About Cyrus MelevinA classically handsome man with a soft smile and a philosophical mind. He seems well-versed in the arts of combat and subterfuge and can often be heard preaching freedom—though perhaps at a cost few are willing to pay. Tracking:
Focus on Freedom 1/1
Stat Block:
Cyrus Melevin Male Antipaladin 1 CE Medium Humanoid (human) Init 1; Senses Perception +4; -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 13, touch 10, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor) hp 12 (1d10+2) Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +3; Armor Studded Leather, Cloak of Resistance +1 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Spd 30 ft. Melee +4 Melee; Falchion (2h) +4 (2d4+3,18-20/x2,S) Ranged +1 Ranged; -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 16 (+3), Dex 10 (+0), Con 12 (+1), Int 13 (+1), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 16 (+3) Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 14 Feats Cosmopolitan (diplomacy, perception), Fast Learner Traits Focus on Freedom, Tactician Skills Bluff +7, Diplomacy +7, Intimidate +7, Perception +4, Sense Motive +4 Languages Common, Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Aura of Evil (Ex): The power of an antipaladin’s aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to his antipaladin level. A paladin who uses smite evil on an antipaladin deals 2 points of damage per paladin level on his first successful attack. Detect Good (Sp): At will, an antipaladin can use detect good, as the spell. An antipaladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single Item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is good, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the antipaladin does not detect good in any other object or individual within range. Smite Good (Su): Once per day, an antipaladin can call out to the dark powers to crush the forces of good. As a swift action, the antipaladin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is good, the antipaladin adds his Charisma bonus (if any) on his attack rolls and adds his antipaladin level on all damage rolls made against the target of his smite. If the target of smite good is an outsider with the good subtype, a good-aligned dragon, or a good creature with levels of cleric or paladin, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the antipaladin possesses. Regardless of the target, smite good attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess. In addition, while smite good is in effect, the antipaladin gains a deflection bonus equal to his Charisma modifier (if any) to his AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the antipaladin targets a creature that is not good, the smite is wasted with no effect. The smite good effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the antipaladin rests and regains his uses of this ability. At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the antipaladin may smite good one additional time per day to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
Stats:
Ability Scores Strength 16 (+3) Dexterity 10 (+0) Constitution 12 (+1) Intelligence 13 (+1) Wisdom 10 (+0) Charisma 16 (+3) Saving Throws
AC: 13 = 10 + 3 [armor]
BAB: +1 = 1 [base]
Base Speed: 30 ft. = 30 [base]
Spells:
None available . . . yet! Feats, Traits, Abilities:
-------------------- Traits -------------------- Tactician [+1 init, +2 on attack of AoO 1/d] Focus on Freedom [1/d, +2 on skill check] Skilled (Human) [gain additional skill rank every level] --------------------
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Skills:
Skill Name: Total Bonus = Ability Modifier + Ranks + Misc. Modifier Acrobatics`: +0 = 0 + 0 + 0
*trained only
Items:
Gold: 14 gp --------------------
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Light Load: 76 lb
Appearance & Personality:
Appearance A classically handsome man with a soft smile. He has a lithe frame, muscular and graceful in its movements. His straight black hair is long enough to shade his eyes which seem to have a sly indecipherable intent for whatever they happen to rest on. Personality
The main thing that keeps him as an antipaladin is his code of conduct rather than allegiance to evil gods. He values the ability to commit acts of evil over actually committing them. And though others might try to rationalize his atrocities, the mere fact that he wants to commit them is reason enough for him.
History:
Born to a small yet politically powerful sect of followers of the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth in Andoran, Cyrus was raised in the lavish estates of Melevin. He was tutored in Baphomet's teachings and the more unethical arts at a young age by his family and then enrolled in some of the most prestigious institutions Andoran had to offer.
However, Cyrus was intelligent enough to recognize that his entire existence was to be a tool for the Templars and he bided his time, content to learn what he could before seeking the freedom that all espoused in Andoran. While at university, he fell in with a small group of radicals where his skills found use. He stayed with them for a time, discussing freedom and helping them pursue it—but found that they were too limited in their ideas and were often unwilling to do what was needed. Eventually, Cyrus became infamous as an anarchist and extremist. House Melevin, worried that he would expose them, planned to send him to allies in Cheliax where he would be disciplined and kept under close watch. Sensing his chance, Cyrus plotted and poisoned his entourage in the middle of their journey. He then slaughtered his guard and made it look like the work of opportunistic bandits, ensuring what remained of the corpses were unidentifiable to avoid any pursuers. Finally taking the freedom he had philosophized, he set out to taste what it had to offer.
Reason for Being in Sandpoint:
A few months into his escape, he has heard stories about Nybor and Wolf's Ear. While travelling there, rumors of the festival at Sandpoint reached his ears and he changed direction. A good festival was always appreciated, and if there happened to be ears at the gathering that would hear his words, so much the better. Can Cyrus work with a group?:
The short version is it perfectly makes sense for my character to work with a group. In his backstory, he's already shown he'd be more than willing to work with equals. The only reason he betrayed the Templars is because they meant to use him as nothing more than a tool. If treated as an equal, he'd be cooperative. Forging a relationship with another character would certainly help group cohesion (even if it is about him 'being kept in check'--though he would protest to that, he would make a joke out of it) and if some in the group were interested in his philosophy or in debating it with him--well, that would be enough to hang around. tl;dr version: Long version is I don't want people to focus on the EVIL aspect of Cyrus. The CHAOTIC would be far more appropriate. Morality as a whole is a hindrance to him. What matters if a thing be good or evil as long as it is what he wants? It doesn't mean he'll just kill a shopkeeper because he wants that cloak, or he'll backstab a teammate because he offended him. He can recognize the consequences of his actions just fine, thank you, and quite often doing those things will get him in far more trouble than they're worth. And if someone's offended him, he's far more likely to ignore them rather than kill them. This really just means that when doing evil is the most reasonable course of action, then he will do so without hesitation. He does not choose evil BECAUSE it is evil, but because it leads him to the happiness he seeks. If an evil being or god approached him to team up only because they were both 'evil' or something, he'd be more likely to tell them to stuff it. Offers of helping him gain power and whatnot would also be ineffective since he's quite content with what he has and he believes if he wants something, he should overcome and earn it for himself. Even if Baphomet himself ordered him to do such and such, it would have to be something that agrees with Cyrus. Very self-motivated chap. On another angle, let us consider that Cyrus is much of a philosophical bent. Cyrus doubts the existence of Good and Evil. In the world of Golarion, you know that they're quite concrete but he personally believes that he is beyond such constructs as Good and Evil and Law and Disorder. He can Detect Good and whatnot of course, but he doubts the validity of such things. In the Pathfinder alignment system he is Chaotic Evil, but in terms of roleplaying it's more ambiguous. I would prefer letting people make up their own decisions about him, which is what he would prefer--even when a Detect Evil or Detect Chaos spell shows him quite concretely in the system as what he is. And what he'd like for people to question is how valid is it? What makes Evil or Chaos detectable, and what would deem one so? Is it enough for a man to be convicted and sent to prison simply because he came up as 'Evil' when a detect spell was cast upon him? (I imagine this would be a great story or plot hook, but I digress.) Cyrus does not persuade people to his opinion--instead, he encourages them to develop the power to form their own. He does not know if he has the truth; he only has questions. If it helps you imagine what the character would be like, his manner is alike V from V for Vendetta and his philosophy has heavy anarchist and Nietzchean influences.
Player Notes:
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