Asa Norowareta's page

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 105 LB
Eyes: Dark Brown with slightly too large pupils.
Hair Color & Length: Waist length coal black. A solitary braid is woven behind her right ear, but the rest is loose.
Skin Color: Almost the color of porcelain.
Other Features: Partially elongated canines that are just slighly too prominent when she smiles, the slightest of pointedness to her ears.

• Athletics (Bonus = 8)
• Craft: Weapons (Bonus = 10 / 11 on magic or masterwork weapons)
• Intimidate (Bonus = 7)
• Knowledge: Arcana (Bonus = 11)
• Knowledge: Dungeoneering (Bonus = 10)
• Knowledge: History (Bonus = 11)
• Linguistics (Bonus = 10)
• Spellcraft (Bonus = 10)
• Use Magic Device (Bonus = 7)

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A kensai magus is proficient with all simple weapons and in a single martial or exotic melee weapon of her choice (falcata). A kensai magus is not proficient with armor or shields and suffers the normal arcane spell failure chance when casting magus spells while armored.
Canny Defense (Ex): When wearing light or no armor and not using a shield, a kensai magus adds 1 point of INT bonus (if any) per class level to her DEX bonus to modify AC while wielding her chosen weapon. If caught flat-footed, or otherwise denied DEX bonus, this bonus is lost as well.
Weapon Focus - Falcata: You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make while wielding the chosen weapon.
Eschew Materials: You may cast any spell that has a material component costing 1 GP or less without needing that component. Casting still provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. If the material component cost is more than 1 GP you must have it on hand as normal.
Dodge: You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. This bonus increases to +4 against attacks of opportunity caused when you move out of or within a threatened tile. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.
Alertness* You often notice things that others might miss.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Perception and Sense Motive skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill. (*Only while carrying/wielding black blade.)

Bladed Magic: You have an innate talent for using magical weaponry and those weapons capable of becoming magical. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Craft checks made to craft magic or masterwork weapons. In addition, when you use your arcane pool class ability to grant a weapon an enhancement bonus, that bonus lasts for 2 minutes instead of 1.
Scholar of the Ancients: Growing up with your nose in books, you’ve had a great interest in past cultures and ancient history. Furthermore, having grown up in Varisia, you know the monuments dotting the landscape belong to an ancient civilization known as Thassilon. From your life of study and dogged research, you’ve pieced together the language and partial history of this once-great empire. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (history) checks, and begin play able to speak and read Thassilonian.

Diminished Spellcasting: A kensai magus may cast one fewer spell of each level than a normal magus. If this reduces the number to 0, she may only cast spells of that level if her INT modifier allows bonus spells of that level.
Spells: A magus casts arcane spells drawn from the magus spell list. A magus must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time.
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the magus must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a magus's spell is 10 + the spell level + the magus's Intelligence modifier.
A magus can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on the table above. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score (see the Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells Table).
A magus may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying his spellbook. While studying, the magus decides which spells to prepare.
Spellbooks: A magus must study his spellbook each day to prepare his spells. He cannot prepare any spell not recorded in his spellbook except for read magic, which all magi can prepare from memory. A magus begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level magus spells plus three 1st-level magus spells of his choice. The magus also selects a number of additional 1st-level magus spells equal to his Intelligence modifier to add to his spellbook. At each new magus level, he gains two new magus spells of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on his new magus level) for his spellbook. At any time, a magus can also add spells found in other spellbooks to his own (see Arcane Spells).
A magus can learn spells from a wizard's spellbook, just as a wizard can from a magus's spellbook. The spells learned must be on the magus spell list, as normal. An alchemist (see the Alchemist description) can learn formulae from a magus's spellbook, if the spells are also on the alchemist spell list. A magus cannot learn spells from an alchemist.
Arcane Pool (Su): At 1st level, the magus gains a reservoir of mystical arcane energy that he can draw upon to fuel his powers and enhance his weapon. This arcane pool has a number of points equal to 1/2 (1/3) his magus level (minimum 1) + his Intelligence modifier. The pool refreshes once per day when the magus prepares his spells.
At 1st level, a magus can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to grant any weapon he is holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. For every four levels beyond 1st, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 17th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.
At 5th level, these bonuses can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: dancing, flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, keen, shock, shocking burst, speed, or vorpal. Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property's base price modifier (see the Magic Weapon Special Ability Descriptions). These properties are added to any the weapon already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the arcane pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the magus uses this ability. These bonuses do not function if the weapon is wielded by anyone other than the magus.
A magus can only enhance one weapon in this way at one time. If he uses this ability again, the first use immediately ends.
Cantrips: A magus can prepare a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted in the table above under “Spells per Day.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.
Spell Combat (Ex): At 1st level, a magus learns to cast spells and wield his weapons at the same time. This functions much like two-weapon fighting, but the off-hand weapon is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the magus must have one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), while wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand. As a full-round action, he can make all of his attacks with his melee weapon at a –2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the magus spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). If he casts this spell defensively, he can decide to take an additional penalty on his attack rolls, up to his Intelligence bonus, and add the same amount as a circumstance bonus on his concentration check. If the check fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty. A magus can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attacks first, but if he has more than one attack, he cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.
Canny Defense (Ex): At 1st level, when a kensai magus is wielding her chosen weapon she gains the canny defense ability. This is identical to the dualist prestige class ability of the same name, except that her weapon may be of any type.
Weapon Focus (Ex): At 1st level, a kensai magus gains Weapon Focus with her chosen weapon as a bonus feat.
Spellstrike (Su): At 2nd level, whenever a magus casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the magus spell list, she can deliver the spell through any weapon she is wielding as part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a magus can make one free melee attack with her weapon (at her highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell. If the magus makes this attack in concert with spell combat, this melee attack takes all the penalties accrued by spell combat melee attacks. This attack uses the weapon's critical range (20, 19–20, or 18–20 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.
Black Blade (Ex): At 3rd level, the bladebound magus' gains a powerful sentient weapon called a black blade, whose weapon type is chosen by the magus. A magus with this class feature cannot take the familiar magus arcana, and cannot have a familiar of any kind, even from another class.
Instead of the normal arcane pool amount, the bladebound magus's arcane pool has a number of points equal to 1/3 his level (minimum 1) plus his Intelligence bonus. This ability changes the Arcane Pool class feature and replaces the magus arcana gained at 3rd level.

+2 DEX; +2 CHA; -2 CON: Dhampirs are fast and seductive, but their racial bond to the undead impedes their mortal vigor.
Dhampir: Dhampirs are humanoids with the dhampir subtype.
Medium: Dhampirs are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Dhampirs have a base speed of 30 feet.
Senses: Low-light vision and darkvision 60 feet.
Manipulative: +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Perception.
Undead Resistance: Dhampirs gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease and mind-affecting effects.
Negative Energy Affinity: Though a living creature, a dhampir reacts to positive and negative energy as if it were undead—positive energy harms it, while negative energy heals it.
Resist Level Drain (Ex): A dhampir takes no penalties from energy drain effects, though he can still be killed if he accrues more negative levels then he has Hit Dice. After 24 hours, any negative levels a dhampir takes are removed without the need for an additional saving throw.
Dayborn: A few fortunate dhampirs were born during the day under the blessings of priests, and their blood has weaker ties to their undead bloodline than others of their kind. Such dhampirs are unhindered by daylight and lose the light sensitivity racial trait. This racial trait replaces the spell-like ability racial trait.
Languages: Dhampirs begin play speaking Common. Those with high Intelligence scores can choose any language it wants (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

INT: 11
WIS/CHA: 7
Ego: 5
Enhancement Bonus: +1
Languages: Common
Arcane Pool: 1
Special Abilities:
Alertness (Ex): While a magus is wielding his black blade, he gains the Alertness feat.
Black Blade Strike (Sp): As a free action, the magus can spend a point from the black blade's arcane pool to grant the black blade a +1 bonus on damage rolls for 1 minute. For every four levels beyond 1st, this ability gives the black blade another +1 on damage rolls.
Telepathy (Su): While a magus is wielding or carrying his black blade, he can communicate telepathically with the blade in a language that the magus and the black blade share.
Unbreakable (Ex): As long as it has at least 1 point in its arcane pool, a black blade is immune to the broken condition. If broken, the black blade is unconscious and powerless until repaired. If destroyed, the black blade can be reforged 1 week later through a special ritual that costs 200 gp per magus level. The ritual takes 24 hours to complete.

Hit Points: 15/18
Hit Dice: 3d8
Armor Class: 18
Touch Armor Class: 17
Flat-Footed Armor Class: 11
Saving Throws:
Fortitude: 3
Reflex: 4
Will: 3
Initiative Bonus: 3
Base Attack Bonus: 2
Melee Attack Bonus: 4
Ranged Attack Bonus: 5
CMB: 4
CMD: 17
Arcane Pool: 4/4
Spell Resistance:
Speed:
Base Speed: 30
Armored Speed: 20
Lift/Push:
Light Load: 66 lbs or less
Medium Load: 67 lb - 133 lb
Heavy Load: 134 lb - 200 lb
Lift Over Head: 200 lb or less
Lift Off Ground: 400 lb or less
Drag or Push: 1000 lb or less
Spells Per Day:
Level 0: 3
Level 1: 3
Experience Points: 0
Hero Points: 0

Level 1:
Obscuring Mist
Infernal Healing
Chill Touch
Vanish
True Strike
Magic Weapon
Corrosive Touch
Mirror Strike
Shocking Grasp
Blade Lash
Warding Weapon

Level 0:
Prestidigitation
Acid Splash
Mage Hand
Level 1:
Chill Touch
Shocking Grasp

240 GP (Starting max wealth)
-18 (Falcata)
222
-17 (Magus Kit, no Spell Component Pouch)
205
-55 (MW Artisan Tools: Weapon Crafting)
150
-10 (Neck guard)
140
-130 (Deluxe Dungeoneering Kit)
10 GP
Additional Free Items
Traveler's Clothes (worth 1 GP)
Spellbook (worth 15 GP)
Purchased Items
Silken Ceremonial Armor (30 GP?)

Armor
Silken Ceremonial: AC: +1; Max DEX: unlimited; Armor Check Penalty: 0; Arcane Spell Failure Chance: 0%; Max Speed: 30 FT
Weapon
Falcata: DMG: 1d8; Crit: 19-20/x3; Type: S
Falcata (Black Blade): DMG: 1d8+1; Crit: 19-20/x3; Type: S; Enhance Bonus: +1; Special: In others hands, treat as MWK item.

Five Details of History:
1) Asa’s birth parents were both Minkai traveling merchants, roving the lands with a rather mixed caravan. Both died well before she got the chance to meet them. Her mother died in childbirth to Asa, despite the ministrations of the caravan’s druid healer (though these blessings did remove some of the more common ailments of being born dhampir), whereas her father died when she was two from wounds sustained slaying the vampire he believed was responsible for his wife’s death. Since that time she has been raised by two elves who were caravan mates of her parents.
2) From the young age of twenty, Asa has been gifted with languages, picking up several local languages just from the caravan’s travels through the northern lands. By the time she was 45 she was the caravan’s de facto translator when dealing with everything from Shoanti tribes to the occasional lone orc scout.
3) Asa has always been able to see the potential for meshing magic into weapons. In part this has fueled her studies of Thallasian history from the ruins and remaining texts that survived Starfall.
4) Asa didn't find out about her true nature (or the true circumstances of her parents' deaths) until she was 90. An undead hunting inquisitor of Pharasma tracked down the caravan hunting her vampire progenitor, forcing her adoptive parents to finally tell her the truth. Until then they had raised her under the impression that both of her birth parents had died when she was two to an actual plague that hit one of the towns the caravan normally went to, though in actuality they had avoided the town deliberately that year on account of said plague.
5) Asa took the last name Norowareta (or "cursed" in Minkai) at the age of 95 in place of her adopted parents name. Feeling somehow responsible for both of her parents' deaths, she dedicated herself to tracking down and slaying vampiric "mother" (the so-called Viscountess de Corentyn, Varyia Wrenth) and any of her allies. Knowing that her foe was ancient and powerful, she practiced both her innate magical ability and her skills with the falcata.
Two Goals to Accomplish:
1) Asa knows she is not currently powerful enough to face Viscountess Wrenth. She is searching for some means of bridging the gap of power, though she is not entirely sure what form such a bridge would take or what cost it would have. (This will be achieved at level 3 when she gains her black blade from her archetype, but she does not know this and I have no real thoughts on the specifics of this acquisition.)
2) Viscountess Wrenth has quite the power base of associates and servants (living, undead, and planar). Beyond simply slaying her, Asa wants to dismantle this structure from the bottom up... preferably while Varyia is still alive to seethe at its destruction.
Two Secrets Kept:
1) Apart from her adoptive family and the Pharasman inquisitor, most people have no idea what her too pale skin and slightly elongated canines indicate. Asa does her best to keep her heritage a secret, and only admits to it when directly confronted (and even then only to people she has reason to trust).
2) Unknown to most, the attack on her birth mother by Varyia Wrenth was neither random nor simply opportune, though it was crafted to look that way. The Viscountess has been attacking pregnant women with magical ability for centuries, attempting to bolster her army with magical dhampir "offspring". The vampire her father died slaying had been sent to collect her for that purpose, hence his belief that he was the one who attacked his wife.
Three Noteworthy NPCs:
1) Fontane Moonswithe - Elven "Brother". The biological son of Asa's adoptive elven parents, Fontane was only three when Asa was born, and as such had no memories of either the ill circumstances of her birth or even her original birth parents. As such, Fontane viewed his younger sister Asa as an equal part of their family despite the fact that she wasn't elven. Though he was surprised by the revelations about the true nature of her heritage, and hurt when she renounced their family name, Fontane still views Asa as every bit his little sister to this day. Should she ever require help he would willingly provide what aid he could with few questions asked, though he is by no means wealthy or very compitent in combat.
2) Leha Sallant - Pharasma's Undead Slayer. When she first met Asa, Leha was in her twenties, full of holy fire and wrath, hunting down the Viscountess de Corentyn. It was through Leha's actions that Asa's adoptive parents were forced to admit to her the truth of her very nature. A part of Asa will never quite forgive the inquisitor for this, despite the fact that she is glad she knows the truth. Now retired and in her fifties, Leha serves as a lay cleric in Magnimar, helping ensure the dying have their passage to judgment uninterrupted by necromancy or outside influence. Though the two have not spoken in years, and Asa would be loathe to admit needing her help, Leha would likely give her some minor assistance if it would aid in the destruction of the Viscountess or her minions.
3) Varyia Wrenth - Vampiric "Mother". The so-called Viscountess de Corentyn has been alive since before the decline of the Cheliaxian empire. Little is known of Varyia before or after undeath claimed her, but two things are known for certain. The first is that her title dates back before the rise of modern Cheliax (and thus is not recognized by anyone there still living, and even most of the dead). The second is that she seeks enough power to break the house of Thrune and restore her homeland to what she views as its' former glory. To this end, Varyia has traveled the northern reaches of the Inner Sea, hunting for powerful artifacts, allies, or potential recruits. Asa has no idea what her "undead progenitor" looks like beyond the fact that she has a scar on her left hand suspiciously shaped like Aroden's former holy symbol.
Three Most Vivid Memories:
1) Above all, perhaps because it was the most recent on this list, is the memory of her adopted parents begrudgingly telling Asa the truth about her parent's deaths, as well as the truth about her own nature. The initial anger at having been lied to was quickly eclipsed by the horror of realizing that she was a monster by virtue of being born. Both subsided by the cold determination to avenge her parents and prevent further tragedies from occurring, no matter what the cost. Asa Moonswithe died that day... Asa Norowareta was born.
2) Further back by a mere decade, Asa remembers the first time she held a blacksmith's hammer in her hands. It was a gift from a dwarf that happened to travel with their caravan from Lastwall to Nirmathas. During the journey, Asa had taken every opportunity to watch the dwarf at the forge whenever the opportunity presented itself, fascinated by the way metal bended and flowed like so much hot wax. Since that time she has relished the opportunity to work on weaponry, and it is one of the few pleasures from her old life she still maintains.
3) While any number of journeys with the caravan could be considered memorable, the one that sticks out most to Asa is the time they stumbled across ancient Thassilonian ruins while attempting to shelter from a sudden summer storm in Varisia. Though ancient, the stones themselves seemed to scream with power. Dark, faded power, but surprisingly loud for its age. Perhaps this is why she now seeks an equalizer here, on the outskirts of proper civilization, rather than elsewhere.