Jerrik Payne's page

Jerrik Payne
Male human (Varisian) bard (detective) 3 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 81)
CN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +3; Senses Perception +9
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 18 (3d8)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +5; +4 bonus vs. illusion and to see through disguises and protections against divination
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee cold iron rapier +2 (1d6/18-20) or
dagger +2 (1d4/19-20)
Ranged darkwood shortbow +5 (1d6+3/×3)
Special Attacks bardic performance 11 rounds/day (careful teamwork, countersong, distraction, fascinate [DC 14], inspire competence +2)
Bard (Detective) Spells Known (CL 3rd; concentration +6)
1st (4/day)—chord of shards[UM] (DC 14), cultural adaptation, detect evil, ear-piercing scream[UM] (DC 14), sleep (DC 14)
0 (at will)—detect magic, light, lullaby (DC 13), message, prestidigitation, sift[APG]
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 17
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats Deadly Aim, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Traits fast-talker, harrow born (varisian)
Skills Acrobatics +6, Bluff +10, Diplomacy +9 (+10 to gather information), Disguise +7, Escape Artist +6, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (local) +6, Knowledge (nobility) +5, Linguistics +5, Perception +9, Perform (oratory) +9, Sense Motive +9, Sleight of Hand +6, Spellcraft +5, Stealth +6, Use Magic Device +7
Languages Common, Thassilonian, Tien, Varisian
SQ arcane insight, eye for detail
Combat Gear sbci durable arrows (20), wand of cure light wounds, antiplague[APG] (2), antitoxin (2); Other Gear mithral chain shirt, cold iron rapier, dagger, darkwood shortbow, handy haversack, bandolier[UE], bedroll, belt pouch, blanket[APG], candle, canteen[UE], chalk, earplugs[APG], fishhook, flint and steel, glass cutter[UE], glue paper[UE], harrow deck[UE], ink, inkpen, parchment, sewing needle, signal whistle, snorkel[UE], tea (per cup)[UE], trail rations (4), wrist sheath, spring loaded, wrist sheath, spring loaded, 1,008 gp, 5 sp, 3 cp
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Special Abilities
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Arcane Insight (Ex) +4 save vs. illusions, +4 caster level vs. disguise and divination protections.
Bardic Performance (standard action, 11 rounds/day) Your performances can create magical effects.
Deadly Aim -1/+2 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage.
Eye for Detail +1 (Ex) You add half your bard level to Knowledge (local), Perception, Sense Motive, and Diplomacy(Gather Information) checks.
Point-Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Precise Shot You don't get -4 to hit when shooting or throwing into melee.

Jarrik Payne grew up in one of the nomadic Varisian groups that all place see from time to time. His parents were performers and Jarrik soon became fascinated with the art of fortune-telling (or as is father put it, "Guessing the futures of people you never met before and never plan to see again.")
Jarrin quickly became very successful though his father took most of the profit from his act. Eventually Jarrin decided he had outgrown the travelling caravan shows and eloped with his sweetheart, Vissa, and made his own path. Word of his "powers" spread over time and eventually led him to settle down in the city of Korvosa, performing his craft for parties, nobles, and even honed his "psychic" abilities for local law enforcement from time to time.

Things were going well in the confidence games Payne was playing. He soon had a nice home and was comfortably supporting his wife and newborn daughter, Eleeva. He was generally respected by the common folk but always had a suspicious eye cast upon him by those who had sharper minds than the simpletons that were easily deceived. The more the masses were amazed by his predictions the more cocky and overconfident he became. His readings were more like shows, using his psychic/fortune-telling "powers" to make bold, brash statements about anything he could dream up.

One day, Jarrik was asked to help with locating a famous criminal. Jarrik agreed and put on quite the show, gallantly claiming that this criminal and his associates were living on borrowed time. Payne assured the masses that justice would soon be at hand and prosperity would return to their fair city as a result, filling the building once more. Foolishly he boasted that this future had been shown to him time and time again. Since Jarrik felt his standing in society was enough to protect him he was naive enough to think that his words would never fall on the ears of these villains, so what was the harm?

Evidently harm found its way to Payne. His home was looted and then burned to the ground with disregard to anyone that may have been inside. Jarrik was at a high-society function working his craft for the nobility that evening and had no idea of what had happened while he was away. Returning later that night, he found that not only his home was in ruins but also his life, as two small burnt corpses had been brought out of the rubble. Clearly his words had been heard and this was the vicious response.

Jerrik was devastated, he might be a con-man but he was as good as any home-loving man would be to his family. He was sure the villain did not approve of Jarrik’s forecast. Jarrin took to grieving over his wife and daughter full time, neglecting anything else for months. People in Korvosa felt his pain but they also knew that he had likely brought down this upon himself, perhaps even a message from the gods. Eventually Jerrik spent most of his nights in drink and self-pity, losing any faith he ever had in said gods, and his life spiraled downward fast.

Slowly over time Jarrik found that vengeance was growing stronger than the grief. That strength soon had Jarrik dedicate the rest of his life into finding a way, any way, to bring justice to all crimes, including the murder of his family. Surely a man with the talents of Jarrik Payne could find himself to be valuable in times like these.