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Monte Cook’s Arcana Unearthed: Way of the Sword
Champion “The cause is bigger than I am. Its needs are bigger than my needs. I would gladly lay down my life to defend it.” Champions both embody and defend a chosen cause. They normally wear heavy armor and wield weapons with skill and power, but their might is enhanced by the supernatural abilities gained through their fanatic devotion. The abilities they gain depend on their cause. The number of causes that a champion can choose from is infinite, but some of the most basic include: • Light: These champions uphold altruism, righteousness, and justice. The light is both their foundation and their weapon. They struggle against the forces of darkness. • Darkness: A champion of darkness somehow attains the position of being the chosen representative of evil. While normally free-willed people never think of themselves as evil, the champion of darkness embraces the malevolent, destructive, cruel, and compassionless nature of darkness. • Life: This champion holds life above all else, and those who destroy it are her foes. While a champion of life is not beyond killing, she does so with only careful consideration and with the greatest good (for life) in mind. • Death: Feared and reviled, a champion of death represents the cold end of life and the proper cycle of things. She knows that all things must come to an end and acts to make sure that such is the case. • Magic: The touch of magic is everywhere in the world, and this champion seeks to promote it and maintain it. While
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magic is powerful, the champion of magic knows it is also fragile. The loss of magic is the worst thing that could happen, in her estimation. Freedom: These champions fight against oppression, tyranny, and unjust imprisonment of free-willed creatures.
A champion can change her cause, but doing so requires a weeklong reflective ritual that involves ingredients costing 100 gp per class level. High-level champions can focus their devotion on a race, a location, or even a single individual. Thus, one might find the champion of the mojh, the champion of the city of Thayn, or the queen’s champion. Adventurers: Champions have their adventuring career laid out before them. Their chosen cause provides obvious tasks that need doing, people and places that need protecting, secrets that need discovery, and foes that need to be stopped. Ultimately, champions are more interested in furthering their cause than in gaining power or wealth, although power and wealth will enable them to better promote the cause. Many characters appreciate the fame and glory that comes from being a champion, while others focus on converting people to their cause. Background: Some champions are chosen, while others take up the mantle on their own. If a cause needs a champion, forces can find one and grant her gifts to persuade her to join them. This can be a literal process—a guild of magisters recruiting a champion of magic from a number of talented and capable young people—or a figurative one— events transpire to reward a character for making choices for evil, thus tempting her to champion the darkness. Perhaps the recruitment comes
THE CHAMPION Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6/+1 +7/+2 +8/+3 +9/+4 +10/+5 +11/+6/+1 +12/+7/+2 +13/+8/+3 +14/+9/+4 +15/+10/+5 +16/+11/+6/+1 +17/+12/+7/+2 +18/+13/+8/+3 +19/+14/+9/+4 +20/+15/+10/+5
Fortitude Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12
Reflex Save +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9
Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12
Special Champion ability Call shield — Call upon the power Champion ability — Call weapon — Heartening cry Focused devotion, champion ability Call shield (negates criticals) Take on the mantle Call weapon (defender) — Champion ability — Unassailable soul Call shield (negates criticals for allies) Avatar Champion ability
