About Alvar the WayfarerStatistics:
Eldritch Knowledge (Su):
An Elder Mythos scholar gains two fewer daily uses of his 1st-level arcane school ability, which is normally used a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier. If he has no such ability, he can’t take this archetype.
When an Elder Mythos scholar attempts a Will save against confusion, fear, insanity, or madness (see page 12), whether magical or mundane, he can spend 2 daily uses of that arcane school ability to apply his Intelligence modifier instead of his Wisdom modifier to the save. However, whenever he uses this ability, he is affected by a nightmare the next time he sleeps, with no saving throw. Until he sleeps and experiences the nightmare, he can’t recover the spent uses of the arcane school ability by any means. This ability alters the 1st-level arcane school ability. Eldritch Grimoire:
An Elder Mythos scholar keeps copious notes on how to use magic against the servants of the Elder Mythos in his spellbook. Every spell he adds to his spellbook takes up an additional 1d6 pages and costs twice the normal amount to inscribe; however, when casting spells prepared from his grimoire, he gains a +2 bonus on caster level checks and increases the save DCs by 1 against the creatures listed in talisman of revealing below. Talisman of Revealing:
While wearing or wielding his bonded item, an Elder Mythos scholar can spontaneously cast a special detect aberration spell by sacrificing a prepared 1st-level spell. Instead of detecting aberrations, this spell detects creatures associated with the Elder Mythos, such as the following (or similar creatures, at the GM’s discretion):
- bhole
He gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Knowledge checks to identify such creatures and Spellcraft checks to identify effects they create. At 5th level, an Elder Mythos scholar adds invisibility purge and see invisibility to his spellbook and can spontaneously cast either spell by sacrificing a prepared spell of the same or higher level while wearing or wielding his bonded item. At 10th level, he adds banish seeming and true seeing to his spellbook as 5th-level spells and can spontaneously cast them in the same fashion. This replaces Scribe Scroll and the 5th- and 10th-level bonus feats. Arcane Bond:
An Elder Mythos scholar must choose to bond with an object, inscribing that object with eldritch runes.
Wizards who select a bonded object begin play with one at no cost. Objects that are the subject of an arcane bond must fall into one of the following categories: amulet, ring, staff, wand, or weapon. These objects are always masterwork quality. Weapons acquired at 1st level are not made of any special material. If the object is an amulet or ring, it must be worn to have effect, while staves, wands, and weapons must be wielded. If a wizard attempts to cast a spell without his bonded object worn or in hand, he must make a concentration check or lose the spell. The DC for this check is equal to 20 + the spell's level. If the object is a ring or amulet, it occupies the ring or neck slot accordingly. A bonded object can be used once per day to cast any one spell that the wizard has in his spellbook and is capable of casting, even if the spell is not prepared. This spell is treated like any other spell cast by the wizard, including casting time, duration, and other effects dependent on the wizard's level. This spell cannot be modified by metamagic feats or other abilities. The bonded object cannot be used to cast spells from the wizard's opposition schools (see arcane school). A wizard can add additional magic abilities to his bonded object as if he has the required item creation feats and if he meets the level prerequisites of the feat. For example, a wizard with a bonded dagger must be at least 5th level to add magic abilities to the dagger (see the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat in Feats). If the bonded object is a wand, it loses its wand abilities when its last charge is consumed, but it is not destroyed and it retains all of its bonded object properties and can be used to craft a new wand. The magic properties of a bonded object, including any magic abilities added to the object, only function for the wizard who owns it. If a bonded object's owner dies, or the item is replaced, the object reverts to being an ordinary masterwork item of the appropriate type. If a bonded object is damaged, it is restored to full hit points the next time the wizard prepares his spells. If the object of an arcane bond is lost or destroyed, it can be replaced after 1 week in a special ritual that costs 200 gp per wizard level plus the cost of the masterwork item. This ritual takes 8 hours to complete. Items replaced in this way do not possess any of the additional enchantments of the previous bonded item. A wizard can designate an existing magic item as his bonded item. This functions in the same way as replacing a lost or destroyed item except that the new magic item retains its abilities while gaining the benefits and drawbacks of becoming a bonded item.
Bonded Item: Amulet Resistance (Ex): You gain resistance 5 to an energy type of your choice, chosen when you prepare spells. This resistance can be changed each day. At 11th level, this resistance increases to 10. At 20th level, this resistance changes to immunity to the chosen energy type. Protective Ward (Su): As a standard action, you can create a 10-foot-radius field of protective magic centered on you that lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Intelligence modifier. All allies in this area (including you) receive a +1 deflection bonus to their AC. This bonus increases by +1 for every five wizard levels you possess. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier. School Specialization: Abjuration
Feats:
Racial Traits:
Traits:
Skills:
Background Skills:
Spells Prepared: (CL 2nd, concentration +7)
1st Level (Save DC 16 (17 for abjuration)) - grease, * Abjuration Spell Spell-Like Ability: (CL 2nd, concentration +3)
Languages: Common (Taldane), Infernal, Elven, Draconic, Dwarven, Gnome, Abyssal, Aklo, Sylvan Favored Class Bonuses: +2 HP
Eldritch Grimoire:
72/100 pages full Cantrips - All 1st - alarm*, burning disarm, color spray, gravity bow, grease, hold portal*, ray of enfeeblement, summon monster I, mage armor, protection from chaos*, shield* * School Spell
---------------------
Carrying Capacity Light: 26 or less lb. Medium: 27-53 lb. Heavy: 54-80 lb. Currency: 12 gp, 9 sp, 0 cp
What They Have Forgotten:
An incomplete tale: Born in Ostenso, Cheliax to a respectable family, Alvarixios was the secret shame of their family. Kept from the public until they were six, at which point their parents claimed they were “an orphan, picked up off the street,” Alvarixios rarely felt any connection to the family. They were kept on as a servant until the family discovered a brilliant mind lurked behind the crimson skin and pointed ears - it was when they were thirteen that the family struck on the idea of sending Alvar to their father’s cousin - a signifer in the Order of the Pyre. Alvarixios spent the next few long years studying the basics of wizardry, finding their home in study of abjuration and settling in somewhat resignedly to become a signifer themselves. Before they could advance much further, however, their mentor brought them along to cull a chaotic cult in Caliphas - as well as several armigers and a pair of full Hellknights. It was a slaughter - the cultists stood no chance against the Hellknights and their armigers, and their blood soaked the stones… only to unleash a nightmarish horror from beneath the earth. The Hellknights died slaying the creature, and Alvarixios’ mentor perished of her wounds shortly thereafter. The surviving armigers were horrified by the terrors they had witnessed, but Alvarixios was instead… fascinated. Perhaps their infernal blood kept their sanity intact, or perhaps they were never quite so sane as they appeared. Rather than beating a hasty retreat with the injured armigers, Alvarixios stole away to take as many of the cult’s texts as they could carry. They left Cheliax, the Order of the Pyre, and their former life behind, devoting themselves to studying the esoteric lore of the cultists - who they learned worshipped a being named “the King in Yellow.” Once they had memorized the most important texts, Alvar, as they named themselves, sold them off to various interested parties and used the funds to begin their studies of these beings in earnest. For the next seven years, they travelled across Avistan and northern Garund, treating with strange people and studying stranger lore. Whatever normalcy their life had had vanished in the onslaught of mystic truths and mysterious esoterica. Eventually, they found themselves back in Ustalav, and now they awaken in a cell with no memories after that.
Personality:
Fear is a constant companion, but Alvar has constantly and repeatedly faced fear over their life. Darkness provides comfort, and the eyes of others are frequently like razors against their skin, so they prefer to hide their infernal features with a hood or mask as is available to them. Left adrift in a strange place and without memory, they will seek their magic - particularly their amulet and protective spells.
Burning curiosity will be the next reaction, as Alvar seeks to understand who they were and what exactly is happening around them. The presence of others is interesting, if alarming, because it suggests that there’s a greater power at play… and such powers are never to be lightly invoked. Appearance:
Alvar has crimson skin and horns, as well as cloven hooves. Their tail is long and narrow, with blunt spikes across its top. It is not strong enough to do more than sting someone, but it is dextrous and quite useful in their studies. Each of their hands have an extra thumb on the outside, giving them a total of twelve fingers. |
