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As I pointed out above, the Alchemist has a "Reanimator" archetype. This replaces bombs with the ability to alchemically create undead. :)
And remember, in the end, I'm not creating *exactly* these guys as pregens. I am making pregens *inspired* from them. Hence the headless horseman as a halfling wearing a pumpkin on his head instead of an all out ghost. Or Jason Vorhees as a mute sanity-lacking barbarian instead of some crazy spirit of vengeance.
Maybe check out Legendary Games Gothic pregens (8 classes lvl1) and advance them.
Or you could mine this thread:
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2lwmp?Playing-with-a-Castlevaniathemed-party#8
Expert or Commoner - any Lovecraftian protagonist.
This is awesome! I got a good laugh from it.
-A deformed bard for Phantom of the Opera
-Maybe a WayYang rouge or monk for Quasimodo
-A high charisma barbarian for Rocky Horror (this would be hilarious)
-If you run the 3rd party artificers you could have Frank-N-Furter or Riff Raff from the same show
-I think someone said Simon Belmont as a ranger
-Maybe you could skin Imotep as a sorcerer
-High knowledge Alchemist focused on knifes as incapacitating bombs as Hanibal Lector (probably not the most effective alchemist build but I'd be effing stoked to play Hanibal Lector)
-Jason Voorhees might be a fighter
-Charm based Damphir maybe for dracula
-Female Gunslinger for Alice from Resident Evil
-I might put Van Helsing as some fighter/cleric
A couple of these have been mentioned before, but....
The League
Mina Murrey - Archaeologist Bard/Master Spy - Not a perfect fit I admit, but in the first series she's more of an Expert or Aristocrat. In later series though she shows a bit more combat and spying ability.
I went with A.B. because her role as the one who holds these lunatics together through force of personality says bard, but she shows no artistic abilities throughout the series.
For the movie version (shudder) a Dhampir Ninja might work best.
Alan Quartermain - Ranger - Gunslinger works too, and might work better for the movie version, but the canonical Quartermain was an explorer and big-game hunter, and that says Ranger to me.
Hawley Griffin - Vivisectionist Alchemist - The big issue with Griffin is the permanent invisibility, but if you think about it, it might not be such a big issue at all.
Remember, only Griffin is invisible, not his clothes or anything he carries, so if he wants to sneak around he has to do it stark naked and carrying no equipment. A big deal for an Alchemist.
In fact, I'd probably rule that if he tried to use a potion or ring of invisibility (or anything else that made him "invisible") his clothes and equipment would become invisible, but he would become visible. With appropriate penalties for him trying to use invisible equipment and running around appearing naked.
For the movie version go straight Rogue. The same issues with his permanent invisibility apply.
Jekyll/Hyde - Alchemist/Master Chymist - Well, what else?
Captain Nemo - Freebooter Ranger - Tough call. I'd have liked to have found a good Naval archetype for the Cavalier, but nothing presented itself.
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Well, I started writing pregens and got up through Father Carras before I said "man, hell with this, I need to find out which five they want to play as first instead of just writing up ninteen".
So to help them pick, I wrote mini-backgrounds for all the characters and gave them out to the players. Each has a reason (sort of in some cases) to be investigating Castle Ravenloft. The creativity isn't great, I know, but I can only say "you want to kill a vampire" so many ways, haha.
Also, lots of dhampirs. D and Alucard were obvious, but I had Elizabeth in mind for one as well so she could take the various blood drinking feats. Ah well.
Enjoy!
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Herbert West
Male human alchemist (reanimator) 9
Dr. West has long studied ways in which to revive the dead. Scorned by his peers, he has ignored the academic community and pursued his dream. His alchemical formulaes have slowly improved, and he has seen success in using his creation to revive the dead, to some extent. Brain-dead zombies they may be, but they are a step in the right direction. Word that the count of castle ravenloft had great knowledge on necromantic studies has reached his ears, and so he sets out to see what lore his palace may hide.
Jason Voorhees
Male half-orc barbarian (invulnerable rager) 9
Named for his father, a man who slept with an orc for reasons beyond his knowing, Jason has never been a smart child. He grew up amongst the orcs, abused and berated by them for his ancestry. He was ashamed of his appearance and hid it behind a tribal mask, up until his 20th birthday. Nearly drowned in a lake by the orcs in his tribe, he lost himself in his rage. When he had finally recovered, all of the orcs in his small tribe were dead by his hand, including his mother. He felt no remorse. Speaking little to this day, hiding his face, he wanders the land with his sharp machete. His wanderings have brought him to Ravenloft, and to the Castle. He cares not what will die, but knows that only the killing will keep the screaming voices of his dead tribe quiet.
Elizabeth Bathory
Female dhampir bard 9
Elizabeth has been a vain woman since her birth. Raised amongst nobility, she learned long ago that she had an insatiable attraction for blood. She often had slaves brought in to bleed into a tub for her, in which she took her baths. Bleeding her servants became a regular activity, though she tried to avoid their deaths, less blood that way. She has heard often of the Count and knows his castle hides many secrets of the vampire. Wondering if he may have books or tomes to help aid her bloodlust, she has traveled to Ravenloft in order to explore and loot his castle of anything valuable.
The Headless Horseman
Male halfling cavalier 9
Little is known about this strange halfling. He says little to anyone, riding upon a black pony wherever he goes. A pumpkin constantly adorns his head and he carries with him a vicious bladed whip. He attacks and kills seemingly at random, as if under some strange hidden agenda. Known only to himself, he is but an agent of the god Groetus, his killings part of the strange deity's work towards the end of the world. His plans have brought him here, where his lord has ordered the death of Castle Ravenloft's vampiric count.
Father Karras
Male human cleric of Sarenrae 9
Father Karras has been a faithful servant of the goddess of the redemption since his earlier days. He was not much of a traveling priest before the incident, in which a young girl was possessed by a demon. Driving the beast out himself, he knew then that he had to ensure no one else would suffer the same fate. His travels took him to Ravenloft, where he heard of this beast, this vampire, this Count. Steeling himself and muttering a prayer to Sarenrae, he knew that some creatures were beyond redemption.
Willard
Male dwarf druid 9
Willard is a meek social misfit. He has lived in a large mansion with only his mother to keep him company. He grew to befriending the rats that soon plagued his house. Soon after his mother passed, and Willard left the mansion out into the world. A scruffy and strange dwarf, he speaks in erratic tones and is always followed by his largest rat, Ben. Why he is in Ravenloft is a mystery. Why he wants to venture into the Castle, a mystery as well. Perhaps he thinks there will be more rats there.
D
Male dhampir fighter 9
D is a bit of an eccentric man/dhampir/person. He seems a relatively sane person most days, but is occasionally seen talking to his left hand. His love of killing the undead is nothing compared to his obsession with ending the unlife of vampires. For obvious reasons, he has traveled to Ravenloft to seek out one of the most powerful vampires out there.
Ash
Male human gunslinger 9
Before Ash went on a vacation with his fiancee and friends, he did not believe in the supernatural. After a group of zombies, an insane treant, and a witch attacked his cabin, he quickly changed his mind. Losing his hand to attempted possession, Ash stalks the fields of Ravenloft with a determined gait. Using knowledge learned from the Magical Wastes, he has created his own boomstick and attached it to his missing hand. Hearing that the witch who caused all the mayhem in the beginning originated from the Count's castle, he has headed there to end the vampire.
Van Helsing
Male half-elf inquisitor (vampire hunter) 9
With a thick Chelaxian accent, Van Helsing is a learned scholar who has long sought out the worst of undead, those with the unnatural appetite for flesh and blood. It should be no question why he has come to Castle Ravenloft, seeking out one of the worst vampires there is.
Alucard
Male dhampir magus 9
Alucard was born of a lesser vampire spawn in Ravenloft, a young noble named Dracula. His mother long proclaimed her faith in humanity, and after her death he resolved to end the life of the evil vampire which bore him. Working with a young warrior named Simon, Alucard tracked down and finished off Count Dracula. In the end, he learned that Dracula was merely the spawn of a more powerful vampire living in Castle Ravenloft.
Buffy
Female human monk 9
Buffy was raised at one of Ravenloft's few monastaries. She was trained from an early age to fight the undead, demons, and devils that permeated a land. Her skill perfected, she has given herself the moniker of "Slayer" and headed for Castle Ravenloft to end the reign of its evil ruler.
Alessa Gilespie
Female gnome oracle (dark tapestry) 9
Alessa has long been haunted by horrific visions. She sees strange creatures when no one else can, hears a mind-numbing siren, and the fog... always she sees the fog. Driven insane a long time ago and granted mysterious powers she does not understand, she only remembers one thing: the cause of her strange curse may have originated from Castle Ravenloft. This is the only thing that drives her, and she will not stop until she has ended the curse and killed the vampire who gave it to her.
Roland Deschain
Male human paladin (holy gun) 9
Roland was trained as a gunslinger at the young age of 14 after being manipulated into taking the trial by a man named Marten Broadcloak (secretly the shapeshifting wizard, Randall Flagg). Marten had an affair with Roland's mother, forcing Roland into a trial to gain his guns and exact revenge. Though Marten escaped, Roland vowed to never let evil men escape justice, and trained for years to become worthy of the guns he now wielded. Hearing that the Count of Ravenloft was as evil as they came, Roland knew that this was exactly the test that he had been waiting for.
Geralt of Rivia
Male half-elf ranger (guide) 9
Geralt was from a land few remembered called Rivia. Descended from an elven clan of monster hunters, he was trained to combat monsters of all kinds by whatever means necessary. Hired by a group of upper class nobility, he has come to Ravenloft seeking out the undead and other vile beasts that live here. His job is to cleanse the land of these beasts.
Norman Bates
Male human rogue (knife master) 9
Norman grew up under a terror of a mother, Norma. She terrorized him for years, preaching the sinful nature of sex and women constantly. Driven over the edge when his mother took another man, he murdered the both of them, his mind shattering into pieces. He travels the land now battling multiple personality disorder. Norman is a scared child, Norma is posessive and threatens death to all who cross him/her, and Normal is a barely functioning adult. The Norma personality has dominated him in recent weeks, sending him to Ravenloft. In the darkest reaches of his mind, he hopes that the secrets which the castle hides can help to heal his broken sanity.
Carrie
Female human sorcerer (elemental) 9
Carrie White was a shy, friendless girl growing up. Her mother was a very religious worshipper of Shelyn, and constantly preached the beauty of art and song to Carrie. Unfortunately, the other girls made fun of Carrie and her 'hippy' mother, the final prank being played at a local festival. The other teenagers prepared a bucket of pig's blood to be dumped on her during one of the dances. Unfortunately, they had not known of the strange powers that this girl possessed, and her anger came to a boil with this last prank. Fire and force lashed out at those around her, killing all of the villagers at the festival. Her last murder came with that of her mother, who cried out that she was possessed by a devil. Carrie since fled her small town, traveling to Ravenloft, where she might end the reign of this vampiric count and take the castle for herself. Maybe there, in solitude, she can find peace.
Old Wizard Whately
Male elf summoner 9
Not technically a wizard, but old by human standards, Wilbur Whately was raised among humans and knew little of his elven heritage. Growing up in an isolated village of Dunwich, he became arrogant and hateful of the humans, believing himself to be better than the rest of them. As he grew older, he began to hear whispers from beyond, from a strange creature calling itself Yog-Sothoth. It promised to give him dominion over these humans if he would accept the power. Greedily, Wilbur was quick to accept, and so was birthed his eidolon. With a face akin to his own, the creature was a mass of mouths, tentacles, and defied logic. It rampaged through the village, killing all who would not submit to Whately's new rule. Dubbed "The Horror of Dunwich", the eidolon server Whately faithfully. Deciding that the village was too small, Wilbur killed the rest of its inhabitants before moving to Ravenloft, seeking a new land and a castle to call his own.
Maharet/Mekare
Female changeling witch 9
Maharet was born with a twin sister named Mekare. Both were blessed with mystical green eyes and curly red hair, and popular amongst men as they grew up. What they did not know was that they were birthed from hags, and soon, they began to hear their mother's call. Maharet resisted, scared of this voice and of the strange new powers that seemed to be manifesting. It was an accident, she said, when Mekare died. She said that Mekare couldn't resist, that she had to stop her. The village did not care, and drove Maharet out. Trying to avoid the hag's call, but slowly succumbing, Maharet found herself heading to Ravenloft. The guilt over her sister's death manifested in a split personality, and she believes herself to be Maharet or Mekare at any given moment. She blames the hag which brought her to this world, and hopes to find her somewhere in Ravenloft. This strange castle is a good place to start...
Randall Flagg
Male kitsune wizard (illusionist) 9
Randall is a master of diguise, thanks in part to his racial heritage, but also due to his long studies of illusion. He has used this knowledge for decades, changing his shape with each new land, playing games with whoever he felt like. He has care for no one but himself, and has heard that the Count of Ravenloft's treasures contain great amounts of illusory magic. Deciding that he was a better owner for these items, he heads to Ravenloft to gather more power, allowing him to continue his games for decades to come.
As I pointed out above, the Alchemist has a "Reanimator" archetype. This replaces bombs with the ability to alchemically create undead. :)
Reanimator archetype? Never heard of it. Did I miss something in the APG?
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It's from Ultimate Magic. You can see it here. I was a bit off in that it doesn't replace bombs entirely, but it does make them less effective.
I dunno, it does kinda slow down the ability to create better than zombies and skeletons. West's creations seem to be basically ghouls or unwrapped mummies or some other well preserved semi-intelligent undead. Even the description of the variant says they work closely with necromancers. Tough choice, but somehow I still think a necromancer would be more appropriate somehow. Lovecraft WAS into spells and such. However, the idea of using an actual spellcaster was somewhat later on in his writings, West was one of the earlier examples of antihero.
One more thing: Just HOW is a Alchemist Reanimator supposed to "inject" a fluid into a body? With what, his finger? Hypodermic needles are NOT on any equipment list, and for good reason: they weren't invented in medieval times. Not even in the Renaissance.
One more thing: Just HOW is a Alchemist Reanimator supposed to "inject" a fluid into a body? With what, his finger? Hypodermic needles are NOT on any equipment list, and for good reason: they weren't invented in medieval times. Not even in the Renaissance.
Though hypodermic needles weren't invented until 1844, syringes have been used in medicine since the 1st century. Admittedly, from what I can find they seem to have been used mostly as suction devices.
Then there is no way for a Reanimator to administer his fancy juice.
Pretty silly class, methinks!
I think the earliest examples of a Injection Syringe was called... an Infusion Syringe? It was basically a primitive I.V. Most of what it used could easily be explained to be inside an Alchemist Kit. Especially since it was made using the same components as some Alchemistry/Chemistry items.
Is that *listed* in an Alchemist's Kit? I checked. It isn't.
That's a pretty big hole in ye old job description. It's almost as bad as the one about alcohol and Alchemist's Kindness.
Tubing, Glass Vial, and Syringe Needle for the most basic of them.
Also it isn't clarified what is in the Alchemy Kit. All I can remember is it says that they have what they need for their Class.
Buffy
Female human monk 9
Buffy was raised at one of Ravenloft's few monastaries. She was trained from an early age to fight the undead, demons, and devils that permeated a land. Her skill perfected, she has given herself the moniker of "Slayer" and headed for Castle Ravenloft to end the reign of its evil ruler.
Shouldn't Buffy be a Paladin?
I was thinking an Inquisitor.
Is that *listed* in an Alchemist's Kit? I checked. It isn't.
That's a pretty big hole in ye old job description. It's almost as bad as the one about alcohol and Alchemist's Kindness.
The Adventurer's Armory has a weapon called a Syringe Spear. It is quite literally a syringe on the end of a stick, runs 100gp.
The Adventurer's Armory has a weapon called a Syringe Spear. It is quite literally a syringe on the end of a stick, runs 100gp.Is that *listed* in an Alchemist's Kit? I checked. It isn't.
That's a pretty big hole in ye old job description. It's almost as bad as the one about alcohol and Alchemist's Kindness.
It's not listed in Ultimate Equipment. I've got the book, plus the APG, the ARG, the core book, the GM's guide, etc. If it was that important, you'd think it would be included in one of those.
As a side note, did you know there are no rules for governing how potent a given alcoholic drink is? And no rules for hangovers, yet Alchemist's Kindness is supposed to cure it instantly?
Re alcohol potency : check out Slugfest Games Red Dragon Inn PFRPG book to come...
They are doing detailed rules for this kind of stuff by expanding the poison rules. (They also planni g an AP btw)
You could toss Hans, the troll hunter from Troll Hunter in as a ranger. His UV guns would be useful against undead but would require some sort of "steam punking".
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Blade as a monk or fighter type, I mean Ravenloft would be right up his dark, shadow filled alley.
