Bane, the Tyrant Lord

Alignment: Lawful Evil
Domains: Destruction [Hatred], Envy, Evil [Fear], Law [Slavery, Tyranny], Pride, Wrath
Favored Weapon: Morningstar or Spiked Gauntlet

The halls of Zhentil Keep echo with malign invocations chanted in shadowy temples though Faerûn. Bane the Lord of Darkness has conquered death itself, returning to the world to foment fear and hatred in civilized lands, and to reassure the common mortal that tyranny, through it may suffer occasional defeat, will never die. Though Bane transcended mortality centuries ago, his primary goal remains notably human. He seeks nothing short of the total domination of Faerûn. Bane’s tyranny is known throughout the continent, and his is the image most seen as the face of evil. When news of Bane’s destruction during the Time of Troubles made its way throughout Faerûn, no fewer then twenty-seven nations declared national festivals of celebration and thanksgiving.

Before the Time of Troubles, Bane’s church was riven by internecine strife. Bane himself encouraged this struggle, appreciating the value of dissension even when applied to his own servants. His long dormancy seems to have cleared his mind on this matter, however, as he has acted personally to eradicate these divisions, even going so far as to name Fzoul Chembryl, the ruler of Zhentil Keep, as his personal Chosen Tyrant and infallible mortal representative. The formerly fractious Banites have made common cause in vicious purges against those clerics who turned to Cyric after Bane’s “death” and who have not returned to the fold; their increased cooperation can only lead to foul tidings for the rest of Faerûn.

Dogma: Serve no one but Bane. Fear him always and make others fear him even more than you do. The Black Hand always strikes down those who stand against it in the end. Defy Bane and die — or in death find loyalty to him, for he shall compel it. Submit to the word of Bane as uttered by his ranking clergy, since true power can only be gained through service to him. Spread the dark fear of Bane. It is the doom of those who do not follow him to let power slip through their hands. Those who cross the Black Hand shall meet their doom sooner and more harshly than those who worship other gods.

For Deific Obedience

Obedience: During the first half hour of your obedience, recite passages from the tenets of the Black Hand and meditate upon how Bane’s perfect Order guides your actions, and how your fear of his wrath motivates you. Plan how you will pass this along to your subordinates, and motivate them in the day to come. You gain a +4 profane bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion effects.

1: Tyrant’s Weapons (Sp) bane 3/day, dread bolt 2/day, or martial marionette 1/day
2: Acceptable Losses (Su) The most important responsibility of your minions is ensuring your survival. Once per day as an immediate action, when you are hit by an attack or affected by a spell or effect, you can transfer its effects to a creature within 30 feet. This creature must be one that is under your control or command or that otherwise considers itself subordinate to you. You suffer no effects from a transferred effect. If the effect is one that affects multiple creatures (such as horrid wilting or a breath weapon), the recipient of the transfer can suffer its effects twice. You can decide to transfer the effect or attack after the results of the attack rolls or saving throws have been revealed.
3: Fatal Choice (Su) Once per day, upon defeating an opponent, you can heal it and attempt to force it to obey you. As soon as you reduce a living humanoid creature to –1 or fewer hit points, you can force it to attempt a Will saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier. If it succeeds, it begins dying as normal. If the target fails, it is restored to 1 hit point and is affected as per the spell dominate person. The target can willingly fail this saving throw. This effect lasts for a number of minutes equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). At the end of this period, the target can behave as normal.

Antipaladin Code

All Blackguards of the Black Hand are Lawful Evil — a stark, cold, authoritarian reflection of their Master. Their only ambition in life is to glorify Bane by rising in power and authority, and bringing the masses under their thumb as vassals of Bane by extension.

• My word is binding. I hold my commitments, and agreements sacred. However, I always seek to turn those arrangements to my advantage, as would the Black Hand perfect all Laws and Order to reflect his perfection.
• As my Lord and Master, I am a tactician. I make plans, and strategies with meticulous detail. To form a plan with loose ends is an insult to the Tyrant.
• I hold to established hierarchy, seeking always to gain a higher position in those circles which could be used to further the plans of the Black Hand.
• I have no use for mercy, kindness, or pity. Such things are reserved for the weak, and the natural condition for the weak is to be ruled by the strong.
• Whether I lead by fear, or respect, is irrelevant; if others will not follow out of admiration, then let them follow out of terror.

For Followers of Bane

Archetypes: Iron Tyrant (Antipaladin), Monk of the Iron Gauntlet† (Monk)

Specialty Priest: Dreadmaster† (Inquisitor)

Feats: Breaker of Barriers, Channel Hate, Conversion Channel, Destroyer’s Blessing (for any race), Fearsome Finish, Shatter Resolve, Squash Flat

Magic Items: Profane Seal Signet

Prestige Classes: Arcane Devotee, Divine Champion, Divine Disciple, Divine Scion (Unchained), Zhentarim Skymage†, Zhentarim Spy†

Spells: Battletide, Shared Sacrifice, Spellcasting Contract (+lesser, greater)

Traits: Blackfist, Destructive Blows, Fury (works with favored weapons), Extended Toil, Hatred of the Gods, Honeyed Words, Lover of the Law, Sacred Smasher, Wrecking Wrath

Unique Spell Rules

• Battletide can be prepared as a 5th-level Cleric or Inquisitor spell, or a 4th-level Antipaladin spell.
• Crushing Despair can be prepared as a 4th-level Cleric or Inquisitor spell, or a 3rd-level Antipaladin spell.

Other Unique Rules

In the hands of a servant of bane, a rod of rulership is more effective, adding +2 to the save DC, and adding 10 minutes per character level to the time the rod can be used before crumbling.

Clergy & Temples

The commoner sees Bane’s clerics as petty would-be dictators unafraid to use immoral tactics and unthinkable violence to spread their influence and agenda. Bane orders his clerics and followers to achieve positions of power within their society, either through force or trickery, and to use that power to further the cause of hate, fear, destruction, and strife. The Black Hand much prefers that his clerics subvert governments and carry out their agendas under the cover of the rule of law, but he tolerates a limited amount of discord and debauchery. Torture, beatings, and calculated assassinations frequently come into play in such operations, and rare indeed is the initiate of the Lord of Darkness who does not possess at least rudimentary skill in such enterprises. The church operates under a strict hierarchy — questioning or disobeying the orders of a superior is an insult to Banes’ supremacy, and is punishable by torture, disfigurement, or death.

Banes’ temples tend to reflect the clergy’s regimented doctrines. Tall, sharpened cornered stone structures featuring towers adorned with large spikes and thin windows, most Banite churches suggest the architecture of fortified keeps or small castles. These are usually located outside cities proper, as many cities — and even entire nations — have outlawed the open worship of Bane. This doesn’t seem to stop his church from growing, given the outflow of money and supplies from Zhentil Keep for the cause. Beyond Zhentil Keep, Bane’s church has resurged in the cities of Thay.