Knight Templar

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

The Order of the Knights of the Temple is as old as it is enigmatic, originally created to defend the temples of a good god against attack from the forces of darkness, but evolving to not only protect the buildings, but also the mysteries and secrets they contain. As an order, the Templars include people from many walks of life, from simple clerks and foot soldiers to skilled fighters, priests and scholars even if the image most people remember of the Templar is the knight charging down the battlefield on his mighty steed, sword ablaze with the power of his faith. Templar knights keep this image as it diverts attention from their other pursuits. In their time as protectors of temples they have stumbled on secrets so terrible that they deem that the people must be protected from them, not just the other way around. They have secured many chapterhouses across the realm, founding temples managed by their clergy and defended by their warriors, creating a vast and efficient communications network superior to even that of the king’s heralds, and one that crosses borders with impunity.

A Templar is part warrior, part priest and part scholar, for the Masters of the order wish for every knight to know what he is fighting for, what he is protecting the people against and why it is necessary to keep it secret. fighters and clerics feel attracted to the order for the complementary training they receive, but paladins are the best suited as they already follow both paths and are much better prepared to withstand the hardships to mind and body that the duty of the Templar requires.

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

Alignment: Lawful Good.
Base Attack Bonus: +8 or higher.
Total Will Saving Throw: +6 or higher (includes bonus for high Wisdom, the Iron Will feat and other bonuses).
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 5+ ranks, Knowledge (any) 5+ ranks.
Feats: Endurance, Iron Will.
Special: The character swears an oath of secrecy. If he violates the secrets of the order (see below) he loses all benefits of the class.

Class Skills

The knight templar’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Constitution), Craft (Intelligence), Diplomacy (Charisma), Handle Animal (Charisma), Innuendo (Wisdom), Heal (Wisdom), Knowledge (all skills) (Intelligence), Profession (Wisdom), Ride (Dexterity), Scry (Intelligence) and Spellcraft (Intelligence).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.

The Knight Templar
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	1	2	3	4
1	+0	+2	+0	+0	Aid Another, Secret Communication	–	–	–	–
2	+1	+3	+0	+0	Secret	1	–	–	–
3	+2	+3	+1	+1		1	–	–	–
4	+3	+4	+1	+1	Secret	2	1	–	–
5	+3	+4	+1	+1	Templar Master, Divine Determination	2	1	–	–
6	+4	+5	+2	+2	Secret	2	2	1	–
7	+5	+5	+2	+2		3	2	1	1
8	+6	+6	+2	+2	Ley Travel	3	2	2	1
9	+6	+6	+3	+3	Secret	3	3	2	2
10	+7	+7	+3	+3	Templar Grand Master	3	3	2	2

Class Features

Armour and Weapon Proficiency: Templar knights 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.

Spells: A knight templar casts divine spells. He may prepare and cast any spell on the knight templar spell list, provided he can cast spells of that level. In order to cast a spell, the knight templar must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell’s level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against his spells is 10 + the spell’s level + the character’s Wisdom modifier. Bonus spells for the knight templar are based on Wisdom.

The character’s caster level is equal to his knight templar levels plus any divine caster levels he may have from a previous class.

Oath of Secrecy: Upon being ordained as a Templar, the character swears never to reveal the secrets of the order. These secrets include the knights’ secret communication, training, the existence of ley travel and any knowledge and lore that the order may be guarding. If the character violates this oath, he loses all the special abilities of the knight templar class. He retains his base attack and save bonuses, as well as any feat or bonus gained from the Secret class feature, but he loses everything else, including his spellcasting ability. He can atone for his transgression by undertaking a special quest for the order but, if the violation is too great, the Grand Masters may have to order his execution.

Aid Another (Ex): Templar knights train together and often travel in pairs, riding the same horse. This familiarity with each other’s tactics grant them both a +2 bonus to attack rolls or to Armour Class as if they were taking the Aid Another action, but without needing to roll or spending an action. Each knight decides what kind of bonus he wishes to grant his partner at the beginning of his turn. This bonus stacks with the bonus from flanking.

Secret Communication: Templars often travel to lands where they are not welcome or wish to relay instructions in a public gathering without arousing suspicion. They have developed a secret language consisting of hand signs, body postures, tones of voice and code words, with a written form hidden behind religious symbology. At first level, the Templar learns this language and is able to converse and leave written messages for other Templars. One minute of conversation can carry a 10-word phrase in the secret language. Casual listeners do not have a chance to pierce this veil of secrecy, but those who suspect may make an opposed Innuendo check, with the DC set by a single check, but adding both knights’ Wisdom modifiers and
prestige class levels. A Decipher Script check (DC 25) is needed to decode the written form, but the decrypting character must have at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (religion) or the DC rises to 35.

Secret: In their studies and training, knights templar stumble upon all sorts of applicable knowledge and secrets. At 2nd, 4th, 6th and 9th levels, the Templar chooses one secret from Table: Templar Secrets. His level plus Wisdom modifier determines which secrets he can choose. He cannot choose the same secret twice.

Templar Secrets
Level + Wisdom Modifier	Secret	Effect
1	Instant mastery	4 ranks of a skill in which the character has no ranks
2	Field specialization	Ranks
3	Rigorous training	+1 bonus to Fortitude saves
4	Spiritual discipline	+1 bonus to Will saves
5	Superior combat	+1 bonus to training attack rolls
6	Defence training	+1 Dodge bonus to AC
7	Applicable	Any one feat knowledge
8	Wilful spellcasting	+2 on all caster checks
9	Divine insight	1 bonus 1st level spell*
10	Divine inspiration	1 bonus 2nd level spell*

Templar Master: Halfway through his career as a Templar, the knight earns the trust of the order and he receives the title of ‘Master’. He is now entitled to share the resources of the order, but is expected to add to its coffers as well. After gaining this level and being inducted into the ranks of Templar Masters, the character may upgrade either his weapon, armour or mount. He can replace his weapon or armour for a Masterwork version of the same or, if already Masterwork, for one with a +1 magic enhancement. If the mount is not a paladin’s special mount, he may trade it for a heavy warhorse or, if he already rode one, a better steed with +2 to its Strength and Constitution over the one he head. If he visits a chapterhouse, he may request to withdraw an amount of gold pieces equal to 20 multiplied by 1d12 + Charisma modifier. In return, every time the Templar visits a chapterhouse, he must donate 20% of any loot or treasure found in his latest adventure.

In addition, the new Master can choose to receive additional training in one of four areas:

Weapon Training: The Templar trains with a weapon of his choice and gains the Weapon Specialisation feat for that weapon, even if he does not comply with the Weapon Focus prerequisite for that weapon, although he must be proficient with it.

Magic Training: The Templar trains in an area of magic of his choice and gains the Spell Focus feat for that school.

Priestly Training: The Templar trains to improve his ability to channel positive energy and gains the Extra Turning feat. If he was not able to turn undead from a previous class, he learns to do so now, but he can only try to turn undead four times per day.

Scholarly Training: The Templar focuses his energy into learning a wide variety of disciplines, gathering all kinds of knowledge from the order’s vast libraries. He gains a +1 insight bonus on all Knowledge checks.

Divine Determination (Ex): The constant training and study the Templar undergoes steels his body and mind against the things that the order has sworn to fight. He gains an additional +2 bonus to saves against mind-affecting magic or special abilities.

Ley Travel (Sp): The Grand Masters of the order do not choose the sites of their chapterhouses blindly, but on top of routes of magical energies known as ‘ley lines’. Templar Masters are taught the secret of ley travel, so that when they travel along a road or trail built over a ley line, they and their mounts require half the amount of food and travel at three times their normal speed. To find a ley line between two chapterhouses, the Templar must cast Detect Magic and make a Spellcraft check (DC 20) to find it in the area he is. The attempt automatically fails if there are no ley lines present.

Templar Grand Master: The Templar Grand Masters are the cream of the order. Even when a knight reaches this level, it is not guaranteed that he will be awarded the title. Only after a quest of significant importance is the character allowed to bear such title. The Grand Master gains the Leadership feat or, if he has it already, adds +4 to his Leadership score. He may be eligible to lead a chapterhouse or found one of his own, receiving a retinue to do so from the order’s ranks. He immediately gains a number of followers and a cohort according to his Leadership score and amount of gold sufficient to build a modest keep, although it is his responsibility to negotiate with any present rulers for permission. If he chooses solo adventuring or leads his followers as an army, he must donate 50% of his loot or payment to the order.

In addition, the new Grand Master can choose to receive additional training in one of four areas:

Weapon Training: The Templar may train with a different weapon of his choice as the Templar Master feature, or train with a weapon for which he has Weapon Specialisation already. If the latter, he adds an additional +2 to attack and +1 to damage rolls with that weapon.

Magic Training: The Templar trains in an area of magic of his choice as the Templar Master feature, or trains to gain the Spell Penetration feat if he already followed this path when becoming a Templar Master.

Priestly Training: The Templar trains to improve his ability to channel positive energy as the Templar Master feature, or gain even greater power if he already followed this path upon becoming a Templar Master. If the latter, he adds +1d6 points per Charisma modifier to any of his healing abilities, be they born from a spell or another class feature such as a paladin’s lay on hands.

Scholarly Training: The Templar studies a variety of lore as the Templar Master feature or deepens his knowledge if he already followed this path when becoming a Templar Master. If the latter, he gains the bardic knowledge ability, using his knight templar level plus any Intelligence modifier to the checks.

Multiclass Note: paladins can gain levels in the knight Templar class and still be able to advance as paladins.

Knight Templar Spell List

Knights templar choose their spells from the following list:

• 1st Level: alarm, bless, bless weapon, cause fear, cure minor wounds, detect magic, detect poison, detect secret doors, detect undead, divine favour, endure elements, identify, jump, mage armour, magic weapon, message, mount, protection from chaos/evil, read magic, resistance, shield, true strike, virtue.
• 2nd Level: aid, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, continual flame, darkvision, daylight, delay poison, detect thoughts, endurance, locate object, misdirection, obscure object, protection from arrows, remove paralysis, resist energy, see invisibility, silence, shatter, shield other, undetectable alignment, whispering wind.
• 3rd Level: cure moderate wounds, discern lies, dispel magic, greater magic weapon, halt undead, haste, heal mount, illusory script, keen edge, magic circle against chaos/evil, nondetection, phantom steed, prayer, remove blindness/deafness, remove curse, remove disease, secret page, tongues.
• 4th Level: break enchantment, cure serious wounds, death ward, detect scrying, dimensional anchor, dismissal, dispel evil, freedom of movement, holy sword, lesser geas, neutralise poison, resilient sphere, scrying, stoneskin.