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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BLACKDIRGE" data-source="post: 932143" data-attributes="member: 1953">Ok, here's a relatively low CR critter for you DMs out there. This monster is connected with the Vampiric Androsphinx, Madastracht, who is detailed earlier in this same thread. Gorvagg is an un-advanced ettin with the vampire template. He is one of Madastracht's more powerful thralls and could provide a good challenge for characters in the 8 to 10 range. According to WoTC Gorvagg is CR 7, but I think that may be a bit low. With his high strength and various magical abilities and resistances I think he could easily give a party of 10th level characters a run for their money, but YMMV.Enjoy.Dirge***********************************************GorvaggEttin VampireLarge UndeadHit Dice: 10d12 (95 hp)Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)Speed: 40 ft.AC: 24 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +13 natural)Attacks: 2 +1 greatswords +16/+11 melee or slam +15 meleeDamage: +1 greatsword 2d6+10, slam 1d8+13 plus energy drainFace/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. /10 ft.Special Attacks: Superior two-weapon fighting, charm, energy drain, children of the night, create spawnSpecial Qualities: Darkvision 90 ft. undead, damage reduction 15/+1, cold and electricity resistance 20, gaseous form, spider climb, alternate form, fast healing 5, vampire weaknessSaves: Fortitude +7, Reflex +7, Will +5Abilities: Str 29, Dex 14, Con --, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 16Skills: Bluff +11, Hide +6, Listen +20, Move Silently +8, Search +18, Sense Motive +10, Spot +21 Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Imroved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Spring AttackClimate/Terrain: Cold and temperate hills, mountains, and undergroundOrganization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 7Treasure: StandardAlignment: Chaotic EvilUndead: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.Superior Two-Weapon Fighting (Ex): An ettin fights with a club or spear in each hand. Because each of its two heads controls an arm, the ettin does not suffer an attack or damage penalty for attacking with two weapons.Domination (Su): Gorvagg 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 Gorvagg to take a standard action, those merely looking at Gorvagg are not affected. Anyone targeted by Gorvagg 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 Gorvagg’s slam attack suffer 2 negative levels.Blood Drain (Su): Gorvagg 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 points of permanent constitution damage each round the pin is maintained. Alternate Form (Su): Gorvagg can assume the shape of a dire bat or a large death dog as the druid abailty wild shape at 12th level.Children of the Night (Su): Gorvagg can summon a pack of 4d8 dire rats, 10d10 bats, or 3d6 death dogs as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve Gorvagg until released.Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by Gorvagg’s energy drain rises as a vampire 1d4 days after burial.Damage Reduction (Ex): Gorvagg’s tough undead body grants him damage reduction 15/+1Fast Healing (Ex): Gorvagg heals 5 points of damage per round so long as he has at least 1 hit point.Gaseous form (Su): Gorvagg can assume gaseous form at will , as the spell cast by a 5th level sorcerer.Resistance (Ex): Gorvagg has cold and electricity resistance 20.Spider Climb (Ex): Gorvagg can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell.Turn Resistance (Ex): Gorvagg has +4 turn resistance.The name for terror in the region around the Aderach plains is personified in the dreaded form of Madastracht, a rapacious and cruel androsphinx vampire that has terrorized the south for generations. This vile creature has controlled its domain with an iron fist through fear, domination and a few loyal and powerful servants who spread their master’s terror to those beyond his immediate reach. Madastracht finds himself in a fine position to sate his desire for theft and murder as the lands he controls feature the only navigable trade route connecting the kingdoms of the north to the sprawling city-states of the southern lands.Merchants and traders whose livelihood depends on the exchange of goods and monies between the north and the south have found that they have little choice but to travel the aptly dubbed “Red Road”, and pray they are left in peace. Madastracht personally enjoys preying on the merchant caravans that wind their way through his lands, descending on the hapless merchants in a storm of teeth and claws. But as powerful as the androsphinx is he cannot be everywhere at once and so calls upon his horde of thralls and minions to achieve the tasks that he himself cannot personally see to. One of these servant, an ettin called Gorvagg, has been given the task of patrolling the “Red Road” with his small band of ogre vampire spawn in search of merchant caravans to loot and victims to slay. Gorvagg is himself a vampire, having been slain by Madastracht and reborn as an undead thrall, a slave to his master’s every whim. Gorvagg holds a special place among his master’s minions, as he was one of the first vampires spawned by the vampiric androsphinx.As a living ettin Gorvagg lead a ragtag collection of roughly fifteen ogres, acting as their chieftain and war captain. Gorvagg, smarter than most ettins, had a modestly successful career as a brigand before he ran afoul of Madastracht along the “Red Road” and was transformed into the bloodthirsty creature he is now. With the plethora of physical and magical enhancements granted by his new form, Gorvagg is a truly terrible opponent and the merchant caravans that have fallen to the vampire ettin and his ogre spawn have been singular examples of carnage and wholesale slaughter. There are frequently no survivors as Gorvagg and his troupe literally tear their victims limb from limb glutting their all-consuming lust for blood in a wild orgy of destruction.Treasure taken from the caravans is hauled up mount Vathrak, a lonely spire that juts up from the plains and houses the lair and treasure trove of Madastracht. The androsphinx allows his chosen minions to keep a few trinkets from their looting such as minor magical items or excess gold and jewels; Gorvagg gained his twin enchanted greatswords in this manner. Gorvagg, is of course, unsatisfied with his lot as a lackey and literal slave to his master’s will, but like all vampire spawn is largely powerless to oppose his master in any direct manner. But, the surprisingly intelligent ettin keeps his eyes open for any opportunity that might allow him to be free of Madastracht’s dominion. Gorvagg knows that even if he were able to oppose Madastracht directly, the androsphinx would easily destroy him and his band of ogres, for this reason Gorvagg has started to search for other means to facilitate his freedom. Gorvagg once witnessed a caravan of merchant drive off Madastracht due to the powerful band of adventurers they had hired to escort them through the androsphinx’s lands. The adventurers had used powerful magic and the divine fury of their party cleric to burn Madastracht with holy fire. Screeching in rage and pain Madastracht had fled into the night leaving the treasure-laden caravan to finish its trek along the “Red Road” completely unmolested.Madastracht’s defeat at the hands of the merchant’s hired adventurers has gotten Gorvagg thinking, and he has kept a vigilant eye out for another such group willing to do more than just keep the androsphinx from destroying merchant caravans. Gorvagg now carefully scouts out any caravans he would normally attack, hoping for another powerful band of heroes like the ones who handed Madastracht his one and only defeat. So far he has found little than untried mercenaries and fledgling adventurers eager to prove their worth but lacking the power and experience required to take down a beast the likes of Madastracht. Gorvagg continues to attack the unfortunate caravans passing through the southern plains but he still harbors some hope that an unscrupulous band of slayers might make their way along the “Red Road” and strike a deal with the ettin vampire. Gorvagg has managed to amass a large amount of gold and magical items taken from Madastracht’s hoard and would readily offer these baubles to a band willing to take on the androsphinx. He would also “sweeten the pot” by telling fabulous tales of the wealth contained in Madastracht’s lair, tales that are for the most part true. Description and TacticsGorvagg resembles a standard ettin in most ways, appearing as a large giant with two bestial coarse, featured heads atop a thick-bodied frame chorded with slabs of iron hard muscle. He is cleaner than most ettins and the hair upon both his heads is well groomed and typically tied in a tight topknot. Gorvagg’s vampiric nature is readily apparent to those unfortunate enough to get close to the ettin. His skin is the color of stark alabaster and his twin sets of eyes glow red with savage glee and barely controlled bloodlust. The hallmark of the vampire, two large pointed canines, is evident on both of Gorvagg’s heads, jutting past his lower lip and gleaming like twin daggers. More sophisticated than his normal kin or ogre followers, Gorvagg dresses in a tight fitting black muslin shirt and loose fitting black breeches, tucked into mammoth knee high leather boots. He often sports a large black cape as well and wears his twin greatswords slung low on both hips.Gorvagg uses sound tactics in his night time caravan raids, typically sending half of his ogre vampire spawn ahead in a direct frontal assault while Gorvagg himself and the remaining ogres sneak up behind the occupied merchants and guards. Gorvagg has been a vampire for well over twenty years and is well versed in his various abilities and weaknesses. To date Gorvagg has never been defeated, he is smart enough to realize when he his outclassed and will typically leave large well guarded caravans alone, trusting that his master will take out these more dangerous groups. If a group appears particularly powerful it is possible that Gorvagg will approach the caravan alone, risking his own destruction, in the hopes that he might be able to strike a deal with a powerful group of adventurers and end his servitude to Madastracht in well timed bloody coupe. So far he has had no takers and has had to flee for his life on more than one occasion when his obvious evil alignment have provoked an immediate attack. Despite these setbacks, Gorvagg remains hopeful, for even if he is unable to facilitate Madastracht’s destruction himself, the androsphinx’s predations on the vital merchant caravans cannot continue forever. Eventually a direct and determined assault on the powerful vampire will be the only recourse of the beleaguered northern and southern peoples, and then Gorvagg will have little to do but keep out of sight and watch his overconfident master meet his destruction.</blockquote>

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