Coven Champion (Paladin/Witch)

Not every witch coven is malevolent, nor does witchcraft itself have to be evil, though these are the most commonly held opinions of the people. Contrary to this misconception, small covens of goodly witches secretly labor to defend the boundaries of this world from the vile horrors lying beyond our mortal realm, while simultaneously enduring the hate and prejudice of those they seek to protect. Thus, there are those who stand as guardians with the sole responsibility of protecting these holy covens, and charged to teach the outside world through their deeds that witches can become friends and allies in the common struggle against wickedness. The coven champion, blessed by mysterious eldritch powers, is such as these, for she stands as a model of virtue while operating in an unorthodox yet holy manner. (Original Concept by Bardess)Primary Class: Paladin.Secondary Class: Witch.Alignment: Lawful good.Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The coven champion may select three witch skills to add to her class skills in addition to the normal paladin class skills. The coven champion gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 2 + Int modifier.

Table: Coven Champion

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

The coven champion is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, light, and medium), and with shields (except tower shields). 

Spellcasting

The coven champion casts divine spells drawn the paladin spell list, and adds the following witch spells to her list of the indicated levels: 

1st level—cause fear, charm person, command, hex ward#, hypnotism, identify, ill omen*, lock gaze†, mask dweomer*, peacebond†, 

remove sickness#

2nd level—adoration†, augury, daze monster, delay pain#, enthrall, gentle repose, ghostly disguise#, hold person, qualm†, scare, see 

invisibility

3rd level—arcane sight, clairaudience/clairvoyance, fly, glyph of warding, heroism, locate weakness†, remove disease, share senses*, 

suggestion, twilight knife*, witness#

4th level—age resistance (lesser)#, charm monster, confusion, curse of magic negation#, debilitating portent†, detect scrying, 

divination, fear, locate creature, minor creation.

In addition, the coven champion gains the following as her 5th and 6th level spell lists: 

5th level—ancestral memory‡, atonement, banish seeming*, breath of life, cleanse*, commune, contact other planes, cure critical 

wounds, disrupting weapon, flame strike, hallow, hold monster, holy ice#, hostile juxtaposition†, pillar of life*, planar ally (lesser), raise dead, reprobation#, rest eternal*, righteous might, serenity#, spell immunity, spell resistance, telepathic bond, undeath ward±

6th level—age resistance#, animate objects, banishment, dispel magic (greater), find the path, forbiddance, geas/quest, glyph or 

warding (greater), guards and wards, heroes’ feast, heroism (greater), holy word, joyful rapture#, legend lore, bull’s strength (mass), cure light wounds (mass), eagle’s splendor (mass), owl’s wisdom (mass), suggestion (mass), overwhelming presence#, symbol of persuasion, symbol of sealing#, true seeing, undeath to death

(*Advanced Player’s Guide, #Ultimate Magic, †Ultimate Combat, ‡The Inner Sea World Guide, ±Dungeons of Galorian)

A coven champion otherwise learns, prepares and casts spells as a paladin equal to her coven champion level. She also receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score.

Detect Magic (Sp)

At will, a coven champion can use detect magic, as the spell. A coven champion can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it radiates magic, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect magic in any other object or individual within range.

Holy Coven (Ex)

The coven champion gains the holy coven hex (see New Hexes) and may join a holy coven (see Holy Covens below). The coven champion must have the coven leader hex to establish a holy coven (see New Hexes), as normal. At 10th level, any holy coven a coven champion establishes or joins requires only three members for (including herself) it to function. This ability and detect magic replace divine health.

Smite Evil (Su)

This is exactly like the paladin ability of the same name, except that a coven champion gains an increased bonus to damage attack against evil fey creatures instead of undead.

Detect Evil (Sp)

This is exactly like the paladin ability of the same name, except that the coven champion gains this ability at 2nd level.

Merciful Hex

A coven champion may select any witch hex in place of a mercy. At 12th level, she may select a hex or major hex. At 18th level, a coven champion can select a hex, major hex, or grand hex. She cannot select any hex more than once, unless specifically stated. Using a hex consumes one use of the coven champions’ lay on hands ability, without further effects. A coven champion cannot select the following hexes: blight, coven, poison steep, unnerve beasts, cook people, infected wounds, waxen image, dire prophecy. If hexes from any other source are in use, the coven champion cannot select any hex of a chaotic or evil nature. This otherwise functions as and replaces mercy.

Eldritch Bond (Sp)

Upon reaching 5th level, a coven champion forms a bond with the eldritch forces which grant her powers. This bond can take one of two forms. Once the form is chosen, it cannot be changed.

The first type of bond is with a consecrated weapon. The coven champion’s bonded weapon counts as an athame, or witch’s ceremonial dagger for the purpose of participating in coven rites that have an athame as its prerequisite.

This form of bond allows the coven champion to enhance her weapon as a standard action by calling upon the aid of an eldritch spirit for 1 minute per paladin level. When called, the spirit causes the weapon to shed light as a torch. At 5th level, this spirit grants the weapon a +1 enhancement bonus. At 8th level, and every three levels thereafter, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon bonuses to a maximum of +5.

At 5th level, these bonuses can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: axiomatic, brilliant energy, cunning, hexing#, hexing burst#, holy, keen, merciful, speed, spell storing, and transformative*. Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property's cost (see Table: Melee Weapon Special Abilities). These bonuses are added to any properties the weapon already has, but duplicate abilities do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. (*Advanced Player’s Guide, #Rite Publishing’s 101 Weapon Properties)

At 9th level, the coven champion’s weapon can receive the powers of any magical athame% for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 the coven champion’s level. (%Super Genius Games’ #1 With a Bullet Point: 5 Magic Witch’s Daggers)

The bonus and properties granted by the spirit are determined when the spirit is called and cannot be changed until the spirit is called again. The eldritch spirit imparts no bonuses if the weapon is held by anyone other than the coven champion but resumes giving bonuses if returned to the coven champion. These bonuses apply to only one end of a double weapon. A coven champion can use this ability once per day at 4th level, twice per day at 9th level, and one additional time per day for every four levels thereafter, to a total of four times per day at 17th level.

If a weapon bonded with an eldritch spirit is destroyed, the coven champion loses the use of this ability for 30 days, or until she gains a level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the paladin takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls and cannot use any hex except coven. The ritual of bonding with a new consecrated weapon costs 200 gp per coven champion’s level. A coven champion must commune with the eldritch spirit within her consecrated weapon to learn and prepare her spells, as a witch would her familiar.

The second type of bond allows a coven champion to gain the service of an eldritch mount which also serves and an intermediary between her and her eldritch patron. This functions as summon monster III, except the duration is permanent and the coven champion can only gain the service of a single creature and that creature must be a magical beast or it must be a fey animal. Once selected, the choice is set, but it may be changed whenever the coven champion gains a level. Upon reaching 7th level, and every two levels thereafter, the level of the summon monster spell increases by one, to a maximum of summon monster IX at 17th level. Once per day, as a full-round action, a coven champion may magically call his magical mount to his side. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the coven champion’s level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the coven champion. A coven champion can use this ability once per day at 4th level, twice per day at 9th level, and one additional time per day for every four levels thereafter, for a total of four times per day at 17th level.

At 11th level, the eldritch mount gains the celestial template.

At 15th level, the eldritch mount gains spell resistance equal to the coven champion’s level + 11.

A coven champion’s eldritch mount otherwise functions as a witch’s familiar, teaching spells to and storing spells for its master. It also gains the empathic link, store spells, deliver touch spells, and scry on familiar abilities at the indicated levels (see the Core Rulebook), and counts both as a familiar and a bonded mount for all prerequisites. Should the eldritch mount die or be banished, the coven champion may not summon another mount for 30 days or until she gains a level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the coven champion takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls and can’t cast any spells. The ritual for summoning a new eldritch mount costs 200 gp per coven champion’s level. This ability replaces divine bond.

Channel Positive Energy (Su)

This is exactly like the paladin ability of the same name, except that the coven champion gains channel positive energy at 5th level.

Aura of Vengeful Curse (Sp)

At 11th level, a coven champion can expend two uses of her smite evil ability to cast bestow curse on all evil enemies within 10 feet, as a free action. Each enemy can be affected by a different curse, with each effect lasting for 1 minute. This ability replaces aura of justice.

Aura of Witchcraft (Su)

At 14th level, a coven champion’s weapons are treated as magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. Any attack made against an enemy within 10 feet of her is treated as magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. This ability functions only while the coven champion is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead. This ability replaces aura of faith.

Aura of Eldritch Virtue (Su)

At 17th level, a coven champion gains DR 5/magic and immunity to compulsion spells and spell-like abilities. Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against compulsion effects. This ability functions only while the coven champion is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead. This ability replaces aura of righteousness.

Chosen of Holy Magic (Su)

At 20th level, the coven champion’s DR increases to 10/magic. Whenever she uses smite evil and successfully strikes an evil outsider or fey, the creature is also subject to a single-target holy word with a caster level equal to 10 + her coven champion’s level. After the banishment effect and the damage from the attack are resolved, the smite immediately ends. In addition, whenever she uses lay on hands to heal a creature, she heals the maximum possible amount. This ability replaces holy champion.

HOLY COVENS

Covens are typically malevolent gatherings meant to enhance the power of hags or those who join it. With such a threat to the common good of all peoples, new covens have arisen whose soul purpose is to battle against these foul servants of dark patrons.

Holy covens consist of powerful witches who serve the patrons of light and vehemently battle against the darkness. Only good-aligned witches may belong to a holy coven. When five witches of any good alignment gather, they can form a holy coven to gain increased magical ability. Any combination of good-aligned witches can form a coven, but only a good-aligned witch of 10th level or higher with the coven leader hex may serve as the coven leader of such holy gatherings.

Whenever all five witches of good-alignment of a particular coven are within 10 feet of one another, all five of them can work together to use any of the following spell-like abilities: break enchantment, breath of life, clairaudience/clairvoyance, commune, contact other plane, control weather, curse of magic negation (DC 17), divine illumination (DC 16), divination, euphoric tranquility (DC 21), forbiddance (DC 19), foresight, grove of respite, remove curse, serenity (DC 19), speak with dead, vision.

All five witches must take a full-round action to take part in this form of cooperative magic. All coven spell-like abilities function at CL 9th (or at the highest CL available to the most powerful witch in the coven). The save DCs are Intelligence-based, and function as if with a Intelligence score of 16 unless one of the witches has a higher Intelligence score, in which case the spell-like ability DCs are adjusted by that witch's Intelligence modifier.

At the GM's discretion, certain more powerful holy covens might have additional spell-like abilities.