Kaodi's Rogues Gallery

[Kaodi]

Well, bye-bye first five characters (at least the suffering of a small forest of trees leaves me with written copies of almost everything, not that anyone seemed particularly ethused with anything other than Humourless).

So, the question becomes whether I continue on like nothin' happened, repost the first five and then continue with my plan, or just not bother at all. Not like I was very succesful, it seems anyway.

What do people look for in an NPC? I tried to get some background stuff in, and tie some of the characters in a string (kind of like a Six Degrees of Eberron, or something). All considered, I realize a great failing in that I never really give good physical descriptions of my characters.

Anyway, I never DM, but I seem to have an urge to, so I churn out a lot of stats, and partial stats, and with that, various ideas come and go. For instance, I was thinking about a Radiant Idol of Earth named Achal, and a blue dragon who moonlights as a hobgoblin commander (though since I don't have the Miniatures Handbook, I can't really apply the Marshall class, which is what I want of the concept).

If I continue, I am definately going to try to continue without using many templates. That seems to kind of be a theme of Eberron, that templated creatures are rare, at least ones with the half-template. So, no more half-dragon creatures, though that human spear-wielding sorcerer/fighter/dragon-disciple would be perfectly fine, if I decided to post it (or the axe-wielding one too, you know, the scaly white, hunched over, bearded guy with his cute wings and Mror Stalwart feat).

Anyway, what to do, what to do. There is also the whole solo campaign things, but thats a topic for another areas of the boards, I think.

To loosely quote a fellow: End insane rambling.

 

[Kaodi]

Gah...

The itch to create NPCs just won't go away. I want to know if there is anything someone would like to see, SRD + Eberron only... I've had various ideas, like a Mages of Aundair theme, or Mages of Karrnath, or more new monsters, but I'd like NPCs I post to see some use, and that means making what other people want to see, not just what I want to see.

 

[Kaodi]

Hmmm...

I guess I need to actually post some NPCs for people to show any interest in this thread, I guess it's not really that surprising.

Anyway, my only comment on the thread before the crash was for one of my monsters, so here is an idea for another one, which I have done most of the numbers work for statting up, but need to put in a more finished form...

The Warforged Dragon (Yes, I hear your groans, but bare with me for a moment.)

Deep within the subterranean vaults of the City of Making, a small group of Cannith artificers worked in secret for many years on a new prototype for a warforged. Not your typical humanoid warforged however, a mighty creature based on the sketches and diaries of an explorer who had stumbled upon a wild dragon's lair centuries ago.
The men and women of this small group had finished fashioning the body of the warforged. The neck was too short, and the tail not quick as thick as the real thing, but it was close enough. The body was crafted from vast quantities of mithral, and also incorporated soarwood into its construction. The viscious looking teeth and claws were fashioned from adamantine. They were less than half a year away from putting it into the creation forge to finish the creature when the Day of Mourning struck.
What exactly happened to the prototype after that can not be said, and no living construct ever resulted from their labours, but some power, a fell power, animated the body of the warforged dragon and imbued it with intelligence, albeit a rather weak one. The gargantuan machine was first reported to have been sighted in 995, over a year after the Day of Mourning.
Few accounts exist detailing confrontations with the dragon, but those that do tell of the deadly effectiveness of its adamantine weapons, and the slashing wings, which mysteriously allow it to fly despite the fact that the prepared material was never stretched between its segments. One report, made by a kalashtar warrior travelling with an expedition into the Mournland, speaks of the creature utilizing powers akin to his own races psionics. The dragons most horrifying ability though, is its " breath " . Stories tell of the awful power of a dragons breath, be it fire, lightning or frost, and this construct has one as well. The power of it though comes not from the flames it breathes, for they are not so hot as to be instantly deadly, but from the fact that the flames writhe and dance, becoming like the living spells reported to roam the Mournland. And the dragon summons many, many living spells of fire.
Some believe that the warforged dragon is a creature of the Lord of Blades, but they are wrong. The dragon is feral, at least as feral as a machine can be, and has attacked and destroyed the followers of the Lord of Blades before.
While the warforged dragon has never been spotted outside of the mists surrounding the Mournland, it would be foolish to assume that it can't leave the blasted ruins of Cyre. Should one ever encounter it, the only sensible course of action is to flee. The alternative, as has been demonstrated in every existing account, is to die.

The Warforged Dragon is a gargantuan construct with the psionics subtype, with 20 HD, manifests as a 10th level wilder, and notable possesses a vulnerability to electricity, and an immunity to sonic. I have yet to determine the caster level of the living burning hands spells created by its breath weapon, but they will likely be either 5 or 10, or maybe some of both.

 

[Kaodi]

Sita Seccarith, Reporter

(I think I may finally have an NPC for you all worth using.)

She is perhaps Khorvaire's most renowned journalist and reporter, having uncovered countless tales for readers of newspapers like the Korranberg Chronicle and the Sharn Inquisitive. Sita Seccarith is beautiful, charm, elegant and poised. She is not afriad to face great danger to uncover a story, and she has a heart blacker than the deepest pit of Khyber during Long Shadows.
Sita is a mercenary, though her weapon is made of words, not steel. She is out to amass great fame and fortune, both of which she already has aquired a great deal of already. That is not to say she is in it only for personal gain. Sita does love to see a stirling reputation dragged through the mud, and often she has ruined people for her own personal pleasure, with her victims often meeting tragic or grisly ends.
He clients are the fabulously wealthy, including many secret organizations with deep pockets. For the right price she will spread any rumour or lie, or uncover any truth. Her talents put many methods at her disposal for accomplishing these tasks.
Masquerading as an intrepid defender of truth and justice, Sita has becoming a heroine and an idol for a growing legion of fans. The glamourous lifestyle she indulges in allows her to meet wealthy merchants and aristocrats, even royalty, and she is a common sight at parties and balls all across Khorvaire. Sita is also a regular at the Tain Gala in Sharn, held on the first of every month.
Should someone find themselves in her sights, they had better beware. Sita Seccarith is unmatched in her field, and people all over the continent have been duped into believing her stories. Due to her widespread readership and misplaced trust, she is perhaps one of the most dangerous enemies any hero could have.

Sita Seccarith
Female Half-Elf Bard 5
NE Medium Humanoid (Elf)
Initiative +1; Senses Low-Light Vision; Listen +7, Spot +2
Languages: Common, Elven, Gnome, Halfling

AC 11, Touch 11, Flat-Footed 10
(+1 Dex)
HP 25 (5 HD)
Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +5

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee Unarmed Strike +3 (1d3)
Base Atk +3; Grp +3
Special Action Bardic Music, Spells

Abilities Str 10 Dex 13 Con 8 Int 14 Wis 12 Cha 16
SQ Immunity to Sleep and similar magical effects, +2 racial bonus on saves vs. enchantment spells or effects
Feats Heroic Spirit, Song of the Heart
Skills Balance +5, Bluff +11, Concentration +3, Diplomacy +16, Gather Information +15,
Knowledge (Arcana) +4, Knowledge (Geography) +3, Knowledge (History) +4, Knowledge (Local) +8, Knowledge (Nobility) +7, Listen +7, Perform (Dance) +7, Perform (Oratory) +11, Search +3, Spellcraft +4, Spot +2

Spellcasting (3/4/2, Save DC 13 + Spell Level)
0 - Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Light, Lullaby, Message, Read Magic
1- Charm Person, Detect Secret Doors, Hideous Laughter, Undetectable Alignment
2- Detect Thoughts, Eagles Spendor, Shatter

Elven Blood

Bardic Knowledge +7

Bardic Music 5/day, Countersong, Fascinate, Inspire Courage +1, Inspire Competence

Sita Seccarith measures 5 feet 7 inches, and weighs 108 pounds, making her quite tall for a half-elf but with a slight build. Her hair is honey blond, and her eyes are a very bright blue-green. She is 49 years old and won't be celebrating her birthday until next year. While her appearance is usually impeccable, Sita isn't afraid to get dirty if she has to. Her wardrobe runs the gamut, from plain and functional, to extravagant and delicate.

 

[Kaodi]

The Dreadful Avenger

Before I go off and actually write up a long stat block and narrative, is there anyone who actually thinks a middle aged chaotic evil human female rogue 2/ranger 3/cleric 5 (The Fury)/Cyran Avenger 5 would be a worthwhile high level villain? I was thinking yesterday of religions and organizations that were lacking a high level signature character... The Daelkyr have Mordain, the Lords of Dust have Melysse (in a sense), the Silver Flame has Krozen, the Keeper has Geth, the druids have Oalian, and Vol has, well, Vol. So, I thought I'd try and come up with a signature character for the Fury, and I was initially thinking of a barbarian/cleric, but they I thought, " Hey, passion and madness would fit really as part of the Cyran Avenger, " and lo, they have a caster progression as well. So any thoughts?

 

[Kaodi]

Long Live The Quenn

During the coterminous phase of Dolurrh, sometimes a spirit, or number or spirits, will escape and bond with an unborn child, subsuming that soul into its own. By those with knowledge, these planetouched beings are known as fiholtu. Physically indistinguishable from the person that should of been, they can often go undetected for decades if they wish to hide their secret from others.

Now, a fiholtu who could shake the foundations of the continent once again and begin a new war has come of age. In a previous life, she was none other than Wroann ir'Wynarn, and remembers what it was like to rule, and dreams of when she will rule again.

Wroann is a chaotic neutral female fiholtu enchantress 2/marshall 2, with conjuration and evocation as prohibited schools. After many failed attempts to convince others of her identity with words, she began the study of enchantment, to learn how to force others to believe in her. As the years go by, she also manages to remember some of her former skills as a leader, and has been using this to add to the ranks of her followers, though they number few at the moment. However, where in her home village she would openly try to convince others that she was truly the former Queen of Breland, now she lures others with promises of wealth and power when she achieves her unnamed goal. Wroann was not the name her new parents gave her, but after leaving home she took it open discovering how many children had been named after her. Why hide it if you did not have to? Also, she looks nothing like her former self. She is attractive enough, but with her plain brown hair, grey eyes and tanned skin, she does not approach her former beauty. But then again, what are illusions and transmutations for?

Obviously, the reappearance of Queen Wroann, in any form, could have dire consequences and lead to many different plots, a few of which I will outline:

1. It is well known that none of King Borannel's children are quite fit to rule, and who could be more fit to replace him than Breland's most beloved monarch? Not everyone believes in her true identity, but many who do become rabid supporters of Wroann retaking the throne. Of course, even some who believe she is the Queen returned to the living do not believe she should take back what is no longer hers. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister and his allies in the Swords of Liberty are having an absolute fit. Wroann could easily demolish in a single stroke everything they have worked for their entire lives.

2. Not all family reunions are happy, and a meeting between Wroann and Kaius could result in many plots being undone, or even new plots being formed. It would not take long for Wroann to recognize her brother, and if she were to reveal his identity, it would mean for chaos in Karrnath. Of course, perhaps she would be favourable to that, but who in Khorvaire could possibly make a better coonspirator than her very own brother? Death and rebirth has changed them both, and in each other they may find a way to mutually further their schemes.

3. Having always been sickened by the usurpation of her brother Thalin's kingdom by the theocracy of the Silver Flame, Wroann has a deep and abiding hatred for the new Thrane. In the short term, she might support Aundairs efforts to retake Thaliost, though she has no love for that nation either. Alternately, she would likely devout considerable energy to having Diani crowned, at least until she saw an opportunity to unite Thrane and Breland under the Brelish monarchy.

4. Mishann. The hatred Wroann has for Thrane is but a pale flame compared to how much she loathes her older sister. If she had just stepped down, the entire war could of been avoided, and now her pathetic progeny is trying to make a new home in Breland after having destroying their own homeland. The annihilation of the Cyran remnants is Wroanns highest priority outside of regaining power.

5. When Wroann reigned, unbeknownst to all, a Khoravar nobleman and priest of the Keeper plotted to capture her soul to present to his master. In exchange, his mother would be returned to life, having died when he was very young, on the end of a Keeper's fang in the hands of an assassin. Wroanns own premature death foiled his plans then, but now his master has alerted him to a second chance.

The fiholtu, as planetouched, are outsiders native to Eberron just like aasimar, tieflings, chaods and zenthyri, though the touch of Dolurrh has affected them quite differently than most. They have +2 Str, -2 Wis, +2 Cha, with +1 racial saves vs. death magic and effects, a +1 racial bonus on all attack rolls and a +1 racial bonus to spellcaster and manifester levels of all spellcasting classes. They may also use the spell ancient knowledge once per day as a sorcerer of equal level to their hit dice.