The Restive Knight
Summer is here! And has been for quite some time. As such, we felt it was high time for a Summer Week—a weeklong celebration of everyone’s favorite season (unless you like one of the other three). For me, summer has always been about three things: sunshine, relaxation, and barbeques. Today’s new archetype is devoted to my favorite of those things: relaxation.
The restive knight is a different kind of fighter, and though she isn't actually lazy or slovenly (as that wouldn’t have been much fun), this warrior specializes in fighting nonlethally and trying to get her friends and foes alike to stop killing each other and just chill out.
New Paladin Archetype
Restive Knight
The restive knight is a warrior devoted to the ideal of peaceful relaxation and ending conflict without ending lives. She prefers talking to fighting, but is more than capable of holding her own. While many are sworn to pacifism, others simply prefer not to hurt people they feel could be redeemed, and have no actual oaths or doctrines which ban them from violence. Generally, restive knights are tolerant and peaceful individuals who spend their days protecting the quiet life they wish for themselves and for others.
Resolution Strike (Su): Once per day, a restive knight can designate a single attack she makes as a resolution strike. This attack automatically hits and always deals nonlethal damage. The restive knight must still make an attack roll to see if the resulting attack is a critical hit and must make any separate confirmation roll at the normal bonus. A resolution strike deals an additional 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per level. Additionally, the target must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the restive knight’s level + the restive knight’s Charisma modifier) or lose the willingness to fight for a number of minutes equal to the restive knight’s Charisma modifier. During that time, the target cannot attack or take any hostile action, including casting a spell or using an extraordinary, spell-like, or supernatural ability which deals damage or requires a saving throw denoted as other than harmless. If the target is attacked by the restive knight or her allies, the effect automatically ends. At 4th level, and every 3 levels thereafter, the restive knight may use this ability an additional time per day. However, the restive knight cannot use this ability against the same creature twice in a 24-hour period.
This ability replaces the smite evil class feature.
Aura of Calm (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a restive knight projects a potent aura of calm and relaxation, which fills friends and foes alike with an overwhelming desire to put their weapons aside. The restive knight gains immunity to all emotion effects. Additionally, the restive knight and all creatures within 10 feet of her suffer a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, except those made to deal nonlethal damage.
This ability replaces the aura of courage class feature.
Deep Relaxation (Su): Beginning at 11th level, a restive knight enters a state of deeper relaxation, freeing her from the stress of the world around her and allowing her to see with perfect clarity and direct her energy in the most ideal way. As an immediate action, the restive knight can expend one use of her resolution strike class feature in order to dodge any attack made against her, causing the attack to automatically miss her. She can also use this ability in order to automatically succeed at a saving throw. The restive knight must declare that she is using this ability before the result of the attack roll is known, or before she makes her saving throw, respectively.
This ability replaces the aura of justice class feature.
Aura of Relaxation (Su): Beginning at 14th level, a restive knight is surrounded by a field of peaceful and relaxing energy, which enhances her ability to end conflicts without the use of lethal force. The restive knight may choose to have any damage she deals, including damage from a weapon, weapon special ability, or spell, be nonlethal damage instead of its regular type, and she never suffers any penalty for using a weapon to deal nonlethal damage. Additionally, whenever the restive knight or one of her allies within 10 feet deals nonlethal damage with a weapon, they treat that attack as though it had been made with a good-aligned weapon for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
This ability replaces the aura of faith class feature.
Perfect Relaxation (Su): At 20th level, the restive knight can recover all her wounds and ailments by taking a short, meditative nap. Once per day, the restive knight can sleep for 1 minute in order to gain the benefits of a heal spell, except that she recovers a number of hit points equal to her maximum hit points. The restive knight can use this ability 3 times per day.
This ability replaces the holy champion class feature.