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Master at Arms
• Shatterskull Adept •
Written and Created by
Aeryn “Blackdirge” Rudel
Editing/Proofreading
John Ball
Illustrations
Jesse Mohn
Graphic Design & Layout
Erik Nowak
SkeletonKey Staff
Edward Bourelle & Art Braune
Reference to other copyrighted material in no way constitutes a challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material.
Blackdirge Publishing, and the Blackdirge Publishing logo are trademarks of Aeryn Rudel. SkeletonKey Games and the
SkeletonKey Games logo are Trademarks of Edward Bourelle and are used with permission. All rights reserved.
Dungeons & Dragons and Wizards of the Coast are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
in the United States and other countries and are used with permission.
‘d20 System’ and the d20 System logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
in the United States and other countries and are used with permission.
The following is designated as Open Game Content: all rules and stat blocks (but not the proper names of characters
and places or their backgrounds). To be clear, the
Master at Arms
property is CLOSED. None of the character names,
backgrounds, place names, stories, or any other part of the
Master at Arms
product is open content.
Published by SkeletonKey Games. • www.skeletonkeygames.com
info@skeletonkeygames.com
n
publishing
GAMES
Master at Arms
• Skullshatter Adept •
Design Notes
The heavy mace and morningstar are very similar weapons,
and their use in combat, along with the type of injuries they
would have inflicted, would probably not have differed too
much. The prestige class I created for warriors specializing in
these specific implements of war revolves around the simple,
unsubtle nature of heavy bludgeoning weapons. Wounds
inflicted by maces and morningstars would have certainly
included shattered bones, fractured skulls, and terrible internal
injuries, and almost all of the abilities of the shatterskull adept
stem from these images.
Although I designed it for the heavy mace and
morningstar, the shatterskull adept can easily work with other,
more sophisticated bludgeoning weapons. Warhammers,
mauls, and even flails would not be out of place in the hands
of a shatterskull adept, and the abilities of the class would
certainly be useful to warriors specializing in the use of
such weapons.
Heavy Mace,
Morningstar
Shatterskull
Adept
Historical Perspective
The mace is likely the first weapon designed by humans
specifically for use against each other. The first maces appeared
around 12,000 B.C., featuring stone heads upon wooden shafts,
and were occasionally studded with bits of flint or obsidian.
The Bronze Age heralded the creation of the first metal maces,
and the weapons were popular with cultures unable to produce
sturdy metal blades.
The mace fell out of general use in the Iron Age, supplanted
by swords and axes, which became easier to make. Innovations
in armor brought the mace back into popularity in the Middle
Ages. Chain mail and plate were effective against blows from
edged weapons, but proved vulnerable to the armor-smashing
capabilities of maces, hammers, and other bludgeoning
implements. The size of the mace varied considerably during
the Middle Ages, anywhere from two to three feet in length
for footmen, while longer maces, better designed for delivering
blows from horseback, were reserved for cavalrymen. Since
maces were cheap and easy to produce, they were quite common
with peasant and conscript armies.
Improvements upon the mace’s general design included
adding spikes or flanges, making the weapon more effective
at penetrating armor. The morningstar is an example of this
evolution, and it came into widespread use around the beginning
of the fourteenth century. There are a number of different styles
of morning star, but all retain the basic principle of a spiked
steel head on a wooden or steel shaft. One of the most popular
examples of the morningstar is called a “holy water sprinkler”
because of its similarity to the religious item of the same name.
A famous example of the holy water sprinkler can be found in
The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. The Leeds weapon is
massive, over five feet in length, with a steel head possessing six
flanges forming three spikes each, which is fitted onto a wooden
shaft, reinforced with languets. The impact of such a weapon
would have been devastating, and one can easily imagine the
terrible wounds it would have inflicted.
Class Overview
Battle is a complex melody with wide and varied notes,
each representing an individual warrior’s personal style and
choice of weapon. To some, the sweetest tune is played with
the blurred impact of weighted steel and the bone-shattering
crunch that follows. Warriors that specialize in the uncouth
brutality of the heavy mace and morningstar are typically as
simple and direct as the weapons they wield. However, some
of these warriors have mastered the unsubtle nature of their
chosen weapon and learned a lethal, if somewhat clumsy, dance
of destruction. These masters of impact are called shatterskull
adepts, and as their name implies, splintered bones and shattered
skulls are their hallmark.
The majority of shatterskull adepts are culled from the
ranks of fighters, relying on the bonus feats offered by the class
to increase their overall combat effectiveness. Next to fighters,
barbarians are the most common starting point for those wishing
to enter the prestige class, and although they lack the feats of
their more disciplined brethren, the barbarian’s rage and larger
Hit Die can more than make up for the lack of versatility. The
remaining martial classes, the ranger and paladin, rarely follow
the unsophisticated path of the shatterskull adept, preferring
more civilized, or at least less conspicuous, methods of
dispatching their foes. Of the other classes, only the occasional
cleric of especially brutal war deities ever finds the shatterskull
adept a tempting choice.
NPC shatterskull adepts are often lone mercenaries, or if
evil, brigands. Of the standard races that take up the prestige
class, half-orcs and dwarves are the most common, with the
ever-versatile human rounding out the ranks. Savage races, such
as orc, gnolls, and evil giants occasionally become shatterskull
adepts, making good use of their great strength and general
propensity towards brutality.
2
Master at Arms
• Skullshatter Adept •
S
KULLSHATTER
A
DEPT
E
NTRY
R
EQUIREMENTS
Hit Die:
d10
Class Skills:
Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha),
Jump (Str), Profession (Wis), and Swim (Str)
Skill points at each level:
2 + Int modifier
Base Attack Bonus:
+5
Feats:
Power Attack, Weapon Focus (heavy mace
or morningstar)
Base
Attack
Bonus
Fort
Save
Ref
Save
Will
Save
Fighter Feat
Advancement
+1 level
+1 level
+1 level
+1 level
+1 level
Level
Special
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
+1
+2
+3
+4
+5
+2
+3
+3
+4
+4
+0
+0
+1
+1
+1
+0
+0
+1
+1
+1
Mighty Impact, Bone-Shattering Strike 1/day
Power Smash, Bonus Feat
Bone-Shattering Strike 2/day
Crushing Critical, Bonus Feat
Bone Shattering Strike 3/day
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
A shatterskull adept
is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor,
and shields.
Fighter Feat Advancement:
At each shatterskull adept
level the character is considered to have gained one level of
fighter for the purposes of qualifying for specific fighter feats,
such as Weapon Specialization. He does not, however, gain any
other benefit a character of the fighter class would have gained,
except for access to feats. For example, a character with 7 levels
of fighter and 5 levels of shatterskull adept would have 12 total
fighter levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats, and could
take the Greater Weapon Specialization feat, normally only
available to characters with 12 true levels of fighter.
Mighty Impact (Ex):
The shatterskull adept’s skill with
his chosen weapon is especially lethal to creatures specifically
vulnerable to bludgeoning damage. Any creature with damage
reduction that can be overcome with bludgeoning attacks suffers
double damage from the shatterskull adept’s heavy mace or
morning star.
Power Smash (Ex):
Starting at 2nd level, when using
the Power Attack feat with a heavy mace or morningstar, and
wielding the weapon in one hand, the shatterskull adept adds
1.5 times the number subtracted from his attack roll (rounding
down) to the damage roll.
Bonus Feat:
At 2nd and 4th level the shatterskull adept
may choose any one feat from the fighter bonus feat list. He
must still meet any prerequisites for these bonus feats, including
levels of fighter for the Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon
Focus, and Greater Weapon Specialization feats.
Bone-Shattering Strike (Ex):
The shatterskull adept can
crush bones with ease, letting the brutal nature of his chosen
weapon do what it does best. Once per day at 1st level, as a
standard action, the shatterskull adept can target a specific area
of an opponent’s body with an attack from his heavy mace or
morningstar. If the attack is successful, he deals normal damage
and forces the target to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC =
10 + shatterskull adept’s level + shatterskull adept’s Strength
modifier) or suffer one of the effects listed below, based on the
area struck. The shatterskull adept can only target the areas
listed below for use with bone-shattering strike. The shatterskull
adept can use bone-shattering strike one additional time per day
at 3rd and 5th level.
Arm:
The shatterskull adept targets one of his opponent’s
arms, shattering the elbow or shoulder. A failed save means the
target can no longer use the affected arm to wield a weapon or
support a shield. In addition, spells with a somatic component
cast with the affected arm suffer a 20% chance of spell failure.
Leg:
The shatterskull adept targets one of his opponent’s
legs, crushing the knee, or possibly the hip joint. A failed save
reduces the target’s base speed by half (which may be further
reduced by armor or encumbrance). In addition, the target may
not run or use the Jump skill.
Torso:
The shatterskull adept targets his opponent’s torso,
staving in ribs or damaging organs. A failed save means the
target is in excruciating pain and can only perform a single
move action or standard action each round.
Skull:
The shatterskull adept targets his opponent’s head,
fracturing his skull. A failed save stuns the target for 1d2 rounds,
and makes spellcasting and any other ability that requires
3
Master at Arms
• Skullshatter Adept •
E
DREK
O
RCSUNDER
(CR 10)
concentration very difficult. The target suffers a –5 penalty to all
skills requiring concentration and a 25% chance of spell failure.
Face/Jaw:
The shatterskull adept targets the victim’s face,
shattering his jaw and likely most of his teeth. A failed save
makes speech very difficult and imposes a –10 penalty to any
skill that requires speech, such as Diplomacy or certain uses of
the Perform skill. In addition, spells with a verbal component
are subject to a 50% chance of spell failure.
All of the effects detailed above can be negated with the
application of healing magic sufficient to heal the damage dealt
by the bone-shattering strike. If healing magic is unavailable,
these conditions can be treated with the successful use of the
Heal skill (DC = 5 + damage dealt), although such care requires
10 minutes of uninterrupted work.
Crushing Critical (Ex):
Starting at 4th level, when the
shatterskull adept scores a critical hit with a heavy mace or
morningstar, he deals triple damage, increasing the critical
multiplier from x2 to x3.
Male Dwarven Fighter 5/Shatterskull Adept 5
CN Medium Humanoid
Init
+0;
Senses
darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages
Common, Dwarven, Orc
AC
23, touch 10, flat-footed 23
(+10 armor, +3 shield)
hp
95 (10 HD)
Resist
dwarven traits
Fort
+11,
Ref
+2,
Will
+5
Speed
20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee*
+2 heavy mace
+14/+9 (1d8+14/19-20 x3)
*Includes 4 point Power Attack
Ranged
light hammer +10 (1d6+4/x2)
Space
5 ft.;
Reach
5 ft.
Base Atk
+10;
Grapple
+14
Atk Options
Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush,
Improved Sunder, Power Attack, bone-shattering
strike 3/day, power smash
Combat Gear
potion of cure moderate wounds
(2)
Abilities
Str 19, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 6
SQ
crushing critical, dwarven traits, fighter feat
advancement, mighty impact
Feats
Cleave, Great Cleave, Greater Weapon Focus
(heavy mace), Improved Critical (heavy mace),
Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon
Focus (heavy mace), Weapon Specialization
(heavy mace)
Skills
Appraise +1 (+5 weapons), Climb +8*, Craft
(weaponsmith) +13, Intimidate +7, Jump +2*
*Includes –6 armor check penalty
Possessions
+2 heavy mace, +1 full plate, +1 heavy
steel shield, gauntlets of ogre power,
3 light hammers
Bone-Shattering Strike (Ex):
Three times per day, as a
standard action, Edrek can target a specific area of an
opponent’s body with an attack from his heavy mace.
If the attack is successful, he deals normal damage
and forces the target to make a Fortitude saving throw
(DC 19) or suffer one of the effects listed below, based
on the area struck. Edrek can only target the areas
listed below for use with bone-shattering strike.
Arm:
Edrek targets one of his opponent’s arms,
shattering the elbow or shoulder. A failed save means
the target can no longer use the affected arm to wield
a weapon or support a shield. In addition, spells with
a somatic component cast with the affected arm
suffer a 20% chance of spell failure.
Leg:
Edrek targets one of his opponent’s legs, crushing
4
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