Dungeon Magazine 186 - January 2011.pdf - Dungeon Magazine - Kitraida

Campaign Workshop:

Crafty Villains

By Cal Moore F illustrations by Mathias Kollros

Sometimes you need a last-minute villain for your upcoming game. Or maybe you have

a sudden power vacuum created after your adventurers defeated their current foes.

Whatever your situation might be as a Dungeon Master, you might ind the two villains

below a boon. They are leaders of their respective groups, yet they can be played as

servants of a greater power. Tulka Deathrattle, an orc death shaman, would be a good

opponent for characters in the lower heroic tier, while Scarlet Jax is a half-elf rake

who would be a itting enemy for characters in the upper heroic tier.

T ulka D eaThraTTle

“Faster, my vipers! Pull the stones away before the bright-

eyed priests of the temple know we’re about. And watch

your hands! Otar’s final resting place will be trapped to

protect his knowledge!”

The orc warriors hurried their efforts at her words,

though some looked toward the nearby temple eagerly,

obviously wishing for just such a fight. Tulka watched

them widen the hole they had created through the mor-

tared stones of the outer crypt wall, knowing that their

time was limited.

“Quickly now! The master will be pleased if we find

the tome of lasting death, and he is generous when he is

pleased. Torok and Korg, pull those stones away and let us

see if Otar was as smart as he thought he was.”

The sound of large, wooden doors creaking open halted

the orcs’ frenzied activity. A handful of temple soldiers

and one of the Raven Queen’s priests emerged and began

hustling toward the gravediggers, drawing weapons as

they approached.

“So be it then! Let us fight,” Tulka commanded. “Vipers

up front to handle those runts with the pigstickers. I’ ll take

care of the priest.”

Tulka watched the temple guards move forward in a tight

group; they obviously thought they would easily mow down a

troop of orcs. She smiled as she eyed the priest, who stayed too

close to the front ranks of his more armored fellows. Well, they

would get more than they bargained for. Lifting her totem, a

wooden staff carved with the head of a viper, she circled it in

front of her as she called out to her spirit companion.

Even as the bone rattle within the totem slowed its eerie

spinning, a vaporous form rose from the ground and slith-

ered as a mist among the temple guardians, coalescing into

a semitranslucent, skeletal snake. Perhaps the priest will

enjoy the spirit viper’s caress, thought Tulka as she gave the

command to her troops.

“Attack!”

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Campaign Workshop: Crafty Villains

Tulka’s History

Occasionally, one of the proud orc shamans of the

barrens will come into conf lict with the primal order,

delving into the secrets of necromancy or falling

under the sway of a necromantic power that warps

the shaman’s wisdom. This act is an affront to nature

and sees the shaman banished from the tribe, if not

killed. But because of the strength it brings to such a

leader, these “death” shamans sometimes find follow-

ers who enjoy what the association can bring them, or

in rare cases, assert control over a war chief and con-

vince the tribe to follow new ways of power.

In Tulka’s case, a human necromancer of great

power named Lorvald captured her during a raid.

Rather than experiment on her or kill her, he cor-

rupted her and her connection to the primal world

through a powerful necromantic ritual. The ritual

replaced the f low of primal energy in her with the

necrotic power of death and created a servant who

would do his bidding without question.

With the transformation, Tulka walked hand in

hand with death rather than life. Her spirit compan-

ion f led her and was replaced by an undead death

viper—a skinless, decaying, semitranslucent skeletal

snake whose bite brings death. To match her changed

disposition, Tulka began painting her face to resemble

a skull and took up a new implement: a staff carved

as a viper and covered in dead snake skins, with a set

of fangs protruding from its head and a snake’s rattle

embedded within it that sounds whenever she calls

upon her power.

Death Shaman Lore

nature or Religion DC 10: Death shamans are

primal spellcasters who have been perverted by the

powers of necromancy. They are an abomination to

the primal order.

nature or Religion DC 15: A death shaman can

still command the power of nature, but that power is

corrupted with necrotic energy. Though such activ-

ity is considered an affront by any normal shaman, a

death shaman will employ the use of undead.

nature or Religion DC 22: The strongest death

shamans have the power to conjure terrible spir-

its from the Shadowfell as companions. The death

shaman does still have a link to these perverted spir-

its and can be hurt when they are destroyed. Not all

death shamans chose to become what they are.

Tulka Deathrattle Tactics

Tulka prefers to lead her followers from the back. She

has collected a group of orc warriors that don’t mind

Tulka Deathrattle Level 5 Elite Controller (Leader)

Medium natural humanoid, orc

XP 400

Minor Actions

Call Viper (conjuration, implement , necrotic, poison) F

At-Will

Effect: Tulka conjures an undead spirit viper in an unoccupied

square within 10 squares of her. The viper lasts until it is

destroyed, until Tulka drops to 0 hit points, or until she dis-

misses it as a minor action. The viper occupies its square.

Enemies can’t move through its space, but allies can. When

Tulka takes a move action, she can also move the viper up

to 6 squares. If the viper takes 10 damage or more from a

single attack, it is destroyed and Tulka takes 10 damage; the

viper is otherwise unaffected by attacks. Tulka can have only

one undead spirit viper conjured at a time. In addition, the

undead spirit viper can make the following attack.

Trigger: An enemy leaves a square adjacent to the viper.

Attack (Opportunity Action): Melee 1 (the triggering enemy);

+9 vs. Reflex

Hit: 1d10 + 4 necrotic and poison damage.

M Spirit Strike (necrotic, poison) F At-Will (1/round)

Effect: Tulka commands her undead spirit viper to make the

following attack.

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +9 vs. Reflex

Hit: 1d10 + 4 necrotic and poison damage.

Skills Arcana +9, Nature +11

Str 16 (+5)

HP 122; Bloodied 61

Initiative +3

AC 18, Fortitude 17, Reflex 15, Will 19

Perception +6

Speed 6

Low-light vision

Resist 5 necrotic

Saving Throws +2; Action Points 1

Standard Actions

m Staff (necrotic, weapon) F At-Will

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +10 vs. AC

Hit: 1d8 + 4 necrotic damage.

M Viper Strike (implement, necrotic, poison) F At-Will

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +10 vs. AC

Hit: 1d8 + 2 poison damage. The target is slowed and takes

ongoing 5 necrotic and poison damage (save ends both).

C Deathrattle Burst (implement, necrotic) F Recharge 5 6

Attack: Close burst 1 centered on Tulka or her undead spirit

viper (enemies in the burst); +8 vs. Fortitude

Hit: 4d6 + 5 necrotic damage, and the target is weakened until

the end of Tulka’s next turn. In addition, one ally in the burst

gains 5 temporary hit points.

Dex 12 (+3) Wis 19 (+6)

Con 13 (+3)

Int 15 (+4)

Cha 15 (+4)

Alignment evil

Languages Common, Giant

Equipment robe, staff

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Campaign Workshop: Crafty Villains

the abomination of her death magic because of the

power and wealth she has brought them; they call

themselves the viper clan. While her “vipers” are out

in front, Tulka uses call viper to summon her spirit

companion, then uses move actions to get it to a posi-

tion where it can make opportunity attacks against

enemies, or she can use spirit strike against enemies

adjacent to it. She waits for the best opportunity to use

deathrattle burst to hurt as many enemies as possible

while healing her allies.

S carleT J ax

“Are you Master Porthios?” Scarlet Jax asked brightly.

“Why yes, my dear, I am. My, what a lovely sight you

are. How can I help you?” The elderly man was so gaunt

that his dark eyes seemed to hide within recessed sockets.

“You have quite the silver tongue, don’t you, Master

Porthios? Well, you can ‘help’ me by handing over what you

have in that locked strongbox behind the counter. I know

someone who will pay very well for it.” Jax’s bright smile

widened even further with these words.

“What . . . who are you? I will do no such thing.

Leave now before I call the guards!”

I’ve utterly f lustered him, Jax thought. I love it when

they underestimate me. Smiling her most winning smile,

she assessed the stupid merchant of arcane antiquities.

He probably had a surprise or two up his sleeve for protec-

tion, but so did she. Plus, she had brought friends to this

‘exchange of goods.’

Whistling, Scarlet Jax quickly spun, whipping her scar-

let cloak about her as she drew her rapier and pointed it at

the old man all in one f luid motion.

“Now that would be a bad idea, Porthios!” Jax cau-

tioned. “Boys, come say hello to the nice old man; he’s got

some wonderful toys in here.”

The merchant’s eyes widened as he saw a gang of ruffians

enter his store, but he was more concerned with the rapier

pointed at his neck. “You’re Scarlet Jax!” he blurted out.

Jax nodded slightly, never taking her eyes off him. The

merchant, now truly afraid, slowly reached down for the

strongbox with a defeated sigh.

Scarlet Jax’s History

Scarlet Jax, a charismatic, half-elf rake known for

her red hair and scarlet cloak, has always been an

opportunist. Even as a youth on the shores of a large

port town full of scoundrels, she found ways to suc-

ceed. She learned that lying, cheating, and killing

were the best ways to gain wealth and power, and

she has been following those lessons ever since. As

she gained experience as a mercenary, she learned

that it is better to be the one leading the gang rather

than just a soldier in the gang. To that end, she has put

together a group of ruffians that she calls her “boys,”

and she has so far had a successful career robbing and

stealing from anyone she can. She is willing to sell the

gang’s services to the highest bidder . . . and to take

on a job that sounds like fun.

Encounters

Tulka and her vipers make good opponents as ser-

vants to a greater power, whether that greater person

is Lorvald or some other master. The characters could

encounter her while she’s searching a tomb, a barrow,

or some other place of death looking for necromantic

knowledge for her master. Or perhaps she and her

vipers are trying to set up a base near a small town or

village to bring new recruits or victims to her master.

In addition to her vipers, she’s likely to surround

herself with unintelligent undead as a further line of

defense. One interesting aspect to Tulka is that she

was made into a death shaman against her will. Per-

haps some remnant of her soul still resists the ritual

that changed her, and she could be redeemed by a

group of observant heroes.

Scarlet Jax’s Lore

Streetwise DC 12: Scarlet Jax is the leader of a

ruthless gang of robbers who will steal, cheat, and kill

to get what they want. She is as dangerous with her

rapier as she is charming. She calls the members of

her gang her “boys.”

Streetwise DC 17: Scarlet Jax is a mercenary who

can be hired out for special thefts or as muscle if it

pleases her. Named for her red hair and cloak, Scarlet

Jax is an elusive leader who has escaped the clutches

of the law many times.

Streetwise DC 25: Many stories say that Scarlet

Jax is a dirty fighter and an expert liar. She often

works for powerful and dangerous masters, and she

knows many of the secrets of the local area’s crime

lords.

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Campaign Workshop: Crafty Villains

Scarlet Jax Level 9 Elite Skirmisher (Leader)

Medium natural humanoid, half-elf XP 800

HP 192; Bloodied 96 Initiative +10

AC 23, Fortitude 19, Reflex 21, Will 20 Perception +10

Speed 6

Scarlet Jax Tactics

Scarlet Jax attacks with surprise when possible,

choosing the time and place of an encounter. She

uses double attack to make dirty fighting attacks, which

can leave her enemies dazed for her allies to target.

Throughout a fight, Jax continually moves around the

battlefield. She uses scarlet f lourish to move away from

a dangerous enemy, crossing over or through difficult

terrain to make it more difficult for enemies to follow.

Scarlet Jax uses hard to follow to isolate enemies for her

allies or to escape, overturning items and throwing

objects in her path as she moves (or dropping caltrops

from a pouch). Outright lie can be an effective way to

gain temporary combat advantage, if Jax has no other

way to gain it.

About the Author

Cal Moore joined Wizards of the Coast in 2000 as an editor

for the Showdown line of sports TCGs. He has contributed

to a wide range of trading card games, miniatures games,

Avalon Hill games, and Dungeons & Dragons ® games,

books, and articles..

Saving Throws +2; Action Points 1

Traits

Combat Advantage

Scarlet Jax deals 2d6 extra damage against any creature grant-

ing combat advantage to her.

Standard Actions

m Rapier (weapon) F At-Will

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +14 vs. AC

Hit: 1d8 + 7 damage.

r Dagger (weapon) F At-Will

Attack: Ranged 5 (one creature); +14 vs. AC

Hit: 1d4 + 7 damage.

M Dirty Fighting (weapon) F At-Will

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +14 vs. AC

Hit: 1d8 + 7 damage, and the target is dazed until the end of

Scarlet Jax’s next turn.

M Double Attack F At-Will

Effect: Scarlet Jax uses dirty fighting twice.

Move Actions

Hard to Follow (zone) F Encounter

Effect: Scarlet Jax moves up to 6 squares. The squares through

which Scarlet Jax moves become a zone that lasts until the

end of the encounter. Squares in the zone are difficult terrain.

Triggered Actions

Outright Lie F Encounter

Trigger: Scarlet Jax makes a Bluff check.

Effect (Free Action): Scarlet Jax gains a +5 bonus on the check.

Scarlet Flourish F Recharge 5 6

Trigger: An enemy hits Scarlet Jax.

Effect (Immediate Reaction): Scarlet Jax shifts up to 4 squares.

This shift ignores difficult terrain.

Skills Acrobatics +13, Athletics +11, Bluff +13, Streetwise +13

Str 14 (+6) Dex 18 (+8) Wis 12 (+5)

Con 16 (+7) Int 15 (+6) Cha 19 (+8)

Alignment unaligned Languages Common, Elven

Equipment leather armor, dagger, rapier

Encounters

Scarlet Jax and her boys are very good at what they

do—causing mischief, robbing merchants, hatching

plots, and defying the law. She looks for whatever

opportunity will bring her the best reward, but as a

mercenary for hire, she often serves other masters

who pay well and appreciate her skills. The charac-

ters might be hired to hunt down her gang for their

crimes, or might come across her as part of an adven-

ture in a city. Initially, they might encounter Scarlet

Jax alone when she’s acting as an agent involved with

one of their adventures. In this case, she uses her abil-

ity to lie to fool even the most perceptive characters.

Only later will they realize that she has been manipu-

lating events. Being an opportunist, she surrenders

if that works in her favor, and she might give up her

master if it will save her life (if doing so would be

worse than death, though, she keeps her mouth shut).

Janua r y 2011 | Dungeon 186

Low-light vision

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