The Judge

Judges are the living embodiment of the law, bringing order and justice to the chaotic wilds of the Western Continent through swift action and unwavering resolve. Drawing inspiration from the self-reliant frontier lawmen and the uncompromising enforcers of modern justice, Judges are often grim, dedicated, and capable of both sharp investigation and decisive combat. They are sworn to uphold a specific code of justice wherever it is needed, often operating independently or as an extension of a nation’s will in unruly territories. Feared by criminals and respected (or grudgingly tolerated) by the lawful, a Judge's presence alone can shift the balance in any encounter.

Allowed Cultures

The Judge is rarely found within the safe confines of civilized centers; instead, they operate along the wild frontiers and dangerous hinterlands of lawful societies. Because of their remote nature, not every culture is familiar with this class—even those that might logically seem aligned with it. Furthermore, certain societies simply lack the rigid mindset required to uphold such strict legalistic doctrines, or they possess a culture too chaotic and informal to produce them. The cultures with access to this class are the Catfolk, Celestial Born, Cherokee, Dawn Landers, Dragonborn, Dwarves, Emerald Folk, Greeks, Imperial Reman Republic (Remans), Jade Empire, Orcs, Smallfolk, Tieflings, and Tiss. 

Playing the Priest of Lugh

As a Judge, you are the final authority on the law where civilization fails and the wilds begin. Your presence on the field demands respect from allies and strikes fear into the hearts of transgressors. You are built for versatile, decisive action, possessing the martial training to wield a wide array of weaponry to hand down your sentences. However, your reliance on swift, unyielding offensive justice means you do not use shields to hide from danger, preferring to meet chaos head-on. Protected by sturdy Level 2 (Medium) armor, you strike the perfect balance between mobile frontier tracker and resilient vanguard. 

Abilities

Armor Allowed: Level 2 (Medium)

Weapons Allowed: Dagger, Knife, Stick, Club, Crossbow, Two handed Crossbow, Longsword, Shortsword, One handed mace, and One handed Axe.

Level 1

• Weapon of Law: You have the ability to use a two handed crossbow and a one handed crossbow. Both of these have six shots per day (6x day) and can be refilled by a blacksmith but may be done so for free if it is within the lands of your culture or the Smith is from your culture.
  

• Bloodhound of the Law: A true lawman doesn't just stumble upon crime; they read the subtle rot of a settlement like an open book. You possess an uncanny knack for locating where the lawless congregate. By observing the subtle signs of a settlement, such as specific underworld graffiti, suspicious lookouts, unusual local currency flow, or the nervous behavior of the populace, you can intuitively sense the presence of criminal activity. In game this allows you to approach a Loremaster, NPC, or Townsfolk, or a known local contact and invoke this ability to safely learn the general direction, rumor, or exact location of hidden Rogues' Guilds, smuggler dens, black markets, and other unseedy or unlawful dens of crime in the area. The guilty can hide from the sky, but they cannot hide their tracks from you. This ability is always on and does not have a limit of uses.

Level 2

• Stand Down: You project an unyielding authority that can instantly de-escalate a hostile situation. To use this ability, point directly at a target and loudly command, "Stand Down!" For the next 30 seconds they cannot attack the Judge or act aggressively toward them through any physical, mechanical, or magical means. However, this authority relies on your own restraint; if the Judge acts physically aggressive toward that specific target, the effect breaks instantly. Because this command imposes an authoritative weight upon the target's psyche, any Player, NPC, or Monster immune to mind control, psychic manipulation, or Fae charms is completely unaffected. (It is not the same as Fae Charm but it shares the same immunity rules). This can be used three times per day (3x da) and can be renewed.

• Pursuit of Justice: When a criminal flees into the lawless frontier, you have the authority to place a price on their head, rallying the community to bring them to heel. Once per encounter, you may point to a specific Player, NPC, or intelligent Monster and loudly declare: "Outlaw" From this moment forward, that target is legally designated an Outlaw. Other players and NPCs can formally take up the bounty. If another player or NPC defeats the Outlaw, captures them, or brings undeniable proof of their demise to you, they can claim the bounty. To facilitate this lawman lifestyle, you begin each event with an additional 20 GP specifically earmarked to pay out these bounties. The law is a heavy mantle, and your authority cannot be wielded as a weapon for personal vendettas. If it is proven to a Loremaster or Guard that you unlawfully charged an innocent target, framed someone, or abused this power without just cause, you will strip yourself of your divine or civil mandate. As a consequence, you will lose all of your Judge class abilities for the remainder of that event.

Level 3 

• Cultural Ability 

Level 4 

• Righteous Rebuke: Judges are not just ranged combatants; their melee presence is equally authoritative, ensuring that those who attempt to flee from justice face immediate consequences. When a Judge successfully hits an opponent in melee combat with a hand held melee (non thrown or non missile) weapon, they may simultaneously call out, "Righteous Rebuke!" in addition to their standard damage. If the target then attempts to move more than 5 paces away from the Judge in their very next action, they instantly take an additional 1 point of damage (which ignores APR). This can be used up to six times per day (6x day) and can be renewed.

• Ironclad Jurisdiction: Your armor is reinforced by the absolute conviction that the law must prevail over the lawless. When facing down wanted criminals, your tactical positioning and defensive focus sharpen dramatically. You gain a +1 APR (Armor Protection Rating) bonus against any physical, ranged, spell, or ability attacks delivered by targets who currently have an active bounty on their head (such as those marked by your Pursuit of Justice ability). When the lawless strike at you, their chaotic desperation breaks fruitlessly against your hardened defenses. This ability is always on and does not have a limit to uses. This ability does not “double” due to the Dwarves' improved armor ability.

Level 5 

• The Lawgiver's Verdict: To bring a fleeing suspect to justice, you must target a specific Player, NPC, or Monster with your weapon and call out "Lawgiver's Verdict". Once called out, the ability takes immediate effect. If your weapon  successfully strikes the designated target, no damage is dealt; instead, the impact delivers an overwhelming, authoritative arrest. The target is instantly held in place, and cannot move. Players, NPCs, and Monsters that are immune to mind control are immune to this ability. This ability can be used up to three times per day (3x day) and can be renewed.

• The Judge's Wrath: Your personal determination intensifies. Any physical or ranged damage you personally deal against the designated Outlaw receives a +1 damage bonus.

Level 6

• Cultural Ability

Level 7

• Senior Judge: You now gain the title of Senior Judge. This gives you an additional 20GP at the beginning of each event. This extra GP is for paying bounties and, if needed, may be used to purchase tips and information about criminals.

• I am the Law: Works like the Stand Down ability but affects everyone in an opposing party as long as the targeted criminal is among their ranks.

Level 8

• Final Verdict: When all negotiation fails, you deliver the ultimate, absolute execution of the law. Your next successful crossbow attack deals piercing damage, completely bypassing standard armor defenses to strike the target. This ability can be used three times per day (3x day) and can be renewed.

• Detect Lie (At Will) As a master of interrogation trained to read the subtle tells, physiological shifts, and hesitation of a suspect, you can discern truth from deception without relying on magic. This is a skilled ability that can be performed at will with no daily limit. During an active interrogation, the Judge player may quietly ask a local Loremaster whether the specific statements made by a target are true or false. If a Loremaster is not nearby to adjudicate, the target Player, NPC, or Monster under interrogation must play fairly and tell you the truth out-of-game if you ask them directly; however, because this is an uncommon skill, you may need to briefly explain how this ability works to them first. Because this relies entirely on sharp profiling and deductive observation rather than arcane detection, it bypasses traditional magical immunities, allowing you to slice through the deception of even the most tight-lipped criminals. .

Level 9

• Cultural Ability

Level 10

• High Judge: You now have the title and rank of High Judge. You have officially attained the title and rank of High Judge. Your supreme authority allows you to temporarily expand your jurisdiction by forming a posse. When you choose to deputize the members of your active adventuring party, your unified front strikes terror into the underworld. While deputized, every member of your party temporarily shares your righteous fervor: they each receive your +1 damage bonus (from Pursuit of Justice) and your +1 APR bonus (from Ironclad Jurisdiction) against any target with an active bounty on their head.

• Hang em High: When a criminal refuses to yield, you deliver a swift, public execution to break the morale of the lawless. You can activate this ability only against a target who has just been subjected to your Stand Down or I am the Law commands, and who immediately continues to act aggressively once those effects expire. Your next successful ranged or melee strike against them deals +3 Piercing damage. If this strike delivers the killing blow, all nearby enemies who witness the execution are struck with dread and must immediately retreat 5 paces away from the fallen criminal. This ability can be used three timers per day (3x day) and can be renewed.