Can the villain be an existing monster that we give more flavor to? For example, can we stat the villain as a Kobold Wyrmpriest as long as we go on to name him Nupnup, and explain who he's serving, and why he has such a god complex?
Sure. As long as you meet all the required elements and at least three optional ones. Be mindful of your Creativity score, however.
Sure. As long as you meet all the required elements and at least three optional ones. Be mindful of your Creativity score, however.
Yeah, that's why I'm on the fence about whether or not I want to do what I'm planning. I'll have to rework some of the powers and present a really compelling story, I think.
If you look past the plot and the voice acting, Metroid: Other M was an okay game. Not a great game, but an adequate one.
Not using the Metroid item collect jingle though? That, was a mistake.
Eron Kale, The Restless One Human Revenant Ranger, Level 8 Elite Skirmisher Medium natural humanoid (undead), XP 800 Initiative +8 Senses Perception +12 HP 152; Bloodied 76; see Keeper's Fang AC 24; Fortitude 24, Reflex 23, Will 21 Saving Throws + 2 Speed 6 Action Points 1 [m] Keeper's Fang (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon, Necrotic +15 vs. AC; 1d8+9 necrotic damage (Crit 3d8+17 necrotic damage). If Eron drops a creature to 0 hp with this attack, he gains 5 temporary hit points. Weapon power: (free action, when Keeper's Fang bloodies an enemy; daily) Eron regains 10 hit points. [m] Khopesh (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon +14 vs. AC; 1d8+8 damage. If Eron rolls a 1 on the damage dice on this attack, he may reroll it. [M] Twin Strike (action; recharge) ✦ Martial, Weapon Eron makes a Keeper's Fang attack and a Khopesh attack, with a -5 penalty on the damage rolls. [M] Hit And Run (standard; at-will) ✦ Martial, Weapon, Necrotic Eron makes a Keeper's Fang attack. Effect: If Eron moves before the end of his turn, he does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the target. [M] Claws of the Griffon (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon, Necrotic Eron makes a Keeper's Fang attack and a Khopesh attack. The Keeper's Fang attack deals an extra 1d8 damage if it hits. [M] Frenzied Skirmish (standard; daily) ✦ Martial, Weapon, Necrotic Eron makes a Keeper's Fang attack and a Khopesh Attack. If either attack hits, the target is dazed until the end of Eron's next turn. If both attacks hit the same target, it is dazed and slowed until the end of Eron's next turn. Special: Eron may move his speed before or after these attacks without provoking opportunity attacks. Weave Through the Fray (immediate interrupt, when an enemy moves adjacent; recharge when bloodied) ✦ Martial Eron shifts 3 squares. Hunter's Quarry (minor; at-will) Eron designates the nearest creature that he can see his quarry. Once per round, he may deal an additional 1d8 damage to a quarry he hits with an attack. The creature remains a quarry until it is reduced to 0 hit points, Eron selects a different quarry, or the encounter ends. Immortal Curse (when killed) If Eron Kale is killed, he returns to full health after 1d10 days, unless his curse is broken (details up to DM on how this may be accomplished). Alignment Chaotic Evil Languages Common, Deep Speech Skills Dungeoneering +12, Nature +12, Endurance +10, Athletics +14, Acrobatics +11 Str 20 (+9) Dex 14 (+6) Wis 16 (+7) Con 12 (+5) Int 11 (+4) Cha 8 (+3) Equipment The Keeper's Fang (+2 Lifedrinker Scimitar with attached Khyber Shard of Life Drinking), Khopesh, Hide Armor
Step 1: Background
1)Eron Kale was a Karnathi patriot once, serving the glory of the throne in the early days of The Last War. He eagerly joined the Order of the Emerald Claw, and fought with honor. 2)Then he and his fellows were tasked with securing some dragonshards from a mysterious rift in the Demon Wastes known as The Lair of The Keeper for the war effort. His battalion braved the depths of Khyber, meeting horror after horror in the darkness. Eventually, though, the much diminished group made it to the Lair. 3)But it was there that Eron discovered the horrible truth of whom the Order truly served: The Lich Queen Vol, not the Karnathi people. Enraged, Eron attacked his surviving companions, slaughtering them all, before succumbing to his wounds. Or so he thought. Until he woke up, with a pounding headache and a pulsating Khyber stone where his living heart used to be. Terrified, he fled. 4)With his faith shattered, Eron wandered. He was captured by the soldiers of Aundair and executed as a spy, but to his horror he found himself waking up in the shallow grave they'd buried him in. He pulled himself out of the ground, and wandered away. 5)He's been wandering since, immortal. He has died more times and in more ways than he can count any more, but he has always gotten back up again, whole. Throughout the horrors of the Last War Eron has roamed, selling his services as a vicious swordsman to mercenary bands, adventurers, brigands, and, most recently, a band of pirates who managed to steal an airship. He serves as the captain's primary enforcer.
Step 2: Goals
Short term: Keep moving. Keep out of jail. Swat anything that irritates him.
Long Term: Die. Finally and forever.
Step 3: Contacts and possessions.
Eron is the first mate of a crew of pirates who have access to a flying vessel. Though he has come tactical skill, he's not the brains of this operation. He's the one sent to tidy up loose ends, run errands involving violence, and make sure the crew keeps in line.
The only thing he cares about is his magical sword, a lifedrinker scimitar embedded with a Khyber shard. If it's taken from him, he WILL seek it out once he's healed up from whatever encounter parted him from it.
Step 4: Roleplaying hints
Eron Kale is a bitter old soldier who longs to finally die and not crawl back up again. He has tried to break his curse more ways and more times than he can count, though, and given up the hope that he will ever actually escape his immortality. This makes him ill-tempered and quick to anger, and he usually tires to solve his problems with violence, hoping that one day someone will kill him and make it stick. He dreads prolonged captivity, which he regards as a fate worse than death, and grows frantic at the very thought of being locked away. He seeks bloody revenge on anyone who tries to imprison him.
Step 5: Uses
Eron is an excellent recurring villain, because he can't die. Here are some situations he may be found in:
Deadly Raiders: The pirates that Eron's working with now are bloody bandits who are using their captured airship to bring terror to isolated communities out of the blue. Eron usually leads the attacks of the pirates and ruffians, using his former military training to good effect. This would be a straightforward combat encounter.
Cat and Mouse: The party has gotten wind of some kind of Shadow-powered artifact that is either worth a great fortune or must be found to keep it out of the wrong hands. The trouble is that Eron has caught wind of this thing, too, and thinks it might help him break his curse. The party knows some things about this artifact that Eron and his crew don't...but they know something the party is unaware of, as well. Let the race begin!
Ending him once and for all: Eron wants to break his curse and die. Remove affliction isn't enough—some great task has been levied on him, but Eron doesn't know what he's actually supposed to do. He thinks it involves The Keeper somehow, given the Dragonshard lodged in his chest, but otherwise has no idea what to make of his condition. If the players could find a way to actually break his curse, he would willingly join up with them and actively help them along. This would be a good skill challenge quest to figure out what, exactly, keeps his life force tied to the living world.
Non Eberron notes: Eron can be easily adapted to other settings. Keep this core in mind: Eron was a soldier who fought during the time of the last great empire and got cursed with some necromantic phlebotinum that allows him to come back from the dead over and over again and is now working with bandits with some form of travel that gives them great mobility. With that in mind, the specifics are easy to change.
Three or more confrontations that include the villain; Minor Quest that can get the villain to be neutral or allied to the party; When first encountered the villain appears to be the main villain, but isn't; At least one confrontation is a skill challenge that doesn't involve Diplomacy based skills as primary skills
What I find most frustrating about 4E is that I can see it includes the D&D game I've always wanted to play, but the game is so lathered in tatical combat rules that I have thus far been unable to coax the game I want out.
You know, this isn’t really for this competition, but it feels like the right place for it…
Limb Greenbottle Halfing Rogue Spawn of Evil
Limb Greenbottle came to exist between a friend and myself when doing a little experiment in “do absolutely anything you want” verbal D&D (no dice rolling). My friend created this character, and then started doing the most evil things with it.
Limb Greenbottle would do the regular “I’m a thief character” type stuff… stealing, blackmailing, and blaming things on others. He would then go that “extra mile” and start forging information. Considering this was e3.5, he could do a bang-up job right from the start. He then realized that he could make tons of money by finding the patrons of bars, sneaking into their homes, and killing them in their sleep. Then he would forge a diary that would say how unhappy this guy was, how Limb Greenbottle was his only friend, and how he would kill himself and then give everything to Limb.
This lead to the crime scene investigations like:
“Wow, he fell on his knife… fell on it 9 times.”
“As far as we can tell, he slit his wrists, stabbed himself in the heart, disembowled his intestines, and then hung himself with them.”
Naturally the tribunal cleared Limb of all charges.
Limb started expanding a whole chain of hotels like this. It was madness.
Ever since, Limb has made guest appearances in many of my campaigns. He tends to pop up when he needs something done, and the D&D party suits his needs. The party dutifully carries out the task, sometimes under threat of bad things happening to them. Limb always ends up either stealing from the group, or killing somebody and escaping into the night.
So… I guess you could call Limb a minor evil NPC. Not that this is a submission or anything.
Limb falls under the same category as my most favourite trap of all time… an invisible spiked wall that the PCs run into while trying to run away from something.
+1: Each player reveals his or her hand until your next turn.
+3: Each player draws 3 cards.
-9: You receive an emblem that says, "At the beginning of each upkeep, search your library, graveyard, hand, and cards in exile for a card. You may play that card without paying its mana cost."
Loyalty: 2
I am a Rules Advisor as of This Date: Aug 13/2010
Reminder text will tell somebody "(You are stupid. Have less fun.)" -WotC_dlaugel
Oh, I have JUST the worst idea for this... you'll see that soon. :D
And I had a procedural question wrecan. For optional element 8, the potential entry I'm working on is... well, the LBEG and the BBEG have a very interesting relationship which resembles that of a parent and their child, even though they're not the same species. Can I claim this element for my entry? If necessary I'll PM you the information, or just take a risk with it and work in another optional element.
Oh, I have JUST the worst idea for this... you'll see that soon. :D
And I had a procedural question wrecan. For optional element 8, the potential entry I'm working on is... well, the LBEG and the BBEG have a very interesting relationship which resembles that of a parent and their child, even though they're not the same species. Can I claim this element for my entry? If necessary I'll PM you the information, or just take a risk with it and work in another optional element.
Good question, which brings up another. For element 8 does 'parent or offspring' require genealogical links or is it broad enough to cover foster or step children fit into it as well? Can it extend down the line (grand parent or further) as well?
Oh, I have JUST the worst idea for this... you'll see that soon. :D
And I had a procedural question wrecan. For optional element 8, the potential entry I'm working on is... well, the LBEG and the BBEG have a very interesting relationship which resembles that of a parent and their child, even though they're not the same species. Can I claim this element for my entry? If necessary I'll PM you the information, or just take a risk with it and work in another optional element.
I think you'll have to risk it. If there is no blood relationship, then the relationship has to be akin to an adoption. I don't want to know the details until you post your entry.
To Barmp: Yes -- stepchildren and adoption apply. If it didn't, my sister and nieces (who are all adopted) would rat me out to mom! The key, though is that there has to be a parent-child relationship. If the LBEG was an adult, moved away from home , and then the LBEG's father married the BBEG, then I think you'd be hard-pressed to meet the element.
Hubert woke up one day with a splitting headache to find that he was no longer a mere dumb animal: he had been given intelligence by a young human druid, Jylarra. The girl told him that his family had been killed by goblins, but having arrived too late to the scene, she was only able to save him. Hubert couldn't help but believe her, and decided that he owed her his life. But he didn't know at the time--and still hasn't figured out--that Jylarra is quite insane, and won't be satisfied until the entire region has been brought under her thumb. Jylarra spent much of the next few years giving Hubert an education to go with his newfound sentience, teaching him woodcraft and hunting skills to augment his natural predatory instincts. He has no memory of his life before his awakening and little real concept of the world beyond what Jylarra has taught him, but he views the little girl as his "little sister" and will do anything to please her. He can often be found leading sorties against encroaching civilized lands or poachers, and has taught himself a unique fighting style designed to take advantage of his powerful frame and wicked claws.
Personality
Hubert's personality remains largely unchanged by his newfound intelligence. He's as irritable and ferocious as any other owlbear, and will often taunt, gloat, or threaten anyone within in earshot during his raids. If anyone blames him for being behind the attacks, he accepts responsibility proudly (although he'd never do so if Jylarra is present). Killing or capturing him, however, will not stop the attacks, and it quickly becomes clear through any extended conversation that Hubert barely has the mental capacity to lead himself, much less a guerilla army.
Tactics:
Hubert may be smarter than your average owlbear, but he's not a tactical genius. He prefers to wade right into the thick of things, targeting any foe he percieves as the most powerful. He spends an action point early in the fight to use twin strike the first time he fails to grab a foe. Hubert typically will only engage in a few rounds of combat before retreating back into the woods, preferring to use the hit-and-run tactics that Jylarra favors. However, if ordered to accomplish an important goal, or if he believes Jylarra to be in danger, Hubert fights to the death, seeking to kill as many enemies as he can in the process.
Possible Ways To Encounter Hubert:
Humanoid civilization has again begun to spring up at the edges of Jylarra's forest, and the usual tricks haven't persuaded them to abandon their new settlement. Hubert and a few other creatures attack the town with the intent of burning it to the ground.
Level 17 Encounter (8,400 XP)
Hubert, Awakened Owlbear Level 15 Solo Skirmisher (6,000XP) Dire Bear x2 Level 11 Elite Brutes (1,200XP each)
Level 16 Encounter (7,000 XP)
Maybe the party has come across the remains of a settlement or group recently attacked by Hubert, or perhaps they interrupt the attack. Hubert abandons whatever of his allies remain and takes off running through the forest, leaving the PC's to give chase before he escapes into the wild.
Complexity: 5 (requires 12 successes before 3 failures).
Acrobatics (20): You dodge past an obstacle, vault over a fallen tree, or squeeze through two trees to close or lengthen the distance between you and your opponent. A failed check indicates that you take a spill and lose one healing surge, in addition to counting as a failure for the challenge.
Athletics (20): You run fast, leap over a ditch, or swim through a river to gain an advantage in the chase. A failed check indicates that you get banged up and lose one healing surge, in addition to counting as a failure for the challenge.
Perception (13): You spot a shortcut, notice a clear trail, or otherwise aid your cause. Using this skill doesn’t count as a success or failure for the challenge, but instead provides a +2 bonus or a –2 penalty to the next character’s skill check.
Nature (25): You know enough about the layout of the forest to figure out where Hubert's probably going, and to avoid the most obvious dead ends and pitfalls.
Success: The party catches up to Hubert as he escapes through the woods, forcing him to stand and fight. He does so without hesitation and does not flee if cornered in this manner. Combat begins immediately.
Failure: Hubert's speed and familiarity with the area get the better of the PCs, who lose track of him during the chase. Hubert's tracks vanish into a nearby stream, forcing the PCs to abandon the search for now.
I based this mechanically on the Owlbear, level-adjusted to 15 and changed to a Skirmisher. I then applied the Ranger elite template and tweaked the numbers a bit to fit more closely to the DMG guidelines. Jylarra's left deliberately vague, but is definately the insane spoiled brat you might picture as being the sort who'd awaken an owlbear and train them to obey. The defenses have been tweaked slightly to keep them from getting extremely high, so they're a bit lower than usual. Unlike normal owlbears, Hubert's got a lower Will defense than Reflex.
Optional Elements: At least one confrontation is a non-combat skill challenge that uses no Charisma-based skills as primary skills. The villain is the spouse, offspring, or parent of the main antagonist. The villain is neither humanoid nor unintelligent. When first encountered, the villain appears to be the main antagonist, but isn’t.
The key, though is that there has to be a parent-child relationship. If the LBEG was an adult, moved away from home , and then the LBEG's father married the BBEG, then I think you'd be hard-pressed to meet the element.
