Stanles Lear

Byzantium: Nightmares Undreamed Of

Stanles Lear

Neutral Spellslinger L2 (2000/4000)

Appearance: incredibly fine clothes desperately in need of mending, unkempt hair, and a walking stick on top of dual pistols, a rapier, and a murderous attitude

Motivation: I can't work my normal job as a state war wizard, because I'm hated by other members of my profession.

Attributes

Primary Attributes: Dexterity and Intelligence

Charisma	Dexterity	Ferocity	Health	Intelligence	Willpower	Social Class
10	17 (+2)	11	11	13 (+1)	05 (-2)	16 (+2)

State-Sponsored War Wizard

The second son of the Duchess of the Three Winds, Lear was trained as an elite war wizard of the state from a young age. He accidentally slew his father in a magical mishap, and is ostracized from his school and family.

Spells and Pistols at Sunrise

Lear has fully embraced the life of a dueling spellslinger. He runs incursions to afford his lavish lifestyle. Social consequences be damned.

It Was No Accident, I Was Sober for Once

His father's death was not an accident.

Combat

• Hit Die d6
• Initiative: +2
• Speed: 8
• AC: 14
• Dispostion: 5/5
• Psychic Armor: 5/5

Weapons

• Rapier attack +0 to hit
• Wizard Sword attack +3 to hit, damage 2d4+1
• Pistol Attack - hit on roll of Dexterity or lower, if target is stationary and not in cover, or half Dexterity if it is moving quickly or has cover. Taking time to aim returns the roll to Dexterity or lower, except against targets both moving quickly and behind cover, which cannot be hit. Targets more than 50' away count as being under cover. Natural 20s = firearm fouled or jammed and in need of cleaning.

Restrictions

You can’t fight or cast spells while encumbered, wearing a suit of plate, or using a shield.

Skills

Spellslingers are good at travelling and surviving in the wilderness; gambling, stage magic, and minor sleight of hand tricks; and a roguish style of persuasion and showmanship. You may have knowledge of one particular tradition of magic, but you are not so much an academic.

You might also be skilled at some other profession that does not pay you particularly well, such as acting or writing.

Special Abilities

• In combat, you may cast a spell as a simple action, or instead of moving. Thus, you may attack, dodge, or move and still cast a spell in the same round. You may also cast a spell in the same round you are injured.
• When you cast a spell you have memorized, whether you retain control or not, you may lose points of Dexterity in order to keep it in your memory, instead of forgetting it. If the spell is your level or lower, lose 1 point of Dexterity. If the spell is higher level than you are, lose 2 points of Dexterity.
• You have mastery of 2 spells per level, plus additional spells equal to your Intelligence modifier. If the total of your level and modifier is less than 1, you have mastery over no spells.
• You have Psychic Armour. Roll a number of Hit Dice (d6s) equal to your level and add them together to determine your Psychic Armour score, just as you do for Disposition. You are not required to re-roll this score when you take a rest, but you may, if you like.
• For each spell you start with, you may either roll on the full table or roll on the specific school table of your choice. When you gain new spells upon advancing a level, you must roll on the full table to determine each of them.

Spells

Using spell corruption rules instead of spell memorization
Specialist in Battle, Protection, and Wards and Runes magic

• Imbuement: Aura of Deadliness (War Spell) - At all times, you possess an Aura of Deadliness. People react to it in different ways, dependent on their personality and the situation. People generally perceive you as intending them some level of harm, even when you are not.
• Flare, L1 Fire spell | Range: 100' per CL | Duration: Instant | Effect: Caster only

This spell projects a tiny ball of light from your hand that explodes in a large burst of bright light when it reaches the end of its range. This flare is visible for miles around. If the flare explodes in someone’s face, they are blinded for 2d6 rounds.

• Plague of Vermin, L5 Animals/Chaos/Summoning spell | Range: 1 mile per CL | Duration: 1 day | Effect: 1 location

This spell summons a swarm of insects, rats, or other small vermin to plague a settlement or other location within range. The swarm can be up to 50 feet per caster level wide when amassed. You must know the location’s name if you cannot see, hear, or touch it. If there are no vermin at all in the area, they are summoned from the nearest location that does have vermin, even if they cannot actually survive in the target location.

• Protection from Missiles, L4 Battle/Protection spell | Range: Touch | Duration: 1 hour per CL | Effect: 1 creature

For the duration of this spell, the target becomes immune to all non-magical missiles, projectiles, and other ranged attacks. Anything that flies through the air and is mundane in nature simply bounces off, to no effect. Variations: • Level 5. Range: Senses, 20 feet per caster level. • Level 6. Duration: 1 day | Effect: Caster only | Range: None

• War Spell, L3 Battle/Enhance/Quintessence spell | Range: None | Duration: 1 hour per CL | Effect: Caster only

For the duration of this spell, any harmful spell you cast inflicts an additional 1d6 + caster level damage. Variations: • Greater War Spell: Level 8. Any harmful spell you cast affects additional targets equal to caster level, in addition to the extra damage. • Lesser War Spell: Level 1. Additional damage is 1d4 only.

• Ward Against Ghosts, L1 Abjuration/Necromancy/Wards & Runes spell | Range: Touch | Duration: 1 day per CL | Effect: 1 location

For the duration of this spell, ghostly spirits are unable to enter the target location, or cast spells upon it or anyone inside it. Any ghosts inside the location when this spell is cast are forcibly ejected. Variations: • Level 3. Duration: Until reversed.

• Wizard Sword, L1 Battle/Evocation spell | Range: None | Duration: 1 turn per CL | Effect: Caster only

This spell summons a sword made of magic into your hand. When you attack with it, add your level to your rolls (if you don’t already) and deal 2d4 damage. Add your Intelligence modifier to attack and damage rolls instead of Ferocity. This sword counts as magical and will injure creatures immune to blades and normal weapons. Variations: • Level 4. The wizard sword inflicts 2d6 damage. • Level 7. The wizard sword inflicts 2d8 damage.

Per the Magic rules, spells of a higher level than the character may be cast. If cast by Reading a Formula or Casting from Memory, the character must succeed on a d20 roll against half their Intelligence score to Control the spell or suffer failure and miscasting. If cast by Performing a Ritual, the roll to Control the spell is made against the full Intelligence score of the character.

Variations are a variation on the spell that can be cast spontaneously, if the spell is mastered and memorized.

Equipment

Key: (t)-tiny item, (s)-small encumbering, (r)-regular encumbering, (#)-value of item encumbrance
Limits: Encumbering Items: 5/5 | Small Items 10/13

• Worn
  • clothes in need of mending
  • rapier (r)
  • pistols (2) (r,r)
  • a pouch with 2 dozen bullets and a powder horn (2t)
  • Light Armor (heirloom) (r)
• Shoulderbag (r)
  • a “magical” amulet bought from a fortune teller (t)
  • makeup kit (s)
  • full wineskin (s)
  • empty wineskin (s)
  • wooden case (s)
    • vial of ink
    • pieces of fine paper (12)
    • quills (12)
  • bedroll (s)
  • deck of cards (t)
  • paints and brushes wrapped in leather (s)
  • spellbook (s)
  • Ineffable Dissertation on Crimson Studies, a book of coarse paper, written by a crazed devotee of a sorcerous cult. It's got a red cover, made of felted paper, and the edges of the pages have been dyed red. You can decide whether the subject matter is on animals, animation of objects, astronomy, or herbs and other useful plants. Or some combination of those. (s)
  • Awesome Manual of Scarlet Obsession, a book of scrolls of cloth, written by a foreign sage scribing truths for her apprentice. You can decide whether the subject matter is on astrology, animation of objects, alcoholic beverages, or music technique. Or some combination. (s)
  • Proscribed Pandect of Scaled Verity, a book of loose pages of copper written in ink that can only be read under the light of the moon, written by the last adept of a dying magical tradition. You can decide whether the subject matter is on celestial beings, animation of objects, fishing, or chemistry. Or some combination. (s)
• Kept Elsewhere
  • walking stick (r)
  • a case with two pistols (2)
• Coinpurse
  • 116 cyphers

Dog

Notes

• Battle Wizard - Battlefield Aura: There is a slight and unearthly glow or shimmer about your weapons, that sets them (and you) apart from others.
• Wizard-Protector - Arcane Wards: Your Armour rating is always 1 point higher than it should be, but your Speed score is always 1 point lower (i.e. 6 plus your Dexterity modifier).