Knight of the Element (3.5e Class)

Knight of the Element

Knights of the Elements strive to prove themselves as true incarnations of their element.

Making a Knight of the Element

As a Knight of the Element, you are a strong warrior with powers that allow you to augment your strikes, you rely on your allies for support, while they rely on you to draw the most attention.

Abilities: Constitution determines not only your hit points and fortitude save, but also the difficulty classes of your powers gained from the class. Strength is important, as you rely on hitting your foes to affect them with your elemental powers.

Races: Of all the races, Half-Orcs often find the Knight of the Element's powers the most intriguing, due to their hardships fitting in with their orc or human family.

Alignment: Any, though Knights of the Element tend to gravitate towards neutrality to emulate the Elemental Planes themselves.

Starting Gold: 5d4x10.

Starting Age: Complex

Table: The Knight of the Element

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Elemental Aspiration, Elemental Strike +1d6, Resistance to Energy 5
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Elemental Defense, Elemental Armor +1
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Elemental Strike +2d6
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	Resistance to Energy 10, Elemental Weapon
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Elemental Strike +3d6, Minor Elemental Fusion
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	Elemental Fury, Elemental Vigor
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+2	Elemental Strike +4d6, Resistance to Energy 20
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+2	Elemental Burst, Elemental Armor +2
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+3	Elemental Strike +5d6
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+3	Energy Immunity, Moderate Elemental Fusion
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+3	Elemental Strike +6d6
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+4
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+4	Elemental Strike +7d6
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+4	Elemental Armor +3, Planar Strike
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+5	Elemental Strike +8d6, Major Elemental Fusion
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+5
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5	Elemental Strike +9d6
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+6
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Elemental Strike +10d6
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	Elemental Ascension, Elemental Armor +4
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex) .

Class Features

A Knight of the Element draws power from the elemental planes in order to better their martial prowess. All of the following are class features of the Knight of the Element.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Knight of the Element is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light, medium, and heavy armors, and all shields except for tower shields.

Bonus Languages: A Knight of the Element adds Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran to their list of bonus languages

Elemental Aspiration: A Knight of the Element focuses on one of the following elements: Acid, Cold, Electricity, or Fire. This choice dictates many of the Knight of the Element's abilities, including the energy that they resist, the energy that their Elemental Strike uses, and so on. Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed.

Elemental Strike (Su): A Knight of the Element allows the forces of the elemental energies to flow through himself, and can focus these energies into a single, destructive strike. As a standard action, or at the end of a charge, a Knight of the Element can deliver a strike that deals an extra 1d6 points of energy damage of the element that he has chosen for his Elemental Aspiration. This damage increases by 1d6 for every 2 class levels the Knight of the Element gains past 1st. (+2d6 at 3rd level, +3d6 at 5th level, and so on...)

Resistance to Energy (Ex): A Knight of the Element becomes slightly infused with their chosen element, gaining Resistance 5 to that element. This improves to Resistance 10 at 4th level, Resistance 20 at 7th level, and Immunity to the selected energy at 10th level.

Elemental Armor (Ex): At 2nd level, a Knight of the Element's skin toughens and becomes lightly pigmented with the color of his element. This grants the Knight of the Element a Natural Armor bonus of +1. For every 6 levels the Knight of the Element gains beyond 2nd, this bonus increases by 1.

Elemental Defense (Ex): As a Knight of the Element gains power, he learns how to protect himself against the powers of his own element. At 2nd level, the Knight of the Element gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against attacks that utilize his chosen element, such as a breath weapon or a spell.

Elemental Weapon (Su): At 4th level, a Knight of the Element learns how to project his elemental powers onto his weapon. Any weapon or natural weapon wielded by a 4th level or higher Knight of the Element gains the Corrosive (Acid), Frost (Cold), Shocking (Electricity), or Flaming (Fire) property, as appropriate for their Elemental Aspiration.

Minor Elemental Fusion (Ex): A 5th level Knight of the element begins to fuse with the powers of the Elemental Planes, gaining some minor qualities of an Elemental. The Knight of the Element gains Darkvision out to 60ft (or their existing Darkvision improves by 30ft), immunity to sleep effects and no longer needs to sleep, and a 25% chance to negate a critical hit or precision based attack (such as a rogue's sneak attack).

Elemental Fury (Su): A 6th level Knight of the Element can channel his elemental power in to a debilitating effect, following his Elemental Strike. If a Knight of the Element succeeds on an Elemental Strike, and the foe takes damage from the Elemental Strike, he may spend a swift action to force the power of his element upon the foe.

• Acid: The acidic strike fills your foe's veins with bile-like toxins, dealing 2 points of Constitution damage
• Cold: As your strike hits, you freeze your opponent's body, hardening it to a brittle and rigid texture, dealing 2 points of Dexterity damage
• Electricity: You strike your foe with a bolt of lightning, paralyzing them for 1 round.
• Fire: Your foe's body becomes briefly immolated, scorching their muscles. Your foe becomes Nauseated for 1 turn.

The effects of Elemental Fury can be negated by a successful Reflex Save (DC: 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Constitution modifier).

Elemental Vigor (Su): A Knight of the Element of 6th level can channel the power his Elemental Strike into a revitalizing boost for himself. If a Knight of the Element succeeds on an Elemental Strike, and the foe takes damage from the Elemental Strike, the Knight of the Element can use a swift action to grant himself temporary hit points equal to his class level.

Temporary hit points gained this way stack.

Elemental Burst (Su): A Knight of the Element who attains 8th level gains the power to force their weapon to explode in a blast of their element when they strike a vital point on their foe. Any weapon or natural weapon wielded by a Knight of the Element of at least 8th level gains the Corrosive Burst (Acid), Frost Burst (Cold), Shocking Burst (Electricity), or Flaming Burst (Fire) property, as appropriate for their Elemental Aspiration.

Moderate Elemental Fusion (Ex): At 10th level, a Knight of the Element's fusion with the Elemental Plane that they aspire to becomes more potent. The Knight of the Element gains immunity to paralysis, poison, no longer needs to eat, and their chance to negate a critical hit or precision based attack rises to 50%.

Planar Strike (Su): At 14th level, the Knight of the Element gains the ability to alter their Elemental Strike in a way that channels power from the elemental planes themselves, as opposed to the element within.

When a Knight of the Element makes an Elemental Strike, he can choose to deal damage equal to his class level as Force damage, instead of the normal damage from Elemental strike.

Major Elemental Fusion (Ex): A 15th level Knight of the Element's fusion with their chosen element becomes exceptionally potent. The Knight of the Element can no longer be flanked, stunned, no longer needs to breathe, and their chance to negate a critical hit or precision based attack rises to 75%

Elemental Ascention (Ex): At 20th level, a Knight of the Element's fusion with their chosen element is complete. Their type changes to elemental, with a subtype corresponding to their chosen element (see below), they gain Damage Reduction 10/-.

• Acid: Earth Subtype
• Cold: Water Subtype
• Electricity: Air Subtype
• Fire: Fire Subtype

Half-Orc Knight of the Element Starting Package

Weapons: Heavy Pick, Shortbow.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Balance	4	Dex	-4
Climb	4	Str	-4
Jump	4	Str	-4
Handle Animal	4	Cha	-
Knowledge (Nature)	4	Int	-
Knowledge (Planes)	4	Int	-
Listen	4	Wis	-
Ride	4	Dex	-
Spot	4	Wis	-
Survival	4	Wis	-
Swim	4	Str	-8
Use Rope	4	Dex	-

Feat: Power Attack.

Element: Cold

Gear: Scale Mail, 2 days trail rations, 50ft rope, Quiver with 20 arrows, waterskin.

Gold: 1d4 gp.

Campaign Information

Playing a Knight of the Element

Religion: Typically, Knights of the Element revere gods of nature such as Obd Hai or Elohnna, though gods of war are also common reverence, such as Correllian Lorethian, Erythnul, or Heronius.

Other Classes: Typically, Knights of the Element get along well with Wizards, especially Evokers. Druids, Barbarians, and Rangers may appreciate your elemental prowess.

Combat: As a Knight of the Element, you do best as your party's warrior; locking down an enemy and removing them from the battlefield.

Advancement: Knights of the Element are likely inclined to pursue the elemental power until the end. Nonetheless, the Fighter and Barbarian classes are likely to augment your arsenal of abilities.

Knights of the Element in the World

"The winter haunts me no more. I am the blizzard." Klyntuk, King of Winter

Daily Life: Knights of the Element typically wander the Material plane in search of traces of their element. Very rarely do they organize themselves, and when they do, they often are simple troupes of no more than 10, working as guards for druids and fey.

Notables: The first Knights of the Element were a group of quadruplets, born of a Druid who had relations with living spells of the Fireball, Acid Arrow, Cone of Cold, and Call Lightning spells. They grew apart in adolescence, scattering to different lands. The Child of Acid fell to industrialization, being arrested and executed for treason, as she planned to coat the new structures in contact poisons. The Child of Cold found himself emotionless and alone, wandering the Frostfell until he met his end to a White Dragon, with whom he did battle in order to prove his dominance of cold to the beast. The Child of Electricity was known as a woman of action and power, rising through the ranks of a church of Heronius until she gave her life to defend a city from an onslaught of politically crazed Hextor followers. It is rumored that the Child of Fire succeeded in becoming an elemental, and he wanders the Elemental Plane of Fire to this day.

Organizations: Very rarely do Knights of the Element organize. The few recorded times that they have, it always ended with a war between the different elements within the organization.

NPC Reactions: NPCs are highly skeptical of the Knight of the Element. As they grow in power, their skin pigmentation changes, and commoners who know less of the world than adventurers are often shyed away from the Knight of the Element.

Knight of the Element Lore

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

Knowledge (Planes)

DC	Result
10	Knights of the Element specialize in either Acid, Cold, Electricity, or Fire.
20	As they grow in power, Knights of the Element gain the abilities of Elementals.
30	Read the story of the Four Children (Notables).

Knights of the Element in the Game

Knights of the Element often wander, seeking out any trace of their element on this plane. Thus, the adventuring life often appeals to them

Adaptation: Very few know of the fabled Fifth Child of the Element, who used the rare sonic element...

Sample Encounter: Klyntuk, King of Winter, is a Half-Orc Knight of the Cold who wanders a blizzarding wasteland. He survives off of the wildlife in the area, and lives a primitive lifestyle. Very socially inept, he attacks any living being that he could theoretically hunt

EL 12:

The adventurers march on, raising hands to repel the snow. About ten minutes in, the party sees three polar bears fleeing, as a blood curdling war cry is heard from the mist. Rushing towards the party is a Half-Orc man with a primitive look to him, raising a heavy pick above his head as he charges forward.

Klyntuk, King of Winter: Male Half-Orc Knight of the Element (Cold) 12

STR: 20, DEX: 12, CON: 22, INT: 8, WIS: 13, CHA: 6

AC: 26 (10 + 1 DEX +2 Natural + 11 Armor, +2 Deflection) Flat-Foot: 25, Touch: 12, Fort +16, Ref +7, Will +7 AL: CN

HP: 12d10+72 (138 HP) BAB +12, Grapple +17, Initiative +5, Speed: 20 ft in armor (30 ft unarmored)

Attack: (+2 Heavy Pick) +21, 1d6+10 +(1d6+1 cold), or Mstr Shortbow +14, 1d6

Full Attack: (+2 Heavy Pick) +20/+15/+10, 1d6+9 +1d6 cold, or Mstr Shortbow +14/+9/+4, 1d6+1d6 cold

Special Attacks: Elemental Strike +6d6 (Cold), Elemental Weapon (cold), Elemantal Fury (DC: 22, 2 Dexterity damage)

Special Qualities: +4 saves versus cold, Darkvision 90ft, 50% chance to negate critical hits or precision damage, Immune to cold, sleep, paralysis, and poison, does not need to sleep or eat.

Skills: Spot +18, Listen +18, Survival +16

Feats: Power Attack, Track, Weapon Focus (Heavy Pick), Improved Initiative, Alertness

Equipment: Belt of Battle, Potion of Cure Serious Wounds (x4), +2 Heavy Pick, +4 Gloves of Strength, +4 Amulet of Health, +3 White Dragonhide Fullplate, +2 Ring of Protection, +2 Cloak of Resistance, Mstr Shortbow, 20 Arrows

Notes: A DC: 20 Diplomacy check or a Calm Emotions spell sedates Klyntuk. He is an able hunter, but has poor social skills and is, by nature, selfish. He will help the party if they offer him something in return. He will not accept money, as he does not understand the concept of it.

If Klyntuk is engaged in combat, he opens up with a charge that utilizes the Power Attack Feat in order to trade the charging attack bonus of +2 into +4 damage, as well as using the Elemental Strike and Elemental Fury abilities. If his foe is affected by Elemental Fury, Klyntuk will use the opponent's weakened state to continue the assault, repeating Elemental Strike until the opponent falls.

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