Arclord of NexArclord of Nex CR 14Source Inner Sea NPC Codex pg. 6
XP 38,400
Human wizard 10/arclord of Nex 5
N Medium humanoid (human)
Init +0; Senses Perception +24DefenseAC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+2 deflection, +2 natural)
hp 109 (15d6+55)
Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +15
Defensive Abilities protective wardOffenseSpeed 30 ft.
Melee staff of fire +6/+1 (1d6–1)
Special Attacks artificer’s touch, hand of the apprentice (10/day), metamagic mastery (2/day)
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 15th; concentration +22)
8th—mind blank
7th—greater scrying (DC 24), limited wish, spell turning
6th—widened black tentacles, disintegrate (DC 23), greater dispel magic, repulsion (DC 23)
5th—dismissal (DC 22), feeblemind (DC 22), overland flight, teleport, wall of stone
4th—extended black tentacles, confusion (DC 21), dimension door, greater invisibility, phantasmal killer (DC 21)
3rd—clairaudience/clairvoyance, dispel magic, halt undead (DC 20), slow (DC 20), extended stinking cloud, suggestion (DC 20)
2nd—detect thoughts (DC 19), extended glitterdust, protection from arrows, resist energy, scorching ray, whispering wind
1st—charm person (DC 18), comprehend languages, disguise self, extended mage armor, magic missile, protection from evil
0 (at will)—detect magic, light, message, prestidigitationStatisticsStr 8, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 24, Wis 14, Cha 13
Base Atk +7; CMB +6; CMD 18
Feats Alertness, Craft Construct, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Extend Spell, Eye of the ArclordISWG, Persuasive, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (conjuration), Toughness, Widen Spell
Skills Appraise +15, Diplomacy +23, Fly +8, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (arcana) +25, Knowledge (dungeoneering, geography, history, local, nature, nobility, religion) +15, Knowledge (engineering, planes) +20, Linguistics +16, Perception +24, Sense Motive +24, Spellcraft +25
Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven, Gnome, Ignan, Infernal, Kelish, Osiriani, Terran
SQ arcane architect, arcane bond (staff), improved third eye, mystic pedagogue, scholiast
Combat Gear potion of cure serious wounds, scroll of haste, scroll of major image, scroll of stoneskin, scroll of tongues, wand of alarm (35 charges); Other Gear amulet of natural armor +2, belt of mighty constitution +2, cloak of resistance +3, headband of vast intelligence +4, pearl of power (3rd), ring of protection +2, staff of fire, spell component pouch, spellbooks (3Special AbilitiesArcane Architect (Ex) The Arclord of Nex can create constructs with the Craft Construct feat in only half the time it would normally take. In addition, she can apply the Extend Spell and/or Widen Spell metamagic feats to conjuration (creation) spells she prepares, even if she doesn’t possess those feats. If she does possess them, the level increase for applying Extend Spell to a conjuration (creation) spell is eliminated, and the level increase for applying Widen Spell to a conjuration (creation) spell is reduced to 2.
Artificer’s Touch (Sp) The Arclord of Nex can expend one use of her hand of the apprentice ability to use the Artifice domain’s artificer’s touch power as a 15th-level cleric.
Improved Third Eye (Su) Four times per day as a move action, the Arclord of Nex can open an incandescent third eye upon her forehead for 1 minute, during which time she casts all divination spells at +1 caster level, gains darkvision 60 feet, and can use detect magic at will. While the eye is open, she also gains a +8 bonus on Perception checks to notice invisible creatures and can use the aid another action to grant an adjacent wizard a +1 bonus to his caster level and a +2 circumstance bonus on concentration checks for the next wizard spell he casts before the beginning of the Arclord’s next turn. If the Arclord expends two uses of her hand of the apprentice ability, she can add the effect of arcane sight or see invisibility to the benefits of her third eye for 1 minute (or until the duration of the third eye ends, whichever is sooner). She can add both effects by spending four uses of hand of the apprentice.
Mystic Pedagogue (Ex) The Arclord of Nex adds a bonus equal to 1/2 her class level on Spellcraft checks to learn a wizard spell or craft a magical item.
Scholiast (Sp) The Arclord of Nex can use the protective ward abjuration school ability as a 15th-level wizard by expending two uses of her hand of the apprentice ability.
Claiming to be descended from the wizard Nex’s household servants, the Arclords see it as their solemn duty to further the archmage’s goals in his absence. Over time, the exact details of these goals have evolved as Arclords have uncovered and analyzed additional texts penned by Nex, though more often than not they jealously guard these documents, making it difficult for outsiders to determine whether members of the secretive society of mages are staying true to their cause or subtly manipulating their findings for their own inscrutable purposes.
Among the most famous techniques of the Arclords is their ability to open a third eye upon the forehead. Intense willpower is required to keep this eye open. Few can maintain the eye for more than a few minutes, yet in that time even a basic practitioner can sense the presence and flow of magic as no other. Especially talented Arclords can analyze enchantments almost instantly and even see through the most convincing illusions while benefiting from this magical sight.
Although divinations give the Arclords an edge, the tool that most makes them a force to be reckoned with is their magical constructs. Oenopion in particular specializes in the construction of golems, and the Arclords from this Nexian city are among the most capable eldritch smiths, even among their counterparts from other parts of Nex. An Arclord is rarely without at least one construct bodyguard or assistant, and even a lone Arclord often has the means to instantly summon one or more golems to her side at the slightest sign of a threat.
The highest concentration of Arclords in the Inner Sea is in Nex, where the organization reigned supreme for several centuries during the Age of Enthronement. Their decision to resume hostilities with Geb eventually led to their exile to the island of Jalmeray, and though the Arclords ruled there for several more centuries, the rajahs of Vudra destroyed all but a handful of the stubborn mages with an army of genies, angry at the Arclords’ trespassing. The only other land the Arclords made a concerted effort to insinuate themselves into, following their exodus from Jalmeray, was Absalom, where they established the famous Arcanamirium, a school of magic. The Arclords launched a failed campaign to conquer the island metropolis using the school as their base of power, and relics of their assault likely still lie buried among the siege fortresses outside of Absalom.
Perhaps in response to their failures in executing large, sweeping changes, most Arclords now pursue a more subtle agenda of integrating arcane magic directly into the cities and cultures of the Inner Sea, thus building a growing dependence upon their services, research, and insights. As a result, they consider courtly skills of diplomacy, etiquette, and composure second in importance only to their magical studies; these earn them influence they could never maintain through direct force.
Even so, the Arclords crave the influence and power to accomplish several key goals. First, they long to regain their control over the Nex, and thereby gain uncontested access to its resources instead of having to negotiate with the Council of Three and Nine. With such means at their disposal, they might finally eradicate the country of Geb and its namesake necromancer—a task they are certain Nex himself would appreciate. Finally, the Arclords publicly express an interest in finding the wizard Nex and restoring him to power. This claim is bandied about only to reinforce the Arclords’ political mandate and power, however, as doing so would certainly rob the Arclords of their autonomy, among other unforeseeable consequences.
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