MYRMIDON "I AM THE LAW!" Myrmidons are warriors of the Law, champions of the ruling classes. This does not make them good, or just, or even merciful. They exist to uphold the rules of society, regardless of what those rules are. Many are appointed by dictators (even benevolent ones) to be judge, jury, and executioner of the populace under their charge. They can be useful allies as long as you follow the rules. But otherwise many consider them more difficult to get along with than Paladins.
BECOMING A MYRMIDON Most Myrmidons begin as a warrior of some sort that is Lawful. Typically they are former Knights, Paladins, Samurai, Monks, or Lawful Crusaders.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Race: Zenythri
Alignment: Must be Lawful Neutral
BAB: +5
Skills: Knowledge (Local, Nobility) 4 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks
Feats: Endurance, Diehard, Improved Toughness
Class Skills The Myrmidon's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Local, Nobility, Religion)(Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), and Spot (Wis).
Skills Points at Each Level : 2 + int
Hit Dice: d10
BAB Fort Ref Will Abilities
1. +1 +2 +0 +2 Force of Law, Continued Career, Code of Law
2. +2 +3 +0 +3 Shield of Law
3. +3 +3 +1 +3 Legal Prowess
4. +4 +4 +1 +4 Force of Law
5. +5 +4 +1 +4 Shield of Law
6. +6 +5 +2 +5 Legal Prowess
7. +7 +5 +2 +5 Force of Law
8. +8 +6 +2 +6 Shield of Law
9. +9 +6 +3 +6 Legal Prowess
10.+10 +7 +3 +7 Champion of Law
Weapon Proficiencies: Myrmidons gain no new additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
Force of Law (Su): At 1st level you gain new options for some of your previous classes abilities. At 1st level you may expend 1 daily use of your Smite Chaos, Kiai Smite, or Knight's Challenge (or 2 daily uses of your Stunning Fist) ability to add +1d6 Axiomatic damage to all of your attacks for the rest of the encounter.
At 4th level you can expend 2 daily uses of your Smite Chaos, Kiai Smite, or Knight's Challenge (or 3 daily uses of your Stunning Fist) ability to add +1d6 Axiomatic damage to all of your attacks for the rest of the encounter, and increase the critical threat rating of all attacks you make by 1 (i.e. if it used to critical on a 20, now it's a 19-20).
At 7th level you can expend 2 daily uses of your Smite Chaos, Kiai Smite, or Knight's Challenge (or 3 daily uses of your Stunning Fist) ability to add +1d6 Axiomatic damage to all of your attacks for the rest of the encounter, and increase the critical threat rating of all attacks you make by 1 (i.e. if it used to critical on a 20, now it's a 19-20). If you critical successfully you do extra damage based on the attacks critical multiplier (x2=+1d6, x3=+2d6, x4=+3d6). If the attack is a spell or ability that does damage but doesn't have additional critical effects it does +1d6 axiomatic damage.
Continued Career: Your Mymridon class levels stack with the levels of one other class you have levels in for purposes of determining certain class abilities (you may also freely multiclass between these classes and Myrmidon, Continued Career only works with one of these classes and you must choose which as soon as you gain this ability):
Knight: Your Myrmidon and Knight levels stack for purposes of determining how many times per day you may use your Knight's Challenge ability.
Monk: Your Myrmidon and Knight levels stack for purposes of determining how many times per day you may use your Stunning Fist ability and for purposes of determining your Unarmed Strike Damage.
Paladin: Your Myrmidon and Paladin levels stack for purposes of determining how many times per day you may use your Smite Chaos ability.
Samurai: Your Myrmidon and Samurai levels stack for purposes of determining how many times per day you may use your Kiai Smite ability.
Code of Law: You may not willingly violate the laws of the land. If you do violate the Law you must make suitable restitution and gain an Atonement spell to regain your class abilities.
Shield of Law (Su): At second level you gain an Axiomatic Bonus to your Armor Class equal to your Charisma Modifier.
At 5th level you can expend 1 daily use of your Smite Chaos, Kiai Smite, or Knight's Challenge (or 2 daily uses of your Stunning Fist) ability to increase the Shield or Armor Bonus of your equipment by an amount equal to your Charisma Modifier for 1 round per level of Myrmidon. If you are unarmored and don't use Shields you gain a Dodge Bonus instead.
Legal Prowess (Ex): At 3rd level you gain an Insight Bonus to all Diplomacy, Knowledge (Local), and Sense Motive Checks equal to your Charisma Modifier.
At 6th level you can always take 10 on a Knowledge (Local) check for purposes of determining what the local laws (and criminal punishment for breaking them) are.
At 9th level you have achieved such fame that you are legally considered a member of whatever form of police or authority exists as long as you are in a Lawful society, and do not yourself violate the Law.
Champion of Law (Ex): At 10th level you gain the Lawful Subtype, and Damage Reduction 10/Lawful. You gain an Axiomatic Bonus to all Saves against spells or abilities with the Chaotic descriptor (or against any attack or ability used by opponents with the Chaotic Subtype).
PLAYING A MYRMIDON Myrmidons are warriors of the Law. Good and Evil are pointless exercises in philosophy for them. Only the Law has meaning. On the one hand they are adored as they are great foes of Demons and other Chaotic Evil monsters, but on the other they pursue Chaotic Good beings with the same fanaticism. Once on the trail of something they will pursue it to their own deaths if need be. Which probably accounts for the astonishingly high amount of casualties they suffer.
Combat: Myrmidons believe mercy is for the foolish, if you let an enemy live he will come back to cause you grief. Be smarter than they are, be tougher than they are. If they have allies or family be sure to put them to the sword as well, for they will return to take the place of those you dispatch.
Advancement: You try to become as good a combatant as you can, as you never know when Chaos or unrest will strike, and you need to be ready for it. Most Myrmidons are single minded to the point of obsession when it comes to fighting disorder.
Resources: Myrmidons usually have a patron of some kind. Most of the time it's the Church of a Lawful deity, or the military, or a nobleman. They can ask them for resources, but many just tend to requisition what they need from whoever has it if the law allows for it.
MYRMIDONS IN THE WORLD "The most persistent sound which reverberates through the worlds history is the beating of war drums." Myrmidons rarely get along well with anyone but they're own kind, or with others as fanatic in their observance of the Law. Most consider them stubborn fools who are at best misguided, and at worst dictatorial megalomaniacs.
Daily Life: Your day is consumed by your mission. Except for brief moments to eat and bathe, or perform maintenance on your equipment, you must pursue your goal. You don't have many friends...
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Many Myrmidons belong to various military, religious, or political organizations, and they maintain a loose coalition among themselves. They infiltrate every Lawful organization they can in an attempt to bring order to the world.
NPC Reaction NPC's generally tend to be terrified of Myrmidons as they personify the letter of the Law over it's spirit. Some of the Myrmidons feel justified in killing the peasantry if they're living in a Lawful Evil country since the law allows for it.
MYRMIDONS IN THE GAME Myrmidons will be difficult to play realistically. This might be better off for NPC enemies of the party.
Adaptation: This is a twitchy one for campaigns. The concept of a Lawful Neutral Paladin type will probably cause as much unrest in parties as traditional Paladins do.
Encounters: PC's will usually encounter Myrmidons wherever Chaotic forces have gathered as the Myrmidons will be there to kill them off. Also, if the PC's break the law, it's possible Myrmidons will be sent ot capture or kill them.
Sample Encounter EL 12: You're sitting in a local bar when some lunatic man with purple skin tells everyone to cease drinking or face judgment, as the local Duke has just officially outlawed alcohol. Everyone laughs until 12 of his friends come in and start slaughtering everyone. Might be time to find the back door...
NameLN Male Zenythri Paladin 6/Myrmidon 5
Init +0,
Senses: Listen +3, Spot +3, Dark Vision 60'
Languages Common
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AC 33, touch 13, flat-footed 33 (+3 Axiomatic, +13 Armor, +7 Shield) Shield of Law +3
hp 71 (11 HD)
Fort +13,
Ref +6,
Will +12
Divine Grace
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Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +3 Longsword +17/+12/+7 (1d8+6)
Base Atk +11,
Grp +14
Atk Options Smite Chaos 3/day (+3 hit, +1d6+6 damage), Turn Undead 6/day, Force of Law
Combat GearSpells Per Day 1st: 2 (DC 14)
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Abilities Str 16, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 16
SQ Energy Resistance 5 (Electricity, Fire, Sonic), True Strike, Aura of Law, Detect Chaos, Lay on Hands (18 pts), Aura of Courage, Divine Health, Special Mount, Magic Circle Against Law 1/week, Continued Career, Code of Law, Legal Prowess
Feats Diehard, Endurance, Improved Smiting, Improved Toughness
Skills Concentration +3, Diplomacy +6, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (Local) +7, Knowledge (Nobility) +4, Ride +4, Search +2, Sense Motive +10
Possessions +5 Full Plate, +5 Heavy Steel Shield, +3 Mighty Smiting Longsword, Gloves of Fortunate Striking, Third Eye Improvisation, 865 GP
EPIC MYRMIDON Hit Die: d10
Skills Points at Each Level : 2 + int
Continued Career If you would normally gain extra uses per day of your Smite Chaos, Kiai Smite, Stunning Fist, or Knight's Challenge Ability by taking Epic Levels in the appropriate class, you still gain them with Epic levels of Myrmidon (but only in one of those classes).
Bonus Feats: The Epic Myrmidon gains a Bonus Feat every 3 levels higher than 20th
ZENYTHRI FEATSPerfection of FormYour body is flawless, even for a Zenythri.
Prerequisites: Zenythri, must be taken at 1st level
Benefits: When using any Charisma based skill against an opponent in an opposed skill check (i.e. Bluff vs Sense Motive for example) your opponent must make a Willpower Save (DC is 10 plus half Hit Dice plus Constitution Bonus) or you get a +2 Circumstance Bonus to the check.
Perfection of MindChess matches with you are largely a futile experience for your opponent.
Prerequisites: Zenythri, Int 15+, must be taken at 1st level
Benefits: All Intelligence Based skills are considered Class Skills for you regardless of what class you take, and you gain +1 skill point per level (but it must be spent on an Intelligence Based skill).
EmotionlessYou have suppressed your emotions to the point that you no longer have any.
Prerequisites: Zenythri,
Benefits: You gain a +4 Axiomatic Bonus on all Saving Throws against Mind Affecting Effects.
Perfect StrikeYour proficiency with unarmed strikes is something to behold.
Prerequisites: Zenythri, Improved Unarmed Strike, Superior Unarmed Strike
Benefits: You may add your Wisdom Modifier in addition to your Strength modifier to your unarmed strike damage.
Improved Perfect StrikeYou can do massive damage with your fists.
Prerequisites: Zenythri, Perfect Strike
Benefits: Your unarmed strikes do x3 damage on a successful critical hit.
Superior Perfect StrikeYou are a Kung Fu master.
Prerequisites: Zenythri, Improved Perfect Strike
Benefits: A roll of "1" is not an automatic miss when you are attacking with your unarmed strikes.
Armor of LawYou are protected from Chaos.
Prerequisites: Zenythri, must have access to the Law Domain
Benefits: As long as you have a spell with the Law descriptor available to cast, spells cast within 30' of you that have the Chaos descriptor are cast at -1 caster level. You also gain a +2 Axiomatic Bonus to AC.
ZealYou are truly devoted to serving deities of the Law.
Prerequisites: Zenythri, Law Devotion
Benefits: You are only required to expend 1 daily use of your Turn/Rebuke Undead ability to gain one additional daily use of your Law Devotion ability.
TribunusYou are one of the Law's supreme champions.
Prerequisites: Zenythri, Zeal, Law Devotion, Armor of Law, must have access to 9th level spells.
Benefits: You may expend 2 daily uses of your Turn/Rebuke Undead ability to affect anything with a Chaotic alignment instead of just Undead.