aliases: ['Rudolph van Richten', 'van Richten', 'Van Richten', 'Rudolph Van Richten', 'Dr. Rudoph van Richten']Rictavio
(NE human)
Playing Rictavio
- He wears a hat of disguise and a ring of mind shielding to conceal his identity
- He carries an iron key that unlocks the door to his carnival wagon (The Town of Vallaki (N) > Arasek Stockyard (N5))
- He is using multiple layers of fake identities:
- He's playing a spy who's playing a carnival ringmaster
- Really over the top
Playing Van Richten
- He's a little racist against the Vistani as he assumes they're all in league with Strahd
- If he gives the players The Tome of Strahd, he warns them that they should keep it secret
- else Strahd's spies will inform him, and he'll try to get it back
- Thinks things through before rushing in
- He's cursed by Vistani: "Live you always among monsters, and see everyone you love die beneath their claws."
History/Info
- Originally a doctor
- His son Erasmus was taken from him by a Vistani, given to a vampire, and turned into a vampire spawn
- he found him eventually, and put a stake through his heart to spare his suffering
- He fled Vallaki after his tiger got out for fear of being hanged
- He uses the Amber Temple temple to travel between dread planes and that's how he got to Barovia in the first place (see Dark Powers)
What They Want
- During his stay at The Blue Water Inn, he is quietly gathering information on The Keepers of the Feather
- trying to figure out the identities of all the wereravens in town
- He's also trying to learn as much as he can about the Vistani, particularly the ones living in the camp just outside town (The Town of Vallaki (N) > Vistani Camp (N9))
- Once he concludes that they are in league with Strahd, plans to unleash his trained saber-toothed tiger upon them, with or without the support of the wereravens.
- He came to Barovia to kill Strahd Von Zarovich
What They Know
Monster Expert
- He knows everything about monsters: no check necessary
- He's carrying everything monsters may be vulnerable to
- in battle, knows what they're going to do next
- Examples of underhanded tricks:
- Necromancer and his undead holed up in an old mansion? Bar the doors and set it on fire.
- Vampire built his lair on low ground? Divert a river to flood the whole thing with Running Water.
- Vampire didn't make sure his coffin was under enough layers of solid material? Blow/tear the top off and bathe the coffin in daylight.
- Found the vampire's coffin before you go to kill it? Anyone know the spell Leomund's Tiny Hut? That'll prevent the vampire's mist form from getting back to its coffin.
- Cave full of werewolves? Set large fires in the entrances, then cave the entrance in beyond the fire...then just wait for the fire to eat all the air out of the cave.
- Necromancer with an army? Infect the army with Corpseblight (see my Ezmerelda writeup) then put a crossbow bolt through the necromancer's throat while he struggles to figure out why his undead army is falling apart.
Relations
- protege: Ezmerelda d'Avenir (doesn't know she's looking for him)
Stat Block
Rictavio
12
77
30 ft.
9
12
13
16
18
16
Constitution +4, Wisdom +7
Arcana +9, Insight +7, Medicine +7, Perception +7, Religion +6, Sleight of hand +4
passive Perception 17
Abyssal, Common, Elvish, Infernal
5 (1,800 XP)
+3
In addition to his sword cane, Rictavio wears a hat of disguise and a ring of mind shielding, and he carries a spell scroll (5th level)||spell scroll of raise dead.
When Rictavio hits an undead with a weapon attack, the undead takes an extra 3d6 (10) damage of the weapon's type.
When you use a healer's kit to stabilize a dying creature, that creature also regains 1 hit point.
As an action. you can spend one use of a healer's kit to tend to a creature and restore 1d6 + 4 hit points to it, plus additional hit points equal to the creature's maximum number of Hit Dice. The creature can't regain hit points from this feat again until it finishes a short or long rest.
Rictavio is a 9th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save 15, +7 to hit (17) with spell attacks). Rictavio has the following cleric spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will):
1st level (4 slots):
2nd level (3 slots):
3rd level (3 slots):
4th level (3 slots):
5th level (1 slots):
Actions
Rictavio makes two attacks with his sword cane.
Melee Weapon Attack +4 to hit (14), reach 5 ft., one target. 1d6 + 1 (4) bludgeoning damage (wooden cane) or piercing damage (silvered sword).