The king (or queen if female) is the ruler of an independent state, city, or region, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth.
Hit Die: d10.
Requirements
To qualify to become a king, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +7.
Skills: Knowledge (nobility) 7 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast 1st-level holy or dark knight spells.
Traits: Must have the Noble regional trait or Princess social trait.
Special: Must be appointed as ruler of a state, city, or region. A 10th-level Princess/Prince (Bard archetype) may take levels in this prestige class, but must still be appointed, without fulfilling the other requirements.
Class Skills
The king’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidation (Cha), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table: King
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +1 | +1 | +0 | +1 | Investiture, Vested Power, Kingdom Mastery, Limit Break, +1 level to existing spell-casting class |
| 2nd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +1 | Inspired Saves, +1 level to existing spell-casting class |
| 3rd | +3 | +2 | +1 | +2 | Vested Power, +1 level to existing spell-casting class |
| 4th | +4 | +2 | +1 | +2 | Constant Monitoring, +1 level to existing spell-casting class |
| 5th | +5 | +3 | +2 | +3 | Vested Power, Master and Commander, +1 level to existing spell-casting class |
| 6th | +6 | +3 | +2 | +3 | Devoted Defender, +1 level to existing spell-casting class |
| 7th | +7 | +4 | +2 | +4 | Vested Power, +1 level to existing spell-casting class |
| 8th | +8 | +4 | +3 | +4 | Leadership, +1 level to existing spell-casting class |
| 9th | +9 | +5 | +3 | +5 | Vested Power, Master and Commander, +1 level to existing spell-casting class |
| 10th | +10 | +5 | +3 | +5 | Kingdom Shift, +1 level to existing spell-casting class |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the king prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A king gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
MP per Day / Spells Known
At each level, a king gains MP per day and spells known as if he had also gained a level in a spell-casting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level and an increased effective level of spellcasting. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of this class would have gained. If he had more than one spell-casting class before becoming a king, he must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining MP per day and spells known. In addition, if the king has cantrips, he gains a new cantrip at 1st, 5th, and 10th level of this prestige class.
Limit Break (Su)
At 1st level, the king receives the Limit Break (Royal Authority).
Royal Authority (Su): This Limit Break grants the king power and authority. For a duration of 1 round + 1 round per two king levels after 1st, the king, while in his kingdom, is granted a +2 insight bonus to Attack rolls, Skill checks, Saving Throws, and AC. This limit break can be activated as a swift action.
Investiture (Su)
A king gains a pool of investiture points, supernatural energy he can use to call upon amazing abilities and divine protection. The number of points in the king’s investiture pool is equal to his king level + his Charisma modifier. As long as he has at least 1 point in his investiture pool, the king can select one of his saving throws as a swift action and gain a +1 sacred bonus on saving throws of that type for 1 round. If he spends 1 point from his investiture pool during this swift action, he instead gains a sacred bonus equal to his Charisma modifier on the saving throw selected. The pool refreshes once per day when the king rests for a full 8 hours.
Vested Power (Ex or Sp)
At 1st level and every two king levels thereafter, a king can select a vested power (see the Vested Powers section below) for which he qualifies for. The king need not do so and can instead take a bonus feat, but once the decision to take a bonus feat or a vested power is made, he can’t change it.
Vested Powers: Vested powers are abilities that draw on a king’s investiture pool. Vested powers are divided into two categories: feats and spells.
Requirements: All vested powers have a minimum level requirement to select them. A king who hasn’t reached the required king level cannot select that vested power.
Activation: Most vested powers require the king to spend investiture points; the exact amount is listed after the vested power. Vested powers that cost 0 investiture points don’t require the king to have any investiture points in his investiture pool to use the ability. The saving throw against a king’s vested power, if any, is equal to 10 + the king’s level + his Charisma modifier.
Feats: These vested powers duplicate the effects of specific feats. A king doesn’t need to qualify for a feat to select it as a vested power. For example, a king can select Spring Attack as a vested power even if he doesn’t meet the prerequisites for selecting Spring Attack as a feat. Activating one of these vested powers is a free action on the king’s turn; until the start of his next turn, the king is treated as if he had that feat. Feats marked with an asterisk (*) can also be activated as an immediate action when it isn’t the king’s turn.
Spells: These vested powers duplicate the effects of a spell and are spell-like abilities. His caster level is equal to double his king level for these spell-like abilities, and he uses Charisma to determine his concentration check bonus. Activating one of these vested powers is a standard action.
1st-Level Vested Powers: Comprehend Languages (2 investiture points), Dodge* (0 investiture points), Feather Step (self only, 1 investiture point), Keep Watch (1 investiture point), Sanctuary (self only, 1 investiture point), Wind Shield (self only, 1 investiture point)
3rd-Level Vested Powers: Cleanse (self only, 2 investiture points), Cloak of Winds (self only, 2 investiture points), Gaseous Form (self only, 1 investiture point), Heroic Defiance* (1 investiture point), Heroic Recovery* (1 investiture point), Sidestep* (1 investiture point), Snatch Arrows* (1 investiture point), Spring Attack (1 investiture point), Tongues (self only, 2 investiture points)
5th-Level Vested Powers: Air Walk (self only, 2 investiture points), Death Ward (self only, 2 investiture points), Dimension Door (self only, 2 investiture points), Freedom of Movement (self only, 3 investiture points), Improved Blind-Fight* (1 investiture point), Improved Great Fortitude* (1 investiture point), Improved Iron Will* (1 investiture point), Improved Lightning Reflexes* (1 investiture point), Panacea (self only, 2 investiture points), Restora (self only, 3 investiture points), Wind Stance (2 investiture points)
7th-Level Vested Powers: Anti-Life Shell (3 investiture points), Greater Blind-Fight* (2 investiture points), Lightning Stance (3 investiture points), Shadow Walk (self only, 3 investiture points)
9th-Level Vested Powers: Basuna (self only, 3 investiture points), Foresight (self only, 3 investiture points), Regenerate (self only, 3 investiture points)
Kingdom Mastery (Ex)
At 1st level, a king’s familiarity with his kingdom is so complete that he knows its entire layout from memory. While inside their kingdom, a king can move at normal speed even when unable to see, when in crowds, or in areas of difficult terrain that are relatively stable and persistent (such as an area of rubble from a fallen wall, but not including newly created obstacles or barriers). A king can open or close a door (including secret doors) as a free action and can bypass traps without triggering them, and as a swift action when passing a trap can trigger it to go off 1 round after he moves past it. If a king passes within 10 feet of anything that has been changed or disturbed, even a chair or book out of place or an area of dust that has been disturbed, he gains an automatic Perception check to notice it. He adds a +5 bonus plus his king level on such Perception checks and on Survival checks to track creatures within his kingdom.
Inspired Save (Ex)
At 2nd level, when a king has to make a saving throw within his kingdom, he can expend one use of his investiture as a free action to add a bonus of +1d6 on that saving throw. He can add this bonus after he has rolled his saving throw but must decide whether to use his inspired save before he learns the result of his saving throw.
Constant Monitoring (Sp)
At 4th level, a king can expend one use of investiture to use clarion call, clairaudience/clairvoyance, make whole, or timer as a spell-like ability, using twice his king level as his caster level. If he already knows these as spells from a spellcasting class in which he has levels, he can instead use his caster level in that class plus his king level as his caster level. These spell abilities function only within his kingdom.
Master and Commander (Ex)
At 5th level, the king’s underlings are trained to his exacting standards when it comes to defending his kingdom. The king and all allies at least 2 levels lower than him gain a +1 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC as long as they are within his kingdom. This bonus also applies on skill checks related to operating siege weapons.
At 9th level, this bonus increases to +2 and any allies gaining this bonus who are within 30 feet and can see and hear the king also gain the ability to ignore difficult terrain and to open and close doors as a free action.
In addition to this constant bonus, the king can expend one use of his investiture as a standard action to inspire courage or inspire competence as a bard whose level equals to double his king level. The performance lasts a number of rounds equal to his Charisma bonus.
If the king also has bard levels, his king levels stack with his bard levels for the purpose of those performances, and he can exchange one use of investiture for 2 rounds of bardic performance for those performances only.
Devoted Defender (Ex)
At 6th level, the king’s will to protect the kingdom he stewards is unconquerable. When in his kingdom, he gains a +2 circumstance bonus on all opposed skill checks. He also gains immunity to fear and a +2 morale bonus on all saving throws (increased to +4 against mind-affecting effects) and he can take one additional attack of opportunity per round. In addition, he can expend one use of his investiture as an immediate action to perform a counterspell.
Leadership
At 8th level, a king gains Leadership as a bonus feat. If he already has this feat, he gains a +5 bonus to his leadership score.
Kingdom Shift (Su)
At 10th level, a king can expend two uses of investiture to teleport to any location within his kingdom. There is no chance of error with this ability. The king can bring a familiar along when teleporting with this ability but cannot take other creatures or more than 50 pounds of objects with them.
