Zarunai Vexmouser

Surface Name: Marquis Zarunai Vexmouser

Subterranean Name: Herceine Ocluarlus

Birth Name: Unknown

Age: Presumably 85

Height: 5'0

Weight: 92 lbs

Origin: Unknown; Rules over a minor Estate at the mouth of a tunnel leading deeper into the Ithos Subterranean region. This tunnel is located in the Elven Territories.

Class: Wizard

Race: Vixma

Fighting Style: Vixma Spell Blade

Profession: Alchemist, Jeweler, Crime Lord, Scholar, Magician, Defensive specialist, etc..

Appearance: Zarunai is usually fully clothed from neck to toe, and his face is periodically hidden behind the cowl of his dark robes. However, he is fairly average in regards to physical attraction, fur color, and eye color for his race. This causes him to not blend in with others, but not necessarily stand out.

Weapon: Vixma Spell Blade

Demeanor: He is not particularly outspoken or charismatic for one of the Vixma race. He rarely speaks, if at all, and when he does, it is usually in a soft tone barely above a whisper. He is generally reclusive by nature.

Ambitions: He seems fairly content to reside in his manor pursuing his Arcane research, then to become involved with the affairs of the outside world.

Brief History: He presides over a small fiefdom, with his subjects engaging in such task as the mining of precious metals, and tending to the fields. This estate is rumored to be a front for a narcotics operation, in which the marquis developed a strand of opium that could thrive in the subterranean region. Several trade embargoes were placed on the marquis after having a falling out with Elven officials (Most likely because of the scandalous rumors that were circulating at the time), which greatly diminished his profits. However, these policies were instituted decades ago, so one is left to wonder just what keeps the estate going? There is much room for suspension although it is mostly speculation at this point, considering the Marquis has not been heard from in a little over a decade, so it is presumed that his trade went under.

Campaign: Sea Faring Campaign

Theme Song: From Yesterday by 30 seconds to Mars.

Special note: A marquis is a nobleman ranking next below a duke and above an earl or count.

Concept
Zarunai's build has two possibilities; a hardcore counterspelling abjurer, or a powerful transmuter. Through the combination of several different Faerunian wizard classes, you could create very specialized, and very potent spellcasters. The Transmutation build requires one Faerunian feat, called Tattoo Focus. This feat gives you a +1 bonus to the DCs for your specialized school (saves), and a +1 to caster level checks to overcome Spell Resistance with a specialized school spell. I am not entirely sure if it stacks with the effects of Greater Spell Focus (which in 3.0 overrides the bonus from Spell Focus), however the bonus to overcome spell resistance is nice. This is the progression of Zarunai as a Transmutation specialist:

Race: Vixma

Str: 8

Dex: 12

Con: 8

Int: 23 (29)

Wis: 14

Cha: 10

Class progression: {|

Gear:
 * Arcane Might (20k)

Explanation
The biggest idea behind this build is high Spell save DCs for your spells. The Red Wizard of Thay class feature Spell Power grants the number given to the saves your enemies have to make against your spells of your chosen school, that adds up to +5 (not to mention the +5 to caster level checks to overcome an enemy's spell resistance). This stacks with the bonuses from Tattoo Focus, and Greater Spell Focus feats. When you have multiclassed into Arch Mage, you should take the Spell Power high arcana abilities, which unfortunately cause you to lose a permanent spell slot indicated by the description under each Special ability. However, the payoff is worth it. Spell Power 1-3 applies to the saves and caster level checks vs spell resistance of all your spells. Another excellent feature is that Spell Power adds the number granted to your saves and caster level checks, and each new spell power adds the indicated number as well. So Spell Power +1, adds 1, Spell Power +2 adds 2, and finally Spell Power +3 add 3, for a total of +6 to all your spell save DCs and caster level checks vs Spell Resistance. The Red Wizard of Thay Spell power class feature does not calculate like this however, but it still stacks with everything else. So this is what the total should come too:

Spells from other schools: +6 to saves, and caster level checks vs spell resistance.

Transmutation spells: + 11( +5 from Red Wizard of Thay class feature, and +6 from Arch Mage class feature)

Now for the grand total bonus to your transmutation spells: (This calculation includes my character's current intelligence score at level 20. The Spell used is Disintegrate.)

+ 44 (12 int, 10 base Dc, level 6 spell, +11 Spell Power, +1 Tattoo Focus, +4 Greater Spell Focus)

Second Concept
Class progression: {|

Gear:
 * Arcane Might (20k)

Explanation
The key class features to this build are Cooperative Metamagic and Metamagic effect. You are given a pool for these two separate abilities of the number of times per day you can activate them. With cooperative metamagic, you can apply any metamagic feat you have to a willing allied spellcaster's casting. You have to make a readied action and be standing adjacent to the allied spellcaster. You must than make a successful spellcraft check with a DC specified by the given formula; (DC 18 +[3*The modified spell level]). Here's an example: Zarunai makes a move equivalent action to stand adjacent from his ally spellcaster, Mallerik, and uses his standard action to make a readied action. Mallerik casts a fireball (3rd circle spell) spell as an 8th level caster, so the fireball can do 8d6 damage. Zarunai, with his readied action, chooses to activate his cooperative metamagic class feature to modify Mallerik's spell. He chooses to apply Maximize Spell to Mallerik's fireball spell, and in order to succeed he must make a spellcraft check DC 36 (18 +[3*6]). He makes the DC, and Mallerik's fireball deals maximum damage, or 48 fire damage.

Now metamagic effect does the same thing, except it has two rules; it applies to only spells that you cast, and to spells with persistent effects only. This may seem limited, but that is where being an abjurer comes into play. Most abjuration spells have durations, so applying a metamagic feat that increases the duration of these spells comes in handy. The formula is the same, but this requires a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. An example: Zarunai casts an Ironguard (a 7th circle spell) spell on Dernhelm, which makes him immune to all magical and nonmagical metal weapons, and even allows his fist attacks to bypass metal armor. It lasts for 1 round/level, which Zarunai casted as a 13th level caster, so 13 rounds. Zarunai takes a full round action to apply his Extend spell metamagic feat to his casting of Ironguard. He makes a spellcraft check with a DC of 42 (18 +[3*8]). He succeeds, the Ironguard effect lasts double the amount of time, or 26 rounds.