A Glimpse of Vathak's Heroes

Heroism in Vathak is a strange thing.

It's a world of gray morality. It's a world constantly at the brink of war and festering in its own corruption. It's a world where every ally one might find is flawed. A paladin of the One True God might smite down an aberration in the same moment he looks upon non-humans he is protecting with unadulterated contempt. Adherents to strange, shadowy cults follow esoteric rituals they cannot truly comprehend in feeble attempts to get a hold of their own lives.

The existential dread of something far, far greater than humanity and civilization and even sanity drives even the most pure of heart to their limits.

 "I can probably fix this."

This is no different for my players, who are perhaps among the most evil non-evil PCs I've ever had the pleasure of running a game for. From the paladin with an increasingly worrying lycanthropy problem to the sometimes-racist gunslinger (whose distrust of non-humans is rooted in childhood trauma--but still pretty awful), to the necromancer who would rather rule over the undead himself than let them be dominated by something worse, and a dhampir who cannot escape the malevolent forces that have a hold on his bloodline.

Flawed heroes are not unique to Vathak, but something about this group has truly endeared me to the setting. They are as broken as the people they try to help. They are not paragons of good that can save the world--if such a grand scheme is even possible. They, like so many others, are simply trying the best they can. Making mistakes along the way.

In that vein, I wanted to tackle the iconic heroes of Vathak's unique classes. So I present my take on the iconic soldier, a variant fighter that masters teamwork feats and cooperative combat to take down dangers three times her size with the aid of her allies. But as is the nature with war, this soldier is no hero. She is relentless and merciless. Retired from the frontline of the war against the Old Ones, she now works for the highest bidder and goes wherever the coin leads her. More often than not, she now employs her mighty longhammer against her own people. Corrupt officials pay heavy fees to direct her against political rivals. Others hire her as extra muscle for their illicit, back-alley dealings. Others still use her to remove troublesome parties without the social fallout. The blood on her hands runs deeper than Vathak's greatest rivers.

Perhaps The Soldier will become an ally in your game. Or maybe a rival trying to beat the PCs to a quick bounty. Or, perhaps, the PCs have made one too many enemies... and now this soldier needs to silence them before they have another chance to play "hero."

 Rick's awesome art of Vathak's soldier poorly cropped by myself.
 Pick up the Player's Guide for more of this stuff!

Vathak's Soldier Iconic CR 7

Female romni soldier 7 XP 3,200

N Medium humanoid (human)

Init +7; Senses Perception +0

DEFENSE

AC 21; touch 14, flat-footed 18 (+7 armor, +1 deflection, +3 Dex)

hp 64 (7d10+21)

Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +5

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.

Melee +2 lord's hammer +15/+10 (1d12+9) or +1 romni crescent sword +12/+7 (1d6+5/19-20) or mwk dagger +12/+7 (1d4+4/19-20)

Ranged mwk flintlock pistol +11 (1d8/x4) or mwk dagger +11 (1d4+4/19-20)

Special Attacks weapon training (hammers +1)

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 13

Base Atk +7; CMB +11; CMD 24

Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (lord's hammer), Power Attack, Iron Will, Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes, Stand Still, Vital Strike, Furious Focus^APG

Skills Acrobatics +10, Climb +8, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +4, Ride +11, Swim +8; Racial Modifiers +2 Handle Animal, +2 Ride

Languages Common, Sylvan

SQ armor training 2, drilled teamwork, flexible weapon training, infantry training (Power Attack), regiment (infantry), weapon flexibility (typically lord's hammer)

Combat Gear +1 aberration bane bullets (2), potions of bear's endurance (2), potion of cat's grace, potion of cure serious wounds, potion of darkvision, potion of fly; Other Gear +2 lord's hammer, +1 romni crescent sword, mwk daggers (3), mwk flintlock pistol with 10 lead bullets, +1 breastplate, belt of giant strength +2, cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1, flintlock tinder lighter, powder horn (10 doses), backpack, bedroll, 91 gp

  

^{APG This feat can be found in Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Player's Guide.}

^{(Stuff that looks unfamiliar is probably from Shadows over Vathak: Player's Guide to Vathak. Shouldn't you have this by now?)}