The Ogre and the Mage
The outlying peasant villages are being terrorized by a powerful ogre mage—or at least that’s what everyone thinks. In actuality the ghost of a young human sorcerer thought it would be fun to masquerade as an ogre mage and what started as merely scaring peasant folk has turned into something far worse. The PCs have been asked by a town leader to take care of this menace. Alternately Samuel’s father could have hired them to investigate the rumors of his family’s seal being seen at the scene of these attacks.
“Ogre Mage” (Ogre barbarian 1 possessed by Samuel) |
CR4 |
CE Large humanoid (giant)
Init +1 (+5)1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (+4 armor2, +1 Dex, +5 natural, –1 size)
hp 44 (4d8+16+1d12+4)
Fort +9, Ref +1, Will +3
OFFENSE
Speed 50 ft. (base 40 ft.)*
Melee greatsword +12 (+9)1 (3d6+11)
Ranged javelin +5 (+2)1 (1d8+7)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 25, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 133, Wis 103, Cha 223
Base Attack +4 (+2)1; CMB +10 (+8)1; CMD 23 (17)1
Feats Extra Rage, Iron Will, Toughness
Skills Climb +10, Perception +2
Languages Giant
Equipment +1 greatsword, 12 javelins, hide armor (not worn because of Samuel’s arcane spell failure)
Treasure Gold amulet (Golden Hand with a black star sapphire set into the palm)
Hook “Grimbor will crush you puny mortal with his might and his magics!” (While being possessed by Samuel)
1While Samuel is in control of the ogre.
2Samuel casts mage armor if he has time to prepare for a battle.
3Samuel’s mental ability scores. The ogre’s mental ability scores are Int 6, Wis 8, Cha 9.
*Use the ogre’s base speed while Samuel is possessing him.
Samuel CR 6
Young human ghost aristocrat 1/sorcerer (arcane bloodline) 4
CN Small undead (augmented humanoid, incorporeal)
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60’; Perception +12
Defense
AC 22, touch 22, flat-footed 17 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, +6 deflection, +1 size)
hp 48 (1d8+6+4d6+24)
Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +4
Defensive Abilities Arcane bond (bonded amulet), channel resistance +4, incorporeal, rejuvenation Immune undead traits
Offense
Speed fly 20’ (perfect)
Melee corrupting touch +6 (6d6, Fortitude DC 18 half)
Special Attacks Malevolence (DC 18), Spells
Statistics
Str —, Dex 18, Con —, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 22
Base Attack +2; CMB +1; CMD 22
Feats Dodge, Eschew MaterialsB, Improved InitiativeB, Alertness, Combat Casting
Skills Bluff +14, Disguise +10, Fly +9, Knowledge(Arcana) +9, Perception +12, Sense Motive +6, Stealth +16, Spellcraft +9; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +8 Stealth
Languages Common, Elven
Equipment Incorporeal copy of a wand of unseen servant (CL: 5) (40 charges left)
Hook “Oh that looks fun, let me try.” (Right before Samuel possesses someone)
Spells per day: 8/5
Spells Known:
0: Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation
1st: Burning Hands (DC 18), IdentifyB, Mage Armor, Ventriloquism
2nd: Acid Arrow
4Samuel’s CR did not receive the normal decrease for being a young creature because as a ghost he is unaffected by most if not all of the drawbacks.
In life Samuel was the son of a noble. He died in a fire that destroyed his family’s manor house. The cause of the fire was never determined by the local authorities, but Samuel could tell you he accidently caused the fire while trying to learn the burning hands spell. Samuel’s body was buried in his family’s mausoleum with his favorite possessions: a wand of unseen servant (40 charges left), and an unfinished amulet that his father was making for Samuel’s 10th birthday. Samuel’s spirit stole this amulet from his own resting place and has since modified it into his bonded amulet. Samuel leaves his arcane mark at the scene of his “Ogre Mage” attacks; this mark is a modified version of his family’s seal.
Samuel’s amulet is worth around 1,000 gp as an art object and possesses two magical auras; a strong aura of transmutation and a faint unidentified magical aura. This second strange aura is from the amulet being an incomplete Hand of Glory; however, even if it was complete it would only function for Samuel, or someone Samuel is possessing, because it is Samuel’s bonded item. The strong transmutation aura is from the ghost touch effect that allows Samuel the ability to carry the amulet while he isn’t possessing anyone. The PCs shouldn’t be able to identify the strange aura with spellcraft or the identify spell due to its incomplete nature, though they will learn of the ghost touch quality and that the amulet might have had an arcane bond with a spellcaster at one time.
Samuel begins the fight by having the ogre charge the closest person and attacking with its greatsword; if Samuel hasn’t had time to cast mage armor on the ogre before the fight, he casts that and charges if able to on the next turn. Samuel doesn’t really take the fight seriously, but will use burning hands once he or the ogre has taken damage. He uses acid arrow only after the ogre is at least half dead. Right before the ogre dies Samuel goes incorporeal and leaves the ogre’s cave without further bothering the PCs, having grown bored of his little game. Once freed from Samuel’s control the ogre will plead for his life (thought only if he is very near to death), otherwise he enters a rage and attacks the PCs. A few hours (no more than a day) later Samuel realizes that he left his amulet with the now (presumably) dead ogre. He returns to the ogre’s lair; if the PCs left the amulet he reclaims it and goes on his merry way, finishing off the ogre if he is still alive and in possession of his amulet. If the PCs took the amulet Samuel begins to track them down; once he locates the PCs he either attacks the group all out in an attempt to reclaim his amulet or he tries to ruin their lives from the shadows in subtle ways. For example, he may take one player’s things and put them in another player’s backpack, hiding the wizard’s spell book in the cleric’s bedroll, etc.