About Shakaro JunBackground:
"Jun? You want to know about Jun?" The old timer looked the young captain up and down.
"Came to you for a berth, did he? Heh heh." The old man puffed on his pipe. "Well, there's good things and bad things you can say about Shakaro Jun. The bad ones ye best say out of his hearing though! Ha!" "First of all, I know what you're thinkin'. 'Is he really related to Ingako Jun?' Best anyone can tell, sure he is. No way to know for sure, I guess, but he didn't realize Ingako was famous out here." The old man coughs at the young captain's blank stare. "You mean to tell me you never heard of Ingako Jun? Boy, where were you raised? Ingako Jun was a terror of the high seas in her day!" "A' course, that was afore the Eye of Abednego formed and everything went crazy. T'was harder to be a pirate back then. Cheliax still ran regular patrols along the west Garund coast." The old man leans back, lost in thought. "That was, oh, let me see... about 200 years ago, I reckon. She came from the far east somewheres - Ingako, that is, and her ship, Tiger of Nagajor. Nagajor's the land where those lizard people come from. She was originally some kind of warship, but the crew turned pirate and headed west. Sailed around Vudra, up past Jalmeray and through the inner sea, and ended up around here." "The Tiger was a bloody terror on the high seas. The crew was all lizards like that, though as time went on they took on humans and others as replacements. But you didn't want to be taken by 'em - word was the lizards was cannibals, and would eat you alive. Eventually they figured out that they could ransom captives or sell them as slaves, but everyone still afeared bein' eaten by those bastards." "Them lizards are unnaturally strong and tough. They'd just close in fast as they could and board ya. You didn't want that, them settin' foot on your deck. They couldn't be bothered with catapults and all that, just get to handstrokes and start killin'." "But they ain't too smart, you see. Eventually Tiger got caught downwind on a lee shore by a Lirgen flotilla. The Lirgens didn't close; just shot the Tiger to splinters. This was further down the coast, I think, south of Sargava. They say a bunch of survivors made it off the Tiger and swam to shore, but the Lirgens had no interest in chasing those creatures into the jungle. The Tiger was sunk so they called it a day and headed for home." The old man smiles and winks at the young captain. "So is this Shakaro Jun descended from Ingako? Well, could be. Could be." "If someone took the name 'Jun' you'd probably think it was a put-on, them trying to ride on someone else's name. But when we found Shakaro, he didn't have any idea that Ingako was a pirate before. To be frank, the damn lizard hardly knew anything." "This was when I was the Bosun on board the Grey Gull. We found him below. Idiot had swam on board when we were at anchor in a little cove taking on water. He said he wanted us to take him to 'where the ships came from.' Ha, can you believe it? The guy actually thought that all ships came from one port somewhere. Course, he'd never been off his little island before. His tribe lived in mud huts or trees or whatever and had no civilization at all. They had no metal and made everything from wood and stone and bone. Real primitive-like. They worshipped a bunch of plant people who lived up in the highlands. I'm not sure what they were... dryads maybe? Or Treants? Anyway, the only modern stuff they had was what ships would trade with them when they stopped for supplies." "At least they used to. When we got there, the whole village was abandoned. There were some bodies and such but nobody living. So we just took on our water and made sail. Didn't want to stick around in case whatever killed 'em all was still around." "Turns out, at least according to Shakaro, another ship came up and attacked his village. They killed a bunch, and took the rest as captives. Now I can't see the damn reptiles making good slaves. Well, they do got themselves some strong backs and all, but their skin is a little tough for the lash. The only place you'd get a good price for 'em would be somewhere where they had an arena. They'd make good gladiators, I'm sure of it. They like exotics in the arenas. Audience always likes something new." "So where was I? Oh right, he was chasing this other ship that took his people away, and thought that all ships went to the same place. Ha! Well, he soon figured that one out. He said that the ship had a red flag, with a black skull and crossed black cobras underneath. Who does that sound like, hmm? No, I didn't tell him. But he's looking for revenge pretty bad." "At first the cap'n wanted us to subdue the guy, but he was a hell of a brawler, and didn't like to be taken. We got a net on 'im at one point but with a word he slipped right out of it. So the captain offered him a deal. Work his passage as a deckhand and we wouldn't throw him off the ship. He was good with that, as long as we were going to the place where ships came from. We told him we were. Hee hee hee!" The old man giggles for a few moments, and then takes a pull from his pipe. He coughs for a few moments, then continues. "So he learned. The crew weren't easy on him, that's for sure, but Jun was always willing to pick a fight if he thought he was hard done by. Got him in a lot of trouble as he had no idea what bein' an officer meant. He had his share of time in the brig, and got the lash more than once. Though his scaly skin didn't seem to be too bothered by that." "He's a passable sailor now, though not like someone born to the sea is. But he's got a talent for working with wood, which is always handy on a ship, so after a while cap'n made him chippy's mate." "And when it came time for a fight, oh, he liked that, he sure did. He'd just take that damned big hunk of wood of his and start swingin'. Oh, he's no coward. He's got no style at all, but he's strong. He can dish it out all right. Getting him to stop is the problem." "He's also got some magic too. Some of that tribal witch doctor stuff I think. He can heal wounds, and he has a bunch of other little tricks. It's useful, but a bit scary. Well... you know how it is. A proper cleric comes to heal you and you say 'thanks, doc.' But here comes this big lizard with feathers and chicken bones and monkey skulls all over 'im, and you think 'Ya know, maybe this wound's not so bad after all.' Besides, they say the guy is haunted." "Yeah, really. Watch him long enough and you'll see it. Chairs move, doors open on their own, you hear footsteps where there ain't no one, that sort of thing. He just ignores all that crap, but the rest of the crew sees that and they get nervous. Some think it''s bad luck. I figure he's dragging around the spirits of his villagers who died. That's why he wants revenge so bad - to make those spirits rest." "Grey Gull eventually got broken up on rocks over by Shenchu Bay. Got chased there by a couple of warships. We made it to the mainland and then hiked overland to Port Peril. Most of us made it. Shakaro may not be a master sailor, but he's certainly handy to have around when you're stuck on the shore in Garund. Even though he got us back to port, a lot of the crew grumbled. Thought his bad luck was what caused the Gull to strike the rocks in the first place. They never said that to his face though." "So, if you give 'im a berth, that's what you're gettin'. You could take him on as a chippy's mate or even as the chippy hisself. But if you plan to fight your ship, get 'im on deck at the front of the boarding party." =================================================================== Quick Background:
* Shakaro's tribe were originally the crew of a ship called the Tiger of Nagajor which sailed about 200 years ago. Captained by a Nagaji woman named Ingako Jun, the ship was a privateer intended to attack ships trespassing in Nagajor waters without permission. But the ship went further and further afield, and the captain got more and more greedy, until they became out-and-out pirates. They eventually traveled past Vudra and into the inner sea where they operated alongside other pirates from the Shackles, and they developed a fearsome reputation. Eventually a naval flotilla from Lirgen (one of the kingdoms destroyed by the eye of Abednego) sank the Tiger of Nagajor off the coast of Garund. The survivors swam to shore and took up residence on a modest-sized tropical island. They named their tribe Jun after their dead captain.
* The only inhabitants of the island were a group of Ghoran. The Ghoran came to be revered by the Jun tribe as a sort of "forest spirit" that the Nagaji referred to as the "The Jungle People." The Ghoran did what they could to help the Jun tribe adapt to their new home. * Shakaro was raised to be the shaman of jungle tribe of Nagaji. Their village, Jun Tahu, lay on an island off the west coast of Garund near a sea cove with a freshwater stream. Occasionally ships would arrive to take on water and trade for supplies. * Village was plundered by pirates who kidnapped the surviving population, to sell them as slaves. Ship bore a red flag with a black skull and crossed cobras. * Shakaro was the only survivor. Enraged and hungry for revenge, he waited for another ship to arrive. He swam out to the ship and stowed away, assuming that the ship would take him to the place where ships came from. * The ship was the Grey Gull, a pirate vessel. Within a few days, Shakaro was caught by the crew. He was given the chance to live if he "worked his passage." * Though Shakaro was subjected to much abuse by the crew, he gradually learned the life of the sea. But he no longer has any idea where his homeland is, nor does he know what happened to his fellow villagers. His only hope is that he will one day see that red flag again. When he does, he will do whatever it takes to find out what happened to his tribe. * The Grey Gull was defeated in battle, and Shakaro was shipwrecked. He and what was left of the Grey Gull's crew made their way to Port Peril over land. =================================================================== Personality and Appearance:
Shakaro is an imposing figure. He stands 6' 10" tall (only slightly above average for a Nagaji), and has mottled green and brown scales. He has golden unblinking eyes that seem dead and lifeless. His body is decorated with tribal charms and fetishes made from bits of bone, feathers, snakeskin, and even small animal skulls. He is armed with some crudely fashioned clubs and spears, and wears a rusty chain shirt. He wears no clothing aside from a loincloth.
Shakaro really cares nothing for what humans and other racces do to one another. His concept of 'good' only applies to his own people. He doesn't mind if people of other races are hurt or killed, and doesn't think it is wrong to do those things to others, but he would object violently if any such actions were taken towards his own people, and would not harm people of his own race without cause and a ritual challenge. He has little experience with any sort of "good" coming from humans and his treatment has been poor at their hands, so he has little feelings towards them. Shakaro is primarily driven by his desire for revenge. He does not know if the people from his village are alive or not, and he will rescue them if he can. But he believes they are likely dead and that he must punish those responsible. But he has no way of finding them, and knows that he depends on the sailors around him to both find his enemy and then get him home. So he considers them useful for his own goals and is content to go along with their goals as long as they do not interfere with his. Those that try to prevent him from fulfilling his quest however will face his wrath. ===================================================================
Build Concept:
* Shakaro is an oracle that mostly uses spells as battle buffs to enhance his performance in combat, though he has some utility spells and a few attack spells.
* Shakaro will eventually fight with a large great terbutje (once he gets the feat), a big club lined with shark teeth that functions as an edged weapon. It is sized for a large creature so he uses it with both hands at a -2 penalty to hit (basically the same schtick that Amiri, the iconic barbarian, does). If he needs bludgeoning he also has a greatclub. * His primary buff is divine favor which gives him a +2 to hit and damage thanks to the fate's favored trait. * He will also use his Wood Armor revelation to conjure armor made of wood. He also will use magic vestment and barkskin for long term defense buffs. So his AC is decent. The best thing about wood armor: it floats. :) * He doesn't channel energy, but as an oracle he gets all the cure spells for free. Though ideally for things like condition removal we should build up an arsenal of things like scrolls. * Shakaro isn't that smart and a lot of his skills are just average for a character of his level. But he has most of the important bases covered. * 15 point buy:
=================================================================== Oracle (Pei Zin Practitioner) of the Wood Mystery Revelations:
Curse: Haunted HP: 35 (4d8 (rolls: 8, 7, 6, 6) + 8 CON)
=================================================================== Melee: (+3 BAB, +4 STR, +1 Wood Bond)
Ranged: (+3 BAB, +1 DEX, +1 Wood Bond)
Combat Gear: (6000 gp starting gold, 200 lbs carrying capacity medium load)
Total: 1857.5 gp, 59 lbs. =================================================================== Character Choices Favored Class Bonus: Skills Traits:
Feats:
=================================================================== Class Skills:
Craft (Int), Armor Check Penalty: -3 (0 for climb and jump) Adventuring Skills:
Acrobatics +1 (3 ranks, +1 DEX, -3 ACP) or +4 for jumping
Background Skills:
Craft (wood) +8 (1 rank, +1 INT, +3 Class, +1 Wood Bond, +2 Masterwork Tools)
=================================================================== Spells Known:
Spells Per Day:
=================================================================== Miscellaneous Gear: (remaining 4142 gp, 129 lbs.)
4124 gp, 43 lbs. _1 sp Bedroll 5 lbs.
31 sp, 17.5 lbs. 50 cp 10 x Iron Spike 10 lb.
90 cp, 13 lbs. Free: Hot weather clothing 8 lbs. Subtotal: 4128 gp, 81.5 lbs.
Remaining: 14.5 gp, 59.5 lbs capacity (drops bag containing rope, grapple, Iron Spikes, & woodcarving tools to reduce carried weight to 93.5 - light load) =================================================================== Nagaji:
+2 Strength, +2 Charisma, –2 Intelligence: Nagaji are strong and have forceful personalities, but tend to ignore logic and mock scholastic pursuits.
Medium: Nagaji are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Reptilian: Nagaji are humanoids with the reptilian subtype. Normal Speed: Nagaji have a base speed of 30 feet. Low-Light Vision: Nagaji can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. Armored Scales: Nagaji have a +1 natural armor bonus from their scaly flesh. Resistant (Ex): Nagaji receive a +2 racial saving throw bonus against mind-affecting effects and poison. Serpent's Sense (Ex): Nagaji receive a +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal checks against reptiles, and a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. Languages: Nagaji begin play speaking Common and Draconic. Nagaji with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: any human tongue, Abyssal, Aklo, Celestial, Draconic, Giant, Infernal, and Sylvan. Haunted:
Haunted (Advanced Player's Guide pg. 44 (Amazon)): Malevolent spirits follow you wherever you go, causing minor mishaps and strange occurrences (such as unexpected breezes, small objects moving on their own, and faint noises). Retrieving any stored item from your gear requires a standard action, unless it would normally take longer. Any item you drop lands 10 feet away from you in a random direction. Add mage hand and ghost sound to your list of spells known. At 5th level, add levitate and minor image to your list of spells known. At 10th level, add telekinesis to your list of spells known. At 15th level, add reverse gravity to your list of spells known. 7th level version:
Revelations: Wood Armor (summons wooden armor for up to 7 hours per day) Wood Bond (+2 on attacks made with wooden weapons) Tree Form (as tree shape, up to 7 hours/day) Curse: Haunted HP: 52 (7d8 + 14 CON)
=================================================================== Melee: (+5 BAB, +4 STR, +1 Enhance, +2 Wood Bond, -2 wrong size)
Ranged: (+5 BAB, +2 DEX, +2 Wood Bond)
Combat Gear: 2799 gp., 43 lbs.
=================================================================== Feats:
Traits:
=================================================================== Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int). Also Climb, Fly, Knowledge (nature), Ride, Survival, and Swim (mystery). Adventuring Skills:
Acrobatics +5 (3 ranks, +2 DEX)
Background Skills:
Craft (wood) +7 (4 ranks, +0 INT, +3 Class)
=================================================================== Spells Known:
Spells Per Day:
=================================================================== Gear: (starting cash 23,500 gp, -2799 gp combat gear = 20501 gp remaining)
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