Pan Pan Tsang's page

135 gp

Horse, Light (75gp)
Riding Saddle (10 gp)
Saddlebags (4 gp)
25 lb Bag of Apples (1 gp)
Waveblade, cold iron, masterwork (61 gp) [market roll, 10% cost]
Waveblade, silver, masterwork (325 gp)
Sling (--)
Monk's Kit (8 gp)
Silk Rope 50' (10 gp)
Alchemist's Fire x3 (60 gp)
Traveler's Cloak (7 gp)
Sunrod x2 (4 gp)

Potions
Holy Water x4 (100 gp)
Mage Armor x4 (200 gp)
Bless weapon x2 (100 gp)
Cure Light Wounds x6 (300 gp)
Lesser Restoration x2 (600 gp)
Bull's Strength (300 gp)

Magic Items
Belt of Tumbling (800 gp)

Disciple of Wholeness
Healing Ki (Su)

At 4th level, a disciple of wholeness can touch a creature as a swift action and spend 1 point from her ki pool to restore a number of hit points equal to 1d4 + 1/2 her monk level to that creature. If she has the wholeness of body ki power, she can spend 2 points to restore a number of hit points equal to 1d8 + her monk level to a touched creature. She does not gain the ability to spend ki to gain an extra attack during a flurry of blows.

This ability alters ki pool, and it replaces the ki power gained at 4th level.
Hone Body (Su)

At 5th level, a disciple of wholeness has immunity to supernatural and magical diseases as long as she is undamaged (she loses this immunity when she has hit point or ability score damage). In addition, she can always touch a creature as a swift action and spend 1 point from her ki pool to render it immune to all diseases for 1 day. She cannot grant this immunity if the target is already afflicted with a disease.

This ability replaces purity of body.
Greater Hone Body (Su)

At 11th level, a disciple of wholeness is immune to poison while undamaged and can grant immunity to poison (lasting for 1 day). This ability otherwise functions as per hone body.

This ability replaces the ki power gained at 12th level (and an unchained monk cannot gain the diamond body ki power).
Hone Soul (Su)

At 13th level, a disciple of wholeness can dispel a spell affecting a living creature by touching it as a standard action and spending 1 point from her ki pool. This power functions like the targeted dispel option of greater dispel magic, with the caster level equal to the disciple of wholeness’s monk level.

This ability replaces the ki power gained at 14th level (and an unchained monk cannot gain the diamond soul ki power).

Ability Score Modifiers: Human characters gain a +2 racial bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Size: Humans are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Base Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Humans begin play speaking Common.
Human Alternate Racial Trait: Dual Talented (replaces Skilled and Human Bonus feat)
Bonus Feat: Humans select one extra feat at 1st level.
Skilled: Humans gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.

Survivor: +1 bonus to initiative and Sense Motive. Sense Motive becomes a class skill.
Honored Fist of the Society: Increase Ki pool by 1 point.
Spirit Touched (Campaign): As a child, you were influenced by overwhelming emotional trauma associated with death or undeath, and that influence marked you for the rest of your life. You may have been possessed by a ghost, had strange dreams in a haunted house, or suffered from an affliction from an undead source. You might even have had a near-death experience, or actually died and been returned to life. Work with your GM to determine the details of how you became spirit touched; she may have suggestions for you to tie your experience more tightly into the themes of the Return of the Runelords Adventure Path.
You gain a +2 trait bonus on all saving throws made against supernatural attacks, spells, or spell-like abilities from undead creatures. Once per adventure, you may automatically succeed at a Constitution check to stabilize or a saving throw to remove a negative level.
Drawback: Too Many Secrets –2 penalty on Bluff checks and saving throws against illusions.

Skill ranks/lvl: 4(Class) -1(Int) (+3 FCB)
Ranks+Class+Ability+Trait+Background+Other
5 Acrobatics (1+3+1)
-2 Bluff (1+0-1-2)
7 Climb (1+3+3)
2 Handle Animal (0-1+0+0+3)
2 Knowledge: Arcana (3-1)
2 Knowledge: Geography (0-1+0+0+3)
8 Perception (1+3+4)
5 Ride (1+3+1)
11/13* Sense Motive (3+3+4+1+0+2*) [*Snake Style]
5 Stealth (1+3+1)

Hit Die: d10
Alignment: Any lawful
Starting Wealth: 1d6 × 10 gp (average 35 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str)

AC Bonus
When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four monk levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the monk is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

Level 1
Bonus Feat taken from the following list: Catch Off-Guard, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Scorpion Style, and Throw Anything.

Unarmed Strike
At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be with fist, elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes. Usually a monk’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but he can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on his attack roll. He has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling. A monk’s unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons. A monk also deals more damage with his unarmed strikes than a normal person would, as shown above on Table: Monk. The unarmed damage values listed on Table: Monk are for Medium monks.

Flurry of Blows
At 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action. When making a flurry of blows, the monk can make one additional attack at his highest base attack bonus. This additional attack stacks with the bonus attacks from haste and other similar effects. When using this ability, the monk can make these attacks with any combination of his unarmed strikes and weapons that have the monk special weapon quality. He takes no penalty for using multiple weapons when making a flurry of blows, but he does not gain any additional attacks beyond what’s already granted by the flurry for doing so. (He can still gain additional attacks from a high base attack bonus, from this ability, and from haste and similar effects).

Stunning Fist
At 1st level, the monk gains Stunning Fist as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. The monk may attempt a stunning attack a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk.

At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the monk gains the ability to apply a new condition to the target of his Stunning Fist. This condition replaces stunning the target for 1 round, and a successful saving throw still negates the effect.

The monk must choose which condition will apply before the attack roll is made. These effects do not stack with themselves (a creature sickened by Stunning Fist cannot become nauseated if hit by Stunning Fist again), but additional hits do increase the duration.

Level 2
Bonus Feat

Evasion
At 2nd level, a monk can avoid damage from many area-effect attacks. If a monk succeeds at a Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Level 3
Fast Movement
At 3rd level, a monk gains an enhancement bonus to his land speed, as shown on Table: Monk Unchained. A monk in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.

Ki Pool
At 3rd level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a monk’s ki pool is equal to 1/2 his monk level + his Wisdom modifier. As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he can make a ki strike.
At 3rd level, ki strike allows his unarmed attacks to be treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
At 7th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as cold iron and silver for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
At 10th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
At 16th level, his unarmed attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness.

By spending 1 point from his ki pool as a swift action, a monk can make one additional unarmed strike at his highest attack bonus when making a flurry of blows attack. This bonus attack stacks with all bonus attacks gained from flurry of blows, as well as those from haste and similar effects. A monk gains additional powers that consume points from his ki pool as he gains levels.
The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.

Level 1
Improved Unarmed Strike (Class)
Stunning Fist (Class)
Improved Initiative (1st lvl feat)
Dodge [EitR] (Class Bonus): You gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC. This bonus increases to +5 against AoO caused when you move out of or within a threatened space. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.

Level 2
Deflect Arrows
EitR: Risky Strike & Defensive Stance

Level 3
Snake Style

3000 gp

"Your father can't save you now!" The shove that came next put Pan Pan on her backside, her school-grays fouled on the muddy cobblestone.

Another bully kicked her in the side. "Go home and cry. Mother will take care of her little girl!" The pack of older girls laughed and took turns kicking the smaller child, finally leaving her to sob face-down in the dirt outside the school gate.

"Well now, aren't you a pathetic soul," announced a gravelly voice.

Pan Pan turned to see a gaunt older man staring down on her from around a post on the opposite side of the thoroughfare.

"Why do they torment you, girl?"

Forcing herself up, Pan Pan sat on her feet. "They hate my father."

"Hmm? And who is your father?" asked the strange man.

Pan Pan considered him before answering. There was a sinister tone to his concern, and he looked disheveled, out of place. How long had he been standing there? Was he waiting for someone at the school? But he seemed interested in Pan Pan, which was enough to loosen the girl's tongue.

"Hon Shin Tsang. He's a mer--"

"I know who he is!" the man snapped. He paused to regard Pan Pan, then straightened, his body elongating with the fluidity of a snake. Then he smiled. "Well, the best revenge is revenge, I always say. Toughen up, girl. Here, take this." He produced from a pocket a little knife.

Pan Pan took to her feet and stepped closer, struck by the notion that she could do anything about the bullies, and that it should involve greater violence. But how she hated them. And then she was standing next to the older man, and the knife was pressed into the palm of her small hand. It felt warm, almost familiar.

"There now. It's not hard to figure out what to do with it. Good luck, girl." And with that, the old fellow drew a hood low, covering the exaggerated features of his face. A moment later Pan Pan stood alone, wondering what to do next.

*****

It wasn't difficult for Pan Pan to convince her father she needed to learn how to defend herself. The elder Tsang was hardly a traditionalist but he believed that martial arts instilled discipline, and Pan Pan needed discipline. It wouldn't serve to have this helpless child representing his interests one day. He was all too pleased to pay for private martial training with a member of the Korvosan Guard. Each day after school Pan Pan was given a gold piece to pay for the lessons. Although she benefited from rigorous exercise, she was unable to shake a natural clumsiness with a weapon in her hand. When she asked to be trained with the little knife, the guardsman laughed at Pan Pan and batted her ears.

Not long after that, Pan Pan took her gold piece elsewhere. Afraid to tell her parents, she looked to The Shingles. There a gang of boys beat her and stole her gold, but another older figure took pity on her and carried her to a ramshackle rooftop abode.

"You are not from here?" The man cleaned Pan Pan's scrapes and served hot tea. The girl shook her head. "Then why are you here?"

"I'm weak," Pan Pan explained. "I'm a disappointment. Wherever I go I get kicked in the mud. I was hoping..." Her voice trailed off.

"To be treated with dignity, is that it? Krovosa punishes you, for no reason? Your family, Same?" The man sighed and took pity on Pan Pan. "Tired, you are. Tired of sadness, of anger. But channel those feelings, and you can learn to defend yourself. Is that what you want? Is that why you are here?"

Pan Pan sat up. "Yes."

The man stood and bowed. "I am Ip-Xi Han, and I will teach you."

*****

For the next year Pan Pan would take her gold piece to The Shingles. Her father never asked about her martial training; it was enough that the girl seemed to stand taller and there were fewer incidents at school. Hon Shin assumed the guardsman's training was taking root in his daughter. But instead, Pan Pan learned from Master Ip-Xi. Her body slowly transformed and as she grew taller he became stronger as well. She learned forms and striking techniques, sparring with a wooden dummy. They raced acoss the rooftops of the old city and in this way Pan Pan learned balance and speed. For his part, Master Ip-Xi never accepted payment, insisting Pan Pan use the daily gold piece to improve the lot of someone in The Shingles, and this became the first ritual before any training would commence.

One early afternoon Pan Pan spied a street urchin skulking in the shadows, eyeing an older woman carrying a small loaf of dark bread. The dirty child leapt at her with a little knife and she gave up her evening meal. The attacker fled quickly and Pan Pan rushed to help the woman, giving her the daily gold piece. The next day it was Pan Pan who faced the knife.

"You've got a piece of gold in your pocket. Give it to me," said the boy, his voice a mix of desperation and fear. The knife was dirty and it reminded Pan Pan of the one given to her more than a year ago.

Seizing on her assailant's hesitation, Pan Pan grabbed the boy's arm and pulled, tripping him and landing atop his back. She disarmed him of the knife and then let him go. "Here, take it," she said to the defeated child. The gold piece changed hands and the child picked up his knife and ran off. It was the first time Pan Pan had tested her new skills. She would not have to wait long to test them again.

Two days later the same boy was back and two others were with him. This was the moment. If Pan Pan showed weakness she would never be able to return. She had to fight.

The boys were aggressive but not coordinated. Pan Pan slipped the first knife attack and used her attacker's momentum to take him down. Then as the next boy came at her she kicked him in the chest. When the last boy tried to get around her, Pan Pan caught him by the arm and struck him in the face. The fight was over almost as quickly as it had begun.

"You've done well, child," said an old familiar voice. The gaunt man emerged from the shadows. "Took my advice, I see. Good for you. Now I need something in return. You see, those were my boys. They're just like you were, only they don't have rich families to run back to. I show them how to survive, and there are many more of them."

"Who are you?" Pan Pan asked, swallowing fear.

The old man smiled but his eyes betrayed cold malice. "A shadow with no name. But I look after those who got no one else. You were that child not long ago. You know how I mean. But you ain't from here and my children are hungry. You can start paying me back by giving me that gold in your pocket."

Pan Pan was afraid of the Shadow Man, but she also felt a pull of sympathy, and possibly some measure of gratitude. The gold piece found it's way to man's hand as easily as the knife had come to Pan Pan one year earlier.

The Shadow Man knelt down and looked Pan Pan in the eyes. "Now, let's talk about your father."

*****

Everything happened too fast. Pan Pan didn't tell Master Ip-Xi about the Shadow Man for the same reason she didn't tell her father about Master Ip-Xi. She just didn't want things to be complicated. That happened anyway.

Within a month the Shadow Man was plotting to break into the Tsang estate. "No one would get hurt," he promised. Besides, Pan Pan resented her father's role in making her life miserable. The other children hated her because of her father, for the way Hon Shin treated their fathers. Pan Pan didn't want to see anyone hurt, but she didn't object to her father being taught a lesson about greed.

For a creepy old guy, the Shadow Man was surprisingly nimble. He and his small band of urchin boys evaded the Guard and met Pan Pan near the back gate of the estate. She showed them how to get into the house so that the watchman wouldn't know until it was too late. She told them where the most lavish valuables were kept. She explained where her parents would be at this hour and that they would almost certainly be willing to be locked in the cellar when confronted.

Pan Pan remained out front on lookout. It was her job to deflect the Night Watch from suspicion. The Shadow Man led his crew inside from the back alley but things almost immediately went sideways. Pan Pan heard a scream, then the sound of children howling like wolves. She rushed back inside too late. Her mother's throat was cut and her father lay face-down on the floor, bleeding out from a rough castration. The Shadow Man held a bloody dagger and smiled as his boys looted the place.

The old villain sneered as Pan Pan stood mortified in the hall. "You are your own master now, kid. How's it feel to be free?"

Pan Pan coiled up against her mother's lifeless body until the Korvosan Guard arrived early the next morning. Little of the Tsang fortune remained and her father's creditors demanded the estate. Left with nothing, her spirit crushed, she returned to the only person who had shown her true compassion in her young life: Master Ip-Xi Han.

*****

Though Pan Pan had been bitterly unhappy before, she at least enjoyed lavish meals, a warm fire, a soft bed, and a sturdy roof overhead. Apprenticing to a monk sworn to a Vow of Poverty was a difficult and lonely transition. The Shadow Man was never found, as if he had never existed.

Pan Pan stayed on with Master Ip-Xi for another three years, giving herself fully to Master Ip-Xi's teachings. But eventually the ghosts of her past were catching up to her. Her father's creditors had convinced the Guard to place a warrant for her arrest, believing (correctly) that she had something to do with the elder Tsang's untimely death. She gathered a few belongings and said a final goodbye to her master, and then she fled Korvosa with no intention to ever return.

She started again in the outlands of Varisia, traveling from town to town, always with an alias and a practiced lie on her lips. It was a difficult life, but for ten years she worked and moved on, continuing her training alone. She came to understand with time that the Shadow Man wasn't a man at all, but was an evil spirit which preyed on the innocence of fragile youth. She fought it in her nightmares now as an adult.

Weary of life constantly on the road and of the countless lies which blended together in a confusing story, Pan Pan now looks to find a greater purpose. It's time to stop running.

1. Pan Pan is a wanted fugitive in Korvosa, alleged to have facilitated the murder of her own parents.
2. She lived for three years in Kaer Maga, and believed she had made a permanent home within its walls. But a prominent trader known to her father discovered her true identity and threatened her life. She was forced to flee.
3. In Galduria while working at an Inn she was nearly raped by a trio of drunken tree cutters. She accidentally killed one of the men during her escape.