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Hospitalers are a fighting force of necessity, sworn to poverty, obedience, and the defense of those in their care.

Requirements

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Hospitalers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor, and with shields.

Spells: A hospitaler casts spells as a cleric (see Table 3—6: The Cleric, page 30 of the Player's Handbook) and has full access to the general cleric spell list. Hospitaler levels are added to cleric levels to determine spells per day and spell effects. In addition, the hospitaler chooses two of the following domains: Healing, Protection, War, the prestige domain Glory (if she channels positive energy) or the prestige domain Domination (if she channels negative energy). Access to other domains is lost. Like a cleric, a hospitaler may spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells.

Spells per Day: A hospitaler continues advancing in divine spellcasting ability as well as learning the skills of the hospitalers. Thus, when a new hospitaler level is gained, the character gains new divine spells per day as if she had gained a level in the cleric class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, greater damage with the smite evil ability, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of hospitaler to the level of whatever other divine spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day accordingly. For example, if Alhandra, an 8th-level paladin, gains a level as a hospitaler, she gains new spells as if she had risen to 9th level as a paladin, but uses the other hospitaler aspects of level progression such as attack bonus and save bonuses. If she next gains a level of paladin, making her a 9th-level paladin/1st-level hospitaler, she gains spells as if she had risen to 10th level as a paladin.

Lay on Hands (Sp): A hospitaler can heal wounds by touch, as the paladin ability. Any paladin levels add to the hospitaler's level for this purpose.

Remove Disease (Sp): A hospitaler can use remove disease as the paladin ability. Any paladin levels add to the hospitaler's level for this purpose.

Bonus Feats: At the indicated levels, a hospitaler may take a bonus feat. These feats are drawn from the following list: Ambidexterity, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge (Mobility, Spring Attack), Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Expertise (Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Whirlwind Attack), Improved Critical*, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike (Deflect Arrows, Stunning Fist), Mounted Combat (Mounted Archery, Trample, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge), Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run), Power Attack (Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Sunder, Great Cleave), Quick Draw, Two-Weapon Fighting (Improved Two-Weapon Fighting), Weapon Finesse*, Weapon Focus*.

Feats dependent on other feats are listed parenthetically after the prerequisite feat. The hospitaler can select feats marked with an asterisk (*) more than once, but for a different weapon each time. The hospitaler must still meet all prerequisites for a feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.

Important: These feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets every three levels. The hospitaler is not limited to the list given here when choosing those feats.

Code of Conduct: Hospitalers take an oath of poverty, obedience, and defense of those in their care. This does not mean that hospitalers live mean, penny-pinching lives. They share their wealth among themselves and give any excess to their order. Obedience is not related to character or social rank, but rather to position assigned within the order, and often changes with the situation. Regardless of their relative ranks, all hospitalers defer to the head of a facility while on the grounds. Hospitalers must be willing to lay down their lives to protect the pilgrims or hospitaler facilities under their care, but should not do so recklessly.

Multiclass Note: A paladin who becomes a hospitaler may continue advancing as a paladin.

Ex-Hospitalers

A hospitaler who becomes chaotic, who willfully commits an evil act, or who grossly violates the hospitaler code of conduct loses all class features and spells and may not progress in levels as a hospitaler. She regains her abilities if she atones for her violations (see the atonement spell description, page 176 of the Player's Handbook).

A hospitaler may be a multiclass character, but faces a special restriction. A hospitaler who gains a new class or, if already a multiclass character, gains a level in a class other than paladin may never again raise her hospitaler level, though she retains all her hospitaler abilities. The path of the hospitaler, like that of the paladin, requires a constant heart. Once you have turned off the path, you may never return.

Advancement