Woodland Classes I - The Unicorn

A maiden’s best friend, unicorns (and pegasi and other little ponies) are all the craze these days with girls and a few (slightly disturbing) men. We’ve endured many years now of sneering, leather-clad, spiky-shouldered, ridiculously-large-weapon wielding wannabe badasses in dungeons, perhaps it’s time for something sparkly.

Requirements: Wisdom and Charisma 13+, Lawful (Good) in alignment

Hit Dice: d6, +2 per level after 10th

Weapons allowed: None

Armor allowed: Up to chainmail barding

Skills: Find Secret Door, Jump, Listen at Doors, Move Silently, Survival

Advance: As paladin

Attack: As cleric

Saving Throws: As paladin

First level unicorns are medium-sized creatures, with the bodies of goats, heads of horses, snowy-white hair and pearlescent horns growing from their foreheads. They are capable of speaking both Common and Sylvan. They can make one attack each round, either with their alicorn (their horn – yeah, there’s a fancy word for it!) for 1d8 damage, or with their two hooves (as though attacking with two weapons) for 1d4 damage. Unicorns are naturally immune to poison.

A note on climbing: Unicorns, having the legs of goats, are actually quite capable climbers, so long as they have even the smallest ledge (or its equivalent) on which to rest their hooves. For sheer surfaces, unicorns are going to need some help involving ropes and people to pull them.

A 2nd level unicorn’s alicorn strikes as a +1 weapon. This innate magical bonus improves to +2 at 4th level, and +3 at 8th level.

A 3rd level unicorn becomes immune to charm and compulsion-type spells, unless they are cast by a lawful (good) female spellcaster.

A 4th level unicorn gains the innate ability to cast spells with its alicorn. The unicorn prepares and casts spells as a paladin, with each spell being cast from its horn. Spells that require a touch require the unicorn to touch the subject with its horn. The unicorn need not speak to cast these spells, nor otherwise move.

A 5th level unicorn can undertake a quest, guided by a divine vision, to find and gain the service of a chaste, lawful (good) female elven companion. This companion is either a cleric, fighter, magic-user or paladin (roll 1d4) who begins as a 1st level character, but advances one level each time the unicorn advances one level. If the unicorn’s companion dies, it must atone (per the atonement spell) and then wait until gaining another level of unicorn to undertake the quest again.

A 10th level unicorn can establish a serene woodland clearing as its lair. A 12 mile radius circle around the clearing must be cleared of all evil influences before the unicorn can consecrate the clearing. Once consecrated, the unicorn attracts 1d10 creatures to act as guardians of the clearing and associates in its fight for law and good. Roll on the following table to determine these companions.

ROLL D10
1 - Aasimar warrior (2 HD, chainmail, longsword, longbow, 20 arrows)
2 - Brownie
3 - Celestial brown bear
4 - Celestial eagle
5 - Celestial wolf
6 - Druid (1st level; either human, elf or gnome)
7 - Druid (2nd level; either human, elf or gnome)
8 - Dryad
9 - 1d6 pixies
10 - Unicorn

UNICORN SPELLS

First Level: Bless, calm animals, charm person, cure light wounds, detect evil, detect poison, freedom of movement, light, obscuring mist, remove fear, sanctuary, shield of faith, slow poison, virtue

Second Level: Aid, animal messenger, cure moderate wounds, dimension door, lesser restoration, magic circle against evil, neutralize poison, remove paralysis, shield other

Third Level: Charm monster, cure serious wounds, prayer, protection from energy, remove curse, searing light, teleport

Fourth Level: Air walk, cure critical wounds, divine power, holy smite, restoration, teleport without error