'Tell us a story, grandpa' little Boris and Natascha pleaded. The noise outside had kept them awake long past their usual bedtime and they gathered with the rest of the woodcutter family around the fireplace of the small cottage.
'A story?' Pasha said thoughtfully, rubbing his beard with a gnarly hand.
'Yes. A ghost story!', Boris said eagerly.
'Hmm... I do believe I don't know any ghost stories', Pasha said slowly and the children moaned in disappointment. 'But let me tell you about the time when I went hunting for the Beast of Radlebb Woods. It was a dark night, much like this one. We had heard that the beast had been sighted near the hamlet of Tristan's Creek...'
THE BEAST OF RADLEBB WOODS
The Beast of Radlebb woods is a legendary monster, feared by woodsmen and elves from Radlebb Keep to Rifflian. Few have encountered it and escaped with their lives and tales spoken in fear in taverns all over Karameikos tell of evil, glowing red eyes and fangs the size of daggers that can tear an armoured knight apart in moments.
Nobody really knows what the monster is or where it came from. It has lived in Radlebb Woods as long as any living human can remember and even the elves of Rifflian are unsure of when or from where the creature came.
[DMing notes]:
The Beast of Radlebb Woods is a creation of the priesthood of Orcus, a juggernaut of a boar released to guard the territory in which one of their main temples lies hidden. It is a killing machine that will savagely slay any humanoids it encounters (and quite a few animals) unless they are protected by the beast-head medalions worn by the priesthood.
The DM can use the Beast in a number of ways; PCs could be hired to track and capture or kill the monster. They might encounter it just travelling through Radlebb Woods. Or they could stumble across the hidden temple of Orcus (unlikely, but possible) and be hunted through the dark woods by the monster! If they figure out how the priesthood stays safe they might try to acquire beast-head medalions to protect them while in the forest and then investigate the temple (which is manned by dark clerics, devil swines and other nasties).
The DM should flesh out the statistics of the Beast to suit his campaign needs.
The Beast of Radlebb Woods
Feel free to share your campaign bad guys. Whether in "fluff form" or in "stats form" - you decide. :D
:-) Jesper
If I can make a little suggestion here, I have a request for future baddies to be added to this thread. Basically, I would be very pleased to see more like the Beast of Radlebb which take a place name that is otherwise not very detailed and give it character. At the same time it makes it quite easy to come up with ideas, because you have a name to base them on.
For example, take the Shadow Elf Territories map. It's filled with great placenames, but there is nothing written about most of them. Detail a monster or bad guy who lives/rampages/feeds there, and suddenly the place has character too.
What a great idea for a thread! I'm really looking forward to seeing more entries - I really enjoyed the Beast of Radlebb Woods.
Thanks Thorf, I am glad you like it
Here is another bad guy - Shaderune the Lich. I have based much of the information on Matthew Levy's text about the City of Tuma at the Vault:
http://pandius.com/tuma.html
SHADERUNE, THE LICH
In the year 558 BC the hamlet of Tuma in the lowlands of the Cruth Mountains begins its rise to power under the rulership of King Arkenas, an Alphatian in exile. In 561 BC Arkenas happened upon the wreck of the FSS Beagle and he had to flee Alphatia with the knowledge of the existence of the Nucleus of the Spheres because of intrigue at the court.
By 555 BC Arkenas begins writing a formal and complete law code for the new city. Unbeknownst to his people, this law code also contains within it a subtly encrypted message which gives the location of the Nucleus.
Arkenas completes the Codex of Tuman Law in 534 BC and dies of old age in 529 BC, leaving his throne to his son, Corus. He allies with elves and Hin to repel humanoid invaders.
Corus was not as powerful a wizard as his father, but he was a competent politician and diplomat. His childhood friend, Histamus [pronounced HAI-sta-mous] was born naturally gifted in the arcane arts, however, and grew up to become almost like a second son to King Arkenas. From boyhood Corus and Histamus always rivalled each other - for the throne and for the love and attention of Arkenas.
Knowing that he could not usurp Corus, Histamus devoted himself to the studies of magic and various relics of ancient Taymora, collected by agents in faraway lands.
By 511 BC, the empire of Nithia has fallen and against the advice and wishes of his allies, King Corus agrees to give shelter to the dethroned God-Emperor of Nithia. In the meantime, Histamus has risen to power as the High Mage of Tuma. In secret, Corus gains access to forbidden magical knowledge from the God-Emperor and with it he hopes to increase his understanding of magic and be able to oust Histamus from Tumaian politics.
Histamus' interest in ruling Tuma has long since vaned, however. His new desire is for the Codex, the old laws of Tuma. Histamus has come to suspect that Arkenas entered a secret code into them - a promise of ultimate power! Unfortunately, the Codex is locked away in the royal palace as the king's property and Histamus is not allowed near them.
In the years that follow, Histamus plots and plans for ways to get access to the Codex. The dissatisfaction of Corus' elven and Hin allies - as well as several powerful humans in Tuma - with the king's hospitality towards the Nithians becomes a key element in a plan to discredit the king. Unfortunately, Corus uses the dark lore of the Nithians to expose Histamus and in the end the two wizards meet in a terrible magical duel resulting in Histamus' imprisonment deep beneath the earth.
In 503 BC the Nithian emperor returns to the east to reclaim his throne. The City of Tuma all but forgets Histamus as his name is erased from books and inscriptions throughout the kingdom.
In 130 BC large armies of chaos attack Tuma and the entire population is transported to another dimension, where they are trapped. [See B8, Journey to the Rock for details].
Meanwhile, Histamus lay imprisoned and kept in a temporal stasis deep within the earth. Until one fair spring morning in 341 AC, when a travelling wizard unknowingly cast a powerful Dispel Magic spell near the spot. His surprise was great to see Histamus rise from the earth in his ancient robes and headgear and even greater when Histamus killed him with a Prismatic Spray.
It took a while for Histamus to gather his bearings but he realised that no matter how long he had been imprisoned in the earth, Tuma was gone. And with it, the Codex.
Histamus spent the next few decades reestablishing himself in a secret stronghold not far from the mouth of the Greyhare River. He reacquired spellbooks by slaying various wizards and soon had a network of agents working for him to produce clues as to what happened to Tuma and ancient Nithia.
Realising that it would take a long time to track down any remains of the Codex, Histamus decided to perform the ghastly transition to undeath to continue his search - and he became the lich Shaderune.
Around 750 AC he moved his base of operations to a secret hideout in the wealthy merchants' quarter of Athenos. From there he ran a series of cover operations to establish a worldwide network of spies acting as merchants and traders, all looking for rumours of Tuma and the Codex. He infiltrated several merchant houses and continues to use their members as go-betweens to potential clients with the knowledge he seeks.
Today, Shaderune's existence is one of the best kept secrets of the Known World. Because he is not interested in world domination, he has kept his anonymity and not forced confrontations with major churches or political figures. He is not blind to the fact that his network could be of political importance to one or more of the Great Houses and has begun to contemplate how to spend the rest of eternity if he never finds the Codex.
[DMing notes]
Shaderune can be used in a number of ways by a DM in a campaign. He could be a sinister shadow haunting the PCs steps through B8: Journey to the Rock and possibly after. His investigations of the disappearance of Tuma could have lead him to the other half of Arkayz's talisman, which means that the old Tuman wizard will find Shaderune waiting, if the PCs manage to bring back the half from the Rock. The PCs might have to save Arkayz, recover the other half of the talisman from Shaderune (steal it, he won't sell it) and perform other heroic deeds to free the people of Tuma.
If the PCs are strong and clever, they might persuade Shaderune to join forces with them. After all, freeing the people of Tuma might give him a clue to what happened to the Codex.
The DM might also decide to avoid the whole Tuma business altogether and use Shaderune as a dark and evil behind-the-scenes character for the PCs to fight in Darokin politics. Because he is based in Athenos, Shaderune might become an ally of House Linton. The PCs could be hired by other houses to investigate or by House Linton to act as messengers between them and the lich.
And finally, Shaderune is an immense source of magic and information. He has living memory of ancient Nithia (somehow him being in a temporal stasis prevented the Immortal curse from erasing his memory of the lost empire) and has reacquired many old tomes and forbidden magics from both Nithia and the Necromancer-Kings of Taymora. Whatever the reason, a confrontation between Shaderune and the PCs is going to be epic and terrible to behold - and it might not even result in the lich's demise. He is old - even for a lich - and has had a long time to plan for any contingency, even his own death.
I think I may use some of these IMC as "stories" which may or may not be investigated.
Are we still working on the idea that you'll tell me things you want to go onto the Vaults spellweaver? It's starting to get confusing, and a little onerous.
I am sorry, Shawn. I am beginning to see your point. And with the possibility of upgrading files at the Vault there really is no need to not put them there right away.
From now on, please post anything of mine you find worthy of posting at the Vaults right away. The same goes for old stuff of course.
Cheers,
Jesper
I am sorry, Shawn. I am beginning to see your point. And with the possibility of upgrading files at the Vault there really is no need to not put them there right away.
From now on, please post anything of mine you find worthy of posting at the Vaults right away. The same goes for old stuff of course.
Cheers,
Jesper
cheers Jesper, I'll start trolling through your old posts
Gulnar is a giant of terrible might and evil. His is one of the last Great Giants in the Known World - a race most people believe only to exist in legends. Millenia ago the Great Giants lived in the Northern Reaches, at the time when immortals like Thor and Loki were still mortals and Modrigswerg smiths created artifacts of awe and wonder.
Gulnar was the king of a clan of Great Giants at the upper reaches of the Saltfjord River when the first men came to the land. A greedy and evil giant, Gulnar sought to subjugate all around him and quickly made vassals of the human clans in the area. But as the centuries passed, ressourceful humans sought out the treacherous Modrigswerg dwarves and paid them to create powerful weapons that could slay the giants in a single blow.
Angered by such upstarts the giants went to war against the humans and many died in terrible battles, the scars of which can still be seen today as valleys in the landscape west of Otterland.
In the end, despite the sorcery of the Great Giants, the humans were victorious and shug off the giants' yoke. Gulnar and his clan withdrew to their mountain halls and planned what to do next. It was then that Gulnar took a course of action that would forever dominate his fate: he contacted the evil immortal Hel - Queen of the Underworld.
Gulnar made a pact with Hel that he would serve her, if she would help him destroy the humans. This she did (she unleashed a terrible plague upon them) but afterwards she reminded Gulnar of his oath.
Hel demanded that Gulnar slay his own children as a sacrifice to her. This the giant king refused, after which Hel helped another great giant by the name of Fjotar usurp his throne and drive Gulnar into exile.
For centuries Gulnar wandered the mountains of western Soderfjord and eastern Rockhome, plotting and planning his return. He also sought revenge against Hel, whom he feels has deceived him. At one time he made it through the icy realm of Nilfheim and all the way to Hel's Underworld, where he tried to kill her with an artifact. He actually managed to wound her and kill one of her most prized lieutenants, before he had to escape. It cost him one of his eyes and and Hel put a terrible curse upon him afterwards: that he would live to see the entire line of Great Giants disintegrate before the onmarch of Man and be unable to stop it.
Today, Gulnar hides in the mountains above the source of the Saltfjord River, not far from his old hall, so many centuries ago. He is constantly afraid of the agents of Hel and rarely ventures far.
[DMing notes]
The PCs could stumble upon Gulnar when they were exploring old treasure tales in the mountains, looking for Modrigswerg artifacts or simply passing through the area. They might be after a treasure that Gulnar has in his possession or seeking knowledge that only an ancient giant would have.
It will not be easy to obtain though. Gulnar hates all humans (and pretty much anything else). He is an Epic level fighter and has 10+ levels as a sorcerer as well. He is well armed and equipped with powerful items and has had centuries to set up traps to protect his secret hideout. But for a high-level group of daredevils the challenge of returning with the head of Gulnar could be the giant hunt of a lifetime!!
It will not be easy to obtain though. Gulnar hates all humans (and pretty much anything else). He is an Epic level fighter and has 10+ levels as a sorcerer as well. He is well armed and equipped with powerful items and has had centuries to set up traps to protect his secret hideout. But for a high-level group of daredevils the challenge of returning with the head of Gulnar could be the giant hunt of a lifetime!!
... good Ghod, man. 'Great Giant' HD (and I can't guess at what that might be, the 14 HD of a frost giant at minimum, possibly the 19+ HD of a Storm Giant), 21+ levels of fighter, and 10+ levels of sorcerer as well? That's something like CR 35+ - why hasn't this guy trashed the entire Northern Reaches and tried stomping Dengar or Freiburg for an encore? :D
My recommended build: start with a Frost Giant, improve the ability scores (the 'Great Giants' being great in terms of excellence rather than simple size), and add Sor6/Ftr4/Eldrich Knight 6+ as class levels. That's CR 22+ (so epic range, and a good half-dozen epic feats chooseable), good combat and magical skills, and not something that the Powers That Be in the Known World wouldn't feel threatened by. My 2¢, anyway.
... good Ghod, man. 'Great Giant' HD (and I can't guess at what that might be, the 14 HD of a frost giant at minimum, possibly the 19+ HD of a Storm Giant), 21+ levels of fighter, and 10+ levels of sorcerer as well? That's something like CR 35+ - why hasn't this guy trashed the entire Northern Reaches and tried stomping Dengar or Freiburg for an encore? :D
My recommended build: start with a Frost Giant, improve the ability scores (the 'Great Giants' being great in terms of excellence rather than simple size), and add Sor6/Ftr4/Eldrich Knight 6+ as class levels. That's CR 22+ (so epic range, and a good half-dozen epic feats chooseable), good combat and magical skills, and not something that the Powers That Be in the Known World wouldn't feel threatened by. My 2¢, anyway.
Well, unless I misread my copy of the Epic Handbook, you are supposed to subtract the HD AND the racial level modifiers from a monster when you calculate how many levels in a class they need before they can begin taking epic levels. That is what I meant, anyway :D
Say Gulnar is a base 14 HD giant, his powers gives him a +4 racial modifier then he would only need 2 levels as a fighter, before taking epic levels. Unless I totally misread my Epic Handbook of course...
The spellcasting powers may seem like a lot but every legend tells of the Great Giants as rivalling the powers of immortals like Thor himself, so I wanted Gulnar to be a good spellcaster.
Ultimately, you can do with this character whatever you want. This is exactly why I didn't stat out the Beast from Radlebb or Shaderune.
But for Gulnar I thought "what the heck!"
Use the story if you like it, use the level suggestions if you like them. Or toss it out the window. Just have fun! ;)
:-) Jesper
The Ctel-Zhaot is a creature of unspeakable evil and hatred. It was cast down by higher beings to live a mortal life on Mystara as a punishment for its wicked deeds. The agony the Ctel-Zhaot feels from being doomed to such a lowly existance can only be soothed by the corruption and torment of mortal souls.
Thus, it leads a life of secrecy and seeks out victims that excell as highly moral, innocent, just or true individuals. It then takes over their bodies (much like a magic jar spell), merging with its host but fully controling its actions and thoughts. The Ctel-Zhaot usually then proceeds to commit unspeakable acts of bloodshed, cruelty and evil. And then it releases its victim to watch as a spectator as the formerly possessed victim tries without hope to prove his or her innocence.
The Ctel-Zhaot can pass from one body to another by touch, such as a handshake or a kiss. The host or victim has no memory of what went on while the Ctel-Zhaot was in possession of his or her body. If a possessed body is killed, the Ctel-Zhaot is forced out and must then find a new body to posses within 7 rounds. In this arial form, the Ctel-Zhaot is even harder to resist, but if it does not enter a new body within 7 rounds, it finally dies. That is the only way to permanently kill it.
Every few decades the Ctel-Zhaot changes hunting grounds and can thus be found in any major town or city of the DM's choosing. Unexplained acts of homocidal behaviour in otherwise perfectly upstanding citizens could well be the work of the Ctel-Zhaot. It particularly enjoys victims that have a high standing in the community such as a leader of the town guard, a judge, a priest or children.
There are a few signs that a person is possessed by the Ctel-Zhaot. First of all, it is lefthanded and so does its victims become while under its control. Secondly, it enjoys singing an old bandit drinking-song that it once picked up. And thirdly, when it gets angry or taunted, it sometimes speaks in its old native tongue (DM should decide whether it is Infernal, Abyssal, Carnifex, Ancient Nithian or something else, depending on his campaign).
The Ctel-Zhaot can easily spend several years setting up a trap for a particular prey and never actually possses its target, but rather individuals around him or her. E.g. it could possess the friends of a noble paladin and make them attack her, one by one, forcing her to kill them in self-defence and face trial afterwards.
The DM should create the stats and more specific origin of the Ctel-Zhaot for his campaign needs.
The Fallen - Ctel-Zhaot
[Notes:]
I pretty much stole this idea from a great thriller with Denzel Washington called "Fallen" from 1998. See it if you get the chance! It's nasty! :evillaugh
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0780622537/ref=cm_rev_editorial_dp/102-5019090-3253715?v=glance&s=dvd&vi=reviews
:-) Jesper
Anyway, I used that same movie to stage the adventure in GAZ11 about Razrog. IMC the PCs went there with a demonologist who wanted to purify the place and cast away the demonic shadow which lurked over it.
Once in the catacombs, he prepared a circle of protection and another of binding and the PCs went inside the first one. Afterwards he opened the persisent gate a bit to allow the passage of RAzrog... and then the PCs discovered that the demonologist had other plans in mind.
They were confined inside a circle of entrapment and could not move, and while he bargained with the demon for forbidden lore, he wanted to give him the PCs as payment.
Unfortunately the demon overcame the circle of confinement and came out to devour the demonologist. The PCs were lucky enough that their circle also was broken by the fight and were able to fight the demon back, eventually killing him. However, before the final blow he was able to transfer his essence into one of the NPCs accompanying the PCs. Later he discovered that his immortal energy was consuming the body too swiftly, so he managed to flee the group and change body... and from that moment on he's on the loose, trying to find a way to open a gate to his homeplane and regain his demonic form without being "defeated" on the Prime.
"Time is on my side, yes it is."
The Dune Horror is a local Alasyian name for a terrible monster that lives in the sandy deserts between Sulba and Anram, northeast of Parsa in the Emirate of Makistan.
Most caravans are lucky to avoid it on their dangerous journeys through the deserts, but every once in a while a group of wagons and camels is ambushed. Survivors are rare in such cases and if they are found, they are usually quite mad from the encounter.
From the descriptions of superstitious nomads, who sacrifice goats to the Dune Horror to protect their herds, and from attempts to mind-read the insane victims of assaulted caravans, the soldiers of the emirates have tried to put together a picture of the Dune Horror - a writhing mass of tentacles with terrible mouths and a single staring eye that causes you to loose your mind, should you ever stare directly into it.
[DMing notes] The DM should create stats for the Dune Horror as he sees fit for his campaign. Most likely its very presense causes fear, while those that succeed a saving throw are only shaken. Several rounds of exposure to the presense of the Dune Horror will require another save to avoid insanity similar to that of a feeblemind spell.
The Dune Horror could be a creature from the Dimension of Nightmares. It could be an ancient horror set loose by treasure hunters seeking Nithian riches, or it could have been unleashed by Barimoor, the fire worshipping mages' evil cult or some other sinister force at work in Ylaruam.
GENERAL TANAKAH - THE BATTLE LORD
Lord Tanakah was born in AC 673 in Edairo on the Isle of Dawn. A bright child, he was accepted into the clergy of the Night Spider, the secret religion of the ruling class of Thothia. But when Tanakah was in his teens it became obvious to all that his flair for magic far exceeded his divine abilities and his was instead transferred to be an apprentice of the magician of the royal court, an evil man named Sakari. Under Sakari's harsh tutoring, Tanakah became a twisted and powerhungry young man. He laboured continuously to improve his magical understanding and completed the construction of his first golem by the age of 27.
Eventually, Tanakah succeeded Sakari as court magician and continued his studies of enchantment and necromancy - studies so horrible that he became one of the most feared men in Edairo. Eventually, he was sent apprentices as well, but Tanakah never taught them so much that they could become a threat to him. Instead, he killed them and animated them as powerful, magic-using mummies to act as officers in the army he was planning to build.
Over the past centuries, Tanakah has in secret developed a monstrous and powerful army for his master, Ramenhotep XXIII. An army that uses powerful undead mummies armed with magical battle-machines armed with awesome rods of lightning or rapid-fire magic missiles built into the arms. Tanakah has also constructed a number of magical, fast-flying U-shaped skyships armed with rods of fireball.
It has taken Tanakah centuries to construct this army, and cost the lives of thousands of warriors and wizards, but today the army is, quite possibly, the most powerful force anywhere on the Isle of Dawn.
Tanakah himself has all the powers of an intelligent, free-willed mummy and an 18th level wizard. He has several powerful magic items to make up for his weaknesses, such as a Ring of Fire Immunity, and other items for both protection and combat. His battlesuit carries a Rod of Lightning which fires an Enlarged, Maximized Lightning Bolt once per round.
[DMing notes]
PCs could run afoul of General Tanakah during a visit to Edairo. He is always on a lookout for unique magic items and books, which might bring the PCs to his attention if they posses such items.
PCs might also be spies or diplomats who get wind of the general's secret army and try to alert Thyatis or Alphatia. General Tanakah would surely then try to eliminate them. Or they might be part of a military force sent to stop a Thothian invasion force - not knowing what they are up against...
General Tanakah, here seen with Queen Aketheti
GW
GW
No, I wouldn't mind input from others in this thread. Quite the contrary, please post away!
:-) Jesper
The DM should flesh out the statistics of the Beast to suit his campaign needs.
You called?
The Beast in the Woods
Here is a advanced Dire Boar.
Advanced Dire boar
Hit Dice: 16d8+64 [136] + Ferocity
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (–1 size, +1 dex,, +6 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+24
Attack: Gore +20 melee (2d6+12)
Full Attack: Gore +20 melee (2d6+12)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Ferocity
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +10, Will +13
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 8
Skills: Listen +12,hide +1, Spot +13
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Iron Will, weapon focus. improved natural attack, improved critical.
Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary or herd (5–8)
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 8–16 HD (Large); 17–21 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
Dire boars are omnivorous and spend most of their time rooting around, much as ordinary pigs do. They viciously attack anything that approaches them, however.
Dire boars grow up to 12 feet long and weigh as much as 2,000 pounds.
Combat
A dire boar charges its opponent, trying to rip the target open with its tusks.
Ferocity (Ex): A dire boar is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.
The priesthood of orcus has taken the shoes from the mount of a fallen hero and placed them on the Beast.
For parties who don't bother with tactics, here is one that could provide a more tactical challenge. Not that smart, but wise enough to hit, take cover, and hit again. Familiarize yourself with the "ready action" before this fight and don't forget it has spell resitance.
Advanced Feindish Boar -Magic beast extraplanar
Hit Dice: 16d8+48 [120] + Ferocity
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. enhanced to 70 FT.(14 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (–1 size, +2 dex, +6 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+24
Attack: Gore +19 melee (2d6+12)
Full Attack: Gore +19 melee (2d6+12)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Ferocity, Smite good {+16 damage 1/day
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent, SR 19, Cold & fire resist 10, DR10 magic
Saves: Fort +14, Ref +10, Will +13
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 8
Skills: Listen +11, Hide +1, Spot +11
Feats: [b]Power attack, Endurance, Iron Will, Dodge, mobility, spring attack.[b]
Environment: Temperate forests
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Horseshoes of zyphyr [6000gp] + scattered treasure and gear from victims = an encounter level 9 treasure
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Advancement: 8–16 HD (Large); 17–21 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
If the previous beast was not enogh to be a threat, here is a beast that should be a deadly fight. it is smart enough to use its feats effectivly. The Cult has equipped it with the magical chain barding of a Huge beast
as well. The have given it bloated, enchanted ticks that act as potions when they are consumed
. Add other potions as needed to challenge the party. A beast this ferocious has left great ruin in the woods, one could get rich looting the woods, though the cult has rounded up the enchanted items they can find.Hogzilla!
Advanced /awakened /fiendish/ Boarbarian1: Magical beast, extraplanar
Hit Dice: 22d8 + 1d12 +con= 267HP [313 Raging] &Ferocity
Initiative: +4
Speed: 50 ft.enhanced to 80 ft. 16 squares.
Armor Class: 27 [25] (–2 size, +4 dex,,+6 armour, +9 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 23.
Base Attack/Grapple: +17/+39[41]
Attack: Gore +29[31] melee (2d6+21[24] magic
Full Attack: Gore + melee (2d6+21[24] Magic
Space/Reach: 15ft./10t.
Special Attacks: Ferocity, Rage 1/day[stats], smite good {+23 damage 1/day
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, 60' darkvision scent, SR 19, Cold & fire resist 10, DR10 magic
Saves: Fort +23[25], Ref +17, Will +17[19]
Abilities: Str 38,[42] Dex 18, Con 24[28], Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8
Skills: Listen +11, Hide -1 Spot +11, survival +8
Feats: Iron will, Endurance, weapon focus, dodge, power attack, improved critical, mobility, spring attack
Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary or with Orcus cultists
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: +2 chain’shirt’ barding{4550gp], Horseshoes of zyphyr [6000gp], potion tick of flight[750]
[ scattered in forest] 50,000 copper,10,000 silver, 500gp 100 platinum, 2000 in goods and gear [more if PC skilled in armour and weapon smithing]
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Hogzilla!
Advanced /awakened /fiendish/ Boarbarian1: Magical beast, extraplanar
:heehee Outstanding!
JesperTHE HELLISH HOUND OF THE HIGHLANDS
For the past three years, travellers have avoided the highlands and mountains between Ardelphia and Bronsdale in Darokin. Farmers and shepherds reported flocks of cattle or sheep missing and investigating army patrols out of Fort Fletcher have also disappeared with alarming frequency.
Recently, adventurers investigating the menace came across a horrible dog-like monster of incredible size. It killed several members of the party but an extremely shaken girl made it back to the fort and reported the incident. Since then, the army post at Fort Fletcher has announced a sizeable reward of 10,000 gold daro to any man who can bring in the head of the monster!
Talk of the reward has attracted a number of monster hunters and adventurers to Fort Fletcher, who are now preparing to venture out into the highlands in search of the beast.
Most notable among them are:
Warwright Chadaza
Warwright is a Karameikan mercenary of the worst sort. Him and his band of cutthroats grew tired of spilling their blood protecting caravans out of Corunglain and left for Fort Fletcher as soon as they heard of the reward money. Warwright has had his men kidnap three children at night in a remote village and intends to use them as bait for the monster. When it arrives to eat them, his men will ambush it with spears and arrows from all sides. He does not care whether the children live or not. He does not intend to bring them back anyway.
Arqueum Spellrod
Glantrian wizard. Arqueum is the most silent of the hunters. Nobody seems to know anything about him, except that he hails from southern Glantri and is a very acomplished magic-user. Arqueum asks questions about the beast in Fort Fletcher but never shares any of his information. The other hunters don't care very much for him.
Endano Tiaran
Endano Tiaran is a Forester from Thyatis. He was raised and taught by elves and knows the ways of the wild. Endano has scouted in the area before and seen the tracks of the beast they will be hunting. He knows that it is an abomination and is well prepared for it. He is no fool and surrounds himself with a handful of loyal elven followers - all skilled in the Alfheim way of the Great Hunt. Although Endano is very closed-mouthed about his methods, most villagers around the fort bet that his party will be the one to slay the beast - or the most likely to make it back alive!
Vesgar The Mighty
Vesgar is a Soderfjord barbarian with a huge cleaver of a two-handed axe. He is immensely proud of his muscles and likes showing off his body to the ladies. Vesgar has never met a creature he could not kill, and he is extremely confident that the prize shall be his. He surrounds himself with a small group of admirring warriors who thinks he is the greatest thing since doors were installed in the viking halls in Soderfjord.
Around Fort Fletcher there is a lot of speculation about what the beast really is and where it suddenly came from. Lots of ideas are voiced in taverns and general supply stores; some speculate that the monster has somehow swam ashore from Lake Amsorak and is linked to the Curse of Itheldown Island, others maintain that it is actually a young dragon that has settled in the high mountains. Most agree, however, that the monster must originate somewhere to the north in Glantri and be the result of a mad wizard's experiments!
[DMing Notes]
The Hound is indeed a terrifying monster, as tall as a house and as strong as 20 men. It can run down a horse in open terrain and bite an armoured knight in two with a snap of its jaw. As most people suspect, it did originate in Glantri, where it escaped its master some years ago.
Whether it was bred to guard something or it was simply the result of a failed experiment, no one knows. Arqueum seems to know something about its past, but he is not telling. He could want to slay the beast for a number of reasons: to right a wrong, to make up for past errors, to embarash a political foe or cover up evidence of his own implicity in these affairs - or he could, quite simply, be after the reward.
The DM is left to flesh out the Hound and decide whether it should have extraplanar, fiendish or even undead traits. It should have a superior sense of smell and probably also some sort of damage reduction versus normal weapons. The DM should also prepare in advance what will happen if some of his PCs try to Charm Monster the beast and succeed!
Woah man that is big. My players are adventuring near this area now, maybe they should run across it. Maybe a close encounter, but mot a full encounter, as they are still low level.
Glad you liked it!
Well, there are several ways that they can be the heroes without actually slaying the monster themselves. They can free the children or help their favourite monster hunter track and kill the beast. Or they can investigate the background and help (un)cover (up) where it actually originated.
;) Jesper
Excellent ideas. Thanks.
You're quite welcome!
Let us know how it turned out. I would love to hear how one of my "Creations" has been used by others :D
:-) Jesper
That would be the Odd Company campaign in case you weren't aware.
GW
Just had to bump this. I am planning to use one of these in my next session, so I wanted tomake sure I could find it. I also plan to add my arch-villian to the list hopefully this week.
egad this one wasn't in the stickied thread link, this should be one for that, I know I've been enjoying the thread.
Here is another one for ya!
:-) Jesper
LORITIL DRAYROTH
Vengeful female elven neutral evil wizard (18) and Dracologist of the Third Circle.
Loritil Drayroth is an evil, twisted soul, mad for power and revenge. She was born among the Ellerovyn elves of Erewan 63 years ago but never cared much for the ways of the forest. Loritil desired power and knew where to get it. She travelled to Glantri City and became a student at the Great School of Magic. Being very beautiful in a dangerous sort of way, she quickly ensnared the hearts of many students and teachers at the school and used her advantage to learn many dark and terrible secrets. Though she favours Necromancy, Invocation/Evocation and Enchantment/Charm, she never became a specialist in either of these schools.
In time Loritil graduated, with honours, and came to the attention of Prince Jaggar von Drachenfels. He was fascinated by this beautiful young elven lady and in AC 988 they became lovers. Jaggar needed companionship when he was in Glantri City, seeking to get away from the eternal quarrels between his wife and his mother and Loritil was very careful to please his desires. She used his confidence to pry from him the secrets of Dracology and became a practitioner of the secret craft.
A few years later, Loritil tried, and failed, several times to achieve the Fourth Circle of Dracology - to command the Might of the Dragons. Frustrated at her failure she instead turned to other dark crafts and fell in league with Sir Boris Gorewitch-Woszlany. For his own amusement, and to annoy Prince Jaggar, Sir Boris coaxed Loritil into necromantic experiments to spur her on to creating undead dragons - a great crime for members of the Secret Craft of Dracology. When she was well underway in her experiments, Sir Boris arranged to secretly betray her to Prince Jaggar.
Jaggar confronted his love and a great quarrel ensued which ended in a magical duel. When Jaggar threatened to banish Loritil from the Craft for her henious crimes, she became enraged and tried to kill him to claim mastery of the Craft herself. However, even her formidable powers as a wizard were no match for the Master of Dracology. Jaggar changed to the shape of a huge Saphire dragon and used his dragon fear to terrify and capture Loritil.
Prince Jaggar could not bring himself to kill his former lover though. Against his better judgement he released her after banishing her from the Craft of Dracology and confiscating all of her spellbooks and belongings, including all her research into creating undead dragons.
Loritil left Glantri and settled anonymously in Wendar. It wasn't long, however, before Sir Boris caught up with her. She never figured out that he was the one who set her up and now he once more proclaimed his support. With the help from Sir Boris, Loritil set up a new stronghold with research facilities and an extensive library of tomes on magic and necromantic rituals. Now, seven years later, she is as strong as she ever were before and has finished the creation of a huge undead black dragon named Ticala.
Loritil is determined to have her revenge on Prince Jaggar and the rest of the members of the Secret Craft of Dracology. But she also knows that Jaggar is well connected to the dragons of the Wyrmsteeth range - both chaotic, neutral and lawful ones - and so she bides her time. Both she and her fellow conspirator Sir Boris are not troubled by age as normal humans are and she can afford to plan her revenge carefully.
[Campaign Use:]
She has relocated from Wendar to a secret tower in the Wendar Range north of Boldavia, where apart from Ticala she has a small host of undead or enslaved servants. In an effort to construct more undead dragons, Loritil and Sir Boris are hiring agents all over the Known World to investigate rumours of both live and slain dragons.
PCs could unknowingly work for Loritil being sent on a dragon-slaying mission or they could cross the path of her henchmen competing to reach the lair of a dragon first. Hirelings employed by Loritil could pose as taxidermists or trophy collectors willing to purchase dragon carcases (and insisting on getting the heads as well!).
At high levels PCs might become involved in the ongoing feud between Jaggar and Loritil. For now Jaggar is way too powerful for Loritil to take on in a fair fight. Her only hope is to use deception and betrayal and set up a trap. To test Jaggar's abilities and reactions, she sometimes hires evil foreign adventurers to attack him or his relatives. Of course she always makes sure that they do not know who they are really working for. The PCs might come across such an attack and assist the Prince or save his family, which would earn them Jaggar's attention - and perhaps gratitude - and perhaps lead them on to further adventures.
[Game stats:]
Str 11, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 22, Wis 14, Cha 17
Loritil carries several powerful magical items including a Rod of Absorption, a Staff of Power, a pair of Boots of Flying, a Ring of Undead Control (a gift from Sir Boris, it acts as a Control Undead spell at the 18th level of ability once per day).
Loritil and Ticala
Here is a Black Dragon Wight that might be useful to some of you, created by Blackdirge over on Enworld.
http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=1647525&postcount=2
GW
I'm working on setting up the Hellhound you did for my next session and I think this Evil Elf will be perfect for the segway into the Forge of Fury where my players will finally get to go head-to-head with their first dragon. They have been eager. Thanks for the idea. She reminds me of the main villian in my current campaign. I will see about getting some work done on him to post here in this thread later. He to is a vengeful Necromancer, who is obsessed with power.
That's great, Tjedge! I am really glad that use can use some of this stuff. And I will be looking forward to seing you bad guy too.
:-) Jesper
Wasn't there a thread here somewhere that had a setup like this for NPC's? I remember a female version of Punisher. I can't seem to find the thread,any ideas what page it's on? Maybe a link? I think it was a Spellweaver thread too.
It is a Spellweaver thread. It's right here on page three. The NPC you're looking for is named Shu Linn, she's a ways down the page.
These are all archived (sans pictures) at the Vaults, as well, on this page.
It is a Spellweaver thread. It's right here on page three. The NPC you're looking for is named Shu Linn, she's a ways down the page.
These are all archived (sans pictures) at the Vaults, as well, on this page.
yeah those pictures'll be going up soon.