Deathslayer
The Deathslayer devotes his or her life to the destruction of undead, striving always to rid the living world of their abominable existence. By mastering the Art, a wizard gains a greater understanding of these creatures which are neither fully living nor entirely dead. The Deathslayer’s militant opposition to all forms of undead frequently places him or her in direct conflict with other necromancers, such as the Archetype and the Undead Master, who delight in creating zombies, skeletons, ghouls, and other undying monstrosities.
As Deathslayers gain power and experience, however, they eventually seek out increasingly dangerous undead, namely ghosts, vampires and liches. Not surprisingly, few survive for long in their chosen profession.
In addition to various Van Richten’s Guides, the original Dr. Van Helsing (on whom Van Richten’s character is based) from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Parl Dro, the Ghost-Killer from Tanith Lee’s Kill the Dead, are sources of inspiration for this kit. The popular comic-book hero Batman provides an interesting example of the Deathslayer’s personality. As a child, Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered by street thugs, inspiring him to devote his life to combating criminals. As a hero, Batman never killed the “bad guys” (he may have smacked them around a bit, but he never killed them). The interesting thing about Batman’s character, of course, is that he wants to kill all the evil villains he defeats. He craves revenge, but must continually fight an inner struggle to master his darker desires.
The theme of evil (or a twisted form of good) fighting evil has become increasingly popular in modern fantasy. Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone, perhaps the first fantasy anti-hero, makes pacts with evil gods and employs black necromancy to save his beloved, only to inadvertently slay her with an malevolent artifact. In the recent film The Crow, the revenant is little different from his murderers, whom the vengeful spirit hunts down and brutally kills. Ultimately, nothing prevents the Deathslayer from adopting the same loathsome practices as his or her enemies.
Requirements: While it might seem that only good characters would be attracted to this kit, in reality, it is open to wizards of all alignments who seek combat or revenge against undead. In addition to the usual 9 Int and 16 Wis, a wizard must have a 13 Str to become a Deathslayer.
Spell Preferences: Since these necromancers tend to be involved in countless battles, they prefer offensive and defensive spells (see Appendix Three), especially those that detect or disable undead, such as corpselight, chill touch, detect undead, hold undead, bind undead, and so on.
Role: At some time in their lives, almost all Deathslayers have experienced a terrifying attack by some form of undead, either directed against them personally or a loved one or family member. The celebrated Van Richten, for instance, lost both his parents to a vampire, inspiring him to become the famous “Vampire-Killer” of Ravenloft. Indeed, the vast majority of Deathslayers are driven by strikingly similar motives: an overpowering desire for revenge, mixed with righteous indignation and a good dose of moral superiority.
Of course, the Deathslayer need not be such a tormented and macabre individual. A lawful good ghost hunter, for instance, may view this terrible, yet strangely honorable profession as laying disturbed spirits to rest, releasing them from their bondage to the physical world. The character’s actions are motivated by compassion and selfless sacrifice, not hatred or revenge.
On the other hand, the Deathslayer need not have a such developed sense of morality. Neither is the wizard required to be entirely sane. After all, the Deathslayer’s most common enemy is undead. Who needs to be merciful, kind, or sane when habitually dealing with such abominations?
A real moral dilemma arises when undead are attended by a living master (usually another necromancer) or other living monster. Will the Deathslayer use black necromancy to destroy these living beings along with the undead? Unless the Deathslayer has a pure and noble heart, the path of righteous vengeance can quickly lead to great evil, madness, and despair.
Talib the Lich-Killer, whose detailed NPC sheet appears in Chapter Nine, is a heroic necromancer, possibly serving as a memorable role model for necromancer heroes in the campaign. Talib is a wily old Deathslayer—an interesting potential ally for an unbalanced party. Talib is also mentioned in the Introduction, Chapters Two and Three. In Chapter Nine, an adventure hook including Talib further illustrates the potential role of a Deathslayer in the campaign.
Weapon Proficiencies: The Deathslayer may learn any of the standard wizard’s weapons (the dagger, dart, knife, sling, and staff).
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required: necrology. Recommended: (General) any; (Warrior) hunting, set snares, tracking; (Priest) any; (Wizard) ancient history, astrology, herbalism, languages (ancient), netherworld knowledge, reading/writing, religion, spellcraft, spirit lore. Forbidden: all Rogue.
Equipment: Though they may not wear armor, Deathslayers may otherwise choose any other type of equipment which will help them in their battles against the enemy.
Special Benefits: At the start of his or her career, a Deathslayer chooses a single type of undead against which to focus his or her efforts. Typical choices include the mummy, spectre, banshee, ghost, vampire, or lich (lesser, more easily defeated undead make for unchallenging nemeses at higher levels). This choice of an enemy is permanent and cannot be changed during the wizard’s life.
The Deathslayer gains powerful benefits when fighting his or her chosen undead enemy:
Mental Fortitude: Because of the wizard’s extensive study and preparation, the Deathslayer gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against mental attacks (if any) caused by the Enemy, including charms and fear.
Battle Prowess: The Deathslayer also gains a +2 bonus on attacks against the enemy. This applies not only to melee weapons, but also touch-delivered spells and undead-specific special attacks (such as a driving the stake through a vampire’s heart or, in the case of Talib, destroying a lich’s phylactery).
Spell Prowess: The Deathslayer targets spells effectively against the Enemy, subjecting this type of undead to a –2 penalty on saving throws. This applies to all spells cast by the Deathslayer on the chosen undead and is cumulative with the usual –1 penalty applied to necromancy (thus, the selected enemy makes saves at –3 vs. the ‘slayer’s necromantic spells, and at –2 vs. spells from other schools).
Special Hindrances: The Deathslayer never relents in the pursuit of the enemy. This fanatical wizard is driven, as if by compulsion or geas, on an endless quest to seek out and destroy undead. In combat, a Deathslayer like Talib will always seek out and destroy undead in preference over living targets. If the wizard encounters a mixed group of undead and living creatures (like an Undead Master with a contingent of skeletons), he or she will deal with the undead opponents first, even if they pose less of a threat. A Deathslayer who willingly ignores this kit responsibility automatically forgoes any experience points he or she normally would have gained for the encounter (or adventure).
The obsession to eradicate undead borders on mania, and a few members of this kit are not the sanest of individuals. The horrors of continually battling powerful undead can erode the mental health of even the most strong-willed heroes. Even if they retain a fragile hold on their sanity, Deathslayers are usually harsh and grim in their dealings with others.