Source: Polished Leadership
A teacher and leader in one, the preceptor knight is the instructor of the next generations of their order.
Proficiencies
A preceptor knight receives a martial tradition, gaining proficiency with simple weapons, light armor, and bucklers, in addition to the combat talents granted by their martial tradition.
This modifies proficiencies.
Trade Tradition
A preceptor knight may select a trade tradition of their choice, and have an adroit trade rank.
Blended Training
The preceptor knight gains a combat or skill talent at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level, and 3/4ths of a talent thereafter. In addition, the preceptor knight gains a utility talent at every even level. Preceptor knights use their practitioner modifier as their operative modifier.
This replaces spells and channel positive energy.
Instructor of the Order (Ex)
The preceptor knight inducts their students from all walks of life into devoted members of their faith. At 1st level, the preceptor knight gains the Leadership sphere, selecting the (cohort) package. The preceptor knight cannot choose any sphere-specific drawback that trades the ability to recruit a cohort, such as the drill sergeant drawback.
The preceptor knight’s cohorts are referred to as the preceptor knight’s initiates for the purposes of other preceptor knight class features.
Beginning at 2nd level, the preceptor knight may grant each of their initiates a role, representing their training in the preceptor knight’s faith. Each role is granted when an initiate is first recruited and may only be granted to the preceptor knight’s initiates (not conscripted allies or other temporary cohorts). The preceptor knight may only assign each role once, and each role may only be assigned to an initiate whose cohort job matches the role (such as the scribe role requiring the initiate possess the apprentice, cutpurse, or student jobs). An initiate’s additional abilities granted from a special role and granted based on the preceptor knight’s level, not the initiate’s cohort level.
The preceptor knight may grant the following roles to their initiates:
Hospitaler
Prerequisite Cohort Job: apprentice, disciple, or naturalist
A hospitaler gains the lay on hands paladin class feature. At 3rd level, a hospitaler gains 1 mercy, plus 1 mercy at 6th level and every 6 levels thereafter. At 4th level, a hospitaler gains the channel positive energy paladin class feature. The hospitaler uses the preceptor knight’s level as their effective class level for their lay on hands, mercy, and channel positive energy paladin class features.
At 6th level, a hospitaler may select a single cleric variant channeling (Ultimate Magic), selecting a single variant channeling appropriate to the preceptor knight’s deity or order (subject to GM discretion). A hospitaler variant channeling channel bonus is determined using the preceptor knight’s level.
At 12th level, a hospitaler gains fast healing equal to 1 + 1 per 5 preceptor knight levels. Whenever a creature receives healing from the hospitaler’s lay on hands or channel positive energy, that creature receives the same fast healing for 1 round per 2 preceptor knight levels.
At 18th level, once per day, the hospitaler may use lay on hands as a full-round action to restore a dead creature to life. This functions as raise dead, but affects a creature that has been dead for no longer than 1 hour per preceptor knight level and, instead of gaining permanent negative levels, gains 1 temporary negative level that lasts 24 hours.
Preacher
Prerequisite Cohort Job: acolyte, minstrel, or priest
A preacher gains a bonus on Diplomacy, Perform (oratory), and Knowledge (religion) equal to 1/2 the preceptor knight’s level. Whenever the preacher uses the aid another action to assist one of these checks, the preacher may grant this bonus instead of aid another’s normal bonus (plus other bonuses to aid another).
At 6th level, the preacher selects 2 1st-level paladin spells and may cast each of these spells once per day as a spell-like ability, except the preacher must still provide any expensive material components for spells selected this way. The preacher may select the same spell more than once. The preacher increases the total number of spell levels they may select this way by 1 per 2 preceptor knight levels after 6th (such as selecting 5 1st-level paladin spells at 10th level). The preacher may reselect these spells by spending 8 hours in quiet prayer (similar to using downtime).
If the preacher selected a “litany” spell as a spell-like ability, they may use that litany 1 additional time per day (such as litany of defense or litany of warding).
At 12th level, the preacher may now select 2nd-level paladin spells, each counting as 2 spell levels (i.e. at 12th level, the preacher could select up to 6 spell levels worth of spells, such as selecting 2 2nd-level spells and 2 1st-level spells). The preacher may now cast paladin spells with a range of personal on the preceptor knight as though it had a range of touch.
At 18th level, the preacher may now select 3rd and 4th-level paladin spells. The preacher may select a single litany spell of 3rd-level or lower selected through this feature; the preacher may use this litany as an at-will spell-like ability.
Scribe
Prerequisite Cohort Job: cutpurse, fortune teller, or student
A scribe gains a bonus on Knowledge (arcana), Linguistics, and Spellcraft checks equal to 1/2 your preceptor knight level. In addition, the scribe gains detect magic as an at-will spell-like ability; when using detect magic this way, religious text, symbols, and iconography have a faint magic aura (this aura is distinguishable as a “religious” aura, not as a standard magic aura).
At 6th level, once per day, the scribe may spend 10 minutes inscribing a divine blessing on a willing creature. The inscribed creature gains a +1 sacred bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, and to AC for 24 hours; this bonus increases by +1 at 12th and 18th level. The scribe may make a number of inscriptions each day equal to their Charisma modifier. At 12th level, the scribe’s inscription now also grants the benefits of protection from evil. At 18th level, a creature under the effects of a scribe’s inscription may consume the inscription as a free action to attempt to immediately end one ongoing negative condition, curse, or spell affecting them, as though affected by break enchantment with a caster level equal to the preceptor knight’s level.
At 12th level, the scribe may use any spell trigger or spell completion item as though they had the spell on their spell list, using the preceptor knight’s level as their caster level. A scribe may refill charges in a stave or other rechargeable magic item, as though they could cast spells, a number of times each day equal to their Charisma modifier.
At 18th level, the scribe may spend all of their daily inscriptions to instead create a permanent inscription, functioning as hallow, and may choose a spell effect to tie to the hallowed site despite being unable to cast the spell.
Templar
Prerequisite Cohort Job: squire, warrior, or wildling
Whenever the preceptor uses their smite evil ability, a templar is also treated as smiting the same target, treating their effective paladin level as equal to the preceptor knight’s level.
At 6th level, a templar is always treated as being within 10 feet of the preceptor knight for the purposes of the preceptor knight’s paladin auras (such as aura of courage, aura of faith, aura of justice, and aura of righteousness, or equivalent features subject to GM discretion).
At 12th level, other creatures within 10 feet of the templar are treated as being within 10 feet of the preceptor knight for the purposes of the preceptor knight’s paladin auras.
At 18th level, the templar may now use smite evil once per day. In addition, the templar is treated as possessing each of the preceptor knight’s paladin auras as though they possessed that class feature themselves (gaining their full effects instead of being treated as within 10 feet).
Divine Precept (Ex)
At 5th level, each of the preceptor knight’s initiates gain the divine grace and divine health paladin class features. In addition, the preceptor knight’s initiates may treat their Charisma bonus as equal to +2, +1 per 5 preceptor knight levels, when determining the effects, uses per day, saving throw DCs, and other variables of their paladin class features or features granted by their initiate’s role (if this bonus would be greater than their normal Charisma bonus).
This replaces divine bond.
Exemplar (Ex)
The preceptor knight has built a reputation as a leader and teacher of their order. At 6th level, the preceptor knight gains Skill Focus, selecting their Leadership sphere associated skill. The preceptor knight may use their Leadership sphere associated skill in place of Knowledge (religion) for all purposes.
At 12th level, the preceptor knight gains Signature Skill (Pathfinder Unchained) as a bonus feat, selecting their Leadership sphere associated skill. The preceptor knight may now use their Leadership associated skill in place of Diplomacy and Sense Motive.
At 18th level, any creature whose starting attitude to the preceptor knight is not hostile treats their starting attitude as 1 step friendlier. The preceptor knight may now use their Leadership associated skill in place of Perception.
This replaces the preceptor knight’s 6th, 12th, and 18th-level mercies.
The Faith Endures (Ex)
At 20th level, if the preceptor knight dies and one of their initiates survives, that initiate may spend 1 week undergoing the rites of the preceptor knight’s faith, usually requiring the initiate travel to a stronghold of the preceptor knight’s faith or order, such as a major settlement, branch church or convent, and so on. At the end of this week, the initiate is inducted as a successor to the preceptor knight. The initiate becomes the preceptor knight (and becomes controlled as a player character); the initiate must be built as a 20th-level preceptor knight, but may otherwise be retrained and built as a player character, subject to the player creation rules of the campaign.