Templars of the Sorcerer-Kings

By Robert J. Schwalb
Illustration by David Rapoza Civilization rests in the bloated city-states scattered across the only inhabitable lands left on Athas. In all but one metropolis, power rests exclusively in the hands of the tyrants known as the sorcerer-kings, each an ancient being of nearly godlike power whose command over his or her subjects is absolute or very nearly so. Although some sorcerer-kings are worshiped as gods and seem as immortal as the deities long lost and forgotten, sorcerer-kings are no more divine than are any creature in the world. They are subject to the same limitations, errors in judgment, and whims other creatures face. They might teach their subjects they can be in all places at once, but the truth is these powers are neither omniscient nor omnipotent. It is in their interest to dispel any doubts about the power they wield and to ensure those people living under their rule remain obedient and loyal subjects, because as powerful as these individuals are, the death of King Kalak in Tyr proves they are neither invulnerable nor eternal. The insurance all sorcerer-kings have comes from the templars who serve them. These men and women, who are usually human, are selected from the masses to act as the tyrants eyes and ears and to represent his or her interests in the city-states and manage the affairs of government. Templars free the
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sorcerer-kings to pursue their own secret agendas and indulge in the fruits their exalted station affords. To the templars it falls to lead the armies, negotiate trade agreements with the merchant houses, and manage resources while also enforcing the laws and controlling the slaves. Much responsibility falls onto the templars shoulders, but much wealth, status, and power goes to them too. The authority invested in the templars might be enough to keep the nobles and common folk in line, but the templars have more than just a writ to enforce the monarchs will. Sorcerer-kings invest magical power into their prized subjects, lending them the tools they need to keep the city-states secure. Many templars learn just enough magic to protect their masters interests and perform in whatever capacity they are assigned, but a few possess true power, gained through profane rituals and dark ceremonies wherein the sorcerer-king makes available the magical source from which he or she draws power. These warlocks are the most dangerous of a sorcerer-kings retinue because they can call up their masters might without fail and without fear of ever losing it. It is these individuals who deserve the most scrutiny and who are the subjects of these pages.

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In EvIls sErvIcE
Templars are the sorcerer-kings agents, and although some sorcerer-kings might be loved, admired, respected, or feared, all are evils agents in the world. The ruin and hardship gripping the lands rests solely at their feet. The abuses folk endure and the hopelessness and despair reflected in the common citizens eyes all find their source in the magnificent powers who have carved up the worlds corpse into tiny, competing empires. So no matter the reason for the templars service, whether he or she came to this occupation out of free will or through conscription, they represent the most dangerous and wicked powers known in the lands. As one might expect, sorcerer-kings attract those of dubious morals to their service. Most templars are cruel, malicious, and ambitious, acquiring the worst traits embodied by the masters they serve. Although evil runs rampant through their ranks, it would be false to say they are all without virtue. Many become templars for status, wealth, and excess, but others shoulder the responsibility as an obligationa service to which they are called for the good of alleven if their masters exhibit troubling behaviors. Some templars are idealistic, hopeful reformers seeking to change a terminally corrupt system. A few harbor treasonous thoughts and ingratiate themselves to their masters as a means to destroy them, either ending their tyranny for good or to claim their place.

Becoming a templar means standing apart and facing distrust on all sides, with your companions questioning your motives and loyalties. You might have unimpeachable morals and a wholesome aspect, but you are sullied through your association with the sorcerer-king, who saw something in you that enabled your master to set aside any doubt and reveal to you the power he or she wields. You must decide how to reconcile the darkness fueling your power with the goals and objectives your companions might pursue. Do you hide your allegiance, working from within the heroes midst to serve your master by opposing other sorcerer-kings? Do you regret your pact and seek redemption through great deeds and noble efforts? Or does it even matter?

sorcErEr-KIngs In othEr sEttIngs

Plundering material from sourcebooks to use in your personal campaigns is not only expected but is encouraged. Elements from Dark Sun work well in other worlds (such as Forgotten Realms and Eberron), but you might find the story concepts sometimes challenging to divorce from their associated mechanics. The sorcerer-king pact, for example, expects that beings of godlike power run the show. Such figures probably do not exist in your campaign setting. Rather than shoehorn the sorcerer-kings into your campaign setting, these figures might be powerful arcanists from antiquitybeings not necessarily evil, and who offer great power to those who study their lore. They could be archmages who have merged their essence with the cosmos or some other icons of arcane power. Although the organizational details described here might not be relevant, the feats associated with each provide further customization for warlocks who chose this pact and might reflect the particular styles the sorcerer-king equivalents embody.

Choosing a Sorcerer-King
As a templar, you serve or once served a sorcererking. The choice you make can help shape your characters history, personality, and motivations. All sorcerer-kings use templars to secure their thrones, but the expectations placed on them and the power they bestow vary from city-state to city-state. Some templars have more freedoms and can adventure more freely, while others are expected to devote their time in the city in which they were raised and are restricted in their movements. Talk with your Dungeon Master to find the sorcerer-king that best fits into the campaign and whether continued service to a particular tyrant is appropriate to the story. Since a sorcerer-king cant strip you of your powers once given, you might very well be a fugitive from a citystate, hunted throughout the lands as a traitor.

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AndropInIs of BAlIc
As the Dictator attained his august position eons ago, so too do our praetors follow in his steps. They assume authoritys mantle by the peoples will. Balican politics distinguish the remote city-state from all others. The citys leaders, from the patricians who represent the nobles interests all the way up to the sorcerer-king, attained power and prestige through the peoples will. According to legend, Andropinis was called to lead the city-state as its Dictator for Life, and under his wise leadership, he has passed on the custom of election to every office in his government. Thus Balican templars, called praetors, attain their positions through popular election just as does every other city official. recruitment: The elections are a sham, of course, and only those individuals favored by sitting praetors and the sorcerer-king are allowed to win these contests. Should an inappropriate candidate win, an accident often befalls that person, forcing another round of voting to fill the vacancy with a more favorable candidate. Praetors are elected for ten-year terms and no limits exist on the number of terms they can serve.

BAlIcAn tEmplArs
Templars in Balic are drawn from every race, and though most templars are members of the warlock class, there is a military element to serving Andropinis. Consider using multiclass feats or the hybrid rules to pick up fighter powers and class features.

Training: Would-be praetors are groomed for their positions from birth. Children drawn largely from landowning and noble families attend special institutions to determine and foster magical or psionic talent. Those with some ability learn the political system, hone their public speaking skills, and make contacts they can later use to secure power. Duties: Although the methods by which they gain their positions are far different from templars in other city-states, Balican templars fulfill many of the same duties. They enforce the laws, manage the citys resources, and command the citys famous legions in battle. Praetors gather in the Praetorium where they debate legal matters and address concerns pertaining to the city, and where they also determine which matters are worth bringing to the Dictators attention and which they can attend to themselves. advancement: The more terms a praetor serves, the greater the standing and power within the Praetorium. Praetors who have served three or more terms wield the greatest authority and can shape policy in the city-state, influence elections, and might win the favor of the sorcerer-king. Losing an election does not always mean an end to service. The Dictator often takes powerful praetors into his personal retinue to act as his advisors and agents. adventuring Templars: Trade is Balics paramount concern, so adventuring praetors might find excuses to leave the city-state to negotiate trade agreements in distant emporiums, set sail on silt skimmers to find islands holding new resources useful to the city-state, or travel south to expand the sorcerer-kings influence. Elected praetors might be more limited in their freedoms since they must attend to the dayto-day work of governance, but important missions might see a praetor install a proxy to act in his or her place while undertaking a mission abroad.

tEmplAr fEAts
Pact feats, also included under each entry, provide further methods for distinguishing your warlock from others by gaining benefits tailored to the responsibilities and cultural considerations associated with the city-state of origin. Each city-state receives two feats. The lesser pact feat grants a constant benefit, usually a feat bonus to a particular skill check, and also grants an alternative benefit to the hand of blight power for when you augment it with your Fell Scorn augment. The greater pact feat requires you to have the associated lesser pact feat and grants more powerful and distinctive benefits. Each one adds to your pact boon and includes a list of warlock powers for which you also gain a SorcererKing Pact rider to broaden your power choices beyond those described in the Dark Sun Campaign Setting. Each power associated with a pact feat is accompanied by an abbreviation to indicate its source: Players Handbook (PH), Arcane Power (AP), Forgotten Realms Players Guide (FR), or Dragon Magazine Annual 2009 (DR). You can choose only one lesser pact feat and one greater pact feat. The limitations reflect the connection you forged with a particular sorcererking and, because they are jealous masters, the exclusivity such service demands.

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Balican Praetor [Lesser Pact]
Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Diplomacy checks. When you augment hand of blight, you can forgo the extra damage the augment would deal to instead grant the target vulnerability to all damage equal to your Intelligence modifier until the start of your next turn. Each time the target takes damage while it has this vulnerability, reduce the vulnerability by 1 (to a minimum of 0).
Level
3rd 7th 13th 17th 23rd

Augmented Encounter Power

Fortune binding Heros arrow Skirmishers volley Life force reclaimed Awaken the dragon

Source*
AP page 76 AP page 78 AP page 81 AP page 83 AP page 85 AP page 86

drAjI tEmplArs
Templars in Draj are human with other races permitted only in the most exceptional cases. Moon priests master arcane magic as warlocks, but many also dabble in the martial classes by becoming rogues, rangers, and warlords.

27th Shattering of the sword * Arcane Power

tEctuKtItlAy of drAj
What have we to fear when a god walks among us? Ral and Guthay bestowed unto us, of all the people in these bitter lands, their only son. Should He, great Tectuktitlay, demand a sacrifice, who are we to deny him, when he visits such abundance and prosperity into our lives? And should the moon priests make of us sacrifices, we should not question, for they and they alone know the mind of our god. The belief in Tectuktitlays divinity depends on the propaganda spread by his templars, those religious fanatics known as the moon priests. The Master of Two Moons stands on the backs of those devoted servants who exalt his name and make sacrifices to saturate the lands with the vital ichors needed to continue the bountiful crops and good fortune Draj has known for so long. They are figures of great respect and wisdom, but they are feared because they decide who lives and who dies. recruitment: The moon priests are an insular society. New templars are chosen from the offspring of the previous generation. Thus the office passes from parent to child as it has since Tectuktitlay blessed his favored servants with his power. Not all

Balican High Praetor [Greater Pact]

Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature, Balican Praetor feat Benefit: Whenever an enemy you have cursed drops to 0 hit points, you gain the following benefit in addition to regaining the use of your fell might. The next ally you can see that hits with a damaging attack before the start of your next turn subjects its target to your Warlocks Curse. If the target is already under your curse, the allys attack instead deals extra damage equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier. You can augment powers associated with this feat with your fell might. When you hit an enemy with an augmented power associated with this feat, each ally adjacent to the target can either shift 1 square as a free action or gain a +2 power bonus to all defenses until the start of your next turn. Finally, you can use Charisma instead of Constitution for attack rolls and damage rolls with any power associated with this feat.

children are raised up; only those with unwavering devotion to the Master of Two Moons and with a near homicidal commitment to the rituals and ceremonies demanded are ever raised up to the exalted office, and even then they might be sacrificed by the sorcerer-king should they displease him. Training: All moon priests begin as initiates, when they are taught the sacred rites required during fertility festivals marking the seasons passage. These initiates are taught to read, to work magic, and to navigate the intricacies of Draji governance. Initiates who lag behind or show disinterest in their studies are eliminated before they can weaken the institution. Others, especially those from families fallen out of favor, might have similar fates. Students must recall the most complicated myths and their meanings at a moments notice, while being forced to watch or participate in sacrifices performed by the ordained moon priests. The final test is the sacrifice itself, when the initiate must choose a slave and perform the rite before the moon priests to demonstrate both piety and dedication. Duties: Moon priests attend every aspect of Draji life, from managing agricultural production to overseeing the fertility rites to enforcing the sorcerer-kings laws. Lowly templars have a rice field as their homes

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and have slaves in their charge. Ranking templars leave the fields for the excess and decadence afforded to those who gain the sorcerer-kings favor. They attend Tectuktitlay as advisors or consorts, manage the citys affairs, and overseee the arena games. advancement: Caprice determines who rises and who falls, because the moon priests are a treacherous lot. Death awaits any who fall from favor; the altars are always in need of new sacrifices. Most rank-andfile templars live little better than the slaves. These priests have few opportunities to distinguish themselves, and most avoid attention lest they be singled out for execution. Still, opportunities for ascension exist and those with the cunning and determination can carve out a place for themselves, usually at the expense of their betters. adventuring Templars: Tectuktitlay covets land and resources, and it falls to the moon priests to acquire them. The sorcerer-king is also hungry for magical power, and those who discover secret caches might be rewarded by speedy advancement. Many Draji templars embark on raiding missions wherein they strike caravans, villages, and primitive tribes to round up raw materials, including slaves. These expeditions are the perfect opportunities for moon priests who develop a conscience to slip away, though doing so means death if ever captured.

Draji Devotee [Greater Pact]

Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature, Draji Aspirant feat Benefit: You gain the following three benefits. In addition to regaining the use of your fell might, whenever you drop an enemy you have cursed to 0 hit points, you push each enemy adjacent to you 1 square. You can also expend your fell might to augment any power associated with this feat. When you hit an enemy with an associated power augmented by this feat, each enemy adjacent to the target takes a 2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of your next turn. The triggering power gains the fear keyword if it doesnt have it already. Finally, you can use Charisma instead of Constitution for attack rolls and damage rolls with any power associated with this feat.

Level
3rd 7th 13th 17th 23rd

Augmented Encounter Power

Frigid darkness Infernal moon curse Coldfire vortex Despair of Zhudun Starless void

Source*
PH 133 PH 135 PH 136 AP 82 DR 54

27th Banish to the void PH 139 * Players Handbook, Arcane Power, Dragon Magazine Annual

Draji Aspirant [Lesser Pact]

Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Intimidate checks. When you augment hand of blight, you can forgo the extra damage the augment would deal to force the target to make one immediate move action away from you at its full speed and along the safest, fastest path.
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lAlAlI-puy of gulg
The Oba teaches us to respect and love the forest but to fear the beings it harbors because the spirits dwelling in the trees and rocks, who sigh with winds and dance in the morning dew, are no friends to us. Thankfully, the nganga are watchful guardians who shield us from any threat the forest might make. Gulgs templars are divorced from common society and relegated to the fringes as watchers and mystics. Called the nganga, they are strange figures of frightening aspect and occupation because they treat with the forests spirits, enslaving them and taking their powers for themselves. The nganga are also vigilant protectors, defending Gulg from enemies without and also those from within its own bounds. recruitment: All children undergo a difficult initiation to mark their passage to adulthood. Each child ventures into the forest with no food or water. They are expected to wander until they receive a vision from a spirit who will serve them. Most endure the experience, associating themselves with a particular beast, return to their village, and carry out their lives in accordance with their custom and station. A rare few demonstrate the necessary power to overpower the spirit and bend it to their will. Those who do walk the path to becoming nganga. Training: Nganga sever ties to family and friends, because their family is that of the Oba and the other templars who serve her. Many initiates watch as their families perform funeral services to grieve the loss and formally release the new templar to continue his or her studies. Training to become an nganga is no easy task, because the initiate must overcome his or her fears when dealing with the spirits and mastering the magic passed down through the generations.

gulg tEmplArs
Gulg templars have a powerful connection to primal spirits. It is not a relationship between equals but rather one of slaves to masters, with the nganga as the latter. To dominate the spirits, some nganga dabble in primal classes, with shamans being the most common.

Missions can also carry templars from the citystate. Such ventures could involve expeditions to sabotage Nibenese logging operations, gather information about the Shadow King and his intentions in the surrounding land, or pursuing anything that might aid the Oba in seizing even greater control over the primal spirits in the Crescent Forest.

Spirit Talker of Lalali-Puy [Lesser Pact]

Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Nature checks. When you augment hand of blight, you can forgo the extra damage the augment would deal to instead teleport the target a number of squares equal to your Intelligence modifier to an unoccupied square adjacent to an ally you can see.

Many initiates do not survive to become templars and those who do so do not emerge with their innocence intact. Duties: The nganga are mystics, seers, and witchdoctors. They attend the sick and injured, watch for division or disloyalty among the people, and advise the warriors in matters of battle. They are also murderers who slip through the night to eliminate anyone who offends the social order or who is suspected of plotting against the sorcerer-queen. advancement: Power defines status. Age, experience, or social standing have no bearing on the ngangas standing. Gulgs templars recognize potential in their peers and defer to those who can wield greater magic. Thus it is possible for a strong youth newly risen from an initiate to attain a position of honored elder by dint of his or her mastery over the Obas magic. adventuring: Being relegated to Gulgs fringes, the templars are free to roam the Crescent Forest and surrounding lands, to safeguard the ancient wood from Nibenese exploitation, and to combat the horrors sometimes arising from the forests depths. Since it is customary for templars to continue their spiritual journeys, many templars vanish for weeks or even months at a time, though all are expected to resume their duties on returning.

Spirit Master of Lalali-Puy [Greater Pact]

Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature, Spirit Talker of Lalali-Puy feat Benefit: In addition to regaining the use of your fell might, whenever you drop an enemy you have cursed to 0 hit points, you slide each enemy adjacent to you and each enemy cursed by you 1 square. No enemy can be slid more than 1 square by this effect. You can also expend your fell might to augment any power associated with this feat. When you hit an enemy with an associated power augmented by this feat, the target makes a basic attack against a legal target you choose.

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Level
3rd 7th 13th 17th 23rd

Augmented Encounter Power

Eldritch rain Mire the mind Bewitching whispers Thirsting tendrils Thorns of venom

Source*
PH 133 PH 135 PH 136 PH 137 PH 139 PH 139

nIBEnEsE tEmplArs
The Shadow Kings templar-wives include representatives of nearly every race. Many templars broaden their magical study by dabbling in other arcane, shadow, and psionic traditions to grow their power and versatility.

27th Curse of the fey king * Players Handbook

thE shAdow KIng of nIBEnAy

It is the greatest honor for a young woman to catch the Shadow Kings eye and to be wed to his immortal glory and reap the rewards such station affords. Nibenays sorcerer-king is a mystery, because he rarely emerges from the guarded inner city. The only contact the Nibenese might have with their Shadow King is through his brides, the templar-wives who govern in his stead. Only these powerful women are permitted in the Naggaramakam to witness the splendor and excess defining his microcosm, but even these lucky servants rarely glimpse their powerful master. recruitment: The women filling out the templar ranks are awarded the special invitation for a variety of reasons. Magical talent is a factor, but candidates are more often chosen based on their standing in the city, the bloodline from which they descend, and what the templars stand to gain by welcoming the aspirant into their ranks. Since the templars attend nearly every aspect of Nibenese society, there is a place for even those templars who have no skill in magic and serve better as soldiers, administrators, or spies.

Training: None can refuse an offer to wed the Shadow King, but before the ceremonial wedding can take place, the bride-to-be spends a year or more in the inner city attending to the sacred rites and rituals while being also tested to discover her particular talents. During this time, the bride is sorted into the temple in which she will serve for the rest of her days. For most templars, the marriage is symbolic only an event not even the Shadow King attends. A rare few are singled out, due to great beauty, cunning, or magical aptitude, and are attended by the sorcererking, whereby they receive special training and the Nibenays investment of his own arcane power. Duties: All templars work within one of five temples and receive their assignments during their initiations. The Temple of the House and Temple of Trade deal with mundane matters; those wives who lack the necessary skills to wield magic to any great effect are in these departments, where they attend to the necessary functions of keeping the city running. Examples include collecting revenues, overseeing grain and lumber production, and maintaining good relations with the trade houses. Those with a knack for battle can serve in the Temple of War, overseeing the troops and leading military expeditions. The Temple of Law also has a martial bent, but instead of

dealing with armies and foreign relations, the department keeps the peace and enforces the law. The most powerful institution is the Temple of Thought, where templars with psionic potential hone their talents and master them. The Temple also schools templars in higher magical forms, revealing the secrets of defiling, necromancy, and other traditions. Those working in this temple can become teachers for the nobility, special operatives for the Shadow King, or act as his spies. advancement: The five temples are equal in standing and import, though certain temples obviously have greater influence depending on the political climate and developments in the city-state. Aspirants, or brides, occupy the lowest rungs, where they are subject to every whim and command from their superiors. Upon undertaking the ceremony, the new templar-wife holds a lowly position until she has experience and has earned a place among the higher echelons. Older and more experienced templar-wives and those whom the sorcerer-king has chosen to fill out his personal entourage command the upper tiers and decide the fates of all who serve them. adventuring Templars: Templar-wives have great freedom. While they are bound to the sorcererking as members of a large family, the templars number in the hundreds, and many undertake missions for the city-state that can carry them far from Nibenay to nearly anywhere in the region. Missions relate to the temple in which the templar-wife is installed. Thus a templar who claims membership to the Temple of Trade might travel to distant cities to negotiate trade agreements with governing merchant princes, while those in the Temple of War can scout enemy territories, raid and plunder client villages, track down slave tribes, and so on.

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Nibenese Bride [Lesser Pact]
Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Bluff checks. When you augment hand of blight, you can forgo the extra damage the augment would deal to instead weaken the target until the end of your next turn.

ABAlAch-rE of rAAm
They are a frightened fewa herd of sycophants and hangers-on who dare not reveal their connections to Abalech-Re lest some noble put them to the sword. Raams templars are as rare as peace in the chaotic city-state. They have fallen far from their former glory and influence in the city. Thanks to the erratic and decadent Grand Vizier, few templars emerge from their personal estates, and those who do either go under guard or find a swift and brutal death. Attrition combined with the sorcerer-queens waning influence keep the templars numbers small in Raam. Lost agents are replaced only when Abalach-Re can be stirred to search out a worthy candidate. recruitment: Abalach-Re has long been more concerned with feeding her appetites than seeing to the needs of her beleaguered people. Sequestered in her fabulous palace, her thoughts rarely drift toward the challenges Raam faces, let alone sharing her immense magical talent with worthy students. When fancy strikes her, she might cast out her senses, using divination rituals to seek out a viable candidate. She then sends her guards round to bring the favored to her, where she instructs these new students in the magical arts until some other pursuit captures her attention. Training: Those called to serve the Grand Vizier face their new responsibilities with a mix of apprehension and dread. Abalach-Re can be generous with her gifts and bestow onto favored servants fabulous riches and power, but such blessing is often met with derision and hatred from the citizenry, who exact revenge by any means they can, even if it means striking out against the templars family and friends.

Nibenese Favored Wife [Greater Pact]

Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature, Nibenese Bride feat Benefit: In addition to regaining the use of your fell might, whenever you drop an enemy you have cursed to 0 hit points, each enemy cursed by you takes psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier. You can also expend your fell might to augment any power associated with this feat. When you hit an enemy with an associated power augmented by this feat, you gain insubstantial until the start of your next turn.

Most templars discard their old lives and assume new identities to insulate themselves from whatever repercussions they might face. Training is haphazard and largely comes from existing templars who have pieced together the essential techniques needed to perform as the sorcerer-queen wills. The Grand Vizier might take a hand in this training, but one must sift through her confusing lessons to arrive at anything useful. Unpreparedness is the primary cause for templar death in Raam, since many cannot stand against the innumerable dangers arrayed against them. Duties: The templars know they cannot move openly in the city where the danger to themselves is simply too great. Instead, templars act as spies, monitoring developments and passing their intelligence up the chain of command in the hope that their reports reach Abalach-Re on a day when she has some passing concern for their content. In addition to gathering information, templars can also influence city leaders to support the sorcerer-queen by pressuring them with threats against their lives, livelihoods, and loved ones, though few templars now have the muscle to back up their warnings.

Level
3rd 7th 13th 17th 23rd

Augmented Encounter Power

Shared agony Deaths commands All must sacrifice Devouring death Blades of vanquished armies

Source*
AP 76 FR 37 FR 38 AP 82 FR 40 FR 40

rAAmItE tEmplArs
Abalach-Re raised up people from all cultures, races, and genders to serve as templars. Given the erratic training the templars receive, many look to other traditions to supplement their powers. As a result, many Raamite templars multiclass into other arcane classes (bards), martial classes (rogues), and psionic classes (psions and ardents).

27th Inevitable undercut * Arcane Power, Forgotten Realms Players Guide

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advancement: Whimsy determines how a templar might rise or fall, because the Grand Viziers servants come into and out of favor with unnerving regularity. Her vanity is often her only guide, and she rewards flatterers and sycophants with greater estates and gifts. She also favors those templars who catch her attention through other means. AbalachRe delights in beautiful things, and she claims many templars as her lovers, regardless of gender or race. adventuring Templars: The templars fraying structure allows tremendous flexibility and latitude for templar actions. No complete roster of templars in the sorcerer-queens service still exists, allowing her servants to come and go as they please. Those whom the Grand Vizier does not take a personal interest in have the greatest freedom, while those she favors live almost as slaves.

Champion of Raam [Greater Pact]

Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature, Favored of Raam feat Benefit: In addition to regaining the use of your fell might, whenever you drop an enemy you have cursed to 0 hit points, you can shift a number of squares equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier. You can also expend your fell might to augment any power associated with this feat. When you hit an enemy with an associated power augmented by this feat, the target cannot include you as a target in its attacks until the start of your next turn.

Level
3rd 7th 13th 17th 23rd

Augmented Encounter Power

Otherwind stride Sign of ill omen Dark reach of Xevut Strand of fate Dark transport

Source*
PH 134 PH 135 AP 80 PH 137 PH 138

Favored of Raam [Lesser Pact]

Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Streetwise checks. When you augment hand of blight, you can forgo the extra damage the augment would deal to instead become invisible to the target until the end of your next turn.

27th Envoy of Nihal DR 54 * Players Handbook, Arcane Power, Dragon Magazine Annual

KAlAK of tyr
Kalak may be dead, but the old king is very much alive in the templars who survived him. Even when Kalak the Merciless still lived, the favor he once showered onto the templars had faded until they themselves were little better than slaves. Kalaks desperation to complete his dark ritual of apotheosis turned all under his command to his tools, and he destroyed any who could not or would not serve his needs. In this way, he demonstrated his utter

disregard for his subjects and also the extent of his derangement. With his death came questions about what roles the templars would fill in the city-statequestions quickly answered when the templar Tithian claimed his throne. The templars survived the transition, but no longer would they serve as enforcers and slavers. Instead they became bureaucratscogs in the citys governmental engine that were stripped of their power and consigned to life as public servants. recruitment: Templars in Tyr have lost much of their standing and influence thanks to the dwindling numbers of those who had originally served Kalak. The ones remaining husband their magic, never sure if the spell they cast will be the last, and the new individuals raised to their sides have little to no magical capability whatsoever. While Kalak lived, templars were drawn from the noble families, particularly from those children with a talent for the Way or who passed the initiation tests to qualify for templar training. Now, anyone with a head for sums and bookkeeping can find a place among these diminished administrators. Training: In the past, Tyrs templars numbered among the most dangerous in the seven cities, armed with power strong enough to crush slave uprisings and to make any aggression against the city-state costly enough to dissuade any effort at conquest. Apprentices were cloistered in the Templar District, where resources such as food and clothing were scarce, forcing the students to fight and vie for their shares. The best and most vicious students acquired better living conditions as they were groomed for higher office upon completion.

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Now, training is far less competitive and students are taught numbers and letters, then are later sorted into their respective bureaus. Duties: Templars who complete the training receive posts in one of twelve bureaus, ranging from Administration to Water and everything in between. Eleven of the original twelve have survived, with the missing bureau being the enforcers who kept the peace in the city. Templars no longer have the authority to arrest or pass judgment. Those important responsibilities now fall to the city watches and appointed judiciaries. advancement: High office has long been awarded to those cunning and bloodthirsty enough to seize it. Assassinations and betrayals remain the norm for Tyrian templars, and an individual can rise high quickly only to fall with equal speed when they lose favor and protection from the high templars leading the bureaus. adventuring Templars: Active templars are tied to their offices and have few opportunities for undertaking adventures that do not specifically concern their bureau. An office can find cause to mount an expedition, however, even in the most unlikely departments. For example, a templar in the Bureau of Administration might be selected to hunt down a missing or stolen document, while the Bureau of Mines sends templars and soldiers into new tunnels and chambers to clear out unfriendly infestations. Many templars from Kalaks time have severed ties to the new government and thus can come and go as they please. They might retain connections in the bureaus, but they are free to embark on any adventures they choose.

Tyrian Bureaucrat [Lesser Pact]

Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Streetwise checks. When you augment hand of blight, you can forgo the extra damage the augment would deal to instead daze the target until the end of your next turn.

hAmAnu of urIK
The yellow cloaks signify service to the Lion of the Desert, and though the templars wear them with pride and none else are permitted to wear similar attire. One look at the similarly hued walls tells you in what way Hamanu views his chosen servants. They are as the rocks quarried from the lands and serve as building blocks in Hamanus great society. Hamanu expects much from his templars, demanding they master the complex legal code, enforce the laws it sets out, collect revenue from taxes and tariffs, maintain order in the city, lead his armies, and secure the city against all enemies. With such a daunting task set before them, it should come as no surprise that the templars and their servants, which include scribes, researchers, and attendants, represent a sizeable portion of Uriks population. They, like everyone in Urik, are chattel to the sorcerer-king, an expendable commodity whose sole purpose is to serve the sorcerer-king. recruitment: Urik recruits heaviest from the noble classes, plucking the most talented among them for use in Hamanus grand temples. Individuals demonstrating battle prowess, psionic potential, or some ability in the arcane arts might be whisked away to study in those institutions set aside to transform ordinary citizens into useful servants. Training: Selection to become a templar is no guarantee of a place within the esteemed community, but all who are given the chance to study in Uriks superior schools can benefit from the experience and might yet find some other place in Hamanus service. Propaganda is an important element in the training programs; All templars are taught to revere the Great

Tyrian Ascendant [Greater Pact]

Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature, Tyrian Bureaucrat feat Benefit: In addition to regaining the use of your fell might, whenever you drop an enemy you have cursed to 0 hit points, each enemy cursed by you takes a 2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of your next turn. You can also expend your fell might to augment any power associated with this feat. When you hit an enemy with an associated power augmented by this feat, you also knock the target prone. Finally, you can use Charisma instead of Constitution for attack rolls and damage rolls with any power associated with this feat.

Level
3rd 7th 13th 17th 23rd

Augmented Encounter Power

Fiery bolt Acrid decay Harrowstorm Warlocks bargain Spiteful darts

Source*
PH 133 AP 78 PH 136 PH 138 PH 139 PH 139

27th Hellfire curse * Players Handbook, Arcane Power

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King as if he were a god. Instructors screen students for irreverence and blasphemy and punish anyone who displays these tendencies with a brutality that approaches abuse. Initiates learn to hide their doubts deep inside. Duties: Uriks templars are religious figures first and foremost and are expected to teach the coming glory promised by Hamanu to his people. These teachings reinforce the old beliefs that the sorcererking is in fact a god who is destined to usher the world into a new and glorious age. Templars are to quash discord wherever they find it and execute ringleaders to ensure a persons devotion never wavers. Templars also act as law enforcers, sweeping the city for perpetrators who violate Hamanus Code. In this capacity, they judge the accused and dispense justice to any they deem guilty. In addition to these major duties, templars can serve as record-keepers and lawyers. Most templars also serve as military leaders commanding the famed legions as they secure not only the city, but also the surrounding countryside. advancement: Given the strict parameters in which they are expected to operate, there is little room for treachery and backstabbing to attain higher positions. In fact, many templars approach advancement with no small measure of apprehension since the higher one climbs, the closer the templar gets to the sorcerer-king. All templars wither in his presence, because he does not suffer fools nor tolerate failure. Templars climb in station based on their performance, and with their advancement comes greater rewards such as estates, slaves, and vast wealth. This said, high templars do not sit easily in their fortunes, for Hamanu turns to them first when he is displeased and looking for someone to blame. adventuring Templars: Urikite templars concern themselves with keeping the city in the same state in which it has existed for well over a thousand years, but Hamanu is a greedy liege and he looks beyond his yellow walls, eager to expand his empire across the region. His templars often venture into the wilds to recover lost relics and gain intelligence about neighboring city-states as well as hunt down slave tribes who disrupt trade or trouble the client villages in the verdant belt. Templars also oversee obsidian extraction from the Smoking Crown, though few relish this duty given the inhospitable environment and the frequent slave revolts. You can also expend your fell might to augment any power associated with this feat. When you hit at least one enemy with an associated power augmented by this feat, one ally within 5 squares of you makes a basic attack as a free action and deals extra thunder damage equal to your Intelligence modifier. Finally, you can use Charisma instead of Constitution for attack rolls and damage rolls with any power associated with this feat.

Level
3rd 7th 13th 17th 23rd

Augmented Encounter Power

Frigid darkness Howl of doom Soul flaying Unholy glee Awaken the dragon

Source*
PH 133 PH 135 PH 136 FR 38 AP 139

Yellow Cloak of Urik [Lesser Pact]

Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus to History checks. When you augment hand of blight, you can forgo the extra damage the augment would deal to instead immobilize the target until the end of your next turn.

27th Manipulating thunderbolt AP 86 * Players Handbook, Forgotten Realms Players Guide, Arcane Power

About the Author

robert J. Schwalb is an award-winning game designer who has contributed design to or developed over one hundred roleplaying game titles for Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, A Song of Ice and Fire RPG, Star Wars RPG, and the d20 system. Some of his more recent work for Wizards of the Coast can be found in Players Handbook 3, Martial Power 2, and Draconomicon 2: Metallic Dragons. In addition, hes a regular contributor to both Dragon and Dungeon magazines. Robert lives, works, and will probably die in Tennessee.

Golden Lion of Urik [Greater Pact]

Prerequisite: Warlock, Sorcerer-King Pact class feature, Yellow Cloak of Urik feat Benefit: In addition to regaining the use of your fell might, whenever you drop an enemy you have cursed to 0 hit points, each enemy cursed by you can choose to either fall prone or become weakened until the start of your next turn.

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