Squire of Legend

"Behind every legend stand the folks who had to do the real work. "

—Ezria Birrinsdottir, squire to Mikolai Laziros

Not everyone who reveres the Six from Shadow (see page 65) desires to shape her entire life around her chosen paragon. Some wish only for a slight taste of their hero's abilities, others simply recognize that no champion can stand alone. The Six from Shadow could not have defeated Tharizdun's cult without the efforts of the thousands who fell beside them. It is this philosophy that the squire of legend embraces. Whether she seeks to stand behind heroes such as the mythic exemplars, propping them up and aiding them in their quests, or simply to honor her favored paragon without following in his footsteps, she is a hero in her own right, skilled beyond her humble title.

BECOMING A SQUIRE OF LEGEND

Like the mythic exemplar, the squire of legend devotes herself to a single path based on a chosen patron, but her abilities are much less rigidly defined by that path. Thus, a broader array of characters can benefit from this prestige class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Skills: Knowledge (history) 3 ranks and any one of the following: Diplomacy 7 ranks, Intimidate 7 ranks,

Knowledge (arcana) 7 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 7 ranks, or Move Silently 7 ranks.

Special: Must be a member of the Disciples of Legend.

CLASS FEATURES

Your class features vary according to your paragon, but are all oriented toward aiding and bolstering your allies. You know that when a hero falls, when a knight is unhorsed, or when a champion surrenders to despair, it is up to his squire to set him right. Thus, your allies know they can always count on you when the day is darkest.

Spellcasting: At 2nd and 3rd level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a squire of legend, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Paragon's Path: Upon becoming a squire of legend, you must choose one of the legendary Six from Shadow after whom to model your skills and abilities. Once made, your choice cannot be changed.

Save Bonus (Ex): At 1st level, you gain a +1 bonus on a saving throw determined by your paragon, as given on the following table. This bonus increases to +2 when you attain 3rd level.

Squire's Burden, Least (Su): You gain the first of several supernatural abilities that let you use the skills of your chosen paragon to aid others. Unless otherwise noted, each paragon's gift (least, lesser, and greater) requires a swift action to invoke, lasts for a number of rounds equal to twice your squire of legend level, is usable once per day, and has a caster level equal to three times your squire of legend level. When the description of a squire's burden ability specifies an ally, it means only an ally; you cannot use the effect on yourself unless so stated.

Dardallion: You can grant yourself and one ally flanking bonuses against a foe that both of you threaten, even if you are not properly positioned to flank. The bonus persists as long as you both threaten that enemy.

Imdastri: You can use sanctuary, as the spell.

Ktolemagne: You can use comprehend languages, as the

Patron Saving Throw

Dardallion Reflex Imdastri Will Ktolemagne Will Orsos Fortitude Reikhardt Will Sunyartra Fortitude

spell.

Orsos: You can use speak with animals, as the spell.

Reikhardt: You can grant one ally within 30 feet the ability to take an immediate action of a specified type out of turn. If you invoke this ability as a swift action, the ally can take a 5-foot step. If you invoke it as a move action, she can take a move action. If you invoke it as a standard action, she can take a standard action.

Sunyartra: As an immediate action, you can negate a single critical hit against one ally within 30 feet. The ally still takes normal damage from the hit.

Squire's Burden, Lesser (Su): At 2nd level, you gain a new supernatural ability that you can use once per day. This ability follows all the guidelines for least squire's burden (above), unless otherwise noted. If you choose, you can forgo your daily use of this ability for an extra use of your least squire's burden.

Dardallion: As an immediate action, you can grant one ally within 30 feet the opportunity to reroll a saving throw, skill check, or ability check.

Imdastri: You can use shield other, as the spell. The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to three times your squire I of legend level.

Ktolemagne: You can use see invisibility, as the spell. The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to three times your I squire of legend level.

Orsos: You can use lesser restoration, as the spell.

Reikhardt: You can grant an ally within 30 feet a second use I of an extraordinary or supernatural ability normally usable I only once per day. If you gain a second daily use of this ability, you cannot use it twice in one day on the same ally.

Sunyartra: You can use true strike, as the spell, but only on I a single ally within 30 feet.

Faithful Companion (Ex): At 3rd level, you learn to place yourself between an ally and harm. If you and an ally within I 5 feet are both subject to an area spell or effect that allows I a Reflex save for partial damage, you can grant your ally a I

bonus on her saving throw by taking a penalty of equivalent Reikhardt: When an ally within 30 feet of you uses an magnitude on your own. The value of the bonus and penalty extraordinary, spell-like, or supernatural ability that affects can be any amount up to the value of your base Reflex saving all allies within a given number of feet, you can use "ah throw. You must decide to invoke this ability immediate action to extend its range and duration before either you or your ally has attempted by 50%. the saving throw. Sunyartra: As an immediate action,

Squire's Burden, Greater (Su): you can grant one ally within 30 feet the At 3rd level, you gain a new su opportunity to reroll an attack roll or pernatural ability you can use critical hit confirmation roll. once per day. It follows all the guidelines for least squire's PLAYING A burden, above. If you choose, SQUIRE OF you can forgo your daily use LEGEND of this ability for an extra You follow in the footsteps use of the least or lesser of a legend, but you embrace squire's burden. your legendary hero's in

Dardallion: You can fluence to a lesser degree grant one ally within 30 than some others do. You feet the ability to move don't honor your hero any through threatened ar less than your comrades eas without provoking do—you simply choose attacks of opportunity not to devote your entire for 2 rounds. Other ac life to following that pertions, such as casting in son's example. You are a threatened area, still more firmly devoted to provoke attacks of op the notion that a true portunity as normal. hero aids her comrades

Imdastri: You can rather than seeking glogrant one ally within ry for herself. Whether you 30 feet immunity to one accompany a Disciple of of the following effects Legend or simply team up for a number of rounds with an ally for adventurequal to three times your 1 ing, your primary concern squire of legend level: is to ensure that your heroic disease, exhaustion, comrade survives to comfatigue, mind-affecting plete the task at hand. You spells and abilities, negare content with a smaller ative levels, or poison. You share of fame and glory; it choose the effect when you is enough to know that your activate this ability. Ktolemagne: As a swift action, you can take over concentrating to maintain an ally's spell or spell-like ability, allowing her to take other actions. Once you have assumed control of an effect, you cannot give it back. Ezria Birrinsdottir, a squire of legend comrade could not have succeeded without you. The Disciples of Legend accord you respect, but not to the same degree as they do the mythic exemplars. They honor the assistance you provide and your commitment to the precepts of the Six from Shadow, but even they—like so many others—tend to give more credit to the flashier

Orsos: You can grant one ally within 30 feet energy re heroes and underestimate the contributions of those sistance 10 to an energy type of your choice for a number of who stand behind. So far this attitude has not disturbed rounds equal to three times your squire of legend level.

TABLE 2-12: THE SQUIRE OF LEGEND H IT DIE: D8

Base

Attack Fort Ref Will

Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Spellcasting

1st +0 +0 +0 +0 Least squire's burden, paragon's path, — save bonus +1 2nd +1 +0 +0 +0 Lesser squire's burden +1 level of existing spellcasting class 3rd +2 +] +1 +1 Faithful companion, greater squire's burden, +1 level of existing spellcasting class save bonus +2

Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level): Appraise, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Knowledge (religion), Listen, Perform, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Swim.

you unduly, since you have been content with your own contributions, but someday you might become one of those few squires who have quit the organization in disgust.

Combat

Becoming a squire of legend does not fundamentally change what you are. The benefits you can gain from this prestige class are somewhat limited because of its short progression, so your combat tactics depend largely on your levels in other classes. Thus, if you're a heavy fighter, you should still stand in the front line, and if you're a wizard, you should still cast from the rear.

Even so, however, you realize perhaps better than most that adventuring and combat are group activities. Your class abilities are designed to aid your comrades, bolstering them in battle, granting them new or improved tactical options, or simply helping them survive. Thus, you must stay close to your allies so that your gifts are available on a moment's notice.

Advancement

You are slightly less fanatical about the Six from Shadow than those who strive to become mythic exemplars. You respect them well enough, but you prefer to follow their example in a general sense, rather than specifically. You have also come to realize that while those worthies are the best known of all the brave souls who fought the Mad God's cult, their victory would have been impossible without the assistance of the hundreds of unnamed and unremembered heroes who died beside them.

Though you are still a member of the Disciples of Legend, you sometimes choose to go off on your own and offer your assistance to other allies. You do not chase glory; rather, you seek out situations in which your talents can do the most good. The Disciples of Legend offer you additional training and access to written records of the Six from Shadow, but given your limited advancement possibilities within the organization, these benefits might not be enough to entice you to stay for the rest of your career.

Resources

The Disciples of Legend have few resources to offer beyond a research library and moral support. When it comes to monetary or magical acquisitions, you're on your own.

NPC SQUIRES OF LEGEND

NPC squires of legend probably seem like a dream come true to PCs playing under DMs who allow the Leadership feat. But be careful about allowing a mythic exemplar PC to "acquire" an NPC squire permanently. In general, the Disciples of Legend encourage squires to work with mythic exemplars, but they are more likely to assign an NPC squire on a mission-by-mission basis only. That way, the PC doesn't get a squire of legend permanently for the cost of one feat.

Sample Encounter

Mikolai Laziros (see page 89) and his squire, Ezria Birrinsdottir, are encountered together, as noted in the Disciples of Legend section on page 64.

EZRIA BIRRINSDOTTIR CR 9

Female halfling ranger 6/squire of legend 3

CG Small humanoid

Init +5; Senses Listen +6, Spot +11

Languages Common, Halfling

AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 18 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +5 armor, +2 shield) hp 62 (9 HD); Diehard

Fort+11; Ref+8, Will+6; +2 against fear I

Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)

Melee+7 Warhammer +14/+9 (ld6+4/x3)

Ranged mwk composite longbow +11/+6 (ld6+3/x3) or

Ranged mwk composite longbow +7 (2d6+6/x3) with Manyshot or

Ranged mwk composite longbow +9/+9/+4 (ld6+3/x3) with 1 Rapid Shot

Base Atk +8; Grp +7

Atk Options Point Blank Shot; favored enemy evil outsiders +4, favored enemy aberrations +2

Special Actions faithful companion, grant ally energy resistance 10

Combat Gear 2 potions of cure moderate wounds

Ranger Spells Prepared (CL3rd): 2nd—hold animal (DC 13) 1st—longstrider, resist energy

Spell-Like Abilities (CL9th): 1/day—lesser restoration, speak with animals

Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10

SQ animal companion (none at present), paragon's path (Orsos), wild empathy +6 (+2 magical beasts)

Feats Diehard, Endurance8 , Improved Initiative, Manyshot6 , Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot6 , Track8 , Weapon Focus (Warhammer)

Skills Climb +4, Diplomacy +2, Handle Animal +6, Heal +4,

Hide +11, Jump +4, Knowledge (arcana) +2, Knowledge (geography) +4, Knowledge (history) +4, Knowledge (nature) +6, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +2, Listen +6, Move Silently +9, Ride +7, Sense Motive +6, Spot +11, I

Survival +11

Possessions combat gear plus +2 studded leather, masterwork heavy wooden shield, +7 Warhammer, masterwork composite longbow (+3 Str bonus) with 20 arrows, gaunt- I lets of ogre power, 56 gp

Faithful Companion (Ex) If Birrinsdottir and an ally within 5 feet are both subject to an area effect that allows a Reflex save for half or partial damage, she can grant her ally up to a +7 bonus on his saving throw in exchange for taking an equivalent penalty on her own.

She must decide to invoke this ability before either has rolled the save.

Grant Ally Energy Resistance (Su) Once per day, as a swift action, Birrinsdottir can grant one ally within 30 feet resistance 10 against a chosen energy type for 9 rounds.