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 . They are also written so that they can be used as either NPCs or PCs .
Akiva Nightshade CR 2
XP 600
Female (nightblade 3)
N Medium humanoid (human)
Init ; Senses darkvision 30 ft.; Perception +6
DEFENSE
AC 14 ,12 touch,12 flat-footed 1 (10 +2 armor, +2 Dex )
hp 21 (15 class (3d8) +3 (favored class bonus) +3 Constitution)
Fort +2 , Ref +5 , Will +3
Defensive Abilities
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Masterwork short sword +6 1d6+1 19-20/x2
Ranged shortbow +4 1d6+1 x2
Nightblade Spells known (concentration +5)
1st (4/day)- chill touch, grasp of darkness, ray of enfeeblement, vanish
0 (/day)- bleed, detect magic, haunted fey aspect, snuff, touch of fatigue
TACTICS
During Combat.
Akiva prefers to make use of darkness and stealth, opening combat by snuffing out any non-magical light sources in the area or embracing her veil of darkness before attacking. She uses her spells to weaken or disable stronger opponents, before finishing them off with her weapons.
STATISTICS
Str 12( +1), Dex 14(+2 ), Con 13(+1 ), Int 10 , Wis 10 , Cha 15 (+2 )
Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 15
Feats Armor Proficiency (Light), Blind-Fight, Extra Nightblade Art, Simple Weapon Proficiency*, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus(short sword)
Skills Stealth +8, Spellcraft +6
Languages Common
Gear backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a flint and steel, leather armor, masterwork short sword, shortbow, trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin. Coins 9 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
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Akiva is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, scythe, short sword, shortbow, and spiked chain. She is proficient with light armor, but not with shields. Akiva can cast nightblade spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like other arcane spellcasters, while wearing medium or heavy armor or wielding a shield, she incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has somatic components.
Spellcasting
Akiva casts arcane spells drawn from the nightblade spell list. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. She need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not used up her allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level.
Cantrips (Sp)
Akiva knows a number of cantrips, that she casts as she does regular spells, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.
Path
Nightblade Path: Path of the Twilight Veil
Path Power: Akiva follows the Path of the Twilight Veil possessing the following path power.
Distorting Shadows (Su)
As a standard action, Akiva can designate a point in space within 50 feet to conjure distorting shadows. The distorting shadows swirl around that point in a 20-foot radius spread, affecting any creatures within or entering the area. Any creature that enters the area of her distorting shadows or starts its turn within the area must make a Will save or be affected by the shadows, which causes a random effect as shown on Table: Distorting Shadows Effects. Each creature must make this save every round they remain in the area or suffer another randomly determined effect.
| d6/d8 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | The shadows make the creature feel uneasy, sickening it for 1 minute. This duration does not stack. |
| 2 | The shadows make the creature feel unusually tired, causing it to be fatigued for 2d4 rounds. This effect does not stack and is removed at the end of the duration. At 10th level, the creature is exhausted for the duration instead. |
| 3 | The pattern assaults the creature’s senses, blinding or deafening it (your choice) for 1 round. |
| 4 | The distracting patterns throw the creature off balance, staggering it for 1 round. |
| 5 | The creature cannot focus on any tasks, dazing it for 1 round. |
| 6 | The shadows confuse the creature for 1 round. |
| 7 | The distortions are overwhelming, stunning the creature for 1 round. |
| 8 | The creature falls unconscious for 1 round. Only living creatures can fall unconscious; nonliving creatures are stunned instead. |
The Hit Dice of the creature being affected determines what effects can be applied to the creature. If the creature has less than 6 Hit Dice, roll 1d8 to determine what effect is applied to it from Table: Distorting Shadows Effects. If the creature has more Hit Dice than that, roll 1d6 to determine what effect is applied to it from Table: Distorting Shadows Effects. You must roll separately for each creature affected.
Distorting shadows lasts for 4 rounds. She can dismiss it early as a standard action. Akiva is immune to the effects of her distorting shadows. Sightless creatures are unaffected by distorting shadows. This is a mind-affecting pattern effect.
Shadow Surge (Su)
Akiva possesses the ability to create a condensed reserve of energy from the Plane of Shadow which she can expend to great effect, but creating the reserve takes effort. She can spend a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity to gain a single shadow surge. When she does this, her shadow becomes darker and more distinct as it is infused with the planar energy.
The shadow surge is an expendable resource that she can use to fuel her various abilities. She cannot have more than one surge at a time, but there is otherwise no limitation on how many times a day she can create or use shadow surges. She has these surges indefinitely until she expends them, though she loses her surges if she is ever unconscious, asleep, or killed.
Akiva can expend a shadow surge as a free action when making a Stealth check to enshroud herself in darkness, letting her roll twice and take the better result.
Surge Ability
As a follower of the Path of the Twilight Veil, she gains additional abilities to use with her shadow surge class feature.
Veil of Darkness (Sp)
Akiva can expend a shadow surge as a move action to disappear for three rounds, as the spell invisibility. She cannot regain shadow surges until the invisibility ends.
Extended Illusions (Su)
Any illusion spell Akiva casts with a duration of “concentration” lasts an additional round after she stops maintaining concentration.
Evasion (Ex)
Akiva can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if she is wearing light armor or no armor. When helpless she does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Nightblade Art
Akiva knows a number of techniques and powers that enhance her combat skill and shadow magic.
Shrouded Casting (Su)
Akiva can use shadow magic to hide the fact she is casting a spell. By spending a shadow surge as a swift action when casting a spell, she can make a Sleight of Hand or Bluff check to hide her casting. Observers must make an opposed Perception check (if she used Sleight of Hand) or a Sense Motive check (if she used Bluff) to realize she is casting a spell. Using this ability with a spell that has a clear effect and origin, such as a burning hands spell, provides no benefit.
Shade Inoculation (Su)
Akiva can make her allies immune to the effects of her distorting shadows. When she uses her distorting shadows ability, she can designate two creatures to be unaffected by the distorting shadows.
About
Akiva’s natural affinity for the shadows and skill with a blade, made her the perfect student for her master, a refugee blade master from the Plane of Shadows, seeking to ensure that his art did not die with him. It was through her teacher that she was indoctrinated into the Shadow-Walkers.
