Ross Kelver's page

Ross Kelver
Male Haunted One Human Thaumaturge (Unseen Horror) 7/ Wraith 1
Chaotic Neutral Medium Humanoid
Init +2; Senses Perception +10
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Defense
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AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +2 Dex, +1 deflection)
hp 75 (7d8+28)
Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +10
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Ranged mwk dagger +6/+1 (1d4/x2)
Melee mwk light pistol +9/+4 (2d4/x4)
Special Attacks Telekinetic bludgeon +13
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 24, Wis 14, Cha 14
Base Atk +6/+1; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Extra Invocations, Extra Unseen Augmentation, Extra Unseen Augmentation, Extra Magic Talent, Minor Charm Specialist
Traits potential energy, pragmatic activator
Skills 11 ranks/level
Diplomacy +9 (5 ranks, +3 class, +2 cha)
Intimidate +13 (8 ranks, +3 class, +2 cha)
Perception +10 (8 ranks, +2 wis)
Knowledge (arcana) +20 (8 ranks, +7 int, +3 class skill, +2 untyped)
Knowledge (dungeoneering) +20 (8 ranks, +7 int, +3 class skill, +2 untyped)
Knowledge (local) +20 (8 ranks, +7 int, +3 class skill, +2 untyped)
Knowledge (nature) +20 (8 ranks, +7 int, +3 class skill, +2 untyped)
Knowledge (planes) +20 (8 ranks, +7 int, +3 class skill, +2 untyped)
Knowledge (religion) +20 (8 ranks, +7 int, +3 class skill, +2 untyped)
Spellcraft +20 (8 ranks, +7 int, +3 class skill, +2 untyped)
Use Magic Device +16 (4 ranks, +3 class skill, +7 int, +2 untyped)
Background skills:
Knowledge (engineering) +20 (8 ranks, +7 int, +3 class skill, +2 untyped)
Knowledge (history) +20 (8 ranks, +7 int, +3 class skill, +2 untyped)
Knowledge (geography) +20 (8 ranks, +7 int, +3 class skill, +2 untyped)
Languages English, Spanish, Aklo, Celestial, Infernal, Aramaic, Latin, Sumerian
Other Gear 1900, mwk biker leathers, mwk light pistol, mwk dagger, gloves of unseen grip
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Thaumaturge Abilities
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Invocations (12/day)
Lingering Blessing
At 1st level, when using forbidden lore to augment a spell or sphere effect, the thaumaturge may use an invocation to cause the affected targets to gain 1 temporary hit point per thaumaturge level for 1 round per thaumaturge level.
Lingering Pain
At 1st level, when using forbidden lore to augment a spell or sphere effect, the thaumaturge may use an invocation to cause the affected targets to become sickened for 1 round (Fortitude negates).
Meditation
At 1st level, the thaumaturge may reroll a failed Knowledge check. The thaumaturge may only use this ability once for any given Knowledge check.
Empowered Attack
At 3rd level, when using forbidden lore to augment a spell or sphere effect, the thaumaturge may use an invocation to grant himself a bonus to attack rolls equal to his forbidden lore bonus for a number of rounds equal to his casting ability modifier.
Empowered Defense
At 3rd level, when using forbidden lore to augment a spell or sphere effect, the thaumaturge may use an invocation to grant himself a dodge bonus to AC equal to his forbidden lore bonus for a number of rounds equal to his casting ability modifier.
Channel Punishment
At 7th level, if the thaumaturge suffers backlash when using forbidden lore, he may use an invocation to pass the penalty off to another creature within 30 feet. If that creature is unwilling, they are allowed a Will save to negate this effect. On a successful save, the thaumaturge suffers the effect of the backlash as normal.

Forbidden Lore +3
Thaumaturges use bargains, secrets, and dangerous magical practices to push their casting to greater heights than their more careful contemporaries achieve. A thaumaturge may, as part of the action required to use a spell or sphere effect, increase his caster level by 2 for that effect.
Whenever a thaumaturge uses forbidden lore to enhance their magic, there is a 15% chance the thaumaturge will suffer backlash; the spell or sphere effect does not manifest, and any spell slot or spell points spent are lost. In addition, the thaumaturge suffers a -1 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and to their effective caster level (minimum 1), which lasts until he rests to regain spell points. This penalty is cumulative; every time the thaumaturge suffers backlash in a day, these penalties increase by 1.

Occult Knowledge +2
Listed bonus to Knowledge, spellcraft, and UMD

Lurking Forces (Su)
At 4th level, an unseen horror summons an unseen force that lurks around him, and is capable of giving it mental commands as a free action. This force is an invisible, mindless entity that can perform simple tasks anywhere within 20 feet + 5 feet per 5 class levels of the unseen horror, such as lifting or moving items, opening doors, or lightly tapping someone on the shoulder. It can perform only one activity at a time, but may repeat an activity if desired. It has an effective Strength score of 2, allowing it to lift 20 pounds and drag 100 pounds, moving any object it carries up to 30 feet per round. It can trigger traps and similar devices, if its strength is adequate to do so. It cannot perform any task that requires a skill check with a DC higher than 10 and is considered untrained in all skills. It cannot attack in any way, but also cannot be killed or destroyed, though it ceases to exist if he dies, only reappearing if he is resurrected in some manner. In addition, he gains one unseen augmentation listed below.

Unseen Augmentations:
Reaching Fingers
Increase reach to 15 feet, can additionally slip through thin cracks
Twin Forces
Get a second unseen force
Whispering Wraith
Can make and mimic sounds

True Lore 2/day
+20 insight on a single knowledge check
Vision 2/day
vision as a spell-like

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Wraith Abilities
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Wraith Path: Poltergeist

Wraith Form (8 rounds)
The wraith takes half damage from non-magic weapons.
The wraith cannot make weapon or natural weapon attacks while in wraith form unless he uses a weapon with the ghost touch special ability.
Effects originating from corporeal sources that do not deal damage have a 20% chance to fail against the wraith instead of the normal 50%. Force effect are not subject to this failure chance.
wraith retains all worn equipment not exceeding his maximum load as well as the benefits from any magic items that grant a continuous effect, but gains no benefit from physical armor or shields.
The wraith uses normal movement speeds (treat moving through solid objects as ground movement).
When not on or in a solid or liquid, the wraith falls slowly and may glide, moving with a speed of 30 feet with maneuverability (perfect), but falling 1 foot for every 5 feet traveled (unless possessing a fly speed).
Activating this ability is a move action and ending it is a free action. He may not activate this ability if carrying a load greater than his maximum load. Should the wraith become corporeal while in a solid object, he is immediately shunted to the nearest empty space, taking 1d6 untyped damage per 5 feet traveled.

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Spheres
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Spell Pool: 18
Casting Tradition:
Mind
Casting Ability Modifier: Intelligence
Drawbacks: Emotional Casting, Rigorous Concentration
Boon: +1 spell point, +1 per three levels in casting classes.

Spheres:
Mind:
Charm
You may place charms on creatures. Charms require a standard action to use, have a range of close, and are subject to spell resistance. You may only use charms on targets that possess your own creature type (humanoid for humanoids, etc.) although the Expanded Charm talent changes this. Each charm has three strengths; lesser, greater, and powerful. Lesser charms are at-will abilities, but you may not target an individual creature more than once in a day with any individual lesser charm. Greater charms cost a spell point to use and powerful charms cost 2 points to use. You must possess the Powerful Charm talent before you may use any powerful charms.
When you gain the Mind sphere, you gain the following charm:
Suggestion
You may plant thoughts into a target’s mind.
Lesser Charm: You may plant a suggestion in a target’s mind, which they obey as if the thought had been their own (Will negates). The suggested course of activity must be limited to a sentence or two and must be a very simple request. The creature performs the suggested action until it finishes, or for 1 hour per caster level, whichever comes first. If you choose, you can instead specify conditions the creature should look for, (i.e., “you should search the next person who enters this room, looking for weapons.”) If the condition is not met before this duration expires, the activity is not performed.
Greater Charm: This works as the lesser charm, but may be up to a basic request. Very simple requests cause the save to be made with a -2 penalty. The target cannot be asked to do anything it would not normally do.
Powerful Charm: This works as the lesser charm, but the creature obeys any course of action given, so long as the suggestion is not obviously fatal or against the target’s nature. Basic requests cause the save to be made with a -2 penalty, while very simple requests cause the save to be made with a -4 penalty.

Talents:
Expanded Charm: Target any creature type w/ charms

Fear:
Lesser Charm: You cause the target to become shaken for 1 round per caster level (Will negates).
Greater Charm: You cause a target to become frightened for 1 round per caster level (Will negates). On a successful save, they are still shaken for 1 round per caster level.
Powerful Charm: This is the same as the greater charm, except the target becomes panicked instead of frightened. On a successful save, they are still shaken for 1 round per caster level.

Telekinesis:
Telekinesis
As a standard action, you can use telekinesis to lift one willing creature or unattended object within close range and move it up to 20 feet + 5 feet per 5 caster levels (its telekinesis speed). The creature or object levitates as long as you concentrate, have line of effect, and the object remains within close range. The objects and creatures you may lift are restricted by size; the largest creature or object you can lift is given in the chart below. This assumes the creature or object is made from a dense material, such as flesh creatures or stone objects.
Creatures or objects made of lighter materials, mostly open space, or reduced to 1/2 weight with the Lighten talent of the Enhancement sphere count as being one size category smaller, while weightless creatures or objects count as being 2 size categories smaller for this purpose.
Bludgeon
Once per turn when lifting a creature or object with telekinesis (referred to as a Bludgeon), you can spend its remaining movement to strike a creature or object within its reach.
This is considered a ranged attack and can benefit from feats or combat talents related to weapon and ranged attacks, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity except as provoked by the casting of the telekinesis itself. Making the attack is a standard action; if the caster is both maintaining a telekinesis effect via concentration and making a Bludgeon attack, they need only spend a single action to do both, provided it is the larger action of the two.
When you use a Bludgeon to strike a target, you must succeed at a ranged attack roll against the target, using your casting ability modifier in place of Dexterity for the attack roll.
On a successful hit, the target and the Bludgeon take damage depending on the Bludgeon’s size. If the Bludgeon is a weapon, the attack deals appropriate damage for that weapon (bolts and arrows are treated as daggers for this purpose). Since weapons are designed to deal damage, they do not suffer damage themselves if used as a Bludgeon. Objects beyond Colossal are still treated as Colossal for calculating damage.
Catch
If using telekinesis on a projectile or thrown object within your size limit (often as a readied action), you may stop the attack from dealing damage. The originator of the attack (the creature who threw the projectile, etc.) is allowed a Will save to negate this ability. After Catching an object, you may move it as normal for your telekinesis.
Hostile Lift
You may spend a spell point to lift an unwilling creature with telekinesis. The target is allowed a Will save to negate this effect, plus an additional Will save each round the effect is maintained. Telekinesis used in this way is subject to spell resistance.
If a Hostile Lift is sustained with Sustained Force, it only lasts until the target succeeds at its save. A creature may suffer falling damage if they successfully save while floating high in the air.
Sustained Force
As a free action, you can spend a spell point to no longer need to concentrate to maintain lifting a particular object for up to 1 minute per caster level. You may give a Sustained Force simple orders (float in the air, go north, follow a target) that it obeys to the best of its ability, to a maximum of your telekinesis range. Changing a Sustained Force’s orders is a move action.
You cannot sustain combat-related uses of telekinesis (combat maneuvers, Bludgeons, etc.), nor complicated tasks (make a wagon load itself with stones and move them to another location, etc.). You may dismiss a Sustained Force as a standard action.

Talents:
Telekinetic Crush: 2d6
When using your telekinesis on a target, you may crush it with your grip. Every round you maintain concentration you may deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage and an additional 1d6 per 5 caster levels. Alternatively, you may attempt a Strength check to break an object you are holding with your telekinesis, using your casting ability modifier instead of your Strength modifier and adding the size modifier from the largest-sized object you can lift with telekinesis. You may use this on sections of a larger object than you can lift with your telekinesis, allowing you to punch holes through walls or rip down doors so long as you can lift the targeted section.
Telekinetic Maneuver: +14
You can use telekinesis to manipulate a target with more finesse than a Hostile Lift. You may target a creature with telekinesis to perform a bull rush, drag, reposition, trip, dirty trick, or grapple (upgrades to pin if the target is already grappled) combat maneuver against a target, ignoring size limitations. Use your caster level plus your casting ability modifier as your CMB. If grappling, your CMD is your telekinesis CMB + 10 and the target is allowed to attempt a Will save each round after the grapple is initiated to negate the effect, just as they can with Hostile Lift. These maneuvers do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the target. If grappling, you do not gain the grappled condition, and you cannot be knocked prone by failing a trip check.
Powerful Telekinesis
Increase the maximum-sized object or creature you may affect with telekinesis by 1 size category.

Ross Kelver was an ordinary child, really. He had a love of scary stories and an overactive imagination around Halloween, sure, but what 10 year old boy doesn’t?

It was strange, his neighbors and parents said, that as all his friends grew out of their fascination with ghosts, ghouls, and gremlins, Ross never did.

School was hard on him. He was smart, excelling in his studies, acing tests like they were nothing. It never called to him. What did any of it really mean, compared to what could lurk beyond the veil. That wasn’t even to mention the bullies. A small town in southwestern Kansas isn’t kind to those who stand out as different. It was just Ross’ luck that he was the stray hair in his high school’s graduating class of ninety-three people.

All the while, the mysteries of what lay past the gates of mortality tempted him. He flirted with occult rituals, Wicca, Goetia, Kabbalah. None worked. None brought him closer to the ultimate mysteries of life and whatever lay past it.

His path took him to rural New England, to an old college north of Boston whose name matters little anymore. He fared better there. People were stranger, like him. None, though, approached his fervor for the mysteries of the supernatural.

It was on a cold night, the biting kind of chill that only comes in a late New England winter, that Ross found his fate.

On a loose scrap of paper tucked into an old tome, hidden in a forgotten corner of the oldest library on campus, Ross found instructions for...something.

The hour struck midnight on the winter solstice. The black candles were lit, the offerings made, the dense, harsh recitations said thirteen times over.

On that night, Ross looked into the void. Something looked back. He felt it wrap around him, seize his mind and body and very being. If it wanted, it could control him totally, or break him utterly. It didn’t.

For a time it lurked within the deep recesses of Ross’ mind as his academics spiralled downwards and the few friends he had grew ever more distant. Then, a single word. Fever. Fever. Fever.

It called him west, to a town called Fever. It was on this journey he began to feel something. Powers he never could’ve imagined. He could move things with his mind with barely a thought. He could influence the minds of others to do what he, or perhaps what the entity, wanted. Never, in his journey, was he alone. Emissaries, perhaps, children, or simply lesser forms of whatever the entity was, accompanied him always. Invisible, unknowable, yet ever-present, they were his wardens, his guides, and his constant companions.

It was a long, meandering route. The entity, it seemed, had a liking for roadside attractions, the kind that perpetually seem decades out of date. It was in a distorted mirror under the light of an old, flickering funhouse bulb that he first saw it.

He still cannot describe exactly what it was, but he knew it was a creature of unimaginable strangeness, of an intelligence impossible to understand. It called itself Zaoth, speaking in a whisper that threatened to grind his very being to dust. It had a purpose, one that Ross could not fathom. He knew, though, it had stolen his destiny, taken his mind and body and soul hostage. As long as Ross cooperated, Zoath’s wrath would be withheld. If not, it would destroy him.

Ross found himself in Fever some weeks, pulled by Zaoth’s will. There, he waited in a dingy apartment above a loud orcish dive bar for whatever his dark controller would command of him next.

Ross is a slim, pale human dressed in a shabby gray suit. His chin’s adorned with a perpetual five-o-clock shadow, and his brown hair is fairly shaggy from a lack of any sort of recent personal care. His voice is soft, and weary in a way that doesn’t fit his youthful appearance.He walks with a slouch, as if a weight were pressing upon his shoulders at all times.

When Zaoth is dormant, or at least not actively in control, Ross is fairly genial. He does his best to be friendly and approachable despite the dark presence that lurks deep within him. In particular he has a love of puns and long, elaborate jokes. In truth, he appreciates anything that can take his mind off of the burden that is Zaoth’s presence, off the otherworldly power he’s had forced upon him. He’s quite smart, knowing at least a little of just about everything. At times, the knowledge surprises him, able to speak languages that have been dead for millennia, know things that have been forgotten for generations. While he can use his powers, he tries not to unless in a situation of extreme duress. Every time, Zaoth’s influence grows, and the spectral forces that haunt him grow bolder.

Everything about him changes when Zaoth asserts it’s dark control.

His eyes roll back into his head, and his face contorts into a sickening, empty grin. The exhaustion drains from his voice and it’s accompanied by an alien, guttural voice, on occasion switching to a language that sounds like the death of something beautiful and the moment that hope finally fades. He stands rigidly straight, moving as if every part of his body were resisting against itself.

Zaoth has no qualms about using Ross for everything he’s worth. There is no caution, no anxiety, no fear of death, for how can something fear death when it simply has always existed? The spectral forces that follow him act as grim messengers, and his mental powers manipulate the world to his whims. Whatever Zaoth’s goal is, it is beyond imagining, and most likely sinister.