The Shining Hand is primarily a group of undead hunters. However, fighting undead often involves hunting down and finding and dealing with the factions that have created the undead in the first place. As such, yes, they are somewhat like a special forces.
Keep in mind too that a force of 2500 Rofireintes mobilised for a war setting can me made up of mixed troops sometimes. So it might be 500 Knights, 1500 footsoldiers and 500 faithful followers with some martial experience. After the conflict many of them return home and perhaps the 500 Knights and 1500 footsoldiers return to their various chapters and the like across the world.
The point is that the numbers vary depending on circumstances, and any "armies" within the faiths are not typical armies in the traditional sense.
The armies of the faiths are not typical armies in a traditional sense, except, when they are, see your recent post?
I'm over-simplifying, but generally these faiths don't have standing armies as such, though they can recruit from their faithful should a need arise. They have no legal authority within a kingdom unless that kingdom grants it to them.
Keep in mind too that a force of 2500 Rofireintes mobilised for a war setting can me made up of mixed troops sometimes. So it might be 500 Knights, 1500 footsoldiers and 500 faithful followers with some martial experience. After the conflict many of them return home and perhaps the 500 Knights and 1500 footsoldiers return to their various chapters and the like across the world. Which is essentially what Dorgs pointing out.
Quote: Quote from: AlatrielThe Shining Hand is primarily a group of undead hunters. However, fighting undead often involves hunting down and finding and dealing with the factions that have created the undead in the first place. As such, yes, they are somewhat like a special forces.Well, they do have a PrC for themselves and are a "special purpose division", and that's about it. Since the training, practise and time required to hunt undead, they lack in other aspects - you can't do two things at the same time. Like training to seal your soul against the touch of the Undead and learn about Military Tactics and Strategy, Small Units Tactics, Hand to Hand Combat, Improvised Gear&Strategy and so on and so forth at the same time. Or maybe they do, and the Order of the Longsword is completely superflous - why have two organisations for the handful of Paladins and fighters?
Quote from: AphelThe armies of the faiths are not typical armies in a traditional sense, except, when they are, see your recent post?Exactly. In other words, the 'armies' of any given deity exist when summoned, and cease to exist when they're not needed. When they exist, they function like 'traditional' armies. When they disband, they don't function as an army at all. Toran has the only thing close to a 'traditional' standing army, if only because they actually have large training facilities and clusters of Toranites in close proximity. Also, most kingdoms would take exception to a 'foreign' standing army within their realm, which is essentially what a church's standing army would be, since it would answer to the church before the king/queen.
Order of the Shining HandFormerly called the Order of the Unliving Hunters, this small sect within the church was also a part of the judiciary before the schism. The order is made up of paladins; at last count 301 men and women. The tie that binds this group is devotion. While every order boasts piety, the Shining Hand uses their faith as their primary weapon when hunting and dispatching unliving. In addition, many of the duties of the justicers that the Order of the Longsword has not picked up, have fallen to the Shining Hand.