The crusader is a warrior who has dedicated his life to the service of a deity. Crusaders are the weapons of their deity, and few temples of any size are without at least one of their number protecting the clergy. Though his martial training is respectable, it is divine power that protects the crusader and grants him his abilities.Good deities protect the crusader from harm, allow him to heal himself, and fill his heart with courage. Evil deities also protect the crusader, but believe that the best defense is a strong offense, granting him the ability to inspire fear in others and to harm living creatures with but a touch.
A crusader uses his martial prowess and these divine gifts to make his deity’s will manifest in the mortal realm.
Game Rule Information
Abilities: Charisma enhances a crusader’s ability to smite, his self-protective capabilities, and his ability to channel energy, while Strength is expected for its role in combat. A Wisdom score of 14 or higher is required to get access to his most powerful crusader spells, and a score of 11 or higher is required to cast any spells at all.
Alignment: A crusader’s alignment must be within one step of his deity’s (that is, it may be one step away on either the lawful–chaotic axis or the good–evil axis, but not both). A crusader may not be neutral unless his deity’s alignment is also neutral.
Hit Dice: d10
Class Skills
The Crusader’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Spells per Day Class Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special 1 2 3 4 1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Aura, detect alignment, Smite Alignment 1/day - - - - 2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Divine Grace, Channel the Divine - - - - 3 +3 +3 +1 +1 Divine Aura, Divine Health - - - - 4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Turn or Rebuke Undead 0 - - - 5 +5 +4 +1 +1 Smite Alignment 2/day, Special Mount 0 - - - 6 +6/+1 +5 +2 +2 Gift of the Deity 1/week 1 - - - 7 +7/+2 +5 +2 +2 1 - - - 8 +8/+3 +6 +2 +2 1 0 - - 9 +9/+4 +6 +3 +3 Gift of the Deity 2/week 1 0 - - 10 +10/+5 +7 +3 +3 Smite Alignment 3/day 1 1 - - 11 +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +3 1 1 0 - 12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +4 Gift of the Deity 3/week 1 1 1 - 13 +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +4 1 1 1 - 14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +4 2 1 1 0 15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +5 Smite Alignment 4/day, Gift of the Deity 4/week 2 1 1 1 16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +5 2 2 1 1 17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 2 2 2 1 18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 Gift of the Deity 5/week 2 2 2 1 19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6 3 3 3 2 20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 Smite Alignment 5/day 3 3 3 3
Class Features All of the following are class features of the Crusader class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Crusaders are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Aura (Ex): A crusader of a chaotic, evil, good, or lawful deity has a particularly powerful aura corresponding to the deity’s alignment (see the detect evil spell for details). Crusaders who don’t worship a specific deity but choose the Chaotic, Evil, Good, or Lawful domain have a similarly powerful aura of the corresponding alignment.
Detect Alignment (Sp): The crusader is able to detect a specific alignment at will, as if he were casting the appropriate detect alignment spell. Once the player chooses which alignment the crusader is able to detect, it cannot be reversed. This alignment cannot be an alignment possessed by your deity. This choice also determines which alignment the crusader may smite (see below).
Smite Alignment (Su): Once per day, a crusader may attempt to smite a creature of a certain alignment (the same alignment he is able to detect with detect alignment) with one normal melee attack. He adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and deals one extra point of damage per crusader level. If the crusader accidentally smites a creature that is not of his chosen alignment, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.At 5th level, and every five levels thereafter, the crusader may smite alignment one additional time per day, as indicated on the table above, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level.
Divine Grace (Su): At 2nd level, a crusader gains a bonus equal to his Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.
Channel the Divine (Su): At 2nd level, the crusader gains the ability to channel either positive or negative energy through his body. A good crusader (or a neutral crusader of a good deity) channels positive energy, and gains the Lay on Hands ability described below. An evil crusader (or a neutral crusader of an evil deity) instead channels negative energy, and gains the Harm Touch ability described below. A crusader who is neither good nor evil and whose deity is neither good nor evil may choose to channel either positive or negative energy, and gains either the Lay on Hands ability or the Harm Touch ability, as appropriate. Once the player makes this choice, it cannot be reversed. This choice also determines whether the crusader has an aura of courage or fear, and whether he turns or commands undead (see below).Lay on Hands: The crusader can heal wounds (her own or those of another) by touch. Each day he can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to his crusader level multiplied by his Charisma bonus. A crusader may choose to divide his healing among multiple recipients, and he doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using this ability is a standard action. A crusader may use this ability to harm undead creatures with a melee touch attack, in which case if functions as if it were the Harm Touch ability against that creature.Harm Touch: The crusader can inflict wounds upon a creature with a mere touch. The crusader must succeed at a melee touch attack to touch his target (this does not provoke an attack of opportunity). The crusader then selects how much damage he wishes to deal to the touched creature; each day he can deal a total amount of damage equal to his crusader level multiplied by his Charisma bonus. Using this ability is a standard action. A crusader may use this ability to heal an undead creature, in which case it functions as if it were the Lay on Hands ability against that creature.
Divine Aura (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a crusader with the ability to channel positive energy gains the Aura of Courage ability described below. A crusader with the ability to channel negative energy instead gains the Aura of Fear ability described below. This ability functions while the crusader is conscious, but not if he is unconscious or dead. A crusader can suppress or activate this aura as a free action.Aura of Courage: The crusader exudes an almost palpable aura of courage and valor. Each ally within 10 feet of him gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. The crusader himself is a paragon of courage, and is immune to all fear effects.Aura of Fear: The crusader exudes an almost palpable aura of menace and evil. Every enemy within 10 feet of him suffers a -4 morale penalty on saving throws against fear effects. The crusader himself is deadened to the emotion of fear, and is immune to all fear effects.
Divine Health (Ex): At 3rd level, the crusader gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.
Turn or Rebuke Undead (Su): Any crusader, regardless of alignment, has the power to affect undead creatures by channeling the power of his faith through his holy (or unholy) symbol (see Turn or Rebuke Undead).A crusader who channels positive energy can turn or destroy undead creatures, while a crusader who channels negative energy instead rebukes or commands such creatures. A crusader may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. He turns or rebukes undead as a cleric of three levels lower would.
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, the crusader gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the crusader spell list below. A crusader must choose and prepare his spells in advance.To prepare or cast a spell, a crusader must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a crusader spell is 10 + the spell level + the crusader’s Wisdom modifier. Through 3rd level, a crusader has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is equal to one-half his crusader level.
Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells: A crusader cannot cast spells of an alignment opposed to his own or his deity’s (if he has one). Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaos, evil, good, and law descriptors in their spell descriptions.
Special Mount (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a crusader gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve him in his crusade against his deity’s enemies (see below). This mount is usually a heavy warhorse (for a Medium paladin) or a warpony (for a Small paladin).Once per day, as a full-round action, the crusader may magically call her mount from the realm in which it resides. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the crusader’s level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the crusader and remains for 2 hours per crusader level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the crusader may release a particular mount from service.
Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should the crusader’s mount die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The crusader may not summon another mount for thirty days or until he gains a crusader level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the crusader takes a -1 penalty on all attack and weapon damage rolls.
Gift of the Deity (Sp): At 6th level, a crusader can use a spell-like ability granted to him by his deity once per week. The spell-like ability granted to the crusader varies depending upon his deity (see below). He can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels after 6th (twice per week at 9th, three times at 12th, and so forth).
Deity Alignment Spell-Like Ability Evaine Lawful Good Daylight Nyrgund Lawful Good Magic Vestment Avenal Neutral Good Remove Disease Branddalla Neutral Good Shield Other Lunskor Neutral Good Clairaudience/Clairvoyance Hedvara Chaotic Good Mirror Image Naiaral Chaotic Good Flame Arrow Corbin Lawful Neutral Zone of Truth Walgrim Lawful Neutral Glyph of Warding Ayna Neutral Speak with Plants Parma Neutral Tongues Selasarae Neutral Arcane Sight Sortec Neutral Divination Elkolvir Chaotic Neutral Deeper Darkness Illidair Chaotic Neutral Alter Self Gaspar Lawful Evil Hold Person Vastra Lawful Evil Bestow Curse Kalosh Neutral Evil Contagion Marrok Neutral Evil Speak with Dead Quendelain Neutral Evil Sleet Storm Erican Chaotic Evil Call Lightning Gronz Chaotic Evil Rage
Code of Conduct: A crusader who grossly violates the code of conduct required by his deity loses all spells and class features, except for armor and shield proficiencies and proficiency with simple and martial weapons. He cannot thereafter gain levels as a crusader of that god until he atones (see the atonement spell description).
Crusader Special Mount
Crusader Level Bonus HD Natural Armor Adj. Str Adj. Int Special 5th-7th +2 +4 +1 6 Empathic Link, Improved Evasion, Share Spells, Share Saving Throws 8th-10th +4 +6 +2 7 Improved Speed 11th-14th +6 +8 +3 8 Command creatures of its kind 15th-20th +8 +10 +4 9 Spell Resistance
Bonus HD: Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve the mount’s base attack and base save bonuses. A special mount’s base attack bonus is equal to that of a cleric of a level equal to its Hit Dice. A mount has good Fortitude and Reflex saves. The mount gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice (see the Monstrous Manual).Natural Armor Adjustment: The number on the table is an improvement to the mount’s natural armor bonus. It represents the preternatural toughness of the crusader’s mount.
Str Adjustment: Add this figure to the mount’s Strength score.
Int: The mount’s Intelligence score.
Empathic Link (Ex): The crusader has an empathic link with his mount out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The crusader cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically. Note that even intelligent mounts see the world differently than crusaders, so misunderstandings are always possible.
Because of this link, the crusader has the same connection to an item or place that his mount does, just as with a master and her familiar.
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a mount takes no damage on a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.
Share Spells (Ex): At the crusader’s option, he can choose to have any spell he casts on himself affect his mount as well, provided the mount is within 5 feet of her at the time of casting. If the spell effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the mount if it moves further than 5 feet away and will not affect the mount again, even if it returns to the crusader before the duration expires. Additionally, the crusader may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his mount as a touch spell instead of on himself. A crusader and her companion may share spells even if such spells would normally fail to affect creatures of the mount’s type (magical beast).
Share Saving Throws: For each of its saving throws, the mount uses its own base save bonus or the crusader’s, whichever is higher. The mount applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and does not have any other bonuses its master might possess.
Improved Speed (Ex): The mount’s speed increases by 10 feet.
Command (Sp): Once per day per two crusader levels of its master, a mount can use this ability to command any normal animal of approximately the same type as itself, as long as the target creature has less Hit Dice than the mount. This ability functions like the command spell, but the mount must make a DC 21 Concentration check to succeed if it’s being ridden at the time. If the check fails, the ability does not work that time, but it still counts against the mount’s daily uses. A target may attempt a Will save (DC 10 + half the crusader’s class level + his Charisma modifier) to negate the effect.
Spell Resistance (Ex): A mount’s spell resistance equals its master’s class level +5.
Crusader Spell List
Crusaders choose their spells from the following list:
1st level: Bless, Bless Water, Bless Weapon, Cause Fear, Command, Create Water, Cure Light Wounds, Curse Water, Detect Poison, Detect Undead, Divine Favor, Doom, Endure Elements, Inflict Light Wounds, Lesser Restoration, Magic Weapon, Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Read Magic, Resistance, Virtue.
2nd level: Bull’s Strength, Darkness, Death Knell, Delay Poison, Eagle’s Splendor, Owl’s Wisdom, Remove Paralysis, Resist Energy, Shatter, Shield Other, Spiritual Weapon, Undetectable Alignment, Zone of Truth.
3rd level: Bestow Curse, Blindness/Deafness, Contagion, Cure Moderate Wounds, Daylight, Deeper Darkness, Discern Lies, Dispel Magic, Greater Magic Weapon, Heal Mount, Inflict Moderate Wounds, Magic Circle Against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Prayer, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Curse, Remove Disease.
4th level: Break Enchantment, Cure Serious Wounds, Death Ward, Dispel Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Greater Command, Holy Sword, Inflict Serious Wounds, Mark of Justice, Neutralize Poison, Poison, Restoration.
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