Fortinbras Rousseau's page

Five background and concept elements important to Fortinbras Rousseau
1. Fortinbras (Forty as he commonly goes by), grew up poor in Danor, with only his mother Annabelle to support him and his sister, Julie. Their poor living conditions made him accustomed to a spartan living style, and have made him a shameless cheapskate for his entire life.

2. His natural height and strength kept him from being a target for jeers from his peers...as long as he kept his mouth shut. He had a notorious temper that would flare up at the slightest hint of someone being unfair, which often got him in trouble, and his intellectual interests rarely overlapped with his peers'.

3. Most of Fortinbras's free time is spent reading studies on criminology and moral and social philosophy (think Sartre, Nietzsche, and Camus for examples). He has absolutely no interest in any kind of spirituality or religion, seeing it as irrational nonsense. Nevertheless, he forces himself to take an academic interest, as spirituality, religion, and divine magic are known to come up in investigations.

4. He has very low expectations of those he meets, generally assuming the worst of everyone. This attitude allows him to shrug-off even the most grating and frustrating of acquaintances, but he can't help but have greater expectations of anyone that he actually considers a friend.

5. After finishing university on scholarships, Fortinbras left Danor for Risur. He felt that the most undeveloped areas of criminology are in arcane forensics, which would naturally be far more difficult to study in Danor. Naturally, his sister Julie suddenly showed-up not long after he moved, saying that she had decided to follow him and would need a place to stay.

Two goals that are important to Fortinbras Rousseau.
1. He has a great ambition for leaving a mark on the world, whether politically by revolutionizing the law enforcement system from within or intellectually by bringing paradigm-shifting ideas and theories into the world. Most of all, he wants to do it without compromising himself. He wants to prove to himself that he lives in a world where that is possible.

2. He would love to find a nice intelligent woman to share his life with. He does not want a cute little housewife to live with him in his house to raise kids that he barely sees; he wants someone that he can spend long evenings with in cafes, talking about philosophy of the mind and criminal psychology, a professional and romantic partner.

Two secrets about Fortinbras, one that he knows, and one that he not yet aware of .
1. He keeps a journal in which he writes all of his various philosophical observations and theories, mostly on moral and social philosophical concerns of justice, freedom, and the development of society.
2. He subconsciously wishes that he could be more carefree and irresponsible like his sister, but his innate practicality and cynicism have thus far kept him from realizing or acting on these impulses.

Four people that are tied to Fortinbras, three are friends and one is an enemy.
1. His mother was a profound influence on him. As a clerk at a bookstore and an amateur musician, the arts and intellectual pursuits were very important to her, and she passed those interests on to her son and daughter. She was also the only legitimately altruistic person that he has ever known, happily giving up anything and everything to take care of her family. The knowledge that such people actually exist has helped to keep him going, even with his depressing work in criminology.

2. His sister, Julie. If Fortinbras took his mother's interest in intellectual affairs from his mother, Julie took her interest in the arts. Julie has fully embraced a devil-may-care bohemian lifestyle and is a notorious rake, frequenting the less savory parts of town before and after her performances at the three-penny opera. Her affairs with men and women have a tendency to end in duels, and she has some skill with the rapier, so Fortinbras tries to keep a bit of money in savings in case he needs to bail her out of lock-up, and he dreads that one day she might actually kill someone.

3. Though Fortinbras originally had a low opinion of him, Constable Jonathon Thane has become one of Fortinbras's only friends in Risur. Thane has a kind of natural empathy and charisma that Fortinbras lacks, as well as strong practical knowledge of Risur and Flint especially. Fortinbras likes Thane for his simple optimism and honest nature, and Thane always jokes that hanging around “Forty” makes him cleverer. Thane likes to drag the stingy and anti-social Fortinbras to bars, where he invariably has a better time than he expected to. Likewise, Fortinbras tries to raise Thane's cultural literacy, and often gives him suggestions for classy cultural places to take dates and gifts. Thane has a bit of a crush on Fortinbras's sister, Julie. Fortinbras is aware of this and tries to keep the two away from each other.

4. Perhaps Fortinbras's greatest professional accomplishment was the arrest of Alastair Ferrara, a tiefling aristocrat living in Risur that had used his skills in alchemy and in the manipulation of magic devices to frame his wife's lover for her murder, all while removing his own memories of the act. Alastair is nearing the end of his sentence, which he had used his considerable influence to reduce. Worst of all, he was a bit too successful in removing his memories of the crime, and honestly believes himself to have been framed by Fortinbras.

Three memories, mannerisms or quirks Fortinbras possess.
1. He dislikes thinking about the past, especially himself when he was younger. He remembers the time when he was twelve and kicked another boy in the shins repeatedly after the boy kept taunting him during a ball game (what is the Zeitgeist equivalent of soccer/football), along with dozens of other similar incidents, and he never forgives himself for any of them. Therefore, he hates being reminded of being a kid. Or sports, for that matter.
2. When dealing with strangers, he makes a great deal of effort to tailor his manner of speech and his word choice to the person he is speaking to (as represented by his Orator feat), but he is honest to the point of bluntness with friends and acquaintances, and often makes references to obscure works that he does not expect others to be familiar with.
3. He keeps a flask of espresso on him at all times, the same kind of flask one might see an alcoholic carrying at all times. He knows that is almost certainly addicted to caffeine at this point, so he figures it's far more appropriate.

Fortinbras Rousseau
Human Investigator (empiricist) 2
LG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +1 Senses: Perception +9 (+10 vs traps)
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Defense
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AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+4 armor, +1 Dex)
HP 19 (2d8+6 favored class) Current HP: 19
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +3
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee Masterwork Sap +4 (1d6+2/x2) or MW Cold Iron Gladius +4 (1d6+2/19-20)
Ranged Shortbow +2 (1d6/x3) or Thrown Weapon +3 (1d6/x2)
Investigator Extracts Prepared (CL 2th; concentration +6):
1st—Shield, Heightened Awareness, Enlarge Person
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Statistics
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Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 14
Feats
Skill Focus (linguistics), Orator, Icy End of the Earth
Skills
Acrobatics +1 (-1 in armor),
Appraise +4
Bluff +0
Climb +2 (+0 in armor)
Craft (Alchemy) +8
Diplomacy +4
Disable Device +9 (+7 in armor)
Disguise +0
Escape Artist +1 (-1 in armor)
Heal +4
Intimidate +0
Knowledge (Arcana) +8
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +8
Knowledge (Engineering) +8
Knowledge (Geography) +8
Knowledge (History) +8
Knowledge (Local) +8
Linguistics +12
Perception +9
Perform +0
Sense Motive +9
Spellcraft +8
Use Magic Device +9
Languages Common, Primordial, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Goblin, Draconic
Combat Gear
Masterwork Sap, Masterwork Gladius, Shortbow, 20 Cold Iron Arrows, Alkali Flask (2), Alchemist's Fire (2), Holy Water (2), Chain Shirt, Formulae Book (all prepared extracts plus Enlarge Person, Identify, Comprehend Languages, Cure Light Wounds, and True Strike)
Other Gear
Explorer's Outfit, Bandolier, Hip Flask (full, espresso), Common Cologne (5 doses), 27 gp
Special Abilities:

Alchemy
Investigators are highly trained in the creation of mundane alchemical substances and magical potionlike extracts.

When using Craft (alchemy) to create an alchemical item, an investigator gains a competence bonus equal to his class level on the skill check. In addition, an investigator 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.

Like an alchemist, an investigator prepares his spells by mixing ingredients and a tiny fraction of his own magical power into a number of extracts, and then effectively casts the spell by drinking the extract. The power they lend creates powerful effects, but also binds the extract’s effect to its creator. Extracts behave like spells in potion form, and as such their effects can be dispelled by dispel magic and similar effects, using the investigator’s level as the caster level. An investigator can create only a certain number of extracts of each level per day. His base daily allotment of extracts per day is given on Table 1–7. 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 investigator mixes an extract, he infuses the chemicals and reagents in the extract with magic siphoned from his own magical aura. An extract immediately become inert if it leaves the investigator’s possession, reactivating as soon as it returns to his keeping—an investigator cannot normally pass out his extracts for allies to use. An extract, once created, remains potent for 1 day before losing its magic, so an investigator must reprepare his extracts every day. Mixing an extract takes 1 minute of work.

Creating extracts consumes raw material, but the cost of those 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; extracts that duplicate divine spells never have a divine focus requirement. An investigator uses the alchemist formulae list (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide 32), which determines the extracts he can know. An investigator can prepare an extract of any formula he knows. To learn or use an extract, an investigator must have an Intelligence score equal to 10 + the extract’s level. The saving throw DC for an investigator’s extract is 10 + the extract’s level + the investigator’s Intelligence modifier.

An investigator 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. At 1st level, an investigator starts with two 1stlevel formulae of his choice, plus a number of additional formulae equal to his Intelligence modifier. At each new investigator level, he gains one new formula for any level that he can create. An investigator can also add formulae to his book just like a wizard adds spells to his spellbook, using the same costs, pages, and time requirements. A formula book costs as much as a spellbook. An investigator can study a wizard’s spellbook to learn any formulae that is equivalent to a spell the spellbook contains. A wizard, however, cannot learn spells from a formula book. An investigator can also learn formulae from another investigator’s or an alchemist’s formula book (and vice versa). An investigator does not need to decipher arcane
writing before copying them.

Inspiration (4/day, 1d6)
An investigator is beyond skilled and knowledgeable—he also possesses keen powers of observation and deduction above and beyond the abilities of others. An investigator typically uses these powers to aid in their investigations, but can use these flashes of inspiration for other situations.

An investigator has the ability to augment skill checks and ability checks through his brilliant inspiration. The investigator has an inspiration pool equal to 1/2 his investigator level + his Intelligence bonus, minimum 1. As a free action, he can expend one use of inspiration from his pool to add 1d6 to the result of that check (including any he takes 10 or 20 on). This choice is made after the check is rolled and before the results are revealed. An investigator can only use inspiration once per check or roll. The investigator can use inspiration on any Knowledge, Linguistics, or Spellcraft skill checks without spending a use of inspiration, provided he’s trained in that skill. An investigator’s inspiration pool refreshes each day, typically after he gets a restful night’s sleep.

Inspiration can also be used on attack rolls and saving throws, though at the cost of expending two uses of inspiration from the investigator’s pool. In the case of saving throws, using inspiration is an immediate action.

Trapfinding
An investigator adds half his level to Perception skill checks made to locate traps and to Disable Device checks (minimum 1). An investigator can use Disable Device to disarm magical traps.

Ceaseless Observation (Ex): An empiricist’s ability to notice the minutiae of almost everything that happens around him allows him to make shrewd and insightful calculations about people and even inanimate objects. At 2nd level, an empiricist uses his Intelligence modif ier instead of the skill’s typical ability for all Disable Device, Perception, Sense Motive, and Use Magic Device checks. He can also use his Intelligence modifier instead of Charisma on any Diplomacy checks made to gather information. This ability replaces poison lore and poison resistance.

Orator Feat Description:You can use a Linguistics check in place of a Bluff check to tell a falsehood or conceal information, in place of a Diplomacy check to change the attitude of a creature, or in place of an Intimidate check to force a creature to cooperate. You must deliver your attempt in a language the target understands.