Description
Emerging out of the chaos of the Longest Year, the palestone knights lead a crusade against magic. With bizarre powers of utterly alien origin, these stern inquisitors have formed a vanguard of their own devising, spearheading an assault on spellcasters across the Realms. Many of these knights band together into orders with a particular philosophy and set of principles, though these ideologies are often so extreme that they clash and spark violence even amongst each other. Other knights seek to war against the Weave entirely alone, even when such a path is fraught with innumerable dangers.
Some of these knights reject the idea of bringing magic into the world personally while accepting the moderate use of arcane or divine aid from others as long as it isn’t misused, while others consider any use of magic to be punishable by death.
All of these grim warriors, though, share one singular desire; to eventually see the complete and utter eradication of the Weave. To this end, they all take an oath upon becoming a sworn knight - a knighthood which no local authority recognizes, but by which they symbolise a strange sort of noble purpose to themselves.
Because of their mercurial ideologies, none can truly know what to expect from a palestone knight. Without knowing their personal principles, they are - in the minds of others - just as likely to stab an innocent civilian for accepting divine healing as they are to hunt down a dangerous cabal of necromancers to bring them to justice.
This has led to them having a mixed reception from the world at large, however as their numbers grow and their orders become more prominent and recognizable, more and more authorities are learning which of these knights to welcome and which to chase away. In Amn, the order known as the Pale Judicators is rumoured to have established a base of operations, which Murann has tentatively allowed without resistance.
*Note: As this is an entirely custom class with lore specific to The Dragon’s Neck, a roleplay guide has been provided with some background and details to help any interested players:
Palestone Knights: A Roleplay Guide & Lore
Alignment Restriction: Non-Chaotic, Non-Good only
Class Restrictions: Unable to multiclass with arcane or divine classes
Hit Die: d10
Proficiencies: All simple and martial weapons, all armor and shields (including tower shields)
Skill Points: 4 + INT Modifier
Class Skills: All Knowledges, Barter, Bluff, Concentration, Craft Trap, Diplomacy, Discipline, Heal, Intimidate, Perception, Perform, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Taunt, Tumble
Primary Saving Throws: Fortitude & Will
Base Attack Bonus: + 1 Levels
Requirements
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Knowledge Arcane: 8 Ranks
Discipline: 4 Ranks
Concentration: 4 Ranks
Intimidate: 4 Ranks
Feats: Weapon Focus (Melee Weapon), Iron Will, Palestone Initiate
Level Progression
Level | Hit Dice* | BAB* | Fort | Reflex | Will | Feats | Spell Resistance | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 1d10 | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Palestone Armor I | 16 | |
2nd | 2d10 | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Devouring Blade I | 16 | |
3rd | 3d10 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Inquisitor | 16 | |
4th | 4d10 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Devouring Blade II | 18 | |
5th | 5d10 | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Palestone Armor II | 18 | |
6th | 6d10 | +6 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Devouring Blade III, Sense Magic | 18 | |
7th | 7d10 | +7 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Quieting Sign | 22 | |
8th | 8d10 | +8 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Devouring Blade IV | 22 | |
9th | 9d10 | +9 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Turning Shield | 22 | |
10th | 10d10 | +10 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Palestone Armor III, Halting Sign | 24 |
Palestone Initiate: For those wishing to join the ranks of the infamous Palestone Knights, first one must swear to the code that binds their order. This is just the first step on an arduous and secretive path that grants the knights their otherworldly powers. To swear a vow against any and all magic, to combat those who would abuse it, however they might. This is a special feat awarded by an NPC and cannot be taken at character selection or level up.
Palestone Armor: The palestone knight gains the ability to add the material (palestone) property to a set of heavy armor via augmenting/reforging. Any item with this property becomes useable only by palestone knights. While equipped, the palestone knight gains spell resistance 16. The resistance increases to 18 at level 4, 22 at level 7, and 24 at level 10. This effect also grants 33% immunity to magical damage at level 5. This immunity increases to 66% at level 10. Additionally, it grants fire 5/-, cold 5/- and acid 5/- at level 10.
Devouring Blade: The palestone knight can instantly make his next melee attack strip up to four magical effects from an enemy, as the Greater Spell Breach spell. Each effect dispelled by this ability heals the palestone knight for 2d8 + 1d6 x WIS modifier hit points. This attack ignores concealment. Additionally, this ability rips the magic commonly used to bind spellcasters' minions apart, as the Dismissal spell, but affecting all nearby summoned creatures. This ability may be used once every 4 minutes. The cooldown decreases to 3 minutes at level 4, to 2 at level 6, and to 1 at level 8.
Inquisitor: The palestone knight gains a +4 bonus to Sense Motive and Intimidate skill checks.
Sense Magic: The palestone knight can sense enemies affected by magical invisibility, as the See Invisibility spell, but it cannot be dispelled. This ability may be used once every 6 minutes. The duration the effect lasts is 6 + WIS modifier rounds.
Quieting Sign: The palestone knight makes a sign, creating a zone of impenetrable silence around himself, as the Silence spell, but it cannot be dispelled. This ability may be used once every 3 minutes. Duration is 3 + WIS modifier rounds.
Turning Shield: The palestone knight deflects spells as if they were no better than stray arrows, as the Globe of Invulnerability spell, but it cannot be dispelled. This ability may be used once every 6 minutes. Duration is 3 + WIS modifier rounds.
Halting Sign: The palestone knight makes a sign, preventing a single target from benefitting from any magical effects that increase their movement speed for 3 + WIS modifier rounds. This ability may be used once every 8 minutes.