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\parindent=30pt

\title{Casual Encounters}
\author{With Various NPCs}
\date{Jim Vassilakos  $\cdot$ Kelly Nabours  $\cdot$  Brian Saylor }
\maketitle
\setcounter{page}{84}

{\noindent \it
{\Large H}ere are some characters your players are sure
to have strong feelings for, at least one way or the other\ldots Enjoy!}\\

\begin{center}
{\huge Akach}

{\Large of the tribe Karacgh}

\vspace{.1in}

{\Large For AD\&Dv1}

{\Large By Jim Vassilakos\\}
\vspace{.1in}

``Remember now\ldots not all barbarians are barbarians."
\end{center}

\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{lrcll}
Str: &12 &&   Class: &Thief\\
Int: &9  &&   Level: &7th\\
Wis: &13 &&   HP:    &26\\
Dex: &18 &\hspace{.5in}&&\\
Con: &11 &&  \multicolumn{2}{l}{Race: Woses (class of sub-human)}\\
Cha: &14 &&&\\
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\vspace{.1in}

\begin{tabular}{clcccc}
& \multicolumn{5}{c}{\bf Thieving Abilities}\\
\cline{2-6}
\hspace{.8in}          &  &7th Level   &Racial Mod   &Dex 18   &Final\\
&Pick Pockets         &   60\%      &  --5\%       & +10\%    & 65\%\\
&Open Locks           &   52\%      & --10\%       & +15\%    & 57\%\\
&Find/Remove Traps    &   50\%      &  --5\%       &  +5\%    & 50\%\\
&Move Silently        &   55\%      &  +10\%       & +10\%    & 75\%\\
&Hide in Shadows      &   43\%      &  +10\%       & +10\%    & 63\%\\
&Hear Noise           &   25\%      &   +5\%       &  ---    & 30\%\\
&Climb Walls          &   94\%      &   +5\%       &  ---    & 99\%\\
&Read Languages       &   35\%      & --10\%       &  ---    & 25\%\\
\end{tabular}

\vspace{.1in}

\noindent{c}ould not be
lost upon the Tribe, and with the broken pact, Akach was
committed to exile.

However, his father, Azga, still grief-stricken due to the loss
of his mate, purchased his son's banishment at the cost of his
own. The Sacred Draug, the second party to the trade, remained
close to tribe thereafter, often visiting upon the Woses as they
would move from one settlement to another.

In his 4th year, Machta, the wiseman of the tribe, conscious of
the Akach's need to learn the ways of his mother, called to the
Nibelung to repay a longstanding debt owed the by forest-dwellers
since one of their number was named the wolf-parent of the child.

\newpage

\begin{center}
{\Large Personal History}
\end{center}

{\noindent A}kach was born of the Tribe Karacgh within the Clan Draug, his
people known only as the Fangs of the Druatan by outsiders. His
premature birth, early in the month of the Winter Wolf, was most
remarkable, and during his childhood, stories were often told by
elders of how his mother's womb was inexplicably chewn from the
inside causing her subsequent death. Although popular, the story
is a sad one for the elders as his mother was a valued Mogis
(Priestess) of the tribe, and the first of her order in over a
century to attain the Shewolf's blessing.

Therefore, in the proper time her son, the sacred child of the
people, was traded to the wolves for one of their own (the Sacred
Draug) thus reaffirming the ancient pact with the Shewolf.
However, after three years the child returned, driven from the
Vulfen den by the leader of the hounds. The disgrace

\vspace{2.1in}

The Children of the Mist, often regarded as the most reclusive of
any race, answered the wiseman's request, sending Ulma, their
rain-maker. She became Akach's ward and mentor and is the only
parent the youth ever really knew although dim memories of his
father still linger.

It was Ulma who introduced Akach to Skylos, the sacred wolf who
often followed the tribe at a distance. With her aid, he learned
to speak the strange tongue of the wolf, thus making a friend of
it even though it would never enter the tribal encampments. When
he came into his 14th year, Akach had the right to declare
himself a man, and after the ceremonial hunt was tattooed across
his chest with a symbol of the Ngwaw (see the Legend of Canis).
His became the Isil, a crescent moon which is considered a
powerful ward against evil spirits of the darkness.

On his following birthday while journeying to find his place of
birth, a falling star struck nearby, fragments showering for
miles around. Although badly hurt, he managed to recover after
several weeks and made his way back to the tribe. Afterward, he
found within himself the innate psionic abilities of complete
healing, absorb disease, and lend health (DM's discretion
advised, see AD\&Dv2 Complete Psionics Handbook for details).
However, these powers tax heavily upon him, and he has not
learned how to entirely control them.

He has the skills of hunting, trapping and foraging, however, he
is not well accomplished at anything aside from thieving which he
was taught by Ulma. Although she did not consider these skills
proper for one such as Akach, she honored her duty as bequested
by Machta to the best of her ability, and at the completion of
the training permitted Akach the gift of her TriBlade, an ancient
magical weapon of her people which is hurled at adversaries and
returns of its own volition.\\

\begin{center}
{\Large The Karacgh Culture}
\end{center}

\begin{center}
{\large Draug, The Vulfen Nation}
\end{center}

{\noindent T}he Draug arise from Wose stock, their appearance primitive and
apelike, with dark ruddy-brown skin, squat frames, and thick,
imprecise features. Also called the Druatan and the Wardogs,
these are a race of fierce warriors, their gene-pool long since
polluted by the Auduin invaders of millennia past.\\

\begin{center}
{\large The Counting of Moons}
\end{center}

{\noindent T}he twelve moons of the year, each of approximately twenty-eight
days duration are (from January to December), the moons of the
Goat, Cave Bear, Gar, Ram, Bull, Eagle, Crab, Lion, Dryad, Owl,
Scorpion, and Winter Wolf. Their wandering month is that of the
Black Horse.\\

\begin{center}
{\large On Hunting}
\end{center}

{\noindent M}ost tribes hold ten hunts each year, one at the wane of each moon
save that of the Goat and the Winter Wolf. Each tribe generally
has between 100 and 500 people, one-third of which are hunters.
The hunters typically meet at the tribal center a few days before
the new moon for a ceremony which instills strength and courage
into the hunters' spirits. They then split into bands of between
fifteen and thirty and hunt until the close of the moon, returning
with their kills for the newmoon festival where they display
their victories to the tribal chief.

Reindeer and musk oxen are hunted in autumn while mammoth
and mastodon are hunted during spring and cave bear in all
seasons save winter. However, many animals such as long-horned
deer, wild rabbit, ground squirrel, ice toad, and
numerous fish can be hunted of caught year round.\\

\begin{center}
{\large Tradition and Culture}
\end{center}

{\noindent L}egend has it that the Shewolf bore the Wardogs and gave them
their homeland in return for the promise that they would take
care of each other as the wolves do, and that the two races ally
in times need.  She is said to run with the wild packs at night
and in popular belief is personified as queen of the wolves. 

This covenant is symbolized in the foremost right of a newborn,
to be granted a ``wolf-parent", usually a member of the tribe
friendly with the natural parents of the child, who fulfills the
identical role of the god-parent: that of caring for the child
should the natural parents die.  However, members of the high
order must find suitable parents outside the immediate tribe and
often among neighboring peoples who owe favors. These individuals
are regarded as one with the tribe, thus expanding its contacts
even further while still keeping the popular saying true, that
there are no orphans among the wolves.

Tribes are led by chieftains, however, there is no absolute
leadership at the clan level.  Each clan has a Mogan selected
from among the Mogi of the varying tribes. This individual is
said to have a special relationship with the spirits transcending
even that of a Mogis. The duties of the Mogan are to lead the
clan ceremonies and keep the collective spirit of the tribe
safe from demons. The Mogan is beyond the will of the tribal
chiefs and serves as a connecting force for the clan. Assistants
to this position are sent out to the various tribes to practice
herbal medicine and spirit healing.

Both male and female children may be granted ``recognition" status,
however, this only comes with the ability to hunt.  Thus the boys
who are often physically stronger than girls are more frequently
chosen for the hunt and thus more likely to gain such status.
Children may be selected for the hunt as early as their tenth
year.

The mating ritual is common to all Wardog culture. Unmated
females play the prey and are turned loose into the wilds for one
night every year at dusk (from the last sunset of the Crab to the
first sunrise of the Lion) to be hunted by the unwed males. The
male must capture his prey and bring her back at dawn to show
the tribe that he is  worthy to be her mate. To ensure that
secret deals are not made between participants but rather that
the mating hunt is a contest of skill and chance, females are
often drugged with a fear-inducing medicine and males with potent
aphrodisiacs.

Infighting is discouraged, but when necessary, the combatants
discuss the problem with the Mogis of their tribe and may request
a fight to the death. If the request is judged to be unworthy or
petty it is denied and the antagonists are sent to different
tribes within the clan. If they fight without going through the
procedure, it is a simple case of murder and the survivor is
executed without chance of reprieve. If the Mogis decides that
the request is legitimate, the tribal chief must set the rules
governing its  fair combat.\\

\begin{description}
\item[Taboos:]  One may not kill wolves, or owls, or each other.  Chiefs
are to be obeyed.  When a chief is standing, lesser members must
stand.  They must also ask for permission to speak to chiefs. 
The Mogis is treated as a rank above chief in situations of honor
or respect but as a rank below chief where important decisions
must be made concerning the practical welfare of the tribe, clan,
or nation. The Mogan, however, holds the ultimate rank in the
clan.
\item[Belief:] Fire has a spirit, it is to be guarded at all times. Fire
is to be respected -- it can only be put out with blessed water,
or if that is unavailable, then water that has been sprinkled
with the grindings of a holy leaf. Pissing on fires is forbidden.
\item[Rituals:] In the month of the Winter Wolf once every several
decades, the four clans join in two common rituals. Of the first,
they attempt to exchange a sacred baby with a wolven cub. If the
trade fails, it is a forecast of doom. Of the second, they also
exchange gifts of unity which bind the tribes together as one
clan under one common heritage.\\
\end{description}

\begin{center}
{\large The Legend of Canis}
\end{center}

{\noindent C}anis is the man of legend who mated with the Shewolf and from
whose loins all Wardog Clanspeople and their wolven cousins have
sprung. He became part wolf, and ruled the Clan Draug as their
Ulrik or King. He hunted for his children and gave the choicest
parts of each kill to them so that they could feast. Canis gave
them more than enough food during the warm seasons so that they
could maintain stock for winter when the game moved to warmer climes.
However, in doing so, he unknowingly stole these kills from his
mate, and by winter her belly became empty so that she could not
milk her young and still find enough food for herself. She asked
Canis if she must starve, but he answered that he would not let
her starve and that she could eat him and be satisfied. In the
end, the Shewolf did just that, but later sorrow overcame her so
that she howled because she realized then that it was better to
be hungry than lonely. Thus, we have the Ngwaw, or the Howling,
the great winds at year's end which shatter all the forestlands
save the Godswoods and which both begin and end the hunting
season of the Vulfen calendar.\\

\begin{center}
{\large The Trade}
\end{center}

{\noindent W}ardog culture and religion centers around the relationship the
nomads have with their wolf counterparts. The ritual which
symbolizes this relationship is the covenant the Woses share with
the Shewolf in ``The Trade."

Once every several decades, during the last month of the year,
usually on the winter solstice, a human child newborn is traded
for a wolfen cub. The child which is traded is not yet named as
that right is reserved for the wolves. For the child to later
return as did Akach is an event without precedent. It is most
certain among the elders, however, that the banishment spells a
disintegration of the pact which has sustained the Clan Draug for
innumerable generations.\\


\begin{center}
{\large The Symbols of Unity}
\end{center}

{\noindent T}he clan chiefs attempt to meet annually during the Winter
solstice to exchange the eight sacred symbols of unity. All these
objects revolve around the man named Canis, the father of the
wardog nation.

The owl feather was the tail feather of the great owl who
came in the night to advise Canis on the wisest courses of
action. This gift from the owl symbolizes a pledge to Canis
and his descendants to aid the wardog nation with wise counsel.

The mithril ring was originally a gift from Lyn, the sylvan elf
princess, who made the gift in thanks to Canis for granting the
Elves the inner forest and protecting them from the Shewolf and
other barbarian tribes during their early years and for defeating
the Green Drake of the Godswoods.

The Dragon's tooth is from the dragon which Canis slew when
defending the sylvan elves. The misty gem was cut from its skull.

The stone axe was wielded by Canis during his wars with the
Auduin and other barbarian tribes. The golden chalice was used
by him at feasts. Both were presents from the Dwarves for aiding
their fight against the Goblins, and later, the Solianic. One
legend also states that the axe and chalice were used by the
Shewolf to carve his flesh of Canis and drink his blood.

However, the greatest of the gifts of unity are the skull and
claw of Canis, which are said to be the remains of the Shewolf's
ancient repast.\\

\begin{center}
{\Large Suggested Scenarios}
\end{center}

\begin{enumerate}
\item{The characters have unknowingly trespassed across the Karacgh
territory. Akach is sent out as a scout in order to determine
their nature and intentions. He will attempt to sneak up on the
party while using Skylos as a diversion.}
\item{The party is currently resting after it's most recent
defeat at the hands of a prominent campaign villain. In town, the
party is approached by Akach who is seeking his father and has
been venturing through the forest for several weeks without much
success. He says that the witch in the woods (yes, the same woman
who turned one PC into a toad last week) told him to seek the
party on this matter, that they would know of Azga and how to
find him. Unbeknownst to the party, Azga is the villain who just
kicked their collective hind-quarters.}
\item{While wandering through the woods, Akach finds definite signs
of Ulma, his ward of childhood. Hoping very desperately to find
her, he follows the traces, stalking her like a wild animal for
several days and nights before finally realizing himself lost
within the magical realm of the faerie folk. The inhabitants soon
begin to stalk him instead, tormenting him for his unwarranted
invasion and leaving him tied for the vultures within a blackened
corner of the dwurmyrgroves seldom touched by sunlight or
kindness. The PCs, similarly lost, find him pleading for aid.
It may just be that their only way out of these lands is by
finding Akach's ward. But can they trust him?\\}
\end{enumerate}

\newpage

\begin{center}
{\huge Tymothie Crawford}

{\Large For Traveller}

{\Large By Jim Vassilakos\\}

``Put your hands against the wall\ldots pretty please?"
\end{center}

\begin{description}
\item[Race:] Human
\item[UPP:] 5A3B92
\end{description}

\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{ll}
\multicolumn{2}{c}{\bf Skills}\\
\hline
   Recon 2                 &  Mechanical 2\\
   Gun Combat (ACR) 1      &  Computer 1\\
   Gravitics 1             &  Streetwise 1\\
   Gambling 1              &  Medic (Low Drugs) 1\\
   Blade Combat (Dagger) 1 & \\
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{lll}
\multicolumn{3}{c}{\bf Record}\\
\hline
\multicolumn{3}{l}{Born: Ridgecrest, Vili/Indi/Katina, 623SI}\\
\hline
641 &&     Graduated Ridgecrest Secondary School\\
    &&     Joined work-training program at Ridgecrest\\
    &&     Labs\\
645 &&     Ridgecrest Lab Term Complete\\
    &&     Jailed for resisting arrest\\
646 &1-1& Enlisted into Indi Armed Forces\\
    &&     Infantry Branch, Basic \& Advanced Training\\
    &&     Military Occupational Specialty: Recon\\
647 &1-2&  Specialist School: Mechanics\\
649 &1-4&  Training: Recon\\
650 &2-1&  Police Action: Vili\\
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{ll}
\multicolumn{2}{c}{\bf Military Status}\\
\hline
   Service           &Imperial Subsector Army,\\
                     &Duke of Indi\\
   Division          &Ground Force Command\\
   Present Station   &Ridgecrest on Vili\\
   Rank              &Private\\
   Branch            &Infantry\\
   MOS               &Recon\\
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\begin{center}
{\Large Personal History}
\end{center}

{\noindent W}hile Tym was a fetus, his mother, a textiles worker on Vili, was
taking drugs during her pregnancy, one of which goes by the name
of Cyrspasium-hydrilexate, also called ``Spaz" or ``Curse" in the
streetslang depending upon its form. The drug was a popular
hallucinogen for the times, and is still produced and distributed
in vast quantities by the underworld. Its effects on the unborn,
however, have proven fatal in most cases due to a complete
collapse of the immune system. Tym was found to be dependent on
the drug at birth, and on the brink of death due to the unchecked
symptoms of the common cold.

Through state-supplied biotherapy, the addiction in both mother
and child was cured. However, as a result of early complications,
Tym retains a very unstable immune system. In fact, the cold that
he was born with has never subsided, and he has lived with it and
a number of other minor afflictions throughout his life.

Tym's mother committed suicide only a year after his birth, and
his father was never discovered as the pregnancy was a result of
rape. Tym was placed in an orphan home until the age of seven
when he was adopted by a 1st cousin, Steev Crawford. Although
Steev was only ten years older than Tym, he was allowed to assume
the role of a foster parent on the grounds of blood-relation.

Tym stayed with Steev Crawford and three other friends in a small
urban apartment of Ridgecrest's poor district on Vili for four
years until the group broke up after Steev was killed in a
gangland war. Tym abruptly dropped out of primary school, but he
tested into and attended Ridgecrest secondary. The experience was
marked by violence and feuding with rival gang members, yet
despite the distractions, he did manage to stay in school, and
for his senior year he ranked in the top five percent of his
class.

After graduation from Ridgecrest, he applied for admission to the
Imperial Academy of Science and Medicine, and to Columbus College
of Vili with the idealistic notion that if accepted to either
school, he would be able to find a way to restore his immune
system to full functioning order. His applications were refused
on both counts. Through connections, however, he managed to
secure a spot in the work-training program at Ridgecrest
Scientific Labs. There he studied computers and gravitics, but
was offered no opportunities for advancement. After four years he
reapplied for admission to IASM and Columbus, and applied to Indi
College of Biological Science and the Vili Spaceport Authority
for a job interview. Again, on all counts, he was denied
acceptance.

That same year he was jailed for resisting arrest when he ran
from two watch officers for no
apparent reason. The maximum
sentence of a year was imposed by the court.

At an age of twenty-three years, Tym enlisted and was accepted
into the Indi Armed Forces. He was placed in Infantry Recon at
the request of his Recruiting Department and served a full four
years of training which encompassed primarily Mechanics and
Recon. In 650SI he started his second term of service as an
advisor for the planetary watch on Vili in the chaotic districts
of Ridgecrest.


\begin{description}
\item[Personality:] Tym is a bit on the dreamy side, his grey eyes often
taking on a distant and stormy veil when he becomes engaged in
tasks he considers boring. His job, however, which entails
keeping on the constant lookout and making fairly consistent
arrests, often conflicts with this aspect of his personality.
Thus, he's been known to get into trouble for not being on his
toes. Tym is also very polite, almost to a fault, having learned
long ago that it doesn't pay to make enemies. Likewise, he is shy
of gun spray, once having been found hiding under a vehicle
shaking with terror after a short skirmish with the Skulls, one
of the more prominent Ridgecrest gangs.
\end{description}

\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{lp{2in}}
Possessions:    &Cr500.
		One Advanced Combat Rifle with eighty rounds of ammunition.
		An old but still usable vacc-suit previously owned by an uncle
                (Steev's father).\\
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\begin{center}
{\Large Suggested Scenarios}
\end{center}

\begin{enumerate}
\item{Outside the starport on Vili, the party gets attacked by the
Trogs, one of the more xenophobic gangs in the Ridgecrest
district. During the skirmish, the local police arrive, and one
of the party members is wounded and captured by the Trogs in the
crossfire. The Vili police halt the party's pursuit, as only one
of them (a lowly advisor on lease from the Army) speaks even a
smattering of the interstellar tongue. After some heated words,
they decide to haul the party into the station for questioning.
The police later make a disgruntled apology about letting the
Trogs get away with their friend and bluntly advise the party
that the individual is as good as dead. Tym, however, tells the
party that the Trogs have recently gained a new leader who has
connections with the off-world slave market and that their friend
probably isn't dead. He also tells the party that he may be able
to aid in finding the friend provided he doesn't have to enter
combat. Of course, there will be a certain price involved if they
are interested.}
\item{The party is attacked as before, however, nobody is captured.
Instead, their medic is hit in the chest and goes down. When Tym
arrives on the scene with the police, he administers drugs to
immobilize the character's metabolism long enough to get him to
surgery. Afterward, while answering questions in the hospital, the
character realizes that Tym is a close relative. Due to cut-backs
in the IAF (Indi Armed Forces), Tym has the option of mustering
out early; that is if their captain wants to offer him a position
on the crew.}
\item{The party is attacked as before, however, over the course of
the initial investigation, it is determined that the attack was
not xenophobic in origin, but merely painted as such. The police
believe the attack was a contracted hit, perhaps by somebody off-
world whom the party has somehow managed to piss-off, perhaps
even by somebody in subsector government. Due to the strange
nature of the case, Tym is quietly transferred to the
investigative division and told to apply for a position on the
crew so as to keep an eye on the party while they are
inside the subsector. Thus, regardless of his skills, his resume
will be impeccable.}
\end{enumerate}

\vspace{.5in}
\parindent=0pt

\begin{center}
{\huge Flash}

{\Large For AD\&D}

{\Large By Kelly Nabours\\}

``Flash \ldots AAAAAH Saviour of the Universe!"
\end{center}
\vspace{.15in}

\begin{tabular}{lclr}
Character name: Flash&\hspace*{.3in}&&\\
Gamesystem: AD\&D&& Str: &8\\
Class: Illusionist/ (thief?)&& Int: &20\\
Race: Gnome&& Wis: &5\\ 
Hp: 52 (+2 for jokers! hehe)&& Dex: &17\\
Ac: 7 / 3 If armor spell on&& Con: &14\\	
Lvl: ? (15)&& Chr: &15\\
Al: CG&& Com: &12\\
\end{tabular}

\vspace{.1in}
Well\ldots Here goes \ldots kinda weird though
But you've been warned.\\

{\bf \underline{Equipment}}

{\bf Short Sword called Valkyrie.  minor arifact.}
\begin{quote}
	It is +3 to hit/damage, of quickness, glows on command, and when
	pulled it trumpets quite loudly {\em ``The Ride of The Valkyrie"}
	Anyone within a quarter mile will be able to hear it.  
\end{quote}
{\bf Cloak of the Arachnid}
\begin{quote} {\em Spider Climb} at will. Double strength {\em Web} 2/day, 
	immunity to webs and +vs spider poison. (See its description in DMG)
\end{quote}
{\bf Cursed Boots of Sloshing and Slurping}
\begin{quote}No matter where he is, it sounds
	like he's walking through a swamp.  Sluuurp when lifting foot and
	Squish when dropping it.  Some get confused and think that these
	are what give spider climb ability.  These seem to have been 
	``afflicted" on him in some incident in which he acquired the Valkyrie.
	Treat as created by a DemiGod.  Remove Curse won't work.
\end{quote}
{\bf Feather}
\begin{quote}His hat contains a feather. No matter
	how high the ceiling, the feather stretches up to it and bends an extra two feet 
	along.  It disappears completely outside.
\end{quote}
{\bf Ring of Wizardry (1-3rd)\\ and Ring of Regeneration.  (another story)\\}

{\bf Other}
\begin{quote}
Various spellbooks, spell components, etc.  No thief gear! 
\end{quote}
\vspace{.1in}
{\bf In addition:}
\begin{quote}
\parindent=15pt
\hspace{\parindent}{\bf Permanent Audible Glamour with a Program.}  Flash spent over 3 years
researching the spell to enable him to cast this.  It cost one CON point and
quite a fortune.  He was having an incredible problem with his EGO at this
point and since then has rethought the wisdom of it but has been unable to 
come up with a counter to his spell.  Its affects are: When ever he mentions
his name (Flash) an audible glamour at 12th lvl (48 person chorus) sings out
{\em ``AAAAAH Saviour of the Universe."}  This all came about after the story
of the Rings.  Never mind\ldots

Despite his numerous (self-inflicted or not) curses, he remains quite jolly.
He likes to accompany the occasional adventuring
party he hires to help him with some of his problems, but for some reason they
seem to get quite tired of his jokes.  Example: party has just met their 
arch-enemy but have already been decimated removing his guards; the enemy
proposes a reasonable truce, and the party withdraws out of ear shot to discuss
it privately without the enemy overhearing the results.  Flash
(unable to pass up the opportunity) casts a phantasmal force of a whole bunch
of ears all over listening in on the parties discussion.  He's {\bf always}
doing things like that and memorizes as many 1st level Phantasmal 
Forces as he can get away with.
\end{quote}

\vspace{.5in}
\begin{center}
{\huge The Phantom}

{\Large for AD\&D}

{\Large By Brian Saylor\\}

Nothing is safe from {\em The Phantom!}
\end{center}
\parindent=0pt

\begin{small}
\begin{tabular}{llrr}
Character Name: &Jonathan Guy & &\\
Author:&Brian Saylor&STR:&17\\
Gamesystem:&AD\&D&INT:&18\\
Class:&Magic-User/Assassin&WIS:&9\\
Race:&Human&DEX:&16\\
Level:&8&CON:&16\\
Ac:&2&CHA:&15\\
Hp:&32&COM:&15\\
Al:&CE&&\\
\end{tabular}
\end{small}

\vspace{.1in}
{\bf \underline{Equipment:}}\\
{\bf Cloak of the Bat}
\begin{quote}
+2 protection, 90\% invisibility in shadows or darkness,
15" flying (MC:B), and transformation into
ordinary bat.  Flying and transformation works only in 
darkness and for one hour maximum before like amount of
dormant time is necessary.
\end{quote}
{\bf Pearl of the Sirens}
\begin{quote} Waterbreathing, underwater movement 24", and immunity
to Sirine's touch.
\end{quote}
{\bf +3 Short Sword}

{\bf Bracers of Defense, AC6}

\vspace{.15in}
{\bf \underline{Spell Book:}}
\begin{quote}
{\em
Charm Person\\
Magic Missile\\
Hold Portal\\
Darkness\\
Knock\\
Locate Object\\
Vocalize\\
Protection From Normal Missiles\\
}
\end{quote}

\newpage

\begin{center}
{\Large Personal History}
\end{center}

\parindent=30pt
{\noindent J}onathan was born into the merchant's guild.  His father was a very
prestigious member.
Jonathan and his father, Garech, did not get along well.  Sparks
flew whenever they were in the house together.  This was not all that often, since Garech
was away on business much of the time.  His relationship with his mother Maria,
was not much better.  Jonathan was very independent and despised all
who tried to influence his life.  His father wanted him to be a great merchant
like himself, and his mother wanted to make him a ``good boy."

As a boy, he would spend a great deal of time by himself as far away from home
as possible.  On one such occasion, when he was twelve, he found an old man caught in
an animal trap.  Jonathan decided to pretend the old man was his father.  He taunted him
and threw rocks.  One of the rocks hit the old man in the head and killed him.
Jonathan was a little stunned for a moment, then found it hilariously funny.
He searched the man and found a few coins in his pocket and a pearl strung about
his neck.  This was a Pearl of the Sirens, and Jonathan soon learned it's powers.
Jonathan had heard of an island that sailors avoided like the plague.  It was
rumored that a group of Sirens lived there and people tended to ``disappear"
around it.  After a particularly bad episode with his parents, he decided to go there.  
The swimming abilities acquired from the pearl allowed him to reach it easily.
What he found there was in fact a group of Sirens.  The pearl protected him
from their songs, so he was not in danger.  From then on, he would go there
whenever he couldn't handle life at home.  He got to know them and would
even help them catch sailors on some occasions.

Garech tried to get Jonathan into the family business.  He continually applied
pressure. For this reason, Jonathan joined the ranks of the Mages' Guild at the age of
fourteen years just
to spite his father.  His great intelligence allowed him to learn quickly, 
but his chaotic nature hampered his advancement.  He soon became
discontent with the pompous mages.

At about this time he met Rekar, a young
thief.  Rekar showed Jonathan how to steal.  Together they pulled off many
petty crimes.  During this time, Jonathan kept up his magical studies, even though
he had lost much of his passion for it.  Being a small time crock did not sit
well with Jonathan; he wanted something bigger.  He decided to rob his father.
Jonathan did the inside work, while Rekar did the actual robbery.  They planned
it perfectly; Jonathan stole the keys and gave them to Rekar, immobilized the
dogs, and distracted his mother and the maid with a loud display of minor magic
at the far end of the house.  Rekar entered the house during Jonathan's show
and stole the money box from Garech's study.  There was only one problem.
Garech choose just that moment to come home.  He surprised Rekar coming out of
the house.  Rekar was killed in the conflict that followed.

Jonathan did not forgive his father, instead he vowed to avenge
Rekar's death.  Three months later, two days after returning from a two and a 
half month business trip, Garech was found dead.  He had apparently fallen
from a bridge crossing the river on the edge of town.  It seemed he hit his
head and drowned.  This was not of course an accident.  Jonathan just 
arranged for it to look that way. 

With the death of his father, Jonathan withdrew from the Mages' Guild and
took over the family business.  At the age of eighteen, with no merchant experience,
he was running a large merchant company.  Even though he hated the business before,
now he jumped into it with relish.  The company grew quickly with Jonathan's
business methods.  They tended to be a bit Mafia style.  A major competitor
fell from the walls of his keep and died.  Similar accidents happened to those
who stood in the way of his business.  During this time, one of Jonathan's
old instructors at the Mages Guild was murdered and all his magical books
stolen.  Jonathan wanted to continue his magical studies.  

He soon became quite good at causing ``accidents." He was always very careful
not to let any suspicion fall upon him.  Mostly because the tedious
details of running the company did not appeal to Jonathan, at the age of twenty
he took up assassination as a trade.  He still looked after the company,
but he had other people doing most of the actual work.

Jonathan is currently known as a wealthy, though reclusive merchant.  He is well 
respected in society.  While he doesn't attend any temples, he does donate
to their funds.  He also donates funds to worthy causes in his home town
as well as abroad.  This is all a cover for his work as the most notorious
assassin and thief in the region.  He steals things that can't be stolen,
kills people who think they are protected by the best security.  Nothing
stops ``The Phantom."  He likes to use his magic when he works: charm a 
guard, open/lock doors, protect himself from arrows and such. 
He also loves to use magic items.  He has collected several
over the years which he keeps with him.  His {\em Cloak of the Bat} has been
particularly useful in getting into fortified places.  He can fly over
the walls or transform into a bat and fly through a small window. If things get
tough, he can just fly away.  He loves to make dramatic death scenes.
After an assassination, when the guards are chasing him and firing arrows, he
arrives at a bridge, pretends to be hit by an arrow, and falls to the water
below.  His body is not, of course, found.  He does this with the help of
his {\em Pearl of the Sirens}.  Because of this, many people have claimed
to have killed him only to have him show up again a few months later.
When ``working" he dresses in costume, all black with
a face mask and a leather cloak.  

Because of his love for drama, he is rather notorious in the region.
Many people would like to see ``The Phantom" dead, and some have tried.  
He is mindful of this, but his ego keeps him from taking his enemies
too seriously.  Given the opportunity, he likes to make them look foolish.
When things get hot, however, he visits the Isle of Sirens.

\vspace{.1in}
\begin{center}
{\Large Services}
\end{center}

{\noindent T}he Phantom does assassinations and thefts of hard to steal items.
On occasion he even does ``political" work for town officials,
usually stealing documents or planting incriminating evidence.
He does not like spy missions, so he will not do them.  He is not
likely to do other types of missions.  If he does, it would only
be with a sizable quantity of persuasion and money.

\vspace{.1in}
\begin{center}
{\Large Contact}
\end{center}

{\noindent T}he Phantom is not easy to meet. He maintains a network of low level
thieves throughout the region. To hire the Phantom, one must
contact one of these thieves.  The Thief then notifies the liaison person
in Jonathan's home town.  This man is currently Borcher, a 4$^{th}$ level
thief.  Borcher notifies the Phantom that someone wants to do business by
the use of some signal.  At the moment, the signal is a black flag in the
window of the business Borcher uses as a front for his fencing operation.  Borcher is
very loyal to the Phantom because he pays well, and Borcher doesn't want
to end up like some men who betrayed the Phantom.  Jonathan then sets
a time and place to meet with the prospective client.  He realizes that
these meetings are potentially dangerous, so he takes precautions.
For security, he doesn't actually meet face 
to face, and he always keeps an escape route near, often keeping something between 
him and the client; a wall, hedge, etc.  

\newpage

\begin{center}
{\Large Suggested Scenarios}
\end{center}

\begin{enumerate}
\item{The Party is hired by the town Mayor to track down the Phantom and
bring him to justice.  The Mayor has used the services of the Phantom and
does not really want him out of business.  He only hires the party to
keep up his public image.  The Phantom will be well prepared for the characters
and keep a close eye on them.  The Mayor will tell the players of a cave
that the Phantom is suspected of using as a hideout.  The Phantom will
meet the characters at the cave and stage a fake death.  The Mayor will
pay the party 2,500 GP upon completion.}

\item{The wife of one of the Phantom's victims hires the party to
hunt down the Phantom and kill him.  The patron is genuine and will
help in any reasonable way but does not know how the Phantom may be
contacted.  She will pay 5,000 GP if the party completes this
task.} 

\item{One of the characters has been targeted for assassination.  The
Phantom will have a charmed bar maid place poison in the character's
drink.  On a successful save {\em vs.} poison, the character takes 30 HP
damage; otherwise, he dies.  The Phantom will immediately follow the poisoning
with a {\em Magic Missile} attack and then a back-stab attempt.  If the victim 
survives, the Phantom will
engage in combat until he himself is hit once or the victim dies. 
He will then fly away.  If the assassination is unsuccessful, the 
Phantom will try again at a later date.  The party may wish to
track the Phantom down to stop another attempt or for revenge.} 
\end{enumerate}

\newpage
\ \\
\vspace{6in}

\begin{description}
\item[GM:] The fighter carves his initials in your chest\ldots like Zorro.
\item[Player:] Yeah, so?
\item[GM:] He's using a mace.
\end{description}

\vspace{.1in}

\begin{tabbing}
\ \ \ --- \= Mike Basinger\\
\> {\em dbasinge@silver.ucs.indiana.edu}\\
\> Indiana University, Bloomington\\
\end{tabbing}

 
\end{document}


