GRIT: 2/2
Special Attacks deeds (deadeye, quick clear, steady aim), grit (2), studied target +1 (1st, move action), Pepperbox - move action reload each barrel, Musket - move action to reload each barrel.
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Statistics
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Str 17, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +2; CMB +5; CMD 18
Feats Gunsmith Theme {Quick Draw, Two-weapon, No AoO on first Draw, Can Holster (1) One-handed Firearm as a swift action on next round}, Early Firearms (Campaign Feat), Gunsmithing[UC], Point-blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload (Two-Handed Firearm)
Traits Reactionary, Rich Parents
Skills Bluff +5, Craft (alchemy) +4, Diplomacy +2, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +4, Knowledge (geography) +4, Knowledge (local) +4, Perception +6, Profession (Constable) +6, Ride +5, Sense Motive +6, Stealth +5, Survival +6
Languages Common
SQ Accuracy, Gunsmith
RHC STIPEND GEAR ARMOR Chain Shirt (100 stipend crowns, 25 lbs),
CLOTHING RHC Badge (+1 bluff/diplomacy/intimidate - Risur citizens only, RHC Owned, Free), RHC Watch (inscribed with RHC motto and engraved with the emblem of Risur), RHC Owned, Free),
WEAPONS (2)Double-Barreled Pistols (+5/1d8 or +1/2d8, 20', Cap 2, 875 stipend crown pair, 10 lbs pair), (1) Masterwork Double-Barreled Musket (+6/1d12 or +2/2d12, 40', Cap 2, 925 stipend crowns, 11 lbs, secured in RHC weapon's rack near front door where all rifles assigned are kept until the Constables head out), heavily modified Pemberton Model Twelve - Must be reported! STORED IN RHC LOCKER GO BAG Masterwork backpack (50 cps, 4 lbs), bedroll (1 sps, 5 lbs), canteen, chewing stick, comb (0.2 lb), hairbrush (0.3 lb), hemp rope (50 ft.), mess kit, mirror, nail file (0.1 lb), pot, powder horn, scissors (0.3 lb), soap, sponge, tooth powder (0.1 lb), trail rations (5)
PRIVATLY OWNED GEAR (All weapons and RHC assigned gear must be registered with RHC) CLOTHING Cowboy Outfit w/ Duster (Free, 0 lbs), (2) Bandoliers (5 sps, 0 lbs, manacles, gunsmith's kit, flint and steel, 29 Firedust Cold-Iron rounds in each, 3x Cure Light Potions), belt pouch (coin, ), 9 sp, 8 cp, 66 Stipend Crows remain
Restricted: Uniform patches must be removed after leaving the RHC.
WEAPONS Steel Gladius (+5, 1d6+3, 15 cps, 3 lbs, in safe), Sap (+5, 1d6+3(Non-lethal), 1 cp, 2 lbs)
STORED AT HOME Steel Bayonet (+5, 1d6+4, 5 cps, 1lb, in safe), Pepperbox with 6 firedust cartridges (paper, Cold-Iron, 36 cps, 0 lbs)(+5, 1d8, 20', 6 cap, 750 cps, 5 lbs, loaded in safe), Battered Musket (Needs Repair, +5, 1d12, 40', Cap 1, Free, 9 lbs, unloaded in safe), RHC Gentleman's Dress Uniform (RHC Owned, Free), Soldiers Uniform (RHC, Free, 0 lbs, Restricted),
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Special Abilities
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Accuracy (Ex) Halve range penalties with bows, crossbows, and firearms.
Grit (Ex) Gain a pool of points that are spent to fuel deeds, regained on firearm crit/killing blow.
Gunsmithing You can use a gunsmithing kit to craft/repair firearms and ammo.
Point-Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Precise Shot You don't get -4 to hit when shooting or throwing into melee.
Rapid Reload (Musket) You can reload fast with one type of Crossbow or Firearm.
Studied Target +1 (move action, 1 at a time) (Ex) Study foe as a Move action, gain +1 to att/dam & some skills vs. them.
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BACKGROUND:
Five background and concept elements important to Willem Muhnee
1) As a boy, Willem Muhnee was born into a close knit family of (8) and grew up on the family horse ranch in between Flint and Slate where he took a great interest in firearms. His father was a gunsmith by trade but of course helped his wife, Willem's mother, with the ranch. Willem's mother was the main horse breeder. The couple sold their horses to Risur's military and citizens. [Roots are Important to Willem, Riding, Rich Parents]
2) Growing up in the country, he was taught that firearms are used for hunting, protection, and observed in some cases, a status symbol. Every ranch and farm boy dreams about being the best gunslinger and/or hunter, and these boys go to great lengths to prove they are the best by practicing hours a day before, during, and after their chores. Willem was one of these inspiring gunslingers, and even a hunter. [Most of the Slayer Class, Reactionary (because of Firearm play not bullied), Early Firearms, and Gunsmithing Theme with Feat].
3) When Willem turned seventeen, the ranch could no longer provide what he needed especially in firearm advancement so he moved to the city. Being from the country, it was hard to find a job in the city so he enlisted into the military. At the academy, they placed Willem into the Risur's Foot Dragoons (Basically Motorized Infantry or Infantry who rides on horseback - also a Risur special forces unit) because of his A-type personality, ability to already ride a horse, his ability to essentially hunt down enemies, and engage them both from range and hand-to-hand combat. While in the Foot Dragoons, he developed a knack for sensing enemy motives and taking advantage of their weaknesses [Armor, Martial Weapons, Sense Motive, and Shield Use]
4) Willem served (1) Tour in the Yerasol War and was injured in combat. An enemy combatant stabbed Willem with an unfixed bayonet, then Willem took it out and killed the enemy with his own bayonet. However Willem's injuries would take him out of the rest of the war since it ended the same year he sustained his injuries. After recovering, he was detached to the Academy and finish out the rest of his tour as a Foot Dragoon Drill Instructor.[Possible synergy with Emerson Hill, Willem's Bayonet Trophy, Intimidate, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot]
5) Viscount Nigel Price-Hill recruited Willem from the academy for both hearing good things about him and that he is an Yerasol Veteran. Unfortunately, Willem's (2) year employment with the RHC has been somewhat lackluster. Mainly because he has an egotistical "cretin" for a boss and gives him menial tasks such as filing case paper work and taking out the trash. Willem was becoming pretty sour with RHC life and the nonsense politics that plague the RHC. In fact, he was beginning to think about ending his employment with the RHC for the next chapter in his life. Regardless of what Willem felt, he always kept a serious face when it was time to be serious and would laugh when it was time to laugh. When asked to do menial tasks, he would go beyond what was needed such as actually making sure the files where straight and properly organized. In addition, he would clean out the trash cans instead of just emptying them. From time to time, he would enter notes into Constable inboxes and the suggestion box of what his gut reaction or training was telling him regarding a case that the Constables and investigators were working on.[Lead into the RHC, Diplomacy]
Two goals that are important to Willem.
1. Since Willem has great national pride, like most who fill the ranks of the RHC, he wants to change the firearm capital of the world from Drakr to Risur.
2. When Willem first joined the RHC, his heart was set on continuous and gradual promotion to Assistant Chief Inspector and/or Chief Inspector. Unless things improve, he currently has second thoughts.
Two secrets about Willem, one that he knows, and one that he not yet aware of.
1. [SECRET] Willem had a week long secret liaison with the young and single District Mayor of Stray River, Chrystine Robinson. They met while Willem was visiting Constable Emerson Hill.
2. [UNKNOWN SECRET] to Willem, he has someone watching over him for the good in the RHC. I mean, why did he get transferred from his current low key assignment to a highly visible detail if he didn't? People usually do not get sent to high visibility details to fill spots with bodies.
Four people that are tied to Willem, three are friends and one is an enemy.
1. Academy and 4th Yearsol War buddy, Constable Emerson Hill.
2. District Mayor Chrystine Robinson - They met each other during the Stray River festival when he first visited Flint to visit with Constable Emerson Hill and will move there once reassigned to Flint Division. In appearance, it is a District Mayor caring about her citizens.
3. Willem Father and Mother, Jon and Mira Muhnee for firearm supplies and horses. They live between Flint
4. Unknown Enemy - Someone is also trying to sabotage Willem's career in the RHC. Hence the reason, why he has had crap duties for the last two years until now. Willem is simply a pawn of a secret and significant enough protagonist and antagonist.
Four memories, mannerisms or quirks Willem possesses.
1. Carries around a Bayonet Trophy of an enemy combatant from the Yerasol War. Initially, the enemy stabbed Willem with it leaving it in his chest, then Willem pulled it out and killed the enemy with his own bayonet.
2. Willem gunslinger stare is very intimidating [Similar to Clint Eastwood's gunslinger stare in Pale Rider and Unforgiven. This is his star when he intimidates people and using firearms.].
3. Willem talks like country folk, y'all and not a "refined gentleman" like those of Slate and Flint. Perhaps that is the reason he receives the treatment that he receives from senior Constables in the RHC?"
4. Willem is a by the book, type-A constable. There is no such thing as the Spirit of the Law, there is only The Law.
GM IM SUGGESTIONS
*RHC Slate Branch (the Risuri capital where the RHC Director Nigel Price-Hill heads up the branch). He's came up to being full Constable through the "traditional" ways of being apprenticed to a senior Constable, but essentially he's been relegated to crap assignments and slog details for a variety of reasons, and his "mentor" Burton Glix (a goblin slayer class) has neither been very good or fair to him, seeing your PC as not worth his time in light of high profile assignments. What's worse is that your PC has seen other Constable arrivals from RHC Flint Branch (the main training/evaluation location for RHC prospect and talent in the last two years), getting posher posts and assignments than your guy has. Not to say that your PC doesn't have friendly associations at RHC Slate Branch, but you've definitely become disgusted with the politics and entrenched favoritism there. This will set things up nicely for a branch transfer that makes sense after the first day's adventures. What do you think about that as something to work in for your recent history?
***Physical Description***
Willem is a tall human male with above average build. He has brown hair, brown eyes, and a light unshaven appearance due to facial hair growing faster than the average person. Like most constables, his RHC uniform is impeccable and he wears an unusual heavy leather duster and brimmed (cowboy) hat which believe or not mixes well with the uniform. It appears that he wears detachable spurs which sound impressive and even more so on wooden floors. Willem wears (2) bandoleers in a criss-crossed pattern carrying ammunition and his trophy bayonet upside down on it. On his RHC utility belt, he carries a sap, a small sword in a scabbard, a pair of normal manacles, and a holstered decorated multi-barreled pistol in pristine condition.
***Personality***
Willem by nature is a type-A personality compiled with the fact he knows that someone is both looking out for him and at the same time, another person is trying to sabotage his career. So Willem does everything by the book, completes the task at hand quickly, and efficiently. However, this does not mean that Willem does not have an open mind for some things such as weapon design. But when it comes to the RHC, there is no Spirit of the Law, there is only the Law. When he is asked by Burton Glix to take out the trash or clean up the garbage, not only does he clean the garbage he was asked to take out, he takes out all of the garbage, and even cleans the waste baskets.
A section to help me remember important things during a campaign.
DM VORD wrote:
Well consider that as you level up (and so your WBL goes up), the campaign allows you more ability to "requisition" gear that you need, within reason of course. From a Gunsmith crafting perspective we'll calculate the requisition cost in terms of the materials you need to craft and not the full value of the firearm.
So with your traited 900gp start, use whatever you need to in order to comfortably gear up your man (including early firearms), but just know that an increase in stipend will be coming at some point which can afford you something you don't have the funds to start out with. Some of that stipend increase may be to chip in for a group item (i.e. curing wand) but for the most part the gear choices are yours to decide, including if you "keep" a found item and pay in the value for it. The whole thing is simply a different way of tracking wealth acquisitions from the classic treasure hunting/looting motif we're typically used to.
You're correct that the theme feats do have development as the campaign gets farther in, though it's not necessarily about enhancements to the related feat itself. Each theme will provide both role-playing opportunities as well as material benefits at various points in the story. In some cases it could make an encounter easier by virtue of having the theme. In other cases it could have an enhancement to an ability. The Gunsmith theme (from what I can tell so far in the modules I've read) will allow you to have opportunities to come across newer unique weapons and ammunition - which you'll be able to then craft yourself or purchase at an advantage that non-Gunsmiths won't have access to then. That's the overall flavor of that theme feat.
While I don't really want to tweak the mechanics of the feat too much right now, I have been looking at an option to re-holster at a certain action economy, because it's essentially stupid that the feat allows for one or two pistol draws, only to have you "drop" a pistol to the ground to affect a reload. Stupid notion, so I will probably make that change for those of you who have the theme feat (three of you). Right now I'm leaning to making that a swift action to re-holster, or maybe a free action but not in the same round that the pistol(s) is/are drawn, that sort of thing.
You are right that stuff is "requisitioned" out of RHC Quartermaster's office and you have a salary/stipend to cover your expenses, but the whole thing is really a way to help explain the WBL game mechanics. I think you can fit that in there to start though as long as you go light on the armor choice and gear - since you are given an "Average" Cost-of-living Stipend you don't have to pay for gear items under 1gp. Don't worry about having a full gear load like you are going on an expedition, as the first mission is in the city for a major celebration event. Plus you get a pocketwatch and couple of other things RHC-based - the second post in the Discussion Tab has that for ya.
Yeah I love your take on how your character puts up with the RHC Slate Branch politics and finding some humor with his predicament with Burton Glix. Burton and several others are on an elite team for RHC Slate called "Resilience" and they are about to fill an open slot on their team with an accomplished constable/spy from RHC Flint named Makala Fileccia. So perhaps another notch in your PC's notion of favoritism, but to be fair he would also know he hasn't run enough out-country missions to earn the spot. The problem is how he can get assignments to get experience and credibility if he's never put on any good missions to get there. I think that's a good theme you can sink your teeth into (as we all have encountered that to some degree in RL right).
By the way, your character's potential willingness to put up with crap assignments even though its unfair and not utilizing your skills is what is going to get you to Flint on the 1st Day of Spring for the maiden voyage ofRNS Coaltongue, running security detail for the crowds before the King's arriving processional. You've been brought along with several other constables by Viscount Price-Hill for the occasion, though you're obviously the "gopher" on-loan. Better than reviewing briefing reports in your small office back in Slate right?
So some background stuff to help you: The Fourth Yerasol War is what sets the backdrop for a lot of the context of current year 500 AOV. The war ended seven years ago (493 AOV) and was fought almost exclusively in the tropical islands that exist between Risur and Danor. Think of it a bit like a Vietnam proxy, with Risur losing most of its colonial island possessions. So if you are a Yerasol War veteran (and you could even take a theme feat on that if you don't want to go Gunsmith "Man with Two Guns..." theme), your age is going to have to reflect that you were old enough to be involved in the war seven or more years ago. In terms of military forces there's basically Risur Navy (w/ Marines being an adjunct to the Navy) and Risur Army (and certainly a dragoons cavalry would be part of that, though not much opportunity for calvary clashes in the Yerasol War of the tropics). Another character (Arthur Wilde) was in the Risur Army as a sapper-type, so lots of opportunity to have connections with that. Past that, the specific regiments or designation names have not been fleshed out in Zeitgeist, so the flavor is open to your creativity. To be safe you'd probably want to go with a 17th-18th British Army motif to give it the proper flavor, though Risur is still a nation of late renaissance-era military weaponry and formations, with early era firearms having a limited (but ever increasing) role in the last decade.
The RHC leader (Viscount Nigel Price-Hill) favors veterans of the Yerasol War, so perhaps that ties into why you were chosen as a constable in RHC Slate Branch in 497 AOV. Still, you have to account then for roughly what you "did" after the war ended in 493 to becoming a constable in 497, so that's something to consider. The last seven years have had no major conflicts, but the assumption is that the Army and Navy have been ramping up for the (some say inevitable) next war between the nations.
Oh and Rich Parents trait and them having a horse ranch or connections to the capital of Slate? That's a great idea! It just means that you'd not have much inner knowledge of Flint, but that's not a problem for the campaign to start with. What's that trait give you -- enough funds then for your firearms/weapons/armor/gear choices then?
Heh well I figure they're going for the old original "plug" bayonet notion from the 17th Century, but to your point that was innovated pretty quickly by a century later right. How about we do this - once you reach 2nd level you can "innovate" a design change (in a planned interim period) for a better bayonet with your Gunsmith knowledge - perhaps collaborating with Byron's character Emerson Hill as he will be taking a level in Gunslinger and also has the Gunsmith theme feat. So does the Francis Kane character. I might even be able to work that into the story from a notoriety standpoint! So you'll just have to put up with the plug bayonet for 1st level and can even weave that into the storyline.
Now since the Slayer has all Martial Weapons you can use a musket or any of the 'early firearms' right now, so I would think that negates the need for you to burn that Slayer Rogue Talent at 2nd level. All 'early firearms' are available to you as long as you have the starting funds or "RHC Salary" to acquire them.
Now the way "advanced" firearms are going to work in Zeitgeist is a bit unique. Some do exist (Constable Josiah Crux has a specialized Drakran steel pepperbox rifle), but they are rare and the secrets zealously guarded by the master gunsmiths (mostly Drakran) that have invented them - no mass production in existence at all. That being said, some of these secrets and master gunsmiths are revealed or are able to be learned from over the course of the Zeitgeist campaign (particularly IF you have the Gunsmith theme feat that gives you "Man w/ 2 Guns..."). So I envision you one day getting to either buy or make that super-awesome rifle, but it's going to be a while and only when the campaign trickles it out to Gunsmiths in the storylines.
Given all that, I don't see why you would need a Kn: Engineering or Craft: Firearms to create/modify/repair firearms, as to me it's all in the feat. I think the only exception is if you're trying to make specialized alchemical cartridges...but you have PC allies that have Craft: Alchemy, so collaboration will be easy enough for that if desired.
As far as the campaign goes, we could do that. Maybe have a working relationship in that we've run into each other during various parts of our career. Maybe attended the same military academy?
Better yet, we were in the same dorm room during basic academy, then separated into different specialties after basic (Emerson Marines and Willem Light Calvary Infantry), then met up during an assault landing during the War (Yerasol) which Willem was injured.
So how do you feel about the feel and style of him so far? Do you need anything speculated or cooked up with background context to your history for better detail or immersion? If you have starting thoughts on any background to other referenced RHC Slate constables and where you stand with them that's fine (I think we're establishing that your formal "mentor" the goblin Burton Glix will have delighted in being a hard-case bastard to you over the past two years right). Also, the more I think about it the more I think I'd like to start your intro on ship and write you a mini-scene where you can have a couple posts' interactions all your own before I throw everybody forward to the afternoon event. Of course I'll introduce you before that first ship scene in Discussion Tab so you can say hello and all that.
The friends and enemies don't have to be signature NPC's at all, and they also don't have to be life-and-death enemies either. They could be very unfriendly rivals or someone that could make his life miserable in a non-lethal way, but definitely something that is a personal grudge and not just mere antagonism. To that point I'd prefer that you don't make Willem's "mentor" Burton Glix an enemy - he's just someone that illustrates some of the crap and unfairness of the RHC system that Willem came up through at Slate...something I may draw out in a scene or two in the near future! Now you can make an enemy a blood enemy if you'd like - I don't know that I will use all of the "friends and enemies" of the various characters but I may work some in if I can find something plausible in the storyline. For now it's more of something that you can use to help define your character and perhaps call up in a flashback or background context for depth.
I think the place where Willem will eventually live in Flint is great - just note that he lives in the capital of Slate at the time of the game's start...but that will change soon enough (assuming you all live heh heh heh dun dun duuuunnnnn). So just keep that in your back pocket and I'll arrange a "transfer" when it makes sense. It's certainly plausible that he's been to Flint before and even met the Stray Mayor on a prior assignment, so that's a perfectly fine tie-in to why he likes Flint and such.
The stuff with Willem's family is great -- if anything it helps to provide a little flavor of something going on that's "not" in Flint or a major city of Risur.
