Deathslayer

Deathslayer
Region	Zakhara
Class Statistics
2nd Edition Statistics
Kit for	Wizard
Alignment	LG NG CG LN N CN LE NE CE
Race	Human
Other	Necrology

Deathslayers were a variety of wizards that honed their skills in the Art for the narrow goal of seeking out and destroying all manner of undead.

Culture

These wizards had an obsessive, militant opposition to all forms of undead that bordered on mania. Their pursuit was unrelenting, as if the fanatical mages were under the effect of a geas. When confronted with a group of undead and living creatures working together, a deathslayer would unerringly focus on slaying the undead first, even if their living allies posed a greater risk.

For many, though not all, their hatred of undead stemmed from a personal experience, of either themselves or a loved one being attacked. This instilled within them an overpowering drive for revenge against undead, perhaps mixed at times with a sense of righteous indignation. For other deathslayers, their motivating force was instead compassion, wanting to selflessly risk their lives in order to lay disturbed spirits to rest. Still for others, such developed senses of morality might be lacking and in its place stood a tenuous hold on sanity, the years of battling such horrors having eroded their mental health. Even when deathslayers managed to maintain their sanity over years of fighting the undead, their dealings with other people usually took a turn towards the harsh and grim.

Though deathslayers desired the death of all manner of undead, each devoted themselves at the start of their career towards a focus on a particular form of undead. Once this choice was made they could never alter their focus. Undead commonly chosen included banshees, ghosts, liches, mummies, spectres, and vampires. Regardless of their focus, as they grew in power deathslayers tended to seek out increasingly dangerous foes, such as ghosts, vampires, and even liches. Additionally, their opposition towards undead frequently put them in conflict with necromancers.

Requirements

The life of a deathslayer could be taken up by people of any alignment, though it required the wizard to have an adequate amount of strength and becoming well-versed in the field of necrology. Some went so far as to become learned in ancient history and languages, astrology, netherworld knowledge, and spirit lore. However, the various skillsets employed by rogues were considered forbidden amongst deathslayers.

Abilities

Deathslayers conducted extensive study and prepation towards their chosen focus, honing their abilities and becoming skilled in combating them. This resulted in them exhibiting certain capabilities that were otherwise not present when fighting other forms of undead. These included greater mental defenses, including against charms and fear, greater prowess in close-quarters combat and with touch-based spells, and their spells overall proved to be more effective.

In terms of spells, these wizards preferred those of a defensive and offensive nature, particularly those that could detect or disable undead creatures. Some common spells among deathslayers included bind undead, chill touch, corpselight, detect undead, and hold undead. In some cases, deathslayers adopted the similarly loathsome practices of necromancy in order to take down necromancers.

Possessions

Being a form of wizard, deathslayers forwent wearing any sort of armor. In terms of weaponry they tended towards the standard wizard array of weapons, including daggers, darts, knives, slings, and staves.

Notable Deathslayers

• Dr. Grant Van Ruch, a human deathslayer from the city of Sigil that devoted his life to slaying vampires after one killed his parents.
• Talib the Lich-Killer, a wily old Zakharan who once ruled the city of Ysawis alongside the necromancer Kazerabet. After the lich Thalath killed both of his sisters he took up the life of a deathslayer, returning the zombies of his kingdom to the grave and devoting his focus towards the slaying of liches. He was known to have slain Thalath and three other liches over time.

Appendix

See Also

• Necrobane
• Undead hunter
• Undead slayer, elves that similarly devoted themselves to the eradication of undead.

Appearances

Organized Play & Licensed Adventures

Impendant Symposium