Roak Darkhand
Roak is a dangerous
foe. Born Roak Uthor'ran, he was a drow
of a long dead family and only survived the attack by his will to survive. He scrabbled on the fringes of Chael, alone
and forgotten until he fell into a band of thieves. Mostly males, but one ruled by a female gang
leader. He grew to hate the matriarchal
society that controls all of drow society, for he may have had the will to
survive the attack but could do nothing to change his fate. Hanella
was as dark and cruel as any drow female was made to be. She took many lovers and was spiteful of any
attempts to better oneself like Roak tried to do. In the end she betrayed her gang for a better
life.
Roak found himself
on the docks of Chael, picking pockets and staying out of any females he
encountered. They naturally gravitated
to the top of any gang and after Hanella, he avoided them like the plague. Everywhere he looked he saw the danger in
which his gender put him in and he seethed.
The thing with
picking pockets is that sooner or later, you get caught. Nostur Darkhand
was a wizard of some small skill and he caught the little thief with his hand
in his pocket. Roak thought himself dead
and bravely prepared himself. At least a
male would put him out of his misery.
Nostur looked down at the young man and offered him a choice. He could die or he could come with him and possibly learn the wizardly arts. It took him five years, to earn Nostur's
confidence, but he did and took the first steps to a larger world. He learned how to hide his contempt for females
for even Nostur was still beholden to the females. For thirty years he apprenticed for Nostur
until he crossed someone that he was not supposed to. Hanella was back working as an assassin for The Heartweb, the Grand Temple of Lloth. Roak saw her as she plunged a dagger into his
heart and flee.
Roak was furious but
he remembered the word of his mentor. He
bided his time. In the twenty years he
adventured, gaining power. As much as he
hated Chael, he couldn’t leave the city in flames just yet. He wasn’t powerful enough. It was close to his twentieth year when he
met his doom, his answer and his salvation.
Beathia was vampire who was
enchanted by the young drow and he became of vampire. He used every trick he had ever learned and
it paid off when she turned him. After
words he was the one who did the betraying and slew her.
He returned to Chael
and with his wealth bought a large barge and turned it into the premier
pleasure barges. Naming it the Dark Dreams, the barge is close to
two-hundred feet long and sixty feet wide in hand, he can do whatever he wishes
some miles out to shore. He recruited
those who hated the matriarchy and slowly built an empire of deceit. He has secretly done away with countless drow
women, by either killing them, turning them or the ultimate humiliation,
selling them for slaves. One of the
first things he did was trap Hanella, tortured her in the most dark ways and
turned her into a spawn. He keeps her
locked in the bilge.
It was about a
hundred years ago that he encountered Kyartane
Kal'kanis, a haughty drow matron who was fast becoming a mover and a
shaker in Chael. He drew her out,
kidnapped her and proceeded to use her in the most vile ways. She was in his clutches for eight days before
a team from her House lead by an ex-pitfighter named Kazzurat before she was freed.
Sometime later, she gave birth to a girl-child and so named her Kala.
Siobhan the succubus has dropped some words in
the ears of the right people that has got word back to Roak. Already he is planning something that would
tear Chael'lut'theas apart and crash the matriarchy.
Vampire, medium
undead (shapechanger), neutral evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 168 (17d8 + 68)
Speed 30ft.
STR 18 (+4) DEX 18 (+4)
CON 18 (+4) INT 18 (+4) WIS 15 (+2)
CHA 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Dex +9, Wis +7, Cha +9
Skills Arcana +9, Deception +9, Insight +7,
Perception +7, Sleight of Hand +9, Stealth +9
Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning,
piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Senses darkvision 120 ft. , passive Perception
17
Languages Common, Elvan, Undercommon
Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)
Shapechanger. If Roak isn't in sunlight or
running water, it can use its action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium
cloud of mist, or back into its true form. While in bat form, Roak can't speak,
its walking speed is 5 feet, and it has a flying speed of 30 feet. Its
statistics, other than its size and speed, are unchanged. Anything it is
wearing transforms with it, but nothing it is carrying does. It reverts to its
true form if it dies. While in mist form, the vampire can't take any actions,
speak, or manipulate objects. It is weightless, has a flying speed of 20 feet,
can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. In
addition, if air can pass through a space, the mist can do so without
squeezing, and it can't pass through water. It has advantage on Strength,
Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and it is immune to all nonmagical
damage, except the damage it takes from sunlight.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Roak fails a
saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Misty Escape. When it drops to 0 hit points
outside its resting place, Roak transforms into a cloud of mist (as in the
Shapechanger trait) instead of falling unconscious, provided that it isn't in
sunlight or running water. If it can't transform, it is destroyed. While it has
0 hit points in mist form, it can't revert to its vampire form, and it must
reach its resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in its resting
place, it reverts to its vampire form . It is then paralyzed until it regains
at least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in its resting place with 0 hit
points, it regains 1 hit point.
Regeneration. Roak regains 20 hit points at the
start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and isn't in sunlight or
running water. If the vampire takes
radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn't function at the
start of the vampire's next turn.
Spider Climb. The vampire can climb difficult
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability
check.
Vampire Weaknesses. The vampire has the
following flaws:
- Forbiddance. The vampire can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants,
- Harmed by Running Water. The vampire takes 20 acid damage if it ends its turn in running water.
- Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into the vampire's heart while the vampire is incapacitated in its resting place, the vampire is paralyzed until the stake is removed.
- Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The vampire takes 20 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Roak deals an extra 13
(4d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack or unarmed strike and
has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an
ally of the assassin that isn't incapacitated and the assassin doesn't have
disadvantage on the attack roll.
Spellcasting. Roak is a 9th-level spellcaster.
Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with
spell attacks). The vampire has the following wizard spells prepared:
- Cantrips (at will) : mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost
- 1st level (4 slots): comprehend languages, fogcloud, sleep
- 2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, gust of wind, mirror image
- 3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, bestow curse, lightning bolt, nondetection
- 4th level (3 slots): blight, greater invisibility
- 5th level (1 slot): dominate person
ACTIONS
Multiattack (Vampire Form Only). The vampire
makes two attacks, only one of which can be a bite attack.
Unarmed Strike (Vampire Form Only). Melee
Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4)
bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, the vampire can grapple the
target (escape DC 18).
Bite (Bat or Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon
Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature that is
grappled by the vampire, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4)
piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum
is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the vampire
regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target
finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point
maximum to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and then buried in the ground rises
the following night as a vampire spawn under the vampire's control.
Charm. The vampire targets one humanoid it can
see within 30 feet of it. If the target can see the vampire, the target must
succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed by the
vampire. The charmed target regards the vampire as a trusted friend to be
heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under the vampire's control, it
takes the vampire's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and
it is a willing target for the vampire's bite attack. Each time the vampire or the
vampire's companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the
saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect
lasts 24 hours or until the vampire is destroyed, is on a different plane of
existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.
Children of the Night (1/Day). The vampire
magically calls 2d4 swarms of bats or rats, provided that the sun isn't up.
While outdoors, the vampire can call 3d6 wolves instead. The called creatures
arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as allies of the vampire and obeying its spoken
commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until the vampire dies, or until the
vampire dismisses them as a bonus action.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The vampire can take
3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action
option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn.
The vampire regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Move. The vampire moves up to its speed without
provoking opportunity attacks.
Unarmed Strike. The vampire makes one unarmed
strike.
Bite (Costs 2 Actions). The vampire makes one
bite
REGIONAL EFFECTS
The region
surrounding a vampire's lair is warped by the creature's unnatural presence,
creating any of the following effects:
- There's a noticeable increase in the populations of bats, rats, and wolves in the region.
- Plants within 500 feet of the lair wither, and their stems and branches become twisted and thorny.
- Shadows cast within 500 feet of the lair seem abnormally gaunt and sometimes move as though alive. A creeping fog clings to the ground within 500 feet of the vampire's lair.
- The fog occasionally takes eerie forms, such as grasping claws and writhing serpents.
If the vampire is
destroyed, these effects end after 2d6 days.
