The Golden Arrows

THE CLERGY

The Golden Arrows charge themselves with the protection of wildlife from poachers and overzealous hunters. They teach their flock proper hunting practices to ensure that no species of wildlife is over-hunted. They also show followers the most effective hunting techniques to minimize animal suffering and how best to use all parts of the taken game.

Clerics of the Great Huntress are famous for their skills as bowyers and fletchers as well as their marksmanship. After training, and before leaving the church, a Golden Arrow must be able to hit a coin (a Fine size object with AC 20) from 75 feet away with a bow he crafted himself. Also known for their patience, a cleric may track an animal for hours on end in order to get a perfect shot to ensure a quick, painless kill. All clerics wear a bracer bearing the symbol of the Great Huntress (no bonus to AC) on their bow arm.

Temples of the Merry Marksman host annual archery competitions. The prize for amateurs is a handcrafted bow and a golden arrow. This is also when competition for advancement within the Temple of the Patient Arrow takes place.

Adventures: Golden Arrows adventure to test their archery skills in diverse situations and different foes. They study different styles of archery, different types of fletching and string, and all other aspects of their craft from the different archers they meet.

Characteristics: Patience, a good eye for distance and consistency are reputed traits among the Golden Arrows.

Background: Golden Arrows typically come from wild backgrounds, usually in nearly uninhabited areas. Even in the cases of characters of urban background, a love of hunting is common to the faith.

Races: Elves make natural Golden Arrows, but the class is surprisingly comfortable for many dwarves as well. The discipline, patience and strength of arm that make a good dwarf make a good archer as well. Humans and half-elves fill out nearly all ranking clerics of the faith, although half-hobgoblins, gnomes and halflings are represented in various degrees.

Relations With Other Classes: Naturally, the classes at home outdoors (rangers, barbarians, infiltrators, druids and shamans) find a ready friend in the Golden Arrows, as long as they are not poachers or other obviously evil characters.

Relations With Undead: Clerics must destroy undead that threaten the faith or its worshippers, but can animate, create or associate with undead in life-threatening situations, or if the association furthers the faith’s goals and will do no harm later. If the church decrees the cleric has committed an offense against the faith, he may be subject to penance or (for major offenses) even banned from increasing in temple rank.

Role: Besides their support role as healers and counselors, Golden Arrows are excellent ranged combatants, able to support front-line fighters with judicious application of divinely enhanced arrows.