d20 Stats for a Headless Horseman

[Desdichado]

Of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow fame--anyone know where some are, or interested in helping me figure out more or less what it should be like?

I don't mind giving a nod to the Tim Burton version, or even the Walt Disney and Bing Crosby version for that matter, but I'm giving more weight to the original short story.

In case you've never read it; here's the Project Gutenburg version of the story; it's long since passed into the public domain. http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/41

But that doesn't really have tons of details about the horseman himself and what he'd be like.

 

[Doc_Souark]

Don't know about a horseman, but I sure could use a Headless Motorcycilist for a D20 Modern game I got planned. There was a classic episode from Kolchak, nightstalker (the original) with one in it.

 

[szilard]

What sort of CR are you looking at?

You could always use a standard undead type - say a wight (with some ranks in ride - or maybe some class levels and mounted combat feats) on a skeletal horse (or a nightmare if you are feeling nasty). Say that it doesn't have a head (and is blind), but give it Blindsight or Tremorsense or something.

-Stuart

 

[Desdichado]

That's a good question. Probably pretty mid-challenge level. Somewhere between, oh, CR 6 and CR 12. That's a pretty good start--I wonder what would be the best "base undead" creature to start with? In the various versions of the story, the horseman himself seems to be some kind of corporeal ghost, which of course is nonsensical from a D&D perspective.

 

[dougmander]

The Northern Crown Gazetteer has stats for headless riders, page 99. I designed them as undead with frightful presence (Ex) and an ability to hurl severed heads to create either a fireball or a scare spell-like effect. Not sure if that matches your concept or not.

 

[Doc_Souark]

Corpse Creature from BoVD, Fighter -6th and 1 -5 levels of a (evil) prestige class

 

[Doc_Souark]

The Northern Crown Gazetteer has stats for headless riders, page 99. I designed them as undead with frightful presence (Ex) and an ability to hurl severed heads to create either a fireball or a scare spell-like effect. Not sure if that matches your concept or not.

It's IT"S YOU !! I got NC last year, haven't been able to get a group to play it yet, but I loved it {/fanboi mode]

 

[phindar]

Wasn't the headless horseman in the original short story a prank? So wouldn't it be a regular guy with a Disguise skill? (Which is funny in its own way, "He's immune to Turning! My God is powerless against this fiend!" I've always enjoyed playing panicky priests.)

 

[Byrons_Ghost]

This has gotten a couple of good reviews, but I haven't seen it myself:

http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=5624&

 

[Thomas Percy]

Maybe try to use some material from death knight template?

 

[dougmander]

It's IT"S YOU !! I got NC last year, haven't been able to get a group to play it yet, but I loved it {/fanboi mode]

LOL, thanks!

 

[Hawken]

There was a 2nd edition Ravenloft supplement that had a headless horseman in it. Darklords, I believe is the title. No flaming pumpkins, but he ran up and down the road with a sickle that flat out took your head if it hit. I don't know if White Wolf got around to updating it to 3rd edition or not though.

The encounter is kind of lame because he is followed by severed heads rolling and bouncing along the road after him that stop to attack (bite) before moving on after him. Those severed heads are then followed by severed medusa heads which can paralyze but not petrify.

 

[shadow]

There was a 2nd edition Ravenloft supplement that had a headless horseman in it. Darklords, I believe is the title. No flaming pumpkins, but he ran up and down the road with a sickle that flat out took your head if it hit. I don't know if White Wolf got around to updating it to 3rd edition or not though.

The encounter is kind of lame because he is followed by severed heads rolling and bouncing along the road after him that stop to attack (bite) before moving on after him. Those severed heads are then followed by severed medusa heads which can paralyze but not petrify.

Yes, that was from the 2e Ravenloft book Darklords. One of the more interesting Ravenloft darklords. Unfortunately, it never saw a 3e conversion because White Wolf was too busy with the core domains to worry about anything else.

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

What about using the Death Knight template, as has been suggested? Throwin' the punkin' is how he uses his fiery blast of death!

 

[Alzrius]

"My vorpal sword! It does nothing!"



Seriously, check out the The Le Games product linked to above. What more could you ask for than an entire d20 PDF on the subject?

 

[Wraith Form]

From Hobo's sig:
1. You lock the target
2. You bait the line
3. You slowly spread the net, and
4. You catch the man.


Awwwww yeah, it's The 242, is what I'm talkin' about. Nice to see a fellow old skooler.

 

[Wraith Form]

From Casey Smith's review on d20 Magazine Rack:

"If Washington Irvine were alive today, and if he were to play D&D, he'd buy it."

Who the f**k is Washington Irvine?!?

Hoo boy, people. Wikipedia isn't that hard to Google up.

 

[Frostmarrow]

From Hobo's sig:
1. You lock the target
2. You bait the line
3. You slowly spread the net, and
4. You catch the man.


Awwwww yeah, it's The 242, is what I'm talkin' about. Nice to see a fellow old skooler.

Count me in, Headhunter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPpUFBVSyWs

 

[Desdichado]

Awwwww yeah, it's The 242, is what I'm talkin' about. Nice to see a fellow old skooler.

 

[GlassJaw]

I would say a fighter with some kind of undead death knight template and a lot of mounted combat feats and a vorpal weapon.