The Divine Wight Part 3 - Ibian NPCs

NPCS OF POWER IN UNDEFENDED IB

Bakesh, The - Liche (INT 18, WIS 18, CHR 16) HD11 (46 HP), AC 0/20*, ATK 1** freezing touch, ATK BONUS +12 to hit, DAM (2D6), MV 40’, SV MU 10, ML 10.
* The Bakesh is ringed in powerful wards and is permanently under the effect of a shield spell, protection (effects Imperial Clergy/outsider entities) and protection from normal missiles. The Bakesh can elect to counterspell any spell attack against her instead of taking her next action which will negate the attacking spell and on a successful Save v. Spells reflect it at its caster. She also has the inherent abilities to speak with dead, detect magic, read magic and identify magic items (though it sometimes takes a while). 

**The Bakesh can levitate at will, and create powerful missile attacks that necrotize flesh, decay the inanimate and drain life in lieu of attacking with her touch. These attacks strike a single target as a magic missile (negated by the shield spell/save for ½ damage) for 11D6 damage or as a fireball like blast with a burst value of 11, doing 11D6/2 points of damage (save for ½ damage). She may also cast the following spells once per day: change self, sleep,comprehend languages, detect invisible, unseen servant, dancing lights, mirror image, darkness 15’ radius, audible glamour, stinking cloud, invisibility, ESP, phantasmal force, blink, fly, dispel magic, suggestion, fear, wall of ice, monster summoning II, minor globe of invulnerability, ice storm, confusion, animate dead, cloudkill, teleport, feeblemind, hold monster, wall of force, magic jar, death spell, freezing sphere, invisible stalker, grasping hand, monster summoning V, maze, mass charm, gate, time stop. It should be noted that all of the Bakesh’s spells are necromantic in nature and character: her stinking cloud smells of rotting flesh, her monster summonings will bring the undead, her unseen servant is a tormented spirit and her timestop pulls all effected into a shadowy spirit world. 

Should the Bakesh desire to cast alternate spells, she can with a day to prepare and as long as she is near her home and/or The Grimoire of Woe.

The Grimoire of Woe - (6HD, AC 9/11 immune to normal weapons, ATK 1 Bite, ATK BONUS +7 to hit, DAM 1D10) An animate  6’ tall 4’ thick book of evil intent, anthropodermic pages and carnivorous tendencies that contains a great deal of arcane knowledge, including the vast majority of spells in a necromantic form and the process of transforming oneself into a liche. Unless mastered (a process that takes more than a lifetime of effort - the Bakesh has done it) it will require a successful grappling attack vs. the book’s strength of 12 (note as with all grappling efforts the book freely attacks the grappler) to open the book to a page that contains 1D6/3 random spells (Roll 1D10 for the level of each spell, on a 10 there’s no spell but some fascinating fragment of esoteric knowledge instead). Turning to a new page will require an additional effort in the form of another grapple and reactive attack by the grimoire.  The Grimoire may only be opened by the intended reader.  If the book successfully devours a reader it will add their soul and knowledge to its pages.

The Bakesh normally looks like a wealthy Imperial noble in the comically outdated fashions of Ib and wearing an enameled mask of a woman with stately but sad features.  Underneath she is a shell of carved ivory limbs filled with grave dust, ashes and fragments of bone.  Beneath her mask is another mask of an ivory skull and beneath that the Bakesh’s original skull of pitted, burnt bone.

If the Bakesh is challenged she can also call upon several charmed human guards/stranglers (3rd to 6th level fighters) wearing heavy scale armor and skilled in unarmed combat (damage with gauntleted hands is 1D6+2) or if truly concerned a hidden cohort of 20 armored skeleton warriors (HD 3/AC 16) and 6 wraiths under her control.  She also has an 8HD flesh golem buried in her lovely formal garden, but it’s unreliable, berserking in combat and messy - the Bakesh would hate to call it up to hunt her foes as doing so would require digging through one of her favorite topiaries.

Hex Ruttergund - MU10 (INT 16, DEX 5, WIS 14) HP 14, AC 8/12, ATK 1*, ATK BONUS +4 to hit, DAM by Weapon, MV 30’, SV MU 10, ML 6

Wand of Ash and Sighs - BV 8 fire attack - save v. spells or paralyzed (12 charges), Coward’s Ring - AC 12, casts mirror image if attacked (6 charges)
*Hex Ruttergund has the following spells memorized, but might be convinced to memorize more combat oriented spells if he had to: detect magic, read magic, unseen servant, detect invisibility, rope trick, ESP, tongues, suggestion, hold person, polymorph other, polymorph self, dimension door, teleport, contact other plane.  

Coward’s Ring ugly squared brass ring with 6 charges - AC 12 protection and if wearer is attacked in melee, ring will cast mirror image with 3 images using 1 charge.  Ruttergund can recharge it, but it’s an annoying chore.

Wand of Ashes and Sighs  A tooled steel rod with a burn scarred tip - 12 charges - Cone of hot ash 1 target in melee, BV 8 at short range - cause D6 damage and humans/humanoids save vs. spells or collapse, paralyzed and weeping at the injustice of the world for D6 rounds).  Ruttergund can recharge it, but it’s an annoying chore.

Hex is a fussy, dusty man with a pot belly who often has egg in his mustache.  He wears expensive, old, threadbare, clothing that is unfit for the climate and has only several elderly servants to attend him.  His rather extensive and cluttered laboratory/library is concealed behind a secret door and several strong wards.  Ruttergund trapped a 10HD earth elemental several month ago (compressed to melon size in a sphere of elemental water) and is interrogating it for the secrets of transmuting minerals.  It is very, very angry.

Rook Devi - CL6 (STR 16, DEX 15, WIS 14, CHR 17) HP 30, AC 2/18, ATK 1*, ATK BONUS +4 to hit melee/no ranged, DAM by Weapon +2, MV 40’, SV CL 6, ML 10

The Iridescent Flock (Light - AC 16, first successful missile attack each round is intercepted), Decorative Shield beautifully enameled with scenes of herons fishing, Hatred of War (As mace - on a 16 or above it destroys non magical  armor, shield or weapons of the target). 99 Psalms of the Beaked God (allows the reader to speak the language of birds)

*Rook Devi usually has the following spells memorized: sanctuary, light, cure light Wounds, hold person, spiritual hammer (summons an angry bird of blue light), resist fire, dispel magic, curse

The Iridescent Flock:  [AC 16 - Light Armor] A cloud of tiny blue glassy animated birds that perch on their master’s shoulders, and throw themselves between him and attacks before reforming from their shards, intercepting
Hatred of War - Blessed and sanctified by the Beaked God, this golden scepter of office is ornately decorated with scene of warriors in feather like armor arriving in a pastoral paradise.  It can be used as a weapon effectively (as mace) against even spectral and other weapon immune targets. On a natural attack roll of 16 or above it will entirely shatter the weapon, shield or armor (wielder picks) of a target.  It cannot destroy natural armor or weapons, or those that are themselves magical.  As a mace the scepter has the standard ‘penetrating’ +2 bonus against heavy and medium armor.

99 Psalms of the Beaked God - Written in tiny gold letters on translucent leaves of thin blue jade (Worth 5,000 GP as an art object and fragile), this holy book is the liturgy of the Beaked God written in a dead language.  While holding it the owner can speak (or more precisely sing) and understand the language of birds.  Most birds are quite idiotic, boisterous and petty - with nothing to discuss except egg size, bird pecking orders and braggadocious plumage grooming tips.

Rook Devi wears artifacts of the Beaked god over a blue silk loincloth embroidered with golden designs, aping the style of the jungle’s autochthons. Rook has money and connections and can call upon several house guards (fighters) of 2nd to 4th level in bronze plate armor (AC 17) who specialize in unarmed combat (attack with feet and hands for 1D6+1 damage) or hire mercenaries for any expedition he mounts.