Burning up - Khelben "Blackstaff"Arunsun

[Judd]

One of the PC's has a relationship with him, another has a relationship with his wife and has written beliefs about how much he doesn't like him. So its time to burn up the Archmage of Waterdeep (no, Elminster is the Sage of Shadowdale...wrong wizard).

I am going by his description in the original gray boxed set and the supplement, Waterdeep and the North and tossing out any other history I could dig up because it just doesn't interset me. Here's what I am building off of:

• Powerful Archmage
• Masked Lord
• Instrumental in keeping the Lord's Alliance together
• Forester and painter
• Gravely Wise
• Fully learned in the history, lore and traditions of magic as practiced by humans in the North since the rise from barbarism

But tossing away:

It is suggested that DM's adjust Khelben's level upwards to ten levels above the strongest PC, for use in humbling "runaway" characters.

Name: Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun

Concept/Bio: Arch-mage of Waterdeep

Age : a few centuries

Stats: Wi: G6, Pe: G6, Po: B4, Fo: B6, Ag: B4, Sp: B4, Speed Mult.: x3.5

Attributes: Ref: B5, Ste: B6, Hes: 2, Hea: B7, MW: B11, Circles: G4, Resources: B7

PTGS: Su: B0 Li: B0 Mi: B0 Se: B0 Tr: B0 Mo: B11

Beliefs:

• The North must remain united against tyranny and evil. The integrity of the Lord's Alliance must be protected at all costs.
  
• The Harpers are not willing to go far enough to combat evil; the Moonstars will show them how far one needs to go in order to fight the Zhentarim.
  
• Waterdeep is under my staff's protection; none will threaten the City of Splendors and live.

Instincts:

Always put forth the cold demeanor they expect until they earn my trust.

Always have the appropriate traveling spellbook for the occasion.

Instinct 3

Traits:

• Gifted
• Dismissive
• Second Sight
• Barely Mortal (Dt) - Like Vigor of Youth but with a magic touch. Due to arcane bonds, the character barely ages, maybe a touch of gray in the hair but even centuries leave the character youthful, strong and unbent.
• Arch-Mage (C-O) - This is a wizard or sorcerer who can use Sorcery, Summoning and Enchanting. The call-on can be for any one of those skills, the one the Arch-Mage is best known for. However, this call-on can only be used when the magic being cast is truly epic (as determined by all of the gamers at the table).

Skills: Caligraphy B4, Enchanting G4, Symbology G4, Circination G4, Summoning G5, Sorcery G6, Plane-wise G3, Magic-wise G4, Waterdeep-wise G2, Painting G2, Forest Wise G2, Bargaining G3, Alchemy G4, Enchanting G6, Astrology G4, Staff B4, Write B3, Read B3, Persuasion G4, Orate G4, Falsehood G3

Affiliations: Moonstars 3D, Lords' Alliance 2D, Lords of Waterdeep 2D, Arch-Mage 2D

Reputations: Many Apprentices 3D, 2nd most Powerful Arch-Mage in the world 3D, Mediocre Painter 1D

Relationships: Laeral Silverhand, Elminster of Shadowdale, Peirgeirgon Paladinson, latest apprentice, Blackstaff Tower Butler

Gear: The Blackstaff, Traveling Spellbook, Traveling Gear, Robes, Shoes, Finery

Property: Tower Spellbook, Blackstaff Tower

Spells: Everything in the book, can only carry around the traveling spellbook, as per MaBu rules

Summoning
Restless Dead 3D
Sanctified Dead 3D
Minor Corp. Spirit 3D
Corp. Spirit 2D
Major Corp. Spirit 2D
Minor Deity 1D
Major Deity 1D

Summoning Reputations
3D Archmage
3D Chosen of Mystra
2D 2nd most powerful wizard in the Realms


Weapons:

Bare Fisted I:B2 M:B4 S:B6 Add 2 VA - Fast Shortest

The Blackstaff:

Wow, I kinda hate him. If I'm feeling inspired, I might Magic Burn up the Blackstaff but honestly, I might not, might just leave it as a badge of office.

I don't see the players fighting him and I certainly hope he doesn't fight with them. I don't want to live down to the Forgotten Realms' rep of having PC's bailed out by ultra-powerful NPC's.

Thought it might be interesting to see what he looked like and I might've over-done it. I dunno.

[Judd]

I was really tempted to give him a trait called:

Elminster's Dick Move Contingency Evasion Spell (Dt)

This wizard has insured their own safety with an arcane contingency spell. When they are forced to make a Steel test due to wounds and fail, they can elect to trigger the dormant spell. They must make a Sorcery check, the obstacle being their Hesitation + the margin they missed the Steel test by (subject to any and all wound penalties). If they succeed, they are immediately teleported to a safe spot designated by the character when the spell was first cast.

[Rafe]

Why do you hate him? Is he a bit too much of a Mr. Paragon Awesome of Everything (ie, a Forgotten Realms character)?

[Verrain]

I think you need to bump most of his Wises up. G2 for Waterdeep Wise is way too low for a Masked Lord and the 2nd most powerful arch mage with only a 4 in Magic-wise? This ain't Dark Sun.

Also, if you don't burn up the Blackstaff I may have to.

[Thor]

With both Gray Will and Gray Sorcery, his Destroyer spells will do Gray damage. That's not necessarily a problem, but something to be aware of.

Teleportation spells are kind of problematic in BW, but if you do wind up doing a Contingency sort of spell, I'd make it a Sustained spell that can be triggered at will (or possibly with a physical action, i.e. two actions in Fight!). That way he has a chance of losing it if subjected to a May Not.

Finally, you may find a bit more to like in the character if you give him a full burn (6 or 8 LPs) and then layer on some traits and Gray stats and stuff. The required skills and traits may give him a bit more texture. Also, with all those Summoning Orders, does he have any Marks or Geases or the like?

[Judd]

Thanks, folks. This will all help the second pass.

Yeah, I'll end up burning up the Blackstaff, no doubt.

[pseudoidiot]

The first thing that jumped out to be was the B6 Forte. My gut tells me a powerful wizard should have a higher exponent than 6 in Forte.

[Judd]

Also, if you don't burn up the Blackstaff I may have to.

I just re-read the Enchantment section of the MaBu. I think I got it. Thanks.

[Dwight]

Why do you hate him? Is he a bit too much of a Mr. Paragon Awesome of Everything (ie, a Forgotten Realms character)?

I personally didn't get past "It is suggested that DM's adjust Khelben's level upwards to ten levels above the strongest PC, for use in humbling "runaway" characters" before a cloud of red descended and blinded my sight. Although I'm not sure that contempt is for Khelben the imaginary construct but rather the D.I.C.K. that wrote that and the attitude driving the [standard] use of the imaginary construct of Khelben.

[Dwight]

The most brutally sucking moment in any Shadowrun canned module is when the foundational magic rule of "no teleportation" is tossed out the window and the GM is instructed to hand wave Harlequin to immediately leave, with no intervention by the PCs possible, and to another place [thousands of miles away]. This is a character, and Immortal Elf, that already has "stock" abilities that has him towering over PCs as an elephant over ants.

The barest minimum to avoid that pinnacle of suck is Thor's suggestion. The minimum.

EDIT: And the potential combination of Arch-Mage + Elminster's Dick Move Contingency Evasion Spell doesn't help.