Elton Grimm

Elton Grimm, 4th level CN (formerly CE) bounty hunter, Str 17 (18:76 in left arm, formerly 18:00) Dex 18 Con 11 Int 17 Wis 13 Cha 11

Elton Grimm

Background

Born in the obscure village of Allum on the desert east side of the Thrain Mountains (Dwarven Forge), he is the illegitimate son of Father Piger, the village priest. The girl, being of extreme youth when discovering herself with the priest’s child, fled to the mountains, where she sought succor with a deranged and inbred family of sorcerers and potion makers. Raised more by these eccentrics than by his mother, who was killed in a gnoll attack when he was but 5, he took on their family name of Grimm. Nelder Grimm, the family patriarch, took Elton into the depths of the southeastern Thrain Mountains when he was still quite young, wherein they would catch kobolds or goblins and take them back to be devoured. They also gained trinkets from these adventures; usually coins and minor magical items. Unfortunately for Elton, Nelder Grimm was a pederast, and had his way with Elton on numerous occasions.

The Grimms used their magic to discover Elton’s real father, and so in his late teens Elton returned to Allum for a time. Shunned for his odd ways and off-putting behavior, Elton continued to sell baubles from the mountain caves to maintain himself, and thus he would return to these grim and dark passages on a frequent basis, which grew ever longer in duration. Inventing long-burning torches using strange chemicals and regents, he explored odd ways and stranger sights. One day, however, he at last encountered a drow patrol. Taken to a powerful drow outpost, Elton was to be sacrificed, but the priest to conduct the ceremony first deigned to speak, and casting a translation spell, asked Elton about a human who had come and stolen some of their magical adamantine ore. Realizing it had been old Nelder, he informed his captors, and then was subject to a quest spell to bring back Nelder and the metal he had stolen in return for Elton’s own life. Thus freed, Elton crept back to the house that had raised him and subdued Nelder, taking him and the ore back to the drow just as he had been commanded. Unfortunately Nelder threw a potion upon Elton before he could be captured, which burned a great hole into his arm.

The drow were pleased at Elton’s success, and seeing a certain use for him as one of their agents on the surface world, decided to maintain him. Taken to one of their artificers, the adamantine ore, which had lost its magical qualities during its time on the surface, was fashioned into an arm, which was permanently affixed to the remnants of his natural limb. Soon afterwards Elton was sent on petty missions to the surface world, and even stole several human infants to fill the altars of the drow. He also collected small bounties from the drow while in the Underdark for a small bevy of escaped human slaves, the last of whom he stole from a deep dragon, along with a mysterious and powerful halberd pole arm. At last he was eventually completely cast out of Allum, so Elton found lodgings at the even more obscure village of Syrnus, which was yet further east and into the desert. Being a pagan town inhabited by descendants of the Killithane, Elton was left much to his own devices. He eventually became adept at capturing young people from Allum and other travelers, thus adding to the population of Syrnus, and therefore gaining respect.

In recent years, the evil adventuring party known as the Teeth of Degrada seized Syrnus, and thus Elton became a creature of their group’s rogue, the Thanian, Hakr Bet. Hakr hired Elton as muscle against their rival adventuring party, the Knights of St. Bartholomew, an adventuring party fighting for the Bishop of North, Roger Kiesmar. It was from the cruel but comparatively sophisticated Hakr Bet that Elton learned much more of the outside world, and of other social graces. At the height of the Teeth of Degrada’s power at Syrnus, Elton fulfilled a major mission for the drow. Two young female drow siblings had escaped into the surface world, and Elton was contracted to bring them back alive. Outperforming another bounty hunter, a half-orc named Thorm, Elton Grimm discovered the two females near the highest summits of the Thrain Mountains. Unfortunately, having only been gone several weeks, the powerful drow long sword of the elder sister had not yet lost all its power, and thus in their final duel, the blade cracked part of Elton’s adamantine arm, weakening its otherwise great strength. Nonetheless, Elton was successful, and dragged the two females back to their homes. He was awarded with great success, with the high cleric amongst the drow granting him the permanent ability to see in the dark as his reward.

Back at Syrnus, Elton participated in the roving cavalry battle between the Knights of St. Bartholomew and the Teeth of Degrada. The Teeth were outmaneuvered and defeated, losing several of their number. The perennial Killithane cult shrine called the Tower of Leaves was once again destroyed. Hakr Bet fled back to Urstwater, and presumably to his thief lord Shardinave. Elton was invited to follow Hakr back, but declined.

In the aftermath of the defeat of the Teeth of Degrada in the early spring of 888, Grimm was at last arrested by the Knights of St. Bartholomew and taken back to Allum, where he was to be tried for his crimes. Although the villagers wanted his death, and nearly lynched him in a mob, the local elected magistrate, a solitary paladin named Lycaei Nicus, desired some degree of justice. Elton’s past was uncovered, and although most still wanted him dead, Nicus found mercy, and merely banished Elton Grimm to the mountains that had created him, forbidden on pain of death ever to return to Allum or Syrnus.

Thus banished, Elton moved to the outskirts of Luge, an obscure village towards the southeastern extremity of the Thrain Mountains, capturing horse thieves for a few months and trying to find his way in the world. Despite this move far from Allum, a small posse from Allum nonetheless tracked Elton down near Luge and nearly killed Elton… he only just barely managed to escape.

Having few other options, Elton once again descended down to his erstwhile drow employers, looking for work. Sensing that something had changed since he had last seen the drow outpost, Elton saw fewer numbers and far more vicious displays of power. Afraid for his life and perhaps regretting his decision to return, a new drow commander informed Elton that there indeed was work. A chest of treasure, of great value, was shown to Elton, as the prize for assassinating the dwarf known as Rogaldorn. If Rogaldorn were somehow brought back alive, enough treasure was promised to make Elton a lord among men. Accepting the job, Elton was given an emerald which gleamed when moving in the direction of Rogaldorn, and gleamed ever brighter with dark magic upon getting closer.

In the last two months, Elton has traveled across Dantareth, Zlin and much of Quadrain in search of this Rogaldorn. Most recently however, the glowing emerald has suddenly stopped working. Falling into a despair amongst a land of halflings, and hearing only rumors of Rogaldorn, Elton stole from the halfling city of Murthorg, poisoning several halflings to get at their monies. Elton himself was subdued by ingested poison soon after this, and found himself in the custody of a band of halfling rogues. Fascinated by his adamantine arm, Elton was sent in a cart to a mighty ruined castle atop the edge of plateau. After being examined by a monstrous demi-human with an animal-like visage, this apparent master of the castle cast a series of spells upon Elton, including one which emblazoned a pale white symbol upon Elton’s adamantine arm. Elton was then taken through a long subterranean passage, which opens into the world above, where Elton sees a small field of impaled halfling skeletons. A small band of halfling heroes ride in the cart with him, who were apparently trying to slay the master of this castle. They tell him that the master of the castle is some monster who masquerades as the halfling Vahaun Oetler, although they are certain he is no halfling. They say he is some sort of monstrous form of vampire, as well as a great magician and master of illusions, and offer other details.

Elton watches as his brief halfling companions are impaled horribly. Elton himself is hoisted up by some machine, surely to be impaled himself…

Elton Grimm's Adamantine Arm

Armor Class: 0

Max Hit Points/Current Hit Points: 50/39

Description: Elton's adamantine arm is lithe and tightly fashioned. It is composed of dark metal, slightly rough plates which fit together with tiny bolts. The arrangement of the plates is such that the impression of muscles is given. Elton's degenerated human arm still exists beneath the adamantine shell and core, but has completely lost the sensation of touch. As Elton understands it, sections of the adamantine are actually fused to his living bone and flesh. Thus, the arm cannot be removed any easier than a fully living limb. The arm is different than a normal arm in that the hand ends in slight but very sharp claws. After his fight with the drow swordswoman, several plates along the upper bicep are bent, with several of the tiny fastening bolts coming lose or absent altogether. The arm is very heavy, weighing approximately 75 pounds, which must be factored into weight allowance and the like. The arm has very little sense of touch, and although quite dexterous, without tactile sensation, it is very difficult to perform certain delicate tasks with the arm. The arm was originally constructed by the drow artificer named Nbterast, who apparently is recently deceased.

Durability and Resistance of the Arm: The adamantine arm is all but invulnerable to mundane forms of damage, automatically making any such saving throws versus normal fire, cold and electricity. The item makes saving throws versus acid, crushing blows, disintegration, falling, magical fire and lightning with a +4 bonus. Adamantine is a poor conductor of heat and electricity, and therefore Elton suffers no special susceptibility to such attack forms.

In normal combat, the arm cannot be damaged. However, called shot attacks directly targeting the arm can theoretically damage it. Mundane bludgeoning weapons, or weapons with a +1 or better enchantment, can harm the arm. For purposes of called shots, the arm has an AC of 0. If struck successfully, the arm has a maximum of 50 hit points. For every five full hit points lost, the arm loses one degree of strength. Upon reaching 0 hit points, the arm is destroyed and is therefore completely nonfunctional.

Besides the focused attacks of weapons, the only other mundane danger to the arm would be an enormous crushing blow, as from a great boulder. Even then, such a blow would still receive a +4 bonus to any subsequent saving throw.

Only a drow master artisan, or a similarly skilled craftsman, may repair or otherwise modify Elton's adamatine arm. Unfortunately for Elton, he has learned that the original craftsman, Nbterast, was recently killed, and Elton has been told in the past that there are no others available with such skill. However, most recently, it was hinted to Elton that should he succeed in bringing Rogaldorn back to the drow alive, that a very powerful drow who is most interested in this matter might be convinced to repair Elton's arm, or perhaps even modify it.

Powers/Abilities:

• currently provides a strength of 18:76 (+2 to hit/+4 to damage)

• If wielding a two-handed weapon, the damage modifier will be +2 to hit/+3 to damage.

• if dual-wielding, or if using the adamantine arm as the primary weapon hand, Elton's AC gains a -1 bonus. If using the arm in a parry motion or in the offhand, Elton gains a -2 bonus.

• as long as the adamantine arm is free and able to interdict the situation, Elton need not fear free attacks or bonuses to attack against an unarmed opponent, for his hand can grasp and block weapons with relative ease.

• the arm can punch for 1d4+2 damage (save. vs. crushing blow)

• the arm can rake for 1d4+4 damage

• the claw can rake to rend armor, if so desired by Elton. Upon a successful rending attack, both Elton and the target roll 1d8, adding the result to their strength scores. If Elton has a higher total, an area of armor is torn away, to be adjudicated by the DM.

Effects on Thieving Skills

• -50% penalty on any PP roll made with the adamantine hand.

• +10% bonus on any CW check. Furthermore, as the arm does not easily tire, one could hang from a precipice on the claws of that arm for some time.

Bounty Hunter and Other Special Abilities

Modified Thieving Skills

• +5% to PP (when slipping foreign substances into food or drink only)

• +5% to F/RT

• -5% to CW

Infravision, 60 ft. Range

The drow high priest named V'kaneren granted Elton this ability in return for Elton having brought back the two drow elf sisters.

Poison Craft & Alchemy

A wanderer of the wild and student of the hedge wizard lore of the Grimm family, Elton has learned a great deal about herbalism and an assortment of associated arts. In addition, Elton learned the basics of witchcraft and alchemy from the Grimms, most especially from the family patriarch Nelder and his aunt-wife, the family matriarch Edra. His alchemical lore with further improved by observing the arts of the chaotic evil priest of the Teeth of Degrada, Thonk’nor Drark, as well as from various stolen substances from the drow of the Underdark.

As Elton is currently an outcast and without a home or base, he lacks the laboratory that would let him hone his craft. Such a laboratory, as specified in Player's Option: Skills and Powers, would be necessary to advance Elton's powers appropriately.

RULES FOR POISONS: As a bounty hunter, Elton Grimm most principally can explore knowledge of ingested sedatives. With his knowledge of alchemy, Elton may expand his knowledge into true poisons of the ingested variety, namely Types G, H, I, and J. Upon advancing a level, Elton will roll 1d4 and add his level. Rolling a total of 8,9, 10 or 11 will allow him to learn G, H, I or J poisons, if a laboratory and the necessary circumstances are present, as adjudicated by the DM. If the number is below 8, Elton as of yet has not the potential to learn a new poison, and must wait until the following level to try again. If the same number between 8-11 is re-rolled, then Elton's knowledge of that particular poison increases. If a number above 11 is rolled, any remaining poison amongst G, H, I and J is selected, from the most junior poison first. Once all the ingested poisons are known, each subsequent level can allow Elton to either enhance these poisons, or allow him to pursue the other variety of poisons. Other poison varieties can only be pursued by purchasing the poisoning non-weapon proficiency, which costs a rogue 2 slots.

RULES FOR CHEMICALS: These rules will theoretically be developed in the future. In essence, the "one per level" rule will prevail as far as the number of dangerous/useful chemicals Elton is able to learn to produce.

NOTE: The poisoning proficiency is usually barred to PCs; this combination of kit and non-weapon proficiencies is one of the few ways to pursue this vile craft.

Ingested Sedative Potions

Elton has learned to create either eaten or imbibed sedatives with several different combination of herbs, and has long experimented with it, at least in the past, with goats, birds, goblins, bugbears and even humans and human children. He thus knows quite well how to modify or change doses and ingredients to best afflict sedation upon his victims. If a basic list of normal chemicals are available, these organically-based sedatives may be "enhanced" with regards to onset, weakness and duration. If alchemically enhanced, these sedatives will be so strong so as to compel penalties to saving throws, from -1 to -3, dependent upon DM adjudication. Often, only certain combinations are effective against certain types of creatures, and therefore specific chemicals must be added to sedative vials or flasks just before deployment for the most extreme effects.

Just using his skills with herbalism, the effects of sedatives are as listed and described below:

EATEN: onset, 4d10 minutes; weakness, 1d6 minutes; duration, 2d12 hours

DRUNK: onset, 2d6 minutes; weakness, 1d6 minutes; duration, 1d4 hours

Elton's basic sedatives have two phases, weakness and then unconsciousness. Weakness will reduce all the targets ability scores and movement rates by half. If the saving throw is made, then the weakness persist for another hour, at which point he makes another save to see if lasts a second hour. Such saving throw rolls will continue until one is finally made.

Chemical Poison Gas Attacks

Conventional Gas Charges: 4

Chemical Gas Charges: 4

Elton has discovered from the Underdark a vile substance which, if properly prepared, can be made to produce a gas which is lethal to most beings. If prepared with special regents obtainable in the Underdark, Elton can make the gas ever stronger still.

Chemical Gas Attack: Mimics class D type poison. It takes effect in 1d2 minutes, and inflicts 30 + (1d6) damage if inhaled, or 2d6 + (1d3) damage if the saving throw is made. The damage in parentheses occurs regardless of whether or not the gas is breathed. Saving throws against this clear gas is at -1. The gas fills a 10 ft. x 10 ft. x 10 ft. area, and disperses unless the gas is sealed in from all sides, in which case the gas will persist for 2d6 turns, or 2d6 rounds if an open door, window, arrow slit, etc. The damage is inflicted for each turn the character breathes the gas.

Contained in fist-sized blown glass jars, the gas is sealed inside the molten glass upon being blown, using an elaborate method Elton copied from the drow.

Chemical Acid

Elton has discovered the process of preparing a concentrated form of molecular acid, which he likely stores in blown glass jars with glued shut tops. This particular acid can burn both flesh and metal, theoretically causing item saving throws.

VIAL: 1d3 damage, 1 damage the following round

FLASK: 2d4 damage, 1d3 damage the following round

Recommended Equipment and Non-Weapon Proficiencies by the DM

• glassblowing, 1 slot

• drow, 1 slot

• survival: underdark, 2 slots

• mountaineering

Elton Grimm's Key Equipment

Acid: 3 vials, 1 flask; (Elton currently lacks the components or laboratory to make any more of this substance)

Chemical Gas: 2 blown-crystal jars; (Elton possesses the base materials, although not the laboratory, to make 4 more such chemical gas bombs)

Sedative Poisons: Elton maintains a small herbal kitbag of sedative poisons. The components and chemicals therein must be mixed well-beforehand in order to be most effective against certain targets. 24 "charges" are available in this kitbag. This kitbag also contains numerous other herbs of varying uses.

Lockpicks

The Cleaver of Perdition

Description: A mysterious halberd discovered in the deepest part of the Underdark Elton Grimm has ever penetrated. It was stolen from the lair of a great deep dragon. The halberd appears to be crafted of a kind of adamantine alloy, composited with what an inspecting wizard suspected was an extra-planar form of silver. One face of the weapon's main bill has in fine stencil the image of an angel wielding a green sword with a bow upon its back. The opposite side bears holy script in a magical language. Included in this script is the weapon's name, the Cleaver of Perdition. The recitation of this magic creates a very powerful doorway to an unknown realm of great evil. The shaft of the halberd is composed of a silvery, otherwordly metal. The bottom of it comes to a sharp and arrowlike point.

Powers (all powers function at 18th level)

• once per day, upon uttering the command word folario, the halberd sheds an aura of protection from evil

• when thinking thoughts of goodness and peace, a silverish light flashes from the face of the weapon's bill in a 5 ft. radius.

• the weapon otherwise seems to function as a halberd +2

• the weapon certainly has other powers, but these are largely unknown