Vecna

[TheShoveller]

Your opinions please:

Should a champion of Vecna be a Blackguard or an Assassin?

I'm creating a major villain for my campaign.

 

[thedangerranger]

Well, he is sometimes referred to as "The god of secrets" which would lean him more towards assassin in my mind.

 

[clark411]

I'd picture a Death Knight Fighter Rogue that moves into either. I assume a martial champion simply by the word champion, and as such would probly go Blackguard.

If it helps your concept, come up with this villain's backstory. How did he get chosen by Vecna? Was he made from the ground up or was he the product of some interesting past?

 

[Vaxalon]

His association with magic and secrets says to me that his champion should be a new prestige class that a fighter/rogue would enter, that would provide various magical secrets.

It would be a prestige class that makes the most of the "use magical device" skill.

 

[TheShoveller]

Ok, the back story for the campaign (none of my players read this, so it's ok) is as follows:

Vecna's followers are chasing after an artifact that will allow them to take over the kingdom. The players have said artifact (a crown that changes your alignment and grants the wearer all kinds of leadership abilities, meaning that the cult can control an existing ruler) but don't know what it is. I need someone to lead the cult - I was going to use a cleric but I wanted something a bit different.

 

[Savage Wombat]

Well, in the Planescape campaign I'm currently playing in, the champion of Vecna seems to be a rabbit-shaped hand puppet (named Captain Harry), now with one glowing red eye and a whispery, evil voice. Last seen levitating off through a hole in the ceiling.

 

[Planesdragon]

Your opinions please:

Should a champion of Vecna be a Blackguard or an Assassin?

A little of both, with some Eldritch Knight thrown in for good measure.

Off the cuff, use the Blackguard's main stats and the Assassin's spellcasting for a "Champion of Vecna" PrC.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

IMO Vecna should still be an ancient legend that still sends chills up the spine of a man thousands of years after his destruction. Sorry this didn't help, but this is a major pet peeve of mine with 2e Greyhawk, Zeb Cook should be boiled in oil for that idea.

Sorry, please ignore my rant and go back to topic. A champion of Vecna would be an Eldrich Knight or some class that uses Arcane magic.

 

[rounser]

Zeb Cook should be boiled in oil for that idea.

I can see we've got perspective and rationality happening here.

Injecting a little life into the old corpse doesn't hurt. He can keep on coming back again and again, and if that's no good, set your campaign in a period where he's as you want him. Perhaps even alive - wonder if anyone's had Vecna un-undead in their game?

 

[Jade Solstar]

i am currently using Vecna as the major archnemesis for the pc's in my current game...so far ive used devils/demons mostly of my own devising and a necromancer and an undead ship captain with undead crew...hehe that really got the players when they realized everyone was undead but them once they were hundreds of miles to sea..needless to say they still dont like boats i couldnt even give them one...lol
just some backdrop info...
as for your game Vecna is the dark and evil keeper of secrets and foul magic and i feel that his followers should reflect this ...have the BBEG know things about the pc's thath noone should know...dark secrets about them or their family...thats always a good plot booster and also i would think maybe a variant PrC of the Loremaster thats a bit more martial would fit best for Vecna...just my humble opinion but i do agree that Vecna should scare the s$%t out of your players...
needless to say my players are very intimidated and cowed by Vecna and they are approaching 15th level with a few powerful items to boot!

hope it helps
dave