About Garidan VissirCharacter in Valjoen_GM's Talanor, the Bright Tower campaign. Obsidian Portal Entry When the world ended, Garidan Vissir was clutched in the chokehold of a fearsome orc warrior, laughing madly as the warrior's free hand approached his defenseless head... General Stats and Senses:
Human Swashbuckler (Inspired Blade)* 8/Fighter (Lore Warden) 2 *Favored Class Benefit: +1 hit point/level
5' 6", 140 lbs. Senses
Bound Soul
Bound Soul Racial Ability
Bound Soul Class
Combat:
Init +7, +9 with swashbuckler initiative AC 28, 18 touch, 20 flat-footed (+7 armor, +2 buckler, +5 Dex, +3 dodge, +1 natural; 26/18/18 when using composite bow); 2 negative energy resistance, 5 fire resistance HP 98 (10d10-10) Fort +6, Ref +13, Will +5 Speed 30 ft. Melee/Ranged +2 cruel impact sharding undead bane rapier +19 (1d8+9, 15-20/x2, 10 ft.) OR Full Attack (Melee/Ranged) +2 cruel impact sharding undead bane rapier +19/+14 (1d8+9, 15-20/x2, 10 ft.) OR Ranged dagger +15 (1d4+2, 19-20/x2, 10 ft.) OR Ranged masterwork composite shortbow (+1 Str) +16 (1d6+1, x3, 70 ft.) OR Full Attack masterwork composite shortbow (+1 Str) +16/+11 (1d6+1, x3, 70 ft.) Base Attack +10/+5; CMB +12 (+14 to dirty trick, reposition, and steal, +15 to sunder, +17 to disarm and trip), CMD 30 (32 to dirty trick, disarm, reposition, steal, or trip, 34 to disarm while 1 panache is available) Rapier attack bonus is BAB (+10) + Dex (+5) + Weapon Focus (+1) + enhancement (+2; +4 vs. undead) + Rapier Training (+1) - +1 buckler ACP (-0 per Weapon Finesse).
Abilities, Feats, Traits, and Skills:
Ability Scores and Modifiers Str 14 (+2), Dex 20 (+5), Con 8 (-1), Int 14 (+2), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 16 (+3) Feats
Traits and Drawback
Swashbuckler Ranks/Level: 10 (+1 Human, +4 Class, +2 Int, +1 Campaign [Knowledge only], +2 Background)
Acrobatics (10 ranks) +20, Bluff (4 ranks) +10, Climb (3 ranks) +8, Diplomacy (2 ranks) +8, Intimidate (10 ranks) +16, Knowledge (arcana) (2 ranks) +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) (2 ranks) +7, Knowledge (local) (2 ranks) +7, Knowledge (nature) (3 ranks) +8, Knowledge (planes) (3 ranks) +8, Knowledge (religion) (2 ranks) +7, Perception (10 ranks) +16, Sense Motive (6 ranks) +10, Stealth (4 ranks) +15, Survival (7 ranks) +11, Use Magic Device (10 ranks) +22 Craft (alchemy) (9 ranks) +19, Craft (armor) (5 ranks) +10, Craft (weapons) (4 ranks) +9, Knowledge (history) (1 rank) +6, Sleight of Hand (1 rank) +8 Class Abilities:
Charmed Life (4/day), Deeds (Derring-Do, Dodging Panache, Kip-Up, Menacing Swordplay, Precise Strike, Opportune Parry and Riposte, Superior Feint, Swashbuckler Initiative, Swashbuckler's Grace, Targeted Strike), Inspired Finesse, Inspired Panache (5), Nimble +2, Rapier Training +1/+2; Essence Abilities Favored Enemy (Gnolls) +4 (2/day), Studied Target +2 (3/day) Daily Abilities Tracker:
Panache: 4/5 per day Special Panache: 2/2 per day Stamina: 4/10 per day Armor Spell (Bountiful Banquet): 0/1 per day
Bone Cage: 0/1 per day
Mylesar's Potion Flask: 1/1 per day
Campaign Boons:
Essence Count (Self): 5 LE, 2 EE, 1 elemental essence Essence Count (Rapier): 9 EE (3 bonus, 6 ability) Essence Count (Breastplate): 5 EE (1 bonus, 4 ability) Essence Count (Buckler): 2 EE (1 bonus, 1 ability) Essence Count ('Ruza): 1 LE, 1 AE Gift of Teysura: The gratitude of the goddess grants +1 bonus to all saving throws.
Additionally, Garidan gains a +2 bonus to Acrobatics and Stealth checks. Ethereal Essence (Storm Hag): This essence grants Garidan's spellscribed armor the ability to cast invisibility once per day with a caster level of 10th, at the cost of permanently occupying one of his armor's available spell slots. By feeding another ethereal essence--used for this express purpose--into his armor, Garidan can upgrade this spell to function as greater invisibility. To use the spell, Garidan must first succeed at a DC 30 Use Magic Device check. In addition, Garidan may gain the effects of the Vital Strike feat for a single round, 2/day. Ethereal Essence (White Wolf) x2: Increases the enhancement bonus of Garidan's rapier to +2, and Garidan can apply the rapier's enhancement bonus to Intimidate skill checks made to demoralize targets when the weapon is unsheathed and in hand. In addition, when confirming a critical hit, the rapier coats the wound with a layer of ice, dealing an additional +1d4 points of cold damage to the target. Life Essence (Gnoll Ranger): Gain Point-Blank Shot as a bonus feat. In addition, 1/day as a swift action, Garidan may tap into the power of this essence to gain a greater understanding of gnolls; for a number of rounds equal to his character level, he gains the benefit of favored enemy (gnolls), treating his character level as his ranger class level for determining the bonus of this ability. Finally, his extra fire damage on a successful riposte is increased to +2d6, his Speed Surge is improved to 2/day (with a total increase to his base speed of +100%), and his Studied Target is improved to 2/day. Ethereal Essence (Gnoll Bard): This essence grants Garidan's spellscribed armor the ability to cast bountiful banquet once per day with a caster level of 10th, at the cost of permanently occupying one of his armor's available spell slots. To use the spell, Garidan must first succeed at DC 30 Use Magic Device check. As a secondary benefit, this essence allows Garidan to tap into the lingering wisps of magic left by its source to cast message 1/day (caster level equals character level, no Use Magic Device check required). Ethereal Essense (Flame Staff): Imbued directly into Garidan's body, this essence grants a +5 competence bonus to Use Magic Device checks. Additionally, 1/day, when successfully confirming a critical hit, Garidan may choose forgo all damage and instead inflict 1d6 points of Strength damage to his target. Life Essence (Hill Giant): Gain Combat Stamina as a bonus feat. In addition, Garidan gains an additional +2 stamina to his stamina pool. As his fourth life essence used to gain a bonus feat, Garidan also receives an additional bonus of a +1 increase to the ability score of his choice (Dexterity). Finally, his extra fire damage on a successful riposte is increased to +2d8, his base movement when using Speed Surge is improved to +150%, and he gains an additional daily use each of Studied Target and Favored Enemy (increasing to 3/day and 2/day, respectively). Ethereal Essence (Tikbalang): This essence grants Garidan's spellscribed armor the ability to cast fly once per day with a caster level of 12th, at the cost of permanently occupying one of his armor's available spell slots. To use the spell, Garidan must first succeed at DC 32 Use Magic Device check. As a secondary benefit, the lingering remnants of the tikbalang's magic allows Garidan to conceal his armor's true appearance as though it possessed the glamered armor property, but only once per day and for 10 minutes per character level. Ethereal Essence (Ursikka): Makes Garidan's chestnut wood buckler a magic shield with a +1 enhancement bonus to AC. In addition, he gains an icebound ward, which provides cold resistance 5 against cold-based melee attacks or spells targeted directly at the wielder; cold-based area-of-effect spells or other effects that do not directly target the wielder are not affected by the icebound ward. Ethereal Essence (Cliff Giant): With the use of this essence, Garidan's buckler gains the spellscribed feature, and may have a maximum of 1 spell, up to 3rd level, inscribed upon its surface. Garidan may activate this spell with a successful Use Magic Device checks as though he were casting from a scroll. Unlike normal spellscribed armor (or Garidan's spellscribed breastplate), however, the means by which Garidan adds spells to his shield differs;
The wood from which the buckler was made, recovered from the remains of a mighty chestnut exposed to centuries of nature magic, still retains a trace of the power infused into it. A druid spell from the Wood element inscribed on the buckler receives a +1 bonus to its caster level. Life Essence (Animate Dream): Absorbing this life essence into her vessel grants 'Ruza the Share Sight and Essence Shaper abilities. Arcane (Transmutation) Essence (Ox Horn): Absorbing this arcane essence into her vessel grants 'Ruza the Visionary Magic ability. Ethereal Essence (Animate Dream): Imbuing this essence into himself grants Garidan a +1 resistance bonus to all saving throws, as well as a +2 bonus to Perception checks. Unused Essences:
Ethereal Essence (Equine Idol) Ethereal Essence (Leather Lamellar) Ethereal Essence (Breastplate) Fire Essence (Prisca the Witch) Ethereal Essence #1 (Prisca the Witch) Ethereal Essence #2 (Prisca the Witch) Ethereal Essense #1 (Axe) Ethereal Essense #2 (Axe) Ethereal Essense #3 (Axe) Possessions and Encumbrance:
Cold-weather outfit, cushioned inserts, +2 cruel impact sharding undead bane bonded rapier, weapon cord, dagger, masterwork composite shortbow (+1 Str), 15 arrows, 4 elven bane arrows, 6 raining arrows, +1 spellscribed bonded mithral breastplate, +1 spellscribed bonded wooden buckler, bonded ioun torch (dull gray sphere), ampoule of sagurim, belt pouch (with flint and steel, griffon feather, 2 wandermeal biscuits, 2/2 days of trail rations), canteen (full), bandolier (x2 flasks holy water, flask acid, flask shard gel, x2 stormstones, Mylesar's Potion Flask, ivory scroll case) Weight: 51 lbs. (Light) Handy haversack (pouch #1 [20/20 lbs.]: bedroll, blanket, grooming kit, soap, mess kit, explorer's outfit, 5 doses peptus salix, coinage [8sp, 3 cp]; pouch #2 [20/20 lbs.]: 10 days trail rations, 20 wandermeal biscuits, 58/60 servings dreamer's star tea; body [80/80 lbs.]: 50' silk rope, everburning torch, alchemist's lab [makeshift portable], alchemical ingredients [1,470gp], 3 1/2 vials of Oil of Vra'lithe, 3 vials of Ursikka saliva, 3 doses golden maple leaf, 5 doses of black pesh, 5 pouches dimmer dust, 2 packets flash powder, 3 fungal stun vials, 3 flasks acid, 2 flasks bottled lightning, burst jar, flask ghast retch, tanglefoot bag, thunderstone, armorsmith's tools, weaponsmith's tools, whetstone, scrivener's kit, 2 journals, 40 sheets parchment, 4 vials of ink, 5 vials of colored ink [assorted], 1 vial of invisible ink [good], 6 quills, waterskin [empty], waterskin [empty], waterskin [full]) Weight: 5 lbs. (Light when combined with worn gear) Encumbrance
'Ruza:
Uses ioun wyrd as the base for her stats. This has been further improved by increasing her Dexterity score, natural armor, and granting her base saving throws equal to a fighter of Garidan's character level. Goruza ('Ruza) Vissir CR * Female half-orc (ioun torch) NG Tiny construct Init +5; Senses Perception +2; Blindsight 30 ft., Darkvision 60 ft. Defense
Offense
Statistics
Special Abilities Mending (Sp): Once per day, 'Ruza may use the mending spell to repair damage that she has taken, though the spell repairs all damage she has taken, up to her maximum amount. The spell may also be used only on herself. It otherwise functions exactly as the mending spell. Prestidigitation (Sp): 'Ruza can use the prestidigitation spell at will. Light Shaper (Sp): 1/day, 'Ruza can cast a single spell with the [Light] descriptor from the sorcerer's spell list, using Garidan's Charisma modifier and Garidan's character level -2 as 'Ruza's sorcerer level for determining which spells are available and their effectiveness. The spell requires no components, is cast on Garidan's initiative count during a round, and consumes Garidan's swift action for that round. Spells:
Telepathic (??): 'Ruza is capable of seeing and hearing, but not of audible speech. Instead, communication from 'Ruza is done in the form of telepathic contact limited to sending only. Only Garidan can be the target of such contact. Gift of Teysura (??): While 'Ruza's ioun torch is in Garidan's possession, she shares the benefit of his Gift of Teysura boon, gaining a +1 bonus to all saving throws. Gift of the Great Chestnut (??): While 'Ruza's ioun torch is in Garidan's possession, she shares the benefit of his Gift of the Great Chestnut boon, gaining a +1 natural armor bonus to her armor class. Share Sight (??): Empowered by a life essence, 'Ruza gains the ability to share her visual senses with Garidan while in the latter’s possession. This includes standard vision, low-light vision, and darkvision to a range of 60 feet. She also gains the ability to share with Garidan her Blindsight, with the same range of 30 feet that she has. However, Garidan must take a free action each round to use the ability, so only gains the benefits during his turn. Finally, ’Ruza’s method of sharing her sense of sight means that Garidan is harder to flank, and enemies only gain a +1 bonus when flanking him. However, this new status as Garidan’s sole means of sight has made ’Ruza all the more vital to him, and the penalties of his Attached drawback are increased by -1. This is increased by an additional -1 for every arcane Divination essence that 'Ruza absorbs. Essence Shaper (Ex): The life essence absorbed into her vessel has empowered 'Ruza, giving her the limited ability to reshape select essences to better suit her needs. She may, upon absorbing an arcane essence, treat that essence as Divination arcane essence. If the essence is extracted later from 'Ruza, it will revert to it’s naturally attuned school. Visionary Magic (+1) (varies, see text): Whenever 'Ruza absorbs an arcane Divination essence, she gains a number of specific benefits; A spell with a level greater than 1 requires a arcane Divination essence and a number of ethereal essences for each spell level above level 1 (i.e., a 2nd-level spell requires one arcane Divination essence and one ethereal essence, while a 3rd-level spell requires one arcane Diviniation essence and two ethereal essences, and so forth). Alternatively, in lieu of adding a new spell to her repertoire, 'Ruza may instead gain an additional daily cast of an existing spell granted by a prior arcane Divination essence. Spells:
10-Minute Background:
Step 1: Appearance and Background
2) In his younger, wilder days, Armant Vissir--father of Garidan and, later, Goruza--was an scholarly bard of some repute. He was in high demand as a guide and researcher for anyone seeking out the mysteries of the past, and his adventures amassed him a small but tidy fortune over the years. During his career, Armant often found himself encountering Alezra Sharpwit, a female orc sorcerer with similar interests, and the two developed a friendly rivalry that could have become more had Armant not been in an arranged betrothal. When Armant's wife become ill during her pregnancy with Garidan, she sent word for Alezra to visit her, and the two women spoke daily for the remainder of the former's life. What precisely was said during these conversations Alezra never revealed, but after the death of Armant's wife, Alezra stayed in the valley to help care for Armant and Garidan both. Eventually Armant's grief faded, and the long-buried feelings for Alezra made themselves known once more, resulting in the two getting wed and shortly thereafter, welcoming a daughter into the world. 3) As a growing child, Garidan's lack of endurance and susceptibility to illness left him confined to his home for long stretches, though this was no hardship to the boy. For whatever Garidan may have lacked physically, he more than made up for mentally, and his father and step-mother found him a joy to teach. As he grew older, he was pleased to learn that he wasn't entirely lacking in physical gifts either, developing a surprising level of grace and agility in his movements. He even took up fencing with his birth mother's heirloom rapier, and displayed an almost preternatural level of skill in the weapon's use. Further, Garidan found that the lessons from his parents meshed well with his fencing, instilling a mindset that encouraged clear, decisive thoughts and deeds. Educated by well-traveled, experienced, and scholarly parents, Garidan--and later, Goruza--was encouraged to find a path in life that made the most of the resources available. Though neither child followed in the footsteps of their parents, they still managed to pick up at least some useful tricks. From his father, Garidan learned how to speak and sneak effectively, while his step-mother showed him the best ways to terrify his enemies with sheer presence, as well as how to safely unlock the capabilities within magic items of all sorts. (Trait: Armor Expert, Trait: Dangerously Curious, Trait: Silent Hunter) 4) When the world ended, Garidan was trapped in a chokehold administered by his sister Goruza, laughing uncontrollably as she prepared to deliver a savage knuckling (noogie) to the top of his head. Their parents were sitting on the porch of their home, watching with exasperated amusement as their children carried on. Before any of them realized what was happening, the expanding rift claimed their lives, along with every other living thing in the small valley they called home. 5) Garidan awoke, weeping uncontrollably for his sister and parents, on the floor of a chamber in what he later learned was the famous Bright Tower of story and song, Talanor. Finding no other trace of his family in the tower's confines after a desperate search, he eventually returned to the chamber in which he had awakened to learn how he had come to be there, and why. Throughout the explanations and preparations that followed, Garidan could swear he heard his sister's voice, faint but distinct, offering advice in a familiarly lecturing tone. More oddly still, his previous style of fighting seemed to have somehow incorporated elements of Goruza's own style. However, the greatest shock to Garidan was the first time he ventured outside of the Bright Tower without a light source, and realized that the darkness was no impediment to him whatsoever. As strange as it seems, some part of his sister came back with him when he was restored to life, and that has made it easier for Garidan to face what is left of the world. Unfortunately, his previous confidence has still taken a hard blow, leaving him prone to severe periods of self-doubt when he falls short of success on some tasks. (Drawback: Doubt) Step 2: Goals
2) Restore the shattered world to something habitable, if not somehow undoing the calamity itself. 2) Find the unknown monster responsible for this atrocity and exact some measure of revenge. Not justice, no, because no mere mortal law can encompass a punishment sufficient for a crime of this scope. Step 3: Secrets
2, Unknown) 3, GM-assigned) ???? Step 4: Friends and Enemies
Step 5: Mannerisms, Memories, and Quirks
2) The best memory Garidan has is the day his sister was born. He was utterly enthralled by the girl, and took to the duties of an older brother with gusto. As Goruza grew up, the gap in their respective robustness grew ever more pronounced, though Garidan never gave in to his weakness, always striving to be the brother she needed. 3) Garidan lay claim to a small, discarded ioun stone he found in one of the Bright Tower's storage rooms, and has taken to playing with it, nudging in along with his fingers as it circles his head. Worryingly, he has also begun talking to it, addressing it by his sister's name and acting as though it were speaking back to him. Expanded Background:
Alezra Sharpwit hails from the Nightblood Clan in the First Lands, and parted company with the clan over the mutually unexpected discovery of her extraplanar heritage in the form a Solar bloodline. For the Nightblood, with their veneration of vampires as living ancestors, the presence of such a bloodline among their number was unacceptable. Seeking to learn more about her bloodline, as well as how it came to be present among the Nightblood of all the possible clans in the First Lands, Alezra became a notable scholar and explorer of ruins and sites of planar influence. Curiously, Alezra didn't age at quite the same rate as an orc otherwise would, though she was never certain as to whether this quirk was the result of her bloodline or something else (perhaps some effect unknowingly encountered during her explorations).
Role and Advancement:
Garidan is an agility-based front-line combatant, relying on maneuverability, well-timed acts of aggression and deception, and allies to deal damage most effectively in battle. Outside of battle, he offers a decent array of useful Knowledge skills to aid his party, along with the ability to scout alongside a trap-locating rogue, trigger magic items in a pinch, and even get along in the wilderness (though that last point isn't quite as useful, all things considered). Swashbuckler Bonus Feat Progression
Fighter Bonus Feat Progression
Character Bonus Feat Progression
Feat Replacements
*2 Replace Point-Blank Shot with Precise Shot, Precise Shot with (?). *3 Replace Opening Volley with (?). *4 This feat replaces the granted archetype Combat Expertise bonus feat, which is itself available for free as a campaign bonus feat. Life Essence Feats
Possibly invest in Improved Feint (Greater Feint). Also consider Signature Strike Style (Improved Called Shot). Also consider the Kirin Style chain--Improved Unarmed Strike, Kirin Style, Kirin Strike, and Kirin Path--to complement Garidan's use of the cunning weapon ability and his potential development as a light-weight scholar focusing ever more on monster killing lore. If Valjoen approves Spheres of Might for use in Talanor campaign,
Antagonize is another choice for manipulating foes. Bonded Item & Essence Enhancements:
Prospective Essence Enhancement Ideas
Rapier: Make ranged ripostes against creatures with reach. Rapier
Next is a list of magic items whose features are particularly suited to Garidan. Swashbuckler-specific Enhancements:
Answering, Confounding, Flamboyant (included Greater), Fortuitous General Enhancements:
Cunning, Dazzling Radiance, Dueling, Exhausting, Impervious, Speed, Greater Transformative (to become bow) Armor
Ioun Torch
See if Valjoen will consider allowing 'Ruza to have daily uses of her Light Shaper ability equal to her effective sorcerer level, possibly added/increased via essence. As an expansion to this, metamagic feats that 'Ruza has can be applied at the cost of daily uses for each added spell level from the feat(s). Craft Reference & Progress:
Unchained Craft Rules Spontaneous Alchemy
Talanor: Collecting Parts; Living and Dead Foraging (Note that Garidan may use the rules for foraging to locate alchemical raw materials and reagents, subject to the terrain being foraged.) Houserules for New & Existing Alchemical Items
Tanglefire Bags: Craftable item (DC 27) requiring a tanglefoot bag and a flask of alchemist's fire to create. When thrown, a tanglefire bag functions as a tangleburn bag, save that it creates a splash of fire damage on impact identical to that of a flask of alchemist's fire. Alchemy Progress Tracker:
Craft Progress: Wild-Blood
Rules Relevant to Garidan:
Undead are immune to the effects of Intimidate, and by extension the Dazzling Display and Shatter Defenses feats. See here for latest ruling. Using this version of the lore warden archetype, not the updated version. Garidan may, at Valjoen's discretion, use Charmed Life for percentile-based rolls to avoid dangerous situtations. Each point of Charisma bonus applies a -5% reduction to the percentile roll's target threshold.
|