Advisor - Imperial Fleet (Character Kit)

## Overview

The elven Imperial Fleet attempts to stay in contact with groundling elf nations, though such contact is usually distant at best. Sometimes, a junior officer from the Fleet is assigned to study and advise a particular realm. The advisor coordinates groundling-wildspace activity and relations, often adventuring to further the goals of the Fleet.

On Toril, the Imperial Fleet of Realmspace has close ties with Evermeet, which bought spelljammers to aid the Retreat and defend the island. Imperial Fleet advisors on Toril are in most cases actually from Toril itself, having left some years earlier to go into wildspace aboard a spelljamming ship. Now they have returned to their old homeworld, nearly always to Evermeet, Cormanthor, or Evereska, which they use as their centers of operations.

This kit is most useful in a FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign using SPELLJAMMER materials, particularly if SPELLJAMMER adventures into Realmspace occur.

## Description

An Imperial Fleet advisor in a groundling court wears his dress uniform and finery: bright elven chain mail, a black cloak and black tabard (showing a colorful butterfly on a starry field), high black boots, Fleet insignia and rank medallions, jewelry, polished weapons, etc. Experienced advisors prefer to keep a low profile and adopt the dress of the local elves if they are anywhere other than a royal court. Some elements of dress and appearance may still betray a wildspace origin (firearms, unusual clothing style or material, odd jewelry, tattoo of stars or comets on face, etc.). Most advisors on Faerûn were once native to this world and so might look like typical gold, moon, or wild elves; however, the DM and player may alter the character's appearance to create an elf coming from another world entirely.

## Roleplaying

The Imperial Fleet advisor is a good kit to have if a F ORGOTTEN REALMS campaign has elements of the S PELLJAMMER campaign, such as the DUNGEON CRAWL® adventure, Undermountain: Stardock.

The advisor's purpose is to ensure the survival of groundling elf nations and peoples, using his knowledge and skills to bring this about. The advisor also serves as a diplomatic liaison between the Imperial Fleet and the rulers of elf-held realms. He can pass along his knowledge of conditions in wildspace and potential threats to groundling elves from the neogi and scro. (This information becomes useful only if the DM is careful to include wildspace threats in his regular campaign.) He might also prepare an elf nation for contact with the Imperial Fleet, and could give advice on setting up a spelljammer way station or trading port to bring in further revenue to the kingdom.

In extreme circumstances, an advisor may lead military operations against enemies of local elves, using all means at his disposal to solve the problem. He must convince elf rulers, however, that he knows what he is doing, and that immediate action is necessary—urging that may fall on deaf ears.

Imperial Fleet advisors in Realmspace have the following assortment of initial weapons: broad swords, long swords, short swords, daggers, long bows, short bows, large weapons (CSH), and ambidexterity (CSH). They are also familiar with smoke powder firearms and may take proficiency with wheel-lock firearms (called starwheels in wildspace) as individual weapons or as a group. Use the information on firearms from the PLAYER'S OPTION®: Combat & Tactics book, chapter 7. A 1st-level advisor may buy a firearm before the start of play, but it is up to him to find more smoke powder and bullets once he runs out. Any other new weapon may be learned after 1st level.

## Special Advantages

An Imperial Fleet advisor starts with a Fleet uniform, including one suit of elven chain mail used by the Imperial Fleet. He also gets a cloak, insignia, dress boots, etc. The advisor then gains the usual starting funds. After spending that, he discards all remaining monies, then gains an extra 100 gp in coins or gems for emergency purposes; this bonus amount cannot be spent before the game starts but can be spent normally during the course of the game thereafter.

The Imperial Fleet advisor can pick up the gunsmithing proficiency, as he is familiar with firearms in wildspace combat. This proficiency is described with the artificer kit. The Imperial Fleet advisor is the only Faerûnian character allowed to gain the following proficiency, which cannot be learned except in wildspace: Realmspace Lore (Proficiency)

## Special Disadvantages

Once the advisor is dropped off on Toril by an Imperial spelljammer, he is not likely to be picked up again for some time, anywhere from a month to several years. He must work toward the completion of his mission, whatever it is, during this time. He cannot summon assistance from the Fleet, which has an unwritten policy of studiously ignoring requests for assistance from everyone on a planet, even its own officers. Only when the Fleet returns to pick him up at a prearranged site can the advisor make contact with the Fleet again—unless, of course, he gains the use of his own spelljammer in the meanwhile.

Many evil wildspace forces would love to capture an advisor, torture him, gain all his knowledge, then kill him in a nasty way. Neogi, scro, mind flayers, beholders, and other menaces from space might appear in the regular campaign.