Talib

King Talib al-Ysawis the Magnificent (and the Accursed)

Dual Class Human: 5th level Desert Warrior/16th-level Necromancer (Deathslayer)

Str: 16

Dex: 13

Con: 15

Int: 17

Wis: 16

Cha: 15

Armor Class: –1 (with ghost armor (FOR)) or 6

THAC0: 15 (13 vs. liches)

Movement: 12

Hit Points: 68

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Dark Gifts: Nil

Special Attacks: By spell or magical item, opponents save at –1 against his necromantic spells, liches save at –2 vs. all spells.

Special Defenses: Physical body warded by a corpse host when hunting undead, contingency spell teleports all equipment to safety when the corpse host is destroyed.

Saving Throws: PPDM 10; RSW 5; PP 7; BW 9; S 6.

+1 on saves vs. spell (scarab), +5 on all saves (cloak and stone); +2 on all saves against liches, +1 bonus on saves against necromantic attacks, +2 magical attack adj. (Wisdom).

Size: 6’1”

WP: scimitar (specialized), great scimitar, longbow, spear, dagger, staff. NWP: ancient languages (Kadari, 17), ancient history (16), engineering (16), fire building (15), heraldry (17), survival (17), running (9), blind-fighting (14), land based riding (19), necrology (16), netherworld knowledge (13), tracking (16), reading/writing (18), religion (16), spellcraft (15).

Psionics: (wild talent), PSPs: 138, mind blank (9), mind bar (15), object reading (11), sensitivity to psychic impressions (12).

Spells: burning hands, corpselight (FOR), detect undead, hold portal, magic missile, protection from evil; cloak from undead (FOR), ESP, knock, levitate, vocalize (WH), web; dispel magic, fireball, ghost armor (FOR), lightning bolt, hold undead, wizard sight (TOM); dimension door, empathic wound transfer, Evard’s black tentacles, polymorph self, thunderstaff (TOM), wall of ice, polymorph other; bind undead, cone of cold, dismissal, graft flesh, teleport, wall of force; Bloodstone’s spectral steed (TOM), chain lightning, claws of the umber hulk (TOM), legend lore; acid storm (TOM), prismatic spray, wound conferral; Bigby’s clenched fist, homunculus shield.

Equipment: cloak of protection +4, rod of absorption (40 ch.), talisman of divining (detects life, 65 ch.), handglyph of power (disintegrate, 3 ch.), scimitar of life stealing (specialized: #AT 3/2, Dmg 1d8+4), stone of good luck (carved in the shape of a white elephant), a jade scarab of protection (10 ch.), and a girdle of many pockets containing traveling spellbooks, spell components and adventuring gear, a composite longbow, quiver with 24 arrows +2, a purse with 400 gp, 10 pearls (100 gp each) and 10 diamonds (1,000 gp each), potions of extra-healing (x4), flying, invisibility, and growth, an elixir of youth, scroll of protection from fiends and a scroll (cast at 16th level) with limited wish (x3).

Physical Description: Talib appears to be unusually strong and muscular for a man in his sixties. His massive shoulders and arms are covered by tattoos, and his face is lined with wrinkles and deep scars. One ear is gone, nothing more than a tattered strip of skin, and his right eye is covered by a velvet eye patch. Because of his scimitar, scars, and military demeanor, one might easily mistake him for a retired general.

For dangerous missions, Talib adopts a corpse host as a disguise and a safeguard, since his distinctive features are easily remembered and his lethal quarries often set up nasty surprises. He prefers to use the fresh body of an experienced fighter who died of natural causes (or in battle). Talib always makes sure to conceal any obvious mortal wounds on his host. Most often, he does this simply by wearing enough clothing to cover himself fairly well. After all, it wouldn’t do much for the credibility of his disguise to be seen walking about with a gaping chest wound.

Background: In his youth, Talib married Kazerabet (see her NPC sheet), who advanced his training and let him rule by her side over a secluded kingdom of undead. After a few happy decades, Kazerabet mysteriously deserted him. He has never forgiven her, but neither has he stopped searching for her.

Talib became a Deathslayer after his two sisters, Jal’ and Leyla, were disintegrated by the lich Thalath. He has since destroyed four liches (including Thalath) and returned all the zombies in his kingdom back to their graves. Ysawis is now a secluded and deserted city in the jungle, doomed to slow decline by its dark heritage. Talib lives in a magnificent Jade Palace in the decaying city, alone save for a contingent of loyal jann. At least four jann bodyguards accompany Talib (or his corpse host) on his adventures, flying invisibly around him.

Role-Playing Notes: At first, Talib fought liches in revenge, but his anger has been replaced by grim moral outrage. He is reckless, foolhardy, and fatalistic. He has no fear of pain or death because his corpse host can easily be replaced, and he always has at least one clone of himself carefully stored in his palace. Destroying liches gives his empty life a sense of purpose, and he pursues it with gusto. Though he suffers from horrible recurring nightmares and terrifying visions, he somehow manages to maintain a sane, positive, and often humorous outlook on life.

Talib (or his host) may sometimes join a party of adventurers to help mask his movements when hunting a lich. To protect his companions, he tries to conceal his true power and invisible associates unless direly threatened. Talib may serve as a temporary ally for an adventure or two, provided these excursions help Talib locate or ultimately destroy his enemy.

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