Lightbringer Guild

Overview

The Lightbringer Guild is an expansive guild of undead hunters. They readily hand out charters memberships to almost anyone interested in stamping out the undead. The have no central HQ, but are affiliated with good-aligned temples, especially those of Pelor. Their symbol is a stylized half-sun, half-moon disc, and their credo is "suffer no false life."

Guild Benefits

Guild membership offers many benefits (if access to such is available) - things like alternative class abilities, free castings of Restoration, requests for aid vs. tough undead enclaves, and useful contacts. (Most of these benefits will not be available inside Barovia, however.)

Lightbringer bards, clerics, paladins, and rogues may take advantage of special alternative class features specifically tailored to combat the undead. Sometimes these features replace the normal class features.

Lightbringer rogues gain the Penetrating Strike feature, allowing them to gain 1/2 their sneak attack damage against foes immune to sneak attack damage if they maintain a flanking position (doesn't work just for flat footed, or on creatures that can't be flanked). (I thought Pierce might be interested in this...)

Lightbringer paladins replace Detect Evil at 1st lvl with Detect Undead. They replace Divine Health at 3rd level with Pelor's Blassing (Smite Evil is twice as effective against undead). At 6th level, they forgo their weekly casting of Remove Disease to gain a Warded Special Mount (which is immune to death spells, magical death effects, energy drain, and negative energy effects).

Lightbringer bards can lose Bardic Knowledge to gain Undead Bardic Knowledge. They can lose Inspire Competence to gain Inspire Turning (helps others' turning attempts). Finally they can replace Suggestion with Repel Domination (+2 to saves resisting mind-affecting effects from undead).

Lightbringer clerics can drop Turn Undead to take Destroy Undead (does area effect damage against undead, resisted by will save, consumes turn attempts). They can drop one Domain Power to gain True Daylight (blow a turn undead attempt to make a Daylight spell cast create true daylight, with reduced area of effect and duration). The can also drop a Domain Power to use Positive Healing (blow a turn attempt to grant someone Fast Healing 2 for 5 rounds).

Existing characters, through joining the Lightbringer organization, can retrain to learn the alternate versions of their class features. This can only happen when they level, and the choice is permanent - no switching back. One need not learn all the alternate class features, and may retain some of the normal versions, if desired.

Membership

Lightbringer membership has several prerequisites: Associated Skills Characters must have at least Rank 4 is one of the following - Concentration, Gather Information, Heal, or Knowledge (History, local, or religion).

Dues 100g to join, and 100g annual dues. The real cost, though, is a commitment to destroy a minimum number of undead each year. Each member sets his own limit, and is accountable to the local chapter.

This material is based on the Lightbringers Guild as detailed in the book Expedition to Castle Ravenloft. The Lightbrings are primarily found in our Ravenloft Campaign but may show up elsewhere over time. They are not presently found in Obsidian Bay; those interested in joining such an organization there should review the Order of the Final Rest

Lightbringers in Barovia

The Armory

Weapons

• Light Crossbow

Armor

• Wand of Light, CL1 (50 charges)

Scrolls

3rd level Spell Scrolls: all at CL5

• Continual Flame
• Invisibility Purge
• Remove Curse
• Speak with Dead
• Water Walk

2nd level Spell Scrolls: all at CL3

• Eagle's Splendor
• Remove Paralysis
• Shield Other
• Silence
• Spiritual Weapon

1st level Spell Scrolls: all at CL1

• Command
• Comprehend Languages
• Detect Evil

People

• Pierce Haligarth: One time con-man who saw the error of his ways when an enraged zombie tried to eat his intestines. Now he fights the undead ... and tries to make a small profit on the side.
• Donegal: Priest of Daern, who died seeking the Amulet of Ravenkind in Barovia.
• Lady Ashlyn: Leader of the Lightbringers in Barovia.
• Narrik: A Lightbringer who came to check on his compatriots Barovia.