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Karmic Adversary:�Necromancer�

A NPC Supplement for the�Karma Roleplaying System�

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Karmic Adversary:�Necromancer�

A NPC Supplement for the�Karma Roleplaying System�

Written by Julie Ann Dawson�

Edited by Adam Skipper�

Necromancer portrait by Adam Skipper�

Other images courtesy Jason Walton and Otherworldly Art Portfolio 1.�Used with permission.�

Cover image courtesy John Walborn. Used with permission.�

http://www.bardsandsages.com/karma�

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Karmic Adversary: The Necromancer�

Karmic Adversary: Necromancer� is a�supplement designed for the Karma Role-�playing System.�Karmic Adversary� offers�the Storyteller a detailed, pre-generated�NPC that can be used as a one-time story�arc or a recurring foe. Everything the Sto-�ryteller needs to use the NPC is in this�supplement. No need to jump to different�sourcebooks to look up information. Spell�lists, magic item stats, related monster en-�counters, and equipment are all here.�

Each installment of�Karmic Adversary�will present the NPC at three different�power levels, a preliminary level suitable�for use against starting characters, an ad-�vanced level for use with more established�characters, and an epic level for a legendary�challenge.�

How to use this book:�

This book requires the�Karma Core Rules Book�,�and uses information found in�The Karmic Grimoire�and�Karmic Monsters�. Spells, magic items, and crea-�tures from those resources are presented here with the�basic information to employ them. Storytellers that�need additional information on a monster or need to�know the point breakdown of spells or magic items�should reference those resources directly.�

Spells and information original to this product are�shown with their complete item breakdown. This infor-�mation is provided for storytellers to help them best�determine which level of Grimald to use versus their�players.�

In most cases, all bonuses applicable to rolls based�on specializations, disciplines, and magic items are�already included in the relevant materials. Spell vari-�ables from these factors have also already been added�so that storytellers do not need to go back and add these�bonuses.�

* Indicates a spell or magic item created by Grimald�

Background�: Information regarding the NPC for the�storyteller. This information is generally not available�to the PCs.�

Appearance�: How the NPC looks, and behavior in�public.�Location:� Where the NPC would be found. Historical�information on the site that would be available to PCs�by talking to area NPCs or research.�Status:� Depending on the power level of the NPC, this�denotes the NPCs current situation in the region. Also�notes whether or not the NPC is an active or passive�threat.�Reputation Rating:� Depending on the power level of�the NPC, this denotes how much people in the area�actually think they know, and therefore what sort of�information people will give to the PCs.�Character Stats�: The NPCs stats, spells, gear, etc.�Defenses�: Any special defenses the NPC has, includ-�ing monster encounters, allies, minions, traps, etc.�

Necromancer Naromar Grimald�

Background:� Grimald developed an unhealthy�interest in death at a young age, spending his free�time studying the entrails of still twitching small�animals to see which organs shut down first.�Terrified of their son, his parents eventually aban-�doned him to an orphanage. But the matrons of the�orphanage could not deal with his morbid activities�either, and he was put to the street.�

Fate would put him in the path of the necromancer�Harold Garbredeux, who was developing a ritual to�transform himself into a liche. The necromancer origi-�nally intended to make the homeless urchin a sacrificial�spell component, but upon witnessing Grimald’s inter-�est in the dark arts took him on as an apprentice instead.�

Garbredeux was known as a retired physician, and�sometimes was called by the local authorities to help�determine the cause of death for those that died under�mysterious circumstances. Grimald would accompany�his master on these investigations, often having to con-�tain his excitement at the sight of a desiccated corpse or�mangled body. Though he never formally introduced�the boy, everyone assumed the child must have been a�nephew, and the old man never corrected them. As he�grew older, Grimald would run errands in town for his�aging master, and he too allowed townspeople to erro-�neously believe his master was his uncle.�

Over the years, Garbredeux developed a genuine�fondness for his charge, and this was his undoing. He�gave his apprentice more freedom than was customary�for his age, and taught him a wide range of spells�normally reserved for more experienced wizards.�Grimald’s appetite for knowledge was voracious, and�

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Unfortunately for the old necromancer, Grimald�was both curious and ambitious, and upon discovering�his master’s spellbook decided to use the�Cannibalize�ritual on his teacher before he had finalized his ritual to�achieve lichedom. The young man was disappointed to�discover the benefits only lasted a few short hours, but�the temporary sensation of power encouraged him to�continue down his dark path with renewed fervor.�

Grimald is pragmatic and emotionally distant,�though his apprenticeship taught him the need to at least�be able to feign politeness in public. He tends to look�at others as if looking at a strange insect under a magni-�fying glass, and it can be greatly disconcerting to those�on the receiving end of that icy glare. He has an�academic view of his work, his ambition more inclined�toward achieving some revelation that acquiring raw�power. When he does allow himself to show some�excitement, it is in regards to some new discovery in the�necromantic arts. Discussions regarding the true nature�of vampires or the potential of cloning can elicit an�animated response from Grimald, and those that seem�to share his interest may be able to keep themselves�from becoming an experiment by using this to their�advantage.�

As a matter of practicality, he chooses his test�subjects from the ranks of the homeless or criminal�elements. Nobody notices or cares when they go miss-�ing, and it prevents unwanted questions from interrupt-�ing his research. Because he is an intellectual, not a�warrior, he depends on subterfuge to get potential ex-�periments to his manor, often with promises of employ-�ment. Once in the manor, he depends on his undead�creations to subdue the subject so they can be properly�restrained and prepared for his work.�

Grimald has no far-flung, earth-shattering goals.�He is interested in death and undeath in all its incarna-�tions, and his research jumps from subject to subject�with relative regularity. In some ways, he is a bit lost�without his mentor to guide him in his studies. He feels�no guilt over his crime, only regret that maybe he didn’t�learn everything he could before committing it.�

Appearance:�Grimald has a lean, athletic build and handsome�

features, and though pale from extended periods work-�ing in his laboratory does not appear gaunt or exces-�sively pallid.�

In public, he dresses in the conservative wardrobe�common among minor nobility, favoring black and�dark blue. The only significant clue as to his arcane�interests is the large silver ring he wears on his left�hand, its white jade cut to resemble a jawless skull.�

Grimald on his way to attend the Duke’s Winter Festival�

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Location:�Sleeping Hill is approximately a half-mile outside of�the town. A narrow but well maintained road leads�from town up to the hill. A small keep stood on the hill�centuries ago, but was destroyed during a war. The�minor noble family that owned the keep suffered signif-�icant losses and never rebuilt. The family died off or�married into other families, abandoning the hill entirely.�The family crypt and cemetery was abandoned as well,�and eventually the town began to use it to bury paupers.�The hill was purchased by Gareth Jarphanan, a retired�mercenary, who built the manor house that now stands�there. His much younger wife, Stephanie, became�increasingly distressed living next to a pauper’s ceme-�tery. He built a stone wall around it to block it off, but�when she became pregnant she insisted that they move�somewhere away from dead bodies. Jarphanan sold the�property to Garbredeux fifteen years ago. A few years�later, Garbredeux brought Grimald to the manor to live�with him as his apprentice.�

Preliminary Status:�Grimald has informed the local authorities that his�“uncle” finally died of old age, and that he buried him�on the property in a private crypt. Nobody has reason�to suspect otherwise. Though there was no formal will,�everyone has always assumed that Grimald was the old�man’s nephew. Since generally property is transferred�to the next of kin in such cases, nobody has challenged�hiss right to the estate.�

Preliminary Reputation Rating:�Grimald is young, handsome, and newly wealthy, and�that seems to be the focus of most discussions in town�regarding him. He is known in the local area as�Gabredeux’s nephew, and is assumed to be physician�like his uncle.�

Preliminary Stat Block:�Naromar Grimald, Human, Necromancer (Intellect,�Arcane Magic, Natural Sciences, Necromancy Im-�pact)�Con 2, Dex 1, End 2, Str 1, Int 2, Will 2, Wis 2, Wits�2, Cha 1, Emp 1, Fai 1, Psy 2�Alertness 5, Arcane Magic 8 <Necromancy 11/�13*><Void Element 9>, Diplomacy 4, Discern 4, Hu-�manities 5, Manipulation 5, Mental Health 5, Natural�Sciences 6 <Biology 7>, Resilience 5, Social Sciences�5, Spirituality 7, Weapon Group (Simple Weapons) 4�DT 15, Mana 18, Karma 2, PR 2�Spell Creation Points: 130 (49 used*)�Item Creation Points: 84�Reputation Rating: 2�Wealth Rating: 4�

Special:�Arcane Spellcaster: +2 bonus to cast spells that use the�Creation Impact.�Necromancer Discipline: +2 bonus to cast spells using�the Necromancy Impact. +2 bonus to opposed checks�versus Necromancy Impact spells that target the Necro-�mancer. +2 bonus to opposed checks to resist spells and�innate abilities of undead. When the Necromancer�creates a starting spell, he can spend up to 25 spell�creation points instead of the normal 20.�Necromancy Specialist: +1 bonus to opposed checks�versus Necromancy impact spells and spells and innate�abilities of the undead.�Void Element Specialist: A Void Element spell with a�duration of greater than instant increases its duration by�a unit of 1.�*With equipped magic items, Grimald’s check to cast a�Necromancy spell is either 11 or 13, depending on�whether or not he has activated his fetish (see Equip-�ment).�

Spell List:�Spells noted with an asterisk are those Grimald devel-�oped himself, and show the point breakdown used. His�master taught the other spells to him before his untimely�demise. For those looking for the point breakdown of�these spells, they can be found in the�Karmic Grimoire�.�All spells have already been adjusted to reflect�Naromar’s specialties and equipped items.�

Animate Dead�Combat Spell (Physical)�Fire/Void Elements�Area of effect: two dead bodies�Range: twenty feet�Duration: 7 rds�Opposed by: N/A�Necromancy Impact, Movement Impact�

This spell allows the caster to manipulate the target�corpses much like a puppetmaster. The caster must�maintain concentration on the animated dead for the�duration of the spell. Corpses animated in this fashion�only move as the caster wills them to move. They�cannot act independently.�

If used to attack an opponent, the animated body�uses the caster’s appropriate weapon ability at a –2�penalty. For example, if the body were using only its�fist, it would rely on the caster’s Martial Arts Ability. If�the body were using a sword, it would rely on the�caster’s Martial Weapons Ability.�

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