Roland, Chaos Lord of Oard

Male Chaos Creature (humanoid) 33 years
Psion (Savant) 12th / Soulknife 10th / Chaos Lord 1st

Roland Wrightson was born in the 27th year of the 6th Age.  Roland grew up knowing only the shipyards of Zilaswir on the coast of Lamapacher.  His father, Armund, was a shipwright, and his father before him.  Roland's mother died of consumption when he was only two.  His father died under strange circumstances when he was ten.  Left to his own devices, Roland became a bit of a street urchin and a brawler.  He took care of himself and was wise to the city life.  Later, he would settle somewhat and take up his father's trade.  His uneventful and somewhat miserable life was interrupted forever, however, when, after a bar fire, Roland woke up in the Orient within a Yuan-Ti lair.  Escaping the lair, he started the adventures that would bring him to the path of psionics. 

Using his newly discovered powers, he quickly grew in strength and knowledge.  And the more knowledge he gained, the more concerned he became for the welfare of the world in which he lived, a thing he had never considered before.  It could be said that, at this time in his life, he had gained a purpose beyond ship building and brawling.  He began to meddle deeper and deeper into the matters which, in his estimation, seemed to plague the world most.  Namely, the mysteries of Grindill.  Taking his curiosity and purpose one step further, he delved into the ancient cities of Angust.  After meeting an Old One within ancient Oard, he escaped as a Chaos Lord, the first known since the First Age.  

Since that time, he fought the return of Grindill and, with a hardened will, he fought the abuses of power which he feared would come of others attaining rare and powerful artifacts.  He found Lions of power which he used to bring the new Oard into existence.  He brought about the founding of other chaos cities as well.  He found the Keys of Time, giving him sole power over the Psi-gates.  He wrested control of the Master Clock of Time from the hands of Groll.  He brought the Apothoker to Oard.  He befriended Merandius.  He created a union unlike any that as been seen since the cataclysmic battle fought between King Grimhelm and the forces of Sir Adilbrand. He then took this union into Samat Isle and with it eradicated the threat of the mind flayer invasion.  Since that time, he has rested and strengthened his position as a Chaos Lord.  Though, matters of the world always seem to find his doorstep and rouse him from any moment of peace he might have savored.

Roland feels his individuality deep within his soul.  He is drawn to freedom, adaptability, and flexibility.  He rejects slavish obedience to authority and reactionary adherence to tradition.  He has chosen to focus on the path of chaos for his evolution.  He realizes the blindness most of the world has and he sees things more clearly than others because of his freedom from dogma and tradition. He goes where he will because he does not care about the rules of others.  Truth is the ultimate freedom, and he will speak the truth.  He flaunts convention and sings the praises of freedom from society's goals.  He is content and does not need to contribute unless he feels like contributing.  He exists in the moment and simply notices things others miss.  His clothes usually look tattered, and he tends toward a disheveled appearance. Ultimately, he is so unpredictable and so upsetting to the unnatural order society imposes that his mere presence can cause others to become insane. 

COMBAT
Roland usually powers up by activating the following powers: inertial barrier; power turning; displacement; schism; shield of prudence; conceal thoughts; improved fly; invisibility; ubiquitous vision. This burns through 67 power points. He rarely seems to stick to one mode of combat; he experiments around.  Sometimes he will stand in the back and fling psionics, yet at other times he will rush to the fore, ready with his mind blade.  Sometimes he is sneaky, and other times he is bold and upfront. As befitting a Chaos Lord, he does not show a combat pattern.

Psionics (Sp): Roland has 227 power points (130 for 17th manifester, and 97 for bonus). Because of the Crystal of Amond-Ta, he gains a +1 to all psychokinetic powers, and a +1 to mind blast and mind thrust. All of his psi powers gain a +5 DC bonus because of the Psi-gate keys. He knows all the combat modes. He knows the following powers: 

• 0 level: Catfall, daze, detect psionics, far hand, inkling, missive, my light, telempathic projection
• 1st level: Conceal thoughts, dissipating touch, lesser body adjustment, matter agitation, spider climb
• 2nd level: Aversion, body equilibrium, brain lock, ectoplasmic cocoon, invisibility
• 3rd level: Greater concussion, metaphysical weapon, negate psionics, time hop
• 4th level: Dissolving touch, fate of one, inertial barrier, mindwipe
• 5th level: Mind probe, psychic vampire, teleport, destabilize form
• 6th level: Greater biocurrent, improved fly, shield of prudence
• 7th level: Divert teleport, mass domination, power turning, true concussion (free power from time key)
• 8th level: Improved clairtangency, astral construct VIII

Spell-like abilities (Sp): As a chaos creature, Roland can cast Blink once per day as a 6th level sorcerer, contingent Misdirection three times per day as a 12th level sorcerer, and Insanity once per day as a 14th level sorcerer.

Mind-Blade (Sp): As a move-equivalent action, the soulknife creates a semisolid blade 1 foot in length composed of psychic energy (distilled from his own mind).When the soulknife reaches 2nd level, his mind-blade gains a +1 enhancement bonus; at 4th level, +2; at 6th level, +3; at 8th level, +4; and at 10th level, +5. The enhancement bonus applies to each mind-blade created, including those that are thrown, upgraded, and imbedded (see below). Even where psionics does not normally function (such as within a null psionics field), the soulknife can try to sustain the mind-blade by making a Fortitude save against the DC set by the creator of the effect. Even on a successful save, the soulknife must roll again next round to keep the mind-blade in existence. This ability works just as described on page 114 of the Psionics Handbook.

Sneak Attack (Ex): A soulknife can make sneak attacks exactly like a rogue, but only with his mind-blade. Any time the soulknife’s target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC, the mind-blade attack deals +1d6 points of damage. This extra damage increases by +1d6 every other level (+2d6 at 3rd level, +3d6 at 5th level, and so on). See the rogue description in Chapter 3 of the Player’s Handbook for more information on sneak attacks. The soulknife benefits from this extraordinary ability as long as his power point reserve is 1 or more.

Imbed Power (Sp): At 2nd level, the soulknife can imbed any one psionic power (but no psionic attack modes) of 3rd level or lower that he knows in his mind-blade. This spell-like ability requires a move-equivalent action, and the soulknife must pay the cost of the power to imbed it. The imbedded power automatically affects the next target that the soulknife successfully attacks with the mind-blade, with no saving throw allowed. Even if the power normally affects an area or is a ray, it affects only the target. The power is discharged and “flushes” the mind-blade, which can then hold another power. A mind-blade can never have more than one power imbedded at a time.

Throw Mind-Blade (Su): At 2nd level, the soulknife can throw his or hermind-blade as a ranged weapon with a range increment of 30 feet. Whether or not the attack hits, a thrown mind-blade then dissipates. The soulknife can make a sneak attack with a thrown mind-blade (within 30 feet), and can use the blade in conjunction with other special abilities (such as imbedding a power in it). The soulknife can use this supernatural ability as long as his or her power point reserve is 1 or more.

Imbed Psionic Attack (Sp): At 4th level, the soulknife can imbed any one psionic attack mode that he or her knows in the mind-blade. This spell-like ability requires a move-equivalent action, and the soulknife must pay the cost of the attack mode to imbed it. The imbedded attack automatically affects the next target that the soulknife successfully attacks with the mind-blade. The target cannot raise a psionic defense mode and must make its Will save as if flat-footed (treat nonpsionic defenders as having raised thought shield instead of their standard nonpsionic buffer). An imbedded mind blast affects only the target. The attack is discharged and “flushes” the mind-blade, which can then hold another attack mode. A mind-blade can never have more than one attack mode or power imbedded at a time.

Sever Life (Su): When a soulknife reaches 6th level, he or she can use imbedded psionic attacks to strike at the target’s life force. A successful attack with a mind-blade so imbedded overrides the specific ability damage normally dealt and instead deals temporary Constitution damage. The soulknife can use this supernatural ability at will as long as his or her power point reserve is 11 or more.

Free Draw (Ex): At 6th level, a soulknife can materialize his or her mind-blade as a free action instead of a move-equivalent action. The soulknife can use this extraordinary ability as long as his or her power point reserve is 13 or more.

Upgrade: On reaching 8th level, the soulknife achieves greater control over his or her mind’s power. His or her mind-blade’s base characteristics are now those of a longsword, so that it deals 1d8 slashing damage. The soulknife can use the upgraded mind-blade as long as his or her power point reserve is 7 or more.

Knife to the Soul (Su): At 10th level, the soulknife becomes expert at attacking an opponent’s life energy. The knife to the soul ability resembles the sever life ability (see above), except half of the Constitution ability damage he or she deals is permanent. The soulknife can use this supernatural ability at will as long as his or her power point reserve is 17 or more.

Cloaked in Chaos: Spellcasters find it difficult to perform divinations against the Chaos Lord.  This supernatural ability functions like a non-detection spell cast by a spellcaster of the Chaos Lord's character level.  Chaos Lords may suppress or resume this ability as a free action.  Further, this aura of chaos often manifests itself in random things popping in and out of existence or random actions being done by those nearby (DM's discretion).  The radius of effect is dependent upon the class level of the Chaos Lord and can be seen in the chart above.

Other possessions: 100 candles of scrying protection, crystal shard (protection from teleport, 4 charges), crystal anchor (protection from teleport, detect magic), crystal anchor (passwall), crystal anchor (knock), Hand of Petoffi (guards and wards, 15th level), cinder block of holding (currently has 4 bramble men from Phoebe and the hand of Petoffi), book of knowledge (20 questions available; Roland has used 12), book of hats, book on banishing Old Ones, 3 books on psi gates, rod of awakening (9 charges), +4 ghost touch scale mail, a dragon mast, an octopus mast, 7,500 crystal tablets, 2 magic spelljamming helms, the Javalin of Glauraith the Vampire Killer, and 10 unidentified Chaos lions.  He owns 50% of the shipyards in Alisander and 50% of the shipyards in Ta'akrinat.

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