Titus, Bane of Demons's page

About Titus, Bane of Demons

Titus

Appearance

Resources:
. Alchemy Formulae: 4/4 (at a time)
. . Salve: 4
. Attacks of Opportunity: 5/5 (per round)
. Independent Contractor Knowledge Reroll: 1/1 (per day)
. Ki Pool: 10/12 (per day)
. Martial Focus: 1/1 (at a time)
. Meditation (d6's): 2/3 (per meditation)

Male human sage 7
CG Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger)
Init +8; Senses Perception +18
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 25, touch 24, flat-footed 21 (+2 deflection, +4 Dex, +2 enhancement, +1 natural, +6 untyped bonus)
hp 49 (7d6+7)
Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +12
Defensive Abilities equip: magic armor (+2)
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee chi gong +3 (4d6) or
. . ki blast +7 touch (4d6+2/19-20)
Ranged ki blast +11 touch (4d6+2/19-20)
Special Attacks barrage sphere: barrage (3 ki blast attacks), barrage: intercepting shot, barrage: redirection (blitz), esotery: meteor shower, esotery: restorative blast, esotery: scatter blast (25-foot cone), sniper: deadly shot
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 10, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 21, Cha 10
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 25
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Simple Weapon Proficiency (sling), Skill Focus (Craft [alchemy]), Skill Focus (Perception), Telekinetic Exoskeleton, Toughness, Transformation, Weapon Focus (ray)
Traits practiced aim
Skills Acrobatics +8, Appraise +4, Climb +4 (+9 with Tactile Telekinesis), Craft (alchemy) +11, Diplomacy +10, Escape Artist +8, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +11, Knowledge (local) +3, Linguistics +6, Perception +18, Profession (Detective) +12, Profession (Yog-Sothothery philosopher) +12, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +3, Stealth +10, Survival +10, Swim +4 (+9 with Tactile Telekinesis)
Languages English (Native), German (Proficient), Hebrew (Proficient), Irish Gaelic (Proficient), Latin (Native)
SQ ac bonus (+6), alchemy sphere, alchemy: formulae (4/time), alchemy: salve (formulae) (2d8/7 per char per day), barrage sphere, barrage: vigilant sharpshooter, casting, chi gong (4d6), combat training, destructive blast, eldritch blast, equip: critical genius (ki blast), esoteric training: ki blaster (40 ft/4d6), extradimensional storage, independent contractor, ki pool, meditation (3d6), plane manipulator, sniper sphere, telekinesis, teleport
Other Gear chi gong
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
AC Bonus (+6) (Ex) When unarmored and unencumbered, the sage adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD. In addition, a sage gains a +1 bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every four sage levels thereafter, up to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the sage is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.
Alchemy Sphere (Ex) Training in the Alchemy combat sphere teaches you how to quickly and efficiently combine volatile chemicals for new or enhanced effects.

When you gain the Alchemy sphere, you gain 5 ranks in the Craft (alchemy) skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Alchemy sphere (maximum ranks equal to your total Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the Craft (alchemy) skill you may immediately retrain them, but you do not get to retrain when only temporarily gaining talents, such as through the armiger’s customized weapons class feature.

In addition, choose one of the following packages: Formulae or Toxin. (Chosen: Formulae)
Alchemy: Formulae (4/time) (Ex) Some Alchemy talents have the (formulae) descriptor; these are improved or original versions of alchemical items you can only create once you’ve learned the talent. All formulae have a base crafting DC as noted in their descriptor, and their saving throw DCs, if any, are determined using the normal formula for combat sphere talents, using the practitioner’s ranks in Craft (alchemy) in place of their base attack bonus. The necessary ingredients for creating formulae are gathered over the course of a given day; there is no monetary cost to creating a formulae. You may craft any item whose formulae you know in 30 minutes, or 15 minutes if you have access to an alchemist’s lab or alchemist’s crafting kit, but due to the volatile nature of the enhanced formulae you cannot prepare more formulae at one time than a number equal to 1/2 your ranks in Craft (alchemy) (minimum 1) + the number of formulae talents you possess. For every 4 ranks in Craft (alchemy) you possess, you may craft 1 additional formulae as part of the same 30/15 minute time period.

Any creature affected by splash damage from an improved formulae is entitled to a Reflex save to reduce the damage by half.

Because formulae are more unstable than standard alchemical items, they expire and no longer work after 24 hours; it is relatively easy (DC 10 Appraise) to recognize the unstable and impermanent nature of these items so typically they have no monetary value; a potential buyer who fails their Appraise check assumes they are a standard item of their type (if applicable), or as a mundane item worth no more than 10 gp. In addition, the overly refined and unstable nature of formulae means that they cannot be further refined or enhanced by items such as focusing flasks or hybridization funnels. You cannot fail to craft an alchemical item you know the formulae for; failure to meet the DC instead means you create the item but at its minimum potency, without additional effects or benefits for having additional Craft (alchemy) ranks or having increased the crafting DC. When you first gain this package, you may learn any one (formulae) talent you qualify for. Chosen: Salve
Alchemy: Salve (formulae) (2d8/7 per char per day) (Ex) You create a poultice that can be used as a standard action to heal yourself or a target within your natural reach for 1d8 points of damage per 2 ranks in Craft (alchemy) you possess (minimum 1d8) plus your practitioner modifier. You can only attempt to heal a particular creature with this ability a number of times per day equal to 1/2 the number of ranks you possess in the Craft (alchemy) skill (minimum 1) plus your practitioner modifier.

You can increase the Craft DC for this item in increments of 10; each time you do so you increase the healing granted by the salve by 5.
Barrage Sphere (Ex) Barrage practitioners specialize in using ranged weapons to make fast shots, often from the middle of the melee itself. Practitioners of the Barrage sphere gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at ranges of up to 30 ft. Associated Feat: Point-Blank Shot.
Barrage Sphere: Barrage (3 Ki Blast attacks) (Ex) As a special attack action, you may make two ranged attacks at your full base attack bonus -2. Beginning at 6 base attack bonus, you may expend your martial focus to make an additional extra attack, increasing the penalty to all your attacks from -2 to -4. For every 5 points of base attack bonus you possess, when expending your martial focus you may increase this penalty by an additional -2 to make an additional extra attack.

Some talents are marked (blitz). You may apply a maximum of one (blitz) per extra attack to a barrage, but only if the barrage meets the prerequisites, including that attack (for example, if a (blitz) requires a target be struck twice, you can only apply that (blitz) to a target that has been struck twice. If he is struck a third time, you could apply a second (blitz) that requires at least two attacks to that target). Associated Feat: Rapid Shot
Barrage: Intercepting Shot (Ex) As a readied action, you may attempt to shoot down a ranged attack. This does not work against unusually massive ranged weapons (such as boulders or ballista bolts, unless you are also using a massive projectile, such as a boulder or siege weapon ammunition of no more than 1 size smaller), natural attacks, or ranged attacks generated by spell effects. Make a ranged attack. If your attack roll is higher than the attack roll of the ranged attack you are intercepting, their attack is negated. You suffer a -4 penalty to this attack roll for every size category larger than you the attacker is.

If you possess the Vigilant Sharpshooter talent, you may use an attack of opportunity to make an intercepting shot against a ranged attack that crosses through your threatened area.
Barrage: Redirection (blitz) (Ex) When making a barrage, you may use an extra attack to strike one of your other attacks, changing its course mid-flight. Rather than making this extra attack, another of your attacks may instead change course once, allowing you to strike around corners, bypass cover, or perform other, similar feats.
Barrage: Vigilant Sharpshooter (Ex) As long as you have martial focus, you threaten all squares within 5 ft. of yourself with your ranged or thrown weapon. When making an attack of opportunity with a ranged weapon, you do not provoke an attack of opportunity with your ranged attack.

You may take this talent a total of twice. If taken a second time, increase the distance that you threaten by +5 ft. Associated Feat: Snap Shot, Improved Snap Shot if taken twice.
Casting (CL 7, MSB +7, MSD 18, Concentration +12, DC 18) You can cast sphere effects.
Chi Gong (4d6) (Su) At 1st level, the sage learns the chi gong technique, which allows him to wield his ki as a precise instrument, thrusting it into an opponent and disrupting their physiology or reinforcing a wounded ally. A sage’s chi gong is measured in d6’s: the sage begins with 1d6 chi gong, which increases by 1d6 at 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter. The sage gains a melee touch attack that is treated as a light weapon and can be used whenever the sage could make an attack (such as during an attack action or attack of opportunity) dealing piercing damage to the opponent equal to his chi gong dice; the sage may also apply this bonus damage to his unarmed strikes or natural attacks. In addition, the sage can use this ability to heal a creature instead of damaging them by sealing their wounds together with ki as a move action, but this patchwork healing cannot restore a creature’s hit points above half their normal maximum.
Combat Reflexes (5 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed.
Combat Training (Ex) A sage may combine combat spheres and talents to create powerful martial techniques. Sages are considered Proficient practitioners and use Wisdom as their practitioner modifier.
Destruction: Destructive Blast 4d6 Ranged or melee touch attack deals 4d6 damage
Destruction: Eldritch Blast (as Stone Blast) As Stone Blast (You may change the damage type of your destructive blast to slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning. An eldritch blast ignores spell resistance, spell turning, and can penetrate a globe of invulnerability, anti-magic field, or antimagic circle, and is not treated as a spell or magical effect for creatures or classes that gain a bonus to saving throws against magic.)
Equip: Critical Genius (Ki Blast) (Ex) You may select 1 weapon with which you are proficient (including unarmed strike), treating that weapon as though its critical threat range was 19-20 (unless it would be higher) and its critical multiplier as though it was x2 (even if it would normally be higher). In addition, when you confirm a critical hit with the chosen weapon while using the attack action, you deal additional damage equal to your base attack bonus; this additional damage is applied after other modifiers and is not multiplied by the critical hit. At +10 base attack bonus, the chosen weapon’s critical threat range is instead treated as 18-20
Equip: Magic Armor (+2) (Ex) You can coax great power from the magic in your armor. You gain a deflection bonus to AC equal to your worn armor’s enhancement bonus to AC.
Esoteric Training: Ki Blaster (40 ft/4d6) (Su) The sage has trained to project his energy outside of himself, firing devastating blasts of energy from his palms, eyes, or another part of his body. Ki blasts are rays that can be fired as ranged touch attacks with a range of close (25 ft. + 5 ft. per 2 class levels), dealing an amount of bludgeoning and piercing damage equal to the sage’s chi gong dice. The sage may spend a ki point as a swift action to increase this damage to 1d6 per class level for 1 round, plus 1 additional round at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter. The sage may use a ki blast whenever he could normally make a ranged attack, such as when using the attack action or making an attack in a full attack sequence.

This counts as the destructive blast ability from the Destruction sphere and may be modified by talents with the (blast type) descriptor. In addition, sages with this ability may take (blast type) talents without having the Destruction base sphere. For every 4 class levels the sage possesses, he gains one (blast type) talent as a bonus talent.
Esotery: Meteor Shower (Su) The sage gains the Barrage combat sphere as a bonus sphere. If he already has the Barrage sphere from another source, he instead gains any one Barrage sphere talent he qualifies for. Whenever the sage uses his ki blast to attack multiple creatures as part of an attack action, he may attack 1 additional creature more than he would normally be able to. If the attack would normally target an area instead of a specific number of individuals, increase the base area of the effect by 5 ft. (so a 15 ft. cone would become a 20 ft. cone).
Esotery: Restorative Blast (Su) The sage learns to convert the energy of his ki blasts into healing positive energy. The sage may spend 1 ki point when making a ki blast attack to cause the attack to heal an amount of damage equal to the damage it would normally deal; undead creatures are instead damaged by this effect. The sage rolls an attack roll as normal, and the healing is multiplied on a critical hit just as the damage dealt would normally be.
Esotery: Scatter Blast (30-foot cone) (Su) The sage may spend a ki point when making a ki blast attack to treat his ki blast as a scatter weapon for 1 round; while this effect is active his ki blast attacks target all creatures within a 15 ft. cone, making a separate attack roll against each creature within the cone. Each attack roll takes a –2 penalty, and its attack damage cannot be modified by precision damage or damage-increasing feats. Effects that grant concealment, such as fog or smoke, or the blur, invisibility, or mirror image spells, do not foil a scatter attack. If any of the attack rolls threaten a critical, confirm the critical for that attack roll alone. At 6th level and every 6 levels thereafter, the size of the scatter cone increases by an additional 10 ft., though the sage may always choose to forego these increases when making a scatter attack.
Independent Contractor (Ex) You avoided government recruitment. Perhaps you were a mercenary, perhaps you came from a country without such an agency, perhaps you are a freedom fighter. One way or another, you've had to learn your way into the world. You gain a +1 bonus to two Knowledge skills of your choice, and one becomes a class skill for you. If all Knowledge skills are already class skills to you, increase one bonus (your choice) to 2. Once per day, you can reroll a Knowledge check.
Ki Pool (12/day) (Su) At 1st level, a sage gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a sage’s ki pool is equal to his sage level + his Wisdom modifier. By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a sage can increase his speed by 20 ft. for 1 round. Alternatively, he can spend 1 point from his ki pool to give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round. Each of these powers is activated as a swift action.

Many esoteries and esoteric training packages require the sage to spend ki points to modify an effect; unless specifically stated otherwise, the sage cannot spend more ki points on an esotery or esoteric training ability than 1 + 1 per 5 class levels he possesses.

The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.
Meditation (3d6) (Ex) The sage can spend 1 hour in quiet contemplation to gather and reinforce his mental and spiritual energies in preparation for the task ahead. When the sage meditates in this manner, he gains a pool of bonus dice equal to 1/2 his class level (rounded down, minimum 1) that can be spent whenever he makes an ability check, skill check, or saving throw to add 1d6 to the roll. The sage can also use this ability whenever an opponent uses an ability which targets the sage’s CMD to add 1d6 to his CMD against the attempt. The sage cannot gain more bonus dice at one time than half his class level using this ability.
Sniper Sphere (Ex) Snipers specialize in making single, deadly shots, often over great distances. Practitioners of the Sniper sphere can shoot or throw ranged weapons at a creature engaged in melee without taking the standard –4 penalty on their attack roll. Associated Feat: Precise Shot.
Sniper: Deadly Shot (Ex) As a special attack action, you may make an attack with a ranged weapon. You may add any one (snipe) talent you know to this attack.

In addition, you may expend your martial focus to increase the damage dealt by the attack by 1d10, or 1d6 if the attack targets touch AC or is made with a scatter weapon. You must choose whether or not to use this ability before making your attack roll. These extra damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total. For every 4 points of base attack bonus you possess, you deal an additional 1d10 damage, or an additional 1d6 if the attack targets touch AC or is made with a scatter weapon.

Some talents are marked (snipe). These talents add additional effects when you perform a deadly shot. You may only apply the effects of one (snipe) talent to each deadly shot.
Telekinesis: Telekinesis (Small, Speed 25 ft, DC 18) You can move objects and creatures with your mind, with several applications
Telekinetic Exoskeleton (Tactile Telekinesis) Gain the benefit of one of three telekinetic enhancements
Transformation (Avian Transformation) (Su) You can assume a single alternate form from the Alteration sphere
Warp: Extradimensional Storage You gain a permanent extradimensional space that may hold non-living material
Warp: Plane Manipulator (DC 18) Block teleportation and interplanar travel within an area, or banish an extraplanar creature
Warp: Teleport You can teleport yourself as a standard action
--------------------
Sooner or later, the government catches up to everyone who works with the dangerous, abstract mathematical equations that can call upon the things from outside. In Titus' case, it was later - thanks in no small part to the source of his knowledge and power, a grimoire capable of sealing some entities within equations and transmuting their essence into useful energy. Titus occasionally describes it as a kind of perpetual reactor that siphons heat from the contents to run a machine. That's not quite the truth of the matter, but it's the best explanation he's been able to give.

As a Sage, Titus channels the power he gets from his grimoire in several ways. The most obvious of these is his 'gun', which he summons to his hand to unleash blasts of energy. The gun itself is more of a visible idea than a physical object - it's not real, as such, but acts as a concept that Titus can interact with. He's something of a trick marksman with his gun, capable of shooting energy in a variety of ways. He often uses his Eldritch Blast technique to turn the energy into a mundane form that allows it to bypass most anti-magic defenses.

When he wants to get a little more exotic, Titus is able to fire a faster barrage of blasts, up to and including targeting a broad cone of foes or transmuting the offensive energy into healing power. Separately, Titus knows how to create healing salves, teleport himself around, or even shoot down incoming ranged attacks. Occasionally, he channels a form of telekinesis to accomplish his goals.

Outside of combat, Titus is a Detective and Philosopher who studies the weird things of beyond. While not unusually intelligent, his efforts are aided by his grimoire and its method of sealing things in a way that makes them useful.

The nature of his grimoire and his ability to hide it by folding space meant it took longer than usual for the government (in the form of the Black Chamber) to find him. Recognizing the potential, however, they ultimately decided to "ask" him to be an Independent Contractor. Since his completely voluntary and definitely not at all encouraged-at-gunpoint recruitment, Titus has received training in acrobatic movement, diplomacy, escaping restraints, sensing motives, stealth, and outdoor survival. Much of this is aided by the fact that he can transform himself into a crow at will, which makes reaching destinations much easier than many expect. Between that and folding space to hide supplies, he's able to operate independently much better than most people realize... though he does prefer to work with a team.

----------

The True Key of Solomon

This ancient grimoire is reputed to have been written by Abū Bakr ibn Muḥammad ibn al Ḥusayn al-Karajī sometime in the 10th Century after introducing the concept of mathematical induction and demonstrating formulas that can be proved and extended without limit. However, the truth of this book goes back even further than that - al-Karajī added mathematical induction to an existing work said to have been written by King Solomon, the most famed conjurer of antiquity, and the more recent mathematician receives the credit because he's thought to have completed the work started so long before. The truth of this matter is, of course, lost to time - and the True Key of Solomon does not contain the answer.

What it does contain is a series of mathematical formulas that allow it to capture and contain creatures from beyond, then siphon power from them and feed it to a reader. The True Key is suspiciously modern-looking, though Titus claims it only took its current form after he pencilled in some recent math and extended an existing theorem. For that matter, it contains equations that seem to have been added long after its supposed completion, each one adding to its existing abilities.

When it was initially discovered in Titus' possession by the Black Chamber, the organization attempted to dispose of it - they recognized the potential threat of a grimoire that could capture more and more power, possibly growing too difficult to control. The only thing that stopped them was the fact that the book has long since become a concept more than a physical item - and it can't truly be destroyed or sealed. Somewhat grudgingly, the organization has allowed Titus to keep and use it, on the theory that knowing where the True Key is makes it easier to handle.

Despite its theoretical abilities, in practice the True Key isn't quite the omnipotent creature-sealer it appears to be. The book remains incomplete - the equations within give it the ability to seal some of the beasts beyond equations, but its owners across the centuries have yet to develop the unifying master theorem that would allow it to contain any monster it comes across. It's still potent and dangerous - among other things, it allows the owner to move through space, interact with things at a distance, restore health to injured beings, and shoot deadly power around corners - but there are limits to what it can accomplish.