Original concept: Peter Dosik, Dragon™ Magazine, January 1988.

Designer's Note: Original concept: Peter Dosik, Dragon™ Magazine January 1988.

Guardians are protectors and law enforcers of halfling communities. They act as troubleshooters and law enforcers in peacetime and in wartime help lead the halfling militias. Guardians are often eployed as sheriffs or deputies whose function is to keep the domestic affairs of halflings in order.

The patron god of all guardians is Avoreen the Defender. Guardians are taught to have the utmost respect for their patron and his clerics, and both play an important part in guardian training.

Hit Die: d8

Alignment: Any non-evil and non-chaotic [The vast majority of guardians are lawful good, especially amongst those with active roles inside halfling communities. Those who are wandering guardians are more likely to possess the other alignment options.]

Race: Halfling

Religion: Avoreen or Yondalla

Base Attack Bonus: +6

Feats: Weapon Focus (Short Sword), Dodge, Alertness, Expertise [Avoreen's favoured weapon and the perhaps the best light martial weapon. Avoreen is a defensive deity and guardian applicants must demonstrate defensive skills (Dodge, Expertise) and great awareness of their surroundings (Alertness).]

Other: Those wishing to become guardians must find a cleric of Avoreen (or perhaps Yondalla) who is capable of providing the required training. There is no cost for this training as it is borne by the halfling community. Many applicants do not pass. Training takes in the order of 3-6 months, largely dependent upon the cleric who administers the training.

The class skills of a Guardian reflect the martial and law enforcement duties that the guardian must carry out. They also show the guardians outdoor abilities which are a natural by-product of being an outdoor warrior.

The Guardian's class skills (and key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Law) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Rope Use (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill points at each level: 4 + Int modifier

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Guardians are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armours and 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. [Halflings have a natural aversion to heavy armour and often don’t need it as they tend to be more adept at dodging blows than other races (higher dex). Guardians are trained to fight in a moving fluid style which is severely hampered by the wearing of heavy armours. Additionally they often have to travel long distances on foot and hence don’t wish to be weighed down by heavy armour.]

Tracking Skill: If the character does not currently have the tracking feat, then they receive it without having to use one of their own slots. If they do have the tracking feat already then they receive +2 on their wilderness lore checks when tracking outdoors.

Halfling Hospitality: The guardian will receive free food and board in any halfling community. Likewise they will be provided with provisions and supplies free of charge, if their mission directly serves the community concerned and only if the community can actually afford to finance such purchases (thus if the guardian is on a personal mission then they cannot ask for free supplies). Abuse of this privilege is likely to result in disciplining by a cleric of Avoreen.

Fear Resistance: Guardians are utterly dedicated to their cause (protection of halflings) and with the blessing of Avoreen they are to resist fear. Guardians receive the indicated bonus to saving throws against all kinds of fear (including magically generated and supernatural abilities).

Favoured Enemy: This is identical to the favoured enemy for the Ranger class in the Player's Handbook (p45). If the guardian has ranger levels, then the guardian favoured enemies stack with their ranger favoured enemies (effectively acting like they had acquired a new ranger favoured enemy).

Fighter Feat: The guardian gains one fighter feat listed in the PHB p37.

Sense Evil: The guardian gains the ability to Sense Evil at will. This is a spell like ability that exactly duplicates the spell Detect Evil.

Self Healing: Guardians gain the supernatural ability to heal themselves. Once per day the guardian can heal a number of hitpoints up to 10 plus their guardian class level. This healing may be spread out among several uses.

Defensive Stance: Guardians are experts in defensive tactics in combat (just like their patron Avoreen). As a result, while wearing light or medium armour, they receive the indicated dodge bonus to their armour class. Unlike the dexterity bonus to AC, this bonus is still kept when the guardian is caught flat footed or struck by an invisible attacker. It is not kept if the guardian is immobilised.

Fleet Foot: The guardian gains additional movement. The character can add ten feet to his or her normal movement, while wearing light or medium armours (this should mean a movement rate of 30 feet for most halflings, as the normal halfling movement rate is 20 feet.

Avoreen's Defense: The guardian can force all melee attacks against him to fail, for one whole round. The player simply chooses which round (before it starts) and tells the DM. All attacks against the guardian will behave just as if they had rolled a one on their attack role. This is a supernatural ability granted by Avoreen which can be used a number of times per day equal to the character's charisma modifier [representing that strength of character is encouraged by Avoreen].

Spells: Guardians are granted divine spells by Avoreen. A zero in the column indicates that the spell can only be cast if the guardian has a spell bonus for the level spell based on the wisdom score.

First level Second level

Alarm Avoreen's Strength *(1)

Magic Weapon Delay Poison

Divine Favour Cure light wounds

Expeditious Retreat See Invisibility

Message Snare

Pass without trace Messenger

Speak with Animals Rapid Strikes *(2)

Weapon Shift *(2) Whispering Wind

Humansize (new spell) Summon Nature's Ally 2

Summon Nature's Ally 1

Magic Vestment

Prayer

Burning Sword *(3)

Detect Lie

Dispel Magic

Giantsize (new spell)

Prayer

Feign Death

Locate Object

*(1) Same as Bull's Strength

*(2) As per page 85 Dragon ™ issue September 2000

*(3) As per page 85 Dragon ™ issue September 2000 except may only be cast on short sword.

Appendix A : Guardian Spells

Transmutation

Level: 1

Components: V, S

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Target: Creature touched

Duration: 3 rounds / level

Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)

Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell makes a halfling (and only a halfling) grow to the size of a human (Size: M). Everything the guardian is wearing or holding grows proportionately in size as well. In particular the halflings short sword grows to a long sword. The halfling still wields it as if it wear a short sword, in regards to bonuses, proficiencies etc., but it does damage as a long sword. The spell does not cause the halfling to become disorientated or clumsy. Additionally the halfling gains 2 points of strength for the duration of the spell. Note the halfling suffers all penalties associated with their new size including to hit and armour class modifiers.

Transmutation

Level: 3

Components: V, S

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Target: Creature touched

Duration: 2 rounds / level

Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)

Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell makes a halfling (and only a halfling) grow to the size of a hill giant (Size: L). Everything the guardian is wearing or holding grows proportionately in size as well. In particular the halflings short sword grows to a bastard sword. The halfling still wields it as if it wear a short sword, in regards to bonuses, proficiencies etc., but it does damage as a bastard sword. The spell does not cause the halfling to become disorientated or clumsy. Additionally the halfling gains 4 points of strength for the duration of the spell. Note the halfling suffers all penalties associated with their new size including to hit and armour class modifiers.