Ultimate NPCs
| Author | Ian "Lizard" Harrac |
| Publisher | Mongoose Publishing |
| Publish date | 2004 |
| OGL Section 15 | unpc |
The material below is Open Game Content
Ambrosius did not set out to be a bard. Indeed, he did not set out to be anything other than ‘not a farmer’. It was only when a troupe of travelling players happened by his dismal village in the 15th year of his life that he found a focus for his inchoate ambition. They were free, they wore bright clothes and they never had to shovel cow dung. He crept into one of their wagons as they left and hid there for days, only occasionally venturing out to grab a small bit of food. Once he was convinced they were too far away from his home for him to be escorted back, he threw himself on their mercy. One of the older players took pity on him and after considerable trial and error, they found his skill lay in song. He began his training in earnest. He quickly discovered a talent for dealing with people, often talking down hecklers and convincing city guards to let the troupe pass without a toll and a love of gambling, which often cost him what few coppers he earned.
Ambrosius–1
Male Human Brd1: CR 1; Medium humanoid; HD 1d6-1; hp 5; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13; Base Atk +0; Grp +0; Atk +0 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger) or +2 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger) or +2 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); Full Atk +0 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger) or +2 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger) or +2 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ bardic knowledge 2, bardic music 1/day (countersong, fascinate 1, inspire courage +1); AL CG; SV Fort -1, Ref +4, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 8, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 15.
Skills and Feats: Balance +1, Bluff +4, Diplomacy +8, Hide +3, Listen +5, Move Silently +3, Perform (sing) +9, Sense Motive +7, Sleight of Hand +3; Negotiator, Skill Focus (perform (sing)).
Possessions: Bread (loaf), dagger, ink (1 oz. vial), light crossbow (50 bolts), masterwork studded leather, paper (sheet), playing cards, pouch (belt), sealing wax, wine (bottle, fine).
Bard Spells Known (2, save DC 12 + spell level): 0th-dancing lights, ghost sound, message, summon instrument.
Ambrosius’ life continued reasonably well for a few years. The troupe he was with was never rich, but never starved and he had the opportunity to sing for elven princes and dwarven lords, to play cards with half-orc sailors in a port city and to (unsuccessfully, though not for lack of effort) woo the daughter of a human merchant. It was when he was 19 that disaster struck. Hobgoblin armies swarmed over the peaceful farming village where the troupe was performing. He managed to hide and avoid the slaughter but the rest were slain. He managed to circle their lines and escape to the shelter of a nearby fort, where he put his talents to use aiding the soldiers there in their struggle. He was often wracked with guilt over being a survivor and found he could assuage only by dedicating himself to helping anyone in need as best he could.
Ambrosius–5
Male Human Brd5: CR 5; Medium humanoid; HD 5d6-5; hp 15; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 16, touch
12, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +3; Grp +3; Atk +5 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger) or +5 ranged (1d4/19-20,
dagger) or +5 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); Full Atk +5 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger) or +5 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger) or +5 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ bardic knowledge 6; bardic music 5/day (countersong, fascinate 2, inspire competence, inspire courage +1; AL CG; SV Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 9, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 15.
Skills and Feats: Balance +3, Bluff +6, Diplomacy +14, Gather Information +7, Hide +6, Listen +9, Move Silently +7, Perform (sing) +11, Perform (string instruments) +4, Sense Motive +11, Sleight
of Hand +3; Negotiator, Skill Focus (perform (sing)), Weapon Finesse.
Possessions: +1 studded leather, bread (loaf), cloak of resistance +1, dagger, ink (1 oz. vial), light crossbow (50 bolts), musical instrument (lute), paper (sheet), playing cards, pouch (belt), sealing wax, wine (bottle, fine).
Bard Spells Known (3/4/2, save DC 12 + spell level): 0th-dancing lights, daze, ghost sound, lullaby,message, summon instrument; 1st-charm person, cure light wounds, expeditious retreat, sleep; 2ndcalm emotions, cat’s grace, suggestion.
After the hobgoblin invasion was beaten back, Ambrosius took to wandering. He found that there was evil everywhere, in many forms. The obvious evil of a rampaging dragon was no worse than the subtle evil of a cruel overlord or a corrupt guard captain. He became a rabble-rouser, rallying the people with song and story and offering his aid in any struggle. While he could not fight on the front lines, he could aid those who did. He became a folk hero to many and a hated foe to others.
Ambrosius–10
Male Human Brd10: CR 10; Medium humanoid; HD 10d6; hp 37; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 20, touch 13; flat-footed 18; Base Atk +7; Grp +7; Atk +10 melee (1d4/19-20, masterwork dagger) or +10
ranged (1d4/19-20, masterwork dagger) or +11 ranged (1d8+2/19-20, +2 light crossbow); Full Atk +10/+5 melee (1d4/19-20, masterwork dagger) or +10 ranged (1d4/19-20, masterwork dagger) or +11 ranged (1d8+2/19-20, +2 light crossbow); SQ bardic knowledge 11, bardic music 10/day (countersong, fascinate 4, inspire competence, inspire courage +2, inspire greatness 1, suggestion); AL CG; SV Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +8; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 15.
Skills and Feats: Balance +3, Bluff +15, Diplomacy +21, Gather Information +10, Hide +12, Listen +9, Move Silently +11, Perform (sing) +18, Perform (string instruments) +4, Sense Motive +13, Sleight of Hand +7, Spellcraft +3; Negotiator, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Skill Focus (perform (sing)), Weapon Finesse.
Possessions: +2 elven chain, +2 light crossbow (50 bolts), bread (loaf), ink (1 oz. vial), masterwork dagger, musical instrument (lute), paper (sheet), playing cards, pouch (belt), ring of protection +1, sealing wax, wine (bottle, wine).
Bard Spells Known (3/4/4/2, save DC 12 + spell level): 0th-dancing lights, daze, ghost sound, lullaby, message, summon instrument; 1st-charm person, cure light wounds, expeditious retreat, sleep; 2ndcalm emotions, cat’s grace, enthrall, suggestion; 3rd-lesser geas, glibness, good hope, secret page.
This placed him in a difficult position. People began to turn to him to solve their troubles, even if they had the means to solve them themselves. He wanted to inspire people to act, not become an excuse for not acting. He was shocked and dismayed when he heard of villages patiently enduring abusive tyrants or bandit raiders while “Waiting for the singer!”. At the same time, he could not simply run off to the wilderness or abandon his cause. He continued, but his work was tinged with growing frustration.
People were making him a king – exactly what he opposed.
Ambrosius – 15
Male Human Brd15: CR 15; Medium humanoid; HD 15d6; hp 55; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 21; Base Atk +11; Grp +11; Atk +15 melee (1d4+2/19-20, +2 dagger) or +15
ranged (1d4+2/19-20, +2 dagger) or +16 ranged (1d8+2/19-20, +2 anarchic light crossbow); Full Atk +15/+10/+5 melee (1d4+2/19-20, +2 dagger) or +15 ranged (1d4+2/19-20, +2 dagger) or +16/+11/+6 ranged (1d8+2/19-20, +2 anarchic light crossbow) or +14/+14/+9/+4 ranged (1d8+2/19-20, +2 anarchic light crossbow); SQ bardic knowledge 16, bardic music 15/day (countersong, fascinate 5, inspire competence, inspire courage +3, inspire greatness 3, song of freedom, suggestion); AL CG; SV Fort +5, Ref +11, Will +10; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 16.
Skills and Feats: Balance +4, Bluff +15, Concentration +8, Diplomacy +21, Gather Information +10, Hide +11, Listen +8, Move Silently +13, Perform (sing) +23, Perform (string instruments) +4, Sense Motive +20, Sleight of Hand +14, Spellcraft +7; Negotiator, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Reload (light crossbow), Rapid Shot, Skill Focus (perform (sing)), Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (light crossbow).
Possessions: +2 anarchic light crossbow (50 bolts), +2 dagger, +3 elven chain, bread (loaf), ink (1 oz. vial), musical instrument (lute), paper (sheet), playing cards, pouch (belt), ring of protection +1, sealing wax, wine (bottle, fine).
Bard Spells Known (4/5/4/4/3/2, save DC 13 + spell level): 0th-dancing lights, daze, ghost sound, lullaby, message, summon instrument; 1st-charm person, cure light wounds, expeditious retreat, sleep; 2nd-calm emotions, cat’s grace, enthrall, suggestion; 3rd-lesser geas, glibness, good hope, secret page; 4th-dominate person, greater invisibility, modify memory, shout; 5th-mass cure light wounds, mass suggestion, mislead.
Ultimately, he found himself trapped by this own legend. He managed to spectacularly stage his own ‘death’ and then began anew, with a dozen names and guises. He left behind no trail of a single man, but, rather, a horde of them, who would visit, rally or aid or heal as need be and then leave. By showing that “anyone can be do it, if they have the will!”, he managed to accomplish what he had set out to do. Finally freed of his own reputation, he continues to wander, often joining up with bands of adventurers for a time and steering them into doing the ‘right thing’, whether they know it or not.
Ambrosius is by turns laughing and brooding, placid and enraged. He is driven by a sense of mission, but he struggles to not let the mission consume him. He will be ecstatic when he has managed to do some good, but then wearied when the evil which still remains begins to weigh
on his soul. He tries to use as little of his power as possible, matching his skills to the task at hand, never showing off the full extent of what he can do if there is any way around it. Unlike many of his
power, he has no concern for other worlds or strange dimensions; he feels there is more than enough to occupy himself with on this world.
Ambrosius–20
Male Human Brd20: CR 20; Medium humanoid; HD 20d6; hp 72; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 25, touch 16, flat-footed 23; Base Atk +15; Grp +15; Atk +19 melee (1d4+2/19-20, +2 thundering dagger) or +19 ranged (1d4+2/19-20, +2 thundering dagger) or +21 ranged (1d8+3/19-20, +3 anarchic light crossbow of speed); Full Atk +19 melee (1d4+2/19- 20, +2 thundering dagger) or +19 ranged (1d4+2/19- 20, +2 thundering dagger) or +21/+21/+16/+11 ranged (1d8+3/19-20, +3 anarchic light crossbow of speed) or +19/+19/+19/+14/+9 ranged (1d8+3/19- 20, +3 anarchic light crossbow of speed); SQ bardic knowledge 21, bardic music 20/day (countersong, fascinate 7, inspire competence, inspire courage +4, inspire greatness 4, mass suggestion, song of freedom, suggestion); AL CG; SV Fort +6, Ref +14, Will +14; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 21.
Skills and Feats: Balance +4, Bluff +26, Concentration +10, Diplomacy +26, Disguise +23, Gather Information +13, Hide +11, Listen +10, Move Silently +16, Perform (sing) +31, Perform (string instruments) +7, Sense Motive +22, Sleight of Hand +14, Spellcraft +7; Dodge, Negotiator, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Reload (light crossbow), Rapid Shot, Skill Focus (perform (sing)), Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (light crossbow).
Possessions: +2 thundering dagger, +3 anarchic light crossbow of speed (50 bolts), +4 elven chain, bread (loaf), cloak of Charisma +4, harp of charming, ink (1 oz. vial), musical instrument (lute), paper (sheet), playing cards, pouch (belt), ring of protection +4, sealing wax, wine (bottle, fine).
Bard Spells Known (4/6/5/5/5/5/4, save DC 15 + spell level): 0th- dancing lights, daze, ghost sound, lullaby, message, summon instrument; 1st-charm person, cure light wounds, expeditious retreat, remove fear, sleep; 2nd-calm emotions, cat’s grace, enthrall, heroism, suggestion; 3rd-charm monster, glibness, good hope, lesser geas, secret page; 4th-dominate person, modify memory, greater invisibility, shadow conjuration, shout; 5th-greater heroism, mass cure light wounds, mass suggestion, mislead, song of discord; 6th-geas/quest, greater shout, irresistible dance, mass charm monster.
