AuldDragon's AD&D Blog

Vaprak is the deity of ogres and trolls, and as befits those races, he is a savage and destructive god. With an alternate view of Vaprak from Elminster’s Ecologies, he becomes a much more interesting god than a single-mindedly destructive god, although that is still his predominant personality trait.

Vaprak (PDF Version)
(The Destroyer, the Rapacious, the King Eater, the Undying One, the Great Devourer)
Lesser Power of the Abyss, CE

Portfolio:  Combat, greed, destruction, aggression, frenzy, ogres, trolls
Aliases:  None
Domain Name:  524th Layer/Shatterstone
Superior:  None
Allies:  Mirklak, Ysshara
Foes:  Annam, Baphomet, Brandobaris, Diinkarazan, Clangeddin Silverbeard, Erythnul, Grolantor, Gwaeron Windstrom, Malar, Nerull, Panzuriel, the giant pantheon, the dwarvish pantheon
Symbol:  Taloned claw
Wor. Align.:  LN, N, CN, LE, NE, CE

Vaprak (VAHP-rahk) the Destroyer is the rapacious and savage god of ogres and trolls. Motivated primarily by base instinct and emotion, his actions are frenetic and violent, with generally little aforethought. Hunger, hatred, envy, malice, and fear are the prime motivations of his actions. He is said to be the King Eater and the Eater of Kings, surrounded by the bones of hundreds of mortal rulers in his dank cave in the Abyss.

Little concrete evidence exists on Vaprak’s origins. Troll and ogre mythology has little to say on the matter. Trolls believe he has always existed and will always exist; in fact, they believe the Destroyer created all other gods, and thus all mortal creatures, simply so that he and his followers would have something to eat. Ogres, while not having such a simplistic mythos, generally take on aspects of nearby races when discussing Vaprak’s origins and the birth of their race. Tales from ogrish kingdoms with an ancient pedigree and tales from the oldest ogre magi tribes often share a number of similarities, however. In such tales, Vaprak is a great noble ogre deity, wise in rulership and shrewd in command, wearing gleaming armor and wielding a powerful weapon, typically a maul-like hammer or a great tetsubo. He created the ogre race in his image at the time of the giants, before the humans and orcs appeared. Unlike those larger creatures, Vaprak endowed his creation with the ability to live where they pleased, and wander wherever they desired, and they built great kingdoms, only to have them destroyed by the treachery and villainy of the smaller races. Vaprak’s appearance and nature in these early myths, particularly his lack of trollish characteristics, has led many sages to speculate upon a merger of two different beings at some early point in the history of the Destroyer, with the attributes and personality of the trollish deity generally winning out over the ogrish one. Perhaps tellingly, younger ogre tribes often have some version of a myth that ties Vaprak’s origins to a merger of troll and ogre, resulting as well in the creation of the powerful artifact known as the hand of Vaprak. It is also a strong possibility that one of these deities was the child of the giant god Annam and a goddess of illusion and deceit. As with many such divine mysteries, however, the gods keep the truth of the matter to themselves.

Vaprak is very much an isolated entity in the domain of the gods, consorting almost exclusively with a cadre of minor servitor divinities, chief amongst who are Mirklak and Ysshara. He is occasionally able to establish alliances of convenience even with foes, such as during the early stages of the First Unhuman War in Wildspace. Such alliances are short lived, however, dissolving due to his lack of attention or his violent outbursts at perceived slights. The Destroyer holds the giantish gods in envious awe and his deep-rooted fear over losing the worship of his followers to them drives much of his activities and edicts. This fear has stretched encompass any other deity’s theft of his followers, and it is for this reason he holds a strong enmity towards a wide range of other deities, even if the theft is as small as one tribe. Heading this list is Panzuriel the Enslaver for his considerable dominance of scrags and merrow on many worlds, but even the seemingly minor loss of the trolls and ogres under Castle Greyhawk on Oerth to the god Nerull so outraged him that he took personal interest in destroying them. Despite the loss of the trolls of Stommheim (located in what was once the dwarven kingdom of Korolnor on Toril) to a lingering manifestation of the mad god Diinkarazan, Vaprak has made no move against the imprisoned god; this is likely due to fear of retaliation from Ilsensine. Of the gods who do not compete for followers with the Destroyer, none are held with greater hatred than the halfling deity Brandobaris. Vaprak still smarts over an ancient encounter between the two gods in which the Master of Stealth won a challenge of strength through devious trickery, thus ceding the lush lowlands and rolling hills to the little folk. To add to the humiliation, the story has spread to halfling enclaves across the spheres, and has become a favorite taunt hurled against the Destroyer’s followers.

As a consequence of his underlying fear of losing followers to other deities, Vaprak is extremely active on the Prime Material plane; his appearances are extremely unpredictable, however. He sends his avatars to assist ogres and trolls on the cusp of conquering or destroying an enemy tribe or race with whom they compete for land or resources. He may also send an avatar to crush a tribe of ogres who have turned to worship another deity or pantheon, especially if they’ve turned to members of the giantish pantheon. While his avatar most commonly appears to followers as described below, he may use the form of a straight-backed ogre or ogre mage with perfect, unblemished features when appearing before the denizens of an organized ogre kingdom. This form wears gleaming scale armor with a golden sheen and wields a great maul-like hammer or tetsubo. Despite the cosmetic differences, he conforms to the details below.

Vaprak’s Avatar (Fighter 30)
Vaprak appears as a huge mottled brown and green humanoid who combines the worst features of trolls and ogres. His unusually long arms end in rending, steel-like talons.

AC 0; MV 12; HP 207; THAC0 −9; #AT 5/2 or 4
Dmg 2d10+11 (Kaldair’s Bane, +9 Str, +2 spec. bonus in clubs) or 2d8+8 / 2d8+8 (claws)
MR 15%; SZ H (15 feet tall)
Str 21, Dex 19, Con 21, Int 13, Wis 9, Cha 18
Spells none
Saves PPDM 3; RSW 5; PP 4; BW 4; Sp 6

Special Att/Def: Vaprak engages in combat using either his taloned claws or his large, gnarled club called Kaldair’s Bane. This club offers no bonuses to hit or damage, but can damage any creature, regardless of its normal weapon invulnerabilities. In addition, it inflicts double damage against halflings, forest gnomes, and other small forest creatures (such as pixies, brownies, etc.). If he chooses to use his claws, he is able to strike twice per round with each claw for 2d8+8 points of damage, and may target different creatures with each claw attack. If the Destroyer successfully strikes one creature with both claws in the same round, any armor worn by that creature must make a successful save vs. spell or be destroyed. He carries a small sack of stones which he will throw before closing to melee or if he is unable to physically reach his opponents; such stones have a range of 60 yards and deal 2d8 points of damage on a successful hit. He is able to throw two stones per round.

Vaprak can become berserk three times per day, for the duration of a single combat, although he can end it at any time if he makes a successful Wisdom check with a −4 penalty. While berserk, he gains a +2 bonus to his attack and damage rolls, but suffers a +2 penalty to his Armor Class.

Vaprak regenerates 6 hit points per round, and conforms to trolls with regards to severable limbs. The Destroyer is unaffected by any and all spells and spell-like affects that would negatively affect his chances to hit or damage a foe. Any spells cast directly upon him (ray of enfeeblement, curse, etc.) automatically fail, and his attacks dispel any individual protections on his opponents (stoneskin, invisibility, etc.). Area of effect spells, such as prayer, remain in effect for all other creatures.

Other Manifestations
Vaprak’s manifestations are rare as he prefers to make direct appearances through his avatar. He occasionally manifests in his worshippers as a berserk rage, much as the power granted to his specialty priests below. Unlike that power, those under this fury take no notice of damage inflicted upon them until the berserk rage ends, at which point all damage is applied to their hit point total (less any hit points regained from regeneration or healing); if this is enough to take them below −10 hit points, they immediately collapse dead on the spot. Vaprak sends no omens to his priests, preferring direct communication through simple emotions or short phrases, as well as dreams with a more subtle meaning that the priest must interpret.

Vaprak is served by abrians, bar-lgura tanar’ri, death dogs, death shades, incarnates of anger and gluttony, oni, shadow hounds, trillochs, trollhounds, and wolverines. He displays his pleasure through the discovery of the cracked and gnawed bones and smashed skulls of humanoids (particularly halflings and giants), blood-red gems of various sorts, and fat, healthy prey animals inexplicably paralyzed. His displeasure is swift and violent, and usually results in the death or maiming of a follower that has failed him.

The Church
Clergy:                      Clerics, specialty priests, shamans
Clergy’s Align.:      CE
Turn Undead:           C: No, SP: No, Sha: No
Cmnd. Undead:         C: Yes, SP: No, Sha: No

All clerics, specialty priests, and shamans of Vaprak receive religion (ogrish), religion (trollish), or religion (high ogrish) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency, depending on their race and culture.

While some ogre communities worship Vaprak as the head of a small pantheon of minor ogrish deities and deified heroes, he is most often the sole deity worshipped by a tribe. His priesthood rarely tolerates foreign faiths being worshipped, especially the giantish gods. However, they have been known to allow small sects of various demon lords, orcish gods, or the more barbarous human deities to form, so long as they do not challenge the authority of the Destroyer’s priesthood. Similarly, Vaprak’s faith is rarely tolerated amongst other established pantheons, with the exception of the more violent humanoid faiths. Trolls on the other hand are nearly monotheistic in their faith; they see Vaprak as a great troll, and all other gods are simply food he has not consumed yet. For this reason, it is very difficult to convert trolls to other faiths, as they see such conversion attempts much as a human would see an attempt to convince them to worship a sheep.

Vaprak’s temples are extremely rare, typically found only amongst powerful and well established ogre kingdoms. They are large, squat structures with sloping walls, specifically designed to protect against hurled boulders. They frequently include a significant underground component, and are often built overtop natural cave systems. Such temples have a central worship area dominated by a large statue of Vaprak, with an altar containing a depressed carving of an upright claw. Sacrifices are made upon this altar, allowing the claw imprint to fill with blood. Individual priests usually have personal idols about three feet tall; whenever possible, these idols are plated in gold. Shrines dedicated to the Destroyer are usually located outside ogre villages. If possible, they are built on low hills or near caves. A central altar with a three foot tall idol is located on top of the hill, surrounded by a circle of standing stones. One stone at the nominal entrance to the shrine is carved with an upright claw. In contrast to ogres, trolls never build temples or shrines, worshipping instead in a very haphazard way.

Novices of Vaprak are called the Unblooded. Full priests are called the Blooded Claws of Vaprak. Titles used by the clergy vary, but usually consist of evocative terms like Grasping Claw, Taking Fist, Rending Talons, Tearing Teeth, or Devouring Maw. Specialty priests are known as apoplecticars. The gender breakdown of Vaprak’s clergy varies by race. Amongst trolls, virtually all priests are female (95%), as they are significantly larger and more dominant than males. Ogre magi tend to be very egalitarian about priestly duties, with males slightly dominating in general (60%). Ogres and merrow tend to have strict cultural views about gender, relegating priestly functions entirely to males or females depending on the tribe, and other races tend to follow the customs of the ogre tribes found near them. Spacefaring ogres, on the other hand, divide up priestly functions the same as their ogre magi cousins. The priesthood consists mostly of shamans (65%), with clerics (25%) and specialty priests (10%) being much rarer, and typically only found amongst ogre magi clans, ogre kingdoms, and the spacefaring ogre tribes. Vaprak’s clergy consists of ogres (44%), trolls (including all subraces, 20%), ogre magi (18%), merrow (9%), half-ogres and ogrillons (5%), and other various other races (4%).

Dogma: The teachings of Vaprak’s clergy vary considerably between trolls and other worshipers. Trolls are taught that all other deities are simply food for Vaprak’s ravenous appetite. The only reason he has yet to eat them is because doing so would deprive his chosen followers of their own sustenance. Similarly, they are taught that mortal creatures can generally be divided into two categories: Food and enemies. These categories tend to correspond to the size of a creature, with those smaller than trolls being seen as food and those larger being seen as enemies. Trolls see it as a natural right to take whatever they need or want from either category. Kill, Eat, and Take are Vaprak’s whims, and what all trolls should do in his service.

Ogres and their kin, however, have much more varied teachings, although there are some core similarities. Ogres are taught that it is their right to take what they need and desire from other creatures, be it food, valuables, or slaves. Those that oppose their will deserve the destruction they will inevitably receive. Combat is seen as a sublime experience, and priests encourage their tribes to engage in frenzied battle whenever possible, especially against those they see as weak, for only the strong deserve to be free. Physical strength and health is crucial to survival, and the priests dictate that it should be maintained at all times. Ogres are taught that Vaprak regularly tests the mettle of his children with hardships and struggles, but the strong will survive and prosper, and the weak will rightfully perish or be enslaved. Finally, Vaprak’s priests condemn the giantish gods as twisted parodies of mighty Vaprak, and require the wholesale destruction of any ogres found to be worshipping those gods at the hands of the righteous and faithful true ogres.

Day-to-Day Activities: Vaprak’s trollish clergy have few direct duties as priests. Trolls recognize no formal ceremonies or rituals; the acts of living, eating, and slaying are themselves seen as veneration and worship of Vaprak, for they are mortal emulations of their divine patron. The roles of political and tribal leaders are rolled into one, with no real distinction between the two.

In contrast, ogrish priests are almost never tribal leaders. They act as spiritual advisors, sharing their insights on the supernatural and informing their tribe of Vaprak’s will; in such capacities, they emphasize the spiritually cleansing nature of combat, and encourage all ogres to seek it out whenever possible. Many tribes use tattoos or ritual scarring to mark an individual ogre’s deeds and achievements; in such tribes, only the priests are allowed to create these, based on omens and visions they claim are sent by Vaprak. In tribes where the priesthood is male, they require the tribe to supply them with the best food available in significant quantities, claiming it is demanded by Vaprak; as they are also required to maintain physical fitness, they exercise frequently. Such exercise often takes the form of ritualized club bashing for hours on end; it is a point of pride for a priest to be able to outlast any other member of the tribe. Mock combat is another favored form of exercise, especially when it offers them an opportunity to give a beating to rivals or members of the tribe they dislike. Male clergy members will always engage in combat with the rest of the tribe if they are able to, unless the battle seems hopeless.

Important Ceremonies/Holy Days: Public ceremonies in ogrish tribes tend to revolve around sacrifices to Vaprak, taking place between once per month typically, although tribes that are rich in captives and slaves may sacrifice more frequently. While many are held simply as thanks to Vaprak and to invoke his favor on the tribe, they are sometimes held to commemorate past events, recent victories, or initiate youths into adulthood. Such ceremonies are held in temples or shrines, and the preferred sacrificial victims vary based on which races the ogres come into conflict with the most. Should no prisoners or slaves be available, weak, elderly, or cowardly ogres will be offered up, as the tribes see the sacrifices as critical to their continued wellbeing. Bludgeoning and disembowelment are the preferred methods of sacrifice, although regardless of the method the victims are let to bleed out all over the altar, with the blood pooling in a depression in the shape of a claw. Finally, after the sacrifice has bled out, the head priest and the chieftain of the tribe feast on the heart and liver of the sacrifice.

Major Centers of Worship: One of the most unusual holy sites devoted to Vaprak is Ogremeet, located in the Abbor-Alz mountain range on Oerth. It is not a permanent encampment, but a sacred gathering place. Surrounded by a great many menhirs, the location is imbued with divine power from the Destroyer, and the local ogre tribes gather there at regular intervals (every four and a quarter years or so; the intervals are tied to the phases of the moon Celene) for feasts and ceremonies; every three to five decades however, Vaprak unleashes a great bloodlust in the ogres, and they rage out in a single great war party for a week, before dispersing to their tribal lands. Individual ogres within sight of Ogremeet are also rumored to display strange powers and perform incredible feats of strength, possibly due to the divine power of Vaprak vested in the area. The origin and cause of this investiture of power in the area are unknown.

In the Great Grey Land of Thar, on the world of Toril, little is left of the great temples Vaprak’s priests built during the height of the ogrish kingdom that once flourished there. Ancient shrines still remain, however, in at least two of the tribal lands: Those of the Vaprak’s Hammer tribe and the Crystal Sphere tribe. The precise locations are closely guarded secrets, and it is said Vaprak has compelled a number of troll tribes to help in guarding them. While the shrines are still constructed in the standard fashion, the symbology and imagery used is quite different and betrays the wildspace origins of the ogres of Thar; still remembered in the tribal names Crystal Sphere and Falling Star.

To the south of the Thar lies the human realm of Thay. The wizards who call this nation home use a variety of humanoid races as slaves, servants, and soldiers; ogres are especially popular in the latter category. As such, shrines are common in ogre living spaces, and even some humans have taken up worship of the Destroyer. Most unusually, a temple dedicated to Vaprak has been constructed in the city of Bezantur, known as the City of a Thousand Temples, frequented by ogres and humans alike. Built in the traditional style, the temple is overseen by Traulkot Mot (ogrem P8) and a small number of lesser priests.

On the world of Armistice, most of the ogres of Gralnakh Longtooth’s Combined Goblin Fleet chose to settle on the small continent Rakhar. Initially they waged many wars against each other and the other goblinoids who also settled there. After some seven decades, a basic hierarchy amongst the ogre tribes was established, and they’ve enjoyed relative peace (which is to say they typically only go to war a quarter as often as the other races on the world) ever since. This has allowed them to build a substantial communal temple in the tunnels that connect the tribal lands, ruled over by a small independent clergy who acts as arbiters when their wars are inconclusive.

Affiliated Orders: The Hammers of Vaprak are a zealous order of ogres and ogre magi attached to the church of the Destroyer in powerful and sophisticated ogre nations; as such they are most frequently found in wildspace. Their primary goal is the enforcement of religious edicts and the destruction of those ogres who eschew the ogre racial pantheon in favor of giant gods, demons, or other foreign powers. Once set upon unfaithful ogres, they give no quarter and accept no repentance or conversion; to them, once sullied by foreign gods, there is no forgiveness possible. The only exceptions are those foreign powers folded into the traditional ogre pantheon and treated as subservient to Vaprak.

Priestly Vestments: Regardless of race, the holy symbol used by clergy of the Destroyer is a dried or otherwise preserved claw from some sort of predatory beast. Claws with long digits and talons are preferred over paws, but there is no prohibition against the latter. Priestly trolls and merrow wear tattered scraps of red or blood-soaked cloth formed into crude robes. They often adorn these robes and themselves with trinkets and trophies won from foes, sacrifices, and other members of their tribe. Priestly ogres wear heavy armor, preferably plate mail, painted blood red, as well as heavy open-faced helms. While ogre magi tend to manufacture their own armor, ogres, ogrillons, and half-ogres usually wear bits and pieces of captured armor formed into an odd panoply. Unlike trolls, they do not wear trophies; instead hoarding any such items they have out of sight in order to prevent theft.

Adventuring Garb: Vaprak’s troll clergy typically wear nothing other than their holy symbol when not performing their priestly duties, although the wearing of trophies is not uncommon. Vaprak’s other clergy wear armor of the best sort they can acquire, which is often the same as their formal attire. While the priests can use any weapon they wish during combat, trolls prefer their natural weaponry and all other races besides ogre magi prefer clubs, in emulation of their deity.

Specialty Priests (Apoplecticars)
Requirements:          Strength 18, Constitution 15, Wisdom 9
Prime Req.:                Strength, Wisdom
Alignment:                CE
Weapons:                   Any
Armor:                       Any
Major Spheres:         All, chaos, combat, divination, healing, protection, sun (darkness-causing only)
Minor Spheres:         Charm, weather
Magical Items:         Same as clerics
Req. Profs:                Club or tetsubo (ogre magi only)
Bonus Profs:             Wild fighting (PHBR10)

• Apoplecticars must be ogres, ogre magi, merrow, half-ogres, ogrillons, or any breed of troll.
• Ogre magi have less stringent physical requirements to become apoplecticars, needing only a Strength of 15 and a Constitution of 10; however, they require a Wisdom of 12 rather than 9.
• Merrow and scrag apoplecticars gain minor access to the sphere of elemental water, while ogre magi apoplecticars gain minor access to the war sphere.
• Apoplecticars are not allowed to multiclass.
• Apoplecticars can take any proficiency that is based on Strength or Constitution at no crossover penalty.
• Apoplecticars can cast shillelagh or beast tattoo (as the 1st-level priest spells) once per day.
• At 3rd level, apoplecticars can cast resist fire or beast claw or shatterstone (as the 2nd-level priest spells) once per day.
• At 4th level, apoplecticars can enter a berserk rage for one turn. During the rage, the apoplecticar gains a +2 bonus to hit, damage, and saving throws, and suffer a +2 penalty to AC. If no other foes are left before the turn expires, the apoplecticar may attempt a saving throw versus spell to exit the berserk rage; if they fail, they must attack the nearest living creature until the full turn expires.
• At 6th level, apoplecticars can cast protection from fire or rending claws (as the 3rd-level priest spells) once per day.
• At 7th level, apoplecticars regenerate 1 hit point per round. This is in addition to any other regeneration abilities the priest may have.
• At 9th level, apoplecticars can cast feast of health once per week.
• At 12th level, apoplecticars automatically are under the benefit of an aid spell whenever they engage in combat. This condition works just as if the apoplecticar has cast an aid spell, but it takes no time to come into effect nor does it count as an action on the part of the apoplecticar. This ability does not work if an apoplecticar’s opponent is unaware, helpless, or unarmed.

Vaprakar Spells
In addition to the spell listed below, priests of the Destroyer can cast the 1st-level priest spell beast tattoo, detailed in Demihuman Deities in the entry for Fenmarel Mestarine, the 2nd-level priest spell beast claw, detailed in Faiths and Avatars in the entry for Malar, and the 4th-level priest spell hunger, detailed in the Priest’s Spell Compendium Vol.II.

2nd Level
Shatterstone (Pr 2; Enchantment)
Sphere:                    Elemental Earth
Range:                     Touch
Components:           V, S, M
Duration:                 1 rd./2 levels
Casting Time:          5
Area of Effect:         1 club
Saving Throw:        Special

By means of this spell, the caster enchants a non-magical club with the ability to crack or shatter a single stone block when it strikes. A single stone block of up to one cubic foot per level of the priest can be shattered, resulting in 1d4+4 roughly equal pieces of irregular shape. If the stone block is part of a structure, the DM determines the exact structural damage, but the shattering of load-bearing structures (such as a column or lintel) is likely to cause significant damage due to a localized collapse, while single blocks within a wall are likely to do minimal damage, but lead to an overall weakening of the structure. If the priest chooses to simply split a stone block, a single block up to three cubic feet per level may be affected. The stone block splits cleanly into roughly equal pieces, with the crack starting at the impact point. Up until the casting priest is 7th level, the stone struck must make an item saving throw versus a fall or it is affected as described above; at 7th level and above, the stone must make a save versus crushing blow to avoid the effects. For the purposes of this spell, any single stone of any shape is considered a block, including free standing boulders; a club enchanted with this spell has no effect on portions of a greater single rock structure, such as a cavern wall, stalactites, natural columns, cliff faces, etc. The club remains enchanted until the duration expires, and only one stone block can be struck per round.

If a club enchanted with this spell is used to attack stone-based or stone-like creatures that require a magical weapon to hit (such as stone golems), it deals normal damage on a successful attack. Against the same sorts of creatures who are vulnerable to normal weapons (stone giants, galeb duhr), the club deals double damage on a successful hit.

The material components for this spell are the priest’s holy symbol and a non-magical club, the latter of which petrifies and shatters into fist-sized pieces of stone when the spell expires.

Troll Arms (Pr 2; Conjuration/Summoning)
Sphere:                    Summoning
Range:                     30 yds.
Components:           V, S
Duration:                 2 rds. + 1 rd./levels
Casting Time:          5
Area of Effect:         20-ft. cube
Saving Throw:        None

When a priest casts this spell, he summons a number of dismembered troll arms that attack his foes. All arms appear randomly within a 20-foot cube, centered on a point specified by the priest to a distance of 30 yards. Such arms are capable of scuttling around at a movement rate of 9, and can leap on opponents to perform a clawing attack. They attack as normal trolls, with a THAC0 of 13 and deal 1d4+4 points of damage on a successful hit. Each arm has 8 hit points and an AC of 4; like normal trolls, they will regenerate three hit points per round, beginning three rounds after taking damage, until they return to their full eight hit points. If reduced to zero or fewer hit points, they can no longer move or attack until regeneration has brought them up to full hit points. Only fire or acid damage prevents them from regenerating. When reduced to zero hit points, a successful attack versus AC 10 with a torch will incinerate the arm; similarly, a standard attack with a torch that succeeds by 4 or more pins the arm and incinerates it if held in place for the rest of the round (causing the wielder to lose all Dexterity and shield bonuses). The spell summons 1d8−7 arms at 1st level; this number is modified by +1 for every level the caster has attained above first (so +1 for 1d8−6 at 2nd level, +2 for 1d8−5 at 3rd level, etc.); at least one troll arm will always be summoned. If the caster of this spell is a troll, he may graft one arm to his body per round, thus gaining an extra attack per round at his normal THAC0, dealing the same damage as listed above. At the expiration of this spell all arms, whether intact or destroyed, vanish. A troll with extra grafted arms suffers 1d4 points of damage per extra arm as they vanish, although this damage can be healed or regenerated normally.

3rd Level
Rending Claws (Pr 3; Alteration)
Sphere:                    Combat
Range:                     0
Components:           V, S, M
Duration:                 1 rd./level
Casting Time:          6
Area of Effect:         The creature
Saving Throw:        None

With this spell, the caster enchants his fingernails or claws to magically lengthen and harden, granting them the power to tear apart metal. While under the effects of this spell, the priest cannot wield any weapons or grip any tools, and indeed has trouble performing tasks requiring fine manual dexterity. The caster is able to strike once per round with each claw, gaining a +2 bonus to attack against armored foes (or those creatures with metal or metal-like hides, such as gorgons and metallic/chromatic dragons). If both claws strike the same target successfully in one round, the victim must make a successful saving throw versus spell to prevent their armor from being rendered useless and damaged beyond repair. The saving throw is modified by any magical pluses or abilities of the armor, as detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

In addition, the caster may use the claws to destroy thin metal objects, such as bars, grates, and bands automatically. Larger metal objects, such as plating, doors, or a wall of iron, can be torn open if they fail a saving throw versus Lightning, leaving a hole large enough for the caster to climb through; it takes one round per inch of thickness to create such a hole. While able to tear through wood (such as that behind metal plating) at a Movement Rate of 1, the claws have no effect on unliving stone, and provide no purchase for burrowing through soft earth.

The material component for this spell is the claw or talon from a burrowing monster, such as a bulette or an aurumvorax.

4th Level
Feast of Health (Pr 4; Necromancy)
Sphere:                    Necromantic
Range:                     Touch
Components:           S, M
Duration:                 Special
Casting Time:          7
Area of Effect:         1 creature
Saving Throw:        None

By casting this spell, the caster creates an immediate conversion of dead flesh into potent healing energies for one creature. Upon completion of the spell, the creature affected feels an immediate, ravenous hunger, and consumes any recently dead creatures nearby. He can consume 1 Hit Die worth of dead flesh per round (thus, a 2 HD creature takes two rounds to consume) and is healed of 1d6 points of damage for each Hit Die he consumes. Creatures whose flesh is known to be inedible or poisonous are avoided, as is flesh that has been cooked, preserved, or dead for more than 12 hours. A creature affected by this spell is immune to normal food poisoning caused by eating raw meat, but poisonous meat has its normal affects. Creatures affected by this spell consume flesh until there is none left to consume, they return to full hit points, or a number of hit dice are consumed equal to the caster’s level. Because the flesh is converted to healing energy as it is consumed, any hunger a creature feels before being subjected to this spell is not sated after the expiration.

The material component for this spell is the heart of a creature slain less than 12 hours prior to the casting.

Trollform/Ogreform (Pr 4; Alteration)
Sphere:                    Combat
Range:                     0
Components:           V, S, M
Duration:                 2 turns/level
Casting Time:          7
Area of Effect:         The caster
Saving Throw:        None

When this spell is cast, the priest is able to assume the form of any sort of troll (including giant troll, ice troll, scrag, etc., but excluding spectral or spirit troll) or ogre (including ogre mage, half-ogre, merrow, and ogrillon). The priest gains the assumed form’s modes of physical locomotion and breathing, as well as physical attacks and non-magical abilities. Magical abilities or non-physical forms of movement (such as an ogre magi’s magical flying ability) are not gained. No System Shock roll is required during the transformation, nor is there a risk of the priest changing personality and mentality.

When the new form is assumed, the caster’s equipment, if any, melds into the new form (in particularly challenging campaigns, the DM may allow protective devices, such as a ring of protection, to continue operating effectively). The caster retains all mental abilities, including spell use, assuming material components are available.

A priest changed into the form of an ogre gains the Strength score and damage adjustment, but the form of an ogre mage would not impart any of the magical abilities (regenerate, cone of cold, fly, polymorph, etc.). Similarly, taking the form of a troll would grant the ability to attack as the troll does, deal the same damage, have the same effective Strength score, and regenerate in the same manner; however, he would be vulnerable to the same attack modes as the troll (typically fire and acid). In addition, the priest’s limbs can be severed in the same way that a troll’s can; limbs can be re-attached in the same manner as a troll can, but any limbs still severed at the expiration of the spell; a System Shock roll must be made immediately to prevent death from the sudden shock. If the head was severed, death is immediate upon reverting forms. The priest retains his or her own hit points, attack rolls, and saving throws. Only one form can be assumed by means of this spell, although the priest can revert to his or her normal form at any time, immediately ending the spell. A priest voluntarily returning to original form and ending the spell regains 1d12 hit points. The priest also returns to his original form when slain or when the effect ends or is dispelled, but no hit points are restored in these cases.

The material component is the priest’s holy symbol.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 8th, 2015 at 2:20 am and is filed under Classes/Kits, Deities, F&A Format. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.