Hellknight

Not all who start as novice armigers have what it takes to become a full-fledged Hellknight, but those who do receive a wide array of abilities as they grow more powerful. While the individual powers and focus of a particular Hellknight vary according to his order, all Hellknights are universally feared and respected in regions where they maintain a presence. Most Hellknights are lawful neutral and proudly avoid being “tainted” by distractions such as good or evil, but some who rise in power shift toward tyrannical and cruel natures.

A Hellknight’s lawful aura (see the detect law spell) functions as that of a cleric whose level is equal to the Hellknight’s character level.

This ability functions like the paladin’s detect evil class feature, save that it grants the use of detect chaos instead.

Acharacter must choose one Hellknight order to join at 1st level (see page 89 for a list of orders). The choice of order determines which disciplines the character later gains access to.

This ability functions as the paladin’s smite evil class feature but against chaotic-aligned creatures. This ability is twice as effective against outsiders with the chaotic subtype, chaotic-aligned aberrations, and fey.

At 2nd level, a Hellknight can use discern lies as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier with a caster level equal to his character level.

At 2nd level, a Hellknight earns the right to wear Hellknight plate (see page 97), which does not reduce his speed. While wearing this armor, the Hellknight reduces its armor check penalty by 1 and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by 1. At 5th level, these adjustments increase to 2. At 8th level, these adjustments increase to 3.

Disciplines: At 3rd level, a Hellknight gains access to his first discipline, choosing one associated with his specific order. At 6th level, the Hellknight gains a second discipline, choosing from any listed as being available to “any order.” At 9th level, the Hellknight gains his third discipline, choosing this one from any of the disciplines listed below, even those from another order, with the exception of pentamic faith. When applicable, the save DC to resist a discipline’s effect is equal to 10 + the Hellknight’s level + his Charisma modifier. The Hellknight can use any one discipline a number of times per day equal to the total number of disciplines he has access to, so at 3rd level he can use his discipline once per day. At 6th level, he can use both disciplines twice per day each. At 9th level, he can use all three of his disciplines three times per day.

Brand (Sp; Order of the Pyre): The Hellknight can use mark of justice as a spell-like ability.

Censor (Su; Order of the Rack): When the Hellknight uses smite chaos on a creature, he can strike the creature mute for 1d4 rounds unless it succeeds at a Will save. A mute creature cannot speak, cast spells with verbal components, or use language-dependent effects.

Fearsomeness (Ex; any order): A Hellknight who successfully uses the Intimidate skill to cause a creature within 10 feet to become shaken can instead cause that creature to become frightened.

Onslaught (Su; Order of the Nail): As a free action, a Hellknight increases his base speed by 10 feet and gains a +4 bonus to his Strength for 1 round. If the Hellknight is mounted, these bonuses also apply to his mount.

Pentamic Faith (Ex; Order of the Godclaw only): This ability allows the Hellknight to select one of the following domains: Artifice, Glory, Knowledge, Law, Magic, Nobility, Protection, Rune, Strength, Travel, or War. The Hellknight gains the granted powers (but not domain spells) of that domain, treating his Hellknight levels as cleric levels to determine what domain abilities he has access to.

Shackle (Su; Order of the Chain): When the Hellknight uses smite chaos on a creature, he can impede its mobility. The creature can negate this effect with a successful Will save; otherwise, it is affected as if by slow for 1d4 rounds. Summon Devil (Sp; Order of the Gate): The Hellknight can use summon monster V as a spell-like ability to summon 1 bearded devil. At 6th level, this spell-like ability is replaced by summon monster VI, allowing him to summon 1d3 bearded devils or 1 erinyes. At 9th level, this spell-like ability is replaced by summon monster VII, allowing him to summon 1d4+1 bearded devils, 1d3 erinyes, or 1 bone devil.

Tracker (Sp; any order): The Hellknight can summon a creature to aid him, either in battle or to track an enemy, as if using a summon monster spell, save that the summoned creature lingers for 1 hour before vanishing. A 6th-level Hellknight can summon either an eagle, a riding dog, a wolf, or a leopard. A 9th-level Hellknight can instead opt to summon a dire wolf or a hell hound.

Vigilance (Su; Order of the Scourge): The Hellknight gains low-light vision (this effect is constant). In addition, as a full-round action, he can see through up to 5 feet of stone, wood, or similar barriers as if they didn’t exist. Metal and denser barriers block this effect. Each use of this ability to see through solid objects lasts as long as the Hellknight concentrates, up to a number of rounds equal to the Hellknight’s level. Wrack (Su; any order): The Hellknight can make a touch attack as a standard action to cause a creature to suffer incredible pain. The creature touched takes damage equal to 1d6 + the Hellknight’s Charisma modifier, and must succeed at a Will save or become staggered for 1d4 rounds.

At 3rd level, a Hellknight gains a +2 bonus on Will saves against spells with any one of the following subschools or descriptors: charm, compulsion, glamer, fear, figment, pattern, or phantasm. At 6th level, the Hellknight chooses another subschool or descriptor from the list and gains a +2 bonus on his Will saves against spells of that type, and the bonus provided by his first selection increases to +4. At 9th level, he chooses from the list again, and both previous selections increase by 2, so that he has a +6, a +4, and a +2 bonus, respectively, against spells of three different groups.

At 7th level, a Hellknight’s attacks are treated as being lawful for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

As long as he wears Hellknight armor, a 9th-level Hellknight gains a +2 bonus on all Charisma-related checks made while interacting with lawful, nongood creatures. In addition, while wearing the armor, he gains the ability to see perfectly in darkness of any kind, resistance to fire 30, resistance to acid 10, and resistance to cold 10.

At 10th level, a Hellknight can grant a weapon he wields or touches the axiomatic, flaming burst, or unholy weapon special ability. This weapon has this Hellknights Hellknights special ability as long as the Hellknight remains within 100 feet of the weapon, but a Hellknight can maintain only a single weapon’s granted special ability at a time. The Hellknight also becomes immune to fire while wearing Hellknight plate.