TEXT: A Ravenloft
  A Ravenloft
  A Ravenloft
  A Ravenloft
  A Ravenloft
  ® Campaign Setting Supplement
   Campaign Setting Supplement
   Campaign Setting Supplement
   Campaign Setting Supplement
   Campaign Setting Supplement
  Great Families of the Core
  Great Families of the Core
  Great Families of the Core
  Great Families of the Core
  Great Families of the Core
  
  1
  Legacy of the Blood
  Credits
  Authors:
  Steve Miller, Anthony Pryor, Penny
  Williams and Skip Williams
  Developers::
  Jackie Cassada and Nicky Rea
  Editor:
  Scott Holden-Jones
  Sword & Sorcery Managing Editor:
  Andrew Bates
  Art Director:
  Richard Thomas
  Layout and Typesetting:
  Ron Thompson
  Interior Artists:
  Talon Dunning, Brian LeBlanc, Jeremy
  McHugh and Claudio Pozas
  Front and Back Cover Designer:
  Ron Thompson
  © 2004 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Ravenloft, Legacy of the Blood: Great Families of the Core, D&D, Dungeons
  & Dragons and its logo, the d20 System logo, and Wizards of the Coast and its logo are trademarks of Wizards of the
  Coast Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc., in the USA and other countries, and are used by Arthaus under license.
  Arthaus and its logo are trademarks of Arthaus Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Sword and Sorcery and its
  logo are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
  PRINTED IN CANADA
  Special Acknowledgements
  Andria Hayday (1st ed. design)
  Bruce Nesmith (1st ed. design)
  Tracy & Laura Hickman (original
  concept)
  Additional Thanks
  Based on the Original Dungeons &
  Dragons ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax
  and Dave Arneson and the new Dungeons
  & Dragons game designed by Johnathan
  Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams,
  Richard Baker and Peter Adkison.
   Great Families of the Core
   Great Families of the Core
   Great Families of the Core
   Great Families of the Core
   Great Families of the Core
  
  2
  Introduction
  Table of Contents
  Introduction
  3
  Chapter One: Blood and Poison — The Boritsi Family
  7
  Chapter Two: Manipulators of the Mind — The d’Honaire Family
  23
  Chapter Three: Spillers of Blood — The Dilisnya Family
  37
  Chapter Four: Blood of the Mighty — The Drakov Family
  48
  Chapter Five: The Blood of the Haunted — The Godefroy Family
  61
  Chapter Six: Blood of Madness — The Hiregaard Family
  74
  Chapter Seven: The Blood of Invention — The Mordenheim Family
  87
  Chapter Eight: Blood of the Rat — The Renier Family
  104
  Chapter Nine: Blood of Hunger — The Von Zarovich Family
  118
  Appendix: A Rogues’ Gallery
  130
   Great Families of the Core
   Great Families of the Core
   Great Families of the Core
   Great Families of the Core
   Great Families of the Core
  
  3
  Legacy of the Blood
  Introduction
  Introduction
  
  4
  Introduction
  elcome to a book that has been a long
  time coming… over a decade, in fact.
  Back in 1991, the Ravenloft: Realm of
  Terror boxed set featured a number of
  family trees, one for each of the most
  powerful noble families of the Core domains. A
  most intriguing and game-worthy feature of these
  trees was the inclusion of several blank spots in
  which birth dates were provided but no other
  information.
  The intent was to allow Dungeon Masters
  (DMs) to create new villains and heroes related to
  the central nonplayer characters (NPCs) in the
  setting, and even to allow particularly bold player
  characters (PCs) to get close to the darklords in
  every sense of the word. Individual gamers could
  make their own decisions of what to do with this
  information in their own campaigns — with the
  exception of the characters Laurie and Gennifer
  Weathermay-Foxgrove, who, like their uncle
  George Weathermay, have dedicated their lives to
  rooting out and destroying the creatures of the
  night.
  Legacy of the Blood returns to the family tree
  idea in a big way, not by filling the details out
  completely — although some of that will occur by
  way of sample NPCs — but instead by giving some
  definition to what distinguishes the so-called “great
  families” of the Domains of Dread from one an-
  other. There is more than just a surname to being
  a real Von Aubrecker, Drakov, or Renier.
  This is a book about skeletons in the closet,
  family strengths, weaknesses and peculiarities. It
  delves into traditional goals and attitudes of the
  various great families, as well as the responsibilities
  members are expected to fulfill in exchange for the
  power and prestige their name grants them.
  How to Use This Book
  egacy of the Blood is a sourcebook for
  players and DMs alike. Its purpose is to
  provide tools to create interesting char-
  acters from the upper strata of society in
  the Ravenloft setting. To accomplish
  this, we provide rules but also general flavor and
  setting guidelines. DMs can use this book to create
  allies and enemies for PC heroes, or players can use
  it to create characters whose lives of power and
  privilege are at once both blessing and curse. (As
  always, players should consult with the DM before
  creating new characters, particularly if drawing
  material from supplements. Just because we print it
  doesn’t mean a DM will adopt it for his campaign.)
  Chapter Organization
  Each chapter in this book describes one or
  more leading families, starting with a brief bit of
  “in-world” text, followed by a more factual over-
  view of the family and its recent history. Enough
  extended family history is also provided here to
  give a sense of why the family is currently impor-
  tant within the Domains of Dread.
  Thereafter, all of the chapters conform to the
  following format:
  Fitting In
  This section discusses recommended behavior
  for characters who wish to fit into the family under
  discussion (or perhaps into another leading family
  with close ties to it). Here you’ll find unique habits,
  customs, or traits that set members of a particular
  family apart from other families, perhaps offering
  explanations for their importance in the land — or
  reasons for why they aren’t more important.
  This information is consistent with previous
  publications. For instance, if an earlier release
  stated flatly that no males are ever born to a
  particular family line but must instead be adopted,
  this circumstance is also discussed here.
  Claiming Membership
  This section focuses primarily on mechanical
  issues that should be followed or at least considered
  during the character creation process. It’s not all
  rules-related, though, some roleplaying-oriented
  information is also included. Matters such as family
  blessings and curses, feuds with other families or
  other branches of the family, known enemies,
  notoriety, family holdings, alliances, affinities for
  particular skills or professions, and so on are de-
  tailed here as relevant.
  Family Feats
  This section describes typical feats that mem-
  bers of the family possess and feats that are exclusive
  to members of the bloodline. Be sure to consider
  these feats  first when a character of a particular
  bloodline advances in levels.
  Family Prestige Class
  Most of the chapters feature a specific prestige
  class that is either very common among or perhaps
  even unique to members of the lineage in question.
  
  5
  Legacy of the Blood
  Family Magic
  Some families have unique magic items and/or
  spells associated with them. Any mystical and
  arcane items of note are detailed in this section.
  Story Hook
  This section contains adventure seeds involv-
  ing the family described in the chapter. (Players
  reading this book, as with any supplemental gam-
  ing resource, should always make sure their DM
  isn’t planning on using the hooks in his campaign
  before reading this section. If the DM is amenable,
  they might contain useful ideas for the background
  for a character that you are in the process of
  creating.)
  Sample Characters
  A character or two representative of each
  great family appears in the appendix of this book.
  References to Other Texts
  Many feats, classes, magic (or scientific) items,
  skills, and so on referenced in this book can be
  found in various Ravenloft releases. Since it isn’t
  feasible to include full text on each one, where
  appropriate, notations indicate the Ravenloft title
  in which you can find the relevant listing. The
  notations are listed as follows:
  * Found elsewhere in this book.
  R Ravenloft Player’s Handbook.
  M Ravenloft Dungeon Master’s Guide.
  C Champions of Darkness.
  H Heroes of Light.
  G1 Ravenloft Gazetteer, Volume I.
  G2 Ravenloft Gazetteer, Volume II.
  G3 Ravenloft Gazetteer, Volume III.
  G4 Ravenloft Gazetteer, Volume IV.
  G5 Ravenloft Gazetteer, Volume V.
  V Van Richten’s Arsenal.
  The Aristocrat as Player
  Character
  layer characters can come from all walks
  of life, so it stands to reason that some
  may be high-born. Such characters may
  have a very different mindset than the
  son or daughter of a tinker who decides
  to take up arms against the creatures of the night.
  While the duties and responsibilities that come
  with being born into an aristocratic family may
  vary widely from domain to domain, depending on
  local culture, there are a few constants across
  cultural boundaries. In some domains, for example,
  it may be perfectly acceptable for young nobles to
  behave in risqué and roguish ways, while in others
  it may be utterly unacceptable for them to be
  anything but prim and proper in all things.
  The following list includes a number of details
  that players of high-born characters should keep in
  mind during character creation, as well as when-
  ever they gain levels. These are not changes to the
  standard d20 System character creation rules; rather,
  they are suggestions regarding skills and feats that
  should aid in creating and developing characters of
  noble blood. Not every high-born PC needs to (or
  ought to) follow every suggestion, but if a player
  follows at least a couple of them, the character is
  sure to have more of that “Ravenloft noble feel.”
  Bring Honor to the Family Name
  While every family has its black sheep — and
  it is mostly among those black sheep that PCs can
  be found — few noble characters want to sully the
  reputation of their family. This principle applies to
  family members who are born out of wedlock, as
  well as “legitimate” children; it is not uncommon
  for nobility in Ravenloft to dally outside of mar-
  riage and then to recognize their byblows. In some
  households, such half-siblings even live side-by-
  side.
  Nobles tend to shy away from skills associated
  with common thievery, such as Disable Device,
  Open Lock, and Sleight of Hand (although the
  latter in particular may be acceptable in domains
  where young nobles are expected to be rakish).
  Knowledge is Power
  Most of the great families in Ravenloft con-
  sider this simple statement to be a truism. Knowing
  friend from enemy or knowing what others might
  want to keep secret from the rest of the world can
  give a person just the advantage she needs to stay
  at the helm of power. Despite what some may
  claim, noble blood alone is rarely enough to carry
  a person through life successfully; more often than
  not, the true advantage of the noble lies with the
  chance he has to receive a better education than
  mere peasants or laborers. The noble also finds
  advantage in the broader, more informed perspec-
  tive he can gain by traveling the realms and thus
  
  6
  Introduction
  learning about
  the cultures
  and creatures
  that 
  exist
  there.
  N o b l e
  c h a r a c t e r s
  should have at
  least one rank
  in any two of
  the following
  skills: Deci-
  pher Script,
  Gather Infor-
  m a t i o n ,
  K n o w l e d g e
  (geography),
  K n o w l e d g e
  (history), Knowledge (lo-
  cal), Knowledge (nobility
  and royalty), Knowledge
  (religion).
  In addition, the DM is justified in
  making the noble character’s player select one or
  more of the following feats: Investigator, DabblerH,
  KnowledgeableH, LibraryH, LiteracyH, Sharp Ears*,
  Skill Focus (any Knowledge skill), and University
  EducationH. The feat may be taken at 1st level, or
  at any time thereafter, as agreed upon by the player
  and DM; the character must meet all prerequisites
  for each feat, as usual.
  Words Carry Weight
  When leaders speak, people listen. As a mem-
  ber of a noble family, the PC automatically carries
  the mantle of leadership upon his shoulders; he
  should be able to wield words the way a common
  warrior might use a mace or a sword. He should be
  able to turn others’ wills his way through negotia-
  tion or threats, but he should rarely have to resort
  to violence. Silver-tongued nobles face a potential
  weakness in that they often need to be as truthful
  as possible, or at least able to break agreements (or
  fail to follow through on threats) in such ways that
  minimize the public exposure of such lapses. This
  is out of concern for their family reputation and for
  their words to be ones that others heed and trust.
  A noble character should have at least one
  rank in each of Diplomacy and Intimidate. Any of
  the following
  feats may also
  be mandatory
  for noble char-
  acters, as each
  enhances the
  character’s ver-
  bal 
  acuity,
  perspicacity,
  and/or glibness:
  Leadership,
  MesmerizingC,
  Negotiator,
  Sharp Wit*,
  Skill Focus (Di-
  plomacy 
  or
  Intimidate), or
  Voice 
  of
  WrathR. The
  character must meet all prerequisites for
  each feat, as usual; these feats may be required
  at 1st level or at any time thereafter, as agreed upon
  by the player and DM.
  Say What You Mean — But Don’t
  Necessarily Mean What You Say
  Being able to carry on witty repartee and utter
  clever but ambiguous phrases, whether in trade
  negotiations or in social settings, is a hallmark of
  courtiers and the intelligentsia. For the noble who
  wishes to distance himself from earlier comments
  or to deliver veiled insults or threats, the ability to
  “doublespeak” — that is, use words that carry a
  variety of meanings dependent upon the listener’s
  context or frame of reference — is a very useful
  talent. Note that if doublespeak is used too often to
  deliver insults or to humiliate others (such as
  seeming to offer them a compliment that more
  educated or careful listeners recognize as an insult),
  or if the noble comes to be viewed as deceitful
  because he always equivocates, he may soon find
  that no one trusts him and that shame is starting to
  accumulate around the family.
  The noble character should take at least one
  rank in Bluff for every two character levels. The
  DM might also insist that the character acquire the
  feat(s) Persuasive and/or Skill Focus (Bluff) at
  some point in his career; the character must meet
  all prerequisites for each feat, as usual.
  
  7
  The Boritsi Family
  Chapter One:
  Blood and Poi<on
  The Borit<i
  Family
  Chapter One:
  Blood and Poi<on
  The Borit<i
  Family
  
  8
  Chapter One: Blood and Poison
  Dearest Sister,
  I write you this letter from an inn on the border between Borca and Richemulot, just barely
  on the Richemulouse side, to inform you that my return home will be at least two weeks later than
  planned, for I need some time to recover from a most severe bout of poisoning. Please don’t worry!
  I am fine now, but I need to regain my strength.
  It is with regret, however, that I must inform you that my mission has failed — I was unable
  to lay eyes upon the “Deathstone” Uncle Rudolph mentioned in his journal. It seems we were at
  once right and wrong when we decided this was an expedition I was most suited to undertake. That
  is small consolation, though, for I continue to be wracked by chills and find it difficult to keep down
  any sustenance other than water and the blandest oatmeal. The only joy I can take in our decision
  is my belief that, with your constitution, you may well have been murdered outright rather than
  merely laid up in bed.
  Looking back, I think my trouble began the day I sought out the Boritsi Trading Company’s
  offices in Levkarest. I developed an almost instant rapport with Bevel Boritsi, the middle son of
  Anton Boritsi and nephew to Lady Ivana herself. He is exceedingly handsome and well spoken,
  and I found myself liking him so much that I felt obliged to be honest with him. I revealed to him
  that I was only in Borca to meet with his aunt, and that I had only come to the Boritsi Trading
  Company in the hopes of speaking with someone who could arrange such a meeting. Strangely
  — at least in the light of the events that have left me bedridden — it seems that Lady Ivana is not
  terribly close to the rest of her family. Bevel told me of a party Lady Ivana was to hold at week’s
  end and said he would be honored if I would allow him to escort me there. He was such a charming
  young man that I could hardly refuse.
  Over the next several days, Bevel introduced me to his siblings and his mother. They all
  seemed pleasant enough and far more down-to-earth than nobles in most domains. Both Bevel
  and his sister Hellena worked in the family’s freight yards, supervising the loading and unloading
  of cargoes. I have a hard time picturing many of the young men father keeps insisting we allow
  to court either of us putting in a hard day’s work like Bevel did! On the other hand, I also witnessed
  first hand that the reputed miserliness of the Boritsi is true.
  The dockhands working in Levkarest receive but half of what they earn in Mordent and but
  a quarter of what they are paid in Martira Bay. I quizzed Bevel and Hellena about this over a
  sumptuous dinner at a truly elegant inn in the very heart of the city, but they were firm in their
  belief that their workers were paid a fair wage for their labors. They seemed equally oblivious to
  the emaciated and ragged appearance of so many of the their citizens, including a number of their
  dock workers.
  I resisted pointing this fact out to either of them, as I did not wish to lose my chance to speak
  to Lady Ivana. Further, Bevel was being such a delightful host that I didn’t want to endanger the
  chance I had been presented with to enjoy the city I was visiting — it is so rare that we have a
  chance to savor the places we visit, have you noticed, sister? As Bevel said when I told him of our
  activities, it was refreshing to spend time with someone who was intelligent and interesting, and
  yet not a monster-hunter or adventurer. He said that responsibilities of nobles such as we are many
  and can be heavy, but that we should make sure that we take the time to enjoy our station in life.
  By the time the night of the gathering arrived, I had acquired a suitable dress, surprisingly
  with the help of Hellena! I say “surprising” because if we were to place her and you side-by-side
  
  9
  The Boritsi Family
  in your everyday garb, she, dear sister, is so manly in her style of dress that she would make you
  appear as the most delicate of debutantes. Like you, though, when the occasion calls for it, she
  “cleans up nicely,” as that boor from Kartakass put it last year. Very nicely, in fact — I hardly
  recognized her.
  Similarly, I failed to recognize Lady Ivana when I finally met her at the ball. Our dear Uncle
  Rudolph has remarked on her beauty, but since he met with her nearly thirty years ago, I assumed
  the bloom would have faded somewhat. Nothing could have been further from the truth! When
  Bevel led me through a crowd of young nobles clustered about one of the most beautiful and
  graceful young women I have seen, I thought he was going to introduce me to a niece or cousin.
  I failed to hide the surprise on my face when he introduced the woman as Lady Ivana — she didn’t
  look a day over nineteen! At the time, Lady Ivana did not seem to take offense at my obvious
  surprise, but with a laugh said that she thought I had just paid her a compliment. She then
  explained to me that her family was blessed with youthful looks that last well into their middle
  years, even if she was an exceptionally well-preserved Boritsi.
  As we talked, I found Lady Ivana to be a fine and witty conversationalist. I found myself
  almost regretting it when Bevel stepped in and informed his aunt that I had come to Borca on a
  very specific errand. Thus prodded, I explained to her the fact that you and I have taken it upon
  us to continue the work started by Rudolph van Richten and that I had come hoping that she would
  allow me to study what he referred to as the “Deathstone.” Her pretty face darkened every so
  slightly as she informed me that her opinion had not changed since Dr. van Richten had visited
  her decades earlier. The Deathstone, she revealed, is a relic of an earlier time in the Boritsi family
  history, and she had no interest in letting “writers of sensationalistic monster tales drag her
  family’s name into the muck.” Despite her friendly tone, I sensed that she was keeping her anger
  in check and I quickly apologized. Moments later, I found myself handed off to Hellena while Bevel
  took his aunt aside and launched what appeared to be part defense, part plea on my behalf. As
  he spoke, Lady Ivana threw the occasional thoughtful glance in my direction.
  It was all for naught, however. Bevel sought me out a short time later and said that he aunt
  was adamant that the Deathstone was not to be spoken of — he said that she was cross with him
  for even confirming its existence to me. Over his protestations, I went to explain to Lady Ivana
  that I had not intended to cause any strife within her family, and that all I was interested in was
  continuing Dr. van Richten’s scholarship. Lady Ivana listened patiently, and then asked, “You
  and Bevel have grown quite fond of each other, have you not?”
  I said that I was indeed fond of him, but that I had no notion of what he thought of me. I told
  her, quite truthfully, that it was hard not to become fond of a man as handsome and well spoken
  as Bevel. She nodded and then turned to other guests with no further words. Bevel was at my arm
  seconds later, entreating me to go. He stated nervously that he had seen that expression on his
  aunt’s face before and it meant that she was angrier than he had first believed and that it would
  be best if I left Borca with all possible haste!
  For my part, I had not seen her expression change in the slightest. Further, I could not think
  what either of us had done to anger her so terribly. However, I know enough to take such advice
  when it is given, and Bevel and I said our goodbyes outside my inn after his carriage dropped me
  off. He promised that he would look into the family archives for information about the Deathstone
  
  10
  Chapter One: Blood and Poison
  and write to us about it, and I suggested that perhaps he should come to Mordent in person some
  time, so I could return the kindness he had shown me. I had the distinct feeling that he liked that
  idea.
  That morning, the carriage I had ordered to take me by road through Richemulot arrived
  before dawn. The innkeeper served a fine breakfast for which he didn’t charge me, stating that
  my presence in the inn and my known association with Bevel Boritsi had helped his business to
  the point where he felt he should give me a parting gift. In retrospect, I should have realized that
  his “gift” was anything but.
  Within a few hours of leaving Levkarest, I found myself beset with terrible nausea. I cried
  to the coachman to stop, and I barely managed to eject myself from the carriage before my
  breakfast repeated on me. Even after there was no more food to regurgitate, my stomach still
  continued to heave. The coachman was clearly upset by my condition, but his concern turned to
  obvious fear when another black-clad coachman approached us. The newcomer told me that his
  mistress wished to speak with me and he gestured back down the road I had just traveled. A
  hundred yards distant, I saw Lady Ivana emerge from a coach with the Boritsi coat of arms on
  the door. He led me to her, and when she spoke, I felt my blood run cold, despite my illness.
  “You would poison my kin against me, so I have seen to it that you have received a far more
  palatable and immediate poison. Nothing happens in Borca without my knowledge, and no one
  will ever succeed in subterfuge against me.”
  I tried to explain that I was not trying to poison her family against her, but she put a gloved
  finger to my lips and said, “I care nothing for your excuses. I don’t even want to hear pleas for
  mercy. I just want you to know that Borca is my domain, and when I say something is so it will
  be so. You will never lay eyes upon the Deathstone. Nor will you ever lay eyes upon Bevel again.
  You will never set foot upon Borcan soil again. If you do, I will not be so merciful next time.”
  Lady Ivana pulled a tiny vial from a small purse at her waist and offered it to me.
  “Drink this. It will neutralize the poison in your blood.” I did as she instructed, and while
  I did not feel better, neither did the awful shaking that had been growing upon me worsen.
  “Heed my warning, Miss Weathermay-Foxgrove,” Lady Ivana said, turning back to her
  coach, “and pass it along to your sister as well. Neither of you is welcome in my land.”
  Her manservant took me back to my coach and instructed the driver to deliver me to the
  Richemulouse inn where I remain still. My weakness persists, and only the blandest food and
  drink stays in my stomach, but I am getting better with each passing day. When I return to the
  shop, we shall have to discuss most earnestly how we wish to approach Lady Ivana in the future.
  I have quizzed other guests here at the inn about her when I have been well enough to venture
  to the common room.
  I have come to the conclusion that she actually did show me mercy in letting me leave Borca
  alive, but I have also learned things that lead me to believe that Lady Ivana is not quite mortal.
  More when we talk again in person.
  Your Loving Sister,
  Gennifer
  
  11
  The Boritsi Family
  The Boritsis
  he Boritsis have the honor of being only
  one of two noble families that have held
  power since Borca was founded, the
  other being the Dilisnyas. In fact, the
  Boritsis have always held a slightly more
  prominent position than the Dilisnyas, and their
  power has grown even more obvious in recent
  decades. While Ivana Boritsi wields the most obvi-
  ous power, her younger siblings and their children
  and grandchildren wait in the wings. Some are still
  in Borca, while others have moved as far away as
  Kartakass, Nova Vaasa and Liffe. Regardless of
  where they live, they are still Boritsi, and they carry
  with them their family legacies.
  According to records kept in the Boritsi family
  archive at the ancestral estate of Misericordia, the
  Boritsis were a prominent merchant family who
  supported Strahd von Zarovich I in his battles
  against the Tergs. Many of the most prominent
  members of the family traveled to Barovia to attend
  the wedding of Strahd’s younger brother, Sergei;
  however, before they could return, a strange mist
  descended upon the land’s borders, and for the next
  three centuries Borca had no contact with the rest
  of the world. (See Ravenloft Gazetteer Vols. I and
  IV for details.)
  During the land’s three centuries of isolation
  following the murder of neighboring ruler Strahd
  von Zarovich I, the Boritsi family was instrumental
  in keeping peace in the land. They kept the peas-
  antry organized and working, as well as keeping
  other powerful and affluent families in Borca from
  panicking and overworking the commoners of their
  land. Everyone suffered a decrease in lifestyles, but
  the land held together. Over time, the Boritsis
  became the de facto rulers of Borca, with virtually
  everyone else owing them a debt in some fashion or
  another.
  Putting the strength of the community ahead
  of personal or family wealth and power became a
  Boritsi trademark during Borca’s long isolation.
  When the Mists lifted from the realm and the land
  could once again interact with Barovia and the
  new nations that had formed on its borders, the
  Boritsis eagerly took to the roadways and rivers
  with their trade goods. The sudden influx of vast
  wealth for the Boritsis was more than the ego of
  patriarch Klaus Boritsi could handle. He started
  throwing extravagant parties and wooing count-
  less women into his bed. One of his conquests was
  
  12
  Chapter One: Blood and Poison
  Camille Dilisnya, a member of a family with an-
  cient ties to the Boritsis. The two eventually wed
  and had three children together — Ivana, Sulo and
  Anton — but Klaus Boritsi continued his philan-
  dering. Eventually, someone grew tired of feeling
  betrayed by him; whether it was one of his mis-
  tresses or his wife, none can say, but Klaus was
  poisoned with a horrible concoction that granted
  him a painful death. Most concur that the culprit
  was his estranged wife.
  With Klaus Boritsi’s death, change came to
  both Borca and the Boritsi family. While the Boritsis
  had never before been forceful about their owner-
  ship of nearly everything within the land’s borders,
  Camille immediately starting making it very clear
  that whatever non-Boritsis owned, they had only
  with the leave of the Boritsis. The light hand of the
  Boritsis suddenly became very heavy.
  Camille felt that a merchant’s life was beneath
  her and her children. She had always discouraged
  her daughter from having anything to do with the
  family’s traditional occupation, instead encourag-
  ing her to refine her courtly manners and to earn
  her living solely by growing her wealth out of the
  labor of serfs toiling on her lands. Ivana took to her
  mother’s tutelage like a fish to water. In fact, her
  emulation of Camille was perhaps too accurate, for
  Camille died as mysteriously and painfully as Klaus
  Boritsi had, and Ivana took control of the family
  holdings at the tender age of just 20.
  In the decades that have followed since Ivana’s
  ascension to the head of the Boritsi family, she has
  continued to rule Borca with a system very much
  like that started by her mother, although the tax
  burden Ivana imposes upon her nobles and mer-
  chants is even heavier. Nonetheless, her siblings
  and their children are carrying on the grand tradi-
  tion of the Boritsi Trading Company. Sulo Boritsi
  relocated with his wife and young children to
  Bergovista in Nova Vaasa shortly before the Great
  Upheaval. He was quick to take advantage of the
  discovery of new islands in the Nocturnal Sea, and
  the Boritsi Trading Company now has permanent
  offices in Armeikos, along with a ship that plies the
  length of the coast and visits every nearby island
  with noteworthy settlements. Further, his wealth
  grew quickly because he had business interests
  outside Borca and therefore clear of Ivana’s heavy
  taxes.
  Ivana has no children (but see “Eduardo Leoni
  and the Boritsi Family”), yet Sulo and Anton each
  have three children who range in age from their
  late teens to late twenties. The eldest of Sulo’s sons
  is married with a child of his own, while the others
  are either recently married or engaged in court-
  ships. All are involved in the Boritsi Trading
  Company to some degree. (Further, both Sulo and
  Anton are rumored to have inherited their father’s
  wandering eye. It is possible that each has one or
  more illegitimate children in addition to their
  acknowledged progeny.)
  While Anton Boritsi died in 739 under myste-
  rious circumstances, his wife and two eldest children
  Bevel and Hellena continue to operate the family’s
  main warehouses, caravans and river barges from
  Levkarest. Although the family is still associated
  with Ivana’s eccentric and harsh rulership in Borca
  — and with her reputation as the “Black Widow”
  who loves and leaves men dead — the Boritsi name
  is also increasingly linked with what is emerging as
  the foremost trading company in the known world.
  In addition to the dangerous reputations of
  Ivana and her surviving brother, several among the
  younger generation of Boritsis have dark streaks as
  well. While the Boritsi Trading Company is rela-
  tively fair in the wages it pays workers, Bevel in
  particular is known to deal harshly with employees
  who are found to give less than all to their jobs, and
  even harsher with those who are caught stealing. It
  has been said that Vlad Drakov himself could learn
  a thing or two from Bevel Boritsi when it comes to
  painful punishments meted out to dishonest em-
  ployees.
  Sulo Boritsi is much less of a disciplinarian
  with his workers than his otherwise charming
  nephew Bevel. Nonetheless, more than one would-
  be competitor has either found his wares tainted by
  deadly poisons or has himself fallen victim to
  poison; this is especially true among those who fail
  to reach some arrangement with the Boritsi Trad-
  ing Company before entering into private deals
  with shops and suppliers the Boritsis have previ-
  ously patronized. Involvement on the part of the
  Boritsis has never been proven in any of these
  incidents.
  Eduardo Leoni and the Boritsi Family
  The one well-known illegitimate Boritsi is also
  the most controversial person associated with the
  family, save perhaps for the Lady Ivana herself.
  Eduardo Leoni, owner of a minor merchant and
  horse-trading company based in Nova Vaasa’s Arbora,
  claims his father was Abelardo Leoni, one of Ivana
  Boritsi’s many ill-fated lovers. Eduardo claims that
  
  13
  The Boritsi Family
  his grandmother snatched him from the Boritsi es-
  tate of Misericordia only days after he was born. He
  maintains that the madwoman believed Ivana to be
  a monstrous killer who murdered his father and that
  rescuing him from her daughter’s clutches would be
  the only way to save the infant Eduardo from suffer-
  ing the same fate. Leoni claims to have become aware
  of his heritage through diaries uncovered after his
  grandmother’s death. He now wishes to establish a
  place within the Boritsi family for himself, his wife
  and his two children.
  When news of this claim first reached the
  Boritsis, an angry Sulo Boritsi ordered his eldest
  son to investigate. Adventurers were hired and
  dispatched, but word came back that the docu-
  ments in Eduardo’s possession indeed seemed
  genuine; they even reported that Leoni bears a
  passing resemblance to Lady Boritsi herself.
  The rest of the family turned to their ageless
  matriarch for answers. She denied ever having had
  any children and ordered them to drop the matter.
  She then instructed Ivan Dilisnya to keep a watch
  on the border and seize any caravans, traders, or
  travelers associated with Eduardo Leoni’s mer-
  chant company that dared cross into her domain.
  Ivana will hear no more talk of the imposter who
  claims to be her son. Eduardo, for his part, stands
  adamantly by his claim even in the face of the angry
  Boritsi family, and has encouraged his children to
  attempt to build at the very least cordial relation-
  ships with the youngest children of Sulo and Anton.
  The Truth of the Matter
  Ivana Boritsi’s denial of Eduardo Leoni’s claim
  of being her son is legitimate; she has never become
  pregnant by any of her lovers (for this is another area
  of expertise in which her mother taught her well).
  The diaries possessed by Eduardo — those revealing
  how his grandmother faked his death when he was a
  baby and spirited him away to Nova Vaasa for safety
  — are extremely well-made forgeries.
  The truth is that Eduardo is the child of
  Bentino Leoni, Abelardo Leoni’s older brother; in
  fact, Eduardo’s actual birth date lies a full 8 years
  after Abelardo’s untimely death. His “passing re-
  semblance” to Lady Boritsi was achieved through a
  carefully worded limited wish cast by his mistress, an
  accomplished elf wizard from Sithicus. She also
  helped create the forged diaries, using magical and
  mundane means mastered during her long life.
  (Eduardo himself is also well versed in the art of
  forging documents.)
  Why is Eduardo Leoni engaging in such a
  dangerous fraud? Simple greed, nothing more.
  While his grandmother and his parents did spend
  his childhood years filling his head with tales of
  how evil Ivana Boritsi is and how corrupt her
  brothers are, he has no interest in them beyond the
  wealth and influence he hopes to gain by being
  accepted into the family. What money Eduardo
  currently has came to him from his deceased wife
  (whom he “disposed of” shortly after hatching the
  plot to impersonate a Boritsi), and it is not enough
  to satisfy either his tastes or those of his elf lover.
  Eduardo believes that he will eventually gain
  some inroads into the Boritsi family, because while
  he dislikes honest labor, his children are all diligent,
  hard workers, something both Sulo and Bevel Boritsi
  seem to appreciate. He is also certain that no one will
  be able to unmask his lies as his only (possibly) living
  relatives, his younger sister and brother, have been
  missing since the Great Upheaval. It may take a few
  years, but Eduardo is nothing if not patient, espe-
  cially since his mistress is quite knowledgeable in the
  art of brewing life-extending potions.
  Fitting In
  House Boritsi is a proud and ancient merchant
  family that was counted among the chief support-
  ers of Strahd von Zarovich I when he brought
  peace to Barovia and the surrounding realms. Mem-
  bers of the Boritsi family are expected to be
  well-spoken, well-groomed and well-educated.
  They have an almost inborn desire for the better
  things in life, and they always strive to make sure
  that they have the best of everything. However,
  the Boritsis do not necessarily insist that family
  members adhere strictly to social convention; for
  example, Anton Boritsi’s teenage daughter Hellena
  is not shunned by the rest of the family simply
  because she tends to dress and act more like a barge-
  pilot than a young noble-woman. They will not,
  however, tolerate ignorance and boorish behavior.
  The Boritsis are also known for their ability to
  carry grudges, always “evening the score” against
  those who wrong them. Generally, if someone deals
  dishonestly with a Boritsi in trade or some other
  business dealing, the Boritsi slowly but surely destroy
  the other person’s business; if someone wrongs a
  Boritsi in affairs of the heart, the wronged one takes
  steps to ensure that the offender never wrongs any-
  one again; and if someone harms them or theirs, they
  make that person — and often that person’s entire
  family — regret they ever heard the name Boritsi.
  
  14
  Chapter One: Blood and Poison
  Boritsis are also known for not picking fights
  they can’t win. They have risen rapidly as a mer-
  cantile power in the Core, managing to keep Borca
  from disintegrating during its long isolation, be-
  cause as a group they seem to have a knack for
  accurately judging opponents and situations before
  exposing themselves to danger. Of course, just
  because a Boritsi deems an enemy too powerful or
  a challenge too complex doesn’t mean he ignores
  it. As with the way they carry grudges, the Boritsis
  can be very patient in their approaches to chal-
  lenges. If an enemy or obstacle is too much for them
  to handle at first, they are willing to spend weeks,
  months, or even years working toward building
  themselves up or chipping away at whatever ob-
  stacles lie in their way until the day comes when
  they can claim victory.
  All in all, the Boritsis look out for those they
  consider friends (or at least people useful to their
  current goals), but they do whatever they can to
  bring ruin to those who cross or slight them. Mem-
  bers of the family work hard to make themselves
  loved and admired by those around them, but when
  doing so proves difficult or impossible, they resort
  to inspiring fear — which they consider a perfectly
  acceptable alternative.
  Claiming Membership
  The typical Boritsi conforms almost perfectly to the
  ideal of physical beauty as held by the people of Borca:
  Both males and females have athletic, statuesque figures,
  with smooth porcelain skin that accentuates their inky
  black eyes and hair. Their hands and feet are typically
  small, with long, delicate digits.
  Boritsi Family Traits
  • +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma: The Boritsi
  are known to possess sharp, analytical minds in
  addition to remarkable presence and stunningly
  good looks.
  • Graceful Aging: The Boritsi have always
  been blessed with long and healthy lives, main-
  taining their youthful appearance and vigor well
  into middle age. The price they pay for this is a
  sudden and sharp decline in bodily and mental
  health toward the end of their lives, so that they
  suffer the indignities of old age in a far briefer and
  more severe manner than most humans. (Ivana
  Boritsi may well be the most extreme example of
  this curious Boritsi trait — although a sexagenar-
  ian, she still appears to be a young woman in her
  late teens or early twenties.)
  Members of the Boritsi family age according to
  the following table, rather than using the “Aging
  Effects” table in Chapter 6 of the Player’s Hand-
  book.
  Race          Middle
  Race          Middle
  Race          Middle
  Race          Middle
  Race          Middle
  Old
  Old
  Old
  Old
  Old22222
  Venerable
  Venerable
  Venerable
  Venerable
  Venerable3     
  3     
  3     
  3     
  3     Maximum
  Maximum
  Maximum
  Maximum
  Maximum
                    Age
                    Age
                    Age
                    Age
                    Age11111
      Age
      Age
      Age
      Age
      Age
  Human       
         
         
         
         55
  68
  80
     +2d12 years
  Half-Elf     
       
       
       
       93
  100
  125
     +2d20 years
  Caliban     
       
       
       
       45
  55
  65
     +2d8 years
  1 At middle age, –1 to Str, Dex and Con; +1 to Int, Wis and Cha.
  2 At old age, –1 to Str, Dex and Con; +1 to Int, Wis and Cha.
  3 At venerable age, –4 to Str, Dex and Con; –2 to Int, Wis and
  Cha.
  • Favored Class: Aristocrat. A multiclass
  Boritsi’s aristocrat class does not count when deter-
  mining whether she takes an experience point
  penalty for multiclassing (see XP for Multiclass
  Characters, Chapter 3, Player’s Handbook). Fur-
  ther, this favored class limitation is more stringent
  than most: A Boritsi must begin at 1st level as an
  aristocrat, and fully one-quarter of her character
  levels at any given time must be aristocrat levels;
  that is, a Boritsi character must take a 2nd level in
  aristocrat by the time she reaches 8th level, a 3rd
  aristocrat level by 12th level and so on.
  Family Feats
  lthough they have spread to many do-
  mains in the Land of Mists, the Boritsis
  still carry certain family traits and cus-
  toms with them. They are sharp in
  business matters, gifted at making con-
  versation and possessed of naturally outgoing
  personalities. They have also learned the value of
  keeping a close eye on both friends and enemies, for
  one never knows when a reversal in status or
  fortune may take place.
  When creating a Boritsi, the player or DM
  must select at least one of the character’s feats from
  the following list during character creation: Alert-
  ness, Deceitful, Diligent, HauntedR, JadedR, Judge
  Difficulty*, KnowledgeableH, LibraryH, LiteracyH,
  Negotiator, Persuasive, Poison Resistance*, Sharp
  Eyes*, Sharp Wit*, or Skill Focus (Appraise, Bluff,
  or Diplomacy).
  New Feats
  The feats presented here are particularly suited
  to Boritsi characters, but under special circum-
  stances the DM may allow other characters to
  acquire them.
  
  15
  The Boritsi Family
  Judge Difficulty [General]
  You are particularly talented at sizing up an
  opponent or a situation to better decide whether
  discretion truly is the better part of valor.
  Prerequisite: Sense Motive 1 rank.
  Benefit: To use this feat, you must first ob-
  serve a creature, location, or situation for a number
  of consecutive rounds equal to 10 – your Wisdom
  bonus. The target observed must be within line of
  sight for the entire time; you may move normally
  during this time, or take other move actions that do
  not draw your attention away from your target,
  since your observation requires only a standard
  action each round.
  Once this time has elapsed, you make a Sense
  Motive check to discern the relative challenge
  inherent to whatever you have been observing. If
  you have been watching a creature, you may deter-
  mine its HD/character level and the class or prestige
  class in which it has the most levels. If you have
  been observing a location or situation, you may
  determine the approximate DC of the check re-
  quired to overcome or bypass it. For example, if you
  have been observing the people around you to
  discern whether you might get from them the
  identity of the true master of Dementlieu’s crimi-
  nal underworld, you could find the DC of a Gather
  Information required to determine that informa-
  tion. If you were at a council meeting to negotiate
  with Malocchio Aderre so that he would cease his
  attacks against the Vistani, you would discover the
  Diplomacy DC necessary to succeed.
  The result of your Sense Motive check deter-
  mines the information you gain.
  Sense Motive Result       Benefit or Information Gained
  10–15
  10–15
  10–15
  10–15
  10–15
  Learn creature’s power relative to
  your own†; learn whether a check can
  be made to overcome or bypass
  current situation
  16–20
  16–20
  16–20
  16–20
  16–20
  Learn creature’s approximate HD/
  levels‡; learn approximate DC‡ of
  check required to overcome or
  bypass current situation
  21–25
  21–25
  21–25
  21–25
  21–25
  Learn creature’s exact HD/levels;
  learn exact DC of check required to
  overcome or bypass current situation
  26–30
  26–30
  26–30
  26–30
  26–30
  As 21–25
  21–25
  21–25
  21–25
  21–25 above. If observing a
  creature with character levels, you
  also determine the class in which it
  has the most levels (this might simply
  identify a creature as having more
  “monster HD” than character levels).
  If observing a situation, you gain a +1
  competence bonus on any check made
  within the next 24 hours to overcome
  that particular situation.
  31+
  31+
  31+
  31+
  31+
  As 26–30
  26–30
  26–30
  26–30
  26–30 above. If observing a
  creature, you also determine all
  classes in which it has levels, as well as
  the precise number of levels it has in
  its highest class. If observing a
  situation, you gain a +2 competence
  bonus on any check made within the
  next 24 hours to overcome that
  particular situation.
  † “Lesser,” meaning total HD/levels lower than the observer’s
  by 3 or more; “about the same,” meaning within 2 HD/levels
  of the observer; or “greater,” meaning total HD/levels higher
  than the observer’s by 3 or more.
  ‡ To within 1 or 2 HD/levels, for a creature, or to within 3 DC
  points for a situation, as determined by the DM.
  You may make only one Sense Motive check
  per creature or challenge in any 24-hour period,
  unless the circumstances under which the check
  was first made change in a dramatic fashion (DM’s
  discretion).
  Poison Resistance [General]
  You have developed a tolerance to a certain
  type of poison by carefully exposing yourself to
  small doses over an extended period of time.
  Prerequisite: Con 13.
  Benefit: Choose one of the four basic types of
  poison as defined in the Dungeon Master’s Guide
  (contact, ingested, inhaled, or injury). You gain a
  +4 bonus to all saving throws made to resist the
  effects of poisons of that type.
  Special: You can gain this feat multiple times.
  Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat,
  it applies to a new type of poison.
  Sharp Eyes [General]
  You have a knack for noticing tiny details and
  things that may be out of place.
  Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all Search
  checks and Spot checks.
  Sharp Wit [General]
  You are an adept debater and conversational-
  ist and a sharp observer of human nature.
  Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff checks
  made to send hidden messages, a +2 bonus on
  opposed Diplomacy checks and a +2 bonus on
  Sense Motive checks made to avoid being bluffed
  or to discern secret messages.
  
  16
  Chapter One: Blood and Poison
  Family Classes
  he majority of Boritsi belong to the
  aristocrat class, although expert levels
  are not uncommon; some members of
  the family are known to have levels in
  fighter or rogue. In many cases among
  second and third children of the Boritsis, entering
  the church and gaining cleric levels is not uncom-
  mon. Some exceptional members of the family
  enter prestige classes such as detectiveH, dilettanteH,
  duelist, or pistoleerV. Certain Boritsi, mostly those
  with close ties to the Dilisnya family, may also have
  levels in court poisonerG4.
  Third or fourth children or those who are
  distant cousins also occasionally gain levels in the
  courtier prestige class, described below, using their
  good looks and family ties to make their presence
  desired at noble parties, while also gathering more
  power and wealth for themselves. (Many courtiers
  involved with the Boritsis, however, come to them
  in the form of suitors.)
  Courtier
  Many who flourish at court are nothing more
  than high-class prostitutes, or perhaps lesser nobles
  simply looking for a wealthy spouse. Others harbor
  more ambition, and almost always hide ulterior
  motives behind their brilliant smiles and flattering
  words. They might be seeking information to help
  them or their current allies gain advantage over the
  target of their attentions, or they could have even
  more sinister thoughts in mind. Courtiers are al-
  ways on the lookout for loose-tongued fools who
  might mistake friendship or physical intimacy for a
  bond of trust, and who then talk too easily about
  things that should be kept secret.
  Members of the courtier prestige class may
  seem no different from the fetching young baubles
  who appear on the arm of many powerful nobles,
  but like a ring or a boot-heel with a secret compart-
  ment, they can be very dangerous depending on
  what they hide within.
  Hit Die: d6.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a courtier (Crt), a char-
  acter must fulfill all the following criteria.
  Skills: Bluff 7 ranks, Diplomacy 7 ranks,
  Gather Information 7 ranks, Knowledge (nobil-
  ity and royalty) 5 ranks, Sense Motive 5 ranks.
  Feats: Alertness, Judge Difficulty*, Sharp
  Wit*.
  Special: Must have spent at least 6 months
  among other courtiers at a recognized court of a
  major noble or ruler.
  Class Skills
  The courtier’s class skills (and the key ability
  for each) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Disguise
  (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information
  (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge
  (geography) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int),
  Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and
  royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex),
  Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis),
  Sleight of Hand
  (Dex), Spot
  (Wis).
  S k i l l
  Points at Each
  Level: 8 + Int
  modifier.
  
  17
  The Boritsi Family
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the
  courtier prestige class.
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The court-
  ier is proficient with all simple weapons and with
  the rapier, but is not proficient with any kind of
  armor or shields.
  Attractive (Ex): Starting at 1st level, the
  courtier is highly skilled at making herself an
  appealing companion by quickly identifying what
  other people’s interests and desires are. After inter-
  acting with a member of her own race for a number
  of rounds equal to 10 – her Wisdom bonus, the
  courtier gains a +2 competence bonus on all Bluff,
  Diplomacy and Gather Information checks di-
  rected at that target. This bonus is lost if the target
  learns that the courtier has friendly dealings with
  individuals or groups opposed to him, or if he ever
  perceives the courtier to threaten the target or
  anything or anyone dear to him.
  This bonus increases to +3 at 3rd level and to
  +4 at 5th level.
  Charm Person (Sp): At 2nd level, the
  courtier’s personality and physical allure has be-
  come so remarkable that she can effectively use
  charm person a number of times per day equal to her
  Charisma bonus. This functions as the spell cast by
  a sorcerer of the courtier’s class level.
  Alluring (Ex): At 3rd level, the courtier grows
  more capable of attracting others. Her attractive
  ability, as gained at 1st level, now extends to all
  humanoids of the same class (in the scientific
  sense; i.e., all mammalian humanoids); thus, the
  courtier gains a +2 competence bonus on all Bluff,
  Diplomacy and Gather Information checks di-
  rected at such targets.
  Poison Sense (Ex): At 4th level, the courtier
  has seen and participated in enough of the darker
  side of courtly life that she has developed a strong
  aptitude for detecting poisons in food and drink.
  The courtier must be able to inspect the foodstuff
  for at least 1 full round and must make a Spot check
  (DC = poison’s save DC) to notice the poison.
  Seductive (Ex): At 5th level, the courtier’s
  attractive ability now extends to all creatures with
  an Intelligence score of 4 or higher; thus, the
  courtier gains a +2 competence bonus on all Bluff,
  Diplomacy and Gather Information checks di-
  rected at such targets. If the courtier is using the
  Bluff skill in combat to feint against a nonhumanoid,
  she suffers the usual –4 penalty to her check.
  Family Magic Items
  ew of the magic items in possession of
  the Boritsi family hold any more signifi-
  cance than the silver serving trays that
  have been used in formal dinners for the
  past four generations. While a few cloaks
  of charisma (some in the shape of shirts or dresses)
  and rings of protection may be passed down through
  the generations, none are considered heirlooms or
  family hallmarks.
  However, both Boritsi and Dilisnya artisans
  have been know to craft spoons of poison detection.
  Spoon of Poison Detection: When this uten-
  sil is placed into food or drink that has been
  poisoned, the spoon immediately turns very warm
  (not hot enough to burn the hand, but nearly so).
  The spoon cannot identify the type or the nature of
  the poison, only its presence. It also detects any
  substance to which the user may have a deadly
  allergy, but which is harmless to others and there-
  fore would not normally be revealed through the
  use of detect poison.
  Faint divination; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous
  Item, detect poison, heat metal; Price 6,000 gp.
  Exceptional Magic Items
  There are three noteworthy items contained
  within the shadowed halls of Misericordia — an
  intelligent magical spoon and two minor artifacts
  Table 1–1: The Courtier
  Level
  BAB
         Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
          Save
  Save
  Save
  1                +0
  +0
  +0
  +2
  Attractive
  2               +1
  +0
  +0
  +3
  Charm person
  3               +2
  +1
  +1
  +3
  Alluring
  4              +3
  +1
  +1
  +4
  Detect poison
  5              +3
  +1
  +1
  +4
  Seductive
  
  18
  Chapter One: Blood and Poison
  — although few among the Boritsi know of these
  items’ significance.
  Camille’s Teaspoon
  This item is more properly a signature item of
  the Dilisnya family, as the poison-loving banker
  and assassin clan have long believed the old adage,
  “He who lives by the sword also dies by it.” Because
  the Dilisnya have long considered poison to be
  their “sword,” they have for many generations
  commissioned magical artisans to create silverware
  (and other items) enchanted to sense poison in
  food. As a result, perhaps dozens of spoons of poison
  detection exist in the hands of the Dilisnya family
  and their relatives. However, the oldest know
  version, once owned by Ivana Boritsi’s mother, is
  an intelligent item with a unique flaw.
  Camille’s teaspoon is located with the rest of
  the family’s formal silverware, next to the butler’s
  pantry on the ground floor of Misericordia. It has
  not been used by any save Ivana herself since the
  death of her mother, for it features the Dilisnya
  family crest on the handle and therefore doesn’t
  match any of the rest of the silverware in the house.
  Camille’s Teaspoon: Spoon of poison detection;
  AL NE; Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 10; speech, telepathy,
  120 ft. darkvision and hearing; Ego score 15.
  Lesser Powers: Deathwatch (continually ac-
  tive), item has 10 ranks in Craft (poison making)
  (total modifier +13) and Knowledge (nature) (to-
  tal modifier +13).
  Special Purpose: Defeat/slay all enemies of the
  Dilisnya family.
  Dedicated Power: Item can use poison (height-
  ened to 4th level) when stirred in food or drink.
  Personality/Traits: Camille’s teaspoon is a surly
  entity, caring only about the wellbeing of the
  Dilisnya family fortune. When stirred by a Dilisnya,
  it can poison the food or drink of anyone it per-
  ceives as an enemy to the Dilisnya fortune or an
  enemy to any particular Dilisnya and has done so
  on many occasions, with or without the approval of
  the Dilisnya who used the spoon. While Ivana
  Boritsi is technically half-Dilisnya, the spoon still
  recognizes here as a Dilisnya; it is unknown whether
  it might be as cognizant of others who carry only a
  small portion of Dilisnya blood.
  Even when used by one of Dilisnya blood, the
  spoon has a unique flaw unknown in other ex-
  amples of this type of item. If used in food or drink
  that has been poisoned by someone who has a
  strong emotional attachment to the imbiber —
  whether that emotion is love, hate, jealousy, or
  some other — the spoon cannot detect the poison.
  The spoon functions normally if the one with the
  emotional attachment has hired or tricked another
  person into poisoning the food or drink, but not if
  he or she herself administers the poison.
  Moderate conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Won-
  drous Item, detect poison, heat metal, poison; Price
  74,800 gp.
  Danzig’s Icon of Ezra
  (Minor Artifact)
  This beautifully painted ivory curio was cre-
  ated by Seigfreid Danzig, a Levkarest artist and
  worshipper of Ezra. It consists of three panels, two
  smaller ones attached with hinges on the left and
  right sides of the larger (15-inch-tall) central panel.
  The left panel shows Ezra as a young girl, bringing
  joy to her parents in their simple cottage home.
  The central panel shows scenes of Ezra caring for
  the sick and wounded, protecting peasants from a
  viciously fanged vampire while preaching to an
  adoring crowd. The right panel shows Ezra ascend-
  ing into the Mists, with vampires, werewolves and
  demons retreating from the righteous glow of her
  silver sword. The smaller panels fold over the larger
  one and can be fastened into this closed position by
  a silver clasp that resembles Ezra’s sword and shield.
  Danzig is known to have created at least twenty
  such “icons,” and each was different from the one
  before. The icon owned by the Boritsi family was
  purchased by Klaus Boritsi because he found the
  picture of Ezra as a child to be remarkably similar in
  appearance to his beautiful eight-year-old daugh-
  ter Ivana. It was Klaus’s last gift to Ivana before his
  death, and it has stood on the bedside table in
  Ivana’s private chambers ever since. In fact, up-
  stairs maids at the Boritsi manor have said that they
  occasionally find their mistress praying before the
  icon when summoned to assist her in dressing in
  the morning. Those with sharper tongues than wits
  have been heard to say that Ezra most certainly
  does not want her attention drawn to Lady Ivana’s
  bedchamber, for ill things occur there — anyone
  save the lady herself who spends the night there
  emerges either dead or utterly transformed.
  It is unknown whether all of Danzig’s icons
  have mystical powers (see below), or just the one
  purchased by Klaus Boritsi. Most of Danzig’s cre-
  ations have been destroyed over the years — some
  in shipwrecks, some in paka raids along the Musarde
  River and others in fires or other disasters. Eleven
  
  19
  The Boritsi Family
  are known to have been destroyed or irrevocably
  lost, and the whereabouts of the rest are unknown.
  Any sect of Ezra would pay handsomely for the
  return of even one of the icons, not because they
  have any notion of their magical power but because
  of their great beauty and sanctity. Ezran clerics
  have approached Ivana Boritsi to inquire about the
  icon her father purchased from Danzig, but she has
  denied still having it in her possession. Not even
  the Bastion of Ezra dares to openly doubt Lady
  Ivana’s word.
  The icon had already been in Ivana’s posses-
  sion for ten years when she first became aware of its
  properties. That fateful night, she prayed before it,
  hoping Ezra might help her secure the love of the
  beautiful poet Pieter, who had captured her heart.
  As she prayed, the painted scenes changed before
  her eyes. The left panel showed an image of her first
  meeting with Pieter. The middle panel showed her
  playing a harp while he stood next to her with a
  joyous expression on his face. The right panel
  showed Ivana embracing and kissing Pieter, her
  mother looking on with a broad smile. The girl was
  of course elated, for she thought Ezra was showing
  her that not only would her love for Pieter grow
  into marriage, but that the obvious dislike her
  mother showed for him would also be overcome. In
  time, as the icon showed, Ivana and Pieter’s loved
  blossomed, but only a few months later, Ivana
  realized that the last scene had not been one of
  marriage but a revelation about how she would kill
  Pieter with a poisoned kiss after (from her perspec-
  tive) he seduced her mother.
  In the decades since, the icon has granted
  Ivana several more visions, some of which have
  stirred her heart with false hope of love similar to
  the first one, but mostly ones that warned her about
  impending danger so she could avoid it. One of the
  most important visions warned her about an at-
  tempt on her life by her cousin Ivan; the attempt
  might well have been successful if she hadn’t been
  able to turn it back on him. Another significant
  vision showed her that dust from the mysterious
  deathstone in Misericordia’s wine cellar was the
  ingredient that had been missing from her concoc-
  tion to transform men and women into her loyal
  servants, the ermordenungs.
  The simple truth is that a powerful divinatory
  entity — whether Ezra or some other — can be
  accessed through the icon, since Ivana’s prayers to
  it are sometimes answered with visions of past,
  present and/or future.
  
  20
  Chapter One: Blood and Poison
  Danzig’s Icon of Ezra: This artifact grants
  accurate visions drawn from the past, present and
  future of one who pray to Ezra in front of it.
  However, since these images are static representa-
  tions, they are open to interpretation. For instance,
  Ivana’s initial assumption that the icon had shown
  her a happy union between herself and Pieter (as
  opposed to her later understanding after she had
  killed him with a poisoned kiss) is a perfect ex-
  ample of how the icon’s “messages” might be
  misinterpreted.
  When a solitary character (i.e., one who is
  alone and out of earshot of any other creature)
  prays to Ezra before the icon seeking any sort of
  assistance or guidance, the DM should roll 2d10. If
  the result is 15 or greater, the character must make
  a DC 15 Will save. If this save is successful, the
  character receives a vision of three images culled
  from her past, present and/or future; these images
  appear upon the icon’s panels and are in some
  meaningful way related to her prayers. Note that
  the new images are figments visible only to the
  praying character, and that anyone else entering
  the room sees only the icon’s usual imagery. (Natu-
  rally, if the DM wishes to use the icon to provide a
  hint for the party or to place a covert lead toward
  their next adventure, a lone PC praying or even
  merely genuflecting before the icon might auto-
  matically receive a vision.)
  The icon reveals only situations or facts that
  relate directly to the praying character. The DM
  should describe the scenes neutrally, but with
  enough detail that the player can recognize charac-
  ters, locations, or events featured in it. The meaning
  of the images — particularly those that portray the
  future — should be left entirely up to the interpre-
  tation of the one who sees the vision. The icon’s
  revelations always have some connection to the
  matter or difficulty prayed about, but its visions are
  always centered on the supplicant.
  For example, if a PC’s prayer is related to his
  family in a faraway domain, one of the icon’s
  images may be of him embracing his loved ones in
  travel-stained clothes, looking several years older.
  From this, the PC may be reassured that he will
  make it home some day. However, the second
  panel might show the PC, as he appears now,
  standing before an unknown castle; presently, he
  has no idea what the castle image means. Are his
  loved ones held captive there? Does the person
  who lives there have the secret to sending him back
  to the land he came from? Will he someday become
  a lord and invite his family to live in his castle? The
  image is completely open to interpretation.
  Note that a prayer along the lines of “Please
  reveal where Strahd sleeps during the day” never
  results in a response if the DM has no plans of
  sending the party against Strahd. If the vampire
  lord plays some part in the ongoing storyline,
  however, the icon may well reveal the information
  the PC desires — although, at the DM’s discretion,
  it may provide only partial, vague, or cryptic clues
  regarding darklords and similarly powerful beings.
  Danzig’s Icon of Ezra radiates magic only when
  it displays its visions to a supplicant. At any other
  time, it seems a lovely but nonmagical object.
  Strong divination (but only when function-
  ing); CL 17th; Weight 2 lb.
  Deathstone (Major Artifact)
  In the farthest, darkest corner of what is now
  Misericordia’s vast wine cellar sits a large block of
  black stone. No records exist of how the stone came
  to be there, but it resided in that place for many
  generations. This roughly cubic stone, approxi-
  mately 3 feet in each dimension, is covered with
  curious pictographs. Learned men who were al-
  lowed to inspect it before Lady Ivana came to
  power claim these characters bear a distinct resem-
  blance to the script used in the faraway desert realm
  of Har-Akir. The symbols are different enough that
  the scholars can’t be certain, however, for there is
  only one (which appears repeatedly on the stone)
  that seems identical in both forms of writing — the
  Har-Akiri symbol for “death.” The last scholar to
  seek to examine the stone was Rudolph van Richten,
  who was turned away by order of Ivana herself
  while he was researching his Guide to the Ancient
  Dead.
  During the Grand Conjunction, cracks formed
  all over the stone and a dim light seemed to shine
  from the largest of them. The sounds of anguished
  howling and angry screams could also be heard in
  the cellar, coming from the direction of the
  Deathstone. As the cracks in the stone grew larger,
  the cries grew louder. Lady Ivana was alerted to
  these alarming developments, but her response was
  merely to order the servants to lock the wine cellar
  and not to enter it until she gave them permission.
  However, one of the menservants claimed that
  the voices had been shouting a message and felt it
  important that Ivana know immediately; he burst
  into the sitting room where she was comforting her
  hysterical cousin Ivan Dilisnya, who had fled to her
  
  21
  The Boritsi Family
  manor house when the ground started shaking and
  the stars swirled in the sky. She rebuked the servant,
  saying that his “matter of importance” would have to
  wait. When the world returned to normal and Ivan
  returned to his own estate, however, Ivan killed him
  so that no one would tell the world of his cowardice.
  Whatever the servant had heard in the stone’s voices
  remains a secret.
  The Deathstone is one of Ivana Boritsi’s most
  prized possessions and one of her most closely
  guarded secrets. Ground-up shards from the
  Deathstone are the most important ingredient in
  the potion that creates her loyal servants, the
  ermordenung. Further, shards chipped of the stone
  can be fashioned into magical weapons. Over the
  years, Ivana has given several of these dagger-
  shards to those ermordenung she sends against her
  worst enemies or against those upon whom she
  wishes to inflict the greatest pain. Lady Ivana has
  found over time that any damage to the Deathstone
  caused by the creation of her so-called Deathstone
  daggers is magically repaired once the weapon claims
  a life. The damage caused in scraping material for
  Ermordenung potions remains on the stone, how-
  ever, so a number of irregular grooves exist along
  the Deathstone’s top edges.
  Deathstone: The Deathstone is a minor arti-
  fact that effectively turns Misericordia’s wine cellar
  into a rank 4 sinkhole of evil and the rest of the
  structure into a rank 3 sinkhole (see “Sinkholes of
  Evil” in Ravenloft Dungeon Master’s Guide).
  This artifact was created millennia ago on the
  world that spawned the domains of Sebua and Har-
  Akir, although in an age that predates either
  domain. A powerful sorcerer whose civilization
  was troubled by the undead decided to create a
  receptacle that would forever keep the dark souls of
  malefactors imprisoned, so that they could not rise
  again to plague the living. The stone was created to
  hold up to 1,999 souls, at which point the sorcerer
  hoped a descendant would bury it in the middle of
  a pyramid and start a new Deathstone. Unfortu-
  nately, his civilization fell and the stone’s purpose
  was lost as the great city it resided in crumbled to
  the sand. Explorers discovered it and, recognizing
  it as a powerful magic item of unknown purpose,
  brought it back to their homeland, where it even-
  tually fell into the possession of the Boritsi.
  Ground-up shards from the Deathstone are the
  most important ingredient in the potion that cre-
  ates her loyal servants, the Ermordenung. Further,
  sufficiently large shards chipped from the Deathstone
  can be fashioned into weapons known as Deathstone
  daggers. Each of these weapons is the equivalent of
  a +1 unholy dagger with a minor aura of necroman-
  tic magic; however, the dagger crumbles as soon as
  it successfully hits a living creature. As it crumbles,
  particles of the Deathstone enter the victim’s blood-
  stream, and the victim must immediately make a
  DC 20 Fortitude save. If the save fails, the victim
  suffers 1 temporary negative level. Each round
  thereafter, he must make another DC 20 Fortitude
  save or suffer another negative level. This effect
  ends only once the victim is reduced to level 0 (and
  dies) or once he receives a remove curse spell from
  a caster of 9th level or higher.
  The soul of any person killed by a Deathstone
  dagger (see below) is trapped within the Deathstone,
  although it can still be reclaimed normally through
  the use of resurrection or similarly powerful magic
  (raise dead is not sufficient to draw a soul back from
  the stone). Anyone slain while in direct contact
  with the Deathstone, though, has his soul drawn
  into it as if the stone were the gem normally used
  in a soul bind spell.
  The Deathstone currently houses 1,903 souls,
  and thus has room for 96 more. Should a 2,000th
  soul ever be trapped within the Deathstone, it
  shatters and every soul inside is released as a spectre
  that immediately seeks to slay any living being it
  encounters.
  The stone has a hardness of 10 and 1,999 hit
  points. It requires at least 6 points of damage to the
  stone to break off a piece large enough to form a
  Deathstone dagger (thus, including the stone’s hard-
  ness, a blow dealing 16 points or more is required).
  Story Hook
  Seventeen-year-old Lollar Boritsi (male human,
  Ari1/Clr1 (Ezra), NG) is the youngest son of Anton
  Boritsi and a recently ordained anchorite of Ezra. His
  devotion to Ezra borders on fanaticism, and nothing
  offends him more than a comment upon how his
  seemingly ageless aunt Ivana resembles Ezra herself
  (which is not an uncommon observation). Lollar
  hates his aunt with a passion, particularly for her
  reputation as a cruel seductress and for the hard-
  hearted way she rules Borca. He doesn’t believe she
  is the murderess that the worst of the gossip purports,
  but he does consider her corrupt and wanton.
  Recently, Lollar found out that she does indeed
  keep the famous Boritsi Danzig’s Icon of Ezra (q.v.) in
  her bedchamber, and he is thoroughly disgusted by
  that fact. It turns his stomach to consider that his
  
  22
  Chapter One: Blood and Poison
  blessed goddess may witness the acts of perversion
  that he is convinced must take place behind the
  closed doors of her private chambers. To that end, he
  approaches one or more of the PCs, choosing to
  speak with any anchorites in the group first.
  Lollar wants the characters to help him steal
  Danzig’s icon from Lady Ivana and transport it to
  the Grand Cathedral in Levkarest. Ivana is to be
  holding a large party at Misericordia later that
  week, and Lollar will be in attendance. If one of the
  PCs is a female, he suggests that she come as his
  guest. Then, once the party is in full swing, she can
  furtively admit the rest of the group to the house,
  where they are to obtain the icon at all costs.
  Because it is located in Ivana’s bedroom, they will
  have to move fairly early in the evening, because he
  has no doubt that his aunt will be entertaining one
  or more men in the bedchamber later. His disgust
  is clear, and his eyes gleam with fanatical zeal when
  he talks about how he wishes to remove the “Holy
  Goddess” from his aunt’s foul presence.
  If the characters are wealthy and well con-
  nected, they might all be able to attend Lady Ivana’s
  party. In that case, any male PC with a Charisma of
  15 or higher has a chance to attract Ivana’s attention
  during the ball (DM’s discretion). Similarly, if a
  female PC with a Charisma of 16 or better is with
  Lollar, she might draw Ivana’s jealous eye. In either
  case, Ivana singles out the PC for individual atten-
  tion, initially engaging in simple, vapid party chatter,
  but eventually drifting into flirtation (if the PC is
  male), or veiled threats and blandishments to be
  gone from Borca, perhaps even before the next
  sunrise (if female). If no PC is present to distract
  Ivana, Lollar gives the PCs directions to her
  bedchamber just before they sneak into the house
  and then engages his aunt in conversation until he
  thinks the PCs have had enough time to escape with
  the icon. (Of course, she is cunning and knows of his
  hatred for her, and may suspect that something is
  afoot if this becomes necessary.)
  Once they’ve escaped safely with the icon, Lollar
  discovers that even the Bastion of Levkarest dares
  not keep anything stolen from Lady Ivana within the
  Grand Cathedral: He instructs Lollar to spirit the
  icon away to Mordent. Lollar again turns to the PCs
  to ask for their help and protection. By now, how-
  ever, Ivana has noticed that her prized icon is missing,
  and the borders to her domain are sealed.
  What might the PCs do from here?
  
  23
  The d’Honaire Family
  Chapter Two:
  Manipulator< of
  the Mind
   The d’Honaire
  Family
  Chapter Two:
  Manipulator< of
  the Mind
   The d’Honaire
  Family
  
  24
  Chapter Two: Manipulators of the Mind
  Dear Cousin James,
  Regards from Chateufaux! I have finished the books you sent in your most recent package.
  I remain utterly fascinated by the possibilities in these new approaches to the methods of our
  venerated forefather, Germaine. The work that you and your father have done with mesmerism and
  exploring the true causes of the illnesses that cripple the minds of men and women is astonishing!
  Wilhelm Mikki and even the honored Dr. Illhousen of Nova Vaasa seem like simple-minded
  schoolboys when their theories are placed next to yours.
  As much as it saddens me, I understand why you are unable to take me on as a student or
  assistant at the Mousel Sanitarium. I was not fully aware of the history between the two branches
  of our family, and I agree that we do not want to reopen old wounds. (Particularly not since Cousin
  Dominic and my father and brother are once again arguing with one another over whether Paul
  is bringing shame to the family or not.) If you ask me, the only shame that is brought to the
  d’Honaire family is the way my father and Uncle Claude bow and scrape to Dominic’s every whim.
  I don’t understand why they allow themselves to be manipulated by him the way they do. Every
  opinion they have and every action they take originates with a suggestion or outright command
  from Dominic, and they seem not even to realize it!
  I know that you think I am exaggerating. I am not, however. I have been watching my family
  and the political and artistic leaders of Dementlieu for my entire life, although it’s only in the past
  year that I’ve recognized the unnatural influence that Uncle Dominic seems to have over most of
  them. The way he makes his will known is very subtle, but for the observant with the sort of training
  that I have had, it is clear that he is the one in charge.
  And this brings me back to your writings. Can it be that Uncle Dominic is someone using
  the methods you present in your book to twist his family and other political leaders to his will? He
  is known to have studied the methods of Germaine d’Honaire, but not those practiced by any other
  hypnotist, alienist, or doctor of mental health anywhere in the world.
  Until you can present me with a sensible answer to how Uncle Dominic can wield so much
  power from his position in a land where image is everything, I will continue to pursue my own
  research into the methods laid out in your book. I think that the secrets to it — or, perhaps even
  better, a way to counteract it — can be found within your methods.
  You will be able to reach me care of Dr. Mikki’s asylum, where I continue my studies. I am
  a bit nervous that Uncle Dominic seems so supportive of my goals even when my parents are so
  opposed. Of course, I wonder if they truly disagree, or whether it isn’t all just another of Dominic’s
  manipulations…
  Yes, dear Cousin, I realize that last sentence makes me sound as brain-fevered as some of the
  patients here at the asylum.
  I look forward to reading your next letter, and I wish you and yours good health and
  happiness,
  Love,
  Celeste d’Honaire-Loverde
  
  25
  The d’Honaire Family
  The d’Honaire
  he d’Honaire family is one of the few
  leading families in the Core that hold
  positions of power, wealth and honor in
  two realms, with Dr. James Mousel be-
  ing the foremost member of the Mordent
  branch and Dominic d’Honaire being the most
  influential among the Dementlieu branch.
  The d’Honaire family has long held a promi-
  nent yet unique position in Mordent. For
  generations, the family had a reputation as skilled
  healers. Nobility and peasantry with ailments both
  sought them out before any other doctors or heal-
  ers. However, the family consistently shied away
  from seeking political power, despite many oppor-
  tunities for sons and daughters to marry into
  Mordentish noble families, instead existing in a
  social layer of their own, somewhere between those
  of the nobles and the commoners. They lived like
  nobles, though, due to financial considerations
  and fees charged to the wealthy (particularly after
  the lands of Richemulot and Borca were discovered
  by Mordentish explorers). They constructed a large
  mansion on the edge of Mordentshire, which has
  come to be thought of as the family’s ancestral
  home.
  With the ascension of Germaine d’Honaire to
  the position of leadership in the family toward the
  latter half of the seventh century, the reputation of
  the d’Honaires grew to cover the entire Core.
  While the family had previously focused on physi-
  cal ailments, Germaine turned his attention
  primarily to the troubles of the mind and eventu-
  ally became recognized as the greatest mesmerist
  the world has ever known. As the recognition of
  the d’Honaire family grew, so did Germaine’s am-
  bitions. He was not content with the centuries-long
  position between lords and underlings that the
  family had held. He encouraged his two eldest
  children, Bernadette and Claude, to focus mostly
  on studying the refined arts that personified nobil-
  ity while forcing only his youngest son Maurice to
  focus entirely on medicine and mesmerism so that
  the family traditions would be kept alive. To
  Germaine’s frustration, however, Bernadette took
  naturally to the healing arts, despite it being some-
  thing she merely dabbled in, while Maurice lacked
  the empathy or degree of talent to be even a
  mediocre physician.
  The split in the d’Honaire family occurred
  when Bernadette fell in love with Hugues Mousel,
  a mystic of mixed Richemuleuse and Vistani blood
  who was equally smitten with Bernadette on their
  very first meeting. They married, quite against
  Germaine’s will, in 698 BC, ending the mesmerist’s
  dreams of uniting his family with that of the
  Weathermays through marriage and thus enjoying
  their noble status. Germaine and Bernadette never
  spoke with each other again, though she continued
  to hold great love for her father. The anger he felt
  toward her also poisoned her brothers against her
  and her husband. The newlyweds traveled south
  and settled in a tiny hamlet on the border with
  Valachan, where Bernadette remained until her
  father’s death in 707.
  While in the southern part of Mordent,
  Bernadette rediscovered a part of her family’s heri-
  tage that had been lost for centuries; she made
  contact with witches of Hala who tended to the
  medical needs of poor farmers on both sides of the
  border. While Bernadette never had the religious
  conviction to be admitted into the deeper secrets
  involved in Hala’s worship, she brought a more
  modern and scientific view to the covens operating
  in southern Mordent, mostly shedding light upon
  the way the mind sometimes impacts upon physical
  problems, and vice versa.
  When Bernadette’s brothers abandoned Mor-
  dent and moved with their families to Dementlieu
  following Germaine’s death, she returned to
  Mordentshire and took up residence in the
  d’Honaire mansion and continued her father’s
  mesmerism work. To her relief, her brothers seemed
  much too occupied with establishing themselves in
  their new homeland to object. As a result,
  Bernadette’s children followed in her footsteps,
  with her son François becoming an accomplished
  alienist and her daughter Madeleine returning to
  the southern moors and rejoining the Hala witches
  to serve the locals there as a healer. In 720 BC,
  Bernadette gave the d’Honaire mansion to her son,
  and he converted it into the Mousel Sanitarium for
  Mental Health, bringing together the methods
  practiced by his grandfather and his mother in
  order to provide more humane treatment for those
  suffering from mental disorders.
  In the north, Bernadette’s brothers, Claude
  and Maurice, devoted themselves to bringing about
  their father’s dream of elevating the d’Honaires
  from the status of privileged servants to masters.
  When the d’Honaires arrived, the domain of
  Dementlieu was recovering from a bloody and
  violent popular uprising. The d’Honaires put their
  
  26
  Chapter Two: Manipulators of the Mind
  money and support behind the new lord-governor,
  Marcel Guignol. This, combined with the family’s
  great intelligence and highly polished ways, al-
  lowed them to overcome the stigma associated
  with their Mordentish origins — the Dementlieuse
  and the Mordentish people share cultural roots in
  the distant past, but the former generally view the
  latter as “country bumpkins.”
  The d’Honaires’ position in Dementlieu was
  cemented when Claude accepted a position on
  Marcel Guignol’s advisory council, and his brother
  Maurice established himself as a doctor specializ-
  ing in curing the (mostly imaginary) ailments of
  effete but wealthy nobles. Claude quickly became
  Guignol’s most trusted advisor, and the family was
  closer to being the masters of the halls of power
  than ever before. It appeared to Claude that it
  would only be a matter of time before he would
  replace Marcel Guignol as Lord-Governor. The
  mansion that Claude built for his and his brother’s
  family to share on the shores of Pernault Bay was a
  further expression of this desire, for it was both an
  elaborate example of the finest of Dementlieuse
  architecture and a place suitable or state functions.
  In truth, Claude’s and Maurice’s families were
  accepted so readily in Dementlieu because the
  domain was created for Claude’s thoroughly evil
  and manipulative young son, Dominic. (See
  Ravenloft Gazetteer Vol. III or Secrets of the
  Dread Realms for details.) As Dominic grew to
  adulthood, he made all of Dementlieu his play-
  thing, manipulating people and politics from the
  shadows so he could always remain free of respon-
  sibility when things went wrong. He wished to
  keep himself and his family next to the throne
  rather than on it. As such, when it appeared as
  though his father Claude had eclipsed Guignol in
  popularity with the people of Dementlieu and that
  he might replace Guignol as Lord-Governor,
  Dominic promptly saw to it that Claude fell ill.
  Dominic, now a young man, was called to replace
  his father on the advisory council. Bringing this
  about was the simplest of manipulations, for
  Dominic had long since made all of his older
  relatives in Dementlieu, as well as the Lord-Gov-
  ernor himself, into his Obedient, mental slaves.
  By 730 BC, Dominic was in control of every
  important figure in his domain — reputations and
  careers were made and shattered by Dominic’s
  whim. Virtually all power and authority wielded by
  others was but an illusion. However, Dominic
  realized that there were those in his realm that he
  did not control, and that these people were some of
  those closest to him. That year, the eldest son of
  
  27
  The d’Honaire Family
  Maurice d’Honaire, Paul, ran away from home at
  the age of 15 when his parents and uncles insisted
  that he study medicine instead of becoming a
  soldier. He vanished for three years, but eventually
  resurfaced at the d’Honaire estate with a wife, a
  Falkovnian refugee named Kara. All the d’Honaires
  were outraged, and Dominic the most shocked of
  all.
  Worse (at least in Dominic’s eyes), before
  running away, Paul had resisted Dominic’s at-
  tempts to use his mind-altering powers to force
  Paul to study medicine, and now that he was back,
  he still rejected his older cousin’s attempts to use
  his powers to get him to dispose of his embarrassing
  wife. However, Dominic decided to let this one
  rebel live, correctly thinking that he could at least
  partly control Paul through his wife.
  Yet Paul’s inexplicable resistance to Dominic’s
  will was only the first among the younger genera-
  tions of the family. In 733 BC, Gerard, the second
  son of Dominic’s half-sister Julienne, paid a visit to
  the Mordentish relatives. François Mousel’s sani-
  tarium was gaining in reputation, and Dr. Rudolf
  van Richten was becoming increasingly celebrated
  as a scholar of the monstrous and occult. Gerard,
  who was about to enter the foremost medical
  college in Dementlieu, wanted to meet these great
  men in person. While he never got to meet Dr. van
  Richten, Gerard was touched by the gentle nature
  of his great aunt Bernadette and the keen sense of
  compassion that François had for his patients. The
  rustic charm of his family’s land of origin called to
  him to move back to Mordent to study under
  Bernadette and François.
  Dominic was livid. Never before had anyone
  challenged his intentions for them — Gerard was
  to be the next Germaine d’Honaire, as far as
  Dominic was concerned, but he would not attain
  that status among the fools in Mordent. Dominic
  turned his mental powers upon Gerard only to find
  that Gerard too seemed to be immune. All at-
  tempts by Dominic and Gerard’s parents to change
  his mind about moving south only made the six-
  teen-year-old’s resolve stronger. Eventually, an
  exasperated Dominic ordered a number of his
  Obedients to kill Gerard; one rebellious nephew he
  could accept, but not two. Further, he instructed
  them to arrange for the assassination of his aunt
  Bernadette, her husband Hugues and son Francois,
  so that no more of the Dementlieu d’Honaires
  would be seduced away to their lands. Francois
  survived the attempt due to the timely interven-
  tion of his son James, but Bernadette and Hugues
  both died violently just as 733 gave way to 734.
  Despite lack of evidence, James remained con-
  vinced that the assassins had been sent by Maurice
  d’Honaire, an act of belated revenge over the way
  his grandmother had rebelled against Germaine
  and her encouragement of her grand-nephew to do
  the same. Dominic naturally did nothing to dis-
  courage this perception, but James’s father François
  did. The younger Dr. Mousel nonetheless remained
  hostile toward all the Dementlieu d’Honaire rela-
  tives for the next two decades.
  During this time, the Mousel Sanitarium slowly
  gained a reputation as one of the Core’s best places
  to recover from mental breakdowns and illnesses.
  François corresponded with many leading doctors
  and asylum operators while James traveled the
  Core and spent time studying their methods. By
  the time François retired in 752 BC, the father-
  and-son team had developed a unique approach to
  treating mental illnesses, which they referred to as
  “the analytical method.” James in particular has
  become a respected figure among alienists and
  physicians specializing in illnesses of the mind,
  even if his theories are often ridiculed by those who
  primarily shape medical thought in the Core — the
  professors of Dementlieu’s universities and schools.
  James believes that the ridicule from the neighbor-
  ing medical community can ultimately be traced to
  Claude and Maurice d’Honaire, and his hatred of
  the two has only grown stronger since the death of
  his grandparents two decades ago.
  Virtually no contact has existed between the
  Mordent and Dementlieu branches of the family
  for several decades. James and Dominic have en-
  gaged in the occasional brief exchange of letters —
  started by Dominic writing a note of sympathy to
  James after a particularly harsh spew of intellectual
  venom from a Dementlieuse intellectual. It ended
  with James accepting Dominic’s well-wishes and
  encouraging him to look to the evil of Claude and
  Maurice if he really wanted to stop the pointless
  character assassination engaged in by the intellec-
  tuals of his land.
  However, within the past year, James has
  opened more extensive communications with his
  young niece Celeste d’Honaire-Loverde (see Ap-
  pendix). The teenage girl has her heart set on
  entering the medical field and she is particularly
  enamored of François’ and James’ theories. Like
  Gerard d’Honaire twenty years earlier, Celeste had
  shown up on the doorstep of her Mordentish rela-
  
  28
  Chapter Two: Manipulators of the Mind
  tives, and she had hoped to study under those
  relatives. James recognized that part of her desire
  was spawned by rebellion against her parents and
  particularly her uncle Dominic. He gently sug-
  gested she return to Dementlieu, but helped arrange
  for her to study under Dr. Wilhelm Mikki of
  Chateufaux, one of the few Dementlieuse doctors
  willing to take James’ medical theories seriously.
  He also informed Dominic of Celeste’s restless
  nature, hoping that the one man he’d come to view
  as an honorable northern relative could help ease
  tensions between the girl and her parents.
  Unwittingly, though, James has placed Celeste
  and other younger members of the d’Honaire fam-
  ily living in Dementlieu in danger. Paul and Gerard
  d’Honaire’s inexplicable resistance to Dominic’s
  powers of domination was only the beginning.
  Since then, Dominic has found that all the young-
  est generation of the family seem immune to his
  control, and he is particularly frustrated with those
  that openly defy his will, such as Celeste.
  Over the past ten years, Dominic has been
  facing an increasing challenge from a crime lord
  known as the Brain, and as the Brain’s power has
  grown, so has Dominic’s suspicion of all blood
  relatives that are not under his total control. He
  has always viewed his family as the last line of
  defense against his enemies. Now, he is starting to
  fear that the younger members may in fact be
  undergoing a transformation into foes who can
  strike at him with impunity. He would rather not
  have the up-and-coming d’Honaires murdered —
  but he will if he comes to the conclusion that they
  pose too great a threat.
  Fortunately for Dominic, some members of his
  family are planning to remove themselves volun-
  tarily from the perverse power game played by him
  and his hidden foe. For example, Julienne’s family
  was recently threatened by some of the Brain’s
  agents. When she came to Dominic begging for
  additional protection, he played up the danger and
  his inability to do anything about it in the most
  melodramatic of fashions. He offered to secure her
  safety in the only way he knew how — to pay for her
  and her entire family to be relocated to Pont-a-
  Museau. His terrified niece and her weak-willed
  husband accepted the promised refuge even more
  readily when Dominic secured an official promise
  of protection from Lady Jacqueline Renier herself.
  Dominic dislikes putting himself in perceived debt
  to Lady Renier, but he is willing to make this
  sacrifice if it denies the Brain access to a potential
  weapon against him.
  Some of the oldest of Dominic’s own children
  are also thinking about moving their young fami-
  lies abroad, both because of the Brain and because
  of strained relations with their father. Dominic
  does not attempt to stop them. Celeste is viewed as
  less of threat by Dominic at the moment, as she
  seems to have settled down in Chateufaux where
  she is studying medicine; Dominic would have
  preferred her to be a poet, but he is willing to
  compromise… for now.
  In addition to the two main branches of the
  d’Honaire family, there is also a “lost branch.” In
  719 BC, the eighteen-year-old half-sister of
  Dominic (by Claude d’Honaire’s second wife,
  Babette Batista), Angelique d’Honaire, married a
  young Lamordian doctor named Bertrand Shroeder.
  Shroeder had been on his way to visit François
  Mousel as part of an effort to confirm the validity
  of mesmerism techniques in treating mental ill-
  nesses, but when he laid eyes on Angelique he
  knew his journey had come to an end.
  In an echo of his grandfather’s dislike of Hugues
  Mousel, Claude developed a hatred for Bertrand
  Shroeder as strong as Bertrand’s love for Angelique.
  He forbade their marriage, yet the star-struck lov-
  ers disobeyed him and were secretly married by a
  priest in Port-a-Lucine. When Claude discovered
  this, he swore to have Bertrand killed and Angelique
  imprisoned — and he placed a bounty on their
  heads large enough to make sure it happened.
  Dominic came to the pair’s rescue at this point,
  secretly arranging passage for them on a ship bound
  for Martira Bay. From there, it would be easy for
  Bertrand and Angelique to reach Ludendorf and
  Bertrand’s home and practice.
  The ship, sadly, never reached its destination.
  The fate of its crew and passengers remains a
  mystery to this day.
  Fitting In
  The d’Honaires are first and foremost intellec-
  tuals. Even those among them who are more
  comfortable on the battlefield than in a university
  lecture hall or council meeting tend to rely on
  intelligent strategy and tactics and on psychologi-
  cal manipulation as opposed to brute force. This
  bent seems to be more nature than nurture, for
  even those who are unacknowledged members of
  the family tend to be bookish and manipulative.
  
  29
  The d’Honaire Family
  There are two main branches of the d’Honaire
  family, as well as a third “lost” branch and the
  distinct possibility of unrecognized offspring of
  Remy d’Honaire from other domains bordering
  Dementlieu. Fitting PCs (and NPCs for the DM’s
  use) into the d’Honaire family while remaining
  consistent with official Ravenloft material is a
  simple matter.
  The Mordent Branch
  In Mordent, Bernadette and Hugues had two
  children, François and Madeline, each of whom
  has adult children of his or her own.
  As well, James Mousel is married to Marie
  Chiraq, and they have two children currently in
  their mid- or late teens. James is described in detail
  later in the Appendix of this book, but his children
  are left undefined and would make excellent player
  character material. They are likely to be involved
  in the operation of the Mousel Sanitarium, but
  they could also be studying or adventuring abroad.
  Madeline married Raymonde Bioume, and
  they have one child in his or her mid-twenties.
  This character is also left completely undefined for
  player or DM development, but might serve as a
  way to bring Hala worshippers into a campaign, as
  Madeline and her husband are both active mem-
  bers in a coven.
  The Dementlieu Branch
  The Dementlieu branch of the d’Honaire
  bloodline also has plenty of opportunities into
  which player characters or characters created by
  the DM might fit.
  Claude d’Honaire has four children by his
  second wife, the youngest of whom was born in 740
  BC, just as the Great Upheaval seized the land.
  This youngest half-brother of Dominic d’Honaire
  is now just coming of age. Aside from his gender
  and his auspicious birthdate, he is left open for
  development by individual DMs or gaming groups.
  Of Claude’s other children, eldest daughter
  Angelique d’Honaire eloped with Bertrand
  Shroeder and has vanished from knowledge. (Her
  possible offspring are discussed in the sidebar “The
  Lost d’Honaires.”) Claude’s youngest daughter
  Julienne has had three children with Bernard
  Loverde, including the tragically deceased Gerard
  and the prodigal daughter Celeste (the latter is
  detailed in the Appendix); Julienne and Bernard’s
  children were born in Dementlieu and are there-
  fore immune to all hypnosis and mind-affecting
  spells and effects while within that domain —
  meaning they are the object of increasing suspicion
  from their uncle Dominic. Finally, Claude’s eldest
  child by his second wife is in his or her early thirties
  and is left for development by DMs and players —
  he or she may be an adventurer, or perhaps some-
  one who has children who are about to come into
  their own.
  Maurice d’Honaire and his wife Alicia Norbert
  also have four children. As described above, their
  eldest son Paul (born in 715 BC) has long been
  alienated from the rest of family — he married a
  Falkovnian refugee despite the objections of par-
  ents and uncles. Paul resides in Chateufaux with
  wife Kara and two children, both of whom are
  under the age of 10. Maurice and Alicia’s second
  son, Remy, was born in 723 BC; he is a spirited
  wanderer and incurable ladies’ man who invariably
  “loves them and leaves them.” He is the father of
  several illegitimate children in Dementlieu, Mor-
  dent, Richemulot and Lamordia, any one of whom
  might make a suitable player character. The re-
  maining two children of Maurice and Alicia are in
  their mid- to late-teens and are left open for devel-
  opment. All these children — except possibly the
  illegitimate offspring of Remy d’Honaire — were
  born within the borders of Dementlieu, and are
  thus immune to all hypnosis and mind-affecting
  spells and effects in that domain.
  There are also the children of Dominic
  d’Honaire himself. He has four children by his first
  wife, presently ranging from their mid-twenties to
  early thirties. Of all his relatives, Dominic is most
  suspicious of his own children, as they are impervi-
  ous to his mind-bending powers, and they have all
  been nearly as rebellious as Paul d’Honaire. Only
  Dominic II (born in 722 BC) has a close relation-
  ship with his father, with the others are estranged
  to varying degrees. Some still live at the d’Honaire
  estate, while others have moved away. These direct
  descendants of the darklord and any spouses or
  children they may have are left undefined so that
  they may be used as player characters or NPCs who
  are among the closest possible blood-relations to a
  darklord; as well, some of Dominic’s oldest chil-
  dren may have a child or children of their own in
  their mid- or even late teens who may be suitable
  for development as characters.
  Dominic II is unmarried, but shares his bed in
  the d’Honaire mansion with one mistress while
  maintaining two others in lavish homes in Port-a-
  Lucine. He has at least one child by each woman,
  
  30
  Chapter Two: Manipulators of the Mind
  The Lost d’Honaires
  What happened to Angelique d’Honaire and
  Bertrand Shroeder? That’s ultimately left up to the
  individual DM to decide, but here are a couple of
  possibilities:
  Dominic’s Jealousy: Darklord Dominic d’Honaire
  was insanely jealous of his brilliant half-sister and the
  handsome doctor who had won her heart. It was he
  who filled Claude d’Honaire’s mind with a burning
  hatred for Shroeder, hoping that it would drive the
  Lamordian south to Mordent. When the couple went
  ahead and married in secret, Dominic decided they
  had to die. The darklord’s Obedients commanded the
  ship he arranged passage on, and they murdered the
  lovers shortly after the ship left port. The evil of this
  act, however, caused the Mists to engulf the vessel, and
  the ghost of an anguished Angelique now haunts it.
  The crew has long since perished (many at her hand),
  and now the ship drifts aimlessly, Mistbound.
  No travelers who have found the ship have sur-
  vived Angelique’s wrath, for few have been able to
  answer the two questions that consume her to her
  satisfaction: Why were my love and I murdered? And
  why am I not with him in the afterlife? Those who did
  answer her questions failed to convince her of either
  their correctness or their sincerity, or they simply did
  not have the skills needed to complete a task she
  demanded of them — to bring the bodies of her and her
  love to Dementlieu so that her beloved brother Dominic
  can give them a proper funeral. (Of course, if PCs take
  on this task, the ghost of Angelique may come to
  recognize that Dominic was the one to blame for her
  demise once she is brought into close proximity with
  him. The PCs may then be in the odd position of having
  to defend a darklord against a vengeful spirit — or
  perhaps the spirit from the darklord.)
  Dominic’s Compassion: Dominic was acting in a
  rare, almost unique moment of compassion. In one of
  their many inscrutable moments, however, the Mists
  rose from the Sea of Sorrows just as the ship was coming
  into view of Ludendorf’s port. As they parted again, the
  proud sailing ship smashed into the jagged rocks south
  of Armeikos, on the island of Liffe. Most of the ship’s
  crew and passengers perished, but miraculously both
  Angelique and Bertrand (or perhaps just Angelique)
  survived. It became apparent that travel from the eter-
  nally Mistbound island was impossible, so they eventually
  settled in with the local population.
  Bertrand and Angelique have established themselves
  as the island’s foremost doctors, but as visitors to the island
  have increased in recent years, Angelique has been long-
  ing to reestablish contact with her family — and to see if
  her father is willing to forgive her “betrayal.”
  
  31
  The d’Honaire Family
  and his offspring are also in their mid- to late teens,
  making perfect potential player characters. Like
  Dominic II and his siblings, these children were all
  born in Dementlieu, and are therefore immune to
  all hypnosis and mind-affecting spells and effects
  while within that domain.
  Finally, Dominic’s eldest child by his second
  wife was born in 734 BC and is in his mid-twenties.
  He too is left for DMs or players to develop.
  (Dominic recently had another child by his second
  wife — a son. This “autumn child” is the darling of
  all the d’Honaires who live at the family estate.)
  Claiming Membership
  D’Honaires tend to be slightly shorter than
  average, with slim, athletic builds when young that
  tend to swiftly grow plump as they enter their
  middle years. Hair colors often range from deep
  auburn to strawberry-blonde, and skin tone is usu-
  ally pale with smatterings of freckles. The exceptions
  to this rule are the descendants of Bernadette and
  Hugues, who tend to have lightly olive skin and
  dark brown hair. Eye color tends to be pale blue or
  green, although a fair number of the family are born
  with mist-gray eyes. These pale eye colors can be
  startling, particularly when set in the darker-skinned
  faces of the Mordent branch.
  • D’Honaires born within Dementlieu are
  immune to the effects of the Hypnosis skill, mind-
  effecting magic, mind-effecting spell-like effects
  and mind-effecting drugs (other than intoxicants)
  so long as they are within that domain’s borders.
  They lose this immunity when outside Dementlieu,
  but it returns as soon as they reenter the domain.
  D’Honaire Family Traits
  • –2 Constitution: The d’Honaires are gener-
  ally somewhat more frail than other humans and
  tend to be sickly.
  • Natural Aptitude: At 1st level (during
  character creation), the player may choose a spe-
  cific Knowledge skill. That skill is thereafter
  considered a class skill for that character, regardless
  of his or her actual class(es).
  • D’Honaires receive a +2 bonus on all Heal
  and Hypnosis checks.
  • D’Honaires born within Dementlieu are
  immune to the effects of the Hypnosis skill  and to
  all mind-affecting spells or effects, including drugs
  (but not the intoxicating effects of alcohol) as long
  as they remain within that domain’s borders. They
  lose this immunity when outside Dementlieu, but
  it returns as soon as they reenter the domain.
  Family Feats
  lthough the two branches of the
  d’Honaire family might deny it, they
  have a great deal in common. Whether
  in Mordent or Dementlieu, they tend to
  be bookish and scholarly. They also
  have a natural aptitude for academics, particularly
  the study of medicine and other healing arts. Ad-
  mittedly, this latter penchant has been largely
  ignored in the generations since Germaine
  d’Honaire, who turned to mesmerism.
  A negative trait that runs in the family is a
  tendency toward sociopathy, which has grown
  stronger in recent generations — and which is
  undoubtedly to blame for so many of them not
  heeding the natural call they feel toward medicine.
  Aside from the new feats presented below,
  d’Honaire family members typically possess one or
  more of the following feats: Diligent, Iron Will,
  KnowledgeableH, LibraryH, LiteracyH, Logical
  MindV, MesmerizingC, Negotiator, Open MindR,
  RedheadR, Sharp Wit*, Skill Focus (Gather Infor-
  mation), Skill Focus (Healing), Skill Focus (Sense
  Motive).
  New Feats
  The following feats are particularly suited to
  members of the d’Honaire family. DMs may con-
  sider allowing others to gain them if they so wish.
  Cold-Hearted [General]
  Your sociopathic tendencies that make you
  dispassionate; as a result, the Dark Powers that so
  often rise up to touch those who commit crimes of
  passion are less likely to notice you.
  Benefit: Whenever an action you have taken
  requires a powers check, the chance of failing the
  check is reduced by 2%, with a modified result of
  0% or less being treated as “This act does not
  warrant a powers check.”
  Special: You cannot take this feat if you al-
  ready have the Warm-Hearted feat.
  Healing Spirit [General]
  Whether by some supernatural means or
  through the force of your own compassion and
  human warmth, you are able to speed the recovery
  of injuries with but a touch of your hand.
  
  32
  Chapter Two: Manipulators of the Mind
  Prerequisite: Ability to cast cure light wounds,
  Warm-Hearted.
  Benefit: You do not require a divine focus to
  cast any cure spell.
  Soothing Presence [General]
  You have an air about you that calms even the
  most savage spirits.
  Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on all Diplo-
  macy checks and Handle Animal checks.
  Warm-Hearted [General]
  Your deep compassion for others manifests
  itself in the gentle way you approach those you try
  to help, whether you treat injuries of the body or
  the mind.
  Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on all Heal
  checks and Hypnosis checks.
  Special: You cannot take this feat if you al-
  ready have the Cold-Hearted feat.
  Willbreaker [General]
  You have a gift for forcing your will upon
  others.
  Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on all Hypno-
  sis checks and Intimidate checks.
  Family Classes
  ’Honaires come from a tradition of in-
  tellectualism and public service, existing
  to support the rulers of the domains they
  live in rather than being the rulers them-
  selves. Many of them have levels in the
  aristocrat and expert classes, with skill ranks con-
  centrated around Bluff, Diplomacy, Heal, Hypnosis,
  Knowledge and Perform, as they tend to gravitate
  toward medical, scholarly, artistic, or political pur-
  suits.
  Adventuring d’Honaires lean toward the bard
  and rogue classes. A rare few become clerics in the
  service of Hala, finding the dedication to one’s
  community an appealing aspect of the faith. Truly
  exceptional d’Honaires may pursue prestige class
  levels in analyst (see below), dilettanteH,
  lamplighterG3, mesmeristC and/or propagandistC.
  Analyst
  The analyst is intellectual cousin to the alien-
  ist and the mesmerist, although analysts generally
  claim to be grounded more in “real science” than
  either of the aforementioned professions. The ana-
  lyst treats mental illnesses by carefully interview-
  ing the patient to identify possible anomalies in the
  patient’s attitudes and mental states.
  The analyst’s methods for treating insanity
  were formulated through correspondence between
  François Mousel and doctors and administrators at
  several of the Core’s leading asylums and sanitari-
  ums. James Mousel, whose reputation as a mesmerist
  is second only to that of his grandfather, Germaine
  d’Honaire, brought these methods from theory to
  practice. Mousel took his father’s and grandfather’s
  theories, expanded upon them at the Mousel Sani-
  tarium and established the unique derivative as the
  primary method of treatment the very week he
  took over following his father’s semi-retirement in
  751 BC. François continues to work at the sani-
  tarium, although most of his time is spent writing
  books and tracts in collaboration with his son,
  trying to spread the word about the treatment
  methods they co-developed.
  The analyst prestige class expresses the power
  of Mousel’s treatment method in game mechanics.
  Like any weapon, it is only as good or evil as its
  wielder, and thus the class reflects both the good
  and evil that the analytical method can do. It also
  brings into play mystical qualities that even Mousel
  himself has not yet discovered, although he is
  starting to suspect they exist as he deepens and
  expands his preliminary research.
  Hit Die: d4.
  Requirements
  To qualify for the analyst (Anl) prestige class,
  a character must meet the following criteria.
  Skills: Diplomacy 5 ranks, Gather Informa-
  tion 8 ranks, Heal 5 ranks, Hypnosis 8 ranks, Sense
  Motive 8 ranks.
  Feats: Investigator, Negotiator, Soothing Pres-
  ence*.
  Class Skills
  The analyst’s class skills (and the key ability
  for each) are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy
  (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis),
  HypnosisR (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge
  (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowl-
  edge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty)
  (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis),
  Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis),
  Spot (Wis).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
  
  33
  The d’Honaire Family
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the analyst
  prestige class.
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The analyst
  gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.
  Bonus Feat: At 1st level, and again at 4th, 7th
  and 10th levels, the analyst receives a bonus feat
  from the following list: Diligent, IndomitableV,
  Iron Will, KnowledgeableH, LibraryH, LiteracyH,
  Logical MindV, MachiavellianC, MesmerizingC,
  Open Mind*, Sharp Eyes*, Sharp Wit*, Skill Fo-
  cus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Skill Focus
  (Gather Information), Skill Focus (Hypnosis),
  Voice of WrathR, WealthH, Willbreaker*.
  The analyst must meet any prerequisites be-
  fore a feat can be chosen.
  Likable (Ex): Starting at 1st level, the
  analyst’s training allows him to project an
  affable demeanor at all times: He gains a +2
  bonus on all Diplomacy checks and Gather
  Information checks.
  Mindshadows (Ex): Starting at
  2nd level, using careful observational
  and linguistic techniques, the ana-
  lyst can identify things that frighten
  or disturb another individual with
  a successful DC 15 Gather Infor-
  mation check. This requires 1 full
  minute, during which time the
  analyst must speak with a subject
  who can hear him. Then, by speak-
  ing with the subject for at least 1
  hour each day for one full week, the
  analyst may cause the subject to make a
  DC 15 Wisdom check. If the check is
  successful, the subject gains a perma-
  nent +2 bonus or –2 penalty (depending
  on the analyst’s stated intention) to all
  fear checks against the stated source of
  fear. The ability can be used only once per
  source of fear on any given subject. Only
  another use of this ability or a wish or
  similarly powerful effect can negate this
  bonus or penalty.
  Using this ability to impose a penalty
  on fear saves is grounds for a powers
  check (2%, or higher if the DM
  decides other factors are involved
  that might attract the attention
  of the Dark Powers).
  Trusted Friend (Ex): At 3rd level, the analyst
  can forge a bond of trust with a subject. After 1 hour
  of conversation, the analyst may make a DC 15
  Bluff check; if successful, the analyst places the
  target under an effect similar to that of the spell
  charm person, save that it has no maximum dura-
  tion. Further, this effect, being an extraordinary
  ability, is not negated by dispel magic or similar
  effects.
  While a subject is under the sway of the trusted
  friend ability, any powers checks triggered by ac-
  tions the analyst takes in relation to the subject are
  increased by 2%.
  Insightful (Ex): At 4th level, the analyst’s
  ability to predict behavioral responses
  to linguistic triggers increases: He gains
  a +2 bonus on all Bluff checks and
  Sense Motive checks made against
  any creature with whom he can
  converse.
  Shadow Terrors (Ex): At
  5th level, the analyst may delve
  deep into the minds of those whose
  trust he has gained (whether through
  simple friendship, the use of the trusted
  friend ability, or some other means). By
  speaking with a subject for at least 1 hour
  each day for one full week, the analyst may
  cause the subject to make a DC 16 Wisdom
  check. If the check is successful, the subject
  thereafter gains a permanent +2 bonus or –
  2 penalty (depending on the analyst’s
  stated intention) to all horror saves. Only
  another use of this ability or a wish or
  similarly powerful effect can negate this
  bonus or penalty.
  Using this ability to impose a pen-
  alty on horror saves is grounds for a powers
  check (3%, or higher if the DM decides
  other factors are involved that might at-
  tract the attention of the Dark Powers).
  Spellcasting: Starting at 5th level,
  the analyst has studied so many obscure
  and arcane texts dealing with matters of
  the psyche and the spirit that he has
  gained the ability to cast a num-
  ber of arcane spells. To cast
  a spell, an analyst must
  have a Charisma score
  of at least 10 + the spell’s
  level, so an analyst with
  
  34
  Chapter Two: Manipulators of the Mind
  a Charisma of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells.
  Analyst bonus spells are based on Charisma, and
  saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10
  + spell level + the analyst’s Charisma bonus. The
  analyst’s spell list appears below. An analyst casts
  spells just as a sorcerer does.
  Upon reaching 7th level, at again at 9th, an
  analyst can choose to learn a new spell in place of
  one he already knows. The new spell’s level must be
  the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and
  it must be at least one level lower than the highest-
  level analyst spell the analyst can cast. An analyst
  may swap only a single spell at any given level, and
  must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the
  same time that he gains new spells known for that
  level
  Discern Nature (Ex): At 6th level, using
  careful observational and linguistic techniques,
  the analyst can determine a subject’s alignment
  with a successful Gather Information check op-
  posed to the subject’s Will save. This requires 1 full
  minute, during which time the analyst must speak
  with a subject he can see clearly and who can hear
  him. The information gained depends on the rela-
  tive success of the Gather Information check (see
  below).
  If the subject has multiple personalities (due
  to a failed madness save, for example), the analyst
  receives information about the alignment of the
  dominant personality at the time the check is
  made.
  Superior Technique (Ex): At 7th level, the
  analyst knows the workings of the mind so well that
  he can attempt to impose his will upon others
  through subtle manipulation: He gains a +2 bonus
  on all Hypnosis and Intimidate checks.
  Mindbending (Ex): Starting at 8th level, the
  analyst can easily find weaknesses in a subject’s
  mental integrity. By speaking with a subject for at
  least 1 hour each day for one full week, the analyst
  may cause the subject to make a DC 18 Wisdom
  check. If the check is successful, the subject there-
  after gains a permanent +2 bonus or –2 penalty
  (depending on the analyst’s stated intention) to all
  madness saves. Only another use of this ability or a
  wish or similarly powerful effect can negate this
  bonus or penalty.
  Using this ability to impose a penalty on
  horror saves is grounds for a powers check (3%, or
  higher if the DM decides other factors are involved
  that might attract the attention of the Dark Pow-
  ers).
  Gazing Into the Abyss (Ex): Starting at 9th
  level, the analyst is able to pick his way through
  even the deepest and darkest recesses of a subject’s
  mind. If the subject is currently under the influence
  of mindshadows, shadow terrors and/or
  mindbending, the analyst may increase the bonus
  or penalty to the subject’s fear, horror, or madness
  checks, as specified by the analyst.
  By speaking with a subject for at least 1 hour
  each day for one full week, the analyst may cause
  the subject to make a DC 20 Wisdom check. If the
  check is successful, the subject thereafter gains a
  permanent +4 bonus or –4 penalty (depending on
  the analyst’s stated intention) to any one of fear,
  horror, or madness saves. This bonus or penalty
  replaces that already in place as a result of the
  mindshadows, shadow terrors and/or mindbending
  ability, as applicable. Only another use of this
  ability or a wish or similarly powerful effect can
  negate this bonus or penalty.
  This close intimacy with the minds of others,
  however, threatens to crack the analyst’s own
  sanity. Whenever the analyst uses this ability, the
  analyst must make a Will save and possibly suffer ill
  effects as a result of the treatment, as shown on the
  table below. (All penalties or effects from failed
  Will saves made as a result of this ability are
  cumulative.)
  Gather Information Result…
  Information Gained
  Is less than subject’s Will save
  None
  Ties subject’s Will save, or wins by less than 5
  Subject’s ethical alignment axis (i.e., lawful, neutral, or chaotic)
  Beats subject’s Will save by 5 or more
  Subject’s exact alignment
  Will Save Result
         Effect
  6 or less
  Make an immediate DC 25
  madness save
  7–10
  Analyst suffers permanent
  –1 penalty on all madness
  saves
  11–13
  Analyst suffers permanent
  –1 penalty on all horror
  saves
  14–15
  Analyst suffers permanent
  –1 penalty on all fear saves
  16 or higher
  No effect
  
  35
  The d’Honaire Family
  Mind Harnessing (Su): At 10th level, the analyst
  gains the supernatural ability to shatter or restore the
  sanity of a subject. By speaking with a subject for at least
  10 minutes, the analyst may force the subject to make an
  immediate madness check, with a DC equal to the
  analyst’s Bluff check result; if the result of a failed
  madness save is a “moderate” madness result or higher
  (see the “Failure Margin” chart in the in the Ravenloft
  Player’s Handbook), the analyst may instead inflict a
  madness of his choice of one level of severity less than the
  actual result. For example, if the analyst’s Bluff result is a
  29 and the subject’s madness save result is only a 13, then
  the analyst may inflict a major madness effect of his
  choice.
  Alternately, the analyst may use this ability to
  cure a subject who has failed a previous madness
  check. Simply by speaking with a subject for at least
  10 minutes, the analyst may make a Hypnosis check
  — if his check result beats the DC of the madness
  effect affecting the subject, the subject is immedi-
  ately cured of her madness as if by a heal spell.
  This ability may be used a number of times per
  day equal to the analyst’s Charisma modifier.
  Using this ability to cause madness is grounds
  for a powers check (5%, or higher if the DM decides
  other factors are involved that might attract the
  attention of the Dark Powers).
  Analyst Spell List
  Analysts choose their spells from the following list.
  1st Level: Cause fear, charm person, compre-
  hend languages, daze, detect magic, doom, hypnotism,
  message, remove fear.
  2nd Level: Calm emotions, daze monster, detect
  thoughts, eagle’s splendor, lesser confusion, lesser geas,
  rage, scare.
  3rd Level: Charm monster, crushing despair,
  lesser restoration, modify memory, suggestion, tongues.
  Table 2–1: Analyst Spells Known
  —— Spells Known ——
  Level
  1st
  2nd
  3rd
  4th
  —
  —
  —
  5th
  2
  —
  —
  6th
  3
  —
  —
  7th
  3
  2
  —
  8th
  4
  3
  —
  9th
  4
  3
  2
  10th
  4
  4
  3
  Table 2–2: The Analyst
  Level
  BAB
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
                 Spells per Day
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1st
  2nd
  3rd
  1                +0
  +0
  +0
  +2
  Bonus feat, likable
  —
  —
  —
  2                +1
  +0
  +0
  +3
  Mindshadows
  —
  —
  —
  3                +1
  +1
  +1
  +3
  Trusted friend
  —
  —
  —
  4               +2
  +1
  +1
  +4
  Bonus feat, insightful
  —
  —
  —
  5               +2
  +1
  +1
  +4
  Shadow terrors, spellcasting
  1
  —
  —
  6               +3
  +2
  +2
  +5
  Discern nature
  2
  —
  —
  7               +3
  +2
  +2
  +5
  Bonus feat, superior technique
  2
  1
  —
  8               +4
  +2
  +2
  +6
  Mindbending
  3
  2
  —
  9               +4
  +3
  +3
  +6
  Gazing into the abyss
  4
  2
  1
  10              +5
  +3
  +3
  +7
  Bonus feat, mind harnessing
  4
  3
  2
  Family Magic
  hile the d’Honaires have received many
  magic items over the decades from grate-
  ful and wealthy former patients and
  colleagues, only the mesmerist’s pendu-
  lum is considered a magical family
  heirloom. It was last known to be in the possession
  of Maurice d’Honaire although he hasn’t used it in
  years. In fact, Maurice several years ago gave the
  pendulum to his rebellious daughter Celeste (be-
  fore she became rebellious, that is).
  Mesmerist’s Pendulum
  This is a small, teardrop-shaped platinum plumb
  attached to a delicate three-inch silver chain. It is
  used to put hypnosis subjects into deep trances by
  swinging it back and forth in front of them while
  urging them to relax and let their minds go blank.
  Mesmerist’s Pendulum: When used by a char-
  acter with at least 1 rank in HypnosisR, the pendulum
  grants a +4 enhancement bonus on Hypnosis
  checks. However, unbeknownst to all, the pendu-
  
  36
  Chapter Two: Manipulators of the Mind
  lum also carries a mild control put in place
  by its compassionate and fair-minded cre-
  ator: Whenever it is used, both the
  hypnotist and the subject must make a
  DC 10 Will save. If the save is failed by
  either, that character is treated as if sub-
  ject to a charm person spell cast by the
  other character. This effect lasts for 12
  hours.
  This effect can be particularly dam-
  aging if the pendulum is being used by an
  evil character who is attempting to use
  hypnosis to implant suggestions in a vic-
  tim — while under the influence of the
  pendulum’s charm, for instance, she may
  feel guilty and disburse the entire scheme
  to her erstwhile victim.
  Faint enchantment; CL 3rd; Craft
  Wondrous Item, charm person, hypnotism;
  Price 800 gp.
  Story Hooks
  Ghost Ship: One or more PCs are
  children of Angelique d’Honaire and
  Bertrand Shroeder (or possibly an illegiti-
  mate child of Remy d’Honaire who knows
  of his or her parentage, if the DM wants
  the “Lost d’Honaires” to remain lost).
  The characters travel to Dementlieu by
  sea, carrying a letter of introduction from
  their mother. En route, they encounter a
  ghost ship manned by a crew sent to their
  deaths through the manipulations of
  Dominic d’Honaire. The phantoms give
  them a choice between fighting or being
  placed under a geas that will not allow
  them to travel the sea or any waterways
  again until they have unmasked and de-
  feated Dominic d’Honaire’s evil.
  The Coven: A d’Honaire relative or
  friend living in Mordent receives an ur-
  gent summons from a small village in the
  south of the domain. When the PCs ar-
  rive, they learn that Madeline Mousel
  and members of her Coven have van-
  ished within one of the abandoned manor
  houses in the area. They had gone there
  to deal with a ghost that demanded to
  speak with a member of the family blood
  before it could rest, but what has become
  of them only the DM knows….
  
  37
  The Silisnya Family
  Chapter Three:
  Spiller< of Blood
  The Dili<nya
  Family
  Chapter Three:
  Spiller< of Blood
  The Dili<nya
  Family
  
  38
  Chapter Three: Spillers of Blood
  They say that Borca is the domain of the Dilisnya.
  Truth be told, we are everywhere: anywhere a knife
  flashes in the shadows, anywhere a victim falls with a
  poisoned crossbow quarrel in his back. Our bloodline
  is spread across the realms. We carry the dark flame,
  we lurk in the night, we watch, we listen… and when
  the time is right, we strike.
  It is said that our bloodline is cursed due to our
  betrayal of the great Von Zaroviches, that the poison
  we used to slay Strahd I has crept into our very souls
  and transformed us into what we are today — cursed
  and tainted.
  I say this curse is no curse at all. Instead, it has set
  us free and made us more than what we were before.
  Shorn of the weaknesses and shortcomings of the past,
  we Dilisnya are now what we were meant to be —
  stalkers, hunters, lurkers in shadow, death-dealers.
  Though since that night some of our bloodline
  went on to become rulers of Borca and Dorvinia,
  others balked at the restrictions of nobility and rulership,
  so they journeyed to other lands where they made their
  livings as spies, thieves and cutthroats for hire. Today,
  those who have a secret they want stolen or an enemy
  they want to disappear seek out the Dilisnya. We are
  everywhere, but only if you know where to look.
  — Zann Dilisnya, prominent Lamordian as-
  sassin
  The Dilisnya
  ven before the massacre at Sergei Von
  Zarovich’s wedding, the Dilisnya had a
  fell reputation. Intriguers, spies, smug-
  glers and sellers of secrets, the Dilisnya
  had always worked on the fringes of
  society, and many thought that their “noble” pedi-
  gree was obtained only through illicit means. This
  rumor may indeed be true, for there is evidence that
  the household and its titles were bought from those
  previous, an impoverished family of Barovian
  nobles, by the members of an upstart criminal
  family.
  In the following years, the Dilisnya were able
  to earn a small amount of respect, but tales of their
  darker natures persisted. If you needed things done,
  especially things of an illegal or immoral nature,
  then you were advised to contact the Dilisnya.
  The Von Zaroviches, ever arrogant and proud,
  rarely took notice of the “upstart nobles,” and
  never chose to avail themselves of the Dilisnya’s
  services. In time, the Dilisnya grew more and more
  resentful at being ignored and undervalued, and a
  deep hatred of the Von Zaroviches grew in their
  already black hearts. Family patriarch Leo Dilisnya
  worked with others who disliked the Von
  Zaroviches, and together they hatched a plot to
  overthrow Strahd I and seize power. Invited to the
  wedding of Sergei Von Zarovich, Leo and his
  fellow conspirators smuggled in a great number of
  weapons and prepared to strike.
  Leo’s plans nearly succeeded. The massacre at
  Sergei’s wedding might have wiped out the entire
  Von Zarovich family and left Barovia in Dilisnya
  hands had it not been for Strahd Von Zarovich,
  whose own horrifying betrayal had transformed
  him into an undead monster. Claiming to be Sturm
  Von Zarovich and saying that he had missed the
  wedding only by a stroke of grim luck, Strahd took
  the nation in hand and led a crusade of vengeance
  against the assassins. The nation’s anger was in-
  deed terrible — the Dilisnya had supposedly slain
  the land’s greatest hero and liberator, and now the
  conspirators would pay the fullest price imagin-
  able. The Dilisnya, their allies, their friends and
  even their associates were slain or driven into
  hiding. Leo himself suffered the most — some even
  claim, in dark whispers, that he lives on, trapped
  somewhere by “Sturm,” as a tormented undead
  thing.
  After what has been called by some historians
  “the Great Reprisal,” the Dilisnya were scattered,
  having fled to the neighboring realms of Borca and
  Dorvinia. Some fled even farther, settling in dis-
  tant lands where they once more took up the
  Dilisnya tradition as spies, thieves and hired assas-
  sins. Soon, the Dilisnya had murdered and
  blackmailed their way to the Borcan throne under
  the leadership of the infamous Camille Dilisnya.
  An accomplished schemer and poisoner, Camille
  took the nobleman Klaus Boritsi as her husband,
  and together they produced the infamous Ivana
  Boritsi, who carries the dread legacies of both
  parents (see Chapter One).
  Meanwhile, Ivana’s cousin Ivan Dilisnya car-
  ried on the family name (since Ivana is, at least in
  name, a Boritsi). Forced to flee Borca after murder-
  ing his sister and her husband and child in a fit of
  jealous rage, Ivan was briefly darklord of Dorvinia
  until the merging of the two realms. Now he and
  Ivana control the enlarged domain in an uneasy
  power-sharing arrangement, growing more es-
  tranged by the day.
  The Dilisnya remain scattered across the core
  realms, however — save in Barovia where they are
  official enemies of the state and subject to the most
  
  39
  The Silisnya Family
  severe penalties if ever caught and revealed. Occa-
  sionally, a Dilisnya may venture into Barovia (either
  by design or by accident), in which case he must act
  with enormous caution. While Strahd is not omni-
  scient in his realm, he is nevertheless aware of most
  everything that goes on. Anyone who suspects the
  presence of a Dilisnya interloper is almost certain
  to report it to the authorities, motivated both by
  fear of Strahd and by the desire for the rich rewards
  that are said to be offered for capturing one of
  Strahd’s ancient enemies.
  Outside of Borca, the scions of Dilisnya pursue
  their ancestral calling. Most do not use the family
  name publicly, though they are generally aware of
  their heritage and family traditions. They usually
  live under assumed identities, playing the part
  (often quite successfully) of merchants, shopkeep-
  ers, laborers, sailors, artisans and even vagrants.
  Few speak freely of the Dilisnya’s other trade (i.e.,
  assassination), but a loose network of informers,
  thugs and rumor-mongers can almost always direct
  a potential client to the right potential “hireling.”
  A Dilisnya may go for weeks or months under a
  false identity before being contacted by a client. In
  such cases, the cover must be perfect and no au-
  thorities must suspect a thing. The means of con-
  cealing a Dilisnya’s true identity have been
  developed over centuries and are all but impen-
  etrable. An informal network of Dilisnya agents
  and allies helps keep family members safe and
  undetected.
  Other members of the family live relatively
  openly, using the family name or freely admitting
  to their Dilisnya ancestry. These individuals also
  tend to engage in the household traditions of
  stealth, espionage and murder, but their criminal
  identity remains hidden, while the public persona
  is one of decadence and dissipation. No one usually
  suspects an indulgent, effete, pampered fop of be-
  ing a highly skilled and disciplined criminal, leaving
  the Dilisnya free to pursue his or her desired occu-
  pation.
  A Dilisnya player character can be a member
  of either of these groups — an outwardly normal
  citizen of her chosen realm, or a dissolute, hedonis-
  tic noble, apparently living only for pleasure, who
  secretly pursues a grim life in the shadows. Such
  individuals are generally well versed in the history
  of the family, and they know how to seek out and
  contact family members in other lands. Adventur-
  
  40
  Chapter Three: Spillers of Blood
  ing is entirely acceptable for these Dilisnya, for in
  this fashion they can gain greater riches and also
  obtain knowledge that might aid them in their
  secret pursuits.
  A few Dilisnya grow up unaware of their heri-
  tage and are actually contacted later in life by other
  members of their family, who invite them to follow
  in their ancestors’ footsteps. Still others find out
  about distant relationships with the Dilisnya and
  seek out the family on their own. In such cases, the
  character must prove his relationship to the Dilisnya
  or be rejected, possibly even slain, by the real
  family members.
  In Borca, where they share rule with the equally
  infamous Boritsis, the Dilisnya can both live and
  practice their trade relatively openly. This is not as
  good a thing as it sounds, however, since Ivana
  Boritsi has little love for or loyalty to the Dilisnya
  side of her family. Troublesome Dilisnya are some-
  times invited to grand feasts or parties — from
  which the family members in question often fail to
  return. A Dilisnya working openly in Borca should
  be prepared to acknowledge Ivana’s supremacy, or
  face serious consequences. They should certainly
  be ready to use their particular skills in service to
  one or both of the darklords.
  Worse still, the growing gulf between the
  cousins may force Borcan Dilisnya to side with
  Ivan against Ivana Boritsi, involving them in a
  potentially disastrous conflict. This is a formula for
  very exciting and violent roleplaying adventures,
  and the growing hatred between Ivan and Ivana
  forges an increasingly difficult dilemma for Borcan
  Dilisnya characters.
  Outside of Borca, Dilisnya are relatively free
  from the rivalry in their home kingdom. They
  operate in a large and informal network, with the
  Dilisnya in one city or province maintaining con-
  tact with those in neighboring communities, passing
  messages and sharing intelligence about contracts
  and potential clients. Dilisnya player characters
  are likely to have a number of contacts among their
  local community and are expected to aid other
  Dilisnya scions who ask for their help. The Dilisnya
  who live beyond Borca form a vast, violent and
  somewhat dysfunctional (yet surprisingly loyal and
  resourceful) family — one that is well-suited to
  player characters and their exploits.
  Fitting In
  When creating a Dilisnya character, it’s im-
  portant to make several decisions. Is she aware of
  her connection to the family? If so, is she in contact
  with other Dilisnya, and has she been taught the
  house’s traditions? What is her public identity —
  decadent noblewoman, humble shopkeeper, simple
  weaver, mad beggar? Or does she work openly,
  accepting employment as a thief or assassin in some
  warren of lawlessness?
  The Dilisnya are present all across the Dread
  Realms, save in Barovia, where they are hated foes.
  Most Dilisnya live in Borca, where Ivan Dilisnya
  rules jointly with the matriarch Ivana Boritsi.
  Though Ivan sees other Dilisnya as potential allies,
  he nevertheless keeps a close watch on his family
  members, while Ivana grows increasingly convinced
  of a Dilisnya plan to overthrow or supplant her.
  Elsewhere, the Dilisnya have adapted to local con-
  ditions, lending their services to the highest bidder
  and helping to perpetuate local rivalries and con-
  flicts.
  In Invidia, for example, local Dilisnya aid both
  the land’s ruler, Malocchio Aderre, and his foes,
  the rebels of Castle Hunadora. They have also
  taken contracts there on behalf of the embattled
  Vistani, striking back at Malocchio, stealing his
  gold and slaying his minions, while at the same
  time dealing with troublesome Vistani on
  Malocchio’s behalf.
  In lands such as Richemulot, the Dilisnya are
  in their element, playing rival nobles against one
  another, selling and trading information and se-
  crets, acting as willing (and dangerous) pawns in
  the endless games of politics and intrigue. Else-
  where, in crime-ridden cities such as Port-a-Lucine,
  the Dilisnya work hand-in-glove with criminal
  elements, providing information, guidance and
  even direct assistance to crime guilds and syndi-
  cates, smugglers and unscrupulous merchants alike.
  Even though most Dilisnya carefully cultivate
  elaborate and seemingly impenetrable cover iden-
  tities, no secret in the Dread Realms is ever
  completely safe, and a new Dilisnya scion is likely
  to inherit a number of enemies along with his new-
  found occupation and supportive fellow family
  members. This is no minor inconvenience — the
  Dilisnya count among their enemies the most
  powerful and infamous darklord in the dread realms,
  Strahd Von Zarovich, ruler of Barovia. Despite
  relatively calm relations at present between Barovia
  and Borca, the Von Zaroviches’ hatred for the
  Dilisnya has scarcely lessened with the passing
  years. After all, Dilisnya assassins foully betrayed
  the Von Zaroviches’ hospitality and deprived the
  
  41
  The Silisnya Family
  nation of its greatest hero, Strahd I. In the follow-
  ing days, weeks and months, terror gripped the
  nation. The Dilisnya and their supporters were
  brutally dealt with, but many members of the house
  escaped to foreign lands, beyond the reach of Von
  Zarovich vengeance.
  Any Dilisnya caught in Barovia are quickly
  arrested and interrogated about their intentions in
  the realm. These interrogations rarely end well for
  the suspect. The lucky ones — those with a mini-
  mal connection to the hated Dilisnya, or those who
  can conclusively prove that their presence in
  Barovia has an innocent explanation — are simply
  deprived of all their belongings and holdings (if
  any) and escorted to the nearest frontier, with
  instructions never to return. Any subsequent visits
  to Barovia by that character invariably end badly.
  Of course, the Von Zarovich vendetta is not
  limited to Barovia, and Strahd have been known to
  send agents after especially successful or conspicu-
  ous Dilisnya elsewhere. Player characters who draw
  too much attention to themselves may find them-
  selves forced to deal with Von Zarovich minions —
  assassins, thugs, or even vampiric followers of Strahd
  himself.
  Other families and groups hold grudges against
  the Dilisnya as well. There are deadly enemies of
  the Dilisnya among those who have been their
  victims or who have been double-crossed by them,
  those who don’t feel that the conditions of certain
  contracts with them have been met, or those who
  simply want revenge for some past atrocity or
  slight.
  Claiming Membership
  The Dilisnya as a whole are a secretive and
  cunning group, favoring subtle and manipulative
  or stealthy and self-sufficient character classes.
  The aristocrat and expert classes are common
  among them. While there are some fighters in the
  family who serve as guards and mercenary warriors,
  most are rogues, sorcerers and wizards. The family
  has never been terribly devout, so clerics among
  them are rare; as might be expected, paladins are
  ordinarily out of the question (although one of the
  best-known Dilisnya is a fallen paladin — see the
  Appendix). Rangers’ tracking and wilderness skills
  are sometimes useful, as are the martial and death-
  dealing abilities of certain monk orders.
  A new Dilisnya character is likely to be of evil
  or at best neutral alignment; Dilisnya are often
  chaotic, and rarely if ever lawful. A good alignment
  among the Dilisnya is about as rare as paladinhood,
  which is to say virtually non-existent.
  As previously mentioned, freelance adventur-
  ing is an entirely acceptable pursuit for Dilisnya
  family members due to the riches and secrets it can
  bring to the household. A Dilisnya who is part of a
  traditional adventuring party can bring consider-
  able advantages in the form of her contacts with
  other family members and her familiarity with the
  underworld. On the other hand, a Dilisnya party
  member might offer considerable challenges, not
  the least of which is her neutral or evil alignment
  and unsavory past. In amoral or evil parties, this is
  scarcely an issue, but it can cause dissent and
  eventually even collapse in many if not most par-
  ties.
  Dilisnya Family Traits
  Scions of the Dilisnya family are almost always
  normal humans. (Dilisnya half-elves, half-Vistani,
  or calibans are always treated as normal characters
  of their respective races.) However, if a human
  Dilisnya character knows of his or her family heri-
  tage and has been raised under Dilisnya precepts,
  the usual racial traits for humans are altered slightly,
  as follows:
  • The 4 bonus skill points gained by other
  humans at 1st level can be spent only on Knowl-
  edge (history) and/or Knowledge (local). However,
  these skills are always class skills for the Dilisnya
  character, regardless of his or her class(es).
  • Family Bond: By making a successful DC 15
  Knowledge (history) or Knowledge (local) check,
  as appropriate, the Dilisnya character can locate
  other family members at any time and in virtually
  any locale. For example, a Dilisnya trying to find a
  lost cousin whose parents moved to Dementlieu
  many years ago might be required to make a Knowl-
  edge (history) check. If the character is trying to
  find a relative within his current domain, a Knowl-
  edge (local) check is more appropriate. The DM
  may alter the difficulty of the check under certain
  circumstances, such as when a Dilisnya is being
  sought in a small, isolated village (DC 20), for
  example, or even in the remote wilderness (DC 25
  or higher).
  A successful check indicates that the charac-
  ter has located one or more Dilisnya (or, if it seems
  more reasonable, one of their allies). The exact
  nature of this contact is up to the DM, but the
  individual located is able to provide at least mini-
  mal assistance to the character, often in the form of
  
  42
  Chapter Three: Spillers of Blood
  information, shelter, food, a small amount of cash
  and so on. Note that this assistance cuts both ways.
  From time to time, relatives asking for assistance
  should approach a Dilisnya PC who is known to
  other family members. (This supplicant might even
  be a fraud, claiming Dilisnya allegiance in order to
  obtain assistance.) A Dilisnya who doesn’t support
  family members in need soon gains a bad reputa-
  tion and may be denied aid when he needs it or
  even ostracized from the family.
  Family Feats
  When creating a Dilisnya, the player or DM
  should select at least one of the character’s feats
  from the following list (or from those new feats
  listed further below) during character creation:
  Agile, Alertness, Ancestral LegacyV, Back to the
  WallR, Blind-Fight, Deceitful, Deft Hands,
  HauntedR, JadedR, Judge Difficulty*, Nimble Fin-
  gers, Nine LivesV, Persuasive, Poison Resistance*,
  Secret SocietyH, Self-Sufficient, Sharp Eyes*,
  Stealthy, UnseenV, or WealthH.
  The Dilisnya have a number of feats unique to
  their family members. A character of Dilisnya
  ancestry can select any of the following feats, as
  long as he or she meets the feat’s requirements.
  (Naturally, a DM may allow characters other than
  Dilisnya acquire these feats as well, although she
  should carefully consider the matter first.)
  Case the Joint [General]
  You have cultivated the ability to discern a
  given location’s weak points — where to enter, the
  best routes for stealthy movement, good hiding
  places and the like.
  Prerequisite: Int 13.
  Benefit: You must spend at least 1 hour care-
  fully studying a given location within line of sight.
  The size and nature of a “location” for this purpose
  is up to the DM, but in general it should encompass
  nothing larger than a moderately sized manor or
  encampment, for instance; if the area is larger, you
  may choose to study an appropriately sized portion
  thereof. You can do nothing else during this period
  besides study the target location.
  Once the period of study is complete, you may
  make an Intelligence check; if successful, you re-
  ceive a competence bonus to all Hide, Listen,
  Move Silently, Search and Spot checks made in
  that location, as shown on the chart below. For
  every 4 hours beyond the 1st spent studying a
  location, you gain a +1 bonus on the Intelligence
  check (up to a maximum of +5).
  Intelligence Check Result
  Competence Bonus
  10 or less
  +0
  11–15
  +1
  16–20
  +2
  21–25
  +3
  26+
  +4
  This feat may be used only once every 1d4 days
  for any given location. The benefits of the feat last
  for a similar period (1d4 days), after which time a
  new study must be made.
  Special: At the DM’s discretion, a character
  may use this feat even when not in line of sight with
  the studied location, but only if she has access to
  up-to-date information regarding the location, such
  as a knowledgeable inhabitant willing to share
  information, or a set of blueprints and ledgers
  describing the area and its inhabitants in great
  detail.
  Find Weakness [General]
  You are trained to find openings in an enemy’s
  defenses, allowing you to quickly dart in and inflict
  deadly damage.
  Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +3.
  Benefit: By using a standard action to study an
  opponent’s tactics, you may make an opposed In-
  telligence check against that foe; both you and
  your foe also add your BAB to this check. If your
  check is successful, the critical damage multiplier
  for any melee weapon you wield is increased by x1
  against that opponent for the duration of the
  combat. Thus, if you are using a longsword, you
  deal x3 damage, rather than x2, on any successful
  critical hit against that foe.
  If you encounter the same opponent again at a
  later date, you must make another Find Weakness
  check to gain the same benefit.
  Special: A fighter may select Find Weakness
  as one of his fighter bonus feats.
  Stealthy Blade [General]
  Using a combination of silent movement,
  feints and lethal skill, you can inflict additional
  damage against unsuspecting foes.
  Prerequisite: Sneak attack ability.
  
  43
  The Silisnya Family
  Benefit: You deal an additional +1d6 points of
  damage with a successful sneak attack against a
  flat-footed opponent. This bonus damage stacks
  with that from the sneak attack ability.
  Family Classes
  he Dilisnya thrive in darkness and
  shadow. Rogues and those prestige
  classes that are associated with them —
  such as assassins, court poisonersG4 and
  shadowdancers — are common among
  Dilisnya family members. In this they are not
  dissimilar from many other great houses of the
  dread realms.
  However, as a household that favors secrecy,
  surreptitious theft and the accumulation of illicit
  information and goods, they are unparalleled. The
  family’s most infamous and successful members
  often have levels in the deceiver prestige class
  (sometimes in addition to other classes such as
  assassin) — making them spies, killers, thieves and
  confidence men par excellence.
  Deceiver
  Most deceivers live up to their title. In fine
  Dilisnya tradition, they live as foolish and dissi-
  pated nobles, or perhaps ordinary citizens,
  unthreatening peasants, impoverished beggars and
  the like. Only those who know or suspect a deceiver’s
  true identity and calling can approach her, asking
  for a wide range of services.
  Some deceivers maintain a circle of confiden-
  tial allies or contacts who act as liaisons, contacting
  potential employers and keeping the deceiver’s
  identity safe. In such cases, the deceiver comes and
  goes like a shadow, with none the wiser.
  A deceiver rarely allows herself to be seen in
  the same guise twice. One day she may appear as a
  wizened crone and deliver poisoned food to a
  banquet, then the next she is a raven-haired tempt-
  ress who passes her most recent lover’s secrets on to
  his enemies. Similarly, a crippled war veteran beg-
  ging in the streets may transform into a nimble,
  whirling cloud of death, armed with envenomed
  daggers and a cruel streak.
  Hit Dice: d6.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a deceiver (Dec), a
  character must fulfill all the following criteria:
  Alignment: Any non-lawful and non-good.
  Base Attack Bonus: +4.
  Skills: Disguise 6 ranks, Forgery 6 ranks, Gather
  Information 5 ranks, Hide 6 ranks, Move Silently
  6 ranks.
  Feats: Deceitful, Stealthy.
  Class Skills
  The deceiver’s class skills (and the key ability
  for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha),
  Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int),
  Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise
  (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather
  
  44
  Chapter Three: Spillers of Blood
  Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha),
  Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex),
  Open Lock (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive
  (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim
  (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha) and
  Use Rope (Dex).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier.
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the
  deceiver prestige class.
  Deceptive (Ex): At 1st level, the deceiver
  receives a +1 bonus on all Disguise checks and
  Forgery checks. At every other level thereafter
  (3rd, 5th, etc.), this bonus increases by +1.
  Poison Use (Ex): At 1st level, deceivers are
  trained in the use of poison and never risk acciden-
  tally poisoning themselves when applying poison
  to or wielding a poisoned blade.
  Sneak Attack: This is exactly like the rogue
  ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt
  increases by +1d6 every other level (3rd, 5th, 7th
  and 9th). If a deceiver gets a sneak attack bonus
  from another source (such as rogue levels) the
  bonuses to damage stack.
  Trap Sense (Ex): At 2nd level, the deceiver
  gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid
  traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks
  by traps. At 6th level, these bonuses rise to +2 and
  then to +3 at 10th level. These bonuses stack with
  trap sense bonuses gained from other classes.
  Contacts (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a de-
  ceiver has established an extensive network of
  informants, friends, dependents and hangers-on
  from whom he can gain information and aid. The
  deceiver obtains this aid with a combination of
  camaraderie, threats, extortion and cajolery, all
  made in the form of a Charisma check. The precise
  nature of the aid is up to the deceiver, but the DM
  must determine the DC of the check in each case
  and the assistance generally applies only to one
  isolated event or job lasting up to one week at most.
  The following are common uses for contacts,
  along with suggested DCs.
  Safe House: If the deceiver needs to lie low or
  hide out for a time, he can use this ability to find a
  location that is relatively secure and safe from the
  authorities. The availability of a safe hiding place
  depends upon the location, as determined on the
  following table. A safe house is secure for 1d4 days,
  after which the authorities start searching in the
  area, requiring another Charisma check to find a
  new safe location.
  Current Location
  Contacts DC
  Wilderness or frontier
  25
  Thorp
  22
  Hamlet
  20
  Village
  18
  Small town
  16
  Large town
  15
  Small city
  14
  Large city
  13
  Metropolis
  12
  Alibi: The deceiver needs someone to tell the
  authorities that he was someplace else at the time
  of the crime, that he ran in the opposite direction,
  that he never had the stolen property and so on.
  The DC of this check depends upon the severity of
  the crime, from 10 for petty crimes to 20 or more for
  grand theft, murder, or other severe crimes. If the
  deceiver succeeds in obtaining an alibi, the au-
  thorities are persuaded to look elsewhere, at least
  temporarily, although after more investigation they
  may eventually see through the deception and
  once more begin pursuing the deceiver.
  Assistance: A deceiver may need assistance in
  the form of hired thugs or toughs, or perhaps skilled
  observers or assistants. These may be simple
  dimwitted brawlers, experienced underworld sol-
  diers, competent petty thieves, or notorious fences.
  These assistants always have commoner, warrior,
  or expert levels and are never above 5th level. The
  DC of the check is obtained by multiplying the
  number of assistants needed by the number ob-
  tained on the following table, based upon the
  assistants’ average level and NPC class.
  Average NPC Level
  Multiplier
  1st
  1
  2nd
  2
  3rd
  4
  4th
  8
  5th
  12
  NPC Class
  Modifier
  Commoner
  +0
  Expert
  +1
  Warrior
  +3
  
  45
  The Silisnya Family
  For example, if the deceiver needs the assis-
  tance of a couple of very competent thugs (4th-level
  warriors) to help him as enforcers for a particular
  job, he must make a DC (8 x 2) + 3 = 19 Charisma
  check. If he needs a dozen pairs of strong arms, but
  no one particularly skilled (i.e., 1st level common-
  ers), to help him unload an illegal cargo at night, he
  must make a DC (1 x 12) = 12 Charisma check.
  At 2nd level, the deceiver gains a +1 bonus on
  all Charisma checks made to obtain the help of
  contacts, and this bonus increases by +1 at every
  other subsequent level (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th).
  Con Artist (Ex): The deceiver is trained to
  observe marks and hide effectively, and to mislead
  and lie convincingly and evade others’ attempts to
  do likewise to him. Starting at 3rd level, he gains a
  +1 bonus on all Will saves against mind-affecting
  spells or effects, and a +1 bonus on all Bluff, Sense
  Motive and Spot checks that are opposed by an-
  other creature’s skill check or saving throw.
  These bonuses increase by +1 at every other
  subsequent level (5th, 7th, 9th).
  Furtive (Ex): At 4th level, the deceiver re-
  ceives a +2 bonus on all Hide checks and Move
  Silently checks. These bonuses stack with those
  from the Stealthy feat.
  Bonus Feat: At 8th level, the deceiver re-
  ceives a bonus feat from the following list: Agile,
  Alertness, Back to the WallR, Blind-Fight, Case
  the Joint*, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes,
  Darkness WithinC, Deft Hands, Dodge, Find Weak-
  ness*, HauntedR, Improved Initiative, JadedR, Judge
  Difficulty*, Leadership, MachiavellianC, Nimble
  Fingers, Persuasive, Poison Resistance*, Quick
  Draw, Run, Stealthy Blade*, Sworn EnemyV,
  UnseenV, Weapon Finesse, or WealthH.
  The deceiver must meet all the usual require-
  ments for the chosen feat.
  Family Magic
  New Spell
  Deadly Feast
  Necromancy
  Level: 
  Level: 
  Level: 
  Level: 
  Level: Sor/Wiz 5
  Components: 
  Components: 
  Components: 
  Components: 
  Components: S, M
  Casting Time: 
  Casting Time: 
  Casting Time: 
  Casting Time: 
  Casting Time: 1 minute
  Range: 
  Range: 
  Range: 
  Range: 
  Range: Short (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target: 
  Target: 
  Target: 
  Target: 
  Target: See text
  Duration: 
  Duration: 
  Duration: 
  Duration: 
  Duration: 1 hour
  Saving Throw: 
  Saving Throw: 
  Saving Throw: 
  Saving Throw: 
  Saving Throw: Fort negates (see text)
  Spell Resistance: 
  Spell Resistance: 
  Spell Resistance: 
  Spell Resistance: 
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  This spell, which has also been used with great
  success by spellcasters attached to the Boritsi fam-
  ily, is said to have originated with the Dilisnya. It
  is also rumored to be the spell used in the massacre
  at Sergei Von Zarovich’s wedding feast many years
  ago.
  The spell causes all food and drink in range to
  become poisoned. The DC of the ingested poison
  is equal to 15 + the caster’s key spellcasting ability
  modifier; initial damage is 1d6 points from any
  ability of the caster’s choice, while secondary dam-
  age is 2d6 points from any ability of the caster’s
  choice. These two abilities need not be the same,
  but the initial and secondary effects are the same
  for all who consume the poisoned food (i.e., the
  Table 3–1: The Deceiver
  Class Level
  Base Attack
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
   Bonus
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1st
  +0
  +0
  +2
  +0
  Deceptive, poison use, sneak attack +1d6
  2nd
  +1
  +0
  +3
  +0
  Contacts +1, trap sense +1
  3rd
  +2
  +1
  +3
  +1
  Con artist +1, sneak attack +2d6
  4th
  +3
  +1
  +4
  +1
  Contacts +2, furtive
  5th
  +3
  +1
  +4
  +1
  Con artist +2, sneak attack +3d6
  6th
  +4
  +2
  +5
  +2
  Contacts +3, trap sense +2
  7th
  +5
  +2
  +5
  +2
  Con artist +3, sneak attack +4d6
  8th
  +6
  +2
  +6
  +2
  Contacts +4, bonus feat
  9th
  +6
  +3
  +6
  +3
  Con artist +4, sneak attack +5d6
  10th
  +7
  +3
  +7
  +3
  Contacts +5, trap sense +3
  
  46
  Chapter Three: Spillers of Blood
  poison’s initial damage can’t be Strength for some
  victims and Constitution for others).
  Detect poison cannot detect this spell’s pres-
  ence (or rather that of the poison it creates), but a
  necromantic aura can be discerned using detect
  magic. The spell is effective for 1 hour, after which
  the effect disappears along with any trace of poison,
  leaving investigators to puzzle out how the crime
  was committed.
  New Magic Item
  Nicolai’s Dagger (Minor Artifact)
  Many Dilisnya family legends revolve around
  this grim and terrible object. It is said that in the
  distant past, the family’s patriarch, Nicolai Dilisnya,
  ruled over a prosperous and successful noble house
  whose trade caravans spanned the known world.
  Sadly, while his children, grandchildren and mem-
  bers of the extended family strove to always increase
  the family’s wealth and influence, they always fell
  short in his eyes. As he grew older, Nicolai grew
  more and more cynical and bitter — though his
  household continued to grow more powerful and
  wealthy, he was never satisfied. If a son brought
  him a bag of gold, he demanded ten more. When a
  granddaughter married a wealthy baron, he berated
  her for not marrying a prince.
  For their part, Nicolai’s family eventually gave
  up trying to please their demanding sire and sank
  into decadence, squandering the family’s wealth as
  quickly as it accumulated. Lavish parties, bloody
  spectacles, ever-more ostentatious homes and cloth-
  ing — by the time Nicolai was an old man, his
  family had grown as infamous for its excesses as it
  had once been famous for its prosperity.
  In time, Nicolai decided that all of his children
  and grandchildren had failed him utterly. He placed
  all his hopes on his granddaughter Nadia, who
  carried his first great-grandchild. In his mind,
  Nicolai imagined greatness for his great grandson
  — for, of course, the child would be a boy. He
  himself would raise the child, teaching him all that
  he had learned and infusing him with the spirit to
  lead the Dilisnya family to the glory that was its
  birthright.
  As the day of the child’s birth drew near,
  Nicolai’s fantasies grew more and more elaborate,
  and he secured the services of the finest midwives
  in the realm. Nicolai himself attended the birth,
  feeling that now at last his true vision of Dilisnya
  greatness would be realized.
  To his shock, disgust and absolute amazement,
  however, Nadia gave birth not to a son, but to a
  healthy young daughter.
  Even though Nicolai could have expressed his
  vision perfectly well through a girl, he saw the
  simple fact that she was not male as a final, intol-
  erable act of defiance by his children, their children
  and the greater powers beyond them as well. As the
  infant lay wailing in her mother’s arms, Nicolai
  drew his dagger and slew both Nadia and her
  daughter. Then he turned his blind, unreasoning
  rage upon the midwives, mercilessly cutting them
  down.
  Bloody and wild-eyed, Nicolai burst from
  Nadia’s chambers, pushing aside the other family
  members who had gathered for the birth. Leaving
  scarlet footprints, he staggered into the hall and
  dragged his way up the stairs to the parapets, even
  as the other horrified observers entered Nadia’s
  chamber and saw the nightmare that the old man
  had left behind. Overwhelmed with revulsion,
  they pursued Nicolai and found him just in time to
  see the family patriarch fling himself from the
  highest castle wall, his body tumbling down through
  the misty night air.
  Some believe that this is the incident that
  caused the Dilisnya to become part of the Dread
  Realms — after that terrible night, it is whispered,
  the mists never fully lifted. Others claim that this
  is merely yet another tragic story in the long history
  of a bloody and cursed family.
  Nicolai’s body was never recovered. All that
  searchers found was his bloody dagger, which was
  taken and kept as a reminder of that dark night’s
  events. Soon after, however, the Dilisnya discov-
  ered that the dagger had special powers and aided
  the household to follow its new direction — that of
  assassins, spies and workers in night and shadow.
  Today, Nicolai’s dagger resides at the family estate
  in the care of Ivan Dilisnya, and is still used for
  especially difficult jobs or tasks that are critical to
  the family’s survival.
  The dagger is possessed of a malign and blood-
  thirsty intelligence, and the Dilisnya sometimes
  suggest in hushed whispers that the weapon actu-
  ally contains the soul of the departed Nicolai, now
  fully lost to madness and violence.
  Nicolai’s Dagger: A +5 keen vicious dagger of
  wounding (also functions as dagger of venom 3/day;
  Fort DC 20); AL NE; Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10;
  empathy, 30 ft. vision and hearing; Ego score 14.
  Lesser Powers: Deathwatch (at will).
  
  47
  The Silisnya Family
  Phase 2: A unique aspect of Nicolai’s dagger,
  and one of which the Dilisnya themselves are not
  fully aware, is that its abilities and powers increase
  with the more violence it does. If the dagger is used
  to slay 10 or more levels or HD of foes in a single
  day, its statistics become as follows:
  Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 10; speech (Balok,
  Falkovnian, Mordentish), 120 ft. vision and hear-
  ing; Ego score 17.
  Lesser Powers: Deathwatch (at will), darkness 3/
  day.
  Phase 3: These statistics remain for one full
  day, after which the dagger returns to normal. If,
  however, another 15 levels or HD of foes are slain
  within that time, the dagger’s statistics increase
  again, and remain that way for another full day, as
  follows:
  Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 10; speech (Balok,
  Falkovnian, Luktar, Mordentish), 60 ft. darkvision
  and hearing; Ego score 20.
  Lesser Powers: Deathwatch (at will), darkness 3/
  day, item has 10 ranks in Spot (total modifier +13).
  Phase 4: Finally, if another 20 or more levels
  or HD of foes are slain in the next full day, the
  dagger’s statistics increase to the following. The
  dagger uses its substantial ego to dominate its
  wielder, effectively possessing him with the spirit
  of the rage-filled Nicolai Dilisnya and driving him
  to more and more bloody crimes. Fortunately for
  the Dilisnya, this event has never actually oc-
  curred, although the growing possibility of open
  conflict with the Boritsi may allow for an opportu-
  nity to bring out the dagger’s darker side.
  The dagger remains in this phase until it fails
  to slay at least 20 HD/levels of creatures in any 24-
  hour period, at which time it reverts to its normal
  (“Phase 1”) state.
  Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 10; speech (Balok,
  Falkovnian, Luktar, Mordentish, Patterna), te-
  lepathy, read languages, read magic, 120 ft.
  darkvision, blindsense and hearing; Ego score 31.
  Lesser Powers: Deathwatch (at will), darkness 3/
  day, item has 10 ranks in Spot (total modifier +14).
  Greater Powers: Dismissal 1/day.
  Special Purpose: Slay all.
  Dedicated Power: Waves of exhaustion.
  Strong necromancy; CL 18th; Weight 1 lb.
  Story Hooks
  There are a number of potential plotlines
  involving the Dilisnya and their dark stock-in-
  trade. The following are merely a few suggestions
  for working the Dilisnya into a Ravenloft cam-
  paign, or for involving a Dilisnya player character.
  A Passage Through Barovia: The adventur-
  ers must travel through Barovia — whether they
  are simply passing through the country or intend-
  ing to stay for a while — and are unaware that they
  include a disguised Dilisnya in their midst. They
  may be pursued by Barovian authorities who are
  aware of their companion’s true identity, or be
  forced to go along with the Dilisnya’s subterfuge
  rather than risk arrest, imprisonment and possibly
  torture or death.
  Shakedown: A Dilisnya character is offered a
  lucrative contract to slay a prominent nobleman,
  and is promised his choice of items from among the
  victim’s considerable possessions. He persuades his
  companions to join him, only to find that the
  entire affair is a sham engineered by the would-be
  victim, who merely wishes to frame a rival. The
  authorities are waiting, and the Dilisnya and his
  companions must escape from the trap.
  Family Politics: Ivan Dilisnya has had enough
  — he asks a fellow Dilisnya (the player character)
  to assassinate a prominent member of the rival
  Boritsi clan. To this end, he loans the character the
  infamous weapon called Nicolai’s dagger. The char-
  acter is faced with a dilemma: join the struggle
  between the two houses that might lead to open
  warfare, or offend and possibly make an enemy of
  his household’s most prominent member.
  Worse, if the character accepts the job, then
  the dagger’s more fearsome attributes may begin to
  show themselves, with the weapon growing in
  power as the assassin gets closer to his goal, even-
  tually possibly taking control of his actions
  altogether and driving him to engage in a bloody
  rampage.
  
  48
  Chapter Four: Blood of the Mighty
  Chapter Four:
  Blood of the
  Mighty
   The Drakov
  Family
  Chapter Four:
  Blood of the
  Mighty
   The Drakov
  Family
  
  49
  The DrakovFamily
  It was with a palpable sense of dread that I stepped into the audience room, my legs trembling,
  my insides turning to jelly. I had been summoned — summoned! — to the presence of the mighty
  Kingsfuhrer, Vlad Drakov, the Bloodied Hawk himself. Now, clad in my finest ceremonial uniform,
  I stroke alone down the crimson carpet that poured from Vlad’s high seat like a river of blood.
  His Majesty sat there, his very gaze bespeaking his gore-drenched past. His expression was
  indecipherable, but behind those old eyes there lurked intelligence, strength and savagery. Two
  guards flanked the throne, staring fixedly ahead, as distant and unmoving as twin paintings. It was
  as if they were decorations, as much as the crossed swords and tapestries on the walls or the murals
  of Vlad Drakov’s past military triumphs. For all intents, it was clear that the Kingsfuhrer and I were
  the room’s sole occupants.
  “Come closer,” Drakov commanded in a tone that brooked no disobedience. Though my first
  instinct was to bolt forward and prostrate myself before him, begging forgiveness for any offenses
  I had committed, I kept my fear in check and marched forward with the semblance of calm, as if
  striding beside my comrades in parade. At the foot of the dais I bowed and sank to one knee, my right
  hand across my heart.
  “Great Leader,” I intoned, “Lord of Falkovnia and High Commander of the Talons. I am Sir
  Viktor Helsinger. I command the first squadron, second company of the Steel Brigade in your Black
  Wolf regiment. It was my honor to lead my squadron against the Spawn of the Lizard in the battle
  of Vladik’s Ford last spring.”
  Drakov seemed pleased at this. “I know well your exploits, Sir Viktor,” he intoned, and his voice
  seemed to fill the room. “You have lived up to all my expectations.”
  I suppressed a desire to frown in puzzlement at this cryptic comment and instead spoke
  respectfully.
  “Your Majesty is generous,” I replied. “I have endeavored always to live in the manner that would
  serve to increase your glory. It is how my father lived and how I continue to live.”
  Drakov’s countenance transformed as I spoke, breaking into a grim, humorless smile.
  “I summoned you because I wish to offer you a valuable gift,” he said. “Two gifts, in fact. First,
  the truth. The man you call father — Baron Albrech Helsinger — is not truly your father.”
  I swallowed. The words should have shaken me to my very soul, but now they seemed nothing
  less than the truth. I had always felt estranged from my father, as if we were merely strangers
  sharing a homestead.
  “You know of the tradition of First Night, in which a bride may be asked to surrender her virtue
  to the ruler of the land or his appointed representatives. Your mother was one such bride — a
  beautiful young woman who gave herself willingly to her ruler, and who joyfully gave birth to a
  strong, intelligent son. Your mother and the man you call Father raised this child happily, glad that
  they nurtured the seed of their beloved lord and master.”
  I could not conceal my expression of astonishment and disbelief. Drakov smiled with pleasure as
  he saw the truth dawn in my eyes. Now, the pieces of my puzzle began to fit.
  “Now, Sir Viktor…” he continued, his voice swelling with pride, “now you truly understand.”
  I met his gaze, my fear and apprehension melting away.
  “Welcome to House Drakov,” the Kingsfuhrer said, then paused and spoke slowly, as if savoring
  every syllable. “Welcome, my son.”
  
  50
  Chapter Four: Blood of the Mighty
  House Drakov
  alkovnia is a military dictatorship, with
  Kingsfuhrer Vlad its absolute ruler. Vlad
  Drakov has fathered numerous illegiti-
  mate sons and daughters through the
  practice of First Night privileges. And
  he is not the only one — his own offspring and their
  relatives often hold important ranks within Drakov’s
  power structure and produce their own minor rela-
  tions in this way. Some estimate that as many as
  one in five Falkovnians can trace some connection
  to its ruler, though this may be another crude rumor
  spread by Drakov’s enemies.
  It should be noted that Vlad Drakov’s views of
  relations between the sexes holds that women are
  chattel, useful only as broodmares and nursemaids
  to the next generation of Falkovnian soldiers.
  Female adventurers are offered full family member-
  ship only if they have proven themselves to be
  exceptional individuals. They must also demon-
  strate fanatical loyalty to the Falkovnian cause.
  Even then, female Drakovs must generally fight
  and fight hard, to maintain their status, for the
  officially-sanctioned household view is that even
  female warriors eventually ought to settle down
  and perform their “duties.”
  The large number of Drakov family members
  sometimes leads to difficulties as well, for from time
  to time a member may grow weary or disillusioned
  with Drakov’s bloody policies or the nation’s op-
  pressive conditions. Such individuals have been
  known to disavow their connection to House
  Drakov and usually flee Falkovnia altogether. Vlad
  himself considers such folk to be traitors, and they
  are to be slain on sight by any other loyal family
  member who encounters them. Once they have
  passed Falkovnia’s borders, however, Vlad has little
  power over them; they are usually left in peace,
  though they can never again return to their home-
  land.
  One of Vlad Drakov’s illegitimate children or
  other illicit relations need not necessarily claim his
  birthright directly. More often than not, Vlad
  himself cements the political power and loyalty of
  his army and government by offering positions of
  privilege to his various bastards and relatives. A
  young Drakov may grow to adulthood believing
  
  51
  The DrakovFamily
  that his parents are both exactly what they claim to
  be, though in some cases (such as Sir Viktor
  Helsinger, whose description and game statistics
  can be found in the Appendix) they may feel a
  certain distance and uncertainty about their real
  relationships.
  In come cases, especially when the young
  Drakov is an accomplished soldier or military of-
  ficer, Lord Vlad himself may command the
  individual to a personal audience. In other cases,
  the Kingsfuhrer’s representatives may contact the
  individual and interview him to be sure of his
  loyalties. In extreme cases — when, for example,
  the young Drakov’s mother has fled Falkovnia and
  is living abroad — Vlad’s representatives have
  been known to go so far as to abduct the offspring
  and bring him before the Kingsfuhrer. Once a
  candidate has been confirmed to be a real child,
  grandchild, or some other close relative of Vlad
  Drakov, the Kingsfuhrer personally offers him fam-
  ily membership.
  Although the offer to join House Drakov is
  phrased as an invitation, it is of course nothing of
  the kind. Vlad Drakov is not used to being dis-
  obeyed. His methods are intended as a means of
  cementing his total control of the kingdom and of
  expanding his army of followers and minions
  throughout Falkovnia — love and paternal affec-
  tion have no role in his actions. Anyone who
  refuses him, whether politely or otherwise, risks his
  wrath and, most often, a sudden and unpleasant
  end. Sometimes a valuable Drakov who expresses
  doubts is invited to remain in Castle Draccipetri,
  enjoying the benefits of the Kingsfuhrer’s hospital-
  ity. The implied threat is usually enough to persuade
  anyone who is unsure, but a few have been known
  to hold out, even in the face of arrest and imprison-
  ment.
  Once accepted into House Drakov, the new
  scion gains a number of benefits from his relation-
  ship to the nation’s ruler and is expected to act in
  all ways to promote the welfare and success of
  Falkovnia. Some may be employed at or near
  Castle Draccipetri; if loyalty is not in question, he
  may be posted to another important location. Oth-
  ers, especially those who have few martial skills,
  may simply be given a token title or official desig-
  nation. Some Drakovs already serve in the
  Falkovnian military; these lucky ones are often
  given substantial promotions or special privileges.
  Once a Drakov has accepted family member-
  ship, he is usually allowed to go about his life, albeit
  with a new sense of importance. Drakovs who have
  accepted membership in the household carry a
  tangible aura of authority and fear within
  Falkovnia’s borders. Commoners are far more likely
  to cater to the wishes of a Drakov for fear of
  provoking another powerful family member or
  even Vlad himself. A member of the Drakov family
  is considered welcome in any extended family
  holding throughout the realm, from the grim and
  forbidding chambers of Castle Draccipetri to the
  smaller demesnes of lesser-ranking nobles who can
  claim only tortuous connections to the ruling house.
  Still, in general it is best for a Drakov not to
  abuse these privileges, for most family members
  don’t want to support yet another hanger-on or
  minor relation, and their hospitality usually covers
  at most day or two of pleasant company. On occa-
  sion, a Drakov in need of aid can seek shelter in a
  relative’s home or castle, healing for wounds, or a
  place to recuperate, but this should not happen too
  often, lest other Drakovs start to come up with
  excuses as to why they cannot help.
  Of course, there are drawbacks as well.
  Falkovnians are almost universally despised
  throughout the Dread Realms save in Lamordia,
  the only nation that maintains diplomatic rela-
  tions with Vlad Drakov. Owing to his many military
  disasters (and his apparent inability to learn any-
  thing from them), the Kingsfuhrer is widely regarded
  as a power-mad buffoon — and those who promote
  his cause are not much better. Tales of Vlad’s
  licentiousness and his hordes of illegitimate chil-
  dren are the subject of much ribald humor and farce
  performed by bards throughout the realms. Any-
  one so unwise as to admit to being one of Drakov’s
  byblows risks being treated with utter disdain —
  insulted, refused service, made the butt of jokes and
  so forth.
  This disdain for members of House Drakov is
  the least of the perils that family members encoun-
  ter outside Falkovnia. Vlad Drakov and his brutal
  armies have spilled oceans of blood all across the
  Dread Realms and have created bitter, undying
  hatreds along the way, hatreds that endure for
  generations and that many are only too willing to
  express violently. A Drakov who travels openly
  beyond Falkovnia risks attack from any number of
  those who remember the house patriarch’s ruthless
  violence and blood-soaked tyranny.
  Falkovnians are barely tolerated in Dementlieu
  and Richemulot, nations that have both felt the
  iron tread of Vlad’s soldiers. Even Falkovnians
  
  52
  Chapter Four: Blood of the Mighty
  with legitimate reasons for visiting these realms are
  watched closely by the official authorities, often
  harassed and even assaulted by citizens who were
  raised on tales of Falkovnian brutality.
  Lamordia was the first to face Vlad Drakov’s
  imperialistic ambitions and defeated his armies
  soundly. Yet strangely enough, the Lamordians
  themselves seem to feel less antipathy toward
  Falkovnia than some of their neighbors and have
  even gone so far as to maintain diplomatic rela-
  tions with the brutal Kingsfuhrer. A Drakov might
  get a few strange looks in Lamordia, but probably
  won’t face unprovoked violence.
  The greatest antipathy toward Falkovnians is
  undeniably found in Darkon, the closest thing
  Vlad has to a hereditary national foe. Falkovnians
  are demonized in Darkon, shunned or harassed,
  and Falkovnian merchants — who, despite the bad
  blood between the two nations continue to ply
  their trade — usually travel there only under very
  heavy escort.
  Fitting In
  Once, long ago, Vlad Drakov was famous as
  one of the most skilled and ruthless mercenary
  leaders in his world. Since then, his skills and
  intelligence have not declined, but the Dark Pow-
  ers have refused to grant him what he desires most:
  military glory and conquest. As with all darklords,
  it is Drakov’s own weaknesses that have conspired
  to frustrate him. Though he remains a powerful
  individual and a brilliant commander, he stub-
  bornly fails to modernize his armed forces — and he
  has yet to realize that it is the supernatural power of
  the realms themselves that frustrate his chosen
  destiny.
  Despite this, he continues to pass on his tacti-
  cal and strategic skills to his offspring and his most
  trusted officers, as well as techniques to aid follow-
  ers against their foes. He hopes that one day his
  armies will at last be victorious, and that all the
  Dread Realms will bow down before him as abso-
  lute ruler and invincible conqueror.
  One of Vlad Drakov’s favorite hobbies, a prac-
  tice that is thus pursued by many of his scions, is
  that of falconry (see the Master Falconer feat and
  the hawkmaster prestige class later in this chapter).
  In fact, so central is the practice of falconry to
  Vlad’s household culture that non-Drakovs in
  Falkovnia are forbidden from keeping birds of prey
  in any fashion — a crime punishable by imprison-
  ment and heavy fines.
  Vlad Drakov and his warriors, the Talons, are
  infamous for their merciless conduct on the battle-
  field. Fallen enemies are not spared, and women,
  children and the elderly are all fair game. Their
  reputation has grown so that Falkovnian enemies
  usually surrender rather than face them, and entire
  communities flee before them. Vlad and his Talons
  have developed several tactics to further spread
  their infamy, including setting great fires as they
  march, leaving columns of smoke to mark their
  advance and to demoralize any settlements or
  defenders in their path.
  When Vlad’s troops ride into battle, they do so
  while voicing fearsome war chants, known as the
  Hawk’s Cry (see the feat of the same name later in
  this chapter). Merely hearing this terrifying sound
  is often enough to cause most enemies to flee in
  fear. Today, Vlad and his followers teach this war
  cry to leaders and elite troops, who use it as they
  ride into battle. Despite the cry’s effectiveness,
  Vlad’s campaigns outside Falkovnia have uniformly
  met with disaster, but the Hawk’s Cry remains one
  of his soldiers’ best-known tactics.
  Membership in the Drakov family is not hard
  to claim; in fact, often the family claims its own
  members. As might be expected, the martial classes
  are most common among his offspring and house-
  hold members. Drakovs are most often fighters or
  rangers, though rogues and even bards are not
  unheard of among them. Sometimes a Drakov sets
  off on a non-military path before discovering his
  true heritage, and may thus have levels in some
  other class(es).
  The nation’s distrust of magic means that few
  follow the path of the spellcaster, whether divine
  or arcane, although rangers’ meager spell ability is
  considered acceptable. Those who have been ac-
  cepted into the House of the Hawk are discouraged
  from the practice of magic, though those who have
  already proven their arcane abilities are sometimes
  allowed to continue their studies under the careful
  auspices of the Minister of the Arcane. Those who
  join the family and later wish to study magic must
  obtain special permission from the ministry to do
  so; most of the relatively few arcane casters in
  Falkovnia are wizards, for Drakov blood does not
  usually carry the essence of magic that is required
  for the practice of sorcery. The national belief that
  the gods are dead or have forsaken the land has led
  to a severe shortage of clerics, and Vlad himself has
  forbidden any household member from taking
  
  53
  The DrakovFamily
  priestly vows. (Again, divine magic is tolerated
  when used by rangers in service to House Drakov.)
  From time to time (such as when, for example,
  an expectant mother escapes from Falkovnia to
  raise her child away from Vlad and his bloodthirsty
  followers), a Drakov is born outside of Falkovnia.
  These expatriates may sometimes be contacted, or
  in come cases actually abducted by the Kingsfuhrer’s
  representatives and invited, sometimes at sword
  point, to take their “rightful” place with the family.
  This leaves open the possibility for virtually any
  character class to be incorporated into House
  Drakov, although clerics and especially paladins
  are still rarely if ever adopted as official household
  members.
  Claiming Membership
  Drakov family members have obligations as
  well as privileges, for Vlad uses them to keep
  control of Falkovnia. He may sometimes call upon
  a family member to perform a task for him, which
  may be as simple as transporting orders or docu-
  ments to a nearby city. More often it is something
  like leading troops into battle, dealing with a
  troublesome enemy, scouting into a neighboring
  realm in advance of yet another ill-advised military
  campaign, or locating and “persuading” another
  family member to present himself to Vlad Drakov.
  Drakov scions are well advised to accept such
  missions unless they have an extremely well war-
  ranted reason not to.
  Drakov Family Traits
  Scions of the Drakov family are always normal
  humans. (Drakov half-castes and calibans are un-
  heard of and would generally be destroyed at birth
  if they occurred.) However, if a Drakov character
  has been accepted by the Kingsfuhrer himself as a
  member of the royal household, he gains the fol-
  lowing traits:
  • Family Curse: The most dangerous aspect
  of membership in House Drakov is an individual’s
  slow but almost irrevocable slide into depravity
  and violence. A character can be any alignment
  when invited to join, but once the invitation is
  accepted, a change comes over the new Drakov. In
  battle, an acknowledged Drakov fights ferociously,
  shouting and raving, while cutting and hewing at
  foes with wild abandon. He gains the rage ability,
  as a barbarian, usable once per day (if he already has
  rage from another source, such as barbarian levels,
  he may use the ability one additional time per day).
  
  54
  Chapter Four: Blood of the Mighty
  However, if an enemy ever attempts to flee or
  surrender, the Drakov must make a DC 15 Will
  save or attack at once, attempting to kill the
  offender in as quick and bloody a way as possible.
  After killing a foe in this manner, the Drakov must
  then make another Will save (DC 12, +1 for every
  other death caused in this way in the past 24
  hours); if this save fails, the Drakov’s alignment
  shifts one step toward chaotic evil. Eventually,
  most Drakovs are consumed by bloodlust, insisting
  upon executing prisoners, attacking innocents and
  engaging in sadistic, violent practices.
  • National Pride: A Drakov receives a +2
  bonus on all Diplomacy and Intimidate checks
  involving Falkovnian citizens. When dealing with
  non-Falkovnians, this bonus becomes a –1 penalty.
  Within Falkovnia, a Drakov’s successful Intimi-
  date checks are usually sufficient to persuade
  innkeepers and merchants to charge significantly
  less (or, in some cases, not at all).
  Family Feats
  When creating a Drakov, the player or DM
  should select at least one of the character’s feats
  from the list of fighter bonus feats, or else from the
  following list (or from those new feats listed further
  below): Alertness, Ancestral LegacyV, Back to the
  WallR, BrawlerC, CourageR, HauntedR, HollowC,
  JadedR, Self-Sufficient, Sworn EnemyV, or Voice of
  WrathR.
  The Drakov also have several feats unique to
  their family members. A character of Drakov an-
  cestry can select any of the following feats, as long
  as he meets the feat’s requirements. (Naturally, a
  DM may allow characters other than Drakov ac-
  quire these feats as well, although she should
  carefully consider the matter first.)
  Hawk’s Cry [General]
  Merely hearing this awful sound is often enough
  to cause enemies to flee in terror.
  Prerequisites: Cha 13, base attack bonus +3.
  Benefit: As a free action, you may emit a
  terrible shout, causing all opponents within a 30-
  foot cone to be affected as if by a scare spell (Will
  DC 10 + one-half your character level + your
  Charisma modifier). This ability cannot be used
  while you are currently engaged in melee. This is a
  sonic, mind-affecting extraordinary ability.
  Hawk’s Cry can be used a number of times per
  day equal to your Charisma modifier.
  Special: A fighter may select Hawk’s Cry as
  one of his fighter bonus feats.
  Inspired Leadership [General]
  You can relay competent and compelling in-
  structions to those around you, improving their
  performance in battle.
  Prerequisite: Leadership.
  Benefit: As a standard action, you can issue
  commands to all creatures within line of sight. This
  can be by voice, or by pre-arranged signals such as
  hand gestures and so on. For a number of rounds
  equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1 round),
  your allies receive a morale bonus equal to your
  Charisma modifier on all attack rolls, skill checks
  and saving throws.
  This feat can be used a number of times per day
  equal to your Charisma modifier.
  Special: A fighter may select Inspired Leader-
  ship as one of his fighter bonus feats.
  Master Falconer [General]
  You have a natural aptitude or perhaps a
  trained insight into the nature of raptors and are
  thus highly skilled at handling them.
  Prerequisite: Cha 13.
  Benefit: You receive a +4 competence bonus
  on all Handle Animal checks (and animal empa-
  thy checks, if you have that ability) with respect to
  any true raptor or any magical beast that has raptor
  traits (such as a giant eagle or a griffon).
  Family Classes
  rakovs are almost always fighters, al-
  though rangers are not uncommon
  among them, and many Drakovs have a
  level or two in rogue. In terms of prestige
  class, they tend to gravitate toward black-
  guard, horizon walker and night lordC; those who
  have arcane spellcaster levels previous to joining
  the household may pursue levels in eldritch knight.
  In addition, the two new prestige classes pre-
  sented below, hawkmaster and raptor knight, are
  common to Drakovs.
  Hawkmaster
  Falconry is outwardly an innocent enough
  pursuit — though it almost always ends in the
  death of some creature, it is no more evil than any
  other form of hunting. As practiced by Vlad Drakov,
  however, the practice of falconry has taken on a
  
  55
  The DrakovFamily
  darker and more brutal aspect. Long a favorite
  diversion of Vlad Drakov, the falconry of the
  Kingsfuhrer has grown more sadistic over
  the years. He has dispensed with smaller
  birds such as the traditional falcons,
  kites and kestrels, preferring larger
  and more dangerous species such as
  the zwiefalk (see Ravenloft Gazet-
  teer Vol. II) and the bloodhawk (see
  sidebar), both native to Falkovnia.
  As well, hunting “lesser” birds, rabbits
  and other animals grew stale decades ago,
  and Drakov has since sought new and more
  challenging diversions.
  For many years now, he has trained his
  raptors to seek human prey, sending them against
  fleeing slaves or captives, tearing the helpless
  victims to pieces before Drakov’s dark, ap-
  proving eyes. Eventually, an elite unit of
  hawkmasters, trained in techniques to bring
  out the most violent behavior in their
  bloodhawk companions, accompanied
  Vlad and his mercenaries in their various
  campaigns of terror. When foes fled before
  him, Vlad commanded his hawkmasters to
  send their birds out to bring down strag-
  glers, and they have even trained the
  hawks to fight alongside his men in
  battle.
  Today, hawkmasters continue to
  serve Vlad Drakov and the nation of
  Falkovnia, pursuing criminals and
  fugitives, hunting down wayward vil-
  lagers and rebels, or simply providing
  entertainment for the Kingsfuhrer’s
  amusement.
  Hit Dice: d8.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a hawkmaster (Hkm), a
  character must fulfill all the following criteria.
  Alignment: Any evil.
  Base Attack Bonus: +4.
  Skills: Handle Animal 8 ranks, Knowledge
  (nature) 5 ranks, Spot 5 ranks, Survival 5 ranks.
  Feat: Master Falconer*.
  Special: Wild empathy ability.
  Class Skills
   The hawkmaster’s class skills (and the key
  ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int),
  Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex),
  Jump (Str),
  Knowledge (na-
  ture) (Int), Listen
  (Wis), Move Silently
  (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride
  (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis)
  and Swim (Str).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the
  hawkmaster prestige class.
  Bloodhawk Companion: At 1st level, the
  hawkmaster receives a bloodhawk (see sidebar) as
  his dread companion. If the hawkmaster already
  has a dread companion from some other source
  (such as druid or ranger levels), he must release his
  former companion and take a bloodhawk as his
  new companion.
  
  56
  Chapter Four: Blood of the Mighty
  The bloodhawk companion ability functions
  in all ways as the druid’s animal companion ability,
  save that the bloodhawk is a magical beast and not
  an animal. If the hawkmaster already has the ani-
  mal companion ability from previous class levels,
  then his hawkmaster class levels stack with those
  previous levels for the purpose of determining the
  benefits gained by his bloodhawk companion. For
  example, a 6th-level ranger/4th-level hawkmaster
  is treated as a 7th-level druid for the purpose of
  determining his bloodhawk’s abilities and benefits.
  (A ranger’s level is halved for the purpose of the
  animal companion ability.)
  If a bloodhawk companion is killed, the
  hawkmaster gains another, but he must spend 2d4
  weeks training the bird before it gains the special
  abilities of its predecessor.
  Hawk’s Swiftness (Ex): At 2nd level, the
  hawkmaster gains a +10 feet bonus to his base
  speed when wearing light or no armor.
  Hawk’s Sight (Ex): At 3rd level, the
  hawkmaster gains low-light vision and a +4 bonus
  on Spot checks.
  Evasion (Ex): At 4th level, the hawkmaster
  gains evasion. If exposed to any effect that nor-
  mally allows him to attempt a Reflex saving throw
  for half damage, he takes no damage with a success-
  ful saving throw. The evasion ability can only be
  used if the hawkmaster is wearing light armor or no
  armor.
  Hawk’s Agility (Su): At 5th level, the
  hawkmaster is so attuned to his companion’s abili-
  ties that he can draw upon its speed and grace as a
  free action. Once per day, he may gain a +4 bonus
  to Dexterity that lasts for 5 minutes.
  Raptor Knight
  Being engaged in ever more brutal campaigns
  of conquest, Vlad Drakov’s soldiers over time de-
  veloped new techniques for terror and violence,
  committing unbelievable atrocities against the in-
  habitants of those realms that they invaded. Soon,
  Vlad Drakov recognized their achievements and
  declared them to be as savage as the raptors he so
  admired.
  Raptor knights are expected to be highly expe-
  rienced in mounted combat, as well as being
  completely incapable of showing mercy or compas-
  sion. They are among the elite of Falkovnia’s
  military but serve in a wide range of roles, including
  acting as disciplinarians assigned to “shape up” lax
  military units, as leaders of purges in which en-
  emies of Falkovnia (real or imagined) are rounded
  up and massacred, and as commanders of punitive
  expeditions against such foes as bandits, rebels and
  the humanoid Spawn of the Lizard.
  The Bloodhawk
  The hawkmasters of House Drakov are
  trained to work with bloodhawks, an espe-
  cially large and vicious breed of hawk native
  to Falkovnia. Bloodhawks are highly intelli-
  gent and trained to attack with great agility
  and skill. Linked to their chosen hawkmaster,
  these creatures gain abilities as their master
  increases in power, eventually becoming al-
  most literal extensions of their trainer’s will.
  Bloodhawk: 
  Bloodhawk: 
  Bloodhawk: 
  Bloodhawk: 
  Bloodhawk: CR 1/2;     Tiny magical beast; HD 2d8; hp 9;
  Init +4; Spd 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (average); AC 18 (+2 size,
  +4 Dex, +2 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 14; BAB +2;
  Grap –8; Atk +8 melee (1d4–2, talons); Atk +8 melee
  (1d4–2, talons) and +3 melee (1d4–2, bite); Space/
  Reach 2 _ ft./0 ft.; SQ low-light vision; AL N; SV Fort
  +3, Ref +7, Will +2; Str 6, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 4, Wis 14,
  Cha 8.
  Skills: Listen +2, Spot +15. (The
  bloodhawk receives a +8 racial bonus to Spot,
  already included here.)
  Feats: Weapon Finesse.
  Table 4–1: The Hawkmaster
  Level
  Base Attack
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
  Bonus
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1st
  +1
  +2
  +2
  +0
  Hawk companion
  2nd
  +2
  +3
  +3
  +0
  Hawk’s swiftness
  3rd
  +3
  +3
  +3
  +1
  Hawk’s sight
  4th
  +4
  +4
  +4
  +1
  Evasion
  5th
  +5
  +4
  +4
  +1
  Hawk’s agility
  
  57
  The DrakovFamily
  Currently, there is no major campaign against
  one of Falkovnia’s many hereditary foes, and the
  knights are growing restless — the raptor knights
  are as blind to the futility of open warfare in the
  Dread Realms as Vlad Drakov himself. As a result,
  they tend to take their frustrations out on the
  common folk of Falkovnia.
  The rank of raptor knight is most often awarded
  to those relatives who have impressed Vlad Drakov
  with their martial skill and cruelty.
  Hit Dice: d10.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a raptor knight (Rpk), a
  character must fulfill all the following criteria.
  Alignment: Any evil.
  Base Attack Bonus: +6.
  Skills: Intimidate 5 ranks, Ride 5 ranks.
  Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (hawk bow)
  [see sidebar], EquestrianC, Mounted Combat, Rapid
  Reload, Trample.
  Special: Must have killed an Innocent in
  service to Falkovnia.
  Class Skills
   The raptor knight’s class skills (and the key
  ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int),
  Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump
  (Str), Ride (Dex) and Swim (Str).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the
  raptor knight prestige class.
  Mounted Archery: At 1st level, the raptor
  knight gains Mounted Archery as a bonus feat.
  Crossbow Charge (Ex): At 2nd level, the
  raptor knight may fire a crossbow as a free action
  during a mounted charge. (If he uses a hawk bow,
  he may discharge both bolts as a free action.) This
  attack is made with the normal penalty for shoot-
  ing from a running mount.
  This ability allows a raptor knight with a hawk bow
  (see sidebar) to fire two shots at a foe as he charges, drop
  the hawk bow (another free action) and still draw a
  melee weapon (a free action while charging) to make a
  melee charge attack against the same foe.
  Rage (Ex): At 3rd level, the raptor knight
  gains the rage ability, as the barbarian class ability
  of the same name. If the knight has the rage ability
  from some other source (such a barbarian levels or
  the Drakov bloodline), he may use the ability one
  additional time per day.
  At 5th level, the raptor knight may rage twice
  per day (or two additional times per day if he has
  the ability from another source).
  Improved Trample (Ex): At 4th level, a mounted
  raptor knight does not provoke an attack of opportu-
  nity when attempting to overrun an opponent. Further,
  the knight’s mount gains a +2 bonus to its Strength
  check when attempting to knock the target prone and
  receives a +2 bonus to its hoof attack if it succeeds in
  knocking the opponent down.
  Greater Rage (Ex): At 5th level, the raptor
  knight gains the greater rage ability, as the barbar-
  ian class ability of the same name.
  
  58
  Chapter Four: Blood of the Mighty
  Hawk Bow
  This weapon is inextricably associated with Falkovnia’s soldiers and particularly his raptor knights.
  Drakov perfected many audacious and cunning battle tactics before he was transferred to the Dread Realms,
  and was a highly successful and prosperous mercenary general. Since gaining the throne of Falkovnia, his
  drive for greater and greater conquests has been frustrated — military brilliance and superior tactics matter
  little to the Dark Powers, who revel in turning such gifts against their owners.
  Vlad’s cavalry was trained in highly adaptive tactics, acting as heavy assault troops or mobile
  skirmishers as needed. Accordingly they were armed with an unusual weapon, a heavy dual-shot crossbow
  whose two spring-steel laths were forged in the shape of hawk’s wings, and whose tiller was carved into the
  likeness of a feathered hawk’s body. The weapon has a double trigger and can thus be cocked and loaded
  with two quarrels at a time, increasing the number of shots a wielder can make with it at one time (or
  allowing two shots at separate targets as apart of a full-attack action, as with a repeating crossbow).
  Most raptor knights and other mounted warriors who use hawk bows keep them closely tethered to their
  military saddles, so that they may release them as a free action once fired without losing or damaging the
  weapons.
  Hawk Bow: Any character proficient with simple ranged weapons can use a hawk bow, but in that case
  it functions identically to a normal heavy crossbow. Each lath must be loaded separately, requiring a full-
  round action for each.
  If a wielder gains proficiency with the hawk bow as an exotic weapon, he can load both laths at once
  as a full-round action. Moreover, if he wishes, he can make two simultaneous attacks with the weapon as
  a standard action before reloading; both of these shots must be at the same target, however, and both use
  the same attack roll.
  Weapon                          Cost
  Dmg (S) Dmg (M)             Critical
  Range Inc.
  Weight
  Type
  Hawk bow              130 gp
  1d8
  1d10
         19–20/x2
  110 ft.
  12 lb.
  Piercing
  
  59
  The DrakovFamily
  Family Magic
  he Drakovs’ inherent distrust of magic-
  use does not extend to enchanted items:
  Kingsfuhrer Vlad himself possesses many
  potent magic items, as do his followers. In
  addition, as noted elsewhere in this chap-
  ter, ranger spells are considered acceptable in
  Falkovnia, and the following new spell is one in-
  stance of such magic harnessed to aid in making war.
  New Spell
  Hawk’s Flight
  Transmutation
  Level: 
  Level: 
  Level: 
  Level: 
  Level: Rgr 2
  Components: 
  Components: 
  Components: 
  Components: 
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 
  Casting Time: 
  Casting Time: 
  Casting Time: 
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range: 
  Range: 
  Range: 
  Range: 
  Range: Touch
  Target: 
  Target: 
  Target: 
  Target: 
  Target: Up to 50 projectiles (all of which must be in contact
  with each other at the time of casting)
  Duration: 
  Duration: 
  Duration: 
  Duration: 
  Duration: 10 min./level
  Saving Throw: 
  Saving Throw: 
  Saving Throw: 
  Saving Throw: 
  Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object)
  Spell Resistance: 
  Spell Resistance: 
  Spell Resistance: 
  Spell Resistance: 
  Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)
  This spell grants an +1 enhancement bonus to
  attack and damage rolls per three caster levels
  (maximum +3) for up to as many as 50 arrows, bolt,
  or bullets. The affected projectiles also have their
  range increment doubled, so that, for example,
  arrows fired from a longbow have an increment of
  200 feet rather than 100 feet.
  The projectiles to be affected must be of the
  same kind, and they have to be together (in the
  same quiver or other container). Projectiles lose
  their transmutation once fired.
  New Magic Items
  Figurine of Wondrous Power:
  Bloodstone Hawk
  When activated, these items transform into
  hellish birds willing to fight on behalf of their
  owners. These items are sometimes used for execu-
  tions, with several Drakovs combining their
  bloodstone hawks together to rend and tear at an
  Table 4–2: The Raptor Knight
  Level
           Base Attack
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
           Bonus
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1st
  +1
  +2
  +0
  +0
  Mounted Archery
  2nd
  +2
  +3
  +0
  +0
  Crossbow charge
  3rd
  +3
  +3
  +1
  +1
  Rage 1/day
  4th
  +4
  +4
  +1
  +1
  Improved trample
  5th
  +5
  +4
  +1
  +1
  Rage 2/day, greater rage
  Half-Fiend Bloodhawk: 
  Half-Fiend Bloodhawk: 
  Half-Fiend Bloodhawk: 
  Half-Fiend Bloodhawk: 
  Half-Fiend Bloodhawk: CR 2; Small outsider (na-
  tive); HD 3d8+3; hp 16; Init +5; Spd 10 ft., fly 60
  ft. (average); AC 19 (+1 size, +5 Dex, +3 natural),
  touch 16, flat-footed 14; BAB +3; Grap +1; Atk +9
  melee (1d6+2, talons); Atk +9 melee (1d6+2,
  talons) and +7 melee (1d6+1, bite); Space/Reach
  5 ft./5 ft.; SA smite good 1/day, spell-like abili-
  ties; SQ damage reduction 5/magic, darkvision
  60 ft., immunity to poison, low-light vision, re-
  sistance to acid, cold, electricity and fire 10, SR
  13; AL NE; SV Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +3; Str 14,
  Dex 21, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 10.
  Skills: Hide +15, Intimidate +6, Lis-
  ten +8, Move Silently +11, Search +5,
  Spot +16, Survival +8. (The bloodhawk
  receives a +8 racial bonus to Spot, al-
  ready included here.)
  Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Finesse.
  Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day—darkness;
  1/day—desecrate. Caster level 3rd.
  unfortunate victim, often for the personal amuse-
  ment of Vlad Drakov.
  Bloodstone Hawk: Normally, this item re-
  sembles a tiny hawk carved from red-speckled
  green stone. When it is tossed into the air and a
  command word uttered, however, it transforms
  into a Small 3-HD half-fiend bloodhawk under the
  command of its possessor.
  
  60
  Chapter Four: Blood of the Mighty
  The bloodstone hawk can be used up to three
  times per week for up to 12 hours per use. When the
  12 hours have passed or when the command word
  is spoken, the hawk reverts to statuette form.
  Faint enchantment and transmutation; CL
  11th; Craft Wondrous Item, animate objects, sum-
  mon monster III; Price 11,700 gp; Weight 1 lb.
  Hawk Helm
  One of these marvelous items accompanied
  Vlad Drakov and his men in their unwilling so-
  journ into the mists; since taking the throne of
  Falkovnia, the Kingsfuhrer has commissioned the
  creation of several more, often forcing magical
  artisans to construct the helms at sword point.
  Today, these helms are worn by elite leaders of
  Vlad’s forces and are occasionally lent to Drakov
  officers on important military missions.
  A hawk helm is made of dark metal in the form
  of a screaming hawk’s visage, the visor being shaped
  as the beak.
  Hawk Helm: This helm grants its wearer a +4
  bonus on all Search and Spot checks. He also gains
  a +3 deflection bonus to AC, and once per day the
  wearer can cast expeditious retreat as a spell-like
  ability. If the wearer is mounted, the expeditious
  retreat ability also affects his mount.
  Moderate abjuration and transmutation; CL
  9th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Won-
  drous Item, expeditious retreat, true seeing; Price
  24,900 gp; Weight 3 lb.
  Story Hooks
  Vlad Drakov and his ill-famed household are
  rich sources of plot and campaign ideas. Though
  much of the information in this chapter may sug-
  gest adventure ideas to DMs, the following are
  further suggestions that might also be used.
  Enemies of the State: Traveling in rural
  Falkovnia, the characters encounter a band of
  Drakov soldiers, led by a ruthless raptor knight,
  who are in the process of burning down a small
  town and massacring its inhabitants. The charac-
  ters may be forced to intervene (perhaps the
  individual whom they must talk to is an inhabitant
  of the town and is threatened by the Falkovnians),
  in which case the raptor knight sees them as his
  personal enemies and pursues them. If the knight
  himself is killed, Vlad Drakov — incapable of
  tolerating such an insult to his family’s honor —
  will undoubtedly seek vengeance.
  Scion of Drakov: A character who was raised
  outside of Falkovnia’s borders realizes that he is
  being watched and perhaps even stalked by myste-
  rious strangers. Finally, on one occasion, they
  actually attempt to kidnap him. The character and
  his companions must discover the identity of the
  stalkers. To their horror, they find that the charac-
  ter is actually one of Vlad Drakov’s bastard progeny,
  and that his mother escaped Falkovnia rather than
  give her child up to the Kingsfuhrer. The charac-
  ters must deal with the would-be kidnappers (who
  want to take the PC “home” to meet his real
  father), throw them off the scent, or flee to another
  realm to escape them.
  
  61
  The Godefroy Family
  Chapter Five:
  The Blood of the
  Haunted
  The Godefroy
  Family
  Chapter Five:
  The Blood of the
  Haunted
  The Godefroy
  Family
  
  62
  Chapter Five: Blood of the Haunted
  As told by Michael Jendalis to his second
  cousin Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove:
  I’m not sure if you ever knew, but I was born at
  Gryphon Manor. My mother, who was Lilia
  Godefroy’s third cousin twice removed, was informed
  that she was to inherit the manor, and she and my
  father went to see it while she still carried me. Father
  didn’t tell me the whole of what happened until he lay
  on his deathbed a few years ago. Though gruesome, the
  story has done much to acquaint me with my own most
  unusual heritage.
  It seems that my parents’ carriage broke a wheel
  upon entering the grounds, and since a storm was
  brewing, they decided to spend the night at the manor
  and have the wheel repaired in the morning. They had
  heard the tales about the house and about its last lord,
  but they were educated folk who did not believe in “old
  wives’ tales.” They went into the manor and settled in
  one of its dusty bedrooms. They shared a simple repast
  they had purchased at the inn in town, and then Father
  went to look for some candles.
  While rummaging in the kitchen, he noticed a rag
  busily wiping grime off the cupboards — by itself —
  and he thought he heard snatches of a mournful song,
  sung very low. Upon going over to investigate, he saw
  the faint outline of a young girl, dressed in the garb of
  a housemaid. Before he could recover his voice, he
  heard someone coming down the back stairs. Thinking
  it was his wife, he turned to admonish her for walking
  about in her condition, but he saw instead an old man
  dressed in a tailcoat and ruffled shirt that had been
  fashionable more than 200 years earlier. Evil glinted in
  the stranger’s eyes as he took in the scene before him.
  “So, you are having assignations with lads from
  the village instead of working, are you Janelle?” he
  asked in a menacing tone. “Is that why your cleaning
  goes so slowly?”
  “N… no sir!” cried the spectral girl in alarm. “I
  have never seen this man before!”
  “A likely story!” the man spat. “I’ll teach you to
  moon after men when you should be working!”
  With that, the old man began to beat the poor girl
  and my father mercilessly with his silver-headed walk-
  ing stick. Wounds appeared on the girl’s ghostly body,
  and her screams rent the air. The man’s blows pro-
  duced no visible wounds on my father, but he felt a
  terrible coldness, as though the chill of the grave were
  setting in with each blow. Father tried to fight back, but
  his hands closed on nothing. Knowing true terror for
  the first time in his life, he ran upstairs, leaving the
  spectral maid to her fate.
  Father rushed upstairs to mother’s room and
  found her sound asleep. Exhausted beyond words, he
  lay down beside her and was almost asleep himself
  when new screams reverberated through the room.
  This time, they came from his wife, who was staring
  wide-eyed at the spectre of the old man standing over
  her, cane raised to strike once again.
  However, just as he was about to bring the
  weapon down upon her head, two more ghostly figures
  appeared — this time a woman and a child, their faces
  bruised and bloodied and their clothing torn. They
  clawed viciously at the man, screaming “Murderer!”
  Though he was obviously not a creature of flesh and
  blood, he screamed in apparent pain from their attacks,
  and gashes opened in his ghostly flesh where they
  clawed at him.
  His screams mingled with those of my mother,
  who was horrorstruck at the scene. On and on, the two
  ghostly rescuers tore at the old ghost’s flesh. My
  mother, always a sensitive creature, was so frightened
  that she went into premature labor. The birth, as you
  know already, dear cousin, was to be her last gift to me.
  My father delivered me, a three-pound infant barely
  clinging to life outside the womb, but he could not save
  his wife. She bled to death before his eyes there in
  Gryphon Manor. As dawn illuminated the window,
  he saw her spirit rise from her body, and the ghost of the
  old man — his tormentors having faded away in the
  light — said, “Welcome, my dear. You will like it
  here.”
  My father fled the house on foot, cradling me in his
  arms. In the village, he found and hired a wet-nurse for
  me. Then he arranged for a carriage to take all three of
  us, plus his wife’s body, back to his home. After
  burying my mother, he threw himself into his work,
  becoming more distant and less like his old self with
  each passing day.
  My nurse, Katherine Hines, stayed on to become
  my nanny, and I was as close to her as any other child
  would be to its mother. She nursed me through count-
  less childhood illnesses, for I was always a sickly child
  — probably because I had had insufficient time inside
  the womb. But when I was five years old, she devel-
  oped consumption and died. At her bedside, I cried out
  for her to stay, and stay she did — in spirit. No one else
  could see or hear her, but I could. My father got me a
  new nanny, but she could never compete with my
  Nanny Katherine. The new girl thought me possessed
  by demons because I talked to people who she couldn’t
  perceive, but I was too young to understand. Eventu-
  ally, my behavior drove her to drink, and she spent the
  rest of my childhood in a stupor while Nanny Katherine’s
  ghost raised me.
  I had many friends as a child and thought myself
  fortunate to be so popular. People young and old were
  
  63
  The Godefroy Family
  always coming to visit me for a chat. As time went by,
  I realized that they too were ghosts, and that no one
  could see or hear them except me. Nanny Katherine
  said it was because I had been born in that awful house
  that ghosts flocked to me. She claimed that whatever
  ancient evil resided there had awakened in me a latent
  sensitivity to the spirit world — probably inherited
  from my mother, who had been part of the same
  bloodline that had produced Lord Godefroy. And
  perhaps she was right.
  For the most part, my gift was welcome. Though I
  never had the chance to make friends among the living,
  since I was often ill and hadn’t the constitution for physical
  sports, I was never truly alone. Ghosts flocked around
  me, eager to tell their tales. Sometimes there were so many
  that I could not handle the strain, and Nanny Katherine
  had to chase them away while I rested.
  My strangeness coupled with my physical weak-
  ness made me a target for bullies in my youth. I shall
  never forget the horrible night when, lured out by the
  promise of good fellowship, I slipped out of the house to
  join a group of boys who had invited me on an
  adventure. But instead of taking me to their secret
  clubhouse as they had promised, they took me to a
  graveyard and locked me in. I shall never forget the
  horror of that night. Ghosts swarmed all around me —
  young, old, diseased, marked by violence — all of them
  talking at once, telling me how they had died. My
  young mind couldn’t fathom the pain and horror that
  often accompanied death, and I screamed and screamed,
  lashing out against their insubstantial forms, trying to
  make them go away. When they found me the next
  morning, I was curled in a fetal position, mumbling to
  myself. It took weeks of Nanny Katherine’s ministra-
  tions to bring me out of the tiny corner of my own mind
  into which I had retreated. It wasn’t the boys’ fault, she
  told me. They had no way of knowing what such an
  experience would do to me.
  As I grew up, I learned to master my connection
  with the spirit world, and I became as you see me now,
  an accomplished medium. Oh, as a youth I wanted to
  be an adventurer like you and Gennifer, don’t doubt
  it, but I hadn’t the strength and stamina for such a
  profession. Better that I accept my own strengths and
  frailties and do what I do best. I still hear and see spirits
  all around me, but I can keep them at a distance and
  summon forward only those with whom I wish to
  converse. Many have messages they wish me to deliver
  to loved ones, and those who have not been properly
  laid to rest often tell me how such can be done.
  They are wrong, you know — those who say that
  only certain people become ghosts upon their deaths.
  Spirits are everywhere. It’s just that those who have
  been laid to rest properly do not make their presence
  known to the living. Only discontented souls meander
  corridors at night, manifesting themselves to mortals.
  But all of your loved ones who have passed over are still
  free to visit, and they can hear what you say and see
  what you do.
  There is no such thing as being alone, my dear
  Laurie, and the next time you feel lonely, thank your
  lucky stars for the blessing of limited perception.
  
  64
  Chapter Five: Blood of the Haunted
  The Godefroys
  ord Wilfred Godefroy slew his only child
  before she was old enough to marry, so
  he has no direct descendants. Some
  claim that his evil nature was not his
  own, that it was absorbed from Gryphon
  Manor itself, a structure he inherited and that was
  said to have evil in its very mortar. Those who have
  studied his life, however, agree that he was a
  malicious and vindictive man before he came into
  contact with the manor, and that indeed, his own
  cruel nature made him its true lord.
  In his mid-sixties, Godefroy married Estelle
  Weathermay, a girl of sixteen, who bore him one
  daughter, Lilia. Godefroy, who had hoped for a son
  to carry on his name, was disappointed in his
  offspring and laid the blame on his young wife.
  Eventually he convinced himself that Estelle had
  been unfaithful, and he beat her to death with his
  cane in a fit of rage. When Lilia, then a child of 10,
  tried to intervene, he slew her as well. Godefroy
  successfully hid his crime from the town, but the
  spirits of his wife and daughter came back to haunt
  him every night. After a year of this torment, he
  committed suicide. Later, when Mordent became
  part of Ravenloft, Godefroy became its darklord.
  Since then, Godefroy has ruled over the shades
  and spirits in his manor with an iron fist, beating
  them mercilessly with his cane for any imagined
  slight. Though he rarely leaves the manor, he has
  arranged for the mayor of Mordentshire, Daniel
  Foxgrove, to keep him informed of any threats by
  the simple expedient of threatening the ghost of
  his late wife, Alice Weathermay, who is also tied by
  her bloodline to the manor. Daniel’s two children,
  Laurie and Gennifer Weathermay-Foxgrove, have
  not yet investigated the manor.
  Fitting In
  Because of the Godefroys’ proclivity for seeing
  and becoming ghosts, characters with Godefroy
  blood are born with an affinity for the spirit world.
  They walk the thin line between the world of the
  living and the world of the dead for most of their
  lives. Godefroys are strangely drawn to haunted
  places and frequently purchase haunted houses for
  their homes. Conversely, ghosts are drawn to them.
  Disembodied spirits cluster around those with
  Godefroy blood, and most do everything in their
  power to make their presence known. In many
  cases, doing so is not difficult, since Godefroys
  possess a high degree of sensitivity to spirits and can
  often see them easily.
  Because the Godefroys are so close to the spirit
  world, most of them tend to look a bit otherworldly,
  with thin physiques, pale skins and haunted eyes
  that dart about as though seeing what others do
  not. They tend to lack stamina, and quite a few are
  actually rather frail and sickly, yet even they have
  a sort of ethereal grace about them. Many people
  are initially attracted to Godefroys because of their
  unearthly air and delicate beauty, but after a while,
  acquaintances tend to become uncomfortable
  around them. Godefroys often seem privy to secrets
  that no one could know — family secrets, crimes
  long covered up, locations of lost treasure and
  other such information that they receive from their
  ghostly friends, either verbally or as flashes of
  intuition.
  A Godefroy character acts more often on the
  basis of intuition than cold, hard fact. He trusts
  what he cannot see as much as, or perhaps even
  more than what he can see. His conversations are
  often characterized by quick changes of topic or
  remarks out of nowhere — as though he were
  holding multiple conversations, only one of which
  the listener can hear.
  Claiming Membership
  Lord Godefroy’s direct line ended with his
  daughter Lilia, who produced no offspring before
  she died. However, his close relatives intermarried
  with the Foxgroves and the Weathermays in Mor-
  dent, so characters from any of these families may
  claim Godefroy blood. Many such distant relatives
  of Lord Godefroy live in Mordentshire and else-
  where.
  Additionally, some members of these families
  were prominent adventurers who traveled widely,
  so they may have offspring, legitimate or otherwise,
  in other realms as a result of affairs with former
  companions or even wedded unions. Adopted chil-
  dren, while they do not bear the Godefroy bloodline,
  may nonetheless have a heightened sensitivity to
  the spirits due to their close proximity to ethereal
  occurrences.
  Godefroy Family Traits
  • –2 Constitution, +2 Charisma: The
  Godefroys tend to be rather frail and sickly, but
  they possess a certain captivating presence and
  ethereal loveliness.
  
  65
  The Godefroy Family
  • Spirit Sensibility: A Godefroy receives a +2
  bonus on Sense Motive checks involving spirits or
  ghosts. However, Godefroys tend to be somewhat
  unused to normal human interaction, so they suffer
  a –1 penalty on Sense Motive checks involving
  other living beings.
  • Spiritual Magnetism: Any free-ranging ghost
  (or other incorporeal undead) within a 1-mile
  radius of a Godefroy must make a DC 15 Will save
  or be attracted to him. The ghost thereafter stays
  near the Godefroy character until forced to leave
  with a successful Intimidate check opposed to the
  ghost’s Will save. Such a ghost does its best to make
  itself known to the character, and feels compelled
  to relate its life and death story to the character,
  whether the latter wants to listen or not. Other-
  wise, the behavior of such spirits is left to the DM
  to decide, as dictated by alignment, intelligence
  and situation.
  • Haunting Curse: If a Godefroy kills one of
  his own race (i.e., human, half-elf, half-Vistani, or
  caliban, as appropriate), the slain victim may make
  a DC 15 Will save to return as a ghost to haunt his
  slayer. Such a ghost always possesses the draining
  touch ability (see Ghost in the Monster Manual).
  • Ghostly Afterlife: A Godefroy automati-
  cally becomes a ghost upon death. The details and
  powers of the ghostly character are left to the player
  and DM to decide.
  Family Feats
  When creating a Godefroy character, the player
  or DM should select at least one of the character’s
  feats from the following list (or from among those
  new feats listed further below): Cold OneR,
  CourageR, DabblerH, Eschew Materials, Ethereal
  EmpathyR, Ethereal TouchC, GhostsightR,
  HauntedR, Improved Turning, Investigator, Iron
  Will, JadedR, Kiss of DawnH, KnowledgeableH,
  Magical Aptitude, MuseV, Negotiator, Nine LivesV,
  Open MindR, Persuasive, Second SightC, Voice of
  the SpiritsG3, Warding GestureV, or WealthH.
  The Godefroy have a number of unique feats
  available to them. A character of Godefroy ances-
  try can select any of the following feats, as long as
  he meets the feat’s requirements. (Naturally, a DM
  may allow characters other than Godefroy acquire
  these feats as well, although she should carefully
  consider the matter first.)
  Mist Sight [General]
  Concentrating briefly allows you to see what
  others cannot.
  Prerequisites: Wis 13, Cha 13, GhostsightR.
  Benefit: As a full-round action, you can at-
  tune yourself to perceive the spiritual world around
  you. This effectively grants you the blindsense
  ability out to a number of feet equal 5 x your
  Wisdom modifier (minimum 5 feet), but only with
  respect to living creatures that have a soul, or to
  incorporeal and ethereal creatures of spirit. This
  ability lasts for a number of rounds equal to your
  Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round). While
  this ability remains in effect, you are effectively
  blind to constructs and other creatures that have
  no soul (including characters with the HollowC
  feat).
  You can use this ability a number of times per
  day equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier.
  Poltergeist Hands [General]
  You can call upon the spirits around you to
  move things beyond the reach of your hands.
  Prerequisites: Cha 15.
  Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all Sleight of
  Hand checks. In addition, as a full-round action,
  you can use unseen servant as a spell-like ability, up
  to a maximum number of times per day equal to
  your Charisma modifier. Your effective caster level
  is 1st.
  Threatening Presence [General]
  You are exceedingly good at intimidating
  people.
  Prerequisites: Cha 13.
  Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Intimidate
  checks. In addition, as a standard action, you can
  make an Intimidate check (DC 10 + one-half the
  target’s total HD) against a single sentient creature
  within 30 feet and in line of sight. If your check
  succeeds and the creature has fewer Hit Dice than
  you, it is shaken (–2 penalty on attack rolls, saving
  throws, skill checks and ability checks) for 1d4
  rounds and must flee from you as quickly as it can.
  Once it can no longer see or hear you, it can act as
  it chooses. However, if it comes into sight or
  hearing range of you again before the duration of
  the effect expires, it must flee once more. Creatures
  unable to flee can fight, though they are still
  shaken.
  
  66
  Chapter Five: Blood of the Haunted
  If you succeed on the Intimidate check against
  a creature whose Hit Dice are equal to or greater
  than your own, it is still shaken for 1d4 rounds but
  need not flee.
  Frightening a creature in this manner is a
  mind-affecting fear effect. Once a creature success-
  fully saves against your threatening presence, it is
  immune to that presence for 24 hours.
  Family Classes
  he Godefroys are attracted to classes
  that capitalize on their innate intuition,
  their high Charisma and their affinity
  for spirits. Few take up military profes-
  sions because of the family’s haunting
  curse, and those few who do often go mad; likewise,
  Godefroys almost never become assassins.
  The following prestige classes are available to
  members of the Godefroy bloodline. At the DM’s
  discretion, they may also be made available to
  other characters who meet the prerequisites.
  Accomplished Medium
  The accomplished medium has embraced his
  natural affinity for the spirit world and used it to aid
  both the living and the dead in finding peace.
  Many take up this prestige class because of positive
  experiences with ghosts early in their lives. In
  general, accomplished mediums make their livings
  by passing information from spirits to living people.
  Often they contact deceased loved ones on behalf
  of grieving relatives to ensure that they rest in
  peace, but sometimes they do so to ask questions of
  the dead. Alternatively, ghosts may contact medi-
  ums to pass along information that for one reason
  or another they cannot communicate directly to
  the living persons involved. For example, a ghost
  might wish to warn a loved one about an unseen
  danger, or reveal the location of a family treasure,
  or detail how to lay her to rest.
  Bards are most frequently drawn to this pres-
  tige class, since it plays directly to their
  conversational and persuasive abilities. Clerics and
  paladins sometimes take up this class because of
  their natural insight and their constant dealings
  with life and death. Necromancers do not often
  take up this path because they gain power from
  controlling undead, not from simply communicat-
  ing with them. Rogues and charlatans who pretend
  to have the ability to speak with the dead occasion-
  ally find that they actually have it, and then decide
  to take up the path of the medium.
  Fighters, rangers and other characters who
  specialize in killing rarely find this path appealing,
  since they do not usually desire to meet again with
  those they have slain; in some rare cases, though, a
  fighting-class Godefroy may take up this prestige
  class as a means of dealing with the spirits of those
  he has slain.
  Hit Die: d6.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become an accomplished me-
  dium (Amd), a character must fulfill all the
  following criteria.
  Skills: Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks, Perform
  (acting, oratory, or singing) 4 ranks.
  Feat: Ethereal EmpathyR, GhostsightR.
  Special: The candidate must have encoun-
  tered and interacted with a ghost or some other
  incorporeal undead creature.
  Class Skills
  The accomplished medium’s class skills (and
  the key ability for each skill) are Concentration
  (Con), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (all
  skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Per-
  form (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense
  Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int) and Spot (Wis).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
  Class Features
  All the following are class features of the
  accomplished medium prestige class.
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Accom-
  plished mediums gain no proficiency with any
  weapon, armor, or shield.
  Spells per Day: Beginning at 1st level, an
  accomplished medium gains the ability to cast a
  small number of arcane spells. To cast a spell, an
  accomplished medium must have a Charisma score
  of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so an accomplished
  medium with a Charisma of 10 or lower cannot cast
  these spells. Accomplished medium bonus spells
  are based on Charisma, and saving throws against
  these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the
  accomplished medium’s Cha modifier. An accom-
  plished medium casts spells just as a sorcerer does.
  Upon reaching 6th level, and at every even-
  numbered level thereafter (8th and 10th), an
  accomplished medium can choose to learn a new
  spell in place of one he already knows. The new
  
  67
  The Godefroy Family
  spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell
  being exchanged, and it must be at least 2 levels
  lower than the highest-level accomplished me-
  dium spell the character can cast. An accomplished
  medium may swap only a single spell at any given
  level, and he must choose whether or not to swap
  the spell at the same time that he gains new spells
  known for that level.
  Cantrips: At 1st level, the ac-
  complished medium can use
  a number of cantrips as
  spell-like abilities. He
  may use a number of
  cantrips each day
  equal to 3 + his
  Charisma modifier,
  and may choose
  freely among the fol-
  lowing cantrips any
  time he uses this
  ability: Dancing
  lights, daze, detect
  magic, ghost sound,
  guidance, know direc-
  tion, light, mage hand,
  message and open/
  close. Where appli-
  cable, the save DC is 10
  + 
  the 
  accomplished
  medium’s Charisma modi-
  fier; effective caster level
  equals accomplished medium
  level.
  Turn/Rebuke Undead
  (Su): At 1st level, the accom-
  plished medium gains the
  supernatural ability to turn or
  rebuke undead as if he were a cleric
  of the same level. He may use this
  ability a number of times per day
  equal to 3 + his Charisma modi-
  fier. If the accomplished medium
  already has the ability to turn or re-
  buke undead from some other source
  (such as cleric levels), these levels stack.
  Spirit Counselor (Su): Starting at 2nd level,
  the accomplished medium gains access to a friendly
  spirit who can provide him with advice and infor-
  mation. Each use of this ability requires one daily
  use of the accomplished medium’s turn/rebuke
  undead ability. The spirit counselor’s powers de-
  pend on the accomplished medium’s level; in each
  case, the effect occurs as if the accomplished me-
  dium had cast the spell noted below (caster level
  equals accomplished medium’s character level).
  2nd-level or higher: locate object.
  4th-level or higher: augury.
  6th-level or higher: speak with dead.
  8th-level or higher: discern lies.
  10th-level or higher: greater scrying.
  A spirit counselor can pro-
  vide any effect allowed by
  the 
  accomplished
  medium’s level, but each
  still counts as a use of
  this power. That is, a
  10th-level accom-
  plished medium uses
  up one daily use of
  turn/rebuke undead
  whether he calls upon
  his spirit for locate ob-
  ject or greater scrying.
  Mist Sight: At 3rd
  level, the accomplished
  medium gains Mist Sight*
  as a bonus feat.
  Improved Mist Sight
  (Ex): At 5th level, the ac-
  complished medium’s vision
  range with his Mist Sight*
  feat doubles to a number of
  feet equal to 10 x his Cha-
  risma modifier.
  Extra Turning: At
  7th level, the accom-
  plished medium gains
  Extra Turning as a bonus
  feat.
  Greater Mist Sight
  (Ex): At 9th level, the ac-
  complished medium’s vision
  range with his Mist Sight* feat
  increases to a number of feet equal
  to 15 x his Charisma modifier.
  Accomplished Medium Spell List
  Accomplished mediums choose their spells
  from the following list.
  1st Level: Comprehend languages, deathwatch,
  detect secret doors, detect undead, hide from undead,
  hypnotism, magic mouth, see ethereal resonanceV,
  
  68
  Chapter Five: Blood of the Haunted
  sleep, speak with animals, true strike, unseen servant,
  ventriloquism.
  2nd Level: Corpse whisperG2, darkness, daze
  monster, detect thoughts, enthrall, find traps, gentle
  repose, hypnotic pattern, insightV, misdirection, sta-
  tus, suggestion, tongues, whispering wind.
  3rd Level: Arcane sight, blink, clairaudience/
  clairvoyance, daylight, deeper darkness, deep slumber,
  diminish undeadV, dispel magic, eyes of the undeadG2,
  gaseous form, glibness, remove curse, scrying.
  4th Level: Break enchantment, death ward,
  detect scrying, dimensional anchor, divination, free-
  dom of movement, legend lore, locate creature, modify
  memory, speak with plants, zone of silence.
  Table 5–1: Accomplished Medium Spells Known
  — Spells Known —
  Level
         1st
  2nd
  3rd
  4th
  1st
  3
  –
  –
  –
  2nd
  3
  3
  –
  –
  3rd
  3
  3
  3
  –
  4th
  4
  4
  3
  –
  5th
  4
  4
  3
  3
  6th
  4
  4
  4
  3
  7th
  4
  4
  4
  4
  8th
  5
  5
  4
  4
  9th
  5
  5
  5
  4
  10th
  5
  5
  5
  5
  Table 5–2: The Accomplished Medium
  Level
  Base Attack
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
  — Spells per Day —
  Bonus
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1st
  2nd
  3rd
  4th
  1st            +0
  +2
  +0
  +2
  Cantrips, turn/rebuke undead
  1
  –
  –
  –
  2nd          +1
  +3
  +0
  +3
  Spirit counselor (locate object)
  1
  1
  –
  –
  3rd          +2
  +3
  +1
  +3
  Mist Sight
  1
  1
  1
  –
  4th          +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Spirit counselor (augury)
  2
  2
  1
  –
  5th          +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Improved mist sight
  2
  2
  1
  1
  6th          +4
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Spirit counselor (speak with dead)
  2
  2
  2
  1
  7th          +5
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Extra Turning
  2
  2
  2
  2
  8th          +6
  +6
  +2
  +6
  Spirit counselor (discern lies) 3
  3
  2
  2
  9th          +6
  +6
  +3
  +6
  Greater mist sight
  3
  3
  3
  2
  10th        +7
  +7
  +3
  +7
  Spirit counselor (greater scrying) 3
  3
  3
  3
  Divine Exorcist
  The divine exorcist can force spirits to do her
  will. Most divine exorcists specialize in freeing
  others from ghosts who possess them, their loved
  ones, or their property, but members of this prestige
  class can free people of any form of control by other
  creatures, corporeal or otherwise. Thus, a divine
  exorcist can negate a vampire’s domination, a
  wizard’s charm, or a bard’s fascination as well as a
  ghost’s possession.
  Virtually all divine exorcists have had careers
  as clerics or paladins, though some may also have
  training in arcane spellcasting or in the talents of
  rogues. Some divine exorcists are attached to
  churches or other formal religious organizations,
  but a few are solo practitioners.
  Hit Die: d8.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a divine exorcist (Dve),
  a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
  Alignment: Any good.
  Skills: Intimidate 5 ranks, Knowledge (reli-
  gion) 5 ranks.
  Feats: Ethereal EmpathyR, Extra Turning,
  Threatening Presence*.
  Spells: Ability to cast 3rd-level divine spells.
  Special: Ability to turn undead.
  Class Skills
  The divine exorcist’s class skills (and the key ability for
  each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Gather
  Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all
  skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Search
  (Int), Sense Motive (Wis) and Spellcraft (Int).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
  
  69
  The Godefroy Family
  Class Features
  All the following are class features of the
  divine exorcist prestige class.
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Divine ex-
  orcists gain no proficiency with any weapon, armor,
  or shield.
  Spellcasting: At every even-numbered divine
  exorcist level, the character gains new spells per
  day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had
  also gained a level in whatever divine spellcasting
  class had granted her access to 3rd-level divine
  spells. She does not, however, gain any other
  benefit a character of that class would have gained
  (improved ability to turn undead and so on), ex-
  cept for an increased effective level of spellcasting.
  This essentially means that she adds the level of
  divine exorcist to the level of her previous divine
  spellcasting class, then determines spells per day,
  spells known and caster level accordingly.
  If the character has more than one divine
  spellcasting class that grants her access to 3rd-level
  divine spells, she must decide to which class she
  adds each level of divine exorcist for the purpose of
  determining spells per day and spells known.
  See Possession (Su): At 1st level, as a full-
  round action, the divine exorcist may observe any
  creature or object within line of sight and deter-
  mine whether the target is currently possessed by
  another entity. A possessing entity that has a
  higher Charisma score than the divine exorcist can
  make a Will save (DC 10 + divine exorcist level +
  divine exorcist’s Cha modifier) to remain unseen;
  if the save succeeds, the divine exorcist’s see pos-
  session power cannot reveal that entity for 24
  hours. (If the divine exorcist has 5 or more ranks in
  Sense Motive, add +2 to the save DC.) Otherwise,
  the divine exorcist sees the possessor’s outline
  superimposed over the subject.
  Once the divine exorcist sees an entity pos-
  sessing a subject, he continues to see that entity for
  as long as he keeps the subject in line of sight, or
  until the entity leaves the subject. After leaving
  the subject, the entity may or may not be visible,
  depending on its nature and abilities. If the pos-
  sessed subject leaves the divine exorcist’s line of
  sight, the divine exorcist also loses sight of the
  possessing entity and must use this power again to
  see the possessing entity the next time he views the
  formerly possessed subject.
  Smite Possessor (Su): At 1st level, a divine
  exorcist can strike a supernatural blow against an
  entity possessing a creature or object, provided that
  he has used his see possessor power to reveal the
  possessing entity. To do so, he makes a melee touch
  attack against the possessed subject. If the attack
  hits, the divine exorcist makes an Intimidate check
  as a free action; this is opposed by the possessing
  entity’s Will save.
  If the Intimidate check succeeds by 4 or less,
  the possessing entity takes 1d4 points of Charisma
  damage. If it succeeds by 5 or more, the entity takes
  1d4+1 points of Charisma damage and is immedi-
  ately driven from the subject. For the next 2d6
  rounds, the entity must move away from the divine
  exorcist at its fastest available speed. If it cannot
  move, it cowers instead. In any case, the entity
  cannot attempt to possess the same subject again
  for 24 hours.
  
  70
  Chapter Five: Blood of the Haunted
  If the divine exorcist uses this power in a
  sinkhole of evil, the possessing entity gains the
  sinkhole’s numerical value as a bonus to its Will
  save to resist the smite.
  This ability deals only half the usual amount of
  Charisma damage to darklords capable of possess-
  ing others, and it cannot drive them out. The DM
  may also designate other creatures that cannot be
  driven out. This ability is a supernatural assault
  that pits the divine exorcist’s will against the
  possessor’s will. It is effective against creatures of
  any type or kind, even those normally immune to
  fear effects.
  The divine exorcist can use this ability a
  number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma
  modifier. Starting at 5th level, the divine exorcist
  can use this power a number of times per day equal
  to 4 + his Charisma modifier.
  Shielded Soul (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, the
  divine exorcist develops an inner strength that
  helps him resist assaults on his mind or being. He
  adds his divine exorcist level to any saving throw
  he makes to resist any charm, compulsion, negative
  energy effect, or effect from the school of necro-
  mancy.
  See Control (Su): At 3rd level, as a full-round
  action, the divine exorcist may observe any crea-
  ture or object within line of sight and determine
  whether the target is currently under a charm or
  compulsion effect. If the subject is under such an
  effect, the divine exorcist sees a luminous trail (the
  “path of control”) that leads off in the direction of
  the controller. If the controlling entity is also
  within the divine exorcist’s line of sight, she sees
  the path connect to both the controller and the
  victim. No one except the divine exorcist can see
  this path.
  A controller that has a higher Charisma score
  than the divine exorcist can make a Will save (DC
  10 + divine exorcist level + divine exorcist’s Cha
  modifier) to keep its path of control unseen; if the
  save succeeds, the divine exorcist’s see possession
  power cannot reveal that path of control for 24
  hours. (If the divine exorcist has 5 or more ranks in
  Sense Motive, add +2 to the save DC.) Otherwise,
  the divine exorcist sees the possessor’s outline
  superimposed over the subject.
  Once the divine exorcist notes a path of con-
  trol or a controller, he continues to see the trail
  connecting the two as long as he keeps the subject
  (or the controller) in line of sight, or until the
  control ends. If the divine exorcist does not keep
  the subject or the controller in line of sight, he also
  loses sight of the path connecting the two and must
  use this power again to see the path of control the
  next time he views the formerly possessed subject.
  Smite Controller (Su): At 3rd level, a divine
  exorcist can strike a supernatural blow against an
  entity using a charm or compulsion effect on an-
  other creature, provided that he has used his see
  control power to reveal the controlling entity. To
  do so, he makes a melee touch attack against either
  the controlled subject or the controller. On a
  successful hit, the divine exorcist makes an Intimi-
  date check as a free action; this is opposed by the
  controller’s Will save.
  If the Intimidate check succeeds by 4 or less,
  the controller suffers wracking pains that impose a
  –2 penalty on all attack rolls, ability checks, skill
  checks, level checks and saving throws for 1 minute.
  If the Intimidate check succeeds by 5 or more, the
  controller suffers wracking pains as above, and the
  charm or compulsion effect ends immediately, even
  if it cannot normally be dispelled. If the divine
  exorcist smites the same entity several times, the
  penalties from the resulting pain stack (as penalties
  generally do).
  If the divine exorcist uses this power in a
  sinkhole of evil, the controller gains the sinkhole’s
  numerical value as a bonus to its Will save to resist
  the smite.
  The divine exorcist can use this ability a
  number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma
  modifier. Starting at 7th level, the divine exorcist
  can use this power a number of times per day equal
  to 4 + his Charisma modifier.
  Bonus Feat: At 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th levels,
  the divine exorcist gains one bonus feat from the
  following list: CourageR, Death’s FavorC, Ethereal
  TouchC, GhostsightR, Greater Spell Focus (abjura-
  tion), Greater Spell Penetration, Greater
  Supernatural ResilienceG3, HexbreakerV, Improved
  Turning, IndomitableV, Kiss of DawnH, Mist Sight*,
  Open MindR, Persuasive, Spirit of LightV, Skill
  Focus (Intimidate), Spell Focus (abjuration), Spell
  Penetration, Supernatural ResilienceG3, Voice of
  the SpiritsG3, or Warding GestureV.
  The divine exorcist must meet all the usual
  prerequisites for these feats.
  Break Control (Ex): Starting at 6th level, the
  divine exorcist can break loose from enchantment
  effects placed on her and from attempts to posses
  her. If the divine exorcist is affected by an enchant-
  ment spell or effect, or is possessed, and fails her
  
  71
  The Godefroy Family
  saving throw, she can attempt the save again 1
  round later at the same DC. If that attempt fails,
  the divine exorcist can try again after 1 hour, and
  if that save fails, she can try again each day there-
  after.
  Dispel Evil (Sp): Starting at 9th level, the
  divine exorcist can use dispel evil, as the spell, a
  number of times per day equal to his Charisma
  bonus (caster level equals divine exorcist level).
  Table 5–3: The Divine Exorcist
  Level
  Base Attack
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
  Class  Spellcasting
  Bonus
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1st             +0
  +2
  +0
  +2
  See possession, smite possessor
  2nd           +1
  +3
  +0
  +3
  Shielded soul
  +1 level of existing divine
  spellcasting class
  3rd           +2
  +3
  +1
  +3
  See control, smite controller
  4th           +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Bonus feat
  +1 level of existing divine
  spellcasting class
  5th           +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Smite possessor +1/day
  6th           +4
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Bonus feat, break control
  +1 level of existing divine
  spellcasting class
  7th           +5
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Smite dominator +1/day
  8th           +6
  +6
  +2
  +6
  Bonus feat
  +1 level of existing divine
  spellcasting class
  9th           +6
  +6
  +3
  +6
  Dispel evil
  10th          +7
  +7
  +3
  +7
  Bonus feat
  +1 level of existing divine
  spellcasting class
  Family Magic
  New Spells
  The Godefroys who take up spellcasting classes
  have created a few spells that deal with the spirit
  world. These spells are available to members of the
  family and, at the DM’s discretion, to other
  spellcasting characters.
  Dirge
  Necromancy
  Level:
  Level:
  Level:
  Level:
  Level: Brd 1
  Components:
  Components:
  Components:
  Components:
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time:
  Casting Time:
  Casting Time:
  Casting Time:
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range:
  Range:
  Range:
  Range:
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target:
  Target:
  Target:
  Target:
  Target: You
  Duration:
  Duration:
  Duration:
  Duration:
  Duration: Concentration, maximum 1 round/level
  Saving Throw:
  Saving Throw:
  Saving Throw:
  Saving Throw:
  Saving Throw: None (see text)
  Spell Resistance:
  Spell Resistance:
  Spell Resistance:
  Spell Resistance:
  Spell Resistance: No (see text)
  After you cast dirge, all mind-affecting abilities from
  your bardic music (fascinate, inspire courage, inspire
  competence, suggestion, inspire greatness, inspire heroics
  and mass suggestion) become necromantic effects. While
  this effect lasts, these bardic music abilities affect undead
  creatures, even though undead normally are immune to
  mind-affecting spells and abilities; however, they have
  no effect on creatures of other types.
  Concentrating to maintain this spell requires
  a standard action each round, but you can use a
  bardic music ability each round as part of that
  standard action.
  You must use this spell on yourself. The spell
  allows no saving throw and spell resistance isn’t
  applicable, but these parameters refer only to the
  spell’s effect on you. The undead creatures subjected
  to your bardic music are still entitled to saving throws
  against your subsequent music used, and their spell
  resistance (if any) also applies normally.
  Eternal Rest
  Necromancy
  Level:
  Level:
  Level:
  Level:
  Level: Clr 6
  Components:
  Components:
  Components:
  Components:
  Components: V, S, DF
  Casting Time:
  Casting Time:
  Casting Time:
  Casting Time:
  Casting Time: 1 standard action
  Range:
  Range:
  Range:
  Range:
  Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Effect:
  Effect:
  Effect:
  Effect:
  Effect: Ray (see text)
  Duration:
  Duration:
  Duration:
  Duration:
  Duration: Instantaneous
  Saving Throw:
  Saving Throw:
  Saving Throw:
  Saving Throw:
  Saving Throw: Will partial (see text)
  Spell Resistance:
  Spell Resistance:
  Spell Resistance:
  Spell Resistance:
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  
  72
  Chapter Five: Blood of the Haunted
  This spell creates a ray of golden light that
  destroys one undead creature’s material body (if it
  has one), causing it to crumble to dust, which is
  then wafted away in a swirling breeze. This spell
  affects incorporeal undead without the usual incor-
  poreal miss chance, and such a creature merely
  winks out of existence if it fails its save.
  If the target makes a successful save, it still
  takes 6d6 points of damage. If the creature has a
  special quality that allows it to return after destruc-
  tion (such as a vampire’s fast healing power or a
  ghost’s rejuvenation power), the creature gains a
  bonus equal to its Charisma modifier on its saving
  throw. If such a creature fails its saving throw
  against this spell, it must make a successful Will
  save at the same DC (also with its Charisma
  modifier as a bonus) to return. If the creature’s
  method of return normally requires a saving throw
  (as a ghost’s rejuvenation power does), the creature
  must first make that saving throw, then make the
  Will saving throw against this spell.
  You can improve your chance of success by
  presenting at least one object or substance that the
  target hates, fears, or otherwise finds repulsive or
  painful (such as a mirror and bud of garlic for a
  vampire). For each such object or substance, you
  gain a +1 bonus on your caster level check to
  overcome the target’s spell resistance (if any), and
  the spell’s saving throw DC increases by +1. A
  particular creature’s history might suggest addi-
  tional objects or substances that would make the
  spell more effective.
  This spell can also be cast when an undead
  creature has been physically destroyed and its re-
  mains are not present. In this case, the spell must be
  aimed at the spot where the creature was destroyed,
  and it must be used within 1 minute of the undead
  creature’s destruction. No attack roll is required for
  this use of the spell.
  This spell can destroy an undead darklord’s
  physical form, but it cannot prevent the darklord
  from returning.
  New Magic Items
  The Godefroys have developed a number of
  magic items that deal with safeguarding the soul or
  mimicking the powers of ghosts.
  Cloak of Ghostwalking: This lightweight gar-
  ment is usually made from pale silk. A character
  wearing it feels light on her feet and gains a +2
  circumstance bonus on Jump and Move Silently
  checks. She also takes half normal damage from falls.
  
  73
  The Godefroy Family
  Three times per day, the wearer can use the cloak to
  walk through a solid object no thicker than her space;
  for example, a human wearer has a space of 5 feet and
  so could walk through a wall 5 feet thick.
  Faint transmutation; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous
  Item, blink, Price 15,000 gp; Weight 1/4 lb.
  Ghost Trap: This item resembles a pear-shaped
  crystal flask with a silver stopper. When the wielder
  uncorks the flask, he can target any incorporeal
  creature or manifested ghost within 30 feet and
  attempt to force the creature into the flask. The
  attempt succeeds unless the target creature suc-
  ceeds on a DC 22 Will save. Once the flask has
  successfully trapped a creature, it permanently seals
  itself and cannot be used again. If the target makes
  a successful saving throw, the flask does not func-
  tion again for 24 hours.
  A creature trapped in the flask remains trapped
  more or less permanently, but it can attempt a new
  saving throw once per year to escape confinement.
  If the save succeeds, the flask shatters. The flask
  can also be broken open, which releases the crea-
  ture. The flask is a Diminutive object with a hardness
  of 5 and 25 hit points.
  The flask cannot trap a darklord. If it is used in
  a sinkhole of evil, the target creature adds the
  sinkhole’s numeric value as a profane bonus to its
  saving throw.
  Strong conjuration; CL 15th; Craft Wondrous
  Item, trap the soul, Price 48,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
  Gloves of Ghost-Fingers: These pale silken
  gloves make the wearer’s hands seem almost trans-
  lucent. When the wearer has them on, her unarmed
  strikes, weapon attacks, natural weapon attacks,
  spells and other magical attacks have only a 20%
  miss chance when aimed at incorporeal creatures,
  rather than the usual 50%.
  Faint transmutation; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous
  Item, true strike, Price 8,000 gp; Weight 1/4 lb.
  Amulet of Life Protection
  These items come in two levels of power, lesser
  and greater. Whatever its strength, an amulet of life
  protection typically consists of a gold or platinum
  locket. Opening it reveals a piece of jet in one half
  of the locket and a caduceus or ankh on the other
  side. The amulet is a Fine object with a hardness of
  8 and 20 hit points.
  Lesser Amulet of Life Protection: When a char-
  acter wearing this item dies, her soul and body are
  immediately placed inside the amulet (even if some
  other effect would otherwise trap or destroy body and/or
  soul), where they remain until the amulet is destroyed or
  the soul and body are released by some other means. A
  spell such as raise dead, resurrection, or true resurrection
  cast on the amulet restores the body and soul held inside
  as a normal casting of the spell. An eternal rest spell cast
  on the amulet destroys the body and lays the soul
  permanently to rest if the creature inside fails its saving
  throw. Destroying the amulet causes the body to reform
  on the spot and sets the soul loose to whatever fate
  awaited it at the original time of death. In any case,
  releasing the soul and body from the amulet destroys the
  amulet.
  While the soul and body are held in the
  amulet, a speak with dead spell cast on the amulet
  allows the caster to converse with the creature
  inside. A character with the GhostsightR feat, the
  see possession* class feature, or the true seeing spell
  in effect can see the outline of the creature inside
  the amulet superimposed over it.
  The smite controller class feature (from the divine
  exorcist* prestige class) can force the soul stored in the
  amulet to depart if the creature inside fails its check to
  resist the attempt by 5 or more, but the attempt does not
  deal any Charisma damage to the creature. If the smite
  attempt drives the occupant out, the body is destroyed
  and the soul is laid permanently to rest.
  Moderate necromancy; CL 9th; Craft Won-
  drous Item, plane shift, Price 22,500 gp; Weight 1/4 lb.
  Greater Amulet of Life Protection: This item
  functions as a lesser amulet of life protection, except
  that the wearer returns to life 2d4–1 days after
  death, just as if he had received a resurrection spell.
  A creature held within the amulet gets a +4 bonus
  on any save or check it makes to resist being driven
  out and/or permanently laid to rest.
  Strong necromancy; CL 12th; Craft Won-
  drous Item, plane shift, resurrection, Price 68,000 gp;
  Weight 1/4 lb.
  Story Hook
  A distant cousin of the Weathermay-Foxgrove
  twins needs an introduction to them and a guide to
  an estate she has inherited that is reported to be
  haunted. The twins direct her to a Godefroy PC,
  whom they say is likely to be able to divine the true
  nature of the place for her. The estate once be-
  longed to a Godefroy — not Wilfred, but it is
  indeed haunted by Wilfred’s cousin Herman and
  Herman’s son Mento. The ghosts are not willing to
  leave, so the powers of an exorcist may also be
  required. Or perhaps an accommodation can be
  negotiated.
  
  74
  Chapter Six: Blood of Madness
  Chapter Six:
  Blood of
  Madne<<
   The Hiregaard
  Family
  Chapter Six:
  Blood of
  Madne<<
   The Hiregaard
  Family
  
  75
  The HiregaardFamily
  Dearest Grandfather,
  Although Castle Faerhaven is but a swift ride away, I feel I do not have the time
  to leave my post here in Kantora, so letters will have to suffice. I have only been the city’s
  chief constable for two weeks, but the corruption I have witnessed in this city already
  challenges the imagination. Much has changed since you controlled law and order here.
  I know you hate it when we speak ill of Prince Othmar or other nobles — that you
  believe they would not be allowed by the Lawgiver to retain their positions of privilege
  and power if they were indeed as debauched as detractors would portray them. On my
  first night in Kantora, however, Othmar’s third son Vilmar invited me to a feast at his
  estate; I was so sickened by the behavior I witnessed there that I was forced to leave.
  Among the “entertainments” was the spectacle of an unarmed horse thief forced to battle
  for his life in a pit against two ravenous and wounded plains cats. I can’t even put down
  upon paper what one of the guests did to a dancing girl while Vilmar cheered him on.
  If not for the fact that I have known Vilmar’s whereabouts the last time the fiend
  Malken was engaging in his murderous “amusements” across town, I should think I had
  found the person who must have adopted the mantle.
  Yes, grandfather, I say “adopted the mantle” because am convinced that the Malken
  currently taunting law enforcers and menacing prostitutes and courtesans is not the
  same Malken that you had to contend with in your youth — or even the same Malken
  that my father attempted to capture. The vague descriptions I have collected of him so
  far make him far too young to have been the same villain as years past. Like the mantle
  of guardianship, truth and justice that has been passed from Hiregaard fathers to sons,
  so do I believe that something similar has happened in Malken’s circle. (I cannot say
  family, as I find it inconceivable that such a monster could have a family.)
  I think you can tell from this letter that Malken and his underworld forces rank
  high on my list of things to eliminate from life here in Kantora. The vile excesses of the
  ruling class are also something to be curbed, but I am forced to admit that perhaps
  realism needs to encroach upon my ideals. At least for the present.
  I believe this city has grown far worse than what you remember, grandfather, and
  I think it’s important that we Hiregaards once again exert the sort of authority in this
  place that you once did, both in the effort to eliminate Malken and for the good of the
  entire city. I intend to write to a number of my brothers, nephews, nieces and cousins
  in the hopes that they will join me as constables in Kantora. The citizens need justice,
  and I do not believe that Prince Othmar is willing or able to provide it. It is up to us to
  take action, openly or covertly.
  I hope you will give me your support, if not publicly then at least in your heart.
  Your Loving Grandson,
  Stepan
  
  76
  Chapter Six: Blood of Madness
  The Hiregaards
  he Hiregaard family has ruled northern
  Nova Vaasa for all of the land’s recorded
  history. The most ancient of epic tales
  credited to Vaasi bards chronicle how
  the Hiregaards came to the defense of
  settlers menaced by savage cultists who worshipped
  an evil cat goddess. They built Castle Faerhaven to
  provide protection for the common man and as an
  eternal symbol of the family’s devotion to defend-
  ing the weak and the blameless. The current leader
  of the family, Sir Tristen Hiregaard, has always
  seemed strangely embarrassed by this story, mostly
  because he claims there is no evidence that it is
  true. For many Vaasi, however, it is an illustration
  that the Hiregaards have been their protectors
  since the land was settled.
  Several generations of Hiregaards presently
  live in Castle Faerhaven with Sir Tristen. He has
  ruled his lands from within its austere walls for
  roughly ninety years, having come to power at a
  young age after the tragic deaths of his mother and
  father. Nature — or some other power — has
  blessed the Hiregaard bloodline with robust health
  and exceedingly smooth features, so that Sir Tristen
  seems barely above 60 years in age. His three grown
  sons Yorgi, Sasha and Myar live with their families
  in the castle as well. Those of Tristen’s grandsons
  and granddaughters who have come of age and
  started families of their own have mostly moved to
  Liara, Kantora, or to one of several outlying manor
  houses to better keep their lands and business
  managed in the tradition befitting their family
  heritage.
  Out of the five Vaasi noble houses, the
  Hiregaards are the strongest — perhaps not mili-
  tarily, but certainly politically and economically.
  They are the unquestioned masters of the lands
  between the Dnar, Borchava and Little Borchava
  Rivers, as well as the town of Liara. Though Prince
  Othmar suspended the traditional system of rotat-
  ing rulership among the five noble families in favor
  of his own permanent despotic regime, the
  Hiregaards have gained a large degree of influence
  in Othmar’s capitol of Kantora. The long service
  that family patriarch Tristen Hiregaard gave to
  Kantora as its chief law enforcement officer is
  carried on through the current service of his eldest
  grandson Stepan.
  Annual tax collections within the Hiregaard
  demesne are never marred by peasant uprisings or
  merchant protests, such as are common in the
  domain’s southern regions; the Hiregaards are never
  brutal with those under their rule, but are well-
  loved for remaining true to their traditional course
  of honoring and protecting the weak. The
  Hiregaards do not permit laziness or corruption
  among their peasants and retainers, and everyone
  is expected to work hard and pay their fair share of
  taxes to Nova Vaasa’s overlord, Prince Othmar.
  While those who attempt to evade taxes or labor
  are punished firmly, those who are truly frail or ill
  are given much lighter tasks and are well-treated by
  their hereditary lords.
  Yet the Hiregaards are not retiring or effete.
  They may not work the fields or the Koshka quar-
  ries that supply food and a tax base for their lands,
  but young members of the family are expected to
  help manage the farms and quarries firsthand, and
  to serve in the militias that protect the people from
  beasts and bandits.
  The Hiregaard family works to improve the
  state of affairs both inside and outside Nova Vaasa.
  Decades ago Sir Tristen shipped food and supplies
  to Tepest when crops failed there one season. Every
  year, Tristen or one of his sons can be found at the
  court of Prince Othmar, arguing that the tax bur-
  den on Vaasi peasants and merchants should be
  reduced so that they can spend less time working
  and more time enjoying their families, as the nobles
  do. At best, however, the Hiregaards manage only
  to prevent overall tax increases or to make the
  increase smaller.
  Younger Hiregaards are commonly found
  alongside merchants and peasants in the halls and
  taverns that spread out along Nova Vaasa’s roads
  and around the land’s cities. While many peasants
  and business owners tremble when they see the
  sons and daughters of other noble houses approach-
  ing, they welcome the Hiregaards. A Hiregaard
  never expects to eat or dine for free; he never
  expects games of chance to be rigged in his favor;
  nor does he ever force his romantic or sexual
  attentions upon someone who doesn’t want them.
  The generosity shown by the Hiregaards to respect-
  able peasants and merchants, as well as the general
  good cheer that they bring to an establishment,
  means that a Hiregaard is often happily given food
  and drink for free where other Vaasi ruling families
  would take it forcefully.
  On the other hand, the Hiregaards are quick to
  punish those who are found to deceive or swindle
  them. Dishonest merchants, crooked gamblers, or
  
  77
  The HiregaardFamily
  peasants and laborers who shirk their duties or
  attempt to evade taxes imposed by Othmar or the
  Hiregaards themselves are punished to the fullest
  extent allowable under Vaasi law. The kindness
  the family shows to the lower classes should never
  be mistaken for naiveté, permissiveness, or a shirk-
  ing of the divinely ordained arrangement of Masters
  and Servants established by the Lawgiver. The
  Hiregaards merely believe that every person, no
  matter their station in life, deserves to be treated
  with respect until he or she proves otherwise through
  base actions.
  Despite their honorable and generous natures,
  the Hiregaards have many enemies. Aside from the
  political rivalries that are to be expected among the
  noble houses, a decades-long animosity exists be-
  tween the family and the criminal mastermind
  known as Malken. From Tristen Hiregaard’s earli-
  est days as Kantora’s chief constable, Malken has
  been a thorn in the family’s side. He first appeared
  as a simple yet astonishingly brutal murderer who
  delighted in leaving taunting messages and daring
  Sir Tristen to catch him, through today he stands
  at the head of a far-reaching underworld empire
  that has crooked gambling dens, slaving opera-
  tions, protection rackets and prostitution rings
  within its authority. The interests of the Hiregaard
  family remain favorite targets for Malken’s activi-
  ties.
  None know when or how the rivalry between
  Sir Tristen and Malken began. It has continued for
  so long now that Hiregaards and other noble houses
  alike wonder if the hatred isn’t perhaps an ancient
  feud spanning generations. The theory is that the
  mysterious Malken of today may be a child or
  grandchild of the original Malken, since it is un-
  likely that Malken could have the same long life
  and health as the honorable Hiregaards.
  A theory whispered among Hiregaard retain-
  ers and discussed with glee among the competing
  noble families is that there is a hidden relationship
  between Malken and Sir Tristen. It is held that
  Malken — the original, unless he indeed has been
  replaced by a child or grandchild — is actually the
  unacknowledged bastard child of Tristen’s father,
  Romir Hiregaard. Romir and Tristen’s mother both
  died under mysterious circumstances, and those
  who hold to the rumor of Malken being Tristen’s
  half-brother believe the parents were Malken’s fist
  victims. Most Hiregaards themselves would dis-
  miss this rumor angrily should they hear it, although
  Stepan Hiregaard, in his recently gained capacity
  
  78
  Chapter Six: Blood of Madness
  as Chief Constable of Kantora, has been quietly
  investigating the rumor.
  Still, those who believe that Malken is an
  unacknowledged member of the Hiregaard family
  are generally ridiculed for these beliefs; respect for
  law and order is a matter of nature among the
  Hiregaards, not nurture. However, those who scoff
  might not do so if they were aware of the dark secret
  that the Hiregaards struggle to keep hidden; along-
  side all the honor and lawfulness that seems
  ingrained in the family, there is also a deep-seated
  streak of madness that afflicts many members too.
  At one time or another, nearly every adult
  member of the family has suffered some form of
  mental breakdown and has spent time either in one
  of Nova Vaasa’s sanitariums or isolated within one
  of the family’s homes while they recovered. Even
  Sir Tristen himself is rumored to suffer from bouts
  of madness, during which he locks himself in a
  tower room in Castle Faerhaven. Madness has
  plagued the family since its earliest, most anti-
  quated and legendary ancestors, but it has grown
  more pronounced in recent generations. Eventu-
  ally, it may grow so severe and obvious that it will
  damage the family’s sterling reputation.
  Of course, unbeknownst to everyone but Sir
  Tristen himself, Malken is not an unacknowledged
  member of the Hiregaard family but rather Sir
  Tristen’s madness made manifest through a heredi-
  tary curse. (For details, see Tristen Hiregaard’s
  entry in Secrets of the Dread Realms.)
  Fitting In
  Hiregaards are known for their tall statures,
  strikingly handsome features and great virility and
  zest for life. Most members of the family have dark
  brown or raven-black hair, and they do not start to
  go gray until late in life. They retain their youthful
  good looks far longer than most humans, giving rise
  to speculation that they may have elf-blood some-
  where in their distant history.
  It is often said that young Hiregaards must
  restrain themselves when attending functions
  hosted by other Vaasi nobles, lest their presence
  overshadow that of their hosts. Add these factors to
  the great libido and lustiness that seems to run in
  Hiregaard blood, and you have a family that is
  firmly at the forefront of Nova Vaasa’s carousers.
  Tales of Sasha Hiregaard’s exploits are legend, and
  his name is featured in bawdy ballads as far away as
  Kartakass and western Darkon. The prowess of
  Hiregaards as fighters, horsemen and anything else
  that involves physical activity is also widely recog-
  nized. Male or female, being a Hiregaard means
  having a love for physical pleasure and a great
  capacity for pursuing it.
  However, the devotion that the Hiregaard
  family shows to honor, truth, justice and fairness is
  even greater than their love of physical pursuits.
  All family members have a strong sense of duty and
  a natural impulse to help those in need and protect
  those who are threatened. For most, this has
  prompted them to remain close to home in order to
  protect the peasantry and merchants of their an-
  cestral lands from the ever-increasing demands of
  Prince Othmar’s taxing authority.
  Yet some members of the current generation
  have set their sights on righting wrongs in more
  distant lands. Kiev Hiregaard, son of Sasha, has
  traveled to Falkovnia to help the Freemen under-
  mine the brutal regime of Vlad Drakov and his
  Talons. Meanwhile, the youngest daughter of Myar,
  Narana, has already set herself upon a path of
  heroic adventure at the tender age of seventeen.
  When she heard about the increasing instances of
  piracy in the Sea of Sorrows and the Nocturnal Sea,
  she convinced her grandfather and a group of
  merchants to provide her with funding to secure a
  ship and a seasoned crew. She will soon be setting
  sail from Egertus, with a number of more distant
  Hiregaard relations along to help and fabled ex-
  plorer and merchant mariner Captain Onid
  Rhelarian in command.
  For all their admirable traits, however, all
  Hiregaards live under the threat of losing their
  minds. It is not a widely known fact, but many
  members of the family are subject to bouts of
  insanity, some raving so violently that they must be
  committed to asylums for their own protection and
  treatment. Some believe the Hiregaard family has
  been living under a curse since they defeated the
  cultists that once held sway in the land the
  Hiregaards now claim as their own.
  Player characters with Hiregaard blood can
  either be acknowledged grandchildren of Tristen
  Hiregaard, or they might be illegitimate children of
  some other adult member of the family. Hiregaard
  honor demands that any child of whom they are
  aware be treated decently, if not necessarily con-
  sidered an heir to the Hiregaard holdings, so many
  of the family’s retainers are half-brothers and half-
  sisters of those they serve.
  Fitting new characters who can trace their
  family lineage to the Hiregaards without contra-
  
  79
  The HiregaardFamily
  dicting established source material is an easy thing
  to do in a Ravenloft campaign. Further, any person
  with a legitimate claim to being a member of the
  family is likely to be welcomed with open arms.
  There may be suspicion of the character at first, but
  once his origins can be confirmed, he is likely given
  as important a position within the Hiregaard power
  structure as is practical and appropriate. Distant
  cousins and remote relatives by marriage are not
  afforded as much leave as direct offspring of fully
  recognized Hiregaards.
  Claiming Membership
  A Hiregaard is expected to embody all of the
  noblest qualities — and any Hiregaard who consis-
  tently fails to live up to these ideals is firmly
  disavowed. If the scion is criminal and thus be-
  comes too much of a blight upon the family name,
  he is likely to be hunted down by his kin and jailed
  or even executed. It is rare for members of the
  family to take such drastic action, however, occur-
  ring only when the offender commits truly dastardly
  deeds such as rape and murder. Even distant cous-
  ins seem to possess enough of the traditional
  Hiregaard devotion to law, order and justice that
  few ever bring significant disgrace to their family
  (or if they do, they are intelligent enough to hide
  their misdeeds).
  Hiregaards are always human, for their mad-
  ness often brings with it xenophobia.
  Hiregaard Family Traits
  • A Hiregaard receives a +2 bonus on all
  Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.
  Hiregaards are pleasant and affable.
  • Longevity: The Hiregaards have always
  been blessed with long lives. They age as half-elves
  rather than humans (see the “Aging Effects” table
  in Chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook).
  • All Hiregaards suffer a –1 penalty on mad-
  ness saves.
  • Blood Curse: A hereditary curse plagues all
  Hiregaards. If this curse indeed dates back to an-
  cient times, it has become more acute in recent
  generations following a curse placed upon Romir
  Hiregaard by his wife with her dying breath. It is
  also highly likely that the Dark Powers themselves
  have taken to shaping and altering the curse upon
  this noble lineage for their own inexplicable rea-
  sons.
  The blood curse takes affect whenever a
  Hiregaard character fails a powers check. The
  
  80
  Chapter Six: Blood of Madness
  character begins a descent down the Path of Mad-
  ness, and should roll on the following tables at each
  stage of corruption. All the effects below are con-
  sidered to be moderate to major madness effects, as
  defined in the Ravenloft Player’s Handbook.
  Recovering from each of them requires at least one
  month, plus a number of weeks equal to the nu-
  merical percent chance of the powers check failed.
  (Thus, a Hiregaard who fails a 9% powers check
  needs one month + 9 weeks to recuperate.) During
  this time, the Hiregaard must be in calm surround-
  ings and receive treatment from skilled doctors and
  alienists. Any interruption of the treatment re-
  quires it to be started all over again.
  Hiregaard Path of Madness —
  Stage One
  d8 Result
           Effect
  1
  Hatred of male halflings and human
  male children
  2
  Hatred of female halflings and human
  female children
  3
  Hatred of male elves (and half-elves)
  4
  Hatred of female elves (and half-
  elves)
  5
  Hatred of male Vistani
  6
  Hatred of female Vistani
  7
  Hatred of dwarves
  8
  Hatred of humans of opposite gender
  Stage One Hatred: The Hiregaard suffers a –1
  penalty to all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Informa-
  tion and Sense Motive checks involving the hated
  folk, but gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage
  rolls against them.
  Hiregaard Path of Madness —
  Stage Two
  d8 Result
           Effect
  1
  Hatred of halflings and human
  children
  2
  Hatred of elves (and half-elves)
  3
  Hatred of Vistani
  4
  Hatred of humans
  5
  Hatred of gnomes
  6
  Amnesia
  7
  Mild monophobia
  8
  Roll on Moderate Madness Effect
  table     (Ravenloft Player’s Handbook
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook)
  Stage Two Hatred: The Hiregaard suffers a –1
  penalty to all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Informa-
  tion and Sense Motive checks involving the hated
  folk, but gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage
  rolls against them. If appropriate, these modifiers
  stack with those from Stage One hatred.
  Amnesia: The Hiregaard falls unconscious for
  a time (anywhere from a few rounds to several
  hours, at the DM’s discretion). When he awakens,
  he has forgotten everything that has occurred since
  just before he gained his most recent level: He
  effectively loses one level. This lost level can be
  regained only if the Hiregaard somehow redeems
  himself for the act that caused the powers check
  (see “Redemption” in the Ravenloft Player’s Hand-
  book.)
  Mild Monophobia: The Hiregaard cannot stand
  to be alone for more than a number of minutes
  equal to his Wisdom modifier (minimum 1 minute).
  If he is alone for longer than this, he becomes very
  nervous and distracted, increasingly eager to find
  some company. He suffers a –1 penalty to all skill
  checks, attack rolls and saving throws until he is
  once again together with at least one other person.
  Hiregaard Path of Madness —
  Stage Three
  d8 Result
           Effect
  1
  Hatred of all non-humans
  2
  Moderate monophobia
  3–4
  Paranoia
  5–6
  Unyielding fury
  7–8
  Roll on Moderate Madness Effect
  table     (Ravenloft Player’s Handbook
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook)
  Stage Three Hatred: The Hiregaard suffers a –1
  penalty to all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Informa-
  tion and Sense Motive checks involving the hated
  folk, but gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage
  rolls against them. If appropriate, these modifiers
  stack with those from Stage One and Stage Two
  hatred.
  Moderate Monophobia: The Hiregaard cannot
  stand to be alone for more than a number of rounds
  equal to his Wisdom modifier (minimum 1 minute).
  If he is alone for longer than this, he becomes very
  nervous and distracted, increasingly eager to find
  some company. He suffers a –2 penalty to all skill
  checks, attack rolls and saving throws until he is
  once again together with at least one other person.
  (If the character already suffers from mild mono-
  phobia, the penalties from the two defects stack.)
  Paranoia: The Hiregaard becomes nervous and
  jumpy; he feels as if every shadow hides an enemy
  
  81
  The HiregaardFamily
  and every door conceals a new threat. A lack of
  confidence starts to plague his every action. He
  suffers a –2 penalty on all Charisma-based skill
  checks, but gains a +1 bonus on Listen and Spot
  checks.
  Unyielding Fury: When insulted, threatened,
  or attacked, the Hiregaard must make a DC 15 Will
  save to avoid exploding in a wild, violent, uncon-
  trolled fury for 1d8+2 rounds. In some
  circumstances, the DM may apply a bonus or pen-
  alty to this save whenever she feels one is called for.
  If the save fails, the Hiregaard attacks the offending
  character(s) and any who try to interfere. During
  this episode, the Hiregaard gains a +2 bonus to
  damage rolls, but suffers a –2 penalty to attack rolls
  and AC.
  Hiregaard Path of Madness —
  Stage Four
  d8 Result
          Effect
  1
  Intense hatred of all non-humans
  2
  Blind rage
  3
  Homicidal mania
  4
  Insomnia
  5
  Severe monophobia
  6–8
  Roll on Major Madness Effect table
  (Ravenloft Player’s Handbook
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook)
  Intense Hatred: The Hiregaard suffers a –2
  penalty to all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Informa-
  tion and Sense Motive checks involving the hated
  folk, but gains a +2 bonus on attack and damage
  rolls against them. If appropriate, these modifiers
  stack with those from all previous hatred results.
  Blind Rage: When insulted, threatened, or
  attacked, the Hiregaard must make a DC 20 Will
  save to avoid exploding in a wild, violent, uncon-
  trolled fury for 2d6+1 rounds. In some
  circumstances, the DM may apply a bonus or pen-
  alty to this save whenever she feels one is called for.
  If the save fails, the Hiregaard attacks the offending
  character(s) and any who try to interfere. During
  this episode, the Hiregaard gains a +3 bonus to
  damage rolls, but suffers a –2 penalty to attack rolls
  and a –4 penalty to AC.
  Homicidal Mania: The Hiregaard develops a
  hatred and disgust for a particular type of non-
  human humanoid (for example, elves or Vistani),
  as chosen by the player and DM; the race in
  question should be one for which the character
  already has a hatred. The character must kill at
  least one individual of the hated race every month
  of game time — either in combat or through
  outright murder — or he starts falling apart: Every
  day beyond one month that goes by without killing
  one of the hated beings, the character suffers 1
  point of both Constitution and Wisdom damage.
  The urge to kill grows stronger with each passing
  day until, once his Wisdom attribute drops to 8, he
  suffers a blackout; at this point, the DM takes
  control of the character. When (or if) the Hiregaard
  once again becomes aware of himself, he is stand-
  ing over the slain body of a member of the hated
  race, his Constitution and Wisdom attributes re-
  stored to full.
  Insomnia: The Hiregaard finds it impossible to
  sleep, for every time he closes his eyes his mind
  starts to race and strange sounds and images fill his
  thoughts. He must make a DC 15 Will save simply
  to fall asleep. (Such a save can be made only once
  every hour.) Once he falls asleep, he must make an
  additional Will save every hour (DC 15, +1 per
  previous consecutive save); if the save fails, he
  wakes up and cannot get back to sleep for at least
  2 hours. A character who cannot sleep for at least
  4 hours per night or who gets less than 8 hours of
  sleep for three consecutive nights is fatigued; a
  character who gets less than 4 hours of sleep for
  three consecutive nights is exhausted. This disor-
  der is a virtual death sentence for spellcasters, who
  cannot prepare spells without at least 8 hours of
  sleep.
  Alchemical sleep aids can be used to over-
  come this affliction, but if they are used, the
  character is groggy for the first 2 hours upon awak-
  ening. Spellcasters (both arcane and divine) suffer
  a 10% chance of spell failure when casting and all
  characters suffer a –2 penalty on all skill checks and
  attack rolls during this 2-hour period.
  Severe Monophobia: The Hiregaard cannot
  stand to be alone, needing at least two others with
  him at all times. When he is with only one other
  person, he grows nervous and distracted and starts
  urging his companion to find others with him. He
  suffers a –1 penalty to all skill checks, attack rolls
  and saving throws until he is once again together
  with a larger group. If ever completely alone, he
  suffers a –2 penalty to all skill checks, attack rolls
  and saving throws and a –4 penalty to all fear and
  horror checks. (If the character already suffers from
  mild and/or moderate monophobia, the penalties
  from these defects stack.)
  
  82
  Chapter Six: Blood of Madness
  Hiregaard Path of Madness —
  Stage Five
  A Hiregaard who fails a fifth powers check
  must roll on the Major Madness Effects table (see
  Ravenloft Player’s Handbook) with a –4 penalty.
  Hiregaard Path of Madness —
  Stage Six
  A Hiregaard who fails the sixth and final
  powers check becomes a maddened darklord in his
  own right, although this may apply in much the
  same way that Tristen Hiregaard is a darklord only
  through the separation of his alternate identity,
  Malken. The details of this change are left to the
  player and the DM to determine.
  Family Feats
  he Hiregaard family is the exemplar of
  Vaasi nobility — honorable and de-
  voted to the defense of their families,
  peasants and lands. They are skilled in
  both martial and verbal battles, and
  many of them are also as comfortable on horseback
  as they are on foot. They are also unique in that
  they are equally comfortable in the halls of power
  as on the smallest farmstead.
  There are no feats required when creating a
  new member of the Hiregaard family, but any feat
  from the fighter bonus feat list or the following list
  is strongly recommended: Animal Affinity, Back
  to the WallR, BlessedH, CourageR, EquestrianC,
  Great Fortitude, Investigator, Iron Will, Lightning
  Reflexes, Martial Weapon Proficiency, Mounted
  Combat, Negotiator, Nine LivesV, Persuasive, Sharp
  Wit*, Shield Proficiency, Skill Focus (Handle
  Animal or Ride), SmittenV, Track, WealthH.
  New Feat
  The following feat is ideal for a Hiregaard
  character, especially a fighter or paladin.
  Defender of the Weak [General]
  You may tap into hidden reserves of strength
  when defending the weak and downtrodden.
  Prerequisite: Non-evil alignment.
  Benefit: If you witness an opponent actively
  threaten or attack a weaker being, you are inspired;
  for this purpose, a “weaker being” is any character
  having commoner levels or any other character
  who is at least 3 levels lower than you. For the next
  24 hours, you gain a +2 morale bonus to attack rolls
  against the threatening opponent and a +1 morale
  bonus on all saving throws against his spells or
  special attacks. You also gain a +1 morale bonus on
  any fear or horror saves that would prevent or
  interfere with your ability to defend the weaker
  being from the threatening opponent.
  Special: You cannot gain any benefit from this
  feat if the weaker being is also a favored enemy or
  a member of a race or group you hate (such as from
  a failed Hiregaard dark powers check or some other
  background choice or trait).
  For the purpose of dark powers checks, you
  treat weaker beings as Innocents. (That is, merely
  lying to such a character causes you to make a 1%
  dark powers check.) This does not apply if the
  weaker being is also a member of a hated race.
  Family Classes
  lmost every Hiregaard is, at heart, a
  warrior and adventurer. Unlike the
  majority of the Core’s nobility, the
  Hiregaards don’t hide behind their hired
  troops — they are often found leading
  them. For this reason, nearly all those with Hiregaard
  blood (as opposed to those who marry into the
  noble house) start in one of the adventuring classes.
  They are most typically fighters, paladins, or rang-
  ers, although those with more cerebral bent may be
  rogues or wizards. Hiregaards who prefer a quieter
  (although not necessarily safer) life at court soon
  take levels in the aristocrat class, however, seeking
  to focus instead on diplomacy and other pursuits.
  Those Hiregaards who enter into prestige
  classes tend to toward such classes as the avengerV,
  blessed defenderH, detectiveH, duelist, eldritch
  knight, knight errantH and monster hunterR, as
  well as the new class — the people’s champion —
  shown below.
  People’s Champion
  Although the Hiregaards are staunch support-
  ers of the Church of the Lawgiver, few actually
  enter the church’s service as clerics, and even fewer
  have risen far within its ranks. Invariably, they are
  bothered by the inability of mortals to live up to the
  standards of the divine, and these disenchanted
  priests tend to return with renewed determination
  and focus to the ideals that have served their family
  as a moral compass for generations. As such, they
  become ideal candidates for the people’s champion
  prestige class. Other Hiregaards have been known
  to subscribe to the belief that embodies this pres-
  
  83
  The HiregaardFamily
  tige class as well, for they too have seen petty abuse
  of power from those they believe should know
  better, but it is disenchanted priests of the Law-
  giver who are most often drawn to it.
  In every land, there are nobles who misuse
  their positions of privilege. In lands like Nova
  Vaasa where some nobles feel threatened by an
  emerging merchant class, the abuse can be particu-
  larly severe. Here, the people’s champion rises to
  the defense of commoners who suffer under the
  excesses of abusive nobles and their hirelings. The
  champion has no desire to overthrow the existing
  social order, but is instead motivated by a desire to
  see that justice is done within its confines.
  Characters belonging to this class can be found
  in Darkon and Falkovnia, but they are most com-
  mon in Nova Vaasa and Hazlan. They are invariably
  former clergy or church warriors who turned their
  backs on the organized churches of Ezra or the
  Lawgiver. This was due to what they perceived as
  corruption, abuse of authority for personal gain of
  the clergy and exploitation of the masses of faithful
  in favor of the rich and powerful.
  Some members of this class remain within the
  church hierarchy, where they work to root out
  corrupt church leaders and their toadies, but others
  take to the streets to defend commoners against
  nobles who lack nobility. Interestingly, although
  these champions have invariably turned away from
  the structure of their faith to a greater or lesser
  degree, they remain strongly devoted to the belief
  in their deity. In turn, the god or goddess clearly
  favors the character’s efforts, as they continue to
  answer his prayers for spells and to grant him other
  supernatural abilities.
  Hit Die: d8.
  Requirements
  To qualify for the people’s champion (Pch)
  class, a character must meet the following criteria.
  Alignment: Non-chaotic and non-evil.
  Base Attack Bonus: +4.
  Skills: Diplomacy 5 ranks, Gather Informa-
  tion 3 ranks, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) 3
  ranks, Sense Motive 3 ranks.
  Feats: Defender of the Weak*.
  Spellcasting: Ability to cast 1st-level divine
  spells.
  Other: Must be of noble rank.
  Class Skills
  The people’s champion’s class skills (and the
  key ability for each) are Concentration (Con),
  Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha),
  Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha),
  Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (his-
  tory) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge
  (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion),
  Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense
  Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the people’s
  champion prestige class.
  
  84
  Chapter Six: Blood of Madness
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The people’s
  champion is proficient with all simple and martial
  weapons and with all armor and shields.
  Spellcasting: At 2nd and again at 4th level,
  the character gains new spells per day (and spells
  known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level
  in whatever divine spellcasting class had granted
  him access to 1st-level divine spells. He does not,
  however, gain any other benefit a character of that
  class would have gained (improved ability to turn
  undead and so on), except for an increased effec-
  tive level of spellcasting. This essentially means
  that he adds the level of people’s champion to the
  level of his previous divine spellcasting class, then
  determines spells per day, spells known and caster
  level accordingly.
  If the character has more than one divine
  spellcasting class that grants him access to divine
  spells, he must decide to which class he adds each
  level of people’s champion for the purpose of deter-
  mining spells per day and spells known.
  Eye for Detail (Ex): At 1st level, the people’s
  champion gains a +2 competence bonus on all
  Gather Information, Sense Motive and Spot checks.
  Righteous Anger (Ex): At 2nd level, the
  people’s champion uses his rage and indignation to
  add extra fuel to his crusade when things get
  particularly difficult. Once per day, as a free action,
  he can cal upon a cold fury that grants him a bonus
  to attack and damage rolls equal to his Wisdom
  modifier (minimum +1). The benefit lasts for a
  number of rounds equal to his people’s champion
  level.
  Bonus Feat: At 3rd level, the people’s cham-
  pion gains a bonus feat from the following list:
  Alertness, Back to the WallR, Blind-Fight, Combat
  Casting, Combat Expertise, CourageR, Dead Man
  WalkingR, Death’s FavorC, Dodge, Endurance, Ethe-
  real EmpathyR, HauntedR, HexbreakerV,
  IndomitableV, Investigator, Iron Will, Leadership,
  Mounted Combat, Negotiator, Open MindR, Point
  Blank Shot, Power Attack, Self-Sufficient, Sharp
  Eyes*, Spirit of LightV, Track, Two-Weapon Fight-
  ing, Voice of WrathR, Weapon Focus.
  The people’s champion must meet all the
  usual prerequisites for these feats.
  Aura of Confidence (Su): At 4th, a people’s
  champion has such a strong belief in the righteous-
  ness of his struggle that he inspires others by his
  example. He gains a +4 bonus on all saving throws
  against fear effects, and each ally within 20 feet of
  him gains a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on
  saving throws against fear effects.
  This ability functions while the people’s cham-
  pion is conscious, but not if he is unconscious or
  dead.
  Unyielding Devotion (Ex): At 5th level, the
  people’s champion is so firm in his crusade that his
  mind is nearly unassailable by those who would
  bend it. He gains a +4 bonus on all saving throws
  against mind-affecting spells and effects. (This
  bonus does apply to horror saves, but not to fear or
  madness saves.)
  Family Magic
  he Hiregaard family has in their posses-
  sion many masterwork and magical
  weapons and suits of armor, but few of
  these have any particular historical sig-
  nificance other than having belonged
  to a noted member of the family. However, one of
  the family’s enchanted heirlooms is of particular
  note: The cat’s paw.
  Table 6–1: The People’s Champion
  Level
           Base Attack
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
  Spellcasting
           Bonus
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1
  +1
  +2
  +0
  +2
  Eye for detail
  —
  2
  +2
  +3
  +0
  +3
  Righteous anger
  +1 level of existing divine
  spellcasting class
  3
  +3
  +3
  +1
  +3
  Bonus feat
  —
  4
  +4
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Aura of confidence +1 level of existing divine
  spellcasting class
  5
  +5
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Unyielding devotion —
  
  85
  The HiregaardFamily
  The Cat’s Paw (Minor Artifact)
  The cat’s paw is the remarkably well-preserved
  paw of a large black hunting cat, perhaps a panther
  or a plains cat. It is typically kept in a soft leather
  pouch that is decorated with symbols and picto-
  graphs of unknown meaning and purpose.
  According to well-known legends, Persarval
  Hiregaard seized the cat’s paw from a worshipper of
  the legendary cat cult, although for years Tristen
  Hiregaard himself believed the item and its leather
  container to be just a myth. Then, his son Yorgi
  found it within a secret compartment in his ward-
  robe, where it apparently had lain hidden for
  centuries.
  Yorgi carried the cat’s paw with him on many
  of his youthful adventures, enjoying its many magi-
  cal advantages. Eventually, though, he was set
  upon by a band of paka, a shapeshifting race of
  feline humanoids (see Denizens of Dread and
  Ravenloft Gazetteer Vol. IV for details) intent on
  seizing the pouch with the cat’s paw — over Yorgi’s
  dead body. Further attempts upon Yorgi’s life, all
  which could be traced back to his possession of the
  cat’s paw, convinced him to stop carrying the item
  and to leave it in his father’s treasury, deep within
  the central keep of Castle Faerhaven.
  Over the years since, Hiregaards have occa-
  sionally carried the cat’s paw on important missions,
  always returning it to the treasury within days.
  Shortly after its use, however, a band of paka
  invariably appears in the castle and attempts to
  steal it. It is unknown why the paka are so eager to
  get their hands on the cat’s paw.
  After the last attempt, some five years ago,
  Tristen Hiregaard attempted to take a paka pris-
  oner to explain the significance of the artifact to
  the cat people, as he would consider surrendering
  it to them if it was important enough. The prisoner
  refused to tell Sir Tristen anything, but he was
  ultimately released so that he could bring the offer
  to his leaders. Sir Tristen refused to hand over the
  cat’s paw without answers to his questions. At-
  tempts to discern the origin of the item — and even
  to read the inscriptions upon leather pouch —
  have always met with failure.
  The truth is that although the cat’s paw was
  indeed claimed by Persarval Hiregaard during the
  conflict with the cat cultists, it had fallen into their
  possession only after the paka had very recently lost
  it. It is but one part of a larger artifact that, when
  assembled, gives its possessor untold powers. The
  exact function of all eight pieces has been lost to
  
  86
  Chapter Six: Blood of Madness
  the paka, but they believe that once they have
  them all, they will be able to destroy all humans
  everywhere and turn the Land of Mists into a
  paradise for their kind.
  Cat’s Paw: The cat’s paw grants its possessor a
  +2 bonus to Dexterity (since this bonus has no
  type, it stacks with all other bonuses to Dexterity).
  It also grants low-light vision and a +2 bonus on all
  Search and Spot checks, as well as a +4 compe-
  tence bonus to any Handle Animal checks involving
  felines. Three times per day, it allows the user to
  cast cat’s grace (caster level 12th). Finally, no feline
  animal or magical beast will attack the possessor of
  the cat’s paw unless attacked first and unable to
  flee.
  The cat’s paw may have other powers in the
  hands of paka or other feline humanoids, but this is
  left up to the DM.
  Strong transmutation; CL 15th; Weight 1/2 lb.
  Story Hooks
  Several years ago, Sasha Hiregaard’s daughter
  Illyana married a charming young merchant who
  had relocated from Darkon to Kantora. Sadly,
  Illyana started to show signs of distressed nerves
  several months ago. She has recently been con-
  fined to the Clinic for the Mentally Distressed on
  the outskirts of Egertus, but the doctors there found
  that she is sane. Tristen Hiregaard has never fully
  trusted Illyana’s husband, and he asks the PCs — as
  trusted members or retainers of the Hiregaard fam-
  ily — to investigate the husband’s activities.
  As they start their investigation, the charac-
  ters receive word that Malken has struck at the
  Clinic of the Mentally Distressed, apparently in an
  attempt to kill Illyana Hiregaard, but has managed
  only to slay an orderly. In a throwback to his earlier
  days, however, the violent criminal wrote a threat-
  ening message in his victim’s blood.
  Whichever path the characters decide to take
  in their investigation, they find no evidence of
  wrongdoing on the husband’s part, nor do they find
  any sign of Malken being involved, despite the
  message. Instead, they find evidence that Illyana
  has a lover (having the initial “M.”) who was
  scheming with her to kill the husband so he could
  get the business.
  If they confront Illyana with this information,
  it becomes apparent that she is hopelessly insane;
  she believes herself to be Malken, and, in fact, this
  personality emerges and she attacks the PCs. If the
  characters go to Tristen Hiregaard with their find-
  ings, he peremptorily and coldly tells them to keep
  it to themselves. Whatever steps they take after
  this, they find themselves targeted by Malken’s
  organization and perhaps even Malken himself.
  Their demand is that the PCs reveal Illyana’s secret
  to Ivan Hiregaard, the Chief Constable of Kantora.
  
  87
  The Mordenheim Family
  Chapter Seven:
  The Blood of
  Invention
   The Mordenheim
  Family
  Chapter Seven:
  The Blood of
  Invention
   The Mordenheim
  Family
  
  88
  Chapter Seven: Blood of Invention
  Excerpt from the diary of Artisa Juvenoth:
  The dreams have come again. It seems that the more I bury myself in my research, the more often they come.
  Sometimes I feel as if the truth is just beyond my grasp, that if I reached out for it, the dreams would stop. My
  hand rises as though of its own accord, as if to seize a truth I cannot see, but a feeling of such dread fills me that
  I cannot continue. I know then that the truth is too terrible to grasp, and that to know it would be to go utterly
  mad.
  I try to take consolation in the mundane matters of life — my home, my family and my work. Though I can
  remember nothing of my childhood, my studies at the university gave me comfort as a young woman, and they brought
  me love as well. Jervais and I were fellow students working under Professor Gemblatt, and our research into the
  nature of aging brought us into constant contact. A quiet romance blossomed, and when we had completed our studies,
  we married. Our five children have filled our home with the joy of discovery, and the eldest is now preparing for
  university studies himself. I should be the happiest of women, but the dreams rob me of the contentment that should
  be mine.
  In one dream, I see the face of a woman smiling at me with the warmth that a mother reserves for her child.
  And indeed, I must be a child, because she holds up a child’s dress to my body as if to test its size. The color and style
  please her, but I care not — I urge her to play with me instead. And she does, until it is time to sleep and she puts
  me to bed with a kiss. But sleep does not come easily. I lie awake in the darkness, listening to her voice raised in strife
  with that of a man. “Never!” she cries. “I will never accept that monster — that abomination. The next time he touches
  her, I shall kill him with my bare hands!”
  “Now, darling,” says the man, “you know he loves her. He would never hurt her — or you.”
  “That creature cannot love!” wails the woman. “He is not human!”
  In another dream, I wake in the darkness, not knowing where or even who I am. In the dim light of a lamp, I see
  above me a face — or more accurately, a parody of a face, for surely no living visage of such incredible ugliness could
  exist. From its craggy features, I judge it to belong to a man, but its gray skin and livid scars make it seem more
  monster than human. Its light-colored, watery eyes bulge from their sockets as though not firmly attached there,
  and its skin stretches so taut across its cheekbones and jawline that it barely masks the muscles and bones beneath.
  Its black hair falls in greasy, lanky locks well past its shoulders, and its thin, black lips part to reveal dirty, stained
  teeth. “Come,” it says in a whisper that grates like a shovel in the dirt of a grave.
  A scream tears from my throat. “No!” says the creature placing a hand over my mouth. “It is only I. Please.
  You must be quiet.” I struggle against the restraining hand for a moment, and then I look again into those watery
  eyes. Instead of cruel intent, I see gentleness there, like the regard of a boy for a beloved pet or a younger sibling.
  There is something almost endearing about that face, somewhere beyond the ugliness. This creature, for all its
  gruesome appearance, truly is a man. The fear retreats, and I almost smile against his hand.
  Just then, I see the glint of moonlight on the edge of a blade raised behind the man’s head, and I struggle again
  to speak, raising my hand to point behind him. “No! I won’t let you harm her, you monster!” shouts a woman’s voice,
  and the man lurches and staggers as if from a blow, releasing my scream into the night. “I would never harm her,”
  he protests, turning to face his attacker. The woman rushes at him with her weapon, and his face contorts in rage
  as he retaliates against her attacks.
  Yet another dream finds me fleeing for my life from some danger I cannot understand. The moon shines down,
  illuminating the stones beneath my feet with a ghostly white light. A hard barrier hits my legs, and I tumble over
  it, grabbing onto the first object my hand finds. A man leans over the barrier — a railing, it seems — and grabs
  my wrist. Just when it seems that I shall be saved, a thud is followed by a cry of anguish, and he lets go of my hand.
  I fall. And fall. And then I awaken.
  I know, of course, that these dreams are nothing more than my subconscious trying to tell me who I really am,
  to give me the identity I never had.
  But I am happy with the life I have made — I need no other. So why? Why does my past come to find me now?
  
  89
  The Mordenheim Family
  The Mordenheims
  aron Mordenheim’s wife Elise was bar-
  ren, so he never had children of his own.
  Since the baron had always embraced
  science above divinity, he became de-
  termined to create a “son” for himself.
  He felt no compunction about dabbling in the
  realm of creation, which rightly belongs to the
  gods, since he believed in no gods — except possi-
  bly Science itself. Victor Mordenheim’s natural
  brilliance and prodigious scientific knowledge gave
  him the tools he needed to pursue his plan. Gath-
  ering body parts from corpses by night, he patched
  together a human form and tried to imbue it with
  life. Perversely, the gods whose existence he had
  always denied saw fit to grant him this terrible
  “gift,” and they gave his creation the spark of life.
  Naming the creature Adam, Mordenheim intro-
  duced it to his wife. But she greeted his creation
  with repulsion, though Adam seemed to harbor a
  strong affection for her.
  Eventually, the Mordenheims adopted a young
  girl they found wandering the streets, naming her
  Eva. Elise showered the girl with affection even as
  her hatred for Adam grew. The Mordenheims fell
  to arguing about what to do with Adam, who
  showed affection for both Eva and Elise, and the
  tension in the household became almost palpable.
  Eventually, Adam decided that life with the
  warring Mordenheims was not good for Eva and
  resolved to take her away with him. But the at-
  tempt ended in tragedy when Elise, awakened by
  Eva’s scream, attacked Adam in a frenzy of fear and
  hate. Eva fled out onto the balcony and tumbled
  over the balustrade. When Adam tried to save her,
  Elise attacked him again, forcing him to relinquish
  his grasp. As the girl fell to the ground, Adam
  turned to face his attacker, his rage overwhelming
  the love he felt for Elise.
  Moments later, the baron arrived to find Adam
  standing over his wife’s mangled body. Adam sprang
  into the night, never to return, and he soon became
  darklord of Lamordia. Eva’s body was never found,
  but she has never been seen by the Mordenheims
  again.
  Miraculously, Elise was not quite dead, despite
  her terrible wounds. Since that night, the baron
  has labored for years to keep her alive and to restore
  
  90
  Chapter Seven: Blood of Invention
  her to health and vigor using the means he em-
  ployed to create Adam. Yet all his work has been to
  no avail, and Elise continues to hover at the very
  brink of death.
  Fitting In
  Even if Baron Mordenheim wished to remarry
  (which he never has), he cannot do so while life
  remains in Elise — and the Dark Powers have
  ensured that she remains just barely alive to in-
  crease the Baron’s frustration and torment. Thus,
  most characters with Mordenheim blood are the
  baron’s nieces, nephews, or cousins many times
  removed. Little is known of the baron’s extended
  family, so almost any relation other than direct
  descent is possible.
  Alternatively, if the DM wishes, a character
  might claim Mordenheim blood through the lost
  child Eva. Though Eva was an adopted child, the
  time she spent with the Mordenheims during her
  formative years imbued her with a love of science
  and rational thought second only to that of the
  adoptive father whose favor she so desperately
  wanted to win. Eva herself might surface under
  another name (in fact, see Artisa Juvenoth in the
  Appendix). Alternatively, one of her elder chil-
  dren could become a player character with
  Mordenheim blood (although her family’s geneal-
  ogy might need to be altered slightly by the DM, for
  otherwise, given the timeline of Victor
  Mordenheim’s story, her oldest child could not
  possibly be more than perhaps 12 or 13).
  The bloodline of Baron Mordenheim is laden
  with potential for both good and ill. Born with a
  hunger for knowledge and a predilection for scien-
  tific study, the Mordenheims prefer cold, hard facts
  to emotional appeals. All of them are incredibly
  intelligent and prone to developing their minds to
  the fullest extent. Most are scientists of one sort or
  another, and nearly all consider religion to be little
  more than a sop for those of lesser intellect.
  Many Mordenheims are unmarried, preferring
  to devote themselves to study above family. Sev-
  eral have found places in prestigious schools and
  universities, and a few have made discoveries or
  invented techniques that actually improve the
  length and quality of life for those who use them.
  Unfortunately, the Mordenheims are also obses-
  sive to a fault, highly opinionated and often quite
  antisocial.
  Any Mordenheim character should be moti-
  vated primarily by a love of knowledge — and,
  particularly, scientific knowledge. A certain arro-
  gance and possibly a complete rejection of divine
  and/or arcane magic in favor of facts and logic
  might also be characteristic of the bloodline. The
  baron’s rejection of the gods has caused the gods to
  reject not only him, but his entire bloodline as well.
  Thus, no deity will accept a Mordenheim as a
  cleric.
  Claiming Membership
  A PC may actually bear the Mordenheim
  name if her descent came through the male line
  from one of the baron’s siblings or other blood
  relatives. Descent through the female line merely
  requires tracing her ancestry back to Victor
  Mordenheim’s parents, grandparents, or more dis-
  tant kin. Since the Mordenheims tend to be rather
  conventional about marriage and notions of ro-
  mance, as well as somewhat emotionally distant,
  affairs of the heart resulting in illegitimate births
  are highly uncommon, though not impossible.
  Thus, the family line should be readily traceable,
  even though little is known of it.
  The Mordenheim curse — abandonment by
  the gods — also fell on the child Eva, and all of her
  descendents can also be considered to bear the
  blood. Claiming membership through Eva is more
  difficult, since Eva’s whereabouts have been un-
  known since the night of Adam’s flight.
  Mordenheim Family Traits
  • +2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma: The
  Mordenheims are known to possess sharp, analyti-
  cal minds, but others often find them cold and
  unfeeling, supercilious and even a bit dull.
  • All Mordenheims are fascinated with knowl-
  edge, but most specialize in one area (or perhaps a
  small handful of disciplines). Each Mordenheim
  character should choose one area of Knowledge
  (excluding religion), in which she gains a +2 bonus
  on all checks.
  • Curse of Godlessness: Mordenheims, due
  to the curse brought upon them by Baron Victor
  Mordenheim, cannot take levels in any class that
  grants divine spells.
  Family Feats
  he Mordenheims tend to focus on knowl-
  edge above all else, and the feats they take
  tend to reflect the family’s predilection
  for science, knowledge and invention.
  
  91
  The Mordenheim Family
  When creating a Mordenheim character, the player
  or DM should select at least one of the character’s
  feats from the following list (or from among those
  new feats listed further below): DabblerH, Diligent,
  Eidetic MemoryH, Investigator, Iron Will,
  KnowledgeableH, LibraryH, LiteracyH, Logical MindV,
  Mechanical AptitudeC, Negotiator, Skill Focus (for
  any skill with Intelligence or Wisdom as its key
  ability), University EducationH, or WealthH.
  In addition, the following new feats are avail-
  able (only) to members of the Mordenheim
  bloodline.
  Create Device [General]
  Your scientific knowledge and creativity allow
  you to invent devices that mimic the effects of
  certain magic items.
  Prerequisites: Int 15.
  Benefit: Choose an item creation feat for
  which your character level equals or exceeds the
  required caster level. You can create nonmagical
  equivalents of the magic items that the selected
  feat would normally allow you to create. For the
  purpose of creating these items, you are considered
  to be a spellcaster of the appropriate type with a
  caster level equal to your character level; you may
  ignore the spells normally required to create the
  items, but you cannot crate an item that would
  produce spell effects beyond the capacity of your
  effective caster level. (Thus, a 5th-level character
  could produce the scientific equivalent of a wand of
  fireball, a 3rd-level spell, but not a wand of dimension
  door (a 4th-level spell).
  The cost of creation and the time required for
  each device are the same as for the equivalent
  magic item. The devices so created duplicate the
  effects of the items they mimic. All other aspects of
  the item (including color, shape, method of func-
  tion and design) are under your control, at the
  DM’s discretion.
  Items created with this feat always require the
  use of a power supply (see Family Magic later in this
  chapter) to function. This requirement does not
  change the cost to create a charged item; the power
  supply is an additional cost.
  Special: You can gain this feat multiple times.
  Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat,
  it applies to a new item creation feat.
  Godless [General]
  You are more resistant than normal to divine
  magic.
  Prerequisite: No patron deity.
  Benefit: You gain spell resistance equal to 5 +
  your character level against divine spells of any
  kind. If a divine spell penetrates your spell resis-
  tance, you gain a +2 bonus on any saving throws
  allowed against it. You may not voluntarily sup-
  press your spell resistance to receive the benefit of
  any divine spell. In addition, you cannot be raised,
  resurrected, or otherwise restored to life via any
  divine magic once you die.
  Greater Skill Focus [General]
  Choose a skill to which you have already
  applied the Skill Focus feat. You are now even more
  adept with that skill than you were before.
  Prerequisites: Skill Focus with selected skill.
  Benefit: You gain a +3 bonus on all checks
  made with the selected skill. This bonus stacks
  with all other bonuses to this skill, including the
  one from Skill Focus.
  Special: You can gain this feat multiple times.
  Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat,
  it applies to a new skill to which you have already
  applied the Skill Focus feat.
  Laborious Training [General]
  Your selfless dedication to study and the long
  hours you have spent training for your craft have
  given you an increased capacity for learning.
  Prerequisites: Int 13, Knowledge (any one) 5
  ranks.
  Benefit: Your maximum rank in any Intelli-
  gence-based skill equals 5 + your character level.
  Normal: A character’s maximum rank in any
  skill equals 3 + character level.
  Superior Alchemy [General]
  Through your studies of alchemy, you have
  developed an in-depth understanding of alchemi-
  cal processes.
  Prerequisites: Int 15, Craft (alchemy) 5 ranks,
  Skill Focus (Craft [alchemy]).
  Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus on all Craft
  (alchemy) checks. Furthermore, you can use the
  Craft (alchemy) skill to make any of the following
  items (see the Family Magic section, later in this
  chapter, for actual descriptions of these items).
  Superior Alchemy Item
  Craft (Alchemy) DC
  Oil of Agony
  20b
  Oil of Animation
  25
  Oil of Preservation
  25
  
  92
  Chapter Seven: Blood of Invention
  Family Classes
  he Mordenheims devote themselves
  with an almost fanatical zeal to the
  pursuit of knowledge, especially in the
  sciences. Many are attracted to medi-
  cine; others pursue more general
  scientific paths or mix their scientific knowledge
  with arcane magic. The majority of Mordenheims
  belong to the expert class, although aristocrat
  levels are not uncommon; some members of the
  family are known to have levels in rogue or wizard.
  Fighters are uncommon, but not unheard of, but no
  Mordenheim, due to the family curse, can take
  levels in cleric or any other class that
  grants divine spells.
  Some exceptional mem-
  bers of the family enter
  prestige classes such as al-
  chemical philosopherV,
  dilettanteH, loremaster,
  metaphysicianH, 
  or
  scholarH. The following
  new prestige classes are
  also available to members
  of the Mordenheim
  bloodline. (At the DM’s
  discretion, they may also
  be made available to other
  characters who meet the
  prerequisites.)
  Learned
  Physician
  Though medicine is
  his stock-in-trade, the
  learned physician has used
  his medical training as a
  springboard into other fields
  of natural science. In fact, his
  skill with healing is only one
  manifestation of a thirst for
  knowledge in general, and he
  never stops learning. Much more than
  a simple country doctor, the learned
  physician has garnered knowledge that al-
  lows him to understand the vectors of infection
  and the factors that affect the progress of illnesses.
  Not only has he learned classic medical tech-
  niques, he has acquired skills in healing far beyond
  what his fellow physicians — and even some clerics
  — are able to perform.
  In addition, the learned physician’s keen eye
  and logical mind allow him to piece together how
  events must have occurred when presented with a
  set of mysterious circumstances. Many learned
  physicians go on to make scientific contributions
  in medicine or even in other fields based on their
  passion for finding out how and why the natural
  world works as it does.
  Monks make excellent learned physicians, as
  do experts who have gathered sufficient medical
  training. Clerics and other divine spellcasters some-
  times choose this path, but arcane spellcasters also
  favor it because of its emphasis on logic and on the
  piecing together of factual information and sensory
  observation. Paladins have also been
  known to choose this path on
  occasion, but fighters, rangers
  and rogues rarely do.
  Hit Die: d6.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a
  learned physician (Lph), a
  character must fulfill all the
  following criteria.
  Skills: Knowledge
  (any) 5 ranks, Healing 8
  ranks, Profession (herbal-
  ist) 5 ranks.
  Feat: Investigator,
  University EducationH.
  Special: The candi-
  date must be a graduate of
  a recognized university.
  Class Skills
  The 
  learned
  physician’s class skills (and
  the key ability for each skill)
  are Appraise (Int), Concen-
  tration (Con), Decipher
  Script (Int), Knowledge (all
  skills, taken individually)
  (Int), Profession (Wis),
  Spellcraft (Int), plus any five
  additional skills chosen by the
  learned physician when he first enters the class.
  Skill Points at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier.
  Class Features
  All the following are class features of the
  learned physician prestige class.
  
  93
  The Mordenheim Family
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Learned
  physicians gain no proficiency with any weapon,
  armor, or shield.
  Spellcasting: At every even-numbered learned
  physician level, the character gains new spells per
  day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had
  also gained a level in whatever spellcasting class he
  had before taking the level in learned physician.
  He does not, however, gain any other benefit a
  character of that class would have gained (im-
  proved ability to turn undead, and so on), except
  for an increased effective level of spellcasting. This
  essentially means that he adds the level of learned
  physician to the level of his previous spellcasting
  class, then determines spells per day, spells known
  and caster level accordingly.
  If the character has more than one spellcasting
  class, he must decide to which class he adds each
  level of learned physician for the purpose of deter-
  mining spells per day and spells known.
  If the character had no spellcasting ability
  before taking levels in this prestige class, he may
  instead choose one spell-like ability from the table
  below at each even-numbered learned physician
  level. He may choose any spell-like ability with a
  “task rating” less than or equal to his learned
  physician level + his Wisdom modifier. Each of
  these abilities is usable once per day. If the learned
  physician chooses the same ability multiple times,
  he gains one additional use per day each time he
  chooses it.
  Saving throw DCs, where applicable, are 10 +
  spell level + the learned physician’s Wisdom modi-
  fier.
  Task Rating
            Ability Gained
  1 or less
  Cure minor wounds
  2
  Detect poison
  3
  Cure light wounds
  4
  Deathwatch
  5
  Delay poison
  6
  Remove paralysis
  7
  Cure moderate wounds
  8
  Neutralize poison
  9
  Cure critical wounds
  10
  Heal
  Scientific Knowledge (Ex): Learned physi-
  cians gather knowledge about all sorts of topics. At
  1st level, the learned physician knows information
  regarding various esoteric topics, just as a bard does.
  He adds his learned physician level and his Intel-
  ligence modifier to a 1d20 roll and compares the
  result with the scientific knowledge DC for the
  information. This ability otherwise works like the
  bardic knowledge ability.
  A learned physician can make a scientific
  knowledge check to connect a power source to an
  item made with the Create Device* feat. He can
  also make a scientific knowledge check to learn
  how to use any spell trigger or spell completion
  item created with the Create Device feat as though
  he were a spellcaster of the appropriate type with a
  caster level equal to his character level. The DC for
  such a check is 15 + the device’s effective caster
  level.
  Speedy Observation (Ex): Beginning at 3rd
  level, the learned physician becomes a keen ob-
  server who can notice apparently unrelated details
  and quickly form a valid conclusion. The character
  gains a +2 bonus on all Search checks and Heal
  checks. In addition, the learned physician can
  make a Search check over a space or volume of
  goods roughly 10 feet by 10 feet by 5 feet as a full-
  round action.
  Healing Touch (Su): At 5th level, a learned
  physician can heal wounds (his own or those of
  others) by touch. Each day, he can heal a total
  number of hit points of damage equal to his learned
  physician level x his Charisma modifier (minimum
  1). The learned physician may choose to divide his
  healing among multiple recipients, and he doesn’t
  have to use it all at once. Using healing touch is a
  standard action. Starting at 9th level, the learned
  physician’s healing touch can cure a number of
  points of damage per day equal to his learned
  physician level x his Charisma modifier (minimum
  1) x his Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). In addi-
  tion, the learned physician can now use remove
  blindness/deafness or remove disease a number of
  times per day equal to his Charisma modifier (mini-
  mum once per day). The use of either effect counts
  as one daily use of this ability.
  Bedside Manner (Ex): Beginning at 9th level,
  the learned physician develops a knack for putting
  people at ease and reading their body language. He
  gains a +2 bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather
  Information and Sense Motive checks.
  
  94
  Chapter Seven: Blood of Invention
  Scientist
  The scientist has made the pursuit of scientific
  knowledge her life’s work. A respected scholar, she
  has pursued research of her own design in the hope
  of discovering fundamental scientific principles
  and putting them to use for the betterment of all
  persons — or even for her own selfish ends, since
  science by itself is neither moral or immoral. In
  general, scientists do not pursue magic as such,
  even if they themselves are or have been spellcasters.
  In their minds, any effect that appears “magical” in
  fact has a scientific explanation that simply has not
  yet been discovered.
  Most scientists began their careers as experts
  specializing in some branch of science. Many were
  originally assistants to other scientists or scholars,
  performing experiments under the supervision of
  their mentors. Rogues and monks may be attracted
  to the path of science, as are bards and certain other
  arcane spellcasters. Divine spellcasters rarely adopt
  this prestige class, since the tenets of science tend
  to conflict with their tenets and beliefs.
  Scientists are most often attached to universi-
  ties, where they can easily access books and
  equipment as well as the knowledge of their peers.
  Some, however, choose to equip their own labora-
  tories and conduct their research alone. Most often,
  such solo scientists are pursuing research that their
  peers believe to be irresponsible, immoral, or fool-
  hardy.
  Hit Die: d4.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a scientist (Sci), a char-
  acter must fulfill all the following criteria.
  Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks, Knowl-
  edge (construction and engineering, or nature) 8
  ranks.
  Feats: Create Device*, Skill Focus (Knowl-
  edge [any one except religion]), University
  EducationH.
  Special: The candidate must be a graduate of
  a recognized university.
  Class Skills
  The scientist’s class skills (and the key ability
  for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int),
  Decipher Script (Int), Gather Information (Cha),
  Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge
  (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis),
  Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Speak
  Language, Use Magic Device (Cha).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
  Class Features
  All the following are features of the scientist
  prestige class.
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Scientists
  gain no proficiency with any weapon, armor, or
  shield.
  Science: In her studies, a scientist gains all
  sorts of knowledge and learns many new tech-
  niques, but she eventually decides to focus on one
  field of study. At 1st level, the scientist chooses one
  science from the following list: biology, chemistry,
  Table 7–1: The Learned Physician
  Level
           Base Attack
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
           Bonus
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1st
  +0
  +2
  +0
  +2
  Scientific knowledge
  2nd
  +1
  +3
  +0
  +3
  +1 level of previous spellcasting class (or spell-like ability)
  3rd
  +2
  +3
  +1
  +3
  Speedy observation
  4th
  +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  +1 level of previous spellcasting class (or spell-like ability)
  5th
  +3
  +4
  +1
  +4
  Healing touch
  6th
  +4
  +5
  +2
  +5
  +1 level of previous spellcasting class (or spell-like ability)
  7th
  +5
  +5
  +2
  +5
  Bedside manner
  8th
  +6
  +6
  +2
  +6
  +1 level of previous spellcasting class (or spell-like ability)
  9th
  +6
  +6
  +3
  +6
  Healing touch
  10th
  +7
  +7
  +3
  +7
  +1 level of previous spellcasting class (or spell-like ability)
  
  95
  The Mordenheim Family
  physics, or psy-
  chology. Once made, this choice cannot be
  changed.
  Upon choosing her scientific discipline, the
  scientist automatically acquires a small toolkit and
  power source of her choice (see Family Magic else-
  where in this chapter); these enable her to perform
  several technological “tricks.” These effects work
  as the spells of the same name, except that each is
  an extraordinary ability that requires a standard
  action to use, and the scientist must make a scien-
  tific knowledge check (DC 10 + effective spell
  level of trick) to power the trick (assuming she has
  a power source at hand). These effects are not
  subject to dispelling (unless otherwise noted),
  antimagic, or spell resistance.
  The scientist can use an “at will” effect
  anytime as a standard action. She can use a
  number of “limited” effects per day equal to her
  scientist level plus her Intelligence modifier, and
  any use of such an effect counts against that
  total. (In either case, she must make a scientific
  knowledge checks, as noted above.) Those tricks
  usable at will never draw charges from the
  scientist’s power source, even though a scientific
  knowledge check is still required to power the
  trick (as described above); limited tricks require
  1 charge per use.
  For example, a 1st-level biologist with an
  Intelligence score of 15 can use her limited
  effects 3 times per day. Thus, on a given day,
  she could choose to use cure light wounds,
  endure elements and inflict light wounds once
  each, cure light wounds three times, or any
  other combination of effects that doesn’t
  exceed three uses in a day.
  Saving throw DCs, where applicable,
  are equal to 10 + spell level + the scientist’s
  Int modifier. Caster level, where appli-
  cable, is equal to the scientist’s class level.
  Biology: At will—cure minor wounds,
  inflict minor wounds, resistance, touch of
  fatigue1, virtue; limited—cure light wounds,
  endure elements, inflict light wounds.
  Chemistry: At will—acid splash, detect
  poison, flare, light, purify food and drink; lim-
  ited—burning hands, grease, obscuring mist1.
  Physics: At will—ghost sound, know direction,
  mage hand2, open/close2, ray of frost; limited—feather
  fall, jump, shocking grasp.
  Psychology: At will—daze, guidance, lullaby,
  message, virtue; limited—charm person1, lesser con-
  fusion1, remove fear.
  1 Although these effects cannot be dispelled
  using dispel magic, other magical effects that re-
  move the conditions imposed by these tricks negate
  them just as though they were 1st-level spells cast
  by a spellcaster of the character’s scientist level. For
  example, a heal spell negates touch of fatigue or lesser
  confusion, a gust of wind clears away obscuring mist
  and break enchantment negates charm person.
  2 The scientist actually employs some physical
  apparatus to achieve these effects, such as a system
  of hooks, strings and pulleys, or perhaps even a
  device producing a tiny electromagnetic field, for
  mage hand.
  Scientific Knowledge (Ex): Scientists gather
  knowledge about all sorts of topics. At 1st level, the
  
  96
  Chapter Seven: Blood of Invention
  scientist knows information regarding various eso-
  teric topics, just as a bard does. She adds her
  scientist level and her Intelligence modifier to a
  1d20 roll and compares the result with the scien-
  tific knowledge DC for the information. This ability
  otherwise works like the bardic knowledge ability.
  A scientist can make a scientific knowledge
  check to connect a power source to an item made with
  the Create Device* feat, or to tap a power source for
  one of her technological tricks or applied science
  abilities (as noted in those abilities). She can also
  make a scientific knowledge check to learn how to
  use any spell trigger or spell completion item created
  with the Create Device feat as though she were a
  spellcaster of the appropriate type with a caster level
  equal to her character level. The DC for such a check
  is 15 + the device’s effective caster level.
  Mind Over Metaphysics (Ex): Starting at 2nd
  level, the scientist’s trained mind allows her to resist
  magical effects, regardless of their form. When the
  scientist makes a saving throw against any spell,
  spell-like ability, or supernatural ability, she gains a
  bonus on the roll equal to her Intelligence modifier
  or half her scientist level, whichever is lower. For
  example a 2nd-level scientist with an Intelligence
  score of 15 gains a +1 bonus, while a 10th-level
  scientist with an Intelligence score of 17 gains a +3
  bonus on saving throws against magical effects.
  Applied Science: At 3rd level and every two
  levels thereafter (at 5th, 7th and 9th level), the
  scientist learns an advanced trick related to her
  chosen science or to a different one. She may select
  her advanced trick from the chart below. These
  advanced tricks work as the spells of the same
  name, except that each is an extraordinary ability
  that requires a standard action to use, and the
  scientist must make a scientific knowledge check
  (DC 10 + effective spell level of trick) to power the
  trick (assuming she has a suitably charged power
  source at hand). Each use of an advanced trick
  draws 1 charge from the scientist’s power source.
  If the character selects an advanced trick from
  among those available to the scientific discipline
  she chose at 1st level, she may choose any ad-
  vanced trick with a complexity rating less than or
  equal to one-half her scientist level + her Intelli-
  gence modifier. These tricks work just like the
  tricks she learned at 1st level, except that each is
  useable a number of times per day equal to 1 + her
  Intelligence modifier. If she chooses the same ad-
  vanced trick again at a later level, she gains 3
  additional daily uses of that trick. The scientist’s
  effective caster level for these tricks equals her
  scientist level. Saving throw DCs, where appli-
  cable, are equal to 10 + scientist level + Int modifier.
  Alternatively, the scientist can choose an
  advanced trick from a science other than her
  specialty, but in that case she may select any trick
  whose complexity rating is less than or equal to
  one-half her scientist level. Furthermore, she can
  use each such trick only once per day, and choosing
  the same advanced trick more than once adds only
  1 extra use per day. Her effective caster level for
  these tricks equals one-half her scientist level.
  Some tricks are given as sets that include mul-
  tiple spell effects. When a trick indicates more than
  one effect, the scientist can use any of these effects,
  but each use counts as one daily use. For example a
  3rd-level biologist with an Intelligence score of 16
  (+3 modifier) can use her tricks 6 times a day. If she
  chooses the first set of tricks on the biology list (bull’s
  strength, bear’s endurance and enlarge person) she can
  use each effect twice, any single effect 6 times, one
  effect once and another 5 times, or any other combi-
  nation that adds up to 6 uses in a day.
  Applied Biology
  Complexity Rating         Advanced Trick(s)
  1
  Bull’s strength, bear’s endurance,
  enlarge person
  2
  Cure moderate wounds, delay
  poison, inflict moderate wounds
  3
  Entangle, snare
  4
  Blindness/deafness, contagion,
  remove blindness/deafness, remove
  disease
  5
  Command plants, giant vermin
  6
  Animate plants, spike growth
  7
  Blight, waves of fatigue
  8
  Harm, heal, regenerate
  9
  Finger of death, waves of exhaustion
  10
  Energy drain, horrid wilting
  Applied Chemistry
  Complexity Rating       Advanced Trick(s)
  1
  Pyrotechnics, web
  2
  Acid arrow, glitterdust
  3
  Rusting grasp, slow
  4
  Flame arrow, haste
  5
  Repel vermin, stinking cloud
  6
  Neutralize poison, poison
  7
  Fire shield, solid fog
  8
  Cloudkill, stoneskin
  9
  Acid fog, fire seeds
  10
  Incendiary cloud, iron body
  
  97
  The Mordenheim Family
  Applied Physics
  Complexity Rating          Advanced Trick(s)
  1
  Shatter, sound burst
  2
  Darkness, daylight
  3
  Rusting grasp, slow
  4
  Chill metal, heat metal, resist energy
  5
  Call lightning, gust of wind
  6
  Lightning bolt, searing light
  7
  Wall of fire, wall of ice
  8
  Cone of cold, shout
  9
  Freezing sphere, repulsion
  10
  Delayed blast fireball, prismatic spray
  Applied Psychology
  Complexity Rating         Advanced Trick(s)
  1
  Daze monster, hideous laughter
  2
  Rage, suggestion
  3
  Crushing despair, lesser geas
  4
  Greater command, hold monster
  5
  Break enchantment1
  6
  Dominate person
  7
  Insanity, mass hold person
  8
  Mass charm monster, power word stun
  9
  Mass hold monster
  10
  Dominate monster
  1 Works only against mind-affecting spells or effects.
  Discovery: At 4th level and again at 8th level,
  the scientist discovers some bit of knowledge that
  gives her a new ability, chosen from among those
  on the chart below. She may choose any discovery
  with a perplexity rating less than or equal to her
  scientist level + her Intelligence modifier. A scien-
  tist cannot make the same discovery twice.
  Perplexity Rating
           Benefit
  1 Instant mastery
  Gain 4 ranks of a skill in which the
  scientist has no ranks
  2 Robust health
  +1 hit point per scientist level1
  3 Inner strength
  +2 bonus on Will saves
  4 Increased stamina
  +2 bonus on Fortitude saves
  5 Adroit avoidance
  +2 bonus on Reflex saves
  6 Tactical offense
  +1 bonus on attack rolls
  7 Tactical defense
  +1 dodge bonus to AC
  8 Expanded knowledge Gain a bonus feat
  (must meet prerequisites)
  9 Flash of insight
  +2 bonus to any mental ability score2
  10 Secret of youth
  Reduce the scientist’s physical age
  by one-half the “middle-age” value
  for her race3
  1 Applies retroactively and continues in effect as the charac-
  ter gains more scientist levels. For example, a scientist who
  chooses this discovery at 4th level gains +4 hit points, then
  gains an additional extra hit point with each new scientist
  level gained (to a maximum of +10 hit points at 10th level).
  2 Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.
  3 For example, a human (middle age 35 years) effectively
  becomes 17 years younger physically. If this reduction in age
  reduces the scientist’s age category, remove all ability penal-
  ties (but not bonuses) that were applied when the scientist
  reached her current age category. For example, if a venerable
  scientist regresses to the old age category, she gains +3 to
  Strength, Dexterity and Constitution.
  Metaphysical Resistance (Ex): The scientist’s
  highly trained and disciplined mind shields her
  from most kinds of magical attacks. This ability
  works like spell resistance, except that it applies to
  spells, spell-like abilities and supernatural abilities
  alike. (However, spells and spell-like abilities with
  Spell Resistance entries of “No” are still not subject
  to metaphysical resistance.) The scientist’s meta-
  physical resistance score equals her scientist level +
  her Intelligence score (not her Int bonus). If the
  attacker’s caster level check overcomes the
  scientist’s metaphysical resistance, the scientist
  still gets a saving throw (if one is allowed), and her
  bonus for her mind over metaphysics ability ap-
  plies.
  If an attack does not have a caster level, use the
  attacker’s Hit Dice instead. For example, a 6th-
  level scientist with an Intelligence score of 16 is
  affected by a medusa’s a gaze attack. The scientist
  has a metaphysical resistance score of 6 + 16 = 22,
  so she ignores that particular use of that gaze attack
  unless the medusa makes a level check with a DC
  of 22. Since the gaze attack has no caster level, the
  medusa uses its Hit Dice for the check, giving it a
  +6 bonus.
  Extended Resistance (Ex): This ability works
  just like the metaphysical resistance ability, except
  the effect covers a 10-foot radius centered on the
  scientist, and the extended resistance score equals
  one-half the scientist’s metaphysical resistance
  score. Each day, the scientist can use this ability for
  a maximum of 10 rounds + her Intelligence modi-
  fier. The scientist can activate this ability as a free
  action on her turn, and it need not be used during
  consecutive rounds.
  For example, a 10th-level scientist with an
  Intelligence score of 18 has a metaphysical resis-
  tance score of 28 and an extended resistance score
  of 14. She can use her metaphysical refusal ability
  for a maximum of 14 rounds each day (which need
  not be consecutive).
  
  98
  Chapter Seven: Blood of Invention
  Every ally of the scientist who is within the
  radius gains the benefit of the extended resistance
  power. The extended resistance radius does not
  block any effect’s area or line of effect, but simply
  makes allies within the radius resistant.
  If an attack can affect multiple subjects within
  the radius, the attacker makes a separate caster
  level check for each subject. For example, if a
  fireball is aimed so that it affects four characters, all
  of whom are within the extended resistance radius
  of the scientist in the previous example, the fireball
  caster must make a DC 14 caster level check
  against each subject to determine whether the
  fireball affects that individual. Thus, it’s possible for
  some subjects to be affected and others not.
  This ability does not stack with the scientist’s
  own metaphysical resistance ability or with any
  creature’s spell resistance — use only the highest
  resistance score that might apply to a given attack.
  Family “Magic”
  he Mordenheims depend more on tech-
  nology and science than magic, and
  they tend to create their items as tech-
  nological devices using the Create
  Device* feat rather than as magic items.
  As technological items, they produce no magical
  auras.
  Aerosol Bomb: This device looks like a metal
  potion bottle fitted with a ceramic stud instead of
  a stopper. It contains a liquid under pressure, and
  can be used as either a hand device or a splash
  weapon. When using it as a hand device, the
  wielder can aim the bomb at any target within
  reach and empty its contents onto that target with
  a successful melee touch attack. As a splash weapon,
  the bomb douses its target with its contents and
  also splashes the material on everything within 5
  feet of the target, just as any other splash weapon.
  The bomb’s effects depend on its contents, as
  detailed below. Because the contents are under
  pressure, any material projected from the bomb is
  slightly more potent that usual. An aerosol bomb
  holds one vial of liquid. Once the bomb has been
  filled, its contents can’t be changed.
  Acid: An acid spray deals 2d6 points of acid
  damage. As a splash weapon, the bomb deals 2d6
  points of acid damage with a direct hit and 1d4
  points with a splash.
  Alchemist’s Fire: An alchemist’s fire spray deals
  2d6 points of fire damage, and the target takes an
  extra 1d6 points of fire damage on the following
  round unless it put out the flames, as noted in the
  alchemist’s fire description in the Player’s Hand-
  book. A direct hit from a thrown alchemist’s fire
  bomb has the same effect as the spray, and a splash
  deals 1d3 points of fire damage.
  Holy Water: A holy water aerosol bomb harms
  undead and evil outsiders in the same way an acid
  bomb harms normal creatures. Normally, holy water
  does not affect incorporeal creatures unless the
  attacker is adjacent to the target (see the holy
  water description in the Player’s Handbook); how-
  ever, the bomb is effective even as a thrown weapon,
  although the attack still has a 50% miss chance for
  the target’s incorporeality.
  Oil of Agony: (This substance in its typical
  form is described later in this section.) When used
  Table 7–2: The Scientist
  Level
           Base Attack
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
           Bonus
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1st
  +0
  +0
  +0
  +2
  Science, scientific knowledge
  2nd
  +1
  +0
  +0
  +3
  Mind over metaphysics
  3rd
  +1
  +1
  +1
  +3
  Applied science 1
  4th
  +2
  +1
  +1
  +4
  Discovery
  5th
  +2
  +1
  +1
  +4
  Applied science 2
  6th
  +3
  +2
  +2
  +5
  Metaphysical resistance
  7th
  +3
  +2
  +2
  +5
  Applied science 3
  8th
  +4
  +2
  +2
  +6
  Discovery
  9th
  +4
  +3
  +3
  +6
  Applied science 4
  10th
  +5
  +3
  +3
  +7
  Extended resistance
  
  99
  The Mordenheim Family
  as a spray, oil of agony forces any living creature it
  contacts to make a DC 16 Fortitude save. On a
  failed save, a creature with 4 or fewer Hit Dice is
  blinded and nauseated for 1d6 rounds, and a crea-
  ture with 5 or more Hit Dice is merely blinded for
  1d6 rounds. A direct hit from an oil of agony bomb
  has the same effect as the spray. A splash blinds a
  living creature that failed its save for 1d3 rounds,
  regardless of Hit Dice.
  CL 3rd; Create Device (Wondrous Item), Craft
  (metalworking) 6 ranks or scientific knowledge +6
  or higher; Price 150 gp + the price of the contents;
  Weight 1/10 lb.
  Ectoplasmic Netcaster: This device looks like
  a bullseye lantern, except that is has a cluster of
  electrodes where the lens should be. Once every
  1d4+1 rounds, a character wielding the lantern can
  cause it to generate a ray of ectoplasmic force (treat
  as a force effect) that can have dramatic effects on
  anything it strikes. The user must make a ranged
  touch attack to hit a target. The effect depends on
  the target struck, as follows.
  Living Creature: The creature takes 2d6 points
  of nonlethal damage and must make a DC 16 Will
  save. If it fails its save, motes of energy flash around
  it for 2d4 rounds, creating a faerie fire effect. If the
  creature has a Strength score of 16 or less, it also is
  slowed, as the slow spell, while the effect lasts. If the
  creature has a 17 Strength or higher, it merely takes
  a –1 penalty on attack rolls, AC and Reflex saves
  while the effect lasts.
  Object, Corporeal Undead Creature, or Con-
  struct: The target takes 2d6 points of damage, and
  the attack ignores the target’s hardness or damage
  reduction (if any). This attack affects even golems.
  Incorporeal Undead Creature: The creature takes
  2d6 points of damage and must make a DC 16 Will
  save. If the a creature fails its save, motes of energy
  flash around it for 2d4 rounds, creating a faerie fire
  effect and entangling the creature in a net of
  ectoplasmic force that affects it as a web spell.
  The lantern functions safely up to 3 times per
  day. If it is used more often, the wielder must make
  a Wisdom check (DC 15 + the number of previous
  checks in the last 24 hours). A scientist or learned
  physician can make a scientific knowledge check
  in place of the Wisdom check. If the check fails by
  4 or less, the device shorts out and does not func-
  tion for the rest of the day, but is otherwise
  unharmed. If the check fails by 5 or more, the
  device explodes, dealing 5d6 points of damage (as
  a force effect) to everything within a 30-foot radius
  (no saving throw).
  CL 9th; Create Device (Rod), Craft
  (gemcutting) 12 ranks or scientific knowledge +12
  or higher; Price 30,000 gp; Weight 3 lb.
  Hand Stunner: This device resembles a dag-
  ger with two thin blades. It has the same statistics
  as a dagger, except as follows. As a standard action,
  the user can make a normal melee attack with the
  stunner. If the attack hits a living creature that is
  susceptible to critical hits, the target takes a num-
  ber of points of nonlethal damage equal to 1d2 +
  the wielder’s Dexterity modifier. In addition, the
  target must make a DC 14 Will save. On a failed
  save, a creature is stunned for 1d2 rounds if it has 4
  or fewer Hit Dice or dazed for 1d2 rounds if it has
  5 or more Hit Dice.
  CL 8th; Create Device (Magic Arms and
  Armor), Craft (weaponsmithing) 11 ranks or sci-
  entific knowledge +11 or higher; Price 7,200 gp;
  Weight 1 lb.
  Lantern of Fascination: This bullseye lantern
  operates as a normal lantern of its type. The front
  of the lantern, however, has a series of lenses that
  create kaleidoscopic effects when they are powered
  and set in motion. The user can manipulate the
  lenses so they cast a cone of sparkling light or a ray
  of scintillating light.
  Cone: Any creature in this 30-foot cone must
  make a DC 16 Will save or become fascinated. The
  user must take a move action each round to main-
  tain the effect. This is a mind-affecting compulsion.
  Ray: The user must make a successful ranged
  touch attack to strike any target within 60 feet.
  Any creature so struck becomes fascinated if it fails
  a DC 16 Will save. The subject remains fascinated
  as long as the user keeps the beam trained on it by
  using a move action each round. This is a mind-
  affecting compulsion. After at least 1 round of
  fascination from the lantern’s ray function, how-
  ever, the user can attempt a suggestion on the
  fascinated creature (Will DC 16 negates). If suc-
  cessful, the suggestion remains in effect for 5 hours
  or until the suggested action is completed, whether
  or not the subject remains in the beam. This is a
  language-dependent, mind-affecting compulsion.
  A lantern of fascination can produce its fasci-
  nate and suggestion effects for a maximum of 10
  rounds each day, after which it cannot be used
  again for 8 hours.
  
  100
  Chapter Seven: Blood of Invention
  CL 5th; Create Device (Wondrous Item),
  Craft (glassblowing) 8 ranks or scientific knowl-
  edge +8 or higher; Price 27,000 gp; Weight 3 lb.
  Oil of Agony: This caustic substance comes in
  vials that can be thrown as splash weapons. A
  direct hit forces any living creature struck to make
  a DC 14 Fortitude save. On a failed save, a creature
  with 4 or fewer Hit Dice is blinded and nauseated
  for 1d4 rounds, and a creature with 5 or more Hit
  Dice is merely blinded for 1d4 rounds. A splash
  blinds a creature that failed its save for 1 round,
  regardless of Hit Dice.
  CL 3rd; Superior Alchemy*; Price 675 gp;
  Weight 1/10 lb.
  Oil of Animation: This greasy fluid imbues an
  inanimate object with motive power for 12 rounds.
  At the user’s option, this period of animation can
  be delayed for up to a month. A delayed animation
  can take place at a time the user designates, or in
  response to some trigger condition the user deter-
  mines when first using the oil. If the object becomes
  animate when the user is not present to control it,
  it follows whatever simple instructions the user
  specified at the time the oil was applied.
  Trigger conditions can be as general or as
  detailed as desired, although only visual and au-
  dible triggers (or actions that are visible or audible)
  can be used. Audible triggers can be keyed to
  general types of noises or to a specific noise or
  spoken word. Visible triggers activate in response
  to the situation as it appears; thus, disguises and
  illusions can fool them. Normal darkness does not
  defeat a visual trigger, but magical darkness or
  invisibility does. Silent movement or magical silence
  defeats audible triggers. The animated object can-
  not distinguish alignment, level, Hit Dice, or class
  except by external garb.
  The range limit of a trigger is 180 feet. Regard-
  less of range, the object can respond only to visible
  or audible triggers and actions within line of sight
  or hearing distance. Instructions given to the ob-
  ject must be simple, such as, “attack all creatures
  entering an area”; “attack only certain creatures”;
  “sound an alarm gong”; or the like.
  A single vial covers one Small or Medium
  object, two Tiny objects, four Diminutive, or eight
  Fine. Larger objects require more vials — two vials
  for a Large object, four for a Huge one, eight for
  
  101
  The Mordenheim Family
  Gargantuan and at least sixteen for a Colossal
  object. The object must be completely covered to
  get any benefit.
  A dead body treated with the oil becomes an
  appropriately sized zombie under the control of the
  character who applied it. Other objects become
  animated as though affected by an animate objects
  spell. A singe creature can control one zombie or
  object animated by means of the oil per point of
  Charisma it possesses. If this limit is exceeded, the
  oil does not affect new corpses and objects.
  Using this substance to animate dead bodies
  requires a powers check (2%).
  CL 5th; Superior Alchemy*; Price 4,800 gp;
  Weight 1/10 lb.
  Oil of Preservation: When rubbed into dead
  organic matter, this viscous fluid preserves it against
  rot and decay. The oil stains the dead flesh a
  repulsive greenish-purple color, making it look as
  though it were covered with graveyard mold, but
  the item remains sound and intact underneath as
  long as the coating lasts. Food treated with the oil
  becomes foul-tasting but retains its nutritive value.
  An object treated with the oil is preserved from
  natural decay for 100 years, provided it’s otherwise
  left undisturbed. If it is carried around or used after
  treatment, the oil’s effects wear off in a week.
  A single vial covers one Small or Medium
  creature or object, or else two Tiny, four Diminu-
  tive, or eight Fine. Larger subjects require more
  vials — two for Large, four for Huge, eight for
  Gargantuan and at least sixteen for Colossal. The
  creature or object must be completely covered to
  get any benefit.
  If subjected to a magical attack, an object
  treated with the oil gains a +3 resistance bonus on
  any saving throw it makes as an object. An unat-
  tended nonmagical object is not normally entitled
  to saving throws, but it gets one (with no bonus) if
  treated with the oil. A creature wearing an object
  treated with the oil gains no benefits.
  An unliving creature, such as a golem or
  corporeal undead creature, gains +3 hit points and
  a +3 resistance bonus on Fortitude and Reflex saves
  if treated with the oil. The oil lasts a maximum of
  1 day when applied to a creature.
  CL 1st; Superior Alchemy*; Price 225 gp;
  Weight 1/10 lb.
  Power Source: These items can provide power
  to items produced with the Create Device* feat, or
  power for the use of the scientist’s various tricks. A
  power source usually resembles some kind of leather
  or metal container with any manner of studs, wires,
  tubes and electrodes sticking out of it, plus several
  mysterious openings or slots. It may hum quietly,
  give off a whiff of ozone, leak strange fluids, or any
  combination of these effects.
  To power a device, the power source must first
  be connected to the device. Doing so requires a
  Knowledge (arcana) check (DC 15 + the device’s
  caster level). A scientist or learned physician can
  make a scientific knowledge check instead; a scien-
  tist gets a +2 bonus on the check if the power source
  is associated with her chosen science (see the
  individual power source descriptions below). Once
  attached, a power source supplies power to the
  device until detached again (a standard action, no
  check required) or until it runs out of charges, at
  which point it must be detached so that a new one
  can be connected.
  Connecting a power source requires 1 minute
  per point of the required check DC. If the check
  result exceeds the DC by 5 points or more, the
  effort takes only half that time. If the check fails by
  4 or less, the character tinkers with the device for
  the allotted time and achieves nothing, but can try
  again. If the check fails by 5 or more, the power
  source overloads and explodes, dealing 1d6 points
  of damage to everything within a 15-foot radius.
  The type of damage depends on the power source, as
  shown below. A Reflex save (DC 13, +1 per charge)
  halves the damage. Thus, a power source holding 4
  charges deals 1d6 points of damage (Reflex DC 17
  half).
  No matter how many power sources are avail-
  able, a charged device burns out after it has been
  used a number of times equal to the number of
  charges a similar magic item would have held. For
  example, a wand of fireballs made with the Create
  Device (Wands)* feat functions only 50 times
  before burning out, no matter how many batteries
  are available.
  A scientist can also attempt to tap a power
  source to use one of her tricks or advanced tricks.
  Doing so is part of the standard action required to
  perform the trick, and requires a successful scien-
  tific knowledge check (DC 10 + the effective spell
  level of the trick). For example, a psychologist’s
  daze monster ability requires a DC 12 check to
  function. If the check fails by 4 or less, the charac-
  ter tinkers with power source for a standard action
  but achieves nothing. If the check fails by 5 or
  
  102
  Chapter Seven: Blood of Invention
  more, the power source overloads and explodes, as
  noted above.
  Unless noted otherwise, a power source cannot
  be recharged once it has been drained.
  Battery (Chemistry): This type of power source
  usually resembles a bundle of 8 to 12 leather-
  covered glass cylinders, each about 18 inches long
  and as wide as two human fingers. The cylinders sit
  upright on a leather base, and leather straps keep
  the bundle together. A leather or wooden handle
  allows a character to carry the assembly like a
  bucket. The cylinders have glass and copper tops
  connected by electrodes and wires, and a central
  electrode rises from the heart of the bundle.
  A battery usually contains 10 charges upon
  creation, but 1d4 additional charges may be coaxed
  from it by spending 1 minute and making a success-
  ful DC 15 Craft (alchemy) check. A scientist or
  learned physician can make a scientific knowledge
  check instead. The DM should roll the number of
  extra charges in secret. Once those run out, the
  character can once again attempt to coax 1d4
  charges, but the DC for each subsequent attempt to
  coax out charges increases by 5. If such a check fails
  by 4 or less, the character tinkers with battery for 1
  minute without result but can try again starting
  1d4 rounds later. If a check fails by 5 or more, the
  battery overloads and explodes.
  Damage from an exploding battery is acid and
  slashing.
  CL 4th; Create Device (Wondrous Item),
  Craft (alchemy) 7 ranks or scientific knowledge +7
  or higher; Price 3,000 gp; Weight 8 lb.
  Static Collector (Physics): A static collector
  usually resembles a metal sphere about the size of a
  grapefruit, with dozens of short electrodes sticking
  out of its surface and several long copper chains
  dangling from it. It also has two short loops for
  attaching it to a belt or fitting it with a shoulder
  strap.
  A static collector holds 1 charge. However,
  once discharged, it recharges itself in 1d4 rounds,
  provided that the user moves around or places it
  somewhere that’s charged with static, such as a
  room with dry air, or just about anywhere during a
  thunderstorm. A static collector cannot recharge
  itself underwater or in a still, clammy area, such as
  a fog bank.
  Damage from an exploding static collector is
  electricity and piercing.
  CL 5th; Create Device (Wondrous Item),
  Craft (metalworking) 8 ranks or scientific knowl-
  edge +8 or higher; Price 6,500 gp; Weight 3 lb.
  Hand Generator (Physics): A hand generator is
  similar to a static collector, except that the user
  supplies the energy himself by turning a crank. A
  hand generator usually resembles a metal baton
  about 1 foot long and 2 inches thick. It has a metal
  crank with a wooden handle on one end and a
  crystal dome surrounded by electrodes at the other.
  Like a static collector, it can be hooked on a belt or
  slung from a strap.
  When cranked for 1 full round, the device
  produces 1 charge per round for the next 2d4
  rounds (rolled secretly by the DM), storing any
  unused charges for up to 1 full minute. Any charges
  remaining unused at the end of that time are lost.
  The dome glows and gives a general clue as to how
  much power is left in the device; when the duration
  expires, the light winks out. When lit, the dome
  sheds as much light as a candle, though the user can
  easily cover it and block the light.
  It is possible to over-crank the device so that
  it produces 2 charges per round for 2d4 rounds.
  Cranking in this way requires 2 full rounds, and the
  charges are stored for 2 minutes before dissipating.
  The user must also make a Wisdom check (DC 15
  + the total charges produced by this instance of
  over-cranking). A scientist or learned physician
  can make a scientific knowledge check instead of a
  Wisdom check. If the check fails by 4 or less, the
  character cranks for 2 rounds and the device shorts
  out, producing no power, but is otherwise un-
  harmed. If the check fails by 5 or more, the device
  explodes.
  An exploding hand generator deals electric-
  ity, slashing and sonic damage.
  CL 8th; Create Device (Wondrous Item),
  Craft (metalworking) 11 ranks or scientific knowl-
  edge +11 or higher; Price 10,000 gp; Weight 5 lb.
  Biocharger (Biology): This device taps into
  biological and physiological energy. It consists of a
  collar or skullcap studded with electrodes and
  sprouting wires, like some bizarre wig or stole.
  When worn by a living creature with Intelligence
  and Charisma scores of at least 10 each, the device
  produces 1 charge every 1d4 rounds. The wearer
  can feel the device humming with energy when it
  holds a charge. Once charged, the device stays
  charged indefinitely until the charge is expended
  or the device is removed.
  
  103
  The Mordenheim Family
  A wearer can also attempt a Charisma check
  as a full-round action to forcibly charge the device.
  The DC for doing so is 15 + the number of attempts
  the wearer has made to recharge the device in the
  past hour. A scientist or learned physician can
  make a scientific knowledge check instead of a
  Charisma check. If the check fails by 4 or less, the
  character uses a full-round action and provides no
  power to the device, but takes 1 point of Charisma
  damage and 1 point of Constitution damage. If the
  check fails by 5 or more, the device explodes,
  dealing 1d4 points of both Charisma and Constitu-
  tion damage to the wearer, in addition to the 1d6
  points of damage normally dealt by any exploding
  power source.
  An exploding biocharger deals electricity and
  slashing damage. The wearer receives no saving
  throw against this damage.
  CL 10th; Create Device (Wondrous Item),
  Craft (metalworking) 12 ranks or scientific knowl-
  edge +12 or higher; Price 10,000 gp; Weight 2 lb.
  Story Hook
  A most wondrous machine has been discov-
  ered in a secret laboratory long hidden beneath the
  nearby mountains. Its function seems to involve
  the creation of golems, but none of the scientists
  who discovered it have yet managed to make it
  work. Some notebooks found within indicate that
  it is operated by means of biomechanical energy.
  No power source sufficient to operate such a ma-
  chine was found, though, and its operation remains
  a mystery — but the notebooks are all signed
  “Mordenheim.”
  
  104
  Chapter Eight: Blood of the Rat
  Chapter Eight:
  Blood of the Rat
   The Renier
  Family
  Chapter Eight:
  Blood of the Rat
   The Renier
  Family
  
  105
  The Renier Family
  Dearest Mary,
  I cannot stress enough how important it is that you and the children remain in Darkon until I send
  for you. Olaf and his men will keep you safe there. I am becoming increasingly concerned that they will not
  be able to protect you from enemies we may have here. I’m not sure anyone would be able to.
  I have learned that the loving relationship we first believed to exist between Lady Jacqueline and her
  sister Louise is but a sham. The two hate each other deeply, and I am growing increasingly certain that
  Louise’s offer to establish me as a premiere recruiter and supplier of men-at-arms to the nobles of Richemulot
  is part of one of many plots she seems to be engaged in against Lady Jacqueline.
  To make matters worse, the cousins we met at the Lady Jacqueline’s ball are madmen. They approached
  me with a bizarre tale that Lady Jacqueline and her sister are some sort of monsters. What kind I cannot
  say, for I ejected them from the house forthwith. However, my research has indicated that they too are
  involved not only with some obscure plot against Lady Jacqueline, but also appear to be engaged with a
  strange cult that holds rituals within the confines of the ancestral crypts in Ste. Ronges.
  In most circumstances, I would believe that someone who has earned so much hatred from family members
  as Lady Jacqueline appears to have done must be a black-hearted fiend. I have not found any evidence of
  this, however. If anything, all signs point to the contrary; she is an intelligent and generous woman
  surrounded by ungrateful and evil relatives. I would inform her of the plots against her, but I have come
  to realize that I am being watched — and this is why you must stay in Darkon.
  Darling, it seems like madness, I know, but— everywhere I go, there are rats in the shadows, staring
  intently at me. Some manner of sorcery is being used to watch me, and it hails from Louise or else the detestable
  brothers, or perhaps some unseen ally they possess. I do not know what enchantments are in use, but it is
  the only explanation I can imagine for the rodents’ behavior. I likewise do not know what actions might
  be taken against me if any of them witness me revealing what I have learned to Lady Jacqueline. I know
  that I must do so eventually — for she is in desperate need of someone to lend her support — but I need
  to find a way to do it so no harm will come to me, you, or our children.
  Do not be concerned for me. I have dealt successfully with the “noble” families of Nova Vaasa. I can
  straighten out the difficulties here as well. Please follow all Olaf’s instructions until I send for you.
  Thinking of you always,
  Javier Renier
  
  106
  Chapter Eight: Blood of the Rat
  The Reniers
  n days long forgotten by all who cur-
  rently live within the Domains of Dread,
  and only dimly hinted at in the oldest of
  diaries maintained by Claude Renier,
  there were two branches of the Renier
  family who had already been at each other’s throats
  — both literally and figuratively — for centuries.
  Many years ago, the Reniers were widely hon-
  ored as heroes throughout the realms they originally
  hailed from. One of their most fabled members,
  Jacques Renier, was one of the original settlers in
  the land that eventually became Mordent, and it
  was he who built the original House on Gryphon
  Hill as well as the current seat of the Weathermay
  family, Heather House.
  No one knows what caused it, but a few years
  after the Reniers settled in Mordent, a dark heri-
  tage that had been deeply hidden within the family
  blood emerged. Whether Jacques Renier’s children
  had been cursed by the dark spirit that even then
  was said to dwell within the House on Gryphon
  Hill, or whether the foulness had simply somehow
  been held in check is a complete mystery, but five
  of his six children proved to be natural wererats.
  The Reniers departed from Mordent, and those of
  them who were wererats turned their backs on
  their family’s noble heritage. This was the dawn of
  a feud that lasted until Claude Renier led his family
  through a magical portal to the lands of Mist. At
  that time, the non-wererat Reniers on their origi-
  nal home world could claim ultimate victory,
  because one of their number had been in the
  hunting party from which Claude and his family
  had been running.
  For Claude, however, the feud was not over. In
  a curious development that could only have oc-
  curred in a patchwork-continent like the Core, the
  non-wererat branch of the family had entered mist-
  shrouded lands of Ravenloft many decades earlier.
  A handful of Reniers had been visiting Mordent —
  returning briefly to visit the manor house their
  ancestors had once called home — when it was
  claimed by the Mists.
  Ever the adventurous sort, these unafflicted
  Reniers were among the first people from the newly
  formed domain of Mordent to travel to Barovia,
  where they attempted to free the population there
  from their vampire overlord. They all died, how-
  ever, leaving behind small children who had but
  the slimmest knowledge of their family history.
  When grown, most of these children eventually
  immigrated to Darkon in search of more opportu-
  
  107
  The Renier Family
  nities than the tiny land of Mordent could offer.
  Here, the family has spawned many popular local
  heroes — whose bravery as militia-men or officers
  in Azalin’s army brings honor to their family name
  — but any trace of their outlander roots have been
  completely forgotten.
  Shortly after Claude Renier emerged as the
  ruler of Richemulot, the Darkon Reniers con-
  tacted him, curious to know if he was aware of any
  relationship between his family and theirs. Claude’s
  response was a furious rejection of the possibility,
  and a covert dispatching of assassins in hopes of
  ending the other branch of the Renier family.
  Jacqueline went on one of these missions, but, as
  the first stirrings of resentment toward her grand-
  father were already starting, she instead saw to it
  that the mission failed. Although Claude saw the
  Darkon Reniers as a threat, Jacqueline saw them as
  potential allies.
  Over the years that followed, Jacqueline kept
  quiet contact with them — and covertly held a
  hidden hand over them, shielding them from her
  grandfather until the day she’d finally had enough
  and killed him. When Darkon started to descend
  into chaos and the Darkon Reniers came under
  attack from would-be despots who didn’t want to
  have to deal with a pack of reputed “heroes,” she
  extended an invitation for her cousins to join the
  growing nation of Richemulot.
  The beleaguered Darkon Reniers accepted her
  seemingly kind offer, little knowing that the invi-
  tation was extended only so Jacqueline could keep
  a closer eye on them — and perhaps because she
  considered them a potential source of new wererat
  allies and breeding stock. She had been hearing
  rumors that her own first-born son might be eyeing
  her seat of power covetously, so allies were a sorely
  needed commodity. The Reniers formerly of Darkon
  now dwell in a series of large buildings near the
  center of Mortigny. Small elements of the family
  remain in Darkon and Mordent as well.
  As for the extended family of Richemulot
  Reniers, Jacqueline’s older sister Antoinette and
  younger brother Raul each have one child, and
  Antoinette has recently become a grandmother; of
  the elder generation, only Jacqueline’s twin Louise
  has yet to have a child. Jacqueline herself has borne
  four sons, with her eldest being the father of twin
  boys. So far, all children born to Jacqueline and her
  siblings are wererats, and all of the darklord’s nieces
  and nephews are receiving the best education
  money can buy in Richemulot while also being
  groomed to assist their aunt in ruling her domain.
  Jacqueline is known to dote on her grandchildren,
  though the stirring ambitions of Jacques may soon
  end the lives of his entire family.
  Fitting In
  While there are two distinct branches of the
  Renier family, they have more shared traits than
  differences. The differences are easily summed up
  as follows: One branch produces natural
  lycanthropes and the other does not. Clearly, if a
  character is from the lycanthropic branch, he should
  be a natural wererat; if he’s from the branch that
  doesn’t produce wererats, he should be human (or
  perhaps half-elf or the like).
  However, that said, there are some Reniers
  from the wererat branch who are not lycanthropes;
  roughly one in six children born to Renier women
  is not a natural lycanthrope. Such a child has the
  all the other qualities listed under “Renier Family
  Traits,” however, and he or she may well become
  an afflicted wererat soon enough. These non-
  wererat children are viewed as embarrassments by
  the wererat Reniers, and are usually barely toler-
  ated. Interestingly, the biggest threat to the wererat
  Reniers does not come from the descendants of the
  Reniers that entered Ravenloft through Mordent,
  but rather these discarded family members; some
  are in the advanced stages of a plot to gain control
  of the domain, a venture for which they may
  carefully attempt to recruit family members who
  relocate to the domain. (More information on this
  plot can be found in Ravenloft Gazetteer Vol.
  III.)
  The other branch of the family is comprised of
  pureblooded humans. Although the occasional
  Renier has dallied with an elf, no recognized mem-
  ber of the family has ever been the product of such
  a mixed union. Any such family members may
  have contact with their mothers or fathers, but
  they have not relocated to Richemulot with their
  relatives, or if they have, they live apart from other
  family members and are generally assumed to be
  close friends rather than actual children.
  Regardless of the branch from which a Renier
  springs, they are almost without fail charming
  individuals. All seem possessed of a certain poise
  and a mastery of the social graces. Some are truly as
  noble as they seem on the surface, but the majority
  of the family — particularly those on the wererat
  side of the family warren — would frame their own
  mother for murder if it were to their benefit.
  
  108
  Chapter Eight: Blood of the Rat
  Player character Reniers are most likely to be
  from the Darkon branch of the family. If particu-
  larly creative DMs and players are interested in
  having PC wererats in a campaign, then the three
  children of Antoinette and Raul would be ideal; in
  the period from 750 to 755 BC, they are all of
  starting player character ages.
  The children of Jacqueline might also make
  interesting PCs, even if their ages are a bit beyond
  the typical starting PC, as they range from the mid-
  twenties to early thirties. With the exception of
  Jacques, Jacqueline Renier’s children have all left
  Richemulot for other parts of the Core; unlike their
  elder brother, they had the distinct feeling their
  mother did not like to have so many potential
  claimants to her power within close proximity.
  Since the whereabouts of these children are un-
  known, the DM and players have free reign; perhaps
  Jacqueline has even lied about all of her children
  being wererats. Maybe one of them is a pureblooded
  human.
  The DuBoises of Richemulot
  The DuBoises have been masters of  a sprawling estate west of Pont-a-Museau in the
  borderlands with Dementlieu for as long as anyone can recall. The now-extinct Tinctnoire line
  are the only nobles of Richemulot who can actually lay ancestral claim to the DuBois home and
  the lands upon which it stands. Claude Renier tolerated the DuBoises because they are a family
  of simple landed gentry whose primary concern was making sure their peasantry was hale and
  hearty so that the rich vineyards and cherry orchards could be properly tended. When Jacqueline
  assumed leadership of the domain, she not only tolerated the DuBoises, but found their ancestral
  ties to certain merchant houses of Dementlieu to be exceeding useful when it came to pursuing
  her vision of Richemulot’s bright economic and political future.
  As the years went by, however, and Henri, the youngest son of House DuBois, grew into
  manhood, Jacqueline grew even more interested in this family of noble farmers. She admired
  Henri for his good looks, sharp mind, light sense of humor and straightforward honesty. The
  admiration eventually deepened to love. Jacqueline knew she had to take action or she would lose
  him when she lost control of her shapeshifting ability, as she always did when in the company
  of someone she truly loves. She tried to infect him with lycanthropy so that he might come to
  understand her better.
  Yet she failed because, unknown to her or any other Renier, a strong resistance to
  lycanthropy runs within the bloodline of the DuBois.
  While Henri DuBois’ older brother was always too nervous to make any serious inquiries into
  his brother’s fate, perhaps one or more of his children might be brave enough. Armed with
  courage, determination and the family gift, maybe a Dubois PC might be able to unlock the
  decades-old secret of his or her uncle’s disappearance.
  DuBois Family Traits
  The DuBois are a relatively handsome folk who have inherited the best physical features
  from the people of Dementlieu and those native to Richemulot. It is the hidden ability that even
  the family remains unaware of that is the most important sign of a true DuBois, though, a
  miraculous resistance to infection by the dread disease of lycanthropy.
  • A DuBois suffers a –1 penalty on all Charisma-based checks made with respect to natural
  lycanthropes.
  • Lycanthropy Resistance: All DuBoises receive a +5 racial bonus to Fortitude saves made
  to resist any lycanthrope’s curse of lycanthropy. Further, if a DuBois should be unfortunate
  enough to contract the disease, she suffers only one uncontrolled transformation; afterwards, she
  automatically gains complete control over her transformations as if she were a natural lycan-
  thrope. Of course, this benefit is also a curse in disguise, for once an infected DuBois realizes that
  she can control her transformation, she is not likely to want to be cured of the affliction.
  
  109
  The Renier Family
  Claiming Membership
  Domains that value stoutness in women and
  strong builds in men will find little in the Renier
  physique to admire, but nearly everyone willing to
  express an opinion on the matter will say that the
  eyes of a Renier are most fascinating to behold.
  Those eyes are invariably set within a narrow face
  with pale skin and gently angular, exotic features,
  framed by dark hair. The eyes in particular are what
  set the Reniers apart — they are usually brilliantly
  blue or green, with apparent flecks of gold, spar-
  kling when the light hits them just right.
  Renier Family Traits
  • –2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Reniers from
  either branch of the family are known to be among
  the most handsome people in the domain; how-
  ever, they are not always the wisest or most sensitive.
  • Natural Wererats (lycanthrope branch
  only): Five out of six Reniers born to the lycan-
  thrope branch of the family are natural wererats.
  • Curse of the Rat (pure humans only): Most
  human Reniers are but a bite away from becoming
  afflicted lycanthropes. Those who are not natural
  lycanthropes are particularly susceptible to infec-
  tion by the strain of lycanthropy that is spread by
  wererats. Reniers suffer a –8 penalty on all Forti-
  tude saves made to resist any wererat’s curse of
  lycanthropy.
  • Rodent-Friend: Both branches of the Renier
  family have a strange affinity for rodents of all
  types, gaining a +2 competence bonus on Handle
  Animal checks when dealing with such creatures.
  Further, they gain a +2 bonus on all Bluff and
  Diplomacy checks made in dealings with wererats
  or other rodent-like monsters. This ability has a
  slight downside for Reniers who are sorcerers and
  wizards; they must take some type of rodent if they
  summon a familiar.
  • Allergen: All Reniers, wererat or no, suffer
  severe allergies to a particular substance. (For the
  Renier wererats, the chemical bane quality is sub-
  sumed by this family trait; assume that these traits
  are interchangeable and identical.) Curiously, the
  allergen varies from family member to family mem-
  ber, with no apparent pattern. The allergy can be
  to a particular mineral or animal, a type of food or
  plant. More often than not, it is to some utterly
  obscure substance, so many family members go
  their entire lives without discovering what it is
  they are allergic to. (These Reniers often think
  they are free from this peculiar family trait, but they
  are wrong.)
  
  110
  Chapter Eight: Blood of the Rat
  This family drawback can make life difficult
  for a Renier who happens to be allergic to a com-
  mon substance. For instance, one allergic to chicken
  must check every inn where he eats to make sure
  they aren’t using chicken broth in their gravy,
  while someone allergic to gold, silver, or copper
  must do business transactions involving coins of
  that substance either very quickly or while wearing
  gloves.
  The origins of this strange affliction are un-
  known, but it is unquestionably linked to Renier
  blood. Perhaps it arose at the same time the taint of
  lycanthropy entered into the once-honored lin-
  eage, or maybe it is the result of some other curse.
  To date, no Renier has consulted outside arcane
  specialists or mystics for fear that the knowledge of
  this family weakness could somehow be turned
  against them, nor have any been able to learn the
  origin of the affliction through their own magical
  or mundane practices.
  The DM should secretly decide the substance
  to which a Renier player character or NPC is
  allergic. She can make this choice on her own, or
  she can choose or randomly determine one of the
  substances from the following list:
  1. Beef
  2. Belladonna
  3. Chicken
  4. Camphor
  5. Copper
  6. Dandelions
  7. Fermented grapes
  8. Gold
  9. Grapes
  10. Iron
  If the Renier is in contact with the allergen for
  more than a few seconds, he starts to break out in
  a rash the following round. Depending on the area
  affected, the painful itching, burning sensation
  imposes anywhere from a –2 to a –8 penalty to all
  skill rolls, attack rolls and saving throws for one
  hour after a thorough washing. For example, if
  Antoinette Renier is allergic to fermented grapes
  and gets splashed with a goblet of wine, she suffers
  an allergic reaction the following round. If the
  wine splashed on her face and blouse, she might
  suffer a –4 penalty to her rolls until she can get out
  of the tainted clothes and clean herself carefully.
  If the Renier ever finds the toxic substance
  within his or her body (whether through ingestion,
  injury, or some other means), the allergen behaves
  like an ingested poison with a Fortitude save of DC
  20. The initial effect is 1d6 points of Constitution
  damage, while the secondary effect is 2d6 points of
  Constitution damage.
  While the DM should occasionally expose the
  character to his or her allergen (and even at the
  worst possible moments and in the worst possible
  ways), it should not be something that makes the
  character unplayable. As long as the character
  behaves in an appropriately cautious fashion once
  the character’s allergen has come to light, it should
  not necessarily be his or her downfall. Of course,
  there’s nothing that says that a cunning enemy
  might not discover that a Renier always avoids
  eating beef, and then try to poison him with some-
  thing as harmless as a stew.
  On the other hand, players should realize that
  there will be times when a Renier character falls
  victim to his allergies in some fashion.
  Family Feats
  hen creating a member of this family,
  whether a wererat or a normal human,
  at least one of the feats gained during
  character creation must be chosen from
  the following list (or the Sharp Ears feat,
  printed below): Agile, Alertness, Back to the WallR,
  Bestial ConscienceH, DabblerH, Dodge, Feral
  RearingC, Improved Initiative, Investigator,
  KnowledgeableH, LiteracyH, LunaticR, Persuasive,
  Piercing GazeC, Sharp Eyes*, Sharp Wit*, Univer-
  sity EducationH, or WealthH.
  New Feat
  While particularly suited to Renier charac-
  ters, the following feat may be taken by anyone.
  Sharp Ears [General]
  You are adept at picking up snippets of conver-
  sation and sounds that just happen to drift your
  way.
  Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all Gather
  Information checks and Listen checks.
  Family Classes
  ost Reniers from both branches are either
  aristocrats or rogues. Exceptional mem-
  bers of the family multiclass into a range
  of adventuring classes, with fighters per-
  haps the next most common class; the
  11. Jade
  12. Lye
  13. Pears
  14. Platinum
  15. Pork
  16. Pussy willow
  18. Rye
  18. Silver
  19. Sugar
  20. Wolfsbane
  
  111
  The Renier Family
  best among them sometimes adopt prestige classes,
  most often black powder avengerH, court poisonerG4,
  dilettanteH, duelist, grimetrekkerG3, moon baneC,
  moon childG4, pistoleerV, or propagandistC, or else
  one of the two new prestige classes described below:
  the recruiter and the rumormonger.
  Recruiter
  The recruiter is particularly adept at rallying
  others to his banner, either through payments,
  promises or threats, and he has turned this ability
  into a profession. Where there is a need for labor,
  soldiers, or lynch-mobs, the recruiter can be trusted
  to help organizers to find the best talent for the job.
  He is very adept at discerning an individual’s
  talents and potential, at reading their wants and
  desires, and in saying the right things to attract
  their interests. Further, members of this trade even-
  tually develop minor magics to aid them in their
  efforts.
  A recruiter who
  can keep the loyalty of
  those he draws to a cause
  is a highly sought after
  vassal indeed. Unfortu-
  nately, more often than
  not, recruiters rely on
  overly positive presenta-
  tions of the tasks for which
  they are recruiting; they
  rarely lie outright, for that
  would surely damage their fu-
  ture efforts, but they rarely
  discuss the downside of the job.
  Any Richemulot noble
  who wishes to keep his or her
  status is liable to have at least
  one member of this class among
  her advisors. Recruiters have also
  been fanning out from Richemulot
  in increasing numbers to spread the
  word in the realms of the Core about
  the free housing and bright future
  that can be had for those willing to
  work hard and help build a new eco-
  nomic center in Jacqueline Renier’s
  dominion.
  Other domains where
  local recruiters can be
  encountered include
  Darkon (where members
  of the class are busily help-
  ing to rebuild Azalin’s army and navy), Invidia
  (where they can be found building and even lead-
  ing mercenary bands for Malocchio), Nova Vaasa
  (where they help organize the militias maintained
  by the five noble families), and on the isolated
  islands of Rokushima Taiyoo (where both the
  feuding warlords and the assassin clans rely on
  recruiters to keep the quality of their ranks high).
  Hit Die: d6.
  Requirements
  To qualify for the recruiter (Rcr) class, a char-
  acter must meet the following criteria.
  Alignment: Any neutral.
  Base Attack Bonus: +3.
  Skills: Bluff 5 ranks, Diplomacy 5 ranks, Gather
  Information 5 ranks, Knowledge (local) 5 ranks,
  Perform (oratory) 8 ranks, Sense Motive 5 ranks.
  Feats: Negotiator, Persuasive.
  
  112
  Chapter Eight: Blood of the Rat
  Class Skills
  The recruiter’s class skills (and the key ability
  for each) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Decipher
  Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha),
  Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Infor-
  mation (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge
  (geography) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int),
  Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and
  royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Pro-
  fession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis),
  Speak Language, Spot (Wis).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the recruiter
  prestige class.
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The re-
  cruiter is proficient with all simple and martial
  weapons. The recruiter is proficient with light and
  medium armor, as well as bucklers and light shields.
  Inspiring Oratory (Ex): At 1st level, the
  recruiter can inflame a friendly or neutral crowd,
  spurring them to activity. In most cases, recruiters
  use this ability to encourage townsfolk or idle
  mercenaries to sign up with the group he is recruit-
  ing for, but it is also occasionally used to reinvigorate
  troops who are losing their enthusiasm for the
  cause they were hired to fight for.
  When using this ability upon a crowd of po-
  tential recruits, the recruiter makes a Perform
  (oratory) check. The result determines how many
  recruits step forward from the crowd. The roll is
  modified by how long the recruiter addresses the
  crowd and based on the crowd’s composition, as
  shown on Table 8–1.
  This skill must be used in a public place.
  Recruiters can visit as many marketplaces, water-
  front gathering places and taverns as are present in
  a town, and a different check can be made at each
  location. However, if a recruiter is too successful in
  his efforts, local authorities may take a dim view of
  his activities, assuming he isn’t working for them
  already. (No noble wants to see an outsider raising
  an army in his streets, or otherwise luring away his
  able-bodied workforce.) Attempts to recruit at any
  given location can only be made once per week.
  If the Diplomacy check fails, the recruiter does
  not find anyone interested in joining his cause.
  There are no ill effects from a failed roll — the
  recruiter is professional enough to not attempt to
  sway hostile crowds — but he is still limited to one
  weekly attempt per location.
  Table 8–1: Inspiring Oratory Variables
  Circumstance
  Diplomacy Check Modifier
  Recruiter is recognized as having worked for crowd’s enemies
  –4
  Many distractions while recruiter speaks
  –3
  Majority of crowd is of different race/society/culture than recruiter
  –2
  Majority of crowd is of different than recruiter
  –1
  Recruiter from society/culture known as ally of crowd
  +1
  Recruiter addresses crowd for more than 3 minutes
  +1
  Recruiter has trustworthy reputation to majority of crowd
  +2
  Recruiter addresses crowd for more than 10 minutes
  +4
  Recruiter has outcast rating (OR)
  –OR
  Diplomacy Result
          Number of Able Recruits†
  10 or less
  0
  11–15
  1d4
  16–20
  2d4+1
  21–25
  3d6+2
  26–30
  4d8+3
  31–35
  5d10+5
  36+
  6d12+10
  † A recruiter can never recruit more than one half of his current audience, regardless of his Diplomacy check result.
  The numbers of recruits assume the recruiter is attempting to locate people to fill the most basic roles in a militia, ship’s crew,
  or construction project (i.e., 0-level NPC classes). If more specialized help is needed (experts in particular types of warfare,
  crews with experience plying the misty waters of the Nocturnal Sea, and so on — class and level is left to the DM’s discretion),
  then the numbers above should be divided by 5.
  
  113
  The Renier Family
  Spells per Day: Beginning at 1st level, a
  recruiter gains the ability to cast a small number of
  arcane spells. To cast a spell, a recruiter must have
  a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so
  a recruiter with a Charisma of 10 or lower cannot
  cast these spells. Recruiter bonus spells are based
  on Charisma, and saving throws against these
  spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the recruiter’s
  Cha modifier. A recruiter casts spells just as a
  sorcerer does.
  Upon reaching 4th level, and again at 6th, a
  recruiter can choose to learn a new spell in place of
  one he already knows. The new spell’s level must be
  the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and
  it must be at least 1 level lower than the highest-
  level recruiter spell the character can cast. A
  recruiter may swap only a single spell at any given
  level, and he must choose whether or not to swap
  the spell at the same time that he gains new spells
  known for that level.
  Bonus Feat: At 3rd, 6th and 9th levels, the
  recruiter receives a bonus feat from the following
  list: Athletic, Back to the WallR, Combat Exper-
  tise, Combat Reflexes, CourageR, Diligent, Greater
  Supernatural ResilienceG3, HauntedR, Iron Will,
  JadedR, MesmerizingC, Open MindR, Quick Draw,
  Secret SocietyH, Sharp Ears*, Sharp Eyes*, Sharp
  Wit*, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Supernatural
  ResilienceG3, Voice of WrathR, Weapon Finesse,
  Weapon Focus.
  The recruiter must meet all the usual prerequi-
  sites for these feats.
  Leadership: At 4th level, the recruiter has
  gained a reputation as someone who can be trusted
  to provide sell-swords and other skilled workers
  with lucrative opportunities. As such, he develops
  his own cadre of loyal followers who wish to consis-
  tently benefit from the good fortunes he generates.
  He gains Leadership as a bonus feat.
  Inspire Confidence (Ex): Recruiters eventu-
  ally become adept at not only attracting talented
  individuals to a cause, but to keep them motivated
  and inspired. At 5th level, the recruiter can use his
  oratory to inspire confidence in recruits and other
  allies. This ability functions as the inspire courage
  bardic music ability, except that inspire confi-
  dence grants all allies a +1 morale bonus on all
  attack and damage rolls, skill checks and Will
  saves.
  At 10th level, the morale bonus granted to
  inspired allies increases to +2.
  Friends in Strange Places (Ex): At 7th level,
  the recruiter has dealt with so many different
  mercenaries, nobles and adventurers that he can
  find a friendly contact in all but the most alien,
  hostile, or desolate environments. To locate a
  contact, the recruiter need merely make a DC 15
  Gather Information check. The friendly contact is
  at the very least willing to impart information
  commonly known in the area and to warn the
  recruiter and allies away from dangers they may not
  have been aware of. In most cases, the contact
  offers the recruiter a place to rest for the night, if
  need be. In order to convince the contact to
  endanger himself or extend costly favors, the re-
  cruiter is likely to have to make Diplomacy checks
  (DC set by DM) and possibly offer bribes.
  The character can use this ability a number of
  times per week equal to his recruiter level.
  Judge of Character: At 8th level, the recruiter
  has developed an ability to ascertain the relative
  perils or difficulty of any endeavor. He gains Judge
  Difficulty* as a bonus feat
  Recruiter Spell List
  Recruiters choose their spells from the follow-
  ing list.
  1st Level: Comprehend languages, daze, detect
  magic, detect poison, disguise self, epiphanyV, expedi-
  tious retreat, hypnotism, read magic, remove fear,
  Tasha’s hideous laughter.
  2nd Level: Calm emotions, charm person, daze
  monster, detect thoughts, detect undead, enthrall, lo-
  cate markG2, sanctuary, tongues.
  3rd Level: Awaken guiltV, charm monster, com-
  mand undead, good hope, lesser geas, speak with
  animals, suggestion.
  Table 8–2: Recruiter Spells Known
  — Spells Known —
  Level
       1st
  2nd
  3rd
  1st
  –
  –
  –
  2nd
  2
  –
  –
  3rd
  3
  –
  –
  4th
  3
  2
  –
  5th
  4
  2
  –
  6th
  4
  3
  1
  7th
  5
  3
  2
  8th
  5
  4
  2
  9th
  5
  4
  3
  10th
  5
  5
  4
  
  114
  Chapter Eight: Blood of the Rat
  Rumormonger
  This character’s stock in trade is the dirty little
  secret that others want to keep hidden. She is adept
  at ferreting them out and even more talented at
  spreading them with just the right spin to do the
  most harm to her target’s reputation.
  Rumormongers are most common in
  Richemulot, Dementlieu and the isolated city state
  of Paridon, where rumor and innuendo are simul-
  taneously coins and weapons. Rumormongers who
  don’t mind living dangerously can also be found
  whispering at social functions in Borca.
  Hit Die: d6.
  Requirements
  To qualify for the rumormonger (Rmr) class, a
  character must meet the following criteria.
  Skills: Bluff 6 ranks, Diplomacy 5 ranks, Gather
  Information 6 ranks, Knowledge (local) 5 ranks, Knowl-
  edge (nobility and royalty) 5 ranks, Listen 3 ranks.
  Feats: Sharp Ears*, Skill Focus (Gather Infor-
  mation).
  Class Skills
  The rumormonger’s class skills (and the key
  ability for each) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha),
  Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy
  (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather In-
  formation (Cha), Hide (Wis), Knowledge (history)
  (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobil-
  ity and royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently
  (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search
  (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language, Spot
  (Wis).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
  Table 8–3: The Recruiter
  Level
  Base Attack
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
  Spells per Day
  Bonus
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1st
  2nd
  3rd
  1                +0
  +0
  +0
  +2
  Inspiring oratory
  –
  –
  –
  2               +1
  +0
  +0
  +3
  Spellcasting
  1
  –
  –
  3               +2
  +1
  +1
  +3
  Bonus feat
  2
  –
  –
  4               +3
  +1
  +1
  +3
  Leadership
  2
  1
  –
  5               +3
  +1
  +1
  +4
  Inspire confidence +1
  3
  1
  –
  6               +4
  +2
  +2
  +5
  Bonus feat
  3
  2
  1
  7               +5
  +2
  +2
  +5
  Friends in strange places
  4
  2
  1
  8              +6
  +2
  +2
  +6
  Judge of character
  5
  2
  1
  9              +6
  +3
  +3
  +6
  Bonus feat
  5
  3
  2
  10             +7
  +3
  +3
  +7
  Inspire confidence +2
  5
  4
  2
  
  115
  The Renier Family
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the
  rumormonger prestige class.
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The
  rumormonger gains no additional weapon, armor,
  or shield proficiencies.
  A Friend to All (Ex): The rumormonger is
  exceptionally adept at getting others to trust her
  (for good or ill). She gains a competence bonus
  equal to her rumormonger level on all Gather
  Information and Sense Motive checks.
  It’s Not What You Say (Ex): The
  rumormonger gains a +5 bonus on all Bluff checks
  made to start gossip (see the “Gossip” sidebar).
  It’s How You Say It (Ex): At 2nd level, the
  rumormonger has developed an ability to start
  “whisper campaigns” that greatly outshines that of
  common gossips. If she succeeds at a Bluff check to
  start a rumor, she may control the spread of the
  rumor as she wishes. For example, she may have the
  rumor spread only among an isolated section of the
  community, such as the membership of a certain
  Gossip
  A New Use for the Bluff Skill
  The Bluff skill can be used to spread rumors about another character, affiliation, or group. Gossip is a
  popular weapon wielded by the Reniers and certain others in Richemulot, such as characters who have
  levels as propagandistsC, recruiters and rumormongers (the latter two both being new classes described in
  this chapter).
  By making a successful Bluff check opposed to a typical listener’s Sense Motive check, a character can
  start a particular line of local gossip, whether malicious or harmless. For this purpose, a “typical listener”
  is decided by the DM based on the social circles amongst which the character wishes to start the gossip. For
  example, starting a rumor among uneducated low-level peasants is liable to be fairly easy (Sense Motive +0),
  while doing so among political leaders of Richemulot will probably be quite difficult (Sense Motive +10
  or more).
  Attempting to start a rumor also draws the usual circumstance modifiers for a Bluff check. However,
  in most cases — unless the character is attempting to start unfriendly rumors among allies of a target of
  censure, for example — the listeners are generally treated as willing to believe the character (thus imposing
  a –5 penalty to their Sense Motive checks).
  For example, if Elise deMaison decides she wants to spread gossip that Louise Renier’s latest dalliance
  with a young dandy (who happens to be Elise’s former beau) has left Louise with child, Elise would make
  a Bluff check. The DM assumes that her typical listener, a low-level aristocrats, has a Sense Motive bonus
  of +3; however, the DM also acknowledges that Elise’s circle of friends also tend to like such juicy bits of
  gossip, so they suffer a –5 penalty for being “willing.” Elise’s player rolls a 12, but adds +5 for Elise’s Bluff
  skill modifier, for a total of 17; the DM rolls a 9, for a Sense Motive result of only 9 + 3 – 5 = 7. Very soon,
  a new bit of gossip will be making the rounds of the afternoon tea parties in Pont-a-Museau.
  Rumors started using the Bluff skill can be tracked back to their originator through the use of the Gather
  Information skill. The DC to track a rumor is 5 greater than the Bluff check result that was rolled when it
  was started. Thus, continuing the above example, Louise Renier could find the source of Elise’s ugly rumor
  by making a DC 22 Gather Information check.
  Rumors generally spread over the course of a week in a typical small city, assuming there is fertile ground
  for the story to spread. The DM may modify this amount of time based on the relative success of the Bluff
  check and the size of the community in question. (So Elise’s rumor, above, might spread in just a few days,
  since she beat the opposed Sense Motive check by a full 10 points and the elite social circles of Pont-a-
  Museau, despite the size of the city, are relatively small groups.)
  Special: A member of the propagandistC prestige class gains a bonus equal to his propagandist class level
  when making Bluff checks to start gossip.
  
  116
  Chapter Eight: Blood of the Rat
  club or organization, and she may keep the rumor
  from reaching certain ears or groups, as desired.
  Further, she may choose to have the rumor spread
  to any number of individuals or communities as
  desired, from a handful of close acquaintances to an
  entire city or domain.
  Traceless Gossip (Ex): At 3rd level, the
  rumormonger is a master at planting information
  about others in ways that make it virtually impos-
  sible to trace the tales back to her. Gather
  Information checks made to trace gossip started by
  the rumormonger suffer a –10 penalty.
  Table 8–4: The Rumormonger
  Level
          Base Attack
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
          Bonus
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1
  +0
  +0
  +0
  +2
  A friend to all, it’s not what you say
  2
  +1
  +0
  +0
  +3
  It’s how you say it
  3
  +1
  +0
  +0
  +3
  Traceless gossip
  Family Magic
  either branch of the Renier family is
  renowned for wizards or magical arti-
  sans. However, draped over an
  over-stuffed chair in the rarely visited,
  cobweb-choked library on the third floor
  of the Renier ancestral home called Chateau
  Delanuit is a dusty, threadbare traveling cloak. It is
  a unique magical item known as the cloak of the rat.
  Created by one of Claude Renier’s older siblings, it
  traveled with the old rat to Richemulot when he
  first came there.
  Further, within the left inner pocket of the
  cloak is a crumpled page torn from a book. At first
  glance, it appears to be covered with gibberish
  penned in a childish hand. In actuality, this is a
  unique spell — rat eyes — concealed by a secret page
  that reveals its hidden writing only if the word
  salaud (High Mordentish for “rat”) is spoken nearby.
  New Magic Item
  Cloak of the Rat
  This magic item must be created from a cloak,
  coat, or jacket that has at least one pocket.
  Cloak of the Rat: The most obvious function
  of this garment is an ability to dry quickly and
  remain clean. No matter how waterlogged, muddy,
  or filth-stained it becomes, the garment dries within
  1 hour of being hung in a dry location, and any
  stains and smells upon it likewise vanish. When
  the hour is up, the garment is covered with dust no
  more repulsive than that left on clothing after a
  journey along a dry country road.
  A second, less immediately obvious function
  is that up to four pockets on the garment function
  as miniature Heward’s handy haversacks. Each pocket
  can hold a maximum of 1 cubic foot in volume or
  10 pounds in weight, without changing the base
  weight of the garment or showing any bulges. Like
  the haversack, the wearer always finds the item he
  reaches into a pocket to find.
  All other conditions of these extra-dimen-
  sional storage spaces that apply to Heward’s handy
  haversacks also apply to the pockets on a cloak of the
  rat.
  Moderate conjuration; CL 8th; Craft Won-
  drous Item, Leomund’s secret chest, prestidigitation;
  Price 1,800 gp.
  New Spell
  Rat Eyes
  Divination
  Level: 
  Level: 
  Level: 
  Level: 
  Level: Brd 1, Drd 1, Rgr 1, Sor/Wiz 1
  Components: 
  Components: 
  Components: 
  Components: 
  Components: V, S
  Casting Time: 
  Casting Time: 
  Casting Time: 
  Casting Time: 
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: 
  Range: 
  Range: 
  Range: 
  Range: Long (400 ft. ft + 40 ft/caster level)
  Target: 
  Target: 
  Target: 
  Target: 
  Target: One rat or similar rodent
  Duration: 
  Duration: 
  Duration: 
  Duration: 
  Duration: 5 minutes/level
  Saving Throw: 
  Saving Throw: 
  Saving Throw: 
  Saving Throw: 
  Saving Throw: Yes
  Spell Resistance: 
  Spell Resistance: 
  Spell Resistance: 
  Spell Resistance: 
  Spell Resistance: Yes
  The caster controls the movements and shares
  the vision of a single rat, chosen from within line
  of sight. Once affected, the animal can move out of
  the caster’s line of sight, but the spell continues in
  effect as long as the rat remains within the spell’s
  range. The caster can see anything the rat sees.
  
  117
  The Renier Family
  The rat targeted by this spell can be mentally
  instructed by the caster to move and look in any
  desired direction. However, the rat cannot be
  forced to do anything but stop, walk, run, or look in
  a given direction. If the rat is ordered into combat
  or otherwise instructed to do something that would
  harm or endanger it, the spell immediately ends.
  (Ordering the rat to observe something that might
  be dangerous to it does not end the spell, as long as
  the rat can watch from a hidden location that it
  perceives as relatively safe.)
  Story Hook
  A Renier who is a distant cousin to the ruling
  family (a player character, or an NPC with whom
  they are friendly) is approached by a friend or
  member of the DuBois family. The Renier is asked
  if he would be willing to approach Lady Jacqueline
  or her sister Louise to beg for aid in discovering
  once and for all what happened to Henri DuBois.
  The DuBois family members share with the PCs
  what little they know about Henri’s final days and
  the circumstances around his disappearance. While
  all signs point to involvement on the part of Lady
  Jacqueline Renier, they find it hard to believe that
  someone who has been as generous to the family as
  she has would be involved in the disappearance of
  Henri, particularly when they were so in love.
  Whether the characters approach Jacqueline
  or Louise in their search for information about
  Henri DuBois, they find only firm denials; the
  Reniers “have already done all that can be done to
  find the missing man.” (These statements are actu-
  ally true; despite her failure to transform Henri into
  a wererat, Jacqueline is still in love with him and at
  the very least wants to know what his current
  situation is, while Louise wants to kill Henri and
  make sure her sister finds his mutilated corpse.)
  Whether or not the characters launch their
  own investigation, they eventually find themselves
  under attack by wererats and mysterious assassins.
  The attacks are easily dealt with at first, but they
  quickly become very deadly — and Renier charac-
  ters may discover just how vulnerable they are to
  lycanthropic infection.
  Who is behind the efforts to kill the party
  before they locate Henri DuBois? Is it some of the
  hateful non-wererat members of the Renier family?
  Is it perhaps Jacques Renier, Jacqueline’s son, who
  has been keeping Henri captive in the hopes that
  his mother’s ongoing search will leave her exposed
  enough so he can assassinate her?
  Or could it be that the assassins are sent by
  Henri DuBois himself, who was driven mad by the
  double-blow of witnessing the transformation of
  his beloved Jacqueline and then being attacked by
  her immediately after? He may not have been
  transformed by Jacqueline, but perhaps he has
  since become infected by an aberrant strain of
  wererat lycanthropy, and is now so monstrous that
  he can barely be recognized as human — and a cult
  of wererats who formerly chafed under Jacqueline’s
  rule now worship him as a god and follow his every
  whim.
  Finally, perhaps the attacks against the party
  have nothing to do with Henri DuBois at all.
  Instead, they are merely another attempt on the
  part of Louise Renier to remove her sister from
  power, using the PCs as her weapon. She is sending
  the killers at the party and planting clues that
  implicate Jacqueline. Louise might even be leaving
  clues to convince the party that Jacqueline is a
  monster — a vampire, or perhaps even a wererat,
  although the clues should indicate that she is an
  infected lycanthrope, not a natural one.
  
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  Chapter Nine: Blood of Hunger
  Chapter Nine:
  Blood of Hunger
  The
  Von Zarovich
  Family
  Chapter Nine:
  Blood of Hunger
  The
  Von Zarovich
  Family
  
  119
  The Von Zarovich Family
  Von Zarovich — my name invokes a sting of fear in the hearts of even the sternest heroes
  and the most experienced investigators. The Von Zarovich name carries with it a legacy of
  sadness, evil, corruption and darkness unequaled by any other great house of the realms. In fact,
  my researches into our origins suggest that, but for the excesses of Strahd Von Zarovich
  I and his unforgivable crimes against his own family, we would not now be cursed by the darkness
  that so easily takes root in our hearts.
  Over time, I have come to suspect that the Strahd Von Zarovich who currently rules
  Barovia is no other than the same evil being that began our curse. Yes, though it strikes terror
  through me to even whisper such a thing, I have become convinced that Strahd is, in fact, one
  of the undying, a vampire that preserves his own evil life through the murder of others. His
  longevity, cruelty and cunning are legendary, yet, to my shame, though he is easily the best-
  known of our bloodline, he is far from the only Von Zarovich that the good folk of the realms
  must fear.
  In the early days of Barovian history, the Von Zaroviches were (along with the Dilisnya,
  Katsky and Petrovna) the leading noble clan of the realm. In those days the Von Zaroviches
  were bold warriors driving the wicked Tergs from Barovia and liberating an entire nation. Their
  leader in those days was the mighty Strahd I. My ancestor’s tale has been related time and
  again over the years — his illicit love for his brother Sergei’s betrothed Tatyana, Sergei’s
  murder at Strahd’s hands, the massacre of Sergei’s wedding guests at the hands of Dilisnya
  assassins and the suicide of sad Tatyana.
  Nearly the entire Von Zarovich clan perished on that night, though Strahd himself
  survived, I now believe, somehow transformed into a vampire. My investigations indicate that
  he spread the rumor that his relative, “Sturm,” had missed the wedding; in Sturm’s guise,
  then, he himself undertook a campaign of vengeance against the Dilisnya and their patriarch,
  Leo. Though the Von Zaroviches were weakened and nearly destroyed, we emerged
  victorious, successfully driving the Dilisnya from the realm.
  In time, the household itself began to recover, though the taint of Strahd’s sanguine thirst
  has touched all of us to some extent. To this day, sadly, House Von Zarovich remain one
  of the most dangerous in the realms, home to schemers and diabolical geniuses as well as ruthless
  killers and practitioners of the darkest of dark arts.
  I believe that it is vital for you to fully understand the other members of my household,
  My Darling, if you are to truly understand what you join should you consent to become my
  wife. And so I humbly relate my origins to you, Dearest, in hopes that you may forgive me
  my family and help me to escape the evil fate so many of us embrace and instead follow the path
  of good I sense shining from within you.
  — letter from Reval Von Zarovich to his prospective wife and fiancée, Kataryna
  Mandorova, priestess of the Morning Lord
  
  120
  Chapter Nine: Blood of Hunger
  The Von Zaroviches
  his great family is as old as Barovia itself,
  and its evil is as deep as any in the Dread
  Realms. The Von Zaroviches are the
  living embodiment of gothic horror, a
  family cursed by the sins of its founders
  and tormented by the wickedness of its present
  ruler. With this history and this dark burden, it is
  not surprising that most members of the Von
  Zarovich clan have followed paths of corruption.
  Unlike some other households, however, the
  Von Zaroviches also harbor a handful of others —
  brave and strong-willed individuals capable of re-
  sisting the call of darkness, of living their lives
  independently of their grim heredity. Some have
  even embraced the powers of good, but these indi-
  viduals are few and far between.
  Fitting In
  Von Zarovich is quite a widespread clan, with
  minor branches in several lands beyond Barovia’s
  borders, such as Kartakass, Invidia and Verbrek.
  Most remain concentrated in the mountainous
  regions of Barovia, however, where they are free to
  pursue whatever cruel schemes they desire because
  of their connection to Strahd and the ruling house.
  Strahd is at best an absentee ruler who takes
  little interest in the lives and welfare of his citizens.
  For the most part, he leaves the daily running of the
  nation to his boyars and burgomasters. Although
  these positions are not normally awarded to mem-
  bers of the old ruling families — the Katsky,
  Petrovna, or the hated Dilisnya — Strahd is willing
  to make an exception in the case of his relatives,
  and open positions are sometimes awarded to mi-
  nor members of the Von Zarovich household.
  Gaining such a position sometimes requires a
  Von Zarovich to make a direct appeal to Count
  Strahd himself, which of course requires a pilgrim-
  age to Castle Ravenloft — the dark heart of the
  Dread Realms. Strahd isn’t necessarily an ungra-
  cious host, yet save for a desire to maintain control
  in his realm by whatever means necessary, he has
  no overwhelming sense of loyalty or warmth to-
  ward his own bloodline. Requests for assistance
  should always be phrased as politely and cordially
  as possible, and denials must be accepted with good
  grace lest the supplicant find himself on the receiv-
  ing end of Strahd’s displeasure.
  Those Von Zaroviches who don’t hold impor-
  tant positions in the realm can be of just about any
  social station from simple freeman on up. Distant
  claims to Von Zarovich ancestry are quite com-
  mon, for the family’s worst traits are only expressed
  in those who are most closely related to Strahd. All
  carry a certain amount of the family’s taint, how-
  ever, and the inhabitants of Barovia treat all who
  bear the name or claim a relation to it with a certain
  fearful respect.
  Even outside Barovia, the name of Von
  Zarovich garners considerable respect, even though
  other darklords such as Ivana Boritsi and Azalin
  Rex harbor deep hatred for Strahd and his family
  and will not hesitate to take vengeance on mem-
  bers of the Von Zarovich household. Consequently,
  members of the household tend to tread carefully
  when in hostile territory, even though it is contrary
  to the household’s traditional arrogance and self-
  assurance to do so.
  Being a Von Zarovich comes with some re-
  sponsibilities, for although Strahd has little love or
  loyalty for other family members, he nevertheless
  rules with an iron hand, demanding that his rela-
  tions never bring disrespect or derision to the
  household. Von Zaroviches must dress well, and
  their weapons and armor must always be of the
  highest quality; their dwellings must always be kept
  in good condition, and they must never be drawn
  into such petty concerns as local power struggles,
  street crime or similar plebian pursuits.
  Adventuring is allowed, though a Von
  Zarovich is expected to keep his adventuring com-
  panions at arms’ length. He must avoid carousing,
  brawling, excessive drinking, gluttony and associ-
  ating with unseemly members of the opposite sex.
  An adventurer is certainly entitled to seek his
  fortune, but the gross display of magical skill is
  strongly discouraged. Despite the horrors of the
  past, House Von Zarovich retains its dignity and
  demands that its members observe the strictest
  rules of decorum.
  In some cases, Strahd himself has been known
  to intervene should any of his family members
  violate these rules. First, trusted servants are sent to
  inform the offending scion that his behavior is
  unacceptable. Usually this is enough to shock a
  wayward family member into good conduct, but
  those who persist may end up with another visit,
  this time by another high-ranking Von Zarovich.
  Should Strahd himself ever become directly in-
  volved, the scion’s career as a Von Zarovich — and
  indeed his life — is probably over.
  
  121
  The Von Zarovich Family
  Being Good
  Though there is indeed a darkness in the heart
  of the Von Zarovich soul, there remains in some a
  tiny spark of indefatigable goodness and a willing-
  ness to battle the influence of the shadow. Such
  individuals are quintessential gothic characters —
  good-hearted individuals who try to do the right
  thing but who must constantly battle the evil in
  their souls.
  Good-aligned Von Zaroviches are still ac-
  cepted by the family, though they are certainly
  treated like black (or, perhaps more accurately,
  white) sheep — ostracized, ridiculed and con-
  stantly tempted to follow the Path of Corruption.
  Only if a good-aligned Von Zarovich’s activities
  put him in direct conflict with the family will he
  face open opposition.
  In some ways, the Von Zarovich heritage can
  be a powerful inducement to a good character, for
  the memory and knowledge of a household’s past
  sins can show her quite clearly what actions or
  excesses to avoid. They also provide sins and crimes
  for which a good character can seek atonement
  (that the character herself did not commit these
  crimes usually shouldn’t matter to a selfless gothic
  hero, for the sins of the parents are invariably
  passed down to sons and daughters).
  For the most part, a good-aligned Von Zarovich
  avoids the family’s homeland for fear of coming
  into direct conflict with other family members.
  Wandering adventurers sometimes openly admit
  to their Von Zarovich pedigree in order to show
  that they have defied their evil heritage, or simply
  to show that not all Von Zaroviches are bad.
  Others hide their past and their ancestry as well as
  they are able, carrying it inside them like a secret
  shame. In all cases, however, the good-aligned Von
  Zarovich feels a deep and abiding need to right the
  wrongs of the world and to see justice done.
  No matter how much they do, however, the
  darkness of the Von Zarovich soul never goes away
  completely.
  Claiming Membership
  Claiming membership in house Von Zarovich
  is not necessary per se — an individual is either a
  Von Zarovich or she is not. The nature of the
  Dread Realms and the influence of the Dark Pow-
  ers is such that a Von Zarovich scion simply knows
  her true heritage and understands her connection
  
  122
  Chapter Nine: Blood of Hunger
  to the shadows. Even those who are not immedi-
  ately informed of their intimate connection to the
  most infamous household in the realms will know
  that they are different from the cowed, supersti-
  tious peasants that surround them.
  Distant relatives or those whose parents at-
  tempt to hide their Von Zarovich legacy almost
  always learn of their connection — if not by
  finding it out through research or by being told,
  then perhaps by the dark and troubling dreams or
  visions that often plague them as they grow older.
  The murder of Sergei and tragic suicide of Tatyana
  is often the subject of these visions, as is the lonely
  and tormented existence of Strahd himself, wan-
  dering his cold, bleak castle tormented by the
  spirits of his countless victims. In time, it becomes
  clear to the Von Zarovich scion that these are not
  truly dreams, but instead mystical visions of Strahd’s
  past and present.
  Though Strahd is far from the most loyal or
  supportive family patriarch, he nevertheless wel-
  comes new members to the family, even going so far
  as to explain the individual’s genealogical connec-
  tion to House Von Zarovich. Sometimes this
  revelation fills the recipient with nothing less than
  horror, bringing Strahd himself a tiny but welcome
  moment of joy and sadistic pleasure. He especially
  enjoys passing the truth on to good-aligned charac-
  ters, for he knows that their path will most often
  spiral into darkness.
  Once a Von Zarovich knows of his or her
  heritage, life is rarely the same. Simply being asso-
  ciated with Barovia’s ruling household brings
  considerable benefits, from the terrified respect of
  the peasants to the obsequious fawning of innkeep-
  ers, boyars and burgomasters. Occasionally, family
  holdings become available and Strahd or another
  high-ranking Von Zarovich may award them to a
  noteworthy (or even an undeserving) relative. As
  in other kingdoms, estates and property that are
  confiscated from traitors and enemies of the state
  are sometimes given to newly recognized Von
  Zaroviches for safekeeping.
  Von Zarovich Family Traits
  • +2 Intelligence: Von Zaroviches tend to be
  cunning and shrewd individuals.
  • Taint of the Blood: The cursed taint of Von
  Zarovich blood is etched deep into the heart and
  soul of all family members. Though these fearsome
  traits are strongest in those most closely related to
  Strahd himself, nearly all of Von Zarovich ancestry
  show at least one of these inherent curses. The DM
  should assign at least one of these features to any
  Von Zarovich character, although the character
  should not be made unplayable; for instance, if
  more than one is assigned, then the curses need not
  take effect every time their requirements/triggers
  are fulfilled.
  Lure of the Dark Powers: The Von Zarovich has
  a permanent +1% modifier to all powers checks.
  For example, an unprovoked assault upon a friend
  normally requires a 2% powers check, but in the
  case of the tainted Von Zarovich character, this
  percentage rises to 3%.
  Nightmares: From time to time, Von Zaroviches
  are tormented by terrible dreams of darkness and
  blood. Whenever he sleeps, the Von Zarovich
  character must make a Will save (DC varies based
  on the character’s actions the previous day, but
  generally 10–15) or be visited by nightmares; if
  nightmares do occur, the character is considered
  fatigued upon waking. If they visit the Von Zarovich
  for any three nights in succession, he is considered
  exhausted.
  Thirst for Blood: When in combat, every time
  he wounds an opponent with a melee attack, the
  Von Zarovich must make a DC 12 Will save or fly
  into a berserk frenzy, gaining a +1 bonus to attack
  and damage rolls and attacking that opponent
  until it falls (even if he had been dealing nonlethal
  damage up to that point, for instance). Once the
  opponent drops, the Von Zarovich must make a
  DC 15 Will save each round or continue to attack
  it, effectively making a coup-de-grace attack that
  round. If at any time he rolls a natural 1 on this
  save, the character immediately abandons the fallen
  enemy and throws himself upon the nearest oppo-
  nent, still gaining the bonuses for his frenzy. If this
  opponent drops, the Von Zarovich must again
  make a Will save to avoid mutilating the fallen as
  described above.
  The DM may apply penalties to the Von
  Zarovich character’s Will saves if the current oppo-
  nent is a hated enemy (these modifiers should
  range from –1 to –5, with higher modifiers given
  only for major antagonists of the character or
  perhaps traditional family enemies).
  A Von Zarovich character can’t undergo a
  frenzy at the same time as he experiences a vision
  of horror (see below), even though he may have
  both curses.
  Visions of Horror: On occasion, some Von
  Zaroviches are visited with images of the horrors
  
  123
  The Von Zarovich Family
  from their family’s past and the horrors of the
  future, as well as haunting images of the torments
  that await them at the hands of the Dark Powers.
  Every time he is wounded in battle, the Von
  Zarovich character must make a DC 12 Will save
  or be dazzled by these flitting images for the dura-
  tion of the present combat and for 1d3 rounds
  thereafter. A dazzled character takes a –1 penalty
  on attack rolls, Search checks and Spot checks.
  (Multiple “dazzled” effects do not stack.)
  A character can’t experience visions of horror
  at the same time as he is possessed by his thirst for
  blood (see above), even though he may have both
  curses.
  Family Feats
  hen creating a Von Zarovich, the player
  or DM should select at least one of the
  character’s feats from the following list
  (or from among those new feats de-
  scribed below) during character creation:
  Alertness, Ancestral LegacyV, Athletic, Cold OneR,
  Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, CourageR,
  Darkness WithinC, Diehard, Endurance, HauntedR,
  HeroismH, HollowC, Iron Will, JadedR,
  KnowledgeableH, LibraryH, LiteracyH, Magical
  Aptitude, Martial Weapon Proficiency, Piercing
  GazeC, PortentsV, Second SightC, Spell Focus (nec-
  romancy), Spell Mastery, Weapon Focus, Vampiric
  RegenerationC, or Voice of WrathR. The character
  must meet all requirements for each feat, as usual.
  The following new feats should be available
  only to Von Zarovich characters (or, at the DM’s
  discretion, to those of some other bloodline that
  has a history of vampirism among its ancestors).
  Blood Ritual [Metamagic]
  You may recover arcane spell energy using the
  blood of a sacrificial victim.
  Prerequisites: Blood Spell*, wizard level 9th.
  Benefit: You can cast spells as if by means of
  the Blood Spell feat (q.v.), except that you may
  shed the blood of another creature rather than your
  own. The victim used to gain this benefit must be
  helpless, and drawing blood from him or her pro-
  vokes attacks of opportunity. Using this feat always
  extends the spell’s casting time to at least 1 full
  round.
  You must make a powers check as if you had
  inflicted “routine torture” every time you use this
  feat.
  Blood Spell [Metamagic]
  Accessing the dark curse of your bloodline,
  you may shed your own blood to power your arcane
  spells.
  Prerequisites: Wizard level 5th.
  Benefit: This metamagic feat is unique in that
  it requires hit points rather than additional spell
  levels to function. By ritually cutting yourself as
  part of casting a spell (thereby increasing the spell’s
  casting time), you may avoid expending the pre-
  pared spell slot. You must sacrifice a number of hit
  points equal to twice the total level of the spell cast
  (which may be modified by other metamagic feats)
  to do so. The casting time of the spell is increased
  based on its usual casting time, as follows.
  Normal Casting Time
  Modified Casting Time
  Free action
  1 standard action
  1 standard action
  1 full round
  1 full round
  2 full rounds
  More than 1 full round
  +1 full round
  For example, a wizard with this feat wishes to
  cast the empowered vampiric touch he has prepared,
  but wants to be sure he can cast the spell again. By
  cutting himself for 10 points of damage and in-
  creasing the spell’s casting time to 1 full round, he
  provides the spell energy to cast the spell (which is
  normally 3rd level, but has been modified to use a
  5th-level spell slot because of the Empower Spell
  feat).
  Commanding Gaze [General]
  Your penetrating, unnatural gaze is often
  enough to stop even the most hardened killer in his
  tracks.
  Prerequisites: Wis 13, Cha 13, Piercing Gaze.
  Benefit: As a standard action, you can cause
  any target within 30 feet to make a Will save (DC
  10 + half your HD/levels + your Charisma modi-
  fier) or be stunned for 1 full round. A creature that
  saves against your commanding gaze is immune to
  its effect for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting,
  supernatural ability.
  Lure of the Blood [General]
  Due to your inherited connection to Strahd’s
  curse of vampirism, your melee attacks can cause
  bleeding wounds.
  Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6, Weapon
  Focus, Weapon Specialization, fighter level 4th.
  
  124
  Chapter Nine: Blood of Hunger
  Benefit: Choose a melee weapon for which
  you already have Weapon Specialization. When-
  ever you wield a weapon of that type in combat, it
  functions as if it had the wounding property in
  addition to any actual magical properties it might
  bear. This is a supernatural ability.
  If you are of good alignment, you must make a
  1% powers check for every 24-hour period during
  which you utilize the benefit of this feat.
  Special: You can gain this feat multiple times.
  Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat,
  it applies to a new type of weapon.
  A fighter may select Lure of the Blood as one
  of his fighter bonus feats. He must have Weapon
  Specialization with a weapon to gain the Lure of
  the Blood feat for that weapon.
  Touch of Darkness [General]
   You can attack foes with an enervating attack
  that resembles a vampire’s energy drain.
  Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +10, Cleave,
  Darkness WithinC, Power Attack.
  Benefit: Any time you successfully strike a
  living opponent in melee combat, she takes 1 point
  of Strength damage.
  Family Classes
  ost Von Zaroviches have a natural apti-
  tude for magic. Wizards abound among
  them, as do sorcerers and practitioners
  of divine magic; nearly all of the latter
  have dedicated themselves to the gods
  of evil. However, fighters and rogues are not un-
  common among them, for House Von Zarovich is
  from its ancient roots a warrior clan; still, in the
  present age, warrior-types are actually outnum-
  bered by spellcasters. The Von Zaroviches do not
  normally claim much of a connection with nature,
  so barbarians, druids and rangers are uncommon;
  likewise, they aren’t known for their asceticism,
  making monks even rarer. Paladins — champions
  of the light and justice that the Von Zaroviches
  find utterly repellent — are the rarest of all and are
  generally abhorred or scorned by other members of
  the family.
  Exceptional Von Zaroviches who take pres-
  tige class levels most commonly choose archmage,
  blackguard, dreamcasterC, eldritch knight,
  hierophant, knight errantH, loremaster and night
  lordC. In addition, there are two new prestige
  classes presented below that are virtually unique to
  those of Von Zarovich blood. (A DM may decide
  to let other characters take these prestige classes,
  but should have a good reason for doing so — such
  as the character being an adoptee or special ally of
  the family).
  Crimson Hound
   The Von Zaroviches have always excelled at
  both the black and the martial arts, and their
  guardsmen — touched by the bloodlust that has
  cursed the family for generations — are among the
  most feared and dangerous fighters in the Dread
  Realms. They are named for their fierce loyalty to
  their household, their unstoppable desire for vio-
  lence and their great skill in tracking and brining
  down enemies of the great Von Zaroviches.
  Crimson hounds generally lead Strahd’s elite
  army units and guard the most important locations
  and citadels in Barovia. For especially sensitive or
  important missions, a crimson hound, if placed in
  command of a unit of veteran soldiers, may be
  given the authority to engage in any activity nec-
  essary for the security of the state and the welfare of
  House Von Zarovich. Of course, this usually entails
  the shedding of large quantities of innocent blood
  and excessive acts of torture and mayhem, but such
  are a crimson hound’s specialty.
  Hit Dice: d10.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a crimson hound (Crh),
  a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
  Alignment: Any evil.
  Base Attack Bonus: +6.
  Skills: Intimidate 8 ranks, Survival 4 ranks.
  Feats: Iron Will, JadedR, Track.
  Special: The crimson hound must swear an
  unholy oath to obey Count Strahd Von Zarovich
  and his appointed representatives. If the hound ever
  disobeys a direct order from any such source, he is cast
  out of service (if not hunted down and slain outright)
  and cannot progress further in this class unless for-
  given and reinstated by Count Strahd himself.
  Class Skills
  The crimson hound’s class skills (and the key
  ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int),
  Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str),
  Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search
  (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis) and Swim (Str).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
  
  125
  The Von Zarovich Family
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the
  crimson hound prestige class.
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Crimson
  hounds are proficient with all simple and martial
  weapons and with all types of armor and shields
  (except tower shields).
  True Servant (Ex): At 1st level, the crimson
  hound gains a bonus against any mind-affecting spell
  or ability that would cause him to directly disobey his
  Von Zarovich masters or to undertake actions that
  would plainly oppose or undermine the interests of
  the Von Zarovich family. The value of this bonus is
  equal to the character’s crimson hound level.
  Command (Sp): At 2nd level, a crimson hound
  can use command a number of times per day equal
  to his Charisma modifier (minimum once per day).
  The save DC is equal to 11 + the crimson hound’s
  Charisma modifier.
  Demoralize (Ex): At 3rd level, the crimson
  hound gains the ability, through his ferocious ex-
  hortations and fearsome threats, to dishearten his
  enemies. As a standard action, the crimson hound
  can make an Intimidate check; all enemies within
  20 feet must then make a character level check
  (DC = the crimson hound’s Intimidate result).
  Those who fail suffer a –1 penalty to all attack rolls
  and saving throws for 2d4 rounds. The crimson
  hound may use this ability a number of times per
  day equal to his Charisma modifier.
  Demoralize is a mind-affecting fear effect.
  Hold Person (Sp): At 4th level, a crimson hound
  can use hold person once per day. The save DC is equal to
  13 + the crimson hound’s Charisma modifier.
  Fearsome Presence (Ex): At 5th level, the
  crimson hound’s fearsome threats can be terribly
  unsettling to foes. As a standard action, the crim-
  son hound can make an Intimidate check; all
  enemies within 20 feet must then make a character
  level check (DC = the crimson hound’s Intimidate
  result). Creatures that fail are affected as follows:
  Those having fewer levels/HD than the hound are
  frightened for 4d6 rounds, while those having as
  many or more HD/levels are shaken for 2d6 rounds.
  The crimson hound may use this ability a number
  of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier.
  Fearsome presence is a mind-affecting fear
  effect.
  Table 9–1: The Crimson Hound
  Level
          Base Attack
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
          Bonus
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1st
  +1
  +2
  +0
  +0
  True servant
  2nd
  +2
  +3
  +0
  +0
  Command
  3rd
  +3
  +3
  +1
  +1
  Demoralize
  4th
  +4
  +4
  +1
  +1
  Hold person
  5th
  +5
  +4
  +1
  +1
  Fearsome presence
  
  126
  Chapter Nine: Blood of Hunger
  Tyrant Mage
  In some ways, the Von Zarovich family are
  quintessential tyrants, ruling with absolute author-
  ity and treating their subjects with disdain or at
  best benign neglect until they disobey or until the
  Von Zaroviches need them. Then, members of the
  household are quick to lay the heavy hand of
  oppression upon their people.
  Commonly, the infamous Von Zarovich ty-
  rant mages are not themselves rulers, but serve the
  house patriarchs, using their considerable magical
  abilities to control, oversee and if necessary repress
  the peasants of Von Zarovich lands. Tyrant mages
  proved instrumental in Strahd’s struggle against
  the Ba’al Verzi, and when the assassins failed to kill
  Strahd in 350 BC, the tyrant mages descended
  upon the cabal and almost completely destroyed it.
  Only the tragic massacre of 351 BC, in which
  Sergei Von Zarovich and Strahd I (supposedly)
  perished, saved the Ba’al Verzi. Seriously weak-
  ened by the tragedy, the tyrant mages spent the
  next few years piecing the realm back together and
  rebuilding their forces.
  Since then, the tyrant mages have continued
  to serve House Von Zarovich, helping to ferret out
  and eradicate those who would disrupt the security
  of Barovia, and destroying threats to Strahd and his
  followers.
  Hit Dice: d4.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a tyrant mage (Trm), a
  character must fulfill all the following criteria.
  Alignment: Any evil.
  Base Attack Bonus: +3.
  Skills: Intimidate 4 ranks, Knowledge (arcana)
  8 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks.
  Feats: Any two metamagic feats.
  Special: Ability to cast 3rd-level arcane spells.
  Class Skills
   The tyrant mage’s class skills (and the key
  ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con),
  Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy
  (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills,
  taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense
  Motive (Wis), Speak Language and Spellcraft (Int).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the
  tyrant mage prestige class.
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Tyrant
  mages gain no proficiency with any weapon, armor,
  or shield.
  Spellcasting: At every tyrant mage level, the
  character gains new spells per day (and spells
  known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a
  level in whatever arcane spellcasting class had
  granted her access to 3rd-level spells. She does not,
  however, gain any other benefit a character of that
  class would have gained (bonus metamagic feats,
  and so on), except for an increased effective level
  of spellcasting. This essentially means that she
  adds the level of tyrant mage to the level of her
  previous arcane spellcasting class, then determines
  spells per day, spells known and caster level accord-
  ingly.
  
  127
  The Von Zarovich Family
  If the character has more than one arcane
  spellcasting class that grants her access to 3rd-level
  spells, she must decide to which class she adds each
  level of tyrant mage for the purpose of determining
  spells per day and spells known.
  Charm Person (Sp): At 1st level, a tyrant
  mage can use charm person as a spell-like ability
  once per day. The save DC for this ability is 11 +
  her Charisma modifier, and her effective caster
  level is equal to her actual arcane caster level.
  Tyrant’s Eye (Ex): At 2nd level, the tyrant
  mage gains a +2 competence bonus on all Intimi-
  date and Sense Motive checks.
  Suggestion (Sp): At 3rd level, a tyrant mage
  can use suggestion as a spell-like ability once per
  day. The save DC for this ability is 13 + her
  Charisma modifier, and her effective caster level is
  equal to her actual arcane caster level.
  Bonus Feat: At 4th level, the tyrant mage
  receives a bonus metamagic feat.
  Domination (Sp): At 5th level, a tyrant mage
  can use dominate person as a spell-like ability once
  per day. The save DC for this ability is 15 + her
  Charisma modifier, and her effective caster level is
  equal to her actual arcane caster level.
  Family Magic Items
  The following items are all family heirlooms
  belonging to the Von Zaroviches and their retain-
  ers.
  Heartsblood Orb
  This crystalline sphere is about the size of an
  apple and glows with a rich, reddish inner light.
  When held, it feels cold to the touch and gives
  good-hearted wielders a tangible sense of dread.
  The orb is reputed to contain a small amount of
  blood from an ancient, powerful outsider defeated
  by Count Strahd I. Rumor claims that this outsider
  still lives and will one day seek out the orb’s holder
  to take horrific vengeance on him and all others
  who have ever benefited from its magic.
  Heartsblood Orb: This item conveys cold,
  electricity and fire resistance 10 and a +1 bonus to
  all saving throws upon its possessor. Once per day,
  the holder of the heartsblood orb can use it to cast
  the equivalent of a heal spell (caster level 11th)
  upon himself.
  Moderate conjuration and transmutation; CL
  11th; Craft Wondrous Item, heal, resistance, resist
  energy; Price 53,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
  Sanguine Chalice
  The Von Zaroviches have many fell magic
  items, some of which require the suffering of other
  living beings in order to function. This item was
  made long ago, well before Barovia’s descent into
  the mists, intended to replenish the bodies and
  spirits of Von Zarovich soldiers and leaders. Some
  sympathetic historians claim that the chalice was
  originally powered by holy water or perhaps wine
  or some other innocuous fluid, but most believe
  that the item was always used with the blood of
  victims.
  The sanguine chalice is a beautiful silver goblet,
  etched with intertwined roses and skulls; it bears
  several large blood-red stones set about its base.
  When blood is poured into the cup, these stones
  glow faintly, throbbing slightly as if to a struggling
  heartbeat.
  Table 9–2: The Tyrant Mage
  Level
          Base Attack
  Fort
  Ref
  Will
  Special
  Spellcasting
          Bonus
  Save
  Save
  Save
  1st
  +0
  +0
  +0
  +2
  Charm person
  +1 level of existing arcane
  spellcasting class
  2nd
  +1
  +0
  +0
  +3
  Tyrant’s eye
  +1 level of existing arcane
  spellcasting class
  3rd
  +1
  +1
  +1
  +3
  Suggestion
  +1 level of existing arcane
  spellcasting class
  4th
  +2
  +1
  +1
  +4
  Bonus feat
  +1 level of existing arcane
  spellcasting class
  5th
  +2
  +1
  +1
  +4
  Dominate person
  +1 level of existing arcane
  spellcasting class
  
  128
  Chapter Nine: Blood of Hunger
  Sanguine Chalice: When the equivalent of 2
  points of temporary Constitution worth of the
  blood of any living creature is poured into the
  chalice, its magical powers activate. The contents
  of the chalice can then be drunk, granting the user
  any one of the following benefits (user’s choice).
  • The drinker is healed of 4d8+7 points of
  damage.
  • The drinker is affected as if by remove disease.
  • The drinker is affected as if by neutralize
  poison.
  • The drinker’s fatigue or exhaustion condi-
  tions are removed as if he had slept 8 hours.
  • The drinker gains a +1 morale bonus to
  attack and damage rolls for 1d10 minutes.
  • The drinker gains a +2 deflection bonus to
  AC for 1d10 minutes.
  The chalice is usable only three times per day
  and is considered an evil item for the purpose of
  provoking powers checks.
  Moderate transmutation; CL 7th; Craft Won-
  drous Item, bless, cure critical wounds, neutralize
  poison, remove disease, shield of faith; Price 70,000
  gp; Weight 1 lb.
  Scarlet Breastplate
  This item is magnificently crafted, enameled
  in deep, vivid red and etched with thorny vines and
  flowers. Such breastplates are typically worn by
  Von Zarovich officers, though a few have turned up
  in the hands of bandits and mercenaries (presum-
  ably after being wrested from their legitimate
  owners). Wearers of the breastplate are granted
  considerable strength and resistance to magic, but
  become prone to rash acts.
  Scarlet Breastplate: This +3 breastplate grants
  its wearer the benefit of spell resistance 19. As well,
  it grants a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength, but
  also a –2 penalty to Wisdom. Any time there is an
  enemy with a drawn weapon within charge range,
  the wearer must make a DC 15 Will save or
  immediately charge that opponent. (If there is
  more than one opponent within range, he charges
  whichever is closest.)
  Moderate transmutation; CL 9th; Craft Magic
  Arms and Armor, bull’s strength; Price 60,000 gp;
  Weight 30 lb.
  Sword of the Bat
  Made of night-black steel, its hilt in the form
  of a stylized bat and quillons in the form of a bat’s
  outstretched wings, this weapon has been carried
  by the best of the elite Von Zarovich warriors for
  generations.
  Sword of the Bat: This +4 wounding ghost
  touch longsword grants its wielder a fly speed of 50 ft.
  (good maneuverability) for up to 1 hour each day
  while holding the weapon. The flight ability need
  not be used all at once, but may be broken up into
  any number of uses per day, as long as the total time
  spent flying does not exceed 1 hour.
  Moderate conjuration, transmutation and nec-
  romancy; CL 12th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor,
  Mordenkainen’s sword, overland flight, plane shift;
  Price 173,000 gp; Weight 3 lb.
  The Tome of Strahd (Minor Artifact)
  Ostensibly a self-serving, self-glorifying biog-
  raphy penned by Strahd Von Zarovich himself, the
  original copy of this book is held in the depths of
  Castle Ravenloft. Black-bound and reeking of tan-
  gible evil, the original Tome of Strahd also has
  substantial magical powers. Many copies of this
  book exist — most are incomplete or inaccurate in
  some details and have little or, more often than
  not, no magical power.
  The original tome resides in a special cham-
  ber, resting on a black oak bookstand. Strahd
  himself adds to the book from time to time, and it
  miraculously always seems to have enough pages to
  accommodate whatever he writes.
  Tome of Strahd: The Tome of Strahd func-
  tions as a book of vile darkness, save that it functions
  for arcane (not divine) spellcasters, who gain a +2
  inherent bonus to Intelligence (rather than a +1
  bonus to Wisdom and one experience level) if they
  read the book.
  In addition, reading the book causes any reader
  to gain one of the Von Zarovich curses (see Taint
  of the Blood in Von Zarovich Family Traits, earlier
  in this chapter), but also allows any evil character
  who reads it to thereafter take any of the Von
  Zarovich feats (see Family Feats) as if he had Von
  Zarovich blood.
  Due to the detailed information contained in
  the book, any evil character who spends 1 minute
  poring over the book gains a +2 bonus to any
  Knowledge check made the following round, as
  long as the check has something to do with curses,
  evil magic, the Von Zaroviches, the Dread Realms,
  or the undead.
  Strong evocation (evil); CL 17th; Weight 5
  lb.
  
  129
  The Von Zarovich Family
  Story Hooks
  Call of the Blood: A player character has been
  plagued by horrifying nightmares. Eventually, ei-
  ther he or his friends discover the horrifying truth
  — that he is distantly related to the infamous Von
  Zarovich family. The character is periodically vis-
  ited by dreams in which a dark noble invites him to
  accept his destiny, and he may also develop one or
  more of the Von Zarovich curses. The character
  and his companions must deal with the constant
  danger of giving in to the family’s bloodthirsty
  heritage and decide whether to fight the darkness
  or simply accept the inevitable and embrace it.
  The Lost Tome: The Tome of Strahd has been
  stolen! How such an outrage could have been perpe-
  trated under the very nose of the powerful Count is
  anyone’s guess, but Strahd Von Zarovich immediately
  calls upon all of his household to find the volume. The
  obvious suspects are traditional enemies such as Azalin
  Rex and the Dilisnya family, but it is up to the DM to
  decide who is really behind the act.
  One possibility is that the culprit is none other
  than Malocchio Aderre, ruler of Invidia, who has
  finally discovered his ability to teleport without
  error anywhere in the Dread Realms, regardless of
  the will of the realm’s darklord. This event could
  lead to a major confrontation and possibly result in
  a crisis that necessarily shakes all the realms, for
  Malocchio’s ability deals a major blow to the bal-
  ance of power among the darklords.
  Assassin Hunt: While Strahd Von Zarovich
  is usually content to allow his relatives to go about
  their business in peace (as long as they do not
  unduly embarrass the family), he sometimes calls
  upon family members to take care of certain deli-
  cate matters of business. A Dilisnya assassin has
  been seen in the city of Zeidenburg. While it is
  unlikely that this individual can threaten Strahd
  himself, he can nevertheless inflict considerable
  damage on family holdings and create mischief
  within Barovia’s borders by associating with and
  aiding rebels, bandits, criminals and other trouble-
  makers who are especially common in Zeidenburg.
  A Von Zarovich scion (the player character or
  an NPC close to the party) and his companions are
  commanded to journey to Zeidenburg, locate the
  assassin and find out what she knows. The charac-
  ters are forced to plunge into the dark intrigue of
  Zeidenburg, dealing with crime lords, renegades,
  Gundarakite rebels and a secret underground net-
  work of Dilisnya allies and informants.
  
  130
  Appendix
  Appendix:
  A Rogue<’
  Gallery
  Appendix:
  A Rogue<’
  Gallery
  
  131
  A Rogues’ Gallery
  s with other such appendices, this one
  should be read only with DM approval.
  The following character descrip-
  tions illustrate possible members of the
  families addressed in detail throughout
  the various chapters of this tome. They may be
  utilized by the DM as NPCs or used to suggest
  starting points and ideas for player characters.
  In the NPC stat blocks below, italicized feats
  indicate bonus feats gained from race, class, or
  bloodline.
  Boritsi
  Bevel Boritsi, Eldest Son of
  Anton Boritsi
  Male human, Ari2/Rog3/courtier 3: 
  Male human, Ari2/Rog3/courtier 3: 
  Male human, Ari2/Rog3/courtier 3: 
  Male human, Ari2/Rog3/courtier 3: 
  Male human, Ari2/Rog3/courtier 3: CR 7; Medium humanoid
  (human) (5 ft., 11 in. tall); HD 2d8+4 plus 3d4+6 plus 2d6+4;
  hp 42; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+1 Dex, +2 deflection), touch
  13, flat-footed 12; BAB/Grap +4/+6; Atk +7 melee (1d6+3/
  18–20, +1 rapier) or +9 melee (1d4+4/19–20, +2 dagger) or
  +7 ranged (1d4+4, 10 ft., +2 dagger); SA charm person 3/day,
  sneak attack +2d6; SQ alluring, attractive, Boritsi traits,
  evasion, gift of numbers, trapfinding, trap sense +1; AL LN;
  SV Fort +4 (+8 vs. ingested poisons), Ref +5, Will +8; Str 14,
  Dex 13, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 16.
  Skills: Appraise +5, Balance +5, Bluff +11
  (+13 sending hidden messages), Decipher Script
  +3, Diplomacy +17 (+19 on opposed checks),
  Disguise +3 (+5 acting), Gather Information +15,
  Intimidate +5, Jump +4, Knowledge (history) +5,
  Knowledge (local) +6, Knowledge (nobility and
  royalty) +7, Listen +8, Move Silently +3, Profes-
  sion (foreman) +4, Ride +3, Search +4, Sense
  Motive +8 (+10 vs. Bluff), Sleight of Hand +7,
  Spot +8, Swim +3, Tumble +4, Use Rope +4.
  Feats: Alertness, Judge Difficulty*, Poison
  Resistance (ingested)*, Sharp Wit*.
  Languages: Balok; Mordentish.
  Signature Possessions: +1 rapier, 2 matching +2
  daggers, ring of protection +2.
  Description
  Bevel is a handsome man apparently in his late
  twenties, with the pale skin and dark hair typical of
  the Boritsis. He has strong facial features and
  striking blue eyes similar to those of his aunt, Ivana
  Boritsi. As the eldest son of Anton Boritsi, he could
  have his pick of jobs within the company, but he
  has always delighted in physical activity, so he can
  often be found laboring alongside the cargo-han-
  dlers at the Boritsi Trading Company’s yards and
  docks.
  Bevel has the manners and polish of the most
  well-bred men of the finest courts of the Core, but
  can also hold his own in a fight or a brawl or in
  trading sailors’ bawdy talk.
  Background
  Born in 719 to Anton Boritsi and Katarina
  Piechota, Bevel grew up in the lap of luxury. He
  received the finest education that Mordentish and
  Dementleuse tutors could provide, and learned the
  ins and outs of the family business from one of the
  Core’s most talented merchants, his own father.
  Anton also taught him how to keep a smile on his
  face and seem like everyone’s best friend, all the
  while carefully observing their strengths and weak-
  nesses so he might strike hard should they prove
  unworthy of his friendship or trust.
  Bevel’s mother, a daughter from a minor trad-
  ing company, instilled in both Bevel and his younger
  sister Hellena a love of the outdoors and the
  physical world, as well as a degree of respect for the
  commoners who labor at the menial tasks in their
  business. All these lessons have led Bevel to pursue
  work as a foreman in the shipping yards of the
  Boritsi Trading Company. He continues to work in
  this capacity whenever he can, although since his
  father’s death in 739 BC, the need to tend to the
  overall business has taken him away from his roots
  perhaps more than he cares to admit.
  While Bevel’s mother taught him respect for
  the lower classes, the examples set by his father and
  his infamous aunt — not to mention virtually
  every Dilisnya cousin he’s ever met — has led him
  to believe he can’t fully trust any of his peers. Five
  years ago, Bevel’s distrust of his fellow nobles was
  driven fully home when a girl he loved, Maria
  Paldo, was shown to be slowly poisoning him in the
  hopes of inheriting part of the Boritsi Trading
  Company by finishing the task of murdering him
  just after their wedding night. Agents of his aunt
  discovered the truth about Maria before it was too
  late, and it was they who saw to it that she was…
  fittingly punished.
  Unfortunately for Bevel, since he has taken
  over the family business, his respect for the lower
  classes is also quickly eroding. While working there
  in his youth, he had of course noticed the occa-
  sional theft from the yards. He had stood by and
  watched his father punish the thieves when caught,
  but now that he was in charge, he saw thievery on
  
  132
  Appendix
  virtually every level, from the lowest workers to the
  foremen and caravan masters.
  Over the past decade, Bevel’s punishments
  toward lazy and light-fingered workers has become
  harsher and harsher, putting even the reputation of
  his stern father to shame and truly shocking those
  who have dealt only with the smiling, urbane
  character he affects most of the time.
  Current Sketch
  Since the incident with Maria, Bevel has
  avoided attachment to any noblewomen, despite
  his mother’s insistence that it’s time for him to start
  a family. He continues to attend social functions
  and pretend that he might court daughters of
  landholders in Borca and neighboring lands; in
  truth he has no interest in them beyond what
  insight their chatter may give him regarding com-
  petitors or potential markets.
  Further, as his frustration with the avarice and
  sloth among the lower classes grows, Bevel is be-
  coming increasingly alienated from the people he
  once loved to work alongside. At present, he trusts
  and confides only in his mother and his sister
  Hellena, although he is greatly encouraged by his
  baby brother Lollar’s devotion to the Home Faith.
  He hopes that with a Boritsi in the church hierar-
  chy, the growing tide of corruption in Borca can be
  stemmed.
  Recently, Bevel met Gennifer Weathermay-
  Foxgrove. He was impressed with her honesty and
  straightforward manner; she had come to Borca to
  meet his aunt, and did not in any way try to deceive
  him about her motivations. For the first time in
  years, Bevel found his heart stirred, for Gennifer
  seemed as beautiful on the inside as on the outside.
  Although her meeting with Ivana was far from
  positive and she has now been commanded to
  never set foot on Borcan soil again, Bevel hopes he
  will see her again someday soon.
  He is considering sending Hellena and a cara-
  van master or two to Mordent to investigate the
  profitability of opening a trading post in Mordent
  like the one Sulo opened on the isle of Liffe. If the
  word comes back positive, he will have an excuse
  to disobey his aunt’s order that he never see Gennifer
  again.
  Combat
  Bevel is not easily goaded into combat, instead
  trying his best to talk his way out of disputes using
  his considerable diplomatic talents. If this fails, he
  is a moderately competent combatant, and if he is
  attacked anywhere near a Boritsi Trading Com-
  pany office or caravan, several workers come to his
  defense.
  If a fight does break out, Bevel is not above
  shoving one of his daggers in the back of an enemy
  who isn’t looking. He is also not above going after
  a foe at a later date, even if the dispute was appar-
  ently resolved; if the insult to Bevel or his family is
  grave enough, he will not let it go.
  Gift of numbers (Su): As a full-round action,
  Bevel can determine the exact number of coins in
  any standard container simply by running his hands
  through them. When doing this, however, his
  hands seem to turn withered and blackened, so he
  always does so only in private; gloves or any other
  hand covering negate the ability. This strange
  ability came to Bevel two years ago, the result of a
  failed powers check when he nearly drowned a
  worker in a vat of Richemulot wine from which the
  man had siphoned a full wineskin.
  Bevel Boritsi
  
  133
  A Rogues’ Gallery
  d’Honaire
  James Mousel, Heir to the Legacy
  of Germaine d’Honaire
  Male human, Ari1/Exp6/analyst 4: 
  Male human, Ari1/Exp6/analyst 4: 
  Male human, Ari1/Exp6/analyst 4: 
  Male human, Ari1/Exp6/analyst 4: 
  Male human, Ari1/Exp6/analyst 4: CR 9; Medium humanoid
  (human) (5 ft., 10 in. tall); HD 1d8 plus 6d6 plus 4d4; hp 41;
  Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+1 Dex, +2 deflection), touch 13, flat-
  footed 12; BAB/Grap +6/+7; Atk +8 melee (1d6+2/18–20,
  +1 rapier) or +4 ranged (1d10+1/x3, 50 ft., +1 pistol and +1
  bullet); Full Atk +8/+3 melee (1d6+2/18–20, +1 rapier); SQ
  d’Honaire traits, insightful, likable, mindshadows, trusted
  friend; AL NG; SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +14; Str 12, Dex 13,
  Con 10, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 15.
  Skills: Bluff +11, Diplomacy +21, Decipher
  Script +13, Disguise +2 (+4 acting), Gather Infor-
  mation +19, Handle Animal +4, Heal +15,
  HypnosisR +17, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (his-
  tory) +9 (+11 with access to personal library),
  Knowledge (local) +9 (+11 with access to personal
  library), Listen +7, Profession (alienist) +11, Ride
  +3, Search +11 (+15 finding information in books),
  Sense Motive +15, Spot +9, Survival +6, Swim +5.
  Feats: Investigator, LibraryH, LiteracyH,
  MesmerizingC, Negotiator, Soothing Presence*,
  Warm-Hearted*.
  Languages: Mordentish; Balok, Darkonese,
  Vaasi.
  Signature Possessions: +1 rapier, +1 pistol, 10
  +1 bullets, ring of mind shielding, ring of protection
  +2.
  Description
  James Mousel has dark brown hair shot through
  with gray streaks. His skin has a perpetually tanned
  hue, a vestige of the Vistani blood that runs from
  his grandfather’s side of the family, while his ice-
  blue eyes come from his d’Honaire blood. Although
  he is now at the age where most d’Honaire men
  start turning plump or even obese, James remains
  lean, almost gaunt in appearance.
  Background
  Born in 721 BC to François Mousel and Joelle
  Fountaine, James grew up around his father’s grow-
  ing mesmerism and medical practice; at the same
  time, he learned much about Hala’s gentle healing
  methods from his grandmother, Bernadette
  d’Honaire-Mousel. It was only natural that he
  should follow in the footsteps of his elders, and it
  wasn’t long before parents and grandparents alike
  came to realize that, if James applied himself, he
  might someday rival the legendary Germaine
  d’Honaire in skill.
  After learning what he could in Mordent,
  James traveled the Core to study with famous
  doctors, alienists and mesmerists there. In
  Dementlieu, though, he was received with hostil-
  ity and distrust by his grand uncles, although his
  Uncle Dominic was welcoming. These good rela-
  tions came to an end, however, when a patient in
  the Mousel Sanitarium confided to James that he
  had been involved in the murder of the young
  man’s grandparents and of Gerard d’Honaire. The
  patient claimed that Dominic had been behind the
  deaths. Although François chalked the man’s con-
  fession up to madness, James was convinced of the
  truth of it, and he severed all ties with his relatives
  to the north.
  Over the past decade or so, James has taken all
  he has learned and synthesized his practice into a
  new approach to curing mental illnesses. Develop-
  ing these methods at the Mousel Sanitarium and
  spreading their influence to other sanitariums has
  been the main focus of his life for many years.
  While he loves his wife and children, they have
  always been secondary to his life’s work.
  James Mousel
  
  134
  Appendix
  Recently, James has mended some of the bad
  relationship between himself and the d’Honaires
  in Dementlieu. The catalyst to this was Celeste
  d’Honaire, a brilliant young woman who sought
  him out in the hopes of studying his methodology.
  He convinced her to return home, but her passion-
  ate endeavor eventually served as a bridge between
  James and Dominic. The two men now correspond
  regularly, mostly about political matters. James
  also corresponds with Celeste, as she remains inter-
  ested in learning from him.
  Current Sketch
  James continues to operate the Mousel Sani-
  tarium and to research and expand upon his
  analytical techniques with help from his semi-
  retired father. As James’ work continues, both men
  are growing increasingly certain that they are un-
  locking not only secrets of the mind, but also some
  more profound, even mystical revelations.
  In particular, James has started to see some
  similarities between some of his recent findings
  and some of the wilder “oneirological” theories
  formulated by Dr. Gregorian Illhousen before he
  mysteriously vanished. While James thinks he
  should continue his research into these mystical
  secrets, his father is growing increasingly con-
  cerned at what is taking shape before them. François
  wants James to take their methods in a different
  direction, but James believes there is never any
  harm in knowledge.
  As James’ relationship with his father sours, he
  grows closer to his niece, Celeste d’Honaire-
  Loverde. Despite her youth and his encouragement
  for her to return to Dementlieu when she sought to
  become his apprentice, Celeste is someone he
  views as the only person who might become a full
  partner in the next stage of his development of the
  “analytical method.”
  Combat
  James resorts to physical violence only as a last
  resort. He first attempts to reason with attackers, or
  to outwit or bluff them into standing down. If that
  fails, the good doctor usually has bodyguards when
  traveling or orderlies nearby when at the sani-
  tarium. As a last resort, James has some basic
  combat training and possesses an enchanted rapier
  and pistol that was given to him by a grateful former
  patient.
  Celeste d’Honaire-Loverde, Heir to
  the d’Honaire Darkness
  Female human Ari1/Exp1:
  Female human Ari1/Exp1:
  Female human Ari1/Exp1:
  Female human Ari1/Exp1:
  Female human Ari1/Exp1: CR 1; Medium humanoid (human) (5
  ft., 4 in. tall); HD 1d8–1 plus 1d6–1; hp 9; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.;
  AC 12 (+1 Dex, +1 deflection), touch 12, flat-footed 11; BAB/
  Grap +0/+0; Atk +0 melee (1d3 nonlethal, unarmed) or +0
  melee (1d4/19–20, dagger); SQ d’Honaire traits; AL NE; SV
  Fort –1, Ref +1, Will +5; Str 11, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 18, Wis 13,
  Cha 15.
  Skills: Appraise +6, Bluff +6, Craft (poetry)
  +5, Diplomacy +8, Gather Information +6, Handle
  Animal +4, Heal +4, HypnosisR +10, Intimidate
  +6, Knowledge (local) +5, Knowledge (nobility
  and royalty) +7, Listen +5, Profession (alienist)
  +3, Ride +2, Sense Motive +5, Spot +5, Swim +2.
  Feats: Cold-Hearted*, Soothing Presence*.
  Languages: Mordentish; Balok, Darkonese,
  Lamordian, Vaasi.
  Signature Possessions: Mesmerist’s pendulum (see
  Family Magic Items in Chapter 2), ring of protection
  +1.
  Description
  Celeste d’Honaire-Loverde is a frail-seeming
  woman in her late teens, with delicate facial fea-
  tures framed by strawberry-blonde hair. Despite
  always having had access to the finest food and
  highest standards of living, she appears as if she is
  on the verge of collapse from starvation and ex-
  haustion. Even on her best days, the pallor of her
  skin makes the dark circles around her pale blue
  eyes seem even more pronounced, and causes what
  might otherwise be a beautiful face to appear some-
  what ghastly. Only by wearing heavy face powder
  and makeup, such as at a formal ball, does she not
  appear deathly tired.
  Her physical appearance is only slightly worse
  than the truth. While she is not quite as sickly as
  she looks, Celeste has never had robust health;
  every winter, she is the first in the household to
  suffer from colds and is always the one hit hardest
  by illnesses. When walking or on her occasional
  horseback rides, she also tires far more quickly than
  her companions.
  Celeste’s weak physical state, however, is in
  stark contrast to her strong spirit and razor-sharp
  intellect. Friends of the d’Honaire family have
  quipped that perhaps her soul is so demanding that
  it is consuming her physical body, for no doctor has
  been able to offer any physical reason for her weak
  health. While there is no truth to such silly conjec-
  ture, there is no denying that Celeste has been
  
  135
  A Rogues’ Gallery
  contrary and stubborn in all things since her earli-
  est years. In fact, her run-down appearance has
  become more pronounced as she has grown in-
  creasingly at odds with her parents and other
  relatives.
  Background
  Born in 739 BC, Celeste grew up in the lap of
  luxury, with her every whim and desire met by her
  doting parents, Julienne d’Honaire and Bernard
  Loverde. She was close with the other youngsters of
  the d’Honaire family and learned at an early age to
  act coy and cute in order to win the affection of
  others.
  Celeste also showed early talent as a poet, so
  that was the direction her parents attempted to
  direct her. Yet as she entered her teens, she grew
  increasingly interested in the study of medicine
  and mesmerism long practiced by her family, and
  set her heart on becoming a physician. By fifteen,
  Celeste had all but abandoned poetry, spending
  her spare time reviewing medical texts and writing
  letters to famous doctors and mesmerists through-
  out the Core. Her parents objected and threatened
  to have her confined to a finishing school, and her
  Uncle Dominic arranged for her to be admitted
  into the domain’s finest school, but Celeste fled
  southward hoping to become a student of her
  Mordentish cousin, Dr. James Mousel.
  Despite decades of alienation from his rela-
  tives to the north, Mousel encouraged the girl to
  return home, convincing her that good relations
  with her family were more important than a medi-
  cal career. At the same time, he asked Dominic
  d’Honaire, with whom he had had no contact for
  many years, to intercede on Celeste’s behalf with
  her parents. Through the combined efforts of
  Dominic and James, Celeste is currently working at
  Wilhelm Mikki’s asylum in Chateufaux, where she
  is swiftly proving to the be the best student Dr.
  Mikki has ever had. Mikki believes that, with a few
  years of training and education, she might equally
  rival the greatest medical minds of the Core.
  Unbeknownst to all, though, Celeste has a
  rather less-than-humanitarian reason for her inter-
  est in medicine and mesmerism.
  Current Sketch
  Despite her seeming devotion to the medical
  arts, Celeste actually harbors no empathy for her
  fellow person. A darkness fills a large part of Celeste’s
  soul, one that generally blinds her to the feelings
  and cares of others, so that she tends to view them
  as little more than the means or obstacles to achiev-
  ing her goals. Her superior intellect allowed her to
  recognize at an early age how much power physi-
  cians, mesmerists and alienists could wield over
  their patients if they approach their positions cor-
  rectly, and that is what enamored her with the
  field.
  When she learned of James Mousel’s “analyti-
  cal method,” she knew she had to master it — yet
  she does not view it as a way to help people, but
  instead as a way to bring them under her sway.
  Unlike her uncle Dominic d’Honaire, Celeste does
  not enjoy toying with others simply to play with
  them. Her manipulations are not born from cruelty
  or boredom, but are motivated by greed and a desire
  for prestige and power.
  If Celeste could obtain her goals without hav-
  ing to harm or disenfranchise another human being,
  she would be perfectly content to leave others
  alone. She knows this is not feasible, though, so she
  uses her sharp mind and charming personality to
  gain the friends she needs to accomplish what she
  wants. She continues to study Mousel’s methods
  and she has targeted a number of patients whom
  she hopes to turn into her puppets when she is
  proficient enough.
  Celeste d’Honaire-
  Loverde
  
  136
  Appendix
  The only potential threat that Celeste sees to
  her goals is her Uncle Dominic. From an early age,
  she noticed the unusual power he seemed to wield
  over others. At first, she was disgusted by the way
  others bowed to his every whim. Later, she grew
  jealous, and after returning to Dementlieu she
  decided to convince her cousin James to help her
  discover Dominic’s secret.
  More recently, she has decided that maybe she
  should target Dominic with Mousel’s “analytical
  method.” She suspects this could be a very danger-
  ous gambit, however, and is weighing that option
  against simply leaving Dementlieu for Richemulot
  (along with her family, of course) and using the
  knowledge she has already gained to set up her own
  “mental health practice” in the neighboring land.
  Getting them away from Dominic, she reasons,
  would make every older member of her family — all
  of whom continue to encourage her to reconcile
  with her parents — easier to manipulate.
  Combat
  Celeste has no combat training, and her rela-
  tively weak physique makes her even less capable
  than most. Although she carries a dagger for self-
  defense when traveling, she relies upon hired guards
  (or on orderlies at the asylum) to protect her from
  threats she is unable to neutralize through charm
  and diplomacy.
  Dilisnya
  Andrei Palasçu
  Male human Rog7/deceiver 3:
  Male human Rog7/deceiver 3:
  Male human Rog7/deceiver 3:
  Male human Rog7/deceiver 3:
  Male human Rog7/deceiver 3: CR 10; Medium humanoid
  (human) (6 ft., 2 in. tall); HD 7d6 plus 3d6; hp 35; Init +8; Spd
  30 ft.; AC 16 (+4 Dex, +2 armor), touch 14, flat-footed 12;
  BAB/Grap +7/+9; Atk +13 melee (1d6+4/19–20, +2 short
  sword) or +12 ranged (1d4+2, 10 ft., masterwork dagger); Full
  Atk +13/+8 melee (1d6+4/19–20, +2 short sword); SA sneak
  attack +6d6; SQ con artist +1, contacts +1, deceptive, Dilisnya
  traits, evasion, poison use, trap sense +3, trapfinding, un-
  canny dodge; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +12, Will +4; Str 14, Dex
  18, Con 11, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 15.
  Skills: Appraise +4, Balance +9, Bluff +12,
  Climb +10, Decipher Script +8, Diplomacy +7,
  Disable Device +9, Disguise +14 (+16 acting),
  Escape Artist +14, Forgery +13, Gather Informa-
  tion +7, Hide +13, Intimidate +7, Jump +12,
  Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (local) +5,
  Listen +11, Move Silently +14, Open Lock +5,
  Search +8, Sense Motive +10, Sleight of Hand
  +14, Spot +10, Survival +1 (+3 tracking), Swim
  +3, Tumble +9, Use Rope +5.
  Feats: Deceitful, Dodge, Improved Initiative,
  Stealthy, Weapon Finesse.
  Languages: Balok; Falkovnian, Mordentish.
  Signature Possessions: Leather armor, +2 short
  sword, 4 masterwork daggers, vial with 6 doses of
  poison (injury, Fort DC 20; 1d6 Con/2d6 Con),
  cape of the mountebank, thieves’ tools.
  Description
  Having become quite successful as an im-
  porter-exporter in Dementlieu, Andrei has made
  himself a fixture at the most lavish parties among
  Port-a-Lucine society, where his dashing good looks
  enabled him to win the hearts of many lovely
  women. He is also known to drink heavily and has
  lost large sums gambling. With a reputation as a
  rake and wastrel, Andrei further diverts suspicion,
  allowing him to pursue his more nefarious occupa-
  tion.
  Background
  A minor Dilisnya family member, Andrei
  Palasçu was forced to leave Borca by the intrigues
  and manipulations of Ivana Boritsi (coupled with
  a lack of support from her cousin Ivan Dilisnya).
  Accordingly, he made contact with Dilisnya mem-
  bers in Dementlieu and undertook the difficult
  Andrei Palasçu
  
  137
  A Rogues’ Gallery
  carriage trip from Sturben to Port-a-Lucine, where
  he set up shop as an importer, exporter and occa-
  sional smuggler (a small amount of semi-public
  dishonesty hides Andrei’s greater criminal activi-
  ties).
  Those who need to know are aware that Andrei
  Palasçu is one of the most discreet and well-con-
  nected thieves, spies and killers in Port-a-Lucine.
  Though called upon infrequently in those capaci-
  ties, usually through the services of confidential
  go-betweens and other minor members of the
  Dilisnya bloodline, Andrei guarantees confidenti-
  ality and quick resolution, no matter what the job.
  Already he has rid the city of two leading crime
  bosses, allowing rivals to move into their territory,
  and provided a powerful merchant with embarrass-
  ing information about other mercantile concerns.
  He is careful not to work against the Council of
  Brilliance or Dominic d’Honaire, whom he has
  been strongly advised against offending.
  Current Sketch
  Andrei maintains his cover identity as a deca-
  dent nobleman — a popular conceit for Dilisnya
  family members. He is careful to cultivate the
  image of someone who is wealthy but chronically
  short of money due to his gambling habit and
  extravagant tastes. In reality, Andrei keeps his
  income tightly controlled and has vast gold and
  silver reserves, far more than he needs to survive.
  His legitimate business is actually quite successful,
  shipping beer, wine and foodstuffs through his
  contacts in Borca and sending fish, weapons and
  fine clothing from Dementlieu. These activities
  help him locate potential clients in addition to
  maintaining the illusion of a successful but spend-
  thrift businessman.
  Andrei always makes sure that no word of his
  exploits ever gets back to Borca, lest Ivana get wind
  of them and send someone to end his fun. In reality,
  this is unlikely, for Ivana is not terribly concerned
  about what displaced Dilisnyas do outside of Borca,
  as long as they do not let their activities interfere
  with her political games and machinations.
  Andrei maintains a lavish mansion in the
  wealthy Quartier Savant. A three-story chateau
  with extensive grounds purchased from its impov-
  erished previous owner, the mansion is well
  protected by guard dogs and cunningly-built alarms
  that awaken Andrei instantly should any intruders
  attempt to enter. He deals personally with any
  lesser attacker, while using his cloak to escape more
  powerful interlopers.
  Andrei’s fortune is hidden in the cellar, be-
  neath a series of intricately designed secret doors
  and passages. Only the most determined or knowl-
  edgeable of thieves can get close to this treasure,
  and a number of deadly traps have also been laid,
  making theft from this cunning Dilisnya a highly
  dangerous proposition.
  Combat
  Andrei prefers not to fight directly, but instead
  is skilled at striking from hiding, allowing his prey
  to get as close as possible before catching a foe off-
  guard with a deadly poisoned throwing dagger. If
  forced to fight in the open, he defends himself
  efficiently and uses the powers of his cloak of the
  mountebank to make a clean escape. Indeed, this
  item is one of the chief reasons for his success at
  vanishing from crime scenes without a trace, and is
  easily his most prized possession.
  Rodjan Dilisnya
  Male human ex-Pal3/blackguard 10/Ftr2:
  Male human ex-Pal3/blackguard 10/Ftr2:
  Male human ex-Pal3/blackguard 10/Ftr2:
  Male human ex-Pal3/blackguard 10/Ftr2:
  Male human ex-Pal3/blackguard 10/Ftr2: CR 16 (see Path of
  Corruption); Medium humanoid (human) (5 ft., 8 in. tall); HD
  3d10+3 plus 10d10+10 plus 2d10+2; hp 97; Init +3; Spd 20 ft.
  in armor; AC 27 (+1 Dex, +4 natural, +12 armor), touch 11, flat-
  footed 26; BAB/Grap +15/+20; Atk +21 melee (1d10+6/
  19–20 plus contagion, claws [demon armor]); Full Atk +21/
  +16/+11 melee (1d10+6/19–20 plus contagion, claws); SA
  command undead 6/day (as 8th-level cleric; +2 on rebuke
  checks), smite good 4/day, sneak attack +3d6 (+4d6 vs. flat-
  footed); SQ aura of despair, aura of evil, dark blessing,
  Dilisnya traits, DR 10/magic, fiendish servant, lay on hands
  (45 hp), Path of the Demon, poison use; AL LE; SV Fort +16,
  Ref +10, Will +8; Str 20, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha
  16.
  Skills: Concentration +5, Diplomacy +7,
  Gather Information +5, Handle Animal +8, Heal
  +3, Hide +3, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (history)
  +3, Knowledge (local) +5, Knowledge (nobility
  and royalty) +3, Knowledge (religion) +5, Ride
  +14, Sense Motive +6.
  Feats: Blind-Fight, Cleave, Great Cleave, Im-
  proved Critical (claws), Improved Sunder, Mounted
  Combat, Power Attack, Stealthy Blade*.
  Languages: Balok.
  Blackguard spells (3/2/2): DC 11 + spell level;
  CL 10th.
  Path of the Demon (Su): Having progressed to
  the Embrace, Rodjan has been granted several
  “blessings” by the Dark Powers, as follows (all
  modifiers are already included in the stat black
  
  138
  Appendix
  above). Due to these benefits, his CR has been
  increased by +1.
  • Stage One: Rodjan has a +2 bonus to Strength,
  but his features are distorted into a rather demonic
  form.
  • Stage Two: Rodjan has a +2 bonus to Dexter-
  ity and a +2 bonus to Charisma, but suffers a –2
  penalty on all Cha-based skill checks.
  • Stage Three: Rodjan has a +4 natural armor
  bonus to AC, but he is affected by holy water and
  similar substances as if he were a fiend.
  • Stage Four: Rodjan has damage reduction
  10/magic, but he now can be detected via detect evil
  as if he were a fiend.
  Signature Possessions: Demon armor, boots of
  speed, orb of storms.
  Description
  Small and muscular, Rodjan Dilisnya has tre-
  mendous strength and the prowess of a warrior. He
  was once a handsome man, with curly blond hair
  and dark blue eyes. Since his turn toward corrup-
  tion, however, his face has taken on a cruel visage,
  some even call his features demonic (though not to
  his face). He usually wears dark clothing, his armor
  is elaborate and menacing in appearance and his
  whole stance speaks of his vile tendencies.
  Background
  Once a shining paladin, a champion of good,
  Rodjan Dilisnya has become one of the foulest and
  most debased creatures imaginable. Born outside of
  Borca, in the relatively sophisticated city of
  Mordentshire, Rodjan’s was raised by his mother in
  the family traditions of secrecy, assassination and
  crime. To her great shame and disgust, young
  Rodjan did not take well to the Dilisnya lifestyle,
  rejecting the path of the killer and sneak-thief,
  instead taking holy vows to serve Ezra and battle
  injustice wherever he found it. Within a few years,
  Rodjan had completely estranged himself from his
  family and had taken up the sword of a paladin.
  For several years, Rodjan proved a tremendous
  embarrassment to his family. Slowly, however, the
  taint of Dilisnya blood began to show. Rodjan’s
  enthusiasm for exterminating evil gradually grew
  into a fanatical love of combat, then to an abiding
  belief that everyone who opposed him was, by
  definition, evil. Finally, when he one day de-
  manded payment from a caravan that he had saved
  from bandits, Rodjan’s career as a paladin ended.
  Enraged at the caravan-master’s refusal, he slew a
  dozen innocents, including several children and
  elderly folk. Covered in blood, he strode into the
  wilderness, only to find that his powers as a paladin
  had deserted him.
  Furious, Rodjan obstinately rejected Ezra and
  called upon the Dark Powers to grant him power.
  They obliged, transforming the once-powerful pala-
  din into a blackguard. Soon, Rodjan became as
  feared and infamous as he had once been good and
  just. He cast aside his holy sword and silver armor,
  taking up instead an enchanted suit of grim black-
  and-red armor, eschewing other melee weapons in
  favor of the armor’s bloody claws.
  Rodjan quickly gathered a band of other de-
  based warriors around him, and began hiring himself
  and his men out as mercenaries and guards. Today,
  he remains active in some of the wilder and more
  lawless portions of the Dread Realms; he has made
  contact with Ivan Dilisnya, offering to help should
  open conflict with Ivana Boritsi ever break out.
  Current Sketch
  Currently, Rodjan and his band occupy a
  fortress in Forlorn, where he dominates the local
  goblyn clans and treats with potential employers.
  He is prepared to travel throughout the Dread
  Realms in search of riches, and is especially fond of
  Rodjan Dilisnya
  
  139
  A Rogues’ Gallery
  taking jobs that involve the shedding of large
  quantities of innocent blood. Rodjan leads a band
  of roughly a dozen evil Dilisnya fighters and rogues,
  along with fifty warriors and low-ranking fighters
  from a range of lands and backgrounds. All are
  employed for their ruthlessness, and the band is
  available to the highest bidder, ready to take on any
  task no matter how unpleasant or evil.
  Though he has never taken any official title or
  moniker, Rodjan is becoming popularly known as
  “the Demon.” In reality, Rodjan is well along the
  Path of Corruption, having reached Stage Four:
  the Embrace. Rodjan knows in his heart that he is
  bound for eternal damnation — but he no longer
  cares, so long as his lust for blood is slaked.
  Though he is loyal to the family, Rodjan has
  begun to nurse notions of displacing Ivan as Dilisnya
  patriarch, and even if this scheme does not suc-
  ceed, Rodjan may one day grow so wicked as to be
  rewarded with his own Dread Realm — he appears
  to be on track to one day take up the mantle of a
  darklord one way or another, ruling one of the Core
  Realms or perhaps his own bloody island of terror.
  Combat
  Rodjan enjoys battle greatly, leading his mer-
  cenaries from the back of his fiendish heavy
  warhorse mount, Nightmane, whom he spurs fear-
  lessly into battle while slashing at foes with the
  wicked claws of his demon armor. With little regard
  for his own safety, Rodjan seeks to smash through
  foes to attack the closest leader or officer.
  When forced to dismount, he uses the powers
  of his boots of speed, cutting enemies to pieces
  almost before they realize he is upon them. He
  often employs his orb of storms to further damage
  his foes. So far, he seems blessed with incredible
  luck, for he has emerged from every battle un-
  scathed.
  Drakov
  Sir Viktor Helsinger
  Male human Ftr12/raptor knight 4:
  Male human Ftr12/raptor knight 4:
  Male human Ftr12/raptor knight 4:
  Male human Ftr12/raptor knight 4:
  Male human Ftr12/raptor knight 4: CR 16; Medium humanoid
  (human) (6 ft. tall); HD 12d10+36 plus 4d10+12; hp 136; Init
  +2; Spd 20 ft. in armor; AC 24 (+2 Dex, +8 armor, +4 shield),
  touch 12, flat-footed 22; BAB/Grap +16/+20; Atk +25 melee
  (1d8+8/17–20, +4 mighty cleaving unholy longsword) or
  +21/+21 ranged (1d10+3/19–20, 110 ft., +3 hawk bow of
  seeking); Full Atk +25/+20/+15/+10 melee (1d8+8/17–20,
  +4 mighty cleaving unholy longsword) or +21/+16/+11/+6
  ranged (1d10+3/19–20, 110 ft., +3 hawk bow of seeking); SA
  crossbow charge, improved trample, rage 2/day; SQ DR 5/
  magic, Drakov traits; AL LE; SV Fort +15, Ref +7, Will +5; Str
  19, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 16.
  Skills: Climb +11, Handle Animal +9, Intimi-
  date +17, Jump +10, Ride +19, Survival +4, Swim
  +9.
  Feats: Cleave, Dodge, EquestrianC, Hawk’s
  Cry*, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (hawk bow),
  Improved Critical (longsword), JadedR, Leadership,
  Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Power Attack,
  Rapid Reload, Trample, Weapon Focus (longsword),
  Weapon Specialization (longsword).
  Languages: Falkovnian; Balok.
  Signature Possessions: +3 breastplate of invulner-
  ability, +2 heavy steel shield, +4 mighty cleaving
  unholy longsword, +3 hawk bow of seeking (see “Hawk
  Bow” sidebar in Chapter Four), 20 bolts.
  Description
  Viktor is a darkly handsome man with black
  hair and deep-set violet eyes. Since his audience
  with Vlad, he has let his hair grow and has culti-
  vated a small beard, which only enhances his
  diabolical good looks. He is normally encountered
  on the hunt or on patrol with his knights, seeking
  out enemies or simple peasants with whom he can
  have some sport (that is, engage in crossbow prac-
  tice). Viktor wears a rich black cloak and a beautiful
  breastplate emblazoned with the Drakov arms and
  rides a powerful black warhorse named Kol.
  Background
  Sir Viktor Helsinger always felt out of place as
  he grew up. Though his mother was the picture of
  a doting, loyal Falkovnian woman, his father al-
  ways seemed distant and cold. Like most young
  noblemen, Viktor joined the Falkovnian military
  at an early age and quickly rose through the ranks,
  first as a page, then as a sergeant, and finally as a
  squadron leader; he fought against rebels, bandits
  and nonhuman insurrectionists, winning glory and
  fame. Though his family professed pride in his
  accomplishments, Viktor still felt that he was some-
  how separated from them, as if they were two
  strangers cheering him on from the other side of a
  vast and impassible chasm.
  When he was summoned to the presence of
  Vlad Drakov, Viktor was torn between fear and
  elation. Was he to be punished for some unknown
  infraction, or praised for his bravery and service to
  the nation? Viktor himself might have guessed the
  truth, had he ever taken the time to ponder the
  question — that he was actually an illegitimate son
  
  140
  Appendix
  of the Kingsfuhrer himself, conceived during a First
  Night encounter between his mother and Vlad
  Drakov.
  Now, at last, Viktor’s life made sense: the
  distance and coldness of his father, the icy but
  genuine pride that they took in his accomplish-
  ments, the strange looks that they sometimes gave
  him. Other things also became clear; Viktor’s love
  for violence and bloodshed, his affinity for hawks,
  his growing sense of sadism and superiority regard-
  ing the lesser inhabitants of the kingdom. When
  Vlad Drakov invited Viktor to officially join his
  household, he enthusiastically accepted.
  At first, all was well. Viktor served alongside
  Vlad’s elite guardsmen, and was trained in the ways
  of the household. He practiced falconry with the
  chief nobles of the realm. He feasted with his new-
  found father and enjoyed the bloody spectacles
  that were presented for the Kingsfuhrer’s pleasure.
  After two years, Viktor was awarded the coveted
  title of raptor knight.
  In time, however, things began to change. As
  had always happened in the past, Vlad Drakov
  began to lose faith and interest in his newest
  favored son. No matter what he did, Viktor seemed
  to disappoint his father, and Vlad began to send
  him away on errands more and more, at last assign-
  ing him command of a unit of raptor knights
  assigned to keep “order” in the western portions of
  the kingdom, along the frontier with Dementlieu.
  Current Sketch
  Viktor isn’t a terribly subtle individual, and his
  vices are well known — with each passing month
  he grows more like his father, engaging in sadistic
  killings of innocent peasants, bouts of hard drink-
  ing and lustful exploitation of the local women. For
  all the world, he looks like a loyal member of House
  Drakov — rejected by his father and left to pursue
  his own increasingly bloody amusements.
  Deep in his heart, however, Viktor has begun
  to lose faith in his nation and his ruler. He knows
  that the mere thought of disloyalty is a capital
  offense — particularly for a scion of the ruling
  household. He has no idea how to relieve his
  growing unease, to reassure himself that Drakov’s
  (and thus Falkovnia’s) is just.
  Today, Viktor has not heard from his father in
  months and now wonders if he can ever regain the
  Kingsfuhrer’s favor. Despite this, he continues to
  enjoy the benefits that membership in House
  Drakov brings — terrorizing peasants, taking his
  pleasure from any female who takes his fancy,
  hunting for humans as well as animals, and growing
  more bloodthirsty and merciless by the day. Per-
  haps in this fashion Sir Viktor can attract Vlad’s
  notice and once more take his place at his father’s
  side, but in the meantime he simply uses his status
  to gain as much pleasure for himself as possible.
  Sir Viktor has recently taken over a pleasing
  villa on the shores of Lake Kriegvogel, by the
  simple expedient of having its owner, Rudolf
  Strasser, arrested and executed for treason. Viktor
  than simply seized the lands and the villa (along
  with the former owner’s two attractive daughters)
  as “property of the state.” He has turned the place
  into a fortress, filling it with his servants and
  toadies and throwing lavish entertainments, often
  with bloody diversions in the form of bear-baiting,
  executions, torture and gladiatorial combat.
  The two daughters, Eva and Vanna Strasser,
  are currently Viktor’s favored concubines, and are
  both willing to do almost anything to please their
  “master” — so as to spare themselves the fate of
  their father. Their mother, Gundra is employed as
  a scullery maid in the household, a hostage against
  their good behavior. Just the same, Eva and Vanna
  both nurse a deep hatred for Viktor, and if the
  opportunity presents itself they are quite willing to
  Sir Viktor Helsinger
  
  141
  A Rogues’ Gallery
  take whatever steps may be necessary to kill him or
  bring him to ruin.
  Much of the time, however, their plotting is
  interrupted by competing for his favor, for Viktor
  takes great pleasure in playing the two sisters off
  against each other.
  Combat
  Viktor enjoys combat, especially against weak
  or helpless opponents. Normally he rides down foes
  and crushes them beneath his horse’s hooves.
  Against more powerful foes, he usually lets his men
  take the brunt of the fight, shooting at enemies
  with his crossbow. He is not averse to close combat,
  but prefers his enemies to be “softened up a bit”
  before attacking. As might be expected, he is most
  fond of striking fleeing opponents from behind.
  Though he has a sadistic streak and an increasing
  fondness for slaughtering the weak, Viktor is no
  coward and fights bravely if required.
  Godefroy
  Michael Jendalis
  Male human Brd5/accomplished medium 6: 
  Male human Brd5/accomplished medium 6: 
  Male human Brd5/accomplished medium 6: 
  Male human Brd5/accomplished medium 6: 
  Male human Brd5/accomplished medium 6: CR 11; Medium
  humanoid (human) (5 ft., 8 in. tall); HD 5d6–5 plus 6d6–6;
  hp 28; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural), touch
  12, flat-footed 12; BAB/Grap +7/+6; Atk +7 melee (1d6/18–
  20, +1 rapier); Full Atk +7/+2 melee (1d6/18–20, +1 rapier);
  SA cantrips, spells, turn undead 11/day (+2 on turning checks),
  unseen servant 4/day; SQ bardic knowledge +5, bardic music
  5/day (countersong, fascinate, inspire competence, inspire
  courage +1), Godefroy traits, improved mist sight, spirit
  counselor (augury, locate object, speak with dead); AL NG;
  SV Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +10; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 8, Int 11, Wis
  13, Cha 19.
  Skills: Bluff +12, Concentration +10, Diplo-
  macy +16, Disguise +5 (+7 acting), Gather
  Information +10, Hide +4, Intimidate +6, Jump
  +1, Knowledge (religion) +9, Listen +6, Move
  Silently +4, Perform (sing) +15, Sense Motive
  +13, Sleight of Hand +10, Spot +11.
  Feats: Alertness, Ethereal EmpathyR,
  GhostsightR, Improved Turning, Mist Sight*, Pol-
  tergeist Hands*.
  Cantrips (7/day; DC 14): Dancing lights, daze,
  detect magic, ghost sound, guidance, know direction,
  light, mage hand, message, open/close.
  Accomplished medium spells known (3/3/3/2;
  DC 14 + spell level): 1st—deathwatch, detect undead,
  hide from undead, true strike; 2nd—darkness, find
  traps, hypnotic pattern, whispering wind; 3rd—blink,
  dispel magic, gaseous form, remove curse; 4th—break
  enchantment, death ward, divination.
  Bard spells known (3/4/2; DC 14 + spell level):
  0—detect magic, dirge, ghost sound, open/close, pres-
  tidigitation, read magic; 1st—alarm, cure light wounds,
  hypnotism, mage armor; 2nd—bull’s strength, invis-
  ibility, tongues.
  Unseen servant (Sp): Michael may use unseen
  servant as a full-round action up to 4 times per day
  (caster level 1st).
  Signature Possessions: +1 rapier, amulet of natu-
  ral armor +2, cloak of ghostwalking, lesser amulet of
  life protection, potion of cure serious wounds, master-
  work lute.
  Description
  Michael Jendalis is slender to the point of
  gauntness. His eyes are a luminous blue, and they
  tend to dart about, fixing here and there on noth-
  ing that anyone else can see. His hair is jet-black,
  and his skin, like that of many Godefroys, is un-
  naturally pale. His features are delicate and almost
  feylike. Though he tends to cough frequently, as
  though he suffered from consumption (actually
  residual pneumonia, which he has had several
  times in his life), he smiles frequently and seems at
  ease with others. He moves with an ethereal grace
  Michael Jendalis
  
  142
  Appendix
  that often makes people who don’t even know him
  stop to watch him pass.
  Background
  As noted in his conversation with Laurie
  Weathermay-Foxgrove (see the beginning of Chap-
  ter 5), Michael Jendalis is the son of Pernella
  Weathermay, who was related to both the Godefroys
  and the Weathermays. George Jendalis, his father,
  has no relation to the line, and his blood doubtless
  gave Michael the constitution to survive his legacy.
  The fact that he was born at Gryphon Manor
  awakened Michael’s latent talents at a very young
  age. Despite his frail physical appearance, Michael
  has faced down countless dangerous and angry
  spirits and amassed a considerable fortune from
  what spirits have told him.
  Current Sketch
  Michael long ago made peace with his physi-
  cal weakness and learned to revel in his ability to
  walk the line between life and death. In some ways,
  death fascinates him. However, he is in no hurry to
  toss aside all the pleasures of this world, even
  though he understands the next one better than
  most. He knows that when death comes for him,
  his existence will shift only slightly, since he will
  return as a ghost.
  Michael has never killed another human, since
  he well knows that its spirit would return to haunt
  him. He has, however, returned to Gryphon Manor
  and spoken with several of the spirits there, includ-
  ing his mother’s. The irascible lord of the manor
  has threatened him, but has never harmed him —
  possibly because he has taken no action against
  either him or his family wealth. Michael also knows
  the predicament that Daniel Foxgrove would face
  should his daughters ever decide to investigate the
  place. Thus, the young medium intends to divert
  them by supplying them with as much information
  as they wish about the place while using his innate
  charm to cozen them into investigating other mys-
  teries.
  Michael currently lives in his father’s home —
  a modest bungalow in Mordentshire. He is the
  youngest practicing medium in Mordentshire, and
  the best. He has fitted the place out with all the
  typical divination items that people expect to see,
  even though he does not require them. He has
  discovered over the years that people expect a
  certain degree of “performance” when consulting a
  medium, and he tries not to disappoint them.
  Hiregaard
  Narana Hiregaard,
  Granddaughter of Sir Tristen
  Hiregaard
  Female human, Rog1/Ftr1: 
  Female human, Rog1/Ftr1: 
  Female human, Rog1/Ftr1: 
  Female human, Rog1/Ftr1: 
  Female human, Rog1/Ftr1: CR 2; Medium humanoid (human)
  (5 ft., 5 in. tall); HD 1d6 plus 1d10; hp 13; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.;
  AC 16 (+2 Dex, +2 armor, +1 shield, +1 deflection), touch 13,
  flat-footed 14; BAB/Grap +1/+2; Atk +3 melee (1d8+2/19–
  20, +1 longsword) or +4 ranged (1d6/x3, 60 ft., masterwork
  shortbow); SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ Hiregaard traits,
  trapfinding; AL LG; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +0; Str 12, Dex
  15, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 12.
  Skills: Appraise +4, Balance +4, Bluff +5,
  Climb +6, Diplomacy +3, Gather Information +6,
  Hide +4, Intimidate +1, Jump +1, Knowledge
  (local) +4, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +3,
  Move Silently +3, Ride +7, Search +5, Sense
  Motive +4, Swim +5, Tumble +4, Use Rope +4.
  Feats: Athletic, Combat Expertise.
  Languages: Vaasi; Mordentish.
  Signature Possessions: Leather armor, light steel
  shield, +1 longsword, masterwork shortbow, 12
  arrows, choker of protection +1.
  Description
  Seventeen-year-old Narana Hiregaard is slen-
  der and athletic, with a narrow, tanned face that is
  framed by night-black, shoulder-length hair. A
  smile usually plays on her lips and in her brown
  eyes, but when confronted with injustice, dishon-
  esty, arrogance, or ignobility, particularly among
  members of her own social class, an icy and danger-
  ous expression sets itself upon her attractive features.
  Narana is a life-long tomboy who hates the
  formal gowns of society functions, who dislikes
  spending time with her peers of either sex and
  prefers the company of the Hiregaard family’s re-
  tainers. As the youngest daughter of Sasha
  Hiregaard, she lags behind her other siblings by
  over ten years and has always had her quirky ways
  indulged by protective brothers and doting parents
  and uncles. Her grandfather is particularly proud of
  her strong spirit and natural devotion to enforcing
  justice.
  It has been acknowledged by the Hiregaards
  that Narana’s destiny lies beyond the balmy plains
  of Nova Vaasa. When she was twelve, her father
  took her on a visit to Egertus to see the newly
  expanded harbor and the ships that were being
  launched there. Ever since, even while mastering
  
  143
  A Rogues’ Gallery
  traditional Vaasi pursuits such as riding, she could
  talk of nothing but the sea and someday exploring
  the lands beyond the misty horizons. With suitors
  slow in coming (as she has older sisters who are far
  more demure in nature and therefore far better
  prospective wives), Narana has been encouraged
  by her parents and older siblings to follow whatever
  course her heart wishes.
  Current Sketch
  Last year, a group of merchants came to Sir
  Tristen seeking to borrow funds and men-at-arms
  to better protect their ships from growing pirate
  attacks on the Nocturnal Sea. (The merchants had
  already been rebuffed by other Vaasi lords, or found
  their demands for compensation too high.) The
  patriarch of the Hiregaard family promised a small
  amount of funds in exchange for cheaper cloud-
  berry wine from Tepest.
  Narana, however, decided that more needed
  to be done. She convinced her parents and Sir
  Tristen to support and fund a warship operated by
  the Hiregaards. Narana has been supervising the
  preparation of the ship and the hiring of the crew
  and men-at-arms. She intends to lead the mission,
  but is wise enough to hire a seasoned captain and
  crew, as well as skilled adventurers to support her.
  Even Prince Othmar has high hopes for the expe-
  dition, though he is dubious that a teenage girl
  should be leading it. Still, neither he nor any of
  Narana’s elders in the Hiregaard family has seen
  any reason to doubt her ability to successfully
  mount this effort.
  The Waveprowler is expected to set out on its
  first pirate hunt within the month.
  Combat
  Although Narana is a competent fighter and
  can already outride some of her older brothers, she
  is still reluctant to engage in combat unless abso-
  lutely necessary. She is not a coward, but she
  understands that her family hires men-at-arms and
  retainers for a reason. At the insistence of her
  father and grandfather, she never goes anywhere
  without having at least two bodyguards (human
  War2) nearby.
  If a confrontation appears to be going badly for
  her bodyguards, Narana joins the fray, usually
  attempting to flank the enemy and attack them
  unawares. She is not at all above “fighting to win”
  (i.e., what other Hiregaards might call “fighting
  dirty”); she knows that she can’t help those who
  rely upon her family if she is dead.
  Mordenheim
  Artisa Juvenoth (Eva
  Mordenheim)
  Female human Exp5/scientist (biologist) 4: 
  Female human Exp5/scientist (biologist) 4: 
  Female human Exp5/scientist (biologist) 4: 
  Female human Exp5/scientist (biologist) 4: 
  Female human Exp5/scientist (biologist) 4: CR 8; Medium
  humanoid (human) (5 ft., 6 in. tall); HD 5d6 plus 4d4; hp 31;
  Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+1 Dex, +1 deflection), touch 12, flat-
  footed 11; BAB/Grap +5/+4; Atk +4 melee (1d4–1/19–20
  plus 1d2+1 nonlethal and stun, hand stunner) or +7 ranged
  (1d8/19–20, 80 ft., masterwork light crossbow); SA applied
  science, science; SQ discovery (robust health), mind over
  metaphysics, Mordenheim traits, scientific knowledge +8;
  AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +13; Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10, Int
  19, Wis 14, Cha 11.
  Skills: Appraise +8, Craft (alchemy) +16, Craft
  (metalworking) +12, Decipher Script +13, Gather
  Information +10, Handle Animal +3, Heal +12,
  Knowledge (arcana) +12, Knowledge (architec-
  ture and engineering) +12, Knowledge (history)
  +11, Knowledge (nature) +20, Listen +13, Search
  +18, Spot +14.
  Feats: Create Device (Wondrous Item)*, In-
  vestigator, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Knowledge
  [nature]), University EducationH.
  Narana Hiregaard
  
  144
  Appendix
  Languages: Lamordian*, Balok, Darkonese,
  Falkovnian, Mordentish
  Applied science: 5/day—blindness/deafness, con-
  tagion, remove blindness/deafness, remove disease.
  Caster level 4th; save DC 14 + spell level.
  Science: At will—cure minor wounds, inflict
  minor wounds, resistance, touch of fatigue1, virtue; 8/
  day—cure light wounds, endure elements, inflict light
  wounds. Caster level 4th; save DC 14 + spell level.
  Mind Over Metaphysics: Artisa gains a +2
  bonus on all saving throw against spells, spell-like
  abilities, or supernatural abilities.
  Signature Possessions: Hand stunner, master-
  work light crossbow, 10 bolts, ring of protection +1,
  cloak of resistance +1, oil of preservation, wand of
  fireballs (25 charges; scientific item), power source
  (biocharger).
  Description
  Though she herself does not realize it, Artisa is
  really Eva Mordenheim, long-lost adopted daugh-
  ter of Baron Mordenheim and his wife Elise. She is
  currently 30 years old and slight of build, with
  watery blue eyes and dishwater blond hair that she
  wears carelessly tied back. Like her long-lost adop-
  tive parents, she is highly intelligent but slow to
  form friendships.
  Background
  As described in Secrets of the Dread Realms,
  Artisa was adopted as a child by Baron Mordenheim
  and his wife Elise. She spent a few years in their
  household, where Elise doted upon her. The baron’s
  creation, Adam — a creature literally stitched
  together from the parts of corpses and animated by
  the baron’s scientific skills and energy from the
  Dark Powers — was introduced to her as a brother.
  Unlike her adopted mother, Eva was not entirely
  repulsed by Adam, in whom she saw a bit of
  humanity. But Elise refused to accept Adam’s con-
  tinued presence, and the Mordenheims argued
  incessantly about what to do with him.
  Eventually, Adam came to take Eva away with
  him, but Elise interrupted and attacked him. The
  incident so frightened Eva that she ran out onto
  the balcony of her room and fell over the railing.
  Adam caught her hand, but Elise attacked him
  again before he could drag Eva to safety, and the
  child fell to the ground.
  The unconscious Eva was picked up by a
  servant and taken to be cared for by his sister, who
  healed her wounds and raised her as her own
  daughter — for the girl had lost all memory of her
  previous life and of the Mordenheims. Though her
  second adopted mother wanted her to take a hus-
  band and settle down, the shy Eva (now called
  Artisa) had other ideas. She threw herself into her
  studies and won a prestigious fellowship at the
  university, where she earned a degree in biology
  and entered graduate school. There she met her
  husband-to-be and married at last.
  Current Sketch
  Artisa is married to a biologist she met in
  graduate school named Jervais Juvenoth, with
  whom she has five children. Though Artisa cares
  deeply about her family, she does not hesitate to
  leave the children in the care of a nanny while she
  and Jervais work on their research. Science is
  everything to her, and she and her husband enjoy
  animated discussions about biology — particularly
  on the subjects of preservation and healing. She
  entertains a fantasy of someday reanimating dead
  tissue, though even her husband considers that
  goal impossible. Jervais fears his wife’s ambition,
  since he does believe in the gods. Artisa, however,
  does not, and her seeming inability to consider the
  morality of her research has driven a wedge be-
  tween them.
  Artisa Juvenoth
  (Eva Mordenheim)
  
  145
  A Rogues’ Gallery
  Artisa and Jervais live in a three-story
  townhouse. The house has a nursery and plenty of
  play areas for the children, plus a large science
  library and two fully equipped laboratories, one for
  her and one for Jervais. The two employ a cook,
  three maids, a nanny and several tutors for the
  children. They once had a butler, but when he died
  they didn’t replace him, since they so rarely enter-
  tain. (Rumor holds that he never received a proper
  burial, and that Artisa has his corpse in the house
  somewhere, perfectly preserved for some future
  use.)
  Combat
  Artisa dislikes physical combat and, if for some
  reason forced to fight, prefers to negate threats at a
  distance with her crossbow. When she cannot do
  so, she uses her hand stunner and other scientific
  devices to disable foes. If she manages to render a
  foe helpless, she might be tempted to take him to
  her laboratory to study his living body, hoping to
  gain more knowledge of the human system.
  Renier
  Javier Renier, Cousin Caught in
  the Middle
  Male human, Rog4/Ftr3/recruiter 4:
  Male human, Rog4/Ftr3/recruiter 4:
  Male human, Rog4/Ftr3/recruiter 4:
  Male human, Rog4/Ftr3/recruiter 4:
  Male human, Rog4/Ftr3/recruiter 4: CR 11; Medium human-
  oid (human) (5 ft., 10 in. tall); HD 4d6+4 plus 3d10+3 plus
  4d6+4; hp 45; Init +7; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (+3 Dex, +2 armor,
  +1 deflection), touch 14, flat-footed 16; BAB/Grap +9/+10;
  Atk +11 melee (1d6+2/15–20, +1 keen rapier) or +13 ranged
  (1d10+1/x3, 50 ft., +1 pistol and +1 bullet); Full Atk +11/+6
  melee (1d6+2/15–20, +1 keen rapier); SA sneak attack +2d6,
  spells; SQ allergen (silver), evasion, inspiring oratory, Renier
  traits, trapfinding, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge; AL LG; SV
  Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +5; Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10,
  Cha 14.
  Skills: Balance +5, Bluff +9, Climb +5, Deci-
  pher Script +5, Diplomacy +16, Disable Device
  +6, Disguise +3 (+5 acting), Gather Information
  +12, Hide +5, Intimidate +9, Jump +3, Knowledge
  (geography) +4, Knowledge (history) +4, Knowl-
  edge (local) +6, Knowledge (nobility and royalty)
  +6, Listen +7, Move Silently +6, Open Lock +6,
  Perform (oratory) +11, Profession (mercenary) +6,
  Ride +6, Search +6, Sense Motive +11, Spot +6,
  Swim +3, Tumble +7, Use Magic Device +5.
  Feats: Back to the WallR, CourageR, Exotic
  Weapon Proficiency (firearms), Improved Initiative,
  Judge Difficulty*, Leadership, Negotiator, Persua-
  sive, Sharp Wit*.
  Languages: Balok*, Darkonese, Mordentish,
  Vaasi.
  Recruiter spells known (3/2; DC 12 + spell level):
  1st—comprehend languages, read magic, remove fear;
  2nd—daze monster, locate markG2.
  Signature Possessions: Leather armor, +1 keen
  rapier, +1 pistol, 10 +1 bullets, ring of protection +1,
  thieves’ tools.
  Description
  A dark-haired man with a narrow face, a long
  narrow nose and brilliant blue eyes, Javier Renier
  is slender of build and moves with a natural preda-
  tory grace. He carries himself like the experienced
  fighting man that he is, and his face and arms show
  small scars from many battles and sword-fights.
  Javier is an honest man who makes friends and
  enemies for life, a rarity among mercenaries — a
  man of scruples, morals and strong honor. He
  speaks gruffly and rather bluntly with everyone but
  his beloved wife and children. They alone are
  allowed to see his gentler side, something that has
  remained hidden from the world at large for the
  two decades he has worked as a mercenary and a
  military recruiter in Darkon, Falkovnia and
  Richemulot.
  Background
  Javier Renier was born in 720 BC, the son of
  Mikkel and Esther Renier, life-long residents of
  Darkon. From an early age he gravitated to the
  Renier tradition of adventuring and monster-hunt-
  ing, and by his late teens he was gaining a solid
  reputation among adventurers. By 20, though, he’d
  already grown tired of associating with grave rob-
  bers and ghost-hunters, and he turned his talents to
  working as a hired guard for nobles and wealthy
  merchants. With them, he gained such a sterling
  reputation for trustworthiness and honesty that his
  employers started turning to him for advice as to
  whom else they should hire as men-at-arms.
  It was only natural that Javier should change
  professions yet again, moving from sell-sword into
  an arranger of work for sell-swords. The move from
  warrior to organizer was prompted to a large degree
  by Javier’s marriage to Mary Kasten, as he did not
  want to condemn the person he loved more than
  anything to widowhood before her time. Children
  soon followed.
  Within two years, Javier had gained a reputa-
  tion for lining up reliable and brave guards and
  troops for noble houses in Nova Vaasa and for
  
  146
  Appendix
  merchants and city leaders in Darkon. However,
  when the Grim Harvest toppled Azalin’s govern-
  ment in 750, several of the pretenders to the
  Wizard-King’s throne decided that Javier’s skill as
  a military recruiter might be too valuable an asset
  for their competition and decided that he needed
  to be removed from the picture. No matter how
  emphatically he swore that he would limit his
  business to Nova Vaasa for the duration of the
  unrest in Darkon, he found that he was increas-
  ingly forced to fend off attacks from suspicious
  lordlings who would rule all of Darkon.
  He was about to quit his homeland and relo-
  cate his family to the slightly better nation of Nova
  Vaasa when he received a letter from Jacqueline
  Renier, ruler of Richemulot, whom he had always
  assumed to be only a very distant cousin. Jacqueline’s
  letter confirmed Javier’s belief, but it also offered
  an invitation to move his family to Richemulot,
  where they would be safe. In return, Javier would
  use his recruiting talents to help Richemulot’s
  nobles secure skilled guardsmen for the cities and
  towns of the domain — and he would still be able
  to command his usual fees. Javier and his wife
  gladly moved with their babies to what they hoped
  would be the security of Richemulot.
  However, it did not take long before the feud-
  ing branches of the Renier family in Richemulot
  attempted to either lure Javier to support them
  exclusively, or attempted to manipulate him into a
  position where he would serve as a weapon against
  other family members. He quickly caught on to the
  danger and secretly sent Mary and the children
  back to Darkon where he hoped they would be
  safer.
  Current Sketch
  Javier is convinced that Lady Jacqueline is a
  kindly woman who is so consumed by her ambi-
  tions to build a grand nation for the people of
  Richemulot that she is unaware that she is sur-
  rounded by jealous, evil and outright insane
  relatives. Further, he has come to regret accepting
  help from Jacqueline’s twin-sister Louise, who
  helped him become the premiere source of troops
  for Richemulot’s nobles when he first relocated.
  It seems that whenever Javier tries to see
  Jacqueline to warn her about the plots brewing
  against her, another noble with whom he has a
  contract needs to see him immediately. (He has
  long since realized that the affection that Jacqueline
  and Louise seem to have for one another is purely
  for show; Louise hates her sister and may well be
  engaged in plots against her.)
  Javier desperately wants someone he can trust
  to either take care of his business or to carry a
  message to Jacqueline. Unfortunately, the only
  people he trusts implicitly are needed to protect his
  family from known enemies in Darkon and sus-
  pected enemies in Richemulot.
  Combat
  Anyone who has had business dealings with
  Javier Renier would be amazed at his dirty and
  vicious fighting style. When it comes to battle,
  Javier is utterly practical and ruthless; whatever
  one has to do to carry the day is justifiable. While
  he is not one to slaughter defenseless foes and
  always accepts a surrender, he takes advantage of
  every opening he can find.
  Louise Renier, Twin Sister of a
  Darklord
  Female human, natural wererat, Ari8/Sor3 (human form): 
  Female human, natural wererat, Ari8/Sor3 (human form): 
  Female human, natural wererat, Ari8/Sor3 (human form): 
  Female human, natural wererat, Ari8/Sor3 (human form): 
  Female human, natural wererat, Ari8/Sor3 (human form): CR
  12; Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger) (5 ft., 5 in. tall);
  HD 1d8+3 plus 8d8+24 plus 3d4+9; hp 69; Init +8; Spd 30 ft.;
  AC 20 (+4 Dex, +2 natural, +3 armor, +1 deflection), touch 15,
  flat-footed 16; BAB/Grap +7/+7; Atk +12 melee (1d6+2/18–
  20, +1 rapier of speed) or +13 ranged (1d10+2/x3, 50 ft., +2
  Javier Renier
  
  147
  A Rogues’ Gallery
  pistol); Full Atk +12/+12/+7 melee (1d6+2/18–20, +1 rapier
  of speed); SA spells; SQ allergen (curry), alternate form,
  low-light vision, Path of the Rodent, rat empathy, Renier
  traits, scent, summon familiar; AL NE; SV Fort +8, Ref +9,
  Will +11; Str 11, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha 15.
  Skills: Appraise +5, Bluff +16 (+18 vs. rat-like
  beings), Climb +10, Concentration +10, Diplo-
  macy +13 (+15 vs. rat-like beings), Forgery +6,
  Gather Information +14, Handle Animal +6 (+8
  with rodents), Intimidate +4, Knowledge (arcana)
  +9, Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge (nobility
  and royalty) +7, Knowledge (the planes) +5, Lis-
  ten +15, Ride +8, Spot +7, Sense Motive +6,
  Spellcraft +11, Swim +10.
  Feats: Alertness, Eschew Materials, Exotic
  Weapon Proficiency (firearms), Improved Initia-
  tive, Iron Will, Sharp Ears*, Weapon Finesse.
  Languages: Mordentish; Falkovnian.
  Sorcerer spells known (6/6; DC 12 + spell level):
  0—daze, detect magic, disrupt undead, read magic,
  resistance; 1st—alarm, charm person, magic missile.
  Path of the Rodent (Su): Having progressed to
  the Stage Three corruption, Louise has been granted
  several “blessings” by the Dark Powers, as follows
  (all modifiers are already included in the stat black
  above).
  • Stage One: A veritable tunnel rat, Louise can
  always take 20 on Survival checks made to deter-
  mine her direction or to keep from getting lost, and
  all such checks require only a free action.
  • Stage Two: Even in human form, Louise can
  squeeze into a tiny area like a rat; she may move
  through tight spaces as if she were a Small creature.
  Any creature witnessing her contort her body in
  this manner must make a DC 10 horror save.
  • Stage Three: Louise is immune to all diseases
  and poisons (except for her deadly allergy to curry).
  However, she must eat 1 pound of rotting refuse
  each day or she becomes sickened until she con-
  sumes the requisite material.
  Signature Possessions: +1 rapier of speed, +2
  pistol, 10 bullets, 10 silver bullets, bracelets of armor
  +3 (as bracers), choker of mind shielding (as ring), ring
  of protection +1.
  Description
  In human form, Louise Renier is a stunning
  woman whose age is virtually impossible to pin
  down. Although chronologically she is nearly 70,
  the Dark Powers have seen fit to extend her life,
  and she wears her advanced years as lightly as her
  twin sister; her appearance is closer to that of a
  woman in her early thirties. She possesses the wiry,
  athletic build so often associated with people of
  Richemuloise stock. Her beautiful face has vaguely
  exotic, angular features, and it is framed with black
  hair that has gone gray at the temples. She has
  green eyes that seem to be speckled with tiny gold
  flakes.
  Contrary to the popular styles of her home-
  land, Louise tends to wear her long hair down and
  with little styling; unknown to all but a few, this
  apparent flaunting of convention is actually a
  means to hide the mangled ear that resulted from
  an old injury.
  When in hybrid or dire rat form, Louise is
  covered with lustrous gray fur shot through with
  streaks of black. In either form, her left ear appears
  tattered and torn.
  Background
  Louise Renier was born on a faraway world in
  the year 719 BC, her family representing the clos-
  est thing that could be called a “ruling house”
  among wererats. She and her twin sister Jacqueline
  were the favored children of the patriarch, Claude
  Renier, and they spent their childhood and early
  adult years in competition for his affection.
  Jacqueline always seemed to be ever so slightly
  more favored than Louise, no matter how hard she
  tried. Even though it was Louise who discovered
  the magic portal that allowed the family to escape
  pursuers when all seemed lost, Claude still seemed
  to give Jacqueline more credit than she was due.
  As the family established itself first in Falkovnia
  and later in Richemulot, Louise’s jealousy of
  Jacqueline grew into bitter hatred. At one point
  she attacked and tried to kill her twin, but all that
  she learned was that perhaps Jacqueline was better
  than she, for Louise barely escaped with her life. By
  the time she obtained magical healing, the scars on
  her body and the damage to her ear could not be
  undone.
  The only time in the past 40 years that Louise
  and Jacqueline have been able to feel any sort of
  sisterly bond was the day Jacqueline finally became
  fed up with Claude. She shared her feelings with
  Louise, who — shocked to learn that her sister felt
  exactly as she did in terms of deserving but never
  receiving their grandfather’s approval and affec-
  tion — joined her in staging a plan to remove him
  from their lives once and for all. Together they
  deduced that Claude was fatally allergic to cam-
  
  148
  Appendix
  phor and set up a situation where they could poison
  and then kill him.
  At the last minute, however, Louise lost her
  nerve and Jacqueline executed their plan alone.
  With Claude dead, Jacqueline claimed the leader-
  ship of Richemulot, and made it clear to Louise
  that she would forever be a distant second.
  Over the years, Louise has tried to break out
  from under Jacqueline’s shadow by other means,
  either by attempting some unique contribution to
  the growth of Richemulot, or by starting a family of
  her own. All former efforts have, unfortunately,
  met with disaster of a variety of kinds, some through
  simple bad luck, and others because of sabotage
  from Renier cousins who want to limit the power
  the sisters wield. Fate — or perhaps some other
  force — has always stepped in to destroy or remove
  any suitable mates Louise locates, always just be-
  fore she has had a chance to consummate a
  relationship.
  Similarly, Louise has more than once resolved
  to leave Richemulot behind, for nothing she at-
  tempts seems to fully succeed there. Whenever she
  has been close to finalizing arrangements to relo-
  cate — Dementlieu continues to hold an allure —
  Jacqueline steps forward with a mixture of tasks,
  rewards and pleas to keep Louise nearby. Initially,
  these projects always seem to lead Louise to a
  position of enhanced prestige and power, and thus
  she is kept happy for a time, but soon it becomes
  clear that Jacqueline is also benefiting from Louise’s
  efforts, her star continuing to shine brighter than
  that of her sister.
  Over the past two decades, Louise has initi-
  ated a number of plots to embarrass Jacqueline, or
  to shift the power Jacqueline wields in the wererat
  community to herself. Invariably, the plots nar-
  rowly miss their target and instead eliminate or
  weaken enemies of Jacqueline. As a result, the
  wererats continue to be loyal to the great Jacqueline
  Renier, with Louise winning only that respect
  given the twin sister of the gifted leader.
  The only area in which Louise has excelled
  beyond Jacqueline is that of magic. Since she was
  a small girl, Louise has shown potential as a sor-
  cerer. However, her progress in the field has been
  slow, for she has a hard time staying focused on the
  mental exercises that could help her learn more
  spells.
  Current Sketch
  Louise continues to dwell in her sister’s shadow,
  and her resentment festers within her. Although
  she hides it well, her mood tends to vacillate from
  jealous hatred to seething anger, and thence to
  dark depression. When consumed with hatred and
  jealousy, she spends her days and nights conceiving
  and implementing complex plots intended to bring
  her sister low. In her angrier moments, she lashes
  out at anyone who has ever offended her in the
  slightest; this includes even those who are part of
  her schemes against Jacqueline but who have not
  accomplished enough in her eyes. The rage is even
  more severe if it is triggered by Jacqueline spoiling
  one of Louise’s schemes.
  When she sinks into depression, Louise stays
  locked within her rooms at Chateau Delanuit, or
  retreats to the Renier country cottage. Usually, the
  depression is lifted by news that one of her schemes
  appears to be coming to fruition (which brings her
  transitory bouts of happiness) or news of another
  successful venture or manipulation by Jacqueline
  (which tends to swing her back toward anger,
  jealousy and more scheming).
  Louise Renier
  
  149
  A Rogues’ Gallery
  Louise has also grown determined that she will
  start a family of her own, regardless of what fate
  wishes. She has long been aware that Jacqueline
  becomes almost frantic to keep Louise involved
  with public and political life in Richemulot when-
  ever her sister’s departure from the domain appears
  certain. She has started to suspect that the unfor-
  tunate fates her would-be mates suffer may not fate
  alone conspiring against her: It could be Jacqueline
  guaranteeing that Louise will never have some-
  thing as good as or better than what her twin has.
  With this in mind, Louise has put forth quiet
  inquires and delicate feelers to determine what
  manner of wererat community exists in Dementlieu
  and where she might best purchase a home. Instead
  of announcing her intentions or publicly showing
  her mate, she plans to set everything up privately
  and then relocate. She remains paralyzed, how-
  ever, by a lack of trustworthy minions or hirelings,
  and by her own attacks of depression and rage.
  Louise has also sent out a call for a tutor who
  can help improve her skill as a sorcerer. In particu-
  lar, she has come upon a spell that she desperately
  wants to learn, but currently lacks the skill to do so.
  (The spell in question is rat eyes [see Family Magic
  in Chapter Eight], and Louise thinks that it might
  be just the tool she needs to gain an edge over
  Jacqueline — or at least to give her the ability to spy
  on her sister and determine once and for all if she
  is actively sabotaging her life.)
  Combat
  Louise is not a highly skilled fighter, though
  she is competent; she attempts to avoid physical
  confrontation if at all possible. When moving
  about Richemulot, or when at the Renier country
  cottage, she is always accompanied by 5 human
  bodyguards: 2 normal humans (Ftr3) and 3 af-
  flicted wererats (Rog2/Ftr2). Two of the wererats
  are also nearby when she is home at Chateau
  Delanuit. Her bodyguards engage hostiles first while
  Louise remains clear of the fray and attacks with
  her spells and her pistol.
  When forced to fight, Louise uses her spells
  first. One lesson she learned in childhood was to
  always keep her true nature secret from the unini-
  tiated: Louise never assumes her hybrid or rat forms
  in view of others unless she is facing wererats who
  are already aware of her true nature (alternately,
  she might do so if she has no other options and is
  facing certain doom, but this circumstance has
  never yet come up).
  Von Zarovich
  Talena Von Zarovich,
  “Strahd’s Dagger”
  Female human Wiz9/tyrant mage 5: 
  Female human Wiz9/tyrant mage 5: 
  Female human Wiz9/tyrant mage 5: 
  Female human Wiz9/tyrant mage 5: 
  Female human Wiz9/tyrant mage 5: CR 14; Medium humanoid
  (human) (5 ft., 2 in. tall); HD 9d4 plus 5d4; hp 35; Init +3; Spd
  30 ft.; AC 13 (+3 Dex), touch 13, flat-footed 10; BAB/Grap
  +6/+5; Atk +5 melee (1d4–1/19–20, adamantine dagger);
  Full Atk +5/+0 melee (1d4–1/19–20, adamantine dagger);
  SA spell-like abilities, spells; SQ summon familiar, tyrant’s
  eye, Von Zarovich traits; AL NE; SV Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +11;
  Str 9, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 16.
  Skills: Bluff +8, Concentration +16, Decipher
  Script +12, Diplomacy +13, Disguise +3 (+5 act-
  ing), Intimidate +13, Knowledge (arcana) +18,
  Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (nobility and
  royalty) +9, Listen +3, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft
  +20, Spot +3.
  Feats: Blood Spell*, Cold-Hearted*, Enlarge
  Spell, Extend Spell, JadedR, Quicken Spell, Scribe
  Scroll, Silent Spell, Vampiric RegenerationC.
  Languages: Balok; Luktar, Patterna, Vaasi,
  Sithican.
  Spell-like abilities: 1/day—charm person (DC
  14), dominate person (DC 18), suggestion (DC 16).
  Caster level 14th.
  Wizard spells (4/5/5/5/5/3/3/2; DC 14 + spell
  level).
  Signature Possessions: Adamantine dagger,
  amulet of death ward, chaos diamond, minor cloak of
  displacement, ring of wolf summoning M.
  Description
  In addition to the family’s cruel streak, Talena
  has inherited its legendary beauty; blessed with
  unnaturally pale skin and raven tresses, many claim
  that she is herself a vampire. Though she is actually
  human, Talena does nothing to discourage this
  belief, and in fact plays it for all it is worth, normally
  dressing in revealing and seductive clothing con-
  cealed by voluminous cloaks or other fanciful wraps.
  Background
  A distant cousin of Strahd Von Zarovich,
  Talena undertook the study of magic at a young age
  and found that she had a real knack for spellcasting
  — particularly those magics that controlled others’
  actions, either through compulsion or through the
  infliction of pain. As she advanced in power, she
  came to Strahd’s attention and was immediately
  recruited into his service as a tyrant mage.
  
  150
  Appendix
  Talena progressed quickly, surprising her in-
  structors with her enthusiasm and skill. She was
  initiated as a full-fledged tyrant mage within a
  single year, where most recruits took over three.
  Two years later she was one of the most successful
  and dangerous tyrant mages in all of Barovia, with
  dozens of arrests and executions to her credit. Soon
  she was known as “Strahd’s Dagger,” his left hand,
  a keen weapon that slays without hesitation.
  Current Sketch
  Talena Von Zarovich has certainly found her
  calling as Strahd’s living weapon. Her heart, never
  terribly warm to begin with, has grown icy cold,
  and now the only thing that can being her even
  brief excitement is the prospect of killing an enemy
  of the state. Talena’s emotional state is equally
  chill; though she has taken many lovers, they
  usually fail to hold her interest, and she abandons
  them as readily as she takes them. The lucky ones
  are given a small reward and sent away, while the
  unlucky ones — those who irritate her in some way
  — are rewarded with a trip to the dungeons below
  Talena’s manse, where they make the acquain-
  tance of her hounds or her hired torturers.
  Talena lives in a grim stone keep on the
  Gundar River. She has a company of elite guards-
  men at her service, and sometimes brings prisoners
  here for interrogation and torture in the cells that
  lie beneath the keep. She has a number of undead
  servants as well — they are Strahd undead (see
  Ravenloft Gazetteer Vol. I), given to her by
  Count Strahd as a reward for her faithful service.
  Combat
  Unlike many spellcasters, Talena adores com-
  bat, and even sometimes fights hand-to-hand after
  casting Tenser’s transformation, stone skin and per-
  haps a couple of other “buffing” spells. On dangerous
  missions she is always accompanied by one or more
  squads of her elite guards, and allows them to
  engage in any heavy fighting while she supports
  with spells.
  Talena prefers destructive spells, particularly
  those that deal in pain, and also those that control
  the actions of others. She is quite fond of having
  her men encircle small groups of foes, then using
  her spells and spell-like abilities to force them to
  fight one another, finally sending in her escorts to
  pick up the pieces.
  Andrez Weissritter,
  Troubled Knight
  Male human Pal 9:
  Male human Pal 9:
  Male human Pal 9:
  Male human Pal 9:
  Male human Pal 9: CR 9; Medium humanoid (human) (5 ft., 10
  in. tall); HD 9d10+9; hp 57; Init +1; Spd 20 ft. in armor; AC 21
  (+1 Dex, +8 armor, +2 shield), touch 11, flat-footed 20; BAB/
  Grap +9/+12; Atk +15 melee (1d8+6/19–20, +3 holy
  longsword) or +12 ranged (1d6+5, 20 ft., +2 shortspear); Full
  Atk +15/+10 melee (1d8+6/19–20, +3 holy longsword); SA
  smite evil 2/day, turn undead 7/day (as 6th-level cleric; +2 on
  turning checks); SQ aura of courage, aura of good, detect
  evil, divine grace, divine health, lay on hands (36 hp), remove
  disease 2/week, special mount, Von Zarovich traits (thirst for
  blood); AL LG; SV Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +11; Str 16, Dex 12,
  Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 18.
  Skills: Concentration +3, Diplomacy +10,
  Handle Animal +9, Heal +6, Knowledge (nobility
  and royalty) +3, Knowledge (religion) +5, Ride
  +9, Sense Motive +5.
  Feats: Cleave, CourageR, Divine Might,
  HeroismH, Iron Will, Power Attack.
  Languages: Balok.
  Paladin spells (2/1; DC 12 + spell level).
  Signature Possessions: Masterwork full plate,
  masterwork heavy steel shield, +3 holy longsword,
  +2 shortspear.
  Talena Von Zarovich
  
  151
  A Rogues’ Gallery
  Description
  Andrez Weissritter cuts a heroic figure in his
  gleaming steel armor astride his paladin’s mount,
  named Engel. In his prime, the 30-year-old paladin
  embodies the legends of Count Strahd Von Zarovich
  as a consummate warrior, before his embittered fall
  from grace. Andrez stands just over 6’ tall. He has
  dark hair and eyes and classically handsome fea-
  tures. His muscular body testifies to his excellence
  in combat. He carries himself with poise and grace,
  though his face often bears a troubled look, as if he
  wages a constant inner war. He dresses in well-
  made, though not ostentatious clothing.
  Background
  Born nearly 30 years ago in a small Barovian
  village, young Andrez Kreigel (Weissritter is an
  assumed name; see Current Sketch) grew up on
  horror stories about the excesses and atrocities of
  the Von Zaroviches. In time, however, Andrez
  began to feel the slow and inexorable tug of his true
  heritage, and was horrified when his mother finally
  confessed that his family was related to the Von
  Zaroviches. Recoiling from his heritage, Andrez
  swore to follow a different path, and embraced the
  all-healing power of the Morninglord, taking up
  arms as a paladin.
  Andrez’s greatest secret is his connection to
  the Von Zarovich family, which he hides with
  near-fanatical devotion, even going so far as to
  change his surname to Weissritter (or “White
  Knight”) and cutting off all contact with his family
  and friends from Barovia. He lives in fear that his
  secret will someday be discovered, even though he
  cannot say what might happen should this occur.
  Alas, the taint of the Von Zaroviches is diffi-
  cult to escape, and once he set off on his quest for
  justice, Andrez found that he had a love for battle
  — a bit too much love, in fact, for from time to time
  he stopped in the middle of a fight, hacking and
  slashing at foes who had already been slain in a
  berserk, bloodthirsty rage. In his heart, he knows
  that this is a result of his damned heritage, but he
  is determined to overcome it nonetheless. His
  conduct, while not frequent, has attracted atten-
  tion, however, and some adventurers have refused
  to work with him, fearful of his strange “rages.”
  Andrez has redoubled his efforts to pursue the
  path of justice, trying with all his being to suppress
  his heritage. He has wandered the Dread Realms
  for years, gaining a reputation as a fearless, if
  somewhat unpredictable and occasionally danger-
  ous, righter of wrongs. While freeing a group of
  kidnapped children from a lich in Valachan, he
  obtained his holy sword, and later crossed paths
  with the astoundingly lucky hero Robin Stillwater,
  with whom he adventured for a time until finally
  moving on, seeking to make contact with Rudolph
  Van Richten’s adherents.
  Current Sketch
  Currently, Andrez has become closely
  associated with Gennifer and Laurie Weathermay-
  Foxgrove, hunting and destroying both undead
  and lycanthropes; his goal is only to rid the world
  of their evil, but he understands the necessity in
  helping the Weathermays to find new and more
  effective ways of defeating their foes. He has tried
  several times to atone for his rages and must be
  doing something right, as he somehow keeps his
  powers as a paladin.
  Andrez has no real home or base of operations.
  He presently resides in Mordent, occupying quar-
  ters in a small keep leased by the Weathermays, but
  is there only part of the time. Most of Andrez’s life
  is devoted to wandering the nearby countryside,
  hunting down the creatures of evil who threaten
  commoners. He has considered relocating to
  Andrez Weissritter
  
  152
  Appendix
  Dementlieu and pursuing his mission (as well as
  gathering information for the Weathermays) in or
  around Port-a-Lucene.
  Combat
  Though he tries to fight according to the
  paladin’s ideal — defending the weak, helping the
  helpless, showing mercy to defeated foes, convert-
  ing evil to the side of light and truth — Andrez is
  always troubled by his heritage, although he has
  developed the strength of mind in general to avoid
  savaging corpses and slaying those who have sur-
  rendered honorably.
  When not in the throes of rage, Andrez eagerly
  charges into battle, usually leading the attack while
  mounted on Engel, hewing left and right with his
  +3 holy longsword. He generally charges the most
  powerful wicked foe that he can, and then keeps his
  target busy while his companions deal with lesser
  threats. He is always the last to retreat and, if not
  enraged, is only too willing to give up his life to save
  an innocent.
  
  ISBN 1-58846-089-4
  WW15031 $22.99 U.S.
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  A Lineage of Darkness
  Just as every darklord bears a curse, their blood also carries the seeds of greatness or
  infamy. Some who share a common legacy with the ruling families of Ravenloft rise to
  virtue, while others succumb to the lure of corruption. What is it like to share the blood
  of the Boritsi, to bear the secrets of the Von Zaroviches, or to carry a vestige of the Drakov
  curse?
  This book explores the histories of Ravenloft’s most powerful families, providing
  information on how to create player characters and NPCs who bear the names of
  Mordenheim, Dilisnya, or Renier. New prestige classes, family feats and heirloom magic
  provide a wealth of choices for players and DMs who wish to walk in the shoes of the
  powerful and the damned.
  Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons Player’s
  Handbook, published by Wizards of the Coast®. This product
  utilizes updated material from the v.3.5 revision.
  The Ravenloft® campaign setting is an officially licensed Dungeons & Dragons® property.
  Great Families of the Core
  Great Families of the Core
  Great Families of the Core
  Great Families of the Core
  Great Families of the Core
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/D&D 3rd Edition/Ravenloft/Legacy of the Blood.pdf