Iron Axes of Jomsburg - A Mercenary Company Combat School
Fearsome vikings and berserkers, this renowned order of mercenaries is known for its violent resolution to conflicts and tremendous skill at routing enemy forces. High Axes are distinguished survivalists capable of marching through the most inhospitable regions and sailing the fiercest seas to strike.
To join, a character must pay the entrance fee and pass an exam by successfully making the skill checks, as noted. One attempt may be made every two game sessions. Once enrolled, he must pay dues each game session to remain a student until his Fame score grants him the option to join the school's staff.
A character's Fame score tracks his success in the organization. A low score indicates he is new or struggling, while a high score could enable him to become a teacher or a favored alumnus. To increase Fame, a character must either succeed at Training checks (DC 15 + his current ranks in that skill unless otherwise noted) no more than once per game session or perform a specific task or extracurricular activity for the school. A character's Fame score increases by 1 every time he succeeds at a Training check or performs as task for his school. Every time a character's Fame score increases, he earns an equal number of Prestige Points (PP).
Benefits of Training
Beyond the specific prestige awards that each combat school grants, students can spend their Prestige Points on the following generic awards as well.
Mentorship: For 1 PP, you can gain the aid of another student. This grants you a +4 circumstance bonus on any skill check, save for Training checks.
Scholarship Aid: You can spend 1 PP in place of dues for a term.
Weapon Training: Spend 1 PP and select a weapon with which you are proficient. When you confirm a critical hit with the selected weapon, you gain a bonus on the damage roll equal to the critical multiplier of the weapon.
Spellcasting: By spending the listed Prestige Point total, you can have any of the following spells cast for you (the CL in each case is the minimum possible for the spell).
- 1 PP: cure moderate wounds, dispel magic, lesser restoration, make whole, remove blindness/deafness, remove curse, remove disease, remove paralysis
- 2 PP: atonement (8 PP to restore alignment-based class abilities), break enchantment, cure serious wounds, greater dispel magic, neutralize poison, restoration (4 PP to remove permanent negative levels)
- 3 PP: heal, regenerate
- 16 PP: greater restoration, raise dead
- 32 PP: resurrection
- 77 PP: true resurrection
For every 10 points of Fame, he gains a cumulative +1 bonus on Diplomacy checks against members of his company. Prestige Points reflect the goodwill and personal favors he has built up during his education and can be spent on awards. Fame is never expended—when an award lists only a required Fame score as a prerequisite, a student receives the award automatically when he achieves that Fame score. Prestige Points, when spent, are spent permanently. These cannot be spent during combat and must be spent while at school or otherwise able to contact school representatives. Multiple students cannot pool Prestige Points to obtain more expensive rewards, but a student can spend Prestige Points even if he is dead, petrified, or otherwise out of commission. This represents the student's prior arrangements with his school to perform certain actions on his behalf, such as having him raised from the dead. In this event, the student's actual location does not impact the Prestige Point cost. School-specific awards can be purchased only once unless otherwise noted. See all the Prestige Awards for All Schools sidebar.
Skill Specialization
Many of the prestige awards and forms of recognition that combat school members purchase allow them to become specialized in skills. When a PC becomes specialized in a skill, that skill immediately becomes a class skill for him. If the student gains that skill as a class skill from any other source (before or after purchasing the prestige resource), he gains a +1 competence bonus on those skill checks.
Leaving School
A student can leave his school at any time by simply alerting his superiors at the school unless otherwise noted. If a student fails to pay dues or performs an act that scandalizes his instructors or otherwise harms the school's reputation (at the GM's discretion), he is expelled and his Fame score and Prestige Points are both reduced by 2d6 (to a minimum of 0). Flunking out (failing a number of consecutive Training checks as set by the school) also results in expulsion.
Once a student leaves a school, he can no longer spend Prestige Points on that school's benefits. If he was expelled, he might even lose access to some of the advantages and boons he had already acquired from the school, at the GM's discretion. A student can return to a school he left voluntarily by paying the entrance fee again. A student who was expelled must pay the fee and succeed at a Diplomacy check (DC 20 + the student's current Fame score) to get back into the school. An expelled student can attempt this Diplomacy check once per year.
Mercenary Company Benefits
An ancient tradition, mercenaries are used around the world from small contingents of bodyguards to fielding massive armies to the battlefield. Some of these units are ragtag ruffians with little training or equipment. Others, however, are organized and involve rigorous training and specialization for success.
As a mercenary company member increases in fame, he gains the following rewards.
Come to Terms (5 Fame): Mercenaries fight to get paid. You have studied the best tactics to negotiate a contract as well as collect on coin owed. You become specialized in either Diplomacy or Intimidate.
Hired Hands (20 Fame): You are adept at negotiation and barter and have arranged many contracts and deals in your time. Whenever you hire the services of an individual NPC (see the "Lodging and Services" section in Chapter 2 of Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Equipment™), you may do so with a 10% reduction in cost.
Battle Captain (35 Fame): Your mercenary company has assigned a unit of loyal soldiers under your command. They may accompany you on adventures or assist you in fulfilling company contracts in your stead while you go on adventures. Depending on how they are treated and your history with followers' lives, they may be unwilling to die on your behalf. You gain the services of a single sergeant (5th-level cavalier, brawler, fighter, ranger, rogue, slayer, or swashbuckler) and 5-8 (1d4+4) corporals (3rd-level cavalier, brawler, fighter, ranger, rogue, slayer, or swashbuckler) as followers. These followers are in addition to any gained via the Leadership feat.
General (50 Fame): You attain a high rank among your mercenary company and no longer need to pay dues. Every time you would normally pay dues, you instead earn that amount of gold as your portion of the company's contracts.
Titles
Some selectable awards are designated Titles. A title is a permanent award that remains with you as long as you are a member of the organization. If you lose your membership, all titles and associated benefits go away. You can possess multiple titles. Unless otherwise specified, you can select a particular title only once.
| IRON AXES OF JOMSBURG |
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Location Jomsburg citadel
| REQUIREMENTS |
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Entrance Fee 250 gp
Entrance Exam Intimidate and Survival DC 15
Dues 200 gp/game session
| TRAINING |
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Training Checks Craft (ships), Handle Animal, Knowledge (geography), Profession (sailor), Ride, Survival
Term 1 game session
Flunk 3 consecutive failed Training checks
| EXTRACURRICULAR TASKS |
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Donate Magic Arms or Armor (+1 Fame) Once per term, if you donate a suit of magic armor or a permanent magic weapon to the Iron Axes, your Fame score increases by +1. The item donated must be worth at least 1,000 gp per point of Fame you currently possess.
Drunken Tales (+1 Fame) Within a week of defeating an enemy with a CR equal to your level or higher one-on-one, tell the tale in a public location with much drink and celebration to spread the legend and infamy of your skill and prowess.
| AWARDS |
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Wanderer (Title, 10 Fame, 1 PP) The long time you've spent on the road with fellow travelers has enhanced your knack for picking up local customs. Knowledge (local) becomes a class skill for you as long as you have this title.
Familiar Weapons (10 Fame, 5 PP) You gain Exotic Weapon Proficiency as a bonus feat with one of the following weapons: bastard sword, falcata, hooked axe, or harpoon.
Freiherr (Title, 20 Fame, 1 PP) You have gained a measure of respect and stature in the organization, and your practice has paid off. You become specialized in your choice of one of the following skills: Craft (ships), Handle Animal, Knowledge (geography), Profession (sailor), Ride, or Survival.
Thane (Title, 30 Fame, 5 PP) You may only select this title if you have selected the Freiherr title. This title supersedes and replaces Freiherr. You retain your Freiherr benefit and also gain a +4 bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks made to interact with any member of the Iron Axes of Jomsburg.
Jarl (Title, 40 Fame, 4 PP) You may only select this title if you have selected the Thane title. This title supersedes and replaces Thane. You retain your Freiherr and Thane benefits and also gain the ability to call upon low-ranking members of the Iron Axes of Jomsburg to perform mundane personal tasks at your behest, including running messages, announcing your arrival, and making sure preparations are made to accommodate your needs. In addition, you gain a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks made to influence any members of the White Witches or natives of Irrisen.
Berserker (40 Fame, 20 PP) Gain the use of the rage class feature as if you were a 1st-level barbarian. If you already possess the rage or raging song class ability, you instead gain Extra Rage as a bonus feat. For every 5 points by which your fame increases, you gain an additional 2 rounds of rage usable per day.
Viking Magic Add one of the following spells that is not already on one of your classes' spell list to one of your classes' spell list. You automatically scribe this spell into your spellbook, teach the spell to your familiar (if you are a witch), or learn the spell in place of a spell of an equal level you already know (if you are a spontaneous spellcaster).
(2 PP) 1st-level spells: lead blades, sun metal, unerring weapon
(4 PP) 2nd–level spells: brow gasher, returning weapon
(6 PP) 3rd-level spells: heart of the metal, keen edge, versatile weapon
