Mord-Sith in DnD

Jack99

Adventurer
Greetings all,

In the current campaign that I am running, I am considering ripping off a few things from the Sword of Truth Series, since none of my players have read it.

Therefore, I was wondering if anyone had tried to stat out the Mord-Sith as a class (or something else). Figured I would take a look at what other people had done before I tried myself, but I couldnt find anything with my modest googleskills.

Thanks in advance
 

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A Mord-Sith could be anything, probably usually a Fighter or Fighter/Mage type, with the spells geared toward anti-magic. Then all you have to do is make the Agiel a magic item, having at-will spells such as all the spells from various sources that cause pain, Wrack (CompDiv) and the like. Then allow a Feat, called Mord-Sith Trainee or something like that, that makes you immune to the negative effects of such pain spells. You still feel the pain, and take any damage that would be dealt, but you don't take the -X penalty to attacks and such, sinc eyou've been inured to the pain through your early training.

Maybe create a 5-level PrC that grants a more involved version of their ability to turn your magic against you. With the signature ability being something like a mild form of SR. If a spell or ability used by an enemy fails to penetrate your SR, and you ready an action to absorb the power, the wielder of the magic takes X damage. And from that point on, if the affected person tries to use that magic again within X feet of you, you can automatically cause it to fail and deal the wielder X damage again.

Remember that the magic of the Sword of Truth was part of Richard himself, not the sword. So, this ability should still not work on magic items.
 

Pain spells are an interesting idea... what I used a couple of years ago was to make Mord-Sith based on a Cleric. The "Holy" symbol was the Agiel which damaged anyone not of their alignment (which was Lawful Evil in that game). Instead of Turn Undead they could use the attempt as Spell Turning. Have a women only sect thats wearing skin tight blood red leather and watch as the PC's drool... then cower in fear.

I used Cleric because they had some martial training but a high understanding of Magic. Domains I choose was Magic & Destruction... I trimmed up their Spell list and described inflict spells as being done through the Agiel.

Hope this helps,
William Holder
 

sirwmholder said:
Pain spells are an interesting idea... what I used a couple of years ago was to make Mord-Sith based on a Cleric. The "Holy" symbol was the Agiel which damaged anyone not of their alignment (which was Lawful Evil in that game). Instead of Turn Undead they could use the attempt as Spell Turning. Have a women only sect thats wearing skin tight blood red leather and watch as the PC's drool... then cower in fear.

I used Cleric because they had some martial training but a high understanding of Magic. Domains I choose was Magic & Destruction... I trimmed up their Spell list and described inflict spells as being done through the Agiel.

Hope this helps,
William Holder

Actually, Cara (and from what I can tell) the other Mord-Sith really don't have a large grasp of magic. They understand the way that they use their power, but they don't really understand the fundamentals of magic and how people use it.

The only good way I could think to make it work would be to create a prestige class, probably a small one (like 5lvls) being that it's severely specialized. Simple counter-spelling does not accurately reflect how powerful cutting off their magic use is. It's more like a targeted anti-magic field that lasts as long as they wish*. The only differences of course is that it can only be used after the magic user successfully casts their spell. As for combat prowess, I agree that 3/4 BAB would be right, and of course all Mord-Sith have their personal Agiel. Not sure how I'd do the write up on those things. Something like allowing it to stun, stun/deal damage, out right kill.

*Just a thought, I forget if Goodkind ever mentioned Mord-Sith witholding multiple peoples magic at once, but I doubt it. So a good idea would be to simularly restrict it.
 

I wouldn't make it a full class, but I can see it as a PrC rather well.

The agiel would gain additional abilities with every other level, from merely causing damage (perhaps equivalent to an Inflict Light Wounds spell?) to additional abilities (nausiate, stun, ability damage (dex? due to nerve damage?), to save or die).

Other aspects are hard to exactly measure. In the series magic is not well known - let alone understood or used - outside of the reclusive wizards (additive or subtractive). So in that sense it might be considered a low(er?) magic setting. In a more D&D normal setting, I believe that the Mord Sith would have some ability to wield magic, although quite low - just enough to better understand it and thus better counter it.

I would expect a strong will save and perhaps a strong fort save (considering what their training likely put them through). Reflex would be poor, BAB would be medium. Leather armor suggests Light armor proficiency. No shields. As for weapons, just the simple basics: the agiel is basically a tiny sized leather club.

So we have:

HD: d6 (?)
BAB: 3/4
Saves: Fort, Will (Refl poor)
Skill Pts: 4 + Int
Profs: Simple Weapons, Light Armor, No shields
Specials:
1 Create Agiel
2 (counter spell as caster of your PrC level, no need to prepare spell ahead of time)
3 Nausiating Agiel
4 ???? (Sneak Attack, maybe? Or a rogue special? something else?)
5 Stunning Agiel
6 (counter spells as caster *twice* your PrC level)
7 Nerve Wracking Agiel
8 ???? (Sneak Attack, maybe? Or a rogue special? something else?)
9 Killing Agiel
10 (anti-magic effect on single individual)

I would make it so that it required a Rogue 3 (or Expert 3) to enter, along with a few other specials (gender: female, Special: watched mother tortured to death by a Mord-Sith, Special: to advance beyond first level must torture father or surrogate figure to death, you know, the basics). It would require a NE alignment, needless to say, although one could shift away from that later - losing the ability to advance to higher levels as a Mord Sith (rather like a Monk that ceases being Lawful).

That is only a rough sketch, however. I tend to think that - as magic saturated as D&D is - a Mord Sith equivalent should have some magic casting ability: either its own spell list (with most pain and ability damaging spells listed on it) or continued progression with a requirement as to the type of spells that can be learned if a Sorcerer equivalent.


Hmm, there is an idea. Take the Duskblade and similar Focused-Sorcerer construct classes and make a version devoted to pain and anti-magic based spells of up to 6th level. Then add in an Agiel at first level and make it so that the agiel replaces the somantic (and vocal?) components when it is used as a focus. Then add in some abilities at 5th for enhanced counter spelling, 10th for antimagic (as a type of enhanced riposte counter spelling), and something similar for levels 15 and (capstone) 20. Perhaps the agiel even becomes capable of dealing more damage as levels increase - a type of arcane sneak attack that deals little damage but can damage any non-construct, non-elemental creature it touches as a touch attack. Or maybe not?

I'm still brainstorming the idea. Does any of this help?
 

Instead of Duskblade, base it off Warlock instead.

Change the Eldritch Blast ability to a Range: Touch, Focus: Agiel and allow the Mord Sith to choose between Lethal and Non-Lethal damage when using the ability. Also note that it only affects living creatures. (but their countermagic works fine against any magical attack)

Replace the standard invocations with counter-magic ones.
 


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