Celtris Tales: Small Packages Chapter 5 Slaver's Galley

Small Packages: Slaver’s Galley

Having activated Defiance’s larger form Valen managed to whirl the double mace like a bo staff to simultaneously block a coordinated number two (high left) strike and number ten (low right) strike, and side step the follow up number 8 (deep lunge) but not the rapid roundhouse kick follow up Jared loaded a cold punching snowball spell strike that rocked him back on his heels. The old man was serious today. Valen recovered his wits in time to see Jared complete a spell that created a half dozen illusionary doubles of the famed hero.

“You fight well my son, but you seem to think that matters. Your enemies will not wait to see if you’re ready to fight, they will simply look for the most expedient way to kill you.”

Valen spun Defiance again like a bo-staff and launched into a spinning assault that would offer him many strikes at the price of true momentum, it cleared all but one of the illusions solidly connecting with his father’s  shoulder with perhaps too hard a clip. Jared vanished in that moment to reappear with the tip of his rapier two inches deep under Valen’s floating rib.

Unapologetically, Jared withdrew his blade and flicked of his foster son’s blood. “Take a healing potion and fetch one for me while you’re at it. You need to stop relying on your eyes so much my son, or some clever spire mage will kill you one day.”

The words were a gentle but serious rebuke. Valen realized two things in that moment, it was the first time he had ever hit his adoptive father in a sparring match, and that his father had was pushing him harder today with a purpose.

“Something is wrong?” Valen had never been a man of many words, words came awkwardly to his lips. He preferred silent action, monks in his order rarely spoke.

Jared nodded. Before he could explain a messenger burst into the practice courtyard.

“General Ambassador, pardon my interruption but there’s a slaver ship on its way to the harbor.”

Jared’s face darkened, with deadly swift grace that Valen had heard tales of but never witnessed from his father, the half elf half goblin sheathed his blade into his walking cane, made a number of practiced arcane somatic motions and ran out toward the harbor casting spells as he moved.

Valen had seen his father shirtless enough times to know the brutal lash marks on his back, the brand on his ribs, and the deadly serious glint in his father’s eyes when the subject of slavery was broached. Jared had been a slave early in his life and few things infuriated him more thoroughly.

The bards told tales of Jared freeing himself from the southern slavers. His full elf wife was a former slave the hero had freed. Many of his men were once slave troops or caravan guards effectively stuck in a cycle of debt akin to slavery. He had fled north and begged sanctuary in Briar Hills for the price slaver’s had put on his head. Jared was worth six figures to those men, it would end up being the low bid compared to what the Imperium was willing to pay.

Jared became Briar Hill’s greatest hero. He was the high general of their armies and chief ambassador. At one point a mercenary company form the southern cities came to collect the reward on Jared’s head and their ships were burned in the harbor of Briar Hills. Since then no slave ship had dared enter halfling territory.

Valen raced after his father. No slaver would dare try to dock in the harbor, Jared was famous for what he did to slavers as he was for anything else. Valen fished a potion out of the pack he carried, it would lend him speed. He would likely have to fight his own father in more earnest if he was to prevent a terrible mistake. There was only one reason a slaver ship would harbor in Briar Hills, that reason being it wasn’t piloted by slavers.

Valen watched his adoptive father’s mental decline with silent distress. In the moment the man was deadly and sharp and with a little coaxing he could match wits with any foe, but his short term memory was declining and sometimes he acted rashly to cover for his deficiencies. Today that could mean the death of innocents, Valen buckled down and ran faster.

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Celtris Tales: Small Packages Chapter 3 Scars

Small Packages: Scars

Luca hated fire. Fire had killed his parents and as a winter gnome, fire was especially painful to him. As Marius charged past him drawing his blade, acting without caution or forethought Luca was reminded of how like fire his brother could be.

There was little choice; Luca whistled the loose command to the pack of three wolves that served the brother’s as companions. There would be other orcs with torches, followed by more orcs with bucket. Luca recognized the implications immediately, this was a burn brigade keeping the grounds of the fort clear of cover. It was a standard tactic when expecting an attack.

The chance to reason and calm Marius passed in a blink, when something offends a paladin’s convictions it was best to get out of the way. Luca followed his brother in a guarded trot and called the eldritch cold to blast any foes.

The orc spotted Marius and called out for reinforcements. The orc was no slouch, he dropped his torch a couple feet ahead of himself drew his spear and braced it off his rear foot angled low and further supported with his shield. The moves were practiced and near mechanical in their precision. This was a soldier that had drilled until such movements were second nature, and he would be joined by at least two others before Marius closed the distance into melee. Luca sent a dart of freezing energy over that orc’s shield.

Luca had once skimmed an orc tactical manual and could hazard that this was likely a foot patrol unit. There would be eight legionaries with tower shields, longspears, a brace of pilums, and the deadly legion issue orcish gladius. They would try to form up ranks which made them more deadly as each man was trained to guard the man to his left with his shield. They’d form two lines with 4 spears in the back making attacks between the gaps while those out front stabbed and slashed with their deadly blades from closer quarters.

Allowing the orcs to form up into even a partial defensive formation would mean death for the gnomes and their wolves. It would take the orcs less than a minute to gather and form so every second counted. Luca had a magical bond with Calia and Seline, the two female wolves who he ordered into either side of the tall grasses to flank, the tactic would at least hopefully stall the orcs.

Closing more distance, Luca dreaded doing what he knew he must, as he dismissed Iz after launching another eldritch dart at the same orc he had already wounded. A flood of weakness and pain brought tears to the Winter gnome’s eyes but he needed his summons. Three of the orcs were set for Marius when Calia leapt from the grasses and scored a deep calf bite on Luca’s wounded orc dragging him down. He foolishly tried to regain his feet rather than a short blade exposing the back of his neck, Calia didn’t miss the opportunity.

Maruis adjusted the angle of his charge and caught a second orc patrolman who had drawn his sword rather than spear. This orc was perhaps a green horn as he lacked the skill and grace of his dead companion; he chopped a sloppy overhand strike that Marius easily evaded as he charged into his foe. The blade was that of an orcish longsword that had about half a foot cut from the base the handle, modified to serve as a bastard sword for a gnome. Marius drove the blade will all his charging momentum through the weak point of the footman’s breastplate, the sides where the armor is strapped. The green horn footman was dead before he hit the ground.

Seline and Kane occupied the third orc who had both his spear and his short sword out. He was using the spear tucked under arm and braced across his back to ward off Seline, while his sword stood in a defensive posture for Kane. The wolves had him flanked and would circle and strike.

In the chaos of melee, Marius had not yet noticed the other five orcs from the patrol who formed up with two in the rear pilums in hand and three up front with their shields covering one another and short-blades at the ready. The marched steadily holding their tentative formation.

Luca called a small elemental of earth to flank and harry the orcs from below. With a spell he called a hawk to dive and attack from the skies. His brother drew a pillum from the fallen and lazily chucked it at the wolf flanked orc with his off hand. The orc easily dodged but was put off balance enough for the wolves to strike him down rapidly, finishing him brutally in front of his marching companions. They responded with a pilum volley the wolves easily dodged, but held.

Luca was nearly to his brother’s side when he called the power of the cloak and turned into a winter wolf. The pack jumped into the tall grasses for soft cover and stealth. They’d circle round the rear and try to break the formation, Marius and Luca just had to hold up for a few moments.

Luca blasted the front with his new form’s breath weapon. Formations were bad at dodging. Marius drew and a specially carved bit of chitin and spoke a word of command in a passable draconic. Webs quickly formed and held the formation in a sticky mess.

Luca dropped wolf form and called out to Iz. There was no point in watching what came next. Held fast Marius would use either the remaining fallen’s pilums or long spears to finish the patrol and avoid the mess. Trading at the Fort was now a pyrite errand.

It was Luca’s sincere hope that the Fort didn’t spare a wizard from Black Spire College to investigate.  The last thing they needed was to get on the empire’s wanted list. Every orc would be a potential enemy, not to mention the bounty hunters.

Fire made scars on the land and in the hearts of two orphan gnomes, the burn squad that cleared the Fort’s killing fields would pay for being careless with their fire today. Marius was easy to underestimate, he was usually so kind and warm, like a crackling hearth on a cold day.  Though like that same hearth, if things got out of control he was capable of as much destruction and violence as any raging fire.

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From the Vault: Shank You Very Much Ser......

This was an excellent submission for our very soon to be released Gunslinger Book. I feel this could pair well with say a level or three of the knife master rogue archetype for a particularly fun character. I personally think of this guy.

Somehow, some way this awesome submission which was accepted for the book ended up missing when it went to layout. Only after the meticulous work of our layout guy had already been done did we discover the issue. We decided to give this to you the fans as a teaser. 

The gun can add a very intriguing flavor to fantasy but this is one of two archetypes that lets you play a gunslinger even if there is no gun. I hope you enjoy.

~Frank Gori Creative Director of Flying Pincushion Games.

Shankslinger

By Matt Medeiros

Many would say bringing a knife to a gunfight is a bad idea, some would disagree. These few, lethally dextrous individuals are called shankslingers. Their skills speak for them – any who would draw upon a shankslinger is pincushioned before getting off more than a shot or two.

Deeds

A shankslinger trades the devastation of a single, horrible shot for a torrent of blades. They accomplish this by learning deeds that a typical gunslinger would not, listed below. Each deed states which deed it replaces. If a deed is not replaced, then anything that would affect a gun/shot can instead be used to affect a light throwing weapon (typically a dagger, dart, or shuriken).

Shanksharpen (Ex): At 1st level, the shankslinger can craft an improvised piercing weapon called a “shank” given a minute and something to sharpen. This results in a one-use weapon that deals 1d4+strength modifier damage. In addition, if a shankslinger crafts a dart or dagger, their experience honing edges (and constant attention to their weapons) increases the damage die by 1 step (a 1d4 weapon deals 1d6.) This ability is in effect so long as the shankslinger has at least 1 grit point. This deed replaces Deadeye.

Twinned Hands (Ex): At 1st level, a shankslinger gains the Two-Weapon Fighting, Quickdraw and Rapid Shot feats as bonus feats but only with throwing weapons and so long as the shankslinger has at least 1 grit point. This deed replaces Quick Clear.

Shankslinger Initiative (Ex): At 3rd level, as long as the gunslinger has at least 1 grit point, she gains the following benefits. First, she gains a +2 bonus on initiative check. Furthermore, if she has the Quick Draw feat, her hands are free and unrestrained, and a light, thrown weapon is not hidden, she can draw and throw as a part of the initiative check. This deed replaces Gunslinger Initiative.

Impale (Ex): At 3rd level, the shankslinger's thrown weapons strike with such force that one weapon a round can impale the target, dealing weapon damage every round (including critically multiplied damage). This additional damage is bleed damage. Removing the impaled weapon also deals weapon damage unless a successful Heal check (DC 20) is made. This deed replaces Pistol-Whip.

Trick Throws (Ex): At 3rd level, if the shankslinger has at least 1 grit point, she can perform all of the following trick throws. Each trick throw can be applied to any single attack with a firearm, but the shankslinger must declare the trick throw she is using before making the attack.

• Lob: The shankslinger must have 20 feet of overhead clearance to use this trick. When this trick is used, the shankslinger takes a -2 penalty on their attack roll but the opponent is caught flat-footed and denied any cover that doesn't cover their head.
• To the hilt: The shankslinger can make a ranged disarm attempt as a standard action. This attempt takes a -2 penalty but if the disarm attempt it successful the item is flung back 5 feet plus an additional 5 feet per 5 the target's CMD is beaten by.
• Distracting Throw: The shankslinger can make a ranged attack as a standard action. This attack doesn't deal damage, it only distracts the enemy enough that they are counted as being flanked by the shankslinger from that direction until the shankslinger's next turn.

This deed replaces Utility Shot.

Powerful Projectile (Ex): At 7th level, a shankslinger with at least 1 grit can choose to use Strength instead of Dexterity on attack rolls with thrown weapons. In addition, as a full-round action the shankslinger can throw one well-placed projectile that not only deals double damage dice (as vital strike), the target must also make a Fortitude check (DC 14+1/2 shankslinger's level) or be stunned for the round. The shankslinger must spend 1 grit point to perform this secondary function of this deed. This deed replaces Dead Shot.

Mystic Resonance (Su): At 11th level, a shankslinger can cause thrown weapons to be a magical replica of a similar magical weapon on their person. By spending 1 grit point and designating a throwing weapon on her person, the shankslinger can have all similar throwing weapons have likewise effects (a +1 flaming returning dagger designated by this abilities bestows the +1 flaming, and returning qualities on all other weapons thrown that turn). This only affects weapons thrown, specifically. This deed replaces Expert Loading.

Bouncing Blades (Ex): At 11th level, a shankslinger can have all throwing weapons function as though benefitting from the returning quality so long as she has 1 grit point remaining. A secondary effect to this deed is that a shankslinger's blades can ricochet to a single adjacent enemy before returning at the cost of 2 grit points per round. In addition, this deed allows her to catch and sheath weapons as a free action. This deed replaces Lightning Reload.

Multiplicity (Su): At 15th level, a shankslinger can throw two light throwing weapons with one attack roll. Throwing the first extra weapon can be used so long as 1 grit remains. For each additional thrown weapon on the same attack roll, spend an additional grit point. This deed replaces Menacing Shot.

Shankslinger Shield (Ex): At 19th level, before a shankslinger rolls an attack roll, she can spend 2 grit points to threaten the area within 30 feet of her. She gains the Combat Reflexes feat if she doesn't already have it and may make attacks of opportunity on anyone who approaches or passes through this area. Anyone she successfully hits with an attack of opportunity suffers a -2 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls against her for that round. This deed replaces Stunning Shot.

Thrown Training (Ex) Starting at 5th level, a shankslinger gains Weapon Training with thrown weapons as per the fighter class feature. They only gain thrown weapon training.


Check out our Into the Breach: The Gunslinger here!