Drow Blademaster

Drow Blademaster (CR 8)

Lawful Evil - Medium - Fey (Drow)

Lore:	Know (Nature)
18		32
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

15

Perception:
23	+13
Passive	Active

Ambush:

8+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses
• Darkvision 60 ft.

Movement Types:

• Walk 30 ft.

Defense

AC

25

Man Def

25

Monster Health
146	73	13
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+5
Refl:	+10
Will:	+6

Strong Against:

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Medium
5 ft.		5 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+13

Man Off

+14

Action

0

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Black Rapier +13 (2d8+6/19-20 x2)
  as slashing (physical, common)
  plus Languishroot Poison and Blademaster

Full Attack (Melee):

• 3x Black Rapier +13 (2d8+6/19-20 x2)
  as slashing (physical, common)
  plus Languishroot Poison and Blademaster

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 1x Drow Handbow +14 (2d8+6/19-20 x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 300 ft.)
  plus Languishroot Poison

Full Attack (Ranged):

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

16

STR

19

DEX

15

CON

13

INT

16

WIS

15

CHA

Skills:

• Heal: 13
• Perception: 13
• Sense Motive: 14
• Survival: 13
• All other skills: 8 (no ranks)

Languages: Undercommon, Awnsheghlien, Common

Feats:

• Blind-Fight (EFFECT: Ignore partial or total concealment penalties with your melee attacks)

Special Abilities

Blademaster (Ex)

Any time the blademaster is only threatened by a single enemy, he gains a +4 martial bonus to his attack rolls and a +4 martial bonus to his AC. The to-hit bonus applies only to melee attacks. If no enemies threaten the blademaster, or more than one enemy threatens the blademaster, this bonus is lost.

Intercede (Su)

The blademaster may attempt to intercept an attack meant for his consort, taking only half damage in the process. Once per round as an immediate action, if the blademaster's consort is targeted with an attack, the blademaster may move up to 15 feet to any legal square adjacent to his consort. He then moves into the consort's space, the consort moves into the adjacent space he just left, and the blademaster becomes the target of the attack instead. Then, the blademaster rolls an attack roll, with his Blademaster bonus if he qualifies for it in his new current square. If the blademaster's attack roll equals or exceeds the to-hit roll or save DC of the attack made against his consort, the attack is resolved as though the blademaster were the intended target, but the blademaster takes only half damage from the attack. If this attack roll fails, the blademaster is automatically struck and takes normal damage. Succeed or fail, the consort takes no damage from the attack, unless the attack has a secondary effect which could still reach her (such as Cleave or Flaming Burst). This ability may only be used against attacks specifically targeting the blademaster's consort, not one which merely includes her in its effects (such as a fireball spell). Furthermore, a successful use of Intercede cannot cause an attack to become invalid, even if the blademaster wouldn't normally be a valid target. For example, if the attack would normally only work against female creatures, it would get resolved against the blademaster despite this, because Intercede cannot cause an attack to become invalid. If the blademaster cannot move adjacent to his consort with 15 feet of move, he cannot use this ability (and he should be ashamed of himself for allowing her to wander beyond his reach). If multiple blademasters are present, this ability may only be attempted by one of them per attack attempted against their consort. The GM may choose which blademaster will make the Intercede or roll randomly to determine.

Venom Sheath (Ex)

As a swift action, the blademaster can reapply poison to his black rapier. This is done with a practiced flourish, as the blade is slid through a slotted cup-like device on his belt, near the sword's sheath. The cup-like device contains 10 doses of Languishroot poison, and can be refilled outside of combat. As with all poisoned weapons, the poison is used up each time a target is struck by the blade, and new poison must be applied.

Languishroot Poison (Ex)

The first time a drow blademaster strikes with either his black rapier, or his drow handbow, after the weapon has been poisoned (including the first attack of encounter), there is a chance the target is poisoned. Languishroot is an herbal concoction that is very common in Drow society. It is a potent soporific and will quickly numb victims, making them clumsy and uncoordinated. Languishroot Poison    (Injury vector; Poisoned intensity) Save: Fort DC 19;     Frequency: 1/round for 3 rounds Effect: 1d3 DEX damage and 2d6+4 points of poison (physical, uncommon) per interval, and target is Drowsy Fruition: victim falls Asleep; this cannot be cured normally. Fruition Duration: 1 day (full night's rest)

Drow Blademaster

Even compared to the normal levels of arrogance and pride among the Drow, Blademasters are extremes. Male children, chosen as they are birthed from the Great Coccoons by a dark, bloody lottery, Blademasters are raised with only one mission: to die before their consort dies. They are relentlessly trained in warfare, medicine, tracking and intrigue to ensure the safety of their consorts.

On their first nameday, the male children selected to become Blademasters are fitted with bladed gloves which are locked onto their wrists. They wear these gloves until their hands grow too large to continue, typically around 10 years, touching nothing except through the use of the attached blades. To survive they must quickly learn how not to cut themselves to ribbons, and several children die each year trying to figure out how to feed and care for themselves without injury. Those that survive learn to treat the blades as literal extensions of their arms.

Training in bladed combat continues for another 55 years before a Blademaster is considered ready to be assigned to a consort, which happens on their 66th nameday. On this day, they consign their soul to their consort through a lengthy ritual (whose details are not for the squeamish or prudish), and are tattooed with a magical ink which lets them feel any pain their consort feels (though not to a degree which would impair the Blademaster, only to notify him). This tattoo also enables their consorts to compel them to act to a limited degree, though few consorts ever need to resort to this to ensure obedience. The tattoo's primary purpose, aside from marking the Blademaster's chattelhood to the consort, is to allow the consort to override an external compulsion, should one ever occur.

It should be noted that there are many male Drow children churned out by the Great Coccoons, and they are often chosen to be Blademasters, and many of them even survive. Drow females, however, are exceedingly rare, and are often assigned multiple Blademasters to protect them from danger. As a result, despite the extensive training and well-deserved arrogance of the Blademasters, they are taught that their lives are worth only as much as their death can buy. This doesn't make them suicidal, but it does make them perpetually on the lookout for a death that would grant their consort greater standing in Drow society.

Blademasters are always healthy specimens of the male Drow, who move with confidence and grace. They are arrogant to a fault, but also ruthlessly dedicated to their consort's continued well-being. Like all Drow, Blademasters make extensive use of poisons, but they are unique in having perfected the act of re-poisoning a blade mid-combat.

Combat Tactics

Blademasters are fairly simple to run, since they have simple goals -- slay their consort's enemies or die to protect her.

While they will always try to stay within 15 feet of their consort, they will also make good use of this space, using positioning to take full advantage of their blademaster ability as much as possible. This trait makes Blademaster's with a Consort on the field behave with a near-schooling action which is remarkable to see.

Blademasters carry two hand-crossbows which they will use if they cannot close to melee in a given round. They are un-nervingly good with them, even though they are even better in melee. Thus, their priority is to close with a single opponent and carve him to ribbons.

Blademasters will use venom sheath each round to keep their blades coated in poison. Note that only the first attack during a full attack action can make use of poison, and each time they hit with the blade it will need a new dose of poison applied.

A Blademaster will only retreat from a fight if his consort looks like she will safely escape it herself, or if he is expressly ordered to flee by a Drow female. If she is threatened, Blademasters will use Intercede repeatedly on her, moving into her space from a direction which moves her as far away from harm as they can manage. If there is any doubt as to her safety, he will fight to the death without hesitation.

Out of Combat

Blademasters are so tightly focused on battle and protection of their Consort, they have little time or inclination to develop much in the way of useful skills for the Clan, and frankly, the Consorts and Matriarch's are just fine with that. Strategists especially rely upon Consorts to be their 'eyes and ears' in the field, and if they have to sacrifice a few dozen males to get their report back, they consider that completely worth it.

When not in battle, a group of Blademasters will be constantly on the prowl, orbiting a modest distance away from their Consort, scouting for trouble, finding and preparing attack and escape routes, etc.

Rewards

XP: 4,800

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 3,875 gp.

Weight: 80 lbs.     Volume: 3.2 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)