Potenzia DuBaroné
(Christopher Pryce)
Fighter/Wizard 6/10; Medium human male; CR 16; HD 1d10+18;1d4+30; hp 120; AC 24 (Bracers +8, Dex +4, Deflection +2), touch 16, flat-footed 20, Dodge 25, Two-Weapon Defense 26; Init +8; Speed 30 ft.; Base Atk +11/+6/+1; Grp +11/+6/+1; Atk +19 melee (1d6+8 16-20/x2 Rapier +3) or +16 ranged (1d6+2 short bow); Full Atk +17/+14/+12/+14/+7/+7 melee (1d6+8 16-20/x2 Rapier and 1d4+2 19-20/x2 Dagger of Speed +1) or +17/+15/+12/+10/+7 melee (1d6+8 16-20/x2 Rapier +3 and 1d6+5 19-20/x2 Short Sword +2) or +19/+14/+9 melee (1d6+8 16-20/x2 Rapier +3) or +16/+11/+6 ranged (1d6+2 x3 Short bow); SV Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +8; AL CN; Str 16, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 13
Skills: Bluff +8, Climb +11, Concentration +22, Diplomacy +5, Hide +15 [1], Jump +13, Knowledge (Geo) +10, Listen +0, Move Silent +9, Profession +8, Ride +4, Search +4, Sense Motive +5, Spell Craft +19, Spot +6, Tumble +7
Feats: Combat Casting, Dodge, Expertise, Imporved Critical (Rapier), Improved Initiative, Improved Two-weapon Fighting, Leadership, Two-weapon Defense, Two-weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (Rapier), Weapon Specialization (Rapier), Spell Mastery (Mirror Image, Knock, Teleport), Silent Spell, Summon Familiar
Spells (Arcane; Caster Level 10, Base DC 14, Specialized in Illusions *): 1st (5) —Color Spray *, Magic Missile (x2), Shield, Spider Climb; 2nd (5) — Blindness(*), Invisibility(*), Mirror Image(*), Glitter Dust, Melf's Acid Arrow; 3rd (5) — Fireball, Fly, Lightning Bolt, Major Image(*); 4th (4) —Dimension Door, Evard's Black Tentacles, Fire shield (Cold Flames), Improved Invisibility(*); 5th (4) — Stoneskin (silent), Shadow Evocation(*), Teleport, Wall of Force
Possessions: Boots of Speed; Bracers of Armor +8 (Resist Lighting 15); Chime of Opening (6 charges); Cloak of Protection +2, Shadowed (major)[1]; Minor Robes of Cold Resistance (10); Hand of Glory; Pearl of Power (recall one second level spell cast 1/day); Ring of Wizardry (Doubles 5th Level Spells); Ring of Spell Storing (10 spell levels); Ring of Mind Shielding; Dagger +1, Speed; Rapier +3 (Cast Blur on Wielder 2x/day, standard action); Short Sword +2; Composite Short Bow (+2 Str) +2; Heward's Handy Haversack; Staff of Splendor (as rod, 7 charges remain)
Description
Potenzia is of medium height and slender but sturdy build. His olive skin, dark hair and dark eye color are typical of the humans that inhabit the Baronies or the Hargrue Valley. He is an attractive man, with a roughish smile, but quick to anger and dangerous if cornered. He can either be aloof and standoffish or charming, depending on his mercurial mood. Although he does not typically carry a grudge, he does remember insults. He is often quick-witted, clever, even resourceful, but has a tendency to be rash and act on impulse rather than with careful forethought.
Background
To impress a member of the fairer sex, Potenzia has told many different stories about himself and his origins. He is the son of a nobleman, who abandoned his lands and wealth for the love of a woman who broke his heart; he is the orphan of a noble, wrongly accused of treason, fighting to clear his family's honor; he is the love child of an immortal who bedded a comely maiden. None are true.
The truth is more mundane. Potenzia's parents are peasants who hold land in vassal to Lord Guillemot Lafonte, who is in turn vassal to the Over Baron Archambeault of Seavering. The DuBaronés are not wealthy, nor do they suffer from privation, famine or pestilence. They lead a normal existence on a small farmstead in the extreme north of the Archambeault's holdings, west of the village of Mirasou.
Potenzia's parents are hard working, simple folk, who wanted nothing more than a better life for their children. Unfortunately, Potenzia did not inherit the family work ethic. The middle child of five siblings, Potenzia's only emerging talent was a knack for avoiding work. He was sent away from home at age 12, with some gold coins in his pocket, to become an apprentice to a shipwright in the big city of Seavering. He never made it to his post.
Potenzia took the coins and went into the big city determined to make his fortune gambling. Of course, he lost it quickly, and drifted for a while on the "dark" side of Seavering, barely managing to keep himself from serious trouble. At the tender age of 13, he had survived his first knife fight and made love to his first woman.
Eventually Percival Markworth — a young ship's captain — discovered him on the streets of Seavering, took the young lad under his wing and taught him the art of swordplay. Potenzia was a quick study, and Percival soon made his young protégé a member of his ship's crew. For several years they traveled the Great Sea aboard The Happy Wench, a medium-sized cog, spending most of their time taking cargo from Rastgoth and Seavering to the Pirate Isles. It was a dangerous but profitable time.
Even though the voyages were successful, Percival could not keep coin in his pocket. Potenzia never knew why, but eventually Percival stopped all of his legitimate activities and took to smuggling and piracy, lured by the prospects of greater profit. The voyages became more and more dangerous, and Percival accepted work from any unsavory character who would pay in cash and not ask too many questions. He and Potenzia began to grow apart, and Potenzia watched as the last spark of morality left his mentor. Percival began to accept assignments for the Dragon Fly, a notorious slaver and underworld lord of Rastgoth.
Potenzia and Percival parted company with some hard feelings between them one day in Rastgoth. Again, Potenzia drifted about, looking for a berth on a ship. There were no legitimate ships willing to deal with a member of a crew that had sailed with Percival "the Black" as he became now became known. He finally met members of a ship of inexperienced sailors, captained by J.P. Woodson, an enigmatic cleric of an unknown god. The crew was in need of an experienced sailor, and Potenzia fit the bill. He was hired on as boson, and went on to have many adventures with the Crew of the Black Dragon.
Years later, he met his former mentor, and learned about the demons that drove him to his downfall. Unable to forgive his former mentor, and friend, Potenzia turned his back and refused to help. The two were forced by circumstances to meet in a challenge match in the infamous gladiator arena run by the crime boss Hester Neruk. Potenzia — by now an accomplished swordsman and wizard — bested Percival, killing him in the arena. He took control of The Happy Wnech, and sold it to an adventuring companion, Zoltan. Potenzia now captains a fast corvette called The Swift, and spends a good deal of time shipping wine from Seavering to Rastgoth, Togoto Island and other ports in the knigdom of the Tilth. He owns a warehouse/barn and a bait shop in the slums of Rastgoth, and part of a country villa in Salt Marsh.
