Valeros

Johann Kaltgeboren's page

692 posts. Organized Play character for Mustachioed.


Full Name

Johann Kaltgeboren

Race

Skinwalker Shifter 13/Monk 1; 196/196 HP; Init +9; Perception +21; Low Light Vision; [28 AC][21 Touch][25 FF]; [Fort 18][Reflex 17][Will 13],[CMD:41, vs. grapple 43], 17/17 Minutes of Minor Aspect, 17/17 Hours of Major Aspect

Classes/Levels

Buff/Debuffs:

Gender

Male

Size

Medium

Age

55

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Strength 19
Dexterity 16
Constitution 18
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 18
Charisma 6

About Johann Kaltgeboren

Johann Kaltgeboren
(translated: John Coldborn)
Male
Lawful Good Medium Humanoid (Skinwalker)
Init +9; Perception +21; Low-Light Vision

Languages: German, English, Druidic

Stats are for transformed into skinwalker bear form (+2 wisdom), and by default having Endurance selected for his race trait.

Middle-aged template (-1 str,dex,con, +1 intel, wis, char)

Bear Form

Snake Form

Bat Form

--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC: 28 (3 dex, 5 1/2 wisdom bonus+3, 3 deflection, 7 armor) Touch: 21 (3 dex, 5 1/2 wisdom bonus+3, 3 deflection) Flat: 25 (5 1/2 wisdom bonus+3, 3 deflection, 7 armor)

HP 196/196 (140 class, 56 con)
Fort +18 (+10 base, +4 stat, +4 cloak), Ref +17 (base +10, +3 stat, +4 cloak), Will 13 (base +5, +4 stat, +4 cloak)
CMD: 40 (10+ BAB 13+ Str 4+ Dex 3+7 class+3 deflection); CMD grapple: 42 (improved grapple)
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Base Atk +14/+9/+4
CMB: 18 (BAB 14 + Str 4), Grapple: 20 (improved grapple)
Speed 30 ft.

Damage: See other forms. Basic claws are d10.

Equipment:

see spreadsheet

Traits:

Reactionary: You were bullied often as a child, but never quite developed an offensive response. Instead, you became adept at anticipating sudden attacks and reacting to danger quickly. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.

Durable Change: When you use your change shape ability, you can choose to gain the benefits of the Endurance feat rather than gaining a special ability.

Race Abilities:

Attribute and Skill bonuses: +2 racial bonus to Con, -2 to Charisma, +2 Climb, +2 Wisdom when transformed, +2 wild empathy checks

Low-Light Vision: You can see x2 as far as humans in low illumination. Characters with low-light vision have eyes that are so sensitive to light that they can see twice as far as normal in dim light. Low-Light Vision is color vision. A spellcaster with low-light vision can read a scroll as long as even the tiniest candle flame is next to her as a source of light. Characters with low-light vision can see outdoors on a moonlit night as well as they can during the day.

Change Shape (Werebear Kin) (Su): A skinwalker can change shape to and from a bestial form as a standard action. In bestial form, a skinwalker can pick one of the following:
Bite attack that deals 1d6 points of damage
2 claw attacks that each deal 1d4 points of damage
Climb speed of 20 feet
Scent to a range of 30 feet
Endurance Feat (trait benefit)

These benefits last until the skinwalker returns to her humanoid form as a swift action. To switch selected abilities, must return to normal form first and then transform again.

Calm Animals 1/day for 1 min: Effect:  This spell soothes and quiets animals, rendering them docile and harmless, DC10

Shifter Class Abilities :

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A shifter is proficient with the following weapons: club, dagger, dart, quarterstaff, scimitar, scythe, sickle, shortspear, sling, and spear. She is also proficient with the natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) from the shifter claws class feature and of forms she assumes with wild shape.

Shifters are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor. A shifter can wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as if it were steel. Shifters are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only those crafted from wood.

A shifter who wears prohibited armor or uses a prohibited shield is unable to use her shifter aspect, shifter claws, wild shape, and other shifter supernatural or spell-like abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.

Bonus Languages

A shifter speaks Druidic, a secret language known only to druids and shifters, which she learns upon becoming a 1st-level shifter. Druidic is a free language for a shifter; that is, she knows it in addition to her regular allotment of languages, and it doesn’t take up a language slot. Shifters are forbidden to teach this language to non-druids or non-shifters.

Shifter Aspect (Su)
At 1st level, a shifter gains her first aspect—a category of animal to which her body and soul have become supernaturally attuned. She can shift into her aspect’s minor form (see Aspects) for a number of minutes per day equal to 3 + her shifter level. The duration need not be consecutive but must be spent in 1-minute increments. Shifting into a minor form is a swift action, while ending the effect is a free action that can be taken only on the shifter’s turn. Until a shifter reaches 9th level and gains the chimeric aspect class feature, she can assume only one minor form at a time. Shifting to a new aspect (or aspects, in the case of chimeric aspects or greater chimeric aspects) ends all minor forms currently manifested. The minor forms of aspects are not polymorph effects, and the shifter does not lose the benefits of a minor form while affected by polymorph effects.

As the shifter gains levels, she gains more aspects; she gains her second aspect at 5th level, a third aspect at 10th level, and a fourth at 15th level.

Minor Aspect-Bear: You gain a +2 enhancement bonus to your Constitution score. At 8th level, the bonus increases to +4, and at 15th level it increases to +6.

Minor Form-Snake: You gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls when making attacks of opportunity and a +2 dodge bonus to your AC against attacks of opportunity. These bonuses increase to +4 at 8th level and +6 at 15th level.

Shifter Claws (Su)
At will, a shifter in her natural form can extend her claws as a swift action to use as a weapon. This magical transformation is fueled as much by the shifter’s faith in the natural world as it is by inborn talent. The claws on each hand can be used as a primary natural attack, dealing 1d4 points of piercing and slashing damage (1d3 if she is Small). If she uses one of her claw attacks in concert with a weapon held in the other hand, the claw acts as a secondary natural attack instead.

As the shifter gains levels, the power of her claws increases.

At 3rd level, her claws count as magic weapons, ignore DR/cold iron and DR/silver (and see Update at left). At 7th level, her claw damage increases to 1d6 (1d4 if Small). At 11th level, her claw damage increases to 1d8 (1d6 if Small). At 13th level, her claw damage increases to 1d10 (1d8 if Small). At 17th level, the damage die does not increase, but the critical multiplier becomes ×3. Lastly, at 19th level, the claws ignore DR/adamantine and DR/—.

While a shifter uses wild shape to assume her aspect‘s major form, her natural attacks gain the same benefits granted by her shifter claws ability. If the form she takes has claw attacks, she can use either the base damage of her shifter claws or the damage of the form’s claws, whichever is greater. If the form does not have claw attacks, she can choose up to two natural attacks that would deal less damage than her shifter claw damage and have those attacks instead deal the same damage as her shifter claws.

Wild Empathy (Ex) current: +8
A shifter can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions as a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The shifter rolls 1d20 and adds her shifter level and Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.

To use wild empathy, the shifter and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another and under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

The shifter can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check. RACE BONUS= +2

Defensive Instinct (Ex)
At 2nd level, when unarmored, not using a shield, unencumbered, and conscious, the shifter adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC and CMD. If she is wearing nonmetal armor or using a nonmetal shield, she instead adds half her Wisdom bonus to her AC (minimum 0). In addition, the shifter gains a +1 bonus to her AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 shifter levels thereafter (up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level).

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks and when the shifter is flat-footed. She loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless. These bonuses do not stack with the monk AC bonus class feature.

Track (Ex)
At 2nd level, a shifter adds half her level as a bonus on Survival checks to follow tracks.

Woodland Stride (Ex)
At 3rd level, a shifter can move through any sort of undergrowth (such as briars, natural thorns, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Briars, thorns, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect the shifter.

Wild Shape (Su) Fixed with errate
At 4th level, a shifter gains the ability to turn herself into the major form of one of her aspects and back again. This ability functions as beast shape II, except as noted here. The shifter can turn into the major form of only one of her aspects at a time. Using wild shape to change to a major form or back is a standard action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. Often a particular aspect’s major form grants abilities beyond the normal effect of beast shape II. Each major form details the abilities the shifter gains with that major form and at what level; she gains these instead of the form abilities from beast shape II, but she still gains beast shape II abilities that are size dependent.

A shifter loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal of that form can make, but she can communicate with other animals of the same general grouping as her form. She can also communicate in nonverbal ways with allies.

A shifter can use wild shape for a number of hours each day equal to her shifter level + her Wisdom modifier. It need not be consecutive but must be spent in 1 hour increments. For abilities that function based on ‘uses of wild shape,’ each hour of wild shape counts as a use.

Shifters can take feats and other abilities that require wild shape; for the purpose of qualifying for prerequisites, her effective druid level is equal to her shifter level.

Forms: Bear, Snake, Bat

Trackless Step (Ex)
At 5th level, a shifter leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She can choose to leave a trail if she so desires.

Shifter's Fury
At 6th level, a shifter gains the ability to make several ferocious attacks with the same natural weapon. Instead of attacking with all her natural weapons, the shifter can choose a single natural weapon and make a full attack with that natural weapon, gaining a second iterative attack at a –5 as if it was a manufactured weapon. When she does so, all her other natural attacks count as secondary attacks and don’t benefit from shifter’s claws. At 11th level, she gains a third iterative attack at a –10 and at 16th level, she gains a fourth iterative attack at –15.

Chimeric Aspect (Su)
At 9th level, when a shifter uses her shifter aspect ability to take on a minor form, she can choose two aspects and assume the minor form of each aspect.


Monk Class Abilities:

Bonus Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Stunning Fist

Flurry of Blows:At 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action. When making a flurry of blows, the monk can make one additional attack at his highest base attack bonus. This additional attack stacks with the bonus attacks from haste and other similar effects. When using this ability, the monk can make these attacks with any combination of his unarmed strikes and weapons that have the monk special weapon quality. He takes no penalty for using multiple weapons when making a flurry of blows, but he does not gain any additional attacks beyond what’s already granted by the flurry for doing so. (He can still gain additional attacks from a high base attack bonus, from this ability, and from haste and similar effects).

Feats:

Power Attack:-3 for 6 damage (increase every 4 BAB)

Endurance (only when picked for form): You gain a +4 bonus on the following checks and saves: Swim checks made to resist nonlethal damage from exhaustion; Constitution checks made to continue running; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march; Constitution checks made to hold your breath; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst; Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments; and Fortitude saves made to resist damage from suffocation.You may sleep in light or medium armor without becoming fatigued.

Improved Initiative: +4 init

Stunning Fist:You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus, a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). Stunning Fist forces a foe damaged by your unarmed attack to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wis modifier), in addition to dealing damage normally. A defender who fails this saving throw is stunned for 1 round (until just before your next turn). A stunned character drops everything held, can’t take actions, loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, and takes a –2 penalty to AC. You may attempt a stunning attack once per day for every four levels you have attained (but see Special), and no more than once per round. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be stunned. Special: A monk receives Stunning Fist as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. A monk may attempt a stunning attack a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk.

Improved Unarmed Strike:You are considered to be armed even when unarmed—you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when you attack foes while unarmed. Your unarmed strikes can deal lethal or nonlethal damage, at your choice.

Improved Grapple :You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a grapple combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +2 bonus on checks made to grapple a foe. You also receive a +2 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to grapple you.

Kraken Style 5: When you succeed at a grapple check while using this style, your opponent takes an amount of bludgeoning damage equal to your Wisdom modifier in addition to any damage your grapple deals, such as when you choose to harm your opponent as part of a successful check to maintain a grapple. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks to maintain a grapple.

Improved Natural Attack-bite 7Benefit: Choose one of the creature’s natural attack forms (not an unarmed strike). The damage for this natural attack increases by one step on the following list, as if the creature’s size had increased by one category. Damage dice increase as follows: 1d2, 1d3, 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 2d6, 3d6, 4d6, 6d6, 8d6, 12d6.

Teamwork feat with Foxy:Ally Shield 9 : Whenever you are the target of a melee or ranged attack and are adjacent to an ally who also has this feat, you can initiate this feat to skillfully pull the abettor into harm’s way or dodge behind the abettor as an immediate action.
You gain cover against that attack (and only that attack). If the attack misses you but would have hit you if not for the cover bonus to your armor class, the abettor becomes the target of the attack and the attacker must make a new attack roll (with all the same modifiers) against the abettor’s armor class.

Vital strike 11: When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. Roll the weapon’s damage dice for the attack twice and add the results together before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities (such as flaming), precision-based damage, and other damage bonuses. These extra weapon damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.

improved Vital strike 13: roll weapon damage dice three times!

Skills:

Skills 4 ranks per level, 1 favored class rank (69 ranks total)(-1 because of monk level not favored class)

Acrobatics:8 (3 dex+2 rank+3 class)... snake form: 12 (+4 racial)
Bluff: 0 (-2 charisma + 2 ring)
Climb: 10 (2 rank+2 race, +3 class skill, +3 str)
Diplomacy: 0 (-2 charisma + 2 ring)
Escape Artist: 3 (+3 dex)
Fly: 13 (3 dex, 9 rank, 3 class)
Heal: 4 (4 wisdom)
Intimidate: 0 (-2 charisma + 2 ring)
Knowledge Nature: 11 (8 ranks, 3 class, 0 intel)
Perception: 21 (14 ranks, 3 class, 4 wisdom)
Ride: 3 (3 dex)
Sense Motive: 7 (3 wisdom, 3 class, 1 rank)
Stealth: 20 (14 rank, 3 class, 3 dex)... snake form: 22 (+4 racial)
Survival: 21 (14 rank,4 wisdom, 3 class)
Survival (follow tracks):26 (13 rank,4 wisdom, 3 class, 6 level)
Swim: 9 (3 str, 5 rank, 3 class)

Background Skills (2 per level)

Profession (Woodcutter)(Wis): 20 (13 rank, 4 wisdom, 3 class)
Craft (Armor)(Int): 16 (13 rank, 3 class)

Special Abilities from GM:

Boon of the Monkey King grants: Johann and Ogon Fox once per week when within 30 feet of each other, one or the other can invigorate his ally with an insult or backhanded compliment, acting as a channel positive energy that can only affect the two of you, as a cleric of level equal to character level!

Boon of St Cecilia: grants one time only a second saving throw against an effect when a save is failed

The Boon of the Brothers Reunited: the next time you are below half your maximum hit point total, you recall the joy of this reunion of Bear and Fox and are fully healed of all damage! One time use, you can choose to use it when reduced to below half max hp.

Appearance and Personality and Party Role:

Johann is a wildman. When in human form, his long black hair, tinged with grey, curls around his shoulder, and his thick chest hair curls out from his armor. But honestly, Johann is only in human form when dealing with humans. He almost always stays skinchanged... In this form, he stays on two legs, but hunches over as if his body just desires to be on all fours. His face is a twisted mix between a human and a bear, with intelligent human eyes combined with ferocious teeth and a bear-like snout. Thick skin and hair covers Johann's body, and long claws emerge from his finger tips.

Johann wants nothing more than to fully become a bear. His skinwalker heritage has brought him close, but by embracing the way of the shifter, Johann hopes that soon he will be able to make a more powerful transition. He is a good-hearted person, who believes in rule of law and of sentient beings being good to each other, but he is not exactly suave in his social dealings, and he allows himself little time to practice at it either, spending close to none of his life in civilization. Those who get to know Johann though, see him as a dedicated friend and someone who will lay down his life for those weaker than he.

Johnann talks in a big booming voice. He is not quite cognizant of how loud he must sound; kind of a mix between the Tick and that really loud talker from Parks and Rec.

Hopefully Johann will function as tank, with a decent though not stellar AC and a very large HP pool.

Biography:

In the Year of Our Lord 1378

Once upon a time, in a little mining village named Sulzburg, a young man by the name of Hans Kaltegboren was returning from war. The newly crowned ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, Wenceslas, son of Charles IV, was proving rather incompetent in his rulership and civil wars were erupting across the region. Injured badly from a leg wound, Hans was nursed back to health and sent home, his value as a soldier diminished.

His return to the village of his childhood was sad, however, when he learned neither his parents nor his little brother survived the various battles throughout the Holy Roman Empire. He was forced to learn the brutal trade of mining, which with a bad leg, took nearly all his energy every day and left him with barely enough to eat. Hans grew bitter and resentful at the world.

One day, raising his fists to the sky, he cursed and screamed, "My soul for wealth!". And at that moment, the devil Lucifer appeared to him and offered to make him rich if for seven years he would not cut his hair, clip his nails, bathe, or pray, and wear a coat and cloak that he would give him. At the end, if he survived, then he would be rich and free. If he died during the time, the devil would have him. The desperate miner agreed and the devil gave him a green coat telling him he would find its pockets always full of limitless money and then a bearskin, telling him that he must sleep in it and would be known as Bearskin because of it.

Bearskin set out, and gave much money to the poor so that they would pray for him, and hope the gods would bless him to live out the seven years. After several years, he grew so revolting that he had to pay heavily to get any shelter. In the fourth year, he heard an old man lamenting and Bearskin persuaded him to tell his tale: the old man had lost all his money, did not know how to provide for his daughters and could not pay a crooked innkeeper, so he would be sent to jail. Bearskin paid the innkeeper and gave the old man a purse of gold as well.

The old man said that he would marry him to one of his daughters in gratitude. The oldest ran away, screaming, from the sight. The middle one said he was worse than a bear that had tried to pass itself off as human. The youngest one agreed to fulfill her father's promise. Bearskin gave her half a ring and promised to return in three years. Her sisters ridiculed her at length.

At the end of the seven years, Bearskin found the devil again and demanded he fulfill his promise. Lucifer then proceeded to bathe Bearskin, clip his nails and cut his hair until he was as good as new. Bearskin then demanded that the devil say the Lord's Prayer. The devil warned Bearskin not to push his luck as he has already won their bargain, and disappeared. Clean and with his money, he dressed himself as a fine gentleman and went to the old man's house, where the older sisters served him, and his bride showed no reaction to him. He told the old man that he would marry one of his daughters. The two older sisters ran off to dress splendidly, and Bearskin dropped his half of the ring into a wine cup and gave it to his bride. She drank it and realized that he was her promised groom from many years ago.

They married. Upon realizing who he was and what they gave up, one sister hanged herself in rage and the other drowned herself. That night, the devil knocked on the door to tell Bearskin that he had gotten two souls for the price of one. Hans did not care; by this point he was a cool, heartless man, who cared only for himself, his own money, and his own lust, when he looked at his beautiful bride.

The next day, Bearskin went to remove the bearskin rug after all these years and realized that it was molded to his skin! And soon enough, the hair grew back, the claws grew back, and Bearskin realized to his chagrin that he might have the devil's money, but he would be forever trapped in the guise of a half-bear, half-man. His wife, Ingrid, was not happy with her ugly husband but appreciated the wealth, and honestly feared for her life near him, so dared not leave. Bearskin was mocked and reviled in public, despite his wealth, and forced to take his wife and new son Johann into the Black Forest, to escape the problems of society.

Little Johann spent his earliest years in the woods, in a beautiful house, with his parents. His mother loved him very much; his father was cold, but not cruel. Johann took on the traits of his father; a strange human-like bear with sharp teeth and a blunt snout, and the uncanny ability to sniff out smells and climb trees. But unlike his father-perhaps the influence of the mother- Johann was able to transform back and forth between human and bear-human appearance. As a toddler, he would do so constantly, not even knowing what he was doing.

But this life was short-lived. One day, when the family was out a hunting, a little blonde girl named Goldilocks wandered onto the beautiful house in the woods. As little blonde girls are wont to do, she let herself in and tried out their chairs (smashing Johann's chair in the process), ate some porridge (Johann's was just right), and wrapped it all up by taking a nice nap in Johann's bed. Bearskin and his family came back to the house and found her there, and how she screamed and jumped and ran when she caught sight of his horribleness.

Running back to town, she told her father what she saw, lying a good amount to cover up her disappearance, as Goldilocks was not allowed to leave the safety of the town. The father, Gaston, convinced that something monstrous must have stolen her virginity, flamed the villagers' wrath and led them on a murderous rampage to the house in the Black Woods. "We must kill the beast!" Torches and pitchforks waving in the air, the mob barricaded the doors of the house, locking Bearskin, Ingrid, and Johann inside! With the smoke about to consume them all, Bearskin broke a small window and pushed the three year old Johann out the hole, where he was able to use his bear claws to climb down the siding and hide in the woods!

Johann was alone, and forced to watch his house burn down. He stayed behind a tree all night long, smelling the smoke and death. Eventually, the townsfolk disappeared; never catching a glimpse of him. But Johann was alone, in the Black Forest.

That would have been the end of the three year old skinwalker, but perhaps the Triune God was watching that night, for the next morning, attracted by the smoke, a kindly-hearted old man and woman approached the house. A sound of crying wrenched their hearts, and they look to the noise to see a small strange looking boy with tears running down his face. They were immediately filled with love and compassion and easily put two and two together about what happened to his parents. They gathered Johann up their arms, and with hugs and kisses brought him back to their own humble Black Forest cottage, and raised Johann as their own.

Though poor, the two were loving and kind, and had always wanted a child of their own but never were lucky enough to have one. Johann grew up big... very big... under their care. The old man was a woodcutter, and taught Johann the proper ways to hold an axe and taught him of the woods and tracking animals. The little old woman was a terrific cook and baker, and had special recipes for sugary gummy bears and gingerbread.

Johann got to know other denizens of the woods, too. He was ugly though, and talked extremely loud with little self awareness, and no one loved him like his parents, or even liked him that much. A gnome youth, Rumpelstiltskin, was particularly mean to Johann and would insult Johann for his ugly appearance while parading around in his golden spun clothes. I hate that rich prick, thought Johann every time Rumpelstiltkin would show off another new expensive toy or masterwork clothing.

Johann was a passionate youth, as most are, and would often go to the tall tower in the woods several miles away to stare at the long blonde hair of the maiden Rapunzel, blowing in the breeze. But a guy like me could never get a girl like that...

The years went by and by. Johann had a happy life with his parents, despite teenage angst and bullies, and learned how to be a man, how to be good to others, and follow laws and rules.

Perhaps the happiest day of Johann's life was when his mother, desiring another son, created a boy made of gingerbread and prayed that the gods would bring him life. And the gods, perhaps rewarding this kind soul, did that exact thing! The little boy jumped up and immediately became part of the family. And Johann had a brother! Despite their age difference, the two became fast friends and Johann was a great big brother, teaching Ginger all he knew.

But Ginger was ever a bit of a wild child, and one day just started running and yelling, "You can't catch me!", and was soon out of sight. With his tracking skills and scent ability, Johann followed his brother's delicious smells day and night. Eventually, on the other side of a river, Johann saw something that broke his heart. A wet fox, curled up and sleeping in a den, with gingerbread crumbs on his mouth! Enraged, Johann swiped his claws at the fox and killed him. Other signs about the den made it clear; his brother was dead, brutally murdered by this evil fox.

Further investigation showed that the fox was a wanted criminal; known far and wide as a serial killer; an arsonist who would light his tail on fire and run through grain fields; a felon who stole cheese from birds, and a terrorist who would wreaked havok on the forest's mice kingdom. Johann's status grew immensely, and others in the woods came to respect the teenage boy. Rumpelstiltskin bought him a nice set of masterwork armor, and Rapunzel even looked down from her tower and winked!

But his parents were crushed with the loss of their gingerbread son, and being very old at this point, never recovered. His mother died first, refusing to eat, and Johann's father died next, from sadness. He was alone again, at the age of 18.

But Johann stayed in the woods, in the cottage where he grew up, as the Black Forest was his life. He continued on as a woodcutter, and after the business of the fox, the creatures of the Black Forest would often approach Johann for help with their problems. Johann grew to be a protector, of sorts.

There was that one incident with the seven dwarves. They were saddled with an obsessively-compulsively clean tenant who kept unnecessarily straightening their hovel and making it impossible to find anything. Johann scared her away easily enough.

Of course there was the situation with the three pigs, three little brothers who were being terrorized by a big and bad wolf. The blasted canine kept knocking over their houses with gusts of wind. That was a tricky case, as the wolf was fast and left few tracks. Johann got him in the end though. The wolf slipped up by dressing up as a grandma to ambush a little girl with a red hood, and trapped himself in a small little cottage. Alerted by the little girl, Johann rushed into the house, keeping the exit blocked all the while, and ended the wolf's life. The young girl was very grateful and spread Johann's name far and wide, and the grandma, it turns out, was quite beautiful for her age. She was VERY grateful. She was grateful many times, in fact.

So life passed well for Johann, for many decades. He was a protector of the Black Forest, and people appreciated him. He was still as ugly as ever, but his strong morals won everyone over in the end. Ah... except Rapunzel. Ever was Rapunzel in her tower, long blonde hair blowing in the wind. Ah, Rapunzel. The untouchable.

As these things go, Johann grew older and grumpier. He would still never say "no" to someone in need, but it seemed to him that after so much time in the Black Forest, he was starting to be taken for granted. He would no longer get a word of thanks, let alone some of the more fun types of rewards, after pulling kids out of trouble and killing murderous foxes and wolves. The kids these days, this new generation... No respect, never listening to his wisdom. Always playing in his lawn. He was starting to grow tired of the life as forest guardian and wondering what else could be out there for him in the wide wide world.

The Case of Hansel and Gretel is what ended up pushing him out. Two village brats wandered off in to the woods, as every child from Sulzburg eventually seemed to do. These two made the mistake of running into the hag Grindle, an old miserable witch who liked nothing more than a couple of kids to cook. Johann had watched her carefully for years, but never took any action against her, as Grindle was more or less well behaved, and kept to herself. But these two brats walked right to her house and started eating it! Yes, the house was made of candy, but that is rude. Grindle, not being able to help herself, asked them inside and was heating up the fire when Johann arrived and straightened the situation. The two kids, though, wanted to stay so they could continue to eat the witches goodies and the house! And in a fit of petulant anger, the boy reached back and then socked Johann right in his bear-snout, and ran off laughing, his sister following him in a fit of giggles.

I am too old for this. The world out there, I have never seen it. I need to know more, see more, before my life dwindles away. I'm sure there are people out there who would appreciate my help, unlike those remaining in these woods.

So with a renewed spirit, and a desire for adventurer, Johann packed up enough belongings to travel and hit the road, heading west toward France. On the road out of the Black Forest, he looked back. The trees; the shrubs; the swamps; the rivers; the lakes. He would miss it. Rapunzel's tower still stood in the middle, her hair now trailing white in the wind.

Maybe I'll see you in the next life, Rapunzel. With a sigh, Johann says goodbye, and heads out into the unknown world.

In the Year of Our Lord, 1437.

progression:

trying to figure this out since the book is full of errors

damage for claws in natural form
level 1-6: d4
level 7-10: d6
level 10-12: d8
level 13+: : d10

damage for claws in large bear form
level 4-7: d6
level 8: d8 (improved natural attack feat)
level 11:d10 (d8 base+improved natural attack)
level 13+: : 2d8 (uses the higher base damage from natural form (d10), and adds the improved natural attack feat.), 6d8 improved vital strike
level 15+: gain +1 crit multiplier (up to x4 multiplier at level 17 thanks to bonus below)

bonuses for claws in natural form or animal form:
3rd level:magic, ignore DR/cold iron and DR/silver
17th level, the damage die does not increase, but the critical multiplier goes up 1
19th level, the claws ignore DR/adamantine and DR/—.

bear bite damage
base d8
2d6 (improved natural attack bite)
2d6, 4d6 vital strike
2d6, 6d6 improved vital strike

snake bite damage
base 2d6
3d6 (improved natural attack bite)
6d6 (vital strike)
9d6 (improved vital strike)

other possible feats: rending claws, , greater grapple, shifter's rush, greater vital strike