The Dying Master Vampire – Steal this Encounter

Jaskryn has been undead for over 900 years, though he has spent much of that time imprisoned to his chair.  You see, one of his sirelings had aspirations of power, and attempted to defy his master (Jaskryn). Jaskryn responded by attempting to beat down the sireling, but was unsuccessful.  The sireling (still slightly dominated by his master), could not attempt the killing blow.  Instead, he chose to imprison Jaskryn.

He took Jaskryn’s throne and had it altered so that once his master was forced into it, barbed spikes would pierce his back.  Attempting to leave the chair meant much more damage being inflicted than from simply being placed into it.  Thus, Jaskryn was forced into the chair, and has remained there ever since.  Should he ever attempt to get out of the chair, he would cause too much damage to survive, even for an undead master vampire.  In addition, the chair was constructed to withstand being destroyed or taken apart.

Without their master to lead them, most of his sirelings have wandered off or been killed.  Only a few remain out of loyalty to tend to his needs.  They patchwork his clothing back on, give him some of their blood (or from some animal/monster they found in the dungeon), and try to keep him company.

The Player Characters: The PCs come into this encounter because they have gotten lost in a forgotten dungeon.  They haven’t seen light, felt air currents, or come across any intelligent life for days (maybe weeks).  Then one day, as their rations are winding down, they hear some footsteps.  As they investigate, they come across a tattered woman in a torn, dirty gown.  She does not want to fight the PCs because she knows she can’t win.

The woman is a vampire, and wants nothing but to get the PCs back to her master.  Perhaps if he feeds on one of them he might be strong enough to break out of the chair and survive.  She does not offer that she is a vampire, but will not dispute it.  She will tell them that her master might be able to get them out of the dungeon, but will not elaborate.  No, she does not know how to get out herself.

If the PCs agree, she will lead them back to his chamber.  Jaskryn wants nothing but to feed on fresh blood so that he might gain enough strength to break free of the chair.  The problem is that if he does, he will become enraged, and go insane.  He will agree to any terms the PCs give (truthfully), as long as one of the PCs will cut his own arm (donating two healing surges) so that blood can drip into the master’s mouth.

The Twist: Before the session starts, have a private talk with one of your more mature players.  Tell him, “When Jaskryn asks you to do something, you do it. His request sounds completely reasonable to you, and you feel compelled to do it.  Make it look like your character is not dominated, because he is. 

During the encounter, Jaskryn will ask the PCs to donate some blood to him so he can gain enough strength to survive getting up from the chair.  This is a condition of him leading them out of the dungeon.  If they all refuse, ask the specific player character (whose player you have already talked to).   (he should agree to it).  I tried this on my group, and it worked like a charm – everyone loved it.

The Kicker: When Jaskryn drinks the PCs blood, he gains enough strength to break free of the chair (and ripping apart much of his back in the process).  However, the infusion of fresh blood is too much for him, and he goes berserk.  Before Initiative is rolled, he is able to kill his two remaining sirelings.  After that, he goes after the the PCs.

If the PCs survive, they are still stuck in the dungeon.  How (or if) they get out is up to you.