Most people who become wizards are in search of eldritch power. Whether its power for good, evil, or some other reason altogether, almost all wizards seek to master new and greater spells, attaining loftier heights of arcane might so as to better achieve their goals. No matter what their alignment is, these are spellcasters to be respected, even feared.
And then there's Red Stephie.
Formerly a member of the thieves' guild of Char-Mon, Red (a nickname she acquired in the guild, presumably in reference to her hair) was the quintessential "sexy thief girl," being proud of both her skills and her trim, athletic figure. All of that changed when she was captured by a tribe of cannibalistic orcs, however. Deciding that she was too thin to make a good meal, the orcs kept her in captivity and fattened her up over time. By the time an adventuring catgirl named Crushed was thrown into her cell to meet the same fate, Red Stephie had ballooned out to almost twice her original weight. Although she and Crushed were able to escape together, Red had decided that A) she really liked eating, and B) she really didn't like exercise, so the only option then was a change of career. Luckily, wizards don't have to worry about performing daring feats of physical prowess. So, after returning to Char-Mon, Red bought some nice plus-sized outfits and a spellbook, taking up her new mantle as a wizard. And to her credit, the fact that she's not very good at it doesn't deter her in the slightest.
Red Stephie CR 5[]
Female anthrodog Rog 1/Wiz 3
NG Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Init +1 (+1 Dex); Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Listen +10, Spot +8
Languages Common
AC 12 (+1 natural, +1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed 11
hp 38 (6 HD)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +8
Spd 30 ft.
Melee quarterstaff +3 (1d6+1) and
Melee bite -2 (1d6) or
Melee quarterstaff -1/-5 (1d6+1) and
Melee bite -2 (1d6) or
Ranged +3
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +2; Grp +3
Special Atk sneak attack +1d6
Spells Prepared (CL 3rd, DC 12 + spell level, 20% chance of arcane spell failure)
2 - continual flame, the endless pouch of doughnuts
1 - animate rope, charm person, magic missile
0 - detect magic, light, read magic, resistance
Abilities Str 13, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 12
SQ darkvision 60’, low-light vision, natural armor +1, scent, trapfinding
Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Scribe Scroll (B), Spell Penetration, Track (B)
Defects Fat, Wuss Spellcaster
Skills Appraise +4, Bluff +4, Climb +6, Concentration +8, Escape Artist +3, Listen +10, Profession (cook) +8, Sleight of Hand +2, Spot +8, Swim +3, Use Magic Device +3
Possessions Wizard’s outfit, quarterstaff, 8 days rations, spellbook, belt pouch
Spellbook
2 - continual flame, the endless pouch of doughnuts
1 - animate rope, charm person, magic missile
0 - arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound, light, mage hand, mending, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, resistance
Infinite Lives (Ex): If Red Stephie dies, then at the beginning of the next round she is immediately reborn at main hall in the Temple in Char-Mon. When this happens, she must make a Will save (DC 20) to retain any XP she's gathered, with failure meaning she loses it, retaining the minimum XP necessary for her current level. Her dead body and her possessions remain where she died, and do not reappear at the temple. Her corpse cannot be raised, resurrected, or reincarnated, but can be animated or otherwise become undead. Red Stephie is not reborn if she dies of old age.
Scent (Ex): This special quality allows Red Stephie to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights.
Red Stephie can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range.
When Red Stephie detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed – only its presence somewhere within range. She can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. Whenever she comes within 5 feet of the source, she pinpoints the source’s location.
Trapfinding (Ex): Red Stephie can use her Search skill to locate traps when the task has a DC higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. Rogues can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. Disabling a magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. A rogue who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can generally study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with her party) without disarming it.
Skills: Being an anthrodog, Red Stephie has a +4 racial bonus on all Jump checks. She also has a +4 racial bonus to Survival checks when tracking by scent.
Combat[]
Red Stephie's teammates have learned from experience not to rely too heavily on her for magical support in a fight. While Red knows a fair number of spells, she has yet to master any truly powerful or dangerous ones. Moreover, she's prone to bungling her spells as inopportune moments, often when the team needs them the most. Still, she's often able to provide help to her friends when combat breaks out, usually with spells that distract enemies and aid her friends. Red still has some thieving skills, but rarely needs to use them with Crushed and Knaw around.
Current Sketch[]
Red has adventured with Crushed (and, once they joined the group, Knaw and Purity) ever since they first met. This is partially due to their shared traits (a general lack of competence, and having infinite lives), and partially due to the fact that Red is a lesbian, and Crushed and co. are great eye-candy. Sadly for Red, none of the other girls share her preferences, and she's learned the hard way not to try and cop a feel on any of them. Still, she continues to flirt with her teammates (except for Knaw; the two of them can't stand each other much, and enjoy trading insults) in hopes that one day they'll get a little curious. In the meantime, she continues to adventure with them in hopes of finding vast treasure, exotic cuisines, and sexy princesses to rescue.
Appearance[]
Standing about 5'6", Red's body is covered in short, golden-colored fur. Her hair is a bright red, and cut rather short (a precaution she took in her thieving days; she's letting it grow out now). She's also noticeably fat, with a large, round belly that even robes couldn't hide. Red rarely dresses in robes though (they're hot, relatively unattractive, and make it hard to run away from monsters), instead choosing to wear one-size-fits-all pants and skimpy tops, since they don't have to try to fit around her (and hopefully tempt local maidens).
Black Stephie CR 7[]
Female anthrodog vampire Rog 1/Wiz 3
CE Medium Undead (Augmented Monstrous Humanoid)
Init +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Listen +19, Spot +17
Languages Common
AC 20 (+3 Dex, +7 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 17; Dodge
hp 39 (6 HD); fast healing 5; DR 10/silver and magic
Resist cold 10, electricity 10
Fort +1, Ref +11, Will +9
Weakness holy water (2d4 damage per vial)
Spd 30 ft.
Melee quarterstaff +6 (1d6+4) and
Melee bite +1 (1d6+2) or
Melee quarterstaff +2/-2 (1d6+4) and
Melee bite +1 (1d6+2) or
Melee slam +6 (1d6+4 plus energy drain) and
Melee bite +1 (1d6+2)
Ranged +5
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +2; Grapple +6
Special Atk blood drain, dominate, energy drain, sneak attack +1d6
Spells Prepared (CL 3rd, DC 13 + spell level, 20% chance of arcane spell failure)
2 - continual flame (x2), the endless pouch of blood-glazed doughnuts
1 - animate rope, magic missile (x2)
0 - detect magic, light, read magic, resistance
Abilities Str 19, Dex 16, Con --, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 16
SQ alternate form, gaseous form, scent, spider climbing, trapfinding, turn resistance +4, undead traits, vampire weaknesses
Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes (B), Dodge (B), Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative(B), Lightning Reflexes (B), Scribe Scroll (B), Spell Penetration, Track (B)
Defects Fat, Wuss Spellcaster
Skills Appraise +5, Bluff +14, Climb +10, Concentration +7, Escape Artist +6, Listen +19, Profession (cook) +9, Sleight of Hand +5, Spot +17, Swim +7, Use Magic Device +5
Possessions Wizard’s outfit, quarterstaff, 8 days rations, spellbook, belt pouch
Spellbook
2 - continual flame, the endless pouch of doughnuts
1 - animate rope, charm person, magic missile
0 - arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound, light, mage hand, mending, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, resistance
Alternate Form (Su): Black Stephie can assume the shape of a bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf as a standard action. This ability is similar to a polymorph spell cast by a 12th-level character, except that she does not regain hit points for changing form and must choose from among the forms mentioned here. While in her alternate form, Black Stephie loses her natural slam attack and dominate ability, but she gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of her new form. She can remain in that form until she assumes another, or until the next sunrise.
Blood Drain (Ex): Black Stephie can suck blood from a living victim with her fangs by making a successful grapple check. If she pins the foe, she drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each successful attack, she gains 5 temporary hit points.
Children of the Night (Su): As a vampire, Black Stephie can once per day call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve her for up to 1 hour.
Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by Black Stephie’s energy drain rises as a vampire spawn (see Core Rulebook III) 1d4 days after burial.
If she instead drains the victim’s Constitution to 0 or lower, the victim returns as a spawn if it had 4 or less hit dice and as a vampire if it had 5 or more hit dice. In either case, the new vampire or spawn is under the command of the vampire that created it and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. At any given time Black Stephie may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than 12 hit dice; any spawn she creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed vampires or vampire spawn. A vampire that is enslaved may create and enslave spawn of its own, so Black Stephie can control a number of lesser vampires in this fashion. Black Stephie may voluntarily free an enslaved vampire in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again.
Dominate (Su): Black Stephie can crush an opponent’s will just by looking into his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that she must use a standard action, and those merely looking at her are not affected. Anyone Black Stephie targets must succeed on a Will save (DC 16) or instantly fall under her influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by Black Stephie’s slam attack or bite attack gain two negative levels. For each negative level bestowed, Black Stephie gains 5 temporary hit points. She may only use her energy drain ability once per round.
Fast Healing (Su): Black Stephie heals 5 points of damage each round so long as she has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, she automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. She must reach her coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (She can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to her in gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest in her coffin, Black Stephie is helpless. She regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.
Gaseous Form (Su): As a standard action, Black Stephie can assume gaseous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but she can remain in gaseous form indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.
Scent (Ex): This special quality allows Black Stephie to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights.
Black Stephie can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range.
When Black Stephie detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed – only its presence somewhere within range. She can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. Whenever she comes within 5 feet of the source, she pinpoints the source’s location.
Spider Climb (Ex): Black Stephie can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell.
Trapfinding (Ex): Black Stephie can use her Search skill to locate traps when the task has a DC higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. Rogues can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. Disabling a magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. A rogue who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can generally study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with her party) without disarming it.
Turn Resistance (Ex): Black Stephie is treated as a 10 hit dice creature for purposes of turning or rebuking.
Undead Traits: Black Stephie is immune to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, fatigue and exhaustion effects, and damage to her physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution). She is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Black Stephie is immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). Black Stephie is not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities, and resurrection and true resurrection work only if she is willing to return to life.
Vampire Weaknesses: Black Stephie cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, she recoils from a mirror or a strongly presented holy symbol. These things don’t harm her – they merely keep her at bay. She must stay at least 5 feet away from a creature holding the mirror or holy symbol and cannot touch or make melee attacks against the creature holding the item for the rest of the encounter. Holding a vampire at bay is a standard action.
Black Stephie is also unable to cross running water, although she can be carried over it while resting in her coffin or aboard a ship. She is utterly unable to enter a home or other building unless invited in by someone with the authority to do so. She may freely enter public places, since these are by definition open to all.
Reducing Black Stephie’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates her but doesn’t destroy her (see the note on fast healing). However, certain attacks can slay her.
Exposing her to direct sunlight disorients her: She can take only a single move action or attack action and is destroyed utterly in the next round if she cannot escape. Similarly, immersing her in running water robs her of one-third of her hit points each round until she is destroyed at the end of the third round of immersion.
Driving a wooden stake through Black Stephie’s heart instantly slays her. However, she returns to life if the stake is removed, unless her body is destroyed. A popular tactic in this is to cut off a vampire’s head and fill its mouth with holy wafers (or their equivalent).
Skills: Being an anthrodog, Black Stephie has a +4 racial bonus on all Jump checks. She also has a +4 racial bonus to Survival checks when tracking by scent. As a vampire, she has a +8 racial bonus to all Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
Combat[]
Since becoming a vampire, Black Stephie is more likely to enter melee combat than she was previously. She still tends to cast spells first (oftentimes to the detriment of her new allies), but when out of magic she'll enter the fray. She tends to try and grapple foes to use her blood drain attack (which she refers to as "getting to the tasty filling"), resorting to her slam attack if that doesn't work to hopefully weaken her enemies. She rarely uses her quarterstaff anymore, but still keeps it with her.
Current Sketch[]
On one particularly disastrous adventure, Red was captured and drained by a vampire. While Red was reborn at the Temple in Char-Mon moments later, her old body was still subject to the vampire's create spawn power. Now reborn as a vampire, the self-styled "Black" Stephie has thrown in with the very monsters she used to fight (who have nicknamed her "Blackie"); however, Xintha feels uncomfortable around the undead Red, and has taken to avoiding her, much to Black Stephie's dismay. Thus far Black Stephie hasn't encountered her living self, a conflict she both longs for and is afraid of. However, she knows that a fight between them is inevitable, as the world isn't big enough for two extra-large Stephies.
Appearance[]
Black Stephie keeps her hair dyed black at all times; it'd be very silly to have her name be Black Stephie if she was still a redhead after all. Beyond that, she tends to dress in the same revealing outfits, though always colored black.
Design Notes[]
Red Stephie was designed by applying the Anthropomorphic template from Savage Species [1] to a dog. The Infinite Lives quality is an original ability, added to make her better match the source material (see below).
Red Stephie has the Fat and Wuss Spellcaster Defects. The former comes from Nuisances: Director's Cut [2] from Skirmisher Publishing, and makes her take a -1 penalty to all skills that are subject to armor check penalties, requires that clothes be specially-railored (+50% gp), and that she eats twice as much as normal. The latter Defect is from Tests of Skill v.3.5 [3], also from Skirmisher Publishing, and gives her a 20% chance or arcane spell failure, which stacks with all other such chances should they apply. Defects behave exactly like character flaws (from Unearthed Arcana [4]), save that they don't need to be taken at first level, and are not limited to two (however, though you gain a feat for each defect you take, you can only gain as many bonus feats this way equal to the number of feats you'd have normally).
Black Stephie is Red Stephie with the vampire template applied. Being an undead creature, she has lost the Infinite Lives special quality.
Red Stephie and Black Stephie are from the (somewhat erotic) webcomic "Crushed: The Doomed Kitty Adventures" by the Brothers Grinn over at www.supermegatopia.com. A Crushed d20 supplement was made by Team Frog Studios in 2001, with a PDF version of the book being released in 2003 [5], which is the source of the spell the endless pouch of doughnuts (this spell just makes a single pouch or container always produce a food item, in this case doughnuts). The version of Red Stephie posted here is an original write-up of the character, written by me.