Greywulf's Lair

To kick things into the Christmas spirit, here’s a re-post of a certain portly bearded gentleman in red robes, all primed and set for your Epic 4e D&D games. Enjoy!

“Who threw that?” The voice boomed from deep within the white beard as the figure turned. A handful of children skittered behind market stalls, giggling with glee. Nicholas’ laughed deeply as he swept the remnants of the snowball from his robes. “Ah children,” he muttered to himself, “I’ll be seeing you later. First, I’ve to pay a visit to a certain Demon Lord who deserves no presents this year.”

Born in an orphanage, Nicholas has spent his entire life with two obsessions; children, and thwarting evil. He considers childhood to be like the stars themselves – points of light where a person’s life shines brightest. Much to the annoyance of the Church of Pelor the common folk consider him a living Saint for his work protecting their young ones.

DAZ Studio + postwork. Click to enlarge.

Notes: Here’s one guy who needs no introduction. Santa Claus for 4e D&D! He’s a kickass Epic level Star Pact Warlock complete with lots of lovely Following Yonder Star (O star of wonder, star of light) Powers. The key to this character though is his Rituals; spells such as Silence (punctuated with the sound of sleigh bells),  Discern Lies (“Have you been a good little boy?”), Knock (for coming down chimneys), Wizard’s Escape (for going back up chimneys), Drawmij’s Instant Summons (calling Reindeer) and Hallucinatory Creature (“I want a puppy!”) all add to the whole Saint Nick-ness of it all.

In combat against Evil, Saint Nicholas is unrelenting using a combination of Starlight, Cold and curses to freeze the hearts of bad little boys and girls everywhere. You really, really better be good when this guy’s around!

His Scythe of Winter +4 counts as a Staff of Winter and the +4 bonus applies as both an Implement and to attack and damage rolls. The Iceburst Robes +4 act as Fireburst Armour except the damage is Cold rather that Fire.

I can’t heap praises on the Javascript 4e Character Generator enough. It took just 10 minutes to create this 22nd level character including Paragon and Epic options, Rituals from Dragon 366 and more. The only thing I had to do was reformat the output to my preferred blog-friendly layout and add magic items. Done.

While heaping praises, I’ve got to throw some Wizards’ of the Coast way too for the Warlock class for all of it’s flavour-filled three-classes-in-one goodness. Oh yeh.

Saint Nicholas Doomsayer
Lawful Good Male Human Star Pact Warlock / Doomsayer / Demigod – 22

STR 14, CON 19, DEX 13, INT 18, WIS 18, CHA 20
HP 136, bloodied 68, surges 34×12/day
AC 30 (Iceburst Robes +4), Fort 29, Ref 28, Will 29, Squares 6, Init +12

Scythe of Winter +4, +19 vs AC, 2d4+6, Heavy blade
Warlock’s Curse/w, Dire Radiance/w +19 vs Fort, Eldritch Blast/w +20 vs Ref, Eyebite/w +20 vs Will
Dreadful Word/e +20 vs Will, Ethereal Stride/e, Frigid Darknes/e +19 vs Fort, Sign of Ill Omen/e +20 vs Will, Fates Entwined/e +20 vs Will, Cold Fire Vortex/e +19 vs Fort/Ref, Strand of Fate/e +20 vs Ref, Entropic Ward/e
Dread Star/d +20 vs Will, Hunger of Hadar/d +19 vs Fortitude on secondary attack, Thief of Five Fates/d +20 vs Will, Shadow Form/d, Tendrils of Thuban/d +19 vs Fort, Eye of the Warlock/d, Delusions of Loyalty/d +20 vs Will, Long Fall Into Darkness/d +20 vs Will

/w = at-will, /e = per encounter, /d = daily

Acrobatics +14, Arcana* +20, Athletics +15, Bluff* +21, Diplomacy +18, Dungeoneering +17, Endurance +17, Heal +17, History* +20, Insight* +20, Intimidate +18, Nature +17, Perception +19, Religion* +23, Stealth +14, Streetwise +18, Thievery +14
Common, Elven

* Class Training

Action Surge, Alertness, Astral Fire, Durable, Human Perseverance, Jack of all Trades, Mounted Combatm Raging Storm, Ritual Caster, Skill Focus (Religion), Wintertouched, Combat Anticipation, Devastating Critical, Great Fortitude, Twofold Curse

Rituals Known:
Animal Messenger-1, Banish Vermin-1, Comprehend Languages-1, Magic Mouth-1, Silence-1
Endure Elements-2, Arcane Lock-4, Enchant Magic Item-4, Hand of Fate-4, Knock-4, Traveler’s Feast-4
Hallucinatory Item-5, Bolster Object-6, Discern Lies-6, Disenchant Magic Item-6, Leomund’s Secret Chest-6, Phantom Steed-6, Wizard’s Escape-6, Sending-6
Wizard’s Sight-8, Scribe-12, Drawmij’s Instant Summons-12, Hallucinatory Creature-12, Farsight-16

* The numbers after the Rituals denote level. Some are from Dragon 366.

Fate of the Void, Prime Shot, Shadow Walk, Warlock’s Curse
Doomsayer’s Action, Doomsayer’s Proclamation, Doomsayer’s Oath, Fates Entwined, Accursed Shroud, Long Fall into Darkness
Divine Spark, Divine Recovery, Divine Regeneration, Divine Miracle

Other equipment: Bag of Holding, Handy Haversack, Portable Hole, Ritual Candle, Flying Sleigh (counts as a Flying Carpet)

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She stood, surveying the wreckage. While her eyes scanned for signs of life she mentally willed her hair, sending it searching among the remains of the plane, tossing sheets of warped and twisted metal through the air as carelessly as a child throws a discarded toy. Nothing else moved.

By her side stood a statue, the perfect form of a man holding a portable rocket launcher, a look of truimph mingled with surprise etched on his visage.

Medusa pursed her lips. One of these days she will remember to ask questions first, and petrify later. Right now, she needed to know she was not the last member of the Descendants of Legend.

For the first time in her life, Persephone Gorga felt alone.

Dirty little secret: In a world where myths and legends have descendants, there’s an awful lot of bad (and, for that matter, good) guys out there who would literally kill for the head of a medusa. She prefers to keep it attached to her shoulders, thanks very much.

Notes: Here’s one from my campaign to yours; Medusa is one of my own PCs from our longest-ever-running superheroes campaign. Her Secret ID is Persephone Gorga, veterinary surgeon. This is a somewhat cleaned-up version stated back to PL10/150pp perfect as a starting character.

She’s basically a two-shot bunny with prehensile hair that can reach up to 50′ and lift about two and a half tons. If that’s not enough her petrification gaze can turn anyone to stone (for a whole year, no less!) though it takes all of her concentration (and a full round action) to use.

And no, she’s not related to Medusa from the Inhumans. Just so you know.

Medusa AKA Persephone Gorga, PL10 150pp
Str 14/24 (with hair), Dex 20, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 24
Tough +3/+9, Fort +8, Ref +10, Will +8
Attack +5, Grapple +12/+18, Defense +10, Init +5

Prehensile Hair +13 DC22
- Additional Limbs 3 (Improved Grapple)
- Elongation 4 (50′, Precise, Limited:Hair only, Improved Throw, Improved Trip)
- Enhanced Strength 10 (Limited:Hair only)
- Super-Strength 2 (Limited:Hair only)

Petrification Gaze +11 DC Fort 18 (80′, Transform 8: Flesh to Stone, Slow Fade 10 (1 year), Duration 1, Action 1, Distracting, Full Power)

Computers +4, Craft:Artistic +8, Handle Animal +11, KS:Arcane +8, KS:History +6, Language 2, Medicine +7, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +9, Stealth +7

Accurate Attack, Animal Empathy, Artificer, Attack Specialization 3 (Hair), Attack Specialization (Petrification Gaze) 4, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 5, Dodge Focus 5, Equipment 1

Commlink, Mini-Tracer, Multi-Tool, PDA, Spandex Suit (Tough +1)

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Here’s a little twist to my usual Character du Jours. This time around I’m going to present a character, then take him apart piece by piece. We’re going to look at how the character fits the concept, and what options our hero has both in and out of combat. Along the way we’ll showcase a little of the system we’re using (Mutants & Masterminds in this case) to help you see how it all fits back together.

But first, we need a victim.

Meet Widowmaker.

Widowmaker AKA Karl Windslow, PL6 90pp
Str 16, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 18
Tough +3/+9 (Tactical Vest), Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +7
Attack +4, Defense +3, Init +4

Bluff +8, Gather Information +8, Notice +7, Stealth +8
Assessment, Attack Specialization 2: Machine Pistol, Attack Specialization 1: Nunchaku, Attractive, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Distract: Bluff, Dodge Focus 2, Elusive Target, Evasion, Favoured Environment: Urban, Improved Aim, Improved Critical: Machine Pistol, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Seize Initiative, Skill Mastery (Bluff, Gather Info, Notice, Stealth), Sneak Attack, Equipment 4

Camo Clothing, Commlink, Multi-Tool, Night Vision Goggles
Machine Pistol +8 DC18, Autofire, 30′, Crit 19-20
Nunchaku +6 DC20

If The Punisher and Black Widow had a child, Widowmaker would be it. He’s a street-level vigilante who solves problems with his machine pistol, and doesn’t ask questions. In a world with costumed superheroes, Widowmaker is neither costumed, nor a superhero; he changes his clothes regularly (prefering the casual look), and wears urban camos and tac vest while he’s on the job.

He’s also a really nice, popular family guy. His friends think he works in waste disposal. Which, in a way, he does. He makes a reasonable living collecting Dead or Alive bounties – with emphasis on the Dead.

On to the autopsy.

As this is for a low-powered (in M&M terms) game, we’re at PL 6. This is one of my favourite Power Levels as even regular unpowered crooks can still be a threat. Go up to PL10 and beyond and you’re mainly looking at superhero-on-supervillain action. Which is also fun.

Statwise, Widowmaker falls into the “highly talented normal” bracket. He’s strong and tough, highly agile, smart, and possesses the kind of looks and a smile which would make anyone his friend. Unless, of course, you were looking down the barrel of his gun.

Str 16, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 18

When it comes to his combat stats, the Power Level limits his Toughness, Defense, Attack and Damage at 6 each, and his saves at 9. We can trade those numbers round a bit, but I don’t want Widowmaker to particularly be the best fighter around – I’d rather he spend the points on lots of options in combat, so we’ll save the points for feats. I set his baseline Toughness and Defense at +3 each. His tactical vest and the Defensive Roll Feat bump that up to +9, which (thanks to trade-offs) hits the Power Level caps just right.

Tough +3/+9 (Tactical Vest), Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +7
Attack +4, Defense +3, Init +4

Skillwise, Karl is quiet, observant, and has bluffed his way through life. He has no Knowledge or Profession skills (he faked his way through college too), but with a Bluff of +8 and the Skill Mastery Feat his friends and family (innocent bystanders from the Core Book, all) have little chance of doubting anything he says. In mechanical terms, he can Take 10 even under pressure meaning it’s a DC18 Sense Motive check to see through his façade. As they’re Sense Motive rank is +0, and they’d have a -5 penalty to the roll (they’re his friends and want to believe him), the highest they could roll is a 15. Nope. Not a chance. Widomaker’s secret life of vigilantism is pretty safe.

He has Skill Mastery with all of his trained skills – this is one cool customer who doesn’t fold when the pressure is on. Even in the middle of combat he could spot something out of the ordinary, recognise a strange tattoo or (with a suitable diversion) fade into the background. That’s badass.

Bluff +8, Gather Information +8, Notice +7, Stealth +8

But what Widowmaker is all about are his Feats. And my, there’s a lot of them. Let’s break them down into three groups – those which round out his character, those which provide “always on” or situational bonuses, and those which provide options in combat.

Attractive
Contacts
Skill Mastery (Bluff, Gather Information, Notice, Stealth)
Equipment 4

These feats combine to say a little more about who Karl is – a good looking, popular guy with a wide group of friends (many from the local police departments and media) who is extremely calm under pressure. The Equipment Feat covers his Machine Pistol, Nunchakus, Tac Vest and military-grade equipment (Camo Clothing, Commlink, Multi-Tool, Night Vision Goggles), all of which packs neatly into a false bottom in his sports holdall.

Attack Specialization 2: Machine Pistol
Attack Specialization 1: Nunchaku
Defensive Roll 2
Dodge Focus 2
Elusive Target
Evasion
Precise Shot
Favoured Environment: Urban
Improved Critical: Machine Pistol

Here’s Karl’s combat training: This is one urban warrior who is darned hard to hit! Give him any weapon, and he’s good (base Attack +4), but with his Nunchaku that rises to +6, and it’s +8 with his Machine Pistol – and Improved Critical too! That’s one of the (many) strengths of M&M: you can fine-tune the characters exactly how you want, from a “good with anything” four-colour superhero to a combat specialist like Widowmaker. The Favoured Environment feat gives him an additional +1 to either Attack or Defense when he’s in built-up areas. This lets him hit his caps at +9 DC18 for his Machine Pistol, with an option of switching that to +1 Defense if he’s caught without his Tac Vest. In other words – using the environment to his best advantage.

Assessment
Defensive Attack
Distract: Bluff
Improved Aim
Power Attack
Seize Initiative
Sneak Attack

Oh, the choices. These Feats roughly equate to 4e D&D’s Powers, but without the fiddly limitations on how often they can be used, or by how much.

Karl can choose to fight aggressively, or defensively. Does he reduce his Attack bonus to boost his Damage, or reduce Attack to boost his Defense? He can switch round-by-round, by up to 5 points (or down to +0) meaning he could go a slow as +3 with his Machine Pistol for DC23 – a right between the eyes instant kill – or drop his attack bonus with his Nunchaku to +1 for Defense +8. Or anything in between. Flexibility, again.

Improved Aim is a gimme when combined with Power Attack if you’re using a ranged weapon. Karl can use his Stealth to get in position, take a round aiming then use full-on Power Attack. This would count as a Sneak Attack, so that gets him +7 DC25, less range modifiers. Using a machine pistol to snipe? Also badass.

Thanks to his Assessment Feat, Widowmaker can size his opponents up as a move action so he knows whether to hit them hard, or tread carefully. What’s more, all of his Feats work just as well with his Nunchaku as the do with his trusy Machine Pistol, meaning that he’s every bit as lethal up close as he is from a distance. Nice.

Finally we have Seize Initiative, which lets Widowmaker spend a Hero Point (more on those another time) to take the first move, guaranteed. That’s perfect when you need a quick getaway or need to hit first, and hit hardest.

This is over and above all of the regular combat options, of course. He can block, demoralize, disarm, distract, feint, grapple, rush, startle and a whole load of other tricks too, so you never have to hear “I hit him” again.

In all, Widowmaker is one serious, gritty and dangerous customer with a whole range of combat options. Outside the field of battle he’s no less capable too, with skills, contacts and a charming personality which makes his brutal street-level war against organized crime all the more stark.

For my money, Mutants & Masterminds has one of the best true Character generation systems around. It lets you build exactly who the character is rather than just list his class features and talents. Even for a combat-heavy character like Widowmaker I can fine-tune his combat style so that his abilities tie in with my concept of him, and have more than enough points left over to bring his personality out.

That’s not to say other systems can’t do the same, of course – I expect a Savage Worlds version of Widowmaker wouldn’t be quite as detailed or crunchy, but no less fun to play!

Next: Let’s put Widowmaker through a little combat training.

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The ancient monk trudged wearily through the snow, his journey almost at an end. He had walked a thousand leagues following an old fool’s dream, nothing more. The vision had said a walk of a thousand leagues would reveal something surprising – and here he was, footsore, disappointed and within sight of the mountaintop temple from which his journey had begun. At 2,000 years of age, nothing he had seen on his travels had been in the least bit surprising. Had his vision failed him?

Blackbird is an orc monk raised in a temple high atop a remote mountain range. He is named for his constant companion, the selfsame blackbird which stood guard over him almost three decades ago. The temple monks have taught him the disciplines and knowledge of their order to the best of their ability, and he has shown himself to be a capable (though not particularly academic) student.

Dirty little secret: In a land entirely devoid of orcs, did Blackbird just fall from the sky? Or are the gods playing dice again with Blackbird little more than a deific experiment into the nature of the savage soul? Who knows? (I do!)

Notes: 4e orcs rock. 4e monks rock. Put them together and you get green wushu with bad dentistry – and I like it!

Blackbird, Lawful Good Orc Monk-1
Str 16, Con 14, Dex 16, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 10

HP 26 bloodied 13 surges 6×9/day
AC 15, Fort 15, Ref 14, Will 12, Init +3

Unarmed Strike +6 vs AC, 1d8+3
Centered Flurry of Blows/w, Dragon’s Tail/w +3 vs Fort, Five Storms/w +3 vs Ref
Warrior’s Surge/e +6 vs AC, Open the Gate of Battle/e +6 vs AC
Masterful Spiral/d +3 vs Ref

Acrobatics +8, Athletics +8, Religion +5, Stealth +8
Running Charge, Warrior’s Surge, Centered Breath: Centered Flurry of Blows & Mental Equilibrium, Unarmed Combat, Unarmoured Defense
Against All Odds, Background: Occupation – Scholar

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“Won’t never amount to nuthin’ he said, an’ I heard you talking ’bout needing an archer. I been practisin’ and the fairies say I’m real good too. I don’t want to work in a tavern all my life an’ I heard enough tales of gold ‘n’ monsters to know that’s what I want. Let me come with you…….”

The world over, barmaid’s heads are turned by the tales of daring-do shared by adventurers sat around tavern tables. It’s surprising that few of them elect to leave their lives of drudgery in favour of seeking their own adventure. Emma Furlough is one of those few.

Orphaned at an early age by one of the countless petty wars which beset the region, Emma has taken in as an indentured servant by the owner of the Bullywug’s Tongue Tavern. Now in her 21st year she is free to do as she pleases, and has worked hard practising daily with a longbow (a gift from a passing Elven Ranger) and her father’s old Longsword. One day, Emma swears, it will be her telling the tales of daring-do.

Dirty little secret: She talks to fairies. It’s not much of a secret as they litter her conversation regularly. For some reason, no one believes her and thinks she’s deluded.

Maybe she is.

Notes: Emma only uses her Ranger abilities with her Longbow. It hasn’t occured to her yet that she can apply the same techniques to her Longsword. Her Eyebite is a small flock of fairies that suddenly appear around her opponent’s head, kicking and punching his face, obscuring her from his sight.

“Gold ‘n’ Monsters” is a darned good name for a role-playing game, don’t you think?

Emma Furlough, Good Female Human Ranger/Fey Pact Warlock-1
Str 10, Con 13, Dex 18, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 14

HP 25 bloodied 12, surges 6×7/day
AC 16 (Leather), Fort 13, Ref 16, Will 13, Init +4

Longsword +3 vs AC, 1d8, versatile
Longbow +6 vs AC, 1d10+4, range 20/40, Load free

Careful Attack/w +8 vs AC, Nimble Strike/w +6 vs AC, Twin Strike/w +6 vs AC
Eyebite/e +2 vs Will, Two Fanged Strike/e 6 vs AC
Hunter’s Beartrap/d 6 vs AC

Arcana +6, Athletics +5, Endurance +6, Heal +5, Nature +5, Perception +5, Stealth +9
Pact Initiate (Fey Pact Warlock), Human Perseverance
Hunter’s Quarry, Prime Shot, Archery Style

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