Sarzec the Broken (CBN)

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Sarzec the Broken, Captain of the Scrofula
6th-level Human Necromancer (Undead Master)
Str: 11
Dex: 11
Con: 10
Int: 15
Wis: 16
Cha: 14
Armor Class: 3 (with spirit armor) or 8
THAC0: 18
Movement: 6 (hobbled by old accident)
Hit Points: 25 (including 5 extra hp from Malvolio)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Dark Gifts: Nil
Special Attacks: By spell or magical item, opponents save at –1 against his necromantic spells, turns/commands undead as 6th-level priest (Undead Master).
Special Defenses: Nil
Saving Throws: PPDM 13; RSW 9; PP 11; BW 13; S 10.
+2 on all saves (magic ring), +1 bonus on saves against necromantic attacks, +2 magical attack adj. (Wisdom).
Size: 4'11” (bowlegged)
WP: darts. NWP: ancient history (14), ancient languages (Kadari, 15), heraldry (15), navigation (13), necrology (16), netherworld knowledge (13), reading/writing (16), religion (14), spellcraft (13), swimming (11), weather sense (14).
Spells: chill touch, charm person, detect magic, magic missile (x2); spectral hand, ghoul touch (WH), skeletal hands; bone dance, spirit armor (TOM), lightning bolt.
Equipment: ring of protection +2 (silver band set with a tiny green ceramic scarab beetle), iron key worn from string around neck (opens sea chest, see below), gold earring set with a garnet (100 gp), three golden rings (worth 50 gp each), midnight blue robes (edged in silver thread) whose pockets contain one black bead of force, spell components, a compact quiver with nine barbed darts dipped in Type C poison (onset 2–5 rounds, 25 hp damage, 2–8 if save), a spyglass (500 gp), potions of healing (x2), and a wizard scroll (spells cast at 11th level): animate dead (x3), cloudkill.
Physical Description: Sarzec was once a tall and handsome man, but a previous accident has left him a crippled hunchback with horribly twisted legs. He walks slowly and painfully in a bowlegged gait, but he stubbornly refuses to seek medical treatment. The prideful wizard will not even use a staff or cane as a crutch. Sarzec is approaching his early thirties, but his blue eyes are ringed with darkness, and his raven-black hair is shot with silver. He has a loud and commanding voice and speaks with an air of determination.
Background: Formerly an apprentice of the necromancer Pizentios (see his NPC sheet), Sarzec fell into an oubliette while feeding one of his Master's prisoners on Sahu. The fall shattered his body, but he survived, and his life was spared by the escaping prisoners. Enraged by his student's failure, Pizentios refused to set the broken bones, which healed and fused at awkward angles, leaving him a permanent cripple. Pizentios successfully convinced Sarzec that the prisoners were to blame for his disfigurement, and when Sarzec finished his studies, the master even outfitted him with a ship and a zombie crew to hunt down the renegade sailors who crippled him.
Sarzec now scours the seas in a trim caravel, the Scrofula, with a junior necromancer and a crew of zombies. They patrol the sea lanes near the Isle of Sahu, preying upon understaffed merchant ships, constantly on the lookout for the adventurers who wrecked Sarzec's body and filled his life with unending pain. The necromancers have a small base on Sahu and report back occasionally to Pizentios, who is pleased with their progress and keeps them well outfitted in exchange for prisoners and tribute. Sarzec enjoys the current arrangement with his former mentor (and as an Undead Master, he revels in the command of an undead crew), but his thirst for revenge takes him on ever wider forays from the coast of Sahu.
As a natural leader, Sarzec enjoys the complete authority over his undead crew. These twenty zombies (hp 12–16 each) have been fortified by embalming, which also prevents them from decomposing in the intense sun and heat at sea.
Role-Playing Notes: Sarzec is a cruel, foul-tempered bully who suffers in constant physical pain from his old injuries. He lashes out, often violently, against any who disagree with his opinion (these are scarce on a ship crewed mostly by mindless undead). In battle, Sarzec's first action is usually to cast spirit armor in defense, then use a lightning bolt to soften up the enemy while sending over a zombie boarding party. He then casts spectral hand to deliver touch-related attacks, afterward animating a pair of skeletal hands or casting bone dance on a fallen foe. He will not hesitate to use his magical bead, scroll, or poisoned darts if pressed in battle.
Sarzec's intelligent mind has easily grown accustomed to sea travel. He chooses his potential victims carefully, always screening their ships from a safe distance with the help of his huge raven familiar, Malvolio. If a target seems weak or helpless, he maneuvers the Scrofula so it has the wind advantage and attacks. The Scrofula has been rigged for speed. Lacking heavy supplies or cargo and forewarned by Malvolio's reconnaissance, she can outrun most merchant ships.