Alix the Knife

Alix 'The Knife'

Githzerai Soulknife Rogue

Image by www.triplecrit.fandom.com

[5 min read]

Background: Alix is a Lawful Neutral Githzerai stranded on the material plane after a battle with the Mindflayers left her isolated from her special forces squad and unable to return to Limbo. Alix travelled to the nearby large town and offered her services to the local City Watch, where her keen instincts for catching criminals saw her rise in the ranks of detectives. Her extreme sense of duty keeps her in this role such that even if she were able to find and leave with her kin, she would choose to stay.

Personality Traits: Alix is always polite and respectful but since she lost her comrades, is slow to make new friends.

Ideals: Responsibility. Alix does what she must and obeys just authority. (Lawful)

Bonds: Her honor is her life.

Flaws: Alix obeys the law, even if the law causes misery.

How would players encounter this villain? 

Alix is not a traditional 'bad guy' but is likely to get on the case of the player-characters if they were to break a law in a large city, such as Waterdeep or Baldur's gate in Faerûn. Even good characters, especially chaotic good, might be tempted to break one of the city's rules, and if it were serious enough then Alix might be sent to investigate, track and ultimately attempt to apprehend the party. 

Skills and capabilities 

Alix can use her high Investigation skill at a crime scene to pick up the trail of the party. While tracking, Alix has expertise in Stealth and also high Perception. The latter is rolled with advantage, thanks to her Rod of Alertness which also grants the spells of detect magic, poison and disease, good and evil, as well as see invisibility. This makes her difficult to shake if the party knows they are being followed, especially since she can use Psionic Knack on any failed roll to change the outcome.

If confronting, or being confronted by the party Alix will use her high Insight and also the Detect Thoughts power granted by being Githzerai in order to ascertain the truth. Alix is not charismatic, but very professional when dealing with the party and with her Githzerai training is incredibly difficult to anger or intimidate.

Combat tactics

Alix would not attack the party unless she were sure of guilt and the party would not submit willingly. In this case, depending on the crime and the rules of her city, Alix would likely attack to subdue rather than kill. Alix would never go alone - as a senior detective she would be supported by either Guards (if approaching in a public place) or Scouts/Thugs (if trying to catch the party by stealth). This is up to the DM to decide type and number of Alix's team, but she can communicate with up to 3 of them using Psionic Whispers, making them very well coordinated even without verbal communication.

If the aggressor, Alix will likely have set up an ambush for the party, and try to surprise them. She has advantage on her initiative roll due to the Rod of Alertness.  In the first round, Alix will attempt to incapacitate the most threatening member of the party first (which she might ascertain through her high Intelligence and if she has been studying the group). Assuming she is unseen to the target, Alix would do this with from range (up to 60 feet) using her psychic blades as both an attack action (with sneak attack damage) and bonus action. Assuming both hit, the damage would be 4d6+3, 1d4+3 (avg 24).

In combat Alix is very mobile, using a combination of Athletics and Acrobatics to move about the battlefield and give herself and team every tactical advantage. Once cover is blown or if the area is very dark, Alix will use the Protective Aura of the Rod to provide light and +1 AC to her team as they surround the party and try to block exits. Ultimately the aim will be to incapacitate several of the party then negotiate surrender from the rest of the group so they can face justice.

If the party are the aggressors, they will find Alix hard to ambush given her high passive Perception, and it is likely Alix will start the round ahead of many of the party. In this case she will send one of her team to go and warn the rest of the City Watch and come back with reinforcements. Alix and the team will attempt to flee if the party is too strong, and Alix will use the Shield power from being Githzerai when provoking attacks of opportunity as she flees to avoid as much damage as possible.

If the party defeats Alix, she is unlikely to be convinced to absolve the party of their crimes, and if left alive will continue to track the party, bringing more capable team members next time. 

How to make this villain more memorable

Alix is best used as a consequence to a questionable decision from the party in breaking the city's laws. She shines in a cat and mouse game over multiple encounters where the stakes get higher each time. Alix should provide the party with a conundrum of how to handle her if they defeat her since she is only doing her job, as a polite, honorable practitioner of the law. Alix's dialogue is dispassionate, she exhibits almost zen-like calm, is logical and rational and may even engender some respect from the party. If the party cannot either atone for their crimes or defeat Alix, then it would be wise for them to avoid this city in the future!

Other notes

If the Rod of Alertness is too powerful an item for a party who defeats Alix to claim, consider making it a Githzerai restricted item, or something that was attuned only for Alix and would require significant magical reworking for a player-character to use.

Alix could be used as an ally instead of a villain if the party's goals align with the City Watch's, although if one of the party are of the Githyanki race, it would create some serious tension between them.