Kazzak ‘The Redacted’ Vae-Thun, a Hobgoblin Wizard — D&D 5e NPC portrait
#0196

Kazzak ‘The Redacted’ Vae-Thun

"Grand Editor of the Semantic Revolution"

Hobgoblin Wizard (Order of Scribes) LE Lvl 12 Sage (Military Archivist)

Male (He/Him) · Middle-aged, 48 years

Ability Scores

STR
12
+1
DEX
14
+2
CON
16
+3
INT
20
+5
WIS
14
+2
CHA
15
+2

Combat

Armor Class
15
12 Dex, Mage Armor
Hit Points
86
Hit Dice: 12d6+36
Initiative
+2
Speed
30 ft.
Proficiency
+4
Passive Perception
12

Attacks

Grammar Strike (Quarterstaff)+51d6+1 bludgeoning
Redacting Bolt+94d10 force

Personality

Personality

Kazzak speaks with a metronomic, rhythmic precision, pausing exactly two seconds between sentences. He punctuates his speech with sharp, vertical gestures and never uses contractions, viewing them as linguistic laziness.

Ideal

Logic. Emotion is the static that prevents the universe from functioning at peak efficiency.

Bond

The Lexicon of Omission. It is the only 'person' he considers an intellectual equal.

Flaw

He is physically pained by metaphors or slang, often stopping mid-combat to demand a clarification of terms.

Backstory

Kazzak was once the Chief Record-Keeper of the Iron Word Legion, a hobgoblin war-host that met its end not through steel, but through a poorly translated surrender treaty that led to a catastrophic ambush. As he stood amidst the smoldering ruins of his life's work, Kazzak didn't weep for his fallen kin; he wept at the dangling modifiers and ambiguous pronouns that had cost ten thousand lives. He realized then that reality is a manuscript written by the sloppy and the sentimental. If the world was to be saved, it had to be edited. He spent the next decade hunting down the 'Lexicon of Omission,' a semi-sentient tome capable of unravelling the very concept of a word.

Now, from the hollowed-out remains of the Temple of Oghma—now renamed the 'Central Filing Repository'—Kazzak directs a silent, terrifying crusade. He has successfully 'redacted' three local dialects, effectively rendering the concepts of 'rebellion' and 'hope' unutterable for the local peasantry. His followers, a mix of disciplined hobgoblins and lobotomized librarians, work tirelessly to purge the libraries of the world. To Kazzak, a burning book isn't an act of hate—it's merely a necessary correction to a flawed text. He believes that once every word is perfectly defined and every emotion excised, the world will finally achieve the stillness of a finished book.

Abilities & Actions

The Lexicon of Omission (Signature Item)

The Lexicon hovers within 5 feet of Kazzak. As a bonus action, Kazzak can command the Lexicon to 'Redact' a spell being cast within 60 feet. The caster must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw (DC 17) or the spell is lost as the verbal components vanish from the caster's memory for 1 minute.

Semantic Shatter (3/Day)

Kazzak speaks a phrase of absolute, frozen logic. Each creature of his choice within 30 feet that can hear him must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 6d8 psychic damage and is Stunned until the end of its next turn as its brain struggles to process the linguistic void. On a success, it takes half damage and isn't stunned.

Erasure of Intent (Reaction)

When a creature Kazzak can see within 60 feet makes an attack roll, he can use his reaction to delete the 'action' from the immediate timeline. The creature must roll a d6. On a 4-6, the attack automatically misses and the creature's turn ends as it momentarily forgets why it was fighting.

Aura of Silence

Kazzak is constantly surrounded by a 10-foot radius of unnatural quiet. Sound is dampened, and all creatures within the aura have resistance to thunder damage but are deafened.

DM Notes

Kazzak does not shout. He whispers with the authority of a falling guillotine. He should treat the players like unruly students who haven't done their reading. If a player uses a colorful metaphor, Kazzak should stop the combat to ask: 'Can you provide a peer-reviewed source for the claim that it is, in fact, raining cats and dogs? No? Then desist with the hyperbole.' He reacts to physical threats with a sigh of disappointment, as if violence is simply a failure of vocabulary.