[Thundarr Thursday] Notorious NPC: Yondo The Wizard

Yondo the Wizard
6th Level Pure Human

STR: 15 --- INT: 21
DEX: 15 --- WIL: 11
CON: 16 --- CHA: 16
HPs: 76 --- AC: 7
Mutations: none

Yondo the Wizard is an apparently powerful magic-user who terrorizes and extorts the rabble living in the ruins of what once was Beverly Hills. His lair is a large foreboding structure known as The Magic Castle, said to have been built by the Ancients themselves. He claims to have learned his magical secrets and skills from the "Ancient Masters of Abracadabra."

Yondo dresses in flowing white robes topped with a blue hooded and horned helmet which conceals his face. A skilled fighter, Yondo receives a +2 to hit bonus with handheld weapons, as well as a +1 damage bonus. He has a small group of six minions who do his bidding (any intelligent humanoid creature will do), and he rides upon the back of a trained Sky Dragon.

Where Yondo truly excels is his intelligence, having studied every Ancient text he has been able to lay his hands on. In fact, he has one of the most extensive libraries of Ancient tomes in the Thundarr Universe. Because of this, he receives a +30% Technology Roll Modifier. His intelligence and tech skills brings us to Yondo's secret: He is not a real wizard.

In reality, Yondo is actually Lomax, the Beverly Hills village scholar. Years ago, while scouting for research, he stumbled across The Magic Castle and the stage magician secrets it contained. Since he has no real power, but wanting to taste the power of wizards, Lomax studied stage magic in secret, learning the tricks that entertained audiences in Ancient times. He uses these stage tricks to frighten and enslave the villagers as Yondo, but he lives amongst them as Lomax. In this way, he can sow uncertainty about Yondo's powers as well as eavesdrop on information that Yondo can act upon. Lomax's Ancient studies are such that he has developed several stage tricks that border on the mystical to the villagers, but they are still performed with "smoke and mirrors" (or actually high-tech equipment).

Wanting even more power for himself, Yondo actually challenged Thundarr and - for a time - had possession of the Sun Sword. Thundarr was able to retrieve his weapon, but not before Yondo had a chance to examine and duplicate it, creating a very powerful vibroblade he called The Nega-Sword. This blade was able to stand up to the Sun Sword and actually reflected a few blows. Thundarr was able to deactivate it by cutting off its power supply, but the fact that Yondo was able to build so powerful a weapon is a frightening.

In the game, Yondo should be built up as a very powerful wizard whose exact abilities are unknown. The spells he wields have the trappings of the Ancient magicians - balls, rings, cabinets, scarves, etc. However, his tech skills and knowledge make these "spells" just as deadly as the real magic the wizards sling, so Yondo should be treated just as carefully.

NOTE: This villain was inspired by the episode "Master of the Stolen Sun Sword" from the classic Ruby Spears post-apocalyptic cartoon "Thundarr the Barbarian." Stay tuned each week for "Thundarr Thursday"!