-Bug-'s page

Thri-Kreen survive as hunters, always on the move, blending in with their surroundings. They have no tolerance for those who cannot pull their weight or who make life harder for those around them. When hunters are maimed, when members of the clutch become to old to perform their roles, or when eggs are hatched with birth defects they are left in the desert or eaten. At best, a Kreen born different is tolerated only as far as they are not a liability to the clutch.

K'ki was born different. Her carapace is white.

Her clutch-mates shunned her from the moment she was born. They were not heartless enough to kill her outright, there was nothing wrong with her physically. She simply could not hunt with them. In the birth-caste system of the Kreen, she was born to be a hunter, but in the desert sun she was a shining beacon drawing the eyes of prey. She gleamed in the light of the suns. She was a liability, so she was denied her place among them. She was fed only when there was excess meat from a particularly successful hunt.

Starving, shunned, ignored, K'ki's mind shattered. She was Kreen. All she wanted was to belong. Her instinctive drive to pack-bond was all-consuming. The more she was shunned, the more depression and madness set in. Eventually she wandered into the desert to die.

It was sheer chance that she was found by the traveling cadre of softskins as they were returning from inspecting a nearby hive where their workers pulled salt from the earth. K'ki was too weak to resist them, did not speak their tongue or understand their strange body language. All she knew was that the leader of this softskin clutch fed her and gave her water and clasped a ring around her neck like the other members of his clutch. He accepted her. It was a kindness she had never known.

She soon became one of his favorites. She never lacked for food or water and he gave her small puzzle toys to play with. He rewarded her when she solved them. He played hide-and-hunt with her like she had watched her clutchmates play when she was newly hatched. She had always wanted to play but was never allowed. He made her a special harness that ran a cord from her to him so everyone would know that she was his favorite. She learned that when the cord was connected, she was a symbol of his authority. It gave her a great deal of pride to be displayed as important.

When the cord was removed from her harness, that meant she had a job to do. Sometimes it was to kill a softskin that had angered her clutch-master. Sometimes it was to retrieve something for him. The puzzle boxes were set into doors and boxes all over the softskin hive, and she was very adept at solving them. She was rewarded well when she returned with the prizes her clutch-master wanted. She did not like being alone, so she always returned quickly. When she failed in her tasks he ignored her and refused her food so she knew she had to do better. She hated disappointing him.

Lately, she has started to understand their strange language. It took her a long time to learn. Softskins have no scent-speech, or antennae, or mandibles, so it's really a wonder that they can even communicate at all. All they have is the strange hooting and grunting they do with their mouths. It was so hard to figure out the differences between sounds like "lock" and "lick" and "like." She was good at puzzles though. The strange sound-speak was just another puzzle. Every day she solved a little more. It was hard to make her mandibles and mouth approximate many of their sounds. She wanted to get it right though. Soon, she would be able to tell Clutch-Master N'nshab'r how much she cared about him, and she wanted to ask what the word he calls her means. She was sure it was something loving.

Master Ninshabur found K'ki dying in the desert and figured he could sell her at a slave auction. Her white carapace was exotic and might be worth something to a collector of oddities. He had to nurse her back to health though, so he fed her and watered her and leashed her to keep her out of trouble. To his surprise, she responded with exceptional gratitude.

He'd never seen a slave that did not need to be broken before. Realizing he had something special on his hands, he started grooming her to serve him. Food and water were treated like great gifts, so rewarding and withholding quickly taught her what he expected. He taught her to pick locks and to kill on command, and to sneak and stalk. She took to it all quickly and with great enthusiasm.

Now, the white Thri-Kreen he calls Bug has become a status symbol. He keeps her by his side like an exotic pet, walking her on a leash, feeding her from his hand. When he removes her leash, it usually means someone is about to die.

A smaller than average Thri-Kreen with a completely white carapace.

Some Kreen make the attempt to integrate into softskin society by doing things like standing tall, wearign clothing, and eating with small tools. Bug does none of those things. Her whole demeanor is practically feral.

She wears nothing but a leather torso harness with a braided leash attached to it at the small of her back. Slotted along the harness are a few dozen throwing spikes. The harness is usually held by Prince Ninshabur of House Eannatum, but anyone who has the other end of her leash gets complete deference from Bug. As savage as she is, she is thoroughly domesticated.

If she ever stood up straight she would be just shy of 7 feet (which is practically dwarfism for a Kreen). She rarely stands when she can crouch. When she moves she keeps low, employing a habit of using her arms to help her traverse. She climbs as often as not and enjoys perching on elevated positions. She enjoys fidgeting with anything with moving parts, especially if she can take them apart and put them back together.

Her personality shifts dramatically depending on whether of not she is leashed. When the leash is on, she is carefree. She stays close, grooms herself, accepts treats and touches from her leash-holder. She spends idle time ignoring any Softskins except her master and playing with her toys. When given a command, she acts promptly but treats the situation as a game. When the leash comes off she becomes intensely focused, taking each task in turn with deadly seriousness. She does not enjoy being without her leash, so completing her task quickly becomes her goal.

As she learns and grows a great deal of this will change, but her nature as a pack-bonded subservient will remain. My goal is to eventually have Bug realize her own autonomy, and then choose a master worthy of owning her.

Bug is 6'10, 460 pounds, and 6 years old.

No significant scars yet

20 AC (+6 dex, +2 natural, +2 armor)
...14 Flat Footed
...16 Touch
16 CMD (10, +6 dex)

+3 Fort (+2 fort, +1 resistance)
...+5 against environmental heat saves)

+9 Ref (2 rogue, +6 dex, +1 resistance)

+3 Will (+2 will, +1 resistance)

BaB +0
CMB +0
Weapon Finesse
Sneak Attack +1d6

Armor Spikes +6, 1d6, x2 damage (barbed vest)

Claws x4, +6, 1d3 (primary natural)
Bite +6, 1d3 (primary natural)

Dart +6. 1d4, x2 crit, 30' range

-Traits-
Trap Finder: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Disable Device checks, and that skill is always a class skill for you. In addition, you can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps, like a rogue.
Quick Learner: After your first attack with a weapon in which you are not proficient, the non-proficiency penalty decreases by 2 (to a –2 penalty). This effect lasts only while you have the weapon in hand; you must “relearn” the weapon each time you pick it up.
Arms Master: You take a –2 penalty on attack rolls made with weapons with which you are not proficient instead of the normal –4.
Shield Trained: Heavy and light shields are considered simple weapons rather than martial weapons for you. Heavy shields are considered light weapons for you.

-Drawbacks-
Stigmatized: You take a –3 penalty on Diplomacy checks to gather information or improve a creature’s attitude.
Unlearned Choose one Knowledge skill (knowledge engineering). You cannot attempt untrained Knowledge checks with any other Knowledge skills, even if the check’s DC is 10 or lower. If you have access to a library that covers a specific Knowledge skill, you may attempt an untrained Knowledge check with a –2 penalty.

-Feats-
Weapon Finesse (rogue bonus), use Dex instead of Strength to hit with Light and Finesse weapons.
Catch Offguard (scrapper bonus): You do not suffer any penalties for using an improvised melee weapon. Unarmed opponents are flat-footed against any attacks you make with an improvised melee weapon.
Throw Anything (scrapper bonus): You do not suffer any penalties for using an improvised ranged weapon. You receive a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls made with thrown splash weapons.
Limber (1st level) Gain a 2nd Primary hand.

Weapons: all simple weapons, hand crossbow, rapier, sap, short sword, and shortbow. Bug has no non-proficiency penalty.
Armor: light, and light and heavy shields.

8 rogue, +2 int, +2 Background* skill ranks
12 total

ACP**: -1

+6 Perception (1 rank, +2 wis, +3 class)
+10 Stealth** (1 rank, +6 dex, +3 class)
+6 Survival (1 rank, +2 wis, +3 class)

+10 Acrobatics** (1 rank, +6 dex, +3 class)
...always considered running for Jump checks
+10 Escape Artist** (1 rank, +6 dex, +3 class)
+4 Climb (1 rank, +3 class)

+13 Disable Device** (1 rank, +6 dex, +3 class, +1 trait, +2 circumstance)
+10 Slight of Hand (1 rank, +6 dex, +3 class)

+0 Diplomacy (0 ranks, 0 cha)
...-3 to gather information
...-3 to improve attitude

+7 Knowledge Nature (1 rank, +2 int, +3 class, +1 trait)
+6 Knowledge Engineering* (1 rank, +2 int, +3 class)
+6 Craft: Traps* (1 rank, +2 int, +3 class)
+6 Craft: Weaponsmith (1 rank, +2 int, +3 class)

Sneak Attack: The rogue’s attack deals extra damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every 2 rogue levels thereafter. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet. This additional damage is precision damage and is not multiplied on a critical hit.

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (such as a sap, unarmed strike, or whip), a rogue can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack—not even with the usual –4 penalty.

The rogue must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A rogue cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with total concealment.

Ways to get Sneak Attack
Rogue is invisible
Rogue is using stealth
Enemy is Unarmed (catch offguard)
Enemy is flat-footed
Enemy is crossing narrow surface/uneven ground (causes flat-footed)
Enemy is flanked
Enemy is blind
Enemy is feinted
Enemy is helpless
Enemy is cowering
Enemy is stunned
Enemy is paralyzed (causes helpless)
Enemy is unconscious (causes helpless)
Enemy is pinned (causes flat-footed)
Enemy is climbing
Enemy is running
Enemy is squeezing

Improvised Weapons (Ex)
At 1st level, a makeshift scrapper gains Catch Off-Guard and Throw Anything as bonus feats.

This ability replaces trapfinding.

Finesse Training (Ex) At 1st level, a rogue gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat. In addition, starting at 3rd level, she can select any one type of weapon that can be used with Weapon Finesse (such as rapiers or daggers). Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed. Whenever she makes a successful melee attack with the selected weapon, she adds her Dexterity modifier instead of her Strength modifier to the damage roll. If any effect would prevent the rogue from adding her Strength modifier to the damage roll, she does not add her Dexterity modifier. The rogue can select a second weapon at 11th level and a third at 19th level.

Favored Class Rogue
Favored Class Bonuses
1) 1/6 rogue talent

Medium size, base speed 30
Carapace: +2 natural armor
Darkvision 60'
Exotic Frame: Base cost for all clothing and armor is doubled (including magical clothing and armor).
Jumper: Always considered to have a running start
Multi-Armed: Four arms, each with 1d3 damage claws (primary natural attacks). For weapon purposes, one hand is dominant. The rest are off-hand.
Toxic Bite: Primary natural attack. Deals 1d3 damage. A number of times per day equal to the Kreen's con modifier the character can choose to envenom it's bite. (DC 10+ 1/2 character level +con modifier. Frequency, 1/round for 6 rounds. 1d2 Dex damage. Cure: 1 save.)
Wild Talent: Psionic Repair

Automatic Bonus Progression
As current level +2
1st) +1 resistance

Bone Darts (fragile) x10 (1 cp)

WBL 1: 240 cp starting
CP = standard GP

Cash: 31 CP

Armor: spiked Leather harness with barbed vest (90 cp)
Shield:
Head:
Eyes:
Neck: leather collar (connects to harness)
Cloak:
Waist:
Body: hot weather outfit (16 gp)
Vest:
Wrist:
Hands:
Ring:
Ring:
Feet:

Carried:

In pouches/on belt:
Waterskins x3
Food (3 days) (3 cp)
Tool kit (masterwork tools for disable device) (100 cp)

Theme Song: Pet

Image Inspiration: Now
Image Inspiration: Later

1) Rogue 1: 1st lvl feat (limber)
2) Rogue 2, rogue talent (combat trick: multiweapon fighting)
3) Fighter 1, 3rd lvl feat (multiweapon defense), fighter feat (limber defense)
4) Rogue 3, finesse training (heavy shields)
5) Rogue 4, 5th lvl feat (improved shield bash), rogue talent (ki pool), debilitating injury
6) Rogue 5, rogue's edge (acrobatics)
7) Rogue 6, 7th lvl feat (shield focus), rogue talent (unlock ki), favored class rogue talent (vanishing trick)
8) Rogue 7
9) Rogue 8 9th lvl feat (improved multiweapon fighting), rogue talent (offensive defense),
10) Rogue 9,
11) Rogue 10, 11th lvl feat, (extra rogue talent crippling strike), master talent (invisible blade), rogue's edge (craft)
12) Rogue 11
13) Rogue 12, 13th level feat (x), Improvise Weapon mastery, favored class rogue talent (x)
14) Rogue 13,
15) Rogue 14, 15th level feat (x), rogue talent (x)

Wish List: masterwork turtle shield (or war shield), dual-balanced, razor sharp, serrated
headband of ninjutsu, shozoku of the night's wind, rogue's vest, quick runner's shirt, fog cutting lenses, eversmoking bottle
Training Spiked Gauntlets (combat reflexes)
Swarmbane Clasp, Golembane scarab
Rune Guardian (unseen servant)