Kazak was in need companionship and this small bar was better than none. He pulled up a stool and ordered his ale. “How has your day been?” He asked the bartender when he was given his drink.
Shaking his head the bartender left through the back leaving him with alone with the bar’s only other customer. An ugly man of massive proportions, he was tempted to say an orc but he’d fought enough to know the blood wasn’t pure. He was nursing an empty mug and his only other obvious possession was an oversized sword on his back, of the curved variety.
Shrugging to himself, I guess company is company. “What is your name, my friend?” Kazak asked.
“Your friend, am I!? Get real. If there was anyone else in here you avoid me like everyone else.” Came the reply.
“Not at all.” Kazak reply forcing himself to smile, “I’m always keen to hear a new story and I figured from the look of you...”
“From the look of me what?!” Interrupted the man, “From the look of me you figured I was deaf as well as an idiot, that I didn’t hear you talk to the barman? From the look of me you figured I was blind and didn’t see you check your axes before you opened your mouth? From the look of me you figured lets have some fun mocking his guy while my mate the barman goes gets some more mates then we’ll have some real fun? Is that what you figured?!”
“I’m sorry we seemed to have got off on the wrong foot, can I buy you a drink to make up for it?” Kazak replied forcing himself not to check his axes again. “Bartender two more ales.” He yelled.
“So now my gold isn’t good enough ay? The poor orc needs a handout ay? I don’t need a dwarf paying my way.”
The bartender reappeared and set down two ales. Still grumbling the man accepted the ale and started drinking.
After a minute the man grumbles “Thanks for the drink. I don’t have any stories to tell but my name is Mata. It means Obsidian in the common tongue so you call me that.”
Careful to keep a straight face Kazak said “Pleasure to meet you Obsidian, I’m Kazak. Everyone has a story, how about you start with where you are going.”
“The Shackles.”
“There I told you, that is not place many go there do by choice, you must have a story about why you are going.”
Mata stared at Kazak daring him to react. “I’m going to sign up on a pirate ship.”
“Is not stealing against the law?”
“Knew it, you are no different from the rest, let us teach the savage orc right from wrong, his poor brain can’t understand such concepts on its own!”
Kazak gestured the bartender for more beer while Mata continued “Your sort have been taking from me all life, I reckon it is about time I took some back.” He paused to take a deep drink. “Besides I suspect it is quite legal in Shackles”
“I suspect you might be right. So why a pirate?”
“Conflict makes you stronger and pirates have lots of conflict so will make me very strong.”
“So why do you think they’ll accept you on to their ships?”
“I reckon they are always in need a strong arm, that and I read a book on how the build, repair and maintain a boat, it looks fairly straight forward. And I might have a trick or two up my sleeve that might be useful.”
Kazak replied carefully “If you don’t mind me saying you have the look of a fighter not a reader, there must be a story there too.”
Mata smiled for the first time, showing his long canines “In my experience people say ‘If you don’t mind me saying’ or ‘I don’t mean to insult you’ then insulting you is exactly plan to do.” Taking another deep drink, “When I ran away from home I went to a college where supposedly my mother used to be. My dad said she used to be an important mage but really she was just the first to abandon me.
“The humans there were nice enough to start with, but it soon became clear they were just as selfish as anyone else. They kept me like a pet all the while patting each on the back and complimenting themselves on ‘educating the savage’. Well they might not have 'educated' me, but strength come from conflict and I did learn a lot, one day I’ll be back to educate them.”
They both sat drinking for a while then Kazak asked “Tell about your sword.”
“That’s my manhood."
After a shocked look from the dwarf Mata continued “Oh, that word doesn’t translate well into the common tongue. In my tribe you become a man when you given your first sword.” Mata continued. “I stole my manhood from my father when I left.
“He was like the rest of them, he would never have given me my manhood. They all thought I was weak but conflict makes you stronger. I didn’t stay weak and one day I’ll be back to show them how strong I am.”
Crunch:
Male Half-Orc Wizard 1 (Foresight Sub-school of Divination)
Chaotic Neutral Medium Humanoid/Orc
Init +5 (can always act in the surprise round)
Senses Darkvision (60 feet); Perception +1
• Defence
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10
AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (Mage Armour spell)
Max hp 12 (lv 1:max +3 con +3 Toughness)
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +4
CMD 16
• Offence
Spd 30 ft.
Melee
Masterwork Falchion +5 (2d4+6 18-20/x2)
Unarmed Strike +4 (1d3+4 20/x2)
Ranged
None
Base Atk +0; CMB +4
• Statistics
Str 18, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 11
Base Atk +0; CMB +4; CMD 16
• Racial Traits +2 to One Ability Score (Str): Half-orc characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Half-orcs are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Half-orcs have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Intimidating: Half-orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate skill checks due to their fearsome nature.
Orc Blood: Half-orcs count as both humans and orcs for any effect related to race.
Sacred Tattoo: Many half-orcs decorate themselves with tattoos, piercings, and ritual scarification, which they consider sacred markings. Half-orcs with this racial trait gain a +1 luck bonus on all saving throws. This racial trait replaces orc ferocity.
Weapon Familiarity: Half-orcs are proficient with greataxes and falchions and treat any weapon with the word “orc” in its name as a martial weapon.
• Feats Toughness: 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).
Scribe Scroll: You can create a scroll of any spell that you know. Scribing a scroll takes 2 hours if its base price is 250 gp or less, otherwise scribing a scroll takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. To scribe a scroll, you must use up raw materials costing half of this base price. See the magic item creation rules in Magic Items for more information.
• Languages
Common, Draconic, Giant, Orc and Polygot
• Traits Focused Mind: Your childhood was either dominated by lessons of some sort (whether musical, academic, or other) or by a horrible home life that encouraged your ability to block out distractions and focus on the immediate task at hand. You gain a +2 trait bonus on concentration checks.
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.
Touched by the Sea: You've always felt the call of the sea and your blood surges with the ebb and flow of the tides. Perhaps one of your parents was a sailor or pirate, or maybe one of your ancestors had a bit of aquatic elf or undine blood in them. Whatever the reason, you're as comfortable in the water as you are on land.
You came to port in search of your destiny, and after a few drinks at a tavern you went down to the docks to take in a view of the sea. The last thing you remember is a blow to the back of your head and the waves rushing up to meet you.
Benefit You gain a +1 trait bonus on Swim checks and Swim is a class skill for you. In addition, penalties on attack rolls made underwater are lessened by 1.
• Special abilities Prescience: At the beginning of your turn, you may, as a free action, roll a single d20. At any point before your next turn, you may use the result of this roll as the result of any d20 roll you are required to make. If you do not use the d20 result before your next turn, it is lost. You can use this ability 6 times per day.
Forewarned: Always get to act in a surprise round (but still flat-footed until you act). +1 to initiative checks.
Bonded Object (lost): Masterwork Falchion (1/day) (Sp) DC 20 + spell level to cast spells without the bonded object. Once per day, you can cast any spell in your spellbook for free.
Weapons and ArmourWizards are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with a wizard's movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
Arcane School (Divination): A wizard can choose to specialize in one school of magic, gaining additional spells and powers based on that school. This choice must be made at 1st level, and once made, it cannot be changed. A wizard that does not select a school receives the universalist school instead.
Each arcane school gives the wizard a number of school powers. In addition, specialist wizards receive an additional spell slot of each spell level he can cast, from 1st on up. Each day, a wizard can prepare a spell from his specialty school in that slot. This spell must be in the wizard's spellbook. A wizard can select a spell modified by a metamagic feat to prepare in his school slot, but it uses up a higher-level spell slot. Wizards with the universalist school do not receive a school slot.
Opposition schools: Enchantment and Abjuration A wizard that chooses to specialize in one school of magic must select two other schools as his opposition schools, representing knowledge sacrificed in one area of arcane lore to gain mastery in another. A wizard who prepares spells from his opposition schools must use two spell slots of that level to prepare the spell. For example, a wizard with evocation as an opposition school must expend two of his available 3rd-level spell slots to prepare a fireball. In addition, a specialist takes a –4 penalty on any skill checks made when crafting a magic item that has a spell from one of his opposition schools as a prerequisite. A universalist wizard can prepare spells from any school without restriction.
First level spells 2 memorized/day + divination spell(DC 14)
In spell book (lost):Crafter's Fortune, Enlarge Person, Mage Armour, Touch of the sea, True Strike, Vanish
Memorized: True stike, Mage Armour, Enlarge Person
• Equipment
Spell component pouch
old:
Male Half-Orc Wizard 3 (Foresight Sub-school of Divination)
Chaotic Neutral Medium Humanoid/Orc
Init +4 (can always act in the surprise round)
Senses Darkvision (60 feet); Perception -1
• Defence
AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (Mage Armour spell)
Max hp 30 (Rolls: lv 1:max lv 2:6 lv 3:6)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +2
CMD 16
• Offence
Spd 30 ft.
Melee
Masterwork Falchion +6 (2d4+618-20/x2)
Unarmed Strike +5 (1d3+4 20/x2)
Ranged
None
Base Atk +1; CMB +5
• Statistics
Str 18, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 7
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 16
• Racial Traits +2 to One Ability Score (Str): Half-orc characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Half-orcs are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Half-orcs have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Intimidating:Half-orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate skill checks due to their fearsome nature.
Orc Blood:Half-orcs count as both humans and orcs for any effect related to race.
Orc Ferocity:Once per day, when a half-orc is brought below 0 hit points but not killed, he can fight on for one more round as if disabled. At the end of his next turn, unless brought to above 0 hit points, he immediately falls unconscious and begins dying.
Weapon Familiarity:Half-orcs are proficient with greataxes and falchions and treat any weapon with the word “orc” in its name as a martial weapon.
• Feats • ToughnessYou 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).
• Scribe ScrollYou can create a scroll of any spell that you know. Scribing a scroll takes 2 hours if its base price is 250 gp or less, otherwise scribing a scroll takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. To scribe a scroll, you must use up raw materials costing half of this base price. See the magic item creation rules in Magic Items for more information.
• Skills
Acrobatics 1 rank = +2 (not a class skill)
Climb 1 rank = +5 (not a class skill)
Craft: Ships 2 rank = +7 (only +5 without tools)
Knowledge: Arcana 1 rank = +6
Knowledge: Engineering 1 rank = +6
Profession: Sailor 3 ranks = +5
Spellcraft 2 ranks = +7
Swim 1 rank = +5 (not a class skill)
• Languages
Common, Draconic, Giant, Orc and Polygot
• Traits • Focused MindYour childhood was either dominated by lessons of some sort (whether musical, academic, or other) or by a horrible home life that encouraged your ability to block out distractions and focus on the immediate task at hand. You gain a +2 trait bonus on concentration checks.
• ReactionaryYou 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.
• Special abilities • Prescience At the beginning of your turn, you may, as a free action, roll a single d20. At any point before your next turn, you may use the result of this roll as the result of any d20 roll you are required to make. If you do not use the d20 result before your next turn, it is lost. You can use this ability 5 times per day.
• Forewarned Always get to act in a surprise round (but still flat-footed until you act). +1 to initiative checks.
• Bonded Object Masterwork Falchion (1/day) (Sp) DC 20 + spell level to cast spells without the bonded object. Once per day, you can cast any spell in your spellbook for free.
• Weapons and ArmourWizards are proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and quarterstaff, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with a wizard's movements, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.
• Arcane School (Divination)A wizard can choose to specialize in one school of magic, gaining additional spells and powers based on that school. This choice must be made at 1st level, and once made, it cannot be changed. A wizard that does not select a school receives the universalist school instead.
Each arcane school gives the wizard a number of school powers. In addition, specialist wizards receive an additional spell slot of each spell level he can cast, from 1st on up. Each day, a wizard can prepare a spell from his specialty school in that slot. This spell must be in the wizard's spellbook. A wizard can select a spell modified by a metamagic feat to prepare in his school slot, but it uses up a higher-level spell slot. Wizards with the universalist school do not receive a school slot.
• Opposition schools: Enchantment and Abjuration A wizard that chooses to specialize in one school of magic must select two other schools as his opposition schools, representing knowledge sacrificed in one area of arcane lore to gain mastery in another. A wizard who prepares spells from his opposition schools must use two spell slots of that level to prepare the spell. For example, a wizard with evocation as an opposition school must expend two of his available 3rd-level spell slots to prepare a fireball. In addition, a specialist takes a –4 penalty on any skill checks made when crafting a magic item that has a spell from one of his opposition schools as a prerequisite. A universalist wizard can prepare spells from any school without restriction.
