Aurelian Justiciar, Variant Paladin
The Justiciar, Variant Paladin
Paladins who have a more martial bent and more desire to exact justice than to help the innocent or needy quickly adopt the path of the justiciar, a paladin tradition that emphasizes the destruction of evil and enforcement of laws instead of general good deeds. While justiciars develop a few of the benevolent powers of healing and protection that other paladins wield, they lack many others and instead develop better talents for investigation, tracking down criminals, finding the truth of any case, and smiting evildoers. Justiciars spend less time praying or appeasing the divine, and on helping other people with their problems, unless those problems can be solved with brute force.
Instead they spend a lot of time on combat training, making themselves tougher and more skilled in battle. The justiciars have slightly fewer spells than other paladins, but learn more divinations and enchantments, plus they develop more willpower to resist mental influences. Justicars are the rarest of paladins, since most folk who possess such a strong drive to crush their enemies lack the self-control and virtue needed to follow the paladin's path. A justiciar often serves as an inquisitor, an agent of the church, a deputy, and sometimes a lawyer, given his or her significant study of laws.
Races: The rare justiciars are found most often among dwarf, korobokuru, aasimar, zenythri, endari, azer, and celestial archon paladins. Many of these folk can temper their anger or hatred with justice in mind, and remain noble in heart and deed. Human, aquari, half-elf, half-orc, firagi, githzerai, githrani, and cloud giant justiciars are more rare. Basranni human justiciars comprise the Brotherhood of the Blistering Divine Wind, a feared and respected group of law-enforcers that roam Basranni territories and mete out justice to bandits, thieves, and monsters. Lirenos human justiciars are usually part of the greater Lirenos paladin Order of the Rose, members of which are treated as knights (and call themselves such) within countries of Lirenos influence.
Zevach justiciars are brought into the Just and Valiant Arm of the People's Will (whose members are called valiants), a brotherhood of roaming enforcers who serve lawfully as judge, jury, and executioner among Zevach human lands, as well as proactively defending the people against monstrous threats. Mitajji justiciars belong to the Seventh Sacred Order of Divine Law, and they are known as sacred guardians. Thesskan human justiciars almost always belong to a knightly order of some sort, but there is no unified justiciar order among them, and they are often part of the same orders as other Thesskan paladins. There are no other organized groups of human justiciars.
Other races with paladins among them only very rarely have justiciars, except for the rare orc and centaur paladins. Nearly all half-orc, endari, firagi, githrani, zenythri, orc, and centaur paladins are justiciars, though paladins are few among these races. Firagi justiciars are part of their Warrior Caste, and of the very small Protector Subcaste that all firagi paladins belong to (at least among the tribes). Endari justiciars are usually part of the Ministry of Sacred Judgment in the Adjudicator Caste, or the Order of Ultimate Law in the Guardian Caste, of the Endari Republic. They are the most highly respected members of endari society, upholding their civilization's many and all-important laws while displaying the virtues of temperance and honor, serving the good of the people as well as the greater good of civilization.
Other Classes: Justiciars work best alongside other justiciars and like-minded fighters, samurai, rangers, sohei, psychic warriors, or monks. Fellow paladins are accepted for the most part, but justiciars will often point out the slightest flaws, dilemmas, and weaknesses of their less disciplined fellows, and often look down on other paladins a bit. A justiciar will be wary around psychic warriors and monks in most cases, but recognizes that at least most of their abilities are not for subterfuge, mind control, or lawbreaking.
Psions, wizards, sorcerers, wu jen, and bards are especially suspect, and a justiciar will have great difficulty trusting them. They will be carefully watched for suspicious activity and the justiciar will see it as his duty to make certain they know what is and isn't acceptable. Shugenja, shamans, clerics, and druids will be similarly treated if they are not of a faith the justiciar deems honorable and just, while those of acceptable faiths will be treated respectfully but dutifully reminded of any laws or divine edicts they may have forgotten, firmly but respectfully informed of any slips in their behavior or failings in their adherance to dogma and doctrine.
Neutral or chaotic priests will be urged to convert or at least observe honorable conduct in civilized places. Chaotic warriors will often be rebuked by the justiciar for thier impulsive, deceitful, or anarchic behavior. Rogues are hardly ever trusted by justiciars and will be monitored at least as much as arcane casters, lectured or punished as much or more than any chaotic warriors, and generally treated with distaste. Bards will often be treated similarly. Only a rare few bards and rogues will earn some measure of trust from a justiciar.
Game Rule Information
Justiciars have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma increases the justiciar’s truth-detection magic, smiting power, and undead turning. Strength is very important for a justiciar because of its role in combat. A Wisdom score of 14 or higher is required to get access to the most powerful justiciar spells, and a score of 11 or higher is required to cast any justiciar spells at all. Justiciars have more use for Wisdom than other paladins, to boost their spell save DCs and their perceptual skills for finding criminals, while Charisma is slightly less important for them. Since justiciars do more fighting than other paladins, who would spend more time healing and casting spells, Constitution has greater importance for justiciars than it does for other paladins. Intelligence is of some good to a justiciar, but not as important as Wisdom or Charisma. Most justiciars develop at least above-average Wisdom, Charisma, and Constitution, emphasizing Strength most of all.
Alignment: Lawful Good.
Hit Die: d12.
Class Skills
The justiciar’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (outsider lore) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (undead lore) (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the justiciar.
[sblock]
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A justiciar is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all armors, and shields.
Required Ranks: Justiciars must learn the law in order to enforce it, whether it is national or sacred law. At each level in this class, the justiciar must spend at least 1 skill point on Knowledge (local) or Knowledge (religion). If beginning as a justiciar at your 1st character level, you must spend at least 2 skill points on each of these skills at 1st-level. Otherwise, your justiciar must obtain at least 2 full ranks in each of these skills, as soon as possible after becoming a justiciar. Ignorance of the law is no excuse to a justiciar.
Spells: Beginning at 5th-level, a justiciar gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, the justiciar must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so a justiciar with a Wisdom of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Justiciar bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a Difficulty Class of 10 + spell level + Wisdom modifier.
When the justiciar gets 0 spells of a given level, such as 0 1st-level spells at 5th-level, the justiciar gets only bonus spells. A justiciar without a bonus spell for that level cannot yet cast a spell of that level. A justiciar has access to any spell on the Justiciar Spell List and can freely choose which to prepare. They get access to a few different spells, however, compared to other paladins. A justiciar prepares and casts spells just as a cleric does (though the justiciar cannot spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells). Through 4th-level, the justiciar has no caster level. Starting at 5th-level, a justiciar’s caster level is one-half his class level. Justiciars do not count as having any spells from this class until 5th-level.
Detect Evil (Sp): A justiciar can
Detect Evil at will, as a spell-like ability. This works exactly like the
Detect Evil spell cast by a cleric of his justiciar level.
Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, a justiciar may attempt to Smite Evil with one normal melee attack. He adds his Charisma modifier (if positive) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per level of justiciar. If the justiciar accidentally smites a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect but it is still used up for the day. The justiciar may attempt to Smite Evil twice per day after reaching 9th-level in this class, then up to three times per day once he has reached 17th-level as a justiciar. Smite Evil is a supernatural ability.
Aura of Courage (Ex/Su): Beginning at 2nd-level, a justiciar is immune to fear (magical or otherwise), as an extraordinary ability. Allies within 10 feet of the justiciar gain a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. Granting the morale bonus to allies is a supernatural ability.
Chase (Ex):Justiciars are good at chasing down criminals, though armor or other gear may slow them down. Even so, a justiciar won't fall too far behind while giving chase, so they may corner criminals in a dead-end alley or other obstacle. As an extraordinary ability, the justiciar of 2nd-level or higher gets an increase of +5 feet to all natural movement speeds they possess (including any gained by shapechanging).
Discern Lies (Sp): A justiciar of 3rd-level or higher can
Discern Lies once per day, as a spell-like ability. This works exactly like a
Discern Lies spell cast by a cleric of the justiciar's class level, though the save DC is Charisma-based since it is a spell-like ability.
Turn Undead (Su): When a justiciar reaches 3rd-level, he gains the supernatural ability to turn and destroy undead. He may use this ability a number of times each day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. He turns undead as per a cleric of his justiciar level -2.
Extra Turning: The justiciar may take the Extra Turning feat, though he won’t gain any benefits from it until he has reached at least 3rd-level in this class. He may take the Extra Turning feat multiple times. The Extra Turning feat allows the justiciar to Turn Undead four more times per day, each time it is taken for this particular turning ability.
Bonus Feats: At 4th-level, the justiciar gets a bonus feat. They gain an additional bonus feat at every third additional level in this class, such as 7th-level and 10th-level. These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list:
Ambidexterity, Blind-Fight (Close-Proximity Blindsight), Close-Quarters Fighting, Combat Reflexes (Dual Strike, Expert Tactician, Hold the Line), Dirty Fighting, Dodge** (Defensive Strike, Karmic Strike, Mobility, Spring Attack, Unfettered Agility), Exotic Weapon Proficiency*, Expertise (Chink in the Armor, Defensive Throw, Evade Sundering, Grappling Block, Improved Disarm, Improved Overrun, Improved Trip, Knock-Down, Snatch Weapon, Superior Expertise, Whirlwind Attack), Eyes in the Back of Your Head, Favored Weapon, Improved Critical* (Power Critical*), Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike (Circle Kick, Clever Wrestling, Deflect Arrows, Eagle Claw Attack, Earth's Embrace, Feign Weakness, Fists of Iron, Flying Kick, Greater Fists of Iron, Improved Grapple, Roundabout Kick, Snatch Arrows), Mounted Combat (Mounted Archery, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, Trample), Phalanx Fighting, Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Manyshot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Sharp-Shooting, Shot on the Run), Power Attack (Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Power Attack, Improved Shield Bash, Improved Sunder, Knock-Back, Power Lunge, Shield Charge, Sunder, Supreme Cleave), Quick Draw, Rapid Reload, Shield Expert, Throw Anything, Toughness** (Greater Toughness, Improved Toughness, Superior Toughness), Two-Weapon Fighting (Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Off-Hand Parry, Pin Shield, Superior Two-Weapon Fighting), Warrior's Toughness, Weapon Finesse*, Weapon Focus* (Monkey Grip*), Zen Archery.
Some of the bonus feats available to a justiciar cannot be acquired until the justiciar has gained one or more prerequisite feats; these feats are listed parenthetically after the prerequisite feat. A justiciar can select feats marked with an asterisk (*) more than once, but it must be for a different weapon each time. A justiciar can select feats marked with two asterisks (**) more than once, but only up to the limits of that feat, if any. A justiciar must still meet all prerequisites for a feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.
Interrogator: The justiciar hones his skills at interrogation and wringing information out of people. They get a +1 competence bonus on Gather Information, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks at 4th-level onward, which improves by +1 at every sixth additional justiciar level.
Special Mount: Upon or after reaching 5th-level, a justiciar can call an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve him in his crusade against evil. This mount is usually a heavy warhorse (for a Medium-sized justiciar) or a warpony (for a Small justiciar). Some justiciars may acquire a more exotic special mount, but this generally requires undertaking a quest. Should the justiciar’s mount die, he may call for another one after a year and a day. The new mount has all the accumulated abilities due a mount of the justiciar’s level, but it need not be the same kind of mount.
Calling a special mount is simply an hour-long prayer, which is answered within 24 hours as a suitable mount finds its way to the justiciar through divine guidance. If a suitable mount is already present, the justiciar's prayer invokes the proper divine blessings upon it. The details of the mount’s abilities are listed below in the section titled The Justiciar's Mount. Note that justiciar special mounts gain Share Might instead of Share Grace, eventually.
Zone of Truth (Sp): A justiciar of 6th-level or higher can project a
Zone of Truth once per day, as a spell-like ability. This works exactly like a
Zone of Truth spell cast by a cleric of the justiciar's class level, though the save DC is Charisma-based since it is a spell-like ability.
Remedy (Sp): Beginning at 8th-level, once per week as a spell-like ability the justiciar can use
Cure Light Wounds, Neutralize Poison, or
Remove Disease. These function as per the spells cast by a cleric of your justiciar level, with any save DCs based on Charisma since
Remedy is a spell-like ability. Using this ability provokes attacks of opportunity. The justiciar can use this ability twice per week after achieving 14th-level, and three times per week at 20th-level.
Powerful Charge (Ex): Justiciars of 11th-level or higher know how to throw more momentum into their charges and make better use of the charge tactic. The justiciar deals bonus damage equal to his or her Strength modifier, if positive, when making a melee attack with the charge or partial charge action. This is in addition to any existing Strength bonuses to damage, and Powerful Charge's benefit is a competence bonus.
Righteous Fury (Su): Once per day, a justiciar of 12th-level or higher may go into a righteous fury, supernaturally bolstering his strength and combat abilities with righteousness. When doing so, the gains a +4 sacred bonus to Strength and a +4 sacred bonus to Armor Class. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the justiciar’s Charisma modifier (if positive). Activating this ability is a free action on your turn.
Turn Fiends: A justiciar of 15th-level or higher turns or destroys outsiders with the Evil subtype in addition to undead, whenever he or she uses the Turn Undead feature of this class. Unlike the cleric's turning ability, this does not treat such outsiders as having Turn Resistance.
Strength at Arms: Justiciars of 18th-level or higher have developed some greater skill at fighting multiple opponents and at fighting prolonged battles with tough opponents. The justiciar receives a +1 bonus on attack rolls with iterative attacks (the extra attacks for high Base Attack Bonus on a full-attack action), and a +1 bonus on damage with such attacks. The damage bonus is multiplied normally on a critical hit, when applicable.
Code of Conduct: A justiciar must be of lawful good alignment and loses all special class abilities (including spells and the special mount, but excluding bonus feats, Chase, Interrogator, Powerful Charge, and Strength at Arms) if he ever willingly commits an act of evil. Additionally, a justiciar’s code requires that he respect legitimate authority, act with honor (not lying, not cheating, not using poison, not attacking defenseless creatures, staying true to his word, etc.), help those who need it (provided the justiciar does not expect that they would use the help for evil or chaotic ends), and punish those that harm or threaten innocents.
Deceptive tactics such as feinting in combat or creating a diversion to hide are fine, but the justiciar must be careful in how he uses the Bluff skill. He cannot attack opponents unawares (they do not need to know where he is, they just need to be aware of his intent to fight them there, before he attacks them). The specifics of a justiciar’s code may differ slightly from one order of justiciars and paladins to another, but these are the restrictions for a typical justiciar. Only deities and powerful spirits may alter the restrictions for their justiciars, and even then the justiciar’s code must conform to a lawful good alignment.
Associates: While he may adventure with characters of any good or neutral alignment, a justiciar will never knowingly associate with evil characters. A justiciar will not continue to associate with someone who consistently offends his moral code. Also, a justiciar may only hire henchmen or accept followers and cohorts who are lawful good.
Ex-Justiciars: A justiciar who ceases to be lawful good, who willfully commits an evil act, or who grossly violates the code of conduct loses all special abilities (excluding bonus feats, Chase, Interrogator, Powerful Charge, and Strength at Arms) and spells, including the service of the justiciar’s special mount. He also may not progress in levels as a justiciar. He regains his abilities if he atones for his violations (see the
Atonement spell), as appropriate, and may resume advancement as a justiciar in that case.
Like a member of any other class, a justiciar may be a multiclass character, but paladins face a special restriction. A justiciar who gains a new class or, if already multiclassed, raises another class by a level may never again raise his justiciar level, though he retains all his justiciar abilities. The path of the justiciar requires a constant heart. Once you undertake the path, you must pursue it to the exclusion of all other careers. Once you have turned off the path, you may never return.
However, there are a few prestige classes that are extensions of the justiciar's path, and which a justiciar may multiclass into without penalty. Such prestige classes note this compatibility in their rules descriptions. Any such prestige class that describes compatibility with the paladin class is also compatible with the justiciar variant paladin.[/sblock]
Code:
[B][COLOR=Red][U][I]The Justiciar:[/I][/U][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Blue]Class Attack Fort. Ref. Will
Level Bonus Save Save Save Special[/COLOR][/B]
1 +1 +2 +0 +2 [I]Detect Evil[/I], Smite Evil 1/day
2 +2 +3 +0 +3 Aura of Courage, Chase
3 +3 +3 +1 +3 [I]Discern Lies[/I], Turn Undead
4 +4 +4 +1 +4 Bonus Feat, Interrogator +1
5 +5 +4 +1 +4 Special Mount
6 +6/+1 +5 +2 +5 [I]Zone of Truth[/I]
7 +7/+2 +5 +2 +5 Bonus Feat
8 +8/+3 +6 +2 +6 [I]Remedy[/I] 1/week
9 +9/+4 +6 +3 +6 Smite Evil 2/day
10 +10/+5 +7 +3 +7 Bonus Feat, Interrogator +2
11 +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +7 Powerful Charge
12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +8 Righteous Fury
13 +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +8 Bonus Feat
14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +9 [I]Remedy[/I] 2/week
15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +9 Turn Fiends
16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +10 Bonus Feat, Interrogator +3
17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 Smite Evil 3/day
18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 Strength at Arms
19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 Bonus Feat
20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12 [I]Remedy[/I] 3/week
Code:
[B][COLOR=Red][U][I]Justiciar Spells Per Day:[/I][/U][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Blue]Class Spells Per Day By Spell Level
Level 1 2 3 4[/COLOR][/B]
1 - - - -
2 - - - -
3 - - - -
4 - - - -
5 0 - - -
6 0 - - -
7 1 - - -
8 1 - - -
9 1 0 - -
10 2 0 - -
11 2 1 - -
12 2 1 - -
13 2 1 0 -
14 2 2 0 -
15 2 2 1 -
16 2 2 1 -
17 2 2 1 0
18 2 2 2 0
19 2 2 2 1
20 2 2 2 2
Justiciar Spell List:
Level 1 - Bless, Bless Water, Bless Weapon, Command, Comprehend Languages, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Chaos, Detect Secret Doors, Detect Undead, Divine Favor, Divine Sacrifice, Doom, Endure Elements, Magic Weapon, Protection from Evil, Read Magic.
Level 2 - Blessed Aim, Cure Moderate Wounds, Curse of the Brute, Discern Lies, Hold Person, Lesser Restoration, Locate Object, Remove Paralysis, Resist Elements, Shield Other, Spiritual Weapon, Zeal, Undetectable Alignment.
Level 3 - Cure Serious Wounds, Dispel Magic, Glyph of Warding, Greater Magic Weapon, Heal Mount, Invisibility Purge, Magic Circle against Evil, Negative Energy Protection, Prayer, Protection from Elements, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Zone of Truth.
Level 4 - Cure Critical Wounds, Death Ward, Dimensional Anchor, Dispel Evil, Holy Sword, Lesser Aspect of the Deity, Locate Creature, Mark of Justice, Remove Curse, Restoration, Weapon of the Deity.
* No custom Aurelian spells have yet been made for the justiciar, but a few will be added later.
The Justiciar's Mount:
[sblock]The justiciar's special mount is different from a standard animal of its type in many ways. The standard kind of special mount for a Medium-sized justiciar is a heavy warhorse, while the standard kind of special mount for a Small justiciar is a warpony. Certain other animals of similar hit dice may also be called as special mounts without difficulty, such as a riding dog, a camel, a giant lizard, a bison, a porpoise, a giant turtle, a leopard, a crocodile, a black bear, a wolf, or a medium shark, though these animals are much less likely to respond to a justiciar's call. Common mounts for even smaller justiciars may be bats, cats, dogs, sea turtles, hawks, owls, eagles, lizards, rats, ravens, weasels, or toads. Common mounts for even larger justiciars may be elephants, giant crocodiles, huge sharks, orca whales, or cachalot whales.
For any kind of mount that is more exotic, such as pegasi, griffins, dragonnes, giant owls, cu sith, cait sith, or other non-animals, the justiciar must undertake some sort of quest to find and befriend such a creature, or simply perform a quest for their church or divine patron to receive such a special mount in return. These are often rather difficult quests. The details of such quests are up to the DM, and if the justiciar cannot manage to acquire a mount in that manner, he or she should consider calling a more typical kind of mount.
The special mount of a justiciar is always Lawful Good in alignment. It must be a Neutral, Neutral Good, Lawful Neutral, or Lawful Good creature beforehand, otherwise it cannot become a justiciar 's special mount. Once it does become their special mount, it becomes Lawful Good. A justiciar's mount is a magical beast, not an animal or beast (though dragon, fey, or outsider special mounts retain their own creature type instead). It is superior to a normal mount of its kind and has special powers, as described below. The special benefits are cumulative; the improved statistics are not (they replace the earlier increases in those statistics from special mount advancement).
Code:
[B][COLOR=Blue]Master's Bonus Natural Str. Int.
Class Level HD Armor Adj. Score Special[/COLOR][/B]
5-7 +2 +2 +1 6 Special mount basics,
improved evasion,
empathic link
8-10 +4 +4 +2 7 Share spells
11-13 +6 +6 +3 8 [I]Command[/I]
14-16 +8 +8 +4 9 Share might
17-19 +10 +10 +5 10 Celestial
20+ +12 +12 +6 11 Bound Immunity
Master's Class Level: This is the level of the justiciar (in that particular class; other class levels or Hit Dice of the justiciar do not count). If the mount suffers a level drain or other level loss, simply treat it as a mount of an equally lower-level justiciar instead, until those levels are restored (if at all).
Hit Dice/Bonus Hit Dice: The mount retains its earlier hit point total, but if its type has changed to magical beast, it gains future hit points as per a magical beast. Magical beast Hit Dice are d10s, and the mount receives bonus Hit Dice added to its total as its justiciar master advances in level. These bonus Hit Dice are just like normal Hit Dice, providing all the standard benefits of increased Hit Dice, except that the mount does not advance in size category or age category based on these bonus Hit Dice.
Natural Armor: The number listed here is an improvement to the mount's natural armor AC bonus. If it had no natural armor before, it gains a natural armor bonus equal to this amount.
Strength Adjustment: The mount gains natural improvements to its Strength score, as indicated on the table under the abbreviation "Str. Adj."
Strength Adjustment: The mount is typically smarter than others of its kind. The value under "Int. Score" on the table replaces the mount's normal Intelligence score if higher than the mount's normal Intelligence.
Base Attack Bonus: As a magical beast (if appropriate), the mount's base attack bonus equals its number of Hit Dice.
Base Saving Throws: For each base save, the mount uses its own base saving throw bonus or the justiciar's, whichever is higher. Magical beasts have high base Fortitude and Reflex saving throws (+2 base, +1 per odd-numbered Hit Die), and low base Will saving throws (+0 base, +1 per three Hit Dice).
Skills: The mount uses its original skills and skill ranks, but gains further skill points for future Hit Dice (such as the bonus HD from special mount benefits) as per a magical beast (if appropriate).
Feats: The mount gains feats as per a magical beast (if appropriate).
Improved Evasion (Ex): A justiciar's special mount gains the Evasion and Improved Evasion extraordinary abilities, which function as per the rogue class features but also work in medium or heavy armor and when carrying a medium or heavy load.
Empathic Link (Su): The justiciar has an empathic link with the mount out to a distance of up to one mile. The justiciar cannot see through the mount's eyes, but they can communicate telepathically. Even intelligent mounts see the world differently from humans, so misunderstandings are always possible. This is a supernatural ability. Because of the empathic link between the mount and justiciar, they share the same connection to any given item or place as one another, for purposes of scrying, teleportation, and other effects.
Share Spells: At the justiciar's option, he may have any spell he casts on himself also affect his special mount. The mount must be within 5 feet. If the spell has a duration other than instantaneous, the spell stops affecting the mount if it moves farther than 5 feet away from the justiciar, and will not affect the mount again even if it returns within range. Additionally, the justiciar may cast a spell with a target of "You" and range of "Personal" on his special mount as a touch spell instead of casting it on himself, when desired. The justiciar and the mount may share spells even if those spells do not normally affect creatures of the mount's type (usually magical beast or outsider).
Command (Sp): The mount's
Command ability is a spell-like ability that it can use up to once per day per two levels its master has in the justiciar class. This functions as per the 1st-level
Command spell cast by a cleric of level equal to its Hit Dice. This ability may only be used on other creatures of the same basic kind as the mount; equines if it is a warhorse, canines if it is a riding dog, lizards if it is a giant lizard, avians if it is a griffin, felines if it is a cait sith, etc.
For purposes of this ability, the mount can be understood by other creatures of the same basic kind as itself, but the mount may only use
Command on creatures of fewer Hit Dice than itself. Since this is a spell-like ability, the mount must make a Concentration check (DC 21) if it's being ridden at the time (as in combat). If the check fails, the ability does not work that time, but it still counts against the mount's daily number of uses.
Share Might: The mount shares some of their justiciar's special defenses and attacks eventually, gaining the benefits of the justiciar's Chase, Powerful Charge, Righteous Fury (when the justiciar uses it within range of the Empathic Link, and based on the justiciar's Charisma), and fear immunity from the Aura of Courage. Furthermore, whenever the justiciar uses
Remedy on himself or herself, it also affects the special mount if they are within range of the Empathic Link.
Celestial: The justiciar's special mount eventually acquires the Celestial template. This does not apply if the mount is already a dragon, fey, or outsider, in which case, the mount simply learns the Celestial language (whether or not it may speak the language depends on its own mouth and vocal cords). If the special mount does gain the Celestial template in this manner, however, it also learns the Celestial language in the same manner, and acquires all the traits of the Celestial template for its total Hit Dice. This changes the mount's type to Outsider, with the Good subtype. However, there is an exception in that the mount's hit points and skill points do not change; it continues to gain hit points and skill points as per its previous type. If the mount possessed any special qualities that overlap with those of the Celestial template, use whichever version of the quality is superior.
Bound Immunity: The mount eventually becomes immune to spells and effects of the Enchantment school, and to psionic powers and effects of the Telepathy discipline. It also becomes immune to forced alignment changes at that point onward, and to magical or psionic effects that would forcibly remove the mount from the same plane of existence as its master or from remaining within 1 mile of its master (whether against the mount's will or against the justiciar's will).[/sblock]
