Watcher of Helm Cleric Archetype

Prior to the Time of Troubles, Helm was a well-respected faith in most areas of the North. Its large temple complexes were usually situated near dangerous and evil areas (such as Darkhold) and were regarded as a first line of defense against evil people and creatures. Wracked by defections in the wake of the Time of Troubles, active persecution in the North by those angry that Helm forced the destructive divine avatars to remain in Faerun, and military and popularity losses related to the invasion of the New World (Maztica), the Vigilant or Watchful Ones (priests of Helm) went into decline.

They have only in the last ten years begun to recover popular favor and influence, strength, and organization under the unflinching, no-excuses leadership of the veteran priests of Helm from before the Time of Troubles known as the Tested and True. Most of these folk are people of inflexible beliefs and loyalty. They believe that Helm is the most favored of all the powers, for he was chosen to retain his powers to discipline the others. In the wake of growth, Helm has begun to empower more of these Tested and True to become His specialty priests — The Watchers — as testament to his unwavering vigilance, and a growing number of novice clerics have entered into the specialty priesthood as well.

Patron Deity and Alignment: The Watcher must have Helm as her chosen patron, and must remain either Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral in alignment. If she ever leaves the service of Helm or strays from this alignment requirement, she loses the abilities of this archetype. She may seek atonement in order to regain these features.

Class Skills: The Watcher gains Perception (Wis) as a class skill; they lose Knowledge (Arcana). This modifies the cleric’s class skills.

Armor of the Vigilant: The ceremonial vestment of a watcher is a msterwork suit of full plate armor with large pauldrons and a shield. Watchers gain heavy armor proficiency, and receive this suit of full plate armor, a great helm, and a large shield for free at 1st level. Watchers must wear their full plate armor or no armor at all except in emergencies or when specially sanctioned by a senior clergy member or high priest. It is a custom in some areas that even when not wearing their vestment armor, the pauldrons are worn upon the Watcher’s shoulders. Wearing other armor is not forbidden but is sanctioned by severe disapproval in the ranks of the church for minor infringements. (Violators are assigned boring or unpleasant duties.) If anything happens to the full plate armor of a Watcher, she or he must make every effort to acquire a new set or wear no armor at all unless in the most dire circumstances (such as where lack of armor would result in them failing at their trust) or on a holy mission for their church.

Further, the Watcher may cast Swift Girding 1/day as a spell-like ability, but only on herself, and only with this bestowed armor.

This alters the cleric’s armor proficiencies.

Mantle of Preparedness (Su): At 1st level, the Watcher of Helm may choose a single cantrip and 1st-level divination or abjuration spell from the wizard spell list; she adds this to her list of spells known and treats these spells as if they were divine spells and on her spell list. Every two levels thereafter when she gains a new spell level, she chooses another wizard spell from the same schools to this list, so long as the level of the spell is the same or lower than the highest level cleric spell she can cast.

Rather than curative spells, the Watcher can spontaneously convert any prepared cleric spell to one of her mantle spells using a slot of an equal or higher level. Like a sorcerer, these may be augmented by metamagic with the commensurate increase in spell level.

This replaces the Watcher’s ability to spontaneously cast curing spells.

Eyes of Vigilance (Ex): At 3rd level, a Watcher gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. In addition, she gains a +1 bonus on Perception checks to avoid being surprised by a foe, and Sense Motive checks against being feinted. These bonuses increase by 1 every 3 Watcher levels thereafter (to a maximum of +6 at 18th level). The bonuses gained from this ability stack with those gained from trap sense or danger sense from another class.

At 8th level, the Watcher can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A Watcher with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against her. This functions exactly as the Uncanny Dodge ability and if she has Uncanny Dodge from another class or feature, she gains Improved Uncanny Dodge instead.

At 12th level, the Watcher can no longer be flanked. This defense denies an opponent the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more levels in classes granting sneak attack than the Watcher’s level. This is identical to the Improved Uncanny Dodge ability and stacks with levels of classes granting Uncanny Dodge.

This replaces the granted powers of one of the Watcher’s domains.

Tested and True (Su): At 20th level, a Watcher has become a mortal petitioner of the Vigilant One. She can no longer be surprized, and her consecrated armor gains the heavy fortification property whenever she dons it; this does not function for anyone else who wears the armor, and the property is immediately dispelled if the Watcher removes it or it is removed from her. Further she may roll twice any Perception or Sense Motive check, as well as Will saves to disbelieve an illusion, and take the higher result.