Tournament Champion

Devlin Farrick's page

16 posts. Alias of Oniwaban.


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M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

Yeah... we're in another game together, and he's been absent from that one for just as long. I know he mentioned some family issues, so I guess we'll just have to wait it out. Hoping for the best for him...


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

Or perhaps it was Colonel Mustard, in the library, with the candlestick!


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

Yeah, Cap'n. Hope all's well!


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

Same. This is really interesting and I want to know whodunnit. :)


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

Can't complain. Wish it was another three-day weekend, but what can you do? How's by you?


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

Bluff: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

"Yes. The young lady was obviously upset over what's to transpire with her kin, and I felt that she shouldn't be alone. Terrible, the news of what's happened."


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

"Let's go 'round the front. Between the two of us, I'm sure we'll have some success, and if not, the window will still be there." Dev says, with an impish grin.


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

Sorry for the delay... I was unable to access Paizo.com until now... it kept saying it was down.

"Moll, I might just come along with you, if you don't mind.", Dev says, falling into stride alongside her.


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

"Knowledge is power, as they say. I am Dev, by the way, and pleased to meet you.", he says, doffing his hat.


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

Devlin, who was also standing near the gallows site collecting his thoughts, says to the young lady, "An excellent question, to which I am afraid I do not know the answer. I've heard all manner of things in the short time I've been here. I've also heard some disturbing things that could possibly call the prisoner's guilt into doubt. One always does, but it still troubles..."


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

Yeah, man, take care of the important stuff first. We can wait.


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

I am. :D


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

Devlin (he prefers Dev), is built towards three roles:

1) Skill monkey (he's a Bard, after all). He's got 6 trained knowledge skills, plus good scores in Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth, Disable Device (can disable magical traps as well), Sleight of Hand, Disguise, and more.

2) Party buffer. His Careful Teamwork performance currently provides a +1 bonus on Initiative checks, Perception checks, and Disable Device checks. You also get a +1 insight bonus on Reflex saves and to AC against traps and when you are flat-footed. Assuming we level, at 5th level this bonus will increase to +2. He can currently do this 4 times per day, for one hour at a time.

3) Magical detection/backup magical support. Dev can detect magic, understand any language, charm people, detect people who've been charmed, read people's thoughts, and also has a few defensive/control spells (Grease, Glitterdust). He also gets bonuses to see through disguises, and a +4 bonus to see through illusions.

And while he isn't a great fighter, he's not bad with his rapier, and is a decent shot with his shortbow as well, so he can cover those angles as needed. His other bardic performances are standard for a level 4 bard (Countersong, Distraction, and Fascinate), and can be used as necessary.


M Half-Elf Bard (Detective) 4

Dotting, with apologies for the delay. Looking forward to this.


Submitted for approval.

Background:
"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.

Crunch:
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 14, 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.