The Quintessential Aristocrat
| Author | Martin R. Thomas |
| Publisher | Mongoose Publishing |
| Publish date | 2004 |
| OGL Section 15 | qari |
The material below is designated as open game content.
Magistrate
An elite core of highly schooled and skilled aristocrats, magistrates act on behalf of their lord to maintain justice and enforce law and order in the realm. Only those aristocrats who show exceptional honour and devotion to their lord are selected for this esteemed position. Magistrates
can often be founding travelling throughout the kingdom, dispensing justice among its citizens. Typically, though, they are assigned to a particular city or county, and represent the highest legal authority in their domain.
Adventuring: While a magistrate is not normally an adventurer in the classical sense, he is often assigned to travel to far-reaching areas of the kingdom to hear a particular case and provide her judgment. These magistrates can encounter many types of adventures as they travel to less-civilised areas of the kingdom between cities. As a personal representative of the king or emperor, the magistrate is expected to dispense his law throughout the kingdom, whether by word or by sword. As such, a magistrate will encounter plenty of opportunities for adventure.
Role-Playing: A highly intelligent and very educated person, the magistrate will often be on the same level as a party wizard in terms of raw intelligence. However, the magistrate’s social skills give him the edge over the wizard in dealing with people, however, thus making him an excellent party spokesperson. A persuasive individual, the magistrate often sways the opinions of his fellow party members to follow his lead. Ultimately, the magistrate’s goal is to serve his lord and maintain law and order throughout the kingdom. If his fellow party members can help him with this task, all the better. If not, they may be the magistrate’s next targets for judgment.
Bonuses: Magistrates receive Profession as a class skill, and receive a +2 competence bonus to all Knowledge (law) and Profession (barrister/lawyer) checks that they are required to make. This bonus represents the immense amount of schooling that a magistrate undertakes to learn the details of his occupation. Also, as a direct representative of the king, the magistrate is
above provincial justice in his home realm. A magistrate character may only be accused of a crime by another magistrate or by the king himself.
Penalties: Magistrates gain only light and medium armour proficiency. They are not trained in shields. When allocating their skill points each level, they must put maximum ranks into either Knowledge (law) or Profession (barrister/lawyer). All magistrates must be lawful in alignment, whether good, neutral, or chaotic. Lastly, magistrates are very likely to make enemies easily because they will often be forced to pick one side over another. These enemies have a way of staying in the background for months or even years at a time, only to surprise the magistrate when he least expects it.
