Base Requirements

• Races: Any Small sized (Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Kobold, or Xvart)
• Sub-Classes: Any
• Ability Requirements: Muscle 10, Appearance 12
• Alignments: Any
• Starting Cash: By class

Weapon Proficiencies

• Weapon Slots: By class
• Bonus Weapon Proficiencies: none
• Required Weapon Proficiencies: none
• Allowed Weapons: By class
• Allowed Armors: By class

Non-Weapon Proficiencies:

• Non-weapon Slots: By class
• Available Categories: By class
• Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Assimilation, Awareness
• Required Proficiencies: none
• Recommended Proficiencies: Acting, Armorer, Blacksmithing, Bowyer/Fletcher, Brewing, Carpentry, Cobbling, Cooking, Disguise, Etiquette, Grooming, Heraldry, Information Gathering, Land-based Riding, Leatherworking, Modern Languages, Seamstress/Tailor, Sign Language, Weaponsmithing, Weaving
• Forbidden Proficiencies: none

Overview: Some warriors among the small-folk have been known to form strong friendships with warriors of other races. Since such adventuring pairs typically encounter most of their excitement in the larger partner’s societies, the smaller partner is often regarded (by the members of that other society) as an apprentice, squire, or sidekick to the warrior of local origin. Such an assumption, naturally, is very far from the truth; the two are in fact full partners. However, the small warrior does serve a number of useful functions that would prove difficult for the larger partner to accomplish on his or her own. Squires make marvelous scouts and spies, since they specialize in acting dumb and nonthreatening.

By far the most common Squires are halflings paired with a human. The size of the halfling, together with the ability to hide in bushes and undergrowth, makes him or her an exceptionally valuable companion when it comes to gathering information. It’s even possible for a Squire to disguise himself or herself as a human child to gain access to places where adult adventurers fear to tread.

Goblins are also fairly common as squires, usually in the service of such creatures as orcs, bugbears, or hobgoblins, but also for evil humans. Gnomes will occasionally play this role, though generally only among similarly long-lived races, such as elves or dwarves. Kobolds squires tend to be very rare, due to their lack of interaction with other races.

Description: Squires sacrifice much of their own culture for that of their companion and usually dress in a fashion appropriate to their companion’s race. They often attempt to match the weapons, armor, and fighting style of their companion, in order to better play the role of the servant or student.

Role-Playing: For the Squire, friendship is a strong enough inducement to draw him or her away from the typical comforts of his race. In this case, anything that compels the first member of the pair will draw the squire character along as well. The Squire is often motivated by genuine friendship for his or her partner, sometimes coupled with a sense of gratitude for something that has happened in the past, or a mutual goal (perhaps even a quest) that the pair have embarked upon together.

When among strangers, the Squire often plays the role of simple-minded servant; this increases his or her chances to eavesdrop and usually causes potential enemies to underestimate the danger he or she poses. All Squires are adept at observing nearly everything that goes on around them and often act as ambassadors to other races-particularly those who might be hostile to the Squire’s partner.

It is important to realize that, in reality, the Squire and his partner are full equals-the character is not a squire in the traditional sense of apprentice or servant. Even if the two act out a false relationship for appearances’ sake, the Squire and his partner remain together because of trust and affection; there is no room for one or the other to be the boss.

Special Abilities:

• The squire gains a bonus proficiency slot every level after first (in addition to those normally granted by his class). These bonus proficiency slots may be used on either Weapon or Non-weapon proficiencies, at the squire’s discretion, but may only be used to learn proficiencies possessed by the squire’s partner.
• The Squire becomes very familiar with the habits and characteristics of his or her partner’s race; thus, he or she gains a +2 bonus to NPC Reaction Rolls made for members of that race.
• In addition, the Squire can advance to slightly higher levels than can other warriors of his race. The Squire can reach a total of two levels higher than he or she would otherwise be allowed (see Racial Level Limits); however, he or she may never exceed the level of his or her partner (another reason why human partners are preferred by most squires).

Special Disadvantages:

• A squire must designate a specific medium-sized humanoid warrior as his “partner”. Once chosen, a partner cannot be changed save by extreme circumstances (such as the partner’s death). A squire who loses his or her partner is unable to take advantage of most of the benefits of this kit.

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