Karsus
Male Human (Netherese) Wiz20/Alc10/Lor7/Acm4/Epic11; CR 58; Medium-size humanoid (human); HD 41d4; HP 804;
Init +8; Spd 30 ft.; AC 32 (touch 15, flat-footed 23); Atk +34/+29 melee (1d6+2/19-20, karsus’s sentient staff) or +29/+24 ranged touch (by spell); SQ Archmage high arcana, loremaster abilities, enhanced ability scores, epic level benefits; SR 23; AL CN; SV Fort +33, Ref +29, Will +39; Str 29, Dex 18, Con 24, Int 42, Wis 24, Cha 20.
Skills and Feats: Alchemy +73, Concentration +62, Craft (bookbinding) +43, Craft (calligraphy) +43, Craft (gemcutting) +43, Diplomacy +32, Gather Information +32, Intimidate +32, Knowledge (architecture & engineering) +49, Knowledge (geography) +49, Knowledge (history) +49, Knowledge (nobility & royalty) +49, Knowledge (planes) +71, Knowledge (arcana) +73, Knowledge (nature) +49, Listen +24, Scry +71, Search +25, Sense Motive +33, Spellcraft +73, Spot +26, Use Magic Device +71, Decipher Script +71; Skill Focus: Alchemy, Skill Focus: Knowledge (arcana), Skill Focus: Spellcraft, Spell Focus: Enchantment, Spell Focus: Illusion, Brew Potion, Craft Wondrous Item, Scribe Scroll, Improved Initiative, Magical Artisan (potions), Mind Over Body, Quicken Spell, Unbeatable Spell, Eschew Materials, Spellcasting Prodigy, Epic Spellcasting, Ignore Material Components, Enhance Spell, Intensify Spell, Multispell, Automatic Quicken Spell, Maximize Spell, Empower Spell, Improved Counterspell, Reactive Counterspell.
Special Qualities: Archmage High Arcana: Mastery of counterspelling, mastery of elements, mastery of shaping, spell power +3; Master Alchemist Abilities: Brew 4/day, Improved Identification, Brew Potion (9th), Loremaster Abilities: applicable knowledge (Mind Over Body), lore of true stamina, more newfound arcana, dodge trick, lore, greater lore; Epic level beneifits: 10 effective levels of master alchemist, 7 effective levels of loremaster, and 4 effective levels of archmage (listed in above total), bonus spell level x11 (listed below); Enhanced ability scores: Karsus used wish spells to increase all his strength, dexterity, constitution, wisdom, and charisma ability scores by 5; Permanent Spells: Through the use of permanency, Karsus has the following permanent continuous magical abilities: arcane sight, filter, gaze screen, indifference, detect poison, read magic, comprehend languages, detect secret doors, detect undead, darkvision, protection from elements (all), non-detection, detect scrying, reverse arrows (as protection from arrows except missiles are reflected back), see invisibility, true seeing, and tongues.
Wizard Spells Per Day: 4/9/9/8/8/7/6/6/6/6/3/3/3/3/2/2/2/2/1/1/1;
Base DC= 30+spell level, 32+spell level with Enchantment and Illusion spells; Caster Level: 46th
Spellbook: As an extremely powerful archwizard from Netheril, Karsus has access to spellbooks containing all arcane spells from the Player’s Handbook, the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, Lords of Darkness, Tome and Blood, Magic of Faerûn, Manual of the Planes, Return of Netheril, this book, and any other source book that the DM desires and he knows many unique spells from Netheril. Karsus also knows all Epic Spells.
Possessions: As probably the most powerful spellcaster on Toril, Karsus has access to unimaginable resources and can acquire or make any nonartifact item he might need, given time, and he knows how to create the minor artifacts known as storm stars and blast scepters and perhaps others. He usually has with him at all times a hand of glory, karsus’s mantle, karsus’s sentient staff, Robe of the archmagi, vestments of blackflame (as cloak), ring of absorption, bracers of armor +12, necklace of daern’s instant fortress, ring of first strike, ring of spell battle, ring of nine lives, aquamarine of spell extending, staff of entrapment, rod of chaining, rod of cooperation, rod of empowerment, rod of enlargement, rod of blasting, rod of extension, rod of maximization, rod of quickening, rod of sculpting, rod of silence, rod of stillness, rod of substitution. He also has easy access to dozens of artifacts including a sphere of annihilation, a small chest containing 10 philosopher stones, a book of infinite spells, several blast scepters and storm stars (which he knows how to make), three staves of the magi, the shadowstaff, and at least one of any other minor artifact in the DMG.
Having returned nearly 2,000 years after the fall of Netheril, Karsus is curious of the current state of Faerûn and employs many spies in various lands, using his knowledge to prepare and recruit followers for a new Netheril. With an organization of powerful spellcasters numbering over a thousand, Karsus has the magical firepower to bring about his vision. Through carefully worded wish spells, Karsus has succeeded in bringing back several of Netheril’s greatest archwizards. He has formed a council with them calling it the Circle Arcanum. Residing in his tower on the newly risen flying city of Veneficus Enclave, Karsus scrys Toril through powerful divinations in the hopes of learning more about the state of Faerûn. Karsus easily penetrated the “divination shield” around Thay long ago and what he has learned has caused him to declare a secret war on Thay and every member of the Arcs is told to either stay away from the Red Wizard enclaves or destroy them if they can. He hasn’t even tried to scry on Shade Enclave, not yet wanting them to know he exists. As it is only a matter of time before either Shade Enclave or Thay realizes he has returned, Karsus has been actively preparing the Arcs for open conflict.
Also known as the Archwizard, Karsus is best remembered for causing the fall of Netheril. His birth marked the beginning of the Shadowed Age; his death marked the end of Netheril. Like most of the archwizards, Karsus believed that the gods were nothing more than mortals who had mastered magic that he hadn’t yet discovered. When he began researching 12th-level magic in the early 3400’s he concluded that this was the power that the gods themselves wielded. His mistake was believing that common magic was what separated the gods from the archwizards, but it wouldn’t be until the Time of Troubles in 1358 DR when Ao, the Overlord of the gods, demonstrated that there was more than just magic at work in the rise and fall of gods. Karsus was a man full of self-confidence and an unshakable faith that what he believed was the way things really were. Not even the pleadings of his closet advisors could sway him once a decision to do something was made. This character trait applied itself from the smallest of enclave decisions to the creation of the most powerful spell ever created, Karsus’s Avatar.
Karsus’s sudden and unforeseen return to Toril came in 1362 DR when Veneficus “Arc” Quadrivium, an elven archmage, ventured to the ruins of Karse in the High Forest and resurrected Karsus. Karsus at first had difficulty coping with the changes he saw. After all, he was the greatest arcanist-king Netheril and the rest of the world has ever known, but that was over 1700 years ago. The world he knew was gone. Netheril is known only in myths now, and most of those just scribbles in old tomes. There was so much that Karsus didn’t know, such as the godswar, the new rules that Mystra imposes on spellcasting (new to him anyway). The guilt he feels for what he did hasn’t left his soul either, but it has forced Karsus to think before he acts and to realize the possible consequences of what he does do. He is also kind to those around him and nolonger does as he pleases as he did in his previous incarnation. After Veneficus helped him come to terms with the changes Toril has gone through, he turned over command of the Arcs to Karsus, becoming second in command. In return for Veneficus’s support, Karsus helped him and the rest of the Arcs in their research that soon led to the Arcanist Prestige class. Karsus has also taken over the construction of Veneficus’s Enclave, since he has experience with such a thing, and the enclave is nearly complete. Karsus has returned, and even now he is building alliances to recreate Netheril. Karsus has made many powerful allies in just the short time since he took over the Arcs. Many are powerful spellcasters from all over Faerun and mainly from those few nations ruled by wizards such as Halruaa. Karsus secretly plans to wage war on Thay for their cruel abuse of magic, the same kind of abuse that caused the fall of Netheril.
The return of Shade Enclave is a thorn in Karsus’ plan to reclaim Netheril’s former territory (Anauroch). The Shades are unaware that Karsus lives again and he intends to keep it that way. If the archwizards of Shade discovered that the one who brought about Netherils downfall lived, even Karsus’s unrivaled magical might wouldn’t be enough to defeat an entire city of Netherese archwizards, armed with shadow magic, bent on his destruction. Karsus has correctly guessed that the High Prince of Shade is actually his former student Shadow but has little doubt that his old friend would kill him if he knew of his existance.
Karsus has decided to begin his New Netheril far away from it’s former location, primarily due to the return of Shade, but also because of the nations that have risen in the region since the fall of Netheril (Cormyr, Sembia, the Silver Marches, etc....) and does not want to risk any confrontation with one or more of the nations.
Karsus has secretly, through a process he devised, created a dozen or so stasis clones over the ten years since his return. No one, not even Veneficus knows of their existence. He has hidden these clones throughout Faerûn and on other planes. Each clone is linked to Karsus and to each other by multiple variations of legend lore, vision, etc., so that each clone is ‘updated’ constantly and when Karsus dies, his soul is transferred to one of the clones where it awakens with exactly the same abilities, memories, even prepared spells as the former Karsus. A clone suffers no penalties as it would normally. Also, all possessions of Karsus has drawmij’s instant summons cast on them so that when a clone awakens, they need only speak the command word and all items (except money) that the previous Karsus had is transported to the newly awakened clone. As stated above, each clone is hidden somewhere on Toril or some other plane of existence.
The following items have been permanently shrunk and drawmij’s instant summons and nystul’s undetectable aura permanently cast on each and implanted under Karsus’s skin all over his body, giving him their capabilities. The description of the rods can be found on page 76 in Tome and Blood. The description of the staff can be found on page 149 of Magic of Faerûn.
Height: 6 ft. Weight: 165lbs. Age: 367
Birth/Death:3163NY-3520NY (-696 DR -339 DR) Resurrected in 1362 DR
Languages Known: Abyssal, Aquan, Aragrakh, Auran, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Halruaan, Hulgorkyn, Ignan, Illuskan, Infernal, Lorass (noble Netherese), Netherese, Roushoum, Seldruin, Terran, Thorass.
Epic Spells Per Day: 7; Base DC= 40 (Special: due to his spell exchange feat, Karsus has 521 spell levels he can use to prepare spells instead of using spell slots. 0-level spells count as 1/2 levels.)
Ring of First Strike- grants the Improved Initiative feat.
Ring of Maximizing- grants the Maximize Spell feat.
Staff of Entrapment (43 charges left)
Rod of Cooperation (up to 9th level spells 6/day)
Rod of Empowerment (up to 9th level spells 6/day)
Rod of Enlargement (up to 9th level spells 6/day)
Rod of Extension (up to 9th level spells 6/day)
Rod of Sculpting (up to 9th level spells 6/day)
Rod of Silence (up to 9th level spells 6/day)
Rod of Stillness (up to 9th level spells 6/day)
Rod of Substitution (up to 9th level spells 6/day)
Ring of Spell Battle
Ring of Nine Lives (9 charges)
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