The CourtierNOTE: This class is made as a core class, playable from level one. But it will probably be more useful for NPC’s than for PC’s. However, an effort has been made to make this class playable at about the same level of capability as the standard classes, making it something that may interest players. This is just the first draft, and if it’s perfectly playable as is, I will be as shocked as anyone.
In the courts of kings and barons, magi and prelates, and in senates and forums around the world, educated ladies and gentlemen facilitate courtly life by acting as advisors, diplomats, artisans and entertainers. Some expand their influence in courtly life by traveling the world, often in service to some lord or leader, but just as often dispensing their expertise to whoever can increase their own value just by being around them.
Adventures: A courtier may adventure at the will of the lord he serves. He may be sent to travel to foreign lands to open contacts with the nobility of that land or just learn a thing or two about the place that interests his lord.
Or he may travel freely, collecting his own experience that increases his influence in the social circles that he travels in. In time, the courtier may gain enough influence that he becomes the voice and arm of the one he serves, or maybe even a lord himself.
Characteristics: Courtiers are very similar to bards in several ways. They travel and adventure for the sheer experience and to learn about things they never could by staying in the castle. Their primary focus is in dealing with others by wit rather than with weapons.
But the courtier is at an utter lack of supernatural abilities, other than a certain knack at staying out of harms way when the chips are down. Instead, the courtier is forced to rely more on his skills, influence, and his not inconsiderable combat ability.
Alignment: Courtiers may be of any alignment, though since they thrive in a courtly setting, at least an appearance of lawfulness is necessary.
Religion: (Greyhawk): Courtiers across Oerth follow a variety of deities according to their own conscience. Both St. Cuthbert and Oldammara are common, depending on whether the courtier serves because he believes in upholding the law, or for his own personal interests. Fharlanghn is common as the god of travelers also. Boccob, Corellon, Garl Glittergold, and Pelor are not uncommon as well.
Religion: (Edyleine, my own game world): Courtiers across Edyleine follow a variety of deities according to their own conscience. Lharis is quite common, as she governs both luck and travel. Gondovor, representing justice and government is common as well. Courtiers may in fact be in service to a temple of some other god. Courtiers that serve demon lords are not unheard of, Arucabel the Deceiver being the most common.
Races: Any race that values education in the court as well as or rather than simple military prowess, magical ability, or entertainment value can have courtiers. Human courtiers are the most common, but elven and gnomish courts sport a good number of courtiers as well. Dwarven courts tend to be served by their military class, but courtiers among them are not unheard of. Half-elf courtiers are not uncommon, often serving as liaisons between human and elven cultures. Aside from this, half-elves are less inclined to grow strong attachments to any one area, making them ideal as a traveling courtier. Half-orc courtiers are quite uncommon aside from those who serve orcish or other monstrous leaders. Exceptions do occur. Halflings rarely have courts, but they may serve with other races.
Classes: Courtiers regard bards rather well, as their roles and attitudes coincide nicely. But in adventuring situations, courtiers would rather have the backup of a good solid fighter-mage-rogue-priest adventuring party. Rogues are especially useful, but courtiers are wary of being around them, both for the safety of themselves and their property, and the damage to their influence if they were caught with them. A great many courtiers find it advantageous to multiclass, expanding their own capabilities and enhancing their usefulness and influence.
LevelBABFSRSWSSpecial
1+0+0+2+2Influence +1
2+1+0+3+3Quick or Clever 1/day
3+2+1+3+3
4+3+1+4+4Influence +2, Quick or Clever 2/day
5+3+1+4+4Going Native
6+4+2+5+5Quick or Clever 3/day
7+5+2+5+5Influence +3
8+6/+1+2+6+6Quick or Clever 4/day
9+6/+1+3+6+6
10+7/+2+3+7+7Influence +4, Quick or Clever5/day
11+8/+3+3+7+7
12+9/+4+4+8+8Quick or Clever 6/day
13+9/+4+4+8+8Influence +5
14+10/+5+4+9+9Quick or Clever 7/day
15+11/+6/+1+5+9+9
16+12/+7/+2+5+10+10Influence +6 Quick or Clever8/day
17+12/+7/+2+5+10+10
18+13/+8/+3+6+11+11Quick or Clever 9/day
19+14/+9/+4+6+11+11Influence +7
20+15/+10/+5+6+12+12Quick or Clever 10/day
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Courtiers have the following game statistics.
Abilities: A courtier relies strongly on his skills, and a lot of his skills are based on his Charisma. Charisma also affects his influence, and is therefore his most valued ability. Intelligence is also important for the number of skills he may learn.
Alignment: Any
Hit Dice: D8
Class Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disguise, Forgery, Gather Information, Hide, Innuendo, Knowledge (any), Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Profession, Read Lips, Ride, Sense Motive, Speak Language,
Skill points at first level: (4+Int modifier) x 4.
Skill points at each additional level: 4+Int modifier.
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Simple weapons, three martial weapons, light and medium armor and shield.
Influence: By his own reputation and the reputations of those he knows, the courtier may influence NPC’s that he comes into contact with. Apply the courtier’s influence bonus to any Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Perform checks he makes, and also add this number to reaction rolls made by characters and creatures aware of the courtier’s influence. This influence bonus may be used a number of times per day equal to the character’s Influence plus his Charisma modifiers.
Quick or Clever: A courtier may face many dangers in his travels, few of which he chooses to face head on. The courtier has developed an uncanny knack at avoiding those occasions when a saving throw is necessary. A courtier may automatically declare a successful save as soon as the DM requires that he make one, without having to make the roll. He may not declare Quick or Clever for a save that has already failed! He may do this a number of times per day as indicated on the above chart. Other characters may attribute this to a lack of courage.
Going Native: In the courtier’s travels, he has gotten enough knowledge about a specific location that he is able to apply what he knows about that locale to enrich his own life. What this amounts to is this: the courtier is able to learn skills, feats, exotic weapons, and even prestige classes normally limited to natives of that locale provided he meets with all other requirements for that which is being learned. In addition, he learns the spoken and written language of that locale for free.
This class has been created as Open Game Content for a project of mine that I hope to publish. If you like it, feel free to use it. Just give me (Michael Lee Viviano) a little bit of credit for it and let me know so I can go around with a big snarky grin because someone actually liked it that much. More formal declarations of license and such will be published upon commercial sale of my project and consultation with an attorney. If I live to see it done in my lifetime.
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