Fantasy NPC: Viggo Tallmanse, The Hanged Ghost

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Viggo Tallmanse, The Hanged Ghost

An elegantly dressed halfling with a thick, expensive shawl tied around his neck.

CR 6; 2,400 XP

Male halfling ghost aristocrat 6

NE Medium Undead (incorporeal)

Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10

Defense
AC 20, touch 20, flat-footed 17 (+6 deflection, +3 Dex, +1 size)
hp 63 (6d8+36)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +6

Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, rejuvenation; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee corrupting touch +4 (6d6 plus choking, Fort 19 partial)

Statistics
Str —, Dex 16, Con —, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 22

Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 22
Feats Deceitful, Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Diplomacy)

Skills Acrobatics +5, Appraise +12, Bluff +20, Fly +11, Diplomacy +18, Disguise +17, Knowledge (nobility) +12, Perception +10, Sense Motive +9, Stealth +15

Language Common, Duc, Gnome, Halfling, Infernal

SQ many faces of Viggo

Corrupting Touch (Su) Viggo's corrupting touch makes the targets feel how a noose closes on their necks, making them exhausted for 1d4 rounds. A successful Fortitude saving throw halves the damage and renders them merely fatigued for 1 round.

Many Faces Of Viggo (Su) Viggo can take on many indistinct but suggestive ghostly appearances similar to disguise self, though he can appear as any humanoid-like being from Tiny to Medium size (this does not change his actual size). This gives him +10 bonus to Disguise checks. He can impersonate a specific individual by claiming to be that individual in presence of at least one person that knew the mark. Witness who fail their Will saving throws (DC 19) recognize the supposed individual and believe Viggo to be the ghost of that person. This is an illusion (pattern) effect. The saving throw is Charisma-based.

Viggo Tallmanse was a scion of gentrified farmers clan, a still respected family whose fortunes were failing, dragged down with exaggerated expenses the clan patriarch was investing into a dragon-hoard raid that never happened. Knowing prosperity in his youth, Viggo decided that the world owes him the comforts adequate to his birth, wherever he can pay for them or not.

From then on, he lived a life of a con-man, pretending to be wealthier than he was, occasionally impersonating foreign royalty, a successful merchant, a hero recuperating from his adventures, a distant relative who inherited a vast property but little cash, and so on and so on. Even when merely traveling he often weaseled himself with deception to gain hospitality from random people, just to remain in shape.

All was good and well, until one evening he duped a little old lady into offering him a room for the night. Of her own accord she topped that with a home-made meal and a tea. Viggo noted that there is something off about her—was that a hint of senility... or maybe was she merely pretending to be more senile than she really was? Before he could decide, she was chocking and writhing on the floor.

In a few days perplexed Viggo was judged for murder and hanged. For the first time, his glib tongue was to no avail—he was skilled in talking himself out of the troubles he caused but it helped him not with troubles that were not of his making. A few items taken from victims of his prior frauds found in his baggage were the nail to his proverbial coffin (not that he got an actual coffin in the end).

The death changed Viggo. While alive, he was carefree and flamboyant fraud, but he only targeted his victims' wealth, never well-being. Now, he is much more cruel and vicious, obsessed with bloody vengeance on those who in his mind wronged him—the neighbors, the witnesses, the judge, the hangman. He doesn't know what actually happened, and he doesn't really care who or what killed the old lady. He is going to make everyone pay for his death—by deceiving them, impersonating their dead family members, loved ones, and enemies, and making them turn on each other.