Shadow of the North Wind

Welcome to the Tower!

Created by Palskane

This unorthodox shadow style emphasizes defense and concealment. "If your enemy cannot see you, then they cannot engage you, and thus leave themselves open to attack." This credo is a basic premise of many shadow styles, but that of the North Wind takes this simple saying to the extreme. Like predator felines stalking their prey, practitioners of this shadow style are often not seen until it is too late. Many practitioners of the North Wind style have been known to stay in hiding for many days, waiting for just the right moment to strike, and there are tales and legends of two North Wind stylists who once hunted each other, just for sport. It is said that for almost a week, neither even caught sight of the other as they crept closer and closer to each other. One finally felt the breathing of the other and struck, his blade passing between the sixth and seventh rib of the other, straight into the heart. Such is the deadly power of this style when used effectively.

It should be noted that many practitioners of the shadows styles and the type of warriors known as shadowdancers have a rivalry that runs deep. Both consider their styles superior to the other, and some go to endless lengths to prove their point of view.

Practitioners of the North Wind shadow style are rarely taught the art. More specificly, many think that they are born with it. It is a style that is almost impossible to teach, for one either has the ability to adapt to the style, or not. Many with innate shadow abilities find the style easy to learn, and, most of all, effective. Many North Wind practitioners work in teams, so as to flank opponents from the shadows with other North Wind stylists or other warriors of caliber. This doubles or triples their effectiveness, as many are trained to strike telling blows that often leave opponents dead or severely injured in seconds.

The first stage of a North Wind initiate's training deals with protecting oneself to the best of one's ability. "The best offense is a good defense" is thought of as another basic premise of the North Wind style. The practitioner is engaged by initiates of at least two ranks higher, the more experienced pressing the basic attacks learned later in the style. Once the initiate has learned to avoid the very blows that they will strike with, they may proceed to the next level. This basic tactic is known as the Canny Dodge.

Canny Dodge: The practitioner gains their INT bonus to their AC when threatened by more than one foe. The foes need not be flanking the practitioner for the North Wind stylist to get this bonus.

The second stage of the North Wind trainee involves using stealth and darkness to their best advantage. This move is called the Strike and Fade.

Strike and Fade: Famous for defeating foes and then vanishing without trace, this basic move is a trademark move of the Shadow of the North Wind style. When felling a foe in combat, and not threatened by any other foes, the practitioner may take an immediate free action to attempt to Hide. The practitioner may do this even if in plain sight of others, so long as he is not threatened by them.

The third stage of training is twofold, combining movement and attacks in coordinated motion. The two moves learned at this stage, Stealthy Tread and Passing Strike, are often used in conjunction with the Strike and Fade maneuver. This combination of moves, when done successfully, is highly prized by the assassin's that use the North Wind style.

Stealthy Tread: The practitioner has practiced the technique of moving silently to an almost inhuman degree. The practitioner may gain up to one half of their level as a competence bonus to their AC while moving normally. This helps negate the normal penalties for moving normally and attempting to Move Silently. Note that this ability does not improve the practitioners chance to Hide, and that competence bonuses do not stack.

Passing Strike: The practitioner styles himself as a wind moving swiftly down through the plains. This technique allows the practitioner to make an attack vs. every foe in their path along their normal movement, until all their normal attacks are used. This technique is risky, as it allows attacks of opportunity from those foes targeted. In all other respects, it is identical to Spring Attack, though it may be used vs. multiple opponents. If it is only used vs. one foe, then no AoO is allowed.

The fourth stage of the North Wind focuses on acquiring as much movement as possible, the better to implement the techniques previously learned. The first technique learned in this stage, Leaf in the Wind, is taught with heavy weights and stresses stamina. The second stage is taught to students who often find themselves toe-to-toe more often than the instructors like. It is called Float like a Leaf. Though not all North Wind stylists are taught all of the techniques of the school, it is included here for sake of completeness.

Leaf in the Wind: When using two light weapons and wearing light or no armor, the practitioner gains +10 to their movement rate when in combat. "In combat" is defined as when the participant is in initiative.

Float like a Leaf: Also known as Deflect and Disengage, this technique is taught to those who engage in more front-line fights, and also to those who might be caught by foes of the style. This technique grants a +4 bonus to opposed rolls when a foe attempts to Sunder or Disarm the Shadow of the North Wind stylist.

The fifth and final stage of training for a student studying the North Wind style is threefold. The three techniques taught in the final stage are only practiced in extreme privacy with masters of the techniques. Many students do not live through the training, and only through carefully preserved records are the styles still taught. It is believed that only a handful, maybe a dozen, practitioners of the Shadow of the North Wind style still know these techniques. These techniques teach how to dispatch of foes with the greatest effeciency, using your foes against themselves, and maximizing the damage that you are able to inflict upon your enemies. Only one North Wind instructor, Master Kibagami Shizumaru, ever learned all three techniques. Constantly challenged by other masters, Kibagami earned fame and a reputation as a highly skilled warrior. Many students still strive to reach his level of training, yet it is not known if any have succeeded. Like Kibagami himself, students who have mastered more than one of the three finishing techniques inevitably disappear. The three different finishing techniques are named: Widen the Wound, Benediction of Death, and The Skindance.

Widen the Wound: The techniques masters the use of concealment and striking the foes most vulnerable ares. When using this technique and successfully striking with a sneak attack, the practitioner may add +2 damage to all dice. This bonus is applied before all multipliers.

Benediction of Death: The practitioner of this style has often followed the Strike and Fade technique to the extreme. This finishing technique allows one more insult to the deadly style. If the practitioner drops a foe below 0 hit points, but not below -10, then the practitioner may take, as a free action, and immediate attack of opportunity against the fallen foe. This must be taken immediately, and does count towards the practitioners total number of attacks of opportunity.

The Skindance: This deadly technique involves a bit of risk, but is striking to behold. Using their foes own body, the practitioner strives to use the opponents movements to their benefit. Using the attack or full attack action, the practitioner may attempt the Skindance against 1 opponent within 5'. To succeed in the attempt, the practitioner must succeed at a Tumble check. The DC if the foe is two or more sizes larger is 15. If the foe is one size larger, the DC is 20. If the foe is the same size, the DC is 25. If the check fails, the opponent gets an immediate AoO against the North Wind practitioner, and the technique fails. If successful, the practitioner enters the same 5' space as occupied by the opponent, and now shares that space. The North Wind stylist now uses the foe as cover, gaining 1/2 cover: +4 AC and +2 Ref saves. This applies to other foes threatening the stylist, as well as the foe being used for the cover as well. See pg. 133 PHB for "Striking Cover Instead of a Missed Target".

Home
Site Map

Items
Artifacts
Spells
Creatures
Adventures
Prestige Classes
Fighting Techniques
Character Archives
Character Portraits

Community
Roleplaying Board
Links
Classifieds
RPG News

Voting
RPG Nexus
Nimue's Realm

FAQ
Miscellaneous
Bookshelf

Sign Guestbook
View Guestbook
Archive Guestbook

Contact:
Arislyn

Listed in:
Crow's Nest
Gamer's Outpost

Try your science fiction, fantasy or horror search on Planet Doom