Drinking & Dragons

User:Askewnotion/valkyrie

From Drinking and Dragons
Valkyrie.jpg

Created by Askewnotion

Then glittered light
from Logafjoll,
And from the light
the flashes leaped;
High under helms
on heaven's field;
Their byrnies all
with blood were red,
And from their spears
the sparks flew forth.

Description

A valkyrie is traditionally an agent of Odin. The valkyries' purpose is to choose the most heroic of those who had died in battle and to carry them off to Valhalla where they became einherjar. This is necessary because Odin needed warriors to fight at his side at the preordained battle at the end of the world, Ragnarök.

The character fits this ideal by having died and joined the Halls of Valhalla before being drawn back to life by their companions. Those brought back are left with a blessing of Odin and are charged with collecting the souls of those that fall in battle. When the character yet again goes to Valhalla, the souls collected go with the character to also join the Hall.

Requirements

Gender: Female
BAB: +5
Skills: Knowledge (Religion) 8 ranks, Ride 4 ranks
Spells: Able to cast 1st level divine spells
Special: The character must have died in battle, entered the Halls of Valhalla, and had been brough back to life.

Class Skills

The valkyrie's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Nobility and Royality, Religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis)

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Hit Die: d10.

Table: Valkyrie (Val)

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Casting
1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Lay on Hands, Pegasus Mount, Einherjar
2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 +1 Divine
3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Weapon Focus
4th +4 +4 +1 +1 Einherjar +1 Divine
5th +5 +4 +1 +1 Celestial Pegasus Mount
6th +6 +5 +2 +2 +1 Divine
7th +7 +5 +2 +2 Einherjar
8th +8 +6 +2 +2 Weapon Specialization +1 Divine
9th +9 +6 +3 +3
10th +10 +7 +3 +3 Einherjar, Transcendence +1 Divine

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the valkyrie class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A valkyrie is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (light, medium, and heavy), and with shields (except tower shields).

Lay on Hands (Su): A valkyrie with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds by touch. Each day she can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to her valkyrie level times her Charisma modifier. A valkyrie may choose to divide her healing among multiple recipients, and she doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using lay on hands is a standard action.

If the valkyrie has this ability from another class, her levels in those classes stack to determine the total number of hit points of damage she can heal each day.

Pegasus Mount (Sp): A valkyrie gains a pegasus as a special mount. This mount is treated as if it were a paladin's mount. The valkyries' effective level for a mounts special abilities is equal to her class level +4 on the special mount table. In all other aspects this pegasus mount is treated as a paladin's mount.

If the character has a mount from another source, your levels in this class stack with the class the granted the mount.

Einherjar (Su): Although the character collects a great many souls that are worthy of the halls of Valhalla, there are a few that have the skill and privilege of being a valkyrie's personal einherjar.

At 1st level the character has the ability to bind an einherjar to herself, and can bind an additional einherjar every 3 class levels thereafter. This is treated as a special form of the Leadership feat, as described below.

An einherjar can be drawn from the remains of a corpse or possession that the soul in question possessed before falling in battle. The character then communes with the soul, a process taking 10 minutes.

After this period the soul is entitled to make a Will save (DC = 10 + class level + Cha modifier) to resist the call if it would not willingly serve as an einherjar. A failure on the Will save or a willing soul is bound to the valkyrie as a special cohort. A success on the Will save prevents all future attempts from the character to become an einherjar. A valkyrie automaticly fails to bind a soul as an einherjar if the souls living self was too powerful to meet the requirements of being the characters cohort.

A specific einherjar can be summoned once per day as a full round action, with a duration of (valkyrie's class level + Cha modifier) rounds. A summoned einherjar manifest as it's former living self, with mundane, non-magical equivalencies of it's equipment (though it's attacks are treated as magic for the purpose of bypassing DR). Otherwise, the einherjar is exactly the same as it was when it was alive.

A bound einherjar can be released by completing a 10 minute ritual. This allows the character to later choose another soul as it's personal einherjar. Valkyrie often do this as they gain power to keep their einherjar as able as possible.

If an einherjar falls in battle, it immediately disipates, along with any equipment that it possessed when summoned. It can be summoned again the following day at full strength.

Spells: At every even level, the valkyrie gains new divine spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had gained a level in the a divine spellcasting class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, greater damage with the smite evil ability, and so on). If the character had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a valkyrie, the player must decide to which class to add each valkyrie level for the purposes of determining spells per day and spells known.

Weapon Focus: A valkyrie of 3rd level gains weapon focus with a weapon of their choice.

Celestial Pegasus Mount (Su): The exploits of a valkyrie of 5th level are rewarded with a more powerful pegasus mount. The pegasus mount gains the celestial template (MM p31).

Weapon Specialization: At 8th levele a valkyrie gains weapon specialization for any weapon they have weapon focus with.

Transcendence: At 10th level, a valkyrie completes her transformation into a creature of the planes. Her type changes to outsider. As an outsider, the character can not be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be, though the character remains native to the Material Plane. Additionally, the valkyrie gains damage reduction 10/magic.

Additionally, she no longer takes ability penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged (see Table 6–5, page 109 of the Player’s Handbook). Ability score bonuses from aging still accrue, and any penalties the valkyrie might have already taken remain in place. The character still dies of old age when their time is up.