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View Full Version : [Portrait] Larek, the Snow Golem Master



Trolof
2005-12-14, 08:59 AM
After weeks of travelling in caravans, and 5 days of wandering across the barren steps of the North, along a diffuse trail, following the edge of a truly massive glacier. You arrive at a small town placed on the shores of a lake, marking the edge of the glacier. The town is a small fishing village. And you wonder how they came up with the 1000 gp award, for ridding them of their problems. The job sounds easy enough investigate the validity of the reported Snow Golem threat. Everybody in your adventuring party consider this a prank. It is probably just a few children scaring the hell out of superstitious fishermen. But since you are here. You might as well check it out.

Wandering across the barren ice-plain. Encumbered by the heavy fur you’re all wearing. Lumbering onwards, watching out for the deadly chasms while shielding your faces from the blistering cold. In the far North East you see a few towering blocks of what you assume is snow and ice. Heading towards these landmarks were the best way to see the snow golems, you were told. A mile or so away, you suddenly see the ice rise up from the glacier. The snow and ice forms a giant snowball. From the snowball rises another snowball stacking on top of the first, then another, then another, until it stands 5 giant snowballs tall. It turns, only identifiable by the turning of a pointy icicle, on the top snowball where you would expect to find a nose, toward your group. It spews out a white cloud of snow and ice, in your direction. Then it disappears back into the glacier.
Your party starts of in the direction of where the creature appeared. But when you arrive at the point where the creature appeared. You find nothing of the ordinary. You hear a sudden rumble, and before you can reach for your swords. The glacier starts to rice, just 10 ft of to the right. In rapid succession 7 giant snowballs rise from the glacier towering 40 ft. above your party. The pointy icicle, where the nose should be, measures at least 6 ft. The eyes, made of faceted ice the size of dog, has a clear blue flame in the centre. The creature emanates a blistering cold, beyond anything you have ever experienced. The mouth is full of countless pointy icicles. It roars, and spews out a cloud of snow and ice shards. Then the eyes flare with a turquoise colour, and it disappears back into the glacier before you are able to react. A booming, yet terrifyingly cold, resonate from the glacier it self. “Leave these lands. Or suffer the wrath of the winter land, along with the puny village that sent you.” The voice speaks in the common tongue. But with a heavy accent, as if it has been very long since it has used this language. As you look around nothing is to be seen. Except for a single winter wolf on the other side of a chasm. Blocking an ice bridge, and thereby the path towards the tall ice blocks. The Wolf snarls in your direction. But otherwise it just stands there. After a short deliberation your party decides to turn back. This seems to be beyond your power.
On the way back, the winter wolf paces your steps. And from time to time one of these snow-beings shows up next to the wolf. Just for a brief second, then it disappears again. During the few days hiking across the glacier, the party’s wizard and bard has a furious discussion about the nature of these snow-beings, the wizard pointing out various elemental traits about the beings. Your party’s bard heartily disagrees. Mostly because snow golems makes for far the better story, as it implies a powerful master/creator living on the glacier.
He already couldn’t wait to tell the story about “the master of the snow golems”, in the towns you will pass, on your way to warmer more civilized lands.

Background
… yet to be written

Description
If anyone actually encounters Larek, they will find him to be frail and skinny looking, but very agile. His eyes sparkle with intellect, and if you start talking to him. You will find that he has a very strong personality, and the courage of his convictions.
He is dressed in common light grey coloured clothing. On top of this he wears a fur cloak, made from a polar bears hide. This cloak is very well crafted. He is using snowshoes with fur straps dragging behind him, to cover his tracks. On his right thump, he wears a silver ring with a single blue coloured gem. He should be freezing, as he is wearing much less clothing than anyone else. But he appears to be comfortable enough about the temperature.
On his shoulder, or hopping around on the ground close to him, is a small white owl. And somewhere in the vicinity lurks a winter wolf, carefully studying the movement of every visitor.


Larek of the Glacier, The Snow Golem Master (CR 8 )
Halfling ranger 2/sorcerer 6
CN small humanoid
Init: +4, Senses +1 (+2*, +3**) spot, +6 (+7*, +8**) listen.
Languages: Common, Halfling, Orc and Goblin

AC 19, Touch 15, Flat-footed 15
hp 22 (2d10 –2 (ranger) +6d4 -2 (sorcerer)
Resist +1 on all saves, +2 bonus on saving throws against fear (stacks with +1 bonus), cold-resistance 5
Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +5

Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee Dagger +10 (1d4-1/19-20*2)
Ranged Dagger +11 (1d4-1/19-20*2)
Base Atk +5; Grp +0
Attack Options +1 to attack rolls and damage when fighting animals.
Special Actions: Arcane Spell casting.
Combat Gear 10 daggers, Cloak of Resistance, Potion of cure moderate wounds (2d8+6)
Spells Known Level 3, Major image (DC 18 ); level 2, invisibility (DC 17), fog cloud; level 1, silent image (DC 16), ventriloquism (DC 16), Expeditious Retreat, mage armor (DC 14); level 0, Ray of frost, Light, Ghost sound (DC 15), Mending (DC 13), detect magic, read magic, Presidigitation.
Spells pr Day: Level 3: 4, Level 2: 6, Level 1: 7, Level 0: 6

Abilities Str 8, Dex 18, Con 7, Int 14, Wis 9, Cha 17
Special Qualities Summon familiar, Favored enemy (animals)
Feats Track (B), Weapon Focus (dagger), Weapon Finesse (dagger), Spell Focus (illusion)
Skills Animal Empathy +8, Bluf +3 (+4*), Climb +1, Concentration +4, Craft (Snow sculptures) +8, Handle Animal +7, Intuit Direction +1, Jump +1, Knowledge (Arcana) +4, Knowledge (Nature) +4, Knowledge (Local) +4, Move Silently +11 (+13**), Sense Motive –1 (+0*), Spellcraft +8, Wilderness Lore +4 (+5*)
* When used against animals.
** When familiar is close by. See Familiar entry.
Possessions Ring of Warmth,

Familiar: Snow Owl.
Alertness
+2 Move Silently

Animal Companion Winter Wolf

Tactics Larek uses illusions to trick and scare intruders away from his glacier. His favorite trick has given him his name. He creates illusions of snow golems in order to scare ppl. Silent images placed in the distance, gives the impression of numbers. A long with a large quantity of sculptures created by the halfling. Hiding, under the influence of an invisibility spell, close by the intruders. He creates a major image portraying a large snow golem. It raises it self from the glacier, until it stands 40 feet tall. Emanating icing cold, and acting much like a threatened animal. It tries to intimidate the intruders. It roars, and breathes a shower of ice-shards into the air (Larek intentionally overshooting the intruders), before vanishing. Melting back into the glacier. Then he uses ghost sound to warn the intruders to turn back. If the intruders do not heed his warning, he just stays out of the way. Following them at a distance. If the intruders come too close to finding his hidden ice cave, he will engage in hit and run attacks.

Trolof
2005-12-14, 08:59 AM
Above is the general Idea. It still needs some work, flavour text and artwork. But feel free to coment.

I got around to writing a little text. I haven't edited it yet. (beta version)

Trolof
2005-12-14, 08:59 AM
Here's the picture.

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/8451/masterofsnowgolems4ws.png

The Glyphstone
2005-12-14, 06:47 PM
Has promise, but rangers don't get their animal companion until level 4.

Will you add stats for a "snowman golem"?

The Vorpal Tribble
2005-12-14, 11:07 PM
Will you add stats for a "snowman golem"?
Theres a pretty cool 'ice golem' in Frostburn. The creator's caster level has to be at least 10 though :-/

Vaynor
2005-12-15, 12:51 AM
I don't think there's actually any golems. They're just illusions and sculptures.

Trolof
2005-12-15, 03:01 AM
Exactly right Vanyor. Larek is not nearly powerful enough to actually create any golems. He loves illusions though. But if he ever got the power to create more friends, he certainly would do so.

@ Glyphstone.
The animal companion vs. lvl conflict of course needs work.
;-)

Picasso007
2005-12-25, 08:34 AM
The image link doesn't seem to work.