Pycen

Pycen Male Gnome Wizard (evoker) 1 CN Small humanoid Init +2, Senses Listen +5; Spot +4; Low-light vision Languages Gnome, Common, Draconic, Elven, Giant AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+4 vs. giants) hp 8 Resist +2 vs. illusions Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +5 Spd 20 Melee dagger +2 (1d2+1/19–20), quarterstaff (1d4+1) Ranged light crossbow +3 (1d6) Base Atk +0; Grp +0 Atk Options Favored enemy (kobolds and goblinoids +1) Special Actions speak with animals (burrowing mammals only, dur 1 minute) 1/day, dancing lights 1/day, ghost sound 1/day, prestidigitation 1/day Class Spells Prepared (CL Wizard): (3/3) Cantrips — detect magic, mage hand, ray of frost 1st — magic missile,shield,lesser orb of electricity Prohibited Schools necromancy, illusion Abilities Str 12 (+1), Dex 15 (+2), Con 18 (+4), Int 17 (+3), Wis 16 (+3), Cha 13 (+1) SQ Gnome traits, low-light vision Feats Summon Familiar, Scribe Scroll, Empower Spell Skills Concentration +7, Craft (alchemy) +5, Hide +6, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (nature) +4, Knowledge (the planes) +5, Listen +5, Profession (sail) +4, Search +3, Spellcraft +7 (+2 evocation), Spot +4, Swim +2 Spellbook 0lv: acid splash, arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, detect poison, flare, light, mage hand, mending, message, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, resistance 1lv: identify, lesser orb of electricity, magic missile, obscuring mist, shield, shocking grasp

Real World History

Pycen was constructed as a concept character for use in a possible d20 campaign focussed around pirates, started in the summer of 2007 in Long Island. If this were a stereotypical pirate movie, Pycen would be the effete intellectual who books passage on a ship in order to do "field research" or other experimentation, mostly staying in his cabin trying to hide his disdain for the uncouth louts around him, but eventually being useful enough to gain grudging acceptance from the crew. Also, Pycen has a monkey as a familiar, and you can never have to many monkeys in a pirate campaign.

History

Born to powerfull illusionist. "Legacied" into good mage school. Hated everyone, got kicked out due to "crackpot" elemental theories. In trouble with law. Fled to ocean. Seeks to "show 'em" by developing elemental magic.

Goals

Contact with elemental being.

Familiar

Monkey.

Game Information

As a gnome wizard, specializing in evocation and shunning necromancy and illusion, Pycen is best suited as a ranged "nuker" who deals damage and stays far away from the action. He tends to focus on elemental effects, particular air and lightning. In initial conception, it was intended that Pycen would level into the Elemental Savant prestige class (Complete Arcane, pg. 32) at first opportunity, focusing on the element of air (and, therefore, electricity effects). A likely progression for this would be, by level (with requirements for Elemental Savant being marked with a *):

1. (completed): learn a metamagic feat as part of the prerequisite for Energy Substitution*. Learn some electricity-based spells*.
2. Wizard level 2. Five skill points most likely: +2 ranks Knowledge (arcana)*, +1 Knowledge (the planes)*, +1 spot. New spells: alarm, Tenser's floating disk
3. Wizard level 3. Energy Substitution (electricity)* (Complete Arcane, pg. 79). Five skill points most likely: +2 ranks Spellcraft, +1 Knowledge (the planes)*, +2 Concentration. New spells: flaming sphere, scorching ray
4. Wizard level 4. +1 Int. Six skill points most likely: +2 ranks Knowledge (arcana)*, +2 ranks Spellcraft, +2 Decipher Script. New Spells: gust of wind, rope trick
5. Wizard level 5. Combat casting. Six skill points most likely: +1 Spot, +2 ranks Spellcraft, +2 Knowledge (nature). New Spells: lightning bolt*, fireball.
6. Elemental Savant level 1. Spell Focus (evocation). Six skill points most likely: +4 Concentration, +2 ranks Spellcraft. New spells: summon monster III, wind wall.

Other alternatives for advancing onto the path of an elementalist include the Born of Three Thunders feat (Complete Arcane, pg. 76), Energy Admixture (Complete Arcane, pg. 78), or other feats that build on Energy Substitution. It may be that it is more flexible to stay just with Wizard instead of Elemental Savant. Another possibility is that he could focus on water instead of air, making his element of choice acid instead of electricity. Once he gains the ability to summon elementals, that could take his focus in a whole new direction.