Knights of the White Shield: Keepers of the Peace

Snowy mountain peaks overlooked the tiny village of Cliffbottom that had sprung up by the Wathwend River, a waterway that meandered between the vast Snowmane Mountains to the sea. It was a small community of Halfling and Gnome farmers and merchants attracted by the traffic in spices that had grown as trade with the distant Hmomshai Empire to the South flourished. A small port on the winding river where farmers could bring their crops to trade for spices brought by ships bound for cities of the North, Cliffbottom had been built just inland from the coast on the river delta as part of the expanding colonies of the Duchy of Vairone, in a forested wilderness that was thought to be uninhabited virgin territory. The Vaironese settlers had no idea that the river they called the Wathwend was the Sacred Road used by the spirits of the dead to go to the Island of the Dead. They could not know that the river was bathed in to cleanse the soul of sins, that the trees they had cleared from the river bank were the reincarnated chieftains of a hundred generations of savage human tribesmen, and they were not expecting the barbarian warriors to be willing to die to purify their holy river of the taint of civilisation.

As the band of howling barbarians charged into the city wearing only war-paint and the skulls of their slain enemies, throwing torches into the homes and shops and ripping apart men, women, and children indiscriminately while roaring in pure rage, the villagers ran in terror with no idea why they were being attacked. The band of savages was only a dozen berserkers, but to the diminutive villagers the towering Humans were like an army, and alarm horns throughout the village started blaring, calling any able-bodied men to defend the hamlet.

This was only the first battle as archers assembled quickly to slay the furious warriors, putting an end to the slaughter. But it was the start of the war, the villagers sending out messengers to hire mercenaries to hunt down the savages and the barbarians uniting other tribes to their cause. Soon both sides were on the edge of extinction due to attrition, the bloodshed of raids and massacres and murders turning the river both sides shared crimson.

That was when they came, the Peacemakers, a band of knights sailing on a barge laden with gifts of food and medicine to be passed out to both sides. They built up defences for each group that kept them apart then started meting out justice to any and all who had done wrong, called meetings of the village and tribal leaders, and enforced order till both sides had a chance to tell their version of events and air all of their grievances. Firm but fair, the Peacemakers stopped the fighting, punished those who had done wrong, and negotiated a settlement that both the villagers and the barbarian tribes could live with. They made a peace that worked…

The Knights of the White Shield believe that lasting peace can be made no matter what has happened in a war. The Peacemakers are willing to fight to bring an end to a war if necessary, but prefer negotiation and diplomacy to violence. Benevolent, fair, and courteous, Peacemakers are dedicated to resolving all conflicts they encounter, especially those that produce wars. Harmony and fairness are lifelong goals of all Peacemakers, and they strive to see every argument from each participant’s point of view. Violence is used only to bring an end to further violence or to save lives, and these knights eventually become experts at quickly subduing violent opponents without the use of lethal force. Peacemakers enhance their personal magnetism and diplomatic finesse with the purity of their faith to quell the fears and angers that drive others to violence and can persuade even sworn enemies to talk peace.

Level Special Abilities

1 Aura of good, detect evil, awe 1/day

2 Divine grace, lay on hands

3 Aura of Calm, stunning strike

4

5 Awe 2/day, special mount

6 Mass Communion 1/week

7

8

9 Mass Communion 2/week

10 Awe 3/day,

11

12 Mass Communion 3/week

13

14

15 Awe 4/day, Mass Communion 4/week

16

17

18 Mass Communion 5/week

19

20 Awe 5/day

GAME RULE INFORMATION

Peacekeepers have the following game statistics.

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

Alignment: Fair and even-handed as well as benevolent to all, the Peacekeeper must be Neutral Good in alignment.

Hit Dice: 1d10

Class Skills

The peacekeeper’s class skills are climb, concentration, craft, intimidate, jump, knowledge (religion), ride, diplomacy, profession, search, sense motive, use rope, swim.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int. modifier) x 4.

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

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Peacekeeper.

Weapon & Armour Proficiency: Peacekeepers are proficient in all simple and martial bludgeoning weapons, armour, and shields. They are not proficient in any piercing or slashing weapons.

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

Detect Evil (Sp): At will, a peacekeeper can detect evil as the spell.

Awe (Su): Once per day, a peacekeeper may attempt to awe an opponent with a gaze. The peacekeeper adds any Charisma bonus and 1 extra point per class level to the DC roll. If the target fails a save vs. Will, they can do nothing but stare in awe of the peacekeeper and listen to what the peacekeeper says. Thereafter the peacekeeper can take 20 on any Charisma based skill used against that target for the next 24 hours. If the peacekeeper or an ally makes any violent or threatening gesture toward the target during that time the effect is dispelled.

Peacekeeper Advancement Table

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

Lay on Hands: At 2nd level, a peacekeeper learns to use faith and compassion to heal the wounds of others.

Stunning Strike: Starting at 3rd level, the peacekeeper learns to control his attacks with weapons so they are non-lethal but still effective in combat. Whenever necessary the peacekeeper can choose to stun an opponent instead of doing lethal damage. On a successful strike with a melee weapon, the target must make a check versus Fortitude at DC is 10 + 1/2 level + Wisdom modifier or be stunned for a number of rounds equal to the damage rolled. Because the peacekeeper is intentionally minimizing damage from the attack to avoid killing the target, damage from the weapon is the minimum for weapon type and is temporary rather than lethal damage.

Aura of Calm: The peacekeeper’s serenity is unshakeable and soothes the emotions of others. At level 3, the peacekeeper becomes immune to any effect that creates anger or fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of a peacekeeper gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against emotion effects. Anyone attempting to use a Rage related ability while in this area must make a Will check against the peacekeeper’s Charisma + level to activate the ability, but once it is started they are no longer affected by it. This ability functions while the peacekeeper is conscious, but not while the peacekeeper is unconscious or dead.

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

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

Mass Communion: By channeling divine energy a peacekeeper is able to create a bond between all affected targets in the area, so that each one can know what all of the others is thinking and feeling. Each member is suddenly aware of the intentions, secrets, desires, and motivations of the others, making it impossible for them to deceive each other and eliminating the need for language. The sudden inrush of feelings and thoughts is disorienting at first, so for the first round of the effect no affected target can take any actions aside from dodging attacks. The effect on each subject lasts so long as that person is within sight of the other targets, but is dispelled by being attacked or moving out of sight range of the other affected subjects.

Code of Conduct: Dedicated to serving the greatest good for the greatest number by being fair and seeking harmony and peace, the Peacekeeper must be Neutral Good in alignment. Peacekeepers can never instigate or promote a war, cannot shed blood or use weapons that slash or pierce, and must try to resolve any conflicts they are involved in or that they observe through peaceful negotiation if they are able to halt hostilities.

Associates: While a peacekeeper may adventure with characters of good or neutral alignment, the peacekeeper will never knowingly associate with evil characters, nor will any association with someone who consistently offends the peacekeeper’s moral code be continued. A peacekeeper may not accept henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are evil.

Ex-Peacekeeper: A Peacekeeper who ceases to be neutral good, who willingly commits an evil act, or who grossly violates the code of conduct, loses all peacekeeper spells and abilities (but not weapon, armour, and shield proficiencies). The warrior may not progress any further in levels as a peacekeeper. All class abilities and advancement potential may be regained if the violations are atoned for (see the atonement spell description), as appropriate.

Like any member of any other class, a peacekeeper may be a multiclass character, but multiclass peacekeepers face a special restriction. A peacekeeper who gains a level in any other class may never again rise in peacekeeper level, though all peacekeeper abilities are retained.