Many times have the low, ominious chants of the Dirge Wardens echo'd across the graven plains. It is a common misconception to associate these songs with the darks arts, this could not be farther from the truth. These brave fellows spend their lives preserving the sanctity of death, and preventing undead abominations from defiling the crypts in which they make their homes...' - Randil, The Way of the World. Dirge Warden Dirge Wardens strive to protect the sanctity of death, and would give their lives to keep an undead abomination from coming about. They feel that death is the soul's final rest, that it should be protected by all means. They take it upon themselves to do this job. Days of a Dirge Warden are spent placing wards and traps in their grave site, and conversing with the long dead about happenings from whence. Dirge Wardens also feel a certain empathy with the deceased, although they know that Death never claims a soul without sticking to the higher plan. They revel in the beauty of life, as well as that of death. In most cases, surprisingly enough, these Wardens worship a god or goddess of life, but feel they are the 'Custodians of Life'. Dirge Wardens are a strange mix of personalities, combining the determination and loyalty of a Ranger, with the versitility and insight of a Bard. Requirements: Alignment: Any non-evil Skills: Perform (6 Ranks) Wilderness Lore (6 Ranks) Spellcasting: must be able to cast the spell Cure Light Wounds. Special: must have one favored enemy that is an undead creature. Class Features: Hit Die: d8 Weapons and Armor Proficiency: the Dirge Warden gains no new proficiency in any weapons, armor, or shields. Class Skills: Climb, Concentration, Craft, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Intuit Direction, Jump, Knowledge (All), Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Profession, Spot, Swim, Wilderness Lore Skill points at each level: 4 plus intelligence modifier. code: Class Base Fort Ref Will Special Level Attack Save Save Save 1 0 2 0 2 Dirge, Speak with Dead, Turn Undead 2 1 3 0 3 Life Cloak 3 2 3 1 3 Sanctify 4 3 4 1 4 True Death 5 3 4 1 4 Favored Undead Enemy, Vigilance 6 4 5 2 5 Death Chant (1 mile radius) 7 5 5 2 5 Extra Turning 8 6 6 2 6 Invisibility to Undead 9 6 6 3 6 Death Chant (3 mile radius) 10 7 7 3 7 Favored Undead Enemy, Last Requiem Dirge (SU): If the Dirge Warden possesses the Bardic Music class ability, he may add the following capabilities, as the appropriate number of ranks in the perform skill are gained. Also, add one half the character's Dirge Warden Levels to his Bard levels when determining the number of daily Bardic Music uses the character has. Warding (6 ranks): All living beings who can hear the mournfull tune are granted extra protection from the undead. This is realized as a +2 dodge bonus to armor class and all saving throws (against undead only). Thrall (9 ranks): All undead who can hear this dirge must make a will save (DC equal to the Dirge Warden's Perform check) or be effectively stunned until a) the Dirge Warden ceases the Dirge, or b) the creature takes 1 or more points of damage. Any undead creature with a hit dice total equal to or greater than the Dirge Warden's hit dice total (usually equal to his character level) receives an additional saving throw every other round. Restoration (12 ranks): With this song, the Dirge Warden can slowly restore lost ability points or experience points which were drained by undead. For each hour the Dirge Warden performs this dirge, all within earshot gain one lost ability point or 1,000 experience points (restoring only up to the amount which they had drained by an undead creature). Each hour this is played counts as one use of the bardic music ability against the Dirge Warden's daily limit, and playing the dirge must be the only action the Dirge Warden takes in that time. Speak with Dead (SU): Dirge Wardens have the ability to Speak with Dead, as per the spell, a number of times per day equal to their total character level. Turn Undead (SU): Dirge Wardens can Turn Undead as if they were a Paladin of the same level. If the Dirge Warden has the ability to turn undead from another class, combine class levels to determine at what level the character turns undead. Life Cloak (SU): Dirge Wardens can cause a Death Ward effect a number of times per day equal to their character level. Sanctify (SU): A Dirge Warden can perform a ritual, which takes one day, in order to sanctify one corpse per level. This sanctification affects the corpse as per the burial blessing spell (see below), with a caster level equal to the Dirge Warden's level plus his charisma modifier. This ritual -can- be performed on one corpse per minute, but then the effect only lasts for one hour per level. Note that this ability does not require components or experience expenditure, as the spell does. True Death (EX): An undead slain by a Dirge Warden cannot ever be raised as an undead again. Favored Undead Enemy: At 5th and 10th levels, the Dirge Warden gains another favored undead enemy, and all other undead favored enemies he previously had have their bonuses increased by +1. Vigilance (EX): Dirge Wardens gain a permanent Deathwatch effect as per the spell. Death Chant (SU): Once per day, a Dirge Warden can perform a chant in order to rid an area of undead. All undead in the area roll a Will save with a DC of the Dirge Warden's Perform check. For each Dirge Warden chanting beyond the first, a +2 synergy bonus is added to the Perform check, and the area is increased by 10%. Extra Turning (EX): This is just as the Extra Turning feat. Invisibility to Undead (SU): A Dirge Warden becomes invisible, as per the spell, to all forms of undead. Last Requiem (SU): Instead of simply turning them, the Dirge Warden can release the unnatural unlife of undead creatures. By using two of his dailty Turn Undead 'slots' for the day, the Dirge Warden can perform a Last Requiem. This may affect any number of undead whose hit dice total is equal to or less than the Dirge Warden's Character Level, in an area of 1 cubic foot per point on a perform check (centered on the Dirge Warden). The affected creature(s) must make a fortitude save with a DC equal of (12 plus the Dirge Warden's character level), or simply immediately return to a natural death. (This does count as slaying the undead creature as far as the True Death ability is concerned). - = - = - = - = - Burial Blessing Abjuration [good] Level: Clr1 Components: V,S,M,XP Range: Touch Area: Corpse Touched Duration: Permanent Saving Throw: Will negates (see text) Spell Resistance: Yes By means of this spell, the cleric wards a corpse from evil influences and effects. Unless the corpse has been desecrated or the blessing is countered, the corpse cannot be magically animated or rise as an undead minion (a ghoul or vampire for example). Also, anyone trying to disturb the body is struck by a sudden fear, and must make a Will save or flee the location for one minute per caster level. If the protected corpse is subsequently brought back to life, the burial blessing ends. Material Components: The caster's holy symbol and a vial of holy or unholy water, according to alignment, which is sprinkled upon the corpse. XP Cost: 100 XP