Bonded Champion

Requirements

Base Attack Bonus: +8 or higher.

Skills: Concentration 4 ranks, Use Magic Device 4 ranks.

Feats: Bonded Armor, Shield, or Weapon

Special: The character must have directly participated in the creation of his bonded weapon or armor or must have claimed it at the end of a great quest. Further, the item must either be unaligned, or it must possess an alignment which is compatible with the prospective bonded champion’s.

Summary

The bonded champion is a warrior who has formed an unbreakable bond with a magical weapon, suit of armor or shield. The reason for this bond could be anything; perhaps the warrior was selected by the gods to serve as their champion; perhaps the item he is bonded to is an ancient family heirloom, which has served the scion of the house for centuries; or perhaps the item itself chose its wielder, for its own hidden reasons. In any case, the bond between champion and item is closer than the bond between brothers, closer than the bond between a knight and his lady, closer even than the bond between mother and child. The champion and his bonded item are one another’s boon companions, and it is their gift, and their doom, to possess power enough to rock the foundations of the world, to shape destiny and to carve their place at the forefront of history, whether they would wish it or not.

The magical item a bonded champion bonds with reveals much about his character and his destiny. A bonded champion who chooses or is chosen by a weapon will be a conqueror, destined to gain or lose a kingdom in a storm of fire and blood, while a champion who instead bonds with a suit of magical armor or with a shield is destined to stand alone between the dark forces and all that he holds dear, to raise a mailed fist and rage against the dying of the light.

All bonded champions are powerful warriors, as only the warrior has both the martial training and the martial spirit necessary to truly justify the gestation of the unbreakable, mystical bond. Most bonded champions are either fighters or paladins, with the former bonding with weapons or armor they have seized from the treasure hoards of their slain enemies and the latter most commonly forming bonds with items which are considered holy to their god. Rangers and barbarians also follow the path of the bonded champion, with the latter most often bonding with mighty weapons which bear the totem symbols of their tribes and their ancestors. Clerics and druids occasionally become bonded champions and like paladins, they almost always bond with items which are sacred to their faith. Monks, rogues and bards bond with magical armors and weapons only rarely and even then they rarely form a strong enough bond to progress more than a few levels in this prestige class. Sorcerers and wizards, meanwhile, almost never become bonded champions; for them, instead, is the way of the bonded master.

Bonded champions can be of any alignment and of course, their bonded item will be of an alignment that is compatible. Most bonded champions will be active in the campaign world. Nomads, vagabonds and searchers, they are consumed by a restless passion to seek out challenges, to pit their mystic strength against the greatest challenges the mortal world, and the worlds beyond have to offer. Depending on their alignment and their goals, Bonded champions can either be powerful allies for the Players, or their most implacable foes.

Role: DPS

Characteristics: Chosen fighters that have weapons or armor that grow stronger with them.

Source: Encyclopedia Arcane: Magic Item Creation

Game Rule Information

The Bonded Champion has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Strength to wield your bonded weapon or armor effectively. Constitution and Casting stats are good tertiary stats for wielding your powers effectively and staying alive.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d10

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Bonded Champion's class skills are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft ( armorsmith, weaponsmith) (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcane) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (any) (Int), Ride (Dex) Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Bonded Champion.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Bonded Champion is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with prior to taking levels in this class.

Chosen Bearer Su: The bonded champion and his bonded magical item were predestined to find one another and what destiny brings together, no mortal can pull asunder. The bonded champion’s equipment is as much a part of him as his soul is; his bonded item calls to him and he cannot be separated from it, or denied its power, for long.

Beginning at 1st level, the bonded champion can sense the presence of his bonded magic item anywhere on the mortal plane, regardless of distance and regardless of magic effects put in place to thwart his attempts. In addition, once a day per class level, a bonded champion can call his bonded item to him as a standard action, so long as he can see it and so long as it is within a 30-foot radius of him. The weapon or shield will instantly appear in his hand, regardless of the obstacles which stand between them, and the armor will likewise instantly fit itself to his body, so long as he is not already wearing another suit of armor.

Growth Su: As the bonded champion grows in power, so too does his bonded item. Beginning at 2nd level, a bonded champion can spend experience points to awaken special, magical abilities within his chosen item, in a similar way to how a spellcaster crafts a magic item.

In order to strengthen his bonded item, the bonded champion must hunt down and destroy or overcome powerful threats, with the assistance of the bonded item. Each time that happens, the object absorbs the experience points the bonded champion would normally receive for overcoming that challenge (to the minimum required for the strengthening). When the total number of absorbed experience is equal to that required to strengthen the item, it automatically gains the appropriate new abilities. The Bonded Item Improvements table shows the amount of experience which must be absorbed by the bonded item at each level.

Since a bonded champion’s bonded item is already magical in nature, he can only begin to improve it once his personal link is strong enough to surpass the item’s already awakened powers. Due to this, a bonded champion can only increase the strength of his bonded item’s magic once his level has exceeded its equivalent enhancement bonus. So, a bonded champion whose companion item is a +2 flaming sword cannot increase its power through the use of this class ability until 4th level, since the bonded weapon has an equivalent enhancement bonus of +3. Once a bonded champion can increase the power of his item, however, he need only pay the difference in experience point costs between creating an item of the bonded item’s original potency and one of its new strength.

The bonded champion can reconfigure the abilities of his item as he so chooses, so long as he pays an additional sum of experience points equal to 50% of that needed to increase the item’s power at that level (see the Bonded Item Improvements table). This normally entails discarding some abilities or enhancement bonuses of the weapon in order to make space for new ones. Eventually, the bonded champion may add the most powerful enhancements to his items (such as the vorpal property, the equivalent of a +5 enhancement bonus) without forcing him to horde bonuses over a period of several levels. The bonded champion must either have an example of the magical quality in another item that the bonded item can ‘copy’, or a scroll of the appropriate spell(s) necessary to normally make the new enchantment. Scrolls will be consumed in the reconfiguration process, and the entire process always takes a number of days to achieve equal to the item’s total enhancement bonus. So, for example, a 3rd level bonded champion with a bonded +2 shield of blinding could, upon reaching 4th level, alter his shield so that it is a +2 animated shield instead. This would cost 325 experience points, consume a scroll of animate objects (or copy the ability from an animated buckler), and take 3 days to complete.

If a bonded weapon is broken or disenchanted, the bonded champion can repair it by dedicating one full week of time to quiet meditation and contemplation and then paying a number of experience points equal to 5% of the total he has paid for enhancement to that point. So, for example, a 5th level bonded champion, who has invested a total of 2,700 experience points into his weapon, can reforge and reawaken it by meditating for a week and expending another 270 experience. Once this is done, the item regains all its lost abilities.

Undaunted Su: The bonded champion can draw upon the strength of his bonded item when he needs it most, nourishing and sustaining him against the actions of those who would dare pit themselves against his destiny. Beginning at 3rd level, so long as the bonded champion weapon, shield or armor is in hand, he may add its enhancement bonus as a bonus to all saving throws. When calculating the save bonus, only add those bonuses which directly apply to attack rolls and damage; effective enhancement bonuses do not apply. This means that a bonded champion with a +3 longsword would add a +3 bonus to his saves, while a bonded champion with a +2 keen longsword would add only a +2 bonus to his saving throws. The bonus gained from undaunted is an unnamed bonus, meaning it stacks with all other bonuses, such as a paladin’s divine grace class ability. Undaunted can be used an unlimited number of times per day, but it is a supernatural ability, meaning it can be thwarted by anti-magic fields and other, similar spells and spell-like effects.

Awakened Su: The bonded champion’s chosen item is not an ordinary magical object. Thanks to the link between it and its champion, the item becomes sentient, drawing upon its partner’s personality and values to birth a thinking mind. At 4th level, the bonded item becomes an intelligent magical item. If the item is not already intelligent, then roll for its mental prowess on table Table 1-3 through Table 1-6. An awakened bonded item’s alignment is always fully compatible with its champion’s. Rather than rolling the item’s lesser and greater powers, however, the Player of the bonded champion and the Games Master should work together to select powers which best represent the personality and actions the character has displayed since becoming a bonded champion.

If the item is already intelligent, move it one step higher on the Item Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma and Capabilities table, selecting new abilities as outlined above.

Awakened bonded items have an ego score as other intelligent items do but they will only dominate their bonded partner under the most extreme circumstances, such as if the bonded champion chooses to throw himself from a cliff, rather than face a powerful opponent. Under no circumstances will the bonded item purposefully lead its champion to harm, nor will it ever cause him to divest himself of other normal or magical items, unless the bonded item has reason to believe they will do the champion harm.

Primal Bond Su: The bonded champion and his item understand one another on a primal level and because of this, the bonded champion can use his item with a grace and skill that can only be called supernatural. Beginning at 6th level, when the bonded champion uses his bonded item, he gains the appropriate bonus listed below.

If bonded to a weapon, the champion gains a +1 to attack and a +2 to damage when wielding that weapon, a bonus which stacks with that gained from Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Focus and Greater Weapon Specialization.

If bonded to a shield, the champion can choose to either gain a +1 bonus to attack and a +2 bonus to damage when making a shield bash with his bonded item, or to benefit from a +1 bonus to Armor Class when equipped with his bonded item. As above, the bonus gained from primal focus stacks with all other relevant bonuses. Once the choice has been made, it cannot be reversed.

If bonded to a suit of armor, the champion benefits from a +1 bonus to Armour Class. As above, the bonus gained from primal focus stacks with all other relevant bonuses.

Once the choice has been made, it cannot be reversed.

Inseparable Su: At 7th level, the mystic link between bonded champion and bonded item is further strengthened. Now, the bonded champion can call his bonded item to him as a free action, so long as it is within 30 feet + 10 feet per class level of him. Further, he no longer needs to be able to see the item to call it to him. As before, the called weapon or shield appears in his hand, ready for use, or his armor laces itself to his body, so long as he is not already armored.

Heightened Su: The bonded champion is doomed to live a life of great import, to change the world for better or worse, as his conscience and the whims of an uncaring universe decide. Such a destiny is not easily thwarted, nor will the would-be denier of destiny be forgiven. At 8th level, the bonded champion’s bonded item gains a special purpose. If the bonded item already possesses a special purpose, then it gains a second dedicated power usable when pursuing its special purpose.

Unbreakable Su: By the time a bonded champion reaches the end of this prestige class path, he and his weapon have become as one and what the weapon has given him in terms of strength and force of will, he now returns tenfold. At 10th level, a bonded champion and his bonded item can no longer be separated by any means, nor may the bonded item be destroyed or rendered powerless for long. The benefits received by this class ability vary depending on the bonded item.

A bonded weapon can no longer be sundered, nor can the wielder be disarmed. Attempts to disintegrate or otherwise irrevocably destroy the bonded item automatically fail and if the weapon fails a saving throw against disjunction, dispel magic, or any other similar spell or spell-like effect, its powers return at full strength at the beginning of the bonded champion’s next turn.

A bonded shield can no longer be destroyed by any means and as with a bonded weapon, dispelled powers return at full strength at the beginning of the champion’s next turn. A bonded shield also provides its Armor Class bonus to the champion even if he uses it in a shield bash.

A bonded suit of armor cannot be destroyed by any means and as with a bonded weapon or shield, it regains its powers at the start of the champion’s next turn should they be disjunctioned or dispelled. Furthermore, a bonded suit of armor no longer imposes an armor check penalty of any sort and it cannot be bypassed by touch attacks, meaning the champion retains his armor’s full bonus to Armor Class in almost all situations.

Table 1-1: Bonded Champion Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Chosen bearer
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Growth
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Undaunted
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Awakened
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	—
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Primal Bond
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Inseparable
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6	Heightened
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	—
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7	Unbreakable

Table 1-2: Bonded Item Improvements

Level	Enhancement Bonus	Experience Cost
1st	+1	50**
2nd	+2	200
3rd	+3	400
4th	+4	650
5th	+5	1000
6th	+6*	1500
7th	+7*	2100
8th	+8*	2800
9th	+9*	3600
10th	+10*	4500
* A bonded item cannot actually have an enhancement bonus higher than +5 but it can have special abilities which are equivalent to enhancement bonuses ** Since a bonded champion’s bonded item must be magical, this is included only for the sake of completeness.

Table 1-3: Intelligent Item Ability Scores

d20 Result	Mental Ability Scores	Capabilities Modifier
1-2	One at 12, one at 11, one at 10	-3
3-4	Two at 12, one at 10	-2
5-6	One at 13, one at 12, 11	-1
7-8	Two at 14, one at 11	-1
9-10	One at 15, one at 14, one at 11	—
11-12	Two at 16, one at 11	—
13-14	One at 17, one at 16, one at 11	+1
15-16	Two at 17, one at 11	+2
17-18	One at 18, one at 16, one at 11	+2
19	Two at 18, one at 12	+3
20	One at 19, one at 18, one at 12	+3

Table 1-4: Intelligent Item Communication

d20 Result	Mental Ability Scores
1-2	Empathy (I)
3-4	Empathy (I)
5-6	Speech (II)
7-8	Speech (II)
9-10	Speech (III)
11-12	Speech (III)
13-14	Speech (IV)
15-16	Speech (IV, V)
17-18	Speech, telepathy (IV, V, VI)
19	Speech, telepathy (IV, V, VI)
20	Speech, telepathy (IV, V, VI, VII)
I. The possessor feels urges and sometimes emotions from the item that encourage or discourage certain courses of action. The item can likewise feel emotions from the wielder but only so long as the item is in hand, worn, or otherwise in contact with its wielder. II. The item can speak only the language of its creator. III. The item can speak the common language of the region and the native language of its creator. IV. The item can speak the common language of the region and the native language of its creator and one additional language per point of Intelligence bonus. V. The item can read any language that it can speak but only so long as the item is in hand, worn, or otherwise in contact with its wielder. VI. The item may now also communicate telepathically with its wielder, but only so long as the item is in hand, worn, or otherwise in contact with its wielder. VII. The item can now telepathically communicate with others within 10 feet, but only so long as the item is in hand, worn, or otherwise in contact with its wielder.

Table 1-5: Intelligent Item Senses

Level	Senses
1	30 ft. vision
2-3	30 ft. vision and hearing
4-5	60 ft. vision and hearing
6-7	90 ft. vision and hearing
8-9	120 ft. vision and hearing
10-11	120 ft. vision and hearing
12-13	120 ft. vision, hearing and darkvision
14-15	180 ft. vision and hearing
16-17	120 ft. vision, hearing, darkvision, and blind sense
18-19	180 ft. vision, hearing, darkvision and blind sense
20	120 ft. vision, hearing, darkvision, blind sense and smell.