Fist of Dal Quor

"Bring it on." 

—Aesteraan, fist of Dal Quor

The Inspired are the lords of Riedra and the physical presence of the Dreaming Dark on Eberron, but their numbers are limited and their importance too great to be risked in common combat. When battle must be done, they turn to Chosen fists of Dal Quor. In response, the Kalashtar of Adar have developed warrior who use similar techniques. The Fists of Dal Quor are a combat order drawing supernatural power from the Region of Dreams. As such, manifesters in search of a combat edge and combat classes seeking a psionic edge are equally common within their ranks.

Playing a Fist of Dal Quor

For a fist of Dal Quor, diplomacy serves little purpose beyond determining how the dead should be collected from the battlefield. You are a warrior, pure and simple, and the defense of your people is your only goal. Kalashtar and Inspired alike claim the traditions of the fists of Dal Quor, and to be the true heirs to the Quor Tarai. Each views the other as a perversion of the path, and seeks to drive them from Eberron.

Combat

Strike hard. This basic tenet of your combat philosophy is as straightforward as your fighting style is complex, honed over the long hours of battle and training necessary to become a fist of Dal Quor. Whether you seize the moment with sinew and steel or adopt the more subtle approach of stealth, spell, or psionics depends largely on the path that brought you here. In the end, though, your training as a fist of Dal Quor sets you far above the warrior you once were. Your signature abilities work in concert to allow you to make short work of foes in single combat. Your stunning strike can stagger even the strongest opponent, leaving him at your mercy as your sudden strike attack rends both body and soul.

Advancement

From the earliest days, you were marked by your single-minded determination in combat, but even when singled out for increasingly dangerous missions, you felt constrained in a way you did not fully understand. Though training in the ways of the mind was never your primary gift, your connection to Dal Quor reminded you that there was more to your strength than just the physical. When the Fists of Dal Quor approached you, you found out how right you were. The Fists of Dal Quor are not an organized force, either among your people or the hated foes who have corrupted the training. Rather, you are one of a loose association of specialists, sought out for specific missions but just as often left to your own devices. By the time you were approached to join, your entry into the Fists of Dal Quor had already been decided. Now, your comrades know that you can be trusted to uphold your training and repay the power you draw from the Region of Dreams.

Resources

As a fist of Dal Quor, you are typically shown respect among your people, even those to whose authority you submit. At the same time, the nature of your missions often means that few of those around you know your calling—or understand how wise they would be to fear you. Though no formal organization exists among your peers, you can and do seek training and intelligence from those who have also taken up this path. When orders come, however, they come from high up. The lightspeakers of Adar and the Inspired alike maintain direct control over the dual traditions of the fists of Dal Quor, and when your masters seek you out, it is never without purpose.

Fists of Dal Quor in the world

"He'd been in the city a week, maybe more. Looked to be a laborer, or one seeking his fortune across the sea. Then the Kalashtar arrived on one of the Lhazaar boats and he met them at the docks, that knife of light blazing where he tore through them like they were cattle at the slaughtering wall."

—Mihaiti, Eneko trader in Ardhmen                  

As long as the war between kalashtar and Inspired drags on, the fists of Dal Quor stand in the front lines on both sides. Whether leaders of crack combat squads or patient hunters in search of dangerous prey, members of this prestige class are among the best warriors in Sarlona.

Organization

Though the Fists of Dal Quor draw their power from the Region of Dreams, the Inspired allow no hint of any connection between their rule and the Quori to be made. As such, the Fists of Dal Quor are never referred to as such among the Riedrans, who know them as the Sentinels of Inspiration. Though the Fists of Dal Quor are an elite order in two cultures, their history remains contentious. The question of whether the order's martial traditions originated with the Inspired or the kalashtar is still debated, with some on both sides claiming that the Fists of Dal Quor actually reflect a tradition predating the arrival of kalashtar or Inspired on Eberron. Though ostensibly connected to the Riedran military and the defenders of Adar, the Fists of Dal Quor operate independent of low-level military or political control in both cultures. Taking their orders directly from the Inspired or the lightspeakers, members of the fists are given much more latitude and freedom than is typically granted to military operatives. Their missions often involve field work in corners of Sarlona far beyond the Riedran—Adar frontier.

NPC Reactions

Fists of Dal Quor are known in whispered rumors and quietly repeated tales of heroism and battle, but few people would recognize a member of the order. In the siege zones of Adar, fists of Dal Quor often lead elite squads of assault troops on both sides, and are given respect in accordance with their accomplishments in battle. Outside the battlegrounds, nothing distinguishes a member of the order, especially one operating clandestinely far from home.

Sudden Strike

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your attacks can strike vital spots for extra damage. Whenever you hit a creature with an attack, it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or you deal an extra 1d6 points of damage with your attack. The extra damage increases to 2d6 at level 6, 3d6 at level 11, and 4d6 at level 17.

This damage also applies to ranged attacks against targets up to 30 feet away. Creatures that have concealment, creatures without discernible anatomies, and creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits are all immune to sudden strike. You can't make a sudden strike while striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are out of reach. You can't use sudden strike to deliver nonlethal damage. Weapons capable of dealing only nonlethal damage cannot deal extra damage when used as part of a sudden strike

Stunning Force

At 6th level, your understanding of vital points amplifies the power behind your Stunning Strike. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon Attack, you can spend 1 Ki point to attempt an augmented stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw with disadvantage or be Stunned until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, the target is not Stunned and you regain 1 Ki point.

Resilient Mind

Beginning at 11th level, your single-minded dedication to combat makes it harder to sway you from your purpose. You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.

Resilient Soul

At 17th level, as your training continues, the essence of Dal Quor protects you and your allies from powers of the mind. Whenever you use your Stillness of Mind class feature, it also affects a number of creatures of your choice up to your Wisdom modifier within 30 feet of you. In addition, you add double your proficiency bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.