Str 10 (+0) Dex 12 (+1) Con 11 (+0) Int 14 (+2) Wis 14 (+2) Cha 20 (+5)
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Ancestry - Human (Taldan):
Skilled
Gain 1 additional skill rank at 1st level and 1 additional rank whenever they gain a level.
Bonus Feat:Iron Will
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Class - Mesmerist:
Experts at charm and deceit, mesmerists compel others to heed their words and bend to their will. Psychic powers, primarily those of enchantment and illusion, give mesmerists the tools they need to manipulate others—usually for their own personal gain. The very gaze of a mesmerist can hypnotize someone into following his whims. Mesmerists frequently form cults of personality around themselves, and they develop skills and contingency plans in case their ploys are discovered. They draw their magic from the Astral Plane, and many consider their minds to be conduits to enigmatic spaces others can’t comprehend.
Hit Dice: d8
Weapons: Simple, Hand crossbow, Sap, Sword cane, Whip
Armor: Light
Skill Points: 6 + Int modifier
Consummate Liar
A mesmerist adds 1/2 his mesmerist level (minimum 1) as a bonus on all Bluff checks. In addition, the mesmerist qualifies for the Improved Feint and Greater Feint feats, even if he doesn't have Combat Expertise or an Intelligence score of at least 13. He can also ignore Combat Expertise and an Intelligence score of 13 as prerequisites for other feats that require Improved Feint or Greater Feint.
Hypnotic Stare
A mesmerist can focus his stare on one creature within 30 feet as a swift action. That creature takes a -2 penalty on Will saving throws. This penalty changes to -3 at 8th level. A mesmerist can maintain his stare against only one opponent at a time; it remains in effect until the mesmerist stares at a new target, the opponent dies, the opponent moves farther than 30 feet away, or the mesmerist falls unconscious or dies. The mesmerist can remove the memory of his stare from the target's mind; the creature doesn't remember that it was affected (nor does it realize that it is currently being affected) unless the mesmerist allows it. The hypnotic stare is a psychic effect, and relies more on the mesmerist's focus than the target's perception of his stare. It can't be avoided in the same ways a gaze attack can. The mesmerist can use this ability even while blinded, but must succeed at a DC 20 concentration check to do so. Staring at a creature requires the mesmerist's focus, so if he uses a gaze attack or similar ability, he must target the subject of his hypnotic stare or voluntarily end the stare. The penalties from multiple mesmerists' stares don't stack, nor do they stack with penalties from witches' evil eye hexes. This is a mind-affecting effect.
Mesmerist Tricks(110 ft, 5/day) Su
A mesmerist can create hypnotic bonds with his allies, implanting magical suggestions in their minds that he can later activate. Each day, he can implant a number of these tricks equal to 1/2 his mesmerist level (minimum 1) plus his Charisma bonus (if any). He can have only one trick implanted at a given time, and implanting a new trick ends the previous one (the mesmerist still loses the use of this ability he spent on the previous trick).
To implant a trick, the mesmerist must take a standard action and either touch a willing creature or implant the trick in himself. A creature can be the subject of only one mesmerist trick at a time. The mesmerist can activate the trick as a free action when a triggering condition is met (as defined in the trick’s description), even if it isn’t his turn. The subject must be within medium range (100 feet + 10 feet per level) for the mesmerist to trigger the trick. The mesmerist monitors for the trick’s triggering condi-tion through a subtle telepathic connection, so he doesn’t need line of sight to trigger it—but anything that blocks telepathic contact prevents him from triggering tricks. An implanted trick lasts until the next time the mesmerist regains his spells.
Once triggered, a trick is no longer implanted, and can’t be triggered again until the mesmerist implants the trick again. The duration of the effect caused by triggering a trick is either instantaneous or appears in the trick’s entry. The DC for any mesmerist trick or masterful trick that requires a saving throw or skill check is 10 + 1/2 the mesmerist’s level + the mesmerist’s Charisma modifier.
The mesmerist knows one trick at 1st level, and learns another trick at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter (to a maximum of 11 tricks at 20th level). Each daily use of mesmerist tricks can be used to implant any trick the mesmerist knows. Unless specifically noted in the mesmerist trick’s description, a mesmerist can’t choose a particular trick more than once.
Painful Stare
When an attack that deals damage hits the target of a mesmerist’s hypnotic stare, the mesmerist can cause the target to take an amount of additional damage equal to 1/2 the mesmerist’s class level (minimum 1). The mesmerist can use this ability as a free action, and can use it even if it isn’t his turn. If the mesmerist uses this ability to increase his own damage, the additional damage increases by 1d6 points for every 3 class levels the mesmerist possesses. This damage is precision damage and is not multiplied on a critical hit. A mesmerist can trigger this ability only once per round, but a single creature can take damage from multiple mesmerists’ painful stares in a round.
Level 2
Towering Ego
At 2nd level, a mesmerist gains a bonus equal to his Charisma bonus (minimum 0) on Will saving throws. If the mesmerist is under any effect that would prevent him from providing the emotional component of psychic spells, he loses this bonus on saving throws.
Level 3
Touch Treatment(Minor, 7/day) - (fascinated, shaken)
At 3rd level, the mesmerist can help allies shake off harmful conditions - especially those that affect their minds - by channeling psychic energy through his healing hands. He can use touch treatment a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. Using the ability is a standard action (or a swift action if the mesmerist uses it on himself), and the mesmerist must be able to touch his target. He can remove one condition from one target each time he uses this ability. At 3rd level, he can remove any condition on the minor conditions list. At 6th level, he can remove any condition on the minor or moderate conditions list, and at 10th level, he can remove any condition on the minor, moderate, or greater conditions list.
Bold StarePsychic Inception
The hypnotic stare and its penalty can affect creatures that are mindless or immune to mind-affecting effects (such as an undead or vermin). The mesmerist can also partially affect such a creature with his mind-affecting spells and abilities if it’s under the effect of his hypnotic stare; it gains a +2 bonus on its saving throw (if any), and if affected, it still has a 50% chance each round of ignoring the effect. Ignoring the effect doesn’t end the effect, but does allow the creature to act normally for that round.
Level 5
Manifold Tricks(two tricks)
At 5th level, the mesmerist can have two tricks implanted at a time. The number of concurrent tricks increases by one for every 4 mesmerist levels he possesses beyond 5th. Each creature can still be the subject of only one trick at a time. If the mesmerist implants a new trick while he already has his maximum number of concurrent tricks implanted, he must choose one implanted trick to dismiss without triggering (the dismissed trick still expends a daily use of the mesmerist's tricks).
Mental Potency(+1)
At 5th level, the mesmerist can affect more powerful creatures or a greater number of creatures than normal with his mental effects. Both the HD limit and the total number of HD affected with each enchantment or illusion spell he casts increase by 1. For enchantment and illusion spells he casts that target a number of creatures greater than one, the number of creatures affected also increases by one (so a spell that targets one creature per level would be affected, but a spell that targets only one creature would not be). For example, a 5th-level mesmerist could affect 5 HD worth of creatures with sleep, affect 2d4+1 HD worth of creatures with hypnotism, and change the categories for color spray to "3 HD or fewer," "4 or 5 HD," and "6 or more HD." The number of additional HD or creatures increases by an additional 1 for every 5 levels beyond 5th, to a maximum increase of 4 at 20th level.
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Traits:
Charming
You gain a +1 trait bonus when you use Bluff or Diplomacy on a character that is (or could be) sexually attracted to you, and a +1 trait bonus to the save DC of any language-dependent spell you cast on such characters or creatures.
Extremely Fashionable(Intimidate)
You really know how to make a good impression when you’re dressed well. Whenever you are wearing clothing and/or jewelry worth at least 150 gp (and not otherwise covered in gore, sewage, or other things that mar your overall look), you gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks. One of these skills (your choice) is a class skill for you.
Fencer
You trained long hours as a youth with blades, either taking lessons in the genteel art of fencing from tutors paid for by your parents or by being taken under the wing of a disenfranchised fencer who may have turned to a life of crime. You gain a +1 trait bonus on attacks of opportunity made with daggers, swords, and similar bladed weapons.
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Feats:
1st Level
Iron Will
You get a +2 bonus on all Will saving throws.
Persuasive
You get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
2nd Level
Martial Weapon Proficiency:Rapier
You make attack rolls with the selected weapon normally (without the non-proficient penalty).
5th Level
Deceitful
You get a +2 bonus on all Bluff and Disguise skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
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Tricks:
Level 1
Mask Misery(delay minor) (Su)
The subject can shrug off a condition for a short time before succumbing to it. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject becomes affected by a minor condition listed under the touch treatment ability. The subject can ignore the effect of that condition for 1d4 rounds, after which the subject takes the full effect. This has no effect on any conditions affecting the subject other than the triggering condition, even if those other effects are also listed under touch treatment. The rounds during which the subject ignores the triggering effect still count against that effect’s duration; if the duration of mask misery is longer than the effect lasts, the subject isn’t affected by the condition at all. If an effect that imposes more than one condition triggers this trick, the subject ignores all eligible conditions. If the mesmerist is 6th level or higher, he adds the moderate conditions to the conditions he can ignore with this trick, and this trick ends minor conditions entirely instead of suppressing them temporarily. The mesmerist doesn’t need to have touch treatment to choose or use this trick.
Level 2
Mesmeric Mirror(1 duplicate, 2 minutes) (Su)
This spell creates a number of illusory doubles of you that inhabit your square. These doubles make it difficult for enemies to precisely locate and attack you. When mirror image is cast, 1d4 images plus one image per three caster levels (maximum eight images total) are created. These images remain in your space and move with you, mimicking your movements, sounds, and actions exactly. Whenever you are attacked or are the target of a spell that requires an attack roll, there is a possibility that the attack targets one of your images instead. If the attack is a hit, roll randomly to see whether the selected target is real or a figment. If it is a figment, the figment is destroyed. If the attack misses by 5 or less, one of your figments is destroyed by the near miss. Area spells affect you normally and do not destroy any of your figments. Spells and effects that do not require an attack roll affect you normally and do not destroy any of your figments. Spells that require a touch attack are harmlessly discharged if used to destroy a figment. An attacker must be able to see the figments to be fooled. If you are invisible or the attacker is blind, the spell has no effect (although the normal miss chances still apply).
Level 3 False Flanker()
A duplicate of the mesmerist appears momentarily, as though he were fighting in tandem with the subject. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject moves into or begins her turn in a square where she threatens an enemy. An illusory duplicate of the mesmerist appears in any unoccupied space adjacent to that enemy. This duplicate counts as threatening the enemy for the purposes of determining flanking, but can’t actually make attacks. The duplicate disappears at the end of the turn during which the trick is triggered. This is an illusion (figment) effect, and a creature that interacts with the false flanker can attempt a saving throw to disbelieve the effect.
Appraise +2 (+3 class skill, Int +2)
Handle Animal -- (Cha +4)
Knowledge (history) +8 (3 ranks, +3 class skill, Int +2)
Knowledge (nobility) +10 (5 ranks, +3 class skill, Int +2)
Linguistics +6 (1 rank, +3 class skill, Int +2)
Sleight of Hand +5 (1 rank, +3 class skill, Dex +1)
Louis is a handsome man and carries himself with the confidence of one born and bred to walk among the powerful. He's built well, but on the slender side. His honey-colored hair is always perfect coifed and it brings out his green eyes to perfection. Something about those eyes hints at an exotic heritage, but nothing specific could be pointed at. His voice is a smooth, entrancing tenor and his words are measured and careful.
Always well dressed and never seen without a elegant pendant with a stone matching the color of his eyes, it's not uncommon for him to have an ontourage of hopeful suitors (of all genders).
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Background:
With one mother recognized as second only to Queen Eutropia in power in Taldor and the other in control of an estimated two-thirds of the city's underworld, Louis had a lot of privilege growing up, along with a lot of expectations. Both he and his older sister were groomed for power from an early age, but when she ran off to pursue her heart, many of those expectations and responsibilities fell solely to him.
Upon her return, he took his opportunity to escape and make his own way in the world. Now that didn't mean that he had to give up everything - coin does provide advantages in life, after all - but he did give up his name all all the weight it carried. So, taking the last name of a Varisian girl he'd had a crush on in his youth, Louis Carrius Bartelby Mai d'Valois became Louis Cardelea.
After travelling for a bit, he found life in Andoran suited his temperment. It lacked the stuffiness and traditions of Taldor, but there was enough political intrigue to pique his interest. Having been trained for the maneuvering required in the Taldan state halls it was hard to give it up entirely.
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The Backer
Money makes the world go round – that’s as true in republican Andoran as it is in decadent Taldor or profit obsessed Druma. Councillor Trand may have won the election, but you made sure that he did. You want something, power, access, new opportunities and he wants your money. That’s the very definition of a mutually beneficial relationship.
Secret #1 - Power-Hungry
You're addicted to power. You take a –2 penalty on Will saving throws against charm and compulsion effects if the creature creating the effect promises wealth or power.
