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Here I made a quick Wrath Daevic using only Akashic Mysteries, that is a little braindead to use, but still fun.
Arslan the Lion, CG male human Daevic of Wrath
Str 17, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 13.
Skills: Intimidate +6, Knowledge (Local) +4, Sense Motive +5, Survival +5.
Feats: Improved Initiative, Power Attack.
Traits: Indomitable Will, Reactionary
Fort +4 Ref +2 Will +2
Initiative +6
AC 15, Touch 10, Flat-footed 15 (Scale Mail +5)
Atk +3 (BAB +1, Str +3, Pwr Atk -1) (1d12+10, 4 Str, 3 Pwr Atk, 3 Daevic Aspect)
Veilweaving
Daevic Aspect (Wrath) 1 essence (+2 insight bonus to Fort saves against poison/disease, +3 insight bonus to melee damage)
Tactics: Hit the biggest creature until it dies.
Level Up:
At 2nd level, you get a second veil from the normal list and can bind veils to the feet chakra. Checking the ones from Akashic mysteries, Immovable Boots and Horselord’s Greaves are the best ones to use without essence, since we are using that essence to get even more melee damage.
At 3rd level, we get bonus to bull rush from the passion, so as a feat we will take Improved Bull Rush to get the most from the ability.
At 4th level we will increase strength to 18. We will get a new passion veil and a second point of essence; the new veil is going to be a hands one, since this level unlocks hands binding. To be even more fearsome in combat, we will take Armory of the Conqueror and empowering it with one essence, increasing the greataxe damage as if it was one size bigger, to 3d6, and we will continue to take all the penalty from power attack. At this level without anything else, we will be having +6 to hit (+4 BAB, +4 Str, -2 PwrAtk) for 3d6+15 (6 Str, 3 Daevic Aspect, 6 PwrAtk). Not bad if I may say so ;)
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Thanks. I hope my creativity is inspired by your example. I'll check James Ray's blog as well.
I just got finished reading the Akashic Kaiju supplement. Very good! Love me some Kaiju. There's 4 new ones! A new race too. Have you seen it?
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Let's make an akashic "rogue"
Wijen “Shady” Shadowbottle, CN female halfling Eclipse
Str 10, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Skills: Acrobatics +7, Climb +4, Disable Device +7, Escape Artist +7, Perception +4, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7, Use Magical Device +4.
Feats: Point-Blank Shot
Traits: Wild Shadow (Urban), Natural Essence (if available)
Veilshaping: Eclipses have a lot of freedom for their veilshaping, since it complements and helps them in any area they want to focus. Normally, Wijen would shape Sable Shots, and depending on the adventure, Gloves of the Master Thief, Ebon Blaze, Stalker’s Tabi or Cloak of Darkness.
Leveling Up:
At 2nd level, you get your first enigma and trap finding. For Wijen’s first enigma, I would chose Chilling Blow, since it really amps the damage. However, if the campaign will rarely have undead, Channeled Shadowstrike is a more powerful option. Later enigmas can be more specific depending on the campaign.
At 3rd level, you get a 2nd veil, a feat and can bind veils to the hands. I would make Wijen specialize in the Sable Shots veil, so she would have it bound to the hands to improve it. For the second veil I would choose one of those mentioned above. As for the feat, Two-Weapon Fighting to have an extra attack with the Sable Shots.
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Female halfling daevic, actually.
Were they ever stated? Named? It would be cool to have Akashic iconics, but with Dream Scarred Press dead, it would be difficult to get a Ultimate book and use them for art
Senior Designer
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Were they ever stated? Named? It would be cool to have Akashic iconics, but with Dream Scarred Press dead, it would be difficult to get a Ultimate book and use them for art
Female halfling daevic, actually.
I feel like I probably posted their names and backstories online once upon a time (probably on GitP?), but that was almost a decade ago now so I don't know that I could find them and I only vaguely remember them.
I think I put the iconic vizier in as an NPC for DSP's Lords of the Night, if I'm remembering correctly.
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Understandable. Gotta check that vizier though, I think I have LoN somewhere in my drives.
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So I found a vizier in the vampire book @Michael Sayre mentioned. My guess was that he is the iconic vizier, but later found that he isn't LOL. Anyway, he is cool nonetheless.
Alvion Smythe, ancient-born dhampir path of the ruler vizier.
Basically he is adouble agent working against two vampiric organizations, and interestingly he uses some of the nastiest and "evil.est" veils, but he himself is Lawful Good.
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Quoting @Ssalarn, who some people say in hushed tones is the secret identity of certain Paizo designer, from the giantip forums:
Aabharana (our gnome iconic) was the daughter of a gnomish merchant who grew rich creating a trade bridge between the haughty elven nations and the dwarven tribes. An elven noble, jealous of her father's success, hired a band of mercenaries to attack her father's caravan and make it look like a bandit attack. Aabi was the only survivor of the raid, and her grief and anger drew the attention of the fledgling daeva Nor'basheer, who offered her the power to take revenge if she would serve as its mortal host. Scarred but unbroken, Aabi accepted the deal and now uses the power of her daevic bond to hunt down the man responsible.
Hassim Ajam, our iconic vizier, is a minor half-elven functionary in the court of a very powerful and very cruel elven sultan. During the day he goes around evicting human, dwarf, and gnome merchants who fail to pay brutal taxes that basically equate to legal extortion while his pet zombie lugs around the collection box and serves as added muscle for dealing with recalcitrant citizens. At night, he throws on the ol' hood and mask and helps unjustly imprisoned non-elves sneak out of the city and occasionally orchestrates daring robberies of particularly cruel members of the elven aristocracy, using his veils and his powers as a Seer to coordinate these risky heists.
The dwarven Guru, Pala Upadhaya, is the last surviving member of his clan. Pala now travels where he will, standing as a bulwark against the forces of darkness and teaching others that goodness and and a gentle nature need not be sacrificed for strength. Pala will often stay in small villages where his skills have helped protect or free the people to teach them some of his philosophies, occasionally founding small schools or temples if he finds a particularly gifted or insightful initiate.
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Design Manager
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So I found a vizier in the vampire book @Michael Sayre mentioned. My guess was that he is the iconic vizier, but later found that he isn't LOL. Anyway, he is cool nonetheless.
Alvion Smythe, ancient-born dhampir path of the ruler vizier.
Basically he is adouble agent working against two vampiric organizations, and interestingly he uses some of the nastiest and "evil.est" veils, but he himself is Lawful Good.
Ah, yeah, there's definitely some overlap between Smythe and Ajam. I can't remember if they started out as the same character and got teased apart or if they've just mushed together in my head in the decade since I wrote them, lol
I have been a bit absent, but yeah. I really enjoyed the classes' archetypes that get standard spheres, but the sphereshaper is too different for my taste. Not bad, just too open.
Thanks. I hope my creativity is inspired by your example. I'll check James Ray's blog as well.
I just got finished reading the Akashic Kaiju supplement. Very good! Love me some Kaiju. There's 4 new ones! A new race too. Have you seen it?
Yeah! I reviewed it on Drivethru, as well as the new compilation. I think I have reviewed all of Azoth's books, which are all really good.
Akashic Kaiju?
F yeah! And not only monsters for the GM to use. Players can also join the fun with all the archetypes and class options in the book. I mean, there is even a whole minor cosmology for Zodiacs!
Ah, I have gotten away from this tHread again... Anyway, some characters that have some preview content from unreleased akashic content:
Gaaddisa, LN female human hatyaara ninja
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 17.
Gaaddisa comes from a hatyaara clan, who are ninja that mix their infiltrating techniques with akashic magic. She is very fond of shaping the Stalker's Tabi veil. Also, she found an unusual psychoactive skin that is pitch black, and has learned on how to use it for her missions.
New material: Hatyaara ninja archetype, psychoactive skin of the infiltrator.
Levent, CG male algol dhampir griot skald
Str 17, Dex 6, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 16.
Levent is a bon vivant singer from the Jinnlands. A handsome man with unusual, equine eyes and an enormous smile, he has a hulking but stoop body. He has an unnatural hunger and eats double what a normal person would eat. He is usually broke, and sells his services as a warrior in exchange for gold, and when things are dire, only food.
New material: Algol (ghul-born) dhampire subrace
Nice! Can I/we get a full stat in all its glory?
Nice! Can I/we get a full stat in all its glory?
Hi! I will probably gather all characters into one release, but in the meantime I will post them here. If you want a specific character developed either as a PC or NPC, I will oblige!
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Cool! Do you have any first level characters?
On this very tHread, I wrote a 1st level Daevic and an Eclipse, plus my favorite Naiad Radiant has enough info to play her from level 1. I always have some spare characters. Do you want anything in particular? Making new characters is very relaxing
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Akashic Tales: Astradhari's Panoply marks my first collaboration project, with James Ray and Azoth Games, since the release of a very old project from Dreamscarred Press about Xeph. Astradhari is a new akashic class that is not a veilweaver. It draws inspiration from Archer from Fate Stay/Night and Ezra from Fairy Tail. Here are some PCs/NPCs made with new content from that book.
Padmini, NG Female Human Astradhari (new class)
Str 8, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 13
Astras: Breastplate of the Righteous, Divine Arrow Indrastra, Heavenly Sharanga
Born to a fallen-from-grace noble house, Padmini learned to summon the weapons from her grandfather’s stories. Against her family’s wishes, she became an adventurer for two reasons: to raise enough money and help her family in this time of need, and to escape an arranged marriage that would solve the family’s precarious situation.
Nandur, LN Male Daitya Unchained Monk/Jijnasu Inquisitor (Brand inquisition) (new race and archetype)
Str 17, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 10
A male, red-skinned, well-muscled mustached Daitya, Nandur went on the hunt for a trespasser of his people’s unforgiving laws. When on the outside, he became fascinated with a human that fought without armors or weapons. He joined the human temple, to the disdain of fellow students who had a hard time sparring with the enormous newcomer. After finishing his basic studies, Nandur continued the hunt, armed with the skills he learned in the monastery. His favored brand is Grasping Chains, flurrying any poor, chained soul that happens to be the target of his wrath.
Kesari, TN Male Ancient Vanara Shakta Guru (new race and archetype)
Str 10, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 8
Kesari wanted to become a Guru and follow the philosophy of Vayism, which according to myth, was developed by the god of wind, creator of his people’s god. But his questions couldn’t be answered by the ashram’s senior gurus, and they recommended him to go on a journey of self-discovery, to seek for his answers on his own. Kesari became a wandering Shakti, an introspective sage that remains aloof in his adventures, to the dismay of his companions.
Elysium, Female NE Deva-asura Conduit Daevic (celestial) (new race and archetype)
Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 6, Cha 16
A prophesied child of the heavens, Elysium was born on a silver cradle to a powerful noble house. She has inherited the power of heavens, even while she has become more and more malevolent, bored from her duties but always taking advantage from her position. She is one of the few kṣatrāṇī, female kshatriya, from her land, gaining notoriety from her unique upbringing. She hunts, bullies and dominates other evil characters into servitude, using her heavenly abilities to disguise her intentions.
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Coming back to this after a long period of being unable to access, and reading up on all the content, only furthers my desire to do an Akashic-heavy campaign setting of Genies and Gemstones, as an alternative take on Al-Qadim. Something genie-centric, but also inspired by the forthcoming Remastered lore changes from 2e. The Advanced Players and Class Guide(s) classes would have a presence too, but the Akashic classes would be the true stars of the setting.
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only furthers my desire to do an Akashic-heavy campaign setting of Genies and Gemstones, as an alternative take on Al-Qadim. Something genie-centric
Mah guy, I am in the middle of releasing an akashic martial arts book, but after that I'm going to work on an Al-Qadim-inspired setting called the Jinn lands, where I give the genies, dives etc. a cohesive backstory, and also add a lot of reworked "kits" into archetypes and subclasses for the alashic classes. I am around 50% done with the book, sonit is still months away. If you want to chat, send me a PM and we can check some things over discord.
The first in a series of characters previewing the content of my first book with Azoth games, penned wholly by me. Hope it piques your interest! It will be released soon!
Vīra, Male Shyam LN Ki Sorcerer (new race and bloodline), Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 8.
Found wandering the outskirts of a small Tai Lin temple, the young, blue skinned sorcerer couldn't even speak the common tongue, but felt a strange kinship with the Tai Lin monks. Possessing wisdom beyond his years, rudimentary martial arts and a powerful natural ki, the monks insisted that Vīra stayed with them. They have never seen a blue-skinned humanoid, but he has been learning and teaching the monks. His unlikely dominion of ki-powered arcane magic fascinates them.
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Mh, I have been away for too long. So... I will add a couple of characters using the new books by Azoth Games, Universal Zodiac and Celestial Cartomancy.
Nzadi, female Undine Houngan Universal Servant (Loa Cosmology). When Nzadi was born, a white dove landed on her chest, imbuing her with the blessing of Mistress Love. Since then, she was raised to be a priestess of Erzulie Freda. However, she longs to travel the world, and if it were not for her people’s need of her, she would have gone already. But if another takes her place, she would run away without looking back.
Kandaja, female amici android megastructure universal zodiac (Prime Cosmology). Kandaja awoke from deep slumber, remembering that her birthplace was on the verge of destruction. She remembers flashes of being saved by putting her consciousness into a new body. Unknown to her, she is protected by the remnants of her destroyed synthetic planet, represented by her orbit. While she has access to the prime cosmology, she also has access to the Peerage of Monsters minor cosmology, giving her an idea of what destroyed her homeland.
Tabata Kiyoko, female human snow shenxue inyouji path universal servant. (Concordia cosmology with the auspicious beast minor cosmology)
Tabata Haru, male human fire shenxue hamashi path universal servant. (Concordia cosmology with the auspicious beast minor cosmology)
Twins blessed by rival spirits, the Tabata siblings were born to a powerful Gobosei adept onmyoji. They were blessed by a strong connection with the spiritual world, but with an even stronger connection to the sky spirits. They both can channel the constellations of the 12 sacred animals and the protectors of the 5 directions, and use different forms of talisman magic. They inherited the rivalry of the spirits that blessed them, always competing for the favor of the spirits. They wander the land serving spirits.
One more starcaller, this time a rogue with the amateur astrologist feat.
Aizere, CN female alakit rogue. Aizere is an agent of mischief. While not a true starcaller, she has learned how to call on the Purple Rider, a lost constellation that sows misinformation. She is a free agent that has worked for many thieves’ guilds. She has jet black skin, but her hair and eyes look as if made of gold, and her unusual looks and beauty always have the attention of crowds.
The alakit is a race that will appear in a future product.
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Aaaaaaand, some more using new sub-races from an uncomming Jinn book.
Daēuua, NE female changeling (sand may) Bokor Servant (Loa cosmology). Daēuua was but a child when she heard the call from her mother, a lesser Silat hag hailing from the Jinnlands. When they finally reunited, Daēuua was on the verge of becoming a hag, just to be "saved" by a group adventurers, led by a Sha'ir. Daēuua became so enraged, especially since she wasn't able to do anything but feign gratitude. That night, she was visited in her dreams by Erzulie Dantor, the Loa of vengeance, with a proposition to serve her. Since then, Daēuua became her servant, waiting for the moment she is powerful enough to beat the Sha'ir that denied her of her destiny.
Oyibo, male TN akashic oread Soldat Servant (Loa cosmology).
Oyibo was born from a shaitan princess and a humble human gravedigger. His mother wanted to enrage her father by having a child with a mortal. When the child was born, he was sent with his mortal father, who took care of him. Oyibo doesn't know nor care about his shaitan heritage, he just serves Baron Samedi like his father. He unknowingly favor the earth signs of his cosmology. His mother and grandfather have not forgotten about him, and may appear in the future to shake up his life.
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And while I wait for my kids to come out of school...
Rajani, LN female Ajibachana Dhampir Unenlightened Monk
Rajani was born to a resurrected female monk that was killed by a Vetala. Unkown to the monks, their peer was already on the verge of converting to a vampire herself, but somehow the resurrection magic stopped the process but part of the acuursed vampirism passed to her offspring. Rajani grew rapidly and became one of the most inquisitive students of the temple, but her hunger for knowledge made it difficult for her to truly understand what she was learning. Bored with the slowness of her training, she read some forbidden scrolls that let her develop the power of Mu, a dark reflection of her peers Ki. When the abbot of the temple saw her dark powers, Rajani was banished from the temple. She now wanders the land as a traveling schoolar, hungry for knowledge. She has mastered the powers of death through the infamous Ghul Style.
Hǒu the tiny Lion, NG male halfling Shoto Brawler.
Hǒu is a blessed individual. Born with a powerful sonic ki and an even more powerful voice, the small warrior makes sure he is heard when he fights. Using a combination of his Shoto Arts veils and the Legendary Lion's Roar voice veil, he is a force to be reckoned with.
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Another character using soon-to-be-released material ;)
Ahsan, TN male deva-asura Guru (ānanda philosophy)/Oracle (ascetic mystery).
Ahsan was born from a big, hairy egg in the wilds, to the amazement of the vanara gatherer woman who found him. Ahsan was different from other vanaras: while the other youngsters learned how to suppress their emotions, Ahsan delighted in them. One day, while his foster mother was chastising him, Ahsan turned around, only for a stern, solemn face to appear from the back of his head. His mother was horrified at first, but then understood and smiled. His mother told him to visit the village’s shaman. The Shaman explained that he had two faces, exactly like Kapeeshwar, their patron deity, and that it was a sign of divinity.
And so, Ahsan began to study about their creator, and how before becoming divine, he travelled the world and experienced and mastered each emotion. And so, with his village blessing, he began a pilgrimage. As a deva-asura that grew among the vanara, mixing one of the most misunderstood guru philosophies with one of the rarest of mysteries was not difficult, and effective.
Notes: The deva-asura is a new race from the upcoming Astradhari’s Panoply book, even while he looks like a vanara. He also practices the ānanda philosophy, which makes the Guru Charisma-based, is from an upcoming product. Unlike the typical deva-asura, who have a racial ability that give them 4 arms, Ahsan has a racial ability that gives him two faces.
Mridula, female deva-asura radiant.
Mridula was born to a poor family. The third daughter in a row, to the dismay of her parents that wanted at least one boy. Mridula couldn’t see the reason of her parents dismay, until her mother died from sickness. In time, she learned that it is customary for the mother to live with his son when he marries, and that she wanted to follow that tradition. His father became even more aloof, and after both her older sisters married, she was left to take care of his aging father. Sickness struck again, but this time Mridula was ready. She studied the akashic arts under a forest-dueling akasin guru, and although she couldn’t learn the guru arts, she developed the healing powers of light into an even more powerful form, becoming a radiant. She saved her father, and when he cried and asked for forgiveness from her daughter, Mridula could see for the first time in her life, through a third eye that opened in her forehead. His father, understanding that her daughter’s gift was destined not only for him, give Mridula his blessing to travel and heal the sick. Mridula grudgingly accepted, but she still visits her father every now and then, even after joining an adventuring party.
Notes: Mridula uses the new deva-asura race, with a variant of having a third eye instead of multiple arms.
One more character previewing content from future books
Qari, NG female Sun Soul Ifrit Soul Channeler Astradhari.
Qari was born a human in a society with a caste system, under the merchant caste. While she wasn't born a princess, she never had any true needs. When she started attending school, she was bullied by the children of nobles that wanted to show Qari "her place". She endured it for years, finding solace in the beauty of the sun at dawn and dusk, and felt a special connection to it. One time, the bullies became started beating her, and their bullying got out of hand; they doused Qari with a barrel of her father’s wine, and by accident she got too close to a lit candle. The bullies were horrified and froze in place. Qari, however, pleaded the sun she so loved to save her, and a miracle happened. The sun god took pity on the girl and channeled a minuscule part of his power through her. A trident made of solidified fire appeared in Qari’s hands, and at the same time, both she and the fire that covered her became one, transforming her into an ifrit. The bullies cowered and got to their knees, begging for forgiveness.
When Qari got to her senses, the bullies had burns on their bodies, and she was expelled from the school. His father was not mad, however, and instead took her to a temple of the sun god to become a holy warrior. She failed, instead learning how to channel echoes of the soul of gods and heroes through her body. She still favors the sun god, always channeling his soul through her.
Notes: Qari is a soul channeler astradhari (a new class with an archetype), who learn to channel souls through themselves (like a soulforge). Her chosen astra is almost always the Trishula of the Sun (which has the paired fighter soul) veil, but she also knows and favors Agneyastra (sorcerer soul) and Brahma-Kavacha (cleric soul), astras normally associated with fire and light.
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Nice work! Also inspiring. I am learning to think on more than two levels when it comes to character building reading about your characters. Before it was just class and race. Now there's more creativity when I theroey build a new character.
I would like to see some stat blocks for some of these awesome characters!
I would like to see some stat blocks for some of these awesome characters!
I am working on Hou's stats as a 13 level character (so he can bind the voice veil).
Which character would you like to see? I will work on that ASAP. And by the way, I will try to add more info on stats for all characters from now on.
Anyone will do.They're all interesting characters as far as concepts and rules. I've seen little Path of war or Akashic Mysteries characters except yours and a very few others. I really believe a bestiary is in order for both too. That would be really cool!
I have many ideas for monsters but stating them is a major pain. For example, the dragon I did for my Tai Lin book took me like 12 hours!
I will call the Studio M crew to see if we can do something.
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Let’s stat Qari! As a soul channeler astradhari, she needs Strength or Dexterity as a warrior, and a bit of Charisma, plus good Constitution. A sunsoul ifrit gets bonuses to strength and charisma, so lets focus on that, and a penalty on wisdom. Using High Fantasy (20 points). I don’t like to have weaknesses so for scores I go:
Str 14+2, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12-2, Cha 13+2.
So Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 15.
For her racial abilities, we won’t really use Fire Affinity, so let’s change it to Fire in the Blood, showing her unusual heritage. We will leave the Sunmetal spell-like ability to be used with other, non-fire astras.
For traits, I will go with some overall bonuses: Reactionary and Natural Aspected Essence (Fire).
As for class features, an astradhari starts with a number of known astras equal to 1+Int modifier, but soul channelers use Cha instead. So, with a 15 charisma, Qari would start with 3 astras. Her backstory mentions the Trishula of the Sun, and for the other two let’s choose a ranged weapon and an armor. Agneyastra let’s you shoot gouts of flame, so it is thematically fitting, and for armor, Brahma-Kavacha is a good medium armor and has some Sun god lore, so it is also thematically fitting. At 1st level, an astradhari choses one known astra to be summoned for the whole day, so of course Qari would normally go for Trishula of the Sun. When in need of either a strong armor or a ranged weapon, she can use the summon astra ability to get on of her other two astras.
As an astradhari, Qari can use different type of weapons, so we will go with feats that can be used with any melee weapon; for the 1st level feat lets get ye old Power Attack.
Qari, female sunsoul ifrit soulchanneler astradhari 1
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 15
HP 12, ST Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +2
Traits: Reactionary, Naturally Aspected Essence (fire)
Feats: Power Attack
Skills: Apprise, Diplomacy, Knowledge (Arcana), Use Magical Device.
Class Features: Akashic Knowledge (+1, on Knowledge Arcana), Astra Summoning 2/d, Chosen Astra (Trishula of the Sun)
Equipment: The Trishula does fire damage, so we are going to buy some weapons for when the necessity arises. We are going for the average, 175 GP. A guisarme, a morningstar, and a short bow with 60 arrows for 50 GP, and a hide armor and a buckler for 20 GP, and a an assortment of adventuring gear for roughly 30 GP ( traveler’s gear, wooden holy symbol, backpack containing bedroll, 4 trail rations, waterskin, bag of caltrops, sack, 5 pitons, hammer, 50 ft. hemp rope, belt pouch containing candle, flint & steel, whetstone, scroll case, 2 parchments, and another belt pouch with 2 tindertwigs, a sunrod, a small steel mirror and 2 chalks. This leaves 75 GP for other things or for saving for later.
Using the Trishula, Qari would have an attack bonus of +5 (+1 BAB, +1 Mwk, +3 Str), with a damage of 1d8+1d6+3 fire dmg, crit 20/x2. Using Pwr Atk, +4 and increasing the damage to 1d8+1d6+5. The extra 1d6 is for investing the point of fire aspected essence. Qari can spend her other point of essence in a summoned astra or to change her Akashic Knowledge class feature.
For AC, she would have an AC of 17 (10 + 4 armor + 1 buckler + 2 Dex). By summoning her Karna-Kavacha astra, Qari would have an AC 0f 19 (10 + 6 armor + 1 buckler + 2 Dex), and by taking a point of essence burn as an immediate action would negate 2 points of energy damage.
2nd level increases the power of the chosen astra (normally the Trishula) in a couple of ways. It gets a +1 enhancement bonus, is treated as if bound to the hands, and will also summon a soul (as a soulforge). For the Trishula we are going with the Fighter soul, getting a +1 against disarm or sunder and against saves that affect the weapon, plus reduce the armor check penalty and increase the max Dex bonus, both by 1. Finally, since the Trishula is treated as if bound to the hands, it can be thrown as a standard action, exploding in a 5 ft. radius dealing 1d8+1d6+4 fire damage. AC would stay the same, but atk would go up by 1 because of the level.
3rd level is when thing get interesting. We get another feat, a veil as part of the summoned soul (Impulse Earrings and Shaitan’s Earthen Armor are good for Qari), Improved Essence capacity of 2 (for the Trishula, to get an extra 1d6 of fire damage, and explosions with an area of 10 ft.), and also a +1 on atk and damage rolls because of the fighter soul.
AC would stay the same unless using the Shaitan’s Earthen Armor (going up by +1), but atk would go to +8 1d8+2d6+4, and using Pwr Atk +7 1d8+2d6+6.
As for the Feat, Extra Essence is a no-brainer with all the possible receptacles, but Chakra Power could help us with other combat maneuvers and slightly increase the bonus from power attack, plus getting half of Extra Essence (1 point of essence, that is)
Next time I will stat another of the characters from this thread, again with most things upt to 3rd level ;)
Let’s continue with the potentially villainous Daēuua. The Servant class is an alternate class of the Zodiac, her most important score is Wisdom, and as an adventurer lets keep Constitution and Strength above the norm. Sand Mays (new, akashic subrace from an upcoming book)as a Changeling subrace get a bonus to Str and Wis, and a penalty to Int. Their Hag racial trait is a point of transformation aspected essence, which can be invested in their Natural Armor racial ability to improve it by 1.
So her scores would go, again with high fantasy:
Str 12+2 Dex 12 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 15+2 Cha 12-2.
Str 14, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 10.
For traits let’s go with one akashic and one religious: Secret Keeper will give us a +3 bonus to Bluff when opposed by Sense Motive to combat that low Charisma, and Natural Essence for a total of 3 essence at 1st level+1 for racial ability.
Now, since Daēuua is a Servant, there are some choices we have to make, namely the path and cosmology she is going to use. As mentioned in her story, she is a Bokor that follows the Loa cosmology. As a Bokor, she can use sand (fitting for the daughter of a Sand Hag) to create some Astral Bottles (3 for her wisdom).
Daēuua starts with a feat, and if we want to use her Mother’s Wrath sign the most we will need as much essence as possible. While I would like another feat, Extra Essence will let use manifest the sign of Mother’s Wrath, while still having 2 points for, let’s say, the Warrior of Iron’s armor manifestation (which costs exactly 2 points), or something else.
We need only a few more things. Favored class will go for extra an extra skill point per level. Speaking of which, we will have 6: Bluff, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana, religion), Perception and Sense motive. We could change Intimidate for Use Magical Device.
For equipment, I would buy her a dagger, a holy symbol, a crossbow and assorted equipment.
2nd level. We get 2 essence, for a total of 7+1 aspected! So now we can manifest the sign and invest a point in it (4), the Warrior of Iron armor with one essence invested (3), or forget about investing essence to instead manifest Grand Mambo’s buckler (3+2+2). The racial ability with 1 point of aspected essence is neat, so we will leave that one like that. As for the Two-Handed Technique from the Bokor Path, let’s take Spiritual Admixture if a PC, or Zombie Cadavre if an NPC.
3rd level gives us 1 more point of essence, plus improved essence capacity for a total of 2. The essence can be invested in the manifested signs for extra oomph, and for the Feat, let’s go with Sign Focus to, well, focus on marking enemies with fire signs, and it also gives us one more point of essence! If using the Universal Servant revised class, we will also get Obeisance, which gives us an Obedience feat. Since Loa are practically deities, we will take Deific Obedience for Erzulie Dantor.
Let’s stat Levent, an Algol (dhampir subrace formed by a failed ghul curse) akashic skald (griot) from the Jinnlands, a planar hub from a future product. He was mentioned in this very thread, but let’s make him a full 1st level PC. He is using normal array.
Levent, CG male algol dhampir griot skald
Str 17, Dex 6, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 16.
Algol’s racial abilities are similar to a normal dhampir, but they have a bonus to Str and Cha and a penalty to Dex, a racial bonus to Perception and Survival (instead of Manipulative), get 1 point of death-aspected essence (normally invested in their Undead Resistances, increasing the bonus by +1; this replaces spell-like ability), and instead of Light Sensitivity they have to eat twice as much, and if they go without eating they start to become Chaotic Evil. Also, a Griot skald gets different weapon and armor proficiencies, and loses bardic knowledge, scribe scrolls, cantrips and spellcasting. However, they get veilweaving (at 1st level, 1 veil from the Radiant list, plus the Spider’s Stories veil set and 1 point of essence), Griot’s Lore (an akashic version of bardic knowledge), Genealogist (a flavorful ability for detecting lineages), and the Anthem of Lineage raging song option.
His veilweaving gives us 1 veil, so a good option would be either the Fairy Queen’s Violin or the Devil King’s Fiddle, since both serve as weapon, shield and musical instrument rolled into one. The Sun’s Fiddle is a nice option too. The class’s essence would be invested in it, and the natural essence bound to the Genealogist class feature.
For traits, lets cover Levent’s major weakness (penalty to Dex), by taking reactionary, for a total of +0 initiative. For the other, let’s take Natural Essence, to have more fuel for his akashic abilities. For favored class, I would take an extra HP, and for skills, we have 5, which I envision Levent using Bluff, Knowledge (history), Perception, Perform (string instruments) and Sense Motive.
As for the feat, I want to be able to jump into the fray ASAP, so Lingering Performance is a must.
Levent will use a scimitar, and have a backup morning star and short bow as needed. He can also use his veils as weapons (the preferred option).
2nd level increases our essence by 1, versatile performance (string for diplomacy), and the situational Royal Symbiosis class feature.
3rd level gives us the Hands chakra bind (great for the Sun Fiddle), another point of essence, another veil and a feat. The veil should be an armor (Tortoise Shell is too good for Levent, with his abysmal Dex), but if the Royal Symbiosis is on, I would go for a Voice veil, with Interdiction and Rebuke being good options for a Griot Skald.
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My final entry for a while. Let’s make a “simpler” one, a human Vizier, using only Akashic Mysteries (mostly). So, Viziers are Intelligence based, so we are going to use or human floating bonus on that and get as much as possible without min/maxing too much. We are going to use 20 points.
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 16+2, Wis 12, Cha 10.
Traits: We are going to take Natural Essence since Viziers from Akashic Mysteries are really essence-starved, not for nothing they have gotten many house-rules where they get their essence progression changed (I personally give them 2 essence at odd levels, and 1 at even levels). For the other, we are going to get something useful and flavorful with the Dangerously Curious magic trait.
Feats: We have two, so we will take two akashic feats to have more essence and options. Weaver’s Reflexes increases our only bad save, and Veilbound Resilience is great in a pinch.
Skills: We have 2, plus 4 Int and 1 human. Let’s go with Appraise, Diplomacy, Knowledge (Arcana), Perception, Sense Motive, Spellcraft and Use Magical Device.
Path: We are going to choose Seer, to be able to increase all of our party’s speed. As for the Teamwork feat, if available, I would suggest Bonded Mind.
Veils: Viziers get the powerful Ring veils, so let’s get one of that plus an attack one. Ring of the Abjurer gives a nice +5 armor bonus that works against ethereal creatures. Riven Darts is like a single magic missile available at will.
Geese, I just noticed I need Heal for the feat. So I would change the Use Magical Device trait and skill point for one that gives Heal, to be able to use the feat.
I’m gonna stat two characters using something I don’t normally use: multiclassing. I’m gonna make 2 characters, one going for a “theurge” PrC, and the other maintaining a balance of both unrelated classes but trying to have a functional character. I will show the planning of the progression of both.
First let’s start with the Amplifier character. This is going to be a half elf to get the benefit of the 2 favored classes. The amplifier is a prestige class that mixes veilweaving with casting or manifesting. For the first, I’m going for the Vizier, which is a class that depends more on veilweaving than in other class features, making it perfect for the advancement of only their veilshaping. The casting class, however, needs to focus on intelligence like the Vizier. I wanted to go psychic, but to be frank they lose too much class progression if we just focus on the casting. That is why I’m going to go wizard, the Int casting class that gains the least toys LMAO. They are also the only Int-casting class that only needs 3 levels to qualify, which we want to do ASAP. Psion would be a great option too, but let’s keep it simpler. Since we are focusing on the PrC, we are not going to take any archetypes. We DO have to take specializations. So, we are going to take the Metaweaver Vizier path to get a changing metaveil feat, and the Evocation (Admixture) arcane school, opposed by Illusion and Enchantment. This will make for a very versatile blaster character.
For race, half elf and human are great, but I’m tired of humans LMAO! Let’s go for a half-elf for a change of pace. We are going to use the extra HP for favored class of both base classes. For ability score, we want high Int. We don’t really care about Str, Wis or Cha. We want good enough Dex and Con, so we can go with: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 17+2, Wis 11, Cha 8.
So, what class to begin? We are going to start with Vizier, because they get abilities that are “always on”. This will help us survive even if we don’t have very strong bursts of power like the wizard. We are going to take 1 level of vizier, 3 of wizard, 1 of vizier, then focus on the PrC.
Let’s start with the traits. Since we are going to multiclass, we are going to take both traits that improve caster/veilweaver levels (Apprentice Veilweaver and Magical Knack). Now, for the feat, since we are focusing on being a blaster, Improved Initiative will give us a tactical advantage. Later we can take Spell Focus at 3rd and Extra Essence at 5th to meet the requirements of the PrC.
As a 1st level Metaweaver Vizier, we get 2 veils, 1 point of essence, and a changing metaveil feat. We are going to take the Abjurer’s Ring as an overall way to improve AC. As for the other one, we want something for offense. Hand Cannons is a good, unexpected, versatile ranged attack with good enough damage. It also has the benefit of using veilweaver level instead of attack, which will let us increase the Atk bonus even as we multiclass thanks to the trait. As for the Metaveil, we are going to go for one that we can use. Pacifying Veil is good for avoiding killing opponents, and Disruptive Veil is great when battling opposing casters.
We just need skills now. We are not the face of the group and have low Cha, so let’s focus on Int based skills plus the staples of adventuring. Appraise, Knowledge (arcana, planes), Perception, Sense Motive and Spellcraft.
Now comes the multiclass. We are going to take Wizard for the next 3 levels. We are going to chose very few things for the class since we already decided on an arcane school, mainly a bonded object to have that “wise wizard” look. On level 2, we are going to always prepare detect magic and read magic, plus an elemental spell (school doesn’t matter). As a 1st level wizard, we are going to always prepare burning hands, plus another utility spell. As for the veils, we are going to forget about the hand cannons to get frostbite halo or another headband veil that improves our favorite element. This veil will improve our cantrip, and with our school power, each time we cast burning hands we will make it do our favorite damage, to get the bonus from the veil. At 3rd level we will get Spell Focus, and at 4th we will prepare flaming sphere and give it the same treatment as the burning hands, doing our preferred damage. I personally would go acid, even if later down the road we have to take a feat to change all evocations to acid. Why? Because it’s cool HAHA! And don’t forget to increase your Int by 1, to 20! As for skills, we are going to focus on the previous ones.
At 5th level we will take our last Vizier level for a while, gaining another veil and our 1st chakra bind: hands. For the feat we are going to take Extra Essence, to qualify for the PrC (remember to use the retold vizier, even if it’s just the essence progression). As for the veil, we are going to take a hands one, and one that doesn’t affect our action economy. From all the hands veils out there, Witch’s Broom is great, since it gives us a sacred bonus to AC when casting defensively!
We are now FINALLY able to get our 1st level in the Amplifier PrC, getting an improvement to both caster and veilweaver levels but not only in power. We are going to get an increase in essence capacity and essence, and more spells, but we are also going to get Akashic Amplification, which lets us improve caster level, effective essence, or heal after casting a 2nd level spell or higher! From here, we are going to continue on the PrC, taking feats like Akasha-Infused Spell, Combat Casting and Enhanced Capacity to improve our main “schtick”. We are going to take at least one evocation spell for every level of course, and for veils, we will try to get those that don’t affect our action economy and that take advantage of unlocked chakra binds. After finishing the PrC, I would take 3 more levels of wizard (able to cats 9th level spells at 19th character level), then 1 more level of Vizier for the improved essence capacity.
Here are the stats for this character with 2 levels in Amplifier (character level 7)
Dustin “dusty” Ezeluru, NG male half-elf Metaweaver Vizier 2, Admixture Wizard 3, Amplifier 2.
Dustin grew with his father, a guru from a human town in the desert. There, he learned the basics of veilshaping but couldn't stand the intense meditations of his father, developing instead the abilities of a Vizier. His father, mistakenly thinking they were "mage stuff" as he used to call arcane magic, sent his son back to her mother, an elven magus of renown. There, Dustin failed again to learn his parent arts, instead developing wizardy. With her mother's reputation, he was accepted in the elven arcane college for wizards, where he AGAIN failed to learn the elegant magic of the elves (enchantment and illusion). Instead, he developed the rawest, most dangerous type of magic: evocation. Expelled from the school but with his mother's blessing, Dustin became a member of an adventuring party that was searching for a wizard. His nickname comes from the fact that no matter the war spell he casts, he always creates green sand that corrodes and dissolves everything it touches. He is also always eating fruit (fresh and dried), particularly citric ones.
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 22, Wis 11, Cha 8.
HP: 7d6+14
ST: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +9
AC: 21 (+6 armor, +1 deflection,+3 dex, +1 natural), 24 (+3 sacred when casting defensively)
BAB: +3
Traits: Apprentice Veilweaver, Magical Knack.
Feats: Combat Casting, Disruptive Veil (changeable), Extra Essence, Improved Initiative, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Evocation).
Skills Appraise +13, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (nature) +13, Knowledge (planes) +13, Knowledge (religion) +13, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7 and Spellcraft +13.
Magical Equipment (23,500 GP): Amulet of Natural Armor +1 (2,000), Belt of Incredible Dexterity +2 (4,000), Cloak of Resistance +2 (4,000), Headband of Vast Intelligence +2 (4,000), Pearl of Power 1st (1,000) and 2nd (4,000), Ring of Protection +1 (2,000). 2,500 of expendables (scrolls, wands, potions).
Spells (CL 7) 4, 5+1, 4+1, 2+1 (includes bonus for high Int). Save DC 16/17 + spell’s level.
This list includes Dusty’s “staple” spells only, others as needed. Dusty normally changes his evocations to acid using his school’s power (usable 9/d) to benefit from the Shroud of Corrosion veil (getting +6 on damage, +7 with the Intense Spell school feature). While Dusty casts the number of spells and maximum spell level of a 5th level wizard, he casts them at 7th level because of his trait (fireball would do 7d6, for example)
0-acid splash, detect magic, light, read magic
1-burning hands
2-flaming sphere
3-fireball
Veilweaving (VL 6), Essence 8, EC 2
Veils: Impulse Earrings 2 (head), Ring of the Abjurer 2 (ring), Shroud of Corrosion 2 (headband), Witch’s Broom 2 (hands, bound).
While I finish the details on the other multiclass character, I found ANOTHER one, using a new race and archetype for the upcoming astradhari book.
Ẓarīf, male alakit CN elemental conduit daevic/battle dancer brawler
A big, handsome man with skin that looks like polished onyx and golden eyes, the dashing dancer Ẓarīf comes from the Jinnlands. A good-natured debauchee, he traveled many lands until becoming fascinated with the Mohini ke bhakt, dancers that worship Mohini the mistress of illusions and practice the mohiniyattam, a type of dance sacred to Mohini’s followers. He used his veilshaping abilities as a daevic to master the basics of the Mohiniastra, a veil normally used by the rishis of the Mohini ke bhakt ashram, to the surprise of everyone in the vicinity since normally only females use it. Ẓarīf couldn’t care less, being that he doesn’t really like following these strict rules. He has combined many traditions into a particularly effective fighting style. He has taken residence in the ashram, becoming the first male to be accepted as a disciple.
In combat, he mixes the many different traditions he has learned in his travels, using his enhanced Mohiniastra voice veil, unarmed strike, and even a modest psionic ability to great effect.
There was a very intriguing campaign setting called "Mind shadows" for D&D 3.5 by Green Ronin, but was rushed and came out before the Expanded Psionics Handbook polished the horribly messy Psionics Handbooks system for vanilla 3rd edition, which Green Ronin used (so it was a 3.5 setting using 3.0 psionics). This setting made the battle between magic and psionics into part of the setting, with a heavy India flavor. I always thought that this setting would work wonders using Pathfinder with the great Ultimate Psionics but changing Vancian magic with Akashic magic.
With that in mind, I will preview one of my favorite Servant path: the Rishi
Kshitij Gupta, male sudarshan dwarf servant (rishi path, Jyotisa cosmology).
A member of the highest caste, Kshitij recites and teaches the Matyanas as one of the most influential Matyanist priests of Naranjan. He is the son of an influential Kshatriya and a lowly merchant, but his innate essence marked him for greatness. He favors the earth signs, especially The Maiden.
And since I have already previewed the basic Astradhari and one of the archetypes that uses soul forger's souls, I'm going to add one more Astradhari, this one with ties with Path of War via the Sangyarishi archetype:
Narantsegtseg, female Daitya sangyarishi astradhari
Narantsegtseg, or Tsegtseg for her friends, is a strong daitya warrior. She used to accompany her father to the feet of her mountain homeland, where she loved to hear stories told by the merchants that traded with her people. Her favorite was that of the Bronze Monkey, a female Vanara vigilante that beat bandits.
She imagined how the Bronze Monkey would fight, and started training with a big stick. After some time, suddenly and without warning, her stick became a bronze staff like the one in the tales, and her mind flooded with martial knowledge from the plane of memories. Tsegtseg became a sangyarishi, and with her father’s blessing, went down the mountain. She works as a merchant guard, and uses the Monkey’s Staff as her preferred weapon, which has ties with the Radiant Dawn discipline. She also can summon her people’s Danava’s Gadda, a powerful bludgeon with ties to the Eternal Guardian discipline.