The Mighty Arms of Kord

Criterion Affiliation Score Modifier

One-Time Character level +1/2 levels Lawful alignment +1 Knowledge (religion) 5 or more ranks +1 Base attack bonus +5 or higher +1 Proficient with all martial weapons +1

Multiple Use Brings a lawbreaker to justice +1 Converts a new member +1 Slays a CR 8 or higher evil creature +1/4 creature's CR Slays a CR 8 or higher evil minion of Hextor +1/2 creature's CR Thwarts a plot of Hextor's church or minions +3 Razes a stronghold of Hextor +8 Overthrows an evil government +8 Overthrows an evil government run by the Church of Hextor +10 Spearheads the revision of an unjust law (if character is good) +1 Commands a unit within an army during a major war +2 Commands an army during a major war +6 Fails in combat against Hextorites -4 Breaks a law -2 Associates with known evil creatures -4 Associates with known evil minions of Hextor -10

Titles, Benefits, and Duties: To gain a new rank and its associated benefit, a member must spend 24 hours fasting and praying in a structure sacred to Heironeous, under the supervision of one of his clerics or paladins. The required tithe must be paid at the end of this time.

Affiliation

Rank Score Title: Benefits and Duties

0 3 or lower None. 1 4-13 Soldier-at-Arms: Cain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks made while enforcing the law. 2 14-23 Hand of Might: Once per day, ignore the effects of difficult terrain on your movement f o ri round. 3 24-29 Bolt of Glory: Cain a +1 bonus on attack rolls made against evil enemies. 4 30 or higher Righteous Blade of Justice: Once per day, any melee weapon you wield deals +ld6 points of electricity damage, or each damaging spell you cast deals +ld6 points of electricity damage, for 1 round/character level.

ROLEPLAYING APPLICATIONS

Favored Feats: Followers of Heironeous prefer feats that improve their martial prowess (such as Power Attack or Weapon Focus) or their ability to destroy evil. Paladins and clerics frequently select divine feats that empower their spellcasting at the cost of their ability to turn undead, since such creatures can just as easily be crushed to dust with a blow from a mace.

Favored Combat Tactics: Fond of intricate tactics, followers of Heironeous seek any advantage in a battle, watching for ways to split enemy forces and use terrain cleverly. Once combat begins, they pursue their enemies with dogged determination. Members of the Fist of Valor maneuver with their allies to guard lightly armored spellcasters and flank targets, and they rarely give ground in battle. Minions of Hextor are their favored targets, followed by any other known servants of evil.

Members of the Fist of Valor can be frustrating comrades for groups facing non-evil foes. They are likely to seek a diplomatic solution to such a conflict and might refuse to fight unless forced by circumstance to do so.

Favored Adventure Types: Worshipers of Heironeous are always eager for any adventure that allows them to smash the heavy fist of their deity Holy symbol against agents of evil. They prefer of Heironeous missions to battle the forces of Hextor above all others.

Favored Oaths: In combat, Heironeans might shout imprecations such as "By the fist of thunder and lightning!" or "May his mailed fist strike you down!" While battling minions of Hextor, they curse, "Hextor's treacherous beard!"

T HE M I G H TY ARMS OF KORD

Battle brings violence, bloodshed, and loss, but also glory. Full of bold and beautiful chaos, combat claims even the most careful or craven in the end. So what do you have to lose by making a bold stand? Indeed, battle is the surest way to determine who is most worthy of life. If you conduct yourself bravely on the battlefield during life, you earn a place of honor at your deity's table after death. And if you fall short of that goal, you can always return to the Material Plane in a new form to try your luck once more.

To the members of Kord's church, the Mighty Arms of Kord, battle represents the best way to revel in physical prowess and approach the perfection of the Brawler. Just like the multiverse itself, a fight is unpredictable, wild, and deadly. No outcome is sure, even for the most powerful of warriors. Thus, the struggle between two combatants is a microcosm of all creation.

But although the members of this church worship physical perfection, strength of mind is nearly as important to them. A fighter might be able to cleave a mighty giant with a single blow of his greatsword, but if the spell of the least wizard can make him a bumbling fool, he has no place on the battlefield. Given a choice between magic and brute force, however, a member of the Mighty Arms of Kord relies on physical prowess once battle is joined. He isn't averse to using the best tools to defeat any given foe, swinging a silvered sword at a lycanthrope or hacking with an adamantine axe at an iron golem.

A temple to Kord typically resembles an arena. Areas where members can practice the fighting arts fill the interior, surrounded by galleries where others can observe their favorite combatants. Battles within the temple are rarely to the death. Differences between members of the church are always resolved here in some sort of athletic competition, game, or duel. Services often consist of members' recitations of their

glorious victories and accomplishments. More than simple boasting, they are songs of praise to the deity, honoring Kord with the battles fought in his name. Such praise is usually reserved for the temple, but some boisterous members so honor their deity wherever they find a receptive ear. Most members of the church keep a tally of the powerful enemies they have killed, as well as other notable achievements in the arena or on the battlefield, and add these achievements to their songs of glory.

Members of the Mighty Arms of Kord hold bravery in the highest esteem. Those who flee from battle are often excommunicated publicly, displaying their cowardice before the entire community. Thus, even if the odds are against her, a follower of Kord is likely to take the field. She would rather go down in a blaze of glory, singing hymns to the god of battle, than suffer the public humiliation accorded to cowards.

Scale: 14 (continental).

Affiliation Score Criteria: Anyone can join the Mighty Arms of Kord, but only those who actively pursue physical combat can gain affiliation ranks. Characters who are spellcasters cannot advance within the church unless they use their spellcasting ability only to improve their combat skills.

Criterion Affiliation Score Modifier

One-Time Character level +1/2 levels Chaotic alignment +1 Good alignment +1 Fortitude save bonus of+10 or higher +1 Will save bonus of+10 or higher +1 Power Attack +1 Base attack bonus+5 or higher +1 Strength score below 12 -2 Lawful alignment -10

Multiple Use Razes the stronghold of a tyrannical lawful regime +8 Bests a law-enforcement officer in nonlethal combat +1 Converts a new member +1 Survives an encounter with an EL 3-4 higher than own character level +1 Survives an encounter with an EL 5 or more higher than own character level +2 Earns victory in battle as a result of careful preparation +4 Earns victory in battle against seemingly insurmountable odds as a result of careful preparation +8 Scores two consecutive critical hits in a single battle +1 Scores three or more consecutive critical hits in a single battle +3 Wins an athletic competition +1/4 opponent's CR Wins an athletic competition against an opponent that has a CR 3 or more higher than own character level +1/2 opponent's CR Destroys a creature at full hit points with one blow +1/4 creature's CR Deals 30 or more points of damage with a single blow +1/4 creature's CR Deals 100 or more points of damage with a single blow +1/2 creature's CR Loses an athletic competition against a foe that has a CR 1 or more lower than own character level -2 Loses in battle against an enemy of the church -4 Performs an overtly evil act -4 Fails in combat due to lack of preparation -4

Titles, Benefits, and Duties: To gain a new rank and its associated benefit, a church member must defeat a fellow member in single combat (typically with practice weapons) or some other athletic competition. The opponent's Challenge Rating must be within 1 of the challenger's character level.

Affiliation

Rank Score Title: Benefits and Duties

0 3 or lower None. 1 4-12 Persuader: Gain a+2 bonus on Intimidate checks. 2 13-21 Bravo: Cain a bonus equal to your character level on saves against fear effects. 3 22-29 War Leader: Once per day, gain a bonus equal to your Strength modifier on a single Fortitude or Will save. 4 30 or higher Battle Savant: Once per day, force one opponent to reroll an attack, check, or save after you know the result of the roll.

ROLEPLAYING APPLICATIONS

Favored Feats: Any feats that can make a member more potent in battle are valuable, but members of the Mighty Arms of Kord especially favor Power Attack and its related feats. Because these feats emphasize brute force, they complement right Kordites' typical strengths. Iron Will is a fine choice for those with low Will saves, and Great Fortitude for those whose Fortitude saves are below par.

Favored Combat Tactics: Those unfamiliar with the church's philosophies might think that followers of Kord favor straightforward, brutal combat tactics—and they would be mostly right. A frontal assault gives a member of the church a chance to prove her bravery. One of the Mighty Arms of Kord need not reject sound strategy in favor of a foolhardy charge, but she is likely to grumble about any plan that doesn't give her a chance to engage as many enemies as possible.

Favored Adventure Types: Kord wears garb made from the hides of slain evil dragons. His followers seize upon any chance to emulate this aspect of their deity, slaying evil dragons and crafting from them clothing that matches that of Kord.

The church also frequently backs an underdog, not out of any sense of nobility or fair play, but because fighting against unfavorable odds makes for a more challenging battle. Any adventure that lets a follower of Kord challenge superior enemies gives her a greater chance for immortality, both in the Church of Kord and later in Kord's own halls of battle. Are the odds a hundred to one? Fantastic. A thousand to one? Even better!

Favored Oaths: In combat, Kordites are likely to utter oaths such as "May fate Holy symbol of Kord