For our next Creative Character group, we’ll take a look at The Shadow-walkers, a mercenary unit specializing in operating under cover of darkness.
For the sake of reference, and consistency, all characters here are created with the Elite stat array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) and all hit points are rolled as averages (and rounded down). They are also written so that they can be used as either NPCs or PCs as the reader chooses, and are written with all special abilities typed out, so as to ensure a minimum amount of book-flipping throughout your game. And now for our next member, the thing that goes bump in the night.
Kryxx-Noss, the Unseen (AKA Delenn’s Shadow) CR 2
XP 600
Male astomoi sorcerer 3 (shadow bloodline)
N Medium humanoid (astomoi)
Init +4; Senses telepathy (as darkvision 60 ft.), scent; Perception +5
DEFENSE
AC 12, touch, 12 flat-footed 10 (10 + armor, +2 Dex)
hp 15 (12 class (3d6) +3 (favored class bonus) +0 Constitution)
Fort +1 (-1 vs disease and inhaled poisons) , Ref +3 , Will +5
Defensive Abilities cold resistance 5
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Ranged lash of shadows +3 1d6+1 (cold) 30 ft.
Sorcerer Spells known (concentration +5)
1st (4/day)—magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, shadow hands* (DC 14), shadow trap (DC 14)
0 (/day)—dancing shadows, false blink, phantasmal tripwire (DC 12), shadow snag (DC 13), spook animal
Bloodline: Shadow
Bonus Spells: shadow hands* (3rd), shadow jump* (5th), deeper darkness (7th), shadow conjuration (9th), shadow evocation (11th), shadow walk (13th), project image (15th), greater shadow evocation (17th), shades (19th).
TACTICS
During Combat Kryxx-Noss waits for his companions to lure opponents within range, most often striking unseen from within total darkness. His moniker derives from this tactic and the scenarios in which his opponents rarely know exactly who or what is attacking them.
STATISTICS
Str 8( -1), Dex 14(+2 ), Con 10(+0 ), Int 12 (+1) , Wis 15 (+2) , Cha 15 (+2 )
Base Atk +1; CMB +0; CMD 11
Feats Eschew Materials, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Skill Focus (Stealth), Tenebrous Spell
Skills Stealth +11, Knowledge (Arcana) +6
Languages Common
Gear 3 gp, 2 sp, (these remaining coins can be spent at the GM or player’s discretion before the start of the game session).
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Bloodline Arcana
Krypnos increases the spell’s DC of spells he casts with the [shadow] descriptor by +1.
Lash of Shadows (Sp)
Kryxx-Noss can summon a shadowy whip for one round to attack his enemies as a standard action, targeting any foe within 30 ft. as a ranged touch attack. The lash deals 1d6+1 hp cold damage. He can use this ability 5 times per day.
Cloak of Shadows (Ex)
Kryxx-Noss gain resist cold 5 and a +2 bonus on initiative checks.
Mouthless: Astomoi don’t need to eat or drink to survive. Instead, they absorb the essence of food and drink; this consumes the nutrients of the meal as though it had been eaten, rendering the food useless to others. Astomoi consume potions and other ingested materials in the same fashion. Since they never actually ingest anything, they can’t normally be exposed to ingested poisons.
Scent: Astomoi have the scent special ability.
Sensitive Breath: Astomoi take a –2 penalty on saving throws against disease and inhaled poisons
Telepathic Senses: Astomoi can’t speak or see, but can mentally sense the area within 60 feet, as per darkvision, and can speak telepathically. An astomoi can’t see anything beyond 60 feet. An astomoi must provide thought components for spells that normally require verbal components. It can use language-dependent abilities with its telepathy, but not abilities that depend on audible components.
Languages: Astomoi begin play knowing Common, but as they have no mouths, they cannot speak. They have telepathy with a range of 100 feet.
ABOUT
As a denizen of the Plane of Shadow, little is known of how the bond forged between Kryxx-Noss and the Shadow Walkers’ leader Delenn, or what their connection might be, other than the fact that where one goes, the other inevitable follows, often unseen until it is too late.
A loyal, if secretive, member of the Shadow-Walkers, he inspires fear in his enemies, and confidence in his allies, with the constant knowledge his presence, ominous though it may be.