Fedaykin (Holy Warrior)

Posted by EarthDragon on 23rd December 2016.

The fedaykin are holy warriors dedicated to the endless jihad against The Fallen. They serve many gods and causes, and have diverse backgrounds, but at their core, they are devoted to the utter destruction of The Fallen. Some of their skills and powers are common to all fedaykin, some are dependent on the god or cause they serve, but all their powers serve to better their ability to combat their mortal foes.

  Adventures

Fedaykin take their adventures seriously and have a penchant for referring to them as quests. Even a mundane mission is, in the heart of the fedaykin, a personal test—an opportunity to demonstrate bravery, to develop martial skills, to learn tactics, and to find ways to do harm to The Fallen. Still, the fedaykin really comes into their own when leading a mighty campaign against enclaves of The Fallen, rooting out the evil where it lies strongest, not when merely looting ruins. Even evil fedaykin are dedicated to this holy purpose.

  Alignment

Fedaykin tend to be lawful, and many are good, but even evil and neutral fedaykin are not uncommon among their ranks. Few have the dedication to pursue their holy destiny so closely as the fedaykin, but those who do can come from almost any alignment and serve almost any god or cause. An undying hatred of The Fallen is the unifying trait of all fedaykin, and even those of opposed alignments will work together to bring down the unholy plague that rots the heart of the world.

  Background

No one ever chooses to be a fedaykin. Becoming a fedaykin is answering a call, accepting one’s destiny. No one, no matter how diligent, can become a fedaykin through practice. The nature is either within one or not, and it is not possible to gain the fedaykin’s nature by any act of will. It is possible, however, to fail to recognize one’s own potential, or to deny one’s destiny. Occasionally, one who is called to be a fedaykin denies that call and pursues some other life instead. Most fedaykin answer the call and begin training as adolescents. Typically, they train for years, and finally set off on their own to take the fight personally to The Fallen. Other fedaykin, however, find their calling only later in life, after having pursued some other career. All fedaykin, regardless of background, recognize in each other an eternal hatred for The Fallen that transcends culture, race, and even religion. Any two fedaykin, even from opposite sides of the world, and of opposite alignments can easily consider themselves comrades in the endless jihad.

  Races

Any race may be called to be fedaykin, save those tainted with the blood of The Fallen. Such characters end up loathing the taint within themselves and almost always find a messy end to their obsession with destroying all things Fallen, including themselves.

  Other Classes

Fedaykin are strongly focused on the jihad, and tolerate little that takes them from their path. However, some are capable of taking the long view and seeing how other quests and adventures with meaning might lead ultimately to a greater position of strength from which to devastate their foes. However, many are short-sighted and see little more than the taint The Fallen have brought to the world and seek to end that taint, one Fallen at a time. They generally get along well with other classes, provided pressing the jihad remains the primary goal of the group. They tend to be pushy and are as likely to try to lead as often as not when given the chance, particularly in any quest that directly harms The Fallen, but they are disciplined in most cases and can take orders if required. Some recognise that they do not have the spark of leadership, only a burning hatred that cannot be quenched, and will willingly follow a leader they respect in pressing the fight, even if that leader seems to sometimes take the long way around.

  Role

The fedaykin’s chief role in most groups is as a melee combatant, but they contribute other useful support as well. A fedaykin makes a good secondary healer, and their high Charisma opens up fine leadership opportunities. Their burning hatred and unerring focus on The Fallen and the endless jihad, however, sometimes make it hard for others to follow them.

  Game Rule Information

  Abilities

Charisma enhances a fedaykin’s healing, self-protective capabilities, and undead turning ability. Strength is important for a fedaykin because of its role in combat. A Wisdom score of 14 or higher is required to get access to the most powerful fedaykin spells, and a score of 11 or higher is required to cast any fedaykin spells at all. As fedaykin prefer quickness of action in combat over heavy armour, Dexterity is also very useful.

  Alignment

Any, though lawful alignments tend to prevail

  Vitality Points

d10.

  Class Skills

The fedaykin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (The Fallen) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Tumble (Dex).

  Skill Points at 1st Level

(2 + Int modifier) x 4.

  Skill Points at Each Additional Level

2 + Int modifier.

  Class Features

All of the following are class features of the fedaykin.

  Weapon and Armour Proficiency

Fedaykin are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armour (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields). They are also proficient with kama, sai, bastard swords, two-bladed swords, bolas and shuriken. Most fedaykin prefer light or medium armour over heavy armour, but they are trained in the use of the heavier materials.

  Detect Fallen (Sp)

At will, a fedaykin can cast a Detect Fallen spell which acts as Detect Evil, save that it detects any Fallen within spell range.

  Smite Fallen (Su)

Once per day, a fedaykin may attempt to smite Fallen with one normal melee attack. They add their Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per fedaykin level. For example, a 13th-level fedaykin armed with a longsword would deal 1d8+13 points of damage, plus any additional bonuses for high Strength, Charisma or magical affects that would normally apply. If the fedaykin accidentally smites a creature that is not Fallen, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day. At 5th level, and at every five levels thereafter, the fedaykin may smite evil one additional time per day, as indicated on the advancement table above, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level.

  Holy Grace (Su)

At 2nd level, a fedaykin gains a bonus equal to their Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.

  Lay on Hands (Su)

Beginning at 2nd level, a fedaykin with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (their own or those of others) by touch. Each day they can heal a total number of vitality of damage equal to fedaykin level × their Charisma bonus. For example, a 7th-level fedaykin with a 16 Charisma (+3 bonus) can heal 21 points of damage per day. A fedaykin may choose to divide their healing among multiple recipients, and they don’t have to use it all at once. Using lay on hands is a standard action. Alternatively, a fedaykin can use any or all of this healing power to deal damage to Fallen. Using lay on hands in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The fedaykin decides how many of their daily allotment of points to use as damage after successfully touching a Fallen.

  Aura of Courage (Su)

Beginning at 3rd level, a fedaykin is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of them gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while the fedaykin is conscious, but not if unconscious or dead.

  Holy Health (Ex)

At 3rd level, a fedaykin gains immunity to all diseases including supernatural and magical diseases (such as mummy rot and lycanthropy).

  Turn Fallen (Su)

When a fedaykin reaches 4th level, they gain the supernatural ability to turn Fallen (many of whom are undead). They may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + their Charisma modifier. They turn Fallen as a vraedun of three levels lower would turn undead. Note that this ability works on all forms of Fallen, not just undead as for a vraedun.

  Spells

Beginning at 4th level, a fedaykin gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells (including access to domain spells from one domain associated with their god or cause; they do not gain domain granted powers, however), which are drawn from the fedaykin spell list. A fedaykin, like all other casters, is a spontaneous caster. To cast a spell, a fedaykin must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Wis 11 for 1st-level spells, Wis 12 for 2nd-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a fedaykin’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the fedaykin’s Wisdom modifier. Like other spellcasters, a fedaykin can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day, based on the number of spell points they possess. In addition, the fedaykin receives bonus spells per day if they have a high Wisdom score. When the advancement table above indicates that the fedaykin gets 0 spells per day, they gain only the bonus spells they would be entitled to based on Wisdom score. Through 3rd level, a fedaykin has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, their caster level is one-half her fedaykin level. Spell points are regained through meditation for one hour at an allotted time of the day (generally dawn or noon, sometimes sundown).

  Wyrding (Ex)

A fedaykin has the ability to use the wyrding way once per encounter at 6th level. The number of times the wyrding way can be used increases once per encounter for every three levels after 6th. The wyrding way allows a fedaykin to move exceptionally fast a limited number of times per encounter, in order to re-roll or try to avoid certain effects. The way allows a fedaykin to re-roll a failed Reflex save or to attempt a Reflex save to avoid a hit due to a weapon or natural attack (this means melee or missile attacks, not spells or other supernatural effects). The DC to avoid such an attack is the attack roll that was scored against the fedaykin (that is, if their opponent rolled a 22 attack roll, the DC to avoid that attack is 22). The DC for a re-rolled Reflex save is as per the original save. Uses of this power are limited per encounter, not per day as other powers commonly are. An encounter is typically defined (for this purpose) as a single combat, though combats which are broken partway through and then resumed may, under some circumstances, count as either one encounter or two, depending on the DM’s ruling (a quick break to chat does not end the encounter, but temporarily sending away the foe and gaining a round or two of respite might end it and cause it to start again as a new encounter on the foe’s return). Note that wyrding may strictly be used only once per round, even in the presence of some other factor such as White Raven Tactics.

  Ex-Members

Fedaykin fight an unending holy war against the Fallen and bear nothing but hatred for such foes and those who aid them in their hearts. Any fedaykin who abandons this view or gives aid or succour to a Fallen has lost their way and immediately ceases to be a fedaykin, losing all their benefits until such time as an atonement and quest are carried out and the ex-fedaykin rekindles the flame of hatred and holy war within their hearts. Fedaykin who lose their way are usually hunted down by their former comrades until such time as suitable repentance and resumption of the calling is made. Even then, suspicions linger, and a fedaykin can never be recalled to the calling more than once. Losing fedaykin status a second time is permanent.

* Base attack bonuses are handled differently for epic characters.

** Save bonuses are handled differently for epic characters.

*** Number of Spell Points per day, numbers of spells known, and maximum spell level does not increase past 20th level. Spell casters above 20th level gain access to Epic Level spells.