Dr. Rudolph van Richten (NPC)

Dr. Rudolph van Richten by Talon Dunning, used with permission

Dr. Rudolph van Richten and Strahd by Talon Dunning, used with permission

NOTE: This Mistipedia entry refers to Dr. Rudolph van Richten as he stands prior to 5th Edition continuity. For current 5e canon, see Dr. Rudolph van Richten (5th Edition). For the fan-made 3rd Edition adapatation of him, see Dr. Rudolph van Richten (Article).

Dr. Rudolph Van Richten is the greatest monster hunter that has ever lived and the most well-known hero of the Lands of the Mists.

History

He was born in Rivalis in Darkon in 671 BC. He took medicine at the University of Il Aluk, completing his four or five year program of study in 693 BC. This humble man was spurred into a life of monster hunting when his son Erasmus van Richten was kidnapped by the Radanavich clan and sold to Baron Metus. Metus turned Erasmus into a vampire groom and Van Richten was forced to slay his son. In revenge, Metus killed Rudolph's wife, Ingrid van Richten. Van Richten eventually slew Metus, and then, with the help of Azalin, the entire Radanavich tribe.

Until his disappearance in 750 BC, he resided in Mordentshire, where he ran an herbalist shop, as well as wrote several of his famous Van Richten's Guides, and mentored The Weathermay-Foxgrove Twins, who regarded him as an uncle and took up his work.

In Curse of Strahd

Dr. van Richten makes a notable appearance in the 5th Edition module, Curse of Strahd, though not in his famous persona as the monster hunter and writer of the Van Richten's Guides he is notable for in previous Ravenloft products. Instead, he adopts the guise of Rictavio, a traveling half-elf bard, storyteller, and ringmaster gathering stories and watching out for talent. In reality he is gathering information and waiting for an optimal time to strike at Strahd, preferably when the vampire lord is in hibernation. Unlike other versions of van Richten, the Curse of Strahd van Richten is a loner because he knows the full extent of his curse. For more details, see Dr. Rudolph van Richten (Curse of Strahd)

Appearances

Campaign Setting

• 2nd Edition
  • Ravenloft: Realm of Terror
  • Ravenloft Campaign Setting (Box)

Modules

• 2nd Edition
  • The Nightmare Lands (Boxed Set) (referenced only)
  • Chilling Tales
  • Dungeon Magazine #55: The Sea Wolf
  • Bleak House: The Death of Rudolph Van Richten

Novels, stories

• Tales of Ravenloft: The Crucible of Dr. Rudolph van Richten
• I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin

Authored:

• Van Richten's Guide to Ghosts
• Van Richten's Guide to Vampires
• Van Richten's Guide to Werebeasts
• Van Richten's Guide to Witches
• Van Richten's Guide to the Ancient Dead
• Van Richten's Guide to the Created
• Van Richten's Guide to the Lich
• Van Richten's Guide to Demons
• Van Richten's Guide to the Vistani
• Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium I
• Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium II
• Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium III

Credited for marketing purposes with:

• Van Richten's Arsenal
• Van Richten's Guide to the Mists
• Van Richten's Guide to the Shadow Fey
• Van Richten's Guide to the Walking Dead

Chronology

671 BC - Rudolph Van Richten born, son of Otto and Mrs. Van Richten
678 BC - Rudolph’s sister Maria Van Richten born.

679 BC - Rudolph Van Richten sent to boarding school in Nartok. A childhood friend is Eldrenn Van Dorn.

680 BC - Casimir (not to be confused with Harkon Lukas’ son) starts working at Richten Haus as the gate keeper.

683 BC - The servants of Richten Haus are all killed while the family is away one day. (summer)

685 BC - Rudolph Van Richten meets Robert Tatenna, a fellow student at boarding school. (fall)

688 BC - The Crimson Death spreads across Darkon (winter); it claims Van Richten’s great aunt Helga, despite his efforts; Rudolph is even more driven into his medical studies.

689 BC - Rudolph Van Richten attends the University of Il Aluk. While there, he meets a fellow student, Dr. Harmon Ruscheider. (fall)
691 BC - Rudolph Van Richten marries his childhood sweetheart, Ingrid.

692 BC - Rudolph and Ingrid Van Richten's son Erasmus is born.
693 BC - Dr. Rudolph Van Richten finishes his studies; opens his practice back home in Rivalis.,

693 BC - Dr. Van Richten travels to Lamordia, hears of the Loud Man of Lamordia.

696 BC - Dr. Van Richten meets Antonin Madren and becomes his mentor.

706 BC - Dr. Van Richten suffers the wrath of the Radanavich clan; the Vistani steal his son Erasmus; they sell Erasmus to Baron Metus, a vampire from Richemulot; with the help of an amused Azalin, Van Richten wipes out all but one member of the Radanavich caravan; Madame Radanavich curses Van Richten, although he doesn’t realize it until the end of his career.

706 BC Van Richten puts his Erasmus, now a vampire, out of his misery, but in spite Baron Metus tears Ingrid van Richten to pieces; Dr. Van Richten destroys Baron Metus, starting his career of hunting evil. Unable to live with the memories in Richten Haus, Van Richten moves to Corvia.

707 BC - Dr. Van Richten researches vampires, and meets Aimon Davidovitch, a fellow scholar of the arcane.

710 BC - Dr. Van Richten encounters his first werebeast near Varithne, a small village in northern Darkon. Dr. Van Richten starts hunting werebeasts as well

711 BC - Dr. Van Richten meets Gedlan Ironheart, a fearless dwarven innkeeper in Corvia. Gedlan becomes a frequent hunting companion.

712 BC - Dr. Van Richten meets the mage Shauten; they bond when they are attacked by one of Azalin's patrols. Shauten opens Van Richten's eyes to the existence of the Lich.

713 BC - Dr. Van Richten is visited by the dying Dr. Ruscheider, who tells Rudolph all he can about several months spent as a lich's captive; Dr. Van Richten starts hunting liches.
714 BC - Dr. Van Richten receives a visit from his childhood friend, Eldrenn Van Dorn, who is now a ghostly slave to Azalin; Dr. Van Richten learns the terrible truth about Azalin Rex.
714 BC - Dr. Van Richten moves to Mordentshire, sensing it is politically unsafe for him to remain in Darkon.
716 BC - The evil spirit of Madame Radanavich and her undead retinue discover Richten Haus and claim it for their own.
718 BC - Dr. Van Richten and Shauten battle a creature they believe to be a priestly lich; it is actually Van Richten's first ancient dead.
724 BC - Dr. Van Richten battles the Bog Monster of Hroth, and meets Jameld. This is also Van Richten's first visit to both Kartakass and Sithicus.
726 BC - The evil spirit of Madame Radanavich and her undead retinue discover Richten Haus and claim it for their own.
726 BC - Dr. Van Richten visits Sanguinia with George Weathermay and Arametrius; they meet Claudia DeShanes; Claudia becomes Rudolph’s assistant, and it seems he had certain unspoken feelings for her.

727 BC - Merilee Markuza, the Child Vampire, kills Claudia. Van Richten pursues the creature relentlessly, but loses her in Lamordia.

727 BC - While hunting the Child Vampire, Van Richten witnesses the Thundering Carriage; Van Richten decides he must put an end to these ghostly horrors, too.

728 BC - Dr. Van Richten defeats the Phantom Army.

729 BC - The fiend Elsepeth enters Ravenloft via transposition in a small village outside Stangengrad, near the Grashen Falls (sept)

730 BC - Gedlan Ironheart killed while battling evil spirits.

732 BC - Elsepeth leaves Borca, having lurked there for years.

732 BC - Antonin Madren writes to Van Richten about the death of Madren’s sister.
734 BC - Antonin Madren shows up on Van Richten's doorstep, and gives the good doctor his notes; Dr. Van Richten starts hunting the Created.

[[735 BC] - Dr. Van Richten is forced to kill his old friend Shauten in self-defense, when Shauten tries to sacrifice Rudolph in a bid for lichdom. This "near-miss" may have inspired Van Richten to start recording his collected knowledge for heroes to come.

735 BC - Dr. Van Richten publishes the Van Richten's Guide to Vampires.

736 BC - Dr. Van Richten publishes the Van Richten's Guide to Ghosts.

737 BC - The Vistana Cyrilla's niece Vassa is kidnapped near Corvia.

737 BC - Vassa returns as a clay golem; Cyrilla writes to Dr. Van Richten.

737 BC - Dr. Van Richten publishes the Van Richten's Guide to the Lich.

738 BC - Dr. Van Richten publishes the Van Richten's Guide to Werebeasts.

738 BC Emil Bollenbach engineers the kidnapping of Dr. Rudolph van Richten to the end of seizing his brain for transplantation into a super-golem. fortunately, several of Van Richten's friends intercede to thwart Dr. Bollenbach.

739 BC - Elsepeth goes to Nartok.

739 BC - Dr. Van Richten and the adventuring band known as the Hand hunt and destroy the Gibbering Golem.

739 BC - Dr. Rudolph van Richten publishes Van Richten's Guide to the Created. This act earns him considerable ire from Agatha Clairmont, whom sees it as an instruction manual to building dread golems just much as it is hunting them.

740 BC - Dr. Van Richten publishes the Van Richten's Guide to the Ancient Dead (early spring).

740 BC - Dr. Van Richten inherits the library (Aimon Davidovitch) of Aimon Davidovitch. Dr. Van Richten starts studying tomes. (Sept)

741 BC - Dr. Rudolph van Richten, Davvyd, Samuel and Dr. Ottelie Farringer battle the fiend Drigor. Only Dr. van Richten survives. (Feb.)

741 BC - Dr. Van Richten publishes the Van Richten's Guide to Fiends.

741 BC - Van Richten stumbles into the clutches of the nameless Amnizu and the nameless Barbazu infesting Chateaufaux. He is captured. However, he manages to join with some adventurers to route the devils from the town.

741 BC - Dr. Van Richten is depressed; he consults with the diviner, Inarin Alster; Rudolph realizes he had been laboring under a curse all these years; Dr. Van Richten spends a year with Arturi Radanavich studying the Vistani.

742 BC - Dr. Van Richten writes his Van Richten's Guide to the Vistani and retires. (Oct.)

750 BC - Dr. Rudolph Van Richten dies in Bleak House in the fight against Madame Radanavich Meanwhile, all that is known to most, including the Weathermay-Foxgrove Twins is that he disappeared.

Role Playing

THE LEGEND:

Rudolph Van Richten is an old monster hunter. Let me say that again...he is an old monster hunter. He got into the monster hunting trade around the time his son was 14, which would probably put Van Richten in his late thirties to early forties. Ball-parking it, he's probably at least in his 80s by now. This is a man who has been hunting and slaying monsters for decades.

The name Van Richten is known; the common folk know it; the monsters know it--he is a legend. Imagine if you will, the “scary stories” that parents tell their kids to possibly frighten them away from certain things. Van Richten is the scary story that monsters tell their children. By the time your players meet him (for real--not just his disguise), they should have heard the name several times. So, how should this play out? Here are a few ideas...

• Van Richten wrote a series of books, detailing all he knew about monsters of all sorts. The 'Van Richten's Guide to the [monster]' series. Perhaps your players find a copy of one...perhaps when they succeed on a monster-knowledge check, you tell them that they remember reading [fact] in the book Van Richten's Guide to [monster].

• If the players do something impressive involving slaying monsters, have NPCs compare them to the legends they have heard of Van Richten.

• Perhaps work with a player to inject an encounter with Van Richten into their backstory.

• If the PCs are hanging around somewhere, perhaps someone in a tavern launches into a story of one of Rudolph Van Richten's exploits.

• Some monsters are afraid of him. If Van Richten drops the Rictavio disguise and when he becomes known, intelligent monsters may balk at the idea of fighting him. Others may specifically target him for the “glory of killing Van Richten.”

• If NPCs become aware of who he is, their treatment of him should border on worship...albeit, distant. Just imagine if Batman suddenly turned up in the local pub. They are astounded by him, admire him, but are kind of afraid of him.

A PHYSICIAN:

Before Van Richten became the great monster hunter he is known as today, he was a doctor. His medical background should carry through into how he operates today.

• He does have a good Medicine check, and should be quick to look for cause of death, stabilize injured people, treat injuries, etc.

• He should have a great deal of understanding about anatomy and has extended this knowledge to include monster anatomy and biology. He knows what harms them and why, he knows where to hit them to make it hurt. He has figured this out by doing autopsies on monsters he killed.

• To reflect his medical background, he has the Healer feat.

• His way of thinking and his approach to things has a scholarly bent. He is not quick to rush into danger and instead gathers information before he acts.

THE WEIGHT OF EXPERIENCE:

Van Richten is (certainly within Ravenloft) the greatest and most experienced monster hunter to have ever lived. Additionally, we know that he has taken out creatures far outside of his weight class. Canonically to Ravenloft Lore, Van Richten has taken out full vampires, lycanthropes of all sorts, and even a few Mummy Lords. So, what does this mean? Well...basically, mix together a Witcher and Batman, and then pack it into a really old physician.

• If it involves monsters, Van Richten knows it. No check necessary.

• If a monster is vulnerable to something, he's carrying it. Feel free to include “traditional” vulnerabilities that monsters could have that aren't necessarily in the books. Wolfsbane (specially prepared Aconite) repels or poisons werewolves, garlic repulses vampires, etc.

• If there is something you can create that a monster is harmed by, he knows how to make it.

• If he knows in advance what sort of monster he is going to go up against and there is a Cleric spell that would be useful, assume he prepared it.

• His ability to predict the actions of monsters should be nearly flawless. As the DM...straight up cheat with his predictive abilities. You know what your monsters are going to do next, so have him react accordingly. He sees the werewolves in front and correctly predicts that another group would be moving in stealth to flank the party. If one is about to rush him and attack him, he moves out of its movement range before it can charge. When it comes to getting attacked by monsters, he is simply never surprised by what they do. Strahd Von Zarovich is an exception...elder vampires are extremely hard to predict.

• His understanding of how monsters behave should be uncanny. He doesn't need to track them; he can generally make a reliable guess at where their lair would be. If he decides to stake out a monster to ambush it when it next attacks someone, he always stakes out the right place.

• He can produce non-traditional solutions to dealing with certain kinds of monsters. For example, he may be able to figure out a way to put a ghost to rest (by breaking its ties to the world), rather than having to fight it.

• He will use his skills to help the party coordinate. He's not a specialist in small unit tactics, so he won't actually try to command the PCs, but he will give them advice and call warnings. For example: "The attack from the front is a decoy!"

Van Richten's skill-set should be eclectic in the extreme. He has picked up bits and pieces of useful knowledge from all over the place. He is not proficient with Smith's tools, but knows how to Silver a weapon. He's not proficient with a Poisoner's Kit, but knows how to make several toxins and compounds that are effective against various sorts of monster. He's not a proficient survivalist, but can identify monster tracks on sight. He's not proficient in Investigation, but he can piece together the evidence of a monster attack easy as breathing.

Van Richten's campaign against monsters is obsessive. He is on a lifelong rampage of revenge over what Baron Metus did to his son. He has gathered up every single possible tool that he can get his hands on that makes him more effective at killing monsters and discarded most of the rest.

THE SLAYER:

Van Richten kills monsters. He doesn't fight or battle or hunt monsters, he kills them. And he does all of this, despite only having a CR of 9. The players that travel with him should be constantly shocked (and appalled) at all the sneaky, filthy, under-handed tricks he pulls in order to kill the maximum number of monsters as swiftly and efficiently as possible. That is how Van Richten operates.

• Necromancer and his undead holed up in an old mansion? Bar the doors and set it on fire.

• Vampire built his lair on low ground? Divert a river to flood the whole thing with running water.

• Vampire didn't make sure his coffin was under enough layers of solid material? Blow/tear the top off and bathe the coffin in daylight.

• Found the vampire's coffin before you go to kill it? Anyone know the spell leomund's tiny hut? That'll prevent the vampire's mist form from getting back to its coffin.

• Cave full of werewolves? Set large fires in the entrances, then cave the entrance in beyond the fire...then just wait for the fire to eat all the air out of the cave.

• Necromancer with an army? Infect the army with Corpseblight then put a crossbow bolt through the necromancer's throat while he struggles to figure out why his undead army is falling apart.

In short...if you can think of a horrific, brutal, and/or efficient way for him to kill things with the environment, without really endangering himself directly...he'll do it.

THE OLD HERO:

Van Richten is not as young as he once was. If anything, this has emphasized his traits mentioned above. Once upon a time, he was young and strong and agile--able to fight monsters directly and come out on top. But now he's old. His body can't keep up with his old way of fighting, so he's had to adapt. He focuses more on magic now, but mostly focuses on killing things without having to actually fight them.

In a straight fight, he’s more likely to let the PCs handle the front lines. They're young enough to handle it, after all, which could be where you use his support-caster loadout.

As to his personality, he’s not a generic crotchety old man. He’s a really old monster hunter...master of his trade and too old to put up with any shenanigans or BS from players. He's mellowed out somewhat since he got started, but he’s still quite determined to see the end of any monsters he can.

His age is a balancing factor that should keep him from turning into the star of the campaign. While Van Richten’s personality and aura should boarder on the mythic, he has worked with countless groups of adventurers and heroes...it would be easy for him to steal the spotlight from the PCs. So the DM should balance this with the fact that he's old and he's cautious.

RUDOLPH VAN RICHTEN QUOTES:

"It is my sincere wish that any soul who comes into possession of this booklet may employ the dearly-bought wisdom herein to strike at the heart of monstrous villainy wherever it arises. Make no mistake: it is a bloody business, and not for the faint of heart. Often, it is those of us familiar with tragedy who can best pierce the darkness. We hunt monsters so the innocent don’t have to."

"For more than three decades now, I have undertaken to investigate and expose creatures of darkness to the purifying light of truth and knowledge. “Hero” I am named in some circles; “sage” and “master hunter” I am called in others. Today I am a man who has simply lived too long."

"The fight against creatures of darkness is a difficult, and often painful one! But it is a good fight, and one that must be fought."

"Destroying everything seems like the best option."

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		Realm of Terror Bleak House
		Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium I - p4 Bleak House:Heroes, Monsters, and Settings - cover, p4 Bleak House:Homecoming - p4,p16 Van Richten's Guide to Werebeasts - p7,8 Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - p92 Realm of Terror - p114 Chilling Tales - p 5,11 The Created - p13 Van Richten's Arsenal - p5
		Bleak House:Heroes, Monsters, and Settings - pp4-5 Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - p91 Dungeon #55: The Seawolf Realm of Terror - pp114-115 Chilling Tales - p 3
		Ravenloft Third Edition - pp14,17-18,27,176 Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium I - throughout Bleak House - throughout Van Richten's Guide to The Created - throughout Dungeon #55: The Seawolf Van Richten's Guide to Werebeasts - throughout Van Richten's Guide to Ghosts - throughout Van Richten's Guide to Vampires - throughout Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - pp91-93 Tales of Ravenloft: The Crucible of Dr. Rudolph van Richten - pp1-17 Realm of Terror - pp114-115 Chilling Tales - pp 2-3 Heroes of Light - p64 I, Strahd, The War Against Azalin - pp1-4, pp9-13, pp304-310