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So I am running the Emerald Spire superdungeon for my gaming group and as we approach xmas I was thinking of running a little special for them during their next foray to the surface. I haven't been running to many random encounters for them so I am not really worried about this encounter pushing them ahead of the levelling curve.
KRISTOFF (CR7, 8 WITH STAGS)
XP 3200
CE Medium Undead Humanoid (Dwarven Graveknight)
Init +1; Senses Darkvision 60ft, Perception +14; Aura Sacrilegious Aura (su, 30ft, DC 16)
DEFENSE
AC 26, touch 12, flat-footed 24 (+10 Armour+2 Dex +4 Natural Armour)
hp 57 (5d8+25)
Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +3
DR 10/Magic, SR 18, Channel Resistance +7
Rejuvenation
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee Masterwork Warhammer +12 (1d8+6 +1d6 Cold), Slam (1d6+5)
Full Attack with weapons +8/+8 (1d8+6 +1d6 Cold)
Channel Destruction (1d6 Cold), Devestating Blast (3/day, 30ft cone, 2d6 Cold, DC 15 Reflex)
STATISTICS
Str 20, Dex 15, Con -, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 18
Base Atk +5; CMB +12; CMD 21
Feats Two Weapon Fighting, Double Slice, Weapon Focus (Warhammer), Step Up, Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Toughness
Skills Handle Animal +9, Intimidation +21, Perception +14, Ride +17
Abilities Weapon Training 1, Armour Training 1 (Hammers)
Equipment +1 Full Plate Armour, 2x Masterwork Warhammers, 2x Potions of Cure Moderate Wouds, 1 Potion of Lesser Restoration, Bag of Holding I
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Sacrilegious Aura (Su): A graveknight constantly exudes an aura of intense evil and negative energy in a 30-foot radius. This aura functions as the spell desecrate and uses the graveknight's armor as an altar of sorts to double the effects granted. The graveknight constantly gains the benefits of this effect (including the bonus hit points, as this aura is part of the graveknight's creation). In addition, this miasma of fell energies hinders the channeling of positive energy. Any creature that attempts to summon positive energy in this area—such as through a cleric's channel energy ability, a paladin's lay on hands, or any spell with the healing subtype—must make a concentration check with a DC equal to 16. If the character fails, the effect is expended but does not function.
Rejuvenation (Su): One day after a graveknight is destroyed, its armor begins to rebuild the undead horror's body. This process takes 1d10 days—if the body is destroyed before that time passes, the armor merely starts the process anew. After this time has elapsed, the graveknight wakens fully healed.
Channel Destruction (Su): Any weapon a graveknight wields seethes with energy, and deals an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 4 Hit Dice the graveknight has. This additional damage is of the energy type determined by the ruinous revivification special quality.
Devastating Blast (Su): Three times per day, the graveknight may unleash a 30-foot cone of energy as a standard action. This blast deals 2d6 points of damage for every 3 Hit Dice a graveknight has (Reflex for half). This damage is of the energy type determined by the graveknight's ruinous revivification special quality.
Undead Mastery (Su): As a standard action, a graveknight can attempt to bend any undead creature within 50 feet to its will. The targeted undead must succeed at a Will save or fall under the graveknight's control. This control is permanent for unintelligent undead; an undead with an Intelligence score is allowed an additional save every day to break free from the graveknight's control. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same graveknight's undead mastery for 24 hours.
UNDEAD STAGS (SMASHER, CRUSHER, GOREHORN AND SVEN)
XP 400 each
NE Medium Undead Animal (fast zombie)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +6
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+4 Dex +2 Natural Armour)
hp 27 (3d8+12)
Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +5
OFFENSE
Speed 60 ft.
Melee gore +3 (1d6+2), 2 hooves –1 (1d4)
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 19, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 15 (19 vs. trip)
Feats RunB, Toughness
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Quick Strikes (Ex): Whenever a fast zombie takes a full-attack action, it can make one additional slam attack at its highest base attack bonus.
“Four powerful stags with rotting skin and decaying flesh hanging from their antlers pull an old and ill-repaired sleigh across the fresh snow with an unnatural speed. The aged leather of their harnesses is broken only by worn copper nameplates that can’t be read at this distance.
Sitting atop the sleigh and whipping the reigns with a cruel urgency sits a skeletal dwarven figure, clad in heavy but aged armour. Behind this figure sits a bulging bag of faded red, lined with dirty fleece.”
In life, Kristoff was a charismatic and skilled bandit who gathered a sizeable following and plagued the northern Echo woods, amassing much wealth and infamy along the way. The wealth he gathered never satisfied him however and he eventually went mad, believing that the only currency worth hording was the skulls of intelligent creatures. He slaughtered his own bandit gang and then raided nearby villages, dying to a local hero in one such raid. Death could not hold him however as his madness drove him to rise from his shallow, roadside grave and hunt for more skulls. It’s said that he only hunts during the winter months to keep his favourite mounts from rotting away.
Upon encountering the PC’s, Kristoff will halt his sleigh and command his mounts to break free of their yolks while he will pick up his two warhammers and jump to the ground. In subsequent rounds, he will order his stags to flank his prey and keep them from fleeing while he will charge in with mad ferocity and try to bludgeon his prey to death, always avoiding striking their heads.
The party APL will be 5 by the time they encounter this and there is a unarmed monk of the sacred mountain, a flail wielding STR barbarian, a switch-hitting ranger and a healing focused battle cleric.
I have been told that the mini I have to represent Kristoff looks like an undead santa (the inspiration for this little thing) and my group is great at subtlety and puns so I'm not worried about them missing the xmas significance. My concerns are that I am not very experienced at modifying monsters and I have either overpowered or underpowered this encounter.
Let me know what you think.
