Drow Conspirator

Drow Conspirator (CR 25)

Pure Evil - Medium - Humanoid (Fey)

Lore:	Know (Local)
51		67
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

45

Perception:
53	+43
Passive	Active

Ambush:

8+

on a d20

• Ambush Notes: Conspirators are naturally conniving, if they are tasked to lay an ambush, it's going to be a good one.

Senses:

• Standard Senses
• Darkvision 60 ft.

Movement Types:

• Walk 30 ft.
• Lesser Climb 30 ft.

Defense

AC

52

Man Def

54

Monster Health
1,961	980	48
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+22
Refl:	+27
Will:	+24

Strong Against:

Weak Against:

• (Fey 1) Vulnerable (1.5x damage): Cold Iron

Offense

Size:	Medium
5 ft.		5 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+38

Man Off

+42

Action

0

Points

• Maneuver Offense Notes: +2 on Steal, Disarm, and Trip Maneuvers

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Clever Rapier +38 (5d8+32/19-20 x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)
  plus: Languishroot Poison

Full Attack (Melee):

• 3x Clever Rapier +38 (5d8+40/19-20 x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)
  plus: Languishroot Poison

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 1x Stealth Crossbows +35 (5d8+40/19-20 x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 300 ft.)
  plus: Languishroot Poison

Full Attack (Ranged):

• 3x Stealth Crossbows +35 (5d8+40/19-20 x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 300 ft.)
  plus: Languishroot Poison

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

24

STR

24

DEX

18

CON

18

INT

18

WIS

24

CHA

Skills:

• Bluff: 42
• Diplomacy: 44
• Perception: 43
• Sense Motive: 42
• All other skills: 37 (no ranks)

Languages: Awnsheghlien, Undercommon, Common

Feats:

• Mobility (EFFECT: +4 AC against attacks of opportunity from movement)
• Quick Draw (EFFECT: Draw weapon as a free action, sheathe weapon as a swift action)

Special Abilities

Charming Smile (Su) Swift Action

As a swift action in combat, or up to once per minute out of combat, a Drow Conspirator may flash a winning smile at an enemy within their melee reach. This is a supernatural application of their natural charm and panache, and forces the targeted creature to roll a saving throw against a Will DC of 35. If they fail the save, they are Charmed to perform an action the Drow asks of them. If they make the save, there is no effect. In general, they will use this ability every round in combat, usually asking for their enemies to move to inconvenient places, or to take no actions "while we talk this over". If they need to re-apply poison, they will often use their move action to apply poison and take a single attack, while still using their swift action to use Charming Smile.

Languishroot Poison (Ex) Automatic after successful attack

The first successful hit with a Drow's sword after it has been poisoned has a chance to inflict Languishroot poison: Languishroot Poison    (Injury vector; Poisoned intensity) Save: Fort DC 35;     Frequency: 1/round for 3 rounds Effect: 1d4+3 DEX damage and 5d8+40 points of poison (physical, uncommon) damage per interval Fruition: Victim becomes Drowsy. Fruition Duration: 1 hour In addition, any creature which is already Drowsy or Sluggish suffers a -2 penalty to saving throws made to resist the effects of Languishroot Poison.

Smiling Treachery (Ex) Surprise Round or Out of Combat, or, move action

Before the first round of any combat, a Drow Conspirator who is within 30 feet of another Drow may distract enemy creatures with a reference to the other Drow. This grants the Conspirator a single free action melee or ranged attack they may make during their first turn of the encounter. This is a free action for the Conspirator, and is basically a free attack for them, only in the first round of combat. If an enemy creature is cautious of the Drow before combat begins, they may make a Sense motive or Sleight of Hand roll against the Drow's Maneuver Defense. If they equal or exceed the Drow's Maneuver Defense before combat begins, this power is negated. However, during combat, a Drow Conspirator may use a Move action to roll a Diplomacy skill check, with a DC of their target's Sense Motive bonus + 10. If the Drow beats this DC, then the target is considered flat-footed against all of their attacks for that round. Smiling Treachery does not require a shared language, but the enemy must be able to see the Drow for this ability to work.

Venom Sheathe (Ex) Free Action 1/Enc, or, Swift Action

Once per encounter, a Conspirator may use his Quick Draw feat to reapply poison to his blade as a free action. This may be done in a round in which the conspirator has made an attack already and allows a Conspirator to use Languishroot Poison a second time in the same round, but only once per encounter. A Conspirator may also apply poison as a swift action at any time, like all Drow. This application of posion is done with a practiced flourish, as the blade is slid through a slotted cup-like device on their belt, near the sword's sheath. The cup-like device contains 10 doses of Languishroot poison, and can be refilled outside of combat.

Drow Conspirator

Among male Drow, there are many that are completely enamored of the Dark Maidens, as is right and proper.

And then, there are the Conspirators.

Drow Conspirators are cynical, jaded, and skeptical. The lower ranked Drow Ladies are generally not very pleased by the existence of the Conspirators, and frequently lobby to have them expunged.

The higher ranked Drow Maidens, on the other hand, are wiser and more cosmopolitan in their tastes, and not only do they greatly value the contributions of the sly, cynical Conspirators, they recognize that the countervailing opinions they bring to the table are very useful, no matter how their lower ranked sisters may rail against their "uppity ways."

As a result, Drow Conspirators are often 'assigned' to a lower level Drow Maiden as a sort of 'watch dog', meaning they have caught the attention of their elders. This is flattering, because the presence of a Conspirator, or six, means the Drow Maiden is under the eye of her higher ups. It is also more than a bit frightening, because it means the Greater Drow are looking. Which may be good, or very, very bad.

In any case, the presence of Conspirators is an early sign that you are reaching the attention of Serious Drow, the sorts of ladies who command legions to march and don't merely command campaigns, but entire wars.

In person, Conspirators seem like lesser Drow Males, endlessly devoted to their Dark Maidens, perfectly obedient and biddable, ever-willing, even eager to comply.... But there is a hidden sharp edge to their submissive acquiescence. A Conspirator will do as he is bid, of course, but the WAY he does it may be a sharp rebuke to the low-level Maiden who is, ostensibly, commanding his actions.

Because a Drow Conspirator is always indicative of a Matriarch's attention, and often even a Regent, or rarely – very rarely – a Conspirator will be working on the whims of a Sovereign.

If you have caught the attention of a Drow Sovereign, it is best to tread gently, gently indeed.

In combat, a Drow Conspirator acts much like a lower level Drow male, capable of battle and obedient to his Lady. But there is also a powerful and dangerous edge of trickery, deception, and lies to a Conspirator. Fighting a Conspirator means that your allies may turn suddenly upon you, so always be careful when facing them.

Combat Tactics

Drow Conspirators are not heavy-hitting beasts like the Driders, but that does not make them any less dangerous in combat. In battle, Drow Conspirators are most dangerous because they seem so...darned...nice.

A Conspirator is incredibly adept at presenting a kind, smiling façade before and during battle. They will be incredibly reasonable and rational as they ask their enemies, by word, gesture, and deed, to step away, stop fighting, even to move in the way of their friends. This whole fight is just a misunderstanding, surely we can work this out?

The entire time, they will be attacking steadily, carefully. A Conspirator is not interested in KILLING you, they want to POISON you, and let their Languishroot do the job. They will always keep their blades venomed, even if they have to trade away attacks to do so, and will always try to nick their enemies with their blades, just to inflict more poison on you. Once per encounter they can apply poison as a free action, and if they are able to use their Smiling Treachery ability before combat, they also receive a free action melee or ranged attack. They frequently 'stack' all this into their first round of combat, seeking to 'alpha strike' their foes into unconsciousness. If this fails, they will fight powerfully and carefully, using flanks and their bonus on Disarm and Trip combat maneuvers to confound their enemies.

They will use their Charming Smile ability to further confound their enemies, asking them to move, suggesting that they should grapple their friends to 'stop this senseless violence', and many other ways. If they are attacked from beyond their melee reach, they will take a five foot step away and fire their crossbows at the ranged attacker, seeking to poison and drop them so they may use their Charming Smiles un-molested. Fighting Conspirators can be a nightmarish experience, as their numerous abilities stack conditions on their enemies and soak up their actions with Charmed actions.

Of course, at the end of the combat, Conspirators are just as fanatical as all Drow. If they can escape to carry out the wishes of their Dark Maid, they will do so. But if they must spend their lives for the Drow, they will do so without hesitation, and will seek to do as much damage as possible before they are killed.

Out of Combat

Drow Conspirators are the lowest ranking Drow males who work with the most senior Drow Maidens, those exalted Midnight Ladies who rank above the Matriarchs. As such, they are a different breed from the lower level Drow males, and hold the Driders and Dragloth in a fine state of contempt, while acknowleging that the beasts are useful and powerful.

To Drow females, Conspirators are perfectly obedient, but not subservient. A Conspirator will tell his Dusky Maiden his opinions and advice, even if she does not wish to listen. If she then chooses to ignore him, so be it, but many of the lesser Drow females will lend some weight to the words of a Consiprator, because despite their annoying free will, they ARE quite learned....

Conspirators are sometimes assigned to spend time with lesser Drow males, just to give those lesser breeds a solid boost in morale and some knowing cameraderie, while ensuring that their loyalty is absolute.

Conspirators are kept away from interactions with Driders and Dragloth. The monsters don't need the morale boost, and Conspirators dislike the beasts intensely....

Rewards

XP: 1,640,000

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 351,417 gp.

Weight: 250 lbs.     Volume: 10 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10	Nothing Found
11 - 14	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10	3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8	3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11	3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14	3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)