Weapon-Sworn

The weapon-sworn cleric believes devotion comes through the study and use of his deity’s favored weapon. This does not necessarily include violence, since many weapon-sworn achieve a meditative clarity through martial exercises. A few weaponsworn, especially those of evil deities, find dogmatic expression in the expert cut and the perfect kill. These weapon-sworn live to fight, especially by participating in duels against other weapon experts.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A weapon-sworn cleric is proficient only in his deity’s favored weapon as well as light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).

Single-Minded

The weapon-sworn cleric devotes his time to the study of his deity’s weapon. He may select one domain. However, the weapon-sworn does not gain domain spells or spellcasting abilities, does not have a caster level, and cannot use spell trigger or spell completion magic items.

Favored Weapon (Ex)

The skill with which a weapon-sworn wields his deity’s favored weapon makes him deadly in its use.

When wielding his deity’s favored weapon, the weapon-sworn uses his cleric level as his base attack bonus. This also applies to his CMB and CMD when making or defending against combat maneuvers involving the weapon (such as disarm or sunder).

Martial Expert (Ex)

The weapon-sworn studies the ways of combat. He gains bonus combat feats as a fighter equal to his cleric level.

He may take any combat feat with fighter as a prerequisite as long as he is high enough level and meets the feat’s other prerequisites. For purposes of BAB, use the weapon-sworn’s cleric level as his BAB. The weapon-sworn can use only feats that apply to the use of a weapon, such as Improved Critical or Blinding Critical, when wielding his deity’s weapon.

Divine Weapon Training (Ex)

Starting at 5th level, as a standard action, a weapon-sworn can focus divine energy into his deity’s weapon for 1 minute per cleric level. This grants the weapon a +1 enhancement bonus.

For every 3 cleric levels beyond 5th, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level.

These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon bonuses to a maximum of +5, or they can be used to add five of the following weapon properties:

axiomatic, chaotic, disruption, flaming, flaming burst, frost, holy, icy burst, keen, shock, shocking burst, unholy, and wounding.

A weapon-sworn cannot enhance his weapon with a property based on an alignment contrary to his own or his deity’s alignment. All other enhancements are also subject to the GM’s permission. Once chosen, they cannot be changed. Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s cost.

These bonuses are added to any properties the weapon already has, but duplicate abilities do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. The bonus and properties granted are determined when the ability is activated and cannot be changed until another activation. The divine energy imparts no bonuses if the weapon is held by anyone other than the weapon-sworn but resumes giving bonuses if returned to him.

These bonuses apply to only one end of a double weapon.

A cleric can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every 4 levels beyond 5th, to a total of four times per day at 17th level.

If a weapon infused with divine energy is destroyed, the weapon-sworn cleric loses the use of this ability for thirty days, or until he gains a level, whichever comes first. During this thirty-day period, the cleric takes a –1 penalty to attack rolls and weapon damage rolls.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Divine Favor: the Cleric. Author: Stefen Styrsky Copyright 2011, Open Design LLC, www.koboldquarterly.com.

scroll to top