Perilous Gateways
Bandit Lord Portals
By Robert Wiese
The Treasure Cave Portal
One thing that bandits need is a secure place to store their loot, and the portals from the lost civilization have provided the Bandits of the Iron Wind with a very secure place indeed. It is, however, a problematic place in that the bandits rely too much on one person to retrieve their stored treasure.
While Jaida Goldspun was exploring the ruins, she came across what was obviously a portal in the basement of a building. The records that the bandits found at a wizard's tower indicated that the building was once part of the government center, but no mention was made of the portal. After some experimentation and magical analysis, they determined that the continuously active human-sized portal was a one-way gateway. Strangely, the portal transported its user to a spot about 10 feet beyond it. The user's possessions went elsewhere. Through magic, they found that the possessions of any user went to a cavern deep beneath the earth. The cavern is located about a mile north of the ruins, and it is entirely natural. They were puzzled by why anyone would make such a thing, but they found an immediate use for it. They would send bandits carrying loot through the portal and the loot would all end up in the cave.
In the cavern, the bandits found three tunnel exits from the portal, but a one-way portal covers each of the ways out. They could enter, but when they tried to leave, they activated the portal and found themselves back in the ruined basement -- naked. Anything they carried was found in the cavern again. Thus, while people could enter and leave, any objects that ended up in the cave stayed there.
The bandits' wizard, Kinon Perray, can use dimension door to bypass the portals and remove items, but that is the only means that the bandits have of removing anything (since the dispel magic option rarely works for Kinon). They continue to use the portal, because if they cannot take anything out easily, then anyone else trying to steal from them would not be able to either. But, the reliance on Kinon makes some of the bandits, especially Jaida, very nervous. It remains to be seen whether the band will move its treasure.
Kinon Perray: Male lightfoot halfling Rogue 2/Wizard 9; CR 9; Small humanoid; HD 2d6+2 plus 7d4+7; hp 36; Init +3; Spd 20 ft.; AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 13; Base Atk +4; Grp -2; Atk +3 melee (1d3+2/19-20, dagger); Full Atk +3 melee (1d3+2/19-20, dagger); SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ evasion, familiar benefits, halfling traits, trapfinding, tressym familiar (Flitter); AL CN; SV Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +6; Str 7, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 14. Height 3 ft. 6 in., weight 41 lbs., age 47.
Skills and Feats: Appraise +7, Bluff +7, Decipher Script +9, Disable Device +9, Disguise +7/+9 in character, Hide +12, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (the planes) +9, Listen +7, Move Silently +10, Open Lock +10, Search +7, Spellcraft +11, Spot +5; Craft Wondrous Item, Extend Spell, Improved Familiar, Nimble Fingers, Scribe Scroll, Stealthy.
Familiar Benefits: Kinon has chosen Flitter the tressym as his familiar. When his familiar is within 5 feet of him, he gains the benefit of the Alertness feat. He also gains the following benefits.
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Flitter takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.
Empathic Link (Su): Kinon can communicate telepathically with Flitter at a distance of up to one mile. He has the same connection to an item or a place that Flitter does.
Share Spells: At Kinon's option, he can have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) he casts on himself also affect Flitter. Flitter must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting Flitter if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect Flitter again even if it returns to Kinon before the duration expires. Additionally, Kinon can cast a spell with a target of "You" on Flitter (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself. Kinon and Flitter can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of Flitter's type (magical beast).
Speak with Animals of Its Kind (Ex): Flitter can communicate with animals of approximately the same kind as itself. Such communication is limited by the intelligence of the conversing creatures.
Speak with Master (Ex): Flitter and Kinon can communicate verbally as if they were using a common language. Other creatures do not understand the communication without magical help.
Touch: Flitter can deliver touch spells for Kinon.
Evasion (Ex): If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Kinon takes no damage with a successful saving throw.
Halfling Traits: Kinon has a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear, a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws, +1 racial attack bonus with a thrown weapon or sling, and a +2 racial bonus on Climb, Jump, Listen, and Move Silently checks (already figured into the statistics given above).
Trapfinding: Kinon can use the Search skill to find traps with Search DCs higher than 20.
Wizard Spells Prepared (4/5/4/2/1; save DC 12 + spell level): 0 -- detect magic (2), mage hand, resistance; 1st -- expeditious retreat, mage armor, magic missile, sleep, true strike; 2nd -- cat's grace, darkvision, detect thoughts, see invisibility; 3rd -- dispel magic, suggestion; 4th -- dimension door.
Spellbook: 0 -- all; 1st -- charm person, comprehend languages, detect secret doors, expeditious retreat, identify, mage armor, magic missile, reduce person, scatterspray (FRCS), shield; 2nd -- Aganazzar's scorcher (FRCS), bear's endurance, bull's strength, cat's grace, darkvision, detect thoughts, locate object, see invisibility, Snilloc's snowball swarm (FRCS), Tasha's hideous laughter, web; 3rd -- analyze portal (FRCS), arcane sight, blacklight (FRCS), clairaudience/clairvoyance, dispel magic, flashburst (FRCS), fly, hold person, lightning bolt, rage, suggestion; 4th -- detect scrying, dimension door, greater invisibility, locate creature, scrying, stone shape, stoneskin, thunderlance (FRCS).
Possessions: dagger, ring of protection +2, ring of counterspells.
Kinon tries to appear studious and powerful, but he is actually lazy and careless. Thus, he is always bluffing to some extent. That is why he gave up thievery; it was too much work. How he got through magical training no one knows, but it took him longer than it should have. He never stays anywhere too long, so that no one sees through his bluff. His real dilemma is that, being lazy at heart, he finds the mask he wears to be more work than he would like to do. However, he knows that in the cutthroat world, his real nature would get him taken advantage of or killed by those whose greed for power is greater than his own. He also has no physical strength at all, and he has to depend on others to defend him. In return, he feels he must appear to contribute. Thus, he may give off the impression that he wants to take over the bandit group, but he never would really want to do that because leading is too much work. He is very happy with the security of his current role and with his relative isolation from the greedier wizards that he might cross elsewhere. He is expected to use his magical knowledge only on the portals and to defend the ruins, but not to engage in any raiding himself or to assist the raiders with more than an enhancement spell or two. He is curious, as most halflings are, but knows when to keep his nose out of something for fear of angering the wrong person. He has a great respect for Kaldrav, and a fear of Jaida, and does not interact with the rest of the band much at all. He likes the solitude.
Flitter: Male tressym familiar; CR --; Tiny magical beast; HD 1/2 d10 (effective 7d10); hp 18; Init +2; Spd 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (good); AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +4; Grp -8; Atk +8 melee (1d2-4, claw); Full Atk +8 melee (1d2-4, 2 claws) and +3 melee (1d3-4, bite); Space/Reach 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.; SQ darkvision, low-light vision, poison immunity, scent; AL CG; SV Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Balance +10, Climb +4, Hide +19, Listen +6, Move Silently +11, Spot +6; Weapon Finesse.
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Flitter takes no damage if he makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.