Chevalier (3.5e Template)

Chevalier

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Two Chevaliers fighting

Chevaliers are intelligent Chiropteran who serve their Queen as messengers, warriors, bodyguards, or what ever else the Queen desires of them. The Chevalier will almost always obey any command from his Queen and in return are hard to take control of. They are even faster, stronger, and deadlier then other Chiropterans.

Creating a Chevalier

“Chevalier” is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature (referred hereafter as the base creature). A Chevalier uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type

The creature’s type changes to Monstrous Humanoid (Chiropteran). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size in True form increases by one step.

Hit Dice

Change all current and future hit dice to d12s.

Speed

Same as base creature.

Armor Class

The Chevalier’s natural armor bonus improves by +6 when in their true form, but not while in their original form or while shape shifted.

Attack

The Chevalier loses any natural attacks it may have had before and gains a bite attack and a claw attack as per their size instead while in its true form!!! While in its original form it retains any natural attacks it may have had. If it does damage on its bite attack it may use Blood Drain at will. A Chevalier retains the ability to use any weapon or armor while in its original form, while in its true form this may be a different story.

Full Attack

See above

Special Attacks

Blood Drain (Ex): If the Chevalier has the target pinned, he may attempt a bite attack as a free action. If the attack does damage, he drains 1d4 points of the targets Constitution score and either heals 5 points or stores 5 points in his Blood Reservoir. He may, also, instead heal any ability damage inflicted on himself by one point regardless of the amount drained.

Blood Fury (Ex): Whether by will or due to starvation, a Chiropterans Blood Fury is a horrible sight to behold. When he enters a blood fury he loses any or all points in his Blood Reservoir and may not store points in it while in the Blood Fury, except for Queens who may store 1 point per use of Blood Drain. He is in the Blood Fury for a number of rounds equal to his Constitution modifier plus the number of points that were in his Blood Reservoir. While in this fury he is effectively in a Barbarians Mighty Rage, except he can not tell friend from foe and is only concerned about feasting on his prey. He is immune to critical hits, sub-dual damage, and massive damage while in a blood fury. If the Chiropteran has used his Blood Drain ability at least a number of times equal to his new Constitution modifier, he may attempt a will save DC=(30 minus Wisdom score) to leave the blood fury or else he must repeat the cycle to snap out of it. Once he snaps out of it, he will be exhausted for 1d10+1 minutes and stunned for 1d6+1 rounds. If his Queen demands him to snap out of the blood fury, he will only be exhausted for half as long, and stunned for 1 round. This does not work if he is commanded to snap out during the final 5 rounds of his Blood Fury. If the Chiropteran doesn’t drink a sufficient amount of blood within the time he has. He falls into a state of hibernation until he senses blood(whether by smell or if it’s poured down his throat). After he senses blood he launches into a new blood fury(no save) for the regular time.

Special Qualities

Blood Dependency (Ex): Chiropteran don’t eat normally, instead, They must blood-drain, or at least have access to blood, a number of times a day equal to his Constitution modifier. If he goes 24 hours without blood he must make a will save DC=(50-Wisdom score) or become fatigued. 48 hours without drinking blood he must make another check, DC 10 points higher then before or become exhausted. After 72 hours he must make another check, DC 10 points higher again (total 20) or become unconscious. Every hour after he must make a Will save DC 30 or be affected by Blood Fury. Regardless of the success or failure of the save the Chiropteran suffers 1d4 points of damage. The effects of not feeding can not be healed unless the Chiropteran feeds double the needed dosage. Example: A Chiropteran has gone 48 hours without feeding, so to reverse the 48 hour effect he must feed twice the normal amount. His Constitution modifier is 5, so he must feed 10 times. He is now fatigued until he can feed another 10 times. A Chiropteran who feeds daily but not the required amount takes -1 to all checks, damage rolls, and armor class per week this continues.

Blood Reservoir (Ex): A Chiropteran may hold an amount of blood equal to his Constitution score times his hit dice. Whenever the Chiropteran is injured, the next round he may expend a number of points in his Blood Reservoir (no more than his constitution score) to heal himself for the same amount. This is a full round action and he may not take any other action except for talking. The Chiropteran may choose to store more than this, but must make a Fortitude save DC=(amount to be stored). Nothing ill will befall him if he fails, he simply can’t store that amount. He may try again after 24 hours to store more then the limit. They may also expend points to stave off starvation by spending constitution modifier x 5 points for everyday in which they are staving off starvation.

Neutralization (Ex): When a Queen gives birth, she births twin Queens whose blood is lethal to each other and the Chiropterans she creates. If a Queen manages to get her blood into her sister Queen or her sisters Chiropterans, the creature must make a Fortitude save DC 50 or take 10d10 points of damage (no save for massive damage is necessary) and 4d6 points of Strength, Constitution and Dexterity damage. Success means they only take 6d6 damage and 2d6 Strength, Constitution and Dexterity damage. The very next round they must make another save DC 50, and this will continue until the “infected” parts of the body are removed or the creature dies. If the crystallized portions of the body are removed, they will not heal back. A replacement will be necessary. Finally, a Queen may only be impregnated by her sister’s Chevalier, and when she gives birth her blood loses its potency.

Phase Shift (Ex): Chevaliers and Queens who feed regularly may preform a Phase Shift at 8 or more hit dice. Phase Shifting is a move action that may be split up in the round and used in conjunction with ones other methods of movement. Example: A Chevalier is chasing an enemy Chevalier who hops over a wall. He runs up to the wall, Phase Shifts on top of it, and then uses the rest of his running limit to continue chasing his enemy. When one Phase Shifts, it looks as if they are now light and moving extremely fast. The distance one may Phase Shift is 5 times their number of HD in feet, and costs 10 points from their Blood Reservoir. One may Phase Shift twice the normal amount for an additional 5 points from their Blood Reservoir and to be fatigued immediately afterwards.

Shapeshift (Ex): A Chevalier has the ability to change his human appearance to match his prey at 6 or more hit dice. He must first drain the target of all their blood, but instead of storing the blood in his Reservoir, he gains the ability to change his human appearance to match the victims at will. He can mimic the voice and retains the targets memories of the last 24 hours, but nothing more. He may possess a number of these forms equal to his Constitution modifier, and may drop one to gain a new one. His original form does not count against this limit. Queens who drain the blood of a victim may alter their appearance to seem similar to the person, but not match it.

True Form (Ex): A Chevalier has two forms, his original form looks just how he did before he was turned, and his true Chiropteran form. A chevalier may change into his true form as a swift action, but changing back is a full round action. A Chevalier does not receive his Dexterity bonus while in his original form. A Chevalier may use his Extend limbs ability while in his original form, but the limb brakes out into its true form. Example: A chevalier, while in human form, extends his left arm. His left brakes out of its “human mask” and is now a Chiropteran arm, though the rest of him is still in his human form. If the Chevalier has the gargoyle wings, manifest weapon, or boost abilities, he may use those while in his original form.

Wings (Ex): Chevalier, at 4 or more hit dice, have wings that allow them flight and gliding. There are two types of wings, bat wings and Gargoyle wings, and the GM chooses which he gets. Bat wings grow from the arms to their sides and give the creature 80ft flight speed with good maneuverability, though they lose the use of their arms during flight or gliding. Gargoyle wings sprout from the creatures back and give 50ft flight speed with average maneuverability and allow the Chiropteran to wrap his wings around him increasing his shield armor class by 10 (this armor bonus also effects what ever the creature may be carrying at the time), but may not take any other actions. A Chevalier may choose to hide his wings, he may not use them while hidden and is a standard action to reveal/hide them.

At 10 hit dice, the Chevalier gets one of these abilities chosen at random: Armor (Ex): Some Chevalier have an extremely tough hide, so tough that only powerful weapons can break through. While in his true form, his natural armor bonus increase by 2, and he gains Damage Reduction 20/+3 overcomes. Finally, he loses his Dexterity bonus while in his true form.

Boost (Ex): Some Chevalier’s special ability is just raw power. By spending 10 blood points they may increase one physical ability score by 8 points for and may not be used again for an hour.

Extend Limbs (Ex): Some Chevalier have the ability to extend their limbs to extreme lengths, being able to catch their prey from large distances. As a move action they can extend their reach up to a number of squares equal to twice their Constitution modifier. The beginning of next round their limb will return to its original length.

Manifest Weapon (Ex): Some chevalier have the ability to manifest weapons onto their bodies, like turning a hand into a sword. At the time of gaining this ability, the GM chooses one weapon and one limb (usually a hand). The chevalier may then spend 10 blood points to manifest the weapon as a swift action. “Dispelling” it is also a swift action. The weapon does the same amount of damage and critical as listed in its entry but may not be dropped, sundered, is effectively weightless, and some (not all, mainly the magical kind) touch attacks that hit the weapon count. Possible weapons: Longsword, axe, crossbow, flail, etc.

Sonic Howl (Ex): Some Chevalier possess the ability to release an unearthly bellow from their lungs that incapacitates their prey. The Chevalier must spend a full round inhaling air before they may release the howl, which is released as a cone whose length is a number of feet equal to their Constitution modifier x 10. Everyone in the cone must make a Fortitude save DC (10 + half Chevalier hit dice + constitution modifier) or become stunned for 1d6+1 rounds. Everyone else in a cone twice as large as the first takes constitution modifier d6 sonic damage, The Chevalier is then fatigued for 1d4+1 rounds and can’t use this ability for 1d4+1 minutes.

Abilities

ncrease from the base creature as follows: Str +8, Dex +4, Con +10, Cha +18

Skills

+20 Jump, +10 listen

Feats

A Chevalier retains all feats he had before transformation.

Environment

Any, usually large cities.

Organization

Solitary or Group (1 Queen plus any number of her Chevalier)

Challenge Rating

Base creature +(5? Needs testing)

Treasure

+5,000 currency

Alignment

Any, usually similar to his Queen.

Advancement

By character class

Level Adjustment

Base creature +(4? Needs testing)

Sample Encounter Description

A man walks out of the shadows, blood on his lip. You notice a body laying near him, and they look drained of blood. You hear the word “Vampire” rushes through your mind as he turns to you with a smile, and he whispers “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re not quite right.” He reaches his arm out at you and it turns into a monstrous form flying at you, its claws large and very sharp.

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