"That sounds wonderful! I'll certainly hold you to it." Ellie said with a big cheesy smile on her face--as if you could definitely tell that she was pleased with what the dwarf had to say.
"Привет! Я тоже знаю Гномов! Это действительно аккуратный!"
Dwarven:
Hey! I know Dwarven too! This is really neat!
Isabelle finished up her food very shortly thereafter. Seeing as that was taking up most of her focus, she began to notice that the people around her were starting to take note of a new girl in the establishment.
Weird Isabelle thought I don't even remember seeing her come through that door...
Nonetheless, Isabelle stood and put on a great big smile before walking over to this Corynne lady. She reached out her hand for a handshake.
"Hi! My name is Isabelle but you can call me Ellie if you want. I'm in the RHC too!"
Baha. Charlie's angels! To be fair, Ellie's highest stat is intelligence. Followed closely by charisma. So she could be the nerdy angel. That's a role, right?
To be fair, Isabelle's ability to to evaluate an action as "excessive" is probably lacking. She's definitely an 'in for a penny, in for a pound' kind of person.
Friday is going to be the beginning of something beautiful for several of us it seems. XD
Isabelle grinned a big-dumb grin at Alice and nodded her head.
"You flatter me! I hope to be as big of a help as I think I can be."
She nodded, indicating the flag of Risur displayed across her travel pack.
"We never know who'll need our help! What better way than to help each other?"
At the dwarf's words, Isabelle laughed out loud.
"To tell you the truth, Az, I've always admired dwarves. They're so industrious and they get so much longer to work on their gadgets!"
After a moment to catch up with herself, she continued, "I appreciate the compliment, good sir! I've always been curious about guns but I've never really taken the time to look at one in detail."
She began eyeing his gun with extreme curiosity before shaking her head slightly and taking a drink of her ale.
I said I probably wasn't going to adjust anything but I should have known better. I added a Casting Tradition drawback (I added Focus Casting in the form of a belt) and I changed one of my Mind talents (from Read Mind to Command). Just so you aren't surprised later, sir DM.
I'm also working on explaining all of Izzy's abilities/feats/etc with context to her and her story. I think it's coming along nicely.
Here's my official submission. I don't think I'll be editing it anymore (sometimes I like to add a section for the flavor behind all abilities so I might do that but otherwise...)
Party Role Total Support--Buff and control primarily.
Alignment: I'll be happy to rough up the lines between the alignments. Mechanically, however, Isabelle is Neutral Good (wants to do what's right and is willing to bend the rules to do it).
Quick Background:
Isabelle was born in January of 476 AOV to a family of poor miners as the fourth child of a family that would eventually grow to have seven children. As the only girl born into the family, expectations were a bit skewed for her compared to the rest of her family--a fact she had trouble understanding as she grew through her childhood. One thing was abundantly clear, however. She was smart. She liked learning things and it was as if her "Why" stage never ended.
As she grew older, her roles within the family began to part from what she saw her brothers doing. They farmed, they worked on the machinery, they were expected to go into the mine, and they hunted. She was expected to cook, clean, and just generally not think about much. Her family was devoted to The Old Faith and drew most of their resources from the land and they were dogmatic about the Faith. She was never sure if the reason she grew apart from her parents was due to their dogmatic attitude or due to their derision and sexist attitude toward her and her brothers.
Isabelle had an older brother named John (that she affectionately referred to as JackJack). John liked to tinker with machinery in his free time and Isabelle garnered a strong bond with him at a young age. As he learned more about mechanics and the world, he taught her. They had playful arguments that never ended in anger unlike her discussions with other people in her family, virtually the only people she interacted with.
Her knowledge and skills in mechanics and crafting eventually outgrew her small homestead and eventually even John as she approached her teenage years. It almost seemed as if her family got more resistant to the idea of her "playing" with machines, other crafts, and reading as she got better and more knowledgeable. They constantly reminded her of what her place in nature is, they reminded her that she had a hard time staying focused on simple tasks and that'd make her awful at building, and that there are some things that simply don't need to be questions.
She grew tired of home life. Her parents were loving but close-minded people who expected her to be precisely the contrary of what she was. She wanted to know how things came to be. She didn't like assuming answers and being confined to a bubble of man-made hope and fantasy. She wanted to make that hope and understand its purpose. That's why she moved to Flint.
"The best way to understand why is to learn how."
At first, Isabelle struggled in the big city. Most of her skills and knowledge was impractical. For the first couple of years she refused help from her family and got whatever odd jobs she could just to afford to rent out a shack. Well, she accepted almost no help from her family. During these first few years, her brother John would sneak away from her family's homestead to visit with her for a few hours. She would refuse money from him but he'd always find a way to slip her a few gold when she wasn't paying attention (which was most of the time).
After a a year, however, he stopped visiting. When couple of months had passed, she wrote him a single letter simply asking him to write back. When she didn't receive a response, she was forced to assume that all ties had finally been severed from her family. She devoted herself to the city and to Risur by taking on engineering and construction roles within the city and signing on the the Royal Homeland Constabulary.
As it turned out, however, joining the RHC wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. It wasn't that her loyalty to Risur wasn't strong enough--she believed in the people of the land and that the heads of Risur had their best interest in mind. If it weren't for the kingdom and especially the city of Flint, she would be right where she started. She blamed her family for their position and she's willing to give all of her talents over to the people who helped her escape that position.
The background check wasn't a difficult hurdle either. Isabelle had almost no background to check. She was a nobody who came from no where. She hadn't done anything important to make her particularly famous or infamous. The way she figured, even if they asked her coworkers for references, they'd just tell the RHC that she's forgetful, friendly, and scary intelligent.
As it happens to be, no background can make it a bit tougher. Isabelle wanted to be actively helping the RHC in the field. She thought her skills and inventiveness could be useful and she wasn't interested in being a bookkeeper or secretary (besides being boring, she has a hard time remembering where she sat her wrench let alone where specific papers are or what someone's name is).
After applying for field work and being denied, Isabelle was at a loss for how to proceed. She was convinced she had to be a competent fighter or wizard. Or something. But she wasn't and she couldn't imagine herself becoming either of those things. That is, until she met Lindara.
Lindara was a traveling dervish dancer. She was unbelievably skilled with a scimitar who easily turned war into an art. She met Isabelle by word of mouth. Lindara had heard from asking locals that she was one of the top people to talk to if you needed to know about engineering or architecture and Lindara was on a mission that Isabelle still doesn't know any details on.
While short lived, Isabelle cherished her relationship with Lindara. Isabelle was almost certain that she'd never be half the fighter Lindara was and she was about equally skeptical that she could ever possess the same level of confidence in stressful situations. In exchange for knowledge, Lindara happily agreed to show Isabelle the ropes of becoming a bard.
Learning magic was different than anything Isabelle had learned before. While that certainly explained why she'd never figured it out on her own, she didn't like it at first. Lindara used it to enhance her own abilities and cast spells that affect the mind and Isabelle wanted to use magic to help her create and repair. She certainly picked up on Lindara's magic and decided to focus on the good aspects over the intrusive ones. It also didn't take much magical theory to apply the magic to something she was already intimately familiar with; making and finding weaknesses in things.
After her training with Lindara, the bard continued her travels and Isabelle reapplied for the RHC armed with confidence in her ability to help an elite group of protectors. She was not what most people considered when they thought of someone in the constabulary but she was someone who wanted to do what was right. She didn't care to bend the rules if it meant protecting her nation or especially her city.
Ellie stands about 5'4" tall and only weighs 128 lbs. She has a slender build that doesn't clearly lend itself to appearing stout, indeed quite slender and fragile, or tough. She does have a slighter build that may look agile to the trained eye, though even then it's unlikely that she's much quicker than average.
She has a gorgeous face. Her eyes are a vibrant hazel/green color and her hair is short and somewhat unkempt, yet it somehow comes across as a purposeful hairstyle despite how little the effort she puts into it is daily. She has a few very lightly colored freckles that dot her cheeks and nose, mostly notable because of her fair skin. She has a strong jaw, just a step from being considered masculine, that accents her small chin and long face.
She's often dirty from working and building things, though if there's a time that she's not covered in wood shavings or black dust, she has likely been studying instead.
Ellie is extremely personable, fun to be around, and scarily intelligent. One thing becomes extremely clear to anyone who is around her for long though; she has the attention span of a gold fish. She's extremely forgetful, occasionally talks about things that she forgets other people don't know, and is prone to zoning out. A lot.
Ellie knows how to get down to business. While she isn't naive, she sometimes forgets what others are capable of and what the consequences of her actions might be. She is absent-minded, but she's aggressively focused on any task at hand. She's the type to remember the exact specification of a complex artifact, but turn around and forget her pouch of gold on the bar and forget the name of the bar she was just in.
Mechanics:
Isabelle Jackdaw
CG Female Human Archivist Bard 1
Init +2; Senses; Perception -2, Sense Motive -2
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 17, 12 touch , 15 flat-footed
(10 base, +2 dex, +4 armor, +1 shield, +0 deflection, +0 natural, +0 dodge)
Hp (1d8 + 0 (con))
Fort + 0 [+ 0 base + 0 ability]
Ref + 4 [+2 base + 2 ability]
Will + 0 [+2 base - 2 ability]
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee
------
1--DC 10
------
Stuff
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Bonus Feat (Race): Humans select one extra feat at 1st level.
Industrious (Race): Humans are known for their drive and work ethic. Humans with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on concentration checks and checks with their choice of one Craft or Profession skill.
Docker's Jank (Theme Feat): You may select up to four allies to be affected by this feat. Once per combat, each ally may, as swift action, attempt the aid another action, granting another ally or yourself) either a +1 bonus on his next attack roll or a +1 bonus to his AC.
Bludgeoner (Granted Feat): You take no penalty on attack rolls for using a lethal bludgeoning weapon to deal nonlethal damage.
Flagbearer (Level 1 Feat): As long as you hold your clan, house, or party’s flag, members of that allegiance within 30 feet who can see the flag (including yourself ) gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws against fear and charm effects.
Extra Magic Talent (Human Bonus Feat): Choose one bonus magic talent or sphere (Mind).
Casting Tradition (Spheres of Power): The following drawbacks and boons apply to spellcasting.
-Skilled Casting (Craft (Mechanics)) (Drawback): You must create your magic through singing, drawing, or some other activity. Your magic is tied to a particular Perform, Profession, or Craft skill (although with GM permission another skill may be substituted). You must succeed at a skill check to use any sphere ability. The DC of this skill check is 15 + the ability’s caster level.
-Verbal Casting (Drawback): You must speak in a loud, clear voice to cast spells. Using magic alerts all nearby hearing creatures to your presence and location, effectively breaking stealth. You cannot cast in an area of magical silence, or in any other situation where you are unable to speak clearly.
-Empath (Drawback): You cannot plant suggestions into a target’s mind, as the Mind sphere base suggestion charm. You must select a (mind) talent with the bonus talent granted by this drawback.
-Easy Focus (Boon): When maintaining a sphere ability through concentration, you only need to spend a move action to maintain concentration instead of a standard action. This does not decrease the sphere ability’s casting time, only the action used to maintain concentration.
Bardic Performance [7 rounds/day] (Bard Ability): A bard is trained to use her skill to create magical effects on those around him, including himself if desired.
-Countersong: At 1st level, a bard learns to counter magic effects that depend on sound (but not spells that have verbal components.)
-Distraction: At 1st level, a bard can use his performance to counter magic effects that depend on sight.
-Fascinate: At 1st level, a bard can use his performance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him.
-Naturalist: An archivist who has identified a creature with a Knowledge check appropriate to its type can use performance to share strategies for defeating it with allies in combat.
Creation Sphere (Spheres of Power): (4 Spell Pool/Day) You may create and alter physical materials.
-Repair: You may repair a damaged object, healing it a number of hit points equal to 1d4 + 1/2 your caster level.
-Destroy: You deal damage to the object equal to 1d4+ 1/2 your caster level.
-Create: As a standard action, you may spend a spell point to create a non-magical, unattended object out of vegetable matter such as wood, hemp, or cotton in either your hand or an adjacent square.
-Expanded Materials: When you create or alter an object, you may work with any non-harmful material with a hardness of 5 or less, including glass, ice, or leather. You may create water (3 cubic ft equals a small creature), but not gases or flesh.
Mind Sphere (Spheres of Power): (4 Spell Pool/Day) You may place charms on creatures.
-Read Mind: You may detect a creature’s emotional state (Will negates if unwilling).
-Inspiration: You inspire competence in the target.
Isabelle listened to the others talk amongst themselves as she finished up her food. When she was addressed by Alice, she nodded and took the time to chew and swallow her food this time before responding.
"Tinkerer? Well... I suppose you could say that. I love taking things apart, learning how they work, and putting them back together again. Especially if I can make them better!"
She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed before opening them again and continuing with a smile on her face.
"I just love seeing how things tick and seeing how I can help! I've also learned that figuring out how something works will clue you in on why they are around at all! I think that's why the RHC was okay taking someone in like me who's not so good at the fighting."
Isabelle raised her fists like she was pretending to box for a moment before shaking her head and lowering them again.
"I can do it with things and I'm a pretty good team player too I'd like to think! Plus I read a lot... Just the other day I read..."
Isabelle began to trail off for a brief while before pausing and seemingly returning to reality.
"I'm sorry. Did I answer your question?"
Ooc:
I could have swore I posted earlier. I'm crazy. Here's a bit of personal expansion to make up for lost RP time. At this point, I'll have to give Isabelle two drawbacks just to round her out mechanically--Oblivious and Forgetful. I'm enjoying it. :P
Ah, this is a good idea. I'll begin rudimentary character planning since I've settled on Bard and Docker. That way I can square away how I'll be doing my sphere casting. Still new to it. Work is slow at the moment. :P
That and I'll go ahead and finish up my backstory since I was only waiting to see if I'd end up being a bard or machinesmith.
"Ah! It is good to meet you, Az! I hope you're enjoying yourself."
When Az mentioned her being chipper, she nodded in an exaggerated fashion and flashed a big smile at the dwarf, the white of her teeth contrasting strongly against her soot colored skin.
"Bad stuff is going to happen. You're going to meet bad people. Is it worth centering your life around that possibility? I say just live and get satisfaction helping others live!"
She paused for a moment to either gather her thoughts or check back over them to make sure they would make sense to anyone listening to her. Satisfied, she continued.
"Well, that's the way I like to think about it anyway. Keeps me happy and there's little else I can be certain about, no?"
Her mouth was full when the dwarf addressed her. This time, however, she thought not to bother trying to speak. Instead, she grabbed her stein of ale and raised it as she gave him a nod.
She was noticing that people were starting to gather around now. Giving herself a moment to chew and swallow her food, she spoke rather jubilantly to everyone around her now.
"My name is Isabelle! My friends who work on the rail with me call me Ellie though. Sure seems like joining the RHC makes you popular around here!"
She took a big gulp of ale before smiling to everyone around her.
Ellie looked on in glee as a plate of almost nothing but meat got sat in front of her. Only once she had began stuffing herself did she realize someone was still speaking to her.
"O soppwee..."
She paused for a moment and swallowed what was in her mouth, closing one eye as she winced at the slight pain of mostly solid food going down.
"Oh. Sorry. I was looking in the kitchen to see if I could see what they were bringing out."
She picked up a drumstick and remarked before taking another bite.
"Yeah, we could totally be like... crime fighting partners!"
Now that you mention it, I could just as easily flavor in Docker instead of Technologist for my character. My character is supposed to be an appeal to that average joe. I just wanted her to aspire to be a great magical inventor.
Tell you what, though. Go ahead and mark me down for Docker (except my character still works on the subrail and not the docks). I'll make it work. I'm a bard after all. XD
I've been educating myself on Spherecasting and I'm quite tempted to just say forget Machinesmith for now and just go ahead and prepare everything for being a Sphere Bard. The creation sphere has my eye for flavor purposes.
"Oh! Thanks for letting them know. I'm really hungry."
She smiled at Srelenon as he asked her another question. It's clear that she didn't see him eyeing her. Well, either that or she thought absolutely nothing of it.
"In my downtime I help work on the subrail below Central. It's a lot of fun and the people who help me are nice. I also just signed up for the RHC. I'm really excited to be of some help!"
She paused for a moment looking pleased with herself before barely realizing that there is a such thing as social etiquette.
"Oh umm... Thanks! I like my name too. You can call me that if you like."
Isabelle gave a short pause as if to think for just a moment before smiling right back at the young man.
"Oh, I just got finished working! Sometimes I forget how dirty that gets me. Sorry about that!"
Isabelle turned back forward and, once again, she leaned forward to get a better peak into the kitchen almost as if she'd forgotten she did so just a few moments ago.
Lucky for you, Isabelle is about as oblivious as a person can be and still function in society. XD So this could be fun.
Ellie sits back on her stool pouting and crossing her arms.
"Hmph!"
Then she suddenly realized she was being addressed. All at once it seemed like she'd entirely forgotten what she was just doing as her face lit up at the sight of the new person.
"No, sir! I don't believe we have! My name is Isabelle Jackdaw but you can call me Ellie for short. Don't call me Jack though."
She reached her hand out for a handshake with a big grin on her face, clearly not noticing how dirty her hands still are.
"I'm also very hungry. The food here is so good though!"
It had been a rather long day and man was Ellie hungry. She grew impatient as she sat at the bar--which was obvious by her insistent need to lean halfway across the bar every ten seconds or so just to peer half a foot further into the kitchen than she could already see.
It was clear she hadn't even bothered to consider how she looked in public either. She was covered in soot. The marks where she'd attempted to wipe some of it off with a rag didn't look any better and even so, she had a virtually black handkerchief hanging out of her back pocket. The only part of her that wasn't marked by soot was a solid ring about an inch out from her eyes where she'd clearly been wearing the goggles now residing on her head.
"Hey barkeep! What's the hold up? I'm hungry"
Her obliviousness was obvious. Only one thing could hold her attention at a time and sometimes even that was a chore. Right now is certainly one of those time.
Also, and I may be going out on a limb here but the Artificer is exactly what I'm going for thematically. I don't know if that's a possibility at all and I'm fine if not but I thought I'd inquire.
I'll be adding an extra bit on the background depending on what class (Bard, Alchemist, or Machinesmith) I end up being. That part of the story will just vary based on what class she is. Otherwise, here's my rough outline (let me know if you have any questions!):
Name: Isabelle Jackdaw
Race: Human
Class: Either Archivist Bard or Machinesmith depending on the status of machinesmith. If there's too much overlap, I'd be fine being a Mindchemist Alchemist instead. I just want the focus of my character to be crafting, knowledge, and support.
Theme: Technologist
Party Role Total Support--Buff, secondary healing, possibly control (especially if it's feasible for me to make traps to lay before/during combat).
Alignment: I'll be happy to rough up the lines between the alignments. Mechanically, however, Isabelle is Chaotic Good.
Quick Background:
Isabelle was born in January of 476 AOV to a family of poor miners as the fourth child of a family that would eventually grow to have seven children. As the only girl born into the family, expectations were a bit skewed for her compared to the rest of her family--a fact she had trouble understanding as she grew through her childhood. One thing was abundantly clear, however. She was smart. She liked learning things and it was as if her "Why" stage never ended.
As she grew older, her roles within the family began to part from what she saw her brothers doing. They farmed, they worked on the machinery, they were expected to go into the mine, and they hunted. She was expected to cook, clean, and just generally not think about much. Her family was devoted to The Old Faith and drew most of their resources from the land and they were dogmatic about the Faith. She was never sure if the reason she grew apart from her parents was due to their dogmatic attitude or due to their derision and sexist attitude toward her and her brothers.
Isabelle had an older brother named John (that she affectionately referred to as JackJack). John liked to tinker with machinery in his free time and Isabelle garnered a strong bond with him at a young age. As he learned more about mechanics and the world, he taught her. They had playful arguments that never ended in anger unlike her discussions with other people in her family, virtually the only people she interacted with.
As she grew older, her knowledge and skills in mechanics and crafting outgrew her small homestead and eventually even John as she approached her teenage years. It almost seemed as if her family got more resistant to the idea of her "playing" with machines, other crafts, and reading as she got better and more knowledgeable. They constantly reminded her of what her place in nature is, they reminded her that she had a hard time staying focused on simple tasks and that'd make her awful at building, and that there are some things that simply don't need to be questions.
She grew tired of home life. Her parents were loving but close-minded people who expected her to be precisely the contrary of what she was. She wanted to know how things came to be. She didn't like assuming answers and being confined to a bubble of man-made hope and fantasy. She wanted to make that hope and understand its purpose. That's why she moved to Flint.
"The best way to understand why is to learn how."
At first, Isabelle struggled in the big city. Most of her skills and knowledge was impractical. For the first couple of years she refused help from her family and got whatever odd jobs she could just to afford to rent out a shack. Well, she accepted almost no help from her family. During these first few years, her brother John would sneak away from her family's homestead to visit with her for a few hours. She would refuse money from him but he'd always find a way to slip her a few gold when she wasn't paying attention (which was most of the time).
After a a year, however, he stopped visiting. When couple of months had passed, she wrote him a single letter simply asking him to write back. When she didn't receive a response, she was forced to assume that all ties had finally been severed from her family. She devoted herself to the city and to Risur by taking on engineering and construction roles within the city and signing on the the RHC.
10 Minute Background:
Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind. 5 is just a minimum...more elements are encouraged!
1) While still building her report within Flint, she is a well respected innovator and engineer. This has allowed her to accumulate a little money that she believes she can use to better support Flint and Risur as a whole.
2) She is extremely intelligent and witty knowing more about topics outside of her expertise than most experts in that field, but she has the attention span of a gold fish for things that don't interest her, is rather absent minded, and forgetful of smaller details.
3) She is from a poor working class family that made its living in mining. She took to experimenting with the scrapped machines and engines when she was young.
4) She left her family behind because they were not approving of her philosophies or her hobbies. They believed her natural place was to be submissive and, essentially, ignorant.
5) She doesn't feel cut out to be an adventurer, but she feels like she owes Risur and Flint for what success she's had so far. She feels like she can fuel her success as well as devote her life to a good cause by being a part of the RHC.
Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
1) I would like Ellie to put aside her past and revisit her family.
2) I would also like to see her set aside her own wishes and use her knowledge to see the smaller picture and see what good she could be on a smaller scale--her aspirations are too large. She needs to see that details matter too.
3) She wants to set out and become the greatest craftsman there is and I'd like to see her make real progress with her goal and maybe make something important for the scientific advance of the world.
Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet. This will help me in creating plots that center around your character. I will also be creating a third secret which you as a player will not be aware of, so expect some surprises!
1) She is a completely open book. She holds few secrets from other and often has a hard time not speaking whatever she's thinking.
2) Her family no longer lives in the homestead for whatever reason. They have moved elsewhere and are having an even harder time of making ends meet or perhaps aren't.
3) Secret?
Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.
1) Ellie is the middle child of a family of 7. Most of her family saw her exploits as a waste of energy, but she had a brother named John who helped her sneak pieces of electronics away from the scrap heaps to try to build things together. She hasn't spoken with him since a few days after she ran away. This is her biggest regret for leaving.
2) There was once a man that Isabelle took refuge with soon after moving to Flint. His name was Archibald Blackwater. For a short while they had a blossoming romance until one night he stole as much of her machinery as he could carry. She hopes to find him. Mainly to ask why.
3) [If bard] Always wanting to learn magic, Ellie met a young woman named Lindara shortly after joining the RHC. She was a traveling self-proclaimed bard. Lindara (who occasionally referred to herself ad an Aasimar) taught Ellie about what it meant to be a bard and some of the basics of spellcasting. Ellie has since taken what she's learned and made it her own, even mimicking her teacher in specific ways.
Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.
1) Ellie has a tendency to zone out and forget that others can't read her mind. As a result, she occasionally seems to jump topics in seemingly arbitrary ways, stop talking altogether in the middle of a sentence, or talk to people about things that they don't understand forgetting that not everyone has studied like she has.
2) Ellie remembers being a kid and playing in her yard her parents as well as the small warehouse they stored what they found useful. Despite being outnumbered by boys in her family and not being very strong, she was clever. The enjoys remembering how angry that made her brothers.
3) Ellie is distant and difficult to approach, especially to members of the opposite sex. This wasn't always the case. In fact, it rarely was before she met Archibald. The only exception is when someone gets her off on a tangent about something she's passionate about. Then she forgets anyone else is even around.
Ellie stands about 5'4" tall and only weighs 128 lbs. She has a slender build that doesn't clearly lend itself to appearing stout, indeed quite slender and fragile, or tough. She does have a slighter build that may look agile to the trained eye, though even then it's unlikely that she's much quicker than average.
She has a gorgeous face. Her eyes are a vibrant hazel/green color and her hair is short and somewhat unkempt, yet it somehow comes across as a purposeful hairstyle despite how little the effort she puts into it is daily. She has a few very lightly colored freckles that dot her cheeks and nose, mostly notable because of her fair skin. She has a strong jaw, just a step from being considered masculine, that accents her small chin and long face.
She's often dirty from working and building things, though if there's a time that she's not covered in wood shavings or black dust, she has likely been studying instead.
Ellie is extremely personable, fun to be around, and scarily intelligent. One thing becomes extremely clear to anyone who is around her for long though; she has the attention span of a gold fish. She's extremely forgetful, occasionally talks about things that she forgets other people don't know, and is prone to zoning out. A lot.
Ellie knows how to get down to business. While she isn't naive, she sometimes forgets what others are capable of and what the consequences of her actions might be. She is absent-minded, but she's aggressively focused on any task at hand. She's the type to remember the exact specification of a complex artifact, but turn around and forget her pouch of gold on the bar and forget the name of the bar she was just in.
I actually plan on mostly overhauling the story. This is a shell character I made for a steampunk (not Zeitgeist) campaign I was a part of ages ago but the game didn't last very long (the DM had stuff come up) but I've always really wanted to play her.
I'm hoping today will be shorter so I can study the AP more and give you a better idea of what I'm going for exactly. I'll just go ahead and let you know that mercenary isn't it. I want this character to be absorbed in their work as a craftsman. I'll likely forsake offense entirely (I've been known to do that) and focus solely on support and control.
I'll have more on the specifics later today. I'm passionate about this concept though so I'll try not to short you on details this next time around.
Edit: Just one question; how do you feel about the variant aasimars? I'm debating between one of those and a human. I'd be interested in Peri-Blooded. No biggy either way, just want to see if it's an option.
I intend to use Miss Isabelle Jackdaw. Her exact build is up for debate, however. I had intended on capitalizing on the machinesmith but it seems like I'm far from the only one. If the market is too saturated with machinesmiths, as it were, Isabelle's original incarnation is an Archivist Bard and I'm more than happy to go that route. I'm quite torn, honestly.
I've got some rudimentary flavor written for her now but I intend on flavoring her more to fit the setting as I learn more about it (over the next day or so) including the requested information.
In addition to the previous picture I shared (which is what currently have in the profile), I've also included a more detailed physical description and personality. I'm sure there's more to add there as well.
Right now I'm working between... well, work. But I'm pretty efficient I think. So I'll update further as ideas come to me. Long story short, though, I want to build a support character who focuses on making lots of things. Especially traps and machines.
"Oh, yes. I know exactly what to look for. I'm loving the authentic look you guys have going on in here. Actual Dwarven engineering, yes?"
Bluff:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21Yes!
Bluff to make sure she thinks I don't know what I'm talking about but am pretending I do. To belay any suspicion. I'm not sure why she'd have reason to suspect otherwise, but you never know.
Ellie ponders the doors in question. Glancing over the architecture, she makes her best judgement call but says nothing yet.
I take 10 (for a 23) on Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) to have some idea of the sorts of locks used in this place. And, of course, what it would take to weasel your way past them.
Ellie decides to play it quiet and goes out of her way to appear caught up in the stylings of the building, something not difficult for her to manage considering her almost obsessive interest in architecture. The halfling she was there with seemed much more capable of fast talking than her. She figured she would help most by listening closely and trying to catch any factual falsehoods she heard.
"I think we should start at The Temple of Ostentatious Delights. It's pricey, they hole people up without prying into their business, and it's just the sort of place people could hideout with that kind of money."
Ellie shrugs.
"I mean, that's just what I've heard. Seems like as good a place as any to start."
Oh, I know. I mostly meant "I take 10 on relevant knowledges, which I think are these". I suppose the only extra meaning I had was if any more knowledges are required of me, I take 10 on those as well. I don't think I'm going to run into knowledge checks above those DCs in this scene. That's all I meant.
Ellie thinks quietly to herself about any relevant rumors she may have heard recently.
Taking a 10 on any Knowledge that might be relevant. That gives me a 21 on Local. I'll also take a 10 on Architecture and Engineering to get an idea of what structures have the best getaways and hideouts in the Evantide. That gives me a 23 on the check.
Ellie stands about 5'4" tall and only weighs 128 lbs. She has a slender build that doesn't clearly lend itself to appearing stout, indeed quite slender and fragile, or tough. She does have a slighter build that may look agile to the trained eye, though even then it's unlikely that she's much quicker than average.
She has a gorgeous face. Her eyes are a vibrant hazel/green color and her hair is short and somewhat unkempt, yet it somehow comes across as a purposeful hairstyle despite how little the effort she puts into it is daily. She has a few very lightly colored freckles that dot her cheeks and nose, mostly notable because of her fair skin. She has a strong jaw, just a step from being considered masculine, that accents her small chin and long face.
She's often dirty from working and building things, though if there's a time that she's not covered in wood shavings or black dust, she has likely been studying instead. This is one of the former times.
Ellie stands to the side of the room twirling a lockpick between her fingers.
"Where in Eventide? Do we have specifics?"
She leans slightly against the wall.
"If that's all we know, I have no other questions."
Well I did give myself a revolver and I plan to use it. I figured buying a melee weapon can be something that happens in-game if I decide. My character would have no reason to have a melee weapon, honestly. Maybe a dagger, so I can add that.
Just checking in to let the DM know that I'm still planning to flesh out my story a lot more (I figured I'd have done it by now), but I have a lot of work for the next couple of days. This weekend, though. I will attempt a masterpiece. XD
Sounds good. I bolded the questions. I'd like to get around to taking Craft Construct, but that'll probably have to be level 6. I could take the greatwork for a mechanus, but the analyzer fit my character more I thought.
Anyway, I'll get to typing up some more backstory and I'll let you know when that's good to go.
Mechanically I should be finished. I also have the 10-minute background finished. Working on the questionnaire now.
Do we have any idea on the cost of guns? Is it 10% like Guns Everywhere? I doubt I can afford one since I sprung the money for Masterwork Artisan's Tools, but hey. I can dream for the future.
Edit: Aaaaaand finished. Let me know if you have any questions about my character. I easily could have overlooked something or made a mistake.
Oh, umm... Sorry about that. It's a character I've been wanting to run for a while. Party nerd, knowledge junky, and craftsman. I was really hoping to get to put it out there. Do you have other ideas, or are we different enough?
Thinking about putting in this character. She's not finished by any means at the moment, but I'm really thinking Bard/Machinesmith; specifically an Archivist Bard.
Big thing; this character and her story, as I currently have it, are centered around her being huge into crafting magic items and what have you. Just to be sure, will there be a little down time from time to time?
Also, we're human, but would you be opposed to me taking the favored class bonus for another race?
Edit: Oh, and is any of the Technology Guide in play? I just might consider looking to a future in Technomancer if so.
Last Edit I Swear: What's the level of firearms? Might use one if I'm proficient, what with being a mechanic and all. It just feels right.
I lied: So I just glanced over P6 rules. Super cool. Probably makes my technomancer dreams kick the bucket though. No worries, just helps to know. XD
I will be submitting Ellie, my bard/wizard. Either way, I will have everything on this alias when time comes. I have the TMB and a hastily written background. I will be cleaning it all up as the week progresses.
I actually made a mistake or two on my previous post. All of my info is on my profile too though, so it's there if you'd like to view it anytime, sir DM.
Isabelle Jackdaw; maker, builder, crafter, teller of tales, erm... oh, and builder! At your service!
Stat Block:
Isabelle "Ellie" Wynn Jackdaw
Female Aasimar (Peri-Blooded) Archivist Bard 1
N Medium humanoid (human) and outsider (native)
Init +1; Senses Darkvision 60 ft; Perception +3, Sense Motive +0
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16
(+1 Dex, +4 Armor, +2 shield)
Hp 7 (1d8-1)
Fort -1, Ref +3, Will +1
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee
Ranged Light crossbow +1 (1d8/19-20/x2)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 7, Dex 13, Con 9, Int 20, Wis 8 Cha 20
Base Atk +0; CMB -2; CMD 9
Feats Scribe Scroll
Skills Craft (Carpentry) 1 [+9], Craft (Mechanics) 1 [+9], Craft (Ships) 1 [+9], Diplomacy 1 [+10] Disable Device 1 [+6], Knowledge (Arcana) 1 [+11], Knowledge (Engineering) 1 [+11], Knowledge (History) 0 [+9], Knowledge (Local) 1 [+11], Knowledge (Nature) 1 [+11], Perception 1 [+3], Perform (Oratory) 1 [+10], Spellcraft 1 [+11], Use Magic Device 1 [+7]
Languages Teldane, Elven, Dwarven, Polyglot, Goblin, Draconic
Special Abilities Bardic Knowledge, Bardic Performance (Naturalist, Distraction, Countersong, Fascinate)
Favored Class Bard - treat level as 1/2 higher with Naturalist. )
Traits Historian (Race), Nimble Fingers; Keen Mind (Religion), Barroom Talespinner (Campaign), Hedge Magician (Magic)
Drawback Forgetful
Combat Gear Chainshirt, heavy wooden shield, light crossbow, 20 crossbow bolts.
Other Gear Backpack; 0 pp, 34 gp, 0 sp, 0 cp
Encumbrance 0 – 26 lbs; 27 – 53; 54 – 80; [Current Weight: 41/ Medium Load]
--------------------
Magic
--------------------
Bard Spells Known {CL: 1st; concentration +6)}
Cantrips Ghost Sound, Mend, Detect Magic, Read Magic
1st 3/day Saving Finale, Cure Light Wounds
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Scion of Humanity Count as outsider and human for any effect related to race, no need to make disguise checks to appear human.
Celestial Resistance Character has resistance Acid 5, Cold 5, Electricity 5.
Immortal Spark Lesser Age Resistance 1/day, +2 knowledge (history) and saves against death effects.
Darkvision Can see in perfect darkness up to 60 ft.
Bardic Knowledge +1/2 level to all knowledge checks.
Bardic Performance 9 rounds/day
-Naturalist Any ID'd creature, allies get +1 attack, AC, and saves.
-Countersong fairly useless.
-Distraction use Perform in place of saves for visual based spells.
-Fascinate Force one target to sit down and chill out (DC 15)
Background:
Ellie was born about 151 years ago to a fairly well off human family. As the only daughter in a family of 7, and a family of builders, crafters, and artisans no less, she had to find a way to stand out next to her four brothers. While she was never very strong or tough, she loved to experiment with and build things out of the extra materials lying around her parents' workshop. By the time she and her brothers were grown, it was clear who was the most qualified to take over for her parents.
After an embarrassing reveal made by her parents that she would be taking over for the shop, there was some strife within the family until Ellie revealed she wanted to leave the shop behind and explore the world. She split before she had time to really hear what her family had to say about that. Her absent-mindedness and overly curious nature got the better of her. That's exactly what would carry her through the remainder of her life.
It has been over 120 years since that incident. After a lot of study and travel, she has discovered that has the blood of a Peri somewhere down her family tree, which was fascinating since she certainly didn't look the part. Now that she's finally aged to the point that she should have been all those years ago, she wonders if her other siblings could possibly be alive somewhere.
Ellie finds little use in squabbles over morality and believes that balance is a natural tendency. She has recently decided to take up the pirate life as a way to explore and learn more about the world. Making money to fund her crafting and experiments never hurt either. While she has never been a sailor before, she has worked on ships through odd jobs and apprenticeships in the past and she believes she has a skill set and knowledge base that could prove useful on a pirate crew.
Appearance:
Ellie stands about 5'4" tall and only weighs 128 lbs. She has a slender build that doesn't clearly lend itself to appearing stout, indeed quite slender and fragile, or tough. She does have a slighter build that may look agile to the trained eye, though even then it's unlikely that she's much quicker than average.
She has a gorgeous face. Her eyes are a vibrant hazel/green color and her hair is long and red with strangely perfect waves throughout it, which might seem strange to anyone who knows her and her absent-mindedness and the likelihood of her to brush her hair as often as would apparently be needed. She has a few very lightly colored freckles that dot her cheeks and nose, mostly notable because of her fair skin. She has a strong jaw, just a step from being considered masculine, that accents her small chin and long face.
She's often dirty from working and building things, though if there's a time that she's not covered in wood shavings or black dust, she has likely been studying instead.
Ellie is extremely personable, fun to be around, and scarily intelligent. One thing becomes extremely clear to anyone who is around her for long though; she has the attention span of a gold fish. She's extremely forgetful, occasionally talks about things that she forgets other people don't know, and is prone to zoning out. A lot.
Ellie knows how to get down to business. While she isn't naive, she sometimes forgets what others are capable of and what the consequences of her actions might be. She is absent-minded, but she's aggressively focused on any task at hand. She's the type to remember the exact specification of a complex artifact, but turn around and forget her pouch of gold on the bar and forget the name of the bar she was just in.
