Written byRyan Nock

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The ENWorld A-Team(Nov04)Peter M. Ball, Suburbaknght, Joe Kushner, Russell

Morrissey, Joe Mucchiello, Ryan Nock, M JasonParent, Denise dextra Robinson, David Sanders,

Adam Windsor

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E.N. Arsenal - Whips

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E.N.ArsenalWhips

A Complete Weapon Sourcebook - Volume 11

Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction to the Whip 2

Statistics 2History 4Racial Preferences 4

Chapter 2: Whip Variants 6Craftsmanship 7

Chapter 3: Feats & Fighting 9Tactics, Tricks & Techniques 9Feats 11

Chapter 4: Whip Prestige Classes 15Thunderchild 15Nailo-Shalanth Whip Duelist 16Ophidian Skinbearer 17Whimsy 19Sample NPCs 20

Chapter 5: Whip Magic 22Spells & Psionic Powers 22Magic Items 23Deity of the Whip 24

OGL 25

Table of Tables1.1: Whips by Size Category 32.1: Weapon Variants 63.1: Whip Feats 114.1: Thunderchild 154.2: Nailo-Shalanth Whip Duelist 164.3: Ophidian Skinbearer 174.4: Whimsy 19

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Welcome to second book of the E.N. Arsenal, aseries of d20 'mini-sourcebooks' focusing on particularweapons and their roles in real-world history and in classicd20 fantasy games. Each book concentrates on a singleweapon, describing not only the weapon itself, but thosewho use it, its history, and variations on the theme. Eachbook in the series is rules-intensive and includes optionalrules throughout the text, often in sidebars. Some of theserules work well independently, but a majority work bestwhen all the optional rules are applied, as some detract fromthe usefulness or usability of the weapon while othersenhance the weapon.

The whip is perhaps the most common 'exotic' weaponin Fantasy d20 in terms of its popularity, which spreadsacross many different groups. Heroes as diverse as IndianaJones, Catwoman, and Zorro have wielded the whip, and itis generally perceived as one of the most complicatedweapons to master. However, many cruel villains carry thewhip as a tool of pain-giving and oppression. The whip isrenowned for its dynamic style, while also possessing aunique quality among weapons - sex appeal. Certainly thewhip is many things to many people, and the material inthis book will build upon the many exotic appeals of thistricky, supple weapon.

This book focuses solely on the whip and those variantweapons that can create a similar loud crack. Otherweapons, such as the cat-o'-nine-tails and flogger, whileflexible as a whip, are wielded more like flails, and are notincluded.

StatisticsA whip is a vaguely rope-like weapon ranging from 6

to 12 feet long, wielded by either swinging it like a long lightflail, or by throwing it forward in a special fashion to causeits tip to crack. The whip wielder moves the whip in a waythat creates a wave that runs down the weapon's length,

quickening as the whip narrows toward the end, until thetip of the whip delivers enough force to shatter glass or sliceflesh or hide. A whip wielder with even just a few years ofexperience can strike flies off the backs of cattle withoutharming the cows, pluck lizards off the ground and slice themin half while mid-air, and snuff candles from across a room.

A whip is like a firehose of energy. The more narrowthe opening for the water (or energy), the faster it comesout. You swing the whip, throwing it forward, delivering aforce from the handle of the whip toward its tip. Since thewhip tapers along its length, as the force gets closer to thetip, the wave of the force decreases in height, so the wave-length also decreases, meaning the energy is traveling fasterand faster as the whip gets narrower and narrower. By thetime the energy reaches the whip's fall and cracker, thestrand is so narrow that the energy is traveling faster thanthe speed of sound, and the tip of the whip drives the airwith such force that it creates the intimidating sonic boom.

A whip's tip is not actually delivering more total forcethan what you impart to it when you swing it, but becauseit is concentrated into a tiny area, the effect is damaging. It'sthe difference between dropping a 5-pound barbell and a 5-pound spike onto someone's foot. The damage is very local-ized, but more critical.

Crafting a whip begins with a core strand, called thebelly of the whip. Normal whips often simply use a thickstrip of leather for the belly, or even a rope, but masterworkwhips have specially woven leather cords weighted withlead that provide better control in high winds, and whichhelp the whip last longer. Around the belly are interwovenmultiple thin strands of leather. There is usually no hardpiece in a whip, though the handle is somewhat stiffer thanthe rest the weapon. The whip ends in the fall - a longstrand of leather that absorbs the brunt of the strike - andthe cracker or popper - the very tip of the whip, which actu-ally produces the trademark crack of a whip. A whip userwill likely have to replace his whip's fall and cracker some-

The Whip

what regularly, but this is a normal part of whip mainte-nance, and does not weaken the whip itself.

Different variations on whips exist around the world,even in the same culture, with different whips used for spe-cial purposes. The standard whip is also known as the bull-whip. The stockwhip has a long, stiff handle, with thelength of the whip attached separately, though this does notchange the whip's game statistics. Signal whips tend to beshorter, between 3 and 6 ft., which makes them less usefulfor combat, but more flexible for making rapid, complicatedsignals, and for performing tricks. Various other 'weapons'use ribbons that can be effective at entangling foes, but areunable to injure.

Most whips can simply be coiled when not in use, thenhung from a hook on a wall or on one's belt. Some morebizarre whip variants, such as the whipsword, must bestowed in sheathes to prevent their sharp edges from beinga threat, but with a normal whip it is nearly impossible tohurt yourself by dropping or mishandling it. Whips can bevery difficult to manage when in use, and many whipwielders cut themselves once or twice when first learning touse the weapon.

A whip deals nonlethal damage. It deals no damage toany creature with an armour bonus of +1 or higher, or a nat-ural armour bonus of +3 or higher. The whip is a meleeweapon with a 15-foot reach, though you don't threaten thearea into which you can make an attack. In addition, unlikemost other weapons with reach, you can use it against foesanywhere within your reach (including adjacent foes).Using a whip provokes an attack of opportunity.

Because a whip can wrap around an enemy's leg orother limb, you can make trip attacks with it. If you aretripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop thewhip to avoid being tripped.

When using a whip, you get a +2 bonus on opposedattack rolls made to disarm an opponent (including the rollto keep from being disarmed if the attack fails).

You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply yourDexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier toattack rolls with a whip sized for you, even though it isn't alight weapon.

A whip cannot be damaged by bludgeoning weapons,and so can only be sundered by slashing attacks. Unlikewood, stone, or metal weapons, whips are not vulnerable tosonic attacks. Divide sonic damage by 4 before applyinghardness. This resistance only applies to standard whipsmade from once-living material. Metal whips take normalfull damage from sonic attacks.

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Whip Cost Damage Crit Range* Weight Type Hardness / HPTiny 1 gp 1 X2 10 ft. (+10 ft.), - Slashing 2 / 1Small 1 gp 1d2 X2 15 ft. (+10 ft.) .5 lb Slashing 2 / 3Medium 1 gp 1d3 X2 15 ft. (+10 ft.) 1 lb Slashing 2 / 5Large 2 gp 1d4 X2 30 ft. (+20 ft.) 2 lb Slashing 2 / 10Huge 4 gp 1d6 X2 45 ft. (+30 ft.) 4 lb Slashing 2 / 20Gargantuan 8 gp 1d8 X2 60 ft. (+40 ft.) 8 lb Slashing 2 / 40Colossal 16 gp 2d6 X2 90 ft. (+60 ft.) 16 lb Slashing 2 / 80* An appropriately-sized whip triples a creature's natural reach. The above entries are typical reach for a humanoid crea-ture of the appropriate size. The parenthetical entry is the exact amount the whip increases its wielder's reach, for pur-poses of determining the reach of creatures using whips not sized for them.

Table 1.1: Whip Statistics by Size Category

OpOptitioonnal Rual RuleslesSize and Reach

The core rules provide few hints to how whipssized for different creatures affect their wielder's reach,but as a guideline for this book, whips are assumed totriple their wielder's natural reach, or at least add 5 ft. Ifthe prospect of giants whirlwind attacking every crea-ture within 60 ft. is inappropriate for your game, you canwhips just provide an extra 5 ft. beyond the normal dou-bling effect of reach weapons.

Whip Weapon GroupThe Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip) lets you

wield not just the whip, but any of the whip-likeweapons detailed below. The basics of these weaponsare similar enough that knowledge of one lets you wieldany other proficiently. However, other feats that mustbe chosen for a specific weapon, such as Weapon Focusor Improved Critical, only apply to the specific weaponchosen.

History

In the real world, the whip has never been widely usedas a weapon. Compared to more traditional swords andspears, the whip was simply inferior for the purposes ofharming enemies. In China and Japan, martial arts stylesmade use of a variety of chain or flail weapons, but eventhese cultures never adopted the whip as a common weapon.

Throughout history, the whip has primarily been rele-gated to being a tool for driving animals - people as well aslivestock. A person wielding a whip can be fairly confidentthat he won't seriously harm the creature he strikes, but thepain is sharp enough to keep the creature in line. The whipis thus a symbol as much for ranchers as it is for slavers andtorturers.

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OpOptitioonnal Rual RuleslesWhips as Weapons

The statistics for whips in the core rules are thoseof standard bullwhips intended for herding cattle ordriving slaves. It would not be much of a leap to assumethat whips designed for combat would be designed betterto actually serve as weapons, or that those trained to usewhips in combat would know how to actually harm foeswith them.

This book assumes as a default that you will usewhips as presented in the core rules. However, you mayconsider freely granting those proficient in whips theWhip Strike feat, detailed later, which allows whips toharm creatures in armour. It is certainly no more unlike-ly that a whip could injure a warrior in plate armour thana shuriken or unarmed punch could. Attacks this waycan be described as the whip striking with enough forceto bruise beneath the armour, or as the whip striking abit of exposed skin, or even as an exotic trick, such aswrapping a foe's limb and pulling, injuring by strainingmuscles and joints. Remember, a punch merely bruises;a whip can slice flesh through leather.

Damage should still be nonlethal, however, due tothe difficulty of actually causing serious injury with awhip. A character can always take a -4 penalty to hisattack roll in order to deal real damage with a whip, or hecan wield a more dangerous weapon, such as a bladedwhip or whip sword.

Whips as ToolsWhips are useful tools for controlling people and

animals. If you wield a whip (even non-proficiently),you gain a +2 bonus to Handle Animal checks to handlean animal or push an animal. Also, though normally aninjured animal is harder to control (+2 DC), if you strikean animal with a whip, the DC does not increase as longas you still are armed with the whip. Creatures reared bybeating are typically cowed by the presence of the whip,but are difficult to control without the threat of injury.

Though whips do not threaten an area in combat,while armed with a whip you may use the Intimidateskill against any foe within reach of your whip, by crack-ing the whip menacingly. If you have dealt damage tothe creature with the whip, you gain a +2 bonus to thisIntimidate check.

Some cultures use whips to send signals. The baseListen DC to hear a whip crack is -5.

The association of the whip with sex came about, inthe real world at least, as part of the social shift caused byfemale empowerment in the last few decades of the 20thcentury. While a few virile heroes such as Zorro or IndianaJones have wielded whips, such characters were typicallyrugged men of the wilderness. In the modern urban culture,the whip is much more strongly associated with female sex-ual dominance, primarily due to its position as a toy for

sado-masochistic sex play.Certainly the whip mixessexual symbols, combining along, vaguely phallic shapewith supple movement,grace, and mystique. It is aweapon that can cause harmeven if the wielder is notvery strong, a weapon thatcan be associated with tradi-tional roles of both men andwomen.

Racial PreferencesThe whip originated among humans as a tool for driv-

ing herds of animals. The elves took easily to the finessethe whip required, and soon this common rancher's imple-ment became an elvish weapon respected for its grace andspeed. Halflings and dwarves generally find little of inter-est in this weapon, but many gnomes delight in the extremecomplexity of the whip's fighting style. Orcs, while in noways pioneers of the weapon, have taken certain cruel deri-vations of it as their own, particularly the various bladedwhips. Dark elves, however, seem most well-suited to thewhip, their temperaments matched by the alternating sub-tlety and flashing force of this supple weapon.

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The traditional bullwhip is the basis for manytools designed as weapons more than as equipment for driv-ing animals. While a standard whip is relatively ineffectu-al in harming a person, many of the variants below canmaim and kill just as easily as any sword. Others empha-size the less aggressive aspects of the whip, ignoring injuryin favour of utility.

Bladed WhipThis weapon is constructed much like a whip, only that theplaited strands of the whip also include several speciallydesigned metal strips with slashing edges, and that the fallconsists of either a blade or sharpened chain segments.Alternately, a bladed whip might be covered in spikes,thorns, or other jagged edges. Unlike a normal whip, a blad-ed whip deals real damage, but it can still not harm creatureswith an armour bonus of +1 or higher, or a natural armourbonus of +3 or higher. A bladed whip has hardness 3. In allother ways, a bladed whip is just like a normal whip.

Weapon Bladed WhipCost 25 gpDamage (s/m) 1d4 / 1d6Critical 19-220/x2Weight 3 lbType Slashing

LongwhipSome characters may wish to wield ridiculously long whips.Rather than using an alternate version of the whip that pro-vides greater reach, instead simply have the character use awhip sized for a larger creature. The Mighty Grip feat,detailed below, allows a character to use such a weapon.

Ribbon StaffA ribbon staff is a double weapon, one end a quarterstaff,the other a whip. A wielder proficient in either weapon canuse the appropriate end proficiently. The whip end is actu-ally a weighted ribbon one or two inches across, which can-not deal damage, but which can be used just as a whip in allother ways. The quarterstaff end of the ribbon staff can beused as a normal quarterstaff, except that the staff itselfcannot be used as a double weapon; the weight of the ribbonis such that only one end of the staff can be used in combat.

A wielder can use both the ribbon and the staff endsimultaneously, taking the normal penalties associated withtwo-weapon fighting. A wielder can also use just one end ofthe weapon at a time, even switching between attacks in afull attack.

Weapon Ribbon StaffCost 1 gpDamage (s/m) -//- and 1d4 / 1d6Critical 20/x2Weight 4 lbType Slashing

Signal WhipA signal whip works exactly like a whip, except that it pro-vides only normal reach (10 ft. for Small and Medium crea-tures), but it grants the wielder a +2 bonus to checks fortrick shots and on maneuvers with the Third Hand feat. Inall other ways, a signal whip is just like a normal whip.

Weapon Signal WhipCost 1 gpDamage (s/m) 1/1d2Critical 20/x2Weight 1 lbType Slashing

Whip Variants

Weapon Cost Damage Critical Weight Type SpecialBladed Whip 25 gp 1d6 19-20 / x2 3 lb Slashing Lethal DamageRibbon Staff 5 gp - /1d6 x2 4 lb - / Bludgeoning Double WeaponSignal Whip 2 gp 1d2 x2 1 lb Slashing Trick Shot BonusThornstar 25 gp 1d8 x2 8 lb Slashing/Bludgeoning/Piercing Lethal DamageWhipsword 400 gp 1d8 19-20 / x2 6 lb Slashing Sword and/or Whip

Table 2.1: Whip Variants

ThornstarThe thornstar is a cross between a bladed whip and a spikedflail. The length of the cord is leather and metal like a blad-ed whip, but the weapon ends with a spiked ball. Because ofits multifaceted construction, a thornstar deals real damage,and can be used to deal any combination of slashing, bludg-eoning, or piercing damage, though it cannot deal slashingdamage against creatures with an armour bonus of +1 orhigher, or a natural armour bonus of +3 or higher. It can beused for trip and disarm attempts, but not for the feat ThirdHand, or any feats that have it as a prerequisite. A thorn-star has hardness 3. In all other ways, a thornstar is just likea normal whip.

Weapon ThornstarCost 25 gpDamage (s/m) 1d6 / 1d8Critical 20/x2Weight 8 lbType Slashing, Bludgeoning, Piercing

WhipswordThis weapon normally resembles a plain longsword, thoughits blade actually consists of multiple segments that candetach from each other. A metal cord links the segmentsand the hilt of the sword, running through the center ofeach segment, allowing the whipsword to function as eithera longsword or a unique whip-like weapon. By activating aspecial mechanism on the weapon, you can switch betweensword and whip form as a move action. If you are profi-cient in longswords or whips, you can use the whipswordproficiently when it is in the appropriate form.

Because the weapon is somewhat less flexible than anormal whip, the wielder suffers a -2 penalty to specialmaneuvers that require finesse, like tripping, disarming,and using the abilities of the Third Hand feat. This cancelsout the normal +2 bonus to disarming with a whip.Characters cannot use the Weapon Finesse withwhipswords.

Regardless of what form the weapon is in, it dealsdamage as a longsword. Normally, warriors will keep theweapon in sword form for better defense, only switching towhip form when they need longer reach and do not worryabout attacks of opportunity.

Unlike a normal whip, a whipsword deals real damage,and more importantly it can harm creatures regardless oftheir armour or natural armour bonus. A whipsword hashardness 10 and 5 hit points. In whip form, its hardness isreduced to 5 because the vulnerable linking cord is exposed.In sword form it can be harmed by bludgeoning weaponsand is vulnerable to sonic attacks, but not in whip form.

Weapon WhipswordCost 400 gpDamage 1d6 / 1d8Critical 19-220/x2Weight 6 lbType Slashing

CraftsmanshipThough most whips involve no metalwork at all, their

crafting is by no means simple. The crafting of a whiprequires properly braiding and aligning many strands ofleather, which first must be measured, cut, cured, andweighted. The number of strands used to create the whiphas some effect on the weapon's quality, but there is littlenoticeable difference between one with eight strands andone with sixteen.

The basic techniques for crafting whips have not muchchanged over centuries, though unlike many historicalweapons, the construction of quality whips has beenimproved slightly in recent years. While there is no driveto make more efficient swords today, whips are used oftenenough that attention is still given them.

Today in the real world, kangaroo leather is common-ly touted as the optimal choice for whip craftsmanship, andthe most well-made whips are weighted with carefully-dis-tributed lead to aid in controlling the whip in strong winds.In a fantasy setting, however, many more exotic materialsand craftsmanship techniques are available. Strands ofmithral might be interwoven within the leather, and thetanned sinews of dragons might be stronger than any hide.Variants of whips with blades demand the craftsman beskilled in both leatherworking and metalworking, except inrare cases of mysterious metals that are as flexible asleather. Integrating metal components with once-livingmaterial might be even more taxing of a weaponmaker'sskill than any mere blade could be.

Crafting what one would consider a'masterwork' whip would simply involveusing the highest quality leather, takinggreater care with the braiding, andbeing certain to weigh andbalance the whip tomake it effective atall distances.

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There are other ways to improve a weapon. Of all theweapons of all the armouries of the world, only whips areprimarily made from pieces of animals, and so those withaccess to leather from exotic or magical creatures canattempt to craft whips that possess the traits of these crea-tures.

Additionally, particularly devoted whip craftsmenknow how to use choice parts of a creature's hide to improvea whip's strength, durability, and agility. These compo-nents must be added during the creation of the whip, muchlike creating a masterwork weapon.

Durability - Craft DC 18, 100 gp valueA whip with this enhancement has 2 extra hit

points. This enhancement can be applied up to 5 timesthrough repeated treating of the leather and subtlereinforcement weak sections, to bring the final hitpoints up by +10.

Hardened - Craft DC 20, 150 gp valueWhile normal whips can be used to crack

bottles and slice flesh, they are vulnerable tosundering. Special crafting techniquesenable whips to yield to blows rather than bedamaged by them. This enhancementincreases the hardness of the weapon by +2,and can be applied twice for a final hard-ness of +4.

Reduced Weight - Craft DC 20, vari-able value

This enhancement reduces theweapon's weight by half, though such isbarely worthwhile except for metal whips.The market value depends on the amountof material used. Multiply the item's hitpoints by 10 to determine the market valuein gold pieces.

DisplacerhideWhips crafted from the leather of beastswith displacement abilities share those crea-tures' displacement ability. Attacks targetingthe whip have a 50% miss chance as if thewhip had total concealment. True seeingreveals its true location.

Additionally, the wielder of a displacerhidewhip can benefit from the Hidden Strike feat,detailed in the Fighting and Feats section, below.

Displacerhide whips cost an additional 4000gp, and are automatically considered to be master-work.

DweomerfleshDweomerflesh whips can be made from the hide of anycreature with damage reduction x/magic, including mostoutsiders and dragons. Dweomerflesh whips bypass dam-age reduction as if they were magic weapons.

These whips cost an additional 800 gp, and are auto-matically considered to be masterwork.

Feyhart LeatherMade from the hide of deer of the realm of the faeries, fey-hart leather bypasses the damage reduction of creatures as ifit were made of cold iron, thus allowing it to harm fey crea-tures with ease.

Feyhart leather has hardness 5 and twice asmany hit points as normal leather.

Whips made of feyhart leather costtwice as much as their normal counter-parts. Also, any magical enhancementscost an additional 2,000 gp.

MoonhairWoven from strands of the victims oflycanthropes whose hair has bleached in

the moonlight, cords of moonhair, properlyplaited, can be used to create whips of pale

blue. These whips bypass damage reduction asif they were made of silver.

Moonhair whips cost an extra 90 gp.

Roper OilMade of the blended juices of roperstrands and the flesh of mimics, thisalchemical oil is a variant of a tanglefootbag. It can be thrown to as a normal tan-glefoot bag, but roper oil can also beapplied to a whip as a standard action,making the whip sticky for one minutethereafter. Any successful attack or touchattack adheres the whip to whatever sur-face it struck. A Strength check (DC 15) isrequired to pull free from the whip.

The wielder can drag objects closer;light objects can be moved easily, heavier

objects can only be dragged 5 or 10 ft. perround. The wielder can also make an opposed Strength

check to drag a creature on the far end of the rope closer,which is resolved like a reverse bull rush. The other crea-ture may attempt the same thing, but the wielder can chooseto release the whip instead of being pulled.

One application of roper oil costs 100 gp.

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Tactics, Tricks &Techniques

Unique among weapons, the whip is rather ineffectiveat injuring foes. Whips are best utilized with special tech-niques to frustrate your opponents, and they are particular-ly useful for grasping objects from a distance, and for creat-ing signals that can be heard at a distance."

AttackingA standard whip is not the most effective weapon for

dealing damage. It is at its most useful against humanoidfoes, and practically useless against huge monsters. Withsome of the feats presented below, some of these drawbackscan be overcome, but a whip simply is no match even for anormal dagger if you just want to injure a foe. A warriorthat specializes in a whip will most likely need to take oneof the two following paths.

First, and most common, is the whip as a utilityweapon, excellent for weakening foes by disarming, trip-ping, or simply taking pot shots at foes who happen to bewithin reach. The whip will usually not be used to actuallyharm the foe, but if it is, it will be most effective when com-bined with sneak attacks. A ranger/rogue, wielding a pairof whips, can trip numerous mooks, deal a bit of damagewith bonus attacks from Improved Trip, and clear the wayfor stronger warriors to reach the main foe. Such a warriorwill want to remain mobile, never letting enemies get with-in melee range.

Alternately, a warrior could attempt to eke out everypossible bit of damage for his whip. Because the whip itselfdeals minimal damage, magic enhancements such as flam-ing, bane, or holy are precious. Great Cleave or WhirlwindAttack take greatest advantage of the whip's reach for pur-poses of dealing damage. This option is best for larger war-riors, and if you can get a mage ally to enlarge you, yourwhip's reach will improve dramatically.

BullrushingIt is not possible to bull rush with a whip, but a large

enough creature can use the Awesome Blow feat to drivecreatures away with its whip, since a whip is a meleeweapon.

DisarmingThe whip grants its wielder a +2 bonus to both make

and resist disarm attempts. The game master may allowyou to cause a weapon you disarm with your whip to fall tothe ground anywhere between you and your foe. If youintend to attempt a lot of disarming with your whip, but notripping, it is a safe bet to use a locked gauntlet, giving youa further +10 bonus to resist disarm attempts. Standardlocked gauntlets, however, give the user a -10 penalty to var-ious trick shots below, as well as uses of the Third Handfeat. A locked gauntlet made specially for a whip does nothave this penalty, but cannot be used for other types ofweapons.

A locked gauntlet is also useful because you can alwaysstrike with the gauntlet hand if your foes get too close foryour whip to be effective. You cannot use the gauntlet forattacks of opportunity if you used your whip as a weaponthe same round, but it is still a useful option to have avail-able.

GrapplingWith the proper feats, a whip can be used to grapple a

foe, albeit at a great penalty.

Power AttacksThough many overlook the fact, a whip is a one-hand-

ed melee weapon, and thus is eligible for use with the PowerAttack feat. Combined with Great Cleave, a whip is ahandy back-up weapon for a high-level fighter who is facedwith numerous weak foes.

Fighting & Feats

SunderThe low damage-dealing abilities of whips make them

nearly useless for purposes of sundering.

Trick ShotsIf you are proficient in whips, you can use a whip to

manipulate objects at a distance. Each such attemptrequires an attack roll against the touch AC of the target.Allies may forgo their Dexterity bonus to AC to make iteasier for you to grab them. The maximum range for suchan action is your reach with the whip.

-You can wrap your whip around a protrusion orobject as a standard action. The grip of the whip is firmenough for you to use it as a rope to climb or swing on, orto let you drag the grabbed object. If done as part of a moveaction to assist you in a jump, you can swing and add anextra 20 feet to your jump, and add 5 feet to a high jump thatterminates at the end of the swing, assuming a well-posi-tioned object to swing from. You can release the grabbeditem as a free action.

-You can make a melee attack as part of your swing ona whip (with another weapon than the whip, obviously),resolving the attempt as a charge attack, gaining a +1 bonusto your attack for higher ground. Alternately, you mayattempt a bull rush or trip attempt, gaining a +1 bonus toyour Strength check for every 5 feet you swing (to a maxi-mum of 20 feet). A trip attempt in this manner is more akinto a bull rush, except that you knock your foe down insteadof back. If you fail and are tripped, you fall to the ground,but suffer no other special penalty.

-You can use your whip to arrest yourself from fallingas a reaction by wrapping the whip around a protrusion or acreature. Doing this uses up an attack of opportunity forthe round, so if you have already used all of yours for theround, you cannot use this ability. Make an attack roll (AC20, or the touch AC of an unwilling target if that is higher),and if you succeed and the object is at least twice as heavyas you, you automatically stop your fall. If you instead useyour whip to try to grab a creature, that creature makes aStrength check to arrest your fall (DC 10 if you are a lightload for it, DC 15 for a medium load, or DC 20 for a heavyload). If you are heavier than that, both you and the crea-ture you grabbed fall together.

-You can use your whip to arrest the fall of anothercreature, or a falling object. This functions as above withgrabbing a creature, except that you make the Strengthcheck to hold the weight of the falling creature.

TrippingOne of the most effective tactics with a whip is to trip

a foe, though typically you'll need a secondary weapon toinjure your fallen foe.

Two-Weapon FightingYou may wish to keep a secondary weapon in your off

hand as a defense against foes who get too close for yourwhip to be used effectively. While there is no penalty asso-ciated with simply holding a weapon in your free hand, youcannot use that weapon to makes attack of opportunityunless you declare you are intending to use it as a weaponfor that round.

For instance, Quillathe typically wields a whip in herright hand, a rapier in her left. If she chose, she could treatthe rapier as not readied for a round. If she did, she wouldbe unable to use the rapier to make attacks of opportunityuntil her next round, but she would also not take penaltiesfor fighting with two weapons. If she chose to keep therapier readied as a weapon, she would take penalties to herattacks with the whip, even if no one ever came withinrange of the rapier.

Wielding two whips simultaneously is possible, andhas all the associated penalties appropriate for wielding twoone-handed weapons.

The Calamity SymphonyThis legendary and epic whip technique requires a

whip-wielder have the epic feat Self-Opportunist and botha Strength and Dexterity score of 25 or higher, as well as thefeats Greater Melee Lash, Improved Awesome Blow,Improved Combat Reflexes, and Snagging Trip. She mustalso be Large size or larger, or else somehow be able to qual-ify for the Awesome Blow feat while smaller. It is practi-cally impossible to use this technique against an equally-skilled foe, but against those less-experienced it is devastat-ing.

The whip-wielder first uses Awesome Blow to driveher foe away 10 ft. Because of Self-Opportunist the whip-wielder is able to take two attacks of opportunity. She usesone as a normal attack, and the other to trip the foe and draghim closer with Snagging Trip, which incurs another attackof opportunity. She uses this attack of opportunity to againdrive the foe around with Awesome Blow, and repeats thecycle. As long as she can keep on hitting, there is no limitto the number of attacks she can make.

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GGeenneerraall FFeeaattss PPrreerreeqquuiissiittee BBeenneeffiitt

Clinch Attack Dex 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, Grab a foe and strike while he's at your mercy.Improved Grapple, BAB+6

Summon Suffering Clinch Attack, Exotic Weapon Inflict pain with a special whip throw.Proficiency (whip), Melee Lash, BAB+11

Dancing Strike Dex 13, Dodge One-weapon defensive fighting style.Deafening Crack Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip), Deafen with your whip crack.

Intimidate 4 ranksGlutton for Punishment - DR 2 against nonlethal damage, bonuses when

you're injured a little.Greater Disarm Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, Bonus attack after disarming a foe.

Improved DisarmHidden Strike Int 13, Combat Expertise, Improved Feint as a free action when attacking from conceal-

Feint ment.Melee Lash Dex 15, Exotic Weapon Proficiency Threaten 5 ft. with a whip, can attack in melee with

(whip), BAB+1 no attack of opportunity.Improved Melee Lash Dex 17, Melee Lash, BAB+6 Threaten 10 ft. with a whip.Greater Melee Lash Dex 19, Improved Melee Lash, BAB+11 Threaten 15 ft. with a whip.

Mighty Grip Str 13, BAB+1 Wield over-sized weaponsMighty Strike Str 19, Power Attack, BAB+13 You are treated as a size larger for special maneuversOne Free Hand Int 13, Combat Expertise +1 to attack when using a single one-handed weaponSnagging Trip Int 13, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip Drag a tripped foe toward you.Strike Around Combat Expertise, BAB+4 Negate some of the benefits of shields.Style Focus Dex 15, proficiency with chosen weapons, Variant of Weapon Focus for unmatched weapons

Two-Weapon Fighting, BAB+1 used with two-weapon fighting. +1 bonus on attack rolls with chosen weapons.

Style Specialization Style Focus, fighter level 4th +2 bonus on damage rolls with chosen weapons.Greater Style Focus Style Focus, fighter level 8th +2 bonus on attack rolls with chosen weapons.Greater Style Greater Style Focus, fighter level 12th +4 bonus on damage rolls with chosen weapons.

SpecializationThird Hand Dex 13, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip), Use whip like a third hand.

Weapon Finesse, Use Rope 4 ranksRanged Grapple Third Hand Grapple or entangle with a whip.

Whip Strike Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip) Harm armoured foes with whips.Whipsword Shift Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip), Martial Switch from whip to sword form as swift action.

Weapon Proficiency (longsword)

EEppiicc FFeeaattssImproved Awesome BlowStr 25, Awesome, Improved Bull Rush, Use awesome blow with every attack.

Power Attack, size Large or largerSelf-Opportunist Dex 25, Combat Reflexes Make attacks of opportunity when you force a foe to

move.

Table 3.1: Whip Feats

Feats Throughout this section, feats that fighters can select

using one of their class bonus feats are marked as [Fighter]feats. Other classes may still select these feats as normal.Feats that provide new options for whips work likewise forother whip-like weapons.

Clinch Attack [Fighter]You can grab a foe and strike him while hes under

your control.Prerequisite: Dex 13, Improved Grapple, Improved

Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +6.Benefit: While grappling, if you attack your opponent

you can use one-handed weapons, and you do not suffer a -4 penalty to your attack roll.

Dancing Strike [Fighter]Your one-handed fighting style is mobile enough that

your attacks aid your defense.Prerequisite: Dex 13, Dodge.Benefit: When wielding a single weapon, if you have

a hand free that is not holding anything, attacking, or usinga shield, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. When youare fighting defensively or using the total defense action,this bonus increases to +2.

Deafening Crack [Fighter]You can deafen with the crack of your whip.Prerequisite: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip),

Intimidate 4 ranks.Benefit: You may choose to have attacks with your

whip deliver a crack loud enough to deafen the target. Inplace of an attack, you can make a ranged touch attackagainst the target, and if you hit you deal no damage, but thetarget must make a Fortitude save (DC 10) or be deafenedfor one round. You may take a penalty to this attack roll upto your base attack bonus and add an equal amount to theDC to resist the deafening.

Glutton for Punishment [General]You like pain.Benefit: You gain damage reduction 2/- against non-

lethal damage. Whenever you do take nonlethal damage, ifyou do not have any lethal damage, you gain a +2 moralebonus to attack rolls and a -2 penalty to AC for one round.

Greater Melee Lash [Fighter]Your whip dances around you, keeping all foes at bay.Prerequisite: Dex 19, Melee Lash, Exotic Weapon

Proficiency (whip), Improved Melee Lash, base attackbonus +11.

Benefit: When armed with a whip or other whip-likeweapon, you threaten an area around you equal to the

whip's reach. You can make attacks of opportunity with thewhip within that area.

Normal: A whip has 15-ft. reach, but does not threat-en that area.

Greater Disarm [Fighter]You can strike a foe after disarming him.Prerequisites: Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise,

Improved Disarm.Benefit: When a character with this feat successfully

disarms a foe in melee combat, he gets an immediate, extramelee attack against the creature disarmed as if the charac-ter had not used an attack on the disarm attempt.

Hidden Strike [Fighter]You take excellent advantage of being unseen in com-

bat.Prerequisites: Int 13, Combat Expertise, Improved

Feint.Benefit: Whenever your opponent has a miss chance

against you from concealment, you can make a Bluff checkto feint in combat as a free action once for each attack youmake, instead of as a move action.

Remember that if you also suffer a miss chancebecause of concealment when attacking your foe, you can-not get extra damage dice from sneak attack.

Special: A character with this feat wielding a displac-erhide whip can always feint as a free action once per attack,unless his opponent can see through the whip's displace-ment effect.

Improved Awesome Blow [Epic]You can make several awesome blows per round.Prerequisite: Str 25, Awesome, Improved Bull Rush,

Power Attack, size Large or larger.Benefit: You can make an Awesome Blow as part of a

normal attack, instead of as a standard action.

Improved Melee Lash [Fighter]You threaten a larger area around you with a whip.Prerequisite: Dex 17, Melee Lash, Exotic Weapon

Proficiency (whip), base attack bonus +6.Benefit: When armed with a whip or other whip-like

weapon, you threaten an area around you equal to twiceyour normal unarmed reach. You can make attacks ofopportunity with the whip within that area.

Normal: A whip has 15-ft. reach, but does not threat-en that area.

Melee Lash [Fighter]You threaten the area around you with a whip.Prerequisite: Dex 15, Exotic Weapon Proficiency

(whip), base attack bonus +1.Benefit: When armed with a whip or other whip-like

weapon, you threaten an area around you equal to your nor-

E.N. Arsenal - Whip

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mal unarmed reach. You can make attacks of opportunitywith the whip within that area. Additionally, you don'tincur attacks of opportunity by using a whip in combat, orby any other use of a whip, such as with the Third Handfeat.

Normal: A whip has 15-ft. reach, but does not threat-en that area. Using a whip provokes an attack of opportu-nity, just as if you had used a ranged weapon.

Mighty Grip [Fighter]You can easily wield weapons sized for creatures larg-

er than you.Prerequisite: Str 13, base attack bonus +1.Benefit: Choose a one-handed or two-handed weapon

you are proficient in. You may wield the chosen weaponsized for a creature one size category larger than you withthe normal -2 penalty, but with its normal grip. Forinstance, a small creature could wield a medium greatswordas a two-handed weapon with a -2 penalty, and a mediumcreature could wield a large whip as a one-handed weaponwith a -2 penalty.

Normal: In addition to incurring a -2 penalty, using aweapon sized for a larger creature increases the weaponfrom light to one-handed, or from one-handed to two-hand-ed. Creatures cannot use larger two-handed weapons.

Special: You may take this feat multiple times, eachtime applying it to a different weapon.

Mighty Strike [Fighter]You strike as if you are a larger crea-

ture.Prerequisite: Str 19, Power Attack,

base attack bonus +13.Benefit: For the purposes of

Strength-based special attacks, such asbull rushing, overrunning, and tripping(but not grappling), you are considered asize category larger. This typically grants a+4 bonus to the appropriate checks.

Additionally, you may qualify for feats as if you werea size category larger, so that, for instance, a human withStr 25, Improved Bull Rush, and Power Attack could takethe Awesome Blow feat, which is normally available only toLarge or larger creatures.

This feat does not allow you to use weapons that arelarger than normal.

One Free Hand [Fighter]You have a flexible and adaptive one-handed fighting

style that utilizes your free hand for balance and oppor-tunism.

Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise.Benefit: When fighting with a single weapon, if you

have a hand free that is not holding anything, attacking, orusing a shield, you gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls withthat single weapon.

Ranged Grapple [Fighter]You can use a whip to grapple targets from a distance.Prerequisite: Dex 13, Exotic Weapon Proficiency

(whip), Third Hand, Weapon Finesse, Use Rope 4 ranks.Benefit: Whenever you strike a foe with your whip, in

addition to dealing damage you may choose to entangle thatfoe, as if you had struck with a whip. An entangled creaturemoves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a -2penalty to attack rolls and a -4 penalty to its effectiveDexterity score. An entangled character who attempts tocast a spell must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + thespell's level) or lose the spell. If succeed in controlling thewhip by making an opposed Strength check while holdingit, the entangled creature can move only within the limitsthat the whip allows.

You can only entangle creatures within one size cate-gory of you. While using your whip to entangle a creature,you cannot use your whip as a weapon.

You can also use your whip to actually grapple a foe,though it is difficult. As an attack action you may attemptto make a ranged grapple with a whip or whip-like weapon.This works much like a normal grapple, except that youmay try to grapple any creature within reach of your whip,and your grapple check is modified any bonuses that wouldnormally apply to attacks with your whip. Because you areeffectively using only one limb to control your foe, you suf-

fer a -20 penalty to your grapple check, but you arenot considered grappled. Improved Grapple

provides a +4 bonus to ranged grapplechecks, both to make and to resist them.

Once grappling, your whip can doalmost anything you yourself could do in agrapple, except that it cannot pry a well-secured item from a pinned foe. If yourwhip is pinned, you are disarmed. If the

target succeeds a grapple check to movewhile grappled, and moves beyond your

whip's reach, you are moved unless you let go ofthe whip. If you succeed a grapple check to move

your opponent, you can force him to move anywhere with-in your whip's reach. If you make a grapple check to 'dam-age your opponent,' you do the type of damage appropriateto the whip (including being unable to injure armoured foesfor traditional whips).

Self-Opportunist [Epic]You can strike your foes multiple times as they move

around you, even if you are responsible for moving them.Prerequisite: Dex 25, Combat Reflexes.Benefit: You can make attacks of opportunity on a

creature when you force it to move through your threatenedarea, taking one attack of opportunity for every 5 ft. thecreature is moved. Thus you could bull rush a creature 5 ft.and take an attack of opportunity against it to deliver anAwesome Blow (if you have the feat), knocking the crea-ture in another direction, gaining other attacks of opportu-

E.N. Arsenal - Whip

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nity against the creature.Normal: When you move a creature through your

own threatened area you cannot makes attacks of opportu-nity against that creature.

Snagging Trip [Fighter]You can drag closer foes that you trip.Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise, Improved

Trip.Benefit: Whenever you trip a foe with a weapon that

has reach, instead of gaining the extra attack with ImprovedTrip you may drag your opponent up to 10 ft. toward you.You must drag in a straight line, so you cannot pull youropponent around you, though you can drag them into yourown area.

You can even use this ability on creatures that don'tneed legs to move, or on flying opponents to pull them tothe ground.

Normal: A tripped foe falls in his own square.Tripping a flyer makes the flyer stall.

Strike Around [Fighter]You can attack around the guards of shields.Prerequisite: Combat Expertise, base attack bonus +4.Benefit: While using a chain-based or highly flexible

weapon such as a spiked chain, nunchaku, whip, or flail, youcan wrap the weapon over or around a shield. This reducesany shield bonus your opponent may have to his AC byhalf. Alternately, you may actively strike the shield andwrap your weapon around it. This completely negates theAC bonus of the shield, but also only deals one-half the nor-mal damage for the weapon.

Style Focus [Fighter]Choose a particular combat style that involves two

weapons, such as longsword and shortsword, or trident andnet. You are especially good at this fighting style.

Prerequisite: Dex 15, proficiency with the selectedweapons, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls withyour chosen weapon or weapons, but only when you areusing the specific chosen fighting style. Thus if you choosewhip and rapier, you only gain this bonus if you are armedwith both those weapons. If you are only wielding one ofthem you gain no bonus. You do not actually have to attackwith both weapons to gain the bonus; you simply must bearmed with both.

This bonus does not stack with the similar bonus fromWeapon Focus.

Special: To accompany this feat are the feats StyleSpecialization, Greater Style Focus, and Greater StyleSpecialization, which are identical to the appropriate featsof the Weapon Focus chain, except that they apply to a pairof weapons instead of a single weapon. For space reasonsthese feats are not fully detailed here.

Summon Suffering [Fighter]When grappling a foe, you can inflict overwhelming

pain by striking and strangling them with your whip.Prerequisite: Dex 13, Clinch Attack, Exotic Weapon

Proficiency (whip), Improved Grapple, Improved UnarmedStrike, Melee Lash, base attack bonus +11.

Benefit: Whenever you use the Clinch Attack feat toattack a foe with a whip or whip-like weapon, at the end ofyour action your opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC10 + damage you dealt him this round with whip attacks) orsuffer wracking pains that impose a -4 penalty on attackrolls, skill checks, and ability checks for one round.

Third Hand [Fighter]You can wield your whip like a third hand.Prerequisite: Dex 13, Exotic Weapon Proficiency

(whip), Weapon Finesse, Use Rope 4 ranks.Benefit: You can use your whip for a variety of

actions beyond those normally possible with a whip. Youcan retrieve an unattended object anywhere within range,and deposit it anywhere within range, as a standard action,though the item cannot weigh more than what is half a lightload for your Strength. If you want to throw the grabbedobject as a weapon, you can make an attack with it, with a -4 penalty for being an improvised weapon (even if youthrow what would normally be a real weapon, like a dag-ger). You do not gain bonuses to this attack from feats orabilities that enhance your skill with a whip.

If you successfully disarm a weapon with your whip,and that weapon's weight is within the above limit, you canhave it land anywhere within your whip's range, instead ofjust at the creature's feet.

When armed with a whip, you are considered to havea free hand for the purposes of the feat Deflect Arrows.

Normal: Whips can only perform crude manipula-tions.

Whip Strike [Fighter]Your whip can wound even armoured foes.Prerequisite: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip).Benefit: You can damage creatures with your whip

regardless of the creature's armour or natural armour bonus.You may choose to do nonlethal damage without penalty.

Whipsword Shift [Fighter]You can switch between whip and sword forms of a

whipsword easily.Prerequisite: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip),

Martial Weapon Proficiency (longsword).Benefit: You can switch between whip and sword

form of a whipsword as a swift action once per round,instead of a move action.

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There are many ways to master the whip. Fourpaths are presented below.

ThunderchildTales tell of a reclusive hermit who lives in the

Stormset Mountains, a master of the whip who practices astunning fighting style in the great thunderstorms that rollacross the mountain range. This hermit has been known totrain those who respect the whip, tailoring the training tolet each student develop the style that best suits hisstrengths. The hermit's training is arduous, but those whocome down from his mountain home carry with them apower in their fighting style to match the storms of thehighest peaks.

RequirementsTo qualify to become a thunderchild (Tdc), a charac-

ter must fulfill all the following criteria.Base Attack Bonus: +5.Feats: Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip),

Weapon Focus (whip), Whip Strike.Climb: 4 ranks.Craft (leatherwork): 8 ranks.Survival: 4 ranks.

Hit Die: d8.

Class SkillsThe Thunderchild's class skills (and the key ability for

each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha),Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope(Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook forskill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the

Thunderchild prestige class.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A Thunderchildgains no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.

Thunderstrike (Ex): A Thunderchild's whip deals+1d6 sonic damage on a successful hit.

Whip Mastery: The Thunderchild gains a +1 bonus toattacks made with whips and whip-like weapons. At 5thlevel this bonus increases to +2, and then increases again at9th level to +3. Additionally, the Thunderchild qualifies forfeats in the Weapon Focus chain as if his Thunderchild lev-els were fighter levels, though he must choose a whip-likeweapon for these feats. Thus, a Fighter 5/Thunderchild 7could take Greater Weapon Specialization (whip).

Stormwalker (Ex): At 2nd level, the Thunderchildgains sonic resistance 5. Additionally, he is treated as one

WhipPrestige Classes

Class Attack Fort Ref WillLevel Bonus Save Save Save Special1 +0 +2 +0 +0 Thunderstrike, whip mastery (+1)2 +1 +3 +0 +0 Stormwalker 5, bonus feat3 +2 +3 +1 +1 Diehard4 +3 +4 +1 +1 Bonus feat5 +3 +4 +1 +1 Thunderburst, whip mastery (+2)6 +4 +5 +2 +2 Bonus feat7 +5 +5 +2 +2 Stormwalker 108 +6 +6 +2 +2 Bonus feat9 +6 +6 +3 +3 Whip mastery (+3)10 +7 +7 +3 +3 Rolling thunder, bonus feat

Table 4.1: Thunderchild Level Advancement

size category larger for purposes of resisting strong winds.At 7th level this improves to sonic resistance 10, and twoeffective size categories larger.

Bonus Feat: At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, theThunderchild gains a bonus feat. He must fulfill the pre-requisites for the feat. He may choose from the followinglist. Combat Expertise, Deafening Crack, Greater MeleeLash, Improved Melee Lash, Improved Disarm, ImprovedTrip, Melee Lash, Ranged Grapple, Snagging Trip, StrikeAround, Third Hand, Weapon Finesse.

Diehard: At 3rd level, the Thunderchild gains Diehardas a bonus feat.

Thunderburst (Ex): At 5th level, the Thunderchild'sthunderstrike ability improves. In addition to the +1d6damage the weapon normally deals, on acritical hit the whip deals an additional+1d8 sonic damage, and the targetstruck must succeed a Fortitudesave (DC 14) or be deafened per-manently.

Rolling Thunder (Ex):At 10th level, theThunderchild is capable ofcreating a thundering crash ofsound around him. As a full-round action, a Thunderchild armedwith a whip or whip-like weapon mayhave every creature and object within15 ft. of him take 1d6 points of sonicdamage.

Nailo-ShalanthWhip-Duelist

Of the many prominent schools for duelists, theNailo-Shalanth (Elvish for 'Nightbreeze Form') is the onlyone to specialize in the whip as a tool for battling multiplehumanoid foes. Armed primarily with a bladed whip, andcarrying a rapier as a back-up weapon, members of theNailo-Shalanth school strike like the wind, and vanish intothe night.

RequirementsTo qualify to become a

Nailo-Shalanth Whip-Duelist(NSW), a character must fulfill all the

following criteria.Base Attack Bonus: +5.Feats: Dodge, Exotic WeaponProficiency (whip), MartialWeapon Proficiency (rapier),

Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse.Hide: 4 ranks.Move Silently: 4 ranks.Hit Die: d8.

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Class Attack Fort Ref WillLevel Bonus Save Save Save Special1 +0 +0 +2 +0 Nightbreeze form, whip mastery (+1)2 +1 +0 +3 +0 Whisperstrike3 +2 +1 +3 +14 +3 +1 +4 +15 +3 +1 +4 +1 Whip mastery (+2)6 +4 +2 +5 +27 +5 +2 +5 +28 +5 +3 +6 +29 +6 +3 +6 +3 Whip mastery (+3)10 +7 +3 +7 +3 Whisperstrike II

Table 4.2: Nailo-Shalanth Whip-Duelist Level Advancement

Class SkillsThe Nailo-Shalanth's class skills (and the key ability

for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Craft (Int), Escape Artist(Int), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently(Dex), and Tumble (Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills in thePlayer's Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Nailo-

Shalanth prestige class.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A Nailo-Shalanthgains no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.

Nightbreeze Form: At each level, the Nailo-Shalanthgains a feat from the following list, going in order. If thecharacter has already taken the next feat in the form, sheinstead gains the feat after it. Thus, some Nailo-Shalanthmay choose to perfect the form first, while others may dab-ble with variants on the technique.

The form progresses as follows: Run, Combat Sprint,Melee Lash, Improved Melee Lash, Combat Reflexes,Weapon Focus (or Style Focus), Combat Expertise,Improved Trip, Improved Feint, Hidden Strike, ImprovedDisarm, Weapon Specialization (or Style Specialization),Greater Weapon Focus (or Greater Style Focus), Stealthy,Skill Focus (Move Silently), Greater Melee Lash.

Typically, a Nailo-Shalanth's fighting style involveshiding behind cover, approaching silently, then striking andretreating. She is rather ineffective at close range, but isadept at hit-and-run tactics. Unlike most whip techniques,warriors of the Nailo-Shalanth school utilize slashingstrikes rather than cracks of the whip, employing a secretattacking technique that is practically silent. The baseListen DC to hear her whip is 20.

Whip Mastery: The Nailo-Shalanth gains a +1 bonusto attacks made with whips and whip-like weapons. At 5thlevel this bonus increases to +2, and then increases again at9th level to +3. Additionally, the Nailo-Shalanth qualifiesfor feats in the Weapon Focus chain as if her Nailo-

Shalanth levels were fighter levels, though she must choosea whip-like weapon for these feats. Thus, a Fighter5/Nailo-Shalanth 7 could take Greater WeaponSpecialization (bladed whip).

Whisperstrike: At 2nd level, the Nailo-Shalanth gainsthe ability to ignore the -5 penalties to Hide and MoveSilently checks caused by moving faster than half-speed.

At 10th level, the Nailo-Shalanth gains the ability toignore the -20 penalties to Hide and Move Silently checkscaused by running or charging.

OphidianSkinbearer

Caressed by the supple scales of serpents, theOphidian Skinbearer attempts to emulate in every way thesinuous snakes she so loves. Her special weapon is thestriking whip, and both with her weapon and her ownfangs, she strikes with blinding accuracy.

RequirementsTo qualify to become an ophidian skinbearer, a charac-

ter must fulfill all the following criteria.Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip).Craft (alchemy): 4 ranks.Spellcasting: Ability to cast poison.Special: Ability to transform into a snake the same as

your normal size. Special: Must have a Small or Medium snake as an

animal companion.Hit Die: d8.

Class SkillsThe Ophidian Skinbearer's class skills (and the key

ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str),Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha),Hide (Dex), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis),Profession (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Survival(Wis). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook forskill descriptions.

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Table 4.3: Ophidian Skinbearer Level AdvancementClass Attack Fort Ref WillLevel Bonus Save Save Save Special1 +0 +2 +1 +1 Snakeform (2/day), venom immunity, improved animal companion2 +1 +3 +2 +2 +1 natural armour, venomous whip3 +2 +3 +2 +2 Snakeform (large)4 +3 +4 +2 +2 Snakeform (3/day) , +2 natural armour, living whip5 +3 +4 +3 +3 Snakeform (tiny), improved grapple6 +4 +5 +3 +3 +3 natural armour7 +5 +5 +4 +4 Snakeform (4/day)8 +6 +6 +4 +4 Snakeform (huge)9 +6 +6 +4 +4 Improved venom, +4 natural armour10 +7 +7 +5 +5 Serpent Swarm

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Ophidian

Skinbearer prestige class.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: An OphidianSkinbearer gains no additional weapon or armour proficien-cies.

Snakeform (Su): An Ophidian Skinbearer can turnherself into a Small or Medium constrictor or viper snaketwo times per day. This ability functions as the wild shapeability of druids, lasting 1 hour per level (counting bothOphidian Skinbearer and any druid levels she may have), oruntil she changes back. As she advances, she can use theability more times per day.

At 3rd level, she gains the ability to take the form oflarge snakes, and at 5th level she can assume the form oftiny snakes. At 8th level, she can assume the form of hugesnakes.

When the Ophidian Skinbearer returns to her normalform, she sheds a snakeskin, which dissolves over the nextminute.

Venom Immunity (Ex): An Ophidian Skinbearer isimmune to all poisons.

Improved Animal Companion: An OphidianSkinbearer may count her class levels as druid levels forpurposes of determining the stat bonuses and special abili-ties of her snake animal companion. She cannot, however,choose to 'improve' to a snake animal companion that islarger than Medium.

Venomous Whip (Su): Starting at 2nd level, anOphidian Skinbearer can, as a standard action, cause herwhip to exude a viper poison along its fall and cracker. Thepoison remains potent for one minute, or until it successful-ly strikes a target. A target struck for damage must succeeda Fortitude save (DC 10 + the Ophidian Skinbearer'sclass level + Constitution modifier) or take 1d6 points ofConstitution damage. The target must make another saveone minute later or else take an additional 1d6 Constitutiondamage. This ability cannot be used on whips with metalparts.

Similarly, when the Ophidian Skinbearer assumes theform of a viper, the Fortitude save to resist her poison is DC10 + her class level + her Constitution modifier, or thesnake form's normal save DC, whichever is higher.

Natural Armour (Ex): At 2nd level, the OphidianSkinbearer's skin begins to become the supple scales of aserpent. She gains a +1 natural armour bonus to AC. Thisbonus increases to +2 at 4th level, +3 at 6th, and +4 at 9th.

Living Whip (Su): At 3rd level, the OphidianSkinbearer can wield her snake animal companion as awhip, with a whip's normal reach, flexibility, and combatability. While the snake is vulnerable to attack, if it hits itdeals bite damage - 1d3 for small characters, 1d4 for mediumcharacters, plus the Ophidian Skinbearer's Strength modifi-er - and delivers its poison (if a viper) or can attempt tograpple (if a constrictor). Also, the animal companion willlikely have many more hit points than a normal whipwould.

If the Ophidian Skinbearer possesses a magical non-metal whip, she can have her snake animal companion fusewith the whip. Until she wills otherwise, the two remainunified, and the snake gains all the magical enhancementsthe whip possessed. This does not harm the snake, and foreach +1 enhancement bonus of the weapon, it improves thesnake's hit points by +10 and gives it DR 2/-. While so unit-ed, if the snake is slain, the whip is destroyed.

If the Ophidian Skinbearer is holding her living whipand uses her wildshape or snakeform ability to transforminto a snake, the living whip becomes part of her, grantingher the weapon's abilities the same way they would begranted to her animal companion.

Improved Grapple: At 5th level, the OphidianSkinbearer gains Improved Grapple as a bonus feat.

Improved Venom: At 9th level, the save DCs of theOphidian Skinbearer's poison, and that of her snake animalcompanion, increase by +2.

Serpent Swarm (Su): At 10th level, if the OphidianSkinbearer is reduced below 0 hit points but not killed, herbody transforms into a swarm of dozens of tiny snakes, asif a variant of her snakeform ability. These snakes fill the5-ft. square the Ophidian Skinbearer fell in, and move at aspeed of 30 to find safety. They do not attack, but will seekaid from allies. The swarm continues to function effective-ly even in negative hit points, and does not continue to takedamage each round.

On its own, the swarm heals 1 hit point per hour. Ifthe swarm is restored to 0 hit points or above, theSkinbearer returns to her normal form. If the swarm isreduced to -10 hit points, the Ophidian Skinbearer dies, theswarm of snakes dispersing and disappearing, leavingbehind the Skinbearer's natural form.

As a swarm, these snakes are immune to weapon dam-age, and otherwise have statistics as if the Skinbearer hadused snakeform to transform into a medium viper.

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WhimsyCertainly no fighting style is more com-

plex - or more unlikely - thanthe SeventhTechnique ofW h i mW i s t r a l .W i s t r a lwas ag n o m i s hshadowdancerwho slew manygreat fiends withhis twinned blad-ed whips. As awarrior, he wasnearly unmatched,at least amonggnomes. His abili-ty to use the battle-field to his advan-tage is legendary,also at least amongthe gnomes.

The Whimsytry to recreate the same quirky

fighting style of this hero to the gnomish people.Unfortunately, while attempting to slay the immortal vam-pire who bore the Gray Blade, the famed shadowdancerdied, and his body fell in an area of shadow. No one wasever able to find him to raise him, so he took his secrets tothe grave.

RequirementsTo qualify to become a whimsy (Wsy), a character mustfulfill all the following criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +4.Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip), Third

Hand, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse.Jump: 5 ranks.

Perform (any): 5 ranks.Tumble: 5 ranks.Use Rope: 8 ranks.Special: Must have afavoured enemy otherthan a Humanoid. Special: Must be Small orsmaller.

Hit Die: d8.

Class SkillsThe Whimsy'sclass skills

(and the key abilityfor each skill) are

Balance (Dex), Bluff(Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape

Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump(Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently

(Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sleight ofHand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope(Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbookfor skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the Whimsy

prestige class.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A Whimsy gainsno additional weapon or armour proficiencies.

Bonus Feats: The Whimsy gains Improved Trip andMelee Lash as bonus feats. At 2nd level, he gains ImprovedTwo-Weapon Fighting, at 5th level he gains Quickdraw,and at 7th level he gains Greater Two-Weapon Fighting.The Whimsy only gains the benefits of these feats if he iswearing light armour or no armour.

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Class Attack Fort Ref WillLevel Bonus Save Save Save Special1 +1 +0 +2 +1 Improved Trip, Melee Lash, Whimsical Combat (tripping)2 +2 +0 +3 +2 Improved Two-Weapon Fighting3 +3 +1 +3 +2 Whimsical Combat (tricks)4 +4 +1 +4 +2 Favoured enemy5 +5 +1 +4 +3 Quickdraw6 +6 +2 +5 +3 Whimsical Combat (thrown objects)7 +7 +2 +5 +4 Greater Two-Weapon Fighting8 +8 +2 +6 +4 Whimsical Combat (random ropes)9 +9 +3 +6 +4 Favoured enemy10 +10 +3 +7 +5 Whimsical Combat (charm)

Table 4.4: Whimsy Level Advancement

Whimsical Combat: The Whimsy's fighting style isirrational and irritating, relying on numerous trips andtricks to even the fight between a small gnomish warriorand the many and varied monsters said hero must face.These abilities only apply when the Whimsy is armed withtwo whips and is wearing light armour or no armour.

The Whimsy may use his Dexterity instead of hisStrength to modify trip attempts he makes. Additionally,when resisting trip attempts, the unorthodox fighting styleof the Whimsy negates any size bonus the foe would nor-mally gain to its trip attempt. Nevertheless, the Whimsy islikely to occasionally lose a whip in a failed trip attempt, somost Whimsies carry several whips, or animated whips (seethe new weapon enhancement, below).

At 3rd level, the Whimsy gains a +2 bonus to anycheck or attack made as part of a trick use of his whip, asdetailed on page 10. For instance, if he tries to pull over astatue with his whip, he gains a +2 bonus to his Strengthcheck, and if he swings with his whip and attacks, he gainsa +2 bonus to his attack roll in addition to the normal bonusfrom charging. Additionally, he is considered proficient inobjects that he throws with his whip by using the ThirdHand feat.

At 6th level, as a swift action the Whimsy can throwa tiny object or light weapon, such as a dagger, tanglefootbag, or a flask of alchemist's fire. Since he has Quickdraw,he can draw and throw the item in the same round. MostWhimsies carry a stock of such items.

At 8th level, once per day the Whimsy can gain abonus equal to the number of ranks he has in Use Rope to asingle skill check if the player can explain reasonably howropes or whips would be useful in the situation.

At 10th level, the Whimsy can apply his Charismamodifier, if positive, to his AC.

Favoured Enemy: At 4th level, the Whimsy maychoose a new favoured enemy, starting with a +2 bonus, orhe may increase the bonus for another favoured enemy by 2.He may do this again at 9th level.

Sample NPCsThe characters presented below showcase some of the

options presented in this book. They are equipped withgear appropriate to PCs of their level, so their possessionsmay need to be toned down a bit if they are to be used asNPCs.

Isabella ThunderchildThe master on the mountaintop, Isabella fought as a

treasure-hunter for many years, then descended into a darkperiod during which she fought to try to better know her-self. At the end of years of training and strife, all she hadlearned was that she was sickened with that life, and soshe fled into the mountains, living as a hermit for adecade. If not for a chance encounter with a mountaineerinterested in whips, none would know of her or herremarkable skill. She begrudgingly trains one or two war-riors a year, but often vanishes into the mountain stormsfor months at a time.

In combat, Isabella can easily defeat most humanoidfoes with her calamity symphony, a battering series ofwhip strikes that come so fast they create a musical roll ofthunder. Against larger foes she has few options, prefer-ring to stay at the edge of her reach and strike away slowlyat her opponent as she flies overhead.

Isabella Thunderchild: Female human fighter 28; CR28; Medium humanoid; HD 28d10+140; hp 296; Init +7; Spd30 ft.; AC 38 (+10 bracers of armour, +6 mithral buckler, +7dexterity, +5 ring of protection), touch 22, flat-footed 31;Base Atk +24; Grp +35; Atk +38 melee (2d6+13 plus 1Constitution damage/crit: 17-20, 25-ft. reach, +7 animatedkeen thundering wounding large whipsword); Full Atk+38/+33/+28/+23 melee (2d6+13 plus 1 Constitution dam-age/crit: 17-20, 25-ft. reach, +7 animated keen thunderingwounding large whipsword); SA Awesome Blow,Calamity Symphony; SQ sonic resistance 10; AL N; SVFort +25, Ref +22, Will +14; Str 25, Dex 25, Con 20, Int 13,Wis 8, Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Climb +38, Craft (leatherwork) +12,Craft (weapons) +21, Intimidate +30, Survival +14;Awesome Blow, Clinch Attack, Combat Expertise,Combat Reflexes, Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency(whip), Greater Melee Lash, Greater Weapon Focus(whipsword), Greater Weapon Specialization(whipsword), Improved Melee Lash, Improved Bull Rush,Improved Grapple, Improved Trip, Improved UnarmedStrike, Melee Lash, Mighty Grip, Mighty Strike, PowerAttack, Snagging Trip, Summon Suffering, Weapon Focus(whipsword), Weapon Specialization (whipsword), WhipStrike; Epic Feats: Energy Resistance (sonic) ImprovedAwesome Blow, Improved Combat Reflexes, Self-Opportunist.

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Possessions: Amulet of health +6, belt of strength +6,bracers of armour +10, boots of flying, cloak of resistance+5, gloves of dexterity +6, ring of evasion, ring of protec-tion +5, +5 mithral buckler, +7 animated keen thunderingwounding large whipsword. Various incidental magicitems.

Awesome Blow: Whenever Isabella makes a meleeattack, she may subtract 4 from her attack roll. If shestrikes, the creature must make a Reflex save (DC equal todamage dealt) or be flung 10 ft. in the direction ofIsabella's choice. Typically Isabella power attacks againstweaker foes, to ensure that she can knock them away.

Calamity Symphony: See page 10 for details on thistechnique.

Quillathe NailoUnique among members of the Nailo-Shalanth whip

duelists, Quillathe wields a rapier simultaneously with hernormal bladed whip. Though she knows this fightingstyle is less efficient than the traditional single bladedwhip the school espouses, Quillathe has been infatuatedwith mastering two-weapon fighting for years, ever sinceshe faced and was nearly defeated by a dark elf warriorwielding two swords.

In combat, Quillathe's style is graceful and mobile.She tries to never stop moving, especially when enemiesknow where she is. She likes to string out foes so she candouble back and take down stragglers. When she cannotstop a foe with attacks alone she will retreat long enoughto apply poison to her whip or bow, then return to deliverthe poison before fleeing again. If surrounded she tries tocut a path open so she can flee, or might even jump andswing up into trees.

Quillathe Nailo: Female elf fighter 4/ranger 2/Nailo-Shalanth 4; CR 10; Medium humanoid; HD 4d10+6d8+10;hp 64; Init +6; Spd 40 ft.; AC 22 (+6 mithral shirt, +6 dex-terity), touch 16, flat-footed 15; Base Atk +9; Grp +10; Atk+18 melee (2d6+2/crit: 19-20, +1 frost bladed whip) or +17melee (2d6+1/crit: 18-20, +1 frost rapier) or +16 ranged(1d6+1/crit: x3, masterwork shortbow); Full Atk +14/+9and +13 melee (2d6+2/crit: 19-20, +1 frost bladed whip and2d6+1/crit: 18-20, +1 frost rapier), or +16/+11 ranged(1d6+1/crit: x3, masterwork shortbow); SQ elf traits, whis-perstrike, favoured enemy (human); AL CN; SV Fort +9,Ref +14, Will +1; Str 12, Dex 22, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha13.

Skills and Feats: Balance +13, Climb +11, Hide +15,Jump +20, Move Silently +18, Tumble +13; CombatExpertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Exotic WeaponProficiency (whip), Improved Melee Lash, Improved Trip,Melee Lash, Mobility, Spring Attack, Style Focus (bladedwhip and rapier), Track, Two-Weapon Fighting, WeaponFinesse.

Possessions: +1 frost bladed whip, +1 frost rapier, +2mithral shirt, boots of striding and springing, cloak ofelvenkind, masterwork dagger, masterwork shortbow, tenapplications of giant wasp poison (injury DC 18, initialand secondary 1d6 Dex), various incidental items.

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E.N. Arsenal - Whip

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Spells & PowersDramatic AssistDivinationLevel: Brd 1, Clr 1, Sor/Wiz 1Components: VCasting Time: 1 standard actionRange: TouchDuration: 1 minute/levelSaving Throw: Will negates (harmless)Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The creature touched gains an insight into the ways ofdramatic combat, gaining a +10 insight bonus to attack rollsagainst unattended inanimate objects. This bonus alsoapplies to attempts with whips to grab objects and creaturesif the intent is not to deal damage. The creature also ignoresthe -4 penalty for attacking with improvised weapons.

DriveEnchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-affecting]Level: Brd 2, Clr 2, Drd 2, Sor/Wiz 2Components: V, S, FCasting Time: 1 standard actionRange: SpecialDuration: 1 minute/levelSaving Throw: Will negatesSpell Resistance: Yes

You instill your whip with the power to bend to yourwill creatures struck by it. Whenever you deal damage to acreature with a whip, that creature must succeed a Will saveor else obey your commands for one round as if it weredominated. You may give simple instructions, such as"Attack the wizard," or "Defend me," as a free action, ormay give more detailed instructions as a move action. Ifyou do not share a language, you can only give simpleinstructions. After one round, the creature is free to act onits own unless you strike it again.

Each time a creature is struck by the whip, it mustmake a new saving throw. If a creature successfully saves,it is immune to this spell for the rest of its duration.

Creatures with animal intelligence (1 or 2) have a -10 penal-ty to resist this spell.

You gain a +2 bonus to Intimidate checks while armedwith a whip.

Focus: A whip.

Pain SchismPsychometabolismLevel: Psion/wilder 4, Psychic warrior 4Display: Visual and audibleManifeting Time: 1 standard actionRange: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)Target: One living creature.Duration: 1 round/level (D)Saving Throw: Will negatesPower Resistance: YesPower Points: 7

The affected creature's body responds differently topain. Damage that is normally lethal becomes nonlethal,and damage that is normally nonlethal is lethal. Creatureswith regeneration will only regenerate that damage whichwould normally be dangerous.

WhipformTransmutationLevel: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1Components: V, S, MCasting Time: 1 standard actionRange: TouchTarget: Melee weapon touchedDuration: 1 minute/levelSaving Throw: Fortitude negates (object)Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

The touched melee weapon lengthens and becomesflexible. It gains the reach of a whip of the appropriate size,and cannot be used to make attacks of opportunity.Attacking with the weapon provokes an attack of opportu-nity. Feats that apply to whips also apply to this weapon.The weapon's other qualities, such as damage capabilitiesand weight, do not change. Thus a human's great axe trans

Whip Magic

formed by this spell would be a two-handed weapon with a15-ft. reach, dealing d12 damage with a critical range of20/x3, but could not be used for attacks of opportunity.

Material Component: Putty.

Magic ItemsWeapon Enhancements

AnimatedThis enhancement can only be added to whips and

whip-like weapons. An animated whip can move on itsown, following the intentions of its wielder with anempathic connection. The wielder gains the bene-fits of the Third Hand feat. Additionally, as astandard action the wielder can command thewhip to function as if with the animate ropespell. If the whip is within line of sight, thewielder may mentally command it to movetoward him, and it will travel at a speed of 30ft. per round. When the whip reaches him,the wielder may pick it up as a free action,which does not incur an attack of opportu-nity. This ability does not allow the whipto attack on its own; the wielder must stillattack with it normally.

Aura: Weak transmutation; Caster

Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft MagicArms and Armour, animate rope; MarketPrice: +2 bonus.

LockingWhen wielded, the grip of this

weapon wraps itself around the hand andarm of the wielder in a manner that is bothcomfortable and does not interfere with theuse of the weapon. The weapon seems alivewhen first drawn and when this ability isactivated or deactivated, stretching andwrapping itself around the grasp of its wielder.This makes the wielder impossible to have thisweapon disarmed. The wielder may disable thisability at any time.

Aura: Faint transmutation; Caster Level:

4th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms andArmour, grasping hand; Market Price: +1 bonus.

ReachingWeapons with this enhancement allow the wielder to

threaten squares further away. This weapon quality mayonly be applied to flexible weapons that can bend, twist,and naturally have some form of elasticity. Chains,Whips, improvised ropes and grappling hooks fall underthis category. For every +2 in the market price of this

weapon it increases the reach of the weapon by 5 feet, to amaximum of 20 additional feet of reach.

Aura: Faint to Strong Transmutation; Caster Level: 4(5 ft), 8 (10 ft), 11 (15 ft), 14 (20 ft); Prerequisites: CraftMagic Arms and Armour, enlarge person; Market Price: +2(5ft), +4 (10ft), +6 (15ft), +8 (20ft) bonus.

Specific Magic & Psionic WhipsAmistrom, Whip of Six StormsThis +3 bladed whip was crafted by a desert dervish,

who took the sinews of six different creatures that lived instorms and bound a different magic to each strand.

Each round, Amistrom adopts a different type ofstorm energy, cycling through acid, cold, elec-tricity, fire, and sonic energy. For that round,the bladed whip deals +1d6 damage of the

appropriate energy type with each hit.The sixth storm is difficult to call, but its

power is devastating. If Amistrom has struck afoe at least once per round for five consecutiverounds, on the sixth round its wielder may, as a

full round action, make a whirling volley ofattacks, similar to whirlwind attack. Every crea-ture within reach of the whip takes 6d6 points of

damage as Amistrom evokes a fierce, cuttingstorm of sand and glass. Creatures are allowed

a Reflex save (DC 17) for half damage.Aura: Moderate evocation; Caster Level:

12th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms andArmour, acid arrow, fireball, ice storm, light-ning bolt, shout, gust of wind; Market Price:52,301 gp; Cost to Create: 26,301 gp + 2,080 XP.

Mentak, the Mind-TakerThis +1 bladed whip is tipped with a dag-

ger of jagged green crystal. Whenever it dealsdamage to a creature, it briefly absorbs a bit ofthat creature's psychic essence. For the next ten

minutes, that creature suffers a -2 penalty to Willsaves agaisnt mind-affecting effects originating from thewielder of the whip.

Aura: Weak telepathy; Manifester Level: 7th;Prerequisites: Craft Psionic Arms and Armour, psionicdominate; Market Price: 7,325 gp; Cost to Create: 3,825 gp +280 XP.

Rag TagOnce wielded by a famous warrior who in his youth

had been a street urchin, this whip is crafted from the dirtyrags of orphans, and it bears magic that brings its wieldergood luck in dangerous times. Its combat power is relative-ly limited, as it is only a +1 merciful whip. When its wield-er is in danger, however, the whip is capable of manifestingthe most bizarre turns of luck.

Whenever a foe deals damage to the wielder of Rag

E.N. Arsenal - Whip

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Tag, either with a weapon or a spell, that foe must succeeda Reflex save (DC 13) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal dam-age over the course of the next round from seemingly ran-dom circumstances. He might get hit on the back of thehead by a falling shingle, or accidentally strain a muscle ashe swings his weapon, or even be attacked by a rabid ferret.Just as poor orphans find a way to survive regardless ofwhat meager resources they have, so will Rag Taginevitably find ways to punish those who harm its wielder.

Aura: Weak conjuration; Caster Level: 3rd;Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armour, cure lightwounds, entropic shield; Market Price: 16,301 gp; Cost toCreate: 8,301 gp + 640 XP.

ShadowstarWhen not activated, Shadowstar's surface is a solid,

impenetrable black. But with just a mental command,Shadowstar - a +5 brilliant energy wounding whipsword -begins to glow with white light as bright as a torch. WhenShadowstar delivers a killing strike, it flashes with light asstrong as a daylight spell for an instant, lasting less than asecond, though this is enough to blind creatures with lightsensitivity, like dark elves. Three times per day the wield-er may cast darkness, centered on herself. Also, the wield-er of Shadowstar gains a +10 competence bonus to MoveSilently checks.

Aura: Strong transmutation; Caster Level: 16th;Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, gaseous form, dark-ness, mage's sword; Market Price: 222,900 gp; Cost toCreate: 111,800 gp + 8,888 XP.

The Steelsilk MantleOne of four magic items from the Regalia of Metal,

this silken sleeveless coat makes any silk on its wearer asstrong and resilient as steel, with hardness 10. Additionally,if the bearer concentrates for a full round, he can mentallyfold and shape the silk he wears, and the silk will keep thatform until he wills otherwise. With this power he can usu-ally emulate any weapon or tool that can be held with onehand, and may have up to two such items at a time.

Typically the mantle is worn with a robe that hasnumerous belts and sashes, which can be used as bladedwhips or ropes, or even shaped into various makeshift tools,such as lockpicks, grappling hooks, or swords. Any weaponformed from the silk functions as a +2 weapon.

Wearing the Steelsilk Mantle alone grants a +5 armourbonus to AC, and if the bearer is wearing a full silk robe orother silken garments that cover the majority of his body,the armour bonus increases to +8. If the bearer chooses toshape the silk into small or large shield, he may do so, gain-ing an additional shield bonus to AC.

Aura: Strong transmutation; Caster Level: 16th;Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, iron body or iron-wood; Market Price: 95,000 gp; Cost to Create: 47,500 gp +3,800 XP.

Deity of WhipsFord, God of Adventure

Once a meremortal, Ford ascendedto godhood afterdrinking from the cupof immortality. Inhis life and his god-hood thereafter, Fordis the epitome of therugged adventurer.He has little in theway of organized cler-gy, as most of hispriests are adventur-ers themselves.These priests occa-sionally team up with

groups of traditional travelers or adventurers, lending theirinsight and assistance. Priests of Ford are knowledgeableabout many kinds of hidden lore and lost treasures, and theyare mandated by their god to keep such items from fallinginto the hands of those who would use them for evil.

Ford is usually depicted as a slightly weather-wornmiddle-aged man with handsome features and a smugsmile. His signature weapon is the whip, which representshis ability to get out of dangerous situations with unortho-dox solutions. Ford's priests are almost all men, thoughmany women respect the god of adventure, and admire hischarm.

Alignment: Neutral GoodPortfolio: Adventure, Danger, and Rugged ManlinessDomains: Good, Luck, Knowledge, TravelFavorued Weapon: WhipWorshippers: Archaeologists, bards, paladins, rogues,

treasure-hunters

E.N. Arsenal - Whip

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Exotic Weapons and DeitiesDeities with a favoured weapon that is an exotic

weapon (such as Ford, our sample god of rugged manli-ness) should not have the War domain as a granteddomain. This is a game convention that maintains bal-ance between the clerical domains, as the war domaingives the cleric Weapon Proficiency and Weapon Focusfeats with the weapon in question. By granting theseproficiencies with an exotic weapon to a cleric makes theclass too front-loaded, to the point where even a fight-er is better off taking a level of cleric than fighter, feat-wise.

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