Faces of Vathak: Survivors

Faces of Vathak: Survivors

This collection of NPCs clocks in at 18 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page ToC, 1 page SRD, leaving us with 14 pages, so let’s take a look!

 

The NPC statblocks within are, ultimately, NPC-Codex style stats for general themes, with the first page providing an overview of the NPCs by CR. It should be noted, however, that these stats are not exactly standard critters, providing a relatively complex array in some cases. They also come with a brief flavor description each, and the artworks featured are clever, often using public domain art that has been twisted in certain ways – I adore this, as it provides a sense of strange realism that suits the setting’s aesthetics really well. Take, for example, the cannibalistic cleric, former clergy driven to unspeakable acts. They are statted as a CR 6 ghoul brawler/ex-cleric.

 

At CR 3, we have a dhampir arcanist, at CR 2 bhriota scarred rider – and this fellow, alas, has a few minor snafus in the statblock. CMB, for example, is off. Also at CR 2, we get a Romni unbreakable fighter/fortune-teller multiclass is correct once more, though. There also is a grizzled veteran at CR 1, and the soldier 2 is indeed a nice low-level opponent. The half-life heretic is interesting, in that we here have a hauntling occultist 4 – love this combo; a vindari infiltrator investigator at CR 3 is neat…and then, we have a really cool candidate for a low level boos – the CR 4 patchwork butcher, who comes with a grotesque assistant fully statted – he’d be a wretched reanimator 5.

 

A vengeful remnant bhriota warpriest at CR 4 and a CR 2 romni hunter, including companion stats, closes the collection.

 

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good on a formal and rules-language level, with only a few minor hiccups. Layout adheres to a beautiful two-column full-color standard, and as noted before, the full-color artworks are inspired and not something you’d expect in a pdf that is so inexpensive. The pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience.

 

Matt Roth and Rick Hershey deliver a fun, evocative collection of NPC stats that make good use of Vathak’s unique tools – and to this day, the Vathak setting is perhaps one of the most criminally underrated settings out there. The NPCs are surprisingly cool, in spite of the intended, general appeal. My final verdict will clock in at 4 stars.

 

You can get these NPCs here on OBS!

 

Missed the massive Player#s Guide to Vathak? You can find that impressive tome here on OBS!

 

Endzeitgeist out.

 

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