Vardos Grin

Vardos Grin was born beneath a blood moon to Morrigan the Unspeakable, a sorceress whose ambitions far exceeded her moral compass. His father's identity remained deliberately obscured, a secret his mother guarded with jealous ferocity—perhaps because the union itself was a calculated ritual rather than any act of love. From his earliest memories, Vardos knew only suffering: his mother's experiments, her incantations whispered over his sleeping form, the way her fingers would trace sigils of power across his skin until they burned. She raised him in isolation within a tower of black stone, feeding him lies about the outside world while systematically breaking his spirit. At eight years old, when his untrained magic first manifested in an uncontrolled burst of flame, Morrigan's true design crystallized before him like ice. She intended to wait until his thirteenth year—the age of Resonance—when a sorcerer's power reached its apex and could be cleanly severed from one vessel and poured into another. The knowledge of his impending theft became Vardos's greatest weapon. For five grueling years, he maintained the facade of a broken, compliant child while secretly delving into forbidden grimoires hidden throughout the tower, teaching himself to bend arcane forces, command elements, and bind creatures to his will. On the eve before his Resonance was meant to arrive, he unleashed everything he had learned in a single, catastrophic moment of defiance—and escaped into a world he barely understood. The sixteen years that followed were a masterclass in survival and adaptation, as Vardos honed his craft across countless cities and forgotten places, always watching over his shoulder for his mother's shadow. Though he has grown into a formidable sorcerer, the scars of his upbringing run deep; his morality remains a fluid thing, bending like smoke to whatever shape necessity demands, and he trusts no one completely—not even himself.

Strength

12, modifier 1

Dexterity

16, modifier 3

Constitution

16, modifier 3

Intelligence

18, modifier 4

Wisdom

14, modifier 2

Charisma

20, modifier 5

Arcane Bolt

Ranged Spell Attack: +9 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 4d10 force damage.

Elemental Surge

Choose an element (fire, ice, or lightning). Each creature in a 20 ft. radius must make a DC 16 Dex save, taking 6d8 damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

Summon Elemental

Summon an elemental (CR 4) to fight for you. It acts on your initiative.

Infernal Grasp

Target must make a DC 16 Con save or take 3d10 necrotic damage and be restrained until the end of their next turn.

Arcane Resilience

Vardos has advantage on saving throws against spells.

Elemental Affinity

Vardos deals an extra 1d6 damage of a chosen elemental type on spell hits.

Summoner's Call

Once per long rest, Vardos can summon a creature of CR 5 or lower to aid him.

Shadow Step

Vardos can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.

strength

5

dexterity

7

intelligence

8

wisdom

6

constitution

7

charisma

9

Unleash Chaos

Vardos can cast a spell of 3rd level or lower without expending a spell slot.

Arcane Shield

Vardos gains +2 AC until the start of his next turn.

Summon Shadows

Vardos summons shadowy duplicates that distract enemies. All enemies within 30 ft. must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom save or have disadvantage on their next attack.

Fire

Lightning

Charmed

Frightened