Joy Hatori's page

Joy was born to a Tien human woman living in the slums of Absalom and an elven father who was a young adventurer stranded in the city for a time. He left the city without telling Joy's mother who died in childbirth, so that Joy doesn't know anything about her parents except a few facts about her mother and her father's name. She grew up on the streets, returning to the orphanage only for food and a place to sleep. Children at this underfunded orphanage secured modest benefits only if they had a source of income. As Joy had no special source, as she got older, she fell in with a group of artful dodgers, street hustlers, and other urchins who lived by stealing and doing small favors for those with coin.

She might have ended up a criminal if not for a kindly elven shopkeeper named Taivendlaion, nicknamed the Tiger. He was a monk and worshipped Jaidz, an empyreal Agathian lord who took the form of a black tiger with white spots and devoted himself to the fearful and cowardless and defenseless of the world. The Tiger hired Joy to work in his shop of Herbal Remedies and to run errands for him. He was a mentor although she never knew it until years later, giving her tasks that he knew would teach her courage and the resolve to stand up for herself, for she came to him a timid youngster who was often bullied by other kids into doing dangerous things for their own amusement.

She learned the fundamentals of the life of a monk without realizing that was what she was learning. She learned to meditate, exercise, practice fighting moves, all while she thought she was just doing tasks for the Tiger.

She eventually moved out of the orphanage and into the home of an influential city official, who continued her education, exposing her to the arts and a wide circle of important people, teaching her graceful manners and proper speech. This exposed her to a number of the important religions of the Inner Sea. She was drawn to Saranrae and Sheyln but her first devotion was always to Jaidz, who saw potential in her when others did not.

She was beginning to think about what to do next when she ran afoul of a navy press gang. She was part of the Absalom navy but only until they got to the next port, in Andoran, where she jumped ship and discovered the Pathfinders. She joined this group to give herself some direction without having to work a steady job, which pleased her personality plenty.

Joy has the dark hair and eyes of her Tien mother, but the slender physique and pointed ears of her father. She wears loose clothes that allow her plenty of freedom of movement, carries a few weapons while wearing no armor. She keeps her hair wrapped in a bun or ponytail when she needs to be ready for action, but wears it loose otherwise. Her body sometimes has chalk marks from tracing lines of spiritual energy that she observes during her meditation time. She then traces these with a very sharp tiger's tooth, which sometimes cuts her here and there. Joy is 5'5", 115 lb, and 22 years old.

Joy, true to her name, enjoys life as much as she can. She likes to make her own decisions and resents others who try to take this freedom away from her. But she lacks a strong drive to achieve some great ideal, preferring to let Fate direct her to her next life lesson while enjoying what pleasures she can.

+2 to One Ability Score: Half-elf characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Half-elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Half-elves have a base speed of 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: Half-elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. See Chapter 7.
Adaptability: Half-elves receive Skill Focus as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Elf Blood: Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Elven Immunities: Half-elves are immune to magic sleep effects and get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
Keen Senses: Half-elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
Multitalented: Half-elves choose two favored classes at first level and gain +1 hit point or +1 skill point whenever they take a level in either one of those classes. See Chapter 3 for more information about favored classes.
Languages: Half-elves begin play speaking Common and Elven. Half-elves with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

Alignment: Any lawful.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills
The monk’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str). Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Flurry of blows Unarmed Damage AC Bonus Fast Movement
1st___+0__+2__+2_+2_-1/-1____________1d6_______________+0_____+0 ft.
Special
1st: Bonus feat, flurry of blows, stunning fist, unarmed strike

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the monk.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Monks are proficient with the club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shortspear, short sword, shuriken, siangham, sling, and spear. Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields.
When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses his AC bonus, as well as his fast movement and f lurry of blows abilities.

AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monk levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

Flurry of Blows (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action. When doing so, he may make one additional attack, taking a –2 penalty on all of his attack rolls, as if using the Two-Weapon Fighting feat.
These attacks can be any combination of unarmed strikes and attacks with a monk special weapon (he does not need to use two weapons to utilize this ability).
For the purpose of these attacks, the monk’s base attack bonus from his monk class levels is equal to his monk level. For all other purposes, such as qualifying for a feat or a prestige class, the monk uses his normal base attack bonus.
At 8th level, the monk can make two additional attacks when he uses flurry of blows, as if using Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisites for the feat).

At 15th level, the monk can make three additional attacks using flurry of blows, as if using Greater Two-Weapon Fighting (even if the monk does not meet the prerequisites for the feat).
A monk applies his full Strength bonus to his damage rolls for all successful attacks made with flurry of blows, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand or with a weapon wielded in both hands. A monk may substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for unarmed attacks as part of a flurry of blows. A monk cannot use any weapon other than an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows. A monk with natural weapons cannot use such weapons as part of a flurry of blows, nor can he make natural attacks in addition to his flurry of blows attacks.

Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be with fist, elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes.
Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on his attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling. A monk’s unarmed strike is treated as both a
manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons. A monk also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown above on Table 3–10. The unarmed damage values listed on Table 3–10 is for Medium monks.

Bonus Feat: At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a monk may select a bonus feat. These feats must be taken from the following list: Catch Off-Guard, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Scorpion Style, and Throw Anything. A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them.

Stunning Fist (Ex): At 1st level, the monk gains Stunning Fist as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. These effects do not stack with themselves (a creature sickened by Stunning Fist cannot become nauseated if hit by Stunning Fist again), but additional hits do increase the duration.

1st level: Toughness
You have enhanced physical stamina.
Benefit: You gain +3 hit points. For every Hit Die you possess beyond 3, you gain an additional +1 hit point. If you have more than 3 Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points whenever you gain a Hit Die (such as when you gain a level).

1st level Monk: Improved Unarmed Strike
You are skilled at fighting while unarmed.
Benefit: 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.
Normal: Without this feat, you are considered unarmed when attacking with an unarmed strike, and you can deal only nonlethal damage with such an attack.

1st level Monk Bonus: Improved Grapple
You are skilled at grappling opponents.
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Improved Unarmed Strike.
Benefit: 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.
Normal: You provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a grapple combat maneuver.

1st level Half-Elf Bonus: Skill Focus (Acrobatics)
Benefit: You get a +3 bonus on all checks involving the chosen skill. If you have 10 or more ranks in that skill, this bonus increases to +6.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new skill.

1st level Monk: Stunning Fist
Benefit: 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.

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.

Sacred Touch: You were exposed to a potent source of positive energy as a child, perhaps by being born under the right cosmic sign, or maybe because one of your parents was a gifted healer. As a standard action, you may automatically stabilize a dying creature merely by touching it.