Sister Perversion

Rysky the Dark Solarion's page

2,047 posts. Alias of Rysky.


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Obviously they’d be a Manifester.


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Pathfinder isn't a Medieval game.

My Spirit Instinct Barbarian sees ghost and dragons all the time, your glam disco light slinging "crossbow" doesn't really seem that spectacular in comparison.

Range and damage die are metagame constructs for the game, not an attempt at "realism".


Elegos wrote:
Rysky the Dark Solarion wrote:
Staffan Johansson wrote:
Thurston Hillman wrote:
Also, on the actual topic of Mystic traditions... we're exploring different options at the moment. As some people have pointed out, the current slew of SF1 spellcasting classes universally would fall under the Occult banner, and that's not something we're too keen on maintaining in the new edition.
Well, the easiest fix is of course not having traditions and instead rely on bespoke spell lists. And the Technomancer seems pretty Arcane, even if they don't seem to be appearing in the core book.
That’s not going to happen, the Traditions aren’t flavor, they’re core mechanics.
I'll agree that Traditions as a concept aren't going anywhere, but I do think that Starfinder would benefit from its own set of traditions. The Pathfinder traditions are very fantasy driven (which they should be because it fits the flavour very well) but they don't capture the more cosmic feel that Starfinder evokes.

I wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to new Traditions, if it could work. Cause again, mechanics, not flavor.

And we haven’t even see the new spells coming either.


With Technomancer I can honestly see it becoming a full Caster Archetypr like Elementalist in P2.


Staffan Johansson wrote:
Thurston Hillman wrote:
Also, on the actual topic of Mystic traditions... we're exploring different options at the moment. As some people have pointed out, the current slew of SF1 spellcasting classes universally would fall under the Occult banner, and that's not something we're too keen on maintaining in the new edition.
Well, the easiest fix is of course not having traditions and instead rely on bespoke spell lists. And the Technomancer seems pretty Arcane, even if they don't seem to be appearing in the core book.

That’s not going to happen, the Traditions aren’t flavor, they’re core mechanics.


Elegos wrote:

That being said: January 27th: WOTC formally abandons plans to deauthorize the OGL, and releases the SRD 5.1 into Creative Commons, leaving Starfinder and other 3.x based games still at the mercy of them messing with the OGL in Future.

March 8th: Paizo announce Starfinder Enhanced, and stress it is not a new edition, strongly imply a new edition is not in the card just yet in comments sections.

Minor thing but it was announced in February some time, that’s not a lot of lead time from the end of January and they also didn’t have a half-book done in only a month, Enhanced was in the works before that.

Also: Pinkertons

Also also: S2 isn’t coming any time soon, it’s gonna be like 2 years, enhanced is out in a month or so right? So that’s 2 years you have that book before S2 comes out.


Field Test wrote:

so we also decided that soldiers are your default class for

using big guns and big weapons

Fighting styles:

Armor Storm
Bombard
Close Quarters

So Melee Soldier is still absolutely blatantly a thing.

"a lethally precise soldier?" What is this even mean? A sniper? From the playtest they showed snipers are still a thing. If you're just asking for a build of "I'm super accurate" that's N/A, it's built in by the nature of the system.

"An honour-driven corporate samurai?" That's an aesthetic not a class.

Your complaint is you want the Soldier to do literally everything? Again I ask what means of combat have been cut off?

Elegos wrote:
Probably back when Paizo were still vehemently claiming that 2nd edition wasn't on the horizon while promoting Starfinder Enhanced.

Before or after WotC started yeeting Pinkertons at people and torpedo the OGL?


Does it need a generalist combat character?

What means of combat are cut off with the Soldier overhaul?


JiCi wrote:
Rysky the Dark Solarion wrote:
They’re not gonna launch with a 1,000 page book no

Given that they may use the same writing style as P2E, with shortening down descriptions and such, I do expect all 13 classes and 15 ancestries to be available from the start. Seriously, slashing 3/4 of the classes from P1E to P2E was brutal...

Maybe they could make weapons more modular with adding and trading traits and damage types instead of having 4 to 5 versions of the same weapon.

They said there’s only going to be 6/7 classes in the Playtest so that’s what you can expect in the Core book/Core 1.

Given the Cantina appeal of SF I can see more page count being devoted to getting more Species in than the classes.


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They’re not gonna launch with a 1,000 page book no


thistledown wrote:
Rysky the Dark Solarion wrote:
thistledown wrote:
Sanityfaerie wrote:
John Mangrum wrote:
(All of this further suggests that nagaji physiology changed somewhat during the Gap. Far from impossible for a species that originated in a genetic engineering program.)

Eh? There are cobra-headed nagaji out there.

Some nagaji are snake below the waist

Some nagaji are snake above the neck.

That's just how they are.

Impossible Lands added that less than a year ago. It's a very strange change to the ancestry that takes away from the uniqueness of other ancestries.
What another Ancestries let you do that?

Nagagi were obvious scales with human body plan.

Serpentfolk were obvious scales, snake heads, and human shape PLUS typically serpent tails.
Lamia Matriarch and Ramiyel were human upper with snake scale replacing legs.
Naga were human heads on snakes.
Vishkanya were subtle scales and forked tongue but otherwise human.

I guess impossible lands just decided Nagagi could be everything.

But I also like the story on the Ramiyel, though honestly not their stats. So I'd like to see them more in starfinder.

This snakey topic has slithered into a rather lengthy diversion though, we should probably let the thread get back to other ancestries.

Lamia and Serpentfolk were never playable, though I had forgotten about Vishkanya.


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CrimsonKnight wrote:
Most of the premade stories so far (and all the ones I've played in) have had the two sides basically on top of each other. abilities and encounters are thus limited to such short ranges.

This actually has nothing to do with mechanics.

The maps have limits to how big they can be, because of the books they’re printed in. Because of the table they’re played on. You can only have the combat areas be so big.

Can people using homebrew on a virtual tabletop go around that restriction for a sniper fight? Absolutely, but that’s the exception rather than the standard.


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Rysky the Dark Solarion wrote:
CrimsonKnight wrote:
Basicly game designers bending over backwards to make melee relevant.
Yeah you want a game other than Starfinder.


thistledown wrote:
Sanityfaerie wrote:
John Mangrum wrote:
(All of this further suggests that nagaji physiology changed somewhat during the Gap. Far from impossible for a species that originated in a genetic engineering program.)

Eh? There are cobra-headed nagaji out there.

Some nagaji are snake below the waist

Some nagaji are snake above the neck.

That's just how they are.

Impossible Lands added that less than a year ago. It's a very strange change to the ancestry that takes away from the uniqueness of other ancestries.

What another Ancestries let you do that?


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No, you trying to map the tech advancement is fruitless, since again Starfinder and Pathfinder are two SEPERATE timelines, one doesn’t lead into the other.

Also you would need to know the current tech than more or less making stuff up. We have airships and steamships and guns in Golarion, and Numeria gives them lasers and robots. The tech of the setting can’t be compared to a specific timeline on earth, they don’t map that way.

Also Earth exists in the Pathfinder setting, Anastasia from Russia is the current ruler of Irrisen.


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Driftbourne wrote:
CorvusMask wrote:
Didn't he say though that they don't update the old fieldtest documents though or am I confused?
I believe you are correct. They appear to be a snapshot of what the Starfinder team is working on, mostly for transparency, and not a playtest officially seeking feedback. But they do seem to be taking some of the feedback from the Forums.

Which is why I suggested looking at Thursty’s posts ^w^


1) this isn’t confirmed at all, the opposite even, they are two separate timelines because of the Gap, what happens in one doesn’t dictate the other.

2) no, or rather not compared to all the other species.

3) this info is available on the Starfinderwiki.

4) Plenty, the specifics are covered in the books for specific lore and items.

5) The Pact Worlds System


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1) they’ve stated all Casters will go to 10th

2) Stamina and Resolve *may* remain baseline but most likely will become an optional rule just like it is already in P2

3) they updated the Soldier Fieldtest to alleviate that concern somewhat, I would check Thurston Hillman‘a posts ^w^


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CrimsonKnight wrote:
Basicly game designers bending over backwards to make melee relevant.

Yeah you want a game other than Starfinder.


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breithauptclan wrote:

Archetypes that aren't all-or-nothing.

When you take an archetype, you can pick exactly how much of that archetype to include into your character and how many - and which - of your base class feats to give up to get it.

*shudders*

You reminded me of the gulf between trying to take an Archetype on Soldier vs taking it on a Solarion.


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Melee was a valid option in S1, they're not gonna remove it in S2


Perpdepog wrote:
Rysky the Dark Solarion wrote:
Perpdepog wrote:
Aren't D&D lamias lion-bodied?
Both, basic Lamia (kitty) and then Lamia Matriarch (snek).
Oh. I thought that split came from Pathfinder, not D&D.

Nope, although the snek ones were called Lamia Nobles in DnD


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Jonathan Morgantini wrote:
Removed a ton of off topic, baiting, and harassing posts.

You missed one.


Perpdepog wrote:
Aren't D&D lamias lion-bodied?

Both, basic Lamia (kitty) and then Lamia Matriarch (snek).


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The TAS and Profiency system, especially for skills, will be neat to see implemented, as well as the Species/Ancestry overhaul and expansion.

Also Space Bards.


Fletch wrote:
If I'm wearing, say, A bantha hide vest that has weakness to lasers, I'm suddenly taking more damage than if I wasn't wearing anything at all?

Why would they put Weaknesses on Armor? This was for critters. Armors CAN have Resistances though.


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Yeah I'd say enemies having a variety of Weakness/Resistance is a lot more engaging and rewarding than having an AC difference of 1 or 2.

Plus less mental load.


thistledown wrote:
Teridax wrote:
I'm curious to know: for the people who dislike the active hands mechanic and the Switch Active Hands action, what would you do, personally, to balance having two, four, perhaps even more extra arms at level 1? Would you give those ancestries tradeoffs to offset that power, would you implement some other kind of mechanic to help balance those extra arms, or do you believe nothing more would need to be done for gameplay to remain balanced?
Opportunity cost: if you're picking an ancestry for this, you're not taking some other cool ancestry.

Aesthetic is not a trade off for power and vice versa.


“How hard can THAT be?”

You do it then.

“ If you can shoot 15 Magic Missiles as a 9th-level spell, SURELY you can fire one bullet per weapon wielded.”

Did you ever stop to think the damages for these levels were balanced with each other and the amount of bullets fired was irrelevant?

You’re asking to go out of the bounds of the math with extra damage for certain species, that’s a nonstarter.


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The S1 players aren't enough to sustain the product line either, looking at the production schedule.

And it's very unlikely that "PF players" ditch SF at this rate since it won't be so much SF and PF players and SF and PF options, it'll just be options, tribalism serves no purpose here. The joys of compatibility ^w^


breithauptclan wrote:
For Sorcerer, I would absolutely agree. But how much word count is Witch or Summoner spending on one particular tradition?
Enough that it adds up, and cuts into design space as opposed to Mono Tradition casters.
Quote:
And how about compared to how much word count Kineticist is spending on each of the various elements separately?
Apples to pizza comparison, arguments can be made for what Traditions Witch should use, there's not an equivalent argument for restricting elements from the Kineticist.
Quote:

Some would and some wouldn't. It depends on if the class is defined by its type of spells.

Druid - absolutely should be Primal tradition only.

Oracle - not sure why we don't have Oracles with different traditions. Ancestors Oracle screams Occult. Flames and Tempest could be Primal.

I don't disagree, and Mystic will fill this niche I'm pretty sure. I rather Pick-a-Lists be the exception rather than the standard so the class can stand on it's own.


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breithauptclan wrote:
Rysky the Dark Solarion wrote:
despite my loathing for pick-a-list
I'm curious why picking a tradition is so disliked.

Because it eats up a lot of word count that could have been spent on other stuff accommodating all the Traditions and waters down the flavor, in my opinion.


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Corrik wrote:
Counter argument, keep BP for ships and also use it for standard gear. Let credits and a figity item economy be left for lore and RP. You get a certain amount of BP per level which you can spend on gear/upgrades/etc as you like

If SF incorporates/allows Automatic Bonus Progression like in P2 we more or less will get this.


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xaviorbat wrote:

Wishlist: A starship economy. I know people kept saying "They could retire by selling their ship" but thats not true. If spaceflight is as common as it would need to be, selling it would be like selling at most a nice RV. Plus the fact that saying that is kind of a cop out, considering so can getting any hoard or magic item. Remember, the average person lives a year on a single gold. Getting a decent magic item could bank roll you for the rest of your life.

You’re missing the point, no one has said sell it and retire (to my knowledge) it’s sell it and buy upgrades for themselves. So now the adventure continues on that planet or the GM has to put together another way for them to get a ship.

Which leads into the possibility of the party capturing and selling multiple ships, completely throwing off the balance of the game.

Also from the other side, the GM, either intentionally or accidentally, choking the party’s equipment since they have to spend their wealth buying/upgrading their ship.

In short, having the price of the shop alongside normal party wealth royally screws things up.

“Remember, the average person lives a year on a single gold.”

Which has nothing to do with Starfinder.

To your point though, the majority of players aren’t gonna take the first chance they can get to screw over the GM/other players and quit the game by retiring, unless they don’t like the GM/campaign, which is a player/GM issue, not a mechanics issue.


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1) Medicine is very useful in P2 (hereafter referred to as TAS, Three Action System, to cover both systems)

2) irrelevant in TAS.

3) Range works like it always has.

4) Weapons seem to work like a mix of S1 and P2, there certainly won’t be a “realistic” instant kill weapon.

5) you’re wanting a different game

6) I believe in TAS it’s simply “last hit decides” or some such.

7) most likely not staying in TAS with the degrees of success, though individual armors giving resistances and bonuses are a given.


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WWHsmackdown wrote:
I loved mystic when I played SF. I also hope it retains some of those psychic themed spells. Alternatively, I hope the class gets sorcerer-esque mystery (bloodline) spells so the more overtly psychic themed mystic subclasses can still have those staples.

Yeah I can see that fitting for the Mystic, despite my loathing for pick-a-list having it be decided by their Connection would be apt, since they’re rather varied and different.


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Okay dropping the sword and scifi part of the discussion and references that you started with your umbrage with Fighters since it devolved into this, so on to this:

Corrik wrote:
I'm not ignoring the fantasy part.

You explicitly are, you’re trying to downplay it as much as possible and have shown nothing but contempt for the fact that it exists.

Corrik wrote:
It's a science fantasy game. Emphasis on the science, Starfinder is not Spelljammer.

It’s a science fantasy setting.

The scifi and the magic and the fantasy all go together. You have soldiers with high tech and spaceships and you have magic users and people fighting with melee weapons alongside guns and mechs and monsters. That’s a part of the setting, it’s not being removed or ignored. There’s tech, there’s swords, there’s people doing superhuman stuff with and won’t tech and magic.


The knowledges and proficiency have nothing to do with it.

They’re the spell lists.

You’re not getting class specific spell lists.


The Magic Traditions are a mechanic, not an aesthetic.


Most of the Paizo staff have stated they didn’t care for that casting system buuut it has been awhile and what with new faces so that sentiment could have changed since.

That said I don’t see them making up a whole new casting system, P2 Psychic would be the closest.

(Could/would they even wanna use Psionics due to the OGL shenanigans?)


Corrik wrote:
Yeah, and that's a problem.

A you problem.

Staffan Johnson wrote:
Using the same ruleset and being compatible with each other doesn't have to mean that Starfinder is just a repainted Pathfinder. Things can work differently as long as the rules engine is the same.

work differently and not work at all are two different things (obviously), which is what you’d get by having P2 characters being useless/instantly dying just due to *vague* specs/tech/nanite stuff existing, which is what I was responding to.


You do remember that both games are gonna use the same ruleset and be compatible with each other right?


Malzra wrote:
I haven't played PF 2E, are class feats in that system similar to things like mechanic tricks, solarian stellar revelations etc? Class specific abilities that you pick up every couple levels? Or are they different from that? I hope that things like revelations/tricks remain in SF2E and if that's basically what class feats are with a unified name that will be a relief for me.

Yep, class tricks with unified name.


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thistledown wrote:
Driftbourne wrote:


3: People still play Pathfinder 1e, there's no expiration date on the books.

Sure. But looking at the gencon online schedule, each slot had 20 PF2 games, 10 SF games, and only 1 PF1 game.

”I wanna play this game” and “I wanna play games at a Con slot” are two veeeeery different things.


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Yeah that’s not how Golarion is set up or works


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People disagreeing with you does not make you a victim.


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Sure, not sure how much assistance I could be though.


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That’s unnecessary, you don’t need Paizo to personally sign off on Third Party stuff, that’s what ORC and Infinite are for.


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*nods nods*


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I’m here for the adventure ideas, aliens, and the planets.

A rules changes doesn’t really affect that.

Full Name

Shinon

Race

Half-Elf

Classes/Levels

Urban Ranger 3 HP 25/29, Initiative +5, AC 16, Touch 13, FF 13 CMD 16 Fort +4 Ref +6 Will +2

Gender

Male

Size

Medium

Age

22

Alignment

Neutral Good

Deity

None

Location

Westcrown

Languages

Common, Elven, Infernal, Halfling

Occupation

Mercenary

Strength 10
Dexterity 16
Constitution 12
Intelligence 14
Wisdom 13
Charisma 10

About Shinon

Height- 5'4''
Weight- 135 lb
Hair- Black
Eyes- Brown

XP

Spoiler:

3500 XP
2 Fame Points

Equipment

Spoiler:

490 gp
48 cp
Masterwork Thieves' Tools
Masterwork Longbow
Masterwork Studded Leather
35 Arrows
Masterwork Longsword
Backpack
Bedroll
Torch
Flint and Steel
Silk Rope 50 ft
Potion of Cure Light Wounds x1
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds x1

5 Concepts-

Spoiler:

1. Shinon wears a green cloak and a brown tunic over his armor, The cloak conceals his quiver, which increases the odds of him catching an enemy off-guard when he needs to attack them from a distance. Shinon's cloak is a full-bodied cloak that reaches down to his ankles. He wears a pair of brown, shoelaced heavy-duty hunting boots that protect his feet completely and allow him to dig his feet into the ground to resist the slippery mud and grime in the city.

2. Due to his Elven blood, Shinon has, many times, heard the call of the wild in his heart, but he loves the city too much to ever leave it. However, with all the shady business that's been going on lately, Shinon is starting to get more and more suspicious. He's having doubts that all is as it seems, and he is determined to get to the bottom of it.

3. From an early age, Shinon displayed an uncanny knack for being able to remain hidden. Because of this, Shinon practiced moving quietly in heavier armor and managed to break in his armor a bit, and reduce some of the restrictions, allowing him to slip quietly through the city with better protections.

4. Shinon is a serious person who doesn't trust anyone. This stems from an a conflict he had in the past with a person whom he thought was his best friend Traine, but when Shinon was walking with Traine and wasn't paying attention, the creature stabbed him in the side. Shinon cried out in surprise and turned around to see it was a completely different person, displaying some kind of shapechanging ability. Shinon drew his sword, but the creature laughed and ran away. Shinon had been badly poisoned by the attack, and almost died as a result. He still bears the scars from that attack today, and every time he moves, he is reminded that there is no guarantee anyone is really what they seem.

5. Shinon feels the most relaxed when he is at the archery range. Taking a few shots with his bow at a target to improve his range and accuracy, with no one there but a few other bow-enthusiasts, now that is the life.

2 Goals-

Spoiler:

1. Shinon believes there is some large conspiracy going on behind all of the recent mysterious activity. His biggest concern is that perhaps the Council of Thieves, long ago disbanded, might have reformed and is attempting to reestablish control over the city. He wants to connect the dots and bring the people responsible to justice before the entire city descends into chaos.

2. Shinon's wounds run really deep, to the point where he has even started pushing his best friend away. I would like to see him slowly start to recover from that, and maybe, by traveling with the group, learn to start trusting people again, at which point he would go and apologize to Traine for holding him responsible for an attack that was not his doing.

2 Secrets-

Spoiler:

1. Shinon has been acting as a vigilante, using unauthorized lethal force to stop some of the petty thefts he's seen on the street. He's worried about getting caught, but he just can't let the people of the city suffer before his eyes.

2. Shinon has been scouted to join the Council of Thieves. His exceptional skill with a bow and his sharp ears and natural stealth have attracted the attention of its members, who sent an assassin disguised as his best friend to attack him, in order to plant the seeds of mistrust and paranoia in him so that his personality would change from naive and carefree to mistrusting and angry, making him the perfect thief. They have not made their move to invite him yet, but have a careful plan to slowly draw him to their side.

4 NPCs tied to Shinon

Spoiler:

1. Traine Bransen- A human noble of about Shinon's age. The pair met when they were young and have been best friends since. Unlike Shinon, who preferred to play with bows and sticks, Traine enjoyed playing with rocks and throwing knives. Traine does not have or need an occupation, and generally spends his time painting landscapes. He is regarded as an up-and-coming celebrity artist and his paintings sell very well at auctions. Since the attacker who stole his disguise attacked Shinon, Traine has taken to wearing a signet ring with his family's crest on it. The ring has his name inscribed on it and is one of a kind, so that if Shinon sees him without it, he'll know it's not really Traine.

Traine is married to a young minor noble human girl named Claire. She is beautiful, but Shinon doesn't know much else about her, as she usually stays within the manor. Shinon has spoken with her a few times, and found out that she and Traine were arranged to be wed by their parents, though Claire does genuinely enjoy their union. She appears to be attracted to Traine's artistic personality and his creativity. Like Traine, Claire has no need for a job, and she spends most of her time on her own hobby, as a jockey in the nobles' horseback races.

2. Krendel- As far as Shinon knows, he is an unnamed human with blonde hair and blue eyes, standing about 6 feet tall and just a few years older than him. Krendel is a thief who has studied a bit of arcane magic, allowing him to use minor shapechanging abilities like disguise self and alter self. When he's not doing jobs, he sometimes watches Shinon from a distance, trying to see how his hatred and mistrust are developing. Sometimes, when Shinon seems to have momentarily forgotten his pain and seems genuinely happy, Krendel will arrange to have a robbery take place right in the street, out in broad daylight, in front of him. Krendel was surprised when Shinon responded with lethal force, but was delighted to see how much pain was in Shinon's face when this happened. Shinon is certainly a work in progress to him, but he expects that after a bit of molding, Shinon will become a master thief and a deadly assassin in the palm of the Council's hand.

3. Roy- A young half-elf child who has been adopted by a noble human family. Roy often runs away from his house out into the city, where he feels more at home. He often complains that his family holds him to unfair standards and that he almost wishes he were still living on the streets, but when Shinon found him, he reached out to him. Shinon gave him a small shortbow and taught him how to draw it, how to shoot it, saying "One day, when you're old enough, you can leave your family's house and come back to the streets. Until then, I'm going to teach you how to defend yourself. That's something your family will never prepare you for." Roy was so happy that someone was actually listening to him, and it turned out, he really did enjoy learning to shoot, though he is still a beginner and still requires lessons from Shinon before he will be anywhere close to skilled at it. After their first lesson, Shinon ruffled his hair and told him to go home. Roy was upset at first, but Shinon said, "As long as you stay well-fed and healthy, I'll keep teaching you. Same time next week?" Roy nodded and went back, a smile on his face. He told Shinon that one day, he wants to be a ranger, just like him. Shinon looks at Roy as a younger brother and would do anything to protect him.

4- Sabrina Reskhart- A fellow mercenary in the city of Westcrown, Sabrina Reskhart is a human female who stands half a foot taller than Shinon. She has short black hair and tan skin, and wears thick, buckled armor made of brown bear hide. She has a massive greataxe strapped to her back, with the deadly side right behind her head.

Sabrina met Shinon when he was 20. Shinon took a job involving a gang of jewel thieves in the bad part of town and mopped them up quickly. However, as he was leaving their hideout with the leader's unconscious body in tow, he bumped into the powerful warrior. Assuming her to be another thief, Shinon drew his bow, readying himself for a fight, but he was shocked when the woman simply frowned and glared at him, calling him a glory thief.

Shinon, confused, told her about how he took this job from the Shark Net Inn, to which Sabrina countered that she had also taken the same job from the same inn. However, Shinon had managed to finish the job before Sabrina had even found the hideout.

Calling Shinon's work remarkable, Sabrina told him that if he ever got in her way again, he'd regret it. And he did. Over the next two years, it seemed like no matter how discrete he was, or how unexciting the jobs he took were, Shinon would run into the enthusiastic hunter. She was always ready for a brawl, the kind of mercenary who attacks without thinking and takes on challenges for the excitement, rather than real need.

Sabrina has paid close attention to Shinon's record as a mercenary. The Shark Net keeps track of each mercenary's work and rates them based on certain performance-related criteria, allowing the clients to select "better" mercenaries for higher prices if they wish. At present, both Shinon and Sabrina are C-level mercenaries. However, because of Shinon's abundance of free time and Sabrina's fierce dedication to her job, they are both at the very top of the C-tier, each one only needing one big job to put them over the edge into the B-range. Sabrina has vowed that the B spot will be hers first.

Sabrina is loud, rambunctious, and competitive. She believes Shinon to be her eternal rival and tries to defeat him in every category she can think up. Unfortunately for her, Shinon is every bit as skilled as she seems to imagine, so for the parts that actually matter, the ratings system, the two are neck and neck, which only fuels her delusions even more. Shinon does his best to try and avoid Sabrina, but if Sabrina sees him, she challenges him to a competition, inevitably. Usually this involves taking whatever job he is on and racing him to finish it first, or even just simple quick challenges like a game of cards, a drinking game, or an arm wrestle.

Sabrina is completely oblivious to Shinon's attitude towards her, believing him to be a passionate warrior just like she is.

3 Memories-

Spoiler:

1. Shinon was really happy the day he got stabbed. The city was beautiful, the world seemed so peaceful, and Traine was even offering to treat him to some expensive baked bread. As the pair walked through the city, a pretty half-elf girl walked past them and drew Shinon's eye. Grinning, Shinon watched her as she walked away, and turned to say something inappropriate but good-natured about her to his best friend, when he felt the blade enter his side. He turned, and Traine was not Traine. He was someone ready to kill Shinon. The poison seeped into his veins, and Shinon dropped to his knees. After that, even when he recovered, the world wasn't a peaceful, happy place. Everywhere Shinon looked, there were people exchanging money in alleys, and other people who were taking money that wasn't theirs. Guys sneaking around and guards who were overworked and tired. Shinon's entire view of his beloved city changed in an instant.

2. Shinon's first memory of Roy is extremely vivid in his mind. When Shinon was walking down the street, he saw a little half-elf boy sitting there crying and pouting. At first, he was going to offer the boy some food, but then he noticed the boy was actually a little chubby, and his hair and face were both well-kept and clean. This kid wasn't homeless, but his parents were nowhere in sight. Shinon's stomach lurched. His eyes quickly darted around to see if he could see the kid's parents. Whoever had done this, they had gone too far now. But the child managed to get some words out from beneath his tears. "My stupid parents! I'm never going back to them!"

Shinon breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't an orphan, he was a runaway. Shinon sat down next to him and smiled warmly. "You know, your mom and dad are probably worried about you." The boy looked up, shocked to see someone actually talking to him. He was a little scared at first, but Shinon's gentle smile calmed him.

Shinon trusted the boy. He helped teach him things and took care of him. Roy was the only person he knew couldn't possibly betray him. The child's innocent face was full of sincerity. The kid probably didn't even know how to lie at all yet. And Shinon wanted to help him preserve his innocence as long as possible. By teaching him how to shoot, Shinon was giving him the freedom he wanted, but closely supervised and in an area where there wasn't any crime for Roy to see, and also insuring that Roy would stay safe in his parents' house when he wasn't with Shinon.

3. Shinon remembers the day Traine asked him to be his best man at his wedding. Shinon was genuinely touched, as he knew Traine probably got hell from his parents when a street urchin half-breed showed up at their fine and proper wedding. But when Shinon looked at Traine as Traine stood there with Claire's hands in his, Shinon knew that his best friend had found true happiness, even with all the problems in their city. Shinon promised himself that he would solve these problems and make the city safe again, for Traine and for Claire, so that they could raise children and walk down the streets together without fear.

DM Questions

Spoiler:

1. How would Shinon react, if he knows or becomes aware of, another party member who is less than "good" or is morally questionable?

Shinon is not a paladin. He does not think of things in terms of "good" and "evil". He would object strongly to the following actions, however: Thievery, murder (not in self-defense), and racism. However, "evil acts", such as creating undead or summoning evil outsiders, do not phase him. Just when those creatures are used for the above purposes.

2. What will it take to earn Shinon's trust given his childhood experience?

This would be very difficult. Someone who openly shares his views, such as a person who would physically step in to stop a theft or a murder with no promise of reward or other selfish reason, would have an easier time gaining Shinon's trust. Someone who saves Shinon's life would definitely get special treatment from him (by special, I mean not as much suspicion).

3. How long has Shinon been in Westcrown?

Shinon was born and raised in Westcrown. He's 22, so he's been living in Westcrown for 22 years. Shinon met Traine when they were both 7 years old.

4. What does he like best about Westcrown?

Shinon's feelings about Westcrown are that the city itself is alive. The noise of the people, and the coming together of different ideals and values, all trying to make themselves heard over each other, is like Westcrown's beating heart, and Shinon likes that the best. He likes to walk around the city, close his eyes, and just listen to passerby and try and hear all of the people at once.

The Shark Net

Spoiler:

The Ranking System is determined by the owner of the Inn, based on customer feedback, difficulty of missions that were accomplished, success to failure ratio, severity of wounds received, and etc. It's maintained by a Ranking Board, which covers an entire section of one of The Shark Net's walls (about 10 feet wide and 20 feet high, but with a big enough font that it's easily legible for someone standing in front of it).

The purpose of the Ranking System is to allow those with skill to assert that skill with some authority, usually to coerce larger pay. However, the clients also can use the System, as they can request a certain tier of mercenary or above only, but if they do so they are required to raise the compensation to the appropriate minimum level.

The Shark Net employs close to 100 trained mercenaries of different races and backgrounds. A good fifty of these men and women are, by metagame terms, 1st and 2nd level warriors, commoners and fighters. These people belong in the E Tier, which is basically the one for casual mercenaries who come along maybe once a month when they need some extra money and don't take the job too seriously (as well as any newbie mercenary who hasn't had a chance to prove himself, though they generally don't stay in E Tier very long).

The mercenaries who take the job seriously but aren't exactly good or experienced at it belong in the D Tier, which comprises about 20 or so sellswords at this inn.

Then there's the C-Tier, where Shinon and Sabrina reign. From here on, I'll explain in purely meta terms. A C-Tier mercenary is someone who can be expected to, with the right resources, time frame, and preparation, take on any CR 5 or below mission and successfully complete it.

The B-Tier, which has only a scant dozen men and women, is for the rough-riders. B-Tier individuals can be expected to deal with any CR 9 or below mission.

The A-Tier has just five members at this inn. An A-Tier mercenary does not accept any mission with a payoff of less than 2000 gp (this is something they agreed upon as a group, it's not a rule, but it helps keep their profits high). An A-Tier mercenary can trounce any CR 14 or below mission, and they generally work together to do it since such missions are, expectedly, rare.

The final ranking, the one for people who sit at the top, is the S-Tier. The S-Tier is for a mercenary who has accomplished something truly outstanding and whose power, skill, and record can never be disputed. The S-Tier individual can be expected to handle any CR 17 or below mission. At the moment, there is only one mercenary at The Shark Net who holds this coveted title. His name is Talkin Coors, and everyone calls him Talkin the Dragon Slayer. He is a half-fiend, and he has never felt the need to hide his devil features.

Specs

Spoiler:

SHINON CR 2
Male Half-Elf Ranger (Urban Ranger) 3
NG Medium Humanoid (Human, Elf)
Init +5; Senses Perception +11, Low-Light Vision
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DEFENSE
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AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +3 Studded Leather)
hp 29 (3d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +2
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OFFENSE
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Spd 30 ft.
Melee Masterwork Longsword +4 (1d8 Slashing, 19-20/x2)
Ranged Masterwork Longbow +7 (1d8/x3, range 100 ft)
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STATISTICS
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Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 10
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 16
Feats: Skill Focus (Stealth), Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Endurance
Traits: Suspicious, Conspiracy Hunter
Skills: Acrobatics +6, Bluff +7, Climb +4, Disable Device +9, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (Local) +10, Perception +11, Sense Motive +8, Stealth +14, Survival +7
Languages: Common, Elven, Infernal, Tien
SQ: Favored Enemy (Humans) +2, Track, Wild Empathy

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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Favored Enemy: Shinon has studied humans extensively, and receives a +2 bonus to Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks made against creatures of the Humanoid (Human) type and subtype. Shinon also receives a +2 bonus to weapon attack and damage rolls made against humans.
Point Blank Shot: +1 to ranged attack and damage rolls when target is within 30 feet.
Track: +1 bonus to Survival checks made to follow tracks.
Wild Empathy: Shinon may make a modified class level check to improve the attitude of a creature with the animal or magical beast type. He takes a -4 penalty to checks involving magical beasts, and automatically fails any attempt if the magical beast's Intelligence score is 3 or higher.
Favored Community: Shinon receives a +2 bonus to initiative checks, as well as to Know (Local), Perception, Stealth and Survival checks made in Westcrown.
Trapfinding: +1 bonus to Disable Device and Perception checks made to find or remove traps. Shinon can use the Disable Device skill to dismantle magical traps.