Janissary (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Publisher Purple Duck Games, Author Aaron Hollingsworth, development Carl Cramér.

Taxes and tributes come in many forms. One of the hardest taxes to pay is giving up a child to the military state. Forcibly recruited at a young age, a janissary is a slave trained and conditioned for life as a soldier. Indoctrinated with philosophies of loyalty and war, schooled at sophisticated academies of combat, this disciplined warrior faces years of hardship even before his first battle. Janissaries who survive their servitude retire to a life of honor and some degree of comfort, if not liberty. Others would rather break their bonds and use what they've learned to carve out their own destiny.

Greyhawk Janissaries are common among the Baklunish, often as an elite guard for the ruler. They are naturalized members of other races and cultures, most commonly Paynims.

Janissaries have all the class features of fighters, except as noted.

Alignment Any. Janissaries are conditioned into a lawful alignment, and most janissaries are lawful, but there are no direct penalties for a janissaries of another alignment except the possible ill will of their superiors.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A janissary is proficient with all simple and martial weapons. They are proficient in light and medium armor and with shields (excluding tower shields). This alters weapon and armor proficiencies.

Crescent and Star (Ex)

A janissary treats the scimitar as a light weapon and can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply his Dexterity modifier instead of his Strength modifier to attack rolls with falchion even though it isn’t a light weapon. These weapons must be sized for the janissary, and this ability cannot be used when the janissary is wearing heavy armor. Crescent and Star instruction replaces tower shield proficiency.

Indoctrinated (Ex)

Starting at 2nd level, a janissary gains a +1 bonus on Will saves against enchantment spells and effects. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 2nd. This replaces bravery.

Moon Passage (Ex)

Starting at 7th level, a janissary learns to slice at opponents as he passes them by. When the janissary moves adjacent to an enemy and then away again, all in the same turn, he can make an attack with a elven curve blade, scimitar, or falchion as an immediate action. This ability cannot be used when the janissary is wearing heavy armor or uses a tower shield. Moon passage replaces heavy armor proficiency and the ability to move at full speed while in heavy armor, part of the level 7 armor training ability.

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