic, detect poison, light.
   D: Domain spell.
  
  38
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  DRUID
  Your secret instruction occurred in caves and forests sacred 
  to life. You learned clandestine verses, the names of stars 
  and constellations, the cycle of the seasons, sacred songs, 
  formulas for prayers and incantations, rules of divination 
  and magic, and the language of animals. To this day, you 
  still learn; as a druid, you are a lifelong student of the 
  natural world.
   Why isn’t everyone? After witnessing the fury of a storm, 
  the splendor of the setting sun, and the spirit-cleansing 
  power of a grove of aspen trees, only the most stone-
  hearted would not be moved to protect and conserve them, 
  and what’s more, rejoice and cherish the slow-growing, 
  natural elements of the world that form the foundation 
  of everything else. Without the web of sun, rain, growth, 
  death, and rebirth in nature, the vaunted civilizations of 
  men, elves, dwarves, and other creatures would crumble 
  like dust.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Ascetic, Farm Hand, 
  Tribal Origin.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Crusader, 
  Explorer, Innocent, Martyr, Orphan, Prophet, Renegade, 
  Sage, Savage, Wanderer.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
   Conservationist: You espouse a philosophy you like 
  to call the “conservation ethic.” The conservation ethic 
  promotes the measured use, allotment, and protection of 
  natural lands and waters. You employ your ethic as an aid in 
  your efforts to sustain the natural world: its forests, lakes, 
  seas, and all the strange and wondrous creatures that live 
  within it.
   In order to engender a similar ethic in your companions 
  and others that you meet, you offer poetic references to nature 
  when traveling, when ﬁ rst seeing a new vista, or when you 
  otherwise deem appropriate:
   “Spend a heartbeat and notice every waving leaf, every tendril 
  of mist in the dark woods, and every humming insect.”
   “The deer, the wolf, the oak, the ﬁ sh, and the great birds are our 
  fellows, and they can be wronged, just as you can be wronged.”
   “An unchecked and untempered appetite will devour green plains 
  and leave behind only a barren wasteland.”
   “What soul can’t ﬁ nd peace and spiritual renewal in the forlorn 
  cry of the whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around a pond 
  at night?”
   “Whatever happens to the wild places, the pure waters, and 
  the teeming beasts soon happens to us. An invisible web connects 
  all things.”
   Friend of Animals: Small and relatively defenseless ani-
  mals have no greater friend than you. While you know that 
  nature is not merciful, and that the weak and old are destined 
  to be food for young, strong predators, you also know that 
  mercy can selectively apply to nature.
   To this end you know by sight dozens, if not hundreds, of 
  individual small animals such as birds, gophers, and rabbits. 
  You don’t bore your humanoid companions with all the 
  names you’ve given all the little creatures that you recognize, 
  unless asked.
   You always carry with you a small bag in which you keep 
  crumbs, old bones, jerky, grain, thistle, or other treats that 
  animals enjoy, and leave them as small offerings when 
  convenient.
   “See that one? Hawks rarely live as long as Shrieker. He’s a tough 
  old bird.”
   “Sometimes my friends ﬁ nd me around the campﬁ re at night, 
  and tell me stories of their day.”
   Hunter: You are displeased when those who should know 
  better exploit nature. But you retain a burning hatred for 
  those things that are nature’s bane by virtue of their mere 
  existence; you hate that which is unnatural, including aber-
  rations (such as beholders and carrion crawlers) and undead 
  (such as zombies and vampires).
   From time to time, you lead raids against such creatures, 
  especially when they encroach on natural wonders and lands 
  that you revere. Even while such creatures are still contained, 
  it is better to excise them before they can cause damage to 
  the natural world, rather than wait for the damage to happen 
  as it inevitably will.
   Undead in particular have no connection to nature—
  they exist apart from it, a mockery of the normal cycles 
  of life. Nature cries out each moment they are suffered 
  to exist.
   “Those not of creation deserve no part in it.”
   “This aberration’s body must be displayed as a warning to 
  the others.”
   Judge: You are the guardian of unwritten ancient laws 
  inspired by nature. As someone with such knowledge, you 
  believe you have the power to judge those who have sinned 
  against the natural order. When you judge, you can sentence 
  the malefactor to be excommunicated from sacred groves, 
  the deep woods, and all other places where nature still 
  reigns supreme.
   To the extent you are able to communicate your judgments 
  to other druids, wild animals, treants, and other creatures of 
  the wild, your judgments stand. Of course, the easiest way 
  to ensure your judgment is to take matters into your own 
  hands against those who have sinned most heinously (such 
  as undead, through their mere existence).
   In most cases, other druids are willing to abide by your 
  judgments, if you show through your actions that you are 
  willing to abide by theirs.
   However, no civilized court of law, whether a council of 
  village elders or a king’s tribunal, recognizes the right of 
  druids and their judgments. That’s all right with you—neither 
  do you recognize their right over sovereign nature.
   “Primeval justice is the ﬁ rst arbiter and ﬁ nal authority.”
   “The laws of man pale before the law of nature.”
   Philosopher: Nature is red in tooth and claw, regardless 
  of what the sentimental philosophies of so-called civiliza-
  tion might claim. To truly cherish all life, you embrace the 
  fact that bad things and good are all part of the evolving 
  environment. When events unfold that seem initially bad or 
  ruinous, you philosophically attempt to provide perspective 
  to your companions.
  
  39
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  “In the landscape of spring, there is neither better nor worse. The 
  ﬂ owering branches grow naturally, some long, some short.”
  “Nature’s tranquility comes like a fresh wind that blows away 
  cares like autumn leaves.”
  “There are no sermons in stones. It is easier to get a spark out of 
  a stone than a moral.”
   “We cannot command nature except by obeying her.”
  “Nature teaches us to either adapt or perish.”
   Teacher: Unlike many druids, who can come 
  across as sullen and rough (albeit steadfast in 
  their beliefs), you enjoy teaching others just 
  why it is so important that nature have a 
  protector such as yourself. After all, it 
  is not obvious to the casual observer 
  that life exists only through a 
  subtle connection and deep 
  interaction with all other 
  living things.
   Think about it—where 
  does the food you eat come 
  from? We eat meat, and 
  we eat greens. If we kill 
  all the meat animals, or 
  the land where the ani-
  mals graze, what are you 
  going to eat? If we build 
  over all the farms with 
  sprawling cities, who is go-
  ing to grow your potatoes 
  and barley?”
   “There is power in nature 
  apart from what magic or 
  resources we can extract from 
  it. Sure, a grove of trees will build 
  a house—but it can also house 
  a spirit.”
   “Consider the herders and shep-
  herds who conserve their cattle 
  and sheep from season to season, 
  extracting milk, wool, and even meat 
  while ensuring the health of the overall herd. 
  It is no different with the plains, forests, and lakes. 
  We need to be tree stewards, grass shepherds, and 
  lake wardens if we want to continue to enjoy the 
  bounty nature provides year after year.”
   Star Watcher: You spend so much time in the wild that 
  you recognize the stars and constellations of the night sky 
  as easily as you note the smell of ﬂ ame on the wind or the 
  spoor of a mountain cat about to give birth.
   You know the various epicycles and positions of the 
  celestial bodies, but more important, you hold that your 
  knowledge of the positions of stars, comets, moons, and 
  planets is useful in understanding, interpreting, and organiz-
  ing knowledge about what has come before, what’s going 
  on now, and what will one day come to pass. You like to 
  say to your companions concerning your predilection for 
  the stars:
  “. . . by looking up I see downward.”
   In addition, you make a point to see the stars at least 
  once a week, and more often if possible. If you are pre-
  vented from seeing the open sky, you at least have your 
  personally constructed star chart, a scroll of paper on 
  which you’ve inked the various stars, planets, and oth-
  er celestial bodies important to you. You 
  can while away long hours poring 
  over your charts and drawing 
  complicated designs meant to 
  unleash your intuitive side, so 
  that visions of the future might 
  become clear.
   
   “I saw a comet once that was 
  part of no star chart I had stud-
  ied. I named it after my 
  secret desire.”
   
   “The stars are wise be-
  yond all else. They looked 
  on as this world formed, 
  and they’ll look on after this 
  world has run through its history 
  to the end.”
  SPONTANEOUS 
  REJUVENATION
  By selecting the spontaneous reju-
  venation alternative class feature, 
  you can provide the party with 
  plenty of healing without tram-
  pling on the cleric’s role.
    Level: 1st.
  Replaces: If you select this 
  class feature, you do not gain the 
  ability to spontaneously convert 
  prepared spells into summon nature’s 
  ally spells.
    Beneﬁ t: You can transform the stored 
  energy of a spell you have prepared to 
  invigorate you and your allies.
   
   To use spontaneous rejuvenation, you 
  must spend a standard action and sacrifice a 
  prepared spell. All allies within 30 feet of you 
  (including yourself) gain fast healing for 3 
  rounds. The fast healing amount is equal to the 
  spell’s level. For example, if you sacriﬁ ce remove disease, a 3rd-
  level spell, each ally gains fast healing 3 for 3 rounds.
   The fast healing granted by this class feature doesn’t stack 
  with itself or with fast healing from other sources.
  SHAPESHIFT
  Taking the shapeshift alternative class feature means you can 
  focus on your actions in combat (rather than worrying about 
  your animal companion) while still unleashing nature’s fury 
  upon your foes.
   Level: 1st.
  Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  an animal companion at 1st level, nor do you gain the wild 
  shape class feature at 5th level (or any variation of that class 
  Vadania, hierophant druid 
  of the Tall Forest
  Illus. by R. Spencer
  
  40
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  feature at later levels, such as the ability to wild shape into 
  an elemental at 16th level).
   Beneﬁ t: You can shapeshift at will into powerful animal 
  or nature-oriented forms. Each time you use this ability, you 
  can choose the exact look that your shapeshifted form takes. 
  Druids pick animals from the terrain and climate they’re most 
  familiar with. For example, a druid from a jungle might adopt 
  the form of a black panther when in predator form, while one 
  from the taiga might shapeshift into a white wolf. The two 
  forms look different, but functionally they’re identical. This 
  is a supernatural ability.
   It requires only a swift action to shapeshift. If you are 
  capable of taking more than one form, you can shapeshift 
  directly between two forms without returning to your normal 
  form. There’s no limit to the number of times per day you 
  can change forms, nor to the amount of time you can spend 
  in a shapeshifted form.
   You retain your normal Hit Dice, hit points, base attack 
  bonus, base saving throw bonuses, and skill ranks regardless 
  of your form. You also retain your normal ability scores, 
  though each form grants a bonus to your Strength score.
   You keep all extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like 
  special attacks and qualities of your normal form, except for 
  those requiring a body part your new form does not have.
   All your held, carried, or worn gear melds into your new 
  form and becomes nonfunctional until you return to your 
  normal form. You cannot speak in shapeshifted form, and 
  your limbs lack the precision required to wield a weapon or 
  perform tasks requiring ﬁ ne manipulation. You can’t cast 
  spells or activate magic items while in shapeshifted form, 
  even if you have the Natural Spell feat or other ability that 
  would allow you to cast spells while wild shaped.
   Unless otherwise noted in the descriptions below, you 
  retain your size and space when you adopt a new form. You 
  always retain your type and subtypes, regardless of the nature 
  of the form assumed. You don’t gain any special attacks or 
  qualities while shapeshifted except as described below.
   When you shapeshift into a form other than your own, 
  you gain natural weapons (and reach with those weapons) 
  as described below. These natural weapons gain an enhance-
  ment bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls equal to 1/4 
  your druid level, and at 4th level and higher they are treated 
  as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage 
  reduction. The damage dice given are for Medium druids; 
  smaller or larger druids should adjust those values according 
  to the table on page 28 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
   If knocked unconscious or slain in shapeshifted form, you 
  revert to your original form.
   Predator Form: This form, traditionally that of a wolf, 
  panther, or other predatory mammal, is the ﬁ rst one a shape-
  shifting druid learns.
   While in predator form, you gain a primary bite attack 
  that deals 1d6 points of damage. You have the reach of a long 
  creature of your size (5 feet for Small or Medium). You gain a 
  +4 enhancement bonus to Strength, and your natural armor 
  bonus improves by 4. Your base land speed becomes 50 feet.
   At 4th level, you gain Mobility as a bonus feat whenever you 
  are in predator form (even if you don’t meet the prerequisites).
   Aerial Form: At 5th level, you can shapeshift into a ﬂ ying 
  creature. Traditionally resembling an eagle, vulture, or bat, 
  the aerial form enables fast travel and the ability to soar out 
  of harm’s way.
   While in aerial form, you gain a primary talon attack that 
  deals 1d6 points of damage. You have the reach of a long crea-
  ture of your size (5 feet for Small or Medium). You gain a +2 
  enhancement bonus to Strength and a +2 enhancement bonus 
  on Reﬂ ex saves, and your natural armor bonus improves by 
  2. You gain a ﬂ y speed of 40 feet (good maneuverability).
   At 7th level, you gain Flyby Attack as a bonus feat whenever 
  you are in aerial form.
   Ferocious Slayer Form: At 8th level, you can shapeshift into 
  a large and ﬁ erce predatory form, such as a tiger, brown bear, 
  or dire wolf.
   While in ferocious slayer form, you gain a primary bite attack 
  that deals 1d8 points of damage and two secondary claw attacks 
  that each deal 1d6 points of damage. Your size increases by one 
  category (to a maximum of Colossal), and you have the reach of 
  a long creature of your size (5 feet for Medium or Large). You 
  gain a +8 enhancement bonus to Strength and a +4 enhance-
  ment bonus on Fortitude saves, and your natural armor bonus 
  improves by 8. Your base land speed changes to 40 feet.
   At 10th level, you gain Improved Critical (bite) and 
  Improved Critical (claw) as bonus feats whenever you are in 
  ferocious slayer form.
   Forest Avenger Form: At 12th level, you can take the form of 
  a massive plantlike creature, similar to a shambling mound 
  or a treant. (Druids not native to forest terrains typically 
  rename this form to ﬁ t their environment.)
   While in forest avenger form, you gain a pair of primary 
  slam attacks that deal 1d8 points of damage each. Your size 
  increases by one category (to a maximum of Colossal) and 
  you have the reach of a tall creature of your size (5 feet for 
  Medium, 10 feet for Large). You gain a +12 enhancement 
  bonus to Strength and a +4 enhancement bonus on Fortitude 
  and Will saves, and your natural armor bonus improves by 
  12. Your base land speed becomes 20 feet.
   You gain damage reduction 5/slashing while in forest 
  avenger form.
   At 14th level, you gain Improved Overrun as a bonus feat 
  while in forest avenger form (even if you don’t meet the 
  normal prerequisites).
   Elemental Fury Form: At 16th level, you can shapeshift into 
  a giant form of air, earth, ﬁ re, or water (your choice each time 
  you shapeshift).
   While in elemental fury form, you gain a pair of primary 
  slam attacks that deal 2d6 points of damage each. Your size 
  increases by two categories (to a maximum of Colossal), and 
  you have the reach of a tall creature of your size (10 feet for 
  Large, 15 feet for Huge). You gain a +16 enhancement bonus to 
  Strength and a +4 enhancement bonus on Fortitude, Reﬂ ex, 
  and Will saves, and your natural armor bonus improves by 16. 
  You do not gain any new modes of movement in elemental 
  fury form, nor does your base land speed change.
   You gain immunity to extra damage from critical hits while 
  in elemental form. You also gain immunity to an energy type 
  related to the element chosen (air = electricity, earth = acid, 
  
  41
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  ﬁ re = ﬁ re, water = cold). You don’t need to breathe while in 
  elemental fury form.
   At 18th level, you gain Great Cleave as a bonus feat while 
  in elemental fury form (even if you don’t meet the normal 
  prerequisites).
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Beastmaster
  Halﬂ ing Druid
   Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 13.
   Skills: Handle Animal, Ride, Survival.
   Languages: Common, Druidic, Halﬂ ing.
   Feat: Animal Afﬁ nity.
   Weapons: Longspear (1d6/×3), sling with 20 bullets (1d3, 
  50 ft.).
   Armor: Hide (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 9 gp, 8 sp.
   Class Feature: Riding dog animal companion.
   Spells Prepared: 1st—cure light wounds, speak with animals; 
  0—cure minor wounds (2), detect magic.
  Package 2: The Feral Beast
  Elf Druid
   Ability Scores: Str 13, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 10.
   Skills: Listen, Spot, Survival.
   Languages: Common, Druidic, Elven.
   Feat: Alertness.
   Weapon: Spear (1d8/×3), sling with 20 bullets (1d4, 50 ft.).
   Armor: Hide (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 12 gp, 8 sp.
   Class Feature: Hawk animal companion.
   Spells Prepared: 1st—cure light wounds, longstrider; 0—cure 
  minor wounds, know direction, light.
  Package 3: The Warden
  Human Druid
   Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 13.
   Skills: Concentration, Knowledge (nature), Spot, Survival.
   Languages: Common, Druidic.
   Feats: Augment Summoning, Spell Focus (conjuration).
   Weapons: Scimitar (1d6/18–20), sling with 20 bullets (1d4, 
  50 ft.).
   Armor: Leather (+2 AC), light wooden shield (+1 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 1 gp, 8 sp.
   Class Feature: Wolf animal companion.
   Spells Prepared: 1st—cure light wounds, entangle; 0—cure 
  minor wounds, detect magic, ﬂ are.
  pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs
  pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs
  1st Level
  Badger
  Brixashulty†RW
  Camel
  CaribouF
  Chordevoc†RW
  ClimbdogAE
  Dire rat
  Dog
  Dog, riding
  Eagle
  Hawk
  Horse, light
  Horse, heavy
  JackalS
  Owl
  Pony
  ServalS
  Snake, Small viper
  Snake, Medium viper
  SwindlespitterM3
  VultureS
  Wolf
  †Halfling druids only
  4th Level (–3)
  Ape
  AxebeakAE
  Badger, dire
  Bat, dire
  Bear, black
  Bison
  Boar
  Brixashulty†RW
  Cheetah
  Chordevoc†RW
  Fleshraker3
  Hawk, dire††M2, RW$
  Jackal, direS
  Leopard
  Lizard, monitor
  Snake, constrictor
  Snake, Large viper
  Toad, direM2
  Weasel, dire
  Wolverine
  †Nonhalfling druids only
  ††Raptoran druids only
  7th Level (–6)
  Ape, dire
  Ankylosaurus, caveMH
  Bear, brown
  Boar, dire
  Crocodile, giant
  Deinonychus
  Eagle, direRS
  Hawk, dire††M2, RW$
  Lion
  MegalocerosF
  ProtoceratopsS
  Rhinoceros
  Snake, Huge viper
  Terror birdFF
  Tiger
  Wolf, dire
  Wolverine, dire
  ††Nonraptoran druids 
  only
  10th Level (–9)
  AllosaurusM2, A$
  Bear, polar 
  BloodstrikerM3
  GlyptodonF
  HippopotamusS
  Horse, direM2
  Lion, dire
  Megaraptor
  Puma, direS
  Snake, direM2
  Snake, giant constrictor
  Tiger, saber-toothedF
  Tortoise, direS
  Triceratops, caveMH
  Tyrannosaurus, caveMH
  Vulture, direS
  13th Level (–12)
  AnkylosaurusM2, A$
  Bear, dire
  DiprotodonS
  Elephant
  Elk, direM2
  FhorgeFF
  Lizard, giant bandedS
  16th Level (–15)
  Bear, dire polarF
  Elephant, direM2
  Hippopotamus, direS
  IndricothereFF
  Mammoth, woollyF*
  MastodonM3
  Mastodon, grizzlyM2
  MegatheriumFF
  QuetzalcoatlusM2, A$
  Rhinoceros, direFF
  Tiger, dire
  Triceratops
  Tyrannosaurus
  *Listed in previous source 
  as available at a different 
  level.
  A: See D&D v.3.5 Accessory 
  Update for new statistics
  AE: Arms & Equipment 
  Guide
  F: Frostburn
  FF: Fiend Folio
  M2: Monster Manual II
  M3: Monster Manual III
  MH: Miniatures Handbook
  RS: Races of Stone
  RW: Races of the Wild
  S: Sandstorm
  ANIMAL COMPANIONS
  The list below is a compilation of all terrestrial animals eligible to 
  be chosen as animal companions, organized by minimum druid 
  level required. Apply the parenthetical adjustment to the druid’s 
  level for purposes of determining the companion’s characteris-
  tics and special abilities.
   If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic envi-
  ronment, consult Stormwrack for a list of additional appropriate 
  animal companions.
  
  42
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  FAVORED SOUL
  You are a free agent of your deity, unfettered by the strictures 
  of a clerical hierarchy. You wander from place to place, wield-
  ing your power to advance the causes you deem worthy in the 
  eyes of your god, or else you choose a great crusade against 
  that which offends your deity, requiring a lifelong commit-
  ment and unswerving purpose. While the cleric comes to his 
  power through study and discipline, you are the recipient of 
  a great gift—or, as some perceive it, a terrible curse. How you 
  wield the divine power burning in your heart is up to you.
   This class appears in the Complete Divine supplement.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Ascetic, Drifter, Noble 
  Scion.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Companion, Cru-
  sader, Innocent, Martyr, Prophet, Seeker, Wanderer.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
  Mystic: You aspire to the 
  divine in every aspect of 
  your life. The difficulties 
  and dangers around you are 
  only temporary; you keep 
  your eyes ﬁ rmly ﬁ xed on 
  matters of the spirit, which 
  are all that truly matter. You 
  have little interest in wealth, 
  fame, or creature comforts, 
  since these things are tran-
  sitory too. Instead, you seek 
  enlightenment, understand-
  ing, and spiritual growth.
   Some might see you as obliv-
  ious or irrational, but those are 
  unfair characterizations. You 
  simply have the ability to look 
  past fear, pain, and suffering 
  to the eternal rewards that will 
  surely follow. You possess moral 
  and physical courage in abundance, 
  because you do not fear death or in-
  jury. You don’t go out of your way to 
  get hurt or killed, of course, but there 
  is no point in fearing pain or death when 
  you know that your spirit will survive.
   While your comrades might not always ap-
  preciate your detachment from matters of the 
  physical world, you are compassionate (or care-
  ful, at least, if you are evil) and fearless. Nothing 
  discourages you.
   Seek out adventures for the right reasons—aiding others, 
  gaining knowledge, advancing the cause of your deity, or (if 
  you are not good) hardening your soul and accruing power 
  for the day when you leave your ﬂ eshly existence behind. 
  Monetary gain for its own sake interests you little, but 
  the growth you experience in taking on any challenging 
  experience—such as recovering an ancient treasure—means 
  that you do not necessarily spurn your companions’ quests 
  for material gain.
   When circumstances permit, contemplate decisions care-
  fully. You are not given to hasty action or impetuousness. Even 
  in combat, you remain calm and deliberate. Speak slowly and 
  thoughtfully; avoid undue excitement. When you encourage 
  your friends, remind them that very little in the world around 
  them has the power to do them true and lasting injury.
   “Courage, friends; all this has happened before, and will 
  happen again.”
   “Pain is illusory! It exists only in the mind.”
  “True strength lies within.”
   “Death is a doorway, nothing more. Fear it not.”
  Prophet: The hand of a deity is upon you, and you are not 
  always in control of your words or actions. From time to time 
  you give yourself over completely to the will of your deity, 
  and say or do things that you had no intention of saying or 
  doing. Driven by impulses you cannot control or understand, 
  you might be capable of aston-
  ishing acts of courage or awful 
  treachery—it all depends on 
  the whim of your deity.
   When you play a prophetic 
  character, you do not surren-
  der control of your character 
  to the Dungeon Master. How-
  ever, you should ask your DM 
  to look for the occasional op-
  portunity to communicate 
  unusual information through 
  your character’s words or actions. 
  When confronting an evil lord, 
  your comrades might be inclined 
  to guard their words and avoid a 
  ﬁ ght in the middle of his castle—
  but the prophet might suddenly 
  blaze forth with a ringing condem-
  nation of the lord’s secret wickedness, 
  possibly enumerating crimes you 
  and the other players had no direct 
  knowledge of beforehand.
    Even if your Dungeon Master 
  does not provide you with ex cathe-
  dra material for the game session, you 
  should listen to your intuition. Don’t 
  watch your words and don’t rethink 
  impetuous actions. Take these impulses as 
  signs that your character is caught in the grip of 
  her deity, and let the chips fall where they may.
   Work with your Dungeon Master to create a few 
  interesting prophecies for the campaign. The best 
  prophecies are ones that can come true in unexpected ways.
   “The third moon draws nigh; beware!”
  “One of you will fall tonight.”
   “We shall triumph, and yet we shall fail.”
  “I cannot see all that follows from the deeds of this day.”
   Scourge of Unbelievers: You are your deity’s chosen 
  instrument of vengeance, punishment, and righteous wrath. 
  Sorra the blessed
  Illus. by E. Fiegenschuh
  
  43
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  It falls to you to defend the innocent and harry the iniqui-
  tous. You are driven, never able to rest as long as your deity’s 
  enemies remain at large. Since you have an inclusive view of 
  who might be considered an enemy of your deity, that means 
  you rarely rest at all.
   Examine your deity’s alignment, description, and dogma 
  or credo and create a list of the creatures or people you need 
  to smite ﬁ rst. Anybody not on that list is irrelevant . . . unless, 
  of course, they can be recruited as allies in your ongoing 
  crusade. When your adventures pit you against foes that your 
  deity has no special distaste for, you chafe for the opportunity 
  to ﬁ nish up and return to what’s truly important: bringing 
  the wrath of your deity down upon his or her enemies.
   You are frequently inspired to scream or snarl imprecations, 
  letting your foes know exactly who you are and exactly why 
  you are punishing them.
   “Pelor’s light will sear you, spawn of darkness!”
   “Pelor commands your destruction, inﬁ del!”
   “Naught shall avail you against the might of Pelor, demon! I will 
  hurl you screaming back into the Abyss!”
  DEITY’S FAVOR
  The favored soul enjoys the ﬂ exibility of spontaneous spellcast-
  ing, but her limited spell selection can hinder her ability to 
  provide the healing expected from a divine caster. Choosing 
  the deity’s favor class feature means you’ll be a bit less potent 
  in combat, but lets you use the spells you’re already casting to 
  help you and your allies last longer in a ﬁ ght. Favored souls who 
  choose this option should expect a lot of requests for support 
  spells such as bless, bull’s strength, and prayer, but remember 
  that your cure spells gain this beneﬁ t as well.
   Level: 3rd.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  the deity’s weapon focus or deity’s weapon specialization 
  class features (you still gain proﬁ ciency with your deity’s 
  favored weapon).
   Beneﬁ t: Beginning at 3rd level, whenever you cast a favored 
  soul spell, you can choose any one ally affected by that spell 
  (including yourself) to gain temporary hit points equal to three 
  times the spell’s level. These temporary hit points last for up 
  to 1 minute per level of the spell. If the spell would also grant 
  temporary hit points, use only the larger value and its duration.
   If you use this ability on a creature that is still under the effect of 
  a previous use, the new temporary hit points overlap (do not stack 
  with) the temporary hit points the creature had remaining.
   Beginning at 12th level, you can choose to grant these tem-
  porary hit points to any number of allies affected by the spell.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Defender
  Dwarf Favored Soul of Moradin
   Ability Scores: Str 13, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 12.
   Skills: Concentration.
   Feat: Shield Specialization* (heavy).
   Weapon: Warhammer (1d8/×3), ﬁ ve javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy wooden shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 31 gp.
  Package 2: The Healer
  Halﬂ ing Favored Soul of Yondalla
   Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 13.
   Skills: Heal.
   Feat: Spontaneous Healer (Complete Divine).
   Weapons: Short sword (1d4/19–20), ﬁ ve javelins (1d4, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy wooden shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 33 gp.
  Package 3: The Vanguard
  Human Favored Soul of Kord
   Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 13.
   Skills: Concentration, Diplomacy.
   Feats: Combat Casting, Combat Focus*.
   Weapons: Greatsword (1d12/19–20), ﬁ ve javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventur-
  er’s kit.
  pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs
  pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs
  MAKING A PROPHECY
  What’s the point of being a prophet if you never get anything 
  right? The trick in creating a prophecy is to bury it in symbols 
  or metaphors that, after the fact, become perfectly obvious. 
  The more specific you are, the more likely it is that you will get 
  something wrong.
   Don’t use names, use titles. Instead of saying, “King Derath 
  of Veronia,” say something like, “Veronia’s lord”—or better yet, 
  “the Lion of Veronia,” or even “the Lion of the East.”
   Don’t use dates that occur once; use times of year, seasons, 
  or celestial events. So, instead of saying “March 15th of the year 
  635,” say something like “beneath the third moon,” or “when 
  winter’s grip weakens in the fifth year.”
   Use metaphors instead of clear statements. Don’t say “dies,” 
  or “is killed;” say “falls into darkness,” “stands before his fathers,” 
  or “goes into the night.”
   Add a random, unconnected remark, such as “The traitor sees 
  it all,” or “Now the door stands open to the night.”
  Here’s an example:
   When rises the red moon above the North,
   The Lion of Veronia ceases his roar.
   Three times three are the slain.
   Rose petals fall from the elf maiden’s hands.
  These images could mean almost anything. The red moon might 
  be a specific season or celestial phenomena, or a metaphor for 
  “war.” The Lion of Veronia might be its king or a Veronian-born 
  hero. The rose petals could be flowers strewn on a grave, or 
  perhaps drops of blood—so was the elf maiden grieving for the 
  slain, or was she actually their murderer? It worked for Nostrada-
  mus; you can make it work for you.
  
  44
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  FIGHTER
  You are an adventuring opportunist, willing to go wherever 
  the next ﬁ ght leads you. You’ll take up quests, you’ll accept 
  commissions, and you’ll even consider taking on leadership 
  roles, as long as you can practice your warrior’s craft. You 
  know ﬁ ghting—none know it better. Other combatants with 
  exotic martial styles or those who mix spells with swords 
  obscure what is most important—who’s the best? Who can 
  put their sword in an enemy’s guts ﬁ rst? You, that’s who. 
  You are a straight-up, no-nonsense person, and you know 
  the value of your hard-won, long practiced skills. While you 
  take great risks in hopes of receiving an equally big payout, 
  for you the thrill of combat is at least as compelling as the 
  loot at adventure’s end.
   The alternative class features presented here provide 
  alternatives to the traditional full attack routine. The ﬁ ghter 
  who takes one or more of these options seeks the ﬂ exibility 
  to alter his tactics based on the situation he faces. Against 
  a foe that has a high AC or damage reduction, trading less 
  useful second, third, or fourth attacks for tangible beneﬁ ts 
  represents a signiﬁ cant boon to the ﬁ ghter.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Gladiator, Guttersnipe, 
  Noble Scion, Soldier.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Challenger, Com-
  panion, Leader, Martyr, Mercenary, Orphan, Rebel, Renegade, 
  Royalty, Seeker, Simple Soul, Strategist, Theorist.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
   Comrade in Arms: In a ﬁ ght, your best weapons are 
  your friends. Your skill in arms can get you only so far, but 
  without a friend to screen attacks while you drink down 
  a potion of curing and an ally with whom you can ﬂ ank a 
  monster, your ability to win in the face of any odds would 
  be greatly diminished. Though you’re not ordinarily a 
  sentimental person, the bonds of warfare link you with 
  your companions, and you consider them brothers and 
  sisters to a signiﬁ cant degree. You regularly put yourself in 
  harm’s way for their sake, and you like to believe they’d do 
  the same for you.
   “We can take them if we work as a team!”
   “I’ll charge straight in--you take the left ﬂ ank, and you the right. 
  And how about some archery to distract them?”
   Formally Trained: Unlike many fighters, you have a 
  special pedigree—your skill in the craft comes from formal 
  training in an academy. Your academy training imparted 
  to you all the right-of-way rules in regard to attacks and 
  defenses, should you ever be called upon to ﬁ ght in a noble 
  tournament, as opposed to the desperate battles below the 
  ground in which you usually ﬁ nd yourself embroiled.
   You know all the proper terms for swordsmanship, and 
  know that all blades fall into four major categories: foils, 
  epees, sabers, and longswords (which are either one- or 
  two-handed affairs). Your knowledge of all the specializa-
  tions and names of the thousands of blade types is nearly 
  encyclopedic, especially with regard to the more obscure 
  types of blades utilized by swordsmen of distant countries. 
  While this knowledge has little practical application, you 
  do enjoy showing it off to your companions.
   “The difference between the bokuto, a wooden training sword, 
  and the suburito is actually very small—the suburito is slightly 
  heaver.”
   “The dao is like a saber—but the dao lacks a hand guard, which 
  somewhat limits your options in a ﬁ ght.”
   “If it’s a sword, it has a tip, a blade, a fuller, and a hilt made up 
  of the guard, grip, and pommel.”
   “A fuller? A fuller is a rounded groove on the ﬂ at side of a blade. 
  Although sometimes called ‘blood grooves,’ their purpose is really 
  to lighten the blade.”
   “Kukri is actually pronounced khu-khoo-ree.”
   Practice Makes Perfect: For you, daily exercise is more 
  than something to get your blood running—you see it as a 
  requirement of your craft. With ﬁ rst light, you’re up doing 
  pushups, stomach crunches, running in place, and then the 
  all-important swordplay, whether with a comrade or practic-
  ing forms on your own. Afterward, you spend time oiling 
  your equipment against rust and sun, and of course give your 
  blade a little time with the whetstone. You certainly won’t 
  go more than a week without your practice, and you prefer 
  a daily regimen.
   Self-Taught: Your academy was the street, and your craft 
  is unpolished but well tested. You don’t know and don’t care 
  for all the “jargon” a few who claim to be warriors spout. You 
  know swords, you know bows—you know how to use them, 
  who cares what they’re called? The information doesn’t help 
  you in a ﬁ ght, and it might get you killed if you worry too 
  much about the cutting edge versus the thrusting tip and 
  the rest of that sort of nonsense.
   “I know swords--that’s all I need.”
   “I knew a fellow who liked to talk fancy, just like you. He’s 
  dead now.”
  ELUSIVE ATTACK
  You know that the key to winning any ﬁ ght is not getting hit, 
  so you trade offensive power for a steadier defense.
   Level: 6th.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  the ﬁ ghter bonus feat at 6th level.
   Beneﬁ t: At 6th level, you master a technique of combining 
  offense and defense. As a full-round action, make one attack 
  at your highest base attack bonus. Until the start of your next 
  pqs
  FIGHTER BATTLECRIES
  Differentiating between friend and foe is a vital part of any fight. 
  In the heat of the battle visual recognition of friend and foe can 
  be difficult; a predefined shouted cry or motto can promote 
  recognition, as well as unnerve your foes.
  pqs
  Clear the way!
  To arms!
  To battle!
  To the end!
  To me!
  Warriors, forward!
  All together!
  Blades and blood!
  [[Home city name]]!
  [[mercenary company name]]!
  
  45
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  turn, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC. This bonus improves 
  to +4 at 11th level and to +6 at 16th level.
  COUNTERATTACK
  Every offensive move creates an opening for a counter-
  attack, and you know how to exploit this facet of combat to 
  its fullest.
  Level: 12th.
  Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  the ﬁ ghter bonus feat at 12th level.
  Beneﬁ t: At 12th level, you learn to hold back some of 
  your offensive prowess to enable a potent counterattack. As 
  a full-round action, make one melee attack at your highest 
  base attack bonus. At any time before the start of your next 
  turn, you can use an immediate action to make a melee attack 
  (using your highest base attack bonus) against an enemy that 
  attacks you in melee.
  OVERPOWERING ATTACK
  You never waste time wounding your opponent, instead 
  concentrating on delivering one solid strike.
    Level: 16th.
  Replaces: If you select this class feature, 
  you do not gain the fighter bonus feat at 
  16th level.
   
   Benefit: At 16th level, you can focus 
  your attention in combat to deliver a single 
  deadly attack. As a full-round action, make 
  one attack at your highest base attack bo-
  nus. That attack deals double damage, as 
  do any other attacks you make before the 
  start of your next turn.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Archer
  Elf Fighter
  Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 
  10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
    Skills: Jump, Spot (cc).
    Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot.
    Weapons: Spear (1d8/×3), dagger (1d4/19–20, 10 ft.) 
  longbow with 40 arrows (1d8/×3, 100 ft.).
    Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC).
    Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 4 gp.
  Package 2: The Defender
  Dwarf Fighter
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, 
  Cha 6.
   Skills: Craft (weaponsmithing), Intimidate.
   Feats: Iron Will, Weapon Focus (dwarven waraxe).
   Weapon: Dwarven waraxe (1d10/×3), shortbow with 20 
  arrows (1d6/×3, 60 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy steel shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 4 gp.
  Package 3: The Destroyer
  Human Fighter
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, 
  Cha 8.
   Skills: Climb, Intimidate, Jump.
   Feats: Cleave, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greatsword).
   Weapons: Greatsword (2d6/19–20), shortbow with 20 arrows 
  (1d6/×3, 60 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 4 gp.
  pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs
  pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs
  SCARS
  Every scar has a story, and your body tells many tales.
  Jagged Scar Running from Eye to Jaw: “A guy at the Rolling Rock 
  Alehouse got in a lucky shot with a broken whisky bottle.”
  Raking Scars Down Arm and Chest: “Yeah, turns out this girl I 
  was seeing was actually a werewolf.”
  Huge Halfmoon Scar on Forearm: “Damn shark man got a bite 
  out of me.”
  Ragged Circle Scar on Stomach: “See this? A salamander stuck 
  me with a flaming spear. You haven’t felt pain until you’ve had a 
  yard of burning metal shoved into your guts.”
  Serrated Scar on Brow: “The lich said ‘run’ and I ran—right into 
  its sarcophagus. Knocked me silly, but the pain washed away 
  the fear.”
  Half-healed Scar on Palm: “When I grabbed that demon, it 
  burned my hand with hellish cold fire. The damn thing still hasn’t 
  healed! Sometimes, when I wake from a nightmare I can’t remem-
  ber, the wound is oozing a strange, green fluid. . . .”
  Mystery Scar: “It’s something I want to forget and that you 
  don’t want to know about.”
  Tordek Brighthammer, Warchief of the Iron Halls
  Illus. by S. Ellis
  
  46
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  HEXBLADE
  Nothing fazes you. Like the warlock, you are a son of dark-
  ness, gifted with powers that others ﬁ nd unnerving (at best) 
  or outright evil (the usual case). Your adventures carry you 
  far and wide, because you rarely ﬁ nd it easy to stay in the 
  same place for long. Sooner or later the whispers and guarded 
  glances begin again, and it is time to move on. No one under-
  stands your powers, and most people you meet wonder exactly 
  how you’re going to stab them in the back when you ﬁ nally 
  show your true colors. Hexblades have a bad reputation in 
  many quarters, but whether you’re the exception or the rule 
  is up to you.
   This class appears in 
  the Complete Warrior 
  supplement.
   Suggested Backgrounds 
  (choose one): Artisan, 
  Drifter, Gutter snipe, 
  Soldier.
   Suggested Personality 
  Archetypes (choose one): 
  Daredevil, Mercenary, 
  Orphan, Rebel, Renegade, 
  Wanderer.
  CHARACTER 
  THEMES
  One or more of the following 
  character themes could apply 
  to you.
  Darkhunter: Sometimes evil is 
  the best weapon to wield against evil. 
  You are a grim and dark avenger, using 
  your baleful abilities to hunt down 
  and slay villains and monsters more 
  evil than yourself. Even if your 
  methods and motivations are not 
  particularly pure, who can 
  question your results?
   As a sworn enemy of 
  evil, you do not hesi-
  tate before taking on a 
  quest to destroy or drive 
  off even the most horrible monster. You 
  commit to the hunt with little expectation of 
  reward. But once you’ve chosen an enemy to 
  defeat, you’ll stop at nothing to come out on top. Bargain 
  away your orc captives to the mind ﬂ ayers to gain passage 
  through their territory to the place where your true adver-
  sary lairs? No problem. Sanitize an outbreak of lycanthropy 
  by killing all the bitten villagers? It’s hard, but necessary. 
  You rarely indulge in cruelty or excess, but you can be a 
  remorseless foe indeed.
   You are absolutely convinced that you are the only person 
  who really knows what’s go-
  ing on in most situations. 
  Cut off people who talk 
  too much, before they 
  waste more of your time. 
  Don’t bother to tell peo-
  ple what you are going to 
  do, and never explain your 
  actions afterward. Your com-
  panions don’t have the stomach 
  for the work at hand, so it would be 
  better if they didn’t get in your way or 
  question your methods. You can always ﬁ nd 
  new allies.
    Darkhunters are silent, nameless ﬁ gures who 
  do not deign to speak to their foes—or their allies, 
  for that matter. When they do, they tend to be terse, 
  grim, and blunt.
    “Enough talk. Now it’s time to die.”
    “Go home, bar your door, and ignore anything you 
  hear outside from sundown to sunup. You may live to 
  see the dawn.”
    “Do not follow me. I will kill anyone who does.”
    “I’ve seen worse.”
   
   
   Sellsword: You are a sword for hire—
  nothing more, nothing less. You judge the 
  worthiness of a cause by the amount 
  of money it can put in your pock-
  et. While you always look out for 
  number one, you do recognize 
  the value of loyalty to your 
  comrades—you don’t have 
  many friends in this world, 
  so it’s smart to stay on 
  the good side of the few 
  you have.
   
   Since your powers 
  are poorly understood, you go 
  to some lengths to hide them from people you 
  don’t know. Let them think you’re simply a 
  fighter, or perhaps a fighter-sorcerer. Witch-hunts, sinister 
  rumors, and ugly accusations are all bad for business. 
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  DOESN’T PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS
  Sometimes, the most interesting characters are those with the 
  worst attitude problems. They’re just not team players. You can 
  seriously annoy the other players at the game table by playing 
  this role to the hilt, so be careful when you adopt a persona that 
  is hard to get along with. A little bit of attitude goes a very long 
  way. Instead of starting a fight when your friends are trying to 
  roleplay a conversation with a NPC, you could simply adopt a 
  sullen silence or utter dark, cryptic warnings. Rather than derail a 
  well-worked out plan to defeat a particular monster by not doing 
  your part, negotiate an assignment that doesn’t tie you to the 
  rest of the party, such as scouting, sneaking up behind the foe, 
  or distracting another enemy nearby. In short, you should still 
  be a team player, even if your character isn’t.
  Athain, keeper of the 
  threefold mystery
  Illus. by J. Nelson
  
  47
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  Besides, it’s useful to keep a few tricks up your sleeve; you 
  never know when a surprise hex might be the only way to 
  save your skin.
   You rarely get worked up over the opposition, because to 
  you, it’s all business. Ogres rampaging through the province? 
  You can ﬁ x that. Demons murdering the priests of Pelor? 
  You’ll adjust your rates and take your best shot at stopping 
  them. You need a record for reliability and success if you’re 
  going to make any real money.
   Others might view you as cold or heartless, but you know 
  that it’s wisest to avoid emotional entanglements. You can’t 
  stand it when people start acting against their self-interest in 
  the name of a nebulous “cause,” and you detest deal-breakers. 
  When dealing with potential employers, look them right in 
  the eye and state your terms.
   “What’s in it for me?”
   “I’m not getting paid to do that.”
   “The dragon wasn’t in the contract. If you want the dragon taken 
  care of, you’re going to have to up your offer.”
   “Nothing personal. It’s just business.”
   “Sounds like you have a real problem. It’s going to cost you.”
   Tormented Champion: Dark powers manipulate you. 
  People you love get hurt, causes you support founder and 
  collapse, and places you visit fall into ruin. You have been 
  marked for a tortured and restless existence, and your fate 
  is to be a harbinger of doom and woe.
   You swing from morose depression to desperate acts of 
  blazing anger. Most of the time, you struggle with despon-
  dency and gloom. Make dark pronouncements and dire 
  predictions about things you observe, and point out ﬂ aws 
  in your your allies’ plans.
   Sometimes you are moved to rail against your fate and lash 
  out with blind, unreasoning anger at whatever obstacle or 
  foe frustrates you. You might leap headlong into a throng of 
  enemies, heedless of your safety. Or you might shake your 
  ﬁ st at the gods and curse them bitterly.
   “The vampire’s been watching us the whole time. We’re doing 
  exactly what he wants.”
   “Some of us aren’t getting out of this alive.”
   “You’ll get halfway across, the rope will break, and you’ll fall 
  into the river there and be swept away into some black, airless 
  cavern where you’ll die trying to claw your way through cold, 
  hard stone.”
   “Is that all you’ve got?”
  DARK COMPANION
  By mixing arcane spells with martial talents, the hexblade 
  blurs the traditional line between fighter and sorcerer. 
  Replacing the familiar—a link to traditional forms of arcane 
  magic—with a unique ﬁ ghting companion helps establish 
  the hexblade’s difference from the sorcerer.
   In combat, a dark companion functions like a ﬂ oating hex 
  that you can place upon your foes. By weakening the defenses 
  of enemies, your dark companion makes your spells and 
  attacks (and those of your allies) more powerful.
   Level: 4th.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  a familiar.
   Beneﬁ t: At 4th level, you can create an illusory companion 
  resembling a panther, spun from the darkness of the night. 
  Doing so takes 24 hours and uses up magic materials that cost 
  100 gp. Once created, your dark companion stands with you 
  in battle, hindering your enemies’ defenses.
   Any enemy adjacent to your dark companion takes a –2 
  penalty on its saves and to its AC. Your companion’s speed 
  is equal to yours (including all modes of movement you 
  possess) and it acts during your turn each round. It follows 
  your mental commands perfectly—in effect, it is merely an 
  extension of your will.
   Your dark companion has no real substance, and thus 
  can’t attack or otherwise affect creatures or objects. It 
  occupies a 5-foot space. Even though any creature can 
  enter a dark companion’s 5-foot space without restriction, 
  it must occupy its own space in order to have any effect 
  on enemies. It is immune to any damage or other effects 
  that might harm creatures, though it can be dispelled or 
  suppressed just like a spell effect. Your dark companion is 
  treated as a spell whose level is equal to 1/4 your hexblade 
  level. If it is dispelled, it automatically reforms at your side 
  24 hours later.
   A dark companion can’t create ﬂ anking situations, nor 
  does it provoke attacks of opportunity from movement, 
  because enemies automatically recognize it as an illusion. 
  If it is more than 120 feet from you at the start of your turn, 
  or if you ever lose line of effect to it, it instantly reappears 
  adjacent to you.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Defender
  Gnome Hexblade
   Ability Scores: Str 13, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14.
   Skills: Bluff, Spellcraft.
   Feat: Armor Proﬁ ciency (medium).
   Weapons: Greatsword (1d8/19–20), short bow with 20 arrows 
  (1d4/×3, 60 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 4 gp.
  Package 2: The Destroyer
  Human Hexblade
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14.
   Skills: Concentration, Intimidate, Spellcraft.
   Feat: Power Attack, Cleave.
   Weapons: Greataxe (1d12/×3), ﬁ ve javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 10 gp.
  Package 3: The Skirmisher
  Elf Hexblade
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14.
   Skills: Diplomacy, Knowledge (arcana). 
   Feat: Dodge.
   Weapons: Glaive (1d10/×3), warhammer (1d8/×3), longbow 
  with 20 arrows (1d8/×3, 100 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 14 gp.
  
  48
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  MARSHAL
  War is your true calling. You follow the shrill ring of steel 
  on steel and the harsh cries of the carrion birds, for it is on 
  the battleﬁ eld that you demonstrate your true worth. When 
  the specter of war is far away, you take service with a strong 
  lord, state, or cause, training other warriors and preparing 
  your warband for the day when battle ﬁ nally comes to the 
  land in which you reside. Or, if that does not suit you, you 
  search out combat wherever it awaits—perhaps you skirmish 
  against orc raiders threatening the kingdom’s frontier, ﬁ ght 
  for a rebellious duke who is trying to throw off the king’s 
  rule in his lands, or travel abroad to far and exotic lands in 
  search of a battle worthy of your talents. When you take up 
  the haphazard career of an adventurer, you’re only passing 
  the time until something big comes along.
   This class appears in the Miniatures Handbook supplement.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Artisan, Mariner, Noble 
  Scion, Soldier.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Challenger, 
  Crusader, Leader, Mercenary, Royalty, Strategist, Theorist.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or both of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
   Black Knight: You are a hero of the first rank, a bold 
  and inspiring leader of men—but you do not want to be 
  recognized. Knights entering the lists sometimes cover their 
  heraldic devices with sable cloths to keep their identities a 
  secret; you likewise do not display the emblems you have 
  won, and adopt a simple nom de guerre so that no one will 
  know who you are.
   Decide why you desire anonymity. You could be a noble of 
  high birth, expected to spend your days engaged in statecraft 
  instead of roaming the land as a nameless adventurer. You 
  adopt your guise so that you will be free to aid people with 
  the point of your sword instead of wasting time with the 
  intrigues of the court. You might have a fearsome enemy 
  that you cannot defeat, and so you remain hidden so that 
  the people around you will not become the victims of your 
  adversary. Or perhaps you are actually infamous, known for 
  a terrible defeat on a distant battleﬁ eld. You carry the guilt 
  of hundreds of lost lives, even though you might not have 
  ever had any chance to triumph.
   If your DM agrees, you are a member of the nobility. Design 
  your house’s heraldic insignia and motto, so that you can 
  describe what you reveal when you ﬁ nally choose to unmask 
  your shield.
   Since you are trying to remain mostly anonymous, you 
  don’t view it as your role to be the bold and inspiring leader of 
  your party. Instead, you are satisﬁ ed to be a stalwart comrade 
  and loyal follower, using your abilities to help your friends 
  defeat their foes. You do your best to avoid the spotlight and 
  give credit to your allies for your successes.
   “I may have struck the last blow, but the troll was dead on its feet 
  by then. Mialee’s ﬁ reball made all the difference.”
   “Valor is its own reward.”
   “I was there, certainly, and I suppose I played a small part. But 
  my companions deserve the credit for defeating the dragon.”
   “Give my share to the temple of St. Cuthbert.”
   “Who I am is not important. What is important is that the 
  werewolf has been slain. Your town should be safe now.”
   Leader of the Company: A marshal combines personal 
  charisma, leadership, and tactical acumen like no other char-
  acter. You are a born leader, the equal of a paladin. Everyone 
  expects ﬂ owery speech from the bard or persuasive words 
  from the sorcerer, but the marshal and the paladin are heroes 
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  TAKING CHARGE AT THE TABLE
  If your character is the “leader” of the adventuring party, you’ve 
  got a hard but rewarding bit of roleplaying ahead of you. Most 
  people at the gaming table don’t want to be bossed around; 
  we all get enough of that in our real lives, after all. Even if you 
  think your character would be a hard-nosed drill sergeant who 
  barks orders at everyone around him, you’d better not try that 
  at the table.
   So how do you lead in the game without stepping on every-
  one else’s ability to make choices? You need to be a democratic 
  leader, not an autocratic one. To that end, try these techniques.
   Ask for ideas: Solicit suggestions from the other players, even 
  if it’s something as simple as “Anybody got half an idea of 
  what this monster can do?” Recognize other characters’ areas 
  of expertise and ask for their help. For example, if the party 
  is facing a magical phenomenon, make a point of asking the 
  player running the arcane spellcaster what he thinks the party 
  should do.
   Be the chooser of plans: Make a point of trying other players’ 
  suggestions instead of issuing your orders without their input. 
  Don’t go with the same player’s idea each and every time—
  everybody at the table should have an opportunity to see their 
  ideas tested by the party. It’s okay to choose your own plan, but 
  make that the exception, not the rule.
   Encourage initiative: Look for ways to put decision-making in 
  the hands of your comrades. For example, if you want the rogue 
  to scout ahead, don’t provide exacting instructions for how far 
  ahead you’d like her to be or what she should do if she gets 
  in trouble. If the party needs information about the location 
  of a villain’s lair, look over to the bard and say, “Devis, you’re 
  in charge of finding out where Talthon is hiding. We’ll follow 
  your lead.”
   Be generous with praise: Cheer the successes of other players 
  in character. Your leader should shout out a “Well done!” or 
  “Huzzah!” or “By the gods, you fight like a lion today!” when 
  other characters do well.
   Avoid criticizing others: Here’s a place where game leader-
  ship takes a sharp turn from real-world leadership. In real life, 
  a leader needs to let his or her subordinates know if they’re 
  falling short of the mark—preferably without humiliating them 
  in public, but that depends on the setting. It’s not your job to 
  make the other people at the table better D&D players or more 
  thoughtful followers, and they’ll resent it if you try. As a “leader” 
  in the game, you have to be exceedingly careful about criticizing 
  other players. Nobody wants to come to a game to be chewed 
  out or cut down by a sarcastic remark. An absence of praise 
  speaks volumes, if you’ve been generous with your encourage-
  ment previously.
  
  49
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  that warriors want to follow. You possess sincerity, purpose, 
  and valor, and your potent auras allow you to manifest these 
  virtues for your allies.
   Not only are you a skilled diplomat, but you are the 
  absolute best choice for the job of battle commander. Since 
  you can easily change the benefit your aura provides, it 
  behooves your allies to follow your lead. They’ll do better 
  in the ﬁ ght if they take actions that make use of your aura. 
  For example, if you choose the minor auras over the top or 
  master of opportunity, you provide a real incentive for your 
  friends to charge or move past enemies to reach the foe you 
  want them to ﬁ ght. When you use your auras this way, say 
  something inspirational!
   You should strongly consider the Leadership feat if you 
  are roleplaying a marshal of this type. If the other play-
  ers at the table don’t listen to you, at least your cohort or 
  followers will.
  “Ignore the lizardfolk! The druid is our true foe!”
   “Surround the gray render and strike from the ﬂ ank! That is the 
  quickest path to victory!”
   “Stand your ground here, and let the orcs come to us! We’ll cut 
  them down as they climb the rampart!”
   “Follow me! Now is the time to strike!”
  ADRENALINE BOOST
  As a marshal, you make everyone on your team more effective 
  at what they do. While the traditional marshal accomplishes 
  some of that by improving his allies’ mobility, by choosing 
  adrenaline boost you instead to take on some of the cleric’s 
  ability to bolster the health of your allies. It’s particularly 
  effective in rallying injured comrades, making it a good 
  ability to save until things start looking grim.
   Level: 4th.
  Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  the grant move action class feature.
  Beneﬁ t: Starting at 4th level, you can exhort your allies 
  to discover a reservoir of energy they didn’t think they had. 
  Once per day, as a standard action, you can grant temporary 
  hit points equal to your marshal level to any or all of your 
  allies within 30 feet (but not to yourself). If the ally’s current 
  hit point total is no more than half his full normal hit points, 
  the number of temporary hit points granted to that character 
  is doubled (to twice your marshal level).
   This ability only affects allies with an Intelligence score of 3 
  or higher who can hear you and understand your language. The 
  temporary hit points last for up to 1 minute per marshal level.
   At 8th level, you can use this ability twice per day. You can 
  use it three times per day at 12th level, four times per day at 
  16th level, and ﬁ ve times per day at 20th level.
   If you use this ability on a creature that is still under the 
  effect of a previous use, the new temporary hit points overlap 
  (do not stack with) the temporary hit points the creature 
  had remaining.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Defender
  Dwarf Marshal
   Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 13.
   Skills: Intimidate, Listen, Spot.
   Feat: Shield Specialization (heavy).
   Weapons: Dwarven waraxe (1d10/×3), warhammer (1d8/×3), 
  5 javelins (1d6, 30 ft.)
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy wooden shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 6 gp.
   Aura: Force of Will.
  Package 2: The Second-Rank Warrior
  Elf Marshal
   Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 15.
   Skills: Diplomacy, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot.
   Feat: Combat Reﬂ exes.
   Weapons: Glaive (1d10/×3), shortbow with 20 arrows 
  (1d8/×3, 100 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 26 gp.
   Aura: Master of Tactics.
  Package 3: The Vanguard
  Human Marshal
   Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 15.
   Skills: Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (nobility and 
  royalty), Sense Motive, Spot.
   Feats: Battlefield Inspiration (Miniatures Handbook), 
  Improved Initiative.
   Weapons: Longsword (1d8/19–20), ﬁ ve javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy steel shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 20 gp.
   Aura: Motivate Dexterity.
  Korrin, Protector of the Crown
  Illus. by H. Lyon
  
  50
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  MONK
  You were introduced to martial techniques in a distant, 
  hard-to-reach monastery. You ﬁ rst learned the eighteen basic 
  empty-hand techniques. You learned the “heart-mind-ﬁ st” 
  kata, you learned how to swing an eyebrow-height staff, 
  and you finally learned how to deliver 
  the potent cannon punch.
   After that, you were ready to 
  begin actual training in the 
  truly deadly martial arts.
   Years later you emerged, 
  a champion of your 
  martial style, but still 
  a student seeking con-
  tinual improvement and 
  perfection through mar-
  tial discipline. One day 
  you hope to join the 
  great masters of your 
  art, focusing your ki so 
  precisely that you tran-
  scend the mortal realm 
  altogether and partake 
  of immortality.
   Suggested Backgrounds 
  (choose one): Artisan, 
  Ascetic, Gladiator.
   Suggested Personality Ar che types 
  (choose one): Agent, Challenger, 
  Companion, Crusader, Innocent, Martyr, Orphan, 
  Prophet, Seeker, Wanderer.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
  Enlightened One: You follow a meditative way of life con-
  sidered by some a religion, by others a profound philosophy, 
  and by the uninformed simply a routine. You regard your 
  constant search for enlightenment as a way of life, work, and 
  an art form.
   One of the precepts of your philosophy is “sitting meditation” 
  in which you sit quietly once a day, directing your awareness 
  toward your core and breathing deeply for at least 5 minutes.
   As an “enlightened one,” you know many parables, called 
  koans, that teach wisdom if considered long enough.
   “An enlightened one lived a simple life in a hut at the foot of a 
  mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there 
  was nothing to steal. The enlightened one caught him and told the 
  rogue, ‘You’ve traveled far to ﬁ nd me, so you should not leave empty-
  handed. Here, have my robe as a gift.’ Confused, the thief nevertheless 
  took the robe. Nude, his eyes on the full moon, the enlightened one 
  said, ‘I wish I could have given him this beautiful moon.’ ”
  “An enlightened one visited a terminally ill man and asked, “Shall I 
  lead you on?’ The sick man replied, ‘I came here alone and I go alone. 
  What help could you be?’ The enlightened one answered, ‘If you think 
  you really come and go, that is your delusion. Let me show you the path 
  on which there is no coming and no going.’ These words revealed the 
  true path so clearly that the sick man smiled and passed on.”
   History Keeper: Every monastery has its own story of 
  origin, describing where it gained its particular style and 
  what ancient master popularized the particular specialized 
  form of martial arts taught there. Every monastery puts in 
  a claim as the oldest, or alleges to teach the 
  most “pure” form of the martial arts.
    You don’t fret about it because you 
  know your monastery is actually the 
  oldest and the most authentic. You 
  like to tell the story of how your 
  monastery learned the secrets of its 
  current style.
    “The ancient and legendary 
  master Chandharma founded 
  our temple ﬁ ve hundred years 
  ago, and the monks took him in. 
  In thanks, Chandharma trained 
  the monks in the original, true 
  forms and katas. I know the very 
  style that ancient Chandharma 
  once taught my forebears.”
   
   “Northern” Stylist:
  Your monastery taught a 
  particular style of martial 
  arts referred to as the north-
  ern style. This style features long 
  steps, extended postures and 
  wide stances, jumping, kicking, 
  and dramatic acrobatic ﬂ ourishes. 
  The northern style is known for a 
  great variety of attack forms. When 
  you use any one of these forms, you 
  call out the attack name in a strong, con-
  ﬁ dent voice, which steadies you and frightens your enemies 
  with your poise.
  “Long Fist!” You use this punch attack to spear past your 
  foe’s guard when least expected.
   “Tumbling Fist!” A tumbling ﬁ st is the strike you make after 
  you’ve tumbled into the perfect position to strike at your foe.
   “Quivering Palm!” This famous strike needs no explanation. 
  Even if you’re not powerful enough to use the discipline, the 
  name alone inspires fear in your enemies.
   “Red Fist!” Whenever you draw ﬁ rst blood, you like to 
  scream this out, just to unnerve your foe.
   “Flood Fist!” When you use a ﬂ urry of blows, you are using 
  the famous ﬂ ood ﬁ st, where you seek to overwhelm your foe’s 
  defenses under a ﬂ ood of staggering blows.
  “Flower Fist!” This disingenuous, fast and deceptive blow is 
  made whenever you foe is off guard, whether he is surprised, 
  ﬂ anked, or otherwise not effectively defending himself.
   “Southeastern” Stylist: Your monastery taught a particular 
  style of martial art referred to as the southeastern style. This 
  style features ﬁ sts, elbows, shins, feet, and knees to strike at 
  opponents, as well as brieﬂ y held grapples that set an opponent 
  up for a particularly egregious elbow or knee attack. Unlike other 
  martial styles, the southeastern style is speciﬁ cally designed to 
  incorporate ﬁ tness and toughness, which allows a southeastern 
  style ﬁ ghter the endurance to accept pain and ignore fatigue 
  Ember, Mistress of the 
  Four Winds
  Illus. by C. Frank
  
  51
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  in a ﬁ ght. When you use a southeastern style attack form, you 
  call out the attack name in a strong, conﬁ dent voice, which 
  steadies you and frightens your enemies with your poise.
   “Kao Dode!” As part of an attack, you jump and bring your 
  knee up into your opponent’s stomach, side, or if low enough, 
  your opponent’s head.
   “Kao Loi!” You spring up off one leg and switch in midair 
  to strike with the knee of the other leg. This confusing strike 
  is dramatic when successful.
   “Kao Tone!” The simplest knee strike, you simply bring one 
  knee up directly into your foe’s stomach, side, or head (if low 
  enough). Sometimes this is aided if you grab your foe by the 
  head and jerk him forward at the same time.
   “Southern” Stylist: Your monastery taught a particular 
  style of martial art referred to as the southern style. This style 
  features short steps and close ﬁ ghting, with arms close to the 
  chest, elbows held low and ready to offer protection against 
  blows to the stomach or sides. Most important, the southern 
  style is distinguished by ﬁ ve animals.
   When you use any one of these styles, you call out the 
  animal you are emulating in a strong, conﬁ dent voice, which 
  steadies you and frightens your enemies with your poise.
   “Tiger!” You emulate the tiger to express qualities of fearless-
  ness and aggression. The tiger attacks in a straight line. When 
  you charge, you are emulating the tiger, the most aggressive 
  of the ﬁ ve “southern” animals.
   “Crane!” You emulate the crane to avoid your enemies’ attacks, 
  no matter how they come at you. When ﬁ ghting defensively, 
  you are emulating the crane.
   “Leopard!” You emulate the leopard to maximize your agility. 
  After all, pound for pound the leopard is one of the strongest 
  animals, and also the fastest. When you tumble into position 
  to attack your opponents, you are emulating the leopard.
   “Snake!” You adopt the ﬂ uidity of snakes to better close 
  with your opponents and hurt them from positions they are 
  unready to defend against. When you grapple an opponent, 
  you imitate the sinuous, ﬂ uid motion of the snake.
   “Dragon!” You emulate the dragon for a broad array of needs. 
  When you attack under the guise of the dragon, your attacks 
  are strong and hard. When you make a stunning attack, you 
  are emulating the dragon.
   A signature attack is the three-ﬁ nger claw (“Dragon Claw!”)—
  the index, thumb and middle ﬁ ngers make hard pinching 
  attacks to your foe’s muscles and tendons. When striking with 
  the dragon claw, you have incredible stunning power because 
  the blow originates in your stomach and hips, then ﬂ ows up 
  as you rotate forward into the blow, which culminates in the 
  stunning claw.
   Staffmaster: While you are adept at closed and open 
  hand styles of martial arts, you are particularly skilled with 
  the use of a long quarterstaff. Instead of the standard length 
  quarterstaff, you prefer a 7- to 8-foot-long, ﬂ exible staff that 
  you refer to as your “ﬂ owing water staff” or sometimes your 
  “dragon pole.”
   Instead of attacking with either end, you usually grasp one 
  end of the staff and use it to make devastating thrust attacks, 
  diversionary “slap” attacks, and to deﬂ ect the blows of your 
  foes, letting them slide off your staff like water.
  DECISIVE STRIKE
  Flurry of blows can be exciting to use—just look at all the 
  attack rolls you can make—but in practice it can lead to a 
  ﬂ urry of misses. The decisive strike alternative class feature 
  turns your typical combat maneuver from a whirl of action 
  into a methodical and devastating attack.
   Level: 1st.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not 
  gain flurry of blows (or any later improvements to that 
  class feature).
   Benefit: As a full-round action, make one attack with 
  an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon, using your 
  highest base attack bonus but taking a –2 penalty on this 
  attack roll. If the attack hits, it deals double damage (as does 
  any other attack you make before the start of your next 
  turn). If you use this strike to deliver a stunning attack, 
  increase the save DC to resist the stun by 2. This is an 
  extraordinary ability.
   At 5th level, the penalty on the attack roll lessens to –1, 
  and at 9th level it disappears.
   At 11th level, you can make two attacks when using this class 
  feature, though no more than one attack can target a single 
  creature. Both attacks use your highest base attack bonus.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Defender
  Human Monk
   Ability Scores: Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8.
   Skills: Balance, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, Tumble.
   Feats: Combat Focus*, Dodge, Stunning Fist.
   Weapon: Unarmed strike (1d6), sling with 10 bullets (1d4, 
  50 ft.).
   Armor: None.
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit (without sunrods), 
  1 gp, 3 sp.
  Package 2: The Destroyer
  Half-Orc Monk
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 6.
   Skills: Climb, Jump, Tumble.
   Feat: Improved Grapple, Improved Natural Attack, Weapon 
  Focus (unarmed strike).
   Weapon: Unarmed strike (1d8), sling with 10 bullets (1d4, 
  50 ft.).
   Armor: None.
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit (without sunrods), 
  1 gp, 3 sp.
  Package 3: The Skirmisher
  Elf Monk
   Ability Scores: Str 13, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8.
   Skills: Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Tumble.
   Feat: Ability Focus (stunning ﬁ st), Stunning Fist.
   Weapon: Unarmed strike (1d6), sling with 10 bullets (1d4, 
  50 ft.).
   Armor: None.
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit (without sunrods), 
  1 gp, 3 sp.
  
  52
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  PALADIN
  You have power over evil, given you by your glorious, almighty 
  deity. Your devotion and pure, unwavering desire provides 
  strength that illuminates the darkest souls, saving some and 
  punishing those that can’t be redeemed. Your faith wards you 
  from harm, inoculates you from fear, and gives you the hands 
  of a healer—but your hands are equally dynamic on the hilt 
  of an avenging sword pledged to divinity.
   When wizards scheme, you pray. When dragons roar, you 
  take up your sword, fearless. When devils from the 
  Hells steal innocent souls, you respond with 
  sacred vengeance and send them fleeing 
  back to the pit whence they came.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): 
  Ascetic, Noble Scion, Soldier.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes 
  (choose one): Agent, Compan-
  ion, Crusader, Leader, Martyr, 
  Prophet, Royalty, Strategist.
  CHARACTER 
  THEMES
  One or more of the follow-
  ing character themes could 
  apply to you.
  Bound in Honor: You 
  follow a strict code of honor. 
  Whenever a situation arises 
  that might touch upon your 
  code, you voice the particu-
  lar precept of your code, as 
  if part of a prayer to your 
  deity. In doing so, you 
  hope that others will be 
  inspired by your good 
  example, and perhaps be-
  gin to follow parts of the 
  code themselves.
   Your code includes two 
  or more of the follow-
  ing principles. You might 
  enunciate additional principles 
  not described here, depending 
  on the deity or cause you serve.
  “Before all else, a paladin is faithful.” The 
  faith of a paladin requires no proof—it is a 
  heartfelt knowledge that the goodness you do, or the evil 
  you allow to ﬂ ourish, is all that you take from this world 
  to the next.
   “A paladin’s valor is a measure of her faith.”When things begin 
  to go bad, your valor proves itself. When knocked low, you 
  get up. You do not run from conflict if it can be won, and 
  most especially, you never leave compatriots to a ﬁ ght that is 
  yours to win. Fear is something that only less valorous men 
  and women experience.
  “Humility in all things.” You are modest regarding your own 
  importance and always submit to your deity’s will. You know 
  your place, but your place is important. You are not proud 
  or arrogant, though you challenge the unenlightened with 
  your creed.
   “Patience outlasts all.” You understand that it might take your 
  entire life span to make a difference in the world—you don’t 
  hurry, you persevere. You have the god-supported tenacity 
  not to quit your tasks, once taken up.
   “Loyalty to true friends, vengeance to betrayers and foes.” You 
  know that strength ﬂ ows from solidarity, and solidarity only 
  comes when all trust each other. Defeating the evils that 
  plague the world is possible if all are loyal. Those who betray 
  loyalty must be dealt with swiftly.
  “Benevolence is a balm to all souls.”
  A paladin is charitable and desires to 
  safeguard others from inﬂ uences that 
  would destroy their innocence or end 
  their lives. Benevolence is no less a tool 
  of your deity than your sword.
  “Integrity is the foundation on which all 
  things of value are built.” You adhere to the 
  ethical and moral standards of your deity, 
  acting in all ways as a beacon of truth-
  fulness that others might emulate. Your 
  character and sense of self relies upon 
  your honesty. How can one be truth-
  ful “to a fault”?
  “Mercy for those that deserve 
  mercy.” Sometimes even the righ-
  teous can stray from the true path, 
  and thus you must occasionally 
  show compassion. However, 
  mercy for unrepentant evil-
  doers is tantamount to doing 
  evil yourself.
  “Generosity is the left 
  hand of [your deity].” When 
  you are willing to give of 
  your wealth, or even more 
  important, your time, you 
  show the real strength and 
  depth of your belief in your 
  deity. Only someone truly com-
  fortable with her faith has the 
  spiritual reserve to be generous.
  Chivalrous: You seek to be a paragon of 
  the concepts of justice and morality in behav-
  ior between people. As such, you are brave in 
  battle, loyal to your deity, and willing to sacriﬁ ce yourself for 
  that belief (see Bound in Honor, above). Toward your fellows 
  you are merciful, humble, and courteous.
   Most important, you are gracious and gentle to those 
  worthy of high regard, and you might even seek to court 
  someone you admire. If that person is unavailable and 
  married to someone else, especially if he or she is of higher 
  status, your chivalry leads you into a type of “courtly love.” 
  You dedicate your life to the object of your affection, 
  expressing your appreciation from afar through an intricate 
  system of colors and ribbons worn on behalf of your beloved 
  and favors done in his or her name. It’s an elaborate dance, 
  Alhandra, Commander 
  of the Shining Crusade
  Illus. by D. Hudnut
  
  53
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  a game that the players freely enjoy without expectation 
  of commitment.
   “For the Lady who has my heart, I dedicate this quest.”
   “Leave this to me--honor commands that the ﬁ nal blow be mine.”
   Merciless: Do any deserve mercy? No.
   Leniency and compassion are words used to describe weak 
  dealings toward those who have been judged and found want-
  ing. This doesn’t mean that you seek to kill all those who, in 
  your judgment, are weak and faithless, but it does mean that 
  such creatures do not deserve your respect.
   “There is no mercy, there is only judgment.”
   Moral Philosopher: Moral conduct, morality, and the cor-
  rectness of moral thought are paramount to you; however, you 
  know that morals vary by culture. Is one moral code better 
  than another? Is an ethical code better, or as your brothers 
  and sisters in your order claim, are ethics a mortal-contrived 
  sham that hides the true reach of morals? You don’t know, 
  but you wonder.
   “An ethical code establishes tradeoffs toward the greater good, 
  and weighs all the negative and positive results of an action, apart 
  from moral absolutes. Thus, decisions are based upon the greatest 
  good for the greatest number.”
   Reverent: You begin almost every utterance with a refer-
  ence to your god.
   “As the truth of [your deity] tells us . . .”
   “If [your deity] allows . . ..”
   “In the name of [your deity], the beneﬁ cent, the merciful . . .”
   If you do not begin an utterance with a reference to your 
  deity, you wrap up with one.
   “. . . as [your deity] commands.”
   “. . . may [your deity] light and guard me.”
   “. . . that all may know the wisdom and majesty of [your deity].”
   Zealous: You are a fervent servant of your deity. You are dili-
  gent in your duties, show enthusiasm in performing them on 
  your deity’s behalf, and display a powerful interest in anything 
  related to your deity, whether it’s support or opposition.
   You show your zeal to your friends and foes in one or more 
  of the following ways.
   Exultant: You are joyful and proud when you think of your 
  deity, and are given to rejoicing and triumphal shouts. See 
  the Paladin Battlecries sidebar.
   Disciple: You know the history of your deity, and those saints 
  and other people important to your deity. You know the trials 
  and tribulations of your deity and/or your deity’s saints, and 
  you reenact those trials in a yearly ceremony. Moreover, you 
  dress according to a strict interpretation of any doctrine your 
  deity dispenses.
   Missionary: You know with your gut that others would be 
  happier if they worshiped your deity as you do. To this end 
  you consistently (though not constantly—annoyance isn’t a 
  tool of conversion) exhort friends and strangers to convert.
   Tattooed: You’ve shaved your head and proudly display 
  a tattoo of your deity’s holy symbol across your brow and 
  naked head.
   Tract Giver: You always carry with you several tracts that 
  describe the glories of your deity, and pass these out (or leave 
  them to be found) wherever you think they’ll do the most 
  good. (To this end, you have an arrangement with a printer, or 
  at least a letterist.) You are not a vocal missionary, preferring 
  to work in more subtle ways.
   “Consider the benefits that would be yours if you find grace 
  with [your deity]—surety, confidence, and comradeship, at the 
  very least!
  CHARGING SMITE
  Despite the glorious vision of a shining knight atop a war-
  horse charging into combat, the reality in the D&D game is 
  that it’s far from easy (and sometimes impossible) to bring 
  a big animal along on your dungeon crawl. To avoid the 
  drain on time and resources created by a special mount you 
  might not even be able to use, you can select the charging 
  smite alternative class feature instead. You still leap into 
  the fray, taking the ﬁ ght to the enemy, but you do so in a 
  manner that better matches the typical combat found in 
  a D&D game.
   Level: 5th.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  a special mount.
   Benefit: Beginning at 5th level, if you smite evil on a 
  charge attack, you deal an extra 2 points of damage per 
  paladin level to any evil creature you hit (in addition to the 
  normal bonus damage dealt by a smite). If the charge attack 
  misses, the smite ability is not considered used. This is a 
  supernatural ability.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Cavalier
  Elf Paladin
   Ability Scores: Str 13, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 15.
   Skill: Ride.
   Feat: Mounted Combat.
   Weapons: Longsword (1d8/19–20), lance (1d8/×3), shortbow 
  with 20 arrows (1d6/×3, 60 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy wooden shield.
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, wooden holy symbol, 
  21 gp.
  Package 2: The Destroyer
  Dwarf Paladin
   Ability Scores: Str 13, Dex 8, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 13.
   Skills: Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Sense Motive.
   Feat: Power Attack.
   Weapons: Greataxe (1d12/×3), ﬁ ve javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, wooden holy symbol, 
  34 gp.
  Package 3: The Vanguard
  Human Paladin
   Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 15.
   Skills: Diplomacy, Heal, Sense Motive.
   Feats: Improved Initiative, Shield Specialization (heavy).
   Weapons: Longsword (1d8/19–20), two javelins (1d6, 30 ft.)
   Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC), heavy wooden shield (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, wooden holy symbol, 
  10 gp.
  
  54
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  RANGER
  You travel to places where few others dare to tread. Relying on 
  a potent combination of stealth, woodcraft, magic, and ﬁ ght-
  ing skill, you are the master of the wilderness. Where others 
  see a trackless forest, you see an impenetrable refuge. Where 
  others see a burning desert, you see a deadly trap for enemies 
  you lure within. Where others see impassable mountains, you 
  see high roads to new lands. You are the ultimate explorer, 
  self-reliant and adaptable. No other adventurer comes close 
  to your independence and sheer versatility.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Drifter, Farm Hand, 
  Mariner, Soldier, Tribal Origin.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Explorer, 
  Orphan, Rebel, Renegade, Savage, Seeker, Wanderer.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
   Bounty Hunter: Unlike other rangers, you are equally at 
  ease in the wilderness or in the cities and towns of human-
  kind. You hone your woodcraft and tracking skills to use them 
  against other people instead of forest-dwelling monsters. You 
  might be a cold-hearted mercenary, an intrepid tracker, or even 
  an outlaw or highwayman who uses woodcraft to get close to 
  your quarry. For you, the lore of the wilderness is a tool that 
  you employ for your particular ends.
   Your choice of favored enemy makes you more effective at 
  tracking (and defeating) particular quarries, so choose wisely. 
  It’s not unusual for a bounty hunter to choose his own race as a 
  favored enemy—not because you’re a misanthropic killer, but 
  simply because you want to be especially good at following vil-
  lains who happen to be of your race through the wilderness.
   Keep a record of each quarry you stalk over the course of 
  your career, and preferably a trophy or souvenir from each 
  success. Show off your trophies and boast a little about your 
  victories when you have the chance. You want word to get 
  around about who you are and what you do, so that villains 
  who ﬁ nd you on their trail will be more likely to panic, slip 
  up, and make a fatal mistake.
   “The price is 100 gold—no less, no more.”
   “Only one bounty has ever escaped me—so far. I keep a constant 
  eye out, just in case.”
   Driven Avenger: When you were a child, your town was 
  burned to the ground by orcs, or displacer beasts devoured 
  your family, or a dragon hunted your tribe to extinction. 
  Whatever the tragedy, you have been left with an endless 
  thirst for vengeance against the monster or monsters that 
  ruined your life.
   The monsters responsible for your loss are at the top of your 
  list of favored enemies. Your back-story prominently features 
  a tragic loss at the hands, claws, talons, or fangs of these mon-
  sters. Create a suitable tale of woe and suffering, and write it 
  down—you’ll tell it over and over again to anyone who asks.
   In any situation or challenge you confront, look for signs 
  that your mortal enemies are somehow involved. For example, 
  if drow enslaved your village, you should suspect drow involve-
  ment in almost any problem you encounter.
   “The drow are behind this. You’ll see.”
   “Only drow attack with such precision.”
   “I didn’t like the way that innkeeper was watching us. I bet he’s 
  secretly in league with the drow, spying on us for them!”
   “The only good drow is a dead drow.”
   Master of Beasts: You have allies everywhere you go. The 
  birds and beasts are your friends, and even the ﬁ ercest crea-
  tures suffer your presence. While your animal companions 
  do not help you in battle like the druid’s help her, you value 
  them for more than their ﬁ ghting skill. Animals give you 
  senses that you otherwise would not possess, allow you to 
  keep watch over vast areas without being seen, and can carry 
  messages over great distances.
   Avoid fighting naturally occurring animals if possible. 
  Instead of killing a cave-dwelling brown bear in your path, 
  see if you can lure it away from its lair or merely frighten it 
  off. Sometimes you have to resort to lethal methods to ﬁ ght 
  off dangerous animals, but there is no honor in such a battle; 
  you should help your companions to avoid encounters of this 
  sort instead of killing animals that are only acting as their 
  nature dictates.
   It’s not unusual for a ranger of this sort to be uncomfort-
  able around other people. Keep your thoughts to yourself, 
  and don’t use two words when one will do. People are cruel 
  and deceitful, but you can always trust an animal to act in 
  accordance with its nature. When you have to interact with 
  humanoids, stay short and to the point, and speak bluntly. 
  When you can, use animal metaphors to make your point.
   “If you hope to catch Drethaas, you must run like the deer all day 
  and through the night. Can you keep up with me?”
   “The ogre is licking its wounds in its den. Now we can finish 
  the monster.”
   “We have his scent now. He won’t get away.”
   “I have the eyes of an eagle. No orc will pass by this place unseen.”
   Wayﬁ nder: You live for the opportunity to tread new lands 
  and see things no one has seen before. You measure yourself 
  against the raw power of nature by crossing unfordable rivers, 
  climbing impassable mountains, and mastering uncrossable 
  deserts. The lure of treasure and the challenge of fearsome 
  pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs
  pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs
  DO ONE JOB, AND DO IT WELL
  While rangers have a lot of skill points to spend, you will find that 
  it’s just not possible to maximize your skill ranks in all the things 
  that rangers do. Depending on your particular character theme, 
  you might need to prioritize your skill purchases as follows.
   Bounty Hunter: Craft (trapmaking), Ride, Search, Survival, 
  Use Rope. Survival is the most important of these for a tracker. 
  Cross-class skills such as Gather Information and Intimidate 
  can be useful, too.
   Driven Avenger: Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot.
   Master of Beasts: Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), Ride.
   Wayfinder: Climb, Knowledge (geography), Survival, Swim, 
  Use Rope.
  
  55
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  foes serve only as excuses for you to head out on your next 
  journey. Before you die, you want to see more of the world 
  than anyone before you has seen.
   You are restless and uneasy in times of idleness. You chafe 
  at long delays, because when you’re waiting for something 
  to happen you’re stuck in one spot. Urge your companions 
  to push on another mile, venture into just one more room, 
  or at least give you a chance to scout just over the next 
  hill before stopping for the night. Keep a journal of your 
  travels, noting the weather, the creatures you encountered, 
  the places you visited, and the spot where you camped for 
  each night.
   Overland travel is your special area of exper-
  tise, so make sure you voice your opinion when 
  the party debates the question of how to 
  move from one place to another. If 
  your friends are wise, they’ll lis-
  ten to you.
   Because you are widely 
  traveled and interested in 
  a variety of things, you 
  naturally relate new ex-
  periences to things you’ve 
  seen or done before.
   “This cave’s a little bit like 
  that second chamber in 
  the Caverns of Creeping 
  Shadows. You remem-
  ber, the one with the 
  weird green-glowing 
  fungus-balls and the 
  gricks? Do you think 
  we might ﬁ nd gricks 
  here too?”
   “Let’s ﬁ nd a safer place 
  to cross. In my experience, 
  this is just the sort of moun-
  tain stream that will 
  batter you to pieces and 
  carry you over a water-
  fall if you fall in. I don’t want to have to go looking 
  for your body.”
  “This desert’s got nothing on the Anvil of Searing Pain. Now that 
  was a desert.”
   “Careful! I’ll bet you these orcs are headhunters, like those 
  Blood Moon warriors we ran into a few months back. Look, they’ve 
  got kukris just like those Blood Moon orcs.”
  DISTRACTING ATTACK
  A ranger’s animal companion isn’t nearly as tough as a 
  druid’s, and thus works best as a scout or occasional ﬂ anker 
  in combat. If your ranger would prefer to avoid the hassle 
  of taking care of an animal companion, you can get some 
  of the same beneﬁ t with the distracting attack alternative 
  class feature. Though not as effective as an actual ﬂ anker, the 
  ability to spread out your attacks to affect multiple enemies 
  is a nice side effect.
  Level: 4th.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  an animal companion.
   Benefit: Beginning at 4th level, whenever you hit an 
  enemy with a weapon attack (whether melee or ranged), 
  that enemy is considered flanked by you for the purpose 
  of adjudicating your allies’ attacks. For example, if your 
  rogue ally attacked that enemy, not only would she gain 
  a +2 bonus on her melee attack roll but she could also 
  add her sneak attack 
  damage to a successful 
  melee attack.
   This ﬂ anked condition 
  lasts until either the enemy 
  is attacked by one of your 
  allies or until the start of 
  your next turn, whichever 
  comes ﬁ rst. This is an extraor-
  dinary ability.
    This ability has no effect on 
  creatures that can’t be ﬂ anked.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Archer
  Elf Ranger
    Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 17, Con 12, 
  Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8.
    Skills: Climb, Hide, Listen, Move 
  Silently, Spot, Survival.
    Feat: Point Blank Shot, Track.
    Weapons: Longsword (1d8/19–20), 
  longbow with 20 arrows (1d8/×3, 
  100 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
    Other Gear: Standard adven-
  turer’s kit, 19 gp.
  Package 2: The Hunter
  Half-Elf Ranger
    Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, 
  Wis 13, Cha 8.
    Skills: Hide, Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move 
  Silently, Spot, Survival.
   Feat: Alertness, Track.
   Weapons: Longsword (1d8/19–20), dagger (1d4/19–20, 10 
  ft.), longbow with 20 arrows (1d8/×3, 100 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 17 gp.
  Package 3: The Skirmisher
  Human Ranger
   Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8.
   Skills: Climb, Heal, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Spot, 
  Survival.
   Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Track.
   Weapon: Longsword (1d8/19–20), short sword (1d6/19–20), 
  3 javelins (1d6, 30 ft.)
   Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 5 gp.
  Soveliss, Ranger 
  of the Solstice Glade
  Illus. by C. Frank
  
  56
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  ROGUE
  The world owes you a living.
   You are the ultimate opportunist, keeping your eyes open 
  for the next big chance to come your way. Fortune favors the 
  bold, and while you might not always ﬁ ght with noteworthy 
  valor, you certainly have the boldest of aspirations.
   You are a trickster, a rapscallion, a scoundrel. You don’t 
  ﬁ ght fair, and if you can help it, you don’t ﬁ ght at all. Stealth, 
  guile, and daring are your weapons. Why ﬁ ght when another 
  act of daring—such as an impossible climb or a brazen 
  bluff—might serve to help you pass an obstacle and deliver 
  the prize into your hands?
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Artisan, Drifter, Gutter-
  snipe, Mariner.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Challenger, 
  Daredevil, Explorer, Mercenary, Orphan, Rebel, Renegade, 
  Simple Soul, Strategist, Trickster, Wanderer.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
   Braggart: You have a true gift for self-aggrandizement and 
  letting your mouth run away from you. Sometimes this can 
  lead to trouble, but let’s face it: Anyone as clever, quick, and 
  good-looking as you should be renowned for her deeds, and 
  shouldn’t knuckle under in the face of so-called authority. 
  If some jumped-up constable or high so-called noble doesn’t 
  like the way you carry yourself, it’s his problem, not yours. 
  He probably wishes he had half your charm and style.
   Take every opportunity to insult, belittle, and deride your 
  enemies. What better way to show off your wit and inventive-
  ness, while entertaining your friends? Don’t let a combat pass 
  without a quip.
   “Are you trying to kill me with your axe or your breath, you 
  malodorous ﬁ end?”
   “Hey, you dried-up old husk of a wizard! You wanted to live 
  forever looking like that?”
   “Where’s the evil plan? Come on, you’ve got to have an evil 
  plan! How can you call yourself a crazed cultist if you don’t have 
  an evil plan?”
   Make sure stories told about your deeds reﬂ ect well on you; 
  if part of the story is a little boring or doesn’t cast you in a 
  good light, there’s no harm in adding some embellishment. 
  There’s no conversation that can’t be improved by talking 
  about yourself a little—or a lot. You’re the most interesting 
  person around, after all.
   “Was Lord Gerrat there when I stole the Dragon Egg Ruby from 
  under a demilich’s skull? Did he stand next to me when I faced 
  down the frost giant jarl with nothing but this kukri so that my 
  friends could get away? Then Lord Gerrat can wait a few hours, 
  because I’m not leaving this tavern while the music’s still playing 
  and everyone is dancing.”
   “Yes, yes, that’s all very interesting, but let’s talk about me.”
   Above all, maintain your self-conﬁ dence! If you don’t 
  believe in yourself, who will? People exaggerate their troubles, 
  so you should feel free to whittle them back to size.
   “Oh, sure I’ve fought dragons before! Great big ones, ﬁ re-breathing 
  of course, bigger than castles! They’re not so tough.”
   “They just call it the Tomb of Horrors to scare off the morons. It’s 
  a sham, a put-on! We’ll walk right in and steal every last copper 
  from the place, just you wait and see!”
   Common-Born Hero: You view yourself as a champion 
  of the people, ﬁ ghting against injustice and tyranny with 
  a sly sense of humor, a larcenous streak, and an intuitive 
  grasp of the art of derring-do. You can’t stand to let a bully 
  go unpunished, and most monsters and villains are nothing 
  more than particularly big and scary bullies.
   While you are certainly happy to proﬁ t from your adventures, 
  you live for the gratitude and appreciation of the common folk. 
  Returning a stolen treasure to its rightful owner—especially 
  an owner who is otherwise impoverished—is more satisfying 
  than simply enriching yourself. Even if it’s difﬁ cult to part 
  with a hard-won prize, you trust that suitable rewards will 
  follow when you do the right thing. You don’t have to give 
  away everything you ﬁ nd, but you should see to it that your 
  successful adventures help as many people as possible.
   More so than most other characters, you take an interest in 
  the common people you encounter in your travels. Keep a list 
  of the minor NPCs you encounter, as well as what they need or 
  what they want. Ask your DM to provide your character with 
  opportunities to meet and help common folk if these are not a 
  feature of his game. (DMs will appreciate it if you don’t pester 
  them for details on every person in the village, though.)
   “Madam, why so sad? Here, take this gold coin and buy your 
  family a feast!”
   “I swear on the blood of my mother, there will be justice in 
  this town!”
   Skulk: You’re an artist, not a common thief. You are a bold 
  and daring warrior, but instead of putting your faith in iron-
  mongery and clumsy charges, you seek victory in the shadows. 
  You have no battle cry or trademark move—you don’t want to 
  be seen or heard before you strike. Some might question your 
  courage, but none can doubt your effectiveness.
   Surprise is your biggest asset, so you are a master of skills 
  and talents that let you creep into places where you can take 
  your enemy unaware. Seek out opportunities to scout out the 
  lay of the land and locate potential enemies without a big, 
  noisy party of adventurers at your heels, giving away your 
  position and waking up every monster in the dungeon. If 
  you can silently take out a weak or unsuspecting foe on your 
  own, great—but remember, it’s your job to avoid giving the 
  villains a chance to strike back. Make sure you can handle 
  anything you start when your allies aren’t at hand.
   You are rarely loud or boastful; you know what you can do, 
  and that’s the only measure that counts. You ﬁ nd it easier to 
  speak little and hear much, keeping your opinions to yourself. 
  When you do voice an opinion, you tend to be terse and offer 
  little or no explanation.
   “I’ll take care of the sentries.”
   “Give me ten minutes to get into position before the rest of you 
  storm in.”
   “Five ogres ahead—two sleeping, three more awake. I don’t want 
  to leave them behind us.”
   Specialist: You are a consummate professional. Master 
  of a set of rare and valuable skills, you view adventures as 
  jobs—nothing more and nothing less. You don’t accompany 
  
  57
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  adventuring parties to test yourself against 
  ferocious monsters or to halt the dep-
  redations of murderous villains. 
  You go along for your fair cut 
  of the loot, and you have no 
  use for the thickheaded he-
  roics of muscle-bound sword 
  swingers or crusading zealots. 
  If you wind up in a ﬁ ght, you 
  probably bungled the job.
   Rogue specialists come in 
  four basic ﬂ avors: lockpicks 
  (who concentrate on Open 
  Lock), trapﬁ nders (who need 
  Search and Disable De-
  vice), swindlers (who 
  use Bluff, Disguise, and 
  Gather Information), 
  and acrobats (who rely on 
  Balance, Jump, Climb, and Tumble). 
  In each case, the key to success is 
  your ability to amass a lot of ranks 
  in key skills other characters are 
  unlikely to duplicate. Magic can 
  eventually obviate the usefulness 
  of a swindler, lockpick, or acrobat 
  thanks to spells such as charm person 
  or levitate, but trapﬁ nders provide a 
  capability that is very hard to replace. 
  If you are going to be a specialist, con-
  sider being a trapﬁ nder ﬁ rst.
   Keep notes on various obstacles you 
  encounter, especially the ones you can’t get 
  around or through on your ﬁ rst try. Someday you’re going to 
  go back with the right tools (or perhaps a little more training) 
  and defeat each and every one.
   You can be opinionated, and you believe that most obstacles 
  can be overcome through the use of your special skills. You 
  are conﬁ dent and pragmatic.
  “I never met a lock I couldn’t open.”
  “Better let me go ﬁ rst. Otherwise someone’s likely to get killed.”
  “Hmmmph. Goblin-work. Shoddy.”
  DISRUPTIVE ATTACK
  More than perhaps any other character, a rogue’s ability to fully 
  contribute to a ﬁ ght varies dramatically based on the enemies 
  she faces. Against a mummy, ﬂ esh golem, or shambling mound, 
  the rogue’s damage-dealing drops precipitously. The disruptive 
  attack alternative class feature allows a rogue to be effective 
  in combat against such creatures by making them vulnerable to 
  the attacks of her and her allies. It’s also useful against creatures 
  vulnerable to your sneak attacks, creating interesting tactical 
  decisions for you in such ﬁ ghts.
  Level: 4th.
  Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  uncanny dodge at 4th level. Instead, you gain uncanny 
  dodge at 8th level (when you would normally gain improved 
  uncanny dodge).
    Beneﬁ t: Beginning at 4th level, through 
  careful study you’re able to ﬁ nd exploit-
  able ﬂ aws in any creature’s tactics and 
  defenses. Whenever you hit a target 
  that is ﬂ at-footed against your attack, 
  or whenever you hit a target that you 
  ﬂ ank, you can choose to sacriﬁ ce 
  your sneak attack damage in 
  order to apply a –5 penalty to 
  that creature’s AC for 1 round. 
  Multiple hits on the same target 
  don’t stack. This extraordinary ability 
  works even against creatures normal-
  ly immune to extra damage from 
  sneak attacks, such as undead.
  STARTING 
  PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Archer
  Halﬂ ing Rogue
    Ability Scores: Str 6, Dex 
  17, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 14, 
  Cha 10.
  Skills: Climb, Disable 
  Device, Hide, Listen, Move Si-
  lently, Open Lock, Search, 
  Spot, Tumble.
   Languages: Common, Gob-
  lin, Halﬂ ing.
   Feat: Point Blank Shot.
   Weapon: Morningstar (1d6/×3), light cross-
  bow with 20 bolts (1d6/19–20, 80 ft.).
    Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, thieves’ tools, 10 gp.
  Package 2: The Duelist
  Elf Rogue
   Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 13.
   Skills: Balance, Bluff, Disable Device, Hide, Listen, Move 
  Silently, Open Lock, Search, Spot, Tumble.
   Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven, Orc.
   Feat: Combat Expertise.
   Weapons: Rapier (1d6/18–20), dagger (1d4/19–20, 10 ft.), 
  shortbow with 20 arrows (1d6/×3, 60 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, thieves’ tools, 6 gp.
  Package 3: The Explorer
  Human Rogue
   Ability Scores: Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8.
   Skills: Climb, Disable Device, Gather Information, Hide, Jump, 
  Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Spot, Tumble.
   Languages: Common, Goblin, Undercommon.
   Feat: Alertness, Combat Reﬂ exes.
   Weapons: Longspear (1d8/×3), morningstar (1d8), light cross-
  bow with 20 bolts (1d8/19–20, 80 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, thieves’ tools, 5 gp.
  Lidda the Sparrowhawk, grandmaster 
  of the Red Knives thieves guild
  Illus. by R. Spencer
  
  58
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  SCOUT
  You navigate difﬁ cult terrain as easily as a commoner walks 
  down a cobbled lane. Your natural talent and intensive train-
  ing forged you into the ideal investigator of both the green 
  wilds and the dark depths. Where your compatriots ﬁ nd them-
  selves caught on brambles, tripped 
  up on potholes, and wounded 
  by caltrops, you ﬂ ow, jump, and 
  sweep through all distractions 
  offered by the mute landscape.
   Your ability to travel into difﬁ cult-
  to-reach locations complements 
  your ability to evade the eyes of 
  both friend and foe. You 
  are seen only where and 
  when you choose 
  to be.
   Quick, trackless, 
  difficult to pin 
  down, and able 
  to pierce both 
  physical barri-
  ers and lightless 
  expanses, you are 
  lethal when you 
  decide to make your 
  presence known, wheth-
  er in a direct attack or 
  when you make your report to 
  the eager company ready to act on 
  the intelligence you gathered.
   This class appears in the Complete 
  Adventurer supplement.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Drifter, Mariner, 
  Soldier.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Daredevil, 
  Explorer, Orphan, Rebel, Renegade, Seeker, Wanderer.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
  Game Hunter: You eat what you kill, and you’re none too 
  fond of fancy meals served in taverns. To you, hunting animals 
  for food in their proper season, by climate, and factoring in 
  animal diversity is a philosophy and even a way of life. You’d 
  never eat a spawning ﬁ sh out of season, and you recoil in dis-
  gust at the thought of dining on veal or herded animals.
   This means you’re kept busy hunting for your sustenance, 
  but luckily you know how to prepare and preserve large 
  catches in ways that ensure you can comfortably eat for a 
  month or more between big hunts. Of course, you prefer 
  fresh game to preserved, so whenever you can give jerky a 
  rest in favor of quail, squab, or coney, you take time to set up 
  a snare or head into the brush, only to emerge an hour later 
  with your fresh prize in hand.
   You are not stingy with freshly caught game, and you know 
  many different ways of preparing your catch. You cook for 
  your compatriots as much as they’ll allow, and you enjoy 
  trying new preparations with natural spices, seasonings, and 
  novel presentations.
   “I know a recipe for coney better than anything you’ll ever taste 
  in town.”
   “It’s not the season for salmon—don’t insult me by trying to 
  serve it.”
   Military Heritage: You come from a military tradition, having 
  served either in the king’s army or in a large, respected 
  mercenary company. You distinguished yourself, 
  though you never achieved high rank. On the other 
  hand, you were a noncommissioned ofﬁ cer, 
  and those who outranked you depended 
  upon your scouting expertise.
   
   Because of your military heri-
  tage, you are familiar with military 
  jargon, and speak of “flank-
  ing maneuvers” and how 
  “strategy is large scale 
  while tactics are small 
  scale.” Moreover, you 
  like to assess all adven-
  turing (and perhaps even 
  social) situations in terms of 
  seven strategic principles that 
  served you well while you were 
  “in service.”
   
   
  “Figuring out the objective is half the 
  battle.” Once you throw out all distracting 
  factors, what are you really hoping 
  to achieve?
    “With enough munitions, we can 
  mount a credible offense.” You’re 
  not afraid to pay for magic ar-
  rows and other high-quality 
  offensive “hardware.”
  “Without cooperation, we 
  have nothing.” You know the value that teamwork and mutual 
  aid adds to any dangerous situation. You like to work out 
  tactics ahead of time, and to establish who in the party is 
  responsible for what duty.
   “We have to concentrate our attacks!” It’s foolish to scatter 
  attacks across multiple enemies—if members of your party 
  concentrate their attacks on a dangerous foe, that foe would 
  be brought down quicker, and thus unable to deal its own 
  damage as long. Then, on to the next foe.
  “Always look for tactical advantage, then maneuver to reach those 
  positions.” You point out to others in your party where each 
  might be positioned for best possible effect. See Tactician on 
  page 58 under the warmage character themes.
  “Surprise is one of my favorite weapons.” You like to sneak 
  ahead and get the lay of the land before engaging enemies.
  “Keep it simple!” Plans are well and good, but complicated 
  schemes go out the window the moment the ﬁ rst arrow is 
  ﬁ red. Plans that are too involved almost always collapse.
   Sniper: You are especially skilled in field craft and 
  marksmanship, allowing you to target selected enemies 
  from concealment at range. Ideally, you move into a posi-
  tion against a foe unaware of your presence, use as few 
  Deruwyn, Scout Captain 
  of the Mithral Delvers
  Illus. by E. Fiegenschuh
  
  59
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  attacks as possible to down the target, then withdraw without 
  being seen.
   Of course, in a conﬂ ict when you support a larger party of 
  adventurers, you do not withdraw, but instead rely on your 
  comrades to keep the foe or foes from attacking you directly. 
  In return, you concentrate your ﬁ re against foes most danger-
  ous to your party.
   You developed your ﬁ eld skills on your own, or perhaps you 
  were trained in a military detachment of the king’s guard or 
  in a special unit ﬁ elded by a large mercenary company.
   World Traveler: You’ve seen it all. Well, you’ve seen a lot 
  in your travels, and you don’t mind audibly comparing the 
  place where you currently ﬁ nd yourself with other places 
  you’ve allegedly traveled to. Even when you haven’t physi-
  cally traveled to a locale you like to brag about, you indicate 
  (if pinned down) that you’ve read all about the locale in 
  question; after all, a scout has to keep on top of these sorts 
  of things.
   “The way this tower is laid out reminds me of Tarmind Spire. 
  Tarmind—the spire was named after the sorcerer who built it—was 
  a demonbinder. Tarmind Spire was where he caged all the demons 
  he bound. Anyway, keep an eye out for demons.”
   “This waterfall puts me in mind of the Falls of Shandarm. 
  Those falls plunge a hundred feet in a roaring cascade of white 
  whose thunder can be heard for miles. Local tribes cast coins, gems, 
  even magic items into it, thinking that their sacriﬁ ce will grant 
  them fortune and long life. I don’t know if that’s true, but there’s 
  a fortune hidden below the cataract. Maybe we should search the 
  basin here?”
   “Whenever I travel through a mine, I think of the Mines of 
  Minwray. The dwarves found the Minwray mine—they didn’t 
  delve it themselves. It was a great barrow of interconnected pas-
  sages, following the vein of some mysterious mineral, delved by a 
  vanished race. By the time the dwarves found it, the mineral was 
  completely exhausted. But the dwarves expanded the dig, hoping 
  to ﬁ nd some trace of what the mysterious Minwray had mined 
  so assiduously.”
   “I hate these deep ravines—did I ever tell you about the Skarvos 
  Ravine? Twenty miles long and half a mile deep, the ravine shelters 
  a sprawling citadel of crude dark stone in the deepest, darkest root 
  of the ﬁ ssure. No one’s ever returned from the citadel who explored 
  it, so no one knows what is inside.”
  DUNGEON SPECIALIST
  The scout’s mobility gives her a signiﬁ cant advantage over 
  foes in combat. While any scout can hold her own in an 
  underground setting, some speciﬁ cally train for the dark, 
  enclosed spaces found in dungeon environments. If you 
  select the dungeon specialist alternative class feature, you 
  give up some of your speed to turn the dungeon into a three-
  dimensional combat environment. You’ll shine in small 
  rooms and tight corridors, though area spells become a bit 
  more dangerous for you.
   Level: 3rd.
   Replaces: By choosing the dungeon specialist alternative 
  class feature, you give up both fast movement (normally 
  gained at 3rd level and improved at 11th level) and evasion 
  (normally gained at 5th level).
   Beneﬁ t: At 3rd level, you gain a climb speed equal to one-
  half your base land speed (rounded down to the next 5-foot 
  increment), and you can attack with a light weapon normally 
  while climbing. At 11th level, your climb speed improves to 
  equal your base land speed.
   Having a climb speed grants you a +8 racial bonus on 
  Climb checks and allows you to take 10 on Climb checks 
  even if rushed or threatened. You also retain your Dexterity 
  bonus to AC while climbing, and enemies gain no special 
  bonus on attacks against you while you are climbing. See 
  Movement Modes, MM 311, for more details.
   At 5th level, you learn to use confining areas to your 
  advantage. Whenever you are standing on the ground and 
  adjacent to a wall, you gain a +2 bonus to AC and opponents 
  gain no bonus on their attack rolls when ﬂ anking you.
   This is an extraordinary ability. You lose both of these 
  beneﬁ ts when wearing medium or heavy armor or when 
  carrying a medium or heavy load.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Archer
  Halﬂ ing Scout
   Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, 
  Cha 8.
   Skills: Climb, Disable Device, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, 
  Open Lock, Search, Spot.
   Feat: Point Blank Shot.
   Weapons: Spear (1d6/×3), dagger (1d3/19–20), shortbow 
  with 20 arrows (1d4/×3, 60 ft.)
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, thieves’ tools, 
  20 gp.
  Package 2: The Hunter
  Elf Scout
   Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 13, 
  Cha 8.
   Skills: Disable Device, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Open 
  Lock, Search, Spot, Survival.
   Feat: Track.
   Weapons: Spear (1d8/×3), throwing axe (1d6, 10 ft.), short-
  bow with 20 arrows (1d6/×3, 100 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, thieves’ tools, 
  15 gp.
  Package 3: The Skirmisher
  Human Scout
   Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, 
  Cha 8.
   Skills: Disable Device, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, 
  Open Lock, Search, Spot, Tumble.
   Feats: Dodge, Two-Weapon Fighting.
   Weapons: Two short swords (1d6/19–20), 5 javelins (1d6, 
  30 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, thieves’ tools, 
  30 gp.
  
  60
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  SORCERER
  You weave spells like poets compose sonnets. You require 
  no dusty tomes, no grueling apprenticeships, no protracted 
  study of arcane phenomena—all you need is your inborn 
  talent to wield raw magic.
   As a child, you knew you were different from others, and 
  when you uttered your ﬁ rst spontaneous spell, your suspi-
  cions were conﬁ rmed—sorcery infused your blood!
   But where did this awesome gift arise from? Could it be 
  a mere knack, or is it true that you can claim dragons as 
  ancestors? It might be that your ability to manifest magic 
  through mere force of will is your inheritance from those 
  ancient creatures.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Artisan, Ascetic, Drifter, 
  Noble Scion.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Companion, 
  Daredevil, Innocent, Mercenary, Orphan, Renegade, Royalty, 
  Sage, Seeker, Simple Soul, Wanderer.
  CHARACTER 
  THEMES
  One or more of the following 
  character themes could apply 
  to you.
  Mysterious Stranger: 
  No one knows the real you, 
  and you prefer to keep it that 
  way. Though you have allies, 
  and might even have a few 
  friends, your background 
  is a mystery to all.
   Of course, in the ab-
  sence of fact, rumor and 
  legend rush to ﬁ ll the 
  void. While you might 
  not actively spread mis-
  information, it pleases 
  you to hear others tell fan-
  tastic stories about where 
  (and how) you were born or 
  raised, your exploits, and the 
  true extent of your powers.
   When other characters ask 
  about your background, don’t ever 
  give a straight reply. Dance around 
  the truth, making ominous statements in place 
  of answers. Let them believe what they would 
  like—and let your actions give them every reason 
  to believe the most fantastic possibilities.
   A few ranks of Bluff (and/or cross-class ranks of Intimidate) 
  are particularly useful for pulling off this theme. In keeping 
  your secrets, it’s useful to be able to lie directly to someone’s 
  face, or to stare someone in the face until he or she slinks 
  away nervously.
  “Many before you have pondered my origin. Your questions, like 
  those, must remain unanswered . . . for your own safety.”
  “You wouldn’t be the ﬁ rst to make the mistake of underestimating 
  my power.”
   Genealogist: You amass oral histories, search records, 
  and seek out family stories to discover the truth about your 
  ancestors and living relatives. Though your overall goal 
  is to prove that you are indeed descended from dragons, 
  you’ve acquired a lot of secondary knowledge concerning 
  now-defunct kingdoms, the movement of people across the 
  landscape, great wars and philosophical movements, and 
  other historical curiosities.
   While still ongoing, your search of your family his-
  tory has led you to uncover distant cousins and even a 
  few buried family secrets. For instance, you learned that 
  your great grandfather didn’t die in service to the king’s 
  guard as everyone believes. It turns out he shipped to sea 
  with a privateer. Over the course of decades, he worked 
  to become the captain of his own ship. You’ve never been 
  able to discover the final fate of your grandfather’s ship, 
  but you are constantly on the lookout for 
  fresh information.
      Despite the interesting revelations 
  you discover and the people you 
  now know you can count as distant 
  relatives, your true quest remains: 
  You’ve never once turned your 
  mind from the thought of your 
  dragon ancestry.
   
   “My grandfather had secrets 
  that no one could have guessed. 
  I wonder if he had a hidden 
  hoard?”
   
   “You’d do well to learn 
  your own ancestry. How do 
  you truly know what you are 
  if you don’t know from where 
  you’ve come?”
   Misunderstood Rebel: 
  You’ve never fit in. No 
  one understands you, 
  and truth to tell, you 
  don’t care anymore. Your 
  dark, brooding clothing, 
  pale features, and much-
  tattooed flesh is part 
  of who you are, and if 
  people can’t accept that, it’s 
  their problem, not yours. Moreover, 
  you relish locations that others find horror-
  inducing, including necropolises, haunted 
  citadels, and cursed cathedrals. Though you 
  still draw breath, you feel as if you have something in 
  common with ghosts, vampires, and other humanoid-
  shaped undead—although none have yet seemed overly 
  interested in doing anything other than attempting to 
  kill you.
   You have a knack for writing dark and dismal tales, and 
  whether with pen or out loud, you have composed several 
  stories featuring cursed families, being buried alive, and the 
  fall of cities into hellish rifts.
  “Who cares?”
  Hennet, master sorcerer 
  of the Emerald Flame
  Illus. by H. Lyon
  
  61
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
   “I wrote a story once about a girl who was dead for a year and 
  never knew it. . . .”
   Pretender: This character theme relies on you having 
  taken 1 or more ranks in Bluff. Your natural charisma leads 
  you into making preposterous, but somehow reasonable-
  sounding claims regarding a wide variety of topics.
   You most effectively use this talent when playing games 
  of chance, especially cards. For instance, when playing the 
  high-stakes game of three-dragon ante, your ability to bluff 
  effectively is a tactic you’ve come to rely on when you want 
  to make the other players believe your weak hand is strong, 
  or that your strong hand is weak, depending on how the 
  dragons fall.
   However, when you are faced with stressful situations, 
  your propensity to invent answers to hard questions out of 
  whole cloth could get you into trouble at least as often as it 
  helps. For example, when challenged by guards asking for 
  credentials necessary to allow you and your friends past 
  some threshold, you launch into a song-and-dance meant 
  to distract:
   “Well, of course I’d normally give you the countersign, but didn’t 
  you get the news? Spies are about, invisible, just waiting to overhear 
  someone give the countersign at this entry. Can you imagine if they 
  learned the countersign? Can you imagine if it was because you 
  required me to give it to you now?”
   “The Grand Duke sent for me. Don’t give me any claptrap 
  about not knowing who I am or that I am not on the list—the 
  Grand Duke asked for me by name! If you don’t let me past 
  RIGHT now, I can guarantee that when I finally do see the 
  Duke a half-hour from now because you’ve delayed me, I’ll 
  tell him right off I was delayed because of YOU! What’s your 
  name, guard?”
  METAMAGIC SPECIALIST
  With a limited selection of spells at his ﬁ ngertips, it’s natural 
  for a sorcerer to turn to metamagic feats to gain ﬂ exibility 
  in effects. If the idea of playing a sorcerer who efﬁ ciently 
  twists his spells into new shapes and sizes excites you, the 
  metamagic specialist alternative class feature is the way to 
  go. Though you must forgo the beneﬁ ts of a familiar to pursue 
  this path, some sorcerers relish not having to keep track of 
  such a vulnerable accessory.
   Level: 1st.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  a familiar.
   Beneﬁ t: You can apply metamagic feats that you know 
  to sorcerer spells without increasing the casting time. This 
  beneﬁ t even lets you quicken your sorcerer spells with the 
  Quicken Spell feat.
   You can use this class feature a number of times per day 
  equal to 3 + your Int modiﬁ er (minimum 1). This is an 
  extraordinary ability.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Battle Mage
  Gnome Sorcerer
   Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 10, 
  Cha 15.
   Skills: Concentration.
   Feat: Toughness.
   Weapon: Spear (1d6/×3), dagger (1d3/19–20, 10 ft.), light 
  crossbow with 20 bolts (1d6/19–20, 80 ft.).
   Armor: None.
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 14 gp.
   Spells Known: 1st—mage armor, ray of enfeeblement, shock-
  ing grasp; 0—acid splash, daze, detect magic, read magic, touch 
  of fatigue.
  Package 2: The Blaster
  Halﬂ ing Sorcerer
   Ability Scores: Str 6, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, 
  Cha 15.
   Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Knowledge (arcana).
   Languages: Common, Draconic, Halﬂ ing.
   Feat: Spell Focus (evocation).
   Weapons: Longspear (1d6/×3), dagger (1d3/19–20, 10 ft.), 
  light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d6/19–20, 80 ft.).
   Armor: None.
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 11 gp.
   Spells Known: 1st—color spray, magic missile, obscuring mist; 
  0—acid splash, detect magic, disrupt undead, light, ray of frost.
  Package 3: The Infernal Summoner
  Human Sorcerer
   Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, 
  Cha 15.
   Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft.
   Languages: Common, Infernal.
   Feats: Infernal Sorcerer Heritage, Infernal Sorcerer Howl.
   Weapons: Longspear (1d6/×3), dagger (1d3/19–20, 10 ft.), 
  light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d6/19–20, 80 ft.).
   Armor: None.
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 11 gp.
   Spells Known: 1st—grease, mage armor, summon monster I; 
  0—acid splash, detect magic, daze, message, read magic.
  
  62
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  SWASHBUCKLER
  You’ll do nearly anything on a dare, going so far as to risk 
  your life to prove your panache. You have a style all your own. 
  Agile and swift, witty and charming, you are the toast of the 
  town wherever you go, although sometimes your antics earn 
  you the displeasure of authority ﬁ gures and the annoyance 
  of your more conservative compatriots.
   Luckily, you excel both with your swift blade and your 
  equally agile tongue. You can charm even the most stone-
  hearted long enough to make your getaway.
   Seeking fame, praise, and perhaps hoping to right the 
  occasional injustice, you leap into action, glorying in the life 
  of a famous hero.
   This class appears in the Complete Adventurer supplement.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Drifter, Gladiator, Mari-
  ner, Noble Scion.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Challenger, 
  Daredevil, Rebel, Trickster, Wanderer.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
   Avenger: Someone wronged you in the past, and you’ve 
  made it your mission to put that misdeed right and bring 
  justice, or at least vengeance, to bear. You can be heard fre-
  quently muttering the name of the person whom you blame 
  for your present state. You keep your blade especially sharp, 
  you like to explain to anyone who will listen, so that when 
  the time comes for you to exact justice, your foe’s blood will 
  soak the earth. See the Driven Avenger on page 54 under the 
  ranger character themes.
   “I keep a special blade as sharp as a dragon’s tooth for the ﬁ nal 
  blow I’ll strike.”
   “If justice can’t be mine, then I claim vengeance.”
   Braggart: You are given to making incredible claims and 
  boasts. See the rogue character theme of the same name on 
  page 56.
   Clothes Horse: You dress in conspicuous, ﬂ ashy clothes. 
  Dun-colored leather, gray, and tan—these are colors for 
  dullards. You prefer brilliant red, hunter green, navy blue, 
  snowy white, and coal black, but color alone doesn’t make 
  the ensemble—it is the fashion!
   Though a courtier’s outﬁ t will set you back 30 gold pieces, 
  you own several widely different sets. On the days when you 
  are less likely to soil your clothing in sewer water or in the 
  blood of your foes, you trot out your ﬁ nest noble outﬁ ts, made 
  pricier by your personalized touches.
   “Take a care you don’t get any of your blood on my new silk 
  doublet, you knave!”
   Daredevil: Your audacity sometimes leads you to perform 
  dangerous stunts merely to prove to others that few things 
  are beyond your reach, when you set your mind to them. 
  Sometimes, with enough time and resources, you can rig 
  a stunt so that it looks dangerous to onlookers, but actually 
  includes hidden safety features. However, your stunts are 
  frequently as dangerous as they appear.
   Baiting a Monster: While you are adventuring, sometimes 
  a dangerous beast needs to be lured into a particular 
  location so it can be dealt with more easily, while other 
  times a monster is in too formidable a tactical location to 
  attack. That’s when you shine. You declare straightaway 
  that you’re up to baiting the creature so that it’ll move in 
  the desired direction. Invective works, as does a swift 
  attack and retreat, but sometimes you end up snatching a 
  valuable item and running.
   “You call that a monster? I’ve seen more dangerous claws in a 
  barnyard!”
   Master Magician: You claim you can endure anything, even 
  being buried alive. Why, you’ve gone a full seven days being 
  buried alive in a cofﬁ n under 6 feet of earth, or so you claim. 
  If secretly allowed to make preparations to obtain food (and 
  air), or if you can make a deal with a friend with the right 
  spells to check up on you now and then, you might just take 
  another dare to try eight days!
   “It’s true, that one time I almost died, but that was just to impress 
  the ladies.”
   Escapist: You brag that there is no restraint from which 
  you can’t free yourself (to employ this character theme, you 
  should have 1 or more ranks in Escape Artist). Whether 
  manacles, chains, ropes, or other restraint devices, you 
  claim you’ve never been foiled. To keep your record 
  safe, you take extensive precautions, including keeping 
  “rigged” sets of manacles and stocks to practice with, and 
  as an extreme, occasionally swallowing a skeleton key 
  good for unlocking many types of manacles and vaults. 
  When necessary, you can regurgitate the key, though it’s 
  an unpleasant process.
   “The Tarterian Depths of Carceri couldn’t hold me. Do you think 
  your puny cell has a chance?”
   Leaping a Pit: Ten feet? No problem. Twenty? Just as easy. 
  Your friends know that ﬁ ssures are your specialty and rarely 
  dare you to span them, although on occasion putting on a 
  little paying show by jumping a horse across a river isn’t out of 
  the question. You take it in stride that it’s best to have several 
  extra healing potions on hand during such an event—after 
  all, you’ve learned that your fame actually increases after a 
  failed attempt if you are terribly injured.
   “It’s okay . . . it’s not as far across as it looks.”
   Humorist: Your natural charisma leads you to entertain 
  your friends and larger groups by making them laugh. You 
  employ a wide variety of tools toward this end, including 
  jokes, relating amusing situations (sometimes with comedic 
  embellishment), or acting the fool.
   “What do you do if an orc attacks you with a crossbow? Pick up 
  the crossbow and shoot the orc.”
   “Two orc mercenaries are walking down the street when one 
  collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. 
  The other rushes up the steps of a nearby temple and ﬁ nds a cleric. 
  He gasps: ‘My friend is dead! What can I do?’ The cleric says: ‘Calm 
  down, I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.’ The orc rushes 
  away, then returns a moment later, cleaning blood off his blade. He 
  says, ‘Okay, now what?’ ”
   “At dinner one night, the goblin child cries, ‘Mommy, Mommy! 
  When are we going to have Aunt Gruma for dinner?’ The 
  mother replies, ‘Quiet, we haven’t even finished your grand-
  mother yet.’ ”
  
  63
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  Negotiator: In some groups, your diplomatic skills exceed 
  those of your friends. See the bard character theme of the 
  same name on page 34.
  Pretender: Your natural charisma leads you 
  to make preposterous, but somehow reasonable-
  sounding claims regarding a wide variety of topics. 
  See the sorcerer character theme of the same name on 
  page 61.
  SHIELD OF BLADES
  The typical swashbuckler is best suited to 
  fighting a single foe. Some, however, prac-
  tice using a pair of light weapons to fend off 
  attacks from all around them. The shield of 
  blades alternative class feature is designed for swash-
  bucklers who fight with two weapons. Though 
  it requires a full attack action to use the 
  ability, the AC bonus applies against all 
  attackers (even invisible ones), unlike 
  the dodge bonus gained by the traditional 
  swashbuckling style.
  Level: 5th.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, 
  you do not gain the dodge bonus class 
  feature (or its improvements at 10th, 
  15th, and 20th level).
   Beneﬁ t: Beginning at 5th level, you 
  become adept at defending yourself when 
  wielding a pair of light weapons. You gain a +2 shield bonus 
  to your AC whenever you attack with at least two light 
  weapons during your turn. (Despite the name of this class 
  feature, you can use any light weapon to gain the beneﬁ t, 
  even unarmed strikes or natural weapons.) This AC bonus 
  lasts until the start of your next turn. This is an extraordi-
  nary ability.
   This bonus increases by 1 for every ﬁ ve levels beyond 5th 
  (+3 at 10th level, +4 at 15th level, and +5 at 20th level). You 
  lose this bonus when wearing medium or heavy armor or 
  when carrying a medium or heavy load.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Destroyer
  Half-Orc Swashbuckler
   Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 8, 
  Cha 10.
   Skills: Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, Tumble, Swim.
   Languages: Common, Abyssal, Orc.
   Feats: Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse.
   Weapons: Two short swords (1d6/19–20), dagger (1d4/19–20, 
  10 ft.).
   Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 13 gp.
  Package 2: The Duelist
  Human Swashbuckler
   Ability Scores: Str 13, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 8, 
  Cha 12.
   Skills: Balance, Bluff, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Jump, Sense 
  Motive, Tumble.
   Languages: Common, Elven, Goblin.
   Feats: Combat Expertise, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus 
  (rapier).
   Weapons: Rapier (1d6/18–20), dagger (1d4/19–20, 10 ft.).
   Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 13 gp.
  Package 3: The Skirmisher
  Elf Swashbuckler
   Ability Scores: Str 13, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 8, 
  Cha 10.
   Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, Tumble.
   Languages: Common, Elven, Orc, Sylvan.
   Feats: Dodge, Weapon Finesse.
   Weapons: Rapier (1d6/18–20), dagger (1d4/19–20, 10 ft.), 
  two javelins (1d6, 30 ft.).
   Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 11 gp.
  Meara Swiftblade, Q ueen’s champion
  Illus. by L. Parillo
  
  64
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  WARLOCK
  You deal with things other people cannot even imagine. Only 
  through your determination and willpower do you resist 
  being utterly consumed by the dark power you wield. You 
  walk the earth, free to work good or evil with your so-called 
  gift. But even if you choose to resist evil’s lure, it is a struggle 
  you must win each and every day of your life.
   Magic is a part of your being in a way that not even the most 
  powerful sorcerer or wizard will ever know. In your heart burns 
  a strange and terrible font of power, giving you the ability to 
  perform uncanny feats with only a ﬂ ick of the wrist or a wave 
  of the hand to show for it. You are capable enough in battle, 
  but your real strength lies in your ability to bedevil and blight 
  your enemies with a variety of noxious curses and sinister 
  tricks. Few people care to associate with you—but those who 
  do ﬁ nd you to be a capable companion indeed.
   This class appears in the Complete Arcane supplement.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Ascetic, Drifter, Gutter snipe.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Challenger, Daredevil, 
  Orphan, Renegade, Strategist, Theorist, Trickster, Wanderer.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
  Hellion: You are an enfant terrible, a troublemaker who 
  cares nothing for the expectations or sensibilities of the 
  people around you. You delight in scandalizing those who 
  seek to censure your behavior.
   Never apologize for your actions or conceal your true 
  nature. If the common folk are frightened of warlocks, let 
  them be frightened! You savor the taste of their fear. When 
  dealing with the powerful, dispense with etiquette and tact 
  and speak your mind. You take pleasure in the gasps of shock 
  and daggerlike glances of those who think you’re uncouth. 
  The unwritten rules of discourse and behavior are silly and 
  outmoded anyway, so you ﬂ aunt them at every opportunity. 
  You don’t need to be obscene, vile, or gross, but you feel no 
  need to moderate your behavior or watch your words.
  “All power is evil. Haven’t you learned that yet?”
  “Stand aside, constable! No one stops me from going where I like 
  and doing what I please! Or would you prefer to be a toad?”
  “You’d like my head on a pike, would you? Well, here it is—come 
  take it if you can! Otherwise, leave me be!”
  Possessed: You are a plaything for the sinister powers that 
  created you. Several different spirits or personas constantly 
  vie for control of your body. Your own persona rarely loses 
  control outright, but its dominance is shaky enough that 
  other personas can speak, gesture, or even force you to begin 
  various actions before you manage to regain control.
   For example, you ﬁ nd yourself leveling your wand of light-
  ning bolt at your ally’s back before you drag down your wand 
  hand with your other arm. You threaten yourself with vile 
  oaths and imprecations. You might even wake up to ﬁ nd that 
  you are far from the place where you went to sleep, and people 
  tell you that you did and said things you have no memory of. 
  All in all, you present a profoundly unnerving spectacle.
   Make strange, unconnected gestures at the gaming table. 
  Point a pencil or pen at one of your fellow players, and then 
  suddenly “notice” that your hand is doing something you didn’t 
  want it to and pull it down. Create several distinct voices that 
  argue with each other. Make sure the other players know what 
  you’re doing so they don’t have you committed; remember, 
  a little bit of this sort of behavior goes a long way.
   When roleplaying a warlock with this trait, you don’t have 
  to betray your friends or take actions harmful to yourself 
  or your allies. But you should certainly say things that are 
  incongruous with the actions you perform.
  “I can hold off the ogres, but only if the elf dies ﬁ rst. No, wait, he’s 
  my friend. Deﬁ nitely the ogres ﬁ rst.”
  Reformed: You have done terrible wrongs in your life. You 
  have mocked the holy, plundered the weak, harried the just, 
  and murdered the innocent. But now you repent of the evil 
  you inﬂ icted on the world, and earnestly strive to atone for 
  your many crimes. By turning the powers of darkness against 
  other evildoers, you hope to make amends as best you can.
   In your travels, you might encounter those who know of 
  your evil past. Such people might assume that your reforma-
  tion is nothing more than a cynical attempt to escape justice, 
  or perhaps a cruel sham designed to provide you with oppor-
  tunities to indulge in even greater wickedness than before. In 
  some lands you are reviled, and you walk abroad at no small 
  risk of imprisonment or execution. In all fairness, you deserve 
  such treatment after what you did.
  “I’ve done . . . great evil. Those deeds darkened my soul, and every 
  day I do all I can to erase that stain.”
  Morthos, warlock of the Ebon Tower
  Illus. by L. Parillo
  
  65
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
   Supernatural Stricture: You are a supernatural creature, 
  and you are subject to laws and strictures that other adven-
  turers never experience. Others might think of these as 
  superstitions or taboos, but for you they are immutable laws. 
  For instance, you must choose a random way to go anytime 
  you encounter a crossroads, unless someone tells you the way. 
  (City streets and dungeon corridors don’t usually count as 
  crossroads.) You refuse to enter a home without an invitation. 
  Domestic animals panic at your approach. You refuse to set 
  foot on sacred ground, or you cannot look a blue-eyed person 
  in the face. Whatever your stricture is, it rarely puts your life 
  in danger, but it is occasionally inconveniencing to you, and 
  memorable to anyone who witnesses your odd behavior.
   There are three basic ways to handle this sort of limitation 
  in play.
   Voluntary Compliance: You observe the stricture through 
  roleplaying alone.
   Compliance to Avoid a Penalty: You observe the stricture 
  because violating it would bring about a minor penalty.
   Inviolable Law: You are absolutely incapable of defying 
  the stricture.
   Ideally, a supernatural stricture should, on rare occasions, 
  force you to choose or avoid an action that most other characters 
  would not give a second thought. If you get lost at crossroads, 
  you might have to wait for hours at a lonely intersection in the 
  countryside for someone to come along and show you which 
  way to go. If you make domestic animals panic, you might 
  ﬁ nd it impossible to ride a horse, and thus walk instead of 
  ride when traveling overland.
   “I’m sorry, but I may not cross this threshold without an invita-
  tion. Won’t you invite me in?”
  FIENDISH FLAMEWREATH
  By their very nature, a warlock’s powers are unusual and unpre-
  dictable. Some warlocks manifest a visible sign of their ﬁ endish 
  prowess, developing the ability to wreathe themselves in burning 
  ﬂ ames to deal damage to attackers. Giving up your fast healing 
  means you’re less capable of bouncing back after a ﬁ ght, but the 
  deterrence factor of the ﬁ endish ﬂ amewreath alternative class 
  feature might result in you taking less damage entirely.
   Level: 8th.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  the ﬁ endish resilience class feature normally gained at 8th 
  level (or the improvements to that class feature gained at 
  13th and 18th level).
   Beneﬁ t: Beginning at 8th level, you know the trick of ﬁ end-
  ish ﬂ amewreath. Once per day you can immolate yourself in 
  wispy ﬂ ames that don’t hurt you but deal 1d6 points of ﬁ re 
  damage to any creature striking you with its body or a hand-
  held weapon. Creatures wielding weapons with exceptional 
  reach, such as longspears, are not subject to this damage if 
  they attack you.
   Activating your ﬁ endish ﬂ amewreath is a free action; it lasts 
  for 2 minutes or until you take another free action to end it. 
  The ﬂ ames provide light equivalent to a torch, but can’t be 
  extinguished except by you. This is a supernatural ability.
   At 13th level, your ﬁ endish ﬂ amewreath deals 2d6 points of 
  ﬁ re damage. At 18th level, the damage improves to 5d6 points.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Blaster
  Halﬂ ing Warlock
   Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 15.
   Skills: Concentration, Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft.
   Languages: Common, Goblin, Halﬂ ing.
   Feat: Point Blank Shot.
   Weapons: Longspear (1d6/×3), dagger (1d4/19–20, 10 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 28 gp.
   Invocations: Least—eldritch blast, frightful blast.
  Package 2: The Controller
  Elf Warlock
   Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 15.
   Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Intimidate.
   Languages: Common, Elven, Orc.
   Feat: Necropolis Born (Complete Arcane).
   Weapon: Morningstar (1d8).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 29 gp.
   Invocations: Least—eldritch blast, miasmic cloud.
  Package 3: The Problem Solver
  Human Warlock
   Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 15.
   Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device.
   Languages: Common, Infernal.
   Feats: Communicator (Complete Arcane), Skill Focus (Use 
  Magic Device).
   Weapons: Longspear (1d8/×3), morningstar (1d8), two dag-
  gers (1d4/19–20, 10 ft.).
   Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC).
   Other Gear: Standard adventurer’s kit, 20 gp.
   Invocations: Least—devil’s sight, eldritch blast.
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  SUPERNATURAL PENALTIES 
  AND BONUSES
  Talk with your DM about whether or not you should be subject to 
  a penalty for breaking a stricture, and if so, what the right sort of 
  penalty should be. Generally, a –1 penalty on caster level or saving 
  throws for 24 hours is not unreasonable for breaking a stricture.
   If you are liable to a penalty for your supernatural stricture, 
  you are accepting a penalty that offers no benefit other than an 
  interesting roleplaying hook. To balance this out, you should 
  have a supernatural gift that occasionally provides a modest 
  bonus (+1 bonus on caster level or saving throws for 24 hours). 
  The gift should be something that is not under your control. For 
  example, you might receive the benefit of your gift on the night 
  of the new moon, during a thunderstorm, or when you carry a 
  lock of hair from a man hanged for murder. Work with your DM 
  to create a flavorful and appropriate gift for your warlock.
  
  66
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  WARMAGE
  Magic’s application to warfare is more than an academic’s 
  theory—it is your life! You dream of blasts of devastating 
  magic, spells of steel, and the clarion horn calling the 
  warriors to battle. The stamp of marching troops is the 
  sound dearest to your ears, though the blast of a fireball 
  ripping through the ranks of massed line of enemies has 
  its place.
   You graduated near the top of your class from the war col-
  lege, where every day you drilled in the dark predawn light, 
  through through the heat of the day, until the bugle played 
  its nightly signal that today’s training was done. The magic 
  of war is ingrained in you, and you ache to release it on the 
  battleﬁ eld, or in a smaller skirmish where your skills will be 
  all the more visible.
   This class appears in the Complete Arcane supplement.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Gladiator, Noble Scion, 
  Soldier.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Chal-
  lenger, Leader, Royalty, Strategist.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
  Foul-Tempered: A student of hard knocks, you are given 
  to bouts of abusive or venomous language, though you pepper 
  your speech with choice bits of invective even when you’re not 
  blaming a subordinate, censuring a compatriot, or expressing 
  your bitter and deep-seated ill will regarding all that walk 
  on two and four legs.
   Though you’ve been known to swear a blue streak, 
  you’ve also learned that using foul language is far more 
  effective if rationed—a choice curse or shout at just the 
  right moment has far more impact than a constant stream 
  of epithets . . . though on occasion the situation calls for 
  just such a string of slurs and imprecations. You’ve also 
  found that it helps company unity if you swear mostly at 
  foes and restrain from applying your venomous tongue to 
  your compatriots.
  “What are you looking at, cave creeper?”
   “Where to, chief?”
  “Idiocy drips from the fool’s mouth.”
   Military Heritage, High Rank: You come from a military 
  tradition, having served either in the king’s army or in a large, 
  respected mercenary company. You distinguished yourself 
  and even achieved a reasonably high rank. When you emerged 
  from your war college you were commissioned as a company 
  grade ofﬁ cer and thus began your service as a lieutenant, but 
  soon advanced to captain.
   You still proudly wear the rank insignia of a captain, 
  despite having been discharged from the company you 
  originally served. You wear the insignia as a shoulder patch. 
  Others who served recognize your insignia, and you rec-
  ognize theirs.
   Because of your military heritage, you are familiar with 
  military jargon and make use of it, as well as elements of 
  military strategy. See the Military Heritage entry on page 58 
  under the scout character themes.
   Military Historian: This character theme requires you 
  to have at least 1 rank in Knowledge (history). You are a 
  student of conﬂ ict, an expert on the subject of the famous 
  battles between prehistoric tribes, ancient militaries, and 
  modern armies between kings and necromancers. See the 
  bard character theme of the same name on page 34.
   Tactician: While a military strategy is an overall plan for 
  a large conﬂ ict, tactics are the actual means used to attain a 
  goal in a particular ﬁ ght. As someone who achieved the rank 
  of captain, you know effective tactics and like to employ them 
  in a ﬁ ght, depending on the situation.
  Camouﬂ age: When at all possible, you attempt to hide the 
  presence of yourself and your party from potential enemies, 
  hoping to discourage ranged weapon accuracy and targeting 
  until you can close, or even completely hide from an enemy 
  force until you are ready to attack.
   “Change into your darkest clothes, and don’t forget to rub charcoal 
  across your faces.”
   Decoy: One of your favorite tactics is the use of a decoy. 
  Whether a spell that provides the illusion of a powerful 
  heroic ally or a monster in your thrall, or just a loud noise 
  or fabricated conversation, you use a decoy to distract a foe 
  or foes from what is truly important—usually you and your 
  group’s true position and strength.
   “We need the illusion of dragon charging their line—then we 
  can sneak in around back.”
  Arthon, destroyer of hordes
  Illus. by S. Ellis
  
  67
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
   Ambush: When possible, you prefer to attack your foes from 
  concealment when they least expect such an assault. Good 
  options include striking from dense underbrush or ﬁ ring 
  ranged weapons from a high position.
   “We have to establish a killing ground, position two groups to cut 
  off any escape, and post someone to keep watch so we know when 
  to launch the ambush.”
   Frontal Assault: Sometimes, the best tactic is a direct, 
  hostile advance toward the foe. The hope is to overwhelm 
  the enemy with your strength. However, you know that it’s 
  rank stupidity to call for a frontal assault against a foe in a 
  fortiﬁ ed position.
   “We’ve run out of options. Time for a suicide strike . . . er, frontal 
  assault!”
   Pincer Movement: If you are with a group large enough 
  to pull it off, and if you’re ﬁ ghting a foe in numbers large 
  enough for it to matter, you like to employ a tactic called the 
  pincer movement, where you attack the massed ﬂ anks of the 
  opponent simultaneously in a pinching motion after your 
  foe has committed forward. Your forces ideally respond by 
  moving out to surround the foes.
   “Surround them, envelop them, don’t let any escape!”
   Flying Wedge: In some ways like a frontal assault but more 
  reﬁ ned, a ﬂ ying wedge is a charge where all your allies are 
  arrayed in a V shape. You put a bruiser at the point of the V, 
  hoping to breach the foe’s line; then the following attackers 
  can widen the gap. This maneuver carries a certain risk: If 
  the foe can slow or pause the wedge, you’ve given your foe 
  an opportunity to try a pincer movement of its own.
   “Beat him down, break the line, bowl them over!”
  ECLECTIC LEARNING
  Some warmages ﬁ nd the limited range of their spell selec-
  tion chaﬁ ng. These characters yearn for the sorcerer’s or 
  wizard’s utility spells, such as invisibility, dimension door, or 
  even the humble detect magic. While you will never have as 
  wide an access to such spells as other arcane casters, the 
  eclectic learning alternative class feature gives you at least 
  a taste of what your fellow arcanists already enjoy (without 
  signiﬁ cantly watering down your battleﬁ eld focus).
   If you take this option, choose carefully which spells 
  to learn. Focus on spells that will remain useful as long 
  as possible—while eagle’s splendor might seem like a good 
  choice at 6th level, by the time you can afford a good cloak of 
  Charisma you might regret that earlier choice.
   Level: 3rd, 6th, 11th, or 16th.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  the advanced learning class feature normally gained at a 
  particular level. The choice you make at one level has no 
  bearing on the choice you make at a later level—you could 
  choose eclectic learning at 3rd and 6th level, advanced 
  learning at 11th level, and then eclectic learning again at 
  16th level.
   Benefit: At 3rd, 6th, 11th, or 16th level, you can choose 
  to add a new spell to your list that would normally be 
  outside your area of expertise. The spell must be a sorcerer/
  wizard spell, but it can be from any school. The spell is 
  treated as being one level higher than normal (for example, 
  invisibility, a 2nd-level sorcerer/wizard spell, would be treated 
  as a 3rd-level warmage spell for you). You must be capable 
  of casting spells of the new spell’s adjusted level—for 
  instance, you can’t choose a 3rd-level sorcerer/wizard spell 
  at 6th level, because the spell is treated as a 4th-level spell 
  for you.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Battle Mage
  Gnome Warmage
   Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 15.
   Skills: Concentration, Intimidate, Spellcraft.
   Languages: Common, Gnome, Goblin.
   Feat: Battle Caster (Complete Arcane).
   Weapon: Longspear (1d6/×3).
   Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adven-
  turer’s kit.
  Package 2: The Blaster
  Human Warmage
   Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 15.
   Skills: Concentration, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), 
  Spellcraft.
   Languages: Common, Draconic.
   Feats: Lightning Reﬂ exes, Spell Focus (evocation).
   Weapons: Spear (1d8/×3), light crossbow with 20 bolts 
  (1d8/19–20, 80 ft.).
   Armor: Leather (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 1 gp.
  Package 3: The Sharpshooter
  Halﬂ ing Warmage
   Ability Scores: Str 6, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, 
  Cha 15.
   Skills: Concentration, Spellcraft, Spot (cc).
   Languages: Common, Elven, Halﬂ ing.
   Feat: Point Blank Shot.
   Weapons: Spear (1d8/×3), light crossbow with 20 bolts 
  (1d8/19–20, 80 ft.).
   Armor: Leather (+2 AC).
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, standard adventurer’s 
  kit, 1 gp.
  
  68
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
  WIZARD
  Given time enough, you hope to discover every secret of 
  magic ever penned. The arcane secrets of the world excite 
  you like nothing else, and the discovery of a new tome, 
  scroll, or magical treatise makes your heart skip a beat, your 
  face ﬂ ush, and your breath come quick. Each new libram of 
  spells you discover is another intellectual fortune, and the 
  anticipation of what you’ll ﬁ nd is nearly as satisfying as the 
  actual identiﬁ cation of a spell wholly new to your library.
   While you hate leaving your sanctum with its library and 
  arcane equipment that you use to determine the magical secrets 
  of magic items and artifacts, it is good to now and then venture 
  from the laboratory and actually utter the incantations, hexes, 
  and powerful spells that you prepare daily. The craft you pursue 
  is an art, and like any pursuit, it requires practice.
   Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Artisan, Ascetic, Noble 
  Scion.
   Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Challenger, 
  Crusader, Innocent, Mercenary, Renegade, Royalty, Sage, 
  Seeker, Strategist, Theorist, Trickster.
  CHARACTER THEMES
  One or more of the following character themes could apply 
  to you.
   Doting Master: Your familiar is more than a mere adjunct 
  of your power—it is your companion, friend, and conﬁ dant. 
  Whenever you eat, whether informally, or at an inn or even 
  at a formal party, you always make certain that your familiar 
  samples the best tasting portions of the meal.
   You worry about your familiar’s ability to stay warm, or at 
  least fashionable, and so you’ve ordered a few custom pieces 
  of clothing with which to outﬁ t your familiar, including a 
  vest, paw (or talon) gloves, and goggles. Whether or not your 
  familiar is smart enough to respond, you ask its opinion on 
  weighty matters.
   While you are immensely proud of your familiar, you cast 
  a critical eye at the familiars of other wizards and arcanists 
  who keep pets. You know that your bond with your familiar, 
  and better yet the skill your familiar displays, is a reﬂ ection 
  of your worth.
   “Never mind them, Piggin. We know we’re right, even if they 
  choose not to bow to our superior knowledge of things arcane.”
   “This pie is succulent! Come, get a taste, Little Browning! Where 
  are you?”
   “Look there, Tibb. A raven! So bedraggled, so thin. Poor thing 
  looks like it’s on its last feathers, doesn’t it?”
   Evil Curious: You’ve always told yourself that you merely 
  enjoy magic—who wouldn’t? It’s the best thing about living, 
  isn’t it? But you’ve recently realized that your impulse control 
  might not be what it should when it comes to the discovery of 
  new tomes and items. No matter how evil the previous owner 
  of the item or tome, you can’t help but be curious about the 
  spells within.
   However, you also know that true evil is a lure that can cage 
  your mind and will just as effectively as an illithid can, and it 
  can consume all your good works and past accomplishments. 
  To avoid that fate, you constantly look for items and or spells 
  that might serve as an “insulator” so that you can study evil 
  tomes and items with some amount of spiritual protection. 
  You’ve heard that such spells exist, however fallible, and you 
  intend to ﬁ nd them.
   “I have safeguards to protect me against any inﬂ uences beyond 
  my own will!”
   “We must understand this if we are going to learn what we need 
  to defeat the threat!”
   Knowledgeable: As a master wizard, steeped in the arts 
  arcane, you know a lot about a lot, much of which is esoteric 
  to your comrades unschooled in wizardry. That is no reason 
  not make regular use of your large and mysterious vocabulary 
  in day-to-day conversation, or to reference various entities 
  of great power and or wizardly signiﬁ cance when you are 
  surprised or otherwise disturbed.
   You are also familiar with a great many tomes and don’t 
  mind referencing them in regular conversation, especially 
  if you claim to have penned a few of your own.
   “By the silver scales of the Denebic Water Dragon!”
   “Just as the gaze of Shandalfar pierces any murk . . .”
   “If the dread power of the Spell of Utter Ruination could be used 
  as a measure . . .”
   “If I knew the words to the Citrine Wall of Finality, things would 
  be different here, but . . .”
   “This path reminds me of the Twelve Unsolvable Mazes of the 
  Demon King Tatharok.”
   “Oh ho! You’d argue with the author of The Power of the Wizard—
  The Earth, The Planes, and the Magical Path to Enlightenment?”
   “I don’t hold too much with the mysticism infused with the spells 
  discussed in Drawing Down the Moon, or any mysticism, really. 
  I’m more about the art, not the theory.”
   “Well, according to what I’ve read in Magical Monsters: A Besti-
  ary of Fearsome Creatures . . .”
  IMMEDIATE MAGIC
  Other than having a single additional spell of each spell level, 
  a specialist wizard functions like any other wizard. Your 
  evoker’s ﬁ reball spell deals as much damage as that of a conjurer, 
  diviner, or necromancer, and doesn’t look any different. By 
  taking the immediate magic alternative class feature, you 
  gain a useful trick that sets you apart from other specialists. 
  Though giving up your familiar is a hardship, it means you 
  have one less thing to worry about in a ﬁ ght.
   Level: 1st.
   Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain 
  a familiar.
   Benefit: You gain a spell-like ability that reflects your 
  chosen school of magic. Activating this ability is an immedi-
  ate action, and you can use this spell-like ability a number of 
  times per day equal to your Intelligence bonus (minimum 
  1). Its equivalent spell level is equal to one-half your wizard 
  level (minimum 1st), and the caster level is your wizard level. 
  The save DC (if any) is equal to 10 + 1/2 your wizard level + 
  your Int modiﬁ er. This is an extraordinary ability.
   You can’t activate this ability in response to an attack that 
  you aren’t aware of. For instance, if an invisible rogue strikes 
  at you, you can’t activate urgent shield to gain a bonus to your 
  AC against the attack. All effects last until the start of your 
  next turn unless otherwise noted.
  Illus. by S. Prescott
  
  Heroes battle the hordes 
  of the Abyss
  
  70
  CHAPTER 2
  EXPANDED
  CLASSES
   To select this ability, you must also choose to specialize in 
  a school of magic. The spell-like ability gained depends on 
  your specialty (see below).
  Urgent Shield (abjuration): You create a temporary shield of 
  force that grants you a +2 shield bonus to AC.
  Abrupt Jaunt (conjuration): You teleport up to 10 feet. You 
  can’t bring along any other creatures.
  Glimpse Peril (divination): You get a ﬂ ash of foresight into the 
  danger lying in your future. You gain a +2 insight bonus 
  on the next saving throw you make before your 
  next turn.
  Instant Daze (enchantment): When an en-
  emy that has HD equal to or less than 
  your wizard level makes a melee 
  attack against you, you can ren-
  der him dazed (Will negates). 
  This is a compulsion, mind-
  affecting ability.
  Counterﬁ re (evocation): 
  When a visible enemy 
  within 60 feet tar-
  gets you with a ranged 
  attack or spell, you can 
  respond with a glowing ar-
  row of force. This requires a 
  ranged touch attack to hit and 
  deals 1d6 points of damage per 
  three wizard levels. Both attacks 
  resolve simultaneously (neither can 
  disrupt the other).
  Brief Figment (illusion): You create a 
  ﬁ gment double of yourself (similar 
  to mirror image). The image lasts 
  until it is struck or until the start 
  of your next turn.
  Cursed Glance (necromancy): When 
  a visible enemy within 60 feet tar-
  gets you with an attack or spell, 
  you can respond with a curse. If the 
  enemy fails a Will save, he takes a –2 
  penalty to AC and on saving throws.
  Sudden Shift (transmutation): You temporarily 
  change your form to grant yourself a climb, ﬂ y, 
  or swim speed equal to your current land speed. 
  If you activate this ability during your turn, it 
  lasts until the end of that turn; otherwise it lasts until the 
  end of your next turn.
  STARTING PACKAGES
  Package 1: The Blaster
  Elf Wizard (Evoker)
   Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 10.
   Skills: Concentration, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the 
  planes), Spellcraft.
   Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven, Orc.
   Feats: Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (evocation).
   Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d6), shortbow with 20 arrows 
  (1d6/×3, 60 ft.).
   Armor: None.
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, spellbook, standard 
  adventurer’s kit, 4 gp.
   Spells Prepared: 1st—burning hands, magic missile, shield; 
  0—detect magic, light, ray of frost.
   Spellbook: All 0-level spells plus burning hands, mage armor, 
  magic missile, obscuring mist, shield.
   Specialty School: Evocation (prohibited schools: enchant-
  ment, illusion).
  Package 2: The Controller
  Gnome Wizard (Enchanter)
    Ability Scores: Str 6, Dex 13, Con 14, 
  Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 14.
    Skills: Bluff (cc), Concentration, 
  Knowledge (local), Spellcraft.
   
   Languages: Common, Dra-
  conic, Gnome, Goblin.
    Feats: Scribe Scroll, Spell 
  Focus (enchantment).
   
   Weapons: Club (1d4), 
  light crossbow with 20 bolts 
  (1d6/19–20, 80 ft.).
    Armor: None.
    Other Gear: Spell compo-
  nent pouch, spellbook, standard 
  adventurer’s kit, 3 gp.
    Spells Prepared: 1st—charm 
  person, sleep; 0—daze, light, 
  read magic.
   
   Spellbook: All 0-level 
  spells plus charm person, 
  expeditious retreat, silent 
  image, sleep, shield.
   
   
  Specialty School: 
  Enchantment (prohib-
  ited schools: conjuration, 
  necromancy).
  Package 3: The Problem Solver
  Human Wizard (Diviner)
  Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 13, Con 14, 
  Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 10.
    Skills: Concentration, Craft (alchemy), Decipher 
  Script, Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft.
   Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven.
   Feats: Combat Familiar, Grenadier, Scribe Scroll.
   Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d6), dagger (1d4/19–20, 10 ft.), light 
  crossbow with 20 bolts (1d8/19–20, 80 ft.).
   Armor: None.
   Other Gear: Spell component pouch, spellbook, standard 
  adventurer’s kit, 1 gp.
   Spells Prepared: 1st—cause fear, comprehend languages, protec-
  tion from evil; 0—detect magic, light, read magic.
   Spellbook: All 0-level spells plus cause fear, comprehend lan-
  guages, enlarge person, protection from evil, summon monster I.
   Specialty School: Divination (prohibited school: evocation).
  Archmage Mialee 
  of the Seven Stars
  Illus. by S. Prescott
  
  eats are one of the best ways to customize your 
  character. A ﬁ ghter with Exotic Weapon Proﬁ ciency 
  (spiked chain), Combat Expertise, and Improved Trip 
  operates in a completely different manner than one with 
  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, and Shot on the Run. 
  Feats give you the opportunity to create a unique character 
  by supplementing your class’s core abilities or expanding 
  your PC in a new direction.
   The following feats supplement those found in Chapter 5 
  of the Player’s Handbook. Many of them have feats from that 
  book as prerequisites.
  GENERAL FEATS
  The feats described below are all general feats. Their prereq-
  uisites and beneﬁ ts are summarized on Table 3–1.
  ACROBATIC STRIKE
  Your dexterous maneuvers and skilled acrobatics allow you 
  to slip past a foe’s defenses and deliver an accurate strike 
  against him.
   Prerequisite: Tumble 12 ranks.
   Benefit: If you succeed in using Tumble to avoid an 
  opponent’s attack of opportunity, you gain a +4 bonus on 
  the next attack that you make against that foe as long as the 
  attack occurs before the end of your current turn.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Acrobatic Strike as one of 
  his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  ACTIVE SHIELD DEFENSE
  Your expert use of your shield allows you to strike at 
  vulnerable foes even when you forgo your own attacks 
  in favor of defense.
   Prerequisites: Proficiency with shields, Shield 
  Specialization.
   Benefit: When fighting defensively and using a 
  shield, you do not take the standard ﬁ ghting defensively 
  penalties on attacks of opportunity.
   When using the total defense action and a shield, 
  you still threaten the area around you as normal. You 
  can make attacks of opportunity with a –4 penalty.
   Normal: You take a –4 penalty on all attacks while 
  ﬁ ghting defensively. You cannot attack while using 
  the total defense action.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Active Shield Defense 
  as one of his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  ADAPTABLE FLANKER
  When you and an ally team up against a foe, you 
  know how to maximize the threat your ally poses to 
  ruin your target’s defenses.
   Prerequisites: Combat Reﬂ exes, Vexing Flanker, 
  base attack bonus +4.
  71
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  
  72
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  Table 3–1: General Feats
  Feat 
  Prerequisites 
  Beneﬁ t
  Acrobatic Strike 
  Tumble 12 ranks 
  +6 on next attack against opponent you tumble past
  Arcane Flourish 
  Perform 4 ranks, arcane caster level 1st 
  Expend spell to gain bonus on Perform check
     Arcane Accompaniment Perform 4 ranks, Arcane Flourish,  
  Expend prepared spell or spell slot to extend duration
   
  arcane caster level 1st, bardic music 
  of bardic music
  Arcane Thesis 
  Knowledge (arcana) 9 ranks,  
  +2 caster level, cheaper metamagic with one spell
   
  ability to cast arcane spells
  Arcane Toughness 
  Toughness, arcane caster level 3rd 
  Expend prepared spell or spell slot to heal when at or 
   
   
  below 0 hit points
     Arcane Consumption 
  Arcane Toughness, Toughness,  
  +2 save DC for one spell, Con penalty for 12 hours and
   
  arcane caster level 6th 
  fatigued
  Armor Specialization 
  Proficiency with selected armor type,  
  DR 2/– with chosen armor
   
  base attack bonus +12
  Battle Dancer 
  Base attack bonus +2, bardic music 
  +2 on attacks while moving and using bardic music
  Bonded Familiar 
  Familiar 
  You and familiar shift damage after deadly attack
  Bounding Assault 
  Dex 13, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack,  
  Attack twice while using Spring Attack
   
  base attack bonus +12
     Rapid Blitz 
  Dex 13, Bounding Assault, Dodge,  
  Make third attack as part of Spring Attack
   
  Mobility, Spring Attack, 
   
  base attack bonus +18
  Brutal Strike 
  Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +6 
  Daze opponent with successful bludgeoning attack
  Combat Acrobat 
  Balance 9 ranks, Tumble 9 ranks 
  Gain new uses for Balance skill
  Combat Familiar 
  Arcane caster level 1st, familiar 
  Familiar enters foe’s square without provoking attack
     Lurking Familiar 
  Combat Familiar, arcane caster level 6th 
  Familiar can hide in your square
  Combat Tactician 
  Dex 13, Dodge, base attack bonus +12 
  +2 on damage against foe you approach and attack
  Cometary Collision 
  Str 13, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack 
  Ready action to slam into charging foe
  Companion Spellbond 
  Animal companion 
  Share spells with companion at greater range
  Crossbow Sniper 
  Proficiency with hand, heavy, or light 
  Half Dexterity bonus on crossbow damage, 60 ft. 
   
  crossbow, Weapon Focus with hand,  
  skirmish or sneak attack
   
  heavy, or light crossbow, base attack bonus +1
  Cunning Evasion 
  Hide 9 ranks, evasion 
  Hide and move immediately after using evasion
  Dampen Spell 
  Improved Counterspell 
  Reduce your save DC against foe’s spell by expending 
   
   
  spell or slot as immediate action
  Deadeye Shot 
  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot,  
  Ready action to fire, denying foe Dex bonus to AC
   
  base attack bonus +4,  
  on your attack after ally hits foe
   
  skirmish or sneak attack ability
  Defensive Sweep 
  Base attack bonus +15 
  Foe must move or provoke attack
  Elven Spell Lore 
  Int 17 or elf, Knowledge (arcana) 12 ranks Bonus on dispel attempts, alter energy type of spell
  Fade into Violence 
  Bluff 6 ranks, Hide 6 ranks 
  Foe strikes ally, not you, if your Bluff check succeeds 
  Fiery Fist 
  Dex 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike,  Expend Stunning Fist use to cloak fists, feet in fiery 
   
  Stunning Fist, base attack bonus +8 
  energy for +1d6 damage
     Fiery Ki Defense 
  Dex 13, Wis 13, Fiery Fist, Improved  
  Expend Stunning Fist use to cloak self in flame, 
   
  Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist,  
  damaging any who strike you
   
  base attack bonus +8
     Ki Blast 
  Dex 13, Wis 13, Fiery Fist, Improved  
  Expend Stunning Fist uses to throw ball of ki energy
   
  Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, 
   
  base attack bonus +8
  Flay 
  Str 13, Power Attack 
  Inflict painful wounds on unarmored targets
  Grenadier 
  — 
  +1 on attacks and damage with splash weapons
  Hindering Opportunist 
  Combat Reflexes, base attack bonus +3 
  Replace attack of opportunity with aid another
     Stalwart Defense 
  Combat Reflexes, Hindering Opportunist,  Foes provoke aid another action from you when they
   
  base attack bonus +9 
  attack allies
  Indomitable Soul 
  Endurance, Iron Will 
  Roll twice against fear and mind-affecting attacks
  Intimidating Strike 
  Intimidate 4 ranks 
  Use Intimidate check with attack to shake opponent
  Keen-Eared Scout 
  Listen 6 ranks,  
  Listen check reveals extra information about sound
   
  Alertness or Skill Focus (Listen)
  Leap of the Heavens 
  Jump 4 ranks 
  Don’t double DC for standing jumps, +5 bonus on 
   
   
  running jumps
  Lunging Strike 
  Base attack bonus +6 
  Extend reach of one attack
  Mad Foam Rager 
  Rage or frenzy ability 
  Once per rage or frenzy, delay spell or attack effect
  Master Manipulator 
  Cha 13, Diplomacy 9 ranks 
  Gain two new uses of Diplomacy skill
  Melee Evasion 
  Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, Dodge 
  While ﬁ ghting defensively, negate foe’s attack
  Melee Weapon Mastery 
  Proficiency with selected weapon,  
  Gain Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization benefits
   
  Weapon Focus with selected weapon,  
  with multiple weapons
   
  Weapon Specialization with selected 
   
  weapon, base attack bonus +8
  
  73
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  Feat 
  Prerequisites 
  Beneﬁ t
     Crushing Strike 
  Proficiency with a bludgeoning weapon,  
  +1 on attacks per previous hit with bludgeon
   
  Weapon Focus with a bludgeoning weapon, 
   
  Melee Weapon Mastery (bludgeoning), Weapon 
   
  Specialization with a bludgeoning weapon, 
   
  base attack bonus +14
     Driving Attack 
  Proficiency with selected weapon,  
  Bull rush with piercing weapon attack
   
  Weapon Focus with selected weapon, 
   
  Melee Weapon Mastery (piercing), Weapon 
   
  Specialization with selected weapon, 
   
  base attack bonus +14
     Slashing Flurry 
  Proficiency with selected weapon,  
  Gain extra attack with slashing weapon
   
  Weapon Focus with selected weapon, 
   
  Melee Weapon Mastery (slashing), Weapon 
   
  Specialization with selected weapon, 
   
  base attack bonus +14
     Weapon Supremacy 
  Proficiency with selected weapon,  
  Gain further abilities with chosen weapon
   
  Greater Weapon Focus with selected 
   
  weapon, Greater Weapon Specialization 
   
  with selected weapon, Weapon Focus 
   
  with selected weapon, Weapon 
   
  Specialization with selected weapon, 
   
  Melee Weapon Mastery with weapon type 
   
  of selected weapon, ﬁ ghter level 18th
  Overwhelming Assault 
  Base attack bonus +15 
  Gain bonus against adjacent foe not attacking you 
  Penetrating Shot 
  Str 15, Point Blank Shot,  
  Your ranged attack targets every foe in 60-ft. line
   
  base attack bonus +10
  Ranged Weapon Mastery Proficiency with selected weapon,  
  Gain Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization benefits
   
  Weapon Focus with selected weapon,  
  with multiple weapons
   
  Weapon Specialization with selected 
   
  weapon, base attack bonus +8
  Robilar’s Gambit 
  Combat Reflexes, base attack bonus +12 
  Grant foes bonus on attacks and damage, but their 
   
   
  attacks provoke attacks of opportunity
  Shield Specialization 
  Proficiency with shields 
  Increase shield bonus by +1
     Active Shield Defense 
  Proficiency with shields,  
  Make attacks of opportunity without penalty when
   
  Shield Specialization 
  ﬁ ghting defensively
     Agile Shield Fighter 
  Proficiency with shields, Improved Shield  Reduce two weapon penalties when using shield bash
   
  Bash, Shield Specialization
     Shield Sling 
  Proficiency with shields, Improved  
  Use shield as ranged weapon
   
  Shield Bash, Shield Specialization, 
   
  base attack bonus +9
     Shield Ward 
  Proficiency with shields,  
  Gain shield bonus to touch AC and against bull rush, 
   
  Shield Specialization 
  disarm, grapple, overrun, and trip
  Short Haft 
  Proficiency with selected weapon,  
  Lose reach benefits, attack adjacent foes
   
  Weapon Focus with selected weapon, 
   
  base attack bonus +3
  Spectral Skirmisher 
  Base attack bonus +6 
  Gain bonuses while invisible
  Spell-Linked Familiar 
  Arcane caster level 9th, familiar 
  Familiar gains limited spellcasting ability
  Steadfast Determination 
  Endurance 
  Use Constitution to modify Will saves
  Telling Blow 
  Skirmish attack or sneak attack 
  Gain skirmish or sneak attack damage on critical hits
  Trophy Collector 
  Craft (taxidermy) 6 ranks 
  Gain bonuses from trophies you create and wear
  Tumbling Feint 
  Bluff 4 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks 
  +5 on feint attempt after successful Tumble
  Two-Weapon Pounce 
  Dex 15, Two-Weapon Fighting,  
  Attack with both weapons when charging
   
  base attack bonus +6
  Two-Weapon Rend 
  Dex 15, Two-Weapon Fighting,  
  Gain bonus damage if you hit with both weapons
   
  base attack bonus +11
  Vatic Gaze 
  Arcane caster level 9th 
  Detect magic at will, use Sense Motive to determine 
   
   
  foe’s highest-level spell
  Versatile Unarmed Strike Improved Unarmed Strike 
  Deal bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage 
   
   
  with unarmed strikes
  Vexing Flanker 
  Combat Reflexes 
  +4 on attacks when flanking
     Adaptable Flanker 
  Combat Reflexes, Vexing Flanker,  
  Flank chosen foe from adjacent square
   
  base attack bonus +4
  Wanderer’s Diplomacy 
  Halfling or 4 ranks in Bluff, Diplomacy,  
  Gain special social abilities
   
  and Sense Motive
  Water Splitting Stone 
  Dex 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike,  +4 bonus on damage when striking foe that has DR
   
  Stunning Fist, base attack bonus +9
  
  74
  CHAPTER 3
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  Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, you designate a single opponent 
  as the target of this feat. When you are adjacent to the chosen 
  target, you can choose to count as occupying any other square 
  you threaten for purposes of determining ﬂ anking bonuses 
  for you and your allies. You also occupy your current square 
  for ﬂ anking an opponent.
  Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Adaptable Flanker as one of 
  his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  AGILE SHIELD FIGHTER
  You are skilled in combining your shield bash attack with 
  an armed strike. When you use your shield in unison with 
  a weapon, your training allows you to score telling blows 
  with both.
  Prerequisites: Proﬁ ciency with shields, Improved Shield 
  Bash, Shield Specialization.
  Beneﬁ t: When making a shield bash and armed strike 
  attack as part of a full attack action, you take a –2 penalty 
  on each attack. These penalties replace the normal ones you 
  incur for ﬁ ghting with two weapons.
  Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Agile Shield Fighter as one 
  of his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  ARCANE ACCOMPANIMENT
  You infuse your performance with magical energy, allowing 
  its effects to continue even as you attend to other tasks.
  Prerequisites: Perform 4 ranks, Arcane Flourish, arcane 
  caster level 1st, bardic music.
  Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, you can expend a pre-
  pared spell or a spell slot to extend the duration of 
  your bardic music ability after you stop perform-
  ing. You extend the duration a number of 
  rounds equal to the level of the spell 
  used in this manner. This 
  extension is in addition to 
  the normal duration of 
  the effect after you stop 
  your performance.
   You can expend 
  only one spell slot 
  to extend the du-
  ration of your 
  bardic music. 
  The slot can come from any of your arcane caster classes, 
  not just bard.
   This has no effect on bardic music or similar abilities with 
  a duration of instantaneous or permanent.
  ARCANE CONSUMPTION
  You can sacriﬁ ce your physical health to strengthen a spell. 
  This process leaves you wracked with pain, but the enhanced 
  energy you draw from the spell might provide the margin 
  between victory and defeat.
   Prerequisites: Arcane Toughness, Toughness, arcane 
  caster level 6th.
   Beneﬁ t: Once per day as a swift action, you can grant the 
  next spell you cast a +4 bonus on its save DC. You must cast 
  and complete this spell on the same turn that you use a swift 
  action to activate this feat. In return, you take a –4 penalty 
  to Constitution for 12 hours and are fatigued.
  ARCANE FLOURISH
  You use your magical abilities to improve your performance 
  talents. By bleeding magical energy into your singing, oratory, 
  or other abilities, you enhance the pitch and sound, project 
  your voice with a more commanding tone, and so forth.
  Prerequisites: Perform 4 ranks, arcane caster level 1st.
   Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, you can expend a prepared spell 
  or spell slot to grant your next Perform check a competence 
  bonus equal to 1 + the level of the spell or slot. You must 
  make a check within 1 minute of using 
  this feat, or the energy you expend 
  dissipates with no effect.
  ARCANE THESIS
  You have studied a single 
  spell in-depth. Your 
  expertise grants you 
  formidable though 
  narrowly focused 
  arcane mastery.
    Prerequisites: 
  Knowledge (arcana) 
  9 ranks, ability to cast 
  arcane spells.
  An elf uses Acrobatic Strike to get the drop on a giant
  Illus. by E. Fiegenschuh
  
  75
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  Beneﬁ t: Choose one arcane spell that you can cast to be your 
  thesis spell. When casting that spell, you do so at +2 caster level. 
  When you apply a metamagic feat other than Heighten Spell 
  to that spell, the enhanced spell uses up a spell slot one level 
  lower than normal. For example, an empowered thesis spell 
  uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual slot 
  (rather than the normal two levels higher).
  Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects 
  do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a 
  new spell.
  ARCANE TOUGHNESS
  You draw upon the power of your magic to sustain yourself, 
  allowing you to continue ﬁ ghting long after your physical 
  body has failed you.
  Prerequisites: Toughness, arcane caster level 3rd.
  Beneﬁ t: You can expend a prepared spell or spell slot as 
  an immediate action when you are reduced to 0 or fewer hit 
  points. You heal a number of points of damage equal to the 
  level of the spell or spell slot used in this manner. You cannot 
  use this ability to negate effects that disable you without 
  causing hit point damage, such as a medusa’s ability to turn 
  you to stone. Even if this healing does not bring you above 
  negative hit points, it still stabilizes you.
   Using a 0-level spell with this feat grants no beneﬁ t.
  ARMOR SPECIALIZATION
  Through long wear and hours of combat, you have trained 
  your body to believe in its armor. Where others ﬂ inch, you 
  confront. When the sword falls, your instincts, born of 
  bruises and rent ﬂ esh, present your cuirass, cuisse, helm, or 
  gorget to meet the blade at the perfect angle, causing it to 
  skitter off harmlessly. 
  Prerequisites: Proﬁ ciency with selected armor type, base 
  attack bonus +12.
  Beneﬁ t: Choose one type of medium or heavy armor with 
  which you are proﬁ cient. When wearing masterwork armor 
  (including magic armor) of that type, you gain damage reduc-
  tion 2/–. Any time you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor 
  Class, you lose the beneﬁ t of this feat, because you cannot 
  properly deﬂ ect the blows of the enemy.
  Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects 
  do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a 
  new type of armor.
   A ﬁ ghter can select Armor Specialization as one of 
  his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  BATTLE DANCER
  You strike at your foes in time with the music you 
  sing or in cadence with an oration you deliver. The 
  magical power of your bardic performance drives you 
  forward and improves your ﬁ ghting ability.
   Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +2, bardic music.
  Beneﬁ t: During a round in which you grant any ally a 
  bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, or saves with one of 
  your bardic music abilities, you gain a +2 morale bonus 
  on your attack rolls if you move at least one square 
  before attacking. You lose this beneﬁ t for the remaining 
  duration of your current use of bardic music if you do not 
  move or if you do not attack on your turn. If you stand still 
  and attack (or move without attacking), you do not gain this 
  feat’s beneﬁ t, but this ability’s duration continues.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Battle Dancer as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  BONDED FAMILIAR
  You enjoy a stronger than normal magical bond with your 
  familiar, granting you access to two special abilities.
   Prerequisite: Familiar.
  Beneﬁ t: As long as your familiar is within 30 feet of you, 
  the two of you can share the damage from a single deadly 
  attack. Once per day, if an attack would drop your familiar 
  to 0 or fewer hit points, you can instead choose to accept that 
  damage. In addition, once per day, your familiar can choose 
  to take the damage from a single attack or effect that would 
  reduce you to 0 or fewer hit points. This ability applies only 
  to attacks or effects that deal hit point damage. You or your 
  familiar could not absorb the effect of a spell such as ﬂ esh 
  to stone.
  BOUNDING ASSAULT
  You can move and attack with superior speed and power.
   Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, 
  base attack bonus +12.
   Beneﬁ t: When using the Spring Attack feat, you designate 
  two foes rather than one. Your movement does not provoke 
  attacks of opportunity from either of these foes. While using 
  an attack action with the Spring Attack feat, you can 
  make a second attack with a –5 penalty. You can 
  use both attacks against one of the opponents 
  targeted with this feat, or split your attacks 
  between them.
  Arcane Accompaniment channels magical energy into Gimble’s song
  Illus. by C. Frank
  
  76
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  BRUTAL STRIKE
  You can batter foes senseless with your mace, morningstar, 
  quarterstaff, or ﬂ ail. Few victims are willing to stand toe-
  to-toe with a warrior known for knocking his foes witless 
  with a single strike.
  Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +6.
  Beneﬁ t: If you use your Power Attack feat to increase your 
  damage with a bludgeoning weapon, you can attempt a brutal 
  strike. You must declare your intention before making your 
  attack. If the attack hits and your opponent takes damage, 
  he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + your extra damage 
  from the Power Attack feat on the attack) or be sickened for 
  1 round.
   You can use this feat once per round during your attack 
  action.
  Special: This feat cannot be used against a creature that 
  is not subject to extra damage from critical hits.
   A fighter can select Brutal Strike as one of his fighter 
  bonus feats.
  COMBAT ACROBAT
  Your acrobatics and agility in combat allow you to maneuver 
  across the battleﬁ eld with ease. You stay on your feet and 
  speed over difﬁ cult terrain due to your superior athleticism 
  and acrobatic talents.
   Prerequisites: Balance 9 ranks, Tumble 9 ranks.
  Beneﬁ t: You gain several beneﬁ ts from this feat to reﬂ ect 
  your overall athletic ability and training in the skills vital to 
  an acrobat.
   Acrobatic Recovery: If an effect causes you to fall prone, you 
  can make a DC 20 Balance check to remain on your feet.
   Sure Footed Maneuver: With a DC 15 Balance check, you can 
  ignore up to 4 squares of difﬁ cult terrain while moving. You 
  treat these squares as normal terrain. You still endure any 
  effects or hazards associated with the terrain. For example, 
  a shallow pool of boiling water might deal ﬁ re damage and 
  count as difﬁ cult terrain. You would still take damage from 
  the water even if your Balance check allowed you to move 
  through it at full speed.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Combat Acrobat as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  COMBAT FAMILIAR
  Your familiar is skilled in delivering attack spells against your 
  foes. It ﬂ its past their defenses to discharge its spell without 
  leaving itself vulnerable to attack.
  Prerequisites: Arcane caster level 1st, familiar.
  Bounding Assault enables this ﬁ ghter to target two foes instead of one
  Illus. by J. Nelson
  
  77
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  Beneﬁ t: If your familiar holds the charge for a touch spell, 
  it does not provoke an attack of opportunity for entering an 
  opponent’s square.
  COMBAT TACTICIAN
  You excel at approaching an opponent from an unexpected 
  direction to deliver deadly attacks. As you approach your foe, 
  you duck and weave to confuse his defenses. Alternatively, 
  you draw a weapon and make a quick attack that surprises 
  your foe.
   Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge, base attack bonus +12.
   Beneﬁ t: You can designate one speciﬁ c foe as the target of 
  this feat as a free action. If neither you nor the target threatens 
  each other at the start of your turn, you gain a +2 bonus on 
  melee damage against that target during your turn.
  COMETARY COLLISION
  You are a thunderbolt of destruction on the battleﬁ eld. By 
  carefully timing your charge, you rush forward and slam into 
  an enemy just as he gathers the speed needed to charge you. 
  You turn your opponent’s momentum against him.
  Prerequisites: Str 13, Improved Bull Rush, Power 
  Attack.
  Beneﬁ t: You can ready a standard action to use this feat 
  when an opponent charges you or any other target. At any 
  point during your opponent’s charge, you can charge him. 
  In place of the normal charge beneﬁ ts, you gain +2 on your 
  attack roll and +4 on your damage roll. Your foe loses the 
  beneﬁ ts of charging (but not the penalties) but can still 
  attack you. If the target charged someone else, he can choose 
  to instead attack you. You take the standard –2 penalty to 
  AC for charging.
   If you cannot move at least 10 feet or cannot charge due to 
  terrain or other factors, you do not gain this feat’s beneﬁ t. In 
  either case, you use your readied action to move but do not 
  gain an attack.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Cometary Collision as one of 
  his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  COMPANION SPELLBOND
  You form a special magical link with your animal com-
  panion, allowing you to share spells with it over a greater 
  distance.
  Prerequisite: Animal companion.
   Beneﬁ t: You use your companion’s share spells ability out 
  to a range of 30 feet, rather than the standard 5 feet. You can 
  cast touch spells to affect your companion at a greater range 
  than normal. You can change a spell’s range from touch to 
  short (range of 25 feet + 5 feet per two caster levels) if the 
  spell targets only your companion.
  CROSSBOW SNIPER
  You are skilled in lining up accurate, deadly shots with 
  your crossbow. Perhaps you add custom-made sights to your 
  weapon, or you have learned to maximize the stability and 
  precision the weapon offers.
   Prerequisites: Proficiency with hand, heavy, or light 
  crossbow, Weapon Focus with hand, heavy, or light crossbow, 
  base attack bonus +1.
  Beneﬁ t: When using a crossbow for which you have the 
  Weapon Focus feat, you gain a bonus on damage rolls equal 
  to 1/2 your Dexterity bonus.
   If you have the skirmish or sneak attack ability, the maxi-
  mum range at which you can make such attacks increases 
  Tordek uses Cometary Collision to close quickly with a displacer beast skeleton
  Illus. by E. Widermann
  
  78
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  to 60 feet when you are using a crossbow for which you have 
  the Weapon Focus feat.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Crossbow Sniper as one of 
  his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  CRUSHING STRIKE
  You wield a bludgeoning weapon with superior power, allow-
  ing you to batter aside an opponent’s defenses.
   Prerequisites: Proﬁ ciency with a bludgeoning weapon, 
  Weapon Focus with a bludgeoning weapon, Weapon Mastery 
  (bludgeoning), Weapon Specialization with a bludgeoning 
  weapon, base attack bonus +14.
   Beneﬁ t: When you use a full attack action while ﬁ ghting 
  with any bludgeoning weapon, each attack that connects beats 
  down your foe’s defenses, granting a cumulative +1 bonus on 
  attack rolls until the end of your current turn.
  CUNNING EVASION
  When an area attack detonates around you, you use the chaos 
  and ﬂ ash of energy to duck out of sight.
   Prerequisites: Hide 9 ranks, evasion.
   Beneﬁ t: If you are caught within an area attack whose 
  damage you avoid completely due to your evasion or improved 
  evasion ability, you can make a combined Hide check and 
  a 5-foot step as an immediate action. You can attempt this 
  check only if there is cover suitable for a Hide check, and 
  you can take your 5-foot step into cover before making your 
  Hide attempt.
   Special: If you have the hide in plain sight class feature, 
  you do not need cover near you to attempt the Hide check 
  allowed by this feat.
  DAMPEN SPELL
  From the lowliest prestidigitator to the most august hiero-
  phant, spellcasters both arcane and divine recognize the 
  power of counterspelling. You are no exception. You have 
  learned to channel energy into a foe’s spell to weaken its 
  effects. Although you fail to nullify the spell, you render it 
  much easier to resist.
   Prerequisite: Improved Counterspell.
   Beneﬁ t: You can use an immediate action to attempt to 
  dampen an enemy’s spell. As with counterspelling, you must 
  identify the target spell as it is being cast. If you successfully 
  identify it, you can expend any spell or spell slot to dampen 
  your opponent’s incantation. Because of your hasty, immedi-
  ate casting, you do not fully counter the target spell. Instead, 
  you subtract the level of the spell or spell slot you expend 
  from the save DC of your opponent’s spell.
  DEADEYE SHOT
  You carefully line up a ranged attack, timing it precisely 
  so that you hit your opponent when his guard is down. 
  When your target is busy dealing with an ally’s melee attack, 
  you strike.
   Prerequisites: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, base attack 
  bonus +4, skirmish or sneak attack ability.
   Beneﬁ t: By ﬁ ring just as your ally connects with a blow, 
  you take advantage of the distraction to strike the same enemy 
  when his guard is ruined. If you ready a ranged attack to 
  occur when an ally strikes a particular target, and your ally 
  succeeds, that target loses his Dexterity bonus to AC against 
  your attack. 
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Deadeye Shot as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  DEFENSIVE SWEEP
  You sweep your weapon through the area you threaten, 
  warding away opponents and forcing them to move away or 
  suffer a fearsome blow.
   Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +15.
   Beneﬁ t: If an opponent begins his action adjacent to you 
  and does not move, he provokes an attack of opportunity 
  from you immediately after his turn ends, provided that you 
  threaten the square that he occupies. Any sort of movement, 
  including a 5-foot step, allows the opponent to avoid provok-
  ing this special attack of opportunity. This feat does not give 
  you any ability to make additional attacks of opportunity in 
  a given round.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Defensive Sweep as one of 
  his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  DRIVING ATTACK
  When you strike an opponent with a piercing weapon, the 
  brutal impact of your strike sends him sprawling.
   Prerequisites: Proﬁ ciency with selected piercing weapon, 
  Weapon Focus with selected piercing weapon, Weapon Mas-
  tery (piercing), Weapon Specialization with selected piercing 
  weapon, base attack bonus +14.
   Beneﬁ t: If you use a full-round action to make a single 
  melee attack with any piercing weapon and succeed in hit-
  ting, you can initiate a special bull rush attempt against the 
  target. This bull rush uses your total bonus on damage rolls 
  in place of your Strength modiﬁ er. You do not provoke an 
  attack of opportunity with this bull rush, and you cannot 
  move forward with your opponent.
   If you succeed in pushing an opponent back 10 feet or 
  more, you can reduce the distance you push him by 10 
  feet. In return, your foe falls prone in the square where 
  he ends his movement. Note that by reducing the distance 
  you push your opponent, you can have him fall prone in 
  his current space.
  ELVEN SPELL LORE
  You have studied the mighty arcane traditions of the elves, 
  granting you insight into the intricate workings of magic 
  and the theoretical structures behind spells.
   Prerequisites: Int 17 or elf, Knowledge (arcana) 12 
  ranks.
   Beneﬁ t: Your understanding of the elven secrets of magic 
  grants you two beneﬁ ts. When you cast dispel magic or greater 
  dispel magic, you gain a +2 bonus on your caster level check. 
  Your understanding of magic allows you to more easily 
  unravel the power that sustains a foe’s spell.
   In addition, your knowledge of magic grants you rare 
  insights into forgotten spell lore. Choose a single spell in your 
  spellbook when you take this feat. When preparing that spell, 
  
  79
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  you can alter the type of damage it deals to a single type of 
  your choice. You must make this choice when preparing the 
  spell (those who do not prepare spells cannot beneﬁ t from 
  this aspect of the feat). You can prepare the spell multiple 
  times, selecting the same or a different energy type for it 
  with each preparation.
   You can gain this feat multiple times. The caster level bonus 
  does not stack, and each time you take the feat, a different 
  spell must be chosen.
  FADE INTO VIOLENCE
  While the chaos of battle swirls around you, you rely on your 
  ability to slip into the background to avoid your enemy’s 
  notice. Your frightened demeanor and pitiable appearance 
  causes your opponents to seek out other targets.
   Prerequisites: Bluff 6 ranks, Hide 6 ranks.
   Beneﬁ t: When you wear no armor or light armor and carry 
  nothing in your hands, your opponents might assume that 
  you are an ineffectual ﬁ ghter. As an immediate action, choose 
  a single target for this feat. If that opponent threatens both 
  you and one of your allies, that foe strikes your ally rather than 
  you unless he succeeds on a Sense Motive check opposed by 
  your Bluff check. If your foe is larger than you, you gain a +4 
  bonus on your Bluff check. You lose this beneﬁ t if you attack 
  any opponent or target an opponent with a spell. This beneﬁ t 
  does not apply to ranged attacks or attacks of opportunity 
  that you provoke.
   Once you choose a target for this feat, you cannot switch 
  to a new target for the rest of the encounter.
  FIERY FIST
  By channeling your ki energy, you sheathe your limbs in 
  magical ﬁ re. Your unarmed strikes deal extra ﬁ re damage.
   Prerequisites: Dex 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, 
  Stunning Fist, base attack bonus +8.
   Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, you can expend one of your uses 
  of the Stunning Fist feat to surround your ﬁ sts and feet in 
  ﬂ ame. For the rest of your turn, you gain an extra 1d6 points 
  of ﬁ re damage on your unarmed strikes. 
   When you select this feat, you gain an additional daily use 
  of Stunning Fist.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Fiery Fist as one of his ﬁ ghter 
  bonus feats. A monk with the Stunning Fist feat can select 
  Fiery Fist as her bonus feat at 2nd level, even if she does not 
  meet the other prerequisites.
  FIERY KI DEFENSE
  You channel your ki energy into a cloak of ﬂ ame that injures 
  all who attempt to strike you.
   Prerequisites: Dex 13, Wis 13, Fiery Fist, Improved 
  Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, base attack bonus +8.
   Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, you can expend one of your 
  uses of the Stunning Fist feat to cloak yourself in flame. 
  Any creature that strikes you with a melee attack takes 1d6 
  points of fire damage. This benefit lasts until the start of 
  your next turn.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Fiery Ki Defense as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats. A monk with the Stunning Fist feat can 
  select Fiery Ki Defense as her bonus feat at 8th level, as long 
  as she also possesses the Fiery Fist feat (other prerequisites 
  can be ignored).
  FLAY
  When ﬁ ghting unarmored opponents, you excel at twist-
  ing your weapon just before impact. This motion rips and 
  tears at your foe’s ﬂ esh, causing intense pain. This attack is 
  wholly ineffective against armored foes, but it tears through 
  natural defenses.
   Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack.
   Benefit: When you use your Power Attack feat with 
  a slashing or piercing weapon against a foe who lacks an 
  armor bonus to AC, you inflict horrid pain on your target. 
  If your attack hits, your opponent must make a Fortitude 
  save (DC 10 + your damage bonus from Power Attack on the 
  strike). If this save fails, he takes a –2 penalty on attacks 
  for 1 round.
   You can use this feat once per round against a given target.
   Special: A fighter can select Flay as one of his fighter 
  bonus feats.
  GRENADIER
  You are skilled in using grenadelike weapons. You excel at 
  tossing them to just the right spot to maximize the amount of 
  damage they cause as they burst open upon the battleﬁ eld.
   Beneﬁ t: You are an expert with splash weapons and all 
  manner of incendiary mixtures. You gain a +1 bonus on attack 
  rolls with splash weapons and a +1 bonus on the weapon’s 
  damage (including splash damage).
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Grenadier as one of his ﬁ ghter 
  bonus feats.
  HINDERING OPPORTUNIST
  When you have a chance to strike a distracted foe, you instead 
  use that opportunity to aid or protect an ally against him.
   Prerequisites: Combat Reﬂ exes, base attack bonus +3.
   Beneﬁ t: Whenever an opponent provokes an attack of 
  opportunity from you, you can choose to replace that attack 
  with an aid another action targeting that opponent.
  INTIMIDATING STRIKE
  You make a display of your combat prowess designed to strike 
  terror in your foe. Your stance, attack method, and demeanor 
  demonstrate to your foe that you are capable of defeating him 
  with little effort. Your intent is clear—if you decide to hit 
  your foe, you could easily slay him.
   Prerequisites: Intimidate 4 ranks.
   Beneﬁ t: As a standard action, you make a single melee 
  attack against your foe. You subtract a number from this 
  attack equal to or less than your base attack bonus. If your 
  attack hits, you can make an Intimidate check against the foe 
  you struck, with a bonus equal to the number you subtracted 
  from your attack roll. If this check succeeds, your opponent is 
  shaken for the rest of the encounter. You cannot use this feat 
  to worsen an opponent’s fear condition beyond shaken.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Intimidating Strike as one of 
  his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  
  80
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  INDOMITABLE SOUL
  Your physical toughness translates into greater mental 
  resiliency. Where others cave in to magical effects that alter 
  their minds, you stand resolute.
   Prerequisites: Endurance, Iron Will.
   Beneﬁ t: Whenever you make a Will save against a mind-
  affecting or fear ability, you can roll 2d20 and use the higher 
  of the two die rolls.
  KEEN-EARED SCOUT
  Your sharp sense of hearing allows you to determine much 
  more about your surroundings. 
   Prerequisites: Listen 6 ranks, Alertness or Skill Focus 
  (Listen).
   Beneﬁ t: When you make a Listen check, you might learn 
  more than normal about a source of noise.
   If you beat the Listen DC by 5 or more, you determine the 
  size, speed, and direction of the source of noise.
   If you beat the DC by 10 or more, you determine the 
  precise, current position of the creature or object that caused 
  the sound.
   If you beat the DC by 15 or more, you determine the 
  type of armor the creature wears and what it carries, if 
  anything.
   If you beat the DC by 20 or more, you learn the creature’s 
  type and subtypes.
   The information you learn is cumulative. For example, 
  if you got a Listen check result of 35 against a DC of 23, 
  you gain the information for beating the check by 10 and 
  by 5. These benefits apply to both standard and opposed 
  Listen checks.
   Also, you gain a +5 bonus on Listen checks to pinpoint 
  invisible creatures.
  KI BLAST
  You focus your ki into a ball of energy that you can hurl at 
  an opponent.
   Prerequisites: Dex 13, Wis 13, Fiery Fist, Improved 
  Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, base attack bonus +8.
   Beneﬁ t: You can expend two daily uses of your Stunning 
  Fist feat as a move action to create an orb of raw ki energy. 
  You can then throw the seething orb as a standard action 
  with a range of 60 feet. This ranged touch attack deals 
  damage equal to 3d6 points + your Wis modiﬁ er. The ki orb 
  is a force effect.
   If you fail to throw the orb before the end of your turn, it 
  dissipates harmlessly.
   When you take this feat, you gain an additional daily use 
  of Stunning Fist.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Ki Blast as one of his ﬁ ghter 
  bonus feats. A monk with the Stunning Fist feat can select 
  Ki Blast as her bonus feat at 8th level, as long as she pos-
  sesses the Fiery Fist feat and a base attack bonus of +6 (other 
  prerequisites can be ignored).
  LEAP OF THE HEAVENS
  Your excellent athletic ability and superior conditioning 
  allow you to make near-superhuman leaps.
   Prerequisite: Jump 4 ranks.
   Benefit: When making a Jump check, the DC for the 
  check doesn’t double if you fail to move 20 feet in a straight 
  line prior to jumping. If you do move 20 feet in a straight line 
  before attempting a jump, you gain a +5 competence bonus 
  on your check.
   Normal: All Jump checks require a 20-foot running start 
  to avoid doubling the DC of the check.
  LUNGING STRIKE
  You make a single attack against a foe who stands just beyond 
  your reach.
   Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +6.
   Beneﬁ t: As a full-round action, you can make a single 
  strike with a 5-foot bonus to your attack’s reach. This beneﬁ t 
  applies to both armed and unarmed attacks, including touch 
  attacks made to deliver spells. 
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Lunging Strike as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  LURKING FAMILIAR
  Your familiar hides within the folds of your robe or takes 
  cover behind you as your opponents close in. When it 
  moves to attack, its sudden appearance might catch your 
  foe by surprise.
   Prerequisites: Combat Familiar, arcane caster level 6th, 
  familiar.
   Beneﬁ t: If your familiar occupies your square, it gains 
  cover against all attacks. As a consequence, it can make a 
  Hide check to avoid your foe’s notice. If your familiar then 
  leaves your space to attack an opponent, it gains the normal 
  beneﬁ t for attacking from a hidden position.
  MAD FOAM RAGER
  You fight with the rage that only a rabid badger or a beer-
  addled dwarf can bring to bear. In combat, you shrug off 
  attacks and continue ﬁ ghting even in the face of horriﬁ c 
  injuries and effects.
   Prerequisite: Rage or frenzy ability.
   Benefit: When fighting, you can endure tremendous 
  blows with little visible effect. As an immediate action, 
  you can choose to delay the effect of a single attack, spell, 
  or ability used against you. The damage or effect does not 
  take hold until the end of your next turn. You can only use 
  this ability while under the effect of your rage or frenzy 
  ability. You can activate it once every time you use your rage 
  or frenzy ability.
  MASTER MANIPULATOR
  Your words are your weapons. You confuse others with your 
  speech, luring them into giving up vital secrets and leav-
  ing them dumbfounded with your carefully constructed, 
  conversational static.
   Prerequisites: Cha 13, Diplomacy 9 ranks.
   Benefit: This feat grants two new uses for the Diplo-
  macy skill. You must share a language with a creature 
  to use these options against it. Neither ability functions 
  during combat.
  
  81
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  Captivating Speech: You can distract a creature with your 
  compelling delivery and witticisms. With a successful Diplo-
  macy check opposed by the target’s own Diplomacy check 
  or Will save, you can impose a –4 penalty on 
  the target’s Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot 
  checks so long as you continue speaking. 
  You can affect a number of targets equal 
  to 1 + your Cha bonus (if any), 
  as long as they are all within 
  20 feet.
   Trap of Words: If a crea-
  ture attempts and fails 
  to successfully to use 
  Bluff to lie to you, you 
  skillfully maneuver the 
  conversation to confuse 
  the target or trick him 
  into letting slip a vital 
  clue. After succeeding on 
  your Sense Motive check, 
  you can then engage the 
  target in conversation for 
  at least 1 minute. At the 
  end of this time, make 
  a Diplomacy check op-
  posed by the target’s Bluff 
  check. If you succeed, the 
  target inadvertently re-
  veals his lie and the reason 
  behind it. 
  MELEE 
  EVASION
  Your speed, agility, 
  and talent for intel-
  ligent fighting allow 
  you to avoid your oppo-
  nent’s blows. You take 
  careful stock of an oppo-
  nent and slip away from his sword blow just as he commits 
  to the attack.
  Prerequisites: Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, 
  Dodge.
  Beneﬁ t: While ﬁ ghting defensively, you can attempt to 
  negate a single attack made by the target of your Dodge feat. 
  If this opponent attacks you, use an immediate action to 
  make a d20 roll modiﬁ ed by your highest base attack bonus. 
  The result is used as your normal AC and touch AC against 
  that single, speciﬁ c attack from your opponent. You cannot 
  use this feat if your Dexterity bonus to AC does not apply 
  against your opponent’s attack.
  Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Melee Evasion as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  MELEE WEAPON MASTERY
  You have mastered a wide range of weapons. Your training 
  with one speciﬁ c weapon now extends to other weapons of 
  a similar sort.
   Prerequisites: Proﬁ ciency with selected weapon, Weapon 
  Focus with selected weapon, Weapon Specialization with 
  selected weapon, base attack bonus +8.
  Beneﬁ t: When you select this feat, choose bludgeoning, 
  piercing, or slashing. You must have Weapon Focus and 
  Weapon Specialization with a melee weapon that deals this 
  type of damage. When using any melee weapon that has the 
  damage type you selected, you gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls 
  and a +2 bonus on damage rolls.
  Special: You can select this feat more than once. Each 
  time, you can select a new damage type.
    A ﬁ ghter can choose Melee Weapon Mastery as one 
  of his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  OVERWHELMING ASSAULT
  If you attack a foe who does nothing to turn 
  aside your attack, you press 
  forward with an indom-
  itable strike. Only a 
  fool ignores the deadly 
  threat you present.
   Prerequisite: Base 
  attack bonus +15.
   
  Beneﬁ t: As a free 
  action, designate one 
  specific foe as the 
  target of this feat. If 
  this foe begins his 
  turn adjacent to you, 
  ends his turn still 
  adjacent to you, and 
  does not attack you, 
  target you with a spell, 
  or use a special ability 
  against you, you gain 
  a +4 bonus on melee 
  attack rolls against him 
  on your next turn.
  PENETRATING SHOT
  You send a powerful shot cleaving through your enemies.
  Prerequisites: Str 15, Point Blank Shot, base attack 
  bonus +10.
  Benefit: When you make a ranged attack with a pro-
  jectile weapon (such as a bow, crossbow, or sling), you 
  can instead choose to unleash a single, mighty attack that 
  blasts through multiple opponents. This attack requires a 
  standard action, and your shot takes the form of a 60-foot 
  line. Make a separate attack roll against each creature in the 
  line. If struck, creatures along this line take damage from 
  your shot, though any extra damage (such as from a sneak 
  attack or a ﬂ aming weapon) is applied only against the ﬁ rst 
  creature struck.
  Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Penetrating Shot as one of 
  his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  A halﬂ ing uses Master Manipulator 
  to catch a human in a lie
  Illus. by S. Belledin
  
  82
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  RANGED WEAPON MASTERY
  You have mastered a wide range of weapons. Your training 
  with one speciﬁ c weapon now extends to other weapons of 
  a similar sort.
   Prerequisites: Proﬁ ciency with selected weapon, Weapon 
  Focus with selected weapon, Weapon Specialization with 
  selected weapon, base attack bonus +8.
   Beneﬁ t: When you select this feat, choose bludgeoning, 
  piercing, or slashing. You must have Weapon Focus and 
  Weapon Specialization with a ranged weapon that deals 
  this type of damage. When using any ranged weapon that 
  has the damage type you selected, you gain a +2 bonus on 
  attacks and a +2 bonus on damage. In addition, you increase 
  its range increment by 20 feet.
   Special: You can select this feat more than once. Each 
  time, you can select a new damage type.
   A ﬁ ghter can choose Ranged Weapon Mastery as one of 
  his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  RAPID BLITZ
  You charge across the battleﬁ eld, combining your speed and 
  ﬁ ghting ability to move and attack with unmatched skill.
   Prerequisites: Dex 13, Bounding Assault, Dodge, Mobil-
  ity, Spring Attack, base attack bonus +18.
   Beneﬁ t: You can designate a third target for your Spring 
  Attack feat. In addition to the second attack you gain from 
  your Bounding Assault feat, you can make a third attack 
  with a –10 penalty.
  ROBILAR’S GAMBIT
  By offering Robilar’s Gambit, you absorb damage to place 
  yourself in an advantageous position. This dangerous sacriﬁ ce 
  is not for the unﬁ t or the unwise, for one failed retaliatory 
  strike can undo the advantage gained. Lord Robilar, a rash 
  and impetuous ﬁ ghter, gained fame using this technique 
  against his enemies.
   Prerequisites: Combat Reﬂ exes, base attack bonus +12.
   Benefit: At the start of your action, you can adopt a 
  ﬁ ghting stance that exposes you to harm but allows you to 
  take advantage of your opponents’ exposed defenses as they 
  reach in to attack you. Anyone who strikes at you gains a 
  +4 bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against you. In 
  return, they provoke attacks of opportunity from you each 
  time they swing. Resolve your attack of opportunity after 
  your foe’s attack.
   Normal: Opponents do not provoke attacks of opportunity 
  by attacking. Further, when an opponent provokes an attack 
  of opportunity, you resolve your attack before he completes 
  the action that provoked the attack of opportunity.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Robilar’s Gambit as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  SHIELD SLING
  You can hurl your shield as a deadly missile, turning it from 
  a defensive item to a crushing, thrown weapon.
   Prerequisites: Proﬁ ciency with shields, Improved Shield 
  Bash, Shield Specialization, base attack bonus +9.
   Beneﬁ t: You can wield your light shield or heavy shield 
  as a thrown weapon with a range increment of 20 feet. The 
  shield deals damage as normal for its size (see Table 7–5, PH 
  116), and you gain your Strength bonus on damage as normal 
  for a thrown weapon. In addition, you can make a ranged 
  touch attack to initiate a trip attempt. Your target resists the 
  trip attempt as normal. You lose your size bonus (though not 
  a size penalty) on your Strength check. If your foe’s check 
  succeeds, he cannot attempt to trip you.
   You cannot throw a tower shield. You can throw a buckler, 
  but it does no damage, and you cannot use it to trip an 
  opponent.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Shield Sling as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  SHIELD SPECIALIZATION
  You are skilled in using a shield, allowing you to gain greater 
  defensive beneﬁ ts from it.
   Prerequisite: Proﬁ ciency with shields.
   Beneﬁ t: Choose one type of shield from the following list: 
  buckler, heavy, or light. When using a shield of the appropri-
  ate type, you increase its shield bonus to AC by 1.
   Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time 
  you select it, choose a different type of shield.
   A ﬁ ghter can select Shield Specialization as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  SHIELD WARD
  You use your shield like a wall of steel and wood. When an 
  opponent attempts to draw in close to you, your shield forces 
  him away or ruins his attacks.
   Prerequisite: Proficiency with shields, Shield 
  Specialization.
   Beneﬁ t: You apply your shield bonus to your touch AC, 
  and on checks or rolls to resist bull rush, disarm, grapple, 
  overrun, or trip attempts against you.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Shield Ward as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  SHORT HAFT
  You have trained in polearm ﬁ ghting alongside your com-
  rades in arms, sometimes reaching past them while they 
  shield you, and sometimes shielding them while they attack 
  from behind you.
   Prerequisites: Proﬁ ciency with a reach weapon, Weapon 
  Focus with a reach weapon, base attack bonus +3.
   Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, you can choose to lose the ben-
  eﬁ t of wielding any reach weapon other than a spiked chain 
  or a whip. In return, you can use that weapon to threaten 
  and attack spaces adjacent to you. With another swift action, 
  you can give up this feat’s beneﬁ t in order to regain the use 
  of your weapon’s superior reach.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Short Haft as one of his ﬁ ghter 
  bonus feats.
  SLASHING FLURRY
  You swing your weapon with uncanny speed, slicing apart a 
  foe in the blink of an eye.
  
  83
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
   Prerequisites: Proﬁ ciency with selected slashing weapon, 
  Weapon Focus with selected slashing weapon, Weapon Mas-
  tery (slashing), Weapon Specialization with selected slashing 
  weapon, base attack bonus +14.
   Beneﬁ t: When you use a standard action to attack with 
  any slashing weapon, you can choose to make a second attack 
  with that weapon. You take a –5 penalty on the ﬁ rst attack, 
  and a –10 penalty on the second.
   When you use a full attack action with any slashing 
  weapon, you gain one additional attack at your highest base 
  attack bonus. That attack and all other attacks you make in 
  the current round take a –5 penalty.
  SPECTRAL SKIRMISHER
  You have trained extensively in the use of magic that renders 
  you invisible. In combat, you use this experience to vex your 
  opponents and increase your survivability.
   Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +6.
   Benefit: While you are invisible, you gain additional 
  beneﬁ ts. Creatures unable to see you due to invisibility take 
  a –5 penalty on all Listen checks to detect you. A creature 
  using a melee attack against the square you occupy provokes 
  an attack of opportunity from you. You must choose to make 
  this attack before checking to see if the creature ﬁ nds you. 
  If you attack and hit, the creature automatically ﬁ nds you in 
  your square. See page 152 of the Player’s Handbook and page 
  295 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide for the effects of invisibility 
  on combat.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Spectral Skirmisher as one 
  of his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  SPELL-LINKED FAMILIAR
  You and your familiar can share spell energy, allowing your 
  familiar to cast a limited number of spells each day.
   Prerequisites: Arcane caster level 9th, familiar.
   Beneﬁ t: Your familiar can cast spells that you grant to it. 
  A familiar gains spells based on your arcane caster level, and 
  any spells granted to your familiar are subtracted from your 
  daily allotment.
   The maximum number of spells of a certain level that you 
  can grant to your familiar is given on the table below. For 
  example, as a 16th-level arcane caster, you can grant your 
  familiar as many as three 0-level spells, two 1st-level spells, 
  and one 2nd-level spell.
    
   ———Spell Level ———
  Caster Level 
  0 
  1st 
  2nd
  9th–11th 
  1 
  — 
  —
  12th–14th 
  2 
  1 
  —
  15th–17th 
  3 
  2 
  1
  18th–20th 
  4 
  3 
  2
  The familiar uses 1/2 your caster level as its caster level. It 
  cannot cast spells that have a gp or XP cost, or that require 
  a focus. A familiar does not need somatic, material, or 
  verbal components to cast a spell that was granted to it by 
  this feat.
  STALWART DEFENSE
  You excel at aiding your allies in battle. When an opponent 
  attempts to strike one of them, you make a quick, distracting 
  motion to ruin the foe’s efforts.
   Prerequisites: Combat Reﬂ exes, Hindering Opportunist, 
  base attack bonus +9.
   Beneﬁ t: When an opponent you threaten attempts a melee 
  attack against one of your allies, you can give up one of your 
  attacks of opportunity to attempt an aid another action. You 
  target the attacking opponent with the aid another. The 
  target of your foe’s attack gains the beneﬁ t of your action in 
  the form of a +2 bonus to AC against the attempted attack. 
  You cannot use this feat against the same opponent more 
  than once per round.
  STEADFAST DETERMINATION
  Your physical durability allows you to shrug off attacks that 
  would cripple a lesser person. Rather than depend on agility 
  or willpower, you use your raw toughness to survive.
   Prerequisites: Endurance.
   Beneﬁ t: You can use your Constitution modiﬁ er in place 
  of your Wisdom modiﬁ er on Will saves.
   You do not automatically fail Fortitude saves on a roll of 
  natural 1.
  TELLING BLOW
  When you strike an opponent’s vital areas, you draw on 
  your ability to land crippling blows to make the most of 
  your attack.
   Prerequisite: Skirmish or sneak attack ability.
   Beneﬁ t: When you score a critical hit against a target, you 
  deal your skirmish or sneak attack damage in addition to 
  the damage from your critical hit. Your critical multiplier 
  applies only to your normal damage, not your skirmish or 
  sneak attack damage. This benefit affects both melee and 
  ranged attacks.
  TROPHY COLLECTOR
  A belt of minotaur fur, a hood of cloaker wing-skin, and an 
  amulet fashioned from a petriﬁ ed dragon’s eye—these are 
  the intimidating symbols of your trade. You are skilled in 
  preserving portions of defeated enemies and turning them 
  into trophies. The memory of your past accomplishments 
  drives you onward, instilling in you the conﬁ dence needed 
  to face still greater foes.
   Prerequisite: Craft (taxidermy) 6 ranks.
   Beneﬁ t: When you defeat a foe in combat, you can preserve 
  a part of its body and create a trophy that you can wear or 
  brandish. In order to be worthy of your efforts, the opponent 
  must have a CR greater than your current level.
   A trophy has a value equal to the defeated creature’s CR 
  × 100 gp. You must spend time using the Craft (taxidermy) 
  skill to create the trophy as normal. Once you create a trophy, 
  you can sell it for its market price or wear it. When you create 
  a trophy, you must design it to occupy space on your body 
  as one of these kinds of magic items: amulet, belt, boots, or 
  cloak. You cannot gain the beneﬁ t of both a magic item and 
  a trophy if both occupy the same space on your body; in such 
  
  84
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  a case, the object you donned last becomes functional and 
  the other object does not work.
   While wearing a trophy, you gain a +2 bonus on Intimidate 
  checks per trophy against creatures of the same type as the 
  trophy, except for outsiders and humanoids. In these two 
  cases, the target must share the same subtype as the creature 
  from which you crafted the trophy. You take a -–4 penalty 
  on Diplomacy checks against creatures of the 
  same type or subtype as one or more of your 
  worn trophies.
   For each trophy you wear, 
  you gain a +1 bonus on 
  saves against fear ef-
  fects. Once per day, 
  you gain a morale bo-
  nus on a single Will 
  save equal to the num-
  ber of trophies you wear. 
  In this case, you draw 
  upon the memories of past 
  victories to strengthen your re-
  solve. If you choose to take 
  this morale bonus on a 
  save against a fear ef-
  fect, it stacks with 
  the usual +1 bonus 
  on saves per tro-
  phy worn. 
  Special: You 
  can only craft 
  trophies from cor-
  poreal creatures that 
  you actively helped de-
  feat. You cannot craft 
  trophies from oozes. 
  TUMBLING FEINT
  When you move near an opponent, your acrobatic ma-
  neuvers leave him confused and unable to properly defend 
  himself.
  Prerequisites: Bluff 4 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks.
  Beneﬁ t: As a swift action at the start of your turn, you 
  designate a single opponent as the target of this feat. If you 
  successfully use your Tumble skill to avoid provoking an 
  attack of opportunity from that opponent, you gain a +5 bonus 
  on your next Bluff check to feint against him. You must use 
  this beneﬁ t on or before your next turn.
   For example, Lidda designates a nearby ogre as the target 
  of this feat. She tumbles into the ogre’s threatened area and 
  continues to tumble past the creature, moving to a square 
  from which she plans to make a melee attack against the ogre. 
  Lidda succeeds on her Tumble check to avoid provoking an 
  attack of opportunity from the ogre, and she moves into her 
  destination square. She can now use a standard action to feint 
  the ogre, applying the beneﬁ t of this feat on her Bluff check, 
  or she can take any other sort of standard action, including 
  making a normal melee attack against the ogre. If she chooses 
  not to feint immediately, she can wait until her next turn 
  and still gain this feat’s beneﬁ t.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Tumbling Feint as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  TWO-WEAPON 
  POUNCE
  When you charge an 
  opponent while wield-
  ing two weapons, 
  you can make two 
  quick attacks. You 
  trade the momen-
  tum and power of 
  the charge for the 
  opportunity to use your sec-
  ond weapon.
  Prerequisites: Dex 15,
  Two-Weapon Fighting, base 
  attack bonus +6.
   
   Beneﬁ t: When you are 
  making a charge and wield-
  ing weapons in both hands, 
  you can attack with both of 
  your weapons. If you do so, 
  you lose the bonus on attack rolls 
  normally granted by a charge. The 
  –2 penalty to AC from charging 
  still applies.
  Normal: When making a 
  charge, you get a single attack at 
  the end of your movement.
   
   Special: A fighter can 
  select Two-Weapon Pounce 
  as one of his ﬁ ghter bonus feats. 
  A ranger who has chosen the two-
  weapon combat style can select Two-Weapon 
  Pounce as long as he has a base attack bonus of +6 and is 
  wearing light armor or no armor.
  TWO-WEAPON REND
  You wield two weapons with an artisan’s precision. Each 
  strike builds on the next, allowing you to deal more damage.
  Prerequisites: Dex 15,Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack 
  bonus +11.
  Beneﬁ t: If you successfully hit an opponent with both 
  of the weapons you wield, you deal extra damage equal to 
  1d6 + 1-1/2 times your Strength bonus. This extra damage 
  is treated as the same type that your off-hand weapon deals 
  normally for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction 
  and other effects related to damage type. You can gain this 
  extra damage once per round against a given opponent.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Two-Weapon Rend as one of 
  his ﬁ ghter bonus feats. A ranger who has chosen the two-
  weapon combat style can select Two-Weapon Rend as long as 
  he has a base attack bonus of +11 and is wearing light armor 
  or no armor.
  Soveliss dispatches a red slaad twice 
  as fast by using Two-Weapon Rend
  Illus. by R. Spencer
  
  85
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  VATIC GAZE
  Your arcane studies have brought forth your nascent talent 
  to sense magical auras and the power that others are capable 
  of wielding.
   Prerequisite: Arcane caster level 9th.
   Beneﬁ t: You can use detect magic at will.
   Also, as a swift action, you can attempt to determine an 
  opponent’s spellcasting ability. You make a Sense Motive 
  check (DC 5 + target’s caster level). If this check succeeds, 
  you learn the highest-level spells the target is capable of 
  casting. This beneﬁ t grants you no insight into spell-like or 
  supernatural abilities.
  VERSATILE UNARMED STRIKE
  You employ a variety of unarmed ﬁ ghting styles, allowing 
  you to alter the type of damage your attacks deal.
   Prerequisite: Improved Unarmed Strike.
   Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, you can opt for your unarmed 
  strikes to deal your choice of bludgeoning, piercing, or 
  slashing damage. Once you make this choice, your unarmed 
  strikes continue to deal the chosen damage type until you 
  use another swift action to change it.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Versatile Unarmed Strike as 
  one of his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  VEXING FLANKER
  You excel at picking apart an opponent’s defenses when your 
  allies also threaten him.
   Prerequisite: Combat Reﬂ exes.
   Beneﬁ t: You gain a +4 bonus on your attack rolls when 
  ﬂ anking.
   Normal: Flanking grants a +2 bonus on attack rolls.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Vexing Flanker as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  WANDERER’S DIPLOMACY
  Many halﬂ ings journey far and wide across the world, spend-
  ing no more than a few months in one place. You have spent 
  time among the halﬂ ings, or you are a halﬂ ing yourself. Your 
  exposure to that race’s nomadic way of life has taught you 
  several useful methods of dealing with strangers.
   Prerequisites: Halﬂ ing or 4 ranks in Bluff, Diplomacy, 
  and Sense Motive.
   Beneﬁ t: You excel in using your words and wit to make 
  your way in the world. This feat grants you three separate 
  abilities. 
   Canny Merchant: You can make a Diplomacy check to track 
  down an item that is normally too expensive to be purchased 
  in the town or settlement where you are currently located. 
  The DC of this check is 10 + (the item’s gp cost minus the 
  community’s gp limit, divided by 1,000). If this check suc-
  ceeds, you learn of a merchant who can supply the item to 
  you. You must still purchase it as normal.
   Intuitive Communication: When you are faced with a 
  creature whose language you do not understand, you can 
  attempt to communicate with it by making a successful Sense 
  Motive check. This check requires that you spend at least 1 
  minute listening to the creature and watching its gestures 
  and demeanor. The check’s base DC is 20. If the creature is 
  not the same type as you, the DC is 30.
   With a successful check, you learn the basic gist of the 
  creature’s speech. This ability gives you no special talent to 
  speak the creature’s tongue.
   Social Agility: You can temporarily alter a creature’s attitude 
  toward you. You can use Bluff against an unfriendly or less 
  hostile creature in the same way you use Diplomacy. Using 
  Bluff in this manner is a standard action that takes no special 
  penalties. The target’s attitude remains changed for 1 minute. 
  After this time, it becomes one grade more hostile than where 
  it started for 10 minutes.
  WATER SPLITTING STONE
  You channel your ki energy to splinter the defenses of crea-
  tures whose tough hides or magical natures normally allow 
  them to shrug off your blows.
   Prerequisite: Dex 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, 
  Stunning Fist, base attack bonus +9.
   Beneﬁ t: You gain a +4 bonus on damage rolls when you 
  make an unarmed strike against an opponent whose damage 
  reduction is effective against your unarmed strikes. This feat’s 
  beneﬁ t does not apply against a target if its damage reduction 
  does not apply to your attacks. For example, a monk with ki 
  strike (adamantine) does not gain the bonus on damage rolls 
  against a foe with damage reduction that affects attacks with 
  adamantine weapons.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Water Splitting Stone as one 
  of his ﬁ ghter bonus feats. A monk with the Stunning Fist 
  feat can select Water Splitting Stone as long as she has a base 
  attack bonus +9 (other prerequisites can be ignored).
  WEAPON SUPREMACY
  You are a grandmaster in the use of your chosen weapon. When 
  you hold it in your hands, no foe can stand against you.
   Prerequisites: Proﬁ ciency with selected weapon, Greater 
  Weapon Focus with selected weapon, Greater Weapon Spe-
  cialization with selected weapon, Weapon Focus with selected 
  weapon, Weapon Specialization with selected weapon, 
  Weapon Mastery with damage type of selected weapon, 
  ﬁ ghter level 18th.
   Beneﬁ t: When ﬁ ghting with the weapon that you choose 
  for this feat, you gain a number of additional advantages.
   You gain a +4 bonus on all checks made to resist being 
  disarmed.
   You can wield your weapon against a foe who grapples you 
  without penalty and without ﬁ rst making a grapple check. In 
  this situation, you can take a standard action or a full attack 
  action as normal.
   When you take a full attack action, you can apply a +5 
  bonus to any single attack after your ﬁ rst strike.
   Once per round before making an attack roll, you can 
  instead choose to treat your d20 result as a 10.
   You gain a +1 bonus to AC.
   Special: You can choose this feat only once, for a single 
  specific kind of weapon. The dedication and focus it 
  requires makes it impossible to gain this feat for more 
  than one weapon.
  
  86
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  NEW FEATS
  CEREMONY FEATS
  A ceremony feat grants you the knowledge and training 
  needed to complete several speciﬁ c ceremonies. Each feat 
  uses the Knowledge (religion) skill to gauge the depth of your 
  study. As you gain more ranks in that skill, the ceremonies 
  available through the feat increase.
   A creature can beneﬁ t from one ceremony at a time. If 
  you attempt a second ceremony on the same creature, the 
  ﬁ rst ceremony’s beneﬁ ts immediately end and the second 
  ceremony applies.
   Each ceremony has a cost in time and resources. The 
  ceremony consumes the materials needed for it when it ends 
  (not when the beneﬁ t ends). If the ceremony is disrupted, 
  such as if an opponent attacks before you ﬁ nish, the material 
  components are not lost.
   The two feats described below are ceremony feats. Their 
  prerequisites and beneﬁ ts are summarized on Table 3–2.
  RITUAL BLESSING
  You call upon the powers of goodness and light to bless your 
  allies. If your religious studies are advanced enough, the 
  rituals you learn allow you to ward against illness or poison, 
  enhance your healing abilities, and protect against evil.
   Prerequisites: Good alignment, Knowledge (religion) 
  4 ranks.
   Beneﬁ t: You gain access to rituals based on your ranks in 
  Knowledge (religion).
   Anoint (Knowledge [religion] 4 ranks): You speak a blessing 
  over the recipient of this ritual, anoint him with holy water, 
  and say a short prayer for him. When you cast a cure spell on 
  the recipient, he heals an extra 2 points of damage.
   Performing this ritual requires 5 minutes of incantation 
  and a vial of holy water. Its effects last for 24 hours.
   Cleanse (Knowledge [religion] 8 ranks): You sprinkle holy 
  water over the recipient of this ritual and speak a prayer to 
  his health and vigor. The target gains a +2 bonus on saves 
  against disease and poison.
   Performing this ritual requires 10 minutes of incantation 
  and a vial of holy water. Its effects last for 24 hours.
   Ward (Knowledge [religion] 13 ranks): You use a special combi-
  nation of powdered silver and holy water to create a mystical 
  ward that offers protection against demons and devils. The 
  recipient of this ritual gains a +1 bonus on saves against spells 
  and special attacks used by evil outsiders.
   Performing this ritual requires 10 minutes of work, a vial 
  of holy water, and powdered silver worth 30 gp. Its effects 
  last for 24 hours.
  RITUAL BLOOD BONDS
  You invest your allies with the mighty power of your totem, 
  god, or similar divine entity. These rituals allow you to forge 
  bonds between warriors that stand the test of combat.
   Prerequisites: Orc or half-orc, Knowledge (religion) 
  4 ranks.
   Beneﬁ t: You gain access to rituals based on your total 
  ranks in Knowledge (religion).
   Blood Brothers (Knowledge [religion] 4 ranks): You gather up 
  to six of your allies together in a circle. Each member of this 
  circle pledges allegiance to the others, cuts himself, and 
  bleeds into a bowl containing holy water or unholy water 
  (as appropriate to your alignment). You then sprinkle this 
  mixture on yourself and the members of the circle. You and 
  everyone else who participated in this ritual gains a +4 morale 
  bonus on Will saves against fear as long as each individual 
  can see one other ally who took part in this ritual.
   This ritual requires 10 minutes of incantation and a vial 
  of holy water or unholy water. Its effect lasts for 24 hours.
   Vengeful Bonds of Brotherhood (Knowledge [religion] 8 ranks): 
  You create a close, mystical bond between you and your 
  allies. Up to six individuals can participate with you in 
  this ritual. Each participant cuts his hand. Everyone in 
  the ritual then clasps hands in a circle while you stand 
  in the middle. You speak a prayer while sprinkling holy 
  or unholy water on each participant. This ritual grants a 
  benefit to its participants (including you) when an ally 
  falls in battle. If an individual who participated in this 
  ritual sees another participant drop to 0 or fewer hit points 
  due to an opponent’s actions, he gains a +2 morale bonus 
  on attack rolls against the foe who dropped his ally. The 
  benefit lasts for 1 minute every time it is triggered. You can 
  gain this bonus against multiple foes during the duration 
  of the effect.
   This ritual requires 10 minutes of incantation, a vial of 
  holy water or unholy water, and silver dust worth 10 gp. The 
  ritual’s beneﬁ t lasts for 24 hours.
  COMBAT FORM FEATS
  While most warriors draw on their strength, agility, and 
  toughness in battle, a few learn to tap into the true poten-
  tial of their minds. Somewhat like a monk, such a warrior 
  supplements his physical practice with rigorous mental 
  training to hone his ﬁ ghting abilities. His mind and body 
  become one as he ﬁ ghts, allowing him to achieve unparal-
  leled levels of combat mastery. Being in this state of perfect 
  mental and physical harmony is known as maintaining a 
  combat focus. (Taking the feat called Combat Focus is how 
  a character learns to achieve this state; all other combat 
  form feats have Combat Focus as a prerequisite.) The task 
  of maintaining a combat focus is both difﬁ cult and strain-
  ing. Thus, a warrior cannot remain in this state for long. 
  While he does, however, he can use any combat form feats 
  he possesses.
   The six feats described below are combat form feats. Their 
  prerequisites and beneﬁ ts are summarized on Table 3–3.
  COMBAT AWARENESS
  When you maintain your combat focus, you have an uncanny 
  ability to sense the ebb and ﬂ ow of your opponents’ vitality. 
  As you attain greater mastery of this ﬁ ghting style, you learn 
  to sense a foe’s presence even with your eyes closed.
   Prerequisites: Wis 13, Blind-Fight, Combat Focus, base 
  attack bonus +12.
   Benefit: While maintaining your combat focus, you 
  learn the current hit point total of each adjacent opponent 
  and ally.
  
  87
  CHAPTER 3
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   If you have three or more combat form feats, you gain 
  blindsight out to 5 feet.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Combat Awareness as one of 
  his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  COMBAT DEFENSE
  The state of keen focus and mental discipline you attain in 
  combat allows you to shift the focus of your defense from one 
  opponent to another with careful, precise maneuvers.
   Prerequisites: Dex 13, Wis 13, Combat Focus, Dodge, 
  base attack bonus +6.
   Beneﬁ t: While you maintain your combat focus, you can 
  change the target of your Dodge feat to a new opponent as 
  an immediate action.
   If you have three or more combat form feats, you gain an 
  additional +1 dodge bonus to AC against the target of your 
  Dodge feat.
   Normal: Designating or changing the target of your Dodge 
  feat can only be done on your turn as a free action.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Combat Defense as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  COMBAT FOCUS
  The way of the warrior requires more than simple, brute 
  strength. Some warriors bring their minds to such keen 
  focus during the heat of battle that they can attain superhu-
  man levels of endurance, perception, and mental toughness. 
  Through intense mental exercise and training, you learn to 
  enter a state of perfect martial clarity.
   Prerequisite: Wis 13.
   Benefit: In battle, you push aside the chaos of the fight 
  and attain a focused state that grants you a keen, clear 
  picture of the battle. Fear and pain ebb away as you focus 
  solely on defeating your enemy. The first time you make 
  a successful attack during an encounter, you gain your 
  combat focus. In this state, your mind and body become 
  one, allowing you to overcome mundane physical limits. 
  You can maintain your combat focus for 10 rounds after 
  entering it, +1 additional round per combat form feat you 
  possess aside from this one. You can only gain your combat 
  focus once per encounter.
   While you are maintaining your combat focus, you gain 
  a +2 bonus on Will saves. If you have three or more combat 
  form feats, this bonus increases to +4.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Combat Focus as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  COMBAT STABILITY
  When you maintain your combat focus, you become difﬁ cult 
  to dislodge. Your muscles lock into an unyielding position, 
  granting you superior ability to resist trip attacks, bull rushes, 
  disarms, and similar effects.
   Prerequisite: Wis 13, Combat Focus, base attack bonus +3.
   Beneﬁ t: You gain a +4 bonus on checks or rolls to resist 
  bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, and trip attempts made 
  against you.
   If you have three or more combat form feats, the bonus 
  granted by this feat increases to +8.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Combat Stability as one of 
  his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  COMBAT STRIKE
  Your intense, focused state allows you to see the one criti-
  cal moment in a battle when you hang suspended between 
  victory and defeat. By pouring the energy required to 
  maintain your focus into your assault, you batter through 
  your foe’s defenses.
   Prerequisites: Wis 13, Combat Focus, any two other 
  combat form feats, base attack bonus +15.
   Beneﬁ t: If you choose to end your combat focus as a swift 
  action, you gain a bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls equal 
  to your total number of combat form feats for the rest of your 
  current turn. You immediately lose all benefits of combat 
  form feats that affect you only while you are maintaining 
  your combat focus.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Combat Strike as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  Table 3–2: Ceremony Feats
  Feat 
  Prerequisites 
  Beneﬁ t
  Ritual Blessing 
  Good alignment,   
  Gain warding rituals
   
  Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks
  Ritual Blood Bonds 
  Orc or half-orc,  
  Gain toughening rituals
   
  Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks
  Table 3–3: Combat Form Feats
  Feat 
  Prerequisites 
  Beneﬁ t
  Combat Focus 
  Wis 13 
  Enter meditative state to gain +2 bonus on Will saves
     Combat Stability 
  Wis 13, Combat Focus,  
  +4 against bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, and trip
   
  base attack bonus +3
     Combat Defense 
  Dex 13, Wis 13, Combat Focus, Dodge,  
  Change target of Dodge feat as immediate action
   
  base attack bonus +6
     Combat Vigor 
  Wis 13, Combat Focus,  
  While in focus, gain fast healing 2
   
  base attack bonus +9
     Combat Awareness 
  Wis 13, Blind-Fight, Combat Focus,  
  Learn hit point totals of all adjacent creatures
   
  base attack bonus +12
     Combat Strike 
  Wis 13, Combat Focus, 
  Expend combat focus to gain bonus on attacks 
   
  any two other combat form feats,  
  and damage
   
  base attack bonus +15
  
  88
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  COMBAT VIGOR
  When you maintain your combat focus, your clarity of purpose 
  and relentless drive allow you to overcome your body’s frailties. 
  Minor wounds heal in a matter of seconds, and you quickly 
  recover from even a grievous blow.
  Prerequisites: Wis 13, Combat 
  Focus, base attack bonus +9.
  Benefit: While you maintain your 
  combat focus, you gain fast healing 2. 
  You lose this benefit when your combat 
  focus ends.
   If you have three or more combat form 
  feats, the beneﬁ t of this feat improves to fast 
  healing 4.
  Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Combat 
  Vigor as one of his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  DIVINE FEATS 
  Divine feats are the province of 
  those who are able to turn or 
  rebuke undead. Instead of at-
  tempting to affect an undead 
  creature, you expend a turn 
  or rebuke undead attempt to 
  trigger the beneﬁ t of a divine 
  feat you have. You can activate 
  only one divine feat per round, 
  though overlapping durations 
  might allow you the beneﬁ ts of 
  more than one divine feat at 
  a time. Activating a divine 
  feat is a supernatural abil-
  ity, requires a type of 
  action or an amount 
  of time depending on 
  the feat, and does not 
  provoke attacks of 
  opportunity unless 
  otherwise noted in 
  the feat descrip-
  tion. Activating a 
  divine feat is not 
  considered an at-
  tack unless doing so 
  would directly cause 
  damage to a target.
   The eight feats described 
  below are divine feats. Their 
  prerequisites and beneﬁ ts are sum-
  marized on Table 3–4.
  DIVINE ARMOR
  You call upon your deity to protect you in your hour of 
  need by wreathing you in divine power that wards off your 
  enemies’ attacks.
   Prerequisites: Divine caster level 5th, ability to turn or 
  rebuke undead.
   Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, you can expend a turn or rebuke 
  undead attempt to gain damage reduction 5/– until the start 
  of your next turn.
  DIVINE FORTUNE
  With a quick prayer, you channel divine energy to help resist 
  a spell, poison, or other deadly effect.
   Prerequisites: Divine caster level 5th, ability to turn or 
  rebuke undead.
   Beneﬁ t: As an immediate action, you can expend a turn 
  or rebuke undead attempt to gain a +4 bonus on your next 
  saving throw. If this beneﬁ t is not used immediately, it 
  lasts until the start of your next turn.
  DIVINE JUSTICE
  You can channel divine energy to turn 
  your foe’s strength against him, striking 
  him with the same force that he used 
  against you.
  Prerequisite: Ability to turn or 
  rebuke undead.
  Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, 
  you can expend a turn or re-
  buke undead attempt to mark 
  an opponent as the target of 
  this feat. The next time this op-
  ponent strikes you with an armed 
  melee attack or a natural weapon, 
  record the damage he deals. The 
  next time you strike him in melee, 
  you deal that damage or your weap-
  on’s normal damage, whichever 
  is greater. Your weapon’s quali-
  ties still determine if damage 
  reduction applies to the dam-
  age you deal.
   
   You can mark only one 
  opponent at a time with this feat. 
  You must take damage from 
  your foe within 1 minute 
  of using this feat, or your 
  turn or rebuke undead 
  attempt is wasted. After 
  taking damage, you must 
  strike your foe within 1 
  minute, or you lose this feat’s 
  beneﬁ t. Until you strike your 
  foe and trigger the feat’s beneﬁ t, 
  you cannot use this feat again to mark 
  the same or a different opponent.
  DIVINE WARD
  You create a channel of divine energy between yourself and 
  a willing ally. This link allows you to cast your spells upon 
  him from greater than normal range.
  Prerequisite: Ability to turn or rebuke undead.
   Beneﬁ t: Once every 24 hours, you can spend 10 minutes 
  creating a magical ward between you and one willing target. 
  Regdar practices his combat forms
  Illus. by D. Hudnut
  
  89
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  For the rest of the 24-hour period, you can increase the range 
  of a touch spell to short range (25 feet + 5 feet per two caster 
  levels) if you target the warded creature, and only the warded 
  creature. When you cast a spell in this manner, you must 
  expend a turn or rebuke undead attempt.
   You can create a ward between you and more than one 
  target, so long as you expend the necessary time and turning 
  attempts. You must expend a turn or rebuke undead attempt 
  to create each ward beyond the ﬁ rst.
  PROFANE AURA
  You call upon the dark powers you worship to ﬁ ll the area 
  around you with a dreadful mist that obscures sight.
   Prerequisites: Divine caster level 9th, ability to rebuke 
  undead.
   Beneﬁ t: As a standard action, you can expend one of your 
  rebuke undead attempts to ﬁ ll the area around you with a 
  cold, clammy mist. The mist extends out in a 60-foot-radius 
  emanation centered on you and ﬂ ows through the air as you 
  move, keeping you at the center of its area. The mist provides 
  concealment to creatures within the cloud. While in the 
  mist, creatures (including you) 5 feet away from each other 
  have concealment, and creatures separated by more than 5 
  feet have total concealment from each other.
   In addition, mindless undead creatures within the cloud 
  gain a +2 deﬂ ection bonus to AC.
  SACRED HEALING
  You can channel divine energy to aid in your efforts to tend 
  to a comrade’s injuries, sickness, or other conditions.
   Prerequisite: Ability to turn undead.
   Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, you can expend a turn undead 
  attempt to augment your ability to tend to the wounds of 
  others. You gain a +5 bonus on Heal checks and a +2 bonus 
  per die on the damage healed by any conjuration (healing) 
  spells you cast. This benefit lasts until the end of your 
  current turn.
  SACRED PURIFICATION
  You serve as a conduit of divine energy, ﬁ lling the area around 
  you with power that aids the living and saps the undead.
   Prerequisites: Sacred Healing, ability to turn undead.
   Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, you can expend a turn undead 
  attempt to create a pulse of divine energy. All living 
  creatures within 60 feet of you heal an amount of damage 
  equal to 1d8 points + your Charisma bonus (if any). All undead 
  creatures in this area take damage equal to 1d8 points + your 
  Charisma bonus.
  SACRED RADIANCE
  You channel divine energy to ﬁ ll the area around you with 
  a soothing, gentle radiance.
   Prerequisites: Divine caster level 9th, ability to turn 
  undead.
   Benefit: As a standard action, you can expend a turn 
  undead attempt to bathe yourself in light. This light provides 
  bright illumination in a 60-foot-radius emanation centered 
  on you and an additional 60 feet of shadowy illumination 
  beyond that area. The light moves as you move, keeping you 
  at the center of its area. It temporarily negates areas of magical 
  darkness created by spells of 3rd level or lower.
   Any non-evil creature within 60 feet of you gains a +2 
  morale bonus on saves against fear, poison, disease, and death 
  effects. Evil creatures take a –2 penalty on saves against 
  fear effects.
   This beneﬁ t lasts for 10 minutes.
  HERITAGE FEATS
  A heritage feat signiﬁ es a speciﬁ c ancestry of your character. 
  The heritage feats in this book allow your sorcerer to tap 
  into the celestial or infernal source of his magical power to 
  master new abilities (a sorcerer’s draconic heritage source of 
  power is covered in Complete Arcane). You and your DM are 
  encouraged to come up with a background story explaining 
  your character’s heritage, though the exact source of this 
  ancestral link isn’t crucial to the feat’s operation (and might 
  remain a mystery to the character).
   A character can select a heritage feat at any level. Choos-
  ing a heritage feat after 1st level signiﬁ es that the ancestral 
  power of the character is only now manifesting itself. (A 
  character’s first choice among these heritage feats must 
  be either Celestial Sorcerer Heritage or Infernal Sorcerer 
  Heritage, because all other heritage feats have one of these 
  feats as a prerequisite.)
   While different sorts of heritage feats cannot normally be 
  combined (see page 37 of the Planar Handbook supplement), a 
  single sorcerer could possess draconic, infernal, and celestial 
  Table 3–4: Divine Feats
  Feat 
  Prerequisites 
  Beneﬁ t
  Divine Armor 
  Divine caster level 5th,  
  Expend turn/rebuke attempt to gain DR 5/– 
   
  ability to turn or rebuke undead
  Divine Fortune 
  Divine caster level 5th,  
  Expend turn/rebuke attempt for +4 bonus on next save
   
  ability to turn or rebuke undead
  Divine Justice 
  Ability to turn or rebuke undead 
  Expend turn/rebuke attempt, choose foe, 
   
   
  deal your damage or his
  Divine Ward 
  Ability to turn or rebuke undead 
  Increase range of spells from touch to short for ally
  Profane Aura 
  Divine caster level 9th,  
  Create mist that grants concealment, 
   
  ability to rebuke undead 
  +2 AC for undead
  Sacred Healing 
  Ability to turn undead 
  Expend turn attempt for bonus on healing attempts
     Sacred Purification 
  Sacred Healing, ability to turn undead 
  Expend turn attempt to heal living and harm undead
  Sacred Radiance 
  Divine caster level 9th,  
  Expend turn attempt to create radius of light that 
   
  ability to turn undead 
  soothes allies, hampers undead
  
  90
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  sorcerer heritage feats. In this case, the sorcerer claims a 
  truly varied family tree that includes a variety of strange 
  beings. Sorcerers with both infernal and celestial traits are 
  exceedingly rare, however. These casters are tormented 
  souls, pulled between the polar opposites that lurk within 
  their blood.
   The nine feats described below are heritage feats. Their 
  prerequisites and beneﬁ ts are summarized on Table 3–5.
  CELESTIAL SORCERER AURA
  The power of your sorcerous heritage shines through, allowing 
  you to infuse the area around you with a menacing aura.
  Prerequisites: Celestial Sorcerer Heritage, sorcerer 
  level 1st.
  Benefit: As a standard action, you can expend a spell 
  slot to generate a righteous aura of menace that affects 
  all hostile creatures in a 20-foot radius around you. All 
  your opponents within this area must make a Will save 
  (DC 10 + the level of the spell slot expended + your Cha 
  modifier). On a failed save, a creature takes a –2 penalty 
  on attack rolls, checks, and saves for 24 hours or until it 
  successfully hits you. A creature that resists or breaks this 
  effect cannot be affected by it again for 24 hours. This is a 
  supernatural ability.
  CELESTIAL SORCERER HERITAGE
  Your ancestry manifests in the form of several special abilities. 
  You gain access to abilities similar to those of an archon.
  Prerequisite: Sorcerer level 1st.
   Benefit: You gain a bonus on saves against electricity 
  and petrification equal to the number of celestial sorcerer 
  feats you possess. You also add protection from evil to your 
  list of 1st-level sorcerer spells known. This spell is in 
  addition to the spells you gain normally based on your 
  sorcerer level.
  CELESTIAL SORCERER LANCE
  You can channel your arcane energy into a bolt of power that 
  is baneful to evil creatures.
   Prerequisites: Celestial Sorcerer Heritage, sorcerer 
  level 1st.
   Beneﬁ t: As a standard action, you can expend a spell slot 
  to create a 60-foot line of energy that deals damage only 
  against creatures with an evil alignment. The bolt deals 1d8 
  points of damage per level of the spell slot spent to activate 
  this ability. A Reﬂ ex save (DC 10 + the level of the spell slot 
  expended + your Cha modiﬁ er) halves this damage. This is a 
  supernatural ability.
  CELESTIAL SORCERER LORE
  The power of your ancestry grants you access to a variety of 
  new spells.
  Prerequisites: Celestial Sorcerer Heritage, any two other 
  celestial sorcerer heritage feats, sorcerer level 1st.
  Beneﬁ t: You add magic circle against evil, tongues, and teleport
  to your list of spells known. You gain these spells when you 
  gain access to spells of the appropriate level. These spells are 
  Table 3–5: Heritage Feats
  Feat 
  Prerequisites 
  Beneﬁ t
  Celestial Sorcerer Heritage 
  Sorcerer level 1st 
  Gain bonus spell and a bonus on saves against 
   
   
  electricity and petrification
     Celestial Sorcerer Aura 
  Celestial Sorcerer Heritage, sorcerer level 1st 
  Expend spell slot to create righteous aura
     Celestial Sorcerer Lance 
  Celestial Sorcerer Heritage, sorcerer level 1st 
  Expend spell slot to create energy bolt that 
   
   
  harms evil creatures
     Celestial Sorcerer Wings 
  Celestial Sorcerer Heritage, sorcerer level 1st 
  Expend spell slot to ﬂ y for short period of time
     Celestial Sorcerer Lore 
  Celestial Sorcerer Heritage,  
  Add magic circle against evil, tongues, teleport
   
  any two other celestial sorcerer heritage feats,  to list of spells known
   
  sorcerer level 1st
  Infernal Sorcerer Heritage 
  Sorcerer level 1st 
  Gain bonus against fire and poison, 
   
   
  +2 caster level with conjuration (summoning)
     Infernal Sorcerer Eyes 
  Infernal Sorcerer Heritage, sorcerer level 1st 
  Expend spell slot to see in darkness
     Infernal Sorcerer Howl 
  Infernal Sorcerer Heritage, sorcerer level 1st 
  Expend spell slot to create cone of sonic energy
     Infernal Sorcerer Resistance Infernal Sorcerer Heritage, sorcerer level 1st 
  Gain acid and cold resistance
  A tieﬂ ing sorcerer rends the air with her Infernal Sorcerer Howl
  Illus. by L.Parillo
  
  91
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  in addition to the spells you gain normally based on your 
  sorcerer level.
  CELESTIAL SORCERER WINGS
  You channel your inborn magical abilities to spawn a pair of 
  spectral, magical wings that glow with majestic power.
   Prerequisites: Celestial Sorcerer Heritage, sorcerer 
  level 1st.
   Beneﬁ t: You can expend a spell slot as a standard action to 
  gain the ability to ﬂ y. You ﬂ y at a speed equal to twice your 
  base land speed with good maneuverability. This beneﬁ t lasts 
  for 1 round per level of the spell slot used to activate it. This 
  is a supernatural ability.
  INFERNAL SORCERER EYES
  Your eyes glow with infernal ﬁ re, allowing you to see through 
  magical darkness.
   Prerequisites: Infernal Sorcerer Heritage, sorcerer 
  level 1st.
   Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, you can expend a spell slot to 
  cause your eyes to emit a spectral red glow. You gain the ability 
  to see perfectly in darkness of any kind, out to the limit of 
  your line of sight. You ignore the concealment provided by 
  darkness spells and effects. This beneﬁ t lasts for 10 minutes 
  per level of the spell slot used to activate it.
  INFERNAL SORCERER HERITAGE
  Your innate magic derives from infernal ancestors. Your 
  blood is thick with their power, allowing you to exhibit a 
  variety of abilities.
   Prerequisite: Sorcerer level 1st.
   Beneﬁ t: You gain a bonus on saves against ﬁ re and poison 
  equal to the number of infernal sorcerer heritage feats you 
  possess. When you use a conjuration (summoning) spell 
  to summon an evil outsider, you gain a +2 bonus to your 
  caster level.
  INFERNAL SORCERER HOWL
  You channel the fury of your infernal ancestors into a thun-
  derous roar that blasts your enemies with sonic power.
   Prerequisites: Infernal Sorcerer Heritage, sorcerer 
  level 1st.
   Beneﬁ t: By expending one of your spell slots, you create a 
  30-foot cone of sonic energy. All opponents within the cone 
  take 2d6 points of damage per level of the spell slot expended. 
  Each target can attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the level of 
  the spell slot expended + your Cha modiﬁ er) for half damage. 
  This is a supernatural ability.
  INFERNAL SORCERER RESISTANCE
  You are as tough and resilient as an infernal monstrosity, 
  allowing you to shrug off acid and cold damage.
   Prerequisites: Infernal Sorcerer Heritage, sorcerer 
  level 1st.
   Beneﬁ t: You gain resistance to acid and resistance to cold 
  equal to the total number of infernal sorcerer heritage feats 
  you have.
  METAMAGIC FEATS
  Metamagic feats allow spellcasters to modify the way a spell 
  is cast or the effect a spell has after it is successfully cast. Full 
  information about metamagic feats appears on page 88 of the 
  Player’s Handbook.
   The ﬁ ve feats described below are new metamagic feats. Their 
  prerequisites and beneﬁ ts are summarized on Table 3–6.
  BLISTERING SPELL
  Your ﬁ re spells sear the ﬂ esh from your enemies’ bones, 
  leaving them wracked with pain.
   Benefit: This metamagic feat can be applied only to a 
  spell that has the fire descriptor. A blistering spell deals 
  an extra 2 points of fire damage per level of the spell. In 
  addition to the spell’s normal effect, any creature that fails 
  its save against a blistering spell takes a –2 penalty on attack 
  rolls and checks until the beginning of your next turn. A 
  blistering spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the 
  spell’s actual level.
  EARTHBOUND SPELL
  You bind a spell into the rock and soil, leaving it there until 
  an opponent stumbles across it. At that time, the spell releases 
  its energy.
   Beneﬁ t: When you cast an earthbound spell, you place it 
  within a square adjacent to you. You must specify all effects, 
  options, and other relevant variables when you cast the spell. 
  The next creature to enter the warded square triggers the 
  spell. If the spell affects an area, that square is the center of 
  the area or the point at which the area begins. For a cone, 
  line, or similar area, you must designate the direction in 
  which the cone or line extends. An earthbound spell that 
  does not affect an area targets the creature that triggered it. 
  You cannot apply the Earthbound Spell metamagic feat to a 
  spell with a range of personal.
   An earthbound spell remains in place for 1 hour or until 
  it is triggered. A Search check (DC 25 + the spell’s level) 
  reveals its presence, as does detect magic and similar abilities. A 
  character with trapﬁ nding can make a Disable Device check 
  (DC 25 + the spell’s level) to remove an earthbound spell (as 
  if it is a magic trap). A dispel magic effect can also remove an 
  earthbound spell, thus preventing it from functioning.
   An earthbound spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher 
  than the spell’s actual level.
  FLASH FROST SPELL
  Your spells that use cold and ice to damage your foes leave 
  behind a thin layer of slippery frost.
   Beneﬁ t: This metamagic feat can be applied only to spells 
  that have the cold descriptor and that affect an area. A ﬂ ash 
  frost spell deals an extra 2 points of cold damage per level of 
  the spell to all targets in the area. When you cast such a spell, 
  the area of the spell is covered with a slippery layer of ice for 
  1 round. Anyone attempting to move through this icy area 
  must make a DC 10 Balance check or fall prone. A creature 
  that runs or charges through the area must make a DC 20 
  Balance check to avoid falling. A ﬂ ash frost spell uses up a 
  spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level.
  
  92
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  NEW FEATS
  IMBUED SUMMONING
  Your summoning spells gain an element of surprise. You can 
  summon creatures that come into existence with the beneﬁ t 
  of a spell such as invisibility or bull’s strength.
   Prerequisites: Augment Summoning, Spell Focus 
  (conjuration).
   Beneﬁ t: When you cast a spell from the summoning 
  subschool, you can choose to grant the summoned creature 
  the beneﬁ t of any spell of 3rd level or lower you can cast that 
  has a range of touch. You cast the spell you wish to grant the 
  creature (using a prepared spell or a spell slot) at the same 
  time you cast your summoning spell. The creature gains the 
  beneﬁ t of the spell when it appears.
   An imbued summoning spell uses up a spell slot one level 
  higher than the spell’s actual level.
  SMITING SPELL
  You can channel the energy of a touch spell into a weapon, 
  causing the spell to discharge when you strike an opponent.
   Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1, caster level 1st.
   Benefit: You can alter a spell with a range of touch to 
  transfer its energy from your hand to a weapon that you 
  hold. The next time you strike an opponent with that 
  weapon, the spell discharges. The target takes the normal 
  damage and effects of a successful attack in addition to 
  the spell’s effect. Once you place a spell into a weapon, 
  you must discharge it within 1 minute, or its energy dis-
  sipates harmlessly.
   You can place a smiting spell on a piece of ammunition or a 
  projectile, such as a sling bullet, an arrow, or a crossbow bolt. 
  In such a case, the spell dissipates if the attack misses. The 
  spell cannot be placed on a bow, crossbow, sling, or similar 
  weapon that uses ammunition.
   A smiting spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than 
  the spell’s actual level.
  TACTICAL FEATS
  Tactical feats allow characters to perform a number of power-
  ful maneuvers.
   If you are playing a character who has one or more tactical 
  feats, you are responsible for keeping track of the actions 
  needed to set up the feat’s maneuver. It’s also a good idea 
  to brieﬂ y mention to the DM that you’re working toward a 
  tactical maneuver—a remark along the lines of “I’m using 
  my spiked rebuke maneuver this round. I’ll let you know if I 
  gain my attack bonus against any opponents who attack and 
  miss me” is appropriate.
   Some descriptions of tactical feats refer to the ﬁ rst round, 
  second round, and so on. These terms are related to the timing 
  of the maneuver, not the encounter as a whole. For instance, 
  if you have the Combat Cloak Expert feat, you don’t have to 
  move adjacent to an opponent in the ﬁ rst round of combat 
  to utilize the cloaked strike maneuver during that combat. 
  Any round when you move adjacent to an opponent for the 
  purpose of utilizing this maneuver is considered the ﬁ rst 
  round of the maneuver.
   The six feats described below are tactical feats. Their pre-
  requisites and beneﬁ ts are summarized on Table 3–7.
  BLOOD-SPIKED CHARGER
  You throw yourself into the fray, using your spiked armor 
  and spiked shield to tear your opponents to pieces.
   Prerequisites: Str 13, proﬁ ciency with spiked armor and 
  spiked shields, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (spiked armor), 
  Weapon Focus (spiked shield), base attack bonus +6.
   Beneﬁ t: The Blood-Spiked Charger feat grants you access 
  to three special tactical maneuvers.
   Spiked Avalanche: When you are using the charge action 
  while wearing spiked armor and carrying either a spiked 
  shield or nothing in your hands, you throw yourself into the 
  air, transforming yourself into a deadly, spiked projectile. 
  A successful attack with either your spiked shield or your 
  Table 3–6: Metamagic Feats
  Feat 
  Prerequisites 
  Beneﬁ t
  Blistering Spell 
  — 
  Fire spells cause –2 penalty for 1 turn on failed save
  Earthbound Spell 
  — 
  Cast spell into ground as a trap
  Flash Frost Spell 
  — 
  Cold spells coat area of effect with slippery ice
  Imbued Summoning 
  Augment Summoning,  
  Summoned creature arrives with beneficial spell
   
  Spell Focus (conjuration)
  Smiting Spell 
  Base attack bonus +1, caster level 1st 
  Place touch spell in weapon
  Table 3–7: Tactical Feats
  Feat 
  Prerequisites 
  Beneﬁ t
  Blood-Spiked Charger 
  Str 13, proficiency with armor spikes  
  Gain armor and shield spike maneuvers
   
  and shield spikes, Power Attack, 
   
  Weapon Focus (armor spikes), 
   
  Weapon Focus (shield spikes), 
   
  base attack bonus +6
  Combat Cloak Expert 
  Dex 15, Int 13, Combat Expertise,  
  Gain cloak maneuvers
   
  Dodge, base attack bonus +6
  Combat Panache 
  Bluff 8 ranks, Intimidate 8 ranks,  
  Gain charismatic combat maneuvers
   
  Perform 8 ranks
  Einhander 
  Tumble 6 ranks, base attack bonus +6 
  Gain one-handed weapon combat maneuvers
  Mad Alchemist 
  Grenadier, Craft (alchemy) 6 ranks 
  Gain thrown item combat maneuvers
  Shadow Striker 
  Hide 12 ranks, Move Silently 12 ranks 
  Gain stealthy combat maneuvers
  
  93
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  spiked armor deals extra damage equal to twice your Strength 
  bonus. You can attack with both your spiked armor and a 
  spiked shield on this charge, each one beneﬁ ting from the 
  Strength bonus, but you take the normal penalties for using 
  two weapons.
   Spiked Rebuke: When you are fighting defensively and 
  carrying a spiked shield, you lash out at your foes with your 
  shield in response to their attacks. Determine what your AC 
  would be without your spiked shield and the AC bonus for 
  ﬁ ghting defensively. If an opponent’s attack hits against this 
  lower AC but misses against your actual AC, the foe strikes 
  your shield, allowing you to deﬂ ect his attack in such a way as 
  to leave him vulnerable to your counter. On your next action, 
  you gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls against your chosen foe 
  with your spiked shield.
   Spiked Slam: As a full-round action when you are wielding 
  a spiked shield, you can opt to make only a single attack at 
  your best base attack bonus. You brace yourself behind your 
  spiked shield, drive yourself forward, and slam into your 
  foe. You enter your foe’s space, which provokes attacks of 
  opportunity. In return, your attack deals extra damage equal 
  to twice your Strength and an additional amount based on 
  your size (see below). After making this attack, you stumble 
  back into the square you occupied just before making this 
  attack. Until the start of your next turn, you do not threaten 
  any squares.
  Size 
  Additional Damage
  Small 
  1d4
  Medium 
  1d6
  Large 
  1d8
  Huge 
  2d6
  Gargantuan 
  2d8
  Colossal 
  3d6
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Blood-Spiked Charger as one 
  of his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  COMBAT CLOAK EXPERT
  You are adept at turning your cloak into a vital part of your 
  combat repertoire. By twirling it about you, sweeping it over 
  enemies, and using it to conceal your weapon, you can catch 
  an opponent by surprise.
   Prerequisites: Dex 15, Int 13, Combat Expertise, Dodge, 
  base attack bonus +6.
   Beneﬁ t: The Combat Cloak Expert feat grants you access 
  to three special tactical maneuvers. You must wear a cloak 
  in order to utilize them.
   Cloak Defense: While you are ﬁ ghting defensively, you can 
  use your cloak to confuse your foes. You hold it before your 
  chest like a curtain, making it difﬁ cult for enemies to read 
  your defensive moves. Your cloak grants you a +1 shield bonus 
  to AC. If you use the total defense action, your cloak’s shield 
  bonus improves to +2. (Shield bonuses do not stack, making 
  it likely that this maneuver is a poor option if you already 
  carry a shield.)
   Cloaked Strike: You can use your cloak to hide a light 
  weapon. To utilize this maneuver, on the first round you 
  must move adjacent to an opponent while you do not have 
  a weapon in either hand. On the second round, you make 
  a Bluff check opposed by your foe’s Sense Motive check as 
  you use a move action to draw your weapon. If this check 
  succeeds, your opponent loses either his Dexterity bonus to 
  AC or his shield bonus to AC (your choice) until the end of 
  your current turn.
   Whirling Cloak: You can attempt to use your cloak to 
  confuse your opponent. As a move action after successfully 
  striking an opponent in melee, make a melee touch attack 
  against that foe. If this attack hits, you whirl your cloak 
  around him, temporarily ruining his defenses. Your opponent 
  cannot make attacks of opportunity against a particular ally 
  of your choice until the start of his next turn.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Combat Cloak Expert as one 
  of his ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  COMBAT PANACHE
  Your glowing personality and sharp performance abilities 
  allow you to navigate the battleﬁ eld on sheer chutzpah alone. 
  While others rely on swords and armor, you use your cutting 
  wit and ability to manipulate others.
   Prerequisites: Bluff 8 ranks, Intimidate 8 ranks, Perform 
  8 ranks.
   Beneﬁ t: The Combat Panache feat grants you access to 
  three special tactical maneuvers.
   Fortuitous Tumble: For a brief moment, you appear to let your 
  guard down. As your foe swings at you, you slip out of the way, 
  causing his attack to slam into one of his allies. By positioning 
  yourself correctly and making yourself an appealing target, 
  you dupe your foe into making a critical blunder.
   To use this maneuver, you must be successfully attacked 
  by a foe. On your next turn, you can take a move action to 
  make a Bluff check opposed by his Sense Motive check. If 
  you succeed on the check, you can take an immediate action 
  at the start of your foe’s next turn and designate a different 
  target for your opponent’s next melee attack (which must be 
  a creature it threatens).
   Play Dead: You crumple to the ground as if slain, luring 
  your opponent into a false sense of security. As an immediate 
  action after you are hit for at least 10 points of damage by a 
  single attack, you can attempt to play dead. You drop prone 
  and make a Bluff check opposed by your attacker’s (or any 
  other relevant observer’s) Sense Motive check. If you suc-
  ceed on this check, the observer assumes you are dead. If 
  you subsequently rise and attack him in the same round, he 
  loses any attack of opportunity he might have been entitled 
  to against you, and he loses his Dexterity bonus to AC against 
  the ﬁ rst attack that you make.
   You can use this ability once per encounter. Standing up 
  after playing dead does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
   Sneering Glower: With just the right mix of your intimidat-
  ing presence and your martial talents, you strike such fear 
  into your target that he has difﬁ culty ﬁ ghting you effectively. 
  On your next turn after you deal at least 1 point of damage 
  to your opponent, you can make an Intimidate check against 
  him as a move action. If you succeed on this check, your foe 
  takes a penalty on his attack rolls against you equal to your 
  Charisma bonus. You can gain this beneﬁ t against only one 
  
  94
  CHAPTER 3
  NEW FEATS
  foe at a time; it lasts for the duration of the encounter or 
  until you switch targets. If you designate a new target for 
  this ability (by attempting a new Intimidate check against 
  a different creature), the previous target no longer takes the 
  penalty on his attack rolls against you. Opponents that are 
  immune to the effects of the Intimidate skill, such as mind-
  less creatures and those with immunity to fear, are immune 
  to this maneuver.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Combat Panache as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  EINHANDER
  You excel at wielding a one-handed weapon while carrying 
  nothing in your off hand.
   Prerequisites: Tumble 6 ranks, base attack bonus +6.
   Benefit: If you are fighting with a one-handed weapon 
  or a light weapon and carrying nothing in your off hand, 
  the Einhander feat grants you access to three special tacti-
  cal maneuvers.
   Narrow Proﬁ le: You can tuck your arm behind your back 
  and offer a narrow profile when you concentrate on 
  defense rather than offense. You gain an additional +2 dodge 
  bonus to AC when ﬁ ghting defensively or using the total 
  defense action.
   Off-Hand Balance: You use your off hand to balance yourself 
  while performing acrobatic maneuvers. After you success-
  fully strike an opponent, you gain a +2 bonus on Tumble 
  checks to avoid his attacks of opportunity until the start of 
  your next turn. When you ﬂ ip and roll out of harm’s way, 
  you use one hand to keep your balance and your other hand 
  to keep your weapon trained on your foe.
   Off-Hand Swap: With a ﬂ ourish, you ﬂ ip your weapon into 
  the air, catch it in your off hand, and continue to press the 
  attack. When you use this maneuver, you must ﬁ rst take a 
  full attack action to strike an opponent at least twice. On 
  your next turn, you can make a special feint as a free action, 
  using Sleight of Hand rather than Bluff. Your opponent uses 
  the standard rules for resisting a feint. Once you use this 
  maneuver against a particular opponent, whether it succeeds 
  or fails, you cannot use it against him again.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Einhander as one of his ﬁ ghter 
  bonus feats.
  MAD ALCHEMIST
  You are an expert at using alchemical items. Through 
  experimentation, research, and your careful study of the art 
  of alchemy, you have learned to make the most of items such 
  as alchemist’s ﬁ re.
   Prerequisites: Craft (alchemy) 6 ranks, Grenadier.
   Beneﬁ t: The Mad Alchemist feat grants you access to three 
  special tactical maneuvers.
   Distracting Blast: If you ready an action to throw a thunder-
  stone at the square an opponent occupies, you can disrupt his 
  actions. The sudden bang from the stone’s detonation ruins 
  your foe’s concentration, possibly spoiling his attack or his 
  attempt to cast a spell. If the target of this blast was casting 
  a spell when you threw the thunderstone, he must make a 
  Concentration check opposed by your Craft (alchemy) check. 
  If you succeed on this check, his spell is ruined. If the target 
  was not casting a spell, he must make a Will save opposed by 
  your Craft (alchemy) check or take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, 
  checks, and saves until the beginning of your next turn.
   Fiery Blaze: To use this maneuver, you must ﬁ rst strike a 
  creature with a container of lantern oil or alchemist’s ﬁ re. 
  On your next turn, you must strike the creature with a spell 
  or weapon attack that deals ﬁ re damage. If you do so, the 
  creature takes an extra 1d6 points of ﬁ re damage and catches 
  on ﬁ re if it is not already in ﬂ ames.
   Tanglefoot Defense: By tearing open a tanglefoot bag and 
  spreading its contents across an area, you can create a vexing 
  barrier that hinders an opponent’s approach. As a standard 
  action, you can transform a single square of clear terrain into 
  difﬁ cult terrain through the use of a tanglefoot bag. This 
  effect persists for 10 minutes before the tanglefoot bag loses 
  its potency.
  SHADOW STRIKER
  You melt into the shadows, hiding from your enemies until 
  the time is right. Your cunning, guile, and stealth allow you 
  to pick the most opportune moment to strike.
   Prerequisites: Hide 12 ranks, Move Silently 12 ranks.
   Beneﬁ t: The Shadow Striker feat grants you access to three 
  special tactical maneuvers.
   Evade Notice: If both you and an ally threaten an opponent, 
  you can attempt to slip beneath your opponent’s notice. On 
  your turn, if you take no hostile actions, such as attacking, 
  casting an offensive spell, and so forth, you can make a Hide 
  check opposed by the threatened foe’s Spot check. If you 
  succeed on this check, your foe cannot attack you on his next 
  turn as long as he threatens another active opponent. If you 
  attack your foe for any reason before or during his next turn, 
  you lose this maneuver’s beneﬁ t.
   Fade Away: To use this maneuver, you must ﬁ rst attack an 
  opponent as a standard action, then move away and attempt 
  a Hide check as part of your move action for the turn. If your 
  attack hits, it creates a momentary diversion, granting you a 
  +5 bonus on this Hide check.
   Ghost Strike: You use an ally’s distraction and your talent to 
  move noiselessly and slip out of your opponent’s ﬁ eld of vision 
  for a single, crucial moment. To use this maneuver, both you 
  and an ally must threaten a single foe. As a standard action, 
  you make a Move Silently check opposed by your foe’s Listen 
  check. If you succeed on this check, you gain this maneuver’s 
  beneﬁ t. On the next round, your target loses his Dexterity 
  bonus to AC against your ﬁ rst attack of the round so long as 
  your ally still threatens him.
   Special: A ﬁ ghter can select Shadow Striker as one of his 
  ﬁ ghter bonus feats.
  
  his chapter presents new tools and weapons for 
  spellcasters of all types. The spells range in power 
  and utility, from a handful of direct- and indirect-
  damage spells to spells that move the caster and his 
  allies or enemies across the battleﬁ eld and those 
  that allow the caster to act on borrowed time. 
  Some spells call or summon new allies for the spellcaster. 
  Channeled spells are a new type of spell that have a greater 
  effect the longer you spend casting. Other spells, such as 
  the various crown spells, have an ongoing effect that can be 
  discharged for a more powerful result.
   The chapter begins with the spell lists for the spellcasting 
  classes, including the new classes in Chapter 1 of this book. 
  An M or F appearing at the end of a spell’s name denotes a 
  spell with a material or focus component, respectively, that 
  is not normally included in a spell component pouch. An X 
  denotes a spell with an XP component paid by the caster.
   After the spell lists, the new spells appear in alphabetical 
  order by spell name (with the exception of those whose 
  names begin with “greater,” “mass,” or “swift”; see Order of 
  Presentation, PH 181). For explanation of spell terminology, 
  see Chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook.
  DUAL-SCHOOL SPELLS
  Dual-school spells, featured in this book for the ﬁ rst time, 
  have effects that encompass two distinct schools of magic. In 
  all cases, treat these spells as if they belonged to both schools 
  simultaneously. Effects that prevent a spellcaster from 
  accessing one school of a dual-school spell prevent all access 
  to that spell. For example, a specialist wizard cannot learn 
  a dual-school spell if either of the spell’s schools is one of 
  his prohibited schools. Beneﬁ ts that apply to a school of 
  magic do not stack with themselves even if the spellcaster 
  can apply them to both schools of magic. For example, 
  if a spellcaster has the Spell Focus feat for either school, 
  it applies to the dual-school spell normally. However, 
  spellcasters who have taken the Spell Focus feat for both 
  of a dual-school spell’s associated schools only increase 
  the DC of the dual-school spell by +1.
  THE POLYMORPH SUBSCHOOL
  Another feature new in Player’s Handbook II is the poly-
  morph subschool, deﬁ ned and explained below.
   A spell of the polymorph subschool changes the 
  target’s form from one shape to another. Unless stated 
  otherwise in the spell’s description, the target of a 
  polymorph spell takes on all the statistics and special 
  abilities of an average member of the new form in 
  place of its own except as follows: 
  • The target retains its own alignment (and personal-
  ity, within the limits of the new form’s ability scores).
  • The target retains its own hit points. 
  • The target is treated has having its normal Hit Dice 
  for purpose of adjudicating effects based on HD, 
  95
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  
  96
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  such as the sleep spell, though it uses the new form’s base 
  attack bonus, base save bonuses, and all other statistics 
  derived from Hit Dice.
  • The target retains the ability to understand the languages 
  it understands in its normal form. If the new form is 
  normally capable of speech, the target retains the ability 
  to speak these languages as well. It can write in the lan-
  guages it understands, but only if the new form is capable 
  of writing in some manner (even a primitive manner, such 
  as drawing in the dirt with a paw).
  In all other ways, the target’s normal game statistics are 
  effectively replaced by those of the new form. The target loses 
  all of the special abilities it has in its normal form, including 
  its class features (even if the new form would normally be 
  able to use these class features). 
   If the new form’s size is different from the target’s normal 
  size, its new space must share as much of the original form’s 
  space as possible, squeezing into the available space (see PH 
  148) if necessary. If insufﬁ cient space exists for the new form, 
  the spell fails.
   Any gear worn or carried by the target melds into the new 
  form and becomes nonfunctional. When the target reverts 
  to its true form, any objects previously melded into the new 
  form reappear in the same location on its body they previously 
  occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn 
  in the assumed form fall off and land at the target’s feet. 
   The spellcaster can freely designate the new form’s minor 
  physical qualities (such as hair color and skin color) within 
  the normal ranges for a creature of that kind. The new form’s 
  signiﬁ cant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and 
  gender) are also under the spellcaster’s control, but they must 
  fall within the norms for the new form’s kind. The target of 
  a polymorph spell is effectively camouﬂ aged as a creature of 
  its new form, and gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it 
  uses this ability to create a disguise. 
   If the target of a polymorph spell is slain or rendered uncon-
  scious, the spell ends. Any part of the body that is separated 
  from the whole remains polymorphed until the effect ends.
   Incorporeal or gaseous creatures are immune to polymorph 
  spells, as are creatures of the plant type. A creature with the 
  shapechanger subtype (such as a lycanthrope or doppelganger) 
  can revert to its natural form as a standard action.
  Spells That Have Come Before
  For the purpose of adjudicating effects that apply to poly-
  morph spells, any spell whose effect is based on either alter 
  self or polymorph should be considered to have the polymorph 
  subschool. However, note that the spells’ existing rules text 
  takes priority over that of the subschool. Alter self, for instance, 
  does not change the target’s ability scores (unlike normal for 
  spells of the polymorph subschool). 
  ASSASSIN SPELLS
  1st-Level Assassin Spell
  Blade of Blood: Weapon deals +1d6 damage, or +3d6 if you 
  take 5 points of damage.
  2nd-Level Assassin Spell
  Increase Virulence: Poison’s DC increases by 2.
  BARD SPELLS
  1st-Level Bard Spells
  Share Talents: Subjects gain +2 bonus on skill checks.
  Stay the Hand: Change subject creature’s attitude to helpful 
  for 1 round.
  2nd-Level Bard Spells
  Blade Brothers: Use higher saving throw result between 
  two creatures, but both suffer effects if the saves fail.
  Celerity, Lesser: Take a move action immediately, but be 
  dazed for a round.
  Crown of Veils: Gain +2 to Disguise and Hide, discharge 
  to gain +8.
  Increase Virulence: Poison’s DC increases by 2.
  Insight of Good FortuneM: Subject rolls twice, takes best 
  result.
  Master’s Touch: Subject gains immediate +4 bonus on a 
  skill check.
  Ray of the Python: Creature can only attack once per round, 
  cannot make attacks of opportunity,–10 ft. penalty to speed.
  Stretch Weapon: Melee weapon gains 5 ft. of reach for one 
  attack.
  Vertigo: Subject creature must succeed on a DC 10 Balance 
  check to move each round.
  3rd-Level Bard Spells
  Alter FortuneX: Cause one creature to reroll any die roll.
  Halt: Subject’s feet become stuck to ground.
  Hesitate: Force subject to lose actions.
  Phantom Battle: Illusion of battle ﬂ anks creatures and 
  denies attacks of opportunity.
  Sonic Shield: +4 deﬂ ection bonus to AC; 1d8 sonic damage 
  and push back creatures that hit you in melee.
  4th-Level Bard Spells
  Baleful Blink: Subject has 50% chance of failure on attacks 
  and spells.
  Celerity: Take a standard action immediately, but be dazed 
  for a round.
  Healing Spirit: Ball of light heals 1d8/round.
  Mirror Image, Greater: As mirror image, but gain an addi-
  tional image each round.
  Thunder Field: Creatures in area take 1d8 sonic damage/
  round, knocked prone.
  5th-Level Bard Spells
  Dance of Blades: A weapon attacks on its own.
  Friend to Foe: Make subject creature believe its allies are 
  its enemies.
  Incite Riot: Subjects attack nearest creature.
  Magic Convalescence: Spells cast nearby heal you 1 
  hp/spell level.
  Renewed Vigor: Remove fatigue and +2 bonus to Constitu-
  tion for 1 round/level.
  
  97
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  BEGUILER SPELLS
  1st-Level Beguiler Spells
  Rouse: Awakens creatures in area.
  Whelm: Deal 1d6 nonlethal damage +1d6/2 levels above 
  1st (max 5d6).
  2nd-Level Beguiler Spells
  Blinding Color Surge: Blind subject for 1 round, gain 
  invisibility.
  Stay the Hand: Change subject creature’s attitude to helpful 
  for 1 round.
  Vertigo: Subject creature must succeed on a DC 10 Balance 
  check to move each round.
  Whelming Blast: 15-foot cone deals 1d6 nonlethal damage/2 
  levels (max 5d6).
  3rd-Level Beguiler Spells
  Crown of Veils: Gain +2 to Disguise and Hide, discharge 
  to gain +8.
  Halt: Subject’s feet become stuck to ground.
  Hesitate: Force subject to lose actions.
  Inevitable Defeat: Subject takes 3d6 nonlethal damage/
  round.
  Legion of Sentinels: Ghostly swordsmen threaten a 10-foot 
  radius, deal 1d8 damage +1/3 levels (max +5).
  Vertigo Field: Creatures have 20% miss chance and possibly 
  become nauseated.
  4th-Level Beguiler Spells
  Mirror Image, Greater: As mirror image, but gain an addi-
  tional image each round.
  Phantom Battle: Illusion of battle flanks creatures and 
  denies attacks of opportunity.
  Whelm, Mass: 1d6 nonlethal damage/level (max 10d6) to 
  1 creature/level.
  5th-Level Beguiler Spells
  Etherealness, Swift: Subject momentarily becomes 
  ethereal.
  Friend to Foe: Make subject creature believe its allies are 
  its enemies.
  Incite Riot: Subjects attack nearest creature.
  6th-Level Beguiler Spell
  Overwhelm: Nonlethal damage knocks out subject.
  BLACKGUARD SPELLS
  1st-Level Blackguard Spell
  Blade of Blood: Weapon deals +1d6 damage, or +3d6 if you 
  take 5 points of damage.
  2nd-Level Blackguard Spell
  Increase Virulence: Poison’s DC increases by 2.
  CLERIC SPELLS
  1st-Level Cleric Spells
  Blade of Blood: Weapon deals +1d6 damage, or +3d6 if you 
  take 5 points of damage.
  Invest Light Protection: Heal 1d4 damage + 1/2 levels, 
  grant DR 1/evil.
  2nd-Level Cleric Spells
  Animalistic Power: Subject gains +2 bonus to Str, Dex, 
  and Con.
  Black Karma Curse: Subject damages self with melee 
  attack.
  Blade Brothers: Use higher saving throw result between 
  two creatures, but both suffer effects if the saves fail.
  Cloud of Knives: Release one knife/round, 1d6 damage 
  +1/3 levels (max +5).
  Insight of Good FortuneM: Subject rolls twice, takes best 
  result.
  Mark of Judgment: Creatures that attack subject heal 2 
  points of damage each successful hit.
  Master’s Touch: Subject gains immediate +4 bonus on a 
  skill check.
  Share Talents: Subjects gain +2 bonus on skill checks.
  Stay the Hand: Change subject creature’s attitude to helpful 
  for 1 round.
  Stretch Weapon: Melee weapon gains 5 ft. of reach for one 
  attack.
  3rd-Level Cleric Spells
  Alter FortuneX: Cause one creature to reroll any die roll.
  Channeled Divine Shield: Gain DR, amount based on 
  casting time.
  Crown of the Grave: Command undead, discharge to gain 
  +4 on turn or rebuke.
  Crown of Might: Gain +2 Strength, discharge to gain +8 
  bonus for 1 round.
  Crown of Protection: +1 deﬂ ection bonus to AC, +1 resis-
  tance bonus on saves; discharge to gain +4 for 1 round.
  Crown of SmitingF: +2 damage bonus, discharge to gain +8 
  damage on single attack.
  Curse of Arrow Attraction: Subject takes –5 penalty to AC 
  against ranged attacks.
  Divine Retaliation: Weapon appears and strikes those 
  who attack you.
  Energy Aegis: Subject gains resistance 20 against one energy 
  type for one attack.
  Energy Vulnerability: Subjects gain vulnerability to the 
  speciﬁ ed energy.
  Hesitate: Force subject to lose actions.
  Invest Moderate Protection: Heal 3d4 damage + 1/2 levels, 
  grant DR 3/evil.
  Mark of Doom: Subject takes 1d6 damage for each hostile 
  action.
  4th-Level Cleric Spells
  Bleakness: 1d6 damage/round to living creatures, grants 
  undead turn resistance and fast healing.
  
  98
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  Blessing of the Righteous: Weapons deal +1d6 holy damage 
  and become good-aligned.
  Channeled Divine Health: Heal a creature, amount and 
  range based on casting time.
  Healing Spirit: Ball of light heals 1d8/round.
  Mystic Aegis: You gain SR 12 + caster level against one 
  spell.
  Stiﬂ e Spell: Subject must concentrate or botch spell.
  5th-Level Cleric Spells
  Condemnation: Lowers subject outsider’s SR and stuns 
  for 1 round.
  Etherealness, Swift: Subject momentarily becomes 
  ethereal.
  Invest Heavy Protection: Heal 5d4 damage + 1/2 levels, 
  grant DR 5/evil.
  Magic Convalescence: Spells cast nearby heal you 1 
  hp/spell level.
  Mana Flux: Magic in area has 20% failure chance.
  Meteoric Strike: Melee attack deals an extra 1d6 damage + 
  1d6/4 levels; adjacent creatures take half damage.
  Radiance: Creates daylight that dazzles undead.
  Renewed Vigor: Remove fatigue and +2 bonus to Constitu-
  tion for 1 round/level.
  6th-Level Cleric Spell
  Chasing PerfectionM: Subject gains +4 to all abilities.
  7th-Level Cleric Spells
  Animalistic Power, Mass: As animalistic power, but multiple 
  subjects.
  Plague: One creature/level contracts quickly terminal 
  disease.
  Pulse of Hate: Nearby enemies take 2d6 damage/round.
  Righteous BurstM: Allies healed, enemies damaged 1d8 
  damage +1/level (max +35).
  8th-Level Cleric Spells
  Chain Dispel: Dispel multiple magical effects in multiple 
  creatures.
  Visions of the Future: +2 sacred bonus on saves, +2 dodge 
  bonus to AC; discharge spell to gain bonus equal to half 
  caster level.
  9th-Level Cleric Spell
  Summon Golem: Summon a clay, ﬂ esh, iron, or stone golem 
  from a small amount of like material.
  DRUID SPELLS
  2nd-Level Druid Spells
  Animalistic Power: Subject gains +2 bonus to Str, Dex, 
  and Con.
  Drifts of the Shalm: Create difﬁ cult terrain made of snow, 
  leaves, or ash.
  Linked Perception: Allies gain +2 bonus/ally in spell area 
  on Listen and Spot checks.
  3rd-Level Druid Spells
  Alter FortuneX: Cause one creature to reroll any die roll.
  Crown of Clarity: +2 to Listen and Spot, discharge spell 
  to gain +8.
  Evard’s Menacing Tentacles: Grow two tentacles with 10-ft. 
  reach that deal 1d8 damage each.
  4th-Level Druid Spells
  Call of Stone: Slowly turn subject to stone.
  Healing Spirit: Ball of light heals 1d8/round.
  Meteoric Strike: Melee attack deals an extra 1d6 damage + 
  1d6/4 levels; adjacent creatures take half damage.
  Renewed Vigor: Remove fatigue and +2 bonus to Constitu-
  tion for 1 round/level.
  5th-Level Druid Spells
  Blood Creepers: Vines deal 1/level damage for multiple 
  rounds and entangle one creature.
  Longstrider. Mass: Allies within 60 ft. gain +10 ft. bonus 
  to speed.
  Magic Convalescence: Spells cast nearby heal you 1 
  hp/spell level.
  Radiance: Creates daylight that dazzles undead.
  6th-Level Druid Spells
  Bones of the Earth: Create pillars of stone.
  Chasing PerfectionM: Subject gains +4 to all abilities.
  Thunder Field: Creatures in area take 1d8 sonic damage/
  round, knocked prone.
  7th-Level Druid Spells
  Animalistic Power, Mass: As animalistic power, but multiple 
  subjects.
  As the Frost: Transform into a creature of cold.
  Plague: One creature/level contracts quickly terminal 
  disease.
  Wrack Earth: Deals 1d6 damage/level (max 15d6) to crea-
  tures in a line and creates a wall of rubble.
  DUSKBLADE SPELLS
  1st-Level Duskblade Spells
  Bigby’s Tripping Hand: Hand trips subject.
  Blade of Blood: Weapon deals +1d6 damage, or +3d6 if you 
  take 5 points of damage.
  Deﬂ ect, Lesser: Gain a deﬂ ection bonus of +1/3 levels (max 
  +5) against one attack.
  Kelgore’s Fire Bolt: 1d6 fire damage/level (max 5d6), 
  partially ignore SR.
  Rouse: Awakens creatures in area.
  Stand: Subject stands up from prone.
  2nd-Level Duskblade Spells
  Animalistic Power: Subject gains +2 bonus to Str, Dex, 
  and Con.
  Bigby’s Striking Fist: Hand deals 1d6 nonlethal damage/2 
  levels (max 5d6) and knocks subject back.
  Deﬂ ect: Gain bonus to AC for one attack.
  
  99
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  Dimension Hop: Teleport subject short distance.
  Seeking Ray: Ray deals 4d6 electricity damage, ignores 
  concealment and cover; you gain +4 on attacks with rays 
  against the subject.
  Stretch Weapon: Melee weapon gains 5 ft. of reach for one 
  attack.
  Sure Strike: Gain +1 bonus/3 levels on next attack.
  3rd-Level Duskblade Spells
  Crown of Might: Gain +2 Strength, discharge to gain +8 
  bonus for 1 round.
  Crown of Protection: +1 deﬂ ection bonus to AC, +1 resis-
  tance bonus on saves; discharge to gain +4 for 1 round.
  Dispelling Touch: Dispel one magical effect on touched 
  subject.
  Doom Scarabs: Scarab swarm deals 1d6/2 levels, gives you 
  temporary hit points.
  Energy Aegis: Subject gains resistance 20 against one energy 
  type for one attack.
  Energy Surge: As lesser energy surge, but 2d6 damage.
  Halt: Subject’s feet become stuck to ground.
  Regroup: Teleports nearby allies to your side.
  4th-Level Duskblade Spells
  Channeled Pyroburst: Deal ﬁ re damage, amount and radius 
  based on casting time.
  Toxic Weapon: Coats weapon with poison.
  5th-Level Duskblade Spells
  Slashing Dispel: As dispel magic, but creatures take damage 
  for spells dispelled.
  Sonic Shield: +4 deﬂ ection bonus to AC; 1d8 sonic damage 
  and push back creatures that hit you in melee.
  PALADIN SPELLS
  2nd-Level Paladin Spells
  Crown of SmitingF: +2 damage bonus, discharge to gain +8 
  damage on single attack.
  Mark of Doom: Subject takes 1d6 damage for each hostile 
  action.
  3rd-Level Paladin Spell
  Healing Spirit: Ball of light heals 1d8/round.
  4th-Level Paladin Spells
  Blessing of the Righteous: Weapons deal +1d6 holy damage 
  and become good-aligned.
  Divine Retaliation: Weapon appears and strikes those 
  who attack you.
  Meteoric Strike: Melee attack deals an extra 1d6 damage + 
  1d6/4 levels; adjacent creatures take half damage.
  RANGER SPELLS
  1st-Level Ranger Spell
  Linked Perception: Allies gain +2 bonus/ally in spell area 
  on Listen and Spot checks.
  2nd-Level Ranger Spells
  Animalistic Power: Subject gains +2 bonus to Str, Dex, 
  and Con.
  Crown of Clarity: +2 to Listen and Spot, discharge spell 
  to gain +8.
  Curse of Arrow Attraction: Subject takes –5 penalty to AC 
  against ranged attacks.
  Hunter’s Eye: Gain +1d6 sneak attack damage/3 caster levels 
  for 1 round.
  Share Talents: Subjects gain +2 bonus on skill checks.
  4th-Level Ranger Spell
  Longstrider. Mass: Allies within 60 ft. gain +10 ft. bonus 
  to speed.
  SORCERER/WIZARD SPELLS
  1st-Level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
  Abjur Deﬂ ect, Lesser: Gain a deﬂ ection bonus of +1/3 
  levels (max +5) against one attack.
  Conj 
  Stand: Subject stands up from prone.
   
  Kelgore’s Fire Bolt: 1d6 ﬁ re damage/level (max 5d6), 
  partially ignore SR.
  Ench Rouse: Awakens creatures in area.
   
  Whelm: Deal 1d6 nonlethal damage +1d6/2 levels 
  above 1st (max 5d6).
  Evoc 
  Bigby’s Tripping Hand: Hand trips subject.
   
  Kelgore’s Fire Bolt: 1d6 ﬁ re damage/level (max 5d6), 
  partially ignore SR.
  Necro Blade of Blood: Weapon deals +1d6 damage, or +3d6 
  if you take 5 points of damage.
  Trans Burning Rage: Subject takes 4 points of damage/
  round, gains attack bonus and DR.
  2nd-Level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
  Abjur Deﬂ ect: Gain bonus to AC for one attack.
   
  Dispelling Touch: Dispel one magical effect on 
  touched subject.
  Conj 
  Cloud of Knives: Release one knife/round, 1d6 
  damage +1/3 levels (max +5).
   
  Dimension Hop: Teleport subject short distance.
   
  Kelgore’s Grave Mist: 1d6 cold damage/level, cause 
  fatigue, partially ignore SR.
  Div 
  Insight of Good FortuneM: Subject rolls twice, 
  takes best result.
   
  Master’s Touch: Subject gains immediate +4 bonus 
  on a skill check.
   
  Sure Strike: Gain +1 bonus/3 levels on next attack.
  Ench Black Karma Curse: Subject damages self with 
  melee attack.
   
  Stay the Hand: Change subject creature’s attitude 
  to helpful for 1 round.
   
  Whelming Blast: 15-foot cone deals 1d6 nonlethal 
  damage/2 levels (max 5d6).
  Evoc 
  Bigby’s Striking Fist: Hand deals 1d6 nonlethal 
  damage/2 levels (max 5d6) and knocks subject back.
   
  Bigby’s Warding Hand: Hand of force slows 
  opponent.
  
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
   
  Electric Vengeance: 2d8 damage +1/level (max +10) 
  to opponent who damages you in melee.
   
  Seeking Ray: Ray deals 4d6 electricity damage, 
  ignores concealment and cover; you gain +4 on 
  attacks with rays against the subject.
  Illus 
  Blinding Color Surge: Blind subject for 1 round, 
  gain invisibility.
   
  Vertigo: Subject creature must succeed on a DC 10 
  Balance check to move each round.
  Necro Kelgore’s Grave Mist: 1d6 cold damage/level, cause 
  fatigue, partially ignore SR.
  Trans Animalistic Power: Subject gains +2 bonus to Str, 
  Dex, and Con.
   
  Celerity, Lesser: Take a move action immediately, 
  but be dazed for 1 round.
   
  Energy Surge, Lesser: One attack deals an extra 1d6 
  energy damage.
   
  Increase Virulence: Poison’s DC increases by 2.
   
  Share Talents: Subjects gain +2 bonus on skill 
  checks.
   
  Stretch Weapon: Melee weapon gains 5 ft. of reach 
  for one attack.
  3rd-Level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
  Abjur Energy Aegis: Subject gains resistance 20 against 
  one energy type for one attack.
   
  Energy Vulnerability: Subjects gain vulnerability 
  to the speciﬁ ed energy.
  Conj 
  Dimension Step: Allies can immediately teleport 
  a distance equal to their speed.
   
  Luminous Assassin, Lesser: Summons an assassin 
  to attack the subject.
   
  Melf’s Unicorn ArrowF: 1d8+8 damage and bull 
  rush; +1 unicorn arrow/3 levels beyond 5th.
   
  Regroup: Teleports nearby allies to your side.
   
  Scattering Trap: Imbue one 5-ft. square/2 levels 
  with teleport trap.
  Div 
  Alter FortuneX: Cause one creature to reroll any 
  die roll.
   
  Crown of Clarity: +2 to Listen and Spot, discharge 
  spell to gain +8.
  Ench Hesitate: Force subject to lose actions.
   
  Inevitable Defeat: Subject takes 3d6 nonlethal 
  damage/round.
  Evoc 
  Bigby’s Disrupting Hand: Hand disrupts oppo-
  nent’s spellcasting.
   
  Prismatic Mist: Multicolored mist has random 
  effect.
   
  Ray of the Python: Creature can only attack once 
  per round, cannot make attacks of opportunity,–10 
  ft. penalty to speed.
  Illus 
  Legion of Sentinels: Ghostly swordsmen threaten 
  a 10-foot radius, deal 1d8 damage +1/3 levels (max 
  +5).
   
  Vertigo Field: Creatures have 20% miss chance and 
  possibly become nauseated.
  Necro Crown of the Grave: Command undead, discharge 
  to gain +4 on turn or rebuke.
  Trans Crown of Might: Gain +2 Strength, discharge to 
  gain +8 bonus for 1 round.
   
  Crown of Protection: +1 deﬂ ection bonus to AC, 
  +1 resistance bonus on saves; discharge to gain +4 
  for 1 round.
   
  Curse of Arrow Attraction: Subject takes –5 penalty 
  to AC against ranged attacks.
   
  Energy Surge: As lesser energy surge, but 2d6 damage.
   
  Evard’s Menacing Tentacles: Grow two tentacles 
  with 10-ft. reach that deal 1d8 damage each.
   
  Halt: Subject’s feet become stuck to ground.
  4th-Level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
  Abjur Condemnation: Lowers subject outsider’s SR and 
  stuns for 1 round.
   
  Slashing Dispel: As dispel magic, but creatures take 
  damage for spells dispelled.
   
  Stifle Spell: Subject must concentrate or botch 
  spell.
  Conj 
  Bright Worms: Fiery worms damage enemies within 
  20-ft. spread.
   
  Doom Scarabs: Scarab swarm deals 1d6/2 levels, 
  gives you temporary hit points.
   
  Explosive Rune FieldM: Area is covered with runes 
  that explode on contact with creatures.
  Ench Whelm, Mass: 1d6 nonlethal damage/level (max 
  10d6) to 1 creature/level.
  Evoc 
  Bleakness: 1d6 damage/round to living creatures, 
  grants undead turn resistance and fast healing.
   
  Channeled Pyroburst: Deal ﬁ re damage, amount 
  and radius based on casting time.
   
  Crushing Grip: Subject takes –2 on attacks, checks, 
  saves, and AC and –20 ft. penalty to speed, might be 
  paralyzed.
   
  Slashing Dispel: As dispel magic, but creatures take 
  damage for spells dispelled.
  Illus 
  Crown of Veils: Gain +2 to Disguise and Hide, 
  discharge to gain +8.
   
  Mirror Image, Greater: As mirror image, but gain 
  an additional image each round.
   
  Phantom Battle: Illusion of battle ﬂ anks creatures 
  and denies attacks of opportunity.
  Necro Doom Scarabs: Scarab swarm deals 1d6/2 levels, 
  gives you temporary hit points.
  Trans Baleful Blink: Subject has 50% chance of failure on 
  attacks and spells.
   
  Call of Stone: Slowly turn subject to stone.
   
  Celerity: Take a standard action immediately, but be 
  dazed for a round.
   
  Trollshape: You take on the form and abilities of 
  a troll.
  Univ Mystic Surge: Ally’s spell gains +2 DC and +1 caster 
  level.
  5th-Level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
  Abjur Field of Resistance: Zone provides SR 11 + caster 
  level.
   
  Mana Flux: Magic in area has 20% failure chance.
  100
  
  101
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  Alter Fortune
  Divination
  Level: Bard 3, cleric 3, druid 3, sorcerer/
  wizard 3
  Components: V, X
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  With a single utterance, you create a momen-
  tary distortion that engulfs and confounds 
  your foe.
  You change the ﬂ ow of chance, causing 
  the subject to immediately reroll any 
  die roll it just made. It must abide by 
  the second roll.
   XP Cost: 200 XP.
  Animalistic Power
  Transmutation
  Level: Cleric 2, druid 2, duskblade 2, 
  ranger 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 minute/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  A sparkling nimbus of green light 
  appears around the creature. As the light 
  fades, the creature seems a shade larger 
  and assumes a more animalistic, even 
  feral countenance.
  You imbue the subject with an aspect 
  of the natural world. The subject gains 
  a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength, 
  Dexterity, and Constitution.
   Material Component: A bit of animal 
  fur, feathers, or skin.
  Animalistic Power, Mass
  Transmutation
  Level: Cleric 7, druid 7, sorcerer/
  wizard 7
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Targets: One creature/level, no two of 
  which are more than 30 ft. apart
  This spell functions like animalistic 
  power, except that it affects multiple 
  creature.
  As the Frost
  Transmutation [Cold]
  Level: Druid 7, sorcerer/wizard 7
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: 1 round/level
  With a crystalline tinkling, your body 
  transforms into a ﬁ gure of ice and cold, 
  your equipment melding into your new 
  form. Your skin becomes brilliant blue 
  and transparent, with glimpses of liquid 
  beneath. Frost forms across your hands 
  and arms, dripping down to form knife-
  like icicles. Your breath hisses white in the 
  bitterly cold air surrounding you. Snow 
  swirls about you as your presence freezes 
  the air’s moisture. Ice crystals spread from 
  your footprints.
  Your creature type changes to out-
  sider. Unlike other outsiders, you 
  can be brought back to life if you die 
  in this form.
   You gain the following qualities and 
  abilities:
  • Immunity to cold.
  • Damage reduction 10/magic and 
  piercing.
  • At the beginning of your action, crea-
  tures within 15 feet of you take 2d6 
  points of cold damage per round. A 
  creature that takes damage from this 
  effect must make a Fortitude save 
  (DC 17 + your key ability modiﬁ er) 
  Conj 
  Dimension Shufﬂ e: Teleport multiple creatures 
  short distances within line of sight.
   
  Luminous Assassin: As lesser luminous assassin, but 
  the assassin is more powerful.
   
  Toxic Weapon: Coats weapon with poison.
  Ench Incite Riot: Subjects attack nearest creature.
  Evoc 
  Electric Vengeance, Greater: As electric vengeance, but 
  5d8 damage +1/level (max +15) and daze subject.
   
  Radiance: Creates daylight that dazzles undead.
   
  Sonic Shield: +4 deﬂ ection bonus to AC; 1d8 sonic 
  damage and push back creatures that hit you in melee.
  Illus 
  Friend to Foe: Make subject creature believe its 
  allies are its enemies.
  Trans Dance of Blades: A weapon attacks on its own.
   
  Etherealness, Swift: Subject momentarily becomes 
  ethereal.
  6th-Level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
  Ench Overwhelm: Nonlethal damage knocks out subject.
  Evoc 
  Thunder Field: Creatures in area take 1d8 sonic 
  damage/round, knocked prone.
  Trans Chasing PerfectionM: Subject gains +4 to all abilities.
   
  Energy Surge, Greater: As energy surge, but 3d6 
  damage.
  7th-Level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
  Conj 
  Luminous Assassin, Greater: As luminous assassin, 
  but the assassin is more powerful.
  Necro Pulse of Hate: Nearby enemies take 2d6 damage/
  round.
  Trans Animalistic Power, Mass: As animalistic power, but 
  multiple subjects.
   
  As the Frost: Transform into a creature of cold.
  8th-Level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
  Abjur Chain Dispel: Dispel multiple magical effects in 
  multiple creatures.
  Necro Plague: One creature/level contracts quickly termi-
  nal disease.
  Trans Celerity, Greater: Take a full-round action immedi-
  ately, but be dazed for a round.
  9th-Level Sorcerer/Wizard Spells
  Conj 
  Summon Golem: Summon a clay, ﬂ esh, iron, or 
  stone golem from a small amount of like material.
  Evoc 
  Detonate: Slays subject and creates 20-ft.-radius 
  explosion that deals 1d6 damage/level (max 20d6).
  Trans Dragonshape: You take on the form and abilities of 
  a Huge red dragon.
  
  102
  CHAPTER 4
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  or be slowed, as the slow 
  spell, for the remaining 
  duration of as the frost.
  Spell resistance applies 
  to this effect.
  Material Component: A chunk 
  of ice or crystal.
  Baleful Blink
  Transmutation
  Level: Bard 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 standard 
  action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 
  levels)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Fortitude 
  negates
  Spell Resistance: No
  You cause the creature to wink in and out of 
  existence erratically, much to its chagrin.
  You curse one creature to a frustrating 
  existence on the edge of the Ethereal 
  Plane. The subject shimmers between 
  the Ethereal Plane and the Material 
  Plane, has a 50% miss chance on any 
  melee or ranged attacks (as if the target 
  of the attack had total concealment), 
  and there is a 50% chance that any spell 
  she casts does not have an effect on the 
  desired plane while she blinks between 
  the planes.
   Because the magic of the spell only 
  causes the subject to blink when 
  attacking or casting, attackers have 
  no miss chance against her, and spells 
  cast against her affect her normally. 
  Because the blinking is so rapid, she 
  cannot attempt to blink through walls 
  or move in the Ethereal Plane.
   The subject of a baleful blink spell can 
  cast spells on itself with impunity; in 
  this case, it has no miss chance because 
  the target of its spell (itself) travels 
  along with the spell. The subject can 
  also target creatures on the Ethereal 
  Plane, but still has a 50% chance of 
  failure on attacks and spells. Spells 
  with the force descriptor are unaffected 
  by the effect of baleful blink.
  Bigby’s Disrupting Hand
  Evocation [Force]
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Effect: One hand of force
  Duration: 1 minute (D)
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  A small, spectral human hand springs into 
  existence before your target. It hovers in the 
  air, ready to deliver a backhanded blow.
  Like Bigby’s interposing hand, this spell 
  creates a magical construct in the form 
  of a human hand. The hand targets a 
  single opponent of your choice within 
  range. You choose this opponent as you 
  cast the spell. You can target a different 
  opponent with this spell by taking a 
  move action to do so.
   When the subject of Bigby’s disrupt-
  ing hand attempts to cast a spell, the 
  hand punches him. This attack causes 
  no damage, but it forces the subject to 
  make a Concentration check with a 
  DC equal to this spell’s save DC. If 
  the subject fails the check, the hand’s 
  blow ruins his casting attempt.
     The hand is about 1 foot long. 
  It has hit points equal to half your 
  full normal hit points, and its 
  AC is 20 (+4 size, +6 natural). 
  It makes saving throws using 
  your total save bonuses and 
  takes damage from spells and 
  attacks as normal.
    Focus: A soft glove.
  Bigby’s Helpful 
  Hand
  Evocation [Force]
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 1
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard 
  action
  Range: 0 ft.
  Effect: One hand of force
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  A magical construct in the shape of a hand 
  appears next to you. Its ﬁ ngers open toward 
  you, waiting for you to hand it an item.
  This spell creates a hand of magical 
  force that holds items for you, helps 
  you complete long, involved tasks, and 
  otherwise aids you. The spell grants 
  you a +2 competence bonus on Craft, 
  Disable Device, and Open Lock checks 
  for the duration of the spell. It can 
  hold a single object weighing up to 20 
  pounds. You can grasp the object that 
  the hand carries or place an object in 
  its grasp as a swift action. The hand 
  remains in your square at all times. It 
  matches your speed, and you can bring 
  the hand and the object along with you 
  if you use dimension door, teleport, and 
  similar spells. You cannot order the 
  hand to move away from you. If you 
  are separated from the hand, the spell 
  immediately ends.
   The hand is about 1 foot long. It has 
  hit points equal to half your full normal 
  hit points, and its AC is 20 (+4 size, 
  +6 natural). It makes saving throws 
  using your total save bonuses and 
  takes damage from spells and attacks 
  as normal.
  Focus: A soft glove.
  As the frost turns Mialee into an outsider 
  with cold intentions
  Illus. by S. Ellis
  
  103
  CHAPTER 4
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  Bigby’s Striking Fist
  Evocation [Force]
  Level: Duskblade 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Reﬂ ex partial
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  A large glowing ﬁ st, the size of a human 
  torso, appears in front of the creature and 
  slams into it with great force.
  The attack bonus of this striking fist 
  equals your caster level + your key abil-
  ity modiﬁ er + 2 for the hand’s Strength 
  score (14). The ﬁ st deals 1d6 points of 
  nonlethal damage per two caster levels 
  (maximum 5d6) and attempts a bull 
  rush (PH 154). The ﬁ st has a bonus of 
  +4 plus +1 per two caster levels on the 
  bull rush attempt, and if successful it 
  knocks the subject back in a direction 
  of your choice. This movement does 
  not provoke attacks of opportunity. A 
  subject that succeeds on its Reﬂ ex save 
  takes half damage and is not subject to 
  the bull rush attempt.
   Material Components: Three glass 
  beads.
  Bigby’s Tripping Hand
  Evocation [Force]
  Level: Duskblade 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Reﬂ ex negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  A large glowing hand, the size of a human 
  torso, appears in front of the creature and 
  sweeps at its legs.
  The large hand sweeps at the target 
  creature’s legs in a tripping maneuver 
  (PH 158). This trip attempt does not 
  provoke attacks of opportunity. Its 
  attack bonus equals your caster level 
  + your key ability modiﬁ er + 2 for the 
  hand’s Strength score (14). The hand 
  has a bonus of +1 on the trip attempt for 
  every three caster levels, to a maximum 
  of +5 at 15th level.
   Material Components: Three glass 
  beads.
  Bigby’s Warding Hand
  Evocation [Force]
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Effect: One hand of force
  Duration: 1 round/level (D)
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  A spectral human hand springs into exis-
  tence. It pushes into the target, forcing him 
  back as he attempts to move.
  This spell creates a hand of pure force 
  that hinders the subject’s ability to 
  move. You designate a target when 
  casting this spell. You can change the 
  spell’s target by taking a move action to 
  do so. This spell has no effect on Huge 
  or larger creatures.
   If the target of the spell attempts to 
  move, it must make a Strength check 
  (DC 12 + your key ability modiﬁ er). 
  If this check fails, the creature moves 
  at half speed. The target must make a 
  new check each round to overcome the 
  hand’s hindering force.
   The hand is about 1 foot long. It has 
  hit points equal to half your full normal 
  hit points, and its AC is 20 (+4 size, 
  +6 natural). It makes saving throws 
  using your total save bonuses and 
  takes damage from spells and attacks 
  as normal.
   Focus: A soft glove.
  Black Karma Curse
  Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-
  Affecting]
  Level: Cleric 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  With a word and a gesture, you compel the 
  bewildered creature to attack itself.
  If the target creature’s saving throw 
  fails, it immediately takes damage 
  as if it had hit itself with its currently 
  wielded weapon (or natural weapon). If 
  the creature has more than one eligible 
  attack form, it uses the one that deals 
  the most damage.
  Blade of Blood
  Necromancy
  Level: Assassin 1, blackguard 1, cleric 1, 
  duskblade 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 swift action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Weapon touched
  Duration: 1 round/level or until 
  discharged
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  Red blood erupts along the weapon’s blade, 
  bludgeon, or point. The blood drips to spatter 
  in thick, viscous drops upon the ground.
  This spell infuses the weapon touched 
  with baleful energy. The next time this 
  weapon strikes a living creature, blade 
  of blood discharges. The spell deals an 
  extra 1d6 points of damage against the 
  target of the attack. You can voluntarily 
  take 5 hit points of damage to empower 
  the weapon to deal an extra 2d6 points 
  of damage (for a total of 3d6 points of 
  extra damage).
   The weapon loses this property if 
  its wielder drops it or otherwise loses 
  contact with it.
  Blade Brothers
  Abjuration
  Level: Bard 2, cleric 2
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Targets: Two willing creatures
  Duration: 1 minute/level or until 
  discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  You reach out and touch two creatures, 
  and a sparkling tether of multicolored light 
  brieﬂ y forms between them.
  One time during the duration of this 
  spell, when one subject of the spell 
  attempts a saving throw, both recipients 
  can roll and apply the more favorable 
  result. When rolling, each subject uses 
  
  104
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  his own save bonus and save modiﬁ ers. 
  If both saving throws fail, both crea-
  tures suffer the consequences of a failed 
  save, even if the effect that prompted 
  the saving throw only affected one of 
  the subjects. If the affected creatures 
  move more than 120 feet away from 
  each other after the spell is cast, the 
  effect ends.
  Bleakness
  Evocation [Darkness, Evil]
  Level: Cleric 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V, S, DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Area: 20-ft.-radius emanation centered 
  on a point in space
  Duration: 1 round/level (D)
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  A pulsing darkness bleeds from your body.
  You conjure up a cloud of inky darkness 
  laced with life-sucking energy from 
  the Negative Energy Plane. Living 
  creatures in the area take 1d6 points 
  of damage each round, starting in the 
  round when they enter the area and 
  at the beginning of their turns each 
  round they remain in the area. The 
  damage can be prevented by any effect 
  that protects against negative energy, 
  such as death ward.
   In addition, undead gain turn resis-
  tance +4 and fast healing 3 for as long as 
  they remain in the area of the spell.
   Bleakness counters or dispels any 
  light spell of equal or lower level.
  Blessing of the Righteous
  Evocation [Good]
  Level: Cleric 4, paladin 4
  Components: V, S, DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 40 ft.
  Area: All allies in a 40-ft.-radius burst 
  centered on you
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  A sudden burst of warm, radiant light 
  engulfs you and your allies. The light fades 
  quickly but lingers on the weapons of those 
  affected.
  You bless yourself and your allies. 
  You and your allies’ melee and ranged 
  attacks deal an extra 1d6 points of 
  holy damage and are considered good-
  aligned for the purpose of overcoming 
  damage reduction.
  Blinding Color Surge
  Illusion (Glamer)
  Level: Beguiler 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Targets: You and one creature
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You point at the target of this spell. The 
  colors of your clothing, skin, and hair shine 
  for a brief moment before they surge away 
  from you, forming a multicolored ray that 
  strikes your target. You disappear as the 
  colors of your body and items leap from you 
  into the beam. The target clutches his eyes 
  and staggers.
  You strip the color from your body and 
  gear, turn it into a lance of energy, and 
  hurl it at a target. When you cast this 
  spell, you target a creature with the 
  colors stripped from your form. The 
  target must make a Will save or be 
  blinded for 1 round.
   You also gain the beneﬁ t of invisibil-
  ity, for the duration of this spell, even if 
  the target creature succeeds on its save 
  or if its spell resistance protects it.
   Focus: A small prism.
  Blood Creepers
  Conjuration (Creation)
  Level: Druid 5
  Components: V, S, DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  Thorny vines burst from the creature’s body, 
  punching through bone, ﬂ esh, and skin to 
  enwrap its arms and legs and tether it to 
  the ground.
  The subject takes 1 point of piercing 
  damage per caster level (maximum 
  15) as the creepers rip apart its body. 
  In addition, the creepers entwine 
  securely around it, trapping its legs 
  and arms. The subject is immobilized 
  (unable to move from its current loca-
  tion) and entangled.
   Each round, the subject takes an 
  extra 1 point of piercing damage per 
  caster level (maximum 15) unless it is 
  able to escape. A trapped creature can 
  attempt to break free with a DC 20 
  Strength check or wriggle free with 
  a DC 25 Escape Artist check, either 
  of which ends the spell if successful. 
  Other creatures can use the aid another 
  action as normal on these checks. They 
  can make attacks against these vines 
  as if they were wooden objects with a 
  thickness of 3 inches (see Smashing an 
  Object, PH 185).
   Despite its name, blood creepers is 
  equally effective on living and non-
  living creatures.
  Bones of the Earth
  Conjuration (Creation) [Earth]
  Level: Druid 6
  Components: V, S, DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 60 ft.
  Effect: One 5-ft.-diameter pillar of 
  stone per round
  Duration: 1 round/2 levels (D)
  Saving Throw: Reﬂ ex negates
  Spell Resistance: No
  A pillar of rock explodes upward from the 
  ground.
  Each round as a standard action, you 
  conjure a pillar of rock that bursts from 
  a stone or earthen surface anywhere 
  within the spell’s range. Each pillar 
  ﬁ lls a 5-foot square and grows to a 
  height of 20 feet or until it hits a bar-
  rier such as a ceiling or wall. A Large 
  or smaller creature in a square where a 
  pillar erupts must succeed on a Reﬂ ex 
  save or be carried upward by the force 
  of the pillar. If a pillar is created in a 
  room with a ceiling height of 20 feet 
  or less, the rock slams into the ceiling, 
  dealing 4d6 points of damage to any 
  creature atop it.
   In a location with a ceiling height 
  of more than 20 feet, a creature carried 
  up by a pillar must succeed on a DC 20 
  Balance check or fall from the top of 
  
  105
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  the pillar when it reaches its maximum 
  height. On a failed check, the creature 
  plummets to the ground, taking 2d6 
  points of damage from the fall.
   You can also cause a pillar to erupt 
  from a vertical surface, in which case 
  any creatures in the pillar’s path must 
  succeed on their Reﬂ ex saves or take 
  2d6 points of damage and be knocked 
  prone.
   The pillar created is permanent 
  and has AC 3, hardness 8, and 900 hit 
  points. A pillar can be climbed with a 
  DC 20 Climb check.
  Bright Worms
  Conjuration (Creation) [Fire]
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
  Duration: 1 round/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Reﬂ ex half
  Spell Resistance: No
  With a loud pop, a nest of writhing worms 
  of multicolored light appears in the air.
  You create a knot of living light with 
  wormlike tendrils extending out from 
  the mass. The worms hang in the 
  air as if suspended. The worms drift 
  away from the paths of your allies, 
  but they attack enemies that enter 
  the area, lashing out with lightning 
  speed and combusting creatures that 
  they touch.
   When you cast the spell, and in 
  each later round at the beginning of 
  your turn, the ﬂ aming worms deal 2d6 
  points of ﬁ re damage to any of your 
  enemies in the area. The ﬁ re damage 
  increases as you gain levels, to 3d6 per 
  round for an 11th-level caster and 4d6 
  per round for a 15th-level caster.
   Any area spell that deals cold dam-
  age eliminates the bright worms from 
  its area.
  Burning Rage
  Transmutation
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 1
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 1 round/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  As you imbue an ally with this spell, a 
  nimbus of shimmering blue ﬂ ame sur-
  rounds him. He winces in pain as the 
  ﬂ ames scorch his ﬂ esh, but when the eldritch 
  power ﬂ ows into him, his muscles surge 
  with might.
  This spell imbues a creature with burn-
  ing magical energy that enhances the 
  subject’s strength and endurance. The 
  searing energy also burns and injures 
  the subject.
   The subject of this spell gains a +1 
  bonus on attack rolls, a +2 bonus on 
  damage rolls, and damage reduction 
  2/magic. This spell’s burning energy 
  deals 4 points of ﬁ re damage to the 
  subject at the start of each of its turns 
  until the spell’s duration expires or you 
  dismiss the effect.
  Call of Stone
  Transmutation
  Level: Druid 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
  Component: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 1 round/2 levels
  Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  A beam of sickly gray energy strikes the 
  target of this spell. He acquires an ashen 
  tone to his skin. With each passing moment, 
  the grayish tone becomes deeper in color as 
  the target transforms into a stone statue.
  This spell slowly transforms a creature 
  into an inanimate stone statue. The 
  target must make a Fortitude save 
  each round for the duration of spell at 
  the start of its turn or take a cumula-
  tive 10-foot penalty to speed and a 
  –2 penalty to Dexterity. If the target’s 
  speed drops to 0 feet, it cannot move. 
  If the target fails four or more saves, it 
  permanently transforms into a statue 
  as if affected by ﬂ esh to stone. Any effect 
  or spell that reverses ﬂ esh to stone also 
  cures this condition.
  Celerity
  Transmutation
  Level: Bard 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
  This spell works like lesser celerity, 
  except that you pull even more time 
  into the present. When you cast this 
  spell, you can immediately take a 
  standard action, as if you had readied 
  an action. You can even interrupt 
  another creature’s turn when you cast 
  this spell. However, after you take the 
  standard action granted by this spell, 
  you are dazed until the end of your 
  next turn.
  Celerity, Greater
  Transmutation
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 8
  This spell works like celerity, except 
  upon casting this spell you can imme-
  diately take a full-round action (or a 
  standard action plus a move action, or 
  two move actions). After performing 
  this action, you are dazed until the end 
  of your next turn.
  Celerity, Lesser
  Transmutation
  Level: Bard 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: Instantaneous
  You borrow a slice of time from the future, 
  pulling it into the present so that you 
  can act.
  Upon casting this spell, you can 
  immediately take a move action. After 
  performing this action, you are dazed 
  until the end of your next turn.
  Chain Dispel
  Abjuration
  Level: Cleric 8, sorcerer/wizard 8
  Components: V, S, M/DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Targets: One or more creatures, no two 
  of which are more than 30 ft. apart
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  A coruscating bolt rips through the air, 
  humming with power as it strikes each 
  targeted creature.
  
  106
  CHAPTER 4
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  Each creature struck by this spell is 
  affected as if by a targeted dispel magic, 
  except that you can add your caster level 
  to the dispel check, up to a maximum 
  of 25.
   Material Component: A pair of bronze 
  nails, each no less than 6 inches in 
  length.
  Channeled Divine Health
  Conjuration (Healing)
  Level: Cleric 4
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: See text
  Range: See text
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  You bring forth a sphere of pure healing 
  energy. You pour divine power into it, 
  slowly building the energy it holds, until it 
  is ready to mend an ally’s wounds.
  This spell allows you to heal an ally, or 
  damage an undead creature, at a range 
  greater than touch. When you cast this 
  spell, you channel energy into it. You 
  can choose how long to spend casting 
  this spell.
   If you cast this spell as a swift action, 
  it has a range of touch, and you heal a 
  single touched creature of 1d8 points of 
  damage. An undead creature you touch 
  takes this amount of damage instead of 
  being healed.
   If you cast this spell as a standard 
  action, it has a range of close, and you 
  heal a single creature within range 
  of damage equal to 1d8 points + your 
  caster level (maximum +10). An undead 
  creature you designate within range 
  takes this amount of damage instead 
  of being healed.
   If you cast this spell as a full-round 
  casting this spell, it has a range of 
  medium, and you heal a single creature 
  within range of damage equal to 2d8 
  points + your caster level (maximum 
  +15). An undead creature you designate 
  within range takes this amount of 
  damage instead of being healed.
   If you spend 2 full rounds casting 
  this spell, it has a range of long, and 
  you heal a single creature within range 
  of damage equal to 4d8 points + your 
  caster level (maximum +20). An undead 
  creature you designate within range 
  takes this amount of damage instead 
  of being healed.
   You do not need to declare ahead 
  of time how long you want to spend 
  casting the spell. When you begin cast-
  ing this spell, you decide that you are 
  ﬁ nished casting after the appropriate 
  time has passed.
  Channeled Divine Shield
  Abjuration
  Level: Cleric 3
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: See text
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: 1 round/level
  As you complete this spell, a shield crafted 
  from divine energy appears before you. As 
  you channel energy into the shield, it grows 
  stronger and stronger.
  This spell improves your defenses. 
  The magnitude of this improvement 
  depends on the amount of time you 
  spend casting the spell.
   If you cast this spell as a swift action, 
  you gain damage reduction 2/evil for 
  the duration of this spell.
   If you cast this spell as a standard 
  action, you gain damage reduction 
  5/evil.
   If you cast this spell as a full-round 
  action, you gain damage reduction 
  8/evil.
   If you spend 2 rounds casting this 
  spell, you gain damage reduction 
  10/evil.
   The spell’s duration does not begin 
  until you finish casting the spell. You 
  do not need to declare ahead of time 
  how long you want to spend casting 
  the spell. When you begin casting 
  this spell, you decide that you are 
  finished casting after the appropriate 
  time has passed.
  Channeled Pyroburst
  Evocation [Fire]
  Level: Duskblade 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: See text
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Area: See text
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Reﬂ ex half
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  A sphere of ﬁ ery energy comes into being 
  before you. You channel energy into it, caus-
  ing it to bubble and seethe with power. When 
  you have poured enough energy into the 
  sphere, you send it ﬂ ying into your foes.
  This spell creates a bolt of ﬁ ery energy 
  that blasts your enemies. The spell’s 
  strength depends on the amount of 
  time you spend channeling energy 
  into it.
   If you cast this spell as a swift action, 
  it deals 1d4 points of ﬁ re damage per 
  two caster levels (maximum 10d4) 
  against a single target of your choice.
   If you cast this spell as a standard 
  action, it deals 1d6 points of ﬁ re damage 
  per caster level (maximum 10d6) to all 
  creatures in a 10-foot-radius spread.
   If you cast this spell as a full-round 
  action, it deals 1d8 points of ﬁ re damage 
  per caster level (maximum 10d8) to all 
  creatures in a 15-foot-radius spread.
   If you spend 2 rounds casting this 
  spell, it deals 1d10 points of ﬁ re damage 
  per caster level (maximum 10d10) to all 
  creatures in a 20-foot-radius spread.
   You do not need to declare ahead 
  of time how long you want to spend 
  casting the spell. When you begin cast-
  ing this spell, you decide that you are 
  ﬁ nished casting after the appropriate 
  time has passed.
  Chasing Perfection
  Transmutation
  Level: Cleric 6, druid 6, sorcerer/
  wizard 6
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 minute/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  Energy courses through the creature touched. 
  Its muscles grow and become more deﬁ ned, 
  it starts to move with greater alacrity and 
  grace, and its bearing increases.
  The subject improves in all ways. It 
  gains a +4 enhancement bonus to each 
  of its ability scores.
   Material Component: A statuette of 
  a celestial or ﬁ end worth 50 gp.
  
  107
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  Cloud of Knives
  Conjuration
  Level: Cleric 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard 
  action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: 1 
  round/level
  You conjure 
  a cloud of sharp knives 
  around you. The knives ﬂ oat in 
  the air around your upper body, 
  pointing in the direction you look.
  Each round as a free action at the 
  beginning of your turn, you can 
  release one of these knives at any 
  target within 30 feet that you can see. 
  This is a ranged attack that uses an 
  attack bonus equal to your caster level 
  + your key ability modiﬁ er. Each suc-
  cessful hit deals 1d6 points of damage 
  +1 per three caster levels (maximum 
  +5) and threatens a critical hit on a 
  roll of 19–20.
   Damage reduction applies to knife 
  attacks from this spell. The knives are 
  treated as magic for the purpose of 
  overcoming damage reduction.
  Material Component: A knife.
  Optional Material Component: Using a 
  silvered dagger (22 gp) in the casting of 
  this spell allows the knives to overcome 
  damage reduction as if they were both 
  magic and silver, but the knives deal 1 
  less point of damage.
  Condemnation
  Abjuration
  Level: Cleric 5, sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One outsider
  Duration: 1 round
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You speak words of power, forcing the entity 
  to shrink with horror.
  The outsider targeted by this spell must 
  succeed on a Will save or be stunned 
  for 1 round and have its spell resistance 
  reduced by 10.
  Crown of Clarity
  Divination
  Level: Druid 3, ranger 2, sorcerer/
  wizard 3
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D) or until 
  discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  A crown of magical energy appears upon 
  your head. For a moment, your vision 
  blurs and a slight buzz fills your ears. 
  These distractions pass, leaving you with 
  sharpened senses.
  You create an arcane crown that grants 
  the wearer a +2 competence bonus on 
  Listen and Spot checks.
   As an immediate action, the creature 
  wearing a crown of clarity can discharge 
  its magic to gain a +8 bonus on a single 
  Spot or Listen check. The spell ends 
  after the wearer uses the crown in 
  this manner.
   The crown occupies space on the 
  body as a headband, hat, or helm. If the 
  crown is removed, the spell immedi-
  ately ends.
  Focus: A pewter hoop 6 inches in 
  diameter.
  Crown of the Grave
  Necromancy
  Level: Cleric 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S, M, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D) or until 
  discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  A ring of ghostly fog surrounds the 
  target’s head. With a swirl, the fog dis-
  sipates, leaving behind a crown made of 
  human bones.
  Cloud of knives makes 
  a caster into a ranged 
  weapon threat
  Illus. by C. Frank
  
  108
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  This spell creates a magic crown that 
  grants its wearer the power to com-
  mand undead. Once per minute, the 
  crown’s wearer can issue a one-word 
  order to an undead creature, as per 
  the command spell. The undead crea-
  ture must make a Will save to resist 
  this effect. Even though command 
  is normally a mind-affecting spell, 
  the crown channels holy or unholy 
  energy (depending on your align-
  ment; neutral casters choose one or 
  the other) to compel obedience. In 
  addition, a cleric who wears the crown 
  can expend a use of his turn or rebuke 
  undead ability to increase this ability’s 
  save DC by 4.
   As an immediate action, the creature 
  wearing a crown of the grave can dis-
  charge its magic to gain a +4 bonus on 
  a single turn or rebuke undead attempt. 
  The spell ends after the wearer uses the 
  crown in this manner.
   The crown occupies space on the 
  body as a headband, hat, or helm. If the 
  crown is removed, the spell immedi-
  ately ends.
   Material Component: A pinch of 
  grave dirt.
   Focus: A wooden hoop 6 inches in 
  diameter.
  Crown of Might
  Transmutation
  Level: Cleric 3, duskblade 3, sorcerer/
  wizard 3
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D) or until 
  discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  A crown of plain copper appears upon the 
  recipient’s head. The crown has a front piece 
  fashioned to resemble a bull’s head.
  This spell creates a crown of magical 
  energy that grants the spell’s recipient a 
  +2 enhancement bonus to Strength.
   As an immediate action, the creature 
  wearing a crown of might can discharge 
  its magic to gain a +8 enhancement 
  bonus to Strength for 1 round. The spell 
  ends after the wearer uses the crown in 
  this manner.
   The crown occupies space on the 
  body as a headband, hat, or helm. If the 
  crown is removed, the spell immedi-
  ately ends.
   Focus: A copper hoop 6 inches in 
  diameter.
  Crown of Protection
  Transmutation
  Level: Cleric 3, duskblade 3, sorcerer/
  wizard 3
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D) or until 
  discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  A shimmering crown of force appears upon 
  the recipient’s head. A barely visible shield 
  of force projects forward from it, warding 
  off attacks aimed at its wearer.
  This spell creates a crown of magical 
  energy that grants the spell’s recipient 
  a +1 deﬂ ection bonus to AC and a +1 
  resistance bonus on all saves.
   As an immediate action, the creature 
  wearing a crown of protection can 
  discharge its magic to gain a +4 deﬂ ec-
  tion bonus to AC or a +4 resistance 
  bonus on saves for 1 round. The spell 
  ends after the wearer uses the crown 
  in this manner.
   The crown occupies space on the 
  body as a headband, hat, or helm. If the 
  crown is removed, the spell immedi-
  ately ends.
   Focus: An iron hoop 6 inches in 
  diameter.
  Crown of Smiting
  Evocation
  Level: Cleric 3, paladin 2
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D) or until 
  discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  A crown of divine energy appears upon the 
  target’s brow. The holy symbol of the caster’s 
  faith is set at the front of the crown.
  You create a magic crown infused with 
  divine energy harmful to enemies of 
  your faith. Choose a single alignment 
  (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful) when 
  you cast this spell. Once per minute, 
  the crown’s wearer gains a +2 divine 
  bonus on damage rolls on his next 
  melee or ranged attack if his target 
  has the designated alignment. The 
  crown’s wearer must decide to use 
  this extra damage before making his 
  attack. If he misses, the extra damage 
  is lost.
   As an immediate action, the creature 
  wearing a crown of smiting can discharge 
  its magic to gain a +8 divine bonus on 
  damage on a single attack. The spell 
  ends after the wearer uses the crown 
  in this manner.
   The crown occupies space on the 
  body as a headband, hat, or helm. If the 
  crown is removed, the spell immedi-
  ately ends.
   Focus: A silver hoop 6 inches in 
  diameter costing 25 gp.
  Crown of Veils
  Illusion (Figment)
  Level: Bard 2, beguiler 3, sorcerer/
  wizard 3
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D) or until 
  discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  A shimmering halo of energy surrounds 
  the target’s head like a crown. It ﬂ ashes a 
  spectrum of colors before fading away.
  This spell creates a magic crown 
  infused with illusion magic. The spell’s 
  recipient gains a +2 competence bonus 
  on Disguise and Hide checks.
   As an immediate action, the crea-
  ture wearing the crown of veils can 
  discharge its magic to gain a +8 com-
  petence bonus on a single Disguise 
  or Hide check. The spell ends after 
  the wearer uses the crown in this 
  manner.
   The crown occupies space on the 
  body as a headband, hat, or helm. If the 
  crown is removed, the spell immedi-
  ately ends.
  
  109
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
   Focus: A brass hoop 6 inches in 
  diameter.
  Crushing Grip
  Evocation
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 round
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 3 rounds
  Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; 
  see text
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You conjure a band of energy that slowly 
  squeezes your opponent. As the band tightens, 
  it restricts his movement and eventually 
  holds him in place, rigid with paralysis.
  This spell has one effect on an oppo-
  nent when you begin casting it. At the 
  beginning of your next turn, when 
  you ﬁ nish casting the spell, it has a 
  second effect. When you start casting 
  this spell, your target takes a –2 penalty 
  on attacks, checks, saves, and AC. He 
  also takes a 20-foot penalty to speed. 
  This effect does not allow a saving 
  throw, but spell resistance applies. If 
  you fail to overcome the target’s spell 
  resistance, you immediately stop cast-
  ing the spell, and the secondary effect 
  does not take place.
   When you complete the casting of 
  this spell, your target must make a 
  Fortitude saving throw or be paralyzed. 
  Even if the target makes this saving 
  throw, this spell’s initial effect continues 
  to affect him for the spell’s duration.
   This spell’s duration begins after you 
  have completed casting it.
  Curse of Arrow Attraction
  Transmutation
  Level: Cleric 3, ranger 2, sorcerer/
  wizard 3
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You surround a creature in a nimbus of 
  emerald light that seems to draw missiles 
  toward it.
  The subject is cursed so that missile 
  weapons veer toward him and strike 
  with extreme force. The subject takes 
  a –5 penalty to Armor Class against 
  any ranged attack, including projectile 
  weapons, thrown weapons, and ranged 
  touch attacks. In addition, any critical 
  threats on such attacks are automati-
  cally conﬁ rmed.
  Dancing Blade
  Transmutation
  Level: Bard 5, sorcerer/wizard 5
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Weapon touched
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  With a word and a gesture, the sword in your 
  hand leaps to life with a swooping salute.
  This spell animates a melee weapon 
  currently in your possession, causing 
  it to fight your foes as you direct it. 
  Once each round as a free action, 
  you can direct the blade to attack an 
  adjacent foe (a weapon with reach can 
  attack a foe 10 feet away). The weapon’s 
  bonus on attack rolls is equal to your 
  caster level + your key ability modi-
  ﬁ er, plus any enhancement bonus the 
  weapon might have. It deals damage 
  equal to the normal damage of the 
  weapon, plus your key ability modi-
  fier and any enhancement bonus or 
  other bonus on damage inherent in 
  the weapon. The weapon attacks once 
  per round. Despite the spell’s name, 
  it works on any melee weapon (not 
  just blades).
   While your weapon is dancing, it 
  cannot make attacks of opportunity, 
  and you are not considered armed with 
  the weapon. It remains in your space 
  and accompanies you everywhere, 
  whether you move by physical or 
  magical means. The weapon cannot be 
  disarmed.
   Focus: The melee weapon that serves 
  as the target of the spell.
  Deflect
  Abjuration [Force]
  Level: Duskblade 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
  This spell functions like lesser deﬂ ect, 
  except that you gain a shield bonus 
  to AC equal to 1/2 your caster level 
  (round down) against the next attack 
  made against you before the end of 
  your next turn.
  Deflect, Lesser
  Abjuration [Force]
  Level: Duskblade 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: 1 round or until discharged
  With a word, you evoke a barrier of invis-
  ible force.
  You project a ﬁ eld of invisible force, 
  creating a short-lived protective barrier. 
  You gain a deﬂ ection bonus to your 
  AC against a single attack; this bonus 
  is equal to +1 per three caster levels 
  (maximum +5).
   You can cast this spell even when it’s 
  not your turn; however, you must cast it 
  before your opponent makes his attack 
  roll to gain the beneﬁ t.
  Detonate
  Evocation [Death, Fire]
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 9
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; 
  see text
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  The creature you point at explodes in a 
  massive spray of ﬁ re. 
  If the target fails its saving throw, this 
  spell slays the creature, and the explo-
  sion extends out to a 20-foot-radius 
  burst around it. Creatures in this area 
  take 1d6 points of fire damage per 
  caster level (maximum 20d6), though 
  they can attempt Reflex saves for 
  half damage. The exploded creature’s 
  remains are scattered and vaporized, 
  leaving nothing but dry ash.
   If the target succeeds on its saving 
  throw, it is wracked by a series of small 
  explosions and takes 7d6 points of ﬁ re 
  
  110
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  damage. If this damage kills the crea-
  ture, it explodes as described above.
   Detonate has no effect on creatures 
  that have immunity to ﬁ re.
   Material Component: A tindertwig 
  and a piece of string.
  Dimension Hop
  Conjuration (Teleportation)
  Level: Duskblade 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  Pale motes of light dance and swirl about 
  your ﬁ ngertips. When you touch the crea-
  ture, it disappears, leaves a cloud of motes 
  in its wake, and reappears somewhere 
  nearby.
  You instantly teleport the subject 
  creature a distance of 5 feet per two 
  caster levels. The destination must 
  be an unoccupied space within line 
  of sight.
  Dimension Shuffle
  Conjuration (Teleportation)
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 5
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Targets: One creature/level, no two of 
  which are more than 30 ft. apart
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  With a slight blue shimmer of energy and 
  an audible pop, a number of creatures 
  around you disappear and reappear in 
  new positions.
  You instantly transfer any subject 
  creature from its current location to 
  any other spot within 30 feet. You must 
  have line of sight to its new location. 
  An unwilling creature can make a Will 
  saving throw to negate this effect. The 
  creature must be placed on solid ground 
  capable of supporting its weight. If you 
  attempt to place a creature within a solid 
  object or into a space where it cannot 
  ﬁ t, the spell fails.
  Dimension Step
  Conjuration (Teleportation)
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 3
  Component: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Targets: One willing creature/3 levels, 
  no two of which are more than 30 
  ft. apart
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Fortitude negates 
  (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  All the creatures you target with this spell 
  gain a dark, shimmering pattern of runes 
  on their shoes and feet. The runes blaze 
  with arcane light for a moment. Less than a 
  second later, the targets have shifted position 
  on the battleﬁ eld.
  This spell allows your allies to make a 
  short teleport. All creatures targeted by 
  this spell can teleport a distance equal 
  to their base land speed. A target can 
  teleport to any square within its line of 
  sight. This movement does not provoke 
  attacks of opportunity. A creature can 
  teleport up to a ledge, down to the base 
  of a ﬂ ight of stairs, and so forth as long 
  as it observes the restrictions and limits 
  given above.
  Dispelling Touch
  Abjuration
  Level: Duskblade 3, sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: One touched creature, object, 
  or spell effect
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  Your touch causes one spell to rip free of its 
  source and dissipate into nothingness.
  You can use dispelling touch to end an 
  ongoing spell that has been cast on a 
  creature or object, or a spell that has a 
  noticeable ongoing effect. You make 
  a dispel check (1d20 + your caster 
  level, maximum +10) against the 
  spell effect with the highest caster 
  level. If that check fails, you make 
  dispel checks against progressively 
  weaker spells until you dispel one 
  spell or until you fail all your checks. 
  Magic items carried by a creature are 
  not affected.
  Divine Retaliation
  Evocation [Force]
  Level: Cleric 3, paladin 4
  Component: V, S, DF
  Casting Time: 1 swift action
  Range: 0 ft.
  Effect: Magic weapon of force
  Duration: 1 round
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  A spectral weapon composed of pure force 
  energy springs into existence next to you. 
  Each time a foe strikes you, the weapon 
  springs into action, chopping into your foe 
  and dealing a grievous wound.
  This spell creates a divine weapon that 
  mimics your deity’s favored weapon. 
  Any time you are struck for damage 
  by a melee attack, this weapon strikes 
  at your foe. It has a base attack bonus 
  equal to your caster level + your Str 
  modiﬁ er or Wis modiﬁ er (your choice). 
  It deals damage as per your deity’s 
  favored weapon, and is of a size equal 
  to your current size. The weapon gains 
  a bonus on damage rolls equal to 1-1/2 
  times your Str modiﬁ er or Wis modiﬁ er 
  (your choice).
   There is no limit to the number of 
  attacks that this weapon can make. 
  If a hydra bites at and hits you six 
  times, this weapon in turn strikes 
  at the hydra six times. The weapon 
  has reach or range appropriate to its 
  type. It shares a space with you. If 
  you are Large or larger, it counts as 
  occupying each square of the space 
  you fill.
  Doom Scarabs
  Conjuration/Necromancy
  Level: Duskblade 3, sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 60 ft.
  Area: Cone-shaped burst
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will half
  Spell Resistance: See text
  A swarm of scarabs surges from your 
  outstretched hand. These insects rip and 
  
  111
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  bite at all living creatures in the area, then 
  return to you with life essence stolen from 
  their victims.
  This spell has two effects. It deals 1d6 
  points of damage per two caster levels 
  (maximum 10d6) to all creatures in 
  the area. Spell resistance does not 
  apply to this damage. However, spell 
  resistance does apply to the spell’s 
  secondary effect. If you overcome a 
  creature’s spell resistance, you gain 
  1d4 temporary hit points as the scarabs 
  feast on the creature’s arcane energy 
  and bleed it back into you. You gain 
  these temporary hit points for each 
  creature whose spell resistance you 
  overcome. You never gain temporary 
  hit points from creatures that do not 
  have spell resistance.
   The temporary hit points gained 
  from this spell last for up to 1 hour.
  Dragonshape
  Transmutation (Polymorph)
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 9
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 swift action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: 1 round/level (D)
  You feel a ﬁ re burning deep within you. 
  Crimson scales quickly grow over your 
  body, a pair of great wings sprouts from your 
  shoulders, and your body expands in size 
  until you stand as tall as a house!
  You take on the form and abilities of 
  a mature adult red dragon (see below 
  for your new statistics). You gain 150 
  temporary hit points, which disappear 
  at the end of the spell’s duration. You do 
  not gain the normal spellcasting ability 
  of your new form. See the description 
  of the new polymorph subschool on 
  page 95 for more details.
  Mature Adult Red Dragon
  Init +0; Senses blindsense 60 ft., 
  darkvision 120 ft., quadruple-
  strength low-light vision; Listen 
  +32, Spot +32
  Languages as normal form
  AC 32, touch 8, flat-footed 32
  hp as normal form (+150 temporary 
  hp); DR 10/magic
  Resist SR 23
  Immune fire
  Fort +20, Ref +14, Will +18
  Weakness vulnerability to cold
  Speed 40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor); Flyby 
  Attack
  Melee bite +34 (2d8+11/19–20) and
   
  2 claws +32 (2d6+5/19–20) and
   
  2 wings +32 (1d8+5/19–20) and 
   
  tail slap +32 (2d6+16/19–20)
  Space 15 ft.
  Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with bite)
  Base Atk +25; Grp +44
  Atk Options Cleave, Power Attack
  Special Actions breath weapon, crush
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th): 7/day—
  locate object
  Abilities Str 33, Dex 10, Con 23, Int 18, 
  Wis 19, Cha 18
  Feats Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Flyby 
  Attack, Improved Critical (bite, 
  claw, tail slap, wing), Multiattack, 
  Power Attack
  Skills Appraise +32, Bluff +32, 
  Concentration +34, Diplomacy 
  +34, Intimidate +34, Jump +39, 
  Knowledge (arcana) +32, Listen 
  +32, Search +32, Spot +32
  Breath Weapon (Su) 50-ft. cone, 14d10 
  fire, Reflex DC 30 half.
  Crush (Ex) Area 15 ft. by 15 ft.; Small 
  or smaller opponents take 2d8+16 
  points of bludgeoning damage, and 
  must succeed on a DC 28 Reflex 
  save or be pinned.
  Drifts of the Shalm
  Evocation
  Level: Druid 2
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Area: One 5-ft. square/level (S)
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  You call upon the power of Obad-Hai and 
  conjure forth a great drift of snow, leaves, 
  or smoldering ash.
  Druids of Obad-Hai routinely evoke 
  the drifts of their lord to delay their 
  enemies, to buy themselves time in the 
  face of a sudden threat, and simply to 
  decorate their groves.
   You create drifts of snow, leaves, 
  or ash 3 feet thick. It costs 2 squares 
  of movement to enter a drift-covered 
  square. Additional effects apply based 
  on the type of drift.
   A snow drift ripples with freezing 
  energy. Anyone moving through or 
  located in a snow drift takes 3 points 
  of cold damage each round.
   If any part of a leaf drift comes in 
  contact with ﬁ re (anything from a 
  torch to a ﬁ reball will do), the whole 
  drift instantly ignites. The heat from 
  the burning leaves deals 2d6 points of 
  ﬁ re damage to anyone in the inferno.
   An ash drift smolders with dying 
  embers. Anyone moving through or 
  located in an ash drift takes 3 points 
  of ﬁ re damage each round.
  Electric Vengeance
  Evocation [Electricity]
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: 5 ft.
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  As the creature strikes you, an arc of light-
  ning springs from your body and blasts the 
  creature in return.
  You can cast this spell only when 
  another creature has just dealt hit point 
  damage to you with a melee attack. 
  When you cast electric vengeance, a blast 
  of lightning arcs from your body into 
  the subject’s; the arc deals 2d8 points of 
  electricity damage +1 point per caster 
  level (maximum +10).
  Electric Vengeance, Greater
  Evocation [Electricity]
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 5
  Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
  This spell functions like electric ven-
  geance, except as noted here.
   This spell deals 5d8 points of damage 
  +1 per caster level (maximum +15), and 
  the target of the spell must succeed on 
  a Fortitude save or be dazed until the 
  end of your next turn.
  Energy Aegis
  Abjuration
  Level: Cleric 3, duskblade 3, sorcerer/
  wizard 3
  Components: V, DF
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One creature
  
  112
  CHAPTER 4
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  Duration: 1 round
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  A nigh-invisible ripple of magical energy 
  courses through the creature touched, 
  granting it resistance against one type of 
  energy speciﬁ ed by you during the casting 
  the spell.
  When you cast energy aegis, specify 
  an energy type (acid, cold, electricity, 
  ﬁ re, or sonic). Against the next attack 
  using this energy type that targets the 
  subject, it gains resistance 20.
  Energy Surge
  Transmutation [see text for lesser energy 
  surge]
  Level: Duskblade 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
  This spell functions like lesser energy 
  surge, except that the attack deals an 
  extra 2d6 points of energy damage.
  Energy Surge, Greater
  Transmutation [see text for lesser energy 
  surge]
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 6
  This spell functions like lesser energy 
  surge, except that the attack deals an 
  extra 3d6 points of energy damage.
  Energy Surge, Lesser
  Transmutation [see text]
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 swift action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One weapon
  Duration: 1 round
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  With a single utterance, you sheath the 
  weapon in elemental energy—dripping 
  acid, vaporous ice, crackling electricity, 
  smoking ﬂ ame, or thunderous air.
  You temporarily imbue a weapon with 
  elemental energy. When you cast this 
  spell, specify an energy type (acid, cold, 
  electricity, ﬁ re, or sonic). This spell 
  is a spell of that type, and the target 
  weapon is sheathed in that energy. If 
  the attack is successful, it deals an extra 
  1d6 points of damage of the speciﬁ ed 
  energy type.
  Energy Vulnerability
  Abjuration
  Level: Cleric 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S, M/DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Targets: One or more creatures within 
  a 10-ft.-radius burst
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  Silvery tendrils erupt from your out-
  stretched arms and strike the creatures you 
  choose. A lingering silvery aura engulfs 
  them thereafter.
  Energy vulnerability can affect a 
  number of creatures with total Hit 
  Dice equal to twice your caster level 
  or lower. You select which creatures 
  are affected.
   When you cast this spell, specify an 
  energy type (acid, cold, electricity, ﬁ re, 
  Illus. by F. Vohwinkel
  Hennet strikes down a gnoll with the electric vengeance spell
  
  113
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  or sonic). The affected creatures gain 
  vulnerability to that energy type (they 
  take +50% damage from that energy, 
  even on a successful save).
  Arcane Material Component: A tiny 
  wooden shield, which the caster snaps 
  in half.
  Etherealness, Swift
  Transmutation
  Level: Beguiler 5, cleric 5, sorcerer/
  wizard 5
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 swift action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One willing creature
  Duration: 1 round
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  With a single word and a quick wave of 
  your hand, the creature disappears.
  The subject becomes ethereal until 
  the end of its next turn. If, at the end 
  of the spell’s duration, the subject 
  creature rematerializes within a solid 
  object or in an occupied space, it is 
  shunted off to the nearest open space 
  and takes 1d6 points of damage per 5 
  feet so traveled.
  Evard’s Menacing Tentacles
  Transmutation
  Level: Druid 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Two black tentacles sprout from your shoul-
  der blades and arch over your shoulders.
  The tentacles have 10-foot reach and are 
  animate. Each round as a free action, 
  starting on the turn when you cast 
  the spell, you can direct each tentacle 
  to attack one opponent within reach. 
  The tentacles use your base attack 
  bonus and Strength score, and each 
  deals bludgeoning damage equal to 
  1d8 points + your Str modifier. The 
  tentacles threaten the area within their 
  reach, and each can make one attack of 
  opportunity per round.
   The tentacles also grant you a +4 
  bonus on Climb checks.
  Material Component: A piece of 
  octopus, squid, or carrion crawler 
  tentacle.
  Explosive Rune Field
  Conjuration (Fire)
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Area: 20-ft.-radius burst
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Reﬂ ex negates
  Spell Resistance: No
  You infuse an area with arcane patterns 
  that shift and slide along the ground. 
  They seethe with arcane energy, and an 
  occasional bolt of energy surges from them 
  with a bright ﬂ ash.
  This spell creates a hazardous ﬁ eld of 
  energy similar to that created by an 
  explosive runes. spell. Unlike that spell, 
  the runes created by this spell detonate 
  when they come into contact with a 
  living creature other than the caster. 
  Any creature that begins its turn in the 
  spell’s area must attempt a Reﬂ ex save. 
  On a failed save, the creature takes 4d6 
  points of ﬁ re damage.
   Moving through the spell’s area is 
  hazardous at best. Creatures that move 
  at their normal speed must succeed 
  on Reflex saves to avoid the spell’s 
  explosive effects. Creatures that move 
  at half speed through the spell’s area 
  can avoid the damage just as if they had 
  succeeded on their saves.
  Material Component: A piece of parch-
  ment scribed with runes. The runes 
  must be drawn with silver-ﬂ ecked ink 
  (25 gp).
  Field of Resistance
  Abjuration
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 5
  Component: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Area: 20-ft.-radius emanation centered 
  on a point in space
  Duration: 1 round/level (D)
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  The air in this spell’s effect shimmers with 
  arcane energy. A buzzing sound echoes in 
  your mind as the ﬂ ow of magic into the 
  affected area chokes off and ends.
  A dwarf wizard uses explosive rune ﬁ eld to ward an area against intrusion
  Illus. by M. Schley
  
  114
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  This spell creates a zone that impedes 
  the ﬂ ow of magic. The energy of this 
  zone clings to creatures and objects, 
  granting them a shield against spells. 
  All creatures in the spell’s area gain spell 
  resistance of 11 + caster level for as long 
  as they remain in the area. If a creature 
  already has spell resistance higher than 
  this amount, this spell does not affect it. 
  Unlike personal spell resistance, this 
  spell resistance cannot be voluntarily 
  lowered. A creature loses this spell 
  resistance when it leaves the spell’s area, 
  and gains it again if it returns.
  Friend to Foe
  Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting]
  Level: Bard 5, beguiler 5, sorcerer/
  wizard 5
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Targets: One living creature/level, 
  none of which are more than 30 ft. 
  apart
  Duration: 1 round/level (D); see text
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  Your enemies transform into what they 
  each hate the most, suddenly turning 
  against each other.
  You overlay phantasmal images over 
  your enemies, making them appear to 
  each other as loathsome and despicable, 
  implanting an urge to kill and destroy 
  the object of their ire. Orcs might 
  see each other as elves or dwarves, 
  demons might see angels, and so on. 
  All subjects receive a Will save to see 
  through the phantasm. Each individual 
  failing its save turns on the closest ally 
  and attacks until the ﬁ rst time it deals 
  damage, which causes the spell to end 
  for that attacker.
   Material Component: A swatch of 
  white silk.
  Halt
  Transmutation
  Level: Bard 3, beguiler 3, duskblade 3, 
  sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 1 round
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You utter the word “Halt!” and, in that 
  instant, the creature’s feet stick to the ﬂ oor.
  The subject creature’s feet (or whatever 
  pass for its feet) become momentarily 
  stuck to the ﬂ oor. The creature must 
  stop moving, and cannot move farther 
  in its current turn. This spell has 
  no effect on creatures that are not 
  touching the ground (such as ﬂ ying 
  creatures), and the subject can still use 
  a standard action (if it has one available 
  in this round) to move by means of 
  teleportation magic.
   You can cast this spell even when it’s 
  not your turn; however, you must cast 
  it before your opponent ﬁ nishes its 
  movement on its current turn to gain 
  the beneﬁ t.
  Healing Spirit
  Conjuration (Healing)
  Level: Bard 4, cleric 4, druid 4, 
  paladin 3
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Effect: One conjured healing spirit
  Duration: 1 round/2 levels
  Saving Throw: Will half (harmless); 
  see text
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless); 
  see text
  A 1-foot-diamater ball of light appears and 
  moves by your command, healing those it 
  touches.
  You conjure an incorporeal object of 
  magical energy that appears in any 
  square within range. This healing spirit 
  resembles a 1-foot-diameter ball of light. 
  It sheds bright illumination in a 10-foot 
  radius and shadowy illumination for 
  another 20 feet. A healing spirit cannot 
  be affected by attacks or spells.
   A healing spirit ﬂ ies at a speed of 30 
  feet with perfect maneuverability. In 
  the round you cast the spell and at 
  the start of your turn once per round 
  thereafter, you can direct the healing 
  spirit to move and touch a creature by 
  entering its space. The spirit’s touch 
  carries positive energy, healing a living 
  creature of 1d8 points of damage.
   Since undead are powered by nega-
  tive energy, a healing spirit damages 
  them instead of healing them. The 
  spirit can affect an unwilling target 
  (such as an undead) by succeeding 
  on an incorporeal touch attack, using 
  your base attack bonus and a Strength 
  bonus of +0. An undead creature hit by 
  such an attack can use spell resistance 
  against the effect and is allowed a Will 
  save for half damage.
   If a healing spirit travels farther from 
  you than the spell’s range, it winks out 
  of existence and the spell ends.
  Hesitate
  Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-
  Affecting]
  Level: Bard 3, beguiler 3, cleric 3, 
  sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One living creature
  Duration: 1 round/level (D); see text
  Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  In the eyes of your enemy, you seem large, 
  powerful, and indomitable.
  You ﬁ ll a subject with doubts and mis-
  givings, making it believe it is inferior 
  to you. On a failed save, the subject can 
  take no action other than a move action 
  on its current turn. Hesitate confers no 
  special bonuses for attackers attempt-
  ing to hit the subject; the subject still 
  defends itself. If you attack the affected 
  creature, the spell ends immediately.
   Each round, as a swift action at the 
  start of its turn, the subject can attempt 
  a new saving throw to end the effect. If 
  the save succeeds, the subject can then 
  act normally.
   You can cast this spell even when it’s 
  not your turn; however, you must cast 
  it at the start of your opponent’s turn 
  to gain the beneﬁ t.
  Hunter’s Eye
  Divination
  Level: Ranger 2
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 swift action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: 1 round
  
  115
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  Your vision blurs for a moment. When it 
  clears, you can see through your enemies’ 
  skin to spot their arteries, organs, and other 
  vulnerable points.
  Your slice into a foe with uncanny 
  precision, allowing you to strike a 
  foe’s vulnerable points and deal extra 
  damage. This spell grants you the sneak 
  attack ability. You deal an extra 1d6 
  points of damage per three caster levels. 
  If you already have the sneak attack 
  ability, this damage stacks with it.
  Incite Riot
  Enchantment [Mind-Affecting]
  Level: Bard 5, beguiler 5, sorcerer/
  wizard 5
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Targets: One creature/level, no two of 
  which are more than 30 ft. apart
  Duration: 1 round
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You sow discord among your enemies, spur-
  ring them to physical violence.
  Each creature that fails its saving 
  throw attacks the nearest creature 
  on its next turn, whether friend or 
  foe. An affected creature attacks with 
  whatever weapon is in hand, or with 
  natural weapons. An unarmed creature 
  attacks with an unarmed strike. An 
  affected creature not already adjacent 
  to another creature will move or (if 
  possible) charge the nearest creature; 
  if the nearest creature is not within 
  range of a charge, the subject moves 
  toward the nearest creature along the 
  most efﬁ cient route.
  Increase Virulence
  Transmutation
  Level: Assassin 2, bard 2, blackguard 
  2, sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 minute
  Range: Touch
  Target: Vial of poison or creature 
  touched
  Duration: 1 minute/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  Ribbons of green and black energy engulf 
  your hand and pass into the vial or creature 
  you touch. 
  You make the poison in a vial or a 
  creature more lethal. The DCs for 
  all saving throws against the poison 
  increase by 2.
   Material Component: Licorice root.
  Inevitable Defeat
  Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-
  Affecting]
  Level: Beguiler 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: None and Will negates; 
  see text
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You touch the creature with your hand, and 
  it teeters on the edge of unconsciousness.
  You draw a cloud over the subject’s 
  mind, dealing 3d6 points of nonlethal 
  damage. No saving throw is allowed 
  against this effect. Each round on its 
  turn, the subject must succeed on a 
  Will save or take another 3d6 points of 
  nonlethal damage. If the saving throw 
  is successful, the damage for that round 
  is negated and the spell ends.
  Insight of Good Fortune
  Divination
  Level: Bard 2, cleric 2, sorcerer/
  wizard 2
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 1 minute/level or until 
  discharged
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  You toss a small golden die. It rolls toward 
  the creature you choose, then disappears in 
  a tiny golden ﬂ ash of light.
  The subject of the spell becomes 
  unusually lucky. Once during the 
  spell’s duration, when he makes an 
  attack roll, skill check, saving throw, 
  or ability check, he rolls twice and 
  takes the better result. He must choose 
  to use this ability before the check is 
  attempted, and the spell expires once 
  the second die is rolled.
   Material Component: A gold die 
  (worth 20 gp).
  Invest Heavy Protection
  Conjuration (Healing)
  Level: Cleric 5
  This spell functions like invest light pro-
  tection, except that it cures 5d4 points of 
  damage +1 per two caster levels (maxi-
  mum +12) and grants damage reduction 
  5/evil. Undead creatures take an extra 
  5 points of damage from any weapon or 
  physical attack capable of overcoming 
  good damage reduction.
  Invest Light Protection
  Conjuration (Healing)
  Level: Cleric 1
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Creature touched
  Duration: Instantaneous; see text
  Saving Throw: Will half (harmless); 
  see text
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless); 
  see text
  You invest the target with an infusion of 
  divine energy. His wounds knit shut, while 
  the power you grant to him helps ward off 
  future injuries.
  You heal a living creature you touch of 
  1d4 points of damage +1 per two caster 
  levels (maximum +3). In addition, the 
  creature touched gains damage reduc-
  tion 1/evil for 1 minute.
   Like cure light wounds, this spell deals 
  damage to undead creatures instead of 
  curing them. In addition, on a failed 
  save undead creatures take an extra 1 
  point of damage from any weapon or 
  physical attack capable of overcoming 
  good damage reduction for 1 minute.
  Invest Moderate Protection
  Conjuration (Healing)
  Level: Cleric 3
  This spell functions like invest light pro-
  tection, except that it cures 3d4 points 
  of damage +1 per two caster levels 
  
  116
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  (maximum +6) and grants damage 
  reduction 3/evil. Undead creatures take 
  an extra 3 points of damage from any 
  weapon or physical attack capable of 
  overcoming good damage reduction.
  Kelgore’s Fire Bolt
  Conjuration/Evocation [Fire]
  Level: Duskblade 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Reﬂ ex half
  Spell Resistance: See text
  You conjure a shard of red-hot rock and 
  hurl it toward an opponent. As it streaks 
  through the air, a nimbus of arcane energy 
  crackles around it.
  This spell conjures a small orb of rock 
  and sheathes it in arcane energy. This 
  spell deals 1d6 points of ﬁ re damage 
  per caster level (maximum 5d6). If you 
  fail to overcome the target’s spell resis-
  tance, the spell still deals 1d6 points 
  of fire damage from the heat 
  and force of the conjured 
  orb’s impact.
  Material Component: A handful of 
  ashes.
  Kelgore’s Grave Mist
  Conjuration/Necromancy [Cold]
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Area: 20-ft. radius spread, 20 ft. high
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: See text
  With a gesture, you create a cloud of 
  clammy, thin mist. The light in the area 
  seems to dim as the mist appears, and a 
  slight wind washes over the area, sending 
  a chill down your spine.
  This spell creates a thin mist within the 
  spell’s area. The mist is too thin to have 
  any effect on vision, but the necroman-
  tic energy infused within it hampers 
  the living. All living creatures within 
  the mist become fatigued and take 1d6 
  points of cold damage per round. If the 
  spell fails to overcome a creature’s spell 
  resistance, the subject takes the cold 
  damage but ignores the fatigue.
  Material Component: A handful of dirt 
  taken from a graveyard or tomb.
  Legion of Sentinels
  Illusion (Shadow)
  Level: Beguiler 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Area: 10-ft.-radius emanation centered 
  on a point in space
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  A phalanx of spectral swordﬁ ghters appears. 
  Their blades are drawn, and they stand 
  ready to strike.
  A ghostly, incorporeal swordﬁ ghter 
  appears in each square covered by this 
  spell’s area. A swordﬁ ghter can share a 
  space with another creature or object. 
  Each swordfighter 
  A group of hobgoblins succumbs to Kelgore’s grave mist
  Illus. by C. Frank
  
  117
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  threatens the squares adjacent to it and 
  can make one attack of opportunity per 
  round. The swordﬁ ghters do not hinder 
  movement, block terrain, or block line 
  of effect. They can ﬂ ank an opponent 
  with each other and with your allies.
   Each swordfighter has hit points 
  equal to twice your caster level and 
  an Armor Class of 25. It makes saving 
  throws or checks with a bonus equal to 
  your caster level.
   Material Component: A pewter sword-
  ﬁ ghter miniature ﬁ gure.
  Linked Perception
  Divination
  Level: Druid 2, ranger 1
  Components: V, DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 20 ft.
  Area: 20-ft.-radius emanation centered 
  on you
  Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  Your senses are muddied for a moment, but 
  when they clear, your sight and hearing 
  are improved.
  This spell imparts to all allies in its area 
  a shared awareness of their surround-
  ings. Each ally in the area (including 
  yourself) gains a +2 bonus on Spot 
  and Listen checks per each ally in the 
  area. For example, if you and three 
  allies are in the area, each of you gains 
  a +6 bonus.
  Longstrider, Mass
  Transmutation
  Level: Druid 5, ranger 4
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 swift action
  Range: 60 ft.
  Area: 60-ft.-radius emanation centered 
  on you
  Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Fortitude negates 
  (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  Reality bends at your behest, speeding up 
  your allies.
  All allies in the area gain a +10-foot 
  enhancement bonus to their speed 
  scores.
  Luminous Assassin
  Conjuration (Summoning)
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 5
  This spell functions like lesser luminous 
  assassin, except that the assassin has the 
  statistics provided below.
  Luminous Assassin 
  CR 3
  Male human rogue 3
  N Medium humanoid (human, 
  extraplanar)
  Init +6; Senses Listen +6, Spot +6
  Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven
  AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14; Dodge, 
  Mobility
   
  (+2 Dex, +3 armor, +1 shield)
  hp 16 (3 HD)
  Resist evasion
  Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +2
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk rapier +4 (1d6+1/18–20)
  Ranged mwk shortbow +5 (1d6+1/×3)
  Base Atk +2; Grp +3
  Atk Options sneak attack +2d6
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate 
  wounds, potion of darkvision
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 14, 
  Wis 10, Cha 8
  Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, 
  Mobility
  Skills Appraise +8, Balance +8, Disable 
  Device +8, Escape Artist +8, Hide 
  +8, Listen +6, Move Silently +8, 
  Open Lock +8, Search +8, Spot +6, 
  Tumble +8
  Possessions combat gear plus 
  masterwork studded leather armor, 
  masterwork rapier, masterwork 
  buckler, cloak of resistance +1, 
  masterwork shortbow, 200 gp
  Luminous Assassin, Greater
  Conjuration (Summoning)
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 7
  This spell functions like luminous 
  assassin, except that the assassin has the 
  statistics provided below.
  Luminous Assassin 
  CR 5
  Male human rogue 5
  N Medium humanoid (human, 
  extraplanar)
  Init +7; Senses Listen +8, Spot +8
  Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven
  AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14; Dodge, 
  Mobility, uncanny dodge
   
  (+3 Dex, +3 armor, +1 shield)
  hp 25 (5 HD)
  Resist evasion
  Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +2
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk rapier +5 (1d6+1/18–20)
  Ranged +1 shortbow +7 (1d6+1/×3)
  Base Atk +3; Grp +4
  Atk Options sneak attack +3d6
  Combat Gear potion of cure serious 
  wounds, potion of darkvision
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 14, 
  Wis 10, Cha 8
  SQ trap sense +1
  Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, 
  Mobility
  Skills Appraise +10, Balance +11, 
  Disable Device +10, Escape Artist 
  +11, Hide +11, Listen +8, Move 
  Silently +11, Open Lock +11, Search 
  +10, Spot +8, Tumble +11
  Possessions combat gear plus 
  masterwork studded leather armor, 
  masterwork rapier, masterwork 
  buckler, cloak of resistance +1, +1 
  shortbow, 200 gp
  Luminous Assassin, Lesser
  Conjuration (Summoning)
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Effect: One summoned assassin
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  You conjure a vaguely humanoid being 
  composed of yellow light. It wields a radiant 
  blade and moves with unearthly grace.
  A lesser luminous assassin appears above 
  one creature within range and drops 
  onto it, slashing and stabbing. The 
  assassin attacks as it falls, and the target 
  creature is considered ﬂ at-footed against 
  this initial attack. Place the assassin in 
  any square adjacent to the creature that 
  can hold the assassin. The assassin’s 
  statistics are provided below.
   After its initial attack, a luminous 
  assassin attacks its target every round, 
  taking its turn after your turn is com-
  pleted. It ﬁ ghts intelligently and does 
  not need to be directed by you. If the 
  creature ﬂ ees, the assassin pursues it 
  to the best of its ability. If the creature 
  dies or escapes, the assassin waits for 
  you to direct it to another creature (a 
  free action). You cannot command 
  the assassin to do anything except 
  attack creatures or wait (do nothing 
  but defend itself), nor can you direct 
  
  118
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  it to attack another creature if the 
  originally targeted creature still lives 
  and is within the spell’s range.
   The assassin and all its posses-
  sions vanish when the spell’s duration 
  expires.
  Focus: A serrated dagger.
  Luminous Assassin 
  CR 1
  Male human rogue 1
  N Medium humanoid (human, 
  extraplanar)
  Init +6; Senses Listen +4, Spot +4
  Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven
  AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13; Dodge
   
  (+2 Dex, +3 armor)
  hp 7 (1 HD)
  Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +0
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
  Melee mwk rapier +2 (1d6+1/18–20)
  Ranged mwk shortbow +4 (1d6/×3)
  Base Atk +0; Grp +1
  Atk Options sneak attack +1d6
  Combat Gear potion of cure light 
  wounds
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 14, 
  Wis 10, Cha 8
  Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative
  Skills Appraise +6, Balance +6, Disable 
  Device +6, Escape Artist +6, Hide 
  +6, Listen +4, Move Silently +6, 
  Open Lock +6, Search +6, Spot +4, 
  Tumble +6
  Possessions combat gear plus 
  masterwork studded leather armor, 
  masterwork rapier, masterwork 
  shortbow, 50 gp
  Magic Convalescence
  Conjuration (Healing)
  Level: Bard 5, cleric 5, druid 5
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 20 ft.
  Area: 20-ft.-radius emanation centered 
  on you
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  You alter the ﬂ ow of magic about your body 
  so that spells heal you.
  Whenever a creature, including you, 
  casts a spell within the area of this 
  spell, you heal 1 hit point per level of 
  the spell cast. The effect of each spell 
  cast is resolved prior to your receiving 
  the healing.
  Material Component: A specially 
  prepared, scented ointment.
  A luminous assassin prepares to dispatch its target
  Illus. by C. Frank
  
  119
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  Mana Flux
  Abjuration
  Level: Cleric 5, sorcerer/wizard 5
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Area: 20-ft.-radius emanation centered 
  on a point in space
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  The air crackles and warps as you ﬂ ood the 
  area with unstable, disrupting magical 
  energy. The light shed by a continual ﬂ ame 
  torch ﬂ utters wildly, while your magic items 
  hum and vibrate.
  This spell creates a field of unstable 
  magical energy. Any creature trying 
  to cast a spell, use a spell-like ability, 
  activate a supernatural ability, or 
  manifest a psionic power in the spell’s 
  area has a 20% chance of failure. Spell 
  completion items, such as scrolls, also 
  have this failure chance. If a creature 
  within the spell’s area has a spell failure 
  chance due to some other source, such 
  as wearing armor, check each source of 
  spell failure chance separately. Feats 
  and abilities that reduce the chance of 
  spell failure due to armor have no effect 
  on this ﬁ eld.
   A failed spell uses up a spell slot or 
  other resources as appropriate. Magic 
  items do not have a chance of failure, 
  since the power invested in them 
  is too ingrained to be disrupted by 
  this spell.
  Mark of Doom
  Necromancy
  Level: Cleric 3, paladin 2
  Component: V, S, DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  With a mighty invocation to your deity, 
  you mark a creature as a target of your holy 
  judgment. The ground shakes, the air grows 
  still, and all wild animals in the air become 
  suddenly quiet and fearful as your deity 
  passes judgment upon the target.
  This spell marks an opponent as an 
  enemy of your faith, one who must pay 
  for his transgressions. As long as the 
  subject insists on ﬁ ghting, it suffers 
  divine punishment from your deity. 
  The subject of this spell takes 1d6 
  points of damage each time it casts a 
  spell that causes damage or disables 
  a creature, makes a melee or ranged 
  attack, or uses spell-like or supernatural 
  abilities to harm other creatures.
   The subject of this spell must have 
  an alignment that opposes yours 
  on at least one axis—evil if you are 
  good, lawful if you are chaotic, and 
  so on. For example, a chaotic good 
  cleric can place a mark of doom upon a 
  lawful good, lawful evil, or neutral evil 
  opponent. A neutral caster can use this 
  spell against any good, evil, lawful, or 
  chaotic foe.
  Mark of Judgment
  Necromancy
  Level: Cleric 2
  Component: V, S, DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Targets: One creature/3 levels, no two 
  of which are more than 30 ft. apart
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You call upon your deity to mark your foes 
  as enemies of the faith. Divine energy surges 
  through the area, and for a brief moment 
  a holy symbol of your deity shines from the 
  forehead of each targeted creature.
  You and your allies see the mark of judg-
  ment on a creature and know to strike 
  it in preference over other unmarked 
  targets. Whenever a creature succeeds 
  on a melee or ranged attack against any 
  subject of a mark of judgment spell, that 
  attacker heals 2 points of damage.
   The targets of this spell must have 
  an alignment that opposes yours on 
  at least one axis—evil if you are good, 
  lawful if you are chaotic, and so on. For 
  example, a lawful good cleric can place 
  a mark of judgment upon a chaotic good, 
  chaotic neutral, lawful evil, neutral 
  evil, or chaotic evil opponent. A neutral 
  caster can use this spell against any 
  good, evil, lawful, or chaotic foe.
  Master’s Touch
  Divination
  Level: Bard 2, cleric 2, sorcerer/
  wizard 2
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  With a mere utterance, you grant the 
  creature special insight into how best to 
  complete a task at hand.
  You cast this spell immediately before 
  the target makes a skill check. The 
  subject envisions how a master might 
  accomplish the same task, gaining a +4 
  insight bonus on its skill check. Master’s 
  touch has no effect on skill checks that 
  represent effort over more than 1 round 
  of time (Craft checks, for example).
  Melf’s Unicorn Arrow
  Conjuration
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Target or Targets: One creature or up 
  to ﬁ ve creatures, no two of which are 
  more than 15 ft. apart
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  The shimmering, transparent form of a 
  unicorn ﬂ ies forward, its corporeal horn 
  lowered in a charge at its enemy.
  A translucent unicorn shape appears in 
  midair and speeds toward the target of 
  this spell. If you succeed on a ranged 
  touch attack, the horn slams into the 
  target and deals 1d8+8 points of damage. 
  In addition, the target is subject to a bull 
  rush, and must make a Strength check 
  (with appropriate modiﬁ ers for a bull 
  rush) against a DC of 21. If the check is 
  failed, the subject is pushed back 5 feet, 
  plus 5 feet for every 5 points by which 
  it failed the check.
   You can conjure an additional uni-
  corn arrow for every three caster levels 
  beyond 5th, up to ﬁ ve at 17th level. You 
  can have them strike a single creature 
  
  120
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  or several creatures, but each horn can 
  strike only one creature. You must 
  designate targets before you make your 
  attack rolls. A creature struck by more 
  than one horn is only required to make 
  one Strength check to avoid the bull 
  rush, but the DC of the check increases 
  by 2 for each horn beyond the ﬁ rst that 
  strikes it.
   Focus: An ivory replica of a unicorn 
  (25 gp).
  Meteoric Strike
  Transmutation [Fire]
  Level: Cleric 5, druid 4, paladin 4
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 swift action
  Range: 0 ft.
  Target: Your melee weapon
  Duration: 1 round or until discharged
  Saving Throw: None or Reﬂ ex half; 
  see text
  Spell Resistance: See text
  Your melee weapon bursts into orange, red, 
  and gold ﬂ ames, and shining sparks trail 
  in its wake.
  Your next successful melee attack deals 
  extra ﬁ re damage equal to 1d6 points + 
  1d6 points per four caster levels. In 
  addition, the flames splash into all 
  squares adjacent to the target. Any 
  creatures standing in these squares 
  take half damage from the explosion, 
  with a Reﬂ ex save allowed to halve this 
  again. If a creature has spell resistance, 
  it applies to this splash effect.
   You are not harmed by your own 
  meteoric strike.
   You can cast meteoric strike before 
  you make an unarmed attack. If you 
  do, your unarmed attack is consid-
  ered armed.
  Mirror Image, Greater
  Illusion (Figment)
  Level: Bard 4, beguiler 4, sorcerer/
  wizard 4
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: Personal; see text for mirror 
  image (PH 254)
  Target: You
  Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
  Several illusory duplicates of you pop into 
  being.
  This spell functions like mirror image, 
  except that an additional image is 
  created in each round after the ﬁ rst, 
  up to a maximum of eight concurrent 
  images. If all images are destroyed, the 
  spell ends.
   This spell also differs from mirror 
  image in that you can cast this spell 
  even when it’s not your turn.
  Mystic Aegis
  Abjuration
  Level: Cleric 4
  Components: V, DF
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: Instantaneous
  A mantle of scintillating, multicolored light 
  appears around you to block the spell, then 
  fades away.
  You cast mystic aegis immediately when 
  you are targeted by a hostile spell. You 
  gain spell resistance equal to 12 + your 
  caster level against that spell.
  Mystic Surge
  Universal
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 1 round
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  You utter a phrase, and magical power 
  begins to swell within you.
  The subject of mystic surge is able to 
  channel a greater amount of magical 
  energy into the next spell it casts before 
  this spell’s duration expires. That spell’s 
  save DC increases by 2, and its effective 
  caster level increases by 1.
  Overwhelm
  Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-
  Affecting]
  Level: Beguiler 6, sorcerer/wizard 6
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: One creature
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You grip the creature’s head, and a surge of 
  magical energy overwhelms its senses.
  With a touch, you deal nonlethal 
  damage to the subject equal to the 
  creature’s current hit point total.
  Phantom Battle
  Illusion (Figment)
  Level: Bard 3, beguiler 4, sorcerer/
  wizard 4
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You create an illusory horde of snarling 
  ogres, ﬁ erce orcs, and proud knights in 
  armor, all locked in battle. Creatures in the 
  area move cautiously as they are caught up 
  in the phantom melee.
  This spell creates the illusion of a ﬁ erce 
  battle. Your enemies move cautiously 
  and pass up the opportunity to strike 
  their foes, since the roar and confusion 
  of the battle distracts them.
   All creatures within the area of 
  the spell that fail their saving throws 
  cannot make attacks of opportunity. 
  In addition, all creatures within the 
  area are considered ﬂ anked. A creature 
  ignores these effects when it leaves the 
  spell’s area. If a creature reenters the 
  spell’s area after leaving it, the creature 
  can attempt another save to resist the 
  spell if its initial save failed. A creature 
  that enters the area for the ﬁ rst time 
  after the spell is cast must also make a 
  saving throw to resist the effect.
   A phantom battle spell produces 
  noise appropriate to a mob of creatures 
  locked in battle. Anyone in the battle 
  can plainly see that the conjured 
  ﬁ ghters are no threat, since they strike 
  solely at other phantom warriors, but 
  the din, tumult, and confusion make 
  it difﬁ cult to focus on the true foes at 
  hand. A creature that succeeds on its 
  save can still see the spectral outline of 
  the illusion, but is able to block out the 
  distraction and ﬁ ght as normal.
  
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
   When you cast this spell, you can choose for it not to affect 
  a number of allies you designate less than or equal to your 
  caster level.
  Plague
  Necromancy [Evil]
  Level: Cleric 7, druid 7, sorcerer/wizard 8
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Targets: One living creature/level, no two of which are more 
  than 30 ft. apart
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  Your skin crawls as you utter the words and complete the gestures 
  of this spell. Suddenly, one or more of the target creatures seem 
  overcome by a dreadful malady.
  The subjects contract a disease selected from the table below, 
  which strikes immediately (no incubation period). The dis-
  ease progresses rapidly; the subjects must attempt additional 
  saves each round, instead of each day. Use plague’s DC for all 
  saves. See page 292 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide for more 
  information on these diseases.
  Disease 
  Damage
  Blinding sickness 
  1d4 Str*
  Cackle fever 
  1d6 Wis
  Filth fever 
  1d3 Dex, 1d3 Con
  Mindﬁ re 
  1d4 Int
  Red ache 
  1d6 Str
  Shakes 
  1d8 Dex
  Slimy doom 
  1d4 Con
  *Each time a victim takes 2 or more points of Strength 
  damage from blinding sickness, he or she must make 
  another Fortitude save (using the plague spell’s save DC) 
  or be permanently blinded.
  Prismatic Mist
  Evocation
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Area: 30-ft.-radius spread
  Duration: 1 minute/level
  Saving Throw: See text
  Spell Resistance: No
  You call forth a thin, multihued mist that ﬁ lls the area. Small 
  incandescent lights, no brighter than candles, drift lazily throughout 
  the mist.
  The mist is too thin to obscure vision or provide concealmen, 
  but walking through it is hazardous. Each round, a creature that 
  begins its turn in the area of the spell, or that enters the mist 
  during its turn, is subject to one or more of the following effects 
  121
  Gimble and Lidda sneak through a phantom battle
  Illus. by E. Widermann
  
  122
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  based on the (randomly determined) 
  color of the mist in the area around 
  the creature.
   Consult the table below to determine 
  the color of the mist and its effect.
  d8 Color 
  Effect
  1 
  Red 
  1d4 points fire damage
  2 
  Orange 
  1d6 points acid 
   
   
  damage
  3 
  Yellow 
  1d8 points electricity 
   
   
  damage
  4 
  Green 
  Poison; 1d4 points Str
   
   
  damage (Fort negates)
  5 
  Blue 
  Slowed for 1 round 
   
   
  (Will negates)
  6 
  Indigo 
  Lesser confusion for 1 
   
   
  round (Will negates, 
   
   
  mind-affecting)
  7 
  Violet 
  Dazed for 1 round 
   
   
  (Will negates)
  8 
  At the junction of two colors; roll 
   
  twice more, ignoring any “8” 
   
  results
  Pulse of Hate
  Necromancy [Evil]
  Level: Cleric 7, sorcerer/wizard 7
  Components: V, S, M/DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 20 ft.
  Area: 20-ft.-radius emanation centered 
  on you
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Will half
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  A red light pulses at your feet, sending 
  malign waves of energy through the area 
  that damage your enemies.
  Starting in the round you cast it, pulse of 
  hate deals 2d6 points of unholy damage 
  per round, on your turn, to all enemies 
  in the area.
  Arcane Material Component: A heart-
  shaped locket and a pin.
  Radiance
  Evocation [Good, Light]
  Level: Cleric 5, druid 5, sorcerer/
  wizard 5
  Components: V, S, DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 60 ft.
  Area: 60-ft.-radius emanation centered 
  on you
  Duration: 1 round/level (D); see text
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  A bright, scintillating light shines from 
  your body.
  For the duration of this spell, you 
  emanate a bright light that undead ﬁ nd 
  uncomfortable. The illumination within 
  the area is bright, the equivalent of a 
  daylight spell. Undead in the area are 
  dazzled for as long as they remain in the 
  radius and for 1d6 rounds thereafter.
  Radiance counters or dispels any 
  darkness spell of equal or lower level.
  Ray of the Python
  Evocation
  Level: Bard 2, sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One creature
  Duration: 1 minute
  Saving Throw: Reﬂ ex negates; see 
  below
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  A ray of pulsing yellow light springs from 
  your hand. It strikes your target and wraps 
  around him like a snake, hampering his 
  ability to move and attack.
  This spell creates a ropey strand of 
  arcane energy that restricts a creature’s 
  movements. A creature struck by this 
  ray can only make one attack per round 
  and cannot make attacks of opportu-
  nity. In addition, the creature’s speed 
  is reduced by 10 feet.
   After the spell has been in effect for 1 
  round, at the start of its turn in each round 
  thereafter, the subject is allowed a Reﬂ ex 
  save to resist the spell’s effects. If the save 
  succeeds, the creature ignores the spell’s 
  effects for that round. It must make a new 
  save each round, regardless of the result 
  of a previous save.
  Regroup
  Conjuration (Teleportation)
  Level: Duskblade 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Targets: One willing creature/level
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  You teleport your companions to your side.
  A bugbear stares warily at an area ﬁ lled with prismatic mist
  Illus. by E. Widermann
  
  123
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  Each subject of this spell teleports to a 
  square adjacent to you. If those squares are 
  occupied or cannot support the teleported 
  creatures, the creatures appear as close to 
  you as posible, on a surface that can sup-
  port them, in an unoccupied square.
  Renewed Vigor
  Transmutation
  Level: Bard 5, cleric 4, druid 4
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 30 ft.
  Effect: 30-ft.-radius burst centered 
  on you
  Duration: Instantaneous; see text
  Saving Throw: Fortitude negates 
  (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  With a word and a gesture, you suffuse an area 
  with a soft golden 
  light, bestowing 
  a second wind to 
  creatures within.
  When you cast this 
  spell, you remove the 
  fatigued condition from 
  any creature in the area 
  and cause exhausted 
  creatures to become 
  fatigued. In addition, affected creatures 
  gain a +2 bonus to Constitution for 1 
  round per caster level.
  Righteous Burst
  Evocation [Good]
  Level: Cleric 7
  Components: V, S, M, DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 30 ft.
  Area: 30-ft.-radius burst centered on you
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: None or Will half; 
  see text
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  Holy light blasts from your upraised ﬁ st.
  This spell heals every ally in the area 
  of 1d8 points of damage +1 per caster 
  level (maximum +35). Every enemy in 
  the area takes 1d8 points of damage 
  +1 per caster level (maximum +35). 
  Enemies are allowed Will saves to halve 
  the damage.
  Material Component: A handful of 
  silver dust (worth 15 gp).
  Rouse
  Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-
  Affecting]
  Level: Beguiler 1, duskblade 1, sorcerer/
  wizard 1
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Area: 10-ft.-radius burst
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  With a loud snap of your ﬁ ngers, you cause 
  any sleeping creatures in the spell’s area 
  to awaken.
  This spell has no effect on creatures that 
  are unconscious due to being reduced to 
  negative hit points, or that have taken 
  nonlethal damage in excess of their 
  current hit points.
  Scattering Trap
  Conjuration (Teleportation)
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S, M
  Mialee uses a regroup spell to gather her friends
  Illus. by D. Hudnut
  
  124
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Area: One 5-ft. square/2 levels
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Reﬂ ex negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  Areas you designate on the ﬂ oor ﬂ are dimly.
  This spell imbues a number of 5-foot 
  squares you designate with a teleporta-
  tion trap. A creatures moving through 
  one of these squares and failing its 
  saving throw is teleported 1d6 squares 
  in a random direction (use the Missing 
  with a Thrown Weapon diagram, PH
  158). If reaching the destination involves 
  teleporting the subject into a solid space 
  such as within a wall, the subject is forc-
  ibly shunted into the nearest open space 
  and takes 1d6 points of damage.
   When you cast this spell, the 5-foot 
  squares you designate do not have to be 
  adjacent but must all be within 30 feet 
  of one another.
   Material Component: A 
  pinch of dande-
  lion seeds.
  Seeking Ray
  Evocation
  Level: Duskblade 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Effect: Ray
  Duration: Instantaneous; see text
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  A ray of electricity springs from your 
  hand. It snakes around obstacles, cover, 
  and other impediments on its way toward 
  your target.
  You create a ray that deals 4d6 points 
  of electricity damage if it strikes your 
  target. While this ray requires a ranged 
  touch attack to strike an opponent, it 
  ignores concealment and cover (but not 
  total concealment or total cover), and it 
  does not take the standard penalty for 
  ﬁ ring into melee.
   In addition to the damage it deals, 
  the ray creates a link of energy between 
  you and the subject. If this ray struck 
  the target and dealt damage, you gain a 
  +4 bonus on attacks you make with ray 
  spells (including another casting of this 
  one, if desired) against the subject for 1 
  round per caster level. If you cast seeking 
  ray a second time on a creature that is still 
  linked to you from a previous casting, 
  the duration of the new link overlaps 
  (does not stack with) the remaining 
  duration of the previous one.
  Share Talents
  Transmutation
  Level: Bard 1, cleric 2, ranger 2, sorcerer/
  wizard 2
  Components: V, S, M
  Casting Time: 1 round
  Range: Touch
  Targets: Two willing creatures touched
  Duration: 10 minutes/level
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  Mialee uses a scattering trap spell . . .
  Illus. by J. Nelson
  
  125
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  You touch two allies, and for a moment their 
  features change so that they seem to blend 
  their appearances into one new creature.
  When you cast this spell on two subjects, 
  you create a mystical link between 
  them. For the duration of the spell, the 
  subjects gain a +2 bonus on any skill 
  checks they make, as long as at least one 
  of the characters has 1 rank or more in 
  the skill. In addition, if either character 
  has ranks in a skill that is not normally 
  usable by untrained characters (such as 
  Tumble), the other character can make 
  untrained checks using that skill.
   Material Component: A knotted rope.
  Slashing Dispel
  Abjuration/Evocation
  Level: Duskblade 5, sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Target or Area: One creature or 20-ft.-
  radius burst
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  You rip away the spell energy infused 
  within a creature, turning it into a harmful 
  burst of energy that burns into the creature 
  before dissipating.
  This spell functions like dispel magic
  (PH 223), except as noted here. Any 
  creature that has a spell effect removed 
  from it takes 2 points of damage per 
  level of the dispelled effect. If a creature 
  loses the effects of multiple spells, it 
  takes damage for each one.
  Sonic Shield
  Evocation
  Level: Bard 3, duskblade 5, sorcerer/
  wizard 5
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: 1 round/level
  The air around you shifts and shimmers 
  as a ﬁ eld of pure sonic energy forms before 
  you. This shield repels all attacks with a 
  blast of energy that sends the attacker 
  stumbling backward.
  This spell grants you a +4 deflection 
  bonus to AC. In addition, anyone 
  who successfully hits you with a 
  melee attack takes 1d8 points of sonic 
  damage and must make a Fortitude 
  saving throw or be knocked 5 feet 
  away from you into an unoccupied 
  space of your choice. If no space of suf-
  ﬁ cient size is available for it to enter, 
  it instead takes an extra 1d8 points of 
  sonic damage.
  Stand
  Conjuration (Teleportation)
  Level: Duskblade 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One willing prone creature
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
  With a swift upward gesture of your arms 
  and a single clarion command (“Stand!”), 
  you enable the prone creature to safely rise 
  to its feet.
  . . . to get rid of an unwelcome guest
  Illus. by J. Nelson
  
  126
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  The subject creature immediately 
  stands, without provoking attacks of 
  opportunity.
  Stay the Hand
  Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-
  Affecting]
  Level: Bard 1, beguiler 2, cleric 2, 
  sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Target: One humanoid
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  Your words invoke compassion and mercy 
  in the merciless.
  If the target creature fails its save against 
  stay the hand, it refrains from attacking 
  you or targeting you with spells for the 
  remainder of the current round.
   You can cast this spell during an 
  opponent’s turn after the opponent 
  announces its intention to attack you or 
  target you with a spell. If the opponent 
  becomes subject to this spell, it can 
  choose a new target to attack, but it 
  takes a –4 circumstance penalty on its 
  attack roll due to the sudden change of 
  intentions at the last second. Likewise, 
  the subject of this spell can redirect a 
  spell that had been targeted on you, 
  but it must succeed on a Concentration 
  check (DC 15 + the spell’s level) or the 
  spell is wasted.
  Stifle Spell
  Abjuration
  Level: Cleric 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 immediate action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One creature casting a spell
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: See text
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  As the creature casts a spell, you utter a 
  simple magical phrase that momentarily 
  confounds it.
  You cast this spell to distract another 
  creature as it attempts to cast a spell. 
  The target must succeed on a Concen-
  tration check (DC equal to 14 + your key 
  ability modiﬁ er + the level of the spell 
  being cast) to ignore the distraction, or 
  else it loses the spell.
  Stretch Weapon
  Transmutation
  Level: Bard 2, cleric 2, duskblade 2, 
  sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 swift action
  Range: 0 ft.
  Target: Melee weapon wielded
  Duration: One attack
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harm-
  less, object)
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, 
  object)
  With a single utterance, the weapon in your 
  hand elongates without becoming awkward 
  or weighty.
  The affected weapon stretches, extend-
  ing toward its target, though it can be 
  wielded normally. The spell adds an 
  additional 5 feet of reach to a melee 
  weapon for a single attack.
  Summon Golem
  Conjuration (Summoning)
  Level: Cleric 9, sorcerer/wizard 9
  Components: V, S, F
  Casting Time: 1 round
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Effect: One summoned golem
  Duration: 1 minute/level
  Saving Throw: None
  Spell Resistance: No
  You wave your hand over a lump of ﬂ esh, 
  clay, stone, or iron while chanting a lengthy 
  incantation. Moments later, a golem of 
  similar substance appears in a ﬂ ash of light 
  to serve you.
  You summon a ﬂ esh, clay, stone, or iron 
  golem. The golem begins acting at the 
  start of your next turn and follows your 
  simple commands.
   The golem disappears when it is 
  destroyed or when the spell’s dura-
  tion expires.
   Focus: A small lump of preserved ﬂ esh, 
  dried clay, unworked stone, or iron ore.
  Sure Strike
  Divination
  Level: Duskblade 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V
  Casting Time: 1 swift action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: 1 round or until discharged
  You gain a ﬂ eeting glimpse into the future, 
  enough to guide your impending attack.
  You cast this spell immediately before 
  you make an attack roll. You can see 
  into the future for that attack, granting 
  you a +1 insight bonus per three caster 
  levels on your next attack roll.
  Thunder Field
  Evocation
  Level: Bard 4, druid 6, sorcerer/
  wizard 6
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: See text
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  The air around you crackles with the distant 
  boom of thunder. A dome of translucent 
  golden energy surrounds the spell’s area. 
  The dome shakes and rattles, while the 
  mufﬂ ed sounds of explosive blasts echoes 
  from it. Any creature within the dome 
  is knocked into the air by the powerful, 
  ear-splitting blasts.
  This spell creates an area of turbulent, 
  sonic energy. For the duration of the 
  spell, any creature that starts its turn 
  in the spell’s area must make a Forti-
  tude save or take 1d8 points of sonic 
  damage. In addition, affected creatures 
  must make a Reﬂ ex save or be knocked 
  prone. If a creature is already prone, 
  failing this save has no effect on it.
  Toxic Weapon
  Conjuration (Creation)
  Level: Duskblade 4, sorcerer/wizard 5
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Touch
  Target: Piercing or slashing weapon 
  touched
  Duration: 1 hour or until discharged
  Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; 
  see text
  Spell Resistance: No
  
  127
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  You touch the weapon, and an oily liquid 
  appears on its surface.
  When you cast this spell, you coat 
  the target weapon with poison. The 
  next successful melee attack with 
  that weapon delivers the poison. The 
  poison deals 1d10 points of Constitu-
  tion damage immediately and another 
  1d10 points of Constitution damage 1 
  minute later. Each instance of damage 
  can be negated by a Fortitude save (DC 
  equal to this spell’s save DC).
   If the weapon has not scored a suc-
  cessful hit after 1 hour, the poison 
  becomes inert and evaporates.
  Trollshape
  Transmutation (Polymorph)
  Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 swift action
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: 1 round/level (D)
  Your muscles ripple, and you hear bones 
  crackling underneath your now mottled 
  green skin as your form reshapes to that of 
  a horrid troll.
  You take on the form and abilities of a 
  troll (MM 247). You gain 30 temporary 
  hit points, which disappear at the end 
  of the spell’s duration. See the descrip-
  tion of the new polymorph subschool 
  on page 95 for more details.
  Vertigo
  Illusion (Phantasm) [Fear, Mind-
  Affecting]
  Level: Bard 2, beguiler 2, sorcerer/
  wizard 2
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One living creature
  Duration: 1 round/level (D)
  Saving Throw: Will disbelief
  Spell Resistance: No
  You cripple a target with sensations of falling.
  The subject of this spell becomes dizzy 
  as the ground seems to drop away 
  beneath its feet. The subject must suc-
  ceed on a DC 10 Balance check at the 
  start of each turn to take a move action. 
  Jozan summons an iron golem
  Illus. by R. Spencer
  
  128
  CHAPTER 4
  NEW SPELLS
  If it fails, it cannot move. If it fails the 
  check by 5 or more, it falls prone. While 
  affected, the subject also takes a –2 pen-
  alty on attack rolls and saving throws. 
  Airborne creatures receive a +4 bonus 
  on saves against this spell and do not 
  need to make the Balance checks.
  Vertigo Field
  Illusion (Pattern)
  Level: Beguiler 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
  Duration: 1 round/level
  Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; 
  see text
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You create a field of swirling patterns of 
  color, light, and motion. Creatures in the 
  area stagger as the barrage of sensations 
  overloads their senses and leaves them 
  overcome with vertigo.
  This spell creates a field of illusory 
  magic that hampers the movement 
  and senses of any creature that enters 
  it. The area within the ﬁ eld counts as 
  difﬁ cult terrain. Attacks made through 
  or from inside the ﬁ eld have a 20% miss 
  chance. A creature that begins its turn 
  inside the ﬁ eld must make a Fortitude 
  save or become nauseated for 1 round. 
  Once a creature fails this save, it does 
  not need to make another save against 
  this effect.
   When you cast this spell, you can 
  choose for this nauseating effect not 
  to apply to a number of allies you des-
  ignate less than or equal to your caster 
  level. Those allies still treat the vertigo 
  ﬁ eld as difﬁ cult terrain and have the 
  20% miss chance on attacks.
  Visions of the Future
  Divination
  Level: Cleric 8
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 10 minutes
  Range: Personal
  Target: You
  Duration: 1 hour/level or until 
  discharged
  You view events slightly before they happen, 
  gaining time to react to them.
  You gain a +2 sacred bonus on all saving 
  throws and +2 dodge bonus to Armor 
  Class. Once during the spell’s dura-
  tion, as an immediate action, you can 
  choose to discharge the spell to gain a 
  greater bonus. When you discharge the 
  spell in this manner, you gain a sacred 
  bonus on all saving throws and a dodge 
  bonus to your Armor Class equal to 1/2 
  your caster level (maximum +25). This 
  bonus lasts until the beginning of your 
  next turn.
  Whelm
  Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-
  Affecting]
  Level: Beguiler 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: One living creature
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You thrust one arm forward toward your 
  foe, palm open and fingers splayed. The 
  creature reels as an invisible surge of power 
  invades its mind. 
  You launch a magical assault that wears 
  at the target’s mind, dealing 1d6 points 
  of nonlethal damage if it fails its 
  saving throw.
   For every two caster levels beyond 
  1st, you deal an extra 1d6 points of 
  nonlethal damage to the subject, to a 
  maximum of 5d6 at 9th level.
  Whelm, Mass
  Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-
  Affecting]
  Level: Beguiler 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Targets: One living creature/level
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  With a sweep of your arm, creatures reel as 
  an invisible surge of magical power invades 
  their minds.
  This spell functions like whelm, except 
  that it affects multiple targets and it 
  deals 1d6 points of nonlethal damage 
  per caster level to each subject, to a 
  maximum of 10d6 at 10th level.
  Whelming Blast
  Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-
  Affecting]
  Level: Beguiler 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 30 ft.
  Area: Cone-shaped burst
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Will negates
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  You stretch your arms before you, spread 
  your hands wide, and unleash an invisible 
  cone of magical power that assails the minds 
  of the creatures within it.
  You assail the mental faculties of crea-
  tures in the area, dealing 1d6 points of 
  nonlethal damage per two caster levels 
  (maximum 5d6 at 10th level) to each 
  creature that fails its save.
  Wrack Earth
  Evocation [Earth]
  Level: Druid 7
  Components: V, S, DF
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 30 ft.
  Area: 30-ft. line
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw: Reﬂ ex half; see text
  Spell Resistance: No
  You stomp your foot, causing a shockwave 
  to shoot out from you.
  When you cast this spell, earth and 
  stone blast upward along a 30-foot line, 
  smashing creatures and knocking 
  them out of the way. This spell deals 
  1d6 points of bludgeoning damage 
  per caster level (maximum 15d6) to 
  every creature it contacts and creates a 
  5-foot-wide mound of stone and rubble 
  along the path of the line. Creatures 
  within the area that fail their Reflex 
  saves are moved to a random side of 
  the rubble. The rubble created is dif-
  ficult terrain that requires 2 squares 
  of movement to enter. Creatures that 
  succeed on their saving throws take 
  half damage and are not moved by the 
  mound of rubble.
  
  our character is more than just a race, class, 
  and level stapled together. At their best, D&D® 
  characters are on par with characters in the best 
  movies and novels, almost as complex as real people. 
  You have many options at your disposal when craft-
  ing your character’s personality. You could invent 
  an intriguing history for your character and allow his or her 
  personality to follow naturally from that. You could imitate 
  characters (or aspects of characters) from books you have read, 
  movies you have seen, or real people you know. With some 
  attention on your part to his or her background, personal-
  ity type, and signiﬁ cant traits, your character can possess 
  realistic depth and motivation. This chapter offers tools to 
  create well-rounded characters with memorable personalities, 
  as well as advice on being a good player at the table.
  CHARACTER 
  BACKGROUND
  Your character has a place in the ﬁ ctional world of the D&D 
  game. Whether you grew up on a farm, struggled for scraps 
  of bread in an alleyway, or were raised by a pack of magical 
  wolves, you had a life before you started walking the road to 
  adventure. The following backgrounds can serve as inspiration 
  for what your character’s childhood and youth were like.
   Each background includes several headers that describe how 
  you can apply it to different parts of your character’s life.
   Youth: This section describes the typical experiences of 
  a character who grew up in this background. It describes 
  how that background shaped your early life.
   Transition: Your background represents your past. This 
  section offers two or three ideas on how you left your old 
  life behind and became an adventurer.
   At the Table: Your background shapes your outlook and 
  your actions. This section discusses how your background 
  might manifest when you roleplay your character.
  ARTISAN
  Apprenticed to a promising artisan, you worked hard 
  throughout your childhood to develop the skills neces-
  sary to master your craft and make a good living in the 
  world. Hours spent working in the shop alongside your 
  master watching, assisting, practicing, and slowly gain-
  ing expertise in all aspects of your chosen craft allow 
  you to truly appreciate the artistry that goes into every 
  facet of the job. From conceptualization to gathering 
  supplies to working the materials into the desired form 
  and ﬁ nally to the cleanup at the end of each project, 
  you are proud to have the skills of a true artisan.
   Youth: Working in your master’s shop was no day 
  at the carnival. Early on, you spent most of your time 
  sweeping and scrubbing ﬂ oors, cleaning tools, carrying 
  supplies, and preparing simple meals so your master 
  could spend his time working on his current project. 129
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  
  130
  CHAPTER 5
  BUILDING YOUR 
  IDENTITY
  Each time he gave you a task that seemed meaningless to the 
  actual job at hand, more often than not it proved necessary 
  to achieving his goal. As you completed these tasks, you 
  would quietly watch your master, learning all you could from 
  observation before he gave your next task.
   Transition: What drove you from the comforting grip of 
  the workshop to the world of adventure? Your motivation 
  could come from within, or events beyond your control might 
  have cast you into the role of an adventurer.
   Perhaps the toil of the workshop grew tiresome. You always 
  preferred tales of heroes, monsters, and ancient treasures to 
  your master’s long lectures on responsibility, technique, and 
  craftsmanship. As soon as you had enough money saved, you 
  left your master and took up training in your current class. 
  Your master might still hold a grudge for your desertion; if 
  he is powerful in his community or guild, you can expect 
  trouble from him in the future.
   If your master was cruel, life on the road could have been 
  a better option than another year of slaving away in his shop. 
  Underfed, beaten for the smallest infraction, and worked 
  to the point of exhaustion, you didn’t so much leave your 
  craft as escape from it. Alone in the world and penniless, 
  you learned enough to survive and eventually became an 
  adventurer. Perhaps a kindly new master took you in, or you 
  were drafted into military or religious service.
   Artisans need peace and stability to make a living. A war, 
  plague, or other calamity could have forced you onto the 
  adventurer’s path. If orcs sacked your home city and burned 
  it to the ground, you could have become an adventurer out of 
  necessity rather than any desire for glory. Perhaps you thirst 
  for vengeance against the cruel tyrant who slew your master 
  and smashed your dreams of becoming a respected artisan 
  with a shop of your own.
   At the Table: Comment on the craftsmanship of weapons 
  and armor you ﬁ nd. A dwarf craftsman might take the time 
  to wonder at the beautiful carvings on an ancient, abandoned 
  stronghold’s walls. An elf artisan might be arrogant toward 
  human goods. While other members of the party are excited 
  at the magical properties of a sword, you ﬁ nd the excellent 
  quality of its blade and the ﬁ ne detailed work in its pommel 
  worthy of comment. To you, a dungeon can also be a museum 
  of an ancient civilization’s artwork and craftsmanship.
  ASCETIC
  Sequestered in a convent, monastery, library, or school, you spent 
  your youth in study, contemplation, and reﬂ ection. Through 
  meditation, academic study, or prayer, you honed your passion 
  for knowledge in the ﬁ re of your will. Through discipline and 
  perseverance, you still constantly drive yourself to unlock 
  lore, whether it is hidden in ancient texts or religious scrip-
  ture or revealed through constant meditative practice.
   Youth: As a child you spent hours retrieving and cataloging 
  tomes and scrolls for older scholars who left you to your own 
  devices once they had the materials they sought. Spending 
  these hours with little supervision, you learned the location of 
  nearly every work stored in the library of the mountain abbey 
  you called home. While at that age you couldn’t fathom the 
  mysteries stored within, you kept a mental tally of those that 
  interested you most. From time to time you would be sent to 
  the kitchen for food, or to wash dishes, or to run any number 
  of errands. Each such excursion away from the library that 
  you had come to call home felt like a test—of your resolve 
  to learn, of your desire to spend time only in the library, or 
  simply of your youthful patience.
   Transition: A scholar can only learn so much in a library 
  surrounded by books. Your masters ordered you out into the 
  world to experience its wonders ﬁ rsthand. Having learned 
  everything your masters can teach, you can never return 
  home until your magic or ki is strong enough, or until you 
  have surpassed your masters, or you have achieved enlighten-
  ment or ultimate arcane or divine power.
   Alternatively, a rivalry or power struggle among your masters 
  might have forced you out into the world. Your tutor or sponsor 
  fell into disgrace or disappeared under mysterious circum-
  stances. Without your master around, there was no longer a 
  place for you. You still seek him, or at least to avenge him.
   Perhaps rather than simply leaving your order, you were 
  expelled. Scholarship demands innovation and forward thought, 
  but your thoughts were too radical for your elders. Your ideas 
  were deemed dangerous or subversive or heretical, forcing 
  your exile. Maybe you delved into lore too dangerous for mere 
  apprentices, such as spells to summon forgotten gods or bind 
  demons. Perhaps a rival student framed you.
   At the Table: You know a lot, and you aren’t afraid to show 
  it off. While others might refer to creatures by common 
  names such as “kobold,” “troglodyte,” and “bugbear,” you 
  know the proper classiﬁ cation of each in Old Draconic. If you 
  ﬁ nd an ancient library, a collection of scrolls, or even ancient 
  murals and frescoes that depict myths and prehistorical 
  events, you happily lose yourself in studying them even in 
  the midst of a dungeon.
   If you trained as a monk or cleric, the habits, beliefs, and 
  ethos instilled in you by your upbringing play a major role in 
  your life. For example, you might be a vegetarian if your sect 
  forbids the eating of meat, and you aren’t afraid to tell others 
  of the superiority of your diet. You have an old saying or a 
  bit of wisdom for every occasion. When faced with a tough 
  decision, you turn to a religious book or similar manual for 
  guidance. You quote scripture or your master’s sayings to 
  support your arguments and decisions.
  DRIFTER
  Home? What’s that? You spent your entire life on the road, 
  moving from town to town. You get by taking odd jobs, some 
  less savory than others, or performing for a night’s bed and 
  food. People are your stock in trade; your keen understanding 
  of their attitudes, behaviors, and desires keeps you employed 
  and alive. When things go bad, it’s time for you and yours to 
  move on to the next town. Survival has always been your ﬁ rst 
  priority, and you have become quite good at it.
   Youth: As a child, you spent the majority of your days either 
  on the road or performing odd jobs and running errands for your 
  elders. You put any talents you had to work for you just to get by 
  and perhaps earn a little food or a few spare coins. You might have 
  turned to crime when things became desperate, or you might 
  have resisted all temptation no matter how bad things got.
  
  131
  CHAPTER 5
  BUILDING YOUR 
  IDENTITY
   You could have ended up on the road due to a number of 
  reasons. You might have been separated from your family at a 
  young age due to war or some other disaster. A plague could have 
  left you a sole survivor and driven you from your hometown. 
  Perhaps you grew up in an orphanage and ran away as soon as you 
  were able. Your parents could have been wanderers themselves, 
  so that you never knew any other life, at ﬁ rst being carried on 
  your mother’s back and then later walking beside her.
   Transition: Moving from the life of a scrounging drifter 
  to that of an adventurer was easy for you. The skills you 
  learned on the roads or in the alleys and taprooms of the 
  world prove useful to any adventurer. Perhaps you managed 
  a heist that scored you enough money to buy you thieves’ 
  tools, a weapon, and some armor. That single windfall was 
  enough to transform you from just another wanderer to a 
  skilled, armed adventurer.
   You might have stumbled into the adventurer’s life by 
  accident. Seeking shelter from a storm, you entered a cave 
  that turned out to be a monster’s lair. You managed to slay 
  the beast and afterward helped yourself to its treasure. Your 
  ﬁ rst taste of adventure was frightening and exhilarating (and 
  proﬁ table), and you developed a liking for the activity.
   Adventure ﬁ nds you as often as you ﬁ nd it. Perhaps mon-
  sters threaten the area you are traveling through, leaving you 
  with a simple choice: ﬁ ght, ﬂ ee, or die. Maybe you’ve always 
  tried to help others as you were passing through an area. Now 
  that you’re older, stronger, and more skilled, you can take a 
  more active role in protecting the common folk and helping 
  out where you can.
   At the Table: You’ve done it all before, and your experience 
  makes you calm in a crisis. When a sudden thunderstorm 
  rolls in, you know how to ﬁ nd shelter. When it comes to 
  surviving in the wilds or making your way through a city, you 
  are a treasure trove of folktales, traveler’s lore, and common 
  sense. Worldly for your age, you aren’t afraid to show off that 
  knowledge in front of others. Sheltered people, those who 
  grew up in far easier circumstances than you, earn your 
  disdain if they can’t keep up with you. You didn’t grow up 
  with much, but you learned to take care of yourself.
  FARM HAND
  Born and raised on the farm, you developed a keen understand-
  ing of agrarian life, as well as a strong work ethic. Accustomed 
  to being up at dawn and asleep by dusk, you can track the 
  seasons by touch and smell. You know the satisfaction of 
  cultivating the earth on which you live, and you relish the 
  responsibility of taking care of the animals that you depend on 
  for food, clothing, and companionship. Some might consider 
  this a simple life, but those who have that attitude know very 
  little about how to work with the land or understand the 
  respect necessary to coax it to bear fruit.
   Youth: As a child, you hung upon the apron strings of those 
  working in the home and hearth. You learned to clean the 
  dwelling in which you lived, as well as cook for those who lived 
  there with you. As you grew older, your daily chores became 
  more complicated and laborious. From splitting and hauling 
  ﬁ rewood, feeding and cleaning up after the animals, and working 
  the earth to produce the crops you need to live on, you learned 
  every aspect of farm life and grew to appreciate the hard work 
  that was required just to put enough food on the table. In your 
  free time you learned to ﬁ sh and hunt, supplementing your daily 
  diet with game from the nearby wood or stream.
   Transition: Shifting from the humdrum life of a farmer to 
  the exciting, deadly path of an adventurer was no easy change 
  for you to make. You left behind generations of tradition to 
  seek the adventuring life. Whether you were pushed into this 
  decision or happily left your family’s ﬁ elds behind you, you 
  know that you can never go back to that life again.
   Life on the farm is never easy, and a cruel, demanding ruler 
  only makes things worse. A distant war, a monarch obsessed 
  with building monuments or enjoying the pleasures of the 
  court, or a few years of insufﬁ cient rain and harsh winters: All 
  these factors can drive a farmer to seek a better life. Perhaps 
  the peasants and yeomen rose up in rebellion. You were one 
  of the lucky ones who managed to escape when the king’s 
  men razed your village. You learned to handle a weapon in 
  the uprising, and a slain mercenary raider’s weapons and 
  armor became your ﬁ rst set of adventuring gear. Maybe one 
  day you’ll return to avenge your family and friends, but until 
  then you hone your skills.
   Alternatively, you might have left the farm of your own free 
  will. Maybe you weren’t in line to inherit any of your father’s 
  land, leaving you with little choice but to seek another option. 
  Too ambitious to stay on the farm, at the ﬁ rst opportunity 
  you headed for a life of adventure. Your family still lives in 
  your old hometown, and maybe you visit from time to time 
  or send them a few coins now and then to help out when the 
  harvest is bad and times are tight.
   At the Table: You are accustomed to hard work and have 
  little patience for those who are lazy, negligent, or irrespon-
  sible. You have toiled for hours under a hot sun to feed your 
  family, and you have no time for those who aren’t willing to 
  put out a similar effort.
   When you and your companions enter a rural community, 
  you’re the best choice to serve as your group’s spokesperson. 
  You might not be the most elegant ﬁ gure in the party, but you 
  know how to talk with ordinary people. Despite the armor 
  you wear, the weapons you carry, or the magic you command, 
  at heart you’re still one of them. Any threat to the common 
  folk is likely to draw a sharp reaction from you.
  GLADIATOR
  Born a slave, you trained from an early age to fight with 
  weapons or magic. Experts were brought in from all over 
  the world to train you and your fellows in various forms of 
  attack and defense, imparting to you a respect for cultures 
  outside your own, as well as their methods of combat. Even 
  as a young child, you were forced to ﬁ ght in the arena against 
  other children as well as animals not considered a threat to 
  older, more experienced gladiators. Given your innate sense 
  of dramatic ﬂ air, you have come to enjoy the adulation of the 
  crowd, as well as the respect of your peers.
   Youth: Your daily routine began with a strict regimen of 
  calisthenics followed by training in the pits. Every hour you 
  trained with a different master, each focusing on different 
  methods of ﬁ ghting and teaching you ways to present yourself 
  
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  CHAPTER 5
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  IDENTITY
  with a distinct theatrical air. After a noon meal, you were set 
  to sparring in the arena, focusing on different tactics and 
  scenarios—some meant for the individual and some done 
  in pairs, each gladiator working in tandem with another.
  Transition: A gladiator revolt allowed you to break free of 
  your masters. In a single night of carefully planned violence, 
  you turned the tables on your captors and made a daring 
  escape. You were one of the lucky ones who made it out alive, 
  but your former masters placed a price on your head. You have 
  run far away, but who knows when a cunning bounty hunter 
  or a vengeful tracker might ﬁ nd you? Thus, you keep to the 
  road. You prefer never to talk about your past, and you make 
  an active effort to disguise your true identity. Anyone who 
  shows an unusual interest in you could be a threat.
   Alternatively, perhaps you earned your freedom through your 
  success in the arena. Even so, your past haunts you. Old rivals 
  from your ﬁ ghting days, relatives of opponents you killed, and 
  cocky young brawlers seeking to make a name for themselves 
  all seek you out with bloody intent. Your fame is an unwelcome 
  burden, just as likely to cause trouble as earn favors.
   Once you entered the wide world, you had few skills aside 
  from those you learned in the arena and under the tutelage 
  of the pit masters. Mercenary work didn’t appeal to you, 
  since you’ve already had your ﬁ ll of demanding masters. As 
  an adventurer, you can risk your life as you choose and for 
  your own proﬁ t. Life is much better this way.
  At the Table: You are an expert on weapons, armor, and ﬁ ght-
  ing styles. When you size up others, you look at them in terms of 
  their ﬁ ghting ability. You collect trophies from fallen enemies, 
  both to respect the talent they dis-
  played in standing against 
  you and to com-
  memorate your 
  victories. When you face a problem, violence is your preferred 
  solution (soft words and subtle methods never served you well in 
  the arena). Politics are beyond you. There’s no obstacle that can’t 
  be overcome with a swift blow to the head. When it comes time 
  to make plans, you argue for a direct and violent solution.
   Your weapons, armor, and other tools of combat are your 
  wards against defeat. You spend time each morning caring for 
  your weapons and gear. A warrior who doesn’t take care of his 
  gear risks losing his next ﬁ ght, and you always plan to win.
  GUTTERSNIPE
  Born into poverty, you grew up on the streets. When other 
  children went home to their parents, you slept in back alleys 
  and dilapidated abandoned buildings, getting food where 
  you could and making friends and family out of those in 
  similar straits. Those with roofs over their heads and doors to 
  close against the night looked down upon you, calling you a 
  worthless, no-good street urchin. They didn’t understand the 
  kind of skills you possessed, skills that allowed you to ﬁ nd 
  what you needed to survive, whether that was food, drinkable 
  water, or a safe place to sleep.
  Youth: Living on the streets was tough—dodging bullies 
  and gangs, scrounging for food or standing in line for a daily 
  bowl of soup at the temple, avoiding the heavy hand of the local 
  constables. You were always hungry, but you had the freedom 
  to do as you pleased, and from time to time a generous passerby 
  might give you a few coppers to run a quick errand or deliver 
  a message. You spent a great deal of time dodging a gang of 
  Guttersnipes grow up on the street, taking whatever they can get
  Illus. by M. May
  
  133
  CHAPTER 5
  BUILDING YOUR 
  IDENTITY
  toughs who only seemed interested in making you steal on 
  their behalf. You made up your mind that if you were going 
  to be the one stealing, then you would be the one to pick the 
  time and place, determine what was and wasn’t an acceptable 
  level of risk, and reap the beneﬁ t if you pulled it off.
   Transition: You couldn’t dodge the gang and the con-
  stables forever. Perhaps you bit off more than you could chew 
  in a daring robbery. After that your choice was simple: leave 
  town until the heat died down or die at the hands of the 
  gang’s brutal enforcers. You took to the road and found that 
  your skills worked just as well in other cities as in your own. 
  Adventuring offered you the chance to make a fortune and 
  set something aside for the long term.
   Perhaps your burgeoning talents came to the attention of a 
  small band of adventurers who needed an item liberated from 
  a certain wizard’s bedchamber. While they distracted the old 
  mage, you climbed the wall of his tower and plucked an amulet 
  from his armoire. You made a lot of money on that job, and you 
  decided this was the life for you. The victimized wizard might 
  seek you out (whether you are aware of that or not) to avenge 
  his loss. If your past catches up to you, you had best hope that 
  your adventuring companions can help bail you out.
   At the Table: Old habits die hard. You’re accustomed to 
  scrounging for basic necessities, so you tend to keep extra sup-
  plies on hand—you never want to go to sleep hungry again. 
  When you have spending money, you have trouble holding 
  on to it. A few nights in a sumptuous inn, seven-course meals, 
  and other luxuries leave you ready to strap on your equipment 
  and head back into the world for another adventure. You live 
  for the day and cast aside worries, long-term plans, and the 
  like. That doesn’t mean that you are foolish or reckless, just 
  that you appreciate the ﬁ ner things in life. To you, it’s obvious 
  that you should put off hard work till tomorrow when there’s 
  strong drink and good food to enjoy today.
  MARINER
  With a salty breeze in your hair and a hardwood deck under-
  foot, you spent your life in a constant search for whatever lay 
  over the endless horizon of the sea. You loved the sea and all 
  the dangers that life aboard a sailing vessel offered. Above 
  all, you enjoyed the freedom that you had on such a ship: 
  freedom to travel the world, and freedom from the laws that 
  govern the people living on land.
   Youth: As a young sailor aboard a ship, your life was ﬁ lled 
  with work. Cleaning and repairing the ship took up the majority 
  of your time. You also spent a fair amount of time on watch, 
  keeping a lookout for other ships that could have hostile intent. 
  In rare moments when you were not working, you were free to 
  enjoy the passing sea, to sing songs and learn an instrument 
  from another crew member, or to take lessons in navigation 
  from the captain or ﬁ rst mate whenever they had time to give 
  them. You spent time ﬁ shing, working in the galley with the 
  ship’s cook to prepare meals, or even practicing swordplay with 
  the master of arms in case another ship attacked yours.
   Transition: Life as a mariner is almost the same as life as 
  an adventurer. You must face terrible monsters, venture into 
  unknown territories, and stand ready to ﬁ ght for your life at 
  a moment’s notice.
   Perhaps a terrible storm capsized your ship. You were 
  lucky enough to make it to shore in a strange land, but you 
  have no idea what happened to the rest of the crew. To make 
  ends meet, you put your skill with weapons or spells to good 
  use. For now, you adventure to earn enough coin to survive 
  (and, if you strike it rich, someday buy your own ship). You 
  want to discover what happened to your shipmates. Perhaps 
  the storm had a sinister origin, and even now an unknown 
  enemy plots against you.
   A run-in with pirates might have sent you on the path to 
  adventure. You were captured and separated from your crew-
  mates. You managed to escape, and now you have sworn to 
  ﬁ nd and free your comrades. Perhaps your family owned the 
  ship you served upon, and now you must rescue your brothers 
  and sisters, parents and cousins. You have no idea where to 
  begin your search, but you hope that over the course of your 
  adventures you can ﬁ nd some clue to their location.
   At the Table: You use nautical terms in everyday conversa-
  tion. Your weapon is a cutlass rather than a scimitar. You drink 
  rum rather than ale. You know a lot about ships and boats, 
  refer to others as landlubbers or scalawags, and never turn 
  down the chance to take a sea voyage. You’ve been to dozens 
  of ports around the world, and you love to talk about your 
  exploits in each one. You have amassed a wealth of knowledge, 
  tall tales, and stories. If your group ﬁ ghts a medusa, you might 
  recall legends about a similar creature that haunts the waves. 
  When you enter a port city, you prefer to stay near the docks 
  and visit taverns where you can ﬁ nd other sailors and ask 
  them for news from across the seas.
  NOBLE SCION
  Born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you knew very little 
  about living a common life. No matter what your interests, 
  you had the best instructors. You had servants and soldiers 
  who jumped to do your bidding and ensure your safety. 
  The only higher authority you had to answer to was your 
  family—particularly your parents, who were so busy with the 
  administration of your birthright that they left your education 
  and upbringing to trusted servants.
   Youth: You toured the countryside from the back of a 
  pillow-laden carriage, sipping freshly squeezed fruit juice 
  from an ice-chilled carafe. You spent entire days taking les-
  sons in the warmth and comfort of your personal chambers. 
  When you were not pursuing your own education, you 
  diverted yourself with games, music, theater, and ﬂ irtations. 
  You attended elegant parties dressed all in silk, with properly 
  coifed hair and manicured nails. Above all, you spent count-
  less hours at the court, observing your parents preside over 
  those who served them, settle disputes, pass edicts, and hand 
  down judgments. Some would say that you were blessed from 
  birth, but you believed that the simple fact of your presence 
  bestowed a blessing on others.
   Transition: Leaving behind an easy life of costume balls, 
  servants, and rolling estates, you took up life as an adventurer. 
  After all, the luxuriant life of a noble depends on one thing: 
  money. If your family managed to lose its fortune (perhaps 
  through a rival’s machinations, perhaps through simple mis-
  management), you must now fend for yourself in the world. 
  
  134
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  If you took up the study of magic, or spent long hours work-
  ing under the tutelage of a swordmaster, you already have the 
  skills needed to become an adventurer. What once served as 
  an amusing diversion became the primary skill you need to 
  return your family to prominence.
   Your family’s fall from grace could be more sinister in na-
  ture. Your father might have betrayed his liege or sold out to 
  a foreign power. When his scheme was uncovered, your fam-
  ily was stripped of its title, wealth, and land. You must travel in 
  secret or venture far from home, because the mere mention of 
  your name is enough to 
  incite a hostile response in 
  your countrymen. Perhaps 
  your father was innocent 
  and an enemy engineered 
  his fall. The real villains 
  managed to disgrace and 
  destroy a force for justice; 
  you adventure to restore 
  your family’s good name 
  and avenge your losses.
   Alternatively, perhaps 
  you were the youngest in 
  your family, and therefore 
  you were not in line to 
  inherit your family’s for-
  tune. You were expected 
  to join the clergy or follow 
  some other respectable 
  vocation. Horriﬁ ed at the 
  prospect of a life of bore-
  dom, you rebelled and set 
  out on your own. Your 
  family might have agents 
  searching for you, so you 
  must travel incognito. You 
  care nothing for your fam-
  ily’s money and now see 
  your old life as a suffocat-
  ing burden. You only want 
  to wander the road, defy-
  ing the politics and the 
  social responsibilities of 
  the station that demands 
  your return.
   At the Table: You are 
  used to ﬁ ne food and com-
  fortable accommodations. While 
  you fancy yourself tough enough to 
  live an adventurer’s life, you miss the comforts of home. When 
  on the road, you would rather spend a night in an inn with a 
  hot bath and a warm meal than rough it under the stars. You 
  can’t help but complain about the poor food, the sour wine, 
  and other minor indignities that you must endure. It’s beneath 
  your dignity to whine, but sometimes you let others know 
  that their best falls short of your expectations. You admire 
  those whose accomplishments earn them the right for you to 
  consider them your peers, but the sense of entitlement and 
  arrogance that has been ingrained in you since childhood 
  sometimes bubbles to the surface.
  SOLDIER
  From the earliest age you can remember, you were a servant in 
  the army of your lord. You drilled to march, you drilled to ﬁ ght, 
  and you even drilled to bathe and eat. Every waking moment was 
  utilized to its maximum potential, and you kept moving with 
  one purpose or another as long as daylight lasted. Learning to 
  ﬁ ght, cleaning weapons and armor, and taking care of the cav-
  alry’s steeds were only a few 
  of the tasks that greeted you 
  each day. No task assigned 
  was meaningless or trivial, 
  and all of them could be ac-
  complished with a sense of 
  honor and pride in knowing 
  that you served an organi-
  zation whose purpose was 
  much larger than yourself.
   
  Youth: As a child you 
  spent your days cleaning. 
  Everything needed to be 
  cleaned twice a day, from 
  pots and pans to the horses’ 
  bridles to your quarters and 
  sleeping mat. Everything 
  was checked and rechecked 
  to make sure it was tend-
  ed properly. As you grew 
  older, your responsibilities 
  also grew. You were set to 
  repairing practice dum-
  mies, patching uniforms, 
  and (when fortune favored 
  you) exercising the horses. 
  Additionally, as you contin-
  ued to grow older and taller, 
  you began to train with var-
  ious weapons, becoming 
  skilled in their use through 
  almost constant repetition 
  and practice.
   
  Transition: A soldier’s 
  life is an ideal training 
  ground for adventuring. 
  Your knowledge in weap-
  ons, armor, and tactics serves you 
  well. Perhaps the prospect of another 
  year of taking orders, cleaning stables, marching in formation, 
  and obeying your ofﬁ cers grew tiresome; as an adventurer, 
  you can do what you want, when you want. Perhaps you de-
  ﬁ ed an unjust order and deserted rather than commit a war 
  crime. Now you must dodge press gangs, bounty hunters, and 
  old comrades if you want to keep your freedom.
   Your old military unit might have been destroyed in battle, 
  leaving you aimless and alone. Common labor or some other 
  peaceful trade proved too boring and mundane for you. 
  The noble born are guaranteed a life of luxury, 
  but some individuals crave more than that
  Illus. by H. Lyon
  
  135
  CHAPTER 5
  BUILDING YOUR 
  IDENTITY
  Since you only know how to ﬁ ght, an adventurer’s life was 
  the best ﬁ t for you. Although you enjoy your new life, your 
  past still haunts you. Your unit’s old enemies still seek you. 
  Your surviving comrades might (wrongfully) blame you for 
  their defeat. Perhaps your unit’s destruction was no accident 
  of war. Instead, someone wants you and your old comrades 
  dead, and that individual has the ways and means to hunt 
  you down one by one.
   At the Table: You have a story about a battle you took part 
  in for almost every occasion. You can’t help but argue from 
  an expert’s point of view, and at times you are too dismis-
  sive of those who lack experience in your eyes. You cry out 
  orders in battle, shouting advice and encouragement to your 
  comrades. Part of you thinks that you simply know better 
  than everyone else when it comes to combat, but you also feel 
  a strong attachment and a sense of camaraderie with those 
  who ﬁ ght alongside you. You want to do everything in your 
  power to keep your fellow adventurers safe.
  TRIBAL ORIGIN
  Born among the people, you were raised by the members 
  of your extended family, all of whom participated in your 
  upbringing to one extent or another. Your mother taught you 
  to gather food and cook, your father taught you to hunt and 
  ﬁ sh. Your grandfather taught you to 
  treat hide and make weapons, and 
  your grandmother taught you the history of your people. 
  Everyone had his or her place at home, and you experienced 
  times of both joy and sorrow with all your kin.
  Youth: As a child, your activities changed each day based on 
  the needs of your people. Some days you gathered food with 
  your mother, and others you stalked through the underbrush 
  in pursuit of prey with your father. Your tasks depended on 
  what was needed at the time, and you were productive for at 
  least a few hours each day. You also spent a good deal of time 
  in play—swimming with and running races against your 
  siblings and cousins, practicing the use of weapons for hunt-
  ing and defense from your enemies, and playing elaborate 
  games meant to sharpen your senses and strengthen your 
  body. From time to time you were even asked to stand watch 
  and keep an eye out for the goblins that liked to attack your 
  encampment without warning.
   Transition: The road from your tribe’s home territory 
  to the heart of civilization was a long and arduous one. 
  Perhaps you took to it freely, when the lure of cities and 
  towns proved too strong. Perhaps the transition was violent 
  and sudden, when a slave trader, raiding party, or other 
  force from the outside world swooped in and plucked you 
  from your home.
   If you willingly left home, you could have felt a strong 
  sense of wanderlust from an early age. You always wanted to 
  know what lay over the mountains. The outside world seemed 
  Those of tribal origin band together for the good of all
  Illus. by E. Fiegenschuh
  
  136
  CHAPTER 5
  BUILDING YOUR 
  IDENTITY
  so much more interesting than your humdrum existence, 
  especially when the tribal elders told you stories of the great 
  cities that stood beyond the horizon. Perhaps an old adventurer 
  of the tribe, a warrior who had ventured into the world and 
  returned years later with great treasure and renown, stoked 
  your imagination with the tales of her adventures. As soon 
  as you were old enough, you hired on with a passing caravan 
  and ventured into the world.
   Events could have forced you from home. While you were 
  out hunting one day, a gang of slavers captured you and sold 
  you into the service of a rich merchant. After years of toil, 
  you escaped and now run free. While part of you wants to 
  return home, civilization has proven too intriguing to leave 
  behind. You remain one step ahead of the slave lord’s boun-
  ty hunters, and by improving your skills in weapons and 
  magic you hope one day to foil their pursuit once and for 
  all. Perhaps the slave lords destroyed your village and you have 
  no home to return to. You remain in civilization to grow in 
  power until you can avenge your people one day. Once you 
  have slain the slave lords and burned their fortress to the 
  ground, you can found a new village peopled by those you 
  free from their chains.
   At the Table: You always compare the character of civiliza-
  tion to that of your people and ﬁ nd it wanting. You are fond of 
  quoting your grandmother’s sayings to drive home this point. 
  Civilized folk lie, cheat, and steal from each other, actions that 
  would doom a tribe in the wild. You see civilized folk as soft 
  and complacent. Few of them have stalked a beast in the wild, 
  and fewer still have fought off a dire wolf or displacer beast 
  attack. Your origin sets you apart, but it makes you stronger, 
  tougher, and more cunning than the soft-bellied folk of the 
  cities. While you might be ignorant of civilization and its 
  customs, you are by no means a fool.
  PERSONALITY 
  ARCHETYPES
  Each of the following personality archetypes includes a quote 
  (something a character corresponding to that archetype 
  might say), a description, and a list of classes and of traits 
  that are especially appropriate to that archetype. You are not 
  limited to these classes and traits; they simply represent good 
  combinations for D&D characters.
  AGENT
  “It shall be as you command.”
   An agent adventures not for herself but for an orga-
  nization or society, whether a thieves guild sends her to 
  gather information, she explores new territory for an em-
  peror, or she carries the name of her deity into new lands. 
  An agent might be loyal to her organization, or she might 
  resent her role and look for a way to escape. An agent can 
  create interesting dynamics in an adventuring party, espe-
  cially when she must choose between her fellow PCs and 
  her organization.
   
   Classes: Bard, beguiler, cleric, druid, knight, monk, 
  paladin, ranger, rogue, scout, warmage, wizard.
   Traits: Ambitious, serious.
  CHALLENGER
  “I must ﬁ ght him. Only by striving against those superior to myself 
  can I achieve greatness.”
    A challenger adventures for personal growth. He cares 
  about treasure and magic only if they can further this goal, 
  and he cares about fame not at all. A challenger tries to reach 
  the pinnacle of achievement in his chosen path, whether that 
  path is deﬁ ned by combat, magic, stealth, or some other abil-
  ity. He does this by throwing himself against progressively 
  greater challenges, reveling in those just on the edge of his 
  ability to overcome. A challenger is a good character to have 
  in an adventuring party, since he does not quail under duress 
  and often allows other party members to take the best trea-
  sure. Indeed, some challengers see magic items as crutches, 
  and they seek to attain perfection without them.
   Classes: Barbarian, dragon shaman, duskblade, ﬁ ghter, 
  knight, marshal, monk, rogue, swashbuckler, warlock, war-
  mage, wizard.
   Traits: Bold, disciplined.
  COMPANION
  “Stand ﬁ rm, Regdar. I am at your side.”
   A companion is the best ally anyone could ever hope for. 
  He is loyal and dedicated, and he often shares a special kin-
  ship with a particular individual. A companion supports his 
  allies in all they do and never abandons or betrays them. He 
  doesn’t lead, but he does offer cogent advice and support.
   Classes: Cleric, duskblade, favored soul, ﬁ ghter, knight, 
  monk, paladin, sorcerer.
   Traits: Connected, funny, loyal.
  CRUSADER
  “Crush the minotaurs and spread the word of Obad-Hai!”
   A crusader serves a cause. The cause might be noble or 
  heinous, universal or personal. She could belong to an organi-
  zation that shares her cause, or she could act as her individual 
  beliefs demand. Either way, a crusader adventures to further 
  her cause. The normal motivations for adventuring—wealth, 
  power, fame, personal betterment, excitement—hold scant 
  appeal for a crusader; she is happiest when she is directly 
  serving her cause. She keeps her party adventuring, since 
  whenever her fellow PCs don’t know what to do next, she is 
  quick to suggest a course of action.
   Classes: Cleric, druid, favored soul, knight, marshal, monk, 
  paladin, wizard.
   Traits: Bold, patriotic, religious.
  DAREDEVIL
  “You guys stay here. I’m going to scale the wall, sneak past the guards, 
  swim the moat, have a look around, and come back.”
   A daredevil gets a rush from dangerous stunts. He is a risk-
  taker and a gambler, willing to put his money, his reputation, 
  and his life at stake purely for exhilaration. He’s the one who 
  opens the door even though it’s probably trapped, who enters 
  the cave even though there’s probably a dragon inside, and 
  who puts on the necklace even though it’s probably cursed. 
  He’s a valuable addition to a party, since he’s always willing 
  to take on the tasks no one else wants to do (and he often 
  
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  IDENTITY
  has the skills to succeed and even excel at them), but his 
  recklessness can be his downfall—and that of his party.
   Classes: Bard, beguiler, duskblade, hexblade, rogue, scout, 
  sorcerer, swashbuckler, warlock.
   Traits: Bold, energetic, ﬂ amboyant.
  EXPLORER
  “If we continue along this road, we’ll come to the fallen country 
  of Abu’nix.”
   An explorer is driven to ﬁ nd new places, interesting cultures, 
  and fascinating objects. When she reads a map, she looks to 
  the edges and wonders what’s beyond. Her eyes fall ﬁ rst on the 
  unknown areas: What’s in the middle of that for-
  est? On top of those mountains? Beneath that 
  ocean? She is happiest when she discovers 
  something new. She is driven to be the 
  ﬁ rst person to look at a new land, 
  battle a new creature, or discover a 
  new item. An explorer keeps her 
  party moving, and she guaran-
  tees constant adventure as 
  she points her companions 
  toward uncharted territory.
   Classes: Barbarian, bard, 
  druid, duskblade, ranger, 
  rogue, scout.
   Traits: Driven, exotic.
  INNOCENT
  “I’ve never done anything like 
  that.”
   An innocent might have 
  seen violence and brutality, 
  but she did not participate. 
  An innocent is blameless 
  . . . so far. Other charac-
  ters, particularly elder ones, 
  ﬁ nd an innocent endearing 
  because of this quality. An in-
  nocent might adventure to 
  dispel her innocence, because 
  she craves excitement, because 
  she has no other choice, or for any 
  of the other reasons characters ad-
  venture. An innocent is a blank slate, 
  and seeing how she maintains or 
  loses her innocence creates dy-
  namic tension in the adventuring 
  party. Seeing her triumph despite, 
  or perhaps because of, her innocence is exhilarating.
   Classes: Bard, cleric, druid, favored soul, monk, sorcerer, 
  wizard.
   Traits: Carefree, kind, naïve.
  LEADER
  “Onward, men! We have those orcs on the run!”
   A leader leads. Others look to him for guidance, and he 
  provides it. He might provide assurance and protection, or he 
  might instill fear in his allies as well as his enemies. He speaks 
  on his party’s behalf and organizes his fellow PCs in combat, 
  shouting strategies (preferably in languages his opponents can’t 
  understand). He drives the party forward outside of combat 
  as well, keeping it moving toward a common goal, searching 
  for adventure, and deciding which adventures to accept and 
  which to decline. He might share leadership gracefully, or he 
  might demand that power and position for himself. Leaders 
  often, but not always, have high Charisma scores.
   Classes: Cleric, dragon shaman, ﬁ ghter, knight, marshal, 
  paladin, warmage.
    Traits: Ambitious, charming.
  MARTYR
  “My life for you.”
    A martyr willingly and even ea-
  gerly puts her life on the line 
  for a greater purpose. This 
  purpose might be a cause, 
  an organization, a specific 
  person, a group of people, 
  or just about anything else. A 
  martyr is willing to die to fur-
  ther this purpose, and in fact 
  expects to do so. However, she 
  refuses to die in vain—her death 
  must have a greater meaning, and 
  it must inspire others to greatness. 
  A martyr’s selﬂ essness makes her a 
  valuable addition to an adventur-
  ing party, since she is often willing 
  to sacriﬁ ce herself for her compan-
  ions. Her greater purpose provides 
  motivation for adventures, but she 
  can become self-righteous and reckless 
  in her risk-taking.
    Classes: Cleric, druid, favored 
  soul, ﬁ ghter, knight, monk, paladin.
   Traits: Kind, merciful, reformed.
  MERCENARY
  “If there’s gold involved, I’m in. Other-
  wise, count me out.”
   
   A mercenary cares about ma-
  terial things—chiefly gold, but also 
  the goods and services that gold 
  buys, such as equipment, magic 
  items, good food, and good times. 
  Concepts such as morality and 
  loyalty matter little to a mercenary, or so she says. Cir-
  cumstances and good friends might make her change her 
  beliefs, but money still holds a special place in her soul. 
  A mercenary is a good addition to an adventuring party 
  because she is easy to motivate.
   Classes: Barbarian, bard, beguiler, fighter, hexblade, 
  marshal, rogue, sorcerer, wizard.
   Traits: Boastful, greedy.
  From an early age, crusaders train in anticipation 
  of the day when they’re called to action
  Illus. by C. Frank
  
  138
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  ORPHAN
  “I’ve been on my own my whole life. Always alone.”
   An orphan has no parents, at least not that he can remember, 
  or parental ﬁ gures in his life. He might have grown up in an 
  orphanage or on the street, but in any case he spent his forma-
  tive years fending for himself. This upbringing taught him 
  self-reliance and conﬁ dence but also distrust of others. An 
  orphan could be curious about his parentage and his lost past, 
  and seeking answers to such questions can spark adventure. 
  After he learns to trust his adventuring partners, he cleaves 
  to them like the family he never had.
   Classes: Barbarian, bard, beguiler, cleric, 
  druid, ﬁ ghter, hexblade, monk, ranger, 
  rogue, scout, sorcerer, warlock.
   Traits: Calm.
  PROPHET
  “I speak the word of Pelor.”
   A prophet sees herself as the voice 
  of a deity in the world—which 
  might or might not be true. She 
  doesn’t necessarily crusade or 
  convert, but she does uphold her 
  deity’s values and believes that she 
  embodies a piece of that deity in 
  physical form. Other faithful wor-
  shipers gather about her, and priests 
  of the faith welcome her. She prompts 
  adventures that further her deity’s ends 
  and leads her party into adventures that she 
  claims her deity instructed her to undertake.
   Classes: Cleric, dragon shaman, druid, 
  favored soul, monk, paladin.
   Traits: Energetic, fatalistic, religious.
  REBEL
  “What has the kingdom done for us? 
  They’ve rubbed our faces in the mud 
  and expected us to be grateful!”
   A rebel has a grudge against 
  established authority. He might dis-
  like all authority, or his feelings might be 
  more focused on a single government (such as 
  a kingdom), a small group (such as his family), or 
  an individual (such as a baron, merchant prince, 
  former employer, or parent). Highly individualistic, 
  a rebel engages in activities in deﬁ ance of authority, and he might 
  actively ﬁ ght against that authority and all its manifestations. 
  Whether bitter or idealistic, all rebels value their freedom highly. 
  A rebel helps an adventuring party ﬁ nd adventure when he ﬂ ees 
  from his latest escapade or puts his next plan into motion.
   Classes: Bard, ﬁ ghter, hexblade, ranger, rogue, scout, 
  swashbuckler.
   Traits: Driven.
  RENEGADE
  “I can never return to my place of birth. My companions are my 
  home now.”
   For some reason, a renegade cannot go home. He might 
  be a wanted criminal on the run. He might have disgraced 
  himself or be a member of a dishonored family. He might be a 
  political exile or might hold beliefs counter to those currently 
  in power. Perhaps his banishment will be lifted and he can 
  return home after he accomplishes a speciﬁ c task (atoning for 
  a sin, recovering a lost artifact, capturing the real criminal), 
  offering a motivation for him and his companions to adventure. 
  Alternatively, he could be making his way in the world as best 
  he can, now that his roots to home are severed.
    Classes: Barbarian, bard, druid, duskblade, 
  ﬁ ghter, hexblade, ranger, rogue, scout, sorcerer, 
  warlock, wizard.
    Traits: Exotic, skilled, vengeful.
  ROYALTY
  “No, I’m not the princess. I just look like her.”
    This character might be a princess, a ruler’s spouse, 
  or a cousin of the royal family. For some reason, she is 
  roughing it as an adventurer. Perhaps tales of adven-
  ture excite her, and she ran away from home to 
  experience such events for herself. Perhaps 
  her parents (or the court) were cruel or de-
  manded unreasonable things of her, and 
  she escaped. Perhaps she simply wished 
  to experience life as an adventurer for per-
  sonal or spiritual reasons (seeing ﬁ rsthand 
  what her people’s lives are like, emulating her 
  adventuring great-grandfather, or escaping 
  a persistent suitor). Whatever the case, 
  despite her exalted status she is large-
  ly unable to draw upon her wealth, 
  fame, and power in the course of 
  her adventures, and she and her 
  companions could be forced to dodge agents from 
  home seeking to bring her back. Still, her courtly 
  experience provides valuable knowledge and 
  insight, especially when her party deals with 
  high-ranking government ofﬁ cials.
    Classes: Bard, cleric, ﬁ ghter, marshal, 
  paladin, sorcerer, warmage, wizard.
    Traits: Calm, charming, connected.
  SAGE
  “That is the rare and valuable Numhatch mushroom. 
  You can grind it with other additives to make a deadly 
  poison, smear its juice on your skin to reduce wrinkles, or stew it 
  for a tasty meal.”
   A sage knows a lot about a lot, and he enjoys spreading his 
  knowledge around. He might be self-righteous and conde-
  scending, or he could be humble and kind. Some sages possess 
  spiritual knowledge and excel at explaining kinships, natural 
  connections, one’s purpose in life, and otherwise serving as 
  spiritual guides. Others maintain a vast store of concrete, 
  useful information. Many specialize, and some adventure to 
  improve their knowledge in a given ﬁ eld through personal 
  observation. When the PCs come across something unusual, 
  they turn to a sage for advice.
  Mialee the wizard 
  as a mercenary
  Illus. by R. Spencer
  
  139
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   Classes: Cleric, druid, sorcerer, wizard.
   Traits: Calm, erudite.
  SAVAGE
  “I do not understand your ways, but I will ﬁ ght 
  for you.”
   A savage comes from a primitive culture, 
  and the trappings of civilization that the 
  other PCs take for granted—metalworking, 
  architecture (stone buildings), distilled al-
  coholic drinks, and the like—are foreign to 
  her. She greets new sights with wonder and 
  excitement. Though her ways are primitive, 
  she shares ties with the natural and spiritual 
  worlds that others envy. She possesses a raw 
  knowledge and wisdom that helps her and 
  her allies out of difﬁ cult situations. She might 
  face prejudice from others, but she is a stal-
  wart friend to those who treat her well. Given 
  enough time in this new culture, she can as-
  similate parts of it, creating a unique fusion 
  of wild power and sophisticated knowledge.
   Classes: Barbarian, dragon shaman, 
  druid, ranger.
   Traits: Brutal, exotic, naïve.
  SEEKER
  “Let us press on. The White Staff could be in 
  that cave.”
   A seeker adventures because he is look-
  ing for something, often an object or an 
  individual. The object of his quest might 
  be speciﬁ c (the White Staff of the Grimalkin) 
  or general (a way to stop the disease in his 
  home village). He grudgingly participates in 
  adventures that do not pertain directly to his 
  quest, but the object or individual he seeks 
  gives him focus and provides motivation for 
  further adventures. When his allies join him 
  on his adventures, a seeker provides contin-
  ued impetus for additional adventures.
   Classes: Barbarian, cleric, dragon shaman, 
  duskblade, favored soul, ﬁ ghter, knight, 
  monk, ranger, scout, sorcerer, wizard.
   Traits: Angry, driven.
  SIMPLE SOUL
  “Ha ha! I like you, my friend!”
   A simple soul enjoys the basic amenities 
  of life: good food, good company, and good 
  times. She also enjoys doing whatever she 
  excels at, whether that’s slaying monsters, 
  casting spells, converting the faithless, or pick-
  ing pockets. A simple soul sees adventuring 
  as a job—an exciting and dangerous one, but 
  a job. After a hard day in the dungeons, she 
  takes pleasure in sitting by the ﬁ re, roasting 
  mutton, and exchanging stories and gossip 
  Lidda the rogue as a savage
  Illus. by R. Spencer
  
  140
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  with her companions. A simple soul doesn’t drive the party 
  toward adventure, but she is a reliable and steadfast ally.
   Classes: Barbarian, cleric, ﬁ ghter, rogue, sorcerer.
   Traits: Funny, skilled.
  STRATEGIST
  “If you wait here, and you wait there, and you distract the harpies over 
  here while I cast my spells, we should take them with few difﬁ culties.”
   A strategist likes to think things out. He is at his best when 
  he’s at a desk with a quill, planning. He plans for combat 
  situations—even those he probably won’t encounter—as well 
  as other circumstances, such as the proper way to address 
  the court at a victory feast, the right path to take to get to the 
  dungeon, and the right spells to prepare before an encounter. 
  He concerns himself with his party’s well-being; if he knows 
  what he’s doing, he is a valuable asset.
   Classes: Beguiler, duskblade, ﬁ ghter, marshal, paladin, 
  rogue, warlock, warmage, wizard.
   Traits: Conservative, erudite, serious.
  THEORIST
  “Fascinating. And I wonder what happens if I cast stone shape in 
  these circumstances?”
   A theorist is equivalent to a scientist in the D&D world. She 
  adventures to test her ideas and hypotheses and to see what 
  happens under certain circumstances. Her interests could 
  lie in magic, either in speciﬁ c schools or in general (“What 
  happens if I create illusions of demons in front of angels?”), 
  strategy (“Try using your hammer against the vampire, and 
  tell me what happens”), medicine (“Well, I guess this herb 
  might help”), or anything else imaginable. A theorist adds 
  energy and motivation to the adventuring party as she con-
  stantly seeks new ideas to understand and new circumstances 
  under which to perform experiments. Her experiences often 
  produce useful knowledge, which she and her party can apply 
  to other adventures in the future.
   Classes: Cleric, ﬁ ghter, marshal, warlock, wizard.
   Trait: Disciplined.
  TRICKSTER
  “You go in ﬁ rst, and cover your eyes. I have a surprise for you.”
   A trickster has a mind for pranks, bluffs, lies, and surprises. 
  He likes to cause trouble and excels at misleading and fooling 
  others. Sometimes he tricks others purely for enjoyment; other 
  times his skills serve a useful purpose. He prefers subtlety 
  and persuasion over combat. With his quick wits, a trickster 
  often speaks for his party, especially when the conversation 
  is difﬁ cult or dangerous.
   Classes: Bard, beguiler, rogue, swashbuckler, warlock, 
  wizard (illusionist).
   Traits: Flamboyant, funny.
  WANDERER
  “I have no home. I have no family. I have no name.”
   A wanderer is a mysterious soul. She keeps her past to herself 
  and doesn’t talk much. Perhaps something horrible happened 
  to her when she was younger. Perhaps she committed an unfor-
  givable crime, or was accused of a crime she didn’t commit. 
  Perhaps she simply got bored. Whatever the case, a wanderer 
  left her home and has been drifting from place to place ever 
  since. Her vague and intriguing past can be the impetus for 
  interesting adventures and roleplaying experiences.
   Classes: Barbarian, bard, beguiler, druid, duskblade, 
  favored soul, hexblade, monk, ranger, rogue, scout, sorcerer, 
  swashbuckler, warlock.
   Traits: Peaceful.
  PERSONALITY TRAITS
  Described below are thirty personality traits, adjectives that 
  others might use to describe your character. Select two to four 
  of these and combine them to create a deep and believable 
  character. Each trait description begins with a quote that 
  epitomizes that trait.
   Some traits lend themselves to certain archetypes, classes, 
  or alignments. If you are looking for a challenge to stretch 
  your roleplaying skills, try selecting traits that do not seem 
  obvious matches for your character’s alignment or archetype. 
  Doing so makes for more interesting characters. An angry, 
  fatalistic neutral good bard is more unusual, and thus more 
  memorable, than a friendly, ﬂ amboyant neutral good bard.
  AMBITIOUS
  “I’ll be the greatest wizard who ever lived.”
   You have big plans. You want to attain the highest 
  heights and outdo all the rest. One day you’ll take your 
  place in the history books, become a legend, and perhaps 
  even attain godhood.
   At the Table: You speak of your plans and dreams. You 
  make friends with powerful NPCs who might help you, 
  even if you personally dislike them. The monetary reward 
  for a successful adventure is nice, but the political favors and 
  popularity the deed wins you are more important. You care 
  little for money and gems. Instead, you always want the pick 
  of magic items and artifacts the group ﬁ nds. The Leadership 
  feat is a great way to start your quest for empire or undying 
  glory. You consider your eager followers to be among your 
  most valued assets. 
  ANGRY
  “You won’t like me. Ever.”
   You’re ticked off all the time. You enjoy taking out your 
  anger on poor, unsuspecting monsters.
   At the Table: You speak in curt sentences when angered. 
  When it comes time to battle a monster, you use offensive 
  spells or attacks that deal massive damage. Maximize your 
  Power Attack feat, or prepare evocation spells that deal large 
  amounts of damage. When you are angry, you seek to dish 
  out tremendous punishment as quickly as possible to vent 
  your temper.
  BOASTFUL
  “How do you like that, huh? Want some more?”
   You’re a showoff. You gloat about your accomplishments 
  and disparage your enemies—calling them names, making 
  rude gestures, and otherwise taunting them.
  
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   At the Table: You take mementos from defeated foes and 
  show them off in public. When a foe or rival challenges your 
  skill, you never back down. Each strike you deliver comes 
  with a personal insult to match. When a foe pulls off an 
  impressive maneuver, you make a big show of your disdain. 
  You might make Intimidate checks to show off your skill 
  while demoralizing others.
  BOLD
  “Come, let us crush the enemy where he stands!”
   You are brave, eagerly risking your skin to come to grips 
  with the enemy. Others might call this trait foolhardiness.
   At the Table: You lead from the front. Unless a rogue or 
  ranger scouts ahead, you want to be at the forefront of any 
  attack. You charge the foe in battle to bring the ﬁ ght to him. In 
  your mind, the key to victory lies in seizing momentum. Feats 
  such as Improved Initiative reﬂ ect your aggressive attitude.
  BRUTAL
  “He surrendered? Sorry, I didn’t hear it; I was too busy chopping 
  off his head.”
   You show little mercy to your enemies, preferring to hit 
  them until they stop moving.
   At the Table: Power Attack is your calling card if you are a 
  ﬁ ghter. A feat such as Spell Focus (evocation) captures the feel 
  of this trait for spellcasters. Too much damage is never enough. 
  The more destruction you can reap, the better. Unlike an angry 
  character, you ﬁ ght with a cold, calculating demeanor. An 
  angry character with Power Attack might leap into the fray 
  and convert her full base attack bonus into damage, while you 
  play the odds and slowly but steadily increase your damage 
  to deliver the maximum amount of punishment.
  CALM
  “Yes, I see the dragon. What’s the big deal?”
   You remain unfazed even in dire circumstances. You could 
  be supremely conﬁ dent, you could be otherworldly, or you 
  could just be hard to impress.
   At the Table: You are the eye at the center of the storm. 
  You rely on reason and rationality despite the chaos that rages 
  around you. While others shout and argue, you always speak 
  in calm, measured tones. When you do lose your temper, your 
  friends remember the event for years to come. The Iron Will 
  feat reﬂ ects your indomitable spirit. Even an evil wizard’s 
  spells can’t break your will.
  CAREFREE
  “Ah, it doesn’t matter if we wake the wizard. What’s the worst he 
  can do, kill us?”
   You have trouble taking things seriously. To you, adventur-
  ing is a big game.
   At the Table: Nothing gets you down, regardless of how 
  daunting a situation might be. You let the fates take you 
  where they may. Your attitude can prove annoying to stuffy, 
  lawful types, but in the face of grave danger your carefree 
  ways lighten the mood and bring hope to the party. The bard 
  class is a great match for this trait, since its musical abilities 
  reﬂ ect your ability to bring hope to your allies.
  CHARMING
  “Let me hold that for you, my lady.”
   You go out of your way to observe social niceties. You might 
  or might not have ulterior motives.
   At the Table: Every word you speak is a tool calculated to 
  help get you what you want. You are calm when the group 
  needs a rational voice and smoothly effective when it’s time 
  to take down a monster. Like a master politician, you always 
  work a room, seeking to win people over and make them like 
  you. Put as many ranks as possible into Diplomacy to reﬂ ect 
  your winning personality.
  CONNECTED
  “You’d better not be insulting my sister.”
   You have a historical connection with one of the other 
  party members. You might be siblings, childhood friends, 
  or fellow students of the same master. You might like each 
  other, or you might not; it’s also possible that one or both 
  of you is unaware of your connection. Perhaps one of you 
  was sent to protect the other or otherwise keep an eye 
  on her.
   At the Table: When the group faces a problem, you invari-
  ably ﬁ nd someone who can help you. When you enter a tavern, 
  you strike up a conversation with the bartender, gossip with 
  the locals, and otherwise ﬁ t right in. You swap stories, share 
  news, and make friends even in a foreign land. The Gather 
  Information skill is an excellent tool to showcase this trait. 
  When the group needs to learn the latest news, you draw on 
  your social network to hear what’s out there.
  CONSERVATIVE
  “The old ways are the best ways.”
   You like order and stability. You believe that if the current 
  system supports these qualities, you should work to ensure 
  its longevity.
   At the Table: You prefer tried and true methods over new 
  ideas. If an old trick or tactic worked before, you’d rather try 
  it again than work on a new plan that might or might not be 
  as effective. You are slow and deliberate, believing that rash 
  thought and quick actions are a good way to get yourself in 
  trouble. During a battle, you hang back and wait for your foes 
  to tip their hands. Rather than charge, you prefer to move 
  forward slowly and ready an attack.
  DISCIPLINED
  “An hour of meditation and prayer before sleep.”
   You are rigorous and structured in your personal endeavors. 
  This trait can manifest as constant combat training, time 
  spend in meditation or prayer, monitoring the food you eat 
  and the liquids you drink, and similar activities.
   At the Table: You go through an exercise or meditation 
  regimen each morning. If you miss it, you feel uneasy about 
  the lapse in routine for the rest of the day. In your mind, your 
  body is as much a tool as your sword, armor, or spellbook. It 
  needs rest and proper care. You insist on getting a full night’s 
  sleep whenever possible, and you expect others to meet your 
  standards. The Iron Will feat does a good job of reﬂ ecting 
  your dedication.
  
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  DRIVEN
  “I don’t care how many vampires the inscription says are beyond 
  this door. I’m going to get it open.”
   You are relentless in your pursuit of tasks. You might be 
  driven only when you are involved in speciﬁ c tasks (slaying 
  demons, saving a friend), or you might be driven in every-
  thing you do.
   At the Table: You never give up. Even in a hopeless situa-
  tion, your impulse is to keep ﬁ ghting. During the game, take 
  20 as often as possible—you’re determined to keep trying 
  until you succeed. You steadily overwhelm obstacles with 
  your tireless devotion. The force of your will batters down 
  your foes. The Great Fortitude feat allows you to display your 
  indomitable nature.
  ENERGETIC
  “Okay, we’ve killed the trolls and grabbed the treasure and bypassed 
  the traps—what’s next?”
   You brim with energy. Maybe you eat too much sugar or 
  ingest too much caffeine, or maybe it’s just in your nature, 
  but for whatever reason, you’re always ready to take on the 
  next task, challenge, or mission.
   At the Table: You never take 20. That activity requires 
  patience and focus that you simply lack. In battle, you are 
  always in motion. The Improved Initiative feat does a great 
  job of reﬂ ecting your nature, as does the Tumble skill.
  ERUDITE
  “Our current plight derives directly from our dearth of aureate 
  remuneration.”
   You are well schooled, and you like to show it off. You use 
  big words just because you can.
   At the Table: Purchase ranks in as many Knowledge skills as 
  possible. Spread them around if your primary skills are maxed 
  out. A broad range of knowledge allows you to answer almost 
  any question. Make references to the campaign setting’s past. 
  An orc invasion might remind you of a previous humanoid 
  incursion, and you speak of that attack at length to advise your 
  allies. Work with the DM to gain access to more background and 
  history of the campaign world that you can work into play.
  EXOTIC
  “Where I come from, this is normal.”
   You’re different from most people of the region. You might 
  be from an atypical culture or of a different race; you could 
  belong to an unusual religion or organization. Others see 
  you as strange and interesting, and they might be prejudiced 
  against you or attracted to you.
   At the Table: You ﬁ nd the local practices and traditions 
  fascinating. You use a distinctive greeting, and you dress in 
  your native land’s garb. The Exotic Weapon Proﬁ ciency feat 
  is a good choice to demonstrate your culture’s unique aspects. 
  Alternatively, you can ﬁ ght with a trident or scythe or other 
  weapon that PCs rarely use. If you are an arcane spellcaster, 
  choose spells that a typical member of your class rarely 
  employs (new spells out of this book would be a good start). 
  If you are a divine spellcaster, work with your DM to ﬁ nd a 
  suitable little-known deity.
  FATALISTIC
  “None of us is long for this world.”
   The end is coming. Maybe you’ll help it get here faster.
   At the Table: You ﬁ ght with a fanatic’s energy and convic-
  tion. You are a relentless foe and a great ally. Since the world is 
  about to end, you do what you can to help your allies and smite 
  your foes. Place ranks in Knowledge (religion) to reﬂ ect your 
  mastery of dogma and prophecy. You study both your chosen 
  faith and the religions of heretics, the better to ﬁ ght them.
  FLAMBOYANT
  “With a twist of my sword, a couple of steps to the right, and . . . ha! 
  The apple is sliced neatly in two!”
   You do everything with ﬂ ash and panache. You’re never at 
  a loss for words, and you don’t mind standing out in a crowd. 
  Your dress and ﬁ ghting style are particularly distinctive.
   At the Table: Weapon Finesse and Combat Expertise are 
  a great combination for a ﬁ ghter who prefers speed, agility, 
  and grace over brute force. A ﬂ amboyant caster uses spells 
  with dramatic visual effects, such as lightning bolt.
  FUNNY
  “What did the ﬁ ghter say when asked if he liked mutton? ‘Sword 
  of.’ Ha!”
   You have a sense of humor. Others might or might not 
  appreciate it. Many kinds of humor exist; yours might be 
  quick-witted, slapstick, pun-heavy, anachronistic, vulgar, inap-
  propriate, clever, dry, sarcastic, or some combination of these.
   At the Table: The Perform (comedy) skill is perfect for 
  you. When your group goes to a tavern, you make jokes and 
  do you best to entertain everyone. Even if you have amassed 
  a great fortune, you still love putting on a performance at the 
  local watering hole for a few coins.
  GREEDY
  “Let’s loot ’em!”
   You love to amass money and other forms of materialistic 
  rewards. Recognition means little to you in comparison to 
  the thrill you feel when you stand over a defeated monster’s 
  treasure hoard.
   At the Table: The Appraise skill is your favorite tool. When 
  exploring a ruin, you take the time to check over anything 
  that looks valuable. While everyone else gathers an ogre lord’s 
  coins and gems, you pull off his boots and armor to sell back 
  in town.
  KIND
  “There, does that feel better?”
   You go out of your way to help people, with no desire for 
  a reward in return. Others see you as a nice person.
   At the Table: You carry extra potions to heal your allies, 
  along with ammunition, food, water, and other goods to keep 
  the group going. When you have to choose between attacking 
  a foe and using aid another to help an ally, you usually opt 
  for the second choice.
  LOYAL
  “You can count on me.”
  
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   You never let your allies down, abandon them, or betray 
  them, and you stay by their sides even when it irritates them.
   At the Table: Iron Will and other feats that improve your 
  saving throws are right up your alley. Even a foe’s spells 
  cannot necessarily prevent you from helping your allies.
  MERCIFUL
  “He surrendered. Let’s let him go.”
   You show leniency to defeated enemies. You might have 
  ulterior motives for your generosity.
   At the Table: When facing a badly injured foe, use a free 
  action to offer it the option to surrender. Ready an attack to 
  strike if it keeps ﬁ ghting you.
  NAÏVE
  “Why is that person angry at me?”
   You are inexperienced and perhaps led a sheltered exis-
  tence before becoming an adventurer. You sometimes make 
  mistakes because you don’t know any better, but you mean 
  well, and your naïveté lends you a certain charm.
   At the Table: You make social gaffes due to your insular 
  outlook. While others navigate situations with tact and aplomb, 
  you stumble ahead like a bull in a china shop. Avoid placing 
  ranks in Charisma-based skills, particular Gather Informa-
  tion and Intimidate. A poor Wisdom score, and the attendant 
  low Will save, illustrates your naïve nature.
  PATRIOTIC
  “For the glory of the queen!”
   You are devoted to your country, right or wrong.
   At the Table: You prefer to fight in your homeland’s 
  traditional style. Your weapons, armor, and spells are more 
  than simple tools—they are symbols of your homeland. Feats 
  such as Weapon Focus and Spell Focus illustrate your tight 
  bond with such symbols.
  PEACEFUL
  “Wait, this does not have to end in bloodshed!”
   You dislike combat and killing, preferring to use diplomacy, 
  subtlety, trickery, and other nonviolent means to solve your 
  problems. However, when there is no other choice, you draw 
  steel alongside your allies.
   At the Table: The Diplomacy skill is your best asset, since you 
  can use it to smooth out confrontations that might otherwise 
  turn violent. Whenever you have a chance, step into a situation 
  and use a few carefully considered words to defuse tensions.
  REFORMED
  “I used to kill people for money, but that was in another part of 
  my life.”
   You have gone through a signiﬁ cant life change. Perhaps 
  you’re an ex-criminal turning over a new leaf or a new devotee 
  of a religion. Perhaps you’re a former nice guy who has decided 
  that kindness doesn’t pay.
   At the Table: A few ranks in Hide and Move Silently betray 
  your past. You might also invest skill points in Open Lock 
  and Search, depending on the sorts of crimes you once took 
  part in.
  RELIGIOUS
  “Kord grant me strength.”
   You revere a higher power. You might worship a single 
  deity, or you might include all the gods in your prayers.
   At the Table: Knowledge (religion) is more than a source 
  of trivia and information for you. It provides you counsel and 
  advice in almost any situation. When you argue with others, 
  you cite scripture and religious teachings as important points 
  of debate.
  SERIOUS
  “How can you think of dancing at a time like this?”
   You take everything seriously and have little or no sense 
  of humor.
   At the Table: You grumble when others make jokes or venture 
  off topic. During a planning session, you are the one who calls 
  for order and keeps things organized. Invest a few ranks in 
  Knowledge skills to give you the experience and insight needed 
  to back up your demand for focus and careful planning.
  SKILLED
  “Spiced crab legs tonight!”
   Before you were an adventurer, you were a skilled at some 
  other trade. You might have been a blacksmith, a chef, a shep-
  herd, a dancer, a sneak thief, or just about anything else.
   At the Table: Invest ranks in Profession and Craft skills. 
  Whenever you have the chance to use them, leap at the oppor-
  tunity. Depending on the nature of your skills, you might carry 
  a full set of tools even into a dangerous dungeon. For example, 
  a skilled cook insists on carrying the group’s food and prepar-
  ing a nice meal each evening, while a skilled dancer looks for 
  likely partners at the local tavern and accepts invitations to 
  the local lord’s ball as a matter of course.
  VENGEFUL
  “Giants? Wipe them out. All of them.”
   You have a grudge against a particular creature type, 
  organization, country, or individual. Perhaps the offenders 
  killed your family, burned your village, or kicked you when 
  you were little.
   At the Table: Take a level of ranger to gain the favored 
  enemy class feature against your chosen foe. Make notes 
  on each opponent you face and track the reasons you have 
  to seek vengeance against them. The Power Attack feat, or 
  spells that deal lots of explosive damage, are good choices to 
  mete out punishment against your chosen foes.
  BEING A GOOD PLAYER 
  AT THE TABLE
  This section offers some speciﬁ c ideas on how to make each 
  game session a more enjoyable experience for you and for 
  everyone else at the table.
  MANAGING THE PAPERWORK
  Every D&D player uses a lot of paper. You have a character 
  sheets that might be many pages in length. You might also have 
  sheets that list the spells available to you, your equipment, 
  
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  pages of notes from adventures present and past, and your 
  plans for the future. In addition, you probably have books 
  like this one lying around the playing space.
   The following bits of advice can help you manage this 
  paperwork.
   Write Everything in Pencil: This caveat is most impor-
  tant when it comes to your character sheet. Since the numbers 
  and names that summarize your character’s abilities will 
  change over the course of your character’s career, and even 
  during speciﬁ c adventures or rounds, you want to be able to 
  mark the changes on your character sheet. Eventually, your 
  character sheet will be smudged and torn from writing, eras-
  ing, and rewriting; feel free to treat yourself to a new sheet 
  at this point.
   Do Things the Same Way Your Friends Do: If you and 
  the other players keep track of your characters’ statistics in 
  the same way, you save time and effort when one player can’t 
  show up and another has to take control of his character. How 
  do you record hit points? Attack bonuses? Used spells? It 
  helps to talk about these details and settle on a standard way 
  of doing things. This way, you can spend less time trying to 
  decipher a friend’s code and more time playing the game.
   Keep Track of Your Character Sheet: Losing your char-
  acter sheet is bad. You then have to recreate the character as 
  best you can or, in extreme circumstances, scrap it and start 
  a new character. If you discover your sheet is missing at the 
  beginning of a session, you delay the game and waste your 
  fellow players’ time. Make sure you store your character 
  sheet properly and, if you cannot make it to a game session, 
  send it along with one of your friends. Better yet, your DM 
  could keep backup copies of all your group’s character sheets, 
  updated on a regular basis, so he can assign someone to play a 
  character as an NPC in the event of that player’s unexpected 
  absence. Some DMs play custodian for all their players’ 
  character sheets, collecting them at the end of a session and 
  passing them out again at the beginning of the next—thereby 
  absolving you of all responsibility in the matter.
   Use Page Notations: Inevitably, you’ll have to ﬂ ip through 
  a rulebook at some point, perhaps to look up exactly how a 
  feat, spell, or special ability functions. You can save time in 
  this process by writing down page and book references on 
  your character sheet for any complex or unusual feature. For 
  example, if you select a spell from this book, next to it you 
  might write “PH2 105,” indicating the book and page number 
  where the description is printed.
   Know What Your Stuff Does: Even better than page 
  notations, it’s best if you simply know how your spells, feats, 
  items, and special abilities function. When in doubt, quickly 
  review them before a session.
   Plan Your Combat Actions: When it’s not your turn in 
  combat, you should be thinking about what you’re going to do 
  when it is your turn. Flip through a rulebook and make sure 
  you know the pertinent details about the spell you are going 
  to cast. Then, when your turn comes up, the other players 
  don’t have to wait for you to ﬁ gure out what you want to do. If 
  possible, also have a backup plan in case things change sud-
  denly before your turn (new foes enter the battle, the character 
  you had planned to attack goes down, or the like).
   Keep Track of Timed Effects: Many spells and other 
  effects have durations measured in rounds. If you employ such 
  a spell or ability, it’s your responsibility to keep track of the 
  duration (the DM has plenty of other things to worry about). 
  One good way of keeping track of time is to make tally marks 
  on a piece of scrap paper. Another technique is to use a die to 
  keep track of the time—either count up for the total duration 
  or count down for time remaining; at the start of your turn each 
  round, turn the die to the next number. Be careful, though, 
  that you don’t accidentally roll this “duration die.”
   Rely on DM Arbitration: Playing the game is more impor-
  tant than looking up rules. Good Dungeon Masters don’t like 
  taking time away from the game to page through rulebooks, 
  and so they often provide instant rulings on debated topics 
  instead of suspending gameplay for a time-intensive rule 
  search. Go along with the DM’s arbitration, and then after 
  the game or during a break you can look up the ofﬁ cial rule 
  and let your DM know; this information will be useful the 
  next time that rule comes up.
   Have All Pertinent Statistics on Hand: If your character 
  has a familiar, animal companion, mount, cohort, or similar 
  ally, make sure you have the proper statistics handy.
   Use Electronic Aids: While they are by no means necessary, 
  laptop computers and PDAs are valuable assets. They cut down 
  on search time and on table clutter. You can keep an electronic 
  character sheet and update it when you attain a new level or take 
  poison damage. (Electronic character sheets also reduce the risk 
  of losing a character sheet—and if you lose your laptop, you 
  have bigger problems to worry about.) Numerous software pro-
  grams that help you create D&D characters and use electronic 
  character sheets are available. The System Reference Document 
  is available for free on the Wizards of the Coast website, and it 
  includes most of the spells and feats in the Player’s Handbook. 
  Typing “Ctrl-F, ﬁ reball” is much faster than paging through 
  a book searching for the appropriate reference.
  ROLLING CONVENTIONS
  You roll a lot of dice in a typical D&D game. The following 
  are common rolling conventions that you can use if you like; 
  they accelerate gameplay and reduce ambiguity.
   Decide What to Do if the Dice Land Cocked: You, your 
  fellow players, and the DM should agree on what to do if a die 
  lands on the ﬂ oor or ends up cocked against a book (or a DM 
  screen, or a can of soda, or a pizza box). Do you reroll the die? 
  Take the result from the ﬂ oor? Move the book and let the die 
  fall naturally? Any of these options is ﬁ ne, but you should decide 
  before the start of a new campaign and be speciﬁ c. The same 
  rules should apply to all the players as well as the DM.
   Supply Your Own Dice: Though everyone can share the 
  same set of dice, play proceeds faster and smoother if every 
  player has his or her own dice. You should have all the dice 
  you think you need to play your character, so that you don’t 
  have to borrow dice from the other players. (D&D players are 
  also infamous for having superstitions about other people 
  touching their dice, and you don’t want to come between a 
  D&D player and her superstitions.)
   Roll Attack and Damage Dice at One Time: If you’re 
  in a large group and combat is taking an inordinate amount 
  
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  of time at the table, consider streamlining your dice rolling. 
  When making an attack, roll the d20 for your attack roll and 
  the die or dice for your damage roll at the same time. (For ex-
  ample, if you are attacking with a +2 ﬂ aming longsword, roll a 
  d20, a d8, and a d6 all at the same time.) If your attack roll is 
  successful, you know how much damage you deal and thus 
  save yourself a second roll. (Rolls don’t take a long time, but 
  you make so many of them that 
  anything you can do to ac-
  celerate them is good for 
  the game.) If your attack 
  is unsuccessful, ignore 
  the damage.
   This technique encoun-
  ters problems when it meets 
  with abilities that allow you to 
  alter your chance to hit after you 
  make your attack roll. For 
  example, action points (de-
  scribed in Unearthed Arcana 
  and the Eberron Campaign 
  Setting) allow you to add 1d6 to your attack 
  roll’s result after you roll the die, if you so choose. If 
  you make your attack rolls and damage rolls simul-
  taneously, you are more likely to spend that action 
  point if your damage roll is high. To avoid these circumstances, 
  roll the attack and damage dice separately if you have action 
  points or a similar ability that can turn a miss into a hit.
  Roll Multiple Attacks at One Time: If you have more than 
  one attack, and you know you are going to use them all against 
  the same target, regardless of how the ﬁ rst one turns out, roll all 
  your attack dice at the same time. If you also roll damage simul-
  taneously, as suggested above, you need some way to determine 
  which damage dice belong to which attack. You might use 
  color-coded dice (see below) or roll them with separate hands 
  on opposite sides of a barrier (such as a book).
  Use Color-Coded Dice: You can use dice of certain colors 
  to designate speciﬁ c attacks and damage types. For example, 
  if you make two attacks and roll the attack and damage dice 
  at the same time, using d20s of different colors and damage 
  dice that match those colors avoids confusion. For example, 
  when you are making two attacks in the same round that 
  each deal 1d8 points of damage if successful, roll a yellow 
  d20, a yellow d8, a red d20, and a red d8 all at the same time. 
  You can also use color-coded dice to specify different damage 
  types. When you shoot the demon with your +2 holy ﬂ aming 
  shock longbow, roll two white d6s for the holy damage, a red 
  d6 for the ﬁ re damage, and a yellow d6 for the electricity 
  damage. This technique is helpful because some monsters 
  are resistant or vulnerable to speciﬁ c damage types.
  RESPECT THE SPOTLIGHT
  Players take turns in a D&D game, and not just in combat. 
  Characters always want to perform various activities, and the 
  DM can focus on only one at a time. The spotlight consists 
  of the DM’s attention, and the game’s current focus. Which 
  character is active? Which player is telling the DM what he 
  wants his character to do? That player has the spotlight.
   The spotlight is a fun place to be. That’s when you are 
  active, when you are playing the game to its utmost potential. 
  Because it’s a good time, sometimes players are tempted to 
  claim more than their fair share and remain in the spotlight 
  for a disproportionate amount of time.
   Players who hog the spotlight are bad for the game, because 
  they decrease everyone else’s involvement and therefore their 
  fun. If you ﬁ nd yourself often demanding the DM’s attention—
  if your character likes to do things such as head into town 
  to pick pockets, rob houses, chat with the priestesses 
  at the local temple, play music in inns to 
  make a few gold pieces, and the like—
  be conscious of it. Some activities of 
  this nature are ﬁ ne, and they add 
  depth and realism to your char-
  acter and to the game world, 
  but you don’t want to take a 
  great deal of time away from 
  your fellow players. When 
  another player gets her time in 
  the spotlight, let her have it—as 
  long as she doesn’t abuse it.
   
   A couple of spotlights deserve 
  special mention.
    The NPC-Interaction Spotlight: Roleplaying 
  interactions with NPCs is one of the most enjoyable activities 
  in a D&D game, and every player who wants to participate 
  should have a chance to do so. Even if the party has a member 
  who serves as its spokesperson—a charismatic bard or paladin, 
  for example—a good DM supplies opportunities for other 
  players to interact with NPCs. Perhaps the paladin is otherwise 
  occupied, or maybe the party runs into a nefarious individual 
  for whom the rogue would be a better choice to carry on discus-
  sions. Maybe an old acquaintance or relative of one of the other 
  characters shows up. Whatever the case, be respectful of the 
  NPC-interaction spotlight and of your fellow players. If they 
  look bored, relinquish the spotlight in good grace.
   The Dungeon Spotlight: Dungeons are big places with 
  lots of doors and hallways. It is easy for a character, especially a 
  stealthy one, to head out on his own and do a bit of exploring—
  and perhaps some combat and treasure-looting—away from 
  the rest of the party. This strategy strains the game, because 
  the DM must then split her attention and time between the 
  solo character and the rest of the party. If you ﬁ nd yourself 
  tempted to break away from the party, you might want to ask 
  the other players ﬁ rst. (“What do you think about me scouting 
  down this passageway?”) If your character simply wanders off, 
  forcing the DM to take time away from the other players, they 
  might (rightly) resent you for it—so don’t do it. You might 
  make the claim, “But this is what my character would do!” If 
  that’s the case, rethink your character concept. The game is 
  at its most enjoyable for everyone when the characters help 
  each other and every player has a satisfying amount of time 
  in the spotlight.
  OTHER CONCERNS
  The following pieces of advice are also helpful but do not 
  involve rolling dice or managing paperwork.
  Color-coded dice make 
  rolling faster and easier
  Illus. by M. Schley
  
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  IDENTITY
  Avoid Distractions: D&D games often take place in areas 
  surrounded by potential distractions: TVs, video games, 
  books, and the like. Since you’re spending time with your 
  friends, another temptation is to chat and joke at the expense 
  of the game. While some of this sort of activity is fun, and 
  you play D&D to have fun, don’t let the entire session pass 
  in idle banter or witty repartee—especially if some players 
  are not partaking in it.
   In general, keep your attention focused on the game. Your 
  fellow players might think you rude if you leave the table to 
  surf the Internet or play video games, or if you distract other 
  players with side conversations.
  Help Your DM: The DM does a lot of work. If you clear 
  off the table, get the pencils out, and otherwise prepare the 
  playing space, he or she will appreciate it.
  TALK ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER
  D&D characters are at their best when they are more than 
  just collections of numbers and words written on character 
  sheets. This chapter discusses ways to add depth, motivation, 
  and realism to your character, but these techniques are of 
  limited use if you keep them to yourself. You should talk 
  about your character.
   Tell the other players about her. When the other characters 
  ﬁ rst meet her, what impression do they get? How does she look? 
  How does she move? Many players ﬁ nd fun and satisfaction 
  in roleplaying their character’s initial interactions with the 
  other characters. The way she talks and the things she says 
  add enjoyment and verisimilitude for all involved. Even if your 
  character is the silent, mysterious type, describe some of her 
  actions. Do her eyes dart constantly about, examining the area 
  for trouble? Does she stare morosely into her drink? Does she 
  rub an old scar on her neck every so often? All these types of 
  behavior make your character seem more like a real person.
   Many D&D campaigns begin with strong player 
  characters—they have interesting histories, developed 
  personalities, and distinctive appearances. However, often 
  these valuable details fade over the course of adventuring. 
  Players are pretty good at remembering their own characters, 
  but they sometimes forget the histories, appearances, names, 
  or even gender of the other characters. Therefore, continued 
  discussion about your character is important. Interact with 
  one of the other PCs or an NPC to keep your character’s 
  personality fresh in everyone’s mind. Mention how he walks 
  or looks when he meets a new character or encounters a new 
  challenge; describe how a new piece of equipment ﬁ ts in with 
  the rest of his appearance.
   The best characters in movies and novels change as the 
  story progresses, and the best characters in a D&D game are 
  no different. How does your character evolve over the course 
  of her adventures? What life-changing events have occurred 
  to her? How are her beliefs, values, and views about the other 
  characters different from what they were before?
   Talking about your character and inserting characteristic 
  details into the game make for a more fun and memorable 
  time for everyone at the table.
  Gimble demands the spotlight
  Illus. by F. Vohwinkel
  
  very game has moments when particular characters 
  shine. Players might tell and retell the story of the 
  ﬁ ghter taking out the ogre, or the rogue disabling the 
  trap, or the wizard dispelling an enemy’s magical 
  defenses, or the cleric destroying the vampire. But 
  such moments of glory are only part of what makes the D&D 
  experience so exciting. The deeds of individual characters 
  might be the stuff of game-table legends, but it’s their teamwork 
  that gets the job done in one adventure after another.
   Team play is perhaps the most important aspect of the D&D 
  game. Certainly solo play can be rewarding, but answering the 
  call to adventure as a group is far more entertaining. In a group, 
  the interplay between differing points of view brings both 
  players and characters into conﬂ ict from time to time. When 
  they learn to resolve their differences and pull together toward 
  a common goal, they can achieve far greater results than any 
  of them—no matter how powerful—could achieve alone.
   This chapter examines what it means to be an adventuring 
  party and how parties ﬁ t together within a campaign setting. 
  It also offers advice for becoming a better team player and for 
  making the most of your group, whatever its composition.
  PARTY BACKGROUNDS
  In many campaigns, the reasons why a particular group of 
  adventurers came together in the ﬁ rst place are either glossed 
  over or passed off as mere circumstance. At most, a couple 
  of intrepid roleplayers might establish a relationship by 
  making their characters siblings, childhood friends, or 
  past lovers—or they could even concoct a shared event in 
  their past, such as a debt that bound them together. But 
  few groups extend this concept to the entire party.
   Establishing a party’s reason for existence can enhance 
  the roleplaying experience, promote teamwork, and play 
  a key role in keeping the group together in the face of 
  the inevitable conﬂ icts and disagreements. If the players 
  know why the characters began working together in the 
  ﬁ rst place, the ties between them immediately become 
  stronger, and individual players are encouraged to work 
  together as a team.
   One way to build a strong group is to select a party 
  background. Each of the backgrounds detailed below 
  describes a shared event, commitment, or state of being 
  that can help to hold a party together. These backgrounds 
  can be used as written, or they can serve as guidelines 
  for creating others.
  CHARTER
  The concept of a charter was ﬁ rst introduced in the 
  FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign setting. Essentially, 
  your characters form their own organization by becom-
  ing a group of adventurers for hire.
   Establishing a charter takes a bit of work up front. 
  To avoid conﬂ icts later, everyone at the table should be 147
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  
  148
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  THE ADVENTURING 
  GROUP
  involved in working out the ground rules for the group. The 
  DM needs to be involved in the process as well, since the tone 
  and nature of the charter will probably affect the overall ﬂ ow 
  of the campaign.
   The ﬁ rst order of business is to deﬁ ne the purpose of your 
  group and decide on its short-term and long-term goals. Next, 
  determine what kinds of characters your group will accept 
  as members. Choose an alignment and exclude characters 
  who have alignments more than a step or two away from that 
  one. For instance, if your charter demands that the group be 
  committed to order and goodness, you probably wouldn’t 
  want to accept a chaotic evil character. You can also extend 
  the restrictions to cover certain classes, races, and even house 
  rules if desired, as long as those limitations can be framed 
  in the context of the game world. You should also consider 
  what functions are needed—does the group have a divine 
  spellcaster, a person who can disable traps, a melee combat-
  ant and a ranged ﬁ ghter, and so forth? Finally, consider the 
  types of employers your characters are willing to work for 
  and what kind of missions they will accept.
   Once your charter is complete, write it out on paper. 
  Doing so adds a measure of depth to the words, and having 
  it prominently displayed during game sessions serves to 
  remind everyone that the characters have bound themselves 
  together for a purpose.
   Not only does having a charter enhance roleplaying and 
  deepen players’ and characters’ commitment to the party, but 
  it also carries other beneﬁ ts. Your group gains a reputation as 
  a unit within the campaign world, which can make it easier 
  to access services and even gain credit with merchants. Later 
  in the campaign, when characters fall in combat or retire, 
  it’s easy to explain where replacements come from, since 
  word of your group’s heroics will have spread throughout 
  the lands. Eventually, your party could even gain the same 
  kind of prominence and notoriety that the Harpers enjoy in 
  the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting.
  CHILDHOOD FRIENDSHIP
  Your group has been together since childhood. Perhaps 
  the characters’ parents, once adventurers themselves, were 
  in the habit of entertaining their offspring with tales of 
  fierce dragons, terrible sorcery, and vicious monsters. In 
  such a situation, it would be only natural for the youngsters 
  to follow in their parents’ footsteps upon coming of age, 
  and perhaps even try to surpass the achievements of their 
  heroic forebears.
   This background works especially well for a party whose 
  members all belong to the same race, such as a group consist-
  ing solely of dwarves, elves, or halﬂ ings. Such a shared racial 
  heritage can add yet another interesting dimension to your 
  games. For instance, suppose you and the other players jointly 
  decide that your dwarf characters all came from the same 
  stronghold. Life changed for all of you when a horde of mind 
  ﬂ ayers and their minions boiled up out of the underground 
  and overwhelmed your settlement. The dwarves who were not 
  slain outright were enslaved and taken back to the cyclopean 
  Four young dwarves vow vengeance against those who destroyed their stronghold
  Illus. by F. Vohwinkel
  
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  depths of the mind ﬂ ayer city, never to be seen again. Now 
  your group, which was away on another mission at the time 
  of the illithid attack, is all that’s left of the clan. All the 
  characters have taken a joint vow of vengeance against the 
  denizens of the subterranean realm, and their goal is to free 
  their enslaved people and restore the clan.
   A group need not be racially homogeneous to have a shared 
  childhood. Half-orcs, half-elves, humans, and halﬂ ings all 
  reach maturity at around the same time, and dwarves and 
  gnomes do so about 20 years later. Thus, the characters could 
  easily have met as adolescents—perhaps when they all attended 
  the same academy or neighboring institutions. Once all the 
  characters graduated, they decided to stick together and strike 
  out for a life of adventure. Characters in this model might be 
  siblings, old ﬂ ames, rivals, or just close friends.
  CHOSEN
  A popular motif for long-running campaigns is the concept of 
  a shared destiny. Fate has decreed that one or more characters 
  shall be in a certain place at a certain time, either to perform 
  some great deed or to overcome a particularly nasty opponent. 
  Perhaps the group’s paladin has been chosen to wrest the rod 
  of Orcus from the demon prince’s grasp, or to save the Bastion 
  of Souls. Or maybe the group as a whole will one day save the 
  country, continent, or world from some terrible nemesis.
   While the characters who are actually saddled with such 
  a destiny are undoubtedly the center of the group, the other 
  PCs play an equally important role—namely, ensuring that 
  the prophesied event happens as it should. Without their 
  assistance, the fated characters cannot hope to accomplish 
  the task set before them. Alternatively, the characters might 
  know that one of their number has been chosen to perform a 
  given task, but not who it is. This arrangement ensures that 
  the characters are motivated to work together while each one 
  dreams that he will be the linchpin of some great future event. 
  And even if the DM has already decided who should be the 
  Chosen One, he can still change his mind if that character 
  dies, or the player leaves the group.
   Perhaps the ideal situation, though, is for fate to choose the 
  entire party for the task. In this model, the avatar of a deity (or 
  a powerful mage, noble, or prophet) hand-picks the characters 
  and sets them on the path to greatness. The great and noble 
  cause they champion (or the unbearable burden they bear) 
  unites the party members and encourages them to believe that 
  all must survive to fulﬁ ll the prophecy. This commitment to one 
  another’s survival in turn promotes party unity and teamwork, 
  since each character must place a higher value on the lives and 
  actions of his fellows than he otherwise would.
  CIRCUMSTANCE
  In some D&D campaigns, the adventuring party is formed 
  when four heroes who have just met in a bar are hired for a 
  dangerous mission by a shadowy individual in the corner. 
  While this background is certainly the easiest to concoct, it 
  does little to encourage teamwork and party unity. In fact, 
  such a model relies on the relationships between players to 
  keep the group together rather than those that evolve naturally 
  among the characters.
   Nevertheless, you can still use circumstance to advantage 
  when building an adventuring party. The characters might 
  be escaped slaves or fugitives who ﬁ nd a common purpose 
  in escaping a shared enemy. Or a terrible calamity could 
  befall the environment, and the characters could emerge 
  as champions of the affected people. Or perhaps a band of 
  reavers is plundering and destroying every settlement they 
  come across, and the characters must band together to combat 
  the common enemy.
   A circumstance background relies heavily on the DM’s inter-
  vention, since he must provide the catalyst that brings the group 
  together. For example, the DM might open the campaign on a 
  gruesome battleﬁ eld and reveal that the PCs are all survivors 
  from the same squad. They knew little about one another before 
  the battle; they were simply thrown into the same unit because 
  of the way the orders fell. Alternatively, the DM might rule that 
  the characters are all from the same region, but they hail from 
  widely separated villages. After a plague swept through the 
  land and emptied several communities, the survivors grouped 
  together to seek a way to rebuild.
  ORGANIZATION
  One of the simplest methods for building an adventuring 
  party is to base it on membership in the same organization. 
  Characters who are loyal to a guild, order, or some other group 
  should extend that loyalty to other members as a matter of 
  course. For example, the Order of Illumination (see Complete 
  Adventurer, page 179) exists to root out evil wherever it lurks 
  and confront it directly. Since membership is open only to 
  those who are pure of heart, the players are automatically 
  encouraged to create characters of similar alignments.
   While working on behalf of such an organization, the 
  party is unlikely to run out of missions to perform. The 
  characters receive their orders from the organization’s 
  leaders, and they gain experience points and treasure with 
  every job they perform. In time, the characters can move 
  up through the ranks of the organization, and perhaps one 
  day even lead it.
   The primary drawback to this model is the potential 
  difﬁ culty of getting everyone to agree on the organization. 
  Some organizations are class-based or have strict membership 
  requirements that might prevent certain characters from 
  joining. But if everyone in your group likes this approach, 
  have each player state his character interests ﬁ rst, then select 
  an organization together, with the DM’s assistance.
  BUILDING THE PARTY
  Choosing a background is just the ﬁ rst step in building a 
  party. Ideally, an adventuring party should include a good 
  mixture of classes and races, since each brings a particular set 
  of useful abilities to the table. Abilities that no one else has not 
  only make a character unique, but they also allow her a chance 
  in the spotlight on a regular basis. When characters’ abilities 
  overlap, the chance for individuals to shine diminishes, and 
  the party’s ability to handle new threats lessens.
   This section presents advice for working with your fellow 
  players to build an effective adventuring party.
  
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  ADVENTURING PARTY BASICS
  A typical adventuring party consists of four characters, each 
  representing one of the iconic elements of fantasy roleplay-
  ing. The ﬁ ghter, the wizard, the cleric, and the rogue form 
  the classic group. The ﬁ ghter relies on weapons to mete out 
  damage and wears armor to avoid injury. The wizard uses 
  spells to destroy enemies and to circumvent hazards. The 
  cleric supports the other characters through healing spells 
  and “buff” spells that enhance abilities, though he can also 
  aid the ﬁ ghter in combat. The rogue bypasses traps, assists 
  the ﬁ ghter and cleric on the battleﬁ eld, and brings to bear an 
  impressive skill set that makes her the party’s “go-to” person 
  in just about any situation.
   The D&D game offers many other classes, but the rest are 
  variations on these core themes. The druid shares many of 
  the cleric’s spells but also has specialized abilities that allow 
  her to thrive in wilderness environments. The ranger, an 
  amalgam of both the druid and the ﬁ ghter classes, has some 
  of the druid’s abilities plus bonus feats based on a chosen 
  combat style. In like manner, the paladin blends the abilities 
  of the cleric with those of the ﬁ ghter. The monk is a ﬁ ghting 
  character who eschews armor to gain more mobility on the 
  battleﬁ eld, and the bard blends the skills of the rogue with 
  a smattering of magic from multiple classes. In short, almost 
  every other class beyond the basic four is a combination, 
  variation, or extension of the four basic themes.
   Consider carefully how your character choice will interact 
  with those of your fellow players in an adventuring party. If 
  two people want to play rogues, and your group has only four 
  players, the party might have to do without one of the four 
  key elements unless someone else chooses a character whose 
  abilities cover the missing theme. Even choosing characters 
  similar to those in the ideal party can create problems. For 
  example, choosing a druid or a paladin in place of a cleric, or 
  a bard instead of a rogue can produce severe consequences 
  for a party that cannot ﬁ ll the gaps in expertise. The same 
  problem exists with the new standard classes presented in 
  recent publications. What must the other characters do to 
  compensate when a party includes a warlock instead of a 
  wizard, for instance?
   Proper character class selection is vital to the long-term 
  success of an adventuring party. The choices you make when 
  building your team determine the group’s ability to face off 
  against the denizens of the dungeon as well as the horrors 
  of the wilds. The following sections examine the four basic 
  character roles—warrior, expert, arcane spellcaster, and 
  divine spellcaster—as well as the implications of alternative 
  class choices. Each section also provides some advice on how 
  to compensate for deviations from the four iconic classes.
  Warriors
  The popularity of ﬁ ghting characters is largely attributable to 
  ease of play and overall satisfaction. The ﬁ ghter’s broad selec-
  tion of feats, the ranger’s array of abilities, the barbarian’s raw 
  destructive power, and the leadership potential of the paladin 
  all offer exciting options for adventuring. Perhaps the biggest 
  appeal of these classes, however, is that their primary abilities 
  are never tapped out—they can always kill monsters.
   As a warrior, your job is to stall the opponents with melee 
  or ranged attacks long enough for the other party members 
  to bring their special abilities to bear. You buy time for the 
  arcane spellcaster to destroy the monster with a spell, or the 
  cleric to turn the undead, or the rogue to eliminate tough 
  opponents with sneak attacks. And if you happen to kill a 
  bunch of goblins along the way, so much the better. When 
  playing a warrior, it pays to think both offensively and defen-
  sively. You are consistently the heaviest hitter in the group, 
  and you never run out of swings. However, you should also 
  try to preserve yourself, since you are the last line of defense 
  before the monsters reach the wizard and the cleric.
   Fighter: The backbone of any adventuring group, the 
  ﬁ ghter is versatile, potent, and highly customizable because 
  he can branch out into several feat trees that hone his skills 
  in both melee and ranged combat. However, the best ﬁ ghters 
  are those whose abilities are broad enough to give them an 
  edge over any kind of foe. Thus, when playing a ﬁ ghter, you 
  should resist the temptation to specialize in one feat path too 
  exclusively. If possible, keep your ranged combat prowess as 
  strong as your melee ability so that you can take on ﬂ iers and 
  ground forces with equal proﬁ ciency.
   Barbarian: A barbarian is primarily a melee combatant. 
  His rage ability augments his Strength and Constitution—
  the two characteristics that are most valuable in face-to-face 
  ﬁ ghting. But the fact that Survival and Listen are among his 
  class skills also makes him a great (albeit reckless) scout.
   Unlike the ﬁ ghter, the barbarian has only enough feat choices 
  to develop one or maybe two feat paths. So if your barbarian is 
  the party’s primary melee warrior, the burden of ranged attack 
  support falls on the party’s spellcasters and experts. Thus, the 
  arcane spellcasters should emphasize ranged spells that deal 
  hit point damage. The party’s experts also need to focus on 
  developing their ranged attack prowess—particularly the 
  rogue’s ability to launch sneak attacks against targets up to 
  30 feet away.
   Monk: Another great warrior choice, the monk is excellent 
  at slipping past the ranks of lesser foes to focus her attacks on 
  the leaders. Her great saving throws, evasion, and resistance 
  to mind-affecting spells and abilities make her far and away 
  the best warrior to throw at enemy spellcasters. But although 
  she is never unarmed, the monk lacks the damage potential 
  of ﬁ ghters and barbarians, who can bring heavy weapons to 
  bear against a foe. Furthermore, the monk must focus her 
  feat selections on improving her Armor Class because she 
  loses her best abilities if she wears armor.
   If you’re playing a monk as your party’s lead warrior, the 
  cleric must assume the role of heavy hitter in melee. Develop-
  ing the Power Attack feat path can help a cleric in such a party 
  dish out more damage than he otherwise could. The party’s 
  arcane spellcasters tend to fall back into a supporting role, 
  using their spells to augment the team members’ individual 
  abilities, though they can ﬁ re off their deadly area spells 
  without much worry of damaging you. Experts, who are often 
  just as mobile as you are, can work with you to ﬂ ank enemies 
  and eliminate them quickly and efﬁ ciently.
   Ranger: The ranger is a great character choice for nearly 
  any adventuring party. Armed with spells, a few bonus feats, 
  
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  and great class features, the ranger can also work to improve 
  his combat prowess against speciﬁ c types of foes. However, 
  he lacks the versatility of the standard ﬁ ghter because he 
  must focus on a single combat style. If you follow the archery 
  combat path, the party’s expert should support the cleric’s 
  necessarily broader role as a melee combatant. Conversely, if 
  you follow the two-weapon path, both the arcane spellcaster 
  and the expert need to build up their ranged arsenals.
   In either case, the divine spellcaster must also support 
  the ranger with buff spells (such as cat’s grace and magic vest-
  ment) and keep plenty of spell slots available for cure spells 
  to keep him on his feet. If possible, the arcane spellcaster in 
  your party should summon additional monsters to distract 
  enemies and spread damage around.
   Don’t neglect your ranger’s Armor Class in your feat selec-
  tion. When it’s time to choose favored enemies, select the 
  foes that your party is most likely to encounter and avoid the 
  esoteric and unusual monsters that other team members can 
  handle more efﬁ ciently.
   Paladin: This virtuous knight not only makes a great 
  spokesperson for the party, but she also serves as a support 
  system for the cleric. The healing that the paladin can provide 
  through her lay on hands ability leaves the cleric with more 
  prepared spells that need not be converted to cure spells. 
  Though a paladin isn’t quite the equivalent of a ﬁ ghter in terms 
  of combat prowess, she more than makes up for this lack with 
  turning abilities, a special mount, and the ability to smite evil. 
  Like the barbarian, though, the paladin is starved for feats, 
  so she can focus on only one or two feat paths. Most paladins 
  choose to develop the Mounted Combat path, which tends to 
  reduce their effectiveness in certain common environments 
  such as dungeons.
   When you introduce a paladin into an adventuring party, 
  the rest of the characters have to respect her code of conduct 
  and alignment restrictions. The cleric and the rogue must 
  play larger roles in combat—the former supplementing the 
  paladin in melee and the latter offering ranged support. Also, 
  the wizard should emphasize combat spells to make up for 
  the lack of a reliable ranged attacker.
   Other Classes: Complete Warrior offers three new warrior 
  standard classes: the hexblade, the samurai, and the swash-
  buckler. All three of these are good choices, but each brings 
  its own advantages and disadvantages to the group.
   The hexblade gains a spell progression starting at 4th level, 
  and he has a number of interesting abilities with which he 
  can disrupt his opponents. However, he lacks the ﬁ ghter’s 
  bonus feats, so he pretty much has to specialize in one 
  combat technique.
   The samurai is similar to the ranger in that his class features 
  emphasize a particular style of ﬁ ghting—a two-weapon style, 
  in this case. But the samurai makes a poor ranged attacker, 
  and his class features focus on fear effects, which are useful 
  only against susceptible opponents.
   The swashbuckler makes a great ﬁ ghting companion for 
  the rogue, but her Armor Class is low compared to most 
  fighting characters, so she must use feats or other assets 
  to compensate for it. Thus, she’s unlikely to be the party’s 
  principal damage-dealer.
  Warrior types let it all hang out in combat
  Illus. by J. Nelson
  
  Adventure awaits just over that hill
  
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  Experts
  An expert is a character who brings a broad skill selection 
  and useful combat abilities to the table. The rogue is perhaps 
  the best example of this category. Experts are invaluable 
  members of any group because they can ﬁ ll a variety of roles, 
  from backup spellcaster to extra warrior.
   When playing an expert, you depend heavily on your skills 
  and class features. You have more skill points than any other 
  character in the group, and you can generally get into and 
  out of scrapes with a good skill check result.
   Rogue: The rogue class offers three key advantages: sneak 
  attacks, an excellent selection of class skills, and trapﬁ nding. 
  The sneak attack ability allows the rogue to support the 
  party’s key warrior by taking advantage of ﬂ anking oppor-
  tunities and surprise attacks. The rogue’s skill in breaking 
  and entering allow the party to overcome obstacles such as 
  locked doors and deadly traps. In addition, the rogue often 
  scouts ahead to gain information about enemies. While the 
  ranger, who sometimes serves as a rogue substitute, has a 
  broad selection of skills and plenty of skill points to back 
  them up, his talents make him more useful in wilderness 
  environments than in dungeons, and he can’t help his party 
  bypass traps. On the other hand, he is more of a warrior than 
  the rogue is, so he can hold his own next to ﬁ ghters, paladins, 
  and barbarians.
   As a rogue, you are expected to ﬁ ll in where needed. Don’t 
  ignore the Use Magic Device skill; it allows you to use a wand 
  of cure light wounds to get the cleric back on his feet should 
  he become disabled. Likewise, your ability to use a wand of 
  magic missile, or even read a scroll, can make all the difference 
  in combat. And perhaps most important, your sneak attack 
  ability can help the party’s main warrior bring down the 
  tough opponents.
   Bard: Heralded as the best ﬁ fth character in any adventur-
  ing party, the bard is the most often overlooked expert. The 
  bard’s best feature is his adaptability—he is a warrior, an 
  expert, an arcane spellcaster, and a divine spellcaster rolled 
  into one. Like the rogue, he has plenty of skill points and 
  a wide selection of class skills. But while the rogue’s class 
  skills focus on scouting, sneaking, and subterfuge, the bard’s 
  allow him to play a strong role in supporting the other 
  party members.
   When you play a bard, you don’t have the rogue’s trapﬁ nd-
  ing ability, so the cleric must cover this aspect of the expert 
  with his ﬁ nd traps spell—though you can help if you have 
  the inspire competence ability. Likewise, you can use inspire 
  greatness and inspire heroics to improve a warrior’s combat 
  abilities at higher levels. Furthermore, since you have access 
  to spells, you can supplement both arcane and divine spell-
  casters, expanding the party’s ability to circumvent minor 
  threats and letting the more potent spellcasters reserve their 
  spell slots for handling the really deadly enemies.
   Other Classes: Complete Adventurer presents three new 
  expert standard classes: the ninja, the scout, and the spell-
  thief. All three have the trapfinding ability, plus special 
  abilities such as sudden strike (which is similar to sneak 
  attack) and great skill selections. Thus, playing one of these 
  classes is just as good as having a rogue in the party.
  Arcane Spellcasters
  Wizards, sorcerers, and their ilk develop powerful spells in 
  lieu of combat abilities. In fact, since they have the smallest 
  Hit Die type of all the classes (d4 in most cases), they are more 
  of a liability in melee than an asset. However, they make up 
  for their poor combat skills with access to some of the most 
  potent spells in the game.
   As an arcane spellcaster, you must circumvent the gravest 
  threats to the party. You can lob ﬁ reballs and lightning bolts at 
  the party’s opponents, conjure up terrible servants, and even 
  transport your allies past obstructions and obstacles. Playing 
  the party’s arcane spellcaster is a big responsibility, but it can 
  be both memorable and highly rewarding as well.
   Wizard: The wizard’s strength lies in the depth of her 
  knowledge and her ability to cast a variety of different spells. 
  In addition, she can modify those spells with metamagic 
  feats and use them to create magic items that beneﬁ t not only 
  herself but also the rest of the party.
   Deciding which spells to prepare on a given day, however, 
  requires a bit of strategy. A poorly prepared wizard all too 
  often becomes meat for monsters. For instance, a 5th-level 
  wizard who prepares lightning bolt before facing a creature 
  that is immune to electricity now might lack access to a spell 
  that could have overcome the opponent.
   When you play an arcane spellcaster, resist the urge to pre-
  pare all offensive spells. A charm person spell can accomplish 
  a lot more than a magic missile at times, and you shouldn’t 
  underestimate its value. By preparing a good mix of spells, 
  you can be useful in situations ranging from diplomacy to 
  divination to war.
   Sorcerer: The sorcerer makes an excellent substitute for 
  the wizard in an adventuring party. Although the number of 
  different spells he can access is relatively small, he outstrips 
  a wizard of equivalent level in the number of spells he can 
  cast per day. If he chooses to specialize in offensive spells, he 
  can be a formidable combat caster. However, most sorcerers 
  can do little to supply their companions with magic items, 
  and they typically don’t have the same range of skills as their 
  more learned counterparts. Worse still, using metamagic feats 
  slows the sorcerer’s casting time, turning this key spellcasting 
  tool into a potential liability.
   If your sorcerer is the party’s key arcane spellcaster, it’s best to 
  focus on total offense. Let the cleric erect the magical defenses 
  and the warrior block the hits. Your task is to bombard your 
  enemies with a barrage of damaging spells. Make sure you learn 
  spells of every energy type and take the Spell Penetration 
  feat early to help you overcome spell resistance.
   Other Classes: Complete Arcane presents three new arcane 
  spellcasting classes: the warlock, the wu-jen, and the war-
  mage. Each of these classes is a variation on the core arcane 
  theme—one restricts the spell selection, another changes 
  the fundamental methods of casting, and the third exchanges 
  certain spellcasting elements for others. The warlock is a 
  great alternative to the combat-oriented sorcerer, and he can 
  offer ranged combat potential in a party with warriors who 
  specialize in melee. On the other hand, if the group’s warrior 
  is an effective ranged combatant, the warmage can help the 
  cleric and rogue cover the group’s melee needs.
  Illus. by M. Komarck
  
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  Divine Spellcasters
  The divine spellcaster is the heart and soul of every adventur-
  ing party. Armed with good combat prowess, a broad range 
  of buff spells, power over undead, and the always-in-demand 
  cure spells, the cleric ﬁ lls a vital role. In fact, a party without 
  a cleric has a much harder time surviving than one that has 
  clerical support from the start.
   When you choose a divine spellcaster, you play an important 
  support role in your party. You’re the one everyone else relies on 
  to supply healing spells, remove afﬂ ictions such as diseases and 
  curses, and restore lost ability points. You can also bring extra 
  support to the team with your summon monster, summon nature’s 
  ally, or planar ally spells. The more combatants you have on your 
  side, the less damage your fellow characters have to take.
   Cleric: The cleric is undoubtedly among the most effective 
  characters in the game. With the right spells, he can rival even 
  warriors in combat, and no character is more effective against 
  undead. When you add unique domain abilities and the abil-
  ity to heal others spontaneously, the cleric easily becomes 
  one of the most important characters in the party.
   Even so, playing a cleric can sometimes seem like a chore. 
  Because your companions look to you to ﬁ x all their troubles, 
  you might feel more like the party ﬁ rst-aid kit than a full-
  ﬂ edged member of the group. While it’s true that no party 
  would last long without your cures, you’re far more than a 
  simple healing factory. Your ability to ﬁ ght and cast potent 
  spells coupled with your access to abilities that no other char-
  acter has ensure that you remain among the more powerful 
  characters in the game.
   Druid: The druid is a viable substitute for the cleric. 
  While the druid lacks spontaneous healing ability, she can 
  spontaneously summon creatures instead. Add the ability to 
  change shape and a potent spell list that retains most of the 
  cure spells, and the druid becomes an important addition to 
  any adventuring party.
   If you’re playing a druid, you’re more than likely the only 
  character in the party with any ability to cast cure spells—
  unless your group also includes a bard or a higher-level paladin. 
  So it pays to invest in disposable magic items such as wands 
  of cure light wounds or wands of cure moderate wounds to free up 
  your spell slots for more interesting spells. Don’t be afraid to 
  experiment with your spell selection; in a worst-case scenario, 
  you can lose a prepared spell to cast a summon nature’s ally spell 
  of the same level.
   Other Classes: Complete Divine offers three additional 
  divine spellcasting classes: the favored soul, the shugenja, and 
  the spirit shaman. Each brings a specialized set of abilities 
  to the table, as well as a few disadvantages. The favored soul 
  offers better combat potential, the shugenja a broader access 
  to different kinds of spells, and the spirit shaman a set of 
  unique abilities effective against speciﬁ c kinds of creatures. 
  All three however, cast spells like a sorcerer, so none has the 
  same spell versatility as the cleric.
  Missing Elements
  Sometimes no one in the group wants to play a particular 
  role, or the players don’t want to be constrained by the four 
  classic character roles. And some groups have only two or 
  three players—none of whom might be interested in playing 
  multiple characters.
   While the absence of any one of the four classic character 
  roles makes adventuring more difﬁ cult, it does not make it 
  impossible. Individual characters can make extensive use 
  of the multiclassing rules, invest in the Leadership feat to 
  pick up cohorts, or even play two or more characters if the 
  DM allows it. But when a party is just plain missing a crucial 
  element, you can take a few speciﬁ c actions to minimize the 
  impact of that shortfall.
   Missing Warrior: For most groups, the very idea of not 
  having a front-line ﬁ ghter is appalling. Yet this role is in some 
  ways the most disposable. Clerics and druids are competent 
  warriors in their own right, and with the right set of buff 
  spells (such as bull’s strength, magic weapon, and the like), they 
  can be the equals of nearly any warrior-type character.
   If your group lacks a warrior, consider adding a druid, whose 
  wild shape ability and animal companion can make up for the 
  missing component. A bard can also be an excellent choice, 
  since the additional healing he can supply lets the cleric devote 
  his spells to augmenting his own ﬁ ghting abilities. The scout 
  class from Complete Adventurer is another great choice. With 
  ranger Hit Dice and the sudden strike ability, the scout not 
  only has combat abilities that rival those of warriors, but she 
  can also support the rogue as a secondary trap ﬁ nder.
   Ideal Four-Character Group: Cleric, druid, rogue, and sorcerer.
   Ideal Three-Character Group: Cleric, rogue, and sorcerer.
   Missing Expert: Not having an expert can make certain 
  environments tricky—if not downright deadly. The lack of a 
  character who can identify and disable traps means the party 
  is at risk of springing nearly every trap in the dungeon.
   When a party ﬁ nds itself in this situation, it’s up to the cleric 
  to compensate. The Trickery domain offers some stealth skills 
  and spells, and the ﬁ nd traps spell—though its use depletes 
  the cleric’s available spell slots—can make up for the missing 
  rogue ability. A group that’s missing a rogue can also consider 
  ﬁ lling the warrior’s role with the paladin, since that class can 
  help the cleric compensate for his expanded role. A ranger is 
  also a good choice because he offers the party scouting abilities 
  that would otherwise be lacking.
   Ideal Four-Character Group: Cleric, paladin, ranger, and 
  wizard.
   Ideal Three-Character Group: Cleric, ranger, and wizard.
   Missing Arcane Spellcaster: The lack of an arcane 
  spellcaster can spell disaster for a party. Wizards and sorcer-
  ers provide the means to eliminate large numbers of foes, 
  clearing the way for the principal warrior to hammer away 
  at the key opponent. The arcane spellcaster also signiﬁ cantly 
  improves a party’s chances of overcoming particularly nasty 
  opponents, such as dragons and magical beasts.
   While having an arcane spellcaster is certainly preferable, a 
  party can compensate for the lack of one. The best way is for the 
  expert to keep pumping skill points into the Use Magic Device 
  skill so that she can use items to produce the necessary magi-
  cal effects. A bard, who can provide a small amount of arcane 
  magic, is also extremely useful, as is an extra cleric, who can at 
  least provide some damage-dealing divine magic. The hexblade, 
  from Complete Warrior, makes a good backup as well.
  
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   Ideal Four-Character Group: Bard, cleric, ﬁ ghter, and rogue.
   Ideal Three-Character Group: Bard, cleric, and ﬁ ghter.
   Missing Divine Spellcaster: The divine spellcaster is the 
  element most commonly missing from a party. Many players 
  prefer to go for the spotlight with a ﬁ ghter or wizard (or the 
  equivalent) rather than playing what they see as a supporting 
  character. But the lack of a divine spellcaster results in a consid-
  erable drain on party resources. Parties that lack this element 
  soon discover that they must invest in multiple wands of cure 
  light wounds just to compensate for the healing a cleric could 
  have provided—ﬁ fty charges don’t last as long as one might 
  think. This healing deﬁ cit plus the loss of turning capabil-
  ity and the lack of strong divination spells (such as augury 
  and divination) makes operating without a divine spellcaster 
  quite expensive and more than a little dangerous. Still, a party 
  that’s missing this element can compensate with the bard and 
  paladin classes, both of which have some healing abilities. 
  The party rogue should maximize her ranks in Use Magic 
  Device so that she can activate divine scrolls and wands.
   Ideal Four-Character Group: Bard, paladin, rogue, and wizard.
   Ideal Three-Character Group: Paladin, rogue, and wizard.
  The Fifth Character
  Groups with more than four players offer greater ﬂ exibility 
  in class choices. The party doesn’t suffer from having two 
  wizards or two ﬁ ghters, but the roles of the duplicate charac-
  ters overlap, reducing the enjoyment for the two players who 
  must share the spotlight. The best way to prevent role overlap 
  is for players to branch out into different aspects of the same 
  roles. Instead of two ﬁ ghters, for example, consider a ranger 
  or a barbarian for the second warrior. The ranger can provide 
  the ranged attacks (assuming he has selected the archery 
  combat style), while the barbarian serves as the melee menace. 
  Likewise, instead of two wizards, try a wizard coupled with 
  a bard or sorcerer. The wizard retains a diverse selection of 
  spells, while the other arcane spellcaster helps to ﬁ ll gaps in 
  the party caused by casualties. The following sections offer 
  recommendations for character choices in larger parties.
   Two Warriors: Part of what makes the ﬁ ghter a great class 
  choice is his ability to develop several different combat tech-
  niques. When the party has the luxury of an extra warrior, both 
  players have more ﬂ exibility, since they can take advantage of 
  alternative techniques without diminishing the overall effective-
  ness of the party. For instance, a monk and a barbarian, though 
  opposite in outlook, make a great team. They both move faster 
  than normal for their races, so they can close with the enemy and 
  reduce the need for warriors who specialize in ranged attacks. 
  Likewise, a barbarian can handle melee combat with ease, while 
  the second warrior, preferably a ﬁ ghter or a ranger, can supply 
  covering ﬁ re with a bow or crossbow, eliminating additional 
  targets that are closing in on the barbarian. Substituting a 
  paladin for a barbarian can give the same results, especially 
  in a campaign that features undead, demons, or some equally 
  evil nemesis as the dominant monster type.
   Two Experts: At ﬁ rst glance, two rogues in a party looks 
  like a winning combination, and in many ways it is. Multiple 
  rogues can work together to ﬂ ank enemies and dish out buckets 
  of sneak attack damage. If they have ranks in Tumble, they can 
  weave through their enemies and select the best targets for their 
  attacks, while also supporting the party’s primary warrior.
   On the other hand, two rogues also overlap a great deal. The 
  party really doesn’t need more than one character to ﬁ nd traps, 
  pick locks, and translate musty inscriptions on the wall. If the 
  group does have a second translator, it’s typically the wizard.
   To prevent this kind of overlap, one of the players should 
  consider playing a bard. Easily the most versatile kind of 
  character, the bard offers a mix of abilities from all classes, 
  including combat prowess, solid saving throws, and spellcast-
  ing ability. Better still, bardic music helps everyone, providing 
  bonuses on certain tasks or in the heat of combat.
   Other experts, such as the ninja and the scout, can help the 
  rogue concentrate on developing the right skills and abilities 
  to eliminate traps. Because these other characters are more 
  combat-oriented, they excel at maneuvering through the 
  battleﬁ eld to help the rogue ﬂ ank enemies for sneak attacks, 
  as well as to support the other warriors.
   Two Arcane Spellcasters: Two wizards in the same party 
  can effectively double the number of spells they ordinarily 
  would have by sharing their spellbooks. And in heated combat, 
  two ﬁ reballs from allied wizards are always better than one.
   However, a better tactic for individualizing party roles is 
  for one player to select a sorcerer. If that character focuses 
  on combat spells, the wizard can take charge of the more 
  utilitarian spells.
   Multiple arcane spellcasters can help the party in other 
  ways as well. If the party’s primary warrior is not a ﬁ ghter, a 
  warmage can provide some great offensive spells, as well as 
  some combat ability to shore up any shortcomings. A bard 
  is also a great choice, since an extra character with access to 
  healing spells is never bad.
   Two Divine Spellcasters: Clerics are probably the best of 
  all the classes to duplicate in a party. Sharing the burden of 
  keeping the warrior on his feet gives each cleric more freedom 
  to cast other spells. Multiple clerics can provide buff spells, 
  such as bull’s strength and bear’s endurance, to boost the front line, 
  as well as eagle’s splendor to help the sorcerer cast more powerful 
  combat spells. Magic vestment, magic weapon, aid, bless, and others 
  used in combination can give the whole party a boost. If the 
  primary cleric can do more than just function as the party’s 
  medic, his player is likely to enjoy the session more.
   A druid is also a good addition to an adventuring party as a 
  second divine caster. The druid’s special abilities (wild shape 
  and spontaneous casting of summon nature’s ally) can add 
  considerable power to the group. Furthermore, the druid has a 
  useful selection of wilderness survival spells, and her animal 
  companion can help other characters ﬂ ank enemies.
   Psionics: If your campaign includes psionics, the classes 
  presented in Expanded Psionics Handbook offer the chance to play 
  a unique and exotic character. A psychic warrior or soulknife 
  works well as a secondary warrior, and psions and wilders are 
  good replacements for arcane spellcasters.
  BEING A TEAM PLAYER
  Developing a shared background and carefully planning the 
  group’s character choices has little effect if the group doesn’t 
  act as a team. The story of one brave, bold hero overcoming 
  
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  adversity is ﬁ ne for a fantasy novel, but what makes the D&D 
  game great is the teamwork displayed by a group of such 
  adventurers. Selﬁ sh thoughts and actions are the best way 
  for your party to meet a terrible end. If your rogue sneaks 
  off to claim the choicest bits of treasure before the rest of 
  the group can arrive, the ﬁ ghter might not have the right 
  tool to defeat the next monster, and another ally might not 
  have the right item to save your hide. And you aren’t doing 
  your companions any favors by pushing ahead to ﬁ ght the 
  next monster in the next room, because if you die, their 
  chances for survival diminish considerably. Furthermore, 
  a cleric who hoards his cure spells until someone is at 
  death’s door encourages his companions not to take risks 
  and not to perform heroic acts, thereby reducing the fun 
  for everyone involved.
   Though roleplaying games technically do not have winners 
  or losers, adventuring parties do—at least in a sense. Your team 
  wins by achieving its objectives. If your party saves the town 
  or clears the dungeon, all its members win. Therefore, in the 
  most important sense, you win by working together.
  Thinking as a Group
  All encounter levels (ELs) are approximations based on a group 
  of four reasonably healthy characters of the appropriate level. 
  Thus, an EL 4 encounter is appropriate for a group of four 
  4th-level characters. If one or two of those characters dies, 
  the encounter becomes more difﬁ cult. Thus, acting without 
  regard for your companions is a sureﬁ re way to force everyone 
  to make a new character and start over. So when working in a 
  group, keep the following three points in mind.
   First, your character is an integral part of the group, whether 
  or not that fact is apparent to you. Every class and race provides 
  a set of options and abilities that can help a party overcome 
  an encounter. And even if you don’t know what to do in a 
  given round, you can always use the aid another action to 
  help someone else.
   Second, the party is always more important than the individual 
  character. Always be aware of your comrades’ positions and their 
  ability to handle a particular threat. If the wizard is desperately 
  battling ﬁ ve goblins, and you’re playing the ﬁ ghter, you’d better 
  get over there and save the spellcaster’s skin. Likewise, if you’re 
  playing the cleric, your primary job is to help the warriors stay 
  on their feet, though you can also lend combat or spell support 
  as necessary. So if the heavy hitter is disabled, cure him as fast as 
  possible so he can continue to do his job. By staying cognizant 
  of the battleﬁ eld and your fellow party members, you should be 
  able to handle just about anything the DM throws at you.
   Third, keep in mind that characters who hate each other 
  don’t generally work together for long. If your group includes 
  a paladin, it’s probably not a good idea to play a chaotic evil 
  half-orc necromancer. Such contrasts, while they provide 
  excellent opportunities for roleplaying, are never conducive 
  Hennet serves as party cartographer
  Illus. by S. Ellis
  
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  GROUP
  to a good gaming experience. Playing a treacherous character 
  diminishes or destroys the trust that is vital to party cohesive-
  ness, and when you brave the depths of the underground, you 
  want your friends to watch your back.
  Team Roles
  Well-deﬁ ned party roles can help keep your group focused 
  on teamwork. Each role represents a responsibility for a char-
  acter, and the different roles ensure that each player has an 
  opportunity to shine and gets a voice in the decision-making 
  processes. Furthermore, team roles keep disagreements to a 
  minimum and focus attention on the fun parts of gaming. 
  The following sections provide some example roles other 
  than the iconic ones discussed above.
   Cartographer/Historian: The party cartographer is 
  responsible for mapping, taking notes about certain rooms, 
  and recording puzzles, riddles, and campaign notes. Though 
  ideally this function should be a shared responsibility, some 
  players are better at it than others. If another player shoulders 
  the burden of keeping notes, pitch in whenever you can by 
  helping to recall certain details.
   Face: Your group should settle on one person in the group 
  to be the default “front man.” When your party needs a good 
  negotiator to slip past some guards or to talk a dragon into 
  letting everyone live, it falls to this character to do the con-
  vincing. So don’t feel overshadowed when the “face” character 
  speaks up; he’s just doing his part. After all, a character who’s 
  good at talking is not always good at ﬁ ghting.
   General: A born strategist can look at the battle map, pick 
  out the best paths for movement to avoid attacks of opportunity, 
  place spells where they are most effective, and decide where 
  everyone should be located to do well in combat situations. Such 
  a player is an asset to the group because she can offer advice 
  about where to attack, point out advantageous environmental 
  conditions, and develop great strategies for the party. A general 
  can also help other players make good combat decisions and 
  show them how to maximize their resources in a ﬁ ght.
   Few people enjoy being bossed around, and a demanding 
  player—even a well-intentioned one—can ruin the fun 
  for everyone. Thus, the general must be receptive to others’ 
  opinions and sensitive to their feelings.
   Judge: Inevitably, characters (and their players) come into 
  conﬂ ict during the game. The dispute might be about who 
  gets a certain piece of treasure, or it might be a disagreement 
  over a proposed course of action. When such a conﬂ ict occurs, 
  it’s wise to put a time limit on the ensuing debate so that it 
  cannot derail the game session. Furthermore, a disinterested 
  character (or player) should listen to all sides of the argument 
  and make a binding decision. This “judge” role can fall to dif-
  ferent characters depending on who is involved in the debate, 
  but someone who can make a quick decision and resolve the 
  argument is invaluable for keeping the game on track.
   Scout: Forewarned is forearmed, so just about every party 
  recognizes the need for a scout. Ideally, the scout should be 
  able to move forward quietly, inspect the scene ahead, and 
  report back quickly to his comrades. A character with high 
  Hide and Move Silently modiﬁ ers ﬁ ts this role perfectly, so 
  it often falls to the rogue.
   The party scout can quickly overshadow the rest of the 
  group if too much of the action falls on his shoulders. Thus, 
  scouts should reserve their stealthy reconnaissance for when 
  it’s necessary. If the scout insists on inspecting every room, 
  the game can quickly become all about him, with the rest of 
  the characters as supporting cast.
   Security: The character ﬁ lling this party role is in charge 
  of securing the area before the PCs enter a room or camp 
  for the night. She might do a quick search for traps, make 
  Listen checks, or examine the ﬂ oor for recent tracks. She also 
  determines the order of watches and is ultimately responsible 
  for keeping the party safe from ambushes. If the security 
  person feels that a particular location or action is too risky, 
  the rest of the party should ﬁ nd an alternative solution.
   Task Leader: Certain characters are just better at speciﬁ c tasks 
  than others. Thus, the character with the best Listen modiﬁ er 
  should be listening at doors, not the ﬁ ghter in full plate with 
  the Wisdom score of 6. By the same token, the character with 
  the trapﬁ nding ability should be the party’s authority on traps. 
  Identify certain checks the group has to make frequently, and 
  put the characters with the best modiﬁ ers in charge of them.
  TEAMWORK BENEFITS
  After a few adventures, the characters in an adventuring 
  party tend to identify particular routines and tactics that 
  work well for them. The wizard might select certain spells 
  to complement the ﬁ ghter’s tactics, while the cleric and the 
  rogue ﬁ gure out where to stand in a ﬁ ght so that they can 
  lend support while still allowing the ﬁ ghter to shield them 
  from the worst of the enemy attacks. In this manner, the 
  party can develop concrete teamwork beneﬁ ts that evolve 
  from the experience of working together.
  WHAT IS A TEAMWORK BENEFIT?
  Experienced players understand the value of speciﬁ c tactics 
  that depend on teamwork. However, teamwork also provides 
  a more general beneﬁ t. Once characters have trained with 
  speciﬁ c comrades for a time, they become attuned to the 
  nuances of how their companions ﬁ ght, move, and commu-
  nicate. Thus, characters who have spent time working as a 
  team can derive a beneﬁ t simply from having their comrades 
  nearby. This teamwork beneﬁ t can grant an expanded use 
  of a skill, a bonus on certain checks, or a battleﬁ eld action 
  otherwise unavailable to the team members.
   To qualify for a teamwork beneﬁ t, PCs must meet two broad 
  categories of requirements: training time and prerequisites.
   First, the characters must jointly practice techniques relevant 
  to the desired beneﬁ t for at least two weeks before acquiring it. 
  This training period must be repeated whenever a new character 
  joins the group, so that the newcomer can become accustomed 
  to the operating procedures of the veteran team members.
   Second, some teamwork beneﬁ ts have prerequisites such 
  as skill ranks, base attack bonus, or feats. A prerequisite can 
  take one of two different forms.
   Task Leader Prerequisites: These requirements must be met 
  by at least one character on the team. If the only character who 
  qualiﬁ es leaves the team, the group loses the teamwork beneﬁ t 
  
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  until that character returns or is replaced by another who meets 
  the same prerequisites. Since prerequisites for teamwork beneﬁ ts 
  vary widely, the character who assumes the task leader position 
  might differ depending on the speciﬁ c beneﬁ t.
   In addition to the indicated prerequisites, a task leader must 
  have an Intelligence score of at least 8. (While he need not be a 
  genius or have a strong personality, he must be at least reason-
  ably capable of communicating his thoughts to others.)
   Team Member Prerequisites: Every character on the team 
  must meet these requirements. Any new character who joins 
  the team must also meet them, or the team can no longer enjoy 
  the beneﬁ t.
   For example, the cunning ambush teamwork beneﬁ t has a 
  task leader prerequisite of 8 ranks in both Hide and Listen, 
  and a team member prerequisite of 1 rank in Hide. So, at 
  least one character in the group must have 8 or more ranks 
  in both Hide and Listen, and every other character on the 
  team must have at least 1 rank in Hide. Thus, when the team 
  is sneaking around, the task leader directs her less adept 
  comrades in stealth techniques, covers any extra noise with 
  environmental sounds, and so on.
   A team (see The Team Roster, below) gets one teamwork 
  beneﬁ t for every 4 Hit Dice the lowest-level member of 
  the team has. If that character’s level later drops below the 
  required point (due to energy drain, for example), the team 
  retains all its current teamwork beneﬁ ts but can’t gain a new 
  one until that character regains his lost level(s), plus enough 
  additional levels to qualify for an additional beneﬁ t.
   Whenever a team gains a new teamwork benefit, it also 
  has the option to swap out a benefit it previously had for a 
  new one, as long as it meets the new prerequisites. In effect, 
  the team can elect to lose one teamwork benefit to gain 
  two others. Such swaps usually occur when the team roster 
  has changed in such a way as to render a previously known 
  teamwork beneﬁ t less useful than before.
   Unless otherwise speciﬁ ed, each teamwork beneﬁ t can be 
  taken only once. A teamwork beneﬁ t applies whenever the 
  characters on the team can communicate with each other—be 
  it verbally, through gestures, or by magical means.
  THE TEAM ROSTER
  Teamwork beneﬁ ts are based on the notion that once charac-
  ters have spent time training with their comrades, they can 
  respond instinctively to subtle changes in body language and 
  anticipate their teammates’ likely moves. A group of PCs or 
  NPCs must train together for at least two weeks before the 
  group can gain any teamwork beneﬁ ts. The PCs will undoubt-
  edly occupy most of the positions on the team, but cohorts, 
  animal companions, paladin mounts, familiars, and recurring 
  NPC allies can also be members of a team.
   A team must have at least two members and no more than 
  eight. To join a team, a character must have an Intelligence 
  score of 3 or higher. A creature with an Intelligence score of 1 
  or 2 can be included on a team only if it learns the teamwork 
  trick through some character’s use of the Handle Animal skill 
  (see the sidebar). A creature without an Intelligence score can 
  never be part of a team.
   To maintain their teamwork beneﬁ ts, the characters on a team 
  must train together for at least four one-week periods per year. 
  These training periods need not be consecutive and can happen 
  at the same time when the characters are training to earn the new 
  class features for a given level, so in most cases PCs don’t have 
  to spend additional time to keep their teamwork skills sharp.
   Any new character added to a team after it has gained 
  teamwork beneﬁ ts must train with the other characters on 
  the team for at least two weeks. During this time, she learns 
  the team’s standard operating procedures and the nuances of 
  her comrades’ behavior. This training can occur during the 
  training time required to gain the beneﬁ ts of a new level.
   A character can join an adventuring party without joining 
  the team that includes the other members of the group. In this 
  case, the new character doesn’t gain any teamwork beneﬁ ts, 
  but neither does her lack of prerequisites count against the 
  team’s qualiﬁ cation for those beneﬁ ts.
   A character can leave a team at her own option, or by 
  consensus of the other team members. For more teamwork 
  beneﬁ ts, see Dungeon Master’s Guide II, pages 190–194.
  TEAMWORK BENEFIT 
  DESCRIPTIONS
  Below is the format for teamwork beneﬁ t descriptions.
  BENEFIT NAME
  Description of what the beneﬁ t does or represents.
   Training: A brief discussion of the training procedure 
  required to acquire the beneﬁ t. The task leader coordinates 
  the training.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: A base attack bonus, a feat 
  or feats, a minimum number of ranks in one or more skills, 
  a class feature, or some other requirement that at least one 
  character on the team must have for the team to acquire this 
  beneﬁ t. This entry is absent if a teamwork beneﬁ t has no task 
  leader prerequisite. If a beneﬁ t has more than one task leader 
  prerequisite, the same character must meet all of them for 
  the team to gain that beneﬁ t.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Every member of the team 
  must meet this requirement for the team to acquire the 
  benefit. This entry is absent if a teamwork benefit has no 
  team member prerequisite. If a beneﬁ t has more than one 
  team member prerequisite, every character on the team must 
  meet all of them for the team to gain that beneﬁ t.
   Beneﬁ t: What the teamwork beneﬁ t enables the team to do.
  pqs
  HANDLE ANIMAL 
  (NEW TRICK: TEAMWORK)
  Use this skill to train an animal as part of a team.
   Check: Teaching an animal the teamwork trick requires a 
  DC 20 Handle Animal check made as part of teamwork train-
  ing. This trick allows the animal to be part of a team and thus 
  benefit from any teamwork benefits enjoyed by that team. 
  The animal must still meet any team member prerequisites 
  required to gain the benefit.
  pqs
  
  159
  CHAPTER 6
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  GROUP
   Tips: Advice for players and DMs about using this team-
  work beneﬁ t.
  AWARENESS
  Your team knows where to look and what to listen for to 
  anticipate ambushes.
   Training: To train for this beneﬁ t, you and your teammates 
  must run through scenarios in which half of you set up ambushes 
  to snare the others. Through constant drilling, your team 
  learns to listen for speciﬁ c sounds and look for random visual 
  clues. By regularly exploring dangerous locales, developing 
  listening skills, and staying alert for the slightest movements, 
  your team gradually develops a routine for examining an area 
  to prevent enemies from getting the drop on the group.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Listen 12 ranks and Spot 
  12 ranks.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Listen 2 ranks or Spot 
  2 ranks.
   Beneﬁ t: Every member of the team gains a +2 circum-
  stance bonus on Listen and Spot checks if any other team 
  member is within 30 feet.
   Tips: When moving into an area with poor lighting, or 
  one that offers plenty of places for opponents to hide, it’s 
  best to spread out to the outer extent of this beneﬁ t’s range. 
  By doing so, your group presents a less attractive target to a 
  hidden spellcaster. For example, if each character is exactly 
  30 feet (6 squares) away from the task leader, not everyone 
  could be caught in a ﬁ reball or similar effect.
  CAMP ROUTINE
  The regular routine your group has established allows you to 
  set up, watch, and break down camp quickly and efﬁ ciently.
   Training: To develop a camp routine, the team must establish 
  a regular schedule of tasks and responsibilities for each member. 
  For example, one character might set up the tents while another 
  starts the ﬁ re and a third prepares the evening meal. Your team 
  must also set up a routine watch schedule so that everyone 
  knows who goes on watch when, and for how long.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Survival 8 ranks or Self-
  Sufﬁ cient.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Survival 1 rank.
   Beneﬁ t: Your team can set up and break camp with an eye 
  toward defensibility and efﬁ ciency. The team member on 
  watch gains a +2 bonus on Spot and Listen checks, and each 
  sleeping team member gains a +4 bonus on Listen checks to 
  hear any sounds within 30 feet.
   Tips: Be sure to put spellcasters on the ﬁ rst watch or last 
  watch so that they can get enough uninterrupted rest to regain 
  their spells. Your ﬁ rst priority when the party is attacked while 
  you are on watch is to wake up your allies, so you should carry 
  a signal whistle, bell, or similar item.
  CIRCLE OF BLADES
  The members of your team can combine their attacks to slice 
  through the defenses of a foe they have surrounded.
   Training: You and your teammates learn to anticipate each 
  other’s attacks and ﬁ ghting maneuvers. By correctly timing 
  your blows, you can strike at a foe’s vulnerable points.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Weapon Specialization and 
  base attack bonus +6.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Sneak attack +1d6.
   Beneﬁ t: Any team member who readies an action to attack 
  when the task leader does gains a +2 bonus on damage rolls 
  against the same target.
   Tip: The circle of blades teamwork beneﬁ t works best 
  against undead, oozes, and other monsters that have immu-
  nity to extra damage from sneak attacks.
  CROWDED CHARGE
  Because you and your allies know when to step out of each 
  other’s way, you can charge even when allies are blocking 
  your path.
   Training: The members of your team learn to step aside 
  whenever one of them begins a charge.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Jump 8 ranks.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Jump 1 rank.
   Beneﬁ t: Other team members do not block movement 
  for the purpose of determining whether a team member can 
  charge. However, a charging team member must still end her 
  movement in an unoccupied space.
   Tips: This versatile beneﬁ t allows the party’s rogue or ranger 
  to scout ahead in a dungeon or other constrained terrain 
  without worrying about blocking a fighter’s or barbarian’s 
  charge. Furthermore, because the benefit also extends to 
  mounted team members, a paladin can charge on horseback 
  without worrying about trampling her comrades.
  CUNNING AMBUSH
  Your team can quickly take advantage of terrain to ambush 
  opponents.
   Training: The training for this beneﬁ t involves studying 
  common environments, running through ambush scenarios, 
  and devising strategies that take advantage of the terrain. Your 
  team must spend a few days in the hills, then in the forest, 
  and then—if possible—in the shifting sands of the desert.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Hide 8 ranks and Listen 
  8 ranks.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Hide 1 rank.
   Beneﬁ t: If the team members allow the task leader to 
  prepare their hiding positions, he can make a special Hide 
  check to camouﬂ age them. This check is modiﬁ ed by each 
  team member’s armor check penalty and Dexterity rather 
  than the task leader’s, and the camouﬂ age effect lasts until 
  the team member moves. Hiding a team member in this 
  manner requires 10 minutes of work.
   Tips: The ambush teamwork beneﬁ t is a great way to play 
  smart. Instead of always going after the monsters on their 
  own turf, let them come to you. Try luring monsters into your 
  trap with spells such as dancing lights or major image. Failing 
  that, buff up the party scout with defensive spells to protect 
  her while she acts as bait.
  CUNNING AMBUSH, IMPROVED
  When you are adequately prepared, your team can set a 
  devastating ambush.
   Training: Same as for cunning ambush.
  
  160
  CHAPTER 6
  THE ADVENTURING 
  GROUP
    Task Leader 
  Prerequisite: 
  Hide 12 ranks and 
  Listen 12 ranks.
   Team Member Prereq-
  uisite: Hide 3 ranks and the 
  cunning ambush teamwork beneﬁ t.
   Beneﬁ t: During the surprise round, 
  each team member who is not surprised 
  and has been camouflaged (see Cunning 
  Ambush, above) can take a full round’s worth 
  of actions.
    Tips: As with cunning ambush, this beneﬁ t is 
  best used to draw enemies into your trap. To maximize 
  the beneﬁ t, try setting up ambushes in favorable terrain, 
  such as forest (which grants a +2 bonus to AC and a +1 bonus 
  on Reﬂ ex saves to any character standing in a space occupied 
  by a tree) or a position of higher ground (which grants a 
  +1 bonus on melee 
  attacks). Alternatively, 
  making ranged attacks from 
  the other side of an area that fea-
  tures uncertain footing might discourage 
  enemies from charging you.
  EXPERT MOUNTAINEERS
  Your team can work together to ascend difﬁ cult slopes 
  and sheer surfaces with relative ease.
   Training: Constant training with expert climbers has 
  made your team comfortable with ascents and descents.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Climb 8 ranks and Use Rope 
  8 ranks.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Climb 1 rank or Use Rope 
  1 rank.
   Beneﬁ t: If a team member succeeds on a Climb check, every 
  other team member adjacent to him gains a +2 circumstance 
  bonus on Climb checks made to ascend the same surface. 
  Furthermore, each team member can make an accelerated 
  climb with only a –2 penalty on the Climb check. Finally, a 
  team member can catch a falling comrade by succeeding on 
  a Climb check against the wall’s DC (not against the wall’s 
  DC + 10).
   Tips: Using the appropriate climbing equipment makes 
  Climb checks easier. So, to ensure success, invest in pitons 
  to make your own handholds and footholds.
  FOE HUNTING
  Your team is especially good at tracking down and destroying 
  speciﬁ c types of creatures.
   Training: The training for this benefit begins with 
  intensive research on the speciﬁ c creature type to be hunted. 
  You and your teammates must drill on the various features 
  Expert mountaineers
  gain the upper hand in 
  a battle with harpies
  
  161
  CHAPTER 6
  THE ADVENTURING 
  GROUP
  and traits of the chosen creature until you learn its every 
  idiosyncrasy. Finally, the team must stage mock combats 
  so that each of you can learn to take advantage of the target 
  creature’s weaknesses.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Favored enemy (any one) +4.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Survival 1 rank and base 
  attack bonus +4.
   Beneﬁ t: Each team member who assumes a ﬂ anking posi-
  tion with the task leader against his favored enemy gains a 
  +2 bonus on damage rolls against that creature.
   Tips: To make optimum use of this beneﬁ t, the task leader 
  should wear light armor or use spells that improve his speed.
  GROUP TRANCE
  You and your teammates reduce your susceptibility to sleep 
  by learning the ways of the elves.
   Training: Your team members learn the secrets of elf 
  trance and can slip into a trance state by establishing a physi-
  cal link with the task leader. This trance state allows each 
  member to gain the beneﬁ t of sleep by cleansing her mind 
  and entering a deep meditative state.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Elf blood (elf or half-elf).
   Team Member Prerequisite: Concentration 1 rank.
   Beneﬁ t: When team members join hands, the task leader 
  can create a trance link that allows each of them, regardless 
  of race, to meditate in the same manner as elves do. Every 
  team member gains the beneﬁ t of 8 hours of sleep after just 
  4 hours of meditation.
   Tips: Let all the spellcasters in the group rest while the 
  warriors stay on guard. If the group’s elf trances with half the 
  team at a time, your party can get by with two well-manned 
  guard watches per night rather than several shorter shifts.
  INDIRECT FIRE
  Your team has a forward observer called a spotter, who locates 
  enemies and reveals their positions.
   Training: You and your teammates practice aiming at unseen 
  targets using directions from allies. Eventually, you learn to 
  ﬁ re accurately at targets that have cover based on the body 
  language and gestures of the spotter.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Precise Shot and base attack 
  bonus +6.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Spot 3 ranks.
   Beneﬁ t: This beneﬁ t denies opponents some of the protec-
  tion normally granted by cover or concealment. If the spotter 
  has an unobstructed line of sight to the covered or concealed 
  target, she can, as a move action, use hand gestures, spoken 
  directions, and body language to alert allies wielding ranged 
  weapons to the target’s position. If the target has cover, it gains 
  only half the normal cover bonus to Armor Class against 
  the team’s ranged attacks. If the target has concealment, the 
  attacker rolls the miss chance twice to determine whether 
  his attack hits. A spotter who can see invisible targets can 
  use this ability to allow a reroll on the miss chance to strike 
  an invisible creature.
   Tips: Team members with darkvision make the best spot-
  ters, since they can use their special sight to locate creatures 
  that are taking advantage of shadowy or dark conditions.
  LIKE A ROCK
  Like dwarves, the members of your team are stable on their 
  feet.
   Training: Your team develops resilience against unbalanc-
  ing attacks by working closely with a dwarf or some other 
  sturdy member of the party. When the team stands together, 
  its members are difﬁ cult to dislodge.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Stability (as dwarf racial trait).
   Team Member Prerequisite: Balance 1 rank.
   Beneﬁ t: The task leader’s stability bonus against bull rush 
  or trip attempts extends to all team members adjacent to her. 
  This bonus stacks with that provided by stability.
   Tips: This beneﬁ t requires the team to bunch up, so if the 
  enemy has a number of area attacks, be sure to beef everyone 
  up with spells and abilities that grant energy resistance. If 
  you must spread out, don’t move so far apart that you can’t 
  help an ally who is knocked prone.
  MASSED CHARGE
  When your team charges, it smashes into the foe as a single 
  great, implacable mass.
   Training: You and your teammates learn to charge as one. 
  You line up in a tight formation and time your strides to move 
  in tight synchronicity.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Balance 5 ranks.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Balance 1 rank.
   Beneﬁ t: The team can make a special charge attack. All 
  team members move on the same initiative count, and each 
  must charge and attack the same target. Each team member 
  gains a bonus on his attack roll after the charge equal to the 
  number of teammates participating.
   Tips: This beneﬁ t works best against a single, large oppo-
  nent. A smaller opponent presents too narrow a point of 
  contact for you to maximize this ability.
  MISSILE VOLLEY
  Your team excels at ﬁ ring as a group, unleashing a saturated 
  wave of arrows and bolts. Each member places her shots so 
  that the target cannot dodge them all.
   Training: Your team practices by taking aim at a number 
  of small targets clustered together (representing different 
  spots on the body of a single enemy). Each of you can learn 
  to place your shots so as to cover every part of a target with 
  a single joint volley.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Far Shot and Precise Shot.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Point Blank Shot.
   Beneﬁ t: Every member of the team who readies an action 
  to ﬁ re a missile weapon when the task leader does gains a 
  bonus on the attack roll equal to the number of team mem-
  bers ﬁ ring. The task leader also qualiﬁ es for the bonus, even 
  though she did not ready an action. All these attacks must 
  be made against the same target.
   Tips: Since everyone except the task leader must ready an 
  action to ﬁ re, the other team members lose their additional 
  attacks. Thus, the team is trading a high number of attack 
  rolls for a smaller number of attacks that are more likely to hit. 
  This beneﬁ t works best when a single, skilled archer (the task 
  leader) uses her teammates’ help to improve her accuracy.
  Illus. by D. Hudnut
  
  162
  CHAPTER 6
  THE ADVENTURING 
  GROUP
  STEADFAST RESOLVE
  Your team members can use their camaraderie and shared 
  experience to shrug off the effect of fear.
   Training: Through long experience in dealing with 
  adversity, you and your teammates develop the trust and 
  support needed to bolster each other’s minds when subjected 
  to magical fear.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Concentration 8 ranks and 
  Iron Will.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Base Will save bonus +2.
   Beneﬁ t: Any team member who must make a saving throw 
  against a fear spell or effect gains a +2 circumstance bonus 
  on the save if he can see or hear at least one team member.
   Tips: Some fear-based spells affect areas. If you cast such 
  a spell on an area that includes both allies and enemies, 
  your teammates are likely to make the save while the foes 
  run away.
  SUPERIOR TEAM EFFORT
  When your team works together on a task—whether it’s 
  battering down a door, talking a nervous innkeeper into 
  allowing everyone to spend the night, or sneaking past a 
  guard—everyone on the team does a better than average job 
  of assisting each other’s efforts.
   Training: Your team focuses on improving a particular 
  skill. Each team member watches the task leader and learns 
  a few speciﬁ c actions that can help her succeed.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: 8 ranks in a skill and Skill 
  Focus for the same skill.
   Team Member Prerequisite: 1 rank in the skill to which 
  the task leader’s Skill Focus feat applies.
   Special: This teamwork beneﬁ t applies only to checks 
  made with the skill to which the task leader’s Skill Focus 
  feat applies.
   Beneﬁ t: Any team member who attempts to aid another 
  member’s check with the relevant skill must make a DC 5 
  check to succeed rather than a DC 10 check.
  TEAM MELEE TACTICS
  Because your group ﬁ ghts as an effective team in melee, its 
  members can use the aid another action with greater than 
  normal efﬁ ciency.
   Training: Your team studies each member’s tactics, ﬁ ght-
  ing style, and tendencies. These hours of focused observation 
  allow each member to understand how best to help the rest 
  of the team.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Combat Expertise and 
  Dodge.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +6.
   Beneﬁ t: Whenever a team member uses the aid another 
  action to grant another member a bonus on attack rolls, that 
  bonus increases by 1.
   Tips: The aid another action allows an ally to strike with 
  superior accuracy at the expense of the aiding character’s own 
  attacks. Thus, the ally who receives the assistance should be the 
  best qualiﬁ ed team member to take down the foe—whether 
  by virtue of damage reduction, high AC, or the ability to use 
  Power Attack for extra damage.
  TEAM RUSH
  Your team travels faster than normal as a group. The efforts 
  and assistance of the faster characters allow the slower ones 
  to keep up.
   Training: Your team must march for a week as a group, 
  traveling across roads, dells, forests, and mountain passes. By 
  so doing, each team member learns how best to help everyone 
  move together.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Survival 8 ranks and Endurance.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Survival 1 rank.
   Beneﬁ t: When the entire team is traveling overland on 
  foot, each team member moves at the task leader’s speed. This 
  beneﬁ t does not extend to combat and similar short-term 
  movement situations, or to mounted characters.
   Tips: A barbarian is the best task leader for this teamwork 
  beneﬁ t. At the cost of a prerequisite feat, he allows his allies to 
  travel much more quickly across the countryside. In campaigns 
  that feature frequent wilderness or underground travel, the 
  time saved might prove to be a major beneﬁ t.
  TEAM SHIELD MANEUVER
  When your team ﬁ ghts as a group, its members can close 
  ranks to protect a badly injured ally.
   Training: Your group learns to react quickly when an ally 
  falls. You drill in pushing aside a wounded team member before 
  he tumbles to the ground and moving him out of harm’s way.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Shield Specialization (see 
  page 82).
   Team Member Prerequisite: Shield Proﬁ ciency.
   Beneﬁ t: When a team member’s hit points drop to –1 or 
  lower, any teammate adjacent to him who carries a shield can 
  use an immediate action to push him out of harm’s way. The 
  injured team member moves 10 feet before falling prone.
   Tip: This tactic works best if one of the group’s second-
  line characters has a potion or wand ready to heal the fallen 
  character. In this case, even a character who isn’t a member 
  of the team can play a valuable role in making the most of 
  this beneﬁ t.
  WALL OF STEEL
  By closing ranks and locking shields together, you and your 
  teammates form an impenetrable barrier to shield a more 
  vulnerable team member from enemies.
   Training: Your group stands in a tight formation and locks 
  shields while a hired mercenary or assistant pelts everyone 
  with blunt arrows. Each bruising shot reminds you to improve 
  your form and teamwork.
   Task Leader Prerequisite: Tower Shield Proﬁ ciency and 
  base attack bonus +8.
   Team Member Prerequisite: Shield Proﬁ ciency and base 
  attack bonus +2.
   Beneﬁ t: As a swift action, any member of the team can 
  lose his shield bonus to AC and grant it to a single adjacent 
  team member instead. This bonus stacks with the recipient’s 
  existing shield bonus, if any.
   Tip: Any arcane spellcasters who are frequently exposed 
  to missile ﬁ re might want to take the Shield Proﬁ ciency feat 
  to gain this teamwork beneﬁ t.
  
  rom the Knights of the Round Table to the Circle 
  of Eight, from the Vestal Virgins to the Knights 
  Templar, fantasy, myth, and medieval romance 
  have always been ﬁ lled with afﬁ liations. Where would 
  Robin Hood be without his band of Merry Men? For 
  that matter, what challenge would the Sheriff of Notting-
  ham present without his tax men and the support of the 
  usurper King John? Could Frodo have survived without 
  the Fellowship?
   An affiliation can be large or small. Its armies could 
  thunder like the wrath of a just god across continents and 
  planes to change the face of the multiverse. It could quietly 
  toil in an outlying village keeping the children asleep at 
  night while a vampire is bound safely in the secret cellar 
  under Old Man Hart’s feed barn. An afﬁ liation might be 
  centuries old, or it might have begun only last fall with the 
  discovery of a dryad’s severed arm in the alley behind the 
  tavern. An afﬁ liation might be good or evil. It could solicit 
  funds to build mithral-domed temples to Heironeous where 
  crusading clergy heal the sick and rest after patrolling the 
  night trade roads. It could subtly undermine the faith of 
  the paladin king, inspiring him to kill his wife in a jealous 
  rage and rise again as a blackguard to bring a dark age to 
  the kingdom. 
   An afﬁ liation can be almost any group of people, limited 
  only by their imagination and their ability to form common 
  goals. An ancient cabal of liches, the strict ecclesiastical Wee 
  Jasian hierarchy, the king’s bodyguards, the thieves’ guild, 
  the old apothecary and the three daughters that help to run 
  his shop—all these and more are afﬁ liations.
  BROADENING 
  YOUR GAME
  Afﬁ liations add another level to the D&D experience. 
  They pull the focus back a step, broadening it from the 
  adventure–loot–sell cycle that makes up some player 
  characters’ activities. With afﬁ liations, the community 
  comes to the fore. Conspiracies, kingmaking, war, 
  piracy, famine, revolution, business, plague, or the 
  founding of an empire take center stage for a time. 
  When the tarrasque appears, an entire kingdom 
  mobilizes (while the neighboring kingdom prom-
  ises aid but sends assassins, hoping to advance on a 
  weakened foe after planting season). When a new 
  prophet preaches in the West and gathers followers, 
  repercussions ripple through churches far and wide, 
  tithes decrease, and the old rites are threatened. 
  When kingdoms clash and food is scarce, when 
  churches excommunicate the best among them and 
  beatify the worst, when comets blaze forth the deaths 
  of princes and revolution grips the land in a paroxysm 
  of metamorphosis—that is when afﬁ liations come to 
  the fore to play out their grand drama.
  163
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  
  164
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
   This is not to disparage an individual’s focus. Indeed, 
  afﬁ liations highlight individuals in the same way that a 
  background serves to deﬁ ne the ﬁ gure of a portrait. You 
  need not be interested in world-spanning politics to ﬁ nd 
  value in afﬁ liations. Has your character ever recovered the 
  poison sack from a monstrous scorpion, or a kuo-toa’s idol 
  of Blibdoolpoolp, or yet another masterwork sword from a 
  bandit chief? Afﬁ liations give you a ready place to liquidate 
  such treasures. Has your character ever been drained by a 
  shadow, ridden by a night hag, or victimized by an ethereal 
  ﬁ lcher? Hire an afﬁ liation member to restore your strength, 
  exorcise your demons, or track down the planar pickpocket 
  while you concentrate on your main quest. Advancing in 
  your afﬁ liation can be almost as important to your character’s 
  development as attaining new levels.
   Afﬁ liations also allow your character to do things that she 
  otherwise would not be able to do. Ever wanted to open your 
  own tavern? Start your own smithy or weapon shop? Preach 
  to a congregation of thousands? Clear Stirge Ridge, raise a 
  curtain wall and a donjon, and assume the responsibility of 
  nobility? Afﬁ liations allow you to do this and more.
  THE TWO CATEGORIES 
  OF AFFILIATIONS
  Like-minded individuals might gather in an afﬁ liation for 
  any number of reasons, but at the fundamental level there are 
  two basic categories of afﬁ liations: social and racial.
  Social Affiliations
  A social afﬁ liation is formed when individuals with a common 
  interest come together to promote or protect that cause. It’s 
  that common interest, rather than any physical or professional 
  similarity (such as race or class), that binds the members.
   The most energetic or accomplished people among the 
  membership have the best chance of rising to a high rank 
  within the group. Conversely, members who fail to advance 
  the cause can see their status drop drastically—sometimes 
  so drastically that they are forced to leave the afﬁ liation.
  Racial Affiliations
  As the name implies, a racial affiliation is only open to 
  individuals of the race in question. It’s conceivable that, in 
  the context of a given campaign, a human might perform an 
  amazing deed that causes a group of dwarves to offer him a 
  place in their afﬁ liation, but such occurrences should be 
  exceedingly rare.
   Racial afﬁ liations differ from social afﬁ liations in a number 
  of ways. It’s usually easier for a member of a racial afﬁ liation 
  to maintain his status even if he fails in an endeavor, because 
  racial afﬁ liations don’t typically penalize their members 
  in such cases. Also, members of racial afﬁ liations usually 
  gain some tangible (that is, game-related) beneﬁ t from their 
  membership at a lower level of status than is the case in 
  social afﬁ liations.
  WHY JOIN AN AFFILIATION?
  Afﬁ liations can be viewed as another type of treasure. The 
  coffer of rubies might have fallen into the acid swamp and 
  melted, but the Brotherhood of Bahamut holds you in high 
  esteem for slaying the young black dragon. Your standing 
  in the Brotherhood goes up, and next time, instead of 
  tithing a church to grow back your shield arm or empty-
  ing your gem pouch to book passage on a shady captain’s 
  barkentine, the Brothers will cast regenerate or wind walk 
  for you, free of charge. In this way, an afﬁ liation serves you, 
  the same way that your sword, your spellbook, and your 
  gold beneﬁ t you. 
   You can also consider afﬁ liations as an additional class 
  feature. The Skill Focus (Gather Information) feat provides 
  a bonus on Gather Information checks, but so too does suf-
  ﬁ cient status in an afﬁ liation of thieves. Join an afﬁ liation of 
  sages to gain bonuses on Knowledge checks. As you increase 
  in status, you gain more affiliation benefits and greater 
  personal power (as well as face greater risks and enemies).
   Your afﬁ liation brings rich potential to role-playing. The 
  group can create many opportunities, including adding foils 
  for your PC, rivals vying for your rank, and steadfast allies 
  that can provide aid or request it of you. Afﬁ liations also 
  help drive your character’s motivations; when considering 
  your character’s background, you should understand how 
  his afﬁ liations ﬁ t in.
   From the Dungeon Master’s point of view, afﬁ liations can 
  be used to spur adventures, to lend the world verisimilitude, 
  to introduce NPCs, to act as treasure and reward, and even 
  to explain the occasional deus ex machina (even the best cam-
  paigns can beneﬁ t from such a device from time to time!). 
  You should work with your DM to determine what afﬁ liations 
  are available to your character. Perhaps your Dungeon Master 
  will allow you to create your own afﬁ liation and join it (or 
  found it). You should also discuss possible NPC and enemy 
  afﬁ liations in the campaign. Afﬁ liations with goals inimi-
  cal to your own can serve as challenges that highlight your 
  character and his allies—the Sun Fane of Pelor is opposed 
  to the Reviled of Laogzed, while the King’s Navy scours the 
  seas through storm and swell to harry the Thunder Sail Argosy 
  pirate ﬂ eet.
   Also, while the affairs of some afﬁ liations might be ﬁ xed 
  in the campaign world ﬁ rmament, unchanging outside of 
  DM ﬁ at, others can be more dynamic. Evolving afﬁ liations 
  add another dimension to your game. Using the materials 
  presented later in this chapter, you and your DM can make 
  your afﬁ liations change as the world does, even in response 
  to your character’s actions.
   No matter how you interact with afﬁ liations, keep in mind 
  that the goal is to have fun. Whether your thieves guild is 
  a static ﬁ xture whose future is unquestionably secure, or 
  whether it is a ragtag band of merry companions constantly 
  on the run from the city watch and in danger of extermina-
  tion or gaol, you should enjoy afﬁ liations as you wish.
  MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS PRIVILEGES
  You have a separate afﬁ liation score for each afﬁ liation, but 
  need only track those important to you. Your afﬁ liation score 
  deﬁ nes your status in that group. Rising in status can earn 
  beneﬁ ts such as an offer of membership, a monthly ﬂ ow of 
  gold and emeralds, or research time at a wizard college. 
  
  165
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
   You can’t get ahead in an affiliation without devoting 
  some of your character’s time and effort to the cause. You 
  might have to bring treasure to dragons, behead rival 
  chieftains, break your halfling comrades out of jail, or 
  perform any number of other types of activities. Your affil-
  iation will be willing 
  to meet you halfway, 
  but you’ve got to help 
  the group out if you 
  want the rewards.
   Multiple Afﬁ liations: 
  You can be associated with 
  multiple afﬁ liations at one 
  time. However, each sub-
  sequent afﬁ liation is harder 
  to maintain. The ﬁ rst afﬁ liation 
  that you have (your primary afﬁ li-
  ation) imposes a –10 penalty on all 
  other afﬁ liation scores. Subsequent 
  afﬁ liations oppose an additional –5 
  penalty to each afﬁ liation that you 
  gain afterward. In other words, you 
  can have one afﬁ liation score with no 
  penalty, a second at –10, a third 
  at –15, a fourth at –20, and so 
  on. High-level characters are 
  usually able to maintain one 
  or two afﬁ liations of note but 
  only minor associations with 
  other organizations.
   Some afﬁ liations might not be 
  compatible, and the DM has ﬁ nal 
  say on such issues. For ex-
  ample, in a campaign where 
  the human kingdom of Al-
  thar wars with the elven 
  realm of Gaelian, the DM 
  might rule that no char-
  acter with an afﬁ liation 
  to the Knights of Althar 
  can also have an afﬁ liation 
  with the Greenfold Rangers 
  of Gaelian.
  Multiple Afﬁ liation Ben-
  efits: If you have multiple 
  afﬁ liations, you can only gain the beneﬁ ts of one afﬁ liation 
  at a time. If you have a high enough afﬁ liation score to gain 
  beneﬁ ts from more than one afﬁ liation, choose which set of 
  afﬁ liation beneﬁ ts affect you at the beginning of each day. 
  You gain all the benefits for which you qualify from the 
  chosen affiliation.
  FEATURES OF AFFILIATIONS
  Your afﬁ liation has many features, some primarily of use 
  in roleplaying and background. These aspects include such 
  basic information as the afﬁ liation’s name and its background, 
  goals, and dreams. Most affiliations have a symbol that 
  enables members to identify one another. An affiliation’s 
  description might include information about high-ranking 
  members and how the group feels about members joining or 
  leaving its ranks, as well as facts about the group’s signiﬁ cant 
  enemies or allies. If an afﬁ liation has a secret that relates to 
  the group’s basic nature or how it operates, that information 
  is provided.
   Some of an afﬁ liation’s features come into play when you 
  join it or advance in it. Still others can be used to affect your 
  campaign world. The following features are 
  common to all afﬁ liations.
    Type: An afﬁ liation can be of 
  one of the following ten types: 
  business, cabal, college, druid 
  circle, ﬁ ghting company, govern-
  ment, spy ring, temple, thieves’ 
  guild, or tribe. An afﬁ liation’s 
  type limits the kinds of ex-
  ecutive powers wielded by 
  its leaders, and whether 
  it is better at fighting, 
  spying, or negotiation. In 
  the example afﬁ liation de-
  scriptions that follow, a 
  racial afﬁ liation is identi-
  ﬁ ed by the word “racial” in 
  parentheses after its type. All 
  other example afﬁ liations 
  are social.
   
   Scale: An affiliation’s 
  scale is a measure of its scope 
  of inﬂ uence. As afﬁ liations grow 
  in size and power, they increase 
  the scale of their activities. 
  The Bulette Rampant Mer-
  cenary Company could 
  be as inconsequential as 
  a cadre of men-at-arms 
  with a rotting ballista 
  or as mighty as an army 
  for hire with half a doz-
  en battalions and ﬂ ying 
  dragon support. An afﬁ l-
  iation’s scale can be from 1 to 
  20 and is also deﬁ ned by a de-
  scriptive term that indicates 
  the extent of its inﬂ uence. Scale directly affects an afﬁ l-
  iation’s capital and its ability to project power. Table 7–1, 
  on page 184. 
   Afﬁ liation Score Criteria: Base requirements for mem-
  bership, if any, are given here. An afﬁ liation might have 
  race, nationality, alignment, class, or some other baseline 
  membership criteria. The table in this portion of an afﬁ liation 
  description lists a number of factors and how they impact 
  your afﬁ liation score in that group. 
   Titles, Beneﬁ ts, and Duties: A title is a designation of 
  rank within the afﬁ liation’s hierarchy. Characters with an 
  afﬁ liation score of 3 or lower are usually not considered 
  members. In social afﬁ liations, members with afﬁ liation 
  The halﬂ ings of the Caravan of Shadows (see page 169) 
  stay one step ahead of the authorities
  Illus. by E. Widermann
  
  166
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  scores from 4 to 10 are generally looked upon as probation-
  ary members. A character with an afﬁ liation score of 30 or 
  higher attains the most prestigious title.
   Lower-rank beneﬁ ts carry over to higher ranks, but normal 
  stacking rules apply.
   Even if you have founded your own affiliation (as 
  opposed to positing the existence of one that you can 
  join as a recruit), you still must increase your afﬁ liation 
  score normally before you can gain the beneﬁ ts (and take 
  on the duties) of a titled member of your afﬁ liation. This 
  represents the fact that you can’t simply say, “I am founding 
  an afﬁ liation,” and by virtue of that declaration become 
  entitled to send an assassin after the duke or bring a plague 
  to the eastern river tribes. Rather, you must establish your 
  affiliation as a force in the world by satisfying affiliation 
  score criteria, proving by virtue of your deeds that your 
  afﬁ liation is a force to be reckoned with and a player on 
  the political stage.
   Executive Powers: Executive powers are wielded by 
  the affiliation’s leadership, generally those members with 
  an afﬁ liation score of at least 30. If a PC achieves a higher 
  afﬁ liation score than a leader NPC, the NPC might quietly 
  step aside in favor of the newcomer. Many affiliations, 
  however, force the two contenders to duel or to match wits 
  in some fashion.
   Unless otherwise noted, an afﬁ liation’s leadership can use 
  one executive power per month.
   Details about executive powers are given starting on 
  page 186.
  MAKING AFFILIATIONS DYNAMIC
  The noon air cooled, and a shadow drifted across the bright silver 
  coins stacked in Tabark’s scales. The moneychanger looked up 
  from his table in the bazaar and saw the clouds darkening. Large 
  black raindrops began to fall. When the ﬁ rst blue lizard thudded 
  onto his table, upsetting the scales and sending the silver coins 
  tinkling into the air, Tabark realized this was no summer squall. 
  “The Reviled!” he screamed. “Laogzed’s priests plague us!” He ran 
  for the Sun Fane as the lizard deluge began in earnest, reptiles 
  plummeting through awnings and crashing into fruit stands, 
  each lizard’s body wrapped with crackling lightning and frigid 
  from its recent altitude.
   When you play with afﬁ liations, a new avenue for conﬂ ict 
  resolution and storytelling opens. Plagues, the births of 
  kingdoms, wars, naval blockades, arcane research break-
  throughs, trade embargoes, and other factors become part of 
  your campaign in new ways. Your character need no longer 
  do everything from winning the Battle of Stirge Ridge to 
  lifting the curse on the southern farmlands to negotiating 
  peace with the Frost Cavern quaggoths. You and your DM 
  can rely on your afﬁ liation to accomplish some of these tasks 
  while you spend the bulk of your time focusing on your PC’s 
  main quest.
   Have you ever wondered who will watch your character’s 
  family, castle, or subjects when he is off adventuring? If your 
  PC is part of the Bulette Rampant mercenary company, you 
  can simply have a detachment from your battalion watch 
  over your loved ones. If your DM determines that the Valx 
  Nine-Eyes criminal syndicate strikes at your family while you 
  are adventuring underground, you can resolve the attempt 
  by playing out the details (in the absence of your character) 
  or, more simply, by using opposed violence checks for your 
  mercenary company and the brute squad sent by the beholder. 
  (Violence checks are described below.) 
   Have you ever picked up a powerful magic item, say a 
  +2 thundering dire flail, that no one in the party could use? 
  Campaign credulity is stretched by simply selling it to an 
  anonymous buyer who just happens to have 36,500 gp ready 
  to spend. Instead, you donate it to your afﬁ liation and increase 
  its capital—it is reasonable to assume that a sizable afﬁ liation 
  includes a member who knows (or now wants desperately to 
  learn) how to use a dire ﬂ ail.
   Have you ever heard yourself utter the lines that 
  famously fill a DM’s heart with annoyance, frustration, 
  and uncertainty? Namely, “Can I buy magic items?” When 
  you use affiliations, businesses and colleges have the trade 
  executive power, which allows some wondrous items to 
  come up for sale in the campaign—if a character has the 
  right connections.
   The following rules help guide a dynamic approach to 
  afﬁ liations.
   Capital: An afﬁ liation starts play with capital equal to its 
  scale. Capital represents different types of assets for different 
  afﬁ liation types. A ﬁ ghting company has its capital invested 
  in soldiers, armor, weapons, and transport, while a cabal has 
  its capital invested in wondrous items, spellbooks, bound 
  demon servants, and political secrets.
   In wartime and in months of hardship, your afﬁ liation’s 
  capital might go down; in peacetime when trade prospers, 
  your afﬁ liation’s capital might go up. An afﬁ liation’s mini-
  mum capital is 0; its maximum capital is twice its scale. If 
  your afﬁ liation does nothing for two consecutive months, 
  normal daily processes increase its capital by 1. A good way 
  to increase your afﬁ liation’s capital is to donate treasure. 
  For every 1,000 gp × your afﬁ liation’s scale that you donate 
  each month, its capital increases by 1. Thus, you must donate 
  5,000 gp during the course of a month to increase a scale 5 
  afﬁ liation’s capital by 1. For an afﬁ liation that has a scale 
  greater than 10, you must donate treasure in the amount of 
  10,000 gp × the scale to increase capital in this way. Such 
  organizations have increased their scope to such an extent 
  that they need not only gold, but vast tracts of real estate, 
  arcane secrets, favors of the emperor, the name of the duke’s 
  bastard son, and other nonmonetary items to increase their 
  stature and power.
   An afﬁ liation whose capital falls to –1 is disbanded and 
  cannot be refounded for a period of 1d4 months.
   An afﬁ liation whose capital remains at its maximum for 
  a number of consecutive months equal to twice its scale 
  improves one category in scale. For example, if a scale 4 busi-
  ness maintains a capital of 8 for eight consecutive months, 
  it becomes a scale 5 business.
   Violence Check: When an affiliation attempts to do 
  something using bullyboys, bludgeons, or battles, a violence 
  check (1d20 + violence bonus) is made. Fighting companies, 
  governments, and tribes have violence bonuses equal to 
  
  167
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  1/2 their scale. All other types of afﬁ liations have violence 
  bonuses equal to 1/4 their scale. 
   Espionage Check: An affiliation’s attempts to sneak 
  around, gather information, and inﬁ ltrate opponents are all 
  summed up using espionage checks (1d20 + espionage bonus). 
  Cabals, spy rings, and thieves guilds have espionage bonuses 
  equal to 1/2 their scale. All other types of afﬁ liations have 
  espionage bonuses equal to 1/4 their scale. 
   Negotiation Check: Convincing arguments, delicate 
  engagements, and subtle (perhaps even magical) manipula-
  tion are the province of an afﬁ liation’s negotiation checks 
  (1d20 + negotiation bonus). Businesses, colleges, druid circles, 
  and temples have negotiation bonuses equal to 1/2 their scale. 
  All other types of afﬁ liations have negotiation bonuses equal 
  to 1/4 their scale. 
  EXAMPLE AFFILIATIONS 
  The following afﬁ liations are representative of the standard 
  D&D world and adaptable for most campaigns. Don’t be shy 
  about renaming or revising any of the example afﬁ liations 
  described below. The more speciﬁ c to your world that you 
  make them, the more likely they are to come to life at your 
  gaming table.
  BLOODFIST TRIBE
   Symbol: The members of the Bloodﬁ st Tribe emblazon 
  their shields and tents with a red upraised ﬁ st, and many dye 
  their sword-arm gauntlets red as well.
  Background, Goals, and Dreams: For centuries, the 
  Bloodfist Tribe has wandered the wilderness of the north, 
  following great herds of elk and bison. Half-orc youths 
  who are outcasts from human or orc communities often 
  find their way north and join the tribe, leaving their 
  old lives behind.
   While it’s comforting to be among other 
  half-orcs, life among the Bloodﬁ sts isn’t 
  easy. The tribe often makes war against 
  rival tribes of full-blooded orcs and 
  fends off reprisals from the hu-
  man communities it sometimes 
  raids for food and supplies. Like 
  hunter-gatherers everywhere, the 
  Bloodﬁ sts risk starvation when-
  ever hunting goes poorly or game 
  is scarce. In hard times, the Bloodﬁ st 
  Tribe shrinks from the attrition 
  of war, starvation, and younger 
  members head south to seek an 
  easier life.
   The Bloodfist Tribe leaders’ 
  primary concern is where next to 
  march. Sometimes they make 
  war on the orcs and giants of 
  the northern mountains, some-
  times they raid the human 
  lands to the south, and some-
  times they are content to follow 
  the elk herds as they migrate. Leaders also spend a lot of time 
  mediating disputes within the tribe. It’s no easy task to be 
  the arbiter in a dispute when either aggrieved party can ﬂ y 
  into a bloodthirsty rage at a moment’s notice.
   Type: Tribe (racial).
  Scale: 6 (city).
   Afﬁ liation Score Criteria: Only half-orcs are eligible 
  to join the tribe. The Bloodfists have made war against 
  orcs and humans too much to ever fully trust those not of 
  mixed blood.
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er 
  Character level  
  +1/2 PC’s level
  Barbarian or shaman 
  +2
  Druid or ranger 
  +1
  Track feat 
  +1
  Assist tribe in major battle 
  +1
  Bring word of bountiful land (wilderness with plentiful 
  game, frontier with poorly guarded villages) 
  +1
  Bring head of enemy chief to Bloodfist chieftain 
  +2
   Titles, Beneﬁ ts, and Duties: The greatest reward of afﬁ li-
  ation with the Bloodﬁ st Tribe is simply becoming part of a 
  welcoming community with a shared heritage—something 
  all too rare for half-orcs. But there’s an additional beneﬁ t: the 
  Blood Lodge, where worthy half-orcs test their resistance to 
  pain and the strength of their blood.
   When the chieftain deems a Bloodﬁ st member worthy, he 
  directs the shamans to build an earthen lodge. The shamans 
  then use ﬂ int knives to cause painful wounds to the half-
  orc the tribe is honoring. Then the bleeding half-orc is 
  enclosed in the Blood Lodge and suffers pain and waking 
  nightmares for a day and a night. 
  The Bloodﬁ st Tribe wanders the world, searching in vain for an ideal home
  Illus. by S. Ellis
  
  168
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  When the lodge door opens, however, the ritual has served 
  its purpose: The tribe member emerges tougher and more 
  cunning than before.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
  Not affiliated or junior member with no 
  benefits.
  4–10 
   Bloodﬁ st Tribe Member: +4 racial bonus on 
  Survival checks.
  11–15 
  Lodge of the Bear: +2 circumstance bonus 
  on attempts to influence the attitude of 
  Bloodfist half-orcs. If you are a barbarian, 
  your rage lasts for an extra round.
  16–22 
   Lodge of the Dire Wolf: +2 inherent bonus 
  to your Charisma or Intelligence score, 
  +2 racial bonus on Fortitude saves, and 
  +4 circumstance bonus on attempts to 
  inﬂ uence the attitude of Bloodﬁ st half-orcs.
  23–29 
  Lodge of the Thunder Eagle: +8 racial bonus 
  on Survival checks, +2 inherent bonus to 
  whichever ability score you didn’t raise 
  while at the Lodge of the Dire Wolf rank, 
  and +8 circumstance bonus on attempts to 
  influence the attitude of Bloodfist half-orcs.
  30 or higher Lodge of the White Wyrm: Cold resistance 
  10. When you emerge from the lodge, the 
  tribe offers you a +2 weapon as a gift.
   Executive Powers: Plunder, raid, terrorize.
  BRIGHTMANTLE WEAPON FORGE 
  AND TRADING CONSORTIUM
   Symbol: The symbol of the Brightmantle Consortium is 
  a forge over water.
   Background, Goals, and Dreams: When the trees were 
  new, and the earth chafed while the mountains grew in 
  like baby’s teeth, legend goes that Durgan Brightmantle 
  soothed the stone with gifts of ore and the sweet taste of 
  gems. Countless eons later, a dwarf clan devoted to Durgan 
  Brightmantle and the extraction of the earth’s riches 
  founded their business based on mining and smithing. 
  Since then, the small weapons shop in Isher has grown 
  into one of the most powerful trading enterprises in the 
  known world, shipping goods across kingdoms and even 
  overseas, hiring caravan guards and traveling casters and 
  buying land for forges in a large number of new towns. 
  Brightmantle has even created entire new towns at particu-
  larly promising sites.
   Enemies and Allies: Of necessity, the Brightmantle 
  Consortium maintains good relations with all the monarchs 
  in its scope of inﬂ uence. Its relations with ﬁ ghting companies 
  are often strained, for while the latter are paid to go to war, 
  business is difﬁ cult in those times.
   Members: Most members of the Consortium are dwarves, 
  although all the common races are represented.
   The Brightmantle Consortium works diligently to retain 
  its members, not wishing to expend resources on training 
  new ones. If one chooses to leave, however, the Consortium 
  does not contest the decision, with one exception. If the 
  guild member joins another business, and the Consortium 
  feels that trade secrets have been compromised, then the 
  Consortium lobbies whatever local law exists in an effort to 
  have the turncoat’s new business outlawed.
   Type: Business.
   Scale: 14 (continental/seafaring kingdom).
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er 
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level
  5 or more ranks in Diplomacy or Appraise +1 per 5 ranks
    
   in each skill
  Can cast charm person 
  +1
  Can cast sending or travel by any means more than
  100 miles in a day 
  +2
  Makes peaceful contact with a new town or potential 
  customer base 
  +1 per contact (max 3/year)
  Successfully guards a caravan 
  +1 per caravan guarded
  Sells 1,000 gp of weapons 
  or other goods 
  +1 per sale (max. 1/month)
  Discovers new iron, gem, or 
  precious metal deposit 
  +2 per discovery
  Less than 5 ranks in Diplomacy or Appraise 
  –2 per skill
  Fails to deliver a caravan or message on time 
  –1/day
  Loses a shipment of goods 
  –3/5,000 gp lost
  Does not account for at least 10,000 gp of business 
  per year (whether in direct sales, guard duty, or 
  prospecting for ore or customers) 
  –6
   Titles, Benefits, and Duties: As you rise through the 
  ranks of the Consortium, you learn to increase your negotiat-
  ing skills, and you gain access to great wealth.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
  No affiliation.
  4–10 
   Freelancer: The Consortium occasionally 
  calls on you to help on speciﬁ c jobs.
  11–20 
  Associate: +1 competency bonus on 
  Diplomacy checks when speaking about 
  business matters.
  21–29 
   Subguild Head: Placed in charge of one of 
  the many subguilds and commanding the 
  services of ﬁ ve 4th-level experts (allot skill 
  points as you like, for you can choose from 
  the many clerks in the Consortium). Once 
  per month, your experts must each make a 
  DC 20 Appraise check and a DC 15 Gather 
  Information check. If three or more fail the 
  Appraise check, business is bad, and you 
  lose 1 point from your afﬁ liation score. If 
  all ﬁ ve fail the Gather Information check, 
  you fail to anticipate and deter a kidnap and 
  ransom attempt targeting you or your family, 
  and an EL 10 band of rogues arrives to carry 
  out the deed.
  30 or higher Secretary of the Overguild: Can borrow up to 
  30,000 gp in cash from guild coffers, but this 
  debt must be repaid within one year.
   Executive Powers: Craft, gift, trade.
  
  169
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  CARAVAN OF SHADOWS
   Symbol: Once afﬁ liated, you receive a tattoo of a game 
  token on the back of your left hand in a solemn ceremony. 
  When other members see the tattoo, they’re more likely to 
  talk to you and believe what you say.
   Background, Goals, and Dreams: On the surface, the 
  Caravan of Shadows is a prosperous halﬂ ing clan. But as with 
  many halﬂ ing affairs, there’s more going on beneath the 
  surface. Halﬂ ing characters with a connection to the Caravan 
  of Shadows are part of a network of thieves, spies, and con 
  artists that stretches across a wide swath of civilization.
   The Caravan of Shadows travels from city to city in a long 
  wagon train, staying at each major settlement for a few days. 
  The caravan’s bards, acrobats, and other entertainers hold a 
  series of performances, and the clan’s merchants buy and 
  sell spices and other valuable but easily portable goods. Less 
  savory members of the caravan pick the pockets of the larger 
  folk, commit burglaries on a nightly basis, or ﬂ eece the naïve 
  in games of chance or shady business deals.
   Type: Business (racial).
   Scale: 7 (city and outliers).
   Afﬁ liation Score Criteria: Only halﬂ ings are eligible 
  to join the caravan. Nonhalflings are sometimes allowed 
  to travel with them—especially on dangerous roads—but 
  fellow travelers don’t get a glimpse of the inner workings of 
  the caravan.
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er
  Character level 
   +1/2 PC’s level 
  Rogue 
  +2
  Bard 
  +1
  10 or more ranks in Sleight of Hand 
  +2
  10 or more ranks in Perform 
  +1
  Help another caravan member elude law enforcement +1
  Steal or cheat others out of at least 10,000 gp, 
  then donate proceeds to the caravan 
  +1
   
   Titles, Benefits, and Duties: The reward for greater 
  afﬁ liation with the Caravan of Shadows is a keener talent 
  for the skills that have the made the caravan so prosperous. 
  And if the caravan is in town, you can sell the loot from your 
  adventures to them at an advantageous rate.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
  Not affiliated or junior member with no 
  benefits.
  4–10 
   Caravan Member: +2 racial bonus on Bluff, 
  Gather Information, and Sleight of Hand 
  checks. 
  11–15 
  Shadow Pawn: Can sell jewelry, art, and 
  magic items to the caravan masters for 60% 
  of their purchase price. +2 circumstance 
  bonus on attempts to influence the attitude 
  of caravan members.
  16–22 
   Shadow Knight: Additional +2 racial bonus 
  on all saving throws. +4 racial bonus on 
  Bluff, Gather Information, and Sleight of 
  Hand checks. +4 circumstance bonus on 
  attempts to influence the attitude of caravan 
  members.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  23–29 
  Shadow Rook: You can sell jewelry, art, and 
  magic items to the caravan masters for 70% 
  of their purchase price.
  30 or higher Shadow Castle: +6 racial bonus on Bluff, 
  Gather Information, and Sleight of Hand 
  checks. +8 circumstance bonus on attempts 
  to influence the attitude of caravan members.
   Executive Powers: Pariah, shadow war, trade.
  CASTLE MAIRO
   Symbol: The symbol of Castle Mairo is the battered 
  breastplate of Herridek I. In more intricate heraldic designs, 
  the broken ﬂ int hammers of troglodytes can be seen lying 
  below the shield.
   Background, Goals, and Dreams: Three centuries and 
  one day after the Third Troglodytic Ruin razed the original 
  Fort Mairo to the ground, Castle Mairo was raised in its place. 
  Regdar had defeated Iathra, Pharaoh of the Reviled, and the 
  oases on the edges of the desert were once again safe. Before 
  leaving, Regdar helped his brother, Herridek II, to found a 
  small keep on the border of the dunes.
   Life in the oasis can be harsh when the sandstorms roll 
  through, but the presence of copper, platinum, and mithral 
  in the surrounding hills and even the bubbling oasis itself 
  provides ample reason for the castle’s continued existence.
   Members: Herridek II rules the castle wisely, and he 
  recruits all manner of citizens to his nascent barony: men-at-
  arms, certainly, but also wizards, bards, rangers, and skilled 
  rogues. The castle is especially desperate for divine casters 
  and healers.
   Herridek II is a beneﬁ cent monarch and allows individu-
  als to enter and leave his domain at their leisure. In times 
  of crisis—if a new pharaoh were to rise in the lands of the 
  Reviled, for instance—all those nearby are drawn inside the 
  castle walls and expected to aid in its defense.
   Type: Government.
   Scale: 9 (regional/barony).
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er 
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level
  Base attack bonus +5 or higher 
  +1
  Base attack bonus +10 or higher* 
  +2
  5 or more ranks in Survival 
  +1
  Can cast cure spells 2nd level or higher 
  +4
  Explored the shafts of  
  +1 for each
  the Raptor-Pharaohs 
   tomb shaft fully explored
  Slew Raptor-Pharaoh mummy 
  +1/4 Hit Dice of mummy
  Knew Regdar or Herridek I 
  +4
  Takes part in defense of the fort against raiders 
  +4
  Is an outlaw 
  –2
  Retreats in battle 
  –2
  Commits a crime within the barony 
  –10
  Is member of a thieves guild 
  –10
  * Overlaps (does not stack with) the modifier for a base 
  attack bonus of +5 or higher.
   Titles, Benefits, and Duties: As you advance in the 
  hierarchy of the barony, you gain access to its riches and 
  
  170
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  begin to enjoy the beneﬁ ts of nobility, while accepting the 
  duties thereof.
   Once you attain the rank of Knight Baronet, you are 
  invested with authority in the castle. Herridek the Second 
  often makes forays into the desert for weeks or months at a 
  time, harassing the Reviled and making sure that they are 
  not a threat to the Castle and its mines.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
  No affiliation.
  4–10 
   Free Citizen: Are a citizen of the barony but 
  gain no special status.
  11–20 
  Hero: +2 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy 
  checks involving other cirizens of the barony.
  21–29 
   Knight: Gain the patronage of Herridek II, 
  which grants a +4 bonus on Diplomacy and 
  Gather Information checks made within the 
  barony.
  30 or higher Knight Baronet: Command the services of 
  an honor guard consisting of twelve 1st-level 
  fighters, two 5th-level fighters, one 5th-level 
  wizard, and two 7th-level halfling rangers 
  mounted on giant eagles.
   Executive Powers: Law, raid, war.
  THE CHALICE
   Symbol: The symbol of the Chalice is a ruby chalice with 
  crossed ivory lightning bolts on the cup.
   Background, Goals, and Dreams: The Chalice is an armed 
  company dedicated to stamping out the inﬂ uence of devils, 
  demons, yugoloths and other slavering ﬁ ends on the Material 
  Plane. The paladin Arbinget Ivenay founded the Chalice a mil-
  lennia ago with one goal: to recover the Chalice of Heironeous 
  from Dispater’s Iron City of Dis. Aside from the members of 
  the group’s Lightning Council, no one knows if the chalice 
  was recovered or not, but regardless of the chalice’s fate, in 
  the intervening ages the afﬁ liation’s purpose has broadened 
  to ending the inﬂ uence of the Lower Planes in the world.
   Members: Many members of the Chalice are paladins, 
  priests, and ﬁ ghters; many of these eventually take levels in 
  the knight of the Chalice prestige class (see Complete Warrior). 
  Mortality is high among the membership of this combative 
  afﬁ liation, and as such the Chalice is always looking to induct 
  new members of sufﬁ cient piety.
   The Chalice is not a vengeful organization, and freely 
  allows members to leave its ranks. If a member departs due to 
  falling from paladinhood, ﬁ endish possession, or alignment 
  change—or tries to covertly corrupt the Chalice from within 
  after suffering one of these fates—the Lightning Council 
  dispatches an EL 14 exorcism squad (typically a 13th-level 
  paladin and a 13th-level cleric of Olidammara) that is more 
  inclined to smite ﬁ rst and ask for repentance by means of 
  speak with dead much later.
   Secrets: When you attain the rank of Lightning Coun-
  cilor, the other councilors lead you somberly to the Eyrie 
  of Heironeous. There, among the lightning rods of the 
  order, under a clouding sky, they inform you of the true 
  nature of the Chalice of Heironeous. What was stolen from 
  Heironeous millennia ago—not by Dis, but by Hextor, who 
  attempted to shirk responsibility for his deed (and to better 
  secure his prize) by loaning the chalice to the Iron Lord of 
  the Second—was not a powerful magic item, nor even an 
  artifact. As revealed to Arbinget Ivenay by the solar Tomal 
  on the eve of St. Vorgan’s Day 1,223 years ago, the Chalice of 
  Heironeous is in fact the daughter of Heironeous, a young 
  goddess-angel now held in durance vile deep in Dispater’s 
  Iron Tower. Every day, the Lightning Councilors dream of 
  rescuing her; every day, they come no closer.
   Type: Fighting company.
   Scale: 12 (multiregional/kingdom).
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er 
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level
  Base attack bonus +10 or higher  
  +1
  Can cast divine spells 
  +1
  Knight of the Chalice prestige class 
  +1 per two levels
  Wields a holy avenger 
  +8
  Has slain a ﬁ end with more than 9 HD 
  +1 per ﬁ end
  Has written a treatise on slaying fiends 
  +2
  Successful mission on behalf 
  of the Chalice 
  +2 per mission
  Successful mission on behalf of the 
  Lightning Council 
  +4 per mission
  Neutral alignment 
  –15
  Evil alignment 
  –25
  Defeated by a ﬁ end 
  –4
  Friends with a half-fiend, tiefling, or other tainted 
  –10
   Titles, Beneﬁ ts, and Duties: As you advance within the 
  ranks of the Chalice, you learn demon-ﬁ ghting techniques 
  and how to resist the temptations of ﬁ ends.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or less 
  No affiliation.
  4–10 
   Initiate: The Chalice recognizes you as a 
  potential ally or enemy in the struggle to 
  eliminate ﬁ ends from the Material Plane.
  11–15 
   Defender: You are inducted into 
  membership, and can requisition a potion of 
  protection from evil 1/week.
  16–20 
   Thunderer: Chalice priests cast up to 3rd-level 
  cure spells for free (excluding component 
  costs) when you visit their temple.
  20–24 
   Scion of Heironeous: Chalice priests cast 
  up to 4th-level spells for free (excluding 
  component costs) when you visit their temple.
  25–29 
   Paragon of Heironeous: By taking a –5 penalty 
  to your afﬁ liation score, you can gain a raise 
  dead spell from a Chalice priest. Fiends can 
  make a Knowledge (the planes) check (DC 30 
  minus your character level) to recognize you, 
  and if they succeed, their frenzy grants them 
  +2 on damage rolls when attacking you.
  30 or higher  Lightning Councilor: Once per year, you can 
  borrow for 1 week any magic weapon or 
  armor with a value of 18,000 gp or less from 
  the Chalice’s armory. While you do so, the 
  affiliation takes a –1 penalty to its capital.
   Executive Powers: Crusade, inquisition, war.
  
  171
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  DARKSPIRE COLLEGE 
  OF THAUN
   Symbol: The college’s symbol is three black 
  stalactites, one larger than the other two, on a 
  gold ﬁ eld.
  Background, Goals, and Dreams: The 
  Dark spire College’s campus is built into the 
  sides of three enormous hanging stalactites 
  tapering down from the vaulted ceiling of 
  a colossal underground cavern. Piercer, the 
  largest stalactite, extends more than 300 feet 
  down from the ceiling and has a base with a 
  radius of 150 feet. It houses laboratories and 
  libraries for each school of arcane magic, a 
  concert hall, thirteen summoning chambers, 
  two gymnasiums, the Desmodu Dormitory, 
  and lecture halls. Each of the Fangs, the other 
  two stalactites, is roughly two-thirds the size 
  of the Piercer. They contain classrooms, stud-
  ies, artists’ cupolae, and practice rooms. The 
  northernmost Fang also features the Sunless 
  Rose tavern and a warehouse. The warehouse 
  stores goods in transit to and from the surface 
  and other underground communities, and it 
  sells surplus and goods gone unclaimed when 
  a caravan doesn’t return. The warehouse has a 
  25% chance to have any given Player’s Handbook 
  item in stock and available at 150% of the price. 
  The Piercer and the Fangs are connected by a 
  network of rope bridges.
   Faculty and students attend Darkspire to 
  increase their arcane knowledge, and that is 
  the stated goal of the organization. 
  Enemies and Allies: The students, fac-
  ulty, and administration maintain friendly 
  relationships with most of the other peaceful 
  residents of Thaun (the underground cavern 
  that hosts the college’s spires on a small part 
  of its roof). These peaceful residents include 
  svirfneblin, deep dwarves, two nomadic 
  tribes of myconids, and a small community 
  of exiled drow. 
   The college is harassed by most drow, by an 
  aboleth that lives in Thaun Lake, and by Cher-
  ruk, a derro warlord who claims ownership of 
  the caverns immediately above Thaun.
   Members: The College holds no grudge 
  against those who leave its faculty. Indeed, 
  given the college’s location, it counts on los-
  ing at least one faculty member per year to 
  beasts, slavers, or an accidental fall from a 
  rope bridge.
   Type: College.
   Scale: 5 (city).
   Affiliation Score Criteria: Joining the 
  Darkspire College is as simple as enrolling; 
  however, to become a faculty member requires 
  long study and arcane puissance.
  The inverted towers of Thaun 
  hide many secrets
  Illus. by M. May
  
  172
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level
  Has darkvision 
  +2
  10 or more ranks in Knowledge (arcana) 
  +2
  Has the Arcane Thesis feat 
  +4 per feat
  Can cast arcane spells 3rd level or higher 
  +2
  Can cast arcane spells 5th level or higher 
  +4
  Has a magic staff 
  +4
  Is an archmage or has a staff of power 
  +8
  Donates 1,000 gp (or more) magic item 
  +2 per item,
  to the Department of Crafting 
  max 3 items/year
  Is drow, derro, duergar, or drider 
  –2
  No ranks in Knowledge (arcana) 
  –10
  Can cast divine spells 
  –2
  Does not spend at least 1 month per year on campus –20
  Titles, Beneﬁ ts, and Duties: As you advance in the col-
  lege, you improve your Knowledge skills and gain access to 
  magic items. You also earn a modest stipend for sharing your 
  expertise with the college.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
  No affiliation.
  4–10 
   Correspondent Student: You can regularly 
  correspond with the college while adventuring.
  11–20 
   Adjunct Researcher: +2 competence bonus on 
  Knowledge skills while in the college’s libraries.
  21–29 
   Professor: When crafting a magic item, you 
  can scavenge materials from the college—
  spend only 90% of the normal gp cost to craft 
  an item. Drow slavers and derro kidnappers 
  recognize your value—5% chance per 
  month that an EL 12 team of subterranean 
  mercenaries comes to claim your bounty.
  30 or higher  Regent: Can requisition any arcane scroll of 
  750 gp or less from the college stores, up to 
  three times per month. Must replace these 
  scrolls with scrolls of equal value within 
  one month of taking them.
  Executive Powers: Craft, research, trade.
  DRAGON ISLAND
   Symbol: The symbol of Dragon Island is a 
  purple rampant dragon. The elder dragons chose 
  purple as a compromise; it doesn’t correspond 
  to any true dragon’s real color and thus 
  represents dragonkind as a whole.
  Background, Goals, and Dreams: 
  A few miles off a remote stretch 
  of coastland is Dragon Island, 
  where humans soar over skies on 
  draconic steeds. In this insular 
  society, dragons and humans live 
  in concert, with dragons supplying 
  ancient wisdom and humans providing 
  industry and vitality.
   Dragon Island can appear anywhere 
  you like in your campaign world, and you 
  can give it a more evocative name if you wish. 
  The nature of the dragons it houses (metallic or chromatic) 
  is deliberately undeﬁ ned. Depending on the dictates of your 
  campaign, Dragon Island could be a bastion of hope or the 
  nexus of a gathering evil.
   Members: Afﬁ liation members are human characters who 
  grew up on Dragon Island, learning magic under the wing 
  (literally) of draconic masters and even riding loyal dragons 
  as steeds.
   Type: Government (racial).
  Scale: 12 (multiregional/kingdom).
   Afﬁ liation Score Criteria: Only humans qualify for this 
  afﬁ liation because Dragon Island is an insular place with no 
  elves, dwarves or other humanoids. Most grew up here, but 
  you could also establish an afﬁ liation with Dragon Island if 
  you spend years here as an adult.
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level 
  Speak Draconic 
  +2
  Sorcerer 
  +2
  10 or more ranks in Ride 
  +1
  Donate 20,000 gp in treasure to the hoard 
  of a Dragon Island dragon 
  +1
  Titles, Beneﬁ ts, and Duties: You’ll 
  learn from your draconic teachers, but 
  the most thrilling reward of afﬁ liation 
  with Dragon Island is the chance to 
  take wing with a friendly dragon as 
  your ﬂ ying steed. Doing so isn’t easy; 
  raising your afﬁ liation score on Dragon 
  Island is difﬁ cult.
   There are many more humans than 
  dragons on Dragon 
  Island, and the 
  dragons often 
  have better 
  things to 
  On Dragon Island, humans and dragons live together in harmony
  Illus. by D. Hudnut
  
  173
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  do than ﬂ y around with humans on their backs. Those who 
  become dragonspeakers imbibe a ritual draught contain-
  ing dragon blood; this liquid lengthens the human life span 
  and makes the dragons more likely to regard you as a suit-
  able rider. But only the best dragonspeakers are offered the 
  ritual that turns them into dragonriders, who are able to 
  command a dragon for as long as it takes a moon to wax and 
  then wane into nothingness. The greatest heroes of Dragon 
  Island mystically bond with their mounts, creating an on-
  going relationship between willing steed and rider.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
   Not affiliated or junior member with no 
  benefits.
  4–10 
   Dragon Island Native: +2 circumstance 
  bonus on attempts to inﬂ uence the attitude 
  of Dragon Island residents. Your age 
  categories (see page 109 of the Player’s 
  Handbook) become twice as long, although 
  you don’t revert to a younger age category.
  11–15 
   Dragonspeaker: +4 bonus on saving throws 
  against a dragon’s frightful presence. +2 
  racial bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and 
  Knowledge (history) checks.
  15–22 
   Dragonrider: +4 racial bonus on Ride checks 
  when riding a dragon.
  23–29 
   Dragonknight: If you take the Leadership 
  feat, you can have a dragon cohort.
  30 or higher  Dragonmaster: +8 racial bonus on 
  Ride checks when riding a dragon. +8 
  circumstance bonus on attempts to influence 
  the attitude of Dragon Island residents. 
  Immune to the frightful presence 
  of dragons. Your age categories 
  (see page 109 of the Player’s 
  Handbook) become four times as 
  long, although you don’t revert to 
  a younger age category.
  Executive Powers: Holiday, law, mint, war.
  ELVES OF THE HIGH FOREST
   Symbol: A cluster of acorns is the symbol of the Elves 
  of the High Forest. Their jewelry often uses this motif, and 
  they use the real thing—actual clusters of acorns—as subtle 
  trail markers within the High Forest. 
   Background, Goals, and Dreams: The Elves of the 
  High Forest live in a typical elf community: a series of 
  treetop villages and small towns that together form 
  a network to keep their forest safe and thriving. 
   Type: Tribe (racial).
  Scale: 6 (city).
   Afﬁ liation Score Criteria: To gain afﬁ liation 
  with the Elves of the High Forest, you need only be 
  an elf or half-elf. The elves have many non-elf friends 
  in the forest, but only those with elf blood can partake 
  in the privileged Hunt of the Full Moon. You don’t 
  need to grow up among the Elves of the High Forest; 
  you can be from a far-off elf community, and you’ll 
  still gain afﬁ liation with these elves normally.
   The Elves of the High Forest have a semi communal life-
  style, so they favor characters with skills or class abilites that 
  make a woodland lifestyle easier. The fastest way to gain status 
  within the Elves of the High Forest is to perform missions 
  on their behalf. The elves particularly favor missions that 
  protect the forest as a whole from interlopers—from human 
  woodcutters to drow raiders.
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level
  Druid or ranger 
  +1
  10 or more ranks in Knowledge (nature) or 
  Profession (herbalist) 
  +2
  Each successful mission 
  +2
  Each successful forest defense mission* 
  +4
  * Overlaps (does not stack with) the “each successful 
  mission” bonus.
  Titles, Benefits, and Duties: The Elves of the High 
  Forest offer specialized training in woodcraft for those 
  they favor.
   Those who reach a new level of status within the Elves 
  of the High Forest attain the new beneﬁ ts after attending 
  the Hunt of the Full Moon—a combination night-hunt and 
  ritual. The greatest hunters among the elves take you on an 
  all-night hunt for elusive game. The target is traditionally 
  a half-fey white stag, but sometimes the elves hunt more 
  dangerous quarry by necessity or for variety. During the 
  night, they teach you specialized techniques in perception, 
  stealth, and moving through the wilderness. Some say the 
  hunters leave the Material Plane entirely and wind up hunt-
  ing mystical game among the fey of Arborea. You’ll return 
  in the morning exhausted, but with the sharper perceptions 
  and peerless camouﬂ age of the greatest elf hunters.
  The Elves of the High Forest take part in the Hunt of the Full Moon
  Illus. by H. Lyon
  
  174
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
   Not affiliated or junior member with no 
  benefits.
  4–10 
   Friend of the High Forest: +2 circumstance 
  bonus on attempts to inﬂ uence the attitude 
  of High Forest elves.
  11–15 
   Guardian of the Branch: +4 racial bonus on 
  Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
  16–22 
   Guardian of the Trunk: +4 racial bonus on 
  Hide and Move Silently checks performed 
  outdoors. +4 circumstance bonus on 
  attempts to inﬂ uence the attitude of High 
  Forest elves.
  23–29 
   Guardian of the Root: +8 racial bonus 
  on Listen, Search, and Spot checks, and 
  the woodland stride ability (PH 48). 
  +8 circumstance bonus on attempts to 
  influence the attitude of High Forest elves.
  30 or higher  Guardian of the Forest’s Heart: +2 effective 
  caster level to all druid and ranger spells 
  when casting spells within the boundaries of 
  the High Forest.
  Executive Powers: Craft, harvest, plague.
  THE GOLDEN HELM GUILD
   Symbol: A golden helm is the symbol of the guild, natu-
  rally. Working in their smithies and forges, the gnomes often 
  wear yellow skullcaps to indicate their afﬁ liation.
  Background, Goals, and Dreams: The Golden Helm 
  Guild is a network of expert master crafters that spans dozens 
  of gnome communities, making ﬁ ne armor, weapons, and 
  other gear for the greatest heroes of the gnomes. But the 
  Golden Helm is no mere blacksmithing guild. It focuses on 
  creating rare items invested with potent magic, each one a 
  testament to its maker’s skill and power.
   Missions on behalf of the Golden Helm Guild often involve 
  securing rare ores or ﬁ nding other special ingredients that 
  the guild can use in its most potent creations.
   The guild often commissions its most talented members 
  to make magic weapons, armor, or other gear to sell or give 
  to a gnome-allied war effort. Each item you make on the 
  guild’s behalf worth at least 10,000 gp earns you +1 to your 
  afﬁ liation score. You can earn this bonus multiple times, 
  but only if the Golden Helm Guild commissions the items 
  ahead of time.
   Type: Business (racial).
  Scale: 10 (regional/march).
   Afﬁ liation Score Criteria: Guild membership is open 
  only to gnomes, but anyone who can swing a hammer is 
  welcome to sign up for an apprenticeship. Unless you have 
  some talent for crafting either mundane or magic items, you 
  won’t derive any beneﬁ t from your afﬁ liation.
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level 
  10 or more ranks in at least one Craft skill 
  +2
  10 or more ranks in a second Craft skill 
  +2
  20 or more ranks in at least one Craft skill 
  +4
  Per item creation feat* 
  +1
  Each successful mission 
  +1
  Per magic item worth at least 
  10,000 gp made for guild 
  +1
  * Does not include the item creation feat gained by 
  someone who becomes a Golden Helm Master (see 
  below).
   Titles, Beneﬁ ts, and Duties: When you’ve earned enough 
  afﬁ liation to attain new beneﬁ ts, you need only apply for a 
  promotion at the nearest Golden Helm chapterhouse, which 
  exists in any gnome community of large town size or larger. 
  After a series of examinations, the guild will award you the 
  new rank and hold a lavish feast in your honor. 
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
   Not affiliated or junior member with no 
  benefits.
  4–10 
   Golden Helm Apprentice: +2 racial bonus on 
  Appraise checks relating to stone or metal 
  objects. +4 racial bonus on any one Craft skill.
  11–15 
   Golden Helm Journeyman: +6 racial bonus 
  on Appraise checks relating to stone or 
  metal objects. +6 racial bonus on the Craft 
  skill you chose when you were a journeyman, 
  and a +4 racial bonus on another Craft skill.
  15–22 
   Golden Helm Master: Gain Craft Magic 
  Arms and Armor as a bonus feat. You can 
  craft magic arms and armor as if you had a 
  caster level equal to 1/2 your Hit Dice. This 
  ability does not allow you to meet any other 
  prerequisites of crafting a magic item.
  23–29 
   Golden Helm Grandmaster: Craft magic 
  arms and armor as if you had a caster level 
  equal to your Hit Dice.
  The gnomes of the Golden Helm Guild make ﬁ ne weapons and armor—
  and they’re capable of using them
  Illus. by E. Widermann
  
  175
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  30 or higher  Golden Helm Exalted: Spend 10% fewer 
  experience points than normal when crafting 
  a magic item.
   Executive Powers: Craft, gift, trade.
  THE LAND OF HONOR
   Symbol: The Land of Honor doesn’t have a nationwide 
  symbol. Each feudal lordship has its own colorful heraldry, 
  most using abstract decorations rather than real-world sym-
  bols like animals or words.
   Background, Goals, and Dreams: Humans from this 
  land live in a society guided by feudal lords who often war 
  against one another. But the wars are largely fought by a 
  caste of noble soldiers who regard battle as an opportunity 
  to demonstrate their bravery and adherence to a rigid code 
  of honor. Rather than draw inspiration from medieval and 
  Renaissance Europe, this land hearkens back to feudal Japan 
  and the Age of Samurai.
   In your own game, the Land of Honor might be its own 
  nation-state, or perhaps it remains a vague and exotic place 
  beyond the periphery of the campaign map. Give it whatever 
  name you like.
    Your human character can be a traveler or an exile from 
  the Land of Honor. If you want to retain your unique cultural 
  identity, consider an afﬁ liation with others from your land. 
  Perhaps colonies or communities of exiles exist beyond the 
  borders of the Land of Honor, or perhaps travel back and 
  forth is sufﬁ ciently easy that you can periodically return to 
  the land of your birth.
   If you’re wielding executive powers, you’re either one of 
  the feudal lords or the power behind the lord’s throne. Your 
  concerns vary as widely as those of any real-world ruler; you 
  might care about the welfare of your subjects, or you might 
  care only about games of power or living a life of wealth 
  and leisure. 
   Type: Government (racial).
   Scale: 15 (continental/empire).
   Afﬁ liation Score Criteria: Unless one is human and 
  born in the Land of Honor, a character is accepted in this 
  afﬁ liation only under extraordinary circumstances. 
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er 
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level 
  Fighter or monk 
  +2
  5 or more ranks in Diplomacy 
  +1
  10 or more ranks in Diplomacy 
  +2
  Defeat worthy foe in honorable duel 
  +1
  Perform mission at lord’s request +2 (and –4 if you fail)
   Titles, Beneﬁ ts, and Duties: As you gain afﬁ liation with 
  the Land of Honor, your feudal lord will reward you with a 
  ceremonial—but very functional—katana. A katana is sta-
  tistically identical to a bastard sword. Your willingless to live 
  and die by your honor code becomes increasingly apparent 
  from your bearing, and many foes will shamefacedly avoid 
  a duel with you.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
   Not affiliated or junior member with no 
  benefits.
  4–10 
   Citizen of Land of Honor: +2 circumstance 
  bonus on attempts to inﬂ uence the attitude 
  of other citizens of the Land of Honor. Your 
  lord gives you a masterwork katana.
  11–15 
   Fearless One: +2 racial bonus on Intimidate 
  checks. Gain Knowledge (nobility and royalty) 
  as a class skill, regardless of your class.
  16–22 
   Honorable One: +4 racial bonus on 
  Intimidate checks. +4 circumstance bonus 
  on attempts to inﬂ uence the attitude of 
  citizens of the Land of Honor. Gain Quick 
  Draw feat when drawing your katana.
  23–29 
   Selfless One: +6 racial bonus on Intimidate 
  checks. +8 circumstance bonus on attempts 
  to influence the attitude of citizens of the Land 
  of Honor. +4 bonus on attack rolls made to 
  confirm a critical hit with your katana.
  30 or higher  Perfected One: Gain damage reduction 
  1/– when you wield your katana.
   Executive Powers: Gift, law, war.
  MERATA KON
   Symbol: There is no symbol for the Merata Kon as a whole. 
  Most travelers recognize a Merata clan by its krenshar-hide 
  tents and the smoke puffs that rise on the horizon when a 
  Merata scout or companion band signals.
   Background, Goals, and Dreams: The Merata Kon is a 
  network of barbarian clans, sweeping nomadically from the 
  coastal plains to the high scrub forest, living off wandering 
  herds, seasonal vegetation, and ransomed travelers. Some 
  tribes of the Merata Kon allow themselves to be hired as 
  mercenaries, making raids on borderland baileys, but many 
  would-be patrons shy away from these tribes because both 
  its savagery and geographical uncertainty make it somewhat 
  unreliable. Nonetheless, the people of the Kon are a powerful 
  force due to their numbers and ferocity.
   In the spring of each year, all the Merata clans gather in 
  one place for an Althing, where horses are traded, daughters 
  are wed, and alliances are ﬁ xed. Occasionally, in times of 
  need, a Chief of Chiefs is selected, but most years there is no 
  higher authority than the chiefs of the individual clans.
   Enemies and Allies: The clans are constantly in a state 
  of tension with the civilized city-states and kingdoms whose 
  frontier lands and territories they drift over seasonally, 
  ignoring political borders like rain or wind or any other 
  force of nature.
   Members: The tribe consists mostly of half-orcs, humans, 
  and disaffected half-elves who ﬁ nd much in common with the 
  natural and alienated lifestyle of the tribe. There are known 
  to be Merata clerics, but there are virtually no arcane casters 
  outside of a few skald bard/barbarians. 
   The varied Merata clans have no political argument against 
  former members, but most clan chiefs take desertion person-
  ally. In most cases, a Merata who leaves his clan is disowned 
  and shunned forevermore.
   Type: Tribe.
  
  176
  CHAPTER 7
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   Scale: 13 (multiregional/kingdom and vassal states).
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er 
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level
  Base attack bonus +5 or higher 
  +1
  Base attack bonus +10 or higher* 
  +2
  5 or more ranks in Survival 
  +1
  10 or more ranks in Survival 
  +2
  Trophy Hunter feat 
  +1
  Can cast control weather 
  +3
  Defeat animal or magical beast
  of your level or higher one-on-one 
  +1/4 creature’s HD
  Defeat a clan champion one-on-one 
  +2 per win
  No ranks in Survival 
  –2
  Has lived in city 
  –2
  Does not accept a  
  –6, and cannot improve affiliation 
  challenge to combat 
  score until challenge is accepted
  Member of a civilized affiliation 
  –4 per affiliation
  * Overlaps (does not stack with) the modifier for a base 
  attack bonus of +5 or higher.
   Titles, Beneﬁ ts, and Duties: As you learn the ways of the 
  Merata, you learn to make these smoke signals yourself as you 
  increase your survival skills and become closer to nature.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
  No affiliation.
  4–10 
   Lowborn: The Merata Kon hold less 
  contempt for you than for most.
  11–20 
   Setaf Kon: +2 competence bonus on 
  Diplomacy checks involving your clanmates 
  and a +2 competency bonus on Survival 
  checks made when traveling with clanmates.
  21–29 
   Trebor Kon: Become a subchief and have a 
  3rd-level adept to assist you. By a system 
  of bonﬁ res and smoke, you can transmit 
  signals 200 miles across the Stalking Plains 
  in 1d2 days.
  30 or higher  Clan Chief: You are accompanied by four 
  chief’s men (6th-level barbarians), and your 
  counsel is a 4th-level cleric/4th-level bard.
   Executive Powers: Harvest, raid, terrorize.
  THE ONE AND THE FIVE
   Symbol: The symbol of the One and the Five is six black, 
  hooded ﬁ gures on a violet starburst ﬁ eld. 
   Background, Goals, and Dreams: A secret ring of six 
  wizards and sorcerers is at the heart of this cabal. Arcane 
  casters vexed by a lack of resources ﬁ nd this group’s support 
  exceptionally useful for purchasing spellbooks, researching 
  new spells, and perfecting metamagic techniques.
   Enemies and Allies: The cabal has strained relations with 
  most other organizations. Its secretive core, the six wizards 
  and sorcerers known as the titular One and the Five, frustrate 
  the attempts of spy rings and thieves guilds to penetrate and 
  gather information, while their subsidization of spell books, 
  research, and material components irks arcane colleges and 
  many business guilds.
   Members: Most of the members are human, but the One 
  and the Five welcome all to their cabal, and in addition to 
  half-orcs, dwarves, and gnomes, two centaurs and one gyno-
  sphinx are known to be associated with the afﬁ liation.
   No one knows what happens if you try to leave the One 
  and the Five. For some reason, no one ever has—or at least, 
  no one is talking about it.
   Secrets: Once you reach an afﬁ liation score of 30, you 
  must defeat one of the current One and Five in a mortal spell 
  duel. After killing your opponent, you are inducted into the 
  heart of the cabal, where you learn that the order is devoted 
  to Vecna, and that the One represents his Eye, and the Five 
  represent the ﬁ ngers of his severed hand.
   You need not worry about converting to worship of Vecna 
  at this point—when you ﬁ rst attained an afﬁ liation score of 
  25 or higher and the subtle wooings of the inner cabal did not 
  persuade you to convert to the service of the Maimed Lord, 
  EL 14 assault squads of summoned monsters and golems are 
  sent to kill you before you learn the cabal’s secret.
   Type: Cabal.
   Scale: 10 (regional/march).
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er 
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level
  5 or more ranks in Knowledge (arcana) 
  +1
  Can prepare arcane spells 
  +1
  Can cast arcane spells of 3rd level or higher 
  +1
  Can cast divination spells of 5th level or higher 
  +2
  Has over 2,500 gp in magic items 
  +1
  Donates magic item valued at 1,000 gp
  or more to the cabal 
  +1 per item, max six/year
  Shares 5th-level or higher-level spell with other 
  wizards at cabal Grand Convocation, held twice/year +2
  Completes mission for the leaders of the
  cabal, the One and the Five 
  +2 per mission
  Can cast divine spells 
  –6
  Divulges identities of members or
  other secrets of the cabal 
  –4
  Is known to investigate  
  –10, and an EL 12 coterie of
  the identities or the nature 
  sorcerer wraiths is sent
  of the One and the Five 
  to dissuade or dispose of you
  Is a member of a spy ring 
  –6
   Titles, Beneﬁ ts, and Duties: As you advance in the cabal, your 
  knowledge of the arcane increases. You also gain access to spells 
  and discounted components, paraphernalia, and research.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
  No affiliation.
  4–10 
   Of the Many: The cabal is aware of your 
  presence and judging you.
  11–20 
   Of the Mind: When you gain a wizard level, 
  automatically learn three spells rather than 
  two.
  21–29 
   Of the Body: When you craft a magic item, 
  pay only 90% the gp cost.
  30 or higher  Of the One and the Five: Three times per 
  year, you can borrow any wondrous item in 
  the Dungeon Master’s Guide of 10,000 gp 
  value or less for up to 1 week. You may not 
  borrow a charged item in this manner.
   Executive Powers: Craft, research, shadow war.
  
  177
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  RESTENFORD GUILD OF INSURERS, 
  SOLICITORS, AND BEGGARS
   Symbol: The symbol of the guild is a hand placing a gold 
  piece into a beggar’s uplifted cup.
  Background, Goals, and Dreams: The Guild of Insur-
  ers, Solicitors, and Beggars exists for the aggrandizement 
  of its members. This legitimate businessman’s guild is 
  run by Eyeless Errol, a sightless dwarf who spends much 
  of his time on a chair in the guildhouse listening to his 
  subordinates report. Eyeless Errol dresses neatly, always 
  matching the color of kerchief that winds around his eye-
  less sockets to the color of his pants, and he smiles with 
  distant awareness.
   Enemies and Allies: This afﬁ liation enjoys comfortable 
  relations with the Restenford Assassins Guild and the worker 
  guilds of the city (including the Sewerworkers and the Chim-
  ney Sweeps), walking a ﬁ ne line between respectability and 
  ruthless underworld efﬁ ciency.
   Members: Most members are rogues, fighters, or arcane 
  casters, with a few priests of Olidammara rounding out 
  the roster. 
   The guild is highly vengeful. An EL 12 hit squad (typically 
  two 8th-level ﬁ ghters and two 8th-level rogues) is dispatched 
  to squelch any member who attempts to leave the guild 
  without Errol’s express permission.
   Secrets: Behind the façade of an honest businessman and 
  a dandiﬁ ed hands-off owner, Eyeless Errol runs his guild 
  according to best practices, using double-entry accounting 
  and double-team extortion, and he is very hands-on despite 
  being eyes-off. Some whisper that he is, in fact, not blind at 
  all, but is simply a polymorphed dragon with blindsense; 
  others claim he is a mindspy doppelganger who sees through 
  the eyes of his victims, watching himself as he attacks. No 
  one ever really expects to unseat Eyeless Errol, but many 
  aspire to become the Insurance Boss, the Chief Solicitor, or 
  the Beggarmaster. 
   After becoming Insurance Boss, Chief Solicitor, or Beggar-
  master, you must deal with regular assassination attempts. 
  Either an ambitious underling or Eyeless Errol himself, 
  wary of your own ambition, attempts to rub you out. If you 
  succeed on a DC 30 Gather Information check, you learn 
  of the plot and do not have to face an assassination attempt 
  that month. If you fail to uncover the plot, you must either 
  succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save, with failure indicating 
  you have been assassinated, or play out the attack with your 
  DM’s help (the assassin typically has a CR of your level 
  minus 3).
   Type: Thieves guild.
   Scale: 6 (city).
  Affiliation Score Criteria: To join, you must be a 
  probationary footpad for some months, while the guild 
  surveys your work. If you are sufficiently skilled, the guild 
  invites you to run its gauntlet, a maze of mechanical and 
  magic traps (and, according to some, an otyugh assassin 
  retained by the guild to challenge overconfident would-
  be initiates).
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er 
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level
  10 or more ranks in Hide, Sleight of Hand,
  Forgery, Disguise, or Open Lock  
  +2 per skill
  Sneak attack +3d6 or higher 
  +2
  Runs the gauntlet in initiation 
  +4
  Spends one day per week appraising for
  the guild (requires 10 ranks in Appraise) 
  +1
  Performs a heist or swindle for the guild 
  that nets 1,000 gp or more 
  +1
  Spends time in the City Watch gaol 
  +1
  Tips off the guild about incoming City Watch raid 
  +2
  Has no ranks in Hide, Sleight of Hand,
  Forgery, Disguise, or Open Lock 
  –2 per skill
  Participates in a nonguild job, first time –8, and an EL 8 
    
  team of thugs is 
    
  dispatched to rough you up
  Participates in a nonguild job, second time 
  –15, and an 
    
  EL 12 team of rogues is 
    
  dispatched to maim or kill you
  Steals from someone under the guild’s protection 
  –6
  Titles, Beneﬁ ts, and Duties: As you advance through 
  the guild’s ranks, you improve your skills as a rogue and gain 
  access to equipment that will help you perform cons, heists, 
  rackets, and shakedowns for the guild. You also become the 
  beneﬁ ciary of the guild’s skill at procuring lucre.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
  No affiliation.
  4–10 
   Probationary Footpad: Your jobs are 
  sanctioned so you do not incur the affiliation 
  score penalty for an out-of-guild job.
  Eyeless Errol listens to a suggestion 
  for the Restenford Guild’s next job
  Illus. by S. Ellis
  
  178
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  11–15 
   Hood: You must run the gauntlet and be 
  initiated. If you survive, you gain an income of 
  200 gp/month. you must purchase equipment 
  only from the guild, which maintains supply 
  houses selling everything in the Player’s 
  Handbook and items of 1,000 gp value or 
  less from the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
  16–22 
   Bravo: In the city, +4 insight bonus on 
  Hide and Move Silently checks and +2 
  circumstance bonus on Sleight of Hand 
  checks. The City Watch recognizes you if its 
  Spot check beats your opposed Disguise 
  check and attacks on sight. 
  23–29 
   Made Man: You can fence up to 3,000 gp 
  of items for 90% market value each month. 
  Income of 400 gp/month to spend at guild 
  supply houses as above. Travel with impunity 
  through the Sewerworkers Union’s sewers 
  and the Chimney Sweeps’ rooftops.
  30 or higher  Insurance Boss, Chief Solicitor, or Beggar-
  master: +6 bonus on Gather Information 
  and Intimidate checks in the city. You can 
  borrow any one of the following from guild 
  coffers for 1 week at a time: a cloak of 
  elvenkind, boots of elvenkind, or any wand 
  described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  The City Watch considers you untouchable 
  and no longer attacks on sight. Must make 
  a DC 20 Diplomacy check each week or be 
  forced to pay 100 gp in bribes and kickbacks. 
  Must fight off regular assassination attempts.
   Executive Powers: Pariah, plunder, shadow war.
  RESTENFORD 
  SEWERWORKERS GUILD
   Symbol: The symbol of the Sewerworkers Guild is a styl-
  ized image of the guildmaster: a square with a circle in it, 
  representing Smiling Gordin and the head it contorts into a 
  grinning rictus when communicating.
   Background, Goals, and Dreams: Rat runners, ooze 
  masters, subterranean tinkers, exterminators, conjurors and 
  abjurers of ﬁ lth—the members of the Sewerworkers Guild 
  are unnoticed by most and unthanked by all. The guild is 
  responsible for the operation of the city’s vast subterranean 
  tunnel network. Repair work and extermination occupy much 
  of the guild members’ time, but these menial tasks only serve 
  to mask the guild’s true nature.
   The guild’s leader is Smiling Gordin, a miraculously awakened 
  gelatinous cube, originally brought into the sewers because of 
  its ability to scour a passageway clean simply by oozing through 
  it. The origin of Gordin’s intelligence is unknown, but the 
  quality of that intelligence is unquestioned. Communicating 
  by gelatinous convulsions that manipulate the vocal cords of 
  various heads absorbed into his body and not yet dissolved 
  (the city is a violent place, and there is no shortage of heads 
  for Gordin), Gordin has built the Sewerworkers Guild into 
  one of the most powerful spy rings in the region. 
   Enemies and Allies: Utilizing their near-invisible status 
  and all-city access to the fullest, Gordin and the sewer workers 
  maintain good relations with the aboveground Guild of Insur-
  ers, Solicitors, and Beggars (thieves guild) and often collaborate 
  with that guild on missions.
   Members: Not surprisingly, most members of the Sewer-
  workers are rogues, but a fair number are arcane casters, and 
  some who appear to be ooze masters are whispered to be 
  priests of Juiblex.
   The Sewerworkers cannot allow anyone to leave their 
  ranks. The knowledge gained by the spies is valuable, and the 
  tunnel crawlers are loath to risk letting it get away for free, 
  but the real threat is one of exposure. Smiling Gordin simply 
  cannot allow anyone to learn of the spy ring’s existence. 
  Anyone leaving the ranks soon comes face to face with an 
  EL 14 strike team lead by an otyugh assassin.
   Secrets: By the time you become Guild Boss, you learn that 
  Smiling Gordin has become ﬁ xated on learning why it was chosen 
  for intelligence. While it pursues that goal (and toward that end 
  it might ask you to complete adventures that it cannot), Gordin 
  is content to become the Guild Grandfather, retaining ultimate 
  veto power but relinquishing day-to-day control to you.
   Type: Spy ring.
   Scale: 6 (city).
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er 
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level
  Is deformed or maimed 
  +1
  5 or more ranks in Hide or Disguise 
  +1 per skill
  Can cast divination spells of 3rd level or higher 
  +6
  Sneak attack +2d6 or higher 
  +2
  Brings back sample of ooze, mold, or 
  +1 per sample
  slime to study
  Completes a mission for the guild 
  +4 per mission
  Lives in sewers 
  +4
  Is double agent with another spy ring 
  +6
  Has no ranks in Hide, Disguise, Bluff,
  Spot, Listen, or Sense Motive  
  –2 per skill
  Is followed by City Watch or a member
  of a rival affiliation into the tunnels 
  –2
  Is visibly shocked by Smiling Gordin’s appearance 
  (one time only, DC 15 Bluff check on ﬁ rst meeting) 
  –4
  Fails a mission for the Sewerworkers 
  –6
   Titles, Benefits, and Duties: As you advance in the 
  Sewer  workers’ Guild, you improve your spying and 
  information-gathering skills and learn to use the city tun-
  nels to your advantage.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
  No affiliation.
  4–10 
   Squatter: The Sewerworkers allow you to 
  squat at night in the tunnels.
  11–20 
   Rat Runner: +2 competence bonus on 
  Gather Information checks in the city.
  21–29 
   Ooze Master: +2 circumstance bonus on 
  Hide or Move Silently checks in the sewers.
  30 or higher  Guild Father: Reroll a failed Spot or Listen 
  check 3/day. +1 resistance bonus on saves 
  against disease.
   Executive Powers: Assassinate, pariah, research.
  
  179
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  SHARULHENSA, 
  THE ALABASTER TOWERS
   Symbol: Sharulhensa has no particular symbol, but many 
  of the buildings within the neighborhood have fonts and 
  fountains incorporated into their design—a architectural 
  nod to the magic pools.
  Background, Goals, and Dreams: Sharulhensa is a half-
  elf enclave built within the walls of a human metropolis. 
  Raised on the ruins of an ancient elf empire, the enclave 
  holds onto its magical heritage even as other cultures have 
  supplanted elves as the dominant humanoids across the 
  land. The half-elves of Sharulhensa remember the mighty 
  magic of their forebears, and they pass along ancient tradi-
  tions to the new generation in an effort to connect their 
  dual heritage.
   Secrets: Throughout the city of Sharulhensa are sacred 
  pools believed to hold the spirits of departed half-elves in a 
  quiescent state. When a half-elf drinks of these waters, he 
  or she gains a measure of magical power and a sense of the 
  eldritch tapestry that weaves together residents of Sharul-
  hensa, no matter how far they roam. The enclave’s elders 
  keep the locations of the sacred pools a secret even from the 
  ordinary residents of Sharulhensa, so the only way to get 
  access to the pools is by garnering favor with Sharulhensa’s 
  elders—earning afﬁ liation, in other words.
   The movers and shakers within Sharulhensa have intense 
  academic rivalries with each other as they vie to recapture 
  more of their elven heritage.
  Type: College (racial).
  Scale: 2 (neighborhoods).
  Afﬁ liation Score Criteria: Only half-elves are eligible to 
  join this afﬁ liation. Sharulhensa residents regard full-blooded 
  elves as lacking sufﬁ cient vitality and energy to guard the 
  heritage of their ancient forebears.
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level
  Wizard 
  +2
  Other spellcaster 
  +1
  10 or more ranks in Knowledge (arcana) 
  +2
  Each successful mission 
  +1
  Recovers a magic item worth 30,000 gp or more 
  +2
  Recovers a spellbook with at least 7th-level spells 
  +1
  Titles, Benefits, and Duties: Sharulhensa sometimes 
  needs adventurers to undertake missions on its behalf. If you 
  complete such an adventure successfully, you can increase 
  your afﬁ liation score with the half-elf enclave. But moreso 
  than the standard “Stop the orc horde marching toward the 
  city” mission, recovering the elves’ ancient heritage earns 
  favor with Sharulhensa’s elders—even if you’re recovering 
  that heritage from the elves themselves. In particular, you can 
  improve your status with Sharulhensa if you retrieve major 
  magic items crafted by the elves long ago and grimoires with 
  high-level arcane spells. Not any magic sword or spellbook 
  will do, however—Sharulhensa is interested only in items 
  steeped in elven history. 
   The reward of Sharulhensa afﬁ lation—access to the magic 
  pools—is great, but earning afﬁ liation with Sharulhensa is 
  more difﬁ cult than most other racial afﬁ liations. Those who 
  persevere find their ability to wield magic, especially the 
  subtle enchantments of the elves, vastly improved.
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
   Not affiliated or junior member with no 
  benefits.
  4–14 
   Citizen of Sharulhensa: +2 circumstance 
  bonus on attempts to inﬂ uence the attitude 
  of Sharulhensa half-elves.
  15–22 
   Pool of the Inscrutable: +1 to the DC of 
  saving throws against your enchantment 
  spells and spell-like abilities.
  23–29 
   Pool of Inﬂ uence: +8 circumstance bonus 
  on attempts to inﬂ uence the attitude of 
  Sharulhensa half-elves.
  30 or higher  Pool of the Endless: Gain detect magic as a 
  spell-like ability usable at will (caster level 
  equal to your Hit Dice).
  Executive Powers: Gift, research, trade. 
  The half-elves of Sharulhensa are dedicated 
  to preserving ancient lore
  Illus. by C. Frank
  
  180
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  SUN FANE
   Symbol: The symbol of the Sun Fane is the same as that of 
  Pelor: a shining sun.
   Background, Goals, and Dreams: The Sun Fane is a pow-
  erful Pelorite temple. A cyclopean golden dome, representing 
  the sun, rests atop colossal blue marble walls, representing 
  the sky, and both are supported by golden ﬂ ying buttresses, 
  completing the tableau by representing the sun’s rays shining 
  down on the earth.
   The goal of the temple is to witness for Pelor and spread the 
  glory of its merciful diety. All members of the temple turn a 
  stern eye on those who disparage Pelor as a “part-time god” 
  who only works half the day.
   The prelates, canons, and bishops of the Sun Fane are all 
  ardent in their worship of Pelor, but this does not stop them 
  from engaging in heated internal politics. The One Sun is 
  the archcanon of the temple, and when a leader steps down 
  or passes away into the sun’s brilliant radiance, the inﬁ ghting 
  is ﬁ erce. 
   Members: Most of the Sun Fane’s members are clerics, 
  and only a cleric can rise to become the One Sun. Paladins, 
  rogue scholars, and a few druids also climb the ecclesiastical 
  ladder of the Sun Fane’s hierarchy. 
   In keeping with its merciful teachings, the Sun Fane holds 
  no grudge against those who leave its ranks. The temple is 
  notoriously persistent, however, in trying to win back souls, 
  and those who leave the Sun Fane hierarchy can expect many 
  old friends to come calling with news of brilliant grace and 
  blessed light.
   Type: Temple.
   Scale: 12 (kingdom).
   Afﬁ liation Score Criteria: The Sun Fane is open only to 
  those of non-evil alignment.
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er 
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level
  5 or more ranks in Heal 
  +1
  Can cast divine spells of 3rd level or higher 
  +1
  Can cast divine spells of 5th level or higher* 
  +2
  Undertakes missionary voyage 
  +1 per voyage
  Converts creature to Pelor’s faith (convert
  must remain a believer) 
  +1 per convert
  Raises or resurrects an innocent soul with own funds 
  +2
  Donates 15% or more of treasure to Sun Fane 
  +2
  Cannot cast divine spells 
  –2
  Sells spells to neutral creature 
  –2
  Sells spells to evil creature for nonevil purpose 
  –6
  Acts against alignment 
  –10 ,and cannot improve
    
  affiliation score until
    
  undergoing atonement
  * Overlaps (does not stack with) the bonus for casting 
  divine spells of 3rd level or higher.
   Titles, Benefits, and Duties: As you advance in the 
  ranks of the Pelorite priesthood, you learn to win converts 
  to your faith, to spread the healing light of your faith, and to 
  scourge the undead (along with, some would say, rivals for 
  the archbishopric).
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
  No affiliation.
  4–10 
   Lay Worshiper: The Sun Fane welcomes you 
  as a faithful member of the congregation.
  11–20 
   Ordained: +2 competence bonus on 
  Knowledge (religion) checks when 
  consulting the Sun Fane’s library.
  21–29 
   Canon: +1 competence bonus on Diplomacy 
  checks.
  30 or higher  Archbishop: The Sun Fane brooch, vestment 
  of your office (does not take up space on 
  the body) grants you a +2 bonus on turning 
  checks.
   Executive Powers: Crusade, excommunicate, holiday.
  THE THUNDER SAIL ARGOSY
   Symbol: The symbol of the Argosy is emblazoned on the 
  sails of all three brigantines: a gold lightning bolt on sable.
   Background, Goals, and Dreams: The gentle heaving of 
  the deck underfoot slows, then stops. The gulls overhead quiet, 
  and the only sound is the rhythmic lapping of the suddenly 
  becalmed salt sea at the hull. A peal of thunder cracks over the 
  horizon, and clouds come scudding across the sky only a few 
  knots slower than the bolt-on-sable Thunder Sails.
   Captain Jonas Jakes commands an outlaw ﬂ eet of three 
  brigantines: the Rain Hawk, the Red Lightning, and the ﬂ agship 
  Maelstrom Aria. Few of the current pirates in his ﬂ eet were 
  with him when he started, and those few who have been in his 
  quarters wonder about the strange crystal sphere kept there. 
  Slightly larger than the glass buoys used by ﬁ sherfolk, the 
  sphere contains a swirling turquoise mist, and it rests clutched 
  near the captain’s bedstand in a preserved and upended harpy’s 
  talon. During battle, Captain Jakes hauls the crystal sphere and 
  harpy-leg monopod onto the aft deck, where he sits on a closed 
  locker, hunches over the sphere, and strokes it possessively 
  while barking orders to his mates and crew. He appears quite 
  mad, but the Thunder Sail Argosy has survived, and the crew 
  doesn’t care whether that is due to cunning or luck as long 
  as the gold is good and the grog is thick.
   Members: Most members of the Argosy are ﬁ ghter/rogues 
  or swashbucklers, and many take levels in duelist. A few 
  important ofﬁ cers are sorcerers or druids, and they function 
  as artillery and environmental control. Finally, like every 
  sailing ship, each Thunder Sail vessel has at least one bard, to 
  sing shanties in time with the hauling of ropes and alleviate 
  the thirsty, languorous days between plunderings.
   The Argosy is not concerned about those who leave its 
  ranks—and in fact it frequently asks men to leave the 
  crew (often at the end of a plank after they have crossed 
  the captain).
   Secrets: When you rise to a captaincy, Captain Jakes 
  informs you of the Thunder Sail Argosy’s hidden power and 
  purpose. Once a prominent plantation owner in a southern 
  kingdom, Jonas Jakes saw his daughter, a powerful druid 
  who helped him tend his crops, polymorphed into a green 
  mist by a chaotic, mad archmage who rode his horse through 
  town one day and casually sowed destruction in his wake. By 
  
  181
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  some arcane accident, Jonas’s daughter Ellyrese retained her 
  intelligence and spellcasting ability. Jonas keeps her in the 
  crystal sphere on the harpy-leg monopod in his quarters, and 
  now she uses her druid magic to cast spells for him to turn 
  the tide of a battle or to speed the Argosy on its way. Jonas 
  is desperately searching for an island with a white alabaster 
  cliff dwelling containing “no more than one eye, no less than 
  ﬁ ve mouths,” which a seer once told him would be the key 
  to restoring his daughter.
   Type: Fighting company.
   Scale: 5 (city).
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level
  Base attack bonus +5 or higher 
  +2
  5 or more ranks in Profession (sailor) 
  +2
  5 or more ranks in Perform (sing) or another Perform 
  skill suitable for shipboard life 
  +2
  Can cast control weather or similar effect 
  +10
  Can summon water elementals, water natural allies 
  to careen ship without need to run it aground 
  +4
  Is an outlaw 
  +2 (per outlawing kingdom)
  Sails on a successful raid with the Argosy 
  +4 per raid
  Has own ship to add to the Argosy 
  +6
  Has no ranks in Profession (sailor), Climb, 
  or Balance 
  –2 per skill
  Has tattoo of Imperial Naval service 
  or kills an albatross  
  –8
  Disobeys captain 
  –10, and you are ﬂ ogged
  Causes ship to be scuttled 
  –50, and you are marooned
  Titles, Beneﬁ ts, and Duties: As you 
  advance in the Argosy, you de-
  velop your seamanship, 
  win plunder, and 
  perhaps even rise 
  to the captaincy. 
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
  No affiliation.
  4–10 
   Able-Bodied Seaman: The afﬁ liation does 
  not recruit you, but does recognize your 
  seamanship.
  11–20 
   Corsair: +2 competence bonus on Profession 
  (sailor), Balance, and Climb checks while on 
  board one of the Argosy’s ships.
  21–29 
   Ship’s Ofﬁ cer: Gain an average of 200 gp per 
  month in plunder.
  30 or higher  Captain of the Rain Hawk or the Red 
  Lightning: You assume the captaincy of a 
  pirate ship; you can command a group of ten 
  pirates (eight 1st-level fighter/1st-level rogues, 
  one 3rd-level fighter/4th-level rogue, and one 
  7th-level druid) on one mission per month.
   Executive Powers: Plunder, raid, terrorize.
  WINTERVEIN DWARVES
   Symbol: The Wintervein symbol is a triangular mountain 
  rent with cracks or veins.
  Background, Goals, and Dreams: A collection of clans, the 
  Wintervein Dwarves are a cross between a nomadic tribe and 
  a crusading army, continually on the move against the goblin-
  oids, aberrations, and other horrors of the deepest caverns. 
  The Winterveins delve deeper into the earth than most other 
  dwarves, seeking out new caverns and transforming them into 
  The Thunder Sail Argosy approaches 
  another stepping stone on Captain Jakes’s quest
  Illus. by M. May
  
  182
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  habitable communities. Winterveins typically secure a cavern 
  complex deep underground, build a fortress-city there, then 
  push deeper underground until they ﬁ nd a hospitable spot 
  for their next city. They’re the dwarves on their race’s most 
  important frontier: the one that extends below the feet of all 
  other dwarves. 
  Type: Fighting company (racial).
  Scale: 11 (multiregional/duchy).
  Affiliation Score Criteria: The Winterveins function 
  like a “super-clan,” so every blood member is a dwarf. The 
  group has a number of nondwarf allies, but only dwarves 
  can earn afﬁ liation.
   The Winterveins often send clan members on scouting 
  or raiding missions, either in the company of their clan 
  comrades or with allies of other races (such as an adventuring 
  party). But the deeds that earn the most respect among the 
  Winterveins aren’t the assaults on goblin forts or mind ﬂ ayer 
  strongholds—they’re the successful defense of dwarven com-
  munities on the underground frontier when they are beset 
  by invading drow, vengeful duergar, or other opponents. 
  Criterion 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er
  Character level 
  +1/2 PC’s level 
  Cleric, ﬁ ghter, or paladin 
  +1
  Dwarven defender prestige class 
  +2
  Per successful mission 
  +2
  Per defense of besieged dwarf citadel 
  +4
  Titles, Beneﬁ ts, and Duties: The Wintervein dwarves 
  are masters of both alchemy and genealogy, and they can 
  create “ancestral infusions” that give the imbiber a measure 
  of the fortitude and strength of their famous forebears. Those 
  infusions are the mechanism that 
  delivers your afﬁ liation beneﬁ ts.
   When you reach a leadership position among the Winter-
  veins, you are the leader of a large extended family (with all 
  the politics that entails), and you’re the general of a dwarf 
  army on the march. Over the course of a single council 
  meeting, you might declare a crusade against a mind ﬂ ayer 
  city, hire adventurers to ﬁ nd the lost Hammer of Resounding 
  Rings, and placate a dwarf elder who is having a hard time 
  ﬁ nding wives for his sons. 
  Affiliation 
  Score 
  Title: Beneﬁ ts and Duties
  3 or lower 
   Not affiliated or junior member with no 
  benefits.
  4–14 
   Defender of Wintervein: +2 racial bonus on 
  attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids.
  15–22 
   Hero of Wintervein: As bonus feats, gain 
  Weapon Focus (dwarven waraxe) and 
  Weapon Focus (dwarven urgrosh). +6 racial 
  bonus on attack rolls against orcs and 
  goblinoids. Dodge bonus against giants 
  improves to +6.
  23–29 
   Foehammer of Wintervein: +4 racial bonus 
  on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids. 
  Dodge bonus against giants improves to +8.
  30 or higher  Lord of Wintervein: As bonus feats, gain 
  Improved Critical (dwarven waraxe) and 
  Improved Critical (dwarven urgrosh).
   Executive Powers: Craft, crusade, raid.
  CREATING YOUR 
  OWN AFFILIATIONS
  To create your own afﬁ liation, follow these steps:
    (1) Devise a concept, name, symbol (if desired), and 
  background.
    (1a) Create information (if desired) pertaining 
  to members, enemies and allies, and secrets of 
  the afﬁ liation.
   
   (2) Choose your affiliation’s type and 
  category.
    (3) Choose its scale.
    (4) Select the afﬁ liation score criteria.
    (5) Create the titles held by members and 
  select the beneﬁ ts and duties that accom-
  pany each title.
   
   (6) Choose the executive powers 
  available to the leader or leaders of the 
  affiliation.
  Keep in mind that creating your own afﬁ liation 
  is a bit like creating a new magic item and 
  pricing it; tweaking is sometimes neces-
  sary. While these rules can be used like 
  a cookbook to combine ingredients and 
  make a decent product, there is always 
  room for extra ﬂ avor. Astute readers will 
  notice that the sample afﬁ liations do not 
  always follow this process in lockstep. You 
  are encouraged to modify your afﬁ liations as 
  The Winterveins delve deep into the darkest underground reaches
  Illus. by S. Ellis
  
  183
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  desired, and your DM is encouraged to allow for it, so that they 
  ﬁ t your game and campaign world as well as possible.
   As discussed, afﬁ liations bring many new aspects to your 
  game. As you’re working through your creation ideas, don’t 
  forget that many of them can be enriched even further if other 
  people at the table are doing the same with afﬁ liations of their 
  own. Friendly rivalries between afﬁ liations can provide great 
  motivation and background for adventure.
  CONCEPT AND BACKGROUND
  It is most helpful to devise a general concept for your afﬁ li-
  ation at the outset. Will it openly rule in an area, or will it 
  act behind the scenes? Are its members, assets, or abilities 
  clandestine or hidden? Does it have a speciﬁ c creed or objec-
  tive? The answers to these questions help direct your creative 
  efforts and make the afﬁ liation more coherent and real.
   Beyond a general concept, the extent of your afﬁ liation’s 
  background is entirely up to you. Indeed, the extent of what’s 
  known about your afﬁ liation is as broad as your imagination. 
  The following topics can be considered when devising your 
  afﬁ liation. They might be set at the outset. Alternatively, you 
  can move on to the other creation steps after only jotting 
  down a few notes about your concept. Further details can 
  be left for the end of the creation process, or for description 
  and evolution during game sessions.
   The example afﬁ liations described earlier in this chapter 
  make up a varied collection, yet they barely scratch the sur-
  face of what sorts of afﬁ liations you can create for yourself. 
  Each piece of information that can be part of an afﬁ liation’s 
  description is discussed below.
   Name: The name of your afﬁ liation could be descriptive of 
  its interests or concerns, or it could be a “false front” hiding its 
  true agenda. It could be complex, legalistic, or long-winded, 
  evincing an effort to impress or awe the general populace. 
  Or it might be short or obscure, requiring a certain level of 
  inside information to understand its true meaning.
   Symbol: Design your afﬁ liation’s symbol (if you want it to 
  have one), bring it to the table, and place it near your character 
  sheet whenever afﬁ liations are involved in play.
   Motto: Perhaps everyone in your afﬁ liation shares a battle 
  cry, or perhaps they intone the same blessing before every 
  sunset. (The example afﬁ liations in this chapter have no 
  mottoes, so you can come up with one you like if you want 
  to use an afﬁ liation “out of the box.”)
   Background, Goals, and Dreams: Just as your character 
  is motivated by his past and driven to his future, so should 
  your afﬁ liation be. Did it start in the slaughterhouse of Bravik, 
  only to become a powerful mercenary company scourging the 
  hinterlands? Did it once rise to dominate the city’s arcane soci-
  ety, only to be shattered by the demons it once commanded? 
  Does your afﬁ liation want to merge with another afﬁ liation? 
  Destroy one? Draft the king’s niece into its ranks?
   Enemies and Allies: You might choose one or two afﬁ li-
  ations, races, regions, or creature types that your afﬁ liation 
  cannot abide. Perhaps your afﬁ liation wants to expunge them 
  from the earth, feels snubbed by them at court, or was almost 
  exterminated by them after a mass immigration from another 
  continent. In combat, members of the afﬁ liation attack these 
  enemies preferentially, and in parley, they bait and insult 
  them. The opposite applies to those creatures of individuals 
  you choose as allies. They should be given aid and succor 
  where possible, and you should expect similar treatment in 
  return. Some information on how this relationship came 
  about, what the degree of cooperation is, and how steadfast 
  the relationship is would be useful as well.
   Members: Name some of the other people in your afﬁ li-
  ation. Identify the leader, his or her subordinates, and the 
  rivals vying for position within the afﬁ liation. You might 
  consider, with the DM’s permission, co-opting several pre-
  viously existing NPCs from the campaign to be members 
  of your afﬁ liation. Think about how your afﬁ liation treats 
  ex-members (if it tolerates them at all).
   Secrets: The byzantine politics of some afﬁ liations afford 
  them ample opportunity to gestate a tangled mass of secrets. 
  If you like, choose one or two secrets for your afﬁ liation. Share 
  them with your DM, but only give hints about them within your 
  party. Then, at an opportune time, unveil the secret. Perhaps your 
  order is more ancient than anyone guesses, and under another 
  name it founded the ruined castle you are now exploring—only 
  your order’s motto will activate the magic mouth on the nether 
  cyst below the throne room. Perhaps you’ve been hinting at 
  surprise allies, and when you reach the vampire’s manse, you 
  tap on the portcullis to summon the beast’s apothecary, who 
  is actually a spy for your guild.
  TYPE
  Choose your afﬁ liation’s type: business, cabal, college, druid 
  circle, ﬁ ghting company, government, spy ring, temple, thieves’ 
  guild, or tribe. This selection affects the executive powers 
  available to the afﬁ liation’s leaders.
   Some concepts might be difﬁ cult to deﬁ ne neatly. A group 
  of related individuals (tribe) might be engaged in a proﬁ table 
  enterprise (business) selling illegal goods (thieves guild). 
  However, for the purpose of executive powers, you’ll need to 
  set one type as the afﬁ liation’s primary focus.
  CATEGORY
  Decide whether your afﬁ liation is a racial one or a social 
  one, and include “(racial)” in the Type entry of the afﬁ liation 
  description if appropriate. (The concept you create could 
  dictate which category the afﬁ liation belongs in.)
  SCALE
  Choose your affiliation’s scale in conjunction with your 
  Dungeon Master. Table 7–1, below, provides guidelines.
   As a general rule, the scale of an afﬁ liation is an indica-
  tion of how high up the ladder of inﬂ uence it can rise. For 
  instance, a scale 12 afﬁ liation could obtain an audience with 
  the king; a scale 8 afﬁ liation probably has the count’s ear; 
  a scale 3 afﬁ liation might get a hasty hearing by the local 
  burgomaster on a slow day. 
   The exact meaning of scale could vary from affiliation 
  to afﬁ liation, however. For example, an afﬁ liation does not 
  necessarily need to be scale 19 to have inﬂ uence on the Outer 
  Planes. Take a cabal of scale 6—it has inﬂ uence throughout a 
  roughly city-sized area or population. This city might be the 
  
  184
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  City of Brass on the Elemental Plane of Fire, and the cabal’s 
  scale might be explained by the fact that it is extremely 
  secretive and almost unheard by the general population on 
  its home plane.
   You must have the Leadership feat to found an afﬁ liation. 
  If you do so, it normally begins at scale 1. Campaign circum-
  stances might dictate otherwise, however, so you should 
  consult with your Dungeon Master.
  Table 7–1: Affiliation Scale
  Scale Scope of Inﬂ uence 
  Examples 
    1 
  Neighborhood  
  Bakery, druid hermit
    2 
  Neighborhoods 
  Crossroads tavern
    3 
  City quarter 
  Small abbey, small 
   
   
  nomadic tribe
    4 
  City quarter 
  Bank, slaughterhouse, 
   
   
  barbarian trading post
    5 
  City 
  Arena, pirate ship, 
   
   
  githzerai rrakma
    6 
  City 
  City watch, wild elf tree tribe
    7 
  City and outliers 
  Large college, tyrant wizard 
   
   
  in tower, death slaad 
   
   
  commanding a populous 
   
   
  gnoll tribe
    8 
  City/county 
  Frontier fort, druid sect
    9 
  Regional/barony 
  Small castle, established 
   
   
  church
  10 
  Regional/march 
  Minor nobility, powerful guild
  11 
  Multiregional/duchy 
  Nobility, established knightly
   
   
  order, dread pirate fleet
  12 
  Multiregional/kingdom Standing army, orc hordes 
   
   
  led by legendary chieftain
  13 
  Multiregional/kingdom Vast army raised to fight off 
   
  and vassal states 
  the tarrasque
  14 
  Continental/ 
  Centuries-old large kingdom, 
   
  seafaring kingdom 
  illithid underground nation
  15 
  Continental/empire 
  Emperor and his legions, 
   
   
  circle of archmages
  16 
  Multicontinental/ 
  Imperial legions with arcane 
   
  empire 
  and divine support
  17 
  Global 
  Ancient order of epic-level 
   
   
  knights
  18 
  Astral Plane 
  Githyanki incursion force
  19 
  Multiplanar 
  Armies in the Blood War 
   
   
  between demons and devils
  20 
  Cosmos 
  Epic-level affiliations, 
   
   
  hero-deities
  AFFILIATION SCORE CRITERIA
  Afﬁ liations measure a member’s value by a number of fac-
  tors. Some are baseline: If a character is not of the proper 
  religion, nationality, race, alignment, class, or other nature, 
  his afﬁ liation score is irrelevant (absent special dispensation 
  from the leadership). First, decide if your afﬁ liation enforces 
  any such prerequisites.
   Other than baseline criteria, numerous other aspects of a 
  character are considered when awarding beneﬁ ts and status 
  in a group. For your afﬁ liation, choose up to thirteen of the 
  criteria listed on Table 7–2. 
   A social afﬁ liation can (and usually does) have some nega-
  tive criteria—characteristics or accomplishments that reduce 
  a character’s afﬁ liation score instead of increasing it. As a 
  rule of thumb, select one negative criterion for every positive 
  criterion beyond the ﬁ fth one you choose (six positive and 
  one negative, seven positive and two negative, eight positive 
  and three negative, or nine positive and four negative).
   For the most part, racial afﬁ liations do not have negative 
  criteria; once you’re in a racial afﬁ liation, you have to do 
  something pretty outrageous to lower your status in the 
  group—and such lowering is usually accomplished by simply 
  kicking you out of the group.
   Because it is easier to move up in the ranks of a smaller afﬁ li-
  ation than a larger one, the base modiﬁ ers given on Table 7–2 
  must be adjusted according to the afﬁ liation’s scale. The base 
  modiﬁ ers given are for afﬁ liations with a scale of 1 to 7. For 
  afﬁ liations of scale 8 to 14, divide the modiﬁ ers given by 2. For 
  afﬁ liations of scale 15 to 20, divide the modiﬁ ers given by 4. The 
  minimum impact of a criterion after modiﬁ cation is 1/2.
  Table 7–2: Affiliation Score Criteria
  Positive Criteria 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er
  Expertise and power 
  +1/2 character levels
  Is a member of a favored race 
  +1
  Charisma 13 or higher 
  +1
  Base attack bonus of +5 or higher 
  +1
  Base attack bonus of +10 or higher 
  +2
  5 or more ranks in an appropriate skill 
  +1
  10 or more ranks in an appropriate skill 
  +2
  Has a feat that is signiﬁ cant to the afﬁ liation 
  +1
  Can cast arcane or divine spells 
  +1
  Can cast 3rd- to 4th-level spells 
  +2
  Can cast 5th- or higher-level spells 
  +3
  Has/does not have a familiar 
  +2
  Member of a prestige class important to 
  the affiliation 
  +2
  Possesses a magic item significant 
  to the affiliation 
  +1/10,000 gp value
  Wealth 
  +1/20,000 gp value
  Landowner 
  +2
  Noble title 
  +2
  Lives in a favored region 
  +1
  Parents or siblings in the affiliation 
  +2
  Marries into a family whose head is an 
  afﬁ liation member 
  +2
  Recruits a new member into the affiliation 
  +1
  Spends ten or more years in the afﬁ liation 
  +2
  In the thrall of a member of the affiliation 
  +2
  Recommendation of a member who has an
  afﬁ liation score of 21 or higher 
  +2 
  Saves the life of a member who has an 
  affiliation score of 21 or higher 
  +3
  Adventures with a member of the affiliation  
  +1
  Completes a mission assigned by the afﬁ liation 
  +2
  Makes a discovery important to the affiliation 
  +2
  Humiliates an enemy of the afﬁ liation 
  +2
  Defeats a violent enemy of the affiliation in combat 
  (the foe’s CR must be equal to or or greater
  than the character’s level) 
  +1/4 the creature’s CR
  Destroys an artifact anathema to the afﬁ liation 
  +4
  Razes a stronghold of one of the affiliation’s enemies +8
  Makes a pilgrimage or journey important 
  to the afﬁ liation 
  +2
  Donates money or magic items to the affiliation (a
  maximum per year might be set, after which donations
  accrue no additional bonus) 
  +1/1,000 gp donated
  
  185
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  Negative Criteria 
  Afﬁ liation Score Modiﬁ er
  Is of unfavored race 
  –2
  Associates with unfavored race 
  –2
  Has been dead 
  –4
  Has been undead 
  –6
  Charisma 8 or lower 
  –2
  Lacks base attack bonus of a certain level 
  –3
  Lacks ranks in a certain skill 
  –2
  Lacks a feat that is signiﬁ cant to the afﬁ liation 
  –3
  Lacks ability to cast a spell 
  –2
  Has/does not have a familiar 
  –2
  Is of opposed alignment 
  –4 to –20
  Acts in a manner beﬁ tting opposed alignment 
  –4
  Known to be friendly with opposing affiliation 
  –2 to –20
  Known to be a member of opposing afﬁ liation 
  –20
  Face, hair, time and place of birth, birthmark, or other
  quality marks the character as undesirable 
  –20
  Lives in unfavorable area 
  –2
  Loses or destroys afﬁ liation property 
  –1/1,000 gp value
  Fails in combat 
  –2
  Falls in combat with afﬁ liation’s hated foe or rival 
  –4
  Steals from the affiliation 
  –10
  Composes a song ridiculing the affiliation 
  or a prominent member 
  –10
  Has been/has never been to an Outer Plane 
  –2
  TITLES, BENEFITS, AND DUTIES
  Fill in titles as you wish for afﬁ liation scores of 4 through 
  30. In general, each ranking covers a range of six points of 
  afﬁ liation score, but variances are common. Often it is easier 
  to move through the lower ranks than the upper.
   Choose three to five benefits from Table 7–3 for your 
  affiliation. If you choose more than three benefits, it’s a 
  good idea to choose one duty (so that members don’t get 
  too many benefits without having to do something to earn 
  them). If you choose four benefits, you should select one 
  duty, and if you choose five benefits, you should select 
  two duties.
   Not all the beneﬁ ts and duties detailed in the example 
  afﬁ liations appear in Table 7–3. You and your DM should 
  feel free to devise your own beneﬁ ts and duties, using the 
  ones given here as guidance.
  Table 7–3: Affiliation Benefits and Duties
  Beneﬁ ts (afﬁ liation score 11 or higher, or 4 or higher for 
  racial afﬁ liations)
  +2 circumstance bonus on particular skill checks within a 
  geographical region
  +2 circumstance bonus on particular skill checks when 
  working with other afﬁ liation members or afﬁ liation 
  resources
  100 gp/month income (or 200 gp for a business affiliation)
  Ability to share spellbooks with one spellcaster of your 
  level once per month
  Personal valet or servant (CR 1 or lower)
  Purchase spellcasting from your afﬁ liation or an allied one 
  at 3/4 standard price
  Rent-free use of small flat in undesirable neighborhood
  Requisition one 1st-level potion or scroll per month
  Travel with impunity through an allied affiliation’s territory
  Beneﬁ ts (afﬁ liation score 21 or higher, or 15 or higher for 
  racial afﬁ liations)
  +1 on attack rolls against members of an enemy affiliation
  10% discount on experience or gp cost when crafting
  Bard song—+1 bonus on Diplomacy checks in a tavern whose 
  primary language matches that of the song
  Call in favor—lower your afﬁ liation score by 5 permanently 
  to gain access to arcane or divine spell of 5th level or 
  higher for 1/4 standard price
  Claim audience with the king/emperor/theocrat within 1d6 
  days once per month
  Communications network lets you use the Gather 
  Information skill across the duchy, sea, or planes, 
  depending on the scope of your afﬁ liation, without 
  requiring you to move from your hometown
  Dreamwalker—if sleeping in affiliation headquarters and can 
  prepare arcane spells, prepare one unknown spell per 8 hours 
  sleep if it is known to another sleeper in the headquarters
  Paper charm—when burned, word of recall (caster level 
  equal to afﬁ liation scale, minimum 11th) takes you 
  and possibly allies back to your headquarters
  Personal honor guard of 4–6 appropriate creatures (EL 8)
  Purchase spellcasting from your affiliation or an allied one 
  at 2/3 standard price
  Beneﬁ ts (afﬁ liation score 30 or higher)
  Personal hagiographer (6th-level gnome bard) shadows your 
  every move with quill in hand, recording your deeds for the 
  affiliation’s records and the benefit of general posterity, 
  strumming his lute and rhyming about your life when not 
  engaged in his primary task
  Borrow one item of up to 15,000 gp value from the 
  afﬁ liation’s stores once per month for 2d4 days 
  (30,000 gp value if the guild’s scale is above 10); while 
  the item is borrowed, the guild’s capital is decreased 
  by 1 if the item is valued at more than 10,000 gp
  Monument—your affiliation, a grateful populace, or a coterie 
  of rich, adoring sycophants erect an obelisk, a dolmen 
  garden, or a statue in your honor, granting you a +2 bonus 
  to your Leadership score and a +2 circumstance bonus 
  on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks when dealing with 
  people who have seen your monument
  Personal honor guard of 4–12 appropriate creatures (EL 12)
  Form friendship with head of allied affiliation (often a creature 
  of CR 10 + 1/2 scale)
  Ancient advisors—the spirits of the former afﬁ liation heads 
  are trapped within will-o’-wisplike glowing balls on the 
  Wisp Crown, a symbol of your ofﬁ ce; three times per 
  day you can use the Wisp Crown’s ancient advisors 
  to grant you a +6 insight bonus on any Appraise, 
  Decipher Script, Knowledge, Sense Motive, or Use 
  Magic Device check
  Claim audience with a rival (but not enemy) affiliation head 
  within 1d4 weeks once every three months
  Duties (afﬁ liation score 11 or higher, or 4 or higher for 
  racial afﬁ liations)
  Enemy affiliation’s members gain +1 on damage rolls against 
  you
  Enemy afﬁ liation’s members have hostile reaction and 
  impose –10 penalty on Diplomacy checks
  Must destroy five items or creatures anathema to your affiliation 
  in one month or reduce affiliation score by 1
  Must donate 5% of treasure to afﬁ liation
  Must make pilgrimage or endure initiation ritual or dangerous 
  journey
  
  186
  CHAPTER 7
  AFFILIATIONS
  Duties (afﬁ liation score 21 or higher, or 15 or higher for 
  racial afﬁ liations)
  Good judgment—make DC 20 Appraise check once per 
  month; failure indicates loss of 200 gp and affiliation 
  score reduced by 1
  Must recruit one new member per month or reduce 
  afﬁ liation score by 1
  Must defeat a CR 9 creature in single combat
  Must donate 10% of treasure to affiliation
  Duties (afﬁ liation score 30 or higher)
  Assassination attempts—if you fail to uncover a plot each 
  month with a DC 30 Gather Information check, then you 
  must face a CR 12 assassin (can be simplified: make DC 
  15 Fort save or die)
  Great judgment—make DC 20 Appraise check once per 
  month; failure indicates afﬁ liation loses 1 capital
  Must defeat a CR 13 creature in single combat
  Mutiny—succeed on DC 15 Diplomacy check once per month 
  or face mob/challenger (EL 12)
  EXECUTIVE POWERS
  Afﬁ liation leaders wield executive powers to accomplish 
  many tasks on a grand scale. Generally, a leader must have an 
  afﬁ liation score of 30 or higher in order to gain the authority 
  necessary to exercise these powers. 
   Choose three executive powers for your afﬁ liation from 
  among those described below. The executive power descrip-
  tions limit certain powers to certain afﬁ liation types. This 
  was done to balance out the value of the various types. You are 
  free to ignore those restrictions if your campaign or storyline 
  dictates otherwise.
   Some of the abilities encompassed by executive powers are 
  only used if you are playing with dynamic afﬁ liations (using 
  the rules for capital, violence checks, espionage checks, and 
  negotiation checks).
   Assassinate: Your afﬁ liation can retain the services of an 
  assassin (or send one of its own). The level of the assassin is 
  equal to 1/2 the afﬁ liation’s scale (minimum 1; maximum 10 
  + 1/2 its scale). Because it takes time to prepare a strike, an 
  assassin can be assigned one mission each three months. You 
  could resolve the results of an assassin strike using normal 
  D&D rules, or you might decide to resolve things “offstage.” 
  In the latter case, make an opposed espionage check against 
  the victim’s afﬁ liation (or against the victim’s Spot check, if 
  he has no afﬁ liation). If you succeed, the assassin penetrates 
  your target’s counterinﬁ ltration measures and strikes. The 
  victim must succeed on a Fortitude save against the normal 
  DC for the assassin’s death attack or perish.
   Cabals, druid circles, governments, spy rings, temples, and 
  thieves’ guilds can retain assassins.
   Beatify: The deeds of a saint are to those of an ordinary 
  man as the clouds are to the earth. Serene, high, and aloof, 
  the saints move through our world, and yet seem not wholly 
  a part of it. Your afﬁ liation has the power to declare someone 
  a potential saint; someone who is beatiﬁ ed gains the title 
  Blessed or Hallowed. A living creature who is beatiﬁ ed gains 
  a +2 sacred bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks 
  when dealing with other members of her faith. When she 
  casts a cure spell on a member of her own faith, she adds her 
  Wisdom bonus to the amount cured (maximum bonus equal 
  to the spell’s level).
   Druid circles and temples can beatify a creature.
   Craft: Hammers ring on anvils, saws hum through wood, 
  and kraken-ink quills scratch on half-petriﬁ ed calf vellum 
  at your afﬁ liation’s headquarters. Your afﬁ liation is adept 
  at producing valuable items. It can craft any masterwork 
  item or magic item from the Dungeon Master’s Guide with a 
  market price of up to 2,000 × the afﬁ liation’s scale. This item 
  belongs to the afﬁ liation, but you can borrow it according 
  to the benefits of your title in the affiliation description. 
  Mobilizing the afﬁ liation in this way is a big job; to do so 
  requires either an expenditure of 1 capital or a successful 
  negotiation check (DC 15 + 1 per 2,000 gp value of the item) 
  to bargain with supply and labor vendors. The process of 
  crafting is not quick; you must wait 1–2 months to receive 
  the item. During this time your afﬁ liation is free to engage 
  in other actions.
   Businesses, cabals, druid circles, colleges, temples, and 
  tribes can craft items.
   Crusade: Your afﬁ liation can declare a crusade. You des-
  ignate an enemy and attempt a Diplomacy check (DC 20 + 
  scale of target afﬁ liation, or DC 20 + level of target creature). 
  If you succeed, your followers martial their resources and 
  travel any distance to attack the offending blasphemer. If the 
  target is an afﬁ liation, make opposing violence checks. If your 
  afﬁ liation is successful, an opposing afﬁ liation loses 1 capital. 
  If the target is an individual, he must make a Fortitude save 
  (DC equal to your violence check result). If the target fails, 
  he perishes under your afﬁ liation’s righteous onslaught.
   If you wronged an enemy afﬁ liation by prying out the ruby 
  eyes of its sacred idol, selling the head of its demon guardian 
  at auction, or rescuing a screaming sacriﬁ ce from its altar, 
  your rival might retaliate by targeting your character with 
  an unholy crusade. Your DM might set aside the normal 
  Fortitude save and choose to play out an encounter. In that 
  case, you will be set upon by creatures appropriate to the 
  rival affiliation, with an EL equal to 10 + your opponent’s 
  violence bonus.
   Each month that it crusades, an afﬁ liation loses 2 capital 
  due to the cost of the ongoing operations.
   Fighting companies, temples, and tribes can crusade. A 
  crusade can target an individual, business, college, ﬁ ghting 
  company, government, temple, or tribe. Spy rings, druid 
  circles, cabals, and thieves’ guilds are too elusive for such 
  punishment.
   Excommunicate: You might instruct your affiliation 
  to shun an individual or an entire group. No cleric of your 
  afﬁ liation will help an excommunicated creature or a member 
  of an excommunicated afﬁ liation. If the excommunicated 
  creature fails a Will save (DC 10 + the scale of your afﬁ lia-
  tion), your edict is so strong that for a period of 1 year, the 
  subject cannot beneﬁ t from a divine spell cast by anyone 
  with an alignment descriptor in common with those of your 
  church. For example, if a lawful good church of Heironeous 
  excommunicates a creature and it fails its save, the creature 
  cannot beneﬁ t from divine spells from a caster who is either 
  lawful or good.
  
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   Druid circles, temples, and tribes can excommunicate 
  individuals.
   Gift: Your affiliation might bestow a valuable gift when 
  it matters most. After receiving a gift, the mercenary 
  company sends extra troops, the temple sends its staff of life 
  along with the bishop, and the thieves guild doesn’t pick-
  pocket your members on the way back from the tavern. 
  When your affiliation sends a gift to someone, you or an 
  agent of your affiliation receives a +4 competence bonus 
  on your next Diplomacy check involving the recipient 
  of the gift.
   Alternatively, when your affiliation sends a gift to an 
  appropriate organization, it secures a +2 competence bonus 
  on its next violence, espionage, or negotiation check, provided 
  the attempt is undertaken within 2 months of the gift. For 
  example, a gift to a ﬁ ghting company could secure a bonus 
  on your next violence check.
   Businesses, colleges, governments, and temples can 
  send gifts.
   Harvest: The wisdom or savvy of your afﬁ liation’s leader 
  allows your members to work the land to your advantage, 
  coaxing crops from grudging soil or teasing out precious 
  metals from jealous rock. When your afﬁ liation uses the 
  Harvest power, make a DC 20 Appraise check. If your result 
  is between 21 and 30, each member of the afﬁ liation receives 
  gold (your share is 50 gp × the afﬁ liation’s scale), and the afﬁ li-
  ation itself enjoys a +1 circumstance bonus on all violence, 
  espionage, and negotiation checks for the next 2 months. If 
  your result was over 30, you can choose the above beneﬁ ts, 
  or your afﬁ liation can gain 1 capital.
   Businesses and tribes can harvest.
   Holiday: Your afﬁ liation has the power to declare holidays. 
  These holidays can be perennial (Angels Day, Wyrm Waking 
  Day, Feast of the Chapeaux of St. Cuthbert) or one-day events 
  marking grand occasions (the dauphin’s wedding day, the 
  triumph over Snurre and the hill giants, the arrival of the 
  Duke of Brass’s ambassador). Any citizen in a land celebrating 
  the holiday, and any member of an afﬁ liation observing the 
  holiday, gains a +1 morale bonus on all attacks, saves, and 
  skill checks during the day. No more than one holiday per 
  month can be declared.
   Druid circles, governments, and temples can designate 
  holidays.
   Inquisition: With the ringing of the steeple bells, your 
  holy organization declares a hunt for blasphemers. Designate 
  one target afﬁ liation. Throughout your area of inﬂ uence, that 
  afﬁ liation falls under the shadow of suspicion.
   On an individual level, members of the targeted affili-
  ation are harassed by dedicated inquisitors. For each day 
  they spend in the lands of the inquisition, they must suc-
  ceed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + your affiliation’s scale) 
  or be fatigued.
   On an afﬁ liation level, suspected groups are forced to 
  curtail some activities and conceal others. The target of an 
  inquisition must succeed on an opposed espionage check or 
  be unable to use any executive power requiring a violence or 
  negotiation check during the next month.
   Maintaining an inquisition is expensive and interferes 
  with day-to-day activities. Each month when you conduct 
  an inquisition, you must succeed on an opposed negotiation 
  check with the local government or lose 2 capital.
   Druid circles and temples can press an inquisition. Individ-
  uals, businesses, colleges, ﬁ ghting companies, governments, 
  temples, and tribes can be targeted. Cabals, druid circles, spy 
  rings, and thieves’ guilds are too elusive for persecution.
   Law: Your afﬁ liation can write and enforce law through-
  out its domain. You might outlaw arcane or divine casting, 
  concealed weapons, magic items, gnomes, or anything else 
  you desire. If an object or practice is outlawed, anyone 
  caught using it, engaging it, or being it is ﬁ ned or jailed, as 
  you decide. Penalties beyond a ﬁ ne of 100 gp × your scale 
  are rare.
   An individual can attempt a Disguise check (DC equal 
  to your espionage check result) to engage in an outlawed 
  practice with impunity. If you outlaw an afﬁ liation, it goes 
  underground and takes a –2 penalty on all checks until 
  it relocates or the ban is lifted. A banned afﬁ liation has a 
  maximum capital of 1.5 × its scale, and it is exterminated if 
  its capital reaches 0.
   Particularly outrageous laws could require your affilia-
  tion to present the plan persuasively to your countrymen; 
  a Diplomacy check (DC 20 + scale) is required to accom-
  plish this.
   Your afﬁ liation can also make a law requiring certain tasks 
  of citizens in your area. If all citizens are required to undergo 
  martial training, each adult militia member in your lands gains 
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  EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULES
  If your concept for a new affiliation doesn’t mesh neatly with the 
  guidelines for creating your own affiliation, don’t let the guidelines 
  keep you from doing what you want (within reason, of course). 
   In particular, several of the affiliations presented earlier in this 
  chapter don’t rigidly follow the guidelines concerning executive 
  powers, so they can serve as examples of exceptions to the gen-
  eral rules.
   The Caravan of Shadows is a business that has the executive 
  powers pariah and shadow war, both of which are not normally 
  available to businesses—but they work well in the context of this 
  affiliation’s concept.
   The Chalice is a fighting company that has the inquisition 
  executive power—a justifiable exception for a group of holy 
  crusaders.
   Dragon Island is a government affiliation that has four 
  executive powers rather than the usual three, reflecting the 
  overall power not only of the affiliation but of its highest-
  ranking members.
   The leaders of the Wintervein Dwarves have access to the 
  craft executive power, which is not normally available to a fight-
  ing company—but for a fighting company of dwarves, it makes 
  perfect sense.
  
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  a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls, and your government 
  as a whole gains a +1 competence bonus on violence checks. 
  If you require all citizens to be literate, local civil servants 
  are recruited from a more knowledgeable populace and your 
  government gains a +1 competence bonus on negotiation 
  checks. If you require all citizens to participate in a state 
  religion or a state industry, every citizen gains at least 1 rank 
  in Knowledge (religion) or Profession (relevant industry), 
  and a +1 competence bonus on checks made using that skill. 
  If you raise taxes to an extraordinary level, you have a 25% 
  chance of gaining 1 capital each month. Other requirements 
  and beneﬁ ts are possible; consult with your Dungeon Master. 
  Requirements demand a citizen’s time and energy, however, 
  and only one such requirement can be in place at a time 
  (establishing a new requirement counts as the afﬁ liation’s 
  use of executive power for that month). Requirements are 
  also oppressive—your afﬁ liation’s leader must make a DC 
  30 Diplomacy check or reduce his afﬁ liation score by 1 each 
  month that the requirements are in place.
   Normally, only governments can set laws. If there is no 
  government in a region, druid circles or temples might enforce 
  scripture as law.
   Mint: Your afﬁ liation stamps its leader’s face on coins and 
  issues them as currency. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus 
  on Intimidate and Diplomacy checks with money-using 
  creatures in lands where the coins circulate. The awe inspired 
  by such a powerful act might shake your foes’ resolve; anyone 
  who confronts you in battle and has used your coins spends 
  the ﬁ rst round of combat shaken (no save). You also receive 
  free meals and free stays in inns or roadside houses with a 
  DC 5 Diplomacy check.
   Governments can mint coins, and if the government allows 
  it, businesses can do so as well.
   Pariah: Through rumor, propaganda, forgeries, and lies, 
  you portray an individual as anathema to his afﬁ liation. You 
  spread tales of priests slaughtering innocents, of businessmen 
  squandering riches on games of knucklebones, of soldiers 
  plotting sedition. This causes the individual to be outcast 
  from his affiliation. The target’s affiliation score drops to 
  0 temporarily, during which time he has no access to any 
  afﬁ liation beneﬁ ts, funds, items, or abilities.
   Your afﬁ liation must succeed on an espionage check or 
  negotiation check opposed by the individual’s Diplomacy 
  check to make the rumors stick. If the individual exercises 
  executive power within his afﬁ liation, he can add his guild’s 
  negotiation bonus on his Diplomacy check as a compe-
  tence bonus.
   Each month, the pariah can attempt to clear his name by 
  making the same opposed check. When he succeeds, the 
  record is ﬁ nally set straight, and the sheep-faced members 
  of his afﬁ liation welcome him back with his full afﬁ liation 
  score restored. A pariah who has cleared his name cannot 
  be again outcast from his guild with the pariah power for 1 
  year plus 1d12 months.
   Cabals, spy rings, and thieves guilds can declare a member 
  to be a pariah.
   Plague: Filth fever, centipede swarms, corn blight, a rain 
  of shocker lizards—all these are examples of plague. When 
  your afﬁ liation plagues a land or another afﬁ liation, each 
  affected person must make a Will save (DC equal to your 
  violence check result) each day of the month. Failure imposes 
  a –1 penalty on all saving throws for that day. Any leader 
  of a plagued afﬁ liation must make a Diplomacy check (DC 
  equal to your violence check result) with the members of 
  his afﬁ liation any time he wants to use an executive power; 
  failure means that he is powerless in the face of the plague 
  and his afﬁ liation score decreases by 1.
   Druid circles, temples, and tribes can bring a plague. 
  Businesses, colleges, druid circles, ﬁ ghting companies, govern-
  ments, temples, and tribes can be targeted by a plague. Cabals, 
  spy rings, and thieves’ guild are too small and too diffuse to 
  be affected by a plague. 
   Plunder: Treasure is the goal, and speed is the means. 
  When your afﬁ liation plunders an area, you are not attempt-
  ing to damage it permanently only to add to your own wealth. 
  When your afﬁ liation launches a plundering attack, make 
  an opposed violence check. If successful, you gain gold and 
  gems; your share of the loot is 100 gp × your afﬁ liation score. 
  The enemy has a 1 in 6 chance of losing 1 capital as a result of 
  your plundering; your afﬁ liation has a separate 1 in 6 chance 
  of gaining enough treasure to increase its capital by 1.
   Fighting companies, governments, spy rings, thieves’ guilds, 
  and tribes can plunder. Only businesses, colleges, govern-
  ments, and temples can be plundered.
   Raid: A raiding party seeks to deal as much damage as 
  possible and escape unscathed. Make an opposed violence 
  check with the target afﬁ liation. If your check is successful, 
  the opposition suffers the loss of 1 capital. If unsuccessful, 
  your raiding party has been trapped in the enemy’s territory. 
  Make opposed espionage or negotiation checks to either 
  sneak or talk your way home. Failure indicates that the raid-
  ing party perishes and your afﬁ liation loses 1 capital.
   Cabals, druid circles, ﬁ ghting companies, governments, 
  spy rings, thieves’ guilds, and tribes can stage raids.
   Research: Gathering information is the raison d’etre for 
  spy rings and colleges, but it is useful for other affiliations 
  as well. When your affiliation conducts research, you can 
  make an arcane discovery or unearth information about 
  your enemies.
   Your afﬁ liation can research any arcane spell. The leader 
  must pay the market price of a scroll of that spell in seed 
  money for the research. In 1d4 months, your affiliation 
  produces a scroll of the researched spell.
   Your group can also research opponents. Against any 
  NPC who has been researched, you and other members of 
  your afﬁ liation gain a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls in the 
  ﬁ rst round of combat (after that, the NPC realizes you are 
  anticipating his moves and switches tactics).
   Finally, research can be conducted on an enemy afﬁ liation. 
  Your group gains a +2 insight bonus on its next violence, 
  espionage, or negotiation check against that afﬁ liation.
   Cabals, colleges, and spy rings can conduct research.
   Shadow War: Your afﬁ liation stalks the alleys, the under-
  passes, the rooftops, and the dark copses on the edges of country 
  lanes. From concealment you strike, and to concealment 
  you return. When engaged in a shadow war, your afﬁ liation 
  
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  makes an opposed espionage check against your target. If 
  your check fails, your target exposes your afﬁ liation before 
  it can strike, and your afﬁ liation takes a –2 penalty on nego-
  tiation checks for the next month. If your check succeeds, 
  your shadow strike is true. If your successful check result 
  was 10 or lower, your enemy afﬁ liation’s internal structure 
  is disrupted, and it takes a –2 penalty on violence, espionage, 
  and negotiation checks for the next month. If your success-
  ful check result was between 11 and 20, the opposition’s 
  command and control structure is paralyzed, preventing 
  any afﬁ liation member from using any beneﬁ ts for the next 
  month. If your successful check result was higher than 20, 
  your opponent loses 1 capital.
   Cabals, druid circles, spy rings, and thieves’ guilds can 
  start a shadow war. 
   Terrorize: Skull flags on the horizon, ominous drums 
  along the mountains, illusions cast on pillows that cackle 
  suddenly to life and screech out bloody warnings when the 
  target lies down to bed—all these are techniques used by 
  your afﬁ liation to strike terror in the hearts of individuals 
  and other groups. 
   Your afﬁ liation can speak eloquently to the victim, threat-
  ening violence, or it can swing for the kneecaps and actually 
  provide the violence. A terrorized individual must make two 
  Will saves (DC equal to your violence or negotiation check 
  result). If she succeeds on both, there is no effect. If she fails 
  one, for the next month she is shaken in the ﬁ rst round of 
  combat when ﬁ ghting a member of your afﬁ liation. If she fails 
  both, for the next month, she is frightened of any member of 
  your afﬁ liation and ﬂ ees at the ﬁ rst opportunity.
   Your group can also attempt to terrorize an enemy afﬁ lia-
  tion. To do so, make an opposed negotiation or violence check 
  (depending on how you would like to deliver the threat). If 
  your afﬁ liation wins, the opposing afﬁ liation cannot use any 
  executive powers during the next month.
   Even the worst atrocities become commonplace if repeated 
  too often. An individual or afﬁ liation cannot be targeted for 
  terrorism more than one month out of every four.
   If your afﬁ liation succeeds on an opposed espionage check 
  before terrorizing another afﬁ liation, the victim does not 
  know who terrorized it.
   Cabals, druid circles, ﬁ ghting companies, governments, spy 
  rings, thieves guilds, and tribes can terrorize. Cabals, druid 
  circles, spy rings, and thieves guilds cannot be terrorized.
   Trade: Commerce is the life blood of business, and it can 
  provide a much-needed infusion of capital for other afﬁ lia-
  tions as well. When your group trades, choose one friendly 
  afﬁ liation. Each organization gains 1 capital. Make opposed 
  negotiation checks; whoever wins has a 1 in 6 chance of 
  gaining 1 additional capital.
   Alternatively, your affiliation’s trade connections can 
  help an individual entrepreneur. If your afﬁ liation’s trad-
  ing facilities are put at the disposal of an individual, he 
  gains a +4 competence bonus on Appraise checks and a +2 
  competence bonus on any Diplomacy checks that involve 
  trade for 1 month. 
   Lastly, a trading network can provide rumors of exotic 
  items. Make a DC 20 negotiation check. If it succeeds, a seller 
  has been located who possesses a wondrous item determined 
  randomly from those described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide 
  (50% chance for a minor item, 30% chance for a medium item, 
  20% chance for a major item; roll on Table 7–27, 7–28, or 7–29 
  as appropriate). Because of your trading connections, you 
  have a percentage discount equal to your afﬁ liation’s scale 
  should you purchase the item. For example, if you belong 
  to an afﬁ liation with a scale of 12, you would receive a 12% 
  discount on the purchase.
   Only businesses and colleges can instigate trades, but 
  any other type of affiliation can be the other partner in 
  a transaction.
   War: Fires sweep the rooftops, and the plains shake under 
  the boots of marching troops. War means many different 
  things depending on your campaign, but two results are 
  constant. First, throughout your afﬁ liation’s sphere of inﬂ u-
  ence, prices double. This price increase affects everything 
  from adventuring equipment such as 10-foot poles and scrolls 
  of lesser restoration to mundane items such as livestock and 
  food. It applies both to purchases and to crafting expenses, 
  including item creation costs. 
   Second, whenever a PC attempts to contact an NPC who 
  resides in the area ravaged by war, the NPC must make a DC 
  12 Fortitude save. Failure means the NPC has perished in 
  the war. Your DM might make this check once per month 
  for other important NPCs she deems at risk, regardless of 
  whether anyone attempts to contact them.
   Every month that your afﬁ liation is at war, the war effort 
  decreases its capital and its enemy’s capital by 1. Additionally, 
  make opposed violence checks. The loser suffers an additional 
  loss of 0–2 capital (roll 1d6; 1–2 = 0, 3–4 = 1, 5–6 = 2). 
   Your DM might have an NPC-controlled afﬁ liation declare 
  war. If two governments exist in the same territory, they 
  must go to war until one perishes (even if war is not an 
  executive power possessed chosen by either government). A 
  wise afﬁ liation keeps its warchest well stocked with ingots; 
  poor afﬁ liations are ripe targets for conquest.
   Fighting companies, governments, and tribes can start a 
  war. War can be waged against a college, ﬁ ghting company, 
  government, temple, or tribe. Cabals, druid circles, spy rings, 
  and thieves guilds are too elusive. Businesses are mobile 
  enough to avoid war, but can be outlawed by governments. If 
  a business is outlawed, however, it simply turns to the black 
  market (see the law executive power). 
  EXAMPLE OF PLAY
  The players at the table include Leigh (Mialee the wizard), 
  Wendy (Lidda the rogue), William (Regdar the ﬁ ghter), and 
  Matt (Jozan the cleric). Jody is the Dungeon Master.
  William (Regdar): A 1! I leap back out of the way.
  Wendy (Lidda): I was trying to open the—
  Jody (DM): Lidda trips the wire and stone rumbles overhead. 
  The crepuscular light fades. When you look up, you can 
  see by Regdar’s torch that a stone disk has rotated into 
  place over the exit, trapping you at the bottom of this 
  raptor-pharaoh shaft.
  
  190
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  Matt (Jozan): How are we going to get back out? Mialee, what 
  about Hanali’s Circle?
  Leigh (Mialee): No, don’t you remember the shadow war with 
  the Vecna cabal? They attacked in Avrillet last month and 
  paralyzed a lot of our activities. So, no new word of recall 
  charms for a while. We really do need to go after the One 
  and the Five once we get out of here.
  Wendy (Lidda): Right, Tall and Slender, your friends might 
  be ﬂ inging acid arrows in the alleys up north, but my 
  guild mates are right here guarding the codex. I bet they 
  can let us out.
  Lidda climbs to the top of the shaft and hangs from two pitons 
  and a krenshar-hide saddle strap.
  Wendy (Lidda): I shout for my guild mates to help while I 
  am trying to pick the lock.
  Jody (DM): It’s unpickable from this side. In fact, there is no 
  lock. However (makes a Listen check for Lidda), you do 
  hear the sounds of shouts, then ringing steel on steel and 
  the whoosh of ﬁ reballs.
  William (Regdar): Blood of the emperor! It must be the 
  Reviled vanguard. On open ground. Can your rogues 
  take them?
  Wendy (Lidda): I don’t know . . .
  Jody (DM): You speciﬁ cally brought them for this mission, so 
  I’m going to rule that they’re not surprised by the Reviled, 
  even though the light-adapted trogs belly-crawled through 
  the sand from the direction of the sunset. Do you have 
  individual stats for your guild force? [Lidda shakes her 
  head.] Then give me a violence check.
  Wendy (Lidda): I rolled a 14 and add my guild’s +2 violence 
  bonus. 16!
  Jody rolls d20 adds the Reviled afﬁ liation’s violence bonus.
  Jody (DM): 15. The Violet Ghosts win by one. A single surviv-
  ing guild mate arm-drags himself through the reeking, 
  bloodied sand to the top of the shaft. He scratches at the 
  stone, and after a great deal of encouragement from you, 
  he ﬁ nally hits the mechanism to tilt the plug-disc. The 
  stars are out by now, and the stench of the Reviled comes 
  through the opened gap.
  Later, after the party has set up watches: 
  Leigh (Mialee): If there’s nothing going on during my 
  watch, I’m going to read the codex for any clue on which 
  shaft is Iathra’s tomb, since our first guess obviously 
  wasn’t right.
  Jody (DM): The stiff pages are filled with religious ico-
  nography and veiled allusions. Give me a Knowledge 
  (religion) check.
  Leigh rolls d20 and adds her Knowledge (religion) skill 
  modiﬁ er plus another 1 because religious knowledge has 
  permeated her homeland, the territories around Castle 
  Mairo, ever since the baron made it the law for all citizens 
  to participate in the Pelorite religion.
  Leigh (Mialee): Let’s see, with modiﬁ ers, I rolled a 15.
  Jody (DM): Just made it!
  Leigh (Mialee): Heh. Jozan, I might grumble, but apparently 
  the mandatory worship of Pelor has its uses!
  Jody (DM): You learn that the shafts of the raptor-pharaohs 
  are laid out according to dynasty, and Iathra’s shaft 
  should be the one closest to where the sun sets on Wyrm 
  Waking Day.
  The next day, the party descends into the correct tomb.
  Jody (DM): Jozan’s boots bang down on the sandstone tomb 
  and puff up a cloud of dust. All right, everybody that has 
  been living in Castle Mairo, this is the start of the day’s 
  activities, so let’s see the Will saves. These are to avoid 
  the effects of the rain of shocker lizards that the Reviled 
  plagued you with last new moon. They rolled a 14 on their 
  violence check, so that’s the DC.
  Matt (Jozan): 17. Pelor has no respect for the Reviled.
  William (Regdar): 13. Gah! –1 to all my saves today.
  Leigh (Mialee) 21. I scoff at the darkness.
  Jody (DM): Okay, as you’re cursing the ape-frogs, Regdar, you 
  become aware of a scurrying in the dust. A small spider 
  is running out of the passage to the north, zipping past 
  Jozan’s feet.
  Matt (Jozan): I squash the nasty thing with my mace!
  Jody chuckles.
  Jody (DM): It offers no resistance. Both you and Regdar 
  hear something in the passageway behind the spider. Sud-
  denly you see what the spider was running from—three 
  troglodyte degenerates galloping on all fours straight 
  toward you.
  William (Regdar): Troglodytes! I charge and yell, “For 
  Herridek!”
  Jody (DM): A bloody battle brews, it would seem. Jozan, 
  I need an espionage check for the Sun Fane. There are 
  Reviled agents within; if you fail, they have infiltrated 
  your hierarchy and knew that you were coming. In that 
  case, they will have sent at least a few more tomb denizens 
  to your little welcome party.
  Matt (Jozan): Whoa. Espionage is not the Sun Fane’s strong 
  suit.
  Wendy (Lidda): Can the Violet Ghosts assist?
  Jody (DM): Sure, make an espionage check, DC 10. If you 
  succeed, you add a +2 bonus on the Sun Fane’s check.
  Wendy rolls d20 and adds her afﬁ liation’s espionage bonus.
  Wendy (Lidda): 23, no problem.
  Matt rolls d20 and adds his afﬁ liation’s espionage bonus plus 
  2 for Wendy’s help.
  Matt (Jozan): Only an 11. Ouch!
  Jody rolls d20 and adds the Reviled’s espionage bonus.
  Jody (DM): 16. The Reviled spies in the Sun Fane have 
  compromised your agents and learned their plans. There 
  are two additional carrion crawlers here to welcome you. 
  I could have done this a while ago, of course, but I wanted 
  you to see the rolls and have an opportunity to roll for your 
  own afﬁ liation.
  Jody picks up two carrion crawler miniatures.
  Matt (Jozan): Remind me to ask you about an inquisition 
  when we get back! There are spies in the fort!
  Jody (DM): The degenerates leap upon you, their familiar 
  stench closing around your lungs like a dragon’s claw. You 
  can hear the wet sucking sounds of the crawlers’ footpads 
  as they blindly feel their way down the walls and ceiling 
  of the passageway behind the troglodytes. It’s that time, 
  everyone—roll for initiative!
  
  he DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game offers a great 
  deal of flexibility in character creation and 
  advancement. When you make a character, you 
  can choose any race or class combination, select 
  from a wide variety of feats, and buy ranks in 
  any skills you wish. Once you’ve made these 
  decisions, however, they cannot be changed. Most of the 
  time those early decisions work out fine, but sometimes 
  you might regret your previous choices. Maybe you didn’t 
  fully understand the ramifications of the choice you made. 
  Or maybe you constructed a character around a great 
  concept, but in play, the particular set of circumstances 
  that would let your character shine never cropped up. 
  And even if you built your character to perfection, each 
  new supplement presents new classes, feats, spells, and 
  special abilities, many of which might better serve the 
  needs of your character or the campaign than those you 
  previously selected.
   It’s true that part of the D&D game’s challenge is 
  making smart choices in creating or advancing your char-
  acter. But a DM who forces someone to play a character 
  he doesn’t find enjoyable isn’t making the game fun for 
  that player or the others at the table. In such a situation, 
  the player usually either throws away the character and 
  rolls up a new one, or quits the game. If your campaign 
  values character continuity (as many campaigns do), nei-
  ther of those outcomes is especially attractive. Why force 
  Mike to throw away the elf fighter he’s been playing for 
  three months just because he made a couple of bad feat 
  choices, when allowing him to change those choices 
  would be so much better for the storyline? If Mialee 
  has been an integral part of the campaign since Day 
  1 but has regretted being an elf since Day 2, wouldn’t 
  it be better to let her become the halfling she would 
  prefer to be by undergoing a dramatic transformation 
  at the Necrotic Cradle (see page 203) than to abruptly 
  replace her with Liamee the halfling wizard? The fact 
  that Liamee the halfling coincidentally has the same 
  spells, feats, skill ranks, and familiar as Mialee the 
  elf did but has no connection to the campaign or 
  the rest of the party is stretching credulity perhaps 
  a bit too far.
   This chapter presents rules for revising various 
  aspects of your character during play. With this 
  system, you can modify elements of your character 
  to better ﬁ t your vision of who your character should 
  be—both to meet the needs of the party and to face 
  the threats presented during the course of an entire 
  campaign. Though character revision does allow 
  you to “rewrite” certain elements of your charac-
  ter, the rules presented here ensure that the changes 
  remain within reason and do not upset the story that 
  has already been created by each character’s deeds in 
  the campaign.
  191
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  Illus. by R. Horsley
  
  192
  CHAPTER 8
  REBUILDING YOUR 
  CHARACTER
   The two methods of character revision described below 
  are retraining and rebuilding. Each description deﬁ nes the 
  scope of the allowed revisions and includes clear guidelines 
  on how to adjudicate the changes.
   Retraining involves small-scale changes to your charac-
  ter, such as reallocation of feat slots and skill ranks. Such 
  changes are relatively simple to apply, and they don’t usually 
  lead to dramatic changes in the character’s capabilities or 
  party role.
   Rebuilding, on the other hand, encompasses much broader 
  alterations to your character’s identity—up to and including 
  such cornerstones of identity as class and race. For that reason, 
  rebuilding can be achieved only by completing speciﬁ c 
  DM-chosen quests. Since such missions typically center on 
  visiting some legendary location or overcoming a tremendous 
  challenge, they should always be completed in cooperation 
  with your DM so that they can be woven into the storyline 
  of the campaign.
   For players and DMs who are accustomed to treating 
  character creation and advancement decisions as perma-
  nent, the idea of character revision can seem strange or 
  daunting—and some might even think of it as a form 
  of cheating. Such reactions are natural, but if you think 
  about it, normal people “revise” their abilities all the time. 
  Skills you learn early in life are forgotten as new talents 
  supplant them. For example, a foreign language mastered 
  in high school might be virtually forgotten only a few 
  years later from disuse. Likewise, a college student might 
  change her major halfway through her junior year, or an 
  unexpected job transfer or layoff could result in a new posi-
  tion in a totally different ﬁ eld, requiring quick mastery of 
  new skills. Viewed from that perspective, allowing D&D 
  characters similar opportunities to reinvent themselves 
  seems perfectly reasonable.
   Maybe your group already uses some form of character 
  revision, such as a house rule, or even a reliance on ad 
  hoc decision-making by the DM. If your method works 
  for your group, don’t let this chapter stop you from play-
  ing the game your way. However, if you’re looking for a 
  coherent system that balances fun and playability with 
  story and believability, this chapter might be just what 
  the healer ordered.
   After your character goes through the retraining or rebuild-
  ing process, you might notice that he doesn’t quite match 
  the specs of a similar character built up to the same level 
  by the normal method. Maybe his skill points don’t add up 
  quite right, or his hit points are off a bit from the expected 
  value. But the small variations that crop up in this process 
  don’t signiﬁ cantly impact play balance, and writing rules to 
  eliminate them would complicate the process without really 
  improving the quality of your game.
   So if you’d like to change some aspect of your character, 
  give the character revision rules a try. You’ll be happier with 
  your character in the long run and, more important, you’ll 
  have more fun playing the game.
  RETRAINING
  The most basic level of character revision is retraining—that 
  is, adjusting a decision you made earlier in your character’s 
  career by selecting a different legal option. This technique 
  represents the character’s practicing new talents in lieu of 
  honing older ones. In a way, the process is similar to attain-
  ing a new level. In keeping with that concept, the retraining 
  option can be chosen only during level advancement.
   Six different character aspects (see Table 8–1) can be 
  changed through retraining. Each time your character attains 
  a new level, you can select one (and only one) of these options. 
  For instance, you can’t change a feat selection and your spells 
  known at the same level. Since these options represent two 
  different sessions of retraining, they must occur at different 
  levels.
   The decision to retrain must be implemented before any 
  beneﬁ ts of the newly attained level are applied. For example, 
  if a 10th-level rogue wants to trade her improved evasion 
  class feature for the opportunist class feature, she can do so 
  immediately upon attaining 11th level, before she gains any 
  of the beneﬁ ts for that level (such as additional hit points, 
  skill points, and so on).
  Table 8–1: Retraining Options
  Character Aspect Effect
  Class feature 
  Exchange one class feature option for 
   
  another
  Feat 
  Exchange one feat for another for which 
   
  you qualify
  Language 
  Exchange one language for another
  Skill 
  Trade ranks between two skills
  Spell 
  Exchange one spell known for another
  Substitution level  Trade a class level for a substitution 
  level
  CLASS FEATURE RETRAINING
  Some class features offer two or more different options, such 
  as the choice of combat style a ranger must make at 2nd level. 
  Class feature retraining allows you to swap out one such 
  option for another. Maybe your ranger would prefer to be an 
  archer instead of a melee ﬁ ghter, or your cleric of Heironeous 
  feels that the War domain would be a better option than the 
  Law domain. The character remains basically the same, since 
  his class levels haven’t changed, but he’s now highlighting a 
  different aspect of his class.
  The Process
  Change one class feature option to another legal one. The new 
  option must represent a choice that you could have made at 
  the same level as you made the original choice. Also, the new 
  choice can’t make any of your later choices illegal—though 
  it might automatically change class features acquired later if 
  they are based on the initial choice.
   Class features from the Player’s Handbook that are subject 
  to change in this manner are given on Table 8–2. Chapter 2 
  of this book provides class feature options for a variety of 
  additional classes.
  
  193
  CHAPTER 8
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  CHARACTER
  Table 8–2: Class Feature Retraining Options
  Class 
  Option
  Cleric* 
  Choice of domains (each domain 
   
  counts as a separate choice)
  Neutral cleric 
  Choice to turn or to rebuke undead 
   
  (can be changed only if deity allows it)
  Druid or ranger 
  Choice of animal companion
  Fighter, monk,  
  Choice of bonus feat
  or wizard
  Ranger 
  Choice of combat style
  Rogue 
  Choice of special ability
  Sorcerer or wizard Choice of familiar
  Wizard** 
  Choice of school specialization and 
   
  prohibited schools
  *A cleric’s choice of deity can’t be changed by class feature 
  retraining. See the Divine Conversion sidebar for details on 
  how to accomplish this change.
  **School specialization and prohibited schools are treated 
  as a single class feature. Thus, a character could change 
  one, two, or even all three choices at the same time.
   Example: Upon gaining a new level, a ranger could 
  change the combat style class feature he gained at 2nd level 
  from two-weapon ﬁ ghting to archery. Thereafter, he would 
  be treated as if he had the Rapid Shot feat instead of the 
  Two-Weapon Fighting feat. If he had at least six levels of 
  ranger before making this change, he would exchange both 
  the Two-Weapon Fighting feat (gained at 2nd level) and the 
  Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat (gained at 6th level) 
  for the appropriate archery feats, since both of these features 
  are derived from the choice made at 2nd level. However, the 
  ranger couldn’t make this change if he had selected the Two-
  Weapon Defense feat in the interim, since losing Two-Weapon 
  Fighting means he would no longer meet the prerequisites 
  for that feat.
   Example: Upon gaining a new level, a necromancer 
  could change her school specialization to evocation, thus 
  becoming an evoker. At the same time, she could also choose 
  to change her prohibited schools from conjuration and illu-
  sion to abjuration and transmutation. Doing so would cause 
  her to lose access to all spells from the newly designated 
  prohibited schools. Even if her spellbook contains one or 
  more such spells, she would lose the ability to prepare and 
  cast them.
   Example: Upon gaining a new level, a wizard could choose 
  to specialize in the enchantment school, thereby becoming 
  an enchanter. At the same time, she would have to select two 
  prohibited schools, as normal for a specialist wizard.
   Example: Upon gaining a new level, a conjurer could 
  choose to become a wizard. By doing so, she would lose the 
  beneﬁ ts of specialization. But since she would also lose her 
  prohibited schools, she could then learn spells from those 
  schools as normal.
  FEAT RETRAINING
  Sometimes a feat choice looks great on paper, but it just 
  doesn’t work for your character in practice. Maybe an early 
  feat choice reflected the character’s personality and style, 
  but a little experience changed his outlook. For instance, 
  you might have selected Improved Initiative for your 1st-
  level character because you pictured him as ambitious and 
  a little reckless. But after falling victim to a wight’s touch 
  because he just couldn’t wait until the cleric turned the 
  undead, he decides it’s better to use a little more care in 
  combat, causing you to regret your early feat choice. New 
  supplements, with their wealth of exciting feat options, 
  also provide plenty of reasons to reconsider your earlier 
  feat selections.
  The Process
  You can exchange one of the feats you previously selected 
  for another feat. If the new feat has prerequisites, not only 
  must your character meet them in his current state, but you 
  must also be able to show that he met them at the time you 
  chose the previous feat.
   Example: A 4th-level ﬁ ghter/1st-level rogue couldn’t trade 
  the Mobility feat he chose at 3rd level for Improved Critical 
  because he doesn’t currently meet a prerequisite for the latter 
  feat (base attack bonus +6). He also couldn’t trade that Mobil-
  ity feat for Weapon Specialization, even though he currently 
  meets the prerequisite (ﬁ ghter level 4th), because he could 
  not have done so as a 3rd-level character.
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  DIVINE CONVERSION
  As noted in the Player’s Handbook, a cleric who grossly violates 
  the code of conduct imposed by his deity loses all spells and 
  class features and cannot attain any more levels as a cleric of 
  that deity. All these penalties remain in effect until he atones. 
  But what if he doesn’t want to atone? What if a cleric of Hextor 
  finds new meaning and purpose in serving Heironeous after 
  a dramatic conversion experience? Such a character need not 
  become a multiclass ex-cleric of Hextor/cleric of Heironeous. 
  Instead, Heironeous can simply reinstate the character’s cleric 
  powers once he has proven his loyalty, talent, and ability.
   A cleric who changes his patron deity must complete a quest 
  to prove his devotion to his new patron. The nature of the quest 
  depends on the deity, and it always clearly reflects the deity’s 
  alignment as well as his or her goals and beliefs. To start the 
  process, the cleric must voluntarily accept a geas/quest spell cast 
  by a higher-level cleric of his new deity. During the quest, the 
  cleric has no access to spells or cleric class features—except his 
  weapon and armor proficiencies, which he does not forfeit.
   Upon completing the quest, the cleric receives the benefit of 
  an atonement spell from a cleric of the new deity. The character 
  then becomes a cleric of the new deity and is inducted into the 
  clergy during an appropriate ceremony of the DM’s choosing. 
  After selecting two of the new deity’s domains in lieu of his old 
  ones, the character has all the powers and abilities of his previ-
  ous cleric level, plus the granted powers of his new domains.
   This method is the only one by which a cleric can change 
  his deity. The retraining rules can’t be used to accomplish this 
  task—it is simply too substantial a change in the character’s 
  identity (not to mention his source of power) to chalk up to a 
  bit of practice in his off hours.
  
  194
  CHAPTER 8
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  CHARACTER
  LANGUAGE RETRAINING
  It made a lot of sense to speak Goblin, Kobold, and Orc at 1st 
  level, but now that you’re mostly ﬁ ghting giants, demons, and 
  dragons, it would be nice to understand your new enemies. 
  The Process
  Subtract one language from your list of known languages 
  and add a new one to the list. It doesn’t matter how your 
  character earned the original language—it could have been 
  an automatic language for her race, a bonus language gained 
  from a high Intelligence score, or a language purchased with 
  skill points.
  SKILL RETRAINING
  Some skills that are particularly valuable at lower levels 
  become less useful later on, and vice versa. For example, when 
  everyone in the party is carrying a bag full of antitoxins and 
  potions of cure light wounds, the need for successful Heal checks 
  drops dramatically. Whether your character has skill ranks 
  that aren’t as necessary as they once were, or you just want 
  to adapt her to new challenges, skill retraining provides a 
  simple method of adjusting your character’s capabilities in 
  a small but measurable way.
  The Process
  Subtract up to 4 skill ranks from one skill and add an equal 
  number of ranks to any one other skill (not including Speak 
  Language). The skill to which you add the ranks must be a 
  class skill for one of your character’s classes, including a class 
  he is about to gain with his current level increase. It doesn’t 
  matter whether the lost ranks were purchased as class skills 
  or as cross-class skills.
   Example: You decide to give your 2nd-level ranger a level 
  of the rogue class as his third character level. At this point, he 
  could use the skill retraining option to lose 4 ranks in Handle 
  Animal that he purchased with his ranger skill points and 
  gain 4 ranks in any other ranger or rogue class skill (such as 
  Survival or Disable Device). He couldn’t gain ranks in any 
  skill that isn’t on either the ranger or the rogue class skill list 
  (such as Spellcraft).
  SPELL OR POWER RETRAINING
  Much like feats, magic spells and psionic powers sometimes 
  look better when you select them than they do after you’ve 
  used them for a while. And when you’re playing a character 
  with a limited number of options (such as a sorcerer or a 
  psychic warrior), every spell or power you choose repre-
  sents a significant percentage of your character’s overall 
  options. You can’t afford to have dead weight taking up 
  valuable spell slots, so ditch that sleep spell now that the 
  party isn’t facing foes with low Hit Dice anymore and 
  replace it with the niftier 1st-level spell you just found in 
  a recent supplement.
  The Process
  Exchange up to two currently known spells or psionic powers 
  for other spells or powers. Each new spell or power must be 
  usable by the same class and of the same spell level or power 
  level as the spell or power it replaces.
   Special: Bards and sorcerers already have a limited abil-
  ity to learn new spells in the place of older ones (see page 
  28 and page 54 of the Player’s Handbook). This method of 
  retraining allows exchanges over and above what their classes 
  already permit.
   Example: A sorcerer could change lightning bolt to ﬂ y or 
  dispel magic, since all three are 3rd-level sorcerer/wizard spells, 
  but he couldn’t change it to wall of ice (a 4th-level spell) or to 
  cure serious wounds (a cleric spell).
   Example: A 5th-level sorcerer advancing to 6th level could 
  use spell retraining to exchange up to two of his known spells 
  (of any level he knows) for others of the same levels. Then he 
  could exchange one 0-level or 1st-level spell for another just 
  as any sorcerer could upon attaining 6th level.
  SUBSTITUTION LEVEL RETRAINING
  Substitution levels, as presented in Planar Handbook and 
  the Races series of supplements, offer characters interesting 
  ways to adjust the beneﬁ ts granted by their classes. A wizard 
  with elf wizard substitution levels, for example, seems a 
  bit different from a traditional wizard, and that difference 
  reinforces her racial identity. Since most substitution level 
  options are offered for relatively low class levels (many at 1st 
  level), you might already have missed one or more chances 
  to add such ﬂ avor to your character. Revising a character to 
  incorporate this feature amounts to a combination of retroac-
  tive continuity (“Of course I’ve always been a dwarf ﬁ ghter!”) 
  and getting back to one’s roots (“I can’t believe I forgot/never 
  learned that trick!”).
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  RETRAINING COSTS
  In general, retraining is assumed to be a background activity, just 
  like normal level increases are. However, if your DM’s campaign 
  requires the PCs to spend time and/or money to improve their 
  skills, gain feats, learn spells, or acquire class benefits (DMG 197), 
  the DM can apply similar requirements when characters use the 
  retraining rules presented in this chapter. The table below shows 
  some suggested time and gp costs for the various retraining op-
  tions. These costs are purely optional; the game works perfectly 
  well without them, just as it works without requiring downtime 
  in order to attain higher levels.
  Retraining Option 
  Time 
  GP Cost
  Class feature 
  1 week/2 levels1 
  500 gp/week
  Feat 
  2 weeks 
  50 gp
  Skill 
  1 week2 
  25 gp2
  Spell 
  1 day 
  5 gp/spell level
  Substitution level 
  1 week/2 levels1 
  500 gp/week
  1 Based on the original level at which the class feature or sub-
  stitution level is gained.
  2 Per skill rank changed.
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  195
  CHAPTER 8
  REBUILDING YOUR 
  CHARACTER
  The Process
  You can trade one of your character’s current class levels for 
  a substitution level, or exchange a substitution level she cur-
  rently has for a normal class level. If the level to be gained has 
  prerequisites, not only must the character meet them in her 
  current state, but you must also be able to show that she met 
  them when you could have chosen the level originally.
   Since a substitution level is actually a collection of different 
  mechanical elements, use the following guidelines to make 
  the necessary changes to your character. In all cases, “current 
  level” refers to the class level currently occupying that level 
  slot (probably a normal class level), and “new level” refers to 
  the class level the character is gaining through the retraining 
  system (probably a substitution level).
  Hit Points: If the new level does not use the same Hit 
  Die as the current level, don’t reroll your character’s hit 
  points. Just add or subtract 1 hit point from your character’s 
  current total per step of difference between the two die sizes 
  (or 2 hit points per step if the new level is her ﬁ rst level in a 
  class). For instance, if the current level has a d8 Hit Die, and 
  the new level has a d10 Hit Die, your character would gain 1 
  hit point (or 2 hit points if the new level is her ﬁ rst level in 
  a class). Alternatively, if the new level has a d4 Hit Die, she 
  would lose 2 hit points (or 4 hit points if the new level is her 
  ﬁ rst level in a class).
  Skill List: If the new level doesn’t offer any additional 
  class skills over and above those on the current level’s class 
  skill list, make no changes to your character’s existing 
  skill ranks. If the new level offers any class skills that 
  aren’t on the class skill list of the current level, you 
  can subtract up to 4 skill ranks from any skill in 
  order to add the same number of ranks to any of 
  the new level’s class skills.
  Example: The dwarf ﬁ ghter racial substitu-
  tion levels in Races of Stone offer Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) as an additional class skill. 
  So if you choose to retrain your character’s 
  1st level as a ﬁ ghter and change it to 1st level 
  as a dwarf ﬁ ghter, you could subtract up to 
  4 ranks from any skill and add an equal 
  number of ranks to Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering), in addition to 
  the other changes that substitu-
  tion level retraining allows.
   Skill Points: If the new 
  level does not grant the same 
  number of skill points as 
  the current level, you 
  must adjust your char-
  acter’s skill ranks 
  appropri-
  ately. If 
  the new 
  level 
  grants 
  fewer 
  skill 
  points than the current level, remove 1 rank from any skill 
  per point of difference between the two levels. If the new 
  level grants more skill points than the current level, you 
  must immediately spend those skill points using the new 
  level’s class skill list. For example, if your character gained 2 
  skill points, you could buy 2 ranks in your new level’s class 
  skills or 1 rank in a cross-class skill. You must still abide by 
  the skill rank limit for your character level in this process.
   Spellcasting: If the new level changes some aspect of your 
  character’s spellcasting ability (for example, if she gains or 
  loses spells known or spells per day), apply these changes as 
  appropriate. If she must lose one or more spells known, you 
  can select the spells lost from all the legal options.
  Class Features: If the new level offers a different class 
  feature in place of one from the current level, treat the situ-
  ation as if you had used the class feature retraining option 
  detailed above. If the new level simply alters one of your 
  character’s existing class features, just apply the alteration.
  Regdar undergoes retraining so he can learn how to wield a spiked chain
  Illus. by D. Hudnut
  
  196
  CHAPTER 8
  REBUILDING YOUR 
  CHARACTER
  REBUILDING
  Retraining allows you to change a small aspect of your char-
  acter, but rebuilding is a much more drastic step. This method 
  of character revision allows you to change your character’s 
  ability scores, class levels, background, templates, or even 
  race. You can change as many of these aspects at once as you 
  wish, though such alterations require great effort—and often 
  great sacriﬁ ce as well.
   Since rebuilding constitutes such a major change in your 
  character’s identity, accomplishing it isn’t simply a matter 
  of erasing an entry on your character sheet and replacing it 
  with new information. In essence, you are altering reality in 
  order to rewrite your character’s personal history. Therefore, 
  to accomplish a character rebuild, your PC must complete 
  a significant and challenging quest. Two such quests are 
  detailed in this chapter, each one appropriate for a range of 
  character levels. For instance, the Gates of Dawn quest is 
  designed for characters of 6th to 8th level. Characters who 
  are lower or higher in level gain no beneﬁ t from completing 
  the quest and in fact should be actively discouraged from 
  undertaking it.
   The DM can design new character rebuild quests for your 
  campaign by using the ones presented here as examples. 
  Each should be appropriate for a small range of character 
  levels (typically about three) and include guidelines on how 
  to adjust the challenge for characters within that range.
   Ideally, a character rebuild should be a relatively rare 
  event. Unless your world is particularly unusual, constant 
  character rebuilding tends to undermine 
  the believability of both the campaign and 
  its story line. Therefore, the quest should 
  represent a signiﬁ cant challenge for the characters involved. 
  After all, if players consider a rebuild quest to be a cakewalk, 
  they’re likely to underestimate the value of the reward.
  ABILITY SCORE REBUILDING
  Sometimes the ability scores you roll aren’t exactly the ones 
  you’d like. And even if that 15 Intelligence seemed like a good 
  idea at the time, perhaps it didn’t pay off quite the way you’d 
  hoped in actual play. In such cases, you might eventually 
  come to the conclusion that your character would be better 
  off with different ability scores.
   When you rebuild ability scores, you can reduce one or 
  more scores in order to increase others, though the exchange 
  is not necessarily one-for-one. In effect, the process is similar 
  to creating a character using the point-buy system detailed 
  on page 169 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
   The system is intentionally designed to make improving 
  high scores more costly than improving low ones, since 
  improving an already high ability score usually gives a greater 
  beneﬁ t than improving a low score. Also, reducing an ability 
  score from an odd number to an even number isn’t very costly 
  to a character, since the reduction probably doesn’t result in 
  a signiﬁ cant change to his power.
  The Process
  Each time your character completes a rebuild quest, you can 
  reduce one or more of his ability scores and then improve 
  one or more different ability scores.
  Rebuilding a character opens up 
  countless possibilities for change
  Illus. by S. Prescott
  
  197
  CHAPTER 8
  REBUILDING YOUR 
  CHARACTER
   No ability score can be reduced below 8 in this fashion, and 
  you can’t reduce a score that is already below 8. Furthermore, 
  you can’t reduce any ability score so much that it makes one of 
  your other choices (such as a feat) illegal. For example, if your 
  character has Power Attack, you can’t reduce his Strength to 
  less than 13.
   Determine the points for each reduction by consulting 
  Table 8–3. For ability scores higher than 30, simply extend 
  the table by continuing the progression. Add up the points 
  gained in this process.
   Next, spend the total points you gained through ability 
  score reduction to improve one or more of your character’s 
  other ability scores. Consult Table 8–4 to determine the cost 
  of each desired improvement. Again, for ability scores higher 
  than 30, extend the table by continuing the progression.
   Be sure to adjust all other aspects of your character that 
  depend on ability scores—including saving throws, skill 
  modiﬁ ers, and the like—after you’ve rebuilt his ability scores. 
  The one exception is skill ranks. A permanent Intelligence 
  change doesn’t retroactively increase or reduce the skill ranks 
  your character has already gained from previous levels.
  CLASS LEVEL REBUILDING
  From the multiclass sorcerer who’s tired of lagging behind 
  in spell acquisition to the ﬁ ghter who wishes he had taken 
  a level of rogue so that he could more easily qualify for a 
  desired prestige class, characters often come up short of their 
  players’ expectations. Even if you haven’t made a “mistake” 
  in choosing classes, it’s entirely possible that a new class or 
  prestige class might offer abilities that are more appropriate 
  for your character. For instance, a player whose stealthy rogue 
  considers herself a spy and assassin might decide that the 
  ninja class (from Complete Adventurer) better describes that 
  character. If ninja wasn’t an available option when the player 
  ﬁ rst created the character, it’s not fair to say that she made a 
  mistake in taking rogue levels. A more accurate assessment 
  would be that the new class better describes what the char-
  acter was always meant to be.
   Your character’s class levels are the most powerful tools 
  for deﬁ ning his role in the party, not to mention his place in 
  the world. So, consider carefully any class level rebuilds that 
  would dramatically alter the way your character functions 
  in the game—if he’s the only front-line ﬁ ghter in the party, 
  trading away a couple of paladin levels for sorcerer levels 
  might not be the best decision.
   You can also use this method to trade out (or add in) prestige 
  class levels, though if you want to take levels in a prestige class 
  that’s new to your character, you must be able to demonstrate 
  that he can still qualify for it using what he has gained from his 
  remaining class levels. For example, a 7th-level dwarf ﬁ ghter 
  couldn’t trade a ﬁ ghter level for a dwarven defender level, since 
  his remaining ﬁ ghter levels wouldn’t allow him to meet the 
  +7 base attack bonus requirement for that prestige class.
   If reallocating your character’s class levels disqualiﬁ es him 
  for a prestige class in which he already has one or more levels, 
  he loses the beneﬁ t of any class features or other special abilities 
  granted by that prestige class. He retains the hit points gained 
  from advancing in that class, as well as any improvements to base 
  attack bonus and base save bonuses that those levels provided. 
  However, you can always use the class level rebuilding option 
  to replace the now-useless prestige class levels as well—and 
  you probably should, unless you’re sure that the character will 
  be able to meet the requirements again soon.
   Some players might ﬁ nd it tempting to use this method of 
  character rebuilding to create a bizarre but powerful amalgam 
  of classes, or to drastically rewrite a character’s history. As 
  with any important character decisions, the DM and the 
  player should work together to ensure that the player’s new 
  vision of his character still works in the game and ﬁ ts in with 
  the other characters in the party. As long as the changes don’t 
  signiﬁ cantly disrupt the game, though, players should play 
  Table 8–3: Reducing Ability Scores
   Old Score 
  New Score Points Gained
   
  30 
  29 
  9
   
  29 
  28 
  7
   
  28 
  27 
  8
   
  27 
  26 
  6
   
  26 
  25 
  7
   
  25 
  24 
  5
   
  24 
  23 
  6
   
  23 
  22 
  4
   
  22 
  21 
  5
   
  21 
  20 
  3
   
  20 
  19 
  4
   
  19 
  18 
  2
   
  18 
  17 
  3
   
  17 
  16 
  1
   
  16 
  15 
  2
   
  15 
  14 
  1
   
  14 
  13 
  1
   
  13 
  12 
  1
   
  12 
  11 
  1
   
  11 
  10 
  1
   
  10 
  9 
  1
   
  9 
  8 
  1
  Table 8–4: Improving Ability Scores
   Old Score 
  New Score 
  Point Cost
   
  30 
  31 
  10
   
  29 
  30 
  9
   
  28 
  29 
  9
   
  27 
  28 
  8
   
  26 
  27 
  8
   
  25 
  26 
  7
   
  24 
  25 
  7
   
  23 
  24 
  6
   
  22 
  23 
  6
   
  21 
  22 
  5
   
  20 
  21 
  5
   
  19 
  20 
  4
   
  18 
  19 
  4
   
  17 
  18 
  3
   
  16 
  17 
  3
   
  15 
  16 
  2
   
  14 
  15 
  2
   
  13 
  14 
  1
   
  12 
  13 
  1
   
  11 
  12 
  1
   
  10 
  11 
  1
  Improving an ability score of less than 10 costs 1 point.
  
  198
  CHAPTER 8
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  CHARACTER
  characters that they ﬁ nd enjoyable, and if swapping out a 
  couple of class levels accomplishes that goal, then doing so 
  is well worth the effort.
  The Process
  Each time your character completes a rebuild quest, you can 
  change a number of levels equal to 1/5 his character level 
  (rounded up) from one class to any other class (or classes). For 
  example, a 5th-level sorcerer could trade a sorcerer level for a 
  single level of any other class, while a 12th-level barbarian/4th-
  level ﬁ ghter could trade up to four of his class levels (any 
  combination of ﬁ ghter and barbarian) for other class levels 
  of his choice.
   Since every class level is a composite of several different 
  elements, use the following step-by-step process to adjust 
  your character.
   Base Attack and Base Save Bonuses: Adjust these bonuses 
  to match your new array of class levels, just as if you had 
  created a brand-new character with those classes.
   Hit Points: If the new class level does not use the same 
  Hit Die as the current level, don’t reroll your character’s hit 
  points. Just add or subtract 1 hit point from your character’s 
  current total per step of difference between the two die sizes 
  (or 2 hit points per step if the new level is his ﬁ rst level in a 
  class). For instance, if you trade a ﬁ ghter level (d10 Hit Die) 
  to gain a barbarian level (d12 Hit Die), your character would 
  gain 1 hit point (or 2 hit points if the new level is his ﬁ rst level 
  of barbarian). If you traded that ﬁ ghter level for a sorcerer 
  level (d4 Hit Die), your character would lose 3 hit points (or 
  6 hit points if the new level is his ﬁ rst level of sorcerer).
   Skill Points: If the new class level grants the same number 
  of skill points as the current level does, you don’t have to make 
  any changes to your character’s skill ranks. Even if the class 
  skill lists are widely different, it’s generally more work than 
  it’s worth to ﬁ ddle around with skill ranks in this manner. 
  If you wish, you can also use the skill retraining option (see 
  page 194) to adjust some of your skill ranks.
   If the new level does not grant the same number of skill 
  points as the current level, you must adjust your character’s 
  skill ranks appropriately. If the new level grants fewer skill 
  points than the current level, remove 1 rank from any skill 
  per point of difference between the two levels. If the new 
  level grants more skill points than the current level, you 
  must immediately spend those skill points using the new 
  level’s class skill list. For example, trading a ﬁ ghter level to 
  gain a barbarian level would grant 2 skill points to a character 
  with Intelligence 10. With those extra points, you could 
  buy 2 ranks of barbarian class skills or 1 rank of a barbarian 
  cross-class skill. You must still abide by the skill rank limit 
  for your character’s level in this process.
   Spells: If you added or subtracted any levels from a spell-
  casting class, adjust your character’s spells per day and spells 
  known appropriately. You can choose any spells the character 
  must lose from his entire repertoire of the appropriate spell 
  level. For example, a 5th-level sorcerer who becomes a 4th-level 
  sorcerer/1st-level rogue must lose one 1st-level and one 2nd-
  level sorcerer spell, but you can choose these freely—they need 
  not be the ones the character actually learned at 5th level.
   Class Features: Eliminate any class features the char-
  acter no longer possesses and add those he gains from his 
  new levels.
  RACE REBUILDING
  Changing your character’s race is a major decision, since it has 
  probably affected many of the decisions he has made during 
  his adventuring career. Still, the concept of major physical 
  transformation isn’t unknown in fantasy, so a character might 
  well seek to recreate himself as an entirely different person. 
  Perhaps you really want to try out a race featured in a new 
  book, or you’ve ﬁ nally reached a high enough level to play 
  the monstrous character you’ve always wanted. Whatever 
  your reason, the race rebuilding rules show you how to keep 
  playing the same person in a new body.
   This method of rebuilding can also be used to recreate 
  characters brought back by reincarnate and similar effects that 
  restore characters to life as members of different races.
  The Process
  Each time your character completes a rebuild quest, you 
  can change his race. First, remove all racial traits (including 
  ability score modiﬁ ers) granted by your character’s original 
  race. Then add all the racial traits and ability score modiﬁ ers 
  from the new race. The character’s known languages don’t 
  change unless you also choose the language retraining option 
  (see page 194).
   So far the process sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, it isn’t 
  always easy. Many potential complications can arise from this 
  aspect of character rebuilding. The sections below demonstrate 
  how to handle the various issues that might arise.
   Feat: If a change of race means that your character no 
  longer qualiﬁ es for a feat she already has, she loses access to 
  the feat, as well as to any others for which it is a prerequisite. 
  However, the feat still occupies a feat slot unless you also use 
  the feat retraining option (see page 193).
   Prestige Class: If a change of race disqualifies the 
  character for a prestige class in which she already has one 
  or more levels, she loses the beneﬁ t of any class features or 
  other special abilities granted by that prestige class. She 
  retains the hit points gained from advancing in that class, as 
  well as any improvements to base attack bonus and base save 
  bonuses that those levels provided. However, you can use 
  the class level rebuilding option to replace the now-useless 
  prestige class levels—and you probably should, unless you’re 
  sure that the character will be able to meet the requirements 
  again soon.
   Racial Substitution Level: Changing your character’s race 
  might well mean that any racial substitution levels (detailed in 
  the Races series of supplements) she has are no longer appropri-
  ate. Treat this situation as if you were replacing one class level 
  with another (see Class Level Rebuilding, page 197).
   Level Adjustment: If your character’s original race had 
  a higher level adjustment than her new race does, you can 
  replace any lost level adjustment “points” with the same 
  number of new class levels of your choice.
   If the new race has a higher level adjustment than the 
  original race did, you must remove class levels until the 
  
  199
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  character’s effective character level is the same as it was before 
  the rebuilding occurred. You can choose the levels lost from 
  all those that the character has, regardless of the order in 
  which they were gained.
   Racial Hit Dice: Adding or subtracting racial Hit Dice is 
  perhaps the most complicated part of character rebuilding. 
  Work with your DM to ensure that he approves of this degree 
  of change and that you’re doing it correctly.
   If your character’s original race had any racial Hit Dice, 
  you must remove all the beneﬁ ts they granted. This process is 
  similar to removing class levels (see Class Level Rebuilding, 
  page 197). Next, replace these racial Hit Dice with class levels 
  of your choice until the character’s effective character level 
  is the same as it was before the rebuilding occurred.
   If your character’s new race has any racial Hit Dice, you 
  must subtract class levels until his effective character level 
  is the same as it was before the rebuilding occurred. You 
  can choose the lost levels from all those the character has, 
  regardless of the order in which they were gained.
  TEMPLATE REBUILDING
  Admit it—when ﬁ ghting lycanthropes, you’ve been tempted 
  at least once to let your character get bitten, in hopes that the 
  wound infects him. Such a desire is perfectly normal—it’s 
  hard to look at the hybrid form ability modiﬁ ers for, say, a 
  werebear and not imagine the sheer devastation that your 
  character could wreak if he had that template.
   Lycanthropy isn’t the easiest template to pick up during an 
  adventuring career, but it’s certainly not the only interesting 
  option. Whether you’ve dreamed of playing a celestial dwarf, 
  a half-dragon elf, or a vampire halﬂ ing (don’t worry, we won’t 
  tell), templates offer the promise of a tantalizingly different 
  character that can’t be created from mere class levels.
   Adding a template can represent a pretty big change for 
  your character, so make sure your choice is acceptable to your 
  DM before proceeding. After all, transforming your chaotic 
  good elf wizard into a vampire might not be appropriate for 
  the style of play the DM has in mind. On the other hand, 
  “realizing” your character’s celestial heritage by adding that 
  template represents a much smaller overall shift in identity 
  and would probably cause no problem at all.
   To utilize this rebuild, your character must be able to adopt 
  the template you want to gain. For example, a warforged ﬁ ghter 
  (a living construct from the EBERRON campaign setting) can’t 
  become a vampire, since that template can be applied only 
  to humanoids and monstrous humanoids.
   This rebuilding option also works reasonably well for 
  a character who picks up a template during play (from a 
  weretiger’s bite, for example), if the DM wants the character’s 
  effective character level to remain consistent with the rest of 
  the party. If a difference in effective character level isn’t an 
  issue, don’t worry about these rules—just add the template 
  and move on with your game.
  The Process
  Each time your character completes a rebuild quest, you can 
  add, subtract, or replace one template. For example, a dwarf 
  paladin could gain the celestial template, a half-dragon elf 
  ﬁ ghter could lose the half-dragon template, or a celestial 
  human rogue could replace his celestial template with the 
  ﬁ endish template.
   Adding a template is a lot like changing your character’s 
  race, except that he usually doesn’t lose many (if any) existing 
  racial abilities. Follow the guidelines presented in the Race 
  Rebuilding section above, paying special attention to the 
  information on gaining or losing Hit Dice and level adjust-
  ment. If the character’s Hit Die size changes (for instance, 
  from transformation into a vampire), use the Hit Points entry 
  in the Class Rebuilding section above to determine the new 
  hit point total.
   Removing an existing template, on the other hand, requires 
  you to eliminate any of the template’s effects and beneﬁ ts, which 
  might include special attacks, special qualities, skill modiﬁ ers, 
  ability modiﬁ ers, bonus feats, and a variety of other bits and 
  pieces. Use the guidelines in the Race Rebuilding and Class 
  Rebuilding sections to rework your character’s statistics.
  REBUILD QUESTS
  Note: This section addresses the DM and is intended primarily 
  for his or her eyes.
   A quest to rebuild a character should excite and frighten 
  players. It’s an adventure few characters would willingly 
  embark upon and fewer still could survive. To make rebuild-
  ing an option at all levels of play, however, the degree of 
  challenge must change according to the PCs’ level.
   The two example locations below outline ideas for rebuild 
  quest objectives, each of which is suitable for a range of character 
  levels. You can use them as described, modify them to suit 
  your needs, or devise your own rebuild quest objectives.
   Each objective represents the ﬁ nal encounter before a 
  character can undergo rebuilding. The PCs might need to 
  embark on a perilous overland journey or a long dungeon 
  crawl to get to this encounter, or they might take a short break 
  from an ongoing adventure to teleport there and have one or 
  more encounters before returning. Set up the preliminary 
  adventures in whatever way best ﬁ ts your game and your 
  players’ desires.
  REBUILD QUESTS IN THE GAME
  The rebuild quest objectives described here are designed to 
  allow any type of character rebuild, but in your game, each 
  might allow only particular kinds of rebuilds. Creating dif-
  ferent quests for different rebuilds not only makes each one 
  seem more signiﬁ cant, but it also helps to curtail unplanned 
  rebuilding by players who are largely satisﬁ ed with their 
  characters. (“Well, as long as he’s here, Gravar Orc-Killer is 
  going to turn into a half-celestial umber hulk.”) Below are 
  some suggestions for making these locations serve particular 
  needs that suit their ambiance.
   The Gates of Dawn: Character rebuilds relating to divine 
  magic and fey would be particularly appropriate for this 
  location, as would any kind of rebuild that could be viewed 
  as redemption (for example, exchanging rogue or ninja levels 
  for ﬁ ghter levels, changing ﬁ ghter levels into paladin levels, 
  or increasing Wisdom).
  
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   The Necrotic Cradle: Character rebuilds that relate to 
  necromancy (both undeath and aspects of the physical body) 
  seem particularly appropriate for the Necrotic Cradle. This 
  location might allow any or all of the following rebuilds: 
  return an undead character to life, exchange life for undeath 
  at the cost of an appropriate number of character levels, 
  change ability scores, or exchange class levels or prestige 
  class levels for necromancy-themed class levels or prestige 
  class levels.
  THE GATES OF DAWN (LEVELS 6–8)
  “Travel to the Lost Isle to become lost. Leave it to ﬁ nd yourself anew.”
  —The wizard Faldor Stardust, formerly a druid
  Knowing oneself generally leads to a sense of belonging, 
  but wishing to change one’s essential being can bring about 
  a sense of loss. At the Gates of Dawn, characters can lose 
  and find themselves, and in that finding rediscover their 
  true selves.
   The Lost Isle ﬂ oats in a hundred lonely lakes and in none 
  of them. A place of mysterious magic, it appears out of the 
  dawn mist on foggy days and then vanishes again when the 
  sun burns the mist away. Tales told at ﬁ reside discourage the 
  curious from visiting this fey place, warning that most of 
  those who go there never return, and those who do always 
  come back profoundly changed.
   The Lost Isle might appear in a distant forest lake, or a 
  crystal-clear pool high in the mountains, or a body of water 
  within an area that some race considers sacrosanct. The jour-
  ney to the island could be part of the adventure. Perhaps the 
  PCs must give a great gift to the creatures that guard the lands 
  around the lake, or sneak past them to avoid being slain on 
  sight. Alternatively, the PCs might have to go to a lake where 
  the island has appeared before and wait until conditions are 
  right for it to come again, weathering assaults by the native 
  creatures in the meantime.
  Lore of the Lost Isle and the Gates of Dawn
  Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge 
  (local), Knowledge (nature), or Knowledge (religion) can 
  research the Lost Isle and the Gates of Dawn to learn more 
  about these places. When a character makes a skill check, 
  read or paraphrase the appropriate information from one 
  of the following tables, including the information from 
  lower DCs.
   If the PCs are just looking for a place to rebuild and want 
  to know if they have heard about such a site, use the entire 
  table. If they have heard of the Lost Isle speciﬁ cally and want 
  to see whether they know more about it, reveal information 
  only for check results of 20 or higher.
   After getting information from a Knowledge check, the 
  characters should be able to learn more about the Lost Isle 
  by consulting village elders who know the old tales, using 
  divination magic, or trying to ﬁ nd individuals who were ref-
  erenced in the information they have gained. Such resources 
  can reveal the information for Knowledge DCs higher than 
  the PCs’ check results, or other any information about the 
  Lost Isle that you’d like the characters to have.
  Knowledge (arcana)
  DC 
  Result
  20 
   Certain places of power allow those with mettle to 
  change themselves in strange and wondrous ways. 
  In some such places, a person can change nearly any 
  aspect of her being that she does not like, including 
  race, weaknesses, abilities, and even personal history.
  Knowledge (local) 
  DC 
  Result
  15 
  Old stories tell of a place called the Lost Isle. These 
  legends hold that people who return from this place 
  are always profoundly changed.
  20 
   The Lost Isle is a mist-shrouded island that sometimes 
  appears in lakes and large ponds in various parts of 
  the world. Most who visit it don’t come back, and 
  those who do are never the same again.
  25 
  A fisherman disappeared while fishing one day, 
  and everyone thought he had drowned. Two years 
  later, a ranger came to his village claiming to be the 
  fisherman, though he didn’t resemble the lost man 
  in the slightest. He said he had been to the Lost 
  Isle and passed through the Gates of Dawn. The 
  fisherman’s wife had remarried and wanted nothing 
  to do with the stranger, so he left.
  30 
   The lost ﬁ sherman was named Brent Vostig, and his 
  village was Milford. He disappeared while ﬁ shing in 
  the nearby Misty Lake.
  35 
  Beautiful music is often heard on the shores of the 
  body of water in which the Lost Isle appears. Those 
  who hear it should stop up their ears, because the 
  melody calls them to death.
  Knowledge (nature) 
  DC 
  Result
  15 
   Those who visit a certain fey place called the Lost 
  Isle either return profoundly changed or never return 
  at all.
  20 
   The Lost Isle appears in a lake or other body of water 
  somewhere in the world at dawn each day. As soon 
  as the sun and wind disperse the fog surrounding 
  the misty island, it vanishes.
  25 
   Rumor holds that a fey creature lives on the Lost Isle 
  as its caretaker.
  Knowledge (religion) 
  DC 
  Result
  20 
  Certain places of power allow those with mettle to 
  change themselves in strange and wondrous ways. 
  Rumor holds that in some such places, a person 
  can ignore the plans of the gods and even change 
  his race.
  25 
   The god Pelor created the Gates of Dawn as a 
  place where the worthy might ﬁ nd a” new dawn” 
  by changing themselves in some fundamental way. 
  Eventually, however, he had to take the privilege 
  away from mortals due to their misuse of it.
  30 
  The Gates of Dawn exist on the Lost Isle, a place that 
  appears only at sunrise in certain lakes. Only the most 
  worthy of Pelor’s followers have seen it, and the last 
  reported sighting was at least a hundred years ago.
  35 
  When Pelor hid the Gates of Dawn, he cursed some 
  creature to remain on the island as its guardian. No 
  church records of this ancient event remain, but 
  legend has it that the curse was punishment for foul 
  acts committed against Pelor’s faithful.
  
  201
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  Random Encounters
  Characters traveling to the Lost Isle might encounter several 
  dangerous threats before reaching it. You can either roll 1d4 
  times on the table below for encounters, or select a few that 
  you prefer. Even if the journey to the Lost Isle is supposed to be 
  only a brief detour from the current adventure, consider giving 
  the PCs a few warmup encounters with the creatures that lair 
  near the island before they reach the Gates of Dawn.
  Lost Isle Encounters
   d% 
  Encounter 
  EL
  1–20 
  2 sea hags (MM 144) 
  6
  21–40 
  Will-o’-wisp (MM 255) 
  6
  41–60 
  2 trolls or scrags (MM 58) 
  7
  61–80 
  Huge water elemental (MM 110) 
  7
  81–90 
  Athach (MM 21) 
  8
  91–100 Treant (MM 244) 
  8
  The Isle
  The Lost Isle appears in a mist-covered lake at dawn every 
  morning. It remains for 1 hour, or until the sun and wind 
  disperse the fog from the lake. At that point, the island and 
  all its occupants are transferred to another lake elsewhere in 
  the world—often hundreds of miles distant—where a foggy 
  dawn is occurring. If no such lake is available, the island 
  instead appears somewhere on Belierin, the third layer of 
  Elysium (DMG 165), until a lake on the Material Plane has 
  the proper conditions to host it.
   Read or paraphrase the following text when the Lost Isle 
  appears.
  The fog coils thickly over the dark waters of the lake as the sky gradu-
  ally brightens from night-blue to predawn gray. A faint pinkness 
  on the horizon grows slowly into a blurry sliver of crimson as the 
  sun rises, casting its warm glow through the mist. As the ﬁ rst light 
  of dawn falls on the lake, a curling billow of fog rolls aside like a 
  parted curtain, revealing the outline of a forested island ﬂ oating in 
  the mist-covered water. Moments later, the sweet notes of a distant 
  pipe drift out over the lake. Sometimes lilting and happy, sometimes 
  slow and sad, the distant melody seems to call to its listeners, cajol-
  ing them closer.
  A satyr named Fauldwick who long ago committed a ter-
  rible transgression against Pelor’s worshipers was cursed 
  by the god to remain on the island forever as caretaker 
  and guardian of the Gates of Dawn. The satyr is effectively 
  immortal—he does not age, and if slain, he reappears alive 
  and well on the Lost Isle the next time it appears. Fauldwick 
  can leave the island, but when it reappears in another place, 
  he goes with it, no matter how far he was from the lake when 
  it vanished.
   Fauldwick has lost track of how long he has lived on the 
  Lost Isle. Over the centuries, loneliness has driven him quite 
  Fauldwick the satyr, trapped on the Lost Isle until the end of time
  Illus. by M. May
  
  202
  CHAPTER 8
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  CHARACTER
  mad, despite the company of the blink dogs and the invisible 
  stalkers that Pelor has placed there to serve him. Fauldwick’s 
  piping is the source of the music that the PCs hear.
  The Clearing
  When the characters arrive, an invisible stalker that was ﬂ ying 
  above the island to watch for visitors reports their whereabouts 
  to Fauldwick, who then tries to lead them to the Gates of Dawn 
  with his music. He stays in the woods where the PCs can’t see 
  him and moves slowly toward the gates while he plays. The 
  invisible stalker (or stalkers; see Creatures, below) provides 
  reconnaissance but ﬂ ees from combat until Fauldwick com-
  mands it to ﬁ ght.
   If the PCs ignore Fauldwick’s music, allow them to explore 
  the Lost Isle as they wish, but they still have only an hour at 
  most before the island vanishes. Describe the gradual clear-
  ing of the mist and the brightening of the sunlight through 
  the trees at every opportunity. If they grow bored with their 
  exploration, a random encounter with a will-o’-wisp or two 
  might be appropriate.
  Approaching the Gates: When the PCs near the Gates 
  of Dawn, read or paraphrase the following text.
  The sweet music seems to swell and grow louder. A quick glance 
  through the trees reveals an immense, grassy field studded by 
  shrubs. Dozens of man-sized, oblong hummocks dot the field, and 
  objects jut up from the ground near many of them—a rusted 
  sword here, a graying wooden oar there, a necklace of shells 
  dangling from a stick over there. A well-trodden path wends 
  through these grassy hills, ending at pair of rusted iron gates 
  in the side of a huge, open-topped, circular structure made of 
  a stone so light in color that it almost blends with the fog. The 
  gates, which are at least 20 feet wide and nearly twice that tall, 
  appear to be slightly ajar, and the music seems to be coming from 
  somewhere beyond them.
  Over the years, Fauldwick has trapped many individuals on 
  the Lost Isle. Some died here of old age and others were mur-
  dered by Fauldwick when they attempted to leave. Fauldwick 
  buries each such unfortunate aboveground in a makeshift 
  graveyard outside the entrance to the building that holds 
  the Gates of Dawn, placing an item the individual wore or 
  carried at the head of the resulting hummock as a sort of 
  grave marker.
   When the PCs come close enough to enter the map, they 
  can see into the building. Read or paraphrase the following 
  text at that point.
  Inside the structure stands a second set of gates the same size as the 
  rusted iron ones. These inner gates are attached to a pair of thick 
  pillars and seem to be made of brilliant gold. Other smaller pillars 
  stand around this huge structure in a symmetrical arrangement.
   In a moment, a humanlike creature with a ram’s horns and legs 
  dances into view, playing a set of pipes. A few dogs scamper up to 
  him and excitedly jump and gambol about his legs. The creature 
  stops playing and dancing for a moment and shouts, “Come and 
  dance! Come and dance! Dance before the Gates of Dawn!” Then 
  he goes back to playing and prancing with his dogs.
  Fauldwick doesn’t reply to any questions the PCs ask; he merely 
  continues to play his pipes and wave the visitors closer. When 
  at least one character has come through the rusted gates, he 
  stops playing to greet that person.
   Rusted Gates: The iron gates are rusted ﬁ rmly in place. 
  Medium and Small creatures must squeeze through the 
  opening to get in.
  Gates: 1 in. thick, hardness 10, hp 30, break DC 24, DC 30 
  Strength check to move.
  Creatures: Creatures for three separate encounters are 
  provided below. Choose a set that has an EL 3 higher than 
  the average PC level of the party.
   EL 9: One invisible stalker (MM 160), one satyr with pipes 
  (MM 219), and four blink dogs (MM 28).
   EL 10: Two invisible stalkers (MM 160), one satyr with pipes 
  (MM 219), and four blink dogs (MM 28).
   EL 11: Three invisible stalkers (MM 160), one satyr with 
  pipes (MM 219), and four blink dogs (MM 28).
   Tactics: After greeting the PCs, Fauldwick attempts to 
  convince them to stay with him on the island using the 
  charm person effect of his music. If any PC refuses or resists, 
  Fauldwick orders his blink dogs and invisible stalkers to 
  attack. The invisible stalkers concentrate on any airborne 
  foes, while the blink dogs harry those on foot. Fauldwick 
  remains in the rear, readying an action to attack with his 
  shortbow whenever someone tries to cast a spell. If it seems 
  useful, Fauldwick commands a blink dog to go through the 
  Gates of Dawn, then shuts his eyes and hopes the PCs will 
  be blinded (see below).
  
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  The Gates of Dawn
  The Gates of Dawn are made of solid gold, and they swing 
  open easily. Whenever any creature moves through them in 
  either direction, the gates emit a blinding ﬂ ash of light. At 
  that point, every creature within the Gates of Dawn structure 
  must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d4 
  rounds. Creatures that succeed on the save are dazzled for 
  1d4 rounds.
   Any creature that passes through the Gates of Dawn imme-
  diately changes in the manner desired (that is, the planned 
  rebuild instantly takes effect), but it also falls unconscious 
  for 1 hour, even if it is a construct, undead, or other creature 
  that does not need to sleep or is immune to sleep effects. Any 
  attempt to damage the Gates of Dawn causes the perpetrator 
  to fall unconscious in the same manner.
   Development: If the PCs want to help Fauldwick break 
  his curse, a remove curse spell isn’t enough. Fauldwick must 
  honestly repent his misdeeds, both those he committed in 
  the distant past and those he has committed since he has 
  been on the island. Thereafter, he must receive an atonement 
  spell from a cleric of Pelor. After being trapped on the island 
  for so long, however, Fauldwick no longer has any interest in 
  apologizing for his actions.
  Returning to the Lost Isle
  If the PCs want to return to the Lost Isle for another rebuild, 
  you have many options. Fauldwick is still there, and he might 
  have new charmed or willing allies. Alternatively, some new 
  creatures, such as fey or powerful out siders, might also have 
  moved in to help guard the Gates of Dawn.
   If you don’t want the PCs to use the same rebuild location a 
  second time, the Lost Isle might never appear to them again. 
  Or perhaps it does appear, but the Gates of Dawn have been 
  destroyed by Fauldwick. For this greater transgression, Pelor 
  has further punished the satyr by turning him into some 
  much more more terrible creature.
  THE NECROTIC CRADLE 
  (LEVELS 13–15)
  “You must journey through the lands of the dead to be reborn.”
  —The dwarf Taklinn Ungart, previously a human
  Encountering death and the undead can spark a deep and 
  full reevaluation of life. In the Necrotic Cradle, characters 
  can face their own mortality and remake the threads of life 
  that brought them to their current existence.
   The Necrotic Cradle lies hidden in a place notorious for its 
  connection to undead, but its exact location and the nature of 
  the dangers it holds were lost with the lives of the creatures 
  that now haunt the area as undead. Few living beings know 
  about the Necrotic Cradle, and fewer still believe it actually 
  exists. A few nearly lost legends, however, say that it is a 
  place where birth, death, life, and undeath meet and become 
  indistinguishable from one another.
   The Necrotic Cradle might lie hidden beneath a city of 
  the dead, or within an ancient burial ground that has served 
  many races, or at the heart of a dark land haunted by undead 
  creatures. The journey to this place could be part of the 
  adventure. Perhaps the PCs need to talk to undead creatures 
  they might ordinarily attack on sight, or maybe they have to 
  help one undead creature in its struggle against another to 
  learn the location of the Necrotic Cradle.
  Lore of the Necrotic Cradle
  Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge 
  (local), or Knowledge (religion) can research the Nectoric 
  Cradle to learn more about it. When a character makes a 
  skill check, read or paraphrase the appropriate information 
  from one of the following tables, including the information 
  from lower DCs.
   If the PCs are just looking for a place to rebuild and want 
  to know if they have heard about such a site, use the entire 
  table. If they have heard of the Nectoric Cradle speciﬁ cally 
  and want to see whether they know more about it, reveal 
  information only for check results of 25 or higher.
  Knowledge (arcana)
  DC 
  Result
  20 
   Certain places of power allow those with mettle to 
  change themselves in strange and wondrous ways. 
  In some such places, an individual can change 
  nearly any aspect of his being that he does not 
  like, including race, weaknesses, abilities, and even 
  personal history.
  25 
   The Necrotic Cradle is a place where an imbalance 
  exists in the world’s magic. Powerful individuals can 
  use that imbalance to alter themselves.
  30 
   The Necrotic Cradle is suffused with strange 
  necromantic and transmutative energies that can 
  break the boundaries of life and death. Such forces 
  are likely to attract undead, but they might also 
  attract outsiders and other strange beings.
   
      The Necrotic Cradle is located beneath the 
  dead city of Drathmere (or under Tomb Tor in the 
  Deathlands, or any other place you care to put it).
  35 
   The Necrotic Cradle probably has a guardian, and 
  that guardian might be an inevitable—a thinking 
  construct that concerns itself with the laws of the 
  universe. A place such as the Necrotic Cradle, which 
  breaks universal laws, could certainly be perceived 
  as a threat by such creatures.
  Knowledge (local) 
  DC 
  Result
  20 
  About 10 years ago, a fallen paladin sought a 
  legendary place where he could redeem himself. 
  Legend has it that he emerged from that place not 
  only redeemed, but also reborn.
  25 
   The paladin was a human who had been transformed 
  into a vampire by the bite of one of those unholy 
  creatures. The place in which he sought redemption 
  was called the Necrotic Cradle.
  30 
  A vampire paladin went to the Necrotic Cradle with 
  several companions, but only he returned. Rumors 
  say after he was restored to full-fledged life, he 
  sought absolution for some crime at the church 
  where he had received his training.
  35 
  The paladin, whose name was Tanneth Silverwright, 
  was refused atonement for his evil deeds as a 
  vampire. Thereafter, he dropped into anonymity and 
  became a drunkard.
  
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   After getting information from a Knowledge check, the 
  characters should be able to learn more about the Necrotic 
  Cradle by consulting sages, searching through a great library, 
  using divination magic, or trying to ﬁ nd individuals who 
  were referenced in the information they have gained. Such 
  resources can reveal the information for Knowledge DCs 
  higher than the PCs’ check results, or other any information 
  about the Necrotic Cradle that you’d like the characters 
  to have.
  Random Encounters
  Characters traveling to the Necrotic Cradle might encounter 
  several dangerous threats before reaching it. You can either 
  roll 1d4 times on the table below for encounters, or select 
  a few that you prefer. Even if the journey to the Necrotic 
  Cradle is supposed to be only a brief detour from the cur-
  rent adventure, consider giving the PCs a few warmup 
  encounters with the creatures drawn to the location by the 
  necromantic energy of the place and its connection to both 
  life and death.
  Necrotic Cradle Encounters
   d% 
  Encounter 
  EL
  01–10 
  Ice devil (MM 56) 
  13
  11–30 
  2 kolyaruts (MM 159) 
  14
  31–40 
  Nalfeshnee (MM 45) 
  14
  41–60 
  4 devourers (MM 58) 
  15
  61–80 
  4 dread wraiths (MM 258) 
  15
  81–90 
  2 nightwings (MM 197) 
  16
  91–100 Glabrezu (MM 166) and  
  16
   
  10 Nessian warhounds (MM 151)
  The Cradle Entrance Cavern
  The transmutation magic that ﬂ ows through the Necrotic 
  Cradle redirects any attempts to teleport into or out of it. Thus, 
  whether the PCs arrive by magic or on foot after traversing 
  catacombs filled with undead, they first see the Necrotic 
  Cradle from the cavern directly outside it.
   Read or paraphrase the following text when the PCs arrive 
  outside the cavern.
  A sense of foreboding hangs almost palpably in the air within this 
  cavern. Ahead, an opening in the rock wall admits a beam of bril-
  liant light that silhouettes a titanic armored ﬁ gure standing just 
  before the aperture. Beyond it lies a yawning abyss of utter blackness, 
  and beyond that is the source of the light—a bulbous hemisphere 
  of stone projecting from the cavern wall on the other side of the 
  abyss. This enormous rock formation looks anything but natural. 
  Black cracks in the stone, like the veins in an eye, reach up from 
  the abyss to surround a gaping hole in the center of the projecting 
  rock. Through that aperture shines the light.
  The silhouetted ﬁ gure is a marut—an inevitable charged with 
  guarding the Necrotic Cradle. Concerned with the unnatural 
  blending of life and death in this place, it warns visitors away 
  from the Necrotic Cradle and attempts to destroy any who 
  persist in trying to bypass it.
   The cavern is roughly 40 feet high, and the light beam-
  ing from the Necrotic Cradle provides bright illumination 
  equivalent to that of daylight. Some areas of the cavern count 
  as difﬁ cult terrain because of the rubble that has fallen from 
  the ceiling.
  Dark Abyss
  The Dark Abyss on the map is actually a planar rupture that 
  leads to the Plane of Negative Energy. Any creature that falls 
  into it drops for 400 feet before crossing over into the Plane 
  of Negative Energy. Once there, it has no means of return.
   Necromancy spells cast within or over the Dark Abyss are 
  function as if affected by the Heighten Spell (two levels) and 
  Empower Spell feats, but cure spells and other spells that use 
  positive energy automatically fail.
   Creatures: Creatures for three separate encounters are 
  provided below. Choose a set that corresponds to the average 
  level of the party.
   Party Level 13th: One marut (MM 159), two dread wraiths 
  (MM 258), and four human vampire 5th-level fighters 
  (MM 250).
   Party Level 14th: As the Party Level 13th version, plus a 
  half-elf vampire monk 9/shadowdancer 4 (MM 251). If you 
  wish, this vampire could be Sashess, once the companion of 
  Tanneth Silverwright.
   Party Level 15th: Two maruts (MM 159) plus the vampire 
  described in the Party Level 14th version.
   Tactics: Regardless of which Encounter Level applies, the 
  tactics for the marut (or maruts) remain the same. The marut 
  periodically activates its air walk and true seeing abilities, and 
  it has already done so when the PCs arrive. With true seeing, it 
  should be able to spot the PCs, and with air walk, it can ﬁ ght 
  opponents who take to the air.
  Knowledge (religion) 
  DC 
  Result
  20 
  Certain places of power allow those with mettle to 
  change themselves in strange and wondrous ways. 
  Rumor holds that in some such places, a person 
  can ignore the plans of the gods and even change 
  his race.
  25 
   Because the Necrotic Cradle is a place where life 
  and death meet and mix, great changes can be 
  wrought there. A fallen paladin of Heironeous who 
  became a vampire once went to the Necrotic Cradle 
  with several companions seeking to restore himself 
  to life.
  30 
  The paladin succeeded in his quest, but afterward, 
  he appeared at the Sliver House of Justice—the 
  temple where he had been trained—and sought 
  absolution for some crime.
   
      The Necrotic Cradle is located beneath the 
  dead city of Drathmere (or under Tomb Tor in the 
  Deathlands, or any other place you care to put it).
  35 
  The former vampire was refused atonement because 
  he would not return to the Necrotic Cradle and 
  fight his old companions, who had refused rebirth 
  after he had turned them into vampires. One of 
  these vampires, a half-elf monk named Sashess, is 
  rumored to haunt the lands around the Necrotic 
  Cradle still.
  
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  CHARACTER
   When the marut spots the PCs, it sets up 
  a wall of force along the edge of the abyss to 
  block access to the Necrotic Cradle, then 
  delivers its only warning: “This place is for-
  bidden. Leave now or be destroyed.” If the 
  PCs don’t immediately leave, the marut uses 
  greater command and orders them to ﬂ ee. 
  Those who remain or in any way persist in 
  their efforts to reach the Necrotic Cradle 
  must face the marut’s greater dispel magic, 
  chain lightning, and circle of death abilities, as 
  well as its potent melee attacks. The marut 
  also takes advantage of any opportunities 
  to bull rush PCs into either the Dark Abyss 
  behind it or the Brilliant Abyss within the 
  Necrotic Cradle. If the marut believes it is 
  losing the battle, it uses its earthquake abil-
  ity in hopes of bringing the ceiling down 
  on the PCs (and itself).
   The vampires and dread wraiths are all 
  that remain of Tanneth Silverwright’s com-
  panions. They wish to enter the Necrotic 
  Cradle to transform themselves into liches 
  so that they need not fear sunlight, but 
  they haven’t yet been able to get past the 
  guardian. They arrive 1d4 rounds into the 
  PCs’ combat with the marut (or maruts). 
  Hoping that the PCs can distract the marut 
  long enough to allow them entrance, they 
  ﬂ y across the Dark Abyss during the battle. 
  If the PCs appear to have the upper hand, 
  the vampires and dread wraiths stop long 
  enough to attack them until it looks like 
  the marut has a fighting chance before 
  proceeding on to the Necrotic Cradle.
  The Necrotic Cradle
  Read or paraphrase the following when a PC enters the 
  Necrotic Cradle.
  The interior of the bulbous protrusion is a largely spherical space 
  with a huge rent in the ﬂ oor that echoes the black abyss outside. 
  This hole, however, is so ﬁ lled with radiant light that it’s difﬁ cult 
  to look at. Shining white cracks in the stone extend away from the 
  hole, just as night-dark cracks extend from the entrance. Where 
  these cracks meet, they fragment into smaller crevices of light and 
  darkness that swirl around one another in ever-tightening spirals 
  but never actually meet. The largest of these formations lies in the 
  center of the bowllike ﬂ oor. Fully 15 feet across, this spiral pulsates 
  with crackling white and black energy. In its center, the two types 
  of cracks actually meet, and the two forces win and lose a thousand 
  battles with each second that passes.
  The light in the Necrotic Cradle causes all creatures inside 
  to become dazzled (no save). Because of all the cracks in the 
  interior, the entire floor is considered difﬁ cult terrain, and 
  the Climb DC for the walls is 12. In addition, any living 
  or undead creature touching the walls or ﬂ oor inside the 
  cradle must make a DC 20 Will save. Success indicates that the 
  creature is struck by energy (positive energy if the creature 
  is living, or negative energy if it is undead) that heals it of 
  2d8 points of damage. Failure indicates that the creature is 
  struck by the opposite energy type and takes 2d8 points of 
  damage. The only area that is safe from this effect is the 
  central spiral of cracks.
  Brilliant Abyss
  The Brilliant Abyss is a planar rupture that leads to the Plane 
  of Positive Energy. Any creature that falls into it drops for 200 
  feet before crossing over into the Plane of Positive Energy. 
  Once there, it has no means of return.
   Transmutation spells cast within or over the Brilliant Abyss 
  function as if affected by the Heighten Spell (two levels) and 
  Empower Spell feats, and cure spells and other spells that use 
  positive energy are maximized.
  Central Spiral
  Any creature standing in the largest spiral of cracks can 
  rebuild itself. Each round that it remains in contact with 
  The dark energies of the Necrotic Cradle can reshape life itself
  Illus. by M. Komarck
  
  206
  CHAPTER 8
  REBUILDING YOUR 
  CHARACTER
  the spiral, the creature takes 10 points of damage from 
  whichever type of energy (positive or negative) damages 
  it. Any creature killed by this damage is torn apart by the 
  warring energies and sucked—equipment and all—into 
  the cracks of the spiral. Then the rebuilt creature comes 
  into existence in the same place, with full hit points and 
  all the equipment the previous creature possessed when it 
  was destroyed. If the creature is killed by some means other 
  than positive or negative energy while in contact with the 
  central spiral, it dies and does not get the opportunity to 
  rebuild. A creature that is not damaged by either negative 
  energy or positive energy cannot use the Necrotic Cradle 
  to rebuild.
  Returning to the Necrotic Cradle
  If the PCs want to return to the Necrotic Cradle for another 
  rebuild, you have many options. More maruts or other inevi-
  tables might be guarding it. Alternatively, some new creatures, 
  such as powerful undead or outsiders, might also have moved 
  in to possess the site.
   If you don’t want the PCs to use the same rebuild location 
  a second time, you could rule that the Necrotic Cradle works 
  only once for any given creature. Or perhaps some creatures 
  tried to repair the rifts in the plane and nulliﬁ ed the reforming 
  properties of the Necrotic Cradle in the process. Alternatively, 
  one of the two abysses might have won the energy battle, clos-
  ing one side and opening a two-way gate to an energy plane.
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  OTHER REBUILD QUEST 
  OBJECTIVES
  Here are some other ideas for places the PCs might go to rebuild 
  and the kinds of creatures they might encounter there.
  Bastion of Unborn Souls: Somewhere on the Plane of Positive 
  Energy floats this place of powerful magic from which all souls 
  come and to which gods fear to go. Strange beings made of 
  energy and soulstuff guard it from those who would abuse its 
  power. This location is fully described in the Bastion of Broken 
  Souls adventure.
   Forge of Remaking: In this strange place, a character must 
  confront himself and defeat his fears or die trying. By doing so, 
  he can change his truename and thus change his being. This 
  location is fully detailed in Tome of Magic.
  Morpheus the Changer: The titan Morpheus has strange 
  powers to reshape others through their dreams. Those who wish 
  his aid must defeat the titan in single combat, because he uses 
  this ability only on those who can best him.
  Seldarine Pool: The magic waters of the Seldarine Pool are in 
  a hidden shrine to the elf gods. Legend holds that washing in 
  the waters of the Seldarine Pool can heal wounds and cure ills, 
  but that drinking from it grants the imbiber the power to alter 
  his being. A tribe of wild elves fiercely guards the pool, killing all 
  who come to it—even other elves.
  Shattershear Cliffs: The winds that rip at someone falling from 
  the Shattershear Cliffs can actually tear a body to pieces and 
  put it back together. Anyone who can make it there, win her way 
  past the guardian beast, leap from the roc’s nest, and somehow 
  survive the fall, can remake herself.
  
  APPENDIX
  Appendix: Quick PC 
  and NPC Creation
  This section presents quick and easy ways to create characters 
  for both players and DMs. If you’re a fast study and need a 
  relatively low-level character, you can create one in 5 minutes 
  with the system presented here.
   For ready-to-play 1st-level characters, consult the starting 
  packages presented in Chapters 1 and 2.
   Creating a character always involves making certain deci-
  sions. Below are the ordered steps to create a character in an 
  efﬁ cient manner.
  1. CHOOSE A CLASS
  Character class determines the types of feats you need to 
  select, the magic items your character needs, and many other 
  factors. So the ﬁ rst decision you need to make is what kind 
  of character you want to create.
  2. DETERMINE 
  ABILITY SCORES
  To speed up the process, use the elite ability score array from 
  the Dungeon Master’s Guide. You can either use the suggested 
  ability arrangement for your chosen class or assign the scores 
  as you wish. The elite array gives you scores of 15, 14, 13, 12, 
  10, and 8 to distribute as you wish.
   Barbarian: Strength 15, Dexterity 13, Constitution 14, 
  Intelligence 10, Wisdom 12, Charisma 8.
   Bard: Strength 10, Dexterity 14, Constitution 13, Intel-
  ligence 12, Wisdom 8, Charisma 15.
   Beguiler: Strength 8, Dexterity 14, Constitution 12, Intel-
  ligence 15, Wisdom 10, Charisma 13.
   Cleric: Strength 12, Dexterity 8, Constitution 13, Intel-
  ligence 10, Wisdom 15, Charisma 14.
   Dragon Shaman: Strength 15, Dexterity 12, Constitution 
  14, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 10, Charisma 13.
   Druid: Strength 10, Dexterity 12, Constitution 14, Intel-
  ligence 8, Wisdom 15, Charisma 13.
   Duskblade: Strength 15, Dexterity 13, Constitution 12, 
  Intelligence 14, Wisdom 10, Charisma 8.
   Favored Soul: Strength 14, Dexterity 10, Constitution 12, 
  Intelligence 8, Wisdom 15, Charisma 13.
   Fighter: Strength 15, Dexterity 13, Constitution 14, Intel-
  ligence 10, Wisdom 12, Charisma 8.
   Hexblade: Strength 15, Dexterity 13, Constitution 12, 
  Intelligence 10, Wisdom 8, Charisma 14.
   Knight: Strength 15, Dexterity 12, Constitution 13, Intel-
  ligence 10, Wisdom 8, Charisma 14.
   Marshal: Strength 14, Dexterity 13, Constitution 12, 
  Intelligence 10, Wisdom 8, Charisma 15.
   Monk: Strength 13, Dexterity 15, Constitution 12, Intel-
  ligence 10, Wisdom 14, Charisma 8.
   Paladin: Strength 13, Dexterity 8, Constitution 14, Intel-
  ligence 10, Wisdom 12, Charisma 15.
   Ranger: Strength 12, Dexterity 15, Constitution 14, Intel-
  ligence 10, Wisdom 12, Charisma 8.
   Rogue: Strength 13, Dexterity 15, Constitution 12, Intel-
  ligence 14, Wisdom 10, Charisma 8.
   Scout: Strength 14, Dexterity 15, Constitution 12, Intel-
  ligence 10, Wisdom 13, Charisma 8.
   Sorcerer: Strength 8, Dexterity 13, Constitution 14, Intel-
  ligence 12, Wisdom 10, Charisma 15.
   Swashbuckler: Strength 13, Dexterity 15, Constitution 
  10, Intelligence 14, Wisdom 8, Charisma 12.
   Warlock: Strength 8, Dexterity 14, Constitution 13, Intel-
  ligence 12, Wisdom 10, Charisma 15.
   Warmage: Strength 8, Dexterity 13, Constitution 12, 
  Intelligence 14, Wisdom 10, Charisma 15.
   Wizard: Strength 8, Dexterity 13, Constitution 14, Intel-
  ligence 15, Wisdom 12, Charisma 10.
   If you are creating a character above 1st level, you might 
  also have attribute bonuses to spend. Your character gains a 
  1-point bonus at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th level. Be sure 
  to spend these points before moving on to the next step, 
  if applicable.
  3. PICK YOUR RACE
  Like class, race is primarily a matter of taste or need. If you 
  lack any real preference, choose the race that best matches 
  your chosen character class from Table A–1: Preferred Races 
  by Class. Some entries also mention a second race taken 
  from another supplement; those races in italics have a level 
  adjustment of +1 or higher and thus can’t be used as 1st-
  level characters.
  Table A–1: Preferred Races by Class
  Class 
  Race
  Barbarian 
  Half-orc (or goliath1)
  Bard 
  Gnome
  Beguiler 
  Half-elf (or changeling2)
  Cleric 
  Human
  Dragon shaman 
  Human (or dragonborn human3)
  Druid 
  Elf (or killoren4)
  Duskblade 
  Elf
  Favored soul 
  Human
  Fighter 
  Dwarf (or warforged2)
  Hexblade 
  Human
  Knight 
  Human
  Marshal 
  Human
  Monk 
  Human (or buomman5)
  Paladin 
  Human (or aasimar)
  Ranger 
  Elf (or shifter2)
  Rogue 
  Halﬂ ing (or whisper gnome1)
  Scout 
  Elf (or raptoran4)
  Sorcerer 
  Human (or spellscale3)
  Swashbuckler 
  Human (or tiefling)
  Warlock 
  Human
  Warmage 
  Human
  Wizard 
  Elf (or illumian6)
  1 Races of Stone
  2 Races of Eberron
  3 Races of the Dragon
  4 Races of the Wild
  5 Planar Handbook
  6 Races of Destiny
  207
  
  208
  APPENDIX
  4. PICK YOUR SKILLS
  Find your character class on Table A–2: Number of Skills by 
  Class to determine how many skills your character can have.
  Table A–2: Number of Skills by Class
  Class 
  Base Number of Skills
  Barbarian 
  4 + Int mod
  Bard 
  6 + Int mod
  Beguiler 
  6 + Int mod
  Cleric 
  2 + Int mod
  Dragon shaman 
  2 + Int mod
  Druid 
  4 + Int mod
  Duskblade 
  2 + Int mod
  Favored soul 
  2 + Int mod
  Fighter 
  2 + Int mod
  Hexblade 
  2 + Int mod
  Knight 
  2 + Int mod
  Marshal 
  4 + Int mod
  Monk 
  4 + Int mod
  Paladin 
  2 + Int mod
  Ranger 
  6 + Int mod
  Rogue 
  8 + Int mod
  Scout 
  8 + Int mod
  Sorcerer 
  2 + Int mod
  Swashbuckler 
  4 + Int mod
  Warlock 
  2 + Int mod
  Warmage 
  2 + Int mod
  Wizard 
  2 + Int mod
  SKILL PRIORITY LISTS
  Each of the entries below is a list of skills, rated in order from 
  most important to least important for a typical member of 
  the class. Start at the beginning of your class’s skill list and 
  count off the number of skills your character is entitled 
  to based on the information in Table A–2. The character 
  gains each of those skills at the maximum ranks allowed 
  for his level. A human character gains one bonus skill at 
  maximum ranks.
   For example, if you’re playing a half-orc barbarian with 
  an Intelligence score of 8, you are entitled to 4 – 1 = 3 skills. 
  Take the ﬁ rst three skills from the barbarian list (Survival, 
  Listen, and Jump), and spend the maximum ranks allowed 
  for each (character level + 3).
   Barbarian: Survival (Wis), Listen (Wis), Jump (Str), Climb 
  (Str), Swim (Str), Handle Animal (Cha), Ride (Dex).
   Bard: Perform (Cha), Concentration (Con), Use Magic 
  Device (Cha), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Infor-
  mation (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Spellcraft (Int), Knowledge 
  (local) (Int), Decipher Script (Int).
   Beguiler: Hide (Dex), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis), 
  Search (Int), Disable Device (Int), Open Lock (Int), Concen-
  tration (Con), Bluff (Cha), Listen (Wis), Tumble (Dex).
   Cleric: Concentration (Con), Heal (Wis), Knowledge 
  (religion) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Spellcraft (Int), Knowledge 
  (the planes) (Int).
   Dragon Shaman: Three skills from totem dragon choice 
  (see class), Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge 
  (nature) (Int).
   Druid: Survival (Wis), Handle Animal (Cha), Spot (Wis), 
  Listen (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Ride 
  (Dex), Swim (Str).
   Duskblade: Concentration (Con), Jump (Str), Spellcraft 
  (Int), Climb (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Decipher 
  Script (Int).
   Favored Soul: Concentration (Con), Heal (Wis), Diplo-
  macy (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Knowledge 
  (arcana) (Int).
   Fighter: Climb (Str), Jump (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Swim 
  (Str), Ride (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha).
   Hexblade: Concentration (Con), Intimidate (Cha), 
  Bluff (Cha), Spellcraft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), 
  Ride (Dex).
   Knight: Intimidate (Cha), Ride (Dex), Handle Animal 
  (Cha), Knowledge (nobility and royalty (Int), Jump (Str), 
  Climb (Str).
   Marshal: Diplomacy (Cha), Spot (Wis), Listen (Wis), 
  Intimidate (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Knowledge (history) 
  (Int), Swim (Str), Ride (Dex).
   Monk: Tumble (Dex), Spot (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), 
  Hide (Dex), Escape Artist (Dex), Climb (Str), Jump (Str), 
  Balance (Dex).
   Paladin: Diplomacy (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive 
  (Wis), Heal (Wis), Concentration (Con), Knowledge (reli-
  gion) (Int).
   Ranger: Survival (Wis), Hide (Dex), Listen (Wis), 
  Spot (Wis), Handle Animal (Cha), Move Silently (Dex), 
  Knowledge (geography) (Int), Search (Int), Jump (Str), 
  Swim (Str).
   Rogue: Hide (Dex), Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Dis-
  able Device (Int), Open Locks (Dex), Sleight of Hand (Dex), 
  Tumble (Dex), Spot (Wis), Listen (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Climb 
  (Str), Escape Artist (Dex).
   Scout: Hide (Dex), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis), Search 
  (Int), Disable Device (Int), Listen (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Survival 
  (Wis), Climb (Str), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering) 
  (Int), Balance (Dex).
   Sorcerer: Concentration (Con), Bluff (Cha), Knowledge 
  (arcana) (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Craft (Int), Profession (Wis).
   Swashbuckler: Tumble (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Jump (Str), 
  Diplomacy (Cha), Balance (Dex), Escape Artist (Dex), Swim 
  (Str), Sense Motive (Wis).
   Warlock: Concentration (Con), Use Magic Device (Cha), 
  Bluff (Cha), Spellcraft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge 
  (arcana) (Int).
   Warmage: Concentration (Con), Spellcraft (Int), Intimi-
  date (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) 
  (Int), Craft (Int).
   Wizard: Concentration (Con), Spellcraft (Int), Decipher 
  Script (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) 
  (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int).
  5. PICK YOUR FEATS
  In many ways, your character’s feats deﬁ ne his basic abilities 
  and talents. The following feat progressions map out appro-
  priate selections from 1st to 20th level. The “H” entry in the 
  tables represents a human’s bonus feat, and the numbers 
  represent the levels at which a character of that type would 
  gain a feat in question. 
  
  209
  APPENDIX
   To use this table, ﬁ nd the number of feats your character is 
  entitled to, then start at the beginning of the chosen progres-
  sion and take that number of feats. If your character is not 
  human, you can still start with the feat labeled “H,” but this 
  often isn’t necessary.
   For example, a 7th-level half-orc barbarian has three feats. 
  If you’re using the destroyer progression, you would need to 
  take the “H” feat, Power Attack, since that feat is a prerequisite 
  for Cleave.
   Some of the progressions require certain ability scores 
  to meet their prerequisites. After you choose the feat 
  progression you want, check the prerequisites and be sure 
  to fulﬁ ll them, even if you have to go back and change your 
  character’s attributes to match the requirements. In some 
  cases, you must also buy ranks in certain skills to qualify 
  for a particular feat progression. In this case, make sure 
  you purchased the relevant skills when you spent your 
  character’s skill ranks in step 4 (or go back and change your 
  skill choices).
   Most of the feats in these progressions are found in the 
  Player’s Handbook or in this book (those marked with an 
  asterisk). Any class appearing in a book other than the Player’s 
  Handbook might mention some feats from another book 
  (usually the supplement in which the class appeared).
  Table A–3: Feat Progressions by Party Role
  Barbarian
   
  Destroyer 
  Hunter 
  Whirlwind
  H 
  Power Attack 
  Track 
  Two-Weapon Fighting
  1st 
  Cleave 
  Weapon Focus (any two-handed) 
  Weapon Focus (kukri)
  3rd 
  Mad Foam Rager* 
  Trophy Collector* 
  Skill Focus (Tumble)
  6th 
  Weapon Focus (greataxe) 
  Combat Focus* 
  Two-Weapon Pounce*
  9th 
  Improved Critical (greataxe) 
  Blind-Fight 
  Improved Critical (kukri)
  12th 
  Improved Sunder 
  Combat Vigor* 
  Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
  15th 
  Defensive Sweep* 
  Combat Awareness* 
  Two-Weapon Rend*
  18th 
  Overwhelming Assault* 
  Flay* 
  Greater Two-Weapon Fighting
  Bard
   
  Controller 
  Problem Solver 
  Vanguard
  H 
  Skill Focus (Perform) 
  Skill Focus (Use Magic Device) 
  Still Spell
  1st 
  Negotiator 
  Arcane Flourish* 
  Combat Expertise
  3rd 
  Wanderer’s Diplomacy* 
  Magical Aptitude 
  Exotic Weapon Proficiency
   
   
   
      (spiked chain)
  6th 
  Combat Panache* 
  Battle Dancer* 
  Improved Trip
  9th 
  Master Manipulator* 
  Arcane Accompaniment* 
  Improved Disarm
  12th 
  Spell Focus (enchantment) 
  Improved Initiative 
  Combat Reﬂ exes
  15th 
  Improved Feint 
  Combat Reflexes 
  Weapon Focus (spiked chain)
  18th 
  Fade into Violence* 
  Vexing Flanker* 
  Power Attack
  Beguiler
   
  Controller 
  Investigator 
  Trickster
  H 
  Spell Focus (enchantment) 
  Spell Focus (enchantment) 
  Spell Focus (illusion)
  1st 
  Improved Initiative 
  Stealthy 
  Combat Expertise
  3rd 
  Greater Spell Focus (enchantment) 
  Wanderer’s Diplomacy* 
  Improved Feint
  5th† 
  Silent Spell 
  Silent Spell 
  Silent Spell
  6th 
  Arcane Thesis* 
  Quick Draw 
  Fade into Violence*
  9th 
  Spell Penetration 
  Eschew Materials 
  Acrobatic Strike*
  10th† 
  Still Spell 
  Still Spell 
  Still Spell
  12th 
  Heighten Spell 
  Weapon Finesse 
  Shadow Striker*
  15th 
  Scribe Scroll 
  Spell Penetration 
  Spell Penetration
  18th 
  Greater Spell Penetration 
  Greater Spell Focus (enchantment) 
  Greater Spell Focus (illusion)
  Cleric
   
  Defender 
  Destroyer 
  Healer
  H 
  Extra Turning 
  Extra Turning 
  Combat Casting
  1st 
  Improved Turning 
  Divine Justice* 
  Sacred Healing*
  3rd 
  Iron Will 
  Weapon Focus (any) 
  Divine Ward*
  6th 
  Spell Focus (evocation) 
  Divine Armor* 
  Extra Turning
  9th 
  Sacred Radiance* 
  Smiting Spell* 
  Brew Potion
  12th 
  Combat Casting 
  Power Attack 
  Sacred Puriﬁ cation*
  15th 
  Tower Shield Proficiency 
  Combat Casting 
  Quicken Spell
  18th 
  Lunging Strike* 
  Armor Specialization* (heavy) 
  Extra Turning
  
  210
  APPENDIX
  Table A–3: Feat Progressions by Party Role (cont.)
  Dragon Shaman
   
  Defender 
  Destroyer 
  Second-Rank Warrior
  H 
  Armor Proficiency (heavy) 
  Power Attack 
  Combat Reflexes
  1st 
  Shield Specialization* (heavy) 
  Cleave 
  Power Attack
  2nd† 
  Skill Focus 
  Skill Focus 
  Skill Focus
  3rd 
  Shield Ward* 
  Weapon Focus (morningstar) 
  Weapon Focus (longspear)
  6th 
  Active Shield Defense* 
  Ability Focus1 (breath weapon) 
  Hindering Opportunist*
  8th† 
  Skill Focus 
  Skill Focus 
  Skill Focus
  9th 
  Improved Natural Armor1 
  Brutal Strike* 
  Short Haft*
  12th 
  Weapon Focus (morningstar) 
  Improved Critical (morningstar) 
  Lunging Strike*
  15th 
  Blind-Fight 
  Improved Sunder 
  Stalwart Defense*
  16th† 
  Skill Focus 
  Skill Focus 
  Skill Focus
  18th 
  Armor Specialization* (heavy) 
  Shield Specialization* (heavy) 
  Improved Critical (longspear)
  † Bonus feat; see page 13 for options.
  1 See Monster Manual, page 303.
  Druid
   
  Beastmaster 
  Feral Beast 
  Warden
  H 
  Animal Affinity 
  Combat Casting 
  Spell Focus (conjuration)
  1st 
  Companion Spellbond* 
  Alertness 
  Augment Summoning
  3rd 
  Combat Casting 
  Keen-Eared Scout* 
  Shield Specialization* (heavy)
  6th 
  Combat Reﬂ exes 
  Natural Spell 
  Extend Spell
  9th 
  Empower Spell 
  Improved Natural Attack (any)1 
  Imbued Summoning*
  12th 
  Quicken Spell 
  Power Attack 
  Shield Ward*
  15th 
  Vexing Flanker* 
  Flay* 
  Spell Penetration
  18th 
  Extend Spell 
  Improved Bull Rush 
  Armor Specialization* (medium)
  1 See Monster Manual, page 304.
  Duskblade
   
  Blaster 
  Defender 
  Skirmisher
  H 
  Weapon Focus (ranged spell) 
  Toughness 
  Weapon Focus (any one-handed)
  1st 
  Point Blank Shot 
  Combat Expertise 
  Dodge
  2nd† 
  Combat Casting 
  Combat Casting 
  Combat Casting
  3rd 
  Precise Shot 
  Arcane Toughness* 
  Mobility
  6th 
  Empower Spell 
  Shield Specialization* (heavy) 
  Spring Attack
  9th 
  Improved Critical (ranged spell) 
  Shield Ward* 
  Improved Critical (any one-handed)
  12th 
  Improved Precise Shot 
  Armor Specialization* (medium) 
  Combat Tactician*
  15th 
  Spell Penetration 
  Craft Magic Arms and Armor 
  Combat Expertise
  18th 
  Greater Spell Penetration 
  Weapon Focus (longsword) 
  Whirlwind Attack
  † Bonus feat.
  Favored Soul
   
  Defender 
  Healer 
  Vanguard
  H 
  Armor Proficiency (heavy) 
  Spontaneous Healer1 
  Combat Focus*
  1st 
  Shield Specialization* (heavy) 
  Augment Healing1 
  Combat Casting
  3rd 
  Weapon Focus† 
  Weapon Focus† 
  Weapon Focus†
  3rd 
  Shield Ward* 
  Combat Casting 
  Power Attack
  6th 
  Combat Focus* 
  Brew Potion 
  Cleave
  9th 
  Active Shield Defense* 
  Craft Wand 
  Craft Magic Arms and Armor
  12th 
  Weapon Specialization† 
  Weapon Specialization† 
  Weapon Specialization†
  12th 
  Combat Vigor* 
  Scribe Scroll 
  Combat Vigor*
  15th 
  Blind-Fight 
  Reach Spell1 
  Improved Critical (deity’s
   
   
   
      favored weapon)
  18th 
  Combat Awareness* 
  Flyby Attack 
  Armor Specialization*
  † Bonus feat; applies to deity’s favored weapon.
  1 See Complete Divine.
  
  211
  APPENDIX
  Table A–3: Feat Progressions by Party Role (cont.)
  Fighter
   
  Archer 
  Defender 
  Destroyer
  H 
  Point Blank Shot 
  Blind-Fight 
  Power Attack
  1st 
  Precise Shot 
  Iron Will 
  Cleave
  1st† 
  Weapon Focus (longbow) 
  Weapon Focus (longsword) 
  Weapon Focus (greatsword)
  2nd† 
  Rapid Shot 
  Shield Specialization* (heavy) 
  Flay*
  3rd 
  Dodge 
  Combat Reflexes 
  Improved Sunder
  4th† 
  Weapon Specialization (longbow) 
  Weapon Specialization (longsword) 
  Weapon Specialization
   
   
   
      (greatsword)
  6th 
  Mobility 
  Shield Ward* 
  Iron Will
  6th† 
  Shot on the Run 
  Combat Expertise 
  Improved Bull Rush
  8th† 
  Greater Weapon Focus (longbow) 
  Greater Weapon Focus (longsword) Greater Weapon Focus 
   
   
   
      (greatsword)
  9th 
  Ranged Weapon Mastery* (piercing) 
  Melee Weapon Mastery* (slashing) 
  Melee Weapon Mastery* (slashing)
  10th† 
  Manyshot 
  Improved Disarm 
  Improved Critical (greatsword)
  12th 
  Armor Specialization* (medium) 
  Armor Specialization* (heavy) 
  Armor Specialization* (heavy)
  12th† 
  Greater Weapon Specialization 
  Greater Weapon Specialization 
  Greater Weapon Specialization
   
      (longbow) 
      (longsword) 
      (greatsword)
  14th† 
  Improved Precise Shot 
  Vexing Flanker* 
  Slashing Flurry*
  15th 
  Improved Critical (longbow) 
  Defensive Sweep* 
  Overwhelming Assault*
  16th† 
  Improved Initiative 
  Power Attack 
  Intimidating Strike
  18th† 
  Quick Draw 
  Improved Initiative 
  Improved Initiative
  18th 
  Weapon Supremacy* (longbow) 
  Weapon Supremacy* (longsword) 
  Weapon Supremacy* (greatsword)
  20th† 
  Penetrating Shot* 
  Robilar’s Gambit* 
  Cometary Collision*
  † Bonus feat.
  Hexblade
   
  Defender 
  Destroyer 
  Skirmisher
  H 
  Ability Focus1 (hexblade’s curse) 
  Power Attack 
  Ability Focus1 (hexblade’s curse)
  1st 
  Armor Proﬁ ciency (medium) 
  Cleave 
  Dodge
  3rd 
  Battle Caster2 
  Weapon Focus (any two-handed) 
  Mobility
  5th† 
  Spell Focus (necromancy) 
  Combat Casting 
  Spell Focus (enchantment)
  6th 
  Combat Casting 
  Power Critical 
  Spring Attack
  9th 
  Practiced Spellcaster2 
  Improved Critical (any two-handed 
  Dash3
   
   
      weapon)
  10th† 
  Greater Spell Focus (necromancy) 
  Spell Focus (necromancy) 
  Greater Spell Focus (enchantment)
  12th 
  Armor Specialization (medium) 
  Power Critical3 
  Bounding Assault*
  15th 
  Extra Slot2 (3rd) 
  Improved Toughness3 
  Elusive Target3
  15th† 
  Spell Penetration 
  Greater Spell Focus (necromancy) 
  Spell Penetration
  18th 
  Extra Spell2 (3rd) 
  Defensive Sweep* 
  Rapid Blitz*
  20th† 
  Greater Spell Penetration 
  Spell Penetration 
  Greater Spell Penetration
  †Bonus feat.
  1 See Monster Manual, page 303.
  2 See Complete Arcane.
  3 See Complete Warrior.
  Knight
   
  Cavalier 
  Defender 
  Destroyer
  H 
  Skill Focus (Ride) 
  Shield Specialization* (heavy) 
  Power Attack
  1st 
  Mounted Combat 
  Weapon Focus (any one-handed) 
  Cleave
  2nd† 
  Weapon Focus (lance) 
  Mounted Combat 
  Mounted Combat
  3rd 
  Shield Specialization* (heavy) 
  Shield Ward* 
  Improved Bull Rush
  5th† 
  Ride-By Attack 
  Endurance 
  Endurance
  6th 
  Short Haft* 
  Ability Focus1 (test of mettle) 
  Weapon Focus (any one-handed)
  9th 
  Improved Critical (lance) 
  Improved Critical (any one-handed 
  Cometary Collision*
   
   
      weapon)
  10th† 
  Spirited Charge 
  Diehard 
  Diehard
  12th 
  Armor Specialization* (heavy) 
  Armor Specialization* (heavy) 
  Ability Focus1 (daunting challenge)
  15th† 
  Trample 
  Iron Will 
  Great Fortitude
  15th 
  Power Attack 
  Indomitable Soul* 
  Steadfast Determination* 
  18th 
  Lunging Strike* 
  Defensive Sweep* 
  Armor Specialization* (heavy)
  † Bonus feat.
  1 See Monster Manual, page 303.
  
  212
  APPENDIX
  Table A–3: Feat Progressions by Party Role (cont.)
  Marshal
   
  Defender 
  Second-Rank Warrior 
  Vanguard
  H 
  Shield Specialization* (heavy) 
  Combat Reflexes 
  Improved Initiative
  1st 
  Shield Ward* 
  Deft Opportunist1 
  Battleﬁ eld Inspiration1
  1st2 
  Skill Focus (Diplomacy) 
  Skill Focus (Diplomacy) 
  Skill Focus (Diplomacy)
  3rd 
  Armor Proﬁ ciency (heavy) 
  Weapon Focus (reach weapon) 
  Weapon Focus (any)
  6th 
  Goad1 
  Hindering Opportunist* 
  Intimidating Strike*
  9th 
  Shieldmate1 
  Short Haft* 
  Endurance
  12th 
  Blind-Fight 
  Distracting Attack1 
  Diehard
  15th 
  Combat Expertise 
  Stalwart Defense* 
  Daunting Presence1
  18th 
  Armor Specialization* (heavy) 
  Lunging Strike* 
  Overwhelming Assault*
  1 From Miniatures Handbook.
  2 Bonus feat.
  Monk
   
  Defender 
  Destroyer 
  Skirmisher
  H 
  Combat Focus* 
  Improved Natural Attack 
  Improved Initiative
  1st† 
  Stunning Fist 
  Improved Grapple 
  Stunning Fist
  1st 
  Dodge 
  Weapon Focus (unarmed strike) 
  Ability Focus1 (stunning fist)
  2nd† 
  Deﬂ ect Arrows 
  Combat Reﬂ exes 
  Deﬂ ect Arrows
  3rd 
  Versatile Unarmed Strike* 
  Power Attack 
  Dodge
  6th† 
  Improved Trip 
  Improved Trip 
  Improved Disarm
  6th 
  Leap of the Heavens* 
  Improved Bull Rush 
  Mobility
  9th 
  Combat Defense* 
  Improved Overrun 
  Spring Attack
  12th 
  Combat Vigor* 
  Cleave 
  Weapon Focus (unarmed strike)
  15th 
  Fiery Fist* 
  Improved Sunder 
  Blind-Fight
  18th 
  Fiery Ki Defense* 
  Great Cleave 
  Improved Critical (unarmed strike)
  1 See Monster Manual, page 303.
  † Bonus feat.
  Paladin
   
  Cavalier 
  Destroyer 
  Vanguard
  H 
  Mounted Combat 
  Power Attack 
  Improved Initiative
  1st 
  Ride-By Attack 
  Weapon Focus (any two-handed) 
  Shield Specialization* (heavy)
  3rd 
  Mounted Archery 
  Extra Turning 
  Combat Focus*
  6th 
  Spirited Charge 
  Divine Justice* 
  Ritual Blessing*
  9th 
  Trample 
  Improved Critical (any two-handed 
  Combat Vigor*
   
   
      weapon)
  12th 
  Power Attack 
  Divine Armor* 
  Sacred Puriﬁ cation*
  15th 
  Improved Critical (lance) 
  Improved Sunder 
  Sacred Radiance*
  18th 
  Shield Specialization* (heavy) 
  Divine Fortune* 
  Shield Ward*
  Ranger
   
  Archer 
  Hunter 
  Skirmisher
  H 
  Point Blank Shot 
  Blind-Fight 
  Dodge
  1st 
  Precise Shot 
  Alertness 
  Mobility
  1st† 
  Track 
  Track 
  Track
  2nd† 
  Rapid Shot 
  Rapid Shot or Two-Weapon Fighting Two-Weapon Fighting
  3rd 
  Weapon Focus (longbow) 
  Keen-Eared Scout* 
  Combat Reflexes
  6th 
  Dodge 
  Combat Focus* 
  Spring Attack
  9th 
  Mobility 
  Combat Vigor* 
  Shadow Striker*
  12th 
  Improved Initiative 
  Combat Awareness* 
  Two-Weapon Pounce*
  15th 
  Shot on the Run 
  Weapon Focus (longbow) 
  Two-Weapon Rend*
  18th 
  Far Shot 
  Combat Strike* 
  Improved Critical (short sword)
  † Bonus feat.
  
  213
  APPENDIX
  Table A–3: Feat Progressions by Party Role (cont.)
  Rogue
   
  Archer 
  Duelist 
  Explorer
  H 
  Point Blank Shot 
  Combat Expertise 
  Alertness
  1st 
  Precise Shot 
  Improved Feint 
  Combat Reﬂ exes
  3rd 
  Rapid Reload 
  Weapon Finesse 
  Vexing Flanker*
  6th 
  Deadeye Shot* 
  Tumbling Feint* 
  Adaptable Flanker*
  9th 
  Rapid Shot 
  Improved Initiative 
  Acrobatic Strike*
  12th 
  Crossbow Sniper* 
  Einhander* 
  Shadow Striker*
  15th 
  Weapon Focus (light crossbow) 
  Dodge 
  Keen-Eared Scout*
  18th 
  Improved Precise Shot 
  Combat Cloak Expert* 
  Spectral Skirmisher*
  Scout
   
  Archer 
  Hunter 
  Skirmisher
  H 
  Point Blank Shot 
  Track 
  Dodge
  1st 
  Precise Shot 
  Alertness 
  Two-Weapon Fighting
  3rd 
  Weapon Focus (shortbow) 
  Keen-Eared Scout* 
  Weapon Focus (short sword)
  4th† 
  Dodge 
  Skill Focus (Survival) 
  Mobility
  6th 
  Mobility 
  Point Blank Shot 
  Two-Weapon Defense
  8th† 
  Shot on the Run 
  Brachiation1 
  Spring Attack
  9th 
  Improved Initiative 
  Precise Shot 
  Two-Weapon Pounce*
  12th† 
  Quick Draw 
  Improved Initiative 
  Quick Draw
  12th 
  Improved Critical (shortbow) 
  Weapon Focus (shortbow) 
  Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
  15th 
  Telling Blow* 
  Deadeye Shot* 
  Dual Strike1
  16th† 
  Danger Sense1 
  Blind-Fight 
  Blind-Fight
  18th 
  Improved Precise Shot 
  Improved Critical (shortbow) 
  Telling Blow*
  20th† 
  Quick Reconnoiter1 
  Danger Sense 
  Improved Initiative 
  † Bonus feat.
  1 See Complete Adventurer.
  Sorcerer
   
  Battle Mage 
  Blaster 
  Infernal Summoner
  H 
  Toughness 
  Lightning Reflexes 
  Infernal Sorcerer Heritage*
  1st 
  Bonded Familiar* 
  Spell Focus (evocation) 
  Infernal Sorcerer Howl*
  3rd 
  Improved Counterspell 
  Greater Spell Focus (evocation) 
  Spell Focus (conjuration)
  6th 
  Arcane Toughness* 
  Spell Penetration 
  Augment Summoning
  9th 
  Spell-Linked Familiar* 
  Blistering Spell* 
  Imbued Summoning*
  12th 
  Dampen Spell* 
  Greater Spell Penetration 
  Infernal Sorcerer Eyes*
  15th 
  Combat Familiar* 
  Empower Spell 
  Infernal Sorcerer Resistance*
  18th 
  Lurking Familiar* 
  Widen Spell 
  Extend Spell
  Swashbuckler
   
  Destroyer 
  Duelist 
  Skirmisher
  H 
  Weapon Focus (short sword) 
  Weapon Focus (rapier) 
  Dodge
  1st† 
  Weapon Finesse 
  Weapon Finesse 
  Weapon Finesse
  1st 
  Two-Weapon Fighting 
  Combat Expertise 
  Mobility
  3rd 
  Two-Weapon Defense 
  Improved Feint 
  Dash1
  6th 
  Improved Two-Weapon Fighting 
  Dodge 
  Spring Attack
  9th 
  Two-Weapon Pounce* 
  Melee Evasion* 
  Combat Acrobat*
  12th 
  Improved Two-Weapon Defense1 
  Improved Disarm 
  Bounding Assault*
  15th 
  Greater Two-Weapon Fighting 
  Tumbling Feint* 
  Combat Tactician*
  18th 
  Two-Weapon Rend* 
  Combat Cloak Expert* 
  Rapid Blitz*
  † Bonus feat.
  1 See Complete Warrior.
  
  214
  APPENDIX
  6. MISCELLANEOUS 
  CHARACTERISTICS
  Select your character’s name, gender, age, height, weight, 
  alignment, and personality. You can roll randomly for age, 
  height, and weight, or just select the averages, as described 
  in the Player’s Handbook (see Vital Statistics, page 109). If 
  you don’t want to worry about which alignment to pick, 
  make your character neutral good and she’ll get along with 
  most people.
   If you have some ideas for your character’s personality, 
  this is the time to solidify them and perhaps jot down a few 
  notes. You might determine her random personality traits 
  by rolling on the tables on page 221.
   If you have trouble choosing a name, the Player’s Handbook 
  offers examples for each race, and many random name 
  generators exist online. You could also take the name of a 
  character from a book or a movie and change a couple of 
  letters or a syllable.
  Table A–3: Feat Progressions by Party Role (cont.)
  Warlock
   
  Blaster 
  Controller 
  Problem Solver
  H 
  Point Blank Shot 
  Necropolis Born1 
  Skill Focus (Use Magic Device)
  1st 
  Precise Shot 
  Intimidating Strike* 
  Communicator1
  3rd 
  Weapon Focus (ranged spell) 
  Ability Focus2 (eldritch blast) 
  Spell Hand1
  6th 
  Point Blank Shot 
  Sudden Extend1 
  Ranged Spell Specialization1
  9th 
  Spell Penetration 
  Precise Shot 
  Extra Invocation1 (least)
  12th 
  Maximize Spell-Like Ability1 
  Extra Invocation1 (lesser) 
  Extra Invocation1 (lesser)
   
      (eldritch blast)
  15th 
  Quicken Spell-Like Ability2 
  Quicken Spell-Like Ability2 
  Spell Penetration
   
      (eldritch blast) 
      (eldritch blast)
  18th 
  Ability Focus2 (eldritch blast) 
  Extra Invocation1 (greater) 
  Extra Invocation1 (greater)
  1 See Complete Arcane.
  2 See Monster Manual, page 303.
  Warmage
   
  Battle Mage 
  Blaster 
  Sharpshooter
  H 
  Battle Caster1 
  Lightning Reflexes 
  Point Blank Shot
  1st 
  Toughness 
  Spell Focus (evocation) 
  Precise Shot
  3rd 
  Weapon Finesse 
  Greater Spell Focus (evocation) 
  Weapon Focus (ranged spell)
  6th 
  Arcane Toughness* 
  Extra Edge1 
  Ranged Spell Specialization1
  7th† 
  Sudden Empower1 
  Sudden Empower1 
  Sudden Empower1
  9th 
  Armor Proﬁ ciency (heavy) 
  Spell Penetration 
  Spell Penetration
  10th† 
  Sudden Enlarge1 
  Sudden Enlarge1 
  Sudden Enlarge1
  12th 
  Extra Edge1 
  Greater Spell Penetration 
  Split Ray1
  15th† 
  Sudden Widen1 
  Sudden Widen1 
  Sudden Widen1
  15th 
  Lunging Strike* 
  Arcane Mastery1 
  Extra Slot1 (6th)
  18th 
  Twin Spell1 
  Repeat Spell1 
  Improved Critical (ranged spell)
  20th† 
  Sudden Maximize1 
  Sudden Maximize1 
  Sudden Maximize1
  1 See Complete Arcane.
  Wizard
   
  Blaster 
  Controller 
  Problem Solver
  H 
  Combat Casting 
  Spell Focus (enchantment) 
  Combat Familiar*
  1st† 
  Scribe Scroll 
  Scribe Scroll 
  Scribe Scroll
  1st 
  Spell Focus (evocation) 
  Greater Spell Focus (enchantment) 
  Grenadier*
  3rd 
  Spell Penetration 
  Spell Penetration 
  Mad Alchemist*
  5th† 
  Craft Wand 
  Heighten Spell 
  Brew Potion
  6th 
  Arcane Toughness* 
  Improved Counterspell 
  Craft Wondrous Item
  9th 
  Precise Shot 
  Dampen Spell* 
  Spell-Linked Familiar*
  10th† 
  Empower Spell 
  Silent Spell 
  Craft Wand
  12th 
  Craft Staff 
  Spell Penetration 
  Eschew Materials
  15th† 
  Maximize Spell 
  Craft Staff 
  Extend Spell
  15th 
  Greater Spell Penetration 
  Improved Initiative 
  Elven Spell Lore*
  18th 
  Arcane Thesis* 
  Greater Spell Penetration 
  Spell Penetration
  20th† 
  Quicken Spell 
  Quicken Spell 
  Quicken Spell
  † Bonus feat.
  
  215
  APPENDIX
  7. CHOOSE EQUIPMENT
  Purchasing equipment can prove to be a long, involved 
  task. To help you get started, this section presents sample 
  equipment sets for NPCs from 1st to 20th level. Each set 
  includes a basic weapon, armor, and other items appropri-
  ate for a particular character class, complete with their gold 
  piece values. If you need to create an NPC, you can simply 
  take the indicated gear and spend the excess gold on scrolls, 
  wands, potions, and other consumable items. If you want 
  to tinker with the equipment on the list, you can easily 
  swap out individual items for others based on their gold 
  piece values.
   At most levels, PCs have much higher budgets for equip-
  ment than NPCs do. So when you make a player character, 
  use the NPC equipment lists as a starting point. The NPC 
  package provides the basic necessities your character needs to 
  function. From there, you can expand your character’s equip-
  ment to ﬁ t his speciﬁ c needs, investing the excess money in 
  better weapons or armor, or a variety of powerful, wondrous 
  items. See Table A–5: PC Remaining Budget by Level to see 
  how your PC’s wealth compares to the gear available to an 
  NPC of your level.
   If you are in a rush, just purchase a few expensive 
  items to supplement the NPC gear. For a fighter or simi-
  lar character, buy a second weapon with the maximum 
  enhancement bonus you can afford. Use it as your primary 
  weapon if it is better than the one in the NPC package 
  (perhaps trading in the weapon from the NPC package 
  for another useful item).
   Potions are useful to any character, and if you’re playing 
  a spellcaster, wands and scrolls can ﬁ ll any gaps in your 
  character’s spell lists. Knock, see invisibility, and similar spells 
  are useful in certain situations, but they lack the overall 
  utility to make them worth preparing.
   1st-Level Characters: Beginning characters are a special 
  case because they don’t have wealth comparable to 1st-level 
  NPCs. To equip a 1st-level PC quickly, consult the starting 
  packages for your class in Chapter 1 or 2.
  Table A–4: PC and NPC Wealth by Level
   Character Level 
  NPC Wealth 
  PC Wealth
   
  1st 
  900 gp 
  Varies by class
   
  2nd 
  2,000 gp 
  900 gp
   
  3rd 
  2,500 gp 
  2,700 gp
   
  4th 
  3,300 gp 
  5,400 gp
   
  5th 
  4,300 gp 
  9,000 gp
   
  6th 
  5,600 gp 
  13,000 gp
   
  7th 
  7,200 gp 
  19,000 gp
   
  8th 
  9,400 gp 
  27,000 gp
   
  9th 
  12,000 gp 
  36,000 gp
   
  10th 
  16,000 gp 
  49,000 gp
   
  11th 
  21,000 gp 
  66,000 gp
   
  12th 
  27,000 gp 
  88,000 gp
   
  13th 
  35,000 gp 
  110,000 gp
   
  14th 
  45,000 gp 
  150,000 gp
   
  15th 
  59,000 gp 
  200,000 gp
   
  16th 
  77,000 gp 
  260,000 gp
   
  17th 
  100,000 gp 
  340,000 gp
   
  18th 
  130,000 gp 
  440,000 gp
   
  19th 
  170,000 gp 
  580,000 gp
   
  20th 
  220,000 gp 
  760,000 gp
  Table A–5: PC Remaining Budget by Level
  Character Level 
  Budget
    1st 
  —
    2nd 
  Use 1st-level NPC*
    3rd 
  200 gp
    4th 
  2,100 gp
    5th 
  4,700 gp
    6th 
  7,400 gp
    7th 
  11,800 gp
    8th 
  17,600 gp
    9th 
  24,000 gp
  10th 
  33,000 gp
  11th 
  45,000 gp
  12th 
  61,000 gp
  13th 
  75,000 gp
  14th 
  105,000 gp
  15th 
  141,000 gp
  16th 
  183,000 gp
  17th 
  240,000 gp
  18th 
  310,000 gp
  19th 
  410,000 gp
  20th 
  540,000 gp
  *1st-level NPCs and 2nd-level PCs have identical 900-gp 
  budgets for gear.
  A LA CARTE SHOPPING
  If you prefer to start from scratch, or if you need guidance on 
  how to spend your excess cash after acquiring an NPC gear 
  package, the following steps can help you focus your search 
  for cool items that will help your character survive. (The 
  rapid character creation process described in this appendix 
  uses this method.)
   1. Buy standard adventuring necessities.
   2. Buy the weapon you want (or two, if that fits your 
  character).
   3. Buy the best armor you can afford with your remain-
  ing gold.
   4. Buy ability enhancers (low-level characters can skip 
  this step).
   5. Buy miscellaneous equipment (low-level characters can 
  skip this step).
   6. Save any money left over.
   1. Every character should own the necessities of 
  dungeon delving. The standard adventurer’s kit costs 15 
  gp and includes a backpack, a belt pouch, a bedroll, ﬂ int and 
  steel, two sunrods, ten days worth of trail rations, 50 feet 
  of hempen rope, and a waterskin (the bedroll is free as part 
  of the package deal). The individual prices of these items, 
  along with a few others of use to certain character classes, 
  are given in the table below. If you can’t afford the whole 
  adventurer’s kit, you can simply drop items from it until it 
  ﬁ ts your budget. If you want any of the optional items, you 
  must pay for those separately.
   You need an additional piece of equipment if you’re a cleric 
  (a holy symbol for 1 gp); a beguiler, rogue, or scout (thieves’ 
  tools for 30 gp); or a wizard (spellbook for 15 gp, assuming it 
  contains the minimum number of spells known). If you’re a 
  spellcaster of any kind, you probably want a spell component 
  pouch (for 5 gp) as well.
  
  216
  APPENDIX
  Table A–6: Necessities
  Standard Adventurer’s Kit (15 gp)
   Backpack 
  2 gp
   Belt pouch 
  1 gp
   Bedroll 
  1 sp
   Flint and steel 
  1 gp
   Hempen rope (50 ft.) 
  1 gp
   Sunrods (2) 
  4 gp
   Trail rations (10 days) 
  5 gp
   Waterskin 
  1 gp
  Optional Items
   Holy symbol 
  1 gp
   Spell component pouch 
  5 gp
   Spellbook 
  15 gp
   Thieves’ tools 
  30 gp
   2. Buy Weapon: Unless you’re playing a sorcerer or wizard, 
  spend about half of your wealth on the most expensive melee 
  or ranged weapon available, depending on whether you prefer 
  melee or ranged combat. First, choose which weapon you 
  want to use—morningstar, bastard sword, longbow, or the 
  like. (Use the suggestions above for equipment and starting 
  packages if you wish.) Make it masterwork (+300 gp, or +300 
  gp per side if it’s a double weapon). If the weapon is a longbow 
  or shortbow, make it composite, adding a strength rating equal 
  to your character’s Strength bonus (+100 gp per plus). Next, 
  make the weapon magic, giving it an enhancement bonus on 
  attack and damage rolls. The applicable costs are summarized 
  on Table A–7: Weapon Enhancement Bonuses.
  Table A–7: Weapon Enhancement Bonuses
  Enhancement Bonus 
  Cost
  +1 
  2,000 gp
  +2 
  8,000 gp
  +3 
  18,000 gp
  +4 
  32,000 gp
  +5 
  50,000 gp
  +6* 
  72,000 gp
  +7* 
  98,000 gp
  +8* 
  128,000 gp
  +9* 
  162,000 gp
  +10* 
  200,000 gp
  *A weapon cannot have an enhancement bonus above 
  +5 unless it is epic; instead, the weapon has one or more 
  special properties. See DMG 223.
  If you’re playing a sorcerer or wizard, you’ll want to spend a 
  good chunk of money on a wand, staff, and/or ability-enhanc-
  ing item (a headband of intellect or cloak of Charisma) instead of 
  buying an expensive weapon. (See Buy Ability Enhancers, 
  below, for more information.)
   3. Buy Armor: If your character wears armor, spend a hefty 
  portion (maybe three-quarters) of your remaining funds on 
  armor. Include a shield if you use one.
   You want the best armor with which the character is 
  proficient—namely full plate armor if he can wear heavy 
  armor (go with banded mail if you can’t afford full plate 
  armor), a breastplate if medium armor is the heaviest he can 
  wear, or a chain shirt if he can wear only light armor. Buy 
  the armor, then make it masterwork (+150 gp). Next, make 
  the armor magic, giving it an enhancement bonus to AC. 
  The applicable costs are summarized on Table A–8: Armor 
  Enhancement Bonuses.
  Table A–8: Armor Enhancement Bonuses
  Enhancement Bonus 
  Cost
  +1 
  1,000 gp
  +2 
  4,000 gp
  +3 
  9,000 gp
  +4 
  16,000 gp
  +5 
  25,000 gp
  +6* 
  36,000 gp
  +7* 
  49,000 gp
  +8* 
  64,000 gp
  +9* 
  81,000 gp
  +10* 
  100,000 gp
  *A suit of armor or shield cannot have an enhancement 
  bonus above +5 unless it is epic; instead, the armor has 
  one or more special properties. See DMG 217.
   If your character is a sorcerer, monk, wizard, or other 
  character who doesn’t wear armor, spend some gold on other 
  defensive items instead. Bracers of armor are a good choice, and 
  you might supplement these with a ring of protection and/or an 
  amulet of natural armor. A cloak of displacement is an excellent 
  choice if you can afford it, and a ring of invisibility is one of 
  the best protection items around.
   4. Buy Ability Enhancers: You should have about 25–30% 
  of your starting gold left now. You have many options avail-
  able for spending that cash—the Dungeon Master’s Guide has 
  a truly prodigious selection of magic items, and other books 
  add even more to this list. For simplicity and speed, however, 
  it’s best to spend this gold on ability enhancers. Your options 
  are gauntlets of ogre power, belt of giant strength (Strength), gloves 
  of Dexterity, amulet of health (Constitution), headband of intellect 
  (Intelligence), periapt of Wisdom, and cloak of Charisma.
   Decide which ability scores are most important to you 
  and buy items that provide enhancement bonuses to these 
  abilities. Each item adds a +2 (for 4,000 gp), +4 (for 16,000 gp), 
  or +6 (for 36,000 gp) enhancement bonus to the appropriate 
  ability score. The only exceptions are gauntlets of ogre power, 
  which offer only a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength, and 
  the belt of giant strength, which gives a +4 or +6 enhancement 
  bonus to Strength.
   If you are creating an extremely high-level character, spend 
  some cash on inherent ability bonuses (which you can get 
  from manuals of bodily health and the like). Inherent bonuses 
  cost 27,500 gp for each +1, and your character can have up to 
  a +5 inherent bonus on any ability score.
   5. Buy Miscellaneous Equipment: Spend the rest of 
  your gold on some minor magic trinkets. A cloak of resistance 
  provides a +1 resistance bonus on saving throws for 1,000 
  gp, +2 for 4,000 gp, +3 for 9,000 gp, +4 for 16,000 gp, or +5 
  for 25,000 gp. A few potions of cure wounds are also in order, 
  since restoration of lost hit points is good for everyone. You 
  can buy a potion of cure light wounds (restores 1d8+1 hit points) 
  for 50 gp, a potion of cure moderate wounds (restores 2d8+3 
  hp) for 300 gp, and a potion of cure serious wounds (restores 
  3d8+5 hp) for 750 gp. If you’re playing a spellcaster, pick 
  
  217
  APPENDIX
  up a few wands or scrolls of utilitarian spells, such as knock 
  and water breathing. 
  EQUIPMENT BY LEVEL
  The following tables detail appropriate NPC equipment for 
  each level of the various classes. Each set of equipment also 
  includes an adventurer’s kit (see page 215) and any other 
  items necessary for the character (such as a spellbook, spell 
  component pouch, thieves’ tools, or holy symbol).
  Barbarian, Dragon Shaman, Druid1, Duskblade2, 
  or Favored Soul
   1st Level: Masterwork weapon, masterwork breastplate 
  (or masterwork hide armor, 185 gp), heavy steel shield, 
  200 gp
   2nd Level: Masterwork weapon, +1 breastplate (or master-
  work dragonhide breastplate, 650 gp), heavy steel shield, 
  350 gp
   3rd Level: Masterwork weapon, +1 breastplate (or master-
  work dragonhide breastplate, 650 gp), heavy steel shield, 
  850 gp
   4th Level: Masterwork weapon, +1 breastplate (or master-
  work dragonhide breastplate, 650 gp), heavy steel shield, cloak 
  of resistance +1, 650 gp
   5th Level: +1 weapon, +1 breastplate (or masterwork dragon-
  hide breastplate, 650 gp), heavy steel shield, 650 gp
   6th Level: +1 weapon, +1 breastplate (or masterwork dragon-
  hide breastplate, 650 gp), +1 heavy steel shield, 800 gp
   7th Level: +1 weapon, +1 breastplate (or masterwork dragon-
  hide breastplate, 650 gp), +1 heavy steel shield (or potion of barkskin 
  +3, potion of shield of faith +4), cloak of resistance +1, 50 gp
   8th Level: +1 weapon, +2 breastplate (or +1 dragonhide breast-
  plate, ring of protection +1, 650 gp), +1 heavy steel shield (or potion 
  of barkskin +3, potion of shield of faith +4), 250 gp
   9th Level: +1 weapon, +2 breastplate (or +2 dragonhide breast-
  plate, -350 gp), +1 heavy steel shield (or amulet of natural armor 
  +1, potion of barkskin +3, potion of shield of faith +4), 850 gp
   10th Level: +2 weapon, +2 breastplate (or +1 dragonhide breast-
  plate, ring of protection +1, 650 gp), +1 heavy steel shield (or potion 
  of barkskin +3, potion of shield of faith +4), 850 gp
   11th Level: +2 weapon, +2 breastplate (or +2 dragonhide breast-
  plate, -350 gp), +1 heavy steel shield (or potion of barkskin +3, 
  potion of shield of faith +4), gauntlets of ogre power (or periapt of 
  Wisdom +2), cloak of resistance +1, 850 gp
   12th Level: +2 weapon, +3 breastplate (or +3 dragonhide breast-
  plate, -350 gp), +1 heavy steel shield (or potion of barkskin +3, 
  potion of shield of faith +4), gauntlets of ogre power (or periapt of 
  Wisdom +2), cloak of resistance +1, brooch of shielding, 350 gp
   13th Level: +3 weapon, +3 breastplate (or +3 dragonhide 
  breastplate, -350 gp), +1 heavy steel shield (or potion of barkskin 
  +3, potion of shield of faith +4), gauntlets of ogre power (or periapt 
  of Wisdom +2), 850 gp
   14th Level: +3 weapon, +4 breastplate (or +4 dragonhide 
  breastplate, -350 gp), +2 heavy steel shield (or amulet of natural 
  armor +1, ring of protection +1, 200 gp), gauntlets of ogre power 
  (or periapt of Wisdom +2), cloak of resistance +1, 850 gp
   15th Level: +4 weapon, +4 breastplate (or +4 dragonhide 
  breastplate, -350 gp), +2 heavy steel shield (or amulet of natural 
  armor +1, ring of protection +1, 200 gp), gauntlets of ogre power 
  (or periapt of Wisdom +2), cloak of resistance +1, 850 gp
   16th Level: +4 weapon, +4 breastplate (or +4 dragonhide 
  breastplate, -350 gp), +2 heavy steel shield (or amulet of natural 
  armor +1, ring of protection +1, 200 gp), belt of giant strength +4 
  (or periapt of Wisdom +4), cloak of resistance +2, dust of disap-
  pearance, 350 gp
   17th Level: +5 weapon, +4 breastplate (or +4 dragonhide 
  breastplate, -350 gp), +2 heavy steel shield (or amulet of natural 
  armor +1, ring of protection +1, 200 gp), belt of giant strength +4 
  (or periapt of Wisdom +4), cloak of resistance +3, dust of disap-
  pearance, 350 gp
   18th Level: +5 weapon, +5 breastplate (or +5 dragonhide 
  breastplate, -350 gp), +3 heavy steel shield (or amulet of natural 
  armor +1, gloves of Dexterity +2, ring of protection +1, 1,200 gp), belt 
  of giant strength +4 (or periapt of Wisdom +4), cloak of resistance 
  +3, dust of disappearance, winged boots, 350 gp
   19th Level: +6 weapon, +6 breastplate (or +6 dragonhide 
  breastplate, -350 gp), +4 heavy steel shield (or amulet of natural 
  armor +2, gloves of Dexterity +2, ring of protection +1, 2,200 
  gp), belt of giant strength +4 (or periapt of Wisdom +4), cloak of 
  resistance +3, dust of disappearance, winged boots, 350 gp
   20th Level: +7 weapon, +6 breastplate (or +6 dragonhide 
  breastplate, -350 gp), +6 heavy steel shield (or amulet of natural 
  armor +3, gloves of Dexterity +2, ioun stone (dusty rose), ring of 
  protection +2, 1,200 gp), belt of giant strength +4 (or periapt of 
  Wisdom +4), cloak of resistance +3, dust of disappearance, winged 
  boots, 4,350 gp
   1 Druid characters should replace heavy steel shield with 
  heavy wooden shield, 13 gp. 
   2 Duskblade characters below 4th level should replace 
  breastplate with chain shirt, 100 gp; duskblades below 7th 
  level should replace heavy steel shield with light steel shield, 
  11 gp.
  Bard, Hexblade, Ranger, Rogue, Scout, 
  or Swashbuckler
   1st Level: Masterwork weapon, masterwork studded 
  leather, elixir of hiding, 50 gp
   2nd Level: Masterwork weapon, mithral shirt, masterwork 
  secondary weapon, elixir of hiding, 50 gp
   3rd Level: Masterwork weapon, mithral shirt, masterwork 
  secondary weapon, elixir of hiding, elixir of sneaking, 300 gp
   4th Level: Masterwork weapon, mithral shirt, masterwork 
  secondary weapon, goggles of minute seeing, 350 gp
   5th Level: +1 weapon, mithral shirt, masterwork secondary 
  weapon, elixir of hiding, 350 gp
   6th Level: +1 weapon, +1 mithral shirt, masterwork second-
  ary weapon, elixir of hiding, 650 gp
   7th Level: +1 weapon, +1 mithral shirt, +1 secondary 
  weapon, elixir of hiding, 250 gp
   8th Level: +1 weapon, +1 mithral shirt, +1 secondary 
  weapon, cloak of elvenkind, 200 gp
   9th Level: +1 weapon, +1 mithral shirt, +1 secondary 
  weapon, boots of elvenkind, cloak of elvenkind, 300 gp
   10th Level: +1 weapon, +1 mithral shirt, +1 secondary 
  weapon, boots of elvenkind, cloak of elvenkind, gloves of Dexterity 
  +2, 400 gp
  
  218
  APPENDIX
   11th Level: +2 weapon, +1 mithral shirt, masterwork sec-
  ondary weapon, boots of elvenkind, cloak of elvenkind, gloves of 
  Dexterity +2, 1,300 gp
   12th Level: +2 weapon, +2 mithral shirt, +1 secondary 
  weapon, boots of elvenkind, cloak of elvenkind, gloves of Dexterity 
  +2, ring of protection +1, 300 gp
  13th Level: +2 weapon, +2 mithral shirt, +1 secondary weapon, 
  boots of elvenkind, cape of the mountebank, gloves of Dexterity +2, 
  ring of protection +1, 200 gp
   14th Level: +3 weapon, +2 mithral shirt, +1 secondary 
  weapon, boots of elvenkind, cape of the mountebank, gloves of 
  Dexterity +2, ring of protection +1, 800 gp
   15th Level: +3 weapon, +3 mithral shirt, +2 secondary 
  weapon, boots of elvenkind, cape of the mountebank, gloves of 
  Dexterity +2, chime of opening, ring of protection +1, 800 gp
   16th Level: +4 weapon, +4 mithral shirt, +2 secondary 
  weapon, boots of elvenkind, cape of the mountebank, gloves of 
  Dexterity +2, ring of protection +1, 800 gp
   17th Level: +4 weapon, +5 mithral shirt, +2 secondary 
  weapon, cape of the mountebank, gloves of Dexterity +2, ring of 
  protection +1, winged boots, 1,300 gp
   18th Level: +5 weapon, +5 mithral shirt, +3 secondary 
  weapon, cape of the mountebank, gloves of Dexterity +2, ring of 
  protection +1, winged boots, 3,300 gp
   19th Level: +6 weapon, +5 mithral shirt, +4 secondary 
  weapon, gloves of Dexterity +4, ring of protection +1, winged boots, 
  ioun stone (dusty rose), 300 gp
   20th Level: +6 weapon, +6 mithral shirt, +3 secondary 
  weapon, amulet of natural armor +1, cape of the mountebank, 
  gloves of Dexterity +4, ring of protection +2, winged boots, ioun 
  stone (dusty rose), 3,300 gp
  Beguiler, Sorcerer, Warmage, or Wizard
   1st Level: Masterwork weapon, masterwork chain shirt 
  (or 250 gp), 350 gp
   2nd Level: Masterwork weapon, +1 chain shirt (or bracers 
  of armor +1, 250 gp), 450 gp.
   3rd Level: Masterwork weapon, +1 chain shirt (or bracers of 
  armor +1, 250 gp), 950 gp
   4th Level: Masterwork weapon, +1 chain shirt (or bracers of 
  armor +1, 250 gp), cloak of resistance +1, 750 gp
   5th Level: Masterwork weapon, +1 chain shirt (or bracers of 
  armor +1, 250 gp), ring of protection +1, 750 gp
   6th Level: Masterwork weapon, +2 chain shirt (or bracers of 
  armor +2, 250 gp), cloak of resistance +1, 50 gp
   7th Level: Masterwork weapon, +2 chain shirt (or bracers of 
  armor +2, 250 gp), cloak of resistance +1, 1,650 gp
   8th Level: Masterwork weapon, +2 chain shirt (or bracers of 
  armor +2, 250 gp), cloak of Charisma +2 (or headband of intellect 
  +2), 850 gp
   9th Level: Masterwork weapon, +2 chain shirt (or bracers of 
  armor +2, 250 gp), cloak of Charisma +2 (or headband of intellect 
  +2), amulet of natural armor +1, 1,450 gp
   10th Level: Masterwork weapon, +3 chain shirt (or bracers of 
  armor +3, 250 gp), cloak of Charisma +2 (or headband of intellect 
  +2), ring of protection +2, 450 gp
   11th Level: Masterwork weapon, +3 mithral shirt (or brac-
  ers of armor +3, 1,250 gp), cloak of Charisma +2 (or headband 
  of intellect +2), ring of protection +1, gloves of arrow snaring, 
  450 gp
   12th Level: Masterwork weapon, +4 mithral shirt (or brac-
  ers of armor +4, 1,250 gp), cloak of Charisma +2 (or headband 
  of intellect +2), amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +1, 
  1,450 gp
   13th Level: Masterwork weapon, +4 mithral shirt (or brac-
  ers of armor +4, 1,250 gp), cloak of Charisma +2 (or headband 
  of intellect +2), amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +2, 
  3,450 gp
   14th Level: Masterwork weapon, +4 mithral shirt (or brac-
  ers of armor +4, 1,250 gp), cloak of Charisma +4 (or headband 
  of intellect +4), amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +2, 
  1,450 gp
   15th Level: Masterwork weapon, +5 mithral shirt (or brac-
  ers of armor +5, 1,250 gp), cloak of Charisma +4 (or headband 
  of intellect +4), amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +2, 
  gauntlets of Dexterity +2 (or cloak of resistance +2), 3,700 gp
   16th Level: Masterwork weapon, +5 mithral shirt (or brac-
  ers of armor +5, 1,250 gp), cloak of Charisma +6 (or headband of 
  intellect +6), amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +2, 
  gauntlets of Dexterity +2 (or cloak of resistance +2), 450 gp
   17th Level: Masterwork weapon, +5 mithral shirt (or bracers of 
  armor +5, 1,250 gp), cloak of Charisma +6 (or headband of intellect 
  +6), robe of scintillating colors, ring of protection +2, 3,700 gp
   18th Level: Rod of absorption, bracers of armor +5, cloak of 
  Charisma +6 (or headband of intellect +6), ring of protection +2, 
  gauntlets of Dexterity +2 (or cloak of resistance +2), 5,450 gp
   19th Level: Staff of evocation (or staff of enchantment), +7 
  mithral shirt (or bracers of armor +7, 1,250 gp), cloak of Charisma 
  +6 (or headband of intellect +6), ring of protection +2, gauntlets of 
  Dexterity +2 (or cloak of resistance +2), 6,450 gp
   20th Level: Staff of evocation (or staff of enchantment), +7 
  mithral shirt (or bracers of armor +7, 1,250 gp), cloak of Charisma 
  +6 (or headband of intellect +6), ring of protection +2, boots of 
  teleportation, 3,450 gp
  Cleric, Fighter, Knight, Marshal, or Paladin
   1st Level: Masterwork weapon, masterwork banded mail, 
  heavy steel shield, 200 gp
   2nd Level: Masterwork weapon, full plate armor, heavy 
  steel shield, 200 gp
   3rd Level: Masterwork weapon, full plate armor, heavy 
  steel shield, 700 gp
   4th Level: Masterwork weapon, full plate armor, heavy steel 
  shield, cloak of resistance +1 (or pearl of power [1st level]), 500 gp
   5th Level: +1 weapon, full plate armor, heavy steel shield, 
  500 gp
   6th Level: +1 weapon, +1 full plate armor, heavy steel shield, 
  650 gp
   7th Level: +1 weapon, +1 full plate armor, +1 heavy steel 
  shield (or potion of barkskin +3, potion of shield of faith +4), cloak 
  of resistance +1 (or pearl of power [1st level]), 50 gp
   8th Level: +1 weapon, +2 full plate armor, +1 heavy steel shield 
  (or potion of barkskin +3, potion of shield of faith +4), 250 gp
   9th Level: +1 weapon, +2 full plate armor, +1 heavy steel shield 
  (or amulet of natural armor +1, potion of barkskin +3, potion of 
  shield of faith +4), 850 gp
  
  219
  APPENDIX
   10th Level: +1 weapon, +2 full plate armor, +1 heavy steel 
  shield (or potion of barkskin +3, potion of shield of faith +4), gauntlets 
  of ogre power (or periapt of Wisdom +2), 850 gp
   11th Level: +2 weapon, +2 full plate armor, +1 heavy steel 
  shield (or potion of barkskin +3, potion of shield of faith +4), gaunt-
  lets of ogre power (or periapt of Wisdom +2), cloak of resistance 
  +1, 850 gp
   12th Level: +2 weapon, +3 full plate armor, +1 heavy steel shield 
  (or potion of barkskin +3, potion of shield of faith +4), gauntlets of 
  ogre power (or periapt of Wisdom +2), cloak of resistance +1, brooch 
  of shielding, 350 gp
   13th Level: +3 weapon, +3 full plate armor, +1 heavy steel shield 
  (or potion of barkskin +3, potion of shield of faith +4), gauntlets of 
  ogre power (or periapt of Wisdom +2), 850 gp
   14th Level: +3 weapon, +4 full plate armor, +2 heavy steel 
  shield (or amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +1, 200 
  gp), gauntlets of ogre power (or periapt of Wisdom +2), cloak of 
  resistance +1, 850 gp
   15th Level: +4 weapon, +4 full plate armor, +2 heavy steel 
  shield (or amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +1, 200 
  gp), gauntlets of ogre power (or periapt of Wisdom +2), cloak of 
  resistance +1, 850 gp
   16th Level: +4 weapon, +4 full plate armor, +2 heavy steel 
  shield (or amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +1, 200 
  gp), belt of giant strength +4 (or periapt of Wisdom +4), cloak of 
  resistance +2, dust of disappearance, 350 gp
   17th Level: +5 weapon, +4 full plate armor, +2 heavy steel 
  shield (or amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +1, 200 
  gp), belt of giant strength +4 (or periapt of Wisdom +4), cloak of 
  resistance +3, dust of disappearance, 350 gp
   18th Level: +5 weapon, +5 full plate armor, +3 heavy steel 
  shield (or amulet of natural armor +1, gloves of Dexterity +2, ring 
  of protection +1, 1,200 gp), belt of giant strength +4 (or periapt of 
  Wisdom +4), cloak of resistance +3, dust of disappearance, winged 
  boots, 350 gp
   19th Level: +6 weapon, +6 full plate armor, +4 heavy steel 
  shield (or amulet of natural armor +2, gloves of Dexterity +2, ring 
  of protection +1, 2,200 gp), belt of giant strength +4 (or periapt of 
  Wisdom +4), cloak of resistance +3, dust of disappearance, winged 
  boots, 350 gp
   20th Level: +7 weapon, +6 full plate armor, +6 heavy steel 
  shield (or amulet of natural armor +3, gloves of Dexterity +2, ioun 
  stone (dusty rose), ring of protection +2, 1,200 gp), belt of giant 
  strength +4 (or periapt of Wisdom +4), cloak of resistance +3, dust 
  of disappearance, winged boots, 4,350 gp
  Monk
   1st Level: Masterwork weapon, 600 gp
   2nd Level: Masterwork weapon, bracers of armor +1, 700 gp
   3rd Level: Masterwork weapon, bracers of armor +1, cloak 
  of resistance +1, 200 gp
   4th Level: Masterwork weapon, bracers of armor +1, cloak 
  of resistance +1, elixir of sneaking, 750 gp
   5th Level: Masterwork weapon, bracers of armor +1, amulet 
  of natural armor +1, cloak of resistance +1, 0 gp
   6th Level: Masterwork weapon, bracers of armor +1, amulet 
  of natural armor +1, cloak of resistance +1, salve of slipperiness, 
  300 gp
   7th Level: Masterwork weapon, bracers of armor +1, amulet 
  of natural armor +1, brooch of shielding, cloak of resistance +1, 
  400 gp
   8th Level: Masterwork weapon, bracers of armor +2, amulet 
  of natural armor +1, brooch of shielding, cloak of resistance +1, 
  600 gp
   9th Level: Masterwork weapon, bracers of armor +2, amulet 
  of natural armor +1, brooch of shielding, cloak of resistance +2, 
  200 gp
   10th Level: Amulet of mighty ﬁ sts +1, bracers of armor +2, 
  gauntlets of ogre power, cloak of resistance +1, 1,000 gp
   11th Level: Amulet of mighty ﬁ sts +1, bracers of armor +3, 
  gauntlets of ogre power, cloak of resistance +1, 1,000 gp
   12th Level: Amulet of mighty ﬁ sts +1, bracers of armor +3, 
  gauntlets of ogre power, cloak of resistance +2, dust of disappearance, 
  500 gp
   13th Level: Amulet of mighty ﬁ sts +1, bracers of armor +4, 
  gauntlets of ogre power, cloak of resistance +3, 0 gp
   14th Level: Amulet of mighty ﬁ sts +1, bracers of armor +5, 
  gauntlets of ogre power, cloak of resistance +3, 1,000 gp
   15th Level: Amulet of mighty fists +1, bracers of armor 
  +5, gauntlets of ogre power, cloak of resistance +3, monk’s belt, 
  2,000 gp
   16th Level: Amulet of mighty fists +2, bracers of armor 
  +5, gauntlets of ogre power, cloak of resistance +3, monk’s belt, 
  2,000 gp
   17th Level: +4 weapon, bracers of armor +5, gauntlets of ogre 
  power, cloak of resistance +3, monk’s belt, periapt of Wisdom +4, 
  700 gp
   18th Level: +4 weapon, bracers of armor +7, gauntlets of ogre 
  power, cloak of resistance +3, monk’s belt, periapt of Wisdom +4, 
  ring of jumping, ring of protection +1, 2,200 gp
   19th Level: +4 weapon, bracers of armor +8, gauntlets of ogre 
  power, cloak of resistance +4, monk’s belt, periapt of Wisdom +4, 
  ring of protection +2, winged boots, 1,000 gp
   20th Level: +5 weapon, bracers of armor +8, gauntlets of ogre 
  power, cloak of resistance +5, monk’s belt, periapt of Wisdom +4, 
  ring of protection +4, winged boots, 0 gp
  8. PICK YOUR SPELLS
   Choosing spells can be a time-consuming process. This 
  section offers a list of standard, high-utility spells at each spell 
  level, arranged from most to least useful, for each spellcasting 
  class. If you are at a loss for which spells to take at a given 
  level, these lists can help narrow your search.
   Limiting the spells you choose to those on the following 
  lists saves both time and effort. If desired, however, you can 
  supplement these lists with speciﬁ c spells that you prefer.
  SUGGESTED BARD SPELLS
   0: Detect magic, read magic, prestidigitation, lullaby, summon 
  instrument, mage hand.
   1st: Cure light wounds, charm person, identify, disguise self, alarm.
   2nd: Cure moderate wounds, suggestion, invisibility, eagle’s 
  splendor, heroism.
   3rd: Cure serious wounds, haste, dispel magic, charm monster, 
  displacement.
  
  220
  APPENDIX
   4th: Cure critical wounds, greater invisibility, dominate person, 
  hold monster, dimension door.
   5th: Mass cure light wounds, greater dispel magic, mass sugges-
  tion, persistent image, greater heroism.
   6th: Mass cure moderate wounds, Otto’s irresistible dance, greater 
  shout, project image.
  SUGGESTED CLERIC SPELLS 
  (POSITIVE ENERGY CHANNELERS*)
   0: Detect magic, light, resistance, read magic, detect poison, 
  guidance.
   1st: Shield of faith, bless, protection from evil, magic weapon, 
  sanctuary, divine favor, command, comprehend languages.
   2nd: Hold person, bull’s strength, spiritual weapon, lesser 
  restoration, inﬂ ict moderate wounds, resist energy, align weapon, 
  augury.
   3rd: Dispel magic, prayer, blindness/deafness, protection from 
  energy, magic circle against evil, invisibility purge, searing light, 
  glyph of warding.
   4th: Divine power, inﬂ ict critical wounds, restoration, dismissal, 
  freedom of movement, greater magic weapon, spell immunity, death 
  ward.
   5th: Flame strike, true seeing, spell resistance, righteous might, mass 
  inﬂ ict light wounds, scrying, plane shift, disrupting weapon.
   6th: Heal, greater dispel magic, harm, blade barrier, banishment, 
  mass bull’s strength, ﬁ nd the path.
   7th: Greater restoration, holy word, greater scrying, destruction, 
  ethereal jaunt, repulsion.
   8th: Fire storm, holy aura, antimagic ﬁ eld, mass inﬂ ict critical 
  wounds, greater spell immunity.
   9th: Mass heal, implosion, miracle, true resurrection, ethereal-
  ness, storm of vengeance.
   *Negative energy channelers should select a cure spell as 
  their second spell of each level (for spell levels 1–4) and as 
  their third spell of each level (for levels 5–8).
  SUGGESTED 
  DRAGON SHAMAN AURAS
  Vigor, Senses, Power, Energy Shield, Toughness, Presence, 
  Resistance
  SUGGESTED DRUID SPELLS
   0: Detect magic, light, resistance, cure minor wounds, guidance, 
  know direction.
   1st: Cure light wounds, shillelagh, produce ﬂ ame, faerie ﬁ re, 
  entangle, charm animal, speak with animals.
   2nd: Flame blade, heat metal, resist energy, lesser restoration, 
  bull’s strength, animal trance, barkskin.
   3rd: Cure moderate wounds, protection from energy, call lightning, 
  meld into stone, dominate animal, stone shape, spike growth.
   4th: Cure serious wounds, ﬂ ame strike, dispel magic, command 
  plants, scrying, freedom of movement.
   5th: Cure critical wounds, stoneskin, baleful polymorph, wall 
  of ﬁ re, call lightning storm, commune with nature, death ward.
   6th: Mass cure light wounds, ﬁ re seeds, greater dispel magic, mass 
  bull’s strength, transport via plants, wall of stone.
   7th: Mass cure moderate wounds, heal, ﬁ re storm, true seeing, 
  changestaff, greater scrying.
   8th: Mass cure serious wounds, ﬁ nger of death, animal shapes, 
  sunburst, word of recall, whirlwind.
   9th: Mass cure critical wounds, shapechange, elemental swarm, 
  foresight, storm of vengeance, shambler.
  SUGGESTED DUSKBLADE SPELLS
   0: Ray of frost, touch of fatigue, acid splash, disrupt undead
   1st: Ray of enfeeblement, shocking grasp, resist energy, swift 
  expeditious retreat, true strike.
   2nd: Scorching ray, see invisibility, swift invisibility, swift ﬂ y, 
  cat’s grace.
   3rd: Ray of exhaustion, crown of protection*, keen edge, protec-
  tion from energy, vampiric touch.
   4th: Channeled pyroburst*, dimension door, enervation, ﬁ re 
  shield, shout.
   5th: Chain lightning, waves of fatigue, disintegrate, polar ray, 
  hold monster.
   *New spell (see pages 106 and 108).
  SUGGESTED FAVORED SOUL SPELLS
   0: Cure minor wounds, detect magic, light, resistance, read magic, 
  detect poison.
   1st: Cure light wounds, bless, shield of faith, divine favor, entropic 
  shield, remove fear, comprehend languages.
   2nd: Cure moderate wounds, spiritual weapon, lesser restoration, 
  align weapon, delay poison, bull’s strength.
   3rd: Dispel magic, searing light, prayer, invisibility purge, 
  daylight, magic circle against evil.
   4th: Cure critical wounds, divine power, neutralize poison, 
  freedom of movement, tongues, dimensional anchor.
   5th: Flame strike, true seeing, righteous might, spell resistance, 
  disrupting weapon, wall of stone.
   6th: Heal, blade barrier, mass cure moderate wounds, greater 
  dispel magic, heroes’ feast, harm.
   7th: Holy word, destruction, greater scrying, summon monster 
  VII, ethereal jaunt, greater restoration.
   8th: Mass cure critical wounds, holy aura, ﬁ re storm, summon 
  monster VIII, antimagic ﬁ eld.
   9th: Mass heal, implosion, summon monster IX, true resurrection.
  SUGGESTED HEXBLADE SPELLS
   1st: phantom threat1, expeditious retreat, Tasha’s hideous laugh-
  ter, protection from evil, entropic shield.
   2nd: invisibility, false life, see invisibility, eagle’s splendor, spider 
  climb.
   3rd: vampiric touch, confusion, protection from energy, hound 
  of doom1, wind wall.
   4th: greater invisibility, dimension door, enervation, cursed 
  blade1, solid fog.
   1 See Complete Warrior.
  SUGGESTED MARSHAL AURAS1
   Minor: Master of Tactics, Force of Will, Motivate Dexter-
  ity, Motivate Strength, Watchful Eye, Master of Opportunity, 
  Determined Caster.
   Major: Motivate Care, Motivate Attack, Hardy Soldiers, 
  Motivate Urgency, Resilient Troops.
   1 See Miniatures Handbook.
  
  221
  APPENDIX
  SUGGESTED PALADIN SPELLS
   1st: Bless weapon, divine favor, cure light wounds, protection 
  from evil, lesser restoration.
   2nd: Bull’s strength, eagle’s splendor, shield other, resist energy, 
  remove paralysis.
   3rd: Dispel magic, greater magic weapon, magic circle against 
  evil, discern lies, daylight.
   4th: Holy sword, dispel evil, restoration, break enchantment, 
  death ward.
  SUGGESTED RANGER SPELLS
   1st: Resist energy, entangle, pass without trace, speak with 
  animals, longstrider.
   2nd: Snare, protection from energy, speak with plants, bear’s 
  endurance, cure light wounds.
   3rd: Darkvision, tree shape, cure moderate wounds, water walk, 
  command plants.
   4th: Freedom of movement, tree stride, commune with nature, 
  animal growth, cure serious wounds.
  SUGGESTED SORCERER SPELLS
   0: Detect magic, read magic, ghost sound, disrupt undead, presti-
  digitation, acid splash, mage hand, arcane mark, dancing lights.
   1st: Magic missile, mage armor, enlarge person, shield, expedi-
  tious retreat.
   2nd: Scorching ray, invisibility, mirror image, alter self, 
  levitate.
   3rd: Fireball, dispel magic, haste, displacement.
   4th: Stoneskin, polymorph, greater invisibility, phantasmal 
  killer.
   5th: Cone of cold, teleport, Bigby’s interposing hand, dominate 
  person.
   6th: Acid fog, greater dispel magic, Bigby’s forceful hand.
   7th: Prismatic spray, limited wish, ethereal jaunt.
   8th: Horrid wilting, iron body, prismatic wall.
   9th: Meteor swarm, wish, time stop.
  SUGGESTED WARLOCK 
  INVOCATIONS1
   Least: See the unseen, sickening blast, eldritch spear.
   Lesser: Eldritch chain, fell ﬂ ight, beshadowed blast.
   Greater: Vitriolic blast, devour magic, eldritch cone.
   Dark: Retributive invisibility, eldritch doom, utterdark blast.
   1 See Complete Arcane.
  SUGGESTED WIZARD SPELLS
   0: Detect magic, read magic, disrupt undead, mage hand.
   1st: Magic missile, mage armor, charm person, color spray, silent 
  image, disguise self, enlarge person, alarm.
   2nd: Scorching ray, invisibility, mirror image, alter self, levitate, 
  spider climb, see invisibility, knock, darkvision.
   3rd: Fireball, dispel magic, displacement, haste, ﬂ y, suggestion, 
  tongues, water breathing.
   4th: Stoneskin, polymorph, greater invisibility, charm monster, 
  lesser globe of invulnerability, scrying, wall of ﬁ re, confusion.
   5th: Cone of cold, teleport, Bigby’s interposing hand, dominate 
  person, hold monster, permanency, persistent image, passwall.
   6th: Chain lightning, greater dispel magic, Tenser’s transfor-
  mation, Mordenkainen’s lucubration, contingency, true seeing, 
  control water.
   7th: Prismatic spray, limited wish, ethereal jaunt, greater teleport, 
  greater scrying, plane shift, mass invisibility, mass hold person.
   8th: Horrid wilting, iron body, prismatic wall, polymorph any 
  object, protection from spells, Bigby’s clenched ﬁ st, mind blank, 
  dimensional lock.
   9th: Meteor swarm, wish, time stop, gate, etherealness, shape-
  change, dominate monster, Bigby’s crushing hand.
  RANDOM PERSONALITIES
  If you want to create a character with a random personality, use 
  the tables below. Roll once on the Random Personality Arche-
  types table, then roll 1d4 times on the Random Personality 
  Traits table. You can ﬁ nd more information on the personality 
  archetypes and personality traits in Chapter 5 of this book.
  Random Personality Archetypes
  Random Personality Traits
   d% 
  Archetype
  01–04 
  Agent
  05–09 
  Challenger
  10–13 
  Companion
  14–18 
  Crusader
  19–22 
  Daredevil
  23–27 
  Explorer
  28–31 
  Innocent
  32–36 
  Leader
  37–40 
  Martyr
  41–44 
  Mercenary
  45–48 
  Orphan
  49–52 
  Prophet
   d% 
  Archetype
  53–56 
  Rebel
  57–61 
  Renegade
  62–65 
  Royalty
  66–69 
  Sage
  70–73 
  Savage
  74–78 
  Seeker
  79–82 
  Simple Soul
  83–86 
  Strategist
  87–90 
  Theorist
  91–95 
  Trickster
  96–100 Wanderer
   d% 
  Trait
  01–02 
  Ambitious
  03–04 
  Angry
  05–06 
  Bold
  07–08 
  Boastful
  09–10 
  Brutal
  11–12 
  Carefree
  13–14 
  Calm
  15–16 
  Charming
  17–18 
  Connected
  19–20 
  Conservative
   21 
  Cowardly
   22 
  Cruel
  23–24 
  Dark
  25–26 
  Disciplined
  27–28 
  Driven
  29–30 
  Energetic
  31–32 
  Erudite
  33–34 
  Exotic
  35–36 
  Famous
  37–38 
  Fatalistic
  39–40 
  Flamboyant
  41–42 
  Friendly
  43–44 
  Foul-mouthed
  45–46 
  Funny
   47 
  Greedy
  48–49 
  Hooked
  50–51 
  Interested
   d% 
  Trait
  52–53 
  Kind
  54–55 
  Loyal
   56 
  Merciful
  57–58 
  Militant
  59–60 
  Mysterious
   61 
  Naïve
  62–63 
  Quiet
  64–65 
  Patriotic
  66–67 
  Peaceful
  68–69 
  Philosophical
   70 
  Phobic
  71–72 
  Proper
  73–74 
  Reformed
  75–76 
  Religious
  77–78 
  Reluctant
  79–80 
  Rude
  81–82 
  Secretive
  83–84 
  Self-absorbed
  85–86 
  Self-righteous
   87 
  Selﬁ sh
  88–89 
  Serious
  90–91 
  Skilled
  92–93 
  Threatening
  94–95 
  Tragic
  96–97 
  Unpredictable
  98–99 
  Vengeful
   100 
  Violent
  
  Whether you’re creating a new character or 
  improving an existing one, the Player’s HandbookTM II 
  supplement has something you need. This volume 
  provides new character options for players, including:
  j New class features for all of your favorite classes
  j A rebuilding system that allows you to update 
   existing characters
  j New advancement options and afﬁ liations
  j New starting equipment packages 
  j New teamwork beneﬁ ts
  j New feats and spells
  Featuring Additional Design by 
  Richard Baker, Bruce R. Cordell, Frank Brunner, Luke Johnson, 
  Christopher Lindsay, Robert J. Schwalb, and Matthew Sernett
  MAKE YOUR 
  CHARACTERS THE BEST 
  THEY CAN BE
  For use with these DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®  core books
  Player’s HandbookTM, Dungeon Master’s Guide®, 
  and Monster Manual®.
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  Player’s Handbook II, Part 1
  Magic Items: Transferring XP Costs 
  by Kolja Raven Liquette 
  Wizards, with their surplus of item creation and 
  metamagic bonus feats, are the most likely to stare down 
  expectations when monster loot fails to deliver that 
  "perfectly convenient" piece of treasure (tailored for each 
  party member). While player characters typically amass 
  and spend gold without reservation, no adventurer is 
  willingly parted from their XP. A wizard, with the right 
  item creation feat and prerequisite spells, can potentially 
  create any magic item desired by their companions. 
  Expecting them to continually pay the XP bill, however, is 
  basically like asking, "Do you mind lagging behind the average party level?" It's understandable 
  that some wizards avoid certain item creation feats, believing that the glut of requests asked of 
  them by taking (for instance) Craft Magic Arms and Armor will detrimentally impact their 
  progress. As such, wizards are often likely to choose Craft Staff or Craft Wand, to avoid being 
  put into an obligatory position (and, of course, because such feats are genuinely useful for their 
  profession).
  Yet wizards might not feel so put upon taking Forge Ring, 
  Craft Wondrous Item, or even Craft Magic Arms and 
  Armor if there was a straightforward way to transfer the 
  XP costs onto their intended owners. For example, if the 
  party's fighter pays the 720 XP cost for their own +2 keen 
  bastard sword, the wizard could still make a +1 returning 
  spell storing dagger for themselves without falling behind 
  in level. Moreover, weapons, items and rings can be 
  imbued with persistent or renewable effects, unlike typical 
  spell-trigger items that are consumed or run out of 
  charges; to elaborate, by spending an extra 2,000 gp and 
  80 XP, the abovementioned dagger can be made to 
  permanently detect magic at will (see Table 7-33: 
  Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values, page 285 of 
  the Dungeon Master's Guide).
  The following article explores several game options for 
  transferring XP costs when creating magic items. While it 
  may be easy enough to simply say "the fighter pays the 
  XP cost for their own sword" a few additional 
  considerations are discussed below. 
  The following article focuses on 
  wizards when it comes to the crafting 
  of magic items (and getting stuck with 
  the XP bill). However, artificers 
  receive a number of craft points each 
  level to offset XP costs; should they 
  run out of craft points, they might 
  consider the following options as 
  well.
  
  Requirements for Transferring XP
  Rule #1: The first rule of transferring XP to create a 
  magic item is that the creature must be willing to 
  participate in the exchange. Any attempt at coercion, 
  through magical or mundane means, to transfer XP will 
  automatically fail. The XP cost for creating a magic item 
  can only be freely transferred in complete awareness of 
  the consequences, which also necessitates a minimum 
  Intelligence of 3. 
  Rule #2: Furthermore, a creature cannot transfer so 
  much XP toward creating a magic item as to lose a level. 
  However, such a creature may, upon gaining enough XP 
  to attain a new level, transfer this XP toward creating a 
  magic item rather than keeping them and advancing a 
  level.
  Rule #3: Lastly, a creature can only transfer XP toward 
  creating a magic item with which they are proficient (regarding armors, shields, and weapons), 
  capable of activating (in the case of wands, and other spell trigger items[1]), or capable of using 
  (if restricted by ability score, alignment, class feature, or race [1]). 
  [1] A creature can attempt to emulate these qualities with a Use Magic Device check in order to 
  transfer XP. 
  Compensation for Transferring XP
  If you are commissioning a magic item for which you are 
  willing to transfer the XP cost, a discount of 5 gp per 1 XP 
  is subtracted from the final market price. 
  Note: Magic items based on spells with XP components 
  increase the market price by 5 gp per 1 XP (see Table 7-
  33: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values, page 285 
  of the Dungeon Master's Guide).
  The only time NPCs are willing to transfer the XP costs 
  for creating magic items is when they are cohorts or 
  followers of some member in the party, or the magic item 
  is being made for their personal use (for example, when 
  an NPC commissions a magic item). 
  If an NPC is able and willing to transfer the XP cost for 
  creating a magic item, the compensation for this service i
  5 gp per 1 XP, paid in advance. While XP is an abstract concept to NPCs, this is the minimum 
  amount that will be accepted. A greedy NPC who is "in character" will likely ask for even more 
  gold, especially if they fulfill multiple requirements for transferring XP. 
  s
  While the first rule states that the 
  transfer must be willing, you might 
  devise NPC villains who've managed 
  the means to circumvent this (after 
  all, what is that about rules made to 
  be broken?). Book of Vile Darkness
  introduced the armor of the dread 
  emperor (see pg. 111), which 
  distributed any damage done to the 
  wearer to prisoners chained to the 
  armor. A similar item (see the 
  talisman of transference) might be 
  employed by evil wizards, 
  transferring the XP cost to them from 
  chained prisoners during the process 
  of item creation. 
  
  Sharing the Transferred XP Costs
  A creature that meets all requirements for transferring XP 
  cost may transfer the full amount or a partial amount. 
  Partial amounts typically range between 25%, 50%, and 
  75%, but can be any number of XP stipulated by the 
  creature (essentially, until they say "when"). Up to five 
  creatures can share the transferred XP cost of creating a 
  magic item, split into equal or disproportionate amounts. 
  Repairing Magic Items
  All the rules for creating magic items with transferred XP 
  apply to repairing magic items as well. 
  Methods of Transferring XP
  Below are three different methods of transferring XP to the creator of a magic item. Each 
  approach is slightly different and requires various degrees of involvement. 
  Spell
  This first method of transferring XP utilizes a universal spell available to all spellcasters. This 
  method offers more security for the spellcaster than it does for the person transferring XP. 
  TRANSFERENCE 
  Universal
  Level: Bard 1, Cleric 1, Druid 1, Sorcerer/wizard 1 
  Components: V, S, F 
  Casting Time: 10 minutes 
  Range: 10 ft. 
  Target: 10-ft.-radius burst centered on you 
  Duration: Permanent; see text 
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) 
  Spell Resistance: No 
  Wisps of ethereal light rise off the targeted creatures, consolidate into glowing orbs, and then 
  streak toward the spellcaster, fusing with their body.
  This spell allows you to store a transfer of XP from one or more creatures (maximum five), but 
  only for the purpose of constructing an agreed upon magic item. The XP gained from other 
  creatures through this spell is not counted toward attaining a new level. Targeted creatures must 
  agree to the focus component that will be used in creating the magic item before allowing this 
  spell to be cast on them. Once the spell is cast, targeted creatures control how much XP to 
  transfer. You cannot accept a transfer of more XP than is needed to construct the agreed upon 
  magic item. All the requirements for transferring XP, compensating for XP, and sharing XP costs 
  apply to the casting of this spell. 
  If allowable changes are made that require more XP, you must provide that XP yourself or cast 
  this spell again to store a transfer of more XP as needed. If allowable changes are made that 
  require less XP, the difference is returned to the targeted creatures in proportionate amounts (as 
  per their original contributions). If you start making a magic item that is not allowed by even one 
  of the targeted creatures, all the transferred XP is immediately returned to those creatures. If you 
  spend at least one day making the agreed upon magic item, the XP is consumed regardless of 
  whether the magic item is completed or not. If you start working on a new magic item after 
  spending at least one day making the agreed upon magic item, the XP is consumed and lost (as 
  per the normal rules for creating magic items). 
  Focus: The raw material of agreed upon magic item (for example, a cloak, sword, or wand). 
  One Line:
  Univ Transference(F): Transfers XP from a creature to create an agreed upon magic item. 
  Note: While it may seem like PCs can 
  pawn off magic item XP costs onto 
  their cohorts or followers, doing so 
  actually puts them at a greater 
  disadvantage than if they simply paid 
  the magic item creator to use their 
  own XP. The cost is exactly the same 
  (5 gp per 1 XP), but cohorts or 
  followers who pay the XP cost start to 
  lag behind in level, becoming less 
  effective in the party. 
  
  Magic Item
  This second method of transferring XP relies on an inexpensive magic item that anybody can 
  use. This method offers more security for the person transferring XP than it does for the creator 
  of a magic item. 
  Talisman of Transference
  A talisman of transference is a conduit through which XP can be transferred for the purposes of 
  constructing an agreed upon magic item. 
  Lore: These devices were designed to protect creatures that commissioned magic items from 
  creators who spent their transferred XP and did not finish the contract or disappeared with the 
  completed product (Gather Information DC 20 or Knowledge [arcana] DC 10). 
  Description: A talisman of transference typically takes the shape of a bracer, periapt, or some 
  other form of jewelry worn against the skin. 
  Activation: As a standard action, a worn talisman of transference is brought into contact with the 
  raw material of an agreed upon magic item (for example, a cloak, sword, or wand) before 
  construction begins, with the wearer speaking the word "attach" to create a link. The worn 
  talisman of transference is then brought into contact with the creator after at least one day (8 
  hours) has been spent working on the magic item (but usually upon completion), speaking the 
  word "infuse" to complete the effect. 
  A talisman of transference can only form a connection with one raw material at a time. Speaking 
  the word "attach" while in contact with a new raw material erases the old link. 
  Effect: A talisman of transference transfers XP from the wearer to the person who constructed 
  the magic item, so long as the magic item was made from the original raw material to which this 
  device was linked. The wearer can transfer the entire or partial amount, though the wearer 
  cannot transfer more XP than was needed to construct the magic item. All the requirements for 
  transferring XP, compensating for XP, and sharing XP costs apply to using this device. 
  If the wearer refuses to transfer XP for the magic item, the creator can destroy the magic item, 
  thereby regaining any XP that was invested. The monetary investment, however, is still lost. 
  Aura/Caster Level: Faint universal. CL 1st. 
  Construction: Requires Craft Wondrous Item, transference spell, 100 gp, 16 XP, 1 day. 
  Weight: 1/2 lb. 
  Price: 200 gp. 
  
  Ceremony Feat
  This third method of transferring XP is a feat taken by the magic item creator. This method offers 
  nearly equal security for both the person transferring XP and the creator of a magic item, as both 
  parties continually work together. 
  Ritual Transference
  You can transfer the XP of other creatures into an agreed 
  upon magic item and construct magic items with 
  prerequisites that you do not meet. 
  Prerequisites: Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge 
  (religion), any item creation feat. 
  Benefit: You gain access to rituals based on your ranks 
  in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (religion). If you 
  qualified for this feat with Knowledge (arcana), only magic 
  items with arcane spell prerequisites can be constructed 
  with the transfer ritual. If you qualified for this feat with 
  Knowledge (religion), only magic items with divine spell 
  prerequisites can be constructed with the transfer ritual. 
  Transfer (Knowledge [arcana] 4 ranks or Knowledge [religion] 4 ranks): You can courier a 
  transfer of XP from one or more creatures (maximum five) into an agreed upon magic item you 
  are constructing. Any creatures participating in this ritual control how much XP to transfer. You 
  cannot courier a transfer of more XP than is needed to construct the agreed upon magic item. All 
  the requirements for transferring XP, compensating for XP, and sharing XP costs apply to 
  participating in this ritual. 
  If allowable changes are made that require more XP, you or the participating creatures must 
  provide that XP as needed. If allowable changes are made that require less XP, the difference is 
  returned to you or the participating creatures in proportionate amounts (as per their original 
  contributions). If you start making a magic item that is not allowed by even one of the creatures 
  participating in this ritual, all the transferred XP is returned to those creatures. If you spend at 
  least one day making the agreed upon magic item, the XP is consumed regardless of whether 
  the magic item is completed or not. If you start working on a new magic item after spending at 
  least one day making the agreed upon magic item, the XP is consumed and lost (as per the 
  normal rules for creating magic items). 
  Any creatures participating in this ritual must be present while the magic item is being created 
  (one day per 1,000 gp in the item's base price, 8 hours per day; potions always take just one day 
  to make, regardless of cost). If any creatures participating in this ritual are not present, then no 
  progress can be made toward the magic item that day. If any creature leaves before 8 hours per 
  day has elapsed, no portion of that day counts toward the construction time. 
  Coalesce (Knowledge [arcana] 8 ranks or Knowledge [religion] 8 ranks): You can rely on any 
  creature participating in this ritual who transferred at least 50% of the XP cost to provide 
  prerequisite spells for the agreed upon magic item. The creature must provide any material 
  components or focuses the spells require, and must pay any XP costs required for the spells. 
  The act of constructing the magic item triggers these spells, making them unavailable for casting 
  during each day of the magic item's creation. 
  Note: If you are commissioning the creation of a magic item from an NPC with this feat (for which 
  you are providing spells), a discount consistent with your contribution and type of magic item is 
  subtracted from the final market price (see Table 7-33: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece 
  Values, page 285 of the Dungeon Master's Guide).
  
  Similarly, you can rely on any creature participating in 
  this ritual who transferred at least 50% of the XP cost to 
  provide ability score, alignment, character level, class 
  level, class feature, race, or skill rank prerequisites for 
  the agreed upon magic item. No discount is given for 
  providing these qualities. You must always provide the 
  caster level and item creation feat needed to make a 
  magic item. 
  Special: A character who meets the prerequisites automatically gains Ritual Transference as a 
  bonus feat after constructing five talismans of transference.
  One Line:
  Feat
  Prerequisites
  Benefit
  Ritual Transference 
  Knowledge [arcana] 4 ranks, or 
  Knowledge [religion] 4 ranks, any item 
  creation feat 
  Gain XP transferring rituals 
  About the Author
  Kolja Raven Liquette is perhaps best known for creating The Waking Lands website, but has 
  also co-authored Races of the Dragon and Weapons of Legacy, in addition to providing material 
  for Five Nations, the upcoming Complete Mage, and various articles and enhancements for the 
  Wizards of the Coast website. 
  Note: Here's a bit of trivia. The one 
  magic item in the Dungeon Master's 
  Guide that normally allows for 
  collaboration is the horn of the tritons,
  which states that the "creator must be 
  a triton or get construction aid from a 
  triton".
  ©1995-2007 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  
  
  Variant Deck of Many Things 
  A Player’s Handbook II Web Enhancement 
  by Sean K. Reynolds
  The Player's Handbook II gives players many new options for rethinking and reworking 
  their characters, from something as simple as reassigning skill points and feats, to a 
  more complex change like adding templates or swapping out class levels. While the 
  default option for rebuilding requires characters to perform these alterations with off-
  camera retraining, expending money, or even special quests, some DMs may want to 
  introduce a faster method (albeit one with some random risk).
  While the standard deck of many things is a powerful magic item that can have extreme effects on PCs, the 
  variant presented here uses the retraining and rebuilding rules from the Player's Handbook II to let players 
  accomplish these changes instantaneously rather than over time... even though they might not get exactly what 
  they wished for. Alternately, a specially-preserved single card from this variant deck may be a quest reward or a 
  rare treasure item, allowing that player who's been aching to "fix" his character to do so without taking away 
  game time from the other players. (Note: if presented as a single card, the rules for drawing cards do not apply; 
  the character merely activates the card as if it were a normal single-use magic item.)
  Notes on the Deck
  Variant Deck of Many Things Generator
  Launch Generator 
  Variant Deck of Many Things Downloads
  The retraining and rebuilding from these cards is 
  instantaneous and requires no expenditure of money 
  or time. These effects are often class-specific, this 
  deck is more likely that a typical deck of many things to 
  result in something inapplicable for the character (such 
  as a fighter drawing a card affecting a wizard's 
  specialist schools). Because of this, many cards 
  require the character to draw another card if an 
  inapplicable card is chosen.
  Many of the cards refer to races and classes found in 
  the Player's Handbook, but have effects that are 
  applicable to races and classes from other sources. 
  For example, the Innate Magic card affects bards and 
  sorcerers, but there are classes in other books that 
  likewise do not require spell preparation and have a 
  limited number of spells known. The DM should feel 
  free to allow these card effects to apply to characters 
  with such classes as well as standard classes listed on 
  the card.
  The character with a deck of many things who wishes 
  
  G     Rules(255kb ZIP/PDF) 
  G     Cards(7.93mb ZIP/PDF)
  G     Generator(7.94mb ZIP)
  G     Complete Download(16.1mb ZIP)
  to draw a card must announce how many cards she 
  will draw before she begins. Cards must be drawn 
  within 1 hour of each other, and a character can never 
  again draw from this deck any more cards than she 
  has announced (unless a drawn card allows or 
  requires her to draw an additional card; see below). If 
  the character does not willingly draw her allotted 
  number (or if she is somehow prevented from doing 
  so), the cards flip out of the deck on their own.
  Some cards say the character may draw another card, 
  sometimes they say the character must draw again. 
  "May" means an optional draw; the character is not 
  obligated to draw again and these extra draws do not 
  count toward the original number she said she would 
  draw. "Must" is a required draw; the character is 
  required to draw an additional card (or cards) and this 
  extra draw does not count toward the original number 
  she said she would draw.
  Each time a card is taken from the deck, it is replaced 
  (making it possible to draw the same card twice) 
  unless the draw is The Victim or The Gambler, in which case the card is discarded from the pack. A deck of 
  many things contains 54 cards (use a standard 52-card deck with two jokers).
  Aspect of Divinity: If you are a cleric, retrain one of your domains to another of your deity's domains. If you are 
  not a cleric you must draw again.
  Draconic Heritage: Rebuild your character with the half-dragon template (you lose class levels to compensate 
  for the template's level adjustment). You choose what type of half-dragon you become (gold, red, and so on). If 
  you already have this template, do not rebuild your character; you must draw again. (See Savage Progressions, 
  for information on taking only some of the template's abilities in exchange for a lower level adjustment.)
  Earthkin: Rebuild your character as a dwarf or gnome instead of your current race. You may choose a dwarven 
  race with a level adjustment (such as duergar or svirfneblin), but you must lose class levels to compensate for it. 
  If you are already a dwarf or gnome, do not rebuild your character; you must draw again. (See Savage 
  Progressions, for information on taking only some of the template's abilities in exchange for a lower level 
  adjustment.)
  Hellfire: Rebuild your character with the fiendish or half-fiend template 
  (you lose class levels to compensate for the template's level 
  adjustment). If the template's alignment change would cause you to 
  lose class abilities (such as if you are a paladin), do not rebuild your 
  character; you instead must draw two cards. If you already have one of 
  these templates, do not rebuild your character; you must draw again. 
  (See Savage Progressions, for information on taking only some of the 
  template's abilities in exchange for a lower level adjustment.)
  
  Holy Light: Rebuild your character with the celestial or half-celestial template (you lose class levels to 
  compensate for the template's level adjustment). If the template's alignment change would cause you to lose 
  class abilities (such as if you are a blackguard), do not rebuild your character; you instead must draw two cards. 
  If you already have one of these templates, do not rebuild your character; you must draw again. (See Savage 
  Progressions, for information on taking only some of the template's abilities in exchange for a lower level 
  adjustment.)
  Innate Magic: If you are a sorcerer or bard, retrain any two of your spells known; one of these must be a spell of 
  the highest level you can cast. If you are not a sorcerer or bard you must draw again.
  Invulnerable: If you have an energy resistance or immunity as a class or racial ability, retrain or rebuild that 
  ability to a different kind of energy (for example, from electricity to sonic). If your resistance or immunity is 
  coupled with a vulnerability to a different energy type (such as how fire immunity is associated with cold 
  vulnerability), your vulnerability changes appropriately. If you have no energy resistance or vulnerability from a 
  class or racial ability you must draw again.
  Life and Death: If you are neutral and have a class ability that allows you the choice of channeling positive or 
  negative energy (such as for turning or rebuking undead, or spontaneously casting cure or inflict spells), retrain 
  that class ability so it is the opposite of your current selection. If your deity does not allow you to channel this 
  type of energy (for example, all neutral clerics of Wee Jas channel negative energy, while all neutral clerics of 
  St. Cuthbert channel positive energy), do not retrain this ability; you instead must draw two cards. If you have no 
  such class ability you must draw again.
  Prestigious Enterprise: Rebuild one class level into a prestige class level for any prestige class for which you 
  qualify. If you do not qualify for any prestige class or this rebuilding would cause you to no longer qualify for one 
  of your current prestige classes, do not rebuild your character; you instead must draw two cards.
  Saving Grace: Retrain your Great Fortitude, Iron Will, or Lightning Reflexes feat to one of the other two saving 
  throw bonus feats. If you do not have any of these feats, or you have all three, you must draw again.
  Spellbender: Retrain one metamagic feat you know for any other metamagic feat. If you know no metamagic 
  feats you must draw again.
  The Acrobat: Retrain 4 skill ranks into the Tumble skill (even if Tumble is not a class skill for any of your 
  classes). If this would cause you to exceed the maximum skill rank for your level, do not retrain this skill; you 
  must draw again.
  
  The Barbarian: Retrain one barbarian level for one barbarian substitution level (or barbarian-like prestige class 
  level, at the DM's discretion), or rebuild one class level to one barbarian level (if you are lawful, this means you 
  are an ex-barbarian which does not affect your other classes, such as your ability to progress as a monk or 
  paladin).
  The Bard: Retrain one bard level for one bard substitution level (or bard-like prestige class level, at the DM's 
  discretion), or rebuild one class level to one bard level (if you are lawful, this means you are an ex-bard which 
  does not affect your other classes, such as your ability to progress as a monk or paladin).
  The Buffoon: Rebuild your Charisma, reducing it by 4. Use the points from rebuilding to improve any other 
  ability scores. If this would reduce your Charisma below 8, do not rebuild your ability score; you must draw again.
  The Cleric: Retrain one cleric level for a cleric substitution level (or cleric-like prestige class level, at the DM's 
  discretion), or rebuild one class level to one cleric level (this does not affect your other classes, such as your 
  ability to progress as a monk or paladin).
  The Craftsman: Retrain one item creation feat you know for any other item creation feat. If you know no item 
  creation feats you must draw again.
  The Daydreamer: Rebuild your Wisdom, reducing it by 4. Use the points from rebuilding to improve any other 
  ability scores. If this would reduce your Wisdom below 8, do not rebuild your ability score; you must draw again.
  The Diplomat: Retrain 4 skill ranks into the Diplomacy skill (even if Diplomacy is not a class skill for any of your 
  classes). If this would cause you to exceed the maximum skill rank for your level, do not retrain this skill; you 
  must draw again.
  The Druid: Retrain one druid level for one druid substitution level (or druid-like prestige class level, at the DM's 
  discretion), or rebuild one class level to one druid level (if you have a non-druidic alignment this means you are 
  an ex-druid which does not affect your other classes, such as your ability to progress as a monk or paladin).
  The Eavesdropper: Retrain 4 skill ranks into the Listen skill (even if Listen is not a class skill for any of your 
  classes). If this would cause you to exceed the maximum skill rank for your level, do not retrain this skill; you 
  must draw again.
  The Exile: Rebuild your character as an orc or half-orc instead of your current race. If you are already an orc or 
  half-orc, do not rebuild your character; you must draw again.
  The Fighter: Retrain one fighter level for one fighter substitution level (or fighter-like prestige class level, at the 
  DM's discretion), or rebuild one class level to one fighter level (this does not affect your other classes, such as 
  your ability to progress as a monk or paladin).
  The Footpad: Retrain 4 skill ranks into the Move Silently skill (even if Move Silently is not a class skill for any of 
  your classes). If this would cause you to exceed the maximum skill rank for your level, do not retrain this skill; 
  you must draw again.
  The Gambler: Draw one card. You may accept or ignore the 
  results of that card. If you ignore that card's results you must 
  draw another card and accept its effects (though this second 
  card may allow you to bypass its effects and draw another 
  card).
  
  The Gregarious Neighbor: Rebuild your character as a 
  human instead of your current race. If you are already a 
  human, do not rebuild your character; you must draw again.
  The Halfwit: Rebuild your Intelligence, reducing it by 4. Use 
  the points from rebuilding to improve any other ability scores. 
  If this would reduce your Intelligence below 8, do not rebuild 
  your ability score; you must draw again.
  The Heroic Feat: Retrain any one feat you know for any other 
  feat.
  The Investigator: Retrain 4 skill ranks into the Search skill (even if Search is not a class skill for any of your 
  classes). If this would cause you to exceed the maximum skill rank for your level, do not retrain this skill; you 
  must draw again.
  The Lummox: Rebuild your Dexterity, reducing it by 4. Use the points from rebuilding to improve any other 
  ability scores. If this would reduce your Dexterity below 8, do not rebuild your ability score; you must draw again.
  The Mage's Dilemma: If you are a non-specialist wizard, retrain as a specialist wizard. If you are a specialist 
  wizard, retrain as a specialist of a different school or as a non-specialist wizard. If this would cause you to lose 
  class abilities from a prestige class (such as if your prestige class requires you to be a specialist), do not rebuild 
  your character; you instead must draw two cards. If you are not a wizard, you must draw again.
  The Monk: Retrain one monk level for one monk substitution level (or monk-like prestige class level, at the DM's 
  discretion), or rebuild one class level to one monk level (if you are non-lawful, this means you are an ex-monk 
  which does not affect your other classes, such as your ability to progress as a paladin).
  The Moon: Rebuild your character with the lycanthrope template (you lose class levels to compensate for the 
  template's level adjustment). You choose the type of lycanthrope (werebear, wereboar, and so on). If the 
  template's alignment would cause you to lose class abilities (such as if you are a monk or paladin with a non-
  lawful template), do not rebuild your character; you instead must draw two cards. If you already have a 
  lycanthrope template, do not rebuild your character; you must draw again. (See Savage Progressions, for 
  information on taking only some of the template's abilities in exchange for a lower level adjustment.)
  The Paladin: Retrain one paladin level for one paladin substitution level (or paladin-like prestige class level, at 
  the DM's discretion), or rebuild one class level to one paladin level (if you are not lawful good, this means you 
  are an ex-paladin which does not affect your other classes, such as your ability to progress as a monk). 
  Blackguards who rebuild in this manner may trade in this "new" paladin level for additional blackguard abilities 
  as detailed in the blackguard class description.
  The Ranger: Retrain one ranger level for one ranger substitution level (or ranger-like prestige class level, at the 
  DM's discretion), or rebuild one class level to one ranger level (this does not affect your other classes, such as 
  your ability to progress as a monk or paladin).
  The Ranger's Dilemma: If you are a ranger, retrain your combat style for any other available combat style. If 
  you are not a ranger, you must draw again.
  The Rogue: Retrain one rogue level for one rogue substitution level (or rogue-like prestige class level, at the 
  DM's discretion), or rebuild one class level to one rogue level (this does not affect your other classes, such as 
  
  your ability to progress as a monk or paladin).
  The Sickly One: Rebuild your Constitution, reducing it by 4. 
  Use the points from rebuilding to improve any other ability 
  scores. If this would reduce your Constitution below 8, do not 
  rebuild your ability score; you must draw again.
  The Small Folk: Rebuild your character as halfling instead of 
  your current race. You may choose a halfling race with a level 
  adjustment, but you must lose class levels to compensate for 
  it. If you are already a halfling, do not rebuild your character; 
  you must draw again.
  The Sorcerer: Retrain one sorcerer level for one sorcerer 
  substitution level (or sorcerer-like prestige class level, at the 
  DM's discretion), or rebuild one class level to one sorcerer 
  level (this does not affect your other classes, such as your 
  ability to progress as a monk or paladin).
  The Speaker: Retrain any two languages you know for any 
  two other languages (you may retrain racial languages). You may draw again.
  The Spellcrafter: Retrain 4 skill ranks into the Spellcraft skill (even if Spellcraft is not a class skill for any of your 
  classes). If this would cause you to exceed the maximum skill rank for your level, do not retrain this skill; you 
  must draw again.
  The Trapbreaker: Retrain 4 skill ranks into the Disable Device skill (even if Disable Device is not a class skill for 
  any of your classes). If this would cause you to exceed the maximum skill rank for your level, do not retrain this 
  skill; you must draw again.
  The Ultimate Weapon: If you are a fighter with the Weapon Focus feat, choose any other weapon for that feat 
  (for example, change "longsword" to "greatsword") and any other feats in that chain relating to that weapon 
  (Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Specialization, and so on). If you are not a 
  fighter, retrain any one feat you know for the Weapon Focus feat (selecting a weapon of your choice).
  The Unarmed Master: If you are a monk, retrain one, two, or three of your monk bonus feats to any other 
  appropriate monk bonus feats. If you are not a monk, you must draw again.
  The Unseen: Retrain 4 skill ranks into the Hide skill (even if Hide is not a class skill for any of your classes). If 
  this would cause you to exceed the maximum skill rank for your level, do not retrain this skill; you must draw 
  again.
  The Vampire: Rebuild your character with the vampire template (you lose class levels to compensate for the 
  template's level adjustment). If this would cause you to lose class abilities (such as if you are a good cleric or a 
  paladin), do not rebuild your character; you instead must draw two cards. If you already have this template, do 
  not rebuild your character; you must draw again. (See Savage Progressions, for information on taking only some 
  of the template's abilities in exchange for a lower level adjustment.)
  The Victim: Retrain any one feat you know for any other feat. You must draw two more cards.
  The Vigilant: Retrain 4 skill ranks into the Spot skill (even if Spot is not a class skill for any of your classes). If 
  
  this would cause you to exceed the maximum skill rank for your level, do not retrain this skill; you must draw 
  again.
  The Weakling: Rebuild your Strength, reducing it by 4. Use the points from rebuilding to improve any other 
  ability scores. If this would reduce your Strength below 8, do not rebuild your ability score; you must draw again.
  The Wizard: Retrain one wizard level for one wizard substitution level (or wizard-like prestige class level, at the 
  DM's discretion), or rebuild one class level to one wizard level (this does not affect your other classes, such as 
  your ability to progress as a monk or paladin).
  The Zealot: Retrain 4 skill ranks into the Knowledge (religion) skill (even if Knowledge (religion) is not a class 
  skill for any of your classes). If this would cause you to exceed the maximum skill rank for your level, do not 
  retrain this skill; you must draw again.
  Trusted Companion: If you have an animal companion or familiar, you must dismiss it (at no penalty) and 
  immediately select another of a different kind. The new creature is available immediately. You may reclaim items 
  worn or carried by the original creature before dismissing it and give them to the new creature. Any feats or 
  class abilities that would affect the creature (such as a feat that adds abilities or hit dice to your familiar or 
  animal companion) immediately affect the new creature. If you do not have an animal companion or familiar, you 
  must draw again.
  Woodkin: Rebuild your character as an elf or half-elf instead of your current race. You may choose an elven 
  race with a level adjustment (such as drow), but you must lose class levels to compensate for it. If you are 
  already an elf or half-elf, do not rebuild your character; you must draw again.
  The Sickly One
  Two of Spades
  Retrain Constitution to a lower value.
  The Speaker
  Three of Spades
  Retrain two languages. You may draw again.
  The Investigator
  Four of Spades
  Retrain ranks into Search.
  The Heroic Feat
  Five of Spades
  Retrain any feat.
  The Ranger
  Six of Spades
  Retrain into a ranger substitution level.
  The Paladin
  Seven of Spades
  Retrain into a paladin substitution level.
  The Druid
  Eight of Spades
  Retrain into a druid substitution level.
  The Monk
  Nine of Spades
  Retrain into a monk substitution level.
  The Rogue
  Ten of Spades
  Retrain into a rogue substitution level.
  The Lummox
  Jack of Spades
  Retrain Dexterity to a lower value.
  The Moon
  Queen of Spades
  Retrain with lycanthrope template.
  The Mage's Dilemma
  King of Spades
  Retrain school specialization and prohibited schools.
  The Halfwit
  Ace of Spades
  Retrain Intelligence to a lower value.
  The Vampire
  Two of Hearts
  Rebuild with vampire template.
  Draconic Heritage
  Three of Hearts
  Rebuild with half-dragon template.
  Earthkin
  Four of Hearts
  Rebuild as dwarf or gnome.
  Hellfire
  Five of Hearts
  Rebuild with fiendish or half-fiend template.
  Holy Light
  Six of Hearts
  Rebuild with celestial or half-celestial template.
  Innate Magic
  Seven of Hearts
  Retrain two bard or sorcerer spells.
  Invulnerable
  Eight of Hearts
  Retrain energy resistance or immunity.
  Life and Death
  Nine of Hearts
  Retrain positive/negative energy channeling.
  Prestigious Enterprise
  Ten of Hearts
  Rebuild with prestige class.
  
  Saving Grace
  Jack of Hearts
  Retrain a saving throw-affecting feat.
  Spellbender
  Queen of Hearts
  Retrain a metamagic feat.
  The Acrobat
  King of Hearts
  Retrain ranks into Tumble.
  Aspect of Divinity
  Ace of Hearts
  Retrain one cleric domain.
  The Exile
  Two of Clubs
  Rebuild as orc or half-orc.
  The Barbarian
  Three of Clubs
  Retrain into a barbarian substitution level.
  The Fighter
  Four of Clubs
  Retrain into a fighter substitution level.
  The Footpad
  Five of Clubs
  Retrain ranks into Move Silently.
  The Buffoon
  Six of Clubs
  Retrain Charisma to a lower value.
  The Cleric
  Seven of Clubs
  Retrain into a cleric substitution level.
  The Gregarious Neighbor
  Eight of Clubs
  Rebuild as human.
  The Daydreamer
  Nine of Clubs
  Retrain Wisdom to a lower value.
  The Bard
  Ten of Clubs
  Retrain into a bard substitution level.
  The Eavesdropper
  Jack of Clubs
  Retrain ranks into Listen.
  The Craftsman
  Queen of Clubs
  Retrain item creation feat.
  The Diplomat
  King of Clubs
  Retrain ranks into Diplomacy.
  The Small Folk
  Ace of Clubs
  Rebuild as halfling.
  Trusted Companion
  Two of Diamonds
  Retrain animal companion or familiar.
  The Zealot
  Three of Diamonds
  Retrain ranks into Knowledge (religion).
  The Wizard
  Four of Diamonds
  Retrain into a wizard substitution level.
  The Weakling
  Five of Diamonds
  Retrain Strength to a lower value.
  The Vigilant
  Six of Diamonds
  Retrain ranks into Spot.
  The Unseen
  Seven of Diamonds
  Retrain ranks into Hide.
  The Unarmed Master
  Eight of Diamonds
  Retrain monk bonus feats.
  The Ranger's Dilemma
  Nine of Diamonds
  Retrain ranger combat style.
  The Trapbreaker
  Ten of Diamonds
  Retrain ranks into Disable Device.
  The Ultimate Weapon
  Jack of Diamonds
  Retrain Weapon Focus and associated feats.
  The Spellcrafter
  Queen of Diamonds
  Retrain ranks into Spellcraft.
  The Sorcerer
  King of Diamonds
  Retrain into a sorcerer substitution level.
  Woodkin
  Ace of Diamonds
  Rebuild as elf or half-elf.
  The Gambler
  Black Joker
  Draw one card; you may ignore it and draw a second card.
  The Victim
  Red Joker
  Retrain any feat. You must draw two more cards.
   
  ©1995-2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 
   
  
  1
  THE
  UNWAVERING
  PATH
  A Multiclassing Quest for 
  Monks and Paladins
  CREDITS
  Design:
  Kolja Raven Liquette
  Editing:
  Miranda Horner
  Typesetting:
  Nancy Walker
  Web Production
  Bart Carroll
  Web Development:
  Mark A. Jindra
  Graphic Design:
  Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege
  and Jen Page
  Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game by E.
  Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet,
  Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.
  D&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and DUNGEON MASTER are registered trademarks owned
  by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The d20 logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the
  Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses
  thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United
  States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the
  material or artwork contained herein is prohibited 
  without the express written permission of 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  ©2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  All rights reserved. 
  Made in the U.S.A. 
  This product is a work of fiction. 
  Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, 
  or events is purely coincidental.
  This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. 
  No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without 
  written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License 
  and the d20 System License, 
  please visit www.wizards.com/d20.
  For more DUNGEONS & DRAGONS articles, adventures, and information, 
  visit www.wizards.com/dnd
  INTRODUCTION
  Monks and paladins, lawful professions at heart,
  demand consistency of themselves more than any
  other quality. Both classes adhere to traditions for the
  sake of creating standards upon which they can always
  count. From the repetition of exercise, meditation, and
  prayer, both classes reinforce the strength of their
  convictions, whether from within (the self) or from
  without (the divine). As such, the moment their focus
  changes to pursue a different path, for even one level,
  both classes must forever abandon that profession.
  These characters must make a lasting choice before
  multiclassing, deciding if they have advanced far
  enough as monks or paladins for their entire career.
  WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY
  The Unwavering Path makes use of the information in
  the three D&D core rulebooks—the Player’s Handbook
  (PH), Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG), and M o n s t e r
  Manual (MM), as well as Monster Manual II (MMII),
  Monster Manual III (MMIII), Fiend Folio (FF), a n d
  Fiendish Codex I: The Hordes of the Abyss (FCI). 
  THE UNWAVERING
  PATH (LEVELS 3–5)
  “I never stopped being a monk, even after I discovered
  the magic that flowed through my veins. Still, I had to
  convince myself first.”
  —The human Lornis Dareborn, monk/sorcerer
  Monks and paladins often find themselves tempted by the
  special abilities of other classes and prestige classes. They
  see how many of these abilities can aid them in their fight
  against the unruly forces of chaos. Straying from the monk
  or paladin class, however, comes with a stern warning.
  Once you follow another path, there is no turning back.
  But what if a monk could take levels of sorcerer or a
  paladin could take levels of rogue and then return to being
  a martial disciple of justice or a holy defender of truth?
  
  2
  pqqqqrs
  LORE OF THE UNWAVERING PATH
  Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana),
  Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), or Knowledge
  (religion) can research the Unwavering Path to learn
  more about this quest. When a character makes a skill
  check, read or paraphrase the appropriate information
  from one of the following tables, including the informa-
  tion from lower DCs.
  If the character is looking for a way to ignore her monk
  or paladin multiclassing restriction, use the entire table. If
  the character had heard of the Unwavering Path specifi-
  cally and wants to see whether she knows more about it,
  reveal information only for check results of 20 or higher.
  After getting information from a Knowledge check,
  the characters should be able to learn more about the
  Unwavering Path by consulting masters or priests who
  keep track of the extradimensional anomaly, or by trying
  to find individuals who were referenced in the informa-
  tion they have gained. Such resources can reveal the
  information for Knowledge DCs higher than the PCs’
  check results, or any other information about the
  Unwavering Path that you’d like the characters to have.
  Knowledge (arcana)
  DC
  Result
  15
  During certain days of the summer months, directly asso-
  ciated with low ocean tides, demons have crossed over
  from the Abyss and inexplicably appeared on various
  coastlines.
  20
  At certain times during an ocean tide, lawfully minded
  people can open fissures in reality through which
  outsiders from other planes of existence can enter the
  Material Plane.
  Knowledge (local)
  DC
  Result
  10
  Stories tell of adventurers walking into the ocean during
  low tides, never to be seen again. Those few who return do
  so minutes, hours, or even days later.
  15
  Whenever adventurers disappear into the ocean, locals
  tend to stay away from the coastline for about a week. If
  the adventurers do not return, something profanely evil
  usually appears in their place.
  20
  Villagers who make their living fishing along ocean coast-
  lines have heard of demons that emerge out of the
  depths, shortly after lawfully minded adventurers disap-
  peared into the same waters.
  2 5
  Several years back, during the lowest tide of summer, a
  local boy named Thodun Daystorm, who had originally left
  the community to become a paladin, returned home and
  marched into the ocean on what he called a quest of self-
  d i s c o v e r y. He was never heard from again. No more than
  three days later, a winged creature, immolated with fire,
  emerged out of the water in the same place where Thodun
  disappeared and took off into the sky, laughing raucously.
  Knowledge (nature)
  DC
  Result
  15
  Places located near the coastlines of oceans have portals
  to an alternate dimension that can be opened for a short
  time.
  20
  When the tides are at their lowest, those who know how to
  open fissures in reality can travel through them into a
  bridging dimension.
  25
  For about three days a month, during the season of
  summer, when ocean tides reach their lowest points,
  lawfully minded people can focus their spirit to open a
  dimensional pathway that leads into another plane of exis-
  tence between this world and the Abyss.
  Knowledge (religion)
  DC
  Result
  10
  Former monks and paladins who abandoned their calling
  have been known to become monks and paladins again.
  15
  There is a quest, that masters and priests never talk about
  openly, called the Unwavering Path. The quest allows
  people who were once monks or paladins to embrace
  those callings again after pursuing different professions.
  20
  Those who seek the Unwavering Path must travel to an
  ocean coastline during the lowest tides of summer and
  meditate on their desire to become a monk or paladin
  again. If they can create the needed state of mind, the
  Unwavering Path opens for them and their companions,
  which can then be walked along.
  25
  The Unwavering Path leads to an oppressively hot extradi-
  mensional locality that bridges the Material Plane and the
  Abyss, wherein demons test the faith of adventurers who
  wish to become monks or paladins again. A gift is offered,
  that if accepted, must be returned in kind before continu-
  ing along the path.
  30
  Whenever a former monk or paladin dies while following
  the Unwavering Path, or fails to return a demonic gift, the
  demons that tested her are released onto the Material
  Plane, free to murder and pillage as they are wont to do.
  pqqqqrs
  
  3
  What if their devotion to being a monk or paladin never
  diminished during their exploration of other professions?
  The Unwavering Path quest offers former monks and
  paladins a way to test the strength of their convictions.
  Those who know about the Unwavering Path
  caution those who seek the quest to be certain in their
  desire. Many who walk the path find themselves
  trapped along the way, unable to move forward and
  unable to double back. They must find a way to end the
  journey or expire along the way. While the reported
  methods for completing the quest have been similar,
  those who successfully walk the path come back with
  different stories to tell about their experiences, but also
  are more confident for having endured them.
  Characters can embark upon the Unwavering Path
  in any part of the world where an ocean tide exists. The
  cyclical ebbing and surging nature of ocean tides repre-
  sents the fluctuating choices that people make during
  their lives, some of which return them to where they
  began. The path is an extradimensional anomaly that
  monks and paladins, who still meet the alignment and
  code of conduct prerequisites of their class, can open. A
  character must first attain a meditative state of mind,
  after which the path becomes apparent. The quest can
  be a solitary one, but a character may also bring
  companions along by instructing them how to proceed.
  THE WATER’S EDGE
  A character can embark upon the Unwavering Path
  from the coastline of any ocean that is either connected
  to a mainland continent or island. For three days every
  month, during the season of summer, when the ocean
  tide reaches its lowest point, the Unwavering Path
  opens for about 1 hour (1/2 hour on the day before and
  after the lowest tide).
  A former monk or paladin must travel out to the
  farthest point of the tide, meditate for 15 minutes, and
  succeed on a DC 15 Concentration check to create a
  spiritual focus. This spiritual focus opens a fissure in
  reality and grants the ability to see the Unwavering
  Path, which appears as a straight line of luminescent,
  ionized air leading directly into the ocean. The charac-
  ter must negotiate over seaweed, shells, and stones
  until completely submerged underwater (walking at
  her normal height). During this time, the character
  moves through the water as if affected by a freedom of
  m o v e m e n t and water breathing spell. Those who move
  into an adjacent 5-foot square on either side of the
  Unwavering Path are affected by the water normally.
  Once a character attains the spiritual focus needed
  to sense the Unwavering Path, her awareness persists
  until willfully dispelled from her mind. A former
  monk or paladin can instruct her companions on how
  to follow the Unwavering Path. Once every member of
  the party submerges underwater (walking normally)
  they are simultaneously transported into a bridging
  dimension between worlds.
  The divine and profane magic that saturates the
  bridging dimension redirects any attempts to teleport
  into or out of it. Thus, whether the PCs arrive by magic
  or on foot after traveling to a coastline, they come to
  the farthest edge of an ocean tide.
  Random Encounters
  Entrances to the Unwavering Path may well be fraught
  with chaotic creatures that have come to expect lawfully
  minded adventurers to frequent the area, and so lay in
  wait to ambush them. You can either roll once on the
  table below or select one encounter that you prefer. The
  listed creatures are chaotic in their alignment or behav-
  ior and aquatic in their subtype. Creatures who know
  how the Unwavering Path works can exploit the char-
  acter’s lack of mobility or even attempt to force them off
  the path (to be affected by the water normally).
  The Water’s Edge Encounters
  d%
  Encounter
  EL
  1–10
  Shark, Medium (MM 279)
  1
  11–20
  Squid (MM 281)
  1
  21–30
  Shark, Large (MM 279)
  2
  31–40
  2 ixitxachitl (MMII 128)
  2
  41–50
  Water mephit (MM 185)
  3
  51–60
  Ixitxachitl, vampiric (MMII 129)
  3
  61–70
  Sea hag (MM 144)
  4
  71–80
  Skulvyn (FF 54)
  4
  81–90
  Morkoth (MMII 152)
  5
  91–100
  Sirine (MMII 185)
  5
  BRIDGING DIMENSION
  The monk or paladin, and accompanying party
  members (if any), are transported into an extradimen-
  sional locality. Read or paraphrase the following text:
  The smell of brimstone and sulfur are the first
  sensations that reach you. Smoke hangs in the
  bright orange sky of your new surroundings,
  matched by a copper-red landscape of imposing
  crags that impossibly lean and tower over the
  firmament. The ground beneath your feet begins to
  shake, rumble, and then violently quake as a long
  narrow passageway opens before you, almost as if
  an enormous axe blade cleft the mountain range in
  two. Although difficult to see, an intense fire burns
  at the opposite end of this newly formed corridor,
  from which waves of heat pulse against your skin
  and black smoke continually billows into the sky.
  
  Although it may seem otherwise to the PCs, they have
  not reached the Abyss yet. They are, however, very
  close. The stink of tanar’ri is apparent here precisely
  because demons regularly pass through this locality.
  Any former monk or paladin who has not dispelled
  their spiritual focus can sense the Unwavering Path
  stretching through the newly formed corridor in a
  straight line for about one mile.
  Night and day do not exist in this bridging dimen-
  sion, the temperature condition is “very hot” (see Heat
  Dangers on page 303 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide) ,
  natural healing is not possible, and magical healing
  restores only one-half as many hit points. Untold evil
  has been performed in this place, and so the detect evil
  spell reveals a landscape that radiates strong evil. This
  grows to overwhelming evil as the corridor is traversed.
  If the PCs travel in any direction other than down
  the mountain corridor, they must succeed on a
  Fortitude saving throw every 10 minutes (DC 20, +1
  per previous check) or be sickened for 1d4 rounds by
  the ambient evil. For every 24 hours that characters
  spend anywhere in this bridging dimension, another
  Fortitude save must be made to avoid becoming perma-
  nently sickened (DC 10, + 5 per previous 24 hours of
  exposure). A restoration spell is required to remove this
  condition. If already sickened, the character becomes
  nauseated.
  In addition, characters who attempt to climb or fly
  over the corridor or crags encounter a thick choking
  smoke 60 feet above the ground (originating from the
  corridor fire) and must make a Fortitude saving throw
  each round (DC 15, +1 per previous check). A character
  who chokes for 2 consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points
  of nonlethal damage.
  Corruption Points: Alternatively, taint points may be
  used for this locality (see The Taint of Evil and Tainted
  Locations, pages 62 and 68 respectively of Heroes of
  H o r r o r). In this case, characters automatically take 1
  point of corruption for every 10 minutes spent traveling
  away from the mountain corridor and make the same
  daily Fortitude saving throws to resist taking 1d3 points
  of corruption each 24 hours of exposure.
  MOUNTAIN CORRIDOR
  A character who walks down the one-mile long, 20-foot
  wide corridor encounters the occasional skeleton that
  looks to have died from heat exposure or starvation. In
  some cases, pieces of metal armor litter the corridor
  like bread crumbs that eventually lead to a body. The
  temperature condition is “severe heat” within the corri-
  dor, which increases to “extreme heat” within 60 feet of
  the corridor end (see Heat Dangers, page 303 of the
  Dungeon Master’s Guide).
  Note: PCs who turn around and double back along
  the mountain corridor, after taking even one step into
  the newly formed passageway, discover that the
  passageway now stretches infinitely behind them into
  the distance. PCs can literally walk forever in this
  direction, but would have to cover that ground again if
  they turn back. In addition, any character who
  attempts to climb or fly out of the mountain corridor
  encounters the same choking smoke 60 feet above the
  ground.
  Approaching the Corridor End: As the PCs near the
  corridor end, read or paraphrase the following text:
  The fire you originally perceived is revealed to be a
  pair of burning wooden gates, each 10 feet wide
  and 30 feet tall. Despite the intense heat generated
  by the flames, the wooden gates, braced with metal,
  are never truly consumed, continually billowing
  black smoke into the upper corridor and sky. This
  distraction, however, is nothing compared to the
  creature, most certainly a demon, standing in front
  of the gates, smiling calmly as you approach.
  4
  
  5
  The character level of a former monk or paladin and
  accompanying party members (if any) determines the
  demon or demons that stand before the gates. For
  higher level characters, scale the encounters with the
  former monk or paladin and their accompanying party
  members.
  The Fiery Gate Encounter
  Party
  Party
  Members
  Level
  Demon (CR)
  1
  3
  Dretch (M M 42) or quasit (M M 46) (CR 2)
  1
  4
  Rutterkin (FCI 51) (CR 3)
  1
  5
  2 dretch (MM 42) or 2 quasits (MM 46)
  (CR 4)
  2
  3
  2 dretch (MM 42) or 2 quasits (MM 46)
  (CR 4)
  2
  4
  Juvenile nabassu (F C I 48) or jovoc
  (MMII 58) (CR 5)
  2
  5
  Babau (MM 40) (CR 6)
  3
  3
  Juvenile nabassu (F C I 48) or jovoc
  (MMII 58) (CR 5)
  3
  4
  Babau (MM 40) (CR 6)
  3
  5
  Arrow demon (MMIII 34) or succubus
  (MM 47) (CR 7)
  4
  3
  Babau (MM 40) (CR 6)
  4
  4
  Arrow demon (MMIII 34) or succubus
  (MM 47) (CR 7)
  4
  5
  2 babau (MM 40) or palrethee (MMII
  59) (CR 8)
  T a c t i c s : The demon or demons are automatically aware
  of any creature within 100 feet whose thoughts they
  can detect, but must otherwise rely on Spot checks.
  The demon or demons have been given the opportu-
  nity to pass to the Material Plane, but must defeat the
  PCs without engaging them in battle. The demon or
  demons address only the former monk or paladin of a
  party and make one statement:
  “Beyond these gates lies your path.”
  The demon or demons gesture toward the gates and
  allow the PCs to approach uncontested. Any character
  who approaches the gates notices letters carved into
  the wooden surface beneath the flames. Characters
  who succeed on a DC 10 Knowledge (religion) check
  recognize these letters from the Celestial alphabet. Any
  character who can read Celestial can decipher the
  following text:
  “Return any harm given before passing through
  these gates alive.”
  Touching the gates deals 1d6 points of fire damage
  and 1d6 points of profane damage. Gripping either gate
  handle to open a gate deals 2d6 points of fire damage
  and 2d6 points of profane damage and imposes a –2
  penalty on attack rolls, Climb, Craft, Disable Device,
  Escape Artist, Forgery, Heal, Open Lock, Sleight of
  Hand, and Use Rope checks until the damage to the
  character’s hand is healed. A Fortitude save (DC 10 +
  damage taken) allows the character to “tough it out”
  and ignore this penalty. The PCs can make a Strength
  check as a full-round action when attempting to open
  the gate, but no amount of force will do so at this point.
  D e v e l o p m e n t s : If asked how to open the gates, the
  demon or demons will address the former monk or
  paladin and open both of their hands (two demons will
  each open one hand):
  “To follow the path, accept my (our) gift.”
  This statement prompts characters to make a single
  Sense Motive check opposed by the Bluff checks of
  each demon present. If the characters win, they receive
  an unnerving feeling that the offered “gift” is double
  sided, potentially resulting in harm.
  A former monk or paladin who places her hands
  into the hands of the demon or demons is immediately
  infused with profane energy and must make a
  Fortitude save to avoid becoming permanently shaken
  (DC 10, + CR of demon or demons). A r e s t o r a t i o n s p e l l
  is required to remove this condition. If the character is
  already shaken, they are now frightened.
  Once the infusion of profanity has been accepted,
  the former monk or paladin now has a chance to open
  the fiery gates with a DC 20 Strength check as a full-
  round action. Touching or gripping either gate or
  handle no longer deals any damage (but only these
  burning gates and handles).
  Characters who look through an open gate can see
  only light disappearing into impenetrable darkness.
  Depravity Points: Alternatively, taint points may be
  used for this interaction (see The Taint of Evil, pages 6
  of Heroes of Horror). In this case, former monks or
  paladins automatically take 1d6 points of depravity for
  accepting the infusion of profanity from the demon or
  demons.
  ACTIONS AND OUTCOMES
  Depending on the decisions made by PCs, the follow-
  ing consequences may result.
  • A former monk or paladin accepts the infusion of
  profanity, forces one or both gates open, and walks
  through.
  This character finds herself in the Abyss, gains
  nothing from the quest, and is greeted by a welcom-
  ing party of demons who are accustomed to adven-
  turers making this mistake. The Encounter Level of
  this encounter should be “overpowering” (EL 1+
  higher than the ECL of one character, EL 3+ for two
  
  6
  characters, EL 4+ for three characters, and EL 5+ for a
  party of four characters). The demon or demons back
  in the corridor may now use the gates to enter the
  Material Plane.
  •
  A former monk or paladin does not accept the infu-
  sion of profanity but attacks the demon or demons
  without provocation.
  This character gains nothing from the quest, even
  if another party member attacks the demon or
  demons without provocation. The gates open by
  themselves if the demon or demons are defeated,
  leading back to the coastline where the quest began.
  If the demon or demons defeat the characters, they
  may use the gates to enter the Material Plane.
  •
  A former monk or paladin accepts the infusion of
  profanity, but attacks and defeats the demon or
  demons before attempting to force open one or
  both gates.
  This character successfully completes the quest.
  The gates open by themselves once the demon or
  demons are defeated, leading back to the coastline
  where the quest began. If the demon or demons had
  defeated the characters, they would have used the
  gates to enter the Material Plane.
  •
  A former monk or paladin refuses the infusion of
  profanity, awaits her death by purposely failing her
  heat danger saving throws (deliberately forgoing
  rolls), dies in the bridging dimension, and becomes
  a disembodied spirit (gaining a fly speed with
  perfect maneuverability equal to her ground speed).
  This character might successfully complete the
  quest. The gates open by themselves, leading back to
  the coastline where the quest began. The character
  can either allow herself to die permanently at this
  point or move through the gates and successfully
  complete the quest. A true resurrectionspell is cast on
  the character (along with any accompanying party
  member who died and moved through the gates after
  becoming a spirit). Her body appears back on the
  coastline where the quest began, but all of her posses-
  sions remain in the bridging dimension.
  COMPLETING THE QUEST
  Upon completing this quest, the character may forever-
  more multiclass back into the class (monk or paladin)
  in which she had taken one or more levels. If the char-
  acter had taken one or more levels in both classes,
  choose one.
  RETURNING TO THE 
  UNWAVERING PATH
  Characters may return to the Unwavering Path multi-
  ple times, but the benefits of completing the quest can
  be enjoyed only twice if the character has levels in both
  monk and paladin. The quest, however, must be
  completed differently each time.
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
  Kolja Raven Liquette is perhaps best known for creat-
  ing The Waking Lands website, but has also co-
  authored Races of the Dragon and Weapons of Legacy,
  in addition to providing material for Five Nations, the
  upcoming Complete Mage, and various articles and
  enhancements for the Wizards of the Coast website.
  
   
  Player's Handbook II 
  By Keith Baker  
  The Player's Handbook II sourcebook provides new classes, character options, and inspiration for Dungeons & 
  Dragons players. The majority of this material is setting-neutral. The chapters on building character identity, 
  developing adventuring groups, and rebuilding characters are universal and equally useful to all players and 
  Dungeon Masters.
  When it comes to new feats, spells, and class options, DM and player should work together to decide how to 
  add this new material into the campaign. A DM may choose to make all of these options available to all 
  characters, with no need for special training. Alternatively, a DM may wish to restrict new material to certain 
  cultures or organizations, requiring a character to seek out a mentor of that culture to take advantage of the 
  option.
  New Character Classes
  Player's Handbook II presents four new classes for player characters: the cunning beguiler, the stoic dragon 
  shaman, the deadly duskblade, and the bold knight. While a character of any race or background can choose 
  one of these paths, each class is well suited to certain cultures and nations; here are a few suggestions to help 
  place these classes in the world. Bear in mind that characters with PC classes are always remarkable; while the 
  beguiler is an excellent match for the Royal Eyes of Aundair, the majority of the Royal Eyes will be mundane 
  experts or expert/beguilers. A high-level beguiler is an exceptional agent and a worthy adversary for the PCs.
  The Beguiler 
  The beguiler specializes in stealth and deception, merging 
  mundane skill with a versatile selection of spells. A beguiler 
  makes an exceptional spy; in addition to her talent for illusion and 
  enchantment, spells such as detect thoughts, clairaudience/
  clairvoyance, and sending allow her to pluck information from 
  enemy strongholds and relay it back to her superiors. In a world 
  where magic has long been part of civilization, a few 
  organizations are especially likely to produce beguilers. A player 
  character could begin as an agent of one of these forces; 
  alternatively, one of these groups may recognize her talents and 
  seek to recruit her over the course of a campaign.
  Among the common races, one of the oldest beguiler traditions is that of House Phiarlan -- a tradition now 
  shared with House Thuranni. The Phiarlans were spies long before the Mark of Shadows appeared, and some 
  of the practices of the Phiarlan beguilers date back to the fall of Xen'drik.
  
  Given their natural gift for illusions and love of intrigue, it should come as no surprise that the gnomes of Zilargo 
  make excellent beguilers. While many Zil gnomes prefer the path of the bard, the talents of the beguiler are 
  better suited for pure espionage; as a result, many of the top corliganos ("roving ears") of the Trust are beguilers.
  Within the Five Nations, Aundair has the longest tradition of arcane magic, and the Royal Eyes of Aundair has 
  been building an elite corps of beguilers. While beguilers exist in other nations, the spies of Breland and 
  Karrnath typically prefer the raw skill and deadly sneak attack of the rogue to the arcane tricks of the beguiler.
  Not all beguilers are spies, and not all develop their gifts as a result of training. In Droaam and the Shadow 
  Marches, a few children spontaneously manifest beguiler talents; traditionally, these gifts are seen as the touch 
  of the Dark Six, and these youths are often claimed by priests and raised to revere the Six. These natural 
  beguilers are known as sheelidar -- "six-fingered hands" -- and a few actually do have an extra digit on hands 
  and feet. While they are taught to use their powers in the service of the Dark Six, sheelidar are not always evil; 
  many simply believe that the Six are wild and primal forces, and that the civilized followers of the Sovereign Host 
  are afraid of the passion and energy of the Six.
  Finally, a few races in the Eberron setting often produce beguilers. Doppelgangers and changelings are 
  foremost among these, and at the DM's discretion, a player with a changeling PC can take beguiler as his 
  favored class instead of rogue. The other force known for its beguilers are the rakshasa. As the rakshasa are 
  known as spirits of deception, a DM may chose to give a rakshasa the spellcasting abilities of a beguiler instead 
  of a sorcerer -- although to gain any of the other class abilities of a beguiler, the rakshasa will need to take levels 
  in the class.
  The Dragon Shaman
  Though rarely seen, dragons are known across Eberron as 
  symbols of magic and power. The dragon shaman exists in many 
  different cultures. Some worship the first children of Eberron and 
  Siberys, while others simply seek the power of these mighty 
  creatures. A few of these forces are described below.
  The barbarians of the Seren Islands produce a remarkable number of dragon shamans. Each of the Seren tribes 
  reveres a draconic founder, and those shamans who can draw on the strength of the founder are considered 
  truly blessed. Many of the most gifted dragon shamans follow a call into the heart of Aerenal itself; some say 
  that these heroes serve in the kingdom of wyrms, while others believe that they are sent out into the wider world 
  to do the bidding of their dragon masters.
  Many know the legend of the Storm Guardians, the clan of blue dragons who are said to live atop the highest 
  peak in Adar and to protect the land from its enemies. But another tale that few beyond Adar have heard 
  
  sometimes gets passed along in whispers among those of Adar. A hidden valley high on Korrandar is home to 
  an order of monks chosen long ago by the first Guardians. According to the tale, these monks study the ways of 
  the dragon until they become dragons themselves; if the legend is true, some of the dragons soaring above the 
  clouds of Adar are dragon shamans who have undergone a remarkable apotheosis. A few bold adventures have 
  gone in search of this Valley of Dragons; to date, none have returned.
  There are many different interpretations of the Sovereign Host. One cult asserts that the Sovereigns are in fact 
  dragons, children of the first age who ascended to a state beyond mortal understanding. Priests of this sect may 
  become dragon shamans instead of clerics or adepts, assuming the traits of their divine patron. For example, a 
  shaman dedicated to Aureon would take the blue dragon as his patron. The dragons associated with the 
  Sovereigns can be found on pages 68-69 of the Eberron Campaign Setting. At the moment this is an obscure 
  sect, but recently the cult has been gaining support in Stormreach.
  In the Shadow Marches, tales speak of the duraak'al, warriors with the strength of the black dragon. Such orcs 
  are said to carry the blessing of the dragon Vvaraak, the wyrm who prepared the orcs for the war against Xoriat. 
  Today the duraak'al are a thing of legend . . . but it's always possible those legends will rise again!
  Dragon shamans are also found among the kobolds, where they vie with sorcerers for positions of spiritual 
  leadership. Finally, tales from Q'barra suggest that dragon shamans exist among the lizardfolk of that distant 
  tribe -- priests who revere the dragon Rhashaak as a living god.
  While it may seem that dragon shamans who adopt the physical traits of their totems will stand out in Khorvaire, 
  there are many strange things in the world. In a land where shifters and changelings are part of daily life, and 
  ogres, gargoyles, and even medusas live or travel within major cities, a human with faint scales isn't terribly 
  noteworthy. A dragon shaman can stand out in a crowd, but she is unlikely to suffer any sort of prejudice due to 
  her appearance.
  According to the Player's Handbook II, the alignment of a dragon shaman must be within one step of the dragon 
  he emulates. However, in Eberron, the alignment of a dragon is not fixed by its color -- nor are worshipers 
  traditionally bound by the alignment of their deities. As such, a DM may wish to remove the alignment restriction. 
  With that said, dragon shamans should typically follow the perceived alignment of their draconic patrons. For 
  example, although blue dragons can be any alignment, the Storm Guardians of Adar are seen as noble beings -- 
  so a dragon shaman who emulates these blue wyrms will usually be good.
  The Duskblade
  The duskblade combines magic with the art of war. The Player's 
  Handbook II describes the duskblade as an elf tradition, and this 
  certainly fits in Eberron. Some of the greatest heroes of the 
  ancient elf-giant conflict were duskblades, and today these 
  arcane warriors work both among the champions of Aerenal and 
  the Tairnadal elves of Valenar, where they ride side by side with 
  rangers and true wizards.
  
  However, the elves aren't the only culture to produce duskblades. A recent Morgrave expedition has produced 
  evidence suggesting that the giants had duskblades of their own. Before the Inspired conquest of Sarlona, 
  duskblades existed in the human kingdom of Ohr Kaluun; this tradition may have survived among the refugees 
  of this fallen land, either in the depths of the Lhazaar Principalities, the monasteries of Adar, or the crumbling 
  war mazes of Ohr Kaluun itself.
  Finally, the duskblade is ideally suited to the martial sensibilities of Aundair, which combines a deep respect for 
  magic with a love for flair and color in battle. While Aundair has yet to produce a duskblade who can match the 
  masters of Aerenal and Valenar, a player character could prove to be the exception to this rule!
  The Knight
  In the golden age of Galifar, noble knights existed across 
  Khorvaire. In the wake of the Last War, knights still live in any 
  land, but the flower of chivalry blooms in two nations that remain 
  bitter rivals -- Thrane and Karrnath. Both nations have always 
  held discipline and martial excellence in high regard, and both 
  favor styles of combat well suited to the knight; Thrane's heavy 
  cavalry is unequalled in the land, while the armored infantry of 
  Karrnath is rightfully feared by all. By contrast, while one can find 
  knights in the other five nations, Aundair's love of magic often 
  distracts from the pure martial discipline of the knight, while the 
  pragmatic Brelish often let honor slide for the sake of expediency. 
  Only a handful of Cyran knights survived the Mourning, but these 
  proud soldiers are often remarkable individuals; having lost their 
  land, all they have left is their honor, and they will not lose that too.
  While great tension exists between the common people of Thrane and Karrnath, the knights of these two lands 
  often hold one another in high regard; they may be enemies, but at least they are worthy opponents. Recently, 
  King Kaius III has been working with Flamekeep to arrange a series of grand melees, in the hopes of 
  strengthening this bond and furthering the cause of peace.
  Beyond the Five Nations, a few of the dwarves of Clan Mroranon adopted the traditions of the knight for 
  Karrnath during the Last War; in the wake of the Mror secession, a bitter rivalry often flares up between dwarf 
  and Karrnathi knights. A few knights are among the Valenar, but less than one might expect to find in that 
  martial culture. In their war against the giants, the elves of old found themselves relying on commando tactics; 
  thus more elves follow the path of the ranger or scout.
  Expanded Classes and New Feats
  Player's Handbook II presents new options for every class, along with a host of new feats. At the DM's 
  discretion, these options could be available to all characters; any barbarian could choose berserk strength in 
  place of rage, regardless of the traditions of his tribe. But certain cultures and organizations may be especially 
  prone to their use; a few examples are given below.
  Arcane Thesis. In Khorvaire, Arcane Thesis is typically seen among the wizards of the Arcane Congress; the 
  long magical traditions of Aundair help those who choose to focus on a specific field of study. Beyond Khorvaire, 
  the elves of Aerenal are also fond of Arcane Thesis, reflecting their obsession with perfecting specific skills.
  
  The Blood of Vol. The followers of the Blood of Vol place a tremendous importance on the spiritual power of 
  blood. As such, priests of the Blood of Vol should be eligible to take the Ritual Blood Bond feat, regardless of 
  race. This bond of blood also can be reflected with the Divine Ward feat, allowing priests of the blood to aid their 
  followers from a distance. Finally, many clerics of the Blood of Vol use the spontaneous domain casting option 
  (page 37), usually focusing on the Necromancer domain.
  The Church of the Silver Flame. As a religion of light, Sacred Purification and Sacred Radiance are especially 
  appropriate for clerics of the Silver Flame. While many of the priests of Thrane are often experts instead of 
  adepts or clerics, several do possess the Ritual Blessing feat, which allows them to aid their followers.
  House Ghallanda. While the House of Hospitality is often seen as a harmless force, heirs of the house are 
  often exceptionally skilled at the arts of conversation. Both Master Manipulator and Wanderer's Diplomacy are 
  often used by Ghallanda characters.
  House Vadalis. The House of Handling is interested in all forms of interaction between magic and the animal 
  world. While many war-wizards of the Five Nations prefer Immediate Magic (page 68), wizards of House Vadalis 
  invariably possess familiars, and the house is an excellent place to learn the familiar-enhancing feats presented 
  in Player's Handbook II.
  Infernal and Celestial Sorcerers. While there is limited traffic between Eberron and the Outer Planes, there are 
  many ways to use these feats. A sorcerer born in a manifest zone may develop heritage feats in spite of there 
  being no blood connection to an outsider. A celestial sorcerer may channel the power of the Silver Flame, being 
  a living link to this divine force. Likewise, it's possible that the sorcerer actually has been touched by the pure 
  power of Khyber or Siberys, becoming a vessel for the light or darkness of the world itself. An infernal sorcerer 
  will have an easy time finding a place within the Cults of the Dragon Below or working with the Lords of Dust; a 
  celestial sorcerer might work with a church or the Chamber, or find her own path.
  The Mironite Monks. Almost unknown outside of Thrane, the Mironite monks are a sect of martial ascetics who 
  have learned to channel the power of the Silver Flame through their own flesh and spirit. On Khorvaire, the 
  Mironites are the primary users of the Fiery Fist, Fiery Ki Defense, and Ki Blast feats.
  The Sovereign Host. Since priests of the Sovereign Host can turn to many deities for inspiration, they can use 
  almost any of the new feats presented in Player's Handbook II. A paladin of Dol Arrah may use Divine Justice or 
  Sacred Radiance, while a cleric sworn to Dol Dorn is more likely to draw on Divine Armor. Clerics who are 
  particularly dedicated to a specific Sovereign typically use the Spontaneous Domain Casting option; a cleric of 
  Onatar has little talent for healing.
  War Magic of Karrnath. Recognizing the power of Aundair, the wizards of Karrnath have fought to ramp up 
  their own war magic over the last few decades. While Karrnathi wizards often lack the finesse and scholarly 
  nature of their Aundairian counterparts, they are grim and determined. Arcane Toughness and Arcane 
  Consumption are both techniques employed by the Karrns, along with the new metamagic feats presented in the 
  Player's Handbook II. The majority of Karrnathi wizards use the Immediate Magic class option; in times of war, a 
  familiar often gets in the way.
  Weapon Supremacy. No known hero possesses this level of skill, and a PC who attains this level of mastery 
  should be celebrated far and wide for her remarkable talent. The last known supreme swordmaster within the 
  Five Nations was Drago ir'Loran of Karrnath, who personally trained the young King Jarot before the Last War.
  Of course, it's possible that beings out there may have this level of skill but have chosen to conceal it; there may 
  be a zakya lord on the Council of Ashtakala who is waiting for the day when a mortal will learn the skills to 
  actually prove a challenge with a blade.
  
  The Zil. The gnomes of Zilargo are renowned for their love of intrigue and skill with alchemy. Master Manipulator 
  and Wanderer's Diplomacy are both highly appropriate for Zil characters. In addition, Zilargo is a very logical 
  place to find the Grenadier and Mad Alchemist feats. Zil bards love to weave magic and illusion into their 
  performances, and the Arcane Flourish feat is a good way to represent this.
  About the Author
  Keith Baker has been an avid fan of the Dungeons & Dragons game since grade school. His life took a 
  dramatic turn in 2002 when he submitted the World of Eberron to the Wizards of the Coast Fantasy Setting 
  Search. In addition to developing the Eberron Campaign Setting and Shadows of the Last War for Wizards of 
  the Coast, Inc., he has produced material for Atlas Games, Goodman Games, and Green Ronin.
   
  ©1995-2006 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 
   
  
  The Mind's Eye 
  Expanded Classes, Part One 
  Psychic Warrior, Soulknife, Wilder 
  By Dark Psion and Mark A. Jindra
  The Players Handbook II introduces us to expanded classes, which is a way to enhance the basic classes of 
  D&D. In this series, we present some expanded class options for the base psionic classes detailed in the 
  Expanded Psionics Handbook.
  Expanded Classes: Psychic Warrior
  You are a warrior in both mind and body, combining physical precision 
  with mental discipline. You realize that just wielding a sword doesn't 
  make you a warrior -- you must be the weapon, body and soul. You have 
  learned to draw upon a power within yourself, some call it psionics, 
  others call it ki or chi, but by whatever name you call it, that power sets 
  you apart from other fighters. You can do things others only dream of; run 
  across walls, summon weapons to your empty hand, and enhance your 
  strength and endurance when you really need it. You have learned to 
  combine your combat skills with your powers, creating very unique 
  fighting styles. You tend to be very creative in your tactics because you 
  can do things others cannot. And perhaps because of that creativity, you 
  also maintain a very optimistic attitude because you know there are 
  always options yet undiscovered.
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one):Ascetic, Drifter, Gladiator, Mariner, Noble Scion, Soldier, Tribal Origin.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Challenger, Crusader, Daredevil, Mercenary, 
  Renegade, Savage.
  Character Themes
  One or more of the following character themes could apply to you.
  
  Armory: With you, it is all about the weapons -- and not just the ones you carry. You can summon weapons 
  right to your hands with a thought. You also use powers to enhance your weapons, infusing them with fire, 
  poison, or even stygian darkness. You may focus on a specific type of weaponry or may choose to master as 
  many weapons as you can. For example, as an archer, you might seek out exotic new ranged weapons to learn. 
  You have a tactical mind, always examining the world from a strategic point of view of strength and weakness. 
  You are also a craftsman, and you forge most of your own weapons, including those with psionic power sleeping 
  within them.
  "You are only as strong as your steel, and it lies broken at your feet."
  Defender: You live to protect your home village, a traveling caravan, or a specific person. You think and fight 
  defensively and do not have a problem with retreating if it saves lives. Your powers are also built to defend, and 
  you use them to armor yourself so that you can defend those you love. You also have a code of conduct and 
  tend to expect others to follow it as well. You wear the strongest armor and carry a big shield with you and tend 
  to hide your emotions as well, as if your personality was something to be shielded as well.
  "Everyone behind me! Don't worry, I can handle this."
  Feral Fighter: You tap into the power of the beast within you. You draw upon an affinity for animals and grow 
  claws, razor sharp teeth, and even move like an animal, pouncing on your enemy. You may have a totem 
  animal, one with whom you most identify. You trust your instincts and intuition over logic and you make 
  decisions based on experience instead of book-learned knowledge. You often feel more comfortable with 
  animals than with people. You may have come from a tribal origin or just grew up on a farm, or perhaps you 
  went feral when you were forced to survive in the wilderness all on your own.
  "Grrrrrrrrrr"
  Ki Warrior: You favor power over technique, showing off with great displays of flashy power. You grow to the 
  size of a giant, move with blinding speed, or emulate a dragon's breath. Your fighting style incorporates your 
  unusual powers so that you always keep your opponents guessing. You are a very imaginative person, coming 
  up with unusual solutions to problems. Okay, they may not always work as you plan, but you have another, even 
  better idea for any complications that result from your current plan.
  "By the Breath of the Black Dragon, I will defeat you!"
  Mantled Warrior
  You have unlocked access to a single psionic mantle. 
  Level: 2nd, and see below. 
  Replaces: You lose your bonus feat at 2nd level. 
  Benefit: You must choose a mantle by 2nd level. In place of your 2nd-level feat, you gain your chosen mantle's 
  granted ability. You also have access to the powers in your chosen mantle, but are not required to take any of 
  them.
  Soulbound Weapon
  You can summon a specific weapon to your hand that is bound to your very soul. 
  Level: 1st and 2nd. 
  Replaces: You lose your 2nd-level bonus feat.  
  Benefit: You must choose a soulbound weapon at 1st level and you gain the Weapon Focus feat with this 
  weapon. Also, the first power you learn must be call weaponry. You can summon your chosen soulbound 
  
  weapon to your hand using call weaponry.
  At 2nd level, you gain the soulbound weaponclass ability, and the weapon you summon using call weaponry is 
  of the same type as you chose at 1st level. Its physical appearance slowly changes, growing in power as you 
  do. You must manifest the power call weaponry to obtain your soulbound weapon; you retain the weapon for the 
  duration of the power. You may still use the call weaponry power as normal if you wish. This is a specific 
  weapon every time you summon it, and it automatically gains a weapon enhancement at the following levels:
  4th
  +1 weapon
  8th
  +2 weapon
  12th +3 weapon
  16th +4 weapon
  20th +5 weapon
  Also, add the following augmentation to your call weaponry power:
  Augmentation: When you manifest your soulbound weapon, for each additional 5 power points you spend, you 
  may add a weapon enhancement of +1 value to the weapon. For example, if you spend an additional 10 power 
  points, you could add two +1 weapon enhancements or a single +2 weapon enhancement.
  Starting Packages
  Package 1: The Vanguard 
  Half-Giant Psychic Warrior 
  Ability Scores:Str 17, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 9. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Ride, Swim. 
  Languages: Common. 
  Feats: Endurance, Psionic Body(B). 
  Weapons: Greataxe (1d12/x3), longsword (1d8/19-20), five javelins (1d6, 30 ft.). 
  Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC), heavy steel shield (+2 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 10 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers: Vigor.
  Package 2: The Archer 
  Human Psychic Warrior 
  Ability Scores:Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 13. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Search. 
  Languages: Common. 
  Feats: Point Blank Shot (human), Precise Shot, Psionic Shot (B). 
  Weapons: Longbow with 20 arrows (1d8/x3, 100 ft.), 2 short swords (1d6/19-20), 4 daggers (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.). 
  Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 17 gp. 
  Power Points: 1. 
  Powers: Force screen.
  Package 3: The Feral Fighter 
  Thri-Kreen Psychic Warrior 
  Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 17, Cha 8. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Climb, Jump, Search, Swim. 
  
  Languages: Common, Thri-Kreen. 
  Feats:Deflect Arrows (racial), Thri-Kreen Carapace (racial), Up the Walls (B), Run. 
  Weapons: Gythka (1d10/x2), 5 chatkchas (1d6/18-20, 20 ft.). 
  Armor: Natural armor (+4). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 7 gp. 
  Power Points: 2. 
  Powers:Hammer.
  Expanded Classes: Soulknife
  You are an enigma to others. On one hand your focus is such that 
  you can forge a weapon from your very will alone, but when you 
  wield your mind blade, you become more grandiose and flamboyant, 
  showing off your skill and power. You are very confident in the face 
  of danger, perhaps because your mind blade is only a thought away, 
  but you rarely lose your temper or give into fear. Most do not 
  understand that your mind blade is truly a part of you -- often its 
  color and shape reflects your mood at the time of its manifestation.
  You tend to approach combat differently than others; your weapon is always at hand and if you are disarmed, it 
  will reform a moment later. You do not need to forge a weapon for each enemy you face, because your mind 
  blade can be manifested in different forms with a variety of enhancements. You also find it amusing that your 
  companions must leave their weapons behind, but you know yours can never be taken away from you.
  There are two class abilities below. One is a common house rule that provides the soulknife with a little more 
  psionic flavor and makes each soulknife you encounter unique. The other replaces raw power with skill and 
  technique, which also allows for much greater customization of character.
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Ascetic, Gladiator, Noble Scion, Soldier.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Challenger, Mercenary, Royalty, Simple Soul, 
  Strategist, Wanderer.
  Character Themes
  One or more of the following character themes could apply to you.
  Bodyguard: All nobles have many servants: aides to dress them, ladies in waiting, and a multitude of cooks, 
  guards and other hired specialists. But what if one was actually a guard who can summon a weapon with a 
  thought? You live to serve; perhaps you guard the heir to a noble house, serve as a courier, or are a spy sent to 
  
  watch an enemy. There are several ways for you to become an adventurer, especially if your charge decides to 
  seek adventure. You may have to follow to keep him or her safe. You are not flamboyant, and you do not wish to 
  outshine your charge or bring shame to your employer. You are serious about your duty -- honor is everything to 
  you. Alternatively, you may have already failed in your duty and now wander in search of redemption or 
  forgiveness.
  "You will never get close enough to touch my lady!"
  "Why do I wander? Why do I risk danger? Because I failed her."
  Duelist: You do not skulk in shadows or meditate on mountains. You were trained in the dueling circle to be a 
  master of combat and the epitome of style, and perhaps one day you can establish your own dueling school. 
  You may want to use the "bonus feat" alternate class feature so that you can use your mind blade with much 
  greater versatility. There are as many techniques as there are schools of combat and the individual styles can 
  vary greatly. Perhaps you are a weapon master, altering your mind blade into different forms. Or maybe you 
  prefer a finesse approach, fighting under a cloak and disarming those with metal weapons.
  "Shall we postpone our duel until you learn which end of your sword to hold?"
  Hunter: You may be a bounty hunter, a tomb raider, a monster slayer, or just an assassin. You may walk into a 
  bar room, apparently unarmed, and demand the surrender of the toughest man there, waiting to see the look on 
  his face when your mind blade manifests and grows to bastard sword size under his nose. You recognize the 
  value of tactics and knowledge, so you plan ahead, learning all you can about your target's weaknesses so that 
  you can exploit them with your mind blade's enhancements.
  "I know you will not listen, but I will ask you to surrender your weapons and come peacefully or I will have to hurt 
  you."
  Mercenary: Your loyalty depends on the person has the most gold. You travel the land from one job to another: 
  a caravan guard last month, and a bar room bouncer this month. Maybe next month you will rob that very 
  caravan you previously guarded. From time to time you join adventuring parties if they appear to be competent 
  and have a line on some good treasure.
  "First you say where, then I will tell you how much."
  "Yes, you paid me well, but he paid me more."
  Hidden Talent
  Your psionic talent is strong enough to manifest a single power. 
  Level: 1st 
  Replaces: Wild Talent class ability 
  Benefit: You gain the Hidden Talent feat instead of the Wild Talent feat at 1st level (see Expanded Psionic 
  Handbook, page 67). You gain 2 psionic power points, can now learn any psionic feat for which you meet the 
  prerequisites, can expend your psionic focus, and can gain a single 1st-level power from any list.
  Special: Normally the Hidden Talent feat can be taken only once at 1st level, but a soulknife with this class 
  ability can take this feat multiple times, each time gaining an additional 2 psionic power points and another 1st-
  level power.
  
  The most common powers chosen with this class ability are force screen and inertial armor since they fit the 
  theme of a soulknife, but many choose other powers.
  Bonus Feats
  You sacrifice power for skill and technique. 
  Level: 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th. 
  Replaces: You lose all psychic strike class abilities at the above levels.
  Benefit: In place of the psychic strike class ability, you gain a bonus feat at each level above. You may choose 
  any feat designed for soulknives (such as those in Complete Psionic) or any feat that your mind blade can 
  benefit from, such as Power Attack or Improved Critical (also see the mind blade feats in Dragon Magazine 
  #341 in the "Class Acts: Adventurer" article). You must meet any prerequisites for the feat you choose.
  Starting Packages
  Package 1: The Skulk 
  Xeph Soulknife 
  Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 9. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Hide, Move Silently, Spot, Tumble. 
  Languages: Common, Xeph. 
  Feats: Speed of Thought. 
  Weapons: Morningstar (1d6/x3), sling with 10 bullets (1d4, 50 ft.). 
  Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 10 gp.
  Package 2: The Duelist (using the hidden talent class ability) 
  Human Soulknife 
  Ability Scores:Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 13. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Jump, Spot, Tumble. 
  Languages: Common, Elven, Draconic. 
  Feats:Hidden Talent (1 human, 1 bonus), Psionic Body. 
  Weapons: Spiked gauntlet (1d3/x3), rapier (1d6/18-20), 4 daggers (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 17 gp. 
  Power Points: 4 power points. 
  Powers: Inertial Armor, Force Screen.
  Package 3: The Hunter 
  Maenad Soulknife 
  Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Climb, Concentration, Knowledge, Spot. 
  Languages: Common, Maenad. 
  Feat:Track. 
  Weapons: Dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.), short spear (1d6/x2, 20 ft.), masterwork light crossbowwith 20 bolts 
  (1d8/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor:Hide (+3 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 7 gp.
  Expanded Classes: Wilder
  
  Most who develop psionic power master it through discipline and 
  meditation, but you are not like most people. You never had any formal 
  training; you didn't even know it was called psionics until recently. You 
  had to find your own path, letting your emotions fuel your power and 
  trusting your instincts and intuition to guide you. You have learned that 
  strong emotions do not hinder psionic power, but can actually boost it in 
  ways other psychics never dream of, although there is a risk of being 
  overwhelmed by your own power and emotions. As might be expected, 
  you are a very emotional person; to reign in your feelings would reduce 
  your power and you cannot allow that. You never do anything in 
  moderation; it is all or nothing for you. And due to your overachieving 
  personality, you do not like to be outdone by anyone. You believe that 
  any problem can be overcome with psionic energies, though perhaps you 
  use them a bit excessively in some situations.
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one):Artisan, Drifter, Gladiator, Guttersnipe, Mariner, Tribal Origin.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one):Challenger, Daredevil, Explorer, Martyr, Orphan, Rebel, 
  Savage, Trickster, Wanderer.
  Character Themes
  One or more of the following character themes could apply to you.
  Destroyer: You are an angry person, quick to take offense and quicker to strike out at people. Even you do not 
  fully understand why you have so much anger, but you have learned to harness it and unleash it in a fury of 
  psionic energy. You are well known to be a "loose cannon," often leaving destruction in your wake, but also 
  making a definite impression on, and in, the world around you. You may be a mercenary for hire, an enforcer for 
  a guild or noble, or just a time bomb waiting to go off.
  "You won't like me when I'm angry. You probably won't like me when I'm happy either."
  Pretender: You know what you do is not magic in any form and that scares you, but you don't know why. Your 
  mom and dad told you to keep it secret. You might be in trouble if "they" found out about you. So you hide what 
  you do by pretending to be something else. Sometimes you sing and tell tales like a bard; other times you just 
  blast your enemies while mumbling nonsense like a sorcerer. And while you do on occasion ask yourself why 
  you hide, you can't help it. It is fear that drives your powers and your personality, so you continue to hide in one 
  disguise after another and move from one town to another.
  "Abra-ka-zappy"
  
  Professional: Your life is defined by what you do, and your powers are based around that theme. As an artist, 
  you might use creation powers, or, as a con-artist, charms and compulsions. For you it is passion for your 
  profession that drives you and fuels your power. You are one of the best at what you do and that knowledge 
  only makes you better. Of all wilders, you are the most likely to discover and use a psionic mantle.
  "It is not quite finished yet, so please delay the goblins for a few more minutes."
  Survivor: If it was not for your powers, you would not be alive today. Death was at your throat, but from 
  somewhere deep inside you, power erupted to save your life. But the incident left you scarred body and soul. 
  You are always alert for danger, almost to the point of paranoia. You always take note of the exits and hazards 
  in a room; you have several survival kits prepared and possibly a few safe houses set aside. Also, you always 
  keep a potion of healing in your pocket.
  "Please leave that window open, just in case. . . ."
  Wild Psychic: Perhaps if you had a tutor, you might have been a psion. If you had known what psionics was, 
  you could have been a psychic warrior, but you had no teacher, and no idea of what was within you. You knew 
  only that you had strange powers deep within yourself and had to trust your instincts on how to use them. You 
  have a very mercurial personality, trusting everything to instinct and first impression. And while you may be 
  wrong often, you are still alive due to your intuition. You also push yourself to your limits, having learned that 
  survival is often found at the edge of exhaustion.
  "I don't think I like you, so go away!"
  Educated Wilder
  You have had formal psionic training. 
  Level: 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th. 
  Replaces: You lose the volatile mind class ability at all levels listed above.
  Benefit: You have received some formal psionic training and as such, you have unlocked psionic powers most 
  wilders never dream of. You gain the Expanded Knowledge feat at all of the above levels. But due to the training 
  involved, your mind is not as untamed as most wilders and you lose the defensive ability volatile mind.
  Mantled Wilder
  Your focus allows you access to a psionic mantle. 
  Level: 1st and see below. 
  Replaces: You lose your elude touch class ability; also see below.
  Benefit: You gain access to a single psionic mantle from Complete Psionic. You replace the elude touch class 
  ability at 2nd level with the mantle's granted ability and gain access to the powers on the mantle list. In fact you 
  must take those powers at your first opportunity. If you chose the Creation mantle, you would have to learn 
  astral construct and minor creation at 1st and 2nd level, for example. You are free to choose all other powers 
  from the psion/wilder list.
  Starting Packages
  Package 1: The Pretender 
  Human Wilder 
  
  Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 16. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Bluff, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Sense Motive. 
  Languages: Common, Elven. 
  Feats: Able Learner (Races of Destiny), Inquisitor. 
  Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d6), dagger (1d3/19-20, 10 ft.), light crossbow and 20 bolts (1d8/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, disguise kit 10 gp. 
  Power Points: 5. 
  Powers Known:Telempathic projection.
  Package 2: The Professional 
  Dromite Wilder 
  Ability Scores: Str 9, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 17. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Craft, Knowledge, Profession. 
  Languages: Common, Dwarven, Gnome, Terran. 
  Feats: Psicrystal Affinity. 
  Weapons: Longspear (1d6/x3), sling and 20 bullets (1d3, 50 ft.). 
  Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 18 gp. 
  Power Points: 5. 
  Powers Known: Far hand.
  Package 3: The Destroyer 
  Elan Wilder 
  Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 15. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Bluff, Concentration, Intimidate, Listen, Spot. 
  Languages: Common, Draconic. 
  Feats: Elan Repletion, Enhanced (Complete Psionic). 
  Weapons: Longspear (1d8/x3), morningstar (1d8), light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d8/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 6 gp. 
  Power Points: 4. 
  Powers Known: Energy ray.
   
  ©1995-2007 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 
   
  
  The Mind's Eye 
  Expanded Classes, Part Two 
  Egoist, Kineticist, Nomad 
  By Dark Psion and Mark A. Jindra
  The Players Handbook II introduces us to expanded classes, which provide us with a way to enhance the basic 
  classes of D&D . In this series, we present some expanded class options for the base psionic classes detailed in 
  the Expanded Psionics Handbook .
  Expanded Class: Psion (Egoist)
  You are a very physical person, but at the same time you use 
  your mental faculties to enhance your physical self beyond 
  normal limits. You can use your abilities to become another 
  person, another race, or even another creature. You are a 
  believer in self-improvement, always seeking ways to become 
  stronger, faster, and better. As such, you believe that everyone 
  has the ability to change and grow beyond what they are at the 
  moment. You are the person most likely to allow an enemy the 
  chance at redemption or at least an opportunity for atonement. 
  You tend to expect others to seek the same self improvement that 
  you strive for, and that can get on others' nerves, but you realize 
  that is just another area in which they need improvement.
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Ascetic, Drifter, Gladiator, Soldier, Tribal Origin.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Challenger, Daredevil, Mercenary, Savage, Trickster.
  Character Themes
  One or more of the following character themes could apply to you.
  Bio-Sculptor: For you, physical perfection outweighs all other considerations. You work out with exercises, go 
  running and swimming to keep yourself in shape, but also use your psionic ability to push yourself to limits 
  others can only dream of. You can surge your physical and mental abilities, plus you can alter your form to walk 
  
  on water, cling to walls and adapt to almost any environment. You are always looking for the next challenge to 
  overcome, the next opponent to defeat, and the next opportunity to improve yourself.
  "No, I am not strong enough . . . but now I am."
  Feral Fighter: You are a fighter and you have learned to unleash the beast within to assist you in your fighting. 
  You start off with tooth and claw, but you one day hope to transform into fearsome creatures that will haunt your 
  enemies' nightmares. You revel in your beast forms and the savagery that comes with them.
  "If you think these claws are impressive, wait till I show you what creature they came from."
  Healer: Perhaps you lost someone dear to you, or maybe you almost died but were saved because someone 
  knew how to heal you. Regardless of how things happened, you find that you prefer to focus on healing others. 
  You are sensitive to the suffering of those around you and will do whatever is necessary to alleviate pain. While 
  you possess skills in many different types of healing, from basic tending of wounds to using herbs and natural 
  cures, you find that when you unlock access to the psionic mantle of healing that you feel like more of a true 
  healer.
  Minor Change Shape (Su): Changelings 
  have the supernatural ability to alter their 
  appearance as though using a disguise 
  self spell that affects their bodies but not 
  their possessions. This ability is not an 
  illusory effect, but a minor physical 
  alteration of a changeling's facial features, 
  skin color and texture, and size, within the 
  limits described for the spell. A changeling 
  can use this ability at will, and the 
  alteration lasts until she changes shape 
  again. A changeling reverts to her natural 
  form when killed. A true seeing spell 
  reveals her natural form. When using this 
  ability to create a disguise, a changeling 
  receives a +10 circumstance bonus on 
  Disguise checks. Using this ability is a full-
  round action.
  "First you have burns, now broken bones. After I heal you, 
  perhaps you should stay away from both ends of the dragon this 
  time?"
  Shapeshifter: You are rarely what you appear to be, even to the 
  point of rarely showing your true personality. You could use 
  altered forms to hide your confidence games by taking on a 
  different appearance each time you work. You could be a 
  gladiator, using exotic forms to excite the crowd. Or you could just 
  be a master of many forms, seeking understanding by becoming 
  that which you seek to know.
  "You would treat your horse better if you knew just how much that 
  bit hurts."
  Change Shape
  You gain the minor change shape ability, like that of a changeling. 
  Level: 1st. 
  Replaces: The bonus feat at 1st level. 
  Benefit: You gain the minor change shape ability that is possessed by changelings.
  True Healer
  You gain access to the Life mantle. 
  Level: 5th. 
  Replaces: The bonus feat at 5th level. 
  Prerequisite: You must have 8 ranks in the Heal skill. 
  Benefit: You gain access to the Life mantle and you may now 
  choose from these powers when choosing new powers known.
  Starting Packages
  
  Life Mantle 
  Granted Ability: If you expend your 
  psionic focus as a swift action as you 
  manifest a power from this mantle, your 
  manifester level for that power is 
  considered 1 higher (thus increasing the 
  number of power points you can spend on 
  the power, among other benefits).
  1 Touch of Health 
  2 From the Brink 
  3 Body Purification 
  4 Stygian Ward 
  5 Psionic Revivify 
  6 Mend Wounds 
  6 Restoration, Psionic 
  8 True Metabolism
  Package 1: The Feral Fighter 
  Shifter Psion (Egoist) 
  Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 8. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Balance, Climb, Concentration, Tumble. 
  Languages: Common, Elven, Halfling, Sylvan. 
  Feats: Healing Factor. 
  Weapons: Dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.), morning star (1d8). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 17 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers: Hammer, thicken skin, vigor.
  Package 2: The Problem Solver 
  Halfling Psion (Egoist) 
  Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 12, Cha 14. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Bluff, Concentration, Sense Motive. 
  Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling. 
  Feat: Inquisitor. 
  Weapons: Dagger (1d3/19-20, 10 ft.), light crossbow with 20 bolts 
  (1d6/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 10 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers: Attraction, catfall, vigor.
  Package 3: The Shapeshifter 
  Human Psion (Egoist) 
  Ability Scores: Str 13, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 10. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Heal, Psicraft. 
  Languages: Common, Celestial, Dragon. 
  Feats: Psionic Fist, Psionic Body[B]. 
  Weapons: Longspear (1d8/x3). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 7 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers: Hammer, primal fear, thicken skin.
  Expanded Class: Psion (Kineticist)
  You are a hyperactive powerhouse just full of energy. Nothing about you is subtle -- your clothing, style of 
  speech, and actions all gain attention. You make a grand entrance, remain in the spotlight all evening, and then 
  make an unforgettable exit. You feel a need to be in every conversation, to be part of every plan, and to have a 
  hand in every project. 
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Artisan, Gladiator, Guttersnipe.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Mercenary, Orphan, Renegade, Wanderer.
  Character Themes
  
  Animator: You bring the inanimate to life, projecting your will into objects, elements, and even organic forms. 
  Unlike a shaper, you are not interested in the artistic merit of your work, just that it does what you tell it do. And 
  you do not limit your manipulations to just your powers, since you tend to have a "user" personality, making use 
  of all the people around you to your benefit as well.
  "You have me alone? Why, yes, it is just me here, and a table and four chairs. . . ."
  Energist: You manipulate energy the way others weave cloth. You call forth lightning from the still air, create fire 
  or ice with a thought, or unleash sound in a destructive scream. You are a very energetic person -- easy to 
  excite or anger and quick to strike at those who do anger you. Your clothing is bright and some would say 
  garish, as is your choice in food and entertainment. You never blend in with the crowd, unless that crowd is an 
  out-of-control bar fight.
  "Okay, if fire does not work, let's try a little lightning."
  Force Weaver: You are a master of telekinesis, and you manipulate force into a field and use it to move objects, 
  shield yourself and others, or unleash an incredible concussive force. To you, force is a pure energy and not as 
  messy as fire or as unpredictable as electricity. You can even strike at those untouchable by normal means, 
  such as ghosts. You are most likely artistic, practicing your telekinetic skills on clay or learning to fold paper into 
  origami shapes by will alone.
  "Ghosts do not scare those who cannot be touched by them."
  Savant: Where others unleash massive energies into the world, you know how to shut them down, dispelling 
  their psionic energies, dampening those fires, and just resisting all powers manifested against you. You are all 
  about control and you expect all others to control themselves. If they do not, you will have to do it for them. You 
  are most likely a city officer in charge of keeping order, especially among adventurers.
  "You will learn to respect my authority."
  Energy Snap
  You can manifest a small burst of energy. 
  Level: 1st. 
  Replaces: The bonus feat at 1st level. 
  Benefit: By expending your psionic focus, you can create a small burst of energy. You can use it as a weapon; 
  treat it as a psi-like ability and consider it a 1st-level power for power resistance. You have to succeed on a 
  melee touch attack as you expend your focus and, if successful, it does 1d3 points of damage of the type of 
  energy manifested.
  This ability is used more often on objects for other effects, depending on the type of energy manifested, and you 
  must expend your psionic focus every time you use it.
  Fire: This can warm food, provide a distraction, and of course start a fire. 
  Cold: This can chill food or a drink, make sure a campfire is out, and numb a bruise. 
  Electricity: This can give someone a jolt, startle an animal, or start a fire. 
  Sonic: This can startle someone up close or get someone's attention from far away.
  Greater Animator
  You can animate much larger objects. 
  
  Level: 5th. 
  Replaces: The bonus feat at 5th level. 
  Prerequisite: You must know the control object power. 
  Benefit: Your control object power gains the following augmentation. 
  Augment: For each additional power point you spend, you can target an object weighing an additional 25 lbs.
  Starting Packages
  Package 1: The Artillery 
  Gnome Psion (Kineticist) 
  Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 12. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Intimidate, Spot. 
  Languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Ignan. 
  Feats: Point Blank Shot. 
  Weapons: Longspear (1d6/x3), dagger (1d3/19-20, 10 ft.), light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d6/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 10 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers: Energy arc, energy ray, force screen.
  Package 2: The Force Weaver 
  Dromite Psion (Kineticist) 
  Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 10. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Intimidate, Psicraft. 
  Languages: Common, Dwarven, Gnome, Terran. 
  Feat: Dromite Ray. 
  Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d4), dagger (1d3/19-20, 10 ft.), light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d6/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 17 gp. 
  Power Points: 5. 
  Powers:Deflection field, far hand, inertial armor.
  Package 3: The Problem Solver 
  Human Psion (Kineticist) 
  Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 13. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Disable Device. 
  Languages: Aquan, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven. 
  Feats: Focused Skill User (Concentration, Diplomacy, Sense Motive)[B], Imprint Stone. 
  Weapons: Morningstar (1d8), dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.), light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d8/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 7 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers:Conceal thoughts, far hand, inertial armor.
  Expanded Class: Psion (Nomad)
  You are always moving -- in fact, you seem to have trouble standing still for even 5 minutes. You have a bad 
  case of wanderlust and always feel a need to travel over the next hill, to the next town, or even to other planes 
  of existence. You love to learn about other cultures, try new foods, and just experience a new land. Though 
  sometimes you may travel alone and perhaps serve as a courier on horseback -- or even a griffon -- you may 
  
  also serve with others as a sailor on a cargo vessel or a corsair and just go where the sea sends you. You may 
  eventually grow beyond the world of your birth and travel the many planes in search of even greater adventure.
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Ascetic, Drifter, Mariner.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Challenger, Crusader, Explorer, Seeker, Wanderer.
  Character Themes
  One or more of the following character themes could apply to you.
  Kinetic Master: The science of movement fascinates you. You observe how a bird flaps its wings, how a fish 
  uses its fins, and all other methods of moving. During your research, you also learn how to impede movement, 
  slow creatures, bind the wings of flying dragons, and stop a burrowing bulette from emerging from the ground. 
  You may craft systems to move water or defenses that can stop arrows, but you are at heart a sage of the 
  science of movement.
  "Lead, follow, or just get out of my way!"
  Planewalker: For some, there is no greater adventure than the infinite planes that exist beyond our perception. 
  At first, you may just be an explorer, traveling where you have never been before. Over time you may become a 
  guide, courier, or agent for a planar faction, since many exist throughout the planes. You may start with traveling 
  the Astral and Ethereal, but eventually you want to visit all the Outer and Inner Planes.
  "There is much 'beyond your imagination' and most of it is for sale in Sigil."
  Transporter: Your job is to go from one place to another, transporting something as you go. You may be a 
  courier -- carrying letters, packages or court decrees. You could drive a coach, taking people from one town to 
  another. You could be a sailor, traveling a trade route from port to port. You have a strong sense of honor, and 
  you abide by rules that you have set for yourself due to past experiences as well as those of any job you agree 
  to take on. Over time, your route may get larger as you start using teleportation and extraplanar travel, but you 
  remain bound by the rules (both your own and those of your current job).
  "The rules are the rules, and I was contracted to take you here and no further."
  Temporal Traveler: There is one thing we all travel in, but few of us recognize it: time! You have learned that 
  moving through time does not have to be one way and that you can learn several temporal tricks. Because of 
  your interest in time, you also have an interest in history as well. You may be an expert in a specific area or just 
  have general knowledge in a certain time frame.
  "Run out of time? Time is infinite, so we can't run out of time, but time can run out on us."
  Personal Space
  You have an extradimensional storage pocket available. 
  Level: 1st. 
  Replaces: The bonus feat at 1st level. 
  Benefit: You gain an extradimensional storage space within your body. You can access it as a psi-like ability by 
  expending your psionic focus. You may send an item to it or retrieve an item as you wish. The size of the 
  storage space grows with your own power. At 1st level it is equivalent to a belt pouch, at 5th level it equals a 
  
  sack, at 10th level it is the size of a backpack, at 15th level it is the size of a chest, and at 20th level it is the size 
  of a Medium creature. 
  You cannot store anything that has extradimensional properties, such as a bag of holding , within your personal 
  space. Any attempt will fail.
  Temporal Grace
  You can resist effects that use extradimensional, temporal, or movement spells or powers.  
  Level: 5th. 
  Replaces: The bonus feat at 5th level. 
  Benefit: Your power over movement allows you to resist effects that inhibit any form of movement. Anytime you 
  fail a save against an effect that would slow, prevent, or otherwise affect your ability to move, you may expend 
  your psionic focus to get another saving throw, adding +1 for every 5 manifester levels you possess.
  Starting Packages
  Package 1: The Planewalker 
  Githyanki Psion (Nomad) 
  Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 13, Cha 10. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Knowledge (the planes), Survival. 
  Languages: Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Gith, Infernal. 
  Feats: Combat Manifestation. 
  Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d6), dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.), light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d8/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 17 gp. 
  Power Points: 6. 
  Powers Known: Astral traveler, entangling ectoplasm, mind thrust.
  Package 2: The Problem Solver 
  Xeph Psion (Nomad) 
  Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 10. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Climb, Concentration, Survival, Swim. 
  Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven, Gnome, Xeph. 
  Feats: Xeph Celerity. 
  Weapons: Longspear (1d6/x3), dagger (1d3/19-20, 10 ft.), light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d6/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 10 gp. 
  Power Points: 5. 
  Powers Known: Catfall, deja vu, float.
  Package 3: The Transporter 
  Human Psion (Nomad) 
  Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 10. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Climb, Concentration, Jump, Ride. 
  Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven. 
  Feats: Dodge, Inquisitor [B]. 
  Weapons: Morningstar (1d8/x3), two daggers (1d4/19-20, 20 ft.) 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 7 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers Known: Eidetic lock, synchronicity, urban strider.
  
  The Mind's Eye 
  Expanded Classes, Part Three 
  Seer, Shaper, Telepath 
  By Dark Psion and Mark A. Jindra
  The Players Handbook II introduces us to expanded classes, which provide us with a way to enhance the basic 
  classes of D&D. In this series, we present some expanded class options for the base psionic classes detailed in 
  the Expanded Psionics Handbook.
  Expanded Class: Psion (Seer)
  You are a serene soul, always patient, always seeming to be 
  expecting whatever comes next. Some think you are just lucky, 
  always in the right place at the right time. Some think you are a 
  pacifist, but you just know when to get out of the way. Some call 
  you an oracle and prophet; you just wave them off, not taking 
  credit but helping people with what they need. You choose your 
  moves carefully since you know that the world can change on a 
  butterfly's wing. You recognize the value of knowledge and learn 
  everything you can about everything you encounter. And you 
  continue down the road, just a few steps ahead of everybody else.
  Prophecy plays a part of being a seer and Player's Handbook II, page 43, has a sidebar on how to use prophecy 
  in your game. 
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one):Ascetic, Drifter, Tribal Origin.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Companion, Daredevil, Prophet, Sage, Seeker, Strategist, 
  Theorist.
  Character Themes
  One or more of the following character themes could apply to you.
  
  Lore Seeker: They say "knowledge is power" and if that is true, one day you will be among the most powerful in 
  the world. You may be a historian, unlocking secrets of the past with clairsentient powers. You might be a 
  scholar of the present, watching history unfold around you, trying to be in the right place to see great things with 
  your own eyes. You may follow the path of the sage, seeking knowledge in specific fields -- perhaps dragons, or 
  maybe elven goldfish. You might be a relic hunter, seeking lost artifacts in forgotten tombs. No matter what path 
  you follow, you seek knowledge the way a thief seeks gold.
  "I believe I read something about this once. . . ."
  Daredevil: It is the fear of failure, and the consequences it brings, that keep most people from risking their lives 
  on dangerous stunts. But what if you knew exactly when to jump, the moment when the rope would break and 
  when that log was going to wash by in the river? You use your powers to see just that and that allows you to 
  take risks that others would not dare. Some do it for the thrill of adventure, some do it for god and country, and 
  some really don't know what drives them, but they know that every challenge faced must be overcome. You live 
  every moment like it is your last, enjoying every dance, relishing every meal, and just savoring life as it comes to 
  you. 
  "Last one in is a neo-otyugh!"
  Oracle: You are what most people expect in a seer: You divine the future, read people's fortunes, and 
  occasionally make prophecies. You study ancient prophecies, seeking to understand them and hoping that 
  understanding will help you make your own prophecies. As you discover lost prophecies, you help some come 
  to pass and stop others from becoming true. But most of the time, you just try to help people as a simple fortune 
  teller, trying to guide them from harm. You are not quick to make decisions; usually you need to divine the future 
  to decide your path. You are a student of history, trying to understand how past prophecies actually did come 
  true.
  "I knew you would say that and yes, I know you will kill me if I keep saying that."
  Fate Weaver: Some people are very manipulative by nature; they might use power, money, sex, or magic to 
  control the world around them. You don't waste time manipulating people, because you can manipulate fate 
  itself. You weave probabilities like a tailor weaves threads. You are selfish by nature, trying to make your life 
  easier and better, but you recognize the danger of karma, and try to always send the bad stuff someone else's 
  way. 
  "We can do this the hard way or the very hard and much more humorous way."
  Counterseer: With all the people looking in crystal balls and divining the future, you realize that someone needs 
  to "fog the mirror." You are a little paranoid since you realize just how easy it is to scry into a private room or to 
  foresee the proper moment to rob someone. You learn the tricks to stop scrying, learn the powers that block it, 
  and learn how to hide from those "looking." You might become a professional security expert, being hired to 
  keep conversations and business deals secret. Or maybe you just live in fear of being watched, and possibly 
  you have a reason to fear. Maybe someone powerful is looking for you because of something your family did or 
  some magic item you have -- or perhaps some strange prophecy sent them after you. It doesn't really matter 
  why; you just know you need to hide.
  "If knowledge is power, you will never have any power over me."
  Psychic Knowledge
  You gain bits and pieces of knowledge from all the divinations you do. 
  
  Level: 1st. 
  Replaces: You lose the bonus feat at 1st level. 
  Benefit: You gain the psionic equivalent of bardic knowledge. It functions just like a bard's class ability, except 
  you use your manifester level in place of bardic level.
  Fate Points
  You have the ability to change your fate due to your knowledge of the future. 
  Level: 1st. 
  Replaces: You lose the bonus feat at 1st level. 
  Benefit: The Eberron Campaign Setting introduced action points (see page 45) with the setting. If you play 
  outside of Eberron, action points can be used for seers and diviners as an ability to see the future and get out of 
  its way. You can use a fate point to improve the results of an attack roll, a skill check, an ability check, a level 
  check or a saving throw. When you spend an action point, you add the result of a roll of 1d6 to your d20 roll to 
  help you meet or exceed the target number for the roll. You can declare the use of a fate point after you have 
  made the roll, but before the Dungeon Master reveals whether you succeeded or failed. See the Eberron 
  Campaign Setting and Magic of Eberron for more information and feats that work with action points.
  If you are playing in the Eberron setting or using action points already, you gain the Action Boost and the Action 
  Surge feats at 1st level. These allow you to be a master of your own fate.
  Starting Packages
  Package 1: The Prophet 
  Half-Elf Psion (Seer) 
  Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 9. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Gather Information, Knowledge, Listen, Psicraft. 
  Languages: Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven. 
  Feats:Focused Skill User (Autohypnosis, Concentration, Psicraft), Psicrystal Affinity[B]. 
  Weapons: Club (1d4), light crossbow and 20 bolts (1d8/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 10 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers: Call to mind, déjà vu, precognition.
  Package 2: The Daredevil 
  Human Psion (Seer) 
  Ability Scores:Str 14, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 9, Cha 13. 
  Skills:Autohypnosis, Concentration, Gather Information, Listen, Spot, Tumble. 
  Languages: Common, Goblin, Halfling. 
  Feats: Mental Leap, Psionic Body (human), Up the Walls[B]. 
  Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d6), dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 7 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers: Catfall, float, synchronicity.
  Package 3: The Problem Solver 
  Synad Psion (Seer) 
  Ability Scores:Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 13. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Knowledge, Listen, Psicraft, Spot. 
  Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Orc. 
  Feats: Enhanced Synad Multitask, Quicken Power[B] 
  
  Weapons: Shortspear (1d6), dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 17 gp. 
  Power Points: 6. 
  Powers: Deflection field, mind thrust, precognition.
  Expanded Class: Psion (Shaper)
  You have the soul of an artist -- creating is your life. Even without your powers, you spend hours crafting a new 
  bow for your ranger, repairing the armor of your fighter, or whittling a whistle for the innkeeper's son. Even 
  dealing with others, you are always making new friends and acquaintances, and exploring new ideas. On the 
  other hand, you can be temperamental while you are creating and crafting items, always striving for perfection in 
  your work. As a craftsman, you tend to use tools a lot and not just when crafting. You use your constructs to 
  fight for you, you use your powers in creative ways to aid your allies and impede your enemies, and you are the 
  one most likely to craft new wondrous items for your friends to wield. 
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Artisan, Ascetic, Drifter, Gladiator, Noble Scion.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Daredevil, Mercenary, Rebel, Renegade, Seeker, 
  Strategist, Trickster.
  Character Themes
  One or more of the following character themes could apply to you.
  Psychemist: Like an alchemist, you craft using chemicals and reagents; the only difference is that you can 
  create your lab with a thought. Your favorite power is fabricate -- with this one you can bypass the lab and just 
  create whatever you need at a moment's notice from the raw ingredients at hand. In the field, you are a problem 
  solver; whatever is needed, you just pull out of thin air: a rope to climb down into a pit, a bag of flour for that 
  invisible foe, or the tools you need to use your craft. 
  "No, I cannot make you some gems out of thin air!"
  Constructor: You are defined by a single power: astral construct. But despite that, you feel no limitations 
  because each construct you craft is a unique work of art. You may master the ectopic forms (see Complete 
  Psionic), you may have your own mental list of preconstructed constructs just waiting to be manifested, or 
  perhaps you truly are an artist in ectoplasm, crafting each as needed with no two alike. You tend to have a 
  manipulative personality, expecting others to do what you tell them as your constructs do. 
  "I call you, Ebony Stinger!"
  Crystal Weaver: Your focus is in the crystals, you most likely have a psi-crystal, and most of your psionic items 
  are crystal-based as well. You wield crystal as a weapon and a tool, but you don't just create weapons -- all of 
  your created items have a crystalline aspect to them. Your personality has many facets as well, but all aspects 
  are organized and in their proper place. In fact you are a very organized person -- possibly too organized for 
  others to bear -- but you expect everything to be in its proper place.
  "But I thought you wanted some crystal from the thin air?"
  
  Ectomancer: You prefer to use raw ectoplasm with your powers; most of your constructs tend to have an "oily" 
  look to them, dripping with extra ectoplasm. You can entrap, entangle, and even entomb your enemies in 
  ectoplasm. You can use it to protect yourself and stop those following you. Your personality is malleable as well, 
  never making waves; you just go along with the flow of things.
  "Mind the puddles."
  Trinkets
  You can create little items by sacrificing your psionic focus. 
  Level: 1st. 
  Replaces: The bonus feat at 1st level. 
  Benefit: By sacrificing your psionic focus, you can create a temporary item as a move action. It is like minor 
  creation, except the object you create is smaller and you create it more quickly. You can create one unattended, 
  nonmagical object of nonliving plant matter, up to 1 cubic inch. For instance, you could create a wooden ring, a 
  piece of paper, a handkerchief, a thin glove, or other item. You cannot create a dried herb, a poison, or other 
  distillate of dead plant matter that has special secondary effects. The created object has a duration of 1 minute 
  and can be recognized as a "created" object easily. This ability is considered a psi-like ability and treated as a 
  1st-level power for purposes of dispelling the effects.
  Personal Construct
  You have a favored astral construct form that you can summon at 
  a moment's notice. 
  Level: 5th. 
  Replaces: The bonus feat at 5th level. 
  Prerequisite: You must know the astral construct power. 
  Benefit: You can create a specific astral construct that you have 
  chosen as your favored as if you had the Quickened Power feat, 
  by only sacrificing your psionic focus. This personal construct, 
  once chosen, always has the same abilities and appearance 
  every time you summon it. Each time you gain a level, you may 
  change the abilities and appearance of your favored construct.
  Starting Packages
  Package 1: The Summoner 
  Halfling Psion (Shaper) 
  Ability Scores: Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 12. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Craft, Use Psionic Device. 
  Languages: Common, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling. 
  Feats: Boost Construct. 
  Weapons: Morningstar (1d6), light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d6/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 10 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers: Astral construct, force screen, psionic grease.
  Package 2: The Problem Solver 
  Human Psion (Shaper) 
  Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 13. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Bluff, Concentration, Craft. 
  
  Languages: Common, Giant, Orc. 
  Feat:Encode Stone, Intuitive Craftsman[B]. 
  Weapons: Longspear (1d6/x3), dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.), light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d8/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor:Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 7 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers: Astral construct, bolt, minor creation.
  Package 3: The Support 
  Githzerai Psion (Shaper) 
  Ability Scores:Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 10. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Disguise. 
  Languages: Common, Draconic, Giant, Gith, Gnoll. 
  Feats:Quicken Power. 
  Weapons: Spear (1d8/x3), dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.), 5 javelins (1d6/30 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 17 gp. 
  Power Points: 5. 
  Powers: Astral construct, crystal shard, entangling ectoplasm.
  Expanded Class: Psion (Telepath)
  You can hear what other people are thinking. You hear when they lie and then think the truth. You hear when 
  they fantasize about doing bad things while they are doing good things. You hear when they daydream, but you 
  probably didn't hear what they just said because of all the other noise in your head. You are a student of the 
  mind, knowledgeable in ego and id, aware of the conscious and subconscious minds, and a librarian of memory. 
  As a telepath, you can't help but be a bit of a voyeur, listening to people gossip, watching when others turn 
  away. You tend to be very diplomatic with people since you already know what they want and you have learned 
  to read faces and body language better than most since you can see what they are thinking as they move in that 
  manner or make that face. Sometimes you just have to be alone, away from all the thoughts of others before 
  they overwhelm you.
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one):Artisan, Ascetic, Drifter, Noble Scion.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one):Agent, Companion, Explorer, Leader, Orphan, Sage, Seeker, 
  Simple Soul, Theorist, Wanderer.
  Character Themes
  One or more of the following character themes could apply to you.
  Charmer: Even without your powers, you are a charming individual. You can talk yourself into and out of the 
  most dangerous situations. But when you need a little bit more, that's when you resort to using your powers to 
  charm, confuse, and eventually dominate your opponents. Personally, you do not like to fight, so that's what 
  your friends are for -- well that and helping you achieve your goals and pleasures.
  "Why, yes, I do need some help. It is so nice of you to offer."
  Mind Spy: You are a listener, always paying attention to what those around you have to say. You have learned 
  
  the value of information and know that one person's secret is worth gold to another. With your powers, you can 
  now listen to their very thoughts or, if necessary, pry the information from their brain if you have to. Often you 
  are hired to spy on someone, but you also keep your ears open for any useful bit of gossip that could provide 
  you with more money and maybe a new client.
  "Does this involve that illegal trade route of yours or the three mistresses you keep?"
  Diplomat: You are a peacemaker, always stepping between those fighting to stop them. You are sensitive to 
  the emotions of all and are not above manipulating them to stop violence. Your telepathic powers allow you to 
  better understand both parties in a dispute so that you can make sure that any treaties are fair to all involved.
  "There are always alternatives to war!"
  Chameleon: You are an actor and a master of disguise to start with. When you add in your powers, you 
  become a true chameleon, actually becoming the people you pretend to be. Your specialty is replacing 
  someone, perhaps to fool an assassin or to hide a kidnapping, but your telepathic abilities allow you to 
  understand your target better than even their own relatives could.
  "Sorry, the prince is elsewhere, but I will try to provide you with the attention you deserve."
  Mental Warrior: You are a warrior; you have trained yourself to be unstoppable in battle -- an overwhelming 
  force to those that oppose you and an indestructible enemy to those that attack you. But none of this is 
  perceived by those around you because your battlefield is the mind. The weapons you wield are thought and 
  ego, your armor is will and imagination, and your battles can take place without others even realizing combat is 
  happening.
  "Have I fought many battles, eh? I have fought two in front of you tonight."
  Telepathic Communication
  You gain the supernatural ability to communicate with any creature with your telepathy. 
  Level: 5th. 
  Replaces: The bonus feat at 5th level. 
  Benefit: You gain the supernatural ability telepathy from page 316 of the Monster Manual. You can 
  communicate telepathically with any other creature that has a language within 5 feet per manifester level. You 
  can address multiple creatures at once telepathically, although maintaining telepathic conversation with more 
  than one creature at a time is just as difficult as simultaneously speaking and listening to multiple people at the 
  same time.
  Harbinger
  Your mental attacks have a specific symbolism to them that aids you in your mental combat. 
  Level: 5th. 
  Replaces: The bonus feat at 5th level. 
  Prerequisite: You must also take the power false sensory input at 5th level. 
  Benefit: You have learned to incorporate symbolism into your psionic attacks and defenses. When you manifest 
  powers that specifically target another's mind or defend your mind, you gain an augmentation option. 
  Augment:If you spend an additional 5 power points, you can add a mental illusionary aspect to your attack. This 
  takes the form of a harbinger, a mental symbol that conveys a confusing or threatening message to the target's 
  mind and momentarily distracts or disables them. The target gets a Will save to negate the effects of the 
  
  harbinger. If the target fails the Will save, the power you manifest is considered 1d3 levels higher than its actual 
  level for purposes of DC.
  The form of the harbinger can vary wildly. An offensive power could have a harbinger of a sword, a flame, or a 
  spider. A defensive power could have a harbinger of a shield, a wall, or brambles with thorns.
  Starting Packages
  Package 1: The Diplomat 
  Psi-Forged* Psion (Telepath) 
  Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 12. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Diplomacy, Sense Motive. 
  Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling. 
  Feats: Psi-Forged Body*. 
  Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d6). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 10 gp. 
  Power Points: 5. 
  Powers Known: Empathy, mindlink, telempathic projection. 
  * See Magic of Eberron.
  Package 2: The Mind Spy
  Human Psion (Telepath) 
  Ability Scores: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 17. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Bluff, Concentration, Hide. 
  Languages: Common, Goblin, Orc. 
  Feats: Chain Power, Psionic Body[B]. 
  Weapons: 4 daggers (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.), light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d8/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 7 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers Known: Attraction, eidetic lock, sense link.
  Package 3: The Mental Warrior 
  Elven Psion (Telepath) 
  Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 10. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Psicraft. 
  Languages: Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan. 
  Feats: Mental Juggernaut. 
  Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d6), 2 daggers (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 17 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers Known: Empty mind, mind thrust, psionic daze.
   
  ©1995-2007 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 
   
  
  The Mind's Eye 
  Expanded Classes, Part Four 
  Ardent, Divine Mind, Lurk, and Erudite 
  By Dark Psion and Mark A. Jindra
  The Players Handbook II introduces us to expanded classes, which provide us with a way to enhance the basic 
  classes of D&D . In this article, we will discover some expanded class options for the psionic classes presented 
  in Complete Psionic, including theerudite.
  Expanded Class: The Ardent 
  While some categorize psionics into disciplines, others employ a 
  more esoteric method when using psionic abilities. They see paths 
  of power, where they organize their powers by concept or ideal and 
  then form them into mantles that they can then assume. As they live 
  their lives by those ideals, so too do the ideals guide their psionic 
  development. They seek out others who share those philosophies, 
  often by way of a religion, but also in organizations or cults. Some 
  even build their own groups to spread their teachings. 
  Ardents embrace their beliefs wholly and completely, letting them guide every aspect of their lives. Some 
  perceive them as either very dedicated to a cause or as zealots who endlessly seek to convert others to their 
  beliefs. 
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Artisan, Ascetic, Tribal Origin.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Crusader, Martyr, Prophet, Sage, Savage, Simple Soul, 
  
  Theorist.
  Character Themes 
  One or more of the following character themes could apply to you.
  Idealist: You believe in an ideal, be it truth, beauty, or justice. Your belief gives you the focus to manifest your 
  psionic powers. Of course your belief in "justice" may manifest as a law enforcement officer guarding the streets 
  or as a vigilante dealing your own idea of justice in the alley. Your belief in "truth" may be found in painting or in 
  an interrogator's chair. Your ideal is your guiding light in your life, and you may have more than one compatible 
  ideal, such as truth, justice, and the dwarven way. 
  Professional: You are defined by your profession, and your powers are just another tool for doing your job. You 
  may be a healer, so you focus yourself on helping people with psionic powers others cannot achieve. You also 
  may be a metalsmith, working metal with your tools and mind. You may be accused of being single-minded 
  when it comes to your craft, but you realize that to be the best at your profession requires that kind of focus. You 
  may have become an adventurer to find the materials you need for a chosen accomplishment, such as special 
  ores, rare herbs, or parts of exotic beasts. 
  Tribal Ardent: Among more primitive societies psions are very rare, so those with psionic ability usually become 
  wilders or ardents. As a tribal ardent, you focus on the basic concepts of nature, such as the elements of fire, 
  water, air and earth. Your ideals are primitive in nature, possibly involving animal totems, spirits, and 
  superstitions. Because of these beliefs, you lose the class skill of Psicraft but gain the skill Survival. You can still 
  learn Psicraft, but only as a cross-class skill because it conflicts with your primitive nature.
  Zealot: You are a follower, be it a cause, a religion or a nation, but you are a true believer in it. You have 
  shaped your life around your cause and seem surprised when others do not share your zeal in doing the same. 
  You may serve a special purpose, such as a witch hunter for a church, or you might be an ambassador to 
  foreign lands. Your cause is your life's focus and almost nothing can change your course if you believe it is part 
  of your goal. If you ever lose your "zeal," you cannot advance in this class and might even become a "fallen 
  ardent," losing access to your mantle's special abilities.
  Dominant Ideal
  An ardent develops her power by embracing philosophical concepts, with her two primary mantles serving as 
  the core of her beliefs, and the secondary mantles providing peripheral views of the world. For some, one 
  specific ideal outshines even its primary companion, and secondary considerations are little more than a 
  distracting shadow of doubt. If you want to make a single mantle the focus of your ardent, selecting the 
  dominant ideal alternative class feature allows you to use its powers more effectively. In exchange for this 
  stronger focus, you must give up access to a new psionic mantle, reducing your overall power selection.
  Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not assume an additional secondary psionic mantle at 10th 
  level.
  Benefit: At 10th level, you choose one of your primary mantles to become the dominant ideal in your philosophy, 
  deepening your connection to this fundamental principle. You do not need to expend your psionic focus when 
  applying metapsionic feats to powers you manifest from your chosen primary mantle, and the power point cost 
  of augmenting or applying metapsionic feats to these idealized powers is reduced by 2 (to a minimum of 0). The 
  reduction in cost applies only to the additional power points spent on augmentation or metapsionic feats; the 
  power's normal power point cost is not reduced.
  If you later decide to make the primary mantle for which you have selected this alternative class feature into a 
  
  secondary mantle, you must also swap this feature, allocating it to one of your primary mantles.
  Elemental Mantles 
  There are four recognized elements, yet only a single mantle for them. Here are mantles for each element. If 
  you use these, you will need to remove the Elements mantle from the game. Note that some powers are 
  modified or limited to a single elemental aspect or energy.
  Air Mantle 
  Granted Ability: When you are psionically focused, you can treat any fall as if the distance were 
  20 feet less.
  1 Deflection Field*: Provides +4 deflection bonus to AC. 
  2 Control Air [A]: You have control over wind speed and direction. 
  3 Telekinetic (Air) Thrust [A]: Hurl objects with the force of the wind. 
  4 Fly, Psionic: You fly at a speed of 60 ft. 
  5 Telekinetic (Air) Buffer*[A]: Use the wind to force creatures away from you. 
  6 Overland Flight, Psionic: You fly at a speed of 40 ft. and can hustle over long distances. 
  7 Ethereal Jaunt, Psionic: Become ethereal for 1 round/ level. 
  9 Tornado Blast [A]: Vortex of air subjects your foes to 17d6 damage and moves them.
  Earth Mantle 
  Granted Ability: When you are psionically focused, you gain a +4 bonus on Balance checks and 
  checks to resist bull rush attempts.
  1 Stomp [A]: Subjects fall prone and take 1d4 nonlethal damage. 
  2 Earth Walk*[A]: Move easily in all directions while on earthen surface. 
  2 Crystalstorm *[A]: Crystal spray deals 2d4 damage + 1d4 Con damage. 
  4 Inertial Barrier: Gain DR 5/--. 
  5 Hail of Crystals [A]: A crystal explodes in an area, dealing 9d4 slashing damage. 
  5 Major (Earth) Creation, Psionic: As psionic minor creation, but stone and metal only. 
  7 Eyes of the Basilisk*: Turn one creature per round to stone with a glance. 
  8 Iron Body, Psionic: Your body becomes living iron.
  Fire Mantle 
  Granted Ability: When you are psionically focused, your melee attacks deal an extra 1 point of 
  fire damage.
  1 Control Flames [A]: Take control of nearby open flame. 
  2 Energy (Fire) Emanation*[A]: Deal 1d6 points of fire damage to surrounding creatures. 
  3 Energy (Fire) Burst [A]: Deal 5d6 fire damage in a 40-ft. burst. 
  3 Energy (Fire) Wall: Create a wall of fire. 
  5 Energy (Fire) Current [A]: Deal 9d6 fire damage to one foe and half to another foe as long as 
  you concentrate. 
  5 Fiery Discorporation [A]: Cheat death by discorporating into a nearby fire for one day. 
  6 Energy (Fire) Barrage*[A]: Decimate foes with a barrage of fire explosions. 
  7 Energy (Fire) Wave [A]: Deal 13d4 fire damage in a 120-ft. cone.
  
  Water Mantle 
  Granted Ability: When you are psionically focused, you gain a swim speed equal to your base 
  land speed.
  1 Float [A]: You can buoy yourself in water or other liquid. 
  1 Control Object (Water): Telekinetically animate a small amount of water or ice. 
  2 Body Equilibrium: You can walk on nonsolid surfaces. 
  3 Energy (Ice) Lance*[A]: Lance of cold deals 5d6 damage plus chills target. 
  4 Energy (Ice) Flash*[A]: Touch deals 5d6 cold damage to foe. 
  5 Energy (Ice) Current [A]: Deal 9d6 cold damage to one foe and half to another foe as long as 
  you concentrate. 
  6 Breath of the Black Dragon [A]: Breathe acid for 11d6 damage. 
  8 True Metabolism: You regenerate 10 hit points/round. 
  * Found in Complete Psionic.
  Substitute Powers 
  Considering the esoteric nature of mantles, different ardents may have the same mantle but have different 
  powers available to them. A mantle can have no more than ten powers in it, and if it has fewer, add further 
  powers to fill the gaps if that mantle has no powers of that level. The powers need to fit the theme of the mantle 
  at the DM's discretion. Otherwise, you can substitute a power of equal or lesser level. For example, the sense 
  danger* power could be added to the Fate mantle as a 3rd-level power since only seven powers and no 3rd-
  level powers are in it, or the faint memory* power could replace escape detection in the Deception mantle.
  *Found in Magic of Eberron.
  Starting Packages 
  Package 1: The Guardian 
  Human Ardent 
  Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 17, Cha 13. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Heal, Knowledge (religion). 
  Language: Common. 
  Feats: Psionic Body, Speed of Thought. 
  Weapons: Morningstar (1d8), longspear (1d6/x3), dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC), heavy wooden shield (+2 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 17 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Mantles: Fate, Force. 
  Granted Abilities: Expend your focus to add a bonus on one d20 roll equal to your level in the class that allowed 
  access to this ability; while focused gain a +1 deflection bonus to AC. 
  Powers: Defensive precognition, force screen.
  Package 2: The Healer 
  Half-Elf Ardent 
  Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 8. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Diplomacy, Heal, Psicraft. 
  Languages: Common, Elven. 
  Feat: Empower Power. 
  Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d6), club (1d6). 
  
  Armor: Chainmail (+5 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 7 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Mantles: Guardian, Life. 
  Granted Abilities: Expend focus to take the damage inflicted on an adjacent ally; expend focus to manifest Life 
  powers at +1 level. 
  Powers: Thicken skin, touch of health.
  Package 3: The Totemist 
  Halfling Ardent 
  Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 9. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Heal, Survival. 
  Languages: Common,Halfling. 
  Feat: Endurance. 
  Weapons: Longspear (1d6/x3), dagger (1d3/19-20, 10 ft.). 
  Armor: Hide (+3 AC), heavy wooden shield (+2 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 10 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Granted Abilities: Wild Empathy, expend psionic focus for +2 to Str, Dex, or Con for 1 round. 
  Powers: Chameleon, vigor.
  Expanded Class: Divine Mind 
  Not all followers of a religion are clerics and priests. Many wizards, 
  fighters, and rogues are as devoted to their faith as clerics are, and the 
  same is true for psionic practitioners. Some feel that they must take an 
  active part of their faith -- as a leader, a defender, or even an avenger -- 
  and so they follow the path of the divine mind. 
  While a divine mind is as dedicated to his or her faith as a paladin, one key difference is that a divine mind is 
  much more "people friendly." They recognize that there is strength in numbers and as such they almost always 
  serve as leaders of their groups. They have learned to use their psychic auras to benefit others around 
  themselves and as such they share their mantle with those who follow them.
  
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Ascetic, Drifter, Noble Scion, Soldier, Tribal Origin.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Crusader, Leader, Martyr, Rebel, Seeker, Strategist.
  Character Themes 
  One or more of the following character themes could apply to you.
  Avatar: It is not enough to follow the scriptures of your church -- you are following the literal path of your deity. 
  You dress as she does. You wield the same weapons and try to do everything she did according to the story of 
  her path to divinity. Most deities have many legends and stories about them, and you have studied all of them 
  and know them by heart. You try to model your life around them -- even try to reenact them if possible. You also 
  share the same dislikes as your deity and oppose her enemies with force of arms as necessary. 
  Battle Strategist: To you, life is a game and you are going to win. You are a master of strategy and a crafter of 
  plans -- you're always looking for the next game to play. You have studied the tactics of the great wars, the 
  legendary battles, and the impossible victories. You are likely to be fond of games as well, be it simple card 
  games, chess-like games of strategy, or even athletic games. To you everything is a game of chance and 
  strategy, and you are always looking for the winning move in all of life's challenges.
  Diplomat: Not everyone wants to start wars -- some are here to stop them. Preventing them by using diplomacy 
  is preferred, but force of arms may become necessary. You are a very charismatic person, but wisdom tempers 
  your charisma. You seek to end conflicts in a way that benefits all, listening to all complaints and trying to bring 
  their conflict to a close. But at the same time, if they will not listen to you, then you are prepared to end the 
  conflict by defeating them yourself. You recognize that some respond only to strength, and your strength comes 
  from your faith and force of will. You know you will prevail.
  Guardian of the Faith: Your job is to defend the faith from heretics, opposing faiths, tomb raiders, and anyone 
  who would harm it. But this duty doesn't mean that you spend time just guarding temples and the faithful -- you 
  are a guardian of the philosophies of your deity as well. You watch over young mages if you follow a god of 
  magic, or rescue caught thieves if you follow a god of rogues. You may watch over a holy site, be a bodyguard 
  to a priest, or venture forth to retrieve lost relics.
  Ectopic Ally 
  You gain the ability to manifest a single type of ectopic construct as an ally to aid you in your cause. You must 
  choose a single type of ectopic construct that represents you and your faith, and this cannot be changed once 
  chosen.
  Replaces: You do not gain psychic aura at 1st level, but you gain it at 3rd level, though with a 5-foot reduction in 
  size. For example, this ability would be 5 feet at 3rd, 10 feet at 5th level, 15 feet at 7th, and 20 feet at 9th.
  Benefit: You can manifest the astral construct power as a psi-like ability once per day for every two levels. You 
  may sacrifice an additional daily use to augment the power one level per use/day that is sacrificed. The power 
  manifests at your class level.
  Stygian Path 
  Many faiths deal with undead either by creating them or destroying them. Those who follow the stygian path 
  gain the weapons needed to face the undead.
  
  Replaces: You lose the 4th-level divine grace ability.
  Benefit: You gain the ability to turn undead, and you must expend your psionic focus to activate this ability. You 
  can use this ability 3 + your Charisma modifier times per day; you turn undead as a cleric three levels lower.
  Hidden Talent 
  If your campaign has an established history of psionics, you can replace the Wild Talent bonus feat with the 
  Hidden Talent feat (see page 67 of the Expanded Psionic Handbook).
  Replaces: You lose the free Wild Talent feat at 1st level.
  Benefits: You gain the Hidden Talent feat, but with the following modifications. The 1st-level power gained must 
  come from your first mantle's list and the power is manifested using your Wisdom instead of your Charisma.
  Starting Packages 
  Package 1: The Avatar 
  Gnome Divine Mind of Garl Glittergold 
  Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 13. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Knowledge (religion), Swim. 
  Languages: Common, Gnome. 
  Feat: Gnome Foe Killer (see Races of Stone). 
  Weapons: Battleaxe (1d6/x3) 
  Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 17 gp. 
  Power Points: 2. 
  Mantle: Deception. 
  Psychic Aura: 5 ft. 
  Granted Ability: You and your allies gain a +2 bonus on Bluff checks when feinting in battle, and you can expend 
  your focus to feint as a move action. 
  Powers: None.
  Package 2: The Protector 
  Human Divine Mind of Helm 
  Ability Scores: Str 15, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Knowledge (religion), Ride. 
  Language: Common. 
  Feats: Mental Juggernaut, Psionic Weapon. 
  Weapons: Longspear (1d8/x3), longsword (1d8/19-20), dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.). 
  Armor: Half-plate (+7 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 10 gp. 
  Power Points: 2. 
  Mantle: Guardian. 
  Psychic Aura: 5 ft. 
  Granted Ability: While focused, you grant all allies in range of your aura damage reduction 1/--. 
  Powers: None.
  Package 3: The Strategist 
  Elven (Drow) Divine Mind of Eilistraee 
  Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 11, Con 9, Int 18, Wis 17, Cha 14. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Climb, Concentration, Jump, Knowledge (religion). 
  
  Languages: Common, Elven, Drow. 
  Feat: Up the Walls. 
  Weapons: Longsword (1d8/19-20), two short swords (1d6/19-20). 
  Armor: Chain shirt (+4 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 7 gp. 
  Power Points: 2. 
  Mantle: Freedom. 
  Psychic Aura: 5 ft. 
  Granted Ability: You and your allies gain a +2 bonus on Escape Artist checks and to resist grapple checks. 
  Powers: None.
  Expanded Class: Lurk 
  According to legend, the first lurk learned her skills while hiding in 
  the shadow of the first psychic warrior. There may be some truth 
  to that legend since the two classes do share several similarities, 
  but it is more likely that some psychic warriors chose to use their 
  skills in stealthier ways and sought to unlock psionic methods to 
  enhance their ambush skills. Some lurks are just thieves with 
  psionic powers while others are hunters, spies, and even covert 
  fighters.
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Artisan, Drifter, Gladiator, Guttersnipe, Soldier.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Agent, Challenger, Companion, Daredevil, Mercenary, Rebel, 
  Seeker, Strategist, Trickster, Wanderer.
  Character Themes 
  One or more of the following character themes could apply to you.
  Hunter: You are hunting something or someone and will not let anything get in your way. You may be a bounty 
  hunter, a tomb raider, or just someone who retrieves "lost" goods. As a hunter, you are defined by what you 
  hunt. Maybe you hunt monsters as a freelance exterminator, or perhaps you lead expeditions of nobles after 
  some creature in the jungle. Maybe you hunt objects simply to find them and add them to your own collection, or 
  perhaps you act as a retrieval agent who searches for something specific that was lost. And of course you could 
  
  be a bounty hunter who seeks out some of the most dangerous prey of all: intelligent beings.
  Psychic Rogue: You are a thief in psionic clothes. Be it a pickpocket, con artist, or burglar, you use your psionic 
  abilities to be a better thief and to give you an edge over other rogues. You may work alone or maybe even be 
  part of a guild of psychic thieves, wilders, and psions. In some settings, psionics is forbidden or psychics are in 
  hiding. In such a setting, you have the advantage since you are an expert at hiding, though you may also 
  probably be on someone's wanted list.
  Sneak Fighter: You are a dirty fighter and you admit it. The only rule of combat you recognize is to get it over 
  with as quickly as possible and by any means necessary. Combat is not about rules, strategy, or honor. It is 
  about survival. It does not matter what is required of you as long as you survive to fight again. Your life has been 
  one struggle after another -- perhaps you grew up on the streets or got lost in the wilderness -- but you have 
  endured it. You are the kind of person that always has a way out, you maintain several secret supply caches in 
  case of emergency, and you always sit with your back against the wall. You choose your friends carefully and 
  are unforgiving to those who betray you. You do not take at all well to anything that interferes with your survival.
  Vigilante: You are the justice in the night; you may be working alone, as part of a guild, or maybe even as an 
  agent for a government or organization. Not all law enforcement takes place in the day. Some infiltrate criminal 
  organizations and take them down from within. Sometimes when a person is a victim of a crime, she may decide 
  to take justice into her own hands and deal with the criminals directly. You might also be an agent of a 
  government, such as a spy sent into enemy territory to gain information or possibly to strike a blow for your liege 
  and country. 
  True Thief 
  You are more thief than warrior and, as such, have a different set of lurk augments available to you.
  Replaces: Use the table below to replace the lurk augments on page 15 in Complete Psionic.
  Benefits: Use the following table of lurk augments:
  1st Additional sneak attack* 
  1st Psionic trapfinding 
  3rd Stunning attack* 
  3rd Psionic uncanny dodge 
  5th Ignore concealment* 
  5th Psionic trapsense +1 
  8th Deceptive attack* 
  8th Sneak attack undead* 
  8th Psionic trapsense +2 
  11th Ghost touch* 
  11th Psionic skill mastery 
  11th Psionic trapsense +3 
  14th Sneak attack constructs* 
  14th Psionic improved evasion 
  17th Synaptic disconnect* 
  17th Opportunist 
  20th Death attack
  * As per the normal lurk augments.
  Psionic Trapfinding: As long as you have your psionic focus, you gain the rogue ability of trapfinding. Minimum 
  
  level 1st.
  Psionic Uncanny Dodge: As long as you have your psionic focus, you gain the rogue ability of uncanny dodge. 
  Minimum level 3rd. 
  Psionic Trapsense: As long as you have your psionic focus, you gain the rogue ability of trapsense with the 
  bonus listed. Minimum level 5th.
  Psionic Skill Mastery: As long as you have your psionic focus, you gain the skill mastery special ability of a 
  rogue. Minimum level 11th.
  Psionic Improved Evasion: As long as you have your psionic focus, your evasion ability becomes improved 
  evasion. If you lose or sacrifice your psionic focus, it returns to regular evasion. Minimum level 14th.
  Opportunist: At the cost of a lurk augment, you gain the rogue special ability of opportunist. Minimum level 17th.
  Death Attack: At the cost of a lurk augment, you gain the assassin ability of a death attack. You must still 
  observe your target for 3 rounds and cannot use any additional lurk augments during the 3 rounds unless you 
  activated them at the same time as the death attack.
  Tracker 
  You are a hunter, trained to track down your prey, and you have a different set of lurk augments available to you.
  Replaces: Use the table below to replace the lurk augments on page 15 in Complete Psionic.
  Benefits: Use the following table of lurk augments: 
  1st Psionic tag 
  1st Psionic tracker 
  3rd Locate trail 
  3rd Stunning attack* 
  5th Ignore concealment* 
  5th Mental assault* 
  8th Locate target 
  8th Reach attack* 
  8th Psionic stride 
  11th Ghost touch* 
  11th Power drain* 
  11th Binding attack 
  14th Crippling attack 
  14th Stygian weapon* 
  17th Metafaculty tag 
  17th Synaptic disconnect* 
  20th Greater power drain*
  * As per the normal lurk augments.
  Psionic Tag: The lurk's next touch or melee attack will "tag" a creature or object with a psionic signature. You get 
  a +1 bonus, plus an additional +1 bonus for every five manifester levels you possess, to tracking or locating this 
  creature or object. You can have only one tag active for every five manifester levels you have and you must 
  
  release one to create another. The tag's duration is a number of days equal to your lurk level. Nondetection and 
  similar spells and psionics will conceal a tag, and dispel psionics or an antimagic field removes this tag.
  Psionic Tracker: As long as you have psionic focus, you gain a +2 bonus on all tracking attempts.
  Locate Trail: At the cost of a lurk augment use, you can locate a lost trail. If there is not an actual trail there, you 
  will discover that but still use an augment use.
  Locate Target: At the cost of a lurk augment use and by sacrificing your psionic focus, you can use locate object 
  as a psi-like ability to find an object or creature that has been "tagged."
  Binding Attack: At the cost of a lurk augment use and with a successful attack, you can require a Reflex save to 
  avoid being tangled or bound in the process of your attack. You might bind a foe in her cloak, pin her with your 
  blade or wrap her with a spiked chain.
  Crippling Attack: At the cost of a lurk augment use, you can use the rogue special ability crippling strike.
  Metafaculty Tag: At the cost of a lurk augment and by sacrificing your psionic focus, you can manifest 
  metafaculty as a psi-like ability, targeting a "tagged" creature or object.
  Starting Packages 
  Package 1: The Assassin 
  Halfling Lurk 
  Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 17, Wis 11, Cha 8. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Bluff, Concentration, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Spot, Tumble. 
  Language: Common. 
  Feat: Extra Lurk Augment. 
  Weapons: Longspear (1d6/x3), dagger (1d3/19-20, 10 ft.), light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d6/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 7 gp. 
  Power Points: 2. 
  Power: Extend range.
  Package 2: The Bounty Hunter 
  Half-Orc Lurk 
  Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 13. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Bluff, Concentration, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Spot, Tumble. 
  Languages: Common, Orc. 
  Feat: Ranged Lurk Augment. 
  Weapons: Club (1d6), morningstar (1d8), light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d8/19-20, 80 ft.) 
  Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 17 gp. 
  Power Points: 2. 
  Power: Conceal thoughts.
  Package 3: The Dirty Fighter 
  Human Lurk 
  Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 14. 
  Skills: Autohypnosis, Bluff, Concentration, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Spot, Tumble. 
  Language: Common. 
  Feats: Mental Leap, Reckless Offense. 
  
  Weapons: Rapier (1d6/18-20), dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.), shortbow with 20 arrows (1d6/x3, 60 ft.) 
  Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC). 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 10 gp. 
  Power Points: 2. 
  Power: Skate.
  Expanded Class: Erudite 
  You are a different type of psionic user. You are not limited in the 
  number of powers you can learn; in fact you seem to pick them up 
  from other manifesters quite frequently. Perhaps it is a bloodline 
  ability shared by all in your family, maybe you have an unusual 
  ancestor, such as a sapphire dragon or other psionic creature, or 
  perhaps it is just a cosmic twist of fate that gave you this skill, but 
  it means you are different even among those already considered 
  different. Unlike most psionic users, you can learn almost any 
  power you come across; some are more difficult than others, but 
  that just makes things more interesting.
  Suggested Backgrounds (choose one): Artisan, Ascetic, Noble Scion.
  Suggested Personality Archetypes (choose one): Challenger, Explorer, Prophet, Royalty, Sage, Seeker, Simple 
  Soul, Strategist, Theorist, Wanderer.
  Character Themes 
  One or more of the following character themes could apply to you.
  Savant: You are a gifted psionic user, which was recognized early on, but only now do they realize you are an 
  erudite. You excel in learning new powers and have twice the repertoire of other psions you know. But at the 
  same time, you have a lot of pressure on you to achieve greatness. Others seem to expect you to create all-new 
  powers, craft never-before-seen psionic items, and to become a living legend. Maybe you became an 
  adventurer to achieve this destiny, or maybe you are trying to run away from it.
  
  Archivist: You are seeking to learn all that is learnable. While others trailblaze new psionic powers, you seek 
  out old ones lost in the past. Ancient tales and historical stories fascinate you, and you always have your nose in 
  an old book. You have a list of places you want to visit, people you want to meet, and things you want to do 
  before you die. 
  Psionicist: You consider yourself a generalist in psionics. To you, all psionic powers are learnable, and you 
  plan to learn them all. You don't understand how someone could focus on just one discipline, on just one mantle, 
  or on a select number of powers. You are the one to ask when anyone has a question about psionics, and you 
  intend to one day be a metapsionic master.
  Blaster: You focus on offensive powers and are a master of the military use of psionics. To you, your powers 
  are weapons and it is your job to wield them against the enemy. You have an array of powers to call upon. Rays 
  are your favorite types of attacks, and you have created several new powers based off the many ray spells you 
  have seen used in battle. You think in tactical terms and choose your actions carefully. 
  Favored Discipline 
  Unlike most erudites, you have a discipline that you favor above all others. 
  Replaces: You lose your 1st-level bonus feat.
  Benefit: You choose a single discipline and all powers of that discipline, no matter what class list they are on, 
  are considered general psion/wilder powers for purposes of learning.
  Mantled Erudite 
  You have learned to use a single psionic mantle.
  Replaces: You lose your 1st-level bonus feat.
  Benefit: You gain access to a single psionic mantle. You gain the granted ability of the mantle, and the powers 
  of that mantle are considered general psion/wilder powers for the purpose of learning.
  Convert Spell to Power 
  Your training has included basic magical theory as well as the usual psionic training.
  Replaces: You lose your 1st-level bonus feat.
  Benefit: You add Spellcraft to your class skill list, which allows you to attempt to convert an arcane spell into a 
  power you can add to your repertoire. You treat the spell as a discipline power for the basis of learning it, and 
  you must first succeed on a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + the spell's level) and then a Psicraft check as per the 
  normal rules of learning a discipline power (see page 154 of Complete Psionic).
  Each spell costs a certain number of power points to manifest. The higher the level of the spell, the more power 
  points it costs. The table below describes each spell's cost.
  Note: If this system intrigues you, you can see a spell point variant system starting on page 153 of Unearthed 
  Arcana.
  
  Spell  
  Level 
  Power  
  Point 
  Cost 
  0
  0*
  1
  1
  2
  3
  3
  5
  4
  7
  5
  9
  6
  11
  7
  13
  8
  15
  9
  17
  * 0-level spells cost no power points to manifest. Instead you may manifest a number of 0-level spells each day 
  equal to three + the number of power points gained by that class at 1st level. 
  The erudite uses her manifester level for determining the effects of the spell being manifested, with one 
  significant exception. Spells that deal a number of dice of damage based on caster level (such as magic missile,
  searing light, or lightning bolt) deal damage as if cast by a character of the minimum level of the class capable of 
  casting the spell. Spells whose damage is partially based on caster level, but that don't deal a number of dice of 
  damage based on caster level (such as produce flame or an inflict spell) use the erudite's normal manifester 
  level to determine damage. Use the erudite's normal manifester level for all other effects, including range and 
  duration.
  For example, a fireball deals a number of dice of damage based on the erudite's manifester level, so when 
  manifested it deals 5d6 points of damage (as if cast by a 5th-level wizard, which is the minimum level of wizard 
  capable of casting fireball).
  An erudite can pay additional power points to augment the dice of damage dealt by a spell. Every 1 extra power 
  point spent at the time of manifesting increases the spell's effective caster level by 1 for purposes of dealing 
  damage. The damage-dealing spell's caster level cannot be increased above the erudite's manifester level, or 
  above the normal maximum allowed by the spell.
  For example, even at 7th level, our erudite's lightning bolts deal only 5d6 points of damage (just like a 5th-level 
  wizard) unless she spends extra power points. If she spends 1 extra power point (making the lightning bolt cost 
  6 points rather than 5), the spell deals 6d6 points of damage. A second extra power point would increase the 
  damage to 7d6 points, but she can't spend more points than this, since her manifester level is only 7th. Were 
  she 10th level or higher, she could spend a maximum of 5 extra power points on this spell, raising the damage 
  up to 10d6, the maximum allowed for a lightning bolt spell.
  Similarly, her magic missile spell shoots only one missile unless she spends extra power points. An extra 2 
  power points increases the caster level from 1st to 3rd, granting her one additional missile. She can spend a 
  maximum of 6 additional power points in this manner, increasing her effective caster level to 7th for damage 
  purposes and granting her a total of four missiles. If she were 9th level or higher, she could spend a maximum of 
  8 extra power points, granting her five missiles (just like a 9th-level caster).
  
  Spells that allow a character to recall or recast a spell cannot be learned. 
  Because the spells are now effectively psionic powers, they are no longer affected by metamagic feats. 
  However, metapsionic feats can affect them as they would a psionic power.
  As with casting a spell, manifesting a spell may require certain components (see page 174 of the Player's 
  Handbook). Some of the components remain unchanged, such as verbal, somatic, and XP cost. Spells with 
  expensive material components (non-negligible) require you to spend an additional 2 power points when 
  manifesting the spell in lieu of the material components. If you happen to have the material components, no 
  additional power point cost is assessed. Spells with a focus are treated the same as those with a material 
  component. If the spell has an expensive material component and a focus, the additional power point cost would 
  be 4.
  Starting Packages 
  Package 1: The Blaster 
  Dwarven Erudite 
  Ability Scores: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 11, Cha 8. 
  Skills: Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (psionics), Psicraft. 
  Languages: Common, Dwarven. 
  Feat: Point Blank Shot. 
  Weapons: Shortspear (1d6, 20 ft.), light crossbow with 20 bolts (1d8/19-20, 80 ft.). 
  Armor: None. 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 7 gp. 
  Power Points: 4. 
  Powers: Crystal shard, deflection field*, energy ray, entangling ectoplasm, mind thrust.
  Package 2: The Savant 
  Human Erudite 
  Ability Scores: Str 7, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 15. 
  Skills: Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (psionics), Psicraft. 
  Language: Common. 
  Feats: Empower Power, Extend Power, Psicrystal Affinity. 
  Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d6), dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.) 
  Armor: None. 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 10 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers: Astral construct, energy arc*, far hand, inertial armor, vigor.
  Package 3: The Scholar 
  Synad Erudite 
  Ability Scores: Str 10, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 13. 
  Skills: Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (psionics), Psicraft. 
  Languages: Common, Synad. 
  Feat: Improved Psicrystal. 
  Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d6), dagger (1d4/19-20, 10 ft.) 
  Armor: None. 
  Other Gear: Standard adventurer's kit, 17 gp. 
  Power Points: 3. 
  Powers: Call to mind, detect psionics, precognition, primal fear*, psionic charm, synchronicity*.
  * Powers from Complete Psionic.
  
  New Psionic Feats 
  Powergrace [Psionic] 
  You are more resistant to psionic powers than most people are. 
  Prerequisite: Must possess a repertoire of powers. 
  Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on all saves against psionic powers and psi-like abilities. 
  Special: You can take this feat multiple times, adding an additional +1 bonus.
  Psychic Sight [Psionic] 
  You can enhance an already existing ability to detect psionic energies. 
  Prerequisite: Must have detect psionics on your list of known powers. 
  Benefit: Once per day, you can expend your psionic focus while manifesting detect psionics and gain the 
  psionic equivalent to the arcane sight spell.
  Arcane Sight 
  Divination 
  Level: Sor/Wiz 3 
  Components: V, S 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action 
  Range: Personal 
  Target: You 
  Duration: 1 min./level (D)
  This spell makes your eyes glow blue and allows you to see magical auras within 120 feet of you. The 
  effect is similar to that of a detect magic spell, but arcane sight does not require concentration and 
  discerns aura location and power more quickly.
  You know the location and power of all magical auras within your sight. An aura's power depends on a 
  spell's functioning level or an item's caster level, as noted in the description of the detect magic spell. If 
  the items or creatures bearing the auras are in line of sight, you can make Spellcraft skill checks to 
  determine the school of magic involved in each. (Make one check per aura; DC 15 + spell level, or 15 + 
  one-half caster level for a nonspell effect.)
  If you concentrate on a specific creature within 120 feet of you as a standard action, you can determine 
  whether it has any spellcasting or spell-like abilities, whether these are arcane or divine (spell-like 
  abilities register as arcane), and the strength of the most powerful spell or spell-like ability the creature 
  currently has available for use.
  Arcane sight can be made permanent with a permanency spell. 
   
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/D&D 3.5/Core/Player's Handbook II.pdf