Kerstas's page

A gunslinger makes her mark upon the world with daring deeds. Some gunslingers claim they belong to a mystical way of the gun, but it's more likely that the volatile nature of firearms simply prunes the unlucky and careless from their ranks. Whatever the reason, all gunslingers have grit. In game terms, grit is a fluctuating measure of a gunslinger's ability to perform amazing actions in combat. At the start of each day, a gunslinger gains a number of grit points equal to her Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). Her grit goes up or down throughout the day, but usually cannot go higher than her Wisdom modifier (minimum 1), though some feats and magic items may affect this maximum. A gunslinger spends grit to accomplish deeds (see below), and regains grit in the following ways.

Critical Hit with a Firearm: Each time the gunslinger confirms a critical hit with a firearm attack while in the heat of combat, she regains 1 grit point. Confirming a critical hit on a helpless or unaware creature or on a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the gunslinger's character level does not restore grit.

Killing Blow with a Firearm: When the gunslinger reduces a creature to 0 or fewer hit points with a firearm attack while in the heat of combat, she regains 1 grit point. Destroying an unattended object, reducing a helpless or unaware creature to 0 or fewer hit points, or reducing a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the gunslinger's character level to 0 or fewer hit points does not restore any grit.

Gunslingers spend grit points to accomplish deeds. Most deeds grant the gunslinger some momentary bonus or effect, but there are some that provide longer-lasting effects. Some deeds stay in effect as long as the gunslinger has at least 1 grit point. The following is the list of base gunslinger deeds. A gunslinger can only perform deeds of her level or lower. Unless otherwise noted, a deed can be performed multiple successive times, as long as the appropriate amount of grit is spent to perform the deed.

Up Close and Deadly (Ex): At 1st level, when the pistolero hits a target with a one-handed firearm that is not making a scatter shot, she can spend 1 grit point to deal 1d6 points of extra damage on a hit. If she misses with the attack, she grazes the target, dealing half the extra damage anyway. This is precision damage and is not multiplied if the attack is a critical hit. This precision damage increases to 2d6 at 5th level, to 3d6 at 10th level, to 4d6 at 15th level, and to 5d6 at 20th level. This precision damage stacks with sneak attack and other forms of precision damage. This deed replaces the deadeye deed.

Gunslinger's Dodge (Ex): At 1st level, the gunslinger gains an uncanny knack for getting out of the way of ranged attacks. When a ranged attack is made against the gunslinger, she can spend 1 grit point to move 5 feet as an immediate action; doing so grants the gunslinger a +2 bonus to AC against the triggering attack. This movement is not a 5-foot step, and provokes attacks of opportunity. Alternatively, the gunslinger can drop prone to gain a +4 bonus to AC against the triggering attack. The gunslinger can only perform this deed while wearing medium or light armor, and while carrying no more than a light load.

Quick Clear (Ex): At 1st level, as a standard action, the gunslinger can remove the broken condition from a single firearm she is currently wielding, as long as that condition was gained by a firearm misfire. The gunslinger must have at least 1 grit point to perform this deed. Alternatively, if the gunslinger spends 1 grit point to perform this deed, she can perform quick clear as a move-equivalent action instead of a standard action.

Worn
(free) Explorer’s Outfit
(10 gp) Leather armor – 8 lb.
(12 gp) Warhammer – 5 lb.
(2 gp) Dagger (boot) – 1 lb
Ready in belt
(-) Pistol
(1 gp) 2x belt pouch
(-) Gunsmith’s Kit
(-) Powder horn
(110 gp) 10x bullets/powder
(-) Sling (-)
(26 gp) Backpack
(-) Mess kit
(-) Iron pot
(-) Bedroll
(-) Flint and steel (-)
(-) 50 ft hemp rope
(-) Waterskin
(-) Torches x10
(-) Trail rations x5
(5 gp) Gear maintenance kit
Currency 9 gp

Kerstas is a driven individual. He has dedicated his life to freeing slaves and disrupting the operations of the Technic League. He will use any means necessary to achieve these goals, and feels no remorse for dealing with League members or slavers in as harsh and pragmatic a way as possible. (His attitude is if he commits an evil act against an evil person, it’s not really evil.) He’s not necessarily altruistic, but if he can be convinced that his actions will hurt the League in some way, he will fully endorse the plan of action.

Kerstas was born a slave in Numeria. As far back as he can remember, he was owned by Gonya Yelusi, an alchemist who lived on the outskirts of Starfall. He owned slaves, not only to take care of menial tasks around his home and workshop, but also to use in many of his experiments. Ganyo valued Kerstas’s small stature and manual dexterity for use in some of the more delicate operations in his lab, and so Kerstas was spared any crippling or deadly abuse. However, Ganyo was a cruel master, and many of Kerstas’s fellow slaves ended up dead or disfigured as a result of Ganyo’s experiments.

Gonya was also a high ranking member of the Technic League. He would occasionally throw large, extravagant parties for the League, and Kerstas was used as waitstaff during these gatherings. Being a slave, the party goers paid little attention to him. Thus, he was able to listen in on many conversations related to League business. As time passed and he overheard more and more stories of the League and their dealings, Kerstas became convinced that the whole lot of them were evil, and they must be stopped. He held tight to this conviction, and nursed his anger for several years, until he found an opportunity to act.

Gonya had been given an old, battered and rusted pistol. He spent a few days messing around with it, trying to figure out how to make it work, before he gave up on it and tossed it in the midden. Kerstas saw this happen, and late that night, he retrieved the pistol from the dump. Over the next several weeks, whenever he was able to steal a moment to himself, he cleaned and repaired the pistol, and was able to get it back into working order. He found instructions on its operation in a dusty old tome buried in the back of Gonya’s library. Working in the lab, he was also able to obtain the necessary ingredients for a small batch of black powder. Eventually, he had a fully loaded and operational pistol in his possession.

Even though he now had the means to effect his escape, Kerstas still didn’t quite have the courage to pull off the act. However, the breaking point came only a few days later. Gonya had started a particularly nasty set of experiments on one of the other slaves he owned. The slave’s screams were especially piercing, and finally, Kerstas had enough. He retrieved his pistol, walked up behind Gonya, and shot him in the head, taking half of his skull off with the shot. He then proceeded to free the rest of Gonya’s slaves, and make his escape from Starfall. Ever since, Kerstas has been making his way around Numeria, doing whatever he can to free other slaves, and to disrupt the operations of the Technic League.

Kerstas is convinced the Technic League is behind the extinguishing of the flame in Torch. He has traveled to town to put a stop to their nefarious scheme, and help the town of Torch win its freedom from their oppressors.