Editor’s note: In case you haven’t been following the updates for the latest Kickstarter, we just announced a new add-on… a miniature associated with the new Vasgothia book. Check out the update on Kickstarter for more details, but for now enjoy this write-up and game statistics for this terrifying Horror.
Dagthrug the Rot King is possibly the most powerful true Horror still lurking in Vasgothia. It manifests in the physical world as a semi-skeletal, two-headed giant, with long, rotting limbs ending in gnarled, black talons. Both of the Horror’s mouths are lined with rows of twisted, razor-sharp teeth. The perpetual smile gives its visage the appearance of something between a crocodile and shark. Long tentacles sprout along the Horror’s spine which inject blood into its victims, corrupting them. Dagthrug speaks with a distinct hollow, hissing whisper that chills listeners to the bone.
Rumors about the Horror say it wanders across the bleak and lonesome peaks of the Caralkspur Mountains, where it’s heard talking and hurling insults. While tales place it throughout the Midrise, many of these tales indicate some connection to the Deepgraves. Dagthrug’s minions make regular raids against these caves. Some Bear Strider companies tell stories about a powerful Horror who stalked the Deepgraves and their guardians, whose astral and physical forms were severed and trapped deep within the earth. The connection between these stories and Dagthrug is clear, but the exact nature of the connection is murky.
While the Horror presents an immense physical threat, capable of rending companies asunder and bathing in their blood, the existential threat it presents causes Dagthrug to be spoken of only in hushed tones, lest drawing its attention.
Dagthrug appears to dying Namegivers and offers them life. Both heads speak, convincing the victim to agree to the offer, promising them revenge, eternal life, a chance to see their loved ones again, whatever it takes. Those who agree are pierced with a long, black organ and injected with its blood. While the victim briefly enjoys the resurrection, Dagthrug slowly twists and transforms them, feeding on their pain and shame until they no longer offer it any sustenance. Once their transformation is complete, they join the ranks of its servants to raid the Deepgraves.
Challenge: Warden (Legendary Twelfth Circle)
- Dex: 12
- Str: 18
- Tou: 20
- Per: 12
- Wil: 14
- Cha: 10
- Initiative: 24
- Physical Defense: 27
- Mystic Defense: 21
- Social Defense: 23
- Physical Armor: 23
- Mystic Armor: 15
- Unconsciousness Rating: 720
- Death Rating: 880
- Wound Threshold: 35
- Knockdown: 35
- Recovery Tests: 7
- Karma: 11 (44)
- Movement: 18
- Actions: 4; Bite x2: 26 (Damage 34), Claws x2: 32 (Damage 28), Tentacles (10 yards): 30 (Damage 22)
Powers
- Animate Dead (26, Standard)
- Corrupt Karma (26, Standard)
- Cursed Luck (26, Free)
- Damage Shift (26, Simple)
- Dual-Natured: Dagthrug is a dual-natured Horror, but it’s astral form isn’t present.
- Feast of Suffering: Dagthrug gains +1 to Attack and Damage tests for each Wound the target has.
- Forge Construct (26, Sustained)
- Frenzied Lashing: This is triggered the first time one of the following happens: Dagthrug has 5 Wounds or Dagthrug’s current damage is over 360. One head hisses violently while the other issues a thin scream and its tentacles lash wildly around it, spraying its corrupted blood. All opponents within 10 yards are Harried until the end of the next round, and it uses Corrupt Karma and Terror on all opponents within 50 yards (make one test for each).
- Fury (4)
- Harvest Energy (22, Free): If the harvested emotion is pain or shame, Dagthrug gains an additional Karma point and gains a point even if the test is a failure.
- Horror Mark (24, Standard): In addition to the normal effects, marked victims find themselves constantly reliving moments of despair and shame, the grow more vivid and the victim more complicit in them. The longer the victim bears the mark, the more pronounced this effect. Victims of Dagthrug’s Horror mark also gain a Corruption Point upon receiving the mark.
- Immune to Fear
- Indomitable: The absolute value of Action test and Defense penalties applied to Dagthrug are halved (e.g, half of -3 is -2 since the absolute value of -3 is 3 and half of 3 is 1.5, which rounds to 2). This includes penalties from Harried and explicitly does not include bonuses applied against Dagthrug.
- Invincible (Simple): Dagthrug recovers from one Wound.
- Karma Drain (26, Standard)
- Skin Shift (26, Simple)
- Spined Tentacles: Dagthrug’s numerous tentacles have a range of 10 yards.
- Terror (22, Standard)
- Two Heads Are Better Than One: Dagthrug cannot be blindsided or Harried through positioning, attempts to distract or blindside Dagthrug require an additional success, and it can make two bite attacks per round.
- Unconquerable (Simple): Dagthrug ends an ongoing effect that functionally prevents it from taking actions. These effects include grappling, spells like Crushing Hand of Earth, Spell Cage, talents like Spirit Hold, etc. This power can also be used when Dagthrug takes a bonus action, but it must make a test as normal. Unflinching applies to this test.
- Unflinching (3): Dagthrug gains a +15 bonus to any test to resist ongoing effects.
- Unnatural Life (26, Standard)
- Unrelenting (2): After a character opposing Dagthrug takes their turn, Dagthrug may take two Standard actions and a Movement action (at half movement rate) against that character. These cannot be continuations of actions taken on the legendary opponent’s turn (e.g., continuing to weave threads for a spell) and must include the character as a target (though the action can affect multiple targets). If Dagthrug cannot reach or affect the character, they may target a different character.
- Unyielding (Simple): Dagthrug stands up. This can be used once per round at the beginning of their turn or before they take a bonus action.
Special Maneuvers
- Corrupting Blood (Dagthrug, Tentacle): Dagthrug may spend two additional successes on an Attack test to inject the target with some of its thick, black blood. This may be used on a grappled target without requiring additional successes. Dagthrug may make a Horror Mark test against the victim as a Free action. If the attack causes a Wound, it becomes corrupted and the next healing effect on the victim within 10 minutes causes damage instead; this includes potions, spells, talents, etc. If the effect has a duration, it causes damage for the duration of the effect.
- Earth-Shattering Headache (Dagthrug, Claws): Dagthrug may spend two additional successes on an Attack test to strike their target on their ears, causing them to be Harried until the end of the next round.
- Enrage (Opponent)
- Grab and Punish (Dagthrug, Claws): Dagthrug may spend an additional success from an Attack test to automatically grapple an opponent. Grappled opponents take either bite or tentacle damage each round until the grapple is broken without need for an Attack test.
- Overpower (Dagthrug, Claws): Dagthrug may spend two additional successes from an Attack test to force the target to make a Knockdown test against a Difficulty Number equal to the Attack test result. If the test fails, the target is knocked down and knocked back a number of yards equal to the total number of successes on the Attack test.
- Provoke (Opponent, Close Combat)
- Pry Loose (Opponent, Close Combat)