Fantasy NPC: Tuart Dal Sai, The History Professor

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Tuart Dal Sai, The History Professor

A translucent figure of a short balding man in elaborate academic robes floats a few inches over the ground.

CR 12; 19,200 XP

Human ghost expert 12

LE Medium Undead (augmented human, incorporeal)

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +29

Defense
AC 22, touch 22, flat-footed 22 (+5 deflection, +2 Dex, +5 insight)
hp 126 (12d8+72)
Fort +14, Ref +13, Will +17

Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, it all happened before, rejuvenation; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee corrupting touch +11 (12d6, Fort. DC 21 half)

Special Attacks mindrip (30 ft., DC 21, concentration), scenes of the past (DC 21)

Statistics
Str —, Dex 14, Con —, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 20
Base Atk +9; CMB +11; CMD 31
Feats Alertness, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Knowledge [history]), Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Toughness, Weapon Focus (touch)

Skills Bluff +20, Diplomacy +20, Fly +25, Knowledge (geography) +19, Knowledge (history) +25, Knowledge (nobility) +19, Knowledge (religion) +19, Linguistic +19, Perception +29, Profession (librarian) +17, Sense Motive +27, Stealth +10

Language Common, Duc, lots of other languages, mainly ancient or exotic

It All Happened Before (Su) Tuart gains +5 insight bonus to AC and saving throws and is never surprised or flat-footed. Tuart suffers no effects whatsoever on a successful saving throw against effects that allow saving throw for partial effect or half damage.

Mindrip (Su) Tuart can forcibly draw knowledge from the mind of a living or undead creature or a corpse within 30 feet as a standard action, as if using mind probe spell—except his targets remain dazed by the flood of memories and facts until they succeed a Will saving throw (DC 21) or Tuart breaks concentration, ending the effect. A successful saving throw renders the target immune to mindrip for the next 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting divination effect that ignores innate immunity to mind-affecting effects granted by undead type (or being dead) though it is still thwarted by immunity to mind-affecting effects granted by items, spells, and other sources. This ability only works for 1d4 rounds when used on corpses, and can't be repeated, limiting the amount of information that can be acquired in that way. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Scenes Of The Past (Su) Tuart can create spectral images within 30 feet, combining visual, auditory, and olfactory sensations showing past events, usually witnessed by Tuart personally or mindripped from memories of others, though sometimes reconstructed from less reliable sources (technically he could create completely fabricated scenes but he won't because of his pride). The scenes are clearly illusory, but they can make the watchers fascinated or shaken on a failed Will saving throw (DC 21), depending on their content. Scenes of the past last for as long Tuart concentrates plus 1d4 rounds—he can speak and comment about the shown events while maintaining his concentration and moving around, which he loves to do. This is an illusion (figment) effect. Creatures immune to fear or mind-affecting effects can't be fascinated or shaken by the witnessed scenes.

Tuart Dal Sai is a charming and eloquent historian and academician, who happens to be dead for quite a while. This unfortunate affliction has its drawbacks—inability to turn pages causes certain issues during researching written sources, but that's what servants and disciples are for, after all. On the other hand, it also gives a very long-term perspective on the unfolding events allowing Tuart to witness the workings of the history, personally, or through the minds of others.

While Tuart prides himself on professional integrity and is obsesses with historical accuracy of his works, he is utterly ruthless in his pursuits, perfectly willing to sacrifice reputation of the subjects of his studies, and sanity, health, and even lives of his assistants, hired help, and witnesses to noteworthy events—he is not above hiring adventurers to bring him the later, willing, unwilling, or dead, using the generous academic funding. He might not be legally capable of holding a chair at the royal university, but he is still a professor and researcher.