Henrika Karthis's page

Bonus Feat
Humans select one extra feat at 1st level.

Imposter-Wary
Humans trained to spot fey masquerading as their kin gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusion spells and effects, 1 free rank in Sense Motive at 1st level, and 1 additional rank in Sense Motive whenever they gain a level. This racial trait replaces skilled.

The Mesmerist's class skills are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Class Skills: A vexing daredevil adds Acrobatics (Dex) to her list of class skills. This alters the mesmerist’s class skills.

Skill Points at each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A mesmerist is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, sap, sword cane, and whip. He is proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Spells: A mesmerist casts psychic spells drawn from the mesmerist spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a mesmerist must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell’s level. The saving throw DC against a mesmerist’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the mesmerist’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a mesmerist can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1–4: Mesmerist on page 39. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score (see Table 1–3 on page 17 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook).

The mesmerist’s selection of spells is limited. A mesmerist begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of the mesmerist’s choice. At each new mesmerist level, he learns one or more new spells, as indicated on Table 1–5: Mesmerist Spells Known. Unlike a mesmerist’s spells per day, the number of spells a mesmerist knows isn’t affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table 1–5 are fixed.

At 5th level and every 3 levels thereafter, a mesmerist can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the mesmerist loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least 1 level lower than the highest-level mesmerist spell the mesmerist can cast. A mesmerist can swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

A mesmerist need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any mesmerist spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level.

Consummate Liar: A mesmerist adds 1/2 his mesmerist level (minimum 1) as a bonus on all Bluff checks. In addition, the mesmerist qualifies for the Improved Feint and Greater Feint feats, even if he doesn’t have Combat Expertise or an Intelligence score of at least 13. He can also ignore Combat Expertise and an Intelligence score of 13 as prerequisites for other feats that require Improved Feint or Greater Feint.

Hypnotic Stare (Su): A mesmerist can focus his stare on one creature within 30 feet as a swift action. That creature takes a –2 penalty on Will saving throws. This penalty changes to –3 at 8th level. A mesmerist can maintain his stare against only one opponent at a time; it remains in effect until the mesmerist stares at a new target, the opponent dies, the opponent moves farther than 30 feet away, or the mesmerist falls unconscious or dies. The mesmerist can remove the memory of his stare from the target’s mind; the creature doesn’t remember that it was affected (nor does it realize that it is currently being affected) unless the mesmerist allows it. The hypnotic stare is a psychic effect, and relies more on the mesmerist’s focus than the target’s perception of his stare. It can’t be avoided in the same ways a gaze attack can. The mesmerist can use this ability even while blinded, but must succeed at a DC 20 concentration check to do so. Staring at a creature requires the mesmerist’s focus, so if he uses a gaze attack or similar ability, he must target the subject of his hypnotic stare or voluntarily end the stare. The penalties from multiple mesmerists’ stares don’t stack, nor do they stack with penalties from witches’ evil eye hexes. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Knacks: Mesmerists learn a number of knacks, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table 1–5. These spells are cast like any other spells, but they do not consume any slots and can be used again. Knacks cast using other spell slots, due to metamagic feats, for example, consume spell slots as normal.

Mesmerist Tricks (Su): A mesmerist can create hypnotic bonds with his allies, implanting magical suggestions in their minds that he can later activate. Each day, he can implant a number of these tricks equal to 1/2 his mesmerist level (minimum 1) plus his Charisma bonus (if any). He can have only one trick implanted at a given time, and implanting a new trick ends the previous one (the mesmerist still loses the use of this ability he spent on the previous trick).

To implant a trick, the mesmerist must take a standard action and either touch a willing creature or implant the trick in himself. A creature can be the subject of only one mesmerist trick at a time. The mesmerist can activate the trick as a free action when a triggering condition is met (as defined in the trick’s description), even if it isn’t his turn. The subject must be within medium range (100 feet + 10 feet per level) for the mesmerist to trigger the trick. The mesmerist monitors for the trick’s triggering condition through a subtle telepathic connection, so he doesn’t need line of sight to trigger it—but anything that blocks telepathic contact prevents him from triggering tricks. An implanted trick lasts until the next time the mesmerist regains his spells.

Once triggered, a trick is no longer implanted, and can’t be triggered again until the mesmerist implants the trick again. The duration of the effect caused by triggering a trick is either instantaneous or appears in the trick’s entry. The DC for any mesmerist trick or masterful trick that requires a saving throw or skill check is 10 + 1/2 the mesmerist’s level + the mesmerist’s Charisma modifier.

The mesmerist knows one trick at 1st level, and learns another trick at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter (to a maximum of 11 tricks at 20th level). Each daily use of mesmerist tricks can be used to implant any trick the mesmerist knows. Unless specifically noted in the mesmerist trick’s description, a mesmerist can’t choose a particular trick more than once.

Mask Misery (Occult Adventures pg. 41): The subject can shrug off a condition for a short time before succumbing to it. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject becomes affected by a minor condition listed under the touch treatment ability (fascinated, shaken). The subject can ignore the effect of that condition for 1d4 rounds, after which the subject takes the full effect. This has no effect on any conditions affecting the subject other than the triggering condition, even if those other effects are also listed under touch treatment. The rounds during which the subject ignores the triggering effect still count against that effect’s duration; if the duration of mask misery is longer than the effect lasts, the subject isn’t affected by the condition at all. If an effect that imposes more than one condition triggers this trick, the subject ignores all eligible conditions. If the mesmerist is 6th level or higher, he adds the moderate conditions (confused, dazed, frightened, sickened) to the conditions he can ignore with this trick, and this trick ends minor conditions entirely instead of suppressing them temporarily. The mesmerist doesn’t need to have touch treatment to choose or use this trick.

Mesmeric Mirror (Occult Adventures pg. 41): An illusory image appears near the subject to throw off attackers. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject is attacked or becomes the target of a spell that requires an attack roll. One duplicate of the subject appears, and the attacker must determine randomly which it hits (as mirror image). For every 5 class levels the mesmerist possesses, one additional image appears, to a maximum of five images at 20th level. Each image lasts for 1 minute per mesmerist level or until destroyed. This is an illusion (figment) effect.

Shadow Splinter (Occult Adventures pg. 42): The mesmerist protects the subject against an attack and redirects the harm to someone else. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject takes damage from an attack. The damage the subject takes is reduced by an amount equal to 3 + the mesmerist’s Charisma modifier (to a maximum of the total amount of damage the attack deals). Another creature within range of the original attack, other than the attacker, is affected by a shadow illusion that makes it appear as if the attacker is attacking that creature instead of the attacker’s actual target. This second creature takes an amount of damage equal to the amount by which the attack’s damage was reduced. This shadow doesn’t require a roll to hit and ignores cover and concealment, but the target can attempt a Will save to disbelieve the effect. If it succeeds at this save, it neither takes the damage nor believes the attacker targeted it. This trick can’t be triggered if there’s no eligible second creature within range to take the redirected damage. This is an illusion (shadow) effect.

Martial Weapon Proficiency (Ex): At 1st level, a vexing daredevil picks one martial weapon and becomes proficient in its use. This ability replaces the 1st-level mesmerist trick.

Painful Stare (Su): When an attack that deals damage hits the target of a mesmerist’s hypnotic stare, the mesmerist can cause the target to take an amount of additional damage equal to 1/2 the mesmerist’s class level (minimum 1). The mesmerist can use this ability as a free action, and can use it even if it isn’t his turn. If the mesmerist uses this ability to increase his own damage, the additional damage increases by 1d6 points for every 3 class levels the mesmerist possesses. This damage is precision damage and is not multiplied on a critical hit. A mesmerist can trigger this ability only once per round, but a single creature can take damage from multiple mesmerists’ painful stares in a round.

Towering Ego (Su): At 2nd level, a mesmerist gains a bonus equal to his Charisma bonus (minimum 0) on Will saving throws. If the mesmerist is under any effect that would prevent him from providing the emotional component of psychic spells (see page 144), he loses this bonus on saving throws.

Bonus Feats: A vexing daredevil gains Improved Feint as a bonus feat at 3rd level, Greater Feint as a bonus feat at 6th level, and Greater Mesmerizing Feint* as a bonus feat at 10th level. She doesn’t need to meet the prerequisites for these feats. At 14th level, she gains a bonus stare feat; she must meet the prerequisites of that feat. These bonus feats replace touch treatment.

Dazzling Feint (Su): At 3rd level, each time a vexing daredevil successfully feints against a creature under the effect of her hypnotic stare, she also chooses one of her dazzling feint benefits to activate. Unless otherwise stated, a dazzling feint’s benefit applies only on the vexing daredevil’s next attack this round. She selects one dazzling feint at 3rd level and another every 4 levels thereafter. The DC for any saving throw against a dazzling feint’s effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 the vexing daredevil’s class level + her Charisma modifier. The vexing daredevil can’t choose the same dazzling feint more than once.

This ability replaces bold stare.

Piercing Strike: By psychically amplifying the target’s pain, the vexing daredevil causes more damage. If she hits with her next attack and deals damage with her painful stare, she increases the damage dice from d6s to d8s.

Manifold Tricks (Su): At 5th level, the mesmerist can have two tricks implanted at a time. The number of concurrent tricks increases by one for every 4 mesmerist levels he possesses beyond 5th. Each creature can still be the subject of only one trick at a time. If the mesmerist implants a new trick while he already has his maximum number of concurrent tricks implanted, he must choose one implanted trick to dismiss without triggering (the dismissed trick still expends a daily use of the mesmerist’s tricks).

Mental Potency (Ex): At 5th level, the mesmerist can affect more powerful creatures or a greater number of creatures than normal with his mental effects. Both the HD limit and the total number of HD affected with each enchantment or illusion spell he casts increase by 1. For enchantment and illusion spells he casts that target a number of creatures greater than one, the number of creatures affected also increases by one (so a spell that targets one creature per level would be affected, but a spell that targets only one creature would not be). For example, a 5thlevel mesmerist could affect 5 HD worth of creatures with sleep, affect 2d4+1 HD worth of creatures with hypnotism, and change the categories for color spray to “3 HD or fewer,” “4 or 5 HD,” and “6 or more HD.” The number of additional HD or creatures increases by an additional 1 for every 5 levels beyond 5th, to a maximum increase of 4 at 20th level.

Lady Henrika was born into a prestigious noble family-- Senator Karthis is her cousin twice removed-- but before her eleventh birthday her father Henri died in somewhat mysterious circumstances, leaving her and her sickly mother to go to live with her uncle, Thomás Karthis. She soon grew to detest her guardian, especially his insistence that she must remain at his estate in the care of her mother. He even refused to allow her to train to fight, calling it "unseemly" and "unworthy" of a woman to take up arms.

Instead, she sneaked away and sought out a man named "Falchion Jack" who had for a time served as her father's master-at-arms. Falchion is an old and fat half-orc fighter and scoundrel, and since her father's death he has lost all respect for the Imperium. Now mostly a drunken dissolute, he lives at a seedy tavern called the Lion's Head with a group of rogues and knaves that share his outlook. Among them are such characters as Master Hasty (a disgraced wizard), Young Blunderbuss (a cowardly gunslinger), Barntólf The Fourth (a sneak-thief), and Eduardo Simeio (a faerie in disguise).

Falchion has always held a fondness for Lady Henrika-- or as he calls her, "Dame Ren"-- and he gladly and gleefully hid her from the guards her uncle sent to look for her whenever she came to visit as a child. Growing up, she spent every available hour with Falchion and his crew, jesting and sparring with them, and she has come to think of the company as her "true" family, with Falchion as her adopted father.

Over the years, Lady Henrika has discovered that she has a powerful influence on the hearts and minds of others. This is her birthright as a Karthis, some say, or possibly attribute it to her mother's influence, as it was whispered that she had strange mind powers when she was younger. Lady Henrika's gaze is mesmerizing, and when dueling or carousing she can distract her enemies with merely a thought. When roused, her temper transforms her into a terrifying martial force, worthy of her family name.

Her friends at the Lion's Head tavern often make great sport of her conflicted loyalties, for she is sometimes an outspoken rebel like them and sometimes acts as a noble observer of the Taldane aristocracy; they mockingly call her "Lady Karth-Ice" when she is cold and implacable, and "Dame Hotspur" when her temper flares up. Recently she helped them all play a joke upon a merchant of Falchion's acquaintance, first making him think he had been robbed by their friends, and then robbing their friends to return the goods to the merchant, so no harm was done. What a grand celebration they had once the plot was revealed!

Now that she has come of age, Henrika still has responsibilities to her noble family, much as she dislikes them. She has technically inherited her father's estate, though her uncle continues to manage it through his steward, claiming that she is too irresponsible to be trusted with it alone. Her mother remains in bed most of her days. Thus, when Lady Henrika received an invitation from Lady Martella Lotheed to attend the celebration of the Grand Day of Exultation, she leapt at the chance. It would be an opportunity to rub elbows with the Opparan hoi polloi on her own terms, and she is sure she will feel just like the proverbial princess at the procession.

Lady Henrika is unusual among the aristocracy because while she comes from a very prestigious noble house-- well-respected in the Senate and among the military-- because of her uncle's machinations she has decided to throw her lot in with a group of rogues and dissidents. She cares about Taldor, but she has lost faith in anyone's ability to do things "the right way." She hasn't yet descended into actual criminal behavior, but she's teetering.

Lady Henrika favors well-made gowns with a good range of movement, or else dark adventurer's garb and a mask. Her dark hair is typically brushed forward to cover her noble's point, and appears to be dyed with red streaks to make it shine more brightly. She likes to wear dark makeup to emphasize her eyes. Her voice is breathy and low, and though she utilizes lower-class slang she generally doesn't try to hide her aristocratic dialect. She usually carries a weapon openly at her hip, and when appropriate she dresses in leather lamellar that has been painted to match her hair. Her figure is quite striking, in more ways than one!

She is a bit reckless and incredibly proud-- she is easily offended and does not back down when she is delivered an insult. She can be somewhat haughty, especially around those she considers her inferiors. Even her good friends Master Hasty and Blunderbuss tread lightly around her when she begins to show signs of annoyance. Fortunately for them she is quickly mollified by (apparently) sincere apologies. She nurses deep resentments for her uncle on behalf of her father, mother, and herself, and she tries to keep her eyes on the bigger picture.

Henrika wants to oust her horrid uncle and return to her estates as the rightful heir. She also wants to reward her friends who have stood beside her all this time, especially Falchion Jack. She cannot do this as long as the sexist traditions of the Imperium continue, and so she will find herself backing Princess Eutropia's battle for the throne completely.

I'll keep her a mesmerist for her entire career. Her planned feats will be Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), Furious Focus, Intense Pain, Vital Strike, and Cornugon Smash. She also gets Improved Feint, Greater Feint, and Greater Mesmerizing Feint from her class levels.

As a player, I am enjoying the somewhat blatant rip-off of Henry IV, and I envision continuing the back-story beneath the events of the campaign. For example, I imagine early on in the story that Henrika's uncle will have poor old John Falchion arrested and imprisoned on outstanding warrants for theft (he will claim he only stole a loaf of bread and a bottle of sack). He will beg her to help break him out, but that is a step too far for her to go. She will have to prevent his escape in the interests of justice. "But Dame Ren," he will plead, "you can't hang your dear old Jack! You wouldn't do that to me, would you?" "No," she will say sadly, "You will."

Henrika is designed to play like a martial character, or at least like a STR-focused rogue. To that end, she's pretty stingy with her limited spells. They are buffs for the most part. Likewise her mesmerist tricks are mostly self-preserving-- if she has one on herself she will activate it when triggered. With Reflexive Trick she can implant and activate a trick as an immediate action for protection.

Most of her damage will come from hypnotic stare/painful stare, so her attack pattern will tend to be: Move (move), Hypnotic Stare (swift), Power Attack (standard), add painful stare damage on a hit. Later on she'll add feinting and demoralizing to her routine when she has a free action. But for the most part she should be very easy to bot if that should ever become necessary.

I'm 50, I live in California, and I've been playing Pathfinder here on the boards and elsewhere for more than 10 years now. Before that I played a lot of White Wolf and older D&D, and I was particularly devoted to a game called Ars Magica (for which I authored a great many supplements in the early 2000s). In my spare time I perform in local community theatre.

boots of striding and springing (5,500 gp)
bracelet of bargaining (14,500 gp)
celestial armor (22,400 gp)
circlet of persuasion (4,500 gp)
dueling (14,000 gp)
lesser rod of metamagic, quicken (35,000 gp)
mask of the mesmerist (25,000 gp)
quick runner's shirt (1,000 gp)
ring of the sophisticate (11,000 gp)