SYLVAN SLAYER

[The Hive Mind]

Sunulael’s damned zombies better get here soon. At least the elves can’t kill them in their sleep. —Grial Fey-Killer during the Fachtendom offensive

Slayers haunt the woods and mountains of Eredane, setting traps for the Shadow’s forces and slow- ing their assault into the heart of the elven woodlands. Most who follow this tradition are Caransil caught in the middle of the last war with Izrador, but others have begun to learn their secrets so that, even if Caradul were to fall, the rebels could fight on.


Sylvan Slayers as characters

Sylvan slayers are fearless and canny trackers who devise ingenious and deadly ways to stall the armies of the dark god. Much like the dire blades of the Erunsil, they are often a last defense against an oncom- ing horde, and they use every tool the land affords them to save their people. Sylvan slayers see death often, and see their own potential death as simply part of a cycle, both of nature and of war. They therefore think nothing of building traps in enemy territory or sneaking into an enemy encampment to assassinate a commander. Every dead orc is a notch in the belt, and a diseased enemy encamp- ment is worth a few arcs searching for poisonous fungi behind enemy lines. While the Caraheen see the need for these dark spectres of the woodlands and applaud their courage, their fascination with death and the seem- ing bloodlust with which they deal it causes most other elves to be withdrawn and uncomfortable around them. This only adds to the sylvan slayers’already pronounced detachment from their kin. To compensate for their aloneness, sylvan slayers often attempt riskier and riski- er ventures until they are caught or killed. The savage orcs have no defense against the silent blades of these feared killers, and so the punishment when they are caught is a slow, brutal, and ultimately deadly repay- ment for the terror they sow.

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

Skills: Craft (trapmaking) 5 ranks, Hide 8 ranks, Search 8 ranks, Survival 8 ranks.
Feats: Track.
Special: Sneak attack +3d6, any two wildlander traits. The character must originate from either a mountainous or woodland terrain.

Class Level / Base Attack Bonus / Fort Save / Ref Save / Will Save / Special
1st --------------+0 --------------+2 -------+0 ------+0 ----Wild trapping
2nd --------------+1 --------------+3 -------+0 ------+0 ----Disease use, sneak attack +1d6
3rd --------------+2 --------------+3 -------+1 ------+1 ----Woodland stride
4th --------------+3 --------------+4 -------+1 ------+1 ----Sneak attack +2d6
5th --------------+3 --------------+4 -------+1 ------+1 ----Death attack
6th --------------+4 --------------+5 -------+2 ------+2 ----Poison use, sneak attack +3d6
7th --------------+5 --------------+5 -------+2 ------+2 ----Misdirection
8th --------------+6 --------------+6 -------+2 ------+2 ----Sneak attack +4d6
9th --------------+7 --------------+6 -------+3 ------+3 ----Sylvan camouflage
10th --------------+7 --------------+7 -------+3 ------+3 ----Sneak attack +5d6

Class Skills: Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature)(Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Speak Language (n/a), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sylvan slayers are proficient in all simple and martial weapons, and in light armor.

Wild Trapping: The sylvan slayer learns to build deadly traps out of the natural tools available to him in the mountains and woodlands of his home. He can build any trap that could be made with the equipment he carries plus things to be found in nature. The maximum CR of any trap he builds can be found on the class advancement table.

Building a trap costs the character no money, but takes 20 minutes per CR of the trap. He can reduce the time neccassary with a DC 15 Craft (trapmaking) check; for every 5 points by which the characetr exceeds the DC, reduce the time needed by 10 minutes, with a minimum of 10 minutes neccessary to build a trap. (Pit traps are an exception to this rule. The DM may rule that the character can find a natural deadfall or pit and cover it, in which case the normal rules apply. If not, and if the terrain is suitable for digging, then it requires 4 man-hours of work to dig a 10 ft. x 10. ft. pit to a depth of 10 feet.)

See the SRD for sample traps. Any poison or disease listed for each trap must be found seperately (see below).

Sneak Attack (Ex): This ability functions like, and stacks with, the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by 1d6 points at 2nd level and by another 16d at every other level thereafter.

Disease Use (Ex): The sylvan slayer learns to gather and use virulent or diseased plant and animal matter in his traps. With a successful Survival check (DC equal to 5 + disease's save DC) and 1 hour of searching per DC of the disease above 10, the sylvan slayer can find enough diseased matter to coat a single wild trap element or weapon. For every 5 points of the check above the disease's DC, the sylvan slayer finds enough diseased material to coat another element of a trap or another weapon. The sylvan slayer can search for such material while he is on the move (thus saving search time), but this adds 10 to the Survival DC to find it.

Trap elements or weapons coated with diseased material remain contagious for a number of days equal to one-half the sylvan slayer's class level (round down). The sylvan slayer is not at risk of catching the disease that he is handling.

Woodland Stride (Ex): This ability works exactly like the druid ability of the same name.

Death Attack (Ex): If a sylvan slayer studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee or ranged weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (sylvan slayer's choice). While studying the victim, the sylvan slayer can undertake other actions so long as his attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the sylvan slayer or recognize the sylvan slayer as an enemy. If the victim of such an attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the sylvan slayer's class level + the sylvan slayer's Int modifier) against the kill effect, he dies. If the saving throw fails against the paraylsis effect, the victim is rendered helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per class level of the sylvan slayer. If the victim's saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. Once the sylvan slayer has completed the 3 rounds of study, he must attack within the next 3 rounds.

If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes his save) or if the sylvan slayer does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before he can attempt another death attack.

Poison Use (Ex): At 5th level, the sylvan slayer learns to gather and use natural venoms without harming himself. With a successful Survival check (DC equal to 5 + poison's save DC) and 1 hour searching per DC of the poison above 10, the sylvan slayer can find enough poison to coat a single wild trap element or weapon. For every 5 points the check above the poison's DC, the sylvan slayer finds enough poison to coat another element of a trap or weapon. The sylvan slayer can search for such material while he is on the move (thus saving search time), but this adds 10 to the Survival DC to find it.

Trap elements or weapons coated with poison remain poisonous for a number of days equal to one-half sylvan slayer's class level (rounded down). The sylvan slayer is not at risk of poisoning himself when handling poison.

Misdirection (Ex): Beginning at 7th level, when hiding his trail, the sylvan slayer learns to leave false tracks to lead his enemies into traps he sets. If someone tracking the sylvan slayer fails by an amount greater than the DC modifier the sylvan slayer's trail hiding caused, that character has stumbled upon a false trail left by the sylvan slayer. The false trail can lead in any direction the sylvan slayer designates for up to 50 feet before the trail runs cold (or a trap is sprung).

Sylvan Camouflage (Su): At 9th level, when in a temperate forest, a sylvan slayer can use the Hide skill even while being observed and even if there is nothing to actually hide behind.