15.01.2013 Views

The Tome Of Drow Lore.pdf - RoseRed

The Tome Of Drow Lore.pdf - RoseRed

The Tome Of Drow Lore.pdf - RoseRed

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

there. Once they have all eight in hand, the priests of<br />

the Glutton perform a ritual known as Dul Merzim, the<br />

Joining. <strong>The</strong> eight children marked with the white fang<br />

are joined together into a single group of Reavers, known<br />

as a Pact. <strong>The</strong>y remain individuals, but now also share a<br />

link of their thoughts, sensations and impulses, allowing<br />

them to act as a perfectly coordinated unit in battle.<br />

Maddened by bloodlust and visions of horror beyond<br />

mortal understanding, but made absolutely and utterly<br />

obedient to the ruling class by the ritual of Joining, the<br />

Reavers exist only to kill and slaughter.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Reavers are the greatest weapon in the Kanahraun<br />

arsenal, violent and deadly creatures under the control<br />

of the fiendish Kanahraun ruling class, used to maintain<br />

control over the violent lower class in the rare event of<br />

insurrection and to slaughter any enemy foolish enough<br />

to attack the Kanahraun.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Reavers are kept in pits beneath the temples of<br />

Azzanoth the Glutton when not deployed for battle or<br />

hunting. <strong>The</strong>y are fed only enough to keep them hungry,<br />

making them that much more deadly when they are loosed.<br />

As there are only a limited number of Reaver Pacts in<br />

existence at any given time, generally no more than 30,<br />

only the largest of the stationary groups of Kanahraun are<br />

likely to have one to draw upon. <strong>The</strong> number of Reavers<br />

in the Kanahraun race remains fairly consistent, however.<br />

When one or more members of a Pact are slain, an equal<br />

number of other Kanahraun from the same generation<br />

receive the White Fang mark and begin their new destiny<br />

as a Reaver.<br />

Though bound together in a Pact, the Reavers can continue<br />

to accrue experience points and advance in level. Most<br />

often, they advance together, as Reavers are usually 1 st level<br />

barbarians at the time of their Joining. In the pits beneath<br />

Gauth Sheol, the ruling class of the Kanahraun keep six<br />

Pacts of Reavers, one of which is of epic level. This Pact is<br />

rarely unleashed, and is an all but unstoppable force when<br />

the ruling Kanahraun let slip its reins.<br />

<strong>The</strong> statistics given above represent a single individual<br />

from three different Pacts of Reavers, one of 1 st level, one<br />

of 4 th and one of 8 th . Though every Reaver is a different<br />

individual, for the sake of simplicity, it is easiest to assume<br />

all Reavers of a single Pact have identical statistics, feats<br />

and skills. Games Masters who enjoy the prospect of a<br />

great deal of additional math may feel free to individualise<br />

the Reavers in a given Pact. As a general rule, Reavers are<br />

above average physically.<br />

Combat<br />

Reavers can stalk their prey for days until they believe the<br />

time is right to strike. <strong>The</strong> initial assault will come from at<br />

least two sides, either in a volley of arrows, if the area of<br />

the battle is large enough, or in a sudden onslaught of bared<br />

teeth and swinging swords.<br />

Reavers leap into combat with a wild ferocity that, at<br />

first glance, seems reckless and foolhardy. With the link<br />

forged by the Joining, however, this ferocity is anything<br />

but reckless, for though the Reavers give little thought to<br />

defence, they strike together as a single unit. <strong>The</strong>y attack on<br />

multiple fronts, confusing and disorienting their enemy.<br />

Infernal Howl (Su): Reavers enter battle with shrieks<br />

and howls of such unnatural sound and ferocity that any<br />

person hearing them must make a Will save (DC 10 + ½<br />

Reaver’s HD + Reaver’s Charisma modifier) or flee before<br />

the onslaught. This is a sound-based, mind-affecting fear<br />

effect.<br />

Strength of the Pact (Su): A single Reaver is little more<br />

dangerous than any other barbarian of his level, but<br />

encountering a Reaver without the rest of his Pact is all but<br />

impossible, and it is in conjunction with his seven fellow<br />

Reavers that the true danger of these beings is revealed.<br />

Whenever a Reaver is slain in battle, his strength is passed<br />

235

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!