Holy Liberator

Holy Liberator

The holy liberator is a holy warrior, a distant cousin of the paladin, who is dedicated to overthrowing tyranny wherever it may be found. These champions of freedom and equality are strong-willed, independent minded, and virtuous. They particularly direct their efforts against lawful evil societies (dictatorships or plutocracies), slaveholders and slave traders, and powerful, corrupt governments, but they also recognize the possibility for tyranny even in a state of anarchy (where strong individuals may impose their will on people weaker than they).

Members of all classes— with the prominent exception of monks—are often drawn to the holy liberator prestige class. Chaotic good fighters and rangers are natural holy liberators, augmenting their already significant combat abilities with the holy powers of the prestige class. Many clerics are also drawn to become holy liberators—particularly chaotic clerics of Tuli and certain clerics of Lognare. Many rogues also adopt the holy liberator class, working with stealth and steel for the cause of freedom.

NPC holy liberators are usually loners, though they may organize rebellious forces in a tyrannical nation. They often have powerful celestial allies, from celestial animals to ghaele eladrins, assisting their cause, but tend to work in a loose network rather than a structured or close association. Just as holy liberators rarely accept orders from anyone, they are loath to give them, choosing to form alliances and friendships rather than manipulate minions or servants.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To qualify to become a holy liberator, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Alignment: Chaotic good.

Base Attack Bonus: +5.

Diplomacy: 5 ranks.

Feat: Iron Will.

Class Skills

The holy liberator's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the holy liberator prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Holy liberators are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor, and with shields.

Spells per Day: A holy liberator has the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, the holy liberator must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level, so a holy liberator with a Wisdom of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Holy liberator bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the holy liberator's Wisdom modifier. When the holy liberator gets 0 spells of a given level, such as 0 1st-level spells at 1st level, he gets only bonus spells. (A holy liberator without a bonus spell for that level cannot yet cast a spell of that level.) The holy liberator's spell list appears below. A holy liberator has access to any spell on the list and can freely choose which to prepare, just like a cleric. A holy liberator prepares and casts spells just as a cleric does (though the liberator cannot spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells).

Detect Evil (Sp): The holy liberator can detect evil as a spell-like ability at will. This ability duplicates the effects of the spell detect evil.

Resist Enchantment (Su): Holy liberators gain a +2 morale bonus on all saving throws against enchantment spells or effects.

Divine Grace (Su): A holy liberator of 2nd level or higher applies his Charisma modifier (if positive) as a bonus on all saving throws.

Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, a holy liberator of 2nd level or higher may attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack. He adds his Charisma modifier (if positive) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per class level. For example, a 9th-level holy liberator armed with a longsword would deal 1d8+9 points of damage, plus any additional bonuses for high Strength or magical effects that normally apply. If the holy liberator accidentally smites a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect but it is still used up for that day. Smite evil is a supernatural ability.

Turn Undead (Su): When a holy liberator reaches 3rd level, he gains the ability to turn undead. He turns undead as would a cleric of two levels lower.

Immune to Charm and Compulsion (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, the holy liberator gains immunity to all charm and compulsion effects. His mind is his own, and no other creature can control his thoughts or actions.

Subversion (Su): By spending 5 minutes in conversation with a character who is under the influence of a charm or compulsion effect, a holy liberator of at least 7th level can help that character break free of the enchantment. As a full-round action, the holy liberator touches the enchanted character (making a melee touch attack roll, if necessary) and invokes the divine power within himself. The enchanted character immediately makes a new saving throw, using his own saving throw bonus plus the holy liberator's Charisma bonus. If the result equals or exceeds the DC of the original saving throw, the character is freed from the charm or compulsion effect.

Code of Conduct: Holy liberators must be of chaotic good alignment and lose all special class abilities if they ever willingly commit an act of evil. True to their alignment, holy liberators have no more formalized code of conduct than that.

Holy Liberator Spell List

Holy liberators choose their spells from the following list:

1st—bless, bless weapon, cure light wounds, detect poison, detect undead, divine favor, endure elements, magic weapon, remove fear, resistance, virtue.

2nd—aid, bull's strength, calm emotions, cure moderate wounds, delay poison, remove paralysis, resist elements, shield other.

3rd—cure serious wounds, discern lies, dispel magic, greater magic weapon, magic circle against evil, prayer, remove curse.

4th—cure critical wounds, death ward, dispel evil, freedom of movement, holy sword, neutralize poison.

Ex-Paladin Liberators

It is not altogether uncommon for paladins to slip away from the unswerving path of law in their overriding quest for good and become holy liberators. For the most part, the ex-paladin who adopts the holy liberator class does not regain any of his lost paladin abilities. However, in the case of smiting evil and turning undead, the former paladin's levels contribute to his ability in his new class. Both of these abilities function at a level equal to the character's paladin levels plus his holy liberator levels. Thus, the expaladin's smite evil ability deals extra damage equal to his combined levels, and he turns undead using this combined level as a base.

Celestial Companion

Upon or after reaching 5th level, a holy liberator can call a celestial cat, dog, eagle, hawk, horse, owl, pony, or wolf as a companion. (See Appendix 1 of the Monster Manual for these creatures' basic statistics and Appendix 3 for the celestial template.) This creature may willingly act as a guardian (such as a hawk), a helper (such as a cat), or a mount (such as a horse). The holy liberator's companion further gains HD and special abilities based on the holy liberator's character level. The holy liberator may have only one celestial companion at a time. Should the holy liberator's companion die, he may call for another one after one day. The new celestial companion has all the accumulated abilities due a companion of the holy liberator's current level.

Character Level: The character level of the holy liberator (the total levels achieved in all his classes).

Bonus HD: These are extra d8 Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve the companion's base attack bonus and base save bonuses, as normal.

Natural Armor: This is a bonus to the companion's natural armor rating.

Str Adj.: Add this figure to the companion's Strength score.

Int: The companion's Intelligence score (the celestial companion is smarter than normal animals of its kind). Improved Evasion (Ex): If the companion is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage on a successful saving throw and only half damage on a failed saving throw.

Share Spells: At the holy liberator's option, he may have any spell he casts on himself also affect his companion. The companion must be within 5 feet. If the spell has a duration other than instantaneous, the spell stops affecting the companion if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the companion again even if the companion returns to the holy liberator before the duration expires. Additionally, the holy liberator may cast a spell with a target of "You" on his companion (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself. The holy liberator and the companion can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion's type (magical beast).

Empathic Link (Su): The holy liberator has an empathic link with the companion out to a distance of up to one mile. The holy liberator cannot see through the companion's eyes, but they can communicate telepathically. Even intelligent companions see the world differently from humans, so misunderstandings are always possible. Because of the empathic link between the companion and the holy liberator, the holy liberator has the same connection to a place or an item that the companion does.

Share Saving Throws: The companion uses its own base save or the holy liberator's, whichever is higher. Speak with Holy Liberator: The holy liberator and companion can communicate verbally as if they were using a common language. Other creatures do not understand the communication without magical help. Blood Bond: The companion gains a +2 bonus on all attacks, checks, and saves if it witnesses the holy liberator being threatened or harmed. This bonus lasts as long as the threat is immediate and apparent. Spell Resistance: The companion's spell resistance equals the holy liberator's level + 5. To affect the companion with a spell, a spellcaster must make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) at least equal to the companion's spell resistance.