Velsharoon, The Lich Lord

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Adapted from LordOfBones on r/Pathfinder_RPG

Alignment: Neutral Evil
Domains: Death [Undead], Evil, Envy, Greed (Trickery), Magic, Pride
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff

Velsharoon is the Faerûnian god of necromancy; a demipower who has gathered the study, practice, and practitioners of necromancy and evil liches into his portfolio and who is striving to add general undeath as well.

He is a vain, selfish, petty, but very canny deity consumed with vengeance, obsessed with experimenting on living and dead beings, and unconcerned with the fates of lesser creatures. In many ways he continues to act like the mortal he recently was, albeit with far greater power at his disposal than before.

Newly elevated to a divine state, the Lord of the Forgotten Crypt is only beginning to create a cult of worshipers in the Realms. Although many prognosticators, mortals and immortals alike, have predicted the quick destruction of this arrogant necromancer, Velsharoon has played one power off against another, and he has begun to establish himself in the Faerûnian pantheon.

Dogma: Life and death are the twin faces of eternal existence. To surrender to either one is to resign oneself to obscurity. True power lies in the twilight zone between life and death. By seeking to explore and extend the mortal condition and form—even mortal life itself—knowledge of the world and its infinite complexity are extended. Let no one interfere with the pursuit of such research, for the end result will more than justify the necessary sacrifices along the path. Knowledge is power, and knowledge of life and death brings power over all beings, living and unliving.

For Deific Obedience

Obedience: Observe a corpse of any type for one hour. Write down the necromantic principles behind the forms of animation that could be applied to the corpse as well as the possible types of undead creatures that could result on a scroll, then whisper a prayer to Velsharoon. Gain a +1 profane bonus to your caster level when casting necromancy spells.

Boons

1: Necromancer’s Boon (Sp) chill touch 3/day, stricken heart 2/day, or deathwine 1/day
2: Choose one of the following boons; once you have made your choice, it cannot be changed:

  • Might of Undeath (Su) When you channel negative energy to bolster undead, Velsharoon’s power courses through them. Undead healed by your channeled energy gain the benefits of a simple template or variant undead template of your choice for 1 round for every Hit Die you possess.
  • Necromancer’s Touch (Su) You can infuse your weapon with negative energy, allowing it to deal 1d6 points of negative energy damage with each strike and 1 negative level on a critical hit (Fort DC 10 + 1/2 Hit Dice + Intelligence modifier negates) by expending 1 point from your arcane pool. You increase the DC by +2 per critical modifier over x2 the weapon has. If you do not have the arcane pool class feature, then you may bestow this property on your chosen weapon for one round per character level you have.

3: Robe of the Lich-Lord (Su) You wreath yourself in black, smoky robes and gain the lich template for one round per Hit Dice. If you already are a lich, you gain the advanced template instead for the same duration. In addition, you gain a +1 profane bonus to the spell save DC of your necromancy spells for the same duration.

Antipaladin Code

The antipaladins of Velsharoon are creatures of the night. They are the generals of undead lords, the champions of decay. If they are mortal, they are greater than other mortals, self-assured and ravenous; they know the darkness and will come to it on their own terms, in their own time, and they will seek their own perfection in undeath when they are done ushering others into the Lich Lord’s throes. Their tenets include the following adages:

  • The grave opens to us all. We hasten the living on their inevitable path.
  • The deathless are the true expression of existence, for they are beyond life and death. I will emulate their ways and destroy those who defile their timeless perfection.
  • I cannot stop aging, but undeath will cure it, and allow me to watch my enemies and friends fall to time’s embrace once my mortal fiber has withered.
  • I shall slay my enemies, and turn them into my army; all the more for the Lich Lord’s undying host.

For Followers of Velsharoon

Archetypes and Alternate Class Features: Dirge Bard (Bard), Gravewalker (Witch), Knight of the Sepulcher† (Antipaladin), Monk of the Long Death† (Monk), Necrologist (Spiritualist), Seal-Breaker (Antipaladin), Spirit Walker (Mesmerist), Undead Lord† (Cleric),

Specialty Priest: As a new demipower, Velsharoon has no specialty priest, however, there are divine casters of all sorts that are coming to his fold, noted above.

Feats: Arcane Insight, Aura of Succumbing, Bloodletting, Bolster Undead, Conversion Channel, Fearsome Finish, Forceful Channel, Magical Epiphany, Shatter Resolve.

Magic Items: Deathlurker’s Cloak, Pallid Crystal, Tome of the Stilled Tongue, Velsharoon’s Gluttony

Prestige Classes: Agent of the Grave†, Arcane Devotee, Divine Champion, Divine Disciple, Divine Scion (Unchained), Lord of the Dead†

Spells: Curse of Unexpected Death, Ghoul Hunger

Traits: Accident Resistant, Always Threatening, Corpse Cannibal, Deathspeaker.

Unique Spell Rules

  • As You Were may be prepared as a 3rd-level Cleric or Warpriest spell.
  • Finger of Death may be prepared as an 8th-level Cleric spell, or a 6th-level Warpriest or Inquisitor spell.
  • Raise Undead Host may be prepared as a 9th-level Cleric spell.
  • Summon Monster (Any): may summon creatures with the bone simple template at +1 spell level.

Clergy & Temples

The church of Velsharoon is a new one, and what hierarchy exists is found within individual temples. Many clerics of Velsharoon spend their days in necromantic research, seeking to understand and expand the faith’s collective knowledge of life, death, and undeath. Most have created hundreds of undead servitors, some of them unique. When an undead creation has served its purpose, these self-involved researchers often brand the symbol of their deity on its chest and then order it to wander randomly across Faerun. Other clerics of Velsharoon are involved in “support” activities for the faith — grave robbing, embalming, or teaching. A few of the more congenial low-level clerics sometimes cure the minor ills of the populace to bring in funding or worldly supplies for the church and to more easily gather information about its enemies.