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Hello again! Xunal here again. Using the new profile for this submission. I got the Manzuqari back story finished faster than I expected.
Should be all done. Let me know if there's anything I need to change. Thanks! Manzuqari back story: Manzuqari is an ifrit who knows virtually nothing about his own past. His few childhood memories are dream memories of a slave market in the fabled Efreet City of Brass in the Plane of Fire. He was found, insensible and lost, wandering near the Katapeshi town of Bronze Hook. He was soon captured by slavers in the area who sold him off to the markets in the city of Katapesh.
Like many other slaves, Manzuqari soon found himself on the Vested Squire; an innocuously named Chelish slave ship. However, luck was with Manzuqari and his fellow slaves on the Chelish slaver. The Vested Squire was intercepted by an Andoran 'pirate' ship looking to free slaves. Especially those bound for Cheliax. The Chelish sailors and their guards were stiff opposition, but the Andoran raiders overcame them and freed their cargo of slaves. So it was that Manzuqari, an Ifrit who knows virtually nothing of his past, came to live in Andoran. Many of the slaves Manzuqari first met were halflings, which is how he came to know their language so well. His first real friend was Moitra; a halfling bard from Almas. She recognized Manzuqari's talents and taught him how to sing and compose poetry. While Manzuqari has the poise and grace of Moitra, he has a much different temperament. He lacks Moitra's restraint and composure, and is also both impetuous and ardent when faced with violence. His own fiery blood, and recent past, gives him a knack to impart a florid rage to others. Despite their different temperaments, Manzuqari is still Moitra's most devoted friend. Since he knows nothing of his own past, Manzuqari naturally sees Moitra as the beginning of his own life. However, the sedentary life does not agree with Manzuqari. In that much, at least, he is a typical ifrit. As restless as a flame seeking fuel, he seeks glory and adventure.
Have fun!
Hi there! I know this is almost an eleventh hour submission, but I'll give it a go. Let me know if I made any errors with this Fire Genasi (Ifrit), Manzuqari. I hope my back story isn't too bad, since my knowledge of the Forgotten Realms isn't the best. Thanks! Early Life of Manzuqari:
The few memories the Fire Genasi, Manzuqari, has of his childhood are dream-memories of a slave market in the fabled City of Brass in the Plane of Fire. He was found as a starving and wandering youth, scarcely knowing his own name. It was a small bandit band roaming Calimshan that found him.
The band's leader, Azeefa, recognized both the fiery spirit and the talents of Manzuqari. With her tutelage, Manzuqari learned stir himself and others to greater deeds of strength and vigour. Frequent raids and clashes with the authorities were ideal outlets for his impulsive and brash behaviour. Not too surpisingly, Manzuqari became a worshipper of Kossuth, the Lord of Flames. Worshipping the relatively impersonal Kossuth is appropriate for the unfettered Manzuqari. Several years ago, Manzuqari barely escaped capture in a raid gone wrong. He became separated from Azeefa's bandit band and wandered aimlessly throughout central Faerûn. When Manzuqari was not on short treasure hunting parties, he made a modest living composing poems for merchants and criminals alike. He recently received a summons from one of his retired associates: the dwarf Flargin Ironstone. That Flargin would come out of retirement for a bounty speaks of a very large bounty indeed! Stat Block: Male ifrit skald 5 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 49, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 160) CN Medium outsider (native) Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7 -------------------- Defence -------------------- AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+5 armour, +3 Dex) hp 43 (5d8+15) Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +3; +4 vs. bardic performance, language-dependent, and sonic Defensive Abilities uncanny dodge; Immune dazzled; Resist fire 5 -------------------- Offence -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee slash (+1 scimitar) +5 (1d6+4/18-20), hack (+1 kukri) +5 (1d4+2/18-20) Ranged long thorn (mw c. longbow) +7 (1d8+3/×3) Special Attacks rage power (elemental blood, lesser 1d6 fire[ACG]), raging song 13 rounds/day (inspired rage, song of marching), spell kenning 1/day Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +7) 1/day—efreeti magic[ARG] Skald Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +7) 2nd (3/day)—cure moderate wounds, mirror image, pyrotechnics (DC 14) 1st (5/day)—cure light wounds, grease, share language[APG] (DC 13), vanish[APG] (DC 13) 0 (at will)—dancing lights, detect magic, prestidigitation, read magic, resistance, summon instrument -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 15 Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 19 Feats Firesight[ARG], Lingering Performance[APG], Scribe Scroll, Two-weapon Fighting Traits armour expert, hot-headed Skills Acrobatics +7, Climb +7, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (engineering) +8, Knowledge (geography) +8, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Knowledge (nobility) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Knowledge (religion) +8, Perception +7, Perform (oratory) +10, Spellcraft +7, Swim +7, Use Magic Device +10 Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Ignan SQ bardic knowledge +2, fire in the blood, rage powers, versatile performance (oratory) Combat Gear wand of cure light wounds, glowing ink[UE] (2), smokestick (5); Other Gear shine, hack (+1 kukri), slash (+1 scimitar), dagger, long thorn (mw c. longbow) (+3 Str) with 20 arrows, campfire bead[APG], toothpick of pyrotechnics[ACG] (2), bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, inkpen, masterwork backpack[APG], mess kit[UE], mirror, parchment (5), pot, scroll box[UE], silk rope (50 ft.), soap, spell component pouch, trail rations (5), waterskin, wrist sheath[UE], wrist sheath[UE], 67 gp -------------------- Tracked Resources -------------------- Arrows - 0/20 Dagger - 0/1 Efreeti Magic (1/day) (Sp) - 0/1 Elemental Blood, Lesser (1d6 fire, Fire, 3/day) (Su) - 0/3 Glowing ink - 0/0 Raging Song (standard action, 13 rounds/day) (Su) - 0/13 Smokestick - 0/5 Spell Kenning (1/day) (Su) - 0/1 Toothpick of pyrotechnics - 0/2 Trail rations - 0/5 Wand of cure light wounds - 0/50 -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Bardic Knowledge +2 (Ex) Add +2 to all knowledge skill checks. Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only). Efreeti Magic (1/day) (Sp) Cast enlarge person or reduce person 1/day. Elemental Blood, Lesser (1d6 fire, Fire, 3/day) (Su) Melee attacks do extra energy damage for 1 round. Energy Resistance, Fire (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Fire attacks. Fire in the Blood Gain fast healing 2 for one round whenever you take fire damage. Firesight You can see through fire and smoke without penalty, ignoring cover or concealment. Immunity to Dazzled You are immune to the dazzled condition. Lingering Performance Bardic Performances last 2 rds after you stop concentrating. Rage Powers (Ex) Skald rage powers affect self and allies under inspired rage. Raging Song (standard action, 13 rounds/day) (Su) Song can inspire allies in a variety of ways. Spell Kenning (1/day) (Su) Spend a skald spell to duplicate a bard, cleric, or sorcerer/wizard spell. Uncanny Dodge (Ex) Retain Dex bonus to AC when flat-footed. Versatile Performance (Oratory) +10 (Ex) You may substitute the final value of your Perform: Oratory skill for Diplomacy or Sense Motive checks -------------------- Starting Stats: STR 15, DEX 16(14), CON 14, INT 14, WIS 8(10), CHA 15(13) Age, Height, Weight: 80 years old, 6 ft. (183 cm), 160 lb. (73 kg) Racial Traits and Abilities
Good luck, all.
@ GM of the Apes: Just wanted to know if everything on Manzuqari's profile is okay.
You must have your hands full with lots of applicants to sift through! Thanks!
Hi again! I was able to write a back story faster than I expected. Here it is:
Back Story:
Manzuqari was born into bondage to human parents in the notorious Katapesh slave markets. Not until it became apparent he was a long-lived Ifrit did his life improve. He became far more noticeable, and valuable, than most slaves. Had he not become an Ifrit, by whatever twist of fate, he would have long ago died a wretched and unknown slave.
As soon as he was put up for sale, at a highly inflate price, Manzuqari was bought by a Chelish merchant; the Lady Chalentia. She was in Katapesh on business. Her habit was buying "exotic" slaves as a display of wealth. At nearly forty years of age, Manzuqari was definitely exotic looking. His hair and eyes look like they are made of fire. His skin is an unnatural burnt reddish colour. He even has silver-streaked vestigial horns. He is often mistaken as some sort of devil. His fiendish and exotic appearance appealed to Lady Chalentia's Asmodean sensibilities. So it came to be that Manzuqari spent the remaining forty or so years of his youth in the Chelish port of Corentyn. Fortunately for Manzuqari, and most of Lady Chalentia's household slaves, she was an astute and relatively benign mistress. She knew the best incentive for her slaves' loyalty was kindness and reward. In a land where maltreatment of slaves is the norm, Lady Chalentia's slaves were fiercely loyal to her by choice. Manzuqari soon became one of Lady Chalentia's favourite household slaves. Not only did his appearance make a favourable impression with many of her Chelish house guests, but she was adept at channelling his otherwise acerbic wit and volcanic temperament to her advantage. Manzuqari was Chalentia's doorman, spy, poet, and thug. All in one! Lady Chalentia shrewdly deprived Manzuqari any control over his own life. He was useful to her. But she also knew she would lose control of her prized slave were he allowed to develop his talents to the fullest. Manzuqari never begrudged this. He knew he was living a posh life under her. They also were both aware that an Ifrit like him could easily outlive her by many years. Even though he was the older of the two. Manzuqari's elegant lifestyle came to an end with the death of Lady Chalentia. She died in her seventies of old age, while Manzuqari was still youthful in his early eighties. True to form, though, she was abundantly generous to her Ifrit favourite in her will. Provided he left Cheliax for distant Sargava, which he readily agreed to. This one-way trip was not a punishment but a life-saver. He had, over the course of many years, stepped on many toes and broken many bones for his mistress. Without her protection, he knew his days as a freedman or slave were numbered in Cheliax. It was with mixed feelings that Manzuqari soon boarded the cargo ship, the Jenivere, for Eleder. He sorely missed Chalentia, and her household luxuries. On the other hand, he was now a freedman for the first time. And able to realize his own potential for himself. Manzuqari had to convince both crew and passengers of the Jenivere, with difficulty, that he was not a fiend. After that, he has gotten along well with everyone else aboard. He has been passing the time aboard the Jenivere composing poems for his fellow travellers. He harbours no illusions about how dangerous Sargava is. There are tales aplenty about that. He is even looking forward to an unruly life for a change once he is safely ashore in Eleder.
Let me know if there is anything I need to change in Manzuqari's profile. Thanks much! :)
Manzuqari is mostly finished. I did the number crunching and all that fun stuff with Hero Labs.
The profile is updated here for you to have a look at. I'll add the backstory soon. By the end of the day, with luck. The skills I picked were a mix of those recommended in the players' guide for bards and barbarians. The cunning plan is to use Versatile Performance to bolster the useful charisma skills starting at level 2. trait choices:
Unflappable Arrogance racial trait picked because it seemed appropriate.
Poverty-Stricken social trait to give a decent Survival skill despite the lower wisdom score typical of Ifrit. I decided to go for the Boarded at Cheliax AP trait.
extra STUFF:
Here's the shopping list of mundane exploration gear I came up with for the Boarded at Cheliax AP trait:
• Deluxe Dungeoneering Kit (130 gp): , Hammer, Piton (x4), Silk Rope (sold off the hemp rope, therefore), Sunrod (x3), Sack (x2), Everburning Torch, Tindertwig (x4), Candle (x2)
Total value: 171 gp 2 sp Let me know what, if anything, I should do about the remaining 28 gp 8 sp. Or if the Everburning Torch doesn't cut it as a "mundane" exploration item. Thanks!
@ GM of the Apes: Thanks for that. I'm working on a revision of Manzuqari.
I'll try not to make him too much of a weirdo and misfit!
@ GM of the Apes:
I'd be interested. I have this Ifrit Skald I have not had a chance to play. I know the back story would need to be altered, a lot. Would he be acceptable otherwise? Thanks!
@GM Dak: Would an Ifrit Skald or Sorcerer be acceptable? I have both (this ID is the Skald), but they'd need a wee bit of tweaking to third level and all that. The sorcerer would be with the Efreeti bloodline. They're both thematic, if nothing else. I'd need to patch up the back stories for either, though.
Woo! Sounds onimus!
Well, I guess my character has one advantage in this world: he knows (almost) nothing about the Forgotten Realms. As do I. So, there's no metagaming high hopes for me! He's kind of like a certain porter from Barcelona working in a small British inn: "I know nothing! I read it in a book!"
@DM Locke and Ulciscor: Thanks for the advice on religion and such. I'll probably stick with Kossuth. as a patron god, should I be one of the finalists. It's a thematic choice. Besides, the back story I gave him has him starting out in the world leading a less than sterling life. That and the fact Amaunator seems too stodgy (read: level-headed and predictable) for the patron god of an Ifrit (who have a strong tendency to be impulsive, of course). ----- good luck in the final selection, all!
@Ulciscor: thanks for that. I've done a cut and paste of it to look over once the caffeine's kicked in this morning. Looks pretty straight forward, though.
@DM Locke: Thanks for that. I'll have a closer look at those two. I just want to make sure I don't pick a deity that's totally contrary to my character. How devout he is, or isn't, will be another matter, I'm sure.
@DM Locke: does worship play a large part in the campaign? If so, would the most logical choice for this skald would be Kossuth? I get the impression Kossuth doesn't demand much zealous devotion from his worshippers. That would suit Manzuqari just fine, as I envision him. Thanks.
@DM Locke: perception is a good thing! I always try to make sure my characters have maximum skill points in that one!
@ DM Locke: I've finished adjusting Manzuqari's profile and stats. I hope I got the maths right for all that. I think my background story is plausible. And reflects my own lack of knowledge, as a player, about Forgotten Realms. Thanks! Early Life of Manzuqari:
The few memories Manzuqari has of his childhood are dream like memories of a slave market in the fabled Efreeti City of Brass in the Plane of Fire. He was found as a youth, who scarcely knew his own name, by one of the many Raiding bands of the Calim desert. Led by Azeefa the bard, the band took Manzuqari as one of their own. With tutelage from Azeefa, Manzuqari learnt to stir himself and his companions to greater deeds of strength and vigour. the frequent clashes to be had in the desert gave Manzuqari a natural outlet for his impulsive and brash behaviour. Several years ago, the he authorities of Calimshan began another vigorous campaign to stamp out the raiding bands in and around the Calim Desert. Manzuqari was the only member of his band who escaped death or capture. He eventually worked his way North into Tethyr. He long ago tired of eking out a living as travelling performer. As restless as a flame seeking fuel, Manzuqari seeks friends, glory, and adventure.
Okay, thanks for that!
@DM Locke: Would Anauroch be a good starting point for an Ifrit? I was looking at the FR Wiki for places to start, figuring a hot desert climate would be most likely for an Ifrit.
@DM Locke: okay, thanks for that! I'll try to put together a wee bit of a back story later today then.
@DM Locke: It just occurred to me that my knowledge of Forgotten Realms is, like, zero! I'll do some thorough research on Forgotten Realms for a back story! Which really means using Google for a few minutes! Seriously, though, could the back story include something along the lines of getting exiled or stranded from the Plane of Fire and ending up in the Forgotten Realms, of which he knows nothing at all?
@DM Locke: Hi! It are I, "Xunal" again. I've already got a profile for an Ifrit Skald, but based on 20 point buy instead of 25. Here's the tweak for 25 points:
25 pt Ifrit Skald:
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----- I hope I got the math right, as I don't have Hero Lab at home and am using spreadsheets to calculate this lot. I also kitted him up under the assumption he'd have the maximum Skald starting funds of 180 GP. Haven't done a back story for him yet. I'll try doing that tomorrow during a (Espresso with some lemon juice; yum, yum!). It was a long day today, etcetera. Thanks!
1. I hadn't thought of the time factor with Arcane Strike and all that. Makes sense, though, when put together with the Inner Flame business. It just occurred to me that the strength buff from the Raging Song should offset the to hit penalty for Power Attack anyway. So I guess that's not such a big deal after all. Hadn't planned on making him a 2H fighter, But the Furious Focus is way cool for that. Got a bloodrager using that; it's very nice for dishing out damage! 2. I have played bards in the past with Lingering Performance. That one works quite well. But you're right, if you do things right, you should be able to make use of Skald's Vigour without getting Extra Performance. 3. I wanted to max out his initiative without using up a feat slot for Improved initiative. I think a +8 Initiative isn't too bad at all for level 1. ———————————————————————————————————————— Here's the revised list with those changes: Level 1; Lingering Performance (feat)
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@Secret Wizard: 1. Do you think Power Attack would be better in the long run than Arcane Strike? I was looking at the fact PA has a hit penalty, but AS does not. 2. I was looking at how Skald's Vigour doesn't kick in until at least two consecutive rounds of Raging song.
3. That Shoanti Spirit Singer trait looks interesting. I had to look it up. I'll make a note of that one. For the moment, I'll try stacking his initiative as much as I can between the Reactionary combat trait and the Wildfire heart racial trait. 4. Thanks for all that. -----
crunch:
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Thanks again in advance, to anyone who can give me some pointers!
Hi all! This time I'm trying a build for an Ifrit Skald. If anyone could give me any pointers or ideas on this, that would be cool. Not for a game or anything like that. Just want to see if I'm on the right track and all that. Here's the plan for feats that I've got so far:
Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can give me! |