#tatzlwyrm

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Assassin (Pathfinder Second Edition Archetype)

 Keeping with the tradition of prestige classes of the previous edition being reimagined into archetypes, our second entry of the day is the assassin!

Much like the previous edition, the assassin is all about being a professional killer, be they for hire or for a cause. However, unlike the prestige class of old, today’s subject blends a bit of the old slayer class into the theming as well, allowing them to be non-evil despite the grim nature of their work.

Being an assassin means that death is a constant companion, which is true of most warriors and adventurers, but the targets of an assassin may not fight back, or even know that their slayer is there until it is too late. Some cope with this by disconnecting themselves from humanity, while others are haunted by what they do, no matter how necessary they find it.

Regardless, as long as civilization has existed, so has murder, and this archetype gives not only rogues, but other characters a chance to play the silent and deadly killer.

 The basic dedication for this archetype allows the would-be assassin to take time to study a target, marking them for death. While this does not allow them to slay a target outright by itself, the assassin does gain several advantages in tracking their quarry, as well as dealing extra damage to them.

Weapons designed to strike the unaware are often even more deadly in the hands of these killers.

Exposure to poisons also partially inures them to the worst of the effects.

Striking first is key to victory for any quick kill, so these killers learn how to catch foes off guard during the opening moves.

With a flick of the wrist, many assassins can draw and apply poison with a gesture. What’s more, they also brew themselves a supply of basic poisons cheaply so they always have at least something.

Those that belong to disciplines other than that of a rogue can even learn a minor form of their sneak attack.

Many assassins are trained to slay their targets in such a way so that they die quickly, and almost certainly permanently, destroying parts that would aid in resurrection or reanimation.

More skilled poisoners among them can brew much more potent basic poisons, and never foul their poison on a particularly bad swing.

The most powerful technique of these assassins harkens back to the classic first edition ability, allowing a foe they have studied and marked to be vulnerable to being instantly slayed by a singular strike.

While naturally this archetype lends itself best to skilled and sneaky classes like the rogue, the alchemist, investigator, and ranger are also good choices due to their focus on brewing poisons, studying foes, and hunting prey respectively. Martial combatants like fighter, barbarians, monks, evil champions, and underhanded swashbucklers are also a good choice. Even spellcasters, particularly witches and some bards, as well as the clerics and oracles of murderous deities might get in on the action. Regardless, this archetype works best with builds that enjoy a little setup of marking prey and preparing poisoned weaponry before moving in for the kill.

 I’ve spoken on this topic before, but whether they are remorseless killers, fighters for a cause, sellswords, or something else, nobody starts life as a killer, so exploring how it is that one becomes this way can be an important part of their backstory, depending on the character.

  Specializing in inhaled poisons, the assassin known as the Lord of Mists is a master of alchemy, preferring to strike from the cover of smoke and fog. If possible, he prefers to kill with such inhalants, rather than other methods. To this end, the enigmatic killer experiments with all sorts of gasses, including tatzlwyrm venom.

 Considering themselves an artist in some twisted version of the idea, the serial killer Red Jack leaves behind corpses mutilated in elaborate ways. Getting to the bottom of their malice and catching them will take considerable skill.

 The party’s current mission is to escort their charge, a halfling sylph senator named Chovin Cloudbed, to a safehouse after the attempt on his life. However, the assassin will not give up so easily, preying upon them the whole way until they are stopped for good.

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Princess Ember is looking...robust, I suppose you could say. Nobody's really sure how this happened, but she certainly cuts a more intimidating figure. 

Also, September’s patron poll is up and live. Anyone interested in becoming a patron and getting access should, as ever, check out my Patreon page over at https://www.patreon.com/DoesNotExist This month's options are: 1. Gilda and Greta using a double dildo together. 2. Bryce getting the upper hand on a Pokemon for once, "catching" it. 3. Public vore captial punishment for muliple offenders being carried out by the Royal Guard. 4. Bryce getting smothered by Iorite's butt. 5. Thorax with a big belly, sleeping in Twilight's chair from the show.

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Tortured Crusader (Paladin Archetype)

 Paladins are a light shining in the dark, those that stand firm against the evils of this world and beyond. However, while they are most often protected from fear and other horrors, the things they witness can wear on the soul. Some retire or succumb when things get too much, or else preservere and defeat their foes. Some, however, find the tide of evil unending. Rather than succumb, however, they gain a steely resolve that can never break.

It would be a lie, however, to claim these so-called “tortured crusaders” remain unaffected. While they remain steadfast as ever, they become more withdrawn, less open to others, their abilities changing to reflect this.

This comes appropriately from Horror Adventures, and is useful for representing a more grim take on the paladin, bringing to mind an aesthetic of hope within a realm of hopelessness, reminding me of games like Dark Souls, Bloodbourne, and the like.

 While other paladins focus on their force of personality to push back against the darkness and inspire others, these warriors instead focus on their faith and understanding, drawing their divine magic and healing from it.

Being heavily self-reliant, they also tend to pick up more skills than other paladins.

Tortured crusaders know that evil is all around, so they don’t bother with sensing it, and their grim attitudes somewhat undermine their protections against foes and the accuracy of their smites, though they later bolster them.

Rather than letting others shoulder their burden, they focus their healing magic entirely on themselves, along with their protective auras, and do not take mounts. However, they can also spend their healing energy to produce more smiting energy when going on the offensive.

Fighting on beyond what anyone expects, they can burn healing energy to set up a contingent healing effect when they are damaged or afflicted with an effect they can heal with a mercy, reflexively healing and restoring themselves when triggered.

Facing overwhelming odds, more powerful crusaders can channel additional smiting power to deal extra harm against all foes, making sure their last stand deals a grievous blow to all foes.

Very much no longer a support class with this archetype, your general expectation is going to be enduring everything that foes throw at you, so pick your spells and feats accordingly. Then again there’s no reason you can’t pick up support spells to help your allies as well. Either way, this archetype is definitely meant to a tank build.

 While this archetype is perfect for characters to either retrain into at higher levels as they witness horrors, or start out as due to some terrible event, let’s not also forget the potential for the opposite. Perhaps as character development, a tortured crusader might lose this archetype, becoming a normal paladin or one with another archetype as their allies and wards inspire them and reignite the spark of vigor within their souls.

  Blessed with eternal life by a strange metal coffin, The iron guardian marches from his cairn whenever great evil threatens the land, saying not a word to others save to ask those he meets of news of the state of affairs. However, ancient texts speak of a time when he was more gregacious and kindly to all that he met.

 Hailing from the nearly-extinct race of Yaddithians, Balt Norrik is a tired and world-weary being, but he finds the suffering of others even more intolerable. In the right mood he might recount tales of his people and their secrets.

 While a tatzlwyrm is not really a threat on their own, the sudden population boom in Caerog Forest speaks of the influence of the dragon god associated with poisonous and corrosive drakes, Terverux the Deathblood. Luckily a veteran of the Dragonfire War lives in town, but he is an old and solemn sort.