Tyno Mala (Bard/Warlock)
Medium/Humanoid (Human), Neutral
Cisgender Man, He/Him
Armor Class: 13
Hit Points: 87
Speed: 30 ft.
| Strength |
Dexterity |
Constitution |
Intelligence |
Wisdom |
Charisma |
| 12 (+1) |
12 (+1) |
14 (+2) |
12 (+1) |
14 (+2) |
16 (+3) |
Skills: Animal Handling +6, Arcana +9, Athletics +5, History +5, Insight +10, Investigation +5, Persuasion +7, Survival +6
Senses: Passive Perception 14
Languages: Common, Dwarvish, Infernal
Challenge: 12
Abilities
Spellcasting. Mala is a 7th level (Bard) and 5th level (Warlock) spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following Bard/Warlock spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): Chill Touch (W), Eldritch Blast (W), Mage Hand (B), Message (B), Minor Illusion (W), Vicious Mockery (B)
1st Level (4 slots): Charm Person (W), Detect Magic (B), Feather Fall (B), Find Familiar (W), Hellish Rebuke (W), Thunderwave (B)
2nd Level (3 slots): Enhance Ability (B), Hold Person (B), Mirror Image (W), Ray of Enfeeblement (W), See Invisibility (B)
3rd Level (3 slots/2 Warlock slots): Bestow Curse (B), Fear (B) , Gaseous Form (W), Major Image (W), Stinking Cloud (B), Tiny Hut (B)
4th Level (1 slot): Confusion (Spell) (B), Polymorph (B)
Bardic Inspiration. As a bonus action, a creature (other than himself) within 60 ft. that can hear him gains an inspiration die (1d8). For 10 minutes, the creature can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome. He can use this feature three times. He regains any expended uses when he finishes a long rest.
Counter Charm. As an action, he can perform until the end of his next turn. During that time, he and any friendly creatures within 30 ft. that can hear him gain advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.
Cutting Words. As a reaction when a creature (that’s not immune to being charmed) he can see within 60 ft. makes an attack roll, ability check, or damage roll, he can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration, roll the die, and subtract the number from the creature’s roll. He can do so after the roll but before knowing the result.
Dark One’s Blessing. When he reduces a hostile creature to 0 HP, he gains 8 temp HP.
Dark One’s Own Luck. He can call on his patron to alter fate in his favor. When he makes an ability check or a saving throw, he can use this feature to add a d10 to his roll. He can do so after seeing the initial roll but before any of the roll’s effects occur. Once he uses this feature, he can’t use it again until he finishes a short or long rest.
Jack of All Trades. He can add half his proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check he makes that doesn’t already include his proficiency bonus.
Pact of the Chain. He learned the Find Familiar spell; it doesn’t count against his number of known spells, and he can cast it as a ritual. His familiar can take on a more powerful form, and when he takes the Attack action, he can forgo one of his own attacks to allow his familiar to make one attack with its reaction.
Repelling Blast. When he hits a creature with Eldritch Blast, he can push the creature up to 10 feet away from him in a straight line.
Song of Rest. If he or any friendly creatures who can hear his performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.
Voice of the Chain Master. He can communicate telepathically with his familiar, perceive through its senses, and speak through it in his own voice as long as he is on the same plane of existence.
Traits
Attention Difference [IE 1, Triggered by strenuous physical or mental effort]. He has trouble choosing subjects to focus on and switching between them. His mind unintentionally wanders, and he easily loses track of time. This leads to difficulties concentrating and indecision. This works the opposite when he’s focused on something that holds his interest to the point that the rest of the world fades into the background. This can happen randomly with mundane tasks and often it is easier to maintain his focus on tasks that are enjoyable or interesting to him.
When anticipating an important upcoming event, he must succeed on a DC 7 Constitution saving throw. Failure indicates that he’s distracted by that event as above until it begins.
When performing any sustained, potentially monotonous task, he must succeed on a DC 9 Constitution saving throw. Failure indicates that he’s been distracted —on all related skill checks take twenty percent times as long to complete. While distracted, he has a +1 on passive Wisdom (Perception) checks. On success, he becomes hyperfocused and has advantage on all related skill checks. While hyperfocused, he has a −1 penalty to passive Wisdom (Perception).
Baseless Emotion (Hopelessness) [IE 3, Periodic]. He has the overwhelming feeling that his circumstances will only get worse, either his immediate circumstances or his entire life or both (and which of those doesn’t matter). While experiencing this, he loses advantage on all ability checks.
Baseless Emotion (Worrying) [IE 2, Periodic]. He has an overwhelming fear of the future, both near and distant. He has a −2 penalty on saving throws against the frightened condition and a −2 penalty to Charisma (Persuasion) checks as his own doubt makes him less convincing to others.
Brain Fog [IE 2, Periodic by strenuous mental effort]. He experiences mental fatigue that affects his memory, ability to concentrate and think clearly, and focus. He has a −2 penalty to concentration saving throws, and when he needs to make an Intelligence check to remember something, he has a −2 penalty to the check unless he takes three times as long to think about it.
Dizziness [IE 2, Triggered by strenuous physical or mental effort or sudden unexpected movements]. He loses his sense of balance and equilibrium and experiences a −2 penalty on Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Strength (Athletics) checks, requiring a successful DC 12 Constitution saving throw while prone to recover from the dizziness. This saving throw can be made once per round at the beginning of his turn. The saving throw can be made while not prone but with disadvantage. A critical failure results in Fainting, leaving him unconscious until he succeeds on the Constitution saving throw.
Fatigue [IE 2, Chronic and Triggered by strenuous physical or mental effort]. He is nearly always tired. After every long rest, he must either succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, or he does not benefit from the rest or take 1 level of exhaustion during the duration, regardless of the amount of rest he gets. Spending an entire day resting will automatically give him advantage on the Constitution saving throw.
Head and Neck Pain [IE 3, Chronic]. He experiences chronic pain in his head or neck. Any action that requires concentration (e.g. maintaining a spell) requires a successful DC 13 Constitution saving throw per round to maintain concentration. In the presence of bright light or loud noise, he makes the roll with disadvantage. Because he’s used to managing pain, even though this doesn’t reduce the experience of pain, he has a +3 bonus to saving throws against psychic damage.
Refractive Differences (Near-sightedness) [IE 2, Chronic]. The farther away things get, the blurrier they get. He has a −2 penalty on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks to see any details farther than 50 − 2 × 10 feet as well as other ranged actions such as jumping or throwing.
Speech Impediments [IE 1, Periodic and Triggered by Fatigue]. He has difficulty speaking, talking more slowly and stuttering. This gives him a −1 penalty to all speech-related roles, and he must modify spells with verbal components to work within his verbal range, so he cannot use spell scrolls, and when learning a new spell with a verbal component, it takes twice as long to copy it into his spellbook as usual.
Vertigo [IE 1, Triggered by strenuous physical or mental effort or sudden unexpected movements]. He feels dizzy, lightheaded, and nauseated, unable to easily orient himself in space. He has a −1 penalty on all Dexterity checks and saving throws, including initiative and Dexterity-based attack rolls, until he takes a short rest. He feels Nausea and will vomit if he fails a DC 9 Constitution saving throw, which will leave him incapacitated for 1d4 rounds. If this is a triggered trait, quick movement and stress are common causes.
Actions
Longsword +1. Melee Weapon: +6 to hit, 5 ft., single opponent. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) or 7 (1d10 + 2) slashing damage, versatile.
Eldritch Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +7, 120 ft., multiple targets. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) force damage.
Assistive Devices
Spectacles (Vision Correcting). These spectacles reduce the Impact Extent of Refractive Differences by 1.
Cane. Reduces the associated Impact Extent penalty by 1 for Dexterity checks and saving throws. Requires at least one hand to be used for balance.
Theodore’s Staff of Focus
Wondrous Item, very rare
Smooth and generally featureless, this unassuming staff, carved from an ancient oak struck by lightning, may be lost in a pile of mundane staves were it not for the soft blue glow given off when whoever is attuned to it searches for it. It is said the staff was carved by the Archmage Theodore when he was just an apprentice, and he continued to carry it on his person throughout his life. Every practice spell, every new enchantment, every new insight — all were first tested on this staff which slowly grew in power alongside its master. The staff gives you +2 to Attention Difference Constitution saving throws, resistance to being charmed, and mind-altering magic such as the Confusion (Spell) spell. You have advantage to disbelieve illusions. When the staff moves further than 50 feet from you, you must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw every minute or take 1d10 psychic damage, and if you are a spellcaster, you cannot maintain concentration and are unable to regain spells, even after a long rest, until recovering the staff. While thus separated, you feel the general direction of the staff’s location if it’s on the same plane. To become unattuned to the staff, you must hold it and receive a Remove Curse or equivalent spell.
Durstain's Bracers of Equilibrium
Wondrous Item, common
These studded leather bracers with sea stones near the wrists reduce the IE of Dizziness by 1 Extent while worn. Three times per day, you may press the sea stone into your wrist for 1 round to reduce Dizziness by an additional Extent for 1 minute. They must be removed to receive the benefits of a short or long rest and take 3 rounds to strap on or remove. When removed, you must lie prone for (IE) rounds or faint as described above.
Mala’s Migraine Mints
Wondrous Item, common
Usually found in a red and white striped pouch that stays perpetually cool (60°F) inside with 3d6 doses, when you eat one of these mints, your head pain reduces by 2 Impact Extents for 1d4 + 2 hours.
Background
Tyno Mala was born to the wealthy Tyno family of a well-respected adventurer and barkeep. Being the eldest of his siblings, Mala was groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps as a warrior and knight. However, one day while training, a blow to the head changed his life. Bedridden, he was overcome by nausea and a ringing in his head. It took months of treatment by the best healers and sages for Mala to be able to leave his bed. During this time, trapped in his thoughts, the boy heard whispers from the dark. He realized that he’d been hearing these voices for a long time, but not until the extended rest could he finally understand them. Doubt and ruin festered, echoing in the confines of his brain. To fight his inner demons, Mala turned to the magic of poetry. Through the written word, Mala was able to quell the worst of these thoughts, though they continued to linger in the back of his mind.
Once healthy enough to return to the greater world, Mala had lost much of his confidence in his athletic ability. Instead of pursuing the sword, as his father had, he instead turned to a bard college where he could cultivate his mind. Poetry, written word, and the oral histories of the world captivated him. Though Mala still struggled with nausea, migraines, and lapses in memory, with the support of professors and peers, he was able to develop tools that allowed him to engage deeply in his work. Further accidents happened while at the college, leading to more time spent with the healers. This led to much frustration as Mala took longer at his education than he would have wanted, leading to a deepening sense of despair at his own ability to move through the world.
Mala eventually took the Wanderer’s Oath, officially traveling the countryside in pursuit of new knowledge for the college’s libraries. Secretly, he sought a cure-all for his maladies. He was still struggling with accepting his disabilities, even though the time before them had become barely a glimmer of a memory. In his quest for magical items, remedies, and lore, he became known as a folk hero of sorts both as an entertainer and fighter even as he began to regain his self-confidence and adapt to his circumstances.
All it took was one more accident – a glancing blow by a vengeful dragonborn barbarian – to send Mala spiraling back down. Those withering seeds of resentment bloomed once again, their thorns scarring his heart and mind. Overcome by his injuries, Mala retreated into himself and was out of contact for a period of time. His fate unknown to all, rumors spread about his possible demise. A year later, he returned to the world at large, changed once more, smiling, pleasant, and in many ways similar to what he had been prior to the last accident. He had come to accept his circumstances. However, behind his eyes, a new darkness lingers, and he is now accompanied by a large raven familiar on his shoulder, always looking for something or someone, though he will not say for which.
Personality
Mala is of two minds. Externally, he presents as a fast talking, thoughtful, jovial person that is enjoyable to be around. Those who know him at a glance value him for his quick wit and ability to create thoughtful plans. However, those who might know him better, though this is few, would know inside he struggles with dread and extreme doubt about his own abilities. When Mala becomes trapped in his own internal world, he can become closed off, irritable, and lack any motivation. He enjoys puzzles, word play, poetry, books, and seeing exciting new things. An empathetic and kind person, he sometimes falls shy of his aspirations in this department.
Plot Hooks
- The party needs support in solving a problem and could benefit from a quick thinker.
- The party needs some secret knowledge that has been difficult to track down.
- The party runs into Mala as he confronts the person he has always been looking for; however, they are unclear who the victim is in this case.
