Grommesson Blakros's page

Recently, the Cold Sisters discovered that Baroness Urszula and 13 of her councilors had been cheating Whitethrone, hiding tax revenues from Riekamesto, a small town on Glacier Lake in the Irriseni province of Thronehold. Cold Sisters viciously killed these councilors, throwing them from the top floor of the Council House. A loyal servant escaped and brought the news to Anja Blakros who was not in Riekamesto and whose mother was one of these councilors. Instead, Anja had been educating in Absalom and preparing for her debutant ball under the supervision of Hamaria Blakros.

Anja fell into a deep melancholy, not just for the death of her parents and childhood servants, but for the damage to her potential as a Blakros bride. The scandal stained the Blakros family. She began drinking and partying with her debutant peers with wild abandon. One such conquest was an enormous orc gladiator who made her legs wobble for a week. While she of course used the best magic that money could buy for contraception, something obviously overcame the magic. Anja quickened and within a month looked like she would deliver a baby. To avoid yet another scandal, she was rushed and barely arrived at a coastal estate outside Absalom when she delivered a healthy baby half-orc boy.

The plan to give the boy to an orphanage fell apart after the boy continued to grow at an alarming rate. In his first week, he was walking. In his second week, he was talking. They could literally see him grow. And, he learned at an astonishing rate, too. By his second month, he joined them at the supper table. After several months, it looked like his growth had plateaued; he looked and acted like a late teen-ager. Finally, the scandal appeared avoided until the event.

Grommesson, as he was affectionately called by his mother, was out riding with a servant when they were accosted by three highwaymen. Grommesson’s memory of the event stops when a highwayman backhanded him off his horse for attempting to protect the servant. The servant, on the other hand, remembers a giant hand grabbing the brigand, who had just dropped his pants for the first turn, and beating him into the ground. Then, she and the two brigands holding her down saw a fearsome ogre-size creature stand up and toss the dead brigand away like a doll. The two rapists stood and tried to flee. However, the beast grabbed them each by a leg and slam them too against the ground. Then, the ogre loomed over the servant with wild eyes. At this point, she is convinced that her tears broke the creature’s rage. After a minute, the monster had painfully shrunk back down into her noble riding companion, Grommesson. When the Blakros scion had regained consciousness, they mounted their horses and returned to the coastal estate.

That was three days ago, Grommesson and Anja Blakros have since been isolated and brought to Absalom. After discovering the father was the Freak Grommuk, Hamaria contacted the Pathfinder society to determine what to do.

A truncated Blakros genealogy:
Hamaria’s mother
. Hamaria
.. Michellia m. Hellknight Damien Kastner
.. Eleanir
Hamaria’s mother's younger sister
. Anja’s mother m. Bjornsson
.. Anja
… Grommesson

Weapon and Armor Proficiency Vigilantes are proficient with all simple, light armor, and shields (except tower shields). A brute isn't proficient with medium armor or martial weapons. However, he gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.

Dual Identity (Ex) A vigilante hides his true identity, allowing him to move about social circles and nobility without carrying the stigma of his ruthless actions. In effect, the vigilante has two identities: one is a polite member of society while the other is a skilled and cunning warrior. To keep up this charade, the vigilante usually has two names: his true name, used in polite company, and his vigilante name, used to strike fear in the hearts of those who oppose him. Knowledge checks about one do not reveal information about the other, unless the vigilante's true identity revealed to the world at large. The vigilante can start each day in either of his identities, referred to simply as social or vigilante. Changing from one identity to another takes 1 minute and must be done out of sight from other creatures to preserve the vigilante's secret. Changing identities is more than just changing outfits and clothing (although that is certainly a part of it); the process often also involves applying make-up, altering his hair, and adjusting other personal effects. Furthermore, the change is as much a state of mind as of body, so items such as a hat of disguise and similar spells and effects that change the user's appearance do not reduce the time required to change identities. Most social talents require the vigilante to be in his social identity, but a vigilante who uses vigilante talents in his social identity risks exposing his secret. Despite being a single person, a vigilante's dual nature allows him to have two alignments, one for each of his identities. When in an identity, he is treated as having that identity's alignment for all spells, magic items, and abilities that rely on alignment. For the purpose of meeting a qualification for a feat, class, or any ability, he is only eligible if both of his alignments meet the requirements. A vigilante's two alignments cannot be more than one step from each other on a single alignment axis. For example, a vigilante with a lawful neutral social identity could have a vigilante identity that is lawful good, lawful neutral, lawful evil, neutral, neutral good, or neutral evil. If a vigilante is the target of an effect that would change his alignment, it changes both of his alignments to the new alignment. Any attempts to scry or otherwise locate the vigilante work only if the vigilante is currently in the identity the creature is attempting to locate (or if the creature knows that the two identities are the same individual). Otherwise, the spell or effect has no effect, revealing nothing but darkness, as if the target were invalid or did not exist.

When a brute is in mortal peril, such as when combat starts, if he is in his social identity, he must succeed at a Will save (DC = 20 + 1/2 his vigilante level) or enter his vigilante identity. Entering his vigilante identity in this way is a horrifying and painful process that takes 1 full round, during which he is flatfooted, and it typically allows his enemies to see his transformation and learn his identity. The brute's vigilante identity can't always tell friend from foe.

Seamless Guise (Ex) A vigilante knows how to behave in a way that appears perfectly proper and normal for his current identity. Should anyone suspect him of being anything other than what he appears to be while either in his social or vigilante identity, he can attempt a Disguise check with a +20 circumstance bonus to appear as his current identity, and not as his other identity.

Social Talent Starting at 1st level, and every 2 levels thereafter, a vigilante gains a social talent. Unless otherwise noted, a talent can be selected only once. Some talents require the vigilante to meet other prerequisites before they can be chosen, such as having another social talent or attaining a minimum vigilante level. Once a talent has been chosen, it cannot be changed.

* Social Grace: Diplomacy & Bluff The vigilante selects any one Intelligence-, Wisdom-, or Charisma-based skill other than Perception or Use Magic Device. Whenever the vigilante is in his social identity, he receives a +4 circumstance bonus on checks with the selected skill. At 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter, he can select another skill (with the same restrictions) to gain this bonus.

* Renown (Ex): The vigilante becomes known for deeds and abilities regardless of his current identity. This renown grants him favorable treatment in civilized company and lends him an air of menace while facing down his enemies. While he is in his social identity, a vigilante can spend 1 week gaining renown among the locals of any community of no more than about 200 individuals (a village, if using settlement population ranges). This could be the entire community or a smaller neighborhood in a larger settlement. He must spend at least 4 hours each day socializing and making contacts. After spending 1 week doing this, whenever he is in his social identity, all NPCs in the community have a starting attitude toward him that is one category better, as long as each person's initial attitude would have at least been indifferent (see the Diplomacy skill description). While he gains renown in an area using his social identity, he also spreads rumors and tales about his vigilante identity. Once he has gained renown in a community, he gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks whenever he is in his vigilante identity. This bonus applies only while he is near the community in which he has gained renown; he must be within a number of miles equal to his vigilante level. A vigilante can hold renown in a limited number of communities (normally one, with other social talents allowing two). If he gains renown in a new community, he must decide which one of his previous communities to lose. These effects are subject to GM approval. For example, the GM might rule that an NPC or monster has not heard any tales about the vigilante. Or, a foe may have a starting attitude toward him that's one category worse, rather than one category better.

* Many Guises (Ex): At 5th level, the vigilante can take on any number of mundane guises. Whenever he changes his identity, he has a third option (instead of social or vigilante): he can become mundane. The mundane identity is not a specific individual. Each one is created at the moment it is assumed, and quickly forgotten as soon as it is removed. While in a mundane identity, the vigilante does not gain the benefit of either his social or vigilante identity, but instead appears as a member of his race, usually a common laborer, farmer, or peasant of any gender. His alignment is treated as neutral when he is in his mundane identity. While in this identity, he receives a +20 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks to appear like an ordinary member of his race. Spells and abilities that are looking for the vigilante in either of his other identities fail while he is in his mundane identity. He must build the appearance for this identity using whatever clothing and tools he has at his disposal. While he can use magic (such as a hat of disguise), his mundane identity can never be anything other than an ordinary member of a society or large group (subject to GM discretion). A vigilante must be at least 5th level to select this talent.

* Quick Change (Ex): At 7th level, the vigilante learns to shift between his identities with ease. Instead of needing 1 minute to change his identity, he can now do so as a full-round action. If, after a quick change, he encounters any creature familiar with both of his identities, he must attempt a Disguise check to avoid the creature seeing through his hastily donned disguise and realizing that the identities are, in fact, the same person. The vigilante can spend 1 additional round adjusting and perfecting his appearance and persona to negate the need for this check. A vigilante must be at least 7th level to select this talent.

* Feign Innocence (Ex): The vigilante’s social identity seems so innocent that it is hard to believe he was involved in wrongdoing. Within his area of renown, this provides a non-magical effect identical to the innocence spell. A vigilante must be at least 5th level and have the renown social talent to take this talent.

* Great Renown (Ex): The vigilante is known on a broader scale. He can gain renown in a single community of up to 5,000 individuals (a large town) or up to two communities of no more than 2,000 individuals each (two small towns). The bonus while he is in his social identity remains unchanged, but the circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks from his renown social talent while he is in his vigilante identity increases to +6. A vigilante must be at least 7th level and have the renown social talent to select this talent.

Vigilante Talent Starting at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, a vigilante gains a vigilante talent. Unless otherwise noted, a talent can be selected only once. Some talents require the vigilante to meet prerequisites before they can be chosen, such as possessing another vigilante talent, possessing a particular specialization, or attaining a minimum level. Once a talent has been selected, it can't be changed. If the vigilante uses any of these talents while in his social identity, he must succeed at a Disguise check against the Perception checks of all onlookers (without the +20 circumstance bonus from seamless guise) or the onlookers will realize that he is more than his social identity appears to be and perhaps discover the social and vigilante identities are one and the same. If a talent calls for a saving throw, the DC for that save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the vigilante's level + the vigilante's Charisma modifier, unless stated otherwise.

* Expose Weakness (Ex): The vigilante is able to use sneaky tricks to make it easier to damage a foe, whether it is throwing a bit of fine dust of cold iron over a fey creature or melting a glob of silver onto a lycanthrope's hide. The vigilante can add the ability to reduce a creature's damage reduction or hardness by 10 to the list of options when attempting a dirty trick combat maneuver check. This does not stack with itself, and it does not work against creatures with DR/—.

* Shield of Blades (Ex): The vigilante's wild attacks allow him to block his foes' counterattacks. He gains Power Attack as a bonus feat. If he already has the Power Attack feat, he can immediately swap it for another feat for which he qualified at the level he chose Power Attack. When he takes an attack or full attack action, if he uses Power Attack on every attack to make melee attacks that use his Strength bonus on attack rolls, he gains a shield bonus to his AC until his next turn equal to his penalty on attack rolls from Power Attack. This bonus applies only if he actually takes that penalty on at least one of the attack rolls.

* Vital Punishment (Ex): The vigilante gains Vital Strike as a bonus feat, though he does not have to meet the prerequisites for this feat. Once per round, before he makes an attack of opportunity, he can declare it to be a vital punishment. If the attack hits, the vigilante can apply the Vital Strike feat. The vigilante can apply the Improved Vital Strike or Greater Vital Strike feat as his vital punishment instead if he later gains those feats. A vigilante must be at least 6th level to select this talent.

* Total Destruction (Ex): The brute is adept at rampaging through an area, throwing whatever is available at his opponents. The brute gains Throw Anything as a bonus feat. As a standard action, while in his vigilante identity, he can throw any unattended object up to two size categories smaller than he is up to 60 feet if he is Medium and 80 feet if he is Large. This deals 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage if he is Medium or 1d8 if he is Large, and the brute adds 1-1/2 times his Strength modifier to this damage. At 8th level, he can also throw a creature up to two size categories smaller than himself, but he must succeed at a combat maneuver check against that creature’s CMD to do so. The thrown creature lands prone and takes an amount of damage equal to the damage dealt to the target of the throw (as noted above), whether the brute hits or misses.

Unshakable (Ex) Starting at 3rd level, a vigilante adds his class level to the DC of any attempts to Intimidate him.

Startling Appearance (Ex) At 5th level, a vigilante learns to use the element of surprise to his advantage, startling foes that are unaware of his presence. Whenever a vigilante with this ability attempts an attack against a foe that is completely unaware of the vigilante's presence (usually due to Stealth or invisibility), the foe is treated as flat-footed for the rest of the vigilante's turn (uncanny dodge or a similar ability prevents this effect unless the vigilante is at least 4 levels higher than the foe with uncanny dodge). The foe also takes a –4 penalty on attacks made against the vigilante until the start of the vigilante's next turn.

Frightening Appearance (Ex) At 11th level, whenever a vigilante with this ability makes an attack against a foe that is unaware of the vigilante’s presence (see startling appearance above), the vigilante can, as a free action, attempt an Intimidate check to demoralize the target of his attack and any enemies within 10 feet who can see the attack. This check is attempted before the attack roll against the foe is made and resolved. The vigilante rolls only one Intimidate check and applies the result to all the targets. If the check succeeds against the target of the vigilante’s attack, that foe is also frightened for 1 round, in addition to being shaken as normal, unless the foe succeeds at a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the vigilante’s class level + his Charisma modifier).

Once a creature has been the target of this ability (either as the target of the attack or as a nearby creature, regardless of whether or not it was successful), it is immune to that vigilante’s frightening appearance for 24 hours. This effect is in addition to the bonuses gained from the startling appearance ability. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.