Former farmer, soldier, crusader, and demon slayer
Strength
16
Dexterity
17
Constitution
15
Intelligence
13
Wisdom
17
Charisma
11
About Draven Barbazon
Draven Barbazon
Male Human (Taldan; distant Sarkorian ancestry) Ranger (Tanglebriar Demonslayer/Infiltrator) 2
NG Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +3
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DEFENSE
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AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
hp 22
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3; +1 vs spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities of evil outsiders; +1 resistance bonus on saving throws against inhaled poisons and other airborne effects that require breathing while wearing filter scarf
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OFFENSE
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Speed 30 feet
Melee cold iron dagger +5 (1d4+3/19/x2)
cold iron longsword +5 (1d8+3/19-20/x2)
Ranged mw light crossbow +7 (1d8/19-20/x2; 80 ft)
Special Attacks favored enemy (evil outsiders +2)
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STATISTICS
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Str 16 (+3), Dex 17 (+3), Con 15 (+2), Int 13 (+1), Wis 17 (+3), Cha 11 (+0)
Base Atk +2; CMB +5, +7 vs demons; CMD 18
Feats Precise Shot, Rapid Reload, Rapid Shot
Adventuring Skills Climb +8, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (geography) +6, Knowledge (nature) +6, Knowledge (planes) +6, Perception +8, Stealth +8, Survival +8
Background Skills Craft (weapons) +6, Profession (farmer) +7, Profession (soldier) +7
Languages Abyssal, Common (Taldane)
SQ combat style (crossbows), track, wild empathy
Combat Gear mw light crossbow (4 lbs), cold iron longsword (4 lbs), cold iron crossbow bolts (60) (6 lbs), cold iron dagger (1 lb)
Other Gear mw studded leather armor (20 lbs) (currently wearing), ranger’s kit (a backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a flint and steel, iron pot, mess kit, rope, torches (10), trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin) (28 lbs), explorer’s outfit (8 lbs) (currently wearing), 2 vials of holy weapon balm (1 lb), filter scarf (0 lbs) (currently wearing), bandolier (0 lbs) (currently wearing) (currently carrying: 1 cold iron caltrop bead (2 lbs), 2 potions of cure light wounds (0 lbs), 3 hex nails (0 lbs), 1 cold iron pellet grenade (1 lb), 1 vial of holy water (1 lb))
Currently Carrying 76 lbs (light load)
Money 4 gp 5 sp
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Favored Enemy At 1st level, a ranger selects a creature type from the ranger favored enemies table. He gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against creatures of his selected type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them. A ranger may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures. At 1st level, a Tanglebriar demonslayer must choose favored enemy (evil outsider). At 5th level and every time he advances his favored enemy bonus, the demonslayer must advance his bonus against evil outsiders. In addition to the normal benefits of favored enemy, a Tanglebriar demonslayer gains a bonus equal to 1/2 his favored enemy bonus on saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities of evil outsiders. This ability is otherwise identical to and replaces the favored enemy ranger class ability.
Track A ranger adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow or identify tracks.
Wild Empathy A ranger can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person (see Using Skills). The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his ranger level and his Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. To use wild empathy, the ranger and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time. The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.
Combat Style Feat At 2nd level, a ranger must select one combat style to pursue. The ranger's expertise manifests in the form of bonus feats at 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. He can choose feats from his selected combat style, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites. The benefits of the ranger's chosen style feats apply only when he wears light, medium, or no armor. He loses all benefits of his combat style feats when wearing heavy armor. Once a ranger selects a combat style, it cannot be changed. If the ranger selects crossbow, he can choose from the following list whenever he gains a combat style feat: Deadly Aim, Focused Shot, Precise Shot, and Rapid Reload. At 6th level, he adds Crossbow Mastery and Improved Precise Shot to the list. At 10th level, he adds Pinpoint Targeting and Shot on the Run to the list.
Rapid Reload Choose the crossbows or thrown group listed under the fighter’s Weapon Training class feature. You can reload such weapons quickly. The time required for you to reload a weapon from the selected group is reduced to a free action (for a hand crossbow, light crossbow, sling, or halfling sling staff) or a move action (for a heavy crossbow). Reloading no longer provokes an attack of opportunity. For all these weapons but the heavy crossbow, you may fire that weapon as many times in a full-attack action as you could attack if you were using a bow.
Precise Shot You can shoot or throw ranged weapons at an opponent engaged in melee without taking the standard –4 penalty on your attack roll.
Rapid Shot When making a full-attack action with a ranged weapon, you can fire one additional time this round at your highest bonus. All of your attack rolls take a -2 penalty when using Rapid Shot.
Stolen Fury You were forced to take part in a demonic ritual as a youth after having been captured by cultists. Whatever the ritual’s purpose may have been, it didn’t work out the way your captors envisioned—rather than corrupting your soul, you absorbed the ritual’s energy and made it your own before you escaped to safety. Ever since, you’ve been haunted by strange nightmares about the ritual, and have long felt that the energies it bathed you in have changed you. Recently, those energies have changed— it’s as if you’ve finally managed to come to terms with your past and have turned the ritual’s aftereffects to your advantage, following the old adage of what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. You’ve been unable to learn more about the ritual or what it was for, but the question lingers in the back of your head to this day. This nagging has instilled in you a fury against demonkind. Today, when you face demons in combat, those energies bolster your fury, granting you a +2 trait bonus on all combat maneuver checks against demons.
A Shining Beacon You carry a burning hatred in your heart for all things demonic, and have studied their weaknesses carefully. You deal an amount of additional damage equal to your weapon’s critical hit modifier when you score a successful critical hit with a weapon against a demon. This damage is added only after the damage is totaled, and is not multiplied by the critical hit multiplier.
Faith’s Hunter When you confirm a critical hit against a favored enemy, you may extend the duration of any divine spell affecting you by 1 round. The benefits from multiple critical hits stack. Divine spells with an instantaneous duration can’t be extended in this manner.
Skilled Dravan gains 1 additional skill rank at 1st level and 1 additional rank whenever he gains a level in ranger.
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Backstory
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Draven Barbazon was born to a couple of farmers outside of a small, insignificant farming town south of Kenabres. He was a happy and upbeat child who loved exploring the fields that he called him. When he was ten, while playing in the fields, Draven was kidnapped by a group of cultists and taken to an unknown location. He was to be the sacrifice for a demonic ritual. However, something went wrong and the ritual backfired, turning all of the energy into Draven. It also drained the life from most of the cultists. The last thing that Draven saw before passing out was the last cultist running away. He could make out seven fingers on their left hand. When he awoke, the ritual site was silent and empty. Only the bodies of the cultists remained. With that, Draven made his way home. Eventually, the young boy found the familiar fields of his home. However, there was also smoke on the horizon. As he got closer, Draven saw that the fields and the farmhands slaughtered; some of them were strung up as scarecrows. When he reached the burning farmhouse, he saw two charred bodies. He noticed that one was wearing his father’s holy symbol around his neck and holding his crossbow. The other was wearing his mother’s wedding band. Feeling anguish, Draven cried and screamed. After several minutes, Draven buried his parents. He then sat in the middle of the fields, cradling the crossbow, silently weeping. Eventually, a platoon of crusaders came upon the scene, investigating the smoke. The platoon, after hearing Draven’s story, pitied him and took him in. After an investigation, they couldn’t find anything. Eventually, the crusaders moved on with Draven in tow. From this day, Draven was convinced that the cultist with the seven fingered hand had something to do with it. Draven eventually joined the Iomedaen church. He began studying demons and cults. He trained in the use of his father’s crossbow. Eventually, he joined the crusaders who took him in. However, during this entire time, Draven couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. When he was 23, he and his platoon were sent on a scouting and exploratory mission in a region closer to the Worldwound. However, they were ambushed and Draven was knocked out. When he awoke, his entire platoon was lying on the ground slaughtered. He was the only one to return to Kenabres. He was now convinced that the cultist was following him, watching him, and planning on ambushing him. Since then, Draven has become more cynical and serious. He still has the happy and positive side to him; although, it has since been covered in a layer of dark humor, sarcasm, and pragmatism. He still has nightmares about the ritual, the destruction of his home, and the horrifying end of his surrogate family. He’s also nearly obsessed with finding the cultist, going on excursions to the Worldwound alone and questioning those he’s unfamiliar with. He’s also started working with the Order of Heralds, trying to get a handle on the Witch Hunts and the inquisitors.
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Appearance
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Draven is a Taldan man in his late twenties with some traces of Sarkorian blood in his features. He stands at around 5’7” and has a more muscular build, weighing in at 155 lbs. He prefers darker, more drab colors, such as darker browns and blacks, in terms of clothing to better blend in to his surroundings. He wears a dark gray shirt with a black vest, black leather breeches, a pair of black gloves, and a pair of black sturdy boots. Around his shoulders is a dark brown cloak lined with pockets, a brown bandolier, filled to the brim with tools, and a black filter scarf. On top of his head, he wears a black wide-brimmed hat. On his hips, he has a cold iron longsword and a dagger of cold iron. Finally, strapped to his legs are a series of pouches with cold iron bolts. In his hands, he carries a masterfully crafted light crossbow made from mahogany. It appears to be well used.
Age: 28
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 155 lbs
Homeland: Mendev
Deity: Iomedae
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Personality
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A man who prefers action to words, Draven is a cynical and pragmatic man. He can come across as single-minded when it comes to hunting down demons and cultists. However, the subject of the surviving cultist from eighteen years ago drives him to extreme obsession and paranoia. However, Draven is capable of being optimistic. However, said optimism is often filled with sarcasm and often turns to dark humor. He often has nightmares; so he can appear as tired.
The Ten-Minute Background:
Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged!
Draven Barbazon was born to a couple of farmers outside of a small, insignificant farming town south of Kenabres. He was a happy and upbeat child who loved exploring the fields that he called him. When he was ten, while playing in the fields, Draven was kidnapped by a group of cultists and taken to an unknown location. He was to be the sacrifice for a demonic ritual. However, something went wrong and the ritual backfired, turning all of the energy into Draven. It also drained the life from most of the cultists. The last thing that Draven saw before passing out was the last cultist running away. He could make out seven fingers on their left hand. When he awoke, the ritual site was silent and empty. Only the bodies of the cultists remained. With that, Draven made his way home. Eventually, the young boy found the familiar fields of his home. However, there was also smoke on the horizon. As he got closer, Draven saw that the fields and the farmhands slaughtered; some of them were strung up as scarecrows. When he reached the burning farmhouse, he saw two charred bodies. He noticed that one was wearing his father’s holy symbol around his neck and holding his crossbow. The other was wearing his mother’s wedding band. Feeling anguish, Draven cried and screamed. After several minutes, Draven buried his parents.
He then sat in the middle of the fields, cradling the crossbow, silently weeping. Eventually, a platoon of crusaders came upon the scene, investigating the smoke. The platoon, after hearing Draven’s story, pitied him and took him in. After an investigation, they couldn’t find anything. Eventually, the crusaders moved on with Draven in tow. From this day, Draven was convinced that the cultist with the seven fingered hand had something to do with it.
Draven eventually joined the Iomedaen church. He began studying demons and cults. He trained in the use of his father’s crossbow. Eventually, he joined the crusaders who took him in. However, during this entire time, Draven couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.
When he was 23, he and his platoon were sent on a scouting and exploratory mission in a region closer to the Worldwound. However, they were ambushed and Draven was knocked out. When he awoke, his entire platoon was lying on the ground slaughtered. He was the only one to return to Kenabres. He was now convinced that the cultist was following him, watching him, and planning on ambushing him.
Since then, Draven has become more cynical and serious. He still has the happy and positive side to him; although, it has since been covered in a layer of dark humor, sarcasm, and pragmatism. He still has nightmares about the ritual, the destruction of his home, and the horrifying end of his surrogate family. He’s also nearly obsessed with finding the cultist, going on excursions to the Worldwound alone and questioning those he’s unfamiliar with. He’s also started working with the Order of Heralds, trying to get a handle on the Witch Hunts and the inquisitors.
Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
I would like for Draven to face off against the cultist with seven fingered hand who survived the botched ritual.
I would also like for Draven to be at peace with his past and move on from it to become a more well rounded person and put the nightmares at an end.
Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!
Draven’s known secret: During his missions with the Order of Heralds that let him work with the inquisitors on the same side, he’s noticed two things. First, some of the legitimate cultists that they’ve rounded up have been merchants. And second, they’ve all been wearing similar outfits to the cultists from that botched ritual 18 years ago.
Unknown secret: The bodies that Draven buried weren’t his parents. His parents are still alive somewhere.
Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.
Helvero Rutilus was the tiefling half brother of one of the newer crusaders in Draven’s ill-fated platoon. He works as a blacksmith to aid in the fight against the demons. After his brother’s death, Helvero was approached and accused of being a witch and a cultist. It was only due to Draven’s intervention that Helvero was spared. Since then, Helvero has become one of the ranger’s closest friends.
Draven’s contact within the Order of Heralds is a half-elven woman named Jophiel Hispalla. She’s the one who approached Draven to offer her help in clearing Helvero’s name. Together, they managed to find proof and prevented the inquisitors from starting another round of witch hunts. Since then, Jophiel has approached Draven for his help on protecting innocent citizens and (on rare occasions) hunting down cultists.
Adamus Volso is the young head inquisitor of his own platoon and is very zealous in his accusation, convictions, and witch hunts. He crossed paths with Draven when he and his group attacked and accused Helvero Rutilus. Draven stood up to him and from that moment, Adamus disliked the ranger. Whenever Adamus tries to start an inquisition, Draven and the Order of the Heralds always seem to be there to stop him. However, if the inquisitor is in the right and the threat seems too great, Draven and Adamus can be convinced to put aside their differences.
Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.
Draven will never be able to forget the events that led him to Kenabres. The smell of blood. The sight of the cultists losing their lives. The charred remains of his family.
Draven can come across as paranoid or obsessed about hunting down the surviving cultist.
The main inspirations behind Draven are Geralt from the Witcher series, the archetype of a demon slayer, and the tropes of Westerns.
