About Tsakua Chain-BreakerBackstory:
One look at Tsakua the Chain-Breaker is all it takes to identify the large half-orc as a fighter. This towering individual considers his own two fists and his wits to be his greatest assets in taking down his opponents.
Born in the city of Fithurum, Tsakua grew up in the home of a loving Orc mother and a busy human father. His father, Branson Chanlen, was an architect and warrior of some renown who had been sent by the King to study the variety of structures found in Fithurum. A very busy man, he had been wrapped up in his studies when he met Tsalirra Araviukan, a gifted Orcish stonemason charged with maintaining some of the more historical and sacred sites in Fithurum. As the two worked together, they grew closer and eventually married. Their lives and marriage were happy, at least until Tsakua came along. With Tsakua’s birth, Branson seemed to find reasons to leave for his work earlier, and found projects that kept him from home till all hours of the night. Despite his mother’s best efforts, Tsakua abandoned formal education fairly early on, choosing instead to learn the ways of the street, quickly learning the ways of improvised street fighting, a common sight among orcish children. Teased because of his human blood, Tsakua soon earned a reputation for picking fights with those bigger and stronger than him. As he grew older, Tsakua began staying out later as well, engaging in fights for money. Sometimes he would win, and sometimes he would lose, but whether the circumstance, Tsakua’s late nights often earned him a yelling from his mother and a promise that his father was going to hear about it, a threat that grew emptier each passing year. Around his 18th year, Tsakua came home one night, battered and bloody, after picking and losing a fight to a large orc known only as Fiurkav. To his surprise, his father was also awake, sipping on a cup of coffee while studying a book. Scowling, Tsakua began walking towards his room when his father’s voice stopped him. “You really should learn to pay attention to your opponents.” Branson said. “Identify their weaknesses before yours can destroy you.” Knowing his father was typically a man of books, not action, Tsakua asked what he meant. What followed was a surprising discussion, wherein Tsakua discovered his father had been observing most of, if not all of his fights, even betting money on him when the odds were good. Along with the fights, Branson shared the techniques of architectural engineering he used, and how they could be applied in identifying strengths and weaknesses in several circumstances. The relationship between father and son seemed to have been changed overnight. Branson even became Tsakua’s tutor, reading books on mathematics and engineering principles aloud to his son. Where he failed at reading and writing, the half-orc excelled in mathematics and sketching designs. Unfortunately, such happiness was not to last. Approximately a year later, Fithurum was ablaze, having been attacked in the middle of the night by the King’s soldiers. Tsakua had been preparing for a fight when a runner came through the Spilt Lip Tavern and Arena, calling for all able-bodied warriors to defend the town. Instead of joining, Tsakua rushed home to find his family. Running in, he was witness to an awful sight – His father holding a bloody sword, standing over his dying mother. Apprehended before he could think, he heard the soldiers ask Sir Chanlen who this upstart was and why he was here. Turning, a cold look in his eye, Branson declared Tsakua to be an orcish servant of the house, one that could be considered part of the King’s ransacked treasure from Fithurum. From then on it was slavery. Tsakua didn’t last long as an “indoor” slave, and was thrown into the fighting pits that grew in Fithurum. Often slaves would fight monsters, or each other, always to the death. Tsakua fought harder than any other, swearing to himself that he would return and destroy the father that had abandoned him. His rage nearly consumed him, as one day, he was scheduled to fight against a young half-orc boy. The child looked up at him, tears in his eyes, but he showed no fear. It was like looking at a younger version of himself. Tsakua allowed the boy to strike a few pathetic blows, knowing what had to be done if he was to fulfill his vengeance. But he couldn’t. His rage wavered, his fists unable to strike. Sighing, Tsakua looked up, through the chain covered ceiling at the sky, and the bettors. “Won’t do it,” he called out to them, before turning to lean against the wall. Suddenly, a familiar name caught his ear. A whispered conversation about Sir Chanlen, a half-orc slave he had sent to die in the pits, what to do, his Lordship was watching. The rage returned. With a roar that shook the benches of the watchers, Tsakua made a monstrous leap, grabbing the chains that stood between him and the outside world. Remembering his studies with his father, he grabbed a section of links and pulled. Chink The sound was audible to all who watched, as the chains fell into the pit and Tsakua climbed out, looking for all the world like some maddened demon rising out of hell. Guards were summoned, nobles were thrown, but for all his efforts, Tsakua was beaten into unconsciousness, earning just a glance at his father. When he awoke, Tsakua was bound in chains, in a dark hole in the ground, with the sounds of metal against rock. Thinking back on the small, half-orc boy, Tsakua looked at his chains again and his resolve was forged. The weak to be protected, the enslaved to be freed…the chains to be broken. And so began the journey of Tsakua Chain-Breaker.
Statistics:
Male Half-Orc Brawler (Shield Champion) 6
Init +4; Senses Perception +1 ------------------------------ DEFENSE ------------------------------ AC 26, touch 16, flat-footed 18 hp 94/94 Fort +11 Ref +11, Will +5 ------------------------------ OFFENSE ------------------------------ Speed 30 ft. Melee
Heavy Spiked Shield (+1, Bashing)
Magical Dwarven Shortsword ------------------------------
Combat Reflexes: You may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity per round equal to your Dexterity bonus. With this feat, you may also make attacks of opportunity while flat-footed Dodge: You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. This bonus increases to +4 against attacks of opportunity caused when you move out of or within a threatened tile. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat. Shield Focus: Increase the AC bonus granted by any shield you are using by 1. Improved Shield Bash: When you perform a shield bash, you may still apply the shield’s shield bonus to your AC. Skills
Background Skills
ACP -6 *ACP applies to these skills
Languages Common, Orc Special Abilities:
------------------------------ SPECIAL ABILITIES ------------------------------ Intimidating Half-orcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks due to their fearsome nature. Orc Ferocity Once per day, when a half-orc is brought below 0 hit points but not killed, he can fight on for 1 more round as if disabled. At the end of his next turn, unless brought to above 0 hit points, he immediately falls unconscious and begins dying. Orc Ferocity Once per day, when a half-orc is brought below 0 hit points but not killed, he can fight on for 1 more round as if disabled. At the end of his next turn, unless brought to above 0 hit points, he immediately falls unconscious and begins dying. Darkvision Half-orcs can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Orc Blood Half-orcs count as both humans and orcs for any effect related to race. Brawler's Cunning If the brawler's Intelligence score is less than 13, it counts as 13 for the purpose of meeting the prerequisites of combat feats. Martial FlexibilityA brawler can take a Swift action to gain the benefit of a combat feat she doesn't possess. This effect lasts for 1 minute. The brawler must meet all the feat's prerequisites. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + 1/2 her brawler level (minimum 1). The brawler can use this ability again before the duration expires in order to replace the previous combat feat with another choice. If a combat feat has a daily use limitation (such as Stunning Fist), any uses of that combat feat while using this ability count toward that feat's daily limit. Martial Training At 1st level, a brawler counts her total brawler levels as both fighter levels and monk levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats. She also counts as both a fighter and a monk for feats and magic items that have different effects based on whether the character has levels in those classes (such as Stunning Fist and a monk's robe). This ability does not automatically grant feats normally granted to fighters and monks based on class level, namely Stunning Fist. Unarmed Strike At 1st level, a brawler gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A brawler may attack with fists, elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a brawler may make unarmed strikes with her hands full. A brawler applies her full Strength modifier (not half ) on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes. Usually, a brawler's unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. She has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling. A brawler's unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that modify either manufactured weapons or natural weapons. Brawler's Flurry: Starting at 2nd level, a brawler can make a brawler's flurry as a full-attack action. When doing so, a brawler has the Two-Weapon Fighting feat when attacking with any combination of unarmed strikes, weapons from the close fighter weapon group, or weapons with the "monk" special feature. She does not need to use two different weapons to use this ability. A brawler applies her full Strength modifier to her damage rolls for all attacks made with brawler's flurry, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand weapon or a weapon wielded in both hands. A brawler can substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for unarmed attacks as part of brawler's flurry. A brawler with natural weapons can't use such weapons as part of brawler's flurry, nor can she make natural weapon attacks in addition to her brawler's flurry attacks. At 8th level, the brawler gains use of the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat when using brawler's flurry. At 15th level, she gains use of the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat when using brawler's flurry. Throw Shield: At 3rd level, a shield champion can throw a heavy or light shield as a normal (non-improvised) thrown weapon with a range increment of 10 feet or the shield’s range increment, whichever is greater. The thrown shield deals the same damage as a shield bash, and any damage increases from shield spikes apply to this attack. A shield champion is treated as having the Far Shot feat for the purpose of determining range increment penalties for throwing a shield. At 7th level, a shield champion can use a thrown shield to perform a bull rush, dirty trick, disarm, reposition, or trip combat maneuver as if she were making a melee shield bash attack. At 11th level, a shield champion gains Shield Master as a bonus feat. She must meet all prerequisites before selecting that feat. This ability replaces maneuver training at 3rd, 7th, and 11th levels. AC Bonus: At 4th level, when a brawler wears light or no armor, she gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC and CMD. This bonus increases by 1 at 9th, 13th, and 18th levels. These bonuses to AC apply against touch attacks. She loses these bonuses while immobilized or helpless, wearing medium or heavy armor, or carrying a medium or heavy load. Knockout: At 4th level, once per day a brawler can unleash a devastating attack that can instantly knock a target unconscious. She must announce this intent before making her attack roll. If the brawler hits and the target takes damage from the blow, the target must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC = 10 + 1/2 the brawler's level + the higher of the brawler's Strength or Dexterity modifier) or fall unconscious for 1d6 rounds. Each round on its turn, the unconscious target may attempt a new saving throw to end the effect as a full-round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Creatures immune to critical hits or nonlethal damage are immune to this ability. At 10th level, the brawler may use this ability twice per day; at 16th level, she may use it three times per day. Returning Shield: At 5th level, a shield champion can throw a shield so it ricochets off her target (and possibly other solid objects) to return to her at the end of her turn. This ability functions whether or not the shield champion hits her opponent or moves on her turn. The shield deals no damage to targets it bounces off other than the original target of the shield champion’s attack. Other circumstances can prevent the shield from returning to the shield champion, such as an opponent using a readied action to catch the shield, or the shield sticking to a mimic’s adhesive. The shield champion can opt to not have a thrown shield return to her, in which case it falls to the ground as it normally would. If the shield has the returning weapon special ability, she can use either that or this ability. If a shield champion has additional attacks from a high base attack bonus, these additional attacks can be ricochets off an earlier target. The distance to each additional target adds to the total range of the shield, and range penalties apply, but there are no additional penalties for attacking in this manner. Because ricocheting attacks are treated as separate attacks, effects and modifiers that only apply to one attack roll (such as true strike) only apply to the first attack and not to the others. A shield champion can throw a shield as part of a brawler’s flurry. At 9th level, a shield champion gains Greater Shield Focus as a bonus feat. She must meet all prerequisites before selecting that feat. At 12th level, a shield champion can use her unarmed strike damage when dealing damage with a shield (whether in melee or thrown) or the shield’s damage, whichever is greater. At 17th level, by ricocheting her shield off a nearby surface before hitting your intended target, she can treat that surface as the origin square of the attack to determine whether the target is flanked and whether the target gains a cover bonus to its AC. She can use this ability to attack a creature with total concealment from her if she knows what square it occupies, but the attack still has a 50% miss chance. This ability replaces brawler’s strike. Close Weapon Mastery: At 5th level, a brawler's damage with close weapons increases. When wielding a close weapon, she uses the unarmed strike damage of a brawler 4 levels lower instead of the base damage for that weapon (for example, a 5th-level Medium brawler wielding a punching dagger deals 1d6 points of damage instead of the weapon's normal 1d4). If the weapon normally deals more damage than this, its damage is unchanged. This ability does not affect any other aspect of the weapon. The brawler can decide to use the weapon's base damage instead of her adjusted unarmed strike damage—this must be declared before the attack roll is made. Shadow Stealth (Ex):
Surprise Strike: As a swift action, you can expend one use of mythic power to make a melee attack or ranged attack against a target within 30 feet, in addition to any other attacks you make this round. When you make a surprise strike, the target is considered flat-footed regardless of any class features or abilities it might have, and you add your tier to the attack roll. Damage from this attack bypasses damage reduction.
Gear/Possessions:
------------------------------ GEAR/POSSESSIONS ------------------------------ Carrying Capacity Light 0-86 lb. Medium 87-173 lb. Heavy 174-260 lb. Current Load Carried +1 Mithril Chain Shirt, Brawling Monk's Robe Amulet of Mighty Fists (Shock) +2 Cloak of Resistance +2 Belt of Physical Might (Str, Con) Gloves of Deliquescence Bag of Holding I Cayden's Stein - Your stein, refills on command. But once per day when you drink from the stein, you gain a temporary strength modifier of +2 for 12 hours. You also feel really lucky. Money 0 GP 0 SP 0 CP
Appearance and Personality:
Tall and muscular, Tsakua is a loud conversationalist and can be very blunt. While many that first meet him can be put off by his straightforwardness, Tsakua respects strength and dislikes bullies, along with any reference to rank, even in regards to himself. His ultimate goal is to be able to teach others to fight and defend themselves. Tsakua does have a soft spot for children, especially orphans, although he's never quite sure how to handle them or talk to them. |
