Vissiall Aedaed's page

+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Strength: Halflings are nimble and strong-willed, but their small stature makes them weaker than other races.
Small: Halflings are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their CMB and CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Fey Thoughts: The character sees the world more like a native of the First World. Acrobatics and Use Magic Device are always class skills for the character.
Halfling Luck: Halflings receive a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
Keen Senses: Halflings receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
Fleet of Foot: Some halflings are quicker than their kin but less cautious. Halflings with this racial trait move at normal speed and have a base speed of 30 feet. This racial trait replaces slow speed and sure-footed.
Weapon Familiarity: Halflings are proficient with slings and treat any weapon with the word "halfling" in its name as a martial weapon.
Languages: Halflings begin play speaking Common and Halfling. Halflings with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, and Goblin.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A rajah is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light armor, and with shields (except tower shields).

Maneuvers: A rajah begins her career with knowledge of five martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to her are Golden Lion, Radiant Dawn, Scarlet Throne, Solar Wind, and one discipline of the initiator’s choice. Once the rajah knows a maneuver, she must ready it before she can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by rajahs is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in it or its discipline’s description. A rajah’s maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and she does not provoke attacks of opportunity when she initiates one.
The rajah learns additional maneuvers at higher levels, as indicated on Table 1-1: Rajah. A rajah must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. See the Systems and Use chapter in Path of War for more details on how maneuvers are used.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even numbered initiator level thereafter (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), the rajah can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one she already knows. In effect, she loses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. She can choose a new maneuver of any level she likes, as long as she observes the restriction on the highest-level maneuvers she knows; the rajah need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. She can swap only a single maneuver at any given level. A rajah’s initiation modifier is Charisma.

Maneuvers Readied: A rajah can ready three of her five maneuvers known at 1st level, and as she advances in level and learns more maneuvers, she is able to ready more, but must still choose which maneuvers to ready. A rajah must always ready her maximum number of maneuvers readied. She readies her maneuvers by meditating over her akashic might and her duties as a ruler for ten minutes. The maneuvers she chooses remain readied until she decides to meditate again and change them. The rajah does not need to sleep or rest for any long period of time in order to ready her maneuvers; any time she spends ten minutes in communion with her akashic power, she can change her readied maneuvers.
A rajah begins an encounter with all her readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times she might have already used them since she chose them. When she initiates a maneuver, she expends it for the current encounter, so each of her readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (unless she recovers them, as described below).
In order for the rajah to recover maneuvers, she must tap into her akashic power by using her royal mandate class feature. When she does, she recovers a number of expended maneuvers equal to her rajah initiation modifier (minimum 2). Alternately, the rajah may concentrate on the akasha that flows through her and recover a single maneuver as a standard action.

Stances Known: A rajah begins her career with knowledge of one stance from any discipline open to rajahs.
At 2nd, 5th, 9th, 11th, 15th, and 18th levels, she can select an additional stance to learn. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended and the rajah does not have to ready them. All the stances she knows are available to her at all times, and she can change the stance she is currently maintaining as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance or discipline description.
Unlike with maneuvers, a rajah cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one she already knows.

Veilweaving: A rajah’s presence on the battlefield is marked not only by her martial skill, but also by her ability to shape the magical essence known as akasha into powerful veils and bindings. The rajah knows and can shape any veil from the rajah veil list. The DC for a saving throw against a veil’s abilities is 10 + the number of points of essence invested in the veil + the rajah’s initiation modifier. The rajah can only shape a limited number of veils per day, as listed on Table 1-1: Rajah. Veils are constructs of pure magic and, as such are suppressed while in the area of an antimagic field or similar effect. Title veils are described in full detail on the Title Veils page. (The Rajah veil list is all veils on that page and the Demiurge headband veil.)
At 1st level, the rajah also gains access to a personal pool of essence, which can be invested into veils to increase their power. The amount of available essence is listed in the table below; the rajah’s character level determines the maximum quantity of essence she can invest in any single veil or other receptacle. As a swift action, the rajah can allocate or reallocate her essence, allowing her to invest it into and reclaim it from her receptacles as she chooses. A rajah who wishes to shape veils must have at least 8 hours of rest or meditation to achieve a clear and focused state, and must meditate for one hour to shape her veils for the day. During this time, she unshapes any previously formed veils and constructs her new selection of veils. At the end of the hour, all effects of unshaped veils end and the veilweaver’s new selection of veils takes effect.
Title Veil list can be found here.

Essence Capacity: However large your Essence pool is, you can only invest a certain amount of essence into any one veil, feat, class feature, magic item, or other akashic receptacle.
Your character level determines this essence capacity as show below, though some feats, class features, magic items, or other abilities or effects may modify your base capacity
Character Level Essence Capacity
1st - 5th 1
6th - 11th 2
12th- 17th 3
18th - 20th 4

Royal Mandate (Su): With a word, the rajah spurs on her allies, creating an opportunity to recover her strength. As a standard action, a rajah can issue a command to one of her allies within close range (25 feet plus 5 feet per two rajah levels) that can perceive her. When she does so, she chooses one of the following orders to issue, and the affected ally may obey the command as a free action (even if it isn’t their turn).
- Attack: The affected ally makes a melee or ranged attack at their highest attack bonus.
- Bolster: The affected ally gains a morale bonus equal to the rajah’s initiation modifier to their AC or on a saving throw of the rajah’s choice (Fortitude, Reflex, or Will) for one round. If they are suffering from an ongoing effect that allows for a saving throw, they may instead make a save against that effect with a morale bonus to that save equal to the rajah’s initiation modifier. A successful saving throw ends or reduces this ongoing effect as if they had passed the original saving throw.
- Move: The affected ally moves up to their speed, provoking attacks of opportunity as normal.
In addition, when the rajah uses this ability, she may reallocate her essence, and may swap any single readied maneuver with another maneuver that she knows. A maneuver swapped this way is readied and unexpended.

Vassalage (Su): When the rajah grants a title to one of her allies, her akashic essence lingers on the entitled. As long as the entitled remain under her watchful eye, none may strike them without fear of retaliation. This akashic essence takes many forms, from an akashic aura to a condensed akashic insignia, but the threat and its origin is unmistakable.
A rajah can initiate boosts, counters, and strikes through any ally (other than herself) within close range (25 feet plus 5 feet per two rajah levels) that she has shaped a veil with the title descriptor onto. The rajah uses special rules, listed here, when using these maneuvers through this class feature.
When initiating a maneuver that allows for an attack, the rajah may use that ally’s space and reach as if it were her own for this attack, but uses her own weapons. She cannot make more attacks than she normally could, nor does she gain additional actions while using this ability, nor does it allow her to make other sorts of attacks through her allies; it merely allows her to initiate maneuvers using her allies as a medium. She still suffers any penalties for attacking a creature she cannot see.
Attacks made using this ability are treated in all ways as if the rajah had made the attack (for the purposes of attack bonus, weapon used, feats, the effects of boosts or spells, and the like). Ranged attacks made through allies with this ability do not provoke attacks of opportunity.
The rajah uses that ally’s space and reach as if it were her own during this attack or maneuver, and uses her own weapons. She may also attack creatures she has entitled. She still suffers any penalties for attacking a creature she cannot see.
If the rajah initiates a maneuver through an ally that has additional effects on its initiator (such as allowing movement, teleporting the initiator, or granting bonuses), the rajah is the one who gains such effects. If a maneuver includes a charge attack, the rajah does not charge, and instead may move up to her speed as part of the maneuver. She is not treated as having charged. Otherwise, when initiating a maneuver, a rajah may treat herself in the position of the ally she is using her vassalage class feature through, or in a space adjacent to that ally.
When a rajah initiates a counter through an ally, the rajah treats herself as if she were that ally for the purposes of how the counter’s effect resolves (allowing her to stop attacks against that ally, use the counter in place of an ally’s saving throw, and the like). If the counter normally allows the initiator to attack or move, the rajah takes that movement (as noted above), and can either make the attack herself or make it through the ally in question.
Finally, the rajah gains a bonus on attack rolls made when using her vassalage class feature equal to one-half her veilweaving level (rounding up). If the rajah already gains a bonus to attack based off their veilweaver level, or substitutes their veilweaver level for their base attack bonus (such as the Hand Cannon or Loyal Paladin’s Spear of Light.), the rajah only takes the highest value. She also gains a bonus on the damage rolls of such attacks equal to the number of title veils she has shaped onto other creatures.

The Crossroads (Ex): With sword in hand, the rajah cuts a path that follows ways only known to her. At 1st level, she chooses one of the following benefits; once this choice is made, it cannot later be changed.
-> Crown of the Moon Queen: When the rajah readies her maneuvers, she chooses one counter she knows. Once per round, she can expend a readied rajah maneuver of that counter’s level or higher to initiate that counter through her vassalage class feature. Using a counter this way does not require an action.
In addition, a rajah may use her rajah level in place of her base attack bonus for the purposes of meeting requirements and prerequisites.

House of Servants (Su): A rajah has no need to personally attend to mundane matters. At 2nd level, as a free action, the rajah can surround herself with a number of nearly-intangible servants equal to her rajah initiation modifier. These servants function as if they were created by the unseen servant spell, except that they have an effective Strength score equal to 4 + the rajah’s initiation modifier and they cannot take the aid another action. A servant who strays farther than close range (25 feet + 5 feet per two rajah levels) winks out, but can be recreated as a free action; these servants otherwise last indefinitely so long as they remain within that range and within the rajah’s line of effect. The rajah can also dismiss her servants as a free action.
Unlike normal unseen servants, a rajah’s servants have a unique appearance determined by the rajah, and can talk (although being mindless, they only say what they’re told to say). They remember orders and their appearances, even if dismissed and resummoned at a later time. The details vary from rajah to rajah, but the servants are always partially transparent and obviously not creatures. These unseen servants can cast prestidigitation an unlimited number of times per day as a spell-like ability, when directed to do so by the rajah. A rajah can also make her servants invisible (or return them to visibility) as a free action. Veils cannot be shaped onto unseen servants. Finally, unseen servants created through this class feature gain any additional movement modes that the rajah may have (such as a fly speed or swim speed) at the same speed as the rajah.
Should the rajah lose or acquire new movement modes, her unseen servants lose or gain these movement modes respectively.

Heraldry: Not all wars can be won on the battlefield, a lesson that many rajahs fail to learn. At 3rd level and every two levels thereafter, the rajah gains a heraldry from the following list. Unless otherwise noted, a rajah can only select an individual heraldry once. Heraldries that grant the rajah or her unseen servants spell-like abilities use the rajah’s class level as their caster level, and use the rajah’s initiation modifier to determine their saving throw DCs and the bonus the rajah and her servants use on concentration checks. Heraldries share their daily uses across all unseen servants, even if they are all dismissed and re-summoned. A list of heraldries can be found below.
-> [/b]3rd:[/b] A Smile to Remember (Su) - With a smile, you can cause many to lower their guard, learning something about them in the process. You may use your initiation modifier when making sense motive checks instead of your wisdom modifier. In addition, once per day, by speaking with an individual, you may implant a memory in the individual, causing them to recall speaking or interacting with you within the last twenty four hours, with the details left up to the GM. The individual may make a will save (DC 10 + ½ your rajah level + your initiation modifier) to resist, but if they fail, the memory is completely believable and the individual fills in any gaps of logic for the memory.

Empowered Titles (Su): At 4th level, a rajah’s mastery over akasha enables her to bind titles for greater effects. The rajah can bind title veils she has shaped onto her allies to the Belt, Body, Chest, Feet, Hands, Head, Headband, Neck, Shoulders, and Wrists slots, even if she cannot normally bind veils to those slots. The rajah, however, is limited in how many titles she can have bound at once, as noted by Table 1-1: Rajah. This limit only applies to veils gained from the rajah’s Veilweaving class feature; veils gained through feats or through another class follow their own rules. More information about titles can be found on the Title Veils page.

Warrior of the Court (Ex): A rajah is a warrior of both steel and words. At 4th level, the rajah selects two of her class skills, gaining a +2 bonus to these skills. These chosen skills become the rajah’s courtly skills.
-> Selections: Diplomacy, Sense Motive
At 8th level, twice per day as an immediate action, after seeing the result of a check with one of her courtly skills, she may choose to change the result of that die roll to ‘11’.
At 12th level, the rajah may select another class skill to add to her list of courtly skills, and increase the bonus granted to her courtly skills to +3.
At 16th level, once per day as an immediate action, after seeing the result of a check with one of her courtly skills, she may choose to change the result of that die roll to ‘15’.

Maneuvers known: 5 1st level, 2 second level
Stances known: 2 1st level

Discipline: Radiant Dawn
-- Stances:
---- Spoils of War(1st): Might makes right. While you maintain this stance, allies within close range (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 initiator levels) heal 3 hit points whenever they hit with an attack. At 5th level, this healing increases to your initiation modifier plus 3. At 10th level, this healing increases to be equal to twice your initiation modifier plus 3. This effect can only trigger once per round per ally. Essence: Each point of essence invested into this stance increases the amount of healing done by this stance by 1. At 5th level, each point of essence instead increases healing done by 2. At 10th level, each point of essence instead increases healing done by 3.
-- Maneuvers:
---- Staunching Strike (1st): To help your allies and harm your enemies is the most basic tenet of the Radiant Dawn discipline. Make an attack. If it hits, it deals weapon damage as normal, and you can heal yourself and allies within close range (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 initiator levels) for a total number of hit points equal to your initiation modifier, divided as you choose between you and your allies. Essence: Each point of essence invested into this strike increases the total amount of healing done by 3 hit points. This healing is split up between targets normally.
---- Dismiss (1st): This attack ‘softly’ removes an enemy from your presence. Make an attack. If it hits, you deal damage as normal, and you can make a trip attempt against the target. If your trip attempt succeeds, the target is also pushed away as if you had successfully bull rushed them, using the same result as your trip attempt. You may not move with the target with this bull rush. Neither the trip attempt nor the target’s movement during the bull rush provoke attacks of opportunity. When determining your combat maneuver bonus for this strike, you may use your initiator level in place of your base attack bonus, and may choose to use your Dexterity or initiation modifier in place of your Strength modifier. Essence: For each point of essence invested into this strike, you gain a cumulative +2 bonus to this maneuver’s trip attempt.
---- Curate's Strike (2nd): This strike was created by a kobold leader to fight both controlling magics and vicious wounds. Make an attack. If it hits, it deals weapon damage as normal, and you can heal yourself and allies within close range (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 initiator levels) for a total number of hit points equal to twice your initiation modifier, divided as you choose between you and your allies. Alternatively, a single ally within close range may make a new saving throw against an ongoing effect that allows a save with a +2 bonus to that save. Essence: Each point of essence invested into this strike increases the total amount of healing done by 4 hit points. This healing is split up between targets normally.

Discipline: Golden Lion
-- Stances:
---- None
-- Maneuvers:
---- Pride Movement (1st): By having a watchful eye on the flow of combat, the disciple knows when to spur an ally into a better position. As a swift action, the initiator may grant a move action to an adjacent ally. This ally may then use this move action immediately to move up to his base speed, as if it were a free action taken on the initiator’s turn.
---- Encouraging Roar (1st): The disciple lets out shouts of encouragement to bolster his allies in battle. All allies within 30-ft. of the Golden Lion disciple gain a +2 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls for one round.
---- Warning Roar (2nd): Witnessing a clear and present danger to an ally, the disciple shouts out a well-timed warning and aids his ally in defending against an attack. The initiator makes a Diplomacy check opposing an opponent’s attack roll made on an ally. If successful then the attack is negated.

Discipline: Silver Crane
-- Stances:
---- Silver Crane Waltz (1st): The divine vantage point of the celestial realms infuses the mind of the disciple, granting him momentary flickers of foresight. A faint, ghostly image of wings is visible around the disciple but vanishes when he is looked upon directly. The initiator gains a +4 insight bonus to initiative checks if he is in this stance before combat begins, and a +2 insight bonus to Reflex saves and to AC. These bonuses increase by an additional +1 every eight levels after 1st level.
-- Maneuvers:
---- Enduring Crane Strike (1st): Making his soul a wellspring of holy power, the disciple strikes out at a foe to unleashed his holy power to restore health to himself or an ally. The initiator makes an attack against a target creature, inflicting damage as normal, and the strike restores 1d6 hit points plus his initiation modifier to the initiator or to an ally within 30-ft.

Discipline: Scarlet Throne
-- Stances:
---- None
-- Maneuvers:
---- None

Discipline: Solar Wind
-- Stances:
---- None
-- Maneuvers:
---- None

T1: Trustworthy (Social): People find it easy to put their faith in you. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks made to fool someone. You also gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks, and Diplomacy is always a class skill for you.
T2: Bandit (Region, River Kingdoms): While escaping to Daggermark and as a mercenary, Vissiall learned well the benefits of stealth. Choose one of the following skills: Escape Artist, Intimidate, or Stealth. You gain a +1 trait bonus on that skill, and it is always a class skill for you.
F1: Weapon Finesse: With a light weapon, elven curve blade, rapier, whip, or spiked chain made for a creature of your size category, you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls. If you carry a shield, its armor check penalty applies to your attack rolls.
F3: Deadly Agility: You may add your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier when wielding a light weapon or a weapon that gains the benefits of the Weapon Finesse feat (such as the rapier) when determining additional damage inflicted upon a successful attack. When wielding a weapon in your off-hand, Deadly Agility will add the same fraction of Dexterity as you normally would for Strength.

Class skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (All) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skills (24 class + 8 Int + 4 FCB)
Acrobatics: +12 (4 ranks + 5 Dex + 3 class)
Bluff: +13 (4 ranks + 5 Cha + 3 class + 1 trait)
Climb: +1 (0 Str)
Diplomacy: +15 (4 ranks + 5 Cha + 3 class + 2 Rajah + 1 trait)
Disguise: +5 (5 Cha)
Escape Artist: +5 (5 Dex)
Fly: +5 (5 Dex)
Heal: +1 (1 Wis)
Intimidate: +12 (4 ranks + 5 Cha + 3 class)
Knowledge (Religion): +8 (3 ranks + 2 Int + 3 class)
Perception: +10 (4 ranks + 1 Wis + 3 class + 2 race)
Ride: +5 (5 Dex)
Sense Motive: +14 (4 ranks + 5 Cha + 3 class + 2 Rajah) [Uses Cha due to Heraldry]
Stealth: +17 (5 Dex + 4 ranks + 3 class + 1 trait + 4 size)
Spellcraft: +6 (1 rank + 2 Int + 3 class)
Survival: +1 (1 Wis)
Swim: +0 (0 Str)
Use Magic Device: +12 (4 ranks + 5 Cha + 3 class)

Background Skills (8 level)
Craft (Any): +1 (2 Int)
Knowledge (History): +9 (4 ranks + 2 Int + 3 class)
Profession (X): +4 (1 Wis)

Weapons: Mwk Rapier, Mwk Pistol (250gp),
Armour: Chain Shirt
Gear:
Money: 3000-equipment

I grew up just outside the borders of Razmiran. At least it was just outside the borders, but we'll get to that later. Growing up, I just seemed to get people. It wasn't that I was trying to make my friends follw me, it always just seemed to work out that way. I probably would have gone on to be a mayor or magistrate in a normal town, but Flathmere wasn't a normal town, for two reasons.

The first was the hermit. Karuna Suhrawardy was her name, from some island to the south. One day my gang and I were playing up near her cave, where she seemed to be watching me direct the other kids in whatever we were doing. We scarpered, being downright scared of the strange old witch. The next thing I knew she was in my house, talking to Ma and Pa about me. They agreed that she could teach me. I didn't know it then, but she had recognised something in me. A greatness that I would go on to recognise in myself.

She trained me in the ways of her people, both combat and magics foreign to this land. Each morning would start with the kata, going through forms as if dancing, but with a hard edge of violence to it. I never was amazing at those, and I doubt I ever will be.

What I did master though was the magic. She taught me how to shape the veils and bind the chakras, granting powers unseen in the River Kingdoms. The Ephemeral, the Primordial, the Stormbringer. Each granting different strengths, different powers to those who they were bestowed upon. And each bringing its own wisdom.

The final, and she would say most important, part of my training was the ethics. Moral philosophy. A big pile of books. It was definitely not my favourite part of the training, but I learnt it. I can safely say that I know how to be a good person, at least in theory.

The second abnormality of Flathmere was an event. An event that shook my whole world.

The expansion of Razmiran, damned be their God-King.

The day the gold-masked priests and their soldiers rolled into town I was on a rare day off from my training, leading my gang of youths on an adventure across the barren rocks out to the east of the town borders. We saw the smoke rising from the town and rushed back.

When they dragged Karuna down the street to the main square and burned her alive, it was all I could do to hold myself back. There was nothing to be done against that many soldiers. I don't know how or why, but everyone managed to keep quiet about my training with her. I'm sure that I would have been up there next to her if they hadn't. After that there was no resistance. Everyone swore fealty and obediance to the God-King, and went back to their lives. That was it. My parents had appreciated Karuna teaching me to be more than a farmer, but they hadn't known her as I had.

I lasted 2 months before I fled the town. I couldn't stay there with those memories, those people who had saved me through inaction.

Those first years after leaving were hard. I eventually made it through to Daggermark, and spend a hard couple of years scrounging before managing to convince one of the mercenary companies, The Rose Regiment, to take me on. My social skills and unusual fighting style helped elevate me through the ranks, and I eventually made lieutenant. That was enough to get a proper bit of coin behind me, and allow me to look for more... elevating opportunities. That was when I heard of the Brevoy expedition, and knew that this was the opportunity that I had been looking for.

Appearance: A stout halfling, Vissiall has dark hair and a well groomed moustache and goatee. He dresses himself finely, carrying a well maintained rapier on one hip and a pistol on the other. A scar on his right cheek only seems to add to his good looks, somehow.

Personality: Vissiall is very assured of his command of any situation. Used to people doing what he says, you would probably consider him arrogant if he wasn't so damn likeable. This still manages to rub some people the wrong way but overall he always seems to ingratiate himself with the right people.

Societal Position: While he sees himself as a Lord, his current reality is less grand. He has made a fair bit of coin working as a mercenary lieutenant since the unfortunate events of his childhood, but now that he has a bit of coin behind him he is looking for ways to increase that social standing significantly. Luckily, such an opportunity has just presented itself...

Mythic Path: Vissiall will undoubtedly follow the path of the Marshall as a leader of heroes and common folk alike.