Kingmaker

The Quintessential Druid II
Author Gareth Hanrahan
Series The Quintessential Series
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2004

The health of the king is tied to the health of the land and the people; a strong and wise king brings good fortune to the land, while a weak, corrupt or foolish lord brings sorrow and famine. In some lands, the druid choose leaders of tribes, topple unworthy rulers and exalt those who they have
groomed for kingship. In other lands, though, druids are far from the corridors of power. The king does not know the land; he dwells in palaces of stone and gold, and worries about petty politics or distracts himself with indulgence and excess.

Sometimes, the druid can afford to be patient. All things are cyclic – just as the lame wolf is torn down by more ambitious members of the pack, so too shall a weak king be overthrown and health return to the land. However, there are times when a dynasty is too established to wither away, but too spiritually weak or corrupt to serve the land. In such times, a kingmaker is selected from among the ranks of the druid. This kingmaker shall go forth into the world of men or elves or dwarves, choose a new king and guide him to power, healing the land and reestablishing ancient ties and the old ways.

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

To qualify to become a kingmaker, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

Skills: Bluff 6 ranks, Diplomacy 14 ranks, Heal 6 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 10 ranks, Knowledge (nobility & royalty) 6 ranks, Sense Motive 6 ranks, Spellcraft 6 ranks.

Feats: Craft Wondrous Item, Leadership.

Special: One of the kingmaker’s cohorts or companions must be a character suited for the role of ruler over the land, and is referred to as the chosen. The kingmaker must either Craft or retrieve a magic item worth at least 10,000 gp for the chosen before embarking on this prestige class.

Class Skills

The kingmaker’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Charisma), Concentration (Constitution), Craft (Intelligence), Diplomacy (Charisma), Handle Animal (Charisma), Heal (Wisdom), Knowledge (nature) (Intelligence), Knowledge (nobility and royalty)
(Intelligence), Knowledge (religion), Perform (Charisma), Sense Motive (Wisdom), Spellcraft (Intelligence) and Survival (Wisdom).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.

The Kingmaker
Class Level	Base Attack	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spellcasting
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Blessing	+1 level of existing class
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Sage counsel	+1 level of existing class
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Prophesy	+1 level of existing class
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	First anointing	+1 level of existing class
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Lesser tie	+1 level of existing class
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Second anointing	+1 level of existing class
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Calling	+1 level of existing class
8th	+6	+2	+2	+6	Greater tie	+1 level of existing class
9th	+6	+3	+3	+6	Force confrontation	+1 level of existing class
10th	+7	+3	+3	+7	Coronation	+1 level of existing class

Class Features

Armour and Weapon Proficiency: Kingmakers gain no additional armour or weapon proficiencies.

Spells per day: When a new kingmaker level is gained, the character gains a level of druidic spellcasting that stacks with existing levels from a class that gives druid spells.

Blessing (Su): The kingmaker may cast spells with a range of ‘you’ or ‘touch’ on the chosen from up to 30 feet away.

Sage Counsel (Ex): The kingmaker may advise the chosen, stimulating great insights. Whenever the chosen uses an Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma-based skill within 24-hours of speaking with the kingmaker, he may use the kingmaker’s ability score bonus instead of his own. For example, a Wisdom 12 chosen cohort of a Wisdom 20 kingmaker could use the kingmaker’s +5 Wisdom bonus instead of his own +1 bonus when making a Sense Motive check.

Prophesy (Sp): Once per week, the kingmaker may prophesy. This is identical to a vision or a moment of prescience that lasts for one week, but applies to the chosen, not the kingmaker himself. The kingmaker’s character level is used as the caster level for the vision.

First Anointing (Su): The kingmaker initiates the chosen into the mysteries of druidism. The kingmaker may cast any two spells onto the chosen; these spells are made permanent as per the permanency spell, but cost only 1/10th the normal experience cost. The kingmaker may research spells to be made permanent before performing the first anointing. Furthermore, any spells cast by the kingmaker onto the chosen are automatically extended.

Lesser Tie (Sp): The kingmaker may now use dream at will, but may only contact the chosen using the spell.

Calling (Su): At this level, the kingmaker has the authority to draw upon nature. He may ask one animal, elemental, magical beast, neutral dragon or fey to aid the chosen. This creature may not have more Hit Dice than twice the kingmaker’s character level. The creature must serve, although how it aids the chosen is up to the creature.

Greater Tie (Su): The kingmaker links the chosen to the land, and the kingmaker to the chosen. This behaves as a shield other spell with limitless range (as long as both are on the same plane) that can be reversed as a full-round action. Its ‘default’ behaviour is that the chosen shields the kingmaker but this can be reversed.

Force Confrontation (Su): From the moment the kingmaker reaches 9th level in this class, the character has a year and a day to overthrow the current ruler and establish the chosen as king. Anyone following the chosen’s banner during this year has a +1 morale bonus to attacks and skill checks; if the kingmaker fails to accomplish the overthrown, he loses his kingmaker and druidic powers forever.

Coronation (Su): If the chosen becomes king, the kingmaker may crown him. This has the following effects:

• The chosen gains a permanent +4 sacred bonus to Wisdom and Charisma.
• The entire land is enriched, as per the plant growth spell, for the duration of the chosen’s rule.
• The kingmaker may enter the grand druid prestige class, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. He also gains a permanent +2 enhancement bonus to any one ability score of his choice.

Epic Kingmaker

Hit Die: d8.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.
Spells: The epic kingmaker’s caster level is equal to his class level. The epic kingmaker’s number of spells per day does not increase after 20th level.
Bonus Feats: The epic kingmaker gains a bonus feat every four class levels above 20th.