Eysteinn of Hofn's page

Bonus Feat: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword)
Skilled: 1 add’l skill rank per character level

Alchemy (Su): Alchemists are not only masters of creating mundane alchemical substances such as alchemist's fire and smokesticks, but also of fashioning magical potion-like extracts in which they can store spell effects. In effect, an alchemist prepares his spells by mixing ingredients into a number of extracts, and then “casts” his spells by drinking the extract. When an alchemist creates an extract or bomb, he infuses the concoction with a tiny fraction of his own magical power—this enables the creation of powerful effects, but also binds the effects to the creator.

When using Craft (alchemy) to create an alchemical item, an alchemist gains a competence bonus equal to his class level on the Craft (alchemy) check. In addition, an alchemist can use Craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using detect magic. He must hold the potion for 1 round to make such a check.

An alchemist can create three special types of magical items—extracts, bombs, and mutagens. Bombs are explosive splash weapons, and mutagens are transformative elixirs that the alchemist drinks to enhance his physical abilities—both of these are detailed in their own sections below.

Extracts are the most varied of the three. In many ways, they behave like spells in potion form, and as such their effects can be dispelled by effects like dispel magic using the alchemist's level as the caster level. Unlike potions, though, extracts can have powerful effects and duplicate spells that a potion normally could not.

An alchemist can create only a certain number of extracts of each level per day. His base daily allotment of extracts is given on Table 2–1. In addition, he receives bonus extracts per day if he has a high Intelligence score, in the same way a wizard receives bonus spells per day.

When an alchemist mixes an extract, he infuses the chemicals and reagents in the extract with magic siphoned from his own magical aura. An extract immediately becomes inert if it leaves the alchemist's possession, reactivating as soon as it returns to his keeping—an alchemist cannot normally pass out his extracts for allies to use (but see the “infusion” discovery below). An extract, once created, remains potent for 1 day before losing its magic, so an alchemist must re-prepare his extracts every day. Mixing an extract takes 1 minute of work—most alchemists prepare many extracts at the start of the day or just before going on an adventure, but it's not uncommon for an alchemist to keep some (or even all) of his daily extract slots open so that he can prepare extracts in the field as needed.

Although the alchemist doesn't actually cast spells, he does have a formulae list that determines what extracts he can create. An alchemist can utilize spell-trigger items if the spell appears on his formulae list, but not spell-completion items (unless he uses Use Magic Device to do so). An extract is “cast” by drinking it, as if imbibing a potion—the effects of an extract exactly duplicate the spell upon which its formula is based, save that the spell always affects only the drinking alchemist. An alchemist can draw and drink an extract as a standard action. The alchemist uses his level as the caster level to determine any effect based on caster level.

Creating extracts consumes raw materials, but the cost of these materials is insignificant—comparable to the valueless material components of most spells. If a spell normally has a costly material component, that component is expended during the consumption of that particular extract. Extracts cannot be made from spells that have focus requirements (alchemist extracts that duplicate divine spells never have a divine focus requirement).

An alchemist can prepare an extract of any formula he knows. To learn or use an extract, an alchemist must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the extract's level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an alchemist's extract is 10 + the extract level + the alchemist's Intelligence modifier.

An alchemist may know any number of formulae. He stores his formulae in a special tome called a formula book. He must refer to this book whenever he prepares an extract but not when he consumes it. An alchemist begins play with two 1st-level formulae of his choice, plus a number of additional forumlae equal to his Intelligence modifier. At each new alchemist level, he gains one new formula of any level that he can create. An alchemist can also add formulae to his book just like a wizard adds spells to his spellbook, using the same costs, pages, and time requirements. An alchemist can study a wizard's spellbook to learn any formula that is equivalent to a spell the spellbook contains. A wizard, however, cannot learn spells from a formula book. An alchemist does not need to decipher arcane writings before copying them.

Brew Potion: normal Brew Potion feat stuff.

Throw Anything: All alchemists gain the Throw Anything feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. An alchemist adds his Intelligence modifier to damage done with splash weapons, including the splash damage if any. This bonus damage is already included in the bomb class feature.

Mutagen (Su): At 1st level, an alchemist discovers how to create a mutagen that he can imbibe in order to heighten his physical prowess at the cost of his personality. It takes 1 hour to brew a dose of mutagen, and once brewed, it remains potent until used. An alchemist can only maintain one dose of mutagen at a time—if he brews a second dose, any existing mutagen becomes inert. As with an extract or bomb, a mutagen that is not in an alchemist's possession becomes inert until an alchemist picks it up again.

When an alchemist brews a mutagen, he selects one physical ability score—either Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. It's a standard action to drink a mutagen. Upon being imbibed, the mutagen causes the alchemist to grow bulkier and more bestial, granting him a +2 natural armor bonus and a +4 alchemical bonus to the selected ability score for 10 minutes per alchemist level. In addition, while the mutagen is in effect, the alchemist takes a –2 penalty to one of his mental ability scores. If the mutagen enhances his Strength, it applies a penalty to his Intelligence. If it enhances his Dexterity, it applies a penalty to his Wisdom. If it enhances his Constitution, it applies a penalty to his Charisma.

A non-alchemist who drinks a mutagen must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the alchemist's level + the alchemist's Intelligence modifier) or become nauseated for 1 hour—a non-alchemist can never gain the benefit of a mutagen, but an alchemist can gain the effects of another alchemist's mutagen if he drinks it. (Although if the other alchemist creates a different mutagen, the effects of the “stolen” mutagen immediately cease.) The effects of a mutagen do not stack. Whenever an alchemist drinks a mutagen, the effects of any previous mutagen immediately end.

Sneak Attack +1d6 (Ex): At 1st level, a vivisectionist gains the sneak attack ability as a rogue of the same level. If a character already has sneak attack from another class, the levels from the classes that grant sneak attack stack to determine the effective rogue level for the sneak attack's extra damage dice (so an alchemist 1/rogue 1 has a +1d6 sneak attack like a 2nd-level rogue, an alchemist 2/rogue 1 has a +2d6 sneak attack like a 3rd-level rogue, and so on). This ability replaces bomb.

Discovery (Su):
Infusion: When the alchemist creates an extract, he can infuse it with an extra bit of his own magical power. The extract created now persists even after the alchemist sets it down. As long as the extract exists, it continues to occupy one of the alchemist's daily extract slots. An infused extract can be imbibed by a non-alchemist to gain its effects.

Poison Resistance +2 (Ex): At 2nd level, an alchemist gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws against poison. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th level, and then again to +6 at 8th level. At 10th level, an alchemist becomes completely immune to poison.

Poison Use (Ex): Alchemists are trained in the use of poison and starting at 2nd level, cannot accidentally poison themselves when applying poison to a weapon.

Torturer's Eye: At 2nd level, a vivisectionist adds deathwatch to his formula book as a 1st-level extract.

1st Level: (2 + 1 per day)
Cure Light Wounds, Deathwatch, Disguise Self, Enlarge Person, Shield, True Strike

Cold-weather outfit, snow-shoes, sweet bronze cloakpin (25 gp), studded leather (25 gp), mwk bastard sword (340 gp), 3x dagger (6 gp), alchemist’s kit (40 gp), dwarven puzzlebox (10 gp?), common brewing/distilling tools (5 gp), rope (1 gp), alchemist formula book (free), mead (half-gallon, 1 gp), ale (half-gallon, 1 sp), truly awful moonshine (half-gallon, 1 gp) 29 gp

• Eysteinn has an un-Ulfen quiet, subtle nature. He’s a thinker first.

• Eysteinn deeply desires to be respected and accepted among Hofn’s warriors, primarily his father and the goði. This drives him to be a capable warrior.

• This is made difficult because Eysteinn views himself as different than the Hofn male norm, but refuses to let that set him apart.

• Eysteinn is driven and ambitious, which is always balanced on a knife-edge with his genuine desire to help the others of Hofn out.

Background
Fabled are the tales of battle prowess of the Ulfen berserkr, indomitable warriors fueled by an unstoppable rage.

As Eysteinn grew up, he listened to his mother telling him said tales, of Falgrim the Broad, Karl Jonsson the Scourge of Giants, White-Estrid, the linnorm-taming maiden. Among those tales, Eysteinn’s favorites where those of Thorgal Magnisson, the bearer of the famed blade Windsplitter. He liked them the most, for Thorgal was his father.

On his fifteenth birthday, Eysteinn Thorgalsson was to become a berserkr himself, following his father in battle. He was tall, strong and well-trained; but the rage, the unstoppable rage that would make him a true legend, just wasn’t there. Eysteinn had known a happy childhood, a loving and capable mother, a strong father to admire, a two smaller siblings to play with. Never once orcs had raided his town: the battles where a far-away thing, chased by his father on his longboat.

He just… lacked any anger towards the world.

This was shameful for Thorgal and the rest of Eysteinn,’s family, but the boy had many other qualities. First and foremost, craftiness. Once it became evident that he couldn’t be a berserkr, he started shadowing Old Palli, the lame herbalist who got the berserkrs in shape after a fight. The fighters scoffed at the old man, who never was a warrior, but Eysteinn learned from him how to strike where it hurts and how to make tonics out of mountain flowers and goat’s stomach. More important, he knew there were other ways to get the rage…

He went looking for Old Palli’s master, a shadowy figure called Grinmer, whispered of being a secret servant of the trickster god Lokki (uh… Calistria? Norgorber?), who had developed artificial means to cheat the unstoppable berserkergang inspired by Tor in his followers.
Eysteinn studied with Grinmer, and month after month he experimented, until he finally found the concoction that gave him a good surrogate of berserkr’s rage. It was a glorious day for Eysteinn!

But alas, dealing with Lokki’s lot is never without price. Thorgal wanted nothing to do with his son, now that tales of him cavorting with witches had spread. He owed a lot of gold to Grinmer and was unable to pay. He lost his status as a free man, and forced to become a thrall of Hrolf Half-Hand, the goði of Hofn – to determine whether or not his ways are compatible with the ways of the Ulfen.

But he doesn’t care. Personal freedom can be earned, or bought, and thanks to the teachings of Old Palli and Grinmer, he has the means to do either.

Eysteinn's days are fairly boring, filled with keeping swords and axes sharpened, oiled, and polished, keeping leather items waxed, chain-mail oiled, shields varnished, and generally serving the requests for any of the war-band who might snap their fingers. The members of Hrolf's war-band are about twenty, so there's plenty to keep you busy in that regard. Eysteinn is torn about the work … he chafes at the tedium and servitude, but desires nothing more than to earn his way back into his father and the goði’s good graces.

Personality
While strong and fierce like most Ulfen warriors, Eysteinn carries himself in a more subtle demeanor, opposed to the boisterous ways of the berserks. He doesn’t want attention on himself – and usually disguises his strength-enhancing mutagen as a generous dose of mead or other spirit “to get my blood pumping before the battle”. He is crafty and clever – he is starting to think that “in a furious rage” may just not be the best way to face adversity – but so far nature is still winning over nurture. Prone to help others using his alchemical talents (both out of kindness and curiosity to see if he is able to), his goals are, in this order: gain his freedom back, gain a place in the berserkr gang of his father, earn Thorgal’s respect back (and regain the surname Thorgalsson in the process), and last, be deemed worthy of Windsplitter, his ancestor’s sword.

Appearance
Eysteinn is tall and with well-chiseled muscles – not big and broad like most of his kind, but wiry and flexible. He wears the furs and heavy coats of his people (useful to hide vials and potions that might look suspicious) over a light armor. Over a freckled complexion sports a short brown beard that only now, at twenty-two years of age, is starting to look full and healthy.

The Dream - night after Jolday, after passing out from drinking too much.