Carmine Jolanka's page

Init +5; Senses Perception +5, Sense Motive +4
Hero Points:
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DEFENSE
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AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +3 dex, +1 buckler)
hp 11
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +2 (+1 vs Poisons) (+4 vs Charm/Compulsions)
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OFFENSE
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Speed 30 ft.

Melee +1
Battle Aspergillum: 1d6+1 | x2
Dagger: 1d4+1 | 19-20/x2
Ranged +4
Short Bow 1d6+1 | x3
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STATISTICS
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Str 13, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 18
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 14
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TRAITS

Irrepressible (Faith):
Your hope for a brighter future blessed by the gods, combined with your powerful personality, allows you to force your way free of spells that cloud the mind. You can use your Charisma modifier in place of your Wisdom modifier when attempting Will saving throws against charm and compulsion effects.

Deathtouched (Race):
At some point you were tainted with the corruption of the undead, and you have gained some of their defenses. You gain either a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saving throws or a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects (your choice).

Reactionary (Combat):
You were bullied often as a child, but never quite developed an offensive response. Instead, you became adept at anticipating sudden attacks and reacting to danger quickly. You gain a +2 trait bonus on initiative checks.

Cowardly (Drawback):
You might face dangerous situations with bravado, but you are constantly afraid. Your base speed when frightened and fleeing increases by 5 feet, and the penalties you take from having the cowering, frightened, panicked, or shaken conditions increase by 1. If you would normally be immune to fear, you do not take these penalties but instead lose your immunity to fear (regardless of its source).

FEATS

Point-Blank Shot: You are especially accurate when making ranged attacks against close targets.
Benefit: You get a bonus +1 on attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at ranges of up to 30 feet.

Precise Shot: You are adept at firing ranged attacks into melee.
Prerequisite: Point-Blank Shot.
Benefit: You can shoot or throw ranged weapons at an opponent engaged in melee without taking the standard –4 penalty on your attack roll.
Note: Two characters are engaged in melee if they are enemies of each other and either threatens the other.

Skills (10 points; 6 class, 1 INT, 1 Skilled, 2 Background)
ACP -1

SKILL Total + Ability Mod. + Ranks + Misc.

Acrobatics* +7 = DEX 3+1+3
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Appraise +1 = INT 1+0+0
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Bluff +10 = CHA 4+1+3+2 (+2 Boritsi)
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Climb* +1 = STR 1+0+0
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Craft +1 = INT 1+0+0
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Diplomacy +8 = CHA 4+1+3
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Disable Device*† +3 = DEX 3+0+0
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Disguise +4 = CHA 4+0+0
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Escape Artist* +3 = DEX 3+0+0
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Fly* +3 = DEX 3+0+0
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Handle Animal† +4 = CHA 4+0+0
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Heal +0 = WIS 0+0+0
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Intimidate +4 = CHA 4+0+0
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K (Arcana)† +6 = INT 1+1+3+1
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K (Dungeoneering)† +2 = INT 1+0+0+1
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K (Engineering)† +2 = INT 1+0+0+1
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K (Geography)† +2 = INT 1+0+0+1
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K (History)† +2 = INT 1+0+0+1
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K (Local)† +6 = INT 1+1+3+1
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K (Nature)† +2 = INT 1+0+0+1
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K (Nobility)† +2 = INT 1+0+0+1
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K (Planes)† +2 = INT 1+0+0+1
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K (Religion)† +6 = INT 1+1+3+1
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Linguistics† +1 = INT 1+0+0
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Perception +4 = WIS 0+1+3
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Perform (Percussion) +8 = CHA 4+1+3 (+1 Background)
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Perform (Sing) +8 = CHA 4+1+3 (+1 Background)
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Profession† +0 = WIS 0+0+0
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Ride +3 = DEX 3+0+0
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Sense Motive +4 = WIS 0+1+3
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Sleight of Hand*† +3 = DEX 3+0+0
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Spellcraft† +1 = INT 1+0+0
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Stealth* +7 = DEX 3+1+3
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Survival +0 = WIS 0+0+0
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Swim* +1 = STR 1+0+0
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Use Magic Device† +4 = CHA 4+0+0
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*ACP applies to these skills
Non-Standard Skill Bonuses

Bardic Knowledge: +1 to all knowledge skills. May make knowledge skill checks untrained.

Languages Common, Varisian

Boritsi Legacy:
+2 Bonus to Charisma.
Bluff is a class Skill and you gain a +2 Legacy Bonus to that skill.
+1 on Fortitude Saves vs. Poison.

BARD (Dirge Bard / Sound Striker:

Bardic Knowledge: (Ex)
A bard adds half his class level (minimum 1) to all Knowledge skill checks and may make all Knowledge skill checks untrained.

Performance: (8 Rounds / Day)

Countersong (Su):
At 1st level, a bard learns to counter magic effects that depend on sound (but not spells that have verbal components.) Each round of the countersong he makes a Perform (keyboard, percussion, wind, string, or sing) skill check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard himself) that is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack may use the bard's Perform check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check result proves to be higher. If a creature within range of the countersong is already under the effect of a non-instantaneous sonic or language-dependent magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it hears the countersong, but it must use the bard's Perform skill check result for the save. Countersong does not work on effects that don't allow saves. Countersong relies on audible components.

Distraction: (Su)
At 1st level, a bard can use his performance to counter magic effects that depend on sight. Each round of the Distraction, he makes a Perform (act, comedy, dance, or oratory) skill check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard himself) that is affected by an illusion (pattern) or illusion (figment) magical attack may use the bard’s Perform check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check result proves to be higher. If a creature within range of the Distraction is already under the effect of a non-instantaneous illusion (pattern) or illusion (figment) magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it sees the Distraction, but it must use the bard’s Perform check result for the save. Distraction does not work on effects that don’t allow saves. Distraction relies on visual components.

Fascinate: (Su)
At 1st level, a bard can use his performance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and capable of paying attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creatures affected. The Distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three levels a bard has attained beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with this ability.
Each creature within range receives a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the bard’s level + the bard’s Cha modifier) to negate the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and observes the performance for as long as the bard continues to maintain it. While fascinated, a target takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Perception checks. Any potential threat to the target allows the target to make a new saving throw against the effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect.
Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability. Fascinate relies on audible and visual components in order to function.

Inspire Courage: (Su)
A 1st level bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard’s performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +4 at 17th level. Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability. inspire courage can use audible or visual components. The bard must choose which component to use when starting his performance.

Light
Message
Read Magic
Prestidigitation

1st (2/day)

Cure Light Wounds
Grease

Chain Shirt
Buckler
Battle Aspergillum
Dagger
Short Bow
20 Arrows
Backpack
Belt Pouch
Journal
Pen & Ink Vial
Mirror, small metal
Tambourine

Carrying Capacity
Light 0-50 lb. Medium 51-100 lb. Heavy 101-150 lb.
Current Load Carried 44 lb.

Money 16 GP 2 SP 5 CP

Since he was old enough to be useful, Carmine has worked in one capacity or another in the mortuary business his family owns and operates in Lepidstadt. The Jolanka family is a fairly large Varisian clan, with members proficient in all the various trades and services connected to burials and funerals. They produce their own coffins and flowers, have arrangements with cemeteries to secure burial plots, decorate and organize for funeral services, and cater wakes. The business can handle as little or as much of the arrangements as a family wishes or can afford.

Carmine first really distinguished himself as an assistant when initially meeting with families to make those important initial decisions about arrangements for their recently departed loved ones. He showed himself to be masterful at deploying empathy, both to soothe the bereaved and to guide them through decisions while making the family feel completely in control. Within the family he is acknowledged as being able to upsell coffins with greater finesse and success than anyone bar none. Carmine also has a talent for music. When he was old enough to be respectable in the position, he took over arranging and performing musical accompaniments for funeral processions and gatherings for mourners.

Carmine loves his work. It feels good to make important contributions to his family’s welfare and prosperity, and to valued for it in return. He is happy to be working as a musician. Carmine is something of an aesthete, and enjoys taking pains making everything perfect for such difficult gatherings for families. He has an unusual talent for knowing what mourners want or need, and seeing that they get it efficiently and tactfully without appearing subservient, and giving extra time and attention to those who need it. He has found this to be especially true for widows, and sometimes daughters, of the recently departed. Carmine was also very surprised to realize there are so, so many young widows of rich old men. He makes it his personal mission to shepherd these poor, young unfortunates through their grief and loss, going above and beyond to see they receive whatever it is that will help them move on from such a dark period in their lives.

Despite how richly rewarding Carmine finds his profession to be, there are undoubtedly risks that come with it. Just last year a mishap almost cost him his life. Working late one night Carmine and his cousin Avram where moving a coffin meant for transport to the cemetery the next morning. Unfortunately, mistakes were made somewhere along the way. The man inside had perished due to an illness misidentified as (relativity speaking) benign when it was in fact ghoul fever. The newly risen ghoul inside the coffin rose and burst out of the coffin. It ravaged both Carmine and his cousin, killing Avram immediately. Carmine should have died of his wounds or, failing that, from ghoul fever. Almost impossibly though, he covered from both afflictions with astounding speed.

The attack was news locally, and it brought Carmine to the attention of Dr. van Richten at the local university. Apparently the Doctor kept feelers out for unusual cases involving paranormal circumstances. Dr. van Richten paid Carmine for sessions over a period of some months where Carmine was examined and tested. Not only did Carmine recover with no discernible lasting negative effects, he seemed more robust than ever when exposed to some of the typical taints associated with the undead. The Doctor could find no apparent reason for the strength of Carmine’s discovery, and considered him a very interesting case.