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Perilous
Gateways
The
Trail of Tears
By Eric L. Boyd

The
swordwraith template and sample swordwraith first appeared in the Living
Greyhawk Journal, Volume 1, Issue 3, and,
with the exception of the In The Realms section, is the creation of Sean
K Reynolds.
Swordwraith
(Template)
Some
mercenaries are so dedicated to a life of war that they rise from death
to continue the battle, prowling the site of their deaths or the places
of their burial and looking for foes to put to the sword.
Swordwraiths
appear similar to how they did in life, although their equipment is more
battered and their flesh appears insubstantial. In dim light or darkness,
their eyes glow dimly. As most in a particular band come from the same
mercenary company, they usually bear the same insignia.
Swordwraiths
speak any languages they knew in life. Some have been willing to parley
with those they consider their military equal.
Creating
a Swordwraith
Swordwraith
is a template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid
creature with levels in fighter (referred to hereafter as the "base
creature"). The creature's type changes to "undead." It
uses all of the base creature's statistics and special abilities except
as noted here.
Hit
Dice: Increase to d12.
Speed:
As the base creature.
AC:
Same as the base creature.
Special
Attacks: A swordwraith retains all of the special attacks of the base
creature and also gains the following attack:
Strength
Damage (Su): A creature struck by a swordwraith's melee weapon takes
1 point of temporary Strength damage.
Special
Qualities: A swordwraith retains of the special qualities of the base
creature and also gains the following:
Damage
Reduction (Su): A swordwraith's insubstantial-appearing body is tough,
giving the creature damage reduction 10/+2. Despite their appearance,
swordwraiths are not incorporeal.
Turn
Resistance (Ex): A swordwraith has turn resistance +2.
Saves:
Same as the base creature.
Abilities:
Same as the base creature. As undead creatures, swordwraiths have no Constitution
score.
Skills:
Swordwraiths receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks.
Feats:
Swordwraiths gain the Alertness and Iron Will feats.
Climate/Terrain:
Company (2-8) or squadron (11-20 plus leader 1-4 levels higher)
Challenge
Rating: Same as the base creature +2.
Treasure:
Standard
Alignment:
Usually lawful evil
Advancement:
By character class
In
the Realms
Companies
of swordwraiths that continue to fight long-forgotten battles have long
haunted the Fields of the Dead, and woe betides the unwary traveler who
stumbles on to the field of battle. Some 200 of their number have been
organized in recent years by members of Velsharoon's clergy into an order
of knights known as the Order of One Thousand Nightmares. The ranks of
these nightmare-riding undead knights continue to grow, but the aims of
their necromancer masters remain unknown.
Sample:
Male swordwraith Ftr5; CR 7; Medium-size undead; HD 5d12; hp 32; Init
+5; Spd 20 ft.; AC 20 (touch 11, flat-footed 19); Atk +10 melee (1d8+6/19-20,
+1 longsword); or +7 ranged (1d10+1/19-20, +1 heavy crossbow);
SA Strength damage 1; SQ Damage reduction 10/+2, turn resistance +2, undead
traits; AL LE; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +5; Str 17, Dex 13, Con -, Int
10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
Skills
and Feats: Climb +4, Hide +1, Jump +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +1,
Ride (horse) +5, Spot +5; Alertness, Cleave, Improved Initiative, Iron
Will, Power Attack, Quick Draw , Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization
(longsword).
Strength
Damage (Su): A creature struck by a swordwraith's melee weapon takes
1 point of temporary Strength damage.
Turn
Resistance (Ex): The swordwraith is less easily affected by clerics
or paladins. When resolving a turn, rebuke, command, or bolster attempt,
the swordwraith receives a bonus of +7.
Undead
Traits: Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death,
effects, necromantic effects, mind-influencing effects, and any effect
requiring a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects; not subject
to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy
drain; cannot heal damage if there is no Intelligence score, (though fast
healing and regeneration work normally); negative energy heals; not at
risk of death from massive damage, but destroyed at 0 hit points or less;
darkvision 60 ft.; cannot be raised; resurrection works only if creature
is willing.
Magic
Items Carried: +1 longsword, +1 heavy crossbow, +1
breastplate, +1 large metal shield, +1 cloak of resistance,
potion of gaseous form

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