MANDARILL

by ole ingvar stene (olete@hitra.vgs.no)

Rules from other books have been marked. It might be that some have been left out, but I think I got most of them:

Combat & Tactics                   *
High level Handbook                **
Forgotten Realms Adventures        ***
Dragon Magazine                    ****
Psionicists Handbook               *****
Tome of Magic                      ******
Ole's Houserule                    *******
Notes in end                       *(#)*

Please excuse my sometimes bad wording, English is not my mother language (standard ADND-L excuse).

This character is based on the Mandarin (hope that's what he's called originally) character from the "Iron-man" cartoon tv-series:

Stats

Weapons:	Longsword	(#Att 3, dmg 1d10+15 (S/M)/1d20+15 (L), +11 to hit) *
	Shortsword	(#Att 2 (or +1, if fighting two-weapon), dmg 1d6+11 (S/M)/1d8+11 (L), +7 to hit)
	Knife	(#Att 2, dmg 1d3+7 (S/M)/1d2+7 (L), +3 to hit, Range 1, 2, 3)

Background

No one really knows which world Mandarill really comes from, but it's presumably the Forgotten Realms. His homeland is totally unknown.

When Mandarill started his career as a fighter, he was Lawful Good and adventured whit a group of paladins (it might be that Mandarill also was a paladin, but this is just a theory). They had many adventures together, and spread goodness and law across the country. They never faced any really BIG challenges, just lots of small ones. But one day they faced something entirely different:

While the group was wandering, they came across a ruined village. The paladins helped the wounded, and Mandarill found out who it was that was behind this: A big, large, baaaad monster. Believing that this would be not more difficult than their most challenging battle so far: Six ogres and a couple dozens of orcs (not a big match for six 15- 18th level characters). It wasn't at all as easy, however.

The monster appeared to be the dreaded Tarasque, and it slew one of the paladins without getting as much as a scratch. It ate the arm of another, before it cornered Mandarill, wounding him badly. Just before the Tarasque tore his throat out, Mandarill saw the last three paladins running away, leaving their dead, doomed and wounded to their destiny. Later on, a group of clerics of Mask found Mandarill's body (the only one there was anything left of). They decided to have some fun by resurrecting Mandarill ("Let's 'ave some fun with that do-gooder."). Mandarill however, was fed op with good, and his alignment started twisting towards evil. But intelligent as he was (but not as intelligent as he is now), he saw through the clerics' deception, and was fascinated by their evil ways. And in a few weeks time, he was a specialist priest of Mask (don't ask me how). Mandarill served Mask for many years, and finally he became Mask's head priest. Then this career also came to a violent end at the hands of the infamous Fanholen Fandriell *(1)*.

Fanholen had traveled back through time (due to some other plot), when he ran across Mandarill and started a fight with him. Mandarill disarmed Fanholen early in the battle, and even with his great spellpower, Fanholen did not manage to handle Mandarill without his great artifact-sword. Fanholen was knocked to the ground and just about to be finished off by Mandarill's mace, when he got his hands on a sharp piece of wood that a storm had torn off a nearby tree, and he used this to stab Mandarill in the, eh, nuts. Followed by a mighty STR 24 kick in the guts, Mandarill went screaming and cursing to the ground. When Mandarill managed to shake of the pain, Fanholen had reclaimed his sword. Screaming Mask's name, praying both silent and loud for help, Mandarill was hacked to pieces by Fanholen's legendary Messenger of Death *(2)*. Mandarill's underlings found him soon afterwards, and resurrected him again. Mandarill, however, didn't want to have anything more to do with either Mask nor his followers, so he left the church of Mask in order to study magic. Mask told his second senior priest to make Mandarill change his mind. The priest tried to explain that gods, such as Mask, had only limited time to watch over mortals, but that Mask had actually heard Mandarill's prayers for help, and sent a group of clerics to help him, but that they came to late. Mandarill did not want to hear, and chased the priest away. Mask was still very keen on keeping this powerful individual within his ranks, so he decided to appear in person and talk to Mandarill. Mandarill was still not convinced, and did not listen to Mask at all, believing that this was even more of the god's trickery (the trickery that Mandarill had become pretty god at himself). Then Mask made Mandarill a great offer: Return to the service of Mask, and be granted enormous power, restored youth, and a guarantee that he would never die again. After much consideration, Mandarill accepted.

Appearance

Mandarill is 6' 10'', and weighs 210 lbs. He has green skin, dark eyes and hair. He wears his hair long, and a short beard and mustache. He is very well built, strong- looking and pretty handsome. He wears a long, flowing cape, and practical clothing, usually in greens (other tones than his skin), light purples, and sometimes reds and blues. He does always wear a lot of gem- entrusted rings. His green skin is something that Mask added when he gave Mandarill his powers, in order to give Mandarill a unique touch.

Personality/ Plots

Mandarill isn't a very hard character to play or imagine, but he is kind of hard to explain. He is strictly Neutral Evil, and faithful to Mask (he doesn't follow the religion of Mask in every aspect, however). He would really like to rule a whole world, but he do not like to make public appearances. As he has lived for several thousands of years, Mandarill does not want anyone to learn how to harm him. Immediately after becoming immortal, Mandarill wanted kill get back at Fanholen. Fanholen, however, had escaped back to his own time period, and was not to be born in another 3000 years. Mandrill's agents reported that an elf that fitted Fanholen's description had been killed in a battle with a great red dragon, so Mandarill believed that Fanholen was dead, and forgot all about the elf. Mandarill would be very disturbed if he was to hear that Fanholen is living, and even more powerful than when they last met.

Magical Items

Always Carried:
2 Rings of Rings *(3)*
Ring of Protection +6
Ring of Shooting Stars
Ring of Spell Turning
Ring of x-ray vision
Ring of Elemental Fire Command
Ring of Elemental Earth Command
Ring of Elemental Water Command
Ring of Telekinesis
Bracers of Defense AC 2
Longsword +5 of Life Stealing, Defender, Sharpness AND Wounding
Shortsword of Quickness +4

Accessible:
Rod of Passage (charges)
Boccob's Blessed Book
Crystal Ball
Staff of the Magi (21 charges)

Special Abilities

Mandarill has all the normal abilities for his classes and levels

Thief Skills: (as a Specialist of Mask) ***

PP	85
OL	85
F/RT	65
MS	95
HS	95
DN	70
CW	95
RL	95

Powers granted by Mask:

• Fly at MR 24 (at best MC, I believe that is A) at will
• Teleport without error at will
• Soul Drain **** *(4)*
• Charm Gaze (-4 to save, as per vampire)
• Immune to everything, except for the four things that has earlier caused his death:
  • The Tarasque
  • A completely honest man (LG, never even been tempted to do some thing not LG)
  • Sharp, completely unworked wood (if a controlled or intelligent creature tears it of, or someone uses a spell on the wood, it's not unworked)
  • Fanholen's Messenger of Death
  If hit and damaged once by one of the above, Mandarill loses all of his immunities for 1d10 rounds, except for 95 % magic and psionic resistance
• Eternal life, no aging, nor any need for food, sleep or air
• Improved AC +4
• Regenerate 5 hp per round
• May use all kinds of weapons
• May choose the best of Living/Undead
  (He got the typical undead spell immunity, but cannot be affected by f. ex. Hold Undead, or be Turned.
  He can be healed as a living creature, etc.)
• As he can cast spells trough his rings *(3)*, all spells cast by the Mandarill have only Somatic components, unless the spell has a casting time of one turn or more, or a material component worth 500 gp or more.
• Mandarill can use Quest spells without losing his highest spell-level

Skills/ Proficiencies

Longsword, Grandmaster *
Shortsword
Dagger
Knife
Footman's Mace
(Mandarin has more weaponpros, but these are the only ones that see regular use.)
Blind-fighting
Endurance
Riding, landbased
Riding, airborne
Etiquette
Heraldry
Ancient History
Engineering
Herbalism
Reading/ Writing
Religion
Spellcraft
Disguise
Jumping
Tumbling
All-Around Attack **
Bravery **
Frighten/ Challenge **
Eminence +2 Rank **
Smite **
Detect Deception **
Spell Sculpting **
(Mandarill has also several other non-weapon profs, all used for different languages.)

Campaign Use

Mandarill is best used as a behind the scenes Mastermind. He will never stay and fight for long. Very few people are aware of his existence, and he is very afraid that if he is too active, powerful people like Elminster or Mordenkainen will try to find ways to harm him.

Spells Memorized

Wizard:
1st:
Burning Hands, Color Spray, Detect Magic, Identify, Magic Missile, Unseen Servant, Nahal's Reckless Dweomer ******/******* *(5)*.

2nd:
Alter Self, Continual Light, Strength, Knock, Web, Whispering Wind, Wizard Lock

3rd:
Dispel Magic, Fireball, Nondetection, Suggestion, Alternate Reality ******/******* *(5)*, Haste, Spectral Force.

4th:
Fear, Icestorm, Improved Invisibility, Polymorph Self, Polymorph Other, There/ Not There ******/******* *(5)*, Watchware ***.

5th:
Feeblemind, Contact Other Plane, Magic Jar, Telekinesis, Transmute Rock to Mud, Transmute Mud to Rock.

6th:
Disintegrate, Geas, Monster Summoning IV, Flesh to Stone, Wildstrike ******/******* *(5)*, Power Word: Silence ***.

7th:
Charm Plants, Delayed Blast Fireball, Mordenkainen's Sword, Prismatic Spray, Reverse Gravity, Spell Shape ******.

8th:
Polymorph Any Object, Symbol, Trap the Soul, Great Shout ***, Sunburst, Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting ******.

9th:
Astral Spell, Gate, Meteor Swarm, Time Stop, Wish, Virus Charm ***.

10th:
Kolin's Undead Legion, Kreb's Flaming Dragon, Neja's Toadstool. **

Cleric:
1st:
Detect Good, Command, Detect Magic, Cure Light Wounds x 3, Call Upon Faith ******, Light x 2, Darkness x 2, Thought Capture ******.

2nd:
Defile ******, Hold Person x 2, Augury, Know Alignment, Undetectable Alignment, Fire Trap, Produce Flame, Silence, 15' radius, Draw Upon Holy Might ******, Idea ******, Mind Read ******.

3rd:
Astral Window, Emotion Control, Locate Object, Speak With Dead, Meld with Stone, Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Summon Insects, Continual Light, Continual Darkness, Telepathy.

4th:
Imbue With Spell Ability, Divination, Cure Serious Wounds x 2, Cause Serious Wounds x 2, Fire Purge ******, Babble, Poison, (I got the reme.... AHEM! Sorry about that), Probability Control ******, Weather Stasis ******.

5th:
Atonement, Plane Shift, Quest, Commune, Magic Font, Cure Critical Wounds x 2, Cause Critical Wounds, Rainbow.

6th:
Find the Path, Lose the Path, Blade Barrier, Heal x 2, Harm x 2.

7th:
Spacewarp ******, Astral Spell, Unholy Word.

True Dweomers: Mandarill makes use of a low preparation, low casting time Illusion spell. Compete info is not available.
(hee!hee!)

Quest ****** *(6)*: Etherwalk, Health Blessing, Imago Interrogation, Implosion/ Inversion, Planar Quest, Revelation.

Notes

*(1)*
Fanholen's stats will be available soon. E-mail me if you're interested.

*(2)*
Presented to the list this spring/ summer. E-mail if don't have the stats, and want them.

*(3)*
A Ring of Rings enables the wearer to wear four more rings on that hand. If two Rings of Rings is worn together with eighth more, all different, rings, the wearer can channel spells through the rings (see special abilities)

*(4)*
The Soul Drain power (and several other, self-explanatory powers) is taken from Dragon # 209, from the article "1,001 Faces of Undeath" by Theron Martin. Mandarin kill a living creature with his touch, destroying the victim's soul (no resurrection possible). Only creatures with more than 18 levels may save vs. spells at -4, no others get a save. An Amulet of Life Protection gives complete protection against the power. Mandarill may choose not to use the power.

*(5)*
No- wild mages cannot cast wild spells under the normal rules. I usually allow this, however.

*(6)*
As it takes time to be granted Quest spells, Mandarill is not at all guarantied to have all these spells (he may have used a few). The same goes for True Dweomers.