GRIM TALES and evil wizards NPCs

[Turanil]

Well, not so long ago I did ask about including some D&D classes into a Grim Tales campaign, and Wulf suggested to do it without bothering to explain why normal wizards would go along Grim Tales classes restricted on magic.

However, I like coherent explanations in a game. So, I thought about the following NPC necromancer, and would like to know what others around think about it (some flaws I didn't notice), or have ideas for improving it. (Or maybe have some additional and different ideas they could share here)

Grim Tales spellcasters. Normally anybody can cast a spell, provided he has some spellcraft ranks and found a spell-formula that he understood. However, if anyone can cast a spell, it is really draining on the life force, thus can only be done very infrequently. Now, some classes have access to a talent that reduce the life-force draining. Using such talent, a gifted high level Smart Adventurer would make a great magician, while having more hit-points, much more skill-points and feats, and other advantages when compared to a regular wizard. Note btw, that regular wizards (and other SRD spellcasters) are not supposed to exist in a Grim Tales campaign.

That special Necromancer NPC. Now suppose that an evil necromancer found a way to bypass the hidrance of drawing upon his life-force to cast spells. He has found a way, a much evil one in fact. The problem is that he designed his own class (i.e: Wizard necromancer specialist), forfeiting many skill points and feats, and having to also forfeit multiclassing to develop this odious ability. The fact is, the necromancer can still cast spells as everyone else (in this Grim Tales campaign) in drawing upon his lifeforce. However, he has also learned to prepare spells each morning. That is, each spell is prepared linked to a sacrificial victim (usually a slave). Of course, the process is complex and demanding, so he can only prepare a limited selection of spells that increase as he goes up in level (like a normal wizard's spell slots). So, for the prepared spells, when he cast spells he doesn't lose Strength points, but this is the slave / prisoner linked that loses the Constitution instead. Now maybe the slaves must be close, maybe linked with some energy link or what not (something visible, but cannot be severed physically).

What do you think?

 

[Nifft]

Maybe have a 5-level PrC that grants abilities like:

1) Death Knell at will
2) You can use the bonuses from one Death Knell to offset the normal penalty of one spell
3) You can store the life forces of others in crystals / jewelry / paintings / whatever, for use later
4) You can draw upon the souls of the long dead (ghosts, shadows, etc.) to power your spells somehow
5) You can bind undead to your will (rebuke undead)

That, combined with a demon-worshipper PrC for another kind of evil cult wizard, would fit many fantasy archtypes.

-- N

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I wrote a feat called "Dark Ritual" for Grim Tales and then ended up leaving it out (as I think it's more appropriate for NPCs). Let me see if I can recreate it off the top of my head:

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Dark Ritual
You may channel spell burn into a helpless victim.

When you cast a spell, you may first open a channel to a helpless victim to receive the spell burn. For each point of spell burn you would ordinarily suffer, your victim suffers 1 negative level. You must channel all of the spell burn. If your victim is reduced to 0 level or below, at the GMs option, it may immediately rise as an undead such as a shadow, wraith, or spectre (depending on the victim's HD before draining).
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I've left the pre-requisites blank (although I highly recommend that the user must be evil) and I also leave it to you to determine range. Here, I suggest that the caster must physically touch the victim.

That undead that arises, by the way, should be initially hostile to the caster, but could subsequently be turned or controlled by an evil caster.

Wulf

 

[Turanil]

This Dark Ritual spells looks really good (ahem, I mean: evil) for some evil wizard, but maybe difficult to implement with a NPC who must battle the PC with magic. On the other hand, if the PCs were to be captured, an evil mage could chain them to an altar then perform a summoning to a dark power. The summoning spell would then draw on the PCs levels. Nonetheless, being not so evil as a DM, I would only make it a temporary level loss.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

This Dark Ritual spells looks really good (ahem, I mean: evil) for some evil wizard, but maybe difficult to implement with a NPC who must battle the PC with magic. On the other hand, if the PCs were to be captured, an evil mage could chain them to an altar then perform a summoning to a dark power. The summoning spell would then draw on the PCs levels. Nonetheless, being not so evil as a DM, I would only make it a temporary level loss.

Well, keep in mind that Grim Tales is meant to represent the dark magic of "traditional" fantasy.

Evil wizards seem to have a ready supply of hapless victims for their spells without having to make the heroes the hapless victim. Steal a baby, kidnap a princess, drag a victim along with you, or simply make sure you fight the heroes from the safety of your inner sanctum.

As for the level drain, use the existing rules. It's not permanent without failing that Fort save.

Wulf