Philidor, The Blue Wizard

AC -8 (unique magical robe, Dex 18 MV 12; W25; hp 61; THACO 14; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6+5 (quarterstaff +5 Str 12, Dex 18, Con 17, Int 19, Wis 16, Cha 18; AL NG.

Spells: 5 (10) each of levels 1-3, 5 each of levels 4-9 (DM selection).

Magical items: magical robe giving base AC -4, 50% magic resistance, free action, and immunity to poisons; quarterstaff +5; amulet of the planes; ring of regeneration; ring of wizardry (doubles the number of first through third level spells rod of alertness; wand of frost (others at the DMs option).

Philidor stands 6’ 4” tall, weighs 210 lbs., and appears to be in his mid-thirties. His appearance is singular and unmistakable. His skin is light blue all over his body, his hair is azure, and his eyes are dark blue, save for the pale blue cor- neas. He appears to be a human male, but should he polymorph himself, his skin, hair, and eyes will always be a mix of blue colors. Likewise, he always wear blue garments with a little white or cream edging or decoration.

Philidor is a mystery and an enigma, and much about him is deliberately left unspecified for the DMs freedom. He can become a major NPC in almost any campaign.

Trying to acquire information about Philidor is extraordinarily difficult. All forms of magical scrying, even a commune spell, fail utterly to reveal anything about him. Those who speak with him find it hard to collect their thoughts and pursue any sustained line of questioning (any personal query needs a check against the average of Wisdom and Constitution scores of the querent; failure means the querent becomes confused and cannot concentrate; this happens for each individual query, so stringing together a coherent line of enquiry is almost impossible).

Philidor is unfailingly polite and courteous to those he speaks with, but he is also a master of declining direct questions. If asked where he comes from, he will reply, "I have lived in many lands in my time," or "Well, it's where I'm going that's more important; the past is a place I don't live in any morer Philidor simply does not speak about himself, except in riddles or very vague terms. It is highly likely that Philidor is not originally from Oerth. His first appearance in Greyhawk was exactly one year before the signing of the Pact of Greyhawk.

Philidor is sociable in the sense that he is polite, charming, and usually accepts invitations to dinners and the like. He never invites Greyhawkers to his own home, though. He is very good at pleasantries and small talk, and is agreeable to all.

He has dutifully paid his respects to the Guild of Wizardry and has paid dues as an associate member. He is deferential to elders and has charmed the socks off Darnak Khorshkan and Jawal Severnain at the Guild (FFF, p. 17), although he does not seem to need to study there. He does not eat out, attend such places as the Royal Opera House, or approach the political powers in Greyhawk, though he has dined with his neighbor from Urnst (see below), who recalls the meeting rather vaguely while considering Philidor a very pleasant and affable man.

Philidor is modest, but is also very knowledge able. He has sage abilities in the fields of astrology, astronomy, history of the central states of the Flanaess, languages (he speaks the languages of elves, dwarves, gnomes, and probably several other races), mathematics, metaphysics (outer planes of Good, Acheron, the Abyss), philosophy (human and elven), sociology (general, plus expert knowledge of elven, Flan, and Suloise), and theology (general). He often feigns ignorance or displays great modesty about areas of knowledge in which he actually has some general expertise.

What Philidor is up to, no one is certain. He is definitely absent from Greyhawk for weeks at a time on occasion, and it seems highly likely that he has links with the Highfolk. Philidor does not hide his affinity with elves, and reports of a blueskinned elf mage in the Vesve have filtered back to the Free City. Philidor smilingly waves away queries on this score.

His town house in Greyhawk is known to receive Highfolk visitors. He has rented a fine secluded mansion in the High Quarter along Wharf Road, close to Wharfgate (across the road from H1, the residence of the ambassador of the Duchy of Ulek; GoF, p.58). Of course, the curious and light-fingered of Greyhawk have dared to venture within unbidden, but they all return barehanded, unharmed, and with complete amnesia for what happened after they tried to gain entry. It is unknown whether Philidor dwells alone.

It is rumored that Philidor's appearance in Oerik is linked with the rise of Iuz in some way; this may well be the most reliable of the many rumors that circulate concerning him (the DM has license to invent all manner of outrageous tales concerning this enigmatic wizard).

DM Notes: Philidor's experience level as a wizard is not, of course, known to anyone in Greyhawk. He's incredibly powerful, as is obvious, and he should not be used as a megacharacter in combat situations or confrontations. Whatever Philidor is doing, he will work through intermediaries (elves, wizards, even lesser aasimon-yes, he goes this high!). No one gets anywhere near him unless he wishes this. He is a guide, a patron, a secret protector, a puller of strings, and maybe a score of other things. Keep him a mystery. Maybe we'll tell you more about him later . . .