Champion

Game Rule Information

Champions have the following game statistics:

Abilities: Champions

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, Lawful Neutral, Neutral, Neutral Evil, Neutral Good.

Hit Points: d10

Class Skills

The champion’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Dex), Intimidate (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Cha), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the champion.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Champions are proficient with all basic weapons and any three other weapon groups, and with light and medium armor. Note that a champion’s aegis ability requires light or no armor. Champions are not proficient in shields.

Aura: Champions possess a powerful aura visible to detect alignment spells equal to a priest of their champion level. Champion and priest levels stack for purposes of determining their aura’s strength.

Right Action (Sp): Champions can determine whether or not an action is the correct one for them to take. By concentrating for one full round, a champion receives the benefits of an augury spell. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to the champion’s Charisma bonus.

Heroic Boost (Su): In extreme circumstances, champions can boost their physical abilities, adding one-half (rounded up) their champion levels to their Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution for one round. All of the levels from one boost must be applied to the same ability score, and boosts do not stack, but two simultaneous heroic boosts could be used on separate abilities. Heroic boost can be activated as a free action. Champions gain an additional use of heroic boost at 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter.

Aegis (Su): The people’s faith that a champion is invulnerable grants the champion a measure of protection. When wearing light or no armor a champion gains spell resistance equal to 10 + ½ his champion level, and gains an morale bonus to AC equal to ½ his champion level. Bracers or a buckler may be combined with light armor, and rings, cloaks, and amulets are not considered armor. The morale bonus does stack with normal armor for purposes of damage conversion.

Aura of Courage (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a champion is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects.

This ability functions while the champion is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead.

Magic Strike (Ex): At 4th level, the champion can bypass damage reduction as though he had a magic weapon. At 10th level his attacks take on the non-neutral component of his alignment, and at 16th level the champion’s attacks bypass damage reduction as though they were adamantine.

Sanctum (Su): The champion may find solace in his thoughts. To use this ability, the champion must travel to a specific and remote isolated place within his homeland to meditate and train. Upon meditating there for one night, the champion begins to heal hit point and attribute damage at 3 times the normal rate, receives the benefit of a remove curse spell of a caster level equal to the champion’s once per two days, and may train to regain lost levels at the rate of one per week. The champion’s sanctum must be in an uninhabited area, and if the character is disturbed, that entire day doesn’t count towards healing, training, or removing curses. He may allow a number of allies equal to his Charisma bonus to accompany him and aid in his training, so long as they singlemindedly focus on the act of helping him train.

Favored Ally (Su): At 5th level, the champion may designate an adventuring ally of equal or lower level as favored. The two must have gained at least one character level in their time together to be eligible for the favored ally status. The champion and his ally gain several advantages when working together.

If the champion and his favored ally fight back to back (in adjoining squares) they cannot be flanked, and each gains a +2 dodge bonus to their armor class. Both characters must use melee weapons, and be able to attack creatures in adjoining squares. Anytime the champion or his favored ally use the aid another action to assist each other, the assisted character receives a +3 bonus instead of a +2.

Inspire (Su): At 6th level, the champion learns to inspire others to greatness by offering a few words of praise and encouragement. By expending two of his daily heroic boost uses, any ally of the champion’s that can hear or see him gains one use of the heroic boost ability using the champion’s class level.

At 10th level, the ally’s bonus from heroic boost can be applied to any ability score, not just the physical abilities.

At 14th level, the ally’s bonus from heroic boost can be applied to a skill check that takes one round or less.

The champion can use this ability as many times as he wishes, but each use expends two of the daily uses of heroic boost.

Favored Child (Su): At 7th level, the champion learns to trust in his nature and instincts, and overcome the limits of his learning and knowledge. Once per day the champion can attempt any skill that takes one round or less to complete, even if he does not possess any ranks in that skill, and even if the skill cannot normally be used untrained. The champion also applies his Charisma modifier as a bonus to the skill check (if the skill is a Charisma skill, the bonus stacks).

Blessed Vitality (Su): At 8th level, the champion learns to heal his own wounds. He can heal a number of hit points equal to his current champion level plus his Charisma bonus, and can spread this healing out over several uses.

Charm the Fates (Su): Upon reaching 11th level, the champion learns the extent his influence over reality. Once per week the champion can decide that an event that negatively impacted him or another was not as bad as it initially seemed. He may decide that a character that was seemingly killed is merely on death’s door, stabilized at –9 hit points, or that the character that fell off the edge of a cliff landed on a ledge a short distance below, also on death’s door. Similarly the poison that killed an entire village may have been of weak concentration, merely putting them into a coma-like sleep, or that a destroyed artifact is in fact repairable. If this power is used to oppose another champion’s use of the same, the competitors must make opposed Will saves, adding their Charisma modifier as a bonus. No matter the outcome, charm the fates is expended for a week.

The player must present a rational explanation for why the event did not occur the way it appeared to, and may not directly contradict the events as they were described. If this is not possible, the champion may undertake a quest to rectify the situation at the GM’s option. This power may never be used to rectify a trivial event, such as a low stakes game of dice or an attempt to check for secret doors while on a treasure hunt. It must be used in a timely and appropriate manner – in the round following a death, for instance – and cannot be delayed until another use of charm the fates becomes available. It cannot be used to change the stated opinions, attitudes, alignments, or motivations of a non-player character, though it may reveal deeper motivations.

True Champion (Su): At 20th level the champion has transcended the limits of a mortal hero to the point that he becomes a native outsider. He is no longer affected by spells or magical effects that target humanoids. In addition, the champion ceases to age – he cannot be magically aged, and no longer accrues penalties for aging. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, but the remainder of the champion’s lifespan is quadrupled. The champion dies when the end of his extended lifespan is reached. If he dies before that, he can only be restored by a true resurrection or wish spell.

Finally, the champion can overcome his body’s need for rest, food, and water in times of need. He can go without any for one day per point on Constitution, and suffer no ill effects.

Code of Conduct: A champion is the favored child of the powers that rule existence, and is required to act like it. He must always act if there is the slightest chance of success, delaying as little as possible. This is not an impulsive trait, but rather a compulsive one. He will plan only as much as necessary, or as much as is allowed by the current time frame. For example, if a berserker horde was three days ride away from his village, he need not confront them head on, but he is required to act to the best of his abilities, preparing the villagers for the onslaught or otherwise working against the enemy. He can never turn his back on a conflict. He may never run from battle except to fulfill a need greater than his own. (This doesn’t mean that evil champions are selfless, just that they have higher goals than the common evil character.) He cannot show weakness, or allow his reputation to be besmirched. A champion is often thrust into action by his own nature, even when it would not be the safest course of action. He will frequently find himself in direct conflict with local governments, temples, or even gods as he acts within his nature.