Bladelings are mysterious humanoids found mainly in Ocanthus, the fourth and final layer of Acheron. They are roughly the same height and build as a human being, but that's where the resemblance ends. Bladelings, as their name suggests, are covered with bladelike spikes from the creature's own skin and bone. Their skin itself looks similar to iron. Their eyes are cold, translucent purple orbs. Their blood is the colour and consistency of oil (don't try to light it, though -- it's still blood, no matter what it looks like.)

Bladelings' dispositions are often as prickly as their appearance. They are famous for being exceptionally xenophobic. A bladeling that ever showed anything even resembling tolerance or mercy for an outsider would definitely be an outcast (and therefore probably an adventurer). Even then, they still tend to view themselves as doubtlessly superior to their associates, and gravitate towards positions of authority.

Bladelings are believed not to be actual natives of Acheron, but immigrants who have thrived in this hostile plane. Many greybeards claim the bladelings started out as tieflings who established themselves as a distinct race all their own.

Bladeling PCs are outcasts from their home on Acheron. As a result of their exile from Acheron and the magical energies of their home plane, PC bladelings have lost many of the special abilities and defences of their Acheronian brethren.

ABILITY ADJUSTMENTS: Bladelings add a +2 bonus to Constitution and a -2 penalty to Charisma.

SPECIAL ABILITIES: The blade-encrusted fists of bladelings do 1d6 damage each with a successful hit. Due to their blade-covered body, bladelings may not wear any form of armour.

However, as their base Armour Class is 5, few bladelings seem to mind. They suffer only 1/2 damage from cold- and fire-based attacks. The most feared ability of the bladelings is the attack known as a razor storm. Once per week, a bladeling can cause a piece of her outer skin to explode, sending bladelike spikes up to 15 feet forward. Anyone caught in this area who fails a save vs. breath weapon takes 3d12 points of damage (those who successfully save take half this amount). This deadly attack also weakens the bladeling.

Until the bladeling regenerates these spikes, which takes 1d4 days, her armour class is reduced from 5 to 8 (or 9 for bladeling wizards), and they suffer a -2 on all attack and damage rolls (minimum is still 1). Furthermore, all damage taken by the bladeling is doubled (fire and cold attacks do normal damage) until the blades regenerate.

SPECIAL HINDRANCES: Any spells affecting metal are also effective against bladelings (for instance, the heat metal spell does twice normal damage, although normal heat-based spells are only half-effective). Bladelings are vulnerable to attacks from rust monsters and rust dragons, and any other attack that corrodes metal. Good-aligned bladelings exist, but they are rare. Bladeling PCs may be any non-chaotic alignment. All bladelings require an extra 10% experience points to advance levels due to their powerful abilities, in the interest of game balance.

CLASS OPTIONS: Bladelings may be fighters, conjurer specialist wizards, clerics, or thieves. Bladeling thieves are more accurately assassins and/or spies. If the Complete Ninja's Handbook is available, they may be ninja/spies as well. Male bladelings may be multi-classed fighter/conjurers, and females may be fighter/clerics. If psionics rules are used, bladelings may be psionicists, psionicist/thieves or psionicist/fighters. Wild talent bladelings are also known (10% chance for fighters or thieves, 5% for wizards and clerics).

Vital Statistics

ABILITY REQUIREMENTS (before ability adjustments are added or subtracted):

ABILITY ADJUSTMENTS

AVERAGE HEIGHT AND WEIGHT

AGE

AGING EFFECTS

LEVEL LIMITS

RACIAL ADJUSTMENTS FOR THIEVES

	PP	OL	FRT	MS	HS	DN	CW	RL
BLADELING	-10%	-	-5%	-5%	-5%	-	+5%	+5%