Drow Blademaster
Drow Blademaster (CR 8)
Even compared to the arrogance and pride of the Drow, blademasters are renowned for taking these traits to extremes. Male children, chosen at birth by blood 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 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. They quickly learn how not to cut themselves to ribbons, and several children die each year trying to figure out how to feed 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 ownership 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 children in Drow society chosen to be blademasters, and many of them even survive. Drow females, however, are exceedingly rare, and are often assigned multiple blademasters to protect her 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 very 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.
GENERAL
CR 8 Hit Dice 12
XP 4,800
LE Medium Fey (Drow)
Init +4; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Perception +12
DEFENSE
AC 27* (31 with Blademaster), touch 17, flat-footed 21 (25 with Blademaster) (+4 Martial Bonus with Blademaster, +5 armor, +6 dex, +5 natural, +1 deflection)
hp 125
Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +7
Aura: -
SR: -
Special Defenses: -
Immunities: -
Weaknesses: vulnerable to Cold Iron
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft
Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Single Melee Rapier +14* (+18 with Blademaster) (2d8+2/19-20x2) plus Languishroot Poison
Full Melee 2x Rapier +14* (+18 with Blademaster) (2d8+2/19-20x2) plus Languishroot Poison
Ranged Hand Crossbow +14 (2d8+2/x2) plus Languishroot Poison
Special Attacks Blademaster, Intercede, Venom Sheath, Languishroot Poison
Action Points 0
STATISTICS
Str 16, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 15
Base Atk +8; CMB +13; CMD 23
Feats Improved Blind-Fight (EFFECT: ignore partial concealment, roll twice for miss chance against total concealment)
Skills Perception +12, Sense Motive +12, Survival +12
Languages Undercommon, Awnsheghlien
SPECIAL ABILITIES
- Blademaster
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. The armor class bonus only applies to AC or flat-footed AC, not touch AC. If no enemies threaten the blademaster, or more than one enemy threatens the blademaster, this bonus is lost.
- Intercede
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 a 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 then rolls an attack roll. If the blademaster's attack roll equals or exceeds the to-hit roll or save DC of the attack made against his consort, the blademaster becomes the target of the attack instead. The attack is resolved as though the blademaster were the intended target, but the blademaster takes only half damage from the attack. If successful, the consort takes no damage from the attack, unless the attack has a secondary effect against adjacent squares.
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). If multiple blademasters are present, this ability may only be attempted by one of them per attack attempted against their consort.
- Venom Sheath
As a swift action, the blademaster can reapply poison to his 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
poison (injury); Save Fortitude DC 18; Onset 1/round for 2 rounds; Effect 1d3 Dex damage; Cure 1 save.
TREASURE
sell value of approximately 3,250 gp
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.
Blademasters carry two hand-crossbows which they will use if they cannot close to melee in a given round. After using one, they will discard it (to retrieve and reload after the fight). However, 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. If there is any doubt, he will fight to the death without hesitation.