Lhazaaran Blackguard

Lhazaaran Elf class — see Classes for the full list.

Prime Requisite:	STR and INT
Requirements:
Hit Dice:	1d6
Maximum Level:	12

Before the Trembling, the elven Bloodsails of the Lhazaar Principalities often served the Emerald Claw cult. In the centuries since the Trembling, Lhazaaran culture has been conquered and absorbed by the Emerald Queen. Her most faithful servants, known as blackguards, channel arcane energy into their weapons and drink the dying breaths of their foes for nourishment. They openly proclaim their devotion to the true lineage of Vol, the Dragon House of Death.

Lhazaaran Blackguard Level Progression / Spell Progression

Experience	Title	Level	Hit Dice	Damage Bonus	1	2	3	4	5	Caster Level
0	Insignificant	1	1d6+1	+1	-	-	-	-	-	-
3,700	Ruinborn	2	2d6	+1	1	-	-	-	-	1
7,400	Ruinchild	3	3d6	+2	2	-	-	-	-	2
14,800	Son of Ruin	4	4d6	+2	2	-	-	-	-	2
29,600	Ruinwielder	5	5d6	+2	2	1	-	-	-	3
59,200	Ruinscourge	6	6d6	+3	2	2	-	-	-	4
120,000	Ruinmaster	7	7d6	+3	2	2	1	-	-	5
240,000	Father of Ruin	8	8d6	+3	2	2	2	1	-	7
410,000	Lord of Ruin	9	9d6	+4	3	2	2	1	-	7
580,000	Lord of Secrets	10	9d6 + 2*	+4	3	2	2	2	-	8
750,000	Lord of Bindings	11	9d6 + 4*	+4	3	2	2	2	1	9
920,000	Prince of Ruin	12	9d6 + 6*	+5	4	3	3	2	1	9

Blackguard Saving Throws

Level	Paralysis	Death	Blast	Implement	Spells	Attack Bonus
1	10+	11+	13+	14+	15+	+0
2-3	9+	10+	12+	13+	14+	+1
4	8+	9+	11+	12+	13+	+2
5-6	7+	8+	10+	11+	12+	+3
7	6+	7+	9+	10+	11+	+4
8-9	5+	6+	8+	9+	10+	+5
10	4+	5+	7+	8+	9+	+6
11-12	3+	4+	6+	7+	8+	+7

Combat Characteristics

Blackguards are brutal combatants who rarely show mercy. The chthonic powers a blackguard channels revel in the chaos and brutality of face-to-face combat. They favor the heaviest armor available so they can wade into close quarters and frown upon weapons which draw blood from a distance.

Combat Proficiencies: Blackguards have weapon proficiency with battle axes, great axes, flails, swords, two-handed swords, and whips. They have armor proficiency with all armors. They have fighting style proficiency with the weapon and shield and two-handed weapon styles, but not with the dual weapon style.

Combat Progression: Blackguards advance in attack throws and saving throws as fighters, by two points every three levels. They increase their base damage roll from successful melee attacks using these weapons by +1 at 1^st level, and by an additional +1 at 3^rd, 6^th, 9^th, and 12^th level. They can cleave after felling a foe a maximum of once per round per class level.

Starting Class Powers:

At the start of play, blackguards have the following class powers.

Dark Blessing: Blackguards enjoy the blessing of the chthonic gods. They gain a +2 bonus to all saving throws. (These adjustments are already factored into the saving throws on the Blackguard Attack and Saving Throws table.)

Manual of Arms: The blackguard is highly experienced in military discipline, physical fitness, and weapon drill. He can automatically identify the battle standards, equipment, great captains, military slang, and rank insignia of his homeland. He can identify those of other realms with a proficiency throw of 11+. He can fight as a regular (rather than irregular) troop in formed and loose units. He can begin play as a member of a legion, mercenary’s guild, or other military organization (Judge’s discretion). (This class power is equivalent to one rank of Manual of Arms proficiency.)

Preternatural Quickening: Blackguards act with supernatural celerity. A blackguard gains a +1 bonus to initiative and a +1 bonus to avoid surprise. The initiative bonus does not apply when casting spells.

Weapon Focus: Blackguards are experts with their weapon of choice. The blackguard gains the Weapon Focus proficiency with his choice of one specific weapon type (axes; maces, flails and hammers; swords and daggers).

Additional Class Powers

As a blackguard gains experience, he learns how to tap arcane energy to cast spells and enhance his prowess in battle. They gain the following additional class powers:

Arcane Magic (2^nd): Due to their elven heritage, Lhazaaran blackguards learn to cast arcane spells. However, they are not as devoted to the arcane arts as mages, so their caster level and progression are at a slower rate. The blackguard’s caster level, and the number and levels of spells the blackguard can cast in a single day, are listed on the Blackguard Spell Progression table. Like a mage, a blackguard’s spell selection is limited to the spells in his repertoire. A blackguard’s repertoire can include the number of spells up to the number and level of spells listed for his level, increased by his Intellect bonus. Unlike (human) mages, a Lhazaaran blackguard can cast spells while wearing any type of armor he is proficient with.

Arcane Striking (2^nd): The blackguard learns to channel arcane energy through his melee weapons. Whenever the blackguard successfully hits a target with a melee attack, he can immediately expend one of his daily spell slots to increase damage. Damage is increased by 1d6 per level of the spell slot expended. Damage dealt by arcane striking counts as extraordinary arcane damage. If the target is slain by his arcane strike, the blackguard is eligible to cleave as if he had slain the target in melee.

Death Healing (4^th): The blackguard learns to drain the life force of fallen foes in order to heal himself. Whenever the blackguard successfully slays a sentient creature with a melee attack, he can expend a spell slot to heal himself. Healing is 1d6 per level of the spell slot expended, to a maximum value equal to the slain victim’s maximum (starting) hit points. The blackguard can cleave after death healing if he has any cleaves remaining. A blackguard with sufficient spell slots can combine death healing and arcane striking.

Dark Charisma (5^th): The blackguard’s sinister presence begins to inspire the forces of evil to follow him. Any Chaotic characters or monsters in the blackguard’s service gain a +1 bonus to their morale score whenever he personally leads them. The bonus stacks with any modifiers from the blackguard’s Charisma or proficiencies.

Minor Magical Research (7^th): The blackguard can research spells, scribe magical scrolls, and brew potions as if he were a 5^th level mage.

Dark Fortress (9^th): By acquiring a dark fortress worth at least 15,000gp, the blackguard can attract followers to his service. 5d6 x 10 0^th level Lhazaaran troops and 1d6 blackguards of 1^st – 3^rd level arrive to serve him within 1d3 months of him acquiring the fortress. If the blackguard already has a fortress, the followers arrive to serve him within 1d3 months of him reaching 9^th level. The blackguard must pay his followers the ordinary rates for mercenaries and henchmen, or they leave his service. Should he prove a powerful, ruthless leader, the blackguard’s power may spread like a dark blight across the realm as those drawn to dark power flock to his banner. Additional rules for dark fortresses are detailed in Campaigns.

Spell Storing (9^th): The blackguard learns to channel his spells into his weapon. Whenever a blackguard casts a spell that would normally target a creature, he can instead cast it into his melee weapon, where it remains stored until discharged. The effect will discharge onto the next creature the blackguard strikes with the weapon, resulting in both melee damage and the normal effects of the spell. The blackguard can only store one spell at a time, and the spell will discharge harmlessly if not used in 1 turn (10 minutes), if the weapon is sundered, or if the blackguard loses his grip on the weapon. A blackguard with sufficient spell slots can combine spell storing, death healing, and/or arcane striking. A character being killed by a stored spell does not allow the blackguard to cleave.

Major Magical Research (12^th): The blackguard can an create more powerful magic items such as weapons, rings, and staffs, as if he were a 9^th level mage.

Racial Traits

As Lhazaaran elves, all blackguards also possess certain benefits and drawbacks from their bloodline.

After the Flesh: For most mortals, undeath is a curse. For Lhazaaran elves, it is a pathway to power. If transformed into intelligent undead, the Lhazaaran retains his racial powers and his class abilities. Once transformed, the bloodsail can continue to advance in Hit Dice without limit, even past his class’s maximum level. All of the Lhazaaran’s class abilities will continue to progress without regard to his class’s maximum level, to a maximum of 14th level. The ACKS II Judges Journal offers additional rules for characters advancing via this power.

Illmarrow’s Blessing: Because of their connection to the Emerald Queen, Lhazaaran elves are completely unaffected by diseases caused by undead and gain a +1 bonus to Paralysis and Death saving throws. Their robust vitality grants a +1 bonus to their HD roll at 1st level. (These adjustments are already factored into their HD and saving throws on the tables.)

Dark Soul: Because of their black spirits, the grim embrace of death holds special perils for Lhazaaran elves. Whenever a deceased Lhazaaran elf rolls on the Tampering With Mortality table, he suffers a penalty on the 1d20 roll of -1 per class level.

Inexorable: Lhazaarans are inexorable in the face of horrors that terrify normal men. They are immune to all fear effects.

Lhazaaran Tongues: Due to their background and training, all Lhazaarans can speak Caernathi, Common, Dwarf Giant, and Lhazaaran.

Class Proficiencies

Proficiency Progression: At 1^st level, blackguards select one class proficiency from their class proficiency list and one general proficiency from the general proficiency list. They select an additional class proficiency at 3^rd, 6^th, 9^th, and 12^th level. They select an additional general proficiency at 5^th and 9^th level.

Lhazaaran Blackguard Proficiency List: Alertness, Ambushing, Battle Magic, Berserkergang, Blind Fighting, Combat Ferocity, Combat Trickery (force back, knock down, overrun, sunder), Command, Dungeonbashing Expertise, Elementalism, Familiar, Fighting Style Specialization, Kin-Slaying, Leadership, Martial Training, Mastery of Conjuration & Summoning, Military Strategy, Mystic Aura, Navigation, Seafaring, Sensing Good, Sensing Power, Skirmishing, Unflappable Casting, Wakefulness