Sheik Jolarr and the Bedine Forsakers

Many tribes of Bedine nomads live on the sands of Anauroch, eking out their living by raiding, raising cattle, or trading when possible. Few become serious threats to the peace of the region, but sometimes a sheik leads his people down a course of death.

Jolarr was a young boy when the Zhentarim entered his life. His tribe raided a Zhentarim caravan, but met with stiffer resistance than expected. Jolarr was part of the raiding party more as an observer, and he saw his father slain by hideous magic. A wizard of the Black Network enspelled the young boys waiting on the hill, Jolarr included, and would have sold them into slavery if the tribe members had not picked them up during the retreat. That incident made Jolarr hate and fear magic and changed his whole life. He took the path of the forsaker, and as he grew he convinced others that magic should be destroyed. By the time he became sheik he had a large following.

Jolarr turned the peaceful, wandering tribe members into a fierce army of death to spellcasters and users of magic. He teaches others the secret of his knowledge, passing on the forsaker class among his people. He leads raids against Zhentarim caravans with a passion not seen in normal Bedine and brings especially gruesome deaths to spellcasters accompanying the caravans. He leads his people in attacks against any magical race or settlement; even magical beasts such as the lamias are not safe. He even targets the spellcasters of other Bedine tribes and tries to recruit among his victims once the magic-users are destroyed. His people believe that magic constructs, such as portals, should be destroyed by whatever means are available.

The tribe does have a couple of sorcerers whose place it is to destroy these items and unbind the magic that enemies cast. Thus, they are experts at dispelling magic and at counterspelling, but they do not use their spells to attack very often. Clerics are unheard-of in the tribe; all religious worship is conducted free of magic.

Jolarr's tribe is more than 300 strong, though with few herd animals. They prefer horses and always keep moving -- herds slow a group down. They keep just enough to feed themselves as needed and trade with other tribes when they run low (or get what they need from the Zhentarim).

Encounters with Sheik Jolarr and his people are always tense, and whether they are friends or foes depends on many factors. If the PCs are interested in destroying some site or magical enemy, they find staunch allies in Jolarr's people so long as they don't overtly use magic themselves. If they seek a portal or other magical source to use it, they find Jolarr to be an enemy. Jolarr does have honor, however, and he considers as permanent enemies only those who use magic. The PCs could become his friends if they abstain from magic use around him, even if they previously were enemies.

Sheik Jolarr: Male human (Bedine) Ranger 3/Forsaker 6/Rogue 4; CR 13; Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d10+6 plus 6d12+12 plus 4d10+8; hp 103; Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13; Atk +15/+10/+5 melee (1d8+3/19-20, masterwork saber*) and +14/+9 melee (1d61/19-20, masterwork short sword), or +16/+11/+6 ranged (1d8+3/x3, masterwork mighty [+3 Str bonus] composite longbow); SQ DR 7/+3, fast healing 2, favored and hated enemy Zhentarim +1, forsake magic, hated enemy damage reduction 5/--, hated enemy spell resistance, magic destruction, natural weapons, rancor +2d6, slippery mind, SR 16, tough defense; AL LE; SV Fort +17, Ref +12, Will +10; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 13.

Skills and Feats: Balance +5, Handle Animal +5, Hide +9, Intimidate +11, Intuit Direction +3, Jump +5, Knowledge (nature) +5, Listen +12, Move Silently +7, Ride (horse) +13, Spot +9, Tumble +12, Wilderness Lore +16, Great Fortitude, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Survivor, Track, Weapon Focus (saber*).

Fast Healing (Ex): Sheik Jolarr regains 2 hit points per round, to a maximum of 30 hit points per day.

Favored/Hated Enemy: Sheik Jolarr has selected Zhentarim as a favored enemy and as a hated enemy. He gains a +1 bonus on his Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks when using these skills against Zhentarim. He gets the same bonus to weapon damage rolls against them. He also gets the damage bonus with ranged weapons if the target is within 30 feet. The bonus doesn't apply to damage against creatures that are immune to critical hits.

Forsake Magic: In addition to avoiding all use of spellcasting, spell-like abilities, and magic items, Sheik Jolarr must also refuse any benefits from others' magic -- including magical healing. Thus, he must attempt a saving throw against any spell that allows one. For most beneficial spells, such as displacement or neutralize poison, a successful save negates the spells effects; for a cure spell, it halves the benefit. If Sheik Jolarr unwittingly uses a magic item or casts a spell, he loses all the special abilities of the forsaker class for 1 week.

Hated Enemy Damage Reduction (Ex): Sheik Jolarr gains damage reduction 5/-- against attacks from Zhentarim.

Hated Enemy Spell Resistance (Ex): Against hated enemies, Sheik Jolarr has spell resistance 35.

Magic Destruction: Sheik Jolarr gains access to his damage reduction ability (see above) through the destruction of magic items. If he goes more than 24 hours without destroying magic items whose market prices total at least 700 gp, he loses that ability until he does so.

Natural Weapons (Ex): Sheik Jolarr's weapons act as +3 magical weapons for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction.

Rancor (Su): Against hated enemies, the foe hunter can make one attack per round as a rancor attack (declared before die roll). A successful hit deals +2d6 points of damage. This damage is not multiplied on critical hits, but applies to creatures that are immune to critical hits.

Slippery Mind (Ex): If he fails a saving throw against an enchantment effect, Sheik Jolarr can make another one the following round. He gets only one extra chance at the saving throw.

Tough Defense (Ex): Sheik Jolarr adds his Constitution modifier (if positive) as a natural armor bonus to AC (already included in the Statistics above).

Possessions**: Masterwork studded leather armor, masterwork saber*, masterwork short sword, masterwork mighty composite longbow [+3 Str bonus], 30 masterwork arrows, 30 arrows, waterskins and desert survival gear, tent, light warhorse, tack, saddle, 90 pp.

*With a saber, an attacker gains a +1 circumstance bonus to attacking someone on the ground from horseback.