De-constructing the Villains of Sommerlund

[askhati]

While working on a Villain class for my LWMP game, I was looking at the Villains of Sommerlund from LW11 - and then had the bright idea to try and separate them out as 5 different characters, each with an individual CS/EP score.

I refer back to this thread for my formulae: projectaon.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=auxiliary&action=display&thread=2033

So:
- LW is Tier II
- Villains are Tier II humanoids
- from LW 11-084: Villains of Sommerlund, CS 38, EP 46

- suggested rules: T.II Humanoid: 1/4 CS, 1/10 EP
- CS = 38 = X + 4*(1/4)*X = 2*X
...so X = 19
- EP = 46 = Y + 4*(1/10)*Y = 1.4*Y
...so Y = 32.8
- so average Villain is CS 19, EP 32 at Tier II

Now, looking at the characters in the picture: (f.l.t.r.)
- Luvias Kort, the Poisoner of Tyso (fat guy that looks like a merchant)
- Falco, highwayman and cut-throat (padded armour)
- Aieta Nematah, the Wytch of the Kirlundin Isles (female)
- Porgron, murderer (looks like a general low-life)
- Gardor Vezh, Chief Druid of Malis Mound, necromancer and cannibal (he of the long beard and funny turban)

Some of these guys would obviously be better fighters, or have higher endurance - or both. Taking the CS/EP 19/32 as base-line:

- Luvias Kort, the Poisoner of Tyso
... closer to 17/27 maybe, with a bonus on every second round for +2EP poison damage

- Falco, highwayman and cut-throat
... easily 21/34, with the armour, bracers, and the way he swings that big sword with one hand

- Aieta Nematah, the Wytch of the Kirlundin Isles
... 18/31, looks pretty fast and tough

- Porgron, murderer
... 17/34, looks competent and probably tougher than he is fast

- Gardor Vezh, Chief Druid of Malis Mound, necromancer and cannibal
... 16/28, with the ability to regain EP after every successful attack that deals damage
... also Mindforce abilities

Using those suggested CS/EP scores, and the T.II rules, the final results would look like this:

CS = 21 (Falco) + 17/4 (Luvias) + 18/4 (Aieta) + 17/4 (Pogron) + 16/4 (Gardor)
= 21 + 68/4 = 21 + 17 = 38

EP = 34 (Falce) + 27/10 (Luvias) + 31/10 (Aieta) + 34/10 (Pogron) + 28/10 (Gardor)
= 34 + 120/10 = 34 + 12 = 46

Any ideas/comments?

[Zipp]

I'm glad you did this, because I was planning on seperating them for the Female Lone Wolf run through and having her face them at various times throughout the adventure instead of all at the end.

[egleris]

That's a very cool idea, Zipp! But, for a tier II fighter like Lone Wolf, don't you think those stats are a bit underpowered? I mean, the opponent she has to fear right now have a CS range of about 40... even the flying snake she fought at the start of CoF was a CS 23.

I'm not suggesting that this is a bad idea, aou contraire, I love it! I'm just saying that the Villains where epicly unfair in book 11... turning them into cheap fights would be a bit bad, don't you think?

Of course, up to you in the end, but if it was me, I would probable increase their CS by 10 each, and their END by 15, above the values Askhati calculated... that would make them all proper fights! ^^

[beowuuf]

I think you are forgetting exactly how beaten up LWQ will be after the Chaos Master.

And I have a funny feeling the Sommerswerd will not be around to aid her in that case either...

Plus who says the villains will reveal themselves as prominently as they did in book 11. A Cener druid with low stats is still a fearsome foe if you've been poisoned and diseased first and are running for your life!

[egleris]

...I had the impression Zipp wanted to have them appear at various point throughout book 11 to give it a plot and purpose, both things it lacked in the version we played through.

If they are to be remembered by SW as the main antagonists of that book, they need to be memorable. If they turn up into fight, then to be memorable they also need to be hard to defeat; I was just pointing that out.

Also, in Zipp's game the Sommerswerd doesn't give any CS bonus, so lacking it won't change the difficulty of the fights in the slightest. A 17 CS enemy is simply not a worrisome foe for Silent Wolf anymore by this point; she's far stronger than that.

Beside, who's to says she won't get the Sommerswerd back after CoF is over, like it happened in the gamebooks? We really can't foresee anymore what Zipp has planned.

But I feel that, with a bunch of Kai trainee back in Sommerlund, if the Sommerswerd doesn't follow Silent Wolf in the Daziarn, then the Darklords won't be able to ever move against the lastlands, because whenever the sun rise, anyone of them that is within sight of the Sommerswerd's wielder will be turned to ashes.

Or am I wrong?

[Moon Dancer]

I'd imagine Aieta the Wytch as having some form of magical attacks/defences too.
Most likely an immunity to mindforce attacks (or at least to the weaker ones), and some sort of Elementalism-like ability.
And possibly also the ability to launch Willpower-fuelled ranged attacks similar to the Cener power rod or the Vortexi Shard.

[Wolfus]

I don't know why, but Porgron looks more dangerous than Falco (IMO). Falco is kind of "Look at my muscles, I am such a macho!". I'd switch their statistics,

[Ghuntar]

- The scores are relevant : Thoses are just Magnamund scum ! They only represent a threat for LW because they packed up. Vonotar is the Boss, they only are minions.
- About the Female LW adventure, they could be encountered and beaten along TPoT, but they escape with a "I'll have my revenge ! Buwahahaha !" or something like that. Then they packed up at the end of the book, and die...
- I do not really see the point of making a Villain Class. The class you made are (almost) all Villain Class already. It seems all the Villains of Sommerlund have each their own class : Necromancer, Poisoner, Highwayman, Murderer, Wytch... Maybe these classes could be explored separately.

[askhati]

As Ghuntar rightly points out, making a single "Villain" class for the LWMP rules would be too broad. However, looking at the five villains we have:
- Necromancer -> Warlock of the Right
- Poisoner -> ?
- Highwayman -> ~Stornlands Mercenary, ~Robber Knight of Cavalia
- Murderer -> ~Guild Assassin of Rhem
- Wytch -> ?

That basically leaves a Poisoner and a Wytch class, which could easily be combined. The Highwayman class could also be created, as a blend of the Stornlands Mercenary (combat skills) and the Guild Assassin (subterfuge).

Anyway, that is a story for another time. What special abilities should each of the five Villains have?

[Moon Dancer]

If you're combining Wytch and Poisoner, perhaps a discipline similar to Herbmastery, but focused more on gathering herbs such as Graveweed and using them to brew up poisons to use on weapons or as an extra ingredient in someone's next meal!

[askhati]

...which would make it an Evil version of the Herbwarden, essentially. If you combine potions with curses and charms, and maybe add a dash of seduction... Hmm!

[Moon Dancer]

Hmm, perhaps a hypnotic seductive psychic/illusion ability?

I'm sure I saw a character once in Lone Wolf who could do that. I'll see if I can find the reference again...


EDIT: Found it again. In Legacy of Vashna down one of the streets in Helgor. She's wearing something like the Psychic Ring though, not her own power. But it's a good example of the sort of psychic hypnotic ability I meant.
www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/16tlov/sect16.htm

[askhati]

Almost 12 years to the day... It sure feels strange to peruse these old boards again.