NEHWON CHARACTERS
GREY MOUSER
Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 13 STR 3 12- Lift 151.6 kg; 2 1/2d6 HTH Damage [3] 23 DEX 48 14- OCV: 8/DCV: 8 15 CON 10 12- 10 BODY 0 11- 18 INT 8 13- PER Roll 15- 16 EGO 12 12- ECV: 5 15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6 14 COM 2 12- 6 PD 3 Total: 6 PD (0 rPD) 5 ED 2 Total: 5 ED (0 rED) 4 SPD 7 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 6 REC 0 40 END 5 25 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 105 Movement: Running: 6"/12" Leaping: 2"/4" Swimming: 4"/8" Cost Powers & Skills Martial Arts: Dirty Infighting Maneuver OCV DCV Damage 3 Arm Lock -1 -1 Grab Two Limbs, 23 STR for holding on 4 Disarm -1 +1 Disarm; 23 STR to Disarm Notes: Also Fencing Disarm 5 Flying Dodge -- +4 Dodge All Attacks, Abort; FMove 5 Joint Break -1 -2 Grab One Limb; HKA 1d6 +1 , Disable 4 Punch +0 +2 4 1/2d6 Strike Martial Arts: Fencing/Swordplay Maneuver OCV DCV Damage 4 Bind +1 +0 Bind, 23 STR 4 Cut +2 +0 Weapon +2 DC Strike 4 Evade -- +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort 4 Lunge +2 -2 Weapon +v/5; FMove 4 Parry +2 +2 Block, Abort 4 Riposte +2 +2 Weapon +2 DC Strike, Must Follow Block 5 Thrust +1 +3 Weapon Strike 0 Weapon Element: Blades 5 Missile Deflection (Thrown Objects) 3 "Long, Springy Lope": Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) for up to 12 Active Points of of Running 2 Powerful Swimmer: Swimming +2" (4" total), END 1 6 Sharp Eyes And Ears: +2 PER with all Sense Groups Perks 4 Reputation: "[a] taste for strange adventure, mysterious comings and goings, odd sense of humor" (the world of Newhon) 11-, +2/+2d6 4 Reputation: "most cunning cutpurse in Lankhmar" (city of Lankhmar) 14-, +2/+2d6 3 Well-Connected 3 1) Contact: Ourph the Mingol (Contact has useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact) 11- 3 2) Contact: Pulg (Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has useful Skills or resources) 11- 6 3) Contact: Sheelba of the Eyeless Face (Contact has extremely useful Skills or resources, Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Good relationship with Contact) 11- 3 4) Contact: Third Butler of the Lankhmar Overlord (Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has useful Skills or resources) 11- Talents 9 Ambidexterity (no Off Hand penalty) 3 "Usually Infalliable Sense Of Direction": Bump Of Direction 20 Danger Sense (self only, out of combat) 15-/13- 4 Deadly Blow: +1d6 (with sling) 3 "Sure-footed As A Rope Walker": Environmental Movement (no penalties on narrow spaces) 3 Lightsleep 5 Resistance (5 points) Skills 32 +4 with All Combat 24 "Drew Blood With Surgical Precision": Penalty Skill Levels: +8 vs. Hit Location modifiers with All Attacks 8 Penalty Skill Levels: +4 vs. Range Modifier with Ranged Attacks 3 Acrobatics 14- 3 "Melodramatic Delivery": Acting 12- 3 Breakfall 14- 3 Climbing 14- 3 Concealment 13- 3 Conversation 12- 3 Disguise 13- 3 "Whipping Out Simultaneously Scalpel And Cat's Claw": Fast Draw 14- 4 Forgery (Art Objects, Documents) 13- 3 Gambling (Dice Games, Backgammon) 13- 3 Lockpicking 14- 3 Mimicry 13- 2 "Knowledge Of Winds, Waves, And Celestial Bodies": Navigation (Marine) 13- 3 Oratory 12- 3 Persuasion 12- 3 Power: Magic 11- 3 PS: Juggling 14- 3 Riding 14- 3 Seduction 12- 3 "Legerdemain": Sleight Of Hand 14- 5 "The Many Shadows Were His Friends": Stealth 15- 5 Streetwise 13- 2 Survival (Urban) 13- 3 Tracking 13- 3 Trading 12- 2 TF: Camels, Equines, Rafts 10 Two-Weapon Fighting (HTH) 3 Ventriloquism 13- 7 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Crossbows, Lasso, Off Hand, Sling, Thrown Knives, Axes, and Darts 3 Linguist 3 1) Language: High Lankhmarese (completely fluent; literate) 3 2) Language: Ilthmarish (completely fluent; literate) 2 3) Language: Klesh (fluent conversation; literate) 3 4) Language: Low Lankhmarese (completely fluent; literate) 1 5) Language: Pidgin MIngol (fluent conversation) 3 6) Language: Quarmallian (completely fluent; literate) 1 7) Language: The Forest Tongue (fluent conversation) 3 Scholar 2 1) KS: Lankhmar Underworld 13- 2 2) KS: Layout Of The Lankhmar Thieves' Guild House 13- 1 3) KS: Magic And Sorcery 11- 2 4) KS: Who's Who In The Lankhmar Thieves Guild 13- 2 5) KS: Writing Inks And Styles 13- 3 Traveler 1 1) AK: Forests Of Duke Janarrl 11- 1 2) AK: Great Salt Marsh 11- 1 3) AK: Ilthmar 11- 1 4) AK: Land Of The Eight Cities 11- 2 5) AK: Lands Of Lankhmar 13- 3 6) AK: Newhon 14- 4 7) AK: The Inner Sea 15- 1 8) AK: The Outer Sea 11- 1 9) AK: The Western Continent 11- 1 10) CK: Illik-Ving 11- 1 11) CK: Kvarch Nar 11- 3 12) CK: Lankhmar 14- 1 13) CK: Ool Hrusp 11- 1 14) CK: Quarmall 11- 1 15) CK: Tovilyis 8- Total Powers & Skill Cost: 360 Total Cost: 465 100+ Disadvantages 10 Hunted: Gods Of Nehwon (specifically Issek, Kos, and Mor) 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching) 10 Hunted: People Of Stardock and/or Simorgya (among others) 8- (As Pow, Capture) 15 Hunted: Quarmall, Lord Of Quarmal 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish) 0 Normal Characteristic Maxima 15 Psychological Limitation: "Comradeship [with Fafhrd] Firmer Than A Rock" (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: "Yield To Curiosity Without Giving The Mind Time To Get Roiled" (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: "Whether Human-Large Or Rat-Small, He Could Out-Smart Anyone" (Common, Strong) 10 Reputation: "disreputable and mostly unprincipled", 11- 275 Experience 465 Total Disadvantage Points
Background/History: The Grey Mouser isn’t sure where he was born, although he suspects the southern city of Tovilyis. His earliest memories are of living in the forests of Duke Janarrl, where he served as magician's apprentice to Glavas Rho. He studied together with Duke Janarrl's daughter Ivrian, who snuck out from her father's castle to learn at the magician's side. But Janarrl had Glavas Rho's home burned and the magician killed, and eventually captured Mouse, placing him on the rack to die via torture. Mouse, however, managed to use his sorcerous training to channel his pain and terror into Duke Janarrl, killing him, and allowing Ivrian to set him free. Together to two fled and ended up in Lankhmar.
Placing his love in a small apartment high above the filth of Lankhmar's streets, the Gray Mouser became a one-man crime wave, stealing candles, rugs, and carpets to adorn Ivrian's quarters in style. Soon, he met Fafhrd, whom he’d encountered years before at the Mountains of Hunger. The two became fast friends, but suffered the loss of their lovers to the dark magics of the Thieves’ Guild. Although they killed the magician responsible, the deed was done, and the pair struck out to criss-cross Nehwon in an effort to forget their loss. Eventually, they fetched up in Lankhmar again, and settled down to live a live of adventure as thieves and swords-for-hire.
Although a great deal of their time is spent in Lankhmar, both Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser journey to other lands (and even other times courtesy of the tunnels of Ningauble of the Seven Eyes). They climb Mount Stardock, cross the oceans, and venture to strange and different places, sometimes of their own accord, sometimes due to geas, or sometimes on request. Eventually, when both of them are in their late forties, they end up on Rime Isle, where they settle down, marry (or nearly so), and live out the rest of their days.
Personality/Motivation: If Fafhrd likes the wilderness, then Mouser likes cities. He enjoys luxuries too, such as fine food, wine, clothing, and women (the more child-like the better). Much of Mouser's personality can be summed up in two quotes from The Swords Of Lankhmar: "yield to curiosity without giving the mind time to get roiled" and "whether human-large or rat-small, he could out-smart anyone." As you can see, Mouser is almost insatiably curious, and at the same time feels he's more than capable of acting on his curiosity without getting into trouble. He enjoys theatrics, tricks, and displays, will try to talk his way out of anything, if given the chance. This also explains why he can't stand Lankhmar's Thieves' Guild and will have nothing to do with them.
Gray Mouser and Fafhrd are very much alike in many ways, and like Fafhrd, Mouser is a loner at heart. And like Fafhrd, Mouser has "lived by thievery, robbery, bodyguarding, couriers and agents—commissions they always—or almost always, fulfilled their punctiliously."
As a final note, Mouser has a strong, a very strong aversion to having anything sharp pointed at him.
Quote: “[Fafhrd] Why did you have to turn up, you great lout? I was about to die heroically, or else slay in mass combat the seven greatest sword-rats in all of Lankhmar Below!”
Powers/Tactics: Mouser's joy of drama extends even to his swordplay. This is demonstrated in Ill Met In Lankhmar when Mouse informs Fafhrd "I stole him to demonstrate my speed." His speed and skill with the blade are second to almost no one, and he's more than capable of engaging several swordsmen at once and holding his own. His sword style usually consists of precise strikes to vulnerable points—the eye, the throat, the heart—although if beset by multiple foes he'll simply go for whatever openings present themselves (such as an arm or thigh). Mouser is very much a swashbuckler, and will leap, tumble, and jump to avoid and get around foes. He'll also use the landscape to his advantage, interposing furniture between himself and others in order to negate a foe's advantage of numbers.
Appearance: The Grey Mouser is short, with a “child-like stature” and a “flat swarthy face.” As his name indicates, he dresses all in gray, with a hood made of mouse skins and a “dainty rapier” (named “Scalpel”) at his waist along with a dirk ha call's "Cat's Claw." His hair is dark, while his eyes are brown and “shot with gold.”
Designer's Notes: A rogue through-and-through, Mouser is the cultured and sophisticated counterpart to Fafhrd's earthy barbarian. I hope I've captured Mouser properly, but will admit that I know I've either left stuff out or glossed over it due to the breath of material I attempted to cover.
Grey Mouser's Hero Designer File
(Grey Mouser created by Fritz Leiber, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)
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