Where there are laws, there are those who defy them, and in the city of Concord the highly trained and respected policing force known as the justicars hunt those lawbreakers down. Many justicars are sent out into the world to bring law and order to the places that need it the most, and they go willingly. They don't do it for the money; the don't do it for glory. They do it because it needs to be done. It also happens to be a satisfying vocation to make a living by kicking the daylights out of a criminal who desperately deserves it.
Justicars are generally solitary, relying on their own wits and skills. They are fearless and single-minded in pursuit of their prey and ruthlessly effective in combat. Innocence and alibi can be argued in front of a court, but pretty words don't change the facts of the case or absolve a criminal of guilt. A justicar is not necessarily judge, jury, or executioner; often he simply sees to it that those people get the chance to do their jobs. When it is impractical to bring a miscreant to the hands of the law, or if the criminal resists, a justicar doesn't hesitate to bring final justice to someone who deserves it. Some evil justicars prefer torturing their prisoners into confessing before turning them in.
When faced with a difficult challenge, justicars may team up with each other or with a posse of other characters to hunt those wanted by the law. The presence of one or more justicars in a posse might come as a rude surprise to a group of individuals that have been robbing from the rich to give to the poor...
Most justicars begin as rangers. Some paladins also find being a justicar in line with their ideology. Fighters often find enough reward in killing; bringing people back alive is typically more effort than they consider worthwhile. Conversely, many clerics are too forgiving to be justicars. Rogues and bards, with their stealth-oriented skills, can be very effective in this class. Even the occasional druid, sorcerer, or mage enters the field, wielding spells as their weapons instead of steel.
Requirements[]
To qualify to become a justicar, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Alignment: Any lawful.
Base Attack Bonus: +6.
Skills: Gather Information 5 ranks, Seach 5 ranks, Survival 5 ranks.
Feats: Skill Focus (Gather Information), Track.
Special: Protector of Concord: The character must pay a one time 200 gp application and training fee to the Justicars of Concord to join their ranks. They must thereafter spend at least 1 week out of every 6 months policing the city.
Game Rule Information[]
Hit Die: d10.
Class Skills: The following are the class skills (and the key ability for each) for the justicar prestige class: Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier.
Table: The Justicar of Concord[]
|
Level |
Base Attack |
Fort |
Ref |
Will |
Special |
|
1 |
+1 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Bring 'em Back Alive, Nonlethal Strike +1d6, Lawkeeper |
|
2 |
+2 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Improved Grapple, Crippling Strike |
|
3 |
+3 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Exotic Weapon Proficiency (manacles), Nonlethal Strike +2d6 |
|
4 |
+4 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Street Savvy +2 |
|
5 |
+5 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Hog-Tie, Nonlethal Strike +3d6 |
|
6 |
+6 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Exotic Weapon Proficiency (net) |
|
7 |
+7 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Street Savvy +4, Nonlethal Strike +4d6 |
|
8 |
+8 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Improved Hog-Tie |
|
9 |
+9 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Nonlethal Strike +5d6 |
|
10 |
+10 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Street Savvy +6, Intuition |
Class Features[]
The following are the class features of the justicar of Concord class:
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies
Justicars gain no proficiencies with any weapons or armor.
Bring 'em Back Alive (Ex)
Whenever a justicar attacks with a melee weapon, he can deal nonlethal damage with the weapon instead of lethal damage with no penalty on the attack roll. Normally, attempting to deal nonlethal damage with a weapon in this way incurs a -4 penalty on the attack roll.
Nonlethal Strike (Ex)[]
A justicar can make nonlethal strikes. Any time the character uses the bring 'em back alive ability and his target would be denied its Dexterity modifier to Armor Class (whether the target actually has a Dexterity modifier or not) or when the justicar flanks the target, the justicar's attack deals an extra 1d6 points of nonlethal damage. This extra damage increases by +1d6 at level 3 and every odd level thereafter. Should the justicar score a critical hit with a nonlethal strike, this extra damage is not multiplied. A justicar can use nonlethal strike only on a living creature with discernable anatomy - undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures are not subject to this extra damage. Also, creatures immune to nonlethal damage are immune to nonlethal strike damage. The justicar cannot make a nonlethal strike against a creature with concealment.
Lawkeeper[]
The justicar follows a semi-religious legal code of conduct and has absolute authority to enforce it. This means that if the justicar catches criminals, he may judge them guilty (given sufficient proof) and order their execution, or do it himself if need be. Because the justicar must act within the law, there is rarely any friction between him and established authorities other than disputes about jurisdiction and challenges from other forms of authority. A justicar may deputize others to aid in his tasks, although he is responsible for their actions in his name.
As part of any Diplomacy or Intimidate check regarding matters of the law and authority, a justicar gains a +4 insight bonus on these checks. In addition, a justicar's knowledge of his code is magically flawless, as if he were mentally reviewing a perfect copy of the code. If the source of the code changes (such as a new law from the High Justicar) he instantly knows it. This perfect knowledge means that he immediately recognizes any misquoting of the law (deliberate or accidental), and many justicars consider it their duty to review the law book in remote settlements to make sure there are no errors in transcription or translation. A justicar may always take 10 on Knowledge (local) checks regarding the code, even when rushed or threatened.
Justicars are not allowed to violate the law, or any oath or contract they willingly agree to, nor can they go against the spirit of it while holding to the letter. A justicar who willingly does so loses all prestige class abilities until he receives an atonement spell or official pardon from his superiors.
Improved Graple (Ex)[]
At 2nd level, a justicar receives Improved Grapple as a bonus feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Crippling Strike (Ex)[]
A justicar of 2nd level or higher can make a nonlethal strike against an opponent with such precision that his blow weakens and hampers the opponent. When a justicar damages an opponent with a nonlethal strike, that character also takes 1 point of Strength damage.
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (manacles)[]
Intimately familiar with the capture of criminals, justicars have learned to do more with a pair of manacles than restrain a lawbreaker. A justicar of 3rd level or higher can swing a pair of metal manacles in one hand as if they were a club without taking a penalty for using them as an improvised weapon. Masterwork manacles can be wielded as if they were a masterwork light flail.
Street Savvy (Ex)[]
A justicar of 4th level or higher gains a circumstance bonus on Gather Information checks he attempts while in pursuit of a criminal. This bonus is initially +2 at 4th level, and increases by an extra +2 every third level thereafter.
Hog-Tie (Ex)[]
When a justicar of 5th level or higher successfully pins an opponent while grappling, he can attempt to hog-tie the opponent (in addition to his other options; see If You're Pinning an Opponent). A justicar must have a rope, chain, or manacles in one hand to use this ability. A justicar can use this ability on an opponent of up to one size category larger than he is. He can use the ability only on humanoid-shaped creatures.
An attempt to hog-tie is resolved with an opposed check. The justicar can make a Use Rope check instead of a normal grapple check, while the opponent makes either a grapple check or an Escape Artist check. If the justicar succeeds, the opponent is hog-tied. If the opponent succeeds, the hog-tie attempt fails and the grapple continues. If a justicar successfully hog-ties an opponent, that person is considered bound and helpless. A bound opponent can attempt to escape by making an Escape Artist check opposed by the justicar's Use Rope check (including his +10 bonus, see Bind a Character) or a Strength check (DC 23 for rope, DC 26 for chain or manacles, DR 28 for masterwork manacles) to break free.
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (net)[]
At 6th level, a justicar gains the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (net) feat for free, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. If he qualifies for more weapons to be affected by the feat, he may choose them when he gains this ability.
Improved Hog-Tie (Ex)[]
A justicar of 8th level or higher can make a hog-tie attempt without first pinning his opponent. Whenever a grapple is established, the justicar can use an attack action to make a hog-tie attempt. Also, if the justicar has the Quick Draw feat, he does not need to be holding the rope, chain, or manacles in his hand before making the attempt.
Intuition (Su)[]
When hunting a specific person, a 10th level justicar can use a Survival check to determine in which direction the culprit might be found if the criminal is within 1 mile of the justicar (DC 15 + target's HD). A justicar can use this ability to determine the direction of anyone he has previously faced in combat if he or she is within range.
The DM should make this check secretly for the justicar, since the character should not know if he failed the check because of the die roll or because the target is too far away. A justicar can make this check once per day for any single target.