Hisvin, Whose Blades Fly Like Arrows

[Viper]

Here's a slightly more play-friendly version of the roden knife thrower I used in the Recess Beat Pete melee... I have to say I was very happy with how the character performed, though less so about how well Pete's armor held up!

Concept: A roden master assassin

Character Name: Hisvin, Whose Blades Fly Like Arrows

From the time he was born, all knew Hisvin was destined for greatness, for one, he was an albino, for another, as a newborn he slew four of his litter-mates for the right to suckle at his mother's teat. Through his youth, the clan elders watched him with growing unease. His mind was as sharp as the knives he bore, and both seemed dull when compared to his ambition. When subtler plots against him failed, they had little choice but to cast him out. He wandered alone, honing his craft and learning new skills, traversing the tunnels below until he followed one that lead above. For one born and bred in a burrow, the boundless sky left him dumbstruck, a sea of stars that seemed to whisper his destiny, beckoning him to reclaim the world above for his people. It was in such a state that he first encountered man, and he barely escaped with his life. Hunted and harried through the filthy warrens of the city, even over field and stream, he learned to hate man almost as much as his own kin.

While many albinos use their gifts to take up sorcery, Hisvin instead bent his will to the practice of combat, eschewing all else until his skills were honed to a frightening level.

He sharpened his senses as one sharpens a blade, and began a bloody campaign against his former nest. The elders, he slew to the last, their children, and their children's children as well. In but a fortnight, not a throat lay unslit, not a rat drew breath. And then, Hisvin turned his eyes to the human city above.

It is said he has killed more men than all the plagues carried by our lesser kin, the common rat, and a fair share of dwarves as well. A raider unparalleled, a king with no kingdom, Hisvin's legend grows with each exploit, and he has finally found solace and acceptance in the arms of the society. He travels below now freely, aiding and hindering the clans according to the society's directives.

Lifepaths: Born below, the gauntlet, bruiser, lead to exile, albino, bandit king

Age: 30

Stats: Pe: B5 Wi: B4 Ag: B5 Sp: B5 Po: B4 Fo: B4

Attributes: Re: B5 Ste: B8 He: B4 MW: B10 Hesitation: 6

PTGS: Su: B3 Li: B5 Mi: B7 Se: B8 Tr: B9 Mo: B10

Skills: Throwing: G6, Knives: B4, Brawling: B4, Intimidation: B5, Stealthy: B5, Climbing: B3, Poisons B3, Tunnel-wise B3, Astrology: B4

Gear: Roden Throwing Blades (+1D), Plated Leather Armor, Knife

Affiliations: Society

Traits: Chow Yun Fat, tunnel vision, skulking, abused, albino, feared, misunderstood, scheming, daring, mean, brutal, coat of fur, enlarged incisors, large ears, skittish

Beliefs:
- I shall strike mankind down, though it take a thousand cuts
- Only fools do not fear me, and I shall treat them as such
- Roden who do not seek to destroy mankind are worse than men themselves

Instincts:
- Have throwing knives at the ready at the first sign of danger
- Keep my distance until I can land the killing blow
- If things go wrong in battle, flee to the shadows, kill them another day

[luke]

uh, that's still a pretty munchkin.

what changed between what you played yesterday and what's written?

Also, no "knife in hand at the first sign of danger" instinct?

-L

[Viper]

Yeah, I know it's still pretty munchkin... but is he really any worse than the sword singer or the warden from the gift?

He's not really intended for players, but for an uber bad guy in a campaign, scenario, or again, if anyone wants to use him in a beat-em-up munchkin tourney.

What changed was I got a couple of things wrong yesterday with the lifepaths in terms of prerequisites, the current LP progression is legal, and gives pretty much exactly the same stats. Also, he has more than four skills now.

I wouldn't let a player play this guy, and I wouldn't think of playing him in anything other than a really high powered campaign, but if I was looking for a badass Roden to scare the shit out of my players, well...

Besides, I meant to say "slightly" more play friendly. Edited my post above.

[Thor]

You know, if you dropped his Knives skill down to B4 or B5, and spread those points out on some of the other skills, you'd still have a super badass.

Seriously, this guy barely needs any toe-to-toe combat skills at all. You'll be rolling 7 Gray dice every time you throw one of those nasty daggers. And if you REALLY want to take someone down, you can toss in a FoRK from Astrology and roll 8 Gray dice!

Even with a B4 Knife skill, you'd still get to roll 6 dice if you FoRK in Brawling and are willing to accept the risk of FoRKing Astrology in too.

That would give you a fair number of points to add some more skills and give him some more depth, while keeping him a highly lethal assassin.

[Viper]

Thor, you ruin everything with your "reason" and "good sense"! :lol:

seriously, though, good suggestions... changes have been made. Hisvin now knows a bit about poison, as any good assassin should, and tunnel-wise, as any good roden should. He's also a little more stealthy.

It tracks with his instincts as well, as he pretty much only uses the knife to land the killing blow, after he's whittled his opponent down with the throwing blades.