Sakurai Katsumi's page

About Sakurai Katsumi

Sakurai Katsumi
Female human samurai (warrior poet) 2
NG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +3; Senses Perception +2

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Defense
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AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 10 (+3 Dex, +2 Cha)
HP 24 (2d10, +6 Con, +2 favored class)
Fort +6 (+3 base, +3 Con), Ref +3 (+0 base, +3 Dex), Will +0 (+0 base) {+2 vs. fear}

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Offense
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Speed 40 ft.
Melee Masterwork katana +6 (1d8 slashing/18-20/x2, deadly)
Melee Wakizashi +5 (1d6 slashing/18-20/x2, deadly)
Melee Dagger +5 (1d4 piercing/19-20/x2)
Melee Unarmed strike +5 (1d3 bludgeoning/x2)
Ranged Masterwork darkwood longbow +6 (1d8 piercing/x3)

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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 16
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 15
Languages: Minkaian, Common (Taldane); Elven, Sylvan

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Feats
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Level 1
Dodge (Combat): Your training and reflexes allow you to react swiftly to avoid an opponents' attacks.
Prerequisites: Dex 13.
Benefit: You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.

Human
Improved Unarmed Strike (Combat): You are skilled at fighting while unarmed.
Benefit: You are considered to be armed even when unarmed—you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when you attack foes while unarmed. Your unarmed strikes can deal lethal or nonlethal damage, at your choice.
Normal: Without this feat, you are considered unarmed when attacking with an unarmed strike, and you can deal only nonlethal damage with such an attack.

Warrior Poet 1
Weapon Finesse (Combat): You are trained in using your agility in melee combat, as opposed to brute strength.
Benefit: With a light weapon, elven curve blade, rapier, whip, or spiked chain made for a creature of your size category, you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls. If you carry a shield, its armor check penalty applies to your attack rolls.
Special: Natural weapons are considered light weapons.

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Traits
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Courageous (Combat): Your childhood was brutal, but you persevered through force of will and faith. No matter how hard things got, you knew you’d make it through as long as you kept a level head. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against fear effects.

Noble Born (Campaign): You claim a tangential but legitimate connection to one of Brevoy’s noble families. If you aren’t human, you were likely adopted by one of Brevoy’s nobles or were instead a favored servant or even a childhood friend of a noble scion. Whatever the cause, you’ve had a comfortable life, but one far from the dignity and decadence your distant cousins know. Although you are associated with an esteemed name, your immediate family is hardly well to do, and you’ve found your name to be more of a burden to you than a boon in many social situations. You’ve recently decided to test yourself, to see if you can face the world without the aegis of a name you have little real claim or care for. An expedition into the storied Stolen Lands seems like just the test to see if you really are worth the title “noble.” Choose one of the following noble families and associated benefits.
Lebeda: Your family’s history of trading along the shores of Lake Reykal pervades your blood. As a deft merchant of the region, you gain a bonus language: Dwarven, Elven, Hallit, Gnome, Giant, Halfling, Skald, or Sylvan. Your family motto is “Success through Grace.”

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Adventuring Skills
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Total skill ranks: 12/4 (8 samurai, +2 Int, +2 human; 4 background skills)

Climb +5 (2 ranks, +3 class skill)
Diplomacy +8 (2 ranks, +3 Cha, +3 class skill)
Knowledge (local) +2 (1 rank, +1 Int)
Perception +2 (2 ranks)
Sense Motive +5 (2 ranks, +3 class skill)
Survival +1 (1 rank)
Swim +5 (2 ranks, +3 class skill)

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Background Skills
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Artistry (poetry) +6 (2 ranks, +1 Int, +3 class skill)
Perform (string) +5 (2 ranks, +3 Cha)

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Untrained Skills
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Acrobatics +3 (+3 Dex)
Bluff +3 (+3 Cha)
Handle Animal +3 (+3 Cha)
Intimidate +3 (+3 Cha)
Stealth +3 (+3 Dex)

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Gear
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Starting wealth: 1,000 gp

Explorer's outfit (free outfit)
Masterwork katana (350 gp, 6 lbs.)
Wakizashi (10 gp, 2 lbs.)
Masterwork darkwood longbow (405 gp, 1½ lbs.)
Durable arrows, 20 (20 gp, 3 lbs.)
Dagger (2 gp, 1 lb.)
Masterwork backpack (50 gp, 4 lbs.)
[
• Bedroll (1 sp, 5 lbs.)
• Canteens, 2 (2 gp ea., 1 lb. ea.)
• Compass (10 gp, ½ lb.)
• Crowbar (2 gp, 5 lbs.)
• Efficient tent (150 gp, 15 lbs.)
• Grappling hook (1 gp, 4 lbs.)
• Grooming kit (1 gp, 2 lbs.)
• Masterwork shamisen (100 gp, 3 lbs.)
• Rope, silk, 50' (10 gp, 5 lbs.)
• Shovel (2 gp, 8 lbs.)
• Tea ceremony set of Imperial Prefect Nagano (special item, 4 lbs.)
• Trail rations, 10 (5 sp ea., 1 lb. ea.)
• Whetstone (2 cp, 1 lb.)
• 132 gp, 8 sp, 8 cp
]

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Special Abilities
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Human

+2 to One Ability Score: Human characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Chosen Ability: Wisdom
Medium: Humans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
Bonus Feat: Humans select one extra feat at 1st level.
Skilled: Humans gain 1 additional skill rank at 1st level and 1 additional rank whenever they gain a level.
Languages: Humans begin play speaking Common and their ethnic language. Humans whose ethnic language is Common (or Taldane, in the case of Chelaxians or Taldans) do not receive an additional ethnic language. Humans with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

Samurai (warrior poet) 2

Weapon Proficiency: Samurai are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, plus the katana, naginata, and wakizashi. Samurai are proficient with all types of armor (heavy, light, and medium) and shields (except tower shields).

Dancer’s Grace (Ex): When wearing no armor and not using a shield, the warrior poet gains a bonus to Armor Class equal to her Charisma bonus (to a maximum of her samurai level). A warrior poet loses this bonus while flatfooted or otherwise denied her Dexterity bonus.
This replaces the samurai’s proficiency with medium armor, heavy armor, and shields.

Flourish (Ex): The warrior poet is skilled at performing elegant moves in battle. At 1st level, the warrior poet gains a flourish of her choice from the list below. She gains another flourish at 3rd, 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th, and 20th levels.
This replaces mount, weapon expertise, banner, and greater banner.
Exodus of Jinin: As long as the warrior poet is wearing light or no armor and carrying no more than a light load, her land speed increases by 10 feet. A warrior poet can select this flourish up to three times.

Graceful Warrior (Ex): The warrior poet gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat and can apply its benefits to glaives, katanas, and naginatas as if they were light weapons. This does not alter the weapons’ properties for the purposes of any other effects.

Challenge: Once per day, a samurai can challenge a foe to combat. As a swift action, the samurai chooses one target within sight to challenge. The samurai’s melee attacks deal extra damage when made against the target of his challenge. This extra damage is equal to the samurai’s level. The samurai can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every three levels beyond 1st, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
Challenging a foe requires much of the samurai’s concentration. The samurai takes a –2 penalty to his Armor Class, except against attacks made by the target of his challenge.
The challenge remains in effect until the target is dead or unconscious, or until the combat ends. Each samurai’s challenge also includes another effect, which is listed in the section describing the samurai’s order.

Skirmisher’s Challenge (Ex): The warrior poet adds her samurai level to her damage rolls only on her first successful attack against a challenged target each round.
This modifies challenge.

Order: At 1st level, a samurai must pledge himself to a specific order, typically the order of the warrior. The order grants the samurai a number of bonuses, class skills, and special abilities. In addition, each order includes a number of edicts the samurai must follow. If he violates these edicts, he loses the benefits of his order’s challenge ability for 24 hours. The violation of an edict is subject to GM interpretation.
Most samurai belong to the order of the warrior and are dedicated to their lord. Those without a lord, or who chose to abandon their lord, are ronin. A samurai may instead elect to dedicate himself to one of the orders listed under the cavalier description, but such samurai are rare.
A samurai who wishes to change his order must undertake a lengthy process to dedicate himself to a new cause. When this choice is made, he immediately loses all of the benefits from his old order. He must then follow the edicts of his new order for one entire level without gaining any benefits from that order. Once he has accomplished this, he gains all the bonuses from his new order. The only exception to this is when a samurai decides to become a ronin. A samurai can elect to become a ronin immediately, losing all the benefits from his old Classes order and replacing them with the new benefits from the ronin order. Once a ronin, however, the only way for the samurai to change to another order is through the method described above. Note that the names of these orders might vary depending upon the campaign setting or GM’s preference.

Order of the Warrior
Most samurai swear themselves to the code of the warrior, which emphasizes duty, honor, loyalty, and obedience. This code extends not only to the samurai’s lord and master, but also to his comrades and family. Samurai who follow the order of the warrior are among the most trusted and feared warriors in the land.
• Edicts: The samurai must protect the life and lands of his lord with his life. He must be truthful and courageous, respectful to his elders and his masters, and loyal to his friends and liege. He must conduct himself with honor and dignity.
• Challenge: Whenever an order of the warrior samurai declares a challenge, he receives damage reduction 1/— against attacks made by the target of his challenge. This DR increases by +1 for every four levels the samurai possesses.
• Skills: An order of the warrior samurai adds Knowledge (history) (Int) and Knowledge (nobility) (Int) to his list of class skills. An order of the warrior samurai can make Knowledge (nobility) checks untrained. If he has ranks in the skill, he receives a bonus on the check equal to 1/2 his samurai level (minimum +1) as long as the check involves the nobles or politics of his land.
• Honor in All Things (Ex): At 2nd level, the order of the warrior samurai draws strength from his sense of honor. Whenever the samurai makes a skill check or saving throw, he can call upon his honor as a free action to grant him a +4 morale bonus on the roll. He can use this ability once per day at 2nd level, plus one additional time per day for every four levels beyond 2nd (maximum of five times per day at 18th level).

Resolve: Starting at 1st level, the samurai gains resolve that he can call upon to endure even the most devastating wounds and afflictions. He can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every two samurai levels beyond 1st. Whenever the samurai defeats the target of his challenge, he regains one daily use of his resolve, up to his maximum number of uses per day. Defeating the target of his challenge usually involves reducing the target to 0 hit points or fewer, but the GM might rule that an enemy who surrenders or flees the battle is also defeated. He can use this resolve in a number of ways.
• Determined: As a standard action, the samurai can spend one use of his resolve to remove the fatigued, shaken, or sickened condition. If the samurai is at least 8th level, he can alternatively remove the exhausted, frightened, nauseated, or staggered condition. If the condition has a duration longer than 1 hour or is permanent, this ability removes the condition for 1 hour, at which time the condition returns.
• Resolute: Whenever the samurai is required to make a Fortitude or Will save, he can spend one use of his resolve as an immediate action to roll twice and take the better result. He must decide to use this ability before he rolls the saving throw.
• Unstoppable: When the samurai is reduced to fewer than 0 hit points but not slain, he can spend one use of his resolve as an immediate action to instantly stabilize and remain conscious. He is staggered, but he does not fall unconscious and begin dying if he takes a standard action. He does fall unconscious if he takes additional damage from any source.

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Backstory
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Description: Katsumi is tall for a Minkaian woman, with a slender build, fine features, and quick, nimble hands. In her home of Minkai she would typically wear heavy make-up in court situations, but now that she is trapped in distant and wild lands, she eschews makeup for practicality, except for a single red line down the middle of her lips.
Katsumi has long black hair that she usually puts into a single topknot or ponytail.
Katsumi usually dresses in a robe, though pragmatism has demanded that now she has more traveling gear from the local region, including a variety of tools, a canvas knapsack, and hefty boots.

Hair: Black, long
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5' 6"
Weight: 127 lbs.

Background: Originally from Minkai, Kasumi was a court samurai of low station. She spent much of her time in pursuit of the arts, principally music, poetry, and aesthetic swordplay. On rare occasions she became embroiled in a duel or other dispute of honor. Mostly she waited for the opportunity to serve in battle, or for an arranged marriage.
The former came before the latter, as she and several other samurai were dispatched to one of the many petty border wars to fight uprisings of lords who overstepped their station. In a strange twist, Katsumi and some of her compatriots became lost in an old growth forest, and while they stopped for a meal, woods-faeries were attracted by the sound of Katsumi playing her shamisen. Deciding to do these mortals a "favor"—Katsumi had no way of knowing that her squad was traveling into an ambush zone—the faeries sent them away. As is often the case, though, the faeries didn't deign to show themselves to the humans, instead simply doing the humans a small favor and then considering the task well done.
Katsumi found herself in a strange and faraway land. The first few years were hard, as she and her maid were only able to survive by the combination of wit, charm, and ready swordplay. Slowly they picked up the local language and customs and adapted to the situation (albeit with some very difficult months).
Finally, Katsumi managed to earn some acclaim from House Lebeda in Brevoy, which gained her a position as a minor functionary. Since she couldn't perform most of the common tasks needed by such an official, though, she was instead tasked with seeing to House Lebeda's interest in the new project to reclaim part of the Stolen Lands.
Of course, Katsumi is nothing if not a diligent samurai-ko, ready to follow orders, and hopeful of the chance to earn land and a title of her own, so she was ready to go before the ink on the charter was dry!
Many of Katsumi's friends and foes were left behind during her abrupt translocation away from Minkai. She has made some new contacts... and enemies... since joining society with House Lebeda in Brevoy, including:
Kessira Klave (female human), a diplomat and functionary from House Lebeda who helped Katsumi to secure a position with them;
Cimbol Theluseol (male elf), an elven scholar with whom she became acquainted during her time in the courts of House Lebeda, who taught her the rudiments of the elven language;
Yannis Mol (male human), a paunchy, middle-aged functionary for House Lebeda who handles far more behind the scenes than most people suspect;
and her enemy Caelmon Trask (male human), an Aldori sword lord from Issia who has dueled Katsumi in the past and is frustrated that they have never had a satisfactory conclusion.

Personality Traits: Katsumi is bold and forthright. She doesn't hesitate to speak her mind, and she is always looking for opportunities to prove her courage. She also has a tendency to engage in extemporaneous poetry.
Katsumi has conditioned herself to have no fear of death, as exemplified by the fact that she is willing and ready to charge into battle unarmored with nothing more than three feet of good steel between her and an enemy.
Like many Minkaiains, Katsumi has a preference for fish, vegetables, and especially rice, though she has (grudgingly) come to terms with the dietary staples of Varisia.
Katsumi has no particular feelings one way or the other about animals, finding them to be creatures of the natural world. Since she doesn't fight from horseback she has no especial connection with horses, nor is she used to domestic dogs and cats. She doesn't dislike them, she simply doesn't have any connection to "pet" animals.