Virtuous Poet (Skald/Paladin)

Song and rhyme are the purview of skalds and bards. And while many clans boast of the power of their skalds, there are those who have been touched by righteous hand of the gods. Rare, but not unheard of, virtuous poets rove their hereditary lands creating tales of legendary renown. They demonstrate their godly devotion by weaving words of praise into their sacred songs. In so doing, they obtain divine favor and powerful abilities to aid in their battle against evil-holy songs that can smite their enemies, enhance their weapons, heal their allies, or protect them from a manner of magical effects. (Original Concept by Elghinn Lightbringer)

Primary Class: Skald.

Secondary Class: Paladin.

Alignment: Any good.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The virtuous poet may select three paladin skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal skald class skills. The virtuous poet gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The virtuous poet is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light and medium armor, but not with shields.

Spellcasting: A virtuous poet casts divine spells drawn from the bard spell list and can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. A virtuous poet otherwise learns and casts spells as a skald of equal level. He also gains bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.

Detect Evil (Sp): At 1st level, a virtuous poet gains the paladin’s detect evil ability. This ability replaces scribe scroll.

Sacred Song (Su): This is exactly like the raging song ability, except that the virtuous poet’s songs are infused with divine power. A virtuous poet gains the following sacred songs.

Smiting Song (Su): At 1st level, a virtuous poet can call upon the powers of good to aid him and his allies in their struggle against evil. As a swift action, the virtuous poet chooses one target within sight. If this target is evil, a number of allies equal to the virtuous poet’s Charisma modifier (including himself) add the his Charisma bonus (if any) to their attack rolls and add 1/2 his virtuous poet level (minimum 1) to all damage rolls made against the target of his smiting song. Regardless of the target, smiting song attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.

In addition, while smiting song is in effect, the virtuous poet and his allies gains a deflection bonus equal to his Charisma modifier (if any) to their AC against attack made by the target of the smiting song. If the virtuous poet targets a creature that is not evil, any rounds of sacred song spent on the smiting song are wasted with no effect.

The smiting song can be maintained for as long as the virtuous poet spends rounds of sacred song or until the target of his smiting song is dead, whichever comes first. This song replaces the inspired rage raging song.

Healing Refrain (Su): At 2nd level, a virtuous poet can heal wounds (his own or those of others) through his sacred song. By expending 2 rounds of sacred song, a virtuous poet can heal 1d6 hit points of damage to a single creature (including himself) for every two virtuous poet levels he possesses. The targets of his healing refrain are determined when the song begins.

Alternatively, a virtuous poet can use his healing refrain to deal damage to a single undead creature, dealing 1d6 points of damage for every two levels the virtuous poet possesses. Undead do not receive a saving throw against this damage.

At 5th level or higher, a virtuous poet can use healing refrain to heal a number of allies or deal damage to a number of undead up to his Charisma modifier. When used in this manner, the virtuous poet must spend 2 rounds of sacred song for each ally (including himself) or undead he affects. The virtuous poet does not count against the maximum number of allies he can affect when using healing refrain in this manner.

Regardless of the effect, any creature affected by this song must be within 30 feet of the virtuous poet and able to hear him. This song replaces versatile performance.

Ode of Courage (Su): At 4th level, a virtuous poet can spend 1 round of sacred song each round to grant himself immunity to fear (magical or otherwise) spells and spell-like abilities. By spending 1 additional round of sacred song each round, a number of allies equal to his Charisma modifier within 10 feet of him also gain a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This song immediately ends if the virtuous poet falls unconscious or is or dead.This song replaces uncanny dodge.

Weapon Song (Su): At 6th level, a virtuous poet can grant a +1 enhancement bonus to the weapons (including ammunition) of allies within 60 feet. At 9th level and every three levels thereafter, this enhancement bonus increases by 1. The maximum bonus gained is based upon the number of weapons affected: +5 to one weapon, +4 to two weapons, +3 to three weapons, or +2 to four or more weapons. Fifty pieces of ammunition count as one weapon for this purpose.

These bonuses can also be used to add any of the following weapon special abilities to the weapons enhanced by this ability: brilliant energy, dancing, defending, distance, flaming, frost, ghost touch, holy, keen, merciful, mighty cleaving, returning, shock, seeking, or speed. Adding these weapon special abilities consumes an amount of bonus equal to the special ability's cost (see Table: Melee Weapon Special Abilities). These enhancement bonuses and special abilities overlap with any enhancements or special abilities the weapon already has, though duplicate special abilities do not stack. If an affected weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other special abilities can be.

The bonus and special abilities granted by this sacred song are determined when the song begins, and cannot be changed until the sacred song ends and another is begun. These bonuses apply to only one end of a double weapon. The enhance weapon song effect remains as long as he expends rounds of sacred song. This song replaces thesong of strength.

Ode of Resolve (Su): At 10th level, a virtuous poet can spend 1 round of sacred song each round to grant himself immunity to charm spells and spell-like abilities. By spending 1 additional round of sacred song each round, a number of allies equal to his Charisma modifier within 10 feet of him also gain a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against charm effects. This song immediately ends if the virtuous poet falls unconscious or is or dead. The virtuous poet can combine ode of resolve with his ode of courage by spending the appropriate number of rounds of sacred song for each individual song. This song replaces thedirge of doom raging song.

Ode of Righteous (Su): At 16th level, a virtuous poet can spend 1 round of sacred song each round to grant himself immunity to compulsion spells and spell-like abilities. By spending 1 additional round of sacred song each round, a number of allies equal to his Charisma modifier within 10 feet of him also gain a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against compulsion effects. This song immediately ends if the virtuous poet falls unconscious or is or dead. While this song is in effect, a virtuous poet’s damage reduction is doubled against evil creatures. The virtuous poet can combine ode of righteousness with either his ode of resolve or his ode of courage (or both) by spending the appropriate number of rounds of sacred song for each individual song. This song replaces the song of the fallen raging song.

Divine Grace (Su): At 3rd level, a virtuous poet gains the paladin’s divine grace ability. This ability replaces the song of marching raging song.

Rage Power (Ex): This is exactly like the skald ability of the same name, except that the virtuous poet is restricted from choosing the following rage powers, in addition to any others: fiend totem (greater), fiend totem (lesser), fiend totem, linnorm death curse (cairn), linnorm death curse (crag), linnorm death curse (fjord), linnorm death curse (ice), linnorm death curse (tarn), linnorm death curse (tiaga), linnorm death curse (tor).

In addition, the virtuous poet can select one mercy from the paladin’s mercy class feature in place of a rage power, and add its effect to his healing refrain song.

At 3rd level, the virtuous poet can select from the fatigued, shaken, or sickened initial mercies. At 6th level, a virtuous poet adds the dazed, diseased, and staggered mercies to the list of those that can be selected. At 9th level, a virtuous poet adds the cursed, exhausted, frightened, nauseated, and poisoned mercies to the list of those that can be selected. At 12th level, a virtuous poet adds the blinded, deafened, paralyzed, and stunned mercies to the list of those that can be selected.

These mercies are cumulative. For example, a 12th-level virtuous poet’s healing refrain heals 6d6 points of damage and might also cure the fatigued and exhausted conditions as well as removing diseases and neutralizing poisons. Once a mercy is chosen, it can't be changed.

Divine Health (Su): At 8th level, a virtuous poet gains the paladin’s divine health ability. This ability replaces improved uncanny dodge.

Spell Keening (Su): This is exactly like the skald ability of the same name, except that the virtuous poet removes the sorcerer/wizard spell list and adds the paladin’s spell list to the list of spells he can cast as one of his spells known.

Master Poet (Su): At 20th level, whenever a virtuous poet uses smiting song and successfully strikes an evil outsider, the outsider is also subject to a banishment, using his virtuous poet level as the caster level (his weapon automatically counts as an object that the subject hates). After the banishment effect and the damage from the attack is resolved, the smite song immediately ends. In addition, when making a full attack while smiting song is in effect, affected allies may make an additional attack each round (as if using a haste effect). This ability replaces master skald.

Table: Virtuous Poet