STEALTH & STYLE A Guide to the Basiran Dancer and the Infiltrator Credits Author: John Terra Editors: Brian Jelke and Don Morgan Art Director: Bob Burke Art Coordinator: Mark Plemmons Cover Illustration: Caleb Cleveland Interior Illustrations: Keith DeCesare, Talon Dunning, David Hudnut, Patrick McEvoy Project Manager: Brian Jelke Production Manager: Steve Johansson Playtesters: Anne Canavan, Joe Charles, Doug Click, Gigi Epps, Charles Finnell, Donovan Grimwood, Rob Landry, Mark Lane, Mike Patterson, Mark Praiter, David Sink, Brad Todd, Joe Wallace, Luke Wetterlind, John Williams, JohnWright

Dedication: This book is dedicated to two very special women in my life. The first is my wife Carol, the most amazing, supportive, gorgeous, and loving partner who ever rolled a d20. Thanks for the extra ideas you gave me when I was stuck! The second is my daughter Adrienne, who I’ve been happily dancing with at her dance school recital every year since 1994, and gaming with since 1996. It’s only fitting that this book reminds me of her. Original character class concepts by Lloyd Brown III Special thanks to Rob Hartmann for his useful feedback on feats. Table of Contents Introduction ...... 2 Chapter 5: Equipment and Items ...... 68 Chapter 1: Stealth & Style ...... 4 Magic Items ...... 70 Chapter 2: Basarian Dancers and Infiltrators ...... 33 Chapter 6: Organizations ...... 75 Chapter 3: Prestige Classes ...... 39 The Bonedancers ...... 75 Death Dancer ...... 39 The College of Graceful Movements & Refined Culture . . 76 Delver ...... 41 The Eyes of Kalamar ...... 78 Dervish ...... Sample . . . 42 The Guardiansfile of the Ways ...... 79 Elemental Dancer ...... 44 The Harmonious Order of Combat ...... 81 Emancipator ...... 45 The Ladies School of Dance & Culture ...... 82 Gnome Prankster ...... 48 The Laugher’s Dancers ...... 84 Highwayman ...... 50 The Order of the Shadow ...... 85 Melanari ...... 51 The Quiet Circle ...... 89 Saboteur ...... 53 Risk’s Rogues ...... 91 Stomper ...... 55 The School of High Dance ...... 93 Sunwalker ...... 57 The True Beginning ...... 94 Twindancer ...... 58 Chapter 7: New Spells ...... 95 Urban Tracker ...... 60 Chapter 8: Rogues Gallery ...... 102 Chapter 4: Feats and Skills ...... 65 Index ...... inside front cover

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Designed in the Questions, Comments, Product Orders? United States of America email: [email protected] Kenzer & Company 511 W. Greenwood Ave Visit our website: Waukegan IL 60087 www.kenzerco.com This book is protected under international treaties and copyright laws of the PUBLISHER’S NOTE: United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced, without the This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the express written consent of Kenzer and Company. Permission is granted to the product of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously, and any resem- purchaser of this product to reproduce sections of this book for personal use blance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. only. Sale or trade of such reproductions is strictly prohibited. With respect to trademarks: and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer and Company. Stealth & Style, ImageQuest, the ImageQuest 1 logo and the Kenzer and Company logo are trademarks of Kenzer and Company. © 2003, 2008 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Dungeons & Dragons and are trademarks owned by , Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. Introduction

INTRODUCTION Kingdoms of Kalamar Campaign Setting Sourcebook. There are also This is a book about motion and grace, and how it can be used passing references to several existing class guidebooks, such as to make the adventuring life easier. Whether it’s accompanied Song &Silence and Sword &Fist. by the captivating rhythms of wild dance music, or the sweet Nothing in this book overrides the core rules. This book gives sound of silence, motion and grace can take someone far in a options, not limitations, and is here to help flesh out two unique world loaded with danger. And that’s what it all boils down to; Kingdoms of Kalamar compatible lasses. Players should check does one prefer splash or subtlety? Flash or finesse? Stealth or with their Dungeon Master (DM) first before using the material style? in this book, as some Dungeon Masters may have certain limita- This book deals with the Basiran dancers and infiltrators, two tions. Dungeon Masters can use this book to craft some truly of the classes unique to the Kingdoms of Kalamar™ Dungeons & unexpected NPCs with which their players can interact. Dragons® setting. At first glance, both classes seem a bit ill- For those who don’t play in the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting, suited for mucking around in old tombs, exploring ancient changing a few names and making a few modifications gives the forests loaded with wild things, or hacking and slashing Dungeon Master two more interesting classes available in his or through an old fort packed with and goblins. her world. But is that really the case? The Basiran dancer moves with a grace rivaled only by monks or supernatural creatures. Their movements captivate, distract, HOW TO USE THIS BOOK and entrance. Like sorcerers, they cast spells off the cuff, using Stealth & Style’s purpose is to increase the understanding and special dance moves for their somatic component. Surely these versatility of the infiltrator and the Basiran dancer, to show that features can find use anywhere, even in the dankest dungeons? these classes are useful and indeed valuable to the success of an Anyone who underestimates a Basiran dancer gets what he or adventure. This book offers resources to make those two classes she deserves. Swirling robes can hide a dagger or even a sword. stand out more and make them less predictable. Players can Putting an opponent off-guard can give the dancer’s friends the refine their Basiran dancer or infiltrator to a better degree, opportunity need to conduct a sneak attack. Don’t let anyone be tailoring their character to suit their individual taste and playing fooled by the word "dancer"; when a Basiran dancer dances, style. other people pay the piper. Chapter 1 discusses the Basiran dancer and the infiltrator, Infiltrators are roguish spies with a touch of woodcraft. Isn’t and how they fit into the tapestry of adventuring on Tellene. it useful to have someone who can sneak into a lair and get This chapter is best described as "Why play a Basiran dancer or information? After all, some monsters have fully functioning an infiltrator?" Here you’ll find advice, observations, role- colonies and societies even in a dungeon setting, and who better playing hints, and general notes on these two unique specialty to infiltrate and find out their strengths and weaknesses?Sample fileclasses. Although infiltrators aren’t as heavily armed or armored as, Chapter 2 gives the basic Information on the Basiran dancer say, a knight or a battle cleric, their brand of combat is subtle and and infiltrator, as also found in the Kingdoms of Kalamar Player’s deadly. After all, a spy can’t leave witnesses behind if he is Guide. discovered, can he? Many is the time that a warrior, feeling safe Chapter 3 covers the new prestige classes that are particularly and bored because he is on routine guard duty in a massive suited for Basiran dancers and infiltrators, such as elemental stone fort, has been surprised by an incursion into his "impene- dancers, dervishes, death dancers, and urban trackers. trable" fortress, and the infiltrator’s face becomes the last thing Chapter 4 deals with new feats and new ways of using he sees. existing skills. Although the feats are presented to flesh out the The world of Tellene is a big place with a multitude of Basiran dancer and the infiltrator, they are available to any challenges. While sword and spell are certainly well known character that meets the prerequisites, if any. ways of dealing with problems, there is room for stealth and Chapter 5 covers specialized and new equipment for the infil- style. Read on, and see for yourself. trator and Basiran dancer. This also includes magic items. Again, some are tailor-made for Basiran dancers and infiltrators, but WHAT THIS BOOK IS AND IS NOT other items are for general use as well. Stealth & Style takes a detailed look at infiltrators and Basiran Chapter 6 describes the various organizations that exist for dancers, and gives the D&D® player new ways to play them. infiltrators and Basiran dancers to join (or oppose, if desired). There is new information on the two classes, as well as new These can be used as organizations for player characters to prestige classes, skills and feats, spells, equipment, organiza- become members of, as well as groups that help or hinder them. tions, and even some sample non-player characters (NPCs), Chapter 7 covers new spells unique to Basiran dancers. many of which can be dropped into a campaign as friends or Chapter 8 reveals a rogues gallery of NPCs, noted infiltrators foes. and Basiran dancers. Like the organizations of the previous This supplement is meant to be used with the v.3.5 Edition chapter, these folk could be a boon or bane to the player charac- 2 Dungeons & Dragons rules system, especially the Player’s ters. And sometimes an old enemy can become a new friend, or Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, , Monster vice versa. Manual II, Kingdoms of Kalamar Player’s Guide (KPG), and the Sample file

3 Chapter 1: Stealth & Style

Chapter 1:

STEALTH & STYLE

This chapter goes into detail about the Basiran dancer and the The Dancers’ Motivation infiltrator, and how they fit into the Kingdoms of Kalamar "I dance because I enjoy it and, quite frankly, I enjoy the effect my campaign setting. Both classes are described as "specialty" body and the way it moves can mesmerize some people." –Sirella, classes, and that tends to make players think "limited use." After Basiran dancer all, both of these classes appear initially to be sub-classes of pre- existing classes, specifically the bard and the rogue. While both What compels someone to put on an outrageous costume and classes certainly have some narrow, specific specialties and dance in front of throngs of people? Furthermore, what compels talents, their skills and powers can be applied to a greater scope that same someone to occasionally stop doing that, and instead of situations, and this is where those tactics are found. Both the go wandering around dusty tombs and monster-filled Basiran dancer and the infiltrator bring a lot to the table, if given dungeons, wearing not sturdy metal armor, but that same outra- geous costume? Why would someone do this voluntarily? the chance. There are several things that motivate a Basiran dancer, and Sample filenot every dancer is motivated by the same things. This section attempts to explain why people become Basiran dancers, and THE MISUNDERSTOOD DANCER why Basiran dancers go out and adventure. "A dancer? My apologies, you’re at the wrong place, then. This is a For some, there’s the pride in the "old ways" and a desire to meeting to recruit adventurers for a dangerous task, not a celebration of preserve them. In this case, the "old ways" are the cultural tradi- song and dance. Try the theater down the street." - Sir Alvemar, tions of the old Kalamaran Empire. It makes sense that there professional adventurer. would be some who’d want to preserve or even restore those Say the word "dancer" and for many, visions of exotic belly ways. The Kalamaran Empire was a much more powerful entity dancers, thin ballerinas, and prancing men in tights come to back in the early days, and it was the weaknesses of successive mind. Say the word "dancer" in the context of danger or combat, emperors, who, it can be argued, strayed from the old ways, that and skeptical looks, if not outright gales of derisive laughter, turned the Empire into a pale copy of itself. Had those emperors result. A dancer in combat, in harm’s way, going toe-to-toe with remembered the past, respected it, and followed its ways, the an ogre or a giant? Surely not. Oh, but surely so. The key is to Empire never would have diminished. And it’s not necessarily just Basiran dancers born in Kalamar know how to approach such a situation. who feel that way. Many dancers from former Kalamaran terri- However, Basiran dancers have hurtles to overcome, pre- tories, the Young Kingdoms for example, believe things would conceived notions from ignorant folk. Even adventurers, who it be better if the Empire was back in its full glory, enforcing a can be argued exist on the fringes of society, tend to look better peace. Although not as common as the Kalamaran askance at a Basiran dancer determined to experience the Basiran dancer, enough of this sort exists that it bears special adventuring life. Sadly, there are many ignorant folk on Tellene mention. who think that dancers are there for entertainment only, so Basiran dancers of Fhokki stock put a different spin on the 4 much eye candy and window dressing. A smart Basiran dancer cultural preservation motivation. They have borrowed the takes advantage of that complacency. concept, but strive instead to preserve Fhokki culture and tradi- tion. In fact, there exists some friction between Kalamaran and Chapter 1: Stealth & Style

Fhokki dancers, as both seek to preserve their cultures and laud to be the best, almost to the point of obsession. This intensity is it over all others. exceeded in only one other instance: if the Basiran dancer so Another strong motivation, and one that crosses all geograph- motivated happens to be a hobgoblin (a rare find). In that case, ical, racial, and cultural boundaries, is the love of dance and the competition and the drive become almost frightening. music. Basiran dancers have been described as a specialty Other Basiran dancers are motivated by a strong streak of branch of bards, and there’s some truth there. Bards love music thrill seeking. They deliberately expose themselves to danger, and performing; it’s in their blood. Many Basiran dancers dance laughing at it, risking their lives in ways that more conservative for the love of it, and want to share that love with as many adventurers find shocking. Pause to consider: the average people as possible. Basiran dancer wears little or no armor, carries weapons that Although dancers motivated along these lines may come can’t really be considered "martial", has some spells but nothing across as starry-eyed, they are actually quite determined and of the earth-shattering variety, and yet these folk want to delve disciplined, for showing the people an inferior, badly-executed into dark caverns or crumbling ruins? dance is unthinkable, and would most likely cause people to To such dancers, the risks involved in adventuring are just dislike dancing, not embrace it. another part of the Great Dance of Life. They see the risks to be Some Basiran dancers are thrill-seekers, and that is what an acceptable part, the rewards gratifying, and, if they should motivated them to become dancers in the first place. They enjoy die, at least they had fun up until that point. many different experiences, and being a Basiran dancer is an excellent way of getting those experiences. Such dancers have an inborn wildness, a raw passion that motivated them to The History of the Basiran Dancer become Basiran dancers. These people are sensualists, and The history of the Basiran dancer is the history of Kalamaran- eagerly collect as many experiences as they can. Fhokki relations. The Kalamarans, under King Fulakar, met the The desire for attention motivates other dancers with that Fhokki barbarians in 29 IR. This meeting was less than peaceful, inner voice that says "Hey, look at me!" Although they do take and numerous wars between the two belligerents erupted. their dancing seriously, these Basiran dancers tend to be a bit In 74 IR, the Kalamarans, the Dejy, and the Fhokki made more self-centered. peace in a meeting in the Shynako Hills, which lie on the north- Finally, some dancers are simply bored individuals who are eastern frontier of Dodera. This time, Kolokar, a ruler who made looking for something different to do. Although they are strides to unite the Kalamarans into an empire, led the dedicated dancers, the specter of jadedness lurks always close Kalamarans. Many historians see Kolokar’s concession of peace by. Adventuring offers an unpredictability that shakes loose the with the Dejy and the Fhokki, a move that eliminated one mental cobwebs that form from unchallenging repetition.Samplehostile file front, as a wise bit of strategic diplomacy. With the Dejy This explains why people become Basiran dancers, but what and the Fhokki pacified, Kolokar could move on to other fronts motivates a Basiran dancer to leave a nice, safe performance and not worry about being hemmed in by enemies. arena or party circuit and subject themselves to repeated danger, Once the treaty was in place, a cautious intermingling armed sometimes with nothing but a dagger and wearing between the Kalamarans, the Fhokki, and the Dejy began. Trade swirling robes? and communication began in small fits and starts in Dodera. Basiran dancers who are proud of the "old ways" adventure Somewhere around 87 IR, tales sprang from Dodera about the because it takes them to many corners of the Empire, past and martial masters who concealed fighting movements in their present. They consider themselves self-appointed ambassadors dances. Unfortunately, some of these martial dancers were of the old ways, although they’re careful not to let their pride in Fhokki, some were Kalamaran, and no one could get a reliable the old ways cloud their performance. They consider it their answer as to who trained whom. duty to show the old culture in a good light and perhaps make it Although the Dejy made no claim to creating what is now that much more likely that the old ways will return. known as the Basiran dancer class, they did originate one of the Many Basiran dancers adventure because they love to prestige classes that sprang from the dancers: the dervish. perform and want to "go on the road" and bring their music and In 90 IR, the phrase samarata was first used to describe the art, dance to as many people (and beings) as possible. The enthu- style, and skill of combining dance moves and fighting skill. siasm of these Basiran dancers is infectious, and much of the Again, both the Kalamarans and the Fhokki claimed coining the goodwill that the average person feels towards Basiran dancers term and creating the dance style itself. The term is Kalamaran, comes from the ones so motivated. and it means "dance-fighting". Fhokki who argue that their There are some Basiran dancers who are motivated by the ancestors came up with the term are undeterred by its desire to show the rest of the adventuring community that Kalamaran origin. They argue that, when both cultures met, Basiran dancers can endure just as much hardship as anyone bilingualism became common, and the Fhokki that created the 5 else can. And the fact is, they can endure and do endure, much dance skill of samarata used the Kalamaran tongue in order to do to some adventurers’ surprise. Such Basiran dancers are driven honor to their newfound partners in trade and cultural Chapter 1: Stealth & Style

exchange. Kalamaran scholars are unimpressed with this expla- These days, the Ladies School of Dance and Culture nation; they maintain that the term and indeed the fighting continues to thrive in the beautiful city of Bet’Urala, its reputa- style, all came from their Kalamaran predecessors. tion growing by the year. Unfortunately, The College of Regardless of whoever made up the term, samarata spread Graceful Movement and Refined Culture has suffered decline. from Dodera to all parts of the Empire. It found special accep- There is talk of closing the school down, since the quality of tance in the region of Basir, whose wealthy and cultured popula- admissions has slipped, and sometimes the end result of the tion adored the graceful, unique dance moves. As the purses of dancer training are dancers fit only for dancing for coppers in Basiran nobles opened more and more for the purposes of being dance halls, taverns, or on crime-ridden docks. Still, the school patrons of the arts, an increasing number of practitioners of does cling to some of its former glory, and a few decent Basiran samarata migrated to Basir, specifically to Bet’ Urala, the largest dancers are turned out every year. The graduates and faculty of city in the region. the Ladies School see the College with some embarrassment, By 156 IR, so many samarata practitioners were established in and are as willing to talk about it as a noble family would be to Basir that the area became synonymous with the dance style. It talk about a drooling cousin that’s kept locked in the attic. was here and then that new dancers the practitioners trained became known as Basiran dancers for the first time. The crowning glory for the Basiran dancers came in 220 IR, Samarata when The Ladies School of Dance and Culture, located in the "What can I do that a regular dancer can’t? What, you mean aside city of Uraleta (named so at the time), opened its doors for the from kicking your knee so hard that the kneecap erupts from your skin first time. It was an immediate success, attracting students from and skitters across the floor?" – Jandy Gozer, gnome Basiran dancer all over the known lands. The School also rapidly gained popularity among the nobility, who lined up to become patrons There is something that sets the Basiran dancer apart from his and sponsors. comrades; an ancient skill, steeped in tradition, combining The first recorded incidence of Brandobian Basiran dancers graceful dance moves with deadly combat. This skill is called came in 255 IR. Many of these were former students of the samarata. School, who traveled to other lands and taught new pupils what Samarata’s origins can be traced back to the meeting of the they knew. Kalamarans and Fhokki in the area now called Dodera. Both Basir became a full-fledged Kingdom in 266 IR when the cultures claim to have developed the style, but no solid evidence House of Kadana swore unending loyalty to Emperor Vilik of exists to support either claim. Samarata combines intricate Kalamar. In return for their loyalty, House KadanaSample became filedance moves with combat maneuvers, hiding the latter in the hereditary rulers of Basir, which officially became a Kingdom, former. making House Kadana royalty. Bet’Urala (formerly Uraleta) Practitioners of samarata protect their secrets jealously. became the capital of the Kingdom of Basir, which enhanced Fortunately, samarata isn’t something that can be watched the social standing of the Ladies School immensely. closely then imitated. On the contrary, even the simplest moves A second school of dance, founded by Ladies School alumni of samarata are complex, and need to be taught carefully by an who wanted to try some ideas of their own, opened in the experienced practitioner. Kingdom of Tokis, in the capital city of Bet Seder. The school, The blending of dance and combat is not a new concept. The called The College of Graceful Movement and Refined Culture, two forms of motion naturally go together, and even in nature was established in 292 IR. there exists examples of animals that dance around their The first Renaarian Basiran dancers in their recorded history opponent, sizing it up and intimidating it, before attacking. came about in 311 IR. The first official mention of Svimohz There are other forms of dance, to be covered later on in the Basiran dancers was in 402 IR. Again, former students of the book, but they aren’t nearly as widely recognized as samarata. Ladies School of Dance and Culture are credited with starting up the Basiran tradition in those faraway places. As time went on, the Basiran dancers continued to grow in Be True To Your School numbers, influence, and talent. All this time, the Dejy and the Learning how to be a Basiran dancer isn’t something charac- Fhokki continued to train new dancers of their own, but records ters do by sitting on a barstool in a tavern and having it about them are few and far between. explained to them. It requires intense training at a school that In 553 IR, Tokis went to war with Pekal, the latter an enemy specializes in such teaching. When you create a Basiran dancer, of the Kalamaran Empire. The fortunes of Tokis, and therefore of you must choose one of the schools listed in Chapter 6: 6 Bet Seder, began a downward spiral. The economy suffered Organizations, as the place where your character learned to because of the war, and thus all of its institutions, including the dance. Each school has a different mindset and provides the College, suffered as well. dancer with certain advantages.