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A Ravenloft Domain Lord

Palskane

First Post
Hey everyone! I wanted to get some input on a Domain Lord in Ravenloft. I have just transported my PC's to the Domains of Dread and they are currently in Falkovia. The Lord there is Valdimir Drakov, and though I have the RL Campaign Setting, no stats are given for him.

This isn't really too much of a problem, as I wanted to stat him out myself anyways. But, I wanted to come here for some help.

If anyone is familiar with Falkovia, the citizens are branded at birth upon their foreheads with the symbol of Drakov: a hawk's head. I remember somebody posting here at ENWorld some spells they designed; Gygyr's Taint, Gygyr's Malevolent Shield, etc...

I thought this was a perfect opportunity for me to yoink those spells and apply them to the people of Falkovia. :D

Now, though other Domain lords may be more powerful, for the purposes of my game, Drakov would need to be no higher then 12th-13th level and no lower than 10th. Since the Gygyr spells are Sorc/Wiz spells then obviously he'd have to be primarily an arcane caster. A level of melee wouldn't hurt, but isn't necessary.

So, what sort of build do you think is best?
 

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Sigurd

First Post
Too low a level

If you have to stay at that level. Why don't you stat out a higher level lord and then have the party confront a Symalcrum created by Drakov. If the imposter scares them enough thoughts of facing the original should really get em.

Also this begs the questions:

Where is the real Drakov?

If he can leave here how can we be sure he wont follow us for revenge?

S
 

Palskane

First Post
Excellent idea!

So what sort of level would you recommend for the real Drakov? Closer to 20th? If I can figure out what level the real Drakov is, then I can figure out the Simulacrum since it would be half.
 

saucercrab

Explorer
I don't have the RLCS, but TSR's 2nd Edition Domains of Dread hardcover book has Vlad Drakov of Falkovnia (different spellings for both?) statted out as a 15th level human fighter with 50% magic resistance, wielding a rod of flailing.

Also, who or what is Gygyr, that would necessitate Drakov being an arcane caster? (I don't have access to Search here, & Google keeps throwing a bunch of foreign links at me.)
 

Palskane

First Post
I don't have access to Search either and I forget who posted the spells. I'll repost them here, and hopefully whomever came up with them won't think I am taking credit for them.

Gygyr’s Taint
Necromancy (Evil)
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: One creature of the same race as caster
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Spell Resistance: No

Oh sweetness, oh tenderness, do not worry dear, it’s merely a little spell, do not worry. You must trust me if you want me to make you well again. After all, you are my patient and I am your doctor, why would I hurt you?

Gygyr’s Taint is by itself not a very powerful spell. It is though a very important part in the collection of spells made by Vladimir Gygyr. It places a small core of corrupted arcane energy inside the target. This arcane energy is attuned to the caster and allows the caster to tap into the essence of his target after the spell has been cast.
Due to the casting time of the spell, it’s mainly used on targets that are otherwise incapacitated, or targets that believe that the caster is casting a beneficial spell. The spell can only be cast on a target of the same race as the caster, attempting to cast it on a target of another race will cause the spell to fail.
A target affected by Gygyr’s Taint will not feel the spell in any way, once inside the target the spell is virtually harmless. A target affected by Gygyr’s Taint will have a -1 penalty to all Saving Throws made to resist Necromancy spells from the caster. This is the only immediate effect of the spell. The spell is though a prerequisite for many of the other spells designed by Vladimir Gygyr and once a target has been tainted, the caster has many options available to him to draw upon the life-essence of the target.
Detect Evil and True Sight can spot Gygyr’s Taint as a small core of evil energy inside the target. The spell can not be detected with Detect Magic. Gygyr’s Taint can be removed only by a character with the Turn Undead ability. By touching a target and using Turn Undead, the spell can be removed permanently. It can not be removed by Dispel Magic or other spells or effects that normally remove magic. The caster will instinctively know if anyone removes his spell from any of his targets.
Any person can only be affected by one Gygyr’s Taint. If you cast Gygyr’s Taint on a target already affected by Gygyr’s Taint, the spell will fail.
Material Component: A small piece of organ tissue from a creature of the same race as the caster.


Gygyr’s Malevolent Shield
Necromancy (Evil)
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Effect: Damage taken by the caster can be transferred to tainted targets.
Duration: 1 minute / level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Without any warning, one of the villagers inside the inn fell to the floor. Blood gushing from a terrible wound in his neck, he tried to speak but nothing came out. A few seconds passed, and then the villager laid still. They had begged the band of adventurers, begged them on their knees not to attack the tower of Vladimir Gygyr.

Gygyr’s Malevolent Shield requires that the caster has at least one person affected by Gygyr’s Taint. The spell creates a link between the caster and those targets he has affected by Gygyr’s Taint. This link protects the life energy of the caster and transfers some of the damage taken by him to the people he has tainted. Each time the caster suffers any damage, there is a 25% chance that all the damage taken is transferred to one of the targets he has tainted. If he has more than one person affected by Gygyr’s Taint, a random target suffers the damage instead of the caster.
All forms of normal damage can be transferred through the use of this spell. Ability damage, ability drain and other effects that damage the caster can not be transferred. Only damage measured in Hit Points are affected by the spell.


Gygyr’s Astonishing Health
Necromancy (Evil)
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Personal
Effect: Renders the caster resistant to diseases and poisons
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

We tried everything, we tried poisoning the master’s food, we tried putting snake venom in his wine, and we even tried taking some flesh from those killed by the plague and putting it in his house. The master is not of this world, and thus nothing from this world can hurt him.

Gygyr’s Astonishing Health requires that the caster has at least ten people affected by Gygyr’s Taint. The spell causes the caster to become far more resistant to disease and poison by drawing upon the health of those he has tainted.
For every ten people tainted by the caster, he gains a +1 (maximum +5) profane bonus to any Saving Throws made to resist disease or poison. All people tainted by the caster suffer a -1 penalty to any Saving Throws made to resist disease or poison, as the spell weakens their body. The people tainted do not notice this weakness.
Material Component: A small vial of poison and a small piece of flesh tainted by disease.


Gygyr’s Endurance
Necromancy (Evil)
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Effect: Caster gains a large temporary bonus to his Constitution.
Duration: 1 round / level
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Spell Resistance: No

Why shouldn’t I use these people as pawns? People are ignorant; most of them do not know what is truly good for them. I watch over this village, I protect it from harm, and thus the villagers have a duty to protect me as well.

Gygyr’s Endurance requires that the caster has at least one person affected by Gygyr’s Taint. When the spell is cast, one random person affected by Gygyr’s Taint by the caster is drained of all life, and that life is temporarily transferred to the caster. The caster can not choose which person is affected by Gygyr’s Endurance, the target is randomly determined. The target is allowed a Fortitude Saving Throw to resist the spell. If he fails, he dies as his life energy is drawn from his body and into the caster. The caster gains a profane bonus to his Constitution equal to the natural Constitution score of the drained target for the duration of the spell. If the target is affected by any spells or effects which increase his Constitution, these effects are not transferred as well.


Gygyr’s Enforcement
Necromancy (Evil)
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Effect: Enforces the taint already affecting a target
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (see description)
Spell Resistance: No

What should we do, brave knight? Vladimir Gygyr isn’t a menace to our village. He IS our village, his blood is mixed with our own and his life is tied to ours.

Gygyr’s Enforcement only affects a target if that target has already been affected by Gygyr’s Taint. Gygyr’s Enforcement makes it almost impossible to remove Gygyr’s Taint from the target without hurting him. If anyone removes Gygyr’s Taint from a target also affected by Gygyr’s Enforcement, the target has to roll a Fortitude Saving Throw or die from having the taint torn from his body. The target receives no Saving Throw to resist the spell when it is initially cast, only when the taint is removed is a Saving Throw allowed.


Gygyr’s Immortality
Necromancy (Evil)
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 day
Range: Personal
Effect: Renders the caster resistant to aging
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

I heard from the old coot living outside the village that Vladimir Gygyr is far older than one would think looking at him. That old coot says that Vladimir was around even when he was young, and that his parents even told him that the doctor lived in his tower when they were young.

Gygyr’s Immortality requires that the caster has at least ten people affected by Gygyr’s Taint. The caster becomes resistant to the effects of aging by draining the life energy of those he has tainted. The physical aging process of the caster is slowed by a percentage equal to the amount of people he has tainted. If he has tainted 10 people, he physically ages 10% slower than a normal person. That means that he will physically age 9 years if 10 years go by. The maximum that the physical aging process can be slowed is 99%, which will result in the caster aging one year physically if a hundred years go by. All people tainted will age significantly faster though, aging five years physically for every four years that go by.
Material Component: A small piece of tissue taken from a person who died from old age, and a small piece of tissue taken from an infant.


Gygyr’s Pledge
Necromancy (Evil)
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 day
Range: Personal
Effect: If the caster dies, all those he has tainted die as well
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The adventurers had packed the tomes from Vladimir’s library on their cart and put the other loot in huge chests and sacks. The young priest who accompanied them had jokingly told how he was looking forward to a year of pampering from the villagers, for having rid them of the old doctor. The adventurers were surprised when the travelled into the village though, as no one came out to greet them, no one were throwing flowers before their feet.

Gygyr’s Pledge requires that the caster has at least one person affected by Gygyr’s Taint. The spell is only used by the most vindictive of magicians, to assure that their death does not go unpunished. If a caster affected by Gygyr’s Pledge dies, all those he has tainted with Gygyr’s Taint will instantaneously die as well. They will all appear to die from the same thing that killed the caster. If the caster dies from being burnt, all the tainted people will burst into flames and perish. If the caster dies from a disease, all the tainted people will seem to develop the same symptoms as the caster and fall over dead. No matter what it is that kills the caster, the death of those he tainted will be instant.
Focus: A sheet of paper on which the caster writes down the names of all those he has tainted with his own blood. If any name is left out, that person will not be affected by the spell.


Since Drakov marks his people at birth I thought it would be fitting that the mark would be the source of the arcane enchantment over them. Of course, maybe the true power isn't even Drakov, but through his Wizard advisor....
 

saucercrab

Explorer
Thanks for posting the spells. Since the names were different I thought that maybe they were two different people.

Palskane said:
Since Drakov marks his people at birth I thought it would be fitting that the mark would be the source of the arcane enchantment over them. Of course, maybe the true power isn't even Drakov, but through his Wizard advisor....
That's possible. Or he could have a wizard's soul trapped in some type of gem/magic item, & uses it to cast the various Gygyr spells.

'Course, you instead could ignore my original post & do your own thing. ;)
 

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