Constantin Ionescu's page

About Constantin Ionescu

Constantin Ionescu
Psychic 9
NG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +1; Perception +14, Sense Motive +14

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Defense
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AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +1 Dex)
HP 56 (9d6, +9 Con, +9 Toughness feat)
Fort +6 (+3 base, +1 Con, +1 trait, +1 resistance), Ref +5 (+3 base, +1 Dex, +1 resistance), Will +10 (+6 base, +3 Wis, +1 resistance)

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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee Longspear +4 (1d8/x2)
Melee Dagger +4 (1d4/19-20/x2)
Ranged Thrown dagger +5 (1d4/19-20/x2/10 ft.)
Psychic Spells Known (CL 9th; concentration +13)

+3 knacks, +2 1st, +2 2nd, +2 3rd from favored class
• 4th—divination, mind probe*, telekinesis
• 3rd—dispel magic*, dream shield, haste, heroism, mind thrust III, thought shield II
• 2nd—hypercognition*, hypnotic pattern, locate object, mental block, see invisibility, spontaneous immolation, suggestion
• 1st—comprehend languages*, detect secret doors, detect undead, hypnotism, magic missile, psychic reading, remove fear, telempathic projection
• 0 (at will)—dancing lights, detect magic, detect psychic significance, know direction, mage hand, mending, message, open/close, prestidigitation, stabilize, telekinetic projectile

* Bonus Discipline spell

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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 15, Cha 14
Base Atk +4; CMB +4; CMD 15
Languages: Common (Taldane); Abyssal, Aklo, Auran, Draconic, Elven, Giant, Infernal, Necril, Orc, Skald, Thassilonian, Varisian

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Feats
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Human
Empath: You have learned how to psychically sense an individual’s mood or altered mental state.
Prerequisites: Psychic Sensitivity or ability to cast psychic spells, Perception 1 rank or Sense Motive 1 rank.
Benefit: You can use either Perception or Sense Motive when reading an emotion aura with the read aura occult skill unlock. Reading a creature’s emotion aura takes you only a full-round action instead of 10 minutes, and if you succeed at your check, you also determine whether that creature is currently affected by a fear or mind-affecting effect and the relative strength of that effect (minor, moderate, strong, as defined in detect magic). You don’t learn the source of the effect or the actual effect.
You can also use the read aura occult skill unlock to read emotion auras more than once per day by opening your innate mental defenses. For 1 minute after you use this feat, you take a –4 penalty on saving throws against fear and mind-affecting effects (regardless of whether you succeeded at the check). During this time, you’re also unable to attempt to read emotion auras. Using this feat doesn’t use up your one daily use of the read aura unlock, which you can still use either to read another type of aura or to read an emotion aura without taking the penalty associated with this feat.

Level 1
Light Armor Proficiency: You are skilled at wearing light armor.
Benefit: When you wear a type of armor with which you are proficient, the armor check penalty for that armor applies only to Dexterity- and Strength-based skill checks.
Normal: A character who is wearing armor with which he is not proficient applies its armor check penalty to attack rolls and to all skill checks that involve moving.

Level 3
Expanded Phrenic Pool: Your reservoir of mental energy is greater than normal.
Prerequisite(s): Phrenic pool class feature.
Benefit(s): Your phrenic pool total increases by 2 points.

Level 5
Toughness: You have enhanced physical stamina.
Benefit: You gain +3 hit points. For every Hit Die you possess beyond 3, you gain an additional +1 hit point. If you have more than 3 Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points whenever you gain a Hit Die (such as when you gain a level).

Level 7
Logical Spell (Metamagic): You can eschew emotional components by exercising logic.
Benefit(s): A logical spell can be cast without emotion components. Spells that don’t require emotion components are not affected.
Level Increase: +1 (a logical spell uses up a spell slot 1 level higher than the spell’s actual level.)

Level 9
Spell Penetration: Your spells break through spell resistance more easily than most.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) made to overcome a creature’s spell resistance.

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Traits
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Making Good on Promises (Campaign): At some point in the past, Professor Lorrimor did you a favor under the condition that he would someday call on you to repay it. After he came to your aid, however, you never saw nor heard from him again, leaving you with a sense of unending anticipation that each day might be the day you were asked to return the favor. Yet that day never came, and your fears and anxiety about what the professor would call on you to do abated. Assuming the old man had either forgotten about you or died, you eventually assumed you’d never have to follow through on your end of the bargain. When you received word of the professor’s death, and that he had named you specifically in his will, your dread of what he could possibly want from you has grown throughout your entire journey to Ravengro.
Years of living with the fear and uncertainty of the unclaimed debt to Professor Lorrimor have inured you to extreme anxiety. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saves against fear effects.

Resilient (Combat): Growing up in a poor neighborhood or in the unforgiving wilds often forced you to subsist on food and water from doubtful sources. You've built up your mettle as a result, and gain a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saves.

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Adventuring Skills
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Diplomacy +14 (9 ranks, +2 Cha, +3 class skill)
Heal +12 (9 ranks, +3 Wis)
Knowledge (arcana) +16 (9 ranks, +4 Int, +3 class skill)
Knowledge (local) +16 (9 ranks, +4 Int, +3 class skill)
Perception +14 (9 ranks, +2 Wis, +3 class skill)
Sense Motive +14 (9 ranks, +2 Wis, +3 class skill)
Spellcraft +16 (9 ranks, +4 Int, +3 class skill)

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Background Skills
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Knowledge (history) +16 (9 ranks, +4 Int, +3 class skill)
Linguistics +16 (9 ranks, +4 Int, +3 class skill)

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Untrained Skills
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Climb +0 [-1]
Stealth +1 [0] (+1 Dex)
Swim +0 [-1]

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Gear
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Traveler's outfit (free, starting outfit)
+1 cloak of resistance
+1 adamantine chain shirt (25 lbs.)
Longspear
Dagger
Sling bullets, 10

Masterwork backpack (4 lbs.)
[
• Bedroll
• Holy water, 3
• Scroll of remove curse (cl 12)
• Trail rations, 6 days
• Waterskin (filled)
• Wolfsbane, 6 sprigs
• 36 gp, 4 sp
]

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Special Abilities
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Psychic 9

Phrenic Pool (Su): A psychic has a pool of supernatural mental energy that she can draw upon to manipulate psychic spells as she casts them. The maximum number of points in a psychic’s phrenic pool is equal to 1/2 her psychic level + her Wisdom or Charisma modifier, as determined by her psychic discipline. The phrenic pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours don’t need to be consecutive. The psychic might be able to recharge points in her phrenic pool in additional circumstances dictated by her psychic discipline. Points gained in excess of the pool’s maximum are lost.

Phrenic Amplifications: A psychic develops particular techniques to empower her spellcasting, called phrenic amplifications. The psychic can activate a phrenic amplification only while casting a spell using psychic magic, and the amplification modifies either the spell’s effects or the process of casting it. The spell being cast is called the linked spell. The psychic can activate only one amplification each time she casts a spell, and doing so is part of the action used to cast the spell. She can use any amplification she knows with any psychic spell, unless the amplification’s description states that it can be linked only to certain types of spells. A psychic learns one phrenic amplification at 1st level, selected from the list below. At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, the psychic learns a new phrenic amplification. A phrenic amplification can’t be selected more than once.
Once a phrenic amplification has been selected, it can’t be changed. Phrenic amplifications require the psychic to expend 1 or more points from her phrenic pool to function.
Intense Focus (Ex): The psychic can spend 1 point from her phrenic pool to gain a +2 bonus on any concentration check she attempts as part of casting the linked spell. She can choose to spend 2 points from her phrenic pool to instead gain a +4 bonus.
Will of the Dead (Su): Even undead creatures can be affected by the psychic’s mind-affecting spells. The psychic can spend 2 points from her phrenic pool to overcome an undead creature’s immunity to mind-affecting effects for the purposes of the linked spell. This ability functions even on mindless undead, but has no effect on creatures that aren’t undead. This amplification can be linked only to spells that have the mind-affecting descriptor.
Focused Force (Su): When casting a force spell, the psychic can increase the spell’s damage by spending 1 point from her phrenic pool. Increase the die size for the spell’s damage by one step (from 1d4 to 1d6, 1d6 to 1d8, 1d8 to 1d10, or 1d10 to 1d12). This increases the size of each die rolled, so a spell that dealt 4d6+3 points of force damage would deal 4d8+3 points of force damage instead. This amplification can be linked only to spells that deal force damage, and only if that damage includes a die value. A spell that already uses d12s for damage can’t be amplified in this way.

Psychic Discipline (Ex or Sp): Each psychic accesses and improves her mental powers through a particular method, such as rigorous study or attaining a particular mental state. This is called her psychic discipline. She gains additional spells known based on her selected discipline. The choice of discipline must be made at 1st level; once made, it can’t be changed. Each psychic discipline gives the psychic a number of discipline powers (at 1st, 5th, and 13th levels), and grants her additional spells known. In addition, the discipline determines which ability score the psychic uses for her phrenic pool and phrenic amplifications abilities. The DC of a saving throw against a psychic discipline ability equals 10 + 1/2 the psychic’s level + the psychic’s Intelligence modifier.
At 1st level, a psychic learns an additional spell determined by her discipline. She learns another additional spell at 4th level and every 2 levels thereafter, until learning the final one at 18th level. These spells are in addition to the number of spells given on Table 1–8. Spells learned from a discipline can’t be exchanged for different spells at higher levels.

Lore
By collecting expert information and reading all sorts of treatises and chapbooks on occult subjects, you learn proper techniques and rituals to empower your mental abilities. Your abilities become stronger through study and science, not instinct.
Phrenic Pool Ability: Wisdom.
Bonus Spells: Comprehend languages (1st), hypercognition* (4th), dispel magic (6th), mind probe* (8th), retrocognition* (10th), legend lore (12th), greater arcane sight (14th), moment of prescience (16th), divide mind* (18th).
Discipline Powers: Your powers relate to your extensive knowledge and your ability to alter and adapt your memory.
Illuminating Answers (Su): You can glean deeper truths from advice you magically obtain, even if the information itself is specious. When you use a spell or spell-like ability that allows you to get answers to questions (such as augury, blood biography, or contact other plane) and get at least one answer, you regain 1 point in your phrenic pool. You regain this point even if the answer is false or vague. The maximum number of points you can regain in this way per day is equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Mnemonic Cache (Su): You can memorize a piece of information and later recall it perfectly. Your mnemonic cache can hold roughly 10 pages of written information, including images and maps, or 30 minutes’ worth of speech or music. (Memorizing music doesn’t confer the ability to perform it properly.) The amount you can store increases by 5 pages and 5 minutes at 2nd level, and at every psychic level thereafter.
You can hold only one piece of information in your mnemonic cache at a time. The information doesn’t go away when you recall it, but when you put a new piece of information in the cache, the old piece becomes as imperfect any other memory.
Memorizing magical writing (such as a scroll or a page from a spellbook) doesn’t confer the ability to borrow, duplicate, or retain any of the magic in the writing. You could reproduce the spell in writing to allow someone who prepares spells from a spellbook to prepare it, though this functions as using a borrowed spellbook for anyone other than you. If you’re in telepathic contact with another creature (through telepathic bond, for example), you can transfer the information directly into its mind as a free action. For this creature, the information functions like a normal memory, not one with perfect clarity.
You can attempt to sequester a written magical trap (such as explosive runes or sepia snake sigil) in your mnemonic cache and destroy it. Treat this as a Disable Device check to disarm a magical trap (as though you had the trapfinding class feature). Your bonus on this roll is equal to either your Disable Device modifier or the sum of 5 + your psychic level + your Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher. If you succeed, instead of being disabled, the trap is erased and destroyed. This ability can’t destroy symbol traps; it functions only if written text is involved.
Superior Automatic Writing (Ex): At 5th level, when attempting checks for the automatic writing occult skill unlock (see page 194), you can treat your psychic level + your Wisdom bonus as your number of Linguistics skill ranks. At 8th level, you gain an additional option when using automatic writing, and can attempt a DC 35 check to gain information as though you’d used commune instead of augury or divination. This type of commune requires no material component, and the duration equals 1 round per psychic class level you possess. You connect to a distant being of great intellect, a fragment of the Akashic Record (see page 244), or a similar bastion of knowledge instead of to a deity.
Memory Palace (Su): At 13th level, you mentally construct an extradimensional library to house mental constructs representing the volumes of lore you’ve studied. This ability functions as mage’s magnificent mansion, with the following adjustments: the memory palace is limited in size to a number of 10-foot cubes equal to your psychic level; your memory palace doesn’t contain any furniture other than bookcases and a few desks and sofas where you and your visitors can study; and there is no food within, though the memory palace does contain a number of unseen servants equal to 1/2 your psychic level, which function solely as librarians. The library keeps the same layout each time you summon it, though you can alter its appearance each time you gain a level or by spending 15 minutes concentrating. You can reshape the memory palace in your mind, so it doesn’t need to currently be in effect for you to alter it. You can create your memory palace once per day.
Choose one type of Knowledge skill when you gain this ability. Consulting your memory palace gives anyone who studies within—including you—a +4 circumstance bonus on Knowledge checks of that type, and the memory palace counts as an extensive library for people attempting Knowledge checks of that type untrained. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus on checks with the chosen skill when you’re not consulting the palace (including when the palace isn’t in effect). At 14th level and at each additional level thereafter, choose another Knowledge skill to which your memory palace’s library bonuses apply.

Detect Thoughts (Su): At 2nd level, a psychic can use detect thoughts as a spell-like ability once per day. She can also expend any unused spell slot of 1st level or higher to cast detect thoughts. If she does so, she uses the level of the spell slot expended to determine the Will save DC. When a psychic gains this ability, if she knows detect thoughts, she can learn a different 1st-level spell in place of detect thoughts, losing the old spell in exchange for the new one.

Telepathic Bond (Sp): At 9th level, a psychic can use telepathic bond as a spell-like ability once per day, using her psychic level as her caster level. She can’t leave herself out of a bond created in this way. She can also expend any unused spell slot of 4th level or higher to cast telepathic bond. Casting the spell using a higher-level spell slot gives no benefit on its own, but the psychic can apply metamagic feats that would increase the spell level to the appropriate level. For instance, if the psychic knows Extend Spell, she can use a 5th-level spell slot to cast extended telepathic bond as a full-round action. When a psychic who knows telepathic bond gains this ability, she can learn a different 4th-level spell in place of telepathic bond, losing the old spell in exchange for the new one.

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Backstory
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Description:

Hair: Dark brown
Eyes: Dark brown
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 141 lbs.

Lean and dark-haired, Constantin is a man who has seen some hardship in his time, and grown accustomed to a simple life. He carries himself with caution, constantly watching the world, eyes darting back and forth, then pausing a moment to reflect before moving on. He dresses in simple garb, designed to keep the chill of Ustalav off his slender frame.

Personality: Constantin is highly analytical, with a bent for logical thought and collection of evidence. He is a voracious reader and enjoys thought exercises and critical thinking. This sometimes causes him a small amount of social awkwardness, as he occasionally over-explains or becomes excessively enthusiastic about obscure or trivial topics, but his natural charm counterbalances this.

Background: A younger child of a large family, Constantin grew up in a cramped hovel in a tenement with several brothers and sisters, as well as uncles, aunts, and cousins. His education in his youth was sketchy and often relegated to running with street urchins. To help his family during the lean times, he and his siblings would look for odd jobs, such as running messages, carrying coal, or gleaning firewood to bring back and sell.
When he entered his teens, Constantin tried to join the city's militia, but he was considered too scrawny to be an effective soldier -- years of hard living had left him with a lean, gaunt frame. Discouraged, he resolved himself to becoming a sewer-cleaner or rat-catcher or some other smelly, ignoble profession, but he was perhaps even less fortunate: While skulking through the dilapidated parts of the city, Constantin was savaged by a ghoul. Paralyzed, he expected to be eaten, but the ghoul was driven off by a mercenary soldier who'd been hired to aid Professor Lorrimor in his search for experimental components and oddities.
Rescued by Professor Lorrimor, Constantin hovered on the verge of death for several days, wracked with filth fever. The Professor kept Constantin sequestered on a couch in his study, covered with blankets and fed broth, wondering if the young man would turn into a ghoul or fight off the fever. Eventually, the fever broke, and Constantin slowly regained his health. During that time, he occasionally sat up to ask questions of the professor, or to watch the professor studying and reading, but he was too sick to contemplate fleeing -- besides which, he was being fed regularly and nursed back to health, so he had little to complain about!
Over the course of several months Constantin's adaptable, able mind absorbed many things that he overheard during the professor's studies, and he also found that his brush with death -- perhaps the fever, perhaps the trauma -- had opened his own mind to some kind of haunting, strange abilities. Hungry to know more, he struggled to read any book that the professor would lend to him, and to discover how his strange new abilities had come to pass.
After a year running errands for the professor and absorbing information at a prodigious rate, Constantin received word from his family -- one of his brothers had been caught stealing and beaten to death, and to make matters worse, his mother had taken ill during the harsh winter. He returned home to do his best to help support the family, but only a few years later his father died as well, victim of a severe injury that slowly claimed him after he was crushed under a collapsing beam of a ruined building.
With little left to tie him to his old home, Constantin started honing his psychic talents and learned to read people and manipulate objects with the power of his mind. He parlayed this into gainful employment as a scribe and scholar, pitching his scattershot knowledge and studying whatever texts he could find when the opportunity presented itself.
It was not until several years later, when Constantin had mastered some of the rudiments of his disciplines, that news came of the death of Professor Lorrimor, and of his call for Constantin to attend his funeral in order to repay the debt that was owed for saving his life so many years before.