Imrix.
2006-01-18, 06:33 AM
Okay, despite being a complete begginer (I play mostly warhammer 40k, Necrons. Dance! Dance to the song of my Gauss Cannon!) I have decided to make my own base character class. A base character class, I might add, that includes backstory, a completely new deity, and I'm certain is not balanced.
The thing is, inexperianced as I am, I cannot quite tell why it is not balanced, so I need some help on that front. I'm pessimistically thinking some major editing will be required, so if it is then the Altered Body and Shadow Arts are the two 'core' abilities, and should remain mostly unchanged. The individual Shadow Arts are open to editting, so long as the basic idea is kept.
Shadow Servant of Khaine.
Keala Mensha Khaine, the Bloody-Handed god, supposedly forgotten, and kept alive only by certain artifacts and decrepit temples. This is public opinion, and taken as fact, the Elf-deity of Blood, Shadow and Butchery greatly believed to be almost dead.
What fools the people of the world are.
Khaine is very much alive, with cults venerating Him the world over, offering vile blood-sacrifices, and consecrating armies in His name. Khaines gaze spreads wiser than most dare to think, and most major cities practice discreet dedications to Him, the officials turning a blind eye for fear of their lives. Khaine is not necessarily an evil deity, though it can appear as such, merely truthful. A war-deity, Khaine takes as his domain both sides of battle, the heroism, courage and valour, but also the dark, murdering side of it, the innocent blood spilled in the name of tyrants, and the battles of great champions of light.
Khaine also claims dominion of the assassins art, the shadowed knife, and the creeping slayer, some of his greatest servants have never even been seen to kill. Khaine is generally seen as a great giant clad in red burning armour inscribed with runes of hatred and battle, and wielding a pair of long two-handed swords that hum with raw power. His hands ooze blood constantly, and He inspires hatred and fearlessness in those around Him, spurring even cowardly slaves on to great acts of courage and skill.
But He is not just a deity of heroism. He has a darker side, His rituals and dedications often require sacrifice, usually blood, sometimes a few drops will suffice, sometimes dozens of people will be placed in a circle and their throats cut to bleed out in supplication to Him.
And there are other rituals too, sometimes, whole towns are devoted entirely to Khaine, such places are well hidden, and few would wish to enter, for the screams of the ghostly dead fill the area, and the air is thick with the scent of blood. Such places will often celebrate the Day of Blood, or Death Night, a time of murder and death, where law has no bearing, and only be force of arms can you retain your life, home and belongings, even your offspring are considered fair game, and by law no vengeance can be made for acts made on this night. It is a time of chaos, when families will band together to defend what is theirs, and blurring doom stalks the streets.
Temples of Khaine are generally not decrepit just Shifted, the constant rituals of blood weakens the walls of reality in such places, allowing servants to shift themselves slightly sideways, leaving and returning to the physical world at will to perform their arts. A difficult trick, it can take decades to master, and is physically exhausting.
And then there are the Shadow Servants, cloaked figures of frailty, but immense agility. These night-borne figures are taken from their homes at birth, and subjected to brutal training, with arcane forces altering their bodies to frightening degrees. Most do not survive, those who do, are killers with few equals. Emotionless, lightning-quick, precise, and silent, they can topple empires, given time. Unlike the more normal Assassins though, when given a target, it will often not be a single person or creature, but entire buildings, sometimes whole villages. In these situations, morality does not exist, they simply fulfill the single purpose they were created to fulfill.
Adventurers: Khainite Assassins often experience memory troubles due to their training as their altered minds reassert themselves over their warped bodies. This is generally seen as a rite of passage by the Elders, those who cannot adapt die off, and those who can regain their formidable skills over time, as ingrained instincts come to the fore. A Khainite Assassin might be one of these people, cursed with a partial memory and wandering blindly, or perhaps they are a temple adept, weaving a path through the world to bring back something as proof of their worth to their trainers.
Characteristics: Khainite Assassins are incredibly quick, and lack several emotions such as pain and fear, allowing them to fight with a clear head. They often try to keep their enemies at a distance, darting in to land a few quick strikes, then flashing away in a blur of augmented flesh. They tend to struggle with skills based around resilience or charisma, lacking both, but excel at feats of speed and agility, outclassing most all. They are generally taller than others of the same race, some by only a few inches, some by whole feet. Elves seem to be the most stable in this regard, and generally grow to six feet after the bodily alterations.
Alignment: Khainite Assassins cannot be of Lawful alignment, but otherwise are given free rein over their moral compass. Good Khainites often believe that the corrupt will safeguard themselves, and work to topple those the law cannot touch, bringing the truly despicable screaming into the light of justice. Neutral Khainites believe in the overpowering randomness of the universe, slaying simply for Khaine, in all His works and domains, and are most common. Evil Khainites are cold-hearted butchers, caring nothing for who the target is, generally simply killing for the sake of killing, revelling in the power of inflicting death pon others.
Religion: Unsurprisingly, Khaine is the only deity these beings may worship, and their minds are altered to eliminate all thought of another deity. They live for Khaine, and none other.
Background: The dubious honour of becoming a Shadow Servant of Khaine, is not one made by choice, or easily. An adolescent or adult body is not malleable enough to accept the changes to their body, and their minds are too set to be altered so extensively. As such, only newborn children are at risk from capture. This somewhat limits the diversity of their origin, but all react differently to the training. A Shadow Servant in possession of a full memory will usually see others of their kind as kindred of some sort, perhaps even siblings, and generally think of themselves as entirely another race.
Races: Khaine is an Elf-deity, and as such the children brought to the temples are usually Elfish in nature, though others may end up joining. Humans are generally too short-lived to last the long training times, which sometimes last in excess of fifty years, and dwarves are far too stocky. Half-orcs are strong however, and this muscle-power translates itself well to great speed and jumping ability, Gnomes and Halflings make good Shadow Servants, small size, agility and endurance combining for a potent combinations. Half-Elves are sometimes taken, though rarely as their diplomatic temperament is something of an affront to Khaine.
Other Classes: Khaine is a focussed deity, and as such diverting from the path of His service is frowned on somewhat, yet it does happen, as versatility is recognised as a great advantage. Other people are generally viewed as a necessity, or a means to an end, and Shadow Servants are prone to leaving a group if they deem it of no further use, or they are given orders. As a result, they generally take a cold, calculating opinion of other classes, and are usually not judging. They take a slight dislike to Clerics however, on the grounds of religious differences, and see Paladins as somewhat naive in their view of such things as Justice and Righteousness, as, like Khaine, they see both sides of the picture. They have a certain minor kinship with Rogues, due to the basic similarities, and take a fond view of Monks, both living the same disciplined, intensively strict lifestyle.
Roles: A Shadow Servant is fast, fragile, and capable of immense damage in a very short space of time, as a result archers, wizards and such are perfect targets. Its something of a skirmisher of the party, darting in to snatch a few hits, then retreating to a different target to avoid damage. Extended combat does not fit it, but a few quick rounds against the right enemies will do wonders.
Game rule Information
Shadow Servants have the following game statistics.
Abilities: A high Strength gives a Shadow Servant the required close combat boost, and Dexterity basically fits the entire background, and helps with certain Shadow Arts they will eventually gain. For the purposes of Feats, a Shadow Servant counts as a fighter of the same level.
Alignment: Any Chaotic.
Hit points/Hit Die: 4/d4 (Shadow Servants will have had their weight reduced at the cost of high weakening to their bodies).
Class Skills:
The Shadow Servants Class Skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex) Climb (Str) Disable Device (Int) Hide (Dex) Jump (Str) Listen (Wis) Move Silently (Dex) Spot (Wis) Survival (Wis) Swim (Str) and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st level: (6 +intelligence modifier) X 4.
Skill Points at each additional level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.
Class Features:
All of the following are Class Features for a Shadow Servant:
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Shadow Servants are proficient with three weapons of the players choice, these represent the primary, secondary, and backup weapons the Assassin has trained solely with. At least one of them must be a light weapon, and all must be melee weapons. They are not proficient with any form of armour or shield.
Shadow Training: Shadow Servants are trained from birth to honour a few basic tenets and intense forms of combat, they may never wear any form of armour, magic, masterwork or otherwise, though spell effects are allowed. They may not use ranged weapons, as they are taught that a kill must be made face-to-face to honour Khaine, which is the sole reason they live. On the flipside, they have access to the Shadow Arts which are listed on a table below. Also, due to the fact that their training starts from birth, they only add d10 to their starting age.
Altered body: Through the course of a Shadow Servants training, their physical form will be altered, becoming stronger, faster, but also lighter and more fragile. Their minds are also implanted with stalwart mental blocks around the memories of their training, and such memories may not be accessed, by any means, even by them. Due to the changes in their body, they weigh 3/4ths as much as they would normally, and may never benefit from more than a +1 modifier from Constitution and Charisma, for any reason or situation. However, they determine their ability scores slightly differently. Roll 4d6 six times, discarding the lowest dice each time and add the results to create your available points. You may divide this number as you please between the six Ability Scores, though at least one score must be 13 or higher, if this is not possible you may re-roll as normal. However, due to the difficulty of improving upon a body so fixed in its form, Shadow Servants halve the number of times they may increase their Ability Scores, removing bonuses from those gained at the lowest levels first.
Assassinate: At 12th and 17th level, a Shadow Servants eyesight becomes sharper, honed to perfection as their hand-eye coordination becomes near-perfect. As a result the blows they land become much more precise, and they benefit from an almost supernatural sense of where to hit the enemy to cause maximum damage. At 12th level, any weapon they wield increases its threat range by 1, to a maximum of 18-20, at 17th level, any weapon a Shadow Servant wields increases its critical multiplier by 1, to a maximum of X4.
Evasion and Improved evasion: A Shadow Servant gains these abilities at a rate of one level after a Rogue would gain them (so a Shadow Servant gains Evasion at 3rd level, and Improved Evasion at 11th level.)
Table: The Shadow Servant.
Base Attack Bonus: Use first column.
Base Save Bonus: Reflex and Will uses Good column, Fortitude uses Poor column.
Shadow Arts: May roll 1d12 on the Shadow Arts table at level 0, and again at levels 2, 4, 6, 8, 10,12, 14, 16, 18, 19 and 20, gaining the Art corrosponding to your roll. Note that this is a roll, not a choice. If you roll an Art you already possess, roll again until you gain one you do not possess. (If, for some reason, you do not have a d12, use 2d6, and in the event of a double 1, choose either the first or secoond skill. If you dont have any d6s, then what the hell are you doing playing this game?) This roll should be made by the DM, as the Shadow Servant has no real choice over what they remember, though on agreement the controlling player may do so instead. All Arts have a required Dexterity, if you do not meet the required Dexterity score, you do not gain the Art, and the roll is wasted.
Shadow Arts Table
1: Blurring speed: The Shadow Servant runs almost supernaturally quickly, blurring into an arrow-quick figure that moves all too fast for their enemies to track.
The Shadow Servants basic movement speed is doubled at no penalty. (Dexterity required: 14)
2: Great leap: The Shadow Servant uses the enemies around him as a springboard, striking as he bounds between them to finish in a high leap, mocking the enemy from out of range of their clawing, crude strikes.
At any point in time when the Shadow Servant is in combat, the Shadow Servant may take a Jump test to remove themselves from combat, at a standing start. Should they succeed, unless the enemy they were fighting has a reach higher than their jump distance, they may not be attacked for the remainder of that round. The ability may only be used every two rounds. This does not provoke an Attack of Oppurtunity, but may only be used once the Shadow Servant has attacked. (Dexterity required: 18 )
3: Endless fury: Driven by old wrongs and hatreds, the Shadow Servant strikes again and again and again, blades flashing over and over in an eyeblink to obliterate their foes in an orgy of blood-offerings to Khaine.
The Shadow Servant may make half again as many attacks as they have on their basic profile (Rounding down), these attacks may not be made with an off-hand weapon, and are not subject to any feats, Shadow Arts, or special abilities the Shadow Servant may have. These attacks will be made at the lowest bonus to hit listed on their basic profile. For example, a 6th level Shadow Servant with this Art would have one attack at a +6 attack bonus, and two at a +1 bonus. (Dexterity required: 18 )
4: Impossible accuracy: The Shadow Servants awareness of time itself is slowed as amounts of adrenaline that would kill normal people course through their veins, giving them the time to act out each strike in their head for greatest accuracy.
Shadow Servants with this Art may re-roll the dice for any of their basic attacks which miss. For example, a 6th level Shadow Servant with this art with a Sabre and an enchanted shortsword granting an extra attack (above and beyond being used as an off-hand weapon.) Could re-roll any missed attacks with the sabre, but not the shortsword. This may be used to ignore critical misses, however if used as such, only the critical miss may be re-rolled. You may not re-roll a re-roll. (Dexterity required: 22)
5: Inhuman reflexes: A Shadow Servant has acute senses, nigh-preturnatural reflexes, and do not feel shock. As such it is very dificult to catch them unuwares, or to hit them before they act.
A Shadow Servant may roll an extra dice and pick the highest for initiative. In addition, they may roll as normal for iniative at all times, even when Ambushed, though in such cases they do not get the extra dice.
In addition, they may ignore the penalties for the extra attacks granted by the Improved, and Greater Two-weapon fighting. (Dexterity required: 21)
6: Supernatural Agility: The Shadow Servant twists and contorts, sliding away from killing strikes like shifting sand. To try and land a blow upon them, is like trying to pin smoke to a wall.
If a Shadow servant is hit by a spell or an enemy strike that does not hit automatically (Such as Magic Missile) roll a d6. On a result of 4,5 or 6, the hit is ignored and no damage is taken. There is no limit to how many times this ability can be used, and it is counted as a free action. Damage must be automatic to disallow this, so something that that allows a saving throw to avoid damage can be saved by this. If it allows half damage or similar, then this ability may not be used. Also, note that as the Shadow Servant is concentrating so fully on darting aside, they count all incoming attacks as flanking, and halve any AC bonuses they might recieve from mundane sources (including the Dex bonus). (Dexterity required: 25)
7: Quickblood: The Shadow Servant coils around enemy strikes like smoke, directing them away with the barest glance from their weapon, appearing in one place for mere moments, then another, and another, until it seems they are a mere illusion. For surely, nothing can move that fast, can it?
As Supernatural Agility. If a Shadow Servant has both skills then the dice may be re-rolled, tough it still does not apply to attacks which automatically hit. (Dexterity required: 25)
8: Blink and youll miss them : A Shadow servant charges with impossible speed, closing the distance before an enemy has even registered they were there in the first place. Oftentimes, the only indication a Shadow Servant is even involved, is a slight blur, and wounds appearing with no apparent cause.
Unless the enemy wins the Iniative roll in combat, Shadow Servants never provoke Attacks of oppurtunity for any reason, except for the Break attack Art. (Dexterity required: 28 )
9: Break Attack: Running slightly off-center from the target, the Shadow Servant speeds past an enemy, slashing at them as they do so, disappearing again in a heartbeat, leaving behind a broken corpse as they move on.
A Shadow Servant with this Art can choose to move up to half their movement allowance into contact with an enemy, attack with up to half their total attacks (To a maximum of two with the primary weapon, and a third if they have an off-hand weapon) and then move the rest of their allowance. The enemy may not attack them if they choose to do this, however an iniative roll is made, and if the enemy succeeds the Shadow Servant provokes Attacks of Oppurtunity as normal. (Dexterity required: 22)
10: Inner Veil: Focussing the residual magics left behind by the agonising process of altering their bodies, a Shadow Servant sheets themselves in an arcane veil, hiding from mortal sight.
The Shadow Servant gains Invisiblity As a Spell-like ability, at half duration but with an instantaneous casting time, which they may cast twice a day as standard action. Any form of action other than movement (Including jumps, climbing and such) instantly cancels the effects, making the Shadow Servant fully visible again.(Dexterity required: 10)
11: Long time no see: Shadow Servants are often away from civilsation for long periods of time, or spend several years in harsh landscapes. In comparison to the horrer of their training, such things are easy enough.
Shadow Servants with this skill do not suffer penalties for resting in cold weather or uncomfortable ground or other such things, and roll two dice and pick the highest for Survival checks.
12: The Bell Tolls For Ye : A Shadow Servant is not a cloaked knife, but rather a blindingly efficient warrior, capable of impaling their enemies in one swift motion, slicing at exposed throats or darting to the enemies rear. Razor-keen weapons guide their will as they do not see the enemy, only the danger of enemy strikes to be dodged, and the soft exposed parts they can break.
The critical Threat range of the Shadow Servants primary (Not off-hand) weapon, is tripled. For example, a weapon with a critical Threat range of 18-20 would be tripled, to become 14-20. A Threat range may not be improved beyond 12-20. (Dexterity required: 30)
The thing is, inexperianced as I am, I cannot quite tell why it is not balanced, so I need some help on that front. I'm pessimistically thinking some major editing will be required, so if it is then the Altered Body and Shadow Arts are the two 'core' abilities, and should remain mostly unchanged. The individual Shadow Arts are open to editting, so long as the basic idea is kept.
Shadow Servant of Khaine.
Keala Mensha Khaine, the Bloody-Handed god, supposedly forgotten, and kept alive only by certain artifacts and decrepit temples. This is public opinion, and taken as fact, the Elf-deity of Blood, Shadow and Butchery greatly believed to be almost dead.
What fools the people of the world are.
Khaine is very much alive, with cults venerating Him the world over, offering vile blood-sacrifices, and consecrating armies in His name. Khaines gaze spreads wiser than most dare to think, and most major cities practice discreet dedications to Him, the officials turning a blind eye for fear of their lives. Khaine is not necessarily an evil deity, though it can appear as such, merely truthful. A war-deity, Khaine takes as his domain both sides of battle, the heroism, courage and valour, but also the dark, murdering side of it, the innocent blood spilled in the name of tyrants, and the battles of great champions of light.
Khaine also claims dominion of the assassins art, the shadowed knife, and the creeping slayer, some of his greatest servants have never even been seen to kill. Khaine is generally seen as a great giant clad in red burning armour inscribed with runes of hatred and battle, and wielding a pair of long two-handed swords that hum with raw power. His hands ooze blood constantly, and He inspires hatred and fearlessness in those around Him, spurring even cowardly slaves on to great acts of courage and skill.
But He is not just a deity of heroism. He has a darker side, His rituals and dedications often require sacrifice, usually blood, sometimes a few drops will suffice, sometimes dozens of people will be placed in a circle and their throats cut to bleed out in supplication to Him.
And there are other rituals too, sometimes, whole towns are devoted entirely to Khaine, such places are well hidden, and few would wish to enter, for the screams of the ghostly dead fill the area, and the air is thick with the scent of blood. Such places will often celebrate the Day of Blood, or Death Night, a time of murder and death, where law has no bearing, and only be force of arms can you retain your life, home and belongings, even your offspring are considered fair game, and by law no vengeance can be made for acts made on this night. It is a time of chaos, when families will band together to defend what is theirs, and blurring doom stalks the streets.
Temples of Khaine are generally not decrepit just Shifted, the constant rituals of blood weakens the walls of reality in such places, allowing servants to shift themselves slightly sideways, leaving and returning to the physical world at will to perform their arts. A difficult trick, it can take decades to master, and is physically exhausting.
And then there are the Shadow Servants, cloaked figures of frailty, but immense agility. These night-borne figures are taken from their homes at birth, and subjected to brutal training, with arcane forces altering their bodies to frightening degrees. Most do not survive, those who do, are killers with few equals. Emotionless, lightning-quick, precise, and silent, they can topple empires, given time. Unlike the more normal Assassins though, when given a target, it will often not be a single person or creature, but entire buildings, sometimes whole villages. In these situations, morality does not exist, they simply fulfill the single purpose they were created to fulfill.
Adventurers: Khainite Assassins often experience memory troubles due to their training as their altered minds reassert themselves over their warped bodies. This is generally seen as a rite of passage by the Elders, those who cannot adapt die off, and those who can regain their formidable skills over time, as ingrained instincts come to the fore. A Khainite Assassin might be one of these people, cursed with a partial memory and wandering blindly, or perhaps they are a temple adept, weaving a path through the world to bring back something as proof of their worth to their trainers.
Characteristics: Khainite Assassins are incredibly quick, and lack several emotions such as pain and fear, allowing them to fight with a clear head. They often try to keep their enemies at a distance, darting in to land a few quick strikes, then flashing away in a blur of augmented flesh. They tend to struggle with skills based around resilience or charisma, lacking both, but excel at feats of speed and agility, outclassing most all. They are generally taller than others of the same race, some by only a few inches, some by whole feet. Elves seem to be the most stable in this regard, and generally grow to six feet after the bodily alterations.
Alignment: Khainite Assassins cannot be of Lawful alignment, but otherwise are given free rein over their moral compass. Good Khainites often believe that the corrupt will safeguard themselves, and work to topple those the law cannot touch, bringing the truly despicable screaming into the light of justice. Neutral Khainites believe in the overpowering randomness of the universe, slaying simply for Khaine, in all His works and domains, and are most common. Evil Khainites are cold-hearted butchers, caring nothing for who the target is, generally simply killing for the sake of killing, revelling in the power of inflicting death pon others.
Religion: Unsurprisingly, Khaine is the only deity these beings may worship, and their minds are altered to eliminate all thought of another deity. They live for Khaine, and none other.
Background: The dubious honour of becoming a Shadow Servant of Khaine, is not one made by choice, or easily. An adolescent or adult body is not malleable enough to accept the changes to their body, and their minds are too set to be altered so extensively. As such, only newborn children are at risk from capture. This somewhat limits the diversity of their origin, but all react differently to the training. A Shadow Servant in possession of a full memory will usually see others of their kind as kindred of some sort, perhaps even siblings, and generally think of themselves as entirely another race.
Races: Khaine is an Elf-deity, and as such the children brought to the temples are usually Elfish in nature, though others may end up joining. Humans are generally too short-lived to last the long training times, which sometimes last in excess of fifty years, and dwarves are far too stocky. Half-orcs are strong however, and this muscle-power translates itself well to great speed and jumping ability, Gnomes and Halflings make good Shadow Servants, small size, agility and endurance combining for a potent combinations. Half-Elves are sometimes taken, though rarely as their diplomatic temperament is something of an affront to Khaine.
Other Classes: Khaine is a focussed deity, and as such diverting from the path of His service is frowned on somewhat, yet it does happen, as versatility is recognised as a great advantage. Other people are generally viewed as a necessity, or a means to an end, and Shadow Servants are prone to leaving a group if they deem it of no further use, or they are given orders. As a result, they generally take a cold, calculating opinion of other classes, and are usually not judging. They take a slight dislike to Clerics however, on the grounds of religious differences, and see Paladins as somewhat naive in their view of such things as Justice and Righteousness, as, like Khaine, they see both sides of the picture. They have a certain minor kinship with Rogues, due to the basic similarities, and take a fond view of Monks, both living the same disciplined, intensively strict lifestyle.
Roles: A Shadow Servant is fast, fragile, and capable of immense damage in a very short space of time, as a result archers, wizards and such are perfect targets. Its something of a skirmisher of the party, darting in to snatch a few hits, then retreating to a different target to avoid damage. Extended combat does not fit it, but a few quick rounds against the right enemies will do wonders.
Game rule Information
Shadow Servants have the following game statistics.
Abilities: A high Strength gives a Shadow Servant the required close combat boost, and Dexterity basically fits the entire background, and helps with certain Shadow Arts they will eventually gain. For the purposes of Feats, a Shadow Servant counts as a fighter of the same level.
Alignment: Any Chaotic.
Hit points/Hit Die: 4/d4 (Shadow Servants will have had their weight reduced at the cost of high weakening to their bodies).
Class Skills:
The Shadow Servants Class Skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex) Climb (Str) Disable Device (Int) Hide (Dex) Jump (Str) Listen (Wis) Move Silently (Dex) Spot (Wis) Survival (Wis) Swim (Str) and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st level: (6 +intelligence modifier) X 4.
Skill Points at each additional level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.
Class Features:
All of the following are Class Features for a Shadow Servant:
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Shadow Servants are proficient with three weapons of the players choice, these represent the primary, secondary, and backup weapons the Assassin has trained solely with. At least one of them must be a light weapon, and all must be melee weapons. They are not proficient with any form of armour or shield.
Shadow Training: Shadow Servants are trained from birth to honour a few basic tenets and intense forms of combat, they may never wear any form of armour, magic, masterwork or otherwise, though spell effects are allowed. They may not use ranged weapons, as they are taught that a kill must be made face-to-face to honour Khaine, which is the sole reason they live. On the flipside, they have access to the Shadow Arts which are listed on a table below. Also, due to the fact that their training starts from birth, they only add d10 to their starting age.
Altered body: Through the course of a Shadow Servants training, their physical form will be altered, becoming stronger, faster, but also lighter and more fragile. Their minds are also implanted with stalwart mental blocks around the memories of their training, and such memories may not be accessed, by any means, even by them. Due to the changes in their body, they weigh 3/4ths as much as they would normally, and may never benefit from more than a +1 modifier from Constitution and Charisma, for any reason or situation. However, they determine their ability scores slightly differently. Roll 4d6 six times, discarding the lowest dice each time and add the results to create your available points. You may divide this number as you please between the six Ability Scores, though at least one score must be 13 or higher, if this is not possible you may re-roll as normal. However, due to the difficulty of improving upon a body so fixed in its form, Shadow Servants halve the number of times they may increase their Ability Scores, removing bonuses from those gained at the lowest levels first.
Assassinate: At 12th and 17th level, a Shadow Servants eyesight becomes sharper, honed to perfection as their hand-eye coordination becomes near-perfect. As a result the blows they land become much more precise, and they benefit from an almost supernatural sense of where to hit the enemy to cause maximum damage. At 12th level, any weapon they wield increases its threat range by 1, to a maximum of 18-20, at 17th level, any weapon a Shadow Servant wields increases its critical multiplier by 1, to a maximum of X4.
Evasion and Improved evasion: A Shadow Servant gains these abilities at a rate of one level after a Rogue would gain them (so a Shadow Servant gains Evasion at 3rd level, and Improved Evasion at 11th level.)
Table: The Shadow Servant.
Base Attack Bonus: Use first column.
Base Save Bonus: Reflex and Will uses Good column, Fortitude uses Poor column.
Shadow Arts: May roll 1d12 on the Shadow Arts table at level 0, and again at levels 2, 4, 6, 8, 10,12, 14, 16, 18, 19 and 20, gaining the Art corrosponding to your roll. Note that this is a roll, not a choice. If you roll an Art you already possess, roll again until you gain one you do not possess. (If, for some reason, you do not have a d12, use 2d6, and in the event of a double 1, choose either the first or secoond skill. If you dont have any d6s, then what the hell are you doing playing this game?) This roll should be made by the DM, as the Shadow Servant has no real choice over what they remember, though on agreement the controlling player may do so instead. All Arts have a required Dexterity, if you do not meet the required Dexterity score, you do not gain the Art, and the roll is wasted.
Shadow Arts Table
1: Blurring speed: The Shadow Servant runs almost supernaturally quickly, blurring into an arrow-quick figure that moves all too fast for their enemies to track.
The Shadow Servants basic movement speed is doubled at no penalty. (Dexterity required: 14)
2: Great leap: The Shadow Servant uses the enemies around him as a springboard, striking as he bounds between them to finish in a high leap, mocking the enemy from out of range of their clawing, crude strikes.
At any point in time when the Shadow Servant is in combat, the Shadow Servant may take a Jump test to remove themselves from combat, at a standing start. Should they succeed, unless the enemy they were fighting has a reach higher than their jump distance, they may not be attacked for the remainder of that round. The ability may only be used every two rounds. This does not provoke an Attack of Oppurtunity, but may only be used once the Shadow Servant has attacked. (Dexterity required: 18 )
3: Endless fury: Driven by old wrongs and hatreds, the Shadow Servant strikes again and again and again, blades flashing over and over in an eyeblink to obliterate their foes in an orgy of blood-offerings to Khaine.
The Shadow Servant may make half again as many attacks as they have on their basic profile (Rounding down), these attacks may not be made with an off-hand weapon, and are not subject to any feats, Shadow Arts, or special abilities the Shadow Servant may have. These attacks will be made at the lowest bonus to hit listed on their basic profile. For example, a 6th level Shadow Servant with this Art would have one attack at a +6 attack bonus, and two at a +1 bonus. (Dexterity required: 18 )
4: Impossible accuracy: The Shadow Servants awareness of time itself is slowed as amounts of adrenaline that would kill normal people course through their veins, giving them the time to act out each strike in their head for greatest accuracy.
Shadow Servants with this Art may re-roll the dice for any of their basic attacks which miss. For example, a 6th level Shadow Servant with this art with a Sabre and an enchanted shortsword granting an extra attack (above and beyond being used as an off-hand weapon.) Could re-roll any missed attacks with the sabre, but not the shortsword. This may be used to ignore critical misses, however if used as such, only the critical miss may be re-rolled. You may not re-roll a re-roll. (Dexterity required: 22)
5: Inhuman reflexes: A Shadow Servant has acute senses, nigh-preturnatural reflexes, and do not feel shock. As such it is very dificult to catch them unuwares, or to hit them before they act.
A Shadow Servant may roll an extra dice and pick the highest for initiative. In addition, they may roll as normal for iniative at all times, even when Ambushed, though in such cases they do not get the extra dice.
In addition, they may ignore the penalties for the extra attacks granted by the Improved, and Greater Two-weapon fighting. (Dexterity required: 21)
6: Supernatural Agility: The Shadow Servant twists and contorts, sliding away from killing strikes like shifting sand. To try and land a blow upon them, is like trying to pin smoke to a wall.
If a Shadow servant is hit by a spell or an enemy strike that does not hit automatically (Such as Magic Missile) roll a d6. On a result of 4,5 or 6, the hit is ignored and no damage is taken. There is no limit to how many times this ability can be used, and it is counted as a free action. Damage must be automatic to disallow this, so something that that allows a saving throw to avoid damage can be saved by this. If it allows half damage or similar, then this ability may not be used. Also, note that as the Shadow Servant is concentrating so fully on darting aside, they count all incoming attacks as flanking, and halve any AC bonuses they might recieve from mundane sources (including the Dex bonus). (Dexterity required: 25)
7: Quickblood: The Shadow Servant coils around enemy strikes like smoke, directing them away with the barest glance from their weapon, appearing in one place for mere moments, then another, and another, until it seems they are a mere illusion. For surely, nothing can move that fast, can it?
As Supernatural Agility. If a Shadow Servant has both skills then the dice may be re-rolled, tough it still does not apply to attacks which automatically hit. (Dexterity required: 25)
8: Blink and youll miss them : A Shadow servant charges with impossible speed, closing the distance before an enemy has even registered they were there in the first place. Oftentimes, the only indication a Shadow Servant is even involved, is a slight blur, and wounds appearing with no apparent cause.
Unless the enemy wins the Iniative roll in combat, Shadow Servants never provoke Attacks of oppurtunity for any reason, except for the Break attack Art. (Dexterity required: 28 )
9: Break Attack: Running slightly off-center from the target, the Shadow Servant speeds past an enemy, slashing at them as they do so, disappearing again in a heartbeat, leaving behind a broken corpse as they move on.
A Shadow Servant with this Art can choose to move up to half their movement allowance into contact with an enemy, attack with up to half their total attacks (To a maximum of two with the primary weapon, and a third if they have an off-hand weapon) and then move the rest of their allowance. The enemy may not attack them if they choose to do this, however an iniative roll is made, and if the enemy succeeds the Shadow Servant provokes Attacks of Oppurtunity as normal. (Dexterity required: 22)
10: Inner Veil: Focussing the residual magics left behind by the agonising process of altering their bodies, a Shadow Servant sheets themselves in an arcane veil, hiding from mortal sight.
The Shadow Servant gains Invisiblity As a Spell-like ability, at half duration but with an instantaneous casting time, which they may cast twice a day as standard action. Any form of action other than movement (Including jumps, climbing and such) instantly cancels the effects, making the Shadow Servant fully visible again.(Dexterity required: 10)
11: Long time no see: Shadow Servants are often away from civilsation for long periods of time, or spend several years in harsh landscapes. In comparison to the horrer of their training, such things are easy enough.
Shadow Servants with this skill do not suffer penalties for resting in cold weather or uncomfortable ground or other such things, and roll two dice and pick the highest for Survival checks.
12: The Bell Tolls For Ye : A Shadow Servant is not a cloaked knife, but rather a blindingly efficient warrior, capable of impaling their enemies in one swift motion, slicing at exposed throats or darting to the enemies rear. Razor-keen weapons guide their will as they do not see the enemy, only the danger of enemy strikes to be dodged, and the soft exposed parts they can break.
The critical Threat range of the Shadow Servants primary (Not off-hand) weapon, is tripled. For example, a weapon with a critical Threat range of 18-20 would be tripled, to become 14-20. A Threat range may not be improved beyond 12-20. (Dexterity required: 30)