D&D Monster Classes - The Unicorn and Celestial Charger / Wardens of Nature
If thou art in the deep wilds and being preyed upon by creatures of wickedness, take the path closest path lined with moonlit flowers. Follow them and pass the trees marked with glowing runes. So long as you are in those deep, flowering woods you are under the care of the forest's majestic guardian...
A monster racial class and unique prestige class for Dungeons & Dragons 3e/3.5. The Unicorn is a classic creature found in many D&D campaigns. The Celestial Charger is a unique path for unicorns seeking closeness to their patron goddess, and has been turned into a prestige class option for unicorn characters.
The Last Unicorn (1982, song lyrics)
by America (band)
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| The Unicorn in Captivity (circa 1500) The Unicorn Tapestries - Unknown Artist Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons |
Origins and Physiology
Unicorns are an ancient creature of mythology--wardens of unspoiled wilderness and protectors of all innocent creatures. Across many cultures they are a symbol of purity and goodness, and are believed to be drawn towards those pure of heart.
Unicorns are one of the most recognizable magical beasts across all cultures. Icons of beautiful white steeds with golden horns can be found in heraldry and paintings all over the world.
Those far from civilization resemble beautiful wild stallions almost entirely, excluding all their obvious magical traits.
Unicorns at maturity grow to about 8 feet in length, and standing about 5 feet high at their shoulders. They are not the largest equine creatures, but their slim builds hides great resilience and strength. They typically weigh between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds once they reach Large size.
The eyes of a unicorn are incredibly large, and are usually extremely beautiful in color.
Unicorn coats are usually pale or off-white in coloration. Their coats are usually shaggy, with those in colder climates resembling furry horses completely. Their tails are always long and lack feathering until the very tip. Feathering is quite common around their hooves, as well as males having tufts of mane beneath their chins. Their coats and manes often have a shimmer to them, and they are magically resistant to mud and other detritus of the wilds. While most unicorns have horse-like hooves, those from mountainous regions often have cloven hooves for better climbing.
Their most famous feature is, of course, their spiraling horns that extend from their foreheads. The horn of a unicorn is typically gold, silver or some other shimmering metal color. It is the conduit of all a unicorn's magic, and the pointed tip seems to shine and glow like a moonbeam in the darkest woods. It is nearly impossible for unicorn horns to break naturally.
Unicorn are fiercely protective of their horns. They not only are a symbol of their status and honor in the natural world--these horns are also the unicorn's most powerful natural weapon and their conduit for their magical healing gifts. They use their horns in duels with other unicorns; clashing together like rapiers and tiring their opponent, rather than attempting to gore one another. Unicorns also use their horns to carve symbols into wood and stone in order to mark the edges of their territories.
To unicorns, their horn is a vital part of their being, and losing it is worse than death. Without them, a unicorn is unable to use their innate spell-like abilities and loses their magic circle against evil effect.
Unicorns reach adulthood at the same rate as horses. Foals and other yearlings are often confused for mundane wild foals with albinism; they do not develop horns until reaching adolescence after two to three years. Until their horns grow (which is a painless process over the course of a year), an adolescent unicorn has a pale, star-shaped birthmark on their foreheads where the horn will grow. Once they reach adulthood, after about four years, they are considered adults and depart from their parents' wood to find a place for themselves.
Adult unicorns are extremely long-lived, compared to other creatures. They can live for three hundred years or longer without succumbing to the ravages of aging. Those devoted to the divine seemingly can extend their lives as Forestmasters or reach extraplanar immortality as Celestial Chargers; each a respected paragon role for their kind.
Unicorns are fierce defenders of the natural world, and eternal adversaries towards demons, devils and other fiends of the Lower Planes. They are solitary creatures, each typically defending a large stretch of forest or other natural wilderness. Mated pairs have been known to share territories, each acting as warden to their own.
Herds of unicorns are very rare, they are known as "graces". Graces form only out of necessity or if called by divine forces to overtake a great evil.
In vast wild places sacred to Ehlonna or other gods of beauty and nature, there have been known to be graces numbering over one hundred.
Personality and Powers
As creatures born attuned to the divine magic of nature, unicorns are wise beyond the measure of most living creatures. They primarily worship the goddess Ehlonna as their patron; for she is the goddess of nature's beauty, bounty and all unicorns. Her sacred grove in the Beastlands, her seat of divine power in the neutral good-aligned plane of endless wild nature, is known as the Grove of the Unicorns. The goddess resides there with all unicorns who were worthy of a place in the afterlife with her; and her most devout champions, her Celestial Chargers, ride at her call to face the forces of evil and tyranny forevermore.
Unicorns with religious fervor often become clerics of Ehlonna. They use her miracles and spells to defend the natural world for their goddess, as well as hedge out creatures such as fiends and undead that would despoil it. In the Forgotten Realms/Faerun setting, they instead worship the unicorn goddess of talking beasts Lurue Silverymoon.
Unicorns also worship other gods tied to nature, such as Obad-Hai and Corellon Larethian (along with the rest of the elven pantheon).
The secretive natures of unicorns makes stories about them fantastical and attractive to both the pure of heart and to unsavory characters. Many cultures believe a unicorn horn can cure all disease, heal all wounds and restore the dead to life. While yes, a unicorn does have limited innate magic to heal wounds and neutralize poisons, they are not capable of other greater miracles (unless they acquire spellcasting levels).
Ironically, a unicorn's horn becomes nothing but useless bloody bone upon separation. Unicorns protect their horns and those of their kind to the death. Only if a unicorn is slain or bound immobile can their horn be broken off; and it typically results in the beast dying from blood loss or going insane.
Only the most foul of mortal souls, as well as fiends from the Lower Planes, would dare wish to devastate a unicorn in this manner. Therefore, unicorns are willing to do whatever it takes to destroy evil creatures that enter their territories in the wild.
See Dark Unicorns and Bloodlances below for more...
As human civilization has expanded, and magic has been developed for human purposes, there is reportedly a black market need for unicorn horn. Desperate souls believe that powdered horn can be made into potions that work miracles. Others believe a unicorn's horn makes an eternally charged wand of healing. Evil spellcasters have even attempted dark rituals by breaking a unicorn's horn, sometimes requiring the unicorn to remain living to witness the terrible desecration.
Unicorn hunting is already a foolhardy task, but many desperate and greedy souls lose their lives traipsing after rumors of unicorns. Those who attempt it earn not only the wrath of all unicorns, but the wrath of the nature and good-aligned gods protective of them--such as Ehlonna, Corellon Larethian and others.
Unicorns are very rare in the world at large. They are incredibly wise creatures, and are entirely unaffected by charms or compulsions. Their emotions are as vast and unfathomable as the deepest ocean. Decades will pass them and their forests by without change.
Unicorns are deeply emotional creatures. They mourn for creatures who die around them, from the tiniest squirrel to great bears slain by hunters. Their forests are places of unchanging beauty, so they are often caught by surprise when something new happens or enters their lands after decades of serenity. They come into the world knowing they have centuries to see and do anything, as well as knowing they have a lifelong duty. So they are extremely patient and hesitant to engage with short-lived creatures and their settlements; not to mention they are very shy.
As intelligent and emotional beings, unicorns form attachments to their own kind greater than other beasts. Wandering unicorns are always welcome in another's territory, so long as they are respectful. Any unicorns who meet for the first time prefer watch each other from a distance before daring to meet face to face. They will eventually speak with one another, sharing their knowledge and stories.
Romance is a very powerful feeling to unicorns. Unicorns mate for life, and live together for decades. They mate rarely, preferring to simply bask in each other's presence most of the time. Supposedly, unicorns mate only every ten or twelve years; both creatures having an intense feeling that the time is right. Same sex pairs have been known to occur, though they typically feel only intense emotional connection and romance rather than any desire to mate. Foals are adored patiently by unicorns, for they are clumsy and eager to see the world.
If a unicorn's mate dies from age or incident, the remainder will mourn them the rest of their life. They will mate with no others so long as they live.
Aside from their seemingly endless mourning rituals, if unicorns have any other common flaw of personality the best fit would be vanity. Unicorns are aware of the effect their beauty has on other creatures. They love praise and flattery lauding their beauty and purity, especially music and poetry about them. However, not every creature supposedly deserves to see them whenever they wish; so they hide away and watch those who wish to find a unicorn. They will spend hours looking at their own reflection in still pools, and they take pride in their appearance. Some unicorns love having their manes brained and decorated by sprites and other fey.
They are creatures of the wild, however; so do not assume their patience, vanity and goodness makes them weak. Unicorns are incredibly dangerous creatures to fight--they are not afraid to gore enemies with their powerful horns, and they will call upon any creatures in their sway to overtake large groups of invaders. Their beauty and weak appearances hide devastating strength and a piercing horn.
Unicorns never allow anyone to ride them without their permission. They will buck trample roll about and do anything absolutely necessary to remove an unwanted rider. Human arrogance often has them attempting to tame or wrangle them with ropes and saddles. However, unicorns disdain being perceived as unintelligent, mundane horses; and they will make sure an arrogant human will remember their lesson with every strike.
They are also likely to take on levels in cleric or druid, making them extremely powerful due to their innate connection to nature and divinity.
Forests, groves and mountains protected by a unicorn are blessed places. Unspoiled by nature, they are a haven for animals and good-aligned magical beasts and fey. A unicorn who binds themselves to a sacred forest or other natural area is known among them as a Forestmaster.
The permanent home of a Forestmaster receives many blessings. Powerful unicorns can protect them from harsh weather, change the seasons within them at-will, and animals living among them live up to twice their normal lifespans. Pools of water are always clean and fresh. Fruits and herbs are more nutritious and potent. Plants flower in a unicorn's presence, and trees grow tall and are rarely felled by natural forces.
A unicorn who makes a forest their home will carve runic patterns into tree bark and on rocks, establishing the limits of their territories. Once established, a unicorn is bound to protect that land and keep it unspoiled from evil hands. Once done, however, a unicorn gains the ability to teleport themselves anywhere within their territory. Unicorns neighboring one another (or those mated for life) can grant permission for other unicorns to teleport to their lands, to aid one another if danger comes.
A Forestmaster is forbidden to leave their forests, once bound, so their territories are usually extremely vast. The unicorn class provided below is of wandering unicorns, those unwilling to bind themselves to a singular place.
Sprites like pixies, grigs and nixies love unicorns. Dryads and nymphs also adore these magical beasts, living among them and protected by their devotion to nature. Unicorns see good-aligned fey as the children of nature, and their immunity to charms makes them patient and understanding to their games and wiles. Treants, plant monsters and other natural beasts work alongside unicorns to defend their homes. Even normal wild animals serve them, with their ability to communicate with wild empathy.
Metallic dragons sometimes have longstanding relationship with unicorns, so long as they do not harm to the environment. These are very rare, however, due to dragons being extremely proud and unintentionally dangerous to those around them.
Unicorns are extremely solitary and shy by nature. They are patient and serene beyond measure, even when their wrath is earned. Hunters and gatherers are allowed in their woods, so long as they take only what they need. Unicorns will rarely show themselves to humanoids.
Among humanoid races, elves have the most longstanding relationships with unicorns. Both races are extremely long-lived, and their cultures are both very respectful and protective towards the natural world. Humans, dwarves and gnomes are typically more industrious and encroach on unicorn forests to build villages and cities. Half-elves and halflings are usually more respectful to nature, but can be just as destructive as other humanoids.
Unicorns have a special connection to the Licerna, known as the unicornfolk or "unicorn elves" to many. The Licerna are a race of planetouched descended from the sacred unicorns of Ehlonna, goddess of nature and unicorns. They resemble unicorns in appearance, having horse-like ears, feathered tails, long pale hair and spiraling horns on their brows. The Licerna live in wild places like unicorns, building settlements that embrace and enhance the environment; unicorns will visit their temples and groves regularly for special occasions. However, the Licerna are extremely romantic, artistic and overall more dramatic compared to unicorns--in trying to emulate them, Licern culture seems to be an exaggeration of unicorn values.
Druids devoted to nature gods like Ehlonna, Obad-Hai or Corellon Larethian have established longstanding relationships with local unicorns.
Chivalric orders of knights and paladins have been known to summon unicorns and ride them as partners into battle. There have been many depictions of such happenings in humanoid cultures and art.
An aspect of unicorn folklore oddly connotates them to "sacred virginity", as a symbol of it but also a "test" of one's virtue. Young maidens are believed to be loved by unicorns, and stories suggest that a unicorn will only lay its head in the lap of a virgin. Some superstitious folk believe that, unless a local unicorn comes to defend them, a woman accused of promiscuity or relations out of wedlock is guilty.
This is completely fabricated and untrue.
A unicorn values purity in a more primal, natural sense. Virginity is an entirely humanoid cultural concept; a unicorn cares not. Animals mate in the wild all the time, especially in their blessed woods. They themselves mate and bear foals. Unicorns are never disgusted or feel they are debased associating with creatures that have had sex or mated. The same goes for humans, elves and other humanoids.
What a unicorn does respond to in mortals is that they are good of heart and soul. They innately can detect the presence of evil, so they are excellent judges of character. Innocent souls, or those of extremely moral purity and goodness, will attract a unicorn. As intelligent, long-lived creatures,
Some unicorn hunters bring along virgin maidens and lay them as "bait" for unicorns out in the wild. The cultural belief has them believe the unicorn is allured or compelled to lay in the maiden's lap. This is entirely untrue, and more likely will earn the ire of a unicorn for kidnapping innocent souls and laying traps for them.
Rarely, orders of chivalric knights and paladins will swear oaths of abstinence in order to obtain the ability to summon unicorns. Supposedly there was once an ancient kingdom that had a score of one hundred unicornriders protecting their lands (though perhaps they were merely horses in fancy barding headdress, who knows?) Unicorns are intrigued more by humanoids willing to swear themselves completely to protecting the weak and vanquishing evil--rather than any oaths of abstinence. They often see such oaths as misguided and humorous, but will never reveal that aloud. Any who weaponize a "loss of virginity", however, will earn a swift kick due to the cruelty of such acts.
Another strange trend in legends about unicorns is that often a unicorn will be transformed into a humanoid by magic, in order for someone to receive a "perfect" husband or bride. While in fairytales it may be seen as a reward for a protagonist after overcoming their trials, in reality this is a traumatic existence for such a creature. Unicorns are unrefined and wild, purity in the most natural form; they have emotions and thoughts only a body such as theirs can contain. To be trapped in a mortal's body, every second approaching death at rapid pace, it is terrifying for an eternal creature like a unicorn.
To be reduced to human, their bodies pathetic and ignoble, their sacred horns lost from human vanity... It is unconscionable of such wicked spellcasters.
The other tragedy about unicorns bound in this manner is that they will inevitably forget their true selves. A mortal body's limitations are more potent to a transformed unicorn; and mortal feelings overwhelm the depth of their feelings and memories of being a unicorn. Mortal emotions such as fear, death, anger and hope are too potent for such a long-lived entity--for they are overwhelming to their shy hearts and all are tempered by a newfound mortal fear of death.
The creature that was once a unicorn could find happiness in their own way. But those who know of their imprisonment, that they will die sometime in their lifetime and their souls lost to choices mortals make; it is akin to horror. The purity they once embodied will dim and fade--they will become as any ordinary person... No longer a creature of wonder and goodness incarnate...
Absolutely tragic.
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| Meistersinger, by Terry Dykstra from The Complete Bard's Handbook (1992), TSR Inc |
Unicorn - Monster Racial Class
Unicorns that complete their monster class typically continue on as clerics of Ehlonna. They perform miracles of the nature goddess (or sometimes of other good-aligned nature gods), and use their innate divine connection to turn away the forces of corruption and undeath. Other unicorns learn to traverse the wilds in the ways of druids--typically taking alternate levels as a Fangshields Druid (which is made for bestial druids). Druidic unicorns typically end their adventuring days claiming a grove or forest under their eternal protection.
Sometimes, however, an extremely chaotic-minded unicorn will be overwhelmed by the violence and corruption of the world. Their hearts weep for the world now low and that grief overtakes them with a sudden burst of frenzy. While a unicorn is nearly impossible to anger, these truly wild souls take classes in barbarian to charge headfirst into danger and shrug off the weapons of evil aimed at them. Rangers and scouts are much rarer, but their skill sets in the wilderness and ability to strengthen their attacks against sworn enemies (such as fiendish outsiders) are useful to the more clever unicorns out there.
As beings with close ties to nature, arcane magic and other prepared spellcasting classes are typically avoided by them. Unicorns have no patience to study ancient tomes or scrolls as archivists and wizards; neither to they wish to twist the natural world into arcane firepower as sorcerers. Warlocks are nearly unheard of, for pacting with an infernal entity would require too much restriction for most unicorns' wild natures. The risk of being undeserving of their ancestral afterlife in the Grove of Unicorns, alongside their beloved goddess, is too horrible for them to fathom.
Starting Racial Traits:
- Medium Magical Beast
- Ability Scores: Unicorns have a +2 racial bonus to Dexterity, Constitution and Wisdom. They come into the world as nimble, hardy and wise magical beasts.
- Base Land Speed: 40 feet
- Darkvision 60 feet
- Low-light Vision
- Natural Weapons: A Unicorn’s primary natural weapon is their horn. On a successful melee attack roll, the horn deals 1d6 piercing damage plus their Strength bonus.
- Hoof Manipulation: Unicorns rely almost entirely on their natural weapons to fight, and cannot use their hooves to use skills that require complicated feats of dexterity and finesse. A Unicorn may use their teeth to hold a single light or one-handed melee weapon in desperate situations, but it is unwieldy and prevents the unicorn from using any of their other natural weapons on the attack (regardless of their BAB).
- They have developed appropriate somatic components for spells, however, and may cast spells that require them as normal. If they wield a weapon in their mouth, however, they cannot cast speak or cast spells with a verbal component.
- Unicorn have a -8 competence penalty on Disable Device, Search and Sleight of Hand checks, due to lack of multiple digits.
- Unicorns cannot benefit from shields of any kind, and because they are magical beasts they require special barding instead of standard humanoid armor.
- Scent (Ex): A unicorn can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. The creature detects another creature’s presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If it moves within 5 feet of the scent’s source, the creature can pinpoint that source.
- Stability (Ex): Unicorns, being quadrupeds, have a +4 bonus to defend against bull rush, overrun and trip attempts.
- Skills: Unicorns have a +3 competence bonus to Survival checks when in forested areas.
- Automatic Languages: Unicorns speak Common and Sylvan.
- Bonus Languages: any non-secret. gain bonus languages as normal.
- Favored Class: Unicorn, then Cleric.
- Unicorns are usually devoted to Ehlonna or other good-aligned gods of nature. A Unicorn cleric has the Animal and Good domains.
Class Details:
Dexterity and Wisdom are useful in avoiding and resisting damage; the latter being especially useful if the unicorn eventually takes divine spellcasting levels. As beasts of the wilderness, Intelligence is rarely a priority for unicorns.
Racial Class Skills: Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Survival
Skill Points per Hit Dice: 2 + Int modifier, minimum 1; quadruple at first Hit Dice.
Table: the Unicorn Monster Class
| Level | Hit Dice | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1d10 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Starting Racial Traits, Feat, Horn (1d6), Natural Armor +2 |
| 2nd | -- | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | +2 Wis, +2 Cha, Cure Wounds (Light 1/day), Detect Evil, Magic Horn +1, |
| 3rd | 2d10 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | +2 Con, +2 Cha, Natural Armor +4, Protection from Evil, Speed (50 feet), Wild Empathy +2 |
| 4th | -- | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | +2 Dex, +2 Wis, +2 Cha, Immunities (charm/compulsion), Move Silently +2 |
| 5th | 3d10 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Size Increase (+8 Str and +4 Con), Feat, Horn (1d8), Hooves (1d4), Natural Armor +6 |
| 6th | -- | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +2 Wis, +2 Cha, Cure Wounds (Light, 3/day), Magic Horn +2, Wild Empathy +4 |
| 7th | -- | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +2 Cha, Magic Circle, Move Silently +4, Speed (60 feet) |
| 8th | 4d10 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +2 Con, +2 Dex, +2 Wis, Detect Evil (Free) |
| 9th | -- | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +2 Cha, Immunities (poison), Neutralize Poison, Wild Empathy +6 |
| 10th | -- | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +2 Str, +2 Cha, Cure Wounds (Moderate 1/day), Magic Horn +3 |
Class Features:
A unicorn can hold a single object, or a light or one-handed melee weapon in their mouth to make attack rolls; however, with an object held like this they cannot speak or use spells with verbal components.
Horn: A Unicorn who reaches maturity can use their horn as a natural weapon. They can make a single melee attack with their horn, inflicting 1d6 piercing damage plus their Strength bonus. If a Unicorn is holding a melee weapon in their mouth they can not attack with both weapons in the same turn.
At 5th level, with their size increase, their horn attack inflicts 1d8 piercing damage plus their Strength bonus on a successful hit. At this stage, they can make a full-attack with their horn at their highest BAB and then two hoof attacks as secondary natural attacks (with the normal secondary -5 penalty to both attack rolls)
Natural Armor: A Unicorn begins with a +2 natural armor bonus to their Armor Class. At 3rd level, their natural armor bonus increases to +4; and at 5th level their natural armor bonus increases to +6.
Cure Wounds (Sp): Through a touch of their horn, starting at 2nd level a Unicorn can use cure light wounds once per day as a spell-like ability. At 6th level, they can use cure light wounds three times per day.
At 10th level, a unicorn can use cure moderate wounds once per day as a spell-like ability.
Their effective caster level for this ability is 5th; save DCs are Charisma-based.
Detect Evil (Sp): At 2nd level, a unicorn can use detect magic at-will. At 8th level, they can use detect evil as a free action once per turn. Caster level 5th.
Magic Horn (Ex): A Unicorn’s horn is a magical weapon, capable of piercing the hide of many magical creatures. At 2nd level their horn is treated as a +1 weapon, and is considered magical for purposes of bypassing damage reduction.
The enhancement bonus to their horn increases to +2 at 6th level, and later to +3 at 10th level.
Protection from Evil (Su): At 3rd level, a Unicorn benefits constantly from a protection from evil effect. They cannot suppress this effect.
Caster level equal 8th; saves are Charisma-based.
Speed: A Unicorn’s base land speed increases to 50 feet per round at 3rd level. It further increases to 60 feet per round at 7th level.
Wild Empathy (Ex): At 3rd level, a Unicorn can communicate with animals, like the druid’s wild empathy class ability. The Unicorn has a +2 racial bonus for the Charisma skill check.
Their racial bonus for wild empathy increases by 2 at every third level thereafter (up to 6 at 9th level).
Immunities (Ex): At 4th level, a Unicorn becomes immune to all charm and compulsion effects.
At 9th level, a Unicorn becomes immune to all magical and nonmagical poisons and poison-based effects.
Move Silently: At 4th level, a Unicorn gains a +2 racial bonus to Move Silently skill checks. Their bonus to Move Silently increases to +4 at 7th level.
Hooves: At 5th level, a Unicorn gains two hoof attacks as secondary natural weapons. On a successful melee attack roll, the hooves each deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage plus half their Strength bonus.
A Unicorn can make a full-attack with their horn as a single primary attack, and then two hoof attacks as secondary attacks (with a -5 penalty to both attack rolls).
Size Increase: At 5th level, a Unicorn becomes Large sized; their space becomes 10 feet squared, with 5 foot melee reach. Their Strength is increased by +8 and their Constitution is increased by +4 due to this increased size. (Normally a size increase from Medium to Large would reduce Dexterity by 2, but that has already been taken into consideration with this monster racial class).
A Large-sized Unicorn has all the normal bonuses and penalties from being Large sized. They suffer a -1 size modifier penalty to their Armor Class and all weapon attack rolls. Additionally, they gain a +4 size modifier bonus to Grapple checks.
Magic Circle (Su): At 7th level, a Unicorn’s innate protection from evil effect extends into a constant magic circle against evil effect, centered on them. They cannot suppress this effect. Caster level 8th; saves are Charisma-based.
Neutralize Poison (Sp): At 9th level, a unicorn who touches a creature with their horn can use neutralize poison once per day as a spell-like ability. Caster level 8th; save DCs are Charisma-based.
Unicorn Racial Traits
If you don't want to go level-by-level, here is the breakdown of a mature Unicorn's racial traits:
- Large Magical Beast
- Racial Ability Scores: Strength +10, Dexterity +6, Constitution +10, Wisdom +10, Charisma +14
- Racial Hit Dice: 4d10
- Racial BAB: +4
- Racial Base Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1
- Racial Class Skills: Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Survival
- Skill Points: ( 2 + Intelligence modifier ) x 7
- Base Land Speed: 60 feet
- Natural Armor: +6
- Natural Weapons: Unicorns have a horn that inflicts 1d8 piercing damage plus their Strength bonus on a successful hit. They also have hooves, which inflict 1d4 bludgeoning damage plus half their Strength bonus on a successful hit. As a full-attack action, a unicorn can make a single horn attack and two hoof attacks as secondary weapons (both with a -5 penalty to their attack rolls).
- Space/Reach: 10 feet / 5 feet
- Special Abilities:
- Spell-like Abilities: At-will as a free action, unicorns can use detect evil (as the spell effect).
- With a touch of their horn, a unicorn can use cure light wounds up to three times per day, as well as cure moderate wounds once per day. Caster level 5th, save DCs are Charisma-based.
- Additionally, with their horn a unicorn can use neutralize poison once per day; caster level 8th, save DCs Charisma-based.
- Wild Empathy (Ex): Unicorns can communicate with animals and magical beasts through wild empathy, as the druid class ability. They have a +6 racial bonus to their check.
- Special Qualities:
- Darkvision 60 feet
- Low-light Vision
- Hoof Manipulation: Unicorns rely almost entirely on their natural weapons to fight, and cannot use their hooves to use skills that require complicated feats of dexterity and finesse. A Unicorn may use their teeth to hold a single light or one-handed melee weapon in desperate situations, but it is unwieldy and prevents the unicorn from using any of their other natural weapons on the attack (regardless of their BAB).
- They have developed appropriate somatic components for spells, however, and may cast spells that require them as normal. If they wield a weapon in their mouth, however, they cannot cast spells with a verbal component.
- Unicorn have a -8 competence penalty on Disable Device, Search and Sleight of Hand checks, due to lack of multiple digits.
- Unicorns cannot wield shields of any kind, and because they are magical beasts they require special barding instead of standard humanoid armor.
- Immunities: A Unicorn is immune to charm and compulsion effects, as well as all poison and poison-based effects.
- Magic Circle against Evil (Su): A unicorn has a constant magic circle against evil effect, centered on themselves. They cannot suppress this ability. Saves are Charisma-based.
- Magic Horn (Su): A unicorn’s horn is considered +3 weapon, and is considered magic for purposes of bypassing damage reduction. This only applies while attached to the unicorn, fading if removed.
- Scent (Ex): A unicorn can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. The creature detects another creature’s presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If it moves within 5 feet of the scent’s source, the creature can pinpoint that source.
- Stability (Ex): Unicorns, being quadrupeds, have a +4 bonus to defend against bull rush, overrun and trip attempts.
- Skills: Unicorns have a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. Additionally, they receive a +3 competence bonus to Survival checks when in forested areas.
- Automatic Languages: Unicorns speak Common and Sylvan.
- Bonus Languages: any non-secret.
- Favored Class: Cleric. Unicorns are usually devoted to Ehlonna or other good-aligned gods of nature. A Unicorn cleric has the Animal and Good domains.
- Level Adjustment: +6
- ECL: 10+
The Celestial Charger [Prestige Class]
The Celestial Charger is the champion of nature's bounty. The most devoted clerics to Ehlonna among unicorns are blessed by her. In exchange for their faith and service towards the goddess of unicorns, she grants them a place within the Grove of Unicorns in the Beastlands. From the sacred Grove, the Chargers travel the planescape as a divine grace: delivering the might of their kind to break the hold wickedness and corruption have on the Material Plane.
Ascending to a Celestial Charger requires much from a unicorn. They must be a powerful divine spellcaster in their own right; along with being wise to the rituals of the gods and devoted to turning away undeath and its other affronts to the natural order.
For instance, a Unicorn with full class levels/racial traits and level adjustment would need 7 levels as a cleric in order to meet the spellcasting requirement. That puts their Estimated Character Level at 17 to start. Upon reaching all levels of Celestial Charger, they are effectively an Epic Level Character at ECL 21. Ascending to become Ehlonna's immortal champion, effectively a paragon among unicorns, is a worthy cause to strive for that makes it worth it though.
Prerequisites:
- Race: Unicorn
- Alignment: must be chaotic good
- Patron Deity: Ehlonna (or Lurue in the Faerun/Forgotten Realms setting)
- Feats: Improved Turning
- Skills: Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks
- Spellcasting: able to prepare and cast 4th level cleric spells
Class Details:
Table: the Celestial Charger Class
| Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special Abilities | Spell Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | DR 5/magic, Spell Resistance | 13 |
| 2nd | +2 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Magic Hooves, Resistances 5 | 15 |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Plane Shift | 17 |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Ascension, DR 10/magic, Smite Evil, Resistances 10 | 20 |
Class Features:
Proficiencies: Celestial Chargers have proficiency with light, medium and heavy armor. As quadruped magical beasts, they require barding made for their creature type.
Damage Reduction (Ex): A Celestial Charger’s ascension
begins with them gaining Damage Reduction 5, bypassed by all magical
weapons.
At 4th level, their
Damage Reduction increases to 10/magic.
Spell Resistance (Su): At 1st level, a Celestial
Charger gains Spell Resistance 13. Their
Spell Resistance increases at every further Celestial Charger level, to a
maximum of 20 at 4th level.
Magic Hooves (Ex): At 2nd level, a Celestial Charger’s
hooves become magic for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction.
Resistances (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a Charger’s devotion
to Ehlonna grants them Resistance 5 against acid, cold and electric damage.
These
resistances increase to 10 at 4th level.
Plane Shift (Sp): Once per day, a Celestial Charger can use
plane shift as a spell-like ability. This
ability can affect themselves plus one additional creature per class level in a
single use.
Celestial Chargers often
transport worthy heroes to the Beastlands or another chaotic good plane of
existence. But when summoned, a Charger will travel anywhere to fight for the sanctity
of nature across the planescape.
Ascension (Ex): The Celestial Charger's s entire form now tied to the planar energy of the Grove of Unicorns. At 4th level, the Celestial Charger gains the extraplanar subtype when outside the Beastlands. If slain or reduced below -9 hit points on another plane, they will reform on the Beastlands (in the Grove of Unicorns) 2d6 days afterwards, as if they were affected by a resurrection effect.
The remains of a destroyed or slain Celestial Charger remain where they were defeated. Upon resurrecting these remains automatically disappear (including a horn removed from the remains). The remains of a slain Celestial Charger may be restored to life early using any of the following: resurrection, limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection. If the remains are destroyed, the Charger still resurrects as normal.
The remains of a destroyed or slain Celestial Charger are immune to all necromancy effects, such as raise dead, animate dead, speak with dead, etc.
Smite Evil (Su): At 4th level, a Celestial
Charger can make a single smite attack once per day, dealing extra damage equal
to their total Hit Dice (maximum +15) on a single melee attack against an
evil-aligned creature. If the Celestial Charger accidentally smites a
creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still
used up for that day.
This smite ability is separate from the paladin smite ability, and does not stack
smite uses per day.
Dark Unicorns and Bloodlances
So a terrible plot was hatched to steal these creatures for the Lower Planes. Denizens of the Abyss used the arrogance of mortals to enact their scheme, offering their ambitious mages the secrets of demon blood for their magic. For, you see, in the eyes of the wicked unicorns were also a figure of unbearable goodness and danger. Unicorns were captured in great amounts by these wicked mages, and they and their foals were subjected to terrible dark rituals using the blood of demons. What emerged, twisted and hateful, were dark unicorns.
Dark unicorns lost many of their original protections and abilities due to their demonic transformation. Their horns are weaker weapons but their sharp teeth are dangerous. They retained a weakened gift for teleportation and can inflict wounds rather than cure; but they breed in great numbers and delight in overrunning any creatures in their path.
It is currently unknown if dark unicorns can be restored the uncorrupted state of their ancestors. To unicorns of the current age, they are a dreadful cautionary tale: a living example of mortals using evil for twisted, malicious means against them.
Due to their protective aura dispelling evil around them, unicorns attract outsiders from the Lower Planes. As guardians of goodness and nature, fiends despise unicorns. Some fiends stalk unicorns for years, harassing them just beyond their magic circle effect's aura. They will chase them down and attempt to steal their horns, for no reason other than spite and the perverse honor such an act of desecration earns them.
Should a unicorn lose their horn and survive, their grief drives them mad and corrupts them. However, there is a worse fate than mere despair. For if a fiend steals a unicorn's horn and smears their blood into the wound, a desecrated unicorn becomes afflicted with a terrible disease known as demon fever--and it causes a horrendous transformation takes place
The unicorn becomes ravaged by the disease entirely. Their eyes turn hellish red, and the muscles in their bodies swell unnaturally with constant adrenaline. Their deep emotional souls are set aflame by fever until only grief, anger and hatred exists in their mind. And from the site of the stolen horn grows a twisted, crimson spike of cartilage and scar tissue--a hideous, grizzled parody of the beautiful horn they once had... Blood constantly seeps from their new twisted horn, staining their mane and pelts.
The grief and fever transforms them into something profane and dangerous to all around them.
These mad unicorns are known as Bloodlances. Enraged eternally by their hatred, these abominations wordlessly scream and attack anything they come across. The new horn they acquire is a perversion of their natural magical conduit; it becomes a +1 wounding weapon that bleeds victims slowly over time. Their presence causes plant life to wither, their body becomes immune to electricity like a fiend, and they emit an insuppressible magic circle against good effect. And through their bloody horn the bloodlance inflicts wounds and the demon fever disease, rather than heals.
Fiends also delight in the creature's twisted fate. They skulk around it, teasing it into frenzy and directing is rage towards anything innocent. In the creature's madness, the bloodlance is easily manipulated into doing unspeakable acts of violence; and its survival instincts will compel it to unleash a soul-splitting shriek to summon a fiend to aid it in unleashing violence.
Sane unicorns fear the transformation of a bloodlance, and should one enter their territory a unicorn will do anything possible to end their blighted kin's reign of terror. To become something so hideous, so perverse from their original self; they deserve release rather than exist such as that. That is another reason unicorns are so dangerous and aggressive towards evil creatures like fiends--they know the cruel fate they can inflict upon their kind...
Editor's Notes
You see how far you've come in the old work--the mistakes made from inexperience, the eureka moment you had that made it all fit together. That's what it was like looking over my old Unicorn class homebrew. I made it alongside my Licerna unicornfolk race, which was much easier to write and balance by comparison.
This project comes from literally the earliest days of my homebrew work. I was so shy about posting anything online at the time; having less than four years of experience with Dungeons & Dragons (and only one year or so of hosting it myself). Looking back, the original was so rough and overpowered. Adding two more level adjustments really gave it equilibrium, making it more comparable to characters of the same estimated level. I could easily see a Unicorn joining an adventuring party now, off to save the world from the deep forests they know.
My love for unicorns began at a young age, from fairytales and watching The Last Unicorn animated film (1982) growing up. I am grateful that movie was my first real experience with unicorns. It did an amazing job adapting its namesake novel by Peter S. Beagle. The film created such a distinct voice and tone about a land losing wonder and purity, and the majestic creature who sacrificed her own heart to return it to the world. The novel is also an amazing story if you haven't had a chance to read it; the film told a great story but didn't cover the full depth of the modern fairytale.
I even introduced a non-playable unicorn character inspired by the film; also bound in human form tragically from magic gone awry. The film and story inspired me as a writer and storyteller, and still do to this day. There's a reason it's known as one of the greatest fantasy novels of all time.
Unicorns are also an important aspect to another well-loved fantasy series: The Witcher novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. They were intelligent watchers and travelers of the multiverse, a wild third party watching the follies and struggles of an otherwise grounded world. One unicorn became a guide to the story-central character of Ciri as she struggled to find her destiny; growing from foal to adulthood along with the child of destiny...
Part of me wonders if the creators of the Celestial Chargers was inspired by the Witcher's unicorns? I can easily imagine.
I hope you love the Unicorns and Celestial Charger as much as I did. If you couldn't tell by this post and my use of The Last Unicorn soundtrack in the quote section above; Unicorns are a fascinating creature that I have wanted to see in-game for a long time.
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