Nobleman Priest

Description

This priest was a member of a noble family and entered a priesthood. But even as a priest he keeps his opinions about the superiority of the ruling classes and his tastes for the finer things in life; he doesn't abandon his love of good food, good furnishings, comfort, the arts, intellectual stimulation, and so forth.
The Nobleman Priest prefers the company of nobles and is often appointed as an advisor to a noble family, a ruler, an important local governor, etc. He has less concern for the lives and welfare of commoners. When pressed, he will perform any and all priestly duties for commoners, but he usually seeks to avoid these duties; when he is a low-level character, he'll keep himself away from common folk as much as possible in order to avoid these inconveniences, and when he is higher-level he will assign a subordinate or a follower to attend their needs.
The Nobleman Priest is not necessarily evil or a bad person. In fact, he often adheres to a code of chivalric behavior much like a knight's. But he does have strong social prejudices which color his thinking.

Important note

A nobleman can become a priest and not take the Nobleman Priest kit. This sort of priest lives more frugally, like other priests, and does not have to have a disdain for the lower social classes; Nobleman Priests do not count him among their ranks.
There are no special requirements to be a Nobleman Priest.
If a Nobleman Priest player-character ever decides that he is wrong in his attitudes (which can occur in especially dramatic fashion if he is affected by the self-sacrifice of a commoner who has saved him, or if he falls in love with a character of the common social classes), he may choose to abandon this kit. If he does this, he will be ostracized by most of the nobles who were previously counted as his friends (the DM can have one or two more broad-minded nobles still count him a friend, and the player-characters can make up their own minds on the subject he may even be exiled from his own family. As with any kit abandonment, he loses all other benefits and hindrances of the kit.

Barred

None

Role

In the campaign, the No- bleman Priest is an aggravating snob (though he might not be aware of his snobbery). He is a fun role to play. but he'd better have some redeeming features if the other PCs are to continue to associ- ate with him. If he does have re- deeming features. it's very likely that some PCs will try to "reform" him to their own way of thinking.

Weapon Proficiencies

Required

None

Recommended

Long sword, bastard sword, lance, flails (all), maces (all), if allowed by the priest's actual priest class.

Non-weapon Proficiencies

Bonus Proficiencies

General

Etiquette, Heraldry, Riding (Land-Based)

Recommended

General

Animal Training, Dancing

Warrior

(double slots unless the priest class has a non-weapon proficiency group crossover including the Warrior group)
Gaming, Hunting

Priest

Local History, Musical Instrument, Reading/Writing

Equipment

The Nobleman Priest may spend his gold as he chooses — but he has certain minimum standards he cannot violate.
Before starting play, he must buy:
(1) A suit of armor (if he is per- mitted to by his priest-class... and, unless his class limits him to lesser armor, he cannot buy armor less protective than brigandine or scale mail).
(2) At least one weapon larger than a dagger (again, if his priest- class so permits him).
(3) A horse (at least a riding horse), riding saddle, bit & bridle, horseshoes and shoeing, halter and saddle blanket.

Special Benefits

The Nobleman Priest starts with more gold than other priests.
The Nobleman Priest receives a +3 reaction from any noble of his own culture, and a +2 from nobles of other cultures. The DM can ignore this if there is a cultural hatred between those people and the priest's culture or the priest's god.
When travelling, he can demand shelter from anyone in his own land; he can demand shelter for two people multiplied by the priest's experience level (if he's 8th-level, he can demand shelter for himself and a retinue of fifteen more people).

Special Hindrances

The Nobleman Priest is expected to live well. If he has enough money to do so, he may only buy high-quality goods, and, so must spend at least two times the minimum necessary money for anything he buys. If a basic long sword costs 15 gp, he won't buy one worth less than 30 gp; the extra money goes into quality, engraving, etc. (He can't save money by having a friend or follower buy cheaper things for him; he's just not satisfied with anything less than good-quality merchandise.)
If the priest is broke and cannot spend this extra money, he can then settle for lesser goods... but the other nobles of his culture, if they see him with shabby accoutrements, will mock him, and he does not get his reaction bonus until once again all his goods are high-quality goods. In fact, if his gear and possessions look sufficiently shabby (DM's discretion). people may not believe him to be a nobleman at all, and may refuse him the shelter he could ordinarily demand. (This happens most often if a nobleman priest is robbed of all his clothes and goods and left to fend for himself.)
As he can demand shelter of others, other Nobleman Priests can demand shelter of him. This can be expensive if they decide to stay for awhile. This is also a good way for the DM to bleed extra money from the priest if he seems to have too much.

Wealth Options

The Nobleman Priest begins play with more gold than other priests. He gets 225 gp plus the standard 3d6x10 gp. But he must spend a good portion of that on the Equipment required of him. If the priest abandons this kit. that money doesn't magically "go away," but as part of his social ostracization the character should suffer some sort of financial loss, equal to at least 225 gp, as determined by the DM. (Perhaps a malicious ex-friend destroys some of his property; perhaps a petty-minded business acquaintance betrays him on a business deal.)

Races

This kit has no special requirements for race. The DM may decide that not all races have the same kind of social snobbery that humans do. in which case that race could not take this kit.

[Complete Priest's Handbook]