Concept: A man at ground zero for the introduction of the infernal to his bloodline.
1. 5 background elements
History: A native of Turmish, Rajiv was abducted as a sacrifice to a rakshasa lord for the cult of The Windlass Reborn. His soul was meant to be replaced by the rakshasa's, and his body used as its vessel. But thanks to quick thinking on his part, the ritual was botched, and while he gained some of the powers of the rakshasa, his soul remained intact, and he remained in his body. He used his newfound glibness and personal magnetism to talk his way out of the compound, and escaped before anyone was the wiser to his deception. Too ashamed of his new nature to ask for help, he was eventually pursued by angry cultists, and he fled to Westgate, where he fell in with a thieves' guild.
Heroic act: Rajiv is actually a good person, and mortified to be in a thieves' guild; he just didn't know how else to lay low and still support himself. He walked a knife's edge, subtly saving people from harm during muggings and ambushes with his glib tongue, and funneling money back to those who were robbed, all with extreme care not to be caught by his own guild. When he was meant to guard a shipment of slaves, the straw broke the camel's back. He freed the slaves, but knew it was only a matter of time before they talked about who saved them, and he really needed somewhere else to be. Therefore, Aden Grimdawn's unexpected letter came at a very opportune time - a chance to get away, but still be paid? Yes please! The matter of how this stranger had been watching him could be deferred to a less delicate time.
Motivation: Rajiv is motivated by fear of four things: The Windlass Reborn, the Westgate thieves' guild, the rakshasa whose power he thwarted, and the danger to his immortal soul. As a result, he uses his gifts to stay under the radar - and has taken up the worship of Nobanion, whom he hopes can somehow save his soul. Therefore, he tries to talk his way out of trouble (to avoid undue notice) and deliberately seeks out good to do.
Beastbrood variant heritage: Rajiv appears human in every way... except for his unnatural stillness when he's at rest, his unnatural quickness when he moves (both of which contribute to him startling people), and the aura of watching predatory menace that hangs around him, no matter his good intentions.
Appearance: Rajiv is a slender but athletic youth, with a mop of shoulder-length black hair that seems eternally touseled, two chalk stripes on his brown forehead, and warm, golden-brown eyes that seem always full of mischief and secrets. He dresses in desaturated, neutral colors, and soft-soled boots, and despite being well-worn, his weapons and tools are in good repair. He has a deferential and pleasant manner, but there's always the feeling that his Turmic-accented words have more than one meaning.
2. 2 goals
Character goal: Do enough good to upweigh the evil in his soul... but he knows he has to work hard, because sin is heavier than virtue.
Player goal: Become part of a found family type of adventuring party, and hopefully save the Realms in an epic story!
3. 4 secrets
Known secret: Rajiv is no longer human, a fact that plagues him with nightmares. He goes to great lengths to hide this truth.
Known secret: Rajiv has worked with undercover Harpers in the past. They have foiled more than one endeavor of his old thieves' guild. He doesn't know why they've shown an interest in him, though.
Unknown secret: He wasn't chosen at random by The Windlass Reborn (as the meaning behind his name suggests). They need him, specifically, for their plans to come to fruition: an end to democracy in Turmish, and a return to a magocracy.
Unknown secret: The rakshasa whose soul was meant to replace Rajiv's and inhabit his body has his own agenda. [What it is can be up to the DM to fit the plot :)]
4. 3 people tied to Rajiv
Friendly: The Harper whom Rajiv helped when they were both working against the machinations of the Westgate thieves' guild. [Name chosen by DM to fit into plot?] is a suave elf with centuries of experience to draw on, and he's the one who taught Rajiv to use the elven thornblade he carries. He never came right out and admitted he's a Harper; Rajiv figured it out. Rajiv is grateful to him for his mentorship, his parting gifts of thornblade (or rather, bladed belt) and mithral shirt, and for his support in doing the right thing.
Friendly: Rajiv has kept in contact with one of the slaves he freed during his blowup against his guild. Ashala stayed behind to help Rajiv and the Harper free everyone, and barely made it out herself. A follower of Tymora, she's frustratingly sure that Rajiv is favored by her deity, and that's why he hasn't been caught yet. Because of this, she didn't flee Westgate, instead hanging back to help him leave. She's the one who brought him Grimdawn's letter. Now she has stayed behind in Westgate to keep helping other slaves escape, despite the danger to herself. Rajiv was very sorry to leave her behind, but she was adamant.
Hostile: The King in Shadow, the rakshasa that failed to gain control of Rajiv's soul due to Rajiv altering one of the runes in the summoning circle, does not intend to let his plans be foiled by either silly cultist or recalcitrant prey. A mastermind behind the veil of the world, he waits for his moment to strike...
5. 3 memories, mannerisms, or quirks
Memory: Rajiv will never forget the fiery sunset light of Westgate on Ashala's hair when he decided to accept Grimdawn's offer at her urging. It's a sad memory, for though they embraced and promised they'd see each other again someday, he expected that he'd never see her alive again. The guild was too angry, her position too precarious.
Memory/quirk: The vertigo Rajiv experienced when he was drugged for the ritual to bind him to the rakshasa is the most horrible thing he's ever felt. Up was sideways and down was back. The world spun even when he held still. Nothing made sense. Because of this, he never touches alcohol or drugs, for fear of reliving that terrible experience.
Mannerism: Rajiv is exceptionally cheeky - but couches it in politeness. He plays dumb with the skill of a trained thespian.
Quirk: Rajiv loves the hot food of his homeland, and always keeps a supply of spices with him to prepare his meals with. He is reluctant to eat "bland" Western food.
[i]Archaeologist’s Luck (Ex): As a swift action, an archaeologist can call on fortune’s favor, giving him a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls. Maintaining this bonus is a free action, but it ends immediately if the archaeologist is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round. Like bardic performance, it cannot be maintained at the same time as other performance abilities.
[i]daredevil softpaw boots: As a free action, the wearer can click her heels together to grant herself a +5 competence bonus on Acrobatics checks made to move through threatened squares or to move through an enemy’s space without provoking attacks of opportunity for up to 10 rounds per day. The rounds need not be consecutive. Furthermore, anytime the wearer of the boots successfully moves though the space of an enemy without provoking an attack of opportunity, she gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls against that enemy until the end of her turn.
BAB: +3 CMB: +3 (Use Dex (+5) when using a finesse weapon - Elephant in the Room)
Rakshasa-Spawn (Beastbrood)
+2 Dex, +2 Cha, –2 Wis
skills: +2 Disguise, Sense Motive
SLA: detect thoughts 1/day, CL=class level (4); Will DC16 negates, duration: concentration/up to 1 min/lvl
Deft and charming, these bestial tieflings inherit much of the subtlety and guile of their proud rakshasa progenitors.
Class abilities: bard (archaeologist) 1:
Class features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, shortsword, shortbow, and whip. Bards are also proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields). A bard can cast bard spells while wearing light armor and using a shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a bard wearing medium or heavy armor incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass bard still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.
Spells
A bard casts arcane spells drawn from the bard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. Every bard spell has a verbal component (singing, reciting, or music). To learn or cast a spell, a bard must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class (DC) for a saving throw against a bard’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the bard’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a bard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: bard. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.
The bard’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A bard begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of the bard’s choice. At each new bard level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Bard Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a bard knows is not affected by his Charisma score (See Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).
Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third bard level after that (8th, 11th, and so on), a bard can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the bard “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least one level lower than the highest-level bard spell the bard can cast. A bard may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
A bard need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level.
Bardic Knowledge (Ex)
A bard adds half his class level (minimum 1) to all Knowledge skill checks and may make all Knowledge skill checks untrained.
Bardic Performance
Archaeologists do not gain the bardic performance ability or any of its performance types.
Archaeologist’s Luck (Ex)
Fortune favors the archaeologist. As a swift action, an archaeologist can call on fortune’s favor, giving him a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls. He can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Charisma modifier. Maintaining this bonus is a free action, but it ends immediately if the archaeologist is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round. Archaeologist’s luck is treated as bardic performance for the purposes of feats, abilities, effects, and the like that affect bardic performance. Like bardic performance, it cannot be maintained at the same time as other performance abilities. This bonus increases to +2 at 5th level, +3 at 11th level, and +4 at 17th level.
Cantrips (Sp)
Bard’s learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: Bard Spells Known under “Spells Known.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.
Class abilities: Unchained rogue 3:
Class features: unchained rogue
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Rogues are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, short sword, and shortbow. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
Sneak Attack
If a rogue can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.
The rogue’s attack deals extra damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every 2 rogue levels thereafter. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet. This additional damage is precision damage and is not multiplied on a critical hit.
Lvl.3: 2d6
With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (such as a sap, unarmed strike, or whip), a rogue can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack—not even with the usual –4 penalty.
The rogue must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A rogue cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with total concealment.
Precision Damage & Critical Hits
Precision damage (such as that dealt by a rogue’s sneak attack ability) applies to more creatures than it did in previous editions of the game.
Some may balk at this but it can easily be imagined or explained as the rogue having found a weak point in the undead’s “body” (such as a zombie’s head) or even finding a crack or flaw in a construct’s “body.”
There is some degree of confusion as to what should separate a “critical hit” from a “precision-based attack” but in any event, in some cases they are treated differently.
Critical Hits
The following creature types (or subtypes) have immunity to critical hits (that is, they do not take any additional damage from critical hits):
Aeon (subtype): “Immunity to cold, poison, and critical hits.“
Elemental (subtype): Elementals are “not subject to critical hits or flanking. Does not take additional damage from precision-based attacks, such as sneak attack.“
Incorporeal (subtype): “An incorporeal creature is immune to critical hits (unless the attacks are made using a weapon with the ghost touch special weapon quality.)“
Ooze (Type): <Oozes are…> “not subject to critical hits or flanking. Does not take additional damage from precision-based attacks (such as sneak attack.)“
Protean (subtype): (50% chance to ignore, see below*)
Swarm (Type): “A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernible anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits.“
Precision-Based Damage (like Sneak Attack)
The following creature types (or subtypes) do not take additional damage from precision-based attacks (such as sneak attack):
Elemental (subtype): “<An elemental…> does not take additional damage from precision-based attacks (such as sneak attack.)“
Incorporeal (subtype): “An incorporeal creature is immune to precision-based damage (such as sneak attack damage) unless the attacks are made using a weapon with the ghost touch special weapon quality.“
Ooze (Type): “<An ooze is…> does not take additional damage from precision-based attacks (such as sneak attack.)“
Protean (subtype): (50% chance to ignore, see below*)
Creatures Immune to Flanking
Opponents do not gain any special flanking bonuses against the following creature types (or subtypes):
Ooze (Type): “<An ooze is…> not subject to … flanking.“
Swarm (Type): “A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernible anatomy, so it is not subject to flanking.“
Elemental (subtype): “<Elementals are…> not subject to flanking.“
*Special: Proteans have a special ability called “Amorphous Anatomy” which might protect them: “<Amorphous Anatomy> grants <a protean> a 50% chance to ignore additional damage caused by critical hits and sneak attacks,”
Trapfinding
A rogue adds 1/2 her level on Perception checks to locate traps and on Disable Device checks (minimum +1). A rogue can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.
lvl.3: +1
Finesse Training (Ex)
At 1st level, a rogue gains Weapon Finesse Deft Maneuvers as a bonus feat. In addition, starting at 3rd level, she can select any one type of weapon that can be used with Weapon Finesse (such as rapiers or daggers) one weapon group, such as light weapons. Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed. Whenever she makes a successful melee attack with the selected weapon, she adds her Dexterity modifier instead of her Strength modifier to the damage roll. If any effect would prevent the rogue from adding her Strength modifier to the damage roll, she does not add her Dexterity modifier. The rogue can select a second weapon at 11th level and a third at 19th level.
light weapons (finesse weapons in Elephant in the Room-speak)
Evasion (Ex)
At 2nd level, a rogue can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she succeeds at a Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the rogue is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless rogue does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Rogue Talents
As a rogue gains experience, she learns a number of talents that aid her and confound her foes. Starting at 2nd level, a rogue gains one rogue talent. She gains an additional rogue talent for every 2 levels of rogue attained after 2nd level. A rogue cannot select an individual talent more than once.
Talents marked with an asterisk add effects to a rogue’s sneak attack. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual attack, and the decision must be made before the attack roll is made.
A rogue cannot choose a ninja trick with the same name as a rogue talent.
Lvl.2: Canny Observer (Ex)
Benefit: When a rogue with this talent makes a Perception check to hear the details of a conversation or to find concealed or secret objects (including doors and traps), she gains a +4 bonus.
Danger Sense (Ex)
At 3rd level, a rogue gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. In addition, she gains a +1 bonus on Perception checks to avoid being surprised by a foe. These bonuses increase by 1 every 3 rogue levels thereafter (to a maximum of +6 at 18th level). This ability counts as trap sense for the purpose of any feat or class prerequisite, and can be replaced by any archetype class feature that replaces trap sense. The bonuses gained from this ability stack with those gained from trap sense (from another class).
Lvl.3: +1
FCB: Urogue
lvl name/benefit (house rule: any FCB is available)
1 Elf, Hunter: Choose a weapon from the following list: longbow, longsword, rapier, short sword, shortbow, or any weapon with “elven” in its name. Gain a +1/2 bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using that type of weapon (maximum bonus +4). This bonus does not stack with those gained through Critical Focus and similar effects. Finesse weapons +0.5
2 Elf, Hunter: Choose a weapon from the following list: longbow, longsword, rapier, short sword, shortbow, or any weapon with “elven” in its name. Gain a +1/2 bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using that type of weapon (maximum bonus +4). This bonus does not stack with those gained through Critical Focus and similar effects. Finesse weapons +1
3 Elf, Hunter: Choose a weapon from the following list: longbow, longsword, rapier, short sword, shortbow, or any weapon with “elven” in its name. Gain a +1/2 bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using that type of weapon (maximum bonus +4). This bonus does not stack with those gained through Critical Focus and similar effects. Finesse weapons +1.5
Class abilities: Houseruled major and minor power:
Desire Sight (Sp)
As a standard action, you can learn the desires of any creature you can see within 100 feet, as if you had concentrated until the third round of detect desires. As usual for detect desires, the target can attempt a Will save to negate the effect. You can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day at 5th level and for every 5 levels beyond 5th.
Whispered Glimpses (Su)
The whispers of intrigue sing to you with glimpses of insight into others’ presence and motives, granting you greater awareness than your own senses could manage. You can add your Charisma modifier instead of your Wisdom bonus on Perception and Sense Motive checks.
Minor power:
Fiend Sight (Tiefling)
Your eyes develop keener sight in dim light and darkness.
Prerequisites: Darkvision 60 ft., tiefling.
Benefit: You gain low-light vision and your darkvision improves to 120 ft.
Special: You can take this feat twice. When you take it a second time, you gain the see in darkness universal monster ability.
