There are a few modifications to the class that should be made. Both of them are based on suggestions that Azalin Rex made on the old Ask Azalin message board. First, all Nightlords should lose their supernatural class abilities outside of their master's domain. They retain any spells and extraordinary abilities the class grants. While this greatly weakens the class, it does two things. One it keeps the Core from being overrun by these guys, since they stay close to home. Secondly it keeps true to the spirit of the setting, since a nightlord is supposed to be drawing his mojo from the bond a DL has with his domain. The other change is to the Horrifying Designs class ability. Rather than suffer two points of Charisma drain, the Nightlord's Outcast Rating should increase by +1. This way the Nightlord is more intimidating, while less affective in social settings.
Here are the Nightlords I devised:
Iain Darvist :Male Human Ftr5/ex-Nld3/Ksh3; CR 11; HD 11d10+22; 90 hp; Init +1; AC 23 (+19 ( +2 half-plate ) +3 (+1 heavy steel shield )); Spd 20'; BAB +11; Atk +19/+14 melee (+3 Longsword , 1d8+8), or +12/+7 ranged (+1 Mighty Longbow [+4 Str bonus] , 1d8+5); SA Spells; SQ Virtue is it's Own Reward +2, Guardian of Innocence +1; SV: Fort +12, Ref +4, Will +4
STR 20, DEX 13, CON 15, INT 12, WIS 13, CHA 12
Skills and Feats : Disguise +5, Gather Information +5, Heal +6, Knowledge (local) +5, Knowledge (Ravenloft) +5, Ride +12, Sense Motive +5, Spot +5; Courage, Dead Man Walking, Mounted Combat, Ride-By-Attack, Skill Focus (Ride), Spirited Charge, Trample
Signature Possessions : +3 longsword, +2 hlaf-plate, +1 heavy steel shield, gauntlets of ogre power
Spells Commonly Prepared: Disguise Self, Protection From Evil
Iain Darvist was born in the domain of Nidala, where he rose to prominence as a mounted knight in the service of the Church of Belenus. He attracted the attention of Elena Faith-Hold, who made him the latest of her Nightlords. For the better part of a year, Darvist served her, rooting out her imagined foes, and sending the innocent to the torture chambers beneath The Faith-Hold. However, he was not immune to Elena's paranoia, and she revoked his powers, and had him arrested. While awaiting his execution, Iain began to reflect on the deeds he had done in Elena's service, and realized that those he had hunted were innocent of any crime. He regretted his years of unwitting evil, and resigned himself to his fate.
On the day of his execution, a mysterious woman warrior appeared, who called out from the crowd "Were you sincere?" When he realized she was speaking of his moment of repentance, he stammerred a feeble assent. Immediately the woman, and her cohorts, Vistani whose faces were covered in a strange greasy paint, attacked the guards, and freed Iain. They took him to their camp, a collection of freaks and misfits, which they called The Carnival. A giant of a man, who called himself Hermos offered to bring Iain with the Carnival. He turned them down, choosing instead to find the Knights of the Circle, whom he had once hunted. It was difficult to convince the Knights of his change of heart, but they eventually accepted him as one of their one, a Knight of the Shadows.
Currently, Dervist patrols the lands between Nidala and the Phantasmal Forests, constantly on the run from Elena's soldiers. He seeks to help convince the clerics and knights in her service to defect, as he did. The fact that he escaped gnaws at Elena Faith-hold, who has not yet created a new Nightlord, for fear of treachery.
Mephitofel : Male Human Wiz11/Nld2; CR 13; HD 11d4+2d10; 40 hp; Init +3; Spd 30'; AC 17 (+3 DEX, +4 bracers of armor); BAB +7; Atk +8/+3 melee (+1 longsword, 1d8+1) or +11 ranged (+1 light crossbow, 1d8+1); SA Spells, Smite Virtue; SQ Familiar (small air elemental) Sense Sinkholes of Evil, Dread Blessing; AL NE; Fort +9, Ref +13, Will +11;
STR 10, SEX 17, CON 11, INT 20, WIS 16, CHA 13
Skills and Feats: Concentration +10, Craft (alchemy) +15, Decipher Script +13, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (Arcana) +15, Knowledge (history) +15, Knowledge (Ravenloft) +13, Knowledge (Religion) +15, Ride +9, Sense Motive +8, Spot +8; Combat Casting, Improved Counterspell, Improved Familiar, Maximize Spell, Mounted Combat, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Evocation), Trample
Signature Possessions: +4 bracers of armor, +1 l,ongsword, +1 light crossbow, +2 headband of intellect
Spellbook: 0: All; 1st: Protection from good, Shield, Mount, Summon Monster I, Comprehend Languages, True Strike, Sleep, Magic Missle, Disguise Self, Cause Fear, Burning Hands, Enlarge, Shocking Grasp; 2nd: Melf's Acid Arrow, Summon Monster II, Web, Detect Thoughts, Daylight, Flaming Sohere, Mirror Image, Ghoul Touch, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Eagle's Splendor, Rope Trick; 3rd: Stinking Cloud, Phantom Steed, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Hold Person, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Vampiric Touch, Fly, Gaseous Form, Keen Edge; 4th: Minor Globe of Invulnerability, Stoneskin, Summon Monster IV, Scrying, Ice Storm, Wall of Fire, Phantasmal Killer, Ennervation, Baneful Polymorph, polymorph; 5th: Cloudkill, Summon Monster V, Cone of Cold, Animate Dead; 6th: Chain Lightning, Summon Monster VI, Disintegrate.
Nightlord Spells Commonly Prepared: Inflict light wounds, mount
Mephitofel is a Mulan from the domain of Hazlan. Originally groomed to be an equestrian, like his noble father, he chose instead to pursue the path of wizardry after Hazlik rescinded the ban on magic. His diligence in studying magic, and his skills with horses earned him the position as Hazlik's Nightlord. There is nothing but contempt between the two. Mephitofel mocks Hazlik behind the Darklord's back, while Hazlik dreams of killing his Nightlord along with all other Mulan in the cosmos once his schemes come to fruition. Nevertheless, so long as Mephitofel does Hazlik's bidding, Hazlik sees no need to dispatch the Nightlord prematurely. Mephitofel also despises Eleni of Toyalis, and all other Rashemi wizards. He feels they are beneath contempt, and dreams of someday killing her, assuming he can avoid Hazlik's wrath.
Due to his skills as a wizard, Mephitofel is not as hindered by leaving Hazlan, and so he often searches out special spell components, or other magical trinkets for his master. On these excursions, Mephitofel is usually accompanied by 2d4 human fighters of level 3-6.
I liked the idea under the ex Nidala Nightlord, I'd like to see where #2 goes
Joël
Does the second one have a background ?
I liked the idea under the ex Nidala Nightlord, I'd like to see where #2 goes
Joël
Yeah I just added the background for Mephitofel, it's shorter than Iain's. Wait for the third one, he is IMO the best of the three.
Erik KartoffMale Human Com10/Nld5; CR 14; HD 10d4+5d10+18; 68 hp; Init +2; Spd 20'; AC 21 (+1 DEX, +7 (+1 Banded Mail), +3 (+1 heavy steel Shield)) or 12 (+2 DEX); BAB: +10; Atk +16/+11 melee ( +1 dreamslayer longsword, 1d8+6), or +13/+8 ranged (masterwork mighty longbow [+2 STR bonus], 1d8+2), or +12/+7 melee (unarmed strike 1d3+2 subdual); AL CE; SA Spells, smite virtue, command undead, horrifying designs; SQ Sense Sinkholes of Evil, frightening aura, desensitized, dread blessing, Phooka Mount; SV: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +5; OR +1
STR 15, DEX 14, CON 13, INT 10, WIS 13, CHA 8
Skills and Feats: Handle Animal +4, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (Ravenloft) +9, Listen +5, Profession (peddler) +14, Ride +12, Sense Motive +6, spot +5; Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Endurance, Mounted Combat, Trample, Skill Focus (profession [peddler]), Toughness
Signature Possessions: +1 Dreamslayer longsword*, +1 banded mail*, +1 heavy steel shield*, peddler's wagon
Spells Commonly Prepared:1st: Cause Fear, Doom, Inflict Light Wounds; 2nd: bull's strength
Erik Kartoff was born to poverty in the domain of Nova Vaasa. While he learned to ride a horse working as a farmhand, he never came close to his dreams of becoming a knight. In stead he married, and began working as a peddler. A vicious man, he often beat his wife and daughter, usually while drunk. His only respite from his hard life were his dreams, where he was a knight serving one of the Five noble houses. As he grew older, his dreams took on a darker tone. While he remained a knight, his activities in his dreams were of pillage and slaughter, not acts of chivalry. Combined with his abusive demeanor at home, he was bound to attract the attention of a dark entity.
Five years ago he was approached in a dream by a strange man who offered to make Erik a real knight. Erik followed the man on a journey, out of a glowing sphere, into a field filled with such spheres. The man led Erik through a mysterious, everchanging wood, to a deserted city. There he was introduced to the Nightmare Man, who wished to make Erik his Nightlord. The Nightmare Man summoned his Court, and ordered each member to give Erik a gift. Mullonga taught him spells, Morpheus trained him in swordplay, the Ghost Dancer clothed him in armor, and so on. Finally the strange man who led him there bequeathed to Erik a sword, and led him to the Nocturnal Sea, where a bizarre horse leaped out. "Go forth!" cried the man, "Go forth and serve our Master, Lord of Nightmares! Go forth!" With that Erik awoke.
In the following days, Erik began to realize that the dream had affected him. Every night, he returned to the horse, donned the armor, and took up the sword. He joined Morphs and Ennui, entering the dreamspheres of the innocent to torment them in their sleep. Ever since that night, Erik has been spending as much time as he can asleep, so he can dream of being a Nightlord. In the waking world, Erik has none of the supernatural abilities or spells from the Nightlord prestige class. Only when he sleeps can he access all of his abilities. In order to sleep he resorts to alcohol, and his peddler business is suffering as a result. As such he beats his wife and child more than ever.
Unknown to Erik, he was made a Nightlord for one reason: to track down and slay Dr. Gregorian Illhousen, who has become a thorn in the Nightmare Man's side. However, the only time they ever met, Dr. Illhousen was able to see through Erik's dream-self, and was thus immune to his powers. Erik fled the battle, and has been avoiding Dr. Illhousen since.
Erik can be encountered by PCs in several ways. He may join in the haunting of the dreams of a PC, or he may be encountered by those who physically travel to the Nightmare Lands. Finally, in the waking world, Erik is a shadow of his dream-self, and may not be recognized as the knight who terrorized them.