Men: Wonderseeker

"Wonderseekers" are spacefaring humans who roam space in search of entertainment, conducting elaborate games among themselves in which other beings may become unwitting accomplices or pawns.

Wonderseekers are nothing like "Seekers," who quest after knowledge. Rather, they are dilettantes, dabbling unpredictably in other's lives and affairs for personal satisfaction alone. They may aid or inform others, or attack or torment them.

Wonderseekers favor frilly, fantastic garb, with cloaks, gems, and body adornments. They often carry magical gemswords (see "Personal & Ship Equipment") and wands of paralyzation. They use elaborate, courtly manners and flowery speech, and have a taste for wild adventure coupled with innate wanderlust

Combat: Wonderseekers may appear bored and effete, but all are warriors(66%) or rogues (67-77% thief; 78-90% bard; 91-99% dual-classed, wizard and one of the classes already listed; 00% dual-classed and having an inherited spell-like innate magical natural ability).

Wonderseeker magical abilities are usually small-scale alterations of their own person. All are usable once per turn, but only 3-6 times in a day. The most common abilities are dimension door, fly, invisibility, levitate, spider climb and telekinesis. No wonderseeker ever has more than one ability. Such powers may be used on a whim or to escape danger, but are never advertised or revealed without reason.

Wonderseekers are proficient in the use of long swords and in a variety of other weapons, usually hand crossbows, throwing axes, darts, and daggers. If fighters, wonderseekers specialize in long sword use. They use wits and tongue to avoid needless combat-it's messy and brings trouble with local authorities. Most pursue duelling as a hobby.

Habitat/Society:

Wonderseekers are misfits who go their own ways to seek their own pleasures and achievements. Decadent and bored, most achieve satisfaction in fulfilling personal wants through sheer time, persistence, and devising or acquiring magical items. They feud among themselves, but also share mutual honor and respect-and will aid even hated rivals against neogi, illithids, and other monsters. They rarely duel another wonderseeker to the deathbut instead favor "The Death of Seven," a ritual in which one anonymously hires seven assassins to slay another.

Each assassin must work alone, making a single attack at least one day after a previous attempt. Each must leave a clue as to their sponsor's identity (the sponsor devises and supplies these clues). The terms of the ritual stipulate that a wonderseeker can never try another Death of Seven against anyone surviving all seven attempts, and that the survivor should have received clear clues to know exactly who sponsored the Death against him.

To become a wonderseeker, one must have access to potions of longevity, find a way into space, and survive. Most are adroit traders, thieves, and explorers, and have acquired magical wands, potions, and such mundane but useful magical items as a decanter of endless water and a Murlynd's spoon.

The DM must decide what magic a wonderseeker has hidden on his person, ship, and in treasure caches. A wonderseeker usually carries 2-5 personal magical items. Small, portable items are favored, especially those that can be worn or concealed. Popular items include bracers of defense, lens of detection, various figurines of wondrous power, and necklaces of missiles. Several specialize in making unique (DM-devised) forms of Quaal's feather tokens to surprise and confound foes.

Wonderseekers often seem calm and uncaring in the face of great danger. Following them or their advice can be deadly; to them, entertainment is all. They always seek novelties and experiences, and battle all who would impose order on them or others.

Ecology: Wonderseekers are essentially gadflies and parasites. They serve as wild cards working unpredictably against other power groups, such as the Arcane, slavers, pirates, and all others who seek to rule by might or to impose authority. Many wonderseekers are invaluable to adventurers as allies, informants, hired rescuers, and fences of stolen property.