Buy me a coffeeMarie Laveau (Voodoo Queen of New Orleans)
“The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans: Unleash the Mystical Powers of Marie Laveau!”
- Alias: Voodoo Queen
- Gender: Female
- Race: Human (with strong ties to Voodoo)
- Occupation: Spiritual leader, healer, practitioner of voodoo magic
- Religion: Voodoo
- Allies: Practitioners of voodoo, those seeking spiritual guidance, members of her community
- Enemies: Those who seek to undermine her influence or exploit her powers
- Abode/Base of Operations: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Nationality: American (specifically associated with the cultural heritage of New Orleans)
- Languages: English, French, Creole
- Alignment: Neutral Good
- Affiliation(s): Voodoo community, local spiritual groups
- Significant others: Varies in folklore and legends, often depicted as having a romantic partner or multiple partners within the voodoo community
Marie Laveau is a prominent figure in the vibrant city of New Orleans, renowned as the Voodoo Queen. With her striking presence and enigmatic allure, she captivates the hearts and minds of those who seek her guidance. Deeply rooted in her mystical heritage, Marie possesses an unwavering connection to the spiritual realms.
As a character, Marie Laveau is driven by her deep compassion for her community and her unwavering commitment to her ancestral traditions. With her vast knowledge of voodoo practices and rituals, she endeavors to heal the wounded, offer solace to the troubled souls, and protect her beloved city from malevolent forces.
Marie Laveau’s physical appearance is as enchanting as her spirit. She adorns herself with vibrant garments, adorned with intricate patterns and vibrant colors, representing the rich tapestry of her cultural heritage. Her ebony skin exudes an air of mystique, framed by cascading waves of raven-black hair, often styled with ornate accessories and feathers that accentuate her regal presence.
In her current surroundings, Marie Laveau can be found within the vibrant streets of New Orleans, where her influence permeates every corner. She frequents sacred places, such as graveyards and mystical gathering spots, where she conducts powerful rituals and communions with the spirits. Her mood is often serene and alluring, emanating a sense of tranquility and wisdom that draws people to her for guidance and aid.
Marie Laveau’s ultimate aspiration is to bring harmony and balance to her community, bridging the gap between the mortal world and the ethereal realm. She seeks to protect her people from malevolent entities, offer healing and comfort to those in need, and preserve the sacred traditions and cultural heritage of voodoo. With her deep understanding of the mystical arts, Marie Laveau strives to create a world where both mortals and spirits coexist in harmony, enveloped in the enchanting aura of New Orleans.
Marie Laveau 5e
Marie Laveau Pathfinder
Marie Laveau
The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans (CR 16)
Medium humanoid (human), Neutral Good
Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 198 (22d8 + 88)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 (+1) | 16 (+3) | 18 (+4) | 18 (+4) | 22 (+6) | 24 (+7) |
Saving Throws Wis +11, Cha +12
Skills Arcana +9, Insight +11, Persuasion +12, Religion +9
Damage Resistances Necrotic, Psychic
Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 16
Languages English, French, Creole, Voodoo Cant
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)
Traits
Voodoo Queen’s Presence. Whenever a creature hostile to Marie starts its turn within 30 feet of her, it must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the start of its next turn. Creatures that succeed on this save are immune to this effect for 24 hours.
Master of Sympathetic Magic. Marie can use her Voodoo Doll (see Equipment) as an arcane focus. While she is attuned to the doll, she can cast spells that target creatures she has connected to it (using hair, blood, or other personal items) even if she cannot see them, provided they are within 1 mile.
Resilient Will. Marie has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
Spellcasting. Marie is a 16th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following spells prepared:
- Cantrips (at will): chill touch, guidance, thaumaturgy, toll the dead
- 1st level (4 slots): bless, hex, shield, detect magic
- 2nd level (3 slots): hold person, mirror image, silence
- 3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, dispel magic, fear
- 4th level (3 slots): blight, phantasmal killer, dimension door
- 5th level (2 slots): scrying, wall of force
- 6th level (1 slot): circle of death, true seeing
- 7th level (1 slot): finger of death
- 8th level (1 slot): dominate monster
- 9th level (1 slot): power word kill
Actions
Multiattack. Marie makes two melee attacks or casts a spell.
Staff of the Veve. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
- Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 14 (4d6) necrotic damage.
The staff can be used as an arcane focus. While holding it, Marie gains a +2 bonus to spell attack rolls and spell save DCs.
Voodoo Hex (Recharge 5–6). Marie targets one creature within 60 feet that she can see or that is linked to her Voodoo Doll. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or be cursed for 1 minute. While cursed, the creature has disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. The curse ends early if Marie is incapacitated.
Invoke the Ancestors (1/Day). Marie calls upon her spiritual allies to protect her. For 1 minute, spectral forms surround her in a 20-foot radius. Creatures of her choice in the area have disadvantage on attack rolls, and her allies gain advantage on saving throws.
Reactions
Spirit Veil. When a creature attacks Marie and misses, she can create a protective shroud of spiritual energy, imposing disadvantage on that creature’s next attack roll before the end of its turn.
Lair Actions
Marie Laveau’s lair is her candlelit parlor, filled with veve-painted walls, shelves of spell ingredients, and faintly glowing ancestor relics. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), she can use a lair action to cause one of the following effects:
- Binding Veves. A glowing sigil appears under a creature’s feet. The creature must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or be restrained until the start of the next round.
- Echoes of the Past. Ancestral spirits whisper in the lair. Hostile creatures within 30 feet of Marie must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on their next saving throw.
- Phantom Shadows. Illusory shadows dart across the lair. Until the start of the next round, creatures Marie chooses within 30 feet have disadvantage on attack rolls against her and her allies.
Legendary Actions
Marie can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature’s turn. She regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
- Mystic Chant. Marie casts a spell of 3rd level or lower, expending a spell slot as normal.
- Dark Veil (Costs 2 Actions). Marie envelops herself in shadow, becoming invisible until the start of her next turn or until she attacks or casts a spell.
- Curse Amplification (Costs 3 Actions). Marie amplifies an existing curse she has placed. The target of the curse takes 21 (6d6) psychic damage and must make another saving throw against the curse’s effects.
Equipment
- Staff of the Veve. An ornate staff carved with intricate veves and topped with a bone talisman. Acts as a +2 arcane focus.
- Voodoo Doll. A handcrafted doll linked to a creature via personal items. Allows casting spells at long range (1 mile).
- Amulet of Spirit Protection. Grants advantage on saving throws against necrotic damage and the charmed condition.
Roleplaying Notes
Marie Laveau is wise, compassionate, and deeply tied to her community. Though powerful, her focus is on healing, protection, and balance, acting as a guardian of her people and the spiritual realms. Her abilities blend powerful magic, the mysticism of Voodoo, and her legendary aura of command and kindness.
Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen of New Orleans
Neutral Good Human Oracle 14
CR: 14 | XP: 38,400
Defenses
- AC: 22 (+4 natural, +4 deflection, +2 Dex, +2 other)
- HP: 126 (14d8 + 28)
- Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +13
- Resistances: +4 vs. fear and charm effects
Offenses
- Speed: 30 ft.
- Melee: Staff of Voodoo +10 (1d6+3 bludgeoning + 1d6 necrotic)
- Spell-Like Abilities (at-will): Detect Magic, Guidance, Light
- Oracle Spells (CL 14, DC 18 + spell level):
- 7th (2/day): Vision, Greater Restoration
- 6th (3/day): Heal, Legend Lore
- 5th (4/day): Scrying, True Seeing
- 4th (5/day): Divination, Restoration
- 3rd (6/day): Dispel Magic, Prayer, Bestow Curse
- 2nd (7/day): Augury, Hold Person
- 1st (8/day): Bless, Command, Cure Light Wounds
- 0th (at-will): Detect Magic, Stabilize, Mending, Read Magic
Statistics
- STR: 10 | DEX: 14 | CON: 12 | INT: 12 | WIS: 14 | CHA: 22
- Skills: Diplomacy +20, Heal +18, Knowledge (Religion) +18, Sense Motive +18
- Feats: Extra Revelation, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Selective Channeling
- Mystery: Ancestor | Curse: Haunted
- Revelations: Spirit Shield, Spirit Touch, Bonded Spirit (summon monster VI 1/day), Voice of the Grave, Spirit Walk
Special Abilities
- Mystical Presence (Aura): Enemies within 30 ft. take -2 to saves vs. fear/charm.
- Voodoo Hex (Su): 1/day, curse target (-4 to saves/ability checks for 1 minute, Will DC 18).
Gear
- Staff of Voodoo (+3 quarterstaff, 1d6 necrotic damage)
- Amulet of Natural Armor +4
- Ring of Protection +4
- Voodoo Doll (focus for scrying and curse effects)
- Potion of Greater Restoration (x3)
- Incense of Meditation
Tactics
- Before Combat: Cast Prayer and Greater Invisibility.
- During Combat: Opens with Bestow Curse or Hold Person, supports allies with Heal and Restoration.
- Morale: Retreats using Spirit Walk if overwhelmed.
Currently in the World
Currently, Marie Laveau is walking the quiet streets of the French Quarter under a full moon, her steps deliberate as she surveys her beloved city. The flickering gaslight illuminates her silhouette, and the soft hum of distant jazz blends with the whispers of the spirits that hover near her. Her hands grip a staff carved with intricate veves, and her amulet of protection glimmers faintly against her chest. She pauses at a crossroads, casting sacred powders into the wind and uttering a soft incantation to maintain the balance between realms.
The city itself seems to breathe with her presence. Around her, the sounds of life mingle with the otherworldly hum of spirits that walk unseen. The scent of bayou herbs and burning incense wafts from her pouch, carried on a cool breeze. In this moment, her mood is calm but vigilant, her senses attuned to any disturbance in the fragile harmony she has sworn to protect.
Deep in the swamps beyond the city, a distant necromancer threatens to raise an army of the dead. Marie knows she cannot face this alone; the dark magic resists even her most potent blessings. She calls upon a group of adventurers, offering them guidance and relics infused with the power of her rituals. As she instructs them in her parlor, her voice is steady and purposeful. The room around her is dimly lit by flickering candles; veves drawn in chalk cover the floor, and shelves are lined with jars of rare ingredients, mystical tomes, and ancestral relics. Every detail speaks to her life’s work—protecting New Orleans and its people from forces beyond their understanding.
Elsewhere in the city, Marie senses the appearance of glowing veves etched spontaneously onto the walls of the French Quarter. The symbols, imbued with the power of an awakening loa, are both a warning and a riddle. Standing before one, her brow furrows in thought. The faint light from the symbols dances across her features as she traces the lines with reverent fingers, deciphering their meaning. Around her, spirits gather silently, their translucent forms watching her every move.
Whether performing an exorcism in a flooded crypt, breaking curses with her powerful charms, or guiding lost souls in her smoky parlor, Marie’s life is a delicate dance between the mortal and spirit worlds. Her expression carries the weight of her responsibilities—a mix of serenity and determination as she channels her deep connection to the loa and the energies that surround her. Her every action reflects her unwavering dedication to her city and its people.
In this moment, Marie Laveau embodies the heart of New Orleans: vibrant, resilient, and shrouded in mysticism. As her chant rises softly into the night, those who seek her aid feel a profound sense of safety and awe, drawn to the Queen’s unique power, which bridges the gap between the living and the divine.
Plot Hooks Featuring Marie Laveau
1. The Haunted Crossroads
Strange occurrences plague the outskirts of New Orleans: a shadowy figure appears at the crossroads each night, causing local travelers to disappear without a trace. The townsfolk believe the barrier between the living and the dead has been weakened, allowing vengeful spirits to roam free.
Marie Laveau calls upon the adventurers for aid. While she senses that the disturbance is unnatural, she is unable to resolve it alone due to the spirit’s resistance to her influence. She tasks the party with investigating the source of the hauntings. The plot thickens when the adventurers discover that the spirits are not random; they are being bound by a rival sorcerer attempting to steal Marie’s power by disrupting the balance she maintains.
- Objective: Dispel the curse at the crossroads and confront the sorcerer controlling the spirits.
- Complication: The adventurers must navigate both the physical dangers of the restless undead and the moral quandary of facing someone who may have a tragic reason for their actions.
- Reward: Marie offers her aid in the form of powerful charms or a rare voodoo ritual that can save a party member from death one time.
2. A Soul in Peril
Marie approaches the adventurers in her parlor, visibly troubled. A powerful relic known as The Mourner’s Crown, which she has kept hidden for decades, has been stolen. This cursed artifact allows its wielder to trap souls and use them to fuel dark rituals. The relic’s theft coincides with the disappearance of a local family, and Marie fears that someone intends to sacrifice the souls to gain immense necrotic power.
Marie tasks the party with tracking down the relic, cautioning them about its corrupting influence. Along the way, the adventurers learn that the thief is a desperate individual trying to resurrect a loved one.
- Objective: Recover The Mourner’s Crown before it can be used in a dangerous ritual.
- Complication: The adventurers must decide whether to destroy the relic or allow Marie to safeguard it again, as its power is both dangerous and irreplaceable.
- Reward: Marie enchants an item for each party member with blessings that enhance their abilities or resistance to curses.
3. The Forgotten Veve
A rare and sacred veve (a mystical symbol used in rituals) has begun appearing spontaneously throughout the city, etched in glowing patterns that fade after a few minutes. Marie identifies this as an omen of the return of a long-forgotten loa (a voodoo spirit), but its intentions are unclear.
Marie enlists the adventurers to help decipher the meaning of the veve and locate its source. As the party follows the trail of symbols, they uncover a hidden temple buried beneath the swamp. Within, they encounter a dormant loa who is awakening from centuries of slumber. The adventurers must decide whether to appease, bind, or destroy the spirit before it wreaks havoc.
- Objective: Uncover the truth behind the veve and manage the loa’s return.
- Complication: The loa may not be inherently evil, but its awakening disrupts the delicate spiritual balance of New Orleans, attracting other malevolent entities.
- Reward: Marie grants the adventurers access to her spiritual library, containing rare spells and ancient lore that could be vital for future quests.