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Alright, so my players are about 1/3 of a way into the events of Rivers Run Red and one of the goals of my Kingmaker In Eberron game has been to emphasize the Fairy-Tale aspect of the Adventure Path.
Nyrissa is in large part (to me at least) a tragic fairy tale character that was cursed by the other High Fae. When Briar was created and Nyrissa became aware of the 'prophecy' that would eventually kill her what she was actually doing was being written into a Fairy Tale.
My PCs unbeknownst to them (so far) are also regular mortals that will be weaving their way into the story until their final confrontation with Nyrissa. I've been making ample use of the 6-player conversion as well as many of the other suggestions here on the Kingmaker page (you guys are awesome btw).
Anyways, the first "Set Event" involving Kundal the afflicted werewolf provided me with an opportunity to make things a little more Fairy Tale-ish rather than have it be a standard werewolf. Part of my approach to this was due to my game being in the Eberron setting where Lycanthropes of all flavors are considered to be fairly rare after a Crusade nearly wiped them all out.
Rather than have it be a standard werewolf I decided to throw in a few elements to make the situation more...interesting.
"The Big Bad Wolf" is in fact a Unique Fae that has the ability to infect people with its 'disease' much in the same way a True Lycanthrope can - however it comes with some varying abilities and powers that I added onto the 6-player Kundal conversion to throw at my players.
This is by no means a complete monster template to add onto anything, just a few changes that struck me as being fun and interesting to add onto an encounter. Balance was not intended or sought after in these changes.
I'll Huff and I'll Puff All Big Bad Wolves have the ability to puff themselves up (appearing a size category larger while they do so) with air before releasing it as a viciously powerful wind. The current version of this afflicted wolf was able to use Quickened Gust of Wind as a Spell-like ability. Anything equal to or smaller than the size of the Big Bad Wolf counts as Small Size for the purpose of the difficulty of walking through the wind or being knocked over.
And I'll Blow Your House Down All afflicted Big Bad Wolves gain Power Attack and Improved Sunder and deal double damage to all unattended objects (such as houses).
But Grandma what Big Eyes you have Big Bad Wolves have an innate ability to sound like someone their intended victim would want to see. An elderly relative perhaps or the voice of a friend from their childhood. This acts as a suggestion effect intended to draw the victim off the beaten path and into the wilderness where it can be attacked and dragged off to be eaten.
The Hair of your Chinny-Chin-Chin One of the more disturbing powers, this is really more of an innate effect of being hunted down and eaten by a Big Bad Wolf. Depending on how long the creature is hunting you, and how afraid the victim is they begin turning into a pig. Both victims (the shepard boy and the maid of the inn) had some of their internal organs transform into pig organs which my players discovered through an autopsy. Some of the 'sheep' that were eaten by the wolf as well were similarly found as fully changed pig carcasses.
(I don't know if pig organs are actually distinguishable from human ones, it was for the sake of the adventure. Also magic.)
While being an afflicted Big Bad Wolf can be 'cured' the same way as normal Lycanthropy, the curse/disease is more powerful and never be truly removed without a Wish or Miracle. To keep the disease at bay the infected can never ingest meat again for as long as he lives.
So my players face the moral dilemma of curing the poor killing machine, and they did. But now they are concerned that there is an original creature out there somewhere that seemed to intentionally infect someone and send them into their town to cause mayhem. So the posse is getting rounded up to go hunting the original Big Bad Wolf in my next session.
I have a few options in this case. Most of these involve making this wolf a 'mythic' monster.
1. Considering that it is a storybook character I have considered making the Wolf an ally of Nyrissa - possibly a recurring villain that could be faced in Thousandbreaths in Book 6. I would likely pump up his abilities in this case so it would be highly unlikely my group could currently face off against him.
2. Make this a memorable one-off encounter. Have a slightly scaled down but beatable Mythic Big Bad Wolf fight in the forest to save their town. This would be the easiest thing to do but I'm not sure how satisfying it would be.
3. Make him the villain of book two. Replace Hargulka and the majority of his forces with The Big Bad Wolf. The motivations could remain largely the same in a "You don't belong here" kind of way. I'm not sure if replacing Trolls with Werewolves would be balanced but it could make my players much more invested in dealing with the problem since they haven't officially met Hargulka yet.
Since the Kingmaker forums have been awesome to me this is just a small attempt to give back to the community. Please let me know if you have any questions or criticisms - definitely looking for some feedback before my next session (which will be Tuesday the 4th of February).
I am going to have to steal this, since I never got around to using Kundal during RRR.
Excellent ideas all. I really like the overarching ideas for making the BBW a recurring more powerful villain. I'll try to post again later tonight with some more thoughts and possible stats for the storybook trickster.
Here's an update on the situation so far. We've had one cancelled session on account of weather and just picked up this past tuesday. Taking the awesome ideas in this thread into account here's what I've gone with so far.
Since the group was heading directly West into the forest which would cause them to run into the Jubilost Narthropple expeditions and then the Logger/Melianse standoff in the hex just west of it, I decided to make a trail for the players to follow concerning other wolves.
A few days ago the Narthropple expedition was indeed traveling alongside the river and while their carriage still wound up in the rapids, it was after having the ponies spooked by a group of lumberjacks approaching the gnome expedition, transforming into were-wolves in front of them, and capturing all the gnomes for snacks to feed on later.
So my PCs came across the Narthropple wagon in the river with the ponies having drowned from still being tied to it for a few days.
The Druid used his excellent tracking skills to discern that the folks in the wagon came across medium sized footprints and were apparently carried off by them further into the woods.
Following said trail led them all the way to a small clearing with two cabins that had been built by an enterprising logging company owner named Corax, who has become embroiled in a bitter argument with the nearby Nixie Melianse about chopping down trees. The group solved the dispute (with the Druid spending an Action Point to be able to cast Plant Growth on the stumps of the chopped down trees to replace them the next day - he didn't have it prepared yet) and managed to calm both sides - though melianse refused to give up her charmed loggers until the trees were truly back - even mentioning that the kingdom was looking to expand westward and this clearing would be a perfect place for a Sawmill.
Striking a bargain that Corax and his company would be considered for working rights of the Sawmill managed to make the gruff lumberjack somewhat friendly.
With the current issue resolved for now they asked if they'd seen any small sized groups traveling these parts in a wagon/carriage lately.
Corax knew of the Narthropple expedition but hadn't seen them recently. They helped him with scouting out some potential areas with good lumber though.
While Corax and his group stayed in the first cabin, the second cabin he rented out to travelers or other loggers, allowing them their privacy. After some investigation and probable cause for investigating the other cabin they discovered a makeshift trapdoor that had been built into the floor leading into a 10 foot pit containing the manacled and gagged Jubilost Narthropple and Co. somewhat beat up.
About this time for dramatic effect the eight lumberjacks that had been renting the cabin returned to the clearing and after being confronted revealed themselves as Afflicted Big Bad Wolves.
The fight is where we will pick up next session. I really liked being able to wrap up intended events with the followers of "Father Wolf" (as they've taken to calling him)and how a traveling group of Big Bad Wolves would hide some gnomes underneath the floor to eat every once and a while. Helps with maintaining your average lumberjack disguise if you have a ready supply of food. As an added note, none of the gnomes legs were manacled, only their arms. Running food is often tastier after all.
I do plan on providing evidence for the "Cult of Father Wolf" inside the cabin once it gets investigated and have them attempt to summon him from Thelanis (the plane of existence where most of the Fae live) as a dramatic event later in the year.
As for base "Big Bad Wolf" Cultists I've written them up as 4th Level Ranger Afflicted Big Bad Wolves at approximately CR 4-ish each
The Big Bad Wolf himself is somewhat harder to approach, but I have started working on him. The initial outlook is a 12th Level Bard with Mythic Rank 6 to put him at about CR 15 - making him a good ally for Nyrissa at the End Game for the Heroes to meet again and put him down for good.
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Tentative stats for the Big Bad Wolf OR "Making Mythic Story Monsters is fun but hard."
I wanted to approach this character from the standpoint of most stories that it would appear in. Little Red Riding Hood of course, The Three Little Pigs, and other cautionary tales such as Peter and the Wolf.
The main disctinctions that came to mind were...
1. Trickster. BBW enjoys bantering with its prey, often traveling in humanoid disguises to track something it likes before deciding if its food or not.
2. Lone Wolf. While the BBW has cultist followers and afflicted 'children' the Wolf himself rarely travels with a group or has followers at his beck and call. He hunts alone and lives by his own rules. In this instance, he owes Nyrissa a favor so decided to cause some trouble for "That little spat of a kingdom ruining the way my continent looks" according to the exiled fae queen.
3. The embodiment of what it means to be a Predator. This is not a distinction of good or evil, but the BBW symbolizes within nature the concept of a predator animal. One that hunts, kills, and rules the land that it resides in. This does not necessarily mean the *strongest* animal but the greatest *predator*.
Mythic Abilities (Mythic Rank 6)
+6 Natural Armor
+60 HP
DR 10/Silver and Cold Iron and Epic
Mythic Power - Surge (6/day +1d8)
Ability Bonus - +2, +2, +2
Mythic Feats - Three Mythic Feats (currently listed as Deflect Arrows, Vital Strike, and Power Attack)
Mythic Abilities (He gets up to 6. While I haven't settled on these, I've made a list of thematically appropriate ones so far.)
1. Greensight 60 ft. (Just makes sense for tracking people through the woods.)
2. Dual Initiative.
3. No One of Consequence (allowing him to travel unseen and unremembered through populated areas)
4. Shadow Stealth (for tracking enemies and moving through shadows)
5. Menacing Whisper - playing up to the hunter and trickster aspects of just f!!*ing with people that he's hunting.
6. Impossible Speed.
7. That One Ability that allows someone to "mark" a target and be able to track them to the ends of the earth. (Don't have my book in front of me at the moment...)
Unique Weapon
The BBW, when in a humanoid form always carries a simple dagger on his person that was fashioned from his own fang. Stronger than steel its name is Fang of the Wolf (this will likely either be just a strong magical weapon or a minor artifact since it was fashioned from one of his own teeth.)
Mythic Weakness: Fae love stories. They love the spreading of tales from the mouths of mortals because it gives them strength. The more people that know or interpret legends and stories add to the belief that powers these unique fae that sometimes spawn from those stories. This path to power however is a double edged sword. All Mythic Storybook characters are permanently attached (almost as if spiritually chained) to the *first ever written version* of their own story.
Words carry power, and by writing down what this Fae is and how it behaves gives it greater strength, but also permanently binds it to this interpretation in some fashion. It is the core of its being, and while later interpretations may allow the Mythic Storybook character to change part of its nature - it will always remain true to the original interpretation. If this Book was somehow found and re-written (in whatever the original language was of course) it can affect the very soul of the creature.
Destroying the Book will similarly remove its Mythic Subtype and all Mythic Abilities, making it a normal creature of its type.
In addition to its humanoid form, the BBW is able to take the shape of a Wolf, Dire Wolf, or Huge Sized Wolf as a standard action at any time it chooses.
Thoughts? Questions? Criticisms? All are welcome.
Again I would like to thank the awesome people on the Kingmaker forums for offering up these interesting ideas to work with.
Keep it up!
I particularly like the mythic weakness and the way it ties in with your fairy-tale theme. But if this is Papa Wolf's weakness, look for your players to use it against Nyrissa, too.
Oddly enough, this is already written into the adventure if the PCs are able to find Zeddigar's Picnic (or whatever the book is that describes Thousandbreaths).
Zuddiger's, close =)
Overcoming DR 10/Silver and Cold Iron and Epic requires a weapon that is simultaneously cold iron and silver.
Yes. Yes it does. >=3
Being a mythic creature that is both Fae and Lycanthropic I wanted to add both in. I believe it is a...+3 weapon that can count as Silver or Cold Iron? Granted it wouldn't bypass the DR anyways but it provides a nice "what" moment for someone trying to figure out how to hurt BBW.I particularly like the mythic weakness and the way it ties in with your fairy-tale theme. But if this is Papa Wolf's weakness, look for your players to use it against Nyrissa, too.
Thanks! Also...that was something I had not considered. But I like it. I've already made plans about a more updated story of Zuddiger's Picnic (in the thread called "Zuddiger Publishing") involving the story.
If I go this route, I would likely make it unable to influence her core personality (it may even be likely that Nyrissa was unaware the story would be written, but drove the man insane after discovering it...but there's a lot of leeway there).
The easiest way to tie it further into the story would be making tracking down the original Zuddiger's Picnic a sidequest that could remove any Mythic Ranks Nyrissa has before the group confronts her in book six.
This also provides another narrative perspective regarding Nyrissa and perhaps why she wound up the way she is. "Getting your own written story" would be a very powerful thing for a Fae to undergo. A metamorphosis of sorts since it would allow a fae to change its own nature, whereas they are normally stagnant beings that cannot go against their own rules, even if they don't make sense.
The council of elder fae may have seen her as too uppity because she was trying to get one without going through the proper channels. Or perhaps she wanted to be written as a heroine. As punishment the fae created Briar and doomed her via prophecy to get the story she always wanted, only she would end up cast as the villain instead of the heroine.
...yeah this definitely has some possibilities.
Alright, a more permanent version of the Big Bad Wolf has been slowly forming. Here are the semi-official stats I have so far. I don't have anything for any of his wolf forms, or a list of his specific BBW powers (his bonus feats have been added in, but not his Spell Like Abilities like Gust of Wind that the afflicted BBWs get, this will just get added in a later update.)
Overall the Big Bad Wolf is designed as a creature intended to be able to move away from any situation. It should be nearly impossible for the wolf to be cornered or forced into a tactical situation he doesn't want to be in simply based on his movement powers and spells.
His weapon, the Fang of the Wolf is a dagger forged from one of his own fangs. If stolen, the magical abilities of it will fade within a month. If it is given to someone however, perhaps as a trophy or gift for an impressive act of savagery or intelligence, the magic is sustained. It's also intentionally a dagger to be misleading as to how dangerous his strikes can truly be.
I do not yet have stats for a Dire Wolf or Huge Wolf form for him, this is currently a humanoid/hybrid form possibility.
As always, critiques are welcome and I hope there are folks in the Kingmaker Forums that find this useful in their own games in some way.
HP: 180
Initiative +3
Speed 30
Damage Reduction 10/Silver, Cold Iron and Epic
Mythic Power - 6/day +1d8 to any d20 roll.
Fort +8
Reflex +11
Will +10
Strength 20
Dexterity 16
Constitution 18
Intelligence 18
Wisdom 14
Charisma 18
AC: 26
Touch: 13
Flat Footed: 23
(+10 Natural, +3 Dex, "Wild" Wolf Pelt +3)
CMD: 27 (BAB+9, Str+5, Dex+3)
Attacks
"Fang of the Wolf" Dagger - +1 Huntsman Dagger
+15/+10 d4+6
(Arcane Strike +3/+3)
(Power Attack -3/+9)
(Inspire Courage +3/+3)
adjusted attack = +18/+13 d4+21
(from the PRD)
A huntsman weapon helps its wielder locate and capture quarry. When the weapon is held in hand, the wielder gains an enhancement bonus on Survival checks made to track any creature the weapon has damaged in the past day. It also deals +1d6 points of damage to creatures the wielder has tracked with Survival in the past day.
CMB:+14 (BAB+9, Str+5)
Skills...honestly I'm not working out all the skill points. Adjust as each individual sees fit. He's a mythical creature, fit him to your campaign with whatever skills would be appropriate.
Feats
1. Arcane Strike +3/+3 (swift action)
1. Bonus - Power Attack (Mythic) -3/+9
1. Bonus - Improved Sunder
3. Combat Reflexes
5. Combat Expertise -3/+3
7. Improved Unarmed Strike
9. Vital Strike (Mythic) (allows the BBW to double his static numbers when making a Vital Strike)
11. Deflect Arrows (Mythic) Can deflect up to 3 attacks per round, or spend a Mythic Power to deflect a single Ray from a Ray spell as an immediate action.
Bardic Abilities (DC 20) (30 Rounds Available)
Bardic Knowledge +6
Performance abilities as a Move Action to begin
Countersong
Distraction
Fascinate
Inspire Courage +3
Inspire Competence +4
Suggestion
Dirge of Doom
Inspire Greatness - 2 Targets
Soothing Performance
Bard Spells
0-Lvl
1. Detect Magic
2. Ghost Sound
3. Know Direction
4. Read Magic
5. Mage Hand
6. Prestidigitation
1-Lvl (6/day)
1. Charm Person
2. Ventriloquism
3. Vocal Alteration
4. Cure Light Wounds
5. Alarm
6. Disguise Self
2-Lvl (6/day)
1. Animal Messenger
2. Dimension Leap (eberron specific spell)
3. Locate Object
4. Tongues
5. Misdirection
3-Lvl (5/day)
1. Charm Monster
2. Haste
3. Crushing Despair
4. Fear
4-Lvl (4/day)
1. Dimension Door
2. Shadow Step
3. Locate Creature
4. Primal Scream
Mythic Abilities
1. Greensight 60 feet.
2. No One Of Consequence - Permanent nondetection effect at Caster Level 18, Will DC 20 to overcome.
3. Imprinting Hand
4. Shadow Stealth - 100 feet, Move Action. 1 Mythic Point to use.
5. Menacing Whisper
6. Simple Divine Casting - 30 Spell Levels, nothing higher than an 8th Level Spell
Spells - 1/day each, at Caster Level 12
Transport Via Plants - 6th lvl Druid
Baleful Polymorph - 5th lvl Druid
Heal - 6th lvl Cleric
Find Traps - 2nd lvl Cleric
Find the Path - 6th lvl Cleric
Resist Energy 30 - 2nd lvl Druid
Spider Climb - 2nd lvl Druid
Charm Animal - 1st lvl Druid
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Currently stealing this idea for my KM campaign.
Thus far my players have:
1) Investigated werewolf attacks
2) found a winterwolf that was staging the attacks to draw suspicion on the local wolf cult to get the players to stop the summoning of Father Wolf
3) taken out the entire cult in a basement summoning chamber mid-summons while a 15' werewolf arm tried to pull the rest of itself out of a partially opened portal
4) fought a small army of wolves breaking through the walls of a cabin while the whole thing burned around them
BUT, they don't know anything about
THE BIG BAD WOLF CR 16/MR8
XP 307,200
CN Huge Fey
Init +13; Senses blindsight 30 ft., Blindsense 60 ft., Low-light Vision; Perception +35
DEFENSE
AC 37, touch 18, flat-footed 27 (+9 Dex, +19 natural, +1 dodge, –2 size)
hp 269 (26d6+178); regeneration 13 (cold iron and silver)
Fort +12, Ref +22, Will +21
DR 15/Cold iron, silver, slashing, and epic; SR 35
Weaknesses Light Blindness, Sunlight Powerlessness
OFFENSE
Speed 75 ft.
Melee bite +23 (2d6+15 plus grab or trip), 2 slams +18 (1d8+5)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks fast swallow, swallow whole (2d6+6 slashing damage plus 1d4 wisdom drain, no limit on the number of creatures swallowed, AC 22, hp 26), huff, puff, curse of natural lycanthropy, simple divine casting, mythic power (8/day, surge +1d10)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th; concentration +10)
At Will—tongues
STATISTICS
Str 30, Dex 28, Con 18, Int 16, Wis 22, Cha 20
Base Atk +13; CMB +25; CMD 47
Feats Combat Reflexes, Deceitful, Defensive Combat Training, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Splintering Weapon, Toughness, Step Up, Following Step, Step Up and Strike, Wind Stance, Lightning Stance
Skills Acrobatics +23, Bluff +38, Climb +24, Disguise +38, Disable Device +20, Escape Artist +23, Knowledge (Nature) +19, Knowledge (Local) +19, Perception +35, Sense Motive +35, Stealth +36, Swim +24
Languages Sylvan, Common, tongues
ECOLOGY
Environment any wilderness or city
Organization solitary
Treasure standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Swallow Whole (Su) Any victims of this ability find themselves not inside the Big Bad Wolf’s stomach, but instead transported to a nightmarish dimension of tangible shadows, assaulted by phantom wolf forms. Dealing enough damage to the dream creatures causes the victim to reappear in a random space adjacent to the Big Bad Wolf.
Lycanthropic Mastery (Su) As sanctuary (Will DC 28), but only affecting wolves, were-wolves, and other wolf-kin.
Huff (Su) As a Full Round action, the Big Bad Wolf can inhale sharply, creating a vortex of wind. This ability has two effects; firstly, his size increases by 1 category (to a maximum of Huge), secondly, on a successful combat maneuver check, creatures in a 60' cone are pulled 5' closer for every size category they are smaller than the Big Bad Wolf's new size.
Puff (Su) As an immediate action, the Big Bad Wolf can exhale a 60' cone of wind starting at Tornado strength and decreasing in severity one level for every size category smaller than huge the Big Bad Wolf is. After using this ability, the Big Bad Wolf decreases in size by 1 category (to a minumum of Tiny).
In my campaign, the big bad wolf is both a primal predator and the favored prey of the fey Wild Hunt. Due to his skills, he is a challenge to find and fight, and thanks to his regeneration, he always comes back to be hunted again and again... hence his willingness to pass on the blessing of natural lycanthropy to cults that try to summon him out of the First World.
I'm looking for ways to hint at this bit of story and his abilities to prepare my players for when they eventually run into him in N's territory. I've only come up with a children's rhyme/game that locals in the riverkingdoms play
The hunted hunter moves unseen
beneath the boughs in Evergreen
Across the curtains beasts do howl
Yearning for the hunter's bless'd cowl
Yet elk pursues and round it goes
never dieing but ever rose
threads of moonlight breaded tight
embracing bane of the Ever Bright
cross the lines by beasts you tame
grant me gifts to escape the game
Of course, if he does make it out of the First World, I'm sure the Hunt will follow him...
Awesome! I really like what you've done with the idea. Please keep us up to date on how things turn out with Father Wolf and his Wild Hunt.