Race: Dwarf
* Slow and steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
* Darkvision: Dwarves can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
* Stability: Dwarves gain a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
* Craftsman: Dwarves are known for their superior craftsmanship when it comes to metallurgy and stonework. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks related to metal or stone. This racial trait replaces greed.
* Stoic Negotiator: Some dwarves use their unwavering stubbornness to get what they want in negotiations and other business matters. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Profession (merchant) checks. This racial trait replaces defensive training, hatred, and stonecunning.
* Unstoppable: They gain Toughness as a bonus feat and a +1 racial bonus on Fortitude saves. This racial trait replaces hardy.
* Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
Favored Class Bonus
* Add ¼ to the swashbuckler’s effective class level to determine the extra damage she deals because of the precise strike deed when wielding a light pick or a heavy pick. If the swashbuckler has the Slashing Grace feat or another similar effect, she can treat the battleaxe, dwarven maulaxe, or handaxe as a one-handed piercing melee weapon, and she gains this benefit when wielding the appropriate weapon for the feat as well.
Traits:
* Fed-up citizen (Campaign): You’re good at hiding your true colors and faith to avoid attracting the wrong kind of attention. You gain a +1 bonus on Disguise checks, and Disguise is always a class skill for you. In addition, when someone uses detect good or detect law on you, your effective Hit Dice are 4 lower than their actual total when someone discerns the strength of your aura. If you are a cleric, paladin, or similar divine spellcaster, you treat yourself as if you were a standard-aligned creature rather than a divine spellcaster for these purposes. This means that until you become 9th level, you won’t radiate an aura of good or law at all when someone casts one of these detection spells. Finally, your internal convictions that you’re on the actual right of law help bolster your mindset, and you gain a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting effects.
* Ancestral Weapon (Regional): Free silver masterwork heavy pick +1 trait bonus on attack rolls with weapons made of the selected material.
* Indomitable Faith (Religion): +1 Will Saves.
* Family Ties (Drawback): When a family member makes a request of you, you must fulfill that request or take a –2 penalty on all Wisdom– and Charisma-based ability checks and skill checks until you either do what was requested or succeed at a DC 20 Will saving throw, which you can attempt once per day at the start of each day. You can’t take this drawback if you have no family. If you ever lose your family or lose contact with your family, exchange this drawback for the Doubt drawback.
The plan is to buy a mithril breastplate as soon as possible, which will work with the nimble class feature. This will alleviate the low dexterity
Noble Mercantile Fencer Swashbuckler:
The mercantile fencer is a merchant who trained in dueling from a young age.
Mercantile fencers fight with their own style, with distinct differences from those of alley bravos or gladiatorial duelists. They use their quick wits and panache in both physical and social confrontations, and they rely on their training and discipline to emerge victorious, rather than merely trusting to luck.
Panache (Ex)
* At the start of each day, a swashbuckler gains a number of panache points equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Her panache goes up or down throughout the day but usually cannot go higher than her Charisma modifier (minimum 1), though feats and magic items can affect this maximum. A swashbuckler spends panache to accomplish deeds (see below) and regains panache in the following ways.
* Critical Hit with a Light or One-Handed Piercing Melee Weapon: Each time the swashbuckler confirms a critical hit with a light or one-handed piercing melee weapon, she regains 1 panache point. Confirming a critical hit on a helpless or unaware creature or a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the swashbuckler’s character level doesn’t restore panache.
* Killing Blow with a Light or One-Handed Piercing Melee Weapon: When the swashbuckler reduces a creature to 0 or fewer hit points with a light or one-handed piercing melee weapon attack while in combat, she regains 1 panache point. Destroying an unattended object, reducing a helpless or unaware creature to 0 or fewer hit points, or reducing a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the swashbuckler’s character level to 0 or fewer hit points doesn’t restore any panache.
Deeds
* Vengeful Heart (Ex): Some swashbucklers are driven by vengeance above all else. At 1st level, the swashbuckler gains the samurai’s resolve class feature, treating her swashbuckler level as her samurai level. She can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every two levels beyond 1st. Whenever the swashbuckler spends a use of resolve, she must also spend a point of panache or a use of charmed life, or the use of resolve has no effect. This deed replaces the derring-do deed and opportune parry.
- Determined: As a standard action, she can spend one use of his resolve to remove the fatigued, shaken, or sickened condition. If the samurai is at least 8th level, he can alternatively remove the exhausted, frightened, nauseated, or staggered condition. If the condition has a duration longer than 1 hour or is permanent, this ability removes the condition for 1 hour, at which time the condition returns.
- Resolute: Whenever she is required to make a Fortitude or Will save, he can spend one use of his resolve as an immediate action to roll twice and take the better result. He must decide to use this ability before he rolls the saving throw.
- Unstoppable: When she is reduced to fewer than 0 hit points but not slain, he can spend one use of his resolve as an immediate action to instantly stabilize and remain conscious. He is staggered, but he does not fall unconscious and begin dying if he takes a standard action. He does fall unconscious if he takes additional damage from any source.
* Social Panache (Ex): At 1st level, a noble fencer can spend 1 panache point when he attempts a Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Sense Motive check to roll 1d6 and add the result to the check. He can do this after he rolls the check but before the result is revealed. If the result of the d6 roll is a natural 6, he rolls another 1d6 and adds it to the check. He can continue to do this as long as he rolls natural 6s, up to a number of times equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
Just before a verbal duel, a noble fencer can spend up to 4 panache points. For each point he spends, he selects a tactic for which he has chosen Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Sense Motive as an associated skill and gains an edge he can only use with that tactic. This deed replaces the dodging panache deed.
* Hidden Blade (Ex): At 3rd level, whenever she has at least 1 panache point, a veiled blade can hide any light or one-handed piercing melee weapon using Sleight of Hand, and she receives a +4 insight bonus on her check to hide the weapon. * Precise Strike (Ex): At 3rd level, while she has at least 1 panache point, a swashbuckler gains the ability to strike precisely with a light or one-handed piercing melee weapon (though not natural weapon attacks), adding her swashbuckler level to the damage dealt. To use this deed, a swashbuckler cannot attack with a weapon in her other hand or use a shield other than a buckler. She can even use this ability with thrown light or one-handed piercing melee weapons, so long as the target is within 30 feet of her. Any creature that is immune to sneak attacks is immune to the additional damage granted by precise strike, and any item or ability that protects a creature from critical hits also protects a creature from the additional damage of a precise strike. This additional damage is precision damage, and isn’t multiplied on a critical hit. As a swift action, a swashbuckler can spend 1 panache point to double her precise strike’s damage bonus on the next attack. This benefit must be used before the end of her turn, or it is lost. This deed’s cost cannot be reduced by any ability or effect that reduces the amount of panache points a deed costs (such as the Signature Deed feat). * Swashbuckler Initiative (Ex): At 3rd level, while the swashbuckler has at least 1 panache point, she gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks. In addition, if she has the Quick Draw feat, her hands are free and unrestrained, and she has any single light or one-handed piercing melee weapon that isn’t hidden, she can draw that weapon as part of the initiative check. * Hilt Hammer (Ex): Precise strikes with a slender blade do little to hinder amorphous or incorporeal creatures; when encountering such threats, some swashbucklers abandon precision in favor of brutish strikes. At 3rd level, the swashbuckler can activate this deed before rolling the attack roll when making an attack that would benefit from precise strike. An attack altered this way deals only half the normal damage from precise strike, but this damage is not treated as precision damage. This deed alters (but does not replace) the precise strike deed and replaces one other 3rd-level deed. * Superior Feint (Ex): At 7th level, a swashbuckler with at least 1 panache point can, as a standard action, purposefully miss a creature she could make a melee attack against with a wielded light or one-handed piercing weapon. When she does, the creature is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC until the start of the swashbuckler’s next turn. * Targeted Strike (Ex): At 7th level, as a full-round action the swashbuckler can spend 1 panache point to make an attack with a single light or one-handed piercing melee weapon that cripples part of a foe’s body. The swashbuckler chooses a part of the body to target. If the attack succeeds, in addition to the attack’s normal damage, the target suffers one of the following effects based on the part of the body targeted. If a creature doesn’t have one of the listed body locations, that body part cannot be targeted. Creatures that are immune to sneak attacks are also immune to targeted strikes. Items or abilities that protect a creature from critical hits also protect a creature from targeted strikes.
- Arms: The target takes no damage from the attack, but it drops one carried item of the swashbuckler’s choice, even if the item is wielded with two hands. Items held in a locked gauntlet cannot be chosen.
- Head: The target is confused for 1 round. This is a mind-affecting effect.
- Legs: The target is knocked prone. Creatures with four or more legs or that are immune to trip attacks are immune to this effect.
Torso or Wings: The target is staggered for 1 round. * Incredible Aspirations (Ex): At 7th level, a noble fencer strives for truly amazing results when he uses his derring-do and social panache deeds. As long as he has 1 panache point, the first time he rolls a natural 5 on the 1d6 for those deeds, he can roll another 1d6, subject to the other limitations of the respective deeds. He can still reroll as many rolls of 6 as normal. This deed replaces the superior feint deed. * Bleeding Wound (Ex): At 11th level, when the swashbuckler hits a living creature with a light or one-handed piercing melee weapon attack, as a free action she can spend 1 panache point to have that attack deal additional bleed damage. The amount of bleed damage dealt is equal to the swashbuckler’s Dexterity modifier (minimum 1). Alternatively, the swashbuckler can spend 2 panache points to deal 1 point of Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution bleed damage instead (swashbuckler’s choice). Creatures that are immune to sneak attacks are also immune to these types of bleed damage. * Evasive (Ex): At 11th level, while a swashbuckler has at least 1 panache point, she gains the benefits of the evasion, uncanny dodge, and improved uncanny dodge rogue class features. She uses her swashbuckler level as her rogue level for improved uncanny dodge. * Unshakable Presence (Ex): At 11th level, a noble fencer cloaks himself in the combined bravado of a swashbuckler and a noble, girding himself against anything that attempts to shake his impossible confidence. While he has at least 1 panache point, he cannot be demoralized by the Intimidate skill. This deed replaces the subtle blade deed.
Aristocratic [/b] Mercantilistic Discipline (Ex)[/b]
* At 2nd level, a mercantile fencer relies on his extremely honed training and discipline to protect his mind, rather than luck. The noble fencer gains a +1 bonus on Will saves against mind-affecting effects. This bonus increases by 1 at 6th level and every 4 swashbuckler levels thereafter. This ability replaces charmed life.
Nimble (Ex) * At 3rd level, a swashbuckler gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC while wearing light or no armor. Anything that causes the swashbuckler to lose her Dexterity bonus to AC also causes her to lose this dodge bonus. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels beyond 3rd (to a maximum of +5 at 19th level).
Swashbuckler Weapon Training (Ex) * At 5th level, a swashbuckler gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with one-handed or light piercing melee weapons. While wielding such a weapon, she gains the benefit of the Improved Critical feat. These attack and damage bonuses increase by 1 for every 4 levels beyond 5th level (to a maximum of +4 at 17th level).
Background and Contacts:
Background
Once, Ghorza owned her own smithy in Old Kintargo. She had moved to the city, knowing that her skills as a smith were more than satisfactory by human standards, but did not truly stand out among her people. Rather than scraping by, surrounded by unwinnable competition, she sought richer mines by opening shop in Kintargo.
Her shop, 'Mountain's Edge', was one building among the many mix of industries, warehouses and shop. There, she was a competitor to Vespam Artisans and Olmer's Smithy. Unable to compete with Olmer's skills as a smith, or the sheer variety that could be found at Vespam's, she instead specialized in the crafting of weapons. Swords, bows, and her specialty, axes; she got by as a specialty store. In this, it was an unspoken truth between her and Olmer that he was the better smith, and that her business mostly came from those who wanted quality dwarven made craft but who didn't want to deal with Olmert's surliness. While she never admitted this, she saw him as someone to measure herself to, and was determined to not only reach his level, but to surpass him. Of course, she never said this to him, nor did he acknowledge it. But she believed that he knew, and that under his gruffness he enjoyed the competition and having a younger dwarf striving to match him. As the years went by, all of the other smithies in Old Kintargo had moved away, going to either Jarvis End or Yolubilis Harbor. But Ghorza was too stubborn to move, especially as Olmer refused to budge and she was unwilling to break when he wasn't.
Her fortune turned when there was an opportunity to earn a contract supplying the Kintargo Dottari. Sadly, for her, it was not for the better. Believing in their reputation as being somewhat lax with the city laws, she thought that the Dottari were loose with enforcing the city's laws. What she hadn't taken into consideration was Lord-Mayor Barzillai Thrune and his effect on the guards. For when negotiating the contract, it was discovered that inside her workshop was a subtle shrine to Torag, the head of the dwarven pantheon and the deity of artisans.
What followed was nothing short of a calamity. Not only was the contract lost, but fines upon fines were levied upon her. After a stint in prison for the worship of an outlawed deity, she returned to her shop to find that while imprisoned she had missed the deadline to appear in court for various laws and rules from which violations had been found. By the time she had finished navigating Kintargo's legal system, the only way to satisfy the many, many debts that had accrued during her prison sentence was for the city to confiscate her shop, her house, and nearly all of her possessions. In short, she was left homeless and destitute. All that she still had to her name was the clothes on her back, whatever tools she could carry, and her grandfather's axe.
Filled with seething anger for how Thrune had so unjustly ripped everything she had worked and strived for away, she decided to join the protests that were gathering against his regime. Arriving at the Aria Park protest, she was determined to make her voice be heard.
Contacts
* Olmert: Her competitor in business, and a smith that she looks up to in the hope of overtaking him in her craft.
* Family:
Thurin Forgeheart Grandfather
- Ghorza moved to Kintargo, leaving her Clan behind. Her mother passed away when she was young, and her father died in a cave-in after she had already set up shop in Kintargo. She returned for the funeral, and thereafter returned to Kintargo with Thurin, her grandfather. He is an ancient dwarf, whose eyesight is failing him. He is a traditionalist through-and-through, who believes in the old-ways. Honor, faith and duty matter to him. He is extremely proud of Ghorza's success in opening her shop. When the shop was opened and her goods met his approval, he gifted her a family heirloom, a heavy mining pick made out of silver. The pick had been made by Thurin's grandfather from a vein of silver which brought wealth and status to their clan. The pick was not the best tool for actual use, as it was unsuitable for actual mining, but it had been passed down from generation to generation. It had belonged to her father, but when he passed away Thurin took it back. To Ghorza, it is her most prized possession, and to her using it is a point of stubborn pride. To Ghorza's great shame, her grandfather now lives with Brundrika, given that Ghorza has lost her shop and her house.
- Back in his youth he was a warrior of some renown. When he has enough ale in him, he will not stop in regaling anyone who will listen with old war stories, which tend to be mostly true. Given that he is almost completely blind and has osteoarthritis (joint pain and stiffness), his days of actually wielding an axe are long, long gone. Unfortunately, if he has had far too much ale, he might forget this.
- He is currently writing a memoir about his life, which he is convinced will be a best seller. He has been working on it for over a decade and believes that it will be finished "soon." He is so obsessed with this work, that he is oblivious to the great upheavals happening in the city.
Brundrika Forgeheart
- Ghorza did not choose Kintargo at random. Her aunt, Brundrika, had long-ago set up shop as a merchant in Kintargo. Her business is moving goods from Highhelm to Kintargo and vice-versa, buying low and selling high. When Ghorza opened her smithy, it was with a loan from her aunt. While the loan has long since been paid off, Ghorza still feels that she is in debt to Brundrika. For she not only ensured that Ghorza had enough capital to get on her feet (even when doing so directly cut into her own profits as some of her imports were dwarven made weapons from Highhelm), but she has also acted as the closest thing to a mother that Ghorza has ever had. She is very protective of her. Brundrika's husband, Oldrec, runs their shop back in Highhelm. The two married, not out of love, but due to clan politics. They are friendly enough with each other and only meet a few times a year. It is an open secret that both have their own relationships in the cities they live in.
- Stoic Negotiator and Iron Citizen racial abilities (+4 diplomacy, +2 bluff, +2 sense motive, +2 profession merchant)
- Student of Philosophy Trait and Empiricist Investigator class (taken together Intelligence for all social skills instead of charisma)
- Breadth of Experience Feat (she has seen it all as a merchant)
- Incredibly intelligent dwarf. Outwardly gregarious and friendly, which is a front for a very analytical mind. She runs a tight business operation, where every coin is counted, and every contract is read closely enough to make a devil blush.
- She is keeping her head down with the new Thrune rulership, knowing full well how dangerous the times are. However, she also knows that times of upheaval are also ones where the greatest profit can be made...
- 20pt buy: Str (13) Dex (8) Con (14) Int (17) Wis (14) Cha (10)
Helga Forgeheart
- Brundrika's daughter, and heir to her mercantile business. A very young dwarf who has grown up exclusively in Kintargo. To her mother's delight and exasperation, the young dwarf is obsessed with the Kintargo music scene, and is *very* clear that one day she will sing on stage. Brundrika hopes that the girl will grow out of the obsession someday.
- She detests the curfew put in place, because how can she catch a glimpse of her favorite divas if she has to stay at home?
Notes for GM:
Weapon:
Lvls 1-2: Fights with silver heavy pick 2-handed
Lvls 3+ Gets a buckler and fights with pick and shield. Due to precision there is no change in damage at lvl 3.
Armor:
She starts off wearing her lamellar armor. Money will be saved up to buy a mithril breastplate as a must-have purchase, as it will count as light armor for nimble. The extra max dex will never be used.
Panache:
Has 1 point of panache at lvl1, and 3 points at lvl3. As Cha is so low it will likely not increase. The panache is mostly there for use with vengeful heart, or to be used when desperately needed for a social check.
What kind of strange swashbuckler is this?
Just that, a very strange one. Strength based, low-CHA, a breastplate and a heavy pick? She’s a dwarf through and through.
