unosarta
2011-01-28, 10:01 PM
Knight of Snow
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs40/f/2009/035/c/9/Frost_Knight_by_BrocX.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/350/0/4/winter_knight_by_amex91-d350214.jpg
“The ice blinds and slices. It cuts deep, and shatters bone with a single ragged breath. The ice cuts deep, it breaks into the dreams and nightmares of those who feel it, and feeds on them. The ice blinds and slices, and it drinks in the heat of pain, the aching flame of death. It skins and flays, steals and scrambles, it destroys.
The ice sings. The ice creates. The ice cries tears of blue blood, and bleeds out of gaping wounds. The ice crafts, the ice sculpts the frozen sun in the sky. The ice drips and dangles, it clears and clouds. The ice makes, the ice breaks. The ice screams with the sun.
The ice tears. The ice shatters. The ice breaks upon the hardened rock. The ice reforms. Refreezes. Remakes itself, whole.
The ice blinds the warriors of the cold. The ice slices those who fight it. The ice cuts deep, and shatters their bones with a single ragged breath. The ice cuts deep, and breaks into the dreams and nightmares of its enemies, and feeds on them. The ice blinds and slicers, and drinks in the heat of pain, the aching flame of death. It skins and flays, steals and scrambles, it destroys all that oppose.
The ice sings to me. The ice created me. The ice cries tears of blue blood upon my skin, and bleeds out of my gaping wounds. The ice crafts, the ice sculpts the from sun in the sky, and I slice it open. The ice drips and dangles, clears and clouds my vision. The ice makes me. The ice breaks me. the ice screams into the sun, and I scream with it.
The ice tears. The ice shatters. The ice breaks upon the hardened rock. The ice reforms. Refreezes. Remakes itself, whole. I tear. I shatter. I break upon the hardened rock. I reform. Refreeze. Make myself whole, in its image.
I am the snow.
I am the cold.
I am the ice.
We are the Knights of Snow.
Sing to the night, and chant the hymns of the frozen sun. Sing to the night.
Sing to the night.”
The Knights of Snow are a dedicated group of Paladins who worship winter. They seek to bring the frozen rime to all of the world, and with the cold harshness of a winter storm they march. They oppose warmth, light, and fire, and all that represent it or that fight to protect the life on the planet. They are ruthless and cold, like that snow that they seek to embody, but still work for the greater good. They honestly believe that by bringing cold to the planet they will be making it a better place. Ice leaves no room for evil, no place for destruction. No room for death.
The ice that they worship is a purifying ice, one that cleanses all, and brings those who have sinned back into the frozen light. The ice cleans and brightens, and reflects goodness throughout it, all the while killing with a cold justice, and a harsh judgement.
BECOMING A KNIGHT OF SNOW
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Base Attack Bonus: +7
Alignment: Any Lawful
Skills: Sense Motive 10 ranks, Survival 5 ranks
Feats: Self Sufficient
Special: Smite Evil, Lay on Hands
Special: Must join the Knights of Snow
DM Sidebar: Joining the Knights of Snow
The Knights of Snow are a fairly open group, willing to accept most members. They have but one rule; the prospective Knight of Snow must spend a night buried entirely in snow. They must wear the traditional full armor of the Knights of Snow, and pray the whole night, fasting and reflecting. After this, they are indoctrinated into the Knights, and start training with the Knights. They spend one month at least as a probational period, training constantly.
Class Skills
The Knight of Snow's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Survival (Wis).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int
Hit Dice: d10
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Smite of Snow 1/encounter
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Oath of Snow
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Nightsong
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Aura of Ice
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Smite of Snow 2/encounter
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|Purification
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|Icesong
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|Roar of Winter
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Smite of Snow 3/encounter
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|Knight of Ice and Snow[/table]
Weapon Proficiencies: The Knight of Snow gains proficiency with Iceplate as well as the Pickblade.
Iceplate:
This is a large fullplate, designed to be used in heavy or harsh weather. It has the Armor Bonus, maximum dexterity and Check penalty of Full Plate. It contains padding and furs, as well as several life saving supplies that can feed the wearer for two days in harsh conditions. The wearer of the plate gains a +3 bonus to survive in Harsh weather, and the Iceplate has another usage. When the Iceplate reaches below freezing temperatures itself, which usually requires the actual temperatures to be 30 to 40 degrees colder (farenheit or celsius, really), the wearer gains a +3 bonus to their armor class, and any natural weapons that hit the Iceplate take 2 points of cold damage.
Iceplate requires that the wearer either gains proficiency through a special feat, or that they gain it through a class feature that specifically grants Iceplate. If they do not have those requirements, they do not gain any of the benefits of Iceplate, besides the emergency supplies, and take a -4 penalty to all attacks, armor class, and checks that use Strength or Dexterity as a main statistic.
Iceplate Specialization
Prerequisites: Heavy Armor Specialization, Base Attack Bonus +4
Benefits: You gain proficiency with Iceplate.
Pickblade:
The pickblade is a large sword that has a deadly sharp spike on the pommel, capable of penetrating full plate and thick ice. The blade itself appears as a longsword, with one serrated edge. When the Pickblade reaches below freezing temperatures itself, which usually requires the actual temperatures to be 30 to 40 degrees colder (farenheit or celsius, really), it gains several enhancements. It’s damage increases from 1d10 to 2d6 damage, and it gains a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. The pick end of the weapon deals the same amount of damage, but piercing, but deals quadruple damage against ice, packed snow, or solid inanimate objects, such as stone or metal.
The pickblade is an exotic weapon, and those who do not have proficiency with it take a -4 penalty to all attack roles made with it.
{table=head]
Name|
Damage (S)|
Damage (M)|
Critical|
Range|
Weight|
Type
Pickblade|1d8|1d10|19-20/x2|--|10 lbs|Slashing/Piercing[/table]
Cost: 2000 gp.
Smite of Snow (Ex): Once per encounter, the Knight of Snow may make a single melee attack as a standard action. He adds his Charisma bonus as a Sacred modifier to that attack, and deals an extra 1d6 per Knight of Snow level he possesses as cold damage. Against evil creatures, he deals an additional amount of cold damage equal to his Charisma modifier. He gains an additional use of this ability at fifth level, and at ninth level.
Oath of Snow (Ex): Starting at second level, the Knight of Snow gains a pool of cold damage, equal to his hit dice times his charisma modifier, times two. He may deal an amount of cold damage with a touch attack as a standard action.
Nightsong (Ex): Starting at third level, the Knight of Snow gains low light vision out to 120 feet, or doubles the range of any existing low light vision they possess. He also gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls while in total darkness, and at night. At sixth level, he gains Darkvision out to thirty feet, and the Darkvision increases to sixty feet at ninth level.
Purification (Su): Starting at sixth level, the Knight of Snow may purify with a touch. This effect is identical to the Cure Disease or Cure Poison spells, but the target takes 2d6 cold damage in addition, as their bodies are purged of the impurity. This effect costs 10 points of cold damage from the Knight of Snow’s Oath of Snow cold damage pool.
Aura of Ice (Su): Starting at fourth level, the Knight of Snow may exude an aura around himself as a swift action, reducing the temperature of the atmosphere within 30 feet by 16 degrees, and reducing the temperature of any items that touch him by 32 degrees, over a period of a minute. Magical items may make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Knight of Snow levels + Charisma modifier) to avoid this drop in temperature. Turning this aura on and off is a swift action.
Icesong (Ex): Starting at seventh level, during conditions of heavy snow, snowstorms, blizzards, or hail and hailstorms, the Knight of Snow gains a +4 bonus to all survival checks, and gains a +2 bonus to all damage rolls. He also gains Cold and Fire resistance equal to his hit dice. At tenth level he becomes immune to Cold damage.
Roar of Winter (Su): Starting at eighth level, the Knight of Snow may summon a snowstorm once per day. All enemies within 100 feet of the Knight of Snow take 1d6 cold damage per round that the snowstorm persists. If the Knight of Snow concentrates as a move action each round, the snowstorm becomes a blizzard, and deals 2d6 damage per round, and transforms the area that it affects into difficult terrain. This effect lasts until the end of the encounter, and the blizzard lasts as long as the Knight of Snow concentrates, and then immediately fades.
Knight of Ice and Snow: Starting at tenth level, the Knight of Snow becomes an elemental with the Good and Lawful subtypes, as well as the Cold subtype. Unlike most creatures with the cold subtype, the Knight of Snow does not take extra damage from Fire damage. Unlike other elementals, the Knight of Snow may be resurrected.
Knights of Snow and Paladins may progress between both classes without restriction, and Paladins do not lose abilities for being of a non-Lawful Good alignment, but still must be of a Lawful alignment.
PLAYING A KNIGHT OF SNOW
Playing a Knight of Snow is very similar to playing a Paladin, but far more strict on the need for purity, and a usually more ruthless personality and strategy.
Combat: The Knights of Snow tend to slaughter mindlessly, with ruthless cruelty. They usually end opponent’s lives with their swords, or with frost, but they enjoy a medley of ways to kill. Most combats with Knights of Snow usually have the Knight start out smite-happy, smiting evil targets first, usually, but really just smiting any who seem weak and pathetic. They have absolutely no pity for anything that lives, and will proclaim as such to any willing to listen. They do this not because they take pleasure in killing others, but because it is the most efficient method of fighting, and anything that is less efficient will get the Knight of Snow killed.
Advancement: Many Knights of Snow progress in Paladin after finishing up the class, and almost all Knights of Snow finish the class. They tend towards heavy armor melee combatants, so the Knight class, any of its subsidiary prestige classes, or any prestige classes designed for lawful melee characters tend to be good choices.
Resources: The Knights of Snow tend to be a very tight nit group, and if any Knight of Snow seeks help with purification, or with the spreading of the Cold, a fellow Knight would be happy help him or her. Money and monetary compensation is often not as possible, but a Knight certainly might be able to help on other ends.
KNIGHTS OF SNOW IN THE WORLD
The blizzard soared. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, even as he approached. His sword seemed to sweat with cold, shimmer the air. His face was obscured, but I could see the white, cold, hardened and uncaring eyes that lay beneath it. I never cried. I think that was why he spared me. Even as he slaughtered my whole family, my whole village, my whole world dying around me, no tears fell to my checks. They were frozen in my eyes.
Ythros Parathos, death seeking one.
The Knights of Snow have a hard time in life. They tend to be fairly zealous in their need to purify the world of corruption, and are often not appreciated much by the “corruption”. Most simply think they are crazy, and there are no governments that really actively help the Knights of Snow.
Daily Life: Some part of the Knight’s day is spent in prayer or contemplation, usually on topics like “how will the world becoming cold help everyone” “how wonderful the cold is” and other such scintillating issues. Many adventuring Knights of Snow have to spend a lot of effort not to kill the few who act sort of corrupt, but they know that in the end the cold will win out over the impure, even if they must struggle with it in the current moment.
Notables: There are several notable members in the Order of the Knights of Snow, one of the most famous being the founding member, Ithkos Sinbreaker, bringer of the Azure Flow, the Purifier. He has been known to “purify” entire towns and armies at a time. Another prominent member is Kareniq Gothrim, the White Flame, who broke off from the Order, and now works to repent herself by hunting them down, and using their own abilities against them.
Organizations: The Order of the Knights of Snow is the only organization dedicated entirely to the Knights of Snow, and most places that might take them in tend to think of the Knights as being slightly mad.
NPC Reaction
Many generalize the class as a bunch of lunatics who worship the snow, and the ice. That is, essentially, what the Knights are, but it is very generalized. Many Knights are treated as such because they take to purifying those who oppose them, and that is sort of justified, but in the eye of the Knight, those that think they are crazy are going to be purified when the Cold comes, even if they are not purified now.
KNIGHTS OF SNOW IN THE GAME
The Knights are not on the level of the wizard, but are fairly powerful, probably as, or more powerful than many Paladins. Even without spells, they can dish out quite a bit of damage, but still are probably not much more than tier four at the highest.
Adaptation: The Knights of Snow can probably be adapted into any campaign setting, as a crazy sect of Paladins. In a tropical campaign, their insanity would be even more eventful and showy, and in a cold themed campaign, they would be especially powerful, given that the climate is already suited to many of their abilities. They could also be refluffed as a group of good paladins who help those in need, and who survive the harsh winters.
Encounters: Many, if not all, encounters with the Knights of Snow, will be aggressive, usually from the Knight’s side. The Knights of Snow are absolute in the fact that those who are impure and who directly oppose them must be purified. Those who attack them are obviously impure.
For the purposes of the Knights of Snow, the term Impure or Impure Ones means the following:
Impure: To have committed a crime, or crimes against society or against the teachings of the Church of the Coldest Night, that is extreme and impossible to compensate for with any action.
Examples: Attacking a Knight of Snow for no reason, and with no provocation. Killing innocents. Stealing without need, and where honest work would be acceptable. Running away from one's duties, if it would endanger another.
The Coming Cold
The Coming Cold is the belief, held mainly by the Knights of Snow, that the end of the world is coming soon, and that those who are "pure"-- that is, who worship the snow, those who act especially "good", or other special cases, will be taken by the Cold into the Glacier of Night, and they will live there forever. The Cold can only kill so many, though, so the Knights of Snow believe that they must purify the world first, so that the Cold has an easy of a time as possible.
The Coming Cold itself is worshiped as a religion, but represents an event, and not a god, and therefore cannot give out domains and spells directly. However, many gods of Ice and Snow are happy to give out spells and domains to those who would worship the Cold, even if they are simply worshiping the coming of the end.
The Coming Cold tells that those who are "good"-- those that follow the ways of the Church of the Coldest Night, which include benevolence, understanding, strength in the face of adversity and courage, are the ones who will be allowed into the Glacier of the Night, and that those that die acting in such a way immediately are sent to the Glacier.
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs40/f/2009/035/c/9/Frost_Knight_by_BrocX.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/350/0/4/winter_knight_by_amex91-d350214.jpg
“The ice blinds and slices. It cuts deep, and shatters bone with a single ragged breath. The ice cuts deep, it breaks into the dreams and nightmares of those who feel it, and feeds on them. The ice blinds and slices, and it drinks in the heat of pain, the aching flame of death. It skins and flays, steals and scrambles, it destroys.
The ice sings. The ice creates. The ice cries tears of blue blood, and bleeds out of gaping wounds. The ice crafts, the ice sculpts the frozen sun in the sky. The ice drips and dangles, it clears and clouds. The ice makes, the ice breaks. The ice screams with the sun.
The ice tears. The ice shatters. The ice breaks upon the hardened rock. The ice reforms. Refreezes. Remakes itself, whole.
The ice blinds the warriors of the cold. The ice slices those who fight it. The ice cuts deep, and shatters their bones with a single ragged breath. The ice cuts deep, and breaks into the dreams and nightmares of its enemies, and feeds on them. The ice blinds and slicers, and drinks in the heat of pain, the aching flame of death. It skins and flays, steals and scrambles, it destroys all that oppose.
The ice sings to me. The ice created me. The ice cries tears of blue blood upon my skin, and bleeds out of my gaping wounds. The ice crafts, the ice sculpts the from sun in the sky, and I slice it open. The ice drips and dangles, clears and clouds my vision. The ice makes me. The ice breaks me. the ice screams into the sun, and I scream with it.
The ice tears. The ice shatters. The ice breaks upon the hardened rock. The ice reforms. Refreezes. Remakes itself, whole. I tear. I shatter. I break upon the hardened rock. I reform. Refreeze. Make myself whole, in its image.
I am the snow.
I am the cold.
I am the ice.
We are the Knights of Snow.
Sing to the night, and chant the hymns of the frozen sun. Sing to the night.
Sing to the night.”
The Knights of Snow are a dedicated group of Paladins who worship winter. They seek to bring the frozen rime to all of the world, and with the cold harshness of a winter storm they march. They oppose warmth, light, and fire, and all that represent it or that fight to protect the life on the planet. They are ruthless and cold, like that snow that they seek to embody, but still work for the greater good. They honestly believe that by bringing cold to the planet they will be making it a better place. Ice leaves no room for evil, no place for destruction. No room for death.
The ice that they worship is a purifying ice, one that cleanses all, and brings those who have sinned back into the frozen light. The ice cleans and brightens, and reflects goodness throughout it, all the while killing with a cold justice, and a harsh judgement.
BECOMING A KNIGHT OF SNOW
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Base Attack Bonus: +7
Alignment: Any Lawful
Skills: Sense Motive 10 ranks, Survival 5 ranks
Feats: Self Sufficient
Special: Smite Evil, Lay on Hands
Special: Must join the Knights of Snow
DM Sidebar: Joining the Knights of Snow
The Knights of Snow are a fairly open group, willing to accept most members. They have but one rule; the prospective Knight of Snow must spend a night buried entirely in snow. They must wear the traditional full armor of the Knights of Snow, and pray the whole night, fasting and reflecting. After this, they are indoctrinated into the Knights, and start training with the Knights. They spend one month at least as a probational period, training constantly.
Class Skills
The Knight of Snow's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Survival (Wis).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int
Hit Dice: d10
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Smite of Snow 1/encounter
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Oath of Snow
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Nightsong
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Aura of Ice
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Smite of Snow 2/encounter
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|Purification
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|Icesong
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|Roar of Winter
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Smite of Snow 3/encounter
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|Knight of Ice and Snow[/table]
Weapon Proficiencies: The Knight of Snow gains proficiency with Iceplate as well as the Pickblade.
Iceplate:
This is a large fullplate, designed to be used in heavy or harsh weather. It has the Armor Bonus, maximum dexterity and Check penalty of Full Plate. It contains padding and furs, as well as several life saving supplies that can feed the wearer for two days in harsh conditions. The wearer of the plate gains a +3 bonus to survive in Harsh weather, and the Iceplate has another usage. When the Iceplate reaches below freezing temperatures itself, which usually requires the actual temperatures to be 30 to 40 degrees colder (farenheit or celsius, really), the wearer gains a +3 bonus to their armor class, and any natural weapons that hit the Iceplate take 2 points of cold damage.
Iceplate requires that the wearer either gains proficiency through a special feat, or that they gain it through a class feature that specifically grants Iceplate. If they do not have those requirements, they do not gain any of the benefits of Iceplate, besides the emergency supplies, and take a -4 penalty to all attacks, armor class, and checks that use Strength or Dexterity as a main statistic.
Iceplate Specialization
Prerequisites: Heavy Armor Specialization, Base Attack Bonus +4
Benefits: You gain proficiency with Iceplate.
Pickblade:
The pickblade is a large sword that has a deadly sharp spike on the pommel, capable of penetrating full plate and thick ice. The blade itself appears as a longsword, with one serrated edge. When the Pickblade reaches below freezing temperatures itself, which usually requires the actual temperatures to be 30 to 40 degrees colder (farenheit or celsius, really), it gains several enhancements. It’s damage increases from 1d10 to 2d6 damage, and it gains a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. The pick end of the weapon deals the same amount of damage, but piercing, but deals quadruple damage against ice, packed snow, or solid inanimate objects, such as stone or metal.
The pickblade is an exotic weapon, and those who do not have proficiency with it take a -4 penalty to all attack roles made with it.
{table=head]
Name|
Damage (S)|
Damage (M)|
Critical|
Range|
Weight|
Type
Pickblade|1d8|1d10|19-20/x2|--|10 lbs|Slashing/Piercing[/table]
Cost: 2000 gp.
Smite of Snow (Ex): Once per encounter, the Knight of Snow may make a single melee attack as a standard action. He adds his Charisma bonus as a Sacred modifier to that attack, and deals an extra 1d6 per Knight of Snow level he possesses as cold damage. Against evil creatures, he deals an additional amount of cold damage equal to his Charisma modifier. He gains an additional use of this ability at fifth level, and at ninth level.
Oath of Snow (Ex): Starting at second level, the Knight of Snow gains a pool of cold damage, equal to his hit dice times his charisma modifier, times two. He may deal an amount of cold damage with a touch attack as a standard action.
Nightsong (Ex): Starting at third level, the Knight of Snow gains low light vision out to 120 feet, or doubles the range of any existing low light vision they possess. He also gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls while in total darkness, and at night. At sixth level, he gains Darkvision out to thirty feet, and the Darkvision increases to sixty feet at ninth level.
Purification (Su): Starting at sixth level, the Knight of Snow may purify with a touch. This effect is identical to the Cure Disease or Cure Poison spells, but the target takes 2d6 cold damage in addition, as their bodies are purged of the impurity. This effect costs 10 points of cold damage from the Knight of Snow’s Oath of Snow cold damage pool.
Aura of Ice (Su): Starting at fourth level, the Knight of Snow may exude an aura around himself as a swift action, reducing the temperature of the atmosphere within 30 feet by 16 degrees, and reducing the temperature of any items that touch him by 32 degrees, over a period of a minute. Magical items may make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Knight of Snow levels + Charisma modifier) to avoid this drop in temperature. Turning this aura on and off is a swift action.
Icesong (Ex): Starting at seventh level, during conditions of heavy snow, snowstorms, blizzards, or hail and hailstorms, the Knight of Snow gains a +4 bonus to all survival checks, and gains a +2 bonus to all damage rolls. He also gains Cold and Fire resistance equal to his hit dice. At tenth level he becomes immune to Cold damage.
Roar of Winter (Su): Starting at eighth level, the Knight of Snow may summon a snowstorm once per day. All enemies within 100 feet of the Knight of Snow take 1d6 cold damage per round that the snowstorm persists. If the Knight of Snow concentrates as a move action each round, the snowstorm becomes a blizzard, and deals 2d6 damage per round, and transforms the area that it affects into difficult terrain. This effect lasts until the end of the encounter, and the blizzard lasts as long as the Knight of Snow concentrates, and then immediately fades.
Knight of Ice and Snow: Starting at tenth level, the Knight of Snow becomes an elemental with the Good and Lawful subtypes, as well as the Cold subtype. Unlike most creatures with the cold subtype, the Knight of Snow does not take extra damage from Fire damage. Unlike other elementals, the Knight of Snow may be resurrected.
Knights of Snow and Paladins may progress between both classes without restriction, and Paladins do not lose abilities for being of a non-Lawful Good alignment, but still must be of a Lawful alignment.
PLAYING A KNIGHT OF SNOW
Playing a Knight of Snow is very similar to playing a Paladin, but far more strict on the need for purity, and a usually more ruthless personality and strategy.
Combat: The Knights of Snow tend to slaughter mindlessly, with ruthless cruelty. They usually end opponent’s lives with their swords, or with frost, but they enjoy a medley of ways to kill. Most combats with Knights of Snow usually have the Knight start out smite-happy, smiting evil targets first, usually, but really just smiting any who seem weak and pathetic. They have absolutely no pity for anything that lives, and will proclaim as such to any willing to listen. They do this not because they take pleasure in killing others, but because it is the most efficient method of fighting, and anything that is less efficient will get the Knight of Snow killed.
Advancement: Many Knights of Snow progress in Paladin after finishing up the class, and almost all Knights of Snow finish the class. They tend towards heavy armor melee combatants, so the Knight class, any of its subsidiary prestige classes, or any prestige classes designed for lawful melee characters tend to be good choices.
Resources: The Knights of Snow tend to be a very tight nit group, and if any Knight of Snow seeks help with purification, or with the spreading of the Cold, a fellow Knight would be happy help him or her. Money and monetary compensation is often not as possible, but a Knight certainly might be able to help on other ends.
KNIGHTS OF SNOW IN THE WORLD
The blizzard soared. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, even as he approached. His sword seemed to sweat with cold, shimmer the air. His face was obscured, but I could see the white, cold, hardened and uncaring eyes that lay beneath it. I never cried. I think that was why he spared me. Even as he slaughtered my whole family, my whole village, my whole world dying around me, no tears fell to my checks. They were frozen in my eyes.
Ythros Parathos, death seeking one.
The Knights of Snow have a hard time in life. They tend to be fairly zealous in their need to purify the world of corruption, and are often not appreciated much by the “corruption”. Most simply think they are crazy, and there are no governments that really actively help the Knights of Snow.
Daily Life: Some part of the Knight’s day is spent in prayer or contemplation, usually on topics like “how will the world becoming cold help everyone” “how wonderful the cold is” and other such scintillating issues. Many adventuring Knights of Snow have to spend a lot of effort not to kill the few who act sort of corrupt, but they know that in the end the cold will win out over the impure, even if they must struggle with it in the current moment.
Notables: There are several notable members in the Order of the Knights of Snow, one of the most famous being the founding member, Ithkos Sinbreaker, bringer of the Azure Flow, the Purifier. He has been known to “purify” entire towns and armies at a time. Another prominent member is Kareniq Gothrim, the White Flame, who broke off from the Order, and now works to repent herself by hunting them down, and using their own abilities against them.
Organizations: The Order of the Knights of Snow is the only organization dedicated entirely to the Knights of Snow, and most places that might take them in tend to think of the Knights as being slightly mad.
NPC Reaction
Many generalize the class as a bunch of lunatics who worship the snow, and the ice. That is, essentially, what the Knights are, but it is very generalized. Many Knights are treated as such because they take to purifying those who oppose them, and that is sort of justified, but in the eye of the Knight, those that think they are crazy are going to be purified when the Cold comes, even if they are not purified now.
KNIGHTS OF SNOW IN THE GAME
The Knights are not on the level of the wizard, but are fairly powerful, probably as, or more powerful than many Paladins. Even without spells, they can dish out quite a bit of damage, but still are probably not much more than tier four at the highest.
Adaptation: The Knights of Snow can probably be adapted into any campaign setting, as a crazy sect of Paladins. In a tropical campaign, their insanity would be even more eventful and showy, and in a cold themed campaign, they would be especially powerful, given that the climate is already suited to many of their abilities. They could also be refluffed as a group of good paladins who help those in need, and who survive the harsh winters.
Encounters: Many, if not all, encounters with the Knights of Snow, will be aggressive, usually from the Knight’s side. The Knights of Snow are absolute in the fact that those who are impure and who directly oppose them must be purified. Those who attack them are obviously impure.
For the purposes of the Knights of Snow, the term Impure or Impure Ones means the following:
Impure: To have committed a crime, or crimes against society or against the teachings of the Church of the Coldest Night, that is extreme and impossible to compensate for with any action.
Examples: Attacking a Knight of Snow for no reason, and with no provocation. Killing innocents. Stealing without need, and where honest work would be acceptable. Running away from one's duties, if it would endanger another.
The Coming Cold
The Coming Cold is the belief, held mainly by the Knights of Snow, that the end of the world is coming soon, and that those who are "pure"-- that is, who worship the snow, those who act especially "good", or other special cases, will be taken by the Cold into the Glacier of Night, and they will live there forever. The Cold can only kill so many, though, so the Knights of Snow believe that they must purify the world first, so that the Cold has an easy of a time as possible.
The Coming Cold itself is worshiped as a religion, but represents an event, and not a god, and therefore cannot give out domains and spells directly. However, many gods of Ice and Snow are happy to give out spells and domains to those who would worship the Cold, even if they are simply worshiping the coming of the end.
The Coming Cold tells that those who are "good"-- those that follow the ways of the Church of the Coldest Night, which include benevolence, understanding, strength in the face of adversity and courage, are the ones who will be allowed into the Glacier of the Night, and that those that die acting in such a way immediately are sent to the Glacier.