Drow Aggressor

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Drow Aggressor (CR 11)

Among the Great Houses of the Drow, the quality and ability of their males are a matter of some pride, not to mention a great deal of deadly serious competition. And while Blademasters are wonderfully loyal, and Subjugators are strong and obedient, when dealing with foes like Souterrain, Gargoyles, Troglodytes, Trolls, and Sahauguin, sometimes a cultured, loyal, and obedient male isn't really what the Drow need.

After eons of work, the tall, powerfully muscled Drow Aggressor was perfected, to the delight of the leaders of the Great Houses. Finally, a male with enough sheer brute force to stand up to the neighbors! Unfortunately for the Great Houses that backed the Aggressors, at roughly the same time a competing faction worked out the rituals and unguents needed to create Driders.

Drow Aggressors were obsolete as soon as they were created.

They still exist, however, and so they are given jobs to do that are suited to their strength and aggressiveness.

Plus, to be honest, the Aggressors are much, much nicer to look at than a Drider, never mind how strong the beasts are....

GENERAL

CR 11 Hit Dice 16

XP 12,800

LE, medium, Fey

Init +6; Senses darkvision 60ft, Keen Scent, Perception +19

DEFENSE

AC 32, touch 20, flat-footed 27 (+8 armor, +5 dex, +5 natural, +4 deflection)

hp 229

Fort +14, Ref +11, Will +11

Aura: -

SR: -

Special Defenses: Sweeping Parry

Immunities: -

Weaknesses: Vulnerable to Cold Iron

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft.

Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.

Single Melee Sweeping Sword +20 (2d8+6/19-20x2) + Languishroot Poison

Full Melee 3x Sweeping Sword +20 (2d8+6/19-20x2) + Languishroot poison

Ranged 2x Throwing Knives +20 (2d8+6/x2) + Languishroot Poison, 20 foot range increment

Special Attacks Sweeping Parry, Scything Sword, Venom Sheath

Action Points 0

STATISTICS

Str 20, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 16

Base Atk +11; CMB +19; CMD 27

Feats Enforcer, EFFECT: Once per round roll a demoralize check as a free action when inflicting subdual damage (yes, poison counts), Cleave, EFFECT: Attack a second target adjacent to a struck target at full BAB once per round

Skills Stealth +16, Intimidate +18

Languages Undercommon, Awnsheghlien

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Sweeping Parry

Once per encounter, as a free triggered reaction, the Drow may make a Sweeping Parry when they are struck by a melee attack. They may roll a free reposition combat maneuver check (CMB vs CMD) which does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Typically this is used on the first attack when a foe declares a full attack action, and they will attempt to move the foe outside of their reach, although they may, of course, use it as they see fit.

Scything Swords

Once per encounter, as a full attack action, the Drow may make a single Sweeping Sword attack (+20 (2d8+6/19-20x2)) against all foes in reach. For every enemy they strike, they may take a five foot step. If any new enemies are now in their reach, they may attack all those foes as well, and if they make any additional hits, they may take another five foot step for each one. This process continues until the Drow misses all enemies, or there are no more enemies to attack. No enemy may be attacked more than once using this ability. Note that Cleave may be used with this ability but only once, and the Drow may choose when to use it. Note that if their blade currently has poison on it, that poison only works for the first successful strike.

Venom Sheath (Ex)

As a swift action, the Drow can reapply poison to his weapon. This is done with a practiced economy, as the blade is slid through a slotted cup-like device on his belt, near the sword's sheath. The cup-like device contains 10 doses of Languishroot poison, and can be refilled outside of combat.

As with all poisoned weapons, the poison is used up each time a target is struck by the blade, and new poison must be applied.

Languishroot Poison (Ex)

poison (injury); Save Fortitude DC 20; Onset 1/round for 2 rounds; Effect 1d3 Dex damage and 3d6 points of non-lethal physical damage; Cure 1 save.

TREASURE

sell value of approximately 6,500 gp

COMBAT TACTICS

Drow Aggressors are dangerous foes, canny and experienced melee combatants and much more dangerous at range than you would believe. In combat, they will try to maneuver into melee as fast as possible using their high speed. They will strive to set up cleave opportunities and flanks, but they will not risk attacks of opportunity unless they have to. In the second round of combat, once they are solidly engaged, is when they will usually start using their deadly and impressive Scything Swords attack. They will use any five foot steps they gain to work their way deep into their enemies backfield, where they can then start using full attack actions. If any high-damage melee attacker declares a full attack, they will use Sweeping Parry to try and break the attack cycle by repositioning them out of reach, or, they will create openings for them to use five foot steps to get deeper into the enemy's ranks.

Every round, if they manage to get any poison damage out, they will always roll a Demoralize attempt. Once a foe is [Shaken], they will switch to another foe with a poison attack to try and do it again.

If there is a high damage spell caster or a healer, at least one and possibly more of them will step back from melee and throw knives at them, to try and take them out with poison. A high damage ranged attacker will get the same treatment, and it is not unusual to see half of them racing into melee while the other half throw poisoned knives from cover.

Aggressors are not amazing tacticians, but they will certainly set up flanks and use cover and ranged attacks to their advantage, and will not suffer ranged attacks without answering. Their best manuever is to get at least some of their members into melee for scything swords, and then the rest charge in and do it again.

Once combat has begun, Aggressors, unlike many Drow, will not break off combat for any reason.