Sheriff von Zarovich

Race: Male human

Class: Fighter 5 / Night Lord 5 / Scourge 5

CR: 15

Size: Medium (6 ft. 5in. tall)

Hit Dice: 5d10 + 10 plus 5d10 + 10 plus 5d8 + 10

HP: 131

Initiative: +1 (Dex)

Speed: 20 ft.

Armor Class: 26 (touch 16, flat-footed 23)

Attack: +23/+18+13 melee (2d4+9, +3 keen scythe, crit 17-20/x4) or +19/+14+9 melee (1d6+4 plus 2 fire, hot poker)

Special Abilities: Smite virtue, frightening aura, horrifying designs, hands of death

Special Qualities: Sense sinkhole of evil, dread blessing, command undead, desensitized, dread companion, pinpoint agony, detect thoughts, torture’s mask, spells

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Saving Throws: Fort +14, Ref +6, Will +8; Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 12 (originally 14).

Skills: Heal +7, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (Ravenloft) +5, Ride 21, Sense Motive +13.

Feats: Endurance, Improved Critical (scythe), Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Jaded, Mounted Combat, Ride by-Attack, Spirited Charge, Trample, Weapon Focus (scythe).

Languages: Balok

Night Lord Spells Per Day: 3/2/1; base DC 13 + spell level.

Scourge Spells Known: (cast per day: 3/1; base DC 11 + spell level) 1st-cause fear, chill touch, detect magic, flare; 2nd-ray of enfeeblement, shocking grasp.

Signature Possessions: Gargoyle plate armor\*, +3 keen scythe, iron poker\*\*, ring of protection +5, ring of hold person (Will DC 18), Sadi Nocturne, dread nightmare companion.

Sadi Nocturne, dread nightmare companion: CR 6; SZ L Outsider (Evil); HD 8d8+24; hp 72; Init +7 (Dex, Improved Initiative); Spd 40 ft. fly 90 ft. (good); AC 25 (touch 12, flat-footed 22)); Atk +13 melee (1d8+5 plus fire, 2 hooves) or +8 melee (1d8+2, bite); SA Flaming hooves, smoke; SQ Astral projection, etherealness, frightful presence; AL NE; SV Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +7; Str 20, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 12.
Special: Because Sadis Nocturne is a dread companion, the sheriff and his mount share spells, saving throws, and have an empathic link. Sadis Nocturne also has Improved Evasion.

Skills: Intimidate +12, Intuit Direction +13, Listen +12, Move Silently +12, Search +10, Sense Motive +12, Spot +12. Fears: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative.

**Gargoyle plate armor:** Once per day as a free action it can be called on to reflect a spell back to its caster as in spell turning. Additionally, the armor's shadow quality gives a +10 bonus to Hide checks. Since plate has an armor check penalty of -6, the sheriff gets an overall bonus of +4 to his rolls; the same applies to Move Silently checks due to the silent trait. Finally, the gargoyle molding enchantment doubles all damage from charge attacks. This plate armor is fashioned to make the wearer appear to be a gargoyle. The helmet is shaped to look like a homed gargoyle head, and its wearer looks out of the open, tooth filled mouth.

**Iron poker:** This weapon has an enchantment enabling it to heat itself 3 times per day as the heat metal spell. The effect takes about five minutes to make the poker end red and glowing, but the handle stays cool.

### Background

In the years following the Fall of Kings, a new servant appeared in the employ of Barovia's Dark Lord. Blazing on the back of a dread nightmare, there emerged a "peacekeeper" in the domain Known only as "Sheriff von Zarovich," this night lord and scourge has become Strahd's representative to many of Barovia's people. Many believe him to be a ruthless Barovian commoner who ingratiated himself to the realm's Dark Lord in such an impressive fashion that the vampire count adopted him and granted him his own surname. Others speculate that the sheriff is some distant descendant of the Dark Lord who attracted the vampire's favor by attracting the attention of the Dark Powers. Still others claim (behind closed doors and in the most secret of places) that the sheriff is a power hungry upstart who has managed to amuse the Dark Lord with his brash arrogance. However he gained the patronage of the Dark Lord, the sheriff acts as Strahd's trusted agent.

The sheriff is legendary in his cruelty. Reports circulate that when a town cannot pay its tribute to the nobility to the realm, within days its entire population becomes transformed into Lebendtod under the direct control of the sheriff and his Dark Lord, and the area encompassing the town becomes a sinkhole of evil. None have been able to name such a town or locate it in their travels, yet rumors persist and few people dare risk the possibility that these tales might be true.

The sheriff's features are usually hidden beneath a black helmet crafted to look like a gargoyle head complete with horns and colored with black lacquer. Peering beneath the helmet are cold icy blue eyes that reflect no humanity in their fearful gaze. When he does take his helmet off, the sheriff's disfigured visage usually requires those who view it to make a Will save against fear. The sheriff's face and head are scarred, rotted, and twisted-his eyes are all that seem human. He wears fierce looking black plate-mail, the same color as the helmet. The gloves and boots mimic gargoyle claws, and the clasp of the black and gray cloak is molded to look like gargoyle wings. When the sheriff speaks, his deep voice sounds hollow and devoid of emotion The sheriff's body language is cool and controlled. He can stand still for hours without so much as a nervous twitch as he watches the blood drain out of a victim, showing no emotions - neither joy nor hate - in his eyes.

The sheriff's weapon of choice is an enchanted battle scythe, which he calls Herd-Culler. The scythe is often used when he rides Sadis Nocturne, his dread nightmare mount. The sheriff's secondary weapon is a cold iron poker that he wears at his hip.

### Current Sketch

The Sheriff of Barovia works as his master's eyes, ears, and hands in the land of Barovia. Since Strahd does not often involve himself in the affairs of the land, the sheriff acts as his proxy. He enforces the laws of the Dark Lord and dispassionately slaughters any who dare oppose Strahd. One way or the other, either alive or undead, the citizens of Barovia are forced into compliance. When facing a large group, the sheriff often leads a militia of undead creatures including zombies, skeletons, lebendtod, and a few lesser vampire lieutenants. Mounted garrisons of the Dark Lord's forces ride Strahd's skeletal horses. Although a full-scale army has only marched once - to eradicate an army of zealot priests, paladins, and warriors of the Morninglord near Teufeldorf - rumors persist that the sheriff is raising a great undead and mercenary army to oppose the Kargat and descend upon Azalin before he can rebuild his empire to its full strength. The skulls of Kargat members caught by the sheriff operating in Barovia are put on pikes on the road leading to Castle Ravenloft.

### Combat

For most opponents, meeting Sheriff von Zarovich in battle offers them a swift and merciless death unless those foes rival a Dark Lord in power. This martial veteran and his nightmare dread companion work as one mind and kill with frightening efficiency. Several magic item and feat combination maneuvers make the sheriff nearly unstoppable. Combining the magical properties of his gargoyle armor with his Spirited Charge feat triples damage dealt by a mounted charge from the sheriff and his dread companion. This maneuver does not incur an attack of opportunity, but does require a full round action for the single attack. If the sheriff is up against a paladin and is aware of this fact, he can use Smite Virtue as part of his mounted Spirited Charge. For the most efficient overkill, the sheriff can use his ring of hold person as a free action while Sadis Nocturne accelerates into a sprint for the Spirited Charge/Ride-by Attack. The sheriff may then deliver a deadly coup de grace with the war scythe. In more frantic melees, the sheriff merely wades into the battle, using his impressive Ride skills and his horrifying mount to avoid most damage. He sometimes removes his helmet to project his Frightening Aura at the same time as his companion belches smoke, thus projecting its own frightful presence. Because of the empathic link and spell sharing, the sheriff's vision is not impaired by the nightmare's smoke. Flaming hooves trample opponents that are slammed or knocked over. Those that choose to try and run are usually victims of Sadis Nocturne's Combat Reflexes feat. In the few instances when the sheriff must withdraw from battle to regroup, the nightmare shares its etherealness ability to protect its rider from harm.

When the sheriff is not crushing enemies of Barovia, he plays the role of an investigator. He always leaves a few criminals alive to torture for information. Using Pinpoint Agony, Detect Thoughts, and his natural intimidation, the sheriff can crack the will of any enemy. He uses these techniques to uncover and crush any conspiracies against Strahd. Of late, the sheriff has declared illegal the trade of the Vistani elixir that protects travelers from Strahd's choking fog and possession of it by a Barovian citizen an act of treason. These crimes are punishable by death, followed by undeath.