-
An area of effect affect has electrified the ground. At the end of the round, everyone in the area takes damage.
-
A player takes a standard action to do whatever, and is in the area. They then move about a bit, and, when they only have 5' of movement left, they jump up. Their jump check exceeds their remaining movement.
-
At the end of the round, they argue that they should not take damage as they are not in contact with the ground.
-
End example.
Depending on how pedantic and argumentative the parties are, this eats up table time and decreases fun for most people.
huh, is that actually a thing? damage occurring at the end of the round? but i see your point, in a way. however, i would say that someone trying to game the system that badly is quickly going to see themselves lacking a group to play with.
and actually, i just realized that RAW there is no way to get a 10' running start and jump on the same turn. jump doesn't actually give you a way to get a running start, it just says "If you take a 10-foot running start just prior to the jump attempt". which the only i know how to do that is take the run action. which is full round. and if i do somehow get a running start, wouldn't my remaining movement for the turn be my run distance? ugh, they really should fix the wording to make it more clear. i just find it hard to believe they intended to make it impossible to do something i've been doing since i was a little kid. running and jumping was a pretty common thing for me.
Charging involves sprinting to get to someone far away enough that you couldn't get there and attack in the same way otherwise. It's kind of a desperate move normally: unless you have some special ability, you take penalties to hit and to AC. All this to get really far in a straight line forward.
Charging has a lot of conditions associated with it:
* You must designate a target at the beginning of the action
* You must have line of sight towards the target at the start of your turn
* The target must be at least 10ft away from you
* You must more directly towards the target
* If there are any obstacles or difficult terrain, you can't charge
This enemy B that revealed himself with an AoO wasn't in your line of sight (because he was invisible), you're not directly going towards him (because he would only have gotten an AoO because you left a square he was threatening). And you didn't designate him at the beginning of the action. So you can't charge him.
There's also nothing in the rules about changing an action to a more convenient one halfway through.
okaaaay. what if i'm just moving? i move to square a, but after 10 feet, invisible enemy attacks (maybe AoO, maybe readied action). i can't change my move to square b? i can't stop moving? i have to complete my move to square a? that is, to be honest, mind boggling.
EDIT: also, what if i'm charging, and someone closes the door 30' ahead of me? i have to crash full speed into it?
if i jump and "hang in the air", that's not actually what is happening. what happens is i jump, and midway through my jump, someone shoots at me (ie, their initiative comes up while i'm mid jump, because i ran out of movement).
The rules require that you stop your movement before that happens exactly so you DON"T wind up with air jordan hang time in between rounds. Yes it's a diversion from realism but someone hanging up in the air in between rounds causes a bunch of headaches (as any 3.o dm can tell you).
in what scenario can you justify running 180' as a full round action not counting as a running start for the next round? what in the rules do you think actually prevents this conclusion?
1) its irrelevant here as having jet dash would make it a moot point
2) Its not the call I would make , being a little bit more of a simulationist than literalist
3) As part of a move action, you can use Athletics to horizontally or vertically jump a distance no greater than your remaining amount of movement. If you take a 10-foot running start just prior to the jump attempt
a) which can (but doesn't have to) be read as putting the 10 foot move as part of the same action as the jump
b) "just before" might be read as precluding whatever it was you did last round
ok, honestly curious, what sort of headaches does it cause? i think what it seems is that people forget that you really don't stop between rounds. you, as the player, have to wait for everything to resolve, but your character is just experiencing, say, a combat, continuously. if i jump beyond my movement, the extra just completes next round, and comes out of my movement there. i'm never hanging in the air. i'm just in the air while stuff resolves, but it's all happening at the same time. i'm not sure i see the issue.
But almost all actions "collapse the wave function": if you run you become flat-footed and are limited to straight lines, if you charge you have to pick a target and are limited to straight lines, if you make a full attack vs. a regular attack you immediately take a -4.
I don't see any support in the rules for Schrödinger actions. The way they read, it very much sounds like you start out the round picking a "budget":
CRP p. 244 wrote:
In a normal round, you can perform one standard action, one move action, and one swift action, or you can instead perform one full action.
(...)
Performing a standard action is generally the main component of your turn. Most commonly, you use it to make an attack, cast a spell, or use a special power.
(...)
Performing a move action allows you to take tactical actions that, while secondary to your standard action, are still key to your success. The most common move action is to move up to your speed (see Speed on page 255).
(...)
A full action consumes all your effort during your turn, meaning if you choose to take a full action, you can’t take any other standard, move, or swift actions that turn. The most common full
...
wait, question for you. i say i'm gonna charge enemy a. after 10 feet of movement, enemy b, who is invisible when i started my round, AoO's me. what are my options? it sounds like you are claiming my only option is to complete my charge and attack enemy a. I can't, say, stop next to enemy b, or change my movement to end up in a different place. is that really your interpretation of the rules?
At your table, I have to say "I'm doing a trick attack on Enemy A" (I still say that's a weird way to roleplay), and then during my move, invisible guy AoO's me. Are you saying my only option is to continue on with my trick attack of Enemy A? I can't maybe instead move somewhere else? Or stop and attack the guy that just hit me?
I think there would be a whole lot of table variation on that. If I were GMing, it would depend on the specifics. If the AoO, tripped or disarmed you, for example, then I would say you lose the action. If it was just a normal attack, I may allow you to change targets, but not take back the trick attack action.
Also, I don't understand what's weird about declaring your actions. How else would you communicate your intent to your fellows? Explaining what you're doing clearly doesn't necessarily preclude roleplaying; I'm not really sure where you got that idea from.
hmmm. it's not about declaring your actions, it's about declaring an entire rounds worth of actions in advance, and then being forced to stick to that, no matter what happens. let's say the AoO misses (not even getting into whether or not RAW supports trip AoO's), i can't even change the direction of my movement? something that i, as level 0 nobody in real life, can do all day, every day. i'm essentially walking during a trick attack, and in real life, if someone unexpectedly takes a swing at me, i can react to that. yet, in the fantasy role playing game where i'm some kind of bad ass whatever, i can't even do the things that are trivial in real life? i really don't see how the designers are trying to limit you to be less than reality. yes, you can purposely choose to gimp yourself if that's your thing, but how do you justify shutting down an option that a normal human on earth has? i find it hard to believe that you really play in a game that forces you to not react to changing circumstances.
In our games, we do need to declare things clearly as we do them. Trick attacking is a full round action. Therefore, in a round in which I would trick attack, I would declare that first thing (along with anything else the table needed to know). If I felt like it, I would then describe what that looked like, possibly after I see whether or not it succeeded. The level of description and roleplaying varies from player to player, but communicating the intent of the action before the action is taken doesn't vary at all.
You can't do things in the game without letting the table know what it is you're doing (unless you're the GM).
Let's use an example for our discussion:
A player declares he is trick attacking Enemy A. Enemy A had readied an action to turn on his...
ok, wait a second. maybe i'm missing something, but i feel like this isn't addressing my question at all. at your table, i have to say "i'm doing a trick attack on enemy a" (still say that's a weird way to role play), and then during my move, invisible guy AoO's me. are you saying my only option is to continue on with my trick attack of enemy a? i can't maybe instead move somewhere else? or stop and attack the guy that just hit me?
and fyi, i don't think i've said anything about rolling dice before i say why i'm rolling the dice. when i say i kickflip off the wall, i then, and only then roll the dice. and no matter the result of the roll, i still kickflip off the wall, i just maybe don't do it cool enough to land my trick attack.
hrrrm. ok, like, am i wrong in my thinking here? i never actually stop moving at the end of my turn, that's just an artificial construct to allow us to play this game in a way that makes sense. but everything that's happening in a round is really happening all at the same time, yes? if i run two rounds in a row, i don't actually run x number of feet, then stop, then run x number of feet. what's actually happening is i just ran 2x number of feet. if i jump and "hang in the air", that's not actually what is happening. what happens is i jump, and midway through my jump, someone shoots at me (ie, their initiative comes up while i'm mid jump, because i ran out of movement). because in real life, someone could shoot at you while you're jumping. yes, initiative and actions exist to give a framework, but everything is happening ALL AT ONCE, just like real life. in what scenario can you justify running 180' as a full round action not counting as a running start for the next round? what in the rules do you think actually prevents this conclusion?
umm, wow guys, this is pretty amazing for me. i've never played in a game like most of you are describing. i'm currently playing a level 3 operator daredevil (shut up, i know), and i've never declared that i'm doing a trick attack. i say something like, "i move over to here", and then once i've moved my miniature, i say something like, "i kick flip off the wall and do a backflip, and shoot mid flip at enemy x", then i roll acrobatics to see if i get a trick attack. and if something happens while i'm moving, say an AoO from an invisible enemy, i change what i was going to do. maybe target whoever took a swipe at me, or change where i was moving, and this has never been a problem, ever. is this not how you guys play? in your games, i have to say i'm doing a trick attack, and then if something happens to interrupt me, i can't react to it? i have to keep moving to my original goal? honestly confused here, because that seems very limiting, and not fun for anyone. also, to BNW's point, not supported at all by RAW. i would not play at a DM's table who did not let me react on the fly to what was happening, and forced me into some kind of a script, when i quite clearly have actions left to use as i see fit.
Ok, sorry to resurrect this thread, but I just started playing in my first Starfinder game, and this is quite relevant to my character.
Hypothetical 1: I have speed 30, and jet dash. I am currently getting my butt whooped in a fight. 170' away is a 20' wide ravine. I "run action" away, and attempt to leap the ravine. Just for expedience, let's say I roll a nat 20. What happens to me?
Hypothetical 2: I have speed 30, and jet dash. I am currently getting my butt whooped in a fight. 180' away is a 20' wide ravine. I "run action" away, and attempt to leap the ravine. On my next turn, am I considered to have a running start or not?
well, i was going to try and submit a character here, but with so many returning players, and so many really high rolls, I don't think my 20 point buy character has much a chance. Good luck everyone!
Core races only, but are the additional options for the core races from the advanced race guide in play? ie, feats and alternate favored class bonuses?
Well, the primary weapon group still advances, so it doesn't seem that bad to me. By that level it seems like most fighters would already have a favored weapon. But I agree, it's not going to make fighters overpowered. And honestly rogues have specialized abilities based around skills that fighters can't match. Just wanted to see if you were on board with the potential for a fighter character to eventually be getting 17 skill points per level equivalent.
Ah, it's from the player companion armor master's handbook. description is here. It's the adaptable training option. And since advanced armor training is available as a feat starting at 3rd level and you can select it up to 4 times, it's pretty easy to get a lot of extra skill points by mid levels.
weapon master's handbook has a similar option, btw. all paizo official. taken to the extreme, a high level fighter could effectively be getting 8 extra skill points per level using these options. doesn't matter at first level obviously, but if the game were to go on long enough it could.
edit: ninjaed! But I'll leave this here to make sure we're on the same page.
I'm mostly not commenting on races unless there's a problem. It looks good! Interested to see what sort of character you come up with with it.
Ah, copy that. As I'm looking at building a fighter, I have a question. Will this game be using the advanced armor and weapon training rules? I ask, because with your house rules about fighter's skill points, there is potential to build a fighter that by 7th level gets more skill points per level than a rogue with the same intelligence.
How exactly gnorcs came to be is a mystery lost in the mists of time.
What is known is that orcs and gnomes do not get along particularly
well today, and gnorcs exist almost exclusively as a fully integrated
part of gnomish society. About a quarter of the gnomish population is
actually gnorcs, and the orcish genes are so widespread, that
sometimes what appears to be a pureblooded gnomish couple will give
birth to a gnorc. There are even rare cases where a child appearing to
be fully gnomish grows to medium size, or a baby that appears fully
orcish will only grow to small size, and various combinations of such.
If there ever was any prejudice against gnorcs in gnomish society, it
has been a fact of life for so long that it does not exist anymore.
Combining the strength and tenacity of their orcish ancestors with the
fascination for tools and machinery of their gnomish side, gnorcs are
a valued part of gnomish society, and tend to gravitate towards
protective roles such as guards and soldiers, though they can be found
in pretty much any profession. The widespread influence of the orcish
genes have led to gnomish society being more assertive and willing to
use military force than on other worlds, and there are ancient legends
of a large gnomish kingdom full of fantastic contraptions that combine
magic and mechanics.
In appearance, gnorcs somehow manage to combine the features of both
races into a mostly pleasing appearance, though the orcish heritage is
generally obvious.
Gnorc Racial Traits
+2 Strength, +2 Constitution: Gnorcs are hardy, combining the best aspects of their racial heritage. (2 RP)
Gnorc: Gnorcs are humanoids with the orc and gnome subtypes. (0 RP)
Small: Gnorcs are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks. (0 RP)
Normal Speed: Orcs have a base speed of 30 feet. (0 RP)
Low-Light Vision: Gnorcs can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. (1 RP)
Ferocity: Gnorcs can remain conscious and continue fighting even if their hit point totals fall below 0. Gnorcs are still staggered at 0 hit points or lower and lose 1 hit point each round as normal. (4 RP)
Keen Senses: Gnorcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. (2 RP)
Master Tinker: Gnorcs experiment with all manner of mechanical devices. Gnorcs with this racial trait gain a +1 bonus on Disable Device and Knowledge (engineering) checks. They are treated as proficient with any weapon they have personally crafted. (2 RP)
Obsessive: Gnorcs receive a +2 racial bonus on a Craft or Profession skill of their choice. (2 RP)
Languages: Gnorcs begin play speaking Gnome and Common. Gnorcs with high Intelligence scores can chose from the following: Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Orc. (0 RP)
Alternate Racial Traits
Gnorcs may select one racial or alternate racial trait from the orc or gnome lists in exchange for traits from the above list whose total RP is equal to or greater than the chosen alternate.
Favored Class Options
Gnorcs may choose from the options on the orc list of options. For any class not on the orc list, they may choose an option from the gnome list.
Racial Archetypes
Gnorcs can choose from the orc dirty fighter or the gnome experimental gunsmith racial archetypes.
The Empire of Giantholm
Situated on a giant's large estate among the clouds, the mighty Empire of Giantholm's origins remain the stuff of legends. Some say that the giant left on an errand and will return some day. Others say he died. Or was banished. Or that somehow the founders of the gnomish empire managed to slay him. Whatever the truth, no giant resides there now, but the magics continue to function. At some point in the distant past, when the various kingdoms of small folk living like ants amongst the giant's cast offs felt the giant wasn't coming back, some began to resent the gnome's control of the magic garden and its bountiful harvests. Thus began a series of wars, lasting hundreds of years, that eventually saw the gnomes began to absorb those around them, both through military might, and eventually, as they grew, through treaties and economic supremacy.
The empire now controls an area roughly equivalent to the Mongol empire at its height, encompassing the garden, the rose garden, and much of the kitchen. And much like the Mongols, they believe in merit and ability over the circumstances of your birth. Thus the empire is about 37% gnome, 13% gnorc, and 50% a mixture of various other races, and the various branches of the imperial government more or less reflect that mix. The exception is the Imperial Army, where the proportion of Gnorcs and gnomes is roughly reversed. With the aid of their mighty airships, the empire continues a slow expansion, though the deeper interior of the giants castle seem to contain many strange and wondrous beings. Perhaps even the giant himself, taking what he considers to be a nap. And what will happen if the ants awaken him?
Ok, so, let me know what you think. If you like any of it, feel free to use even if I'm not selected. If you do like it, I was thinking of a gnorc fighter from a gnomish village within a few days travel of Barlily.
I wouldn't worry too much about the RPs—races can be rebalanced, after all, and I will be seeking in the post-Recruitment stage to make sure the PCs each have their balanced niche. Sylphs can get more to compensate.
I'd say the sylph gets Cloud Gazer as a bonus feat to replace Darkvision.
That... actually makes more sense than them having darkvision to begin with. Working on my sylph phantom thief now. Based on your house rules document, I'm guessing background skills are not in play?
Hmmm, I'm thinking about a sylph, but they're only 6 rp and it seems like other submissions are really pushing the edge of that 15rp. How would you feel about a punched up sylph that added focused study and skilled to racial traits, and was the product of a Bene Gesserit style breeding program. The lifeline would be that his family has hidden from whatever group is doing this (unbeknownst to him), but there's a magic genetic marker that alerts them if any product of the program dies before a certain age, thus allowing them to save him, but also opening him up to their influence. Would probably take the touched by unknown forces trait for this too.
Also, are you nerfing darkvision for sylphs? If so, is there something to replace it?
Yeah, for sure de-stress before worrying about us. I'm sure if you don't make a decision right away we'll all just drown our sorrows in ice cream and beer. Potentially might do that even if you do make a decision right away.
Well, Haroldin is done done, final answer, except for equipment. Was it ever specifically addressed whether the characters in this game would start with a normal equipment loadout?
Average staring wealth.
Yeah, I saw that, I guess I was just trying to verify there are no restrictions due to the whole waking up with no memory in an asylum deal.
I've looked over the feats and the archetype and don't think there should be anything to wrong with allowing these options. However, if selected and I start to notice you're pumping out obscene amounts of damage each round, I might make you change it.
Totally understand. But considering if I did make it in, a straight rogue can't get to the improved version of the feat until level 9. I'm pretty sure a ranged fighter using nothing but core rules would be doing more damage at every level, even with sneak attack taken into account.
But any thoughts on a goblin pc? Based on all the descriptions of Riddleport, it seems like it shouldn't be much of a problem, but I'd like to make sure.
Right, forgot to mention that Goblin PC should be fine. Just don't bump your dex to god levels.
Turns out that once I started getting to know my little goblin buddy, he's not a sniper, or that's not his primary focus anyways, he's more of a gearhead. Closest archetype I've found thematically is scavenger, but that grants technologist as a bonus feat and the abilities interact with technological weapons. Will there be any of that sort of stuff in your game? I'm guessing not, but never hurts to ask.
No problem. Though I stole the idea from someone else his other recruitment thread. Just seems like a very convenient way to make sure you're not duplicating an already submitted concept. And I had the time, so...
I've looked over the feats and the archetype and don't think there should be anything to wrong with allowing these options. However, if selected and I start to notice you're pumping out obscene amounts of damage each round, I might make you change it.
Totally understand. But considering if I did make it in, a straight rogue can't get to the improved version of the feat until level 9. I'm pretty sure a ranged fighter using nothing but core rules would be doing more damage at every level, even with sneak attack taken into account.
But any thoughts on a goblin pc? Based on all the descriptions of Riddleport, it seems like it shouldn't be much of a problem, but I'd like to make sure.
And if you're ok with them, how you feel about them stacking with the rogue sniper archetype? Obviously these wouldn't come into play until higher level, but they affect the skills and feats for the character I'm working up.
If I don't get into your other game (which odds are I won't based on number of entries), I've got an idea for a nagaji archaeologist I'm kicking around. I'm curious about your e7 rules though, are those written down somewhere? I haven't played in an e7 before, so not sure if there's a standard rule set I should be looking at.
yeah, i'm also in another game that jlighter is a player in, and he hasn't posted there either. hopefully everything is alright with him.
as for posting, i really don't feel that smiley has anything to say at the moment. he's done quite a bit of talking today already for him, and he's rather embarrassed by his actions in the graveyard. really, i too, am waiting for jlighter, or someone to address smiley directly.
i pretty much check every day as well, but sometimes you have to wait for something to happen before posting again. and i would feel weird posting something like, smiley stands there waiting
ok, here's my first attempt. read through this thread and been reading the book, but still a newb at fate. i welcome any thoughts/critiques. gonna add more detail soon, but these are the basic ideas. also, my first two stunts are from the book, next two are ones i made up that i would like, and i'm not sure how the last one works. don't want an adventuring sidekick, more a staffed research lab. not sure who my guest starrings should be with.
aspects,etc
template
pure mortal
high concept
international arms dealer(smuggler?) - deals in both legal and illegal, prefers dealing with rebels fighting dictators
trouble
i smell a busniness opportunity - always looking for a way to make a buck from anything unusual going on
Name
Lawrence Smee
background
willful trustfund baby - layabout father, grandfather put him in family business (ammo & accesories) early, used to getting his own way, but also used to dealing with consequences of his decisions
rising conflict
let freedom ring - big fan of declaration of independance and bill of rights. dissatisfied with government and rest of world. first exposed to idea of supernatural out of college when found requests for odd sorts of ammo (cold iron, silver, holy mercury, etc), including from UPS maybe? saw business opportunity, dived in headfirst, big success at family business
the story
yeah, i totally went there - basically will use everything he has in verbal skirmish. still working on story, maybe encounter with powerful fae/wizard?
guest starring
magic is so cool - ?
guest starring redux
this is why we can't have nice things... - ?adrenaline junkie
stunts
filthy lucre - +2 resources for illicit purposes
lush lifestyle - any item equal to or less than resources
money is power - use resources for social stress boxes
you can take the boy out of the trailer park... - use rapport to determine type (ie, fae, human, wizard, etc)
sidekick? - want workspace to be a lab with friend studying interaction of magic and tech
sorry to jump into your thread guys, but i just read all the way through the in character thread, and am reading through this one, and i'm hoping that though things have died down it's not done yet. y'all are down a few players from the start i've noticed, and i'd love to give this system a try and can either make a wizard, or if songdragon would rather play the wizard i can come in with a character idea i had for a marcone inspired type.
is there still some room in this game gm smerg, and would you take on another player?
too many disadvantages really just make you a one trick pony, which sort of self regulates in an actual game. in a one shot it doesn't have quite the same impact, but then again, we are talking zombie apocalypse, so we're all pretty likely to die anyways.
ok, so i've never made a bear pc before (which i think is a sad commentary on the state of rpg's these days), so here are my thoughts based on the bestiary.
awakened black bear pc:
magical beast (augmented animal): An awakened black bear is considered a magical beast.
Medium: Black bears are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Fast walker: Black bears have a base speed of 40 feet.
Low Light Vision: Black bears can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Keen sniffer: Black bears have an excellent sense of smell and have the scent special ability.
Water lover: Black bears receive a +4 racial bonus on Swim skill checks.
Tough skin: Black bears have very thick skin and fur, and have a +2 natural armor bonus.
Natural Weapons: Black bears have 2 claw attacks and a bite that all do 1d4 damage. These are considered primary natural attacks.
Languages: Black bears begin play speaking Common and Bear. Black bears with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Elven, Gnome, Sylvan, Dog, and Cat.
thinking maybe no stat adjustments, just do a straight 20 point buy and go straight into class levels. or if you want me to take racial hit dice first, i suppose the racial stat adjustments should come into play. thoughts?
Ansha is a tall, slender elven maiden who looks to be no older than a human girl of twenty winters, with long legs and an hourglass figure. Her long, fine hair is a strikingly pale blond bordering on platinum, brushed meticulously and left unbound to cascade over her shoulders like a cloak, reaching just past her butt. Her almond eyes are a deep emerald, bright with intelligence and often twinkling with amusement. Her voice is charmingly soft and velvety, with the melodic sound common to all elven voices.
She is achingly beautiful and her features, much like her frame, are delicate, with a small nose, perfectly formed and straight; and full, slightly pouting pink lips that are quick to part into a disarming smile full of unspoken promises. Her skin is smooth porcelain, and is barren of tattoos or other markings. She walks with the grace and poise of a noble debutante, and has a confident air about her, as if she is used to getting what she wants.
She can sometimes be found in a green strapless, midriff-baring bustier top held together by a small green tourmaline, a flowing silk shawl draped over her arms. Other times, she can be found in a green underbust corset and blouse or well-tailored robes that hug her figure. When not wearing robes, she wears a matching long-slit skirt, and black fingerless opera gloves that end just beneath her elbows cover her arms; similarly-dyed leather boots end just beneath the knee. Her pointed ears are pierced with a pair of platinum studs through each arch, each holding a small jade carving of a camellia flower; and pendant earrings of gold dangle from each ear, clasping a small emerald in their raindrop-shaped frames.
She wears an intricate choker at her throat, silver chains holding in place a gold frame inset with a larger emerald; additional silver chains drape across her bare neck; dangling among the chains is a small gold disc etched with the elven rune for the first two letters of her given name, and a slender silver chain dangles from that disc into her cleavage. She wears three gold bracelets on her right arm, two of them loose hoops and the other worn tighter against her wrist, and she has a piercing in her belly button--a silver barbell with an emerald cap on the upper end and a jade cap on the lower. Several gold and platinum rings also adorn the fingers of her right hand.
Personality and motivations:
Ansha is a flirt who uses physical and magical charms to get what she wants out of life. She is flighty, impulsive, inquisitive and loves being the center of attention. A true hedonist, she is extremely open to new experiences and is willing to try almost anything at least once.
In the wake of her adoptive parents' deaths, she has slowly had her memories return, and she realizes that in addition to the fact that she can never go home again, she has been living a lie for years. Although her primary motivations are pleasure and power (and the pleasure that comes from having power over others--particularly their minds), she is also aware of the numerous enemies she has, and has found it in her best interest to surround herself with people willing and able to aid her should any of those enemies catch up to her.
Background:
Ansha is the only daughter of Lord Elroth and Lady Elizaera Saeralyan of the noble House Saeralyan of Iadara in Kyonin. A minor House, it was inconsequential in matters of politics, though it did manage to maintain a level of wealth suitable to their station, and it was precisely this inconsequentiality that lead the morally-bankrupt enchantress Elizaera to form a pact with Our Lady in Shadow, Nocticula, the patron of succubi: in return for increased powers of seduction and enchantment, Elizaera would bring the entirety of the House under the demonlord's sway. She succeeded, the whole family came to worship Nocticula secretly and the family's fortunes rose. For her part, Elizaera became the mastermind behind the family, and she was granted a measure of a succubus's power: an otherworldly beauty that could cause those around her to stare in fascination without regard for their surroundings.
When Ansha was born, she shared this same otherworldly power as her mother, but it was decided that she would not be told about the family's pact with Nocticula until she was older, for fear that she might accidentally let something slip, as only a child might. So she was raised as a master manipulator in her own right, and she grew up to be a young elven debutante who knew how to get what she wanted from most anyone. Despite this, she never quite shared the moral degeneration of her mother--probably in large part due to the friendships she formed with other more goodly aristocratic elven children, like her friend Inari Gloamingdusk. It was an idyllic existence, if only because Ansha was kept in the dark about so much.
The idyll's end came unexpectedly for the young Lady Ansha when her parents decided that she was old enough to reveal the family's dark secret and to include her in the pact with Nocticula. But Ansha stumbled upon them in the midst of a profane ritual several days before her parents were ready to reveal the family's secret to her, and she fled home. Pursued by a summoned succubus, the young Lady Saeralyan was captured and subjected to defilements that shattered her mind and left her with a form of trauma-induced amnesia called dissociative fugue.
But before she could be returned to her family, she was rescued by the married elven adventurers Baelyth and Sahtara. The married pair, for their part, took the elf in and cared for her much as if she were their own daughter. The trio travelled for years, wandering and adventuring across the continent of Avistan. Years later, Baelyth and Sahtara died on an expedition south into the lands near the Mwangi Expanse at the hands of smugglers, and Ansha herself was taken prisoner by these smugglers, who took her to Crown's End.
She found in herself a burning desire for revenge, but she had learned the value of patience from her adoptive parents. So she charmed and seduced the ringleader, taking a place at his side as his mistress. She played the part of a harmless and helpless girl well, bolstered by the fact that her memories of her childhood had slowly returned to her after her adoptive parents' deaths, and though it took years, she planned her revenge. Only at the proper time did she act.
During her years with the smuggling ring, she and the half-elf Kieran Markavien struck up an uneasy friendship. When the time came for her revenge, she took him into her confidence. Together, the two set up the smuggling ring, planting rumors, suggestions and evidence that the ring was going to double-cross their partners in an upcoming deal. The night before the deal, Ansha murdered the ringleader, her lover, in black widow fashion, leaving a note on their bed beside his corpse that read "I stab thee with my heart," a Calistrian aphorism used at the culmination of a particularly satisfying act of revenge. When the smugglers showed up to the deal, the deal went south thanks to the set-up and the smugglers were caught in a fight that saw them lose most of their members.
Ansha and Kieran were conspicuously absent from this event, because they were already taking what goods they could and fleeing on the first ship they could find away from Crown's End. That ship took them to Eleder, the capital of Sargava, where the duo fell in with a short-lived adventuring company called The Umkhaya (a Polyglot word for “The Family”), active in the frontiers of the Laughing Jungle and eastern Sargava. After the failure of an expedition they were part of, Ansha reappeared in Eleder alone.
She stayed in Eleder for some months, making waves in Sargavan society before falling in with a Pathfinder field agent and returning with him to Absalom. Almost as soon as she was off the ship in Absalom, she parted ways with this new friend as well, and began a years-long series of ever more high-profile cons that forced her to stay one step ahead of her marks--often in the company of various adventuring groups passing through. In the midst of all the defrauded individuals she left behind, however, she also left behind a number of besotted men and women that formed a vast, if loose, intelligence network. With Ansha herself in the center of this web of intrigue, the enchantress seemed to have everything she could ask for--money, power, information, companionship, excitement.
And yet over time, as she left a trail of charmed and seduced ex-lovers and marks in her wake, something changed in the demon-tainted elven enchantress. After the particularly successful conning (and seduction) of a major Chelaxian noble left her feeling empty rather than exultant, Ansha came to a growing realization that she was no better than her demon-worshiping parents. Unwilling to accept this, Ansha began to study demonology fervently, obsessed with proving that the life she was living was different than her mother’s plans for her. Turning her informal intelligence network to the task of looking into the patron of succubi and assassins, Ansha followed a trail that led to Drezen and the Worldwound.
Abilities: Low-light vision, keen senses, elven magic, elven immunities, elven weapon familiarity, cantrips, spells, arcane bond (bonded item), Scribe Scroll bonus feat, arcane school--enchantment (manipulator), opposition schools (necromancy, transmutation), beguiling touch, enchanting smile +5, archmage arcana (wild arcana), flexible school (divination), forewarned, diviner's fortune, hard to kill, surge +1d8, mythic power 18/day, amazing initiative, recuperation, mythic saving throws, mythic spellcasting, enhanced ability (+2 CHA), enhanced ability (+2 INT), component freedom (material), trickster attack (deadly throw), subtle magic, force of will, mirror dodge, p.a., see in darkness, persuasive countenance
School specialization abilities:
Beguiling Touch (Sp): With a simple caress, Ansha is able to win friends--in the short term. She can affect those she touches as with Charm Monster 3 + INT modifier times per day, though it does not affect creatures with more Hit Dice than she has wizard levels. The save DC for this ability is 10 + 1/2 wizard level + INT modifier. This ability lasts for a number of rounds equal to half her wizard level, rounded down (minimum 1) and does not work on creatures that are in combat or are hostile towards her. This is a mind-affecting effect.
Enchanting Smile (Su): Possessed of an otherworldly beauty, Ansha is able to entice others to see her way. She gains a +5 enhancement bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate skill checks.
Shape Emotions (Su): Whether a feature of her tainted heritage or a testament to her dedication to the study of the school of Enchantment, Ansha is easily able to alter the emotional atmosphere of a 30' area around her. This manifests as either a +4 morale bonus on saves against mind-affecting spells and effects and a reduction of one step in fear effects for her allies, or a -2 penalty on saves against mind-effecting spells and effects for her enemies. This ability can be used for a number of rounds per day equal to her wizard level, which do not need to be consecutive rounds.
Mythic ability:
Subtle magic (Ex): Ansha's sensuality and openness to touch is often disarming, helping her to hide her actions behind the ambiguities of flirtation and innuendo. As a result, she is capable of casting spells covertly. Whenever she casts a spell or activates a spell trigger or spell completion magic item, she can attempt a Bluff skill check opposed by a Sense Motive check from anyone that can see her. Those who fail the opposed check don't know that Ansha cast a spell or activated an item unless it has an obvious effect that emanates from her. In addition, the magical auras of magical effects on her and magic items she carries (except for artifacts) can't be detected.
Traits:
Charming: Ansha has learned the value of suggestion since childhood, and knows how to use her appearance, words and body language to her advantage. She gains a +1 trait bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy and language-dependent spell DCs against those that are or could be sexually attracted to her.
Exposed to Awfulness: Mentally scarred by her encounter with a summoned succubus when she was younger, Ansha has nonetheless grown stronger for the experience. Once per day when she fails a saving throw against an effect created by a demon that would kill or physically incapacitate her, she can immediately reroll that saving throw as a free action. She must accept this second result even if it is worse.
Equipment: Explorer's outfit, scabbard, longsword, knife sheath, dagger, staff, choker (bonded item), courtesan's outfit, courtesan's kit, wizard's kit, wizard's spellbook, traveling spellbook, belt pouch, silk rope (50 ft.), 5 scroll cases, elven noble's outfit (green evening gown), House Saeralyan signet ring, jewelry (various gold and platinum piercings, studs, earrings, rings and bracelets worth 140gp), headband of mental prowess (+4 INT/CHA, Perception/Knowledge [dungeoneering], Azlanti, Thassilonian), belt of mighty constitution +4, staff of minor arcana (50 charges), circlet of persuasion, cloak of resistance +2, handy haversack, talisman of pure faith, 31625gp 5sp
Scrolls (all CL12): Knock x3, See Invisibility x2, Fly
Elven Naming Practices:
"Most elves have four names: a personal or given name, a hidden or intimate name (usually known only to close family), an everyday name chosen by the elf, and a family name...An elf rarely bothers mentioning more than his or her everyday name at informal introductions."--Elves of Golarion
Ansha's personal or given name is Ansha, her hidden or intimate name is Anwë, and her family name is Saeralyan. Given circumstances in her life, she has never chosen an everyday name, in effect using her given name, Ansha, as her everyday name.
