Ruins of Adventure
Father Aram Carnithrax Decidimus
Description:
A gaunt older man with a weak, receding chin hidden under a scraggly gray beard, and a bald, speckled pate. He is dressed in full-length chain armor, covered with a night-black cloak. On his head is a chain coif, surmounted by a large, spiky crown of metal and bone shards. Under all the armor and gear, he is rail-thin and sinew, with not an ounce of fat on him.
Father Aram is one of many in the north who claim direct descent from the Nogese lords of old. The tenth son of an old, noble family in Hillsfar, serving in the Red Plumes, he immediately joined the church of the Blessed Afflictor when the Nogese General appeared in their city less than a year ago. When their “God” disappeared just as suddenly as he had arrived, Aram and the other early converts started a campaign to seek out and unearth all the Nogese ruins in and around Hillsfar.
Nearly a year later, their search has dried up. Disheartened by this failure, Father Aram tried to mount a new expedition, promising to go north to the Dragonspine Mountains in search of new relics in the heart of the ancient empire. Unfortunately, months of appealing to his fellow initiates proved fruitless — no one wanted to leave Hillsfar, where their god had appeared, and nothing he could say could convince them that the true seat of their god lay further north. Thus, he boarded a ship alone, sailing for Phlan and the mountains beyond…
Aram is generally jovial, polite, and pleasant, despite his sinister convictions. Most importantly, he is a bad leader, but does not know that he is a bad leader. In times of crisis, he constantly shouts orders and suggestions (usually bad ones). He dreams of being a great general, like his master, but, as his order in Hillsfar already learned, is not a person any sane being would want to follow into battle. His hope is to visit the Sacred Mountain of Deckon Thar just once before he dies.
Like so many in the Church of the Blessed Afflictor in Hillsfar, Father Aram has a largely over-blown title (for a church with only a single established temple in all of Faerun). His official title is “Second Free Prelature of the Opus Dei of Our Blessed Afflictor, Archepiscopal and Metropolitan of the Northern Shore, and Watcher Over the Sacred Depths”.
At the party base in Phlan, Aram Decidimus has two children — Aram Roland, by his late wife, Domitia, and Tenebrus, a half-elven daughter by one of his slaves, Múldîs. Roland is grown and married, and has given Decidimus three grand-children: Granson (22, deceased), Secundus (18), and Hermia (15), by his wife Flavia.
Age: 72 years
Height: 6 ft. 1 in.
Weight: 160 lbs.
Bio:
Race: Human
Homeland: Hillsfar
Class: Cleric
Kit: Relic Seeker
Alignment: Lawful, Non-Good
Religion: The Blessed Afflictor
Level: 9th
Experience: 150,986 (ready to level – 10th)
Next Level: 125,000 (200,000)
Max Level: Unlimited
Ability Scores:
Stamina | 13 | Weight Allowance: 55 lbs | Movement Bonus +0 | ||
Muscle | 16 | Max Press 195 lbs | Attack +0 | Damage +1 | Feat of Strength 30% |
Aim | 16 | Missile Attack +1 | |||
Balance | 10 | Surprise +0 | AC +0 | ||
Health | 9 | System Shock 55% | Poison Save +0 | PSPs +0 | Regeneration 0 |
Fitness | 17 | Resurrection 96% | Hit Points +3 / level | ||
Reason | 13 | Max Spell Level 6th | Max Spells/Level 18 | PSPs +0 | Illusion Immunity: none |
Knowledge | 14 | Bonus Profs +4 | Bonus Paths +2 | Learn Spell 60% | |
Intuition | 17 | Spell Failure 0% | Bonus Runes +3 | Bonus Spells 1st x2, 2nd x2, 3rd |
Earned XP +10% |
Willpower | 6 | Mental Save -1 | PSPs +0 | Spell Immunity: none | |
Leadership | 4 | Max Henchmen: 1 | NPC Loyalty -5 | ||
Appearance | 8 | NPC Reactions +0 |
Reactions:
- NPC Reaction: -2 (-4 vs. Non-humans)
-
Surprise: +0
- Always Surprised outside of Ruins
-
Initiative: +0
- +2 penalty in first round
- Movement: 12
Combat Statistics:
Hit Points: 56
Armor Class: 15 (chainmail)
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Saves:
- Paralyzation/Poison/Death: 7
- Rod/Staff/Wand: 11
- Petrification/Polymorph: 10
- Breath Weapon: 13
- Spells: 11
- Fear: 10
- Horror: 12
- Madness: 15
Weapons | # Att | Att Bonus | Dmg | Dmg (L) | Speed | Range | Special |
Heartbeat Blade | 1/round | +5 | 2d6+2 | 2d6+2 | 1 | melee | Magic. Detect heartbeats. |
Tetsu-To | 1/round | +2 | 1d12+1 | 3d6+1 | 12 | melee | Iron |
Chilling Scythe | 1/round | +7 | 3d4+3 | 1d8+1d4+3 | 2 | melee | Magic. 4d6 damage vs. undead. Undead hurled back 20 feet. |
Non-Weapon Proficiencies:
- Groups: Academic, Larceny, Martial, Spiritual
Proficiency | Proficiency Score | Notes |
Modern Languages (Common) | 14 | Bonus Human. |
Modern Languages (Cormanthan) | 14 | Bonus Homeland. |
Modern Languages (Tharian) | 14 | Bonus Homeland. |
Ancient Languages (Nogese) | 14 | Bonus Relic Seeker. |
Modern Languages (Espruar) | 14 | Cross-Class (2 slots) |
Literacy | 17 | Bonus Homeland. Bonus Relic Seeker. |
Numeracy | 15 | Bonus Homeland. |
Administration | 14 | Bonus Religion. |
Ancient History (Noga) | 15 | Bonus Religion. Bonus Relic Seeker. |
Arcanology | 13 | Bonus Religion. Bonus Relic Seeker. |
Burial Customs | 14 | Bonus Religion. |
Hiding | 12 | Bonus Homeland. |
Relic Dating | 12 | Bonus Relic Seeker. |
Disarm Traps | 14 | Bonus Relic Seeker. |
Religion | 17 | Bonus Cleric. |
Excavation | 16 | Cross-Class (2 slots) |
Mountaineering | — | Cross-Class (2 slots) |
Climbing | 18 | Default. |
Locksmithing | 16 | 1 slot |
Looting | 16 | 1 slot |
Necrology | 14 | 1 slot |
Ceremony | 17 | 1 slot |
Occult Lore | 11 | 1 slot |
Sacred Legends (Nogese) | 12 | 1 slot |
Two-Hander Style | — | 1 slot +1 damage & -3 Initiative with two-handed weapons. |
Weapon Proficiencies:
- Long Blades Group
- Miner’s Pick
Special Powers:
- Priests of the Blessed Afflictor are able to Command Undead, as a Cleric of their level.
- Priests of the Blessed Afflictor are totally immune to the effects of normal cold. Against magical cold effects (such as a cone of cold spell or white dragon breath), the priest gains a +4 bonus on his saving throws and suffers 2 fewer points of damage per die (minimum 1 damage).
- Priests of the Blessed Afflictor are immune to the paralytic touch of ghouls, ghasts, and similar undead. Furthermore, they get a saving throw vs. death to defend against the level-draining abilities of undead such as spectres, wights, wraiths, or vampires.
- A priest of the Blessed Afflictor of at least 8th level, automatically attracts a body of followers, both men drawn by his charisma and creatures drawn by the power of their god. These special followers arrive whether or not the priest has established a temple or base of operations. These followers will freely accompany the priest on his adventures and aid him in whatever way they can. These followers consist of 1 Wight, 2 Crypt Servants, 2 3rd-level Priests of the Blessed Afflictor, and 9 1st-level Fighters. The undead followers are intelligent and serve the priest of their own free will. They do not count against the limit on the number of undead that the priest can control.
-
Followers:
- Number 538
- 2 Crypt Servants (Brother Tullus Vipsanius & Brother Proculus Fabius)
- Brother Gaius
- Brother Proclus
-
Followers:
- The people of Hillsfar are very alert against magic, given magic’s tight regulation in Hillsfar. As a result, they get a +1 bonus on saving throws versus spells.
- Whenever a Hillsfarran successfully attacks a target from behind, he deals double normal damage (or adds 1 to his damage multiplier if he has the rogue’s Backstab ability).
- Relic Seekers gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with all weapons from the Picks group from long use of them as both weapons and digging tools.
- Specialized Culture (Nog): When dealing with any remains or ruins from the specialized culture, he gains a +3 bonus on his score on applicable proficiencies (ancient history, ancient language, excavations, find traps, relic dating, disarm traps, etc.).
- Clerics, regardless of religion, can always count on assistance from temples of their faith. Assuming a local temple of the appropriate faith is available, a cleric can request and expect the following aid (and perhaps more):
- Safe haven, food, and board within the temple. In exchange, the cleric is expected to help the other clergy present. This hospitality is automatically extended to as many companions as the priest has levels. (A generous and gracious temple may extend it to anyone.)
- A loan. Moneys borrowed may equal up to twice the cleric’s level times a hundred (in gold pieces). The loan must be repaid within 30 days.
- Muscle. An cleirc may request the services of a number of 1st-level fighters equaling twice the priest’s level. All fighters will be equipped with chain mail and the traditional weapon of their faith (i.e. warhammers for Tyr or battle axes for Tempus). The time of service cannot exceed the cleric’s level in days, and the purpose of the mission should somehow advance the cause of the priest’s faith.
- A cleric assistant of the same faith. The helper’s experience level equals half that of the priest served, rounded down; up to a maximum of 4th level. The assistant may be kept for up to one week per level of the priest before having to leave.
- Upon reaching 8th level, the cleric automatically attracts a fanatically loyal group of believers, provided the character has established a place of worship of significant size. These followers are normal warriors, 1st-level fighters, ready to fight for the cleric’s cause. The cleric attracts 20 to 200 (2d10 x10) of these followers. After the initial followers assemble, no new followers trickle in to fill the ranks of those who have fallen in service.
- At 9th level, the cleric may receive official approval to establish a religious stronghold, be it a fortified abbey or a secluded convent. Obviously, the stronghold must contain all the trappings of a place of worship and must be dedicated to the service of the cleric’s cause. However, the construction cost of the stronghold is half the normal price, since the work has official sanction and much of the labor is donated.
Psionics:
PSPs: 50
Power | Discipline | Power Score | Cost | Maintenance | Effect |
Cause Decay | Psychometabolism | 10 | 4 | — | Touched inanimate object (up to 60 lbs) must save vs. acid or instantly decay and be consumed in 1 round. |
Priest Spells: Caster level 9th
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th |
6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Major Spheres: All, Charm, Combat, Divination, Law, Necromantic, Numbers, Protection, Time
Minor Spheres: Healing
Spell List:
- 0th level: Aspiration, Benediction, Bless Meal, Canticle, Ceremony: Oath, Consecrate, Cure Minor Wounds, Disinfect, Dowse, Freshen, Handfire, Incense, Judgement, Malediction, Meditation, Petition, Polish, Preserve, Remove Pain, Shine, Stone, Warding
- 1st level: Analyze Balance, Beneficence, Bless, Calculate, Calm, Ceremony, Cleanse, Combine, Command, Cure Light Wounds, Deflection, Detect Balance, Detect Disease, Detect Evil, Detect Harmony, Detect Living†, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Detect Predator, Detect Untruth, Dispel Fatigue, Divining Rod, Ebony Hand, Empathy, Endure Cold/Heat, Eternal Sleep, Find Water, Hibernate, Invisibility to Undead, Know Age, Know Faction, Know History, Know Time, Magical Stone, Om, Omen, Orison, Personal Reading, Protection from Chaos, Protection from Evil, Protection from Prime, Protection from Silver, Purify Food & Drink, Purify Self, Rainshield, Read Languages, Regenerate Light Wounds, Remove Fear, Resist, Ring of Hands, Sanctuary, Skeletal Servant, Spectral Senses, Threnody†, Trance, Treasure Scent, Undead Battlemight†, Waterfloat, Weapon Bless
- 2nd level: Aid, Augury, Calm Chaos, Chant, Chilling Scythe†, Commune with Lesser Spirits, Cure Moderate Wounds, Death Prayer, Death Talisman, Detect Charm, Detect Life, Enhance Turning, Enthrall, Exorcism, Fangs of Retribution†, Find Traps, Gloom, Hear Heartbeat, Hesitation, Hold Person, Know Alignment, Know Language, Moment, Music of the Spheres, Mystic Transfer, Nap, Priest Lock, Protection from Charm, Protection from Orisons, Protection from Spirits, Renewed Ability, Resist Acid and Corrosion, Resist Fire/Cold, Resist Turning, Restore Strength, Sanctify, Siren Song, Slow Poison, Tracking, Translate, Warning, Warp Sense, Whip of Flame†, Withdraw
- 3rd level: Accelerate Healing, Animate Dead, Bestow Minor Curse, Call Spirit, Castigate, Choose Future, Corpse Wither, Cure Blindness or Deafness, Cure Disease, Dance of Pain†, Death’s Door, Decay†, Detect Cursed Item, Detect Illusion, Dictate, Dismiss Undead, Dispel Magic, Divine Truth, Dream Vision, Embattlement†, Exaltation, Extradimensional Detection, Eyes of the Undead, Feign Death, Find Portal, Fostered Protection, Frenzy of the Celts, Hold Poison, Hold Undead, Inkjet, Invisibility to Spirits, Life Drain, Line of Protection, Locate Object, Magical Vestment, Moment Reading, Negative Plane Protection, Prayer, Protection from Amorphs, Remove Curse, Remove Paralysis, Repair Injury, Resist Injury, Reverse Fossilization, Rigid Thinking, Slow Boon†, Speak with Dead, Spirit Bind, Strength of One, Telethaumaturgy, That Art Thou, Turnbane†, Unearthly Choir, Unfailing Premonition, Whip of Pain†, Wind and Rain Protection
- 4th level: Addition, Age Plant, Assume Undead Form, Bad Medicine, Body Clock, Bonechain†, Censure, Cloak of Bravery, Compulsive Order, Dead March†, Defensive Harmony, Detect Lie, Detect Shapechanger, Dimensional Folding, Divination, Dragon Scales, Dweomerflow, Exorcise, Feign Undead, Focus, Foesight, Free Action, Gloomcloud, Greater Vision, Heart Blight, Heroism, Hold Metal, Imbue with Spell Ability, Kiss of Torment†, Lair Divination, Mind Cloak, Omniscient Eye, Pacify, Penetrate Disguise, Probability Control, Protection from Electricity, Protection from Evil, 10-ft. Radius, Protection from Gas, Protection from Lycanthropes, Protection from Prime, 10-ft. Radius, Protection from Traps, Protection from Undead, Reanimation, Recitation, Remorse, Reward, Sacred Strike†, See All Faces, Seek Eternal Rest†, Smiting, Snake Barrier, Spell Immunity, Suspended Animation, Tongues, Undead Form, Unfailing Endurance, Uplift, Weather Dome, Whirlchain†
- 5th level: Abeyance, Adaptation, Advice, Age Object, Animate Dead Monsters, Atonement, Berserk, Bestow Hit Points, Blast of Pain†, Champion’s Strength, Code of Secrecy, Commune, Commune with Greater Spirits, Consequence, Cure Insanity, Deny Death†, Extradimensional Manipulation, Extradimensional Pocket, Favor, Flame Strike, Heart Call, Hide, Imbue Undead with Spell Ability, Impending Permission, Jergal’s Mind Probe†, Life Steal, Meld, Mystic Lash†, Othertime, Possess, Prepare Enchantment, Protection from Fiends, 10-ft. Radius, Protection from Petrification, Quest, Raise Dead, Remember, Repeat Action, Revelation, Scourge, Speak with Ancient Dead†, Time Portal, True Seeing, Undead Focus†, Undead Regeneration
- 6th level: Age Creature, Asphyxiate, Celestial Protection, Command Monster, Communicate, Control Lycanthrope, Create Baneguard†, Create Thassaloss†, Death Dragon†, Divine Curse, Divine Event, Feeblemind, Find the Path, Force Shapechange, Higher Consecration, Immunity to Weapons, Instruct, Invisibility to Enemies, Legal Thoughts, Longevity, Memory, Physical Mirror, Protection from Electricity, 10-ft. Radius, Reverse Time, Seclusion, Seek, Skip Day, Sleep of Dragons, Smite, Speak with Dragonkind, Speak with Monsters, Spiritual Wrath, Superheroism, True Name, Undeath After Death†, Watchful Eyes
- 7th level: Age Dragon, Bestow Major Curse, Body Link, Breath of Life, Confusion, Create Crypt Servant, Create Crypt Thing, Death Pact, Dweomer Divination, Gate, Holy Word, Mindspin, Penetrate Cosmic Ignorance, Protection from Death, Restoration, Restore Spirit, Resurrection, Shield of the Archons, Spacewarp, Sphere of Adaptation, Timelessness, Timewarp, Undeath to Death†
- Quest Spells: Avatar Form, Undead Plague
-
Prepared Spells:
-
1st: Cure Light Wounds,
Deflection, Detect Living, Know Faction, Know Faction, Undead Battlemight - 2nd: Chilling Scythe, Cure Moderate Wounds, Cure Moderate Wounds, Hold Person, Hold Person, Nap
-
3rd: Animate Dead, Castigate,
Remove Curse, Repair Injury -
4th:
Dimensional Folding,Weather Dome - 5th: Animate Dead Monsters
-
1st: Cure Light Wounds,
Penalties:
- Priests and servants of Duvan’Ku hate the Blessed Afflictor more than any other being, save perhaps Grimnir who originally killed and imprisoned their god, and will attack priests of the Blessed Afflictor on sight.
- All NPC encounters are penalized at -2 due to Hillsfar’s reputation. This increases to -4 against non-humans due to Hillsfar’s reputation for xenophobia, bigotry, and exploitation.
- Hillsfar’s xenophobia and strict education system prevent its citizens from learning about non-human cultures and magical theory, and the lack of childhood exposure plagues them even in their later careers. The proficiencies listed as “Forbidden” cost double the normal number of proficiency slots to learn (regardless of class).
- Forbidden: Modern Language (any except above) and All Sorcerous Proficiencies
- Relic Seekers acquire new weapon proficiencies slower than other characters. The number of levels required to gain a new weapon proficiency slot is increased by one.
- Those Relic Seekers who choose to value and protect archaeological sites as places to further knowledge become disliked by collectors and traders, suffering a -2 on reaction rolls when dealing with such individuals.
- Whenever the relic seeker picks up a rumor concerning an artifact or other worthy item, he must make a successful Willpower check to keep from rushing to immediately find it. If the check fails, he’s off at the first opportunity.
- The first round of any combat, the relic seeker suffers a +2 penalty to his initiative roll, and in any location other than ruins or while on a relic hunt, the relic seeker is always surprised.
Advancement Notes
- Clerics of the Blessed Afflictor use the Specialty Priest chart for level advancement, rather than the Cleric chart.
- Armor Allowed: Chainmail or lighter armor. No shields.
- Weapons Allowed: Any Sword that can be wielded in two hands, Any Flail, Firearms
- Gain 1 weapon proficiency slot every 5 levels.
- Gain 1 non-weapon proficiency slot every 3 levels.
- Gain 4 PSPs per level.
- Human Dual-Class Options: Barbarian, Diviner, Invoker, Necromancer, Crusader, Shaman
Equipment:
- Wanderer’s Staff (4 lbs)
- Dark Tunic, Breeches, Leather Belt, Waterproof Boots
- Chainmail w/ Mail Coif (40 lbs)
- Holy Symbol (spiked crown of bone and iron)
- Protective Amulet (vs. Lightning Bolt)
- Pace Beads (wrapped around wrist)
- Ring of Shocking Grasp
-
Shadowcloak
- This large, cowled cloak is made from pure black velvet. When worn by a thief it improves hide in shadows chances by 25% and makes a thief 50% likely to be invisible in near-darkness (even to infravision, ultravision, etc.).
- It can also be used to cast darkness, darkness 15’ radius, and continual darkness once each per day (at 12th level of magic use).
- Finally, once per day the wearer can actually transform into a Shadow for up to 12 turns, becoming a shadow in all respects save for mental ones (thus, the wearer cannot be damaged by nonmagical weapons, undead take the wearer for a shadow and ignore him, etc.). Saves against light-based attacks (e.g., a light spell cast into the eyes) are always made at -2 by the wearer of a shadowcloak.
- If a cleric successfully makes a turning attempt against the wearer in shadowform, the cloak wearer is permitted a saving throw (this is at -4 if the cleric is actually able to damn/destroy shadows). If the save fails, the wearer suffers 1d6 points of damage per level of the cleric and the shadowcloak is destroyed. If the save is made, the character takes half damage and must flee in fear from the cleric at maximum rate for one turn.
- Heartbeat Blade (2 lbs)
- Frame Backpack (5 lbs, reduce encumbrance 1 stage) w/ Glyph of Warding (bestow curse), and Glyph of Warding (hold person),
- Tetsu-to (15 lbs, hanging on side of pack)
- Aram’s Light (0.5 lbs)
- Gravebite (1 lb)
- 1 flask Holy Water
- Miner’s Pick (15 lbs — usable as a tool only due to religious restrictions)
- Shovel (6 lbs — usable as a tool only due to religious restrictions)
- 2x Claw Hammers (8 lbs)
- 100-ft. 1/2-in Hemp Rope (18 lbs)
- 1-gallon Wineskin (1 lbs, empty)
- Sparker
- Armor Repair Kit (1 lb)
- Box of Chalk
- 54gp, 7pp
- Bag of grave dirt (component for Skeletal Servant)
- Bag of small, strait iron rods (component for Hold Person)
- 1 Red Love Candles (30 minutes)
- 1 Gold Healing Candle (30 minutes)
- Mithril Chisel (1 lb)
- Mithril Files & Rasps (1/2 lb)
- Potion of Extra Healing
- Potion of Healing
- Potion of Healing
- Potion of Healing
- Elixer of Health
- Sanctified Ghi (3 doses, heal 1d3 per dose)
- 2 Large Sacks (9 lbs — stuffed with 2 glass globes of extinct plant specimens)
- Flask w/ Azimoth inside
- Ring of Shooting Stars (Valerii Signet)
- Thrall’s Rucksack (1 lbs)
- Survival Kit
- 1 week Dry Rations (5 lbs)
- Hunting Knife
- 2 shells, large enough to serve as a bowl
- 2 Silver Daggers (2 lbs)
- Field Brazier
- 1 stick Dream Incense
- 1 Potion of Extra Healing (1 swallow left)
Other Assets:
- Key to Vault 713
Encumbrance:
Base Speed: 12
Total Weight of Gear: 118 lbs. (light w/ frame pack)
- 55 lbs (minus pack)
Unencumbered | Light | Moderate | Heavy | Severe | |
Weight | 0 – 55 lbs. | 56-101 lbs. | 102-147 lbs. | 148-194 lbs. | 195 lbs. |
Movement | 12 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 1 |
Attack Penalty | 0 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -4 |
AC Penalty | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -3 |