About Bimble FicklebopperTracked Resources:
3rd: Haste, Haste, Slow
2nd: Glitterdust, Glitterdust, Invisibility, Spider Climb 1st: Color Spray, Grease*, Silent Image, Vanish, Windy Escape, Pearl of Power 0th: Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Oath of Anonymity, _____ SLA: Mage Hand, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Unseen Servant Rerolls: Eternal Hope, Inspired, Tireless Logic Taldan Patriot trivia Augment 7/7 (lasts 2 rounds) Wand of Mage Armor 46 charges Wand of Heightened Awareness 49 charges Background:
Bimble didn't set out to be an agitator. It was more than a hundred fifty years ago, but Bimble remembered grown up in Wispil, the semi-autonomous gnomish town within the Verduran Forest. That place was mostly gnomish and highly egalitarian, and good humor was the currency of the town. That's not to say Wispil wasn't still distinctly Taldan. To the contrary, Taldan culture and fashion pervaded the community, particularly among the youth who wanted to be fashionable. And Bimble remembered how much he loved Taldan opera. When he was of an age to make a living, he began to work as a playwright, crafting operas in the Taldan tradition with some tweaks so that they could be performed by gnomes. Bimble became a minor sensation in Wispil, and having tasted fame, Bimble wanted more.
So it was that Bimble tried to make a name for himself in Oppara, seeking to charm his way into the good graces of a noble sponsor. What he encountered instead was scorn, and disdain. If he could even make his way into a party, he repeatedly felt the sting of rejection. Often he would be ignored. Sometimes he would be roughly thrown out. A few times he would be mistaken for a servant. And then he met Baron Cardigan. A man who, instead of shooing him away, looked on the small composer and playwright with interest. He suggested that Bimble come back with some gnomes and put on a private show at his home. Thrilled by the opportunity, Bimble gathered a group of gnomish operatic extras longing for a leading role, and prepared them to perform Act III of his most popular work. It was going to be brilliant! But what happened instead would become etched in Bimble's mind forever. For as Bimble's work was performed for the Taldan audience, the crowd simply started laughing. They assumed since he was a gnome that he was putting on a comedy act! "Oh good show, Bimble, good show," he remembers Baron Cardigan saying between laughs. And as Bimble tried to plaster a smile on his face, he felt so much hurt inside. That was the day Bimble put aside his career as a composer of operas, and began his work as an advocate for change, seeking fair treatment of all races, including gnomes, so all could have access to the opportunities available in Taldor. Bimble was a prolific writer, everything from sympathetic narratives on the struggles of gnomish life in Taldor to biting satires mocking the follies of the nobility and incisive critiques on the causes of Taldor's decline. But his was a difficult road to travel, particularly when Taldans were in denial. Few human Taldans were interested in change, even though the signs of stagnation and decline were already present. Bimble remembered the day in 4606, when all of Taldor awaited the return of Aroden. That day, when the connection between Aroden and his clerics was severed, the landscape in Taldor shifted. Where some became more virulently xenophobic, others saw Aroden's absence as a sign that Taldor had gone astray and lost Aroden's favor. Although he would never become a household name, Bimble's ideas began to percolate, influencing the ideas of the nobility that was key to Taldan society. Bimble would go on to marry Flyp, a quick-witted woman who organized for the rights of gnomish servant girls. It was Flyp who taught Bimble not to just write, but to act--to make public appearances, to rally support against the injustices faced by gnomes. Bimble would father three children--two girls and a boy--before losing Flyp to a sudden and inexplicable illness. Devastated by the loss, Bimble's advocacy waned as he shifted his priorities to finding profitable work for the sake of his family. Bimble always promised to go back to his advocacy once he shepherded his children to adulthood. Eventually, all three grew up to be fine gnomes. But as the children grew up, found spouses, and had grandchildren, Bimble felt like he had been away from it too long. While he looked on those days fondly, his body was weak, and retirement seemed necessary just so that he could finally rest. "You can't just sit around here, Dad. Look, you're starting to bleach!" Starla, one of his daughters, held a mirror in front of Bimble. "Don't let it get any worse. Please, please, Dad. You need to find something that will excite you again!" That desperate admonition from Starla as Bimble began to experience the Bleaching was what brought Bimble back. It was not an easy thing to pull out of. Bimble had always preferred mental rather than physical pursuits--the idea of finding strength in his body again seemed daunting. But Bimble found a short cut. He had always dabbled in magic, and as he refocused his energies, Bimble began using those magics to strengthen his body so he could recapture some of the energy of his youth. And in time, a writer under the pseudonym Red Ember began to ply his talk of reform once more. Bimble was surprised when Lady Martella Lotheed approached him. "You're the Red Ember, aren't you? Bimble Ficklebopper trying to make a new name for yourself. In many ways, your writing hasn't changed," she said, pulling out a copy of one of his old books. "It's changed in one way, though. You've grown too pessimistic, when you write about Taldor as a dying flame. Have you not heard that the Princess Eutropia will soon become heir to the throne?" Bimble knew Princess Eutropia was the kind of noblewoman who could bring about in a moment the kind of change that Bimble had been pursuing for over a century and a half. He was determined to make his way to the Exaltation Gala, a chance for Bimble to mingle among the greatest Taldan nobles . . . even if some of them were not inclined to mingle back. Grabbing his walking stick and tucking his rabbit companion Bun-Bun into a robe pocket, Bimble was ready to make his mark. Personality:
Fighting one hundred and fifty years of stagnation and decline has worn down Bimble in body and spirit--and yet through it all, Bimble has hope, born not of a naive optimism but a deep and abiding faith in the potential of Taldor. Bimble is both an erudite writer and keen observer of humanoid character, and enjoys dissecting others' flaws--from a distance. But put him in front of that same person and he is more likely to smile and nod. Left to his own devices, Bimble has a tendency to prattle on about how good things used to be--particularly if he gets to lecture young people about needing to work harder to make Taldor great again. But his critiques of the young reflect a deeper insecurity, as Bimble fears he has become too old to be of use. Bimble is eager to prove that despite his age, he can still keep up with the young whippersnappers in agitating for a better Taldor. Character Sheet:
Bimble Ficklebopper
Male Gnome Wizard (Transmuter) 5 NG Small Humanoid (gnome) Init +3; Perception +10 (+8 to avoid surprise) Low-Light Vision -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10 (-1 Dex, +1 size) hp 32 (5d6+10) Fort +3, Ref +1 (-1 to avoid traps/hazards), Will +7 (+9 vs fear/despair/illusion) -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed: 20 ft. Quarterstaff: +0, 1d4-2/x2 -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 6, Dex 8, Con 13 (11), Int 19, Wis 14, Cha 15 BAB +2; CMB -1; CMD 8 Feats: Scribe Scroll, Alertness (when familiar near), Breadth of Experience, Flagbearer; Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Magic Arms and Armor Traits/Drawbacks: Inspired, Taldan Patriot, Tireless Logic, Sentimental Skills: Appraise +8(1), Craft (propaganda) +14(5), Diplomacy +6(1), Knowledge (arcana) +14(5), Knowledge (dungeoneering) +10(1), Knowledge (engineering) +10(1), Knowledge (geography) +10(1), Knowledge (history) +15(5) (+17 with Chronicle), Knowledge (local) +11(2), Knowledge (nature) +11(2), Knowledge (nobility) +10(1), Knowledge (planes) +11(2), Knowledge (religion) +11(2), Linguistics +8(1), Perception +10(1), Sense Motive +13(5), Spellcraft +12(5), Stealth +3(0) Languages: Azlanti, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Orc, Sylvan Gnome Abilities: Eternal Hope - +2 save vs fear/despair, 1/day reroll 1 on a d20 Illusion Resistance - +2 save vs illusion Keen Senses - +2 Perception Obsessive - +2 Craft (propaganda) Utilitarian Magic - +1 DC Transmutation, mage hand, open/close, prestidigitation, unseen servant 1/day Fey Thoughts - Diplomacy, Perception as class skills Low Light Vision Wizard Abilities: Arcane Bond: Rabbit (+4 Init) Arcane School: Transmutation (Enhancement) Physical Enhancement - +1 physical stat enhancement bonus, +1 every 5 levels Augment (7/day) - +2 enhancement bonus or +2 natural armor for 1/2 level rounds Opposition Schools: Enchantment, Necromancy Spells 3rd (2+1/day): Haste, Slow 2nd (3+1/day): Acid Arrow, Detect Thoughts, Glitterdust, Invisibility, Masterwork Transformation, Spider Climb 1st (4+1/day): Alarm, Ant Haul, Color Spray, Comprehend Languages, Grease, Heightened Awareness, Identify, Liberating Command, Mage Armor, Silent Image, Shield, Unseen Servant, Vanish, Windy Escape 0th (4/day): All Equipment: Quarterstaff Spellbook Spell Component Pouch - 5gp Pathfinder Chronicle (history) - 50gp Smelling Salts - 25gp Scrivener's Kit - 2gp Ink - 8gp Journal - 10gp Noble's Outfit Spring-Loaded Wirst Sheath x2 1269.7 gp (after rescuing Martella) Scroll of animate rope, blur, Universal Solvent Ungent of Timelessness Smoke Pellet x2 Blue Hooded Lantern Pearl of Power (1st) Spellbook (acid arrow, invisibility, alarm, comprehend languages, identify, mage armor, magic missile, shield, unseen servant) Purchases: Cloak of Resistance +1 (1,000 gp) Wand of Mage Armor (750 gp) Wand of Heightened Awareness (750 gp) Spell Ink (50 gp) Scroll of Comprehend Languages (25 gp) Scroll of Obscuring Mist (in wrist sheath) (25 gp) Scroll of Magic Weapon (25 gp) Scroll of Protection from Evil (25 gp) Bun-Bun, the Rabbit:
Bun-Bun (Rabbit)
N Tiny Animal Init +3; Perception +1; low-light vision -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +2 size, +2 natural) hp 15 Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +5 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed: 50 ft. Bite: -1 (1d3+4) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 3, Dex 16, Con 9, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 5 BAB +0; CMB +1; CMD 7 Feats: Run Skills: Acrobatics +0 (+8 when jumping), Stealth +15 Special Abilities: Alertness; Improved Evasion; Share Spells; Empathic Link, Deliver Touch Spells. |
