Player character
Kharzug Ironbound
Kharzug Ironbound
Male Hobgoblin Bloodrager 1 · Abyssal Tunnel Veteran
Kharzug Ironbound marched beneath the earth long before he ever saw the Castrovin Sea. Born in a harsh inland militarized hobgoblin enclave near broken volcanic territory, he spent years fighting subterranean predators, tunnel raiders, and things his commanders refused to name. During one disastrous campaign, his cohort uncovered a deep cavern filled with impossible carvings and unnatural black stone. Only Kharzug returned alive.
Since that expedition, rage has lived beneath his skin like buried fire. In battle his muscles swell unnaturally, his eyes burn with abyssal fury, and something ancient seems to awaken in his blood. Kharzug does not trust prophecy, sea legends, or cults, but he recognizes one thing immediately: whatever is happening beneath the Razored Labyrinth feels dangerously similar to what destroyed his legion below the earth.
Kharzug fills the party’s missing hard-frontline role. He protects the witch, bard, and gunslinger while creating flanking opportunities for the rogue and hunter. As the campaign transitions from maritime exploration to abyssal Darklands warfare, he becomes increasingly valuable as an anti-Spawn shock trooper capable of surviving brutal melee engagements.
Level 1 Character Sheet
Male hobgoblin bloodrager 1
LN Medium humanoid (goblinoid)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4
Defense
AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17
(+6 scale mail, +1 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 15 (1d10+5)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +2
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee glaive +5 (1d10+6/×3)
Melee (rage) glaive +7 (1d10+9/×3)
Special bloodrage 6 rounds/day, abyssal bloodline
Statistics
Str 18, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 16
Feats Power Attack
Skills Climb +8, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +4, Perception +4, Profession (soldier) +4, Survival +4
Languages Common, Goblin, Undercommon
Bloodrager Features
Bloodrage: Kharzug can enter a terrifying combat rage for 6 rounds/day. While raging he gains bonuses to Strength and Constitution, improving his durability and damage output.
Abyssal Bloodline: His blood carries traces of abyssal corruption awakened during a failed subterranean campaign. This bloodline grants immense physical power and increasingly monstrous transformations as he levels.
Fast Movement: Bloodragers remain dangerous mobile frontline fighters even in heavy expedition conditions.
Arcane Casting: Later levels grant spontaneous arcane casting focused on personal enhancement, mobility, and survival.
How to Play Kharzug
Campaign Role
Why Kharzug Fits Razored Labyrinth
| Campaign Phase | Kharzug’s Role |
|---|---|
| Kridorfrost | Protects civilians and expedition workers during collapses and tunnel breaches. |
| Kridorn | Acts as intimidation muscle against pirates, smugglers, and organized crime. |
| Black Glass Peak | Recognizes militarized excavation patterns and defensive tunnel construction. |
| Ninshabur | Serves as bodyguard during unstable ruin exploration. |
| Vladmirr | Protects the submersible operation from sabotage and hostile salvage factions. |
| Darklands | Becomes one of the party’s most valuable assets in direct tunnel warfare. |
The Abyssal Connection
Kharzug does not initially understand the true source of his bloodline. As the campaign progresses and the Spawn plot becomes clearer, he begins recognizing symbols, tunnel geometries, and corruption patterns similar to those seen during his doomed military expedition years earlier.
This creates an excellent narrative parallel: the deeper the party descends toward the unfinished Darklands connector tunnel, the more Kharzug realizes he may already have survived exposure to the same abyssal influence threatening the Castrovin Sea.
Military Identity
| Trait | How It Appears |
|---|---|
| Discipline | Kharzug sharpens weapons daily, maintains watches, and distrusts complacency. |
| Tunnel Warfare | He instinctively checks ceilings, chokepoints, and ambush angles. |
| Monster Hunter | He views aberrations and Spawn creatures as military threats, not myths. |
| Siege Veteran | Understands attrition, supply pressure, and defensive positioning. |
Bloodline and Combat Progression
Abyssal Bloodline Advantages
| Level Range | Bloodline Benefit | Campaign Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | Strength surge during rage | Transforms Kharzug into a devastating frontline bruiser. |
| 5–8 | Enlarge-style effects | Perfect for chokepoints, tunnels, and reach control. |
| 9–11 | Monstrous resilience | Improves survivability against Darklands horrors. |
| 12–14 | Abyssal transformation themes | Excellent narrative tension during the Spawn finale. |
Recommended Feat Progression
| Level | Feat | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Power Attack | Core damage scaling. |
| 3 | Combat Reflexes | Reach builds thrive on extra attacks of opportunity. |
| 5 | Furious Focus | Improves Power Attack reliability. |
| 7 | Step Up | Punishes enemy casters and ranged attackers. |
| 9 | Lunge | Excellent for tunnel and chokepoint control. |
| 11 | Improved Critical (glaive) | Late-game damage scaling. |
| 13 | Critical Focus or Cornugon Smash | Choose offense or intimidation pressure. |
Recommended Bloodrager Spells
| Spell | Use |
|---|---|
| shield | Emergency survivability. |
| enlarge person | Extremely powerful with reach tactics. |
| mirror image | Massive defensive upgrade. |
| blur | Excellent against dangerous melee enemies. |
| haste | Late-game offensive power spike. |
| displacement | Critical survival spell in abyssal acts. |
Gear, Sidequests, and Roleplay
Preferred Equipment
- Glaive: ideal for reach control and defensive tunnel warfare.
- Lamellar or scale armor: practical military protection.
- Cloak of resistance: mandatory survival item.
- Belt of giant strength: best offensive scaling item.
- Potion bandolier: useful for self-buffing during expeditions.
- Darklands lantern: fits his subterranean military identity.
Personal Sidequest — The Broken Legion
Kharzug discovers that a handful of survivors from his original subterranean campaign may still be alive deep below Casmaron. The survivors have become hardened tunnel mercenaries fighting against abyssal corruption near unstable Darklands passages.
Reuniting with them could provide the party with critical military allies during the final acts of the campaign.
Alternate Sidequest — The Black Banner Fortress
A ruined hobgoblin outpost beneath volcanic terrain contains military records describing early contact with abyssal tunnel excavations centuries ago. Recovering these records may reveal how long the Spawn plot has truly existed beneath the Castrovin region.
Roleplay Notes
- Speaks directly and dislikes wasted movement.
- Distrusts cults, nobles, and prophets equally.
- Respects discipline more than morality.
- Sees monsters as military threats to be neutralized.
- Sleeps lightly and always faces entrances.
Campaign Quote
“The sea hides monsters. The deep earth breeds them.”