Holy Slayer (Character Kit)

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==Holy Slayer (Assassin)==
Holy slayers are the ghosts of the deserts. They mete out justice and threats in a manner that intimidates and frightens most foreigners as well as many Zakharans. Also called assassins, these characters view an opposing army or nation as a great beast to be slaughtered, or at least confused by the severing of its head. Sometimes the mere warning that a holy slayer is nearby is enough to turn away those who seek to harm the assassin's people.
The holy slayers of Arabian history were also assassins whose stories were wrapped in myth and legend. Originally, they were a radical faction of the faithful. Their leader sequestered himself within a great, secret mountain in the desert. There (as the story goes), young recruits were drugged. When they awoke, they were told they had been carried into heaven, to a garden of earthly delights. The youths dallied in this "paradise" for some time, then were drugged again and returned to the leader's quarters. When they regained consciousness, they were offered the opportunity to serve the holy cause as warriors of the faith. The bait: the promise that they would be readmitted to the garden after death, to spend eternity in paradise. Many young recruits agreed. They joined the "Grandfather" of assassins, fearless in their conviction that even if they died, they would be better off in the next world.
Tales of such a secret society have changed through the centuries. "Assassin" has come to mean a mercenary killer who takes contracts out on his or her fellow citizens in the same way a mason would accept a contract to lay bricks. But the legendary characters after which this kit is modeled had the power of faith, even if misplaced faith, and an organization behind them.
In the Land of Fate, there are a number of fellowships comprising such assassins—or as they are more commonly called, holy slayers. Each fellowship is a religious organization dedicated to the advancement of its particular faith. (Some might compare these groups to the historical Knights Templar of the Western church.) Such organizations usually have the support of moralist clergymen, but vary in their intolerance of other factions. Each fellowship operates from a secret location, which is unknown to low- ranking members.
Requirements: Holy slayers may be neutral or evil, but must always be lawful. They must also be thieves. Bards are never holy slayers, though they may be allied with such organizations in the same way moralist priests are.
Members of this kit may be of any race. They may be male or female, and many fellowships include both genders. An equal number are exclusively male or female, however. The Soft Whisper, for example, is an all-female sisterhood, while the Wind of Fate accepts only males. Other groups include The Wrath of The Old, The Storm Which Destroys, and Grey Fire.
Role: Holy slayers operate under as many restrictions as paladins, their antithesis. Members of this kit were literally created to follow the orders of the Grandfather or Grandmother of their respective organizations. They must be willing to die immediately for their cause. If a leader should ask a holy slayer to leap from a building to prove his or her faith, the holy slayer does so without question. Unfortunately for assassins, leaders often ask exactly that, in order to prove their power.
Holy slayers are not required to announce their profession to the general public. While a few fellowships encourage such displays, members who do so may be told to perform extremely dangerous missions in order to prove that they are worthy. Most fellowships prefer to operate in secrecy. To disguise their identity, holy slayers often attempt to imitate other kits such as beggar-thieves, matruds, or sa❜luks. In such cases, holy slayers lose none of their normal abilities. Nor do they gain the special benefits of the "cover" kit, though smart assassins often pretend they do. At a minimum, it's a good idea to feign the cover kit's hindrances.
Assassins who are not based at their fellowship's secret hideout are allowed to act as free agents for a time, much like priests who are not currently attached to a particular church or mosque. These free agents are allowed to live their lives in a normal fashion. However, as soon as word comes from the Grandfather or Grandmother, they are expected to perform whatever actions are ordered. They are not expected to ask for additional aid or time, nor may they appeal the decision. They are expected only to do or die.
NPC holy slayers rarely if ever ignore such orders. They are willing to die for their faith. However, those rare player characters who belong to this kit are not automatons. They may ignore the orders of their leader if they choose, especially if death is the likely outcome of those orders. (Of course, death may be the outcome of refusing an order, too.) Holy slayers who disobey become outcasts. The same applies to those who "obey" in part, but have managed to twist the meaning of an order through clever interpretation of the wording.
Outcasts become the target of attacks by other members of their fellowship. These attacks are planned by the DM. Rather than kill a target outright, fellowships usually prefer a string of nasty assaults-for example, the kidnapping of allies, the destruction of home towns, or the summoning of monsters. These attacks take place at the worst possible moments. They continue until one of the following occurs: the PC decides to complete the assigned mission; the PC has survived a number of separate attacks equal to his or her level (at which point the Grandfather or Grandfather may consider the punishment sufficient, if the DM so chooses); or the PC slays the current leader of his or her fellowship (which is why the location of a fellowship's base is kept so secret).
Weapon Proficiencies: A holy slayer may become proficient in the use of any one-handed weapon. Each fellowship specializes in a weapon, which must be among the holy slayer's first proficiencies. For example, members of the fellowships noted above choose these weapons:
* Soft Whisper: Jambiya. When used in holy slayings, the weapon is made of jade and left behind.
The Wind of Fate: Blowgun.
* The Wrath of The Old: Dagger.
* The Storm Which Destroys: Long sword. When used in a holy slaying, the blade is made of
obsidian and left behind.
* The Grey Fire: Javelin with a grey shaft, which is decorated with red feathers.
Nonweapon Proficiencies:
* Bonus Proficiencies: Disguise.
* Recommended, General: Etiquette, heraldry, languages (modern), rope use.
* Recommended, Warrior: Bowyer/fletcher, endurance, weaponsmithing.
* Recommended, Priest: Herbalism, religion.
* Recommended, Wizard: Herbalism, religion.
* Recommended, Rogue: Begging, blind-fighting, forgery, jumping, tumbling, tightrope walking.
* Forbidden: None.
Equipment: Members of this kit are allowed to use any one-handed weapon. Otherwise, their limitations match those of any standard thief. Holy slayers can and do use poisons that inflict damage upon contact or injection, but only as nonfatal weapons, and they never use ingestive poison for holy slayings. (Any fool can poison the sultan's wine, however, and any sultan who is foolish enough to forgo a food-taster should be removed from office anyway.)
Special Benefits: Like a fighter, the holy slayer is allowed to specialize in the use of one weapon. In this case, a holy slayer must specialize in the weapon that represents his or her fellowship. As noted above, holy slayers use only one-handed weapons.
Special Hindrances: A holy slayer's greatest hindrance is a short lifespan. (When a Grandfather or Grandmother says jump, these characters jump, unless they like the idea of preparing themselves against a number of ambushes.) In game terms, the DM should secretly roll for the chance of receiving "the call" each time a PC holy slayer makes it to the next experience level. There is a noncumulative 10 percent chance per level of receiving "the call." Sometimes the call is an order to kill. It also may involve a risky mission to deliver a message or warning, or perhaps to retrieve a valuable item.
When such an order targets a particular individual (though not necessarily for death), there is an 80 percent chance that the target is in the same city or territory as the holy slayer. Further, there's an 80 percent chance that the target is a native of that area in other words, that he or she is on "home turf" and is probably well-protected. Targets are always persons of importance or responsibility, such as sultans, viziers, or a captain of the king's guard-never common merchants or loud-mouthed innkeepers. The DM is expected to challenge holy slayers in their craft. 
Thief Abilities: The following adjustments are made to the thieving skills of a holy slayer:
* Pick Pockets: -10 percent
* Open Locks: No modification 
* Find/Remove Traps: No modification 
* Move Silently: +5 percent 
* Hide in Shadows: +5 percent 
* Detect Noise: No modification 
* Climb Walls: No modification
* Read Languages: -5 percent
Wealth Options: Each holy slayer begins the game with 2d6 x 10 gp. Members of this kit are expected to purchase their own arms and equipment. That includes any special weapon which the organization requires for slaying. (For example, the Soft Whisper does not provide jade jambiyas for members of this sisterhood because the weapons might be traced back to their source.)
Races: Members of any race may be holy slayers, though few elves, gnomes, and halflings choose this role. Among moralist dwarves, holy slayers are common. They form a small but potent group, working against rival moralist factions.
Category:Character Kit
Category:Character Kit AA