Beinn-Árd-Càrnborn's page

[Bonus Monk Feat] Benefit: You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus, a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). Stunning Fist forces a foe damaged by your unarmed attack to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wis modifier), in addition to dealing damage normally. A defender who fails this saving throw is stunned for 1 round (until just before your next turn). A stunned character can't take actions, loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, and takes a –2 penalty to AC. You may attempt a stunning attack once per day for every four levels you have attained (but see Special), and no more than once per round. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be stunned. Special: A monk receives Stunning Fist as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. A monk may attempt a stunning attack a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk.

[Bonus Monk Feat] Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a grapple combat manoeuvre. In addition, you receive a +2 bonus on checks made to grapple a foe. You also receive a +2 bonus to your Combat Manoeuvre Defence whenever an opponent tries to grapple you.

[Bonus Monk Feat] Benefit: You are considered to be armed even when unarmed—you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when you attack foes while unarmed. Your unarmed strikes can deal lethal or nonlethal damage, at your choice.

[Race Feat] Benefit: You gain a +4 racial bonus on Perception checks underground, and on Survival checks to avoid becoming lost in caverns and rocky areas..

Weapon & Armour Proficiency Proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all armours and shields [except tower shields].

AC Bonus [Ex]: When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monk levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

Flurry of Blows [Ex]:Starting at 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action. When doing so he may make one additional attack using any combination of unarmed strikes or attacks with a special monk weapon (kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, and siangham) as if using the Two-Weapon Fighting feat (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisites for the feat). For the purpose of these attacks, the monk's base attack bonus is equal to his monk level. For all other purposes, such as qualifying for a feat or a prestige class, the monk uses his normal base attack bonus.

Tough as Nails: An Unbreakable gains Endurance and Diehard as bonus feats. This ability replaces the fighter’s 1st-level bonus feat.

+2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Oreads are strong, solid, stable, and stoic.
Senses: Oreads have darkvision (60 feet.)
Type: Oreads are outsiders with the native subtype.
Size: Oreads are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Speed (Slow): Oreads have a base speed of 20 feet.
Granite Skin: Rocky growths cover the skin of oreads with this racial trait. They gain a +1 racial bonus to natural armor. This racial trait replaces energy resistance.
Mountain-Born: Oreads are drawn to mountains and other high places, and after many generations they've grown well suited to their environment. Oreads with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks made to cross narrow ledges and on saves against altitude fatigue and sickness. This racial trait replaces the spell-like ability racial trait.
Stone in the Blood: Oreads with this racial trait mimic the healing abilities of the mephits, gaining fast healing 2 for 1 round anytime they are subject to acid damage (the acid damage does not need to overcome the oread's resistances or immunities to activate this ability). The Oread can heal up to 2 hit points per level per day with this ability, after which it ceases to function. This racial trait replaces earth affinity.
Languages: Oreads begin play speaking Common and Terran. Oreads with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the following bonus languages: Aquan, Auran, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Ignan, and Undercommon.

The life and path of Beinn-Árd-Càrnborn can be broken into steps. Slow, inevitable steps. Born to an elemental blooded sorcereress, the Oread carries the legacy of his mother in his veins. Tall and strong like the forboding peaks surrounding their remote community in the Mindspin Mountains, Bienn was a purposeless orphan whose life had meant his mother’s death. As such he was the perfect candidate for "service to the stone".

To survive in the dangerous Mindspins the community relied on a somehwat strange guardian; Brekk Shalesoul - a wandering Stone Giant Elder, whose hands could rent fissures in rock, whose skin was impervious to raging storm and whose voice was as silent as a mountain summit.

For his own reasons Brekk defended the community from all threats. All he required in return for this guardianship was a servant and possible pupil from amongst the commune. The demands of this role were arduous, living and serving the Stone Joten monk was beyond most and thus most given over did not survive. Thus it was that Shalesoul once again came to the village and silently waited for another to enter their life into his service. Embittered and alone, Bienn welcomed the challenge and the opportunity of change and stepped forward.

Over the next 15 years Beinn "served the stone". His first 5 were spent merely as a servant; tending the giant’s goats, hunting, keeping watch and exploring the ancient ruins of the Mindspins... All the while his wordless Master communicating through gesture, stoic expressions, and occasionally through writings on stone tablets. Those early years were tough, but Beinn met the challenge and then expectations of his master.

A decade of teachings in both the wisdom and martial arts by Master Shalesoul followed. His masters strength taught his body fortitude, his masters wisdom taught him to listen to stone, for it tells more than the tongues of men. Then the teachings ended, inevitably, as all things do.

One last lesson then he was free to wander the earth that birthed him.

His master’s final lesson involved no action or training – just the continuation of the journey and wisdom: The tablet read Stone must be shaped for it to be strong. Stone must be fearless for it does not feel and thus does not fear. Just as the wind and rain shape the mountain, so you must find the wind and sea and serve them. Learn the wield that which would break you and learn to serve that which would shape you.

And so it was that Beinn-Árd-Càrnborn, laden with some meagre supplies and the tablet teachings of his stone giant master began his journey from his world of big skies and cold summits, to the walls and cities of men and worse.

Slow are the steps of the stone-born Master Shalesoul's teachings would be fond of reminding him. Yet no-one can turn those steps from their destination. Slow but inevitable.

2 weeks later Beinn arrived... slowly and inevitably... at the gates of Fort Thorn in the Bloodsworn Vale, East of Korvosa. Always in need of willing men and strong backs the Fort’s Commander Gyrad Tolgrith took to the stoic giant. A bargain was struck between the pair; for a year of Beinn’s service, Tolgrith agreed to teach him what he knew of arms and of men.

Early in his term, Commander Tolgrith took Bienn to the fort’s armoury to find some arms and armour befitting his size. While the armour was quietly declined, Beinn was drawn to the old Shoanti war-maul scavenged from the ancient battlesite. "An Earthbreaker" Tolgrith informed him... Learn to wield that which would break you... the words of Shalesoul's tablet of wisdom echoed in his head as later in the practice yard as the giant Oread swung the barbarian war-maul. Deep within his hard chest Bienn’s heart sung as the weapon smashed deep into the ground. Uurth... Brakur... in the Terran tongue of his Master. Breaker of Stone. The big Oread nodded knowingly...

Still the student, Beinn learned the value of camaraderie, of the unit, of the strength of arms to compliment the strength of the mountain. The seasons came and went, he fought creatures and defended the folk of the Vale, but all too soon his time of servitude was complete.

Commander Tolgrith advised that if Bienn did indeed seek a next step, perhaps the grand city of Korvosa was a good place to start. He hated losing a good man, and told Beinn that if he still wished to soldier then the Sable Company, Tolgrith's former unit would no doubt welcome him.

When Tolgrith passionately spoke of their expertise, the ability of the Sable Company to fight in the air on their hippogriffs, and on water as marines, Bienn rare grin grew wide.

Like a favoured tune or an old familiar path Master Shalesoul’s tablets of wisdom echoed once again to his very core: Just as the wind and rain shape the mountain, so you must find the wind and sea and serve them. Learn the wield that which would break you and learn to serve that which would shape you.

So it was that one month later, Beinn-Árd-Càrnborn arrived slowly and inevitably at the gates of the Sable Company’s barracks in grand Korvosa, made his mark in their recruitment ledger and the next step began...