Lucius Difax's page

Lucius Difax was born and raised in the slums of Westcrown. There, he learned to hide in the shadows; he learned to outwit and to lie. He learned to survive. Still, he had nothing and raged both against the decadent nobles and the dangerous Council of Thieves.

He was only a boy when his parents died and his uncle took him under his wing. His uncle revealed himself to be the leader of a diabolist cult, and he promised the coming of a new day. Lucius had a home and, more importantly, a purpose. The diabolists became his family.

His uncle taught him to be the aggressor, and not the victim. He showed him how to fight. He taught him how to think, how to understand the hearts of men, and how to manipulate people in bending to his will. When his cult was attacked during the civil war, Lucius narrowly escaped.

He traveled for years. Talented and affable, he earned his keep in any number of ways, and soon showed himself to be an excellent story-teller. His stories were ever memorable, and his renown grew. Always wary, he kept out of trouble. But whenever diabolists were targeted, he… transformed. His rage boiled, and his need for vengeance surfaced. At night, he would go out and keep an eye out for any who would harm what he called his people. And when he found them…

To this end, he created The Bogeyman. In inns and pubs, he would tell stories of this terrifying monster who roamed the streets and killed in the name of Asmodeus. And at night, as this infamous creature, he would terrorize the enemies of Asmodeus.

When House Throne ascended to the throne, his purpose had new meaning and legitimacy…

Primary motivator: balance through torment
Emotional disposition: joyful and even-tempered
Outlook: optimistic & hopeful
Integrity:
Impulsiveness: controlled & thoughtful
Boldness: cautious & vigilant
Agreeableness: agreeable & affable
Interactivity: engaging & entertaining
Conformity: heterodox & rebellious
Mental disorder: Dissociative identity disorder

Focused Study (Intimidate, Stealth): All humans are skillful, but some, rather than being generalists, tend to specialize in a handful of skills. At 1st, 8th, and 16th level, such humans gain Skill Focus in a skill of their choice as a bonus feat. This racial trait replaces the bonus feat trait.

Heart of the Slums : Humans who eke out a life in a city's teeming slums must be quick and clever. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Sleight of Hand and Stealth checks, and a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks in urban and underground settings. In addition, they may roll twice when saving against disease, taking the better roll. This racial trait replaces skilled.

Affable: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks to gather information, and can do so in half the normal time. In addition, Diplomacy and Knowledge (local) are always class skills for you.

Demoralizing Presence: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Intimidate checks made to demoralize opponents.

Memorable: Growing up amid a large number of children, you learned quickly how to get others’ attention and keep it. When you modify a character’s attitude with the Diplomacy or Intimidate skill, the attitude change lasts 1-1/2 times longer than it otherwise would. Whenever you create a fear or mind-affecting effect that imposes a penalty or bonus with a duration of at least 2 rounds, it lasts 1 additional round after it would normally end. For example, if you demoralize a foe with an Intimidate check and beat the DC by 5, the victim is shaken for 3 rounds instead of the usual 2 rounds.

Dual identity

Seamless Guise (Ex): A vigilante knows how to behave in a way that appears perfectly proper and normal for his current identity. Should anyone suspect him of being anything other than what he appears to be while either in his social or vigilante identity, he can attempt a Disguise check with a +20 circumstance bonus to appear as his current identity, and not as his other identity.

Vigilante specialization: Stalker: Hidden strike: deal an extra 1d8 points of precision damage on melee attacks (or ranged attacks from within 30 feet) against foes who are unaware of your presence, who consider him an ally, or who are made flat-footed by startling appearance. This extra damage increases by 1d8 at 3rd level and every 2 vigilante levels thereafter. A stalker vigilante can also deal hidden strike damage to a target that he is flanking or that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, but in these cases, the damage dice are reduced to d4s. A stalker can deal hidden strike damage against targets with concealment (but not total concealment).

Unshakable (Ex): A vigilante adds his class level to the DC of any attempts to Intimidate him.

Startling Appearance (Ex): Whenever a vigilante with this ability attempts an attack against a foe that is completely unaware of the vigilante’s presence (usually due to Stealth or invisibility), the foe is treated as flat-footed for the rest of the vigilante’s turn (uncanny dodge or a similar ability prevents this effect unless the vigilante is at least 4 levels higher than the foe with uncanny dodge).
The foe also takes a –4 penalty on attacks made against the vigilante until the start of the vigilante’s next turn.

SOCIAL TALENTS

Social Grace (Diplomacy, Bluff): Whenever the vigilante is in his social identity, he receives a +4 circumstance bonus on checks with the selected skill. At 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter, he can select another skill (with the same restrictions) to gain this bonus.

Renown: Renown (Ex): The vigilante becomes known for deeds and abilities regardless of his current identity. This renown grants him favorable treatment in civilized company and lends him an air of menace while facing down his enemies. While he is in his social identity, a vigilante can spend 1 week gaining renown among the locals of any community of no more than about 200 individuals (a village, if using settlement population ranges). This could be the entire community or a smaller neighborhood in a larger settlement. He must spend at least 4 hours each day socializing and making contacts. After spending 1 week doing this, whenever he is in his social identity, all NPCs in the community have a starting attitude toward him that is one category better, as long as each person’s initial attitude would have at least been indifferent (see the Diplomacy skill description). While he gains renown in an area using his social identity, he also spreads rumors and tales about his vigilante identity. Once he has gained renown in a community, he gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks whenever he is in his vigilante identity. This bonus applies only while he is near the community in which he has gained renown; he must be within a number of miles equal to his vigilante level. A vigilante can hold renown in a limited number of communities (normally one, with other social talents allowing two). If he gains renown in a new community, he must decide which one of his previous communities to lose. These effects are subject to GM approval. For example, the GM might rule that an NPC or monster has not heard any tales about the vigilante. Or, a foe may have a starting attitude toward him that’s one category worse, rather than one category better.

Many Guises (Ex): The vigilante can take on any number of mundane guises. Whenever he changes his identity, he has a third option (instead of social or vigilante): he can become mundane. The mundane identity is not a specific individual. Each one is created at the moment it is assumed, and quickly forgotten as soon as it is removed. While in a mundane identity, the vigilante does not gain the benefit of either his social or vigilante identity, but instead appears as a member of his race, usually a common laborer, farmer, or peasant of any gender. His alignment is treated as neutral when he is in his mundane identity. While in this identity, he receives a +20 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks to appear like an ordinary member of his race. Spells and abilities that are looking for the vigilante in either of his other identities fail while he is in his mundane identity. He must build the appearance for this identity using whatever clothing and tools he has at his disposal. While he can use magic (such as a hat of disguise), his mundane identity can never be anything other than an ordinary member of a society or large group (subject to GM discretion).

Great Renown (Ex): The vigilante is known on a broader scale. He can gain renown in a single community of up to 5,000 individuals (a large town) or up to two communities of no more than 2,000 individuals each (two small towns). The bonus while he is in his social identity remains unchanged, but the circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks from his renown social talent while he is in his vigilante identity increases to +6.

VIGILANTE TALENTS

Twisting Fear (Ex): Whenever the vigilante causes an opponent to gain the shaken, frightened, or panicked condition, that opponent takes an amount of nonlethal damage equal to the vigilante’s reduced hidden strike damage, as the stress wears upon its body. A creature can’t take damage from twisting fear more than once per round. Panicked creatures that take damage from twisting fear are too winded even to scream as they flee in terror. Only a stalker vigilante can select this talent.

Stalker Sense (Ex): The vigilante has a sense for danger. He always acts on the surprise round. At 6th level, he gains uncanny dodge, and at 12th level, he gains improved uncanny dodge. Only a stalker can select this talent.

Lethal Grace (Ex): The vigilante combines strength and speed into incredibly deadly attacks. He gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat, and if he already has the Weapon Finesse feat, he can immediately swap it for another feat for which he qualified at the level he chose Weapon Finesse. When using Weapon Finesse to make a melee attack using his Dexterity bonus on attack rolls and his Strength bonus on damage rolls, he also adds half his vigilante level on damage rolls. This bonus damage is not reduced or increased if the vigilante is wielding a weapon two-handed or in an off-hand.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): The vigilante can use Stealth to hide even when being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of dim light (his own shadow doesn’t count), he can hide without anything to actually hide behind. Only a stalker vigilante of at least 8th level can select this talent.

Dazzling Display
Weapon focus (Rapier)
Notorious Vigilante (Combat)
Signature skill: Intimidate

(1) Acrobatics (Dex) 7
*(1) Appraise (Int) 4
(8) Bluff (Cha) 18
—> +4 circumstance bonus in social identity
—> +5 items
(1) Climb (Str) 4
(8) Diplomacy (Cha) 18
—> +2 trait bonus to gather information
—> +4 circumstance bonus in social identity
—> +5 items
—> See TRAITS
(1) Disguise (Cha) 11
—> +20 circumstance bonus to appear as his current identity
—> +5 items
(8) Intimidate (Cha) 21
—> +2 trait bonus to demoralize opponents
—> +2 bonus to demoralize with rapier
—> +6 circumstance bonus in vigilante identity when renown
—> +5 items
—> Signature skill
—> See TRAITS
*(4) Knowledge (Society) (Int) 7
*(2) Linguistics (Int) 5
(8) Perception (Wis) 12
*(8) Perform (Oratory) (Cha) 18
—> +5 items
(4) Sense Motive (Wis) 8
*(1) Sleight of Hand (Dex) 9
(8) Stealth (Dex) 19
—> +10 items
(1) Survival (Wis) 5
—> +4 racial bonus in urban and underground settings

Circlet of Persuasion (4500gp)
Headband of Alluring Charisma +4 (16000gp)
Ring of Chameleon Power (12700gp)
+1 Cruel Rapier (8320gp)
80 gp

As a standard action, make an Intimidate check to demoralize all foes within 30 feet who can see your display.
Demoralize DC: 10 + the target’s Hit Dice + the target’s Wisdom modifier
Success: If you are successful, the target is shaken for one round. This duration increases by 1 round for every 5 by which you beat the DC. Using demoralize on the same creature only extends the duration; it does not create a stronger fear condition.
—> Memorable: +1 round if effect lasts at least 2 rounds.
—> Intimidate Skill Unlock: If you exceed the DC to demoralize a target by at least 10, it is frightened for 1 round and shaken thereafter.* A Will save (DC = 10 + your number of ranks in Intimidate) negates the frightened condition, but the target is still shaken, even if it has the stalwart ability.
--> Twisting Fear: 4d4 damage per round.