Conan d20 3e - The White Hand of Hyperborea.pdf - Edycja 3 - michal-signum

The White Hand

of Hyperborea

Vincent Darlage

the deadliest i ghters in the world,

immune to fear and pain. In addition

to the death goddess, they worship a

whole host of devil-gods and avatars.

All members of the White Hand are

subject to The Rule of the Master (see

the Conan RPG for details).

The Roleplaying

Game

Soon the trail of the

Hyperborean horses faded out on

stony soil. But there was little

chance to lose the trail, for now

and again he passed a sign that his

son ’ s abductors had left to guide

him; the imprint of a hand, white

against rock or soil. Betimes it was

seared into the dry, scrubby grass of

a hummock like a pattern of frost left

by a blast of preternatural cold.

Even the brooding Cimmerians,

amongst their forested ridges and

misty hills, know the infamous the

White Hand. The sight of it can set a

brave man to trembling. Members of

this order are known as Witchmen or

Witchwomen, all of who are virtual

devils in human guise, without the

taint of compassion or any other

constraint that limits other men to

sensible or moral behaviour.

Witchcraft! He growled, deep in his

throat, and his napehairs prickled. His

own homeland, Cimmeria, lay to the

northwest. His primitive folk knew of

the White Hand, dread symbol of the

Witchmen of Hyperborea. He shivered

at the thought that his son was their

captive.

This organisation is small, though its

leader, Louhi, longs for it to reach the

size and prestige of the Black Ring of

Stygia. Even so, perhaps because she

L.Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter,

The Witch of the Mists

E ven though most sorcerers

The White Hand

is a strange cult of

wizard-assassins

that holds power

in Hyperborea

through the terror

of their horrible

arts. They kill

without leaving

a mark and i ght

only with their

strange, platinum-

tipped rods.

Those who serve

in the White Hand

undergo strange

mortii cations

of body, mind

and will. They

are accounted

work alone, many have

found the need for mutually

supportive communities for darksome

training and better understanding

of the esoteric tomes they study.

Indeed, given the scarcity of truly

powerful tomes, it is understandable

that the possessors of such tomes

would i nd themselves at the centre

of such gatherings, and the truly

powerful practitioners of the art i nd

themselves equally sought after by

others. Other societies are formed

by those practitioners who, either

through obsession or temperament,

long to be a leader. Such is the case

with the White Hand of Hyperborea,

a sorcerous cult devoted to Louhi,

considered to be the avatar of a death

goddess.

also has the services of the infamous

Witchmen of Hyperborea and became

an avatar of their horrible god, her

magical order has gained the attention

of Thoth-Amon of the Black Ring,

as well as the Scarlet Circle in far

Khitai.

example, Vammatar’s Witchmen,

in de Camp and Carter’s Legions of

the Dead , had a red emblem on their

chests.

Advanced Spell: At 3 rd level and

every level thereafter, the Witchman

of Hyperborea improves his

knowledge of any one of the sorcery

styles he already knows by gaining

any one of the advanced spells listed

under the style. The Witchman of

Hyperborea is taught this spell by his

Witch King or Queen and does not

get to choose his own spell. This is a

supernatural ability.

Hit Die: d6.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Witchman of

Hyperborea, a character must fuli l all

of the following criteria.

The

Witchmen

Hyperborea

New Sorcery Style: This new sorcery

style may be chosen either from the

Conan RPG or from The Scrolls

of Skelos , and the Witchman of

Hyperborea also gains the basic spell

associated with it.

Sorcery Styles: Must know at least

two sorcery styles.

Codes of Honour: Must not have a

code of honour.

Skills: Knowledge (arcane) 5 ranks,

Perform (ritual) 5 ranks.

Race: Must be Hyperborean.

Religion: Must be a worshipper of

the Death Goddess of Hyperborea in

good standing.

Corruption: 1 or higher.

Special: Must have been a member

of the White Hand coven for at least

a year.

The Witchmen

of shadowy

Hyperborea were

feared far and wide

for their uncanny

mastery of the

black arts …

Scholar Levels: The Witchman of

Hyperborea may add his Witchman of

Hyperborea class level to his scholar

class level for the following purposes:

gaining bonus spells for high

Intelligence, determining effective

scholar level when casting spells.

This is a supernatural ability.

L.Sprague de Camp

and Lin Carter,

Legions of the Dead

Class Skills

The Witchman of Hyperborea’s class

skills (and the key ability for each

skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration

(Con), Craft (alchemy) (Int), Craft

(herbalism) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha),

Gather Information (Cha), Hide

(Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge

(any) (Int), Move Silently (Dex),

Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis),

and Sleight of Hand (Dex). See the

Conan RPG for skill descriptions.

Witchman Accoutrements: The

Witchman gains a Rod of the

Witchman and The Faceless Costume

for free. If the Witchman dies, the

Rod and the Costume are removed

from the dead body so that others

cannot steal them.

The Witchmen and Witchwomen

of Hyperborea serve the sorcerers

and sorceresses of Hyperborea,

learning from them, serving them and

protecting them. As with all prestige

classes in the Conan RPG , this class

is a favoured class for any who meets

its requirements.

Exotic Weapon Proi ciency: The

Witchman of Hyperborea is proi cient

with the use of the Rod of the

Witchmen (see below).

Low level Witchmen serve as shock

troops and assassins for the Witch

Kings and Queens. Until they reach

6 th or 7 th level, they are required to

dress in skin tight black clothing and

featureless white ivory masks while

in public view. They are taught to

not divulge their emotions, lending

them expressionless faces at higher

levels, which aids them in Bluff

checks. At ninth level, the character

is deemed a Witch King or Witch

Queen and usually begins his or her

own cabal of Witchmen, although all

are still considered part of the White

Hand. Individual avatars may order

their Witchmen to display their own

symbol on their black uniform. For

Skill Points At Each Level: 6 + Int

modii er.

Bonus Feats: The Witchmen of

Hyperborea gain a bonus feat at

1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th and 5 th levels as they

develop their i ghting styles at the

expense of magical power. They

may choose from the following feats:

Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm,

Improved Feint, Striking Cobra,

Weapon Finesse.

Class Features

All of the following are class features

of the Witchman of Hyperborea

prestige class.

Weapon and Armour Proi ciency:

The Witchman of Hyperborea

gains no new weapon or armour

proi ciencies. Note that armour check

penalties for armour heavier than

leather apply to the skills Balance,

Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump,

Move Silently, Sleight of Hand and

Tumble.

Mortii cation of Body (Ex): The

Witchman of Hyperborea gains

curiously green eyes and his body

is trained not to telegraph coming

attacks or movements or to reveal

emotion. The green eyes allow the

Witchman to take the Steely Gaze

feat even if he does not otherwise

meet the prerequisites. The body

training gives the Witchman a

Bluff bonus equal to his class level.

Hyperboreans are naturally thin and

gaunt, and this mortii cation makes

them even more so.

onto any surface with a press of his

palm, leaving a white imprint as if

frosted.

spell. Avatars immediately gain a

+10 bonus to Reputation. The avatar

becomes the sponsor of his or her

own arcane religion (see The Scrolls

of Skelos ). That of Louhi, the Death

Goddess, is detailed below.

Leadership: The Witchman of

Hyperborea that reaches this level

becomes a Witch King or Witch

Queen and gains the Leadership

feat as a bonus feat. If the character

already has the feat, he gains the

Enhanced Leadership ability as a 6 th

level Noble (see the Conan RPG ).

New Arcane

Religion

Mortii cation of Mind (Ex): The

Witchmen are trained to obey their

leading avatar and to not feel the

emotions their faces already refuse to

betray. As cold as the land they live

in, they are inscrutable and alien in

thought. This makes them extremely

resistant to mental domination from

anyone other than their avatar. The

Witchman gains a +2 bonus to

Will saves against spells from the

Hypnotism and Divination styles.

They gain a -2 penalty against any

spell of any school cast by their

avatar.

Louhi, Death

Goddess of

Hyperborea

Avatar (Su): The avatar of a

Hyperborean Witchman Cult gains all

the benei ts of The Rule of the Master

(see the Conan RPG ). Hyperborean

avatars also have damage

reduction equal to their

Cha bonus derived directly

from their magical natures,

rather than from the

hardness or natural armour

of their bodies. This is

indicated in the entry for

Damage Reduction by the

parenthetical note (avatar)

after the number. Any

damage reduction gained

in this way can be removed

by use of the incantation

of Amalric’s witchman

It was deserted,

save for an old

woman with lank grey

hair. She squatted

atop a circular stone

dais, staring into the

flickering flames of a

dish of red coals. This he

knew for Louhi, priestess-

queen of the Witchmen,

who regarded her as

the living avatar of their

death-goddess.

Mortii cation of Soul (Ex): The

Witchman is twisted and vile through

his training. He has no sense of right

or wrong, only a duty to his avatar.

He automatically gains a point of

corruption and a +1 power point

bonus. His soul is so cold, he can

sear his emblem, the White Hand,

L.Sprague de Camp and

Lin Carter

The Witch of the Mists

Table 01:

The Witchman of Hyperborea

Base

Attack

Bonus

Base

Dodge

Bonus

Base

Parry

Bonus

Magic

Attack

Bonus

Class

Level

Fort

Save

Ref

Save

Will

Save Special

+0 +2 +2 Scholar Levels, Bonus Feat,

Exotic Weapon Proi ciency,

Witchman Accoutrements

+0 +3 +3 Bonus Feat, Advanced Spell

+1 +3 +3 Bonus Feat, New Sorcery Style

+1 +4 +4 Mortii cation of Body, Bonus

Feat

+1 +4 +4 Bonus Feat, Advanced Spell

+2 +5 +5 Mortii cation of Mind, New

Sorcery Style

+2 +5 +5 Advanced Spell

+2 +6 +6 Mortii cation of Soul, Advanced

Spell

+3 +6 +6 Leadership, New Sorcery Style

+3 +7 +7 Avatar, Advanced Spell

Although Louhi is a mortal sorceress,

she is considered to be the living

avatar of the Hyperborean death-

goddess. She is the master of the

cult and all worshippers must follow

the Rule of the Master as given in

the Conan RPG . She teaches magic,

warping her followers’ bodies, minds

and souls, in exchange for their

obedience.

Typical Punishments for Disloyal

Priests: Killed in a sorcerous ritual.

* This spell can have severe

repercussions on a campaign world

and is subject to Runaway Magic (see

the Conan RPG ).

New Spell

New

Magical

Device

Legions of the

Dead*

PP Cost: 1 point/5 corpses

Components: V, S, F

Casting Time: 1 full round

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft. per

scholar level)

Effect: Up to 5 corpses per scholar

level

Duration: Concentration

plus 1d6 hours

Saving Throw: See Below

Prerequisites: Raise

Corpse , Magical Attack

Bonus 10+

Requirements of Worship: Pay a

tithe worth 1 sp/level/month to the

local priests of Louhi, attend at least

one cult meeting/month.

Benei ts of Worship: Spells

(Counterspells, Curses, Divination,

Immortality, Necromancy, Oriental

Magic, Prestidigitation).

Requirements for Ordained

Priesthood: Standard, plus as

follows: must know at least three

sorcery styles and three advanced

spells; Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks;

must give up at least three magical

links to oneself to the cult’s avatar.

Benei ts of Ordained Priesthood:

Standard, plus sorcery teaching is

available (Counterspells, Curses,

Divination, Immortality, Necromancy,

Oriental Magic, Prestidigitation)

The Rod of the

Witchmen

One of the black-

clad men closing in

on him had glided close

with magical swiftness.

With one bony hand, the

man caught the pony ’ s

bridle. With the other,

the man had whipped up

his slender wooden baton.

The ball on one end had

stroked the hollow of

Conn ’ s elbow. The touch

of the rod, wielded with

exquisite control, had

struck the cluster of

nerves under the joint.

The pain was blinding.

This spell works as a more

powerful version of Raise

Corpse , allowing a veritable

army of undead to rise

and work for the sorcerer.

The undead follow the

sorcerer’s verbal commands

until the spell expires, when

the undead become lifeless

corpses again.

L.Sprague de Camp and

Lin Carter,

The Witch of the Mists

Table 02:

The Acolyte Path of the Witchman of Hyperborea

Magical

Attack

Bonus

Character

Level

Scholar

Level

Witchman

Level

Witchman of Hyperborea

Lesser Ill-Fortune

Calm of the Adept +1

Ill-Fortune

Raise Corpse

Death Touch

Astrological Prediction

Gelid Bones

Agonising Doom, Greater Ill-Fortune

Warding, Visions

Sorcerous News

Free Choice

+10

Free Choice

+11

The Rod of the Witchmen, which

can be used as a i nesse weapon,

provides a proi cient wielder with

ability to stun his opponents with

blinding pain. A foe touched by this

weapon is forced to make a Fortitude

saving throw (DC 10 + one-half your

character level + Magical Attack).

Armour is no defence against this

attack. If the defender fails his saving

throw, he is stunned for 1 round

(until just before your next action).

A stunned character may not act

and loses any Dodge or Parry bonus

to Defence Value. Attackers get a

+2 bonus on attack rolls against a

stunned opponent.

The Witchmen of Hyperborea dress

in the costume created by Vammatar:

a skin-tight black outi t with tight

cowl and an ivory mask without

features save for two small eye-slits.

This costume is frightening to look

upon and gives

the Witchman a

Hit Dice: 10d6+20 plus 10 (65 hit

points)

Initiative : +12 (+2 Dex, +10 Ref)

Speed: 30 ft.

DV (Dodge): 20 (+2 Dex, +8 Level)

DV (Parry): 18 (+0 Str, +8 Level)

DR: 5 (avatar)

Base Attack Bonus/Grapple:

+16/+16

Attack: Dagger +18 melee

(1d4/19-20/x2 / 1 AP)

Full Attack: Dagger

+18/+13/+8 melee

(1d4/19-20/x2 / 1 AP)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks:

Spells

Special Qualities:

Background ( lay

priest ), knowledge

is power, increased

maximum power points,

mortii cation of body,

mortii cation of mind,

mortii cation of soul, avatar

Magic Attack Bonus:

+17 (+12 base +5 Cha

bonus)

Saves: Fort: +9, Ref: +12,

Will: +17 (+2 bonus to Will

saves against spells from the

hypnotism and divination styles)

Attributes: Str 11, Dex 15, Con

16, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 21

Skills: Bluff +26, Concentration

+16, Craft (alchemy) +16, Craft

(herbalism) +16, Craft (stone) +5,

Decipher Script +16, Diplomacy +13,

Gather Information +13, Heal +5,

Hide +12, Intimidate +30, Knowledge

(arcana) +26, Knowledge (religion)

+28, Knowledge (local) +16, Move

Silently +12, Perform (ritual) +27,

Profession (priestess) +5, Sense

Motive +28, Sleight of Hand +12

Feats: Adept (necromancy),

Combat Expertise b , Exotic Weapon

Proi ciency (Rod of the Witchmen) b ,

Hexer, Improved Disarm b , Improved

Feint b Iron Will b , Leadership

b , Menacing Aura, Negotiator,

Opportunistic Sacrii ce, Priest, Ritual

Sacrii ce, Sorcerer’s Boon, Steely

Gaze, Striking Cobra b , Tortured

Sacrii ce, Weapon Finesse b

These rods or batons are over

two feet long and made of sleek,

gleaming black wood. The

ends of each rod are tipped with

spherical knobs of platinum

slightly smaller than a fowl’s eggs.

Purchase Price: 20,000 sp

New

Unusual

Item

The following item is not magical,

but may be regarded as magical by

the ignorant. It is difi cult to buy, as

someone has to kill a Witchman in

order to have one to sell. This item

is only ever offered for sale at the

Games Master’s discretion.

+4 circumstance bonus to

Intimidate and Bluff checks. Its

overwhelmingly black look gives

the Witchman a +1 circumstance

bonus to Hide checks in darkness or

shadows.

The Faceless

Costume

Purchase Price: 2,000 sp (the ivory

mask is a work of art in and of itself,

and the costume and mask is i tted

exactly to its wearer to maximise

the impact. The price is high also

because of the extremely limited

supply)

It was their

faces that struck

into his heart the

thrill of superstitious

awe. For they had no

faces! Beneath the

tight-fitting black

cowls, their visages

were smooth, blank,

white ovals.

Louhi, the

Witch of

the Mists

Medium Human Hyperborean Female

10 th level Scholar / 10 th level

Witchman

L.Sprague de Camp and

Lin Carter,

The Witch of the

Mists

Climate/Terrain: Hyperborea

Organisation: The White Hand

Conan d20 3e - The White Hand of Hyperborea.pdf

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