NPCs: Zadok the Enchanter

Zadok the Enchanter

Image by cgartiste, not used with permission.

Background

     In life Zadok the Enchanter was a wizard of great renown. His items were highly sought after by kings and wizards. Thousands of years later they are still amazing treasures that those few wizards who are lucky enough to study, marvel at. His skill at smithing was so great that it is said the items he made were already enchanted just by his forging the materials themselves.
      Zadok was said to have lived an amazing 900 years before he mysteriously disappeared. Records of this era of history are scarce at best. Those few that are available are incomplete or erroneous, mainly due to Zadok doing his best to plant as much false information about himself and his creative process as possible.


NPC Stat Block
Level: 27 Enchanter/Necromancer
Race: Salient Lich, Human

Str 17    Dex 18    Con 18    Int 24    Wis 20    Cha 18    Com 3 (17)
HP: 64     AC: -10     THAC0: 9                  PSPs: 129
Align: LE                  Age: 8,957
Height: 6' 9"            Weight: 88 Lbs.

Skills
Read & Write Ancient Common, Advanced Mathematics, Appraising,
Gem Cutting, Goldsmithing, Common, Read & Write Common,
Blacksmithing, Cobbling, Carpentry, Leatherworking, Pottery,
Weaving, Seamstress/Tailor, Armorer, Weaponsmithing, Engineering,
Spellcraft, Herbalism, Bureaucracy, Information Gathering,
Observation, Etiquette, Heraldry, Alertness, Craft Instrument,
Ancient History.

Class Abilities
+1 Spell per Spell Level (Specialty only).
+1 Save vs Enchantment/Charm, Necromancy spells.
-1 to Opponents Save vs Enchantment/Charm, Necromancy spells.
+15% Chance to Learn Spell to Enchantment/Charm, Necromancy spells.
-15% Chance to Learn Spell to non-Enchantment/Charm, Necromancy spells.
When reaching a new Spell Level, gains 1 spell of Enchantment/Charm, Necromancy school.
When creating a new spell, it is considered 1 Level lower if an Enchantment/Charm, Necromancy spell.

Racial Abilities
+1 or better magical weapon to hit.
Aura of Power: 5 HD or less, save vs. spell or flee in terror for 5d4 rounds.
Chill touch: 1d10 damage, & save vs. death magic.
½ Damage from Physical Attacks (see section on Pharaoh Zoser).
Immune to Charm, Sleep, Enfeeblement, Polymorph, Cold, Electricity, Insanity, and Death spells.

Art Objects
Personal Seal 8 sp
Silver Bracelet 18 sp
Emerald & Gold Ring 5,000 gp
Platinum Crown (3 Ruby, 3 Emerald, Black Opal 10,000gp) 12,500 gp
Silver Dagger Sheath 25 sp
Silver & Gold Amulet 20 gp
Gold & Ivory Map Case 30 gp
Platinum & Basilisk Skin Belt 7 pp
Ornate Iron Spike 9 bp
Large Silver Bowl 75 sp
Medium Brass Brazier 20 sp
Gold Goblet (3 Ruby, 3 Emerald) 1,500 gp

Gems
3 Blue Quartz 10 gp
5 Eye Agate 5 gp
2 Hematite 12 gp
4 Amber 50 gp
8 Obsidian 20 gp
2 Black Sapphire 20,000 gp

Treasury
EP: 1,800
SP: 6,000
BP: 2,000
CP: 3,000

Weapons
Dagger of Venom 1d4/1d3 (20: PPDM or die)
Staff of Rulership +2 (78 charges)

Magic Items
Ring of Protection +6/+1 Save
Ring of Wizardy (1st-3rd level spells)
Boots of Elvenkind
Cloak of Elvenkind
Hat of Infernal Disguise (works like a hat of disguise except that all divinations reveal only a living person and not an undead being).

Scrolls
Zadok's Assault Scroll: 17th level (Magic Missile, Melf's Acid Arrow, Fireball)
Beowa's Scroll of Rebirth: 16th level (Heal, Reincarnation)
Protection from Dragon Breath
Zadok's Frostbrand Scroll: 19th level (Enchant an Item, Enchanted Weapon, Haste, Otiluke's Freezing Sphere, Permanency)
Scroll of Protection from Living Beings

Potions
4 Clairvoyance & Clairaudience (These potions grant both simultaneously)
2 Flying & Invisibility (These potions grant both simultaneously)
1 Gaseous Form (This potion also incorporates a gust of wind into it allowing for a move of 16)

8 Undead Control (These work at double strength and duration)

Salient Abilities

Voice of Maleficence: 1 Turn; save vs. spell (-1/Hour). Reveal any and all secrets. 

Dream Manipulation: Causes nightmares, receiver knows dreams are being tampered with, inflicts Damage (up to 3d10).

Control Undead Legion: 240 undead of 8 HD or less.

Vortex of Evil: 24 miles, summon all Evilly aligned creatures to it (save vs spells).

Psionic Powers

Energy Containment IC 10, MC na, Range 0, Preparation 0, AoE Personal, Con-2 16.
     With this power he has trained himself to safely absorb and assimilate energy from electricity, fire, cold, heat, and sound; energy that would fry, freeze, or otherwise harm a normal character. Any physical assault based on these energy types can be drawn into Zadok's body. Then he transforms the energy, and safely releases it as visible radiance (light). In effect, this protects Zadok against energy attacks. If he makes a successful power check, he can double the result of his die roll when saving against an energy attack. If he makes a successful saving throw, he suffers no damage from the attack. If he fails, he suffers only half damage, regardless of what the spell description (if applicable) states. When Zadok absorbs energy, he radiates visible light for a number of rounds equal to the points of damage he absorbed. If he suffered half damage, he radiates for that many rounds. If he suffered no damage, roll for damage anyway to see how long he glows. This glow is definitely noticeable, but it is soft, and illuminates no more than an area with a 2-yard radius.

Aura Sight IC 9, MC 9 per round, Range 50 yards, Preparation 0, AoE Personal, Wis-5 15.
     An aura is a glowing halo or envelope of colored light which surrounds all living things. It is invisible to the naked eye. A creature's aura reflects both its alignment and its experience level. When Zadok uses this power, he can see auras. Interpreting an aura requires some concentration, however. With each use of this power, Zadok can learn only one piece of information-either the subject's alignment or experience level, but not both simultaneously. He can examine up to two auras per round. (He must be able to see both subjects.) Alternately, he can examine the same aura twice, to verify his first impression with a second reading or to pick up remaining information. In any case, Zadok must make a new power check each time he attempts to interpret an aura. He can be reasonably discreet when he uses this power. He doesn't have to poke at the subject or give him the hairy eyeball. However, he does need to gaze at the subject intently. Since the range of this power is the range of vision, he can go unnoticed by maintaining his distance. If he tries to sense auras on the people he is conversing with, they certainly will notice that he is staring and probably will be uncomfortable. The level of the character being analyzed affects the power check. The higher the subject's experience level, the tougher it is to interpret the subjects aura. This translates into a -1 penalty for every three levels of the subject, rounded down. For example,  reading the aura of an 8th level character would suffer a - 2 penalty. If the die roll for the power check is a 1, the reading is incomplete or slightly incorrect. For example, he may learn only the chaotic portion of a chaotic neutral alignment. Or he may interpret the character's level with an error of one or two levels.

Cause Decay IC 4, MC na, Range Touch, Prep 0, AoE 60 pounds, Con-2 16.
     This power works only against inanimate objects. Zadok's touch causes instant decay: metal rusts, wood ages and splits, cloth falls to dust. The DM rolls a saving throw vs. acid for the item touched. If this fails, the item-or a maximum of 60 pounds of it-is consumed by decay within one round.

Commonly Memorized Spells

First Level

Cantrip, Charm Person, Chill Touch, Copy, Detect Temporal Anomaly, Diving Rod, Enlarge, Erase, Friends, Hold Portal, Magic Missile, Mending, Shield, Sleep, Unseen Servant, Wall of Fog.

Second Level

Blindness, Choke, Continual Light, Corruption, Deafness, ESP, Forget, Glitterdust, Greater Detect Undead, Invisibility, Knock, Protection from Cantrips, Ray of Enfeeblement, Rope Trick, Strength, Timeslip.

Third Level

Blink, Clairaudience, Clairvoyance, Delude, Dispel Magic, Item, Life Tether, Lightning Bolt, Minor Paradox, Monster Summoning I, Non-Detection, Skeletal Hand, Spectral Force, Suggestion, Tongues, Windwall.

Fourth Level

Charm Monster, Dimension Door, Enchanted Weapon, Fire Aura, Ice Storm, Monster Summoning II, Stoneskin, Temporal Push.

Fifth Level

Cone of Cold, Devolutionary Warrior, Domination, Fabricate, Monster Summoning III, Sinister Surroundings, Throbbing Bones, Zone of Despair.

Sixth Level

Control Weather, Disintegrate, Enchant an Item, Invulnerability to Magical Weapons, Monster Summoning IV, Otiluke's Freezing Sphere, Paradox, Permanent Illusion.

Seventh Level

Control Undead, Forcecage, Monster Summoning V, Prismatic Spray, Sands of Time, Spell Turning, Statue, Teleport without Error.

Eighth Level

Antipathy-Sympathy, Clone, Demand, Mass Charm, Monster Summoning VI, Timereaver, Trap the Soul.

Ninth Level

Confer, Create Minion, Energy Drain, Major Paradox, Monster Summoning VII, Shape Change, Succor.

Special Notes

Pharaoh Zoser

     When Zadok was still living he had made a visit to the Priest-King Zoser the Builder, Pharaoh of Saxara. Zoser's adviser and architect, Imhotep had just put the finishing touches on the pyramid that would house his Pharaoh's mummy. Zadok had been commissioned to make the pyramid's gold capstone. After placing the capstone and touring the pyramid Zadok stole the canopic jar containing Zoser's heart.

     After leaving the pyramid Zadok activated the capstone that provided protection to the pyramid. With the capstone active nothing could enter or exit the pyramid. Thousands of years later the capstone is still protecting and containing Pharaoh Zoser and his greater mummy minions.

     Zoser was furious that his heart was stolen he tasked Imhotep, who was on the outside of the pyramid when the capstone activated, with finding Zadok and retrieving his heart. Unbeknownst to either of the Saxarans, Zadok used the heart as an ingredient in his transformation to undeath.

     Zadok has housed this canopic jar in a special complex hidden away from the reach of the Pharaoh and his minions. The enchantments placed by Zadok will steal the soul of anyone who touches the jar and channel that energy through the Heart of Zoser and into Zadok's being.

     With this protection in place and using this ingredient in the making of his phylactery Zadok cannot be fully destroyed until Zoser is as well. This is only one part of his phylactery and other parts are still waiting to be discovered.

Minions

     Over the millennia Zadok has created several powerful minions to serve him in various ways and with various needs. Below is a short list of a few of his minions and creations.

• Deepspawn. Zadok captured this Deepspawn as a way for him to gain quiet control of tribes, fiefdoms, kingdoms, and even empires by sacrificing a leader to this creature and having the resulting spawn return to its previous place. The deepspawn hates Zadok's control over it and has plotted many times to throw off it's shackles. It is guarded by a powerful minion of Zadok's known as Beorn the Disgraced, a storm giant transformed into a death knight by Zadok.
• Doppelgangers. Zadok created the first doppelgangers while he was still living. They were his crowning glory when he was alive and active. There were five originally made from among the thieves guild he had hired, three from among his elite guards, and two from among his apprentices.
• Eboran, The Lord of the Vampires. It is said that Eboran resides in a tower of bones and ebony. He is a reclusive and secretive minion of Zadok. His powerful network of spies keep him very much engaged in the affairs of the living. He can bring to bear an army of greater and normal vampires should the need arise.
• Items of Servitude. These items have been spread far and wide to allow Zadok to gain control of as many useful minions as possible. He has even figured out a way to alter the enchantments of existing items to add the servitude curse to them!
• The King of Death. A zombie lord of great age with a court of eleven zombie lords at his command. He has two mummy guards in his throne room and a crypt thing guarding his treasury. The King of Death's Court consists of The Prince of Rot, The Duke of Fester, The Duke of Ruin, The Count of Guile, The Count of Enervation, The Count of Wreckage, The Baron of Ebb, The Baron of Putrescence, The Baron of Desecration, The Baron of Corruption, and The Baron DeFlower.
• The Twelve Weretribes. In his search to make improvements to living creatures Zadok came upon rituals to merge animal and humans. His first experiments created the Twelve Weretibes. The tribes are, in order of creation: Wolf, Rat, Fox, Bat, Boar, Bear, Raven, Seawolf, Shark, Spider, Tiger, and Snake. When he created these tribes he used primarily child slaves he purchased expressly for this purpose. Those who survived the transformations were granted names and freedom to roam the lands of Xaqi. Within the magics used to create the tribes is a curse that will bring their descendants to serve Zadok should he call them.

Godhood

     Zadok is obsessed not only with immortality but with gaining godhood. To that end he has spent countless years researching magics that are dangerous to mortal beings. He has mastered the art of Chronomancy in his long years and believes he has found a way to gain his goal of becoming a god. He has discovered that there is a level of magics greater than ever thought possible (tenth level and higher magics). He has started to research ways to gain this power for himself. Should he succeed in gaining this power he would become quite possibly one of the most powerful beings on Xaqi!