urdinaran said:
Here's one I designed to be used as a benefactor/nemesis for my group.
Ischade (Kothian Vamp8; Fallen p100)
Ah, my favorite character from the old Thieves World books. Still have a soft spot for her.
I made another quite different Temptress based on the Dark Horse Conan comic character Janissa the Widowmaker. If you like it you can find more profiles at my Dark Horse Conan topic here: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11404&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
”Stupid oaf! You think yourself a warrior? You think you can give me advice? You’re a fool- a fool who let yourself become addled by drink in Vantia- in a unfamiliar town!”
“Vantia! That was the town’s name! But how- ?”
“Who do you think struck you from behind, hm? Left you passed out in a pool of cheap wine?”
-Janissa and Conan, Conan #11
Janissa the Widowmaker
[First Appearance Conan #7]
Female Zingaran Level 10 Swordmaiden [Level 5 Soldier/Level 5 Temptress]
Hit Dice: 5d10 + 5d6 + 20 [74 Hit Points]
Initiative: +12 [+5 Ref; +5 Dex; +2 synergy bonus]
Move: 30 feet
Defense Value: Dodge 20 (1), Parry 16
Damage Reduction: None
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+10
Attack:
The Bone Woman’s blade +13 melee finesse [1d10+2; 18-20 x2 critical; AP 8] (2) [see upcoming post on New Magic Items] or Throwing Blade +13 ranged [1d6+2; x3 critical; AP 4; 10 foot range increment] [see upcoming post on New Weapons]
Full Attack:
The Bone Woman’s blades +13/+8 and +13/+8 melee finesse [1d10+2/1d10+1; 18-20 x2 critical; 8 AP] or Throwing Blades +13/+8 ranged [1d6+2; x3 critical; AP 4; 10 foot range increment]
Special Attacks: Art of Distraction, Sneak Attack +3d6 (1) (3), Weapon Familiarity [Greatsword]; +1 racial bonus to attack with Arming Swords or Broadswords
Special Qualities: Aura of Authority; Binding Contract; Comeliness; Formation Combat- skirmisher; Savior Faire; Spurn Seduction; Title (4); Vigilance
Saves: Fort +7; Ref +10; Will +11 (5)
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 19
Skills: Balance +14; (3); Bluff +19 (5); Climb +14; Diplomacy +6 (3)(6)(7); Disguise +9 (6); Escape Artist +15; Gather Information +13 (6); Hide +25 (1); Heal +3; Intimidate +25 (5) (6)(7); Knowledge [local] +6; Knowledge [nobility] +4; Knowledge [tactics] +7; Listen +21 (8); Move Silently +25 (1); Perform [virginity] +5 (6); Profession [sailor] +4 (3); Ride +7; Sense Motive +16 (3); Sleight of Hand +15; Spot +21 (8); Survival +4; Tumble +23, Use Rope +8 (3)
Feats: Acrobatic; Cleave; Combat Expertise; Exotic Weapon Proficiency [moonblade] [see upcoming post on New Weapons]; Improved Feint; Light Footed; No Honour; Noble Blood; Power Attack; Sneak Subdual
Reputation: Brave [Hyborian Kingdoms- 15]
Code of Honour: No Honour
Allegiance: The Bone Woman
Corruption: 3
Insanities: Socipathy (minor) [See upcoming post on New Insanities]
Languages Known: Aquilonian, Brythunian, Corinthian, Demonic, Hyrkanian. Kothic, Nemedian, Ophirian, Shemtish, Zamorian, Zingaran
Possessions
The Bone Woman’s blades; an Akbitanan Poniard and twelve Throwing Blades hidden about her outfit; the smaller stone of a set of
crystal balls of speech and vision; Merchant class halter-top and loincloth
(1) Includes Light Footed Feat
(2) When using one of
the Bonewoman’s blades alone Janissa often uses it double handed. If she is doing so, increase her attack damage by 1
(3) Includes racial bonus or penalty
(4) Though technically a minor member of Zingaran nobility, Janissa does not use her original name and makes no use of her Title
(5) Includes Aura of Authority special quality and the No Honour Feat. Due to the No Honour Feat and her own Corruption Janissa only possesses a +5 saving throw against Corruption.
(6) Includes effect of Corruption
(7) Includes synergy bonus
(8) Includes Vigilance special ability
Background
”You’d hear my tale then? Hear my story? Hnh. How is it such tales begin? ‘Once upon a time’? Very well then Conan of Cimmeria, One up a time there was silly, stupid girl….”
-Janissa, Conan #11
The woman who would later be known as Janissa the Widowmaker was born the daughter of a prosperous merchant named Lestario. Blessed with wealth and cursed with a lack of sons, Lestario sought to marry his daughters into the nobility that his heirs might be of royal linage. Two of daughters proved tractable to this plan, their thought consisting of little else save wearing fancy clothes, attending dances and marryingrich young lordlings. The third daughter was of a different temperament. Rather than be married off like good traded and sold, she longed for freedom, to be a warrior and to earn her way in the world by her skills and determination rather be an expensive ornament to a jaded noble. So one night she stole one of her father’s horses she fled his estate seeking a sorceress reputed to live in the hills to implore her aid.
So the daughter of Lestario discovered the Bone Woman and spoke her wish to be powerful, skilled and the equal of any man in battle. There the woman who would be known as Janissa struck a deal with the Bone Woman. In exchange for making her a warrior of great prowess she would serve the Bone Woman for a length of time equal to twice the time her training time. The Bone Woman’s method of training would be quite different than what he girl expected. After being rendered unconscious by the Bone Woman’s powdered Yellow Lotus Mash, the girl found herself sealed in a deep cave whose only entrance was far out of reach. From that entrance the Bone Woman tossed a single weapon- one of the magical blades that bears her name- and bade the girl make good use of it as her first lesson was upon her. A few moments later a foul creature, a minor demon of vile countenance leapt from the shadows. It easily overcame the girl and bore her to the ground, tearing at her garments. Under the Bone Woman’s cold gaze the demon repeatedly raped the girl repeatedly until she passed out from the pain. When she awoke the Bone Woman crouched over the girl with food and water. “Rest.” the Bone Woman said. “Regain your strength [and] think on your mistakes, on what you might have done better. There will be two them tonight.”
”…and the girl began dully to comprehend that someday, somehow, there might be an end to her ordeal. But it did not come. It did not come.”
-Janissa, Conan #11
So it continued. By day the girl would heal and recover from the assaults of the night before and practice with weapon she had been given. At night the demons would come their number increased by one. The demons fought not to kill, but to overcome the girl and violate her at their will. When the girl killed the first one, the Bone Woman treated her wounds with magical herbs and taught her knowledge of strategy and tactics. The next night she killed two before being overcome by their numbers. As the girl killed more, the Bone Woman used her
bone melding spell to speed the girl’s recovery. As the number of demons who died at the girl’s blade grew, the Bone Woman granted the girl the magical blade’s twin.
In the nearly lightless pit, time had no meaning. Every ounce of softness, mercy or compassion melted away from the girl, making her a hardened killer with little equal, thus fulfilling the Bone Woman’s promise. Demon after demon fell to her blades until no more did any bear her down to the ground and violate her. She slew horde after horde for a month until the entire cave was an abattoir strewn with bodies of unclean beings Then the Bone Woman deemed her warrior’s training complete and the girl took the name Janissa. And she serves the Bone Woman’s whim to this day, the time of her service to that immortal sorceress not yet complete.
Appearance
The Corruption of her mentor has not left Janissa untouched. Prior to meeting the Bone Woman, she had a larger, more voluptuous figure and bore auburn brown curls and light brown eyes. After her harrowing, her hair became straight and blood red and her figure spare of any softer flesh. She also bears a scar from her ordeal in the demon pit from her left eye to her lip. Her eye color is so dark that the seem bottomless pits when she is angered or her bloodlust is stirred, which is often. Blood red lips often part in a sardonic smile to reveal perfect ivory teeth. Yet she retains a striking, almost frightening beauty and dresses in a provocative manner in order to distract the men she battles. She disdains armor, electing greater mobility and the ability to fade from view if a conflict turns against her. If she needs to move among people without attracting notice she often doffs a heavy cloak to disguise her outré gear and appearance. Unknown to most people the ruby set in the pommel of her Poinard is the smaller stone in a set of
crystal balls of speech and vision she uses to keep in touch with her mistress.
Combat
”Pff, I thought you break me in two…?”
“And perhaps I can. But you have more skill than I’d expect from a woman.”
“Most men I’ve faced wouldn’t admit to that. Then again, most don’t live long enough.”
-Janissa and Conan, Conan #11
Janissa is assassin, little interested in the rules of fair combat or chivalry. If she means to take the life of an opponent she will make use liberal use of her Sneak Attack, setting her target up for it by using surprise, Art of Distraction, Improved Feint or the Stunt Attack combat maneuver. She’ll often make use of her Throwing Blades to strike down opponents in the beginning of combat via Sneak Attack before engaging in melee. On larger or heavily armored targets opponents she’s make use of her Power Attack Feat using her blade two handed to maximize the Feat’s effectiveness. If faced with a large number of lesser skilled opponents she revels in the opportunity to use her Cleave Feat to gorge her bloodlust.
Janissa values her own skin- she will make use of Combat Expertise and/or fight Defensively if she feels hard pressed. Her high Tumble skills allows her to move about a fight with little chance of ever suffering an Attack of Opportunity allowing her to come and go in a battle as she pleases. She had no compunction against retreating from greater opponents to seek a better opportunity to attack them later.
Roleplaying Notes
”What do I care? What do I care if Kalanthes wins through- or if Thoth-Amon guts him and eats him and lays waste to the world? I do the Bone Woman’s bidding, as I swore to.”
-Janissa, Conan #12
Janissa is a functional sociopath. Human life, ideals, laws and even common courtesy have no meaning to her. Even the survival of the human race is irrelevant to her. Only the will of Bone Woman motivates her. If order to protect and aid a person important to the Bone Woman’s goals she does so. If ordered to kill a person she does it. If ordered to knock a Cimmerian barbarian unconscious, take him to another town and leave him for the watch to find she does so. What purpose it serves she cares not. The Bone Woman has effectively stripped her humanity from her. On the other hand Janissa has never been known to kill a person completely out of hand or without reason showing an core of iron hard control and the ability to defer her bloodlust if needed. Her life is certainly violent enough that she has ample opportunity to satisfy her need for conflict during the fulfillment of her duties.....
Yet Janissa is likely to appear in a game as an ally rather than enemy to PCs. The Bone Woman often desires to thwart the ambitions of other, more powerful sorcerers and rather than opposing them directly she helps their enemies. Often this involves sending Janissa to watch over those devoted to the downfall of her enemies, either covertly eliminating threats to them or placing useful allies in their path or more overtly as a bodyguard. Janissa often hold little regard for such ‘do-gooders’ and is merciless in scorn and ridicule to what she sees as their naiveté, inexperience and incompetence. Often such ‘allies’ can begin to hate her worse than the one she is protecting them from.
Should Janissa survive long enough to fulfill her term of service to the Bone Woman and regain her freedom, few could guess at what she would do were she free to act of her own violation.