Song and rhyme are the purview of skalds and bards. And while many clans boast of the power of their skalds, there are those who have been touched by righteous hand of the gods. Rare, but not unheard of, virtuous poets rove their hereditary lands creating tales of legendary renown. They demonstrate their godly devotion by weaving words of praise into their sacred songs. In so doing, they obtain divine favor and powerful abilities to aid in their battle against evil-holy songs that can smite their enemies, enhance their weapons, heal their allies, or protect them from a manner of magical effects. (Original Concept by Elghinn Lightbringer) Primary Class: Skald. Secondary Class: Paladin. Alignment: Any good. Hit Dice: d8. Bonus Skills and Ranks: The virtuous poet may select three paladin skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal skald class skills. The virtuous poet gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The virtuous poet is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light and medium armor, but not with shields. Spellcasting: A virtuous poet casts divine spells drawn from the bard spell list and can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. A virtuous poet otherwise learns and casts spells as a skald of equal level. He also gains bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score. Detect Evil (Sp): At 1st level, a virtuous poet gains the paladin’s detect evil ability. This ability replaces scribe scroll. Sacred Song (Su): This is exactly like the raging song ability, except that the virtuous poet’s songs are infused with divine power. A virtuous poet gains the following sacred songs.
Divine Grace (Su): At 3rd level, a virtuous poet gains the paladin’s divine grace ability. This ability replaces the song of marching raging song. Rage Power (Ex): This is exactly like the skald ability of the same name, except that the virtuous poet is restricted from choosing the following rage powers, in addition to any others: fiend totem (greater), fiend totem (lesser), fiend totem, linnorm death curse (cairn), linnorm death curse (crag), linnorm death curse (fjord), linnorm death curse (ice), linnorm death curse (tarn), linnorm death curse (tiaga), linnorm death curse (tor). In addition, the virtuous poet can select one mercy from the paladin’s mercy class feature in place of a rage power, and add its effect to his healing refrain song. At 3rd level, the virtuous poet can select from the fatigued, shaken, or sickened initial mercies. At 6th level, a virtuous poet adds the dazed, diseased, and staggered mercies to the list of those that can be selected. At 9th level, a virtuous poet adds the cursed, exhausted, frightened, nauseated, and poisoned mercies to the list of those that can be selected. At 12th level, a virtuous poet adds the blinded, deafened, paralyzed, and stunned mercies to the list of those that can be selected. These mercies are cumulative. For example, a 12th-level virtuous poet’s healing refrain heals 6d6 points of damage and might also cure the fatigued and exhausted conditions as well as removing diseases and neutralizing poisons. Once a mercy is chosen, it can't be changed. Divine Health (Su): At 8th level, a virtuous poet gains the paladin’s divine health ability. This ability replaces improved uncanny dodge. Spell Keening (Su): This is exactly like the skald ability of the same name, except that the virtuous poet removes the sorcerer/wizard spell list and adds the paladin’s spell list to the list of spells he can cast as one of his spells known. Master Poet (Su): At 20th level, whenever a virtuous poet uses smiting song and successfully strikes an evil outsider, the outsider is also subject to a banishment, using his virtuous poet level as the caster level (his weapon automatically counts as an object that the subject hates). After the banishment effect and the damage from the attack is resolved, the smite song immediately ends. In addition, when making a full attack while smiting song is in effect, affected allies may make an additional attack each round (as if using a haste effect). This ability replaces master skald. Table: Virtuous Poet
|