When it comes to rogue characters and Greyhawk, my thoughts ALWAYS go to one of two places: a halfing from the notorious Hardbuckle clan of Elmshire, or a female Rhennee from either the City of Greyhawk or the waters of the Nyr Dyv. I’ve played both quite a few times; in fact, a Hardbuckle perished outside the moathouse in Hommlet (swallowed by a giant frog) and another Hardbuckle helped liberate the people of Prinzfeld from the forces of Turrosh Mak. For this game, though, I wanted something a little more organic. I wanted a rogue who had been a part of the story from early on, rather than yet another character rescued from Divided’s Ire or the Crimson Fleet. I hit on the idea of Zan, yet, to the demise of the other members of the Jade Ravens. In order for Zan to join the crew of the Sea Wyvern, his adventuring companions needed to perish. So I hit on the idea of having them die during their confinement in Scuttlecove, and Zan joining the crew in honor of both his patron Lavinia and the sacrifice the Jade Ravens made for her.
Zan
Male half-elf rogue 20
N Medium humanoid (elf, human)
Init +10; Senses low-light vision; Perception +24 (+34 to locate traps)
DEFENSE
AC 43, touch 25, flat-footed – (+7 armor,+4 deflection, +10 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural, +6 shield)
hp 238 (20d8 +120)
Fort +17, Ref +26, Will +12; +2 vs. enchantments
Defensive Abilities improved evasion, trap sense +6, improved uncanny dodge
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee +5 cold iron demon bane holy keen rapier +32/+27/+22 (1d6 +8/15-20/x2, plus 2d6 vs. demons, 2d6 vs. evil), or sunblade +29/+24/+19 (1d10 +7)
Ranged +5 cold iron returning seeking dagger +30 (1d4 +8)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks master strike (DC 22), sneak attack +10d6
STATISTICS
Str 16, Dex 31, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 12
Base Atk +15; CMB +18; CMD 38
Feats Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Rapscallion, Spring Attack, Vital Strike, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +39 (Jump+39), Appraise +23, Bluff +18, Climb +6, Diplomacy +16, Disable Device +54, Disguise +9, Escape Artist +40, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +19, Knowledge (local, Sasserine) +13, Linguistics +7, Sense Motive +10, Sleight of Hand +34, Stealth +49, Swim +4, Use Magic Device +26
Languages Common, Elven, Keoish, Olman
SQ elf blood, rogue talents (bleeding attack, defensive roll, fast stealth, finesse rogue, improved evasion, opportunist, quick disable, resiliency, skill mastery [Acrobatics, Climb, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Stealth], surprise attack), trapfinding+10
Combat Gear ring of blinking; Other Gear +5 greater shadow catskin leather armor, +5 darkwood buckler, +5 cold iron demon bane holy keen rapier, +5 cold iron returning seeking dagger, sunblade, amulet of natural armor +5, belt of physical perfection +6, boots of striding and springing, cloak of resistance +5, glove of storing, goggles of minute seeing, handy haversack, luckstone, luminous lockpicks, ring of feather fall, ring of protection +4, vest of escape
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Bleeding Attack (Ex): A rogue with this ability can cause living opponents to bleed by hitting them with a sneak attack. This attack causes the target to take 1 additional point of damage each round for each die of the rogue’s sneak attack (e.g., 4d6 equals 4 points of bleed). Bleeding creatures take that amount of damage every round at the start of each of their turns. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or the application of any effect that heals hit point damage. Bleeding damage from this ability does not stack with itself. Bleeding damage bypasses any damage reduction the creature might possess.
Defensive Roll (Ex): With this advanced talent, the rogue can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it than she otherwise would. Once per day, when she would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the rogue can attempt to roll with the damage. To use this ability, the rogue must attempt a Ref lex saving throw (DC = damage dealt). If the save succeeds, she takes only half damage from the blow; if it fails, she takes full damage. She must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute her defensive roll—if she is denied her Dexterity bonus to AC, she can’t use this ability. Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, the rogue’s evasion ability does not apply to the defensive roll.
Fast Stealth (Ex): This ability allows a rogue to move at full speed using the Stealth skill without penalty.
Finesse Rogue: A rogue that selects this talent gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat.
Improved Evasion (Ex): This works like evasion, except that while the rogue still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless rogue does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.
Malcanthet’s Kiss: This boon grants the target a +4 profane bonus on any one ability score of the target’s choice and a +4 profane bonus on all saving throws. Malcanthet’s symbol, a pair of feminine lips pierced with a spike, appears on the target’s body as a crimson birthmark or tattoo that is invisible to the recipient. The queen’s kiss remains active for as long as the recipient lives, fading only upon death (it does not reappear if the recipient is then brought back to life). As long as this boon is in effect, Malcanthet can monitor that character’s condition and location as if she had placed a status spell on that character, even across planes. She can communicate telepathically with the character at all times, and by concentrating can observe the world around the character as if she were there in his place. While concentrating in this manner, Malcanthet may use any of her spell-like abilities through the recipient so they manifest as if the recipient had used the ability himself. At any time, as a free action, Malcanthet can cause the mark to tear bloodily from the recipient and fade away, leaving an ugly red scar in its wake. This deals 2d6 points of Charisma drain on the victim and removes the profane bonus to his ability score and saving throws, but does not disrupt Malcanthet’s link to the character – she can still monitor and use him as detailed above. Removing the mark (or the scar) is possible with a dispel chaos or dispel evil spell. Accepting the queen’s kiss is a chaotic and evil act. Malcanthet can bestow this boon on up to 13 mortals at any one time (10th level thralls of Malcantht do not count against this limit). A creature can resist the kiss with a DC 43 Will save. The save DC is Charisma based.
Master Strike (Ex): Upon reaching 20th level, a rogue becomes incredibly deadly when dealing sneak attack damage. Each time the rogue deals sneak attack damage, she can choose one of the following three effects: the target can be put to sleep for 1d4 hours, paralyzed for 2d6 rounds, or slain. Regardless of the effect chosen, the target receives a Fortitude save to negate the additional effect. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the rogue’s level + the rogue’s Intelligence modifier. Once a creature has been the target of a master strike, regardless of whether or not the save is made, that creature is immune to that rogue’s master strike for 24 hours. Creatures that are immune to sneak attack damage are also immune to this ability.
Opportunist (Ex): Once per round, the rogue can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack counts as an attack of opportunity for that round. Even a rogue with the Combat Ref lexes feat can’t use the opportunist ability more than once per round.
Quick Disable (Ex): It takes a rogue with this ability half the normal amount of time to disable a trap using the Disable Device skill (minimum 1 round).
Resiliency (Ex): Once per day, a rogue with this ability can gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the rogue’s level. Activating this ability is an immediate action that can only be performed when she is brought to below 0 hit points. This ability can be used to prevent her from dying. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute. If the rogue’s hit points drop below 0 due to the loss of these temporary hit points, she falls unconscious and is dying as normal.
Skill Mastery: The rogue becomes so confident in the use of certain skills that she can use them reliably even under adverse conditions. Upon gaining this ability, she selects a number of skills equal to 3 + her Intelligence modifier. When making a skill check with one of these skills, she may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so. A rogue may gain this special ability multiple times, selecting additional skills for skill mastery to apply to each time.
Surprise Attack (Ex): During the surprise round, opponents are always considered flat-footed to a rogue with this ability, even if they have already acted.
Zan was a member of the Jade Ravens until that group perished during a failed attempt to rescue Lavinia Vanderboren from the clutches of her brother Vanthus and the Crimson Fleet. To honor their memory and to stay loyal to Lavinia, as well as to defeat Demogorgon in order to retain the Balance, Zan joined the crew of the Sea Wyvern.