Shulassakar Flamekeeper

Shulassakar class — see Classes for the full list.

Prime Requisite:	STR and WIL
Requirements:	DEX 9 CON 9 CHA 9
Hit Dice:	1d8
Maximum Level:	11

Shulassakar are a race of humanoids reminiscent of feathered serpents. While some of their race are transcendent, winged creatures with serpentine tales for legs, many can pass for human at a glance, with only forked tongues and serpentine eyes to give away their nature. The ranks of shulassakar flamekeepers, are an order of holy warriors, composed of “flametouched” shulassakar with obvious scales and silvery feathers, who worship the Flame-Which-Binds.

Shulassakar Flamekeeper Level Progression / Spell Progression

Experience	Title	Level	Hit Dice	Damage Bonus	Caster Level	1	2	3	4	5
0	Bulwark Of The Flame	1	1d8	+1	0	-	-	-	-	-
2,800	Warder Of The Flame	2	2d8	+1	1	1	-	-	-	-
5,600	Defender Of The Flame	3	3d8	+2	2	2	-	-	-	-
11,200	Protector Of The Flame	4	4d8	+2	2	2	-	-	-	-
22,400	Guardian Of The Flame	5	5d8	+2	3	2	1	-	-	-
45,600	Sentinel Of The Flame	6	6d8	+3	4	2	2	-	-	-
90,000	Justiciar Of The Flame	7	7d8	+3	5	2	2	1	-	-
180,000	Paladin Of The Flame	8	8d8	+3	6	2	2	2	1	-
335,000	Paladin Lord Of The Flame	9	9d8	+4	7	3	2	2	1	-
490,000	Paladin Lord Of The Flame, 10th Level	10	9d8+2	+4	8	3	2	2	2	-
645,000	Paladin Lord Of The Flame, 11th Level	11	9d8+4	+4	8	3	2	2	2	1

Flamekeeper Saving Throws

Level	Paralysis	Death	Blast	Implement	Spells	Attack Bonus
1	13+	14+	15+	16+	17+	+0
2-3	12+	13+	14+	15+	16+	+1
4	11+	12+	13+	14+	15+	+2
5-6	10+	11+	12+	13+	14+	+3
7	9+	10+	11+	12+	13+	+4
8-9	8+	9+	10+	11+	12+	+5
10	7+	8+	9+	10+	11+	+6
11	6+	7+	8+	9+	10+	+7

Combat Characteristics

As temple guardians and holy warriors, flamekeepers are exceptionally skilled combatants.

Combat Proficiencies: Flamekeepers have weapon proficiency with all weapons, armor proficiency with all armor, and fighting style proficiency with the dual weapon, two-handed weapon, and weapon and shield styles.

Combat Progression: Flamekeepers advance in attack throws and saving throws by two points every three levels. They increase their base damage roll from successful missile and melee attacks by +1 at 1^st level, and by an additional +1 at 3^rd, 6^th, 9^th, and 12^th level. They can cleave after felling a foe up to once per round per class level.

Starting Class Powers

Aura of Protection: Flamekeepers are protected by a magical aura that grants them a +1 bonus to AC and a +1 bonus to saving throws against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures. The flamekeeper’s aura of protection appears as a golden halo when viewed with discern good, discern magic, or true seeing.

Lay on Hands: By calling on the Binding Flame, the flamekeeper can lay on hands to heal injuries. He can heal 2 damage per level when the power is used. The flamekeeper can use his power to lay on hands once per day. He can select the Laying on Hands proficiency to gain additional uses of the power per day. (This class power is the equivalent of one rank of Laying on Hands proficiency).

Manual of Arms: The flamekeeper is highly experienced in military discipline, physical fitness, and weapon drill. He can automatically identify the battle standards, equipment, great captains, military slang, and rank insignia of his homeland. He can identify those of other realms with a proficiency throw of 11+. He can fight as a regular (rather than irregular) troop in formed and loose units. He can begin play as a member of a legion, mercenary’s guild, or other military organization (Judge’s discretion). (This class power is equivalent to one rank of the Manual of Arms proficiency.)

Scaly Hide: The shulassakar Flamekeeper’s scaly hide grants them natural +1 to AC. This stacks with any armor worn or other bonuses.

Sense Evil: The flamekeeper can detect creatures with evil intentions, magic items with evil enchantments, sinkholes of evil, enchanted creatures of Chaotic alignment, incarnations of Chaotic alignment, and undead within 30’. Other types of creatures, even if Chaotic, are not detected unless they have actively evil intentions against the flamekeeper. Poisons, physical traps, and natural animals are neither good nor evil, so they are not detected by this spell. The flamekeeper sees the evil creatures or objects with a sinister red glow around them, but the glow cannot be seen by anyone else. The flamekeeper must have line of sight on the evil (e.g. the power does not work through walls). If the creature or object is hidden or invisible, the flamekeeper will only see the glow and not the source of the evil. Sensing evil requires one full round of quiet concentration to activate. The effect lasts as long as the flamekeeper continues to concentrate, to a maximum of one round per level. The effect can be used once per turn (10 minutes). (This class power is the equivalent of the Sensing Evil proficiency.)

Additional Class Powers

Divine Magic (2^nd): As devotees of the Binding Flame, the Flamekeeper gains the ability to cast divine spells. However, they spend more time honing their combat skills than they do in prayerful devotion, so their spellcasting ability is less than that of a cleric. The flamekeeper’s caster level, and the number and levels of spells the character can cast in a single day, are listed on the Flamekeeper Spell Progression table. The flamekeeper’s repertoire of spells is a fixed list, defined below.

Rebuke Undead (2^nd): Flamekeepers can invoke the power of the Flame-Which-Binds to rebuke undead as a cleric of their caster level.

Minor Magical Research (7^th): The flamekeeper can scribe scrolls and brew potions.

Fire Temple (9^th): At 9^th level, the flamekeeper can construct or inherit a fire temple, and begin to attract 5d6 x 10 0^th level worshippers of the Flame-Which-Binds, as well as 1d6 1^st to 3^rd level clerics or flamekeepers of the same faith. They are completely loyal (+4 morale) so long as the character remains devoted to his faith, and while these followers must be provided food and lodging while in the character’s service, they need not be paid wages. The fire temple is otherwise similar to the cleric’s fortified church, as described in Campaigns.

Code Of Behavior

In order to use spells and rebuke undead, a flamekeeper must uphold the strictures of his order:

• The flamekeeper must always display the holy symbol of this order somewhere on his person when in public.

• The flamekeeper must offer weekly prayers while tending an open flame. The flame must not go out for one hour (6 turns) while the prayers are performed.

• The flamekeeper must oppose evil in all its forms, according to the Hierarchy of Evil:

  • Entities of alien evil, such as fiends and monstrosities from other planes of existence.

  • Entities of unnatural evil, such as undead and lycanthropes, that are twisted by malevolent forces.

  • Entities of innate evil, such as medusae, hags, and other monsters

  • Those who choose evil

  • The evil within

If a flamekeeper ever violates the strictures of his faith, the Binding Flame might impose penalties upon him. These penalties are entirely up to the Judge. The usual penalty is disfavor (see Conditions), but might include penalties to turning throws, a reduction in spells available, or even a loss of all cleric powers altogether. To remove the penalties, the flamekeeper will have to atone for his violation by, e.g., sacrificing treasure, undertaking quests, or even receiving an atonement spell from a powerful caster of his order (Judge’s discretion).

Sometimes a flamekeeper might grossly violate his strictures and yet seemingly suffer no punishment at all. However, in this case, what has actually occurred is that the flamekeeper has unknowingly become aligned with a new deity that is better suited to his actions. After 1d4 weeks, the flamekeeper will learn (through dreams and omens) the identity of his new deity and their new strictures. It is up to the flamekeeper to decide at that time whether to seek atonement with the Binding Flame, or to accept his new faith (which might require, among other things, an alignment change).

Shulassakar Flamekeeper Divine Spell Repertoire

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
Bane-Rune trn	Saving Grace pro	Dispel Magic pro	Angelic Aura dth	Fiery Pillar bst, elm(fire)
Cure Light Injury* hea	Energy Protection elm (any), pro	Holy Circle, Sustained* pro	Energy Invulnerability elm(any), pro	Sword of Fire elm(fire), eso, trn
Holy Circle* pro	Holy Blessing* eso, pro	Holy Prayer mov	Inspire Awe* enc	Strength of Mind* pro
Illumination* eso	Shimmer pro	Illumination, Perpetual* eso	Physical Invulnerability pro	Turn to Dust dth
Sanctuary eso, pro	Swift Sword mov	Winged Flight trn	Tongues det, eso	Vigor trn

Racial Traits

Antivenom: Shulassakar of the transcendent and flametouched castes are immune to mundane poisonous damage and automatically succeeds on saving throws against any poisons except those that cause instant death. They are resistant to extraordinary poisonous damage and gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against poisons with the effect of instant death. Additionally, the character can cast neutralize poison once per week.

Private Tongue: Shulassakar have a private language of hisses and body motions that is difficult for other races to hear or even recognize as speech.

Serpentine Visage: As a “flametouched” shulassakar, the flamekeeper’s snakelike features are disconcerting to most humanoids. The character suffers a -2 penalty to reaction rolls with most humanoids but instead receives a +2 bonus to reaction rolls with devotees of the Binding Flame, snakes, and many birds.

Spell Abilities: All shulassakar can cast remove fear once per hour, and bewitch beast once per 8 hours, as the spells of the same name, without expending any spell slots or having the spells in a repertoire.

Snakeform: A shulassakar can shapechange into the form of a silvery, feathered pit-viper once per day per character level. Note that changing back also consumes a use of this ability, so a 1^st level character must wait one day before changing back!

Class Proficiencies

Proficiency Progression: At 1^st level, flamekeepers select one class proficiency from their class proficiency list and one general proficiency from the general proficiency list. They select an additional class proficiency at 3^rd, 6^th, 9^th, and 12^th level. They select an additional general proficiency at 5^th, and 9^th level.

Shulassakar Flamekeeper Proficiency List: Alertness, Battle Magic, Blind Fighting, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (force back, incapacitate, overrun, sunder), Command, Contortionism, Diplomacy, Divine Blessing, Dungeonbashing Expertise, Endurance, Fighting Style Specialization, Healing, Illusion Resistance, Laying on Hands, Leadership, Manual of Arms, Martial Training, Military Strategy, Mystic Aura, Naturalism, Riding, Righteous Rebuke, Running, Syncretism, Theology, Weapon Focus

Flamekeeper Templates

3d6 Roll	Template	Proficiencies	Starting Equipment
3 – 4	Apostate	Syncretism Naturalism	Threadbare tunic and pants, leather belt, low sandals, sword, wood-carved holy symbol, small sack, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin, tinderbox, 6 torches (enc. 2 5/6 stone)
5 – 6	Scout	Alertness Survival	Rugged tunic and pants, leather cloak, embossed leather belt, high boots, short sword, animal bone holy symbol, leather armor, large sack, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin, tinderbox, 12 torches (enc. 5 5/6 stone)
7 – 8	Exhibitionist	Contortionism Performance (dance)	Leather loincloth, simple cloak, high boots, two-handed sword, holy symbol, leather armor, backpack, 1 week’s iron rations , waterskin, tinderbox, 6 torches, amphora of snake oil (10 gp), manacles, 2gp (enc. 6 stone)
9 – 10	Physician	Divine Blessing Healing	Simple white robe, traveler’s cloak, leather belt, high boots, diamond-headed mace, holy symbol, leather armor, wooden shield, backpack, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin, tinderbox, 6 torches, 1 lb comfrey, 1 lb horsetail, 4gp (enc. 6 1/6 stone)
11 – 12	Firebrand	Righteous Rebuke Theology	Well-kept tunic and pants, leather cloak, embossed leather belt, low sandals, spiked morning star, long bow, quiver with 20 arrows, holy symbol, banded plate armor embossed with Flame symbol, backpack, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin, tinderbox, lantern, 1 pint common oil (enc. 10 stone)
13 – 14	Charmer	Mystic Aura Bribery	Brightly colored tunic and pants, embossed leather belt, high boots, 2 sinuously curved short swords, long bow, quiver with 20 arrows, holy symbol, banded plate armor, backpack, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin, tinderbox, 5 tallow candles, multicolored feathered headdress (15 gp), 12gp (enc. 9 1/6 stone)
15 – 16	Commander	[[Fighting Style Specialization	Fighting Style Spec.]] (two-handed) Manual of Arms 2
17 – 18	Templar	Command Riding	Templar’s tunic and pants, embossed leather belt, low boots, sinuously curved two-handed sword, holy symbol, polished plate armor, backpack, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin, medium riding horse, riding saddle and tack, saddlebag, 10gp (enc. 9 3/6 stone or 8 3/6 stone with rations on horse)

Prime Requisite:	DEX and WIL
Requirements:	STR 9 CON 9 CHA 9
Hit Dice:	1d6
Maximum Level:	12