William Oswald Weatherby was always a wimp: as a child, he was picked on; as a teenager, he was tormented by bullies; he had no steady girl, no social life, no close friends. He would often say (although nobody was listening) that this suited him just fine; with no distractions, he could focus on his studies. Indeed, he was a gifted student, and he would have made it far in the fields of academia, if only his teachers hadn’t dismissed him as an obnoxious know-it-all.

As it was, William did not attend the top schools, and did not get the plum assignments. He toiled for fifteen years in absolute obscurity, working towards a PhD archeology at a second rate university. His thesis, an attempt to locate the site of the mythical Tower of Babel, earned the scorn and derision of his colleagues, who laughingly referred to his work as a “Gilgamess.” (an inside joke of Babylonian scholarship). His research was ignored by everyone. Everyone, that is, except for Dirk Swift. A student several years younger than William, and far more popular, Dirk was ambitious, charming and ruthless, and when he noticed a glimmer of potential in the Babel thesis, he became William’s first, and most cherished, “friend.”

In spite of being hindered and mocked at every turn, William pursued the Tower of Babel with uncharacteristic zeal. As he drew ever closer to his goal, Dirk grew closer to the project. With Dirk’s help, William was able to finance an expedition to the Euphrates River valley, to look for the Tower site. Sure enough, William had found the Tower, an accomplishment that would cement his reputation and make him rich and famous. And sure enough, Dirk stabbed him in the back. Literally. With a trowel.

With William lying face-down on the ancient cornerstone, Dirk revealed his plan: to leave with William’s notes, spend a year paraphrasing them, come back with a proper team and take all the credit. In the mean time, the buzzards would finish the messy business of disposing the corpse.

Dirk did not know – could not know – what would happen next. As William lay dying, he was watched by the spirits who had died in the Tower’s fall. Cursed to haunt the ruins of their ambition, the spirits were mad with grief. They felt an immediate bond to the whimpering man that lay bleeding on their cornerstone. Summoning forgotten mystical powers, they revived William, and offered him a chance to get what they had all longed for: REVENGE. Against humanity, against creation, against God Himself (or, as William understood it, against the grinning idiots who made his life a hell since childhood).

The Babylonian spirits imbued William with mystical powers, which allowed him to paralyze others with self-doubt, to sap their will, to plunge them into despair. Possibly his greatest new power was “the Curse of Babel,” an uncanny ability to confuse language and disrupt communication. William named himself “the Wizard of Woe.”

One by one, his old enemies met tragic ends: nervous breakdowns, freak accidents, suicides. Some even became loyal minions, “the Warriors of Woe.” (Okay, they were barking mad by this point, but at least they were committed.) Now, the Wizard of Woe continues his unholy crusade, using sorrow and confusion as his weapons, punishing anyone who is – well – remotely happy.

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Wizard of Woe - PL10

Maddened Wizard

Initiative: +3 (Improved Initiative); Senses: Notice +9
Languages: English, French, Hebrew, Babylonian
Size: Medium (5 ft. x 5 ft.); Reach: 5 ft.
Movement: 30 ft.

Defense: DC 13, flatfooted DC 11
Toughness: +1; Knockback: +0
Defense Options: Distract 2, Elusive Target, Fearless, Redirect
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +12

Melee: Unarmed +3 (stun, DC 9), Curse of Babel +3 (touch, Drain all attributes 10 points each, Ref DC 20), Touch of Babel +3 (touch, Slow, lasting, Will save DC 20, contagious -or- Stun, lasting, Fort save DC 20, contagious); Grapple: +2
Ranged: Thrown Object +3, Babel +3 (ranged touch, Dazzle [auditory], Reflex DC 11); Heavy Load: 80 lbs.
Attack Options: Babel, Curse of Babel, Touch of Babel

Powers:
Babel 10 [Effect: Dazzle, Auditory; Extras: Burst; Power Feat: Scrabble Electronics (AP Affect Radio Sense); Flaws: Limited (requires speech), Obvious (strange language heard); Source: Mystical]
Curse of Babel 10 [Effect: Drain, All Abilities; Extras: Contagious, Ranged; Source: Mystical]
Touch of Babel 10 [Effect: Paralysis; Power Feat: AP Stun; Source: Mystical]

Abilities: Str 8 [-1], Dex 8 [-1], Con 8 [-1], Int 20 [+5], Wis 20 [+5], Cha 14 [+2]
Feats: Artificer, Die Hard, Distract 2, Eidetic Memory, Elusive Target, Fearless, Improved Initiative, Minions 4 (10, PL1), Redirect
Skills: Bluff +7 (+9), Concentration +9 (+7), Diplomacy +4 (+6), Knowledge (History) +8 (+13), Knowledge (Occult) +9 (+14), Notice +4 (+9), Profession (Archaeologist) +9 (+14)

Notes: The Wizard of Woe uses his Knowledge (Occult) skill and Craft to create temporary magical devices.

Powers Descriptions

Babel: The Wizard of Woe can tap into the mystical language of the Tower of Babel and project it at his enemies, overloading their auditory senses and rendering them temporarily useless. He can project his voice to extreme distances as a standard action affecting anyone he can see even if it’s someone at the horizon line.

The Wizard of Woe must make a ranged touch attack roll against the target. If the attack hits, the target must make a Reflex save (DC 20) to avoid the effect. If the save fails, that sense type is rendered useless. A successful save means no effect.

Each round thereafter the target makes a Fortitude save to recover from the Babel attack. The target gains a +1 bonus to save each round after the first. A successful save allows the target to use their auditory senses again, but at a -1 on all rolls involving them. The following round, the target’s senses return to normal. Targets immune to Fortitude effects cannot be dazzled.

Alternatively, the Wizard of Woe can use Babel to affect radio senses, effectively scrabbling most electronics.

Curse of Babel: The Wizard of Woe can call upon the enigmatic forces of the Tower of Babel to temporarily lower all the Abilities of the target as a standard action.

The Wizard of Woe must make a ranged attack roll against the target. If the attack hits, the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 20) to avoid the effect. If the save fails, all the target’s abilities are reduced by 10 immediately. A successful save means no effect. The lost points return at a rate of 1 point each round for each ability.

The Drain of Babel is contagious. Any new target that comes into contact with the affected individual must save against the Drain of Babel as well. If they fail their Fortitude save, their attributes are reduced by 10 points and they too become contagious until the affects of the Drain of Babel have worn off.

Touch of Babel: The Wizard of Woe can tap into the mysterious forces of the Tower of Babel to paralyze a target with his touch. The Wizard of Woe must make a touch attack; if successful, the target makes a Will saving throw (DC 20). If the target fails, the target is slowed and can only take a standard or move action each round (not both). The target takes a -1 penalty on attack rolls, Defense, and Reflex saves. A slowed target moves at half normal speed. If the save fails by 5 or more, or on a second successful attack, the target is paralyzed: helpless and unable to move or take any actions. The target gets a new Will save each round to overcome the effect, with a +1 bonus per save.

Alternatively, the Wizard of Woe can stun a target instead with the Touch of Babel. He makes a touch attack and if successful, the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 20). A failed save means the target is dazed. A save that fails by 5 or more means the target is stunned. Targets failing the Fortitude save by 10 or more are unconscious and recover normally. The target gets a new save each round to recover from being dazed or stunned, with a +1 bonus per save.

Minions:

Warriors of Woe (10): PL 1; Init +1 (Dex); Notice -1; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 11; Atk +1; Damage +1 (unarmed), +3 (surprise attack), Babel +1 (ranged touch, Dazzle (auditory), Reflex DC 11), Paralysis +1 (touch, slow, Will save DC 11, contagious; stun, Fort save DC 11, contagious); SV Tough +2, Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0; Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 8; Skills: Bluff +4 (+3), Stealth +4 (+5); Feats: Sneak Attack 1; Powers: Babel 1 (Dazzle, auditory, requires speech, contagious), Paralysis 1 (AP Stun); Complication: Fanatical follower of Wizard of Woe.

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Build Notes:
Warrior of Woe Breakdown:
Abilities: Str +2, Dex +2, Con +2, Int -1, Wis -1, Cha -1 = 0 pp
Combat: Attack +1, Defense +1 = 4 pp
Saves: Tough +1, Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +1 = 3 pp
Skills: Bluff +4, Stealth +4 = 8/4 = 2 pp
Feats: Sneak Attack 1 = 1 pp
Powers: Babel 1 [Effect: Dazzle, Auditory; Extras: Burst; Power Feat: Scrabble Electronics (AP Affect Radio Sense); Flaws: Limited (requires speech), Obvious (strange language heard); Source: Mystical; Cost: 1 pp/lvl + 1 pp; Total: 2 pp]; Paralysis 1 [Power Feat: AP Stun; Source: Mystical; Cost: 2 pp/lvl + 1 pp; Total: 3 pp] = 5 pp
Complication: Fanatically obsessed with the Wizard of Woe and will go out of their way to follow his orders.
Totals: Abilities +0, Combat +4, Saves +3, Skills +2 (8), Feats +1, Powers +5 = 15 ppWizard of Woe Breakdown:
Abilities: Str -2, Dex -2, Con -2, Int +10, Wis +10, Cha +4 = 18 pp
Combat: Attack +3, Defense +3 = 12 pp
Saves: Tough +0, Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +7 = 10 pp
Skills: Bluff +7, Concentration +9, Diplomacy +4, Languages +4, Knowledge (History) +8, Knowledge (Occult) +9, Notice +4, Profession (Archeologist) +9 = 40 /4 = 13 pp
Feats: Artificer, Die Hard, Distract 2, Eidetic Memory, Elusive Target, Fearless, Improved Initiative, Minions 4 (10, PL1), Redirect = 11 pp
Powers: Babel 10 [Effect: Dazzle, Auditory; Extras: Burst; Power Feat: Scrabble Electronics (AP Affect Radio Sense); Flaws: Limited (requires speech), Obvious (strange language heard); Source: Mystical; Cost: 1 pp/lvl + 1 pp; Total: 11 pp]; Drain 10 [Effect: All Abilities; Extras: Contagious, Ranged; Source: Mystical; Cost: 5 pp/lvl; Total: 50 pp]; Paralysis 10 [Power Feat: AP Stun; Source: Mystical; Cost: 2 pp/lvl + 1 pp; Total: 21 pp] = 82 pp
Totals: Abilities +18, Combat +12, Saves +10, Skills +13 (52), Feats +13, Powers +82, drawbacks +0 = 150 pp

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