Templar

Who Are They?

Against a legion as numerous and varied as the stars in the sky, the forces of the Light have but one force: The paladin. An archaic construct, the paladin has poor ability to adapt to the ever-changing face of cruelty and malice that is sweeping across this world. Realizing this, many have banded together to shed their dogma and strive towards a new excellence.

They are the Templars.

Forsaking their wealth, friends and very society, the Templar goes into seclusion into the wilds of the world. There, amidst peers, they study and train in the manipulation of the Light. By strengthening not only their minds and bodies, but their very souls, the Paladin sheds their normal abilities and learns to wield the light in new, horrific ways.

Versatile, the Templar becomes a shock troop for the Light, able to face any foe and change to meet any battle. Terrifying through the intensity of their faith, they bring fear to good and evil alike.

Who Likes Them?

All Light worshippers. Despite the odd rituals and forsaking of the Church and its tenants, Light worshippers respect the Templars for the lengths they are willing to go to fight the ever-encroaching evil. They don't agree with their methods, of course, but they respect them.

Non-Light worshippers or cultures that do not value the light view Templars as peculiarities, freaks who delve so deeply into their faith that they are no more then zealots.

Training

Requirements

Only Paladins can become Templars.

Alliance » Draenei Dwarf Human

Horde » Blood Elf

Strengths

• Weapon Master

Upon selecting a weapon type, a Templar gains bonuses to physical attack only when using that weapon.

• Templar's Shield

Upon becoming a Templar the Templar is given holy armor and weaponry. This armor and weaponry is tailored to them and strengthens their connection with the Light.

• Light's Strength

Through the connection with the Light, a Templar's physical strength and endurance is increased. They have increased health.

• Focus

A Templar's focus and mental training allows them to be resistant to magically-induced stuns, mind control or confusions.

• Fanaticism

A Templar's radical faith increases their durability against Shadow and Fel. While they cannot completely resist it, they have increased defense against it.

Weaknesses

• Ritual

The ritual that the Templar enacted to increase their connection with the Light must remain. They must pray every day for two hours and follow the ritual's specifications. They must wear a mark, remain celibate, remain in armor or any other restriction they imposed upon themselves to demonstrate their faith. If this ritual is broken they lose their powers until they take it back up once more.

• The Oath

A Templar vows to fight evil whenever they see it. If they do not fight evil or fall into evil or violence themselves then they will lose their powers until they take on an act of penance. If a paladin attacks a good or neutral person without provocation or see evil done and do not stop it then it is considered an act of evil and they are weakened.

• Weapon Proficiency

If a Templar is not wielding their chosen weapon they lose all physical attack bonuses.

• Heavy

The Templar's heavy weapons and armor make them slow and heavy in battle, putting them at a distinct disadvantage to quick, nimble players such as Rogues and Lightslayers.

Skills and Abilities

• Holy Lightning

The Templar can fire a bolt of holy lightning from their hands. The lightning does double damage against Undead and Demons.

• Shield

The Templar wraps themselves in a powerful shield of Holy Light. The focus required to maintain this shield forces them into a state of deep trance, unable to attack, defend or cast any spells until they drop the shield. The shield can be held indefinitely and is impervious to attack, both physical and magical.

• Evil's Bane

The Templar wraps their chosen weapon in Holy Light. The weapon does double damage against Undead and Demons, but does no damage to neutral or good-aligned individuals, the Light causing the weapon to rebound before contact.

• Divine Touch

Once per day the Paladin can channel their powerful connection with the Light to heal any wounds or injuries without fatiguing themselves. They can re-form lost limbs, cure illnesses and bring a friend back from the brink of death.

• Banish

Once per week a Templar can cast Banish. Banish casts out a Demon, Undead or evil-aligned character, exiting them from combat and forcing them to flee the zone.

• Light's Soldier

The Templar's powerful faith allows them to shape the Light in new, bizarre ways. (Speak with a GM for approval for a new Templar spell!)

Training Outline

To begin, an Aspirant must be a paladin. They must consciously make the decision to become a Templar and have the belief in their own faith and ability to go through with it. The path of the Templar is one of self-sacrifice and abject misery.

To begin, the Paladin must cast away all of their symbols of rank, status and wealth. The heavy, bright armor that the class so favors must be sold, their weapons melted down to be turned into farm equipment and their wealth given to the poor or infirm. Only when the Paladin is poor, without armor and weapons, forced to wear cheap clothes and eat only bread and water twice a day will they be ready to embark on their chosen path.

The Paladin must dedicate themselves to prayer. They will spend every waking moment of their time praying to be deemed worthy of the rank and status of a Templar. They will turn inwards and judge themselves, weighing their sins and past misconducts to see if they are worthy of such an immense burden. It can be weeks or even months of prayer before they are approached by a Templar.

The Templar will judge to see if the Paladin is worthy. For some, the simple act of willfully entering poverty and spending weeks in penance is enough. For others feats of strength, magic, mental acuity or morality are required. Once the teacher has been sufficiently impressed they take on the Aspirant and begin training.

Training takes six months of isolation. While training, the Aspirant cannot return to civilization and will spend time with the Templar, the Templar's associates and any other Aspirants the Templar has taken on. Often the Templar will take the Aspirant to an abandoned abby, fortress, cavern or other isolated spot for their training.

The Aspirant will first be instructed in fighting. They will train with sword, hammer, pole-arm or any such heavy, two-handed instrument. During this time the Aspirant will select which weapon they prefer and train exclusively with it. After training they will need to prove their combat prowess against the Templar or an associate of the templar.

After that stage the Aspirant must learn the esoteric arts of the Light. Unlike a Paladin, a Templar embraces all fixtures of the Light and its true powers. The Aspirant embarks upon bizarre, unorthodox rituals to gain the favor of the Light and strengthen their own powers. These rituals usually involve offering up a token of their submission and willingness to give. Templars often tattoo themselves, digest painful chemicals, shave off all their hair, remove fingers or bind themselves in ribbons covered in prayers to demonstrate their loyalty. With the string of numerous rituals complete, the Paladin is granted with an immense connection with the Light.

The final stage of the Aspirant is one of understanding. The aspirant is sent out to learn about all forms of evil in the world and to learn how to combat each. The Aspirant is tasked with killing a demon, an undead and a True Evil, a normal person who hides their intentions and walks among normal mortals. Once all of these evils are understood and overcome the Aspirant can consider themselves among the ranks of the Templar.

Active Templars

• Lene Dewglisten
• Arlyn Rylinnrae
• Adriana Bright