Halfling Pathlighter
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Key Attribute:…DEX, WIL
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Requirements:…DEX 9+
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Hit Dice:…1d4
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Maximum Level:…8
Pathlighters keep the roads, trails and paths between the disparate Halfling communities safe and well maintained. This task is a holy mission handed to them by Brandobaris the patron of travelers and merchants. Pathlighters commonly maintain his traveler’s shrines along the routes. Although halflings are not predisposed to adventure, pathlighters occasionally find themselves in uncomfortable situations where they are forced to maintain the pathways with guile and determination.
| Experience | Title | Level | HD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Itinerant Initiate | 1 | 1d4 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1350 | Lamp Lighter | 2 | 2d4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2700 | Thistle Treader | 3 | 3d4 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 5400 | Shrine Strider | 4 | 4d4 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| 10800 | Way Warden | 5 | 5d4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 21600 | Beacon Bearer | 6 | 6d4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - |
| 43200 | Star Seer | 7 | 7d4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - |
| 86400 | Pathlighter | 8 | 8d4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | - | - |
Combat Characteristics
Pathlighters are trained to handle the hazards of the wild with cunning stealth and rickety. Still they are afforded some training in weapons and armor to protect themselves in the dangerous lands they travel.
Combat Proficiencies: Pathlighters are trained in a number of missle weapons, which they excel at and their ubiquitous walking sticks. Allowed weapons include dagger, sling, club, dart, staff, and spear. In order to wield these weapons they have training in two handed style in addition to the traditional practice of missile and single weapons. Their halfling talent with missile weapons has been honed for accuracy providing a +1 bonus to all missile weapon attack throws. They are also experienced with leather armor well fitted to long dangerous roads. Using this armor does not hinder their ability to sneak and hide from danger.
Combat Progression: Pathlighters advance like crusaders in attack and saving throws, increasing by one point every two levels. They may also cleave after killing a foe for a maximum of one cleave per round for every two class levels (rounded down).
Starting Class Powers
At the start of play, pathlighters have the following class powers.
Divine Magic: Calling upon Brandobaris, pathlighters can cast spells using divine power. The number and level of spells he can cast are listed on the Pathlighter Level Progression table. His spell selection is limited to ten spells per level.
Theology: The pathlighter has received religious instruction at a halfling temple or a traveler’s way station and shrine. He begins play as part of the loose religious hierarchy and may have a specified route to maintain (all at Judge’s discretion). He can acquire congregants through proselytizing. He can automatically identify religious symbols, spell signatures, trappings, and holy days of his own halfling faith, and can recognize those of other faiths with a proficiency throw of 11+. Rare or occult cults might be harder to recognize. (This class power is the equivalent of one rank of Theology proficiency.)
Rebuke Undead: Invoking the light, integrity and power of Brandobaris, pathlighters are able to rebuke undead sending them fleeing or even simply destroying them. When a pathlighter attempts to rebuke undead the result can be found on the pathlighter Rebuking Undead table, which is a subset of the crusader variant.
The results are read just like the crusader table with a - meaning no effect currently possible. A number is the required roll needed for a proficiency throw. An R or D means an automatic rebuke or destruction of the undead.
In each case 2d6 HD of undead are rebuked With lowest HD turned first and at least one creature always turned. The effect lasts 1 turn (10 rounds). Any failed attempt prohibits further attempts in the same encounter.
Additional Class Powers
Attentive Listening (3rd Level): Upon becoming a thistle treader, the pathlighter has learned to pay close attention to the sounds around him. This can aid him in finding dangers on a road, or overhearing the best gossip in an inn. This power operates the same as a thief’s listening ability, requiring 1 turn of quite attention.
Minor Magical Research (5th level): The pathlighter can create reagents (replacement for scrolls HFH p195) and brew potions.
Pathlighting (5th level): Having walked the roads, trails and paths of his land the pathlighter is now much less likely to become lost. They receive a +4 to proficiency throws to avoid getting lost anywhere within the settled region of his starting area. Each additional level of experience increases the range by 24 miles from those settled areas. (same as venure pathfinding RR p41)
Foreign Gab (7th level): Upon reaching the level of star seer, the pathlighter has spent extensive time traveling the roads with foreigners. He has learned their ways and prejudices and can handle them with ease. He receives a +1 reaction roll to parley with any non-halflings. Additionally by playing on their patronizing nature or simply being inconspicuous he may spend a day gathering 1d2 rumors in any non-halfling city. Halflings are not susceptible to these tricks since they know a busy body when they see them. (similar to diplomacy proficiency RR p109 and rumormongering RR p41)
Racial Traits
Pathlighters gain many important abilities and weaknesses from their nature as halflings.
Hiding: Halflings have a knack for staying hidden. This has been developed in pathlighters to a skill equal to the thieves ability (RR p31). Anytime he is in cover, dim light or darkness the pathlighter he can hide. With a successful check made by the Judge, the pathlighter is hidden. No creature can claim line of sight on the pathlighter, nor can they attack him unless they know his general location, and then the attack is at a -4 penalty. The hidden condition expires if the pathlighter moves, attacks or is no longer in cover, dim light or darkness. If the throw fails, the opponents still have a -2 penalty to surprise. A pathlighter will always think they have successfully hidden.
Sneaking: Halflings can move exceptionally quietly when they desire. This ability has been developed in pathlighters to a skill equal to the thieves ability (RR p32). When moving at exploration speed or one half combat speed, the pathlighter may try to sneak and make no sound at all. If the judge makes a successful proficiency throw the pathlighter will be silently sneaking. Otherwise the opponents will only have a -2 penalty to surprise rolls if the pathlighter is out of their line of sight. The pathlighter will always believe they have succeeded.
Bounding March: Halflings are commonly slow, but pathlighters are taught a bounding march to improve their speed of travel down their many paths and errands allowing them a standard speed the same as humans (exploration 120 ft/turn, combat speed 40 ft/round, running 120 ft/round, expedition speed 24 miles/day). Of course a halfling’s encumbrance levels will effect them normally.
Placating: A halfling may use disarming words, glib talk, or submissive body language to avoid being attacked. A halfling may not attack while placating, but may walk at half speed, or perform an action in lieu of moving, such as standing up from being knocked down, picking an item off the ground, or retrieving an item from a pack or sack. A halfling may not placate if he, or any other halflings in his party, have already attacked an opponent during the present encounter. When a halfling is placating, any opponent attempting to strike or otherwise directly attack the halfling must attempt a saving throw versus Spells. If the save succeeds, the opponent can attack the halfling normally that round. If the save fails, the opponent will not attack the halfling that round and will attack another creature instead. Area effects may still affect the halfling. Mindless creatures and fantastic creatures of animal intelligence cannot be placated, but ordinary animals and all sapient creatures are susceptible to a halfling’s cringing placation.
Childlike: Due to their small size, humans, elves, dwarves and other demi-humans all view halflings as child-like and do not afford them the same respect and consideration reducing their reactions, moral and loyalty by -2. Fortunately their tight knit and friendly society provides halflings with comfort for this improving reactions moral and loyalty with other halflings by +2.
Demi-Human Ancestry: Halflings are more resistant to paralysis and spells providing them a +1 to saves of those types.
Difficult to Corrupt: Halfling crave comfort and security far to much to be able to descend into dastardly wickedness. They suffer only 1/2 the usual amount of Corruption from spending time in sinkholes of evil (p. 381), using evil magic items (p. 381), or other causes of corruption. (If the campaign does not include corruption, this power has no effect.)
Easily Encumbered: Due to their small size, halflings have a normal load of only 3 st instead of 5 st. Above this pathlighters exploration movement is 90’ until they are carrying over 4 3/6 st. At that point their exploration movement is 60’ until they are carrying over 6 st. At that point their exploration movement is 30’ until they collapse when trying to carry over 12 st.
Halfling Tongues: All halflings speak the common tongue, their native tongue, and three bonus languages, selected from the following list based on their shire’s proximity to other races and realms: Bugbear, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Goblin, Human (various), Hobgoblin, Kobold, Orc.
Heroic Breakfast: Once per day a halfling can recover hp by consuming a meal accompanied by alcohol, coffee, or tea. This recovery is equal to the hit points gained from a day of rest, and can be in addition to rest.
Underfoot: Because of their small size, halflings can more easily avoid attacks by big, clumsy creatures. Monsters of larger than man-sized suffer a -2 penalty to their attack throws against halflings.
Stort Statured: Halflings are small sized, and only weight 4 st. For pathlighters this means that they must wield staves and spears two handed.
Weak: Pathlighters like other halflings suffer a -4 penalty to any dungeonbashing rolls due to their small size.
Code of Behavior
The spells and powers of a pathlighter come from his pious connection with Brandobris, patron god or travelers and merchants. In order to maintain these connections the pathlighter must adhere to the proper manners and customs of his order.
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The pathlighter must openly demonstrate his faith through symbols and attire. He must display the symbol of a barefoot print about his person.
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The pathlighter must wear the green hood of his order so that others may easily identify him and seek his aid.
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The pathlighter must mediate on home and hearth at the end of all trips. This is done before the first breakfast, and may include simple individual meal preparation.
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A pathlighter must aid any traveler, and especially halflings in need. This may mean simple notes on the road, or a quick meal, to guiding them back to settledlands when lost.
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A pathlighter must follow the rules, manners and customs of his people the halflings from which he came.
Failing to live up to these commitments will disrupt the pathlighter’s connection to Brandobaris and endanger their ability to cast spells and use abilities. The Judge should determine what the rules and customs of the halflings are and what happens if the pathlighter stretches or breaks them.
Class Proficiencies
Proficiency Progression: A 1st level pathlighter may select one class proficiency from their class proficiency list, and one general proficiency from the general proficiency list. They receive one additional class proficiency at 4th, 8th, and 12th level. They receive one additional general proficiency at 5th, 9th, and 13th level.
Pathlighter Proficiency List: Acrobatics, Alertness, Ambushing, Armor Training, Bargaining, Blind Fighting, Bribery, Bright Lore of Aura, Cat Burgler, Climbing, Contortionism, Divine Blessing, Divine Health, Fighting Style Specialization, Illusion Resistance, Land Surveying, Lip Reading, Martial Training, Pass without Trace, Precise Shooting, Prestidigitation, Quite Magic, Revelry, Righteous Rebuke, Running, Skirmishing, Skulking, Sniping, Streetwise, Swashbuckling, Syncretism, Trapfinding, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus
New Spells
Angelic Food
Divine 1
Type: Illusion
Range: 45 ft
Duration: 6 turns
Similar to Angelic Music (RR p194), this spell creates an illusion within 45 ft of the caster. In this case the illusion is of a smell, which may spread far from the original location. The smell must be of some desirable food. Examples include reminding a halfling of home, or peak another’s interest in roast beef.
| 1st Level | 2nd Level | 3rd Level | 4th Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angelic Food | Augury | Avian Messenger | Angelic Aura |
| Counterspell | Circling Winds | Clairaudiance | Cure Serious Injury |
| Cure Light Injury | Cure Moderate Injury | Clairvoyance | Energy Invulnerability |
| Discern Magic | Delay Poison | Dispel Magic | Inspire Awe |
| Illumination | Halt Humanoid | Holy Circle, Sustained | Invisibility |
| Pass without Trace | Holy Blessing | Holy Prayer | Neutralize Poison |
| Predict Weather | Magic Lock | Illumination, Perpetual | Physical Invulnerability |
| Purify Food and Water | Noiselessness | Phantasmal Figment | Repair Disability and Disfigurement |
| Sanctuary | Shimmer | Rune of Warding | Speak with Plants |
| Sling Stone | Speak with Beasts | Spellward | Tongues |
I have more in a pdf. It would be nice to have some more info on rules for creating materials and using things like the damage icons etc.