Class Acts: Slayer

Amazons of the Skovos Isles

“Lightning never strikes the same place twice. Javelins,
however, do.”
— Warmatron Cassia

The Amazon is a powerful woman warrior of the Askari, who belongs to the nomadic bands who
roam the plains near the South Sea. The wandering of these groups often brings them into
conflict with other peoples, so the Amazon is accustomed to fighting to defend her own. This
lifestyle has made her fiercely independent and able to weather severe hardship and travel. While
her skill with the Bow rivals that of Demon Hunters, Rogues, and Warriors, the Amazon is also
adept in the use of Spears and Javelins, as well as in hand-to-hand combat.
The Amazons, as they’re called collectively, inhabit the isles in the Southern Seas called the
Skovos Isles. These people are traditionally formed of two major casts, the Amazon warriors and
the Oracles. In Askari culture, only women serve as warriors, as their lithe bodies and superior
dexterity are better suited than men for the dense jungles of their homeland. These warriors are
known for their deftness, superior hand-to-eye coordination, and the ferocity of their attacks. In
the jungles of their homeland, Amazons are adept at the tactics of misdirection, and can even
draw on the jungle to support themselves. The jungle itself can be a hinderance though, and early
in training, Amazon warriors are taught how to overcome these conditions. Indeed, all Askarri
are taught how to hunt and fight during the night of the jungles.
In additional to their martial capabilities, of which they pride themselves on with their skill of
spear and bow, they have also become adept at crafting quite a few primal powers as well. Some of
these Amazons take up the ability to heal others, a worthy path due to the toxicity of many native
plant species of their homeland. They may also be blessed by their deities should they prove their
value. Still, the amazons that are known throughout Sanctuary are those who fight as
Mercenaries. These Amazons, often used to guard the vast Askari merchant fleet, would often stay
on the mainland of Sanctuary, interested in proving their prowess against the creatures and
people that lurk there.

Creating an Amazon
When creating an amazon, it might be useful to keep the following tips in mind.
Ability Scores: Amazon are still human, despite the rumors of their impressive skills and
abilities, and thus have a free +2 bonus to any ability score of their choice. This bonus is normally
associated with Dexterity, as it makes their Ranged Basic Attacks that much more deadly and it’s
a secondary ability score to obtain feats that focus on Spears. Further, as a part of the Slayer class,
their added bonus to weapon-attack rolls from Dexterity makes them even more potent. Going
with the Standard Array, place your 16 in Strength and then your 14 into Dexterity, which will
increase to 16.
Slayers do not gain class-based attack powers and instead rely on melee basic attacks. With their
bonus to Dexterity on weapon damage rolls, instead of making Strength your highest ability score,
you can make the Melee Training feat at 1st level to swap out your attack ability from Strength to,
say, Dexterity. If you do, your melee attacks take a small hit, but your ranged attacks become even
deadlier and there’s a quite a few Slayer stances that don’t rely specifically on melee weapon
attacks but any basic attack.
Equipment: Slayers have access to all the armor Fighters do, but since you’re focusing on
Dexterity more and using your nimble reflexes to avoid attacks instead of bracing for them, hide
armor offers the best of both use of your Dexterity bonus while offering the best Armor Bonus
there is. Amazons excel at their use of Bows, Spears, and Javelins. Finding the best weapon for
any of these categories is a top Amazon priority, most notably great spears, gouges, and greatbows.
Javelins also offer a great weapon with some versatility because it can be used in melee or ranged
attacks.

Class Features and Powers

The following class features supplement those available to slayers.

Level 1: Primal Warrior

Amazons possess the ability to draw upon the primal energies that permeate all of Sanctuary. This
learning comes from their inherent training in the jungles of their homeland. This power lets
them use this primal energy to alight their weapons and arrows with raw elemental damage.
 Benefit: You can choose the Primal Warrior power in place the Power Strike feature. When your
class would grant you another use of power strike, you would instead gain another use of primal
warrior instead.

Level 1: Fighter Stance

The fighter stances a slayer masters demonstrates their superior combat training and their
excellence in arms. The following power expands the options available to fighter who gain fighter
stances at 1st level.
Jabbing Strike
You have perfected the art of the spear, so much in fact that you have gained an almost unnatural
equilibrium in striking with them. Your initial blow leaves an opening for a quick, follow up
strike against someone else.
Level 2: Utility Power
Amazons learn to blend both their martial prowess with that of their primal nature,
tapping into both sources of power to combat the variety of foes that humanity faces
on Sanctuary.
Inner Sight
The lush canopy of trees covering your homeland allows little sunlight to reach the ground. To
better adapt to the environment, you have developed a technique whereby you can attune
yourself to the life forces in the surrounding area and transfer these energies into a source of
luminescence.
Level 6: Utility Power
Many people claim that amazons are gifted from the gods as they attack and move with
unmatched speed. In reality, Amazons simply train night and day to achieve their near super-
human skills.
Avoiding Stride
In the deep jungles of the Skovos Isles, you must be alert for danger at all times. This heightened
awareness gives you cat-like reflexes, allowing you to move and glide through difficult terrain and
avoid attacks.

Level 7: Slayer Weapon Specialization

The following feature expands the options available to fighters who gain Weapon Specialization
at 7th level.
Exploding Shot: Your primal warrior ability erupts with vengeance against nearby enemies,
immolating them with elemental fury.
Benefit: When you use primal warrior with a bow or spear, all enemies adjacent to the target of
primal warrior suffer the elemental damage you rolled. This damage is equal to your Dexterity
modifier.
Level 10: Utility Power
The combination of primal and martial prowess reaches its pinnacle at the end of the heroic tier.

Decoy
Summoning the power within you from the primal aspects of the world, you can conjure a
duplicate of yourself to fool your enemies.

PARAGON PATH: VALKYRIE

By the time you reach 11th level, your training in both the Amazonian ways has merged
exceedingly well with your martial prowess. You have proven your devotion to Athulua through
your brave deeds and exceptional skill in battle. The Goddess shows her favor by granting a
spiritual emissary to aid you. These emissaries of Athulua are called Valkyrie, and they are the
spirits of the greatest heroes from the Amazon people. This power to summon a Valkyrie is the
greatest honor that an Amazon warrior can receive. It is believed this gift is a sign that your place
beside the Goddess is assured when you pass from this world-perhaps even as a Valkyrie. This
summons is more than just an ally in battle, it’s a spirit that teach you the techniques and abilities
of the Valkyrie, in doing so granting you some of its own spiritual power.
Prerequisite: Only a slayer who is an Amazon can take this paragon path.

Level 11: Improved Primal Warrior

Valkyrie paragon path feature
You can make an additional elemental attack during any battle.
Benefit: You gain one more use of primal warrior per encounter, but you can still only use it
once per turn.
Level 11: Impaling Shot
Valkyrie paragon path feature
Knowledge from the Valkyrie improves the accuracy of your attacks to such a degree that they
impale their victims and hinder their movements.
Benefit: When you spend your action point to make an extra attack, any creatures hit are also
immobilized until the end of your next turn.

Level 11: Valkyrie’s Rejuvenation

Valkyrie paragon path feature
Beginning down the path of the Valkyrie means gaining the ability to syphon off the energy of the
foes you slay, renewing yourself to keep on fighting.
Benefit: Whenever you reduce a non-minion enemy to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit
points equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier.

Level 12: Gift from the Heavens

Valkyrie paragon path feature
Summoning aid from the Goddess Athulua, she hears your plea and sends down an emissary to
aid in your fight.
Benefit: You gain the summon Valkyrie power.

Summon Valkyrie When you look to the heavens, pleading with Athulua in your time of
need, a heavenly light shine upon the ground and suddenly a beautiful warrior woman appears
before you, ready to defend Athulua’s champion.
Level 16: Winged Blessing
Valkyrie paragon path feature
Athulua has marked you as one of her champions, granting you the second benefit of the
Valkyries, a set of feathered wings to help in your fight against the darkness.
Benefit: You gain the Valkyrie wing power.

Valkyrie Wings This power is a blessing bestowed upon you from the Goddess Athulua, given
only to those worth of her favor and a warrior of great deeds.

Level 20: Elemental Fury

Valkyrie paragon path feature
You unleash even greater ferocity when you deliver your signature attack.
Benefit: When you use primal warrior with a bow or spear, the target and all enemies adjacent
to the target of primal warrior are pushed 1 square and knocked prone.