Honor Guard (3.5e Prestige Class)

Honor Guard

“	We will hold all night and into the morrow and when we are ready we will come forth and gut them like the oversize cows they are.	”
—Garrin Bright Axe, <Dwarf> <Honor Guard>, Siege of low town the eve before the necromantic Hill Giant king was slain.

Honor Guards are masters of battle and fighting with Arcane and Divine spells and weapons. They are most at home in the din of a large battle. The most notable thing about them to outsiders are the exercises they do to memorize there divine prayers.

Becoming a Honor Guard

The original Honor Guards did not recruit outside of the orders blood line. More recently they have opened up recruitment to those not of the blood line. Honor Guards Members are always looking for members that may be some of the long lost blood line.

Entry Requirements

Alignment:	Any Lawful. Any non Evil.
Skills:	Diplomacy 5 ranks, Heal 8 ranks, Knowledge(Arcana) 8 ranks, Knowledge (Local) 5 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks.
Feats:	Any 2 metamagic feats plus Weapon Focus with one martial weapon..
Spellcasting:	Can cast 1st level Divine spells and 1st level Arcane spells..
Special:	Ability to turn undead.
Special:	Must kill a difficult creature solo, character level +1 to 2.

Table: The Honor Guard

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	0	0	0	0	Calisthenics, Good Save +2, Bonus Feat	+1 level of existing spellcasting
2nd	1	0	0	0	Bonus Feat, Magical Assault	+1 level of existing spellcasting
3rd	1	1	1	1	Practiced Caster 1	+1 level of existing spellcasting
4th	2	1	1	1	Normal Save +1, Weak Save	+1 level of existing spellcasting
5th	2	1	1	1	Good Save +3	+1 level of existing spellcasting
6th	3	2	2	2	Bonus Feat	+1 level of existing spellcasting
7th	3	2	2	2	Practiced Caster 2, Bonus Feat	+1 level of existing spellcasting
8th	4	2	2	2	Normal Save +2	+1 level of existing spellcasting
9th	4	3	3	3	Good Save +4, Bonus Feat	+1 level of existing spellcasting
10th	5	3	3	3	Practiced Caster 2	+1 level of existing spellcasting
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) Bluff (Cha),Concentration (Con),Craft (Int),Decipher Script (int),Diplomacy (Cha),Heal (Wis),Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int),Profession (Wis),Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int).

Class Features

Honor Guard are trained to have a balanced defense that only through withstanding all challenges can you remain. All of the following are class features of the Honor Guard.

Spellcasting: At each level you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a Honor Guard, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Bonus Feats: At first level an Honor Guard can chose 1 free Feat between metamagic feats or the list of fighter bonus feats and an extra one at levels 2, 6 & 9.

Calisthenics (Ex): An Honor Guard must exercise every morning to regain there daily divine spells, the time to memorize there spells remains unchanged but they must instead of any other method they had prior to being a Honor Guard. Practice with weapons and armor (optional) is vigorous and tiring. While practicing they are more aware of there surroundings +4 to spot and listen checks but -2 to attack and damage rolls due to exhaustion. The exhaustion effect lasts for 5 rounds if only weapons are used 10 rounds if light armor is used 15 rounds if medium armor is used and 20 if heavy armor is used.

Good Save: : The Honor Guard at first level picks a save (Fortitude, reflex or will) as his Good Save and gets a +2 to that save. The save bonus goes up to +3 at level 5 and +4 at level 9.

Magical Assault (Su): As minor action that does not trigger attacks of opportunity an Honor Guard can cast a touch spell into their weapon by spending 1 turn undead attempt. The effect cast into the weapon takes effect on the first person that the weapon causes damage to, if the spell is not discharged with in 5 rounds of casting into the weapon the spell is lost. Spells cast in this way have there normal save DC's increased by 1.

Practiced Caster (Su): At 3rd level an Honor Guard has practiced so much with his spells that he can reduce the increase in metamagic levels from using metamagic feats on his spells by one per spell. This reduction goes up to 2 at level 10. This may not reduce the level of the spell lower then the unmodified spell.

Normal Save (Su): At 4th level the Honor Guard picks a save between the 2 he did not pick for his "Good Save", That save gets a + 1. At level 8 that bonus goes up to +2

Weak Save (Su): At 4th after the Honor Guard has chosen his "Normal Save" the last remaining save becomes their Weak Save the base save bonus for that save drops to zero from any Honor Guard class levels and does not increase above that for any pre-epic Honor Guard class levels.

Ex-Honor Guard's

If characters of this class lose an entry requirement they may still advance in the class but receive a -4 to interaction checks with other Honor Guards.

Playing an Honor Guard

Combat: Most Honor Guards tend towards main fighting roles using spells to over come any short comings.

Advancement: Most Honor guards will get at least Divine Power to compensate for there low Base Attack Bonus.

Resources: From time to time an Honor Guard may call on or be call on for assistance from his fellow Honor Guard's, the amount and kind is left at the DM's.

Honor Guard's in the World

“	Death is my toil, war my companion and your lives my product.	”
—General Yarin <Human> <Honor Guard>, Battle of Red Rock, final words.

Honor Guards often find themselves in central combat rolls in adventure groups and army's of all sizes.

NPC Reactions: Having a strong hatred with follows of Hexor there is often fighting when the 2 groups are near each other.

Honor Guard Lore

While no little records exist how Honor Guards came to be it is known the original Honor Guards descended from a royal ancient ancestral clan of magic using warriors that venerate Heironeous. A plot though to come from Hexor himself striped them of there royalty Scattering the royal family to the 4 winds to protect them.

Characters with ranks in Knowledge nobility & royalty can research Honor Guards to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge nobility & royalty

DC	Result
11	They are a secretive group that often go to citys and states that are under threat of war or already at war.
16	To enter a recruit needs to kill a creature solo that is a hard challenge.
21	They have a hidden fortress that they train recruits Where decisions are made Called Thera.
26	some of there members have royal blood and may some claim to the throne.

Honor Guards in the Game

Adaptation: Honor Guards were designed to have a lot of flavor and provide a lot of adventure hooks. Thera should be near enough to be able to strike at there ancestral home but not inside it unless hidden well. With this class usually comes a character goal to recapture the ancestral home.

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