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VordakaiCreature 12


UniqueNELargeUndead
Source Pathfinder Kingmaker
Perception +23 (dark vision, true seeing)
Languages Cyclops, Daemonic, Jotun, Necril
Skills Lore +27, Acrobatics +20, Arcana +25, Athletics +21, Crafting +23, Deception +21, Intimidation +21, Occultism +25, Religion +25
Str +5, Dex +4, Con +5, Int +7, Wis +5, Cha +5

AC 33; Fort +23; Reflex +20; Will +25; +1 status to all saves vs. positive
HP 200 (negative healing)
Speed 25 feet
Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
Resistances Cold 10, Physical 10

Hand One Action +24 (+19, +14) to hit (finesse, magical, reach 10) 4d8 Negative

+1 Status to All Saves vs. PositiveNegative Healing

A creature with negative healing draws health from negative energy rather than positive energy. It is damaged by positive damage and is not healed by positive healing effects. It does not take negative damage, and it is healed by negative effects that heal undead.

Atrophied Lich

Sometimes, a lich that remains immobile and insensible for extended periods of time-as Vordakai did after he was imprisoned in his tomb just prior to Earthfall 10,000 years ago-can become atrophied. The exact effects of atrophy vary from lich to lich but always result in a reduction of spellcasting power and damage to their soul cage link.

In Vordakai's case, he has forgotten much arcane lore and lost a significant amount of his spellcasting ability. At the height of his power, he was a 20th-level wizard, but today, his power has reduced to that of a 12th-level wizard. More troubling to the lich is the fact that he can no longer use a soul cage to rejuvenate-if Vordakai is destroyed, he crumbles to dust, forever dead. Given time, Vordakai could recover his power and regain his rejuvenation ability, but it's unlikely the PCs will give him that chance, as it would take the lich several years to undo the ravages of centuries.

Counterspell Reaction

Trigger A creature casts a spell Vordakai has prepared.

Effect Vordakai expends a prepared spell to counter the triggering creature's casting of that same spell. He loses its spell slot as if he had cast the triggering spell. He then attempts to counteract the triggering spell.

Flash of Insight Free Action (divination, fortune, occult)

Frequency once per day.

Trigger Vordakai is about to roll a d20.

Effect Vordakai peers into an occluded spectrum of possible futures. He gets a success (but not a critical success) without rolling.

Frightful Presence (aura, emotion, fear, mental)

60 feet Aura DC 29 will


A creature that first enters the area must attempt a Will save.

Regardless of the result of the saving throw, the creature is temporarily immune to this monster's Frightful Presence for 1 minute.


Critical Success The creature is unaffected by the presence.

Success The creature is Frightened 1.

Failure The creature is Frightened 2.

Critical Failure The creature is Frightened 4.

Steady Spellcasting

If a reaction would disrupt Vordakai's spellcasting action, the lich attempts a DC 15 flat. On a success, the action isn't disrupted.

Consume Memories Two Actions (arcane, attack, enchantment, mental)

Vordakai draws out a creature's memories and consumes them, learning bits and pieces of the world through the victim's thoughts. The lich makes a hand Strike against the target; if he hits, he deals 6d6 negative energy damage. The target must attempt a DC 32 will save, after which it is temporarily immune to Consume Memories for 24 hours.


Critical Success The target takes no additional ill effects.

Success The target becomes Stupefied 1 for 1 round.

Failure The target becomes stupefied 1 with an unlimited duration. Vordakai gains a +1 status bonus to all skill checks for 1 minute as a result of the consumed memories.

Critical Failure As failure, but the target is Stupefied 2 with an unlimited duration. In addition, Vordakai can telepathically learn one specific bit of secret information known by the victim, subject to the GM's discretion

Drain Oculus Free Action

Frequency once per day

Effect Vordakai taps into the Oculus of Abaddon's power to cast any arcane spell up to 6th level, even if the spell being cast is not one of his prepared spells.

Familiar

Vordakai’s familiar is Horagnamon

Paralyzing Touch (arcane, curse, incapacitation, necromancy)

A creature damaged by the lich's hand Strike must succeed at a DC 32 fortitude save.

The creature becomes Paralyzed for 1 round on a failure. On a critical failure, the creature is paralyzed permanently, falls Prone, and seems dead. A DC 25 medicine check reveals the victim is alive.


Arcane Prepared Spells (DC 35, +27 to hit)

Cantrips (6th Level): Chill Touch, Mage Hand, Read Aura, Shield, Telekinetic Projectile
1st Level: Command, Lock, Magic Missile, Ray of Enfeeblement, True Strike, Unseen Servant
2nd Level: Dispel Magic, Knock, Mirror Image, Resist Energy, Telekinetic Maneuver, Water Breathing
3rd Level: Bind Undead, Hypnotic Pattern, Mind Reading, Paralyze, Shrink Item
4th Level: Clairvoyance, Confusion, Dimension Door, Nightmare, Phantasmal Killer, Suggestion
5th Level: Banishment, Mind Probe, Tongues
6th Level: Vampiric Exsanguination
7th Level: Eclipse Burst

Ritual

2nd Level: Create Undead
6th Level: Planar Binding
8th Level: Imprisonment (Cannot Currently Cast)


At the height of his power well over 10,000 years ago, the original Vordakai was among the most powerful necromancers of the land. When this cyclops tyrant was defeated during the chaos following Earthfall, one of his apprentices claimed his name as well as his greatest treasure, the Oculus of Abaddon. Though he had been the least of the necromancer's apprentices, the new Vordakai was nevertheless a powerful wizard, but it would take more than power to claim the true Vordakai's mantle. Betrayed by followers of the original leader who refused to serve him, the new Vordakai was sealed into his own tomb, and over the passage of eons, the cyclops lich atrophied.

Although much weakened today, Vordakai remains a dangerous opponent who can devastate a poorly prepared party on his own. Don't be afraid to play Vordakai as arrogant creature-he has existed for longer than most creatures on Golarion, after all, and if he makes arrogant mistakes (such as neglecting to cast spells defensively or provoking Attacks of Opportunity), that not only gives the PCs a chance to survive but also helps to establish the ancient lich as both overconfident and a bit careless from his long period of quiescence. Keep in mind that Vordakai is the most powerful foe the PCs have encountered in the Kingmaker Adventure Path thus far, and in defeating him, they will accomplish something truly legendary.

If Vordakai has the chance to prepare for battle before combat, he takes 3 rounds to cast @UUID[Compendium.pf2e.spells-srd.Tongues]{Tongues}, @UUID[Compendium.pf2e.spells-srd.Resist Energy]{Resist Energy} (choosing an energy type he knows the PCs favor as a result of watching them via his familiar), and then @UUID[Compendium.pf2e.spells-srd.Mirror Image]{Mirror Image} just before entering battle. Finally, he activates @UUID[Compendium.pf2e.spells-srd.True Seeing]{True Seeing} using the Oculus of Abaddon before entering combat (doing so in the first round of a fight if instead he's caught by surprise by the PCs).

Once combat begins, Vordakai starts by casting @UUID[Compendium.pf2e.spells-srd.Dominate]{Dominate} on the party's strongest healer; if successful, he commands the healer to his side to defend him by attacking anyone who attacks the lich in melee. On subsequent rounds, Vordakai uses ranged magic against the party, casting @UUID[Compendium.pf2e.spells-srd.Vampiric Exsanguination]{Vampiric Exsanguination} as soon as he's reduced to 100 Hit Points or fewer. When facing only one or two foes, he prefers to attack with Consume Memories followed by a hand Strike, opting to save his spells for an emergency.

The greatest diminishment of Vordakai's power is represented through the loss of his soul cage-the magical item he initially used to trap his own soul and enable his transformation into a lich in the first place. He cannot create a replacement as long as he remains atrophied, but his arrogance works against him here. Only if he's reduced below 20 Hit Points does he realize that the PCs have a very good chance to defeat him, and if he survives long enough to take a turn after this realization, he casts his 5th-level @UUID[Compendium.pf2e.spells-srd.Dimension Door]{Dimension Door} to flee to area C5 of his tomb. If he's able to escape in this way, he'll wait for a few days before returning to his tomb, infuriated if the PCs have released his prisoners and robbed him blind. At this point, Vordakai can become a recurring villain in your campaign!


Traits

Unique

A rules element with this trait is one-of-a-kind. The DC of Recall Knowledge checks related to creatures with this trait is increased by 10.