Zaharan Ruinguard

**Zaharan Ruinguard**

Prime Requisites: STR, INT

Requirements: STR 9, INT 9, WIS 9, CHA 9

Hit Dice: d6

Maximum Level: 12

*excerpt from* Adventurer, Conqueror, King System Player's Companion, *page 52:*

"The hobbled eunuch-seers and iron-bound tomes of the great Zaharan libraries were too burdensome to carry away and hide from the wrathful judgment of Law as it descended upon crumbling Zahar. The ruinguards mastered arcane bindings to focus the dark chthonic secrets of a dying empire within a receptacle they knew they would always have at hand – their very weapons.

Each ruinguard is a master of their own fate; an individual conduit to the knowledge of chaos and the chthonic powers spread across the void. Whether they carry such power within them and focus it upon the weapon they wield, or whether the weapon itself holds the chthonic power and they merely call it forth to do battle, even the ruinguard does not truly know. Ruinguards typically adventure to accumulate power, skill, and allies in order to dominate more and more around them – some even harbor dreams of rebuilding an empire. Others resist succumbing completely to the chaos that constantly seeks to consume them. This rarer breed of ruinguard seeks adventure to quell the wanderlust within themselves and find camaraderie and kinship amongst those adventurers who also choose to wander dark roads and distant lands."

**Weapons and Armor:** Ruinguards are brutal combatants who rarely show mercy. The chthonic powers a ruinguard channels revel in the chaos and brutality of face-to-face combat, and frown upon weapons
and attacks which draw blood from a distance. A ruinguard may only fight with the following weapons: sword, two-handed sword, battle axe, great axe, flail, and whip. They are trained to fight wielding a weapon and
shield and wielding a two-handed weapon. They may wear any armor, and generally favor the heaviest available.

**Racial Features:**

* **Ancient Pacts**: In elder days, the lords of Zahar ensorcelled the dark powers of the world in pacts
of service and obedience. Some creatures still remember these pacts and will aid Zaharans when
commanded. All Zaharans gain a +2 bonus to reaction rolls when encountering intelligent chaotic
monsters. Intelligent chaotic monsters suffer a -2 penalty to saving throws against any charm spells
cast by a Zaharan.

* **Zaharan Tongues:** All Zaharans speak four bonus languages: Ancient Zaharan, Goblin, Orc, and
Kylarian.

* **Inexorable**: Zaharans are unflinching in the face of horrors that terrify normal men. The character is
immune to all natural and magical fear effects.
* **Dark Soul:** The grim embrace of death holds special perils for Zaharan characters. Whenever a deceased Zaharan rolls on the Tampering With Mortality table, they suffer a penalty on the 1d20 roll of -1 per level of experience.

* **After the Flesh:** Through undeath, the black sorcerers of Zahar can grow stronger. If transformed
into intelligent undead, they retain their racial powers and any class abilities.

**Class Features:**

* **1st Level: Cleave -** one attempt per round, per level.

* **1st Level: Dark Blessing -** Zaharan ruinguards receive a +2 bonus to all saving throws. This has been factored into the saving throw progression chart below.
* **1st Level: Quickening -** Zaharan ruinguards receive a +1 bonus on initiative checks and surprise checks.
* **1st Level: Weapon Focus -** Ruinguards choose a specific weapon type (battle axes/great axes, flails, swords/two-handed swords, or whips) and will inflict double dice damage on a "natural 20" hit with that specific class of weapon. The selection may not be changed at any point, but the weapon focus proficiency may be selected for additional weapon types.

* **2nd Level: Learn and Cast Arcane Spells**
* **2nd Level: Arcane Striking -** When the ruinguard successfully strikes a target with a melee attack, he can expend one of his daily spell slots to increase damage. Damage is increased by 1d6 per level of the spell slot expended.

* **4th Level: Death Healing -** When the ruinguard successfully slays a sentient creature with a melee attack, he can, in lieu of cleaving, expend a spell slot to heal himself. Healing is 1d6 per level of the spell slot expended, to a maximum value equal to the slain victim’s maximum (starting) hit points.
* **5th Level: Dark Charisma -** Any chaotic characters or monsters in the ruinguard’s service gain a +1 bonus to their morale score whenever he personally leads them. The bonus stacks with any modifiers from the ruinguard’s Charisma or proficiencies.

* **7th Level: Research Spells, Scribe Magical Scrolls,** and **Brew Potions**
* **9th Level: Spell Storing -** When a ruinguard casts a spell that would normally target a creature, he may instead cast it into his melee weapon, where it remains stored until discharged. The effect will discharge onto the next creature the ruinguard strikes with the weapon, resulting in both melee damage and the
normal effects of the spell. The ruinguard may only store one spell at a time, and the spell will discharge harmlessly if not used in 1 turn, if the weapon is sundered, or if the ruinguard loses his grip on the weapon. *A ruinguard with sufficient spell slots can combine spell storing, death healing, and arcane striking.*
* **9th Level: Construct Dark Fortress -**
* **12th Level: Craft Permanent Magical Items**

**Zaharan Ruinguard Level Progression**

Bonus
 3850
 7700
 15400
 30800
 61600
 125000
 250000
 425000
 600000
 775000
 950000

**Zaharan Ruinguard Arcane Spell Progression**

 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
 10
 11
 12

**Zaharan Ruinguard Saving Throw Progression**

Paralysis
Death
Breath
Wands
 2-3
 4
 5-6
 7
 8-9
 10
 11-12

**Zaharan Ruinguard Class Proficiencies** (select one at 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th levels):

Alertness, Ambushing, Battle Magic, Berserkergang, Black Lore of Zahar, Blind Fighting, Combat Trickery (force back, knock down, overrun, sunder), Command, Dungeon Bashing, Elementalism, Familiar, Fighting Style, Intimidation, Hedge Wizardry, Kin-Slaying, Leadership, Manual of Arms, Military Strategy, Mystic Aura, Sensing Good, Sensing Power, Siege Engineering, Skirmishing, Theology, Unflappable Casting, Wakefulness, Weapon Focus