Devlin Farrick's page

About Devlin Farrick

"Let's face it. Crime and oppression are everywhere, and guards don't always respond in time, assuming they haven't been bought or scared off in the first place. People need someone they can turn to for help. Someone who can't be bribed or bullied, who will protect them, and right wrongs. That's me. Or, at least, that's my goal. Assuming I live long enough to pull it off." - Devlin Farrick, on being a detective

Devlin "Dev" Farrick grew up fast. His mother died early of a fever, and his father is an elven historian, dragging the boy around here and yonder as he did his research. He was a bright lad, quick to pick things up and an avid reader. But spending a lot of time on the streets - in places as big as Absalom, and as small as Carrion Hill - taught Dev how to look after himself in the real world, too. He learned to read people, to pay close attention to his surroundings, to talk his way out of trouble whenever possible, and to fight hard when words failed. Along the way, he also discovered that he had an innate aptitude for magic, and even dabbled in petty theft, which left him feeling hollow and angry with himself each time he did it. He always returned whatever he'd taken and accepted the consequences.

Dev's attentive nature caused him to notice something else, as well. Every where he went in the world, there was crime. Innocent shopkeepers and innkeepers being forced to pay protection money, doxies being murdered and left in streets or rivers like so much trash, people being kept as slaves whether legal or not, robberies, assassinations... and the guards were often paid to look the other way, or intimidated into dropping their investigations. His innate need for justice drove Dev to leave his father in Taldor, to seek entrance to the Kitharodian Academy. Given his abilities, and the informal but solid education he'd received form his father, he was easily accepted on scholarship, and entered the school with the goal of training to help people in need.

Dev worked hard at his general studies, having understood that the masters were more likely to allow you to choose your own additional lessons if you excelled at the required ones. He studied alchemy, oration, magical theory, history and nobility, engineering, etiquette, and swordplay. From the acting classes, he focused on makeup and disguise, and spent enough time with the actors to learn how to improvise stories to fool people. He was also invited into a few "informal" classes that helped him further hone his sneaking, lockbreaking, and pilfering skills.

Towards the end of his time at the Academy, he was approached by a professor named Koedran, whom he hadn't met before. Koedran explained that he worked as an advisor to some powerful people in Oppara, and that they could use someone with Dev's skills to help with information gathering.

The idea of having someone else direct how and when he could help people didn't sound good to Dev, however, so he politely replied that he might be willing to consider the offer after he had some time to travel and put his abilities to the test in the wider world. Koedran told him to ask for him by name if he should change his mind, and bid him farewell.

Since graduating, Dev has traveled far and wide. Each place he goes, he puts the word out that he's available to help those in need, and he has slowly gained a reputation for doing so. It's been exciting, dangerous, and it's made him feel more alive than he ever had before. When things get too hot, he moves on. Sure, there's been a fair amount of trouble, too (at some point, they'll have to let him enter Niswan again...), but that's to be expected, right? And the lives he's changed for the better are more than worth the cost.

Bard (Detective) 4

Init +5; Perception +13
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+4 Armor, +3 Dex)
hp 27 (4d8+6)
Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +7
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 rapier +7 (1d6+1, 18-20/x2) (+1 dmg with Arcane Strike)
Ranged Mwk. shortbow +7 (1d6/x3, 60 ft.) (+1 dmg with Arcane Strike)
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 14
BAB +3; CMB +3; CMD 16

Feats
Weapon Finesse, Arcane Strike

Skills
Acrobatics +7, Bluff +7, Cr:Alchemy +9, Diplomacy +6, Disable Device +10, Disguise +7/+9 w/kit, Kn:Arcana +6, Kn:History +6, Kn:Local +9, Kn:Nature +6, Kn: Nobility +6, Kn:Religion +6, Linguistics +6, Perception +13, Per:Oratory +7, Sense Motive +11, Sleight of Hand +7, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +8, UMD +7

Languages
Common, Elven, Draconic, Dwarven

Gear
Weapons - 2x Dagger, +1 rapier, Mwk. shortbow
Armor - Mithral shirt
Mwk. thieves tools, Mwk. backpack, disguise kit, 2 pieces of chalk, wand of Cure Light Wounds (50 charges), cloak of resistance +1, small mirror, 2 waterskins, 5 days trail rations, spare clothes, flint and steel, whetstone, notebook, quill pen, bottle of ink

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Special Abilities
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Bardic Performance - (Countersong, Distraction, Fascinate, Careful Teamwork (+1)) (12 rds./day)

Performance: Careful Teamwork (Su) - A detective uses performance to keep allies coordinated, alert, and ready for action. All allies within 30 feet gain a +1 bonus on Initiative checks, Perception, and Disable Device checks for 1 hour. They also gain a +1 insight bonus on Reflex saves and to AC against traps and when they are flat-footed. These bonuses increase by +1 at 5th level and every six levels thereafter. Using this ability requires 3 rounds of continuous performance, and the targets must be able to see and hear the bard throughout the performance. This ability is language-dependent and requires visual and audible components.

Eye for Detail (Ex) (+2) - A detective gains a bonus equal to half his level on Knowledge (local), Perception, and Sense Motive checks, as well as Diplomacy checks to gather information.

Arcane Insight (Ex) - At 2nd level, a detective can find and disable magical traps, like a rogue’s trapfinding ability. In addition, he gains a +4 bonus on saving throws made against illusions and a +4 bonus on caster level checks and saving throws to see through disguises and protections against divination (such as misdirection, and nondetection).
This ability replaces well-versed.
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Spells
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Spells (CL 4, Concentration +6)
Cantrips - Read Magic, Light, Detect Magic, Mending, Prestidigitation, Message
Level 1 (4 per day) - Comprehend Languages, Charm Person (DC 13), Grease, Detect Charm
Level 2 (2 per day) - Detect Thoughts, Glitterdust
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Traits
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Elven Reflexes - You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
Vagabond Child (urban) - You gain a +1 trait bonus on Disable Device, and it is always a class skill for you.