Shulassakar Sword-Sage

Shulassakar class — see Classes for the full list.

Naming

“Deneith” is the house’s old-canon name; in the current era it is House D’neith (ruled 2026-07-03). The rules text below is verbatim from the source.

Shulassakar are a race of humanoids reminiscent of feathered serpents. While some of their race are transcendent, winged creatures with serpentine tales for legs, many can pass for human at a glance, with only forked tongues and serpentine eyes to give away their nature. Whether directly trained by House Deneith or independently developed, some Shulassakar of the “bloodsworn” caste practice the arts of warcraft, a study of blade magic. These warriors are known as sword-sages among their people.

Shulassakar Sword-sage Level Progression	Sword-sage Warcraft Details
Experience	Title	Level	Hit Dice	Melee Damage Bonus	Technique Throw	Techniques Known	Technique Level
0	Knife-Novice	1	1d6	+1	-	-	-
2,425	Anlace-Acolyte	2	2d6	+1	10+	1	1
4,850	Machete-Master	3	3d6	+2	10+	1	1
9,700	Edge-Exemplar	4	4d6	+2	9+	2	1
19,400	Gladius-Guru	5	5d6	+2	9+	2	1
38,800	Wind-Whisperer	6	6d6	+3	8+	3	2
80,000	Fang-Flame	7	7d6	+3	8+	3	2
160,000	Scythe-Speaker	8	8d6	+3	7+	4	3
315,000	Sword-Sage	9	9d6	+4	7+	4	3
470,000	Sword-Sage, 10th level	10	9d6+2	+4	6+	4	4
625,000	Sword-Sage, 11th level	11	9d6+4	+4	6+	4	4
780,000	Sword-Sage, 12th level	12	9d6+6	+5	5+	4	5

Sword-sage Saving Throws and Attack Bonus

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

Combat Characteristics

Combat Proficiencies: Sword-sages are proficient with light and very light armor as well as all melee weapons (including those which can be thrown). They are trained in the two-weapon fighting style as well as the two-handed fighting style, but not in the weapon and shield style.

Combat Progression: Sword-sages advance in attack and saving throws as fighters, by two points every three levels. They can cleave after felling a foe up to once per round per class level.

Starting Class Powers

Ferocity of Spirit: By channeling her spirit energy, a sword-sage can make up for any lack of physical might by insightful perception. The sword-sage may, if desired, add her WIL bonus instead of her STR bonus to damage rolls with melee attacks.

Graceful Fighting: The sword-sage fights in an agile and acrobatic style that resembles a choreographed dance. If a sword-sage is wearing light armor, very light armor, or no armor, and carrying 5 stones or less encumbrance, she gains a +1 bonus to initiative and a +1 bonus to Armor Class. At 7th level, the AC bonus increases to +2, and at 13th level the AC bonus increases to +3.

Graceful fighting can be stacked with Swashbuckling proficiency to increase the AC bonus, but the bonus from Swashbuckling is capped at +1 unless the character is unarmored.

Manual of Arms: The sword-sage is highly experienced in military discipline, physical fitness, and weapon drill. She 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+. She can fight as a regular (rather than irregular) in formed and loose units. She 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 the Manual of Arms proficiency.)

Quick to Act: The sword-sage gains a +1 bonus to initiative in all circumstances.

Specialized Damage Bonus: Sword-sages gain a +1 to damage with melee attacks. The damage increases at 3^rd, 6^th, 9^th, and 12^th levels, as shown on the chart above.

Speed of Thought: Shulassakar sword-sages are swift as the wind. The character’s base speed is increased by 30’ when wearing medium or lighter armor and carrying 7 stones or less encumbrance.

Spiritual Resistance: The sword-sage’s spirit cannot be denied. The target numbers for all saving throws is reduced by 2 (already included in the chart above).

Uncanny Opponent: Each sword-sage trains in any one Combat Trickery proficiency or chooses one of the following thief skills to become proficient in: climbing, hiding, listening, searching or sneaking.

Weapon Finesse: Sword-sages fight with lissome speed and cat-like agility. A sword-sage can apply her DEX modifier instead of her STR modifier on her melee attack throws when using weapons with which she is proficient. (This class power is the equivalent of Weapon Finesse proficiency, except that it applies to the sword-sage’s weapons rather than to all tiny, small, or medium weapons. It cannot stack with Weapon Finesse.)

Additional Class Powers

Warcraft (2^nd): Starting at 2^nd level, the sword-sage may learn and perform martial techniques. The sword-sage has a repertoire of a maximum number of tactics listed on the Sword-sage Warcraft Details table, plus their INT bonus, if any. Sentinels keep a book of strategy, filled with guidelines and diagrams outlining techniques and allowing them to change out their repertoire in a fashion similar to the manner in which mages may learn and swap spells or antiquarians may learn and swap ceremonies. For purposes of costs, each new technique is considered a spell of level equal to the Sentinel’s technique level. Performing a tactical maneuver is similar in many ways to performing a hasty ceremony, requiring implements of command as well as a successful technique throw to achieve the desired results. Failing a technique throw results in a loss of confidence; the Sentinel has a confidence threshold equal to his tactic level. See Warcraft for full details and a list of martial techniques.

Tactical Research (7^th): The sentinel may research new tactics, at the same cost and time as a mage or ceremonialist would spend researching a new spell. Treat the sentinel as having a caster level of ¾ his character level. The character needs access to a library of war of an appropriate value (at the Judge’s discretion, 25-50% of the value of an arcane library might be applicable).

Monastery (9^th): When a sword-sage reaches 9th level, he can establish a monastery, attracting up to 5d6 x10 0^th level soldiers and 1d6 shulassakar of 1^st-3^rd level. These followers will serve with complete loyalty (+4 morale). While in the character’s service, they must be provided food and lodging but need not be paid wages. The monastery is otherwise similar to the cleric’s fortified church as detailed in Campaigns.

Racial Traits

Private Tongue: Shulassakar have a private language of hisses and body motions that is difficult for other races to hear or even recognize as speech.

Serpentine Appearance: As a “bloodsworn” Shulassakar, the sword-sage’s snakelike features are minimal, but still disconcerting to most humanoids. The character suffers a -1 penalty to reaction rolls with most humanoids but instead receives a +1 bonus to reaction rolls with devotees of the Binding Flame, all snakes, and many birds.

Spell Abilities: All Shulassakar can cast remove fear once per hour, and bewitch beast once per 8 hours, as the spells of the same name, without expending any spell slots or having the spells in a repertoire.

Snakeform: A Shulassakar can shapechange into the form of a silvery, feathered pit-viper once per day per character level. Note that changing back also consumes a use of this ability, so a 1^st level character must wait one day before changing back!

Class Proficiencies

Proficiency Progression: At 1st level, sword-sages 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, 9^th, and 13^th level.

Shulassakar Sword-Sage Proficiency List: Acrobatics, Alertness, Ambushing, Battle Magic*, Blind Fighting, Combat Reflexes, Combat Trickery (disarm, force back, knock down), Command, Craft, Diplomacy, Eavesdropping, Endurance, Expanded Repertoire, Fighting Style Specialization, Healing, Intimidation, Knowledge, Leadership, Manual of Arms, Martial Training, Military Strategy, Precise Shooting, Quiet Magic*, Skirmishing, Swashbuckling, Unarmed Fighting, Unflappable Casting*, Weapon Focus

Sword-sage Templates

3d6 Roll	Template	Proficiencies	Starting Equipment
3 – 4	Wrestler	Unarmed Fighting Endurance Combat Trickery (wrestling)	Clean loincloth, simple belt, low boots, 2 daggers, arena armor, light, backpack, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin (enc. 3 4/6 stone)
5 – 6	Trapper	Ambushing Trapping Hiding	Tunic and pants, dark green cloak, leather belt, high boots, hunting spear, curved dagger, leather armor, backpack, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin, tinderbox, 6 torches, 6 iron spikes, small hammer, 22gp (enc. 6 st)
7 – 8	Tumbler	Acrobatics Performance (acrobatics) Climbing	Tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, 2 sinuously curved short swords, daggers, supple leather armor, 1 week’s iron rations, backpack with waterskin, tinderbox, 6 torches, 50’ rope, grappling hook, 10gp (enc. 6 1/6 st)
9 – 10	Scout	Alertness Signaling Sneaking	Mottled green tunic and pants, leather cloak, leather belt, high boots, 2 sinuously curved swords, dagger, chain mail armor, backpack with 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin, pennant flag, 20gp (enc. 6 st)
11 – 12	Hurler	Precise Shooting Gambling Combat Trickery (force back)	Colorful tunic and pants, leather belt, high boots, 2 kamas, great axe, banded plate armor, 1 week’s iron rations, backpack with waterskin, tinderbox, 6 torches, 50’ rope, grappling hook, 11gp (enc. 10 st)
13 – 14	Cleaver	[[Fighting Style Specialization	Fighting Style Spec.]] (two-handed) Intimidation Combat Trickery (knock down)
15 – 16	Archer	Martial Training (longbow) Survival Searching	Green armiger’s tunic and pants, fur-lined cloak, embossed belt, low boots, sinuously curved two-handed sword, long bow, quiver with 20 arrows, banded plate armor, backpack with 2 weeks’ iron rations, waterskin, 43gp (enc. 9 3/6 st)
17 – 18	Armsmaster	Weapon Focus (swords and daggers) Riding Combat Trickery (sunder)	Templar’s tunic and pants, embossed leather belt, low boots, sinuously curved two-handed sword, polished plate armor, backpack, 1 week’s iron rations, waterskin, medium riding horse, riding saddle and tack, saddlebag, 34gp (enc. 9 2/6 st or 8 2/6 st with rations on horse)

Notes: the hurler’s kamas are a type of hand axe****

Prime Requisite:	CON and WIL
Requirements:	STR 11 DEX 11 CON 11 CHA 9
Hit Dice:	1d8
Maximum Level:	8*