Solomon Grant VIII [300 pt]
Attributes [112]: ST 10, DX 10, IQ 15 [100], HT 10, HP 10, Will 15, Per 15, FP 14 [12]
Social Background:
Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native) [0].
Languages: English (Native) [0]; French (Native/Native) [6].
Advantages [121]: Destiny (Major) [10], Eidetic Memory [5], Magery (3) [30], Magery 0 [5], Patron (Order of the Eagle) (9 or less; Secret; Special Abilities: extensive social or political power) [25], Reputation (Military Writer) (1) (All the time; Almost everyone) [5], Sage (3) [30], Status (+1) [5]
Disadvantages [-65]: Bad Sight (Nearsighted) (Glasses) [-10], Code of Honor (Professional) [-5],
Curious (6 or less; 12 or less) [-10], Duty (Magician for the Order) (9 or less (fairly often)) [-5], Duty (Teaching) (9 or less (fairly often)) [-5], Fanaticism (The United States of America) [-15], Secret Identity (Utter Rejection) [-10], Truthfulness (12 or less) [-5]
Quirks [-5]: Chauvinistic [-1], Drinks only historical beers [-1], Obsession (Learn everything about American military) [-1], Peppers speech with archaic sayings [-1], Reads most fantasy fiction for laughs [-1]
Packages [0]: Scholar (Fantasy) [0]
Skills [55]: Archaeology IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1]*, Astronomy/TL8 IQ/H – IQ+2 17 [15], Expert Skill (Military Science) IQ/H – IQ+6 21 [16]*, Expert Skill (Political Science) IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1]*, Games (Wargames) IQ/E – IQ+1 16 [2], Geography/TL8 (North America) IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1]*, Guns/TL8 (Pistol) DX/E – DX+0 10 [1], Hidden Lore (Conspiracies) IQ/A – IQ+2 17 [1]*, History (American) IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1]*, Law (American) IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1]*, Mathematics/TL8 (Applied) IQ/H – IQ-2 13 [1], Occultism IQ/A – IQ+2 17 [1]*, Public Speaking (Oratory) IQ/E – IQ+0 15 [1], Research/TL8 IQ/A – IQ+3 18 [2]*, Savoir-Faire (High Society) IQ/E – IQ+1 16 [2], Soldier/TL8 IQ/A – IQ-1 14 [1], Teaching IQ/A – IQ-1 14 [1], Thaumatology IQ/VH – IQ+1 16 [2]**, Writing IQ/A – IQ+1 16 [4]
*Includes: +3 from ‘Sage’
**Includes: +3 from ‘Magery’
Spells [82]: Air Jet IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Analyze Magic IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Ancient History IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Apportation IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Beast-Soother IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Cadence IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Clumsiness IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Complex Illusion IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Continual Light IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Control Illusion IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Counterspell IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Create Air IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Create Earth IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Create Fire IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Daze IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Death Vision IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Decay IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Detect Magic IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Dispel Illusion IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Divination (Astrology) IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Earth to Stone IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Enchant IQ/VH – IQ+0 15 [1], Find Weakness IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Foolishness IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Grace IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Haste IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Heal Plant IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], History IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Identify Plant IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Identify Spell IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Ignite Fire IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Itch IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Lend Energy IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Lend Vitality IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Light IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Magic Resistance IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Mind-Reading IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Mind-Sending IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Minor Healing IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Missile Shield IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Pentagram IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Perfect Illusion IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Persuasion IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Plant Growth IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Predict Weather IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Purify Air IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Purify Earth IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Purify Food IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Purify Water IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Recover Energy IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Rejoin IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Remove Curse IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Repair IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Restore IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Scryguard IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Seek Coastline IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Seek Earth IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Seek Food IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Seek Plant IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Seek Water IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Seeker IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Sense Danger IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Sense Emotion IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Sense Foes IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Sense Observation IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Shape Air IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Shape Earth IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Simple Illusion IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Sleep IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Slow Fall IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Sound IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Spasm IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Spell Shield IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Summon Spirit IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Telepathy IQ/VH – IQ+0 15 [1], Teleport IQ/VH – IQ+0 15 [1], Test Food IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Trace IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Truthsayer IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Turn Zombie IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Weaken IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1], Zombie IQ/H – IQ+1 16 [1]
Stats [112] Ads [121] Disads [-65] Quirks [-5] Skills [55] Spells [82] = Total [300]
Solomon Grant’s several times great-grandfather (the first Solomon Grant) was inducted into the Order of the Eagle (a mystical and bureaucratic secret society dedicated to preserving the American Republic) just after the Revolutionary War, and that branch of the family has served the Order ever since. Solomon Grant VIII is merely the youngest (born in 1995) scion in a very illustrious family, politically-occultly speaking, although the first actual wizards didn’t start showing up in the family until Solomon Grant V’s generation. Possibly due to President Grant’s ascension to office: yes, he’s related to that Grant. It’s not in the direct line, but there’s definitely a blood relationship.
The current Solomon Grant is considered to be something of a prodigy, given his early mastery of most of the Order’s civic magical lore and his mundane scholarship in the field of military history. His first book (an analysis of the Wilderness Campaign) is on the best-seller list, as well as being considered for several academic prizes. Solomon currently has an assistant professorship at a Washington DC university, and would likely make tenure even without the advantages of his secret membership in the Order.
But it’s as a member of the Order that Solomon Grant VIII is most likely to make his mark. While he is not yet a Master Mage there — it is rare that one reaches that rank before the age of fifty — Solomon acts as a reliable journeyman mage, often participating as chief assistant in the most important rituals (and increasingly given the main role in the lesser ones). The Order’s magical traditions are primarily oriented towards the acquisition of mystical knowledge, with liberal borrowings from both astrology and Freemasonry; Solomon is most assuredly not a battlemage of any sort. He’s not defenseless, but his offensive spells are nonviolent in nature, and better suited for stopping him from being mugged than they are for actual magical duels.
Personally: well, Solomon is a bright, earnest, curious, and fanatically patriotic American. He’s not blind to the country’s faults, but there’s absolutely no question in his mind that it’s worth fighting and dying for, if need be. He’s not shy about saying so, either. This had caused some lingering problems in his academic career, but then: what’s the point of belonging to the powerful, if hidden occult servants of the American Republic if you can’t use your influence to squash the people who would be otherwise inclined to hustle you out of your current place of employment? They should be frankly grateful that he doesn’t do it more often.
Note for the campaign: as written, Solomon Grant VIII is a classic sage; if there’s a weird occult thing going on that has to do with American history, he’s the go-to guy for that. At the very least he’ll be able to tell the PCs what to look into, and he’s got the right skills and spells to give them a chance to plausibly interpret what clues they find. The trick is to not get up the sage’s back on a variety of subjects, starting with current events and following up with pretty much anything involving American history.
Also note that it would be very easy to turn this character to the bad. As originally conceived, Solomon Grant VIII would have no inherent qualms about summoning the dead to have them answer his historical questions: the Order of the Eagle absolutely does not know Summon Demon, but a darker Solomon Grant would find it easy enough to learn, and even master. A mere twenty points or so in the Necromantic school of magic could produce a coolly analytical sorcerer that might impress even a Joseph Curwin — and, of course, Solomon Grant VIII knows where all the great figures of American history are actually buried. And how to bypass the magical wards around their graves.
The material presented here is my original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.
GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and the art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.