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So I'm brainstorming about how and why I'll bring back Vorel Foxglove and what that will mean to my campaign.
I'm picking up my ROTRL campaign after a year off. My group is about to enter the Graul homestead and encounter that house full of nightmares and I can't help but think about the last time they went through a house full of horror, Misgivings.
My group didn't properly exorcise Vorel's spirit. I've been holding onto that bit of information in the back of my brain and was curious how that would all unfold later. I'm pretty sure they used fire to burn the patch of fungus from the cave wall which according the the AP the fungus will regrow in 24 hours unless the site is subject to a Hallow and Consecrate spell or dispel evil spell...none of which happened. Hallow and Dispel Evil are level 5 cleric spells which requires at least a 9th level cleric. The party is 8th level now (They were only 6th ot 7th level when they went through Foxglove Manor) so I'm thinking that after all the nonsense at Fort Rannick is handled and they have some down time maybe I will take them back to Misgivings to finally take care of Vorel. According to the adventure they should be around 10th level after completing Hook Mountain Massacre. I don't really want to sidetrack too much but I believe that if they wait too long this is something that would eventually come back to haunt them. (Wocka Wocka Wocka!)
The way I see it, Vorel is gonna be pretty pissed and wanting revenge...so how does that play out? Everything I've been lead to believe is that Vorel was a Necromancer which tried and failed to become a Lich so he was at least 11th level and I believe maybe even 15th level. According to the anniversary edition on page 90, anyone who attempts to light the house on fire will be targeted with fear, confusion, phantasmal killer, dominate person, or charm monster (CL 15)
Sooooo? 15th level Necromancer...maybe a Lich...maybe a ghost...does he possess someone that came by to loot the place, or maybe dominate them and send them out to harass the party? Does he bring back the recently slain Aldern somehow? Raise a bunch of ghouls or shadows or something? Maybe he reaches out to and dominates the ghouls who live in the Devil's Platter?
As I said before, the party is off at the Graul farm. One of the PC's, the party's Evoker has sort of been retired and is now an NPC stationed back in Sandpoint doing research with Brodert Quink and helping Mayor Deverin, Sheriff Hemlock and Ameiko form an Adventure's Guild to help protect Sandpoint and the surrounding area from all of the shenanigans that keep popping up. The town nobles have commissioned a guildhouse be built on Chopper's Isle for the party and other adventurers that are recruited to come protect Sandpoint.
Some other ideas I've had that sort of tie in to all of this are perhaps the NPC wizard was tainted by Vorel during their former encounter or maybe he goes back to investigate Foxglove Manor for his research and is dominated then. I also thought of working in the ghost of Jervis Stoot somehow. Maybe the dominated wizard wrangles up Ol' Chopper after his new found interest in necromancy...
Just brain storming...all comments welcome. What do you guys think?
You could have one of the remaining Foxgloves move into the house (there are some relatives living in Korvosa, I think).
Have your NPC wizard interact with her and build a duo infernale.
Maybe tie in Red Mantis assassins as they were the ones Xanesha intended (did?) to sell the nasty stuff in the first place.
Ruyan.
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My group chose to leave the Skinsaw Man's body in the same room as the mold. And yes, they did chop off his head, his hands, and his feet, and throw his hands and feet into the ocean... (and leave his head facing his bottom, sans clothing as they looted everything, with a message carved in his bottom just in case). So I decided the Mold "infested" Aldern's body and became a Variant Worm That Walks.
The Skinsaw Man CR 16
XP 76,800
Male ghast worm that walks aristocrat 1/fighter 1/rogue 3/necromancer 10 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 146, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 286)
CE Medium vermin (augmented undead)
Init +12; Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., life sight (10 feet, 10 rounds/day); Perception +20
Aura stench (10 ft., DC 18, 1d6 + 4 minutes)
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Defense
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AC 28, touch 26, flat-footed 19 (+3 deflection, +8 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 insight, +2 natural)
hp 233 (17 HD; 10d6+6d8+1d10+139); fast healing 16
Fort +15, Ref +18, Will +16
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2, evasion, trap sense +1, worm that walks traits; DR 15/—; Immune critical hits, flanking, undead traits
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +17 (1d6+5 plus disease), 2 claws +17 (1d6+5), slam +17 (1d4+5 plus grab)
Special Attacks discorporate, ghoul fever, grab (Large), paralysis (1d4+1 rounds, DC 18), sneak attack +2d6, squirming embrace, tenacious
Arcane School Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +15)
. . 8/day—grave touch (5 rounds)
Necromancer Spells Prepared (CL 10th; concentration +15)
. . 5th—blight (DC 22), dominate person (DC 20), symbol of pain (DC 22), teleport
. . 4th—control summoned creature[UM] (DC 19), dimension door, mythic severance[MA] (DC 21), mythic severance[MA] (DC 21), vomit twin[ARG]
. . 3rd—ablative barrier[UC], dispel magic, hold person (DC 18), summon monster III, vampiric touch
. . 2nd—blood transcription[UM], command undead (DC 19), frigid touch[UM], protection from arrows, scorching ray, spontaneous immolation[UC] (DC 17)
. . 1st—chill touch (DC 18), corrosive touch[UM], icicle dagger[UM] (2), infernal healing[ISWG], protection from good, sculpt corpse[APG] (DC 18)
. . 0 (at will)—acid splash, bleed (DC 17), detect magic, touch of fatigue (DC 17)
. . Opposition Schools Illusion, Transmutation
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Tactics
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During Combat Aldern’s tactics in combat are influenced to a certain degree by his personalities, as detailed above. When the Skinsaw Man takes over, he puts on his stalker’s mask and assumes the form of his obsession, attacking that character to the exclusion of all other targets.
Morale Aldern fights to the death.
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Statistics
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Str 20, Dex 26, Con —, Int 20, Wis 18, Cha 24
Base Atk +9; CMB +14 (+22 grapple); CMD 44
Feats Combat Casting, Command Undead, Craft Wand, Diehard, Dodge, Forge Ring, Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Lunge, Persuasive, Reach Spell[APG], Rime Spell[UM], Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (necromancy), Toughness, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +20, Appraise +15, Bluff +20, Climb +20, Diplomacy +21, Escape Artist +15, Fly +15, Intimidate +21, Knowledge (local) +16, Knowledge (nobility) +16, Perception +20, Ride +17, Sense Motive +25, Sleight of Hand +20, Spellcraft +25, Stealth +35, Swim +10, Use Magic Device +15; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +8 Sense Motive, +8 Stealth
Languages Common, Elven, Halfling, Infernal, Shoanti, Varisian
SQ arcane bond (wand of magic missile), power over undead, ring of strength sapping, rogue talent (finesse rogue), trapfinding +1
Combat Gear ring of strength sapping[UE], staff of radiance[UE], wand of magic missile; Other Gear cloak of resistance +2, ring of protection +3
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Special Abilities
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Blindsight (30 feet) (Ex) Sense things and creatures without seeing them.
Channel Resistance +2 +2 bonus to save vs. Channel Energy.
Combat Casting +4 to Concentration checks to cast while on the defensive.
Command Undead (DC 22) (Su) Receive Command Undead or Turn Undead as a bonus feat.
Damage Reduction (15/-) You have Damage Reduction against all attacks.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Diehard You are stable and can choose how to act when at negative Hp.
Discorporate (Su) A worm that walks can collapse into a shapeless swarm of worms as a free action. All held, worn, and carried items fall and its Strength score drops to 1. The worm that walks functions as a true swarm while discorporated, with a reach of 0 feet (its
Evasion (Ex) If succeed on Reflex save for half dam, take none instead.
Fast Healing 16 (Ex) Heal damage every round unless you are killed.
Ghoul Fever (DC 18) (Su) Ghoul Fever: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 18; onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex; cure 2 consecutive saves.
Grab: Slam (Large) (Ex) You can start a grapple as a free action if you hit with the designated weapon.
Grave Touch (5 rounds, 8/day) (Sp) As a standard action, touch shakes living foe 5 rds (frighten 1 rd if already shaken).
Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy) +1 to the Save DC of spells from one school.
Illusion You must spend 2 slots to cast spells from the Illusion school.
Immunity to Ability Drain Immunity to ability drain
Immunity to Bleed You are immune to bleed.
Immunity to Critical Hits You are immune to Critical Hits
Immunity to Death Effects You are immune to death effects.
Immunity to Disease You are immune to diseases.
Immunity to Energy Drain Immune to energy drain
Immunity to Exhausted You are immune to the exhausted condition.
Immunity to Fatigue You are immune to the fatigued condition.
Immunity to Flanking You are immune to flanking.
Immunity to Mind-Affecting effects You are immune to Mind-Affecting effects.
Immunity to Nonlethal Damage You are immune to Nonlethal Damage
Immunity to Paralysis You are immune to paralysis.
Immunity to Physical Ability Damage Immune to ability damage to your physical abilities.
Immunity to Poison You are immune to poison.
Immunity to Sleep You are immune to sleep effects.
Immunity to Stunning You are immune to being stunned.
Life Sight (10 feet, 10 rounds/day) (Su) Gain special blindsight which only sees living and undead.
Lunge Can increase reach by 5 ft, but take -2 to AC for 1 rd.
Necromancy The dread and feared necromancer commands undead and uses the foul power of unlife against his enemies.
Paralysis (1d4+1 rounds, DC 18) This special attack renders the victim immobile. Paralyzed creatures can't move, speak, or take any physical actions. The creature is rooted to the spot, frozen and helpless. Paralysis works on the body, and a character can usually resist it with a F
Reach Spell You can cast a spell with a range of touch, close, or medium as one range category higher.
Rime Spell Spell with the cold descriptor also entangles creatures if the spell damages them
Ring of strength sapping (DC 20) As swift action on hit with unarmed strike, foe takes 1d4 Str dam (Fort neg) & you gain +2 to Str.
Sneak Attack +2d6 Attacks deal extra dam if flank foe or if foe is flat-footed.
Spell Focus (Necromancy) Spells from one school of magic have +1 to their save DC.
Squirming Embrace (4d6+7, DC 25) (Ex) If a worm that walks grapples a foe, as a swift action, it can cause a swarm of worms to squirm over the grappled creature. These worms deal automatic swarm damage with no attack roll needed (see the table below). If a creature takes damage from the
Stench (10 feet, 1d6 + 4 minutes, DC 18) The stink of death surrounds ghasts. (Fort DC 15 negates, sickened for 1d6+4 minutes)
Tenacious (Ex) A worm that walks gains a +4 racial bonus on CMB checks made to grapple and a +4 racial bonus to its CMD.
Transmutation You must spend 2 slots to cast spells from the Transmutation school.
Trap Sense +1 (Ex) +1 bonus on reflex saves and AC against traps.
Trapfinding +1 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones.
Undead Traits Undead have many immunities.
Worm that Walks Traits A worm that walks has no discernible anatomy, and is not subject to critical hits or flanking. Reducing a worm that walks to 0 hit points causes it to discorporate (see below) - a worm that walks at 0 hit points is staggered, and one at negative hit
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Cool idea!
Ruyan.
All very good ideas. Thanks! I think I will keep Vorel bound to the house but I just had an idea that some of the materials used to make the guildhall might come from the Foxglove Mansion or maybe some items removed like paintings or minor artifacts might hold slivers of Vorel that could haunt the PC's, specifically the NPC wizard that way. I think that could be fun.
Do you happen to know if they took and kept (did not sell) anything from the manor? If so, there's a built-in scrying & divination focus for the reborn villain to take advantage of.