Sven the Shieldbearer's page

Dwarf
* Stats: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, –2 Charisma: Dwarves are both tough and wise, but also a bit gruff.
* Medium: Dwarves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Slow and Steady: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
* Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
* Defensive Training: Dwarves get a +4 dodge bonus to their AC against monsters of the giant subtype.
* Craftsman: Dwarves are known for their superior craftsmanship when it comes to metallurgy and stonework. Dwarves with this racial trait receive a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks related to metal or stone. This racial trait replaces greed.
* Giant Hunter: Dwarves with this racial trait gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls against humanoids with the giant subtype. Furthermore, they gain a +2 bonus on Survival checks to find and follow tracks made by humanoids with the giant subtype. This racial trait replaces the hatred racial trait.
* Hardy: Dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
* Iron Citizen: Dwarves with this racial trait gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks, and Diplomacy is a class skill for such dwarves. This replaces stability.
* Stonecunning: Dwarves receive a +2 bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice any such features that they pass within 10 feet of, whether or not they are actively looking.
* Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
* Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Dwarves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, and Undercommon.

Traits
* Tough Minded: You gain a +1 trait bonus on all Will saves made to resist mind-affecting effects.
* Shield Bearer: When performing a shield bash, you deal 1 additional point of damage. Also, once per day on your turn as a free action, you may provide one adjacent ally a +2 trait bonus to his Armor Class. This bonus lasts for 1 round, so long as you and the target remain adjacent to one another. You can only use this ability if you are using a shield. You retain your shield bonus to your armor class when using this ability.

Stats
* Str: 16 (10 pts)
* Dex: 13 (3pts)
* Con: 12 (2pts) +2 (race) = 14
* Int: 8 (-2pts)
* Wis: 12 (2pts) + 2 (race) = 14
* Cha: 10 (0pts) -2 (race) = 8

Feats
Lvl 1: Improved Shield Bash
Lvl 3: Power Attack
Lvl 4 Ranger Combat Training: Two Weapon Fighting
Lvl 5: Furious Focus
Lvl 7: Double Slice
Lvl 8 Ranger Combat Training: Shield Master
Lvl 9: Improved Critical
Lvl 11: Bashing Finish
Lvl 13: Weapon Focus
Lvl 15: Dodge
Lvl 17: Shield Focus
Lvl 18 Ranger Combat Training Greater Shield Focus
Lvl 19: Toughness

Slayer Talents
Lvl 2: Determined Zeal
Lvl 4: Ranger Combat Training
Lvl 6: True Believer (Ex)
Lvl 8: Ranger Combat Training
Lvl 10: Divine Anathema
Lvl 12: Armored Marauder (The slayer gains proficiency with heavy armor. In addition, the armor check penalty of any heavy armor the slayer wears is reduced by 1 for every 6 slayer levels he has.)
Lvl 14: Deadly Sneak
Lvl 16: Opportunist
Lvl 18: Ranger Combat Training
Lvl 20: Saving Study

Skills
* Sense Motive: +8
* Perception: +6 (+2 stonecunning)
* Survival: +6 (+1 track)
* Diplomacy: +5
* Intimidate: +3

Background Skills
* Craft Weapons: +5
* Craft Armor: +5

Equipment (300 start)
* Breastplate (200 gold)
* Spiked Heavy Steel Shield (30 gold)
* Fighter's Kit (9 gold)
* 61 gold

* Note: Lvls 1-11 will wear a breastplate. At lvl 12, will add an armored kilt. Thus becomes +7 AC, +2 max dex, -1 ACP. At lvl 18 it becomes -0 ACP.

Studied Target (Ex)
* A slayer can study an opponent he can see as a move action. The slayer then gains a +1 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks attempted against that opponent, and a +1 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against it. The DCs of slayer class abilities against that opponent increase by 1. A slayer can only maintain these bonuses against one opponent at a time; these bonuses remain in effect until either the opponent is dead or the slayer studies a new target.
* If a slayer deals sneak attack damage to a target, he can study that target as an immediate action, allowing him to apply his studied target bonuses against that target (including to the normal weapon damage roll).
* At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, the bonuses on weapon attack rolls, damage rolls, and skill checks and to slayer DCs against a studied target increase by 1. In addition, at each such interval, the slayer is able to maintain these bonuses against an additional studied target at the same time. The slayer may discard this connection to a studied target as a free action, allowing him to study another target in its place.
* At 7th level, a slayer can study an opponent as a move or swift action.

Track (Ex)
* A slayer adds 1/2 his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow tracks.

Sven is a dwarf from the Langebukk Clan and is descended from Unthal Langebukk. In ages past, a series of keeps were built in the Stolen Lands by the dwarves to protect their trade routes. One such keep was Bronzeshield Fortress. Just like the Woradashes and Skjegges, Sven's clan abandoned the Stolen Lands in shame, their enterprise having failed and their coffers dry. When the dwarves left, the Shield Road fell and their fortresses were left empty and open to the desecration of others.

The young dwarf grew up with tales of this folly his ancestors, who for three hundreds years had dedicated their lives to the Shield Road. It was said that a dwarf belonged in the mountains, and it was leaving which had led to ruin.

Sven took the opposite lesson. A devout follower of Angradd, he believed that it was sticking to their own which had led to the shame of his clan. They had built fortresses to defend a trade road, but what had they done to bring in trade? They had tried to bring the Mountains to the Stolen Lands, rather than adapt to life there. The answer, in his mind, was in mankind. A kingdom could not be made with just dwarven hands. It required real settlement by a young and vibrant race, and actual reason for trade to flow through. And he sincerely believed that the safety of his own people required the outside world to be safe. Dangers had to be pushed back on the borders, in places just like the Stolen Lands. When such areas became safe, then so too would the more civilized lands become safe too. Danger and evil alike had to be faced head on! These ideas, of course, fell on deaf ears. His people had tried and they had failed, and if there was one thing they could not stand it was being reminded of their shame.

And that is why Sven left his home. A young, hotheaded and brash dwarf, who had the desire to tame the Stolen Lands. To have the shame of his people erased, and for the world to know that the Langebukk Clan had finally succeeded. And to do that, what he needed to do was to join a new push to settle these lands.

It was for this reason that he joined the expedition to settle the Stolen Lands. Cursing the stubbornness of his kin, he stubbornly went forth to prove himself right.