Knight Templar

Knight Templar — D&D 3.5e

Requirements

• Base Attack Bonus: +5
• Skills: Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks; Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks; Sense Motive 4 ranks; Spellcraft 4 ranks
• Feat: Iron Will
• Spells: Ability to cast 1st-level divine spells
• Charge of Custody: Formal responsibility for a dangerous secret, relic, prisoner, gate, sanctum or comparable charge
• Oath of Custody: Swear to protect the charge, restrict dangerous knowledge and place public safety above personal profit where the guarded mystery is concerned

There is no alignment requirement.

Class Skills

Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int) and Spot (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency

A Knight Templar gains proficiency with all martial weapons, heavy armour and shields other than tower shields if those proficiencies are not already possessed.

Class Progression

Spellcasting

At 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th level, the Knight Templar gains new spells per day and an increase in caster level as if they had also gained a level in one divine spellcasting class they belonged to before entering this prestige class. They do not gain any other class features of that class.

If the character had more than one qualifying divine spellcasting class, choose which class advances at each applicable Knight Templar level.

Oath of Custody

The Oath of Custody governs entrusted material rather than the knight’s entire moral life. A Templar is expected to defend the assigned charge, avoid profiting from restricted knowledge, refuse coercion to disclose it and prevent the charge from being used in a way the custodian knows would cause grave harm.

The oath does not require blind obedience to a corrupt superior. If the authority that entrusted the charge becomes the threat, the Templar may be forced to protect the charge from that authority as well.

Breaking the oath can cost rank, trust, access to sanctums and institutional support. Learned class abilities are not erased. Restoring standing may require recovering a lost charge, repairing harm caused by disclosure or completing another serious act of restitution.

Custodian’s Mark (Su)

At 1st level, the Templar can place a Custodian’s Mark on a willing creature, object, closed door or closed container by touching it continuously for 1 minute. The mark lasts for 24 hours per Knight Templar class level unless dismissed earlier.

The Templar may maintain one active mark at 1st level, two at 3rd level and three at 5th level. Placing a new mark beyond this limit ends the oldest mark.

While a mark is on the same plane and within 1 mile per Knight Templar level, the Templar knows its direction and approximate distance. The Templar immediately knows when a marked object is moved more than 5 feet or damaged, when a marked door or container is opened, or when a marked willing creature takes hit-point damage or falls unconscious.

A Custodian’s Mark does not reveal the identity of an attacker, allow the Templar to see through the mark or prevent ordinary movement. A willing creature may end a mark on itself by spending 1 minute deliberately breaking the sigil.

Keeper’s Lore (Ex)

The Templar adds their Knight Templar class level as a competence bonus on Knowledge and Spellcraft checks made to identify magic, creatures, curses, wards, planar effects or relic properties directly related to an active Custodian’s Mark or an officially assigned charge.

The Templar may take 10 on those checks even when stress or distraction would normally prevent doing so.

Veiled Custody (Su)

At 2nd level, each active Custodian’s Mark becomes difficult to locate or examine through divination.

A spell or magical effect attempting to locate, scry upon or magically gather information about a marked willing creature, marked object or the contents of a marked closed container must succeed on a caster level check against DC 11 + the Templar’s total character level.

This protection applies only to divination and similar information-gathering magic. It does not create invisibility, block ordinary observation or stop effects already physically present with the marked subject.

Counterseal (Su)

At 3rd level, when a spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance directly targets an active marked creature or object within 30 feet, the Templar may respond as an immediate action.

The Templar expends one prepared divine spell or unused divine spell slot of 1st level or higher. Against that single effect, the marked subject gains spell resistance equal to 11 + the Templar’s total character level.

If the caster fails the spell-resistance check, the spell or ability fails against the marked subject normally. Counterseal cannot be used against effects that do not allow spell resistance, area effects that merely include the mark rather than directly target it, or extraordinary and supernatural abilities.

Anchor the Way (Su)

At 4th level, once per day as a standard action, the Templar may choose one active Custodian’s Mark within 30 feet. For 1 minute per Knight Templar level, extradimensional travel into or out of a 20-foot-radius area centred on that mark becomes unstable.

Any creature attempting teleportation, dimension door, plane shift, ethereal travel or a similar extradimensional movement effect into or out of the area must succeed on a caster level check against DC 11 + the Templar’s total character level. On a failure, the effect fails and any spell slot or daily use spent on it is lost.

Anchor the Way does not interfere with ordinary movement, extradimensional perception, attacks from another plane or a summoned creature disappearing when its summoning duration ends. The Templar may dismiss the effect as a swift action.

Grand Custodian (Su)

At 5th level, the Templar may maintain up to three Custodian’s Marks, and those marks remain until dismissed, destroyed with the marked object or voluntarily ended by a marked creature.

Once per day, the Templar may use Counterseal without expending a spell or spell slot.

Anchor the Way may now be used twice per day. When activating it, the Templar may designate a number of creatures up to the Templar’s Wisdom modifier, minimum one. Those creatures may use extradimensional travel through the anchored area without making the caster level check.

Veiled Custody uses DC 15 + the Templar’s total character level when protecting a mark the Templar is personally carrying or a mark placed on the Templar themself.

Knight Templar — Pathfinder 1e

Requirements

• Base Attack Bonus: +5
• Skills: Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks; Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (planes) 5 ranks; Sense Motive 4 ranks; Spellcraft 4 ranks
• Feat: Iron Will
• Spells: Ability to cast 1st-level divine spells
• Charge of Custody: Formal responsibility for a dangerous secret, relic, prisoner, gate, sanctum or comparable charge
• Oath of Custody: Swear to protect the charge and restrict dangerous knowledge

Class Skills

Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis) and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency

A Knight Templar gains proficiency with all martial weapons, heavy armour and shields other than tower shields if those proficiencies are not already possessed.

Class Progression

Favored Class: Prestige-class levels do not receive favored-class bonuses.

Spellcasting

At 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th level, the Knight Templar gains new spells per day, spells known where applicable and increased caster level as if they had also gained a level in one divine spellcasting class they belonged to before entering this prestige class. They gain no other class features from that class.

Oath of Custody

The Oath of Custody governs the entrusted charge rather than the knight’s entire moral life. A Templar protects the charge, refuses coercion to disclose restricted knowledge and prevents the guarded mystery from being knowingly used to cause grave harm.

Violation can cost title, access and institutional support, but learned class abilities are not erased. Restitution should be handled through recovery, repair or another meaningful quest.

Custodian’s Mark (Su)

At 1st level, the Templar may place a Custodian’s Mark on a willing creature, object, closed door or closed container by touching it continuously for 1 minute. It lasts for 24 hours per Knight Templar level unless dismissed earlier.

The Templar can maintain one mark at 1st level, two at 3rd level and three at 5th level. A new mark beyond the limit ends the oldest.

While a mark is on the same plane and within 1 mile per Knight Templar level, the Templar knows its direction and approximate distance. The Templar immediately knows when a marked object is moved more than 5 feet or damaged, a marked door or container is opened, or a marked willing creature takes hit-point damage or falls unconscious.

A willing creature may remove its own mark by spending 1 minute deliberately breaking the sigil.

Keeper’s Lore (Ex)

Add the Knight Templar class level as a competence bonus on Knowledge and Spellcraft checks made to identify magic, creatures, curses, wards, planar effects or relic properties directly related to an active mark or assigned charge.

The Templar may take 10 on those checks even while threatened or distracted.

Veiled Custody (Su)

At 2nd level, a magical effect attempting to locate, scry upon or magically gather information about an active marked willing creature, marked object or the contents of a marked closed container must succeed on a caster level check against DC 11 + the Templar’s total character level.

Veiled Custody does not create invisibility, prevent ordinary observation or interfere with non-divination magic.

Counterseal (Su)

At 3rd level, when a spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance directly targets an active marked creature or object within 30 feet, the Templar may use an immediate action.

Expend one prepared divine spell or unused divine spell slot of 1st level or higher. Against that single effect, the marked subject gains spell resistance equal to 11 + the Templar’s total character level.

Counterseal cannot be used against an effect that does not allow spell resistance, an area effect that merely includes the marked subject, or an extraordinary or supernatural ability.

Anchor the Way (Su)

At 4th level, once per day as a standard action, choose one active mark within 30 feet. For 1 minute per Knight Templar level, extradimensional travel into or out of a 20-foot-radius area centred on the mark requires a caster level check against DC 11 + the Templar’s total character level.

Failure causes the movement effect to fail and expends the spell slot or daily use. Anchor the Way does not stop ordinary movement, extradimensional perception or summoned creatures disappearing when their summoning duration ends. The Templar may dismiss it as a swift action.

Grand Custodian (Su)

At 5th level, the Templar may maintain up to three Custodian’s Marks indefinitely until dismissed, destroyed with the marked object or voluntarily ended by a marked creature.

Once per day, Counterseal may be used without expending a spell or spell slot.

Anchor the Way may be used twice per day. When activated, designate up to the Templar’s Wisdom modifier in creatures, minimum one, that may use extradimensional travel through the anchored area without making the caster level check.

Veiled Custody uses DC 15 + the Templar’s total character level for a mark the Templar is personally carrying or a mark placed on the Templar themself.

Templars of the Sealed Sanctums

Knight Templar is a professional title, not the name of one worldwide order. A temple of Minerva may appoint a Templar to guard a prophetic archive; a shrine of Odin may entrust one with a dangerous rune-stone; an Egyptian cult may station one over a sealed tomb; a royal court may use the same title for the guardian of a captured magical weapon.

Some sanctums exchange warnings, ciphers and trusted messengers, but there is no campaign-wide Templar hierarchy, crusading mission, Holy Church or universal insignia.

Local Templars bear the symbols of the institution they serve or a neutral seal of custody. Crosses and crusader heraldry are not part of the class identity.

What Templars Guard

• Forbidden archives and dangerous prophecies.
• Relics capable of corrupting or destabilising kingdoms.
• Bound outsiders and imprisoned monsters.
• Cursed royal regalia and divine weapons.
• Unstable gates and secret roads between realms.
• Evidence that could destroy a dynasty.
• Plague vaults and forbidden magical research.
• Rituals too dangerous to circulate but too important to destroy.

Adventure Hooks

The Empty Reliquary

The seal is intact, but the relic inside is gone. Either the thief never opened the vault or the Templar is guarding a copy.

The Oracle Who Wants Out

A seer protected for generations insists that the order is not protecting the world from her visions but protecting rulers from the truth.

The Broken Mark

Three Custodian’s Marks fail at the same moment across different sanctums. Someone has learned how the warding tradition works.

The Prisoner’s Name

The being beneath a temple claims to be a god imprisoned under a false identity. The Templar must decide whether investigation itself violates the charge.

The Unauthorised Heir

A newly crowned ruler demands access to a sealed family archive. The document creating the Templar’s office says only that the rightful heir may enter.

The Door That Moved

A marked stone door is suddenly several miles from where it was built. The chamber behind it is still sealed.

Related Classes

Knight Templar suits a divine warrior-scholar trusted to guard something dangerous and who wants anti-divination, anti-teleportation and protective magic tied to that responsibility.

Knight centres professional knighthood and martial service rather than magical custody.

Cleric centres broad divine spellcasting, domains and service to a deity or divine principle.

Paladin centres personal sacred oath, smites, protective aura and the identity of a divine champion.

Explore More

• Prestige Classes
• Knight
• Cleric
• Paladin

Sources and Rules Provenance

The former version of this page credits The Quintessential Paladin by Alejandro Melchor, published by Mongoose Publishing. This rebuilt Knight Templar is original campaign material and does not reproduce that source’s class prose, proprietary Secrets, spell list, secret-language system, Ley Travel or Master and Grand Master reward mechanics.

The broad fantasy concept retained here is a martial guardian trusted with dangerous temple mysteries. D&D 3.5e and Pathfinder 1e terminology is used for rules compatibility.