Bloody Handed Jack

“I saw him last night in the rain. Everyone else was inside because of the storm. I was out walking my beat like usual. Staying out of the squall as much as I could. While I was hiding under a patio roof at the Rumhouse, I saw a woman running down the street. She fell, and I started to go help her, when something just sort of glided down from the rooftops to stand next to her. Something dark. I’d heard the stories about Jack. And they’re all true. I can still hear her screaming. I made a bargain with him to escape my fate. He, he’ll be coming for you soon son. And he’ll ask you to go with him. Do what he says, and try to be strong.”

“Because we’re all dead or worse if you don’t”

Originally Posted by Bhu of the Giant in the Playground Forums.
On this Thread

Not all fey are put off by construction. There are those who help with household chores, or with mining or other industries. But even these fairies are found in rural communities. Even they avoid the larger cities, the sprawling, stinking metropolis’ that humans seem to create in their wake.

It’s always been thought that they simply prefer the natural world. But one at least, does not. He is called by many names, in many places. He can be found in every large city in the world. The origin of Bloody Handed Jack is unknown, and he first appeared after cities large enough to be lost in were made. Cities so large people only knew the residents of their own neighborhood and workplace, and the rest of the city was no man’s land to them. To some he is considered the patron saint of slaughter. Others say he appears to personify the random acts of violence and crime that occur in urban areas. He certainly commits enough of them himself.

Jack appears to be a male humanoid of undetermined race. He is tall, thin, and very pale. He has long sharp nails and teeth, and his eyes are like a sharks, blank and reflecting. Jacks clothing is always of a style unacceptable to the higher class, and always torn and stained with blood. His hands are also permanently stained with dried blood. Jack is never seen without his knife, a large fairly ordinary looking blade meant for butchering meat that nevertheless makes people who look at it uneasy.

Bloody Handed Jack
Medium fey (Chaos, Evil)
Hit Dice	20d6+140 (210 hp)
Initiative	+7
Speed	50 ft (10 squares), Climb 50 ft.
Armor Class	30 (+7 Dexterity, +5 Deflection, +8 natural), touch 22, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple	+10/+17
Attack	Claw +17 melee (1d6+7) or Knife +22 melee (3d6+12/19-20, vorpal)
Full Attack	2 Claws +17 melee (1d6+7) or Knife +22/+17 melee (3d6+12/19-20, vorpal)
Space/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Jack’s Knife, Frightening Presence, Control City, +5d6 Sneak Attack
Special Qualities	Low Light Vision, Traveler, Immunities, Forbidden Knowledge, Unearthly Grace, Immortal, Enhanced Senses, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, Improved Uncanny Dodge, Regeneration 5, Spell Resistance 25
Saves	Fort +13, Ref +19, Will +17
Abilities	Strength 25, Dexterity 25, Constitution 25, Intelligence 18, Wisdom 20, Charisma 20
Skills	Balance +20, Bluff +21, Climb +20, Concentration +120, Hide +20, Intimidate +21, Jump +20, Knowledge (local) +17, Listen +18, Move Silently +20, Search +17, Sense Motive +21, Sleight of Hand +20, Spot +18, Survival +18, Swim +20, and Tumble +20
Feats	Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Eyes in the Back of Your Head, Flick of the Wrist, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Quick Draw
Environment	Any City
Organization	Unique
Challenge Rating	18
Treasure	None
Alignment	Chaotic Evil
Advancement	21+ HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment	—–

Roofwalker (Ex): Jack permanently seems to have a Spider Climb spell in effect on his person, but only so long as he is in a manmade village or city.

Traveler (Su): As a Standard Action Jack may travel from one village/town/city to another, regardless of the amount of distance between them. It makes him very hard to track, and keeps people from figuring out who’s really behind the murders he commits. He can move through any difficult terrain that would slow movement as if it didn’t exist, so long as it’s inside a city (stairs, piles of garbage, crowds, etc). This also means he can effectively teleport anywhere within a city as a Standard Action.

Jack’s Knife (Su): Jack’s Knife is a large butcher’s knife, doing 3d6 damage. It is a +5 unholy vorpal weapon, threatens a critical on a 19-20, and if it is taken from Jack he can teleport it back into his hand as a move equivalent action regardless of the distance it is from him, or even across other Planes of existence. His Knife may inflict damage from critical hits on targets that are normally immune to them, such as undead or Oozes. On occasion he will let someone steal his knife and pretend to be chasing them in order to get it back, but in reality the knife is cursed. Anyone who actually uses it in combat must make a DC 25 Willpower Save (Save DC is 10 plus half Jack’s Hit Dice plus Jack’s Charisma Modifier unlike most items), or permanently become a Chaotic Evil Psychopath as if they had accepted Jack’s Bargain (see below). If they commit an act of murder or torture with it, they receive no save and are cursed immediately. As with accepting the Bargain, they do not realize anymore that they are different, and have no sense of right or wrong. Nor do they wish to be cured. Jack’s Knife is considered a Major Artifact.

Frightening Presence (Ex): Any living creature who sees Jack must make a DC 25 Willpower Check or be Frightened for 2d6 rounds. If the Save is successful they are immune to Jack’s Frightening Presence for 24 hours.

Sneak Attack (Ex) Identical to the class ability listed on page 50 of the PHB.

Immunities (Ex): Jack is immune to poison, Paralysis, polymorph, disease, sleep effects, and mind-affecting effects.

Bargain (Su): Jack is occasionally willing to let an opponent go when he wants some amusement. He tells them that he will let them live as long as they (or optionally whoever is closest to them) returns to the point he met them at within 7 days. If the victim agrees, he knows their location (or the location of whoever is supposed to meet him) at all times until the 7 days is over. During the 7 days Jack will secretly be keeping watch on his victim, and he will murder everyone close to them if he fails to keep the Bargain. Should his victim show up, Jack will tell them that he will let them go so long as they perform a task for him. Sometimes the victim gets “lucky”, and he is made to perform something that Jack needs done, but doesn’t wish to do (or cant do) himself (an example would be “go into the forest, and bring back this person”, or “remove this protective talisman from the door of this person”). At other times, he is doomed. Jack rarely lets anyone go unscathed. he will give them his Knife and ask them to perform some horrifying task they might not normally do in exchange for their life and the lives of everyone they know. This act is always extremely horrifying, and it often is enough to drive the victim mad or cause an alignment change under normal circumstances. An example would be “Take your neighbors infant son, carve all the flesh from it’s skull, and eat it raw”. If the unfortunate victim can’t do this, Jack will murder him immediately, and his loved ones will follow. If he can perform the act, he is cursed until a miracle or wish spell is cast. If he cannot get a cure he will live his life as a broken shell of a man, driven permanently insane. His alignment changes to Chaotic Evil, with an especial hatred for his former friends and family. He no longer remembers what it is like to be anything other than what he is (an insane killer), nor does he wish to be cured, and will actively fight anyone attempting to do so. Some are smart enough to hide their condition for a time, but all of them eventually lose patience and kill someone they shouldn’t. Jack considers it a great joke to permanently corrupt others into beings like himself.

Forbidden Knowledge (Su): This is in all ways identical to the Bardic Knowledge Ability, except that Jack uses his Hit Dice instead of his bard level.

Control City (Su): Jack can control the city he is in to some extent. As a Swift Action he can silently open, close, or lock any portal (windows, doors, etc). If locked they remain closed as if by an Arcane Lock spell. If he is in a modern city he can turn any utility (gas, electricity, water, etc) on or off as a Swift Action. If the city is modern enough to have computers he can learn anything in the cities records as a Standard Action (which basically means he can learn anyone’s personal information as a standard action). He can also cause short circuits, or redirect water or power in such a way as to cause electrical panels to catch fire or pipes burst as a Standard Action. Range is 120′.

Unearthly Grace (Su): Jack gains a Deflection Bonus to his Saving Throws and Armor Class equal to his Charisma Modifier.

Immortal (Ex): Jack does not appear to age or be affected by aging effects. So long as he is not killed he appears to be effectively immortal.

Enhanced Senses (Ex): Jack knows the location of all living creatures within 60′ as if he had Blindsight. He also knows the location of all man made traps within 120′. He can see in normal and magical darkness as if it were daylight, and fog or smoke does not provide concealment from him. He may also detect good by sight as per the spell.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Identical to the class ability listed on page 50 of the PHB.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Identical to the class ability listed on page 50 of the PHB.

Evasion: Identical to the class ability listed on page 50 of the PHB.

Regeneration (Ex): Jack regenerates 5 points of damage per round, unless that damage comes from natural sources. For example a man made trap would not kill him, but he could not regenerate damage from an avalanche, or if hit by lightning in a storm. Likewise he cannot regenerate damage from weapons made without manufacturing (i.e. using a tree branch as a club). Natural weapons and unarmed strikes bypass his regeneration if they are not enhanced by spells or supernatural effects. If in doubt, assume any spell, spell like ability, or supernatural ability is affected by his regeneration, and extraordinary abilities are not. druid spells are a manipulation of nature, but are still an unnatural enough creation that they cannot bypass Jack’s regeneration.

Skills (Su): Jack has a +6 Racial Bonus to all skills he has at least one rank in while within the limits of a village, town, or city. He also appears capable of speaking almost any language flawlessly and with a native accent.

Combat: Combat generally depends on Jack’s mood. If he wants to go slow, he’ll merely chip away at his opponent and use fear to drive them to flee for their lives, slowly torturing them to death once he has waited long enough. He seems to crave acts of cruelty almost like a drug, so whatever would be worst for his victims mental state is usually the path he pursues. On the odd chance he’s simply irritable and impatient he just walks up to someone random and slaughters them on the Spot. Usually he’s scouted a target days in advance, so he knows what they’re capable of.

Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (local) or the Bardic Knowledge ability may have heard the stories about Bloody Handed Jack. When the character makes a skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

DC	Lore
30	Bloody Handed Jack is a legendary murderer that people claim haunts every city in the known world. A personification of humanities greed, violence, and sadistic desires made manifest.
35	Jack is actually one of the Faerie, and can be bargained with to escape death at his hands. But if you double cross him, or don’t come through on your end of the deal, he’ll slaughter everyone you know.
40	Jack is actually vulnerable to forces that are natural such as storms, drowning in water (as long as it isn’t summoned by magic), or using dead tree limbs as clubs. The Bargain he offers is a lie in an effort to cause more misery and anguish than simply killing his victim would.
45	Jack’s Knife is a cursed artifact and may be the cause of him being what he is. It cannot be taken from him, and it is unknown if it can be destroyed. it is certainly older than he is.
50	Jack’s origin is tied to Asmodeus in an unknown way. The Lord of Hell refuses to discuss him, and speculation is rife among the few beings with any knowledge of this.

Plot Hook

• One of the PC’s has spent years trying to find a murderer in her home city, only to find that while traveling that similar murders seem to have occurred in many places around the world, most of them heavily populated. Then she begins to hear stories about a knife wielding madman who seems unkillable, and is somehow able to appear just about anywhere he wants to. While meeting with a group of fellow travelers (i.e. the party) at a local Inn they find the owners and their son murdered. Standing over them is a tall man in a black coat who smiles at them, and promises to see them soon before fading away.
• The PC’s city is being assaulted by an army. The walls have fallen and there is now fighting in the streets. During the melee the PC’s see a strange black figure killing the invaders, and stringing their bodies up from the lap posts. At first they take no notice, but as the night wears on, they notice not all the bodies are invaders, and some of them very obviously weren’t killed by the invaders longswords.
• The PC’s are recalled home when the local Kings daughter has suddenly become a brutal, murdering psychotic. Endlessly raving about “the dark man”, she is confined to a cell while the group is charged with finding out what exactly happened.
• The PC’s have been tasked with finding out the origin of Bloody Handed Jack with an eye towards destroying him, or, as is rumored, changing him back to ‘normal’. Casting a commune or miracle the party Cleric asks his deity for Jack’s origin, and what can be done about him. After a very long pause his God responds by saying “He was Asmodeus‘ mistake, not ours. If you must know the truth, seek out the Lord of the Nine and ask him, if he will admit what he has done. Please do not press me further on this.”