Purpose
The Stable of the Outlander is an organization of warriors trained to fight in the gladiatorial arenas of the Great City. Masters of this brutal amusement, they are on the verge of becoming a potent political force as well.
Leader
Eskander (NE human male Bar7/Pit10)
Current Activities
The Stable of the Outlander takes its name from its pit master, Eskander. Born to a barbar-ian tribe in the wilds surrounding the Great City, he was enslaved as a young man and forced to fight for the pleasure of the debauched citizenry. Eskander proved adept at pit fighting and quickly earned the respect of his fellow slaves as well as the adulation of the jaded crowds. In time, he became one of the most popular men in the city, despite his rivals’
numerous attempts to kill – or at least embar-rass – him. Through a combination of cunning and luck, Eskander survived all these attempts and his popularity only grew greater.
Seeing the suffering of his fellow slaves weighed heavily on the former barbarian.
Eskander came close to believing that the only solution was a slave revolt that he would lead.
CHAPTER ONE: The Fighting Classes
36
Pit Fighter
Base Fort Ref Will
Level Attack Save Save Save Special
1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Battle sense, weapon sense
2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Armor adjustment +1, skewer
3 +3 +3 +1 +1 Fighter feat, weapon sense
4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Battle sense
5 +5 +4 +1 +1 Armor adjustment +2, savage strike 1/day
6 +6 +5 +2 +2 Fighter feat, poison use
7 +7 +5 +2 +2 Battle sense
8 +8 +6 +2 +2 Armor adjustment +3, steal the kill
9 +9 +6 +3 +3 Fighter feat, savage strike 2/day
10 +10 +7 +3 +3 Armor adjustment +4, pure form
CHAPTER ONE: The Fighting Classes He might well have acted on his beliefs – and
succeeded – if the City’s ruling council had not recognized this danger and preempted his attempt. The council freed Eskander and lav-ished riches and luxury upon him. He then used his new position to establish his own stable of gladiators, one in which his own style of fight-ing was taught. His pit fighters quickly became the best in the City, so much so that, in the minds of many devotees of the arenas, the term
“pit fighter” refers only to members of Eskander’s stable. All other fighters are inferi-or breeds that do not deserve that title.
Though corrupted and decadent like the other lords of the City, Eskander remains unhappy and unfulfilled. His barbarian heart is torn between his youthful love of freedom and the pangs of conscience make him question his original inten-tions to overturn the City’s order. Yet, Eskander is also ambitious and part of him wonders if it might not be better if he took the reins of power himself. For now, the fighters of his stable ply their trade primarily in the arena, but the time may come when they will serve as Eskander’s army. Only time – and the vagaries of the bar-barian heart – can tell whether that army will be used to seize liberty or naked power.
Campaign Integration
The Stable of the Outlander is much more lim-ited as an organization than many of the others described in this book. For one, it is found only in a single locale, the decadent Great City.
While it is possible that former members of the stable could buy their freedom and leave the City to journey farther afield, that is not the norm. Indeed, the immense popularity of the stable’s fighters makes this highly unlikely.
The rewards for staying in the City – wealth, popularity, influence – far outweigh those to be gained by leaving. This is an important consid-eration for the DM who is considering using this group in his campaign.
The stable’s pit fighters are the celebrities of the Great City and command far more respect than do many of its political or military leaders. That is, of course, why the ruling council was so keen to pacify Eskander in the first place. It is also the reason why characters may wish to join his stable, for although a great many of its fight-ers are slaves, the majority of them are not. That is one of the things that distinguishes the Stable of the Outlander from other groups of fighters.
Eskander believes fervently in giving his
fight-ers the fruits of their labors. Slaves are far less likely to perform well in the arena, because they have less to gain by success than a free man.
In an adventure or campaign that takes place entirely within the Great City, the Stable of the Outlander offers an attractive way to better oneself in ways beyond the purely monetary.
Eskander is an important figure in the Great City, and his fighters share in his influence.
That means successful members of the stable can expect deferential treatment in certain cir-cumstances. It also means that the stable will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in deciding the future of the city itself.
Eskander is genuinely torn between his old ide-alism and his present cynicism. His stable is similarly divided between those who want to reform the government of the Great City and those who simply wish to enjoy its riches. An entire campaign could be built around swaying Eskander to do one thing or the other – or fight-ing against the decision he ultimately makes. In the end, many pit fighters will choose to oppose Eskander’s decision, whatever it is.
Characters who want to turn a fallen hero to his noble roots and overthrow a decadent regime have a chance to use the stable for
37
that very purpose. Likewise, characters who want to seize power can use the stable in that way as well. Both are viable approaches to the group and offer lots of exciting opportunities for adventure.
The DM would be wise to consider how the characters will relate to the Stable in his cam-paign. If they become members, do they do so voluntarily? Or are they one of the rare slaves in the group? If so, how do they feel about the legend of Eskander’s origins and how he has seemingly abandoned his quest for freedom for the slaves? In most respects, the Stable of the Outlander is a very straightforward group whose only complexity lies in the motivation of its leader. Once the GM knows how Eskander intends to use the Stable – and whether the characters might be able to sway him one way or the other – he will be ready to use the group in his campaign with a minimum of trouble.
Reaver
The reavers are feared in all the lands in which they live. They are known as butchers and sav-ages, nomadic bandits who indiscriminately prey on caravans and travelers, taking every-thing and often leaving no one alive. They ride on through the night, tracking down every trav-eling lootpurse in their domain, and return by the light of dawn to feast and celebrate their victories. Authorities have trouble capturing these raiders, as the reavers excel not only at fast riding but also in camouflage and stealth. It is possible to ride past a dozen reavers without ever seeing them; and doing so almost always means an attack is imminent.
Characters who become reavers almost certain-ly do so in order to track down others of the kind. Perhaps they learn the reavers’ secrets from an ex-reaver seeking to atone for the evil that he has committed in his life. In any case, by learning the secrets of the reavers it becomes easier to track them down and capture or kill them.
Hit Die: d12.
Requirements
To qualify as a reaver, the character must meet the following requirements.
Alignment: Any chaotic.
Skills: Handle Animal 5 ranks, Intimidate 5 ranks, Ride 8 ranks.
Feats: Mounted Combat, Track.
Special: The character must have the Uncanny Dodge ability.
Class Skills
The reaver’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The following are class features of the reaver prestige class.
Horse Protection: At 1st level, the reaver becomes so proficient in guiding his mount that he can impart his AC bonus due to Dexterity to his mount.
Judge of Horseflesh: When the reaver attains 1st level, he knows just by examining a horse for one minute if the horse has any outstanding attributes. The reaver can identify traits as being weak, normal, or above average as com-pared to other horses. This gives the reaver a +4 circumstance bonus to any Appraise checks related to horses.
Horse Empathy: At 2nd level, the reaver learns to communicate more complex com-mands and messages to his steed. The reaver gains a +2 bonus on all Ride checks and a +4 bonus on all Animal Empathy and Handle Animal checks related to horses.
Improved Cover: At 2nd level, the reaver learns improved techniques for taking cover behind his horse. He may now make a single attack each round while taking cover, provided he makes the normal Ride check (DC 15) for the cover maneuver.
At 7th level, the reaver is able to gain even greater cover from his horse, though at greater risk to the beast. He gains three-quarters cover with the cover maneuver, meaning that any attack that misses by seven points or less has a chance of striking his mount.
CHAPTER ONE: The Fighting Classes
38
CHAPTER ONE: The Fighting Classes
Spur On: At 3rd level, the reaver can spur his horse on to greater than normal speeds. During any round in which the reaver’s horse makes a double move, the actual distance traveled is equal to three times the horse’s speed. So, a horse with a base speed of 40 ft. would travel 120 ft. with a double move. This ability may only be used a number of rounds per day equal to the horse’s Constitution score.
Archery Feat: Upon reaching 4th and 8th level, the reaver may take one free archery-based feat from the following list: Far Shot, Mounted Archery, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, and Superior Mounted Archery. The reaver must still have all the nec-essary prerequisites for any feats that he selects.
Ambush: Upon reaching 5th level, the reaver learns that taking out an enemy quickly can mean the difference between victory and death.
On the first round of combat, the reaver gains an extra partial action that can only be used to fire a ranged weapon.
Camouflage: At 6th level the reaver learns to hide his mount and himself beneath the cover of trees and shrubs. Given 10 minutes, the reaver can create a 10 ft. by 10 ft. camouflaged area, granting all within (usually just the reaver and his mount) a +8 bonus to Hide checks.
Improved Tracking: At 9th level, the reaver learns to track while riding his horse. He no longer suffers the –5 penalty for tracking at normal speed, and he may move as fast as his horse’s speed during the pursuit.