Monday, March 30, 2009

War-Sorcerer of Soguer

In the years after the Anmagus crusades, those who would have learned the proper use of their natural aptitude for magic at the temples of Boccob or under the tutelage of the Magi of Setherra Isle instead learned their magical skills through trial and error.

Many of those who survived their self-apprenticeships found that among the warrng states of former Soguer their arcane powers meant they could be a decisive force on the battlefield. As the wars between the fiefs ground on some began hiring themselves out as war-sorcerers to whichever lord would pay them. Now, in many battles throughout the lands they can be seen raining fire and lightning down upon terrified soldiers from afar.

As mercanaries, they will generally only fight for a losing side until it is clear victory cannot be acheived. It is not uncommon for them to flee battle when it turns bad, or to surrender and then hire themselves to the victor.

War-Sorcerers in your game: This arcane character could play a part in any battle where you need a striker-type character with significant controller powers. He can also fill in as a sorcerer NPC, either aiding the party of opposing them.

Tactics: Not particularly tough or well-defended, war-sorcerers will remain well behind the front lines where they can rain down death in safety. If attacked directly they will use their Burning Spray to attack or Chaos Storms to get their attackers away from them.

War-Sorcerer of Soguer Level 9 Artillery
Medium natural humanoid XP 400

Initiative +7 Senses Perception +9
HP 72; Bloodied 36
AC 20; Fortitude 19, Reflex 21, Will 25
Speed 6

Powers

Burning Spray ✦ At-Will, Standard Action Close blast 3
Arcane, Fire, Implement
You fling your arm in a wide arc, casting liquid fire at your foes.
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: +12 vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d8 + 8 fire damage.

Chaos Bolt ✦ At-Will, Standard Action Ranged 10
Arcane, Implement, Psychic
A bolt of many-colored light leaps from your hand and screams toward an enemy’s head.
Primary Target: One creature
Primary Attack: +12 vs. Will
Hit: 1d10 + 8 psychic damage.
Effect: If you rolled an even number for the primary attack roll, make a secondary attack.
Secondary Target: One creature within 5 squares of the target last hit by this power
Secondary Attack: +12 vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 psychic damage. If you rolled an even number for the secondary attack roll, repeat the secondary attack.
You can attack a creature only once with a single use of this power.

Chaos Storm ✦ Encounter, Standard Action Area burst 1 within 10 squares
Arcane, Implement, Lightning, Teleportation
A storm of lightning pounds your enemies. When the storm clears, everyone has teleported to new positions by your magic.
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: +12 vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d6 + 8 lightning damage.
Effect: You teleport each target hit by the attack to any other space within the burst.

Contagious Curse ✦ Daily, Standard Action Ranged 10
Arcane, Implement, Poison

A cloud of poison gas coils around your foe, warding off help.
Target: One creature
Attack: +12 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d10 + 8 poison damage.
Effect: You slide the target a number of squares equal to your Charisma modifier. The target is poisonous to your enemies (save ends). While the target is poisonous, any enemy that starts its turn adjacent to the target takes 1d10 poison damage.
Wild Magic: If you rolled an even number on the attack roll, any enemy that starts its turn within 2 squares of the poisonous target takes 1d10 poison damage.

Unfettered Power: When you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll for an arcane power, you slide the target 1 square and knock it prone after applying the attack’s other effects.


Alignment neutral Languages Common, Draconic
Skills Arcana +9, Insight +9, Perception +9
Str 13 (+5) Dex 17 (+7) Wis 11 (+4)
Con 12 (+5) Int 10 (+4) Cha 21 (+9)

Equipment: staff, dagger, robes

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Wand of Chain Lightning

Level 28

An arcane word sends a blinding bolt of lightning from the tip of the wand to ricochet amongst your foes.

Level 28 ✦ +6 enhancement ✦ 2,125,000 gold

Implement (Wand)

Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus.

Power (Daily✦ Arcane, Lightning, Implement): Standard Action. As the Wizard's chain lightning power.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Magus of Setthera

"When it rained Ogion would not even say the spell that every weather-worker knows, to send the storm aside. In a land where sorcerers come thick, like Gont or the Enlades, you may see a raincloud blundering slowly from side to side and place to place as one spell shunts it on to the next, till at last it is buffeted out over the sea where it can rain in peace. But Ogion let the rain fall where it would. Ged crouched among the dripping bushes wet and sullen, and wondered what was the use of having power if you were too wise to use it."
- Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea

Perquisite: Wizard and training in arcana, nature and religion.

The magi of Setthera Isle are an ancient order of wizards. Since time unremembered they have taught the arts of the magi from their white tower on their island home where they preserve ancient knowledge. The masters there - the maker, the namer, the warder, and the shaper - teach their pupils to honor the place of magic within the world's balance, and to revere life and the natural order of the universe. Once their pupils become journeymen, they are sent out into the world to help people with their magics. Those of exceptional skill will return to the Isle of Setthera to become one of the teachers and masters there.

The central tenant of their magic rests upon the knowledge of the true names of things. Using the secret names of things they are able to make them change.


Magus Path Features

(11th level feature) - Shape of the Name - (Daily, Minor Action, Polymorph) - Using your knowledge of the true name of things, you change yourself into something else for a time. Shapechange to any natural animal of your level or lower and size tiny to large. You gain your new forms move and melee basic attack damage, but your stats are otherwise unchanged. The change remains until you choose to resume your normal form.

(11th level feature) - True Name's Nature - When using magic against a creature, you can attempt to determine it's true name. If you succeed, you have more power to effect it.
Use this power when you use an action point to cast a spell at a creature. If the spell hits, you receive a +1 insight bonus to attack rolls and skill checks against that specific creature permanently, and receive +1 to all your defenses against it.

(16th level feature) - Warder's Defense -(Encounter, Immediate Interrupt) - spend two healing surges to reduce the damage of an attack targeting yourself or an ally within 5 squares by your healing surge value.


Magus Attacks

True Name's Chains
Magus level 11 attack (Encounter, Standard Action) - one target in close burst 10
Intelligence vs. Will.
Hit: The target is Stunned (save ends).
Miss: The target is Restrained (save ends).
Effect: The target is Marked (sustain minor).


Counterspell
Magus utility - level 12 (Daily, immediate interrupt)
Intelligence attack vs Will of creature attacking with a power that has the Arcane keyword.
Hit: The interrupted power automatically misses.


Light's Rebuke
Magus attack - level 20 (Daily, Standard Action) - One target within close burst 10
Int vs Fortitude, 3d10 + Intelligence modifier radiant damage and the target is weakened (save ends).

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Bog Maid

(young bog hag) - Level 6 Skirmisher
Medium fey humanoid (aquatic) XP 250

Initiative +6 Senses Perception +7; low-light vision
Unwholesome Presence aura 3; enemies in the aura gain only half
the normal hit points from spending healing surges.

HP 75; Bloodied 37; see also rending claws
AC 20; Fortitude 19, Reflex 17, Will 15
Speed 8 (swamp walk), swim 8

Claw (standard; at-will)
+11 vs. AC; 1d8 + 4 damage.

Rending Claws (standard; recharges when first bloodied)
The bog hag makes two claw attacks against the same target; if
both claws hit, the hag deals an extra 5 damage to the target.

Change Shape (minor; at-will) * Polymorph
A bog hag can alter its physical form to appear as a beautiful
young female elf, half-elf, eladrin, or human.

Evasive Charge
The bog hag shifts 2 squares after charging.

Alignment Evil Languages Common, Elven
Skills Intimidate +10, Nature +10, Stealth +12
Str 20 (+19) Dex 16 (+7) Wis 15 (+7)
Con 17 (+7) Int 12 (+6) Cha 14 (+7)

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Brizun's Staff-hammer

Stepping back from his work, Brizun, the bugbear magician, folds his arms with the satisfaction of a job well done. Behold--The greatest (and possibly only) scientific leap in the realm of Spellcasting n' Skullbashing technology--The Staff-hammer! Sure, the fifteen foot length of jute used to fasten the staff and hammer together may look unseemly, but the advantages in combat surely outweigh the aesthetic downfalls. "Besides," Brizun declares to Mr. Scruffles, "I could decorate it with some feathers or something."
"That's a great idea," He replies out of the corner of his mouth, holding a straw doll next to his face.

Staff-hammer -- Two handed exotic weapon.
Proficiency +2, Damage 1d10, Price 10 gp, Weight 12 lbs, Group Staff, Mace
Staff-hammers hold the unique property of being usable as both a weapon and a wizard's implement, and allow use of the Staff of Defense implement mastery. Enhancement bonuses for the Staff-hammer apply to both melee attacks and wizard spells that use the implement keyword. However, the proficiency bonus only applies to melee attacks.


Magic Staff-hammer - Level 9+
This chimera of a weapon glows with edritch energy, in addition to looking like it could crack some skulls.

Lvl 9 +1 4,200gp
Lvl 14 +2 21,000gp
Lvl 19 +3 105,000gp
Lvl 24 +4 525,000gp
Lvl 29 +5 2,625,000gp

Weapon: Staff-hammer
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d8 damage per plus