THE ASHEN SWORDS "Do you like my fiery crown? I take great pride in it, for rare indeed is the head of a Goblin that has worn a crown of any sort." Few Goblins are willing to forsake their deities for something they have little knowledge and even less racial talent for such as Binding. Those few who do embrace the Binders path at some point summon Marchosias. It's as if they're draw to him somehow. Odd considering his hatred of other assassins and thieves (which the Goblin race is seemingly almost too well predicated towards becoming). It's theorized he'd like some measure of vengeance on the souls of the damned who made him a vestige, and the Ashen Swords are to be the force that delivers said vengeance. Odd and seemingly unlikely as the Goblins have rarely been known for producing armies willing to assault Hell itself. However they are thought of as generally being a token mook race (which would make their having serious power a real surprise), and they are power hungry which would make them blind enough to believe a supernatural entity who might not have their own best interests in mind. Whatever the reason Marchosisas has demanded they only accept their own as new members, and they have obliged.
BECOMING AN ASHEN SWORD The Ashen Swords accept any Goblin who has become a strong enough Binder to Bind Marchosias.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Race: Goblin
Special: Ability to Bind Marchosias, must kill an assassin whose CR is equal to your own once per year (assassin being defined as any opponent with the Sneak Attack, Sudden Strike, Death Attack, or Skirmish abilities, or that can produce a Save or Die effect)
Feats: Favored Vestige (Marchosias), Ignore Special Requirements
Skills: Diplomacy 12 ranks, Gather Information 12 ranks
Class Skills The Ashen Sword's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana, History, Local, Nobility, Religion)(Int), Move Silently (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).
Skills Points at Each Level : 2 + int
Hit Dice: d8
BAB Fort Ref Will Abilities
1. +0 +2 +0 +2 Sword of Ash, +1 Effective Binder Level
2. +1 +3 +0 +3 Crown of Flame, +1 Effective Binder Level
3. +2 +3 +1 +3 Cloak of Cinders, +1 Effective Binder Level
4. +3 +4 +1 +4 Scepter of Flame, +1 Effective Binder Level
5. +3 +4 +1 +4 Master Killer, +1 Effective Binder Level
Weapon Proficiencies: Ashen Swords gain proficiency with all martial weapons.
Sword of Ash (Su): At 1st level you can summon a longsword made of burning ash at will as a Free Action anytime you have successfully bound Marchosias. It acts as a +1 Flaming Burst, Bane, Fiercebane (See Magic Item Compendium), Implacable (again, see MIC) Longsword. The Bane and Fiercebane abilities work against any opponents with the Sudden Strike, Sneak Attack, or Skirmish abilities (or any opponent able to provide a Save or Die effect). This sword may only be used by you, and if it is sundered or disarmed it disappears and you may simply make another as a Free Action. You may only use this ability while Marchosias is bound to you, and the sword disappears as soon as this is not the case.
Crown of Flame (Su): At 2nd level, any time you have Marchosias bound, you may 'mark' any one opponent once per round as a Swift Action. That opponent loses any immunity or Resistance it has to Fire damage if it fails a Willpower Save (DC is 10 plus 1/2 HD plus Charisma Modifier) for 24 hours. If it succeeds it is immune to this Ashen Swords Crown of Flame ability for 24 hours. Whenever you use this ability a literal crown of fire appears around your head, hence the name.
Cloak of Cinders (Ex): At 3rd level, any time when you have Marchosias bound and are using his Smoke Form ability any creature entering your square must make a Fortitude Save (DC is 10 plus 1/2 HD plus Charisma Modifier) or be Nauseated as long as he is within your square and for 1d4 rounds after he leaves. He also takes 1d4 Fire damage from burning cinders as long as he is within your square if he has the Skirmish, Sudden Strike, or Sneak Attack abilities, or can cause a Save or Die effect.
Scepter of Flame (Su): At 4th level, any time you have Marchosias bound you can summon a flaming scepter at will as a Free Action. It is immaterial to all but you, and cannot be sundered or disarmed, but neither can you make sunder or disarm attempts with it. You gain an additional attack each round at your highest Base Attack Bonus with it, and it does 2d6 fire damage. If your opponent has the Sudden Strike, Skirmish, or Sneak Attack abilities, it does fire damage equal to the amount of dice they have in that ability instead to a minimum of 2d6 (i.e. if your opponent has +7d6 Sneak Attack, the scepter does 7d6 Fire damage on a successful hit). The scepter can do critical hits against opponents with the Sudden Strike/Sneak Attack/Skirmish abilities on a roll of 20, doing double damage. You may only use this ability while Marchosias is bound to you, and the scepter disappears as soon as this is not the case. The scepter is considered a light weapon and you are considered proficient with it.
Master Killer (Su): At 5th level any opponent who has the Skirmish, Sudden Strike, or Sneak Attack abilities no longer gets a Save against your Crown of Flame ability. If you successfully hit such an opponent with your Sword of Ash you always threaten a critical hit, even if the opponent is immune to criticals.
PLAYING AN ASHEN SWORD You are a paradox. An assassin able to Bind (and some would say even befriend) a Vestige well known for his hatred of such. Granted you'd swear Marchosias is up to something, you just have no idea what. Until then the power he grants you is more than enough to make you take the risks associated with him. Now if only you didn't have to make that yearly tithe...
Combat: You prefer the assassins traditional method of combat: killing opponents who are unaware of you. Why fight what you can ambush?
Advancement: The Ashen Swords become obsessed with bettering their skills as assassins, and some may even take levels in more rogue-ish classes.
Resources: The Ashen Swords are a small but tight knit group, and are occasionally willing to help each other out so long as it isn't time for the tithe (at which point other members may consider you an applicable target). They are fairly wealthy as there are always patrons for supernatural killers.
ASHEN SWORDS IN THE WORLD "We do not speak of them. Or at least I don't. Ask someone else." The Ashen Swords interact with each other, not the world. They kill their targets, and other assassins, and the rest of the world can jump off a cliff for all they care.
Daily Life: Life is training and missions, and hiding from the retribution of others. Seriously thats all you do. Pretty much forever, or until you die, or Marchosias reveals whatever the hell he's up to.
Notables: Dust (NE Male Goblin Binder 15/Ashen Sword 1) is a new member of the Ashen Swords eagerly looking for a target to prove himself.
Organizations: The Ashen Swords are competing to be the best of the best in the assassination biz, and actively take out other Guilds and organizations in the same business. They require members to make a yearly tithe of at least one individual in the business, the top targets being any members who have left the organization. In general during the tithing week members avoid one another out of fear they may kill each other, whether they've done anything or not (because there is ample precedent for members settling scores without repercussion at this time, especially if they can't find any other assassins of a high enough CR). members can feel free to take levels in other classes, but they are still considered members of the organization even then, and will be killed if they fail to remain in contact.
NPC Reaction Most NPC's have no idea the Ashen Swords exist, and wouldn't be too upset if they did. They may be godless abominations worshiping vestiges, but they kill rogues and assassins. No one else does that, so most common folk give them a buy.
The rich and powerful crap themselves a lot though.
ASHEN SWORDS IN THE GAME This class will make the player a bit of a target. Be sure they can handle the pressure.
Adaptation: This is best for darker campaigns. Or maybe not (see below).
Encounters: Unless they're a qualifying target for the yearly tithe, or an Ashen Sword has been assigned to off him, it's rare that a PC will see an Ashen Sword unless he walks in on them doing a job.
Sample Encounter EL 16: The PC's are calmly eating lunch on the patio of a local cafe when a goblin with a flaming head appears in a puff of smoke and violently beats to death a local drug lord with what appears to be a small sword made form ashes. Either the local brew has some non-standard ingredients, or they've just seen something they shouldn't...
DustNE Male Goblin Binder 15/Ashen Sword 1
Init +6,
Senses: Listen +1, Spot +1, Dark Vision 60'
Languages Common, Goblin
------------------------------------------------
AC 31, touch 18, flat-footed 29 (+1 Size, +2 Dex, +8 Armor, +5 Deflection, +5 Natural)
hp 104 (16 HD)
Fort +13,
Ref +7,
Will +10
------------------------------------------------
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee Sword of Ash +14/+9/+4 (1d6-1 plus 1d6 fire/19-20) or +1 Sickle +14/+9/+4 (1d4-1)
Ranged +3 Javelin +16 (1d4+1)
Base Atk +11,
Grp +5
Atk Options Sword of Ash
Combat GearSupernatural Abilities Soul Binding (3 Vestiges), Pact Augmentation (3 abilities), Binder Level 16
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str 6, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 16
SQ Soul Guardian (Immune to Fear, Slippery Mind, immune to energy drain and negative levels), Suppress Sign
Feats Favored Vestige (Marchosias), Improved Critical (Longsword), Improved Initiative, Power Critical (Longsword), Weapon Finesse, Ignore Special Requirements (B), Skilled Pact making (B)
Skills Bluff +5, Concentration +4, Diplomacy +15, Gather Information +15, Hide +8, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (Arcana) +2, Move Silently +6, Ride +6, Sense Motive +4
Possessions +5 Ring of Protection, +8 Bracers of Armor, +5 Amulet of Natural Armor, +3 Returning Distance Seeking Javelin, +1 Wounding Sickle, Type 2 Bag of Holding, 393 GP
EPIC ASHEN SWORDS Hit Die: d8
Skills Points at Each Level : 2 + int
Effective Binder Level Your Effective Binder Level continues to increase with Epic levels
Pact Augmentation At 24th level, an Epic Ashen Sword gains a sixth ability from the pact augmentation list. She gains additional abilities from the list every 4 additional levels (7 at 28th, 8 at 32nd, and so on). This functions in all other ways as the ability of the same name described in the Tome of Magic.
Bonus Feats: The Epic Ashen Swords gains a Bonus Feat every 3 levels higher than 20th