Kedeshah Arcn's page

What is Good?

Okay, I'm not gonna go that deep with it. But, in rolling a Paladin, there's an express need for a mutual understanding of the alignment, at least for mechanical purposes, and most especially with the Enlightened archetype.

Enlightened paladins meditate on self-perfection and train relentlessly, knowing that their example can inspire others to excel. Enlightened paladins follow no universal paladin code—each paladin in his service creates his own code as part of his spiritual journey, seeing the adherence to such a self-formulated creed as one of the many tests one must face to reach perfection.

Code of Conduct

A paladin must be of lawful good alignment and loses all class features except proficiencies if she ever willingly commits an evil act.

Additionally, a paladin’s code requires that she respect legitimate authority, act with honor (not lying, not cheating, not using poison, and so forth), help those in need (provided they do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends), and punish those who harm or threaten innocents.

Nowhere do I see the archetype expressly remove the Class Feature that mandated a LG alignment. It's finicky wording at best.

Personally, I'm fine with the LG restriction. I had even considered opting for nonlethal damage during combat where killing isn't necessary. But, she has Profession: Courtesan, and I intended to make use of that (with almost every level of background skill); that might not be "Good" by some interpretations.

I'm forced to insert the "history is written by the winners" argument into this. If Kedeshah is benefiting others, even circuitously (prostituting for information to gain political clout, thus furthering her legal influence and making her better able to help people with her background), would those actions make her less intrinsically "Good?"

Consider a traditional Paladin, in an outright war with fiendish outsiders (Worldwound, or even Tar Baphon); said Paladin is alone with a human evil-person siding with the enemy, who has vital information that could very well save the planet, but they're trapped. Would the Paladin torture the evil person to get the information? And, would that be less "Good"?

For Kedeshah, there would be no hesitation: she would have the information. As a player, I'm cool with the Atonement after, provided there is a reasonable time in which to do so. But, as I see it, she would not be atoning for her actions. In light of the monastic bend of all of this build, she'd be focusing herself, girding and centering on her purpose, so that she is not given in to the lure of violence and Evil; this is opposed to the "traditional" view of the Paladin feeling guilty for what she had done, and praying not only for herself, but for forgiveness from her deity and for the soul of her enemy. Kedeshah prays to no deity (not for power, anyway), and believes that Evil, even among mortals, deserves what Fate brings. Most of the traditional "godly blessings" have been flavored out of the archetype, and I'm pulling it all flavor-wise with the tristalt monk bend. I'm all for developing faith as the campaign goes along, however, but at this point in her life, Kedeshah hasn't had much love for the gods.

This is all pending on selection anyway, but for the moment, I'm going to leave her statblock with a LN alignment. Mechanically, her Aura is tied to Law anyway, so I'm not sure why it would really matter what the other axis sits on, so long as it's not abjectly evil. All you though, and I'll work it either way.

I don't anticipate varying from these three classes. My only consideration would be dropping either Magus or Paladin around the half-way mark of your campaign (whatever that might be) in exchange for a full caster (probably Arcanist); it depends on how the campaign goes, but this seems highly unlikely.

RE: Changes to the Enlightened Paladin. Adding Spell Combat in might be a bit much at the later levels, but Feral Combat Training already exists as a feat. Can I have it in-lieu of the Unarmed Strike feature via Paladin? We can worry about the spell combat part if I'm chosen.

As far as character progression goes, I'm looking at the various style feats, including the Outslug Style line, Kirin Style and Kirin Strike, Combat Reflexes, Lunge (for Outslug), and Combat Style Master. Beyond that, I'm not entirely sure, save that my 3rd Level character feat is going to Improved Improvisation. I'll likely stick to the martial line entirely, with spells as just handy backups, unless, as mentioned before, the campaign focus shifts to a more caster-heavy role.

Also, RE: the Exotic Weapon from Kensai: What I'd like (Orc Hornbow, which I'd just flavor as Greatbow) I couldn't afford at this point anyway. Since you were okay with getting the prof, how about I have it, but I can't “use it” until I get the weapon and practice a few times? Flavorful, and fun (and, it gives me a ranged attack other than damage or a standard bow).

Spells: 1d9 ⇒ 41d8 ⇒ 81d7 ⇒ 51d6 ⇒ 51d5 ⇒ 31d4 ⇒ 4
9d170 ⇒ (164, 67, 58, 118, 46, 43, 119, 32, 4) = 651

Her spellbook is random. Starting and the 2/level gain I'm going to mostly-randomize; if the gen lands on a non-Magus spell, I'll pick the nearest one.

Deformity 2: 1d36 ⇒ 12 - The pupils of your eyes resemble a cat’s, and beasts cannot abide your presence. You take a –2 penalty on Handle Animal and Ride checks.
Note: Original result. Previewing a number of times can change it, and I have been.

See below.

With the potential for a very high AC (by 3 it's 24, and that's pretty incredible for no armor), coupled with a full BAB, full saves, and different, if somewhat limited, spellcasting options, and with the out-of-combat benefits of total skill access (all but 4 untrained are at +5), I felt a bit munchkin-esque. I decided I wanted to cripple the character, even if only slightly, to help balance it a bit, especially given my first deformity roll (the fur, for -4 vs heat) is weak, and conditions to use that might feel forced. This one isn't much better, but at least it knocked two skills down some, and I could see situational trickery for having those disadvantages.

Similarly, I've decided to randomize her spellbook. It was inherited from her "father" (see below), and with magic as guarded and treasured as you indicate, it makes sense that she wouldn't have a total range of choices. I can always find ways to add more to the list, but this adds another layer of grit that appeals to me.

That all being said, I'd like to propose a bargain for the duplicate abilities between Monk and the archetyped Paladin, which would benefit me. Despite all of the above, the she only has a 10 Con and 12 Str, and those are fairly hefty hits on an unarmed, unarmored melee character. If I'm selected, and this only becomes necessary to answer should you choose me, I would like to make the following changes to the Enlightened Paladin:

(Level 1:) Remove Unarmed Strike. Replace with the ability to combine Natural Attacks with Flurry of Blows, changing the claws to Secondary attacks (for a -5 to hit and 1/2 Str bonus to dmg{0}) as well as suffering from the -2 penalty from Flurry. This is a lot of iteratives, but I do little damage, and have better things to magically buff than Strength, so the extra damage will likely never increase. And, that's a lot of miss. +3(IUS)/+3(IUS)/-3(Claw)/-3(Claw) at 1st.
This has a flavor component too; see below.

(Level 5:) Remove Ki Pool. Replace with the ability to substitute the two attacks with the highest BAB from Flurry and one of the Claw attacks to use Spell Combat as part of a Full-Attack action combining FoB/Claws, with the additional -2 from Spell Combat applying to all attacks. At 5, this is an additional Claw on top of spell combat/spellstrike, with both having a -4 to hit. It doesn't scale much better; at 15, I'd have +6(UAS)/+6(UAS)/+6(Claw)/+6(Spellstrike Claw)/+1(IUS)/+1(IUS) {+Dex}, which is the same number of attacks as a Monk but with radically reduced hit. I would need a massive Dex boost to up those numbers anywhere near broken, IMO. Although, in fairness, I do start getting bonuses to hit from Int via Kensai at some point, but this is still at present only +3 more, and still a far cry from the +13 base Monk.

Call this new ability "Onslaught of the Storm" or the like. Something to think about.

Senses are funny things; while they allow us to interact with our world, they draw forth our memories, to make sense of the input. A blossom of color in a dingy tavern brings back a time of playful spring mornings, dancing across the newly-plowed fields; a whiff of fruit hearkens to pies at harvest and warm fires and cider; a taste of honey to sweeten the bitterness of her latest Night Tea overdose reminds of the pain of bee stings and the sharp, biting cold of winter; and the brush of her next patron recalls the rough, strong hands that yanked Kedeshah from her straw mat in the dead of night when she was just a young girl, before she could even truly understand 'birthday'.

She will always remember the screams of chaos, the harsh scent of copper as she was hauled passed the corpse of her father, the bitter taste of the bile that welled in her throat as she caught sight of his entrails strewn across the dinner table and his head resting atop a pike in their yard. Nor can any number of years erase the wails of her mother, one final grasp brushing against Kedeshah's reaching hand, or the sight of her mother bursting aflame, the scent of flesh reaching beyond the horrid, melted slag of her home to remind her that she had not had a good meal in weeks, and she was hungry.

Memory is a funny thing. Kedeshah recalls spending years locked in a chest, only the slightest of holes for air, her and the seven other children crammed inside by the slavers sporadically released only long enough to be doused in water, tossed moldy food, and reorganized before returning to the dark, wet, heat of captivity; it could not have been more than a few months. Yet the years of her childhood, before she could be called a woman, seemed naught but a blurred minute, the endless nights in the company of deplorable men graciously reduced to vague recollections; wine with coriander still makes her queasy, and the fur on her back, when in need of a trim and tickling her neck, brings a small bit of comfort in the form of Halfling feet. The Halflings had been her favorites; they were the most gentle.

Kedeshah's fingertips still ache, even her bones unable to forget the years of harsh filing done to her natural claws; though, she looks with fondness on their blood red, dyed tips, an accessory she added in honor of her first eye, gouged from the socket of one particularly vile owner, only one of so very many she had been owed in her life. It was one of the first moments that would define who she came to be as she grew into a woman.

Though she can scant recall when the change occurred, it seemed overnight that the list of her forced clientele changed drastically. Gone were the Halflings, and the most egregious of perverts; in their place were men who found themselves in the swell of her breasts, or lost themselves in the curls of her auburn hair.

Fate is a funny thing. While some women covet and grow envious of the beauty of others, as Kedeshah grew into her own, what these would consider a blessing was her curse; she grew tall, lithe, and voluptuous, which only made her a greater asset to her owners, and cursed with greater demand.

Kedeshah could have chosen to remain demure, passively giving herself over to those who would take regardless, but she had been born stubborn, and that was all the worse. Even the Gacci family would have difficulty stomaching the particular delights of her customers, as her violent and uncooperative nature forced her to be bound, gagged, and restrained when at the workplace, and such accommodations catered to a taste most foul.

Yet Fate would smile upon Kedeshah when an arrogant, cocksure client deigned to set her free. Large and burly, the symphony of breaking bones was muffled by his physique, but the freed whore danced with glee all her own as she splintered and fractured as much of the man's body as would crunch under her heel.

Many would call the smile cruel, as Kedeshah still bears scars dotting her back, mementos of the severe flaying she endured as a result of her insolence. Yet, without forcing her "employers" to seek Arcane healing (and avoid the minions of Mother Grace), to save their treasured asset, Arcnoryn Horalskstein would likely have never laid his eyes on the poor girl; a hefty, but still reduced due to her state, sum of money was procured on the spot, and Kedeshah became the property of the first man she would consider family in decades.

Family is a funny thing. Arcnoryn recognized immediately that this was no human girl of poor genes, and once she was able to function once again, educated Kedeshah of her true heritage; she learned much from Arcnoryn, though despite the Wizard's keen intellect and grasp of magic, why she had never received her Hag's calling remained a mystery.

Her new home, a delightful manor in the hills of Fallowshire, grew swiftly familiar, akin as it was to her youthful, though forgotten, farmhouse scant miles away; this was aided by Arcnoryn, who purchased Kedeshah for her freedom, and, advanced in age, treated her as a young granddaughter. Kedeshah was truly blessed for the first time in a great while.

She spent many days, nose buried in one of the many books of Arcnoryn's library; she began to attend his magical dealings, slowly developing a grasp of the Arcane Arts and changing her role from rescued orphan to authentic Apprentice. Taught the basics of magic, and spending long hours listening diligently when Arcnoryn would host his peers for nights of topical debates and magical theorizing, Kedeshah was an apt pupil, highly intelligent and socially adept despite her upbringing, surprising even the Mages once or twice with her knack for finding a way to just make 'it' work.

Over all, it was a good life.

Optimisim is a funny thing. Kedeshah had gone alone to reference a legal library in Mourneyshire; Arcnoryn's training was working to remove some of her bitter vindictiveness at the slave traders, and as a result she began pursuing the path of law, investing what spare energy she had into litigious practices and legal verbage. Kedeshah hoped one day to become an advocate for social rights, particularly for women.

She was optimistic, looking always at the benefits of a situation with hindsight, rather than the negatives; Arcnoryn had taught her that, too. The incredible rage Kedeshah flew into, upon returning home to find her only family turned into a bloated, undead abomination, caused her to forget her quest for legal justice, and much of what the second man she'd loved had taught her, as she launched upon his assailant. She does not lament the loss of her comfortable life, and instead she recalls that an upward, angled strike to the back of an opponent's skull, in the place where the tendons disappear, will shift the plate enough to grasp it with her claws and rip free the section of bone; neither does she consider the vast amount of knowledge lost that day, but instead, that a quick slice along the bottom will detach an exposed brain, an organ with enough heft and sponginess to choke a spell from a rival Necromancer's throat, and one also moist enough to distract his vision, if just so long as to allow time to bite out the thick, blue veins in his throat.

She remains optimistic now, as she gains respite in the quiet hamlet of Wicken. Opportunities exist everywhere in this world for Kedeshah to find what she seeks; whether justice through the courts, or vengeance in spite of the law, one day she will find peace. Somehow, she knows, she'll figure out just what "peace" means.

The bartender is a gruff fellow with a surly disposition.

The bar is filled with the rowdy chatter and bad singing that is to be expected of such a disreputable tavern. The bar is the only place with any seats left and you make your way over.

"Take a seat," the burly barkeep says sourly, "be with you in a moment. I'm a little busy"

Looking around, you can't help but notice that even as full as the tavern is, the barkeep isn't serving any drinks.

Krogath climbs into a seat, but only to be at better height to address the barkeep. He raps his knuckles hard against the counter, a broad and obviously insincere smile crossing his face.

"Dear friend, perhaps I am a bit confused. You say you are busy, yet I do not see libations flowing freely. Are you not concerned with business?" Krogath raises his voice, banging on the counter yet again. "Perhaps our coin is not good enough for one such as you? In either case, 'tis a terrible way to run an establishment, and your customers deserve better!"

Procuring a few mixed coins from his purse, the Dwarf plops them on the bar in a stack. "I, and the good people around me, would like ale. See to it that getting drinks for us is what keeps you busy!"