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DATE: December 11, 2003

. Illus. Mark ZugNew Causes to Champion
New Options for The Champion Class

One of the more dynamic classes in Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed is the champion, because its abilities depend so much on the cause the character chooses to champion, and the number of causes is almost limitless. Here are two more causes to champion that you can add to those found in the rulebook.

Justice
The champion is interested in wrongs being made right and seeing the guilty punished. Champions of justice are not representatives of some higher good -- justice and benevolence only sometimes share the same goals. Nor are champions of justice interested in upholding laws, for the letter of the law often confounds justice rather than supports it. Rather, they strive to find those who have acted unjustly, or those who have wronged another in a fundamental way and punish them. Better yet, if they see an injustice being performed, they try to stop it before it actually transpires. Punishment at the hands of this champion is swift and without mercy or favoritism. Champions of justice do not listen to excuses and are not interested in rationalizations. The ends do not justify the means, if the means involve harming an innocent. In their eyes, injustices include: killing or harming an innocent, stealing from another, cheating another, being wasteful while others do without, and discriminating against others because of their race, to name just a few. However, murdering someone who deserves it, stealing something from a thief, and so on, are just not unjust.

Some champions of justice are far less interested in punishing the guilty as they are in dealing with injustices like hungry children, disease, catastrophe, and so on.

The champion of justice often wears a symbol of scales, or of a woman with her eyes blindfolded (for justice is blind).

  • Special: The champion of justice has Sense Motive and Search as class skills.
  • 1st Level -- Touch of Justice (Sp): The champion of justice can, once per day per class level, touch another intelligent, living creature and learn of the most unjust thing that creature has done (and if he or she ever paid the price for doing so). The creature can make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + champion of justice's class level + his Charisma modifier) to resist. This requires a touch attack and is a standard action to perform. If the creature is shown to owe a debt of justice (DM's discretion), the champion of justice gains a +1 bonus to damage rolls against that creature henceforth.
  • 5th Level -- Blast of Castigation (Sp): The champion of justice can cast blast of castigation once per day per three class levels as a caster of his class level using Charisma as his spellcasting ability score.
  • 10th Level -- Reap the Whirlwind (Su): While fighting against someone shown to owe a debt of justice (using the touch of justice), the champion of justice gains a +4 circumstance bonus to attack and damage rolls.
  • 15th Level -- The Keen Eye (Su): The champion of justice gains a +4 competence bonus to all Spot, Search, and Sense Motive checks.
  • 20th Level -- Finger of Death (Sp): The champion of justice can cast finger of death once per day as a caster of his class level using Charisma as his spellcasting ability score. The target must be someone shown to owe a debt of justice (using the touch of justice).

Knowledge
The champion of knowledge defends learning and information for its own sake. Lost lore, wisdom, developments, or secrets is the greatest crime, and new discoveries and ideas are the greatest accomplishments in the eyes of this champion. Champions of knowledge are close companions to akashics, as champions of magic are to magisters.

Champions of knowledge use knowledge as a weapon and a shield. The power of information is without bounds. These champions are thoughtful, careful, and intelligent. They don't go into battle without a plan, and they try to keep some winning stratagem in reserve, just in case.

Champions of knowledge often carry a book as a symbol, strapped to their side next to their scabbard or prominently on their back.

  • Special: The champion of knowledge can use any spell-completion or spell-trigger magic item involving the divination school.
  • Special: The champion of knowledge gains an additional 2 skill points per level.
  • 1st Level -- Loresight (Sp): The champion of knowledge can use either creature loresight or object loresight a number of times per day equal to her Intelligence bonus as a spell-like ability. If she does not have an Intelligence bonus, she can use this ability once per week. If her Intelligence bonus is 2 or greater, she can use the abilities in conjunction with each other. For example, a champion with a +3 bonus can use creature loresight three times in one day, object loresight three times in one day, creature loresight once and object loresight twice, and so on.
  • 5th Level -- Combat Insight (Sp): The champion of knowledge gains an insight bonus to damage equal to her Intelligence modifier, which stacks with any adjustment gained from her Strength modifier.
  • 10th Level -- The Gift of Knowledge (Su): The champion of knowledge gains a +4 competence bonus to all Knowledge checks.
  • 15th Level -- Defensive Insight (Sp): The champion of knowledge gains an insight bonus to Armor Class equal to her Intelligence modifier, which stacks with any adjustment gained from her Dexterity modifier.
  • 20th Level -- Knowledge From Beyond (Sp): The champion of knowledge can use either of the following spells at will: locate creature, locate object. She can also use these spells once per day (each): foretell future, learn truename.

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"New Causes to Champion" ©2003 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.

 

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