Gray guard

A gray guard was a paladin who followed a looser and morally grayer code of conduct than the average paladin and did whatever must be done to protect the innocent and helpless from those who would do them harm.

Among the ranks of paladins there are some who have seen too much. The archetype of the noble-spirited paladin, resplendent in blessed armor and wielding a holy blade to smite the enemies of goodness, has gotten countless good men and women killed by their enemies' underhanded tactics. Taking a cue from their foes, certain churches have formed semi-secret groups from their most experienced and hard-hearted paladins and clerics, and trained them in the shadowy tactics favored by such worthies as the Church of Shar. These gray guards follow a looser code than the average paladin, and do whatever must be done to protect the innocent and helpless from those who would do them harm.

Background
The vast majority of gray guards are paladins. Only the most realistic and dedicated holy warriors join a church's order of gray guards, knowing that evil runs rampant in the world, always has, and will not be expunged merely by good example. They join out of necessity, not out of resentment for the code of conduct; those who chafe at their responsibilities are unfit to be paladins, let alone gray guards.

Religion
Gray guards typically follow deities concerned with justice, such as Torm, Tyr, or Bahamut.

Skills
Gray guards must be proficient at sensing the intent of others, and must have a great deal of religious knowledge. They must also be able to heal the living by laying on hands. They can easily gain skill at bluffing, mental focus, disguise, forging documents, animal handling, healing, intimidation, local lore, government lore, religious knowledge, riding, and sensing motives.

Outlook
The gray guard has seen the terrible realities of the world: orphaned children starving in gutters while the rich and powerful feast on the other side of a wall, tyrants abusing the law to expand their own power, and the supposedly devout using and abusing those they see as at best, beneath their notice, and at worst, heretics. The worst evil acts outwardly good and righteous, using honeyed words to seduce the unsuspecting masses. The code of a paladin can only go so far, because it forces them to act in the open, placing them at a disadvantage that can get them killed, and an inflexible code often not only allows evil to remain, but aids its spread. The gray guard has earned the right and freedom to do whatever it takes to take out the trash, even if it means committing a lesser evil to uphold the greater good.

Though he works toward the same goals as other members of his faith, he may find himself ostracized by his fellows. At best, he flirts with corruption, and at worst, embraces it. Paladins may see him as weak, for he has not (in their view) the courage to fight for justice with honor.

The gray guard is not proud of what he does, but rather sees it as a necessity forced upon him by the realities of the world. The freedom is not a boon but a loss, a tarnish of darkness on a once-pure soul. He resolves to do what is necessary, to do battle as valiantly as the greatest paladin, but as brutally as the most vile blackguard.

Combat
The gray guard prefers to do battle as a paladin on the field of honor, judging an opponent by his actions. But if the only chance or choice he has is to assassinate a high priest of Bane by knifing him in an alley in a "mugging gone bad," he does it without qualms. His tactics must change to fit the fight.

Mercy is also mutable. Ideally, he would take his foes prisoner, bringing the Thayan slaver operating in the slums before a court of justice in Neverwinter. But if there is no choice but to kill him, such as if he is escaping arrest, or has been acquitted on a technicality, he willingly commits the murder, for some foes simply cannot be allowed to live and rise again. A moment's prayer for both his own soul and his victim's, followed by a quick death, end the lives of many of a gray guard's enemies.

Requirements
To be accepted, gray guards must be lawful good and be proficient at sensing the intent of others and have a great deal of religious knowledge. They must also be able to heal the living by laying on hands and to follow a code of conduct barring evil acts, ensuring the majority were paladins.

Abilities
They could easily develop skills in bluffing, intimidation, sensing motives, disguise, and forging documents, alongside typical paladin skills in mental focus, animal handling, riding, and healing, as well as knowledge of local affairs, nobility, royalty, and religious lore.

Like paladins, gray guards trained as both capable warriors and casters of divine spells, if they were before becoming one. As they advanced, they gained greater freedoms to act as they must to oppose evil. A gray guard could cross-train as a paladin, and return to or adopt that path.

On acceptance, a gray guard made a sacrament of trust, a vow of allegiance to their faith unlike any made by a typical paladin. Under it, they had greater freedom to act in service to their faith and do so with less fear of punishment should their duties violate their code of conduct. A dishonorable action still temporarily cost them both their paladin and gray guard powers, but not to the extent faced by a true paladin. When the gray guard sought to atone for a willing violation done in service to the faith, the cleric casting atonement for them could do with no cost.

Like paladins, gray guards were able to channel positive energy to heal the living and hurt the undead. If already paladins, this power continued to progress. Moreover, they could begin to use this power offensively.

First, instead of using their lay on hands to heal allies, they could channel that energy to inflict a painful, debilitating condition. If a victim lacked the fortitude to resist, they were affected for almost a minute. This was particularly useful when interrogating suspects, as the power reduced the subject's ability to lie convincingly or resist magic. They could have a similar effect with a smite, dazing and slowing their foe briefly.

Also like paladins, gray guards could channel their faith into their sword arm to smite evil once, and later twice, a day, boosting the accuracy and force of an attack dealt to an evildoer. Later, with a power called a justice blade, instead of smiting an evil opponent, a gray guard could smite a chaotic opponent, in just the same way. The most powerful gray guards could even use this ability to smite those of other alignments—lawful and good.

Mid-ranked gray guards could use their lay on hands in an even more devastating way, by causing injuries rather than healing them. Strong-willed non-evil subjects might shrug off part of the damage dealt, but not all of it. They could also be left exposed.

Eventually, with unbound justice, gray guards could use unorthodox methods without being bound by their code of honor. Because it was not expected of their kind, they became more effective at bluffing, disguise, and intimidation.

Making a sacrament of the true faith, the most experienced gray guards gained the full trust of their church and could act freely (within reason) to uphold the goals and tenets of their faith as they saw fit. They no longer needed to atone, nor did they risk losing their divine powers, for violating the code of conduct if their cause was just.

Driven to action, a gray guard could charge swiftly into the fray and attack more forcefully. And with their vigilance, as well as cultivating their skills in awareness and local knowledge, a gray guard could easily spot targets wherever they might hide.

If a gray guard stuck a serious blow against an enemy, a neighboring enemy could be briefly demoralized.

A relentless force of justice, the persevering gray guard didn't let failure stop them; if they missed with one special attack, they could try again.

Ex-Gray Guards
Though a gray guard's code is looser than a paladin's, the code does not grant a gray guard carte blanche to do whatever he pleases. He must respect legitimate authority and act with honor and good intent. He must help the needy, may not use poisons, and must punish those who harm the innocent. The central tenet is this: a gray guard may not break the code without good reason.

As previously stated, the power to access one's innate divinity is a privilege, not a right, and unforgivably evil acts (despoiling a temple of his faith, slaying innocents, etc.) will cost the gray guard his abilities. Also not permitted are actions counter to the tenets of your faith, and habitual violation of the code. If at any time his deity or a jury of your faith's leaders finds you guilty of neglecting your responsibilities and abusing your power, you will be expelled from the order, permanently costing you both gray guard and paladin powers. Not even an atonement spell can restore them once lost in this manner.