Zealot

Called the cannon fodder of divine armies, zealots are holy warriors who dedicate body and soul to fighting for their deity.

The Quintessential Paladin
Author Alejandro Melchor
Series Quintessential Series
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2002

There is no arguing with a zealot, as his faith does not waver and his conviction is never threatened. Zealots are the spearhead in any holy war, charging headfirst into battle for the glory of their deity. Possessed by righteousness that borders on the obsessive, a zealot’s faith translates into the strength of his sword arm and it is also this implicit trust in the rightness of his actions that protects the zealot from the tricks and temptations of his enemies. Zealots are completely devoted to their role as their deity’s fist and automatically defer to and follow any order from the priests of their religion, because their words are law as if they were spoken by the deity itself.

Any character with single-minded dedication may become a zealot in the service of a deity’s mortal army, but the calling pulls those already able to wield divine energies. fighters profit greatly from the zealot’s durability in battle, although rangers and paladins see their existing abilities greatly enhanced and complemented, as they already mix prowess at arms and divine abilities. wizards, sorcerers and bards almost never become zealots, as arcane magic uses a wholly different mindset.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

Alignment: Lawful Good.
Abilities: Wisdom 15+
Base Attack Bonus: +5 or higher.
Feats: Iron Will, Great Fortitude.

Class Skills

The zealot’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Intelligence), Intimidate (Charisma), Jump (Strength), Knowledge (religion)
(Intelligence), Profession (Wisdom), Ride (Dexterity), Swim (Strength).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier.

The Zealot
Level	Base Attack	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1	+1	+2	+0	+0	Righteous Fury
2	+2	+3	+0	+0	Faithful Until Death
3	+3	+3	+1	+1	Unflinching Resolve
4	+4	+4	+1	+1	Virtuous Presence
5	+5	+4	+1	+1	Divine Protection

Class
Features

Armour and Weapon Proficiency: Zealots are proficient with all simple and martial weapons. They are proficient with all types of armour and with shields. Note that armour check penalties for armour heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a –1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armour, equipment, or loot carried.

Righteous Fury (Ex): The zealot enters a fit of righteous fury and temporarily gains +4 to Strength, +4 to Constitution and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, but suffers a –2 penalty to AC, working exactly like barbarian rage. He can enter the fury once per day and it lasts a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s Wisdom modifier. Righteous Fury does not stack with barbarian Rage and does not add to the number of Rages a barbarian can enter in a day.

Faithful Until Death (Ex): The zealot continues fighting even if his wounds would drop him. He is not incapacitated if his hit points are reduced below 0 and may continue fighting as normal. If he ever reaches -10 hit points, he dies on the Spot.

Unflinching Resolve (Ex): The zealot’s faith does not waver and he becomes immune to mind-affecting magic.

Virtuous Presence (Su): His wholehearted dedication to his cause grants the zealot an almost palpable aura of righteousness. Allies within 10 feet of the zealot gain a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and mind-affecting effects. The bonus against fear stacks with a paladin’s Aura of Courage.

Divine Protection (Su): A god looks after his own and the zealot knows it. This unconditional trust coupled with actual divine intervention allows the zealot to enjoy of a certain degree of protection against harm. The zealot gains a Spell Resistance score equal to his wisdom score plus his zealot levels.

Multiclass Note: paladins can gain levels in the zealot class and still advance as paladins.