Showing posts with label character level 18. Show all posts
Showing posts with label character level 18. Show all posts

Monday, August 25, 2008

Scholar in the Crypts

Presented here is an npc that the PCs may run into and be able to get information from. Unbeknownst to them he is also a worshiper of Vecna and will embroil the players in his plots if they do deal with him....
Beneath the sewers and catacombs of the city lives Jurgen, a hermit scholar with the mental appetite of a terrask. For many years he traveled with adventurers in search of treasure and knowledge, but has lately retired to his lair to do more extensive research out of harm's way. But by no means has his ambition dwindled.
Appearance:
Jurgen is pale, tall, and skinny, with the stoop of someone who is used to doing a lot of reading. His unkempt hair is black with patches of silver on the temples, and behind a pair of spectacles gaze a pair of piercing blue eyes. Sometimes, if one looks hard enough, she can see a glimmer of slow movement behind them. He wears simple robes of deep blue fabric with white scrollwork along the hems in Supernal. He carries no weapons on his person (he keeps his pact blade ready with Drawmij's instant summons)

Mannerisms:
Jurgen appears to be a polite, congenial man with an easygoing tone. Sometimes he can seem to be almost absentminded, forgetting where he put something for a second, before discovering it with an affirmative "ah." He is very patient, and never lets his true motives show.

Goals:
Jurgen is a priest of Vecna, and is by nature a keeper--and exploiter--of many secrets. He mainly wishes to further the goals of Vecna, including eliminating the influence and worshipers of other deities. In doing so he schemes to begin a new world order under Vecna, and follow in his deity's footsteps by becoming a lich king.

Using Jurgen in your Game: It is best to introduce Jurgen to your characters early on in the game. He will be far to powerful for them to defeat at this point, and he will only be interested in helping them in order to gain their trust so that he can begin to use them to accomplish his own ends.
He will attempt to enlist the PC's to retrieve components for the ritual to become a lich, such as: dragon's blood, arcane phylactery pieces, and the ritual in book form. As a master of the arcane, Jurgen also longs for the Eye and the Hand of Vecna, and will pay the PC's handsomely for them, in gold or with information. He will gladly assist the PC's while they work to further his own secret ends, and he will part with information that will help them do so--but never more that he absolutely has to. Additionally, he will hide parts of the truth in order to set the PCs against his enemies, or cover for his own ill deeds. The priest will also enlist the aid of others to follow the PC's and ensure that his goals are met, whether they know it or not.
If you use Jurgen in this way, it may also be good to provide them with a more reliable, if perhaps less well-informed, source of information as well.

Jurgen the Learned

Level 18 Cleric, Multiclass Warlock(Star Pact) Human Male. Age 45, Height 6'3" Weight 150lbs. Unaligned.

Initiative: +14
Senses: Normal Vision. Passive Insight: 30 Passive Pereption: +25

Hit Points Max: 99 Bloodied: 49 Surge Value: 25 Surges per day: 7 Resist: 5 necrotic, 5 poison Saving Throws: +3
Defenses: AC: 28 Fort: 21 Ref: 21 Will: 27
Speed: 6 Action Points: 1

Basic Attacks

Basic Melee: Pact Blade (Sickle) +15 vs AC 1d6+6 dmg +5d6 +1d10 on critical hit
Basic Ranged: Eldritch Blast +18 vs Ref 1d10+9 dmg +5d6+1d10 on critical hit

Powers

At Will: Sacred Flame, Lance of Faith, Eldritch Blast
Encounter: Plague of Doom, Enthrall, Dire Radiance, Sign of Ill Omen, Dreadful Word
Daily: Purifying Fire, Blade Barrier, Thief of Five Fates
Utility: Astral Shield, Knights of Unyielding Valor, Divine Vigor, Ambassador Imp


Feats: Pact Initiate(Star Pact): Dire Radiance Novice Power: Dreadful Word Acolyte Power: Ambassador Imp Adept Power: Thief of Five Fates Improved Initiative +4 to Initiative Action Surge: +3 to attack bonus when an action point is used Weapon Focus: Light Blade Human Perseverance: +1 to Saving Throws Linguist: Supernal, Abyssal, Draconic Action Recovery: When you spend an action point to gain an extra standard action, immediately roll a saving throw against each condition affecting you a save can end. Great Fortitude: +2 to Fort Saves Devastating Critical: +1d10 on a Critical Hit.
Skills: Acrobatics: +9 Arcana: +16 Athletics: +8 Bluff: +13 Diplomacy: +13 Dungeoneering: +15 Endurance: +9 Heal: +20 History: +16 Insight: +20 Intimidate: +13 Nature: +15 Perception: +15 Religion: +16 Stealth: +10 Streetwise: +13 Thievery: +9

Ability Scores:
Str: 8 (-1/+8) Con: 11 (0/+9) Dex: 12 (+1/+10)
Int: 15 (+2/+11) Wis: 22 (+6/+15) Cha 18 (+4/+13)


Languages Known: Common, Elven, Giant, Supernal, Abyssal, Draconic

Equipment:
Pact Blade +5, Sickle
Magic Holy Symbol of Vecna +5
DeathCut Armor +5 Power (Daily, Necrotic): Immediate Reaction. You can use this power when an enemy hits you with a melee attack.
Deal 2d10+4 necrotic damage
Ring of Protection +1
Handy Haversack
Simple Blue robes


Rituals Known
Drawmij's Instant Summons Raise Dead Secret Page Magic Mouth Phantom Steed Leomund's Secret Chest Planar Portal Linked Portal View Object Consult Oracle

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Faduardo Gantonín

Faduardo lived his life mostly in the Phyloctæte. Raised heck in the other human lands with his psychotic wanderings and musings, traveling the many continents gathering reagents and challenging his contemporaries to duels. Eventually Faduardo was consumed by his obsession and became a lich, turning himself on his old friends and causing major problems for the people he served for so many years.

Born the middle child to a family of successful merchant nobles, Faduardo was both pampered by his nurses and neglected by his family. This developed a deep megalomania within him, and by puberty he was an incorrigible sociopath. A brilliant child, he was enrolled in a finishing school that included some magical training. In his lust for power he began to dabble in dark arts and the worship of evil powers when out of sight of his tutors. He succeeded in blending these veins into a mix of wizardly study and the use of evil spirits.

After leaving school he realized the commercial potential in crafting magic items for others. It also tickled his ego that others wanted so badly the power that he had harnessed for himself that they would pay thousands of gold for what he considered flashy trinkets. Thus began a long career for him of supplying magical items to any who would pay. The proceeds of this enterprise and his own crypt raiding have allowed him to create many hidden strongholds in addition to his storefronts.

Eventually the thought of his success and his riches brought jealous and greedy foes to his doorstep. After one particularly vicious campaign against him that included multiple poisonings of his meals and attacks by assassins in his sleep he became determined to find a way to overcome his mortality. Thus did he seek out and eventually learn a process by which he could die yet live on: lichdom.

Now, many years later, he has retired from the public spotlight. His presence is often felt, unknown, as he will often feed magical arms to both sides of a conflict, and then soar on dragon's wings above the battle, watching with glee.

This is a story arc for the party once they reach level 16 or so. Turns out that he was behind some of the earlier problems they had: perhaps he was feeding minor villains evil magic items or providing help to them in other ways, and thereby causing strife in the region.

Presented below are his statistics, including spells he might prepare if he is anticipating conflict of some type. If attacked typical tactics are to dimension door away and cast defensive spells before returning to slay his foes. Defensive spells can include: shield, shield of faith, magic vestment, fire shield, spell resistance, freedom of movement and antilife shell. If running low on offensive spells he may cast polymorph (juvenile red dragon), haste, divine power and aid before meleeing with foes.

CE male human lich wizard 3 / cleric 3 / mystic theurge 10 / crafting artifacer 2
size medium undead CR 20
Init: +1 Senses: darkvision 60 ft.
Listen +7 Spot +7
Aura: 5 ft. fear aura (DC 21 will save)


AC: 21 (
+5 natural armor, +1 dex, +5 armor)
or 32 (same and +4 deflection, +4 shield, +3 enhancement to armor from spells)
Damage Reduction: 15/bludgeoning and magic
HP:114 (HD 18d12)
Fortitude: +11 Reflex: +8 Will: +27
Resistance: SR 18, turn resistance +4
Immunities:
cold, electricity, polymorph, and mind-affecting attacks

MV: 30 ft.
Attack: +6 touch 1d8+5 negative energy (DC 21 fort. save for half) + paralysis

Full Attack: +6
touch 1d8+5 negative energy (DC 21 fort. save for half) + paralysis
Atk Options: paralyzing touch (DC 21 fort. save)
Space / Reach: 5ft / 5ft
Base Attack: +6 Grp: +6

Abilities: Str: 11 Dex: 13 Con: - Int: 18 (24) Wis: 19 (25) Cha: 14
Feats: Scribe Scroll, craft wand, craft arms & armor, forge ring, skill focus (concentration), craft wondrous item, spell focus (necromancy), improved spell focus (necromancy)
Skills: Concentration +31, Craft +28, Hide +9, Knowledge (arcana) +15,
Knowledge (dungeoneering) +14, Knowledge (nature) +14, Knowledge (religion) +14, Knowledge (the planes) +14, Search +15, Spellcraft +28.

SA: Summon Familiar, Parylizing Touch, +2 to overcome SR checks
SQ: Damage Reduction 15 / bludgeoning and magic, SR 18, turn resistance +4, immune to cold, electricity, polymorph, and mind-affecting attacks

Wizard Spells Prepared: (DC 17 + spell level + 2 for necromancy spells) - as 15th level caster

0th (5/day): many
1st (6/day): shield, ray of enfeeblement, reduce person, magic missile x3
2nd (6/day): mirror image, false life, blindness (DC 21), blur, invisibility, scorching ray
3rd (10/day): displacement, haste, blink, slow, dispel magic, vampyric touch x2, fireball x2, lightning bolt
4th (5/day): fire shield, dimension door, improved invisibility, black tentacles, charm monster
5th (5/day): magic jar (DC 24), dominate person, teleport, overland flight, cone of cold
6th (4/day): circle of death (DC 25), greater dispel magic, acid fog, chain lightning
7th (3/day): finger of death (DC 26), avaculate, awaken undead
8th (1/day): horrid wilting (DC 27)

Cleric Spells Prepared: (DC 17 + spell level + 2 for necromancy spells) - as 13th level cleric

0th (6 / day): any
1st (7+1 / day): protection vs good, divine favor, command, necrotic awareness
2nd (7+1 / day): shield of faith, aid, necrotic cyst
3rd (6+1 / day): magic vestment, protection from energy, necrotic bloat, clutch of orcus, sheltered vitality
4th (5+1 / day): freedom of movement, divine power, necrotic domination, undead bane weapon
5th (4+1 / day): slay living (DC 24), necrotic burst, summon undead v
6th (3+1 / day): anti-life shell, harm, necrotic eruption
7th (3+1 / day): blasphemy, destruction, energy ebb, necrotic tumor
* domain spell

Domains:
Artifice: Gain +4 bonus on Craft checks. The character casts conjuration (creation) spells at +1 caster level.
Corruption: Once per day you may target a single creature and know exactly what the creature wants most in the world, resisted by a Will save (DC 12+ wisdom bonus).

Possessions: black robe of the archmagi (75k), wand of enervation, skullcap of intellect +6, amulet of wisdom +6, ring of wizardy III.

Fear Aura (Su): Liches are shrouded in a dreadful aura of death and evil. Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the lich must succeed on a Will save or be affected as though by a fear spell from a sorcerer of the lich’s level. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same lich’s aura for 24 hours.

Paralyzing Touch (Su): Any living creature a lich hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim (see the bestow curse spell description).

The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a DC 20 Spot check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still alive.

Dragon Form

When polymorphed into a red dragon and enhanced with the spells listed above, his stats are changed as follows:

AC: 41 (+15 natural armor, +0 dex, -1 size+5 armor and +1 dodge, +4 deflection, +4 shield, +3 enhancement to armor from spells)
Fortitude: +11 Reflex: +8 Will: +27

Move: 70 ft, fly 180 ft
Attack: bite +32 (2d6 + 9 and 1d8+5 negative energy (DC 21 fort. save for half) + paralysis)
Full Attack: 2 bites as above and 2 claws +27 (1d8 +4) and 2 wings +27 (1d6+4)

Abilities: Str 29 Dex 10