The Alchemical Speedster

Born as Cornelius Wickham in 1847, a brilliant but morally bankrupt chemist who dabbled in forbidden pursuits, The Alchemical Speedster was once a man obsessed with transcending human limitation through the marriage of science and the occult. After a catastrophic laboratory accident left him suspended between life and death—his body ravaged by experimental compounds that should have killed him instantly—Wickham made a dark pact with a rogue artificer named Madame Kess, trading away what remained of his natural mortality in exchange for the very apparatus that now keeps him tethered to existence. For over fifty years, he has existed in this liminal state, his consciousness sharp and cunning while his physical form slowly unravels beneath the surface, held together only by the constant flow of alchemical vapors and the intricate machinery grafted to his spine. The compounds pumping through his system have become his addiction and his salvation, generating the superhuman velocity that allows him to slip through the world unseen while simultaneously preventing the violent rejection that would tear him apart in seconds if the infusion ever ceased. Stripped of genuine human connection and bound eternally to the very apparatus he despises, The Alchemical Speedster has become a phantom of the Victorian underworld, using his impossible speed for theft and murder, viewing other lives as mere obstacles to his survival. His alignment shifted toward cruelty long ago—if he cannot truly live, he reasons, then perhaps orchestrating the deaths of others provides a grim substitute for the sensation of genuine existence.

Strength

12, modifier +1

Dexterity

20, modifier +5

Constitution

16, modifier +3

Intelligence

18, modifier +4

Wisdom

14, modifier +2

Charisma

10, modifier +0

Rapid Strike

Make two melee attacks with a dagger. Each attack deals 1d6 + 5 piercing damage.

Alchemical Burst

Release a cloud of alchemical vapors in a 15 ft. radius. Each creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or take 4d6 poison damage and be poisoned until the end of their next turn.

Speedy Escape

Dash as a bonus action, allowing him to move an additional 60 feet. Can only be used once per short rest.

Phantom Thief

Attempt to steal an item from a creature within 5 feet. Make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by the target's Wisdom (Perception). On success, he takes the item without being noticed.

Alchemical Infusion

The Speedster gains advantage on saving throws against poison and disease.

Velocity Surge

Once per turn, when moving, he can add an extra 30 feet to his speed.

strength

+1

dexterity

+9

constitution

+7

intelligence

+8

Fire

Poison