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Templars are the favored knights of their god, defending the faith more effectively than a steel wall. A few templars placed at the entrance to a place of worship is enough to keep most dragons out.

Adventurers: Templars rarely adventure. Their abilities are best used for defense, something adventurers do not always do. Some templars do leave, often to find and defend some holy site, or something similar.

Characteristics: Templars are steadfast and strong. A templars is as likely to abandon his post as a dragon is to abandon his hoard. There is a certain amount of arrogance as well. A templars is the first and best line of defense for his religion, and he knows it.

Alignment: Templars may be of any alignment, but have the same limits to their alignment as a cleric of that same deity.

Religion: Templars belong to any and every religion. However, martial minded churches are more likely to use them than a church of rogues.

Background: Templars are frequently inducted young, when they begin to show interest in the faith. They are either trained by older templars or knights of the church.

Races: Just as any religion may sponsor a templar, so may any race. Dwarves and orcs make exceptional templars, however, due to their great Strength and Constitution scores.

Other Classes: Templars function best when they have something to protect. Therefore, clerics, sorcerers, and wizards all make excellent company.

Role: Templars are the first line of defense. Period. They defend the weaker members of the party, waiting for bear’s endurance and similar spells.

Game Rule Information[]

Templars have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Strength and Constitution are both extremely important, allowing the templar to survive in melee combat. Wisdom can also be useful, so that he may notice his foes.

Alignment: Any (see above)

Hit Die: d10

Class Skills The templar’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spot (Wis). See Chapter 4 in the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.

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 templar.

Best base attack bonus.

Best Fortitude saving throw bonus.

Worst Reflex and Will saving throw bonuses.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Templars are proficient with all simple weapons, as well as the favored weapon of their deity. Templars are proficient with all types of armor, as well as all shields (including tower shields).

AC Bonus (Ex): The templar receives a morale bonus to AC (equal to his class bonus to Fort saves) when defensive fighting, using full defense, or using a shield.

Seek Foes (Su): A templar has the ability to detect the presence of a particular alignment, as the detect spell, at will. What alignment is detected depends on the alignment of the templar’s deity. Good deities grant detect evil. Evil deities grant detect good. Lawful neutral deities grant detect chaos. Chaotic neutral deities grant detect law. True neutral deities grant a single one of these abilities, determined by the DM.

Extend Shield (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, as a move action, the templars may extend his shield bonus to AC to anyone in an adjacent square. The templar himself receives only half the normal bonus.

Favored Foe (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, the templar gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and Sense Motive against a specific alignment. This alignment must be one the templar’s deity is strongly opposed to (such as chaos or evil for a Lawful Good deity). This ability improves to +4 at 11th level and +6 at 18th level.

At 11th level, the templar chooses a second alignment, which he gains a +2 bonus against. At 18th level, this bonus increases to +4.

Defend the Faith (Ex): When he needs to, a templar can become a stalwart bastion of defense. When he is defending the faith, a templar gains phenomenal strength and durability, but he cannot move from the spot he is defending. He gains +2 to Strength, +4 to Constitution, a +2 resistance bonus to all saves, and a +4 dodge bonus to AC. The increase in Constitution increases the templar’s hit points by 2 points per level, but these points go away at the end of the time he is defending the faith, when the templar’s Constitution score drops back 4 points. These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are. While defending the faith, a templar cannot use skills or abilities that would require him to shift his position, such as Move Silently or Jump. Defending the faith lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s (newly improved) Constitution modifier. A templar may stop defending the faith voluntarily prior to this limit. At the end of the time he is defending the faith, the templar is winded and takes a –2 penalty to Strength for the duration of that encounter. A templar can only defend the faith a number of times per day as determined by his level (see the accompanying table). Defending the faith takes no time itself, but a templar can only do so during his action.

Damage Reduction (Ex): Starting at 4th level, the templar gains the ability to ignore some damage. At 4th level, he has DR 1/-. At 8th level, it improves to 2/-. At 12th level, it improves to 3/-. At 16th level, it improves to 4/-. At 20th level, it improves to 5/-.

Bonus Feat: At 7th and 13th level, the templar may select a bonus feat from the list of fighter bonus feats.

Mobile Defense (Ex): Starting at 14th level, a templar can adjust his position while defending the faith. While defending the faith, he can take one 5-foot step each round without losing the benefit of the stance.

Level Base Attack Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special AC Bonus
1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Seek Foes +2
2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Extend shield +3
3 +3 +3 +1 +1 Favored Foe +2 +3
4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Damage reduction 1/- +4
5 +5 +4 +1 +1 Defend the Faith 1/day, +4
6 +6/+1 +5 +2 +2 +5
7 +7/+2 +5 +2 +2 Bonus feat +5
8 +8/+3 +6 +2 +2 Damage reduction 2/- +6
9 +9/+4 +6 +3 +3 +6
10 +10/+5 +7 +3 +3 Defend the Faith 2/day, +7
11 +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +3 Favored Foe +4 +7
12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +4 Damage reduction 3/- +8
13 +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +4 Bonus feat +8
14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +4 Mobile defense +9
15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +5 Defend the Faith 3/day, +9
16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +5 Damage reduction 4/- +10
17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 +10
18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 Favored Foe +6 +11
19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6 +11
20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 Damage reduction 5/-, Defend the Faith 4/day +12
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