General Prestige Class : Knight Of The Iron Glacier
Many mercenary companies operate in the frostfell regions of the world, but most of them are poorly organized groups of thugs and exiled soldiers who bring no sense of duty or honor to their post. A few groups have risen above this level, though, and of those none have achieved the same magnitude of respect and ire as the Knights of the Iron Glacier.
This order was founded nearly two hundred years ago by an exiled general named Aengrist and his loyal band of knights and followers. Forced to flee their homeland after a particularly vicious coup, these knights spent several years wandering from outpost to outpost in the frostfell. They helped protect settlers against attacks by barbarians and orcs, but this activity was as much a justification for their continued purpose as anything else. As they traveled, word of their deeds grew. The knights gratefully accepted monetary rewards for their work but never demanded them.
It was at this time that a large band of orc barbarians, hungry for the knights' defeat, ambushed the group atop a vast glacier that carried inside it swaths of iron ore. The ambush was expertly laid, and General Aengrist died in the first moments of the battle. The death of their leader only enraged the knights, and they fought back with a fury that surpassed the rage of the orc barbarians and defeated them to the last. It was only in the aftermath that despair began to overtake the knights, until one charismatic knight by the name of Sarah Korlaskin rallied her fellow troops. She called upon them to honor the death of their general and this final great battle by putting an end to their wandering. She called upon them to build a great fortress at the edge of the iron-filled glacier, a fortress that would serve as both a memorial to their losses and as a bastion for fellow exiles and wandering warriors. On that battlefield, the order of the Knights of the Iron Glacier was born.
Since that day, Knights of the Iron Glacier continued to honor the memory of General Aengrist in their deeds and actions. In time, this hero-worship had an amazing result; some few devout knights began to receive spells in response to their prayers to Aengrist. Today, Aengrist represents a relatively young deity whose influence in the frostfell is growing with surprising speed.
The Knights of the Iron Glacier continue to operate in the frostfell, and have established many smaller fortresses throughout the frostfell. They have no illusions that they can bring order to the frostfell, but they do realize that they can provide pockets of shelter and law for those forced for whatever reason to flee into the harsh frozen lands. They also regularly patrol known trade routes between outposts and other civilized fortresses, riding atop war-trained megaloceroses and constantly seeking wrongs to right and people to aid. In honor of Aengrist's favored weapon, all Knights of the Iron Glacier train extensively with the bastard sword, although they are not expected to always use the weapon in combat. They must also be excellent riders, often a difficult task in frostfell environments.
Most Knights of the Iron Glacier have some training as fighters, since the requirements for entry into the order are difficult for those who don't have much martial skill. Rangers and clerics of martial deities can also qualify, but the paladins of the Iron Glacier remain the most iconic members of the group. Paladins of the Iron Glacier remain the most respected members of the order, and are often granted privileges and honors reserved only for the highest-ranking members.
A paladin can freely take levels in the Knight of the Iron Glacier prestige class and still take paladin levels at a later time if she wishes.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Knight of the Iron Glacier, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Lawful good or lawful neutral
- Skills: Handle Animal 5 ranks, Ride 9 ranks, Survival 2 ranks.
- Feats: Animal Affinity, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Mounted Combat, Ride-by Attack.
- Special: Before a character is accepted into the Order of the Iron Glacier, she must first prove to the order that her intentions are noble and true. Typically, this means the character must undertake some form of task or quest in a region of the frostfell, such as defending a remote village from an attack by arcs or slaying a white dragon that has been menacing a region. Usually, high-ranking knights will send aspiring knights on a particular quest, but sometimes they waive this requirement for someone they have seen upholding Iron Glacier ideals even though she has not herself approached the order for membership.
Class Skills
The knight of the Iron Glacier's class skills are Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), Listen, Ride, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All the following are class features of the Knight of the Iron Glacier prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Knights of the Iron Glacier gain no proficiency with weapons, armor, or shields.
Warmount: Upon becoming a Knight of the Iron Glacier, the character is awarded his own specially bred and trained mount, a war megaloceros. The character is expected to care for, feed, and protect his warmount; when a mission does not require the aid of the warmount, it can be stabled at no cost at any Iron Glacier stronghold.
War Megaloceros: Large animal; HD 7d8+28; hp 59; Init +1; Spd 50 ft.; AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 13; Base Atk +5; Grp +15; Ark or Full Ark +10 melee (1d8+9, gore); Space/Reach 10 ft./5 ft.; SA improved grab, stampede, toss; SQ combative mount, low-light vision, scent; AL N; SV Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +6; Str 23, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 8.
Skills and Feats: Listen +9, Spot +9; Alertness, Lightning Reflexes, Run.
Combative Mount (Ex): A rider on a war megaloceros gains a +2 circumstance bonus on all Ride checks. A war megaloceros is trained for war.
Skills: A war megaloceros gains a +1 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks. If the knight has enough paladin levels that he has a paladin's special mount, the character has the option of dismissing his current special mount and replacing it with a war megaloceros special mount. In this case, the warmount functions identically to the paladin's special mount except for the improved base statistics given above. The character's paladin levels and Knight of the Iron Glacier levels stack for purposes of determining what sort of bonus Hit Dice, natural armor adjustments, Strength adjustments, base Intelligence, and special abilities the special mount gains.
Frostfell Awareness (Ex): A Knight of the Iron Glacier trains extensively on how to notice signs of danger in the frostfell, and is quite adept at spotting ambushes and similar danger. Starting at 2nd level, as long as he is in the frostfell, he gains a +2 competence bonus on all Initiative, Listen, and Spot checks. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th level and to +6 at 8th level.
Rally the Troops (Su): At 4th level, the Knight of the Iron Glacier's ability to inspire allies has become so potent that his words take on a supernatural divine power. Once per day, the knight may speak to a number of listeners equal to his class level plus his Charisma modifier. He must speak for at least one minute, after which all listeners are filled with hope and bravery. For the next hour, these creatures gain a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls and Will saving throws, and have immunity to fear (magic or otherwise).
Oath of Wrath (Su): Beginning at 7th level, as a free action, the Knight of the Iron Glacier may select a single opponent within 60 feet and swear an oath to defeat him. For the duration of the encounter, the knight gains a +2 morale bonus on melee attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, and skill checks made against the challenged target.
This effect ends immediately if the Knight of the Iron Glacier makes an attack or casts a spell targeted at any hostile creature other than the challenged target. Attacks of opportunity and spells cast on allies do not end the effect, nor do area spells such as fireball that catch other creatures in the area (as long as the challenged target is included in the area). The Knight of the Iron Glacier can use oath of wrath once per day.
Overwhelming Odds (Ex): A 10th-level Knight of the Iron Glacier has expelled from his mind and soul the very notion of a hopeless battle; no matter how slight, there is always a chance for victory. Whenever the Knight of the Iron Glacier faces an enemy in combat that has 3 or more Hit Dice or levels than he does, the knight's faith that he shall prevail grants him damage reduction 3/- and a +2 insight bonus to his Armor Class and all saving throws. These benefits apply only against attacks made against the knight from a creature whose levels or Hit Dice exceed the knight's by 3 or more; if a creature with fewer Hit Dice or levels attacks the knight, he does not receive these benefits.
| Knight Of The Iron Glacier | Hit Die: d10 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Warmount |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Frostfell awareness +2 |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | - |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Rally the troops |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Frostfell awareness +4 |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +2 | +5 | - |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Oath of wrath |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Frostfell awareness +6 |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +3 | +6 | - |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Overwhelming odds |
Source: Frostburn