Einherjar (3.5e Class)

The Einherjar

The warrior that does not fear the sharp end of his enemy's sword, that does not hesitate even in the face of the most extreme danger. He trains and fights from day to day with no thought of death, other than that it must come. The Einherjar aspires to meet his end in battle, in accordance to his Northern customs. That means that he is mentally prepared to die at any moment. Einherjar are very tough fighters, with an innate fearlessness and aptitude for battle.

Making an Einherjar

The Einherjar is the closest you can come to a true embodiment of battlelust. His strength, that he can lose himself in battle, is his weakness as well. He will not stagger or babble when questioned. The chance is that he will not speak at all. He considers his words moot, and talks with his weapon. One could consider his lack of communication a weakness. He has no stomach for bargains or political diatribe and may force a situation at the cost of a potentially less violent solution. Consider these traits when making an Einherjar; focus on the lust for battle and provocation.

Abilities: Strength and Constitution are by far the most attributes for the Einherjar to focus on, as they increase his overal efficacy on the battlefield, while Dexterity grants them the ability to better utilize bows.

Races: Any race that has powerful ties to the deities that govern them may produce a significant amount of these warriors. This goes for any race that lives by the belief that at the end of it, they will be rewarded for a death in battle or for having lived a valiant life.

Alignment: Any

Starting Gold: 1d4×10 gp.

Starting Age: Moderate.

Table: The Einherjar

Hit Die: d12

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Endurance
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Battle Style
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	Uncanny Dodge
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	Improved Battle Style
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+2
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+2
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+3	Improved Uncanny Dodge
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+3	Battle Style Mastery
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+3
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+4	Bonus Feat
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+4
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+4	Bonus Feat
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+5
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+5	Bonus Feat
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+6	Bonus Feat
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+6
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	Bonus Feat
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Einherjar.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Einherjar is profocient with all simple and martial weapons and with the spatha. The Einherjar is proficient with light and medium armor and with shields.

Endurance: At 1st level, the einherjar gains the benefits of the Endurance feat. If using the Tome skills and feats, this grants them the Tome Skill-Endurance at their level +3

Battle Style (Ex) At 2nd level, an einherjar must select one of four combat styles to pursue: This choice affects the character’s class features but does not restrict his selection of feats or special abilities in any way.

Archer: If the einherjar selects archery, he is treated as having the Rapid Shot feat, even if he does not meet the normal prerequisites for that feat.

Defender: If the einherjar selects defense, he gains proficiency with tower shields. (Another ability/feat still to be added)

Pugilist: If the einherjar selects the pugilist battle style, he gains the Improved Unarmed Strike and Superior Unarmed strike feats, giving him unarmed damage of 1d6 at 1st level, which increases to 1d8 at 5th level, 1d10 at 11th level and 2d6 at 17th level. The unarmed strike base damage will not grow to exceed 2d6.

Two-Weapon Combatant: If the einherjar selects two-weapon combat, he is treated as having the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

Two-Handed Weapons: If the einherjar selects the two-handed weapons style, he is treated as having the Overbear feat, even if he does not meet the normal prerequisites for that feat.

Uncanny Dodge: At 4th level, an einherjar retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If an Einherjar already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Improved Battle Style: At 6th level, an einherjar’s aptitude in his chosen combat style (archery or two-weapon combat) improves. Depending on what battle style he chose at 2nd level.

Archer: If the einherjar chose archery at 2nd level, he gains the Manyshot feat.

Defender: If the einherjar chose defense at 2nd level, he gains the Barricade feat.

Pugilist: If the einherjar chose the pugilist style at 2nd level, he gains the Hook Hold feat.

Two-Weapon Combatant: If the einherjar two-weapon combat at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

Two-Handed Weapons: If the einherjar chose the two-handed weapons style at 2nd level he gains the Rushing Parry feat.

Improved Uncanny Dodge: At 9th level and higher, an einherjar can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack him by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has einherjar levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.

Battle Style Mastery: At 10th level, an einherjar's aptitude in his chosen combat style improves again.

Archer:

Epic Einherjar

Table: The Epic Einherjar

Hit Die: d12

Level	Special
21st
22nd
23rd	Bonus Feat
24th
25th
26th	Bonus Feat
27th
28th
29th	Bonus Feat
30th
2 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Bonus Feats: The epic Einherjar gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Einherjar bonus feats) every three levels after 20th.

Epic Einherjar bonus feats list: Armor Skin, Combat Archery, Damage Reduction, Devastating Critical, Dire Charge, Distant Shot, Epic Endurance, Epic Leadership, Epic Prowess, Energy Resistance, Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus, Epic Weapon Specialization, Exceptional Deflection, Improved Combat Reflexes, Improved Manyshot, Improved Stunning Fist, Improved Whirlwind Attack, Infinite Deflection, Instant Reload, Legendary Commander, Legendary Rider, Legendary Wrestler, Overwhelming Critical, Penetrate Damage Reduction, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting, Reflect Arrows, Spellcasting Harrier, Storm of Throws, Superior Initiative, Swarm of Arrows, Two-Weapon Rend, Uncanny Accuracy.

Human Einherjar Starting Package

Armor: Chainmail (+5 armor bonus, 2 max Dex bonus, -5 armor check penalty, 40 lb.)

Weapons: Spatha (2d4, crit 18-20/×2, 12 lb. one-handed, slashing), shortspear (1d4, crit ×2, 3 lb, one-handed, piercing), shortbow (1d6, crit ×3, 2 lb., two-handed, piercing).

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 3 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Climb	4	Str	-5
Jump	4	Str	-5
Intimidate	4	Cha	—
Ride	4	Dex	-5
Handle Animal	4	Cha	—
Survival	4	Wis	—
Swim	4	Str	-10

Feat: If Strength is 13 or higher, Power Attack; if Strength is 12 or lower, Improved Initiative instead.

Bonus Feats: If Strength is 13 or higher, Cleave; is Strength is 12 or lower, Diehard instead.

Gear: Backpack with waterskin, one day's trail rations, bedroll, sack and flint and steel. Three torches.

Gold: 2d4 gp.

Campaign Information

Playing a Einherjar

The key focus of the Einherjar is to fly headlong into battle like a berserker. His singular focus and wilderness in battle must be made to inspire fear into the enemy.

Religion: Although not taking an active stance in religion itself, most Einherjar follow a strict code that is imparted upon them by the deity that they worship. For the rest, he does not care overly about the machinations of the religious. Nothing but the will of the deity he serves may detract him from the pursuit of battle.

Other Classes: Contact with other classes limits itself to the battlefield. The Einherjar is able to bond fine with fighters, barbarians and rangers, as well as other classes that are combat focused. The more unevenhanded methods that rogues and bards utilize tend to disgust them somewhat. They harbor no ill will - or no more ill than normal - to spellcasting classes.

Combat: The Einherjar is a front line combatant, one who draws the enemy's eyes on him. He uses his innate battle wit to outmaneuver or outperform his enemies with special combat abilities.

Advancement: An Einherjar roughly possesses the same advancement options as a fighter or barbarian.

Einherjar in the World

“	Gon' righ' crazy, him. Broke in through the door, bashed through 'em barricades, killed 'em guards, and took a crap in the pantry the size of a birthday cake!	”
—human frycook whos establishment ran afoul of a local Northern tribe., Chief Horwick

Einherjar are the most acclimatized to the wilder regions of the world. Warriors of their conviction are born and bred in the wild, villages eyond the touch of the more developed civilizations. They are fighters, soldiers and pirates and they usually go where battle is to be found. It is not uncommon for these men to follow the call of battle in order to seek out a war far away from their homeland.

Organizations: Einherjar usually converge in military institutions, or underneath the banner of a powerful warchief, where the promise of battle and glorious death holds true.

NPC Reactions: The Einherjar's singular approach to and desire for combat usually earns them plenty of distrust from others.

Einherjar Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (local) can research Einherjars to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (the planes)

DC	Result
5	These are Einherjar. They are warriors.
10	Einherjar lose themselves in battle.
15	Einherjar believe that when they die gloriously in combat, they will reach their preordained paradise in heaven.
20	Einherjar tend to get smelly.

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