Intercessor (3.5e Class)

Intercessor

“	I strive to do what Athena wants, and Athena always wants the impossible. When I somehow succeed, she asks for something even more impossible.	”
—Lagata, champion of Athena.

Intercessors are the appointed champions of a god. They are empowered to uphold the agenda and the reputation of their god. They wander the world doing what must be done. These missions are as varied and different as the gods themselves. A nature intercessor may fight deforestation while a scholarly intercessor may seek out forgotten libraries. The goals of an intercessor may take days, years, or even generations to achieve.

Intercessors are fully committed to serving their god in a warrior's capacity. This commitment does not make him uncompromising, blind, or foolish. The personality of known intercessors embodies the full spectrum of human experience. One can truly say that no two intercessors are alike. Even two intercessors of the same god can be radically different. An intercessor an archer god may be an archer, a melee warrior who protects archers, or a warrior who hunts down evil archers.

Unlike paladins, intercessors do not have a code to follow, nor must they fear acts that may be against their alignment. As the agents of their god, intercessors have the full confidence of their god. They have wide latitude in solving the problems that they confront, just as a cleric or druid have wide latitude.

As any divine servant, an intercessor must stay within the favor of his employer. Intercessors who sufficiently stray from the path of their god will face loss of powers just as if they were clerics of those gods.

Making an Intercessor

Intercessors are strong warriors. They serve best where claw hits armor. Their powers help them face many different challenges, especially supernatural foes. They rely heavily on the divine favors of their god to bring them victory in combat, allowing them to move faster, hit harder, and do more in every fight.

Intercessors wear heavy armor, and so their mobility is limited. Their feat choices are more limited than the fighter. They do not have the healing capacity or the mount of the paladin. They do not have the sheer stamina of a barbarian.

Abilities: Intercessors are warriors, first and foremost. They rely greatly on Strength and Constitution. As their gods differ, so do their goals. Intercessors favor abilities that help them accomplish their goals.

Races: Any race can be an intercessor. Gods of specific races tend to only have intercessors of their own race.

Alignment: The intercessor's alignment must be within one step of their god's alignment. Should they stray too far, they suffer the same fate as a cleric who has changed alignment.

Starting Gold: As fighter.

Starting Age: As cleric.

Table: The Intercessor

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Heroism, Clerical Domains, Bonus Favored Class, 1 Divine Intervention per Encounter [0th Level Spells]
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Will +1
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	1 Divine Intervention per Encounter [up to 1st Level Spells]
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	2 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 1st Level Spells]
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	2 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 2nd Level Spells]
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	Will +2
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+2	3 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 3rd Level Spells]
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+2	4 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 3rd Level Spells]
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+3	4 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 4th Level Spells]
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+3	Will +3
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+3	4 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 5th Level Spells]
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+4	5 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 5t Level Spells]
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+4	5 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 6th Level Spells]
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+4	Will +4
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+5	5 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 7th Level Spells]
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+5	6 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 7th Level Spells]
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5	6 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 8th Level Spells]
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+6	Will +5
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	6 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 9th Level Spells]
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	7 Divine Interventions per Encounter [up to 9th Level Spells]
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidation (Cha), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the intercessor.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Intercessors are proficient with all simple and martial weapons weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).

Spells: In addition to their domain spells, intercessors choose their spells from the following list:

0—Cure Minor Wounds, Light, Read Magic

1st—Magic Weapon

2nd—Align Weapon

3rd—Magic Circle of Protection Against Chaos/Good/Evil/Law*, Magic Vestment

4th—Greater Magic Weapon

5th—Commune

6th—Banishment

7th—Blasphemy*, Dictum*, Holy Word*, Word of Chaos*

8th— Cloak of Chaos*, Holy Aura*, Shield of Law, Unholy Aura

9th—Miracle

* Include this spell only if you your deity shares an alignment with this spell. True Neutral deities give no spells at this level.

In addition, intercessors add the spells from their two cleric domains to their spell list.

Heroism (Ex): An intercessor's bearing speaks louder than words. An intercessor may substitute his Strength bonus for his Charisma bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive skill checks. He may also substitute his Strength bonus for his Charisma bonus for any divinely granted ability, such as turning elementals, or cleric abilities, such as turning undead.

Bonus Favored Class (Ex): Intercessors are blessed when they follow the ways of their deity. An intercessor gains an additional favored class. This class must be one appropriate to the intercessor's deity. Class levels of this class stack with intercessor class levels where beneficial and appropriate. This stacking does not grant additional class features. Cleric levels always stack with intercessor levels.

True Believer (Ex): You have the True Believer feat for your god.

Clerical Domains (Su): Intercessors must pick a deity. They gain the benefit of two cleric domains of that god. The intercessors adds those domain spells to his intercessor spell list. If the intercessor takes cleric levels, these two domains will be his cleric domains. Likewise, for clerics who take intercessor levels, those domains become his intercessor domains.

Divine Intervention (Su): Starting at first level, the intercessor's god intercedes into the world for them.

Domain: As a swift action, an intercessor gains one additional use of a clerical domain ability (1/day).

Feat: As an swift action, an intercessor is granted the benefit of a fighter bonus feat. This grant lasts for one minute. The intercessor must qualify for this feat with his Ability Scores, Level, and Basic Attack Bonus. The intercessor may ignore one feat prerequisite for every three intercessor levels: one at first level, two at third, three at sixth, four at ninth, and all feat prerequisites at 12th and beyond.

Combat: As a swift action or immediate action, you may use Divine Intervention to gain one of the following benefits:

• Confirm a critical
• Increase your critical multiplier by one for one confirmed critical
• Maximize one damage roll
• Reroll one saving throw
• Reroll one attack roll
• Add your character level to one damage roll
• Gain an one additional move action

Skill: As a swift action, the intercessor is granted divine insight. The intercessor may substitute his intercessor level for his ranks in any skill for one skill check. (1/day)

Spell: Starting at 1st level, intercessors may requests 0th level spells from their spell list. Intercessors gain access to higher level spells as they advance. Each day, an intercessor may request one spell of any particular spell level.

Divine interventions have all the properties of divine spellcasting with the following exceptions:

• For spell levels 0-3, divine intervention is a swift action or immediate action which does not trigger an attack of opportunity. The spell comes from the intercessor's god, so the intercessor may be dominated or unconscious and still receive the benefits of this ability. Spells of 4th level and over require a standard action to request. Spells of 7th level of above require a standard action and a move action.
• An intercessor's caster level equals his intercessor level, plus any levels in his Bonus Favored Class and levels in cleric.
• Treat all spells as if they were cast with the minimum ability needed to cast that spell.
• Metamagics may be applied to the spell, up to the intercessors's spell level. Metamagics which require additional costs may not be used. (For example, Divine Metamagic requires the expenditure of turning attempts. As this is an additional cost, this metamagic may not be used.)
• Any spell is granted no more than once per day.
• Calculate DC as Highest Spell Level + Strength Bonus. If no specific metamagics are requested, the deity will empower the spell up to the intercessor's highest spell level.

Will Bonus (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, an intercessor gains a divine bonus to his Will saving throw.

Ex-Intercessor

Any intercessor who loses the favor of his/her deity loses the ability to request divine interventions.

The deity's favor may be restored if the character is within one alignment step of his deity's alignment.

The rules for gaining or losing favor are identical to that of a cleric gaining or losing favor.

Human Intercessor Starting Package

Weapons: .

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty

Feat: .

Bonus Feats: .

Gear: .

Gold: .

Playing an Intercessor

Religion: .

Other Classes: Intercessors work well with most other classes. They work very well with clerics of close alignment to the intercessor's alignment.

Combat: In combat, intercessors are typically right up there on the front lines, facing down terrible monsters, and taking hits so that his allies do not have to.

Advancement: Most intercessors do not multiclass. Those that do usually multiclass into clerics. As gods are highly diverse, few intercessors follow a similar road. Many intercessors take levels in a class favored by their deity.

Intercessors in the World

“	I kill moral dilemmas.	”
—Thurodun, dwarven intercessor of War.

Intercessors are the divine champions of a god. Most intercessors are the champions of the very pantheon that people worship. This means that they are very rare in society. Most people do not know what to make of an intercessor.

Daily Life: Intercessors are always off to the next task. Most have little to no experience with "daily life." The gods never sleep, and their servants never get to stand still. Every days is different.

Notables: .

Organizations: Intercessors are part of the organization of their church or temples. They are "free agents", meaning that they report to no one other than their god. Intercessors do not build organizations, as intercessors are very rare. There are usually too few intercessors to build an organizaton.

NPC Reactions: NPCs who worship in an intercessor's pantheon react positively to the intercessor. Most people, even criminals, look up to this person because of what he is. Enemy NPCs will take extra care to resist and degrade a foreign intercessor.

Intercessor Lore

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

DC	Result
5	Intercessors are warriors chosen by gods.
10	Each intercessor is very unique. Gods provide miracles to help their intercessors.
15	Gods give intercessors aid from their divine domains.
20	Intercessors gain divine favors even if they are unable to ask for them.

Intercessors in the Game

Adaptation: Intercessors are highly variable in their appearance. They can be law enforcers, finders of lost objects, crusaders against slavers, evil cultists freeing imprisoned priests, and many other things. There are as many intercessors as there are stories.

Sample Encounter: .

EL whatever: .

Yocham

CR 2

	Male dwarf intercessor 2
	LN Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init/Senses	+1/darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +0, Spot +0
Languages	Common, Dwarven, Undercommon
AC	17, touch 11, flat-footed 16; +4 dodge against giants (+4 armor, +2 shield, +1 Dex)
hp	20 (2 HD)
Resist	stability
Fort/Ref/Will	+6 (+8 against poison)/+1/+0; +2 against spells and spell-like effects
Speed	20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee	dwarven waraxe +4 (1d10+2/×3) or
Melee	warhammer +4 (1d8+2/×3) or
Melee	handaxe +4 (1d6+2/×3)
Ranged	throwing axe +3 (1d6+2)
Base Atk/Grp	+2/+4
Atk Options	Power Attack, +1 attack against goblinoids and orcs
Special Actions	intercession, turn air creatures/rebuke earth creatures (+2, 5/day, 2nd), turn water creatures/rebuke fire creatures (+2, 5/day, 2nd)
Abilities	Str 15, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 6
SQ	stonecunning, weapon familiarity, heroism, Fire and Earth domains
Feats	Power Attack
Skills	Appraise +2 (+4 with stone or metal, +4 weapons), Bluff +2, Craft (weaponsmithing) +6 (+8 with stone or metal weapons), Diplomacy +6, Intimidate +2, Knowledge (religion) +5, Search +1 (+3 to notice unusual stonework), Sense Motive +2
Possessions	backpack, heavy steel shield, holy symbol, scale mail, 3 throwing axes, tinderbox
Patron Deity	Dwarven God of the Forge
Stonecunning (Ex)	This ability grants Yocham a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. If Yocham merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework he can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and Yocham can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. Yocham can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
Weapon Familiarity (Ex)	Yocham may treat dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.
Stablity (Ex)	Yocham gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).
Heroism (Ex)	Yocham may use his Strength bonus instead of his Charisma bonus with Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive skill checks and in any domain granted ability.
Intersession (Su)	Once per day as a swift action, Yocham may request intersession that takes form in one of the following effects (CL 2nd): cure minor wounds, light, read magic

Yocham serves the dwarven god of the forge. He travels from forge to forge seeing to the safety of the scattered blacksmiths, taking up arms to protect those craftsmen. As an extension of his calling, he protects all who forge in peace, even those who are not dwarves.

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