Justice: Judge, Jury, Executioner (3.5e Prestige Class)

Justice

“	I am the law!	”
—Judge Dredd, Human

When civilizations get to a point where the lawless choke the world the people resort to desperate measures. They willingly give up their freedoms to a select few who will stop at nothing to bring order. These enforcers of the law are justices.

Justices are unwavering in their enforcement of the law. They serve as judge, jury, and executioner. They show no pity for criminals. They themselves are not above the law. If a justice is found breaking the law other justices will reign them in to be severely punished. If the crimes are to great an inevitable might come to exact punishment on the rouge justice.

Justices start their training as children. Few make it through their brutal schooling to become a justice. Those who do are highly trained not only physically bot mentally as well. Emotions are pushed aside so they do not fail to uphold each and every law taught to them. Their personal lives are abandoned. They become the law.

Justices start as rookies and trained by someone with full experience. They are not allowed to act by themselves until they become full justices. This can't be obtained until they pass a final test. A gauntlet that pushes them to their limits.

Some believe the justices origins came from desperate masses looking for any salvation from their lawless cities cried out for help and were answered by the inevitables.

Becoming a Justice

Justices are unique because they can be played as their first level. Justices are best followed by classes relying on physical skill. Barbarian, sorcerers, and wizards are bad suggestions to follow Justice

Entry Requirements

Alignment:	Any Lawful.
Base Attack Bonus:	0.
Race:	Any Non Chaotic.
Skills:	None.
Feats:	None.
Special:	Must start at first level and, after fifth level, their next class is considered their primary. Must be accepted into a justice organization.

Table: Justice

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+1	+1	Hammer of Justice, Improved Unarmed Strike, Pathology
2nd	+2	+3	+2	+2	Uncanny Justice
3rd	+3	+3	+2	+2	Improved Grapple, Recoil
4th	+4	+4	+3	+3	Meat Shield
5th	+5	+4	+3	+3	Battle Adaptable, Trial
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level) Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge, Listen, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Swim.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Justice.

Hammer of Justice"(Ex)": At first level Justices gain +1 to attacks and melee damage against targets Justice is aware broke the law. Every fifth character level Justices gain another +1 to attacks and melee damage against targets Justice is aware broke the law.

Improved Unarmed Strike: Justices are considered to be armed even when unarmed —that is, a justice does not provoke attacks or opportunity from armed opponents when a justice attacks them while unarmed. However, justices still get an attack of opportunity against any opponent who makes an unarmed attack the justice.

A justice's attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a justice may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a justice striking unarmed. In addition, justices unarmed strikes can deal lethal or nonlethal damage, at the his option.

Pathology: Justice adds +1 to bluff, gather information, intimidate, knowledge, listen, search, sense motive, and spot per every character level when used to investigate crimes or criminals.

Uncanny Justice: A justice can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He 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 a justice gains uncanny dodge from a different class he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead. If he gains improved uncanny dodge from another class he automatically gains these benefits even in natural sleep.

Improved Grapple: Justice does not provoke an attack of opportunity when justice makes a touch attack to start a grapple. Justice also gain a +4 bonus on all grapple checks, regardless of whether justice started the grapple.

Recoil"(Ex)": Justice can use a grappling opponent's natural weapon against him as with light weapns.

Meat Shield"(Ex)": If a justice is attacked by a ranged attack he may make a grapple check against an adjacent target. If he succeeds, he may for the round move that target into his square and that target now takes the damage from the ranged attack. This ability is a reflex and can be used at any time once per round. Meat Shield can only block ranged attacks from one source at a time. It does not block against attacks that deal damage to more then one target.

Battle Adaptable: Justice is proficient with any weapon or shield he uses more then 5 rounds.

Trial: To become a fifth level a justice must undergo a trial of the DM's choosing. If he passes he becomes a justice and has an aura that makes all rolls against justice from a chaotic source -1. If he fails the trial he does not gain his fifth level of justice and becomes an ex-justice.

Ex-Justices

Players can take no other levels until they reach their fifth level, unless they wish to abandon the prestige class and become an ex judge. This is considered their training years.

Justices are obligated to uphold the law. If a justice is found to have broke the law he will be disgraced and lose is edge. He will lose his level advancement and his abilities: Hammer of Justice, Pathology, and Battle Adaptable. He does not regain these abilities and advancement potential back until he atones for his violations (see the atonement spell description), as appropriate.

Campaign Information

Playing a Justice

Combat: Justices are trained to take point and be able to handle their own. They excel in fights that divide them from the group.

Advancement: Justices choose to take levels in classes that improve their physical skill set. Paladins and rangers are a good choice to help hunt and take down the lawless. A justice might take up rouge to help in covert infiltration. a rare few might become a psion to read into the mind of criminals better.

Resources: Justices usually have some kind of hall or central headquarters where they train and equip themselves for their long time out in the field. A council presides in the hall that regulate the justices. Justices who have not completed their training do not leave this hall unless escorted by a full trained justice. Squads of justices will be sent out to deal with great chaotic turmoil in civilized areas such as riots or disaster. Wars are not the concern of justices.

Justices are usually spread thin in their fight to bring law to the world. If another Justice is available they don't mind the help. Some justices specialize to become a support class for situations that require special skills to solve.

Justices in the World

“

In this city, we've got a saying: once is coincidence, twice is a booking offense!

”

Justices frequent areas of large civilized areas. Some travel the roads between cities or go to rural areas where smaller infectious chaotic behavior might be spreading from. Few even travel the seas to combat piracy.

NPC Reactions: Lawful classes and races respect justices. Chaotic races are unerved by a justices presence, Most classes are wary of justices, never knowing when they might have broken a law. Paladins are almost always in good relations with justices, until they enforce laws of an evil nature. Rouges possible criminal nature puts them into an adversarial position. Barbarians are at complete odds with justices almost always resorting to violence between the two.

Justice Lore

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

Knowledge Local

DC	Result
11	Justices are judge, jury, and executioner of the law.
16	Justices enforce all laws to their fullest extent.
21	Justices will not go against the law even if it puts them in danger.
26	Justices can use almost any weapon against an opponent.

Justices in the Game

Justices fit well into campaigns set in massive city-scapes with high crime. They may also serve as enforcers of government sent on quests to purge criminal uprisings.

Adaptation: Justices can be used for groups who wish to work as a no nonsense crime fighting force. Justices can also be set as a modifier to NPCs for DMs who wish to give their cities more of a dangerous setting.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Classes → Prestige Classes