Archmage - New Kits

Thanks to DK at StarComm and Tim Larson

Judge (Paladin)
Description: A Judge is a Paladin who has been authorized by the goverment (whatever that is in your campaign...but a Judge will never serve under an evil leader) to ride the land and speak justice wherever he goes. He may arrest, trial and execute anyone he considers a criminal, which makes the Judge a powerful figure indeed. A Judge must have a minimum of 15 in both INT and WIS, in addition to the normal requirements for a Paladin.
Role: Although they are almost invariably of noble birth, Judges can usually be found among common people, becausethey are there to take care of the small scum, the irritating arguments and legal problems that are bound to arise wherever people live together. Therefore, they are both loved and feared. A Judge can be a big help, because his word is law and when he has made a decision, it is final. On the other hand, there is often a winner and a loser in his decisions (compromising isn't always possible) and losers have a tendency to be prejudiced against all Judges.
Secondary Skills: Probably something like Lawyer, but who uses the rules for secondary skills anyway?
Weapon Proficiencies: Judges must be proficient in either the Long Sword or the Bastard Sword, and they must be proficient in a Lance. They cannot specialize. They must choose one of those swords, because it is a symbol of their authority, and it looks very impressive to see a Judge holding his Long Sword in the air, sitting on his beautiful Warhorse. The lance is needed to attach the government's banner to. A banner attached to a Lance gives it a -1 penalty to hit.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: Heraldry, Local History. Suggested: Direction Sense, Etiquette, Riding (Land-based), Ancient History, Reading/ Writing, Religion.
Spheres: The Judge does not use the normal Priest Spells allowed to a Paladin. Instead, he only uses spells from the spheres of Charm, Divi- nation, Guardian and Protection.
Equipment: A Judge automatically receives a War Horse of a type chosen by the player. Judges disdain non-metal armor and they will wear the best metal armor they are able to afford.
Special Benefits: In addition to the normal Paladin Abilities, a Judge of 5th level or higher can Detect Lie 3/day. This ability functions exatcly like his Detect Evil Ability (The lie must be spoke within 60', no components other than concentration for one round, but the lie must be clearly audible to the Judge). The Judge gains one extra daily use of this ability for every three levels he gains above 5th. Hence, he can use Detect Lie 4/day at 8th level, 5/day at 11th level, etc.
At 12th level, a Judge can use his Command of Truth. He must point his finger at a victim and speak a Command Word (Casting Time of 1) in a very loud voice. The victim is hypnotized for 2 rounds per level of the Judge if he doesn't make a Saving Throw vs. Spells. During these rounds, the victim is compelled to answer any question the Judge asks truthfully, without hesitation and without any "stretching of the truth". The victim stands as if he were under the effects of a Hold Person spell and will not remember what he said while hypnotized. For each level of the Judge above 15th, the victim gets a -1 penalty to his Saving Throw, with a maximum penalty of -5.
Special Hindrances: Judges have no healing abilities, though they are immune to disease. They cannot keep more treasure than they can carry and they do not build strongholds. Once they settle down, it is impossible for them to gain experience.
Any time a Judge wants to punish an offender, he is observed by his god. If the Judge does not give the offender a fair trial or gives a punishment that is too hard, the Judge loses his status as if he had committed an incredibly evil act by his own choice. If the Judge was under strong (magical) influence, he can regain his status as a Paladin by completing some very hard quest.
Finally, a Judge always has a reputation, even if he has done nothing to deserve one. Because he is always recognized for what he is (see below), people tend to react to him in a different manner. If the Judge is unlucky enough to encounter someone who has had bad experiences with other Judges, that person is probably prejudiced against all Judges. On the other hand, villagers who have been helped by a Judge may react very friendly to the Judge. Others who have never dealt with these Holy Justicebringers, are sometimes simply in awe. Anyway, a Judge is always the centre of attention and never gets normal reactions.
Ethos: In addition to the normal rules of a Paladin, a Judge has the following extra ethos which he must abide by if he wants to keep his status as a Paladin:
A Judge will always speak justice in the best way he can, impartial and unbiased. If necessary and possible, he will call on the help of other Judges.
A Judge will make sure that any punishment he deals out is in correct relation with the offense.
Pride is no virtue for a Judge. He must let his personal motives never get in the way of true, impartial justice. If a Judge has a personal vendetta against a certain criminal, he is required to let another Judge arrest that criminal.
A Judge may not lie, but he is not required to answer any question he is asked. This is why so many Judges are silent.
A Judge must always wear his signs that indicate that he is a Judge. He may not disguise himself, and must always make sure that there is no doubt that he is a Judge.
Deserters: Some corrupted Judges ride the land claiming to be true Judges. Any Judge can recognize these traitors at face value, but the havoc they create before they are found is sometimes disastrous, because many people follow a Judge's Orders without question.
Notes: In the Forgotten Realms, Judges are always in the service of Tyr. They are active in Cormyr, and there are rumours of an extensive order of these Paladins operating in Sossal...

Wanderer (Paladin)
Description: The Wanderer is a lonely Paladin who travels the land in search of evil. They are often friends of the common man and are of all Paladins the least arrogant and aloof. They can come from any background. To become a Wanderer, a Paladin must meet the normal requirements of a Paladin, except for his Constitution, which must be 14 or higher.
Role: Wanderers often help the weak and defenseless citizens of a society. They are not as law-bound as most paladins and can therefore allow themselves some freedom in their actions.
Secondary Skills: Any reasonable.
Weapon Proficiencies: A Wanderer must be proficient in either the Staff, the Dagger or the Knife. These weapons know many uses on the road and knowing how to use at least one is essential for a Wanderer. Many Wanderers spend two Weapon Slots to become proficient in all Polearms, as per the Complete Fighter's. This is not required, however. A Wanderer cannot specialize in a weapon.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: Running, Direction Sense. Suggested: Tracking, Mountaineering, Local History, Herbalism, Healing, Animal Lore, Agriculture, Survival, Endurance, Fishing, Hunting.
Spheres: A Wanderer has access to the following Spheres of Influence once he can cast Spells: Travellers, Healing, Protection, Sun. If you do not have the Tome of Magic, you can substitute Travellers for Guardian.
Special Benefits: A Wanderer travels the lands on foot. To increase his speed, he can use his Running Proficiency, or he can Force March. Any penalties on Attack Rolls, etc. due to Forced March only, are halved, rounded up (so there's always a -1 penalty). When Running, a Wanderer has no penalties on the first day of Running.
The second benefit of a Wanderer is that while he is as Lawful Good as any Paladin, he only respects one authority; his religion. Therefore, he is not penalized very hard if he commits Chaotic Good actions in relation to a country's laws, e.g. if he breaks the law in service of Good and his Religion. In a Party, a Wanderer must behave himself as any Paladin.
Although a Wanderer must tithe like a normal Paladin, if he can spend his money any way he wants if there is no place where he can tithe within a day's walk that he knows of.
Special Hindrances: A Wanderer disdains steeds. He cannot learn any Riding Proficiency and cannot call for his Warhorse at 3rd level. He can acquire a Horse like a normal character, and ride it without any benefit. Although there are no penalties for Horseriding, a Wanderer would rather show his worth and go by foot. Wanderers hate the game "Elfenroads".
A Wanderer does not radiate any authority like a normal Paladin. Therefore, they cannot Turn Undead.
A Wanderer cannot keep more possessions than he can take along on his travels.
Ethos: A Wanderer is the most free of all Paladins. Although he must always further the cause of good wherever he is, he is not punished much if that involves breaking certain laws. The penalties become normal if the Wanderer breaks laws without good reason.
A Wanderer does respect one authority and one order: his religion. That he considers the true Law and Rule of the Universe.
Notes: in the Realms, Wanderers can be found as far as the the most western of Oriental countries, like Khazari or Semphar. They are quite common in Faerun.

Commander (Paladin)
Description: The Commander is a battlefield leader, who inspires his troops to courageous deeds for the greater glory of his god, nation or faith. Commanders have a great sense of honor, and they may never betray their leaders (the King, Emperor, etc.).
Because so many Commanders are leaders, they have a tendency to be a bit bossy when it is not required. Every Commander thinks that the only way to fame and fortune is through heroism, and that the only true place for heroism is in the army.
To be a Commander, a Paladin must have, in addition to the normal requirements, an Intelligence score of 9 or higher. Understanding of battlefield tactics is very important for any Commander.
Role: The Commander's skills tend to be very helpful when he is with an army. In a small party, he will be a bit out of place.
But although Commanders are usually with an army, this does not have to be the case. PC Commanders are obvious exceptions. There are a number of reasons for Commanders to go adventuring. A low-level Commander might be required to show his worth in an "individual war" (an adventure). Once he reaches a certain level, he may return to take his place as a true Com- mander. Another interesting storyline could be that the Commander was the leader of an army that has been beaten by a powerful, evil force. The Good King's Realms are suddenly overrun by Orcs...The Commander must go on a personal quest, out of loyalty for his king, to do that which an army could not.
Almost all Commanders come from a Noble background. Players may find it useful to read the Noble Warrior and the Myrmidon Kit descriptions (Complete Fighter's) , because these kits resemble the Commander in some aspects. Myrmidons are more inclined to follow orders, however, while Commanders would rather give them.
Secondary Skills: Commanders may have Secondary Skills like Armorer, Bowyer/Fletcher or Weaponsmith, but they will usually leave these jobs to others once they have enough power.
Weapon Proficiencies: A Commander can use his Weapon Proficiency slots any way he chooses, but he cannot specialize.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: Heraldry, Reading/Writing (Home Tongue). Recommended: Direction Sense, Etiquette, Fire-Building, Riding (land-based), Weather Sense, Engineering, Navigation, Ancient History, Armorer, Bowyer/Fletcher, Weaponsmithing.
Spheres: Once he reaches sufficient level, a Commander casts his Priest Spells from the following Spheres: War, Combat, Healing and Protec- tion.
Special Benefits: Because he has to help his troops as much as he can, a Commander has the following special benefits:
Four times a day, he can use an innate courage ability. This func- tions like the first-level Priest spell described in the Tome of Magic, except that the range is 60'.
The Charisma of the Commander is one point higher towards his troops. If soldiers leave the army without losing sympathy for it, they still see the Commander with this bonus.
When a commander casts a War spell, his casting level is one higher than it would normally be. The Commander cannot learn extra spells or gain any other higher-level benefit.
Special Hindrances: Because Commanders do not get attached to their mounts, they do not gain the usual special benefits of Paladins for owning mounts. Commanders will only ride War Horses.
Ethos: A Commander has the following special rules to abide by:
A Commander will never refuse an assignment from his leaders.
A Commander willlead his army with Honor and Valour, and will not dishonor himself in front of his troops. Inevitable retreat is not con- sidred to be dishonor, but any retreat less than inevitable, that was not ordered, is.
Commanders will not allow their soldiers to loot and/or pillage defeated enemies. Civilians are not to be hurt and enemies must be treated fairly.
Failure to live up to these rules is espessially dishonorable for a Commander. Besides losing his status as a Paladin, he will suffer from depressions, the exact effect of which are left to the DM.

Choirsinger (Bard)
Specialty: Holy Bard/Religious Performer
Qualifications: A Choirsinger must have a DEX of 10, an INT of 13, a CHA of 13 and a WIS of 15, or higher. They must be Good in alignment, although they can be Lawful, Neutral or Chaotic. Choirsingers are therefore an exception to the rule that bards should be neutral.
Thief Skill Adjustments: A Choirsinger recieves the following adjustments to the standard bard's Thieving Skills:
PP: -25%
DN: +5%
CW: -5%
RL: +10%
Furthermore, a Choirsinger can only use his Pick Pockets ability in the most extreme circumstances, and even then only on evil enemies of the Choirsinger. This rule is applied less strict on Neutral Good Choirsingers, and even less on Chaotic Good ones. A Lawful Good Choirsinger, however, has the largest choice of Priest Spells.
Description: A Choirsinger is a Bard with a Holy Mission. He believes in his religion, but not to the point of fanaticism.
Choirsingers differ according to their religion. Lawful Choirsingers are often a lot like paladins, although they do not have to abide by the same strict rules. They often live in temples, serving the function that the name suggests. Neutral Choirsingers are more outgoing, friendly folk, and can often be found trying to make contact with peasants in taverns. Chaotic Choirsingers are unpredictable, like all Chaotic characters. Some- times, they are loners who want to find enlightment in themselves or want to contemplate on the world, but they might just as well be crusaders on a mission they made up themselves.
Choirsingers often come from a noble background, but a given Choir- singer can have any background the DM finds acceptable.
Role: As the name suggests, Choirsingers often serve as a temple's musicia- ns. They sing, chant and hum during rituals, and play organs or other instruments that make an impressive sound. But these functions are usually filled by lower-level Choirsingers. More experienced Choirsingers can have a lot of other functions. They can be Masters of certain ceremonies, converters of the "heathens", elite adventurers called on when the temple needs something set right, or Master of a Choir. Choirsingers can fill a lot of different purposes in a temple or even a complete religion because of their diverse skills. Their main advantages over the usual clergy of the temple are the influence they have over the followers, and the fact that thay are better musicians than Priests.
Secondary Skills: Usually none.
Weapon Proficiencies: Choirsingers may use only Bludgeoning weapons, but you may consider using the weapon range of the Specialty Priest of the Choirsinger's religion.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: Religion; Singing; Reading/Writing; Musical Instrument. Suggested: Languages, Ancient; Etiquette; Languages, Modern; Healing; Heraldry; Ancient History; Local History; Chanting; Crowd Working; Spellcraft; Astrology. Some of these Proficiencies are in the "Priest" group, but see below.
Armor/Equipment: If you use the Specialty Priest's weapons, then you should also use the same armor. Otherwise, a Choirsinger can wear only the standard armor allowed to bards.
They always carry a Holy Symbol of their faith, but there are no special penalties if the Bard loses its Holy Symbol.
Special Benefits: Instead of the normal Special Abilities of a Bard, the Choirsinger has the following:
Rally Followers: a Choirsinger can Rally any follower of his faith (including other Choirsingers, Priests, etc.), with double normal effect. They can choose to double one effect of the ability (e.g. a +2 on Attack Rolls, +2 on Saving Throws or +4 on Morale) or use two effects at the same time. A Choirsinger cares about the wellbeing of his fellow believers, however, and if he sends them into a battle which they are bound to loose, without good reason, he could be punished by his god, Patriarch, or even his own consciousness.
Convert Heathens: The Choirsinger can try to convert people to his religion. This works like a normal Bard's ability to Influence Reactions, but it is more difficult. The ability can only be used on one person at a time, not at a group. The person may make a Saving Throw vs. Paralysis, with the penalties of higher-level bards. Wisdom adjustments apply to this Saving Throw. If the person his of a higher level then the Choirsinger, he gets a bonus equal to twice the difference in levels. If the bard and the person to be converted are of the same level, the person gets a +1 bonus. In addition, there is an alignment bonus, equal to the number of straight steps the person's alignment is removed from the bard's alignment, mul- tiplied by two. So, a 1st-level Choirsinger trying to convert a 2nd-level CE Fighter with a +1 WIS bonus would have a hard time indeed. The Fighter gains a +2 bonus for being a level higher, a +1 bonus for his high Wisdom, and a +8 bonus for the alignment, because it takes four steps to go from square "1" to square "9" in a 3x3 diagram. The total bonus for the Fighter is +11, which means he has to roll 4 or higher on 1d20.
Converting a person takes 1d12 turns. After that time, the Saving Throw is made. The person to be converted must be willing to sit down and talk to the bard. After being converted, the DM will decide on the exact actions of the NPC. If he failed his Saving Throw by more than 10 points, the victim has suddenly seen the light, and is utterly converted to the bard's faith. His alignment may change to be in line with the faith (use the Worshipper's Alignment of the faith). In less extreme cases, the NPC will usually show interest in the faith and will believe the Choirsinger's statements about the benefits of belonging to the faith.
If the NPC succeds in its Saving Throw, its reaction is judged by the DM. In normal circumstances, it is unlikely he will do more than shake his head and walk away.
This ability does not work on Priests, Paladins, Crusaders, Rangers, or other Choirsingers. Note that it is possible that an NPC always makes its Saving Throw because of the modifiers. It's impossible, however, that an NPC always fails the Saving Throw. A natural 20 always indicates succes.
Priest Training: A Choirsinger can learn proficiencies from the Priest group at no extra cost than Priests, but this only works if the proficiency is taught by a follower of the Choirsinger's faith.
Cast Priest Spells: A Choirsinger can cast priest spells, even in armor. They do not recieve Bonus Spells. Their Spell Progression is like a normal Bard's Wizard Spells. Their Spheres are dictated by their alignment. Lawful Choirsingers have access to All, Healing, Combat and Charm. Neutral Choirsingers have access to All, Healing and Charm, and Chaotic Choir- singers have acces to the Spheres of All and Charm. In all cases, the Bard has only Minor Access to these Spheres. Choirsingers can never gain Major Access to a Sphere.
Special Restrictions: Lik a Cleric, a Choirsinger must follow the ethos of his religion. If he fails to do this, he will lose spells accordingly.

Dazzler (Wizard)
This is a wizard kit. Must have a 13 CHA. Dazzlers like flashy, showy spells. They can influence reactions (as a bard) through bedazzlement with their spells (color spray, fireball, other impressive magicks). They have a -1 to all spell damage dice, as they have unconsciously altered their spell formulae to avoid doing damage to people in case a spell should get beyond their control in a show. They often pose as stage magicians, and then use real spells in addition to sleight-of-hand. Bonus NWP: crowd working. Necromancers cannot be dazzlers.

Sage (Wizard)
This is a kit for elven wizards. Must have a 15 INT. Half of their NWP slots must be devoted to "academic" pursuits. They must choose one field of expertise at first level and put a slot into it. In addition, they get two NWP slots for free to put into that same proficiency. All their WP slots after first level must be used as NWP instead (i.e., they are only proficient in one weapon). They have the legend lore ability as a true bard half their level, rounded down. They have a -1 to hit in melee.

Swordsman (Thief)
This is a kit for elven thieves. Must have a 12 DEX, CHA 13. They have three special abilities. One, the weapons display. To perform a weapons display the swordsman whirls a non-missile weapon about his body, those with less than a 6 INT have their morale lowered by two (assuming they can see him and understand the concept of weapons) but does not force an immediate morale check, and his allies are inspired into having a +1 to hit for a number of rounds equal to his level. He must perform this display for a full round, uninterrupted, for these effects to occur. The swordsman is automatically considered ambidextrous, giving him a 0/-2 penalty to hit when fighting with two weapons. He may also perform a defensive/offensive spin. In a defensive spin, he lowers his AC by half his level, just like a parry, but if someone makes a successful attack on him they take damage equal to half his level unless they save vs paralyzation, up to the max damage of the weapon including bonuses. In an offensive spin he makes an attempt to appear especially fearsome and dangerous to one opponent for one round, and if the swordsman successfully hits that opponent the next round that opponent must make a morale check or try to stay at least 10' away from him for the rest of the encounter. For an offensive spin to work, the swordsman cannot have been injured before by that particular opponent during that encounter. Required WP: sabre, rapier, or short sword. Required NWP: crowd working. They receive only 50 skill points at first level and only 20 every level after that. They must spend at least every other WP slot on a sword.

Gypsy-Mage (Wizard)
This is a wizard kit for humans, elves, and half-elves. Specialist wizards cannot be gypsies. They cast divination spells as if they were one level higher than they are. If they possess any type of scrying device they can cast divination spells as if they were one level higher yet. They have a -1 reaction penalty from non-gypsies. They can never learn invocation or necromancy. Automatically have a wild psionic talent. Bonus NWP: modern languages (gypsy). Required NWP: fortune-telling, dancing. Required WP: knife.

Strongman (Bard)
This is a bard kit. Must have a 14 STR, 12 DEX, 9 INT, 15 CHA. They get all the standard abilities of a bard (thief skills, magic, etc.) They also have four special abilities. Exertion: he can boost his STR by two categories for one round by shouting and grunting. The following round his STR is one category below normal, after which it returns to normal. He can use this ability once/day/level. Enhanced strength: any magic that alters STR affects him as if he were a fighter. He may roll for exceptional STR if he has an 18. He gets a second save vs magic that would reduce his STR (if it does not usually allow a save, he doesn't get one either). Heavy-handedness: strongmen are excellent bouncers; they have a +1 to hit and +3 damage when brawling (punching, wrestling, overbearing). Swoon: members of the opposite sex react with a +2 at the sight of his perfect physique, members of the same sex react with a -1. Strongmen learn spells as if they were one level lower than they are. They have a -5% to their RL chance, but +5% to CW. Bonus NWP: endurance, gaming.

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