Pathfinder in the Mists

[Mortavius]

Great work on the Darklords Ryan. I had forgotten that Morgoroth created the Headsman's Axe. I wonder if there are other items out there he's had a hand in?

I know Morgoroth is classed as a Necromancer; did you go with a more spiritual bent for him? We already seem to have so many Necro's in Ravenloft; I wonder if there is a way to make him stand out? I don't have my books in front of me right now; is there a different school of magic that would work for him (from Advanced Player's Guide)? Not saying you did a bad job or didn't already look at that option of course.

With the Zombie Fog, I wonder, does it need to be a monster? I have a hard time imagining PCs attacking a giant cloud of fog. Not to mention they'll probably be fighting Cadavers inside it...I kind of think every time the Fighter swings his magic sword he's hurting the fog too.

Maybe the Fog would be better as just an environmental hazard? It seems weird that it's sentient as well. Why? What are it's goals? How does it come about?

[jules]

have you done the ravenloftian version of the headless horseman yet?

[Zilfer]

^Interested again in here, though I think you just suggested the Dullahan which is what I named the creature in my solo Mordentshire game. One PC has a family curse to be haunted by this figure and as it sits right now becomes the Dullahan for his son in an endless cycle type of curse.

Next is i've always wondered how you specifically fight the zombie fog but i've always wanted to use it just didn't know how i'd convert it to 3.5 or pathfinder. Thanks for your write up but yeah how would you handle attacking the fog?

Presumably the party would not know the fog itself is the enemy at first, and perhaps retreat only to learn of fogs that reanimate dead are called zombie fogs and their weaknesses....

In the past I've through of maybe describing 'tendrils' seeping into the zombies and then out when they die and then back into more so they might eventually attack the tendrils.....

[Ryan Naylor]

I know Morgoroth is classed as a Necromancer; did you go with a more spiritual bent for him? We already seem to have so many Necro's in Ravenloft; I wonder if there is a way to make him stand out? I don't have my books in front of me right now; is there a different school of magic that would work for him (from Advanced Player's Guide)? Not saying you did a bad job or didn't already look at that option of course.

Well...

(A long design notes ramble follows)

The arcane spellcaster darklords are as follows:

Alchemist: Heinfroth, Markov, Mircea, Ilsabet Obour (4)
Bard: d'Honaire, Lady of the Lake, ApBlanc, Evensong, Lukas (5)
Magus: (0)
Sorcerer: Aderre, Arijani (2)
Summoner: Lady of Ravens (1)
Witch: The Hags, Inza (2 or 4, depending on how you look at it)
Wizard: Azalin, Strahd, Easan, Meredoth, Hazlik, Morgoroth, Tsien Chang, Daegon (8). Of those, Strahd, Meredoth, Morgoroth, Tsien Chang and Daegon (5) are necromancers, and Azalin is a universalist wizard with such a strong bent for necromancy he might count as well.

Misroi hedges in on the same space as well, but he's an oracle by my reckoning.

Apparently, bards are meant to be the most common arcane spellcasters in Ravenloft, followed by witches and wizards, then sorcerers and alchemists (many of whom don't even consider what they do to be magic), then magi and summoners. So, apart from the preponderance of wizards and necromancers particularly, we're more or less in line with that.

The Advanced Class Guide also adds the arcanist, who "are able to pull apart magic, deconstructing the bonds that hold it together and forcing it to obey their will. It is not an easy task, but this talent allows them to wield magic like no others. They can consume the raw essence of magic to forge powerful effects, both wondrous and deadly." I would imagine they're also very rare in Ravenloft (on a level with summoners).

So, which wizards can be shunted into other classes without losing flavour?

I think there would be rioting if Azalin or Strahd were changed; they are too iconic, and the way they use their powers is too ingrained into the narrative of the world to alter. They're also both extremely high level, so they're not commonly encountered. (To do this, we need to consider darklords who exist only to be encountered and/or defeated--e.g. Monette, the Phantom Lover, the House of Lament; darklords who could go either way--it'd be hard to defeat them but you can, like Hazlik, Easan and Morgorth; and those where permanent defeat would irreparably alter Ravenloft, like Strahd and Azalin).

Easan and Hazlik don't need to change. They have their own niches (conjurer and blaster respectively).

This leaves Meredoth, Morgoroth, Tsien Chang and Daegon. All of whom are necromancers. I don't really have an issue with a lot of darklords having an interest in necromancy--a lot canonically have Powers checks for black magic.

I've already said elsewhere that Daegon should be re-crafted into a sorcerer, given his interest in the waning of his bloodline (and for a bit of variation). So move him into that column.

If anyone in Ravenloft should be an arcanist, it is Meredoth. He's already got a very similar method of preparing his spells (or not), and the archmage/metamagic master schtick. So I'd move him into that column (although we can't yet, because the book's not out yet). That makes the FoS curse of a lack of creativity even more telling, given he's used to ripping magic down to its basic blocks and rebuilding it into whatever he wants. He can still have the necromancy thing going, he's just a necromancy-focused arcanist rather than a necromancer.

Let's face it--no one likes Tsien Chang, and she and Meredoth (and Strahd and Azalin) are occupying the same niche of uber-powerful necromancer. Except she can turn into a tree and has an obsession with the number 4. In fact, that obsession is more fundamental to her than the necromancy, which is apparent in her original write up, when she was just an ordinary wizard. If there was something like a wu jen, I'd do that, but since there isn't, her nature magic suggests witch to me rather than wizard.

Morgoroth has necromancy built into his backstory (which I really like), into his domain, and into his character. His whole story is about trying and failing to be redeemed by love and give up the black magic. The Phantasmal Forest crawls with spirits and walking dead. He's also a mid-level necromancer, for PCs to defeat if they want to. So I would leave him as a necromancer. If you look at his spell list though and compare it to some of the others, you can see I've tried to give each darklord their own flavour of spells. His are haunting-style illusions and life-draining necromancies, rather than creating the undead (like Azalin and Strahd, who also has a lot of blood, fog and charm spells), conjurations and transmutations (Easan) and evocations (Hazlik).

Some of the alchemists would also become investigators when the ACG is released--those who don't fit a good alchemist archetype (Markov and Mircea) and for whom mutagen and bombs don't seem so appropriate.

So that leaves us with:

Alchemist: Markov, Mircea (2)
Arcanist: Meredoth (1)
Bard: d'Honaire, Lady of the Lake, ApBlanc, Evensong, Lukas (5)
Investigator: Heinfroth, Ilsabet Obour (2)
Magus: (0)
Sorcerer: Aderre, Arijani, Daegon (3)
Summoner: Lady of Ravens (1)
Witch: The Hags, Inza, Tsien Chang (3 or 5, depending on how you look at it)
Wizard: Azalin, Strahd, Easan, Hazlik, Morgoroth (5; 2-3 necromancers).

You've also got a really high level arcanist, sorcerer, witch and wizard, and 2-3 mid-level of each (except arcanist) for PCs to defeat, so doing it this way fits all 3 design goals.


All of which I suspect is a lot longer than you wanted.

tl;dr: Morgoroth stays a necromancer, but he's reasonably individual as one.

[Ryan Naylor]

With the Zombie Fog, I wonder, does it need to be a monster? I have a hard time imagining PCs attacking a giant cloud of fog. Not to mention they'll probably be fighting Cadavers inside it...I kind of think every time the Fighter swings his magic sword he's hurting the fog too.

Maybe the Fog would be better as just an environmental hazard? It seems weird that it's sentient as well. Why? What are it's goals? How does it come about?

If it were a hazard, how would you get rid of it?

Zombie fog has been a monster for quite some time, and it fits into the same sort of bizarre, not-very-obvious monster as a colour out of space or trench mist. As Zilfer says, with research and observation, it becomes obvious what's going on, but it's not immediately so--players need to think and be aware. That's part of the charm of the monster. Its CR is relatively high for a reason, despite it's poor direct damage capacity.

The fog cloud is 140 ft across in total. Only the core is the monster itself. So not every attack will strike it. Again, if you can attack a colour with a sword, you can attack a mist.

As an aberration, I presume its motives are alien and it is birthed by clots of evil and ancient curses and the Misty border. It only wants to feed and create more cadavers?

Watch John Carpenter's The Fog if you want some ideas.

[Ryan Naylor]

have you done the ravenloftian version of the headless horseman yet?

Yes. I'll do it next week.

He is a cavalier dullahan/ghost, darklord of a pocket cluster: I've tried to cram together the 2e version and the 4e version into a cohesive whole, so one end of the Lonesome Road (the cluster) extends randomly into other domains (the Horseman's domain, the Winding Road). If you duck past him and follow the road back in the direction he came from, you eventually find yourself at the van Hassen estate, where Eli van Hassen is darklord of the Endless Road.

[Ryan Naylor]

And he's a nightmare on a charge, believe me.

[Mortavius]

tl;dr: Morgoroth stays a necromancer, but he's reasonably individual as one.

Thanks for the explanations Ryan. Don't worry about it being long; I enjoyed reading your thought process behind the decisions you made.

Incidentally, you mentioned Tsien Chiang, and I thought of something. Have you considered making her a specialist Wizard with the Wood school? I'm sure you're familiar with it; it's from either Advanced Player's Guide or Ultimate Magic, I forget which.

As for the Zombie Fog, even hazards have ways of defeating them. The various slimes and molds can be killed by fire, cold, sunlight, etc. But you make a good point with John Carpenter's the Fog as an inspiration piece. Perhaps if I ever use the monster, I'll make it have a "core" that can be attacked and is vulnerable, so to avoid a situation where a PC stands at the edge and swings their weapon wildly. This also has the nice side-effect of forcing the PC's *into* the Fog, where they have to contend with the Cadavers and other possible dangers.

[Zilfer]

I like it too, I've just never had the chance to use it against my group thus far. I've always thought about using it somewhere near a graveyard where the players would think it's just residual fog....

[Ryan Naylor]

Incidentally, you mentioned Tsien Chiang, and I thought of something. Have you considered making her a specialist Wizard with the Wood school? I'm sure you're familiar with it; it's from either Advanced Player's Guide or Ultimate Magic, I forget which.

It's a good idea. I might do one of each and see which I prefer. We can vote our least favourites off the island: who will win? Wood Tsien Chang, Witch Tsien Chang, Wiz Tsien Chang or Necro Tsien Chang?

As for the Zombie Fog, even hazards have ways of defeating them. The various slimes and molds can be killed by fire, cold, sunlight, etc. But you make a good point with John Carpenter's the Fog as an inspiration piece. Perhaps if I ever use the monster, I'll make it have a "core" that can be attacked and is vulnerable, so to avoid a situation where a PC stands at the edge and swings their weapon wildly. This also has the nice side-effect of forcing the PC's *into* the Fog, where they have to contend with the Cadavers and other possible dangers.

Yes, but it would come down to something like "4d6 points of positive energy kills it." Having it as a monster gives it a little more flexibility, I feel. I'm not terribly committed either way really.

To clarify: the way the fog works at the moment is as a core that can be attacked in the midst of a larger fog: the "monster" (20 ft across) is surrounded by obscuring mists (which can't). Cadavers can move within the fog, but are only created in the core. Likewise, terror strikes when you get near the edge of the fog, but the really bad things only happen at the core. So your point is already built into the way the monster works.

[Ryan Naylor]

Because you asked: the Headless Horseman.

This is a composite of Darklords and the 4th ed Endless Road in Dragon. The Horseman is still a darklord (as in 2e), but has something like the background of 4e (plus a bit more of the short story), and his domain ties into the Endless Road domain as something like a pocket cluster, or a mistway. His crimes aren't horrendous, which is presumably why his domain is so small (although read The Freak in Tales of Ravenloft for a really clever use of them).

As a horse rider, cavalier was an obvious choice for him, and the dullahan is a ghost with similar powers, so he's modelled on that too.

The beheaded (Bestiary 4) are good options for the First to Follow and the Last to Leave if you want to use them. I personally think sometimes you might want them there and sometimes you might not. I also think the Horseman should do more than just charge past and keep going to get a bit more flexibility in his use.



The Headless Horseman (The Winding Road)
(The Lonesome Road)

Timeline
c660 BC Born on the Prime Material Plane.
c690 BC The Horseman comes to Tranquility, kills the hydra and is accused of rape. He is executed. Becomes a ghost and darklord of the Winding Road. The Lonesome Road forms.
760 BC Present day.

Powers Checks
Caress (Violence: brutality towards retainers: 4%; c680 BC): Xenophobia
Enticement (Betrayal: scaring a rival away from town by pretending to be a ghost: 2%; c685 BC): Half a cavalier level
Invitation (Violence and Betrayal: rape: 16%; c689 BC): Level +1
Embrace (Betrayal: fakes killing the hydra to take advantage of the villagers: 8%; c690 BC): Level +1
Creature (Betrayal and Blasphemy: steals from the van Hassens and the village church: 8%; c690 BC): Killed for crimes he didn’t commit. Becomes a ghost and darklord of the Winding Road.

Base stats
S 15 D 14 C 14 I 9 W 9 Ch 14 (high fantasy)
Racial: Str +2 (human)
Levelling: Str +1, Dex +1
Template: Cha +8
Salient abilities: Str +6, Dex +2, Wis +8
Favoured class: hp
CR 13 (10 [levels] + 3 [template])

760 BC (Current day stats)
CR 13 XP 25,600
Male Human Order of the Cockatrice Cavalier (Gendarme) 11 Rank 5 Ghost
CE Medium Undead (augmented humanoid)
Init: +3 (Dex) Senses: Blindsight 60 ft; Perception +20
Defense
AC 25 Touch 13 Flat-footed 22 (+3 Dex, +5 natural, +7 armour) [+2 vs target with challenge, -2 to others]
hp 131 (10 + 10d10 +55)
Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +6
Immune undead traits
Channel resistance +10
SR 24
Rejuvenation
Offense
Spd 20 ft, ride 50 ft
Melee +20/+15/+10 vorpal +1 scimitar (1d6+8; crit 18+/20 behead; +4 to confirm crit)
+24 vorpal +1 scimitar (5d6+24 plus trip plus trample; crit 15+ (6d6+32 dmg)/20 behead; +4 to confirm; plus overrun and trample on another victim) on charge with Improved Vital Strike
+21 vorpal +1 scimitar (5d6+75 +9 if no one else threatens victim plus trip plus trample; crit 15+/20 behead (6d6+100+18); +4 to confirm; plus overrun and trample on another victim) on charge with challenge, Improved Vital Strike and Power Attack
S 24 D 17 C - I 9 W 17 Ch 20
BAB +11 CMB +18 (+20 overrun) CMD 28 (30 vs overrun) (25)

Feats
Charge Through, Critical Focus, Improved Overrun, Improved Vital Strike, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Ride-by Attack, Spirited Charge, Trample, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (scimitar)
Skills
Bluff +13 (5), Diplomacy +13 (5), Handle Animal +13 (5), Intimidate +17 (9), Perception +20 (9), Perform (sing) +9 (1), Perform (stringed instruments) +9 (1), Ride +15 (9), Stealth +5 (0)
Languages
Haven (cannot speak)

Treasure
Scimitar, glamered dastard light fortification breastplate +1

Special
Braggart (demoralise standard action, +2 to hit demoralised targets)
Cavalier’s charge
Cockatrice challenge (4/day)
Steal glory
Mighty charge
Spirited charge
Expert trainer
Mounted combat (negate hits to mount)
Rejuvenation
Ghost blade (2) (+1 vorpal)
Death’s curse
Blade of death (scimitar acts as lance for charging; his weapon may look like a sickle but has the stats of a scimitar)
Spell resistance
Improved abilities
Blindsight
Corporeal
No natural attacks
Mastery +5
Sinkhole of evil

Spitfire (Horse Companion)
Init +3; Senses lowlight vision, scent; Perception +1
AC 22, touch 12, flat-footed 19 (+3 Dex, +10 natural, -1 size)
Hp 85 (9d8 +45)
Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +6 (+4 vs enchantment; reroll 1/day)
Evasion
Speed 50 ft
Melee bite +11 (1d4+6) and 2 hooves +12 (1d8+6)
Trample (on overrun, if knocked down) +16 (1d8+6)
Space 10 ft/5 ft
S 22 D 16 C 18 I 2 W 12 Ch 6
BAB +6 CMB +13 CMD 26 (30 vs trip) (23)
Iron Will, Improved Iron Will, Improved Natural Attack (hooves), Weapon Focus (hooves), Multiattack, Toughness; Acrobatics +12 (6), Climb +12 (3), Stealth -1 (0)
SQ Tricks (attack, combat riding, come, defend, down, guard, heel), devotion, evasion, avoid attacks

[Ryan Naylor]

The Hive Queen (Timor)
(Zherisia)

Timeline
c595 Born on Prime Material Timor.
c610 Timor becomes a domain with the Hive Queen’s mother as darklord.
620 BC The Hive Queen is transformed and becomes darklord of Timor.
744 BC Timor and Paridon form the Zherisia cluster.
c750 BC The Hive Queen begins to hear the Fang of the Nosferatu.
755 BC The Hive Queen attempts to disrupt the Bloody Jack murders.
760 BC The present day.

Powers Checks
Caress (Betrayal: callousness and contempt for the plight of the city dwellers: 4%): Wis -2, Con +2
Enticement (Violence: cruelty: 4%): Cha +2
Invitation (Betrayal: seduction and betrayal of the wizard: 4%): Spell resistance.
Embrace (Betrayal and Violence: premeditated murder of her mother: 2%): Transformation into an advanced marikith queen.
Creature (Violence: rampage through Timor: 8%): Becomes darklord of Timor. Int +2, Dex +2, Con +2, bonus HD. Poison saves are Cha-based, not Con-based. Deflection bonus to AC.

Base stats
S 10 D 14 C 12 I 14 W 13 Ch 14
Human (high fantasy)
Racial: Int +2
Levelling: Int +2, Cha +1
Powers Checks: Dex +2, Con +4, Int +2, Wis -2
Size changes: Str +16, Dex -4, Con +8
CR 13 (11 [base] + 1 [template] + 1 [darklord abilities])

760 BC (Current day stats)
CR 13 XP 25,600
Female Advanced Marikith Queen
CE Huge Aberration
Init: +1 (Dex) Senses: Darkvision 120 ft, low light vision, Perception +23
Defense
AC 29 Touch 12 Flat 28 (+1 Dex, -2 size, +17 natural, +3 deflection)
Hp 176 (8 + 14d8 + 105)
Fort +12 Ref +8 Will +9
SR 24
Offense
Spd 40’, climb 20’
Melee Bite +17 (1d8+8 plus poison) and sting +17 (1d8+8 and poison) and 4 claws +17 (1d8+8 and grab)
Space/Reach: 15’/15’
S 26 D 12 C 24 I 20 W 11 Ch 17
BAB +11 CMB +21 (+25 grapple) CMD 35 (39 vs trip)

Feats
Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Intimidating Prowess, Lightning Reflexes, Improved Unarmed Strike, Deflect Arrows, Blind-fight, Rending Claws
Skills
Acrobatics +19 (15), Bluff +10 (7), Climb +22 (3), Disable Device +14 (13), Intimidate +25 (7), Knowledge (dungeoneering) +14 (6), Knowledge (local) +14 (9), Knowledge (nobility) +10 (5), Perception +23 (15), Sense Motive +13 (11), Spellcraft +10 (2), Stealth +11 (15), Survival +15 (12), Use Magic Device +18 (15).
Languages
Timorese*, Draconic, Zherisian.

Treasure
None

Special
Poison (DC 20) – 1d4 Con (bite) or none/paralysis and transformation, 1/rd for 6 rds, 1 save
Hive mind
Light sensitivity
Voice mimicry
Sinkhole of evil
Mastery +3

[Ryan Naylor]

The Spirit of the House
(The House of Lament)

Timeline
c350 BC A castle is built on a gathering point of malignancy and evil.
436 BC Dranzorg kidnaps Mara and seals her into the tower wall of his castle. Her suffering, on top of all the other cruelty the castle has seen, creates a phantasmagorum. It kills all the bandits.
c665 BC A merchant family builds the modern House, and are killed.
c736 BC The House becomes a domain in the Mists, if it hasn’t before.
746 BC The House of Lament appears in Borca.
760 BC Present day.

Powers Checks
Unknown. Probably none.

Base stats
Unique

760 BC (Current day stats)
CR 15 XP 51,200
Genderless Unique Phantasmagorum
NE Colossal Haunt
Init: 10 Senses: Detect thoughts, lifesense; Perception +25

Special
Sinkhole of evil – rank 5 (agony, despair, fear, rage)
Detect thoughts (DC 25, constant, save every 6 hours)
Phantom shift
Suggestion (DC 25)
Gaslighting (DC 25, 1/day/character)

Spells
DC 15 + spell level + minimum ability modifier needed to cast spell; CL 20th
Notice DC 20 + spell level; Attack +15

At will – ghost sound, open/close, light, mage hand
6/hour – cause fear, silent image, animate rope, obscuring mist
6/hour – arcane lock, deep slumber, darkness, minor image, summon swarm, make whole, dust of twilight
5/day – illusory script, stinking cloud, fireball, deeper darkness, sands of time, major image
3/day – black tentacles, confusion, crushing despair, fear
3/day – nightmare, mind fog, hold monster, suffocation, persistent image
2/day – animate objects, summon monster VI

[Nemesio]

Nice! Like the house.

[Ryan Naylor]

What haven't you seen yet that you'd like to see?

Any lords you want urgently?

Any scenarios/rules?

Anything?