Order of the Divine Hand

   This order recognizes excellence in the medical arts. It members are dedicated healers who exploit their order's prestige to elicit contributions from wealthy patrons. The members use the funds to build and staff hospitals throughout the world, particularly in rural areas otherwise lacking in medical care. Members oversee these hospitals, priding themselves on offering free services to all, regardless of social rank or religious orientation. The only patients turned away are those of evil alignment.

   Requirements: All paladins of the Medician kit are automatically eligible for membership when they reach 9th level. Paladins of other kits are eligible once they reach 9th level and have acquired both the Healing and Diagnostics proficiencies.

   Organization: Chapters include anywhere from 20 to 80 members, with most having about 30. Each chapter has a single High Officer, called the Registrar, usually the oldest or most experienced member. The entire membership votes on a new Register when the old one retires or dies.

   The Registrar's primary responsibility is assigning members to the order's various hospitals and strongholds. A member must serve as a consultant to a hospital for at least one month a year; failure or refusal constitutes grounds for dismissal. A typical hospital consists of an administrator (usually a priest or paladin of levels 3-5) and 6-20 healers, nurses, technicians, and attendants (an assortment of priests, fighters, and wizards of lawful good alignment, usually of levels 1-3). The Registrar also oversees the financial affairs of the hospitals, soliciting funds as necessary from benevolent patrons. The Registrar wears a white cloak with the order's emblem.

   Emblem: A serpent coiled around a staff.

   Motto: "There is no kindness more pure than the touch of a healer's hand."

   Benefits: A member receives all non-magical medical supplies (bandages, salves, and so on) at no charge. A member also has open access to any of the order's hospitals. Drawing on the hospital's resources and the expertise of other members, he has a base 70% chance of finding an antidote for any natural poison, providing he spends at least 2-5 (1d4+1) days doing research. The DM may adjust the chance up to 95% or down to 10%, depending on the severity of the affliction and skill of the researcher.

   Dismissal: Standard.

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