About Bærn SteelskullBaern Steelskull Favored Class Fighter
Experience:
Age 98
Male Dwarf Fighter (Phalanx Fighter) 3
Racial:
Defensive Training(Racial): Dwarves gain a +4 dodge bonus to aC against monsters of the giant subtype. Hardy(Racial): Dwarves gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities. Stability(Racial): Dwarves gain a +4 racial bonus to their CMD when resisting a Bull Rush or Trip attempt while standing on the ground. Stonecunning(Racial): Dwarves gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks to notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They recieve a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking. Weapon Familiarity(Racial): Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word "Dwarven" in its name as a martial weapon. Craftsman(Racial): Dwarves are known for their superior craftsmanship when it comes to metallurgy and stonework. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks related to metal or stone. Giant Hunter(Racial): Dwarves with this racial trait gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoids with the giant subtype. Furthermore, they gain a +2 bonus on Survival checks to find and follow tracks made by humanoids with the giant subtype. Traits & Drawback:
Giant Hunter(Trait): +1 Attack/Damage vs Giants, +1 Bluff/Sense Motive/Perception Glory of Old(Trait): +1 Saves vs Poison, Spells, Spell-like Abilities Reactionary(Trait): +2 Initiative Feats:
------- Carrying Capacity:
Current Load: 250 lbs Combat Gear: (146 lbs)
Ammunition: (6 lbs)
Magic Gear: (--)
Consumables: (2 lb)
Other: (96 lbs)
Jewelry: (--)
Wealth: (--)
=============================================== Description: Standing at a respectable 4’5” and weighing in at a massive 250 pounds, Bærn Steelskull (the Older) is a magnificent specimen of a dwarf. At least, if one disregards the rank smell of body odor, armor-polish, soot, alcohol, and flatulence that constantly reeks from the massive dwarf. Almost never seen without his custom-made armor on, most people that see Bærn simply believe that he is his armor. Indeed, it is obvious that he takes much better care of his suit of custom-forged, spiked banded mail than he does his own hygiene or well-being, considering that the armor is kept at a near-reflective polish, while beneath that is a dwarf that bathes only once in a blue moon - and never willingly. On the dwarf’s filthy head rests his clan’s symbol and iconic weapon: a Dwarven Boulderhelmet. This one in particular was forged by the very same dwarf that now wears it. These iconic helmets of his clan are massive - each one is of gleaming steel, designed to look like a skull covering the wearer's head and face, though leaving an open mouth to make an allowance for the user's beard and mustache. The helmet is heavily reinforced, and it almost looks as if the skull design itself is wearing a helmet. Overall, it makes the user look fiercer and more intimidating, while still allowing him to proudly represent his clan. Though his hair and beard are normally the color of rich, brown earth, Bærn’s hair is instead a mish-mash of actual earth, old, discarded or forgotten food and dried alcohol, snot, and saliva, as well as soot from his constant work at a forge. As a result, his beard color is more black and grime-colored than anything else. The dwarf’s skin, as rarely as it is seen due partly to how hairy the dwarf is, partly because the grime and soot covering his skin, and partly to the fact that he doesn’t like to take his armor off, is actually relatively pale. Not that anyone would know, of course. In addition to the massive ball of armored-spikiness that the dwarf appears to be, he also carries far too many weapons that would be considered appropriate. The weapon most often in his hands is his massive, custom-made Dwarven Longhammer - a weapon whose head is built to look like a smith’s hammer, able to deliver felling blows to anything it strikes. He carries a second polearm as well - another custom-made weapon, a longspear. Though not popular among dwarves due to the fact that they are often fighting in tunnels, these two weapons are particularly suited for those hunting giants. Hanging from Bærn’s belt are three throwing hammers - again, these share the same design as his other weapons, indicating that he likely forged them himself. Also hanging from his belt is a shiny, well-sharpened Dwarven Waraxe - an iconic dwarven weapon if there ever is one. Hanging from his back is the item he uses in conjunction with the waraxe - a steel-reinforced tower shield with a skull-motif that matches his helmet forged into the front of the shield. And finally, his last of many weapons, is his longbow - though almost comically too big for the dwarf, this composite longbow is made out of a dwarven-invented alloy that allows it to behave much like a bow made out of simple wood or composite materials. Though rare outside of dwarven lands, a bow made out of such alloy isn’t any more valuable than a bow made out of simple composite materials. Like his armor, his many weapons are maintained to a near-reflective polish. Personality: Bærn is not your average dwarf. Your average dwarf is gruff, serious, very formal, and generally considered down to business, at least when not around friends. But Bærn.. is not your average dwarf. Though every bit as focused and dedicated to his favored craft as any normal dwarf, Bærn is quite the free-loving spirit that sets him apart from his kin. Easy going, personable, and friendly, Bærn is certainly an odd dwarf. Though he has a good heart, he more often than not turns people away due to his poor hygiene - something that the smelly dwarf doesn’t really understand - or just doesn’t care to. Instead, he is mostly focused on three things: Working with metal, drinking and eating, and killing giants. In fact, about the only thing he loves more than working molten metal into weapons, armor, and tools is killing giants. And goblins. And just about anything else that pisses him off and/or threatens his friends, family, or innocent folk. Though, in the case of the former, he prefers to use nonlethal means to subdue things that simply piss him off - unless, of course, they fall into the category of the latter. Though he tries to control it, Bærn has quite the temper, and more often than not will get himself into trouble with the authorities when he resolves his problems with his gauntleted fists. That being said, he never actively seeks fights or arguments. They just seem to follow him, much like his rank odor. Though never one to back down from a fight or a challenge, Bærn has one major fear - one that would likely turn the stout, though smelly dwarf into a cowering, blubbering baby - Water. For the main reason that Bærn bathes so rarely is because the dwarf is morbidly hydrophobic - he cannot swim, and thanks to his armor, sinks like a rock in water. Though his strong constitution would mean he could likely hold his breath for minutes (32 rounds, to be precise), this doesn’t help him get over his fear in the slightest. Simply being drenched in water or other liquids only upsets the dwarf, but being presented by a body of water that is sufficiently large causes the dwarf to become frightened. As it would be, a bathtub is just big enough to cause this reaction. A being of habit, Bærn has a morning ritual that he often performs when he has the time. Taking nearly half an hour, he first ensures that his waraxe and head of his longspear are properly sharpened using his favorite whetstone, ensuring that the first enemy he sees is properly skewered when he brings these weapons out. Generally, he uses the remainder of the hour polishing his armor and weapons, making repairs and adjustments as needed. Near the end of the hour he dons his freshly-polished armor and makes ready for the day ahead. Every morning when given time, he applies the Whetstone’s +1 to damage to his waraxe and longspear - I’ll ensure that I apply that to the weapons on the first hit of the day with each weapon. When faced with combat of the lethal variety, Bærn shows no hesitation, no fear. (Unless water is involved) While he’ll sometimes take a moment to analyze the battlefield if given the chance, more likely than not he’ll simply charge in head-first, screaming and yelling at the top of his lungs. And then he continues yelling, screaming, roaring, and cursing throughout combat - subtlety isn’t in his vocabulary or skillset. He prefers to use his longhammer in combat whenever possible - when such isn’t possible, or isn’t wise, he’ll switch weapons on the fly as needed, bringing out his tower shield for when defense is more important than offense. He eventually plans on learning how to fight as a phalanx - combining his massive shield with a polearm, but such fighting style has thus far eluded him. When possible, he’s the first to enter the fray and the last to leave it. Though sometimes he may seem reckless with some of his maneuvers, he is not so - instead, he’s just very confident in his defenses, and often tries to make sure his allies are protected while simultaneously slaughtering their enemies. Sadly, for his enemies, he’s not one to take prisoners, simply for the fact that few survive his powerful blows. Background: Born in 4610 AR, nearly one-hundred years ago, Bærn is the oldest child of Teldok Steelskull and Helga Mountainfist. Named ‘Bærn the Older’, since his youngest sibling, a cleric of Torag, is also named Bærn, he is the firstborn of his parent’s fifteen children. Having fourteen younger siblings was no easy task for the dwarf, as he had the most responsibility of his siblings. In the end, he has mostly followed his father’s footsteps as a blacksmith - though where his father specializes in armor back in Highhelm, Bærn instead chooses to work with weapons, armor, and other metal objects, not just armor. In addition, unlike his father, he had joined the military for a time before leaving his home of the Five Kings Mountains in search of ways to improve his skills. Deciding to head towards the frontier, Bærn migrated to Janderhoff early in his traveling days, finding the frontier land a more suitable location for his skills. Here, he learned new ways of forging as well as new ways to fight the dwarves’ long-time enemies: Giants. Though he lived in Janderhoff for a while, he ended up migrating again, this time to an outskirt dwarven village in the mountains, where he served under the town’s blacksmith and as part of the town guard. It is here that tragedy struck. Only ten years ago, in 4698, the village was attacked and destroyed by marauding giants - Bærn himself, though attempting to help the guard fend off the attack, was severely wounded and barely made it out with the surviving dwarves that had effectively adopted him as kin. Since then, he has harbored a deep hatred of giants and their kin - but, sadly, has had no opportunity to strike back at his foe. Instead, he has traveled Varisia from town to town, city to city, offering his smithing services here and there for a time, before moving on to the next town. It is here, now, in 4708 AR, that Bærn has arrived at the small, coastal Varisian town of Sandpoint - just in time for some sort of festival. Festivals often equal free food and drink. Thats something Bærn could never say no to. Traits' Info:
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