Social Status: Working Poor, Base: Lower Class
Housing: Simple existing home, Market District
Guiding Spirit (Magic): Few understand the medium’s willingness to harbor powerful spirits, but even if you aren’t one of these talented few, you’ve always identified with their abilities. You’ve always felt that you were not alone in this world and that a mysterious guiding spirit watches over you with singular focus. You may have briefly glimpsed this strange spirit—or maybe you simply feel its presence in times of need. Once per day as a swift action, you can look to your guiding spirit for advice. The next time you roll a d20 in that same round, roll twice and pick the better result. If one of these two rolls is a natural 20, you can use this ability again that same day.
Backstory:
An ailing child. Prayer to heal.
A home ablaze. Strength to provide rescue.
A vile attack. A flashing blade to turn back evil.
Anders Keseth's life was simple once. He didn't know what each day would bring, but he knew that no matter what challenge he faced, that he and his brothers and sisters of the Order of Protectors would be ready to handle it. Unfortunately, that illusion was shattered, just before the end of the Huun siege.
It was a day like so many before it, the massive siege engines launching their projectiles at the city. Anders and a squad of other paladins were on patrol through the Outer Quarter, when Wexler, another paladin of their order, came running up to them, shouting for help; a group of children had gone exploring and were trapped beneath a collapsed building!
They rushed to follow and began digging through the rubble when suddenly there was a sharp cry from behind. Anders turned to find ten robed figures wielding long, crescent knives. In the center was Wexler, standing over Vitania with a similar, but more elaborate looking bloody knife in hand, smiling. "One. Only four more to go. Any volunteers?" Wexler asked as he looked towards the group of six remaining paladins.
The battle was short and bloody. The disguised figures used some kind of magic to slow and paralyze the paladins, but they still sustained some losses, exploding in a brilliant flash of light as they were run through. Right as the battle seemed that it was about to turn in favor of Anders and his companions, the shelling resumed, there was a crash, and then darkness.
Anders awoke barely able to breathe. His vision was a dim, but slowly brightening pinhole of light. After a moment that seemed to stretch on as far as that point of light, the world snapped into focus, the crackle of fire, the smell of burning pitch and boiling blood. An armored boot clanked down next to Anders's head. He couldn't look up, but he knew who it was from the voice. "Five. All done. Looks like you get to live. Well, if you manage to survive being crushed by a two story building. I'll make sure to check in on you when I get back, though you may not recognize me then," the chuckling man said. As he turned and walked away, Anders swore he saw the ruby pommel of the now sheathed crescent dagger glow just barely.
As he lay in pain, hardly able to breathe due to the stone and lumber crushing down on him, Anders fell back on his training and tried to survey the damage. Several of his friends lied still with obviously gaping wounds. One had been ignited and was now burning, though by the look of his throat, he never felt the lick of flame. Five... then there must be another alive? Frantically, Anders strained against the rubble pinning him to the ground and just barely managed to turn his head. "Kovin!" Anders shouted with about as much force as a panting dog. The man didn't respond, but his chest still heaved laboriously. And there was the blood. Too much blood.
NO! Not Kovin! Anders struggled desperately, trying to span the last six inches to reach his closest companion. One inch. Two. The debris shifted and he felt a lancing pain through his leg but he ignored it. If he could just reach Kovin, Vanitthu's protective light would heal him. Anders prayed. He prayed more earnestly and openly than ever in his entire life. He prayed to trade his own life for Kovin's. He prayed to give his own life for just four more inches.
Hours passed. Kovin had stopped breathing long ago, but Anders continued struggling to reach him until he finally collapsed in exhaustion. He was found at the brink of death the next day by another patrol. After a scant few days to recover, Anders found himself volunteering for as many of the most dangerous patrols as possible. Despite this, Anders managed to live to see the end of the siege.
It wasn't until weeks after the siege that Anders came to realize that he hadn't prayed since that day, lying on the ground. Prayer had done nothing for him at the time that he needed it the most. Officially, Anders left the Order because he could not bear to constantly be reminded of what he had lost. It was supposed to be a temporary leave of absence, but Anders knew at some level that he wouldn't be coming back. The faith had nothing left for him.
Lately, Anders had been drifting from job to job, performing various simple labor as needed, and mostly living off of the savings he had inherited from Kovin. He still helped people when he can, but he no longer searched out those in need. At least that's how it had gone until the voices came.
At first he dismissed the voices as just idle thoughts. When they started forming whispered words, and he started catching glimpses of lights at the corners of his eyes, he grew suspicious that he had finally lost what little remained of his tattered mind. It wasn't until later that he fully understood.
Anders was walking along the road that led to the market like he did most days. There were children playing Siege the City in the street and Anders smiled sadly. A sudden crash up ahead, snapped him out of his sullen reflection only in time to shout a clipped warning as a horse charged wildly down the street. One of the children, the siege commander Anders thought, lie still and crumpled at the side of the road like a discarded doll. Anders feet were in motion before he even had time to register what had happened.
Hunched over the poor boy's ruined face he reached out to heal before realizing what he was doing. No healing would come. Where once was a spring of light and life, was now emptiness. And yet... something... urged him to at least try. Anders reached out and...
There was a familiar scent. Not the horse dung that pervaded the streets, or the spilled blood that had become all too familiar during the siege, but something simpler and warm. Anders opened his eyes and was shocked to see another pair of hands touching the boy's face accompanied with a golden light. Anders's eyes followed the arms up to a familiar face that smiled briefly before fading away, leaving an uninjured boy, a stunned crowd and a teary-eyed Anders, unable to move.
Now Anders is unsure what to do. He's always wanted to help people, and now it seems he has support in doing so, but he no longer fits among the devout. Instead, he spent most of his remaining funds on new equipment and splits his time between looking for worthy causes and training with his newfound connection to his lost companions.
Anders Keseth
Male human gunslinger (bolt ace) 5/soul weaver 5/gestalt 5 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 94, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat 9)
NG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +5; Senses Perception +10
Social Status: Working Poor, Base: Lower Class
Housing: Simple existing home, Market District
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Defense
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AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +3 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 49 (5d10+15)
Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +8
Defensive Abilities nimble +1
Weaknesses magical signs, necromantic limit
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee cold iron dagger +7 (1d4+2/19-20) or
. . mwk dagger +8 (1d4+2/19-20) or
. . mwk longsword +8 (1d8+2/19-20)
Ranged +1 repeating heavy crossbow +9 (1d10+4/19-20/×3)
Special Attacks channel positive energy 6/day (DC 15, 3d6), deeds (gunslinger initiative, gunslinger's dodge, pistol-whip, sharp shoot, shooter's resolve, vigilant loading), grit (2), siphon health
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Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 16
Base Atk +5; CMB +7; CMD 21
Feats Deadly Aim, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Two-weapon Fighting
Traits guiding spirit, soul-searcher's strength (cult of the rivethun)
Skills Acrobatics +9, Climb +6, Craft (stonemasonry) +2, Diplomacy +8, Handle Animal +11, Heal +8, Knowledge (engineering) +5, Knowledge (geography) +2, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (planes) +3, Knowledge (religion) +3, Linguistics +7, Perception +10, Profession (herbalist) +6, Profession (soldier) +10, Profession (stable master) +7, Sleight of Hand +7, Survival +8, Swim +6; Racial Modifiers curious spirit, summon spirit i
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Dwarven, Elven, Infernal
SQ aid the dead, blessing, bound nexus, casting, crossbow maven, cryptic strike, cure, divine force (consecration), exhausting strike (ghost strike), hallow (word), invigorate, lovelorn soul, magic skill bonus, magic skill defense, restore, restore health, restore mind, serendipity (consecration), sickening (ghost strike)
Combat Gear cold iron repeating crossbow bolts (200), potion of cure light wounds (2), acid (2), alchemist's fire (2), alkali flask[APG] (2), heartstake bolt[ARG] (5), holy water (2), weapon blanch (adamantine)[APG], weapon blanch (ghost salt) (2), weapon blanch (silver)[APG] (2); Other Gear +1 mithral chain shirt, +1 repeating heavy crossbow, blunted bolts (50), cold iron dagger (4), mwk dagger, mwk longsword, cloak of resistance +1, handy haversack, flint and steel, grappling bolt[UE], silk rope (100 ft.), sunrod (5 4), tindertwig (5), torch (5), waterskin, wrist sheath, spring loaded (2), 383gp, 9sp, 5cp,105 gp, 7sp, 5 tangleshot bolts, potion of fly, light crossbow, antitoxin, token of adaptation (Token of Adaptation. When retrieved and broken as a free action, these tokens give a +4 bonus to any Saving Throw against the effects of a plane.)
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Special Abilities
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Aid the Dead +2 (5 temp HP) (Su) Expend a soul to grant an undead creature a profane bonus to attacks, saves, and turn resistance
Blessing +1 (Su) Grant a creature a blessing that gives +1 to all saves for 24 hours
Bound Nexus (6/day) You use summoned souls to power a number of special abilities
Casting (CL 5, Charisma, DC 13) You can cast sphere effects.
Crossbow Maven A bolt ace is proficient with all crossbows instead of all firearms and begins play with a masterwork crossbow of her choice. This ability alters the gunslinger's weapon proficiencies and replaces gunsmith.
Curious Spirit +8 (Su) Expend a soul to add a bonus to a Knowledge check or to speak with a dead body
Deadly Aim -2/+4 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage.
Death: Cryptic Strike Add a ghost strike to an attack
Death: Exhausting Strike Ghost strike causes target to be fatigued
Death: Sickening Ghost strike can sicken target
Deeds Use Grit to perform special abilities with your firearms.
Fate: Divine Force (Good) Nearby creatures of opposed alignment suffer random effects
Fate: Hallow +1 Grant target bonuses vs. opposed alignment and immunity to mind control
Fate: Serendipity Nearby allies gain luck bonuses
Grit (Ex) Gain a pool of points that are spent to fuel deeds, regained on firearm crit/killing blow.
Life: Cure 3d8+5 Heal a target for 3d8+5 hit points
Life: Invigorate (Up to 5 temp HP) Grant up to 5 temporary HP to an injured target
Life: Restore Heal a target's ability damage and remove negative conditions
Life: Restore Health Cure heals +1d8 HP, and restore can remove poison or disease
Life: Restore Mind Cure heals +1d8 HP, and restore cures confused and dazed conditions
Lovelorn Soul (10 temp HP) (Su) Expend a soul to grant temporary hit points to a dying ally
Magical Signs Your use of magic is obvious to all observers
MSB +5 Use for counterspelling, concentration, caster level checks, and beating SR
MSD 16 Use when defending against an MSB check
Necromantic Limit (Reanimate banned) You lose access to either ghost strike or reanimate
Nimble +1 +1 (Ex) +1 AC while wearing light or no armor.
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 Shot You get an extra attack with ranged weapons. Each attack is at -2.
Siphon Health 2d6 (Su) Expend a soul to damage a living creature
Soul Weaver Channel Positive Energy 3d6 (6/day, DC 15) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect.
Summon Spirit I (3 rounds) (Su) Expend a soul to summon a poltergeist
Guiding Spirit (Magic): Few understand the medium’s willingness to harbor powerful spirits, but even if you aren’t one of these talented few, you’ve always identified with their abilities. You’ve always felt that you were not alone in this world and that a mysterious guiding spirit watches over you with singular focus. You may have briefly glimpsed this strange spirit—or maybe you simply feel its presence in times of need. Once per day as a swift action, you can look to your guiding spirit for advice. The next time you roll a d20 in that same round, roll twice and pick the better result. If one of these two rolls is a natural 20, you can use this ability again that same day.
Oath to Khepira: In payment to Khepira, you have sworn a magical oath against the use of certain spells. For one year, you cannot use any magical effect with the [darkness] descriptor, any talent from the Dark sphere, or any magical power that that specifically reduces the light level of an area. Mundane methods of darkening an area (like raising a wall in front of a light source) and indirect ways of reducing light (dispelling a light-generating spell) are unaffected.