As a champion, you follow a cause. Your cause determines your champion’s reaction, grants you a devotion spell, and defines part of your champion’s code. Causes are split into groups called tenets that share common elements, and in turn the tenets fall into broad types. The champion series of Merlin’s Moments offer a greater selection of tenets and causes.
ETHICAL TENETS
Ethical tenets focus on the extremes of good and evil. Your cause must match your alignment exactly.
* Tenets of Good, which all require a good alignment and includes the Paladin, Redeemer and Liberator causes.
* Tenets of Evil, which all require an evil alignment and includes the Antipaladin, Desecrator and Tyrant causes.
CHAMPIONS WEEK
Return each day this week to learn more about
* The moral tenets of absolution, resolution, and protection.
* The secular orders of chivalry, heraldry and heresy.
* The tenet of the inquisition.
* The oathbound champion.
All are available now and can be found bundled or separate here:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390011/Champions-BUNDLE
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/9162/Merlin039s-Workshop-Publishing /subcategory/24381_36572/Merlins-Moments
CHAMPIONS OF ABSOLUTION
Moral tenets focus on the balance between law and chaos. Your cause must match your alignment exactly, although some moral causes allow for a range of alignments.
The first of these is the tenet of Absolution, which are always true neutral, represented by the Proselytizer and the Purifier causes.
The champions of Absolution consider themselves above the petty squabbles of honour and ethics, devoting themselves to managing the flow of souls and the balance between the positive and negative extremes of the multiverse.
PURIFIER
You are dedicated to ensuring that souls are in control of their own fate and are not forced into absolution. Sometimes named as and confused with the neutral good redeemers, you right the wrongs of necromancy, free blighted souls from the curse of undeath, purify unhallowed grounds.
PROSELYTIZER
You are dedicated to ensuring that souls are delivered to their final absolution. You specialize in dealing with malignant spirits that reside in valued people or locations, residual undead devoid of purpose, and with powerful necromantic lords circumventing the river or fate.
Champions of Absolution is available now and can be found bundled or separately here:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390011/Champions-BUNDLE
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390005/Champions-of-Absolution
CHAMPIONS OF RESOLUTION
The second of the moral tenets is the tenet of Resolution, represented by the lawful Justiciar and the chaotic Radical causes.
Free from the ethical consideration of good and evil, champions that follow the tenets of resolution instead are concerned with the application of law or the struggle to counteract its extremes.
JUSTICIAR
You are a merciless champion of the law, if you must crush dreams, coerce obedience, or slay in the name of the law, that is a small price to pay for peace and progress. You have joined the crusade against chaos, adopting a life of ironclad discipline and swearing to thwart disorder by any means. Through intimidation and strength of arms, you embody the grim fist of law, pursuing and crushing disorder wherever it festers. You may strike out from one of the stark, black citadels, or roam between cities and villages, serving as judge and emissary of a harsh vision of justice.
RADICAL
You devote yourself to counteracting the worst applications of the law, and the inflexibility of those that impose it. Although your cause is sometimes confused with the chaotic good liberator, you focus more on counteracting the extremes of law rather than freeing those impacted by it.
This champion's cause contains:
2 causes the lawful Justicar and the chaotic Radical.
28 champion feats.
5 devotion focus spells.
Champions of Resolution is available now and can be found bundled or separately here:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390011/Champions-BUNDLE
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390004/Champions-of-Resolution
CHAMPIONS OF PROTECTION
The final of the moral tenets is the tenet of Protection, represented by the lawful neutral Guardian, the true neutral Bodyguard, and the chaotic neutral Mercenary causes.
Champions with tenet of protection dedicate themselves to the staunch and unyielding protection of a ward - a specific group, person, location, or object.
CUSTODIAN
Custodians are champions of responsibility and duty. You offer protection because it is your obligation according to the law.
GUARDIAN
Guardians are champions of loyalty. Your word is your bond you protect your ward because of a historical, emotional, or genealogical connection.
MERCENANY
Mercenaries are champions of agreement. You protect to fulfil the
dictates of your contract and receive your payment, offering
valuable services for a fee to those who wish to pay for your
protection. You are only bound to the strictures of your contract
whilst it still benefits you and your compensation
This champion's cause contains:
3 causes the lawful neutral Custodian the neutral Guardian, and the chaotic neutral Mercenary.
31 champion feats.
5 devotion focus spells.
Champions of Protection is available now and can be found bundled or separately here:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390011/Champions-BUNDLE
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390007/Champions-of-Protection
INQUISITION TENET
Champions of the inquisition, often called Inquisitors, are even more devoutly tied to their patron deities. Inquisitors have a variable cause, built by selecting from the following list during their daily preparation.
- Inquisition of Destruction
- Inquisition of Excommunication
- Inquisition of Healing
- Inquisition of Justice
- Inquisition of Piercing
- Inquisition of Protection
- Inquisition of Purity
- Inquisition of Reformation
- Inquisition of Resiliency
- Inquisition of Resistance
- Inquisition of Smiting
- Inquisition of Stalking
During their daily preparations each morning, inquisitors select one cause from the tenet of inquisition for which they qualify, which becomes their prepared cause for the day. If the selected cause has tenets, they temporarily add them below their tenets of inquisition. They can cast the focus spell (or any one of the focus spells if it offers a choice) granted by their selected cause or its tenet. At 3rd level they can prepare two such causes each day, at 7th level they can prepare three, at 13th level they can prepare four, and at 17th level they can prepare five. They only gain one focus spell chosen from the causes that you have prepared for the day.
This champion's cause contains:
1 tenet with 12 daily selectable causes.
29 champion feats, including tactician, stances and bounded spellcasting.
13 devotion focus spells.
Champions of the Inquisition is available now and can be found bundled or separately here:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390011/Champions-BUNDLE
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390008/Champions-of-the-Inquisition
OATHBOUND CHAMPION
The Oathbound champion has no cause other than a collection of oaths.
As a variant of the Champion multiclass archetype, the oathbound multiclass archetype greatly improves defences, particularly armor. Like all multiclass champions, it’s a great way for a character to gain armor proficiency or a powerful defensive reaction. It differs from the Champion archetype by focusing on oaths rather than a cause.
This variant multiclass champion includes:
13 multiclass champion feats.
37 Oath feats.
17 Aura feats.
7 devotion focus spells.
Champions Oaths is available now and can be found bundled or separately here:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390011/Champions-BUNDLE
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390013/Champions-Oaths
CHAMPIONS SECULAR
So, you used to be a Cavalier, follow an Order, use your tactical abilities and challenge your foes? Now things have changed, the editions have evolved, and you are trying to be a champion. Some things are missing, some are different, and everything is under the watchful eye of your patron deity.
Within you will find the details of the Secular Champion class archetype, with its focus on challenge, tactics and resolve; the Affiliate multiclass archetypes which provides a route for multiclass secular champions; and the tenets of chivalry, heraldry, and heresy along with their common secular causes.
SECULAR CHAMPION
A secular champion follows an earthly cause free from the tenets of a patron deity. The secular champion class archetype replicates many of the features of the previous iterations of the Cavalier and Samurai.
TENETS OF CHIVALRY
Chivalric causes champion those they serve. The common chivalric causes detailed in this document are:
The Order of the Blue Rose dedicate themselves to promoting peace in the lands they roam.
The Order of the Dragon dedicate themselves to a group of like-minded individuals.
The Order of the Green are dedicated to protecting wild places and creatures.
The Order of the Land dedicate themselves to the land and the people who inhabit the rural areas between urban centres.
The Order of the Shield devote their lives to protecting the common folk, from the simple farmer to the honest craftsman.
The Order of the Sword dedicate their lives to the code of chivalry, living a life of honour, valour, and fairness.
TENETS OF HERALDRY
Heraldic causes champion the protection and propagation of their beliefs. The common heraldic causes detailed in this document are:
The Order of the Lion are pledged to a sovereign; be it a king, queen, or even the local warlord.
The Order of the Seal are a secretive order, each charged with the protection of a specific object, place, or secret.
The Order of the Staff dedicate their lives to guarding and assisting spellcasters, especially wizards and druids.
The Order of the Star dedicate themselves to the protection and service of a faith and its members.
The Order of the Tome devote themselves to the preservation of knowledge.
The Order of the Warrior swear themselves to the code emphasizes duty, honour, loyalty, and obedience.
TENETS OF HERESY
Heretic causes champion self-interest or a personal aesthetic. The common heretic causes detailed in this document are:
The Atheist Heresy are dedicated to hunting down anyone practicing, preaching, or otherwise facilitating religion.
The Errant Heresy find themselves without a master as a result of disgrace or death, or occasionally by choice.
The Penitent Heresy seek to make up for past crimes and do whatever they can to restore their tainted honour.
The Vengeance Heresy seek to punish those who betrayed them.
This 21 page champion class archetype contains:
20 orders across 3 tenets.
100 champion feats.
30+ devotion focus spells.
Champions Secular is available now and can be found bundled or separately here:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390011/Champions-BUNDLE
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/390014/Champions-Secular
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