Ariella Hearth's page

1st:Bard (Dervish of Dawn); Battle Dance, Dervish Dance, cantrips, countersong, distraction, fascinate, inspire courage +1, arcane strike, Level Bonus (Armor), favored class (skill point)
2nd:Bard (Dervish of Dawn); Versatile Performance, Well-Versed, Level Bonus (Melee), Ability Boost (Constitution), favored class (skill point)
3rd:Bard (Dervish of Dawn); Inspire competence +2, Extra Performance, Level bonus (Saves), favored class (skill point)

Dervishes of dawn are trained in the use of the Perform skill, especially dance, to create magical effects on himself. This works like bardic performance, except that the performances grant double their normal bonuses, but these bonuses only affect him. He does not need to be able to see or hear his own performance. Battle dancing is treated as bardic performance for the purposes of feats, abilities, and effects that affect bardic performance, except that battle dancing does not benefit from the Lingering Performance feat or any other ability that allows a bardic performance to grant bonuses after it has ended. The benefits of battle dancing apply only when the bard is wearing light or no armor. Like bardic performance, battle dancing cannot be maintained at the same time as other performance abilities.

Starting a battle dance is a move action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. Changing a battle dance from one effect to another requires the dervish to stop the previous performance and start the new one as a move action. Like a bard, a dervish of dawn's performance ends immediately if he is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action each round. A dervish of dawn cannot perform more than one battle dance at a time.

At 10th level, the dervish can start a battle dance as a swift action instead of a move action.

When a dervish of dawn uses the inspire courage, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics bardic performance types as battle dances, these performance types only provide benefit to the dervish himself. All other types of bardic performance work normally (affecting the bard and his allies, or the bard’s enemies, as appropriate).

This ability alters the standard bardic performance ability.

Countersong (Su): At 1st level, a bard learns to counter magic effects that depend on sound (but not spells that have verbal components.) Each round of the countersong he makes a Perform (keyboard, percussion, wind, string, or sing) skill check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard himself) that is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack may use the bard's Perform check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check result proves to be higher. If a creature within range of the countersong is already under the effect of a non-instantaneous sonic or language-dependent magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it hears the countersong, but it must use the bard's Perform skill check result for the save. Countersong does not work on effects that don't allow saves. Countersong relies on audible components.

Distraction (Su): At 1st level, a bard can use his performance to counter magic effects that depend on sight. Each round of the Distraction, he makes a Perform (act, comedy, dance, or oratory) skill check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard himself) that is affected by an illusion (pattern) or illusion (figment) magical attack may use the bard’s Perform check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check result proves to be higher. If a creature within range of the Distraction is already under the effect of a non-instantaneous illusion (pattern) or illusion (figment) magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it sees the Distraction, but it must use the bard’s Perform check result for the save. Distraction does not work on effects that don’t allow saves. Distraction relies on visual components.

Fascinate (Su): At 1st level, a bard can use his performance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and capable of paying attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creatures affected. The Distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three levels a bard has attained beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with this ability.

Each creature within range receives a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the bard’s level + the bard’s Cha modifier) to negate the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and observes the performance for as long as the bard continues to maintain it. While fascinated, a target takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Perception checks. Any potential threat to the target allows the target to make a new saving throw against the effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect.

Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability. Fascinate relies on audible and visual components in order to function.

Inspire Courage (Su): A 1st level bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard’s performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +4 at 17th level. Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability. inspire courage can use audible or visual components. The bard must choose which component to use when starting his performance.

Ariella Hearth was born into a well connected family in the church of Sarenrae in Kep (a big southern city, rich and cosmopolitan). Her mother was a priestess and her father a paladin. Born during a solar eclipse with her twin brother, Jonas, she was marked by the goddess from birth. Her unnatural beauty and the fiery ring-shaped birthmarks on her palms marked her as having divine power in her blood. She spent her youth enjoying everything an elite family can provide its children. Playing with Jonas and learning the ways of the faith.

When she was a teenager she became very bored with their cloistered life and began sneaking out of the temple at night to dance at taverns in the city. When her parents eventually caught her they were furious. Unable to stand being around them anymore, she left home. She wandered outside the city working as dancer, and she was exposed to the plight of the rural poor for the first time. Their lack of access to healing magics, education and protection from the monsters of the wild infuriated her. She decided to become an itinerant, wandering the land and helping those in need of the Dawnflower's light.

Her bond with her brother Jonas is the only thing that ever brought her back to Kep. Over the years the few times she did come home she brought him gifts and visited him in the paladin's academy. Recently Ariella received a Sending from her parents informing her that Jonas had gotten it into his thick skull to go and explore Rappan Athuk. She immediately headed to Zelkor's Ferry in order to find him and convince him otherwise. Or if that failed, to join him and watch his foolish back.