And since I can't pass up a chance to poke an anthill, lets hear some explinations why.
And once that's settled how about some brainstorming on how we can fix him. Bound to be a way that doesn't cancel out his entire entry, right? Anyone who says otherwise just isn't creative enough.
It's challange time people! Fire away!!
I mean, it's easy enough to just blank the guy from your memory, and not use him in your gig.
Originally posted by Bob the Efreet
How about the fact that he, effectively, stands for the existance of the Ebon Gargoyles?
The Ebon Gargoyles...nice idea, as it's politically bound to happen, but...too big, too soon. Cut down the numbers to a half dozen to a dozen tops, and it could work. Barovia is too small a domain for anything else to work.
Cut down or cut out.
The whole anti-sentiment thing for the Kargatane/Kargat/Darkon/Azalin is very cool, and, again, makes sense...but for Strahd to be this new "Godfather" figure? That's a change in character that won't work. Granted, he was used to command in his mortal days, and it's entirely feasible for him to rekindle the urge, but to this degree? To have so many under his foot? That's not the calculating-mourning Strahd that I put him off as.
I know, the Sheriff runs the Ebon Gragoyles, but still...the old Strahd wouldn't allow such an iron grip on his land that's not from his hand. The whole "I am the land" schpeel...he's not gonna just get up and hand over everything that he fought for.
Unless the Sheriff is a tool...in the attempt at trying to shift the heat (from the Dark Powers) to another evil...and Strahd is feeling some nostalgia from his days as a warrior...
.
It'd make sense then I guess...
Hell, it'd be cool if the Sheriff was Strahd...the warrior Strahd, who's sick of lurking about his castle, studying tome after tome, performing experiment after experiment.
That'd be pretty cooked. Strahd's mortal alter-ego manifested through Strahd's vampiric corpse...
Man, I never really put much thought into the idea until now...thanks!
Now the Sheriff: I must stay polite. The basic idea is good: Strahd's main lackey (like Azrael was to Soth) but his story, personnality and just about everything else didn't fit. He needs a total rewrite. Come on! Rising an army of Lebentod??? Strahd wouldn't be please to be robbed of this blood source.
But as to the Sheriff himself, I find him very alluring. Of course, I don't view Strahd as a "Godfather" type of character. The Sheriff is his leiutenant as he would have in any army.
My biggest question is who the Sheriff really is. I don't picture him as Strahd himself (he already has Vasali for that). Nor do I picture him as a relative. So what could make Strahd turn to a mortal being (because he is alive and human) to serve him?
That being said, I DID post on teh Ebon Gargoyle RP threads, but we modified the Gargies CONSIDERABLY.
Originally posted by Cole Deschain
That being said, I DID post on teh Ebon Gargoyle RP threads, but we modified the Gargies CONSIDERABLY.
To the point they aren't even the same except by name???
Originally posted by Charney
To the point they aren't even the same except by name???
Something like that. ;)
I DO like the idea of having an organization- But highly-visible troops who wander around in full plate mail is a bit much to swallow, flavorwise...
The idea behind the Sheriff, however, aint so bad. A human IronClad, riding the countryside: okey. Cheesy, but ok. When you make him a frickin' 15th lvl munchkiny, scythe-tooting, Nightmare riding idiot, however, it is not ok.
I say scale him down 5-6 levels, rob him of his Nightmare and his ridiculously overpowered magic items, and cut back on his undead forces, making him more a lone wolf, and he might work.
Just imagine the Black Knight in MP: the Holy Grail... :D
Originally posted by The_Jester
And once that's settled how about some brainstorming on how we can fix him.
How about simply ripping those pages from the book ?
(and throw the rest as well :D)
---
OK, first, as other pointed out, he is ridiculously too powerful. A CR 10-11 would be more then enough. Powerful as he is, there is only Eia Pax who can give him a ride...
Second, Sheriff Potato simply doesn't fit Barovia - there is no way in hell you will make me believe Strahd needed such a goon... But move him to Falkovnia as Drakov's aid and there he is terrifying !
Jo
And I agree that he shouldn't spend all his time in Barovia, he should definetly be the goon sent out across borders to stir up stuff and do Strahd's bidding from afar.
But his class/level... the scourge levels are useless and too much. He should just be a fighter/night lord.
And so he's munchkiny. Sometimes that's good. Especially when you really need to smack down the players and put the fear of god into them. Its easy to have them smacked around by some powerful undead or evil force but sending a guy on a horse to remind them of their mortality might be a good way to cut them down a peg or two.
But I agree that there might be something salvagable in the printed mess.
Unlike some people on this board I can see the Sheriff as some distant relative of Strahd. Strahd might be more inclined to trust someone of his bloodline, or a relative of one of old trusted assistants. People who are hung up on the name might want to change him to the Sheriff of Zarovich. There is certainly utility for Strahd in having a competant and fearsome individual capable of roaming the land by day. As the timeline advances Strahd seems to become less interested in running the day to day activities of his realm. Having a "sheriff" makes a certain sense in this capacity too. Finally with the delay in his finding the current incarnation of Tatyana I can see him creating the post to help him hunt her down (if he ever finds out about Tatyana in another domain I can guess who will get the job of fetching her).
The abilites he would need for such a job suggest to me a Ranger 3/Fighter 4/Blackguard X. Add enough levels of Blackguard (I don't like either the Scourge or Nightlord class) to scare the PCs. I personally would choose 5 levels so he gets a sinister mount (coal black with the fiendish template & mist descriptor?). At 12th (character) level he's very capable without reaching the point where he might be seen as a threat to Strahd. A Geas by Strahd helps ensure his loyalty.
Barovia is small country wise, but still too big for one person to cover entirely. Give him no more than a dozen deputies (of 4th to 10th level?) to help him trouble shoot for Strahd. Together they'd be an anti-adventuring party. The ebon gargoyle can replace the traditional star as their badge. Give the whole group the ability to deputise people of any standing (under pain of death) to provide material or physical assistance in times of need. Makes a cool hook for the PCs to get "drafted" and have to temporarily work for the Sheriff. Varrying levels makes the gargies a good fit against the PCs at lowers levels and allows them to scale up with them.
Finally to further tweak the Sherrif I would give him two levels of taint due to failed power's checks. I suggest the first level of taint grants him the ability to Cause Fear by gaze (three times a day?), but makes natural animals shy away from him in fear constantly. The second level of taint allows him to manifest an "Aura of Nightmares" at night - a glammer effect that causes him to appear to be shrouded in the worst fears (causing a fear check) of all who see him within (say) 60'. This would be where the rumours of his riding a Nightmare as a vision of death come from. The down side of this of course is his hideous appearance. Though still charismatic no one can look upon his ruined face unmasked without fealing fear and loathing (horror check).
My Two cents
-Eric Gorman
Originally posted by HvF
Unlike some people on this board I can see the Sheriff as some distant relative of Strahd. Strahd might be more inclined to trust someone of his bloodline, or a relative of one of old trusted assistants.
...Tatra, Strahd's beheader from the days when he first took grip on Barovia.
Tatra, near the end of the novel I, Strahd, was released from Strahd's command (along with a few others), although he was told never to return. And remember?, he begrudgingly agreed. But the fact remains that Strahd (the vampire Strahd), showed the guy a great deal of respect by letting him go. A few centuries later, and he might well entertain the thought of "adopting" a relative of one of his most loyal officers.
Combine that with a little bit of nostalgia for the old campaigning days, like I mentioned earlier, and voila!
...Sheriff "Von Zarovich".
Also, this would be a clever move on Strahd's part, as not only would it be misinformation to throw the people of Barovia off (there's more than two Von Zarovich's?!), but it would double as Strahd placing some pawns on the board...to hit those that need to be hit, that he is unable to do because of the Dark Power(s).
He knows damn well that the war with Azalin isn't over, and this shock troop of his, spear-headed by the Sheriff, acts as the period (.) to his say...which I believe is mentioned, if not hinted at, in the original text for the Sheriff/Ebon Gargoyles.
The Ebon Gargoyles, like HvF mentioned, cut down to about a dozen members (trust should be a huge issue with Strahd/the Ebon Gargoyles), could then roll about Barovia, knockin the snot out of adventurers and agents of Darkon alike. Maybe even do some recon/execution missions in other lands, like the Jester said.
The more I read, the better the idea sounds...think I'll go re-read the books, and scribble in some changes (more like blackline some text).
P.S.: If there are any out there who don't have a clue what we're talking about, or just can't remember, Sheriff Von Zarovich and the Ebon Gargoyles can both be found in the book/supplement Champions of Darkness.
Give it a look, and help us sort out the mess.
(Guess that really depends on your point of view...but whatever.)
She could haved discovered who is realy Von Holtz became fanaticaly devoted to Strahd's rule.
I can't remember when Caretaker is set and I had my Tales of Ravenloft stolen when I worked in a night club.
Or is the mysterious sociopath rider thing acceptable?
In some future timeline, perhaps the Gundarakites make a particularly impressive strike against Barovian government. I daresay Strahd, with his tactical knowledge and inhuman powers, can probably suppress it in the end, but he will be VERY upset with the boyars and burgomeisters who let it get that out of hand. Many will disappear. And Strahd decides that perhaps the velvet glove needs to come off.
Read about Ivan the Terrible's oprichnina for an idea of where this could go (though that may feel a bit too Vlad Drakov-ish for some tastes).
Originally posted by The_Jester
So do you think his complete lack of a past or background or personality is a problem?
Or is the mysterious sociopath rider thing acceptable?
(1) Yes the complete lack of past is a *HUGE* problem. Strahd is slow to trust but does admire and respect those who serve him well - something human about him that makes him sympathetic. It would take a major storry line to indroduce a character like the Sheriff IMO.
(2) The mysterious sociopath rider is acceptable in the land of mists, but not as Strahd's lackey. The guy who tried to do this without Strahd's blessing would end up in the Ravenloft dungeons feeding Strahd's pretties.
(3) I'd also like to raise the question of the Prestige classes. Do other people hate the Nightlord as implimented as much as I do?
2-Sociopath riding Barovia= Strahd food
3-Nighlord= good idea but very badly designed PrC.