Ebuferpaly Potentloins
From Praemal
One of the Midwood player characters.
An apprentice cleric of Garl Glittergold, Ebuferpaly Whitethatch Malpractice Bearscave Fancypants Frogstabber Potentloins--known as 'Bufer' or 'Doc Asshigh' to his friends and associates--is the youngest son of the Potentloins family of Wit's End, a gnome community in the Barony of Midwood. He is a member of the party which ventured into Fibber's Cairn, a previously undiscovered cairn in the Tulgey Barrow, on Birth 2, IA 721, setting into motion a chain of auspicious events which as yet have not been resolved.
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Background
The youngest male of the extremely prodigious Potentloins family, Ebuferpaly is his family's proverbial black sheep. Descended from a long line of explorers and adventurers, Bufer is the only Potentloins in recorded history to eschew a life of travel and excitement in favour of the clergy, a radical life-choice which he attributes to a series of late-night visits from Garl Glittergold himself when Bufer was just a wee toddler, barely three apples tall. His easygoing, jovial manner belies a sharp mind and a deeply curious, inquisitive nature, even for a gnome. He is considered unorthodox even by his fellow gnomish clerics, and has the reputation for being somewhat of a seditionist, mainly over his "radical" views towards the nature of gnome-kobold relations. For some reason, he takes a rather dim view of technology, and absolutely does not hold with automation or gadgetry of any kind, which is unusual for a gnome. The junior cleric of Wit's End (apprentice to the community's wise and venerable senior cleric, Boddynok Barennackle) Bufer claims to be a humble priest, content with his post in Wit's End. However, the amount of time he spends lounging in the taverns of Midwood, drinking and making idle conversation about the outside world with merchants and travellers, has led to rumours of Bufer being some kind of spy, involved with some sort of secret conspiracy with ties to the highest echelons of the church--a "gnomish inquisition" of sorts. Although he'll flat-out deny it if asked point-blank, Bufer clearly relishes the air of excitement and intrigue it creates around him, and has never been known to turn down the occaisional free drink that may result from it.
Given how widespread the Potentloins family seems to be (hence the name), Bufer appears to be at least tangentally related, either through blood or marriage, to virtually every other gnome he meets (everyone is a great-uncle-by-marriage, or a fourth-cousin-twice-removed), and he appears to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of just how everybody is related to whom. Though he is generally regarded as a freeloader and trouble-maker by most members of his "extended family", his position within the clergy (and his rumoured connection to the so-called gnomish inquisition) usually manage to secure him a seat at the dinnertable, and a bed for the night, even in the most unexpected of places.
Though Bufer maintains a permanent residence in Wit's End, he has recently become somewhat of a self-exile after a schism with High Priest Barennackle and Lord Rubik, caused when he rejected his assignment to spy on his friend Emmerson Grant, the young Lothianite cleric charged by Bishop Jurgen Lehmann to restore Maidensbridge Chapel, and instead threw his lot in with Grant. He has since relocated permanently to Maidensbridge, where he is working with Emmerson and the dwarven cleric Vonmora Farrin to repurpose the run-down chapel as a multi-denominational chuch to serve all of Maidensbridge's residents--an idea of Bufer's which Emmerson embraced with unexpected enthusiasm. Despite the dim view he inherited from his mentor of the Church of Lothian, Bufer has nonetheless grown extremely fond of Emmerson, and has developed a grudging respect for his gentle, open-minded approach to faith, and his unwillingness to be a slave to dogma or tradition. Together, he believes they can accomplish great things in the names of both their gods.
Bufer has also recently formed an unlikely but close friendship with Hazel Sawyer, whom he appears to have adopted as a surrogate 'little sister', albeit a freakishly tall one. Following an old adventurer's tradition, Bufer has gifted the young ranger with a friendship band, a solemn symbol of trust, respect and kinship that goes beyond friendship or family. Although it has been implied (mainly by Tock Chandler) that Bufer's true intentions towards Hazel are less than platonic, he recently revealed (while under the influence of a Zone of Truth) that he has been in love with the gnomish bard Heda Littlelark since he was about eight years old, although she appears to be oblivious to the fact.
Although he claims to be "not one much fer book learnin'", Bufer is nevertheless well-versed in the rites, rituals and pracitces of the Glittergoldian faith, and appears to be extremely knowledgable of many other religions, besides. He has committed The Parable of the One-Legged Paladin to memory (often using it as an ice-breaker in awkward social situations), as well as a fair number of rites and passages from Dergunswoon's Death Rites and Practical Jokes and The Pseudonomicon. His favorite hymn is The Pantsing of Mithra, although he has also demonstrated an inexplicable fondness for the Lothianite standard Onward, Onward, Brave Soldiers.
Appearance
Bufer stands about waist-high to the average-sized human male. His mother's cooking, his people's generosity towards members of the clergy, and his fondness for ale have left him with a round face and a bit of a pot-belly. Already, at just 45, his hairline is receding and starting to grey, which runs in his family--if he's anything like his father, he'll be silver-haired and nearly bald well before he's 60. What hair he does have is light and unkempt, no matter how much effort he puts into it.
Bufer's eyes are a very light shade of blue, and slightly almond-shaped, like his mother's. His skin is a shade or two darker than most gnomes, a trait he also inherited from his mother's people. He has bushy eyebrows, and a mustache to match below a prodigiously bulbous nose, but his chin is clean-shaven.
Like his nose, Bufer's hands and feet are surprisingly large for a gnome of his size, a trait shared by nearly all of the Potentloins males, except for his older brother Gerbo. He's often been heard to remark that gnomes are a 'tripedial species', which seems to indicate that the family has been aptly named.
When out and about, carousing in taverns or adventuring, Bufer tends to dress in the simple, hooded sack-cloth robe of his order's initiates, belted at the waist with a length of rope, wearing a simple linen shirt and breeches beneath. However, he always keeps a set of cleric's vestments--carefully folded and packed--stowed amongst his belongings, in case he's ever called upon to perform in a more official capacity. On his feet he wears a worn, dusty pair of brown leather travelling boots that once belonged to his father, or a pair of sandals in the warmer months. From his neck hangs the holy symbol of Garl Glittergold, a faux gold nugget carved out of wood and glazed with chipped and peeling gold paint.
Aside from his father's heavy mace, which hangs from a looped knot in the robe 'round his waist, what meager possessions Bufer owns are usually carried in a cloth sack that matches his robe. Always amoung them--aside from his cleric's vestments--is a small, dog-eared book of Glittergoldian edicts, riddles, practical jokes, and other holy writings. Many of its passages have been underlined, and notes in gnomish--written either in High Priest Barennackle's careful hand, or Bufer's barely-legible one--are scrawled in the margins throughout.
Bufer is dreadfully allergic to horses, a fact he never seems to remember until he's actually on one. Even a short ride causes him to sneeze violently, and his eyes to water uncontrollably.
Names
Ebuferpaly Whitethatch Malpractice Bearscave Fancypants Frogstabber Potentloins is typically known to the residents of Maidensbridge simply as 'Bufer' or 'Doc Asshigh', and is commonly called 'Ebu' by close friends and family amoung the gnomes of Wit's End. Ebuferpaly is the name his father gave him when he was born, and Whitethatch is the name given to him by his mother.
Malpractice is a name he adopted shortly after the adventure in Fibber's Cairn, inadvertantly given to him by Renraw Kem. Incensed by Bufer's refusal to heal him on the grounds that he was teaching Kem an object lesson, Kem insisted to anyone who would listen that he would have sued the cleric for malpractice, had be been a "real doctor". Though he'd never heard the word before (and wasn't quite sure what it meant), Bufer liked the sound of it, and added the name as a remembrance of his first true test as a servant of Garl Glittergold.
Bearscave is the name Bufer took following a series of encounters with the Kemite wizard Khenemet-Apep, who remarked that Bufer had "a knack for wandering into the bear's cave", in reference to his impulsive and reckless nature, and the tendency for it to land him right in the thick of things in which he has no business being involved in the first place.
Fancypants is the name given to him by the kobold known as Flower, in the course of their quest to cleanse Maidensbridge Abbey of the evil that had corrupted it. Convinced that the presence haunting the abbey was attempting to learn the true names of the Heroes of Maidensbridge for its own fell purposes, Bufer bestowed nicknames on each of his companions in order to prevent it, but neglected to choose one for himself. Flower chose the name 'Fancypants' for him, as Bufer had opted to wear his clerics' vestments instead of standard adventuring gear for the duration of the adventure, in light of the exorcism taking place on Godsday. Although intially perturbed by the nickname, Bufer eventually chose to adopt it, as it was given to him by the first friend among the kobolds he had ever made, and thus held special meaning for him (even if Flower didn't realize it).
Frogstabber is the most recent name Bufer has adopted, in rememberance of his having dealt the killing blow in a fierce battle between the Heroes of Maidensbridge and one of two ferocious, frog-like river trolls that dwelled in Moss Pond. It was bestowed upon him in a vision by a blindfolded juggling gnome whom Bufer apparently recognized as being Garl Glittergold, the patron god of the loresong faen. Whereas some might see it as a badge of honor, Bufer actually views it as a rebuke, a reminder of the price of failure--prior to the battle, he had attempted to parlay with the troll and find a diplomatic alternative to fighting. It was his failure to do so which led to the battle, the subsequent near-deaths of Emmerson Grant and Tucker Gallaway, and which forced him to take the life of another for the first time.
Although custom dictates that gnomes typically give a name to themselves when they come of age, and then are addressed as such by the community in their adulthood, Bufer has apparently elected to remain known as Ebuferpaly. Whether this is because he has eschewed the custom, or has simply chosen not to share his 'adult' name with the community, remains to be seen. It is worth noting, however, that the name embroidered into the friendship band he has given to Hazel Sawyer appears to be written in the draconic alphabet, and not in common or gnomish.
Also, in performing the exorcism of Maidensbridge Abbey, Bufer apparently identified himself (in gnomish) as "Bejik-Caesin, peacemaker of Midwood, servant of the Watchful Protector, and caretaker to the Heroes of Maidensbridge". Subsequently, after being driven into madness in the course of the exorcism, Bufer repeatedly referred to himself in the third person as "Storm", while speaking in a manner similar to that of the kobold Pick. The true significance of these events--if they are indeed significant--is yet to be fully understood.
World View
Bufer doesn't devote a whole lot of thought to the split in the Tarsisian Empire, although the general view he's inherited from his role-models--outlaws and rebels--is that the Empire was far too oppressive and meddlesome in the lives of its citizens. Like his mentor, he sees the fall of the Empire as a positive development--a return to the way things once were--and has no great desire to see it rise again under any of its three supposed rulers--particularly Rehoboth Ylestos, the Emperor of the Church of Lothian, who would no doubt attempt to enforce the religious edicts of old.
Thanks to Boddynock's influence, Bufer doesn't trust the Church of Lothian, and is uncharacteristically closed-minded about his attitude towards it. The stories of Boddynock's youth, of the adventures he and his friends undertook to tweak the nose of the Church and expose its sinister underbelly of oppression, have captured Bufer's imagination, and he longs to follow in his mentor's footsteps. Unfortunately, the Church's presence in Midwood is fairly benign, and with the weakening of the Tarsisian Empire, and the Church's hold upon it, Bufer reluctantly recognizes that the time for such rebellion has passed...though he still sometimes finds himself fantasizing about doing...something...to the glockenspiel at St. Yessid's in the Woods.
Though practically raised from birth to hate kobolds, as virtually all gnomes are, Boddynock's influence has left Bufer with more of an open mind. Aside from the annual Apple Night incursion (which is really little more than mischief--and Bufer can appreciate mischief), the Green Mountain Kobolds have done little to disturb their human, dwarvish and gnomish neighbours in the last decade...and in fact, appear to have been reaching out to them, in subtle ways. Bufer finds himself curious about the kobolds, their culture, their gods, and wonders if there isn't a way to make peace with them, once and for all, so everyone can live and let live. Sometimes, in the quiet of the night, he wonders if finding a way to do so is Garl's plan for him. Recently, he has found an unexpected friend in Flower, a gentle kobold druid currently caring for the infirm Rogren Kem, whom he considers to be somewhat of a kindred spirit, as both have more or less turned their backs on their kin to follow their hearts and pursue unorthodox lifestyles.
Bufer doesn't care much about the split between the dwarf clans--live and let live, after all. His only concern is that, if Clan Farrin actually set about trying to retake Glangirn, his idiot brothers are going to get sucked into it, somehow. He's also vaguely uncomfortable about his sister's close association with the head of Clan Glangirn, Argus Glangirn, though he can't exactly put his finger on why.
OOC Inspirations
Bufer is the result of an unholy mixture of traits borrowed from a variety of my favorite characters. His subtle, good-humored arrogance, benign condescension and propensity for long-windedness are clearly stolen from Gandalf the Gray, as portrayed by Sir Ian McKellan in the film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. The speech patterns he's developed over time, his fierce devotion to his 'crew', his deep mistrust of anything that could be considered 'the establishment', and his overall blustering mouthiness have all been shamelessly pickpocketed from Captain Mal Reynolds, as portrayed by Nathan Fillion in the short-lived television series Firefly, and the subsequent motion picture Serenity. Bufer's affinity towards cornball humor, and his tendency to make bad jokes and worse puns even in the most dire of situations, which bely his feelings of self-doubt, general inadequacy, and his desire to use his Garl-given power responsibly, clearly mark him as a graduate of the Peter Parker/Xander Harris school of adventuring, the latter as portrayed by Nicholas Brendon in the television series Buffy The Vampire Slayer. (Bufer will flatly deny having had anything to do with Tobey MacGuire, however.) Bufer also owes his existance, or at least aspects of it, to a variety of ancestors who appeared in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Jim Henson and Frank Oz, Joss Whedon, Bill Murray, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Harper Lee, Billy Wilder, Gordon Korman, Rowan Atkinson, George Lucas (before he sadly went insane), Mike Myers, Monty Python, Gregory McDonald, Chevy Chase, Rogers and Hammerstein, Gene Roddenberry, Kevin Smith (before he sadly started believing his own press), Frank Capra, and Weird Al Yankovich.
As far as his physical appearance goes, Bufer is a cross between one of dwarves from the Walt Disney film Snow White (most probably Doc), and the most certainly un-fictional but equally animated scientist Albert Einstein, whom I like to think would have appreciated having an indepentantly-minded, anti-establishment gnome in search of the truth modeled after him.
Although it often seems like I'm playing it for laughs, I genuinely take Bufer's approach to religion, as a cleric of Garl Glittergold, very seriously. It very much mirrors my own, as a lapsed Catholic who actually aspired to priesthood in my youth. If I had become a priest--and sometimes, despite my problems with Catholic dogma and doctrine, I still think I've sidestepped my life's purpose in not becoming one--I'd like to think I would have been a sly but cheerful renegade like Bufer, the kind who perform gay marriages, support the indoctrination of women into the priesthood, and occasionally put whoopie cushions on the pews.
Vital Stats
Ebuferpaly Potentloins
Chaotic Good male gnome cleric 1 / rogue 2
Strength: 8 (-1)
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 15 (+2)
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 16 (+3)
Charisma: 10
Hit Points: 21/21
Armor Class: 14 (10+1+3) (14 flat-footed, 14 touch)
Base Attack: +1
Magical Short Spear (Oth): (1d4-1) + 1d6 acid, x 2, range 20 ft.
Dagger: 1d3-1, 19/20 X2, range 10ft.
Spiked Gauntlets: 1d3-1, X2
Light Crossbow: 1d6, 19/20 X2, range 80 ft.
Cleric spells prepared: 0 (3): Detect Magic, Inflict Minor Wounds, Power Word: Lie; 1 (2+1): Healer's Vision, Lesser Vigor, Disguise Self*
Saving Throws: Fortitude +5, Reflex +2, Will +5
Feats: Investigator, Nimble Fingers, Armor Proficiency (light, medium, heavy), Simple Weapon Proficiency, Shield Proficiency
Skills: Bluff 5, Craft (Alchemy) 2 (0 + 0 + 2), Diplomacy 4 (2 + 0 + 2), Disable Device 5 (3 + 2 + 0), Disguise 1 (+2 acting in character while observed), Gather Information 2 (0 + 0 + 2), Heal 7 (4 + 3), Hide 6 [5]* (1 + 0 + 5 [- 1]*), Intimidate 2 (0 + 0 + 2), Knowledge (Religion) 2, Listen 5 (3 + 0 + 2), Open Lock 5 (3 + 2 + 0), Search 2 (0 + 0 + 2), Sleight of Hand 3 [2]* (1 + 0 + 2 [- 1]*), Spot 3 (0 + 3 + 0), Survival 3 (0 + 3 + 0)
- - an A/C penalty of -1 applies when Bufer is wearing his Studded Leather Armor
Languages: Gnomish, Common, Draconic
Cleric abilities:
Aura: As a cleric of a Neutral Good deity (Garl Glittergold), Bufer emanates a particularly powerful aura corresponding to his deityâs alignment (Good, in this case).
Spells: To prepare, or cast a spell, Bufer must have an Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a cleric's spell is 10 + the spell level + the cleric's Wisdom modifier.
Domains: Bufer can prepare one additional spell per day from one of his two chosen religious domains (Protection and Trickery); if this spell is not on the cleric list, he may only prepare it in his domain spell slot. He also receives the granted powers of each domain selected. As a student of Protection, Bufer can generate a protective ward as a supernatural ability, granting someone he touches a resistance bonus equal to his cleric level, for a duration of 1 hour per day. As a student of Trickery, Bufer adds Bluff, Disguise and Hide to his list of class skills.
Spontaneous Casting: As a good cleric, Bufer can channel stored spell energy into healing spells that he did not prepare ahead of time, losing any prepared spell that is not a domain spell in order to cast any cure spell of the same level or lower.
Spells of Opposed Alignment: As a good cleric, Bufer is unable to cast evil spells.
Turn or Rebuke Undead: As a good cleric, Bufer can attempt to turn undead creatures up to 3 times per day (3 + 0), with a turning check of 1d20 + 0. Total HD turned per attempt is 2d6 + 1. He is currently unable to destroy undead in this manner.
Bonus Languages: As a cleric, Buferâs bonus languages options include Celestial, Abyssal and Infernal, the languages of good, chaotic evil and lawful evil outsiders, respectively.
Rogue Abilities:
Sneak Attack: If Bufer can catch an opponent when unable to defend itself effectively, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage of 1d6.
Trapfinding: Bufer can use the Search skill to locate traps with a DC higher than 20.
Evasion: Bufer can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can only be used if Bufer is wearing light or no armor, and does not gain benefit of evasion when helpless.
Race traits:
Small size: As a Small creature, Bufer gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
Low-Light Vision: Bufer can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Gnome traits: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions. Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by Bufer. (This adjustment stacks with those from similar effects.) +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids. +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the giant type. (Any time a creature loses its Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class, such as when itâs caught flat-footed, it loses its dodge bonus, too.)
Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day -- dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation, speak with animals (burrowing mammal only, duration 1 minute). Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + Bufer's Charisma modifier + spell level.
Equipment: backpack, clericâs vestments, healerâs kit, holy tome, holy symbol (Garl Glittergold) (wooden), spell component pouch, travelerâs outfit, altar case (spruce, small), aspergillum (iron, small), theives' tools, crossbow bolts
Weapons and armor: magical short spear (small), dagger (small) x2, spiked gauntlet (small) X 2, light crossbow w/loading crank (small), studded leather armor (small), copper dragon helmet
Wealth: 812 gp, 2 sp, 1 cp
Spellbook:
0 - Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Guidance, Inflict Minor Wounds, Light, Mending, Power Word: Lie, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Resistance, Virtue ;
1 - Bane, Blade of Blood, Bless, Bless Water, Cause Fear, Command, Comprehend Languages, Cure Light Wounds, Curse Water, Deathwatch, Detect Chaos, Detect Evil, Detect Good, Detect Law, Detect Undead, Divine Favor, Doom, Endure Elements, Entropic Shield, Healer's Vision, Hide from Undead, Inflict Light Wounds, Invest Light Protection, Lesser Vigor, Magic Stone, Magic Weapon, Obscuring Mist, Protection from Chaos, Protection from Evil, Protection from Good, Protection from Law, Remove Fear, Sanctuary, Shield of Faith, Summon Monster I
Total XP: 4,797 pts.
