Wednesday, February 8, 2017

NPC Adventurer - Dr. Wong King

Will be encountered on the highways of Gardenwall or Stormcrown or in the hill-roads passing through the Eastwylde.  May be stopped at Last Stand Meadery in Mossgather or the Silver Dragon Inn in Grifflet.  He is accompanied by the siblings Furio, Canio, and Gryffina (whose name is sort of a slurred devolution of Agrippina).

Yes I cut off the top of the page and taped it to the bottom to get his feet in.

Dr. Wong is a traveler from the far east who has come to this continent to found a school for the martial arts.  He wants someplace suitably remote and has chosen the frontier of the Shield Baronies as the perfect place.   The doctor has already picked up two disciples from the port city where he entered the continent---the brothers Furio and Canio, two street toughs (both level 1 brawlers) who believe the portly doctor can turn them into great warriors.  Traveling along is the brothers' older sister Gryffina (expert 2).  Having taken care of the boys since they were all children, she continues now out of habit and Wong is happy to use her as cook, maid, pack mule and all-purpose dogsbody.

Doctor Wong takes his title from his expertise in the medical arts: his specialties being chiefly chiropractic therapy and herbatives  (although as he is largely unfamiliar with the names of western flora this is now limited to the small supply of tinctures carried in his pack).   He does that thing with the hot cups and also the needles.  He has a bunch of crazy anatomical diagrams showing the chakras and spinal vertebrae in [Chinese].  He is technically a priest although the details are hazy and irrelevant since he is so far from the land of his gods, as he puts it.  That little topknot is an actual thing Tao Priests wear.  None of this really matters---he doesn't talk much about his own country and the people he travels with aren't curious.

Gryffina.  Shit-tier peasants don't get surnames.
Currently he has visited four of the six barons.  Like everyone in the last 50 years he was denied a face to face meeting with Baroness Spellwise.  He concluded that Baron Silas was too suspicious and grasping to permit an independent school of martial arts in his land.  Baron Ogrebane seemed a good man, but unimaginative and slow to accept foreign ideas not in line with his Order of St. Justin's teachings.  Lightning Van Hussel seemed too eager to look for trouble from the Eastwylde, still a young man eager for glory at heart.  Dr. Wong is winding his way towards the courts of Baron Greatsword of Stormcrown and Baron Silvertongue of Gardenwall, in no particular hurry, stopping and interviewing just about everyone he meets---what sort of man is the baron, how safe is his territory, how permissive is he to the flow of ideas and the founding of new institutions, etcedera.  By the way, one a scale of one to ten how interested would YOU be in mastering the arts of combat and inner perfection?  

Incidentally, Furio and Canio are wanted men.  It's a fact they were already somewhat notorious in the streets of their hometown as a pair of robbers, but Dr. Wong is far too kind to mention to strangers how he recruited the brothers after they made the mistake of trying to rob him.  That's all water under the bridge, as far as the Doctor is concerned---part of becoming his disciples means their moral fortitude will improve along with their physical conditioning.  For their part the brothers are fine spending a few years away from their hometown so long as they can return armed with the Deadly Arts of the East.

Until I can draw a proper picture of the brothers, this will suffice
 If Dr. Wong and his triad of followers are encountered, be sure to take the measure of how the PCs come across.  If like mine they are bristling with weapons and grizzly trophies and basically look terrifying, the Doctor will urge his charges to hide somewhere by the road and pretend to be alone.  He is confident enough in his skills to attempt to take on even a squadron of mounted men, but if pressed hard he may flee for a nearby copse or brush.  He will fight to the death to protect the siblings, however.  He is somewhat venal and lazy but ultimately Lawful Good.  However unless your players are really unreasonable (.....) violence shouldn't break out---Doctor Wong will simply ask them the same questions he asks of everyone he meets, about their opinion of the local Baron and his governance, and perhaps about any monsters known to haunt the area.  If they are friendly and it is approaching evening he may suggest combining camps.  He carries a great supply of wine and is simultaneously generous and greedy with it.  This could be a great excuse to surprise your players with a carousal roll in the middle of the woods.

If left to his own devices for long enough, Wong will eventually establish a foundation for his school somewhere in the Shield Baronies.  More disciples of varying skill levels, including part-timers, will begin to appear and if a whole year passes without his interference the PCs may find their locality shifting pastiches from Lord of the Rings to Shaw Bros.

Dr. Wong King -  Middle-Aged Human Monk (Unchained) 7 - Med. Humanoid | HD: 7d10+24 (59 hp) | Init: +5 | Spd: 40 ft (-10 fatass) | AC: 20 (+5 Dex, +3 Wis, +1 Class, +1 Dodge) Touch 20, FF 14 | BaB: +7 | CMB: +9 (+11 trip) | CMD: 24 (26 v. Trip) | Atks: Unarmed Strike +9 melee (1d8+2 x2 bludg) or MW hvy iron triple-section staff +9 melee (1d10+3 19-20/x2 bludg.), or acid-spray nozzle +11 touch 1d6/1 splash x2 acid, DC 12 Fort or blinded 1d4 rounds) | S/R: 5/5 ft | SA: Flurry of Blows, Stunning Fist (Fort DC 16), Ki Strike (as long as 1 pt in ki pool) treat unarmed as magic/cold iron/silver, Style Strike: Headbutt | SQ: Fvrd Class Monk (+3 HP/+1 ki pool), Heart of the Mountains (+2 Climb/Acrobatics on slopes),  Ki Powers: High Jump, Ki Guardian; Evasion, Purity of Body, Still Mind | Svs: Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +5| Ablts: Str 14, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 12 | Ki Pool: 9 points
Skills (7/35) - Acrobatics +15* (+17* slope), Climb +10(+12 slope), Escape Artist +13, Heal +9(+11 first aid/treat illness), Kn. Religion +6, Kn. Nature +8, Perception +10, Ride +9, Stealth +13, Handle Animal +6, Survival (cc) +4
(*+18/+20 jump, always has running start)

Feats: Imp. Unarmed Strike (class), Dodge, Combat Expertise, Mobility, Imp. Trip, Spring Attack, Deflect Arrows, Whirlwind Attack
Traits:  Iron Liver (+2 v. poison/drugs, +4 v. alcohol), Accelerated Drinker (quaff potion as move actn), Honored Fist (+1 ki pt)
Drawbacks: Fatass (-10 ft spd, Fort svs e. round to keep running after 10 rnds)
Equipment:Big skin of wine, two bottles of cheap choujiu, iron and gold 3-section staff.  The gold is just a thin boss over good steelwork.

The staff has the heavy iron quality giving it a -1 to hit penalty.  The sections are hollow and actually contain the connecting chains and fit together via grooves within the gold lips joining each section so you can turn the thing into a really heavy jangling quarterstaff if you want.  At one end is a sculpted steel head in the shape of a frog's mouth.  This head is set over a collapsible wood slider so you can grip it and pull it back to connect with the iron section---this opens the frog's mouth, and if you twist the head 90 degrees as you bring it back, it releases a puff of acid through a wire screen under the mouth, into the square directly in front of you.  This abrasive compound has little chance of directly bringing someone down, but it can badly sting and momentarily blind an opponent. 

Potions -
Bull's Str x1
Bear's End. x2
Cat's Grace x2
OMW +1 x3
Haste x1

Pint (16 oz.) of Wong's special eye-irritant acid.  Each use eats up 1 oz. 
Waterproof medical bag with medical chart scrolls, books, first aid gear and a couple glass jars of herbatives (mostly simple decongestants, also one powerful laxative).

NOTES
Feats
AC v AoOs moving 24 (26 Ct's Grc)
Cmbt Exprts up to -5 atk/+5 AC (dodge)
No AoO on trip; can mv, atk, mv up to 40' ttl
if not FF can negate 1 arrow/bolt hit for no dmg
can use FAA to atk every enemy in reach
Ki Powers
High Jump: +1/2 lvl jump, always rnng strt
Ki Guardian: immed. actn, spend ki pts = ppl effectd.  If u & allies are in AoE or multiple target effect, they roll w/ur sv bonus - if they fail, u fail

Flurry - +9/+9 (+9/+9/+9 if 1pt in ki pool)
Fl Atk + Flurry - +9/+4/+9 (+9/+4/+9/+9)
--One of these is the style strike (Head Butt, 1 ki pt: CMB v. Target's CMD (-8v. non humanoids) - if successful, target staggered 1 rnd.
Bear's End. - +14 hp, Fort +9
Cat's Grace: AC 22, Ref +12, Init +7; acrobatics +17 (+21 jump), +19/+23 slope; escape artist +17, stealth +15
Bull's STR + OMW+1 + Haste :
Staff +13 (1d10+7)/Unarmed +12 (1d8+4)
Fl Atk + Flurry + Ki Pool + Haste + Bull's STR + OMW+1 :
+13/+8/+13/+13/+13 (1d10+7 staff & headbutt 1d8+4, CMB+11 to stagger)


Gryffina - Human Exp 2 (Med. Humanoid) | HD: 2d6+4 (10 hp) | Init: +0 | Spd: 30 ft | AC: 10 or 14 (can use big sack for cover) | BaB: +1 | CMB: +3 | CMD: 13 | Atks: iron skillet +4 melee d4+2 x2 bludg.) | SQ: Fvrd Class Expert (+2 hp), +1 skill pt/lvl | Svs: Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +4 | | Str 14, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 8
Feats -   Endurance, Weapon Fcs (skillet)
Skills (2/18) - Profession (cook) +6, Profession (tailor) +6, craft (weaving & stitchery) +6, Kn. Local +6, Kn. Nature +7, Heal +9 (+2 kit), craft (dress & butcher) +6, Sense Motive +6, Climb +7, Appraise +6, Stealth (cc) +1, handle animal (cc) +0
Traits -  Extraordinary strength.  For purposes of lifting and dragging quadruple her strength score.
Equipment -  Use your imagination on this one.  She's basically carrying a well-stocked campsite on her back.
Furio - Human Brawler 2, Med. Humanoid | HD: 2d10+5 (15 hp) | Init: +1 | Spd: 30 ft/rnd | AC: 16 (+1 Dex, +4 mailshirt, +1 buckler), Touch 11, FF 15 | BaB: +2 | CMB: +5 | CMD: 16 | Atks: Arming sword |5 melee (1d8+3 19-20/x2 slash & pierce), or hunter's bow +3 ranged 60 ft (1d8 x3 pierce), or unarmed strike +5 melee (1d6+2 x2 bludg.) or shield bash +5 melee (1d6+2 x2 bludge) | S/R: 5/5 ft | SA: N/A | SQ: Fvrd class brawler (+1 hp/+1 skill), brawler's cunniing & martial training, martial flexibility (1 feat, st. actn), heart of the streets - +1 ref/AC adj. at least 2 allies, crowds not difficult terrain
Feats: Power Attack, Imp. Shield Bash, Combat Expertise, Imp. Unarmed Strike (class)
Skills (2/7) - Kn. Local +4, Climb +4*, Acrobatics +3*, Intimidate +6, Escape Artist +1*, Bluff (cc) +2
*-3 armor & shield chk pen.
Equipment:  Mailshirt, arming sword, buckler, bow & 10 arrows, light traveling accouterments in pigskin bag
Canio -  Human Brawler 1, Med. Humanoid | HD: 1d10+2 (7 hp) | Init: +2 | Spd: 30 ft/rnd | AC: 16 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +3 jack of plates) Touch 13, FF 13 | BaB: +1 | CMB: +3 | CMD: 15 | Atks: Unarmed Strike +3 melee (1d6+2 x2 bludg), spear +3 melee (1d8+2 x2 pierce), hunter's bow +3 ranged 60 ft (1d8 x3 pierce) | S/R: 5/5 ft | SA: N/A | SQ: Fvrd Class brawler (+1 hp), heartr of the streets, martial flexibility, martial training, brawler's cunning | Svs: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +0 | Ablts: Str 14, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 08, Wis 10, Cha 12
Feats -  Imp Unarmed Strike (class), Dodge, Mobility
Skills (1/3) - Acrobatics +5*, Climb +5*, Escape Artist +5*
*-1 armor chk pen.
Equipment:  jack of plates over padded jacket, bow & 10 arrows, spear, light traveling accouterments in an old flour sack

ALSO NOTE - I derive HP for NPCs by just halving their HD max before adding Con bonus/fvrd class points etc.  If you want your NPCs to be a little more surviveable probably change that. 

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