Special Equipment. Valdis wields a unique hellfire greataxe one-handed which functions as his pact weapon, and carries a spiked +3 shield. He wears mundane furs, belts, and chains, and magical bracers of defense which grant +2 to AC, a brooch of shielding which grants resistance to force damage and immunity to the magic missile spell, and a ring of protection which grants +1 to AC and all saving throws (not included above). He also carries a silver mirror worth 1000 gold that bears an inscription in Draconic which reads "Freedom is life. Life is violence. Violence is power. Power is freedom."
Reckless Attack. Valdis can give himself advantage on melee weapon attack rolls during his turn, but attack rolls against him have advantage until his next turn.
Danger Sense. Valdis has advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects he can see while not blinded, deafened, or incapacitated.
Warrior of Tiamat. If a spell to restore Valdis's life is cast on him, the caster doesn't need material components for that spell.
Feral Instinct. Valdis has advantage on initiative rolls. Also, if he is surprised at the beginning of combat but not incapacitated, he can act normally on his first turn if he enters a rage before doing anything else.
Dragon Queen’s Blessing. When Valdis reduces a hostile creature to 0 hit points, he gains 14 temporary hit points.
Dragon Queen's Own Luck (1/Short Rest). When Valdis makes an ability check or a saving throw, he can add a d10 to the roll.
Devil’s Sight. Valdis can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 ft.
Hold Breath. Valdis can hold his breath for up to 1 hour at a time.
War Caster. Valdis has advantage on Constitution saving throws that he makes to maintain his concentration on a spell when he takes damage. He can perform the somatic components of spells even when he has weapons or a shield in one or both hands.
Spellcasting. Valdis is a 10th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks), he regains his expended spell slots when he finishes a short or long rest, he can cast detect magic and false life (1d4 + 4) at will, and he has the following warlock spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): chill touch (4d8), eldritch blast (4 × 1d10 + 4), lightning lure (4d8), toll the dead (4d8 or 4d12)
1st–5th level (2 5th-level slots): blindness/deafness (4 targets), counterspell, darkness, fireball (10d6), hellish rebuke (6d10), hold person (3 targets), negative energy flood (5d12), scrying, spirit shroud (4d8), vampiric touch (5d6)
Multiattack. Valdis makes three melee attacks, or casts one cantrip or spell and makes one melee attack.
Hellfire Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (1d12 + 7) slashing damage, the target's speed is reduced by 10 until the start of Valdis's next turn, and deals an extra 6 (1d12) damage on a critical hit. Once per turn, Valdis can choose to reroll this damage and use either roll. If this damage reduces a creature to 0 hit points and it isn't a construct or devil, it dies and its soul is consumed by Tiamat in 1d4 hours. If the creature isn’t revived before then, only a wish spell can restore it to life.
Spiked Shield. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d4 + 7) bludgeoning damage and 2 (1d4) piercing damage, and a creature must succeed on a DC 21 Strength saving throw or either be pushed up to 10 feet away from Valdis or be knocked prone.
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d4 + 7) slashing (claws), piercing (bite), or bludgeoning (punch/kick) damage, and a creature must succeed on a DC 21 Strength saving throw or be grappled by Valdis. While grappled in this way, a creature takes 12 (2d4 + 7) slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning damage at the end of each of its turns. Vampiric touch automatically succeeds against grappled creatures. Valdis can grapple up to five Medium or smaller creatures at one time using his mouth, hands/arms, and feet/legs.
Shell Defense. Valdis withdraws into his shell, falls prone, gains a +4 bonus to AC (AC 29 total), and gains advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws. While in his shell, his speed is 0 (and can’t increase), he has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, can't take reactions, and the only action he can take is to emerge from his shell as a bonus action, whereupon he is no longer prone.
Zealous Presence (1/Long Rest). As a bonus action on his turn, Valdis can unleash a battle cry and up to 10 other creatures of his choice within 60 feet of him that can hear him gain advantage on attack rolls and saving throws until the start of his next turn.
Cloak of Flies (1/Short Rest). As a bonus action on his turn, Valdis surrounds himself with a 5-ft. aura of flies that grants him advantage on Intimidation checks, but disadvantage on all other Charisma checks. The aura extends from him in every direction, but not through total cover. It lasts until he's incapacitated or he dismisses it as a bonus action. A creature that starts its turn in the aura takes 4 poison damage.
Rage (4/Long Rest). As a bonus action on his turn, Valdis can enter a rage that lasts for up to 1 minute. The rage ends early if Valdis is knocked unconscious or if his turn ends and he hasn’t attacked a hostile creature or taken damage since his last turn, or if he ends the rage as a bonus action. While raging, Valdis has the following effects applied:
- He can't cast or concentrate on spells while raging.
- He has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
- He has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
- He deals an extra 3 damage when he hits a target with a melee weapon attack.
- The first creature he hits on each of his turns takes an extra 8 (1d6 + 5) necrotic damage.
- Once per rage, if Valdis fails a saving throw, he can reroll it and must use the new roll.
War Caster Opportunity. Valdis can use his reaction to make an opportunity attack to cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action and targets only that creature.
Description
Valdis was born Midwinter 1414 into slavery far from Chult, in the clutches of the Cult of the Dragon within Hlondeth. His father Silvehd was also born into bondage and cult indoctrination made him a true believer; he taught Valdis the glory of Tiamat, and believed that one day when their work was done the Dragon Queen would be free and she would deliver them into freedom in turn.
Valdis took to heart these values, the supremacy of strength, power, freedom, and service to Tiamat above all others. When Silvehd died, Valdis was disgusted by the man's weakness. All his life, Silvehd coveted the power and freedom Tiamat could bestow but he did nothing to seize it. Valdis came to believe Tiamat never graced his father because of the man's unwillingness to take action, his lack of stomach for violence – he spoke of Tiamat's glory but didn't live her example.
Following that realisation, Valdis broke the chains that bound him with his immense strength and used those same chains to slaughter his enslavers. He fought his way out along a path paved with the broken spines, crushed skulls, and pulverised bodies of the Cult of the Dragon.
Since then, Valdis has roamed Faerûn freely, doing Tiamat's work in the realms. He has sought no glory for himself, made no name or renown for others to recognise. What few know of him think he may be chosen, the Dragon Queen's favourite toy, and that his quiet arrival is an omen of bloodshed and destruction.
Zealous Warlock. Valdis has cultivated his intense strength and rage and wields pact magic gifted to him by Tiamat. Valdis is comparable to a level 20 character, with 10 levels in Barbarian subclass Path of the Zealot and 10 levels in Warlock subclass The Fiend.
Faithful of Tiamat. Valdis serves Tiamat's will with absolute faith and loyalty. He cannot speak with her, but the power he receives from her as a patron is all the endorsement he requires. He believes what is in his heart is what Tiamat wishes, and he lives her example. Notably, he doesn't well tolerate the Cult of the Dragon; he views them with contempt, and sees their individual and collective weakness as proof they'd rather petition the dragon goddess for favour and blessings than live as she would.
Draconic Respect. Most mortals have a healthy fear of dragons, and few would willingly do battle with one, Valdis included. However, Valdis prefers to abstain from fighting dragons out of respect, bordering on reverence. He sees them like he sees himself, as living examples of Tiamat's virtues. Chromatic or metallic or any other kind, dragons are the only beings he'd rather negotiate with than kill. That same consideration does not extend to half-dragons or dragonborn, and especially not dracoliches – Valdis would sooner destroy a dracolich on principle.
Bearer of Chains. Valdis still bears the scars of his enslavement, and wears the chains that once sealed him in bondage. Weighing in a 720 pounds, 8 feet tall, and with arms as thick as a human torso, he is a hard, brutal, and serious man who has never been seen to smile. That is not to say he is without a sense of humour, but it is so infrequent, deadpan, and dry that no one has ever seemed to notice.
COMBAT STRATEGY AND TACTICS
Brutal Efficiency
Valdis prefers to fight by taking an advantageous position and using his capabilities efficiently, softening up enemies at range before maneuvering to bait them into his melee reach. He relies heavily on his cantrips at range and reserves his pact magic spells for decisive battle-changing opportunities, ideally when a spell would yield the maximum number of casualties.
Preparation
Outside combat, Valdis always maintains false life to protect himself from minor injuries and detect magic to sustain magical awareness. He conceals his immense physical strength and keeps his hellfire greataxe stowed to deceive others into thinking him reliant entirely on magic. If he knows anything about his enemies, he will attempt to use the scrying spell to learn of their location, plans, and movement.
Ranged Tactics
Valdis prefers to take positions that afford a wide angle of fire for his spells that also lead into more narrow corridors, such as entrances and balconies. If the bulk of an enemy formation is tightly clustered, he may cast fireball to incinerate them all at once. Otherwise, he relies mostly on eldritch blast to wound his enemies before closing it. He reserves counterspell for only the most dangerous magic, where effects might deal fatal damage or disable him.
At range, Valdis attempts to take out healers first, then other spellcasters, then ranged attackers, then melee attackers, thinning the proverbial herd by killing the softest combatants first rather than focusing all of his efforts on the tougher enemies. However, he won't sacrifice his positional advantage for a kill, or to help an ally.
Melee Tactics
Once his enemies are getting close or if their ranged assault cannot cannot be broken with his magic, Valdis feigns injury and retreats to a nearby corridor or similar choke in the environment. Here he intends to lure them into close quarters, where his immense physical strength can be applied to great effect.
Valdis waits until his enemies have ventured deep enough within to begin his assault, coming around and behind them if possible. If no one dares enter within two rounds, he'll cast detect magic to be certain they've not already entered under the guise of invisibility. If he has time to prepare, he activates his Cloak of Flies and casts spirit shroud, both of which will harm those within his reach.
If he's having difficulty landing hits on his opponents, he may change his tactic and cast darkness on his shield to give himself the advantage, with his own magically-enhanced vision unobscured, and may use lightning lure to pull victims into reach.
When his other tactics fail, instead Valdis attempts to blind his opponents with the blindness/deafness spell and then enters a rage. He sacrifices his spellcasting for enhanced damage and durability, but his brute strength is as deadly as his magic. He fights with both his weapon and shield, first bashing enemies with his spiked shield to knock them prone before bringing his hellfire greataxe down upon them; his incredible strength allows him to wield a greataxe one-handed and makes his spiked shield a weapon in its own right. He prefers to land the killing blow with his hellfire greataxe, though, as this sends his victim's soul to Tiamat to be consumed and thereby honor his pact with the Dragon Queen.
If Valdis finds himself disarmed or if there are a mere handful of enemies, he may forego the use of his greataxe and fight unarmed. Each unarmed strike, whether his claws or feet or beak-like jaws, can grapple his enemies. Though identical mechanically, these grapples may be explained differently depending upon how he attacked. He might plunge his claws into an enemy and hold them from their insides, use an open hand to throttle them by the neck, crush an enemy beneath his clawed foot, or he might bite through their spine with his jaws.
Damage Output
Ranged tactic – Eldritch blast:
- Eldritch blast = 38 (4 × (1d10 + 4)) force damage
Melee tactic – Three hellfire greataxe attacks with Cloak of Flies and rage:
- Hellfire greataxe = 40 (3 × (1d12 + 7)) slashing damage
- Rage = 9 (3 × 3) slashing damage
- Tiamat's Fury = 8 (1d6 + 5) necrotic damage
- Cloak of Flies = 4 poison damage
- Total per round = 61 damage
Melee tactic – Three hellfire greataxe attacks with Cloak of Flies and spirit shroud:
- Hellfire greataxe = 40 (3 × (1d12 + 7)) slashing damage
- Spirit shroud = 54 (3 × 4d8) necrotic damage
- Cloak of Flies = 4 poison damage
- Total per round = 98 damage
Melee tactic – Eldritch blast and unarmed strike with Cloak of Flies, spirit shroud, and grapple damage:
- Eldritch blast = 38 (4 × (1d10 + 4)) force damage
- Unarmed strike = 12 (2d4 + 7) bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage
- Spirit shroud = 90 (5 × 4d8) necrotic damage
- Cloak of Flies = 4 poison damage
- Grapple = 12 (2d4 + 7) bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage
- Total per round = 156 damage
Retreat
Valdis prefers to stay in the fight, but he's not proud and stupid. The moment a battle looks unwinnable, he will move to escape, even if that means betraying his allies to the enemy or using his strength to bring down a building around him. He is only beholden to Tiamat, and Tiamat doesn't care what methods he uses or who dies in the process.
Valdis doesn't mind negotiating, but negotiation only occurs between equals; if in the course of a parley he determines he can slaughter the other party, he will do so immediately. If he truly finds himself outmatched, he will sell out anyone and everyone, preferably by putting them between himself and the enemy as he makes his escape.
When necessary, Valdis may cover his retreat with darkness, blindness/deafness, or hold person. If his spells aren't available and outrunning his enemies isn't an option, he may instead destroy critical supports of a structure to cause a catastrophic collapse. Ideally he will have secured a means of escape, such as a passage that will be blocked by the rubble he brings down, but if escape is impossible he will withdraw into his shell and simply endure it. His enemies will think him dead in all likelihood, and he's more than strong enough to burrow out of the ruins and complete his retreat.
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