Sigrún the Magpie's page

Female Half-Elf Bloodrager (Urban/Primalist) 3
CN Medium Humanoid (Half-Elf)

Init +3; Senses Perception +6
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DEFENSE
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AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 dex)

hp 42

Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +3 (+2 vs. Enchantment Spells and Effects) (All Saves +1 vs Arcane Spells)
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OFFENSE
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Speed 40 ft.

Melee +6

Ranged +5
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STATISTICS
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Str 17, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 13
Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 18
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Traits

Roll With It: (Campaign):
You gain a +1 trait bonus on Reflex saves. In addition, once per day, when a creature with the giant subtype successfully confirms a critical hit against you with a weapon or a slam attack (not a spell or special ability), you can roll with the attack. You take normal damage from the blow, as if the critical had not been confirmed. You must be aware of the attack and able to react to it—if you are denied your Dexterity bonus to AC, you can’t use this ability. If you are a dwarf or a gnome, you can use this ability twice per day.

Failed Apprentice (Half-Elf):
As a child, your witch mother tried to teach you the arcane arts. Unfortunately, you had no talent for learning to prepare arcane spells whatsoever. You did learn a great deal about the workings of spells and how to resist them.
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on saves against arcane spells.

Arcane Temper (Magic):
You have quick reactions and fierce concentration.
Benefits: You gain a +1 trait bonus on concentration and initiative checks.

Oppressive Expectations (Drawback):
You were raised with the belief that your family was special, and that those of your status always succeed at whatever they do. Due to your concern about upholding the family name and your memories of the consequences for disappointing them (such as violence or unsettling disapproval), you are easily frustrated. When you fail at a skill check, you take a –2 penalty on checks with that skill until you succeed or until you fail at a different skill check, whichever comes first.

Feats

Toughness:
You have enhanced physical stamina.
Benefit: You gain +3 hit points. For every Hit Die you possess beyond 3, you gain an additional +1 hit point. If you have more than 3 Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points whenever you gain a Hit Die (such as when you gain a level).

Power Attack
Prerequisites: Str 13, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon.
When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2.
You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.

Skills (6 points; 12 class, 0 INT, 6 Background)
ACP -2

Acrobatics* +7 = DEX 2+2+3
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Appraise +0 = INT 0+0+0
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Bluff +2 = CHA 1+0+0
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Climb* +7 = STR 3+1+3
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Craft +0 = INT 0+0+0
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Diplomacy +1 = CHA 1+0+0
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Disable Device*† +2 = DEX 2+0+0
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Disguise +1 = CHA 1+0+0
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Escape Artist* +2 = DEX 2+0+0
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Fly* +2 = DEX 2+0+0
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Handle Animal† +2 = CHA 1+1+0 (+1 Handle Animal)
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Heal +0 = WIS 0+0+0
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Intimidate +6 = CHA 1+2+3
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K (Arcana)† +4 = INT 0+1+3
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K (Dungeoneering)† +0 = INT 0+0+0
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K (Engineering)† +0 = INT 0+0+0
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K (Geography)† +2 = INT 0+2+0 (+2 Background)
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K (History)† +0 = INT 0+0+0
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K (Local)† +4 = INT 0+1+3
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K (Nature)† +0 = INT 0+0+0
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K (Nobility)† +0 = INT 0+0+0
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K (Planes)† +0 = INT 0+0+0
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K (Religion)† +0 = INT 0+0+0
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Linguistics† +4 = INT 0+1+3 (+1 Background)
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Perception +6 = WIS 0+1+3 +2 (Half-Elf)
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Perform +1 = CHA 1+0+0
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Profession (Guard/Mercenary)† +5 = WIS 0+2+3 (+2 Background)
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Ride +2 = DEX 2+0+0
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Sense Motive +0 = WIS 0+0+0
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Sleight of Hand*† +2 = DEX 2+0+0
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Spellcraft† +4 = INT 0+1+3
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Stealth* +4 = DEX 2+2+0
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Survival +0= WIS 0+0+0
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Swim* +7 = STR 3+1+3
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Use Magic Device† +1 = CHA 1+0+0
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*ACP applies to these skills
Non-Standard Skill Bonuses

Keen Senses (Half-Elf): +2 Perception

Languages Common, Skald, Elven, Dwarven

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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Half-Elf

Elven Immunities:
Half-elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.

Keen Senses
Keen Senses: Half-elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.

Low Light Vision:
Half-elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Elf Blood:
Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.

Dual Minded:
The mixed ancestry of some half-elves makes them resistant to mental attacks. Half-elves with this racial trait gain a +2 bonus on all Will saving throws. This racial trait replaces the adaptability racial trait.

Fey Thoughts:
Fey Thoughts (1 RP): Select two of the following skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Fly, Knowledge (nature), Perception, Perform, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Swim, or Use Magic Device. The selected skills are always class skills for the character. This trait replaces multitalented.

Bloodrager

Controlled Bloodrage: 8 Rounds/Day
When an urban bloodrager rages, she does not gain the normal benefits. Instead, she can apply a +4 morale bonus to her Constitution, Dexterity, or Strength. This bonus increases to +6 when she gains greater bloodrage and to +8 when she gains mighty bloodrage. She can apply the full bonus to one ability score or split the bonus between several scores in increments of 2. When using a controlled bloodrage, an urban bloodrager gains no bonus on Will saves, takes no penalties to AC, and can still use Charisma-, Dexterity-, and Intelligence-based skills. A controlled bloodrage still counts as a bloodrage for the purposes of any spells, feats, and other effects.
This ability alters bloodrage.

Fast Movement
A bloodrager's land speed is faster than is normal for his race by 10 feet. This benefit applies only when he is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor, and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the bloodrager's speed due to any armor worn or load carried. This bonus stacks with any other bonuses to the bloodrager's land speed.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level, a bloodrager can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dex bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A bloodrager with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action (see Combat) against her.

Restrained Magic (Su):
At 3rd level, an urban bloodrager can attune her spells so they are less likely to impact her allies or innocent bystanders. When the bloodrager casts a spell, she can grant a +2 bonus on the saving throw against that spell to any creatures she is aware of that are targeted by the spell or within the spell’s area. Any creature that receives this bonus and succeeds at its save is unaffected by the spell, as if it hadn’t been targeted or wasn’t in the area. This ability replaces blood sanctuary.

Arcane Bloodline

Disruptive Bloodrage
At 1st level, the DC to cast spells defensively increases by 2 for enemies within your threatened area. This increase stacks with that granted by the Disruptive feat.

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Spells
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0th (at will)

1st (0/day)

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GEAR/POSSESSIONS
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Greatsword
Long Spear
Boarding Axe
Dagger
Club
Short Bow
20 Arrows
Armored Coat
Explorer's Outfit
Backpack
Belt Pouch
Waterskin
Bedroll/Blanket
Rope (50')
Flint & Steel
Mess Kit
Soap
Iron Pot
String (50')
Rations (5 Days)
Torches (10)
Whetstone
Gear Maintainence Kit
Grooming Kit
Beaded Necklace

Carrying Capacity
Light 0-76 lb. Medium 77-153 lb. Heavy 154-230 lb.
Current Load Carried 0 lb.

Money 43 GP 7 SP 8 CP

Sigrún’s mother Svala is a witch of some power and ambition, but of almost no renown of Kalsgard. That is the best type of witch to be in a city like Kalsgard, where magic in general, and witchcraft in particular, is distrusted. As a younger woman, Svala was (and still is to be fair) a considerable beauty, enough to beguile a Snowcaster elf into abandoning his responsibilities as a Twilight Speaker to take up with her.

Raelyosradin had undergone his tribe’s preparations to inure him against the temptations of the wider world, but he was a poorer choice as a Twilight Speaker than either his tribe, or he himself imagined possible. Sent to Kalsgard as a trader, and spy when the opportunity arose, he began to be swayed by city life after his initial shock wore off. Svala sought him out, and he found her fieriness and forwardness irresistible.

For her part Svala saw Raelyosradin as a prize. Winning him despite his promises to his people would prove her abilities in manipulation and seduction. Sigrún was born to them a year into their relationship. Some years went by, and both Svala’s and Raelyosradin’s feelings for each other cooled. As Svala’s powers grew and her network of underworld contacts expanded, Raelyosradin seemed to her a smaller and smaller trophy. Raelyosradin grew bored and lonely. Elves were extremely rare in Kalsgard. Most were other Snowcaster elves, who had no dealings with him after delivering a final message that he was no longer welcome at home. The few other elves found him too strange to be comfortable with, and he never managed to accustom himself to Ulfen ways.

By the time Sigrún was fifteen, Raelyosradin had begun to think about perhaps moving on to see more of the world. Unfortunately the first trip he took was to another woman’s bed. Svala found out about the affair almost immediately of course. Her response was to murder, cook, and eat Raelyosradin. She did the same to the woman who had dared to cross her when she tracked down her identity.

Sigrún was shocked. She understood well that her mother could not let such an affront to her honor go without a response, but what Svala had done seemed very disproportionate revenge. Sigrún didn’t express this to her mother, that now seemed very dangerous. Nor did she tell anyone else, that would have been a very foolish thing to do. So, life continued for Sigrún and Svala as if Raelyosradin had suddenly one day just disappeared, on the surface at least.

Sigrún had reached the age when her training as a witch needed to begin. Although she knew Sigrún had the spark, Svala found her infuriating. She seemed to be unable to learn even the simplest of things, and never attracted a patron. Svala eventually decided Sigrún was too stupid and lazy to amount to anything and abandoned Sigrún’s tutelage. Sigrún did find witchcraft beyond her ability, but she was learning according to her own agenda. She was increasingly horrified by her mother, and had set about learning how to protect herself from magic.

As Svala realized she would never coven with her daughter, she lost interest in her. Sigrún waited her mother out. When her mother no longer bothered to monitor her, Sigrún simply packed her belongings and slipped away. She was of no more value to her mother than a household servant anymore, so Sigrún doubted Svala would bother to look for her. As a precaution Sigrún dropped her byname of Svalasdottir and instead adopted "Magpie", a pet name her father had called her because she had loved to collect baubles and beads and string them as necklaces when she was a child.

Sigrún took her life savings and invested it in weapons and armor. Her father had taught her the basics of martial combat, and she would make her way earning a living by it. Her size and strength secured Sigrún a spot on a cargo ship bound for Riddleport. From there she signed on with caravans as a guard.

One significant event that did much to build Sigrun's confidence was a tangle with some stirges early in her career as a caravan guard. Sigrún found she was very good at sensing the weaknesses of the creatures. She could understand how they had been remade by magic in some intuitive way. It was almost as if she could see the architecture of the magic even if she can't use magic herself.

Sigrún has come to enjoy the company of the mostly Varisian caravaners she has traveled with. Their more free-spirited lifestyle has been in counterpoint to Kalsgard's reserved culture and Sigrún's fraught family life. She has relaxed some and learned to enjoy herself more.

After a little more than a year on the road attached to various caravans, Sigrun has begun to think more seriously about her future. She knows continuing in her current occupation is a dead end. If she is going to take on risky employment, it needs to provide either a substantial wage or opportunities for enrichment.

Ultimately Sigrun wants to be rich, although her notions of what wealth looks like would be amusingly paltry to the truly wealthy. Sigrun sees her path to wealth as one of great deeds done, which builds her reputation. As her reputation grows, so will her opportunities. Eventually she will reach an inflection point where she name and wealth attract followers to her. When it happens, she can establish herself as a leader in her own right.

Sigrun has now started taking jobs that will take her farther afield in the south She hopes to find a place ripe for her plans, but nothing in Varisia has looked promising enough to her. Sigrun’s most recent job took her on the caravan route from Korvosa north through Kaer Maga, and then eastward across the Storval Plain into the Hold of Belkzen and to Trunau.

She has been in Trunau for a few months now. At first Sigrun thought she had found a promising place. Trunau is a manageable size, and there are certainly possibilities out there for great deeds. It’s also wealthy enough. However, she has discovered the position she would want to occupy is held by Halgra of the Blackened Blades. Even though Trunau probably isn’t the place for the future she seeks, Sigrun has stayed on for the time being. She is collecting information from whoever she can about the lands farther to the east, (the River Kingdoms sound intriguing) and learning what she can by watching Halgra as a leader.

Sigrun has enough in savings to allow her to idle without work for a while. She keeps busy though. She is learning everything she can about the town’s operations and logistics, which she expects to be useful when she finds her own community to run. She haunts the taverns, swapping stories and always looking for travelers who might have information about the lands to the east. She is also carrying on an occasional and very unserious dalliance with an apprentice of Sara Morninghawk’s named Chayton.

Height: 6'3" | Weight: 155 | Hair: White Gold | Eyes: Pale Blue

Appearance

Sigrún inherited her father’s height and she is imposing, standing taller than most human males. She isn’t exactly lithe, but instead lean and, like most Ulfen people, muscular. Both her father and mother were pale skinned, with blond hair and blue eyes. Sigrún is the same, though slightly paler than typical for Ulfen humans, and with almost white hair and light blue eyes. During her time in Varisia Sigrún had a stylized linnorm inked across her back. It stretches from end to end all the way across her shoulders.

She is attractive, but her size tends to be a bit off-putting to most men. Her face isn’t quite as rounded as the average Ulfen woman’s, which along with her ears betrays her elven heritage. Although she isn’t particularly talkative with people she doesn’t know well, she is polite and knows to smile when dealing with others if she wants to make a good impression. Sigrun's fluency in the Common language, or Taldane, has improved greatly since she arrived in Varisia, but it is obvious she is a not a native speaker.

When she isn’t in armor, Sigrún typically wears simple clothing of linen and leather for comfort. She doesn’t ignore her looks, but doesn’t trouble herself much with extra primping. Staying clean and keeping her hair in good order is enough for her.

Although she doesn’t pass for human upon close scrutiny, Sigrún has found that in Avistan's more southerly regions the overwhelming Ulfeness of her size and looks tend to be the center of people’s attention rather than her elven features. This is a reversal from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings and she is pleased by it.

Personality

If Sigrún inherited her father’s height, she inherited her temper from her mother. While violent, it is not a loud, dramatic type of anger. Sigrún’s temper is a cold fury that she can keep hidden until the time is right. Like almost all Ulfen, she is mindful of her honor, and will not let slights pass unchallenged. When she was younger she gave and received more than her share of black eyes and bruises over disparaging comments about her elven parentage. On the other hand, Sigrún does not use honor as an excuse to seek out fights. Slights or insults must be real and with intent to rouse her.

Sigrún tends to be pessimistic about human nature. She doesn’t really expect people to be their best, or to act in good ways. Her childhood was proof enough to her that most people are not kind or helpful unless they will benefit by it. She doesn’t assume others are out to harm her, but she does keep her guard up with strangers until she knows something about them. Trust is something that she believes must be earned, and she hates the idea of being shown to be gullible.

She talks little and vaguely about her past. It is an awkward subject that she doesn’t expect other people to understand. She is used to Ulfen biases against witchcraft, which in her mother’s case are entirely justified anyway. Her expectation is for others to either be revolted if they knew about her family, or to pity her. She wants neither of these.

Once Sigrún warms to someone she is very different. She does have a dry sense of humor and enjoys small talk and casual conversation with those she is comfortable around. A cornerstone of Ulfen life is the family as a protective barrier from a harsh world. When she gets close to people she begins to view them as family since her own turned out to not meet her needs. She is also utterly loyal in return.

Sigrún views magic and its practitioners negatively for obvious reasons. Her views on magic may be shaped by a somewhat provincial version of the arcane, but she does understand what magic is and what it can do. She has worked hard to build mental shields against enchantments, which she fears the most. Her elven heritage has helped her considerably in this, but she is always on the lookout for anything that will strengthen her protections against spells and hexes.

While Sigrun isn't particularly religious, she isn't against divine devotion. Her father was a Yuelral worshipper, as is common among the Ilverani. He rarely spoke of the elven goddess though, and Sigrun knows little about her. Her mother Svala had dealings with numerous and varied supernatural things, but she never suggested to Sigrun that she worshipped any diety.

During her more recent few years in Varisia, Sigrun has been exposed to the faiths of Desna and Cayden Cailean. Both deities are popular with Varisian caravaners she's lived among. She has learned a reverence for Desna that isn't the same thing as faith. She has greater natural affinity for Cayden Cailean, but doesn't consider herself a follower. Should Sigrun ever feel the need to pray she might choose either Desna or Cayden Cailean depending on the subject or situation that brought her to pray.

My plan for Sigrún is to develop her as an effective anti-caster martial, and also to make a character that progresses sensibly given the unusual abilities of the Bloodrager class. Her background is set up to portray her counter to the more usual barbaric "fear and superstition about the unknown" in regarding magic, to fear and suspicion because she does know about it. Delayed casting until 4th level means that I'm emphasizing her defensive abilities versus magic early on. But she does in fact have the "spark" as her mother believed. Her mother's mistake has trying to teach a spontaneous user. It was like trying to teach a penguin to fly because it's a bird, not ever realizing it is meant to swim. When she does gain spellcasting abilities it will be an extension of the manipulations she's already learned to protect herself. Before that point she has no idea she is capable of spell casting at all. I see her as almost an anti-magic inquisitor without the religious trappings. Know the enemy, and use the enemy's own tactics to defeat it.

As for personality and CN alignment, it is with CG tendencies, a "limited good" philosophy that you can't make the world a better place, but you can help and protect family, friends and allies from it. Definitely not a chaotic crazy or random for the hell of it version of the alignment.

Her backstory places her origins in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. I know the campaign moves there eventually. Going there will be uncomfortable for Sigrun since she does truly fear her mother. To the extent there might be some advantage to Sigrun being on her home turf because she speaks the local languages, she will also be most uncomfortable in the Linnorm Kingdoms and Ilverani territory because she's a social outsider in both places. On the other hand, if it is a problem for her to be Ulfen for some reason, she could just as easily be switched to Kellid without requiring any great changes to her origin.

-Who are you and how are you doing?

I’m very well thank you. I live in Portland, Oregon in the U.S. and work for the state’s Department of Human Services. I’ve been working from home for a few months now, which is hectic with kids and a puppy, but the commute is awesome and the break room is so much better than before.

-How often do you tend to post?

Daily almost without exception. While it’s not common for me to post during the middle of he day while I’m at work, I post both early before work, and later after work. PbP games here on the Paizo boards are my main way to unwind and get my mind occupied with something fun and relaxing since I’m not much of a TV watcher.

-What kind of tone are you looking for in this game?

I’ll give two answers for this question since ‘tone’ is a little vague. If you mean the subjects and dramatic style of the adventure, I like variety. My favorite adventure paths have been Curse of the Crimson Throne for its gritty, grimdark themes and Rise of the Runelords for its classic ‘heroes save the world’ feel. Also for its Sandpoint setting, which is so richly realized. Finally, War for the Crown is great due to its placement of the characters within the social elite and making social maneuvering as important as combat. I wouldn’t trade any one of them away for more of what the other two offer.

If you mean the tone among the players and GM, I like a feeling of familiarity and comfort among the people participating. That doesn’t mean everyone must be best friends, but everyone should be able to build trust and feel confident that everyone else is coming to the game with good intentions. Along with trust, I prefer the tone of games to be collaborative rather than competitive or adversarial.

-What do you expect out of your fellow players?

I expect other players to be courteous and to consistently post in a timely manner. I know that RL sometimes demands that players be away from the game. PbP is a marathon and everyone will be away from the game for some time at some point. With notice and/or good communication it’s not a problem. But if players are always lagging or failing to post it can quickly kill a game’s momentum.

What I LOVE to see in other players is an interest in developing relationships and interaction dynamics with other players. I only play PbP games. In part it’s because of the difficulty of playing in tabletop games due to my schedule. Mostly I play PbP because I think t has so much more potential for role-playing. RP is what draws me. I don’t care too much about rules or mechanics. As long as I can get by in those areas I’m satisfied. PbP allows characters to interact with each other at length and in-depth without taking time away from other players, as it does in a tabletop game. I’m not asking that every post from every player always be long and detailed. But in the best games I’ve been in, players spend at least as much time posting with and about each other to build the story as they do posting actions or making dice checks. Creativity in their roleplay would be fantastic. It can get tedious to play with characters who have actions but no internal life.

-What do you expect out of me (the GM)?

Oh, reliability again. Fairness. The Rule of Cool is always welcome. Someone who is a collaborator rather than just a referee. I think improvisational acting is a good analogy. The GM sets a scene, gives prompts to move things forward, and describes outcomes. It’s up to the players to fill everything else in by acting on the hooks the GM and other players provide. Jade Regent includes NPCs that are almost GMPCs because of their long-term presence and importance, and that might blur the boundaries some, with the GM needing to take up roles similar to those of players sometimes.

-What is your comfort zone? Where's the line for you in RP terms?

My comfort zone is probably larger than the Paizo board's rules of use. I'm not bothered by much, as long as it legitimately furthers the story. My concerns would be more directed toward making sure other players are comfortable with everything happening in the game. I would strongly support a discussion among the chosen players before the game begins to lay out boundaries. I think it’s better for the players to explicitly know where everyone stands rather than having to make guesses as they write posts.

-How do you see your character progressing as a character?

I've played good characters to go dark, (fairly) bad characters looking for redemption, etc. etc. I think his time around I'm going for something simple that gets overlooked a lot. I want to see Sigrun mature and move completely into adulthood. What that will mean is hard to say since it will be happening through events which haven't yet occurred. But yeah, maturity and being comfortable in her own skin.

Since the campaign will focus on the romantic relationships, I will add that I am not committed to seeing the relationship succeed. Instead I’m committed to Sigrun’s relationship to Sandru being nuanced, complicated, and interesting. Whether it succeeds or fails in the end will depend on what seems the right outcome based on what has happened beforehand.