Heinrich, the Headless
by Ronald Laufer- Index - Domains of Dread - Contribute -
| Hit Dice | 7D12 (43 hp) |
| Initiative | +3 (-1 Dex, +4 improved initiative) |
| Speed | 30 ft |
| AC | 12 (-1 Dex, +3 Natural) |
| Attacks | Melee +5, or Claw +5, Claw +5, Bite +5 |
| Damage | by weapon -1, or 1d6 claw/1d6, claw/1d8, bite |
| Special Attacks | |
| Special Qualities | Undead, Detach limbs, Damage Reduction 15/+1; |
| Saves | Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +7 |
| Abilities |
Str 9, Dex 9, Con -,
Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 8 |
| Skills | Bluff +7, Disguise +3, Hide +7, Listen +15, Move Silently +9, Search +13, Sense Motive +11, Spot +13 |
| Feats | Alertness, Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative |
2nd edition stats :
Heinrich, the Headless (lebendtod): AC 8; MV 12; HD 7; hp 43; Str 9, Dex 9, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 8; # AT 3 or 1; Dmg 1d6/1d6/1d8 (Claw/Claw/Bite) or by weapon; AL CE; SD Immune to sleep, hold, charm; THAC0 15
Heinrich, the Headless touts himself as "The Only Known Survivor of the Headless Horseman." His survival is, of course, not without a price. His head is no longer attached to his body, but still functions normally. In his act, he tells the spooky tale of his encounter with the Horseman. He then answers questions about his life without a head, and prooves he is not a fake by having an audience member show numbered cards to the head, while his body, seperated from the head by a curtain, holds up the matching number of fingers.
His stage presence is quite poor and the act itself is not very exciting, but the thrill of seeing a living man with a detached head consistently packs in the audience.
If met outside of his act, he seems a completely normal human; somewhat unfriendly and gruff, but WITH an attached head. He rarely socializes with the rest of the Carnival's freaks, preferring to keep to himself.
Heinrich looks like a relatively non-descript human (average height, average build). He has short, unruly black hair and deepset black eyes. He dresses in a flashy, but poorly made, multi-colored silk suit during his act that he is quite uncomfortable in. Outside of his act, he tries to blend in with local fashion, wearing plain, utilitarian workclothes in muted tones.
Anyone who has actually faced the Headless Horseman (and lived, or has been ressurected) will know that Heinrich's story is a fabrication.
He cobbled it together from legends, but does not know important details, such as the existance of "The First to Follow" and "The Last to Leave" (the disembodied heads that follow the Horseman.) The Horseman also wields a scimitar in his version, instead of the sickle of the actual Horseman.
Heinrich is actually a lebendtod (See "Ship of Horror"), an intelligent undead that can appear as he did in life, and can detach hislimbs at will. He was created from a dead farmer by a reclusive necromancer, who was killed by a wandering group of do-gooders. Since the death of his master, 10 years ago, he has searched for a wizard powerful enough and evil enough to serve. Heinrich joined the Carnival as a way to inconspicuously cover as much of the land as possible, searching for a new master. He has very little loyalty towards the Carnival and his fellow freaks, seeing them as a means to his own ends.
Heinrich is usually aloof and quiet. The less he talks to others, the more secure his secret is. He will occasionally attempt to put on a more friendly facade if he thinks it will help him find a new master.
If he hears news of a wizard or magic, he will become very excited and curious, but he's not very good at acting friendly, so it will be clear that something is amiss.
If pressed into combat, Heinrich will usually try to get away at the first opportunity, preferably with all his limbs. But he may try typical lebendtod tricks to frighten off would-be attackers (using his own arm as a club, etc.). If all else fails, he will rely on his claw/claw/bite attack to defend himself. He never creates new lebendtod, seeing no need to burden himself with companions.
Heinrich has very few personal belongings, he buys or steals what he needs and discards them when he's through. He does however, keep a small chest full of scraps of information and clues on the whereabouts of wizards. He knows a smattering about the major spellcasters of the core, (Azalin, Strahd, Hazlik, etc.) some true, some rumor. He also has a few magical scrolls that belonged to his old master. He hopes that when he finds a new master, the gift of these scrolls will help convince the wizard to accept him.
