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Designer's Note: Original concept: Peter Dosik, Dragon™ Magazine January 1988. Halfling Guardians are protectors and law enforcers of halfling communities. They act as troubleshooters and law enforcers in peacetime and in wartime help lead the halfling militias. Guardians are often employed as sheriffs or deputies whose function is to keep the domestic affairs of halflings in order. All guardians serve a patron deity who is a halfling deity devoted to defence and protection of halflings. Guardians are taught to have the utmost respect for their patron deity and his clerics, and both play an important part in guardian training. Guardian applicants must demonstrate defensive skills, great awareness of their surroundings, skill with the short sword, and devotion to their deity and the halfling community. In return for their service and dedication to the halfling community the guardians are held in very high regard by all community members. They can call on aid from any halfling are expect to receive it without question. They are often sought out to settle disputes and their decision rarely questioned. Those guardians who do not directly serve a community are often wanderers, travelling from place to place, always on the look out for ways to serve the halfling cause, and to aid those halflings who may need their help. Guardians are respected even by tall folk for their tenacity in battle and the fearless way they protect halfling communities from outside aggressors. Units of halfling guardians are often "lent" to other armies serving a just cause against a greater evil. Rangers and fighters most common applicants to become guardians, though there are some clerics, rogues and bards. Hit Die: d8 Requirements
The Halfling Guardian
Class Skills The Halfling Guardian's class skills (and key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Law) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Rope Use (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Wilderness Lore (Wis). Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Features Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Halfling Guardians are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armours and shields. Note that armour check penalties for armour heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket and Tumble. [Halflings have a natural aversion to heavy armour and often don’t need it, as they tend to be more adept at dodging blows than other races (higher dex). Halfling guardians are trained to fight in a moving fluid style, which is severely hampered by the wearing of heavy armours. Additionally they often have to travel long distances on foot and hence don’t wish to be weighed down by heavy armour.] Tracking Skill: If the character does not currently have the tracking feat, then they receive it without having to use one of their own slots. If they do have the tracking feat already then they receive +2 on their wilderness lore checks when tracking outdoors. Halfling Hospitality: The guardian will receive free food and board in any halfling community. Likewise they will be provided with provisions and supplies free of charge, if their mission directly serves the community concerned and only if the community can actually afford to finance such purchases (thus if the guardian is on a personal mission then they cannot ask for free supplies). Abuse of this privilege is likely to result in disciplining by a cleric of their patron deity. Sense Evil: The guardian gains the ability to Sense Evil at will. This is a spell like ability that exactly duplicates the spell Detect Evil. Defensive Stance: Guardians are expert in the use of defensive tactics in combat. Through a combination of fighting prowess and a higher level of awareness they are able to dodge blows with greater ease. Guardians add the indicated bonus to their Armour Class. This bonus is not lost even if the guardian is caught flat footed but it is lost if the Guardian is held immobile. Fleet Foot: The guardian gains additional movement. The character can add ten feet to his or her normal movement, while wearing light or medium armours (this should mean a movement rate of 30 feet for most halflings, as the normal halfling movement rate is 20 feet. Guardian's Courage: Halfling guardians are utterly dedicated to their cause (protection of halflings) and with the blessing of their deity they are able to resist fear. Guardians double their wisdom bonus when applying it to will savings throws against all forms of fear. Guardian's Restoration: Through solemn prayer to their patron deity, guardians are able to heal themselves. Once per day the guardian can heal a number of hit points up to 10 plus twice their guardian class level. This healing may be spread out among several uses. Inspire Courage: Guardians inspire courage through their actions on the battlefield. A guardians allies receive a +2 circumstance bonus to morale checks while the guardian is active on the field. This is doubled for allies who are halflings. Fighter Feat: The guardian gains one fighter feat as listed in the PHB p37. Guardian's Defense: The guardian can force all melee attacks against him to fail, for one whole round. The player simply chooses which round (before it starts) and tells the DM. All attacks against the guardian will behave just as if they had rolled a one on their attack role. This is a supernatural ability granted by their patron deity which can be used a number of times per day equal to the character's charisma modifier. Spells: Halfling guardians are granted divine spells by their patron deity. Halfling Guardian Spell List 2nd level: Aid, Bull's Strength,Delay Poison,
Cure light wounds, See Invisibility,Shield Other, Silence, Snare, Messenger,
Whispering Wind. 3rd level: Magic Vestment, Prayer, Detect Lie, Dispel Magic, Greater Magic Weapon, Prayer, Feign Death, Locate Object.
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