Tobias Utegg's page

A mesmerist can focus his stare on one creature within 30 feet as a swift action. That creature takes a –2 penalty on Will saving throws. This penalty changes to –3 at 8th level. A mesmerist can maintain his stare against only one opponent at a time; it remains in effect until the mesmerist stares at a new target, the opponent dies, the opponent moves farther than 30 feet away, or the mesmerist falls unconscious or dies. The mesmerist can remove the memory of his stare from the target's mind; The creature doesn't remember that it was affected (nor does it realize that it is currently being affected) unless the mesmerist allows it. The hypnotic stare is a psychic effect, and relies more on the mesmerist's focus than the target's perception of his stare. It can't be avoided in the same ways a gaze attack can. The mesmerist can use this ability even while blinded, but must succeed at a DC 20 concentration check to do so. Staring at a creature requires the mesmerist's focus, so if he uses a gaze attack or similar ability, he must target the subject of his hypnotic stare or voluntarily end the stare. The penalties from multiple mesmerists' stares don't stack, nor do they stack with penalties from witches' evil eye hexes. This is a mind-affecting effect.

The mesmerist protects the subject against an attack and redirects the harm to someone else. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject takes damage from an attack. The damage the subject takes is reduced by an amount equal to 3 + the mesmerist's Charisma modifier (to a maximum of the total amount of damage the attack deals). Another creature within range of the original attack, other than the attacker, is affected by a shadow illusion that makes it appear as if the attacker is attacking that creature instead of the attacker's actual target. This second creature takes an amount of damage equal to the amount by which the attack's damage was reduced. This shadow doesn't require a roll to hit and ignores cover and concealment, but the target can attempt a Will save to disbelieve the effect. If it succeeds at this save, it neither takes the damage nor believes the attacker targeted it. This trick can't be triggered if there's no eligible second creature within range to take the redirected damage. This is an illusion (shadow) effect.

When an attack that deals damage hits the target of a mesmerist's hypnotic stare, the mesmerist can cause the target to take an amount of additional damage equal to 1/2 the mesmerist's class level (minimum 1).

The mesmerist can use this ability as a free action, and can use it even if it isn't his turn. If the mesmerist uses this ability to increase his own damage, the additional damage increases by 1d6 points for every 3 class levels the mesmerist possesses. This damage is precision damage and is not multiplied on a critical hit. A mesmerist can trigger this ability only once per round, but a single creature can take damage from multiple mesmerists' painful stares in a round.

You can attempt to hinder a foe in melee as a standard action. This maneuver covers any sort of situational attack that imposes a penalty on a foe for a short period of time. Examples include kicking sand into an opponent’s face to blind him for 1 round, pulling down an enemy’s pants to halve his speed, or hitting a foe in a sensitive spot to make him sickened for a round. The GM is the arbiter of what can be accomplished with this maneuver, but it cannot be used to impose a permanent penalty, and the results can be undone if the target spends a move action.

If your attack is successful, the target takes a penalty. The penalty is limited to one of the following conditions:

blinded, dazzled, deafened, entangled, shaken, or sickened.

This condition lasts for 1 round. For every 5 by which your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD, the penalty lasts 1 additional round. This penalty can usually be removed if the target spends a move action. If you possess the Greater Dirty Trick feat, the penalty lasts for 1d4 rounds, plus 1 round for every 5 by which your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD. In addition, removing the condition requires the target to spend a standard action.

At 3rd level, the mesmerist can help allies shake off harmful conditions—especially those that affect their minds—by channeling psychic energy through his healing hands. He can use touch treatment a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. Using the ability is a standard action (or a swift action if the mesmerist uses it on himself ), and the mesmerist must be able to touch his target. He can remove one condition from one target each time he uses this ability. At 3rd level, he can remove any condition on the minor conditions list. At 6th level, he can remove any condition on the minor or moderate conditions list, and at 10th level, he can remove any condition on the minor, moderate, or greater conditions list.

Minor Conditions: Fascinated, shaken.
Moderate Conditions: Confused, dazed, frightened, sickened.
Greater Conditions: Cowering, nauseated, panicked, stunned.
A 14th level, the mesmerist can instead expend one use of touch treatment to replicate the effects of break enchantment.
This targets only one creature the mesmerist is touching and follows all other restrictions of touch treatment.

At 3rd level, each time a vexing daredevil successfully feints against a creature under the effect of her hypnotic stare, she also chooses one of her dazzling feint benefits to activate. Unless otherwise stated, a dazzling feint’s benefit applies only on the vexing daredevil’s next attack this round. She selects one dazzling feint at 3rd level and another every 4 levels thereafter. The DC for any saving throw against a dazzling feint’s effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 the vexing daredevil’s class level + her Charisma modifier. The vexing daredevil can’t choose the same dazzling feint more than once.

Piercing Strike: By psychically amplifying the target’s pain, the vexing daredevil causes more damage. If she hits with her next attack and deals damage with her painful stare, she increases the damage dice from d6s to d8s.

Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character.

1) He is the son of a farmer, the youngest in a bloodline that once stood firm against the forces of Ber in the Anthras mountains until they were driven back and took refuge in the Wetlands. The family tradition has been to teach survival ever since.

2) He is adaptable and charming but more than a little naive and over confident in his combat abilities. He still has a lot to learn about how the world functions beyond the university and his little hamlet in the Wetlands, despite having been immersed it at the academy, the standards of a richer lifestyle are still strange to him.

3) Between farm life and the Utegg family survival-camping trips his life was run on rigid timetables with meticulous planning. This prepared him well for life in a military academy and the sordid history with inhabitants of Ber inspired a nationalist pride that Tobias found echoed in the RHC recruiters that stopped by Academy during his years of study.

4) Although initially scoffed at for being a country boy, Tobias quickly became a very popular student at the academy. His strength of character, dedication, and relaxed personality became an asset to others who came to see him as a valuable training partner and even a relaxing conversationalist when the stress of study became overwhelming. Even a number of locals around Slate started taking a liking to him. He'd find the owner of the local deli slipped him a few extra slices of meet, the tailor down the block lowered the price when he sent his brother a new suit for his birthday, and the bartender at the The Gold Faith always had his drink ready before Tobias could sit down.

5) His graduating thesis The Efficacy of Cognitive Pressure on Adversarial Combatants to Control the Field of Battle is technically still a work in progress because Tobias does not know the full extent of his powers. He keeps a constant log of any new manifestations of his own abilities and is always on the look out for more people like him. He hopes, in the true spirit of an academy graduate, that finding more psychic individuals will provide him with valuable information to create new combat techniques.

6) Tobias has been trained to react first and neutralize threats in a diplomatic or non-lethal manner. Though he enjoys combat, he understands the value of a live captive or an unexpected ally and operates under these guidelines unless specifically given instruction to the contrary.

7) Service in the RHC has been less fulfilling than Tobias initially expected it to be. His colleagues quickly discovered that his charm was best put to use deflecting the scribes until someone of more authority could arrive, and few missions really called for the talents he learned at the academy. He understands that working in the largest branch means it's harder to get noticed, but he's starting to wonder if he'll even get the opportunity to prove he's made of sterner stuff.

Step 2: List at least two goals for the character.

1) First and foremost Tobias wants to be the next Utegg family paragon. His Great-Grandfather Ignis Utegg was a man who stood firm against raids from Ber and led his family to their new Wetland farm when the rest of their settlement was destroyed. Tobis wants to be as distinguished if not more, than his ancestor.

2) I would like Tobias to have to confront his severely biased view towards the monstrous humanoids that inhabit Ber. His family has instilled a strong prejudice against them and forcing him to re-evaluate those opinions would be interesting to play out.

3)Both Tobias and myself would like to find others with similar capabilities so that Tobias might learn from them and become stronger.
If chosen for this AP I'd like to work with the GM to develop psychic techniques that compliment the Martial Scientist flavor of this campaign for use with the Martial Studies feat.

Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves him but that he is not actually aware of yet.

1) Tobias enjoys imposing his will on the sibjects of his psychic spells, but he recognizes that this is wrong, or at least unbecoming. For this reason he only to employs his abilities in the service of his country, and if not on any formal mission he tries to use only his physical prowess, to solve his problems.

2) Tobias' last training mission for the academy was held under false pretense. Though he was told that it would be his final assessment to judge how well he had developed. In truth, because psychic power is a new and unknown quantity it was to assess the risk he possesses to Risur if he ever turned rogue, a measure of his strengths and weaknesses to be exploited if needed. During this mission Tobias used his abilities and training on unsuspecting loyal country men that he believed to be enemies of Risur. The last fact on it's own would do significant damage to his peace of mind.

Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile. If you like, you can include an enemy of yours here as well, so I have an instant NPC nemesis to throw at you.

1) Palomine Utegg (nee Gibralt): Tobias' sister-in-law (married to his older brother Harold) was initially an unwelcome member to the family homestead. A young woman from a wealthier town a few leagues away, she often seemed to get in the way and disrupt the rigid traditions of Utegg life. However as she grew comfortable with the family she revealed her talent as a storyteller. Often lulling the younger Utegg children to sleep with tales of adventure and heroic deeds. It was from her that Tobias developed his own love of story telling, which helped develop his friendly and casual personality. To this day he remains close with her as though she has always been his sister, and it's through her that he keeps in touch with his family at large.

2) Charles "Chip" Presti: A street urchin who begs for money not far from the Academy. Tobias met him on his initial trip to Slate, and the young boy has proved an invaluable source of information and friendship ever since. In the years since his graduation, Chip and Tobias have remained close friends, and are even sharing an apartment together, but their ideologies could not be more opposed. As Chip entered manhood he found himself idolizing the Docker movement. *Update* When Tobias was moved to Flint, Chip followed him, not wanting to lose his best friend, but also excited to see the Dockers in full swing, an obsession he'd never quite given up.

3) Corbin Hoss: The academy trouble maker. The man was tossed out after having been found cheating on his exams and plagiarizing his papers. Initially he and Tobias had been friends, they shared a room together and Corbin had provided valuable insight to the inner workings of Slate politics. However Corbin was moody and aggressive, lashing out with his fists just because someone said the wrong thing. After a series of disciplinary actions Tobias realized his 'friend' was likely to get him expelled and tried to cut ties amiably. Corbin attempted to recover the friendship but this often ended in a fight, one time even sending Tobias to the infirmary with a broken rib that never set quite right. When Corbin was kicked out Tobias tried to write to him, against his better judgement, but the only response he received was a piece of paper covered in expletives.

4) Jeremy Wing: Is a local scribe that Tobias has come to an almost unspoken agreement with. Any time Tobias has actual news that he is allowed to discuss, Wing is the first to hear and publish it. Partially it's because the halfling always writes about the RHC in a positive light, and partially it's because Wing always pays for dinner after their meetings. The two have built a strong friendship since Tobias' early career.

5) Ellie Lieberman : Tobias' first serious girlfriend and an accomplished musician, Ellie is also involved with a group of Slate Dockers who are more interested in the extreme and violent version of the Docker movement. Tobias and Ellie no longer talk, ever since their breakup (detailed below) but he keeps tabs on her in order to quell any further plots that may be hatched by her group.

6) Roksana Lebrek: A young half-orc woman Tobias met shortly after moving to Flint, that he found himself enamored with. She works in a small curio shop for her mother, a fortune teller that Tobias has pegged as a charlatan, but not an ill meaning one. Rok and Tobias started dating shortly after their first encounter and their relationship seems to be going strong for the time being, though.

7) Germaine Elderbrush: Tobias' elderly human neighbor, the old man came over and introduced himself the very same day Tobias moved in. He runs a tailor shop in the Central District with his sons, but he enjoys hearing about the work the R.H.C. is doing, and he even gets into healthy debates about the merits of the Docker Movement with Chip on occasion.

Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has. They don't have to be elaborate, but they should provide some context and flavor.

1) Tobias will always remember turning 14 and being sent on his first real survival camp with his older siblings, Harry and Olivia. They were sent into the woods nearby with one day worth of rations between the three of them and a single waterskin. The goal was to make it through the week without needing to turn back home. Olivia being the oldest had been on a number of these trips and it was her job to insure their survival.
The camping trip happened to coincide with both a full moon and The Great Hunt, and on the evening of the third night the ground shook violently then came to a sudden stop as the air filled with strange noise. Unable to ignore the hunger pangs Tobias was already awake and without even thinking he ran toward the source of all the noise, ignoring the calls from his sister. As he neared the strange musical sounds of the Fey, his heart raced. He didn't know what he was doing or why, but he needed to see them. He slowed down as the sounds of the camp got louder and crouched low beneath the branches of sapling. For a mere second he glimpsed the mounted Fey warriors before once again they took off after whatever quarry they hunted. The power of their steeds knocked Tobias on his back, forcing the wind out of him. When he got back up the fey were gone, though the ground still trembled in their wake. Tobias never even came close to seeing a fey creature after that but he would never forget it.

2) The Uteggs are very superstitious, and each child is given a golden ring and an iron pendant when they are born. The gold to prevent magical abduction and the iron the scare away the fey. Every member of the family, including Tobias, can be seen touching their hand to their chest frequently, checking to make sure their protection is still there by hearing the clink as both metals touch. The habit becomes more frequent the more stressed Tobias is.

3) The earliest memory Tobias has of using his power to influence other people was after a fight he had with Harold while playing in the fields near the family home. The two had been wrestling over a ball when Harold ripped it from Tobias' grasp and deftly climbed up a nearby tree. Frustrated at his older brother and angry that he'd been beaten Tobias yelled the same thing many younger brothers would have, "I hope you fall!" Harold was suddenly overcome with a need to satisfy his brothers demand and simply let go of the branch he was holding onto, and dropped to the ground below. The recent rains had softened the dirt and Harold managed the fall unscathed; the two never spoke of it again, but even from that young age Tobias became acutely aware of a need to keep his anger in check.

4) Tobias' first truly successful mission as a Constable of the RHC was also the end of his first real romance. Influenced by Chip to meet a bunch of other Dockers in Slate, Tobias found that he really enjoyed their company and they his. One young woman in particular, Ellie Lieberman, was an accomplished musician and Tobias found himself going to her performances even without Chip tagging along. He courted her for a few months and before long they were embroiled in a passionate relationship. Unfortunately, it wasn't to last. Ellie was far more interested in the zealot like nature of the Docker movement, and it soon became apparent that a few of her friends were no better than terrorists. With a little investigation, Tobias caught wind of a plan to take a few minor aristocrats hostage in an attempt to negotiate better wages for the working class. When Tobias confronted his lover, she begged him to keep his knowledge secret, pleading with him to pretend he'd never uncovered the plot. It was in this moment that Tobias fully realized his commitment to Risur, and sacrificed his happiness in order to alert the RHC about the terrorist plot. Not only was he assigned to handle the issue, he managed to talk down the would-be kidnappers without even using his powers. Cementing his status as a negotiator in minor matters. Chip is still in contact with Ellie, but Tobias has not seen or even heard from her since the incident.

Great-grandfather Utegg had grown up near the border with Ber and was a hard man because of it, having spent much of his life defending his small town before it was finally over run. He relocated to the wetlands the the Utegg's had been farmers ever since. They remained vigilant however and prepared each new generation in the art of combat, though the skills became less effective as the generations wore on.

Inspired by his family legacy, Tobias, the third son of the current Utegg generation, tried his best to emulate his older siblings by being a strong warrior and a dutiful farmer. Unfortunately it soon became apparent that the Wetlands were about as boring a place as you could be. Even The Great Hunt rarely turned out to be more than the sound of thunderous hooves in the distance ever few weeks. Thankfully his parents understood, and when he finally worked up the courage to tell them he wanted to travel to Slate and enroll in the Banhaman Academy.

There was a lot of culture shock at first, Tobias was a country boy trying to make his way in an academy full of the rich and educated. He learned quickly that his martial prowess and intelligence were easily outmatched but he had something the rest of his peers didn't. After a year or two of study Tobias realized that he could extend the force of his personality onto others, even his poor ability to read intent or detect lies was overcome by his impeccable charm. His instructors quickly noticed his burgeoning abilities and suggested him to a particular training regimen that focused on subterfuge and disabling targets before combat could even take place.

Finally, after years of hard work and rigorous study Tobias graduated and headed straight into the local RHC office. He'd discovered early in his academy training that the reputable Royal Homeland Constabulary kept to a code of honor he felt echoed his own. It was never a question of if[/] he would apply, simply [i]when, and with his studies out of the way, now was the time.

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Round x, Initiative xx, Location
hp x/x; AC xx/xxT/xxFF; CMD xx; +xF/+xR/+xW (These values are after your action, if you charge or fight defensively or whatever.)
Effects/Conditions here (if applicable) (include rounds remaining)

Skill Check (if necessary) If rolling multiple skill checks, put them in chronological order or requested, or alphabetical if simultaneous and not requested.

FA: Free action here (if necessary)
SwA: Swift action here(if necessary)
MA: Move Action here
SA: Standard Action here If it is an attack, put the weapon and the target, then roll. (FRA the code for is full-round action.)

Descriptive text explaining above rolls and actions in detail, as well as free actions for speech.

Any OOC points to raise put at the bottom in blue ooc chat. Keep it short or post long OOC entries in the discussion tab separately.
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