THE GARATH
Garaths are choatic good church guardians. They primarily defend their
churches, no matter what the method or cost, often guarding church
journeys or caravans. Devout church members, garaths adhere to their
god's strictures with absolute conviction. If a garath ever breaks a
church rule, he loses his garath church rank and abilities and becomes
forevermore a normal fighter.
Garaths pride themselves on finely crafted and exquisitely detailed
clothes, weapons, and armor. Plate mail is the most common garath
protection, always embellished with church symbols and holy script.
Wisdom and charisma (a factor of devotion for garaths) are the prime
requisites of the garath. A score of 16 or greater in one of these
abilities adds 10% to earned experience, and scores of 16 or greater in
both abilities add 15%. Garaths receive spell bonuses and chances of
spell failure according to their wisdom scores as clerics do (see Players
Handbook p. 11, Wisdom Table II).
Garaths use any magic items usable by fighters or clerics. Normal
followers are those found in the church as lower-level garaths, for a
garath's level determines his church rank. At 7th level, the church
appoints two 1st-level fighters of the same race as personal guardians to
the garath. Check for other followers at each new level using a 5% chance
per level beginning with 2nd level of a follower joining the garath (5%
at 2nd level 10% at 3rd, etc.). If a follower is indicated, roll once on
Garath Table III to determine the type of follower. Garaths never build
strongholds.
The special abilities of a garath are:
1. Detection of evil within a 100' radius, revealing only the general
direction of the evil source and requiring total concentration.
2. Saving throw bonuses against evil magic at +1 for each three levels
the garath possesses (+1 at 1st through 3rd level, +2 at 4th through 6th
level, etc.). Evil magic includes any spells cast by evil NPCs or
monsters, and any effects of magic items that are intrinsically evil or
that are used by evil beings.
3. Protection from devils beginning at 5th level, including all lawful
evil creatures from the lower planes.
4. Spell use at 8th level and above. Garath Table II shows the number
and level of such spells.
5. The ability to use all holy swords (of chaotic good alignment) as
paladins do.
6. Good welcome from any allied chaotic good church. A garath abuses
this only at the risk of deviating from his alignment.
7. Hit and damage bonuses of +1 for each 4 levels of experience (+1 at
1st through 4th level, +2 at 5th through 8th level, etc.) with any
weapon, due to their fierce fighting ability and devotion.
8. Two bodyguards appointed at 7th level. These two 1st-level fighters,
of the same race as the garath, progress in level as normal NPCs and will
serve unto death. The church will not replace killed bodyguards.
The strictures of a garath are:
1. Forbidden retention of wealth. Garaths keep non-monetary treasure if
desired; otherwise, they give it to the church.
2. Use of force only against non-good-aligned individuals, except for
self-defense or church defense.
3. Employment of only good-aligned individuals, except for church
defense.
Garath Table I
Experience Experience Hit
points level Points Level Title
0--2,400 1 d8 Shroud
2,401--5,000 2 2d8 Defender
5,001--11,500 3 3d8 Guardian
11,501--22,000 4 4d8 Keeper
22,001--47,500 5 5d8 Lord's Shield
47,501--100,500 6 6d8 Garath Aspirant
100,501--190,000 7 7d8 Garath
190.001--320,000 8 8d8 Garath
320,001--640,000 9 9d8 Garath
640,001--960,000 10 9d8 + 2 Garath
960,001--1,280,000 11 9d8 + 4 Garath
Garaths gain one level per 320,000 exp. pts. above 8th level.
Garaths gain 2 hp per level above 9th level.
Garath Table II: Spells usable by experience level
Garath Cleric spell level
level 1 2 3 4
8 1 -- -- --
9 2 1 -- --
10 2 2 -- --
11 3 2 1 --
12 3 2 2 --
13 3 3 2 1
14 3 3 3 2
15* 3 3 3 3
* -- Maximum spell-casting ability.
Garaths acquire and cast spells in the same way that a cleric does, by
meditation and prayer.
Garath Table III: Followers
Die roll Type of follower
01-20 1-4 clerics of 1st level
21-30 1-2 clerics of 2nd level
31-56 1-6 0-level men-at-arms of 1-6 hp each
57-76 1-4 fighters of 1st level
77-86 1-2 fighters of 2nd level
87-91 1 scribe** of 1st-3rd level
92-96 1 cloistered cleric* of 1st-2nd level
97 1 pegasus (mount)
98 1 faerie dragon
99 1-3 NPCs of any chaotic good-aligned class or subclass
00 DM's choice
* -- Cloistered clerics are described in Best of DRAGON Magazine, Volume
4, p. 7.
** -- Scribes are described in Best of DRAGON Magazine, Volume 4, p. 23.
Note: Most followers of a garath are human (80%), but elves and
half-elves are often seen with them.
Each time the garath gains a level (or accumulates enough experience
points to gain a level after reaching his level limit), the chance of a
follower increases by 5% (5% at 2nd level, 10% at 3rd, etc.). The DM
rolls to determine the type of follower and, if necessary, the race of
the follower. All followers of a garath are chaotic good.
