I'm toying with re-statting Varl Wex to be a vigilante, since I've got one in my campaign already, and to be dominated
What do you think?
VARL WEX
Male OLD Dominated human Serial Killer Stalker 8
CE Medium humanoid
Initiative +2 Perception +11
DEFENSE
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 shield)
HP 60 (8d8+24)
Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +8 (reroll Will 1/day)
OFFENSE
Speed 30 Climb 20 (10 min/day)
Balgorrah +9/+4 (1d4+7/18–20: critical 2 bleed and 2 temp HP)
OR paring knife +8/+3 (1d4+6/19–20)
Ranged: dagger +7 (1d4+2/19–20)
Combat Special:
Hidden Strike: 4d8 (4d4 when flanking, can do vs. partial concealment)
Studied Target: +2 vs. up to 2 targets on attacks, damage, Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival. Select target as move or swift action, lasts for combat unless changed. No AoO on coup de grace on studied targets.
Silent Dispatch: Stealth check at -5 vs. ambushed or unaware enemy sets Perception DC to hear the attack until their first action; they can still see it. Basically: surprise round then beat initiative and get another round of hidden strike.
Death Attack: Fort 13 or paralyzed or die (Wex’ choice); 3 rds studied as standard acts, hidden strike with melee weapon
Charm Hex: Improve non-animal attitude two steps for 1 round, 30’, Will 15, standard.
Social Special:
Thwart Pursuit: +4 vs. Gather Info and any check during chases
Dual Identity: 1 minute to switch identity between social and vigilante identity, +20 to be seen as the identity you are in.
Feign Innocence: +10 to bluff innocence while in social identity
Renown: +4 Intimidate when within 8 miles of Old Kintargo
Safe House: His home’s objects and inhabitants are immune to magical divination short of discern location.
STATISTICS: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 9
Base Atk +6; CMB +7; CMD 20
Feats Dodge, Improved Iron Will, Iron Will, Stealthy, Weapon Focus (kukri)
Skills Acrobatics +13, Bluff +10/+20 profess innocence, Craft (mechanical) +8, Disable Device +10, Disguise +10/+30 to be identity, Escape Artist +10, Intimidate +10/+14 w/in 8 miles of Old Kintargo, Knowledge (engineering) +8, Perception +11, Stealth +20
Thwart Pursuit: +4 vs. Gather Info and any check during chases
Languages Abyssal, Common, Varisian
SQ Martial and Simple Weapon Proficiency, Medium and Light Armor Proficiency, Shield Proficiency.
Talents: Lethal Grace (+4 damage with finesse weapon, get Weapon Finesse), Silent Dispatch;
Social Talents: Dual Identity (1 minute to shift identities), Seamless Guise (+20 to disguise to be identity you’re in), Safe House, Renown, Feign Innocence; Thwart Pursuit, Studied Target, Calling Card: Snakebite Harrower Card (immediate change of renown area, +2 intimidate over renown)
Combat Gear potions of shield of faith +2 (3);
Other Gear: +1 shadow studded leather, +1 buckler, Balgorrah (see above), dagger, slippers of spider climbing, masterwork thieves’ tools, 112 gp
I am interested to hear the fluff behind the character. Tell us a bit more about the interactions that you've created behind the scenes. There are some obvious changes like age and loss of some class levels that you've implemented which will definitely change Varl's history. These would be fun to flesh out.
If your Varl has no levels in any other class other than vigilante, it seems as though he started his career working outside the law of the CG Kintargo. His history with Balgorrah might be even less entwined than how the AP tells it. What if instead of dominating him, the interested party gifted him the kukri?
It would make for a great moment if the PCs were to discover a note among his belongings.
"Dear Mr. Wex,
Your burgeoning career honoring The Temple Hill Slasher did not go unnoticed by the powers that once ruled our city. In fact, that power was near to breaking down the entire Iudemius Tenement in order to see you cast in a dank dark cell. I assure you, that your career has not gone unnoticed by the Great Lord Mayor, Paracount Barzillai Thrune either. The same man who strives to save our city from those who would see your work undone. Know that you have friends now amongst the highest of seats in Kintargo and we will be encouraging your ability to remind it's people where the true power lies.
Please, take this tool of your trade as a gift. His name is Balgorrah.
- An ever increasingly interested party."
Interesting. My feeling was that Varl Wex has to have been doing this unnoticed for quite some time to have the number of levels that the AP gives him. There's just not enough murders to justify those levels as class levels otherwise. Hence why I just opted out of the level of Expert.
I think the origin of Balgorrah from the existing administration is a good twist. I'd say that starting a serial killer is not something that's LE, but then you have the tooth fairy infestation, so...
Why would they target Old Kintargo in this way? What do they hope to gain?
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What do they hope to gain?
They spread white bird feathers at one scene (my PC's calling card) and in another they painted a raven on a wall in blood, with the text "This is what happens to snitches! SR" . For every scene the Rebellion loses 2d6 followers, incrementing with one d6 for each.
I moved the Vex stuff to book three, since my PCs were not known to the government until then (my PCs have taken a super-sneaky approach), and had Tiarise and the corrupt dottari start this (bloody) smear campaign when the PCs were out of town. Then it will be a race for the PCs to find the real murderer (Vex) and expose him before the dottari "catches the Silver Raven madman" and quickly hangs him - after Tiarise deems enough damage to the SR's reputation has been done. Of course, when the PCs find Vex (either in his house or in the streets) he will be watched by the durotas and his men, who will attack after the heroes have defeated Vex.
That makes a great deal of sense. My PCs haven't been all that sneaky and have been involved in a propaganda war and the Prisoners of Salt and the Fantasmagorium as two direct assaults on Thrune initiatives. I think they'll be dealing with the Queensmen this book, with potentially deciding what to do with the dottari of the prior administration.
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Interesting. My feeling was that Varl Wex has to have been doing this unnoticed for quite some time to have the number of levels that the AP gives him. There's just not enough murders to justify those levels as class levels otherwise. Hence why I just opted out of the level of Expert.
** spoiler omitted **
Any questionably moral administration that seeks to control a populace will use immoral methods to do so. LE is manipulative and manipulating an individual to further tighten their grip is very LE.
If rumors of the PCs rebellion have begun, it is quite likely the 'current administration' would seek to subvert their actions. There is no better way to do so than put their actions under a microscope and twist their intentions. Like Razcar said, associating Vex with the movement is a good way to do this.
Alternatively, slowing the pace of the rebellion could be motive enough. But to take that further, the administration didn't give him the dagger expecting the PCs to beat him. (The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that.) Undeniably, the government directly going after an organization that has the well-being of the populace in mind is a dangerous endeavor in regards to civil tranquility.
It's likely that the government may see Vex as a tool to slow down or put an end to the group opposing the government. If Vex wins, then great, the government knows where he lives and can go in and kill Vex once he dispatches the PCs. This would be quite the heroic act from the government. On the other hand, if the PCs kill Vex they have just adopted a weapon that will attempt to control them and will undoubtedly tear them apart from the inside.
The more I type this out, the more I LOVE having the dagger come from the government instead of having Vex stumble upon it at some underground street vendor, so THANK YOU for bringing this topic up.
Alternative motives...
What if... Harrower Zella Zidlii is part of a parallel plot as a worshipper of the Dowager of Illusions? Mahathallah "was once a psychopomp usher: a handmaiden of the goddess Pharasma, who was granted the double-edged vision of her own death. She fled Pharasma's side in terrible fear, wishing to avoid her fate" (Chronicle of the Righteousness, 55). This demigoddess would be very sympathetic to Barzillai Thrune's plan. The soul anchor's existence was conveyed to Thrune by Mephistopheles, but that knowledge came from Mahathallah.
Mephistopheles is seeking to use Thrune to increase his worship within Cheliax without directly challenging Asmodeus, which would be suicide. After all, Mephistopheles is acting against [i]the land[/i}, not the people, rulers, or nation claimed by Asmodeus. Perhaps he offered Mahathallah a trade: in return for knowledge of the soul anchor, she would receive official rights of worship in Kintargo as well.
What does that mean for Varl Wex? Perhaps instead of tying his murder spree in to the rebellion, we tie his killings into the cult of Mahathallah that shows up in this book. Perhaps we embrace that this entire dungeon crawl reads as a distraction. The Harrower is directed by her cards, and thus her goddess, to activate Wex by giving him the Balgorrah? Wex is intended not as a frame-job, but rather as a distraction from the sacrifice of the twins. Hopefully, the Silver Raves are too invested in finding a mysterious murderer who leaves both signs of the Ravens and a Harrower card at the scene to save the twins in time.
But what does the ritual do? Why is it important?
And how do we reveal this plot to the players or at least stoke their resentment towards the Harrower?
Alternative motives...
** spoiler omitted **
But what does the ritual do? Why is it important?
And how do we reveal this plot to the players or at least stoke their resentment towards the Harrower?
So you've got a bunch going on. I am not opposed to that, but in my experience with my group hidden plots are great but too many gets confusing. After all, these games last us several out of game years. BUT, your group might be TOTALLY different.
Here's two options I came to:
• The Ritual deals with the Soul Anchor. (Foreshadow the Soul Anchor)
Perhaps the Soul Anchor was weakened when Barzillai performed his ritual and this heals it.
Perhaps the cult is looking for the Soul Anchor and this ritual locates it?
Perhaps this is a tribute to the Soul Anchor that keeps it open.
• The Ritual deals with Barzillai and Ravounel itself. (Foreshadow the Genius Loci)
Perhaps the fusion of Barzillai with Ravounel needs a ritual to prepare the land.
Perhaps the ritual is continuously made and without it Barzillai's Soul would pass through the River of Souls.
Once you decide which fits your group well, the next step is to color the ritual. You can even flavor each sacrifice differently. However you flavor them, I would have a Harrower Deck hint at the purpose of the ritual.
Let me know what you are thinking and I can help you flesh it out more. =)
I've got the Harrower set to market her distinctive designs of her Harrow Deck, so I think doing that before the murder spree (and Wex using a regular deck, not hers) will hint without providing damning proof of Thrune involvement?
** spoiler omitted **
Riddles Riddles Riddles. I love giving riddles as clues to PCs. They're great because they may also be scrubbed in salt, blood, ash, soot etc. around the rituals location.
Here is quick oneWith what the PCs will ultimately learn regarding Barzillai's use of the Soul Anchor, they will definitely tie the Cult to him eventually. Here is a quick riddle poem I wrote to push them in that direction. Enjoy!
The first shall bleed to Anchor the realm immortal.
The last shall burn to Anchor the unholy portal.
One to heal the River. One to heal the Fane.
Two to shed their blood, and thereby draw the Plane.
Excellent.