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This entire post is going to contain spoilers for portions of Broken Moon, the 3rd module of Carrion Crown.
I have a 7 PC party, built around 15 point buy. We're running through Broken Moon at the moment and we've gotten to the final dramatic confrontation at the Stairs of the Moon. As I've got a heavy number of players (made worse by the fact that one's a summoner and thus effectively 8 players' worth of actions!) I am doing some pretty heavy revamping of all the modules. Technically they're all level 8 by now, but since they haven't rested yet I've asked them to keep their level 7 stats for now. I'm planning on presenting them an obstacle they'll run away from and return to later on.... or else they may be in for a difficult battle. Between fighting the upgraded versions of Mathus Mordrinacht (who I've reworked into a short sword two weapon fighter, using Dazzling Display, Hammer the Gap, Shatter Defenses, and Scent of Fear to gain pretty sizeable advantages based on high attack rates, accurate strikes, and cc), Estovion Lozarov (a higher level conjurer than by book), and Cybrisa (higher level druid, wolf domain, focused on cc and buffs). So fighting all 3 npcs alongside my beefed up Vilkacis will, I hope, encourage the party to run away...... and return at level 8 to fight them all again with a full next level kit.
Advanced Vilkacis (CR 10)
XP 9,600
CE Medium undead (incorporeal)
Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +21
DEFENSE
AC 24, touch 24, flat-footed 16 (+6 deflection, +8 Dex)
HP 161 (14d8+98)
Fort +10, Ref +14, Will +13
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2, incorporeal, rejuvenation;
DR 10/silver; Immune cold, undead traits
Weaknesses vulnerability to silver
OFFENSE
Speed fly 50 ft. (perfect)
Melee 2 incorporeal touches +18 (2d6 plus 2d6 cold)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks bestial possession (DC 23), curse of lycanthropy (DC 23)
STATISTICS
Str -, Dex 27/+8, Con -, Int 12/+1, Wis 18/+4, Cha 22/+6
BAB +10; CMB +18; CMD 34 (38 vs. trip)
Feats Blind-fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (incorporeal touch), Lightning Reflexes, Lunge, Toughness
Skills Diplomacy +20, Fly +16, Intimidate +23, Perception +21, Stealth +25, Survival +18
Languages Common, Sylvan
SQ Lycanthropic empathy
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Bestial Possession (Su): A vilkacis is a spirit of savagery and can take control of other beings, afflicting them with its savage nature. Once per round, the vilkacis can merge its body with a creature on the Material Plane. This ability is similar to a magic jar spell (caster level 14th), except it does not require a receptacle and lasts for up to 3 hours (or a number of hours equal to the vilkacis’s Charisma modifier, whichever is greater). To use this ability, the vilkacis must be adjacent to the target. The target can resist the attack with a successful DC 18 Will save. A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same vilkacis’s bestial possession for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Upon being possessed by a vilkacis, the target takes on a number of bestial features, most notably growing claws and vicious fangs, and flies into a savage rage. The victim gains two claws and a bite natural attack appropriate to its size (1d4 and 1d6 for Medium creatures; see Natural Attacks for other sizes), and gains a barbarian’s greater rage class ability.
This rage lasts for as long as the victim is being possessed by the vilkacis. After the possession ends, the victim is fatigued for a period of time equal to double the duration of the possession. The victim also gains low-light vision and scent. The possessed creature loses all of these natural attacksa and abilities immediately when the vilkacis leaves its body.
Curse of Lycanthropy (Su): Any humanoid that is bitten by a creature possessed by a vilkacis must make a DC 18 Fortitude save or be infected with lycanthropy as if bitten by a werewolf. If the victim’s size is not within one size category of the possessed creature’s, this ability has no effect. The save DC uses the vilkacis’s ability scores and is Charisma-based.
Lycanthropic Empathy (Ex): A vilkacis or creature possessed by a vilkacis can communicate and empathize with wolves and dire wolves. It can use Diplomacy to alter such an animal’s attitude, and when doing so gains a +4 racial bonus on the check.
Rejuvenation (Su): A vilkacis that is destroyed in combat restores itself after 2d4 days. The only way to permanently do away with a vilkacis is to locate its canopic stone, the occult artifact that binds it to the Material Plane, and then destroy the artifact in the presence of the vilkacis’s mortal remains. Once the canopic stone is destroyed, the vilkacis can no longer rejuvenate and can be destroyed as normal.
Vulnerability to Silver (Su): Vilkacis are particularly susceptible to silver. A vilkacis struck with a silver weapon takes an additional 2d6 points of damage. If a creature under the effects of a vilkacis’s bestial possession is damaged by a silver weapon, it also takes this extra damage and receives another saving throw to resist the bestial possession. If successful, the possession ends, and the vilkacis is driven into an adjacent square and cannot use its bestial possession ability again until the following day.
NOTES:
This is the normal Vilkacis with +4 HD and the Advanced template applied. Instead of increasing the natural armor as the template suggests, I took inspiration from Undead Revisited (which is a phenomenal asset to any GM, particularly for this AP!) and the "distorted shadow" template. Notice the Space/Reach portion of the OFFENSIVE stat block? That's right: 10 foot reach. That, in combination with the incredible Dex mod, Combat Reflexes, and Lunge, should result in me being able to truly terrify many of my players. It's not that I think dishing out lots of damage is terrible.... it's the touch attack and 20' threat range. I should be able to make them think twice about playing some of the tricky maneuvering games they're so fond of. Alternatively, I was thinking about giving it a third natural attack (incorporeal bite) instead of natural armor, reflecting the attacks it grants to someone who is possessed more closely.
Any thoughts? My
