Johan Brooke

Back Story for Johan Brooke
Johan spent much of his early years at home being groomed for private education. He was the scholastically talented one in his family, but certainly not the physical one. Although he could, and often would, keep up with his siblings, his brothers, and even his sister, would always beets him while playing games in their youth. Johan’s father was a supplier of scrolls and a collector of rare ritual ingredients for the Kavandis Academy. Johan would accompany his father on these outings and have some dealings with the school. He was still quite young when the Kavandis Academy noticed Johan and saw his natural talents for the arcane. His family was not poor but certainly not of the standing to afford the type of education that Kavandis offered. After some preliminary testing the Academy accepted Johan on a scholarship. Being so young and having the pressure of a scholarship meant that Johan had to work hard to achieve every goal. He was often employed to do manual labour at the school to help pay for education. This at least kept him in better shape than his richer counter parts.
His natural ability allowed him to graduate from many of his courses ahead of his class mates. Johan never really cared for what the other students thought of him, as he saw himself closer peers with those in the faculty. The educators saw him as one with the potential to run the place one day. One such lecturer Everett took a liking to Johan, seeing him as the kind of young man who would find the answer he was looking for no matter what stood in his way. Master Everett took Johan under his wing, grooming him into a diplomat and a hungry seeker of knowledge. Everett was by no means the greatest retainer of knowledge, but he was the most in tune with students and spent most of his time lecturing on the more interesting subjects.
The real reason for Johan’s departure from the Academy came shortly after graduation. One student of magic often sharing a classroom with Johan was an Eldarin Bard named Freya. Here was the only female that never made Johan feel threatened. He wasn’t naive, he had read about the bardic magic and new that it was in their nature to make others at ease with them. Although Freya was playful with her casting and had on more than one occasion cast charm spells on the boys in class, that wasn’t it. There was something pure about her search for magic. She did not seek to destroy, she was at heart an entertainer. This was a new world for Johan. He had spent his whole life in the city of gates. A city full of every race imaginable, but had only ever experienced them in literature. He had read about the cultures of the world but had experienced nothing. The decision came to explore the lands and beyond.
Johan would set of on adventures, usually for small financial gain. He would retrieve magical components and lesser artefacts for small time collectors in the city. Any chance he could get he would convince Freya to journey with him. They would travel to isolated communities and he would document their culture while Freya entertained them with music and dance. The more he did the further he would travel. As much as he wanted to stay in close contact with the Academy and Freya, who he had befriended on a now very personal level, he knew he would have to travel further alone. He promised his master Everett he would return, after honing his skills in the field and travelling the planes. Johan swore he would earn his right to be considered one of the elite among wizardry, as great as Mordenkainen himself. Johan’s plan was to return and Kavandis Academy the greatest arcane institute in the City Of Gates. Eventually he would take over the school and help mould the next generation of spell caster into focused, level headed and uncorrupted wizards. Johan made no promises to Freya. She knew not how much she meant to Johan and he saw it better that way.
For now Johan had to travel. As he did he wrote constantly, chronicling every detail of his journeys. His natural ability to investigate archaeological mystery earned him a fair and somewhat comfortable living. He often sought artistic help along the way to improve his cartography. He wished to map the lands he had travelled to later write about them and create some sort of ultimate encyclopaedia of the modern age. His general inexperience had him pass through most places appearing non-threatening. He was still a young man by a wizard’s standard but appeared older. This in part was due to his complex about his initial standing in life. He would purchase the finest tailored robe with his earnings, and he would groom himself expertly. Though he would wear his hair long and his beard full. His image of the wise sage was cemented by the traditional way Master Everett presented himself. The travelling certainly kept him fit and healthy, but he soon developed a passion for the beauty of worldly pleasure. Wines, banquettes and smoke, Johan experienced many of these. He would collect the finest leaf and weed from many cultures and keep a modest collection for himself to hand roll and smoke whenever he could. Though fit and dextrous for a wizard he developed quite the belly after a couple of years.
Eventually reputation would catch up with Johan, he would get offered risky jobs with questionable intentions. Johan always stayed true to the virtues of good. His family were followers of Avandra and he still saw the benefit of this faith, it was the perfect justification for adventurous spirit. Although Johan could have spent the rest of his life searching independently for knowledge, he knew that if he wanted to achieve his goal of taking over Kavandis Academy he would have to start young. So after only five years of travelling he headed back to the City Of Gates. He would tell himself that the reason for his early return was to pursue his academic goals, but he knew deep down inside that he was also returning for Freya. He knew that nothing would ever happen between them, but his love for her was different. He needed her for what she made him see in himself. Freya was the one who drove him to see the world for its beauty.
His journey home would see him find simple work in collecting 1st age artefacts. As he got closer to the City, the fates seemed to be leading him to something. Usually working alone Johan found himself working with other adventures. The most recent of which saw him working with a wanted group of folk trying to escape Bando’s End. He knew he should distance himself from this group, hell there was a Tiefling, Elf, Dwarf and a Dragon born, but they were heading towards the City Of Gates and could prove useful to him. The group headed into the City, he was home. They completed their task and were suddenly confronted with another. Johan would have passed it up to continue on his mission, but it was from the Church Of Paylor and involved important first age artefacts and Mordenkainen. Mordenkainen and his apprentice Bigby was Johan’s favourite subject at school and this seemed the perfect way to pick up where he left off. He could use this quest as a way of reconnecting with his old master Everett. It was too perfect. The job lead him straight to Kavandis Academy. Master Everett was pleased to see him and excited to hear he was already on his way to discovering the secrets of his own personal quest. “You’ll be able to take over my job soon”. These were the words Johan had been wanting to hear. So for now he must concentrate on the quest at hand. The fates had given him this gift and he was wise enough not to let it slip through his already weathered fingers. The only thing missing was Freya. What had she been up to in the years gone by? Then there she was. Sitting at the bar of a small dive in the city. She had been sent on a job for Master Solvis which she couldn’t handle alone. As if sent by Avandra herself, this was the great opportunity Johan had hoped for. As if they never parted they were adventuring together again. Johan still has not told Freya how he feels about her. Johan is skilled at a great many things, but none more than hiding his true feelings.

500xp for getting you shit up on the forums

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======

Johan Brooke, level 15
Revenant, Wizard, Spellstorm Mage
Build: War Wizard
Arcane Implement Mastery: Orb of Imposition
Versatile Expertise: Versatile Expertise (Staff)
Versatile Expertise: Versatile Expertise (Orb)
Choose your Race in Life: Human
Background: Occupation - Scholar, Scholarship Student (+2 to Arcana)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 13, Con 16, Dex 17, Int 22, Wis 19, Cha 13.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 13, Dex 14, Int 18, Wis 15, Cha 12.


AC: 23 Fort: 20 Reflex: 23 Will: 23
HP: 82 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 20

TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +20, Insight +16, Dungeoneering +16, History +18

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +10, Bluff +8, Diplomacy +8, Endurance +12, Heal +11, Intimidate +10, Nature +11, Perception +11, Religion +13, Stealth +10, Streetwise +8, Thievery +10, Athletics +8

FEATS
Wizard: Ritual Caster
Level 1: Expanded Spellbook
Level 2: Action Surge
Level 4: Implement Expertise (Orb) (retrained to Spell Focus at Level 12)
Level 6: Destructive Wizardry
Level 8: Improved Initiative
Level 10: Dual Implement Spellcaster
Level 11: Improved Orb of Imposition
Level 12: War Wizardry
Level 14: Versatile Expertise

POWERS
Wizard at-will 1: Magic Missile
Wizard at-will 1: Thunderwave
Wizard encounter 1: Orbmaster's Incendiary Detonation
Wizard daily 1: Wizard's Fury
Wizard daily 1 Spellbook: Acid Arrow
Wizard daily 1 Spellbook: Sleep
Wizard utility 2: Shield (retrained to Arcane Mutterings at Level 14)
Wizard utility 2 Spellbook: Arcane Insight
Wizard encounter 3: Maze of Mirrors
Wizard daily 5: Bigby's Icy Grasp
Wizard daily 5 Spellbook: Stinking Cloud (retrained to Grasp of the Grave at Level 13)
Wizard daily 5 Spellbook: Fireball
Wizard utility 6: Spectral Hound
Wizard utility 6 Spellbook: Wall of Fog
Wizard encounter 7: Enemies Abound
Wizard daily 9: Taunting Phantoms
Wizard daily 9 Spellbook: Ice Storm
Wizard daily 9 Spellbook: Face of Death
Wizard utility 10: Arcane Gate
Wizard utility 10 Spellbook: True Seeing
Wizard encounter 13: Orbmaster's Umbral Assault (replaces Orbmaster's Incendiary Detonation)
Wizard daily 15: Bigby's Grasping Hands (replaces Bigby's Icy Grasp)
Wizard daily 15 Spellbook: Otiluke's Resilient Sphere
Wizard daily 15 Spellbook: Blast of Cold

ITEMS
Spellbook, Quarterstaff, Backpack (empty), Orb Implement
RITUALS
Animal Messenger, Silence, Comprehend Language, Detect Secret Doors, Hand of Fate, Arcane Lock, Amanuensis, Fastidiousness, Secret Page, Last Sight Vision, Enchant Magic Item, Feat of Strength, Leomund's Secret Chest, Wizard's Escape, Shadow Passage, Linked Portal

Goals and beliefs of Johan

Johans goals are becoming very specific.

His immediate goals are to resolve this current situation that threatens the betterment of the Kavandis academy. Johans faith in freedom will guide his actions to do so as good willed and as fairly as possible. The next step is to implement the link between the city of gates and the new frontier. This will no doubt cause great problems for the mages as the trading industry will see this as un-fare trade route. He will suggest to the academy that they need to form a business agreement with a strong trade guild in the market for passage. For this short cut to be achieved they will need the muscle of a powerful trade company. As a more long term goal Johan is discovering the more places he ventures the more raw power he is finding. Like Mordenkainen before him he is starting to see how one can manipulate the arcane to create great utility and magic. Much like the apprentice Bigby he is discovering that there is a great power for the destruction magic. Johan is secretly working on what is to be his tomb of power to leave to the world of magic. They will be the great five of Johan. One will comprise a great mirroring effect of power. One will be a crushing spell that effects all forms of being. One will be the great rearranger that will dictate the battle field. One will be the greatest imbuing of magic to a permanent state. The final will be the greatest sanctuary spell focus ever summoned.

In the mean time Johan is working on a series of lectures that can be taught in his absence. Johan had hoped to be back in the city of gates by now, in its former glory. He should be lecturing on the events that ended with the stopping of Orcus (the demon prince of the un-dead). Things do not always go to plan. By now Johan should be spending a few months earning money and a greater reputation for the academy by showing his unprecedented findings from his journeys. To combat this downfall Johan has been writing journals and formulating lesson plans, as well as creating elaborate public demonstrations. He has collated several of these in the journeys out to the crystal isles. On the boat ride over he was virtually unseen as he was compiling these plans and ritually binding them to send back to the academy for other lecturers to present on his behalf. When satisfied with the content he will send them back and start setting up a good revenue maker for the academy and himself.

To understand Johan and his history you need a better view of his beliefs. Most seekers of knowledge followed the god Ioun, Johan does not worship knowledge. The students Johan went to school with were obsessed with knowledge and life became competitive. As previously mentioned Johan found it easier to excel and surpass his fellow mages. This may be attributed to the fact that he has never worshipped knowledge like Iouns followers. He takes solace in the teachings of Avandra the god and mother of freedom. To Johan knowledge ‘is’ freedom. Freedom from his common life, freedom from ignorance and the veil of deceit cast upon the world. He is good in nature but torn by many things. He believes no peoples should be slaves. He believes all cultures should be revered and allowed to flourish. But Johan also believes knowledge should be free. If ever in a position to take an artefact for the educating of culture, he will. He will justify this by aiding the native people or offering an exchange where there is no objection. Ultimately Johan craves freedom from convention.

Not been born of a Wizards lineage he has not the innate proclivity toward conventional learning. Wizardry is limited by its practiced and structured spells that are numerous but limited to what the caster has been taught. Wild and source magic are drawn naturally but are limited to simple capability. Johan wants to free magic. He wants to create principle magic. Rather than learning technique he wants to learn the raw principles of magic. Eventually to create spells with general purpose, those that are adaptable to the situation.

Loyalty; Along with freedom comes loyalty. Not always common bedfellows these go hand in hand for Johan. He has a great esprit de corps for the Kavandis academy. His pride of belonging is greater than that of his alumni or summa cum laude status in the academy. Like a monk to his mentor or kohai to his sempai Johan followed his teachers with reverence. Not grade grubbing or false humility like other students, Johan was genuine in his loyalty. He will walk with others and trust them with his treasures and even his life; he will never be as loyal to them as he is to the academy. The only soul he trusts as much is Freya, and of course he first met her in the academy, although their bond goes deeper.

For now Johan will attempt to better his understanding of his companions and set up a safe and conducive environment for the betterment of his magic. What lies ahead will reveal itself. For that is the beauty of freedom. Being able to roll with the punches and adapt to all situations.

Sounds good and reads well.

Blackflock Robe
Wrapped in this tattered black cloth, you can briefly transform into a flock of ravens.
Level: 12
Price: 13,000 gp
Armor: Cloth
Enhancement: +3 AC
Power (Daily): Immediate Reaction. Trigger: You take damage from an attack. Effect: You fly 8 squares and become insubstantial until the start of your next turn.
First published in Adventurer's Vault 2.

Irrefutable Armor
A simple suit of metal plates, this armor asserts your will as it protects your flesh.
Level: 12
Price: 13,000 gp
Armor: Any
Enhancement: +3 AC
Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this power when you miss with an attack that targets Will defense. Reroll your attack with a power bonus equal to the enhancement bonus of this armor.
First published in Adventurer's Vault.

Robe of Quills
Thin spines cover this robe, making any adversary reconsider before attacking the wearer.
Level: 13
Price: 17,000 gp
Armor: Cloth
Enhancement: +3 AC
Power (Daily): Immediate Reaction. Use this power when an adjacent enemy makes a melee attack against you. The quills bristle, dealing 1d6 damage per plus of the armor to the enemy and ongoing damage to the enemy equal to the enhancement bonus of the armor (save ends).
First published in Adventurer's Vault.

Wall Armor
This armor seems far heavier than its constituent material. It becomes as unforgiving as a brick wall at a moment’s notice.
Level: 13
Price: 17,000 gp
Armor: Chain, Cloth, Hide, Leather, Plate, Scale
Enhancement: +3 AC
Power (Daily): Immediate Reaction. Trigger: An enemy hits or misses you with a bull rush or charge attack. Effect: The triggering enemy takes 1d6 damage per plus and is knocked prone.
First published in Adventurer's Vault 2.

Aqueous Armor
Cold to the touch, this armor always appears damp. A person wearing the armor can transform into water, but at a cost.
Level: 14
Price: 21,000 gp
Armor: Cloth, Leather, Hide
Enhancement: +3 AC
Power (Daily • Polymorph): Move Action. You transform into a flood of rushing water and move up to your speed. You can move through small cracks and tight spaces with no difficulty. You automatically escape a grab or free yourself from bonds or shackles. You can only take move actions until you return to your natural form, which you can do as a free action. While in watery form, you take 5 damage at the start of each of your turns until you return to your natural form.
First published in Adventurer's Vault.

Laughing Death Armor
The wearer of this armor scoffs at necrotic powers and can unleash a blast of withering black energy upon adversaries.
Level: 14
Price: 21,000 gp
Armor: Cloth, Leather, Hide
Enhancement: +3 AC
Property: Resist 10 necrotic.
Power (Daily • Necrotic): Immediate Reaction. Use this power when struck by a melee attack. The attacker takes 1d6 necrotic damage per plus of the armor and also takes a –2 penalty to Fortitude defense until the end of your next turn.
Revision (2/26/2009)
In the item’s power, replace “Encounter” with “Daily”.
First published in Adventurer's Vault.

Parchment Armor
This armor is made of magically reinforced parchment inscribed with arcane writings.
Level: 14
Price: 21,000 gp
Armor: Cloth, Leather
Enhancement: +3 AC
Property: This armor contains a number of arcane charges equal to its enhancement bonus. Recharging the armor requires an extended rest.
Power (At-Will): Free. Trigger: You use an arcane power and make an attack roll. Effect: You spend any number of unused charges from this armor and gain a power bonus to the attack roll for the triggering power equal to the number of charges spent.
First published in Adventurer's Vault 2.

Robe of Contingency
Stitched with thread from the Feywild, this robe is favored by many wizards for its ability to escape a bind.
Level: 14
Price: 21,000 gp
Armor: Cloth
Enhancement: +3 AC
Power (Daily • Healing, Teleportation): Immediate Reaction. Use this power while you are bloodied and when an attack damages you. Teleport 6 squares, and you can spend a healing surge.
Addition (2/26/2009)
Add the Healing keyword to the item’s power.
First published in Adventurer's Vault.

Shimmering Armor
The sheen of this armor glints brightest when you most need its magical protection.
Level: 14
Price: 21,000 gp
Armor: Cloth
Enhancement: +3 AC
Property: You do not provoke opportunity attacks when you make ranged or area attacks.
First published in Adventurer's Vault.

Amulet of Elegy
This amulet allows you to infuse your voice with a sadness that grips the hearts of your foes.
Level: 12
Price: 13,000 gp
Item Slot: Neck
Enhancement: +3 Fortitude, Reflex, and Will
Power (Daily): Free. Trigger: You use a power to produce an effect that a save can end. Effect: Each target of the power takes a penalty to its first saving throw against the effect equal to the amulet’s enhancement bonus.
First published in Adventurer's Vault 2.

Deep-Pocket Cloak
The hundreds of magically hidden pockets on this cloak allow you to keep a wealth of items close at hand.
Level: 12
Price: 13,000 gp
Item Slot: Neck
Enhancement: +3 Fortitude, Reflex, and Will
Property: The pockets of this cloak can hold up to 1,000 pounds in weight or 100 cubic feet in volume, but the cloak always weighs only 1 pound. Each item stored within one of the cloak’s pockets can weigh no more than 10 pounds.
Drawing an item from a deep-pocket cloak is a minor action.
Level 22 or 27: The cloak can hold 2,000 pounds in weight or 200 cubic feet in volume.
Power (At-Will): Free. 1/round. You draw an item from the cloak or store an item within it.
First published in Adventurer's Vault 2.

Purple Dragon Commander's Ring
This silver ring is engraved with the Purple Dragon signet of the Obarskyr royal family.
Level: 13
Price: 17,000 gp
Item Slot: Ring
Power (Daily • Arcane): Standard Action. Detect Magic and Poison: Activated by command word (usually inscribed on the inside of the ring, and typically “Bonthar”. When the power is activated and the ring touched to food or drink, it glows with an eerie gold-green if the substance is poisonous and bright blue if it is enchanted (including potions), although the ring cannot identify what sort of poison or magic
is present.
Power (Daily • Arcane): Immediate Interrupt. You can use this power when you fall. You take no damage from the fall, regardless of its distance, and you do not fall prone at the end of the fall.
First published in Dragon Magazine 365.

Ring of Feather Fall
With this airy mithral filigree band, you and sometimes your allies need not fear a fall even from the highest cliff.
Level: 14
Price: 21,000 gp
Item Slot: Ring
Property: You take no damage from a fall and always land on your feet.
Power (Daily): Minor Action. Allies within 5 squares of you also benefit from this ring’s property until the end of the encounter.
If you’ve reached at least one milestone today, allies within 10 squares of you also benefit.
First published in Adventurer's Vault.

As a future referance to all just the following details will surfice for wish lists.

Item name, Slot/type, Book its in, page #.

Matt wrote:

As a future referance to all just the following details will surfice for wish lists.

Item name, Slot/type, Book its in, page #.

Cool, sorry man. Just wanted to give you all the info possible. The origin is there just among all the other crap. My retraining for level 14 was a good find now we don't have freya.

I edited it so the format reads better. Sorry about that.