Myrgle, Gnoll Vampire Lord
Adept L19; med humanoid; AL NE; CR 24; age 232
HD 21d12+20; hp 200 hp;
Init +7; Spd 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (perfect); AC 33 (+3 Dex, +13 natural, +6 chain shirt);
BAB +10/+5; Atk +16/+11 melee or +13/+8 ranged;
SV Fort +16, Ref +18, Will +28;
Str 22, Dex 16, Con --, Int 20, Wis 24 (26), Cha 20
(16th and 20th level stat bump +1 to Wis)
Skills (116 points): Bluff +13*, Concentration +21, Diplomacy +12 (25), Hide +11*, Intimidate +5 (25), Knowledge (religion) +23 (29), Listen +1* (21), Move Silently +11*, Search +13*, Sense Motive +19*, Spot +1* (21), Spellcraft +17 (20) Wilderness Lore +19 (25)
Feats: Alertness*, Combat Reflexes*, Dodge*, Improved Initiative*, Iron Will*, Leadership*, Lightning Reflexes*, Thrall to Demon (Yeenoghu), Willing Deformity, Deformity (gaunt), Dark Speech, Violate Spell, Craft Staff, Empower Spell, Malign Spell Focus
Languages: abyssal, common, gnoll
*Gained from vampire template
Armor:
Chain Shirt +2, +6, speed 30ft, 25 lbs.
Weapons:
Vile Unholy Heavy Flail +4: Atk +20/+15 melee, Dmg 1d10+2d6+12 plus 1 vile, crit 19-20/x2
Slam: Atk +16 melee, Dmg 1d6+8 plus energy drain, crit x2
Other Gear:
pearl of power (1st level spells), scroll of death knell, cloak of resistance +2, symbol of Yeenoghu (magical holy symbol, grants +2 to Wis, +2 to intimidate checks, and allows the wielder to summon 1d8 dretches 1/week), Staff of Yeenoghu*
*Staff of Yeenoghu: This plain black iron staff functions as a Staff of Corruption with the added ability to become a +4 vile unholy heavy flail on command. The staff also doubles the amount of 3rd through 5th level spells an evil divine spell caster can memorize per day.
Spells: 3/5/5/10/8/6
Save DC = 18 (20 for evil spells) + spell level
Commonly Prepared Spells
0 – cure minor wounds, detect magic, slash tongue
1st – seething eye bite, inflict light wounds (1d8+5), sleep, burning hands, protection from good
2nd – dark bolt, web, bull’s strength, burning hands (violated), resist elements (fire)
3rd – lightning bolt (3), serpent arms of Theggeron, bestow curse, dark bolt (violated), burning hands (empowered), red fester, circle of nausea, devil’s eye, rotting curse of urfestra,
4th – lightning bolt (violated) (2), stone skin, wall of fire, stop heart, polymorph other, abyssal might, damning darkness
5th – true seeing, harm (2), lightning bolt (empowered), dark bolt (empowered, violated), true seeing,
Special Attacks: The saving throw, where applicable, is DC 25, which is 10 plus half of Myrgle’s 21 hit dice plus his Charisma modifier of +5.
Domination (Su): Myrgle can crush an opponent’s will by looking into his or her eyes or simply by the sound of his voice. This is similar to a gaze attack but requires Myrgle to take a standard action; those merely looking at Myrgle are not affected. Anyone targeted by Myrgle must succeed at a Will saving throw are fall instantly under his influence as though by a dominate person spell cast at 12th level. This ability has a range of 30 ft.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit my Myrgle’s slam attack suffer 3 negative levels.
Blood Drain (Su): Myrgle can suck the blood from a living victim with his fangs by making a successful grapple check. If he pins his foe, he drains blood, inflicting 1d4+2 points of permanent constitution damage each round the pin is maintained.
Special Qualities:
Alternate Form (Su): Myrgle can assume the shape of any animal as the druid ability wild shape at 12th level. Myrgle can use this power at will as a move equivalent action and can change from one animal form to another without reverting to his gnoll form.
Children of the Night (Su): Myrgle can summon a pack of 4d8 dire rats, 10d10 bats, or 3d6 hyenas as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve Myrgle until released. Further, Myrgle can sense through the senses of any such commanded creatures, and communicate empathically with them, to a range of 10 miles.
Control Weather (Sp): Myrgle can cast either control weather or fog cloud as a 12th-level sorcerer at will.
Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by Myrgle’s energy drain rises as a vampire 1d4 days after burial.
Damage Reduction (Ex): Myrgle’s tough undead body grants him damage reduction 10/+3
Fast Healing (Ex): Myrgle heals 8 points of damage per round so long as he has at least 1 hit point.
Gaseous form (Su): Myrgle can assume gaseous form at will, as the spell cast by a 5th level sorcerer.
Resistance (Ex): Myrgle has cold and electricity resistance 20.
Spider Climb (Ex): Myrgle can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell.
Telekinesis (Su): Myrgle can use telekinesis (caster level 12th) at will.
Telepathy (Su): A vampire lord can communicate telepathically with any living creature within 100 feet that has a language, and with any vampire under its direct control to a range of 1 mile.
Turn Resistance (Ex): Myrgle has +8 turn resistance.
As Yeenoghu’s chosen instrument of death and destruction on the prime material plane, Myrgle has become great and terrible indeed. He commands a vast swath of the High Forest having driven off or slain all of the wood elves in that region. Myrgle’s portion of the forest is now called the Bleakwood” due to the perpetual gloom that shrouds the place as well as the sick corrupted look of the plant life there. Many fell creatures inhabit the wood including packs of prowling gnoll vampires and vampire spawn continually in search of living things to feed upon. At the center of this terrible place lies the Fane of Desecration, the fully restored temple dedicated to Yeenoghu and the seat of Myrgle’s power. From the fane Myrgle commands a veritable army of undead, ranks and ranks of zombies and skeletons stand motionless around the temple awaiting orders and packs of ghouls and other free willed undead roam the surrounding forest. Myrgle is served personally by 4 powerful gnoll vampires that enforce his will and quell any uprising among the ranks of lesser vampires and undead.
Myrgle has gained much power over the last century and has become an even more powerful from of undead, a vampire lord. He has sired countless vampire progeny, and slain almost as many when they attempted to usurp his power. Yeenoghu has bestowed many blessings on his chosen and Myrgle has learned many dark arcane secrets and forbidden spells, he has also constructed a powerful staff in the name of his lord. The staff of Yeenoghu is a minor artifact and required the sacrifice of literally thousands of sentient humanoids to create. Myrgle wields this terrible device as a symbol of his power and his devotion to Yeenoghu.
Those who have actually met Myrgle in combat, had any survived, would describe a being of darkest evil and irresistible power. The transition to Vampire lord has worked a profound change on Myrgle, no longer is he the hideous twisted creature he was before his ascension; he now resembles a young healthy gnoll with thick shining fur and strong youthful limbs. His mere presence is intoxicating and the smooth tenor of his voice can lull even the strongest minds into subservient stupor. He is still surrounded, however, by an aura of ineffable evil and when he is roused to anger he is truly terrifying. Myrgle enters melee readily with weaker opponents, flailing away with the Staff of Yeenoghu and leaving shattered skulls and broken bodies in his wake. Against stronger opponents he will let his minions swarm an adversary and hang back using his spells and vampiric abilities.
Over the past century dozens of powerful adventuring bands have entered the Bleakwood in an attempt to destroy Myrgle and his minions, none have returned. Myrgle’s domain is now left in relative peace until the powers of good in the region can devise a way to deal with the ever-growing menace. With the wood elves eliminated Myrgle now looks beyond his forest to the human towns and settlements that lay on its border, The day is soon coming when Myrgle will lead an army of undead to ravage and slay all in its wake and either triumph in the name of Yeenoghu or be destroyed in the process.
