Blood of Vol Stat Blocks - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Talae Aug 12, 2009 21:40:09	I need some Blood of Vol stat blocks for my conversion of Eyes of the Lich Queen. What have you guys been using for stats, particularly monks, cultists and clerics? The only official Vol stats I have found belong to Lady Vol in the Campaign Guide (btw I can't find her in the beta of the monster builder). Your suggestions would be much appreciated.
#2 androkguz Aug 12, 2009 22:08:50	Well, for clerics at least, you can always create the npc using the rules present in the dungeon master's guide. Make them a soldier, give them the racial and class features of the elves/human and the cleric, decide a lvl and give them exactly one power of each type (at-will, encounter, daily, utility). Also, I would give them a scroll or two of some useful ritual, but that's just me. I don't own Eyes of the Lich Queen, but maybe if you describe the things that the monsters do (what makes them interesting) I might help with the cultist and monks.
#3 Talae Aug 13, 2009 0:18:23	The monks and cultists are the typical Blood of Vol types. The cultists are most likely going to be translated as minions of the appropriate level. The monk on the other hand is tricky due to using the chain-and-dagger and alternating between the weapon and flurry of blows. For flavor the monk would hopefully trip with the chain-and-dagger for minimal damage and follow up with flurry of blows and stunning fist. Some other villains of note are the: Exarch, which is a Crusader (which I am sure will turn into a Paladin or a Warden). Fanatic, which is a Barbarian with DR (so will prob be a barbarain npc). I was hoping that others had made some already though, as it would be nice to incorporate a similar ability in most Blood of Vol followers.
#4 jtrowell Aug 17, 2009 5:06:26	I need some Blood of Vol stat blocks for my conversion of Eyes of the Lich Queen. What have you guys been using for stats, particularly monks, cultists and clerics? The only official Vol stats I have found belong to Lady Vol in the Campaign Guide (btw I can't find her in the beta of the monster builder). Your suggestions would be much appreciated. You have stats for several Blood of Vol units (fanatic, soldat, ...) in the Eberron Campaign Guide, in the chapter about Karnnath I think.
#5 polt Aug 17, 2009 5:57:17	Anybody changed the stats for Vol? She doesn't have any spells in the stat block for her I saw. Just some attack powers.
#6 Hellcow Aug 17, 2009 16:03:34	Anybody changed the stats for Vol? She doesn't have any spells in the stat block for her I saw. Just some attack powers. While they are not described in detail: Outside combat, she is a skilled ritual caster and uses magic for many purposes. She has access to secret necromantic rituals developed by her house and a few rituals of her own design, including a variation of the wizard utility power disguise self (PH 162) that allows her to cloak her true nature when she has business in the outer world. Her rituals aren't listed in full detail because she should have whatever rituals you want her to have - including rituals that might be unknown to anyone outside the inner circle of the Emerald Claw, and at least a few that can only be performed by a member of the line of Vol. Her family were brilliant pioneers in the field of necromancy, and she's had thousands of years to refine their work. Beyond that, she's an arcane genius who's had centuries to develop general rituals, such as the illusionary disguise mentioned above. This is also true for Durastoran the Wymbreaker - page 30 notes that "In addition to the powers described below, he is a ritual caster who has had a hundred thousand years to gather rituals." A secondary issue here is the degree to which these rituals can be stolen from them. First is the question of what form these rituals take. Does Durastoran carry a ritual book? Over the course of centuries, has he managed to memorize some of his most valuable rituals? Does he have spellshards hidden in his jewelry and clothes? And if you find his rituals, what will it take to master them? Is it safe to study the secret spells of a Lord of Dust, or will performing these rituals plant a seed of darkness in a wizard's mind? Perhaps this is based on the associated skill check - should you fumble while using one of Durastoran's spellshards, a piece of the fiend's soul slips from the stone into your mind! Back on Erandis, here's a few more notes from other threads: Show Post: Sure, but the fact that she NEEDS to protect herself doesn't automatically equate to astonishing personal abilities. It can also manifest as a careful choice of allies, use of rituals and eldritch machines both to conceal her presence and to protect herself should anyone find her, and clever manipulation to lead you astray in the first place. As I said, if you're face to face with Vol, you've had to find her and shatter a host of incredibly potent magical and physical defenses in the process. You've already won a major victory just to get there - and you should have had to face terrible challenges in the first place. Beyond that, her environment should be a weapon. Again, she needs to protect herself. You can do that by making her personal magical powers greater. Or you can do that through her tools. Perhaps her throne room is an eldritch machine that allows her to channel deadly necrotic force, or to conjure the ghosts of the PC's worst enemies to face them. The point of doing this is to say that much of her power comes from her vast knowledge, and I'd personally represent this through the things that she's created. New forms of undead. Necromantic rituals you've never heard of. Eldritch machines you've never imagined. This also makes her more like Jaela, in that her strength is greatly increased in her seat of power. She's stronger than Jaela when she's away from her throne, but still, when she is there in Illmarrow, she should be far more dangerous than when she's beyond it. So I agree that she should be more dangerous than these stats show. But I wouldn't represent that with simple personal combat abilities. I'd reflect it in the things she's created and the tools you'll face both before you meet her and when you reach her - her rituals, allies, and eldritch machines.
#7 polt Aug 18, 2009 1:10:56	Wow, thanks Keith Baker. That was awesome. I thought about making an adventure around Vol wanting to become living again, to gain access to her Dragonmark again. Is that something you see her doing? Does she feel like her undead state is a blessing or a curse?
#8 Hellcow Aug 18, 2009 5:29:30	I thought about making an adventure around Vol wanting to become living again, to gain access to her Dragonmark again. Is that something you see her doing? Does she feel like her undead state is a blessing or a curse? It's a blessing and a curse. It's a curse because while in this state she can never attain her true potential. She really is a symbol of the BoV beliefs; she had divinity within her blood and she lost it. She'll need to return to life - at least briefly - to fulfill her destiny. At the same time, it's a blessing because it protects her from her enemies. As a lich, she can't be destroyed as long as her phylactery exists. I'll make a secondary post on this subject shortly. Given the number of enemies she possesses, that's a pretty big thing. She needs to return to life to attain her potential - but returning to life means that she can truly die.
#9 Hellcow Aug 18, 2009 5:51:49	Post: Erandis Vol's Phylactery

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

Talae

Aug 12, 2009 21:40:09

I need some Blood of Vol stat blocks for my conversion of Eyes of the Lich Queen. What have you guys been using for stats, particularly monks, cultists and clerics?

The only official Vol stats I have found belong to Lady Vol in the Campaign Guide (btw I can't find her in the beta of the monster builder).

Your suggestions would be much appreciated.

androkguz

Aug 12, 2009 22:08:50

Well, for clerics at least, you can always create the npc using the rules present in the dungeon master's guide.
Make them a soldier, give them the racial and class features of the elves/human and the cleric, decide a lvl and give them exactly one power of each type (at-will, encounter, daily, utility). Also, I would give them a scroll or two of some useful ritual, but that's just me.
I don't own Eyes of the Lich Queen, but maybe if you describe the things that the monsters do (what makes them interesting) I might help with the cultist and monks.

Talae

Aug 13, 2009 0:18:23

The monks and cultists are the typical Blood of Vol types. The cultists are most likely going to be translated as minions of the appropriate level. The monk on the other hand is tricky due to using the chain-and-dagger and alternating between the weapon and flurry of blows.

For flavor the monk would hopefully trip with the chain-and-dagger for minimal damage and follow up with flurry of blows and stunning fist.

Some other villains of note are the:

Exarch, which is a Crusader (which I am sure will turn into a Paladin or a Warden).
Fanatic, which is a Barbarian with DR (so will prob be a barbarain npc).

I was hoping that others had made some already though, as it would be nice to incorporate a similar ability in most Blood of Vol followers.

jtrowell

Aug 17, 2009 5:06:26

I need some Blood of Vol stat blocks for my conversion of Eyes of the Lich Queen. What have you guys been using for stats, particularly monks, cultists and clerics?

The only official Vol stats I have found belong to Lady Vol in the Campaign Guide (btw I can't find her in the beta of the monster builder).

Your suggestions would be much appreciated.

You have stats for several Blood of Vol units (fanatic, soldat, ...) in the Eberron Campaign Guide, in the chapter about Karnnath I think.

polt

Aug 17, 2009 5:57:17

Anybody changed the stats for Vol? She doesn't have any spells in the stat block for her I saw. Just some attack powers.

Hellcow

Aug 17, 2009 16:03:34

Anybody changed the stats for Vol? She doesn't have any spells in the stat block for her I saw. Just some attack powers.

While they are not described in detail:

Outside combat, she is a skilled ritual caster and uses magic for many purposes. She has access to secret necromantic rituals developed by her house and a few rituals of her own design, including a variation of the wizard utility power disguise self (PH 162) that allows her to cloak her true nature when she has business in the outer world.

Her rituals aren't listed in full detail because she should have whatever rituals you want her to have - including rituals that might be unknown to anyone outside the inner circle of the Emerald Claw, and at least a few that can only be performed by a member of the line of Vol. Her family were brilliant pioneers in the field of necromancy, and she's had thousands of years to refine their work. Beyond that, she's an arcane genius who's had centuries to develop general rituals, such as the illusionary disguise mentioned above. This is also true for Durastoran the Wymbreaker - page 30 notes that "In addition to the powers described below, he is a ritual caster who has had a hundred thousand years to gather rituals."

A secondary issue here is the degree to which these rituals can be stolen from them. First is the question of what form these rituals take. Does Durastoran carry a ritual book? Over the course of centuries, has he managed to memorize some of his most valuable rituals? Does he have spellshards hidden in his jewelry and clothes? And if you find his rituals, what will it take to master them? Is it safe to study the secret spells of a Lord of Dust, or will performing these rituals plant a seed of darkness in a wizard's mind? Perhaps this is based on the associated skill check - should you fumble while using one of Durastoran's spellshards, a piece of the fiend's soul slips from the stone into your mind!

Back on Erandis, here's a few more notes from other threads:

Show

Post: Sure, but the fact that she NEEDS to protect herself doesn't automatically equate to astonishing personal abilities. It can also manifest as a careful choice of allies, use of rituals and eldritch machines both to conceal her presence and to protect herself should anyone find her, and clever manipulation to lead you astray in the first place. As I said, if you're face to face with Vol, you've had to find her and shatter a host of incredibly potent magical and physical defenses in the process. You've already won a major victory just to get there - and you should have had to face terrible challenges in the first place.

Beyond that, her environment should be a weapon. Again, she needs to protect herself. You can do that by making her personal magical powers greater. Or you can do that through her tools. Perhaps her throne room is an eldritch machine that allows her to channel deadly necrotic force, or to conjure the ghosts of the PC's worst enemies to face them. The point of doing this is to say that much of her power comes from her vast knowledge, and I'd personally represent this through the things that she's created. New forms of undead. Necromantic rituals you've never heard of. Eldritch machines you've never imagined. This also makes her more like Jaela, in that her strength is greatly increased in her seat of power. She's stronger than Jaela when she's away from her throne, but still, when she is there in Illmarrow, she should be far more dangerous than when she's beyond it.

So I agree that she should be more dangerous than these stats show. But I wouldn't represent that with simple personal combat abilities. I'd reflect it in the things she's created and the tools you'll face both before you meet her and when you reach her - her rituals, allies, and eldritch machines.

polt

Aug 18, 2009 1:10:56

Wow, thanks Keith Baker. That was awesome.

I thought about making an adventure around Vol wanting to become living again, to gain access to her Dragonmark again. Is that something you see her doing? Does she feel like her undead state is a blessing or a curse?

Hellcow

Aug 18, 2009 5:29:30

I thought about making an adventure around Vol wanting to become living again, to gain access to her Dragonmark again. Is that something you see her doing? Does she feel like her undead state is a blessing or a curse?

It's a blessing and a curse. It's a curse because while in this state she can never attain her true potential. She really is a symbol of the BoV beliefs; she had divinity within her blood and she lost it. She'll need to return to life - at least briefly - to fulfill her destiny. At the same time, it's a blessing because it protects her from her enemies. As a lich, she can't be destroyed as long as her phylactery exists. I'll make a secondary post on this subject shortly. Given the number of enemies she possesses, that's a pretty big thing. She needs to return to life to attain her potential - but returning to life means that she can truly die.

Hellcow

Aug 18, 2009 5:51:49

Post: Erandis Vol's Phylactery