Mule of course wasn't his real name, but he had been called it now so long that he wasn't even sure if would respond to his birth name anymore. Sure it had been an insult to start with, dumb as a mule, but he felt it fitted him, strong as a mule too and stubborn too, and mules weren't that dumb really. Maybe even as lucky as a mule, although he wasn't sure if mules were especially lucky animals. He was lucky though, even here in the city where no one understood the value of the water he sold; he was never short of coin, people would seek him out in the markets and pay him to do things for them.
Mule's early life had been happy enough, but he always felt that there was more for him. His parents were smart and kind, even though he as good as the other kids at his lessons, his parents made sure he knew the important lessons. The most important lesson was to always, always respect Helios, who was a vengeful god, particularly if you forgot to take your water with you. As a child he helped to fetch water from the oasis with his parents, he was good at this, unlike most other things he put his head to. Being ambitious even at a young age he started to sell his services to other families. Even as a child he was strong but this work made him every stronger and wasn’t long until he was carrying more water up from the oasis than the desert herders needed, and while they valued his work they had little coin to pay, he knew that if he was ever to own his own herb of camels he would need to find a larger richer group of people to sell his water to.
Setting out to seek his fortune he found that outside world was crazy, most didn’t want his water and even occasional quite openly ridiculed his worship of Helios. He was always lucky however and never was present when Helios got his revenge. Mule’s travel took him many places, he spent a few years bringing water and other supplies up to the monastery of the two winds. The monks were nice and valued what he did, it was them that had given him his two donkeys so he could carry more up the mountain and they had tried to teach him some of their ways. He couldn’t really get his head around it, they seemed to venerate the wind rather than the sun, and any idiot knew the Helios had made the winds. In the end he was too ambitious; the monk didn’t have coin to pay much for his water so he moved on.
As the monks would say the winds blow him to Gate Pass. He liked it there; it was city where you could make your fortune if you were lucky or savvy enough. The people here were certainly stupid, maybe even as stupid as him. Almost none of them wanted his water, but they need pay very well for little errands.
Appearance:
Once you get passed the fact that he is has a barrel strapped to his back there are many things to be noted about Mule, however most people don't get past the barrel. From the way he walks the barrel is obviously very heavy and consequently he must be very strong and just a little odd. Mule himself wears long flowing robes of a light material and his skin is darkly tanned olive suggesting a hard life outside in the sun. He carries no weapons and little himself however, the two donkeys that he leads around the markets are loaded down with stuff. The first with two more barrels like the one he carries and the second with large amounts of miscellaneous equipment. None of the equipment is expensive but it looks out of place on a city street instead looking like it should belong to an explorer or gold miner.
Goals and motivations:
Get rich, very rich, buy his own heard of camels so he can carry even more water and become even richer.
Mule
Male Suli Bard 1
Lawful Good Medium Humanoid/Human and Outsider/Native
Init +2
• Defence
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +3 Studded leather)
HP 11 (8 + 2 Con + 1 Favoured class)
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1 (Resistance 5 vs Fire, Ice, Acid and Electricity)
CMD 15
• Offence
Spd 30 ft.
Melee
Unarmed +3 (1D3+3 20x2)
Ranged
none
• Racial Traits +2 Strength, +2 Charisma, –2 Intelligence: Sulis are brawny and charming, but slow-witted.
Medium: Sulis are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Sulis have a base speed of 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: Sulis can see twice as far as humans in dim light.
Negotiator: Sulis are keen negotiators, and gain a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks.
Elemental Assault (Su): Once per day as a swift action, a suli can shroud her arms in acid, cold, electricity, or fire. This lasts for one round per level, and can be dismissed as a free action. Unarmed strikes with her arms or hands (or attacks with weapons held in those hands) deal +1d6 points of damage of the appropriate energy type.
Energy Resistance 5: Sulis have resistance to acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, and fire 5.
Mostly Human: A few sulis have appearances much closer to those of their human ancestors; in fact, they may not even realize their true race. Such geniekin appear to be human, save perhaps minor features like unusual eye color, and they count as humanoid (human) as well as outsider (native) for all purposes (such as humanoid-affecting spells such as charm person or enlarge person). These geniekin do not automatically gain their associated elemental language (but may select it as a bonus language if their Intelligence is high enough). This ability alters the geniekin's type, subtype, and languages.
• Special abilities Bardic Knowledge (Ex): A bard adds half his class level (minimum 1) on all Knowledge skill checks and may make all Knowledge skill checks untrained.
Bardic Performance: 7 rds/dayA bard is trained to use the Perform skill to create magical effects on those around him, including himself if desired. He can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Charisma modifier. At each level after 1st a bard can use bardic performance for 2 additional rounds per day. Each round, the bard can produce any one of the types of bardic performance that he has mastered, as indicated by his level.
Starting a bardic performance is a standard action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. Changing a bardic performance from one effect to another requires the bard to stop the previous
performance and start a new one as a standard action. A bardic performance cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the bard is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round. A bard cannot have more than one bardic performance in effect at one time.
At 7th level, a bard can start a bardic performance as a move action instead of a standard action. At 13th level, a bard can start a bardic performance as a swift action.
Each bardic performance has audible components, visual components, or both. If a bardic performance has audible components, the targets must be able to hear the bard for the performance to have any effect, and such performances are language dependent. A deaf bard has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use a bardic performance with an audible
component. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Deaf creatures are immune to bardic performances with audible components. If a bardic performance has a visual component,
the targets must have line of sight to the bard for the performance to have any effect. A blind bard has a 50% chance to fail when attempting to use a bardic performance with a visual component. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Blind creatures are immune to bardic performances with visual components.
Performance: Distraction (Su) At 1st level, a bard can use his performance to counter magic effects that depend on sight. Each round of the distraction, he makes a Perform (act, comedy, dance, or oratory) skill check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard himself ) that is affected by an illusion (pattern) or illusion (figment) magical attack may use the bard’s Perform check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform skill check proves to be higher. If a creature within range of the distraction is already under the effect of a noninstantaneous illusion (pattern) or illusion (figment) magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it sees the distraction, but it must use the bard’s Perform skill check result for the save. Distraction does not work on effects that don’t allow saves. Distraction relies on visual components.
Performance: Fascinate (Su)At 1st level, a bard can use his performance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and capable of paying attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creatures affected. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents this ability from working. For every three levels the bard has attained beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with this ability.
Each creature within range receives a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the bard’s level + the bard’s Cha modifier) to negate the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and observes the performance for as long as the bard continues to maintain it. While fascinated, a target takes a –4 penalty on all skill checks made as reactions, such as Perception checks. Any potential threat to the target allows the target to make a new saving throw against the effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect.
Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mindaffecting ability. Fascinate relies on audible and visual components in order to function.
Performance: Inspire Courage (Su)A 1st-level bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself ), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard’s performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 5th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +4 at 17th level. Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability. Inspire courage can use audible or visual components. The bard must choose which component to use when starting his performance.
Performance: Fire Dance (Su) At 1st level, a fire dancer learns to protect himself and others from the pain of fire, and discovers how to control the flame while enduring its heat. Each round of the fire dance, he rolls a Perform (dance or sing) check. Any ally within 30 feet of the bard that has caught on fire or is affected by a fire effect or extreme heat can use the bard's Perform check result in place of its saving throw result against that fire. Any ally within 30 feet of the bard who is suffering from heatstroke can ignore the fatigue from heat exposure so long as the bard maintains this performance. Fire dance relies on audible or visual components. This ability replaces countersong.
Bard spell casting
Cantrips unlimited/day (DC 14) Known (4): Detect magic, Light, Mending, Message, Prestidigitation, Read Magic
Prepared:
First level spells 2/day (DC 14) Known (2): Charm Person, Chords of shards, Cure light wounds, Saving Finale[/spoiler]
• Equipment Worn/Carried by Hisham
Travelers outfit free
Studded leather 25g
Barrel 2g (Containing water)
Belt pouch 1g
-Containing: 14.5g
