Dawnbringer (3.5e Class)

Dawnbringer

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Flavor Paragraph

Making a Dawnbringer

Abilities: Charisma is the most important ability score for the Dawnbringer. Charisma enhances a variety of abilities, such as Channel Positive Energy, Smite Evil, and Holy Shield. Because of her divine gifts, she does not need as high of a Strength or Dexterity as other melee characters might need, although a high Constitution score is always beneficial.

Alignment: Lawful Good

Starting Gold: 6d4×10 gp (150 gp).

Starting Age: Moderate (As fighter)

Table: The Dawnbringer Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Intervention Points
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+2	Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Lay On Hands	0
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+3	Divine Protection	0
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+3	Smite Evil	0
4th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Aura	1
5th	+5	+4	+1	+4	Divine Bond	1
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+5	Divine Might	2
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+5	Leadership	2
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+6	Aura	3
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+6	Exalted Grace	3
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+7	Blessing of the Sun God	4
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+7	Ranged Healing	4
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+8	Aura	5
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+8	Improved Lay on Hands	5
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+9	War Smite	6
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+9	Inspired Leadership	6
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+10	Aura	7
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Extended Protection	7
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Empowered Aura	8
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Life Font	8
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Ascendancy, Aura	9
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Nobility) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Dawnbringer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dawnbringers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all armor, and all shields

Interventions: Dawnbringers cannot cast Divine spells, however they invoke the power of the Light. She still counts as a divine spellcaster for the purposes of using magic items like wands and so on. Instead, she benefits from a number of interventions each day. Each day, the character has a limited number of intervention points, which measure how much help the forces of good will help her that day. Each intervention costs a certain number of points. The player may know how many intervention points her character has each day, but does not know when or how the Games Master spends them. The Games Master must spend all the character’s points each day.

The Dawnbringer can gain extra intervention points for doing good deeds. Giving charity and aid to the helpless, dealing with moral issues, good roleplaying and so on can provide extra intervention points. The player should not abuse this option if offered and indeed the Games Master is encouraged to leave the player in the dark as to whether or not this rule is in effect.

A character can try to pray for intervention. To pray, the character must make a Knowledge (religion) check, at a DC of 10 + (5 times the level of the intervention). Each prayer is a standard action. The Games Master should pick the most appropriate effect based on the character’s prayer. A character can try to pray for effects not listed above – she could, for example, beg the gods to heal a blind man (i.e. allow the Dawnbringer to cast remove blindness).

One-Point Interventions

Confirm Critical: If the Dawnbringer rolls a potential critical on a foe, then the critical is automatically confirmed – there is no need to make a second attack roll.

Guiding Sign: The Dawnbringer glimpses a sign of something she is looking for – this gives him a +5 insight bonus to a Perception or Survival check.

Minor Healing: The Dawnbringer is healed 4 health points.

Minor Aid: A minor, unimportant non-player character of no more than two Hit Dice decides to aid the Dawnbringer as much as she is able without endangering himself.

Sixth Sense: The Dawnbringer gets the nagging feeling that something is not right. She has no idea what exactly is wrong – it could be the presence of ambushers or assassins, someone could be scrying on the Dawnbringer, an evil force could be present but in disguise, the Dawnbringer could simply be heading in the wrong direction or following an erroneous train of thought. Still, the gods nudge the Dawnbringer to tell him to rethink her current action.

Two-Point Interventions

Heroic Effort: The Dawnbringer gets a +8 enhancement bonus to one ability score for one round.

Mount Arrives: An animal fit to be a mount arrives on the scene, this can be her own mount or a new one and it appears even if she left it outside or elsewhere.

Item to Hand: By a strange chance, the Dawnbringer happens to have a common, non-magical item from Core Rulebook on hand, or in her mount’s saddlebags. She cannot remember ever buying or obtaining the item but still, here it is, just when it is needed. The Dawnbringer might happen to have a lockpick, a lantern, a wineskin, an oar, etc.

Saving Throw Bonus: If the Dawnbringer just failed a saving throw by a margin of three or less, then the Dawnbringer actually, retroactively, passed the saving throw.

Shorten Spell: A spell currently affecting the Dawnbringer has its duration cut in half.

Three-Point Interventions

Coincidence: Some unlikely confluence of events – a burning lantern just happening to fall when a wagon loaded with hay was passing beneath it, causing a fire that spooks the horse being ridden by the blackguard about to discover the Dawnbringer’s hiding place – occurs to aid the Dawnbringer. This coincidence will not directly affect the Dawnbringer’s foes in combat but it will make things easier for the Dawnbringer by presenting new opportunities to the character. The Dawnbringer must still act on this opportunity; to return to the example, the Dawnbringer would have to change her hiding place, as the distraction would only last a moment.

Counterspell: A spell targeting the Dawnbringer may fail – roll 1d20 + the Dawnbringer’s level against 10 + the caster’s level. If the check succeeds, the spell fails. The spell must be one that specifically targets the Dawnbringer alone – a fireball could not be countered, but a disintegrate could.

Cryptic Guidance: The Dawnbringer is given a hint in the form of a riddle, prophecy, presentiment or other psychic flash. This clue is always cryptic and difficult to unravel but it does give guidance to the Dawnbringer on whatever problems currently assail him. Note that the Dawnbringer does not know what exactly the guidance is addressing – ‘beware the speaking shadow’ might be a clue that an undead creature is nearby, that the rogue guiding the party is a traitor or that the king’s advisor in the shadow of the throne has baneful intentions towards the Dawnbringer.

Significant Aid: One non-player character of level equal to or less than the Dawnbringer aids the Dawnbringer. The non-player character will not help the character in combat but will offer any reasonable help.

Significant Healing: The Dawnbringer is healed of twelve points of damage.

Four-Point Interventions

Angelic Visitation: A celestial appears, usually an archon of some sort. The celestial may cast one spell on the Dawnbringer, attack for a single round, carry the Dawnbringer across a chasm, warn him of an assassin and so on. The celestial’s Hit Dice will not exceed the Dawnbringer’s level.

Avert Evil: A break enchantment spell is cast on the Dawnbringer, at a caster level equal to the Dawnbringer’s level.

Dream: The Dawnbringer has a dream; this can be a prophetic dream like a vision, or a communication like a dream spell.

Mercy: A foe that was about to kill the Dawnbringer suddenly relents – she leaves the Dawnbringer alive instead of killing him. The character may still be captured, reduced to negative hit points, turned into a statue or a harmless animal, imprisoned, sent to another plane, handed over to torturers and so on – but she will survive nonetheless.

Five-Point Interventions

Major Aid: A powerful character of any level decides to help the Dawnbringer. The amount of aid offered varies depending on the situation – it is always the minimum amount of help needed by the Dawnbringer but this can extend to aid in combat if the situation is desperate.

Major Healing: The Dawnbringer is healed of twenty-five points of damage.

Obvious Intervention: The gods step in to aid the Dawnbringer. This is similar to the Coincidence intervention, but is much more blatant – events that could never reasonably happen conspire to aid the Dawnbringer. A jail cell might be left unlocked, a portal to another plane happens to open just in time for the Dawnbringer to leap through and so on

Aura of Good (Su): A Dawnbringer registers under Detect Good as a Cleric of a Good Deity.

Detect Evil (Sp): A Dawnbringer of 1st level or higher can cast Detect Evil at-will as a spell-like ability.

Lay On Hands (Su): Beginning at 1st level, a Dawnbringer can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can use this ability a number of times equal to her Dawnbringer level plus her Charisma modifier. With one use of this ability, a Dawnbringer can heal 1d6 hit points of damage at level 1 and another 1d6 every even level after. Using this ability is a standard action, unless the Dawnbringer targets herself, in which case it is a swift action. Despite the name of this ability, a Dawnbringer only needs one free hand to use this ability.

Alternatively, a Dawnbringer can use this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures. Using lay on hands in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. Undead do not receive a saving throw against this damage.

Divine Protection (Ex): A Dawnbringer of 2nd level or higher adds her Charisma bonus to all saving throws and to her AC when she uses a shield as a sacred bonus. Additionally she gains the full benefit of her shield against touch attacks. This bonus applies even when her Dexterity bonus would normally be denied, but she is still considered to have lost her dexterity bonus to AC for purposes of special abilities such as Sneak Attack under the normal circumstances.

Smite Evil (Su): At 3rd level the Dawnbringer can call out to the powers of good to aid her in her struggle against evil. As a swift action, the Dawnbringer may expend a use of her lay on hands and chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is evil, the Dawnbringer adds her Charisma bonus to her attack rolls and adds her Dawnbringer level to all damage rolls made against the target of her smite. If the target of smite evil is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature, the bonus to damage increases to 2 points of damage per level the Dawnbringer possesses. Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.

In addition, while smite evil is in effect, the Dawnbringer gains a deflection bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (if any) to her AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the Dawnbringer targets a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect. The smite evil effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the Dawnbringer rests and regains her uses of Lay On Hands.

Auras: At 4th level and every 4 levels afterward the Dawnbringer's aura grows stronger granting her and her allies more benefits. Whenever she gains a new ability that aura is always active unless she spends a full round action to suppress it and it can be reactivated with a full round action as well. All abilities of the aura (except from her Aura of Good) function only when she is conscious. Whenever she affects a new person with her aura that would protect against an affect that they are suffering from, the Dawnbringer may allow that person to make a new save to break the effect. This can only happen once per day, per person, per effect.

Aura of Courage - The Dawnbringer gains the Aura of Courage, which grants her immunity to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 60 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. Additionally she may expend two uses of Lay on Hands to cast Remove Fear.

Aura of Defiance - The Dawnbringer gains a the Aura of Defiance, which grants her immunity to charm effects. Each ally within 60 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against charm effects.

Aura of Resolve - The Dawnbringer gains the Aura of Resolve, which grants her immunity to compulsion effects. Each ally within 60 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against compulsion effects.

Aura of Health - The Dawnbringer gains the Aura of Health, which grants her immunity to all poisons. Each ally within 60 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against poison. Additionally she may expend two uses of Lay on Hands to cast Remove Poison.

Aura of Faith - The Dawnbringer gains the Aura of Faith, which treats her weapons as good-aligned for the purposes of overcoming Damage Reduction. Any attack made against an enemy within 60 feet of her is treated as good-aligned for the purposes of overcoming Damage Reduction.

Aura of Protection - The Dawnbringer gains the Aura of Protection, which grants her DR 5/evil and immunity to compulsion spells and spell-like abilities. Each ally within 60 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against compulsion effects.

Aura of Retribution - The Dawnbrigner gains the Aura of Retribution, which grants her immunity to nonlethal damage. Each enemy within 60 feet of her that strikes her or an ally in combat is automatically dealt 1d6 radiant damage.

Aura of Resistance - The Dawnbringer gains the Aura of Resistance, which grants her immunity to diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases, including mummy rot. Each ally within 60 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against diseases. Additionally she may expend two uses of her Lay on Hands to cast Remove Disease.

Aura of Life - The Dawnbringer gains the Aura of Life, which grants her immunity to death effects and negative energy. Each ally within 60 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against death effects and negative energy effects.

Aura of Freedom - The Dawnbringer gains the Aura of Freedom, which grants her the effects of freedom of movement continuously. Each ally within 60 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against effects that freedom of movement would prevent.

Aura of Truth - The Dawnbringer gains the Aura of Truth, which grants her the effects of true seeing continuously. Each ally within 60 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against illusions.

Aura of Forbiddance - The Dawnbringer gains the Aura of Forbiddance, which allows her to prevent any planar travel effect within 60 feet of her from occurring, at her option. No save is offered against this effect.

Divine Bond: Upon reaching 5th level, a paladin forms a divine bond with her god. This bond can take one of two forms. Once the form is chosen, it cannot be changed.

The first type of bond allows the paladin to enhance her weapon as a standard action by calling upon the aid of a celestial spirit for 1 minute per paladin level. When called, the spirit causes the weapon to shed light as a torch. At 5th level, this spirit grants the weapon a +1 enhancement bonus. For every three levels beyond 5th, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon bonuses to a maximum of +5, or they can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: axiomatic, brilliant energy, defending, disruption, flaming, flaming burst, holy, keen, merciful, and speed. Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s cost (see Table: Melee Weapon Special Abilities). These bonuses are added to any properties the weapon already has, but duplicate abilities do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. The bonus and properties granted by the spirit are determined when the spirit is called and cannot be changed until the spirit is called again. The celestial spirit imparts no bonuses if the weapon is held by anyone other than the paladin but resumes giving bonuses if returned to the paladin. These bonuses apply to only one end of a double weapon. A paladin can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every four levels beyond 5th, to a total of four times per day at 17th level.

If a weapon bonded with a celestial spirit is destroyed, the paladin loses the use of this ability for 30 days, or until she gains a level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the paladin takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.

The second type of bond allows a paladin to gain the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve her in her crusade against evil. This mount is usually a heavy horse (for a Medium paladin) or a pony (for a Small paladin), although more exotic mounts, such as a boar, camel, or dog are also suitable. This mount functions as a druid’s animal companion, using the paladin’s level as her effective druid level. Bonded mounts have an Intelligence of at least 6.

Once per day, as a full-round action, a paladin may magically call her mount to her side. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the paladin’s level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the paladin. A paladin can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every 4 levels thereafter, for a total of four times per day at 17th level.

At 11th level, the mount gains the celestial creature simple template and becomes a magical beast for the purposes of determining which spells affect it.

At 15th level, a paladin’s mount gains spell resistance equal to the paladin’s level + 11.

Should the paladin’s mount die, the paladin may not summon another mount for 30 days or until she gains a paladin level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the paladin takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.

Divine Might (Su): At 6th level the Dawnbringer can channel energy to increase her damage in combat. By spending a single use of her lay on hands ability she adds her Charisma modifier to her weapon damage for a number of rounds equal to her Dawnbringer level. By using the power it is possible for the Dawnbringer to confirm critical hits against undead, even if such creatures have immunity to critical hits.

Leadership: At 7th level the Dawnbringer gains the leadership feat as a bonus feat. However, she is not penalized for having special companions or moving frequently.

Exalted Grace(Su): At 9th level the Dawnbringer subtracts her Charisma modifier to her armor check penalty.

Blessing of the Sun God(Su): At 10th level the Dawnbringer has become more Divine than mortal. She becomes a Holy Creature and applies the template immediately.

Ranged Healing (Su): A Dawnbringer of 11th level or higher may use her Lay On Hands ability up to a range of close instead of touch.

Improved Lay on Hands: At 13th level the Dawnbringer increases the healing and damage done by Lay on Hands to 1d8.

War Smite (Su): A Dawnbringer of 14th level or higher gains War Smite, which can be used just like a normal smite except the benefits of the Dawnbringers Charisma applies an AC, attack and damage bonus to each ally within 30ft. Additionally every evil enemy within that 30ft range is targeted by smite evil. This consumes a use of Lay on Hands.

Inspired Leadership: At 15th level, through inspiring faith across the Known World, the Dawnbringer multiplies the number of followers allowed by her Leadership feat by 10.

Extended Protection: At 17th level the benefit of Divine Protection is extended to all allies within the radius of the Dawnbringer's aura. Her allies gain her charisma bonus to AC and all saves as a sacred bonus. The bonus to AC does not go away if the ally is denied their dexterity bonus or is unconscious, however the Dawnbringer must still be conscious to affect her allies.

Empowered Aura: At 18th level the Dawnbringer chooses two auras she knows and doubles the numeric value of its bonus.

Life Font (Su): A Dawnbringer of 19th level is revived as if by a True Resurrection spell where she fell at what would be the end of her next turn after she is slain. She automatically expends all uses of Lay On Hands in doing so but comes back at full health. This ability can't be used if she has used all of her Lay On Hands.

Ascendancy (Ex): At 20th level, a Dawnbringer becomes a conduit for the powers of the Divine. Her DR increases to 10/evil. Whenever she uses smite evil and successfully strikes an evil outsider, the outsider may also be subject to a banishment, using her Dawnbringer level as the caster level. After the banishment effect and the damage from the attack is resolved, the smite immediately ends. In addition, whenever she channels positive energy or uses lay on hands to heal a creature, she heals the maximum possible amount.

Ex-Dawnbringers

A Dawnbringer who ceases to remain Good or grossly violates her code loses all Supernatural and Spell-like Dawnbringer abilities, and her invocations, until she atones.

Playing a Dawnbringer

Religion: While religion has been lost, Dawnbringers believe there to be something more - a higher power or divine agents that bestow them their power.

Other Classes:

Combat: A Dawnbringer can be a defensive fighter just as easily as she can be a healer. They bolster allies and achieve great power the further they progress their powers. They are very effective against both Devils and Undead and whatever spawn they create. With the power of Invocations the Dawnbringer performs miracles in and out of combat.

Dawnbringers in the World

Dawnbringers are a symbol of hope in the world and one of the few who can wield the power of the Light.

Daily Life:

Notables: Most Paladins, because of their inability to keep a low profile, are notable in some way.

NPC Reactions: Common NPCs generally like Dawnbringers, as they are trustworthy, fair, and treat commoners' lives like lives worth saving.

Dawnbringer Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Religion) can research Paladins to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Religion)

DC	Result
5	Dawnbringers are great heroes who fight the forces of evil.
10	Dawnbringers also have the ability to heal and restore the damage done by an attack by using their magic.
15	Dawnbringers are immune or resistant to most forms of physical or magical attacks.
20	Dawnbringers call upon special Incovations to perform miracles every day.

Dawnbringers in the Game

Adaptation: .

Sample Encounter: .

EL : .

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