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Mythological Figures: Brünnhilde (5E)
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<blockquote data-quote="Mike Myler" data-source="post: 7770641" data-attributes="member: 6726030"><p>Are you ready for a valkyrie? Let’s hope so because today in <em><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/list.php?category/56-Mythological-Figures" target="_blank">Mythological Figures</a></em> we’re getting into one of Norse mythology’s premier shield-maidens: <strong>Brünnhilde</strong>![PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/LR39fCCBj5I0ozlHILLybvPej8FlWrrAQIx7zOon8QOOd8RucZx69O1z8pxf2M7QrhzGQtPHBy3XWnhLZ0L63fDnKcV_JsSl5fD_lj6dwf4wwDFFDG7aLEqPM1sl7yb-Iz1zXkVR" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p></p><p></p><p>There’s an enormous amount of information about Brünnhilde (see her <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunhild" target="_blank">her Wikipedia page</a>) and I’ll try to summarize it here. First off there are two versions of this valkyrie: one germanic and the other norse. Whichever one you’re looking at she’s responsible for the death of Siegfried (an epic dragonslaying hero) thanks to a spat with his wife. Ostensibly she’s based on either a Visigothic princess named Brunhilda of Austrasia or less popularly the wife of Ostrogothic general Uraias (slain by king Witiges for insults with his spouse). </p><p></p><p>In the <em>Prose Edda</em> she’s an armor-wearing mountain hermit living behind a wall of flame. Sigurd (same guy as Siegfried) approaches her then later he introduces his buddy Gunnar to her brother (Atli) who reveals Brünnhilde will only wed someone able to ride through the fires. Gunnar wants to but can’t so Sigurd swaps forms with Gunnar, rides through the flame wall, marries her, puts a sword between them to avoid consummation the night of their wedding, they exchange rings that morning, and then he leaves and changes places with Gunnar. Later on she’s washing in the river with Sigurd’s wife Gudrun but gets catty about sharing the water because Gunnar (her husband) is braver than Gudrun’s husband—so Gudrun reveals the trickery of Sigurd and Gunnar. Brünnhilde convinces Gunnar to kill Sigurd, and then afterwards kills herself.</p><p></p><p>Earlier legends sort of conflate her with a figure named Sigrdrífa who’s much more valkyrie-like—Sigurd is led there after tasting the blood of the dragon he famously slayed, she’s sleeping behind a wall of shields, wakens when he cuts the armor grown into her skin, and she demands a fearless suitor. More importantly she teaches Sigurd about runes.</p><p></p><p>There are a bunch of different legends that frequently argue with one another. Sometimes Brünnhilde/Sigrdrífa loves Sigurd so much that she has him killed because she can’t have him, sometimes other people get involved and the murderer is someone other than Gunnar, and the prerequisites for marrying her change too (they must know and overcome fear, not just be fearless, and so on). She’s kind of a mess.</p><p></p><p><em><strong>Design Notes:</strong></em> We’re hearkening back to <em><a href="http://legacy.aonprd.com/bestiary3/valkyrie.html#valkyrie" target="_blank">Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 3</a></em> and updating their valkyrie build. To that end we’ve got a tough warrior with some neat extra abilities—she packs a wallop, has staying power, high mobility, and the ability to pop weakened targets (using Power Attack she has a decent chance to unleash a devastating 52 magical piercing damage with a melee Vital Strike). <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxiv3CBMS4M" target="_blank">Enjoy!</a></p><p></p><p><strong>[HR][/HR]</strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Brünnhilde/Sigrdrífa/Valkyrie</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>Medium celestial, chaotic neutral</em></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Armor Class</span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 20 (plate, shield)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Hit Points </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">133 (14d8+70)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Speed </span></strong></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">30 ft., 90 ft.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></p><table style='width: 100%'><tr><td><strong>STR</strong></td><td><strong>DEX</strong></td><td><strong>CON</strong></td><td><strong>INT</strong></td><td><strong>WIS</strong></td><td><strong>CHA</strong></td></tr><tr><td>18 (+4)</td><td>17 (+3)</td><td>20 (+5)</td><td>13 (+1)</td><td>18 (+4)</td><td>19 (+4)</td></tr></table><p><span style="font-size: 12px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Skills </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Animal Handling +8, Athletics +8, Insight +8, Medicine +8, Perception +8</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Damage Resistances </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">acid, fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Damage Immunities </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">cold, lightning, poison</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Condition Immunities</span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> poisoned</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Senses </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Languages </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Celestial, Common (</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>tongues</em></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Challenge </span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">12 (8,400 XP)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>Brute.</em></span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the Brünnhilde hits with it (included in the attack).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>Choose the Slain (1/Day).</em></span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> Brünnhilde can innately cast </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>imprisonment </em></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">without the need for material components. She is only able to target a recently killed creature, it must be a willing target, and Brünnhilde must choose the Minimus Containment effect. The target is stored inside of Brünnhilde’s sword, regaining 1 hit point after 24 hours.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>Innate Spellcasting.</em></span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> Brünnhilde's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:</span></span><p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Constant: </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>tongues</em></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">At will: </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>aid, death ward, gentle repose, plane shift</em></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> (self and mount only)</span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">3/day: </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>call lightning, geas</em></span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">1/day: </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>conjure celestial, heal,</em></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>revivify</em></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em></em></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em><strong>Magic Resistance.</strong></em></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> Brünnhilde has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em><strong>Powerful Attacks.</strong></em> When Brünnhilde makes her first melee weapon attack in a turn, she can choose to take a -5 penalty to her melee weapon attack rolls in exchange for a +10 bonus to melee weapon damage. In addition, Brünnhilde can use a bonus action or reaction to make one melee weapon attack after she uses a melee weapon to reduce a creature to 0 hit points or scores a critical hit with it. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"></span><u><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">ACTIONS</span></strong></u></p><p><u><strong><span style="font-size: 15px"></span></strong></u></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>Multiattack. </em></span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Brünnhilde attacks six times: four times with her spear and twice with her shield bash.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>Spear. </em></span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack:</em></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>Hit:</em></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 11 (2d6+4) magical piercing damage. Immediately after hitting or missing the target, Brünnhilde’s spear returns to her hand.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>Shield Bash. </em></span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>Hit:</em></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 9 (2d4+4) magical bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><em>Vital Strike.</em></span></strong><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> Brünnhilde makes a single attack, automatically hitting her target and scoring a critical hit. She makes an attack roll with advantage and if she would have successfully hit, the critical hit does twice the maximum damage.</span></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mike Myler, post: 7770641, member: 6726030"] Are you ready for a valkyrie? Let’s hope so because today in [I][URL="http://www.enworld.org/forum/list.php?category/56-Mythological-Figures"]Mythological Figures[/URL][/I] we’re getting into one of Norse mythology’s premier shield-maidens: [B]Brünnhilde[/B]![PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] [CENTER][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial][IMG]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/LR39fCCBj5I0ozlHILLybvPej8FlWrrAQIx7zOon8QOOd8RucZx69O1z8pxf2M7QrhzGQtPHBy3XWnhLZ0L63fDnKcV_JsSl5fD_lj6dwf4wwDFFDG7aLEqPM1sl7yb-Iz1zXkVR[/IMG][/FONT][/COLOR][/CENTER] There’s an enormous amount of information about Brünnhilde (see her [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunhild"]her Wikipedia page[/URL]) and I’ll try to summarize it here. First off there are two versions of this valkyrie: one germanic and the other norse. Whichever one you’re looking at she’s responsible for the death of Siegfried (an epic dragonslaying hero) thanks to a spat with his wife. Ostensibly she’s based on either a Visigothic princess named Brunhilda of Austrasia or less popularly the wife of Ostrogothic general Uraias (slain by king Witiges for insults with his spouse). In the [I]Prose Edda[/I] she’s an armor-wearing mountain hermit living behind a wall of flame. Sigurd (same guy as Siegfried) approaches her then later he introduces his buddy Gunnar to her brother (Atli) who reveals Brünnhilde will only wed someone able to ride through the fires. Gunnar wants to but can’t so Sigurd swaps forms with Gunnar, rides through the flame wall, marries her, puts a sword between them to avoid consummation the night of their wedding, they exchange rings that morning, and then he leaves and changes places with Gunnar. Later on she’s washing in the river with Sigurd’s wife Gudrun but gets catty about sharing the water because Gunnar (her husband) is braver than Gudrun’s husband—so Gudrun reveals the trickery of Sigurd and Gunnar. Brünnhilde convinces Gunnar to kill Sigurd, and then afterwards kills herself. Earlier legends sort of conflate her with a figure named Sigrdrífa who’s much more valkyrie-like—Sigurd is led there after tasting the blood of the dragon he famously slayed, she’s sleeping behind a wall of shields, wakens when he cuts the armor grown into her skin, and she demands a fearless suitor. More importantly she teaches Sigurd about runes. There are a bunch of different legends that frequently argue with one another. Sometimes Brünnhilde/Sigrdrífa loves Sigurd so much that she has him killed because she can’t have him, sometimes other people get involved and the murderer is someone other than Gunnar, and the prerequisites for marrying her change too (they must know and overcome fear, not just be fearless, and so on). She’s kind of a mess. [I][B]Design Notes:[/B][/I] We’re hearkening back to [I][URL="http://legacy.aonprd.com/bestiary3/valkyrie.html#valkyrie"]Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 3[/URL][/I] and updating their valkyrie build. To that end we’ve got a tough warrior with some neat extra abilities—she packs a wallop, has staying power, high mobility, and the ability to pop weakened targets (using Power Attack she has a decent chance to unleash a devastating 52 magical piercing damage with a melee Vital Strike). [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxiv3CBMS4M"]Enjoy![/URL] [B][HR][/HR][/B] [B][SIZE=5]Brünnhilde/Sigrdrífa/Valkyrie[/SIZE][/B] [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial][I]Medium celestial, chaotic neutral[/I][/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial] Armor Class[/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial] 20 (plate, shield)[/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial]Hit Points [/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial]133 (14d8+70)[/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial]Speed [/FONT][/B][/SIZE][FONT=Arial][SIZE=3]30 ft., 90 ft.[/SIZE] [/FONT] [TABLE="class: grid, width: 470"] [TR] [TD="align: center"][B]STR[/B][/TD] [TD="align: center"][B]DEX[/B][/TD] [TD="align: center"][B]CON[/B][/TD] [TD="align: center"][B]INT[/B][/TD] [TD="align: center"][B]WIS[/B][/TD] [TD="align: center"][B]CHA[/B][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]18 (+4)[/TD] [TD="align: center"]17 (+3)[/TD] [TD="align: center"]20 (+5)[/TD] [TD="align: center"]13 (+1)[/TD] [TD="align: center"]18 (+4)[/TD] [TD="align: center"]19 (+4)[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [SIZE=3] [B][FONT=Arial]Skills [/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial]Animal Handling +8, Athletics +8, Insight +8, Medicine +8, Perception +8[/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial]Damage Resistances [/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial]acid, fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons[/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial]Damage Immunities [/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial]cold, lightning, poison[/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial]Condition Immunities[/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial] poisoned[/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial]Senses [/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial]darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18[/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial]Languages [/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial]Celestial, Common ([/FONT][FONT=Arial][I]tongues[/I][/FONT][FONT=Arial])[/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial]Challenge [/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial]12 (8,400 XP) [/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial][I]Brute.[/I][/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial] A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the Brünnhilde hits with it (included in the attack). [/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial][I]Choose the Slain (1/Day).[/I][/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial] Brünnhilde can innately cast [/FONT][FONT=Arial][I]imprisonment [/I][/FONT][FONT=Arial]without the need for material components. She is only able to target a recently killed creature, it must be a willing target, and Brünnhilde must choose the Minimus Containment effect. The target is stored inside of Brünnhilde’s sword, regaining 1 hit point after 24 hours. [/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial][I]Innate Spellcasting.[/I][/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial] Brünnhilde's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:[/FONT][/SIZE][INDENT][SIZE=3][FONT=Arial]Constant: [/FONT][FONT=Arial][I]tongues[/I][/FONT] [FONT=Arial]At will: [/FONT][FONT=Arial][I]aid, death ward, gentle repose, plane shift[/I][/FONT][FONT=Arial] (self and mount only)[/FONT] [FONT=Arial]3/day: [/FONT][FONT=Arial][I]call lightning, geas[/I][/FONT] [FONT=Arial]1/day: [/FONT][FONT=Arial][I]conjure celestial, heal,[/I][/FONT][FONT=Arial][I]revivify[/I][/FONT][/SIZE][/INDENT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial][I] [B]Magic Resistance.[/B][/I][/FONT][FONT=Arial] Brünnhilde has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. [/FONT] [FONT=Arial][I][B]Powerful Attacks.[/B][/I] When Brünnhilde makes her first melee weapon attack in a turn, she can choose to take a -5 penalty to her melee weapon attack rolls in exchange for a +10 bonus to melee weapon damage. In addition, Brünnhilde can use a bonus action or reaction to make one melee weapon attack after she uses a melee weapon to reduce a creature to 0 hit points or scores a critical hit with it. [/FONT] [/SIZE] [SIZE=3] [/SIZE][U][B][SIZE=4]ACTIONS [/SIZE][/B][/U] [SIZE=3][B][FONT=Arial][I]Multiattack. [/I][/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial]Brünnhilde attacks six times: four times with her spear and twice with her shield bash. [/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial][I]Spear. [/I][/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial][I]Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack:[/I][/FONT][FONT=Arial] +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. [/FONT][FONT=Arial][I]Hit:[/I][/FONT][FONT=Arial] 11 (2d6+4) magical piercing damage. Immediately after hitting or missing the target, Brünnhilde’s spear returns to her hand. [/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial][I]Shield Bash. [/I][/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial][I]Melee Weapon Attack:[/I][/FONT][FONT=Arial] +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. [/FONT][FONT=Arial][I]Hit:[/I][/FONT][FONT=Arial] 9 (2d4+4) magical bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. [/FONT] [B][FONT=Arial][I]Vital Strike.[/I][/FONT][/B][FONT=Arial] Brünnhilde makes a single attack, automatically hitting her target and scoring a critical hit. She makes an attack roll with advantage and if she would have successfully hit, the critical hit does twice the maximum damage.[/FONT][/SIZE] [/QUOTE]
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