Crusader

A badly injured Elf in plate armor stands toe to toe with a minotaur, the beast goading its newest pray after it mauled his allies. With a swoop of its greataxe, the horned creature strikes true, the weapon digging deep through the shoulder and breaking the collarbone. With his last breath the knight utters, "By the glory of Corellon, you shall be judged before I leave this world" as he plunges his longsword into the creatures gut, rending through his body until the tip of the blade protrudes between the monsters shoulders, both of them collapsing to the ground in a puddle of blood.

As a red dragon is laying fiery devastation to her village, a gray haired veteran attempts one last stand. Seeing that her fellow villagers are trembling from fear of the gargantuan beast, she raises her spear and shouts: "Pelor be our guide, for we shall not fail! Some may find their death in the ashes today, but I promise you that your families will see the sun rise once again". Standing tall and with a thundering cheer, the whole crowd charges into the blazing inferno.

A lonesome dwarf stands watching as his friends slowly begin turning to stone beneath the gaze of a medusa. As he grips his maul, he feels the petrifaction taking ahold of him as well. The serpent maned witch smiles, sure of her victory as, to her amusement, the dwarf makes a slow advance. Taking heavy steps as stone begins to form on his very skin, the dwarf raises his hammer, looking the monstrosity right in her eyes as his blow smashes her skull, the snakes on her head managing only one pitiful last hiss.

Devoted knight, divine agent, instrument of vengeance, peerless fighting machine - the crusader is a warrior dedicated to good, evil, law, chaos, or some other cause.

He seeks out and destroys the enemies of her chosen faith. Strengthened by prayer or absolute devotion to a principle, armored by unshakable faith, and driven by her convictions, a good crusader is a mighty weapon against injustice and malice. An evil crusader, on the other hand, is a cruel and fearsome warrior of darkness. A crusader who embraces a religion or holy faith is similar to a paladin in that she commands a number of holy (or unholy) powers.

Many crusaders receive the call to their cause early in life, but never study formally at a temple or monastery. These warriors are gifted with a natural ability lead their allies and channel the divine energies of their cause, but in a raw, untamed manner.

Divine Mettle In moments of greatest need, your faith shines through - your zeal and devotion giving you unmatched resilience. Starting at 3rd level you gain proficiency in the Religion skill. If you are already proficient with it, your bonus is doubled whenever you are required to make a an ability check that uses this proficiency. Additionally, whenever you would have to make a saving throw versus a spell or effect that would leave you charmed, frightened or possessed, you may choose to make a Religion skill check instead.