Malhavoc Press

The Bonds of Magic: The Faithful Preview
By Sean K Reynolds
Illustrations by Toren "MacBin" Atkinson

As a preview of the second volume of Skreyn's Register, here is a druid and a cleric from the book:

Olorie
Olorie: Female elf Drd7; CR 7; Medium humanoid (elf); HD 7d8; hp 31; Init +4; Speed 30 feet; AC 17 (touch 14, flat-footed 13); Base Attack +5; Grapple +5; Attack/Full Attack +5 melee (1d6/x3, halfspear) or +9 ranged (1d6, sling); SQ Animal companion, wild empathy, elf traits, nature sense, resist nature’s lure, trackless step, wild shape (Small or Medium animal 3/day), woodland stride; AL NG; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +7; Str 10, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 12

Skills and Feats: Concentration +10, Diplomacy +3, Handle Animal +8, Heal +10, Knowledge (nature) +8, Listen +7, Ride +6, Search +3, Spellcraft +6, Spot +8, Survival +5, Swim +5; Dodge, Expertise, Great Fortitude

Druid Spells Prepared: (6/5/4/2/1; base DC = 12 + spell level): 0—create water, detect magic, detect poison, light, mending,purify food and drink; 1st—calm animals, charm animal, endure elements, entangle, faerie fire; 2nd—barkskin (2), delay poison, lesser restoration; 3rd—greater magic fang, protection from energy; 4th—cure serious wounds

Animal Companion: Arykath (constrictor snake); +2 HD, +2 natural armor increase, +1 Strength and Dexterity, 2 bonus tricks, link, share spells, evasion.

Gear: +1 leather armor, halfspear, potions of blur, cat’s grace, and spider climb; Quarl’s feather token (tree), sling, sling bullets (50), snake spirit gem, 288 gp

PC Gear: Druid’s vestment, pearl of power (1st), ring of protection +1; upgrade: leather armor to +2

As she grew to adulthood, Olorie began experiencing dreams and visions of snakes—twining, crawling, swimming, and biting. Confused and vaguely threatened by these persistent images that interrupted her daily life, she went to her village’s spiritual guide, Jastrali. This very old elf explained that the snake, a powerful symbol of the spirit world, represented healing; her visions indicated that she should learn the healing arts. Olorie began studying with Jastrali and adopted the snake as her totem animal. When she had completed her education she went on a quest and found the snake spirit gem (see sidebar), which she considers a sacred item.

Olorie continues to receive visions every once in a while, and following them has led her hundreds of miles from home. On one journey she found herself surprised by orcs, but a reclusive elf named Hilarrin rescued her. Olorie convinced Hilarrin to leave her mist-shrouded home and see more of the world. After a few months of traveling together, Olorie chose to remain in a human village to help stave off a plague, while her friend continued on. With the humans now recovered, Olorie once again feels ready to go where her visions lead.

Personality
Somewhat mysterious and detached most of the time, Olorie is kind and patient when dealing with an injured person. She believes that healing, though easily evidenced in the body, often originates in the mind. She always welcomes hearing a patient’s personal troubles in the hopes that her knowledge and advice can help overcome them. She understands the need for violence in the world but loathes needless aggression, which accomplishes little but hurt.

Uses
Olorie could easily lead a small elven community or church, or she might arrive after a particularly difficult wilderness battle to aid needy adventurers. As an antagonist, she can help neutralize a group of destructive player characters without causing them serious harm, or intervene to prevent the slaughter of snakes by ignorant folk. As a cohort she would suit any nonevil character who doesn’t engage in reckless violence. As a player character she can fit into almost any group in need of a healer, functioning in that role almost as well as a true cleric.

Tactics
Olorie prefers to let her animal companions and allies (if any) deal with foes. She likes to use her magic to enhance her snakes, protect herself and others, or negate the powers of enemies rather than causing direct harm. She spends a lot of time in snake form, often sleeping as a snake. When she has to enter melee, whether in her own form or in her wild shape, she uses Dodge and Expertise to increase her Armor Class; while this makes her less effective in combat, it makes foes less likely to incur great harm and gives her allies time to come to her aid.

Erun Tegraath
Erun Tegraath: Male ghoul Clr4; CR 5; Equiv. Lvl. 9; Medium undead; HD 2d12, 4d8; hp 31; Init +4; Speed 20 feet; AC 22 (touch 14, flat-footed 19); Base Attack +4; Grapple +8; Attack +8 melee (1d6+6 plus paralysis, bite); Full Attack +8 melee (1d6+6 plus paralysis, bite), +6 melee (1d3+4 plus paralysis, 2 claws); SA Create spawn, paralysis, ghoul fever, rebuke undead 9/day; SQ Turn resistance +4, undead traits; AL CE; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +10; Str 19, Dex 18, Con —, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 22

Skills and Feats: Balance +0, Climb +6, Concentration +8, Escape Artist +0, Hide +6, Intimidate +7, Jump +1, Knowledge (religion) +2, Move Silently +4, Search +1, Sleight of Hand +0, Spot +8, Swim -2, Tumble +0; Improved Turn Resistance, Multiattack, Profane Strength

Create Spawn (Su): Humanoid creatures killed (but not eaten) by a ghoul’s natural attacks rise as ghouls in 1d4 days. Casting protection from evil on the body before the end of that time negates the transformation.

Paralysis (Ex): Those hit by a ghoul’s claw or bite attack must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 17) or become paralyzed for 1d6+2 minutes. Elves remain immune to this paralysis.

Ghoul Fever (Su): Disease—bite, Fortitude DC 17, incubation period one day, damage 1d3 Constitution and 1d3 Dexterity. The save DC is Charisma based.

Undead Traits: Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, mind-influencing effects, and any effect requiring a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects; not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain; negative energy heals; not at risk of death from massive damage, but destroyed at 0 hit points or less; darkvision; cannot be raised; resurrection works only if creature is willing.

Cleric Spells Prepared: (5/5/4; base DC = 13 + spell level): 0—detect magic (2), mending, read magic, resistance; 1st—cause fear*, detect undead, endure elements (2), entropic shield; 2nd—death knell, desecrate*, hold person, spiritual weapon

*Domain spell. Deity: Halgrin the Screaming Lord. Domains: Death (death touch 1/day), Evil (cast evil spells at +1 caster level)

Gear: Belt of ogre power +2 (as gauntlets), +1 breastplate, cloak of charisma +2, necklace of protection +1 (as ring), potion of invisibility, 350 gp

PC Gear: Boots of levitation, potion of hiding, scroll of blasphemy, wand of inflict light wounds (5 charges); upgrade: breastplate to +3, necklace to +2

Erun was the son of a cruel sorcerer who had fallen in with evil cultists. Indoctrinated in the ways of the cult at a young age, Erun might have become a sorcerer like his father if he hadn’t been chosen as a willing sacrifice to Halgrin the Screaming Lord. After he was sacrificed, a priest of the cult used the create undead spell to turn him into a ghoul. Due to some unknown quirk in the creation process, however, the undead Erun could not stomach the taste of living or dead flesh—he could only consume the flesh of other undead. When the cult fell apart due to infighting, Erun left with a small stable of ghoul spawn he used as livestock and melee fodder. Now he wanders the edges of civilized lands, allying with necromancers in exchange for zombies to eat, or kidnapping peasants to torture, turn into ghouls, and consume.

Personality
Like most ghouls, Erun is cunning and almost feral. However, his great physical strength and strong belief in the Screaming Lord make him something more. Considering himself doubly blessed for being a sacrifice to Halgrin and his cleric, the zealous Erun enjoys practicing his religious rituals—most of which involve torture and terror—upon unwilling victims. He harbors no feelings of pity or mercy; he understands those concepts and will let his prisoners believe he may release them, but only because it makes their screams that much richer when they find out their hope has been betrayed.

Uses
Erun is a good cult leader and an appropriate final villain for low-level characters. As a mid-level villain he can be a ranking member of a group of cultists or a lackey to a death cleric or necromancer. Because of his character levels, increased turn resistance, and ability to bolster himself, it is nearly impossible for clerics to turn him unless they are several levels higher than he is. This makes him a good foe for cocky clerics with a habit of disparaging the effectiveness of undead. By changing his alignment, domains, and deity, Erun becomes a reasonable player character, as his unusual taste in food makes him less of a threat to other living party members, much like the “vampire with a conscience” paradigm.

Tactics
Eschewing weapons, Erun uses his natural attacks. He prefers to boost his power with the Profane Strength feat or bull’s strength spell, or both. If expecting battle, he leads with a spiritual weapon spell and hold person. If facing a powerful cleric, he usually casts desecrate to provide an extra level of protection against turning attempts.

* "d20 System" and the "d20 System" logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 3.0. A copy of this License can be found at Wizards' d20 home page. This content is produced under version 1.0, 1.0a, and/or draft versions of the Open Game License, the d20 System Trademark Logo Guide, and System Reference Document by permission of Wizards of the Coast. Designation of Product Identity: The following items are hereby designated as Product Identity in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License, version 1.0a: Any and all Malhavoc Press or montecook.com logos and identifying marks and trade dress, including all Malhavoc Press product names, page design, and all illustration. The characters of Fanatrax and Orvin, including their statistics, descriptions, and associated boxed spells, are considered Open Game Content.

"Olorie" and "Erun" from Skreyn's Register: The Bonds of Magic ©2002 Sean K Reynolds.