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Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of Contents

Races of the Mists Races of the Mists Races of the Mists Races of the Mists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7777Part I - The Dwarfed

By David “of the Fraternity” Gibson

Fear and Frostbites Fear and Frostbites Fear and Frostbites Fear and Frostbites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33333333Frostburn Supplement in Ravenloft

Mark Graydon

War of the Mace War of the Mace War of the Mace War of the Mace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39393939A quick contest on the WotC boards

Evening by the Fire Evening by the Fire Evening by the Fire Evening by the Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43434343An Unexpected Visitor

Andrew "alhoon" Pavlides

Grim Tales Grim Tales Grim Tales Grim Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47474747The Wolf

By Stephen “ScS” Sutton

Growls in the Night Growls in the Night Growls in the Night Growls in the Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49494949A Collection of Creatures

Andrew "alhoon" Pavlides

Misty Divine Misty Divine Misty Divine Misty Divine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65656565The Complete Divine in Ravenloft

Mark Graydon

The Black Opal Guild The Black Opal Guild The Black Opal Guild The Black Opal Guild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85858585A Sinister Guild of Necromancers

Andrew "alhoon" Pavlides

Races of the Mists Races of the Mists Races of the Mists Races of the Mists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93939393Part II -The Little People

By David “of the Fraternity” Gibson

Registery of Monsters Registery of Monsters Registery of Monsters Registery of Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119119119119Excerpts from the Registry

By Stanton F. Fink

The Tower of Silana The Tower of Silana The Tower of Silana The Tower of Silana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133133133133An Original Adventure

Andrew "alhoon" Pavlide

Credits Credits Credits Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147147147147

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Races of the MistsRaces of the MistsRaces of the MistsRaces of the MistsPart I - The DwarfedPart I - The DwarfedPart I - The DwarfedPart I - The Dwarfed

By David “of the Fraternity” Gibsondavid.jw.gibson@gmail.com

IntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroductionI greet you once again, Esteemed Brothers.As I write these words, compiled from mycopious sheaves of notes, I sit in a horridtavern far away from my luxurious home inSte. Ronges. Instead of being there, I amforced to scratch out this volume in Karg, theDarkonese city of notorious reputation.

At first I was pleased that my lastsubstantial report, the one on creatures ofterror, was so well received by my superiorsthat they would consider me for futurereassignment. Had I but known that I wouldimmediately be sent out again into the field Imight have been more hesitant in finishingthat work. Thankfully, my currentassignment -while large in scope- is far lessdangerous.

It was a simple mission, as you all mustalready know, I was to travel the land andfind out all there is to learn of the sub-humanraces that walk the Core. Very thankfully,this mandate did not include the overlydangerous, malicious or supernatural races.Instead, I was to research and report back onthe so-called demihumans or humanoids that

populate all corners of our world. Theseinclude such as the short dwarven people ofDarkon or the fair elves that fill the woods ofSithicus. My purpose was clear: I had toseparate the folktales and legends from thetruths and find out what these people knewof the Land of the Mists; what part, if any,these creatures could serve in our eventualgoals was the unspoken side of thisassignment.

I began my trek heading north into Pont-a-Museau before arcing west into Mordent. Idecided to avoid Falkovnia this trip as Iassumed what few sub-human races werepresent would be hidden or enslaved, itwould be far more trouble than it was worthto discover them. From there I journeyednorth, hugging the coast and passing throughevery major city I could along while stillseeing much of the countryside. By far thelongest stretch of the journey to date was thetedious overland trip across Darkonbypassing bleak Necropolis.

During this journey (which is but a thirdcomplete before I am home once again) Ihave already encountered many of the races Iwished to study. Halfling folk in Mordentand gnomes nestled in cold Lamordia. Some

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of these encounters were solitary travelers Ichanced upon and others were wholesecluded communities. Despite these manyencounters, I have chosen to focus the first ofthese many volumes on the race known asDwarves. I selected the dwarves not becausethey were the most interesting or becausethey were the most common -they areactually neither- but because they are simplythe easiest to locate. I have already morenotes on dwarves than any other of the races(barring the much more elusive fey) andpassed through several dwarvenneighbourhoods. I have even passed throughtwo dwarven towns! In fact I evenencountered a dwarf in Ste. Ronges at thevery start of my journey, although I almostdid not recognise him as such. But more onthat later.

FolkloreFolkloreFolkloreFolkloreTo establish who and what dwarves and theother sub-humans are early on in my travels Idecided to talk to the local people Iencountered. I discovered a vast wealth ofinformation and stories on these folk, muchof which I eventually discovered to be purefantasy. I have elected to include these wildtales and flights of imagination as a baselinefor what people believe. To separate what isfact from fiction I must at least establishsome example of the latter.

The most common misconception Iencountered was that dwarves were amagical fey race similar to the elves, savethey are bound to the spirit of the landinstead of the spirit of nature. Much of thesetales overlapped with gnomish legends,which I will describe in detail when I cometo that race. In general, it is assumeddwarves are stony beings composed of theearth, which spring into being. They are asexless race of creatures borne of the soilinstead of mothers. These elemental spiritslive underground and only come out at nightfor the light of the sun removes their magicrendering them solid stone. These faedwarves live away from the sun in holes inthe ground or even hollowed trees.

Even the less mythical stories tend to leantowards the fantastic and unbelievable. Ihave heard many tales of dwarven cities thatare hollowed mountains, massivestrongholds filled with dwarves and that alllive underground in such massivemetropolises. Vaults as large as entire blocksfilled to the brim with precious gold andjewels. These subterranean towns are locatedin the middle of massive mines stretchingout into the deepest depths of the Core.

These same tales speak of the dwarves asminers and crafters beyond human reckoningthat manufacture jewelry and weapons ofremarkable beauty. The craftsmanship ofdwarves is a common theme, it is believedthat all dwarves are master metal smiths whowork with mysterious alloys that shimmerlike silver but are stronger than steel. Or thetales talk of weapons that are as lethal asthey are pleasing to the eye, swords wroughtfrom gold and adorned with gems fit for therichest of nobility. These items are thoughtto be so skillfully wrought that all areinherently magical and enchanted.

Dwarves are often referencedinterchangeably with trolls and other uglymisshapen humanoids, all of whom arebelieved to be turned to stone by the light ofthe sun. Other related legends call dwarves“black elves”, a possibly confusing of two orthree legends. And still others tie dwarvesinto legends of brags and other varieties ofshadow fey. Of course, as we know from thebook published by those Mordentish twins,brags are something else entirely. But thereis too much similarity between the legendsof dwarves fearing sun and these dark fey tobe dismissed out of hand…

Lastly, there are those of another opinion:those people who do not believe in dwarvesat all. They believe dwarves to be calibansunfortunately lacking in height or simplyhumans of small stature. This belief iscompounded by the disease dwarfism andthese midget humans are thought to be thebasis for the legend of dwarves. This is acommon belief amongst the more ‘civilizedand cultured’ lands of the west that rejectsuperstition and the belief in magic.

Issue 12

Among some of the more learned and

philosophical scholars I encountered duringmy period of research in Pont-a-Lucine thereis the currently favored theory of adaptation.This states that humans adapt to theirenvironment and living conditions becomingaptly suited to them. These scholars explainthe existence of dwarves as people who wereborn and bred to be miners; their shortstature and remarkable eyesight are simplyadaptations for life underground. Thescholars continue that since all humans areadapted to specific environments it would becruel to deprive them of their place in theworld, it would be like removing a fish froma lake. Thus, they use the theory to justifytheir treatment of the lower classes.Personally, I have never felt the need tojustify my treatment of my inferiors.

The TruthThe TruthThe TruthThe TruthAs I have encountered them dwarves aresimply not human nor were they every,although they are similar enough inappearance to pass as one given the rightsituation. Neither are they earthly elementalspirits composed of rock and soil; they arequite flesh and blood. There is also little thatis truly fantastic about dwarves, they areremarkably un-magical. If anything, thedwarves I have encountered have seemedplain and common, almost unremarkable.

To emphasize this I will now related myaccidental encounter with a dwarf in Ste.Ronges. I had stopped to purchase suppliesfor my journey and while the supplier wasgathering my equipment I paused for a drinkat a nearby tavern. Normally I shy awayfrom such working class establishments,they are far too full of the lesser class for mytastes, but at this time my thirst outweighedmy sense of respectability.

Seated at the bar I was joined by a short,dirty man covered in soot and grime. He wasobviously a miner bearing the rough clothesand scent of coal. He was balding, partlyfrom age and partly from the roof of minesscraping at his scalp and rubbing away hishair. His clothes were thick and heavy,

designed to withstand much friction andgrating against stones. Patches adorned hisheavy tunic and breeches holding togetherthe aging cloth. He was also bearded, arough, scraggily and equally grimy mass oftangled facial hair hanging from his chin anddangling down just below where his neckmet his torso. It took me a moment to realizeI was sitting beside the very creature I hadbeen sent out to find, and what is more I hadcompletely overlooked him.

This is the nature of dwarves. They arehard working laborers that blend invisiblyinto the work force across all lands. Theytake no special pains to avoid being noticedbut also draw no special attention. By theirvery nature in the lower classes they areignored.

SocietySocietySocietySocietyThe legends discussed above often touchupon the truth and yet still miss the corenature of dwarves. It is quite true that theyare often miners who spend most of theirtime under the ground, and it is equally truethat they are craftsmen of great skill.However, the truth is far less romantic thanthe stories. More often than not, the dwarvestoil in iron or coalmines in the Western landsproviding the fuel for fires and furnaces orore for the smiths. They live in our citiesperforming physical tasks without complaintor selfish desire. They could teach the humanworkers a thing or two about loyalty andwork ethic if you ask me.

In other lands they still work in mines,digging for various metals and stones.Dwarves sometimes are known to tap veinsof precious metals such as gold and silverbut they usually do this on the behest ofhuman employers, such metals areconsidered impractical to the dwarves. Thevast majority of the time dwarves hunt ironand the like, mostly for the crafting of toolsor other metallic goods. Alternatively, theywork in quarries pulling out stone forbuilding materials or craftsmen to use.

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Dwarves, as the legends suggest, are alsoskilled artisans, although most tend to focuson just one profession or the other. It is rareto encounter a dwarf who is a miner,stonemason and a blacksmith. Likewise, theproducts of dwarven smiths -while ofsuperior quality- are not quite as remarkableas the stories suggest. For example, Ipurchased a dagger made by a dwarvenweapon-smith in Mayvin. It is possibly thesturdiest dagger I have seen and holds aremarkable edge, but the dagger itself isquite plain and almost unremarkable inappearance.

Dwarves view the quality and beauty of anitem not in its aesthetic attributes but in itsperformance and usefulness. The fancifulgolden swords and shimmering gem-coveredaxes are a myth and precious stones, whilepretty, serve no useful purpose other thanmaking the weapon more difficult tobalance. Dwarven folk are above all elsepractical and functional.

There is also nothing inherently magical orspecial about dwarven goods, for the mostpart their superior quality reflects nothingmore than the experience and dedication oftheir forger. In fact, I have seen equallysuperior goods produced by humans. TheVistani if the Kamii tribe are more than apeer of dwarven skill. They are superior tothe hastily and crudely made weapons ofmost craftsmen, but are sadly mundane andun-enchanted. However, as quality is anecessity for magical goods dwarvenproducts accept magic readily.

Dwarven CraftingDwarven CraftingDwarven CraftingDwarven CraftingThe skill of dwarves is due to their innateracial talents, their long life and theirdedication to a task. There is nothinginherently magical in dwarven goods, neitherare they all necessarily masterwork items.Dwarves simply refuse to create sub-pargoods.

However, through slow work and naturaltalent some dwarves may exceed their skilland create items of superb quality,surpassing even that of masterwork items.

Dwarves can also sometimes createmagical items despite not being spellcasters!This a rare phenomenon born of obsessionand found in only the greatest of dwarvenartisans. It is a rare event and the stuff oflegends, but it has happened rarely and theitems created in recent memory have all beentwisted and corrupt.

For more information see the gaming rulessection.

LifestyleLifestyleLifestyleLifestyleDebunking more myths, dwarves do not livein massive mine complexes in deadvolcanoes or the like. Oddly, most dwarves Ihave encountered do not even live under theground. Instead, they make their homes insmall cottages and houses built a suitabledistance away from their workplace. Forsome whose workplace is inhospitable, suchas a mine or quarry, must located theircottage a short trip away. It would beimpractical to build atop a mountain or

The Silent ObsessionThe Silent ObsessionThe Silent ObsessionThe Silent ObsessionDwarves say they do not mine goldand silver. They repeat their doctrinethat it has no use and is too soft tohave a purpose. They never admitthe feelings they have when theygaze upon the yellow metal.

Dwarves do not set out to minegold but often come across veins byaccident. They never mine these inan organized fashion, that wouldrequire telling others, but insteadremove the ore alone. Likewise, theydo not use it as decoration becausethey would rather keep it; hoard itfor their own enjoyment.

Dwarves are inherently miserly,they do not spend money if it can beavoided, and sometimes evenbecome involved with their gold tothe point of obsession. Speaking ofthis is avoided and a societal taboo,each dwarf essentially considers it apersonal flaw and weakness.

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gorge. Others who work as artisans, such asblacksmiths, usually have a smaller sidebuilding that serves as a workshop.Occasionally dwarves make a journey totown to sell their goods or ore, so mostcottages tend to be located within walkingdistance of some human settlement. For themost part, dwarves are self sufficient andmore than happy to keep to themselves.

Contrary to the myths dwarves seldom digdeep into the earth, their mines seldom rundeeper than a human’s does. Dwarves aresimply able to pull more ore from a minethan most men can and are more apt atbranching off passages while preventingcave-ins. When I interviewed a miner inLamordia I asked about this and he replied:“if you dig deep enough, all shafts go to thesame place.” This seemed very much like ariddle and mystery, something almost un-dwarven, so I probed further. All I receivedwere some references to “whispers in thedark”. I would have pushed for moreanswers but I could tell the subject was notone the folk wished to discuss, nor did itseem entirely relevant to dwarfkind so Imoved on.

Dwarves keep to themselves in these smallout-of-the-way homes nestled near the footof mountains or in hard to reach valleys.They typically have large gardens aroundtheir homes and hunt to supplement theirdiet. Few dwarves raise animals beyond asmall number of chickens in a coop raisedfor eggs or the occasional pet.

These cottages tend to house smallnumbers of dwarves who work togetherequally sharing the workload and alternatingat jobs. Cottages typically house three offour workers but some can hold as many as adozen dwarves who have united in acommon task. Typically, dwarves that livetogether in these communes share some formof relation, most often they are brothers byblood or marriage.

The architecture of dwarven homes differslittle from that of humans. Walls tend to bemade of stone or large, uneven bricks androofed with wood. Thatched roofs areequally common.

In areas where large quarries or quantitiesof loose stone are unavailable, then thedwarves construct large log structures. Thesehouses tend to be slightly smaller thannormal with lower roofs and doorways, buthardly tiny. They are quite large with highceiling for dwarves but feel a tad crampedfor humans. Thankfully, the ceilings are tallenough that we humans do not need to stoopdown.

The largest difference between humanstructures is the quality of the building andlayout of rooms.

The Whispering DarkThe Whispering DarkThe Whispering DarkThe Whispering DarkThere is an ancient dwarvenproverb: all tunnels lead to the sameplace, they all go down.

Dwarves seldom speak of what isfound in the deepest of tunnels, evenin the brightest of days or by thewarmest of hearths. Tales of longburied evils forgotten by time, palemists seeping from the ground, andmoving shadows that refuse to bebanished by torches. The dwarvesknow that deep within the earth liesbeings of darkness that haveforgotten the sun and turned awayfrom light.

In the mines of Ravenloft thedeepest tunnels have a way ofreaching the Mists, or are found bythem. These tunnels lead otherplaces such as the tunnels of theIsland of Terror Bluetspur or equallydark caverns lacking anypronounceable name.

Sometimes the Mists reach upfrom the depths and snatch miners,taking them away to placesunknowns. Sometimes things findtheir own way through the sameMists and into the mines. Over theyears the dwarves have learned tocombat these nameless horrors, butthey never cease fearing them.

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Most homes tend to have a limited numberof rooms. This is possibly a hold-over fromwhen dwarves lived primarily in cavesalthough I cannot be sure. Some have only asingle large common room, a single massivehall or chamber, while others are separatedinto dining and sleeping quarters. Dwarvestend to sleep communally, sharing a singlebedroom with all their kin. Sometimesdwarves even share a single large bedalthough sexes are still segregated. Privacy isvery much at a premium in dwarvencommunities although most inns haveseparate rooms for the convenience orhuman patrons.

I once theorized that this lack of personalspace contributed to the private inner natureof dwarves, their minds and emotions beingthe only things they could keep tothemselves. I eventually abandoned thistheory, not because it was proven wrong butbecause I could find no way to accuratelytest it.

There are exceptions to this of course,most occur in Darkon where there are twolarge and substantial dwarven communities.The first of these is Corvia where thedwarves long ago made use of the naturallyoccurring stone pillars as places to carvehomes, and the second of these is TempeFalls where the dwarves have dug homesinto the sides of the cliff-face.

Corvia, despite the permanence of thesettlement, is primarily viewed as a tradingpost by dwarves. The population is inconstant flux as dwarves move into town fora number of years to train and work with thesmiths there or to sell the goods they havecrafted over the past several years beforereturning to the Balinok mountains or theirhomes along Mounts Nirka or Nyid.

With the population in constant flux anactual census often proves impossible withthe King’s bookkeepers often registering alldwarves in the region as living within thecity limits or simply writing out large,fanciful numbers of residents. With tradersand travelers arriving at different times overthe course of the seasons, the population candwindle to a few hundred or shoot upward toseveral thousand. Thankfully, any given time

there is a large number of dwarves arrivingor departing and filling each other’s roles inthe community, so there is always a smithywhen you need one. There is a joke amongstdwarves that only humans actually live inCorvia, everyone else just visits.

Tempe Falls is a much more permanenthome for dwarves; it is not considered thecentre of dwarven culture by accident. Itslocation nearby several mines and as themost defendable location is not accidental.Likewise, it is positioned for a steady streamof river traffic and ore from the mountains tothe south. It is almost perfectly situated as atrading hub. Of course, its population doesvary wildly dependant on the season; there isa far more stable majority here though, acore group that no longer moves.

Despite this most dwarves view TempeFalls as a place to raise one’s family, thedwarves working at the nearby mines do sobecause their wives and young children livein town. Tempe Falls thus has the almostsinister reputation of being the locale wheredwarves go to so the may retire from realwork and raise the next generation. Amongstthe dwarven population here there istypically only the very young and the ageingwith all the youthful dwarves seeking theirlives elsewhere in places less crowded.

There are no more populated dwarvensettlements but my research pointed toseveral small, abandoned communities andforts scattered throughout southern Darkonand the Balinok mountains. These ancientruins are flowing with the traditionaliconography and weatherworn runes. Due toinsurmountable terrain and natural obstaclesI was unable to examine these ruins closelyor for long but nearby human settlementsuniversally applied human origins to them inaddition to rumours of terrible curses,horrible beasts and general hauntings. I doadmit to being curious at what else could bediscovered in these aged structures but amhesitant to explore them alone.

The diet of dwarves seems very similar tothat of humans. I was interested in that theyhad no unique dietary restrictions, evenreligiously there seems to be little variation.Dwarves are simple cooks who seem little

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interested in the culinary arts. I sufferedthrough many unspiced and terribly blandconcoctions during my travel north. The onlydecent dwarven meal I encountered was inCorvia, and I assumed this was for theconvenience of human traders.

Most dwarves raise few livestock otherthan bees or poultry. They enjoy the meat oflarger animals but can seldom be bothered toraise them. The larger cities do have largerlivestock pens full of cattle but the mostdwarven villages or cottages can be botheredwith is the occasional swine. These cities andtowns also have larger farming and grazinglands nearby while smaller, independentcottages always have extensive gardens.

Few dwarves eat any manner of seafood,even those that live by rivers seldom fishexcept as a last resort. No dwarf I haveencountered has ever been a sailor orprofessional fisherman. Dwarves do not likethe water, they are poor swimmers and fearit.

Despite their fondness for ales and beersdwarves seldom grow their own hops or oats.This would limit the land space needed foressential vegetables, so instead dwarvesdrink a beverage made from fermentedhoney. I have tried this mead and find itranges from sweet and ghastly to quitepleasant; thus, almost all dwarven homeshave a beehive or two tucked away nearby.

There is little that qualifies asentertainment in dwarven communities, Ispent much of my free time bored to tears inall honesty. There is time for work, time forprayer, time for food and time for sleep.Tasks seem to occupy all waking hours. Thefew rest days or times when the communitygathers is spent feasting and drinking while –occasionally- listening to a historical edda ortwo.

Music and song is rare to the point of beingunknown; the only two examples of song Icould find were the sad dirges for the dead,sung both for the recently departed and thosewho came before and, very much in contrast,boisterous drinking songs. I am not certain ofif I would qualify the latter as music but theformer can be oddly beautiful with the many

deep dwarven voices calling out in sadnesstogether. These dirges, like the eddas anddrinking songs, are sung without the aid ofinstruments. Dwarves can craft musicalinstruments as easily as they can craftanything, but it seems they do not play them.

Dwarven names are bestowed early uponchildren soon after they are born. They arenot given by the parents but by the localelder, either household elders in smallcommunities or clan elder in larger cities.Names are composed of a word or phrase inthe dwarven tongue, usually a descriptor ofthe child or common family trait. Thesenames do not belong to the individual but theclan, misuse of the name brings dishonour tothe clan and the name can be stripped away.The worst punishment for a dwarf is theremoval of the name and banishment fromthe community.

Many dwarves adopt titles as secondarynames; these tend to act as descriptions ofthe dwarf’s profession or task at hand. Someuse a great deed accomplished or attributedto the family-line as their second name.Other times the entire community bestowsthese titles upon dwarves.

Thankfully, dwarven names tend towardsthe short and simple. There are few dwarvennames that are more than three syllables. Asa result of this few dwarves toleratecontractions or abbreviations of their name.To do so is often considered an offense orinsult, as it is misusing the clan’s property.The closest they have to a nickname or shortform are suffixes that replace the lastsyllable or two in a name.

The most common of these suffixes are “-lein”, which is used with small children, and“-lune”, which denotes wisdom and age. Forexample, I encountered a dwarf namedAudhild who was the elder in his village.Many in the small settlement respectfullycalled him Audlune. An example of a lesscommon suffix is “-lan”, which denotesunconditional trust and brotherhood withouta blood-tie. Dwarves, being a detached anddower people, seldom form such strong andlasting bonds.

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Quoth the Raven

14

Family

There are two things that matter to a dwarf:work and family. While dwarves work hardon their own, they work even harder for theirfamilies. The honour of the family and theclan comes before any personal goals anddesires superseding individual wants.

Dwarves separate themselves into clans,large extended families arranged by blood.These are not unlike the clans of theForfarians to the south and are based arounda common lineage and decent. The clansoriginally acted as a system of checks andbalances with members sworn to honour andavenge each other. Thus, acts such as murderand theft were both discouraged andpunished. At one point there were dozens ofclans, each founded by an ancient andrespected ancestor, the clan patriarch. Eachclan has its own distinct motto, history andbeliefs.

However, over the years the clan systemhas failed due to generations ofintermarriage and the dwindling numbers ofdwarven womenfolk. Currently there arethree distinct dwarven clans: the Hreidmar,the Fjalaram and the Dvalin. Each of thenumerous families has ties to at least one ofthese three.

The first of the three remaining clans is theHreidmar clan, founded by an ancientdwarven king who was renowned for histrove of treasure and mighty weapons. TheHreidmar view themselves as akin to royalty,theirs is the burden of leadership. Over theyears this clan has produced more barons inDarkon than the other clans combined. Theyare also the oldest of the surviving clans andclaim much of the history. Currently theHreidmar clan has fallen out of favour inDarkon and Azalin Rex, but the moreambitious members still strive for glory. Orpower.

The second surviving clan is the Fjalarclan, the clan of poets, skalds andwordsmiths. Once they were respected asepic storytellers able to recite the ancienteddas that told the dwarven history. I speaknot of flowery, romantic poetry but epicstories and war chants to inspire the people.This clan too has fallen from greatness, it is

said their muse has abandoned them and theycan no longer produce works of evenmediocre quality. Instead, they haveaccepted a lesser place as miners andcraftsmen, throwing themselves into theirwork with vigor, if not enthusiasm.

The final clan is the Dvalin, the carvers ofrunes. Long ago they practiced a secret art ofmagic involving etching runic symbols intorock. I found these legends most fascinatinggiven the current distaste for magic commonamongst dwarves. Many of the most ancientstructures and tools still bear the runic marksleft by clansmen. I theorize this magic wasactually a divine gift, which would explainthe reverence felt towards the Davlin. Theywere, for all intended purposes, the chosenof their God. Over the years the art has beenas lost and forgotten, replaced by other lesserscripts and talents. they Now, like the Fjalar,the Dvalin primarily concern themselveswith the material world and leave themystical to the Fey. A few Dvalin areunhappy with this situation and strive toregain this forgotten knowledge. Given theintensity of this interest it might be worthinvestigating, who knows what secrets theFraternity could unlock with these runicmagics.

Dwarves put their clans above all else, theyavoid doing anything that would bringdisgrace and shame to this extended family.After this, they place their immediate familyand then themselves. However, given thesolitary nature of most dwarves, theirloyalties are seldom put to the test. A dwarfthat has spent his entire life in a remotehillside may find it hard to put aside hispersonal business for his clan.

Dwarves and ClansDwarves and ClansDwarves and ClansDwarves and ClansAlmost every dwarf belongs to one of thethree major clans. Even those far removedfrom the dwarven communities still identifythemselves as clansmen.

There are a few isolated dwarves that claimallegiance and membership to reputedly‘dead’ clans; a player can feel free to makeup their own clans if they so wish.

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A dwarven clan is both a responsibility and

asset. Clans often require services ofexceptional member and all clansmen areexpected to heed the clan’s call. However,members of a clan can sometimes call on aidrequesting helping hands or even money.However, these are not gifts but debts, to berepaid in full.

Marriage is a rare occurrence for thedwarves, an interesting paradox give theirbeliefs on loyalty and family. This is notbecause dwarves do not wish to marry butbecause there are so few appropriatespouses. Dwarves have always had a lowbirth rate but over the last few centuries therehas been a marked decrease in the number ofgirl children born; males outnumber them atleast four-to-one. There simply are notenough available women to go around, andwith no policy of divorce and remarriageafter a husband’s death discouraged, mostdwarf-men spent their whole lives asbachelors. It is a sad fate that most menreluctantly resign themselves to, literarilyburying themselves in work.

This shortage has caused much of therecent stress in the dwarven community asyoung men fight for women and do whateverthey can to impress those of the opposite sex.Sometimes these contests and courtshipsgrow violent as tempers flare and rejectionstings. This is mirrored by the traditionalistdwarves who view marriage outside of theclan as a shameful or even a threat to itsexistence, while more desperate othersdisobey their clan and seek mates elsewhere.

GovernmentGovernmentGovernmentGovernment

Most dwarven settlements are simply toosmall to warrant any official leadershipposition. A half-dozen artisans in the woodssomewhere seldom need to bow to a lord ormaster. More often than not, the eldestsibling is deemed to be in charge andresolves any disputes that arise; it is assumedthat age brings with it wisdom.

The larger communities respect the localauthorities, using the same political systemas their human neighbors. In Darkon, thereare barons just as there are in Martira Bay orthe Springs. In both major dwarven

settlements the baron is currently a dwarf,although there have been human barons inthe past. Unlike in other placed in the land,in the dwarven settlements the title of baronis passed along clan lines instead of thedirect family. Clan lineages are consideredhereditary enough for the title to be passeddown. For the most part it passes from fatherto son anyway. The current clans in powerare the Fjalar and the Dvalin; the formerclaims the baron of Tempe Falls as amember and the later the baron of Corvia.This does not sit well with most of the moreconservative Hreidmar.

For the most part (at least on the surface)this feudal system works, except of coursewhen the Rex decided to remove a lord forone reason or another. During thesetransition periods ambitious clan members inall three clans struggle for leadershipcompleting strongly for the position. The restof the time they are content to competesecretly and quietly, undercutting each otherand scheming to advance themselves andtheir clan.

The clan structure, as mentioned earlier,was deigned to keep order with no clan beingable to harm another without fear of justifiedretribution. However, over the centuries theclans have degenerated into a seethingrivalry that continually bubbles under thesurface of the larger dwarven settlements.Centuries of dishonours, revenge andpayback have left a trail of blood down thefamilial lines and there is always some un-avenged oversight that can used to justifyaction. For the most part the dwarves arecontent to let their disagreements remain inthe background engaging in competition inplace of warfare. The dwarven dedication towork and doing what must be done firstkeeps this in check. But occasionally the oldrivalries flare up and there are outbreaks offighting.

FashionFashionFashionFashion

Dwarves are remarkably plain and theirfashion matches this. They dress in the mostsimple and functional of clothing favoring awardrobe that can withstand rigorousactivity and work. Leather and canvas tendsto be their material of choice with a style

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Quoth the Raven

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befitting their nationality. They lean towardsearthen colours: browns, blacks, crimsonsand dark greys. Bright colours and fragilefabrics such as silks are avoided and ignoredas “fanciful and a waste of time”.

There is precious little decoration worn bydwarves. Rings and necklaces are occasionalgiven as gifts and displayed during importantoccasions, but this is primarily a display ofthe craftsman’s skill. For the most part thesedecorations tend to be simple and muted.Large displays of jewelry are consideredboth tacky and ostentatious.

Dwarves favour simple styles of jewelry,thick gold bands and rings occasionallyadored with dwarven runes. Hoops andheavy stud earrings are also worn by femaledwarves but almost never by the men. Bothsexes favour jewelry that is unlikely to getcaught or tangled in anything, especiallytheir hair, and will not impede any physicallabour. Long dangling pendants and earringsare rare to the point of being totallyunknown.

The little jewelry that is displayed is oftenfamily heirlooms and other objects withsentimental attachment. Wedding giftspassed down the family line are examples ofthis, from heavy iron necklaces to goldbracelets and rings. These are not signs ofwealth, but symbols of one’s family ties andrespect for ancestors.

One unintentional fashion accessory ofdwarves is dust. I have yet to meet a dwarfwho was not coated with dirt, grime, dust ormud to some varying degree. Even those notcurrently working in the mines, such asguards or politicians, seem to gather dust.Homes, while otherwise clean andmeticulously organized, are continuallydusty, especially those carved into the cliff-face at the Falls. Similarly, cobwebs are alsoa common decoration in dwarven homeswith a few small patches liberally strewnabout homes as if they had some aestheticpurpose.

One cannot talk about the fashion ofdwarves without discussing their beards. Alladult dwarves grow beards; even the folkloreis accurate in this regard. The length of one’sbeard is a sign of maturity, wisdom and

respect for only an elder dwarf has the timeto grow truly lengthy facial hair.

This is not to say that all dwarves havewild unruly facial hair dangling to mid-chest.Most trim their beards regularly so they donot get in the way of their labours. Individualdwarves would like to let their beards growlonger but simply cannot risk losing itentirely if it is caught it some machinery orrubble. When a dwarf’s beard passes belowtheir neck it is more a liability than sign ofwisdom. Only those ancient dwarves whoare so aged as to no longer be able to workhave the freedom to let their beards grow.These town elders are respected for their lifeexperience and given honoured positions inthe town despite their lack of physicalcontributions.

DefenseDefenseDefenseDefense

I have seen a peasant revolt on the streets ofSte. Ronges, a number of pitchfork wieldingLamordians lay siege to a small windmilland many more examples of the strength andviolence humans are capable of. Yet I wouldrather face them then a smaller group ofdwarves who thought I had wronged them.

Despite their peaceful and quiet livesdevoted to backbreaking labour the dwarvesare a violent, military people. Their days ofglory are gone and their weapons hold tokenplaces of affection on walls, but the spirit ofbattle still lies within each and every dwarf.As peaceful and complacent as they seem,each and every dwarf is one grievous insultaway from hauling their great-grandfather’saxe off the wall and rushing into war. Formost it would take a drastic danger to promptthis transformation from simple mule towarrior, for others it takes far less.

Dwarves favour heavy two-handedweapons, often ones that double as tools.Axes, hammers and picks are the mostcommon and come easily into their hands.As mentioned above almost every home hasat least one ancient weapon restingsomewhere in a varying state of disrepair. Itis not an unusual sight to see a huge pickbeing used to hold up a set of shelves ormassive hammer rusting away peacefully inthe corner of a room. No, forget that last

Issue 12

remark. As much as the dwarves have losttheir way they are still not the sort to letanything rust away. Gather spider websabout it like a cloak yes, but not rust.

Armour is much less common amongdwarves. Massive and heavy metal armoursare preferred when available, but for themost part dwarves do not worry about suchthings. Heirloom armours of famouswarriors of the past can be found inbasements and homes but many are missinglarge pieces or have decayed to being almostunusable.

Dwarves have also developed a strongfondness for firearms, an odd contradictionconsidering most dwarves’ distaste formechanical contraptions and change.Something in the loud and blunt nature ofguns appeals to dwarves. Many humans andgnomes make a living selling these weaponsto dwarves across the Core.

LanguageLanguageLanguageLanguageI was quite surprised to find the dwarventongue to sound oddly Falkovnian,especially with the superiority beliefsespoused by the men of that land. It would beinteresting to find some connection betweenthose people and the dwarven race; bothlands do share a common militaristic bentafter all...

The dwarven tongue is rough and angrysounding language full of consonants andharsh sounds. It does not roll of the tongue somuch as it is spat or growled out. I find itvery unpleasing aesthetically. Structurallythough the language is a marvel, dwarvenefficiency I assume. In regards to tenses andverb use I found it quite logical and quicklypicked up conversational use. Of course,most dwarves are more familiar with thelocal human tongues. Almost every dwarf Iencountered knew Darkonian or Mordentish.Many could not even speak their racialtongue beyond a few token phrases.

The written dwarven language has its ownalphabet composed of angular runes, mostoften carved into stone or wood. This runicspeech is almost exclusively ritualistic andreligious, which might explain the relianceon oral history and stories. The closest thingto a dwarven holy book is carved into thewalls of their temples and shrines.

I found this frustrating and almostimpossible to decipher. It appears the writtenlanguage uses an older form of the tonguewhile making use of both implied and actualmeanings of words paired with metaphor. Asingle rune can mean an entire word or asingle letter. Meanwhile, there is almost nopunctuation, so words and sentences blurtogether. It is no wonder the written dwarvenlanguage has fallen out of use.

The Bear ClanThe Bear ClanThe Bear ClanThe Bear ClanThis is not a true clan, but is rather

more of a cult. The Bear Clan, or theberserkrs, are a group of martial-minded dwarves who maintain thetraditional, martial way of life. Theyhunt rituality and enjoy the thrill ofbattle.

They respect the symbol of thebear and often dress themselves withthe teeth or claws of the beast. Inbattle, they wear heavy hide armourcrafted from bear pelt; they viewthose who must wrap themselves inmetal with scorn.

Members of the Bear Clan operatein packs of twelve, with newmembers being accepted onlythrough an ordeal. These membersof the Clan abandon their old clan infavour of that of the Bear, theirClansmen are their only family andthey forsake their old life. Theyadopt new names reflecting thisrebirth.

The Bear Clan has set itself up tooppose those who blaspheme andabuse the natural world, especiallythose races that masquerade asanimals or men (Shapechangers,most often Werebeasts). They arederisively labelled as ulfhedinn, thewolf-coats.

Members of the Bear Clan almostuniversally take levels of theBarbarian class.

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Quoth the Raven

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Like the histories, the religious aspects ofdwarven life are passed down orally now;while the various temple officials could tellme which sections of the walls referencedwhich doctrine they themselves could nottranslate more than a few passages. I fearmuch knowledge of the dwarven race is lostdespite being literally carved in stone.

A Dwarven PhrasebookA Dwarven PhrasebookA Dwarven PhrasebookA Dwarven PhrasebookBearn - ChildBill – Sword, bladeBeorg – MountainCynn – Family Delfan – Dig, mineDogor – Day Forðfor – DeathForhtian – FearFultum – Help, protectionGiese - YesGiodagum – In days of oldHalettan – Hail, greetingsHæmedþing – MarriageIeldran – ElderNa – No, neverNexta – NeighbourNihthelm - NightSigerof – Renowned in victory

HistoryHistoryHistoryHistoryThere is a lengthy oral history of the

dwarven race in the poetic eddas and heroictales told by bards. These are spoken loudlyand boldly, unaccompanied by anyinstrument save the occasional poundeddrum (or beating of tables). There are veryfew written copies of these tales so I spentmany long nights in Corvia and Tempe Fallslistening to storytellers reciting the ancientverses. History and lineages are important todwarves, these tales are of great importance,but many have been lost and forgotten. Thebards have fallen before passing on all theworks and there are few now that take up thecalling.

Honestly, I do not think they are losingmuch. The eddas are simplistic andpredictable repeating the same few themesover and over. They bear the heavy-handedediting and romantic revision of a dozentellers over the years as any true historicalevents have been glossed over in favour ofarchetypical heroic deeds and mythic events.Heroes are elevated to positions akin to godsand deeds are magnified and blown out of allproportion. Legend and fantasy areessentially intertwined with history.

The dwarves’ history starts at thebeginning of time when their people werehammered out of the ore of the Earth by theirgreat pagan god, the Soul Forger. He goes bymany names and titles such as the DwarfLord and Father-of-All, but most referenceback to blacksmithing and crafting in somemanner. In these chaotic early days the worldwas much in turmoil, the All-Father forgedthe dwarves in part to bring order to theworld.

From then began the Age of Epic Deedsand the Age of Heroes. Great dwarves foughtthe ancient enemies of the people and carvedout empires raging vast wars with any whoopposed them. This is associated with thefounding of the clans as the great heroesestablished bloodlines. It was a lengthyperiod spanning several eras and manygenerations as the dwarven people foughtback the beasts and monsters claiming thelands for themselves.

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It is here the first traces of ‘the ancient

enemy’ occur, rumours and stories of a fallenrace related to the dwarves distantly but whoturned away from the All-Father. These arethe descendants of the first murderer, growntwisted in the shadowy places people fear towalk. They are given many names such asork, scather and ent. These fallen men areoften associated with black magiks andcorruption.

The histories that come after are the talesof the great patriarchs’ sons and daughters.Lesser heroes all, but the bards recount theirdeeds nonetheless. The eddas concernthemselves with smaller stories, singleheroes and their victories over monsters andbeasts or small wars with other clans andpeoples.

One of the more common stories tells of adwarf’s battle in a great drinking hall with anent, roughly translated as a giant of sorts.This brave dwarf struggled alone against themonster, fighting barehanded. The dwarf,Wylf, wrenches the creature’s arm off and itthen flees.

There is a break in the eddas after this erain dwarven history. At first I assumed thatthe tales grew smaller and less epic as theyears wore on until there was simply nomore stories to be told. But this does notseem to be the case. The stories of the lesserchampions continue and then just end. WhenI pressed the skald (the title of dwarvenbards) on the issue he simply states thatpeople wished to hear about their favoriteheroes and not recent upstarts.

However, when I researched into this morethere is an almost abrupt end to the stories. Itis as if after a point there were no longer anydwarven champions to perform heroic deeds.The dwarven race appears have fallen, theircurrent lives are but a shade of their pastglory. As their eddas cease so do theirhistories slow and eventually stop, ending anumber of centuries ago. It is as if there havebeen no events worth recording for the pastnumber of generations.

Dwarven historians more and more oftenrefer to human books and records fordescribing recent occurrences; in fact, thereis no dwarven word for the Great Upheaval,

they refer to it only though the Darkonianname.

Some cataclysmic event that shook therace to its foundation but has been leftunrecorded and forgotten and yet stillinfluences their lives. While I admit I amcurious as to what this is I know it is beyondmy meager skills to discover and so I leavethat for future scholars.

Beliefs Beliefs Beliefs Beliefs Dwarves have a singular worldviewdominated by hard work and manual labour.If a dwarf is not independent and self-sufficient then they might as well be dead; allthat matters is work and the task at hand.

Oddly, from what I have seen this was notalways the case. Dwarves have alwaysworked hard and never shied away fromeffort, but before they were motivated byother reasons. They worked hard because itwas their religious duty and to support theirfamily. Hard work and loyal service earnedone’s way into the afterlife with the All-Father. It was their calling. It did not matter

The Forgotten PastThe Forgotten PastThe Forgotten PastThe Forgotten PastThe dwarven people have been cutoff from their past by the Mists ofRavenloft. Why this has happened isunknown.

Are they creations of the land andthus have no past? Have they beentaken from a single world by theDark Powers? Or have they beensent to the Land of the Mists forsome unknown slight, cast out fromthe rest of dwarfkind.

Any attempts to research orunearth the middle-history of thedwarves, the period between thefounding of the Core but after themythical Ages fails.

Even researching the recenthistory is a difficult task, playerssuffer a penalty of -5 to all skill andability checks.

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Quoth the Raven

20

if this work was mining, crafting, warmaking or even farming as long as it was notidle and served. Thus the labour was notsimply work, it was a divine calling.

This sense of community was onlyincreased by the importance of clan andfamily. You worked for your soul but also tohelp those you cared about. A father toiled tofeed his wife and children and also teach thenext generation the proper way of life and amother worked hard to cook and clean andmanage the household. Meanwhile thesoldiers fought hard, another form of work,to increase lands and to defend thecommunity.

At some point in the past all this failed andfell apart. Their religion slowly died,something I will discuss shortly. Then therewere fewer and fewer women born into thecommunity denying men the families they solonged for. This was followed by the slowcollapse of the clans as each lost their wayand numbers.

This sad state of affairs describes alldwarves I have encountered. They are ashallow and empty race devoid of meaning.Many flock away from their owncommunities further diminishing thepopulation while making new homes in thecities of man. There they work for moneyand personal gain, hoping that materialgoods will fill the void in their hearts. Orthey become more of the nameless hordeswho keep the homes of the rich warm andwell lit by toiling in mines and quarries.

ReligionReligionReligionReligionThe pagan religious beliefs of the dwarves,

despite the prevalence of sacrediconography, temples and shrines, was afrustrating topic of my research; my initialand ultimately futile searches found little butthe ancient bardic eddas involving the SoulForger and other gods. I found little on therituals and day-to-day observation beyondreferences to occasional animal sacrifice andthe (still observed) funerary rites.

The little information I can gleam from theincomprehensible runes that often adorn thetemple walls and from the priests say that theSoul Forger and his priests were in charge ofmanaging the community. They took care ofall matters from education, marriage and thesettling of new lands. They did not governbut the church was still the center of thecommunity life.

The priesthood of the All-Father was acalling, a dwarf abandoned his clan ties tojoin becoming instead part of somethingelse; they joined a new family, a separatereligious clan.

As mentioned, it struck me early on thatthe dwarves have lost their faith; they nolonger worship the Soul Forger. Instead theypay lip-service to his alter and massive stoneidols while going about their daily lives.There are still some priests that feel a callingand tend to the shrines and occasional pagantemple but for the most part the dwarveshave turned their back on their gods.

Some of the more devout dwarves stillcling to the old ways and claim this lack offaith is the cause of much of the recenttroubles. They say the new and foreigninfluences must be cast out and the dwarvesmust return to the old ways to find prosperityagain. Other dwarves with longer memoriesclaim that things went bad before dwarveslost their faith and that the dwarves must finda new path.

An interesting note of dogma is that theForger of Souls was a pure and noble god(although I know few that are not referred toas such) and he accepts no evil in the heartsof his people. It is written that long ago hecast out two vast tribes of dwarf for falling

The Lost GodThe Lost GodThe Lost GodThe Lost GodThe All-Father still grants spells tothe devout, but few now still havethe ability to do so. Whether this isdue to a lack of faith or other reasonis left up to the individual DungeonMaster.

Most priests of the dwarven faithare simply experts or commonerswith a religious calling. Players andDungeon Masters wishing to use theSoul Forger in their games can usedeity Moradin from Chapter 6 in thePHB.

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prey to the shadow and turned his back onthem. I am left wondering if the dwarves ofour land are related to those, or have suffereda similar fate. However, I am left wonderingwhat could have corrupted and tainted thehearts of so many?

Owing to their lack of personal faith manydwarves have turned to the worship of othergods. Some have managed to turn away frompagan and idolistic beliefs altogether andhave accepted the true faith of Ezra. Most aredrawn to the promise of a better life that Ezraoffers. Martial dwarves prone to violenceand searching for an outlet often choose Ezrawhose teachings can be interpreted asencouraging the destruction of the Legionsof the Night.

The cult of the Lawgiver also attracts manydwarves. Its rigid rules and emphasis on lawand order appeal to the them. There isalready a small temple of the Law in TempeFalls and one has begun construction inCorvia. Both portray the standardiconography favoured in Nova Vassa butoften add a hammer to the figureaccompanying his massive iron spear. Thefaithful hope to petition the HimmelskNaeve to establish a Pave of Darkon and arecurrently in the planning stages of apilgrimage.

Regardless of the actual faith, somedwarven rituals remain unchanged. For themost part, funerary rites are the same nomatter which of the three deities is paidhomage to. Dwarves are famous forentombing their dead in caves carved deepinto the mountains of Tempe Falls, but this ishardly universal. In most dwarvencommunities it is only the most heroic andlegendary of dwarves that warrants a tomb orlarge cairn. It is these special dwarves whosepassing must be remembered andcommemorated that warrant specialtreatment. These stone cairns act asmonuments to the fallen and a reminder oftheir life. Entombed within are the gravegoods and possessions of the fallen for use inthe next life.

In Corvia this has been subvertedsomewhat so clan elders and the local baronsare all entombed with full honours. To most

of the common folk this is seen as an act ofpure ego but this has not dissuaded themfrom continuing the practice. The large gravemounds and square rocky cairns dot thehillsides as the barons strive to leave theirmark on the landscape. Ironically, this hasinspired other less religious folk to come tothe city and grave robbing is a risingproblem.

All other folk are not entombed but burnedon a pyre along with the most treasured ofpossessions, excluding heirlooms or thatwhich is to be passed down. It is believedthat dwarves were forged of the earth andthus they are returned to the earth, reduced toash and scattered to the winds. Just as ablacksmith may reuse scraps of metal so aretheir bodies and souls remade.

Not to look after the funerary rites isconsidered a terrible dishonour and atrociousact; the firmest of enemies will still burn thebody of his slain foe out of fear and respect.Dwarves are said to not rest peacefully iftheir bodies are just left to rot.

Race RelationsRace RelationsRace RelationsRace RelationsDwarves, as a whole, are not a social orgregarious people. They seldom get alongwith each other, with whom they have themost in common, let alone other races.Dwarves are also very much like humans intheir insular attitudes, often never cominginto contact with other sub-human species.Many dwarves refuse to acknowledge theexistence of elves or halflings as anythingbut folk stories, or simply believe them to bevariations on human stock. After a lengthyperiod of interviews and conversations, Ihave managed to cobble together the roughopinions of dwarves on other people.

HumansHumansHumansHumansOf all the races dwarves may encounter,humans are by far the most common. Mostdwarves think well of humans as they makesuitable trading partners and recognise thesuperior quality of both dwarven goods andwork ethic. Although, dwarves also think ofhumans as rash, lazy and suffering for a poorwork ethic, to say nothing of humans’ sloppy

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artisanship, to say they have good taste doesnot mean they are respected.

For the most part dwarves form few bondswith humans whom they consider to havetoo short of lives to become familiar with.The best a man can hope for is to be likedbecause a dwarf respected his father or evengrandfather.

Dwarves often respect humanity’s martialaspects and willingness to fight, somethingthey consider a strength. They also see thestrength and devotions humans find incauses as a positive thing, no matter howdelusional that belief may be. Obsessionsquite accepted amongst dwarves who thinkany task is a good task as long as one workshard enough. Motives are simply irrelevant.

I think dwarves are a tad envious ofhumanity; they see our families and growthacross the world and willingness to make ourown calling and realize what they lack. Ithink many dwarves wish they could find thesame meaning in life as many humans do.

CalibanCalibanCalibanCaliban

All dwarves acknowledge the existence ofthe Caliban race, and an equal number loaththem. Even the dwarves are not sure of thereason for this intense enmity spouting suchnonsense as the caliban are tainted bydarkness and befouled by magic. Dwarvesdislike the mystical and everything relatedbut their intolerance of these deformed mengoes beyond anything else.

Some of the dwarven religious texts hintthat the caliban are corrupted and fallen men,something their ‘just and noble’ god wishesto see eliminated. At the same time, many ofthe eddas refer to fallen beasts that areresponsible for many of the most darkincidents in the remembered histories. Dwarfchildren are taught -indoctrinated really- tohate and fear the calibans. To the dwarvesthey are the boogiemen that sneak in atnights and steal away the young to eat them.Many even attribute the calibans forsomehow causing the dwarven people’s fallfrom grace.

I am unsure how true this scapegoating ofthe caliban race is, something about it raisesmy suspicions; they dislike other magically

corrupted races, such as the goblyns, butnone with such fervor as the caliban. Itstrikes me that the dwarves simply neededand enemy and so they found one.

ElvesElvesElvesElvesThe fey are not liked by the dwarves, theyare not hated or thought of as enemies, butthey are simply not regarded highly. Elvesare thought of as flighty, irresponsible, aloof,and unpredictable as well as many and moreadjectives than I could possibly list here.

The elves, being very long-lived and verynearly immortal, do not feel a pressing needto do much of anything. There will always betime later for all but the most urgent ofthings. Dwarves approve of neither lazinessnor procrastination and simply cannotunderstand the motivations of an elf.

There is just a philosophical difference ofopinion that colours any and all contactbetween the two. They certainly do not cometo blows over such matters, but neither dothey seek out each other’s company oradvice.

GnomesGnomesGnomesGnomesThese two races appear to share much incommon: ties to mining and the earth,legends of subterranean cities, short statureand even a fondness of facial hair. Manycommon folk use the two racesinterchangeably assuming only cosmeticdifferences or culture may separate the two (Ishared these beliefs until I began myresearch). And yet these two sub-humanraces seldom see eye-to-eye.

Gnomes are inherently inventors; they areinnovators that lean heavily towards change,whereas dwarves stringently favour the oldways and traditions. These two opposingmindsets tend to clash in meetings betweendwarves and gnomes, and have considerablysoured relations.

Despite this, dwarves tend to respectgnomes for their work ethic and nearobsessive behavior, even if it is misguided inthe eyes of dwarves. Thus, the two peoplesget along well for short periods of timebefore the differences inevitable endrelations.

Issue 12

HalflingsHalflingsHalflingsHalflings

There is precious little contact betweendwarves and halflings. This is not to say thathalflings never encounter dwarves, thedwarven people simply have no opinion onthem.

Individual responses to halflings tend torange from condescending to amusement.Dwarves do not see halflings as having anymartial skill to admire, any craftsmanship toappreciate or even strong personality traits tolike or dislike.

ConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusionI feel this final section in my report is almostextraneous. This is hardly the end, what withat least four more to write before my task isdone. And yet, I feel I should summarize mythoughts on dwarves.

The dwarves are an ancient people whokeep to themselves. It is little wonder thenthey have been forgotten by most of thepeople in the Core. In fact, they have begunto forget about themselves. They are a dyingrace slipping into the Mists and are hardlyworth the attention of the Fraternity. Whilethey hold many secrets, I doubt these willever be discovered satisfactorily.

The only eventuality I can foresee thatcould move the dwarves frominconsequential to becoming a threat or allywould be some resounding new sense ofpurpose and meaning. The dwarves are aservant race without a master; it would bequite possible for us to assume that role.

For the moment they are useful for theirmuch lauded skills and talents, therecruitment of a few to aid in theconstruction of magical devices would notbe a bad idea. I can see their intolerance formagic becoming a problem though, so theiremployers’ nature should be keptobfuscated.

Other than the above this dour peopleinterests me little and I hope my next reportwill be more interesting.

Respectfully Jonothan Lochspeare

!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"

Use in Games Use in Games Use in Games Use in Games The world of Ravenloft is a predominantlyhuman land, the demihumans races are fewand far between. Some Dungeon Mastersprefer to ignore the existence of some (oreven all) demihumans races entirely as theyfeel the other races are too fantastic, morebefitting standard higher-magic campaignworlds. However, it is still possible toinclude dwarves and other demihumans in aRavenloft campaign. Below is advice andsuggestions as well as optional rules fordwarves in the Domain of Dread.

Role of DwarvesRole of DwarvesRole of DwarvesRole of DwarvesThere are three possible roles for dwarves:one based on reality, one on fantasy and onebased on folklore. Fantasy emphasizes abroader scope, dwarves are more numerousand a separate race akin to humans with fewmagical powers. But they are still not quitehuman, separate and removed. In folklore,dwarves are different often exhibitingstrange powers and abilities. They are ararer, more inhuman race.

When deciding if dwarves should beincluded in a campaign a Dungeon Mastermust first decide what he wants dwarves tobe. Are they Viking-style miniature men? Afantastic race of non-humans? Mysteriouscreatures rumoured to be spirits of the earth?

The first option, that of Norsemen modeledafter Vikings, essentially makes the dwarveshumans that happen to be shorter thanaverage. For all intended purposes, dwarvescan be played as a sub-race of humans. Theword “dwarf” can be replaced with an ethnicname or altered to fit the role (such asdvergar or wicht). The benefits of this roleare the humanizing of dwarves allowingthem to be easily related to and fit into ahuman-centric world. The downside is thatdwarves are no longer special and separate.One may as well play a human with a highConstitution and small size and call himselfa dwarf.

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The second option is to play the dwarfs asthey are presented, an entirely separatedemihuman race. This requires the leastamount of changes to the setting but if notcarefully easily degenerates into thefantastic. Dwarves should still be usedsparingly as many of the common folk stillbelieve them to be myths.

The final option is to emphasize thelegends and tales that feature dwarves andmodify the race accordingly. Dwarvesbecome much rarer and fantastic but alsomore unearthly and alien. Dungeon Mastersare encouraged to research and read oldfaerie stories featuring dwarves, goblins andthe like. This also requires adjusting thesetting because the dwarven communitieswould not exist, at least not as presented.

Running DwarvesRunning DwarvesRunning DwarvesRunning DwarvesWhen running a game featuring inhumanbeings it often comes down to frequency andfamiliarity. If a group encounters manydwarves over a short period of time theybecome less special and remarkable, whenthey lose their inhuman abilities theybecome nothing more than game statisticsand the typical fantasy people.

Dungeon Masters are encouraged to usethe same techniques with dwarves as they dowith other monsters. Game informationshould never be used and the ‘monster’should never be readily identified by name.A dwarf should never just be “a dwarf”,instead they should be “a short ugly manwith black beady eyes buried under a bushymass of eyebrows” or “an aged and wizenedfigure half as tall as a man with heavy handsthick and calloused from years of labour.”They should be as much individuals andunique as any other character or creature.

Dwarves should convey a sense of age;they are older than the longest-lived humanand an ancient race. Likewise, they shouldbe unknowable and mysterious. This doesnot mean dwarves should float aboutswishing black capes, it simply means theyshould be enigmatic and secretive. Dwarvesdo not reveal their thoughts or emotions

easily, they think differently than men anddo not always react as one might expect.

Folklore and stories should be liberallyused in adventures featuring dwarves.Players should never be entirely sure whatlegends are true and which are old wives’tales. The common man in the Dread Realmsnever knowingly encounters magic and,likewise, has probably never see a dwarf andrealized it. People’s perceptions of dwarvesshould be skewered, if not downrightinaccurate. The abilities of individualdwarves should be modified as DMs see fit,players who assume they know what a dwarfcan or cannot do should be in for a surprise.

Players running dwarves have a muchharder task. It is hard –if not impossible- tomaintain a mysterious presence when thedwarf is a constant figure. Players can workwith the Dungeon Master to establish anappropriate mood, perhaps through privaterituals or speech, or possibly just through adetached attitude. Alternatively, players canfocus more on the aged perception ofdwarves demonstrating a world-wearyattitude and sense things have been donebefore.

As Dungeon Masters avoid namingmonsters so should players, a dwarf wouldnever refer to themselves as such. They arenot dwarves, they are a perfectly acceptableheight thank-you very much. Instead, theyshould refer to themselves by name and clan.Besides, how many people refer tothemselves as ‘humans’ in regularconversation?

An over-reliance on humour andstereotypes is also a bad idea. As amusing asit is to portray every dwarf as a drunkard,surly crank or oath-spewing warrior it shouldbe avoided when possible. Dwarves, like allcharacters, should be treated with respect.

Those wishing to do some research intoportrayals of dwarves can focus on faerieand folk tales as well as Norse mythology.Epic poems such as Grettir’s Saga andBeowulf are also good sources of inspiration.Norse Mythology is also populated with theoccasional dwarf.

Issue 12

VariantsVariantsVariantsVariants

In the Land of the Mists there are nodwarven common subraces, all variants ofdwarves race are based on training and skillinstead of racial tendencies. This is not to saythere are no mountain dwarves or Duergaranywhere in the Dread Realms, simply thatthey rare enough to almost be consideredunique.

The following are three of the morecommon dwarf groups.

Black-beardsBlack-beardsBlack-beardsBlack-beardsThose few dwarves that have abandoned thetraditional life of mining metal and forgingitems in favour of a place in the modernworld are fit into the broad category that arethe black-beards. Also known as blacklungsor sooties these dwarves eke out a livingunearthing coal, lamp oil and pockets ofnatural gas along the Western Core. Someoperate small independent businessessupplying homes while others work forhuman task masters.

Personality: The sullen black-beards aretypically world-weary and tired; they seemto live without happiness or joy and oftenseethe with a repressed rage and bitterness.Black-beards lean heavily towards cynicismalthough this is not always voiced, someeven demonstrate an un-dwarven flair forsarcasm.

Racial Traits: Blacklungs posses all of theracial traits described in the Player’sHandbook with the following exceptions:

Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves treatgunpowder weapons such as pistols andmuskets as martial weapons rather thanexotic. However, they are no longer skilledwith standard dwarven weaponry.

+2 racial bonus on saving throws againstgasses, smoke and other pollutants. Thisbonus also applies to holding one’s breath toavoid suffocation or drowning. Black-beardsare used to toxic mines and have sturdylungs (this replaces the racial bonus againstpoison).

+1 racial bonus on attack rolls againstbroken ones, calibans, goblyns, mongrel men

and other humanoids mutated by dark magic.This list can include some MonstrousHumanoids at the DM’s discretion, such asthe derro, hags, minotaur and yuan-ti (thisreplaces the attack bonus on orcs andgoblinoids as Dread Dwarves have funneledtheir rage and combat skills from orcs tothese new foes).

+2 dodge bonus to Armour Class againstmagically altered humanoids (see above list).Against humanoids of at least large-size, thisbonus increases to +4. This bonus representsyears of training and combat teachingspassed down along generations of dwarves.However, when a dwarf loses his dexteritybonus, such as when flat-footed or surprised,he also loses this dodge bonus (this replacesthe dodge bonus to AC against giants).

DelversDelversDelversDelversAlso known as Aberration Banes or Cavers,these dwarves come from families that havespent much of their time in the mines orbelow the surface. They are taught from anearly age to fear and respect the dark, forstrange ungodly things lurk below. They arenot simply told of these horrors but alsotaught how best to combat them. TheDelvers are a minority among dwarves.While all Delvers are miners not all minersare Delvers.

Personality: Delvers are often serious andquiet, even for dwarves. They have spenttheir lives listening to stories of horrorsbeyond description and monsters than cannotbe defeated, only held at bay. They areintrospective and cautious. While otherdwarves may have heated tempers, Caversseem the most controlled and emotionallyguarded of all dwarves. This mentaldiscipline is both a result of their outlook andtheir defensive training.

Racial Traits: Delvers posses all of theracial traits described in the Player’sHandbook with the following exceptions:

Darkvision: Delvers can see up to 75 feetin lightless conditions. As they have spentmore time underground that even otherdwarves, they learned to hone their sight, atechnique taught to the young who show

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potential in mining or belong topredominantly Delver families.

+1 racial bonus on attack rolls againstaberrations (such as Mind Flayers, aboleths,etc). The Delvers have learned much on howto combat bizarre, unnatural or abnormalcreatures (this replaces the attack bonus onorcs and goblinoids).

+3 racial bonus on Madness saves. Yearsspent underground close to the minds ofinhuman, alien creatures have gifted Delverswith strong wills and dominant minds (thisreplaces the dodge bonus to AC againstgiants).

Hill DwarvesHill DwarvesHill DwarvesHill DwarvesHill dwarves differ from the standarddwarves found in the PHB in that there arefewer giants and orcs in the Dread RealmsThusly, the combat skills used against thoseenemies have largely been forgotten. Sometraditionalist dwarves still cling to the ‘oldways’ teaching their children the tricks ofgiant-slaying and orc-crushing.

Personality: Hill dwarves are dwarves andhave the same personality traits as anymember of the race.

Racial Traits: Hill dwarves posses all ofthe racial traits described in the Player’sHandbook with the following exceptions:

+1 racial bonus on attack rolls againstbroken ones, calibans, goblyns, mongrel menand other humanoids mutated by dark magic.This list can include some MonstrousHumanoids at the DM’s discretion, such asthe derro, hags, minotaur and yuan-ti (thisreplaces the attack bonus on orcs andgoblinoids as Dread Dwarves have funneledtheir rage and combat skills from orcs tothese new foes).

+2 dodge bonus to Armour Class againstmagically altered humanoids (see above list).Against humanoids of at least large-size, thisbonus increases to +4. This bonus representsyears of training and combat teachingspassed down along generations of dwarves.However, when a dwarf loses his dexteritybonus, such as when flat-footed or surprised,he also loses this dodge bonus (this replacesthe dodge bonus to AC against giants).

Pale DwarvesPale DwarvesPale DwarvesPale DwarvesThe gloomy pale dwarves are anothersubgroup of the standard dwarves; these folkare concerned (some would say overlyconcerned) with death and the departed.They are also known as the Warders or (asthey are referred to by other dwarves)morbid bastards. Pale dwarves often findtheir calling through religion, a brush withdeath or a close encounter with the undead;they have trained themselves in thecombating of walking dead. Warders arepredominantly Darkonian and concerned thatthe world may soon end as the dead rise. Asignificant number of dwarves in Corviatrained themselves in these arts after theRequiem.

Personality: Pale dwarves concernthemselves more with the threat posed by thedead. They have a tendency towardsmorbidity and preoccupation with death. Forthe most part this seldom interferes withtheir daily tasks; for most it is little morethan a hobby, but for others it borders on anobsession. While dwarves are seldom ahappy people there is something noticeablymore pessimistic and depressing about theWarders.

Racial Traits: Pale dwarves posses all ofthe racial traits described in the Player’sHandbook with the following exceptions:

+ 1 racial bonus on attack rolls against theundead. Pale dwarves are well versed inlaying the dead to rest (this replaces theattack bonus on orcs and goblinoids).

+1 racial bonus on all Fortitude and Willsaving throws against the special abilities ofthe undead. This includes both naturalabilities and salient powers. Pale dwarveshave trained their bodies to resist the pull ofthe grave (this replaces the dodge bonus toAC against giants).

+3 racial bonus to Knowledge (Religion).Pale dwarves have spent more time learningabout the faiths of the Core and rites of deaththan a typical dwarf (this replaces the bonusto either Appraise checks or the Craftchecks, the player must choose which atcharacter creation).

Issue 12

Folkloric DwarvesFolkloric DwarvesFolkloric DwarvesFolkloric Dwarves

These dwarves are not those of the fantasygenre and instead resemble the legendarysubterranean creatures of stories and fables.They are optional creatures that can replacethe dwarves of Ravenloft (with the folk ofsuch places as Corvia and Tempe Falls beingsimply short humans and not a fantasypeople). Dwarves live solitary lives underthe ground where they often horde treasureand magical items or, more often, minecommon metals which they forge intowhatever strikes their fancy. Dwarves alsolive on a diet of metals and precious stones.They mine not only to find raw materials tocraft with but to scavenge food.

Physical Description: These dwarves areshort, stocky creatures about the size of alarge child; they are usually around four feettall, but occasionally as small as three feet.Dwarves have dark brown skin that isheavily lined with wrinkles giving them anaged appearance similar to an very old man.Their legs are unusually bowed and their feetare flatter than a human’s often having anunusual number of toes. This characteristic isoften exaggerated in stories to resembleduck’s feet. Facial hair and beards arecommon amongst dwarves; it is rare to find adwarf without one. Dwarves are all male,there are no females and it is unknown howmore dwarves are created. Some say theysimply spring into being while other claimdwarves carve new dwarves out of stone.

Personality: Dwarves are broody, dour,grumpy and secretive keeping to themselvesin their underground lairs. They remainalong, seldom coming into contact with otherdwarves, and spend their time mining anddigging holes. Dwarves live alone in the darkhaving no use for any sources of light.

Racial Traits: Dwarves posses thefollowing racial traits:

+3 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, -4Charisma: Dwarves are sturdy and strong butextremely antisocial.

Medium: Despite their tiny stature,dwarves are medium-sized creatures andreceive no special bonus or penalties basedon size.

Dwarf base speed is 20 feet. Their legs areawkwardly designed for crouching in lowquarters and not designed for speed.However, as they are used to exhaustivephysical labour dwarves suffer no speedpenalty from medium or heavy loads.

Darkvision: Dwarves see perfectly in thedark up to 120 feet, although this vision is inblack and white.

Light Sensitivity: Dwarves, unused tobright lights (or lights of any kind) suffer a -2 circumstance penalty in bright lights, suchas the effects of a daylight spell.

Tough skin: The rocklike exterior of adwarf is sturdy and able to resist blowsgiving dwarves a +3 bonus to their naturalArmour Class.

+2 racial bonus on Appraise checks thatare related to stone or metal items.

+2 racial bonus on Craft checks that relateto items made of metal or stone.

Poison Immunity: due to their uniquediet, dwarves are completely immune to allpoisons.

Spell-like Abilities: 1/day – Invisibilityand Passwall as Sorcerer of the dwarf’slevel.

Immunities: Dwarves are immune toweapons made of stone and any damageinflicted by rocks or stone. Dwarves are alsoimmune to natural and magical fires. Evenmagical weapons made of stone inflict nodamage.

Damage Resistance: 5/ Cold Iron. Sunlight Vulnerability: A dwarf exposed

to the light of the sun takes 2d6 damage perround as their body hardens and becomessolid rock.

CR: 2Level Adjustment: +3

Skills and FeatsSkills and FeatsSkills and FeatsSkills and Feats

Clanless [Racial]Clanless [Racial]Clanless [Racial]Clanless [Racial]You are a dwarf exiled from your clan orborn without one.

Prerequisite: Dwarven blood, no clan.

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Benefit: A dwarf cast from his clan or bornof an exile is inherently awkward and ill atease amongst other dwarves. They aretreated by other dwarves as if they have anOutcast Rating of 2. However, due to theirisolated lives they receive a +2 bonus toDisguise, Sense Motive and Survival checks.

Dwarven StubbornnessDwarven StubbornnessDwarven StubbornnessDwarven Stubbornness[Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)]

You do not change your mind easily.

Prerequisite: Dwarven blood. Benefit: Dwarves are renowned for their

mule-headedness. Those with this feat exceland remaining unphased by the opinions ofothers. They receive a +2 bonus to opposeBluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate checksdesigned to sway their mind.

Golden ObsessionGolden ObsessionGolden ObsessionGolden Obsession[Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)]

You are swayed and captivated by the sightof gold.

Prerequisite: Dwarven blood.Benefit: Any dwarf with this feat is

enthralled by gold whether it is raw ore orrefined and minted gold pieces. A dwarfmust make a Will Saving Throw (DC 15) toleave behind any discarded or forgotten goldobjects. They must also make a Will SavingThrow (DC 10) to avoid being mesmerizedby golden objects for a period of 1d4 rounds.

These dwarves also receive a +3 toAppraise, Craft and Forgery checksinvolving gold and a +2 bonus to any savingthrows against attempts to part them fromgold considered to be theirs.

Improved Foe [Racial]Improved Foe [Racial]Improved Foe [Racial]Improved Foe [Racial]Your have greater training at fighting aspecific racial enemy.

Prerequisite: Non-human blood.Benefit: Certain races have an inborn

dislike for other races, dwarves arerenowned for their hatred of such species asorcs, giants and calibans. This feat grants a+2 racial bonus on all damage inflicted

against a specific enemy type (as specified inthe racial traits above).

Special: A demihumans fighter may selectImproved Foe as one of their bonus feats(see the Player’s Handbook).

Improved Item ModificationImproved Item ModificationImproved Item ModificationImproved Item Modification[Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)]

You are able to greatly improve upon ormodify items.

Prerequisite: 10 or more ranks in a Craftskill, Methodical Crafting, ItemModification.

Benefit: With this feat a craftsman is ableto make even greater modifications to items.A dwarf with this feat can modify an item upto three times the original base DC of theitem. For example, a longsword with a basecraft DC of 15 can be modified up to a DC of45.

Item ModificationItem ModificationItem ModificationItem Modification[Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)]

You are able to improve upon or modifyitems you craft.

Prerequisite: 8 or more ranks in a Craftskill, Methodical Crafting.

Benefit: A dwarf with this feat can modifyitems as per Dwarven Crafting below. Adwarf with this feat can alter an item as theysee fit, as long as the new craft DC is nomore than two times the original base DC.

Magical AversionMagical AversionMagical AversionMagical Aversion[Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)]

You are less subject to the effects of magic.

Prerequisite: Dwarven blood, non-arcanespellcaster.

Benefit: Dwarves are inherently non-magical beings and seldom become arcanespellcasters such as wizards or sorcerers.This feat enhances the natural spellresistance of 5 + class levels against allarcane spells and spell-like abilities. Forexample, a level four dwarven fighter has aSR of 9. This feat prevents the dwarf fromever taking levels in a class that grantsarcane spells.

Issue 12

Methodical CratingMethodical CratingMethodical CratingMethodical Crating[Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)]

You are skilled at crafting superior goods atthe cost of greater time.

Prerequisite: 6 or more ranks in a Craftskill.

Benefit: This feat improves a dwarf’sability to take their time while crafting andconstructing something. For every additionalweek between craft checks the dwarf spendsworking on an item she receives a +2 bonusto their craft check. This time must be spentworking on a single item pausing only forsuch needs as food and sleep; no otheractions can be taken during this time. Thebonus granted from this feat cannot behigher than the total number of ranks thedwarf possesses in a skill. There are limits toeven what dwarves can do.

This is seldom used with simple items asthe extra time is unwarranted and is mostcommonly used to craft items otherwisebeyond the skill of the individual. These aretypically masterwork or improved items.

Runic MagicRunic MagicRunic MagicRunic Magic[Item Creation, Racial (Dwarven)][Item Creation, Racial (Dwarven)][Item Creation, Racial (Dwarven)][Item Creation, Racial (Dwarven)]

You can create magical runes which can casta single spell.

Prerequisite: Caster Level 6th. Benefit: This feat allows Divine spell-

caster to etch runic letters and enchant themas if they were a scroll or wondrous item.See Runic Magic below for full details.

Unshakable WorldviewUnshakable WorldviewUnshakable WorldviewUnshakable Worldview[Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)][Racial (Dwarven)]

Your opinions of the world are hard tochange.

Prerequisite: Dwarven blood.Benefit: Dwarves with this feat are

stubborn and determined; their concept ofthe world is firm regardless of any evidenceto the contrary. Thus, madness is easier toresist and overcome, the dwarf simply rejectsthe alien idea. The character does not addtheir wisdom score to the DC of anyMadness checks.

Normal: Without this feat, Wisdombonuses are added to the DC of madnesschecks as heroes fight their own commonsense.

Dwarven CraftingDwarven CraftingDwarven CraftingDwarven CraftingYears of skill and refinement have madedwarves master artisans; dwarven guilds andclans guards their special techniques andmethods and pass them along from master toapprentice. If a master dies before he canpass along his teachings then his knowledgeis lost, thus many of the secrets of dwarvengoods have been lost.

Even still, dwarves can build goodssuperior to that of other races, often bylaboring for extended periods on a singleitem. This dedication and techniques allowsdwarven craftsmen to make improvementson items beyond the skill of most otherartisans.

Below is a sample table listing a few of thepossible modifications a master craftsmencan make to an item. To modify and item thedwarf must have the Item Modification orImproved Item Modification feat (see above).Dungeon Masters and Players may feel freeto come up with their own itemcustomizations.

1 Must be two size-categories smaller thanthe item

2 Reduces the overall weight of item by 10%

Table 1: ImprovementsTable 1: ImprovementsTable 1: ImprovementsTable 1: ImprovementsImprovement Craft DC

Add Hidden Compartment1 +3

Increase Attack Bonus +10/ point

Increase Break/ Burst DC +5/ point

Increase Damage +7/ point

Increase Maximum Dex Bonus +9/ point

Increase Hardness +8/ Point

Increase Item Hitpoints +5/ point

Increase Threat Range +12/ point

Reduce Armour Check Penalty +10/ point

Reduce Weight2 +6

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For example, a skilled dwarven blacksmith isforging a breastplate (DC 15) and decides toincrease the maximum Dexterity bonus andthe Armour Check penalty. The new CraftDC is 34 (15+9+10=34). The breastplatenow has a Max Dex bonus of +4 and anArmour Check penalty of -3.

Modifying items in this manner alsoincrease the base cost of the item (and therelated cost of materials) by 6% per increasein DC (this is doubled in the case ofweapons). Thus, the above breastplate wouldhave a market price of 428 gold pieces.

Dwarven RunestonesDwarven RunestonesDwarven RunestonesDwarven RunestonesThis magical item appears to be little morethan a grey cloth bag of smoothed pebblesbut is much more. Each of the small, flatstones has a mark etched and stained ontoone side, a dwarven rune.

In skilled hands this is a powerful magicaltool able to discern the future and is theprimary means of dwarven fortunetelling,this is known as Rune Casting. The dwarfconducting the reading has the subject drawout five runes from the bag and lay themfacedown on a flat surface. The typicalpattern is a line of four stones with a fifthabove the middle of the line. These stonesrefer to the distant and recent pasts, near anddistant futures and the present.

In the hands of a skilled user, one fluent inthe dwarven tongue, a runestone bag can castaugury four times a day and divination twicea day. A typically reading takes as little as aminute, but sometimes it can take as longfive or ten.

Moderate divination; CL 8; CraftWondrous Item; augury, divination; Price51,200gp; weight 1 lb.

Runic MagicRunic MagicRunic MagicRunic MagicDwarven clerics have been known topractice a special form of scroll scribingknown as runic magic. Divine spells arecarved and inscribed into metal or stone andenchanted with spells. These can be single-use magical items or powerful objects thatcontinually radiate their spell effect.

To create runes a dwarf must have theRunic Magic feat and have access to both thedesired spells and any required materialcomponents. Runes may be carved into anyinorganic material that is not currentlyenchanted. A dwarf could not carve runesinto an active golem or magical sword forexample.

To activate a rune a user must simply touchit -usually with a hand- and speak the wordassociated with the rune. Special runes canbe designed to activate with just a touch orword. The activation word for a rune mustalways be the literal meaning of the word orphrase, the command word cannot besomething else.

Typical runes involve healing effects andother spells a cleric may wish to bestowupon someone else. Others use them ritualityto aid non-spellcasting priests. Another moresinister use of runes is as a simple trap.

Crafting a rune takes one day for every1000 gold pieces of the base price andrequires half the base price in materials (oilsand pigments to stain the rune, incense andthe like). The crafter must also pay 1/25ththe base price in XP.

The ImbuingThere is a rare occurrence among dwarven

craftsmen, a moment when they have put somuch effort and time into something theypour a piece of their soul into the item. Theirdedication, their unrelenting obsession onperfecting the item, empowers and enchantsit.

Table 2: Rune CostsTable 2: Rune CostsTable 2: Rune CostsTable 2: Rune CostsEffect Base Price

Single Use Spell level x caster level x 50 gp

Charges Spell level x caster level xcharges x 50 gp

Charges per day Spell level x caster level xcharges x 200 gp

Permanent Spell level x caster levelx 1800 gp

Permanent, always on Spell level x caster levelx 2000 gp

Activated by touch Base Cost x 1.5

Activated by word Base Cost x 2

Issue 12

The dwarves call this the Harshod, roughly

translated as the Imbuing. It is likened to astate of divine frenzy; the religious believe itoccurs when a god (typically the SoulForger) works through mortal hands.

A dwarf cannot choose for the Imbuing toenchant an item with magical properties, it isbeyond an individual’s control. The Imbuingis an accident, occurring only when thecreation and completion of an item becomesthe single most important thing in a dwarf’slife. He forgoes food and sleep toiling over itday and night. It is constructed out of onlythe best parts with even the smallest piecesagonized over. A dwarf typically spendsmonths, if not years, working on the singleitem.

When a dwarf is on the cusp of theImbuing they fall into a trance when theynear completion. For twenty-four hours theyremain in this condition where they workcontinuously. In this heightened state theymove and work undistracted by any outsideconcerns or stimuli. If the dwarf isinterrupted, such as by someone interferingin his work, then the dwarf awakes and theImbuing is lost. If he finishes he task theImbuing unlocks the potential magic in theitem and the inherent abilities are increaseddramatically. A dwarf cannot consciouslydecide what the powers of an item will be,although the choice of parts and suppliesgreatly influences the abilities of the item. Acareful dwarf can influence the type abilitiesbut the exact powers will always remainrandom and beyond mortal control.

There are no hard rules for when -or evenif- the Imbuing takes place. It occurs strictlyat the DM’s discretion. In game terms, thedwarf must at least have the MethodicalCrafting feat and have spent over six monthsdesigning, preparing and constructing the

item. This may be substantially more if theparts of the item must be specially harvestedor gathered. The artisan must spare noexpense in the construction; the price shouldbe at least twenty times the base cost of theitem.

When the item is almost done the dwarfautomatically enters the trance. At the end ofthis frenzy of activity the dwarf makes onefinal craft check, if this succeeds the item isfinished. For the purposes of determining thestrength of the item the crafter is treated as asorcerer of equal level with all theappropriate feats and spells.

There is an experience cost with theImbuing, as there is with the regular creatingof magical items. However, the XP cost ofImbuing an item is substantially more as themagical power is ignited with the crafter’slife force. The item requires that 1/10th theprice of the magical item be paid inexperience points! Unlike traditional magicalitem construction, this loss of XP can lowerthe crafter’s level.

Additionally, when the crafter’s life forceis removed he must immediately make aFortitude saving throw (DC 20) or suffer 2d6points of Constitution damage! This damageheals normally with time but the sudden losshas been known to kill weaker artisans, theyare found slumped over their newlyenchanted constructions.

In the Mists of Ravenloft the Imbuing cantake a darker turn. The frenzy andunrelenting obsession required to forge aspontaneous magical item often draws theattention of the Dark Powers. If they areattracted to the scene, it is they who have theultimate authority over the abilities of theitem. The dedication and desire of the artisangives birth to something dark and corrupted.

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Fear and FrostbitesFear and FrostbitesFear and FrostbitesFear and FrostbitesFrostburn Supplement in RavenloftFrostburn Supplement in RavenloftFrostburn Supplement in RavenloftFrostburn Supplement in Ravenloft

Mark GraydonMortavius@shaw.ca

Frostburn ClimatesFrostburn ClimatesFrostburn ClimatesFrostburn ClimatesIn all of the Demiplane of Dread, themajestic beauty of winter disguises hiddenhorrors. All manner of frozen fiends stalk theicy realms of Ravenloft; fell things whisperon winter winds, while frozen corpses sleepfitfully beneath the blanket of snow. Readnow of the denizens of these icy lands, andthe heroes who brave the wrath of theFrostburn.

High AltitudesHigh AltitudesHigh AltitudesHigh AltitudesTrue to their name, the Frozen Reaches areburied in a shroud of snow all year round.The Barovian mountains Baratak, Ghakis,and Sawtooth have snow and ice on themnine months of the year. In summer, they aremostly free of snow, though it is common forBaratak and Sawtooth to still have ice capsin the height of summer.

Mount Gries, in Borca, is snow-bound inwinter, as are Darkon's Mountains of Misery

The peaks of Arawn and Mathonwym inForlorn are capped with snow during the

winter months, as are the Hazlani peaksSoren, Urkoth Sor, and Veduradeth.

Mount Lament, in the blasted land ofKeening is covered in snow during thewinter months, but during the summer it isusually bare. The icy peaks of Lamordia arealways covered in a blanket of frost, even inthe summer months.

Magical TerrainMagical TerrainMagical TerrainMagical TerrainAt times, magical effects impose themselvesupon the lands of Ravenloft. Razor snow canbe found in the mountains of Barovia andKeening, while all lands in proximity to theShadow Rift may experience Faerie Frost.The arcane soils of Darkon and Hazlan haveyielded Blood Snow, Ebony Ice, NegationSnow, and Rustsnow, and Forlorn's wetwinters have produced both Acid Slush andeven Rustsnow around the Lake of RedTears.

Finally, the Frozen Reaches clusterproduces all manner of winter phenomena,including Blood Snow, Ebony Ice, LightningPillars, Razor Snow, Rustsnow, and evenSnow Geysers.

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Frostburn CharactersFrostburn CharactersFrostburn CharactersFrostburn CharactersRacesRacesRacesRaces

Demihumans are mostly absent from thefrozen areas of Ravenloft. Glacier Dwarves,Snow Elves, Ice Gnomes, or TundraHalflings are limited to small families orisolated enclaves within the Frozen Reachescluster.

Neanderthals are rare in the extreme, andconfined to Frozen Reaches cluster. TheUldra fey are present in the Frozen Reachesand cold regions of the Shadow Rift.

FeatsFeatsFeatsFeatsChosen of the Frost (Chosen of Iborighu)

A character choosing this feat must take anoath to promote chaos, coldness, death, andwar, rather than a vow to a specific deity.

Mark of Rimefire (Mark of Hleid)

A character choosing this feat may take anoath to the concepts of goodness, nature andwinter, rather than a vow to a specific deity.

Prestige ClassesPrestige ClassesPrestige ClassesPrestige Classes

Cloud AnchoriteCloud AnchoriteCloud AnchoriteCloud AnchoriteThe reclusive Cloud Anchorites come fromthe land of Sanguinia, where their originalmonasteries still stand. Some of thesemonasteries are still active, housing manyascetics in quite contemplation.

CryokineticistCryokineticistCryokineticistCryokineticistPsions who follow the ways of cold are rarein the Demiplane. Cryokineticists may befound among reclusive Thaani in theBarovian Mountains or in Yogis in Sri Raji.

Disciple of ThrymDisciple of ThrymDisciple of ThrymDisciple of ThrymIn Ravenloft the deity Thrym is unknown,though there are abandoned temples toThrym in a remote region of Falkovnia,

Invidia and the Frozen Reaches. A fewoutcasts have found these edifices andrevived the worship of this ancient frozengod. Most of these cultists are humans orcalibans.

Frost MageFrost MageFrost MageFrost MageIn the Dread Realms, Frost Mages comefrom those lands that sponsor the study ofwizardry; Darkon and Hazlan. DarkonianFrost Mages often live high in the Mountainsof Misery, practicing their craft in the chillwinds.

FrostragerFrostragerFrostragerFrostragerThe Frostragers of Ravenloft originated inthe Frozen reaches, though from there theyhave branched out into Falkovnia, Invidia,Nidalaand Sithicus.

Many of the Frostragers are in fact, ColdOnes. Their encounters with the frozen deadin the Demiplane steel their resolve and feedtheir icy fury.

Knight of the Iron GlacierKnight of the Iron GlacierKnight of the Iron GlacierKnight of the Iron GlacierThough the deity Aengrist has no followersin Ravenloft, Knights of the Iron Glacierhave emerged in Hazlan and Tepest. InTepest the Knights often follow Brigantia,Diancecht, or most commonly, Manannanmac Lir. In Hazlan these knights follow theLawgiver.

AlterationsAlterationsAlterationsAlterationsWarmount: Knights of the Iron Glacier

does not gain a Megaloceros as a mount.Instead, these knights receive the Paladin'sspecial mount ability. If the Knight is aPaladin already, then his or her levels in theKnight class stack with their Paladin levelsfor the purposes of his mount's abilities.

Frostfell Awareness (Ex): This abilityextends to any snowy terrain, not merelyFrostfell regions.

Rally the Troops (Su): This ability doesnot grants immunity only to magical feareffects. The ability grants a +4 bonus to Fearchecks.

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PrimevalPrimevalPrimevalPrimeval

The Primeval in Ravenloft are oftenconfused with lycanthropes. Indeed, thereare those who believe that only those withlycanthropic blood in their family line maymanifest the powers of the Primeval.

Most Primeval originate from Forlorn andNova Vassa. In Forlorn they choose the DireWolf as their totem animal, while in NovaVassa Primeval often adopt Dire Badgers orDire Bats.

Primeval are also found in Barovia, oftenlinked with Dire Bats, Dire Rats, and DireWolves. As well, Lamordia is home to anumber of Primeval created by mad science.

AlterationsAlterationsAlterationsAlterationsPrimeval Form (Su): Those witnessing

the Primeval change shape must make a DC15 Horror save.

Rimefire WitchRimefire WitchRimefire WitchRimefire WitchThis prestige class is suitable for any divinespell-caster devoted to the frozen wilderness.

While the deity Hleid is unknown inRavenloft, a Rimefire Eidolon radiates itseldritch power through the demiplane.Centuries ago the Eidolon crashed into theNocturnal Sea, birthing a massive glacier inthe waters off of the coast of Todestein. Thisglacier calls out to souls sensitive to itspowers.

These witches are drawn to mysticalglacier, wherein they undergo an amazingtransformation. Though their memories ofthe glacier are erased, they are bound toRimefire Eidolon and gain a portion of itspower. Of the Rimefire Witches, none knowthe true nature of their patron. At the DM'sdiscretion, the Eidolon may be good, evil, oreven insane.

AlterationsAlterationsAlterationsAlterationsRequirements: Characters require the

feats Iron Will and Mark of Rimefire (seeFeats, above).

The worship of the deity Hleid is not arequirement; instead the character must be ofgood alignment. As well, if the character haslevels in a class with domains, he or she must

have access to the domains Animal, Good,Healing, or Winter.

Rimefire Bond (Su): Although unaware ofthe bond, the Rimefire Witch istelepathically connected to the RimefireEidolon in the glacier. The Eidolon is awareof the Witch, though the Witch is only awareof the status of the glacier as a whole Theeffects of this bond are otherwise unchanged.

Detect Minion of Iborighu (Sp): Thisability functions as the spell Detect Chaos.

Rimefire Bolt (Su): This ability functionswithin a normal winter environment, as wellas a Frostfell environment.

Word of Recall (Sp): This abilitytransports the Witch to the glacier of theEidolon, not to the Eidolon itself. Otherwise,this ability is affected as the spell Word ofRecall, as described in the Ravenloft Player'sHandbook.

StormsingerStormsingerStormsingerStormsingerThe Stormsingers of Ravenloft are found,paradoxically, in a land where there is nowinter. The Shadow Rift plays host toShadow fey Stormsingers, as well as mortalSingers brought or raised in the Rift.

Stormsingers are also found among theelves in Sithicus, and in the mountains ofHazlan. Both of these domains encourage thepractice of the arcane arts, which helps toaccommodate these bards.

Finally, a small branch of Stormsingers hastaken a hold in Souragne. Their musicusually takes the form of chanting, and thearcane syllables ringing through themarshlands in the dead of night areespecially haunting. These Stormsingers arenot aware that their abilities might beslightly more potent in a colder climate.

Winterhaunt of IborighuWinterhaunt of IborighuWinterhaunt of IborighuWinterhaunt of IborighuThe Winterhaunts of Ravenloft are

dedicated to bringing a permanent Frostfellto the Demiplane. Any who embrace theideals of chaos, cold, death, and war are idealfor this prestige class. They may or may notbe aware of the existence of the deityIborighu.

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Hazlan boasts the greatest number ofWinterhaunts. These beings were oftenmembers of the church of the Lawgiver whohave turned their backs on his strictdoctrines. They find solace in the temples inthe high mountains of Hazlan, where theywork to bring doom to the land below.

Other Winterhaunts may be found inDarkon, Necropolis, and Sri Raji. In Darkonand Necropolis, the Winterhaunts are ex-members of the Eternal Order. In Sri Rajithey are often members of the church ofKali, and practice their arts high above thetropical floor in the mountains where thesnows reach.

AlterationsAlterationsAlterationsAlterationsSummon the Entombed (Sp): This ability

only functions if there is an Entombed in thecurrent domain, as per a normal SummonMonster spell. They are usually only foundin Cold Mountains. The Entombed receives aWill save with a -2 penalty to escape thecontrol of the Winterhaunt.

Wintry Apotheosis (Su): TheWinterhaunt gains the evil subtype. Thewinterhaunt does not gain a reality wrinkle.

Frostfell ItemsFrostfell ItemsFrostfell ItemsFrostfell ItemsBelow are listed the cultural levels of itemsintroduced in Frostburn.

Frostfell MagicFrostfell MagicFrostfell MagicFrostfell MagicCleric DomainsCleric DomainsCleric DomainsCleric Domains

Two new domains are presented inFrostburn; Cold and Winter. Belenus maygive access to the Cold domain to his clerics,and Math Mathonwy may give clerics accessto the Winter domain.

Frostburn SpellsFrostburn SpellsFrostburn SpellsFrostburn SpellsMany of the spells presented in Frostburnrequire a Frostfell component; they may onlybe cast in areas that are true Frostfell. Suchareas are rare in the Demiplane. The DMmay allow players to cast these spells innormal winter conditions. For all of thesespells, refer to the section titled "AlteredMagic" in the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Blood Snow: Casting this spell requires aPowers Check. Anyone who loses ½ their

Exotic Weapon CL

One Handed WeaponsIce Axe 2+

Iuak 2+

Tigerskull Club 1+

Two handed WeaponsGoad 2+

Ritik 2+

Suglin 1+

Ranged WeaponsBone Bow 2+

Glot 1+

Harpoon 2+

Icechucker 5+

Razor Skipdisk 2+

Adventuring Gear CL

Crampons 3+

Fur Clothing 1+

Hut, Portable 3+

Skates 4+

Skis & Poles 4+

Snow Goggles 7+

Snowshoes 2+

Winter Fullcloth 1+

Alchemical Items CL

Armor Insulation 4+

Freeze Powder 4+

Frostbite Salve 4+

Ice Chalk 4+

Melt Powder 4+

Polar Skin 4+

Razor Ice Powder 4+

Whale Grease 4+

Vehicles Augmentations CL

Coldfire Keel 7+

Coldfire Engine 9+

Ice Keel 7+

Runners of Speed 7+

Issue 12

original Constitution to this spell isautomatically Fatigued. Those slain by thisspell may rise as Frostfell Ghosts (seeFrostburn).

Conjure Ice Beast I-IX: Only creaturesnative to the domain may be conjured by thisspell. As well, the Ice Beast receives a Willsave with a -2 penalty to escape your controlwhen summoned.

Death Hail: Casting this spell requires aPowers Check. Those slain by this spelloften rise as Arayashka (Snow Wraiths).

Defile Ice & Snow: Casting this spellrequires a Powers Check. When casting thisspell, the caster receives a +1 bonus to his orher effective caster level.

Entomb: Those killed by this spell may, atthe DM's option, rise as Entombed (seeFrostburn for more info).

Flesh to Ice: See Transmutation.Frostburn: Casting this spell requires a

Powers Check. Those that fail their saves arealso Shaken for a number of rounds equal tothe caster's level.

Frostburn, Lesser: See Frostburn.Frostburn, Mass: See Frostburn.Frostfell: See Transmutation.Frostfell Slide: See Teleportation.Gelid Blood: Casting this spell requires a

Powers Check. A creature affected by thisspell also suffers a -4 (or -2 if a successfulsave is made) penalty to all Wisdom-relatedchecks as their wits are frozen.

Heartfreeze: Casting this spell requires aPowers Check. The target is Fatigued even ifhe or she succeeds in the saving throw.

Heat Leech: Casting this spell requires aPowers Check. This spell causes 1d10 colddamage in Ravenloft.

Hibernate: Casting this spell requires aPowers Check.

Ice Assassin: The ice assassin's Disguisecheck is 20% more effective. The damagedone by the assassin's icy shrapnel isincreased by 20%. The Locate Creatureability of the Ice Assassin is affected as thespells Locate Creature and Locate Object, as

described in the Ravenloft Player'sHandbook. If the Ice Assassin is killed, itmay become a number of true Shadows (seethe Monster Manual) as described under"Illusion, Shadow" in the Ravenloft Player'sHandbook.

Mindfrost: Casting this spell requires aPowers Check. This spell inflicts 1d4+1Intelligence damage.

Shivering Touch: Casting this spellrequires a Powers Check. If the victim loses½ or more of their Dexterity from this spell,then they become Fatigued.

Shivering Touch, Lesser: See ShiveringTouch.

Summon Giants: See Conjuration,Summoning.

Thin Air: Casting this spell requires aPowers Check. The area of effect of thisspell is increased to 40 ft.

Waves of Cold: Casting this spell requiresa Powers Check. Any creature who fails it'ssave against this spell is shaken (regardlessof what subtype they may or may not have).

Frostfell Magic ItemsFrostfell Magic ItemsFrostfell Magic ItemsFrostfell Magic ItemsRing of the White Wyrm: The

transformation power of this ring causesthose who view it to make a DC 15 Horrorsave.

Simulacrum Elixir: If the Simulacrumcreated by this elixir is killed, it may becomea number of true Shadows (see the MonsterManual). See Illusion, Shadow in theRavenloft Player's Handbook.

Frostfell MonstersFrostfell MonstersFrostfell MonstersFrostfell MonstersThere are numerous monsters presented inFrostburn. If a monster from Frostburn is notlisted, then it does not have a domain thatwould be hospitable to it. Such creaturesmay still be encountered in the Demiplane,but they are very likely unique beings. Anychanges to the monsters abilities are noted:

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Creature Notes

Branta Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Caribou Found in the domain of Vorostokov

Chilblain Found in the domain of Vorostokov

Dire Polar Bear Found in the domain of Vorostokov

Domovoi Found in the domain of Vorostokov

Dwarf, Glacier Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Dwarf, Midgard Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Entombed Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Fox, Arctic Found in the domain of Vorostokov

Frost Folk Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Frost Giant, Mauler Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Frost Giant, Spiritspeaker Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Frost Giant, Scout Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Frostfell Ghost Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Glyptodon Found in the domain of Vorostokov

Goblin, snow Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Golem, Ice Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Ice Weird The Elemental Command ability of the Ice Weird does not function on any elemen-tal with the Mists descriptor. The Summon Elementals ability of the Ice Weird does not function unless an elemental of that type is already present in the domain. In Ravenloft, an Ice Weird may appear in its traditional form, or that of a frozen corpse.

Icegaunt Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Marzanna Found in the domains of Vorostokov

Neanderthal Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Raven, giant Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Rusalka Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Shivhad Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Smilodon Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Snow Weird The Elemental Command ability of the Snow Weird does not function on any ele-mental with the Mists descriptor. The Summon Elementals ability of the Snow Weird doesn't function unless an elemental of that type is already present in the domain. In Ravenloft, the Snow Weird may appear in its traditional form or that of a ravaged blue-white corpse.

Snowcloak Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Tlalusk Found in the domain of Vorostokov

Uldra Found in the domain of Vorostokov

Urskan Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Vodyanoi Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Winterspawn Found in the domain of Vorostokov

Wooly Mammoth Found in the domain of Vorostokov

Yeti, Abominable Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Yeti Found in the domains of Sanguinia and Vorostokov

Yuki-on-na Found in the domain of Vorostokov

War of the MaceWar of the MaceWar of the MaceWar of the MaceA quick contest on the WotC boardsA quick contest on the WotC boardsA quick contest on the WotC boardsA quick contest on the WotC boards

In September 2005, the moderators of theWotC message boards launched a contest,throwing all known D&D worlds against theothers. One mace designed by fans wouldrepresented a setting, and these ten maceswere thrown one against the other.

These are the guidelines given:

Design a mace. Not just any mace, but onethat represents this world. We need to seethe back story of the mace, the powers ofthe mace, the material it's made of, and it'scurrent location / owner. Be as creativeand descriptive as possible. The challengeis to present the mace as part of your cho-sen game world, but be clearly explainedto folks who may or may not know anythingabout the world. Folks will be voting onyour entry based on coolness factor andadaptability to any game world, even withthe rich history. What this means is wedon't need a detailed description of everywar in the game world, or all the details ofthe game world. But enough of the flavourof the game world should be apparent inthe mace's description.

In the final poll, the one from Ravenloftwon! Congrats to Malus Black, the author ofthe mace that represented Ravenloft in thisWar of the Worlds contest.

There were three Ravenloft maces that weresubmitted for the first round. We think allthree were interesting so here they are...

Mace of the Inquisitor Mace of the Inquisitor Mace of the Inquisitor Mace of the Inquisitor By Paul Corrish aka RevIron

This Masterwork Cold Iron Mace is typicalof those used by the Tepestani inquisition intheir crusade against the fey. It has noadditional special abilities or powers over itsCold Iron status.

There is much dispute about what ColdIron actually is - the consensus is that it ismeteoric iron which has never seen the heatof the forge yet has been reshaped throughother methods.

This mace has been handed down fromPreacher to Preacher in the village ofBrigadow for generations, Cold Iron beingrarer than an elven wizard - which are prettyrare, thanks to the efforts of the inquisitionand which tend to be the inquisitions secondchoice of target after elf sorcerers. The Priestat that Temple of Belenus tend to be one ofthe two types of Inquisitors: Elf-Slayer orFey-Slayer.

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Brigadow is generally considered thecapital of Tepest by outsiders, althoughnothing so formal exists. It is also thelocation of the head of the Inquisition. Thechurch of Belanus is run from the impossiblydistant land of Nidalia and edicts rarelyreach the Tepestani branch, the inquisitionfill that role in the interim and there rulesaren't subject to overruling. The currentPreacher at the Brigadow church of Belanusis Conner O'Cormack, an Elf-Slayerinquisitor. The mace was origianlly crafter200 years ago by the then preacher CormackO'Donahan who used a "Polymorph AnyObject" spell to achieve the desired effect.

Schneekugel Schneekugel Schneekugel Schneekugel By Stephen “ScS” Sutton

Though known as a simple footman'sweapon, the mace has long been used as asymbol for rule. Kings and Emperors havelong used ornate sceptres to demonstratetheir supremacy. Gilded in gold and jewels,the humble cudgel becomes a symbol ofpower. And for power, men would sacrificetheir very souls.

The mace Schneekugel is a two-foot-longcudgel made of black steel and tarnishedsilver. The grip is bound in ancient leather,highlighted by frayed golden trim andcapped at each end by silver. The pommel ofthe grip is shaped like the parapet of a castle.The shaft of the mace is inscribed with aspiral carving, not unlike a ribbon or a road,wrapped around the haft of the weapon.

The head of the mace is a glass globestronger than tempered steel. To the casualobserver, this globe appears to be white, likea massive pearl. However, those who lookclosely see that the globe is in fact filled witha clear liquid, with millions of tiny whiteparticles suspended within. As the mace ismoved, these particles ebb and flow, like araging blizzard within the mace head.

Those who gaze within the depths of themace will see beyond the tiny blizzard, intothe black depths within. Indeed, it is said thatthere is more space within the head than sucha small globe should hold. Some say that if

one stares far enough into the black, one caneven see the silhouette of a tower inside ofthe globe.

The grim legend of Schneekugel begins ina land far away, in a kingdom obscured bythe mists. In that land the mace was the royalsceptre of an ancient king. As the king aged,his two sons competed to be named his heir.The older brother, Ymir was the stronger andbraver of the two, yet the younger Amar wascleverer and more charming. While Ymirrode out into the world, waging war for hisfather's nation, the younger Amar stayedwith the dying monarch and comforted himin his time of need. So it was that Ymir wasfar away when the king appointed theyounger Amar his heir, and died.

Furious with losing the throne, Ymir beganimmediately to plot. He raised a force ofbrigands and bandits and fell upon hishomeland. The war was horrible; fields werescourged, villages razed, and thousands werekilled. Plague and starvation scoured thekingdom of life, and eventually Ymir laidsiege to the castle his own father had built.The siege was long and hard on both sides,but in the first days of winter, Ymir's menpenetrated the castle. In the ferocious melee,Ymir found and slew his own brother andpried the sceptre from his lifeless hands.

In the aftermath of the battle. Ymirsurveyed his kingdom. From the tower of thecastle, he saw the carnage and ruination hehad visited on his homeland. The onceprosperous nation was a blighted, burntcorpse of its former glory. Disgusted withwhat he saw, he wished for snowstorm tohide the hideous landscape. Little did heknow that some dark thing would heed hiscall. Great grey clouds rolled across the sky,and a gentle snow began to fall. The windbecame cold, and still the snow fell, for days,weeks and months. One by one, Ymir's mendied, until only he was left, alone in thefreezing ruins of his castle.

Alone and dying of frost, the usurperdragged himself to the highest tower. Therehe cursed his fate and swore that he wouldsooner die than rule such a benighted realm.As his life ebbed out of his frost-bitten body,he cast his sceptre towards the sky, where it

Issue 12

was carried by the winds into the worldbeyond.

Little did he realize that it was too late.Bound to the land by his act of evil, he

could neither escape his throne, nor could hedie. He rose from death as a hideous wight,trapped within his own the frozen carcass.Just as he was risen as a parody of life, so toowere his subjects. From the gutted ruins ofhis castle, Ymir rules a land of eternalwinter, where the walking dead labourwithout end and hideous spectres tormenttheir dark lord.

The sceptre, for its part, was carried intothe world beyond. The mace fantastic powerto whomsoever holds it, yet all who gazeupon the mace covet it. Should someone diewhile holding the mace, he or she is drainedof their soul. This spectre is drawn into thefrozen kingdom of Schneekugel, where theyare made slave to the wight-lord Ymir. Therethey labour to unbury the dark lord's domain,even as the snow continues to fall.

The Heartblood Mace The Heartblood Mace The Heartblood Mace The Heartblood Mace Winning entry in the War of the Worlds

By Thomas R. Ramussen aka Malus Black

The infamous Heartblood Mace isunassuming in its appearance. While longerand slimmer than an ordinary mace, it ismade from simple steel, now darkened withmore nefarious things than mere age. Its gripis bound in leather, replaced many timesthroughout its grim history, and its pommelis engraved with the now faded symbol ofthe goddess Ezra - a longswordsuperimposed on a shield and adorned with asprig of belladonna. Its head, however, givesmost viewers a start. Not because of itsdesign, which is a simple and modest as therest of the mace - a mere six steel leaveswelded to a heavy steel barrel - but the oldstains of dried blood which cover it. Thecurious ask why a weapon of a good faith isso desecrated, and they are told the story ofthe Heartblood Mace.

It begun in the year 690 of the BarovianCalendar, years before the religion's GreatSchism, and the faithful were united andoptimistic. One of these was Daniele Santo,an erstwhile farmer who had a divinerevelation and chose to join the church as aknight of his newfound goddess. He and theother knights were given armour, andshields, and weapons, and Daniele chose ashis weapon a mace. The mace. At the time itwas merely a well-crafted weapon, with noeerie powers. This would soon change.

In 692, Daniele was sent to a farawayhamlet after the church received a cry forhelp from the local anchorite - a priest ofEzra. The tale of how, through muchhardship and at great cost, Danieleuncovered a dark and sinister web ofconspiracy and lies, is a story for anothertime. But at this web's heart was that mostterrible of the children of the night, avampire, and Daniele would have to facehim sooner or later. And he was filled withgnawing doubt.

As he sat alone in the church as the sunpeeked over the horizon, heralding hisinevitable confrontation with the monster,something spoke to him. Afterwards,Daniele could never quite explain what itwas, saying only it was as though theshadows of the room had joined together toform a shape made from darkness itself. Andit spoke to the doubtful knight in sly, silkentones. "You fear to face the vampire," it said."And you do right in that, for it is anopponent beyond you. But I can give youvictory, or at least the means with which toachieve it." Suspicious, for Daniele hadheard tales of fiends, those foul beings ofshadow and dark spirits who bargained withthe souls of mortals, he asked how this couldbe done. "'Tis easy, little knight. Look uponyour mace. Can you face the vampire withnaught but steel? No. But soak the mace'shead in heartblood, and it shall be thevampire's undoing." "And what, pray,"answered Daniele, "will be the payment forsuch a favour?" "Naught but what you wouldfreely give me," answered the shadow-being,and faded away.

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Daniele emerged unscathed from his battlewith the vampire, although his innocent soulhad been deeply marred. He never spoke ofhow he had won, and never of the shadow-being's deal, until his dying day, which, alas,came far too swiftly. Slowly, Daniele losttrust in himself and his goddess. Slowly, allhe trusted in was the mace. The mace, andthe heartblood that gave him victory againand again. But pride is a deadly thing, and sois fear, and more and more blood was spilledto ensure certain victory. And in the endthere was little left but the fear, and the hate,and the dried blood which marred the once-fair mace. Falling to madness, Daniele killedtwo of the most devout priests of the churchin the belief that their blood would cleansethe world of evil forever. When the otherknights found him, they had no choice but tostrike the wretch down, and with his dyingwords, bubbling with blood, he told hiskillers the truth of what happened that nightin the church. And so passed Daniele Santo,corrupted and lost to the darkness.

The mace did not, however, and it haspassed through many hands in the passing oftime. Some have withstood the lure of itspower, some have not, and the mace itselfremains, now and forever, a weapon forgood, or for evil, depending on the heart ofits wielder.

Game MechanicsGame MechanicsGame MechanicsGame MechanicsThe Heartblood Mace is for all purposestreated as a masterwork mace, though magicinspection reveals a faint necromantic aura.The mace's true powers are first unlocked bysoaking the head in the fresh heartblood of a

living creature, which takes 1 full round perHit Dice of the creature sacrificed. Thecreature cannot simply be bled, it must diefor the powers to be unlocked.

If the creature sacrificed has less than 5 HitDice, the mace is treated as a +1 mace for theduration of the effect. For each 5 Hit Dice ofthe creature, the mace gains another +1enhancement bonus. If the heartblood of anettin, a 10 Hit Dice creature, were pouredover the head, the mace would gain a +2enhancement bonus.

The character performing this ritual mayinstead opt to add special qualities to themace. By forgoing the additional bonuses,the mace can gain either the vicious or thebane(creature type sacrificed) specialqualities. These abilities stack. For example,by sacrificing a 20 Hit Dice purple worm, themace might become a +2 vicious bane(magical beast) weapon, or a simple +4weapon.

The effects wear off at -1 per hour after theritual is performed, and in the order theeffects were added. In the above example, ifthe effects were added as they are written, itwould be a +2 vicious mace after 1 hour, a+2 mace after 2 hours, a +1 mace after 3hours, and a normal masterwork mace againafter 4 hours. Only then can the ritual againbe undertaken. The effects, though not thebloodstains, can also be removed bysubmerging it in holy water for 1 minute pereffect. Creature with 2 or less Intelligencecount for only half of their Hit Dice (so aRoc, an 18 Hit Dice creature) would count asa 9 Hit Dice creature for the purposes of theritual).

Evening by the FireEvening by the FireEvening by the FireEvening by the FireAn Unexpected VisitorAn Unexpected VisitorAn Unexpected VisitorAn Unexpected Visitor

Andrew "alhoon" PavlidesConcept by Evee Beiderbecke

"I could not come on time for work in themorning Sir, I had to be awake all night.Why? I had a visitor that could not beignored." -Lessande, Plantation worker in Souragne

"In Souragne it is believed that some nightsthere is a powerful sorcerer knocking atdoors randomly. He can be recognized by hislong black beard and red cloak. He doesn'tsay a word and you should not say anythingto him either. You let him enter your houseand sleep in your own bed. You have towatch the fire all night during his sleep tokeep your guest warm and make sure he hasenough water for his thirst.

When morning comes, you should feedhim with the best your house can offer. Afterthat, he leaves and never comes back. If youdo not welcome him in your house and closethe door on him, he will summon a hugepack of fire zombies who will destroy yourhouse and eat its inhabitant."

[From the Undead Sea scrolls 2001, EveeBeiderbecke (Marie K.L.)]

The Red-Robed VisitorThe Red-Robed VisitorThe Red-Robed VisitorThe Red-Robed VisitorMedium Undead (Restless Dead); HD 8d12(56 hp); Init +1; Spd 30 ft. (6 squares); AC13 (+2 natural armour), touch 11, flat-footed12; Base Attack/Grapple +5/+5; Attack:slam +5 melee (1d4+1 +1d6 fire); FullAttack: slam +5 melee (1d4+1 +1d6 fire);SA Spells, Summon Fire zombies; SQDamage reduction 5/ cold iron, SR 17, Fireresistance 30, Undying; Saves Fort +4, Ref+5, Will +9; AL NE; Str 13, Dex 12, Con -,Int 17, Wis 13, Cha 14.

Skills & Feats: Concentration +8/12,Knowledge (Arcana) +9, Knowledge(Religion) +9, Knowledge (Souragne) +10,Spellcraft +9, Spot +7, listen +7, bluff +8,sense motive +7. Combat casting, spellmastery x3 (fire shield, Black tentacles,fireball, dispel magic, web, scorching ray,arcane lock, burning hands, magic missile),eschew materials

Equipment: Scorched Rags (+2 resistanceto all saves), 2 fire rubies, ring of coldresistance 5.

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Spells: The Red-robed Visitor memorizesand casts spells as an 8th level wizard. Sincehe has no spell book, he uses the spells heknows with the Spell mastery feats.

The visitor appears to be a man in a red cloakand dark brown robe. Beneath his hood, hewears a long black beard and a mane of greyhair. Though he carries the scent of charcoalabout him, he appears unremarkable.

The stranger's benign appearance is, infact, illusionary. Beneath his illusions liesthe thin, charred body of a corpse covered inrags.

As part of his curse, the stranger's disguiseis removed should someone greet him with aword of welcoming.

BackgroundBackgroundBackgroundBackground

The legend of the Red Robed stranger beganwith a wizard, whose name has been lost tothe ages. The mysterious outlander traveledthe lands of Ravenloft, searching for a meansof returning to his home.

After a few fruitless years, he began tosearch the swamps of Souragne. There hisgroup had a very unfortunate encounter witha mob of flesh-eating zombies. Unwilling toretreat before the lifeless horde, the wizardforbade his men to withdraw, eventhreatening to burn any man that fled.

The battle was long and fierce. Even thewizard realized the futility of the struggle asthe shambling cannibals overwhelmed theparty. Within an hour's time, the once mightyband fled, followed closely after by thelifeless mob.

Dogged by the horde, the ragged partysearched for a safe haven, eventuallystumbling upon the hovel of a widow and herchildren. Fearing the wrath of the zombiehorde, and their dreadful master, the widowrefused the wizard's entry. Nonetheless, thehaughty mage forced his way into the houseand imprisoned the family in the root cellar.

That night the mage ordered his hirelingsto stand guard outside of the house, while heavailed himself to whatever comforts hecould find. Drowsy from food and drink, thewizard was soon asleep.

Outside, however, the survivingmercenaries decided they had sufferedenough from their cruel master. While thewizard slept, the mercenaries barricaded theexits and set the house on fire.

Unbeknownst to the murderous henchmen,the fire they set would be a beacon to thelifeless horde of the swamp. As the hutburned, the shambling ghouls struck fromthe shadows. Surrounded by the walkingdead, many of the mercenaries chose tothrow themselves into the blaze, rather thanlet the ghouls eat them alive.

The wizard perished quickly in his sleep,though the widow and her children slowlysuffocated in their basement prison. With herlast breath, the widow cursed the wizard andhis mercenaries to roam the swamps foreternity, until they could find someone whowould welcome such vile creatures as they.

Since that night, the cursed wizard haswalked the swamps as one of the RestlessDead. His skin still smolders with the firethat took his life. His only reprieve from theagony is the embrace of a bed and awelcoming hearth.

Current SketchCurrent SketchCurrent SketchCurrent Sketch

Neither alive nor dead, the Wizard craves forhospitality to dull his eternal agony. Hecraves fresh drink to dowse his burningflesh, and fine bedding in which he can restin peace. Only the best of a host's hospitalitycan satisfy the wizard, though to thestranger's lifeless senses, a rich man'smattress is no different then a beggar's rags.

Should his host refuse the Visitorhospitality, the red robed stranger becomesenraged. The deathless mage summons histreacherous hirelings to lay waste to thehome, just as they did so many years ago.

CombatCombatCombatCombat

Though no longer a true wizard, the Visitorremains an intelligent undead. Though he iswithout his spell book, the stranger may castthe spells he memorized using spell mastery.

When denied hospitality, the mage usesspells like Arcane lock and Web to trap hisenemies before using Fireball and BurningHands to ignite combustibles.

Issue 12

Summon fire Zombies (Su): Once each

night, the Red-robed visitor may summon hisformer hirelings as a standard action thatprovokes attacks of opportunity.

Once summoned, 2D4 fire zombiesemerge within 15' of the Red Robed Visitor,using their exhumation ability to escape theirearthen graves.

Undying: If the Red-robed Visitor falls to0 HP or less, he crumbles in to ash. The nextnight, however, he will emerge from theswamp-gas, though he will never again preyon the host who slew him.

Fire ZombiesFire ZombiesFire ZombiesFire ZombiesMedium Undead (Fire subtype, ObedientDead); HD 6d12 +6 (45 hp); Init -1; Spd 30ft. (Can't run) (6 squares); AC 15 (+6 naturalarmour), touch 9, flat-footed 15; BaseAttack/Grapple +5/+5; Attack: slam +7melee (1d6+4 +1d6 fire); Full Attack: slam+7 melee (1d6+4 +1d6 fire); SAExhumation, Fearsome speed, Self Destruct;SQ Bending the land (150'), damagereduction 10/cold iron; SW Allergen; SavesFort +2, Ref +1, Will +5; AL NE; Str 18,Dex 8, Con -, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 1. CR 5.

Skills & Feats: climb +10, Listen +8, Spot+8; Alertness, Toughness;

Fire Zombies are the reanimated corpses ofthe Red-robed Visitor's treacherousmercenaries. These obedient dead are theremains of those hirelings who chose tothrow themselves on the fire in order toescape the ghoulish horde. These undeadappear to be horribly burned corpses. They

radiate an aura of intense heat, as if they arestill burning.

CombatCombatCombatCombatFearsome Speed (Ex): Once every 1d4

rounds, the fire zombies may move withincredible speed. For one round, the firezombie may make an extra attack and gains abonus of +20 ft. to their base speed.

Exhumation (Ex): The creature canexhume itself instantly from the ground iforder so, as a move equivalent action. Thispower gives a +12 bonus to all hide checks.

Self Destruct (Su): When a Fire zombiereaches 0 hp or less, it explodes dealing 6d4fire damage to all those within 5' or 2d4 tothose within 10' of itself. A successful reflexsave with DC 16 (10 +HD) halves thedamage dealt.

Bending the land (Su): Fire zombiesalways remain within 150 feet of their target,no matter how fast that target may travel.Every time the target looks back, the firezombies will appear to be 150' away. Ifmonitored, they disappear into the distance,only to appear again in front of the target orto the sides, still at 150' away.

Allergen (Ex): On a direct hit, a vial ofwater deals 1d6 damage and 1 point ofdamage in a splash. Holy water adds thisdamage to the normal damage done toundead.

A bucket of water, or a similarly largequantity of water, deals 4d6 damage to theFire zombie. A character may make an areaattack with a bucket by targeting a 5 by 5foot square, to deal 2d8 damage to a Zombie.A successful reflex save (DC 15) halves thisdamage.

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Grim TalesGrim TalesGrim TalesGrim TalesThe Wolf The Wolf The Wolf The Wolf

By Stephen “ScS” SuttonStephen@FraternityofShadows.com

Once upon a time, in a far away place, therewas a shepherd boy. The boy watched overhis flock very carefully, for a terrible wolfprowled the forest. Yet, the Sheppard boy wasnot afraid, for he carried a magical stonethat could slay anything it was thrown at.

And so the boy watched his flock, andeventually grew very tired. One day, the wolfcame to him and said;

"You look very tired, my boy. Perhaps youand I should make a deal? If you can hit thesun with your stone, I will agree never toprey on any sheep you guard."

The boy thought for a moment. He hadbeen told never to trust a wolf, but he wasvery bored of watching sheep, so he agreed.The boy pulled out his magical stone, tookcareful aim, and tossed the rock with all hismight. The enchanted stone streaked throughthe sky like a thunderbolt and struck the sunin the center. The mighty orb fell to earth likea stricken bird, and the land turned to night.

The boy turned to gloat to the wolf, andsaw in the star light the wolf's gleamingfangs.

"A deal is a deal," said the wolf, "I won'tprey on any sheep you guard. But how can

you guard your flock from inside of mystomach?"

Sure enough, without his magical stone,the boy was devoured. And true to his word,the wolf ate the entire flock.

- Barovian bedtime story

Since the dawn of time, man has feared thewolf. Known for its cunning and ferocity, thewolf is a common villain in children'sstories. In Ravenloft, these fables have takenlife of their own, spawning a creature ofmythical power. The Wolf is a being born offear; it is the incarnation of man's fear of allthings lupine. The creature lives to prey onman, so that it might spread its

The WolfThe WolfThe WolfThe WolfMale Fey (folkloric): CR 6; SZ M (fey,folkloric); HD 5D8+10; HP 30; Init +2, Spd50 ft.; AC 14, touch 12, flatfooted 12 (+2Dex, +2 natural); Atk +6 melee (1D6+1bite); Fas 5ft. by 5ft./5ft.; SA Spell-likeabilities, Swallow whole, trip; SQ damagereduction 5/cold iron, low light vision, scent,skin shifting; AL CE; SV Fort +6, Ref +8,Will +3; Str 13, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 16, Wiz15, Cha 15.

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Skills and Feats: Bluff +11, Disguise +10,Escape Artist +10, Hide +11, Listen +14,Move Silently +12, Spot +9, WildernessLore +2*; Weapon Finesse (bite),Persuasive.

The Wolf is a slender lupine hunter withyellow eyes. The creature changesappearance with the seasons; in winter thecreature's pelt is a pure white, while in springits coat is jet black with a silver grey belly,and in late summer and fall the creatureappears a reddish brown and may bemistaken as a massive fox.

CombatCombatCombatCombat

Despite its fearsome appearance, the wolf isa cowardly hunter. It preys upon children,elderly people, and anyone who cannotdefend themselves. An inveterate trickster,the wolf uses deception to rob its enemies oftheir defenses. So obsessed is the creaturethat it will flee from an easy kill if it cannotoutwit the victim.

Though craven, the wolf is a persistent foe.If confronted, the wolf will shadow itsenemies, striking again when they are mostvulnerable. The wolf may attack the familiesand friends of its enemies, perhaps evendisguising itself as a relative, so that it mightlure its enemies into a trap.

Spell-like Abilities (Su): 1/day - charmperson, silent image. These abilities are ascast by a 6th level sorcerer (save DC 10 +spell level).

Swallow Whole (Su): The wolf mayattempt to swallow a grappled opponent ofmedium size or smaller by making asuccessful grapple check. Once inside itsstomach, the victim emerges in an extra-dimensional space. The imprisoned charactersuffers 1D6 constitution damage for eachday that he or she remains trapped in thewolf's stomach. Any attempt to cut throughthe walls of the stomach results in a spray ofacid from the wound, causing the character,and anyone else in the stomach, to suffer1D6 constitution damage. If the wolf dies, itscorpse vomits out any imprisoned characters.

Trip (Ex): If the wolf hits an opponentwith its bite attack, it may attempt a trip as afree action without making a touch attack orprovoking an attack of opportunity. If theattempt fails, the opponent may not attemptto trip the wolf.

Low Light Vision: The wolf can see twiceas far as a human in moon light, star light,torch light, ect.

Scent (Ex): The wolf receives a +4 racialbonus to Wilderness Lore checks whiletracking by scent.

Skin Shifting (Su): The wolf may take onthe appearance of any living creature trappedwithin its stomach. This effect is similar tothe spell alter self. The wolf makes adisguise check, with a +10 bonus, toimpersonate the character.

Growls in the NightGrowls in the NightGrowls in the NightGrowls in the NightA Collection of CreaturesA Collection of CreaturesA Collection of CreaturesA Collection of Creatures

Andrew "alhoon" Pavlidesapavlides24@hotmail.com

Border ZombieBorder ZombieBorder ZombieBorder ZombieMedium Undead (Obedient)

When Azalin closes Darkon's borders,Border Zombies arise to block exit orentrance. They resemble normal zombieswith the exception that their rotten eyesglitter with a dim light.

As usual Azalin can see from their eyesand speak through them, but this is hisability, not theirs.

Hit Dice: 8d12+8 (60 hp)

Initiative: +3

Speed: 30 ft

Armor Class: 15 (-1 dex, + 6 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 15

B.Attack/Grapple: +7/+7

Attack: slam +8 (1d6+4) melee

Full Attack: 2 slam +8 (1d6+4) melee

Space/Reach: 5 ft. (special) /5 ft.

Special Attacks: push

Special Qualities: Undead traits, damage reduction 5/slasing, turn resistance +2, par-tial actions only, undying, horde

Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +6

Abilities: Str 18, Dex 8, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1

Skills: -

Feats: Great fortitude, lighting reflexes, improved toughness

Environment: Any

Challenge Rating: 4

Treasure: None

Alignment: None

Advancement: -

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CombatCombatCombatCombatBorder zombies just slam their opponentswith their powerful fists until they stopmoving. Then they attack the next closesttarget. unwittingly using their horde ability,more than one occupy a 5'x5' square. Theydo not use cover or flanking, they do notavoid threatened areas, they do not use anykind of tactic except move, attack.

Horde (ex): 2 Border zombies can (andusually do) occupy the same square withoutany penalty. This helps them makeadvantageous frontal assaults as many canhorde up on a single target.

Push (Ex): If both slam attacks of a Borderzombie hit its target, the hammer zombie canmake a bull rush maneuver as a free actionwith a +4 bonus without provoking an attackof opportunity (and without moving to thetarget's space).

Undying (su): If a border zombie isbrought below 0 hp it is destroyed, falling tothe ground. 1d4 rounds later (or after 3rounds) it raises again with full hit pointseven if it has been completely destroyed. If ithas been disintegrated its ashes reform; if ithas been slashed to pieces, they quicklygather together etc.

This ability, although supernatural, cannotbe stopped by any mortal act or magic, evena miracle.

Partial actions only (ex): As normalzombies, these zombies can take only partialactions. However, if they don't use a partialcharge action, they can make a full attackeven if this is normally impossible.

CreationCreationCreationCreation

Azalin creates these obedients by closing theBorders of Darkon. Even if they aresomehow recreated, Border zombies won'thave the undying quality.

Eater Eater Eater Eater Medium Undead (hungry)

The eater looks like a bloated human with anoversized head. The lower half of thisalready large head is taken by an extremelyvicious looking mouth filled with sharp,yellowish black teeth. The creature's tongueseems purple and is as large as a dog's but itis swollen. The creature constantly licks itslips with this tongue or lets it hang out of itsmouth except when it is fighting.

Nobody knows how these creaturesappeared or how far from Tepest (wheretheir existence was first reported) they havespread, but they are found in Darkon andNova Vaasa. Many believe they originatefrom a cursed individual who created themas spawns or that they are the fruits of anecromancer's studies.

Hit Dice: 6d12 +6 (45 hp)

Initiative: +7

Speed: 30 ft / climb 15 ft

Armor Class: 19 (+3 dex, + 6 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 16

B.Attack/Grapple: +6/+6

Attack: bite +10 melee (1d12+4)

Full Attack: Bite +10 (1d12 +4), 2 claws +4 (1d4 +3)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: Wounding bite, Disease

Special Qualities: Undead traits, turn resistance +2, mirror bane, cold/acid resistance 10, gain power.

Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +6

Abilities: Str 16, Dex 16, Con -, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 8

Skills: Move silently +6, hide +6, climb +13, spot +4, listen +4, balance +4

Feats: Improved toughness, improved initiative, multiattack, dodge.

Environment: Any, most often in Darkon and Tepest.

Challenge Rating: 5

Treasure: None

Alignment: Usually C. Evil

Advancement: 7-9 HD (Medium)

Issue 12

They usually travel alone or in packs of 2 -

5 members. They claim a territory near asmall community and hunt there. Once thecommunity threatens them enough (or isdepopulated) they relocate.

The Eaters are careful to not create manyof their kind in order to not increaseopposition and competition.

They need about 20 lbs of fresh flesh froma creature. They prefer humans and sentientcreatures but even animals can sustain them.A "starving" Eater will attack as a rabidanimal, without regard for its own cursedexistence.

Their Craving is not only to fulfill theirhunger, but also maim and violate the living.If there is plenty of prey around, they curseother humanoids to their existence makingthem spawn. The created Eaters have nomemory of their previous lives or any hint oftheir personality.

While the Eaters are under control of theircreator and they can't harm him directly theyare by no means loyal. However to disobey adirect command from their creator, they haveto make a will save with DC 20 (+2 bonusvs. suicidical commands).

An Eater can command as many spawns asa cleric of its level. In case he creates anymore spawn, they become free willed.

CombatCombatCombatCombat

While the Eaters aren't particularly smartthey like to set ambushes and are quick toflee a losing battle. In combat they rushsavagely on the enemy trying to cause painand kill.

Bite focus (Ex): The Eater gets a +4competence bonus to hit rolls with its biteattack.

Eater Disease (Su): The bite of the Eatercarries the dreadful curse. A human, callibanor half - elf bit by an Eater must make aFortitude save with a DC 16 or suffer awasting disease called the Blotting Gluttony.

While afflicted, the bitten character musteat far more than normal (twice moreincreasing to five times more as the diseaseprogress). The victim's head and jawincrease in size in a painful transformation.

Once the creature is dead, thetransformation doesn't stop, but even speedsup. New teeth grow and become sharper.Within 48 hours from the creature's death,the transformation is complete and thevictim rises as an Eater under the control ofits creator.

Blotting Gluttony: Supernatural disease,Fortitude DC 16, 1d3 strength damage and1d4 constitution damage each day. Thedisease needs three successive saves to healnaturally. Every 3 points of constitutiondamage increase the OR of the creature by+1 (up to +3) as the head and jaws of thevictim changes.

A spellcaster casting a cure disease spell,must succeed at a caster level check with aDC of 15 to heal the affliction.

Wounding Bite (Ex): The bite of the Eaterlaeaves a vicious wound, dealing 2 hp/ roundfor 10 rounds or until the wound is treatedwith either magic healing or with asuccessful heal check (DC 18). Successivewounds deal more damage.

Gain Power (Ex): The Eater gains a HD ifit eats ten creatures with more HD than ithas. It cannot exceed 9 HD in this fashion.

Mirror Bane (Ex): The sight of its owndistorted body provokes a kind ofremembrance in Eaters. Upon beingconfronted with a mirror, the Eater attemptsa Will saving throw against a DC 20. On afailed check, the creature cowers for 2d4rounds, and fights only to defend itself.

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On a successful check, the creaturebecomes freewilled. A free-willed eaterregains the charisma and wisdom scores itpossessed before its infection. Enraged by itshideous visage, a free-willed eater seeks itsformer master; so that it might take itsrevenge.

Eaters instinctivly avoid mirrors; all suchcreatures with a clear line of sight of acharacter brandishing a mirror, are allowed areflex save of DC of 14, to avoid lookinginto the surface. A character must be within30 feet of an eater, for his or her mirror to beeffective.

Hammer Zombie (or smasher)Hammer Zombie (or smasher)Hammer Zombie (or smasher)Hammer Zombie (or smasher)Medium Undead (obedient)

Hammer Zombies look like normal, decayedzombies except that their hands are largereplicas of normal fists made from stone.The fists of a hammer zombie are usuallybetween 6" - 9" tall.

CombatCombatCombatCombatIn combat, hammer zombies move towardsthe nearest opponent and try to crush himwith their powerful fists. They are mindless,have not the least interest in self preservationso they walk through threatened areas if theyhave to, and ignore flanking opportunities.

Slow (Ex): Hammer zombies can only takepartial actions in combat like normalzombies. If they are adjustment to anopponent however, they can use the fullattack action.

Crushing Blow (Ex): The fists of theHammer zombie are preternaturally hard. Ifthe Hammer zombie succeeds on both theslam attacks against a single opponent, it hasdelivered a very powerful blow, dealing anextra 1d6+6 damage. Also a medium sized orsmaller target must make a strength checkwith a DC equal to 10 + the damage dealt bythe crushing blow or be pushed 10' back in astraight line and fall prone. A small creaturetakes a -4 penalty to this save and a tiny orsmaller creature takes a -8 penalty. Dwarvesgain a +4 bonus through their stabilitypower.

For example if a character with 14 strengthwas subject to a crushing blow that dealt him8 hit points of damage, he must make asuccessful save wit a DC of 18 or be pushed10' back and fall prone.

Smashing Fists (Su): the fists of theHammer zombie are able to bypass the first 5points of hardness of items they hit ordamage reduction of creatures they hit.

Stealthy (Ex): Hammer zombies get a +8bonus to Move silently and hide checks.

CreationCreationCreationCreationHammer Zombies are created using thespells knock, bull strength and magicweapon on a corpse whose hands have beenreplaced with hands carved from stone.

Hit Dice: 3d12 +3 (22 hp)

Initiative: -1

Speed: 20 ft. (can't ran)

Armor Class: 14 (-1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 14

B.Attack/Grapple: +1/+5

Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d8+4)

Full Attack: 2 Slams +5 (1d8+4)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: Crushing Blow, smashing fists

Special Qualities: Undead traits, slow, DR 5/slash-ing

Saves: Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +3

Abilities: Str 18, Dex 8, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1

Skills: Move silently +7, hide +9

Feats: Toughness, Improved Sunder

Environment: Any

Challenge Rating: 3

Treasure: None

Alignment: None

Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium)

Issue 12

Leaping Zombie (Or Jumper)Leaping Zombie (Or Jumper)Leaping Zombie (Or Jumper)Leaping Zombie (Or Jumper)

Medium Undead (obedient)

Leaping Zombies look like normal, decayedzombies except that their legs do not seem asdecayed and are a bit longer and moreathletic. For a character to notice this, azombie must have torn clothes that show itslegs and the character must succeed at a spotcheck with a DC 18.

CombatCombatCombatCombat

If the zombies are buried in the groundbefore the combat starts, they use theirexhumation ability along with the Leapingability.

This has the effect of the ground suddenlyexploding as a decayed corpse makes afantastic leap out from a shallow grave toland near a target and attack. Creaturessubject to this tactic may need to make a fearcheck at the DM's discretion.

On all other respects, Leaping zombiesfight as normal zombies.

Exhumation (Ex): The creature canexhume itself instantly from the ground ifordered to do so, as a move equivalentaction. This power gives a +12 bonus to allhide checks. This ability can be used inconjunction with the Leaping ability and canbe considered a part of a partial chargeaction.

Leaping (Su): This power gives theleaping zombie the ability to make fantasticleaps. The leaping zombie gains a +30 bonusto all jump checks, with jumping distancesdoubled. If the zombie leaps next to a targetit can attack in the same round, as if it hasused a partial charge.

Life sense (Sp): The Leaping Zombie cansense life forms in a way similar to a detectundead spell, but keyed to living creatures.By concentrating the undead can sense theaura of living creatures. The HD of thecreature determines the strength of the lifeforce.

This power can be fooled by nondectionand similar spells that mask auras andprotect against divination. Also livingcreatures with 8 HD or more (twice as manyas the Jumper) are entitled a will save with aDC 11. Each round they pass that save, theyare undetected from the zombie. If they fail asave they are not entitled another save unlessthey live the area of effect and return again.

Hit Dice: 4d12 +3 (29 hp)

Initiative: -

Speed: 30 ft. (can't ran)

Armor Class: 16 (+6 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 16

B.Attack/Grapple: +2/+5

Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d6+3)

Full Attack: 2 Slams +5 (1d6+3)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: Life sense

Special Qualities: Undead traits, slow, DR 5/slash-ing, exhumation, Leaping

Saves: Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +4

Abilities: Str 16, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1

Skills: Move silently +5, hide +5, jump +37

Feats: Toughness

Environment: Any

Challenge Rating: 3

Treasure: None

Alignment: None

Advancement: 5-6 HD (Medium)

53

Quoth the Raven

54

The living creatures do not recognize thatthey are spied upon, even if they are entitledto a will save.

Slow (Ex): Leaping zombies can only takepartial actions in combat like normalzombies. If they are adjustment to anopponent however, they can use the fullattack action.

CreationCreationCreationCreation

Leaping Zombies are created using the spellsjump and expeditious retreat on the corpse ofan athlete that died and didn't receive aproper burial.

Miser Miser Miser Miser Medium Undead (restless)

The Miser looks like a corpse in the state ofdecomposition it was when the spirit of thecreature reanimated it. Some are just a weekold while others are almost skeletons.

A Miser is created from the corpse of amiserly person that used to care only for itssavings and fortune. If the inheritors (legal ornot) of the niggard's fortune waste the moneythe miser was so fond of keeping and hassacrificed so many pleasures to stash away,the man may come back to claim his fortuneback.

The Miser's Craving is naturally to hoardmoney. Usually the Miser tries also to punishthose that squandered his money. When theMiser has stashed away enough money (atleast as much as it used to have, perhapsmore) and dealt enough punishment he goesback to rest.

The creature keeps its memories and somepart of its old personality but not its skills ormindset. It remembers vaguely the time hespent as living but doesn't bother with suchmemories; it remembers all too well theglittering treasures it used to keep in alocked, hidden box.

If the Miser is presented with an immediatechance to acquire money, it must make a willsave with a DC 13 to stop itself fromimmediately going for it. A successful savemeans it has mastered the compulsion for 1minute. Each additional minute, the DC

Hit Dice: 6d12 (39 hp)

Initiative: +6

Speed: 30 ft

Armor Class: 16 (+2 dex, + 4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14

B.Attack/Grapple: +4/+4

Attack: Touch+4 (1d8+5) melee touch or weapon +4

Full Attack: Touch+4 (1d8+5) melee touch or weapon +4

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: Whispering, silvering touch

Special Qualities: Undead traits, turn resistance +2, damage red 10/gold, SR 19, disguise

Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +5

Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con -, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 14

Skills: Appraise +6, bluff +6, disguise +6, gather info +6, hide +10, intimidate +6, listen +6, move silently +10, spot +6

Feats: improved initiative, alertness, great fortitude

Environment: Any

Challenge Rating: 4

Treasure: Twice standard

Alignment: Usually N. Evil

Advancement: 7-12 HD (Medium)

Issue 12

increases by 2. At the DM's prerogative thecreature may get some bonuses or penaltiesdepending on the value of the treasure.

For example if the Miser is hunting a partyof adventurers and one of them throws avaluable bag of coins down a 30' deep cliff,the Miser has to make the save or jump.Even if the save is successful, knowing thatin the bottom of the cliff lays a bag of silverand gold, forces the Miser to make a willsave each minute with increasing DC orabandon everything and run back.

The Miser is an unusual undead in anotherway; it can be bribed. So if it turns up torevenge a relative for wasting its money, heor she can drive off the Miser for some timeby recompensating. Keep in mind thoughthat the Miser is also envious, greedy andevil. While it will endanger itself to grab abag of silver or gold pieces and evennegotiate to get it, a few hours later it willthink "How many more they have?" TheCraving then will kick in and put a burningdesire to the creature to take more.

CombatCombatCombatCombatThe unusual substance needed to harm the

Miser and its high spell resistance makes it adangerous opponent for unprepared parties,even if they have magic to employ. Yet evenlow level parties can destroy a Miser byplaying upon its Craving.

A Miser that has to fight usually attacksfrom ambush and keeps whispering in thewhole fight.

If it has to engage in combat to acquiretreasure, for example if it faces an opponentwearing a ruby necklace, the creature gains a+2 to hit rolls, damage rolls (with weapons)and saves, fights until it reaches -10 hitpoints and it suffers a -2 penalty to AC.

It keeps its weapon and armorproficiencies from its life.

Disguise (Sp): 2/day the Miser can take theappearance of another creature as if using thespell Disguise self, with a caster level 12. Ituses this spell to infiltrate humancommunities and learn where it can find itsrelatives, its money or treasure in general.This illusion breaks immediately if the Misermakes a touch attack or attacks by

whispering, but not if it attacks using aweapon.

Silvering touch (Su): A Miser may make atouch attack that deals 1d8 +5 points ofnegative energy damage. The touch leavesbehind a silver colored branding that fadesaway about a week later. The Miser heals 2hit points for each successful attack.

Skill affinities (Ex): The Miser gets a +6racial bonus to move silently and hide skillsand a +2 to bluff and disguise skills.

Whispering (Su): The Miser whispers toitself its need to hoard money, the joys oflooking at a stack of coins, the sorrow ofhaving to spend a copper piece etc. Allnearby that listen to it find their commonsense and willpower lessening.

This is a sonic, language-depended, mind-affecting power that the Miser may use atwill as a free action while fighting. Everyonewithin 30' of the Miser that can understandhim must make a Will save with a DC of 15or take 1d3 wisdom damage. Anyoneactively trying to listen what the undeadwhispers takes a -2 circumstance penalty.The Miser can't reduce the same person'swisdom score by more than 8 points andcannot drop it below 5. That means that acalliban barbarian with 8 wisdom cannotlose more than 3 points of wisdom in thisfashion while a cleric with 16 wisdomcannot drop bellow 8 wisdom.

The Miser doesn't heal any hit points fromthis attack and lost wisdom points return atthe rate of 1 point per hour.

Scython Scython Scython ScythonLarge Undead (obedient)

Hit Dice: 9d12 (58 hp)

Initiative: +6

Speed: 30 ft (run x3)

Armor Class: 22 (+2 dex, -1 size, + 11 natu-ral), touch 11, flat-footed 20

B.Attack/Grapple: +8/+12

Attack: Claw +11 (1d10+5, critical 19-20/ x3) melee

Full Attack: 2 claws +11 (1d10+5, critical 19-20/ x3) melee

Space/Reach: 5 ft./10 ft.

55

Quoth the Raven

56

The Scython is a skeleton about 9 feet tall. Ithas a 3' long, bony, serrated scythe blade inthe place of each hand attached at the wrist.Its bones have a slight gray hue and areunnaturally tough.

CombatCombatCombatCombat

The Scython is an effective guard butnothing else. It enters the fight using itspowerful scythes and concentrate on onetarget. Its natural weapons are more deadlythan most manufactured weapons.

It's not smart enough to avoid threatenedareas and will provoke attacks of opportunityor use cover. However, it is intelligentenough to flank opponents with those itperceives as allies.

Accuracy (Ex): The Scython isunnaturally talented with the use of itsblades, taking a +2 competence bonus to hitrolls with them (Already calculated).

Blood Suck (Ex): The interior of theScython's scythe-shaped claws is hollow. If aclaw hits an opponent, the opponent mustsucceed on a Fortitude save (DC 16,dexterity based) or the Scython deals 1d3points of con damage by draining some ofthe victims blood. The Scython doesn't healany damage from this attack.

CreationCreationCreationCreationTo create a Scython, a necromancer mustfind a large bodied human or calliban corpse,at least 6' 4" tall. The skeleton of the body

must be (mostly) intact. Bodyguards,soldiers or even strongly built servants aregood candidates.

The marrow must be emptied from thelarge bones before the ritual of animationstarts. A common practice is to strip the bodyof its flesh, cut the bones in half with a thinsaw and then gluing them together (or usingmagic).

The corpse must have its hands replacedwith masterwork scythe blades. Then thefollowing spells must be cast right beforeanimation: magic circle against evil, keenedge, enlarge, magic weapon, bull's strength,vampiric touch and finally animate dead.

Sharptalon (or slasher)Sharptalon (or slasher)Sharptalon (or slasher)Sharptalon (or slasher)Medium Undead (obedient)

Sharptalons are skeletons with extraordinarysharp blades where their hands should be.These are powerful obedients, made all thedeadlier with their ability to self destruct.

Special Attacks: Blood suck

Special Qualities: Undead traits, accuracy, dam-age reduction 5/bludgeoning

Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +6

Abilities: Str 20, Dex 14, Con -, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 1

Skills: Listen +5, spot +5

Feats: Cleave, improved initiative, weapon focus (claw), power attack.

Environment: Any

Challenge Rating: 5

Treasure: None

Alignment: Often N. Evil

Advancement: 10 - 16 HD (Large)

Hit Dice: 6d12 (39 hp)

Initiative: +5

Speed: 30 ft.

Armor Class: 17 (+6 natural, +1 dex), touch 11, flat-footed 16

B.Attack/Grapple: +3/+6

Attack: bonesword +7 melee (1d8+3, crit 19-20/x2)

Full Attack: 2 boneswords +7 (1d8+3, crit 19-20/x2)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: Wounding, self destruct

Special Qualities: Undead traits, DR 5/bludgeon-ing, resist cold 40

Saves: Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +5

Abilities: Str 16, Dex 12, Con -, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 1

Skills: Spot +5, listen +5

Feats: Improved initiative, Weapon Focus

Environment: Any

Challenge Rating: 5

Treasure: None

Alignment: None

Advancement: 7-9 HD (Medium)

Issue 12

CombatCombatCombatCombat

The Sharptalons are gifted with a glimmer ofintelligence and creativity, although nothingof the original creature's personality remains.Being obedient dead however, separatesthem from animal behavior. Sharptalonshave no instinct of self-preservation orambitions, they crave nothing than obey theircreator.

They are intelligent enough to flankopponents, but will not avoid provokingattacks of opportunity. They will often singleout a specific target to take down first. Ifthere are many Sharptalons, every two orthree will choose a single target. They willhunt down opponents and will retreat from aloosing battle (if they have been told not tofight to destruction) or self-destruct (if theyare told to protect a place and not retreat).

Wounding (Su): The wounds from theSharptalon blades do not close, but continueto bleed for 1 hp/ round until they are treatedwith a successful heal check with DC 15 orwith at least 1 hit point of healing magic. Thedamage from multiple wounds stack, andeach wound must be treated separately.

Self Destruct (Su): If a Sharptalon reaches0 hp or less, it explodes violently. Theexplosion deals 2d6 bludgeoning damageand 2d6 points of slashing damage fromfragments within 5' radius. Creatures within10' of the explosion suffer half this damage.A successful reflex save DC 14 (10 +HD/2+Dex modifier) halves the damage.

Other Sharptalons within the radius aresubject to this damage as well, although theirdamage reduction to slashing damagelessens the danger.

A Sharptalon may cause itself to self-destruct spontaneously. Doing so, requires afull-round action in which the creatureshakes and quivers with magical energy.

CreationCreationCreationCreation

Sharptalon Skeletons are created from theintact skeleton of a unrepentant criminal,who was decapitated. The head must bepresent and attached to the body. The keenweapon spell must be applied on the bodybefore the animate dead spell.

Sneak Sneak Sneak Sneak Tiny Fey (Shadow)

Sneaks resemble pretty teenagers (boys orgirls) with butterfly wings about 2" tallerthan 1 foot. Their skin is pale as themoonlight and their hair have a silverishcolor. Their ears are pointed like an elves andtheir faces have sharp, angular features.

Sneaks are curious by nature and like tohave fun, some times in the expense ofmortals. They like playing pranks uponthem, more or less harmless. They may evenhelp a mortal they like sometimes.

Hit Dice: 4d6 -4 (10 hp)

Initiative: +8

Speed: 15 ft/ fly 40' (good)

Armor Class: 19 (+4 dex, + 1 natural, +2 deflection, +2 size), touch 18, flat-footed 13

B.Attack/Grapple: -1/ -9

Attack: Blowgun +8 (1+ poison)

Full Attack: Bblowgun +8 (1+ poison)

Space/Reach: 2,5 ft / -

Special Attacks: spell-like abilities, sneak +1d6, Dust of hover 3/d

Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/cold iron, low-light vision, darkvision 120', hide in plain sight, immu-nity to electricity and wood, sunlight vulnerability (1d4), alternative form.

Saves: Fort +1, Ref +8, Will +4

Abilities: Str 5, Dex 19, Con 8, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 15

Skills: Bluff+ 5, diplomacy +5, hide +16, spot +6, listen +6, move silently +13, knowledge (nature) +6, search +5, sense motive +4, sleight of hand + 11

Feats: Improved initiative, fly-by attack, blowgun proficiency.

Environment: Woods, forests

Challenge Rating: 4

Treasure: Standard

Alignment: C. Neutral

Advancement: By class

57

Quoth the Raven

58

Although they meddle with humansconstantly they avoid meddling in humanaffairs. While a merchant may find that hisbusiness is harmed by the sneaks, they don'tdo it to help an antagonist or out ofvengeance or malice. They just do it for fun.

Sneaks tend to steal things and hide themaround or causing embarrassment to haughtymortals (like suddenly turning a nobleman'spants invisible). They particularly like silverand sometimes steal trinkets. They loosetheir interest in them in a few monthshowever and either drop them away to freeup space or give them to mortals (usually bydropping them to a mortal's head fromheight).

In the Arak community they usually serveas scouts and spies. Most Sneaks areunaffiliated with the Seelie or Unseeliecourts.

If a mortal seems to have an interestingstreak of humor and an affinity for pranks,and is interesting for a decade or so, thesneaks may turn him to a changelingalthough this is very rare.

CombatCombatCombatCombatSneaks avoid combat if at all possible,preferring to flee in case of danger. If pressedto fight, they use their fly-by attack andhiding abilities.

Alternative form (Su): The Sneak'salternate form is usually a small bird like asparrow.

Dust of Hover (Sp): 3 times per day, asneak can produce a kind of silvery dustfrom her wings to sprinkle on a targetdirectly below her. The target must make asuccessful reflex save (DC 16) or becomealmost weightless and hover about a footabove ground for 3d4 rounds. The targetreceives a -2 penalty to AC and if he/she/it isunable to fly or levitate, it cannot move byitself. To turn 90 degrees in any direction, anon-flying creature that has no solid surfaceto push, needs a full round action. If morethan one Sneak sprinkle hovering dust on thetarget, the duration of both the effects stacks.

Since the floating target weights about 2%of its actual weight, it is easy for the Sneaksto move him around without effort.

More than one sleeping wives havewakened by shouts to find their husbandfloating a foot below the roof for a minute ortwo before he suddenly came crushing down.

By-pass armor (Ex): A sneak attackingwith her blowgun can by-bass the armorbonus of the target creature by taking a -4 tohit rolls. She cannot ignore natural armor,shield bonus, deflection etc. She caneffectively target the tiny bolt (small as aneedle) through armor openings.

Hide in plain sight (Ex): A sneak can take10 in the hide check in any circumstancesand also make a hide check without penaltyeven if it is watched at the time.

Laughing Poison: Sneaks cover theirneedles with a poison they make frommoonlight, flowers and their saliva.

Injury - fortitude DC 17, initial damage: asTasha's hideous laughter for 1d3 +2 rounds,secondary damage: none. Spell resistanceand effects that block 2nd level enchantmenteffects blocks the effect.

Issue 12

The poison is in effect a method to deliver

a spell-like ability and loses its potency iftaken from the sneak's quiver for more than10 minutes.

Sneak Attack (Ex): as a 1st level rogueSpell-like abilities (Sp): Glitter dust 1/

day, invisibility 2/day, object glamour 3/day,deep slumber 1/day. Cast as a 4th level casterwith a DC 12+spell level.

As with all shadow fey, her illusion effectshave an extra +2 DC.

Swordwight Swordwight Swordwight Swordwight Medium Undead (restless)

The swordwight is a withered corpse of asoldier or officer. Its eyes burn with a hatefulred light. The body of the corpse shows thewound that took its life in a gruesomemanner. Black, putrid liquid may ooze out ofa slashing wound; maggots may cover andmove around a bluish bruise in the crackedhead etc.

A swordwight is created when a soldierwith a powerful personality (or perhaps aminor officer) and an evil streak, dies filledwith envy for others that got to live.

A swordwight doesn't hate and blame justthe soldier that killed it and its enemies, butalso its own commanders that put it there, thepoliticians behind the war, its allies thatfailed to protect them, and even fate thatplayed them such an evil trick.

Common examples are soldiers thatbelieved they were destined for somethinggreater than going down on a muddybattlefield, or soldiers that thought the battlethey died in was meaningless.

The restless dead that raises from the graveis full of hate and quickly forsakes the oathsof obedience it may have made and that (byits opinion) lead to its death. Its Craving is torevenge the living for its death. It retainssome of its memories but they are distortedby hate. Loving wives are remembered ascheating, parents are remembered as unfair,distant and cold that led the swordwight toarmy and death, siblings are remembered asjealous etc. Nothing that binds a creature toanother remains in the Swordwight's newpersonality.

Hit Dice: 4d12 +4 (30 hp)

Initiative: +2

Speed: 30 ft

Armor Class: 20 (+2 dex, + 2 natural, +4 armor, +2 shield), touch 12, flat-footed 18

B.Attack/Grapple: +5/+5

Attack: Long sword +7 (1d8+3)

Full Attack: Longsword +7 (1d8+3)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: Gaze of hate, Blade of wrath

Special Qualities: Undead traits, turn resistance +2, Sustain equipment, damage reduction 5/magic

Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +5

Abilities: Str 16, Dex 14, Con -, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 14

Skills: Hide +5, listen +5, move silently +4, spot +5

Feats: Improved toughness, weapon Focus (Longsword)

Environment: Any (near Battlefields)

Challenge Rating: 4

Treasure: Standard

Alignment: Always C. Evil

Advancement: 5-12 HD (Medium)

59

Quoth the Raven

60

However the swordwight doesn't botheritself to revenge those that he used to care foror even hate. That would also be a form ofbinding relationship. In fact, the swordwightwouldn't spend more than a few minutespondering how bad his wife was; it is toooccupied pondering how unjust life was andby its burning need to revenge the living justfor being alive.

Once the swordwight has killed or drivenoff every sentient being near its place ofdeath, it is destroyed. What a swordwightperceives as "near" is different from undeadto undead. Usually it is an area within 2 - 4miles from its place of death.

A swordwight may return to unlifehowever if the area becomes heavilypopulated again with joyful people.

CombatCombatCombatCombat

The swordwight hates joy. If it sees sentientcreatures having a good time, it must make awill save DC 12 (that increases by 2 eachminute) or attack. Also it is intelligentenough to devise plans to disrupt thehappiness of those near its lair, like creepinginto farmhouse, killing just a child and thengo out, leaving its parents and siblingsdespaired and sad by the meaningless loss.

A swordwight attacks poorly armedopponents it believes it can overcome if ithas the chance. It makes use of its gazeattack to weaken foes before getting closefor the kill.

While it is evil, luckily it isn't particularlysadistic.

Sustain equipment (su): Even though itsequipment may seem rusty and fragile, theswordwight's hate sustains its equipment aswell as itself.

While and only when the swordwight usesit, it functions as if its weapon is ofmasterwork quality and all its otherequipment as if of normal quality. Thissalient ability also adds a +2 unholy bonus tosaves its equipment makes, to its hardnessand doubles the equipment's hit points.

Blade of wrath (Su): When attacking acreature belonging to its previous race, theswordwight adds a +1d6 bonus to damage

rolls and a +1 bonus to hit rolls (as if using alesser bane weapon). Half-elves are treatedas both humans and elves for the purpose ofthis ability.

If it successfully damages an opponentwith the Blade of wrath ability, theswordwight heals damage equal to the resultof the 1d6 bonus damage dice.

Gaze of Hate (Su): Humanoids that lookupon the hateful eyes of the swordwight maybe frozen with fear, disgust, hate, sympathyor a combination of the four depending onthe character.

The swordwight has a gaze attack with arange of 30'. A humanoid within rangemeeting the creature's eyes must make a willsave (DC 14, charisma based) or beparalyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. An attack to thecreature breaks the effect immediately.

This is a mind-affecting fear effect. Acreature that makes the save (successful ornot) is immune to the swordwight's gazeattack for the day. A good character takes a -1 penalty to the save while an evil charactertakes a +1 bonus.

In the rare case a character is subject tomore than one swordwight's gaze attacksimultaneously, it makes a single save with a+2 DC for each additional swordwight.

Swordwight warlordSwordwight warlordSwordwight warlordSwordwight warlordMedium Undead (Restless)

Hit Dice: 8d12 +8 (60 hp)

Initiative: +3

Speed: 30 ft

Armor Class: 23 (+3 dex, + 4 natural, +4 armor, +2 shield), touch 13, flat-footed 20

B.Attack/Grapple: +9/+9

Attack: Long sword +10 (1d8+5)

Full Attack: Longsword +10 (1d8+5)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: Gaze of hate, Blade of wrath, command swordwights, ani-mate swordwights

Special Qualities: Undead traits, turn resistance +2, Sustain equipment, damage reduction 10/magic

Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +7

Issue 12

In a rare occasion a more important officer (acaptain or even general) may die nurturingalmost the same feelings as the swordwights.While most of the time such an importantand charismatic personality becomes a ghost,sometimes he becomes a restless dead.

The Warlord also hates his subordinatesfor failing him and letting him die; thatdistinguishes a swordwight warlord from acommon swordwight (except the powers).

A swordwight warlord usually needs to"clear out" a larger area than a swordwight tobe able to rest. The area must be at least 5miles from its place of death and often morethan 10 miles.

CombatCombatCombatCombatThe swordwight warlord uses his enslaved

swordwights without regard for their safetyin his quest to punish the living. Thecombined force of these undead horrors,motivated by a powerful and hateful mindare sure to wreak havoc.

Thankfully the swordwights are a chaotic,so the warlord will be happy to just set upambushes and prepare a battlefield to usewhen the living send their answer to themarauders instead of making complicatelong-term plans.

However few hamlets have the power toresist even an uncoordinated attack by theswordwight army.

Blade of wrath (Su): Same as swordwightbut, the weapon gains a +2 bonus and deals2d6 extra damage (as a normal baneweapon).

Sustain equipment (Su): same asswordwight.

Gaze of Hate (Su): Same as swordwightbut the DC is 19 and the duration is 2d4rounds.

Command swordwights (Su): Thewarlord may attempt to command a freewilled swordwight that is within 30' of itwith a standard action. The Swordwightmust make a will save with a DC 17 orinstantly fall under the influence of thewarlord. If the save is successful theswordwight is immune to the warlordscommand for 24 hours.

Swordwights resent deeply this kind ofcontrol. While they are forced to obey thewarlord's direct commands (even if they aresuicidical) they may make a will save (DC20) to ignore a command. Rememberhowever that if the warlord orders them tokill, they will do so happily.

A swordwight warlord may command anumber of HD of swordwights equal to 4 xits HD (so usually 8 swordwights),regardless if he animated them orconscripted them.

Animate swordwights (sp): Up to twiceper day, a swordwight warlord can try toanimate a swordwight from the corpse of anon-good soldier or guard that didn't receivea proper burial.

Abilities: Str 20, Dex 16, Con -, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16

Skills: Hide +10, listen +10, move silently +10, spot +10, knowl-edge (War) +10

Feats: Improved toughness, weapon Focus (Longsword), ability focus (gaze of hate)

Environment: Any (near Battlefields)

Challenge Rating: 7

Treasure: Standard

Alignment: Always C. Evil

Advancement: 9-12 HD (Medium)

61

Quoth the Raven

62

The swordwight warlord takes a full-roundaction and if there is a suitable corpse within10', it absorbs the negative energy and thecurse and 24 hours later wakes up asswordwight unless it makes a will save (DC17). Since the save is done by the spirit,bonuses from magic equipment don't count.The warlord knows immediately if theprocess succeeded or not.

A swordwight warlord may command anumber of HD of swordwights equal to 4 xits HD (so usually 8 swordwights),regardless if he animated them orconscripted them. A warlord may animatemore swordwights than he can control andthey become free willed. However it usuallydoesn't do it, so it can savor each kill byitself, not sharing with competitors.

The process of animation is usually simplefor the swordwight warlord; it kills guardswhenever it encounters them. Then itcollects the bodies and uses the power. Ifnone seems to be absorbing the curse, it killsmore guards.

Teri (tree spirit)Teri (tree spirit)Teri (tree spirit)Teri (tree spirit)Large Fey

A Teri is a creature resembling a tree-woman. It is 8 to 9' tall, with skin resemblingthe brown tone that leaves in autumn have.Instead of hair and clothes she has vines,green, yellow and brown leaves growing onher. Over her chest, the vines are thick,strong and small thorns produceaggressively. She usually wears a mildlyangry expression and very easily turnshostile against humanoids trespassing on theforest she spawned to protect.

Verbek and Forlorn have their share ofTeri, as has Valachan and Sithicus.Curiously in Tepest very few Teri arereported to exist.

Teri are not shadow fey, but sylvan fey.They are spirits of the forests, angered by theintrusion of mankind and the defilement ofvirgin forests, woodcutting, etc. In essence,when the humans hurt nature, nature strikesback and Teri are its answer.

A chaotic evil fey may attack a human orhumanoid on sight if they carry with themeven a slight hint of civilization (that is ifthey carry anything besides clothes). Even inthe case the humanoids are elven druidsdressed only with rugs, taking care of theforest, the Teri will not tolerate them forlong. It will try to scare them away and maketheir lives as miserable as it can.

A chaotic neutral Teri will watchtrespasser with a bit more tolerance. But itwill attack a party that is "aggressive"against nature. That is, a party that so muchas lights a fire in the wood to cook, orsomeone using an axe to cut down even adead tree.

CombatCombatCombatCombatIf Teri decide to attack, they may do soimmediately but generally prefer using hit-and-run tactics against their opponents andsometimes they just stalk them with thepurpose to hinder them so that another

Hit Dice: 9d6 +18 (49 hp)

Initiative: +8

Speed: 40 ft

Armor Class: 25 (+4 dex, + 9 natural, +3 luck, -1 size), touch 13, flat-footed 21

B.Attack/Grap-ple:

+7/+11

Attack: Club +10 (1d8+7)

Full Attack: Club +10 (1d8+7), slam +8 (1d8+4)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./10 ft.

Special Attacks: Twisting, spell-like abilities

Special Quali-ties:

Luck, wood walk, fire bane, dam-age reduction 10/special, disguise self, SR 16, woodland stride

Saves: Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +7

Abilities: Str 18, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 14

Skills: Concentration +14, move silently +16, hide +12/16, spot +13, listen +13, survival +7/11, knowledge (local) +6

Feats: Improved initiative, multiattack, dodge, mobility, power attack, track

Environment: Woods, forests, jungles

Challenge Rat-ing:

7

Treasure: Standard

Alignment: C. Neutral or C. Evil

Advancement: 10-15 HD (large)

Issue 12

predator of nature may have an easier timefinishing them off. For example if a Teri'stargets were fighting a large werewolf in theforest, the Teri may cast a Bane spell againstthem or a haste spell on the werewolf andthen vanish in the forest.

Damage Reduction (Ex): The Teri retainsits damage reduction against everythingthat's not an alloy or amalgam. Since alloysand amalgams are creations of civilizationthe natural side of the Teri cannot blockthem.

The term amalgam or alloy here isn't takenby the scientific term but covers every mixof metal with metal in substantial amounts.So a silver weapon containing 7% copper orlead (a usual silver weapon) is notconsidered an alloy for the purpose of thisability!

For example bronze, electrum, mithril(steel-silver alloy), etc. bypass the Teri'sdamage reduction.

Disguise self (Sp): A Teri can use thisability 2/day as a 12th level caster. It cantake the appearance of any tree native to theforest the Teri is in. The duration is 8 hours.

Fire Bane (Ex): Fire is much moredangerous for this fey than for othercreatures. Every damaging source does anextra point of damage per dice and the Terihas a -2 penalty to saves against fire. Forexample a flask of greek fire does 2d6 +2 hitpoints of damage in a direct hit against a Teriand it takes a -2 to the reflex save to avoidcatching on fire.

Luck (Ex): Nature's wrath seem to givesupernatural luck to these fey. A Teri gains a+3 luck bonus to AC and hit rolls (alreadycalculated). Also it can reroll a failed saveonce per day.

Spell-like abilities (Sp): As a 9th levelcaster, DC 12 + spell level.

1/day - Bane, command plants.2/day - entangle, haste.Twisting (Su): A hit by the Teri's slam

attack twists and weakens the muscles of aliving creature. Unless the creature makes asuccessful Fortitude save with a DC of 16(constitution based) the muscles seem tocontort and twitch. The creature takes 2

points of strength and 2 points of dexteritydamage, that return at a rate of 1 point eachhour.

Successive hits increase the ability damage(up to 6 points). However the creature'sabilities cannot be lowered beyond 5 withthis ability.

Enchanted club (Su): Any club the Teriuses is treated as a magic weapon and does+3 damage to living creatures (alreadycalculated). This effect ceases the momentthe Teri releases the weapon.

Note that undead and constructs areimmune to this extra damage as they areunnatural creatures. Other creatures that theDM feels are so out of nature that it can'tharm them (perhaps some hags, aberrationsor Darklords) are also immune to this ability.

Wood walking (Su): Teri can walk onwood and plants as if they have the spiderwalk spell.

Woodland stride (Ex): As the 7th levelranger ability.

Skill affinities (Ex): The Teri gains a +4bonus to hide and survival checks in forestsand jungles.

Tombskin (or Unearthed one)Tombskin (or Unearthed one)Tombskin (or Unearthed one)Tombskin (or Unearthed one)Medium Undead (obedient)

Hit Dice: 16d12 +16 (160 hp)

Initiative: +7

Speed: 30 ft.

Armor Class: 24 (+11 natural, +3 dex), touch 21, flat-footed 13

B.Attack/Grapple: +14/+14

Attack: slam +14 melee (1d6+10)

Full Attack: 2 slams +14 (1d6+10)

Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: Stomp, exhalation of the stony doom, crushing blows

Special Qualities: Accuracy, damage reduction 10/stone, fire/cold/electricity resistance 10, spell resistance 20, spider climb, stitching, meld into stone.

Saves: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +10

Abilities: Str 22, Dex 16, Con -, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 14

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The dreadful Tombskin appears as adesicated, hairless human. It's skin has thetexture and color of the stone in which theliving victim was buried. Necromancersvalue these creatures as bodygaurds.

CombatCombatCombatCombatThe intelligence of an unearthed one make

them deadly foes. They are smart enough toflank targets, to avoid attacks of oppertunity,and even to set ambushes.

Tombskins begin combat with their stompattack, then trade blows to lure enemyfighters in close before using theirexhalation attack.

Stomp (Su): By taking a standard action,the Tombskin can make a powerful stomp.Everything within 15' radius must make areflex save DC 24 or take 3d10 bludgeoningdamage and fall prone.

Exhalation of the stony doom (Su):Twice each day, a Tombskin may breath apoisonous cloud in a 10' cube. Anyone in thecloud must attempt fortitude save against aof DC 20 or contract Stony Doom.

Each round, a character afflicted with theDoom takes 2 points of Dex damage (nosave) as he or she is slowly turned to stone.Once he or she reaches 0 dex, the characterdies and is completely pertrified. The spellsRemove Curse or Cure Disease spell stopsthe process, while a Stone to Flesh spell haltsthe progress and also reverses the effects.

A character turned to stone reverts tonormal with all the magical means thatrestore petrified characters. The save ischarisma based (since Undead don't haveconstitution scores).

Crushing blows (Ex): If both slam attackshit the same target in a single round, thecharacter takes an extra 2d6 +9 hit points ofdamage and the Tombskin can make a freebull rush attempt against him withoutprovoking attacks of opportunity.

Accuracy (Ex): The Tombskin gets a +4competence bonus with each slam attack. Ituses it's power attack feat to use this +4 todeal more damage (already calculated).However if it realizes (after a few missedblows) that it is difficult to hit, it stops usingthe power attack.

Spider climb (Sp): The Unearthed one canwalk on any stone surface as if it isconstantly under the effect of a spider walkspell of a 16th level caster. The effect can bedispelled, but it immediately resumes in theobedient's turn.

Meld into stone (sp): 3/day as a 16th levelcaster. The Unearthed one can stay in thestone until the next dawn.

Stiching (Ex): The undead may repairdamaging done to it by scavenging bodyparts. For each mostly intact dead body theTombskin uses, it may restore up to half ofits original hit points. The process takes 4hours to complete for each dead body used.

CreationCreationCreationCreation

To create one of the Unearthed, a powerfulybuilt individual nmust be melded into ablock of stone and left to die.

After three days, the cadaver is releasedfrom the rock and enchanted with thefollowing spells: flesh to stone, stoneskin,fox cunning, bull's strength, meld into stone,cloudkill, true strike, geas, bestow curse andfinally animate dead or create undead.

Skills: Spot +8, listen +8, move silently +5, hide +5

Feats: Improved initiative, improved toughness, alertness, improved bull rush, dodge, mobility, spring attack

Environment: Any

Challenge Rating: 12

Treasure: None

Alignment: Often Neutral Evil

Misty DivineMisty DivineMisty DivineMisty DivineThe Complete Divine in RavenloftThe Complete Divine in RavenloftThe Complete Divine in RavenloftThe Complete Divine in Ravenloft

Mark GraydonMortavius@shaw.ca

ClassesClassesClassesClassesFavored SoulFavored SoulFavored SoulFavored Soul

Because the Favored Soul must alwaysdedicate themselves to a deity, there are noFavored Souls dedicated to the Divinity ofMankind.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Shugenja Shugenja Shugenja Shugenja Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Spirit ShamanSpirit ShamanSpirit ShamanSpirit ShamanSpells: Some spells function differently in

Ravenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Spirit GuideThe Spirit Guide is a Dread Companion, as

described in Classes in Chapter Two of theRavenloft Player's Handbook.

Chastise Spirits: Incorporeal undeadtargeted by this ability gain a +1 bonus totheir Will saving throws to resist the effects.

Detect Spirits: This ability is affected asthe spell Detect Undead as described inAltered Magic in Chapter Three of theRavenloft Player's Handbook.

Spirit Form: Using this ability isdangerous. If the Spirit Shaman is killedwhile in this form, he or she will be doomedto rise as a ghost and may not find rest untilhe or she finishes whatever quest he or shewas on at the time of her death.

Recall Spirit: This ability is affected as thespell Raise Dead as described in AlteredMagic in Chapter Three of the RavenloftPlayer's Handbook.

Weaken Spirits: Like the ability ChastiseSpirits, Incorporeal undead targeted by thisability gain a +1 bonus to their Will saves toresist this ability.

Spirit Journey: This ability is affected asthe spell Shadow Walk, described in AlteredMagic in Chapter Three of the RavenloftPlayer's Handbook.

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Prestige ClassesPrestige ClassesPrestige ClassesPrestige ClassesBlack Flame ZealotBlack Flame ZealotBlack Flame ZealotBlack Flame Zealot

The Black Flame Zealots are a small secretsociety that originated in the domain ofG'Henna. The society began as a sect ofclerics that wanted to create an order ofassassins in the Devourer's name. Since then,the Zealots have small sects in other domainsthat keep in communication with G'Hennaonly sporadically. The domains that held thelargest cells are the city of Necropolis andthe land of Richemulot; both having Clericsas the main members.

Still, there are small cells in Barovia,Falkovnia, Hazlan, and Nova Vassa. Baroviaand Falkovnia often have Rangers inaddition to Clerics in their ranks.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Zealous Heart: This ability still conferscomplete immunity to magical fear, but notto natural Fear. The Zealot instead gains theCourage feat.

Fateful Stride: This ability is affected asthe spell Dimension Door as described inAltered Magic in Chapter Three of theRavenloft Player's Handbook.

Unholy Immolation: Although not a hard-and-fast rule, those killed by this ability areprime candidates to rise as Rushlights.

SergueiSergueiSergueiSerguei

Male G'Hennan Human Cleric5/Rogue5/Black Flame Zealot1: CR 11; MediumHumanoid (Human); HD 5d8+6d6+14 (61hp); Init +2; Spd 30 ft. (6 squares); AC 19,touch 12, flat-footed 19; BA/G +6/+6; S/R 5ft./5 ft.; Atk Kukri +7 melee (1d4+1, 18-20x2) or Composite Shortbow +9 ranged(1d6+1, x3); FA Kukri +7/+2 melee (1d4+1,18-20 x2) or Composite Shortbow +9/+4ranged (1d6+1, x3); SA Death Attack (DC12), Rebuke Undead 2/day, Sneak Attack+3d6, Spells; SQ Aura of Evil & Law,Evasion, Trapfinding, Trap Sense +1,Uncanny Dodge, Zealous Heart; AL LE; SV

Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +13; Str 10, Dex 15,Con 13, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Craft (Stonemasonry)+15, Diplomacy +12, Hide +16, Knowledge(Religion) +11, Move Silently +16,Profession (Miner) +17, Sense Motive +12;Courage, Endurance, Iron Will, Jaded,Martial Weapon Proficiency (Kukri),Toughness

Possessions: Studded Leather +1, LightSteel Shield +2, Kukri +1, CompositeShortbow +1, Arrows +1 (x10), DivineScroll of Cure Light Wounds x5, Potions(Blur, Cure Serious Wounds, Darkvision,Fly, Haste, Levitate, Neutralize Poison x2),Cloak of Resistance +1, Silk Rope x 50',MW Thieves' Tools

Deity: Zhakata; Domains: Destruction(Smite 1/day, +4 to hit, +5 to damage) Fire(Turn Water creatures or Rebuke Firecreatures 2/day)

Cleric Spells: (5/5/4/3; save DC 13 + spelllevel): Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic,Guidance, Read Magic, Resistance; BurningHands, Cause Fear, Cure Light Wounds,Doom, Obscuring Mist; Cure ModerateWounds, Hold Person, Produce Flame,Silence; Contagion, Deeper Darkness, DispelMagic

BlighterBlighterBlighterBlighterBlighters come from any land that hasDruids. There are no other requirements forthis prestige class other than the Druidturning away from nature and her oaths.Many Blighters come from the SouthernCore, as those wild lands harbor many whofollow the ways of nature.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Deforestation: This ability is affected asthe Blight spell as described in AlteredMagic in Chapter Three of the RavenloftPlayer's Handbook with one exception. ThePowers check for this ability is only 1% dueto the lesser effect this power has whencompared with the actual Blight spell.

Issue 12

Undead Wild Shape: This ability is

affected as Transmutation as described inAltered Magic in Chapter Three of theRavenloft Player's Handbook.

Speak with Dead Animal: Using thisability requires a Powers Check.

Contagious Touch: Using this abilityrequires a Powers Check.

Animate Dead Animal: This ability isaffected as the spell Animate Dead asdescribed in Altered Magic in Chapter Threeof the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Unbond: When this ability is usedsuccessfully on Dread Companions theybecome own masters. Their intellect andpersonalities remain, though they have nodesire to please their masters as some DreadCompanions do.

Plague: Using this ability requires aPowers Check with a 10% chance of failure.

CansokeCansokeCansokeCansoke

Female Sebuan Human Druid6/Blighter2:CR 8; Medium Humanoid (Human); HD8d8+8 (47 hp); Init +2; Spd 30 ft. (6squares); AC 19 (20 vs. one opponent),touch 13, flat-footed 17; BA/G +5/+5; S/R 5ft./5 ft.; Atk Shortspear +7 melee (1d6) orSling +8 ranged (1d4); FA Shortspear +7melee (1d6) or Sling +8 ranged (1d4); SABlightfire, Spells; SQ Deforestation,Sustenance; AL CE; SV Fort +8, Ref +2 Will+8; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 17,Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Craft (Basketweaving)+12, Heal +14, Hide +3, Knowledge(Nature) +12, Move Silently +3, Survival+14; Dodge, Endurance, Track, WeaponFocus (Shortspear)

Possessions: Hide armor +1, HeavyWooden Shield, MW Shortspear, Sling, MWBullets (x10), Wand of Cure Light Wounds(8 charges), Bag of Tricks (Gray), Potions ofDarkvision x2, Ring of Protection +1

Blighter Spells: (5/4/1; save DC 13 + spelllevel): Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Flare,Inflict Minor Wounds, Touch of Fatigue;Burning Hands, Doom, Inflict LightWounds, Ray of Enfeeblement; FlamingSphere

Church InquisitorChurch InquisitorChurch InquisitorChurch InquisitorThe Church Inquisitors in Ravenloft comefrom only three small religious groups: thosein the service of Brigantia, the Overseer, andRa. Even with these three small churches,most Inquisitors come from either Darkon (ifthe DM allows the Overseer to grant spells)or Har'Akir.

Ezra has her own Inquisitors in the form ofthe Anchorite Inquisitor (see Heroes ofLight). As she is actually a Lawful Neutraldeity, she is not eligible to have members ofthis prestige class anyways. Likewise,Belenus also has his own Inquisitors, in theform of the Tepestani Inquisitors (seeGazetteer volume V).

Alterations: Detect Evil: This ability ischanged in Ravenloft to Detect Chaos.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

DonkorDonkorDonkorDonkorMale Akiri Human Cleric3/ChurchInquisitor5: CR 8; Medium Humanoid(Human); HD 8d8+16 (55 hp); Init -1; Spd30 ft. (6 squares); AC 13, touch 9, flat-footed13; BA/G +5/+6; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.; Atk Falchion+7 melee (2d4+1, 18-20 x2) or Sling +4ranged (1d4+1); FA Falchion +7 melee(2d4+1, 18-20 x2) or Sling +4 ranged(1d4+1); SA Spells, Turn Undead 4/day; SQAura of Good & Law, Detect Chaos,Immune to Charms & Compulsions, PierceDisguise & Illusions; AL LG; SV Fort +7,Ref +2, Will +11; Str 13, Dex 8, Con 14, Int10, Wis 17, Cha 12.

Skills and Feats: Knowledge (Arcana)+11, Knowledge (Religion) +11, SenseMotive +13, Spellcraft +11; Endurance,Martial Weapon Proficiency (Falchion),Spell Focus (Necromancy), Voice of Wrath

Possessions: Studded Leather +1, MWFalchion, Sling, Bullets (x10), Divine Scrollof Raise Dead, Potions (Fly, Spider Climb),Cloak of Resistance +1, Wand of Cure LightWounds (15 charges)

67

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Deity: Ra; Domains: Good (Cast Goodspells as Clr9), Inquisition (+4 to Dispelchecks), Law (Cast Law spells as Clr9)

Cleric Spells: (6/6/5/5/3; save DC 13 +spell level; 14 + spell level for Necromancy):Create Water, Detect Magic, Guidance,Light, Read Magic, Resistance; Bless, DetectUndead, Hide from Undead, Magic Stone,Protection from Evil, Shield of Faith; AlignWeapon, Consecrate, Owl's Wisdom, SoundBurst, Zone of Truth; Daylight, DetectThoughts, Dispel Magic, Magic Vestment,Searing Light; Death Ward, Greater MagicWeapon, Order's Wrath

Consecrated HarrierConsecrated HarrierConsecrated HarrierConsecrated HarrierThe Consecrated Harriers of Ravenloft comeprimarily from the lands of Dementlieu,Richemulot, and Vorostokov. In the formertwo lands they are often in the service ofEzra, though a Harrier serving Hala is notout of the realm of possibility. Vorostokovhas no native religions, and members of thisclass from that land are often travelers whohave found a lawful religion with which toally themselves.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Implacable Hunt: This ability onlyfunctions while the Harrier and her prey arein the same domain. If the prey leaves thedomain and then re-enters (or the Harrierenters the domain the prey has fled to) thenthe link is reestablished for as long as thetwo are in the same domain.

Faultless Hunt: This ability functionsacross domain borders, but only as long asthey remain open. When the borders areclosed the connection is severed, butreestablishes upon the borders open again.

RankinRankinRankinRankin

Male Dementlieuese Halfling Rogue4/Fighter2/Consecrated Harrier2: CR 8; SmallHumanoid (Human); HD 4d6+4d10+8 (46hp); Init +4; Spd 20 ft. (4 squares); AC 21,touch 15, flat-footed 21; BA/G +7/+4; S/R 5ft./5 ft.; Atk Rapier +13 melee (1d4+2, 18-20

x2) or Pistol +13 ranged (1d10+1, x3); FARapier +13/+8 melee (1d4+2, 18-20 x2) orPistol +13 ranged (1d10+1, x3); SA SneakAttack +2d6; SQ Blessing of Scripture +2,Detect Chaos, Evasion, Sanctified Sight,Trapfinding, Trap Sense +1; AL LN; SV Fort+7, Ref +10, Will +6; Str 12, Dex 19, Con12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Appraise +8, Bluff +8,Craft (Gunsmithing) +7, Decipher Script +8,Diplomacy +8, Disguise +8, Escape Artist+11, Gather Information +8, Knowledge(Local) +10, Sense Motive +7; ExoticWeapon Proficiency (Firearms), LogicalMind, Quick Draw, Track, Weapon Finesse

Possessions: Studded Leather +1, Buckler+1, Rapier +1, MW Pistol, Bullets +1 (x25),Potions (Bear's Endurance, Cure ModerateWounds, Cure Serious Wounds, Darkvision,Haste, Neutralize Poison x2), Cloak ofResistance +1

ContemplativeContemplativeContemplativeContemplativeAs written, this prestige class requires directcontact with a patron deity, a direct servantof that deity, or a being who embodies thehighest principles of an alignment. InRavenloft, such creatures are quite rare, thusthe requirements for this prestige class arerelaxed slightly. A Contemplative maysubstitute contact with the highest memberof one's church as a direct servant of thedeity.

Contemplatives may be found in manylands, serving many different deities. InBarovia they follow Erlin or theMorninglord. Darkonian Contemplativesfollow the Eternal Order or the Overseer. InG'Henna they follow Zhakata. Har'Akir hasContemplatives of the entire Akiri pantheon,while Hazlan and Nova Vassa haveContemplatives of the Lawgiver. In Nidalaand Tepest the Contemplatives followBelenus. And finally Sri Raji hasContemplatives of the entire Rajianpantheon.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Issue 12

Divine Health: The Contemplative is not

immune to diseases from either curses orDarklords.

Mystic Union: If the Contemplative has agood or evil moral alignment, she develops areality wrinkle with an initial radius of 1000feet per level. If the Contemplative fails anypowers checks, consider them failed powerrituals; each failed check adds 1d4corruption points to the Contemplative's totaland halves the wrinkle's radius. See Fiends inChapter Five of the Ravenloft Player'sHandbook for more details.

SimonaSimonaSimonaSimonaFemale Barovian Human Cleric10/Contemplative1: CR 11; Medium Humanoid(Human); HD 10d8+1d6+11 (63 hp); Init -1;Spd 20 ft. (4 squares); AC 21 (22 vs. oneopponent), touch 10, flat-footed 21; BA/G+7/+8; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.; Atk Shortspear +9melee (1d6+1) or Light Crossbow +6 ranged(1d8, 19-20 x2); FA Shortspear +9/+4 melee(1d6+1) or Light Crossbow +6 ranged (1d8,19-20 x2); SA Spells, Turn Undead 8/day;SQ Aura of Chaos & Good, Divine Health;AL CG; SV Fort +12, Ref +3, Will +14; Str13, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 19, Cha 12.

Skills and Feats: Craft (Carpentry) +14,Knowledge (Religion) +14, Profession(Lumberjack) +18; Dodge, EtherealEmpathy, Extra Turning, Great Fortitude,Spell Focus (Abjuration)

Possessions: Half-Plate +1, Heavy SteelShield +1, MW Shortspear, Light Crossbow,Bolts (x10), Divine Scrolls (Ethereal Jaunt,Raise Dead, Wind Walk), Potions (Fly,Heroism), Cloak of Resistance +1, Ring ofProtection +1, Wand of Hold Person (7charges), Pearl of Wisdom +2, Wand ofSearing Light (46 charges)

Deity: The Morninglord; Domains:Protection (+10 to next saving throw 1/day),Salvation (Take lethal wound for ally 1/day),Sun (Greater Turning 1/day)

Cleric Spells: (6/7/6/6/5/3/2; save DC 14 +spell level; 15 + spell level for Abjuration):Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Guidance,Light, Read Magic, Resistance; Bless, DetectUndead, Divine Favor, Hide from Undead,Protection from Evil, Remove Fear, Shield

of Faith; Align Weapon, Consecrate, Owl'sWisdom, Remove Paralysis, Silence, SoundBurst; Daylight, Dispel Magic, MagicVestment, Prayer, Protection from Energy,Searing Light; Death Ward, DimensionalAnchor, Divine Power, Greater MagicWeapon, Neutralize Poison; DisruptingWeapon, Flame Strike, Hallow; AntimagicField, Undeath to Death

Divine CrusaderDivine CrusaderDivine CrusaderDivine CrusaderThe Divine Crusaders in Ravenloft comemostly from two churches; Hala and theLawgiver. The Crusaders of Hala are oftenfound in Hazlan and Richemulot, while theLawgiver's Crusaders are prominent inHazlan and Nova Vassa. There are two otherlands of note however; Barovia has a fewCrusaders dedicated to Erlin and Har'Akirhas Crusaders dedicated to Set.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Perfect Self: If the Crusader has a good orevil moral alignment, she develops a realitywrinkle with an initial radius of 1000 feet perlevel. If the Crusader fails any powerschecks, consider them failed power rituals;each failed check adds 1d4 corruption pointsto the Crusader's total and halves thewrinkle's radius. See Fiends in Chapter Fiveof the Ravenloft Player's Handbook for moredetails.

GunayGunayGunayGunay

Female Rashemani Human Fighter7/DivineCrusader1: CR 8; Medium Humanoid(Human); HD 7d10+1d8+19 (66 hp); Init +1;Spd 20 ft. (4 squares); AC 21, touch 10, flat-footed 21; BA/G +7/+10; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.; AtkDagger +12 melee (1d4+4 19-20 x2) orComposite Shortbow +10 ranged (1d6+4,x3); FA Dagger +12/+7 melee (1d4+4, 19-20x2) or Composite Shortbow +10/+5 ranged(1d6+4, x3); AL N; SV Fort +8, Ref +4, Will+6; Str 17, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12,Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Intimidate +10,Knowledge (Religion) +6, Ride +12;Combat Casting, Iron Will, Jaded, Mounted

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Combat, Ride-By-Attack, Spirited Charge,Toughness, Weapon Focus (Dagger)

Possessions: Half-Plate +1, Heavy SteelShield +1, Dagger +1, MW CompositeShortbow (Str +3), Arrows +1 (x25), Potions(Bear's Endurance, Cure Moderate Wounds),Cloak of Resistance +1

Divine OracleDivine OracleDivine OracleDivine OracleThe mad prophets also known as DivineOracles often come from G'Henna,Necropolis, or Nidala, worshipping Zhakata,the Eternal Order, or Belenus respectively.The different Oracles often speak of theGods causing their anguish; those inG'Henna say that Zhakata has devoured theirminds, the Eternal Order blames the forcesof Death for giving them horrifying visionsof fatality, and the Nidalans claim thatBelenus' brightness burns their very sanity.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

TullusTullusTullusTullus

Male Necropolitan Zombie Human Cleric5/Divine Oracle3: CR 8; Medium Undead(Augmented Human); HD 8d12+3 (60 hp);Init -2; Spd 30 ft. (6 squares); AC 16, touch8, flat-footed 16; BA/G +4/+6; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.;Atk Slam +6 melee (1d6+2) or Scythe +7melee (2d4+3, x4) or Sling +2 ranged(1d4+2); FA Slam +6 melee (1d6+2) orScythe +7 melee (2d4+3, x4) or Sling +2ranged (1d4+2); SA Rebuke Undead 3/day,Spells; SQ Aura of Evil, DivinationEnhancement, Partial Actions Only,Prescient Sense, Scry Bonus, Trap Sense +1,Undead Traits; AL NE; SV Fort +6, Ref +1,Will +11; Str 15, Dex 6, Con --, Int 10, Wis17, Cha 10.

Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +8, Intimidate+3, Knowledge (Arcana) +11, Knowledge(Religion) +14; Ethereal Empathy,Ghostsight, Martial Weapon Proficiency(Scythe), Skill Focus (Religion), Toughness

Possessions: Breastplate +1, MW Scythe,Sling, Bullets (x10), Divine Scroll of SlayLiving, Potions (Fly, Spider Climb), Cloak

of Resistance +1, Wand of Inflict LightWounds (10 charges)

Deity: The Eternal Order; Domains: Death(Death Touch 1/day; 5d6 vs. target's currentHP), Knowledge & Oracle (Cast Divinationspells as Clr11)

Cleric Spells: (6/6/5/5/3; save DC 13 +spell level): Detect Magic (x2), Guidance,Read Magic, Resistance, Virtue; Doom,Entropic Shield, Identify, Obscuring Mist,Sanctuary, Shield of Faith; Augury,Desecrate, Owl's Wisdom, Silence, SoundBurst; Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, DispelMagic, Locate Object, Magic Vestment,Protection from Energy; Greater MagicWeapon, Scrying, Spell Immunity

EntropomancerEntropomancerEntropomancerEntropomancerAs with many magic-oriented prestigeclasses, the most common domain forEntropomancers is Hazlan, although anequal share come from Necropolis as well. InHazlan, the Entropomancers are mostlyclerics of the Lawgiver who are bent onstudying the properties of entropy to try andharness them to their God's will. InNecropolis the Entropomancers are insteadclerics of the Eternal Order and they see theforces of destruction as a direct correlation totheir own undead state and the Gods theyfollow. Some few even view the entity ofDeath ruling Necropolis as some form ofavatar for entropy, and treat it with a divinereverence.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

ZillaZillaZillaZillaFemale Mulan Human Cleric7/Entropomancer1: CR 8; Medium Humanoid(Human); HD 8d8+16 (55 hp); Init -1; Spd20 ft. (4 squares); AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed20; BA/G +5/+6; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.; AtkMorningstar +7 melee (1d8+1) or LightCrossbow +4 ranged (1d8, 19-20 x2); FAMorningstar +7 melee (1d8+1) or LightCrossbow +4 ranged (1d8, 19-20 x2); SAShard of Entropy 2/day, Rebuke Undead 4/day, Spells; SQ Aura of Evil & Law; AL LE;

Issue 12

SV Fort +12, Ref +2, Will +11; Str 13, Dex8, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 12.

Skills and Feats: Concentration +13,Knowledge (Arcana) +11; Knowledge(Religion) +11; Combat Casting, GreatFortitude, Magical Aptitude, Spell Focus(Conjuration)

Possessions: Half-Plate +1, Heavy SteelShield +1, MW Morningstar, LightCrossbow, Bolts (x10), Divine Scroll ofRaise Dead, Potions (Fly, Spider Climb),Cloak of Resistance +1, Wand of Cure LightWounds (42 charges)

Deity: The Lawgiver; Domains: Bindings(Cast Enchantment: Compulsion as Clr8),Death (Death Touch 1/day; 7d6 vs. target'scurrent HP)

Cleric Spells: (6/6/5/4/2; save DC 13 +spell level): Cure Minor Wounds, DetectMagic, Detect Poison, Guidance, Light,Read Magic; Cause Fear, Command, CureLight Wounds, Doom, Magic Weapon,Shield of Faith; Cure Moderate Wounds,Desecrate, Hold Person, Owl's Wisdom,Sound Burst; Animate Dead, Bestow Curse,Cure Serious Wounds, Dispel Magic; CureCritical Wounds, Hold Monster

EvangelistEvangelistEvangelistEvangelistThe religions of Ravenloft are often quitezealous in their pursuit of followers, and theEvangelists are perfectly suited towardswinning more followers for the deities.Although they are common throughout mostof the Demiplane, they are most commonlyfound in the Slain City of Necropolis. TheEternal Order has suffered a large blow inthe form of the Requiem, and the churchesresponse in Necropolis has been to trainmore and more of the faithful undead in theways of the Evangelist. These folkproselytize to the rest of the undead to tryand win back followers from among thedisenchanted.

Other notable lands that hold Evangelistsare Barovia, Dementlieu, and Nidala. InBarovia they speak of the glories of theMorninglord, or even Erlin. Dementlieu hasEvangelists, but they are not sanctioned bythe churches of Ezra or Hala; instead they

work alone and without support, due to theDementlieu sect of Ezra's withdrawnattitude. Finally, in Nidala, Belenus' will isspoken to the masses, and the divine rightthat Elena Faith-Hold serves in his name.

RagnolRagnolRagnolRagnol

Male Necropolitan Half-Elf Shadow Cleric1/Rogue5/Evangelist2: CR 9; Medium Undead(Augmented Elf, Incorporeal); HD 8d12 (57hp); Init +5; Spd Fly 40 ft. (Good, 8squares); AC 16 (17 vs. one opponent),touch 16, flat-footed 16; BA/G +4/+4; S/R 5ft./5 ft.; Atk Incorporeal Touch +4 melee(1d6 Str damage) FA Incorporeal Touch +4melee (1d6 Str damage); SA Create Spawn,Great Orator (Inspire Dread 2/day), RebukeUndead 3/day, Sneak Attack +3d6, Spells;SQ Aura of Evil, Evasion, Fast Talk,Incorporeal, Trapfinding, Trap Sense +1,Turn Resistance +2, Uncanny Dodge,Undead Traits; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +9,Will +11; Str --, Dex 21, Con --, Int 13, Wis16, Cha 10.

Skills and Feats: Bluff +12, Diplomacy+11, Gather Information +8, Intimidate +12,Knowledge (Religion) +9, Listen +13,Perform (Oratory) +10, Search +9, SenseMotive +13; Dodge, Iron Will, Persuasive,Voice of Wrath

Deity: The Eternal Order; Domains: Death(Death Touch 1/day, 1d6 vs. target's currentHP), Evil (Cast Evil spells as Clr2)

Cleric Spells: (3/3; save DC 13 + spelllevel): Detect Magic, Read Magic,Resistance; Magic Weapon, Protection fromGood, Shield of Faith

GeomancerGeomancerGeomancerGeomancerGeomancers in Ravenloft tread a very fine

line; drawing power and corruption from theDemiplane.

Geomancers are common in Necropolis,the Shadow Rift, Souragne, and Vechor.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Drift: Each stage of Drift increases thecharacter's OR by a number equal to theDrift level. Use only the highest stage of

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Drift the character has reached for thispurpose. Thus, a Geomancer who has aStage 3 Drift has a +3 Outcast Rating. Aswell, in Ravenloft a Geomancer player maychoose what stage of Drift they receive, butthe DM chooses the exact change.

The Drifts that the Geomancer experiencesshould be related to the domain the characteris from (i.e. Geomancers should not gain asmall camel's hump unless they are from adomain that has camels as native animals).Finally, the Geomancer's Drifts shouldalways reflect the corruption of the land.They may well provide a benefit to theGeomancer, but most normal people shouldreact with horror as the Geomancer's body iswarped further and further from normal.

ReneReneReneRene

Male Souragnian Human Druid3/Sorcerer3/Geomancer2: CR 8; Medium Humanoid(Human); HD 3d8+3d4+2d6+8 (39 hp); Init+2; Spd 30 ft. (6 squares); AC 13, touch 13,flat-footed 11; BA/G +4/+3; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.;Atk Sickle +5 melee (1d6-1) or Sling +7ranged (1d4-1); FA Sickle +5 melee (1d6-1)or Sling +7 ranged (1d4-1); SA Spells; SQDrift (green & scaly skin, tangle of shortvines for hair), Ley Lines +1 (Marsh), SpellVersatility 1, Trackless Step, Wild Empathy,Woodland Stride; AL N; SV Fort +8, Ref +4,Will +10; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis13, Cha 16.

Skills and Feats: Craft (Basket weaving)+9, Knowledge (Arcana) +9, Knowledge(Nature) +10, Profession (Herbalist) +8,Survival +11, Swim +7; Ethereal Empathy,Ghostsight, Spell Focus (Necromancy),Weapon Focus (Sickle)

Possessions: MW Sickle, MW Sling, MWBullets (x10), Divine Scrolls (Barkskin x2,Flaming Sphere x2, Heat Metal, WarpWood), Potions (Blur, Cat's Grace, CureModerate Wounds), Wand of Cure LightWounds (3 charges), Quaal's Feather Token -Tree x2, Phylactery of Faithfulness, ArcaneScroll of Invisibility, Bracers of Armor +1,Wand of Magic Missile (24 charges)

Druid Spells: (4/3/1; save DC 11 + spelllevel; 12 + spell level for Necromancy):

Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Poison, Flare,Light; Cure Light Wounds, Magic Stone,Produce Flame; Flaming Sphere

Sorcerer Spells: (6/6; save DC 13 + spelllevel; 14 + spell level for Necromancy):Detect Magic, Disrupt Undead, Ray of Frost,Read Magic, Touch of Fatigue; Cause Fear,Mage Armor, Ray of Enfeeblement

Holy LiberatorHoly LiberatorHoly LiberatorHoly LiberatorAs is normal for them, the Holy Liberators ofRavenloft are loners, and very oftentravelers. It is not uncommon for a Liberatorto escape his homeland, see what other landshave to offer, and then return to free hispeople from the tyrannical rule of a Darklordor other evil being.

Holy Liberators are most common in thelands of Dementlieu, Hazlan, Necropolis andRichemulot. In Dementlieu they are often atodds with the criminal element of the city, inparticular the notorious crime boss knownonly as the "Brain." Hazlan sees RashemaniHoly Liberators fighting guerrilla warsagainst the Mulan ruling class. Necropoliscounts few Holy Liberators; most aremembers of the Eternal Order who arefighting back against Death and rememberthe original purpose of their religion (seeGazetteer Volume II for more info). Finally,the Richemuloise Liberators fight against theWererats colonies that infest the cities.

The above are not the only domains thatHoly Liberators may be found; merely thelands with those warriors most common.They are also found fighting tyranny inBorca, G'Henna, Odiare, Pharazia, and theShadow Rift.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Detect Evil: In Ravenloft this ability ischanged to mimic the spell Detect Law.

Celestial Companion: In Ravenloft thecompanion that the Holy Liberator calls is aDread Companion, and a normal animal (nota Celestial creature). It still gains all theabilities such as Empathic Link, ImprovedEvasion and such however.

Issue 12

SicartSicartSicartSicart

Male Richemuloise Half-Vistani (Naiat)Bard7/Holy Liberator1: CR 8; MediumHumanoid (Human); HD 7d6+1d10+8 (40hp); Init +1; Spd 30 ft. (6 squares); AC 15,touch 11, flat-footed 14; BA/G +6/+6; S/R 5ft./5 ft.; Atk Rapier +7 melee (1d6, 18-20 x2)or Musket +9 ranged (1d12, x3); FA Rapier+7/+2 melee (1d6, 18-20 x2) or Musket +9ranged (1d12, x3); SA Bardic Music 7/day(Countersong, Fascinate, InspireCompetence, Inspire Courage +1,Suggestion), Detect Law, Smite Evil 1/day,Spells; SQ Aura of Good, BardicKnowledge, Moon Madness, RemoveFatigue 5/day; AL CG; SV Fort +5, Ref +6,Will +7; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 14, Wis10, Cha 15.

Skills and Feats: Bluff +11, Diplomacy+11, Disguise +12, Gather Information +11,Hide +11, Listen +10, Move Silently +11,Perform (Oratory) +13, Sense Motive +10;Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Firearms), IronWill, Weapon Focus (Musket)

Possessions: MW Studded Leather, MWRapier, MW Musket, Bullets (x10), Potions(Cure Serious Wounds x3, Eagle's Splendorx2, Fly, Tongues x2), Wand of SummonMonster I (34 charges), Amulet of NaturalArmor +1

Bard Spells: (3/4/3; save DC 12 + spelllevel): Detect Magic, Flare, Light, Lullaby,Read Magic, Resistance; Cure LightWounds, Disguise Self, Expeditious Retreat,Sleep; Cure Moderate Wounds, Eagle'sSplendor, Hold Person, Invisibility

HospitalerHospitalerHospitalerHospitalerHospitalers come most naturally from thehorse-riding cultures of Ravenloft. Thus, it'sno surprise that the majority come fromNova Vassa. In that land they are servants ofthe Lawgiver, tending to those who arefaithful to the doctrine of obedience.

Other lands that have Hospitalers are thesouthern land of Hazlan and distant Pharazia.Hazlan also has Hospitalers that serve theLawgiver, while Pharazia's Hospitalers areoften outlaw clerics serving the Akiri

pantheon in secret, defying Diamabel's edictsand living in secret.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

SofieSofieSofieSofie

Female Nova Vassan Human Cleric4/Fighter2/Hospitaler2: CR 8; MediumHumanoid (Human); HD 6d8+2d10+16 (55hp); Init -1; Spd 20 ft. (4 squares); AC 17,touch 9, flat-footed 17; BA/G +7/+8; S/R 5ft./5 ft.; Atk Heavy Flail +10 melee (1d10+2,19-20 x2) or Composite Shortbow +7 ranged(1d6+2, x3); FA Heavy Flail +10/+5 melee(1d10+2, 19-20 x2) or Composite Shortbow+7/+2 ranged (1d6+2, x3); SA RebukeUndead 4/day, Spells; SQ Aura of Evil &Law, Lay on Hands (2 hp/day); AL LE; SVFort +15, Ref +1, Will +10; Str 13, Dex 8,Con 14, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 12.

Skills and Feats: Handle Animal +9,Knowledge (Religion) +9, Ride +7; GreatFortitude, Iron Will, Mounted Archery,Mounted Combat, Quick Draw, Ride-By-Attack, Weapon Focus (Heavy Flail)

Possessions: Half-Plate +1, Heavy Flail+1, MW Composite Shortbow (Str+1),Arrows +1 (x25), Divine Scrolls (Bear'sEndurance, Cure Light Wounds x5, CureModerate Wounds, Silence), Potions (Blur,Fly, Levitate), Cloak of Resistance +1

Deity: The Lawgiver; Domains: Evil (CastEvil spells as Clr6), Law (Cast Law spells asClr6)

Cleric Spells: (5/5/4/3; save DC 13 + spelllevel): Cure Minor Wounds x2, DetectPoison, Light, Resistance; Cure LightWounds x2, Protection from Chaos,Sanctuary, Shield of Faith; Calm Emotions,Cure Moderate Wounds, Delay Poison,Lesser Restoration; Cure Serious Wounds,Magic Circle Against Chaos, RemoveBlindness/Deafness

Pious TemplarPious TemplarPious TemplarPious TemplarOnly the most religious domains spawnPious Templars, and thus they are most oftenfound in Barovia, Har'Akir, Hazlan, or NovaVassa. The Barovians are most often

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Templars of Erlin or Ezra, while Har'Akirhas Templars of Set. Hazlan and Nova Vassaboth have Templars of the Lawgiver, andHazlan also has Templars to Hala.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Hathor-SakmetHathor-SakmetHathor-SakmetHathor-Sakmet

Female Akiri Caliban Cleric1/Fighter5/PiousTemplar2: CR 8; Medium Humanoid(Caliban); HD 1d8+7d10+16 (62 hp); Init+1; Spd 20 ft. (4 squares); AC 18, touch 11,flat-footed 17; BA/G +7/+11; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.;Atk Short Sword +13 melee (1d6+7, 19-20x2) or Composite Shortbow +9 ranged(1d6+5, x3); FA Short Sword +13/+8 melee(1d6+7, 19-20 x2) or Composite Shortbow+9/+4 ranged (1d6+5, x3); SA Smite 1/day,Spells; SQ Aura of Evil & Law, Dakrvision60 ft., Mettle, Rebuke Undead 2/day; ALLE; SV Fort +14, Ref +3, Will +8; Str 19,Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Knowledge (Religion)+5, Ride +6; Endurance, Great Fortitude,Jaded, True Believer, Weapon Focus (ShortSword), Weapon Specialization (ShortSword)

Possessions: Hide Armor +1, HeavyWooden Shield +1, Short Sword +1, MWComposite Shortbow (Str +4), Arrows +1(x25), Potions (Bear's Endurance, CureModerate Wounds), Cloak of Resistance +1,Divine Scroll of Protection from Energy

Deity: Set; Domains: Death (Death Touch1/day; 1d6 vs. target's current HP), Evil(Cast Evil spells as Clr2)

Cleric Spells: (3/3; save DC 11 + spelllevel): Cure Minor Wounds, Guidance,Resistance; Cause Fear, Cure Light Wounds,Shield of Faith

Templar Spells: (2; save DC 11 + spelllevel): Corrupt Weapon, Doom

Radiant ServantRadiant ServantRadiant ServantRadiant ServantIn Ravenloft these characters often refer tothemselves and each other simply as RadiantServants, or Radiant Servants of theirrespective deities. They may come fromthree different deities, namely Belenus, the

Morninglord, and Ra. Despite this variation,there are fewer Radiant Servants of Ra thanof Belenus and the Morninglord, meaningthat most Servants come from Barovia andTepest (Nidala also has few Servants).

Radiant Servants of the Morninglord arerevered for their healing abilities and theirprowess at hunting the undead that hauntBarovia's landscape. In Tepest the RadiantServants are afforded respect for theirhealing, but their deviation of hunting theundead is viewed less positively. While theymay be tolerated, Radiant Servants in Tepestare discouraged, and encouraged instead toreturn to hunting the fey.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Divine Health: The Radiant Servant is notimmune to diseases spawned from curses orDarklords.

Empower Healing, Maximize Healing,and Supreme Healing: There are not deitiesin Ravenloft that grant both the Healing andthe Sun domains. As such, these abilitiesextend to any spell that is listed in theHealing domain, but not necessarily cast as adomain spell. For example, in Ravenloft theRadiant Servant who casts a Cure LightWounds spell gains the benefits of theEmpower Healing, Maximize Healing, andSupreme Healing abilities if he is highenough level. The only restriction to this isthe spell must be memorized and cast;spontaneously converted spells are notsubject to this ability.

EamonEamonEamonEamonMale Tepestani Human Cleric6/RadiantServant2: CR 8; Medium Humanoid(Human); HD 6d8+2d6+16 (53 hp); Init -1;Spd 20 ft. (4 squares); AC 19, touch 9, flat-footed 19; BA/G +5/+6; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.; AtkSickle +7 melee (1d6+1) or Light Crossbow+4 ranged (1d8, 19-20 x2); FA Sickle +7melee (1d6+1) or Light Crossbow +4 ranged(1d8, 19-20 x2); SA Spells, Turn Undead 7/day; SQ Aura of Good, Radiance; AL NG;SV Fort +13, Ref +2, Will +12; Str 13, Dex8, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 12.

Issue 12

Skills and Feats: Heal +14, Knowledge

(Religion) +11, Spot +8; Extra Turning,Ghostsight, Great Fortitude, WardingGesture (Undead)

Possessions: Banded Mail +1, Heavy SteelShield +1, MW Sickle, Light Crossbow,Bolts (x10), Divine Scroll of Raise Dead,Potions (Fly, Spider Climb), Cloak ofResistance +1, Wand of Cure Light Wounds(34 charges)

Deity: Belenus; Domains: Good (CastGood spells as Clr9), Sun (Greater Turning4/day)

Cleric Spells: (6/6/5/5/3; save DC 13 +spell level): Detect Magic, Detect Poison,Light (x2), Read Magic, Resistance; Bless,Bless Water, Detect Undead, MagicWeapon, Protection from Evil, Shield ofFaith; Aid, Consecrate, Lesser Restoration,Owl's Wisdom, Remove Paralysis; Daylight,Invisibility Purge, Magic Vestment, RemoveDisease, Searing Light; Death Ward, HolySmite, Restoration

Rainbow ServantRainbow ServantRainbow ServantRainbow ServantIn the deep jungles of Sri Raji ancient secretslie undisturbed by most. A few however,have found hidden ziggurats longabandoned, and in studying the ancientwritings have discovered secrets longforgotten. The temples describe wingedserpents of great wisdom, friendly to manand foes of evil. The Rainbow Serpents arethose who have dedicated their lives to thepursuits of these winged serpents, andfollowing the teachings they have leftbehind. In such a strict pursuit of theserpent's ideals, the Rainbow Servants havefound wondrous changes affect them.

Detect Evil: In Ravenloft this ability ischanged to the ability to detect the truenature of evil outsiders, as a Paladin.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Detect Thoughts: This ability is modifiedas the spell of the same name, as described inunder Altered Magic in chapter three of theRavenloft Player's Handbook.

AnantaAnantaAnantaAnantaFemale Rajian Human Wizard5/RainbowServant3: CR 8; Medium Humanoid(Human); HD 8d4+8 (29 hp); Init +2; Spd 30ft. (6 squares); AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed12; BA/G +3/+3; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.; AtkQuarterstaff +3 melee (1d6); FA Quarterstaff+3 melee (1d6); SA Spells; SQ Detect EvilOutsiders; AL NG; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will+9; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 17, Wis 12,Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Craft (Gem cutting) +5,Diplomacy +10, Handle Animal +4,Knowledge (Arcana) +14, Knowledge(Nobility & Royalty) +11, Knowledge(Religion) +11, Sleight of Hand +13;Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm,Reincarnated (Sleight of Hand), ScribeScroll, Voice of Wrath

Possessions: Quarterstaff, Arcane Scrolls(Charm Monster (x2), Fireball 7th-levelCaster), Potion of Cure Serious Wounds,Bracers of Armor +1, Cloak of Resistance+1, Ring of Protection +1, Wand of MagicMissile (9th-level Caster, 30 charges)

Domain: Good (Cast Good spells as Wiz8)Wizard Spells: (4/5/4/3/1; save DC 13 +

spell level): Acid Splash, Daze, DisruptUndead, Resistance; Color Spray, MagicMissile, Magic Weapon, Protection fromEvil, Shield; Blur, Fox's Cunning, HypnoticPattern, Melf's Acid Arrow; Arcane Sight,Displacement, Lightning Bolt; Holy Smite

Sacred ExorcistSacred ExorcistSacred ExorcistSacred ExorcistSacred Exorcists are very rare in Ravenloft,but very suited to the land and its trials. Onemust have extensive knowledge of otherworlds to take this class, and no native to theDemiplane has such knowledge availableeasily.

However, it is still not impossible tobecome a Sacred Exorcist, and they areaccepted by many churches across the lands.The religions of Belenus, Brigantia, Daghda,Diancecht, Ezra, Hala, Lugh, Manannammac Lir, the Morninglord, Osiris, theOverseer, Ra, and Tvashtri all sponsorExorcists. Even though this class is rare, theyare most commonly found in Barovia,

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Darkon, Har'Akir, Hazlan, Mordent, Nidala,Sri Raji, and Tepest.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Exorcism: Incorporeal undead gain a +1bonus to the DC that the Exorcist must maketo excise a spirit.

Detect Evil: This ability is changed to theability to detect the true nature of EvilOutsiders, as a Paladin.

Dispel Evil: This ability is affected as thespell of the same name as described underAltered Magic in chapter three of theRavenloft Player's Handbook.

Consecrated Presence: This ability isaffected as the spell Consecrate as describedunder Altered Magic in chapter three of theRavenloft Player's Handbook.

Tabitha ThatcherTabitha ThatcherTabitha ThatcherTabitha ThatcherFemale Mordentish Human Cleric17/SacredExorcist1: CR 18; Medium Humanoid(Human); HD 18d8+36 (120 hp); Init +0;Spd 20 ft. (4 squares); AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 23; BA/G +12/+13; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.; AtkLongsword +14 melee (1d8+2, 19-20 x2) orPistol +14 ranged (1d10+1, x3); FALongsword +14/+9/+4 melee (1d8+2, 19-20x2) or Pistol +14 ranged (1d10+1, x3); SAExorcism, Spells, Turn Undead 7/day; SQAura of Good & Law; AL LG; SV Fort +17,Ref +8, Will +22; Str 13, Dex 10, Con 14, Int10, Wis 25, Cha 12.

Skills and Feats: Heal +28, Knowledge(The Planes) +10, Knowledge (Religion)+21; Cold One, Ethereal Empathy, ExoticWeapon Proficiency (Firearms), ExtraTurning, Ghostsight, Great Fortitude,Martial Weapon Proficiency (Longsword),Weapon Focus (Pistol)

Possessions: Breastplate +2, Heavy SteelShield +2, Longsword +1, Pistol, Bullets +1(x10), Divine Scrolls (Antilife Shell,Etherealness, Implosion, Mass Heal,Resurrection (x2), True Resurrection (x2)),Ring of Protection +1, Amulet of NaturalArmor +1, Gloves of Dexterity +2, Wand of

Searing Light (10th-level Caster, 20charges), Cloak of Resistance +3, Pearl ofWisdom +6, Ring of Blinking

Deity: Ezra; Domains: Healing (CastHealing spells as Clr19), Mists (Shield ofEzra 1/day; DR 25/magic vs. metal)

Cleric Spells: (6/8/8/8/7/6/6/5/4/3; saveDC 17 + spell level): Detect Magic, DetectPoison, Guidance, Light, Read Magic,Resistance; Bless, Detect Undead, DivineFavor, Doom, Obscuring Mist, Protectionfrom Evil, Remove Fear, Shield of Faith;Aid, Align Weapon, Consecrate, Fog Cloud,Lesser Restoration, Owl's Wisdom, Silence,Sound Burst; Daylight, Dispel Magic,Gaseous Form, Invisibility Purge, MagicVestment, Remove Curse, Remove Disease,Searing Light; Death Ward, DimensionalAnchor, Divine Power, Greater MagicWeapon, Neutralize Poison, Restoration,Solid Fog; Break Enchantment, Dispel Evil,Disrupting Weapon, Flame Strike, Hallow,Mind Fog; Blade Barrier, Find the Path,Greater Dispel Magic, Heal, Undeath toDeath, Wind Walk; Dictum, Holy Word,Greater Restoration, Greater Teleport,Regenerate; Fire Storm, Holy Aura, Shieldof Law, Vanish; Imprisonment, Mass Heal,Miracle

Sacred FistSacred FistSacred FistSacred FistParidon was the origin domain for the SacredFists, with the first members coming fromthe church of the Divinity of Mankind. Sincethen however, it has spread to otherreligions, and now Sacred Fists are morecommonly found in Sri Raji, following thelawful deities of the Rajian pantheon.

One other domain that has Sacred Fists isHazlan, with a cabal working in concert withthe church of the Lawgiver. As is the casewith such a magical domain, these SacredFists blend their martial training with divinemysticism.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Issue 12

AllardAllardAllardAllard

Male Paridoner Human Cleric2/Monk4/Sacred Fist2: CR 8; Medium Humanoid(Human); HD 8d8+8 (47 hp); Init +1; Spd 30ft. (6 squares); AC 16, touch 15, flat-footed15; BA/G +6/+8; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.; AtkUnarmed +8 melee (1d8+2); FA Unarmed+8/+3 melee (1d8+2) or Flurry of Blows +6/+6/+1 melee (1d8+2); SA Ki Strike (Magic),Spells, Turn Undead 2/day; SQ Aura of Law,Evasion, Slow Fall 20 ft., Still Mind; ALLN; SV Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +11; Str 14,Dex 13, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Hide +3, Knowledge(Religion) +9, Move Silently +10,Profession (Scribe) +13, Sense Motive +12;Blind-Fight, Combat Casting, CombatReflexes, Deflect Arrows, ImprovedGrapple, Improved Unarmed Strike,Stunning Fist

Possessions: Divine Scrolls (Cure LightWounds (x3), Protection from Energy),Potions (Blur, Cure Moderate Wounds,Levitate), Bracers of Armor +1, Cloak ofResistance +1

Deity: The Divinity of Mankind; Domains:Knowledge (Cast Divination spells as Clr5),Strength (+2 Str 1/day for 1 round)

Cleric Spells: (5/5/4; save DC 13 + spelllevel): Detect Poison, Guidance, Light,Resistance, Virtue; Bless, Cause Fear, DetectSecret Doors, Protection from Evil, Shield ofFaith; Aid, Bull's Strength, Owl's Wisdom,Sound Burst

Seeker of the Misty IsleSeeker of the Misty IsleSeeker of the Misty IsleSeeker of the Misty IsleAs presented, this prestige class does notexist in Ravenloft, because of the lack ofworship and myth about the deities CorellonLarethian, Gruumsh, and Kurtulmak.

Having said that, many Seekers of theMisty Isle have come to Ravenloft in theirtime, searching for their ancient hiddenhomeland. The connection that theDemiplane has with the Mists is not lost onthe elves, and although some have knownthat to enter the domains means they cannever come home, still they come, searchingforever for their lost brethren.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Find the Path: This ability is affected as thespell of the same name as described underAltered Magic in chapter three of theRavenloft Player's Handbook.

Arcane Sight: This ability is affected asthe spell of the same name as describedunder Altered Magic in chapter three of theRavenloft Player's Handbook.

Discern Location: This ability is affectedas the spell of the same name as describedunder Altered Magic in chapter three of theRavenloft Player's Handbook.

Shining WeaponsShining WeaponsShining WeaponsShining WeaponsIn Ravenloft the Shining Weapons is thegeneric name of this prestige class, as itsfollowers can be counted from manydifferent religions, namely Belenus,Brigantia, Diancecht, Ezra, Manannan macLir, Osiris, the Overseer, Ra, and Yutow.Accordingly, its adherents may be foundmost commonly in the lands of Darkon,Har'Akir, Mordent, Nidala, and Tepest.

Shock Blade: In Ravenloft, the effect ofthis ability is changed to match the deity.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

EstranEstranEstranEstranMale Darkonian Human Cleric4/Fighter4/Shining Weapon1: CR 9; Medium Humanoid(Human); HD 4d8+5d10+18 (67 hp); Init +1;Spd 20 ft. (4 squares); AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 22; BA/G +8/+10; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.; Atk

Deity Weapon

Belenus Frost slashing weapon

Brigantia Defending bludgeoning weapon

Diancecht Merciful piercing or slashing weapon

Ezra Defending slashing weapon

Manannan mac Lir Frost piercing weapon

Osiris Ghost Touch bludgeoning weapon

Overseer Defending slashing weapon

Ra Flaming slashing weapon

Yutow Defending slashing weapon

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Longsword +11 melee (1d8+3, 19-20 x2) orMusket +11 ranged (1d12+1, x3); FALongsword +11/+6 melee (1d8+3, 19-20 x2)or Musket +11 ranged (1d12+1, x3); SADefending Blade 2/day, Spells, Turn Undead2/day; SQ Aura of Good & Law; AL LG; SVFort +12, Ref +4, Will +10; Str 14, Dex 12,Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Bluff +0, Diplomacy +7,Gather Information +4, Knowledge (Arcana)+7, Knowledge (Religion) +9; AncestralLegacy, Blind-Fight, Cold One, ExoticWeapon Proficiency (Firearms), Ghostsight,Haunted, Run, Weapon Focus (Musket)

Possessions: Full Plate +1, Heavy SteelShield +1, Longsword +1, Musket +1,Bullets +1 (x25), Divine Scroll of Cure LightWounds (x5), Potions (Bear's Endurance,Blur, Cure Moderate Wounds, Fly, Levitate),Cloak of Resistance +1

Deity: The Overseer; Domains: Good(Cast Good spells as Clr5), Protection(Protective Ward; +4 to next saving throwfor 1 hour; 1/day)

Cleric Spells: (5/5/4; save DC 13 + spelllevel): Detect Magic, Detect Poison,Guidance, Light, Read Magic; DetectUndead, Divine Favor, Hide from Undead,Protection from Evil, Shield of Faith; AlignWeapon, Hold Person, Owl's Wisdom,Shield Other

StormlordStormlordStormlordStormlordThe Stormlords of Ravenloft do not reverethe god Talos, but instead revere eithernature in general or Hala specifically. Theyare found in the greatest quantities in thesmall land of Forlorn, where a number of theDruids have taken up these powers in aneffort to fight the Solleyder, their ancientenemy, as well as the Goblyns.

Stormlords are found to a lesser extent inBarovia and Mordent (where they serve asclerics of Hala), Lamordia (where they arerangers), and Sebua, Sithicus, and Verbrek(where they are Druids).

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

KennethKennethKennethKennethMale Forfarian Human Druid6/Stormlord2:CR 8; Medium Humanoid (Human); HD8d8+8 (47 hp); Init +2; Spd 30 ft. (6squares); AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 17;BA/G +5/+5; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.; Atk Shortspear+7 melee (1d6+1d6 electricity) or Sling +8ranged (1d4); FA Shortspear +7 melee(1d6+1d6 electricity) or Sling +8 ranged(1d4); SA Enhanced Javelins +1, ShockWeapon, Spells; SQ Electricity Resistance 5,Resist Nature's Lure, Trackless Step, WildEmpathy, Wild Shape 2/day, WoodlandStride; AL N; SV Fort +11, Ref +4, Will+11; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 17,Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Climb +5, Handle Animal+8, Jump +5, Knowledge (Nature) +14,Sense Motive +8, Survival +16; Endurance,Great Fortitude, Redhead (Endure Elements1/day), Weapon Focus (Shortspear)

Possessions: Studded Leather +1, HeavyWooden Shield, MW Shortspear, Sling, MWBullets (x10), Divine Scrolls (Flame Strike(x2), Reincarnate (x2), Sleet Storm (x2)),Wand of Cure Light Wounds (7 charges),Quaal's Feather Token - Tree (x2),Phylactery of Faithfulness, Bag of Tricks -Gray, Potions of Darkvision (x2), Ring ofProtection +1

Druid Spells: (6/5/4/4/2; save DC 13 +spell level): Cure Minor Wounds, DetectMagic, Detect Poison, Flare, Light,Resistance; Calm Animals, Cure LightWounds, Faerie Fire, Magic Stone, ProduceFlame; Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind, Owl'sWisdom, Resist Energy; Call Lightning,Cure Moderate Wounds, Protection fromEnergy, Sleet Storm; Cure Serious Wounds,Ice Storm

Temple RaiderTemple RaiderTemple RaiderTemple RaiderThere are no deities in Ravenloft dedicatedto rogues, thieves, or secret knowledge, sothere are no native Temple Raiders.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Issue 12

Ur-PriestUr-PriestUr-PriestUr-Priest

Ur-Priests in Ravenloft have an easier timeof it than in other lands. In Ravenloft, directdeity intervention is almost nonexistent, andso the Ur-Priests are not afraid to gathertogether in small cults, dedicated tooverthrowing the pretenders who revel intheir worship by mortals.

Ur-Priests are most commonly found inHazlan and Necropolis. In Hazlan they areoften ex-clerics of Hala or the Lawgiver, orelse they are often Wizards dedicated toousting the church of the Lawgiver from theland. Such people must be careful not arouseHazlik's suspicions, as the church assanctioned in the domain. In Necropolis, TheUr-Priests are dedicated to defaming theEternal Order, and instead believe thecreature Death to be their only true ruler.

Ur-Priests may be found to a lesser extentin the Shadow Rift as well. They are veryoften strange, lonely Arak. Because theydenounce the Gods, they must firstacknowledge their existence, and most Arakdo not contemplate matters of faith for anygreat length of time anyways.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Steal Spell-Like Ability: If the spell-likeability in question requires a Powers Checkupon use, then the Ur-Priest must make aPowers Check whenever he uses the abilityas normal.

MarcusMarcusMarcusMarcus

Male Mulan Human Wizard9/Ur-Priest1: CR10; Medium Humanoid (Human); HD9d4+1d8+10 (38 hp); Init +2; Spd 30 ft. (6squares); AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 13;BA/G +4/+4; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.; Atk Quarterstaff+4 melee (1d6) or Light Crossbow +7 ranged(1d8, 19-20 x2); FA Quarterstaff +4 melee(1d6) or Light Crossbow +7 ranged (1d8, 19-20 x2); SA Spells; AL LE; SV Fort +5, Ref+6, Will +12; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 17,Wis 12, Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Bluff +6, Concentration+14, Knowledge (Arcana) +16, Knowledge(The Planes) +9, Knowledge (Religion) +16,

Spellcraft +16; Combat Casting, Iron Will,Jaded, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Evil,Evocation), Voice of Wrath

Possessions: Quarterstaff, MW LightCrossbow, MW Bolts (x10), Arcane Scrolls(Fireball 10th-level Caster, Flesh to Stone,Teleport), Potion of Haste, Cloak ofResistance +1, Ring of Protection +1,Bracers of Armor +2, Wand of LightningBolt (6 charges)

Wizard Spells: (4/5/5/4/2/1; save DC 13 +spell level, 14 + spell level for Evil orEvocation): Detect Magic, Flare, Light, Rayof Frost; Burning Hands, Detect Undead,Magic Missile, Magic Weapon, Shield;Darkness, Fox's Cunning, Melf's AcidArrow, Scorching Ray, See Invisibility;Arcane Sight, Haste, Lightning Bolt,Summon Monster III; Ice Storm, Rary'sMnemonic Enhancer; Cone of Cold

Ur-Priest Spells: (4/3; save DC 11 + spelllevel, 12 + spell level for Evil or Evocation;Caster level 5): Cure Minor Wounds, DetectMagic, Inflict Minor Wounds, Read Magic,Resistance; Command, Cure Light Wounds,Protection from Good

Void DiscipleVoid DiscipleVoid DiscipleVoid DiscipleOnly the lands where magical training isencouraged are there any Void Disciples.Originally, this prestige class came fromRokushima Taiyoo, where the Shugenjathere practiced it from ancient times. Theirteachings spread, and now Void Disciples aremost commonly found in Hazlan, theShadow Rift, and Sithicus.

The church of Hala has a uniqueperception of this class. They feel that theVoid is in fact the Weave, and often call itsadherents Weave Disciples.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

Sense Void: This ability is affected asdescribed under "Divination: Scrying" inAltered Magic in chapter three of theRavenloft Player's Handbook. This abilitycannot cross a domain border, whether it isopen or closed. At 5th level, instead ofDetect Evil, the Void Disciple gains the

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ability to detect evil outsiders, as a Paladin.The Detect Thoughts power is affected as thespell of the same name as described underAltered Magic in chapter three of theRavenloft Player's Handbook.

Void Strike: Using this ability incurs a 4%Powers Check.

QillatheQillatheQillatheQillatheFemale Sithican Elf Wizard5/Void Disciple3:CR 8; Medium Humanoid (Elf); HD5d4+3d6 (24 hp); Init +3; Spd 30 ft. (6squares); AC 15 (16 vs. one opponent),touch 14, flat-footed 12; BA/G +3/+3; S/R 5ft./5 ft.; Atk Longsword +3 melee (1d8, 19-20 x2) or Composite Longbow +7 (+8 within30 ft.) ranged (1d8, x3); FA Longsword +3melee (1d8, 19-20 x2) or CompositeLongbow +7 (+8 within 30 ft.) ranged (1d8,x3); SA Spells; SQ Elf Traits, Sense Void(Physical Senses 2/day); AL NE; SV Fort+3, Ref +6, Will +9; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 11,Int 17, Wis 12, Cha 8.

Skills and Feats: Knowledge (Geography)+14, Knowledge (Local) +14, Knowledge(Nature) +14, Sense Motive +6, Spellcraft+14; Dodge, Heighten Spell, Point BlankShot, Scribe Scroll, Spell Penetration

Possessions: Longsword, MW CompositeLongbow, MW Arrows (x10), ArcaneScrolls (Charm Monster (x2), Fireball 7th-level Caster), Potion of Cure SeriousWounds, Bracers of Armor +1, Cloak ofResistance +1, Ring of Protection +1, Wandof Magic Missile (9th-level Caster, 6charges)

Wizard Spells: (4/4/4/3; save DC 13 + spelllevel): Daze, Detect Magic, Disrupt Undead,Read Magic; Hypnotism, Magic Missile,Magic Weapon, Shield; Daze Monster, Fox'sCunning, Invisibility, Melf's Acid Arrow;Dispel Magic, Hold Person, Slow

WarpriestWarpriestWarpriestWarpriestIn theory, Warpriests can come from theclergy of many different deities, includingBrigantia, the Divinity of Mankind, Ezra,Kali, the Lawgiver, the Morninglord,Morrigan, Osiris, the Overseer, the WolfGod, Yutow, and Zhakata. In practice

however, Warpriests are most commonlyfound in Hazlan, in the service of theLawgiver and less commonly in Borca,Dementlieu, and Richemulot (all in theservice of Ezra) and in G'Henna, followingthe ways of Zhakata.

In Hazlan the Warpriests are members ofthe church of the Lawgiver, and part of theso called "God-Chains" sect that is in chargeof defense of the church and destruction ofits enemies. In Borca, Dementlieu, andRichemulot, the Warpriests are all part of thechurch of Ezra, and are all involved with theTreaty of Four Towers defense pact againstFalkovnia. Finally, the followers of Zhakatain G'Henna are sworn against themongrelmen tribes and bandits of the wastes.

Spells: Some spells function differently inRavenloft. See Altered Magic in ChapterThree of the Ravenloft Player's Handbook.

EnevoldEnevoldEnevoldEnevold

Male Mulan Human Cleric7/Warpriest1: CR8; Medium Humanoid (Human); HD7d8+1d10+16 (56 hp); Init -1; Spd 30 ft. (6squares); AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed 20; BA/G +6/+7; S/R 5 ft./5 ft.; Atk Flail +9 melee(1d8+1) or Light Crossbow +5 ranged (1d8,19-20 x2); FA Flail +9/+4 melee (1d8+1) orLight Crossbow +5 ranged (1d8, 19-20 x2);SA Rebuke Undead 4/day, Spells; SQ Auraof Evil and Law, Rally; AL LE; SV Fort +10,Ref +2, Will +9; Str 13, Dex 8, Con 14, Int10, Wis 17, Cha 12.

Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +12,Knowledge (Religion) +10, Sense Motive+10; Combat Casting, Iron Will, Jaded,Martial Weapon Proficiency (Flail), SpellFocus (Enchantment, Evocation), WeaponFocus (Flail)

Possessions: Half-Plate +1, Heavy SteelShield +1, MW Flail, Light Crossbow, Bolts(x10), Divine Scroll of Raise Dead, Potions(Fly, Spider Climb), Cloak of Resistance +1,Wand of Cure Light Wounds (11 charges)

Deity: The Lawgiver; Domains:Domination, Law (Cast Law spells as Clr8),War

Cleric Spells: (6/6/5/4/2; save DC 13 +spell level): Cure Minor Wounds, DetectPoison, Guidance (x2), Light, Resistance;

Issue 12

Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Divine Favor,Entropic Shield, Magic Weapon, Shield ofFaith; Aid, Align Weapon, Bull's Strength,Cure Moderate Wounds, Spiritual Weapon;Cure Serious Wounds, Dispel Magic, MagicCircle Against Chaos, Prayer; Cure CriticalWounds, Divine Power

Relics & StaffsRelics & StaffsRelics & StaffsRelics & StaffsThe Relics presented in Complete Divine donot natively exist in Ravenloft, due to theabsence of the deities from the Player'sHandbook. Relics are not artifacts, and theyare still subject to the laws of the Demiplaneif they are brought in. If a Relic can cast aspell that is normally altered by the laws ofRavenloft, then the Relic's ability is alsoaltered accordingly.

The magic staves detailed in CompleteDivine are treated in the exact same manneras Relics, when in Ravenloft.

New Cleric DomainsNew Cleric DomainsNew Cleric DomainsNew Cleric DomainsIf the DM wishes, there are some newdomains that can be added to the lists that theRavenloft deities offer, in addition to theirstandard domain selections.

New SpellsNew SpellsNew SpellsNew SpellsAwaken, Mass: As Awaken.Beget Bogun: The Bogun created is a

Dread Companion.Bestow Curse, Greater: This spell can be

used to create curses of any kind, asdescribed for Bestow Curse. The examplecurses are of lethal severity. Casting thisspell requires a powers check with thechance of failure determined by the severityof the curse, not the effective spell level.

Blink, Improved: See Ethereal.Bolt of Glory: In Ravenloft, undead (and

only undead) get a Will saving throw againstthis spell for half damage.

Bottle of Smoke: The horse-like creaturecreated with this spell has the Mists subtype.

Brain Spider: See Enchantment, Mind-Affecting.

Chain of Eyes: This spell does notfunction across a domain border.

Cloudburst: See Weather.Contagious Touch: Casting this spell

requires a powers check.Crown of Glory: See Enchantment, Mind-

Affecting.Curse of Ill Fortune: Casting this spell

requires a 4% powers check, as atroublesome curse.

Curse of Lycanthropy: Lycanthropyinduced by this spell is just as hard toremove as normal lycanthropy. Casting thisspell requires a powers check.

Death Pact: See Teleportation. As RaiseDead. Casting this spell requires a powerscheck.

Decomposition: Casting this spell requiresa powers check.

Dragon Breath: Casting this spell andemulating a chromatic dragon gives you a +1bonus to effective spell level, but requires apowers check.

Dream Sight: While this spell is active,the character is assumed to have theGhostsight feat. Additionally, ghosts andother incorporeal undead can detect thecharacter and can determine that they are not

Deity Domain

The Ancestral Choir Oracle

Belenus Purification

Brigantia Community, Creation

Diancech Pestilence, Purification

Divinity of Mankind Celerity

Erlin Madness

Ezra Inquisition

The Lawgiver Domination, Inquisition

Math Mathonwy Mind

The Morninglord Glory, Liberation, Purification

The Overseer Community, Inquisition

Ra Community, Glory

Tvashtri Creation

The Wolf God Celerity

Yutow Community, Liberation

Zhakata Domination

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true undead. They are often angered by this,and may attack the character.

Golden Barding: The barding summonedby this spell is limited by what would be thebest armor available in the domain inquestion, based on the domain's culturallevel.

Implacable Pursuer: This spell functionsnormally while you and the target are in thesame domain. If the target leaves thedomain, then you are told which domain thetarget went to, but nothing more. Once youcan the target are in the same domain again,the spell functions normally.

Infestation of Maggots: This spellrequires a powers check.

Last Breath: As Raise Dead. Casting thisspell requires a powers check.

Maddening Scream: See Enchantment,Mind-Affecting.

Monstrous Thrall: See Enchantment,Mind-Affecting.

Pavilion of Grandeur: SeeNondimensional Spaces.

Phantom Bear: The creature summonedby this spell has the Mists descriptor and anevil alignment. The creature does not turn onthe caster, but their alignment may colortheir actions.

Phantom Stag: See Phantom Bear.Phantom Wolf: See Phantom Bear.Plague of Rats: This spell only functions

in domains with Full Ecologies. SeeEnchantment.

Probe Thoughts: See Mind-Affecting.Revenance: As Raise Dead.Righteous Wrath of the Faithful: See

Enchantment, Mind-Affecting.Scourge: Those killed by this spell often

rise as ancient dead or other disease-relatedundead. Casting this spell requires a powerschck.

Shadow Landscape: See Illusion(Shadow). At the end of the spell's durationthe shadow landscape itself may coalesceinto a 9 HD Shadow as described under theIllusion (Shadow) description. Any creaturesdesignated as Shadow Guardians may alsobe transformed by this spell into trueshadows with HD equal to their normal HD.

Slime Wave: This spell only functions indomains with Full or Sparse ecologies.

Storm of Elemental Fury: See Weather.Telepathic Bond, Lesser: See Mind-

Affecting.Touch of Madness: See Enchantment,

Mind-Affecting.True Domination: See Enchantment,

Mind-Affecting.Visage of the Deity: Casting this spell as

an evil spell gives you a +1 bonus toeffective spell level, but the spell requires apowers check.

Visage of the Deity, Greater: Casting thisspell as an evil spell gives you a +1 bonus toeffective spell level, but the spell requires apowers check. As well, casting this spellgives the caster a reality wrinkle with aninitial radius of 1,000 feet per level. If thecaster fails any powers checks while underthe effects of this spell, consider them failedpower rituals; each failed check adds 1d4corruption points to the caster's total andhalves the wrinkle's radius. See Fiends inchapter five of the Ravenloft Player'sHandbook for more details.

Visage of the Deity, Lesser: Casting thisspell as an evil spell gives you a +1 bonus toeffective spell level, but the spell requires apowers check.

Wave of Grief: See Enchantment, Mind-Affecting. You get a +1 bonus to effectivespell level. Casting this spell requires apowers check.

Issue 12

Weapon of the Deity: The Dieties of

Ravenloftt possess the following favoredweapons:

Wrack: You get a +1 bonus to effectivespell level. Casting this spell requires apowers check.

Diety Weapon

The Ancestral Choir +1 Defending Battleaxe

Arawn +1 Ghost Touch Scythe

Belenus +1 Frost Sickle

Brigantia +1 Defending Warhammer

Daghda +1 Frost Club

Diancecht +1 Merciful Dagger

Divinity of Mankind +1 Ki Focus Quarterstaff

Erlin +1 Mighty Cleaving Battleaxe

The Eternal Order +1 Ghost Touch Scythe

Ezra +1 Defending Longsword

Hala +1 Spell Storing Dagger

Kali +1 Flaming Sap

The Lawgiver +1 Shock Whip

Lugh +1 Spell Storing Light Mace

Manannan mac Lir +1 Frost Trident

Math Mathonwy +1 Spell Storing Quarterstaff

The Morninglord +1 Defending Shortspear

Morrigan +1 Vicious Greatsword

Osiris +1 Ghost Touch Flail

The Overseer +1 Flaming Longsword

Ra +1 Keen Falchion

Set +1 Mighty Cleaving Short Sword

Tvashtri +1 Shock Punching Dagger

The Wolf God --

Yutow +1 Defending Sickle

Zhakata +1 Flaming Flail

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The Black Opal GuildThe Black Opal GuildThe Black Opal GuildThe Black Opal GuildA Sinister Guild of NecromancersA Sinister Guild of NecromancersA Sinister Guild of NecromancersA Sinister Guild of Necromancers

Andrew "alhoon" Pavlidesapavlides24@hotmail.com

"Take the mantle of the commander,lead the dead as well as the living, come to meet us behind the hanged man'stree at midnight." - Invitation to the Black Opal guild

A century ago, a vampiric wizard known asthe Black Opal created this vile guild topromote his secret agenda.

The ultimate goal of the Black Opalremains a mystery for the guild members.Some believe he is under orders of AzalinRex, Strahd Von Zarovich or the RedWizard, Hazlik. Others believe the Opal sellshis finding to any of those three majorwizards in exchange of dark favors.Whatever its goal, the Black Opal guild issurely a power for evil, dedicated toperfecting the foul art of necromancy.

The GuildThe GuildThe GuildThe GuildThe guild's goals are to unearth arcaneknowledge and promote the individual'agendas of its members.

The guild values it secrecy above all else,and so moves very slowly to obtain newmembers. Only 25 members have beenrecruits so far, though each one is whollyloyal to their dark fraternity.

Membership to the Black Opal guildcomes only with invitation. The guildobserves initiate for a lengthy period, afterwhich the guildmembers take a vote. In somerare cases, guild members take potentialinitiates as apprentices. While apprenticed toa guild member, the initiate knows nothingof the guild and must perform special queststo test his or her abilities. If at least threemembers sponsor the initiate, the guild offersmembership to the candidate.

If the candidate agrees, he meets later witha circle of at least ten members and makesthe necessary vows. While the initiate makeshis vows of subservience, the other membersplace upon him a Geas to prevent him fromdivulging the secrets of the guild, even undertorture.

If a candidate refuses membership, theguild may dispatch assassins, or leave him orher alone, depending on how dangerous thecandidate is and how much he or she knowsabout the guild.

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ObligationsObligationsObligationsObligationsMembers owe few obligations to the guild,though secrecy is paramount. The guildforbids members to share information withoutsiders, on the penalty of death. The Geasplaced upon the members at the initiationceremony prevents them from talking aboutthe guild, though even that powerfulenchantment does not cover all possibleleaks.

The guild forbids members to join otherorganizations, including the Kargat, and theFraternity of Shadows. To ensure theexclusive loyalty of members, the BlackOpal personally questions initiates underhypnosis, to determine their true affiliation.More than one member of the Kargat or theFraternity has been discovered in this manor.

The Guild is a pyramid hierarchy, beneaththe Black Opal. High-ranking membersprotect and train lower members, who in turnserve their masters. Members of the guildmeet annually to explain their progress inarcane knowledge. Though not mandatory,frequent absence from these gatherings risksthe wrath of the Opal.

HierarchyHierarchyHierarchyHierarchyThere are four stages of advancement in theBlack Opal Guild. A member begins as anInitiate and advances to Compeer,Necromancer and finally BlackNecromancer. To advance in rank a membermust perform various services for the guildand pass rigorous tests for arcane power.

Initiate

Since he or she is at the bottom of thehierarchy the initiate usually has manyobligations to other members. An initiatecannot have apprentices, or even have asizeable army of undead.

Most members look to initiates for menialtasks like fetching obscure arcane tomes ormaterials and resources for magicalexperiments and items, and pay them inreturn with knowledge and training.

Compeer

A compeer is a member that has somepowerful magic in his service and has servedthe Guild for some time to prove his abilitiesand loyalty. Compeers can have manyundead guards as long as they do notendanger the Guild's secrecy. Sometimes,Compeers are allowed to have apprenticesbut this is rare.

To become a Compeer a member must be3rd level in the Black Opal mage prestigeclass. By the time the character reaches thatlevel, he gains the title of the Compeer.

Necromancer

A Necromancer is a powerful member of theGuild. He or she commands powerfulundead and can handle powerful spells.Necromancers of the guild are allowed tohave up to three apprentices at a time if theywant. They are also responsible to inspectcandidates that other members propose forthe Guild. They receive magical items aspayment from the Black Opal if they servehim well. Necromancers know manymembers of the Guild.

Most of the members do not progressfurther in the hierarchy. By the time theyreach this stage they have probablyunderstand the dangers of using dark magicoften.

To become a Necromancer a member mustbe at least 6th level in the Black Opal mageprestige class. NPC Necromancers areconsidered to have lost one or two DarkPower checks.

Black Necromancer

The elite of the Guild, only a handful ofmembers have ever managed to reach thatposition. These members are allowed tostudy along with the Black Opal and lead theguild. They know all the other members ofthe Guild.

To become a Black Necromancer amember must be at least 9th level in theBlack Opal mage prestige class. NPC BlackNecromancers are considered to have losttwo to four Dark Power checks.

Issue 12

SpellsSpellsSpellsSpells

The Black Opal Guild has a wide knowledgeof necromantic spells. A member of theGuild could easily gain any necromanticspell each time he or she advances a level oreven buy them from a superior. Also theguild has access to many summoning spellsto conjure dread elementals and mistoutsiders and divination spells.

The guild has its share of evocation spellslike magic missile, lighting bolt andcloudkill, the knowledge of the members inthe evocation school is little, as it is withillusion spells and transmutation spellsunless they are useful in the creation ofundead. That doesn't mean that guildmembers don't have spells from theseschools in their spellbooks; it only meansthey have few. However, most membershave an invisibility spell in their spellbooks.

Most members have moderate knowledgein abjuration and enchantment.

Black Opal MageBlack Opal MageBlack Opal MageBlack Opal MageHit Die: d4.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Black Opal mage thecharacter must fulfill all the followingcriteria.

Skills: Spellcraft 7 ranks, Knowledge(Arcana) 6 ranks.

Feats: Spell focus (necromancy)Special: ability to cast 3rd lvl arcane spells

and at least two necromancy spells

Class Skills:

The Black Opal mage class skills are: Bluff(cha) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int),Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills,taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis),Spellcraft (Int), intimidate (cha), ReignUndead (cha),

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int mod.

Class FeaturesClass FeaturesClass FeaturesClass FeaturesWeapon and Armor Proficiency: The

Black Opal mage doesn't gain any weapon orarmor proficiencies.

Bonus feats: At 5th and 10th level a BlackOpal mage gains a bonus feat. This feat canbe any Metamagic or Item Creation feat

Spells: At each new level, the charactergains two new spells to add in his spellbook.These spells can be of any spell level that heor she can cast (based on her new spellcasting level) for his or her spellbook, evenat the levels he or she doesn't gain casterlevels.

In case the character casts spells as asorcerer, then the character learns spells asnormal. In the levels that he doesn't gain acaster level, he or she gains a bonus knownnecromancy spell of a spell level she cancast.

Spellcasting: Each time the table shows a+1 caster level (+1 C. lvl) the character gainsincreased spellcasting abilities as if he or shehas advanced a level in the arcane class theyhad before they gained the prestige class.

Vow of secrecy (Ex): Upon the initiationof a new member, powerful spells are cast onhim or her to ensure that he or she willremain silent. First the initiate must declarethrice within a zone of truth effect (will DC16) that he is not affiliated with any otherorganization. Then the new member mustmake a vow that he or she will not willinglyand without permission share the secrets ofthe guild with non members.

In order to break this vow, the membermust succeed at a will save DC 20. Eventhen, the member will suffer the effects of aGeas spell until he or she slays the personwho learned of the guild.

If a member breaks the vow he cannotadvance further to the Black Opal Mageprestige class. Also if he takes a level inanother class except the Black Opal Mageclass and the arcane class he studied before,he cannot advance in the Black Opal Mageclass again but suffers no other effects.

Animate Dead (Sp): At first level theBlack Opal Mage can use the spell Animatedead once per day as a caster with level

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equal to 5 +Black Opal mage level or hiscaster level, whichever is greater. Thenormal limits of the spell apply.

Control Undead (Ex): The Black OpalMage can rebuke and control undead as acleric with a level equal to his Black Opalmage level +2. That means that a 2nd levelBlack Opal Mage can rebuke undead as a 4thlevel evil cleric.

Also the control limit for the undead aBlack Opal mage can have controlledthrough the animate dead and similar spellsis 5 +Black Opal mage level or his casterlevel, whichever is greater.

Necromantic awareness (Ex): At 2ndlevel the Black Opal Mage becomes soskilled in necromancy that he can choose tospontaneously cast necromantic spell.

A Black Opal Mage can choose to dropany prepared spell and use the magicalenergies of it to attempt to cast anecromantic spell. The necromantic spell canbe of any level up to the spell level of thespell the Black Opal Mage chose to drop. Itdoesn't not have to be a spell the wizard hasmemorized or even be in his spellbook.

To do so, the Black Opal Mage mustsucceed to a spellcraft check with a DCequal to 10 + 3 x level of the necromanticspell to be cast. If the spell is one the BlackOpal Mage has in his spellbooks, then hereceives a +2 competence bonus on the roll.If the spellcraft check fails by 10 or more,then the spell backfires on the caster. If it

was a harmless or beneficient spell, then itdoes 1d6 damage/ spell level on the caster.To cast the necromantic spell, the wizardmust have the necessary components.

For example, Serhia is a 5th level wizard,3rd level Black Opal Mage. She can cast upto 4th level spell. In a fight she needs to usean enervation spell, but she has noneprepared. So she chooses to drop theSummon monster IV spell she has preparedto spontaneously cast an enervation spell. Todo so, she must succeed at a spellcraft checkwith a DC = 15 + 12 = 27. She has 10 ranksin spellcraft and a +4 bonus fromintelligence. She doesn't have the enervationspell in her spellbook so she has a total +14modifier. She rolls a 23, missing the spell.The energy of the spell she has preparedfizzles and the spell doesn't work. If she hasrolled 17 or less she would be affected by herown enervation spell.

She escapes the fight injured and decidesto use vampiric touch on a deer to healherself. She also doesn't have thismemorized but at least she has it in herspellbook. She chooses to drop her dispelmagic spell to cast the vampiric touch. Forthe spell to succeed, the DC is 15 + 9 = 24.This time her spellcraft modifier is +16because she has this spell in her spellbook.She rolls a 28. A success, the vampiric touchheals her normaly as if she had this spellprepared instead of the Dispel magic spell.

!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"!

Table 1: Black Opal Mage (BOM)Table 1: Black Opal Mage (BOM)Table 1: Black Opal Mage (BOM)Table 1: Black Opal Mage (BOM)Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Ref Will Special

1st +0 +0 +0 +2 +1 C. lvl, Animate Dead 1/day, control undead, Vow of secrecy.

2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 +1 C. lvl, Necromantic awareness

3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Bind Lesser Undead

4th +2 +1 +1 +4 +1 C. lvl

5th +2 +1 +1 +4 +1 C. lvl, Feat

6th +3 +2 +2 +5 +1 C. lvl, Create undead 1/day

7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Bind Greater Undead

8th +4 +2 +2 +6 +1 C. lvl

9th +4 +3 +3 +6 +1 C. lvl, Create Greater Undead 1/day

10th +5 +3 +3 +7 +1 C. lvl, Feat

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Bind Lesser Undead (Ex): A 3rd level

Black Opal Mage, usually a Compeer, maypermanently bind obedient dead (Skeletons,zombies and their variations) to his or herwill. Undead bound with the use of thisability no longer count against the HD limitof undead controlled. Each time the mageuses this feat, he may bind 5 +Black OpalMage level worth of HD of undead to hiswill. Binding undead this way takes 1 dayper 3 HD of the undead and costs 7 XP perHD bound. If the process is interrupted themage can resume it later with the sameundead.

Compeers with this power can have largenumber of Obedient dead under theircommand. However common sense urgesthem to use quality instead of quantitybecause large numbers of undead draw theattention of adventurers, the authorities ormore sinister powers.

Create Undead (Sp): At 6th level themage can use the Create undead spell as aspell-like ability at a caster level equal to 5+Black Opal mage level or his caster level,whichever is greater. The normal limits ofthe spell apply.

Bind Greater Undead (Ex): A 7th levelBlack Opal Mage, may permanently bindmore powerful dead (Ghouls, shadows,ghasts, wights or wraiths) to his or her will.Undead bound with the use of this ability nolonger count against the HD limit of undeadcontrolled. Each time the mage uses this feat,he may bind only one undead to his will.Binding undead this way takes 1 day per 2HD of the undead and costs 10 XP per HDbound.

If the process is interrupted the mage canresume it later with the same undead.However, to bind an undead to his will, theBlack Opal mage must first control the willof the undead through the use of other spellsor abilities.

Create Greater Undead (Sp): At 9th levelthe mage can use the Create greater undeadspell as a spell-like ability at a caster levelequal to 5 +Black Opal mage level or hiscaster level, whichever is greater. Thenormal limits of the spell apply.

Evarias ArathenEvarias ArathenEvarias ArathenEvarias ArathenMale Human (Wiz 5/ BOM 3)

Medium sized Human; HD 8d4+8 (39 hp);Init +1; Spd 30 ft. (6 squares); AC 15 (+4mage armor), touch 11, flat-footed 14; BaseAttack/Grapple +4/+4; Attack: dagger +4melee (1d4) or ray +5 ranged; Saves Fort +4,Ref +4, Will +10; AL NE; Str 10, Dex 12,Con 13, Int 17, Wis 13, Cha 14.

Skills & Feats: Bluff +5, Concentration+11, Craft (Alchemy) +8, Decipher script+8, diplomacy +3, intimidate +6, Knowledge(arcana) +9, Knowledge (undead) +6, Listen+3, Reign undead +11, Speak Language(Draconic), Spellcraft +11, spot +3 ; Craftwands, craft wondrous items, Scribe scroll,Spell focus (necromancy), superior undeadcontrol.

Spellcasting: Evarias casts spells like a 7thlevel wizard (5/5/4/3/2)

Languages: Darkonese, Draconic Vaasi,Balok

Signature possessions: Cloak +1resistance, necklace of blur (3rd level caster,use activated, 2/day, 16 charges), potion ofcure serious wounds, wand of mage armor(2nd level caster, 22 charges), Van's Bracers(shield spell, 2nd level caster, use activated3/day, 28 charges), onyx ring.

Scroll of dimension door, scroll of dispelmagic (7th caster), scroll of enervation,scroll of phantom steed, scroll of obscuringmist, scroll of protection from arrows (5thlevel caster), scroll of protection from evil,scroll of resist elements, scroll of stinkingcloud, scroll of summon swarm, scroll ofweb.

Spellbook: 0 - All; 1st - Alarm, Protectionfrom evil/good/chaos/law, shield, Grease,mage armor, mount, obscuring mist, unseenservant, detect secret doors, identify, charmperson, sleep, magic missile, Cause fear, rayof enfeeblement, Expeditious retreat, jump,magic weapon; 2nd - Arcane lock, protectionfrom arrows, Resist energy, acid arrow,summon swarm, web, detect thoughts, locateobject, Hideous Laughter, Touch of idiocy,Darkness, invisibility, Blindness/deafness,False life, ghoul touch, spectral hand, Bull's

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strength, knock; 3rd - Dispel magic,nondetection, phantom steed, stinking cloud,suggestion, lighting bolt, Gentle repose,vampiric touch, Keen edge; 4th - Blacktentacles, dimension door, arcane eye,charm monster, bestow curse, enervation.

Evarias Arathen is a middle aged, handsomeman of average height in his late thirties. Hisfeatures are sharp but gentle and he keeps hisblack hair shoulder long. He has light brownpenetrating eyes and he is lean and gracefulin his moves.

Evarias dresses in long dark colored robes,usually dark blue or purple and wears hisenchanted dark gray cloak over the robe. Hischest is decorated usually by an enchantedsilver necklace the size of a silver piece witha large aquamarine in the center.

He speaks in silent, civilized tones andusually remains calm. He has a calculatingtone and seems to measure those thatconversate with him. Usually a black Raven(his familiar Rus) can be seen flying aroundhim or sitting in his shoulder.

Evarias is a man that has chilled hisemotions for others to almost nothing. Hecares only about himself, his research and hiswelfare. He serves the Guild of the BlackOpal because it serves him and offers himtraining and protection. He has no sympathyfor others, but he is not a sadist. He may notcare what the implications on the family orthe loved ones of his victims may be, as longas he is not endangered.

BackgroundBackgroundBackgroundBackgroundEvarias Arathen was raised in Darkon in afamily of rich merchants. From a young agehe was interested in the arcane and wasmildly fascinated with death, but kept thislate interest more or less a secret.

As he was the second son of the family heconvinced his father to give him his share ofthe family business in cash and he went tostudy the arcane arts with a retiredadventurer wizard in Il Aluk. After a fewyears of apprentiship, he stroke out on hisown. He used to offer his services as a hired

wizard in adventuring parties or for nobles tofund his arcane experiments and he wasquite successful.

After five such years however, his darkexperiments and arcane pursuits were moreor less made known from the mercenaries hetraveled with. This reputation and the factthat a few "disappearances" of beggars werefinally noticed, forced him to relocate from IlAluk, a happy coincidence, since that yearthe Requiem happened.

Evarias was once again fascinated with themass death of the capital city of Darkon andhe found his interest in necromancyrenewed. At the time he was rich andpowerful enough to be considered acandidate by the Black Opal Guild.

Evarias was contacted a few months afterthe requiem in his new secluded laboratoryin a hamlet in Darkon. He immediatelyjoined the guild and serves it ever since. Twoyears ago, he had been promoted to acompeer. He learned from his fellow guildmembers of a haunted tower in northernNova Vaasa and relocated his laboratorythere.

Current SketchCurrent SketchCurrent SketchCurrent SketchThese days Evarias inhabits an abandoned,haunted tower in Nova Vaasa. He is contentthere and conducts his experiments andresearch secluded from most of the world. Afew miles from his tower there is a largevillage that he or his caliban bodyguard Grud(male barbarian 3rd) visit from time to timeto resupply. Around this village but furtherfrom his tower are a few more hamlets ofpeaceful farmers. Evarias has a spy in thecommunity (human rogue 2nd) that informshim on the activities in the area. Evariascontact the spy usually with the help of hisraven.

Evarias doesn't go out with his obedients atnight to attack the hamlets and collect bodiesfor research, because this will drawattention. He is content to steal an interestingbody now and then, or a even waylaidtravelers around his tower from time to time.Since his tower is still haunted, and therewere undead staying there before his time, he

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feels that the reputation of the place willkeep him safe. Sometimes adventures cometo his tower, expecting to find a specter and afew undead only to be killed by Evarias, hisobedients and the specter.

Recently he made his most bold move yet;he learned that a few young athletes from thevillages near his tower would make a tripaway from their homes to train, play andgenerally enjoy the spring. He sent hisbodyguard along with many obedients andthey slaughtered the teenagers just two hoursago from their houses. Then they carried thebodies to his tower and covered their tracks.

CombatCombatCombatCombatAnimate Dead (Sp): 1/day as a 8th level

caster.Control undead (Su): 4/ day as a 5th level

evil cleric.Necromantic Awareness (Ex): Evarias

can roll a spellcraft check to spontaneouslycast any necromantic spell of 4th or less,using the energies of another prepared spellif he has the necessary components. The DCis 15 +3 x spell level.

Bind Lesser Undead (Ex): Using thisability Evarias can bind to his will obedientdead.

Arcane prowess (Ex): Evarias isconsidered to have a +2 unholy bonus to hisintelligence score where it matters in spellcasting. That means he doesn't gain 4 skillbonus skill points from intelligence, orconsidered to have a +4 modifier tointelligence based skills. It just means that heis considered to have 19 intelligence inspellcasting, so he gains a bonus 4th levelspell and his spells have a DC of 14 + spelllevel (+1 for necromancy spells).

Necrophilia (Ex): As a result of a failedpowers check, Evarias recently found that hedoesn't feel repulsed by the dead and rottenflesh (not that he was ever repulsed much),he even likes the sight of it. Although thisliberation of his mind has gifted him with

understanding of the arcane, he picked upstrange habits.

If his practices become known in his guild,he will receive an OR of 2. Of course, if hisblasphemous practices become known tonormal people that respect their dead, he willbe hunted down as a monster.

LairLairLairLairEvarias stays in an abandoned tower on alow hill. Around the hill there are sparsetrees and bushes that become thicker furtheraway from the tower.

The tower is haunted by a specter namedSilana. She is anchored to the tower andcannot move further than 240' from it. Silanahas an allergen, she cannot stay within 30' ofanyone wearing an onyx ring.

In life, Silana was married to a rich, middleaged man and gave him an onyx ring as a giftin their wedding day. A greedy woman,Silana poisoned her husband so that shemight steal his fortune. With his dying breathher husband cursed her to always rememberher betrayal and never to rest.

A few years later, Silana was herselfmurdered by a greedy lover. However, sherose again from the grave to haunt theabandoned tower she used to date her lovers.Young men killed by her energy drain raiseas wights under her control. She can controlup to 21 HD worth of undead that way. Shecan not create specters or wights from othercreatures other than young human or half-elven men.

Both Evarias and Grud know of Silana’sweakness and always wear an onyx ring.Evarias has persauded the spectre to bear hispresense, in exchange for victims.

Jumpers have been burried all around thetower, as have Crushers and Sharptalons. Aswell, at night Silana haunts the tower,looking for intruders upon which to vent herrage.

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Races of the MistsRaces of the MistsRaces of the MistsRaces of the MistsPart II -The Little PeoplePart II -The Little PeoplePart II -The Little PeoplePart II -The Little People

By David “of the Fraternity” Gibsondavid.jw.gibson@gmail.com

IntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroductionI give my greetings to you, my EsteemedBrothers. Although to you it has likely notbeen long since my last correspondence, ithas seemed an eternity to me. Being awayfrom the comforts of home and hearthlengthens the days and emphasizes thepressing weight of time. I feel the full burdenof the months I have been away from Ste.Ronges on this research assignment for ourFraternity.

It has been many weeks since I last tookpen to parchment and set off the first of myreports on the subhuman creatures thatpopulate our land. I trust you have found mydiscussion of the Dwarfed beingsilluminating. Since leaving Karg I havejourneyed via boat to Nova Vassa and takena lengthy detour through Tepest whilefinishing my research on the little people, theso-called halflings. These folk are the topicof this, my newest report.

I write this hunched over a small desk inthe tiny room I have been forced to rent forthe duration of my stay in Immol. I am notfond of Barovia and would rather have

avoided venturing into such a ruralbackwater, especially one populated by suchsuperstitious hicks. It is unfortunate there areso few roads through the Balinok Mountains.Thankfully, I can bypass the rest of themountain range -and the Barovian traveler’stax- by cutting through Hazlan andKartakass. I need to venture to the Southernforests of the Core to research the feyanyway; bypassing the rest of Barovia ismerely an added bonus.

I come to Barovia from Nova Vassa andthrough Eastern Hazlan after venturing downthe length of Nova Vassa’s Western border.However, my research on the little peopledid not begin with my exit from Karg butstarted the moment I stepped beyond thecomfort of home so many days ago. Thehalfling folk are common throughout theentirety of the Core. I have encounteredsizable settlements in Richemulot, Mordent,Dementlieu, Lamordia, Darkon, Tepest andHazlan and spotted individuals in every landI have ventured through. The halflingsnumber in the thousands lurking in everycorner of the Core and (presumably) even inthe lands beyond. So why then am I required

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to pen this? Why do we not know more ofthese numerous but tiny folk?

FolkloreFolkloreFolkloreFolkloreI begin with the legends told of the little

people, what the average person believes isfact regarding these tiny men. The legendsvary from land to land and while there issome overlap between the myths, thedifferences are remarkable. One wondershow all the tales could possibly apply to thesame creature.

I start with the myths of Mordent: thepeople there view the halflings as spirits, thesouls of the departed haunting the land. Thelittle people are equated with ghosts butviewed less fearfully (a typical Mordentishpreoccupation with death and the dead).They differentiate ghosts as the souls of thedeparted who remember their past liveswhile halflings are spirits whose past andidentities have been lost. They are free fromthe burden of remembering life and are thusinnocent dead. It is believed that one must beinnocent themselves to see the little peopleand that disbelieving adults cannot catcheven a glimpse of one. Only children havethe ability to see the little people for whatthey are.

Those of Dementlieu have a far moreromantic view of halflings believing them tobe the embodiment of innocence, eternalchildren if you will. There was a fairlypopular opera a few years back (an update ofan old legend to be precise) where a wizardremoved the evil and malice from a manwhile leaving only the good and thuscreating the halflings. I managed to catch aproduction in Mortigny some time ago andfound it laughable at best with the songsunremarkable and plot feeble, but that isneither here nor there.

Richemulot and Darkon both viewhalflings as a separate race removed fromhumanity, but they believe them to bemystical and fey beings not that far removedfrom elves. Borcan often have similaropinions but view halflings with suspicionbelieving them to be thieves and cutthroats.They never ascend into proper society in

Borca although many a noble is curiousregarding their youthful looks and wishesthey could be bottled as an elixir.Lamordians, of course, place lesser emphasison the magic and more on elaborate theoriesdescribing them as less developed humans.

All four attribute ancient stone ruins andmonuments as crafted by the little people.They are generally painted as strange folkthat live in holes in the ground, barrows orhollowed trees.

The Tempestani have a far different viewmaking no distinction between the halflingsand the goblyns that plague their lands. Allare seen as fey and placed into the samecategory as the red caps and knocks. Therehalflings are known as ban síde or luprachán(roughly translated as “half-sized”) and areportrayed as malicious and cruel, playingsadistic pranks while known for stealinglivestock and young children. For the mostpart, I find this fear of halflings ironic andmuch more revealing about humans therethan the little people.

Halflings are frequently attributed ashaving magical powers such as being able toturn invisible at will or being able to grantwishes for humans. They are often believedto have hidden caches of gold or othervaluables stashed across their territory. Someof the more misguided and greedy folk oftenhunt for these hidden treasures and many anadventurer has been mislead by tales of littlepeople’s gold. Immortality is anothercommon attribute of halflings, as they arebelieved to be more spirit than flesh and donot age as men.

Shoes are a curious element that pop-uprepeatedly in stories regarding the littlepeople. An odd addition that took me a longtime to grasp. Some call the little peoplefaerie cobblers and say they make the shoesof elves. Most tales add the addendum thatthey only ever make single shoes, never apair. Thus, all halflings are always dressed ina leather apron, the typical garb ofshoemakers. People in rural Mordent claimthat the little people can only make shoes forothers, not themselves, and are forced tosteal shoes to clad their own feet. Thus, youmust never leave your shoes or boots outside

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overnight lest they be stolen by a halfling.The legends of Darkon dismiss shoesentirely claiming halflings wear none andwalk about barefoot. These shoelesshalflings are rumoured to have thick soles ontheir feet, which are topped by a dark, curlyhair.

It is commonly agreed that halflings are awild and boisterous folk. They are prone tofeasting and drinking often becoming quitedrunk. These drunken halflings are known torun wild across the countryside howling atthe moon and riding on the backs of dogs orsheep.

There are, of course, those steadfast fewwho insist there are no lesser races, that allare simply variant stock of man. Halflingsare dismissed as poor mortal humanssuffering from dwarfism and thecommunities of such pools of inbreedingwhere limited partners has sadly reducedeveryone in stature. The fantastic stories aredismissed as poppycock and sightings of thelittle people are just delusions, glimpses ofchildren or the aforementioned midgets.

Concluding this section I repeat that, apartfrom the curiously demented folk ofTempest, halflings are universally thought ofas harmless breed of fae, a curious folk thatlive in the woods away from civilizationhiding from the ‘big people’, possibly infaerie kingdoms ruled by elves and sprites. Atypical dreamy fantasy.

Despite the vast range the myths cover,there are some common themes. Halflingslive apart from humans in the unknown partsof the wilderness and halflings are rare. Theymust be because no one ever sees the littlepeople and, apart from the two villages inDarkon, no one ever sees their communities.

They are, of course, completely wrong.

The TruthThe TruthThe TruthThe TruthThe little people live up to their name

being but half the high of a man, few grow tobe larger than three feet with most fallingbelow that. They are slight and thin but gainweight easily and usually have fair skinpartnered with dark hair. And, to expose thetruth, they live amongst us as often as not. Sowhy then do people not see them? Quitesimply they are small, quiet, and youthful inappearance looking quite harmless. They areignored! There is something inherentlydisarming about halflings. But more on thislater.

Contrary to the legends, the little peopleare not magical creatures. I have witnessedno true powers from the little people I woulddescribe as supernatural, although they doappear to be prematurely lucky and I havelost many a game of dice and cards to proveit. The aim of halflings is also not to beunderestimated, especially with thrownweaponry. Some say magik guides theirhands. I say they practice a lot. Either way itis an uncanny skill. They also possessremarkable sense hearing making them ashard to catch unaware as the tales suggest. Ihave also yet to meet a halfling that hassuccumbed to magical fear. Even natural fearis something most halflings can easilyovercome; they are a truly brave people.

Despite these few abilities halflings are notthe fantastic beings of the legends. They arenot fey spirits and are quite flesh. If they canturn invisible I have seen no proof, I wouldwager large sums of my own gold that fewhalflings have any, and if they can grantwishes I will be most surprised. They haveadvantages but not the outlandish powers ofmyth.

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There is much speculation regarding thePower’s reasons for singling out halflings inthis manner. Some believe it is an inherentability, or that they are special like theVistani, while other think it is another way ofcorrupting or tempting the little folk. Like allthe Power’s motives there is no clear answer.

I once had my pocket picked while at amarket square. This was years before Ijoined our Brotherhood. A young streeturchin, a grubby young thing missing moreteeth than he had not even reaching up to my

knees, slipped up and took my purse whilepretending to bump into me. It was not untillater when I tried to purchase a bite to eat(some breaded herring if I recall correctly)that I discovered the loss. As the dwarvenfolk do not attract attention by being a plainworking class so do the halflings disappearin crowds by looking no more remarkablethan the dirty brat that stole my money. Whoamongst us truly pays any attention tocherub-faced brats that are not our own?

Thus, the little people move among thecities of man and making their homes in theforgotten corners of our lands. Some travelalone, solitary children older than ageneration and familiar yet forgettable facesin a crowd, while other live communally, anentire neighbourhood of eternal childreneking out some small living.

However, unlike the dwarves who moveequally unnoticed through our ranks the littlepeople strive to avoid notice. Dwarves do notactively seek attention but neither do theyshun it. Halflings do all they can to blend inand hide. There is nothing supernatural totheir blending ability, as mentioned theycertainly cannot become invisible at will, butthey have a lifetime of practice to fall backon. They are taught how to avoid a watchfuleye and they excel at it.

SocietySocietySocietySocietyDeep down inside the chests of the little

people beats a heart like any other. It issmall, little more than half the size of aclenched fist, but a heart like any othermortal’s. Only theirs is a heart that yearns fora simple life. Halflings are an unassumingand peaceful folk, quite often as innocent asthe legends suggest. They enjoy life’s smallpleasures: a well-tended garden, a goodmeal, a quiet evening by the fireside and thecompany of family or good friends.

Spending time in a village of the littlepeople or walking through one of theirneighbourhoods is a quite and peacefulexperience. Unnervingly quiet at first -itoften feels too quiet- but one grows used tothe tranquility. Fights are rare to the point ofbeing almost unknown and troublemakers

Gifts of the MistsGifts of the MistsGifts of the MistsGifts of the MistsWhile halflings cannot grant

wishes at will the Dark Powers canand sometimes they answer therequests of halflings. They granttheir wishes.

Similar to how the Power respondto the curses of the Vistani moreoften than others, they act on thespoken desires of the little peoplegranting explicitly states wishes,usually in a subtle yet literal fashion.These wishes are often dismissed ascoincidences or flukes rather thansome supernatural happenstance.

Rules for granting wishes use thesame method and modifiers as thosefor curses found in the RavenloftPlayer’s Handbook. Only, instead ofa demand made of the Powers, it is arequest, occasionally one made idlyor off-hand. However, like allwishes made in Ravenloft, thewishes are twisted, distorted anddark.

Wishes need not be made only forthe self, but can be requested on thebehalf of others. A halfling forced to‘grant wishes’ might find therequests granted, sometimes much totheir surprise.

If these optional rules are usedthen the curses of halflings becomeless effective, the chance of theircurses taking effect are reduced by3/4ths.

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are seldom found. Children are well-behavedand even the animals (often comically largerthan their masters) are kept in line while stillvery well-treated. I was forever expectingsomething terrible to happen. But that is thenature of the halflings, they are, put simply, aquiet people.

The more often I ventured into the lands ofthe little people the more the tension ateaway at my mind. At first I assumed it wasjust me. As I mentioned above, I wascontinually waiting for something terrible tohappen. A trap to be sprung around me orsome monster to leap forth. Slowly itdawned on me that I was not the only onebeing cautious. The halflings were terrifiedof me. They were terrified in general. Behindall this tranquility lies a deep repression andfear; despite the quiet there is alwaysparanoia and terror.

This sums up the mindset of the littlepeople. They are a happy people -almostcarefree- but much of this is now forced. Atall times they know the truth: they are small,helpless creatures and easy prey for thelarger and violent. At any moment, theyexpected me, the giant among them, to turnaggressively on them in an orgy of violenceand death.

They are quiet because they cannot attractattention. They are peaceful because theycannot expose themselves. They must hideor they will all die.

Halflings are naturally happy and carefreeas I mentioned above. Their naturaltendencies push them to be celebratory, therowdiness described in legends. At anymoment you expect the little people to burstinto song and dance, lively shows ofjoviality. But they never do. They push downtheir instincts and bury themselves in thecrowd. It is truly sad, heartbreaking really, tosee so many innocents burdened by fear andheavy repression.

From a young age, infant halflings aretaught the important values of their society:remain hidden, stay quiet, avoid attentionand never, ever let down your guard. For avery brief time the innocence shines through,a radiant mirthfulness that is lively and

infectious and inquisitive and quickly stifledthrough the strictest of teachings.

Lifestyle

Halflings make their homes in small out-of-the-way locales. They favour small valleysfor villages or other hidden locations. This iswhere the myths intersect with the truth.Halflings do live in holes in the ground,hollowed trees, barrows and the like. Theymake their homes wherever they can. If theyfind a small cave they will happily carve itout and make themselves a homey burrow.Likewise, if they spot a large hollow tree,abandoned house or ancient rock tomb theymay use it as an entrance to their hidden lair.

Interestingly, quite a number of halflingslive in cairns and funerary barrows. This haslead to the belief that the little people thatbuilt the aged and often moss-covered stonestructures. They make perfect homes for thesmall creatures being both dry and securewhile blending into the surroundings. Thatlocal humans often avoid these ancient ruinsis an added bonus. Sometimes a family ofhalflings as occupied the stone crypt for farlonger than the original deceased ‘owners’although there is still the occasional residentthat disapproves of the squatter. Although, Ido not think this living in graves has helpedthe halfling’s reputation in Mordent.

The little people favour natural defensesrather than artificial fortifications. Fencesand the like are believed to do little but drawattention to the town. Whole settlements aredesigned around the standard mentality ofavoidance being wisest course of action.

I found a small village in rural Mordent,off the main road in a hilly region near theEastern border. Tucked away in a hiddenvalley, ringed by thick thorny bushes andbriar patches. The entire village was out ofsight, the only entrance through a small cleftaccessible through a hollow log surroundeditself by the thickest of the thorns. It wasoutside most of the standard trade routes andalmost impossible to stumble onto by anymeans other than the most fortuitous ofaccidents or foreknowledge. I myself had touse divination and magic to rip it from themind of a traveling resident.

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The homes of the little people in humancities are quite different. They cannot simplypurchase homes as we do but must insteadsteal or borrow them from the actual owners.Squatting is quite common among halflingswho find a disused building and make it theirown.

Halflings almost universally make theirhomes in the ghettos and poorer districts ofhuman cities. Some people believe thehumans have forced the little people intothese squalid conditions but this is not true.The humans would have to know about thelittle people to ghettoize them. The halflingschoose their own districts choosing the onesmost frequently ignored by the authoritieswhere they can live in peace.

Halfling neighbourhoods are verycommunal. Families move into a buildingand customize it adding new walls androoms, they need much less individual space.A building that used to house a single humanfamily may house three or four halflingfamilies.

Once a family has moved in other familiestake the surrounding buildings before thegroup isolates the area. They block off roadswhile sealing doors and windows whileadding fencing and walls. They have beenknown to replant trees or pull up a section ofcobblestones to give the impression a streetdoes not exist. They work hard to give theimpression a certain block does not exist orthat the entrance is elsewhere.

Halfling homes themselves are simpleaffairs, comfortable and functional. Allhouses look identical on the outside. Simple,unassuming exteriors that keep the elementsout and often mimic the background. Naturalcolours such as browns and greens arefavoured and walls are often adorned withivy and other clinging plant life. A final, last-ditch camouflage. Soft round edges are thenorm; they feel they are less aggressive andcalmer, windows are usually ovals and evendoors are sometimes circular.

Interior architecture is also uniform acrossthe lands but that is where the similaritiesend. With the exteriors of their homes beinggeneric and bland, halflings contrast interior

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design against this, rebelling if you will,reflecting the individuality of the owner.Rooms are painted, organized and arrangedto match the owner’s personality. They varyfrom Spartan and functional to erratic andcluttered. Homes are prized familypossessions passed down family lines andrepeatedly customized to suit the newowner’s tastes. The surest way to look insidethe heart and mind of a halfling is to stepinside their home.

Inside a halfling’s domicile one findslarge, wide arches separating rooms adding aspacious feel to the dwellings (to one of ahalfling’s stature). Despite this, mosthalfling homes are cramped. The reason forthis is twofold: firstly, because they oftenhave a limited amount of space to work with,it is hard to expand in a cave or build beyondthe confining dale, but also because of thenumber of objects halflings cram into thelairs. They do enjoy the finer things in lifeand work hard to surround themselves withthe nicest of possessions. They do not enjoyovert displays of wealth or prosperity butcomfort and functionality. Large fireplaces,thick carpets, soft chairs and fluffy pillowsare the surest signs of a successful halfling.

This fondness for possessions is relativelyrecent to halflings. In times long since pasthalflings were nomadic and carried onlywhat was needed. When they began to settledown, they built homes only to find they hadmore room. Trinkets and baubles followed ashalflings rushed to fill the voids in theirdomiciles, the goods slowly increasing innumber over the generations as parentspassed down their homes -and possessions-to their children. Materialism is a growingproblem but one discouraged heavily by thevillage elders.

Halfling HordesHalfling HordesHalfling HordesHalfling HordesThe traditional halfling lifestyle is slowlyending and halflings are more frequentlysuccumbing to greed. That which they havelong denied themselves is now available.

However, as most halflings still feel guiltyand ashamed of these secret desires, theykeep them bottled-up and hidden, never

discussing the matter. Those that dosuccumb talk about it even less. Halflingsthat collect money and valuable objects oftenhide them away in secret locations.

Some built hidden compartments in theirhomes or furniture, while other find out-of-the way locals to hide their troves. In treehollows or under distinctive rocks arefavoured places for their treasures.

Most halflings rely on the hiding placeitself to guard their goods but some of themore paranoid halflings rely on disguisedbooby-traps. There are also tales stating thathalfling treasures are cursed and that thosewho steal from them suffer eternal bad luck,but these may just be stories spread by thehalflings to keep thieves away.

Halflings typically make their living asfarmers and herdsmen with almost everyhalfling home having a substantial garden.The tiny folk love their plants and enjoynurturing the fragile life from seedling totree. Vegetables and fruits are favoured overgrains but small communal patches of wheator rye are grown in larger communities, andthese fields are divided equally between themanufacture of breads and the beers. Most ofthe time they still lean towards leafyvegetables in their gardens with berrypatches nearby. Since their introduction,potatoes have quickly become a favorite ofhalflings and a dietary staple.

Regarding animals, smaller livestock ispreferred such as pigs and chickens but sometownships raise goats, sheep, fish and more.Cattle and horses are all but unknown butsome halflings raise ponies or large dogs forriding or labour. Many families also havepets with small friendly dogs and cats beingthe norm. Aggressive or loud animals suchas guard or hunting dogs are rare as theyattract too much attention. Friendly andplayful mutts are preferred.

Craftsmen are rarer, with individualsgenerally looking after their own needs; inlarger settlements there comesspecialization. Traders and merchants areeven rarer as they imply dealings withoutsiders. In villages and neighbourhoods,transactions are based around barter orfavors. Halfling artisans tend towards

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carpentry and tailoring. And yes, there areoften a number of halfling shoemakers.Blacksmiths and those who work with metalare rare; pottery and woodworking is muchmore common.

Trade with outsiders and other villages isinfrequent; trade does take place but onlyonce every decade or so. Occasionally, asingle trader is sent to the nearest humantown to purchase supplies, but even herecontact is limited to one or two friendlyhumans.

Some mention should be made regardingto two large Darkon settlements populatedby little people. By which I mean the townsof Rivalis and Delagia. At first, a town ofhalflings exposed to the world seemsparadoxical; it goes against all that thehalflings believe. I was not credulous tobelieve it myself, at least until I venturedthere myself and learned the history of thetwo settlements.

Rivalis was populated by several groups ofnomadic halflings who arrived slowly over aperiod of years. The land was lively andfertile, roaming stretches of grassy plainsdotted with curving hills. It was located in alarge clearing surrounded by thick forestswith a nearby river and lake. This was wellback in the late 5th to early 6th century(using the Barovian calendar), before theMists drew back revealing either Lamordiaand Falkovnia. The nearest town wasNartok, a small logging town well awayfrom the river and isolated in the woodsitself. The region seemed perfectly isolatedand hidden from the world as no one wouldventure down a river into the Mists and noone would wander through the Forest ofShadows without a destination in mind.

Then in the late 7th century, around 683(although travelers have curiously beenrecorded as walking out of the Mistsspeaking of ‘Lamordia’ as early as 575), theMists pulled back slowly to reveal Lamordia,bordering close to Rivalis. Then Falkovniaappeared with the Vuchar River cuttingthrough it. Traders from Lamordia stumbledeast and discovered Rivalis; it became thegateway between the lands while river traffic

to Il Aluk increased dramatically. The towngrew in leaps and bounds as more and moretravelers moved through it bringing theirmoney and goods. What was an isolatedgroup of farms became a city.

The halflings themselves despise theoutsiders and feel constantly afraid for theirlives. They are stanch supporters of the Rexas they view his strong authority as the onlything standing between them and thedangerous Big Folk or creatures of the night.One of the first churches of the Eternal Orderwas constructed here and the Kargat foundan oddly welcome greeting in Rivalis.

The Requiem was a period of intense fearin Rivalis. Their end had surly come. Anumber of organizations sprung up indefense of the town along with severalviolent militias who, to tell the truth, werelittle more than angry mobs. Isolationismwas pushed for and humans (along with theother tall races) found themselves singled-out and assaulted. The return of the Rex hasquieted the uprising but it has notdisappeared. A number of the little peoplestill belong to anti-human organizations andthe voices of the xenophobic still ring out.

The history of Delagia is much shorter. Itwas a small community mirroring the largerelven town of Sidnar to the East. All roads toSindar begin in Delagia. The small halflingtown acted as a gateway to the elvensettlement. Both are tiny places isolated fromthe rest of Darkon and accessible onlythrough a maze of roads or a lengthy boatride. The forest roads are all but impossibleto navigate with rumours that the halflingsperiodically move the signposts about todiscourage travelers, if they truly needed to.

There is naught but empty plains to the eastbefore the sea and inhospitable mountains tothe south. Tempe Falls is closer to themountains and an easier location to launchmining operations from while Karg isequally close to the forests and lumber of theVale of Tears. Neither town is on any traderoutes nor are they truly remarkable in anyway. In fact, many maps misplace both oromit them entirely.

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Rivalis may be larger and home to morehalflings but when rural little people dreamof moving to a larger community most thinkof Delagia. It is romanticized to halflings asan ideal place both isolated and peaceful yetnear trustworthy (by which they mean non-human) neighbors.

I would be remiss as a scholar if I simplyleft my above portrayal of the halflings as allencompassing and comprehensive. It mightbe easier to bundle the entire race of sub-

humans into a single description -howeverlong- and leave it at that, but this would beinaccurate and misleading. As there areexceptions to how humans live so too arethere exceptions to halflings. Much as thoseof Verbrek live very different lives fromthose people of Mordent thus do somehalflings live very different lives than others.

Across the Southern Core from NovaVassa to Valachan are a number of nomadictribes comprised entirely of little people.They claim to be living as (their) Godintended, not binding themselves to one landand surrendering to their wanderlust.Wanderlust is common among halflings,especially the young, a part of their curiousnatures. These traveling halflings live a verydifferent life from their stationary kinsmen.They have few possessions and lead moreactive lives preferring excitement to comfort.Meanwhile, their more sedate kin dismissthem as reckless fools drawing undueattention to themselves.

After talking with both camps, I have cometo this conclusion my Esteemed Brothers: allhalflings used to be nomadic wanderers!Much like the Vistani people, they roamedthe lands. However, like they repressed theirflamboyant and excitable natures manyturned away from wanderlust and settleddown. They retired at younger and youngerages until the majority made their homes incities and towns. I will discuss this theory inagain in the History section of this report.

The daily lives of the wandering littlepeople have few variants from their cousins.They rise early and work hard stopping to eatoften, while doing whatever activity they doto earn a living. It is how one earns theirkeep that changes. Having few possessionsof their own most property is communal andshared freely, often without asking. Thisunspoken permission extends to all objects,even those ‘owned’ by the big people, bywhich I mean humans. These halflings havea very liberal sense of property andownership. To say it bluntly they are all a lotof thieves and burglars. They roam theycountryside taking whatever they need. It isno surprise then to hear tales of halflinghighwaymen, such as the notorious one inthe forests of Darkon.

The Stone of the People The Stone of the People The Stone of the People The Stone of the People An intolerant and often violentorganization, the Stone of the Peoplepreaches isolation in Rivalis andworks to protect their home.

A secret society they keep theirnumbers and identity hidden,preferring not to identify or revealtheir presence. The society preachesthat the big folk cannot be trustedand the Rex cannot be relied upon.Their purpose is to drive away thebig folk pre-emptively, before theyturn on them. They do thus bydisrupting trade, scaring visitors anddoing all they can to spook the bigfolk. Hallucinogenic poisons andFleas of Madness are favouredweapons but the Stone of the Peopleare prepared to use violence ifnecessary.

In addition to their tactics of fearthey train their members in martialcombat teaching the use of sling andsword. Weapons are currently beingstockpiled and soon they may maketheir move.

The group meets once a month,usually during the night of the fullmoon. They meet at an ancient stonecircle, a part of a centuries oldgraveyard of a settlement lost intime. The alter stone in the circle’scenter has claimed as an ancientrelic and the Stone of the Peoplehave built a mythos around it.

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However, this is not to say these roamingpacks of thieving halflings are a plague to befeared. They respect those who freely offergoods and returning kindness where theyencounter it. A group of halflings wholodges near kind humans may do odd tasksfor them. Payment for services rendered. Thepeople may not even realize they haveingratiated themselves to the little people.

A farmer I encountered in Hazlan onceabsentmindedly left a basket of recentlyharvested fruit outside overnight. When heawoke the next morning, he found the basketon its side and quite empty. Blaming animalsfor the loss and cursing his stupidity, he setout to fetch more food. When he returned hefound his roof, previously full of holes, re-thatched and repaired. For the next week, heleft out a tribute to his mysterious neighborsand they in turn aided in the upkeep of thefarmstead. He never saw his benefactors buttheir nature was obvious by the tinyfootprints they left behind.

The farmer was quite lucky he wasbefriended by benevolent halflings. Thereare quite a few malicious tribes who arequite vengeful over past treatment andattempt to right past wrongs and who assumeal humans are hostile. Alternatively, if thefarmer has set traps -perhaps to catch whathe thought was an animal- the halflingswould have responded quite differently.Such amoral and vindictive halflings are alikely the cause of the association betweenall little people and goblins in Tepest.

Still, despite their restlessness, they arehalflings and halflings are motivatedprimarily through their stomachs. There is nomore pressing question to a halfling thenwhere his next meal will be coming from.

When discussing halfling cuisine it is hardto generalize, or even be specific. They willeat anything! Carrots and cabbages aredevoured as readily as meat and mushroomswith everything finding their way into theirplates from apples to zucchini. Halflingshave an almost insatiable appetite that hasbecome accustomed to restraint and scarcity.Space is always at a premium so halflingsare forced to make do with what they can,reducing portions and limiting frequency.

Ideal meals feature a large number ofdishes and courses followed by multipledesserts, halflings are renowned for theirsweet-tooths (or is that sweet-teeth?), andfinished with drinks. Light ales aretraditional but recently imported coffee andtea have become quite popular in halflingcommunities. Meals themselves should befrequent with the large breakfast oftenfollowed by a sizable lunch, some dinnerand, lastly, a quick supper just prior to bed.A brunch is added to this schedule whenpossible or an afternoon snack is nestledbetween lunch and dinner. This snack,sometimes nicknamed ‘tea-time’ or just‘tea’, is an old tradition quickly changing tofavour the new beverages. It is no wonder somany halflings are chubby. Of course, themajority of halflings makes do with only acouple meals each day due to limitedamounts of food.

The little people, despite their forcedsolemnity, quite enjoy their music and songs.Every young halfling is raised on rhymesand lyrics that lead into lively songs anddances. Drinking songs are quite commonand often get quite loud and rowdy. I thinkhalflings are seldom happier then when theyare singing in dancing. It is a shame they donot permit themselves to do it more often.There is something unique and placatingabout halfling songs and they make quiteremarkable bards.

Storytelling is afforded an almost religiousimportance to halflings. It is a communalaffair where a bard or storyteller gathers thecommunity together in a large home or halland entertains them with tales both new andold. Unlike the dwarves who pridethemselves on the story itself discouragingchange and variation, halflings emphasizethe telling of the story. Style and thepresentation are much more important thanpreserving the structure. Stories are livingthings to halflings; they cannot be bound orforced to conform to a single form. Writtentales are rare as it limits the telling andprevents customization or improvisation.

Most halfling tales have strong morallessons. I would label them fables and eachhas a wisdom of its own. The moral, whileoften explicit, is never spelt out for the

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audience at the end. Each person must takefrom it what they can. The young are raisedon these moral tales along with a steady dietof cautionary stories and examples of properbehavior.

Personally, I found many of the morals tobe heavy-handed with the stories themselvesfeaturing unrealistic idealized characters thatwere either too-good or too-wicked. Theywere tales of caricatures who were rewardedfor following the norm or greatly punishedfor breaking the societal rules.

Halflings also pass the time by playinggames of all sorts. Most young halflingsenjoy physical activities, games that involvemuch running or throwing of balls. Theseinvariably lead to noise and shouting soadults spend much time trying to stop thesegames. Not surprisingly, hide and go seek isa popular and encouraged game for theyouth. Adults favour board games such ascheckers or chess and some have evendiscovered the card games of Dementlieu.

I have discovered names are an oddparadox among the halflings. At first glance,they appear to be careless and flighty withtheir names, changing them and replacingthem at will while adopting titles andnicknames. Meanwhile, their stories speakreverently about names and the power theyhave over the individual. To have ahalfling’s name is to have power over theirsoul.

It took me much research, bribery andthreats -both veiled and blunt- before the fulltruth was revealed. Halflings are given asmall nickname at birth, a few short wordsthat give some description of the infant. Thisis replaces or mixed with childhoodnicknames in bits of wordplay. A halflinggiven a name that means “brown-eyes”(Dunnocró) might be given the nickname“sly smile” (Mìogee) only to twist both intosingle name (Dunnomìog, Crómìog or evenMìogcró). New nicknames are given by eachgroup of friends a halfling makes adding tothe name with words combined or evenaltered with synonyms or homonyms.Vowels sounds are liberally added to names

to soften the sound and make the namesmore melodic. Coming up with the mostoriginal and amusing name is a commongame for young halflings; many amusethemselves by slipping puns or jokes intotheir names.

Meanwhile, a halfling has a single truename, an adult name given to them by theirparents or mentor. This is their ‘true’ namethat is kept secret and hidden for it isbelieved it is the name their soul answers to.Someone possessing a halfling’s name maycurse them with magics or ask of them asingle service. An oath extracted from ahalfling under one’s true name will never bebroken for fear of divine retribution.

To learn the true name of a little person bydeception or treachery is an unforgivable act,even worse is revealing it to others. The freeexchange of true names is an act of truefriendship and trust between halflings. It isalmost never done with humans or otherraces as they freely give out their names andare thought to be careless with their souls.

Halfling family names are less flexiblethan given names. They tend to be passeddown and are only slightly altered andseldom permanently. Many are simplynicknames that have been passed along likeverbal heirlooms while others havesignificance to the now defunct halfling clansystem. Family names are chosen from eitherthe father or mother’s side, whichever theindividual prefers. There are no rules thatprevent a halfling from changing his familyname but few do. They keep them out of loveand respect for their kin; it forever unitesthem with family.

FamilyFamilyFamilyFamilyHalflings are social creatures and enjoy

each other’s company, but none more thanmembers of their own family. Family isconsidered the most valuable possession ahalfling will ever posses. They adore everysingle member of their kin no matter howdistant the connection; cousins are just asvalued as siblings are.

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When two halflings who share similar lastnames meet, the pair will recite genealogiesand histories hoping to find some commonblood. If they are related then they arefamily. The common form of address distantrelatives use is ‘cousin’. No matter theseparation of blood, if halflings believe theyshare some bond they will call the othercousin.

The exception to this is elderly halflingswho are given the respectful title of “uncle”(the feminine being “auntie”). However,“uncle” is the generic term of respect givento all halflings of a certain age regardless ofblood-tie. The little people believe it is moredistinguished than referring to their elderlyas “old one” or “grandfather”.

Communities act as an extended familyand all work together in the raising of theyoung. There are few secrets in halflingcommunities with only those in the largest

settlements not knowing the business ofeveryone else.

This communal life is an extension of theabandoned clan system of the halflings.Once, long ago, the halflings dividedthemselves along clan lines in a fashionsimilar to that of the dwarves and Forfarians.With the halflings scattered across the Coreand more settling down and abandoningwanderlust the clan system has fallen apart.Now halflings separate themselves based oncommunity and family. Once they lookedout for their clan, it was all-important, nowthey look out for their community. This isjarring for halflings who encounter a clan-mate who has ‘taken up roots’ and expect tobe treated well, only to be regarded as anoutsider in the community.

Family for the little people is an oddcontradiction that I am not entirely sure Igrasp, even after extensive interviews. It issimultaneously fluid and changing and yetpermanent. Halflings have many partnersand spouses and yet only marry once witheveryone belonging to the same family (ortwo or three). To explain this I shallendeavor to describe halfling courtship andmartial life, but I caution that this may beinherently flawed due to my not being a sub-human creature.

Young halflings are flighty beings withattentions spans like those of small children,only for a far lengthier span of their lives(given their long lives this adolescence canspan decades). They are easily amused anddevote their entire attention to some taskonly to eventually lose interest and move on.During this innocent experimental period,the little people have many partners andspend much time with them until they growbored or some minor quarrel separates them.Eventually, this period ends and halflingssettle down with a spouse whom they marrywith a traditional halfling wedding.

Things get complicated after children areborn, from whatever coupling produces themfirst. Children are a part of both parents’families, something both obvious andapparent. However, they are also ‘related’ totheir parents’ spouses’ families. A child bornfrom a short relationship may belong to four

True NamesTrue NamesTrue NamesTrue NamesSpells, curses and other mystic

effects are more effective againsthalflings if the user knows the truename of the subject.

The halfling makes all saves with a-2 penalty against spells directed atthem specifically. The spells mustonly affect a single individual (thehalfling) and cannot have an areaeffect or group effect spells. Forexample, a fireball centred on ahalfling has no additional effect. Adispel magic spell would inflict thepenalty but only if it was used onlyagainst the halfling.

Knowledge of the name is also notenough; the halflings name must bedeliberately evoked for the penaltyto have any effect.

Additionally, any divination orscrying effects have their range andeffects increased by 50% (roundeddown) when a halfling’s true nameis invoked, as long as the aboveconditions are met.

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separate families and count as siblings theproducts of any. This gets even morecomplicated after a divorce or remarriage, orif a new stepparent brings along children of aprevious rendezvous. All children are treatedequally and as blood relatives even if noblood is shared.

This sinful mating has begun to decline infrequency over the past few generations ashalflings have found religion and discoveredthe worship of Ezra. As the Home Faith hasfound a large place in the hearts of sedentaryhalflings, these youthful indiscretions arerarer in the Northern Core. Amongst thenomadic Southerly halflings, there are stillmany premarital dalliances.

Halflings are a fertile people having manychildren over their lives. This is not merelydue to the above-described activities, but issimply a biological curiosity. Halflingsusually have at least four children over theirlives.

Twins and are multiple births are also morecommon among the little people. I suspectthis is because of their inferior status tohumans. They are, after all, close to natureand thus more akin to animals and beasts thatproduce large litters of offspring.

This high birth rate is aided by thewanderlust of halflings that keepcommunities from ballooning and the highmortality rate of halflings. Young halflingsare perilously weak and there is a tragicallyhigh infant mortality rate. Halflings adoretheir children and love them all, so losingeven one is a heartbreaking experience.Sickness and disease are common as ispredatation -of both the naturally andunnatural varieties. It is rare for a family notto lose at least one child before adulthood.

The wandering nature of halflings alsokeeps the birth rate in check; this is partiallythe result of spreading out the population andkeeping individuals away from those of theopposite gender, but also because of themany dangers in the outside world. Non-nomadic halflings do have a slightly highersurvival rate.

GovernmentGovernmentGovernmentGovernmentAnother oxymoron specific to the littlepeople is “halfling government”. In allhonesty, there is no such thing! Oh, do notget me wrong, there are halfling mayors andin Darkon there is at least one halfling Baronwith many more through history. Aside fromthose found in the largest of thecommunities, halflings find little use forauthority figures of any kind.

They are not anarchists. They respect thewill and rules of the community; this comesout of their clannish natures. Neither do theyfeel obliged to follow the dictates and rulesof a single individual, even one appointed bythe majority. A mayor, the most commondesignation for a halfling leader, is littlemore than a bureaucrat in charge organizinglocal events and projects. All matters such asdecrees, new laws and the like are decidedon in community meetings.

Mayors have no additional powers beyondmild respect and do not even receivepayment for their troubles. For mosthalflings, power is not craved and authorityis simply a responsibility that must beshouldered for a time.

The exception to this is the barons ofDarkon. These, unlike typical mayors, arechosen by the Rex and passed down thefamily lineage, though they are little morethan overglorified tax collectors.

Since few halflings crave power, there hastraditionally been few folk vying for the role.Over the years, the number of contenders hasincreased steadily. It seems that somehalflings have realized it is better to inspirefear than suffer it and the barons are affordedthe protection of Azalin himself. More andmore halflings are being drawn to the titlenow, not for the power but for the security itprovides. I am reminded of the old adage ofpower corrupting but wonder if the desire forpower might corrupt just as readily. It mightbe worthy to send a few Brothers to Rivalisthe next time the baron must be replaced. Itwill be an interesting experiment indeed tosee how quickly the halflings pick-up thesubtleties of politics and backstabbing.

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FashionFashionFashionFashionClothing is a fondness few halflings fullyindulge in. They enjoy fancy clothing in anexplosion of colour and exotic fabrics. Newtrends and accessories fascinate the littlepeople and materials as silks enthrall them.However, few halflings ever buy or wearsuch gaudy clothes. They resign themselvesto simple and functional clothing or darkcolours.

A typical halfling’s wardrobe consists ofthree outfits. The first two are matching setsof work clothes, most often a shirt and vestwith sturdy breeches and optional suit jacketfor the men and combinations of hardy topsand heavy pleated skirts for the womenfolk.Additionally, a fancier set of dress clothes isalways put aside for church, weddings,funerals and the like. Halflings enjoy the fewopportunities they can parade about in theirfinest no matter the occasion. These dresssuits mimic the styles of their humanneighbors only somber and still a touchfunctional. For example, in Mordent mendress in pants, a crisp collared white shirtwith a jacket overtop often with a tie orkerchief. Women favour long single-piecedresses of light material.

The cause for this restrained fashionshould be apparent by now. The halflingssuppress their natural colourful urges inorder to bled into backgrounds and avoidstanding out. Gaudy colours and eye-catching designs are beloved but only fromafar while they stick to their black or brownsuits. Older halflings actually manage toconvince themselves that such flowerydisplays of hue are “distasteful” or “ugly”avoiding all thoughts about such clothing.The young can still dream though, nothaving crushed their own imagination, and acareful viewer can catch a glint in their eyewhen they spot an elaborate outfit.

Some accessories are tolerated. Mostlythese are functional objects that areemboldened; there is a booming halflingtrade among these decorations. Buttons andbuckles are the most frequently fashionembellishments, adored by halflings theytake the place of jewelry.

Many a halfling is proud of his shiny gold-plated buttons or bright silver buckles. Extrabuckles are often added to clothing such ason sleeves or on hat-straps. They still servesome purpose, such as tightening sleeves,but are mostly superfluous. Buttons arealmost used too excess with rows of manysmall buttons where only a couple would do.Larger buttons are often elaborately carvedwith small pictures or designs.

Halflings also take great pride in theirshoes. This stems from their nomadic roots,as good footwear was essential for travelinglong distances. Even though most halflingsare now settled the importance of goodstrong boots or firm and hardy shoesremains. The young occasionally wearsandals -when they are not running aroundbarefoot- but the majority of adults preferfull closed shoes.

DefenseDefenseDefenseDefense

For the dwarves, a good defense is a greatoffense. The halflings take a different view:the best defense is to never be spotted in thefirst place. All halfling life is devoted todefense from where they live to how theyspend their days. All of it is devoted toremaining unnoticed. If hiding is impossiblethen the little person is likely to flee. Theywill not abandon friends (and especially notfamily) but if alone they will run as fast andhard as they can. If all that fails, if a halflingis cornered and reduced to violence, they dohave some skills to fall back upon.

A halfling’s first tactic is to positionthemselves just out of sight, some place theyhave cover from attacks such as behind arock or around the corner of a building. Thenhalflings rely on ranged attacks typicallyfrom bows or slings. Slings and hurled rocksare favoured because of the ready supply ofammo and some natural talent. Darts are alsocommon, mostly appropriated from inns andthe like. The game is quite popular amonghalflings. Once I saw a small family ofhalflings drive off an entire pack of wolvesusing their kitchen cutlery, hurling knifeafter knife at the shaggy beasts.

Armour is all but unknown to the littlepeople, metal armours especially. They are

Issue 12

simply too heavy and bulk for the halflings,they find it hard enough to move quicklywith their short legs and see no benefit infurther restricting their movement. At most,halflings clad themselves in assorted bits ofleather and hide as armour. Hunters thattrack dangerous animal often wear hardenedleathers.

In ages past, the little people evidently hada martial tradition. Many nomadic halflingscarry odd weapons and similar equipmentcan be found in the homes of their sedentarycousins. However, the art and skill ofwielding these weapons has been lost. Mostresemble deadly versions of children’s toys,large slings attached to the end of staffs oraxes. I do wonder why they fell into disuse.

LanguageLanguageLanguageLanguage

The odd little tongue of halflings is similar toseveral languages about the Core provingitself to be quite a nuisance. I have beenattempting to track down a common root orclassify it as a dialect without success butneither does it appear to be a language all itsown.

It bears much in common with thelanguage of Tepest but also has some similargrammar and conjugations to those found inelven. Halflings make use of the elvenalphabet, so written halfling looks nothing atall like written Tepestani. Additionally,halflings have been composing writtenworks for far longer than the backward folkof Tepest.

Halflings speak a language that issimultaneously nasal and melodic. It is notthe language that varies really, but theirpronunciation of the letters, specifically theconsonants. It shares many of the featuresthat make elven such a singsong language.

I found it deeply ironic that their might besome shared background between the folk ofTepest and the little people. It was anintriguing thought, humorous even, that thebigoted people of that land might share abond with the innocent creatures they fear somuch. It would explain the hiddenpopulation of halflings in that land,especially when they are so hated there.

If the halflings did hail from Tepest itwould explain the language somewhat. Thatthey moved to Sithicus and Darkon, spenttime amongst the fey while softening thehard consonant sounds and adding extravowels in the typical halfling fashion.

Of course, this is all generalized, ashalflings have a unique way of customizingtheir language, quickly adopting and alteringwords so that individual communities andgroups speak very different dialects.However, this does not lead tomiscommunication among halflings whomquickly adopt local phrases while addingtheir own unique slang to the mix. Theirspeech is a living language to the farthestextreme.

I am running under the assumption that acore set of words or phrases remain constantwhile everything else is subject to change,but there could be some supernatural basisfor their ease in communication. Or perhapsthey all simply think alike.

A Halfling PhrasebookA Halfling PhrasebookA Halfling PhrasebookA Halfling PhrasebookAg – NoAog – Death Ballaugh – VillageBhfolah – HideCòs – Cave, a holeCuallah - FamilyFòir – Help Gàradh - GardenLaethanta – DayMhór seanleas – Big folkNaim – UncleNaoidhean – InfantNaunt - AuntOíche – NightSeadh – YesSlad – Theft, stealingTeach – Flee, run awayTiamhaidh – Afraid

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VariantsVariantsVariantsVariantsI fear that too often in this report I havedrifted into generalities describing themyriad different halfling communities andindividuals as a single collective whole. Inow attempt - at least partially - to rectify,citing examples on the diversity of the littlepeople, specifically the three main breeds.

While all halfling are unique, individualsand communities tend to lean to their ownsmall quirks, there seems to be three mainhalfling groups from which all other springforth. They are listed here, using the verynames given to them by the halflings: Stout,Tallfellow and Hairfoot.

The Stouts are so named for their courage.Or rather their absolute fearlessness. Theyare loyal and brave -almost to a fault-especially when combined with a halfling’snatural curiosity. They are of average height(for halflings) with straight hair that tendstowards dark colours and is often kept long.Stouts, despite their names, are not bulkierthan the average halfling often being on theskinny side. Stouts often have pointed earshinting at a possible fae origin. They aremost commonly found across the SouthernCore in such lands as Kartakass, Nova Vassaand Hazlan with a few reputed to be inInvidia and Valachan. Despite originallybeing from Sithicus, most avoid there out ofa healthy fear of the Black Rose. Now thatthe Mad Dwarf has deposed him, it remainsto be seen if they will return. However,individuals can easily be encounteredelsewhere as Stouts are the most notorious ofthe nomadic halflings.

Tallfellows live up to their name being thelargest of halflings, while still seldom beinglarger than three feet in height. They havestraight hair of medium shades, often brownor auburn, and have rounded earsdistinguishing them from their southerncounterparts. They are easily the mostcommon of halflings with their communitiesstretching across the northern Core fromLamordia and throughout Darkon. They alsohave scattered groups in Tepest and northernNova Vassa. I believe that a few scatteredTallfellow villages are nestled away in

Falkovnia and Borca, but have not spentenough time in either to find any. Tallfellowsare physically similar to Stouts but lack theunflappable courage. Instead, Tallfellows arerenowned for their less flighty personalitiespaired with grounded imaginations that givethem a stable yet flexible worldview.Tallfellows are seldom nomadic preferringto settle down and few succumbing to therigors of wanderlust. Despite this,Tallfellows were apparently quite nomadicat one time and many of their stories andlegends reflect this.

The final breed of halflings is the Hairfoots(or Hairfeet). They are teasingly referred toas such because they are famous for theirlarge and often hairy feet. Having metseverally I can attest that, while theindividual size varies quite a bit, most dohave quite large feet. Hairfoots are oftenseen shoeless letting their large extremitiesstretch and get some air before beingcrammed back into the restrictive clothing.Shorter than the other breeds Hairfoots alsodiffer in that their hair is curly and fairer,often shades of light brown, red or evenblonde. Hairfoots also tend to be chubbier,gaining weight more readily than the otherbreeds. A sweet tooth is often to blame butregardless most Hairfoots are a round shapeby middle age. They are found along thewestern Core from Mordent to Dementlieuand even places in Richemulot. Hairfoots arerenowned for their stable attitudes andgrounded natures. Other halflings label themunimaginative and boring. It takes much todisturb the strong-willed Hairfoots. Unlikethe other two Hairfeet appear to have neverbeen a nomadic breed. Alternatively, theysettled down so long ago that no trace oftheir former way of life remains.

In addition to the three breeds, there arealso the mad halflings of Sithicus. I havediscovered little regarding these apparentlyferal creatures. They are reputed to besimilar to the nomadic Stouts only they havesmall villages and never leave the woodedland. The former lord of that land, the BlackRose, is reputed to have tortured them andconducting the most hideous of experiments.I haven’t discovered the purpose for theseyet but will endeavor to do so. If replicable,

Issue 12

they might be of immense use, especiallywith the effect they had on such peaceful andpacifistic of creatures.

Returning to the question of the threebreeds, I can see no real historicalexplanation for the divergence in the breeds.There appears to be no real cause. It is as ifall three types came from different placeswhile still being the same base creatures andspeaking the same language. As a linguist, Ican attest that such a thing is an impossibilitygiven the difficulty of two separatedlanguages evolving in the same way. Evenseparated by a few miles it is astonishingtheir dialects are as similar as they are.

HistoryHistoryHistoryHistoryIf someone came up to me tomorrow and

said they had conclusive proof that the littlepeople all crawled out of tree stumps fivegenerations ago I would not be surprised inthe least. There is almost no recorded historyregarding or by the halflings. They keep norecord beyond a few years. They leave toancient marks on the land and have noancient ruins. The halflings have no realpast.

Halflings tell stories of the past, tales ofhow communities were founded and theworld became what it is but these are talltales, obvious flights of fantasy that teach theyoung halflings proper etiquette andbehavior while entertaining them with giantslayers, hidden treasure, magical items andthe like. Lost castles, haunted locals andcurses tend figure prominently into thesetales that almost always end with the herogetting the girl and living for ever after,happily and content.

Something historical might still begleamed from these stories if the tellers wereconsistent with the details but these areshifted and changed with each telling: herobecomes heroine and a magic harp becomesa goose capable of laying eggs of gold. Inshort, they are useless for my purposes.

There are two reliable ways to discernanything regarding halfling history. The firstis to ask about their family tree and thesecond to ask about family heirlooms.

Halflings know their personal genealogiesfor generations back and are quite often ableto rattle off tales of their ancestor’s exploitsand life. Likewise, the little people knowmuch of the history of possessions includingwhere they were made, how they came intothe family’s possession and the relatedevents.

Of course, all these tales are embellishedand reduced to fanciful tales (that or theirgreat-grandparents lived very different liveswhile stealing flying castles or thieving fromdragons’ hordes), but if one carefully peelsaway the imaginative delusions some truthremains.

From what I can gather, each communityor tribe has its own distinct history separatefrom all others. There is some overlap inregards to family and former clan ties but forthe most part each village has a tale to itself.There does not appear to be any grandhistory of the halflings or even a unified past.

Compiling what I can using the variousstories, it appears that halflings were the lastchildren of God, the youngest of all theraces. A curious notion, believing that thelittle people were created after mankind andthat man, like the other sub-human races,was a failure in the eyes of God. Aninteresting tale I associate with the youthfulqualities of halflings, it is only right theywould assume themselves a younger peoplewhen they look like children.

The tales state that because halflings werecreated last all the lands of the world weretaken: the elves had claimed the woods, thedwarves the mountains, the gnomes the hillsand the humans claimed the plains. Withnowhere else to live, the halflings wereforced to wander from land to land makingtheir home along the borders. The legendshint of a promised land which wasunclaimed by all, that no one calls home, andthere the halflings would be permitted tosettle.

Obviously, this tale is but a justification ofthe lifestyle, a shallow explanation writtenafter the fact to tell young halflings why theylive in some tiny wagon on a dirt road. It isno real wonder the halflings abandoned theirtravels and settled down.

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There are a few scattered references to thelittle people in human histories, mostly inDarkon relating to the assorted villages thereand the arrival of various tribes into cities.These are in addition to the scattered reports,little more than legends really, of halflingsightings over the centuries.

These reports offer little to collaborate thehalfling’s tales but do not explain muchthemselves. However, these reports do dateback many hundreds of years -as early as thewritten words of Darkon date back- so theorigin of the halflings is not a very recentone. If they are the youngest races, all theothers must be truly ancient. I just felt itworth noting that the references to halflingspre-date the rise of the Rex. I will not repeatthe association theory here in regards toAzalin’s taking the throne in relation withDarkon’s emergence from the Mists, but Itrust the relevance of this will be noted.

Since the early days when all halflingswere wanderers, they slowly began to settle;they spread out across the Core picking andchoosing lands suited to their needs. Theymoved into the ghettos and forgottensections of the cities as they moved into theforgotten places in the woods and hills, theymade their homes among the feared remainsof the dead. They did this with nary a trace,no mark on the histories of the Lands. It isfrustrating to no end how invisibly theymoved through human affairs.

I suspect that many a halfling hid in plainsight, woven among those of power andinfluence. Ignored as a small child is, theyworked and manipulate behind the scenes ofmany events and with their long lives, theymight pull the strings of men for a generationor two. We may never know how many ofthe little people moved hidden through ourown history while still leaving a mark on ourlives. On the other hand, perhaps I am justparanoid from having spent too much timewith the little people.

BeliefsBeliefsBeliefsBeliefsThe beliefs of the little people are self-

explanatory relating back to their formerlifestyle. All the central beliefs and corevirtues relate back to the former nomadicexistence. For example, they are raised to behumble and quiet and not covet materialgoods. Having few possessions is importantto nomadic people as traveling light isessential. Owning more than you can carrywill simply slow you and the rest of thegroup down. Quietness is also important asbeing loud and obnoxious will simply irritateyour traveling companions with whom yourare at close quarters with for most of the day.And humbleness is simply one of thoseuniversal virtues every race seems to beobsessed with.

These beliefs have been modified with theaddition of another, one not related tonomadic life. Yet it has become crucial to thehalflings’ way of life. This is the belief thatthe world is a dangerous and hazardous placefull of threats, both seen and unseen. From ayoung age, halflings are taught that monstershide in every shadow, that the big folk aredangerous, manipulative, violent and not tobe trusted. That the only sure defense fromall that is to remain unseen. As threats comefrom the outside isolationism is the best idea,at least in the minds of the little people.Other halflings can be trusted, especiallyfamily.

I suspect these xenophobic tendencies havecaused their fair share of halfling deaths.Whole villages wiped out by some threat thatcame from the inside but was not noticeduntil too late or because help was turnedaway because it came from outside.

Fighting back is not an option to the littlepeople. Firstly, because they are taught thatviolence and aggression is wrong (a noblesentiment true, but hardly one that lendsitself to self-defense or survival), partiallybecause violence is seen to beget onlyviolence but also because the little people aretoo small and weak to make a difference.

Paranoia is quite common with manyliving in a constant fearful state. Nightmaresare frequent and lengthy for the young;

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adults are often quite disturbed at the end oftheir lives. Ironically, this does lead to theirsturdy mindset and helps stop them frompanicking when faced with their nightmares.They are accustomed to being afraid andthus do not let fear control them (theexception being the fearless Stouts who stillbelieve in the horrors of the night but simplyrefuse to be even slightly unsettled intochanging their lifestyles).

ReligionReligionReligionReligionWhile the halflings have their own pagan

hearth gods, many have seen the light andadopted the Home Faith into their lives. It isno surprise given the similar views on theLegions of the Night.

Originally, the little people worshiped theirown pagan goddesses. The dominant onerepresented by a spiraling horn of plenty (acornucopia). She was seen as the mother ofthe halfling race who cast out her own darkside creating her companion goddess.

Halflings worshiped both at the same timewith double-sided shrines often sacrificing abowl of fruit at one and some meat at theother. After the sacrifice, they offer words ofthanks not to appear demanding orungracious before they make their prayersand requests. These shrines remain in theirplaces, small rocky alters set near the centersof the towns, disused and moss covered. Thelarger homes often had their own smallshrines set in the grounds, often bordering onthe garden.

In addition, there were a number of smallergods and goddesses who were seen as havingpowers of the other mundane elements oflife. These were really little more than spiritsevoked for blessing and good luck. Theyseldom had shrines but were represented bysmall symbols or icons in the corners of thetwin goddesses’ shrines.

Temples are rare in halfling communitiesas the little people never worship as a groupor hold a communal mass. Services areprivate for the individual and possibly apriest if needed. There are few holy days forthe little people and these are not held in achurch.

As Ezra spreads, the shrines are convertedand adorned with the sword and shieldiconography of the Home Faith. In theshrines of larger communities, theiconography of Ezra is subtly changed withthe emphasis placed on the sprig ofbelladonna while the sword and shield aregiven a background role.

The halflings have adapted and made thereligion their own emphasizing the powerand danger of the legions of the night. Theyare not to be faced but endured, for Ezraawaits in the next life of paradise wherethere is no fear. The poor little folk suffer allmanner of hardship and fear for the promiseof a better life in the hereafter.

Despite the halflings’ gravitation toDarkon and the West the sect of the HomeFaith they resemble most is the Borcan. Oddsince there are few reports of the little peoplefrom that region’s past. Either the faith waspicked up by scattered travelers and spreadquickly or they adapted it on their own whilein a mindset similar to that of the Borcans.

Faith is a very personal thing to the littlepeople. Beliefs and opinions are not shared;one worships and pays homage to thegoddess how they deem appropriate. Onedoes not ask a halfling whom they worshipor how and even watching is consideredrude. It is between the deity and the singlesoul.

Other religions are rarer in halflingcommunities. The witches of Hala arerespected, especially by the nomadichalflings of the southern Core. The littlepeople have a strong tie with nature, a bondif you will, so they respect a faith thatemphasizes the natural world. Still, wholecommunities seldom follow Hala; a singlepractitioner whom serves as an herbalist orguide is often the sole voice of the witches.

The Lawgiver has found little hold in thehalfling lands. They respect the law andauthority it preaches but are simply toindividualistic to surrender themselves to itsdomination. Likewise, Belenus receives littlepraise from the halflings, even those bornand raised in Tepest.

In Rivalis, the Eternal Order is given asurprising amount of respect with shrines

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and a decent temple constructed about town,for both visitors and the halflings that livethere. Given the emphasis on personalbeliefs it is hard to know whom follows theHome Faith, whom the pagan gods andwhom the Eternal Order. However, with thelittle people of Rivalis’ fears from theirexposure and certainty that Azalin is all thatkeeps them alive it is no wonder the religionsurvives there. It is a fair bet as long as theRex continues to rule the Eternal Order willhave a place in Rivalis.

Funerary customs of the little people varyfrom community to community; there are nouniversal rites or rituals regarding death.Traditionally, I imagine, the funeral woulddepend on the environment and season. Theywould send the body adrift near water, onplains they would have a burial and in therough hills they build rocky cairns.

With the limited space of halfling villagesburial tends to be ignored and digging newtunnels for entombment or cairns is equallytime and land consuming. Halflings seldomburn their dead if it can be avoided; theyprefer to leave the bodies of the departedintact.

With the spread of the faith of Ezra,halflings follow the funeral rites suggestedby the religion. Small graveyards are nowfound a short distance from the villages.Most of these are unmarked, save for stonesatop the graves. These stones tend to becarved with an elaborate knotted pattern orother decorative design but otherwiseunmarked. Rivalis, with its opensurroundings and exposed nature, has a largegated graveyard built in the Darkonian stylewith sculpted or carved headstonesthroughout.

Race RelationsRace RelationsRace RelationsRace RelationsWith their isolationist attitude, few

halflings ever have dealings with otherpeople, even other sub-human races. Eventhose races that might share a kinship withthe little people, such as the elves, areseldom encountered with any regularity.Many halflings I talked to had never evenmet a human before, let alone a dwarf orgnome. Some view them in the same light as

giants and dragons and other fantastic beastsfrom their tall tales. Others categorize allhumans and taller sub-humans together as“the big folk” whom are not to be trusted.

Most of the following opinions are culledfrom those of Darkonian halflings;Tallfellows or Stouts originally hailing fromthe South. If I had reached the southern landsbefore the completion of this entry, I mighthave interviewed more halflings but couldnot delay in the sending of it any longer.

HumansHumansHumansHumans

Humans are universally referred to as “thebig folk”, something I find a tadcondescending and rude; referring to adiverse people not by their own names ornationalities but by some derisive labelapplied based on relative size. We are notthat big and have quite a wide range of sizes,why single out that one trait to describe us?

Yet they fear us. Or rather, given thecourage of the halflings, simply distrust anddislike us big folk dismissing us as a race ofviolent murderers and thugs.

I do admit that humans, in the past, havetaken advantage of the innocence of the littlepeople. And the legends have not been kindto them subjecting them to all manner oftreasure seekers or man-monsters looking foreasy prey. They may be right to fear us.

Those halflings that do have dealings withhumans or encounter them regularly oftenpose as children in the hopes of goingunnoticed as being nonhuman.

Halflings that openly have relations withhumans tend to have homes or villages closeto human settlements and the twoperiodically trade. Sometimes this is doneface-to-face but often through leaving goodsin prearranged places. The baker leaves abasket of fresh bread on the windowsillovernight and receives a supply of fresh fruitand berries in the morning.

Halflings view these kind or sympathetichumans as oddities among the rough breedbut trust them nevertheless. This trust oftenspans generations with halflings assumingsuch traits are passes along. More of thetypical halfling faith in family.

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CalibanCalibanCalibanCaliban

The legend that describes halflings as thedistilled innocence of humanity has avariation where the magician’s prior attemptseparated man’s violence and temper. Thiswas the birth of the calibans.

Of course, as any scholar will tell you, thisis absolute bunk and the true origins of thebreed are well known. Halflings, however,appear take this tale to heart and thoroughlydislike calibans. They do not believe theliteral truth of this tale but agree with itsinterpretation.

Roaming calibans with an aggressivestreak have historically found easy preyamongst the little people. Calibans who havebeen abused their whole lives enjoytormenting the wee folk as it is akin torevenging themselves on their past abusers.Halfling storytellers tell of these savage bigfolk that have seized whole villages andlorded over them like kings.

Regardless of personal experiences,halflings avoid dealings with the caliban if atall possible.

DwarvesDwarvesDwarvesDwarves

Halflings, on occasion, encounter thoseknown as dwarves. However, as both sidesseldom meet each other and almost neverseek each other out little opinion has formedregarding each other.

The few halflings I met who could boastextensive knowledge of the dwarves reportthat they were seen as boring and stuffy. Thehalflings found it hard to engage the dwarvesin any activities as the dwarves were alwaysbusy working.

Most comments regarding dwarves refernot to them but their way of life. Talk totraveled halflings regarding dwarves and thelittle people will loudly complain that “theirstories are boring and too long” or “theirhouses are dirty, cold and uncomfortable”.

This is not to say halflings do not likedwarves, they just find them stiff andgrumpy. They are interesting enough tospend time with, if only to satisfy insatiablecuriosity, but not a people with whomhalflings could spend lengthy periods.

ElvesElvesElvesElvesThe little people are endlessly fascinated bythe fey. Many halfling stories revolve aroundelves, faeries and the like. They are seen asexciting, mysterious and magical, all thevarious things the mundane halflings are not(at least to themselves).

The little people are envious of the fey.They see the light and carefree manner of theelves and wish they could feel the same,unburdened by the constant fears andconcerns that plague the halflings. Theywitness the endless song and dance that isthe lives of elves and desire to do the same.Many halflings have left their home andattempted to settle in elven lands and livefree of restrain but find it hard to let go oftheir familial attachments.

GnomesGnomesGnomesGnomes

The short gnomes are a curiosity to halflings.Halflings enjoy meeting and spending timewith gnomes, enthralled by the interestinginventions that often adorn gnomishworkshops and homes, and they enjoytalking with the eccentric thinkers if only tobe entertained by their radically uniqueviewpoints.

However, gnomes and halflings seldom getalong for extended periods. The halflingseventually become tired with the gnomishworldview and macabre humour while thegnomes grow weary of the halfling’srepressed attitude and fear of death.

ConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusionI was unprepared for the initial foray into theworld of these little people and much of myjudgment was coloured by the legends andfolklore of the common masses. So much ofmy earlier notes had to be discarded asinaccurate and flawed due to initialmisconceptions, especially regarding thenature of these small folk.

At first, the disparity between the carefreeinnocent sprites of the tales and the burdenedfigures of reality threw me off and made meworry that I was studying the wrong breed.Then, ever so slowly, I saw that the two wereone and the same only the people of the

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myths had become harder while the storiesgrew wilder.

The best metaphor I can give is one of asmall child, lorded over by a violent andabusive father. The child will still be theyoung and naturally carefree soul but morerestrained as they fear the next lashing. Thisthen is the embodiment of the halflings.

I know it is not my place to judge events Iwitness, I am merely to record and send outthese reports but, at this moment, I cannothelp myself. I feel as if the world has lostsomething valuable when these happy soulswere squelched by whatever darkness drovefright into them.

In regards to their use by our Fraternity, Iregret that I foresee little knowledge can begleamed from them. Some research could beput into discovering what deadened theircollective spirits, such oppression could wellbe used to our advantage. Other than that, Iforesee little practical application from thisof my five reports.

When next I research the secrets of the feyperhaps I will uncover more. Their vauntedconnection to the Land should proveenlightening.

Respectfully Jonothan Lochspeare

Use in Games Use in Games Use in Games Use in Games The world of Ravenloft is one of humans

and folklore with the staples of fantasyfiction being pushed to the side in favour ofliterature and classical folk tales.Demihumans have a far lesser role in thisland, halflings especially, despite theirapparent numbers in the Land of the Mist.Below are optional rules and advice forincorporating halflings into a Ravenloftcampaign.

Role of HalflingsRole of HalflingsRole of HalflingsRole of HalflingsHalflings have few roots in folkloreoriginating with hobbits in Tolkien’s worksas a stand-in for the British commoncountryman, a role filled in Ravenloft bymany of the simpler folk, especially those of

Mordent. Quite simply, there is no place forthe hobbit in Ravenloft.

The role of halflings then becomes one ofthe faerie tales, the mysterious little peopleof the woods akin to leprechauns or elves.They are a less magical variety of theShadow Fey and can easily be tied into orrelated to the Arak.

This portrayal and role of the halflings as alesser faerie race depends on them beingisolated and ethereal, they should bemysterious curiosities with a strange manner.

Unlike other demihuman races, halflingsare hard to ‘turn into’ humans. Theirinhumanly small sizes make portraying themas a entire community of diminutive peopledifficult. It stretched credibility and mightbreak the mood of the game.

One alternative is to simply make halflingsactual children, runaways and orphansholed-up in a single valley orneighbourhood. Perhaps even children whoare under some manner of curse and do notgrow any older. This preserves the innocentand fearful themes of the halflings whilegrounding them in reality, albeit a possiblymagical one.

Running HalflingsRunning HalflingsRunning HalflingsRunning HalflingsHalflings, like fey, are often best left as apresence rather than an overt figure. Theyshould be like the little people of myth,seldom actually seen, and captured evenmore rarely, but with a tangible effect on life.They should leave traces and their actionsshould have a noticeable impact, even atrivial one.

Odd occurrences are the best indication ofa little person and can be used to emphasizethe inhuman and mysterious nature of thehalflings. Tiny footprints left in the dust andfood stolen silently in the night.

When a halfling does make an appearanceit should be subtle and unnoticed, at least atfirst. There might be a growing sensation ofbeing watched that persist for hours beforethe character notices the person standingclose by. They might be the stable hand thattook care of the horses or the person sitting

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next to them in the tavern, but they are onlyrecognizable in retrospect.

Halflings are thievish but what they stealshould not be obvious. If a group is plaguedby a halfling (or halflings) their methods andmotives should be almost incomprehensible.Shiny and pretty objects might attract themmore than duller and less valuable ones. Abrightly polished cooper piece might vanishquicker than a dull and dirty gold coin. Signsof wealth and comfort are also frequenttargets of a halfling’s light fingers.

When describing halflings their seemingimmortality and timeless appearance shouldbe emphasized, as should their wide-eyedinnocence and seemingly breezy attitude.They should strange and different, a queerlittle person flitting from shadow to shadowor a high-pitched voice from the underbrush.

Players portraying halflings should do allthey can to stay in the background or beignored. If at all possible they shouldcommunicate their actions to the DungeonMaster subtly or hidden so other partymembers are unsure of character’s actions.Likewise, the DM should seldom draw directattention to the character letting the otherplayers forget about halfling at times.

Halflings, of course, should never refer tothemselves as such. To them they are nothalf-sized; everyone else is simply double-sized. They might refer to themselves bysome regional name, the name of one of thesubraces, or simply their own nickname.Dungeon Masters, on the other hand, shouldfeel free to refer to them as little people, half-men, faerie folk and the like.

VariantsVariantsVariantsVariantsThere are three subraces of halflings in the

Land of the Mist: the Hairfoot, the Stout andthe Tallfellow. The three can interbreed andoften do with the child taking after oneparent or the other, usually, but not always,with the racial traits of the mother.

HairfootHairfootHairfootHairfootHairfoot halflings, also known as Hairfeet

or Casfalt in the halfling tongue, come fromthe Western lands of the Core such as

Dementlieu, Mordent, Richemulot andBorca. On average they are as tall as otherhalflings but few reach more than three feetand many fall below average height.Hairfoots also tend to gain weight easieroften being ten or even fifteen poundsheavier than their counterparts.

Personality: Hairfoot halflings prefer tolive alone and are more likely to found theirown communities than Tallfellows or Stouts.They prefer the company of other halflingsand actively enjoy being left alone. Slightlyless xenophobic than the other breeds theystill do not often socialize with the big folk.

Hairfoots tends towards being serious,especially at older ages, often becomingquite crabby and solitary. At younger agesHairfoots are curious and lighthearted butstill lack the intense wanderlust of the Stout.The occasional rare Hairfoot harkens back tothe halflings nomadic years but this istypically only a phase.

Racial Traits: Hairfoots posses all of theracial traits described in the Player’sHandbook with the following exceptions:

+2 racial bonus on Disguise Hide andMove Silently. Hairfeet know how to avoidbeing noticed and blend into the background(this replaces the bonuses to Climb andJump).

+2 racial bonus against Madness andmadness effects. This bonus stacks with thehalfling’s +1 bonus on saving throws ingeneral (this replaces the moral bonusagainst fear).

StoutStoutStoutStoutThe Stout, or Gillesonn, are traditionalist

halflings that roam the Southern lands of theCore traveling in a nomadic pack of one’sextended family. They are fearless andlighthearted often getting into trouble.

Personality: Stout halflings are fearlessand continually struck by an intensewanderlust that urges them forward to seewhat is over the next hill. They rarely settledown for more than a few years and seldomown more than they can carry.

Disliking boredom these little people oftencause trouble simply to entertain themselves,

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occasionally wrecking havoc from theshadows and watching the outcome in abemused fashion.

Typical Stouts are impulsive and prone torash actions, they have little impulse controland are too curious for their own good.Despite this they do have a developed senseof self preservation and know it is just aseasy to satisfy one’s curiosity from thedistance while watching an outcome.

Racial Traits: Stout halflings posses all ofthe racial traits described in the Player’sHandbook with the following exceptions:

+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength, -2 Wisdom.Stout halflings are quick and agile but not asphysically strong as the larges races. Theyare also naturally lacking some self-controland common sense.

+2 racial bonus on Bluff, Move Silentlyand Sleight of Hand. Stout are stealthy butpaired with quick wits and dexterous hands(this replaces the bonuses to Climb andJump).

+3 racial bonus against Fear and feareffects. This bonus stacks with the halfling’s+1 bonus on saving throws in general.

+2 racial bonus on Spot checks. Stouthalflings have very keen eyes and can seefarther than the average human (this replacesthe bonus to listen checks).

Darkvision: Stout halflings can see in thedark up to 30 feet. Darkvision is black andwhite only, but is otherwise like normalsight, and otherwise Stout halflings canfunction just fine with no light at all.

TallfellowTallfellowTallfellowTallfellowThe most common of halfling subraces is

the Tallfellow, Mórlùrdan in their language,is found all across the Northern Core fromLamordia to Nova Vassa with smallcommunities or neighbourhoods in Tepest,Borca and other lands. There are moreTallfellows than there are Stouts andHairfeet combined.

Formerly nomadic and still occasionallywanderers, Tallfellow halflings have mostlysettled down in small villages or isolatedghettos in human cities.

Personality: Tallfellow halflings aretypical halflings with all the traits and quirksthat implies. Typically happy and carefreethey are equally repressed by a deep fear andconcern for one’s wellbeing.

Racial Traits: Tallfellows posses all of theracial traits described in the Player’sHandbook with the following exceptions:

+2 racial bonus on Climb, Hide and MoveSilently (this replaces the bonuses to Jump).

+2 racial bonus against Horror and horroreffects. This bonus stacks with the halfling’s+1 bonus on saving throws in general (thisreplaces the moral bonus against fear).

Skills and FeatsSkills and FeatsSkills and FeatsSkills and Feats

Bluff (Cha)Bluff (Cha)Bluff (Cha)Bluff (Cha)Halflings are able to use this skill to tauntand enrage their enemies in battle; this cancause them to make mistake or leavethemselves open to attack.

Check: An attempt at taunting is opposedby the target’s Sense Motive check, as perthe standard use of the Bluff skill. However,the standard circumstance modifiers do notapply to a Taunt check. Instead the check ismodified by knowledge of the target’sbackground and personality. Tailor madetaunts and insults are always superior togeneric ones.

A successful taunt check causes the targetto focus and attack the character to theexclusion of all others. They are still away ofanyone beside or behind them but choose notto pay them any attention. The target istreated as being in a state similar to that of abarbarian’s rage and receives a +2 bonus toattack and damage rolls against the

Table 1: Taunt ModifiersTable 1: Taunt ModifiersTable 1: Taunt ModifiersTable 1: Taunt Modifiers

Knowledge of target Check Mod.

Target is stranger -2

Character has heard of target -1

Character knows of or has met target 0

Target is well known +1

Character has researched target +2

Target and character has extensive history +3

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character. However, the target is lessconcerned with their own safety and suffersa -2 to AC against the character and anadditional -2 penalty (for a total of -4)against any other attackers.

If the check succeeds by 10 or more thetarget completely ignores the existence ofother characters in the area and loses anyDexterity bonus against their attacks.

Only a single target can be taunted at asingle-time. The exception being if a specificgroup is taunted (a guard patrol or group ofgoblyns), but the character suffers a -5penalty on their Bluff check in that situationdue to the difficulty hurling effective insults.

Blink of an Eye [Racial (Halfling)]Blink of an Eye [Racial (Halfling)]Blink of an Eye [Racial (Halfling)]Blink of an Eye [Racial (Halfling)]You are able to vanish from sight.

Prerequisite: Halfling blood, 8 ranks ormore in Hide.

Benefit: The halfling can hide even whenunder direct observation. The Hide check ismade with a -10 penalty and is considered afull-round action instead of a move action. Ifit succeeds the halfling is assumed to havetaken advantage of a momentary distractionor break in concentration to concealthemselves.

The target can still attempt a Spot check asusual to find the character after they havehidden themselves.

Fearless [Racial (Halfling)]Fearless [Racial (Halfling)]Fearless [Racial (Halfling)]Fearless [Racial (Halfling)]You are all but immune to fear.

Prerequisite: Halfling blood. Benefit: Halflings with this feat are

resistant to non-magical fear and are notrequired to make Fear Checks. In addition,they are granted a +4 bonus against magicalfear effects including both supernatural andspell-like abilities. However, if the characterever does fail a Fear check (from a magicalsource) then they suffer twice the penaltiesas they are not used to being frightened andhave no coping mechanism! Likewise,negative effects from failed Fear Checks lasttwice as long. This feat does not grant anyimmunity or bonus to Horror or Madnesschecks and both must still be made.

Special: This feat must be selected atcharacter creation.

Lucky [Racial (Halfling)]Lucky [Racial (Halfling)]Lucky [Racial (Halfling)]Lucky [Racial (Halfling)]You are pre-naturally fortunate and gain asecond chance to avoid disaster.

Prerequisite: Halfling blood. Benefit: Once a game session the character

can re-roll a single d20 roll. The roll can befor any d20 rolling including an attack, asave or a skill check. The first roll need nothave failed to use the ability and its use doesnot have to be declared beforehand. Theresults of the second roll are used todetermine the outcome of the action, thecharacter cannot choose the better of the tworolls.

Uncanny Skill [Racial (Halfling)]Uncanny Skill [Racial (Halfling)]Uncanny Skill [Racial (Halfling)]Uncanny Skill [Racial (Halfling)]You are able to use luck to excel at an action.

Prerequisite: Halfling blood. Benefit: This feat allows a halfling to

improve a single d20 roll by granting a 1d6luck bonus. The roll can be for any d20rolling including an attack, a save or a skillcheck. The use of this feat must be declaredbefore the d20 roll is made. This ability isusable a number of times per session equal tothe character’s level divided five, roundeddown (minimum of 1). For example, aeleventh level character would be able tomodify three d20 rolls in a session.

Vanish in CrowdsVanish in CrowdsVanish in CrowdsVanish in CrowdsYou are able to use crowds or people toconceal yourself.

Prerequisite: 4 or more ranks in Bluff, 8or more ranks in Hide.

Benefit: With this feat, a character can usepeople or characters of equal or greater sizeas concealment or cover for purposes Hidechecks. If not being watched or directlyobserved there is no penalty for hidingamongst people. If the character is beingwatched then they must create a distractionas per the Hide skill before attempting tovanish.

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ItemsItemsItemsItemsThe Stone of Rivalis: This is a heavy rock

centerpiece placed in the middle of anancient circle of standing stones. It is aroughly hewn stone alter carved from asingle piece of sandstone. It is roughly twofeet high, four feet long and three feet widewith a faint green colouration.

Centuries ago, the Stone of Rivalis was inthe centerpiece of a small town’s necropolis.The small village is now long since forgottenand crumbled to dust with its stone circleignored and forgotten by all but a fewcurious halflings.

The Stone of Rivalis has become central tothe group known as the Stone of the Peopleand they have made it central to both theirmeeting place and beliefs. Magical healingproperties and other powers are attributed toit, and it has a key role in the group’sceremonies.

Before key missions or important days ofthe year, it has become traditional forhalflings to cut the palm of their hands andrest them on the Stone. It is believed thisblood sacrifice grants them good fortune foron whatever endeavor they are attempting.

It is unknown if the Stone originally hadmagical properties or if the Mists havesimply responded to the beliefs of the littlepeople, but the halflings are correct. It doesbestow good luck.

For every five points of damage a personinflicts upon themselves the stone grants a+1 luck bonus to any action attempted for thenext day. This is up to a maximum of bonusof +5 (for 25 points of damage). However,what the halflings do not know is the Stonebalances this good fortune with bad luck forthe following week. The person suffers anegative to all actions equal to half the initialbonus, rounded up. Someone who received a+3 bonus would have a -2 penalty for theseven days after his good luck ends. This badluck is canceled if another sacrifice is made.

Registery of MonstersRegistery of MonstersRegistery of MonstersRegistery of MonstersExcerpts from the RegistryExcerpts from the RegistryExcerpts from the RegistryExcerpts from the Registry

By Stanton F. Finkapokryltaros@gmail.com

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The Tower of SilanaThe Tower of SilanaThe Tower of SilanaThe Tower of SilanaAn Original AdventureAn Original AdventureAn Original AdventureAn Original Adventure

Andrew "alhoon" Pavlideapavlides24@hotmail.com

"Under the dark cover of the night this talltower you ask me for seems even morefrightening. Oh, and the nearer you get to thetower, the faster night falls. Heed an oldwoman's advice and stay clear of Silana'sTower. Who is Silana? Well young one, youdon't need to know anything else about theplace, except that it has claimed many youngmen like you."

- Srenda, an old widow.

The Tower of Silana is the tower whereEvarias Arathen, a Black Opal Mage callshome now. It stands in Nova Vassa, near theborders with Darkon. The tower is made oflight gray limestone, which has become a bityellowish with age. Dead vines climb thewalls of the Tower and it seems sinister.

The tower is about 60 - 65 feet tall, and hasa protective railing, also made of stone, atthe top. It stands on a low hill where a fewsick bushes and yellowish grass grow.Around the hill, about 120 to 240' from thetower, there are sparse trees and bushes thatbecome thicker further away from the tower.The nearer one comes to the tower, the lessvegetation exists. Only ravens and ratsapproach the tower willingly.

The tower seems to have a supernaturallylong shadow, even on a clear day at midday.In addition, around the tower the day seemsto pass twice as fast, while the night seems tokeep twice as long. The few that visited thetower and returned to tell the tale, insist thatinside the tower the day rushes past evenfaster and the night even slower. It is unsureif this is a supernatural effect or it is just theperception of the visitors that change. Thelocals seems at a loss about these phenomenaand explain them through the presence of theevil spirit rumored to exist in the tower,claiming the lives of young men as trophiesand binding them to her service.

The tower inside is made of undecoratedtiled floors and superior masonry walls. Theceiling is about 10' high, the walls are thick,and the air is musty and stinks of closure anddead bodies. A few large (2-3" diameter),bloated, ugly spiders with hairy feet havemade their webs in the corners feeding onthe flies and maggots of the zombies. Therooms are silent and the noise a mouse orcockroach does sounds alarming in contrast.The tower has few and small windowsgenerally, keeping it gloomy at all times.

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The climb DC to climb the tower walls is20, and the Tower is a 2nd rank sinkhole ofevil. The grounds around the tower are a 1strank sinkhole of evil. All the doors in thetower are strong wooden doors.

The tower is haunted by a special specternamed Silana. She is anchored to the towerand cannot move further than 240' from it.Silana has an allergen; she cannot staywithin 10' of anyone wearing an onyx ring.She was married to a rich, middle-aged manand gave him an onyx ring as a gift on theirwedding day. However, she paid a servant atthe inn where the couple stayed to poison theman who wore a black onyx ring. As herhusband was dying she laughed at him andtold how she would spend the fortune shewould inherit with other young men. Withhis dying breath, her husband cursed her toalways remember her betrayal and never beable to rest. A few years later, Silana washerself murdered by a young lover.However, she rose again from the grave tohaunt the abandoned tower she used to dateher lovers.

Young men killed by her energy drain raiseas wights under her control. She can controlup to 21 HD worth of undead that way. Shecannot create specters or wights from othercreatures other than young human or half-elven men.

Both Evarias and his bodyguard Grudknow this and always wear an onyx ring.Evarias has also used his reign undead skillto change the attitude of the specter toindifferent against him and his bodyguard.She ignores the obedients as she doesn'tconsider them creatures.

DM's notesDM's notesDM's notesDM's notesThis is a dungeon crawl adventure for 4 to 5characters of 7th to 8th level. It shouldn't beas difficult as it seems if the PCs prepare and

don't just rush in, swords in hand. It featuressome of the information shown in the BlackOpal Mage guild.

A DM that wants to run this adventureshould read the Black Opal guild info, andcarefully read the description of Evarias tounderstand the man that brought such griefin the nearby communities.

While running the adventure, the DMshould try to instill to the players the feelingthat obedient dead aren't anonymouscreatures to just crush down, but they are justlike the players under different conditions.They were good people (mostly) that wereturned to killing machines or servantsagainst their will. Mothers should cry whenthey see their dead children brought backmauled, wives should mourn for theirhusbands. Neighbors and friends of themurdered should treat the PCs as heroes, butthere should not be a celebration in the endof this adventure. The "monsters" killedwere after all people that once belonged tothe community.

Adventure BackgroundAdventure BackgroundAdventure BackgroundAdventure BackgroundEvarias Arathen, an evil necromancer, hastaken residence in the haunted tower anduses it as his base. Under his orders, both hisbodyguard and his obedients steal bodiesfrom the graveyards and kill travelers.Evarias was careful not to draw too muchattention on his tower with these activities.

Recently, however, he learned from a spyin the nearby villages that 4-5 teenagerathletes would gather about an hour awayfrom their homes to practice for the annualregional games that come and enjoy thenature (as it is spring). Taking theopportunity to create a few more LeapingZombies, Evarias killed the teenagers andstole the bodies.

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The Map of Silana's TowerThe Map of Silana's TowerThe Map of Silana's TowerThe Map of Silana's Tower

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The TowerThe TowerThe TowerThe TowerGrounds (EL 6): Around the tower there isno vegetation except for a little grass. Nextto the tower there is a small well secured ontop with a wooden plate.

In front of the tower's entrance, about 20 -30' away from the door, 3 Leaping Zombiesare buried. The DC of the Spot check tonotice them is 27. A character that searchesthe ground can make a Survival check (DC20) to notice the freshly upturned earth.

These 'Jumpers' are ordered not to interferewith people that enter the tower (unlesscommanded to do so) but to jump and attackwhen someone tries to leave. Unpreparedcharacters that had spent most of theirresources in the tower would meet a sudden,unexpected challenge when they think theywill run away to safety. Unless they areprotected from Divination, the Jumpers willnotice anyone as they come out and burstfrom their graves to corner them against thetower. Each player that fails a Spot check(DC 27) will be caught surprised by theattack. This may call for a Fear save (DC14), especially from surprised characters thatsuddenly come face to face with zombies.

These Leaping Zombies can be identifiedas some of the teenagers lost recently if theyare brought back to the town. They areobviously young and have innocentexpressions locked in a dead, unblinkingstare, with milky eyes and grievous woundson their bodies. This may prompt a Horrorsave (DC 12)

Leaping Zombies: 26, 30, 32 hp.

1) Entrance: Just inside the entrance thereare hidden arrow slits (Spot DC 18, SearchDC 10), and on the ceiling there is an opendeath-pit. At the other side of the entrance isa locked double door (Open Locks DC 25).A successful Search check on the door willgive clues that it is used often. The door hasa mechanism that slowly closes it if itremains open. From the arrow slits, theHammer Zombies of Rooms 3 and 4 inspectthe hallway.

Once the double door closes and thecharacters have left the room, the Jumpersfrom Room 9 will silently fall to the room toguard the exit (Listen DC 15 + the penaltiesfor closed door or walls as needed).

2) Lobby (EL 7): This large room isunadorned except of little furniture. Theroom is slightly lit by two small windows atthe two side rooms. In each of the siderooms, there is a standard skeleton hidden. Ifthe zombies from the Rooms 3 and 4 havenoticed intruders they would have moved tothis room and take cover behind the wallextension next to the double door (Spot DC22 + any for the low light in the room).

Across the double door, there is a largelocked closet (Open Locks DC 20). Packedinside the closet are two Hammer Zombies.They must take an action to break the closet'sdoor, but do so in a single round (Evarias hasmade the door easy to break from the insidejust for this case).

By the time the double door closes, or if acharacter notices the two hidden zombies, allthe Obedients move to attack. Rememberthat the zombies in the closet need an actionto break out. If the characters don't notice thezombies and let the double door close, theywill be surprised by them. The suddenappearance of the two stone-handed zombiesfrom the closet and two others next to thecharacters may call for a Fear check (DC 12)

The skeletons would use a special magicalbell that only Evarias, Grud and Silana canhear. The DC of the Listen check is 5 +5 foreach floor difference (Consider the DC as 12for Silana).

Smashers: 19, 24 hpSkeletons: 3, 6 hp

3-4) Guard rooms: These rooms areidentical. Each is without furniture and eachhas a Hammer Zombie. Once the Hammerzombie notices someone in the entrance, itsilently moves to the Lobby.

Smashers: 20, 25 hp

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5) Stairs (EL 7): The stairs connect all thefloors of the tower. The staircase has nowindows, being totally dark. The steps areslippery with age and use and anyonemoving fast in the stair must make a Balancecheck (DC 12 for hustle, DC 15 for running)or fall. There is a protective wooden railing,but it is rotten and will not support anyonefalling on it. A falling character drops 10'and must make another Balance check (orTumble check) or fall another 10', and so onuntil he reaches the ground floor.

The stairs, however, hide a far greaterdanger; the specter of Silana usually inhabitsthe stairs of her tower. She will not harmanyone wearing a black onyx ring and shehas bargained with Evarias to leave him inpeace (after all, she likes what he does), butshe will attack ruthlessly any other livingbeing.

Since she is incorporeal, she will remainhidden in the slippery steps once she hearsany commotion or the doors to the stairsopening leaving only a slight part of her out(9/10ths cover, Spot DC 33 + penalties forlight). Once someone comes within herreach, she will attack (probably by surprise)making a touch attack and then she will fleein the steps again, away from harm's way.

Silana will make sudden appearances andattacks from the steps, the walls and theceilings as long as the characters remain inthe stairs. If the characters seem dangerous(for example, employing powerful magic orreducing her to 15 hit points or less) she willleave them in peace.

Silana is a wispy, semitransparent grayhuman female, dressed in flamboyantclothes, with pretty but angry features, mistyfrom the waist down. Her hair flow aroundher as is she is constantly blown by wind andshe has a scar visible in her neck (the woundthat took her life). Once she is agitated orangry, she becomes slightly luminousshedding an eerie green light (like a ghostlight spell).

Any young human or half elf character shekills with her touch will rise within 3 roundsas a 5 HD wight completely under hercommand, unless the corpse is blessed with abless spell or sprinkled with holy water. The

sudden rise of a comrade as a twisted undeadenemy is a cause for a Horror save (DC 20).

If Silana is destroyed she will return to theworld in a week. The only way to destroy herpermanently is to find the descendants of theman that killed her and the relatives of herhusband and marry a couple of them. Afterthe first night of the new married couple, shewill dissipate.

All the doors to the staircase except theground floor's are arcane locked and onlyEvarias, Grud and undead can pass freelythrough them.

Silana: 49 hp +temporary hit pointa

6) Corridor: This room has nothing in itexcept a bright red carpet. The carpet has ablack skull depicted at the center, but it hasno special effect (other than probablyagitating suspicious characters).

7) Obedient Preparation Lab: The door tothis room is magically trapped. Anyonetouching the door (except Evarias) will take2d8 +5 negative energy damage. A Fortitudesave (DC 15) halves the damage. This trapshould serve as a last reminder to the PCsthat once there are obedients around, there isalso a master. The spectre of Silana shouldn'tbe able to place such traps. The Search andDisable Device DC of the trap is 27, but arogue failing the first Search check isconsidered to have touched the door, so he issubject to the damage. The trap becomesactive again after 3 rounds.

The room inside is a large one. It smellsheavily of corpse flesh and chemicals (likeformaldehyde). It has a large stone table, asmall wooden desk, a couple of simple chairsand shelves with various alchemicalcomponents and organs. There are alsosewing kits and medical kits in there. AnAlchemy check (DC 15) will tell that thesechemicals are used to preserve the dead. Theroom gets a little daylight from three smallwindows placed around the walls. On thedesk there is a small oil lamp.

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On the large stone table there is the nakedcorpse of a beheaded man, with the headsewn in place, the eyes open and anexpression of horror in his dead face. Thereare bloody instruments next to the man andhis legs seem carefully stripped of flesh. Thestone table has special draining for the bloodand near the man in two buckets there is theflesh from his legs. The sight of this may callfor a Horror save (DC 13).

Evarias carefully strips the flesh from thiscriminal he has slain to create a Sharptalon.If the characters have a guide from the area,he can tell them that the man was a thief inlife.

Stacked carefully on the side, there arethree more dead bodies, one of them missingeach hand. One of the bodies is that of apretty, athletic teenaged girl, around 16 yearsold. She has obviously died from a viciousblow to her back that ran her through. Thereseem to be very little blood in the stacks.

If the characters take care of the girl's bodythen and there, blessing it, or manage to takeit out and give it a proper burial, the ghost ofthe girl appears to them, thanks them andtells that a necromancer used her friends andher as tools for destruction and enjoyment.She will also tell them that the necromancerand his fiendish assistant both wear a blackonyx ring. Then she will depart to theafterlife.

8) Undead Binding Room (EL 7): In thislarge and mostly empty room, Evarias bindsthe Obedient Dead to his will. There arepictograms and symbols of power painted onthe floor and walls and arcane markingssketched all around a mystical circle. Thecircle can also be used for planar bindingsbut Evarias doesn't have the skill orknowledge to call outsiders. The room hasthree small windows to let in some daylight.The door to the room is arcane locked andonly Evarias and undead can pass through.

Guarding the room are two Sharptalons.They are instructed to protect the room andkill any intruders. They are also instructed tokeep at least 5' distance from each otherwhen fighting, so that if they are destroyedthey get in both blasts at their target.

Sharptalons: 42, 48 hp

9) Armory (EL 3): Once this room was thetower's armory, the walls have emptyweapon racks and there is a practice dummyin the room. There is also a small anvil, asharpening wheel and a brazier to warmmetal for repairing or heating oil to drop oninvaders below. These facilities are nowabandoned. Only a Leaping Zombie is in theroom, guarding the entrance below. Onceintruders leave the entrance and move to thelobby, it will silently drop and wait to attack.This leaping zombie is another of theathletes Evarias had had killed.

Jumper: 24 hp

10) Corridor (EL 5): This large room has asmall desk and a wooden bench. It is lit by aneverburning torch next to the staircase.Within the room are two Hammer Zombies:a man in his early fifties and a woman in herearly forties. They appear to have been killedby smashing blows on the head and chest.

They are a married couple of merchantsthat Evarias' Obedients killed in thewilderness. Their two children visited thevillage about a month ago to see what kepttheir parents there so long. They learned thattheir parents never made it to the village andleft. The couple had visited the area a fewtimes a year in the past for business and hadsome friends in the village and thesurrounding area. If the PCs ask they willlearn that they were good people, alwayswith a warm smile and a good word foreveryone. They usually used hired guardsfrom the villages there when they visited,both for promotion of their merchandise andfor making acquaintances. Their guard is oneof the Hammer Zombies in the closet in thelobby below.

Smashers: 20, 28 hp.

11) Grud's Room (EL 3): This room is thepersonal space of Grud. It has a small chestwith his personal things, a bed, a small tablewith a desk and a closet. It has a largewindow that lets enough sun to light thesmall room normally. The door is arcanelocked and trapped. Anyone touching thedoor (except if he speaks a password) will

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suffer 2d8+5 points of Negative Energydamage (Fortitude DC 15 for half). TheSearch and Disable Device DC is 27, but arogue failing his first Search check isconsidered to have touched the door. Thetrap resets 3 rounds after it goes off.

Grud normally doesn't stay in his room forlong, always having some scouting or job todo. However, he keeps in his room a smallcollection of wooden dolls he made himselfin his free time. On his desk one such half-finished doll can be seen along with the toolshe uses. Grud's skill isn't remarkable but heis good.

If he is taken by surprise, Grud willquickly try to evaluate his opponents. If thePCs seem powerful, he will surrenderimmediately. If they are wounded seriously,he will attack. If he becomes seriouslythreatened, he will surrender. He willpitifully beg for his life and for the privilegeto keep his dolls. He will blame everythingon Evarias and say that he was probablybewitched. He will answer most questionsabout his master, the Obedients, the murdersand the tower mostly truthfully as he doesn'tbelieve that this can harm his master.

However, he will try to escape at the firstopportunity. Remember that the Obedientswill not attack Grud, something that he willavoid admitting or saying.

12) Kitchen (EL 1): In the kitchen there aretwo skeletons that have learned how toprepare dinner. Both are normal skeletons,with an intelligence score of 4. These twoObedients are a gift to Evarias from anothercompeer, something that Grud doesn't know.The skeletons won't attack unless they areattacked first.

The kitchen gets enough light through amoderately large window. There is a largetable in the middle, a cauldron, knives,plates, foodstuff and a barrel with wateralong with a few cups in the kitchen.

The DM should make sure the playersunderstand the perversity of forcing a corpseto step out of the grave, binding the deadone's will only to use it as a cook.

Skeletons: 8 hp, 10 hp

13-14) Guest rooms (EL ½): These roomsof the tower are reserved for the guests thatsomeday may come to visit the tower. Nowthey contain only a bed, a desk, a chair and acloset. A single skeleton also sweeps thefloors of both rooms when needed.

15) Storeroom: This room containsmundane supplies for the tower. Water, oil,floor, lard, grain, nails, hammers, varioustools etc. It also contains a flat and shortbarrel that Evarias and Grud use to bath.

16) Corridor (EL 7): This room is thecorridor to what Evarias considers his floor,his personal space. All the doors are arcanelocked. The corridor is guarded by twoSharptalons that will fight any intruder witha 5' space between them to get as many asthey can in the blast if they die.

Sharptalons: 39, 45

17) Bedroom (EL 1): This is the bedroomwhere Evarias sleeps. It contains acomfortable double bed, a night desk, twochairs, a chest and a closet. On the bed lies azombie of a young woman, about 18 yearsold, dressed in a small white dress.

Once anyone comes in, the zombie standsbut does not move or attack unless provoked.The sight of the girl's animated corpse is acause for a Horror save (DC 18) foreveryone with an intelligence score of 9 ormore.

Any NPC from the area (that may besupporting the PCs) who sees the woman,immediately understand her purpose in theroom and automatically looses a Horror save(berserk). The girl was a servant from amanor in the village that went to a nearbyhamlet to visit her relatives and friendswhere she was killed by Obedients.

The chest is made from solid wood has alock and it is arcane locked (Open Locks DC35, break DC 30). If the chest or the lock isopened violently, it creates an explosion ofnegative energy with a 10' radius centered onthe chest. The blast does 3d8+10 damage(Fortitude save (DC 16 for half damage).

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The trap has a search and disable deviceDC 28. Inside the chest there are gems andjewelry worth 3000 gold pieces and about1500 gold in cash (gold and silver pieces). Italso contains some personal objects ofEvarias and components for scribing scrollsand copying spellbooks (enchanted ink etc)worth 700 gp. If the materials are used formaking scrolls or copying Evarias'spellbook, halve the cost in materials (not theXP or time needed) until all the 700 gp arespent. In a hidden compartment (Search DC25) is one of Evarias' spellbooks (half hisspells). The compartment is also arcanelocked and similarly trapped as the chest.

The closet contains the necromancer'sclothes.

Zombie: 16 hp

18) Library (EL 4): In this room Evariasstudies and keeps his arcane books. Insideare a desk, a comfortable chair and an oillamp. Also in the racks of the library, thereare books that grant a +2 to checks inUndead Lore and Knowledge (Arcana). If allthe books are sold the characters would earnabout 2000 gold. However, selling suchbooks could give the characters a +1 OR atthe DM's prerogative since the books containdark secrets. To sell the books the charactermust succeed at a Gather Information check(DC 20) and takes about three days in amagic-rich city such as Martira Bay or othertowns of Hazlan or Darkon. However, thetime and the DC will probably rise in areaswhere magic is frowned upon.

The room is guarded by two HammerZombies.

Smashers: 19, 28 hp

19) The Laboratory (EL 6): This very largeroom is the laboratory that Evarias uses tomake his arcane experiments and research.There are various selves with arcanecomponents, jars with preserved organs ofvarious creatures, alchemical devices, arcanesymbols etched on the floor, walls an ceilingetc. There are also two lamps in the room.

The room is guarded by four HammerZombies. These zombies will move to attackany intruder immediately.

The door is arcane locked and trapped.Anyone touching the door will suffer 2d8+5points of negative energy damage (Fortitudesave for half damage, DC 15). The Searchand Disable Device DC is 27 but a roguefailing his first search check is considered tohave touched the door. The trap resets 3rounds after it goes off.

On a desk there is a letter from anotherBlack Opal Compeer, that Evarias isstudying at the moment. It is an essay sixpages long about the creation of Obedients(in draconic, Spellcraft DC 14 to understandthe subject). At the end of the letter however,written in Balok, there is a comment on howwell Evarias is progressing and howinteresting and useful the remarks about theLeaping Zombies were. While there is noname except a calligraphic R.D. at the end ofthe letter, the PCs may well surmise thatthere is a guild of necromancers involved, orat least another one wizard with similarinterests.

Hidden in a secret compartment of the lab,behind some selves (Search DC 25) there isthe second spellbook Evarias' has. If thecompartment is opened without the spokenpassword, it creates an explosion of negativeenergy with a 10' radius centered on thecompartment. The blast does 3d8+10damage with (Fortitude save for halfdamage, DC 16). The trap has a Search andDisable Device DC 28. Undead in the area ofeffect are healed for half the damage done bythis explosion.

Smashers: 18, 23, 25, 27 hp

Evarias ArathenEvarias ArathenEvarias ArathenEvarias ArathenMale Human (Wiz 5/ BOM 3); HD 8d4+8(39 hp); Init +1; Spd 30 ft. (6 squares); AC15 (+4 mage armor), touch 11, flat-footed14; Base Attack/Grapple +4/+4; Attack:dagger +4 melee (1d4) or ray +5 ranged;Saves Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +10; AL NE; Str10, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 17, Wis 13, Cha 14.

Skills & Feats: Bluff +5, Concentration+11, Craft (Alchemy) +8, Decipher script

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+8, diplomacy +3, intimidate +6, Knowledge(arcana) +9, Knowledge (undead) +6, Listen+3, Reign undead +11, Speak Language(Draconic), Spellcraft +11, spot +3 ; Craftwands, craft wondrous items, Scribe scroll,Spell focus (necromancy), superior undeadcontrol.

Languages: Darkonese, Draconic Vaasi,Balok

Signature possessions: Cloak +1resistance, necklace of blur (3rd level caster,use activated, 2/day, 16 charges), potion ofcure serious wounds, wand of mage armor(2nd level caster, 22 charges), Van's Bracers(shield spell, 2nd level caster, use activated3/day, 28 charges), onyx ring.

Scrolls: Scroll of dimension door, scroll ofdispel magic (7th caster), scroll ofenervation, scroll of phantom steed, scroll ofobscuring mist, scroll of protection fromarrows (5th level caster), scroll of protectionfrom evil, scroll of resist elements, scroll ofstinking cloud, scroll of summon swarm,scroll of web.

Spellcasting: Evarias casts spells as a 7thlevel wizard (5/5/4/3/2)

Animate Dead (Sp): 1/day as a 8th levelcaster.

Control undead (Su): 4/ day as a 5th levelevil cleric.

Necromantic Awareness (Ex): Evarias canroll a spellcraft check to spontaneously castany necromantic spell of 4th or less, usingthe energies of another prepared spell if hehas the necessary components. The DC is 15+3 x spell level.

Bind Lesser Undead (Ex): Using thisability Evarias can bind to his will obedientdead.

Arcane prowess (Ex): Evarias isconsidered to have a +2 unholy bonus to hisintelligence score where it matters in spellcasting. That means he doesn't gain 4 skillbonus skill points from intelligence, orconsidered to have a +4 modifier tointelligence based skills. It just means that heis considered to have 19 intelligence inspellcasting, so he gains a bonus 4th levelspell and his spells have a DC of 14 + spelllevel (+1 for necromancy spells).

Necrophilia (Ex): As a result of a failedpowers check, Evarias recently found that hedoesn't feel repulsed by the dead and rottenflesh (not that he was ever repulsed much),he even likes the sight of it. Although thisliberation of his mind has gifted him withunderstanding of the arcane, he picked upstrange habits.

While in his tower, he keeps a few normalzombies and skeletons as personal servants,trained to do basic tasks with the Reignundead skill. He is protected from thediseases the animated corpses carry withalchemical concoctions he has them rubthemselves with.

Evarias keeps most of these habits a secreteven from Grud, his bodyguard. While mostof his guild think it is perfectly normal tohave a skeleton sweep the floor, many willargue that having a skeleton prepare dinneror a rotten zombie fetch your wine isdisgusting; and most of the guild will frownupon the habit of zombie servants where onesleeps.

If his practices become known in his guild,he will receive an OR of 2. Of course, if hisblasphemous practices become known tonormal people that respect their dead, he willbe hunted down as a monster.

Spellbook: The spells in Evarias' spellbookare:

1st - Alarm, protection from evil/good/chaos/law, shield, grease, mage armor,mount, obscuring mist, unseen servant,detect secret doors, identify, charm person,sleep, magic missile, cause fear, ray ofenfeeblement, expeditious retreat, jump,magic weapon; 2nd - Arcane lock, protectionfrom arrows, resist energy, acid arrow,summon swarm, web, detect thoughts, locateobject, hideous laughter, touch of idiocy,darkness, invisibility, blindness/deafness,false life, ghoul touch, spectral hand, bull'sstrength, knock; 3rd - Dispel magic,nondetection, phantom steed, stinking cloud,suggestion, lighting bolt, gentle repose,vampiric touch, keen edge; 4th - Blacktentacles, dimension door, arcane eye, charmmonster, bestow curse, enervation.

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Evarias Arathen is a handsome middle-agedman of average height in his late thirties. Hisfeatures are sharp but gentle and he keeps hisblack hair shoulder long. He has light-brownpenetrating eyes and he is lean and gracefulin his moves. He dresses in long, dark-colored robes, usually blue or purple, andwears his enchanted dark grey cloak over therobe. His chest is usually decorated by anenchanted silver necklace the size of a silverpiece with a large aquamarine in the center.

He speaks in silent, civilized tones andusually remains calm. He has a calculatingtone and seems to measure those thatconverse with him. A black Raven (hisfamiliar Kussa) can usually be found flyingaround him or sitting in his shoulder.

Evarias is a man that has chilled hisemotions for others to almost nothing. Hecares only about himself, his research and hiswelfare. He serves the Guild of the BlackOpal because it serves him and offers himtraining and protection. He has no sympathyfor others, but he is not a sadist. He may notcare what the implications on the family orthe loved ones of his victims may be, as longas he is not endangered.

BackgroundBackgroundBackgroundBackgroundEvarias Arathen was raised in Darkon in afamily of rich merchants. From a young agehe was interested in the arcane and wasmildly fascinated with death, but kept thislate interest more or less a secret.

As he was the second son of the family, heconvinced his father to give him his share ofthe family business in cash and he went tostudy the arcane arts with a retiredadventurer wizard in Il Aluk. After a fewyears of apprenticeship, he struck out on hisown. He offered his services as a hiredwizard to adventuring parties or nobles tofund his arcane experiments and he wasquite successful.

After five such years however, his darkexperiments and arcane pursuits were moreor less made known from the mercenaries hetraveled with. This reputation and the factthat a few "disappearances" of beggars werefinally noticed, forcing him to relocate from

Il Aluk. A happy coincidence since that wasthe year the Requiem happened.

Evarias was once again fascinated withmass death, this time of the capital city ofDarkon and he found his interest innecromancy renewed. At the time, he wasrich and powerful enough to be considered acandidate by the Black Opal Guild.

Evarias was contacted a few months afterthe Requiem in his new secluded laboratoryin a Darkonian hamlet. He immediatelyjoined the Guild and served it ever since.Two years ago, he was promoted to acompeer. He learned from his fellow guildmembers of a haunted tower in northernNova Vaasa and relocated his laboratorythere.

Current SketchCurrent SketchCurrent SketchCurrent Sketch

These days Evarias inhabits an abandoned,haunted tower in Nova Vaasa. He is contentthere and conducts his experiments andresearch secluded from most of the world. Afew miles from his tower there is a largevillage that he or his caliban bodyguard Grud(male barbarian 3rd/ rogue 1st) visit fromtime to time for supplies. Around this villagebut further from his tower are a few morehamlets of peaceful farmers. Evarias has aspy in the community (human rogue 2nd)that informs him on the activities in the area.Evarias contact the spy usually with the helpof his raven.

Evarias doesn't go out with his Obedientsat night to attack the hamlets and collectbodies for research, because this will drawattention. He is content to steal an occasionalinteresting body or even waylaid travelersaround his tower from time to time. Since histower is still haunted, and there were undeadstaying there before his time, he feels that thereputation of the place will keep him safe.Sometimes adventures come to his tower,expecting to find a specter and a few undeadonly to be killed by Evarias, his obedientsand the specter.

Recently he made his most bold move yet;he learned that a few young athletes from thevillages near his tower would make a tripaway from their homes to train, play andgenerally enjoy the spring. He sent his

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bodyguard along with many obedients andthey slaughtered the teenagers just two hoursago from their houses. Then they carried thebodies to his tower and covered their tracks.

Evarias' has a raven familiar named Kussa.Evaris' possible locations during the

adventure are described in the WanderingMonsters section below.

Wandering MonstersWandering MonstersWandering MonstersWandering MonstersThere are a few enemies that wander in thetower and may be met almost everywhere (ornot at all) at the DM's discretion.

GrudGrudGrudGrud

Male Caliban (Rog 1/ brb 3); HD 1d6+ 3d12+8 (33 hp); Init +2; Spd 30 ft. (6 squares);AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 13; BaseAttack/Grapple +3/+5; Attack: shortsword+6 melee (1d6+2) or battleaxe +5 (1d8+3);Saves Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +2; AL NE; Str15, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.

Skills & Feats: bluff +3, climb +3, craft(toys) +5, disable device +2, disguise +2,escape artist +3, gather info +2, hide +8,intimidate +2, listen +4, move silently +9,sleight of hands +5, search +3, sense motive+3, spot +4; sneak +1d6, voice of wrath,jaded

Signature possessions: Masterwork chainshirt, masterwork shortsword, battleaxe,potion of healing (1d8+1 hp), soft soledboots (+2 move silently, non-magical), dollof himself, black onyx ring.

Grud is the caliban bodyguard of Evarias. Heis afraid of his master's power and knowsnothing of the Black Opal guild. Evariastreats him better than the rest of the world,without any hint of disgust or superstition.That is, he treats him as a sentient, non-expendable Obedient. He gives him ordersand expects them to be carried out, but that isall. Grud is sometimes given Obedient Deadto command in order to kill special victimsor do some grave robbing.

While he is evil, he feels some remorsewhen he has to kill, especially young andhealthy sentient creatures. He feelscompletely comfortable grave robbinghowever.

He has misshapen fingers, extraordinarylong hands, red eyes, black misshapen teethand a slight hunchback. His long hair iscurly, black and oily. He can only talk in awhistling voice (that is appropriate ofcursing). These deformities give him an OR5. Using a variant of the deformities rulesfrom QtR 6, Grud has a +2 circumstancemodifier on Curse rolls.

If he is reduced to 0 to -5 hit points, he willutter a curse as his dying words to the playerthat gave the killing blow, such as: "sufferlike me until you have endured as much painas you have caused." This curse imparts a -2luck penalty to all skill, ability checks andsaves the character makes until the characteris reduced to -3 hit points or less, whereuponthe curse will be broken. The Curse has a DC20 and the Charisma check has a total +10modifier (failed Powers Check).

Grud is either in his room sleeping, eatingor making dolls, or on some mission hismaster sent him.

Evarias ArathenEvarias ArathenEvarias ArathenEvarias Arathen

The mage himself may be in the undeadpreparation room carefully stripping theflesh from his last victim, in his laboratoryworking, in his library studying or in theundead binding room with some of the aboveobedients, binding it to his will. He may alsobe missing in a job like buying componentsor finding suitable corpses for hisexperiments.

If he takes notice that there are intruders inhis tower he will go to his room andlaboratory and take his spellbooks, then hewill gather as many Obedient Dead guards ashe can in his way down (not countingservants or Sharptalons of which he willsummon only 2) and set an ambush for thePCs. This will take between 5-6 minutesfrom the time he gets a notice.

He usually prefers setting ambushes in thecorridor of the 3rd (Room 10). He castsmage armor if possible and will use hisbracers the moment the PCs are about toopen the arcane locked door. The Obedientswill be placed in all the rooms and obviouslyhe will not stay within 10' of a Sharptalon.He will be behind the open room of the

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storage (room 15) to be able to throw hisspells behind the cover of his obedients.Once the PCs get in the room, the Obedientshiding in the other rooms will move in andsurround them, while Evarias will use hisspells.

Evarias is not a coward, but he is not anarrogant fool either. He knows that he is nomatch for an entire party of adventurerswithout his Obedients to protect him.Therefore, he will retreat using his spells andsurviving Obedients if he is seriously injuredor his Obedients are being easily cut down.He will also not allow his familiar to bekilled. While the Raven may deliver a coupleof touch spells, it will immediately depart ifin any real danger.

KussaKussaKussaKussa

The familiar wanders the tower or the areaaround it when not in a mission of its master.It can speak Darkonese and will inform itsmaster if it sees anyone approaching. As adread familiar it acts on its masters darkwhims.

Three-eyesThree-eyesThree-eyesThree-eyes

Male wight; HD 6d12 (42 hp); Init +2; Spd30 ft. (6 squares); AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14; Base Attack/Grapple +3/+5;Attack: slam +5 melee (1d4+2 +energydrain); Saves Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +7; ALCN; Str 15, Dex 14, Con -, Int 12, Wis 14,Cha 16. CR 5

Skills & Feats: concentration +3(7), spot+4, listen +4, move silently +10, hide +4, usemagic device +14, spellcraft +5, Knowledge(Local) +5, Knowledge (Arcana) +3,survival +4; Track, magical aptitude, combatcasting

Signature possessions: scroll of magearmor x2, dirty robe

Languages: Darkonese, VaasiEnergy drain (Su): The DC of the Fortitude

save to get rid of the negative level of thiswight is 16

Affinities (Ex): Three-eyes gets the normal+8 to move silently checks that wights get.

Undying (Su): Three-eyes cannot be killedby normal means. If brought to 0 hit points

or less, he ceases to function but rises againthe following night with half his hit points.Even if totally burned or disintegrated, itsundead spirit occupies the nearest corpse,rising in 1d3 nights. Within 3 days, thecorpse slowly changes to resemble Three-eyes.

To be permanently destroyed, at least halfof his stolen magical items must be returnedto his grave and his destroyed body must beblessed and receive another funeral. In casehis items are stolen again, he may yet raiseanew.

Fear Aura (Su): Anyone within 20' ofthree-eyes must make a will save DC 16 orflee its presence for 1d4+1 rounds. Acreature is subject to the aura's effects onlyonce per 24 hours, regardless of the result ofthe will save. Three-eyes has the aura turnedoff usually but it can turn it on with a freeaction.

Spell-like abilities: While his mentality andabilities were changed during his animation,Three-eyes has kept some magical ability inthe form of spell like abilities. He uses thema 6th level caster.

2/day - Ghost sound, detect magic, magehand, melf's acid arrow.

1/day - Dispel magic, slow, see invisible.Craving: Three-eyes wants his stolen

possessions back, that is what keeps himfrom his eternal rest and reward. He willbecome suicidal to claim them as the cravingis his whole existence now.

Three-eyes is the wight of a long deadsorcerer. While he wasn't a strictly goodman, he was an honest man who was usinghis powers to fight the creatures of the nightand. Finally, he was killed in a fight againstan evil creature, when an enchantedcrossbow bolt struck him on the foreheadjust above his eyes. The bolt left a gapinghole there. Although he was killed, hiscomrades won the battle and destroyed boththe creature and its minions. Realizing theaid that he had offered them by lending themhis magic and the magical weaponsnecessary in the fight, his comrades decidedto leave them with him as an eternal "thankyou" for his sacrifice and help. After all, they

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knew he was very possessive with magicalitems but he had still shared.

He was buried in a nearby shallow cavealong with his prized possessions and themagical gifts of his comrades.

A century later his grave was discoveredby thieves who didn't hesitate to steal all hisburial possessions. The same night Three-eyes came back from the dead to reclaim hislost treasure. He was both killed by and -inessence- brought back by magic weapons.

His personality and traits changed duringthis reanimation, his spirit was brought backwith different abilities. He has discardedmost of his memories; he does not evenremember his name (he came to call himselfThree-eyes for the hole in his head). Whilesome of his knowledge and abilities survivedthe transition unchanged, he has discoveredthat his Craving has also gifted him with newabilities.

He has roamed the area between Darkonand Nova Vaasa for eight months looking forclues about his magical items. He recentlydiscovered Evarias and allied with the mageunder the promise that he will help himreclaim his stolen treasure.

Currently he looks like a slightlydesiccated human with a gaping hole an inchin diameter over his eyes. He is dressed inhis old robe that was buried with him.

Three-eyes is no longer a fighter of justice,but neither is he a menacing creature.Actually, he may help someone in dire needif the task would not take more than a fewseconds. He cares only to find his lost items,all else mean too little for him now. He hadmade no progress in his search.

He despises Evarias for his practices ofmagic but does not care at the moment sincethe mage has promised to help. However, hewould prefer to ally with someone moretrustworthy or honorable, maybe even thePCs. He knows that he is a monster however,and knows how much a wizard can help him.

He has agreed to help Evarias guard histower and even has accompanied Obedientsin their grisly forays in search of bodies, buthe has never attacked himself someone thathasn't attacked him first.

Self-preservation comes secondary toThree-eyes. His first priority is always hisstolen treasure; however, he knows thatbeing destroyed will interfere with his searchfor his items. He has not yet discovered thathe will be brought back if destroyed, but hesuspects it.

He patrols the halls of the tower when heisn't in some mission for Evarias oraccompanying Grud disguised, in thevillages nearby hoping to learn something(and abandon the agreement with the wizard)

If the PCs don't attack him on sight, he willtell them to leave immediately and nevercome back. If they convince him to talk withthem (Diplomacy DC 13 - 17 depending onthe wording) he will tell him that he looksfor his stolen treasure. He will not betray anyinformation about Evarias unless the PCsseem honorable and promise to help him.

At this point, he will change sides. Whilehe won't go as far as attacking the wizard orthe spectre and he would avoid attackingGrud he has no problem to attack a fewobedients before he leaves the tower to waitthe outcome. If the PCs survive he will asktheir help, if Evarias beats them, he willreturn to the tower pretending he doesn'tknow anything.

ComplicationsComplicationsComplicationsComplicationsThis dungeon crawl will probably take morethan one run for the PCs to finish it. Theundead there are probably too many for thePCs to destroy them in a single attack.

More possible, the PCs will leave thetower at some point and return later, betterprepared. Evarias is not a fool, heunderstands that.

So if he isn't killed in the first attack hewill animate as many as possible of hisundead again, but he won't probably have thetime to bind them to his will again. Hisundead control cap is 48 HD of undead.Understanding that the undead in the lowerlevels would be the first to be killed, he hasbound only the undead in the 3rd and 4thfloor. He keeps a few spare corpses in theundead creation laboratory just in case.

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Also he cannot recreate the intelligentskeleton servants or any other undead that isa gift from other Black Opal mages.

Creating a new Hammer zombie from thecorpses his has in his laboratory would takehim about 4 - 5 hours of work, as theintelligent servant skeletons know how tomake crude stone fists. Without them, thetask will take twice as long. To createJumpers, he has to use athletes and he canonly create one new Sharptalon within 4hours of work. Since he will make haste inan emergency taking the flesh out of theskeleton, the Sharptalon will only have 33 hitpoints.

If he is given enough time, he will activelyhunt humans and steal corpses to replenishlost undead or even to increase his army.Tallying adventurers will discover that aslong as the master survives, killing obedientsis a temporal inconvenience for him and thatdestroying or stealing back the corpses onlyforces him to steal others.

In need Evarias will animate wolves andother animals since he will avoid killing orstealing more than three or four morehumans to use as undead out of fear. In theevent he discovers bandits, goblins, ogres orother evil humanoids that he can kill andanimate without drawing more adventurersor attention from the authorities, he won't killany humans (but the humanoids will sufferfar greater loses).

In the village, he will use his spy and hisfamiliar to learn as much about the invadersas he can. He won't send the rogue againstthe PCs however, since he knows that he willprobably be killed or even betray him.

If Evarias decides that the PCs are toopowerful or that he has drawn too muchattention he will abandon the tower. The PCshave just earned an enemy that will nurturehis hate for long time (that is if the DarkPowers or somebody else doesn't take care ofhim).

In an emergency he will take hisspellbooks and some money, use thephantom steed, and leave. If he has a day, hewill order his bound undead to carry as muchlab equipment, notes and books as they can.If he has more time, he will even return totake more things.

In case Evarias is killed, all his mindlessundead become free willed and will attackany living creature on sight (even Grud). TheSharptalons will immediately receive apermanent +2 bonus to their intelligencescore and they will leave the tower.

Adventure HooksAdventure HooksAdventure HooksAdventure Hooks• The loss of those teenagers shocked and

brought great grief to the community who may ask adventurers to investigate. The people may indicate to the PCs where the teenagers usually gathered.

• The PCs may learn about the specter Silana (after all, she is a legend) and decide to investigate the tower on their own.

• A witness exists that heard the screams and approached only to see zombies shuffling away slowly with the teenagers' corpses. He assumed the zombies to be wights from the tower but the words "Slow moving, shambling corpses" should alert the PCs, who may think the presence of Obedient dead indicates the existence of a master.

• Do not forget the spy! If the PCs are nosy, he will inform his master. This may be done if the PCs investigate the disappear-ance of the teenagers or even if they just do other jobs in the area, even if they have nothing to do with Evarias.

• If the PCs have a wizard with them, Evarias will send his spy (or even send his familiar or an arcane eye) to see if the wiz-ard is dangerous, a potential member of the guild or has interesting spells.

CreditsCreditsCreditsCredits

Andrew "alhoon" PavlidesAndrew "alhoon" PavlidesAndrew "alhoon" PavlidesAndrew "alhoon" Pavlidesapavlides24@hotmail.com.

Author of the The Black Opal Guild,Evening by the Fire, Growls in the Night: ACollection of Creatures, and The Tower.

I'm a 25 years old Greek and I play RPGsfor about 15 years now. I study at the TUCand I recently became an engineer. Myinterests are Ravenloft, generic D&D andsocializing.

I didn't draw anything in the articleCreatures. All pictures were taken frominternet sites. My deepest thanks to theoriginal artists. If you liked some of the art inhere, take a look at the links.

• Border Zombies: http://www.2000ad.org/frazer/ zombies_underground.jpg

• Eater: http://www.blizzard.com/images/war3/conceptart/ghoul-large.jpg

• Jumper: http://images.google.com.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://members.tri-pod.com/e_dogg30/images/ghoul-in-the-pew.jpg

• Miser: http://www.duracel.de/stuff/art/paintings/pirat-undead.jpg

• Sneak: http://www.enchanted-art.com/• Swordwight: http://electricocean.com/

albums2/userpics/10160/normal_Barrow_Wight_2.jpg

• Swordwight warlord: http://eternalking-doms.com/images/undead_king.jpg

David "Jester" GibsonDavid "Jester" GibsonDavid "Jester" GibsonDavid "Jester" Gibsonaka David of the Fraternitydavid.jw.gibson@gmail.com

Author of Races of the Mists: Parts I and II.Editor of The Tower.

David has been lost in the Mists sincesucked in through a Red Box and has beentrapped ever since. There he is often seen inthe company of a smiling man of a possibleMordentish background. Someday Davidmay escape the hold of the Dread Lands, butnot today.

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Quoth the Raven

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Mark GraydonMark GraydonMark GraydonMark Graydonmortavius@hotmail.com.

Creator of Fear and Frostbites, The MistyDivine.

After a long hiatus from Netbooks, I cameback with this article. I got the source ideafor it when I wracked my brains, trying tocome up with a sea adventure that didn'tnecessarily involve the sea very much. I alsowanted to use an ocean creature in a venuethat wouldn't normally be expected. I think itturned out all right.

Paul CorrishPaul CorrishPaul CorrishPaul Corrishaka RevIronthomas_silverfish@yahoo.co.uk

Creator of Mace of the Inquisitor

Stanton FinkStanton FinkStanton FinkStanton Finkaka Gemathustraapokryltaros@gmail.com

Artist of Exerpts from the Register.

Please address Stanton F. Fink #5 as "HisImperial Weirdness.

Thomas R. RasmussenThomas R. RasmussenThomas R. RasmussenThomas R. Rasmussenaka Malus Blackmalus_black@hotmail.com

Creator of the Heartsblood Mace.

I've only recently got into D&D, althoughI've been interested in fantasy, literature andhistory since long before that. I got intoRavenloft because it was and is different andmore mature than the generic settings, andthe underlying, thought-provoking themes ofthe setting captivated me instantly. Otherthan Ravenloft, I enjoy writing, reading,drawing, playing and listening to music,philosophy, science, culture and history.

Stephen "ScS" SuttonStephen "ScS" SuttonStephen "ScS" SuttonStephen "ScS" Suttonstephencsutton@hotmail.com.

Author of Grim Tales: The Wolf.

I would like to take this oppertunity tothank everyone who contributed to thecreation of this netbook, from the writers tothe people who gave us their feedback on themessage boards. With your help, we cancontinue to improve Quoth the Raven andmake this netbook a success.