The Order of the Sword is Almira’s preeminent military organization and the first defense against the dark powers of the world. This organization contains hundreds of thousands of Order Units, each with their own fighting styles and specializations. The average Order Unit consists of one 10 to 20 offensive troops, one commander, and an assortment of utilitarian members. The following troops are simply examples of a few of the units within the Order of the Sword.
Havok’s Hounds
When a child is pulled into the shadows of the night or a civilian is press ganged into an army of the Palace of Sin, Havok’s Hounds put boots on the ground to sniff out the lost and retrieve them. Havok’s Hounds enlist a wide array of troops, often masters of tracking and divination as well as abjuration magic. The most common profession within Havok’s Hounds are inquisitors, rangers, hunters, psychics, and investigators.
Houndscent (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Track class feature
You gain the Scent ability. The DC to track a creature with the Survival skill when tracking by scent is 1 for every 2 hours since the trail was made.
Normal: For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC to use Survival to track a creature by scent increases by 1 per hour since they trail was made.
Locator Savant (Feat)
Prerequisites: Caster level 5th
You may touch a creature as a standard action to draw information about a creature or object that the target is familiar with. If the creature is unwilling, you must succeed at a melee touch attack. You gain information as per seek thoughts (no save). The target knows exactly what information you have obtained. You are treated as familiar with the subject for the purposes of spells of the scrying subschool.
Pull from Danger (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Mount class feature, Ride 3 ranks
Your bonded mount can carry up to two riders at once as long as both riders are at least one size category smaller than the mount. As a full-round action, you may move up to twice your mount’s speed and pull a single creature onto your mount. When the creature dismounts, they may use your ranks in Ride in place of their own for determining their Ride skill bonus for the purpose of fast dismounting.
When a child is pulled into the shadows of the night or a civilian is press ganged into an army of the Palace of Sin, Havok’s Hounds put boots on the ground to sniff out the lost and retrieve them. Havok’s Hounds enlist a wide array of troops, often masters of tracking and divination as well as abjuration magic. The most common profession within Havok’s Hounds are inquisitors, rangers, hunters, psychics, and investigators.
Houndscent (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Track class feature
You gain the Scent ability. The DC to track a creature with the Survival skill when tracking by scent is 1 for every 2 hours since the trail was made.
Normal: For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC to use Survival to track a creature by scent increases by 1 per hour since they trail was made.
Locator Savant (Feat)
Prerequisites: Caster level 5th
You may touch a creature as a standard action to draw information about a creature or object that the target is familiar with. If the creature is unwilling, you must succeed at a melee touch attack. You gain information as per seek thoughts (no save). The target knows exactly what information you have obtained. You are treated as familiar with the subject for the purposes of spells of the scrying subschool.
Pull from Danger (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Mount class feature, Ride 3 ranks
Your bonded mount can carry up to two riders at once as long as both riders are at least one size category smaller than the mount. As a full-round action, you may move up to twice your mount’s speed and pull a single creature onto your mount. When the creature dismounts, they may use your ranks in Ride in place of their own for determining their Ride skill bonus for the purpose of fast dismounting.
The Wounds of Avila
Marked by silk, steel, and misdirection, the Wounds of Avila are one of the most effective espionage units in the Order of the Sword. Members of the Wounds of Avila often keep their identity a secret to protect themselves, their families, and their allies. Members of this unit are known for their fine clothing and expensive jewelry used to blend into courts and high society where grand evils discuss their plots. The Wounds of Avila are most often adept at mind-affecting magic and stealth, generally training as mesmerists, psychics, and ninjas.
Dance of Veils (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Caster level 7th, Ability to cast hidden presence, Spell Focus (Enchantment)
The caster level of hidden presence spells you cast is increased by +1 and you can affect a number of creatures with hidden presence equal to the spell’s caster level. Attacking while under the effects of hidden presence does not reveal you, but reduces the remaining duration of the spell by 1 minute instead.
Normal: You can affect 1 creature per 3 levels with hidden presence and the spell ends when you attack.
Silent Scarf (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Disguise 1 ranks, Stealth 1 ranks, Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Focus (Bladed Scarf)
You may spend a standard action to unsheathe a worn bladed scarf and make a single melee attack with it. Your target is denied their Dexterity bonus to their armor class against this attack and is considered to be unaware of your presence for the purpose of the damage dealt by hidden strike. You may not use this ability more than once per combat.
Improved Silent Scarf (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Disguise 6 ranks, Stealth 6 ranks, Silent Scarf, Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Focus (Bladed Scarf)
You may spend a full-round action to unsheathe a worn bladed scarf and make a full-attack action with it. Your target is denied their Dexterity bonus to their armor class against these attacks and is considered to be unaware of your presence for the purpose of the damage dealt by hidden strike. You may not use this ability more than once per combat.
Greater Silent Scarf (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Disguise 11 ranks, Stealth 11 ranks, Silent Scarf, Improved Silent Scarf, Skill Focus (Disguise), Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Focus (Bladed Scarf)
You may make a Disguise check as you sheathe a bladed scarf (DC 10 + the highest Perception modified amongst enemies who can see you). If you succeed, you regain your uses per combat of Silent Scarf and Improved Silent Scarf.
Psychic Espionage (Feat)
Prerequisites: Spell Focus (Divination)
When you successfully affect a creature with an effect or spell which detects a creature’s surface thoughts, you always gain information about schemes and plots that creature is currently planning or enacting. You gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls against creatures whose surface thoughts you’ve detected within 1 minute.
Marked by silk, steel, and misdirection, the Wounds of Avila are one of the most effective espionage units in the Order of the Sword. Members of the Wounds of Avila often keep their identity a secret to protect themselves, their families, and their allies. Members of this unit are known for their fine clothing and expensive jewelry used to blend into courts and high society where grand evils discuss their plots. The Wounds of Avila are most often adept at mind-affecting magic and stealth, generally training as mesmerists, psychics, and ninjas.
Dance of Veils (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Caster level 7th, Ability to cast hidden presence, Spell Focus (Enchantment)
The caster level of hidden presence spells you cast is increased by +1 and you can affect a number of creatures with hidden presence equal to the spell’s caster level. Attacking while under the effects of hidden presence does not reveal you, but reduces the remaining duration of the spell by 1 minute instead.
Normal: You can affect 1 creature per 3 levels with hidden presence and the spell ends when you attack.
Silent Scarf (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Disguise 1 ranks, Stealth 1 ranks, Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Focus (Bladed Scarf)
You may spend a standard action to unsheathe a worn bladed scarf and make a single melee attack with it. Your target is denied their Dexterity bonus to their armor class against this attack and is considered to be unaware of your presence for the purpose of the damage dealt by hidden strike. You may not use this ability more than once per combat.
Improved Silent Scarf (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Disguise 6 ranks, Stealth 6 ranks, Silent Scarf, Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Focus (Bladed Scarf)
You may spend a full-round action to unsheathe a worn bladed scarf and make a full-attack action with it. Your target is denied their Dexterity bonus to their armor class against these attacks and is considered to be unaware of your presence for the purpose of the damage dealt by hidden strike. You may not use this ability more than once per combat.
Greater Silent Scarf (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Disguise 11 ranks, Stealth 11 ranks, Silent Scarf, Improved Silent Scarf, Skill Focus (Disguise), Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Focus (Bladed Scarf)
You may make a Disguise check as you sheathe a bladed scarf (DC 10 + the highest Perception modified amongst enemies who can see you). If you succeed, you regain your uses per combat of Silent Scarf and Improved Silent Scarf.
Psychic Espionage (Feat)
Prerequisites: Spell Focus (Divination)
When you successfully affect a creature with an effect or spell which detects a creature’s surface thoughts, you always gain information about schemes and plots that creature is currently planning or enacting. You gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls against creatures whose surface thoughts you’ve detected within 1 minute.
The Mud ‘n Boots
The Mud ‘n Boots are a unit of experienced scouts composed of some of the most grizzled veterans of the Order of the Sword. This collection of rangers, hunters, cavaliers, and slayers is supported by a smaller team of druids, oracles, sages, and shamans who listen to the rhythms of the earth to discern enemy positions.
Sliding Strike (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: BAB +1, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (boomerang)
You may spend a swift action when you strike a creature with a boomerang in order to move up to your boomerangs range increment (to a maximum of your base land speed). If you do so, your boomerang returns to your hand as soon as your movement ends. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal and counts against your maximum movement per round. You cannot use this movement to move through difficult terrain.
Improved Sliding Strike (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: BAB +3, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (boomerang), Sliding Strike
The first 5 feet of movement you make as part of a sliding strike does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Greater Sliding Strike (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: BAB +6, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (boomerang), Sliding Strike, Improved Sliding Strike
When you strike a creature with a boomerang, your target is denied their Dexterity bonus to their AC against the next melee attack you make this round.
Nature’s Guidance (Feat)
Prerequisites: Wild Empathy class feature
Wild animals have a starting attitude of friendly towards you. You gain a +3 bonus on Wild Empathy checks when asking for help navigating natural terrain or when petitioning wild animals to scout for you.
Tap the Earth (Feat)
Prerequisites: Spell Focus, Able to cast spells from the Shaman or Druid spell list
When you cast a spell with a casting time of 1 minute or greater while in a natural setting, your caster level for that spell is increased by +1. If you have Spell Focus in that spell’s school, your caster level for that spell is increased by +2 instead.
The Mud ‘n Boots are a unit of experienced scouts composed of some of the most grizzled veterans of the Order of the Sword. This collection of rangers, hunters, cavaliers, and slayers is supported by a smaller team of druids, oracles, sages, and shamans who listen to the rhythms of the earth to discern enemy positions.
Sliding Strike (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: BAB +1, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (boomerang)
You may spend a swift action when you strike a creature with a boomerang in order to move up to your boomerangs range increment (to a maximum of your base land speed). If you do so, your boomerang returns to your hand as soon as your movement ends. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal and counts against your maximum movement per round. You cannot use this movement to move through difficult terrain.
Improved Sliding Strike (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: BAB +3, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (boomerang), Sliding Strike
The first 5 feet of movement you make as part of a sliding strike does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Greater Sliding Strike (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: BAB +6, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (boomerang), Sliding Strike, Improved Sliding Strike
When you strike a creature with a boomerang, your target is denied their Dexterity bonus to their AC against the next melee attack you make this round.
Nature’s Guidance (Feat)
Prerequisites: Wild Empathy class feature
Wild animals have a starting attitude of friendly towards you. You gain a +3 bonus on Wild Empathy checks when asking for help navigating natural terrain or when petitioning wild animals to scout for you.
Tap the Earth (Feat)
Prerequisites: Spell Focus, Able to cast spells from the Shaman or Druid spell list
When you cast a spell with a casting time of 1 minute or greater while in a natural setting, your caster level for that spell is increased by +1. If you have Spell Focus in that spell’s school, your caster level for that spell is increased by +2 instead.
Bora’s Bricks
The wilderness of Almira is vast and untamed. Units like Bora’s Bricks are tasked with finding suitable locations for new fortresses and refugee camps, then building and garrisoning them. Often composed primarily of utilitarian mages and soldiers with crafting experience, Bora’s Brick sare known for creating fortresses to house refugees fleeing the Matron Crisis, the Clockwork Insurrection, and the Dream Eater Coven’s return.
Bricklayer Savant (Feat)
Prerequisites: Caster level 7th, Able to cast stone shape
Casting stone shape does not consume a spell slot or prepared spell, though you must still have stone shape as a spell known or prepared. Shapes you create with stone shape which include moving parts always work.
Normal: There is a 30% chance that any shape including moving parts simply doesn’t work.
Fortress Defense (Feat)
Prerequisites: Craft (carpentry) or Profession (architect or carpenter) 13 ranks
While you are within 300 feet of a fortress or garrison you helped to build or fortify you may transmute surrounding wildlife into a rank of natural defenses, as per siege of trees, with a ritual lasting 24 hours. These defenses are permanent until destroyed. You may not transmute more than one rank of natural defenses per fortress. When you have 17 ranks in Craft (carpentry) or Profession (architect or carpenter), this ability functions as greater siege of trees instead. You use your caster level at the time of casting to determine the effects of this feat. The fortress’s commander may command your transmuted trees in place of you.
The wilderness of Almira is vast and untamed. Units like Bora’s Bricks are tasked with finding suitable locations for new fortresses and refugee camps, then building and garrisoning them. Often composed primarily of utilitarian mages and soldiers with crafting experience, Bora’s Brick sare known for creating fortresses to house refugees fleeing the Matron Crisis, the Clockwork Insurrection, and the Dream Eater Coven’s return.
Bricklayer Savant (Feat)
Prerequisites: Caster level 7th, Able to cast stone shape
Casting stone shape does not consume a spell slot or prepared spell, though you must still have stone shape as a spell known or prepared. Shapes you create with stone shape which include moving parts always work.
Normal: There is a 30% chance that any shape including moving parts simply doesn’t work.
Fortress Defense (Feat)
Prerequisites: Craft (carpentry) or Profession (architect or carpenter) 13 ranks
While you are within 300 feet of a fortress or garrison you helped to build or fortify you may transmute surrounding wildlife into a rank of natural defenses, as per siege of trees, with a ritual lasting 24 hours. These defenses are permanent until destroyed. You may not transmute more than one rank of natural defenses per fortress. When you have 17 ranks in Craft (carpentry) or Profession (architect or carpenter), this ability functions as greater siege of trees instead. You use your caster level at the time of casting to determine the effects of this feat. The fortress’s commander may command your transmuted trees in place of you.
Rathuul’s Bastion
Of all the units employed by the Order of the Sword, the most public are the defensive units which fight back against raids and assaults. These knights in shining armor use teleportation and speed enhancing magic to stay mobile and preempt raids. In combat, members of Rathuul’s Bastion are skilled with heavy armor and abjuration spells protect their charges and force evil outsiders back to the Palace of Sin.
Rush to Battle (Trait)
You gain a +1 trait bonus on initiative checks. You always consider yourself one step more familiar with your destination when casting spells of the teleportation subschool.
Sin Wounding (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Good alignment, Weapon Focus
Choose a weapon which you have Weapon Focus in. When you strike an evil outsider with your chosen weapon, that creature takes a penalty to its spell resistance equal to 1/2 your level for 1 round. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack, but instead increase the remaining duration.
Improved Sin Wounding (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Good alignment, Sin Wounding, Weapon Focus (chosen weapon)
The penalty inflicted by Sin Wounding applies to concentration checks and caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance.
Of all the units employed by the Order of the Sword, the most public are the defensive units which fight back against raids and assaults. These knights in shining armor use teleportation and speed enhancing magic to stay mobile and preempt raids. In combat, members of Rathuul’s Bastion are skilled with heavy armor and abjuration spells protect their charges and force evil outsiders back to the Palace of Sin.
Rush to Battle (Trait)
You gain a +1 trait bonus on initiative checks. You always consider yourself one step more familiar with your destination when casting spells of the teleportation subschool.
Sin Wounding (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Good alignment, Weapon Focus
Choose a weapon which you have Weapon Focus in. When you strike an evil outsider with your chosen weapon, that creature takes a penalty to its spell resistance equal to 1/2 your level for 1 round. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack, but instead increase the remaining duration.
Improved Sin Wounding (Feat, Combat)
Prerequisites: Good alignment, Sin Wounding, Weapon Focus (chosen weapon)
The penalty inflicted by Sin Wounding applies to concentration checks and caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance.
Lilly’s Bells
The soft harmonies of Lilly’s Bells wreak havoc on unsuspecting spellcasters. These mages utilize unique wards and abjurations which disturb the balance of magic around them. Lilly’s Bells utilize a variety of tools including standard bells, theremins, chimes, singing bowls, and even enchanted or intelligent items. This unit is often composed of bards, skalds, and monks.
Bell Vibrations (Feat)
Prerequisites: Spell Focus (Abjuration)
You can make a Perform (percussion) check as a full-round action to play a singing bowl, setting it to vibrate and hum. As long as the bowl remains untouched, either arcane, divine, or psychic spellcasters who can hear the bowl must succeed at a concentration in order to cast spells. The DC of this check is equal to your Perform (percussion) skill check. You choose arcane, divine, or psychic spells when you make your perform check.
Improved Bell Vibrations (Feat)
Prerequisites: Bell Vibrations, Spell Focus (Abjuration) or Counterspell arcane school
Creatures who can see and hear the bowl must succeed at a concentration check in order to activate spell-like abilities in addition to the chosen method of spellcasting.
Greater Bell Vibrations (Feat)
Prerequisites: Improved Bell Vibrations, Bell Vibrations, Spell Focus (Abjuration) or Counterspell arcane school
You allies do not need to make concentration checks in order to cast spells or activate spell-like abilities because of your Bell Vibrations and Improved Bell Vibrations feats.
Bellringer Strike (Feat)
Prerequisites: BAB +1, Weapon Focus (light mace)
You may use a handbell as a light mace. When you strike a creature who with a handbell, that creature must make a Will saving throw (DC your Perform (percussion) skill modifier). On a failed saving throw, the struck creature loses its highest level prepared spell or spell slot (chosen at random).
Improved Bellringer Strike (Feat)
Prerequisites: BAB +3, Bellringer Strike, Weapon Focus (light mace)
The critical multiplier of handbells your wield is x4 and you treat your character level as your fighter level when selecting feats which require a fighter level as a prerequisite and function with a light mace (such as Weapon Specialization (light mace)). This does not stack with other abilities which increase a weapon’s critical multiplier.
Greater Bellringer Strike (Feat)
Prerequisites: BAB +3, Bellringer Strike, Weapon Focus (light mace)
When you critically strike a creature with a handbell, on a failed saving throw, the struck creature loses four of its highest level prepared spells or spell slots (chosen at random) and cannot cast spells for 1 round.
The soft harmonies of Lilly’s Bells wreak havoc on unsuspecting spellcasters. These mages utilize unique wards and abjurations which disturb the balance of magic around them. Lilly’s Bells utilize a variety of tools including standard bells, theremins, chimes, singing bowls, and even enchanted or intelligent items. This unit is often composed of bards, skalds, and monks.
Bell Vibrations (Feat)
Prerequisites: Spell Focus (Abjuration)
You can make a Perform (percussion) check as a full-round action to play a singing bowl, setting it to vibrate and hum. As long as the bowl remains untouched, either arcane, divine, or psychic spellcasters who can hear the bowl must succeed at a concentration in order to cast spells. The DC of this check is equal to your Perform (percussion) skill check. You choose arcane, divine, or psychic spells when you make your perform check.
Improved Bell Vibrations (Feat)
Prerequisites: Bell Vibrations, Spell Focus (Abjuration) or Counterspell arcane school
Creatures who can see and hear the bowl must succeed at a concentration check in order to activate spell-like abilities in addition to the chosen method of spellcasting.
Greater Bell Vibrations (Feat)
Prerequisites: Improved Bell Vibrations, Bell Vibrations, Spell Focus (Abjuration) or Counterspell arcane school
You allies do not need to make concentration checks in order to cast spells or activate spell-like abilities because of your Bell Vibrations and Improved Bell Vibrations feats.
Bellringer Strike (Feat)
Prerequisites: BAB +1, Weapon Focus (light mace)
You may use a handbell as a light mace. When you strike a creature who with a handbell, that creature must make a Will saving throw (DC your Perform (percussion) skill modifier). On a failed saving throw, the struck creature loses its highest level prepared spell or spell slot (chosen at random).
Improved Bellringer Strike (Feat)
Prerequisites: BAB +3, Bellringer Strike, Weapon Focus (light mace)
The critical multiplier of handbells your wield is x4 and you treat your character level as your fighter level when selecting feats which require a fighter level as a prerequisite and function with a light mace (such as Weapon Specialization (light mace)). This does not stack with other abilities which increase a weapon’s critical multiplier.
Greater Bellringer Strike (Feat)
Prerequisites: BAB +3, Bellringer Strike, Weapon Focus (light mace)
When you critically strike a creature with a handbell, on a failed saving throw, the struck creature loses four of its highest level prepared spells or spell slots (chosen at random) and cannot cast spells for 1 round.