About Vera EsmerandaTracked Resources:
4th (4/4) Dimension Door, Greater Invisibility
3rd (5/5) Fly, Haste, Invisibility Sphere 2nd (4/5) Burst of Radiance, Detect Thoughts, Gallant Inspiration, Glitterdust 1st (6/6) Burning Hands, Liberating Command, Memory Lapse, Mental Block, Vanish 0th: Dancing Lights, Detect Fiendish Presence, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Message, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, _______ Arcane Reservoir - 9/12 (starting 7) Harrow Reservoir - 1/2 (max +4 arcane points) Harrow Points - 3 Cure Light Wounds (Majenko) - 3/3 Alarm (Majenko) Obscuring Mist (Majenko) Breath Weapon (Majenko) - 3/3 Ferocious Will (Majenko) - 1/1 Wand of Magic Missile CL3 (37 charges) Wand of Mage Armor (32 charges) Wand of Heightened Awareness (41 charges) Occult Skill Unlocks (daily): Dowsing (survival), Faith Healing (heal), Hypnotism (diplomacy), Phrenology (k. arcana), Prognostication (sense motive), Psychometry (appraise), Read Aura (perception) Occult Skill Unlocks (weekly); Automatic Writing (linguistics) Augury (weekly) - 2/2 Background:
Vera's memories of her family were distant now, as if from another lifetime. She remembered her mother's soft hands, the smell of perfume, incense and candlewax, her colorful headscarves. She remembered her brother's teasing, his love of sports. But she was so young. She sat waiting for her mother and brother to return. When the guards came instead, she didn't want to believe something was wrong. When she saw her brother, lying bleeding on the ground, she came up to him, shook him, told him to wake up. But he didn't. And her mother was never found. Vera became a child of the streets. The only thing she still had from that old life was her mother's harrow deck--a set of cards she carefully hid and protected.
Left on her own, Vera scraped, scavenged, and stole to survive. It seemed like many would either ignore her, chase her away, or, worse, take advantage of her. If anyone did feel moved by her plight, it was not enough to convince them to bring a dirty, young, uneducated street urchin into their care. That is, until she met Skud. A boy from the streets a little older than her, he was big, strong, and took a fancy to Vera. With his protection, she started to feel safe again. She started to have fun, roaming the streets together. And she stared to fall in love. But young love was flighty, and Vera also began to think of other things. She dreamed of what her future might be how she could become something greater. And as he heard these thoughts, Skud became increasingly jealous. He wanted her to stop thinking about the future, because her future was with him. When she wanted to express her own desires, he would tell her angrily that she was not giving him the appreciation and respect he deserved for protecting her, taking care of her. And when she dared to defy him in some way, he would beat her. But once she was cowed into submission, he would apologize, and inevitably she would forgive him. How could she do otherwise to the only boy in the world who could love a disgusting little outcast like her? One day, when a traveling carnival act made its way to Korvosa, Vera decided she wanted to see it for herself. Sneaking away from Skud and into the carnival, Vera watched in awe all of the talented folks. There was the limber acrobat, the mighty strong man, the talented musician! But one attraction stood out to her--the fortune teller's tent. With Skud, Vera had never really been given a chance to explore what her future might hold. But here was her little chance to dream. Entering the tent, she smelled the scent of perfume, incense, and candlewax. Just like her mother. The woman within held a deck of cards in her hand, with several laid out before her. She arched an eyebrow at Vera. "The cards told me to expect a strange visitor, but I did not imagine it would be you." The All-Knowing Khalia, as the woman turned out to be, told Vera that she had more talent than she knew, and invited the girl to learn the art of fortune telling. Vera, though, was not ready to trust this stranger. She had been hurt by enough of them. Khalia relented, but not before offering a strange gift, a box that contained a snake. "She is dangerous, yes, but befriend her and she will be your protector." Brave Vera took the gift, naming the snake Susan and becoming very attached. She was someone besides Skud who could be a friend. While she hid the snake well, Susan was always close by. And unlike Skud, the snake never hurt her. The last day she would see Skud, Vera had done something wrong. She had started to look at another man too long. A handsome nobleman on some strange dalliance through the Vaults. Skud caught her eyeing the man, and Vera apologized, throwing herself at his feet, begging for mercy. Skud, though, was furious. This time, rather than just giving her a beating, he pulled out a knife, pressing it up against her throat. "I oughta gut ya right here," he said, as Vera froze, terrified. That's when Susan slithered out of Vera's blouse and struck, biting Skud right in the dagger hand. "Ow, you b&*+%!" he cried, dropping the dagger. Fearing for her life, Vera ran, and she never came back. It was the moment she needed to finally realize that Skud was not really her one true love. That night, she left Korvosa and somehow found her way to Khalia. She learned of the harrow and of magic, following in the footsteps of her late mother. And she learned how to tap into the energies latent in objects. Vera understood why she had been so attached to her mother's harrow deck. There was a dark energy that lay within, a powerful aura that to this day, she had been too fearful to explore. Step 1: Write 5 background and concept elements that you feel are important to your image of the character. These can be a concept overview, a list of important life events, a physical description, a personality profile...whatever you need to get an image in your mind.
Step 2: List at least two goals for the character. At least one of these goals should be one that the character has, while another should be one that you, as a player, want to see developed over the course of the game.
Step 3: List at least two secrets about your character. One is a secret the character knows, one is a secret that involves her but that she is not actually aware of yet.
Step 4: Describe at least three people that are tied to the character. Two of them are friendly to the character, one is hostile.
Step 5: Describe three memories, mannerisms, or quirks that your character has.
Character Sheet:
Vera Esmeranda
Female Human (Varisian) Arcanist (Harrowed Society Student) 9 CG Medium Humanoid (human) Init +6; Perception +7; -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +1 Armor) hp 70 (9d6+36) Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +9 Roll twice vs disease -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed: 30 ft Crossbow, Light: +5, 1d8/19-20/x2 (80 ft) Cestus: +5, 1d4-1/19-20/x2 -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 8, Dex 14, Con 16(14), Int 20(18), Wis 12, Cha 14 BAB +4; CMB +6; CMD 15 Feats: Elephant in the Room, Craft Wondrous Item; Extra Arcanist Exploit x2; Improved Initiative; Psychic Sensitivity; Skill Focus (Profession (fortuneteller)); Improved Familiar (Majenko, House Drake), Persistent Spell Traits/Drawbacks: -Love Lost (Orphaned): Someone you loved was knifed to death in a dark alley one night. You were called to the scene by the Korvosan Guard to identify the body, and as rough as that was for you, you also noticed a ring was missing from your loved one's finger. Whoever murdered your loved one stole that ring—you're convinced of it. -Fast-Talker: You had a knack for getting yourself into trouble as a child, and as a result developed a silver tongue at an early age. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks, and Bluff is always a class skill for you. -Varisian Wanderer: You were raised among or have spent time with a group of Varisian nomads, whether travelers, Sczarni criminals, or entertainers, and have learned their ways. Choose one of the following skills: -Harrow Chosen: All your life you’ve been drawn to the mysteries surrounding your family’s harrow deck. You begin play with your family’s heirloom harrow deck. If you use this specific harrow deck as an additional focus component when you cast a divination spell, your caster level is treated as being 2 levels higher. Additionally, twice per week, you can spend 10 minutes consulting this harrow deck on a particular action to gain the effects of the spell augury as a spellcaster of your character level. -Impatient: You love leaping into battle at the earliest opportunity, and it frustrates you to wait for others to act. You can’t delay or ready actions, and if you are the last of your allies to act in a round of combat, you take a –1 penalty on ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. Skills: Appraise +10(2), Bluff +7(1), Diplomacy +16(0) (+18 Korvosans), Intimidate +5(0), K. Arcana +17(9), K. Dungeoneering +10(2), K. Engineering +9(1), K. Geography +9(1), K. History +10(2), K. Local +10(2), K. Nature +10(2), K. Nobility +9(1), K. Planes +15(7), K. Religion +13(5), Linguistics +10(2), Perception +7(1), Profession (fortuneteller) +11(4), Sense Motive +13(7), Sleight of Hand +12(4), Spellcraft +17(9), Stealth +4(0), Survival +6(1) (+10 urban/underground), Use Magic Device +14(9) Languages: Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal, Read Lips, Thassilonian, Varisian, Varisian Sign Language Human Abilities: Bonus Feat Heart of the Slums: Humans who eke out a life in a city’s teeming slums must be quick and clever. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Sleight of Hand and Stealth checks, and a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks in urban and underground settings. In addition, they may roll twice when saving against disease, taking the better roll. Arcanist Abilities: Arcane Reservoir (3+1/2 level, max 3+level) Psychic Sensitivity--Gain access to occult skill unlocks Harrow Reservoir (Ex): Once per day, a Harrowed Society student can perform a harrow reading as a 5-minute ritual. She decides which suit most closely aligns with her task at hand and deals a nine-card spread. Each time that suit appears in her spread, she adds 1 point to her arcane reservoir, to a maximum of 1 point per 2 arcanist levels. Points gained in excess of her reservoir’s maximum are lost. The Harrowed Society student can perform this reading one additional time per day at 8th level and at 16th level. This ability replaces consume spells. Familiar: Majenko Aspect of Innocence Charmer Quick Study Potent Magic Spells Known: 4th (3/day, prep 1, DC19): Dimension Door, Greater Invisibility; Scrying, Wall of Bone 3rd (5/day, prep 2, DC18): Communal Protection from Arrows, Communal Resist Energy, Daylight, Dispel Magic, Fly, Gentle Repose, Invisibility Sphere, Lightning Bolt, Water Breathing, Haste; Suggestion 2nd (5/day, prep 3, DC17): Blindness/Deafness, Burst of Radiance, Command Undead, Detect Thoughts; Darkness, Elemental Speech; False Life, Gallant Inspiration, Glitterdust, Mirror Image Scorching Ray; See Invisibility; Slipstream; Spider Climb 1st (6/day, prep 5, DC16): Burning Hands, Cause Fear, Charm Person, Chill Touch, Color Spray, Deja Vu, Disguise Self, Feather Fall, Identify, Infernal Healing, Liberating Command, Magic Missile, Memory Lapse, Shield, Mental Block, Sleep, Touch of the Sea, Vanish 0th (8/day): All Equipment: Spellbook Heirloom Harrow Deck Zellara's Harrow Deck Crossbow, Light (35 gp) Bolts x10 (1 gp) Cestus (5 gp) Haramaki (3 gp) Smelling Salts (25 gp) Mwk Backpack (50 gp) Bandolier x2 (1 gp) Waterskin (1gp) Bedroll (0.1gp) Blanket, Winter (0.5gp) Spell Component Pouch (5 gp) Entertainer's Kit (0.5 gp) Candles x 100 (1 gp) Purchases: Scrolls of Spring Loaded Wrist Sheathe x2 (10 gp) Headband of Intellect +2 (Diplomacy, Draconic) (4,000 gp) Wand of Mage Armor (750 gp) Prognostication manual (30) Scroll of Disguise Self (25) Scroll of Comprehend Languages (25) Scroll of Magic Weapon (25) Scroll of Protection from Evil (25) Scroll of Silent Image x2 (50) Wand of Heightened Awareness (750) Half Price Purchases/crafting: Commendation (400 gp) Scroll of False Life x2 (150 gp) Disease and Necromancy Books ("The books and scrolls are mostly treatises on necromancy or the art of crafting golems, but there’s also a surprisingly large number of books about diseases and plagues here as well. Any character attempting a Knowledge check on these topics while using these books as resources gains a +2 circumstance bonus on the check. ") (300 gp) Cloak of Resistance +1 (500) - on Majenko Plague Doctor Mask Wand of Magic Missile CL3 (40 charges) Belt of Constitution +2 Cloak of Resistance +2 Circlet of Persuasion Hat of Disguise Greater Aegis of Recovery Lesser Metamagic Rod, Extend Ring of Seven Lovely Colors Ring of Sustenance Mithral Buckler Mnemonic Vestment (being crafted) Wand of Deja Vu - on Majenko Antitoxin Scroll of Hold Portal Scroll of Ashen Path Scroll of Command Undead Scroll of Mirror Image Scroll of See Invisibility Scroll of Invisibility Sphere Handy Haversack Diamond Dust - 500gp worth 2532.62 gp Majenko the House Drake:
Majenko (House Drake)
CG Tiny Dragon Init +2; Perception +7; See Invisibility, Darkvision 60', low-light vision, scent -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 18 (+2 Dex, +2 size, +6 natural, +4 armor) hp 35 Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +13 Ferocious Will; Immune Paralysis / Sleep -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed: 20 ft, fly 50 ft (good) Bite: +7, 1d4 Sting: +7, 1d4 breath weapon, silver strike 3/day Cure Light Wounds 1/Day Alarm (CL 12th), Obscuring Mist -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 11, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14 BAB +3; CMB +2; CMD 12 Feats: Weapon Finesse Skills: Acrobatics +4, Fly +15, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Stealth +15, Survival +7 Languages: Common, Draconic, Infernal Special Abilities: Alertness, Improved Evasion, Share Spells, Empathic Link, Deliver Touch Spells, Speak with master, Speak with animals of its kind -Breath Weapon (Su) Up to three times per day and no more than once every 1d4 rounds, a house drake can breathe out a small cloud of silver mist in a 10-foot cone. All creatures in this area must succeed at a DC 10+1/2 lvl+Con Will save or be confused for 1 round. This is a mind-affecting effect. -Ferocious Will (Ex) House drakes have a stubborn streak of fierce independence and gain a +2 racial bonus on Will saves (this bonus is included in the stats above). In addition, the first time in a day that a house drake successfully saves against a mind-affecting spell or spelllike ability, the caster of the spell must succeed at a DC 13 Will save or be staggered for 1 round by a blast of magical, mental feedback. This feedback is a mind-affecting effect, and the save DC is Charisma-based. -Silver Strike (Ex) All of a house drake’s natural attacks are treated as being silver for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. Zellara's Harrow Deck:
ZELLARA’S HARROW DECK
SLOT none CL 10th WEIGHT 1 lb. AURA moderate divination Alignment chaotic good Senses 60 ft. Int 10 Wis 13 Cha 13 Ego 8 Language empathy (but see below) Hand-painted images decorate this harrow deck, and the cards frames are gilded in silver so that they sparkle and flash under lighting. Despite the worn condition of the card backs, the images on the faces are so vibrant they seem to move when viewed out of the corner of the eye. The deck handles with surprising ease, almost shuffling itself. A bent, torn, or lost card always seems to mend itself or reappear when no one is looking. These features are subtle manifestations of the spirit that haunts the cards. In life, Zellara lived by this deck, and in death, she has become the deck. Although this magical harrow deck wasn’t created using the standard method for creating magic items, it should nonetheless be treated as an intelligent magic item. Zellara can sense the world around the deck via sight and sound, and she can communicate with anyone who holds the deck via empathy. She can create a major image once per day, often doing so to generate an image of herself manipulating the cards—in this manner, she can carry on conversations with other creatures in Common or Varisian. She can also cast identify for anyone who holds one of the cards of the deck to his forehead (a move action) up to three times per day. Future build considerations:
11 - Metamagic Knowledge - Piercing Spell?, Extra Arcanist Exploit - Greater Metamagic Knowledge - Quicken Spell?, Mind Thrust IV 13 - Dimensional Slide, [Feat], Litany of Sight? 15 - School Understanding (Foresight), Spell Perfection, Mind Thrust VI |
