This thread is a multi-purpose thread. First of all I have some new material for Vladimir Gygyr which I have already been posting material for. I have some new spells, some rules for surgery as well as a small list of mental operations, and I have two new magical equipments. I also have the revamped Physician PrC which is intended to be used for apprentices of Vladimir Gygyr.
In addition to this material, I am also looking for someone who would like to give me a hand doing some maps, since I am putting all of my Vladimir Gygyr material together in a PDF, just to make it more presentable and accessible. I already have a skilled painter, a friend of mine, doing a few pictures of Vladimir Gygyr and some of his creations and minions, but I suck at making maps and I don't really know any good map-makers. If you are interested, let me know and we can talk further about it. Its not something I am paying for, and if and when I get the PDF together it will just be available to be downloaded for anyone thats interested.
Anyways, on to the material.
-Physician-
Student of Vladimir Gygyr
The body is full of mysteries, especially in our minds lie untold secrets waiting to be unravelled. Now hand me that scalpel and help me find them.
Becoming a student: As eccentric as Vladimir Gygyr might be, he is a master of both medicine and necromantic magic. Having lived for hundreds of years, he has solved many of the mysteries of both the body and the mind, and many have sought his council. Those that become students of Vladimir Gygyr must display skills in both medicine and magic for him to accept them. He believes that medicine and magic must be combined to provide the best results, and should anyone seek to become his student without mastering both, he will not accept that person as his student. Vladimir Gygyr also believes that the true power of a doctor is the power to decide between life and death. Vladimir believes that all people have an intrinsic value based on how much benefit they provide to the society they live in, and this value should be used as a basis for the medical treatment people receive. An old man who no longer works the fields or benefits the village with his wisdom is worth less than a young man who provides for his family through his profession. Therefore, the doctor has some moral requirements for his students in addition to the professional requirements. He demands that his students have the will to choose between life and death of those that seek their aid. If an old person comes to them, or a person suffering from a physical or mental condition which prevents them from benefiting the society, the student should have the willpower to condemn such a person to death. Since a body can be a powerful tool in the hands of a skilled physician and necromancer, a tool to aid in unravelling the secrets of both trades, the student should have no moral qualms over putting a person to death to gain greater knowledge from their body. After all, if the student learns the secret to curing a dangerous disease or a debilitating mental illness from the body of a person that wasn’t providing anything to the community anymore, then the sacrifice of a single person is morally justified by the benefit his death has brought to the world as a whole.
The Physician is a skilled arcane spell caster as well as a trained doctor. Having been trained by Vladimir Gygyr, they have significant powers within the fields of Necromancy and medicine. They gain the power to use the Heal skill for operations not normally possible. The Physician considers himself morally superior to most people, and this has a tendency to make the Physician slightly arrogant when socialising with people who know nothing of magic nor medicine. As annoying as the Physician might be, his skills ensures that he will always a valuable asset to a community.
Adventurers: The Physician is able to fulfil two roles in an adventuring party. He is a capable arcane spell caster and he can use his magic almost to the same extent as a wizard or sorcerer. His abilities in healing also ensures that he can provide some assistance to his wounded comrades. Even in a party that has access to magic healing, a Physician is still valuable addition to the repertoire of such a class as the Cleric.
Hit Dice: 1d4
Requirements
To qualify to become a Physician, a character must fulfil all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any non-good
Skills: Heal 2 ranks
Feats: Spell Focus (Necromancy)
Spells: Must be to cast at least two spells from the school of Necromancy.
Special: Must have studied for at least two years under Vladimir Gygyr.
Class Skills
The Physician’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually)(Int), Profession(Wis) and Spellcraft (Int).
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Improved Medicine, Scholarly Healing, Lesser Lore of Gygyr
2 +1 +0 +0 +3
3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Skilled Care, Lore of Gygyr
4 +2 +1 +1 +4
5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Secrets of Gygyr, Greater Lore of Gygyr
Improved Medicine: The Physician is trained in the use of medicine and the Circumstance bonus gained from having a Healer’s Kit is increased to +4, instead of +2.
Scholarly Healing: The Physician may choose to use his Intelligence as key ability for his heal skill instead of Wisdom.
Lesser Lore of Gygyr: The Physician has been granted access to the sacred spell books of Vladimir Gygyr. He may write down any spells up to level 3 from these books.
Skilled Care: The Physician learns how to improve the health of those that come to seek his council. By giving a person medical treatment and tending to any conditions which may weaken his resistance to illnesses, the target will receive a +2 bonus to his next Fortitude Saving Throw made to resist disease or poison. It takes the Physician 30 minutes to treat a patient and the Physician must succeed at a Heal check for the treatment to be successful (DC 15). The effect of the treatment will vanish one month after the patient received the treatment + 1 week for each point by which the Physician succeeded his Heal check. For example, if the Physician treats a patient and his rolls 21 on his Heal check, the patient will receive the +2 to bonus to his first Fortitude Saving Throw made to resist disease or poison for up to 1 month and 6 weeks after he visited the Physician. The bonus granted from Skilled Care is automatically used if the target is subjected to poison or disease, it is not possible for the target to choose not to use the bonus and save it for later.
Lore of Gygyr: The Physician has been granted access to more of the spells created by Vladimir Gygyr. He may write down and learn any spells up to level 6 from the list of Vladimir Gygyr’s spells.
Secrets of Gygyr: The Physician learns the most secret aspects of the teachings of Vladimir Gygyr. He may perform the operations described below and he can produce any of the magic items also described in this document. The Physician must still fulfil all of the prerequisites for creating the items found in this document, as well as paying the full creation cost of the item.
Greater Lore of Gygyr: The Physician has been granted access all of the spells created by Vladimir Gygyr. He may write down and learn any spells up to level 9 from the list of Vladimir Gygyr’s spells.
New Spells
Gygyr’s Vitae Orb
Necromancy (Evil)
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
On a rack in the doctor’s study stood a wooden rack. The adventurers could not help but to wonder what those little, glass orbs contained that were neatly arranged in the rack. The orbs were full of a thick, yellow liquid that seemed to pulsate with an odd light.
Gygyr’s Vitae Orb consumes some of the life essence of a living creature and binds this essence into an orb. The spell must be cast on a sentient creature of one of the following types: Aberrations, Dragons, Fey Giants, Humanoids and Outsiders. If the spell is cast and the target fails his Fortitude Saving Throw, the caster has successfully drawn a dose of life essence from the target. The target suffers one Negative Level. This negative level can only be cured by Restoration, and only if the caster uses a Vitae Orb to restore the lost energy to the target. After Gygyr’s Vitae Orb has been cast on a target, the glass orb which is the material component of the spell fills up with a thick, yellow liquid which consists of pure life energy. This Vitae Orb can not be used for anything by itself, but it acts as a Material Component for some other spells created by Vladimir Gygyr.
Material Component: A small, glass orb (worth 10 gp).
Gygyr’s Necromantic Scalpel
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Effect: Creates a black scalpel of necromantic energy.
Duration: 1 hour / level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
The doctor carefully examined his patient. The brain lay open before him, exposed and ready to be operated upon. Gygyr let out a faint giggle. “Such a beautiful canvas you are, such a pure mind you have, and what a beautiful piece of art you will become by my hand”.
Gygyr’s Necromantic Scalpel summons forth a thin, black ray which consists purely of necromantic energy. This black ray can be used as a weapon if necessary, but it only causes one point of Negative Energy damage if used in this way. Its primary purpose is to be used as a tool for performing mental operations (mental operations are listed below). The focus for the spell, a blackened iron rod, acts as the hilt for the ray, allowing the caster to wield the scalpel without directly touching it himself.
Beyond the mental operations mentioned below, the scalpel is also suitable for assisting the caster in removing poison or disease from a subject. The scalpel is excellent for passing into a living body without causing the body almost any harm, and directly killing poison or disease. Using the scalpel grants the wielder a +2 circumstantial bonus to any Heal check made to treat a poisoned or diseased person. It is possible for a person other than the caster to wield the scalpel once it has been created.
Arcane Focus: A thin rod of black iron which acts as the hilt for the scalpel once it is created.
Gygyr’s Übermensch
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 30 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: One unborn child
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The party had noticed something odd in the village during their time there. The villagers, despite the blight inflicted upon them by Gygyr, seemed to be at good health and none of them bore the usual deformities and illnesses common in most small villages this far to the north.
Gygyr’s Übermensch is cast on an unborn child to ensure that it will be free of flaws once it is born. The spell takes a long time to cast, so it is hard to cast it on an unwilling mother unless she is somehow restrained. If the mother willingly allows the spell to be cast on her, she naturally doesn’t have to roll a Fortitude Saving Throw or Spell Resistance check.
Gygyr’s Übermensch completely removes all defects and weaknesses from the unborn child. The child will not have any ability scores that are below average for its race. The caster can also choose two ability scores that the child will be especially strong in. The child will have a natural +2 bonus to these two ability scores when it is born. The child will also have a innate resistance to disease and poison after it is born, granting it a +2 bonus to all Fortitude Saving Throws against disease or poison.
What follows is an example of how to determine the ability scores of a human that has been affected by Gygyr’s Übermensch before it was born. Nero the human rolled the following ability scores: Strength 14, Constitution 11, Dexterity 7, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 10 and Charisma 11. Since the average ability score for a human is 10, his Dexterity and Intelligence both become 10 instead of 7 and 8. The person who cast Gygyr’s Übermensch on him before he was born intended for Nero to become a warrior when he grew up, so it was decided to increase his Strength and Constitution by +2. Therefore, Nero’s final ability scores are: Strength 16, Constitution 13, Dexterity 10, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 10 and Charisma 11.
It is only possible to affect an unborn child with Gygyr’s Übermensch once. Anyone affected by the spell will have an appearance that is slightly odd when they grow up, depending on the ability scores that were increased by the caster. If their Strength was increased, their muscles will look slightly unnatural and big. If their Constitution was increased, they will look more bulky and broad than what is usual for their race. If their Dexterity was increased, their limbs will be slightly elongated. If their Intelligence or Wisdom was increased, they will have an abnormally large head with high temples. If their Charisma was increased, their appearance will be disturbingly flawless.
Material Component: A vitae orb, created by Gygyr’s Vitae Orb.
Surgery
See the pale fluid coming out of the gland, my student? It’s pure adrenalin. You will see once I get this jammed into the head of the patient, you will see energy and aggression as you have never seen before.
Doctor Vladimir Gygyr is not purely a madman and a megalomaniac. He is also a very intelligent and well-educated man, a student of both medicine and magic. Through the combination of both, he has re-invented the application of surgery on the living. His knowledge is based on great amounts of trial and error work done to some of his patients over the years, some willing and some not.
The list of operations below is not conclusive, but includes some of those most commonly performed by the doctor and his pupils. Many of them require additional magical spells or components to properly work. All of them require a fully equipped medical laboratory. Such a laboratory requires that 2000 gold coins are spent on medical equipment and a space at least twenty times twenty feet big.
All of these operations also require the one performing them to have a Gygyr’s Necromantic Scalpel active.
If any of these operations take an amount of time measured in days instead of hours, it is assumed that the one performing the operation operates for 12 hours a day during this time. It is not possible to take 10 or 20 on the Heal checks.
Aggression
Time: 12 hours
Heal DC: 21
Type: Mental
Additional Requirements: None
Rise Egan, rise from your bed. The operation was a success, do you hear me son? I have given you a great power, the power to prevail in battle. You will feel the blood burning in your veins when someone confronts you, you will be a machine of destruction, an excellent tool in my hands. Protect me my son; protect me from all those that wish me harm.
The Aggression operation removes parts of the targets brain that normally inhibit their behaviour. The operation also chemically strengthens parts of the subject’s brain that are responsible for the production of adrenaline. The result is that the subject becomes more aggressive and less inhibited in his behaviour in combat. The subject receives a +2 bonus to resist all spells and effects that would make him unable to attack (includes Daze, Hold Person, Sleep, even Web). The subject only receives this bonus if he is engaged in combat when the spell or effect is used on him. The subject is also far less susceptible to negotiation than normal people. Anyone trying to use Diplomacy to stop the subject from attacking them suffers a -8 penalty to their skill check. The subject himself suffers a -2 penalty to Wisdom and Charisma as a result of the operation.
Amnesia
Time: 16 hours
Heal DC: 22
Type: Mental
Additional Requirements: Three castings of Detect Thoughts
Bah, this patient is a lost cause. Nothing seems to work, he can’t even stop screaming like a child when I work on him. Nothing more to do than discard him. Just need to do a little adjustment before letting him go, seeing as the vast horde are ignorant of the ways of modern science and could be easily spooked if he told of his experiences here.
The Amnesia operation removes parts of the targets memory synapses. By using the Detect Thoughts spell to pinpoint the active parts of the patient’s memory, the surgeon can remove the parts the store recent events. The operation is rather complex and time-consuming, but some surgeons love it since it enables them to experiment on patients and then remove all the patients’ memory of the experiments. If the operation is a success, all of the patient’s memory of the previous 1d4+1 weeks is completely erased. Nothing can restore the lost memory, as the parts of the brain in which they were stored have been completely removed.
Numbness
Time: 7 days
Heal DC: 24
Type: Mental
Additional Requirements: None
When I first came up with this operation, I thought it was a purely beneficial one, but I have seen of the bad side-effects of it over time. Such carelessness the patients sometimes display, pouring boiling water on them self for the sake of pure fun or stabbing them to prove something to the lovely woman in the inn. Perhaps pain is there for a reason?
This operation completely severs the part of the brain that feels pain. The patient becomes unable to feel pain in any way or form. Even the feeling of hunger and thirst gets diminished from the operation. The patient gains a permanent +10 bonus to all Concentration checks, but he also suffers a -4 penalty to all Listen, Search and Spot checks due to his lowered sensibility. The patient becomes immune to any effects which cause the target to become fatigued or exhausted.
Obedience
Time: 24 hours
Heal DC: 24
Type: Mental
Additional Requirements: Two castings of Touch of Idiocy
It’s all about will, you see? Many people that walk around without being a benefit to society do not do so because they can’t; they do so because they don’t have the will to give something back to the world that created them. Fortunately, this procedure cures that problem.
The Obedience operation isolates the part of the brain that deals with creativity and free will. By isolating these parts of the brain and using a few targeted castings of Hold Person, they can be rendered permanently paralysed. This will cause the patient to loose a lot of his mental proves, but it will also cause him to become docile and obedient. The patient looses 1d4+1 points of Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma if the operation is successful. The patient looses the will to take any actions on his own accord, but will readily do anything he is asked to do. The patient can barely manage to remember to eat and drink if not told to do so, but if asked to perform a simple task, he will do so until the task is complete or he drops to the ground from exhaustion. The patient isn’t suited for combat though, as a side-effect of the operation is that he looses virtually all natural aggression.
Failed Operations
It is possible for an operation to fail. If the person operating fails his Heal check, the subject he is operating on must make a Fortitude Saving Throw. The DC is the same as the Heal check DC. If the subject fails his Saving Throw, the operation has permanently injured him in one way or another. Roll d10 and determine the injury from the list below. No matter which injury the subject sustains, the operation is a failure and the subject gains none of the benefits mentioned under the operation.
D10 Injury
1 Death: The subject has received fatal amounts of tissue damage and dies on the operating table.
2 Mentally handicapped: The subject has received massive trauma to his brain during the operation. As a result, his Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma suffer a permanent -6 penalty. Only a Miracle or Wish can cure this damage.
3 Necromantic Attractor: The subject has reacted negatively to the introduction of necromantic energy into his body. He suffers a permanent -2 penalty to all Saving Throws made to resist spells and effects from the school of Necromancy, as well as abilities used on him by Undead creatures. If anyone casts a Necromantic spell within 30 ft. of him, he will feel a strong pain which will cause him to be dazed for one round.
4 Idiocy: The subject receives minor brain damage from the operation, resulting in a permanent -2 penalty to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. A Restoration spell can restore the lost ability scores.
5 Lost limb: Roll 1d4. On a roll of 1, the subject looses his left arm, on a roll of 2 he looses his right arm, on a roll of 3, he looses his left leg and on a roll of 4 he looses his right leg. If the operation is mental, the operator has accidentally injured the part of the brain which handles the motor skills of the affected limb, causing the limb to become completely atrophied and useless. If the operation is physical, the affected limb is outright destroyed by massive damage. A Heal spell can restore the lost limb.
6 Necromantic Surge: An accidental surge of necromantic energy causes 5d10 points of Negative Energy damage to the subject and causes him to loose one character level, as per the Enervation spell.
7 Phobia: The subject gains a random phobia. The exact phobia is determined by the DM. The subject suffers a -4 penalty to all rolls made in the presence of the subject of his phobia. Possible phobias are: Arcane Magic, Birds, Bright Light, Closed Spaces, Crowds, Divine Magic, Females, Males, Open Spaces, Reptiles, Spiders. The DM is free to invent phobias of his own.
8 Atrophy: The subject has his body significantly injured. He gains a permanent -4 penalty to Strength and Constitution. A Restoration spell can restore his lost ability points.
9 Shielded Mind: The subject suffers a substantial amount of damage to his brain. This damage severs some parts of the brain which are usually vulnerable to mind-affecting abilities, resulting in the subject gaining a permanent +2 bonus to all Will Saves. The subject unfortunately becomes less aware of his surroundings and suffers a -5 penalty to all skill checks that use Wisdom as ability modifier.
10 Torn Body: The subject has his body heavily injured by the operation, but this penalty has the unexpected advantage of strengthening the subject instead of weakening him. The subject gains permanent damage reduction 3/-. This damage reduction stacks with other sources of damage reduction. The subject is though heavily scarred by the operation and suffers a permanent -6 penalty to all skill checks that have Charisma as ability modifier.
Magic Items
Armor and Weapons
Mechanised Battle Plate
The Mechanised Battle Plate is the most combat-oriented item invented by Vladimir Gygyr. After an attack on his house, he found that some of his minions could use an item to assist them in the defence of his premises. The Mechanised Battle Plate is a foul contraption which combines technology with magic. The armor appears to be a simple full plate when seen from a distance. On closer inspection, it is possible to see a complex web of metal tubes which travel all along the limbs of the armor. Mounted on the back of the armor is a small coal-powered steam engine as well as a contraption which holds both small vials of blood as well as Vitae Orbs.
The Mechanised Battle Plate is a +3 Full Plate with many additional functions built into it by Vladimir Gygyr. First of all, the steam engine located on the back of the armor powers strength boosting pistons built into the armor itself. These pistons enhance the wielders strength, granting him a +2 Mechanical bonus to Strength.
There are 4 sockets in the back of the armor which can hold Vitae Orbs. The person wearing the armor has four switches built into his right wrist. As a free action, the wielder can activate one of these switches, causing a Vitae Orb to be emptied into his blood stream, healing him of 3d8+5 points of damage. It takes two full rounds to replace an empty Vitae Orb.
There are also 6 sockets in the back of the armor which can hold vials of blood (see above for rules about blood). The person wearing the armor has six switches on his left wrist which when activated transmits the blood directly into his body. Activating a switch counts as a free action. When thus activated, the wearer will go into a blood frenzy which is similar to a barbarians rage. For 5 rounds after activating the switch, the wearer has a +4 bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +2 bonus to Will saves, but a -2 penalty to his Armor Class. This rage is the same as a barbarians rage, and all of the same penalties apply. As with barbarians rage, the wearer is also fatigued once the rage ends (unless he has had the Numbness operation performed on him, as described above).
Aura: Strong Necromancy
Caster Level: 5th
Requirements: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Bull’s Strength, Heroism, Vampiric Touch
Price: 46.700 gp
Wondrous Items
Surgical Biografts
The Surgical Biografts is another item which combines mechanical machines and Necromantic magic. The Surgical Biografts consist of a number of medical tools which are built directly into the body of the recipient. The item consists of a flexible set of mental receptors which are attached to the spinal cord of the recipient. These mental receptors are attached to two mechanical arms which are attached to the shoulder of the recipient. These two mechanical arms will protrude right above the natural arms of the recipient. These extra arms do not have hands, but instead a broad selection of medical equipment. These arms grant the recipient +4 circumstantial bonus to Heal checks. If a person equipped with Surgical Biografts performs an operation as described above, and fails his Heal check, then he has the option of adding or subtracting one point from his roll on the Failed Operations table. He may add or subtract a point after he has made his roll, to receive a result he finds more suitable. The subject is considered to always have a Healer’s Kit available in regards to special actions which require such a kit (but the +4 circumstantial bonus overrides the +2 circumstantial bonus granted by a Healer’s Kit). The person fitted with Surgical Biografts suffers a -2 penalty to his Dexterity due to the extra bulk of the grafts.
Attaching Surgical Biografts to a person takes 12 hours and requires a Heal check (DC 20). It is not possible for the person receiving the graft to operate them unto himself. If the operation fails, the grafter must roll on the Failed Operations table above.
Aura: Faint Transmutation
Caster Level: 13th
Requirements: Craft Wondrous Items, Animate Objects
Price: 8.000 gp
In addition to this material, I am also looking for someone who would like to give me a hand doing some maps, since I am putting all of my Vladimir Gygyr material together in a PDF, just to make it more presentable and accessible. I already have a skilled painter, a friend of mine, doing a few pictures of Vladimir Gygyr and some of his creations and minions, but I suck at making maps and I don't really know any good map-makers. If you are interested, let me know and we can talk further about it. Its not something I am paying for, and if and when I get the PDF together it will just be available to be downloaded for anyone thats interested.
Anyways, on to the material.
-Physician-
Student of Vladimir Gygyr
The body is full of mysteries, especially in our minds lie untold secrets waiting to be unravelled. Now hand me that scalpel and help me find them.
Becoming a student: As eccentric as Vladimir Gygyr might be, he is a master of both medicine and necromantic magic. Having lived for hundreds of years, he has solved many of the mysteries of both the body and the mind, and many have sought his council. Those that become students of Vladimir Gygyr must display skills in both medicine and magic for him to accept them. He believes that medicine and magic must be combined to provide the best results, and should anyone seek to become his student without mastering both, he will not accept that person as his student. Vladimir Gygyr also believes that the true power of a doctor is the power to decide between life and death. Vladimir believes that all people have an intrinsic value based on how much benefit they provide to the society they live in, and this value should be used as a basis for the medical treatment people receive. An old man who no longer works the fields or benefits the village with his wisdom is worth less than a young man who provides for his family through his profession. Therefore, the doctor has some moral requirements for his students in addition to the professional requirements. He demands that his students have the will to choose between life and death of those that seek their aid. If an old person comes to them, or a person suffering from a physical or mental condition which prevents them from benefiting the society, the student should have the willpower to condemn such a person to death. Since a body can be a powerful tool in the hands of a skilled physician and necromancer, a tool to aid in unravelling the secrets of both trades, the student should have no moral qualms over putting a person to death to gain greater knowledge from their body. After all, if the student learns the secret to curing a dangerous disease or a debilitating mental illness from the body of a person that wasn’t providing anything to the community anymore, then the sacrifice of a single person is morally justified by the benefit his death has brought to the world as a whole.
The Physician is a skilled arcane spell caster as well as a trained doctor. Having been trained by Vladimir Gygyr, they have significant powers within the fields of Necromancy and medicine. They gain the power to use the Heal skill for operations not normally possible. The Physician considers himself morally superior to most people, and this has a tendency to make the Physician slightly arrogant when socialising with people who know nothing of magic nor medicine. As annoying as the Physician might be, his skills ensures that he will always a valuable asset to a community.
Adventurers: The Physician is able to fulfil two roles in an adventuring party. He is a capable arcane spell caster and he can use his magic almost to the same extent as a wizard or sorcerer. His abilities in healing also ensures that he can provide some assistance to his wounded comrades. Even in a party that has access to magic healing, a Physician is still valuable addition to the repertoire of such a class as the Cleric.
Hit Dice: 1d4
Requirements
To qualify to become a Physician, a character must fulfil all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any non-good
Skills: Heal 2 ranks
Feats: Spell Focus (Necromancy)
Spells: Must be to cast at least two spells from the school of Necromancy.
Special: Must have studied for at least two years under Vladimir Gygyr.
Class Skills
The Physician’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually)(Int), Profession(Wis) and Spellcraft (Int).
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Improved Medicine, Scholarly Healing, Lesser Lore of Gygyr
2 +1 +0 +0 +3
3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Skilled Care, Lore of Gygyr
4 +2 +1 +1 +4
5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Secrets of Gygyr, Greater Lore of Gygyr
Improved Medicine: The Physician is trained in the use of medicine and the Circumstance bonus gained from having a Healer’s Kit is increased to +4, instead of +2.
Scholarly Healing: The Physician may choose to use his Intelligence as key ability for his heal skill instead of Wisdom.
Lesser Lore of Gygyr: The Physician has been granted access to the sacred spell books of Vladimir Gygyr. He may write down any spells up to level 3 from these books.
Skilled Care: The Physician learns how to improve the health of those that come to seek his council. By giving a person medical treatment and tending to any conditions which may weaken his resistance to illnesses, the target will receive a +2 bonus to his next Fortitude Saving Throw made to resist disease or poison. It takes the Physician 30 minutes to treat a patient and the Physician must succeed at a Heal check for the treatment to be successful (DC 15). The effect of the treatment will vanish one month after the patient received the treatment + 1 week for each point by which the Physician succeeded his Heal check. For example, if the Physician treats a patient and his rolls 21 on his Heal check, the patient will receive the +2 to bonus to his first Fortitude Saving Throw made to resist disease or poison for up to 1 month and 6 weeks after he visited the Physician. The bonus granted from Skilled Care is automatically used if the target is subjected to poison or disease, it is not possible for the target to choose not to use the bonus and save it for later.
Lore of Gygyr: The Physician has been granted access to more of the spells created by Vladimir Gygyr. He may write down and learn any spells up to level 6 from the list of Vladimir Gygyr’s spells.
Secrets of Gygyr: The Physician learns the most secret aspects of the teachings of Vladimir Gygyr. He may perform the operations described below and he can produce any of the magic items also described in this document. The Physician must still fulfil all of the prerequisites for creating the items found in this document, as well as paying the full creation cost of the item.
Greater Lore of Gygyr: The Physician has been granted access all of the spells created by Vladimir Gygyr. He may write down and learn any spells up to level 9 from the list of Vladimir Gygyr’s spells.
New Spells
Gygyr’s Vitae Orb
Necromancy (Evil)
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
On a rack in the doctor’s study stood a wooden rack. The adventurers could not help but to wonder what those little, glass orbs contained that were neatly arranged in the rack. The orbs were full of a thick, yellow liquid that seemed to pulsate with an odd light.
Gygyr’s Vitae Orb consumes some of the life essence of a living creature and binds this essence into an orb. The spell must be cast on a sentient creature of one of the following types: Aberrations, Dragons, Fey Giants, Humanoids and Outsiders. If the spell is cast and the target fails his Fortitude Saving Throw, the caster has successfully drawn a dose of life essence from the target. The target suffers one Negative Level. This negative level can only be cured by Restoration, and only if the caster uses a Vitae Orb to restore the lost energy to the target. After Gygyr’s Vitae Orb has been cast on a target, the glass orb which is the material component of the spell fills up with a thick, yellow liquid which consists of pure life energy. This Vitae Orb can not be used for anything by itself, but it acts as a Material Component for some other spells created by Vladimir Gygyr.
Material Component: A small, glass orb (worth 10 gp).
Gygyr’s Necromantic Scalpel
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Effect: Creates a black scalpel of necromantic energy.
Duration: 1 hour / level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
The doctor carefully examined his patient. The brain lay open before him, exposed and ready to be operated upon. Gygyr let out a faint giggle. “Such a beautiful canvas you are, such a pure mind you have, and what a beautiful piece of art you will become by my hand”.
Gygyr’s Necromantic Scalpel summons forth a thin, black ray which consists purely of necromantic energy. This black ray can be used as a weapon if necessary, but it only causes one point of Negative Energy damage if used in this way. Its primary purpose is to be used as a tool for performing mental operations (mental operations are listed below). The focus for the spell, a blackened iron rod, acts as the hilt for the ray, allowing the caster to wield the scalpel without directly touching it himself.
Beyond the mental operations mentioned below, the scalpel is also suitable for assisting the caster in removing poison or disease from a subject. The scalpel is excellent for passing into a living body without causing the body almost any harm, and directly killing poison or disease. Using the scalpel grants the wielder a +2 circumstantial bonus to any Heal check made to treat a poisoned or diseased person. It is possible for a person other than the caster to wield the scalpel once it has been created.
Arcane Focus: A thin rod of black iron which acts as the hilt for the scalpel once it is created.
Gygyr’s Übermensch
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 30 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: One unborn child
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The party had noticed something odd in the village during their time there. The villagers, despite the blight inflicted upon them by Gygyr, seemed to be at good health and none of them bore the usual deformities and illnesses common in most small villages this far to the north.
Gygyr’s Übermensch is cast on an unborn child to ensure that it will be free of flaws once it is born. The spell takes a long time to cast, so it is hard to cast it on an unwilling mother unless she is somehow restrained. If the mother willingly allows the spell to be cast on her, she naturally doesn’t have to roll a Fortitude Saving Throw or Spell Resistance check.
Gygyr’s Übermensch completely removes all defects and weaknesses from the unborn child. The child will not have any ability scores that are below average for its race. The caster can also choose two ability scores that the child will be especially strong in. The child will have a natural +2 bonus to these two ability scores when it is born. The child will also have a innate resistance to disease and poison after it is born, granting it a +2 bonus to all Fortitude Saving Throws against disease or poison.
What follows is an example of how to determine the ability scores of a human that has been affected by Gygyr’s Übermensch before it was born. Nero the human rolled the following ability scores: Strength 14, Constitution 11, Dexterity 7, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 10 and Charisma 11. Since the average ability score for a human is 10, his Dexterity and Intelligence both become 10 instead of 7 and 8. The person who cast Gygyr’s Übermensch on him before he was born intended for Nero to become a warrior when he grew up, so it was decided to increase his Strength and Constitution by +2. Therefore, Nero’s final ability scores are: Strength 16, Constitution 13, Dexterity 10, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 10 and Charisma 11.
It is only possible to affect an unborn child with Gygyr’s Übermensch once. Anyone affected by the spell will have an appearance that is slightly odd when they grow up, depending on the ability scores that were increased by the caster. If their Strength was increased, their muscles will look slightly unnatural and big. If their Constitution was increased, they will look more bulky and broad than what is usual for their race. If their Dexterity was increased, their limbs will be slightly elongated. If their Intelligence or Wisdom was increased, they will have an abnormally large head with high temples. If their Charisma was increased, their appearance will be disturbingly flawless.
Material Component: A vitae orb, created by Gygyr’s Vitae Orb.
Surgery
See the pale fluid coming out of the gland, my student? It’s pure adrenalin. You will see once I get this jammed into the head of the patient, you will see energy and aggression as you have never seen before.
Doctor Vladimir Gygyr is not purely a madman and a megalomaniac. He is also a very intelligent and well-educated man, a student of both medicine and magic. Through the combination of both, he has re-invented the application of surgery on the living. His knowledge is based on great amounts of trial and error work done to some of his patients over the years, some willing and some not.
The list of operations below is not conclusive, but includes some of those most commonly performed by the doctor and his pupils. Many of them require additional magical spells or components to properly work. All of them require a fully equipped medical laboratory. Such a laboratory requires that 2000 gold coins are spent on medical equipment and a space at least twenty times twenty feet big.
All of these operations also require the one performing them to have a Gygyr’s Necromantic Scalpel active.
If any of these operations take an amount of time measured in days instead of hours, it is assumed that the one performing the operation operates for 12 hours a day during this time. It is not possible to take 10 or 20 on the Heal checks.
Aggression
Time: 12 hours
Heal DC: 21
Type: Mental
Additional Requirements: None
Rise Egan, rise from your bed. The operation was a success, do you hear me son? I have given you a great power, the power to prevail in battle. You will feel the blood burning in your veins when someone confronts you, you will be a machine of destruction, an excellent tool in my hands. Protect me my son; protect me from all those that wish me harm.
The Aggression operation removes parts of the targets brain that normally inhibit their behaviour. The operation also chemically strengthens parts of the subject’s brain that are responsible for the production of adrenaline. The result is that the subject becomes more aggressive and less inhibited in his behaviour in combat. The subject receives a +2 bonus to resist all spells and effects that would make him unable to attack (includes Daze, Hold Person, Sleep, even Web). The subject only receives this bonus if he is engaged in combat when the spell or effect is used on him. The subject is also far less susceptible to negotiation than normal people. Anyone trying to use Diplomacy to stop the subject from attacking them suffers a -8 penalty to their skill check. The subject himself suffers a -2 penalty to Wisdom and Charisma as a result of the operation.
Amnesia
Time: 16 hours
Heal DC: 22
Type: Mental
Additional Requirements: Three castings of Detect Thoughts
Bah, this patient is a lost cause. Nothing seems to work, he can’t even stop screaming like a child when I work on him. Nothing more to do than discard him. Just need to do a little adjustment before letting him go, seeing as the vast horde are ignorant of the ways of modern science and could be easily spooked if he told of his experiences here.
The Amnesia operation removes parts of the targets memory synapses. By using the Detect Thoughts spell to pinpoint the active parts of the patient’s memory, the surgeon can remove the parts the store recent events. The operation is rather complex and time-consuming, but some surgeons love it since it enables them to experiment on patients and then remove all the patients’ memory of the experiments. If the operation is a success, all of the patient’s memory of the previous 1d4+1 weeks is completely erased. Nothing can restore the lost memory, as the parts of the brain in which they were stored have been completely removed.
Numbness
Time: 7 days
Heal DC: 24
Type: Mental
Additional Requirements: None
When I first came up with this operation, I thought it was a purely beneficial one, but I have seen of the bad side-effects of it over time. Such carelessness the patients sometimes display, pouring boiling water on them self for the sake of pure fun or stabbing them to prove something to the lovely woman in the inn. Perhaps pain is there for a reason?
This operation completely severs the part of the brain that feels pain. The patient becomes unable to feel pain in any way or form. Even the feeling of hunger and thirst gets diminished from the operation. The patient gains a permanent +10 bonus to all Concentration checks, but he also suffers a -4 penalty to all Listen, Search and Spot checks due to his lowered sensibility. The patient becomes immune to any effects which cause the target to become fatigued or exhausted.
Obedience
Time: 24 hours
Heal DC: 24
Type: Mental
Additional Requirements: Two castings of Touch of Idiocy
It’s all about will, you see? Many people that walk around without being a benefit to society do not do so because they can’t; they do so because they don’t have the will to give something back to the world that created them. Fortunately, this procedure cures that problem.
The Obedience operation isolates the part of the brain that deals with creativity and free will. By isolating these parts of the brain and using a few targeted castings of Hold Person, they can be rendered permanently paralysed. This will cause the patient to loose a lot of his mental proves, but it will also cause him to become docile and obedient. The patient looses 1d4+1 points of Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma if the operation is successful. The patient looses the will to take any actions on his own accord, but will readily do anything he is asked to do. The patient can barely manage to remember to eat and drink if not told to do so, but if asked to perform a simple task, he will do so until the task is complete or he drops to the ground from exhaustion. The patient isn’t suited for combat though, as a side-effect of the operation is that he looses virtually all natural aggression.
Failed Operations
It is possible for an operation to fail. If the person operating fails his Heal check, the subject he is operating on must make a Fortitude Saving Throw. The DC is the same as the Heal check DC. If the subject fails his Saving Throw, the operation has permanently injured him in one way or another. Roll d10 and determine the injury from the list below. No matter which injury the subject sustains, the operation is a failure and the subject gains none of the benefits mentioned under the operation.
D10 Injury
1 Death: The subject has received fatal amounts of tissue damage and dies on the operating table.
2 Mentally handicapped: The subject has received massive trauma to his brain during the operation. As a result, his Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma suffer a permanent -6 penalty. Only a Miracle or Wish can cure this damage.
3 Necromantic Attractor: The subject has reacted negatively to the introduction of necromantic energy into his body. He suffers a permanent -2 penalty to all Saving Throws made to resist spells and effects from the school of Necromancy, as well as abilities used on him by Undead creatures. If anyone casts a Necromantic spell within 30 ft. of him, he will feel a strong pain which will cause him to be dazed for one round.
4 Idiocy: The subject receives minor brain damage from the operation, resulting in a permanent -2 penalty to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. A Restoration spell can restore the lost ability scores.
5 Lost limb: Roll 1d4. On a roll of 1, the subject looses his left arm, on a roll of 2 he looses his right arm, on a roll of 3, he looses his left leg and on a roll of 4 he looses his right leg. If the operation is mental, the operator has accidentally injured the part of the brain which handles the motor skills of the affected limb, causing the limb to become completely atrophied and useless. If the operation is physical, the affected limb is outright destroyed by massive damage. A Heal spell can restore the lost limb.
6 Necromantic Surge: An accidental surge of necromantic energy causes 5d10 points of Negative Energy damage to the subject and causes him to loose one character level, as per the Enervation spell.
7 Phobia: The subject gains a random phobia. The exact phobia is determined by the DM. The subject suffers a -4 penalty to all rolls made in the presence of the subject of his phobia. Possible phobias are: Arcane Magic, Birds, Bright Light, Closed Spaces, Crowds, Divine Magic, Females, Males, Open Spaces, Reptiles, Spiders. The DM is free to invent phobias of his own.
8 Atrophy: The subject has his body significantly injured. He gains a permanent -4 penalty to Strength and Constitution. A Restoration spell can restore his lost ability points.
9 Shielded Mind: The subject suffers a substantial amount of damage to his brain. This damage severs some parts of the brain which are usually vulnerable to mind-affecting abilities, resulting in the subject gaining a permanent +2 bonus to all Will Saves. The subject unfortunately becomes less aware of his surroundings and suffers a -5 penalty to all skill checks that use Wisdom as ability modifier.
10 Torn Body: The subject has his body heavily injured by the operation, but this penalty has the unexpected advantage of strengthening the subject instead of weakening him. The subject gains permanent damage reduction 3/-. This damage reduction stacks with other sources of damage reduction. The subject is though heavily scarred by the operation and suffers a permanent -6 penalty to all skill checks that have Charisma as ability modifier.
Magic Items
Armor and Weapons
Mechanised Battle Plate
The Mechanised Battle Plate is the most combat-oriented item invented by Vladimir Gygyr. After an attack on his house, he found that some of his minions could use an item to assist them in the defence of his premises. The Mechanised Battle Plate is a foul contraption which combines technology with magic. The armor appears to be a simple full plate when seen from a distance. On closer inspection, it is possible to see a complex web of metal tubes which travel all along the limbs of the armor. Mounted on the back of the armor is a small coal-powered steam engine as well as a contraption which holds both small vials of blood as well as Vitae Orbs.
The Mechanised Battle Plate is a +3 Full Plate with many additional functions built into it by Vladimir Gygyr. First of all, the steam engine located on the back of the armor powers strength boosting pistons built into the armor itself. These pistons enhance the wielders strength, granting him a +2 Mechanical bonus to Strength.
There are 4 sockets in the back of the armor which can hold Vitae Orbs. The person wearing the armor has four switches built into his right wrist. As a free action, the wielder can activate one of these switches, causing a Vitae Orb to be emptied into his blood stream, healing him of 3d8+5 points of damage. It takes two full rounds to replace an empty Vitae Orb.
There are also 6 sockets in the back of the armor which can hold vials of blood (see above for rules about blood). The person wearing the armor has six switches on his left wrist which when activated transmits the blood directly into his body. Activating a switch counts as a free action. When thus activated, the wearer will go into a blood frenzy which is similar to a barbarians rage. For 5 rounds after activating the switch, the wearer has a +4 bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +2 bonus to Will saves, but a -2 penalty to his Armor Class. This rage is the same as a barbarians rage, and all of the same penalties apply. As with barbarians rage, the wearer is also fatigued once the rage ends (unless he has had the Numbness operation performed on him, as described above).
Aura: Strong Necromancy
Caster Level: 5th
Requirements: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Bull’s Strength, Heroism, Vampiric Touch
Price: 46.700 gp
Wondrous Items
Surgical Biografts
The Surgical Biografts is another item which combines mechanical machines and Necromantic magic. The Surgical Biografts consist of a number of medical tools which are built directly into the body of the recipient. The item consists of a flexible set of mental receptors which are attached to the spinal cord of the recipient. These mental receptors are attached to two mechanical arms which are attached to the shoulder of the recipient. These two mechanical arms will protrude right above the natural arms of the recipient. These extra arms do not have hands, but instead a broad selection of medical equipment. These arms grant the recipient +4 circumstantial bonus to Heal checks. If a person equipped with Surgical Biografts performs an operation as described above, and fails his Heal check, then he has the option of adding or subtracting one point from his roll on the Failed Operations table. He may add or subtract a point after he has made his roll, to receive a result he finds more suitable. The subject is considered to always have a Healer’s Kit available in regards to special actions which require such a kit (but the +4 circumstantial bonus overrides the +2 circumstantial bonus granted by a Healer’s Kit). The person fitted with Surgical Biografts suffers a -2 penalty to his Dexterity due to the extra bulk of the grafts.
Attaching Surgical Biografts to a person takes 12 hours and requires a Heal check (DC 20). It is not possible for the person receiving the graft to operate them unto himself. If the operation fails, the grafter must roll on the Failed Operations table above.
Aura: Faint Transmutation
Caster Level: 13th
Requirements: Craft Wondrous Items, Animate Objects
Price: 8.000 gp
Last edited:
