Hey all. I just wanted to do a check in roll call. Seems like these past two weeks have been extremely hit or miss due to illness and life. I just wanted to make sure everyone was still in on this game. If we are that is great! What can I do to help facilitate the game for you all to help promote more frequent postings?
If anyone is not still interested, that is ok also, just let me know so I can work on replacement. I would not be mad, I would rather know than be ghosted.
Thanks all!
I hate to do this but I have to regretfully inform that I'm going to have to pull out. As I said earlier, I've recently had some issues with my computer that's made it difficult to get access to the Internet. Furthermore, I've kind of spread my myself thin here but being a few other online games, and since I joined up with this one last I think its only fair that I pull out now before my leaving becomes even more disruptive for this game.
Anyways, thanks for the opportunity to play and I hope this goes on to completion!
Jujopotamous's reponse to her question only served to put Calie on edge. They were far from town now and were already running low on potions. If some other creature were to attack she feared the worst could happen to the gnome or any of them.
Seeing that Ottast was trying to make some kind of poultice out of the innards of the slain spider, Calie rushed to assist the ranger as he applied the makeshift poultice. Calie wasn't as well-versed in the healing arts as she sorely wished she was in the moment, but she figured that any small moment of help could quite literally be life-saving right now.
"Here, let me help, sir ranger. As much as I can anyway."
Aid Another, Heal:1d20 - 1 ⇒ (13) - 1 = 12
Not sure much good that will do, but its a lucky break with a negative Wisdom score.
With the spider finally slain, Calie made a sigh of relief. "Well that was bracing," she says jokingly. Though she was trying to left the mood, the paladin still had the presence of mind to ask Jujo how he was doing. "Are you alright, Jujopotamous? I thought the potion I'd given you would do some good but you still seem winded."
Ah, my bad. Well, if that's the case than you can forgot about my earlier post.
Calie dashed to towards the snow spider with her glaive in hand. With a motivated thrust, she aimed the weapon at the pale beast using the full length of its reach.
Move Action: Moving towards spider and giving within 5 ft of it so I can hit it within reach range. Standard Action: Attacking with glaive.
Seeing Jujo still on shaking feet despite her potion, Calie gave the gnome a "Hold steady," before her thoughts turned back to the snow spider. The paladin had prepared for the spider to drop down and attack them, but it seemed like the creature preferred to stay above and out of reach of her glaive.
With no other recourse, Calie grabbed at the shortbow strapped to her back and notched an arrow. With her arrow readied and her eyes on the eight-legged target above her, Calie loosed the projectile.
Move Action: Draw Shortbow Standard Action: Attack Giant Snow Spider
Attack:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 Damage:1d6 ⇒ 5
Unfortunately, the arrow missed its target entirely, whizzing past the giant spider in the treetops.
@GM If that's the case than Calie will use the opportunity to Ready an action. She'll draw her glaive and attack the snow spider if gets in melee range with her or Jujo.
Calie swung around to see a monstrosity of a spider sink its fangs into Jujo's flesh and shrink back into the treetops. Though shocked by the sudden attack, the paladin's training kicked almost instantaneously. Running to the gnome's side, Calie grabbed at her other remaining potion and handed it to Jujo without a word, her eyes focused on the spider above.
Move Action: Moving to where Jujo is. Move Action: Retrieving potion and handing it to Jujo.
Don't worry about the Heal, Otta. I took the GM's opportunity to swap some gear for pots.
Potion of Cure Light Wounds:1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
"Oh, I heard of that one," Calie cheerfully tells the gnome as they prepared to make their way from the massacre site. Her parents had told her the tale back when she was a child. It was one of the last bedtime tales they ever told her before they were killed, in fact. Calie's mind didn't linger on that factoid for long though, and instead focused on the positives of the childhood memory. The warmth of that memory made the increasingly more arduous chill slightly more bearable as they moved deeper into the woods.
As Calie and the rest of the group followed Otta, the paladin took the opportunity to drink one of her healing potions. Almost immediately, she felt its curative magics heal her bruised body, numbing her pain and clearing bruises. "Ahhh. Feeling much better," she says as she flexes her healed muscles. Now healed, Calie wagered she could travel for a bit longer, even through the snow, but she wanted to know the rest of the group's thoughts on the matter, especially in light of the newly discovered chest. "Should we rest for a bit here? We've been marching for quite a while now and I think Jujo could use some time trying to break that chest's lock."
Calie shook her in solemn agreement with Otto. Being put to the pyre in such a way and for such reasons was tragedy, one that Calie intended to make right by ending whatever threat that caused the massacre set before her.
Her frown though turned into a slight, if still pained, smile when she hears Grida's self-deprecating complaints."Same here. I'm grateful for Trawets hospitality, but I'd prefer that we not waste a potion for my sake. After all, our quest has just begun!"
Thinking better of it just than, Calie made a snap decision. "Thank you Trawets, but I think it would actually be best that you keep this potion for now," she says as she returns the elixir. "I'm injured, yes, but I could recover on my own if given some time to heal and some aid."
The paladin looked around at the others, her eyes eventually setting on Otto. "Sir Otto. Do you think you can offer some healing assistance as a ranger? I'd be quite thankful."
Waiting a few hours sounds better that blowing a potion this early. I'm for it.
"It's always been a dream of mine, but I think I'll pass on the clothes," Calie tells the gnome earnestly, either not knowingly or subconscious denying Jujo's obvious sarcasm.
Though still weak from the battle, Calie still had enough energy and presence of mind to haul the bodies around the carriage into a side by side line. The thought of it was terrible, but with a necromancer likely on the loose it seemed wise to heed Jujo's advice and burn the bodies lest they rise again as undead. She also gathered some nearby sticks and logs as well.
"Burning them would the wise, yes," she says as she drops the firewood on to the corpses. "We likely have a necromancer in these woods if the zombies are any indication."
Calie made a prayer to Shelyn and one to Pharasma before she finally brought out her flint and steel and made a spark. There was no telling how long it would take for a fire to the consume the bodies with the cold as severe as it was, but it seemed to be their best option given the circumstances.
Taking a good look at her grievous wound, Calie makes a weak smile even as she winches with pain. "I'd hate to part you with one of your healing potions, Trawerts, but I may be in need one of them."
Calie eyed the rising man with suspicion. Not sure if Otto was right in his concerns and that the other man was indeed as well, she put her glaive in guard position and scanned the unnervingly quiet stranger for the tell-tell signs of zombification.
"Sir... are you alright?" she says hesitantly.
Standard Action: Total Defense. +4 dodge bonus to AC. Calie's AC is now 21.
The moment Calie saw her blow and Grida's do absolutely nothing she realized they weren't dealing with just a deranged man. On closer inspection of his glassy eyes and grayish flesh she suddenly knew the man to be animated corpse.
"By the Rose. This is no living man. Not anymore. He's a zombie, the walking dead!", she warns the party. Almost immediately after saying that, the zombie swings at the side of her, managing to hit her square at the side of her head . Though reeling from the attack and seeing stars in her eyes, Calie still manages to hold her ground and return the swing with a sideways slash of her glaive aimed at the zombie's head.
Oops! Made a mistake with the Bladed Brush feat. I've been thinking that it gave you the benefits of Weapon Finesse, but it actually just adds the glaive to the list of weapons Weapon Finesse lets you swap Str for Dex when attacking. Since I still don't have Weapon Finesse I still need to use Str when I attack with a glaive. I also forgot to add the bonus damage of wielding a weapon with two hands. Once again, my apologizes, but I've fixed the rolls in this post and edited my character page to reflect my new understanding.
Calie's mind snapped to attention as the two men stumbled out of the carriage in a rush of frantic movement. Quickly assessing the struggle and noticing the fevered, unnatural look in one of the men's eyes and the grievously torn cheek on the other, Calie moved to position herself between the aggressive one and their fleeing victim.
"Cease your attacks, sir! You are both Taldans guard are you not? I don't wish to harm you but if you continue I'll be forced to act!" she warms the seemingly insane stranger. When the stranger doesn't stop in his movements, Calie responded by mentally asking Shelyn for forgiveness as she tried to knock the madman out with the butt of her glaive before he could do more harm.
Free Action: 5 ft. step to get between the two men. Move Action: Assuming that the attacker is now directly adjacent to Calie, I'll use the Bladed Brush feat to shorten Calie's glaive to removal the Reach weapon feature. Standard Action: Nonlethal attacking the cheek-biter.
Calie was torn. One part of her wanted to leap to Jujo's side to see if he was truly alright, while another wished to stay beside Grida and watch her back as they cautiously moved the carriage. In the end, she choose the former over the latter, though she felt some shame over the fact that she couldn't be in two places at once.
Still, even if she couldn't directly console the gnome she could still give him a hail. "Are you truly alright, Jujopotamous? Best to avoid that ice pillar for now while we deal with this," she tells him. Still feeling guilty that a friend was in distress while she was close at hand, Calie took one hand from her glaive and joined Grida in removing the spear barring the carriage door in the hope that together they could quicken the removal process.
Arriving at the massacre site proper, Calie shook her head in sorrow at the bodies before her and made a prayer to Shelyn just as Grida did for Erastil. "May our deeds this day wipe away the ugliness of this travesty. And may the Lady of Graves be kind in her judgment of the slain." She wanted to gather the bodies and give them the proper burial they deserved, but the earth was cold and she was bereft of a spade to break it.
Still, even with her heart and mind troubled at the prospect of just leaving the dead to the elements, she immediately stood alert when Trawets warned them of movement in the nearby overturned carriage. Sallying up next to Grida as she made her way to the down vehicle, Calie whispered a quick, " I have your back," to the warrior as they now both advanced closer to the noise.
Calie took in the dismal scene of the massacre from afar with a grave expression on her face. It was hardly the first time she'd seen such displays of wanton death and destruction, but even so, the sight of carnage still chilled her heart more than any snowstorm ever could.
"Smart idea, Trawets," she says in a low whisper. "It's possible that the villains that did this are still around. See if you can pick any lingering magical traps or presences." Remembering that they had another member in their party that could probably help ensure they didn't walk right into a trap, Calie asked Otto much the same in a low whisper. "Otto. Do you think you can see or sense if anyone is watching us we can our way?"
At the councilwoman's offer of cold-resistant clothing, Calie bowed her head in respect and appreciation. "I thank you and your town for its hospitality in offering these garments, Lady Teppen. I assure you that they'll be put to good use as we make our way into the Border Woods, and I swear upon the Eternal Rose that your town we be relieved of this unnatural chill." It was a serious vow as such things went, and many other more senior and world-weary paladins may not have made such a promise. For good and for ill, Calie was no such paladin, at least not yet, and sincerely believed that she and her new friends could make good on her oath.
When the good councilwoman made her exit, Calie took a closer look at her gifted cold-weather outfit. The winter ensemble was a thick coat made of sheep's wool, a fur-lined cloak, heavy wool pants, a fur cap, and a quite durable pair of black leather boots. All in all, the outfit was by no means visually stunning, but that surprisingly mattered very little to Calie. It would serve for their purposes, and more importantly, they were a token of the people of Heldren's trust in their mission. What was a lack of style compared to that?
Putting the ensemble away into her backpack for now, the paladin finally tended to the delicious morning breakfast that had been prepared for the group. As she enjoyed some wondrous eggs and a bagel, she asked the rest of the group about their plans. "So, after we're done with when this heavenly meal here do you think she should move out to the Border Woods immediately? Or is does anyone have something they need to do beforehand?"
[ooc] With the cold-weather outfit, I'd say Calie ready to go into the Border Woods.[/b]
Calie's chatting had borne fruit! The hunters she meet may have been of a rough sort, but they showed their inner beauty in telling her about the High Sentinels that patrolled the Border Woods. If anyone could tell them more about the threats in the woods and this strange white beast that was apparently stalking it, the High Sentinels seemed like just the group they'd want to connect too. Calie said as much when she returned to her newly made compatriots, telling them about the High Sentinels and the white monster before finally bidding them all a warm farewell and returning to Heldren's Erastilian for some sleep.
When she arrived, she ran into Zaarida, a Sarenite and Elder Safander's wife. Although she was tired and in desperate need of shut-eye, Calie couldn't pass up the chance to talk to the Qadiran woman. It had been some time since she had an opportunity to speak to someone in her ancestral tongue of Kelish and the thought of conversing in it with Zaarida as they talked about their respective faiths seemed like a delightful idea. Alas, the other women didn't seem to be in much a talkative mood and Calie was left starved for company as she went to bed.
17 Sarenith, 4713
When she awoke the next day, the paladin made her morning prayers to the Eternal Rose and readied her armor and glaive for whatever she was fated to confront. After giving her goodbyes and thanks to Zaarida and her husband, Calie made her way back to the Silver Trout. Before she even reached the tavern's door, the rich, pleasant smell of baked goods filled her nose and put a sunny smile on her face despite the outdoor chill. Barging through the door with food on her mind, Calie was quickly told by Menander that Grida and the others are already in the tavern's private room.
Though Calie was quite distracted by the delectable food spread set before her in the private room, she doesn't allow her hunger to stop her from giving her friends a proper "Good morning!" and the councilwoman a deferential bow and introduction. "Hello, my lady. Calie Choros, Paladin of the Eternal Rose and Sworn Glaive of the Order of the Chivalrous Heart, at your and Heldren's service."
When Menander comes with his offer of free lodging, Calie gave him a kindly "Thank you," for his generosity but told him that it was unnecessary. She had already been granted shelter at the parish of the town's local cleric of Erastil when she first came to Heldren with her mission.
With their plans set and their party assembled for their morning trek into the Border Woods, Calie deigned to talk to some of the tavern goers, figuring that it wouldn't hurt her cause to learn a bit more of what she should except in the forest. After all, she hadn't entered the Border Woods and years, and it wasn't as if her last trip in it had showed her to be a natural at navigating its twists and turns. Even with Otto and Grida by her side she could do with some information and advice about the forest's dangers.
Grida's smile sent butterflies a flutter in Calie's stomach. She very much wanted to return one back Grida's way, but Ottast's sad words chilled her to the core. Calie may not have even known the name of Grida's friend, but her heart went out to him at hearing of his missing daughter. "We'll find her, good sir. As a paladin of the Chivalrous Heart, you have my word and my oath." Calie knelt down with her glaive in hand as she made her solemn vow to the father.
When she rose back up to her full height her far more serious expression that was still firmly on her face. "Well, that's it then." Calie declared, clasping her armored hands together. "We our quest, our party and our destination. And if no is opposed to going out at first light tomorrow as the good sir and Jujopotamous here asks, than I'd say we have a plan, too. What say you all?"
At hearing Grida's agreement to join so their quickly party, Calie nearly jumps for joy. She doesn't though, instead making a less dramatic fist pump. "Yes! I could, I mean, we could definitely use your help, Grida."
The paladin contemplated sweeping the taller women in an appreciative hug, but re-thought that rather quickly. It wouldn't be fair to the others, and she already feared that she had made things awkward with Grida with her stumbletongue and had no desire to make it worse. Than again, she could of sworn that the half-elf's cheeks had blushed as well... Perhaps there was hope for her after all?
Leaving her self-conscious reverie aside, Calie caught Jujo's talk of a play. "That sounds like a lovely idea, Jujopotamous, she admits, already imagining such a heroic drama playing out in her imagination. "But you needn't make Grida and I your sole focus," she says while gesturing to Trawets and even the sad-looking newcomer that was speaking to Grida, "I'm sure they'll have all have their stories worthy of telling as well by the end of our quest. You included."
As more interesting strangers came on to the scene, Calie's heart became to warm with hope. "Shelyn be praised! More volunteers!"
Calie jumped up from her chair to greet the wizard. "Not wrong at all!"" she declares happily. "Trawets is it? My name is Calie Choros, a paladin of the Shelynite order of the Chivalrous Heart," the paladin made her obligatory bow and flashed the tall wizard a relieved smile. "It's good to know that the Church of Nethys are looking into this as well. We paladins may be good at defeating villains but magic winterstorms probably require more than a glaive strike to foil." Calie laughed at the self jab. She knew a little about the nature of spellcraft but nowhere near enough to believe that she could decipher the arcane mysteries and mechanics behind the impossible winter happening in the Border Woods.
"I take it your a wizard?" she asks politely, remembering from her lessons that many of Nethy's devout followers were wizards instead of clerics. "We could certainly use another spellcaster. Wouldn't we Jujopotamous?" she says giving the gnome a glance before going right back to talking a mile a minute to Trawets. "Oh, this is Jujopotamous Jumbomanic the Third by the way. The friendly gnome that just a minute ago made a most splendid performance. You should have seen it! Jujopotamous did this hilarious thing with his magic at the end that was just..." Calie stopped right in the middle of her ramblings when she finally noticed the half-elven warrioress that was trying to get a word in edgewise. She also noticed that said warrioress was nearly as tall as Trawets and had a most mesmerizing mane of braided white hair.
"Oh... I, uh, greetings, my lady," she finally manages to get out, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. As always, Calie made her bow to the newcomer, though she found it somewhat hard to keep her proper form this time around. "I'm Calie. Well, Calie Choros actually. I'm a paladin of Shelyn, but you probably already knew that from all of the songbirds on armor and..." Calie stopped for a second and mentally cursed herself for being such a stumbletongue. "You're Randgríðr, yes? Am I pronouncing that correctly? It would be a shame if I wasn't because it sounds like such a lovely name and..." She stopped again when she realized that she was getting herself sidetracked and distracted. Calie forced herself to focus on her mission. "So you're part of the town militia? Well, if that's the case than you'll be happy to know that we're all interested in investigating whatever's going on in the Border Woods. All we'd need is a local to guide us through it. Would be willing to join us?"
Just a heads up, I changed the layout of Calie's sheet to better keep of track where all her bonuses were coming from. Mechanically nothing has been touched or changed. Hope that's alright.
Relieved that she hadn't inadvertently bothered the bard with her compliments and salutations, Calie graciously took up Jujo's offer with an enthusiastic "Of course"! and sat across from him at one of the tavern tables. She took a few nibbles of the roasted pig, but found that Jujo was quite right that it wasn't the best pork she had ever had. Still, once she had a bit of mead to go along with it she discovered that it hardly mattered.
Calie savored the taste before her eyes turned back to Jujo. As much as she wanted this conversation to be a simple chat between admirers of the arts, her mind went to duty. "You can hardly blame them, Jujopotamous," she begins, her voice having turned somber. "This unnatural winter in the Border Woods has them fearful, especially in light of the attack on Lady Argentea Malassene's escort," she continued to explain, her posture turning more serious as she leaned in closer to the gnome. "You've heard of it, I trust? It's been the talk of the town since one of Lady Argentea's guards returned to Heldren badly injured and with new of monsters prowling the woods."
Calie let that tidbit of information linger in the air for a few seconds. She tried to gauge Jujopotamous' reaction to it. Concern? Fear? Indifference? In truth, Callie was never all that good at reading people's faces. She usually just assumed that people were just as honest and concerned about the welfare of others as she was. Such a sentiment had gotten her in trouble in the past, but even so, she stubbornly refused to let her optimistic view people's natures die.
After a while, the paladin simply cut to chase and said what she had to say. "I plan on going into the Border Woods to rescue Lady Argentea and find out what's causing this sudden winter. It will surely be a dangerous venture, but my duty and heart demand that I go." Calie had the presence of mind to know that what she was about to ask was a big ask for someone that she barely knew, but she suspected that Jujopotamous was a person of brave character and would go for it. After all, you had to be brave to go up and try to entertain a lukewarm crowd of tavern-goers. "But it does mean that I have to go alone. You look to have magical power and a generous heart. Would you be willing to join me in this quest?"
The paladin stuck out her armored hand for Jujopotamous to take, only mostly sure that she would take it.
Calie rose from her chair and gave the charming gnome in green a rousing round of applause. Not many others in the crowded tavern did the same, but Calie could hardly blame them for that. Fear was ripe and palpable in the Silver Stout, and its guests didn't seem to be a jovial mood. "Bravo! Bravo, good sir!" she cheered. Calie adorned her love stories, even the more comedic and irreverent ones. When the paladin finally felt that the gnomish bard had gotten his well-earned claps she went back to her chair, still giddy from the performance.
She had only been in Heldren for a few days now, but the gnome's one-man play had so far been the highlight of her time there. Not that it had a lot of competition. The small town had lost much of its cheer since the last time she visited it years ago with her mentor, Dame Valerya. Back then the town was far more jovial compared to the ample tension that hung above it now.
But that was exactly why she was there. Word of the strange winter chill in the Border Woods had caught the ear of her Order and as the Sworn Heart responsible for the area it was Calie's job to investigate the mysterious chill before it harmed anyone else. Of course, that was more easily said than done. The injured man that had come the other day from the Border Woods had spoken of bandits and creatures of winter plaguing the forest, and that his noble charge had been kidnapped by these forces. Though news of a captured damsel that had inflamed Calie's heart to act as quickly as possible, even she knew that going into a such situation without assistance would likely mean her own kidnapping or worse. She needed allies, and in her mind the best place to find some was the Silver Trout. After all, that's where most righteous knights found their companions in the stories. Why would this be any different?
With that thought in mind, Calie got up from her chair and waltzed up to the charming gnome. Calie was a proud Shelynite, something that most people in the tavern would be able to immediately surmise given her panoply. The paladin wore her armor, but moved with such easy grace that it seemed like she wasn't earning any armor at all. Said armor was a set of silvery lamellar plates, all each of which were beautifully inscribed with songbirds, that were bound to tanned elk-leather. A shawl the color of a rainbow was worn over it, its riotous colors immediately catching the eye. Calie did not bind her dark hair, instead allowing it to freely fall to her waist like a glistering waterfall. Her golden eyes bounced with excitement and her mouth turned into an wide smile as she reached the gnome.
"I know I already gave my bravos, Sir Gnome, but I must say I loved your performance, especially the bit with the hand," she says earnestly, even mimicking the gesture of having her ear pulled."It was brilliant!".
Calie laughed for a bit remembering the part before mentally reminding herself that she needed to make her introductions."I am Calie Choros, a Sword Heart of the Order of the Chivalrous Heart," she tells him, giving the gnome a courteous bow despite his height making the gesture somewhat awkward. "May I know the name of the person who so kindly brought joy and good cheer to this establishment?"
Appreciate the invite, Squirrel Ninja! I hope to be a fine contributor to this game.
I'm pretty sure that Calie is good to go when it comes to equipment, but I'll give her one more look over before official play. As for marching order, given Calie's role as a melee defender her being at the front in single file order makes the most sense to be. The same goes for side by side. So her being 1 works for me less someone else, like Randgríðr, wants that position.
I do have a question for you, though. Calie's a paladin, a one for Shelyn to boot, which means she'd prefer not to kill if she doesn't have to. So, I'm wondering whether you apply the -4 to attack penalty when someone tries to do nonlethal damage with a lethal weapon?
Here's that Paladin of Shelyn I've been working on. Her stats and fluff are done, but I plan on adding a list that compiles a few of her character quirks on her alias page. Hope you dig the character, and if there's anything mechanically wrong on her sheet, let me know.
Character Stats:
Calie Choros
Female Human (Keleshite) Paladin 1
LG Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init +3; Senses Perception -1
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Defense
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AC 17, Touch 13 (+3 Dex) Flat-Footed 14 (+4 Armor)
HP 12 (1d10+2)
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +1; +1 vs. spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities of evil arcane spellcasters
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Offense
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Speed 30 Ft.
Melee Glaive +5 (1d10+1/x3)
Ranged Shortbow +4 (1d6/x3)
Special Attack Smite Evil (1/day, +2 Attack and AC, +1 Damage)
Paladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +3)
At Will—Detect Evil
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Statistics
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Str 12 (+1), Dex 16 (+3), Con 12 (+1), Int 13 (+1), Wis 8 (-1), Cha 14 (+2)
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 15
FeatsBladed Brush, Weapon Focus (Glaive) TraitsChivalrous, Reckless, Warded Against Witchery DrawbackNaive Adventuring Skills Acrobatics +6, Diplomacy +7, Knowledge (Religion) +5, Spellcraft +5; Armor Check Penalty -2
Background Skills Perform (Dance) +6, Knowledge (History) +6
Languages Celestial, Common (Taldane), Kelish
SQ Aura of Good, Code of Conduct
Combat Gear Acid Other Gear Lamellar Leather, Glaive, Shortbow, Common Arrows (20); Common Backpack, Bedroll, Belt Pouch, Cheap Holy Text, Dancer’s Garb, Explorer’s Outfit, Flint and Steel, Trail Rations (5 Days), Waterskin, Wooden Holy Symbol, 5 GP / 4 SP / 9 CP
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Special Abilities
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Aura of Good: The power of a paladin's aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to her paladin level.
Detect Evil: At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell. A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is evil, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect evil in any other object or individual within range.
Smite Evil: Once per day, a paladin can call out to the powers of good to aid her in her struggle against evil. As a swift action, the paladin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is evil, the paladin adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her paladin level to all damage rolls made against the target of her smite. If the target of smite evil is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the paladin possesses. Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.
In addition, while smite evil is in effect, the paladin gains a deflection bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (if any) to her AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the paladin targets a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect.
The smite evil effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the paladin rests and regains her uses of this ability. At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the paladin may smite evil one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Paladin, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
Favored Class Bonus: Paladin (+1 Hit Point)
Code of Conduct:
Code of Conduct: A paladin must be of lawful good alignment and loses all class features except proficiencies if she ever willingly commits an evil act.
Additionally, a paladin's code requires that she respect legitimate authority, act with honor (not lying, not cheating, not using poison, and so forth), help those in need (provided they do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends), and punish those who harm or threaten innocents.
Paladin Code of Shelyn: The paladins of Shelyn are peaceable promoters of art and beauty. They see the ugliness in evil, even when cloaked in the form of beauty, and their job is to prevent the weak and foolish from being seduced by false promises. Their tenets include:
-I am peaceful. I come first with a rose. I act to prevent conflict before it blossoms.
-I never strike first, unless it is the only way to protect the innocent.
-I accept surrender if my opponent can be redeemed—and I never assume that they cannot be. All things that live love beauty, and I will show beauty’s answer to them.
-I will never destroy a work of art, nor allow one to come to harm unless greater art arises from its loss. I will only sacrifice art if doing so allows me to save a life, for untold beauty can arise from an awakened soul.
-I see beauty in others. As a rough stone hides a diamond, a drab face may hide the heart of a saint.
-I lead by example, not with my blade. Where my blade passes, a life is cut short, and the world’s potential for beauty is lessened.
-I live my life as art. I will choose an art and perfect it. When I have mastered it, I will choose another. The works I leave behind make life richer for those who follow.
Racial Traits:
Human +2 to One Ability Score: Human characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Humans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
Skilled: Humans gain 1 additional skill rank at 1st level and 1 additional rank whenever they gain a level.
Languages: Humans begin play speaking Common and their ethnic language. Humans whose ethnic language is Common (or Taldane, in the case of Chelaxians or Taldans) do not receive an additional ethnic language. Humans with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Paladins are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Aura of Good: The power of a paladin's aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to her paladin level.
Detect Evil: At will, a paladin can use detect evil, as the spell. A paladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is evil, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the paladin does not detect evil in any other object or individual within range.
Smite Evil: Once per day, a paladin can call out to the powers of good to aid her in her struggle against evil. As a swift action, the paladin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is evil, the paladin adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her paladin level to all damage rolls made against the target of her smite. If the target of smite evil is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the paladin possesses. Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.
In addition, while smite evil is in effect, the paladin gains a deflection bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (if any) to her AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the paladin targets a creature that is not evil, the smite is wasted with no effect.
The smite evil effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the paladin rests and regains her uses of this ability. At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the paladin may smite evil one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Paladin, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
Monetary Bookkeeping:
Starting Paladin Wealth + 50 GP: 225 GP 0 SP 0 CP
Acid: -10 GP
Lamellar Leather: -60 GP
Glaive: -8 GP
Shortbow: -30 GP
Common Arrows (20): -2 GP
Dancer's Garb: -100 GP
Explorer's Outfit: Free Starting Outfit
Common Backpack: -2 GP
Bedroll: -1 SP
Belt Pouch: -1 GP
Cheap Holy Text (Melodies of Inner Beauty): -1 GP
Flint and Steel: -1 GP
Trail Rations (5 Days): -25 SP
Waterskin: -1 GP
Wooden Holy Symbol: -1 GP
Current Wealth: 5 GP / 4 SP / 0 CP
Background:
Calie would know her parents for a scant eight years before they were cruelly taken away from her by raiders who not only murdered them but also burned her village to the ground. Such was the fate of many poorly defended hamlets that had the misfortune of existing near the border that separated the feuding nations of Taldor and Qadira. Calie only survived the massacre because she had disobeyed her parents the day of the raider attack, having joined some of her friends in exploring the nearby Border Wood. By the time the children returned to their village it was already a deserted, smoking ruin.
Alone, afraid, and newly orphaned, Calie and the other survivors made the fateful decision to hide within the Border Wood out of fear that their parent’s murderers would return and kill them too if they stayed out in the open. It was only meant to be for a short while. A few days in the forest before they made their way to a more well-defended settlement. But a few days became a week and then a fortnight as they became hopelessly lost in the dense wilds of the Border Woods. When the supplies they were able to recover from their village began to dwindle, hunger and thirst started to set in and with it a whole new terror.
Calie tried to keep her friends' spirits up with jokes, songs, and cartwheels, but as time dragged on, even she started to fear that they’d never find their way out. Alas, starvation would not be the worst of it. Members of their group began to disappear. One night they’d be sleeping or keeping watching only to disappear from camp in the morning. Some of the children believed that they had abandoned the group, but Calie refused to accept that. “They wouldn’t just leave us,” she argued. “Someone must have taken them.” None of the others listened though, and soon they stopped bothering to even do a token search for those who disappeared.
Inevitability, it became Calie’s time to disappear as well. One night, as she kept watch over the camp, she heard a wonderous song emanating from the woods. Enchanted by the singing, Calie heedlessly walked into the forest and found its source, a beautiful woman with mesmerizing green eyes. Whispering kind words of succor in her ear, the mysterious woman lured Calie to her home, a well-kept cabin that looked entirely out of place in the foreboding woods around it. It was there that Calie learned the fate of all the other children that had disappeared.
The mystery woman was neither a rescuer nor beautiful, but a grotesque hag that sought to consume Calie’s and all the other children’s flesh. By the time the hag dropped her disguise and revealed her monstrous nature, it was already too late for Calie to escape. Bound and thrown into a filthy larder with the rest of the missing children, Calie was left with nothing but the knowledge that she and her friends were to be the main course for the hag’s nightmarish “feast.” But Calie refused to give in to despair. Every day and night she prayed for her and her friends’ salvation and encouraged them not give up hope. “We’ll be rescued. You’ll see. ” She didn’t pray to any particular deity, just that someone, anyone, would come to their aid. And as luck would it, someone did.
On the very night, they were meant to be sacrificed to satiate the hag’s hunger a Shelynite paladin by the name of Dame Valerya barged into the witch’s hut, having coincidentally been in the area after hearing reports of bandit attacks near the Border Woods. Seeing their chance, Calie inspired the others to use what strength they still had to break their bonds and try to escape the hut in the chaos. But Calie didn’t flee. She couldn’t. Not when someone was risking their life to save hers. Not knowing what to do, but determined to help however she could, Calie intervened in the battle, distracting the hag just long enough that Valerya could land the decisive blow.
Afterward, the paladin led the children out of the forest, taking them to fortress-city of Zimar, which is where her temple and martial order, the Order of the Chivalrous Heart, resided. With the aid of the Shelynites, all of the survivors found kindly families to adopt them. Calie, though, would take another path. Inspired by Valerya’s gallant heroics, the young girl enthusiastically asked to join the paladin order. Seeing that she wouldn’t be dissuaded, and impressed by her willingness to put herself in harm’s way, Valerya took Calie as her squire. And thus, began Calie training in the ways of the paladins of love and beauty. Taking to the training like a duck to water, Calie quickly found her artistic passion in dance, enjoying the liberating feeling that came with dancing as well as the surprising synergy it had with her martial training. Alongside Valerya, Calie traveled across Taldor visiting sister-temples, assisting the helpless, and combatting the wicked. In time, Calie earned the right to call herself a true paladin of her order and soon began to keep watch around the south of Taldor, just as her mentor once did. Currently, she’s in the small town of Heldren, trying to see what she can do about the strange winter that has suddenly erupted in the Border Woods.
Personality:
Calie is a vibrant young woman very much in the springtime of her youth. Though tragedy has marked her past, she hasn’t it allowed it to define her. She’s an optimist through and through, steadfastly believing that beauty and love lies within all living things, and that you can see the good in almost everything and everyone if you look hard enough.
The downside of this sanguine attitude is that she can be rather naïve at times, being unwilling to see evil in people until it becomes undeniable. As to be expected of a paladin of Shelyn, Calie is quite chivalrous, adhering to the virtues of her paladin code with a passionate fervor. She is thus courteous, diplomatic, and quite adverse to killing.
A devout Shelynite, Calie has spent considerable time cultivating her beauty and physique. Attractively statuesque, she possesses the lithe, well-toned build of a professional acrobat or dancer. Calie’s eyes are golden, and she has the same black hair and dusky skin that is commonly associated with Keleshites. Her lips are full and can make for both a radiant smile and a sweet kiss. The adornments come and go, but the holy symbol of Shelyn, the songbird, is always painted somewhere on her armor. Currently, her favorite new accessory is a rainbow-colored shawl that she wears over her armor.
Height: 5'10" Weight: 140 lbs. Hair: Black Eyes: Golden
