Wilderness Encounter: Aldo Reinhardt

Aldo Reinhardt, Reluctant Instinctual Killer

Race: True Werebear

Homeland: Darkon, Mtns of Misery

Traits                                                          Secondary Statistics

Agility                      d8                              Charisma:

Smarts                      d6                              Pace: 8” (6” in human form)

Spirit                        d8                              Parry: 9 (7)

Strength                  d12+6 (d10)       Toughness: 11 (7)

Vigor                         d12+2 (d10)                        

Skills: Climb d8, Fighting d12+2 (d10), Guts d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d12, Swimming d6, Stealth d8, Tracking d8

Languages: Werebear, Darkonese, Vassi, Balok

Special Abilities:

--Bear Hug: A werebear that hits with a raise has pinned his foe and attacks a +2 until the foe is freed.  The opponent may only attempt to escape the hug on his action, which requires a raise on an opposed Strength roll.

--Bite/Claws: Str+d8

--Infection: Per every point of damage delivered by a werebear, there is a 1% chance of infecting the victim with lycanthropy. 

--Immunity: Werebears are immunity to normal weapons, can be harmed by magic (spells and weapons), and can only be killed by weapons of Cold Iron. 

--Low Light Vision:  Werebears ignore penalties for Dim and Dark lightning. 

--Size +2: 8’ tall and over 1000lbs in weight. 

--Weakness: Werebears take damage normally from magical weapons and spells (can be incapacitated), but can only be killed by damage from a weapon of Cold Iron. 

Gear: Wolfbane-Magical Dagger (+1 dmg/+1 Ftg; +3 damage vs. Wolves and Werewolves), Crossbow

*Darkon, somewhere in the Mountains of Misery
--Warm and friendly. A large man with a powerful laugh.
--Claims to be a hunter and woodsman.
--Invites travelers into his isolated cabin for a hot meal and a mug of ale.
--(Red Herring): Wolves howling and scratching at the door (maybe they followed the heroes). Aldo talks of werewolves and even shows the heroes one he’s turned into a rug.
--(Red Herring): Stone Circle nearby, Aldo claims to be the last in a line of druids dedicated to guarding that circle and looking after the mountains. “I tend the spirits of nature here in the mountains. That stone circle is the front door of their lodge.”
--He is, in many ways, regretful of the fact he must kill wayward travellers. He states it’s a matter of instinct when the time comes to finish them off.
--Reluctant, but opportunistic, serial killer.
--He’ll move to kill the heroes in a ritualistic fashion. Poisoning food and drink, subduing those who do not fall to the delicious meals and spirits he puts forth.
--Reinhardt has control of a family of bears, with whom he shares his kills. The creatures are mad for the taste of humanoid flesh.
--Aldo prefers not to slay victims at his cabin, but instead drug them and let them awaken tied up at the lair of his “beloved kin”.
--If Aldo has followed the party for a number of days through the Mountains of Misery, he may pronounce sentence upon them for any number of faux crimes against the “old druidic code”. Hiding behind the façade of meting out justice against poachers and the abusers of nature, Aldo takes some solace from his violence instincts.
--We could perhaps look at Aldo as the hunter, who has trapped rabbits or similar defenseless animals (the party of heroes) and isn’t quite indifferent to the fact he must now approach and take the life of each one.
--Perhaps Aldo has a second lair deeper in the wooded mountains were he displays his “trophies”: the skins and heads of men, elves, dwarves, etc. he had trapped and killed. Perhaps there are telltale signs of this in his cabin, where he has an unusual number of books bound in human skin, carved bone ornamentations, and mugs that look very much like skull caps.
--If the group escapes, Aldo will likely pursue them as he wants to keep his home, his family of bears, and his ritualistic killing practices a secret.
--Another thought: Since Aldo invites people into his home, it is important to play up the safety of this practice in adventures prior to the heroes' encounter with the werebear.  The PCs would encounter peasants, farmers, Vistani, etc. all willing to share their fires and food with strangers.  For this to work, there needs to be a sense that there are good people to be found throughout the domains of dread and that the places they live are brief safe havens from evil creatures only the PCs are brave enough to challenge.