One of the things I absolutely adore about the new D&D game is the whole concept of the prestige class, along with a bunch of rules that make customizing existing classes even easier. I pretty much went wild when I discovered the new class rules.

The dragon lancer is a unique type of warrior, who mimics diving dragons by leaping onto his enemies with his spear. His armor is typically adorned with draconic symbolisms, and his order has trained him in dragon lore and combat skills.

Fighters make excellent dragon lancers, and barbarians have taken this class as well, accompanied by a few rangers, rogues and paladins. Other classes take this prestige class only rarely. While humans, elves and half-elves are fond of this class, halflings and gnomes take it on less often, since their small size limits their jumping abilities severely, and half-orcs and dwarves, with their greater bulk, are also less inclined to become dragon lancers.

Hit Dice

d10

Skill Points

2 + Intelligence modifier

Class Skills

• Balance (Dex)
• Climb (Str)
• Craft (Int)
• Jump (Str)
• Knowledge (Dragons and reptile monsters) (Int)
• Spot (Wis)
• Tumble (Dex)
• Use Rope (Dex)

Requirements

Base attack bonus

+4 or higher

Skills

Jump 8+

Feats

Weapon Focus (any spear)

Other

Must have contacted and trained with a community (three or more) of dragon lancers.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:

Dragon lancers are proficient with all simple and light armor, but gain proficiency with no new weapons. Note that armor check penalties for armor 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 armor and equipment carried.

Bonus Language:

Dragon lancers may learn Draconic if they have sufficient Intelligence for another language.

Choke Up:

A 2nd-level dragon lancer may wield a longspear as a double weapon without reach, dealing 1d6 damage with the spearhead and 1d4 damage with the butt. Shifting between this use and standard use can be a move-equivalent or a standard action.

Defensive Roll:

The dragon lancer can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it. Once per day, when a dragon lancer would be reduced to 0 hit points or less by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the dragon lancer can attempt to roll with the damage. He makes a Reflex saving throw (DC = damage dealt) and, if he's successful, he takes only half damage from the blow. He must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute his defensive roll - if he is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC, he can't roll.

Mail of Feathers:

A 2nd-level dragon lancer suffers no armor check penalties to his Jump skill for light armor. A 6th-level dragon lancer suffers armor check penalties to his Jump skill only for heavy armor.

Soaring Dragon:

Dragon Lancers of at least 4th level ignore height restriction on jumping distance.

Spear Vault:

Dragon lancers train hard to perfect their signature move, using a spear to vault themselves high and far onto their targets. To perform this move, the dragon lancer chooses a target location within range; the range of this move is the reach of the spear she is wielding times a multiplier determined by her level, from x2 to x6, and she cannot target a space within the reach of her spear (she can target an empty space). She uses a move-equivalent action to take a five-foot step in the direction of her target (provoking attacks of opportunity) as she plants her spear and leaps (she must have room to make this five-foot step). The range of the spear vault is measured from the starting point of the five-foot step, and there must be a sufficiently high ceiling (one-half the distance to the target). She may ignore any obstacles in her way and does not provoke attacks of opportunity; however, she does not actually arrive immediately, suffering an initiative penalty to her landing moment equal to -1 per 5 ft. traveled. If there is a creature in the space she lands in, she deals 1d6 damage landing on it (1d4 for small dragon lancers) and may make an attack as she lands; if this attack roll succeeds, she adds maximum weapon damage for her spear to the landing damage. Anyone acting between her jump and landing may attempt to target her with a ranged weapon (at a -2 penalty), and if there is a creature in her target space who gets an action before she lands, he is free to move, but may only ready a weapon against her arrival (as readying against a charge) if he has the Expertise feat.

Example: Vorgath is a 5th-level dragon lancer wielding a longspear who is confronted by a band of goblins. The leader remains at the back while the others fan out toward them. Vorgath moves up during the first round until the leader is 40 ft. away from him (spear vault x4 times 10 ft. reach), and on initiative 14 of the second round executes a spear vault with the leader as his target. None of the goblins has quite reached him, so none of them get attacks of opportunity against him as he takes his five-foot step (to 35 ft. from the leader) and vaults. He does not have to maneuver between or around the goblins attacking his party, nor can any of them make attacks of opportunity against him as he sails overhead. At initiative count 6 (14 - (40ft. / 5 ft.)), Vorgath lands on the goblin leader (whose initiative was 18 and had already gone, or rather decided to wait while his thugs dealt with the party), making his attack roll and dealing 1d6 + 8 damage to him and badly surprising the goblins.

Our next prestige class comes to us courtesy of my game master, who has developed an "elite" warrior prestige class suitable for use with high-level and epic-level campaigns. Brian Watson brings you the dragonslayer.

Brian Says: Not a prestige class for the faint-hearted, the dragonslayer goes up against powerful foes every time. They develop tricks to bring down their powerful foes as well; a dragonslayer knows the weaknesses of dragons and how to exploit them.

How you divide or distinguish your dragonslayers will depend on your campaign; I prefer to base mine according to alignment. Good dragonslayers will actively hunt down evil dragons, and slay neutral dragons who are destructive or uncooperative. They will only hunt metallic ("good") dragons who have "gone rogue," but will be hard pressed indeed to believe that an evil dragon has reformed. Neutral dragonslayers are only hesitant to kill good dragons and more likely to slay dragons based on their behavior rather than their color. Evil dragonslayers are generally more interested in dragons' enormous treasure troves than in defending the innocent, and unflinching in their tactics. Chaotic evil dragonslayers in particular are notorious for pretending to ally themselves with chromatic dragons in pursuit of evil goals and turning on their "ally" as soon as an opportunity presents itself.

Epic Progression: The dragonslayer can progress beyond tenth level using the epic advancement rules. At every level divisible by three, he gains a bonus feat which can be any feat available to the Epic Fighter or Epic Ranger except for Weapon Specialization or its derivatives. The dragonslayer's draconic enmity bonus continues to increase by +1 at every odd-numbered level.

Hit Dice

d10

Requirements

Base Attack bonus

+8 or better

Feats

Power Attack

Improved Critical

Other

The character must assist in the slaying of a dragon whose hit dice are at least half the combined levels of the slaying party, one of whom must be a dragonslayer.

Skill Points per level

4 + Intelligence Modifier

Class Skills

• Bluff (Cha)
• Climb (Str)
• Jump (Str)
• Listen (Wis)
• Ride (Dex)
• Search (Int)
• Sense Motive (Wis)
• Spot (Wis)
• Wilderness Lore (Wis)

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:

Dragonslayers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light and medium armor.

Breath Evasion:

When the dragonslayer succeeds at a Reflex save against a breath weapon for half damage, he instead takes no damage. This is an extraordinary ability which the DM may limit to dragon breath weapons if it becomes unbalancing.

Draconic Enmity:

Dragonslayers have a +1 bonus to all Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot and Wilderness Lore checks made against dragons, and a +1 bonus to all weapon damage they deal to dragons (unless the dragon is more than 30 ft. away). This bonus increases by +1 at every odd-numbered level. The dragonslayer is considered to have dragons as a favored enemy and this bonus stacks with any other favored enemy bonuses against dragons that the dragonslayers has from other classes.

Stand Tall:

Dragonslayers of second level and up gain a +2 competence bonus to Will saves against fear effects, and an additional +2 morale bonus to Will saves against fear effects produced by dragons.

Bonus Feat:

The dragonslayer gains a bonus feat at third level and at every third level thereafter. These feats can be any feat available to fighters as a bonus feat except Weapon Specialization.

Cripple Wing:

Starting at third level, any dragon that the dragonslayer strikes with a critical hit must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + the damage dealt) ar be unable to fly for a number of rounds equal to 1 + the dragonslayer's Intelligence bonus. Dragons already in flight may glide to the ground but must make a Reflex save (same DC as the Fort save) or take 1d6 falling damage per two age categories of the dragon. This ability has no effect on dragons who are still recovering from a previous use of this ability.

Scale Cleaver:

Starting at fifth level, a dragonslayer's Power Attack becomes stronger against dragons. His bonus to damage becomes one-and-a-half times the penalty he takes on his attack rolls when striking a dragon. This increases at tenth level to make his damage bonus twice his attack penalty due to Power Attack.

Choking Strike:

A dragonslayer of sixth level or higher who deals a critical hit to a dragon may opt to deal no damage and instead prevent the dragon from using its breath weapon unless it makes a Fortitude save (DC of 20 + the dragonslayer's level). A dragon who fails this save has the next time it can use its breath weapon delayed a number of rounds equal to 1 + the dragonslayer's Intelligence bonus. This ability has no effect on dragons who are still recovering from a previous use of this ability.

Heart Seeker:

A dragonslayer of eighth level or higher deals especially devastating blows to dragons. When a dragonslayer scores a critical hit against a dragon using a weapon for which he has the Improved Critical feat, his critical multiplier for the weapon is increased by one to determine damage from the attack. This is an extraordinary ability which combines with the cripple wing ability but not with choking strike.

When the Third Edition came out, I almost thought that the blademaster as a class had become obsolete. Indeed, several of the powers the blademaster used to wield are now available as feats to anyone who can meet their prerequisites (and more will follow ;-) ).

However, there is, I think, still a place for the blademaster, or his close cousin, in his role as a fighter who develops a spiritual connection with a single weapon strong enough that he can perform feats with it which verge on the supernatural.

Herein I present the paragon prestige class, along with several feats which can enhance this class as well as others.

For 2E fans, the blademaster is also available as a standardized class in Player's Handbook format, or as a customizable class in Skills & Powers format.

The paragon is a warrior of the spirit, something like a monk, but rather than devoting herself to the development of her personal ability, she pushes herself to reach her fullest potential with a single weapon. She is driven by an identification with that weapon and its use, a bond on some level too deep to explain. On becoming a paragon, the character selects a single melee weapon with which she has the feat Weapon Focus, and all her abilities as a paragon apply entirely to that kind of weapon. (All long swords, for instance, or all bastard swords, but not all swords.)

Paragons are typically fighters or monks, but are sometimes barbarians, rangers, or sorcerers. Paladins and clerics are usually too devoted to their deities or causes, and wizards to their studies, for them to make good paragons; bards and rogues usually have other things they'd rather spend their time on. Humans, half-elves, elves and dwarves all make decent paragons; gnomes, halflings and half-orcs are found more rarely in this class. However, no race or class is barred from seeking their martial vocation.

NPC paragons are most often found on voyages of training and self-perfection.

Hit Dice

d10

Requirements

Base Attack bonus

+5 or better

Skills

Concentration 4

Feats

Weapon Focus (devoted weapon)

two combat feats (from fighter bonus feat list)

Other

Will Save +3 (including all classes and Wisdom modifier)

Skill Points per level

2 + Intelligence Modifier

Class Skills

• Balance (Dex)
• Concentration (Con)
• Intimidate (Cha)
• Intuit Danger (Wis, exclusive)
• Jump (Str)
• Move Silently (Dex)
• Sense Motive (Wis)
• Tumble (Dex)

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:

The paragon does not gain proficiency with any new weapons or armor.

Devoted Skill:

The paragon enjoys only a mediocre base attack bonus with most weapons, but when fighting with her devoted weapon, her base attack bonus as a paragon (added as always to her base attack bonus for other classes) is equal to her level as a paragon, plus her Wisdom modifier.

Weapon Empathy:

The paragon has a strong spiritual connection with his weapon that allows him to make strikes against supernatural or tough creatures much like a monk with strong ki. The character gets an enhancement bonus against damage reduction equal to his weapon empathy level, reducing the amount of damage such creatures can subtract from his blows. This bonus does not affect rolls to hit or damage. This is a supernatural ability.

Steel Submission:

If a paragon is wielding a magic version of her devoted weapon, she can attempt to use any powers it has, even if they would not be available to her because of her class, race, or other characteristic, as if she had a rank in Use Magic Device equal to her Wisdom modifier. This is an extraordinary ability.

Spell Slash:

The paragon can channel his spirit into his weapon to the point that it can resist magic. He can substitute his base attack bonus for his Reflex saving throw when trying to evade magic effects. This is a supernatural ability.

Bonus Feat:

At 5th level, the paragon can take one bonus combat feat from the fighter bonus feat list, including the following feats detailed on this site.

• Cooperative Combat
• Distraction Rush
• Focused Stroke
• Twin Defense
• Weapon Mastery

Hurricane Cut:

At 7th level the paragon can take a full-round action to make a strike so forceful and precise that the shock of it carries through the air with the power of a normal blow. This attack is identical to a normal attack with the same weapon, but is a ranged attack with a range increment of 10'. This is a supernatural ability.

Spirit of the Steel:

A paragon who has reached 8th level can release some of the energy from an enchanted weapon as an explosive force. The weapon must be the paragon's devoted weapon type, and must be in the paragon's hands. The paragon chooses how many 'plusses' of magic to release from the sword; for each 'plus' released, all within range take 2d6+2 points of damage, with a Reflex save for half damage. The area of this effect is a 15'-radius burst centered on the paragon. Any plusses released are permanently drained from the sword; a sword which loses all plusses is considered a non-magical masterwork blade. However, any blade used for this power has a 5% chance of shattering per 'plus' of the blade - regardless of the number of 'pluses' used. A shattered blade imposes a save penalty equal to its magical bonus but damages the paragon as well, who gets no save. Magical swords with special abilities may produce extra effects in addition to damage; here are some examples. Spell effects happen with a caster level equal to the character's level as a paragon. DMs are encouraged to be inventive if dealing with unusual swords. This is a supernatural ability.

Sword +1, cursed:

All within range (including the user) are confused in addition to damage.

Nine Lives Stealer:

Those who fail their save are affected by an enervation spell.

Holy Avenger:

All allies are healed rather than damaged and are affected by a bless spell. All undead and evil creatures take double damage (save for normal) and any undead who survive are turned automatically.

Sword of Wounding:

All targets who fail to save are badly lacerated, lose an additional 1 hp every round and cannot regenerate; this effect lasts 10 rounds or until the subject can be well-bandaged.

The Weapon Within:

The weapon and its use have become so much a part of the paragon's spirit that the paragon no longer needs it physically in her hands. A paragon with this ability can strike people with her soul alone, as if she were wielding a weapon of her devoted type. This 'weapon' has the paragon's usual weapon empathy bonus, and can be used for any combat feat or action the paragon can perform with a normal weapon of the type; however, it is not physical and cannot be held or grasped except in combat; for instance, a quarterstaff paragon could not use this 'weapon' to give a comrade something to hold onto in order to pull herself out of the water. In addition, every attack or other action the paragon performs with such a weapon requires a Concentration check. Also, characters not proficient with the paragon's devoted weapon suffer a circumstantial -2 penalty to AC against her attacks; those who are proficient are skilled enough to read her motions and can defend against her normally. This is a supernatural ability.

Thanks to Chris Hazelton for the original blademaster rules, and to Crane Laws for additional abilities.

While most wielders of the mystic arts have little skill on the battlefield, rune knights are psions trained in war. Most important, they are trained to use their weapons as magical lightning rods, absorbing their foes' power points and spell energy and putting it to their own use.

Hit Dice

d6

Skill Points

4 + Int Modifier

Class Skills

• Balance (Dex)
• Concentration (Con)
• Craft (Int)
• Handle Animal (Wis)
• Jump (Str)
• Knowledge (Psionics) (Int)
• Profession (Wis)
• Psicraft (Int)
• Remote View* (Int)
• Tumble (Dex)
• Use Psionic Device* (Cha)

Requirements

Base Attack Bonus:

+2

Base Power Points/Day:

4+ (not including bonus power points).

Skills

Psicraft 4+

Feats

Psionic Weapon

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:

Rune knights are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor.

Power Points:

Rune knights gain power points per day as shown in the table above. These power points are added to the character's total from other psionic classes. Rune knights do not gain bonus power points.

Rune blade:

The characteristic ability of rune knights is an ability to absorb psionic powers as they are being manifested. If the "Psionics are Different" rules are not in effect, the rune knight can absorb spells as well.

This requires that the rune knight be wielding a melee weapon which is larger than "light" for him and readies a rune blade action, much like a counterspell. The rune knight may use this action against any power (or spell) which includes him in its target or area, or decline it against the chance that he will become the target of another power (or spell) before his next turn. He may make a Psicraft (or Spellcraft) check to recognize the power (or spell) before making this decision if he so wishes.

When the rune blade action is used, the spell has no effect on the rune knight, although it still affects other targets normally. The rune knight regains power points equal to the points used to manifest the absorbed power (including metapsionic feats). In the case of spells, the rune knight absorbs power points as if the spell were a power of the same level - that is, twice the spell's level (including extra levels used for metamagic feats), minus one.

A rune knight may use his rune blade even when he has his full power point reserve, or is near to it; however, whenever his rune blade technique absorbs enough power points to put his reserve above its maximum, he suffers one point of temporary ability damage to his highest ability score for each power point his reserve canot hold. This damage is taken one point at a time, so it may be distributed between two or more scores as they drop.

Example: Taros is a 4th level psion/3rd level rune knight. He enters a battle with all of his points for the day and manifests a second-level power (3 points) and a first-level power (1 point). Then, he uses his rune blade to absorb an enemy priest's second-level spell. He regains three power points, so his reserve is now one point below its maximum. He is able to absorb the priest's next second-level spell (another three power points) but can only absorb one of these points, and takes two points of temporary damage to his highest ability score.

Once the rune knight reaches 5th level, any power (or spell) he brings a rune blade action against fails completely if the rune knight makes a successful Will save opposed by a roll by the manifester (or caster) to overcome power resistance (or spell resistance).

When a rune knight reaches 8th level, she no longer takes ability damage from unabsorbed power points. Instead, the extra levels are immediately used for a rune strike that lasts until after the rune knight's next action.

10th-level rune knights may store absorbed power points beyond their maximum reserve in the weapon they use to absorb them as if it were a crystal capacitor. The weapon can hold one-half as many power points as the rune knight's maxumum reserve. These points fade from the weapon at the rate of one each minute, and are dissipated immediately as soon as the rune knight no longer holds the weapon.

Rune strike:

At 2nd level, a rune knight gains the ability to charge her melee weapon with mystic energy. The rune knight uses a free action to spend up to 9 power points. For one round thereafter, her weapon has an enhancement bonus to hit, damage, and overcome damage reduction. This bonus is +1 if the rune knight spends 1 power point and increases by +1 for each two additional points spent. This ability can not be used in conjunction with the Psionic Weapon feat.

Bonus feats:

At 4th level, a rune knight may gain any one psionic feat as a bonus feat. At 6th level, he may gain one metapsionic feat as a bonus feat. At 9th level, he may gain any one fighter feat (from the fighter's bonus feat list) as a bonus feat.

While I find that the D&D game has less room for "gray characters" than a lot of other games, I rarely stop trying. I tend to find good and evil a little cut and dried, which maybe just means it's not the game for me, but there's too much other good material in there to just let it all go.

The shadow knight is a character of dark powers and negative energy, whose means vary little with his ends. He sometimes fights for 'good' ideals, but even those he protects tend to fear him -- to say nothing of those he protects them from.

Shadow knights are most often fighters or clerics. Monks, rogues, sorcerers and rangers undertake it less often. Barbarians, bards, paladins and wizards are almost unheard of.

Hit Dice

d10

Skill Points

2 + Intelligence modifer

Class Skills

• Bluff (Cha)
• Climb (Str)
• Hide (Dex)
• Intimidate (Cha)
• Jump (Str)
• Knowledge (arcana) (Int)
• Move Silently (Dex)
• Ride (Dex)
• Sense Motive (Wis)

Requirements

Base attack bonus

+2 or better

Alignment

Any nongood

Other

To acquire his or her first level as a shadow knight, the character must possess and wield a life-drinker, nine lives stealer, sword of life stealing, unholy weapon or other weapon with a cursed, evil, life-draining or otherwise negative aspect.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:

The shadow knight is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light, medium and heavy armor.

Night's Kiss:

A second-level shadow knight takes only half damage from inflict wounds spells or spell-like abilities, or no damage if his Will saving throw is succesful.

Night's Caress:

Starting at fifth level, shadow knights take no damage from inflict wounds spells or spell-like abilities. If they make a successful Charisma check (DC 10 + caster's level + caster's casting ability modifier), they receive healing equal to one-half the damage of the spell.

Night's Embrace:

Once she reaches eighth level, a shadow knight does not receive negative levels from spells, the touch of undead, or any other source.

Night's Blessing:

A tenth-level shadow knight may use enervation as a spell-like ability once per day.

Black Stroke, Shadow Stroke, Darkness Stroke:

A shadow knight can sacrifice some of his own hit points to charge his weapon or body with negative energy for a short time as a spell-like ability. This energy affects the next creature struck as an inflict wounds spell in addition to damage, but disipates quickly if not used. A black stroke costs 3 hp, and deals inflict light wounds to the next creature struck. If no target is struck before the shadow knight's next turn, the energy is reduced to an inflict minor wounds spell. The energy dissipates completely one round after that if not used.
A shadow stroke costs 8 hp and charges the character's weapon or fist with an inflict moderate wounds spell for one round. After that, the charge is reduced to inflict light wounds, and then to inflict minor wounds, as if a black stroke had been used.
A darkness stroke charges the shadow knight's attack with an inflict serious wounds at the expense of 14 hp. The effect decreases by one rank each round it goes unused in the manner of shadow stroke and black stroke.

Black Wave, Shadow Wave, Darkness Wave:

Similar to the stroke abilities, these powers allow a shadow knight to unleash a wave of negative energy, dealing damage at the expense of his own hit points as a spell-like ability. Whenever the shadow knight uses one of these abilities, he chooses between a 20' cone starting at his location, or a 10' burst centered on him; if there are more targets in the area than the shadow knight pays to affect, those closest to the shadow knight are affected first. These abilities never affect the shadow knight.
A black wave costs the shadow knight 4 hp per target creature, and deals an inflict light wounds to each affected creature.
A shadow wave inflicts moderate wounds on each affected creature, and costs the shadow knight 7 hp per target.
A darkness wave affects each target as an inflict serious wounds spell, at the expense of 12 hp per target.

Ex-Shadow Knights

A good character cannot acquire new levels as a shadow knights, or make use of night's blessing or any of the shadow knight's black, shadow and darkness abilities, but still gains the protection of the night's kiss, night's caress and night's embrace abilities.

Redemption

A good character with one or more shadow knight levels can make use of his experience as he turns his face away from darkness and treads the path of light. Whenever a good character gains a level as a paladin by gaining a character level, he may immediately convert a shadow knight level into an additional paladin level. The character is not obliged to make this trade, and may still trade these levels normally if he gains further levels as a paladin.

Example: Varyos the 3rd-level fighter, 4th-level shadow knight converts to the ways of good and seeks to become a bastion of the light. He immediately loses the use of the black stroke, black wave and shadow stroke abilities. After further adventure and training, he gains a level, and sets his feet upon the noble paladin's path; he also trades a shadow knight level toward this end, becoming a 3rd-level fighter, 3rd-level ex-shadow knight, 2nd-level paladin. Further adventure grants him his 9th character level, and he becomes a 3rd-level fighter, 2nd-level ex-shadow knight, 4th-level paladin. When he reaches tenth level, he is a 3rd-level fighter, 1st-level ex-shadow knight, 6th-level paladin and loses the night's kiss defense. At eleventh level he becomes a 3rd-level fighter, 8th-level paladin and his redemption is complete.

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