SJ3NPC: Hurleth

Description

Hurleth, half orc male

Hurleth was abandoned as a child and doesn't know, or care, who his
parents are.  He grew up
in a human space port where he struggled hard to survive.  Luck shined
on him, however, and
he managed, killing and eating rats when he had to.  As he was just
reaching puberty Hurleth
met the man that would set him on his life's path.  A cleric of the
planar church of Hell,
Dread (the cleric used no other name) found the scrawny, rebellious
half-orc fighting
several other local youths and immediately saw his potential as the
half-orc refused to give
up even when obviously beaten.  He approached Hurleth when the fight
was over (after the
half-orc had lost badly and suffered a bad beating) and offered him a
chance at power in
return for loyal service.  The half-orc immediately agreed.

Hurleth learned the ways of Hell's church quickly and by the time he'd
reached maturity was
a full-fledged cleric of the Hellish faith.  He watched the political
maneuvering in the
church carefully and quickly came to understand the various ways power
could be achieved and
what had to be done to maintain it.  As he learned his mentor grew
worried, for the half-orc
obviously desired immediate personal power too much to ever ride for
long on another's
coattails.  With several other acolytes also serving him (including
some more skilled that
Hurleth), the cleric finally decided it was time to send Hurleth away.

Hurleth has been on his own since.  He has worked with slavers and
pirates and found their
organizations only slightly different from his own church.  He has
become crafty and
cautious, never willing to overexpose himself but always trying to make
himself essential to
those in power.  He does not usually helm ships as he prefers to be
casting spells and
fighting, involved in the action.  He always goes about armed and
armored, wary of a knife
in the back as well as sudden battle.  He also brews potions whenever
possible and uses them
to increase his stature by making him a source of ready magic among
those he serves with.

Hurleth's dream is to gain power.  He would like to acquire his own
ship which he would
captain and use for piracy and slave trading.  Or he might forcibly
take control of a
community, becoming its ruler and installing those willing to serve him
into key positions.
Only the planar church of Hell would be allowed with him as its high
priest.  Followers are
key to Hurleth's dreams as well as opportunity and he's constantly
working on both.

Personality:  Hurleth is a schemer and manipulator.  He is not afraid
of hard work and has
learned unusual patience for a half-orc, being willing to wait to gain
revenge or power or
to see a plan come to fruition.  He is not easily sidetracked from
goals he cares about and
his craftiness and cunning are well known among those he's worked with,
both in planning
military operations and in dealing with those around him.  He always
leaves himself a way
out of any situation, however, as he continually worries that he will
be batrayed.  Though
ugly, he has a forceful personality and a quick mind that allows him to
dominate and
manipulate those around him.  Hurleth's only weaknesses are his
religious faith (though he's
very much a realist in terms of what it does for him and that there
will be no intervention
for him) and his resentment of the way he was treated by human society
as a half-orc.  He
feels that even as a cleric of the planar church of Hell he has no
place in society other
than its illegal side.

Uses:  Hurleth is crafty and a survivor.  He could be an excellent
advisor to enemies of the
PCs without becoming personally attached to the struggle.  As a
manipulator the PCs might
ruin some of his plans, reducing his credibility and power and thereby
earning his enmity.
He might even have a powerful place among slavers or pirates the PCs
oppose or perhaps he's
acquired that ship he wants.  He might even have taken over a small
colony or a primitive
village or perhaps is trying to and the PCs need to oppose him.  He
will not fight
impossible odds and is smart enough to quickly realize when he's
overmatched.  He will
simply retreat or hide while gathering allies and personal power and
perhaps damaging the
PCs' support network (like killing their followers and
henchmen--probably in a way that
won't allow for raising).  He is also good for getting the PCs involved
in battling enemies
the DM wants to throw at them but they have avoided so far.  If they
anger Hurleth he might
manipulate another power group into focusing on the PCs while quietly
slipping away.

Advancement (3e):  In 3e, Hurleth will take the leadership feat as soon
as possible.  in
either edition, rising to 5th level will allow him to animate dead,
which he will
immediately do once he is able.

Equipment:  hard soled boots, iron unholy symbol, chainmail, footman's
mace (2e) or morning
star (3e), heavy crossbow (3e) or sling (2e), case of 20 heavy crossbow
bolts (3e) or pouch
of 20 sling bullets (2e), purse with 15 sp, 2 chests with locks, 2
vials of unholy water,
potion of cure light wounds/healing (3e/2e), buckler, in chests:  83
gp, 24 pp, 2 potions of
intelligence (3e only), 2 potions of charisma/human control (3e/2e),
and 3 potions of cure
light wounds/healing (3e/2e)

3e Stats

C4 (4d8+4); hp 29; Init +5; MV 20'; AC 17; Atk +5 melee (1-8, morning
star) or +4 missile
(1-10, crit 19-20/x2, heavy crossbow); AL LE; SV Fort +5, Ref +2, Will
+7; S 15; I 14; W 16;
D 12; Cn 12; Ch 12
languages: common, orc, draconic, infernal
skills: knowledge(religion) +9, spellcraft +9, concentration +8, scry
+9
feats: simple weapons, light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, shield,
improved initiative,
brew potion
spells:  5L0, 4+1 L1, 3+1 L2
Domains:  Destruction, Evil
Domain powers:  cast evil spells at +1 level, smite power once/day
(supernatural ability,
gain +4 attack bonus and +1 damage/cleric level if hit)


2e Stats

AC 4; C4 (uses soldier kit from PO:S&P); hp 25; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon;
AL LE; THAC0 18; S 14;
I 15; W 15; D 12; Cn 13; Ch 13
proficiencies: common, orcish, religion (SJ), read/write common,
spacemanship, spellcraft,
wildspace navigation, balance, space heraldry, phlogiston navigation,
zero-G combat,
healing, footman's mace, club, sling
spells:  5L1, 3L2

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