Honor, justice, and valor—while many righteous folk believe in these things, a select group of champions live and breathe them. It is in their blood and constantly at the forefront of their thoughts. The teachings of this once small, exclusive group of knights have inspired others, and now heroes all across the world take up swords in the name of these ideals. Most crusaders spend their time advancing the cause of the downtrodden, freeing the oppressed from tyranny and injustice, or helping the timid rise up in the face of evil, though their powers also make them suited for hunting down criminals, breaking the mental shackles of brainwashing and witchcraft, and destroying monsters that pierce the bravest hearts with fear.

Crusaders may work alone, with others of their kind, or with other clerics and paladins of good gods. They tend to be rigorous in their discipline and have little tolerance for “heroes” who don’t believe in at least one of the four ideals of their order.

Class Details

Hit Die: d10*

Requirements

To qualify to become an Inheritor’s crusader, a character must fulfill the following criteria:

• Alignment: Lawful good.
• Deity: Must worship a good god.
• Feats: Iron Will.
• Skills: Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks, Sense Motive 5 ranks.
• Special: Proficient in longsword, channel positive energy.

Class Skills*

The Inheritor's crusader's class skills (and the key ability for each) are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Sense Motive (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.*

Table: Inheritor's Crusader

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
1st	+1	+1	+0	+1	Champion of honor, aura of great courage	+1 level of cleric or paladin
2nd	+2	+1	+1	+1	Destroyer of tyranny	+1 level of cleric or paladin
3rd	+3	+2	+1	+2	Sword against injustice	+1 level of cleric or paladin

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Inheritor's crusader prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Inheritor’s crusaders gain no additional proficiency in weapons or armor.

Spells per Day

At each level, the crusader gains new spells per day as if he had gained a level in cleric or paladin (depending on whether he has cleric or paladin levels). He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If the crusader has levels in cleric and paladin, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.

Champion of Honor

An Inheritor’s crusader follows a code of conduct identical to that of a paladin, with the same penalties. A crusader’s class levels stack with paladin class levels for the purpose of determining the effects of the paladin’s smite evil ability.

Aura of Great Courage (Su)

At 1st level, the crusader gains an aura of courage equivalent to that of a 3rd-level paladin. If the crusader already has this ability, the aura’s range increases to 20 feet.

Destroyer of Tyranny (Su)

At 2nd level, a crusader can shatter the oppressive influence of others. Any creature targeted by a crusader’s channel positive energy ability or lay on hands gains a new saving throw against any ongoing charm or compulsion effect upon him. At the GM’s discretion, this can also allow the target a new saving throw against effects brought on by the power of belief, intimidation, or trickery, even if not actually a charm or compulsion.

A crusader under one of these effects can expend a use of channel energy or lay on hands to attempt another saving throw against the effect; he can do this once per round as a swift action, and may use this ability even if doing so is contrary to the charm or compulsion effect; for example, a crusader charmed to defend an enemy against his own allies can use this ability to break the effect and turn on the enemy who charmed him. The crusader may indirectly benefit from this ability; for example, if the aforementioned enemy asks the crusader to heal him with channel energy, all creatures in the area (including the crusader) may attempt new saving throws against the controlling effects.

Sword Against Injustice (Su)

At 3rd level, a crusader may use his power to judge the guilty and absolve the innocent. As a standard action he may announce he is bringing divine judgment upon a target who is accused of a crime, lie, or other affront to justice; the crusader makes a melee attack with his sword against the target as part of this judgment. If the target is innocent of what he is accused, the attack stops just short of striking him, as if hitting an invisible wall; if the target is guilty, the attack automatically hits with a flash of white light.

This attack requires no attack roll and cannot critically hit. If the target is protected by an effect that inhibits divinations (such as mind blank), the attack bounces off the target with an unpleasant metallic hiss, like quenching a red-hot blade in water. The crusader may use this ability once per day; each additional use beyond the first drains him, causing him to become fatigued. He cannot use this class ability if he is exhausted. He may expend a use of channel energy or lay on hands while activating this ability to prevent fatigue. Sometimes people wrongly accused of great crimes beg for the intercession of an Inheritor’s crusader, knowing this power will exonerate them.