Live By Them, Die By Them

MyCKs

    The tengu is a wild spirit of violence and death, preferring isolation and hermitage in hidden mountaintop monasteries and secluded, mist-covered valleys. Their appearance varies: most of the time they are flightless bird-like humanoids, but they also come in dog-like and flighted bird-like variants. They are universally master swordsmen, able to perform supernatural feats of blade work, and are thus regarded as some of the best teachers of the fighting disciplines.

    Those who would seek one out should be wary, however. It is known that if you fail a tengu’s test of strength (usually made up on the spot), you shall be forever turned away, or, more likely, sliced into teeny, tiny pieces.

TENGU

HD: 4 (22 HP)

AC: 14 (warrior reflex)

Attacks: two +3 sword attacks OR 2x +1 unarmed attack 1d4

Move: 40' normal, 35% chance of having a flying speed of 20'

Inventory: 1d4 swords of varying make (see below), fearsome battle mask.

Mien: vain, viciously cunning, wise.

Goal: to kill the weak and train the strong, to be alone.

Parry: A tengu may parry an incoming melee attack as a reaction once per round, reducing incoming damage by 3.

Killer of Cowards: Tengus disdain the use of magic and refuse to use it. They have a +2 on Saves versus Magic, and have an additional +1 to hit full casters.

Kensei: Once per day, a tengu may turn swords. Treat the HD of the wielder as the HD of the sword for purposes of the turning attempt. Magic swords may have bonus HD. Swords with HD fewer than 3 are turned, while swords with HD fewer than 1 are destroyed.

cobaltplasma

On a Tengu's Tools

    Tengus love swords. They like to meticulously explain every single detail of a particular blade right before killing someone with it. They are collectors and connoisseurs, snatching them from the corpses of prospective students.  Folklore also mentions that a few tengu (maybe a 10% chance) will trade a free apprenticeship for a particularly rare sword, though mentioning this upfront to a tengu is likely to get you screeched at and stabbed.

    A tengu starts with 1d4 swords. For each sword, roll type and material.

1d6 Sword Types

1. Katana. A medium blade that lets you add your initiative bonus to your first attack's to-hit and damage.
2. Wakizashi. A small blade typically used by a samurai as a secondary weapon or status symbol.
3. Nodachi. A heavy blade.
4. Naginata. A medium blade that has the properties of a spear, if that matters in your system.
5. Longsword. A medium blade from a faraway land.
6. THREE WORD SWORD. A sentient blade with varying properties.

1d10 Sword Materials

1. Steel. Functions as normal.
2. Bronze. Easy to repair when broken.
3. Silver. Can hurt ethereal creatures and reverts shapeshifters to their true forms.
4. Obsidian. Breaks on a roll of minimum or maximum damage.
5. Chardun. Described here.
6. Meteoric Iron. If broken, randomly teleports the user 60'.
7. Ossgold. Described here.
8. Titanium. A purified version of iron. Destroys the souls of its victims.
9. Adamant. Described here.
10. Roll twice and combine the two.

Anato Finnstark

On a Tengu's Students

    If you can get past all its trials and challenges, a tengu is a valuable teacher. If you train with a tengu for a season, you may choose one of the following: gain +1 to-hit with swords, or, if you have enough XP, gain a template in your local Fighter class. Regardless of what you pick, you also gain a cool scar (describe its location and the story behind it) and now know 1d4-1 fellow students of the tengu. Use this generator to ascertain their details.