The Editor noticed that a certain magical whip has been instrumental in several battles during Mike’s Isenwald campaign, so I asked him to give us a write-up of the whip and its origin. He couldn’t remember much of the details about the session, but he did have this character profile for Andrei Korsky, which includes a description and stats for the whip. Enjoy!
—Bryan
Andrei “the Scourge” Korsky, Yepiskop’s Henchman
Portrait of Ivan Kalita from GURPS: Russia.
The Yepiskop of Ariangrad has numerous agents to do his bidding, but Andrei Korsky is one of his most brutal deputies. Though the Yepiskop ultimately trusts no one, he trusted Andrei enough to bestow upon him a special gift—an enchanted knout. (A knout is a whip designed specifically for punishment.) He wields this in battle with good effect, enough to earn him the nickname “the Scourge”. He has killed more than one man with a single blow of the knout.
Andrei stands at 6’ 1” tall and weighs about 190 pounds. He has dark brown hair, a full brown beard and mustache, and piercing green eyes. Though average in build, he is fearless and terribly aggressive in battle. Unlike most Varyags, he drinks in moderation.
HP: 44 (29)
Initiative: +6
AC*: 12 (17) normal, 12 (17) touch, 10 (15) flatfoot *+1 to AC for Dodge
Speed: 30’
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Attack Options:
Masterwork longsword +8 melee (1d8+3, 19-20 x 2)
Knout of Submission +10 ranged, 15 foot range increment (see below)
Full Attack Options:
Masterwork longsword +8 and +3 melee (1d8+3, 19-20 x 2)
Knout of Submission +10 and +5 ranged, 15 foot range increment (see below)
Special Attacks: NA
Saves: Fortitude (+4), Reflex (+1), Will (+4)
Skills: (31, 9 max): 2 + 0 = 2 x 4 = 8 + 4 = 12 at 1st, 3 from 2-4, 5 from 5-6
Appraise +0, *Balance +2, Bluff (05, +7), *Climb +1, Concentration +1, Craft +0, Decipher Script +NA, Diplomacy (05, +11), Disable Device +NA, Disguise +4, *Escape Artist +2, Forgery +0, Gather Information (05, +9), Handle Animal +NA, Heal +2, *Hide +2, Intimidate +4, *Jump +1, Knowledge of Amannah Mythos +NA, Knowledge of Arcana +NA, Knowledge of Architecture and Engineering +NA, Knowledge of Dungeoneering +NA, Knowledge of Geography +NA, Knowledge of History +NA, Knowledge of Local (05, +5), Knowledge of Nature +NA, Knowledge of Nobility and Royalty +NA, Knowledge of Religion +NA, Listen +2, *Move Silently +2, Open Lock +NA, Perform +2, Profession +NA, Ride (05, +7), Search +0, Sense Motive (06, +8), *Sleight of Hand +4, Speak Other Language +NA, Spellcraft +NA, Spot +2, Survival +2, *Swim +1, *Tumble +NA, Use Rope +2
Feats:
Improved Initiative, Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (longsword), Dodge, Weapon Finesse (knout), Quick Draw, Weapon Specialization (longsword)
Traits:
Bloodthirsty (upon killing a foe, you gain +1 to attack and +2 on Will saves for the rest of the melee)
Brave (+10 to Will saves against fear)
Ability Modifiers: S: 12, +1; C: 12, +1; D: 14, +2; I: 11, +0; W: 14, +2; Ch: 14, +2
Ability Upgrades: 4th level—wisdom
Challenge Rating: 5 (Fighter 4, Aristocrat 2)
Equipment:
Chain shirt (DR 1d4), leather sword belt, masterwork longsword and leather sheath, Knout of Submission (see below), dagger and leather sheath, conical iron helm, pendant and silver raven (see below)
Andrei’s Treasures
Knout of Submission
This weapon, granted to Andrei by the Yepiskop, appears to be a traditional 15-foot leather Varyag whip with weighted tip, but this one has a tip of Angel Iron, giving it special properties. The knout strikes as a +3 weapon, and upon a successful ranged touch attack, it makes an audible crack that echoes like a small thunder clap, dealing 5d6 points of damage to the target and 3d6 to all within a five foot radius of the target. On a natural 20, roll 1d6 for an additional effect to the target. Each effect lasts for 2d4 rounds, but a DC 20 Fortitude save halves the duration):
Roll —— Result
1-2 —— Target knocked prone (-4 to attacks, no bows, -4 AC v. melee/+4 melee v. ranged, a move action
is required to rise, drawing an attack of opportunity)
3-4 —— Target blinded (-2 AC, no Dex bonus, half speed, -4 on most checks, sight skills automatically fail,
opponents have 50% concealment)
5-6 —— Target stunned (drops everything held, can’t take actions, -2 AC, and lose Dex bonus to AC)
The knout’s thunderclap attack can be used 12 times, after which the Angel Iron tip becomes temporarily drained of power. However, the knout can be recharged by exposing its metal tip to any magical aura. For each minute that the tip is exposed to magic, it regains a single charge.
Silver Raven and Pendant
This silver figurine measures about six inches wide and weighs about 20 pounds. When thrown into the air, it animates (though it retains its metallic nature, hardness 10). It will carry a message to the bearer of the pendant. In this case, two people wear a pendant, enabling the raven to act as a go between. Andrei wears one and the Yepiskop himself wears the other. It flies tirelessly at a speed of 40 feet per round, or eight miles per hour, or 192 miles per day. After flying for 30 hours, it appears tired and lackluster. It will fly for another 10 hours before reverting to statuette form and falling to the earth. When lackluster, it can be recharged by directing spells into it. Each spell level grants it another hour of flight time. The pendant that guides it is a round medallion, adorned with tiny runes. Usually, Korsky and the Yepiskop use a small water-proof, leather pouch to carry their correspondence (limit of one small sheet of paper, folded up).