A band of evil adventurers from way back. Well, some were more evil than others.
Joshua the Black (hi Josh!) headed up the Black Veils, a company of assassins and adventurers for hire. They were looking for the semi-mythical "Heart of the Forest", a gem of great value supposed to be in the keeping of the Shadow Druids of the Deep Forest. The Shadow Druids themselves were harrying a human woodcutting settlement, in a scenario reminiscent of
Princess Mononoke. You don't know how hard it was to keep from making lumberjack jokes.
The PCs came on the scene to stop the druids, and ended up fighting these guys when they stole the gemstone. They restored the gem to the druids, and all ended happily... for that session, anyway.
In an unexpected twist, Varimer the sniper assassin got separated from her buddies in the final chaotic fight scene, and got rescued by the party's knight. If there's one thing I'll say about Darius, he's a total munchkin (but in a good way). If there's TWO things I'll say about Darius, he has a fine sense of occasion. Varimer is now an NPC in the party, and she and the knight are conducting a romance of sorts.
Joshua the Black: male human kgt4*/ftr6; CR 10; Medium Humanoid (human); HD 10d10+40 (110 hp); Init +2; Spd 20 ft; AC 26 (touch 12, flat-footed 25); BAB +10; Grap +14; Atk +18/+13 melee (1d8+9/17–20,
+2 keen longsword); AL LE; SV Fort +17, Ref +6, Will +12; Str 18, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 15.
* as an ex-knight, Joshua cannot gain more knight levels.
Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +7, Intimidate +15, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialisation (longsword), Soul of Battle, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Power Attack, Cleave, Expertise, Fortune’s Favour, Indomitable, Endurance.
Equipment: +2 keen longsword,
+1 full plate,
+3 medium fortification heavy shield,
helm of resistance +2.
Garmorn: male half-orc rgr1/ftr1/bbn8; CR 10; Medium Humanoid (orc, spirit); HD 1d8+1d10+8d12+50 (135 hp); Init +2; Spd 50 ft; AC 21 (touch 13, flat-footed 19); BAB +10; Grap +15; Atk +17/+12 melee (1d10+9 plus 1d6 electricity,
+2 shock greatclub); SA Rage 3/day; SQ Uncanny dodge, improved uncanny dodge, trap sense +2, DR 1/–, half-orc traits; AL CE; SV Fort +17, Ref +9, Will +7, Str 20, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Intimidate +14, Survival +14, Track, Power Attack, Cleave, Fortune’s Favour, Dodge, Iron Will.
Equipment: +2 shock greatclub,
+3 chain shirt,
amulet of natural armour +1,
ring of protection +1,
headband of resistance +2,
boots of striding and springing.
Powerup Results (rage): 155 hp; AC 19; Atk +19/+14 melee (1d10+12 plus 1d6 electricity,
+2 shock greatclub); SV Fort +19, Will +11; Str 24, Con 24.
Remus: male human rog10; CR 10; Medium Humanoid (human); HD 10d6+30 (72 hp); Init +8; Spd 40 ft; AC 20 (touch 14, flat-footed 16); BAB +7; Grap +9; Atk +13/+8 melee (1d6+4/15–20,
+2 Britannian steel rapier), or +12/+7 ranged (1d6, m’work shortbow); SA Sneak attack +5d6; SQ Evasion, uncanny dodge, improved uncanny dodge, trap sense +3, hide in plain sight; AL CN; SV Fort +8, Ref +13, Will +6, Str 14, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +13, Disguise +15, Gather Information +14, Hide +27, Move Silently +22, Sense Motive +10, Spot +15, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack.
Equipment: +2 Britannian steel rapier, masterwork shortbow,
+2 chain shirt of silence and greater shadows,
amulet of air stride,
boots of speed,
ring of resistance +2,
potion of invisibility, 40 arrows.
Powerup Results (
boots of speed): Spd 60 ft; AC 21 (touch 15, flat-footed 16); Atk +14/+14/+9 melee (1d6+4/15–20,
+2 Britannian steel rapier), or +13/+13/+8 ranged (1d6, m’work shortbow); SV Ref +14.
Enchilios: male woodland spirit folk mag10; CR 10; Medium Humanoid (human, spirit); HD 10d4+10 (40 hp); Init +2; Spd 30 ft; AC 15 (touch 12, flat-footed 13); BAB +5; Grap +4; Atk +5 melee (1d8,
+1 light mace), or +8 ranged (1d8, m’work light crossbow); SA Spells; SQ Woodland spirit folk traits; AL N; SV Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +12; Str 9, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 20.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +15, Concentration +15, Spellcraft +14, Brew Potion, Cosmopolitan (Bluff), Empower Spell, Fortune’s Favour, Great Fortitude, Quicken Spell, Spellcasting Prodigy.
SQ — Woodland Spirit Folk Traits (Ex): Trackless step; low-light vision; +2 racial bonus on Survival checks; +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in woods or forest; +2 racial bonus on saves against spells or spell-like effects with "earth", "rock", "stone" or "wood" in the name, or with the Earth or Wood subtype;
speak with animals 1/day as a spell-like ability (caster level 1st).
Spells Per Day (6/8/8/7/6/4, save DC = 15 + spell level): 0 —
dancing lights, daze, detect magic, detect poison, flare, ghost sound, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic; 1st —
change self, hold portal, magic missile, obscuring mist, shield; 2nd —
bear’s endurance, hold person, invisibility, scorching ray; 3rd —
dispel magic, fireball, haste; 4th —
air walk, dimension door; 5th —
wall of force.
Equipment: +1 light mace,
bracers of armour +3,
ring of resistance +3, arcane
scroll of scales of the serpent (12th caster level).
Powerup Results (
shield, air walk, bear’s endurance, scroll of scales of the serpent): Spells/day 6/7/7/7/5/4; 50 hp; AC 24 (touch 12, flat-footed 22); SV Fort +9.
Varimer: female woodland spirit folk rog3/ftr2/shadow sniper 5; CR 10; Medium Humanoid (human, spirit); HD 8d6+2d10+30 (76 hp); Init +8; Spd 30 ft; AC 17 (touch 14, flat-footed 13); BAB +7; Grap +10; Atk +9/+4 melee (1d6+2,
+1 shortsword), or +15 ranged (2d6+2 plus 1d6 acid,
+2 corrosive light crossbow); SA Sneak attack +2d6, ranged sneak attack +3d6, sniper shot (2 range increments), primary weapon (light crossbow), poison use; SQ Evasion, low-light vision, darkvision 60 ft, hide in plain sight, woodland spirit folk traits; AL N; SV Fort +12, Ref +14, Will +7; Str 12, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +10, Disguise +15, Hide +22, Move Silently +22, Spot +15, Tumble +10, Crossbow Expert, Far Shot, Fortune’s Favour, Improved Initiative, Improved Precise Shot, Point-Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (light crossbow).
SA — Primary Weapon (Ex): Varimer gains a +2 competence bonus to attack rolls with her light crossbow (already figured into the stat block above).
SA — Sniper Shot (Ex): If Varimer spends at least 3 rounds studying a target within her primary weapon's first two range increments, she can treat her next attack on that target as a sneak attack. She must still satisfy all the other requirements for a sneak attack (effectively, this ability lets the shadow sniper overcome the standard 30-foot range limitation on ranged sneak attacks with her primary weapon). Once she has completed the 3 rounds of study, she must make her ranged attack within the next 3 rounds to gain any benefit from this ability. If she fails to take out the target, 3 new rounds of study are required before she can attempt another sniper shot. Alternatively, if she makes a sniper shot on a target within the first range increment, she only needs to study the target for 2 rounds instead of three.
Studying a target is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. While studying a target, Varimer also takes a –4 dodge penalty to AC for that round.
SA — Poison Use (Ex): Varimer can use poison without any risk of poisoning herself.
Equipment: +2 corrosive light crossbow,
+1 shortsword, masterwork studded leather armour,
amulet of resistance +3,
cloak of concealment [+5 to Hide],
boots of stealth [+5 to Move Silently], 1 dose poison (deathblade poison: Fort save DC 18, 1d6 temp Con initial, 2d6 temp Con secondary),
potion of cat’s grace,
oil of accuracy, 50 bolts.
Links:
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Shadow sniper
