WARRIOR-CAVALIER KIT

Legionnaire

Description:  Legionnaires are professional soldiers organized into militant 
cadres brought together around a single unifying vision and with a rigid 
hierarchy and chain of command.  Legionnaires have severed their ties to family, 
clan, and personal background and devoted themselves completely to service to 
their warrior order.  Unlike standard Cavaliers, they are foot soldiers first 
and foremost, disdaining the use of mounts, forming a solid anvil on the 
battlefield.  They often act as the backbone and leadership of local or national 
armed forces, but their first loyalty is always to their order.  This may very 
well be nearly or exactly congruent with the interests of the government, such 
as the Purple Dragons of Cormyr, which form the elite military legions of the 
Cormyrean military, though other legions may have no direct connection with the 
government whatsoever.  In the absence of hereditary ties and the nepotism that 
often accompanies them, advancement within the order is determined solely on the 
basis of merit and ability, and the lowliest warrior can rise to high position 
and command on his or her own merits.  Outstanding Legionnaires are visibly 
rewarded and set a goal for all other members of the force.

Requirements:  Legionnaires can be of any race, as they will accept any person 
willing to join and adhere to the stringent restrictions and traditions of the 
order.  All Legionnaires must follow a lawful alignment (orders will often 
follow one particular lawful alignment in preference to others, but at the very 
least all members are required to be lawful).  Legionnaires undergo rigorous 
physical training and considerable indoctrination in obedience and duty, and 
they must have scores of at least 13 in Strength and Constitution and 10 in 
Dexterity, Wisdom, and Charisma.  They have no minimum Intelligence score.

Weapons & Armor:  Legionnaires can wear almost any type of armor and use any 
type of shield, though their choice of which type(s) to use will depend on their 
position within the order.  The Weapons of Choice of a Legionnaire vary from 
order to order, though almost all make use of polearms and missile weapons.  All 
Legionnaires of a given order will have the same Weapons of Choice (check with 
DM for what legions exist within the campaign world).

Special Benefits:  Legionnaires are an imposing sight when they appear in force, 
row upon row of ordered soldiers, all precisely outfitted in their immaculate 
uniforms, and their skill and performance on the field of battle certainly live 
up to their imposing appearance.  Legionnaires share many of the abilities of a 
standard Cavalier, in addition to the unique abilities listed below.

Aura of Bravery:  As a standard Cavalier.

Banner of Renown:  As a standard Cavalier.

Battlefield Bonus:  Legionnaires have the ability to inspire other members of 
their order (including men-at-arms who are followers of individual Legionnaires) 
through motivational speeches invoking past victories of the order and their 
grand and glorious traditions.  Once per day, any knighted Legionnaire of 5th 
level or above can launch into a 'pep talk' that will affect all Legionnaires 
(and their followers) within 10' per level of the Legionnaire as a bless spell.  
In order to invoke this power, the Legionnaire must speak for one full round 
without interruption, and the effects last for one round per level of the 
Legionnaire.  Note that the speaker him- or herself is not affected.

Legionnaires also gain an extra x.p. bonus when participating in large-scale 
military actions or campaigns in the service of their order.  All Legionnaires 
receive a base bonus of 100 x.p. per level for participating in such battles, 
over and above experience points gained for any other reason.  In addition, they 
receive a bonus of 10 x.p. for each soldier under their direct command.  
Generals and army commanders receive a bonus of 10,000 x.p. per battle.  If the 
Legionnaire's force is outnumbered, the bonuses above are multiplied by the 
degree to which they are outnumbered.  If the Legionnaire's force is defeated, 
however, the bonuses are reduced to one-fourth.

Chain of Command:  Finally, Legionnaires are able to command other Legionnaires 
of their order.  Any Legionnaire can give orders to lower-level Legionnaires of 
his or her order.  The superior Legionnaire can expect these orders to be obeyed 
instantly and without thought of question by Legionnaires of his or her order 
three or more levels lower than his or her own level.  Legionnaires who are only 
one or two levels lower than the PC will generally obey immediately (and may be 
called to account by the PC if they do not), but they are more likely than 
lower-level Legionnaires to potentially question orders given to them if they 
seem incongruent with preexisting orders.

The Chain of Command should not be abused, as those responsible for giving an 
order can be held responsible by higher-ups.  Strange or foolishly dangerous 
orders can force an NPC morale check to see if the order is followed (base 
morale is Elite (15) for most Legionnaires).  Orders such as carrying messages, 
summoning reinforcements, and seeking aid for wounded Legionnaires of the same 
order are expected to be followed immediately and without question by any 
Legionnaire of the PC's level or below.

Knight's Challenge:  As a standard Cavalier.

Knightly Onslaught:  As a standard Cavalier.

Military Membership:  Legionnaires are outfitted at the beginning of their 
careers with a uniform for their order, including a free suit of armor, and they 
also get one free normal weapon each time he or she gains a new Weapon of 
Choice.  Thus, a Legionnaire gets one free weapon at 1st level (of the type of 
his or her Primary weapon), another at 3rd (Secondary type), and another at 5th 
(Tertiary type).  These items are always of high quality, though they are not 
exceptional in any way.

A Legionnaire is expected to wear this uniform (and armor) whenever appearing in 
public to mark him or her clearly as a representative of the order and a living 
testimony to his or her service to it.  It is possible (though frowned upon) for 
a Legionnaire to use other armor and to not wear his or her uniform when out 
adventuring in the wilderness.  The weapon and armor given vary depending on the 
order, but the suit of armor is usually ring mail for a 1st level Legionnaire.  
As a Legionnaire advances in level, he or she will be requested to turn in the 
old armor (or to replace it if it has been damaged or destroyed) and get a new 
suit of better armor appropriate to his or her new rank.

In addition to this outfitting at the beginning of the Legionnaire's career, 
Legionnaires' later careers are subsidized to an extent.  Any weapon or non-
weapon proficiency training that they receive from a member of the order will 
cost nothing, and the Legionnaire's chance of success will be increased by +1 
(+5%).

Legionnaires gain a +4 bonus to reactions with others of his or her order
 (including their followers and henchmen) and a +2 bonus to reactions with 
Legionnaires of other orders, unless they serve a power or government that is 
inimical to the Legionnaire's own order.  They can always stay at any 
chapterhouse of their order free of charge and thus do not need to pay living 
expenses while boarding with his or her order, though they will of course be 
expected to contribute to the general upkeep and defense of the place while 
there.

Stronghold:  As a standard Cavalier, but a Legionnaire attracts double the 
normal number of men-at-arms.

Weapons of Choice:  As a standard Cavalier, save that a Legionnaire receives his 
or her 'all-around' Weapon of Choice bonus (i.e., applied to attack rolls, 
damage rolls, and speed factor) when on foot, rather than while mounted.  In any 
situation where a Legionnaire is not fighting afoot on solid ground (e.g., while 
flying, underwater, mounted, on board a ship, riding in a vehicle), he or she 
gains only the 'floating bonus' (i.e., applied to attack rolls, damage rolls, or 
speed factor) when using Weapons of Choice.  At the DM's discretion, it is 
possible for certain Legions to exist that might specialize in combat in unusual 
environments, such as fighting on board ship or while flying, and would 
therefore gain their full Weapon of Choice benefits in such areas, though they 
would likely not receive the full benefit when fighting on foot on the ground.

Unlike other Cavaliers, a Legionnaire does not disdain the use of missile 
weapons and may become proficient with them and select them as Weapons of 
Choice.

Special Hindrances:  Legionnaires are first and foremost elite infantry troops, 
and they disdain mounted combat.  Though they may learn the Riding proficiency, 
they do not gain the Horsemanship ability and will never use lances or any other 
weapon designated for use primarily on horseback.  

Legionnaires may spend no more than two proficiency slots at the time the 
character is created on proficiencies outside their Required and Preferred 
Proficiencies (e.g., Advantages, Crafts).  All other initial non-weapon 
proficiency slots and at least half of all slots gained thereafter must be spent 
on proficiencies from their Preferred Proficiencies.

Legionnaires are also very much bound by the traditions of their organizations, 
which has several effects on the way they conduct themselves.  First of all, 
Legionnaires wear a particular type of armor as a part of their uniform, which 
is commensurate with their rank within the order.  Whenever in view of others, a 
Legionnaire must wear that type of armor and no other.  Thus, if a Legionnaire's 
current rank indicates that he or she wear chain mail as part of his or her 
uniform, the Legionnaire may wear chain mail of any kind (including magical or 
elven chain but not including double chain mail) but may not wear any other type 
of armor without suffering a severe loss of face and a possible reprimand.  When 
a Legionnaire advances in level and rank and is assigned a new type of armor, he 
or she must return the armor given to him or her at the prior rank and must now 
conform to the uniform regulations appropriate to his or her new station.  
Though it might be necessary to wear inappropriate armor to meet some sort of 
special tactical need (generally done only on the direct orders of a superior in 
the order), a Legionnaire knows perfectly well that he or she is stepping 
outside of his or her proper place by doing so and feels very uncomfortable, 
suffering a 50% penalty to all earned experience points while doing so.  
Continuous flaunting of the armor standards for his or her station may result in 
severe sanctions or possible expulsion from the order.

With regard to armor, it is important to note that Legionnaires do keep their 
armor in the best possible condition and will always make repairs as quickly as 
possible, but they frown upon embellishment and excessive decoration.  As a 
result, Legionnaires need not follow the normal Cavalierly stricture regarding 
armor decoration. 

In addition to this disdain for fancy armor, Legionnaires in general are far 
more concerned about functionality than appearances.  They never need to worry 
about spending extra money to 'keep up appearances'.  Likewise, since few 
Legionnaires come from the upper classes, they do not gain the Noble Lineage 
benefit of other Cavaliers, nor do they feel the need to attract Retainers.

Legionnaires are, however, expected to work very hard to support their order in 
material ways as well as by keeping up their traditions.  Legionnaires begin 
play with their assigned armor and weapons must donate at least half of their 
income to the order.

Legionnaire PCs must request a leave of absence in order to be free to operate 
on their own personal missions (i.e., adventuring).  Such requests are usually 
granted, assuming that the legion is not currently in a state of war or some 
other situation that would demand that its soldiers stay close to home.  
Assuming a Legionnaire has been properly dutiful in fulfilling his or her 
obligations to the legion, leave may well be granted with no time limits 
attached, in the hope of allowing exceptional individuals to gain the field 
experience they need to become better warriors (or to prove themselves unfit and 
thus collect their just reward without endangering others of the order).  Even 
when allowed an 'unlimited' leave of absence, a Legionnaire must make periodic 
reports to their superiors, usually at least once a month, and they must always 
be ready to answer the call to war by the order, should it be given, setting 
aside their own personal business until the order's work is done.

Finally, Legionnaires follow a strict chain of command that applies in virtually 
all situations.  With few exceptions, experience level is considered to be the 
direct equivalent of the Legionnaire's rank within the order, and lower-level 
Legionnaires are expected to obey the commands of higher-ranking members of 
their order.  Individuals from different Legionnaire orders will generally 
regard one another with respect, though they are under no compulsion to follow 
orders from such characters.  Legionnaires are very disciplined and need not 
automatically charge at the first sight of an enemy as a standard Cavalier 
would.  They do follow the same general progression of preferred targets as a 
standard Cavalier, but they are more willing to accept tactical flexibility and 
necessity in forming their battle plans.

In keeping with the chain of command, a Legionnaire of the same order who is of 
a superior rank can call upon a PC Legionnaire at any time for any reason and 
issue any order and expect it to be followed.  If the superior is three or more 
levels above the PC Legionnaire's level, he or she can expect the PC to obey any 
orders immediately, without hesitation, question, or discussion.  If the NPC 
Legionnaire is only one or two levels higher than the PC's level, the PC 
Legionnaire can request verification of the orders from another higher-ranking 
Legionnaire, though going 'over the head' of the superior who originally gave 
the order is sure to incur his or her wrath and may have other repercussions 
within the order.  A PC who routinely questions the orders of his or her 
superiors will swiftly gain a reputation for his or her recalcitrance and may 
begin to see in turn a pattern of being picked out for unpleasant duty, having 
trouble getting leaves of absence approved, and so on.  It is thus very much in 
a PC Legionnaire's interest to follow such commands assiduously and with 
alacrity unless in their judgment they directly contravene their alignment or 
the interests of the order.

Insubordination (i.e., lack of compliance with the orders of a higher-ranking 
Legionnaire) without a valid reason or excuse constitutes grounds for an 
official charge of treason.  Such a reason must be presented to a Legionnaire of 
a higher level than the one who issued the original order, and the ranking 
Legionnaire will make the determination as to whether or not the reason for 
disobedience was valid.  It is made perfectly clear to all Legionnaires, 
however, that personal business is never a valid reason for refusing an order; 
all Legionnaire business takes precedence over personal affairs.

If the ranking Legionnaire validates the reason for disobedience, the junior 
Legionnaire is exonerated.  If he or she feels the reason was insufficient, the 
matter will be referred to a court-martial comprised of five Legionnaires of 9th 
level or above, who will consider the matter and the circumstances and determine 
what punishment should be meted out.  Death may be the punishment, though this 
is usually the case only if lives were lost as a result of the character's 
inaction.  For lesser crimes, the punishment is more often one of humiliation, 
ranging from pointless labor (digging and refilling holes), unpleasant chores 
(mucking out stalls), or a temporary or permanent loss of rank (wherein the 
Legionnaire is considered lower than his or her actual experience level in terms 
of rank in the order).  There may also be a financial penalty required of the 
Legionnaire, especially in cases where a Legionnaire is being punished for 
failure to show up for their duties because of adventuring, ranging from small 
monetary fines to complete forfeiture of outside material wealth (most often 
just what was accrued on the offending adventure, but sometimes even more).  For 
extreme cases where execution is not desired, the guilty party will be drummed 
out of the order, stripped of all rank, possessions, and benefits, and branded 
with the traitor's rune, applying a permanent -2 penalty to the Legionnaire's 
Charisma (short of the use of wish, regenerate, or similar magic to remove the 
brand).

Treason trials are often performed in absentia, and in such cases a "guilty" 
verdict is nearly always rendered.  Guilty parties tried in absentia are 
considered under a standing arrest warrant from their organizations, and if they 
are ever caught by their former comrades the punishment decided by the court-
martial will be meted out immediately.  An especially fortunate Legionnaire 
might be allowed the chance to explain the circumstances of their case and 
possibly mitigate their sentence.

Bonus Proficiency:  Law, Tactics
Required Proficiencies:  Etiquette, Heraldry
Preferred Proficiencies:  Ancient History (military), Bureaucracy, Cartography, 
Etiquette, Local History, Navigation, Reading/Writing, Riding (Land-based), all 
Warrior proficiencies
Forbidden Proficiencies:  all Priest, Psionicist, Rogue, and Wizard 
proficiencies