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Lord_Gareth
2012-08-31, 11:24 PM
Judex of the Pale Thorn
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p119/Lord_Gareth/Inthehedge.jpg
A Judex of the Pale Thorn communes with her keris.
Art credit unknown.

"You were rather eager to judge me for the company I keep, crusader. Why are you surprised that I do the same?"

Jorica Brambledotter, a Judex of the Pale Thorn, shortly before rendering judgement on a cleric of Pelor

Sometimes known as Tomb Friends, the Judices of the Pale Thorn are the martial branch of the Children of the Mausoleum (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116191). Mostly autonomous, the Judices still support the ideals of the Children; they espouse that most forms of undeath are a natural state, and oppose those who campaign or discriminate against the undead simply on the basis of their existence. At the same time, however, the Judices are charged with protecting and serving nature, as well as preserving the balance between life and death. The many and sometimes conflicting demands of their station can sometimes be hard to sort out.

Thankfully, they've got a little help on that score.

Becoming a Judex of the Pale Thorn
Most prospective Judices begin their career with a single, defining act - they rescue an undead being from unjust punishment, are rescued by a Child of the Mausoleum, begin a crusade to preserve the natural places, whatever. The important bit is that the Children of the Mausoleum (the Judices' nominal masters) takes notice of the character and decides to offer the hand of friendship. Sometimes, friendship is all that happens, but many times the potential candidate wants to help further.

The Children look for a combination of attributes in their Judices. Martial skill (or experience as a ranger) is a definite must, but other qualities are also useful - self-reliance, self-discipline, the ability to interact with others without judging them and a knack for difficult ethical situations are all desirous traits in a Judex. Since often the Judex must operate alone or with an unaffiliated group for long periods of time, the Children expect them to be able to judge and maintain the balance of life and death on their own merits, and similarly be able to pick out beneficent (or redeemable) undead beings from the cancers which can only be put down. Many of the Judices, in fact, are such 'second-chance' undead beings who turn to the discipline and focus of their new path in order to moderate or eliminate their urge to prey upon the living - a fact which unfortunately does not favors for the Pale Thorn's reputation.

Entry Requirements
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Skills: Profession (Gardening and/or Horticulture) 4 ranks, Knowledge (Nature and/or Religion) 4 ranks
Feats: Weapon Focus (Any)
Special: Must be able to initiate third level maneuvers and/or cast first-level ranger spells.
Special: Must be sworn in by the Children of the Mausoleum in a special ceremony (see sidebar, below).

Sidebar: Calling the Mandrake
Once a candidate approaches or is approached by the Children of the Mausoleum (or a Judex of the Pale Thorn refers them to the Children) to become a Judex, they are tested. These tests are cursory affairs, intended to make certain that they have the basic skills requested of the martial branch of the Tomb Orphans. Once these tests (and, in some cases, periods of training) are completed, the prospective Judex is brought to location that radiates both natural and deathly energies (overgrown graveyards are common). The Children gathered solemnly ask that their newest warrior receive the blessings of their allies the mandrakes, and the spirit appears before the Judex-to-be before forming itself into their Keris.

On very rare occasions, the mandrake refuses to bond with the prospective Judex. Taking it as a sign of treachery, the Children normally slaughter the refused applicant on the spot. Thankfully, this has only happened twice in the last century and a half.

Class Skills
The Judex of the Pale Thorn's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex)
Skills Points at Each Level: 6 + Intelligence modifier

Hit Dice: D8

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers or Spells Gained

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Bonded Keris, Mandrake's Gift, Mausoleum Training|-

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Keris Blessing|+1 level of existing class

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+3|Mandrake's Gift|+1 level of existing class

4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Keris Blessing, Resist Death's Hunger|+1 level of existing class

5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Mandrake's Gift|+1 level of existing class

6th|
+4|
+5|
+2|
+5|Keris Blessing|+1 level of existing class

7th|
+5|
+5|
+2|
+5|Pale Judgement, Mandrake's Gift|+1 level of existing class

8th|
+6|
+6|
+2|
+6|Keris Blessing|+1 level of existing class

9th|
+6|
+6|
+3|
+6|Mandrake's Gift|+1 level of existing class

10th|
+7|
+7|
+3|
+7|Sacred Keris, Closing the Circle|-[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: The Judex of the Pale Thorn gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Maneuvers or Spells Gained: At every level except first and tenth, the Judex of the Pale Thorn gains spells or maneuvers learned and per day/readied as though she had also gained a level in an initiating class she already belonged to or a level in ranger (provided that she was already able to cast first level or higher ranger spells). She does not, however, gain any of the other benefits of a level in that class except for an increase in effective initiator/caster level. If the Judex of the Pale Thorn has more than one initiating class (or levels in both an initiating class and ranger) she must choose which class this benefit applies to, though she is free to choose a different class each level if she so desires.

Mausoleum Training: If the Judex of the Pale Thorn casts ranger spells, she may also cast druid spells of the appropriate level due to training and blessings she receives from the Children of the Mausoleum. If a spell appears on both the ranger and druid lists at different levels, use the lower level version. This does not increase (or decrease) the Judex's spells per day or caster level; it merely provides her with additional options when she memorizes her spells.

Bonded Keris (Ex): Upon gaining their first level in this class, the mandrake that will be the Judex's constant companion forms itself into a ritual weapon for her service - a keris. The Judex gains a magical weapon (she may choose what kind of weapon it is, provided that she has the Weapon Focus feat applied to that weapon) that functions as an intelligent +1 weapon of the appropriate type. The Judex's player determines the keris's Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma (assigning a 16 to one, a 14 to a second and 12 to the third at her discretion); the keris speaks common and a number of other languages equal to its intelligence modifier, has an alignment identical to the Judex's, and may communicate telepathically to the Judex at any time and over any distance. The keris may not be enchanted or modified further except by the Keris Blessing and Sacred Keris class features (if the Judex forms a double weapon, such as a two-bladed sword, as her keris only one end is enhanced by her class features; the other is treated as a masterwork weapon and may be enchanted normally).

The Judex's keris cannot be sundered, stolen, or taken from her in any way (even if she chooses to give it away). She may set it down or aside, but can always summon it to her as a standard action no matter the distance between herself and her keris. The keris can see and perceive as though it had all five human senses. Though the keris appears to be made out of dead or dying plant matter, it has the same hit points and hardness as steel (unless this property is modified with the Keris Blessing class feature, below). The keris never has a conflict with its Judex, though it might struggle with another user as any intelligent weapon might.

The keris serves the Judex as an adviser on matters of faith and the ideals of her order; any keris can function as a phylactery of faithfulness at its Judex owner's discretion; however, instead of advising whether or not an action will affect its user's standing with a deity, it advises if that action would violate or support the tenets of the Children of the Mausoleum.

Mandrake's Gift: At first level (and again every two levels thereafter; so third level, fifth level, and so on) the Judex of the Pale Thorn gains one of the following abilities as the bond between her and the mandrake that forms her keris deepens. Unless otherwise noted, abilities gained from this class feature are extraordinary abilities. Some of the following abilities have prerequisites; the Judex must meet those prerequisites before being able to choose those abilities. Once chosen, an ability gained with this class feature may not be changed. Unless otherwise noted, each ability may only be chosen once.

Abilities
Cloak of Thorns - Vines slither out of the Judex's keris and take root in her veins, sprouting thorny armor at her command. The Judex gains natural armor equal to her class level, as well as a +2 circumstance bonus to Intimidate checks due to the dripping thorns that slide from her seemingly-ruined skin. She may retract these thorns (thus deactivating this ability) or sprout them as a free action, and though they appear to shred and scar her skin they never cause any actual damage, and no scarring occurs unless the Judex wishes it to.

Wisdom of the Keris - The Judex may impart some of her knowledge to her keris; it gains ranks equal to hers in all of her Knowledge skills, as well as Martial Lore and Spellcraft. Though this does not grant the Judex herself any special advantage when dealing with these skills, it does permit the keris to make Aid Another checks in relation to those skills, as well as to attempt a check that the Judex may have failed. If for any reason the Judex's ranks in the aforementioned skills increase or decrease, the keris's do as well.

Deathly Pallor - The Judex gains a touch of undeath; she is healed by both positive and negative energy and is immune to death effects and death by massive damage.

Hide in Plain Sight - The Judex may make hide checks even while being observed and when there's nothing to actually hide behind (that is to say, she may hide even without concealment) as long as she is in a natural or death-suffused environment such as a forest, a desert, a crypt or graveyard, and the aftermath of a battlefield.

One with Nature - Prerequisite: Blessing of the Bone-Vine or Cloak of Thorns, Improved Toughness, Seventh level Judex or higher. The Judex gains the plant type in place of their previous type(s), with all of the benefits and drawbacks that entails. They retain their own mental ability scores, though they do gain immunity to mind-affecting spells.

Spectral Step - The Judex can no longer be tracked unless she wishes to be; she does not leave a trail of any kind, not even by scent. Additionally, once per day, she and all equipment she wears and/or carries may become incorporeal as a swift action; the Judex and her equipment remain incorporeal for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom modifier.

Mist-Gaze - The Judex may see normally in all forms of darkness, including magical darkness. Additionally, she ignores all other forms of concealment that are less than total concealment.

Blessing of the Bone-Vine - The Judex gains damage reduction equal to her class level; this damage reduction is ignored byholy and/or plant bane weapons. Her flesh takes on a white pallor underscored by thin vines that run in and out of her skin, sprouting small thorns. She may resume her normal appearance (thus deactivating this ability) or activate this ability at will as a free action during her turn. Prerequisites - Class level 5th

Phantom Flight - The Judex can fly like a ghost or specter - she gains a sixty foot fly speed with good maneuverability. Prerequisites - Class level seventh.

Might of the Keris - The Judex can apply her keris's enhancement bonus to her Strength, Dexterity or Constitution (one, chosen upon acquiring this ability) as long as she wears or wields her keris. Additionally, she gains a +2 enhancement bonus to her Fortitude saves. This ability may be selected multiple times, each time applying to a different ability score. The bonus to the Judex's Fortitude saves does not stack.

Keris Blessing (Su): At second level (and again at fourth, sixth, and eight levels) the Judex's keris evolves as the bond between the two deepens. The keris gains an additional +1 enhancement bonus and one of the following abilities. Once chosen, an ability gained through this class feature may not be changed. Unless otherwise noted, each ability may only be chosen once.

Keris Abilities
Bastion - The wielder adds her keris's enhancement bonus as a sacred bonus to her armor class.

Ferocity - The keris's critical threat range doubles (this does not stack with feats such as Improved Critical or other abilities that improve the weapon's critical threat range). Additionally, critical threats made with the keris are automatically confirmed; that is, any critical threat made with the keris is automatically a critical hit.

Nature's Fury - Choose acid, cold, electricity or fire. The keris (or its ammunition, if it is a projectile weapon) deals an additional 2d6 points of the chosen energy type on each successful hit. On a successful critical hit, one of the following effects strikes the victim of the critical hit, based on energy type:

Acid - The victim suffers a -2 cumulative penalty to Strength for a number of rounds equal to the keris's enhancement bonus. Additionally, their movement speeds (in all their forms) are cut in half for an equivalent period of time.

Cold - The victim loses the ability to use swift and immediate actions for a number of rounds equal to the keris's enhancement bonus.

Fire - The victim is moved [15 x the keris's enhancement bonus] feet in a direction of the wielder's choosing as the keris explodes into them. This movement does provoke attacks of opportunity.

Electricity - Another target within [15 x the keris's enhancement bonus] feet takes damage as though they were also struck by the critical hit that triggered this ability (DC 20 + [2 x the keris's enhancement modifier] half).

Nature's Fury may be selected up to four times.

Reserve - The keris can hold spells for its wielder; whenever an ally of the keris's wielder would cast a spell on that wielder, the spell may instead be stored within the keris. The keris's wielder may activate any spell within the keris as a swift action, targeting themselves (only spells with a single target may be stored in this fashion). The keris may store a number of spells in this fashion equal to its enhancement bonus.

Vigilance - The keris provides its wielder with a +2 sacred bonus to initiative. Additionally, its wielder may not be surprised; they may always act during a surprise round (just as if they'd succeeded in detecting the ambush or surprising event), even if they didn't detect the ambush or surprising event coming, and are never caught flat-footed.

Whirling Lunge - The keris gains an additional five feet of reach. Additionally, its wielder may threaten adjacent enemies with the keris, even if its weapon type would normally be incapable of doing so.

Bloodlust - The keris thirsts for the blood of its master's enemies; it deals an additional 2d6 points of damage if it strikes a being that it struck on the previous round. This increases to 4d6 if the keris struck that being as part of a martial maneuver.

Splinter - Once per encounter, the wielder of the keris may command it to create a copy of itself as a move action (either the wielder or the keris may take this move action). This copy appears in a space adjacent to the keris's wielder and fights on its own just as if it were a dancing weapon, with some exceptions - the copy of the keris is not intelligent, obeys the telepathic commands of the keris's wielder (free action to give the weapon orders), does not have this ability and ceases to exist after a number of rounds equal to the keris's enhancement modifier.

Thorny Embrace - The wielder of the keris may choose to make a single attack with it as a full-round action. If they hit, they deal weapon damage as normal and their victim must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 20 + [2 x the keris's enhancement modifier]) or be grappled by thorny vines. Upon failing their save, the vines pin their victim automatically. Thereafter, the wielder of the keris may grapple her victim with the vines as a free action during her turn without needing to enter their space; the wielder of the keris is not grappled during this time and may continue to act freely. The vines continue to grapple their victim until they manage to escape the grapple, at which point they vanish into ash and dust. The wielder of the keris may only have as many creatures grappled in this fashion equal to the keris's enhancement modifier, though they are of course free to grapple creatures in other fashions.

Enhanced Form - The keris is treated as though constructed out of a special material, such as adamantine or mithril (the Dungeon Master should approve the player's selection of material). Additionally, it counts as a weapon of the wielder's alignment for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction (so a lawful good wielder's keris would count as both lawful and good).

Resist Death's Hunger (Ex): At fourth level, the Judex of the Pale Thorn gains a +4 sacred bonus to saving throws against diseases and poisons, as well as the supernatural and spell-like abilities of undead creatures.

Pale Judgement (Su): Part of the Judices' duties is a sort of missionary work; they seek out intelligent undead beings (especially those with feeding problems) and seek to both moderate their hunger and recruit them into the cause espoused by the Children of the Mausoleum and the Pale Thorn. Starting at seventh level, once per day, the Judex may bestow the blessing of the Pale Judgement on an undead being (this ability only works on willing undead beings). If the undead being has a feeding requirement or an uncontrollable craving, it loses that requirement or craving (though it can still gain nourishment from it). Additionally, the undead being may selectively choose which beings are affected by its supernatural or extraordinary abilities (useful for ghasts and mummies not causing incidents in public, among other things).

This judgement is a potentially two-edged sword, however. If the undead being kills or feeds from a sapient (intelligence 3 or higher) being, it both instantly loses all benefits of the judgement and suffers a permanent -4 penalty to intelligence, wisdom, and charisma. However, the undead being is free to feed from animals or mindless beings, and may kill (or feed from!) sapient beings if it is doing so during an act of self-defense, the defense of another sapient being, or on direct orders from a Child of the Mausoleum or Judex of the Pale Thorn.

The Judgement of the Pale Thorn lasts until or unless the undead being benefiting from it loses it in the fashion described above.

Sacred Keris (Su): The final evolution of the keris sees the mandrake within swelling with pride and achievement at all it and its partner have done to further the cause of the Pale Thorn; it gains an additional +1 enhancement bonus. Its base damage also increases by one die step, and it functions as a bane weapon against constructs, fey, undead and outsiders.

Closing the Circle (Su): A Judex of tenth level has a truly great gift available to her; through the bond between herself, her keris, nature, and death she may live again. When the Judex dies, if her keris is still within five feet of her corpse, it grows into her and rapidly form a woven cocoon of pale, thorny vines. A week later, assuming the corpse and cocoon are both still intact, it revives the Judex in one of two fashions; she either returns as an undead being, or returns as a living being but loses one level of this class (the Judex's player chooses which option at the time of resurrection). The Judex is returned to full hit points regardless, and regains all expended maneuvers and/or spell slots.

An undead Judex may not benefit from Closing the Circle, though they can of course benefit from other avenues of living once more.

Playing a Judex of the Pale Thorn
Like rangers, Judices of the Pale Thorn are warriors that are often seen as loners or specialists. They can be hard to generalize about, given that each has his own style, but many choose to cultivate talents such as stealth and subtlety, and most have a quiet and understated efficiency about them. Many Judices are second-chance converts who are fanatically devoted to the cause of the Children of the Mausoleum and the Pale Thorn, and fight for those causes with the zeal of a true believer.
Combat: One's keris is, obviously, paramount; it is one's partner and key helper, and nowhere is this more true than in battle. Most Judices were once initiators who wade into melee with their kerises scything into their unsuspecting foes, but those who were once rangers can often prove surprising foes, using a combination of personal spells and keris enhancements to take down their enemies. Regardless, many abilities provided by the Judices help to create or exploit weaknesses in their enemies - it pays to keep appraised of those weaknesses and act appropriately.
Advancement: The majority of Judices continue to advance as initiators, with some choosing to enter further prestige classes such as the Eternal Blades or the Masters of Nine. A small minority advance as rangers or druids instead.
Resources: The Judices of the Pale Thorn have a surprising number of odd resources upon which to call. The Pale Thorn itself has a very positive reputation amongst those intelligent undead that have heard of it, and can expect a warm reception from most forms of intelligent undead. Additionally, the Children of the Mausoleum often try to make their spellcasting (and sometimes item crafting) services available to the Pale Thorn, and its Judices can reap discounted prices and safe havens from the Tomb Orphans. Though excluded from and hated by most traditional nature sects, some Judices do manage to garner positive reputations among fey creatures and churches of various gods of death, and most take care to ensure that this positive relationship continues.

Judices of the Pale Thorn in the World
"On the one hand, the thorns dripping blood and the ghoul retainers were kinda creepy. On the other hand, they cleared out a demonic cult. I think I like 'em."

Lidda, speaking of a Judex of the Pale Thorn in a tavern.

Judices of the Pale Thorn are often haunted by the uncertain and checkered reputation of their parent organization, the Children of the Mausoleum; their mutual associations with undeath cause mistrust and sometimes outright hatred, and it's rare that any given Judex openly announces their vocation. With that in mind, many Judices actually do manage to garner a positive reputation - their mission of balancing life and death and shielding intelligent undead from unjust harm also often causes them to end or lessen the depredations of various evil-aligned beings. For the Pale Thorn, this is a win-win situation; often by persuading an undead being to stop preying upon the living, they gain an ally in addition to preventing further incidents. As a result, there is a growing number of good or neutral-aligned undead beings that owe the Pale Thorn favors and work to improve its image as a sort of thanks for improving - or even saving - their unlives.
Daily Life: Most Judices travel. They exist in somewhat substantial numbers, but their work means that they constantly seek out desperate souls in need, places where life and death intrude too heavily on one another, and work to ferret out organizations that prey upon the living or the dead. Many Judices come across as harried or over-worked, and it's true that they often don't take the rest and relaxation time they need, but most say that the benefits of their work give them a satisfaction that far outweighs their lack of rest.

Of curious note is the bond that waxes strong between the Judex and her keris; as the Judex increases in power (and so too the keris), the two of them begin increasingly to communicate telepathically. It is not uncommon to find Judices who say 'we' instead of 'I' (with their keris behaving in a similar fashion) and who sometimes forget that their weapon is a separate entity. As the keris serves as the Judex's conscience and guide to the ideals of the Pale Thorn and the Mausoleum, it sometimes has an easier time remembering that the two of them are indeed not one and the same, but it too develops problems by acquiring aspects of the Judex's personality and habits.
Notables: Jorica Brambledotter is one of the Pale Thorn's great success stories. Once in her life, she was a ghoul haunting graveyards to prey upon those that came to honor their dead. When she was nearly killed by a party of adventurers that came to end her evil, she was taken in by the Pale Thorn and learned the hard path of moderating her hunger. Now gifted with discipline and restraint, she tries hard to make up for the sins of her past by offering others the same redemption she was showed, though sometimes her temper grows short when confronted by cannibals and dark sacrifices - such acts remind her of her own dark past.
Organizations: The Pale Thorn claims the allegiance of almost all the Judices. A nominally independent order connected to the Children of the Mausoleum, the Pale Thorn is pledged to aid and defend the Children in their goal and to support it by their own means whenever possible. Since the Judices travel so widely, there isn't much in the way of central organization, though they do try to gather twice a year to set matters of policy and to determine if any major emergencies or crises demand their attention.

NPC Reaction
Any given NPC's reaction to the Judices of the Pale Thorn depend on how strange any given Judex appears and what kind of company she keeps. Sadly, many reactions are hostile - a great number of Judices are undead and the ones that aren't often keep undead company - but a relatively normal-looking Judex can expect relative anonymity wherever she goes. Most Judices wisely choose to hide marks of their allegiance while near more traditional druids and their allies, lest their wrath fall upon the Judex in question.

Judices of the Pale Thorn in the Game
Much like a Kensai or an Artificer, the Judex is a solid martial combatant that brings her own magic item with her - in this case, her weapon. Though not having to spend money on a weapon does undeniably give the Judex a bit of an edge, ultimately she is only as flexible as her spells and maneuvers - plus a few bonuses like mobility and immunities - let her be, and should therefore be easy to plan for.
Adaptation: Though details on the Pale Thorn and the Mausoleum have been left intentionally vague in an effort to make them usable in any setting, the Judices might easily be re-imagined as a death cult, the servants of an undead god (perhaps a former god of nature) or even the enforcers of the mysterious Blighters.
Encounters: PCs might encounter the hostile attentions of a Judex when they mistakenly kill one of her charges, or they might find one in a bind, desperate for help to escape the law or druidic vigilantes that dog her trail. Regardless, Judices make for strange enemies and stranger allies, and their alien outlook can often put others on guard.

TuggyNE
2012-09-01, 05:10 AM
An interesting class. Couple of comments:


Bonded Keris (Ex):

Can one choose a double weapon as keris? If so, are both ends enchanted equally?


it advises if that action would violate or support the tenants of the Children of the Mausoleum.

Should be "tenets".


Phantom Flight - The Judex can fly like a ghost or specter - she gains a sixty food fly speed with good maneuverability.

Should be "sixty foot".

Lord_Gareth
2012-09-01, 09:23 AM
An interesting class. Couple of comments:



Can one choose a double weapon as keris? If so, are both ends enchanted equally?



Should be "tenets".



Should be "sixty foot".

Details fix'd; a small clause for double weapons has been included (only one side gets enchanted, you can pay for the other side if you like).

Lord_Gareth
2012-09-12, 08:11 PM
Bumping in the hopes to get additional critique.

Yitzi
2012-09-12, 09:12 PM
What's the grapple check for Thorny Embrace, and how much damage can it do on a successful grapple?

Also, HiPS (especially one as expansive in its conditions as this) plus relatively good BAB plus a good spell selection plus the ability to slow enemies can make for some very nasty builds.