Clerics typically and rightfully act as the most high-profile defenders of a faith, but they are not the sole monastic guardians of the holy and the divine. In faiths devoted to lawful good deities, paladins form a second branch of defenders who focus even more on the martial tradition. Most clerics and paladins fail at operating inconspicuously. When a lawful good church requires subtlety or discretion, most turn to specially trained monastic orders that frequently operate outside the church’s normal hierarchy. Such covert defenders and faithful spies are commonly known as sacred enforcers.
Sacred enforcers take a number of forms, depending on the exact deities they worship. Even within the same faith, they rarely have the same abilities. Presented here are several variant class features specially suited to religious-minded monks. Some of these abilities depend on the deity the sacred enforcer worships.
A sacred enforcer’s training departs from a standard monk’s training. Unearthed Arcana presents the concept of alternative fighting styles. In exchange for the freedom to choose her bonus feats, a monk who takes a specific style gains a +2 bonus on a specific skill and at 6th level can gain an additional ability if she meets the prerequisites (she must meet the prerequisites at 6th level to gain this ability). She need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them. Sacred enforcers of each lawful deity follow a tradition unique to.their faith, as represented by sacred path fighting styles. A monk must have the same alignment of her deity in order to follow her deity’s sacred path.
Sacred enforcers of the god of valour are untiring in their faith and relentless in hunting down thpse who oppose it.
1st-Level Skill Bonus: Diplomacy
1st-Level Feat: Endurance
2nd-Level Feat: Negotiator
6th-Level Feat: Weapon Specialization (Longsword)
6th-Level Bonus Ability: When making a flurry of blows attack, you may use a longsword as a monk special weapon. Prerequisites: Diplomacy 4 ranks, proficient with the longswerd.
The god of tyranny inspires a ruthlessness in his sacred enforcers that frightens even the faithful.
1st-Leve1 Skill Bonus: Intimidate
1st-Level Feat: Endurance
2nd-Level Feat: Persuasive
6th-Level Feat: Weapon Specialization (Flail)
6th-Level Bonus Ability: When making a flurry of blows attack, you may use a flail as a monk special weapon. Prerequisites: Intimidate 4 ranks, proficient with the flail.
Such is the strength of faith in dwarven culture that most of the few dwarven monks follow the sacred enforcer path. Only dwarves may follow the sacred path of Moradin.
1st-Level Skill Bonus: Balance
1st-Level Feat: Improved Sunder
2nd-Level Feat: Cleave
6th-Level Feat: Diehard
6th-Level Bonus Ability: When you make a sunder attack with a warhammer, you deal extra damage equal to half your monk level. Prerequisites: Balance 9 ranks, proficient with warhammer.
Sacred enforcers of St. Cuthbert dedicate themselves to swift and decisive retribution.
1st-Level Skill Bonus: Survival
1st-Level Feat: Track
2nd-Level Feat: Alertness
6th-level Feat: Power Attack
6th-Level Bonus Ability: Whenever you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll (regardless of whether the attack eventually becomes a critical hit) you strike a blow with such precision that it leaves a small mark on your target. A target bearing this mark takes a -1 penalty on saving throws and a -1 penalty to its Armour Class for a number of rounds equal to one-half your monk level. Prerequisites: Survival 4 ranks, Spot 9 ranks.
Sacred enforcers of the goddess of death and magic frequently utilize the latter portfolio to bring about the former.
1st-Level Skill Bonus: Use Magic Device
1st-Level Feat: Improved Initiative
2nd-Level Feat: Skill Focus (Use Magic Device)
6th-Level Feat: Blind-Fight
6th-Level Bonus Ability: You gain a bonus on Use Magic Device checks equal to one-half your monk level. Prerequisites: Use Magic Device 4 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 9 ranks.
Yondalla’s role as protector sees her sacred enforcers serving as roaming wardens among halfling communities. Only halflings may follow the sacred path of Yondalla.
1st-Level Skill Bonus: Jump
1st-Level Feat: Improved Initiative
2nd-Level Feat: Weapon Finesse
6th-Level Feat: Mobility
6th-Level Bonus Ability: Whenever you attack with a flurry of blows you gain a +1 bonus on all saving throws until the beginning of your next turn. Prerequisites: Jump 9 ranks, Dodge.
Sacred enforcers can further distinguish themselves from one another and from normal monks with the following variant class features.
Sacred strike grants you greater flexibility in which creatures you can affect with your ki strike ability, allowing you to more effectively combat those who invoke your deity’s wrath.
Level: 4th
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain ki strike (magic) (or any later improvements to that class feature) or improved evasion.
Benefits: When you attack with your deity’s favoured weapon you may make a special smite attack against the sworn enemies of your faith a number of times per day equal to 1 + your Wisdom modi£er (minimum once per day). Add your Charisma bonus (if any) to your attack roll and you deal 1 extra point of damage per monk level. If you smite a creature that is not an enemy of your faith the smite has no effect and that use of the ability is spent.
| Deity | Sworn Enemies |
|---|---|
| Heironeous | All evil creatures |
| Hextor | All good creatures |
| Moradin | All evil creatures |
| St. Cuthbert | All chaotic creatures |
| Wee Jas | All chaotic creatures |
| Yondalla | All evil creatures |
Your sacred strike improves with your class level. At 10th level, your sacred strike deals damage as above and stuns an enemy of your faith for 1 round (Will save negates, DC 10 + ½ your monk level + your Wisdom modifier). At 16th level, your sacred strike can stuns an enemy of your faith for 1 round (Will save negates, DC 10 + ½ your monk level + your Wisdom modifier) and blinds that enemy for 1d8 rounds (no save for blindness effect). Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to the stunning and blinding effects.
Sacred enforcers are sometimes called upon to learn special techniques and abilities not taught to monks. You can ignore the multiclass restrictions of the monk for some classes.
Level: 3rd.
Replaces: If you select this Class feature, you do not gain still mind.
Benefits: Taking levels in cleric, paladin or blackguard (depending on your alignment) does not prevent you from taking monk levels. If you take levels in any other class, you lose your ability to progress as a monk as usual. Taking levels in monk does not prevent you from advancing as a paladin.
Like their cleric brethren, sacred enforcers frequently look beyond themselves to the safety and well-being of others. Although they tend to work alone, some sacred enforcers like to travel with companions. These sacred enforcers learn the secret ki techniques necessary to heal the wounds of others.
Level: 7th.
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain wholeness of body.
Benefits: You can heal the wounds of others with a touch. You can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to twice your current class level each day, and you can spread this healing out among several uses and recipients. Each use is a standard action. You may not heal yourself with this ability.
A sacred enforcer who becomes non-lawful or abandons her deity cannot gain further levels in this class. She loses her sacred strike and wholeness of others abilities. Ex-sacred enforcers retain all other class abilities.
Source: Dragon Magazine #346 (Page 90)