Saturday, November 21, 2015

Robert Strong, Factotum Wraith

Robert Strong guards the prison of an ancient evil, a demon sealed away long ago.
Because the prison itself is sealed away, there is not much chance for him to gain experience; he himself is not the original guardian either; 20 years ago, the previous guardian killed Robert (then an explorer), and made him the new guardian; the previous guardian was later destroyed in unknown circumstances.
Robert commands several wraiths, and is sustained by the energies given off by the prison, thus having no need to hunt humans.


Robert Strong Human Wraith Factotum 5 CR 8

Init +10    Senses S/L +4/+4 Darkvision   Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven, Orc, Goblin, Draconic, Ignan
Defenses AC 21 (+6 dex, +5 def) Will +5   Ref +10   Fort +1
HP 11/31 (4d12)
Speed fly 60 ft
Melee:
Touch +11 (1d4+1d6 con drain)
Longsword +12 (1d8+1+1d6 con drain)


Base attack +3     grp -
Special actions:
Special abilities:
Abilities   STR -  DEX 23  CON -  INT 22  WIS 18  CHA 20
Feats: Font of Inspiration (3)
Bonus Feats: Improved Initiative
Skills:
+18 Hide, +18 Move Silently
Equipment: +1 ghost touch Channeling longsword

Inspiration Points: 10

  • (Cost 1) Cunning Insight: Gain int bonus as bonus on attack roll, damage roll, or saving throw
  • (Cost 1) Cunning Knowledge: Once per day per skill may add factotum level to skill check
  • (Cost 1) Arcane Dilettante: fox’s cunning, cat’s grace
  • (Cost 1) Cunning Defense: Gain Int bonus as dodge bonus to AC against one foe for one round
  • (Cost 1) Cunning Strike: May gain 1d6 sneak attack damage
  • (Cost 1) Opportunistic Piety (7/day): 11 points of healing to undead, harm to living

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Seeg'hara, bloody butcher

One of several NPCs to earn the pseudynom "Butcher", Seeg'hara, is a nasty piece of work.
He was once an elven noble, famous for his passion for the theatre, and the wonderful roles that he could put on in a moment. But then, one day, his mind broke, and he fled into the city.
So, he snapped, and became a crazed cannibal and murderer, living in the backstreets, killing for sport, and eating all the bodies.

He's fast, so if you run, he'll soon be gaining on you.
He employs many traps in his hunts, and many of his victims thought that they were safe after losing him, only to be caught in a (bear) trap.

Awkward pop-culture references aside, Seeg'hara makes his lair in the sewers, in a larger central chamber where effluvia and waste seems to congregate, the central pool dotted with rafts made of rubbish and debris. Any fight here gives Seeg'hara the advantage, as he has practiced leaping from platform to platform, knocking his enemies into the sewage when he lands (if fighting on these platforms anyone standing on a platform when someone else lands on that platform must make a Balance check to avoid falling into the sewage with a DC equal to the Jump check of the one who landed. Seeg'hara gets a +10 bonus on this Balance check (for a total of +13) due to practice).

Seeg’ahra Elf Barbarian 4 CR 5

Init +3    Senses S/L +3/+10 Low Light vision   Languages: Common, Elven, Orc
Defenses AC 14 [16] (+3 dex, +3 armour) Will +3[1]   Ref +4   Fort +7[5]
HP 43 (4d12+12[4])
Speed 40 ft
Melee:
Bite +11[9] (1d6+7[5])

Base attack +4     grp +11[9]
Special actions: Rage, Improved Grab, Feed
Special abilities: Rage 2/day, Fast Movement, Uncanny Dodge, Trap Sense +1, Improved Grab, Feed
Special qualities: Immune sleep, Need to Feed
Abilities   STR 24 [20] (18)  DEX 16  CON 16 [12]  INT 13  WIS 12  CHA 5
Feats: Extend Rage, Extra Rage
Skills: Climb +14[12], Jump +14[12], Listen +10, Ride +12, Survival +8
Equipment: Studded Leather Armour, Gauntlets of Ogre Power

Feed: Successful grapple check deals automatic bite damage
Improved Grab: Must hit with a natural attack to use; if gets hold may feed
Need to Feed: Whenever makes a kill must make DC 15 will save. If fails must stop to eat kill

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Death Cultists: Brynwen's Minions

Every good villain needs servants, and these cultists are the footsoldiers of first Dirk and then Brynwen in their quest to reduce Dur'eth to an undead-filled wasteland.
Here they are, in all their minion-y glory. They're best used when backing up large swathes of skeletons and such (especially the ones that burst into negative energy upon death).

Death Cultist Human Rogue 1/Cleric 2 CR 3

Init +2    Senses S/L +6/6+   Languages: Common
Defenses AC 17 (+2 dex, +5 armour) Will +5   Ref +4   Fort +4
HP 21 (1d6+2d8+6)  
Speed 30 ft
Melee:
Short Sword +3 (1d6+2/19-20)

Ranged:
Crossbow +3 (1d8/19-20)

Base attack +1     grp +3
Special actions: Sneak Attack +1d6
Special abilities: Rebuke Undead
Abilities   STR 14  DEX 15  CON 13  INT 9  WIS 15  CHA 12
Feats(3): Tomb Tainted Soul, Tomb Born Vitality, Improved Toughness
Skills: Hide +6, Move Silently +6, Knowledge (Religion) +5, Concentration +7, Tumble +6, Spot +6, Listen +6
Equipment: +1 chain shirt, filter mask, Talisman of Endurance (Arcane), shortsword, crossbow, 20 bolts

Spells: Domains: Chaos+Death
0 level: 4
cure minor wounds, detect magic, light, resistance
1 level: 3+1
cure light wounds, divine favour, doom, cause fear

Friday, November 13, 2015

Brynwen Jiurdes, Devotee of Death

Brynwen "Allisair" Jiurdes was the mind-slave of the half-vampire Dirk Allisair, and served as Dirk's mouthpiece, pretending to be the Allisair who was present in Dur'eth.
However, when Dirk was killed, Brynwen was freed from his influence, and took control, in reaity as well as in name, of the death cult Dirk had fostered.
The death cult under her control, she both celebrated the death of the half-vampire who had drained and dominated her nightly, and continued to forward his plans; after all, they were too well laid to just let rot, and the city deserved the death that the plans would bring.
Unfortunately for her, the heroes found out the plan and, breaking into the crypts below the church, put an end to her scheme by knocking unconscious, and dragging the now-insane Brynwen to another church for magical healing/counselling.


Brynwen “Allisair” (Jiurdes) Human Cleric 6 CR 6

Init +1    Senses S/L +5/+5   Languages: Common
Defenses AC 17 (+1 dex, +6 arm) Will +10   Ref +3   Fort +6
HP 36 (6d8+6) 31
Speed 30 ft
Melee:
Heavy Mace +5 (1d8+1)

Ranged:
Longbow +5 (1d8/*3)

Base attack +4     grp +1
Abilities   STR 11 [13]  DEX 12  CON 13  INT 10  WIS 20 [18]  CHA 17
Feats: Extra Turning, Corpsecrafter, Destruction Retribution, Deadly Chill
Skills: Knowledge (Religion) +9, Concentration +10, Bluff +13
Equipment: Rod of Undead Mastery, +2 chain shirt, periapt of wisdom +2

SLA: Retributive Strike: If hit by target, may attack them in next round. If attack hits, deal max damage.
Charming: Can boost CHA by 4 once per day. lasts for 1 minute
persisted charm person: At will, DC 14
Command Undead 13/day
Spells: Domains: Charm, Retribution DC = 15+spell level
0 level - 6 detect magic, cure minor wounds (2), inflict minor wounds (2), mending
1 level - 4+1 doom, shield of faith, cure light wounds, protection from good, charm person (2)
2 level - 4+1 cure moderate wounds, undetectable alignment (cast), bull’s strength, eagle’s splendour, bear’s endurance

3 level - 3+1 bestow curse, dispel magic, animate dead, suggestion

Monday, November 9, 2015

"X", vampiric butler

"X" is the moniker of the house-keeper of the Vampire Lord Aldervan Allisair. X really is a blank slate; nobody knows anything about X, even if X is a male or female. A free-willed vampire, X signed on to serve Aldervan as master of house, rather than continue to wander.
X always wears thick thick robes that cover every part of X's body, and a helmet with a glowing red slit for eye holes; even this helmet has thick treated glass between X and the outside world.
X originally designed this as a protection against the sun, so that X could move about during the day, but it has become a second skin to the vampire; X is paranoid, and a bit of a germaphobe.
As a housekeeper, X has an obsession with neatness, and everything being in its place. X will politely greet intruders, and invite them further inside the fortress; however, if they so much as put one thing out of place, kill or injure an inhabitant, or disrespect the household in any way, X will instead lead them to his combat chamber (design as needed), and unleash his fury upon them.

Design notes: Not sure how powerful X truly is; by adapting several feats from pathfinder, and using the custom item of the Disc Gauntlets, X may be somewhere closer to a CR 11 or 12.

"X" Hobgoblin Vampire Feat Rogue 8 CR 10+

Init +10    Senses S/L 13/+13 Darkvision   Languages: Common, Elven, Trade Language, Undercommon
Defenses AC 24 (+6 dex, +4 armour, 6 nat, +1 ddg, +3 sld) Will +5   Ref +14   Fort +2
HP  (8d12)  DR 10/silver and magic Fast Healing 5 Resist cold, electricity 10
Speed 60 ft
Melee:
Slam +11 (1d6+5+energy drain)
Whip +12 (1d6+5+energy drain)

Ranged:
Dagger +12 (1d4+5/19-20)

Base attack +6/+1     grp +11
Special actions: gaseous form, spider climb,
Special abilities: evasion, Uncanny Dodge, Improved Uncanny Dodge
Abilities   STR 20  DEX 23  CON -  INT 18  WIS 16  CHA 16
Feats: Channel Energy Drain, Weapon Focus (Whip), Whip Mastery, Two Weapon Fighting, Improved Whip Mastery, Improved Trip, Improved Disarm, Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
Skills: Spot +24, Listen +24, Move Silently +29, Hide +25, Jump +16, Balance +17, Bluff +19, Diplomacy +14, Sense Motive +19, Gather Information +14, Tumble +17, Profession (house manager) +14
Equipment: +2 studded leather, +2 mighty changing whip (2), heavy robes, boots of springing and striding, Disk Gauntlets

SLA:
Blank Slate Imprint: Any SI/SU/SP or EX ability that targets X can, on the next round, be used by X against any foe. All activation costs and all numerical values are the same, and the copied ability functions exactly like the first, except he may choose new target(s) for the copy. As he does so a shimmering image of the person he is copying from overlays him.
Disc Gauntlets: X’s Disc Gauntlets enable him to manipulate force. They were created by an argent savant skilled in the use of walls of force, and make use of many of that mage’s learned skills.
The Disc Gauntlets have three settings: Shields, Platforms, and Shell.
  • Shield: When in Shield mode, the disc gauntlets generate pale silvery discs that circle around X; they grant him a +3 shield bonus to AC.
  • Platforms: In Platform mode, the gauntlets generate small disks of force for X to walk on; these allow him to “fly” at his normal base speed as he steps from one disc to the next.
  • Shell: As an immediate action, once per day, X can forego the other bonuses that his Disc Gauntlets would grant him, and gain total immunity to everything for that round; nobody retains line of effect to him, nor can he be dealt damage in any way as the gauntlets form a silvery protective shell all about him.

Friday, November 6, 2015

The Mighty MageCorps: The Lieutenants

The Lieutenants of the MageCorps are slightly tougher than the soldiers, but only slightly. They've a bit more experience in battle, and are usually given second-command of a squad, or command of a small group within the captain's squad.
All MageCorps soldiers and members have a high number of magic items for their Wealth By Level due to the artificer wing of the Magecorps.

Magecorps Lieutenant Elf Fighter 3/Transmuter 3 CR 6

Init +2    Senses S/L +0/+0   Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven, Gnome
Defenses AC 19 (+3 dex, +6 armour) Will +4   Ref +4   Fort +6
HP 38 (3d10+3d4+10)
Speed 30 ft
Melee:
+2 Halberd +9 (1d10+5/*3)

Ranged:
Magic Missile (1d4+1)

Base attack +4     grp +5
Abilities   STR 15 [13]  DEX 17  CON 12  INT 16  WIS 10  CHA 12
Feats: Circle Magic, Weapon Focus (Halberd), Still Spell, Easy Metamagic (Still Spell), Improved Toughness
Skills: Spellcraft +12, Knowledge (Arcana) +12, Concentration +10, Diplomacy +10, Sense Motive +9
Equipment: Gauntlets of Ogre Power, +2 Halberd, +1 Mithral Breastplate, Magic Missile Bracer, Potion of cure light wounds

Spells: (Banned: Ench, Necro)

  • 0 - Resistance, Acid Splash, Shine Blade, Mage Hand, Light
  • 1 - Enlarge Person, True Strike (2), Shield
  • 2 - Bull’s Strength, Blur, Levitate

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

The Mighty MageCorps: The Wizards and Soldiers

Not quite the Mighty Mage-Crops, like I tried to write, but the Mighty MageCorps!
The noble protectors of fair Twainriver, servants eternal of Queen Ellissa, those masters of both spell and steel, the soldiers trained to be a match for ten normal men.
Once led by the noble elven prince Castien Aimrynn, they are now under the direct command of their captains; Queen Ellissa revoked Castien's authority over them when he drunkenly insulted and threatened guests at her court (even though they turned out to be assassins).
While the Corps as a whole suffers from the lack of leadership, the individual squads are no less dangerous for the loss of their Knight-Commander.
Twainriver does use regular soldiers alongside the Magecorps; the Magecorps are not yet extensive enough to completely replace the soldiers in the army. Then, the Magecorps usually functions like a special company, either as elite soldiers during battle, deployed to critical areas, held in reserve to reinforce the weak points, or used to guard key areas around the country.

The pure wizards of the Magecorps are more like bureaucrats than soldiers. They're the ones who wander the halls of the palace, discussing strategy, tactics, and logistics of feeding an army; they're the crafters and the support staff.
There may also be pure wizards who are focused on battlefield control; they'll be more about buffing and protecting their allies and controlling the field of battle (whether through summons, or area damage), than about necromancy and divination type things.

Magecorps Wizard Human Aristocrat 1/Conjurer 3 CR 3


Init +2    Senses S/L +1/+1 Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven, Gnome
Defenses AC 13 (+2 dex, +1 armour) Will +6   Ref +3   Fort +3
HP 23 (1d8+3d4+8)  
Speed 30 ft
Melee:
+1 Longspear +3 (1d8+1/*3)


Ranged:
Magic Missile (1d4+1)


Base attack +1     grp +1
Abilities   STR 10  DEX 15  CON 14  INT 16  WIS 12  CHA 13
Feats: Arcane Disciple (Healing), Weapon Focus (Longspear), Circle Magic Initiate
Skills: Spellcraft +10, Knowledge (Arcana) +10, Knowledge (Religion) +10, Sense Motive +8, Concentration +9, Diplomacy +5, Bluff +5
Equipment: Scroll of Cure Light Wounds, Bracer of Magic Missile, +1 Longspear, +1 Bracers of armour


Spells: (Illusion, Necro banned)

  • 0 - Resistance, Acid Splash, Daze (2), Cure Minor Wounds
  • 1 - Cure Light Wounds, Sleep, Shield, Grease
  • 2 - Cure Moderate Wounds, Daze Monster, Web


The basic Magecorps soldier is better trained than the average pure wizard; they are soldiers who have been trained since day one in how to cast all spells without moving, so as to not allow your armour to interfere with the spell itself; while a costly and difficult training, a far more effective one than simply learning how to cast in some kinds of armours and not all.
These soldiers are the average Magecorps foot-soldier; able to take down goblins, orcs, and even ogres by themselves (in theory) they are truly a threat; the nation that can field a full army of these will surely win any war.

Magecorps Soldier Human Fighter 2/Transmuter 3 CR 5


Init +2    Senses S/L +0/+0   Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven, Gnome
Defenses AC 17 (+2 dex, +5 armour) Will +3   Ref +3   Fort +6
HP 38 (2d10+3d4+15)
Speed 30 ft
Melee:
+1 Halberd +7 (1d10+4/*3)


Ranged:
Magic Missile (1d4+1)


Base attack +3     grp +4
Abilities   STR 15 [13]  DEX 15  CON 14  INT 16  WIS 10  CHA 12
Feats: Circle Magic, Weapon Focus (Halberd), Still Spell, Easy Metamagic (Still Spell), Improved Toughness
Skills: Spellcraft +11, Knowledge (Arcana) +11, Concentration +10, Diplomacy +9, Sense Motive +8
Equipment: Gauntlets of Ogre Power, +1 Halberd, +1 Chain Shirt, Magic Missile Bracer, Potion of cure light wounds


Spells: (Banned: Ench, Necro)

  • 0 - Resistance, Acid Splash, Shine Blade, Mage Hand, Light
  • 1 - Enlarge Person, True Strike (2), Shield
  • 2 - Bull’s Strength, Blur, Levitate