Just to interject an opinion, I think it would be great if Vladimir and Durielle still knew each other. It would kind of make the party integration feel a bit more natural, while not letting a lot of already established roleplay go to waste.
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Aha. Names have a record of being the very last things I come with. ;P
Sorry for being slow. Character is still a work in progress. Crunch is mostly done; just have buy a few more things. Backstory and flavor are always what take me longest (even though I should be thinking of that first, really). It won't be anything terribly extravagant, but I might make reference to the fey thing the DM mentioned. That being said, fey will probably be the favored enemy I pick at level 5.
I am currently contemplating a wild shadow ranger, to give us someone that can cover the survival and nature bases. Maybe a dedicated archer, switch hitter, or dual wielder depending on what the overall party makeup looks like, or how many people plan to be on the front line.
Hey everyone... I'm sure you've noticed by now that my posting rate here has plummeted. Far from the ideal 3-4 a day I originally agreed to. Not for a lack of ability, but for a lack of overall enthusiasm. I know I haven't been in the game for particularly long, but I feel like Clousuk has more or less run his course as a character. I hate leaving so suddenly, especially when others are taking their leave, but I think my slot in the group would be better served by someone able to meet everyone's expectations.
Hey Bloodgargler, I was the bard for this group. Clousuk is mostly a consequence of needing a good hook to join the group in media res. At the time, a member of the Sootscale tribe seemed like a good idea since it'd help the plot along, but as Vlad said, Clousuk has since more or less become a comic relief character. I did not necessarily mind that at first, but things have become increasingly frustrating, especially since I do enjoy a good bit of roleplay. That being said, if allowed, a new character would be splendid. I suppose class choice would depend on who is involved.
Clousuk nods in approval. "Sootscale egg-smashers would be treated same way."
"Clousuk says Clousuk, Clousuk understand bandit's ah, predicament," the kobold says, nodding vigorously, "Clousuk would rather eat hot coals and sleep under heavy rock than betray Chief Sootscale."
Clousuk snorts in disappointment before unloading his crossbow and slinging it back onto his back. He then gives his rapier a good twist before pulling it out of the nearby bandit and returning it to its sheath.
Clousuk deposits his sword in a dead bandit and draws his crossbow, loading a bolt.
Still lying on the ground, Clousuk sneers as more of the bandits' arrows hit his minio- er, comrades. "If Sugua want, Clousuk can make him unseen. Walk up to bandit stick-shooters and stab their faces," he suggests, as he casts a healing spell on himself.
Clousuk moves to Donovan's side and drops to the ground, reaching out with a claw to touch the wounded cleric's side. "Bah, Scaleless Durielle and Scaleless Donovan are healers, not Clousuk!"
Clousuk gracefully slips past the bandits' legs, stabbing at one of their legs as he moves. "Stupid human will have to try harder to hit Clousuk again!"
The nimble kobold dances around the advancing bandits' attacks, avoiding all harm up until one of them lands a lucky stab. Clousuk squawks out in pain when the blade pierces his scales, drawing a heavy stream of blood. He turns a beady yellow eye toward his attacker, the small orb seething with hatred. "Die scaleless scum!"
His sword glowing with a dim blue light, Clousuk rushes forward to stab one of the approaching bandits whilst shouting, "Chaaaaaaaarge!"
"Stop shooting at Clousuk's minions!" the kobold shouts as he hurries toward the others, waving his sword over his head wildly.
Whether we're replacing him or not, I don't think it'd hurt to pick up some more damage. Flaming sphere, scorching ray, anything of the sort.
Clousuk smiles toothily at the rather large force of bandits up ahead. As he does so often, he raises his cold iron sword into the air and starts shouting at the top of his lungs. "Death to the scaleless! Er, those scaleless! Over there!"
"Yes! The Stagman needs stabbing!" Clousuk says, having grown tired of exterminating the local wildlife.
Clousuk is willing to chip in for a healing wand. The rest he'll probably save for some magic armor, or to eventually enchant his rapier once it becomes a bonded item.
Level 4 Hit Points: 5 + 1 Con + 1 FC = 7 Dexterity +1 AC +1, BAB +1, CMB +1, CMD +2, Ref +2, Wis +1 Skills: +1 to Escape Artist, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Perception, Perform (oratory), Spellcraft, Stealth 2nd Level Spells Gained: bladed dash, invisibility
Clousuk looks at the eggs with disdain. "Eat eggs, sell eggs, smash eggs, it no matter."
"Clousuk says Clousuk, scaly worms merely pale shadows of great dragons," Clousuk says without a hint of irony, spitting on the ground beside the felled queen. He seems to be taking his burn wounds in stride, though he nods at Khargol's words. They melt away entirely when Donovan channels his god's power.
Clousuk steps around the tatlzwyrm to get into a flanking position with Vladimir. "Surround the worm! Stab the worm!" the angered Clousuk shouts, stabbing at the fake dragon with an arcane strike.
"Waaaaaagh!" Clousuk shouts as the flames wash over him, singeing his scales. "Make the stupid worms pay!" he manages to spit out, his eyes full of anger. Hopping onto the dead tatzlwyrm in front of him, he imbues his blade with arcane energy and then thrusts it at the next opponent.
"Clousuk ti thric ternock wux pothoc vilklviri!" Clousuk rebukes as he dodges the fire beam, looking rather offended. Draconic:
"Clousuk not scaleless you stupid worms!" When Vladimir is grabbed by one of the tatzlwyrms, the kobold rolls his eyes and utters a chant. "Clousuk says Clousuk, be free Fancy Sword Scaleless! Be free!"
Continuing his rallying battle chants, as annoying as they are effective, Clousuk steps up beside Vladimir, his new sword in hand.
"Clousuk says Clousuk, stab, stab, stab the wyrms!" the kobold shouts, pointing his rapier at the tatzlwyrms.
Clousuk proves to be rather taken with his new blade, swinging it around and jabbing it at the air as the party travels. Any sentimental value he had possessed for his old sword had evidently vanished the moment it was replaced; he had been all too eager to exchange it for a pittance of gold pieces. Perhaps if that halfling troubadour had held this sword, he would not have met such a grisly fate. With the discovery of tatzlwyrm tracks, Clousuk becomes more himself after days of uncharacteristic silence. The bear traps had not been worthy opponents, but the dragon-like opponents had been. They were after all, scalykind like himself. Of course, they were rather stupid by comparison. "Clousuk says Clousuk, stab the scaly worms!" he announces with an overdramatic flourish.
Clousuk does his part by triggering traps by tossing stones at them. He treats it more like a game than anything, either oblivious or uncaring of how dangerous they are.
Clousuk was very cross when he learned that it would take time for his new weapon to arrive, but he had no qualms with paying in advance. His only stipulation was that it be superior to his current sword, a memento from a half-pint scaleless with a feathery hat, who had been eaten by wolves. The kobold had watched the entire ordeal from hiding, observing the little man's fancy sword techniques. Of course, they had not been enough to save his life. It had been a fun story to tell his fellow Sootscales, but the time had come to replace it. After all, he needed a weapon for a champion! In much the same way that he had watched the halfling, he watches the green scaleless and winged scaleless train, mostly out of boredom. The green one struck him as being more than a little crazy, but he had seen crazy warriors before. More often than not they got the job done. So this one, he decided, might be dependable. For stabbing things, at least. "Clousuk says Clousuk, trap sound good," he says later on, nodding his head fervently at Khargol's (or 'the other green scaleless') suggestion, "Very good. Even kobold use traps. Well, not Clousuk. Still. Very good."
I figure the cold iron pointy sword will take a while to show up - I'm cool with that. Since it was brought up before, as far as treasure goes, Clousuk just has his split from the chest and selling that group of mites' stuff, right? Not quite as much as everyone else, though that's offset by his starting wealth and (presumably) the idol he got.
Right, good point. I do think I have enough from the chest though. Clousuk started with 250 gp, IIRC.
Clousuk will approach the scaleless at Oleg's, repeating his desire for a "pointy sword made of stuff that stupid bug lovers hate."
993.4375 Righto. So coming out of 993 gp, 4 sp, 3-ish cp... I think I'll just have Clousuk pick up a masterwork cold iron rapier and call it a day. That should cost about 340 gp.
Since their arrival at Oleg's, Clousuk had taken to strutting around as though he owned the place. Unlike the bandits he had encountered in the past, the scaleless there did not seem to be going out of their way to kill him. Of course, as far as he was concerned, that meant that they had already accepted Chief Sootscale as their ruler. A wise decision, as always. And as the Champion of the Sootscales, Clousuk had taken it upon himself to defend these lowly prisoners. It was to be known that those who served the glorious Chief would benefit from his protection. He simply assumed that any funny looks he got were of appreciation; it was hard to tell with human faces.
I second the Lesser Stick of Healing. As for myself DM, unless I am reading into something wrong, once Clousuk hits level 5, he gets an arcane bonded weapon. Since bonded items are always considered masterwork, does that mean he gets a free masterwork rapier (or that his current one magically becomes one)? If so, I'd just save myself the 300-something gold.
"Clousuk says Clousuk, no worry about long living. Nothing with two leg live long out here," the kobold remarks bluntly, swaying his tail side to side.
"He no look so good," Clousuk remarks unhelpfully, having reached out to poke one of Gonzo's boils multiple times.
Toughness would help offset your low hit points, but I could understand that fluff-wise it wouldn't make much sense given the nature of Durielle's curse. Prophetic Visionary seems it would be flavorful. Edit: Whoops, nevermind. The seer mystery you get at level 3 is strictly better than Prophetic Visionary. @_@ Edit 2: I've forgotten how lackluster 1st level cleric/oracle spells are for dedicated divine casters. Protection from evil maybe?
Clousuk's eyes widen in awe when Chief Sootscale names him the tribe's champion, and even more so when he bestows to him the idol. He handles the object even more reverently than he did before, as one would a holy relic. The troll tooth paled in comparison to this trophy, as did the hoard of shiny metal the Chief gifted to them. Never had he been so honored. "Clousuk says Clousuk, Clousuk honored to serve Chief Sootscale," he says graciously, bowing even more deeply than before, "We make stagman dead soon!"
...or we can give the extra 4gp to Clousuk to keep Chief sootscale believing we are his "slaves" A 4 gp bribe?! Who do you think I am?! In all seriousness, depending on how valuable the idol is (if that is something we can determine), it might be more prudent to give everybody else a larger share just to keep WBL more or less even. In character, Clousuk is not likely to care - as far as he is concerned the idol is worth more than all of it put together.
Clousuk thinks on Alphonse and Sugua's words for a moment, pondering on what it is that they desired, and how it could possibly benefit his tribe. At the mention of the "bandits," it clicks in the kobold's brain. Bowing even more deeply to the Chief, he speaks to him directly. "Clousuk yenta Clousuk, wer thricternocki huven ekess tawura ekik vin gebalam mrith petissei. Ekess frivin turalisj xiekivi batobot ti faestir Ibahalii Vuthaternock! Drehlniki!" he says, spitting out the last word as though it were poison. He did not have fond memories of those scaleless. Draconic: "Clousuk says Clousuk, the scaleless wish to work out an alliance with kobolds. To conquer big people that not serve Chief Sootscale! Bandits!"
Bard (Arcane Duelist) 3 Gained 7 HP (5 + 1 Con + 1 FC)
Gained 7 skill ranks
Gained feat: Weapon Focus (rapier) Gained ability: Inspire Competence +2, +2 bardic performance rounds Gained spell slots/spells known: 0-read magic, 1st-saving finale
Ended up statting both of them out, for the sake of comparison. Straight Bard:
Kobold Bard (Arcane Duelist) 3
CN Small humanoid (reptilian) Init +4; Perception +6, low-light vision -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +3 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size) HP 24 (3d8+6) Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +3 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee rapier +7 (1d4-1/18-20) Melee dagger +6 (1d3-1/19-20) Ranged light crossbow +6 (1d6/19-20) Bard Spells Known (CL 3rd, concentration +6) 1st (4/day)-cure light wounds, grease (DC 12), liberating command, saving finale 0 (at will)-detect magic, light, mage hand, message, prestidigitation, read magic Special Attacks bardic performance 9/day -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 8, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 13 Base Atk +2; CMB +0; CMD 13 Languages Common, Draconic -------------------- Feats -------------------- Arcane Strike Weapon Finesse Combat Casting Weapon Focus (rapier) -------------------- Traits and Drawbacks -------------------- Reactionary - +2 racial bonus on initiative checks Sneaky Swimmer - Can hold breath underwater for 1 additional round, and gains a +2 on Stealth checks made in swamps and underwater environments -------------------- Skills -------------------- Acrobatics +3 Appraise +1 Bluff +1 Climb -1 Craft +1 Diplomacy +1 Disguise +1 Escape Artist +9[3] Intimidate +6[2] Knowledge (arcana) +7[3] Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5[1] Linguistics +1 Perception +6[3] Perform (oratory) +7[3] Profession +0 Sense Motive +0 Sleight of Hand +2 Spellcraft +7[3] Stealth +15[3] Use Magic Device +1 -------------------- Gear -------------------- chain shirt rapier dagger light crossbow crossbow bolts (17) traveler's outfit mwk backpack bedroll belt pouch flint and steel ink inkpen iron pot journal mess kit mirror rope soap torches (10) trail rations (5 days) waterskin 7 gp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Armor Kobolds gain a +1 natural armor bonus. Day Raider Does not have light sensitivity, but has low-light vision instead of darkvision. Spellcaster Sneak +2 racial bonus on Stealth checks and can once a day gain the benefits of the Silent Spell feat for a spell cast. Rallying Cry (Su) Makes an Intimidate check each round; allies within 30 feet can substitute this check for their saving throw against fear and despair effects. Those already affected by fear and despair effects can use the check result as a new save. Distraction (Su) Makes a Performance (oratory) check each round; allies within 30 feet can substitute this check for their saving throw against illusion (figment) and illusion (pattern) effects if it is higher. Those already affected by non-instantaneous illusion (figment) and illusion (pattern) effects can use the check result as a new save. Fascinate (Su) Can fascinate up to two targets within 90 feet (DC 14). Targets sit quietly and listen to performance, while taking a -4 penalty to skill checks made as reactions (i.e. Perception). Inspire Courage (Su) Allies that can perceive performance receive a +1 competence bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls, and a +1 morale bonus to saving throws against charm and fear effects. Inspire Competence (Su) Can use performance to grant an ally within 30 feet a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill. -------------------- Backstory -------------------- A diplomat and trained speaker for the Sootscale tribe. His role was chosen for him the moment he was born, as it was determined that he was not of the warrior stock. There was magic in his blood nonetheless, magic that gave his words power. Out of necessity, knowledge of the common tongue was practically driven into his skull, so that he could properly communicate with the big people. As more and more humans that coveted the Stolen Lands arrived, the need for a negotiator arose. Chief Sootscale all but tossed Clousuk out into the world, telling him to solve their dilemma. As it would turn out, bandits had little interest in diplomacy. More than once Clousuk was caught or nearly killed, but each time he would escape with his hide intact. He was eventually forced to return to his chief to report his humiliating failure; fortunately, by the time he had, there were pressing matters on the Sootscale’s mind. Fighter Dip:
Kobold Bard (Arcane Duelist) 2 / Fighter 1
CN Small humanoid (reptilian) Init +4; Perception +5, low-light vision -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +3 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size) HP 24 (2d8+1d10+5) Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +3 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee rapier +7 (1d4+3/18-20) Melee dagger +6 (1d3-1/19-20) Ranged light crossbow +6 (1d6/19-20) Bard Spells Known (CL 2nd, concentration +5) 1st (3/day)-cure light wounds, grease (DC 12), liberating command 0 (at will)-detect magic, light, mage hand, message, prestidigitation Special Attacks bardic performance 7/day -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 8, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 13 Base Atk +2; CMB +0; CMD 13 Languages Common, Draconic -------------------- Feats -------------------- Arcane Strike Weapon Finesse Combat Casting Weapon Focus (rapier) Fencing Grace -------------------- Traits and Drawbacks -------------------- Reactionary - +2 racial bonus on initiative checks Sneaky Swimmer - Can hold breath underwater for 1 additional round, and gains a +2 on Stealth checks made in swamps and underwater environments -------------------- Skills -------------------- Acrobatics +3 Appraise +1 Bluff +1 Climb -1 Craft +1 Diplomacy +1 Disguise +1 Escape Artist +8[2] Handle Animal +1 Intimidate +6[2] Knowledge (arcana) +6[2] Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5[1] Linguistics +1 Perception +6[3] Perform (oratory) +5[2] Profession +0 Ride +3 Sense Motive +0 Sleight of Hand +2 Spellcraft +6[2] Stealth +14[2] Survival +0 Swim -1 Use Magic Device +1 -------------------- Gear -------------------- chain shirt rapier dagger light crossbow crossbow bolts (17) traveler's outfit mwk backpack bedroll belt pouch flint and steel ink inkpen iron pot journal mess kit mirror rope soap torches (10) trail rations (5 days) waterskin 7 gp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Armor Kobolds gain a +1 natural armor bonus. Day Raider Does not have light sensitivity, but has low-light vision instead of darkvision. Spellcaster Sneak +2 racial bonus on Stealth checks and can once a day gain the benefits of the Silent Spell feat for a spell cast. Rallying Cry (Su) Makes an Intimidate check each round; allies within 30 feet can substitute this check for their saving throw against fear and despair effects. Those already affected by fear and despair effects can use the check result as a new save. Distraction (Su) Makes a Performance (oratory) check each round; allies within 30 feet can substitute this check for their saving throw against illusion (figment) and illusion (pattern) effects if it is higher. Those already affected by non-instantaneous illusion (figment) and illusion (pattern) effects can use the check result as a new save. Fascinate (Su) Can fascinate up to two targets within 90 feet (DC 14). Targets sit quietly and listen to performance, while taking a -4 penalty to skill checks made as reactions (i.e. Perception). Inspire Courage (Su) Allies that can perceive performance receive a +1 competence bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls, and a +1 morale bonus to saving throws against charm and fear effects. I'm thinking bard is the way to go. Retraining isn't as expensive as I feared, but I think by that time I'd rather use the gold on something else. At any rate, Clousuk should definitely "activate" once we hit level 5.
Picking up Weapon Focus (rapier). In the end, I guess just continuing to level up in bard will be for the best. I guess I'll have to wait till level 5 for Fencing Grace, if I make it that long. Feats like Lingering Performance will probably have to wait for even further down the line. On the upside, between Fencing Grace, the 4th level increase to Dex, inspire courage +2, and the masterwork arcane bonded rapier at level 5, Clousuk's to-hit and damage will eventually be pretty decent.
Not sure if I can recommend it, Khargol. Your damage would be decent once you got a composite bow, but with a Dex of 12 and 3/4 BAB, you would have a hard time hitting things. Qualifying for Rapid Shot would require you to use your 4th level ability score increase on Dex, or somehow get a belt somewhere down the line. It's a feat intensive occupation, and you're pretty starved for feats.
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