Male Tian barbarian (deathrager) 2/monk (martial artist) 3
Xiao Feng remained where he sat, keeping his hands on his knees in full view of the questioning officer, and tilted his head up just enough to keep his own face hidden by the hat he wore while still being able to see the person talking to him. His tone is gruff and impatient, as one would be if inconvenienced, still carrying a slight trace of the anger that had so infused his being earlier.
There were six. One ran off but from the sound of things, got himself hit by a car. Two were killed after attacking bystanders and two were enspelled. The last one, the leader it seems as he was barking out orders, tried to steal the gem now lying on the ground. He shot himself in the head when he realized that he couldn't escape. Now, if there's nothing else, how soon can you get someone else out here to run the booth? I'd like to get my ticket and be away from here.
Male Tian barbarian (deathrager) 2/monk (martial artist) 3
The wokou found himself in a quandary. His instincts told him to flee, to leave while the getting was good. After all, the last thing he needed was for the authorities to recognize him as Howling Wind, the infamous pirate. And Xiao Feng hadn't lived this long by ignoring his instincts.
But something else was telling him to stay. Xiao couldn't quite put his finger on what that was, only that it made him feel uncomfortable in a way that he wasn't accustomed to.
Xiao grumbled to himself as he resisted his urge to run and instead sat cross-legged upon the ground, sheathed saber across his lap, to await the arrival of the law. He would not flee from his past. Xiao was wokou, terror of the sea. To run from a fight was alien to him.
At least that's how he justified remaining on the scene to himself.
Both the thug's words and his action were not expected by the wokou, but he stood fast as the man hurled the gem at the ground and smashed it. The light emitted was unlike anything Xiao Feng had ever experienced before and he tried to block it by bringing the brim of his hat down even while averting his gaze. Moments after the sudden exposure had passed, the wokou was still seeing the negative afterimage of the booth when he blinked his eyes.
The gunshot followed by the dropping body caused Xiao to focus on the moment. This would bring attention that he did not want, especially if it came from the local authorities.
It was time to make himself scarce.
Assuming that he's not blinded by the light, Xiao Feng is looking for the most expedient way from the scene. If he is blind, then he'll stand there and wait for the local LEOs (law enforcement officials) to apprehend him. Regardless, his rage has ended and any movement he does take will be done at normal pace, as he can't run due to exhaustion.
Male Tian barbarian (deathrager) 2/monk (martial artist) 3
His eyes fixed squarely on the last of the street thugs, Xiao allowed his ki to flare angrily, the wisps lashing out in an attempt to reach the poor man.
You would do well to do exactly as you were bidden. It is the only chance you have to live. The strain of his anger distorted the wokou's voice as he spoke, making it seem more like a predatory growl than something that could be uttered by a human.
Intimidate to demoralize:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20If successful, then Xiao will end his rage.
Male Tian barbarian (deathrager) 2/monk (martial artist) 3
Xiao watched as the target of his strike fled fearfully, then heard the crash moments later. The spirits that hovered near him howled, the sound reverberating across the mortal plane. The wokou clenched his jaw. He was not a forgiving person, and sought to satiate his need for destruction. He turned his attention toward the ticket booth where the thugs leader appeared to be rummaging for something.
Male Tian barbarian (deathrager) 2/monk (martial artist) 3
The wokou's hands formed into massive fists as his anger seethed within, begging to be unleashed. He strode purposefully past the little panda kogata toward one of the thugs, hoping to catch him unaware. As Xiao moved, he glared at the robber. If looks could kill, then all in the area of the ticket booth would surely have died. So powerful was his stare it could no longer be considered human.
It had become the glare of a beast, eyes that sought both blood and death.
As he moved, all living creatures in the area felt his aura of death as Xiao tapped into his ki. Power surged both within him and all about as howling spirits, dark apparitions manifested. Caught in the grip of his rage, the wokou attacked the murderous thief with the full force of his arranging palm technique.
Xiao rages as he moves to attack street thug 4 with an unarmed strike. Attack roll: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18 Lethal damage roll: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 Spirit totem attack roll: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 Spirit totem damage roll: 1d4 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3
Male Tian barbarian (deathrager) 2/monk (martial artist) 3
From beneath the shadow of his hat, Xiao Feng glared at the men robbing the ticket booth. It wasn't that he didn't condone what they had done. Quite the contrary, in fact. As a wokou, Xiao Feng had done far worse than what these men were doing.
No, Xiao Feng's anger stemmed from the fact that they had picked this day to pull their heist. For by making that choice, they had involved him in the affair.
And for that, they would suffer.
Xiao Feng readies himself for a fight. Holding swift action to rage as soon as one of the men is close enough for him to attack.
Male Tian barbarian (deathrager) 2/monk (martial artist) 3
I looked at Kobold Quarterly #19 today and saw a barbarian archetype that suited Xiao Feng. It's called the deathrager. In case you haven't seen it, here it is:
deathrager:
Deathrager (Barbarian Archetype)
Deathragers make fearsome and terrifying opponents whose power increases the closer they approach the grave. Few can match the strength of their link to the spirit world , a bond that can sustain them past the edge of life. Indeed, the most powerful deathragers can return from the brink of oblivion to wreak bloody vengeance on their would-be slayers.
A deathrager has the following class features.
Toughened Body (Ex): At 1st level, a deathrager gains Toughness as a bonus feat. This ability replaces fast movement.
Toughened Soul (Ex): At 3rd level, a deathrager gains a +1 bonus on saves against death attacks and to prevent level loss as a result of energy drain. These bonuses increase by +1 every three barbarian levels thereafter (6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th). This ability replaces trap sense.
Spurn Death (Su): At 5th level, a deathrager gains Diehard as a bonus feat. Additionally, once per day, the deathrager automatically succeeds on a saving throw against a single effect that would kill him outright (whether from a trap, spell, or attack). This ability replaces improved uncanny dodge.
Indomitable Soul (Su): At 17th level, if the deathrager is slain while raging, he can continue to rage for as long as he has rounds of rage left and has at least one opponent in sight. The deathrager ignores all ability damage, physical damage, and death effects as long as his rage continues, but he gains no benefit from healing effects or attempts to return him to life. When the deathrager’s rage ends, he dies immediately and can be raised or resurrected as normal. Any time spent raging while using this ability is ignored for the purposes of spells such as breath of life or raise dead. This ability replaces tireless rage.
Rage Powers: The following rage powers complement the deathrager archetype: flesh wound *, greater spirit totem *, guarded life *, increased damage reduction, lesser spirit totem*, renewed vigor, and spirit totem*. Powers marked with an asterisk (*) are from the Advanced Player’s Guide
The concept suits him very well - the darkness that the nameless master sensed within him could be a result of Xiao Feng's inherent rage combined with the fact that he is truly touched by the spirits of death. If I were to take this, it would mean giving up both the savage and urban barbarian archetypes (they and deathrager are incompatible as both have abilities that replace fast movement and trap sense) and it would mean further changes would have to be made to him. That I don't mind doing, especially if it would bring the character closer to what I envision. My only concern is whether you would allow its use, as the archetype falls outside what is allowed. If not, then I understand.
Male Tian barbarian (deathrager) 2/monk (martial artist) 3
Having had a look at the Paizo Honor system thanks to a friend, I'm in agreement with Yulai. The roleplaying elements it generates are pretty good. That said, I think you should use your own system. You went through a lot of trouble to create. Be a shame to let it go to waste.
Male Tian barbarian (deathrager) 2/monk (martial artist) 3
Okay...I've finally dealt with my build issues. I changed two of my feats (one is due to backstory and the other is because of the synergy it will have when Xiao takes that third level of barbarian). I changed his weapon focus from unarmed strike to nine-ringed broadsword (he's gifted with the saber after all) and changed Crushing Blow to Focused Discipline. The synergism with the savage barbarian's naked courage ability is a good one and the 1 round boost to combat abilities works well for him (a mini adrenaline or ki surge or for a barbarian, if you will).
Male Tian barbarian (deathrager) 2/monk (martial artist) 3
It seems I'm not the only one still having issues with their build design. Even now I'm still not sure if I've settled on what I want to start with and where to go with it once we get underway.
I had never looked at the Lore Warden before today. I must say that's one nasty archetype. If I weren't playing a strength-based build, I would most definitely play a fighter using that archetype (provided it's allowed).
If the DM does allow it, I might have to talk with you about the two of us teaming up for flanks. We might actually turn into a nasty duo once we get everything figured out about our builds. Whispering Wind to my Striding Cloud (Storm Riders reference). Besides, Xiao will be needing a first mate for his new ship....
Male Tian barbarian (deathrager) 2/monk (martial artist) 3
I'm having trouble trying to decide what I want to do with Xiao Feng's rage powers. I like the spirit totem ability chain, as it speaks to me concerning the darkness within him and how it has tainted hiski. But I also want his other rage powers to be over the top in the manner of a manhua martial arts character.
I'm looking at something along the lines of Striding Cloud from the Storm Riders as far as attitude goes: ruthless, brutal, and capable of evoking death and inspiring fear in the hearts of others. And while I want that reflected in the powers I choose as well as a certain synergy with the abilities the character possesses, what I don't want is to come off as a min-maxing fiend.
So I come to you, those that will be impacted the most by the choices that I make. What powers and/or feat combinations do you think would work for Xiao Feng? I'm already looking at selecting (in addition to the spirit totem tree), superstition, witch hunter, and spell sunder for his rage powers. For feats, I like Godless Healing (for when he gets superstition plus Xiao Feng finds the idea of relying on any god to be... distasteful), Power Attack, and Improved Sunder. But even those options could change if there are better suggestions.
Male Tian barbarian (deathrager) 2/monk (martial artist) 3
I've put this up on the site, but I'm posting it here to get comments. I haven't mentioned the other wanderers because I don't know how we're coming together. If you guys want, we can work that out or we could just meet on the road and go from there.
Xiao Feng Backstory:
Born in the Kingdom of Kakushi, the boy who would become The Howling Wind was rescued at the young age of six by a martial artist when his home was attacked by bandits. He longed to study the style of swordplay practiced by his nameless savior, but though young boy possessed great talent, the nameless master could sense within him a terrible darkness. Knowing that his teachings could not diminish the boy's deep-seeded hatred, the nameless master refused to pass on the secrets of his sword technique. Filled with shame, he left the nameless one and set out into the world, vowing to himself to become a swordsman greater even than the nameless master himself. The boy survived on his own, eventually making his way to a port town where he fell in with wokou, or pirates. For a time, he felt at home amidst the heartless cutthroats, exulting in the savagery and carnage they left in their wake and for a while, he forgot the oath he made. In time, the boy became a man and as a man, the Howling Wind, or Xiao Feng as he came to be called by the clan, would eventually captain his own ship.
But that sense of joy would not last long.
The head of the wokou clan became jealous of Xiao's fast rise to prominence. Fearful that the Howling Wind was becoming too ambitious for his own good, the chieftain of the pirate clan petitioned Kiuatsu, the Wokou Lord, for aid to eliminate this potential rival. Unaware of the conspiracy to destroy him, Xiao Feng reveled in the freedom of being a wokou. But Xiao began to be haunted by dreams he'd not had since he was a child, visions of a golden sword and a man whose face he knew but could not name. Xiao sought to find the meaning of his dreams. In time, Xiao would find the sword from his nightly visions, the Golden King Saber. However as Xiao was preparing to learn more of this weapon and what ties it had to the nameless man from his dreams, a fleet led by the head of his clan struck. In the wake of the attack, Xiao was left for dead amidst the flotsam of his broken vessel. In time, Xiao Feng recovered enough to flee Kakushi in secret, making his way through the Teichi and Tong Shi Kingdoms before stopping in Ling Do in Erufu Kingdom, where he has been, until recently, living quietly and training his body.
Now the time has come for the Howling Wind to sweep forth and undertake his quest for revenge on those that abandoned and betrayed him.
It's helping me to refine Xiao's backstory and in that regard I have a question: what kingdom will we be starting in once this gets underway? The plan is to have his backstory end with him there so I was just wondering.
Was meaning to ask this, but are you stopping this once we hit hit 10th level? I ask because that's as far the feats/special abilities table goes. If it is, its cool. Just gives me an idea as to how I may want to level up Xiao as we go along is all.
LOL, I read that as Manhwa which is the Korean comics. I was like "NO! Not Chinese, Korean." Then I actually read it. Stupid varieties of comics with very similar names. But otherwise I am familiar with Manhua, Manhwa, Manga, Comics, and other forms of Graphic Novels.
LOL...
Yeah the names are a bit confusing. I got into them after watching movies like "A Man Called Hero," "The Storm Riders," and "Dragon Tiger Gate." Got "Storm Warriors" last year and I'm waiting for "Storm Riders: Clash of Evils" to release over here on DVD to add to my collection. Heard good things about Weapons of the Gods, but I never read it. Hoping to do so soon, though.
Yeah, I forgot about the DR increasing by 1 every five levels. Went back and changed it.
Put my character up in the Combat Manager (yay!!!!) Made some last minute changes:
*named his weapon (The Golden King Saber)
* added dodge and deflection bonuses to CMD score
* changed rage power from strength surge to lesser spirit totem (this change came about while I was developing a little more detail on Xiao Feng's backstory and decided to take more of a manhua [chinese comic] approach to doing the character)
I've selected my two traits, but I need to ask about one in particular that I want to use.
Master of the Sudden Strike:
You have mastered the deadly fighting arts of your people, and when you
wield a masterwork version of any sword, you become one with its blade. If you act before your opponent during the surprise round, you gain a +2 trait bonus on weapon damage rolls for the surprise round only. This additional damage is precision damage.
It's a Tian regional trait in the Humans of Golarion book. It would work great for my character, but I wanted to get your permission first.
@Xiao Feng It looks good with a quick look over. And the DR/Armor thing is pretty simple, you take your Armor Bonus and Natural Armor Bonus and treat it as DR instead of AC. Because of this there is no Touch AC, and AC is now called Defense since Armor doesn't actually apply to it.
Gotcha! I had looked at the rules when I got my UC, but it was only a cursory one. I had planned on going back over it later, but the opportunity never came again, so actually getting to use it for this is good for me. I can explain it better to my own players when I actually do implement it.
I've always been a fan of average each level, but I'm kinda intrigued by the 1d4 suggestion, as I've never seen it before. How did you come by that particular one?
Just got through going over the site. Gotta say, it's impressive. Add in the fact that this'll be a playtest, and I'm excited in a way I haven't been in a while. Looking forward to seeing this kickoff.
