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 The Player's Guide to Faerûn gives you everything you need to create and play Forgotten Realms characters using D&D v.3.5 rules. This indispensable all-in-one sourcebook updates essential information and offers plenty of new material as well: races, regions and feats, prestige classes, domains and spells, magic items, epic material, cosmology -- even a campaign journal discussing major ongoing story elements in the Realms and how you can work them into your own game. Our sneak peek provides a look at revised and new prestige classes (including epic level progressions), epic feats and spells, and Faerûn-specific material for use with the Psionics Handbook, the Book of Exalted Deeds, and the Book of Vile Darkness.
Chapter 3: Prestige Classes
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What's Changed In v.3.5?
Along with several new prestige classes for Forgotten Realms characters, this chapter presents revisions to many of the prestige classes originally printed in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. In most cases, these revisions are fairly minor -- revised skill lists, incorporation of errata, and so on. Only two classes -- the Harper scout and the hathran -- have drastically changed. The Harper scout has been renamed the Harper agent and condensed to a five-level prestige class, and the abilities of the hathran have been reworked to be more in keeping with the flavor of the Rashemi wychlaran.
Players looking for revised versions of the archmage, hierophant, and Red Wizard prestige classes will find them on pages 178, 188, and 193, respectively, of the v.3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide.
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The prestige classes in this book are described in three chapters. Chapter 3 contains the generally available prestige classes for Faerûnian characters. Epic prestige classes are in Chapter 7 with other Toril-related epic material, and vile and exalted prestige classes are in Chapter 10 with the other material relating to the Book of Vile Darkness and the Book of Exalted Deeds. The table of prestige classes for Faerûnian characters gives a comprehensive list of prestige classes in this book and the chapters in which they appear.
Prestige Classes for Faerûnian Characters
From secret societies such as the Harpers and the Shadow Thieves to elite military orders such as the Purple Dragons and the Spellguard of Silverymoon, Faerûnian characters have nearly limitless options for advancing in power and prestige. Fighters and other combat-focused characters can continue advancing in their basic training or sign up with a mercenary guild or national army. Arcane spellcasters must choose between dozens of mystical schools and philosophies, each devoted to understanding the Weave in its own unique way. Clerics have more than a hundred different deities and their attendant churches from which to select. Add the numerous options available only to members of specific races, and you have a dizzying array of paths that your character can choose to follow.
| Table 3-1: Prestige Classes for Faerûnian Characters |
| Class |
Chapter |
| Arcane Devotee |
Chapter 3 |
| Black Blood Hunter |
Vile; see Chapter 10 for description |
| Celebrant of Sharess |
Exalted; see Chapter 10 for description |
| Cognition Thief |
Psionic; see Chapter 10 for description |
| Divine Champion |
Chapter 3 |
| Divine Disciple |
Chapter 3 |
| Divine Seeker |
Chapter 3 |
| Evereskan Tomb Guardian |
Chapter 3 |
| Eye of Horus-Re |
Chapter 3 |
| Fire Knife Assassin |
Vile; see Chapter 10 for description |
| Hammer of Moradin |
Chapter 3 |
| Harper Agent |
Chapter 3 |
| Harper Paragon |
Exalted; see Chapter 10 for description |
| Hathran |
Chapter 3 |
| Incantatrix |
Chapter 3 |
| Justiciar of Tyr |
Chapter 3 |
| Maiden of Pain |
Vile; see Chapter 10 for description |
| Martyred Champion of Ilmater |
Exalted; see Chapter 10 for description |
| Master Transmogrifist |
Chapter 3 |
| Monk of the Long Death |
Chapter 3 |
| Morninglord of Lathander |
Chapter 3 |
| Netherese Arcanist |
Epic; see Chapter 7 for description |
| Purple Dragon Knight |
Chapter 3 |
| Runecaster |
Chapter 3 |
| Shaaryan Hunter |
Chapter 3 |
| Shadow Adept |
Chapter 3 |
| Shadow Thief of Amn |
Chapter 3 |
| Slime Lord |
Vile; see Chapter 10 for description |
| Spellfire Hierophant |
Epic; see Chapter 7 for description |
| Spellguard of Silverymoon |
Chapter 3 |
| Yathrinshee |
Vile; see Chapter 10 for description |
| Zhentarim Spy |
Chapter 3 |
Hammer of Moradin
 Within the halls of Citadel Adbar in the icy North, an elite order of warrior-priests stands ready to defend the dwarven people against the onslaught of fell giants, dark elves, and goblinoids. Called the hammers of Moradin, they serve as Citadel Adbar's rallying point against the incursion of dark creatures that haunt the North. The regular army, known as the Iron Guard, defends the city capably, but the hammers actively strike out against the monsters farther afield, bringing the righteous fury of the Soul Forger to their enemies' very doorsteps.
Fighter/clerics and paladins make up the bulk of the members of this prestige class, though cleric/monks are not unheard of. While rangers and cleric/rogues are quite capable of qualifying for the hammer of Moradin prestige class, most gravitate instead to the Deepscouts, another branch of Citadel Adbar's army. Members of other classes very rarely become hammers of Moradin.
Paladins of Moradin can freely multiclass as hammers of Moradin.
Hit Die: d10.
Requirements
To qualify to become a hammer of Moradin, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Race: Dwarf.
Region: The Spine of the World.
Base Attack Bonus: +7.
Skills: Craft (weaponsmithing) 10 ranks.
Feats: Iron Will, Weapon Focus (warhammer).
Spells: Able to cast 2nd-level divine spells.
Patron Deity: Moradin.
Special: The candidate must be a member of the hammers of Moradin.
Class Skills
The hammer of Moradin's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local -- Silver Marches) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int). See Chapter 4 of the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
| Table 3-8: The Hammer of Moradin |
Class
Level |
Base
Attack
Bonus |
Fort
Save |
Ref
Save |
Will
Save |
Special |
| 1st |
1 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
Aura of courage, hammer throw |
| 2nd |
2 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
Goblinkiller; hammer return |
| 3rd |
3 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
Damage reduction 2/-, powerful grip |
| 4th |
4 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
Far shot; quake |
| 5th |
5 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
Drowbasher; power strike 2/day |
| 6th |
6 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
Damage reduction 4/- |
| 7th |
7 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
Chaos crusher, stalwart |
| 8th |
8 |
6 |
2 |
6 |
Giantslayer, thunder strike |
| 9th |
9 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
Damage reduction 6/-, power throw |
| 10th |
10 |
7 |
3 |
7 |
Bones of the earth; power strike 4/day |
Class Features
All the following are class features of the hammer of Moradin prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Hammers of Moradin are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor, and with shields. Armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, and Tumble, and double the normal armor check penalty applies to Swim checks.
Aura of Courage (Su): Beginning at 1st level, the hammer of Moradin gains an aura of courage that functions exactly like the paladin ability of the same name.
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Behind the Curtain: Revised Prestige Classes
The most common and important change to the prestige classes in this chapter is a new definition of the spell power ability. As with the Red Wizard and archmage prestige classes, which originally appeared in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting and were revised in the v.3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide, prestige classes that grant spell power now increase the effective caster level for spells, not their saving throw DCs. Before the revision, it became clear that saving throw DCs were increasing at a pace that far outstripped characters' and creatures' saving throw modifiers. As a result, the effects of Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus were reduced to their new values, and the spell power ability was changed. A few DC-increasing effects, such as the Shadow Weave Magic feat, still remain in the game, but that feat comes with enough limitations that it remains balanced, and the shadow adept prestige class no longer escalates that effect.
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Hammer Throw (Ex): A hammer of Moradin may use his warhammer as a thrown weapon with a range increment of 20 feet. He takes no additional penalties for using the weapon in this fashion.
Goblinkiller (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, the hammer of Moradin may imbue any warhammer with the goblinoid bane property as a move action. This ability may be used once per day, and the effect lasts a number of rounds equal to the hammer of Moradin's Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
Hammer Return (Su): When the hammer of Moradin reaches 2nd level, any warhammer he throws gains the returning ability. A returning warhammer flies through the air back to the hammer of Moradin, returning just before his next turn, so that it is ready to use again in that turn.
Catching the warhammer when it comes back is a free action. If the hammer of Moradin can't catch it, or if he has moved since throwing it, the warhammer drops to the ground in the square from which it was thrown.
Damage Reduction (Ex): At 3rd level, the hammer of Moradin gains damage reduction 2/ -- . His damage reduction increases to 4/ -- at 6th level, and to 6/ -- at 9th level.
Powerful Grip (Ex): At 3rd level, the hammer of Moradin gains a bonus equal to one-half his Strength bonus (rounded down) on damage rolls when wielding a warhammer in melee. Thus, his bonus on damage rolls with this weapon equals 1.5 times his Strength bonus when he wields it in one hand and twice his Strength bonus when he wields it in two hands.
Far Shot (Ex): At 4th level, the hammer of Moradin gains the benefit of the Far Shot feat when throwing his warhammer. This benefit raises range increment for his thrown hammer to 30 feet.
Quake (Su): By striking his warhammer violently against the ground (a standard action), a 4th-level or higher hammer of Moradin creates a shock wave that violently shakes the earth in front of him. Each creature touching the ground in a 60-foot cone from the point of impact must make a successful Reflex save (DC 10 + hammer of Moradin level + hammer of Moradin's Str bonus) or be knocked prone.
Drowbasher (Su): When a 5th-level or higher hammer of Moradin uses the goblinkiller ability to imbue his warhammer with the goblinoid bane property, it also gains the drow bane property. This ability does not confer any additional uses per day of the goblinkiller ability and it does not extend the duration of the effect; it merely makes each use more versatile.
Power Strike (Su): At 5th level, the hammer of Moradin can strike his foe so hard that his blow leaves the opponent dazed (see the Condition Summary in the Dungeon Master's Guide). To use this ability, the hammer of Moradin makes a normal attack roll. (The player must declare that he is using this power before making the attack roll; thus, a miss ruins the attempt.) The attack deals normal damage if successful. In addition, any foe damaged by this attack must make a successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + hammer of Moradin level + hammer of Moradin's Str modifier) or be dazed for 1 round. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be dazed. This ability is usable twice per day at 5th level and four times per day at 10th level.
Chaos Crusher (Su): At 7th level, the hammer of Moradin may imbue any warhammer with the axiomatic property as a move action. This ability may be used once per day, and the effect lasts a number of rounds equal to the hammer of Moradin's Charisma modifier.
Stalwart (Su): Hammers of Moradin are renowned for their ability to stand strong in the face of a hail of arrows, or wade into a throng of shrieking goblins and emerge untouched. At 7th level, the hammer of Moradin may add his base Will save modifier to his AC once per day as a free action. This benefit lasts for 1 round per hammer of Moradin level.
Giantslayer (Su): When an 8th-level or higher hammer of Moradin uses his goblinkiller ability, his warhammer gains the giant bane property in addition to the goblinoid bane and drow bane properties. This ability does not confer any additional uses per day of the goblinkiller ability and it does not extend the duration of the effect; it merely makes each use more versatile.
Thunder Strike (Ex): When the hammer of Moradin reaches 8th level, his blows are so mighty that armor not only offers little protection from them, but it also acts as a conduit for the force of the blow, causing his opponent even more pain. When wielding his warhammer, the hammer of Moradin gains a bonus on melee damage rolls equal to his foe's armor bonus (not including shield bonus or enhancement bonus). Thus, a hammer of Moradin striking a creature wearing a breastplate gains a +5 bonus on his damage roll.
Power Throw (Su): At 9th level, the hammer of Moradin can hurl his warhammer with such a force that it plows on past creatures struck by it. When throwing his hammer, the hammer of Moradin makes a single ranged attack roll and checks the result against the AC of all creatures in a 60-foot straight line from his position. He then rolls damage against each creature that the weapon hits.
Bones of the Earth (Sp): When the hammer of Moradin reaches 10th level, he gains a powerful blessing from Moradin himself. This benefit functions exactly like the shadow walk spell (caster level equals hammer of Moradin's divine caster level), except that rather than traveling along the edge of the Shadow Plane, the character travels along the edge of the Elemental Plane of Earth. Both the origin and destination points must be within 5 feet of solid, natural stone. This ability is usable once per day.
Ex-Hammers of Moradin
A hammer of Moradin who violates his alignment or betrays either Citadel Adbar or the Hammers of Moradin as a whole loses all spell-like and supernatural abilities gained from this prestige class. He regains his abilities and advancement potential if he atones for his actions (see the atonement spell on page 201 of the Player's Handbook).
Player's Guide to Faerûn Excerpts
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