Realms Personalities : Pharaun Mizzrym, Master of Sorcere
by Richard Baker (Dragon #302)
Son of Miz'ri Mizzrym, the Matron Mother of House Mizzrym, Pharaun is a highborn drow noble and a Master of Sorcere, the wizards' academy of Menzoberranzan. He is a fine-featured, handsome dark elf with a thin, cruel mouth and elegantly coiffed hair. Pharaun is meticulous in his grooming and wears only the finest, most stylish clothing. He is ambitious, brilliant, and haughty, a powerful mage who combines insatiable curiosity with an utter lack of scruples. Wry and witty, he is a charming dandy who conceals a cold lust for power behind the mannerisms of a noble-born epicure. Pharaun as no stranger to vanity; he is all too aware of what a gifted individual he is.
Pharaun began his career much like many highborn males, as a minor mageling of little account virtually ignored by his powerful female relations. He survived to attend Sorcere, the city's academy for wizards, and flourished there. When he returned to House Mizzrym from Sorcere, the quiet and studious boy had grown into a confident and skilled wizard, powerful enough to hold his own among his murderous family. Pharaun became embroiled in a feud between his sisters Greyanna and Sabal, twins who despised one another. Pharaun supported Sabal against Greyanna, but in time Greyanna prevailed. She destroyed Sabal, and Pharaun survived her wrath only by fleeing from House Mizzrym and taking shelter in Sorcere.
Under threat of assassination should he leave the refuge of the academy, Pharaun naturally devoted himself to mastering the arcane arts and climbing the ladder of station and rank within Sorcere. He excelled at both endeavors, becoming one of the city's most powerful wizards and a Master of Sorcere. Yet even his skill and rank proved insufficient to completely protect him from the consequences of a mistake. Seeking more power, Pharaun used a number of apprentices to summon a dangerous demon that slew most of the novices who had aided the Sorcere Master. The Matron Mothers of the novices' houses did not view their sons and nephews as expendable commodities, and so Pharaun finds himself under threat of death once again when Dissolution begins
Pharaun Mizzrym: Male drow Wiz14/Acm3: CR 18: Medium-size humanoid (5 ft. 1 in. tall); HD 17d4+34; hp 83; Init +5 (Dex); Spd 60 ft.; AC 26, touch 18, flat-footed 21; Atk +10/+5 melee (1d4+2/19-20, +2 dagger) and +10/+5 melee (1d6+2/18-20 +2 obedient rapier), or +13 ranged touch (by spell), or +18 ranged (1d4+5/19-20, +2 hand crossbow with +3 bolts); SA spells, spell-like abilities; SQ drow traits, high arcana (mastery of counterspelling, spell power +2, spell-like ability [dimension door]; permanent spells (detect magic, see invisibility); SR 28; AL CE; SV Fort +12, Ref +15, Will +18; Str 10, Dex 21, Con 14, Int 26, Wis 12, Cha 15.
Skills: Craft (alchemy) +14, Balance +8, Bluff +6, Concentration +17, Gather Information +4, Hide +17, Intimidate +6, Jump +10, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Knowledge (local, Underdark) +12, Knowledge (the planes) +12, Listen +9, Move Silently +11, Spellcraft +25, Search +13, Sense Motive +4, Spot +21; Feats: Combat Casting, Craft Wondrous Item, Forge Ring, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Spell Focus (Illusion), Spell Focus (Evocation), Spell Penetration, Still Spell.
Spell-like Abilities: 1/day - dancing lights, darkness, and faerie fire. Pharaun uses these abilities as a 17th-level sorcerer; 2/day - dimension door. Pharaun uses this ability as a 17th-level wizard.
Languages Known: Abyssal, Common, Drow Sign Language, Elven, Goblin, Undercommon.
SQ - High Arcana: An archmage may choose to take a special ability from a select list by permanently eliminating one spell slot. See the archmage prestige class for a list of the abilities an archmage may choose from.
Spells Prepared (4/6/10/6/5/4/5/2/3/1; base save DC 20 + spell level, 22 + spell level for Evocation or Illusion spells): 0 - daze, detect magic, mage hand, ray of frost; 1st - burning hands, cause fear, charm person, mage armor, shocking grasp, summon monster I; 2nd - Aganazzar's scorcher x2, alter self, cat's grace, detect thoughts, ghoul touch, invisibility, mirror image. resist elements, see invisibility; 3rd - fireball, fly, haste, invisibility sphere, nondetection, suggestion; 4th - charm monster, dimension door, Evard's black tentacles, improved invisibility, summon monster IV; 5th - cloudkill, cone of cold, teleport, wall of force; 6th - chain lightning, circle of death, guards and wards, planar binding, true seeing; 7th - finger of death, shadow walk; 8th - flensing, greater planar binding, horrid wilting; 9th - power word kill.
Possessions: +3 obedient rapier (kept in ring of storing, +2 dagger, +2 hand crossbow, 50 +3 hand crossbow bolts, vest of resistance +5, Pharaun's piwafwi, belt of health +4, gloves of Dexterity +4, headband of intellect +4, Pharaun's signet ring, ring of storing, boots of striding and springing, wand of lightning bolt (10th-level caster), wand of daylight, wand of magic missile (9th-level caster), wand of detect secret doors, Heward's handy haversack, drow house insignia, 11 workbooks (spellbooks of dragonhide and vellum, guarded by major resistance, blindness, and spelltrap).
Pharaun's Unique Items
Pharaun possesses many powerful and useful magic items, several of which he crafted himself. His signature items include a piwafwi (cloak of elvenkind) that provides an armor bonus in addition to the cloak's normal Hide bonus, a silver signet ring with several powers, a ring of storing and a magic rapier with the obedient special ability.
Pharaun's Pwafwi: This black shadowy cloak provides a +8 armor bonus to its wearer. In addition, when worn with the hood drawn up around the head, the piwatwi gives its wearer a +10 circumstance bonus on Hide checks.
Caster Level: 16th: Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, mage armor, invisibility, creator must be a drow; Market Price: 68,000 gp, Cost to Create: 34,000 gp + 2,720 XP, Weight: 1 lb
Pharaun's Signet Ring: Emblazoned with the sign of Sorcere, this ring functions as a ring of protection +3 and a ring of wizardry II. Additionally, the ring confers a +10 circumstance bonus to the wearer's Spot checks and allows him to cast detect magic at will,
Caster Level: 14th; Prerequisites: Forge Ring, limited wish, detect magic, shield of faith, clairaudience/clairvoyance, Market Price, 82,000 gp; Cost to Create, 31,000 gp + 3,280 XP; Weight: -
Ring of Storing: This is identical to a glove of storing except that it is in ring form. On command, one object held in the hand wearing the ring disappears. The object may not weigh more than 10 pounds and must be able to be held in one hand. An item stored in the ring can be retrieved with a silent mental command as a free action. The ring can only store one item at a time. The item stored is held in stasis and shrunk down to such a tiny size that it fits within a minuscule cavity within the ring. If the effect is dispelled or suppressed, the stored item appears instantly.
Caster Level: 6th; Prerequisites: Forge Ring, shrink item: Market Price: 2,200 gp; Cost to Create: 1,100 gp + 88 XP Weight. -.
Drow House Insignia: This brooch is worked in the design of a noble house's symbol. It allows the wearer to levitate as if he had cast levitate on himself. The brooch does not take up an item slot.
Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, levitate, Market Price: 15,000 gp; Cost to Create: 7,500 gp + 600 XP; Weight: -.