The Gallant

D&D 3e (3.0/3.5) Rules

by Elcamino73

"Am I a lover or a fighter? Well my lovely damsel, your question presents no quandary to me, although it might to other men of, ahem, shall we say, less stature as myself. Content yourself in the knowledge that, on this day, you have finally met a man who is both lover AND fighter!"

The gallant is the self-appointed romantic hero who travels the land in his never-ending search for love and glory. In his own eyes he is the noble knight, defending the honor and rights of the fairer sex, the innocent, and the oppressed. His peers are cavaliers, paladins and other great adventurers who risk all to oppose wickedness. For heroic warriors such as they, no quest is too daunting, no foul beast too menacing. The greater the danger is, the greater the glory shall be.

In truth, most gallants aren't nearly the great warriors they claim to be. Many spend much more time telling tall tales in crowded inns, chasing pretty skirts and writing music or poetry than they do on practicing their swordsmanship. Their bravado eventually catches up with them, explaining why a gallant's silver tongue is simultaneously his best and worst quality.

Gallants tend to be wanderers, never staying in one place for longer than they have to, usually for one good reason; they are drawn to members of the opposite sex like bees are to honey. It matters little if that honey is married, engaged, or otherwise; they just cannot help themselves. And with their good looks and/or charming personalities, it is fair to say that it isn't uncommon to catch the gallant in the act of bedding the beautiful wife of an important dignitary or the betrothed daughter of some influential noble. Being unfairly (to the gallant clutching his pants in one hand and his boots in another) run out of town by a mob of angry men as the women stare dreamily after him through their bedroom windows is something the typical gallant has to live with, like it or not.

Yet gallants are more than adulterers and yarn spinners; they truly believe that they are the champions of the people. So great is this conviction, and so great is their need to be heroes in the eyes of the many, that gallants will attempt and succeed at things that are seemingly beyond their humble abilities through sheer strength of will.

Game Notes: The gallant brings color and humor to any game. Not the best of fighters, the gallant is still a force to be reckoned with for one simple reason; he refuses to die quietly. Other PCs will undoubtedly find the gallant irritating, but again, this can only add to the games' interest level. Gallants predominately have levels in the bard, master or noble classes, although rogues or fighters, and even clerics or paladins have been known to become gallants.
Hit Die: d6.

Requirements

To qualify to become a gallant, a character must fulfill the following criteria:

Race: Human, half-elf, or elf. It is possible but extremely uncommon for other races to become gallants, especially those of the more monstrous varieties (although a minotaur gallant could make for interesting gaming sessions).
Alignment: Any non-evil.
Base Attack Bonus: +2.
Skills: Bluff 6 ranks, Diplomacy 6 ranks, Perform (oratory) 6 ranks.

Class Skills

The gallant's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language, and Spot (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the gallant prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The gallant is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor, and with all shields except tower shields. With his penchant for the finer things in life, the gallant prefers to use only what he considers masterwork quality gear if at all possible. Anything that is striking in appearance is favored; a suit of gleaming gold scale mail would be much more desirable than a suit of well worn but dull-looking full plate.

Accomplished Performer: The gallant loves nothing more than an audience. This feature allows the gallant to add a +3 bonus to any one Perform skill, or a +2 bonus to any two Perform skills.

Charmer: The gallant gets a +2 bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks directed against individuals he is trying to romantically impress.

Toughness: At 1st level, as well as levels 4, 7, and 10, the gallant gains the benefits of the Toughness feat.

Diehard: At 2nd level, the gallant gains the Diehard feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites. If the gallant already has the Diehard feat, he gains Improved Diehard (described below).

Lucky: Also at 2nd level, the gallant gains a +1 bonus on all saving throws. If the gallant already has this ability, he gains Improved Lucky (described below).

Inner Conviction: Gallants live by a code of ethics that give them inner strength and supreme confidence. Once per round, the gallant receives a +2 bonus that he may apply to any one thing he desires: Armor Class, base attack bonus, opposed checks, saving throws, skills, etc. However, if for any reason the gallant believes he has broken this code, he will be harried with self-doubt and will lose this ability until he has atoned for his transgressions. A troubled gallant receives a –2 penalty per round, which is applied at the DM's discretion.

Persuasive Charmer: At this point in his career, the gallant has honed his skills at enticing members of the opposite sex to a great degree. The gallant adds an additional +2 bonus to his Bluff and Diplomacy checks, for a total bonus of +4.

Improved Diehard: With this feat, the gallant is able to make a move action and a standard action without penalty when reduced to between –1 and –9 hit points. Any full-round action deemed the DM deems extremely strenuous causes the gallant to lose 1 hit point. Reaching –10 hit points results in death. Those who already have Improved Diehard receive Never Say Die instead.

Improved Lucky: The gallant gains an additional +1 bonus on all saving throws for a total of +2. Those who already have Improved Lucky, gain Unbelievably Lucky instead.

Attract Sidekick: As the gallant increases in level, so does his reputation. Many will have heard of the gallant's bold exploits (probably from the gallant himself) and will offer themselves as squires. If the gallant so chooses, he may take one (or more) aspiring gallants under his wing. The sidekick's identity is up to the DM. The player must realize that this squire will be under his care, and that if anything unfortunate should happen, it will be a black mark on his conscience (see Inner Conviction). *This class feature is designed for its role-playing possibilities, and is something the player will have to discuss at length with the DM. It might not be suitable in every campaign. If this is the case, then the player may pick one feat of the player's choice, subject to the DM's approval.

Irresistible Charmer: The gallant is now so charming that if he succeeds at romancing a member of the opposite sex, they act as if under a charm spell. Of course the gallant must spend a suitable amount of time impressing them to succeed. Reciting a romantic poem, or playing a soulful ballad while staring deep into the subject's eyes (Diplomacy and Perform checks determined by the DM) could be good examples of wooing a fair maiden. Exact details are up to the DM.

Tremendous Inner Conviction: The gallant is now so supremely confident in himself that he gains an added +2 bonus, for a total of +4 once per round (see Inner Conviction). If troubled, his penalty is now –4.

Unbelievably Lucky: When the gallant fails a saving throw that would prove fatal (falling to negative hit points), the gallant may roll again.

Never Say Die: The gallant does not die when he reaches –10 hit points. At –10 hit points the gallant falls unconscious and loses 1 hit point per round. There is a 10% chance per round that the gallant stabilizes and stops losing hit points. Once he reaches –20 he is finally slain. Even when he reaches –20 hit points, he will briefly regain consciousness to recite one last oration, unless it is physically impossible for him to do so (having his head severed from his body would be a fine example of an impossibility).

NOTE: This prestige class was adapted in part from the 2nd Edition Complete Bard's Handbook and from the fantastic roleplaying of a character in my Dragonlance campaign. Enjoy.

This item has been published here with permission from the author(s) and may not be reproduced without permission. This is a fan submission and its contents are completely unofficial. Some characters, places, likenesses and other names may be copyright Wizards of the Coast.