Wu Jen

Description

The Wu Jen is a wizard from cultures based on medieval oriental civilizations. He is a sorcerer of mysterious power and uncertain fealty. Unlike the oriental samurai, the Wu Jen seldom answers to a lord or master. His primary allegiance is to himself and to his craft.
The Wu Jen seldom lives among the masses, preferring instead to dwell in the wilderness where he can contemplate the secrets of nature without interruption. Living the life of a hermit, the Wu Jen concentrates on purifying his body and mind, thus making him more receptive to the supernatural forces of the world.
To be a Wu Jen, a wizard must have an Intelligence of at least 13. He cannot be of lawful alignment, but may still be good, evil, or neutral.
The Wu Jen kit cannot be abandoned.

Preferred Schools

Wu Jen prefer the schools of conjuration/summoning, alteration, and invocation/evocation.

Barred Schools

There are no barred schools for the Wu Jen.

Role

Unless the campaign has an eastern setting, the DM, in conjunction with the player, should invent a plausible explanation for the Wu Jen's appearance so far from home. Perhaps the Wu Jen is on a religious pilgrimage. Perhaps a magical device or spell transported the Wu Jen to the western world, either intentionally or unintentionally. Or perhaps the Wu Jen is on a decade-long quest for knowledge or self-awareness, and his travels have brought him to the other player characters.
Whatever the reason, the Wu Jen should add a touch of oriental intrigue and exotic culture to a western-based party. His fellow player characters should find the Wu Jen's habits strange and fascinating. For instance, a Wu Jen prefers to record his spells on scrolls instead of in spell books. Perhaps he prays to the sun for an hour each day at dawn, or maybe he eats only roots and berries. A Wu Jen keeps his emotions hidden, and his motives are equally difficult to discern. It is unlikely that the Wu Jen shares the party's goals and moral code; if he agrees to join the party, it is probably due to his intellectual curiosity.
The DM is within his rights to forbid Wu Jen from the campaign. Before a player selects this kit, he must check with the DM to make sure that Wu Jen are allowed.

Weapon Proficiency

Required

(choose one of the following): Blowgun, short bow, dagger, dart, sling. AIternately, the Wu Jen can choose from the selection of oriental weapons listed in the Selected Asian Weapons for the Wu Jen table.
The Wu Jen has an automatic and permanent +1 bonus to hit whenever using the weapon he has chosen for his Weapon Proficiency.

Selected Asian Weapons for the Wu Jen

Name	Cost	Weight (lbs)	Size	Type*	Speed Factor	Damage S-M	Damage L
Bo Stick	2 cp	4	L	B	3	1-6	1-4
Boku-toh	6 cp	3	M	B	4	1-4	1-2
Jitte	10 cp	2	S	B	2	1-4	1-2
Shuriken	10 sp	1**	S	P	-	1-6	1-4

*B = Bludgeoning weapon, P = Piercing weapon.
**Ten large shuriken weigh a total of 1 pound.
Description of Weapons:
Bo stick: A staff of hard wood that is very difficult to break and is normally 6-7 feet in length.
Boku-toh: A wooden replica of a short sword, usually used for practice since it cannot cut or slash. Used aggressively, it can cause bludgeoning damage.
Jitte: A tapered iron bar with a short hook near the handle. Although the hook is not sharp enough to cut or pierce, the jitte can be used to strike blows.
Shuriken: A small throwing weapon in the shape of a star with needle-like projections. They are thrown by hand and easily concealed in folds of clothing. A large-star shuriken has a fire rate of 3, a short range of 5 yards, a medium range of 10 yards, and a long range of 20 yards.

Non-weapon Proficiencies

Bonus Proficiencies

Etiquette, Artistic Ability (Painting, Calligraphy, or Origami)

Recommended

General

Riding, Land Based, Cooking, Dancing, Singing

Wizard

Astrology, Herbalism, Spellcraft

Priest

(costs double slot)
Musical Instrument

Rogue

(costs double slots)
Blind-Fighting, Gaming, Juggling, Tumbling

Equipment

The Wu Jen must buy all weapons from the choices listed in the Weapon Proficiency entry above. He may have no more than 10 gp remaining when he has finished purchasing his equipment.

Special Benefits

When a Wu Jen reaches 4th level, he gains the power to summon massive magical energies that allow him to cast any one spell that is three or more levels lower than his level at maximum effect. The spell automatically has maximum range, (if desired), duration, and effect. Thus, a 4th-level Wu Jen can cast a 1st-level spell at maximum effect. A Wu Jen can use this ability once per day.

Special Hindrances

The Wu Jen operates under special taboos that do not affect other characters. Though the taboos may seem trivial or even ridicuIous to other characters, the Wu Jen takes them quite seriously — violating a taboo causes the Wu Jen to lose levels of ability, lose spells, become ill, or even die (the DM decides the exact penalty).
A 1st-level Wu Jen has one taboo and gains an additional taboo every five levels thereafter (at 6th level, 11th level, and so on). The DM selects the taboos. Some suggestions follow; the Wu Jen:

• Can't eat meat or animal products (including milk, eggs, and cheese).
• Can't sleep within 20 yards of a member of the opposite sex.
• Can't wear a certain color.
• Can't carry gold (or other precious metal) on his person.
• Can't bathe or must bathe fre- quently.
• Can't cut his hair or fingernails.
• Can't intentionally take the life of an insect.
• Can't drink alcoholic beverages.
• Can't sit facing the north (or other direction).
• Can't speak after sunset (except to cast spells).

Wealth Options

The Wu Jen starts with the normal (1d4+1) x 10 gp.

Races

Normally, a Wu Jen must be human. The DM may make exceptions in his campaign, elves and half-elves being the most likely choices.

Note

For more detailed information about the Wu Jen, along with additional spells, weapons, and proficiencies, see Oriental Adventures. The DM may need to make some adjustments to adapt the descriptions and statistics to 2nd Edition rules.

[Complete Wizard's Handbook]