Punisher in Ravenloft

[Resonant Curse]

Maybe infiltrator/watchman multiclass

[ewancummins]

Maybe infiltrator/watchman multiclass

I didn't realize that watchman was actually a class. I was just thinking of it as an occupation. Is this s 3e thing? PF?

It sounds cool.

[Dark Angel]

I have a full character write up for 'The Punisher' in a AD&D 2nd editon basis for a Planescape character. I made him a grey elf fighter/mage (war wizard kit). The purpose was the intent of the character concept and not a direct translation (i.e. not a human). I didn't want to dual-class (for those not familiar, the PC begins as one class and then switches to another without advancing in the original one) and humans cannot multiclass. So I went with a military oriented background and focused on his magic us to be comparable to both his special forces training and a parallel to the heavy weapons he is used to. Hopefully this all makes sense to you all (ask if it doesn't). Sorry for the length of the background.

Frank Castle- Born in the elven city of Celenaress of parents who served in the army (his father was an officer and his mother was a war mage), Frank was destined to become a soldier from an early age. When he turned 80, he joined as a junior officer and quickly rose to prominence as a captain in a proximal outpost along a hotly contested border with humanoid tribes constantly warring throughout. Frank was given the task of training and disciplining the soldiers and spent significant amounts of time patrolling the area. He even dealt with wood elves and high elves, gnomes and humans. Spending significant amounts of time with these other races challenged his ingrained racial outlooks on other “inferior” races. This was most apparent when he fell in love with a beautiful human woman, who in turn felt the same way for him. Maria was not willing to leave her village as her mother was not well, but that only encouraged Frank to stay nearby. A few years went by and they were finally wed in a ceremony in her village. He kept the relationship secret from his fellow elves who distained such relations. The marriage was the one thing that kept him renewing his tours of duty at the outpost. He would father two children and the nature of his marriage finally came to light. Many of his men did not care as they greatly respected him. His commander was much older and did not lead as he should have, so many deferred to Frank instead. Frank took it upon himself to organize and manage the perimeter patrols, even going as far as slipping into enemy lands to deter their hostile advances against both elven and human interests. For several months, these patrols kept the elven outpost secure until Frank began to note weapons and armor moving to a large tribe of orcs with very aggressive tendencies.

When other tribes of orcs, goblins, ogres, and hobgoblins all began to flow into the nearby valleys and forests, he petitioned the Celenaress High Military Council for increased support, but was turned down. His commander did not agree with his “theories” and did not want to drum up concern where there was none. He then slipped out of the base and gathered up his family and had them sent off to the grey elven city with the knowledge that he would be finally exposing his secret to all. Regardless, his peoples, his family, and his soldiers required him to remain at the outpost. Fearing he would not only lose the men under his command, but completely expose a key entrance to the home city killing thousands. As the night descended, the forest was a glow with fires completely surrounding the encampment. As the elves began scrambling to their defenses, the first charges began. Walls of fire and blasts of lightning filled the area as hundreds died in minutes, but they came on. As the night went on, the heavens opened up and torrential rains began falling. Hours went by and the humanoids finally breached the walls, courageous elves met them and killed 20 for every one that fell. It was not nearly enough. Falling back to the officer’s barracks, the final elven defenders were struggling to survive this battle. Frank had a different sort of war going on, however, while he was trying to fight off the invading creatures. Something was speaking to him, taunting him for the days leading up to this day. Fearing some form of madness brought on by sleep deprivation and obsessive duty, he ignored it. During the battle, the voice grew louder and more insistent for Frank to give in to it. It would be the only way to survive and protect his homelands, but there would be a cost. There always was a cost.

Frank would be given the strength, stamina, and skill needed to survive, the ability to maintain an eternal state of vigilance and wage a war that needed to be fought, for a price. As the fighting intensified, he found himself amongst his dead brethren, the voice screaming louder in his mind as the sounds of battle quieted around him. Fearing his own demise, he gave in. The following day, a human ranger came upon the devastated outpost littered with the bodies of countless humanoids. Looking for any survivors, he moved about the complex until he came to the grounds adjacent to the officer’s quarters. Drawing his sword at an undead threat, he realized that the creature holding a bent sword in one and shattered battle axe in the other was not a ghoul or some other living dead. It was Frank, covered in blood and wounds that should have killed anyone. The most terrifying thing was the gleam in Frank’s eyes. Red-rimmed and unblinking, he strode towards the human. Drawing his sword, Frank collapsed after he took ten steps. The human examined the fallen elf, fearing some form of trickery or curse, but found nothing. He hauled him onto his horse and quickly rode to the small human hamlet that he resided near. A few weeks went by and Frank was brought back to health by the locals. He travelled back to Celenaress fully expected dishonorable military discharge, but instead found the city grateful for his service and honored that with full recognition of his family as citizens. When he is reunited with them and they all embrace, a dark voice in Frank’s mind whispers, “There is always a cost.” The realization sends a shudder down his spine. He then left active military service and lived quite comfortably with his wife and children for a few years. His guard eventually relaxed and they traveled to nearby lands, even heading back to the village his wife lived in prior to the elf city.

As he was heading to the commons where his family was meeting with old friends, a small group of orc and orag raiders entered the town and began killing innocents. He ran towards his family as they were being attacked and his brutal dismemberment of one orc made him the target of the goblin archers. He was riddled with arrows, but still closed on his wife and children. They were all injured terribly and his wife and son had already died from their wounds, but his daughter still clung to life. As he tried to get her to safety, the leader of the war band (a local chieftain’s son) struck him down with several stabs to Frank’s back before running off back to his tribal lands. As he blacked out, he heard others shouting to help him to the temple. Waking up, he found that his family did not survive and that word was sent to his people what had occurred. With that news, he felt that justice would be had as the military would sweep into the forest and burn the evil humanoids out for their actions against him. Another week went by and he was finally able to travel, even if the clerics were opposed to it so quickly. Upon arrival, he learned that the elves never mobilized. In fact, the ambassadors were actively working on finalizing a peace treaty when his family was killed by the errant war band. When he learned that the father of the orc that attempted to stab him to death was the same one who met with the elves, he fully understood. To preserve the peace, the death of his family would be ignored.

The comment shared amongst the elven nobles was that they were not even nobility, much less elven, and that should not threaten a peace agreement that would finally put an end to decades of sporadic conflicts. Elven lives were far more important than that. With that callous sentiment, Frank could feel a darkness welling up inside of him. A dark voice that once struggled to seduce him into selling his very soul, now merely had to remind him what must be done. War. Conflict. Pain. There could not be any justice, not anymore. Now there would only be…punishment. Collecting his equipment from his days in the army, he magically teleported off to the orcish lands. He remembered enough of the terrain from his previous years on patrol that he could move about the woods almost invisibly. With such a large tribe, they are less likely to be mobile. When he found the settlement, he noted that it was mostly emptied of the tribe. Listening to bits of conversation and picking up the trail of a massive movement of orcs on foot. He followed into the depths of the night, travelling for hours. It was at dawn that he finally found the massive group of humanoids camped out in a massive war camp. He spent the rest of the day preparing and setting up for the night. With ironic timing, the humanoids were planning to move out the next day and were planning a holy ceremony to receive the blessings of their dark gods. Relishing in the sweet satisfaction of the event, he waited until the ceremonies were almost finished before he made his first move.

With a single torch, he lit the prepared timbers laid out in a massive pattern. The evil army looked over and saw a massive skull shaped pattern burning brightly in the mountainside. Not understanding, they felt another orc tribe was attempting to usurp control of the army and the head shamans roared in defiance to charge out and meet these insolent orcs. As they surged forward, a lone figure stood high on a rocky spur and out of the range of most of their weapons. Funneling into the narrow pass, they clamored and scrambled over each other looking for such a foe that would challenge their leaders. Two arrows fell from the sky, streaking down and enspelled with walls of fire that created a hell fire within the pass that killed many before the retreat was able to be properly formed. At that point, Frank had flown to a secondary position where two more arrows (now with fireballs) incinerated the tightly packed orcs. Leaving them in disorganization, he flew back to find his primary target, that orc bastard that led the raid that killed his family. He was not too difficult to find as he was struggling to find his father amongst the chaos. An arrow with a holding spell struck him in the chest and held him frozen just as Frank swept in and teleported both of them away. Atop a nearby ridge at another specifically prepared area, Frank chained the impetuous youth to a large log. Waiting until the spell ended, the orc screamed in defiance at him. Until, that is, the orc realized who was standing in front of him. With a look of terror in his eyes, Frank covered him in greek fire and held the torch high into the air as the orcs below would see it clearly.

Turning back, he held the torch out and lit the bundles of wood and grasses. The whole thing went up and the solitary orc screams filled the night. Watching until there was nothing left but a blackened skeleton, he left for his camp. By morning, he was gone. The humanoids pored over the area looking for any sign of those responsible, but all they found was death. Hundreds died and nothing was found except similar skull markings left on trees, stones, or bodies. In outrage, an entourage of orcish ambassadors was sent off to the elves with demands of explanations of these attacks and the obvious destruction of the newly signed treaty. As they waited outside the city walls, Frank was following them and waited. As the elven delegation passed through the gates and neared the orc encampment when an arrow landed amongst the elves. An arrow enchanted with a powerful protection spell landed at their feet followed by others that fell amongst the orcs. The other arrows burst into magical flames and within seconds, all were dead. Walking toward the petrified elves, Frank met the head of the delegation. Before the ambassador’s outrage could be truly formulated, Frank simply said that they were not nobility. They were not even elves; elven lives were far more important than those of others. He then turned and walked away becoming invisible before they could react. The following years were spent killing any and all humanoids in the area, before moving all over the region, then the world. His purpose is always the same, punishing those who feel they are above justice. Twenty years have gone by and he has yet to stop his personal war on evil.

[Dark Angel]

I also have a write up of the stats and proficiencies (and key items, etc), but the character was made as a back up and never played (more of a threat to the GM if he killed off the first character out of spite). If anyone is interested.

[Resonant Curse]

Watchman was in Player's guide to the sovereign lands as well as one of the kingdoms of kalamar adventures.

[ewancummins]

Watchman was in Player's guide to the sovereign lands as well as one of the kingdoms of kalamar adventures.

Ah, Kalamar.

People tell me I'd be into that setting, but I've never really checked it out in detail.

[Resonant Curse]

Watchman was in Player's guide to the sovereign lands as well as one of the kingdoms of kalamar adventures.

Ah, Kalamar.

People tell me I'd be into that setting, but I've never really checked it out in detail.

It's really well put together and a lot of research wemt into things like their atlas. Honestly probably the most coherent campaign setting around.

[Jack the Reaper]

Punisher isn't an atheist. He knows for a fact that Heaven and angels exist from that time he acted as an angelic enforcer. Yeah, that happened.

Real fans of the Punisher deny that it ever happened Anyway, that's his Earth-616 version, and it's really hard being an atheist in a world where gods like Thor lives on the next door... In his more realistic and mature version of Punisher Max, he is either an atheist or very angry on God.

[Ryan Naylor]

There's a lot of overlap with George Weathermay, by the way. An even-more-Punisher Weathermay might be interesting to think about.

[alhoon]

I don't think so. Elena acts out of religious zeal, the Punisher is motivated by revenge and hatred. Elena commands armies, Punisher is lone wolf. Elena is a believer, Punisher is an atheist. Elena deludes herself that she does good, Punisher is very self aware to his dark nature. They are very diffrerent types.

Oh well, I have no idea about that guy.
There's BOUND to be a few of them though in Ravenloft. Most revenants would fit the bill... but they are dead.

[Resonant Curse]

Real fans of the Punisher deny that it ever happened Anyway, that's his Earth-616 version, and it's really hard being an atheist in a world where gods like Thor lives on the next door... In his more realistic and mature version of Punisher Max, he is either an atheist or very angry on God.

The Norse gods exist, but there isn't necessarily any proof that the Christian god exists aside from possibly that arc with the cosmic egg that was supposedly the rapture... I only vaguely remember that and only had issue one.

[Grigg_Deadbreaker]

Punisher isn't an atheist. He knows for a fact that Heaven and angels exist from that time he acted as an angelic enforcer. Yeah, that happened.

Real fans of the Punisher deny that it ever happened Anyway, that's his Earth-616 version, and it's really hard being an atheist in a world where gods like Thor lives on the next door... In his more realistic and mature version of Punisher Max, he is either an atheist or very angry on God.

I understand. I too wish angelic Punisher and Frankencastle were mere fever dreams.

In the Max line, I'd go with very angry and pretty much accepting that he's damned in the end.

It might be worth mentioning that little voice in his head from the Born storyline, and the price Frank Castle had to pay for a war that never ends. Perhaps it's the same voice that Strahd heard?

[Manofevil]

For some time in the comics. The Punisher did NOT kill Wilson Fisk, The Kingpin of crime, because doing so would have ignited a gang war for control of the city. Also he tends to ignore criminals who don't regularly hurt or kill other people, ie burglars and fences, unless they can lead him to more deadly types. Also, other big names, like Dr. Doom, who seek political power but don't actually hurt civilians in the procees, are also ignored. It seems to me that a Ravenloft Punisher would have similar reasons for allowing the Darklords a certain amount of leeway. It also seems to me that a Ravenloft Punisher might be at least part vistani. No other group would have as much insight into crime or underworld goings-on in the core.

[IrvyneWolfe]

I think that we might want to stop referring to Frank as an atheist. He clearly believes in god, however, he hates him and blames him for the world being the toilet that it is.

[Quinntonia]

I think that we might want to stop referring to Frank as an atheist. He clearly believes in god, however, he hates him and blames him for the world being the toilet that it is.

That definitely seems to be his schtick. IN fact, making him an atheist seems to take away from his anger and tragic self conception. The idea that he believes in some conception of a loving God that abondoned him and his family created this shit hole and he hates that God for it, like he hates every other corrupt power broker, now that seems more up his ally.