Looking for help with my dual-weilding caster NPC


Advice


I am running a campaign in my own world and I am going to have my players fight/encounter an iconic NPC of mine. However, I initially made her in 3.5 D&D and I don't know how to make her with the same flavor. I prefer to make my NPCs all legal according to the same standards I hold my players with just adjusting their level to affect difficulty. However, I am willing to outright break rules if I cant accomplish what I need. I will try and keep her backstory short, but this is one of my most developed characters so forgive me for being wordy. I italicized the background for TLDR purposes.

Vicera Vandera is elven chaotic good captain of a small fleet of pirate ships that are political enemies of the Shar Empire. Her father is actually the High Consol (Emperor) of the Shar Empire. The Shar Empire openly embraces necromancy as a vital part of their religion. In her youth she was loyal to the empire and was brought up to run for public office and/or join the church. To prepare herself, she joined the Night Guard, the military and police organization who is directly responsible for command of the undead raised by the church. Upon completion of her training, her father (a senator at the time), arranged her a place as the first officer aboard the battleship Nox Ferox.

While on her first mission, the Nox Ferox was attacked and overtaken by rebel pirates known as The Vigilance. The zombie crew was all slain, as well as the captain. The Vigilance rejects the necromantic teachings of the church in Shar and favors an “evil” pagan view of the same god that embraces the worship of “demons” (angels). Seeing Vicera aboard the ship was a surprise treat for the Vigilance because vampires in Shar are only those of high political or church power. As a night guard, a mid rank military member, and the first mate of a ship, it was obvious that she was a valuable asset. She was taken and random was demanded from the Shar government. A rescue op was attempted, but failed, and government delays combined with an economic crisis slowed Shar’s response. It took 54 years before the funds were gathered and sent after her father was elected as High Consul.

However, soon after being released by the Vigilance, Vicera broke Vigilance members into the Dark Cathedral and where they smashed several holy relics and stole the Sword of Anu, the prophet-king founder of the 4th Shar Empire (the current regime). Empower by the sword, Vicera lead the pirate rebels into a military research facility, slaughtered the scientists and guards, and escaped with a prototype flying ship. Roughly 20 years since her release, Vicera’s mentor has recently died and she has become their new leader.

In terms of game mechanics, Vicera fights the Sword of Anu (a scimitar or saber) while wielding a summoned sword of light/fire in her other hand. The dual wielding with an immaterial/holy sword is iconic in my mind and must be maintained. She casts spells the enhance her combat and focus on melee range and she is highly dexterous. Magus with weapon finesse, two weapon fighting, and dervish dance seems right, but I’d have to do away with the dual wielding. In addition, I look at her spellcasting as divine, not arcane, as she is a religious zealot. Ranger could work but I can’t imagine a way of getting the summoned sword. As for level, I could work her at around level 10-ish. I wouldn't want to start her above 12.

I know she’s kind of got that Drizzt thing going on but I really don’t mind that because personality-wise she is quite different. However, there will be no panther (or any animal companion at that).


The Woodland Skirmisher archetype would allow you to prepare a druid spell (in this case, flame blade) as though it were on the ranger list. Thus, summoning a blade is accounted for with a ranger build.

I feel that monk's flurry might be a natural fit here; getting channel energy would permit Crusader's Flurry to be taken, so some kind of cleric/ monk build could prove idoneous. I believe that Gods and Magic specifies that clerics of Sarenrae can even add flame blade to their cleric spell list. Then again, if you count the weird channel that some of the animal totem druid archetypes get as "channel energy class feature," there's no need for cleric levels and one could simply get enough druid levels to summon the blade a few times a day. Guided Hand would allow one to make attack rolls with wisdom; I mention this because, if you go the monk route, since wisdom already adds to AC, basing attacks on wisdom might capture the flavor of grace and dexterity you seek.

I don't think dervish dance will work for this build in any case, since it specifies that one's off-hand must be empty. I'll not mention the possibility of alchemist levels for a third arm, as you sound committed to a certain flavor which that dip would certainly endamage or destroy. An interesting bit of cheapness: flame blade only adds a fraction of caster level to the damage roll, but is wielded "as [though it were] a scimitar," and a monk flurrying therewith adds "his [or her] full Strength bonus" to flurrying attacks. How does that interact with the spell? What about Power Attack? Such questions I have.

To cap off the build, there are a few options. Horizon walker is always nice for extending skills and melee ability. I find brother of the seal interesting for any multiclassed monk that wants to keep flurry going, but the flavor and abilities might not be felicitous here. Holy vindicator after cleric 1/ monk 8 could work for spell and melee advancement.


There is a magus AT that summon a magic blade in the of hand. That seems to be what you need? She wont be dervish dancing but then she can get decent Str.

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the Spellblade archetype (for magus) sounds like exactly what you want. Just remember that a magus can be every bit as zealous as a cleric- she just studied a different way of using magic (which is especially appropriate since she obviously had a few levels before encountering the pirates.

you are correct that 2WF (even with a spellblade) will negate Dervish Dance, but the vampire template gives +6 Str, so you should be strong enough that you don't need it (take Weapon Finesse and call a rapier a 'sabre' if Dex>Str by enough to be worth it but count on Str plus feats/spells/arcana for damage).


I am a bit confused by he sttory btw when did she become a Vampire?


Cap. Darling wrote:
I am a bit confused by he sttory btw when did she become a Vampire?

In Shar all members of high political or church office and their families undergo a ritual to become vampires. It was a tradition that started with the founding of the 4th empire by Anu who is credited as the first vampire.

Her father was first elected to the senate roughly 80 years ago and at that time both she and her father were turned. She then spent 6 years training with the Night Guard followed immediately with her posting to the Nox Ferox. She was then captured and held captive for 54 years and has been a political dissident / pirate herself since then (20 years).

The Spellblade archtype looks perfect with just a few description changes! I didn't think about the vampire modifiers when I mentioned dervish dance so that saves me two feats :D

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