Sanctum Knight

The following is a prestige class of my own design for use with the Pathfinder 1e system - any GM looking to include the Sanctum Knight in their own world is free to do so, but should consider whether they are ok with players eventually gaining enough to power to have followers they can give real and potent power to, running the risk of including too many important characters in the game similar to the Leadership Feat. If this is okay, feel free to use the prestige class - it may not be perfectly balanced, but it was crafted with care and playtested several times.

 

Description

Though the number of mortals who serve the gods is many, few and far between possess a strength of will and a might of body sufficient to reach the ranks of the fabled Sanctum Knights. Towering monoliths of their respective faiths, Sanctum Knights are walking bulwarks and mobile altars to their faith, bedecked in the heaviest of armor and the weightiest of convictions and charged with spreading the faith of their god in all their travels. The Sanctum Knight serves the role of the Cathedral and the Altar even on the most distant of battlefields, their very existence sufficient to sanctify the nearby ground or even create hallowed ground wheresoever they trod upon, their bodies and very existences capable of providing a literal Altar and place of worship for which the faithful may pay respects at and leave offerings upon, for each offering to a Sanctum Knight, each prayer spoken unto them, and each desperate plea told to them is said to be akin to speaking directly to the ears of their god themselves. Though many may lay claim to the privilege of serving a god directly, none hold as strong a claim, nor one so visibly real and potent as the Sanctum Knight…for one needs merely witness the hallowed ground left in their wake, of the overwhelming aura they radiate that serves to almost rewrite reality in their vicinity to make the tenets of their faith unbreakable rules akin to those of gravity and time, and see the power they bestow to those who pay them or their god homage to know the might they wield. While the practice of Sanctum Knights are not unique to Zheng-Kitar(And are in fact believed to originate from lands afar by followers of The Yema), the technique has taken on a life of its own on Zheng-Kitar such that especially powerful Sanctum Knights reach a level of existence suprisingly close to the Elemental Saints - capable of giving out divine power to followers with power given to them in turn by a higher power. Unlike the Elemental Saints, however, they are technically even capable of recieving power from normal Elemental Saints rather than just Elemental Lords.  

Sanctum Knight's Title

In practice, suitably powerful Sanctum Knight are colloquially known as "Lesser Saints", but are often just called "Saint" in title out of respect for their talent, power, and efforts that got them to where they are(With a small epithet afterward, like true Elemental Saints) - especially as these Sanctum Knights sometimes can become full Elemental Saints themselves if Elemental Lords see fit to raise them up and canonize them into the halls of their Elemental Saints. Otherwise, they tend to remain as notable bulwarks of the faith they served in life. See the below section, 'Notable Sanctum Knights', for examples of this.  

Notable Sanctum Knights

Below is a list of Sanctum Knights of the current day and of ages past, who have served a Deity and found admiration and Sainthood, and often accomplished legendary deeds.  

• Saint Omarion the Pilgrim: Originally a Sanctum Knight of a Yema known as The Platinum Dragon, greatest leader amongst The Yema, who came to Zheng-Kitar and had a change of heart to defend it against a great injustice wrought against the people of the Zheng-Kitar by the hands of his former masters. A hero of bottomless good and infinite benevolence, his power was akin to a mountain and his mercy like a vast ocean - he was known by a different name to his former allies The Yema, and after introducing the concept of Sanctum Knights to the continent of Zheng-Kitar marched into battle to combat a great Yema evil known as "The Archlich" - a battle from which he did not return.
 
• Saint Batu the Bloodflash: A Sanctum Knight who claimed to follow Khaasin Baatar, who was blessed by the Crimson Lightning the legendary warlord was said to have mastered. Helped the lands of the Khadagarian Commonwealth through a brewing civil war some decades after the warlord's death, and helped solidify the commonwealth into its current shape that it exists in today.
 
• Saint Polemion the Vast: A Sanctum Knight who followed Irlaman, The Boltbound Empress, that was never canonized into true Elemental Sainthood through his own request - he fought valiantly in the wars between the lands of Dhara and The Narixian Empire and helped found the legendary Demokration that would give rise to the Dharan Alliance, creating the concept of "People Ruled Government" for the first time on Zheng-Kitar.

 

Class Details

Hit Die: d10 per Sanctum Knight level  

Requirements

Feats: Deific Obedience, and either Weapon Focus(Deity's Favored Weapon) OR Armor Focus(Any Heavy-type)   Skills: Knowledge(Religion) 5 ranks, and either Heal 5 ranks OR Diplomacy 5 ranks   Spells: Able to cast divine spells.   Deity: Must have a Patron Deity.   Alignment: Must be identical to Patron Deity's.  

Class Skills

Class Skills: A Sanctum Knight's Class Skills are: Diplomacy(Cha), Heal(Wis), Knowledge(History)(Int) Knowledge(Planes)(Int), Knowledge(Religion)(Int), Linguistics(Int), Ride(Dex), Spellcraft(Cha), and Use Magic Device(Cha).   Skill Points Per Level: 2 + Int Mod  

Table: Sanctum Knight

 

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells
1st	+1	+1	+0	+1	Mobile Altar, Sanctum Aura	+1 Level of Divine Spellcasting Class
2nd	+2	+1	+1	+1	Sanctum Seal, Sanctum Aura +2	+1 Level of Divine Spellcasting Class
3rd	+2	+2	+1	+2	Anchoring Faith	+1 Level of Divine Spellcasting Class
4th	+3	+2	+1	+2	Sanctum Seal, Sanctum Aura +3	+1 Level of Divine Spellcasting Class
5th	+4	+2	+1	+2	Faith's Reach	+1 Level of Divine Spellcasting Class
6th	+5	+3	+2	+3	Sanctum Seal, Sanctum Aura +4	+1 Level of Divine Spellcasting Class
7th	+6	+4	+2	+4	Divine Purpose	+1 Level of Divine Spellcasting Class
8th	+6	+4	+3	+4	Sanctum Seal, Sanctum Aura +5	+1 Level of Divine Spellcasting Class
9th	+7	+5	+3	+5	Deific	+1 Level of Divine Spellcasting Class
10th	+8	+5	+3	+5	Sanctum Seal, Mobile Cathedral	+1 Level of Divine Spellcasting Class

 

Class Features

 

Code of Conduct

As is the case with clerics and paladins, Sanctum Knights are bound to obey and follow the tenets of the faith of the God or Divine Being they worship. Failure to obey these tenets, breaking them, flouting them, or even changing alignments away from their patron deity's can all lead to immediate revocation of all Sanctum Knight levels and abilities(But not Armor or Weapon Proficiencies granted by the class).   Because of their incredibly close relationships with their God, Sanctum Knights are often held to even higher standards than the likes of Paladins and Clerics by their God.  

Ex-Sanctum Knights

Ex-Sanctum Knights must seek forgiveness and atonement for their transgressions from their former Patron Deity, and can only redeem themselves after proving themselves to their former Patron and atoning for their actions.  

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A Sanctum Knight gains proficiency in heavy armor(but not tower shields) if they did not already possess it.  

Spellcasting and Class Progression

Sanctum Knight Levels granted increased spells/domain spells per day and continues progression towards class abilities such as Channel Energy, an Oracle's Mystery, or Smite in a divine spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. A GM has discretion over any relevant class abilities from the original class that may be progressed on as normal instead of these, if the character coming from an unusual divine class, or one not mentioned above.   If the character had more than one divine spellcasting class before he became a Sanctum Knight, he must choose which class he adds each Sanctum Knight Level to for the purposes of determining the above mentioned spells and class abilities.  

Mobile Altar(Su)

A Sanctum Knight is always treated as an "Altar" for the faith he represents for effects such as Consecrate, Desecrate, etc. In addition, a Sanctum Knight is always the center of a Consecrate(Or Desecrate, depending on Alignment) Effect centered on himself with a 30ft radius. Activating and deactivating this ability is a move action that does not provoke AoO.   This ability cannot be dispelled by effects such as Dispel magic or even an Antimagic Field, though a Mage's Disjunction effect suppresses it so long as the Sanctum Knight remains inside. The first time an allied creature enters your aura each day, they automatically gain a number of temporary HP equal to 5hp + 5hp for every Sanctum Knight level you possess. These hit points last the entire day.  

Sanctum Aura(Su)

A Sanctum Knight always counts as having an "Overwhelming" aura corresponding to their deity's alignment. A Sanctum Knight of a neutral deity will radiate an Overwhelming Aura of Neutrality, unlike normal Aura class abilities. All allied creatures you designate within 30ft that share your Deity's alignment along either axis or avidly and actively worship your god are affected by a Bless effect for as long as they remain inside your aura. Likewise, foes you designate who are diametrically opposed to your deity on either axis(Lawful->Chaotic, Good->Evil) or worship the god most opposed to yours(GM Discretion) are automatically affected by a bane spell with no saving throw(This does not stack with an actual bane spell.).   The bonus/penalty from this ability counts as a Sacred/Profane bonus(Depending on Alignment. A Neutral Sanctum Knight must choose Sacred or Profane when the class is taken). At 2nd level and every 2 levels after it, the +1/-1 from this effect increases by 1 to a maximum of +5/-5 at 8th level. A Sanctum Knight of a Neutral God must select what the "Opposed" Axis’s are when selecting this class, and once chosen these choices cannot be changed.(A Lawful Neutral Cleric would choose between Good or Evil to be the opposed axis. A True Neutral Cleric would choose between Law and Chaos for the first axis, and Good and Evil for the second.)  

Sanctum Seals(Ex)

At 2nd level and every 2 levels afterwards, a Sanctum Knight gains one of the following abilities to represent his growing conviction to his deity.  

• Channel Energy is now based off Wisdom instead of Charisma, and gain "Selective Channel" as a bonus feat if you did not already possess it. Can only be selected once.
• You get one free channeling feat you meet the criteria for.
• Lay on hands is now based off Wisdom instead of Charisma, and gain "Greater Mercy" as a bonus feat if you did not already. Can only be selected once.
• You get one free Mercy/Lands on Hands feat you meet the criteria for.
• You may take a weapon mastery feat you meet the criteria for, but it is usable only while wielding your god's favored weapon.
• You get one Combat Feat you meet the criteria for, counting double your Sanctum Knight Levels as fighter levels.
• You get one free Smite feat you meet the criteria for.
• You get +2 to any one save while wearing heavy armor. Can only be selected once.

 

Anchoring Faith(Su)

At 3rd level, a Sanctum Knight's mere presence and almighty conviction locks down and secures nearby space, and keeps himself and his allies firmly on their feet. Any of his allies, himself included, within his Sanctum Aura(30ft) cannot be moved from their square by combat maneuvers or even magical effects(Including teleport effects, dimension door effects, etc.) if they do not wish it.   Enemies caught within his aura must make a will save (DC 10 + HD + 1/2 WISMOD) or be affected by a dimensional anchor effect, with a caster level equal to your HD, for as long as they remain inside the aura. A successful save reduces this duration to 1 rounds.  

Faith's Reach(Su)

At 5th level, A Sanctum Knight becomes capable of reaching further than normal if it means protecting his flock or punishing his foes. The Sanctum Knight's melee range increases by 5ft, and the range of any "Channel Energy" class ability is doubled, and the Sanctum Knight may expend 2 uses of a "Lay on Hands" or "Smite" ability to use those abilities with a range of 30ft(For smite, the attack that smite was used on becomes a melee attack with a reach of 30ft).  

Divine Purpose(Su)

At 7th level, a Sanctum Knight is so divinely blessed that their singular goal bestowed upon them by their god grants them authority over their flock, and makes his foes question their own will. A Sanctum knight may cast Atonement 1/day, and 3/day, he may force any enemy within his Sanctum aura to reroll a concentration check made to cast defensively or a save made against their 'Anchoring Faith' ability and take the lower result.   They also gain access to an extra domain, though it must be one granted by their deity.(Or another, GM Discretion). If you do not have access to domains, you may instead gain 2 Extra Uses of Either Smite, Lay on Hands, Channel Energy, or any other relevant class feature or even the ability to cast a single domain as per GM Discretion.  

Deific(Su)

At 9th level, a Sanctum Knight attains a shard of their god's givinity and becomes capable of granting divine spells to the worshippers of their faith. They may grant access to the domains of the god they worship plus one additional domain that suits their character or personality, and may decide to form their own holy symbol to truly distinguish themselves as a Saint of their chosen deity. Who a Sanctum knight grants Domains to is left to their discretion, but they must be:

1. A worshipper of the Sanctum Knight's Ideals and Philosophies, or those of his patron deity.
2. In possession of a genuine desire to serve him or his deity.

In addition, if a given worshipper uses such abilities for ill purposes or for actions against his or his patron deity's goals, their patron deity will hold them accountable for choosing poor worshippers and can revoke a Sanctum Knight’s class levels or powers(GM Discretion). A Sanctum knight can revoke these domains and/or any class levels that a given worshipper has taken in service because of them at any time, and a Sanctum Knight who has their powers revoked may regain them through use of an Atonement spell as normal for a cleric/paladin who has broken the code of their deity.   Finally, each time a Sanctum Knight casts a spell from a domain granted by their Deity, they heal equal to twice the spell's level. If they would not normally be capable of casting domain spells of their chosen deity, they gain one domain from their deity’s domain list and progress on it as normal.  

Mobile Cathedral(Su)

 At 10th level, A Sanctum Knight becomes a living, breathing conduit for his deity. His Sanctum Aura doubles in size to 60ft, the permanent consecrate effect granted by "Mobile Altar" becomes a Hallow/Unhallow effect, and all healing done to an allied creature you designate inside the radius of this Hallow/Desecrate is immediately affected by an Empower metamagic, increasing the amount healed by 50% (This stacks with an actual empower effect, or a similar effect gained from other sources).   You may apply a spell to your hallow/Unhallow effect as normal, but must pay the appropriate cost as per the spell description and it remains for a year and a day as normal. Within this aura, all allied creatures that are avid followers of your faith(GM Discretion) gain immunity to all fear effects. All allied creatures within this aura who share your deity's alignment on at least one axis gain a +6 to all saves made vs fear effects.