Knights of the Silver Way: Warriors of the Mind and Will

As Chenk pulled his mount to a hover, the nervous beast beat its gelatinous wings in a rippling wave and whistled through its gill-sacks. Looking down into the seemingly endless chasm he was flying through at the illithid lair below, Chenk knew that hundreds of slaves were groaning under the yoke of telepathic oppression, living in barely suppressed horror at the daily prospect of a mind-flayer slicing open a skull at random to feed on the delicate gray meat of a brain. “Easy, Salathious,” Chenk whispered to his steed, “We’re not alone...”

Calling out with a wave of thought, Chenk touched the minds of his comrades, “I have found the base, follow my aura trace through the cavern...” Chenk waited while his allies tracked the psychic residue of his travel through the underground, using the time to scry into the building below. Each brain-eater had a cabin-like hive of stabilized ectoplasm with dimly glowing walls. None of them had any visible doors or windows, but Chenk knew those within could easily see and move through the seemingly solid walls if they needed to. There were seven of the vile thrall-masters in the complex, along with a dozen blind grimlock taskmasters. The savage grimlocks had evolved to serve the illithids, easily controlled by telepathy but having brains that tasted foul to the illithids. They were brutal warriors used to the darkness, having long ago lost the ability to see, and they were not to be taken lightly in a fight.

Slaves of various races, including humans, giths, dwarves, and elves were scurrying about performing various jobs, mostly tending to carnivorous plants and giant fungi that were being farmed in the sunless cavern and digging tunnels to extend the colony. Around a hundred pathetic, naked, starving slaves worked the farm and nearby mines. Broken and brainwashed these wretched creatures would be more likely to defend their vile masters than think of rebelling. Chenk and his war party, a score of psions, psychic warriors, and knights like himself, would have to manoeuvre around these huddled masses to attack the abominations that ruled over them. That was the price of doing this mission, those they saved were too mad to appreciate their own salvation. But as Chenk drew his crystal sword, mentally signalling for the attack to begin, and showed the minds of his comrades the points to attack, he knew they would never stop fighting until the brain-eaters were overthrown. Not even if it meant their lives...

The Knights of the Silver Way are an order of benevolent warriors who use faith and discipline to channel psionic power in defence of the weak and to overthrow evil wherever they may find it. Spiritual enlightenment and self-knowledge are the goals of the meditative arts used by these noble defenders of the weak and banishers of evil. Travelling the Astral plane, they pursue psychic criminals and monsters, and have a deep knowledge of creatures from the Astral and other planes.

GAME RULE INFORMATION

Silver Knights have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Charisma enhances a Silver Knight’s ability to smite, self-protective abilities, and ability to channel energy. Strength is important for its role in combat, something that all Silver Knights must face without fear or hesitation. A Wisdom score of 14 or higher is required to get access to the most powerful Silver Knight spells, and a score of 11 or higher is required to cast any divine spells at all.

Alignment: Enlightened and serene, Silver Knights must be of Good alignment.

Hit Dice: 1d10

Class Skills

The silver knight class skills are autohypnosis, climb, concentration, hide, intimidate, jump, knowledge (psionics, religion), ride, survival, diplomacy, profession, psicraft, search, sense motive, craft, use rope, swim, gather information, move silently, tumble, balance.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int Modifier) * 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int. modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the silver knight.

Weapons and Armour Proficiency: Silver Knights are proficient in all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armour, and with all shields.

Level PowerPoints Powers Max Power Special

/Day Known Level Abilities

1 0* 1 1st Aura of Good, Intensify Aura 1/Day, Bonus Feat, Mantle (1st)

2 1 2 1st Dimensional Lore

3 3 3 1st Aura of Courage

4 5 4 2nd Intensify Aura 2/Day, Astral Sight

5 7 5 2nd Bonus Feat

6 11 6 2nd

7 15 7 3rd Special Mount

8 19 8 3rd

9 23 9 3rd Intensify Aura 3/Day

10 27 10 4th Bonus Feat, Mantle (2nd)

11 35 11 4th Astral Warrior 1/Day

12 43 12 4th

13 51 13 5th

14 59 14 5th Intensify Aura 4/day

15 67 15 5th Bonus Feat, Astral Warrior 2/Day

16 79 16 6th

17 91 17 6th

18 103 18 6th

19 115 19 6th Intensify Aura 5/Day, Astral Warrior 3/Day

20 127 20 6th Bonus Feat

Aura of Good: The power of a Silver Knight’s aura of good (see the spell detect good) is equal to his class level.

Bonus Feats: At 1st level, a silver knight gets a bonus feat in addition to the feat any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to a human character. The silver knight gains an additional bonus feat at 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats listed as fighter bonus feats or from the psionic feats list. The Silver Knight must meet all prerequisites. A silver knight cannot choose feats that specifically require levels in the fighter class unless he is a multiclass character with the requisite levels in the fighter class.

Spiritual Grace: At 2nd level, a Silver Knight gains a bonus equal to his or her Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.

Dimensional Lore: Silver Knights are dedicated to protecting their world against attacks from other planes. Starting at level 2, you can add your class level to any knowledge check related to creatures from other planes or planar travel. Furthermore, you gain a +2 insight bonus on manifester checks to travel to another plane.

Aura of Courage (su): The determination and bravery of these warriors is inspiring to others. At 3rd level, a Silver Knight becomes immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10’ of a Silver Knight gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while the knight is conscious, but not while he or she is unconscious or dead.

Power Points/Day: A Silver Knight’s ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points he has available. His base daily allotment of power points is given on the Silver Knight Advancement Table. In addition, he receives bonus power points per day if he has a high Wisdom score. His race may also provide bonus power points per day, as may certain feats and items. A 1st level Silver Knight gains no power points for his class level, but may gain bonus power points if he is entitled to any and can manifest the single power he knows with his bonus power points.

Powers Known: A Silver Knight begins play knowing one psychic warrior power of your choice. Each time the knight achieves a new level, the knowledge of a new power is unlocked.

Choose the powers known from the psychic warrior list. A Silver Knight can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than his manifester level.

The total number of powers a Silver Knight can manifest in a day is limited only by his daily power points. The knight does not need to prepare his powers, though he must get a full night’s sleep each day to regain all his spent power points.

Maximum Power Level: A Silver Knight begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level psionic powers. As the knight attains higher levels, the ability to master powers that are more complex may be gained. To learn or manifest a power the knight must have a Wisdom score of at least 10+ the power’s level.

Intensify Aura: A Silver Knight can intensify and direct the aura of goodness that emanates from within a purified heart. Once per day a Silver Knight may attempt to intensify his aura until it can affect creatures with a touch. The effect of an intensified aura depends on the alignment of the target and can be a surer test of alignment than scrying. Against a target of any Evil alignment, the touch is damaging. With a melee weapon or unarmed touch attack the Silver Knight adds any Charisma modifier to the attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per class level. Against a target of any Good alignment, this energy heals the same number of points of damage. Neutral targets are neither healed nor damaged by this energy but must save vs. Will or be stunned for 1 round per class level of the Silver Knight.

Mantle: At 1st level a Silver Knight chooses a deity to follow and then chooses from among the deity’s assigned mantles, picking one that he adopts and learns to manifest powers from. You begin play with knowledge of one mantle and its first power. All powers in a chosen mantle are part of your list of available powers. When you gain a power select it from the list of your mantle’s powers. At 10th level you gain a second mantle. Your first mantle is your primary one; you cannot have more powers in your secondary mantle than in your primary mantle. A mantle power must be selected as the first power gained for each level.

Aura of Resistance: Beginning at 3rd level, the silver knight gains immunity to all charm and compulsion effects. The silver knight’s mind is free, and no other creature can control the knight’s thoughts or actions. Each ally within 10 feet of the knight gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion effects. This ability functions while the knight is conscious, not unconscious or dead.

Astral Sight: At 4th level the Silver Knight becomes attuned to the Astral Plane, able to perceive things through the barrier between planes to coterminous areas in the Astral. Your perception extends into the Astral Plane from whatever plane you are on up to 120 feet in any direction, allowing you to make Spot or Search checks to locate a target astral projecting within the area, and you can use psionic powers against astral targets within this range that you successfully detect.

Astral Warrior: At 11th level a Silver Knight becomes a master at fighting astral opponents. Once per day you can expend your psionic focus to use your weapon to sever a silver cord instead of doing additional damage any critical hit succeeds against a target using astral projection. Targets who suffer a severed silver cord must make a successful saving throw versus Will. Failure is instantly fatal and those who succeed are banished back to their plane of origin. You gain an additional daily use of this power at 15th and 19th level. This power may be used whenever the Silver Knight is on the Astral Plane or an adjacent one.

Special Mount: Upon reaching 7th level, a Silver Knight gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve in the crusade against evil. This mount is usually a heavy warhorse (for a Medium Silver Knight) or a war pony (for a Small Silver Knight).

Once per day, as a full-round action, a Silver Knight 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 Silver Knight’s level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the Silver Knight and remains for 2 hours per Silver Knight 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 Silver Knight 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 Silver Knight’s mount die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The Silver Knight may not summon another mount for thirty days or until she gains a Silver Knight level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the Silver Knight takes a -1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.

Code of Conduct: A Silver Knight must be good and loses all class abilities if he or she ever willingly commits an evil act. Additionally, a Silver Knight’s code of conduct requires that members of this class slay any illithid or other psionic monsters they can, help those in need (provided this does not help further evil ends or aid the undead), punish those who harm or threaten innocents, and free anyone telepathically dominated.

Associates: While Silver Knights may adventure with characters of good or neutral alignment, a knight will never knowingly associate with evil characters or any type of undead, nor will then continue any association with someone who regularly offends the Silver Knight’s moral code. Silver Knights may not accept henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are lawful or evil.

Ex-Silver Knights

A Silver Knight who ceases to be good, willingly commits an evil deed, grossly violates the code of conduct, or who allows a dangerous psionic monster to exist loses all class abilities and spells (but not weapon, armour, and shield proficiencies). The knight may not progress any further in levels as a Silver Knight. All class abilities and advancement potential may be regained if the violations are atoned for (see the atonement spell description), as appropriate.

Like members of any other class, Silver Knights may be multiclass characters, but multiclass Knights of the Silver Way face a special restriction. Silver Knights who gain levels in any other class can never again rise in Silver Knight levels, although all of their class abilities are retained.