Villains' Lorebook.pdf - Department of Political Science

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centrating, the arachnids are free to run away or attack. The effects of this ring are otherwise identical to those of a ring of mammal control (see the DMG). Like that ring, this one has charges. One charge is exhausted per activation. The ring will have 10d10 charges when created. The ring can be activated once per hour. It can be used for up to a full turn, but if concentration is broken, the ring’s powers cannot be called upon again until an hour has passed. Ring of Dragons This ring is known to be worn only by high-ranking members of the Cult of the Dragon, and they retain the secrets of their construction. These rings appear to be normal brass rings, and are activated by the will of the wearer, with the following effects: • The wearer is empowered to verbally and telepathically communicate with any true dragon. • The wearer can cast the illusion of a dragon once per day. This illusion must be within 60’ of the wearer and has the appearance and sounds of any dragon the wearer has personally seen. The illusion has no physical substance and can in no way inflict any damage, even if believed. This illusion serves as a recognition symbol, or as a diversion if needed. • The wearer can issue a call to all evil dragons and dracoliches. This call has unlimited range, but only evil dragons (and all dracoliches) can hear the call. Those creatures that do hear the call know the ring-wearer’s location and can home in on the call if they choose to respond. The call remains active for all interested dragons and dracoliches until the wearer wills it to end or the ring is removed from the wearer’s hand. Any evil dragon or dracolich can choose to ignore the ring’s call-they are under no compulsion to respond. This ring is usable by any intelligent beings, regardless of race, class, or alignment. Robe of the Archmage of Menzoberranzan This flowing, many-pocketed piwafwi is emblazoned with sigils and runes of power highlighted with varying hues of faerie fire, and bestows the following benefits: l Armor equal to Armor Class 0 l +5% Magic Resistance l +1 to all saving throws l wraithform, as spell, 2/day Robe of Rukhyon The robe of Rukhyon makes its wearer immune to clairvoyance, clairaudience, ESP, and all other spells that provide covert observation. One is currently in the possession of Zulkir Aznar Thrul. Spider Mask This relatively rare drow item is a velvet-black cloth face mask, which has four spiderlike, jointed wire legs protruding from each side of it. It entirely conceals the face when worn, and confers 90’ infravision to wearers having none. When worn, it also automatically gives free action in all webs both normal and magical, and immunity to web spell effects and the entanglements of viscid globs. A spider mask also allows a +5 bonus to saving throws against any sort of arachnid poison. Any creature that has a head of less than giantsize may use a spider mask; only wizards can make them. Spider Wand This foot-long, tapering stick of smooth, plain wood contains 5d10 charges when first created. It has two powers, each of which costs 1 charge per use. One power may be used per round. A spider wand may project a silvery strand of weblike material, which acts as a rope of entanglement (see the DMG). The webbing vaporizes after 3 rounds. A spider wand may also be used as a striking weapon in combat. If it hits any opponent in a round in which it has not cast a web, the being struck must successfully save vs. poison or fall dead in 1-2 rounds. The wand can be wielded by characters of any race, class and alignment, and can be recharged by a priest of 9th or higher level. If the wand’s charges are ever exhausted, it changes into the husk of a long-dead spider, and then crumbles away into useless dust. Thakorsil’s Seat The seat is one of the many enchanted items brought back by Szass Tam from his visit to Warlock’s Keep. The seat is a massive stone throne with an elaborately carved back, arms in the form of snarling dragons, and feet like claws grasping spheres. Once the first of the nine Runes of Chaos is created by using the ritual of twin burnings, a great, nine-sided crystalline pyramid appears around the throne, imprisoning its occupant. 131
132 The occupant cannot leave by any means, so long as at least one rune is in existence, although an outside agency can destroy the Runes and set the prisoner free. History: When the baatezu lord Orlex ruled the ancient kingdom of Yhalvia (which may have been located on another world altogether), a band of renegade wizards, led by the archmage Thakorsil, created this item to imprison and enslave the creature. Unfortunately for them, the device required extensive acts of evil magic (the sacrifice of good-aligned individuals, for example) in order to function, and after imprisoning Orlex and enslaving him with the Runes of Chaos, the council of wizards created a regime every bit as cruel and evil as Yhalvia’s former rule, until they themselves were displaced. Orlex was banished back to the planes while Thakorsil’s Seat was lost and presumed destroyed. The seat finally came to rest in the hoard of the sorcerer-king Larloch, who never actually used it. In his fateful meeting with Szass Tam, Larloch decided that the seat might serve the zulkir well. Tam returned to Thay and freed Eltab, compelling him to take the seat and reimprisoning him by creating the first Rune of Chaos. Since then, Tam has created seven more Runes and is close to completing the spell, permanently enslaving Eltab. Campaign Use: Thakorsil’s Seat is a truly terrible item which should never be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Unfortunately, Szass Tam is about as “wrong” as one can get in Faerûn, and he intends to use its fell powers to his advantage. Unless destroyed or sent to another place, the seat may well find its way into the hands of another evil power such as Zhentil Keep, and the horror of the twin burnings ritual and the enslavement of powerful beings will begin once more. As this could lead to a continent-wide conflagration that might rival the Tuigan invasions or the Time of Troubles, DMs should think very carefully about letting the seat loose in their campaigns. Powers: The seat was created as an instrument of enslavement. Originally intended for good-the imprisonment of evil beings-it ended with the exact opposite effect, allowing the permanent enslavement of beings of virtually infinite power, and the corruption which accompanies it. Fortunately, the seat has a number of limitations that make it difficult to use. First, the being to be enslaved must be compelled to sit on the throne. If the creature is held involuntarily or tricked into sitting, it receives a single saving throw vs. spell when the ritual of twin burnings begins and is magically bound to the throne and unable to move if the roll is a failure. Creatures magically compelled to sit (such as those controlled by the Death Moon Orb) receive no saving throw. Victims with a natural magic resistance are also allowed to roll to avoid the effects. Once the creature is bound by the creation of the first rune of chaos, it must remain in the seat but receives a saving throw each time the ritual of twin burnings is performed and another rune created. Each of these subsequent saving throws is at a cumulative penalty of -1 (-4 for the fifth rune, for example). When the ninth rune is created, the creature’s spirit is permanently bound to the seat. It may physically leave the seat, but it is completely enslaved to the seat’s owner. No further saving throws are allowed; the creature can be freed only by the use of multiple wishes, the intervention of the gods, the destruction of the seat itself, or another extreme cir- cumstance. The throne’s other drawback is that the ritual of twin burnings is long and involved, and requires the sacrifice of successively more powerful victims. The first rune requires the sacrifice of a good-aligned human or humanoid of 1st level or higher, the second rune requires the sacrifice of a good individual of 2nd level or higher, and so on. The seat’s creators rationalized this evil as being the means to the end of a greater good. But they were corrupted by the wickedness they had created. Prior to the creation of the last rune of chaos, the other runes are vulnerable to destruction or removal. Any damage or disfigurement destroys a rune, and destroyed runes must be replaced using the ritual of twin burnings. If all the runes are destroyed prior to the creation of the last one, the throne’s occupant is freed. After all nine runes have been created, they can be removed only with the destruction of the chair. While the seat is active, it has an additional effect that also works to Szass Tam’s advantage. The seat sends out magical “interference” which prevents the use of any divination spells (clairvoyance, ESP, detect evil, etc.) within 200 miles. Magical items which duplicate such effects, such as crystal balls, amulets of ESP, and so on, are also rendered useless. This magical-dampening field has effectively blinded the Simbul’s magical observation, forcing her to send agents
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Villains’ Lorebook by Dale Donova
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Table of Contents INTRODUCTION . .
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ter has been known to cast in the p
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Aballister Bonaduce Human male 12th
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ehind those openings.) If Alzegund
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mation of one so young by his foes.
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lose and will close with enemies if
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.dark leather armor, and a deep cri
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leader, a 15th-level mage named Cur
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to seduce Deirdre to the cause of s
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Morkai. Dendybar is next seen when
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Personality: Once spurned by all he
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childhood incorporated into her as
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the god Oghma to have Rinda the scr
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Halaster Blackcloak Human male 30th
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Sources: Ruins of Undermountain, St
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Personality: Hobarth is petty, crue
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Jander Sundstar Elf male 8th-level
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Rumors have reached certain Faerûn
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Kaverin Ebonhand Human male 11th-le
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Kierkan Rufo Vampire; formerly a hu
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History: Kymil was responsible for
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King Manferic III Lich; formerly a
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sistance (if any) and a -4 penalty
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Equipment: Both before and after he
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Personality: He seems to be a simpl
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Sememmon Human male 15th-level mage
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Magical Items: Szass Tam has access
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Appearance: Victor Dhostar is in hi
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hands-once the wand that controlled
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are controlled by the phaerimm that
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Chosen One Result of Thayan magic C
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trol (loses consciousness, etc.). T
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Errtu A Balor tanar’ri CLIMATE/TE
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Ice Spire ogres are very well adapt
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attack roll (for the creature’s m
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Kazgaroth can be struck in combat o
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The Blood Riders (Blood Warriors) C
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After leaving the Flight, Mist sett
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grasping solid objects within reach
Page 82 and 83: Deities of both good and evil play
Page 84 and 85: Minions of Bhall clashed with the p
Page 86 and 87: The Shadevari are beasts from the l
Page 88 and 89: The Xanthar's Thieves' Guild may be
Page 90 and 91: The human assassin Artemis Entreri
Page 92 and 93: What is it about the pursuit of mag
Page 94 and 95: An evil gnoll lies dead at the feet
Page 96 and 97: Kierkan Rufo, the former priest now
Page 98 and 99: Habitat/Society: Small groups of pt
Page 100 and 101: Shadowmasters, a.k.a. the Malaugrym
Page 102 and 103: Below are a few shadowmasters known
Page 104 and 105: while unlikely, the possibility tha
Page 106 and 107: “promoted” to become a pit fien
Page 108 and 109: ound. A yochlol must eat at least e
Page 110 and 111: might. Tremendous amounts of treasu
Page 112 and 113: Special Equipment: Jaylnfein’s co
Page 114 and 115: The Kraken Society Enemies of the N
Page 116 and 117: Leaders/Important NPCs: Undarl (NE
Page 118 and 119: VIII. Shapechange?: 1d10 1-3 Shapec
Page 120 and 121: Thayan culture, such as it is, make
Page 122 and 123: quer Rashemen. Nevron’s legions a
Page 124 and 125: The Zhentarim The Black Network Org
Page 126 and 127: While Darkhold’s public purpose i
Page 128 and 129: Magical Items & Spells Many of the
Page 130 and 131: The trigger activating a given dagg
Page 134 and 135: directly into Thay to gather intell
Page 136 and 137: Special Wizard spells Some of the w
Page 138 and 139: The spell can be cast only in darkn
Page 140 and 141: This spell creates a burning lance
Page 142 and 143: e used by the creature. A ghoul can
Page 144 and 145: Nybor’s Gentle Reminder (Enchantm
Page 146 and 147: Ray of Ondovir (Enchantment/Charm)
Page 148 and 149: Transport (Alteration) Level: 7 Ran
Page 150 and 151: at -4; others within the radius sav
Page 152 and 153: Decay (Alteration) Level: 3 Sphere:
Page 154 and 155: Rising Rot (Evocation Necromancy) L
Page 156 and 157: slip into a coma, lose 4d4 hit poin
Page 158 and 159: Zin-Carla (Necromancy) Level: 7 Sph
Page 160: Novels & Short Stories All Shadows
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