LordArchaon
Explorer
Within every Vampire lurks a predatory creature, driven to feed on blood time and again. For many Vampires it is a curse, something to keep in check, an unavoidable price for their powers. These Vampires maintain the pretences of the living, moving amongst human society and concealing their nature. Yet not all Vampires care for the trappings of life or seek to control their inner urges. There are a few Vampires who embrace their thirst, who allow the bestial hunter within to take over.
These are the Varghulfs, blood-mad killers that exist only to feed. Like enraged, starved wolves, they run rampant, devouring whole villages and yet never sating their thirst. They slaughter without mercy, luxuriating in bloody carnage. As well as devouring the living, a Varghulf will ransack graves and feast upon the bodies of the dead. Other Vampires consider them disgusting scavengers, though nonetheless desirable and deadly fighters despite their uncivilised behaviour.
Like my formatting?
I tried to convert things putting them in straight 4e terms. Took the claw mechanic from Tomb Guardian's "Cascade of Steel", Frightful Presence from dragons, Vampire traits from the template...
The few new things are the counter-flanking rules (reduced to "until bloodied"), and the "hate" rule to reroll attacks during a round, combined with a sudden fly.
The math should be ok, cookies to anyone who'd want to double-check it!
Possible changes:
- Combine the Frightful Presence with the Hateful Assault boost-like ability or the Furious Attack ability. In this case removing the staggering effect.
- Modify Blood Drain so that it becomes different from the vampire lord one. I feel this monster should use it to deal more damage, not to heal sooo much... It could also become a follow up of the fear effect or the Furious Attack.
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As the first creature I design for 4e, I noticed it didn't feel really much 4e, and it took too much from here and there.
Here is what I came up with after some thinking on the gleemax forums!
Now it can basically "deep strike into enemy ranks", to speak in wargame's terms. It can make its way through the PC defenders to charge the PC controllers and ranged strikers... Fearsome. Maybe too much! I could always modify Blood Feast so that the creature focuses on the creature, to represent the "feast". But in this case I would need to know something about grapple rules.
Maybe I should give the creature Athletics instead of Intimidate (he would rather eat you than just intimidate you) and...
Dunno, what do you say?
Here is what I came up with after some thinking on the gleemax forums!
Now it can basically "deep strike into enemy ranks", to speak in wargame's terms. It can make its way through the PC defenders to charge the PC controllers and ranged strikers... Fearsome. Maybe too much! I could always modify Blood Feast so that the creature focuses on the creature, to represent the "feast". But in this case I would need to know something about grapple rules.
Maybe I should give the creature Athletics instead of Intimidate (he would rather eat you than just intimidate you) and...
Dunno, what do you say?
EDIT: A sample encounter with creatures we have stats for! A hunting party we could say...
Level 13 Encounter (XP 4000)
- 1 Varghulf (level 13 elite brute)
- 1 Shadow Demon Vampire Lord (level 11 elite skirmisher)
- 3 Spectral Panthers (level 9 lurkers)
Imagine: the Varghulf stays hidden, the Shadow Demon starts in mist form and the Spectral Panthers start in spectral form... Then suddenly you are attacked by all the beasts!
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PEACH please!
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