Recreating a character from a book series

[Aleolus]

So, I have recently been rereading some of the books in the Xanth series, and I thought it would be fun and interesting to create a D&D version of Good Magician Humphrey. Problem, though; I want it to be created with as little homebrew as possible, and I'm not sure how to represent some of what he does within the rules of the game. Obviously he needs to be a high-level Diviner (probably with Evocation as his prohibited school), but beyond that I have no idea. Any suggestions?

And for the record, this is basically going to be a background NPC, someone the party can choose to go and see if they decide to, and are willing to navigate the challenges and pay the price for his Answers.

[Particle_Man]

Perhaps the Loremaster?


https://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/loremaster.htm

[Aleolus]

Hmmm. Maybe, but the issue comes with the fact that Humphrey is literally described as 'Knowing everything that he cares to'. So, I'm thinking he would need a lot of abilities to scry, and try to predict the future, and I already know I'm going to have to homebrew his book as a Wondrous Item enchanted with a spell similar to Commune, but more expansive.

[Doctor Despair]

I'm not sure how much you'd want to borrow from it, but my Know-It-All build achieves the highest knowledge checks in the game. Lots of resources for knowledge-boosting effects.

Wrt a class, Urban Savant is explicitly a knowledge-based prc.

The "Research" feat would make thematic sense

[Maat Mons]

Is there any reason he has to be a Diviner? Any Wizard can cast Divination spells. He could cast oodles and oodles of divination spells as a generalist or any of the types of specialist.

Archivist has pretty much the same flavor as Wizard. But it has a little more mechanical connection to Knowledge.

Or did you want to go Wizard so you can take the Spontaneous Divination ACF?

If Pathfinder is on the table, Arcanist is another class that's flavor-wise the same as Wizard.

What does this guy's book do?

[Doctor Despair]

What does this guy's book do?

From what I remember from the 15 years ago I read that series, the Good Magician Humfrey's main claim to fame is by having a big book of answers that contains information to answer any question anyone could ask. Folks will travel in pilgrimage to his castle and brave three challenges tailored to their specific weaknesses (obviously he was aware of their impending arrival given his talents), then spend a year in service to earn an answer to one question. I believe it's implied he actually wrote the book based on years and years of fastidious research. He also has a trove of magical items available to solve sundry problems.

[Particle_Man]

That seems to be the schtick of the Sapphire Eidolon of the Sapphire Hierarch prestige class (from Magic of Incarnum), so if you just want an NPC that people travel from far and wide to visit and get answers from, you could reflavour it as a human wizard rather than a . . . intelligent 30 foot diameter blue ball of pure incarnum . . . :smallbiggrin:

Anyhow, the easy solution might be "commune spells for those that can pay the price" for visitors, and "basically infinite commune spells" for Humphrey's personal use.

[Aleolus]

From what I remember from the 15 years ago I read that series, the Good Magician Humfrey's main claim to fame is by having a big book of answers that contains information to answer any question anyone could ask. Folks will travel in pilgrimage to his castle and brave three challenges tailored to their specific weaknesses (obviously he was aware of their impending arrival given his talents), then spend a year in service to earn an answer to one question. I believe it's implied he actually wrote the book based on years and years of fastidious research. He also has a trove of magical items available to solve sundry problems.

Exactly correct (and similar to how I was planning to use him in game), though iirc the book Demons Don't Dream actually does state that he wrote the Book of Answers, though at first it was just his journal. The book is also so complex that the only person other than him to have been able to use it in even the most rudimentary ways was Magician Grey Murphey, during the period of the books where Humphrey was 'missing'.

As for why Diviner, I was thinking that they would have the easiest time casting all kinds of Divination spells, though I did also consider a Cleric with the Knowledge and Magic domains, and I have no idea what I would use for his prohibited school.

[Bronk]

Exactly correct (and similar to how I was planning to use him in game), though iirc the book Demons Don't Dream actually does state that he wrote the Book of Answers, though at first it was just his journal. The book is also so complex that the only person other than him to have been able to use it in even the most rudimentary ways was Magician Grey Murphey, during the period of the books where Humphrey was 'missing'.

As for why Diviner, I was thinking that they would have the easiest time casting all kinds of Divination spells, though I did also consider a Cleric with the Knowledge and Magic domains, and I have no idea what I would use for his prohibited school.

Spoiler alert...

the Good Magician Humfrey's whole ascension to being a curious 'human who's almost a gnome' (because of the gradual shift of humanity to magical creatures in Xanth) to full magician is the subject of Question Quest. Double spoiler alert, just in case: First, he went through a bunch of ordeals that might have changed and improved his body, like getting stabbed through the heart by a unicorn, and drown healing in a magical healing spring. Eventually, he actually goes to demon wizard college! Also, he has five and a half wives, one being a gorgon, and another being a demon who is among the others who visit him from hell on a rotating basis. He lives in a giant castle filled with magic items, monsters, and traps, has a number of demon wizard buddies, and out rules lawyered the Demon Xanth himself. His son can summon fruit, too, which doesn't sound great, but it depends on the fruit (Xanth has nuclear cherry bombs).

With all that in mind, I'd make him an epic level gnome wizard, with a history like a PC rather than an NPC.

[Aleolus]

Was it Question Quest that we learn Humphrey's backstory in? I could have sworn it was Demons Don't Dream. Ah well, I suppose that's a moot point. I'm just wondering in terms of mechanics, like PrC's and feats and the like. Things that would make his divinatory abilities virtually flawless