Valric D’Orien

Valric D’Orien, “The Dashing Dagger”

Medium humanoid (half-elf), chaotic neutral

Armor Class 14 (studded leather)
Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	18 (+4)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Cha +6
Skills Deception +8, Performance +8, Persuasion +6, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Elvish, Thieves’ Cant
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

Traits

Silver-Tongued Liar. Valric has advantage on Charisma (Deception) and (Performance) checks when talking about his “adventures.”

Famous (Sort Of). In most settlements, 1d4+1 locals recognize his name or stories, though none can verify them. He often receives free drinks or meals as a “hero.”

Coward’s Reflex. If Valric takes more than 10 damage from a single attack or spell, he immediately uses his reaction to Disengage and move up to half his speed away from the attacker.

Fake Trophies. Valric carries several “legendary relics,” such as:

The Fang of the Moon Drake (carved bone dagger, badly painted silver)
The Crown of the Lich-King (tin circlet with purple glass gem)
The Cloak of Shadowwalking (ordinary black cloak with glitter)

A DC 15 Investigation check reveals they’re fakes, or DC 16 Insight reveals Valric’s deceit when he tells his tales.

Evasion (Rogue Feature). If subjected to an effect that allows a Dex save for half damage, Valric takes no damage on a success, half on a failure.

Actions

Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage.

Cunning Action. Valric takes the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action as a bonus action each turn.

Reactions

Feign Injury (Recharge 5–6). When hit by an attack, Valric can dramatically fake a mortal wound, forcing a creature within 10 ft. that can see him to make a DC 14 Insight check. On a failure, they believe he’s dying and may hesitate or waste an action “helping” him.

Equipment

A flashy rapier with an oversized gemstone pommel
Dozens of fake trophies, medallions, and forged letters of honor
Fine clothes and a travel cloak lined with fake fur
A flask of “dragonfire whiskey” (cheap brandy with chili powder)
20 gp, several unpaid tavern tabs, and a small vial of hair tonic

Personality

Personality Trait. “Confidence is the armor of the weak—so I wear mine polished and bright.”
Ideal. Fame — “It doesn’t matter if they remember the truth, only the legend.”
Bond. His silver tongue; he’s convinced he can talk his way out of anything.
Flaw. Crumbles under real danger; flees the moment he thinks he might die.

Roleplaying Valric

Mannerisms:

Speaks with grand gestures and constant name-dropping (“Ah yes, when I defeated the Hydra of Hallowfen…”)

Laughs too loud, to make sure everyone hears.

Adjusts his “medals” often.

Uses overblown vocabulary (“’Twas a battle for the ages!”).

Tavern Behavior:

Holds court in the Adventurers’ Guild or local taverns, surrounded by admirers.

If ignored, he loudly mocks the PCs:

“Oh, I suppose you slew the Dragon of Durgan’s Pass, did you? No? Then perhaps fetch us another round, hm?”

If challenged to a duel:

“Ah, alas! I injured my sword arm wrestling an ogre last week! Otherwise I’d certainly show you my technique.”

If attacked:

“You brutes! You’ll hear from my guild connections!” (He immediately uses Disengage and runs.)

Tactics in Combat

Opens with Cunning Action: Hide to appear “strategic.”

Will make one or two flashy strikes, then run away if the fight looks real.

May return later with guards, claiming the PCs “assaulted a hero.”

Adventure Hooks

The Counterfeit Hero. The PCs are hired to retrieve a legendary artifact Valric “found” — only to discover it’s a fake.

The Coward’s Debt. Valric owes money to dangerous people and tries to con the party into helping him “repay” them.

The Hero’s Funeral. Rumors spread that Valric died heroically saving a village… only for him to show up alive and milk the attention.

The Shield’s Shadow. If paired with Gargauth’s storyline, Valric could idolize Tharok, trying to join his “band of heroes” — becoming an infernal pawn by accident.

Valric’s “Trophies of Legend”

All are worthless trinkets, but each comes with an extravagant tale and a DC 15 Investigation or DC 16 Insight to expose the lie.

d10	Trophy	Description	Valric’s Tale	Truth
1	Fang of the Moon Drake	A crudely carved bone dagger painted silver	“Tore it straight from the maw of the Moon Drake during a lunar eclipse!”	It’s a goat bone. The paint is flaking off.
2	Crown of the Lich-King	A bent tin circlet with a purple glass gem	“I claimed this from the fallen tyrant of the Frostbarrows!”	It’s from a children’s costume. “Gem” is colored bottle glass.
3	The Cloak of Shadowwalking	Black cloak dusted with glitter	“Allows me to walk unseen through shadow and moonlight!”	It’s a cheap festival cloak, badly dyed. The glitter is shedding.
4	Medallion of the Sea Queen	Tarnished bronze pendant with a wave motif	“Gifted to me by the Queen of the Merfolk after I saved her reef!”	A souvenir from a coastal gift shop, stamped with a maker’s mark.
5	The Basilisk’s Eye	Cloudy marble in a bronze clasp	“One gaze from this gem can petrify lesser men!”	It’s a cat’s-eye marble glued into a ring setting.
6	The Horn of Giants’ Valor	Broken drinking horn wrapped in faux gold wire	“Used to rally the storm giants at the Battle of Stormpeak!”	It’s a cow horn. The “gold” is brass wire from a candlestick.
7	Siren’s Comb	Coral comb missing several teeth	“Ah, the Siren of Silver Shoals dropped this as she sang to me!”	It’s coral from a local market, with initials scratched into the back.
8	Amulet of Eternal Flame	Pendant holding a dull red stone	“Still glows with the fire of the Phoenix I bested!”	It’s a piece of colored resin; “glow” is a trick of the light.
9	The Minotaur’s Map	Torn scrap of parchment with nonsense scribbles	“A labyrinth’s secret map, deciphered only by me!”	It’s doodles and wine stains. No one could navigate with it.
10	The Blade of a Thousand Duels	Rusty rapier with an ornate guard	“Won every duel with this blade—never once been struck!”	The guard is brass. The blade’s edge is dull and bent; he bought it used.

🗣 Optional Roleplay Lines

“Ah yes, this gem once pulsed with the soul of a fire elemental. I had to wrestle it into submission, of course.”
“A simple trophy? Hardly, my friend. This horn saved kingdoms.”
“If you stare too long into the Basilisk’s Eye, you might find yourself… rooted to the spot. Ha!”

🧩 Hints for Players

A jeweler, historian, or arcane expert can identify most of these as fakes automatically.
A tavern patron might interrupt him mid-story, saying, “Didn’t you buy that at my cousin’s stall in Baldur’s Gate?”
If caught lying, Valric immediately claims, “Ah! You saw through the ruse! I was… testing your perception, of course!”