Sylvia Calrian's page

Magic Items:
cloak of resistance +1, cracked dusty rose prism ioun stone, cracked orange prism ioun stone (create water), handy haversack, pearl of power (1st), traveler's anytool,

Combat gear:
crossbow bolts (20) dagger, light crossbow, quarterstaff,

Alchemical weapons:
acid, alchemist's fire (2), burst jar, flash powder, liquid ice, shard gel, smoke pellet, smokestick, thunderstone,

Alchemical items:
blackfire clay, bouyant balloon, glowing ink, oil (5), impact foam (2), sunrod,

Spell Components:
alchemical reagents (for Full Pouch) (10), miniature shovel (create pit),

Magic Consumables:
potion of cure light wounds (2), potion of endure elements, potion of lesser restoration (paladin-made) (2), potion of protection from evil, scroll of make whole (2), scroll of mirror image (2), scroll of shrink item, talisman of beneficial winds, wand of lesser restoration (spell and CL 1st) (33 charges), wand of silent image (33 charges),tree feather token (2),

'Background' (mundane) gear:
backpack, bandolier (2), bedroll, belt pouch, bit & bridle, candle (10), cold-weather outfit, courtier's outfit, explorer's outfit, falconry gauntlet, familiar satchel, horse feed (40), bird feed (10), flint and steel, furs, ink, inkpen, lamp, light horse (2), mess kit, mirror, pack saddle, parchment (10), piton (10), portable alchemist's lab, powder (10), riding saddle, 50-foot rope, sack, saddlebags, scrivener's kit, scroll box, signal whistle, silk rope, snowshoes, soap, spell component pouch (2) spellbook (2), string (5), tanglefoot bag, tent (small), torches (10) trail rations (15), travelling spellbook, wandermeal (10), waterproof bag, waterskin (2), wrist sheath (2). 12 pp, 100 gp, 7 sp, 18 cp.
Link to full gear spreadsheet

Leader: Darivan Orlovsky, Bladebound Magus 7
Cohort:
Sylvia Calrian, Human wizard 5
Followers:
Level 1 (8 total, 3 w/PC classes):
Vetia Salrin, Human alchemist 1
Cail, Aasimar (Lawbringer) monk 1
Colin Brasseye, Halfling investigator 1
Thren Stonehelm, Dwarf warrior 1
Zened Merces, Human adept 1
Thalion Skytale, Elf warrior 1
Vlizkial the Cunning, Human adept 1
Tyrek Steelhand, Human warrior

Levels 1-5: +1 HP

Associated School: Conjuration.
Replacement Power: The following school power replaces the acid dart power of the conjuration school.
Shift (Su): At 1st level, you can teleport to a nearby space as a swift action as if using dimension door. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity. You must be able to see the space that you are moving into. You cannot take other creatures with you when you use this ability (except for familiars). You can move 5 feet for every two wizard levels you possess (minimum 5 feet). You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier. (9 times/day)

Whenever you cast a conjuration (summoning) spell, increase the duration by a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your wizard level (minimum 1). This increase is not doubled by Extend Spell. At 20th level, you can change the duration of all summon monster spells to permanent. You can have no more than one summon monster spell made permanent in this way at one time. If you designate another summon monster spell as permanent, the previous spell immediately ends.

Bonded Mind (Teamwork)
You and your partner are so close that you can almost read each other’s minds.
Benefit: As long as you can see each other, you and an ally who also has this feat can trade nonverbal messages. These function as the message spell, except that you don’t need to whisper or point, and you cannot be overheard.
Source: Distant Shores

Share Spells (Teamwork):
You can share individual magic with your partner.
Prerequisite: Bonded Mind, ability to share spells with an animal companion, eidolon, familiar, or phantom, caster level 1st.
Benefit: You can cast a spell with a target of “you” on an ally as a touch spell, as per the share spells familiar ability, so long as the ally possesses the Bonded Mind feat.
Source: Distant Shores

Shamed (Story):
A past humiliation haunts you to this day.
Prerequisite: You must have been publicly embarrassed, or must have the Bastard Born background. If the embarrassment didn’t cause significant harm to your personal honor or social standing, it does not qualify for the feat prerequisites. The humiliation doesn’t need to have been unjustified.
Benefit: Being observed drives you to excel. When you’re in a conflict that is being observed by others not involved in the conflict, you gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls and skill checks.
Goal: You can complete this goal in one of two fashions. First, thwart a chosen foe in a fashion that clearly establishes your superiority to the general public. Second, prove your worth another way, like gaining a title or becoming the chosen hero of a region.
Completion Benefit: Your newfound confidence gives you temporary hit points equal to your character level. These temporary hit points last until lost and refresh any time you rest long enough for natural healing to occur (Core Rulebook 191), whether or not any healing actually occurs.

Scribe Scroll (Item Creation):
You can create magic scrolls.
Prerequisite: Caster level 1st.
Benefit: You can create a scroll of any spell that you know. Scribing a scroll takes 2 hours if its base price is 250 gp or less, otherwise scribing a scroll takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. To scribe a scroll, you must use up raw materials costing half of this base price. See the magic item creation rules in Magic Items for more information.

Craft Wondrous Item (Item Creation):
You can create wondrous items, a type of magic item.
Prerequisite: Caster level 3rd.
Benefit: You can create a wide variety of magic wondrous items. Crafting a wondrous item takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its price. To create a wondrous item, you must use up raw materials costing half of its base price. See the magic item creation rules in Magic Items for more information.
You can also mend a broken wondrous item if it is one that you could make. Doing so costs half the raw materials and half the time it would take to craft that item.

Improved Initiative (Combat):
Your quick reflexes allow you to react rapidly to danger.
Benefit: You get a +4 bonus on initiative checks.

Craft Magic Arms and Armor (Item Creation):
You can create magic armor, shields, and weapons.
Prerequisite: Caster level 5th.
Benefit: You can create magic weapons, armor, or shields. Enhancing a weapon, suit of armor, or shield takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in the price of its magical features. To enhance a weapon, suit of armor, or shield, you must use up raw materials costing half of this total price. See the magic item creation rules in Magic Items for more information.
The weapon, armor, or shield to be enhanced must be a masterwork item that you provide. Its cost is not included in the above cost.
You can also mend a broken magic weapon, suit of armor, or shield if it is one that you could make. Doing so costs half the raw materials and half the time it would take to craft that item in the first place

Issian: (Campaign Trait)
You were raised northern Brevoy, a land of misty shores and harsh hill lands, of snowy vistas and violet-hued mountains. You are descended from an able and intelligent people, and you have grand ambitions, a mind alert for opportunity, and the tenacity to fight for your goals no matter the challenge. You care for little more than achieving your aspirations and opportunities to win wealthy and grandeur, for which few costs prove too great. You see yourself as a citizen of Brevoy through and through. The call for champions willing to help take back your country’s rightful holdings in the Stolen Lands has inflamed your dreams of profit and possibilities, so you have joined an expedition to quest south. Your agile mind grants you a +1 trait bonus on all Will saves made to resist mind-affecting effects.

Arcane Temper: (Magic Trait)
You have quick reactions and fierce concentration. You gain a +1 trait bonus on concentration and initiative checks.

Dependent: (Drawback)
You are dependent upon the acceptance of others. Whenever you fail a Diplomacy check, you become shaken for 1 hour.

Soaring Sprinter: (Combat Trait)
As a youth, you often leaped and ran at treacherous heights, either because it was the only place with enough freedom for you to play or because it was not a good idea to play any lower. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Acrobatics checks to keep your balance or jump, and Acrobatics becomes a class skill for you.
Source: Quests & Campaigns

Gwaihir, “hawk”(peregrine falcon) familiar
N Tiny magical beast
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +18
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +2 size, +3 natural)
HP: 20
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +6
OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Melee 2 talons +5 (1d4-2)
STATISTICS
Str 6, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 7
Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 11
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills +11 acrobatics, +0 appraise, +4 craft (alchemy), +15 fly, +4 Knowledge (Arcana), +0 Knowledge (dungeoneering), +0 Knowledge (engineering), +0 Knowledge (local), +0 Knowledge (geography), +0 Knowledge (history), +4 Knowledge (nature), +0 Knowledge (nobility), +2 Knowledge (planes), +0 Knowledge (religion), +4 linguistics, +18 perception, +4 Spellcraft, +16 Stealth
+8 racial bonus to perception
SQ Improved evasion, share spells, empathetic link, deliver touch spells, speak with master
Personality:
Gwaihir stands as the voice of reason in the group, wiser than her master by a long shot, and is also quite perceptive, taking in the world quite well. She’s happy to stay out of sight most of the time, flying well above her master, or staying perched on Sylvia’s shoulder, while traveling. During combat, she flies around Sylvia or perches on her shoulder, keeping Sylvia alert and staying on hand in case she needs to deliver a spell somewhere, or drop something explosive from the skies.
Backstory:
Sylvia has always loved birds and regularly fed any she found. When she was first learning wizardry under Master Cragjumper, she called a familiar to herself. To her great delight, a noble peregrine falcon answered the call. She took the bird as her familiar, and named the bird Gwaihir, after a fairy tale she had grown up listening to.
I decided to go with a peregrine falcon instead of a hawk because they apparently have the same statistics, and a falcon fits with the France/Spain thematic more than, say, a red-tailed hawk. Also, if you understand the reference in Gwaihir’s name (especially if you didn’t have it look it up), you are a wonderful human being.

Familiars
A familiar is an animal chosen by a spellcaster to aid him in his study of magic. It retains the appearance, Hit Dice, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skills, and feats of the normal animal it once was, but is now a magical beast for the purpose of effects that depend on its type. Only a normal, unmodified animal may become a familiar. An animal companion cannot also function as a familiar.
A familiar grants special abilities to its master, as given on the table below. These special abilities apply only when the master and familiar are within 1 mile of each other.
Levels of different classes that are entitled to familiars stack for the purpose of determining any familiar abilities that depend on the master's level.
If a familiar is dismissed, lost or dies, it can be replaced 1 week later through a specialized ritual that costs 200 gp per wizard level. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete.
Familiar Basics: Use the basic statistics for a creature of the familiar's kind, but with the following changes.
Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master's character level or the familiar's normal HD total, whichever is higher.
Hit Points: The familiar has half the master's total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice.
Attacks: Use the master's base attack bonus, as calculated from all his classes. Use the familiar's Dexterity or Strength modifier, whichever is greater, to calculate the familiar's melee attack bonus with natural weapons.
Damage equals that of a normal creature of the familiar's kind.
Saving Throws: For each saving throw, use either the familiar's base save bonus (Fortitude +2, Reflex +2, Will +0) or the master's (as calculated from all his classes), whichever is better. The familiar uses its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn't share any of the other bonuses that the master might have on saves.
Skills: For each skill in which either the master or the familiar has ranks, use either the normal skill ranks for an animal of that type or the master's skill ranks, whichever is better. In either case, the familiar uses its own ability modifiers. Regardless of a familiar's total skill modifiers, some skills may remain beyond the familiar's ability to use. Familiars treat Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Perception, Stealth, and Swim as class skills.
Alertness (Ex): While a familiar is within arm's reach, the master gains the Alertness feat.
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a familiar takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.
Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of "You" on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).
Empathic Link (Su): The master has an empathic link with his familiar to a 1 mile distance. The master can communicate empathically with the familiar, but cannot see through its eyes. Because of the link's limited nature, only general emotions can be shared. The master has the same connection to an item or place that his familiar does.
Deliver Touch Spells (Su): If the master is 3rd level or higher, a familiar can deliver touch spells for him. If the master and the familiar are in contact at the time the master casts a touch spell, he can designate his familiar as the "toucher." The familiar can then deliver the touch spell just as the master would. As usual, if the master casts another spell before the touch is delivered, the touch spell dissipates.
Speak with Master (Ex): If the master is 5th level or higher, a familiar and the master can communicate verbally as if they were using a common language. Other creatures do not understand the communication without magical help.

59 pages used
0-level spells
Acid Splash, Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Flare, Ghost Sound, Haunted Fey Aspect, Light, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost, Read Magic, Resistance, Spark.

1st-level spells:
Protection from evil, endure elements, shield, grease, mage armor, mount, unseen servant, silent image, vanish, enlarge person, feather fall, crafter’s fortune, alarm

2nd-level spells:
Resist energy, full pouch, create pit, glitterdust, web, stone call, invisibility, levitate,

3rd-level spells:
Aqueous orb, shrink item, fly, sleet storm

Sylvia loves attention, in any form she can get it. She’s not content to merely be noticeable- she has to be wildly different and unique. All she really wants is to become well-known, and escape the “face in the crowd” mentality of her childhood-while she’s been unique for a good portion of her life now, she still has a need to have attention and to be different. She does everything she can to stand out, changing her hair color at least daily using prestidigitation, and wearing bright (and frequently revealing) clothing. While she’s not the most exertive person, she’s nonetheless quite the figure. However, she’s not stupid, and when in combat, she gladly stays off to the side, manipulating the battlefield to enhance her allies’ abilities. Also keenly aware of her limitations, if she is confronted when obviously outmatched and/or without any allies, she flees.
Much like Darivan, she sees the need for the greater good, but also is more free-spirited than he is. However, she also has strong personal discipline, and obeys much more of her own code than that of the surrounding nation. As a casual follower of Shelyn, she tries to bring beauty to wild places, but venerates the goddess much more as someone who appreciates self-expression and leaving a mark on the world.

The second youngest of twelve siblings, Sylvia always faded into the background. Born in northern Brevoy, she was always a genius, but could never gain any attention from her parents, and always sought to distinguish herself from her siblings.
Sylvia had begun pestering Master Cragjumper (named for his lightning magics, 'jumping from crag to crag'), a local wizard, when she was six; her burgeoning intellect interested the mage, and while he refused his permission for her to become his apprentice then (and for many years afterwards), his answer was never "No," and always "Not yet." When she was eleven, Cragjumper finally paid a visit to her parents, and told them bluntly that if they didn't know what kind of treasure they had living in their house, he at least did, and if they didn't give their permission for the girl to leave with him that very day as his apprentice, he'd return in a fortnight with not only a royal writ ordering the move, he'd personally engage to make sure that lightning would strike whatever place they were in every night for a year. Unsurprisingly, they allowed Sylvia to leave, and the girl hasn't looked back since. Unfortunately, one of the first things Sylvia learned from her master was his sense of tact. This was soon followed by the mystic art of reading while riding, and balancing a dozen books on horseback without dropping a single one.
When Master Cragjumper, was assigned to replace Rimefort's recently-slain wizard, along the way a magus and his apprentice, an incredibly annoying (from Sylvia’s perspective, anyway) boy named Darivan, who was born to some noble family, yada yada, Sylvia didn’t bother to listen, and barely gave him the time of day (at the start of their journey, that is). However, within a few days, she had discovered in Darivan an intellect that is almost sufficient for her. Proximity did the rest, and by the end of the ride she's only reading when Sir Waincroft has sent Darivan off on a task; the rest of the time, the two are engrossed in conversation that is significantly more serious and intellectual than typically found in teenaged discussions.
Though both Sir Waincroft and Master Cragjumper were are rotated out of Rimefort after six months, the squire and the apprentice kept in contact, writing daily letters to each other. Three months of 'soft city living', as well as the two masters' recognition of the growing bond between their charges, resulted in Waincroft and Cragjumper petitioning to receive reassignment back to Cragfort for another six months. After watching their charges for another half-year, and recognizing the dynamic and potential synergy between Darivan and Sylvia, the two quietly arranged for linked postings thereafter to let the pair learn and grow together.
To her intense embarrassment, Darivan managed something she never could: air magic. Despite all of her master’s instructions, she never could coax even the smallest jolt of lightning, the gentlest breeze, with all of her arcane skill. While, to this day, she still laughs at Darivan’s accident with shocking grasp, she still tries to master the winds and storm, just like her master. Unable to outdo Darivan’s ability with lightning, she turned to the next best thing: jealousy. Studying arcane tomes for hours every day, she learned to teleport short distances, a skill Darivan has always envied.
Her natural talent, and skill with teleportation, encouraged her master to let her ‘graduate’ early, and she was released from her apprenticeship and announced a fully-capable wizard a full two months before Darivan was knighted. After Sir Orlovsky was released from his master, she set off with him, as the two adventured together.

Stats:
Okay, so, right off the start, I’m just going to put it out there: I did not come into this trying to make a hyper min-maxed character. If I wanted a super-powerful spellcaster that would put everyone else to shame, I would have made them my main character and would have done way more min-maxing and munchkinry. As is, I like to create my characters “story-first.” That is, I come up with an image in my head of them before the first stat is written. As it was, after coming up with Sylvia’s story, I needed to show how she was, indeed, a genius, even in a world where it seems that 16+ intelligence is somewhat commonplace amongst adventurers, and basically mandatory amongst spellcasters. I did that by lowering strength (though not to the minimum- I don’t like super top-heavy characters, so to speak) and pumping up intelligence to the top. Even then, 18 isn’t all too impressive by wizard standards, so naturally the human +2 went to Int. Now that’s more in line with a very skilled adventuring wizard! However.… At the time, between all of his bonuses, Darivan (as my main character) had an equal intelligence to her (15 starting, +1 level-up, +2 headband, +2 racial), which just seemed redundant, not to mention slightly odd story-wise. So, I picked up the alternate racial trait for human which gave up a bonus feat to give their animal mount, familiar, cohort, etc. a +2 bonus to any ability score. This, naturally, went to intelligence, boosting her to a superhuman 22 starting intelligence. From there, it was just a quick level 4 ability increase away from 23. Which fit the concept of her being a super-genius perfectly. To balance for her godly low-level intelligence, I didn’t do the recommended measures of dropping strength, wisdom, and charisma all the way to 7, putting their stats in dexterity and constitution. Instead, I tried to balance Sylvia out a bit more, and spread her stats out accordingly. While, admittedly, all of her other stats are on the low side, they also fit her story well. She was physically weak, so she turned to magic. She has an inner strength, but is quite rash and foolish. She is beautiful and impressionable, but also isn’t very forceful with her will. She’s quick, to be sure, but not super fast, and not all too nimble, but she still has a steady hand. As an additional measure to ensure she wouldn’t dominate the battlefield with tons of high-DC spells, I gave her a largely supporting spell selection, so she could control the battlefield, diverting her enemies to her allies, not blowing them to smithereens. Again, this fits with her personality, where she leaves the heavy lifting to Darivan. He is the one with the sword, after all. Who knows? Maybe I took it too far in the opposite direction for spells prepared. After all, the only two real damage spells she has are Summon Monster III and Sleet Storm (and Create Pit, if you count that).
Traits:
Issian: Well, Sylvia was born in southern Issia, and some of her heritage has bled through, but this also represents a slight resilience that she has developed, and her stubbornness.
Dependent: Sylvia wants to stand out, and any time she makes a bad impression or fails to make any impression at all, she feels worthless and like she can’t achieve anything.
Soaring Sprinter: Sylvia and Darivan both love the skies. When they were younger, they would often play around on the highest battlements of the fort they lived in. In addition to just her time with Darivan, Sylvia frequently dreamed of flying, and would climb, jump, and run on narrow ledges far more than Darivan would dare to do. One day, she hopes to rule the skies, but for now, she can’t quite grasp the arcana needed to fully master air magic. In fact, no matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to control winds even a little bit.
Arcane Temper: This is also from her exceptionally fast mind, allowing her to respond to situations faster than someone else with a similar build could, and a representation of her fierce willpower and ability to concentrate.
Feats:
So, like Darivan, Sylvia's exceptionally fast mind allows her to respond with supernatural speed, hence Improved Initiative. Share Spells goes along the same lines as Bonded mind; they are simply so close, she’s overcome the traditional mind-blocks a wizard has, allowing her to target Darivan as though he were a part of her.
Having spent quite a bit of time apprenticed to a semi-skilled wizard (I’d place him at around level 6-7, so not too noteworthy), Sylvia spent a lot of time doing duties for her master; namely, a lot of item crafting. Hence, Craft Wondrous Item. I also gave her Craft Magical Arms and Armor for much the same reason; having worked with Darivan for a long time, helping him create masterful works of weapons and armor, even imbuing some of it with magic.
Finally, Shamed. First off, she’s not actually been shamed, but rather, she doesn’t need to redeem herself, just prove herself, stepping outside the bounds of her large family and out of the shadow she’s lived in her entire life. While she is quite distinctive already, and has quite the name for herself, she still won’t feel unique enough until she has shown everybody that she can do a good job, and everybody knows who she is.
Gear:
Sylvia keeps most of her heavy items with Darivan. He’ll either carry them or have them in his cart. If they can’t take a cart, or she’ll be separated from Darivan, she either uses floating disc or leaves her heavy gear at camp/with her horse. She keeps her wand of silent image stored in one of her wrist sheath, and a potion of CLW in the other. Her pearl of power is kept close to hand, disguised as part of a charm necklace alongside her talisman of beneficial winds and a tree feather token.
As to why she has the gear she does, she likes to keep a good variety of alchemical items on hand to give her plenty of options for full pouch. As a skilled alchemist (though, admittedly, she started learning alchemy to make hair dyes, before finally settling on simply using prestidigitation), she always has her alchemist’s lab with her unless she’s traveling light. She also uses shrink item regularly, both for transportation and as an offensive maneuver (until recently, she had a cape that was actually gallons of water, but she used it about a week ago). She’ll frequently shrink boulders, barrels of water, giant fires, and even a tree once, to use as weapons or battlefield control. (To simplify things, she won’t be starting the game with any shrunken items.)
Her Ioun stones she typically stored away, but if she’s traveling, exploring, or expecting trouble, she releases her cracked dusty rose prism, appreciating the extra reaction times it gives her. She only takes out her cracked orange prism when she actually needs to create water.