Pentewyn (3.5e Class)
Pentewyn
Making a Pentewyn
Alignment: Chaotic good.
Starting Age: Moderate.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Spells per Day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 1/day | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Divine Grace, Lay on Hands | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Aura of Courage, Divine Health | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Turn Undead | 0 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Smite Evil 2/day, Special Mount | 0 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Remove Disease 1/week | 1 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +2 | +2 | 1 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +2 | +2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Remove Disease 2/week | 1 | 0 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th | +10/+5 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Smite Evil 3/day | 1 | 1 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11th | +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +3 | +3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12th | +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +4 | +4 | Remove Disease 3/week | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13th | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +4 | +4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14th | +14/+9/+4 | +9 | +4 | +4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15th | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +5 | +5 | Remove Disease 4/week, Smite Evil 4/day | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16th | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +10 | +5 | +5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +6 | Remove Disease 5/week | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19th | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20th | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +6 | Smite Evil 5/day | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the pentewyn.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Pentewyns are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Aura of Good (Ex): The power of a pentewyn's aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to her pentewyn level.
Detect Evil (Sp): At will, a pentewyn can use detect evil, as the spell.
Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, a pentewyn may attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack. She adds her Intelligence bonus (if any) to her attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per pentewyn level. If the pentewyn accidentally smites a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.
At 5th level, and at every five levels thereafter, the pentewyn may smite evil one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: The Pentewyn, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level.
Divine Grace (Su): At 2nd level, a pentewyn gains a bonus equal to her Intelligence bonus (if any) on all saving throws.
Lay on Hands (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a pentewyn with a Intelligence score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to her pentewyn level × her Intelligence bonus. A pentewyn may choose to divide her healing among multiple recipients, and she doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using lay on hands is a standard action.
Alternatively, a pentewyn can use any or all of 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. The pentewyn decides how many of her daily allotment of points to use as damage after successfully touching an undead creature.
Aura of Courage (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a pentewyn 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 pentewyn is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead.
Divine Health (Ex): At 3rd level, a pentewyn gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.
Turn Undead (Su): When a pentewyn reaches 4th level, she gains the supernatural ability to turn undead. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Intelligence modifier. She turns undead as a cleric of three levels lower would.
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a pentewyn gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the pentewyn spell list. A pentewyn must choose and prepare her spells in advance. For a pentewyn to cast a spell she has not prepared, she must sacrifice either 1 prepared spell of a higher level, 2 prepared spells of the same level, or 3 prepared spells of lower levels.
[Differences from the paladin spell list:
All spells referring to Law/Chaos are reversed (Magic Circle against ___, Dispel ___, etc.)
Eagle's Splendor (Spell Level 2) is changed to Fox's Cunning
Zone of Truth (Spell Level 2) and Mark of Justice (Spell Level 4) are removed
Break Enchantment is changed from Spell Level 4 to Spell Level 1]
To prepare or cast a spell, a pentweyn must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a pentewyn's spell is 10 + the spell level + the pentewyn's Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a pentewyn can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Pentewyn. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score. When Table: The Pentewyn indicates that the pentewyn gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Wisdom score for that spell level The pentewyn does not have access to any domain spells or granted powers, as a cleric does.
A pentewyn prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though she cannot lose a prepared spell to spontaneously cast a cure spell in its place. A pentewyn may prepare and cast any spell on the pentewyn spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.
Through 3rd level, a pentewyn has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is one-half her pentewyn level.
Special Mount (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a pentewyn gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve her in her crusade against evil (see below). This mount is usually a heavy warhorse (for a Medium pentewyn) or a warpony (for a Small pentewyn).
Once per day, as a full-round action, a pentewyn may magically call her mount from the celestial realms in which it resides. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the pentewyn's level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the pentewyn and remains for 2 hours per pentewyn level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the pentewyn may release a particular mount from service.
Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should the pentewyn's mount die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The pentewyn may not summon another mount for thirty days or until she gains a pentewyn level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the pentewyn takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Remove Disease (Sp): At 6th level, a pentewyn can produce a remove disease effect, as the spell, once per week. She can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels after 6th (twice per week at 9th, three times at 12th, and so forth).
Code of Conduct: A pentewyn must be of chaotic good alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever willingly commits an evil act.
Additionally, a pentewyns' code requires that she help those in need (provided they do not use the help for evil or lawful ends), punish those who harm or threaten innocents, and challenge authorities - by debates or by actions - to ensure that protecting the innocent from victimization is emphasized over having the populous merely submit to one's own power plays.
Associates: While she may adventure with characters of any good or neutral alignment, a pentewyn will rarely knowingly associate with evil characters, nor will she continue an association with someone who consistently offends her moral code. A pentewn may accept only henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are chaotic good.
See paladin's mount
Ex-Pentewyns
A pentewyn who ceases to be chaotic good, who willfully commits an evil act, or who grossly violates the code of conduct loses all pentewyn spells and abilities (including the service of the pentewyn's mount, but not weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). She may not progress any farther in levels as a pentewyn. She regains her abilities and advancement potential if she atones for her violations (see the atonement spell description), as appropriate.
Epic Pentewyn
| Level | Special | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21st | Remove Disease 6/week | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23rd | Bonus Feat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24th | Remove Disease 7/week | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25th | Smite Evil 6/day | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26th | Bonus Feat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27th | Remove Disease 8/week | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 29th | Bonus Feat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30th | Remove Disease 9/week, Smite Evil 6/day | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2 + Int modifier skill points per level. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lay on Hands (Su): Each day a Pentewyn can cure a total number of hit points equal to his or her Intelligence bonus (if any) times his or her class level, as normal
Smite Evil (Su): The epic Pentewyn adds his or her class level to damage with any smite evil attack, as normal. He or she can smite one additional time per day for every five levels higher than 20th.
Turn Undead: The Pentewyn turns undead as a cleric of three levels lower, as normal.
Spells: The Pentewyn's caster level is equal to one-half his or her class level, as normal. The Pentewyn's number of spells per day does not increase after 20th level.
Special Mount: The epic Pentewyn’s special mount continues to increase in power. Every five levels after 20th the special mount gains +2 bonus Hit Dice, its natural armor increases by +2, its Strength adjustment increases by +1, and its Intelligence increases by +1. The mount’s spell resistance equals the Pentewynn’s class level + 5.
Remove Disease (Sp): The epic Pentewyn can use remove disease one additional time per week for every three levels higher than 18th.
Bonus Feats: The epic Pentewyn gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Pentewyn feats) every three levels higher than 20th.
Epic Pentewyn Bonus Feat List: Armor Skin, Devastating Critical, Epic Prowess, Epic Reputation, Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus, Great Smiting, Holy Strike, Improved Aura of Courage, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Spell Capacity, Legendary Rider, Overwhelming Critical, Perfect Health, Permanent Emanation, Planar Turning, Positive Energy Aura, Spectral Strike, Spontaneous Spell, Widen Aura of Courage.
Playing a Pentewyn
These are the holy warriors devoted to challenging imperfect mortal authority wherever they find it.
A Pentewyn primarily fears that any established mortal authority, however benevolent at the moment, will inevitably be corrupted if not guarded at every turn. The highest authorities rarely get to see and feel the real impact - good or ill - of their mandates on the real people under them, so there is always a danger that, if they get used to being obeyed without question, then they will grow to believe that their will stands as reason enough for any mandate they write, as they are rarely reminded of anything else.
A Pentewyn does not believe that any mortal authority should be able to get away with saying "My will shall stand as reason enough," as they feel that any Lawful Devil can do the same, rather they believe that a truly right and just authority would not mind being asked to justify themselves to the people they govern. After all, if a governor allows his city guards to harass the citizens on grounds that "If they aren't doing anything wrong, then they have nothing to hide," then surely somebody with even more power to do harm (the selfsame governor/guards) should be watched even more closely by their own logic?
Even if a Pentewyn feels that there is a good reason for a ruler to pass a restrictive mandate, she would still want to know if the ruler knows that there is a good reason for the mandate, and would still challenge the law - by words or by actions - to see whether the ruler was deliberately doing good, or if he was simply making a personal power play that happened to do good as a side benefit that might not happen the next time he decides to exert his own power.
She might choose to turn herself in to the authorities for breaking the law for the sake of what's right, hoping that the authority in question would be shamed for being seen by the public "having" to punish a truly good person (that her Good deity can personally vouch for by means of her divine power) for helping people, and would know that if she meets other prisoners, she would know immediately (by means of Detect Evil) whether they are good people (who could be allies) or evil people (who could try to attack her for siding against people like them in favor of their victims, but that she would be able to defend herself against); but she would not feel forced to do so if she feels that she can do more good until she is arrested anyway.
A paladin who feels that it is necessary to break an unjust law will be expected to turn herself in to the authorities for the same reasons, but a pentewyn would generally choose not to. While a paladin would argue that the pentewyn avoiding arrest wastes the guards' time looking for him when they could be looking for actual murderers and the such, the pentewyn would probably counter that if the laws are already requiring the guards to divide their attention between people who aren't hurting anyone in additon to the people who are, than the guards and governors should be forced to admit it.
Where Paladins' gods reward their ability to obtain blind obedience through sheer force of personality (from a Pentewyn's perspective), a Pentewyn's god rewards her ability to evaluate whether somebody else might actually be right.
Religion: While Pentewyns only worship Neutral/Chaotic Good deities, they are expected to honor all Good deities, are encouraged to learn about -and associate with- the followers of all such deities, and are allowed to keep their power if they are persuaded to abandon worshiping -while still honoring- the deity that originally granted them their power in favor of another Neutral/Chaotic Good one.
Other Classes: Paladins and Pentewyns will certainly have disagreements, even personal/emotional conflict, as to the nature of law and order, but it will just as certainly be non-violent, as they will both be expected to remember that the other person is fundamentally good, and that his gods themselves would personally tell all who know him -by stripping him of his power- if he had done anything truly evil. They would also tend to get along better if they are both sponsored by the same Neutral Good deity.
Pentewyns generally try to get to know as many good people as they can meet, as they never know before-hand who they will be able to learn the most from. They will tend to get along best with -and learn the most from- Rogues, who are respected for their sneakiness and breadth of practical knowledge, Clerics, who are respected for their devotion to their faith, and Wizards, who are respected for their intelligence and the same readiness to learn from new people.
Combat: If a Pentewyn and his/her allies are not attacked first, s/he is encouraged to Detect Evil before attacking somebody and to fight defensively and/or non-lethally against non-evils who are weaker than themselves. They are prepared to die to protect their friends, but that is never their first plan, and they will do everything in their -extremely varied- power to ensure their comrades' survival. Those that have supplemented their divine power with arcane learning will often take advantage of the fact that their martial training gets them closer to their enemies than most arcane spell-casters are comfortable with, and have more options for extremely short-range spells that normally cannot be used safely.
Pentewyns in the world
| “ | Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? | ” |
Daily Life:
Notables:
Organisations: While different Paladin orders could range from more egalitarian to more hierarchal, Pentewyn brotherhoods would be extremely egalitarian. Pentewyns would not be inclined to trust an established chain of command, rather some brotherhoods would choose temporary leaders democratically, others by lottery, while others would not have leaders to speak of.
NPC Reactions: Pentewyns tend to find themselves mistrusted by authorities who do not always know what to make of one who is renowned as a champion of good, yet does not appear to distinguish between criminals and watchmen. Many magistrates will actively attempt to control -if not drive out- a known dissident, yet others will trust that the champion will find them benevolent enough not to cause any problems.
If a town is having a significant problem with criminals and/or monsters, however, even the more controlling authorities might temporarily take advantage of a skilled warrior to deal with the problem for them, but will still try to keep potential dissidents in the town from emulating his rebellious reputation and would generally want him to leave as soon as he is no longer useful.
Pentewyn Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (religion) can research pentewyns 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 | Pentewyns are holy warriors who put their faith in Neutral/Chaotic Good deities the way Paladins do Neutral/Lawful Good deities. |
| 10 | Pentewyns feel that rulers should always have to justify themselves when creating a potentially unjust law, and that truly just rulers would be able to do so. |
| 15 | Pentewyns are often willing to forgo greater divine power in favor of versatility, be it in spell-casting or in practical skills. |
Pentewyns in the Game
Adaptation: This class could be very useful in a campaign where players go up against tyrants as often as they do bandits and monsters.
Sample Encounter: <-DM placement for NPCs of this class.->.
EL : <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter.->.
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