Woodland Shadows
by Asken"Discretion is the better part of valour..."
The Woodland Shadows are a loosely organised group made up primarily of druids and rangers, but also counting some rogues and a few monks. The Woodland Shadows specialise in espionage, hunting down enemies of the organisation and freeing people who is oppressed, in slavery or held captive in some manner.
They have their base of operation in the north eastern outskirts of Alfheim and counting around 100 members, with only a handful actually being Woodland Shadows. The Woodland Shadows works mostly as reconnaissance, infiltrators, spies and in rare extreme cases as assassins.
The Woodland Shadows consist mostly of elves, half-elves and humans, but a few gnomes and halflings have been seen among their ranks. The Woodland Shadows were founded by an old... *biiip... flatlining in lack of knowledge of Mystara, but am working on it* named Narvalaine Efaldenwyr, who held the ideals of freedom very high. He himself had spent the better part of his life incarcerated in human lands.
While Narvalaine Efaldenwyr saw the seasons pass by in his stone prison a forest spirit came to him and told him of freedom and of days to come where he could once again breathe the fresh air of the lush Alfheim forest. In secrecy Narvalaine received ancient knowledge from this forest spirit, that apparently only he could see. He was taught the art of disappearing, of jumping, of escaping and of resisting the enemies arrows and blades.
One day when Narvalaines captors opened his cell door, he was gone without a trace. From that day on Narvalaine has passed on the ancient secret arts of disappearing, jumping, escaping and resisting the enemies arrows and blades to a select few who today make up the inner circle of the Woodland Shadows.
I feel a Tom Waits song coming on...:
"...Well they've stopped trying to hold him
With mortar, stone and chain
He broke out of every prison
Boots mount the staircase
The doors flung back open
He's not there for he has risen
He's not there for he has risen...
He can turn himself into a stranger..."
- Tom Waits/K. Brennan "Bone Machine" '92
You guys know this song? The whole album is way too cool!
Requirements:
Alignment: Must be neutral or good.
Skills: Tumble 5, Jump 5, Move Silently 5, Hide 5 and Wilderness Lore
10.
Feats: Dodge, Alertness and Combat Reflexes.
Special: Evasion.
Hit Die: 1d6.
Progression:
| Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1 | +0 | +2 | +2 | +2 | Fast Movement +10ft., Poison Use |
| 2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Improved Evasion, Slow Fall (20ft.), Sneak Attack +1d6 |
| 3 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | Acrobatics (+10), Leap of the Clouds |
| 4 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Slow Fall (30ft.), Hide in Plain Sight |
| 5 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | Water Walk, Sneak Attack +2d6 |
| 6 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Slow Fall (50ft.) |
| 7 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | Thousand Faces, Acrobatics (+20) |
| 8 | +6 | +6 | +6 | +6 | Poison Immunity, Sneak Attack +3d6 |
| 9 | +6 | +6 | +6 | +6 | Slippery Mind |
| 10 | +7 | +7 | +7 | +7 | Abundant Step |
Weapons and armour proficiency: A Woodland Shadow gains no additional weapons or armour proficiencies.
Fast Movement
The Woodland Shadow gains 10ft. extra movement each round.
Poison Use
The Woodland Shadow never risks poisoning himself when handling poison e.g.
applying poison to a weapon.
Sneak Attack
The Woodland Shadow gains the sneak attack ability just like a rogue, starting
at 1d6 and increasing with 1d6 per three levels.
Improved Evasion
Even with a failed reflex saving throw the Woodland Shadow only takes half
damage.
Slow Fall
The Woodland Shadow can slow his fall and treat the fall as Xft. Lower as long
as the fall is within arms reach of the Woodland Shadow.
Acrobatics
At 3rd level the Woodland Shadow gains a +10 competence bonus on Tumble,
Balance and Jump checks and can take 10 on those checks even in situations
where he is normally not allowed to do so. At 7th level this increase to +20.
Leap of the Clouds
The Woodland Shadows jump is not limited by his height anymore.
Hide in Plain Sight
As long as there is a shadow within 10ft. of the Woodland Shadow he can make a
hide check even if being watched.
Water Walk
1 round per Woodland Shadow level per day can he walk on any liquid surface at
his full move.
Thousand Faces
The Woodland Shadow can change his appearance at will as with the Alter Self
spell.
Poison Immunity
The Woodland Shadow is no long subject to being poisoned, he is immune to all
poisons.
Slippery Mind
If a Woodland Shadow fails a save vs. a mind affecting spell, he is allowed a
new save on the following round. Only once can this be done per failed save.
Abundant Step
Once per day the Woodland Shadow can "step sideways" as with a Dimension Door
spell.
And as I said earlier it is primarily an Oriental Adventures rip-off, the Ninja Spy PrC which I think is cool, so there probably is a lot of stuff that could be in conflict with Mystara, but let me know
Do you guys have any ideas as to why an Alfheim elf like Narvalaine has been held captive by humans or maybe ideas for other captors (trolls, orcs etc.)? Has Narvalaine himself been a slave and in that case what slave labour would he have been doing?
Any suggestions, add-ons etc. would be very welcomed! Please be patient with me
while I get acquainted with Mystara.