Gaval The Noble
Gaval is a high ranking paladin of great power and reputation. The left side of his face is scarred from a red dragon bite and his short hair has turned white. Despite his age he is a physically fit figure and without even moving his posture demands respect. Many paladins brag that they have been trained by him, and Gaval has given his personal attention to many young and impressive holy warriors.
Gaval was born the only son to a kindly hermit sorcerer. Gaval’s mother died in childbirth and his father raised the boy on his own. When Gaval was ten, an age the sorcerer decided was old enough, he began instructing the boy in the arcane arts. Gaval took to it naturally and promised to be a good heir to the aging sorcerer. However, all did not go according to plan. One night when Gaval was studying a Nightwalker snuck into the tower. Gaval’s father managed to hide his son away in a cupboard before the great beast came for him. Gaval’s father put up quite a fight, but in the end he was no match for the Nightwalker and was killed. Gaval barely managed to hold back the tears, knowing that his life depended on not making a single sound, as he watched through a crack in the cupboard. The Nightwalker proceeded to trash the tower, smashing open everything and taking their contents. To this day, Gaval is unsure what the Nightwalker came for.
When the Nightwalker left, Gaval stepped outside and cried over the body of his father. For weeks Gaval stayed in that tower, trying vainly to fix what the Nightwalker broke. Only when he ran out of food and water did Gaval step outside into the desert. Gaval knew of only one other structure nearby, a monastery that his father went to when he needed supplies. In exchange for food and water he would perform arcane magic for them when they needed it, an arrangement both parties were happy with. Gaval was brought there once, and through trial and error he managed to make it there again. He was dehydrated and somewhat delirious when he arrived, but he was safe. The monks and clerics took him in.
Gaval was taught the ways of the clerics, to be fair and just, to help those that need helping. It was expected that Gaval would become a cleric, but something strange happened. The god they worshiped selected Gaval personally to be a paladin. It looked into Gaval’s heart and saw that he was kind, that he could feel the pain of others, and that he hated evil creatures above all else. The god granted Gaval the powers of a paladin, something these clerics and monks had never seen before. They quickly decided that if it was their god’s will that Gaval be a paladin, his destiny must lie beyond their monastery’s walls. So they gave him what few coins they had, wished him luck and sent him along with a group of nomads, bound for a great city.
Gaval’s reputation grew quickly, a young, powerful paladin who knew the basics of the arcane arts. In only a couple of years Gaval joined a powerful, holy adventuring group. Their charge was to track evil creatures to the depths of the earth, find them in whatever caves or crevices they may hide in and kill them. Gaval excelled at this and became the group’s leader very quickly. He became something of a legend, a boogeyman for evil creatures everywhere. He was well known for taking trophies from his targets and showing them off. To this day he stills wears a necklace made from three red dragon teeth.
Gaval fought in this adventuring party, which would eventually come to be named “The Arrow,” for over thirty years. His final battle was with a gang of three red dragons, during which he gained the scar across his face. That was to be his last quest, he acknowledged that he had grown old and perhaps it was time for him to retire. In his adventuring days he had acquired more gold than he could realistically spend in three lifetimes, and he opted to live out the rest of his days peacefully.
Gaval bought himself an estate, hired servants and even bought back his father’s tower and had it perfectly restored. Still, not a year after having retired Gaval grew restless. He could not stand the thought of doing nothing for years on end. Bored and agitated, Gaval leaped at the chance to come out of retirement. A thieves guild had popped up in his city and was extorting from the locals. Gaval immediately mobilized, gathered a few followers and tore the guild apart. The battle was quick and absolutely no challenge to the old warrior, but Gaval had never felt so alive.
Gaval has come out of retirement, though he no longer hunts evil creatures to the end of the earth except under exceptional circumstances. From his point of view he had done that already and plenty of other adventurers are pursuing that same goal. An exception is if he ever finds the Nightwalker that killed his father. He has followed up many false reports on that creature personally. His hunt is made difficult by the fact that he had no way to identify that particular Nightwalker, and the event was so long ago that he can barely remember what it looked like. For now, Gaval in content with sniffing out organized crime. Many other cities have requested his presence to deal with their criminal problem and he is feared by many who steal for a living. Gaval is well informed in the politics of any thieves guilds he can find, having bribed some lower level members to inform him. At any point he is watching at least three criminal organizations, trying to discover the most efficient manner of attack even if he has not yet been called in to help. When Gaval does directly attack he is always leading the charge. He still loves the combat as much as he ever did, though few can challenge him now.
If possible, Gaval uses his True Strike spell as often as possible. It provides him with an unexpected advantage in combat and he finds it to be very useful. Also, using his arcane abilities reminds him of his time with his father, and he feels like he can get closer to him by not forgetting what he taught.
Gaval can serve a number of purposes in any game. Gaval could employ the PCs to discover a thieves guild for him, or to go undercover and investigate it. Alternatively, if your group is less than noble, Gaval could be an enemy, someone who is determined to destroy any unlawful organizations your PCs are a part of. If you wish to add Gaval to an adventure, Gaval visits his father’s tower very often. He wracks his mind, trying to determine why the Nightwalker attacked so long ago and what it took. The PCs could easily find him there and ask for his help, which he might provide if he has the time.
Lawful Good Male Human (Medium Humanoid)
Paladin 19th/Sorcerer 1st
Hit Dice: 19d10+1d4+40 (139)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft
Armor Class: 34 (+13 armor, +5 deflection, +5 natural, +1 dex)
Base Attack/Grapple: +19/+24
Attack: Holy Avenger +30/+25/+20/+15
Damage: Holy Avenger (1d8+10+2d6 against evil)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Saves: Fort +18, Ref +11, Will +12
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 18
Skills: Knowledge (Arcane) +7, Knowledge (Religion) +25, Spellcraft +7, Ride +26
Feats: Weapon Focus (Longsword), Dodge, Expertise, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack
Special Abilities: Smite Evil 5/Day, Remove Disease 5/Week, Turn Undead, Special Mount, Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Divine Grace, Lay on Hands, Aura of Courage, Divine Health, Sorcerer Spells, Paladin Spells
Sorcerer Spells Known: 0th; Detect Magic, Read Magic, Disrupt Undead, Prestidigitation 1st; True Strike, Burning Hands
Sorcerer Spells Per a Day: 4/3
Paladin Spells Memorized: 1st; Bless Weapon, Protection From Chaos, Protection From Evil, Detect Undead 2nd; Bull’s Strength, Eagle’s Splendor, Remove Paralysis (x2) 3rd; Cure Moderate Wounds (x4) 4th; Restoration (x2), Break Enchantment, Cure Serious Wounds
Paladin Spells Per a Day: 4/4/4/4
Equipment: Ultimate Armor, Holy Avenger, Helm of Teleportation