Very interesting!
Very interesting!
She'er Falen, Ifrit planar merchant (CG female ifrit human merchant sorcerer 13)
“I've got gadgets and gizmo’s a plenty. I've got whozits and whatzits galore. You want thingamabobs? I've got twenty!”
Having grown up in the City of Brass amidst the endless sea of fire that was the Fire Plane, She’er Falen—like many ifrit—was treated as a second-class citizen. Though her beauty, natural charm, and efreeti ancestry won her some social perks, she always resented being treated as “less than.” Despite her formidable sorcery, she was no match for the elemental might of her “betters.” Wishing to escape that harsh place and elevate her status, she fought hard to become a successful planar merchant permitted to come and go as she pleased. After years of service and hardship, she finally obtained a pair of mystical tuning forks that would allow her to travel between the Fire Plane and the Material Plane.
Tactics: She'er Falen is designed to put the hurt on her enemies in as many different ways as possible, as quickly as possible. In short, she's all about the damage. Any fight which you're not expecting to win quickly (or any fight you have time to buff for) should probably begin with your fiery body and produce flame spells. In round 2, you cast heightened fire shield and send another produce flame on its way. In successive rounds, you spend two actions buffing or blasting, and your remaining action to hurl additional produce flame spells.
With enough available prep time (such as when preparing an ambush), you could potentially have all of the following active at the same time: fiery body, heightened fire shield, greater potions of retaliation for cold and electricity, heightened flaming sphere, and charred remains fireball. If you can get a critical with produce flame, they're even taking persistent fire damage! The damage from all that adds up quick.
To see some of the nova damage potential, let's crunch the average damage numbers when someone closes to attack you after you hit them with a 6th-level charred remains fireball and a produce flame spell:
Round 1:
51.5 - 13d6+6 fireball (6th)
25.0 - 8d4+5 produce flame (7th)
05.0 - Moving 25 feet over charred remains
10.5 - 3d6 fiery body
14.0 - 4d6 fire shield (6th)
10.5 - 3d6 greater potion of retaliation (cold)
10.5 - 3d6 greater potion of retaliation (electricity)
21.0 - 6d6 persistent bleed damage, blood vendetta (6th)
148 total damage (on average) in one roundRound 2:
52.0 - 8d12+6 chain lightning
28.0 - 8d6 flaming sphere (6th)
21.0 - 6d6 persistent bleed damage, blood vendetta (6th)
101 additional total average damageAnd it could easily end up being far more damage if you're lucky enough to land a critical with produce flame (that's potentially 13d6 persistent damage per round on top of your spot damage!) or another spell, or if the enemy is dumb enough to attack you more than once (13d6 damage each time!), or if they have to cover more ground to attack you (+1 per square of movement). This also doesn't account for all of the produce flame spells you might have lobbed off while buffing yourself in the interim, which greatly increases your chances of landing a critical with that spell.
If you're looking to conserve spell slots, hitting with a pair of flaming spheres and a produce flame each round while under the effects of fiery body is a pretty decent way to go. If you're not into high damage novas, She'er possesses a lot of metamagic options that make her spell selection quite versatile. She's got several buffs, debuffs, and battlefield control options as well!
Outside of combat, She'er's skills and spells are also useful for negotiating merchant deals, assisting in interrogations, spying, dealing with natural animals and phenomena, or just plain taking it easy in a cozy log cabin in the woods by the lake.
Inspiration: Princess Ariel (Disney's The Little Mermaid; she's out of her element in a strange place), Harry Potter (novel series; her love of patronus-like spells), Holo (Spice and Wolf; her fondness for new experiences), Avatar Korra (The Legend of Korra; her fiercely independent/rebellious attitude and formidable elemental might), Kraft Lawrence (Spice and Wolf; shrewd merchant skills)
Yep. She'er Falen was always one of my favorite character concepts. Every version of her I've ever made has been about optimizing her blasting capabilities as best I could.
Let me know if you guys think you can do it better! :)
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Cowrie, Calistrian temple guardian (CG female melixie sprite courier monk 6)
“We temple guardians don’t do ‘pin pricks.’ ”
Born to the mortal realm and ultimately abandoned by aloof fey parents visiting the Material Plane out of passing curiosity, Cowrie was eventually taken in by Calistria’s faithful, who saw the arrival of the wasp-like melixie as a good omen. In her youth, Cowrie served as a courier between The Savored Sting’s many temples. After nearly a century of life, however, her service to Calistria as an adult evolved more into that of a stalwart temple guardian, protecting the sacred prostitutes at the House of Stolen Kisses in the city of Quent.
Tactics: You're a lot of hitting power in a diminutive package. Use that to surprise and best enemies that underestimate you.
If you can, keep your distance (between 30 and 50 feet), conceal yourself and snipe your enemies with your longbow. Begin your first turn with Hunt Prey, Monastic Archer Stance, and gravity weapon. Then, on your following turns, use One-Inch Punch to deal a whopping 4d8+10 damage!
If in close combat or enclosed environments, use your shortbow instead. Use dancing lights and ghost sound to distract and disorient foes, delaying their ability to easily pinpoint your sniping location. If facing particularly troublesome enemies, use your shining arrows and vine arrows to counter their abilities (such as invisibility or high mobility).
Any round in which you need to move, switch weapons, or take some other action, use Flurry of Blows to let off two arrows as a single action rather than the harder hitting One-Inch Punch. It doesn't hit as hard, but does slightly increase your chances of hitting at all.
Despite your diminutive size, you can make a wide variety of combat maneuvers effectively thanks to Titan Wrestler. Don't forget to take advantage as necessary (plus it looks cool to floor a big thug as a tiny sprite).
Outside of combat, you're a passable saboteur, sage, scout, spy, and thief. Your Tiny size and Quick Squeeze feat allow you to get in and out of places that just wouldn't be possible for others. Get creative and take advantage of opportunities to slip between large cracks and through key holes, crawl through narrow pipes, or hide in small animal burrows (particularly of animals you can communicate with).
Inspiration: Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye; Marvel's Avengers; trick arrows), Hope Van Dyne (aka Wasp; Marvel's Ant Man & the Wasp; general kick-assery), Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games; archery skills), Scott Lang (aka Ant-Man; Marvel's Ant Man & the Wasp; thieving abilities), Tinker Bell (Disney's Peter Pan; sass)
Progression Advice: Fortunately, one-inch punch progresses in power, so it never really gets old, though the effectiveness of its damage output might vary on some levels. Definitely invest in flight abilities like Energize Wings. Extending your range with feats like Advanced Hunter's Trick (Far Shot) can certainly help with the limitations imposed by Monastic Archery Stance whereas feats like Foil Senses, Terrain Stalker, and similar stealth feats can make you a better sniper and all around cloak and dagger agent. Look for monk feats and abilities that either increase your damage with your bows, or else expand your bow options (such as Stunning Fist perhaps). You can also take Monastic Weaponry to get 5-foot reach with a bow staff, and to be able to use a wider variety of weapons with your class abilities (such as Flurry of Blows, gravity weapon, and One-Inch Punch).
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It came to my attention that She'er Falen could do even MORE damage as an elemental (fire) bloodline sorcerer due to that bloodline's Blood Magic ability. Since she was always supposed to be about laying down the hurt, here is an alternate version of the character.
She'er Falen, Ifrit planar merchant (CG female ifrit human merchant sorcerer 13) - Fire bloodline alt
The original efreeti bloodline character file still exists within the Emporium, for those who prefer it.
The fire bloodline alt presented here sacrifices utility (cozy cabin, globe of invulnerability, invisibility, prying eye, and Safeguarded Spell, among other spells and abilities) in return for a wider variety of elemental blasting spells and additional damage. She does gain back some utility in her new staff of nature's vengeance and Counterspell abilities however.
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My goodness! Has it really been a whole month already? My how time flies when you're locked away in a box. ;)
Anna Chorser, Undead Commander for the Umbral Court (LE female versatile heritage human cultist oracle 13)
“Be it today or some distant tomorrow, everyone eventually falls under my command.”
In the entire history of Golarion, few conflicts have produced more carnage and collateral damage than Isger’s Goblinblood Wars. Isger’s warriors fought valiantly, but by the end, their villages and homesteads lay burned, the rivers and fields were choked with dead, scavengers (both human and animal) roamed the land, banditry ran unchecked, and a whole generation of war orphans faced a grim future.
It was into these desperate and merciless times that Anna was born. Anna was only five years old when her father took up a spear in defense of his homeland, never to return. Anna’s mother kept the homestead afloat for a while, but eventually, the goblin tide swept over their home as well. Anna’s mother was torn apart by goblin dogs while Anna hid whimpering under the floorboards. Hunger eventually drove her from her hiding place, and she fell in with the steady stream of refugees making their way south. When the refugees passed the town of Haugin’s Ear, they handed the waif over to Mother Comfort’s Orphanage, just outside the settlement. Her miserable life only spiraled further into despair after that.
Tactics: Due to your armor of bones and your numerous life draining powers capable of dealing damage and bestowing temporary hit points simultaneously, you're much tougher than you look. Nevertheless, keep your distance and use your allies and your minions to whittle down the opposition in a battle of attrition. Most of your spells cannot harm your minions, allowing you to use them as effective blockers while you bring down the hammer upon your enemies with area spells like enervation, final sacrifice, harm, vampiric exsanguination from relative safety.
Never enter a battlefield unawares. Always use scouts such as unwitting allies, summoned minions, and/or prying eye to know what you're getting into before you get into it, then make a strategic plan of action befitting a high level agent of the Umbral Court (your ability to summon a wide variety of undead gives you lots of options for tackling different scenarios if you research your options in advance).
You have reactions for nearly everything. Burn away the enemy's hit points when they attack you (blood vendetta) or when they heal each other (anathemic reprisal). Gain added endurance by feeding off of those who die around you (death's call). When you need to escape let the enemy think they've got the upper hand by playing dead (drop dead), then strip them of their foolish hope when you later attack them in their sleep.
When among company that does not take well to undead, conceal your identity by posing as a member of a good-aligned faith. Your cult background has trained you well in the ways of infiltration. Get what you need from the fools, then leave havoc in your wake.
Inspiration: Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables), Hela (Marvel comics), Mother Comfort and Poor Eledia (Undead Unleashed), the Night King (Game of Thrones)
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I've expanded upon Old Wooly's character background and have modified her equipment list slightly, making her a little better rounded and preparing her for entry into the Fists of the Ruby Phoenix adventure path. Since she's lower than the necessary level, you can just say she arrived in Tian Xia a year early. ;)
With some minor changes to her story, her chosen adventuring destination could be just about anywhere; whatever best fits your campaign.
To get her to 11th-level proper, I would recommend training in Acrobatics (the player's guide seems to indicate it would help) and taking the Numb to Death general feat. To account for her higher starting funds, simply make her +1 striking grievous handwraps of mighty blows into +2 striking grievous handwraps of mighty blows.
Hey there sir, do you have a build breakdown for Anna? I'm interested in putting something similar together under the Free archetype rules!
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After much demand, I have finally decided to throw together a
Now, with access to your very own template, you too can make amazing character stat blocks just like mine!
Enjoy! And please don't forget to attribute to the original creator! (That's me.)
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Hey there sir, do you have a build breakdown for Anna? I'm interested in putting something similar together under the Free archetype rules!Sure! Here's the link to the Pathbuilder build.I'm not quite sure how, but I may have altered the build at the link you provided - my sincere apologies, I thought I had saved off a copy.
How are you qualifying for Ritualist Dedication at level 4? The build only shows Deception at Expert, which doesn't meet the prerequisites.
Seems the app didn't flag the missing prerequisites for some reason. If you swap the Occultism and Deception increase, move Charming liar to 3rd-level, and drop Quick Disguise for Skill Training in Intimidation, the build works again.
I've already implemented this fix.
EDIT:
EDIT: Aah, I made an error in looking at Pathbuilder, so the build seems to be okay. Sorry! Back to adding Free Archetype rules to Anna ^-^
So what was the solution? I was still seeing the error on my end.
(Also, can people really change my cloud-saved characters with those links?)
Do you happen to have a list of your Emporium characters that's sorted by class (and maybe archetype)? I love your builds, but searching for inspiration on a specific class takes forever because many of the short descriptions behind the character's name don't really tell you which class this is.
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Do you happen to have a list of your Emporium characters that's sorted by class (and maybe archetype)? I love your builds, but searching for inspiration on a specific class takes forever because many of the short descriptions behind the character's name don't really tell you which class this is.
Whenever I make a new character, monster, or tool, I also upload it to my Patreon Account.
If you go over there, you can search and filter my Patreon Posts, since I tag all of the characters with their ancestry, level, class, alignment, background, subclass (such as sorcerer bloodline or wizard school), and any other high-level variables I can think of. Since I can't charge for Paizo content (per the Community Use agreement), all of my posts are open to the public. Payment is totally optional (and appreciated!).
EDIT: Here's an image showing where the filter tags are at.
(I don't think there are any Dedication tags though.)
I know that's absolutely not your fault but that filter is a mess. I scrolled through it 5 times and I still can't tell for sure whether ther's a bard hidden in there somewhere or not.
Incidentally, I totally think you should do more bards. :D
I totally think you should do more bards. :D
I agree, more bards!
We do have at least one bard. :)
Slun, musical virtuoso (NG female unbreakable goblin barkeep bard 3)
Slun is a simple barkeep with big dreams of bringing goblin cultural music into the Absalom mainstream. She doesn't do comedy (at least not deliberately); she honestly believes her scavenged kid costume is appropriate for a serious entertainer.
I've got some others on file that my friends made. I'll see if I can dig them up.
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Flipflops, Circus Performer (CG male fey-touched gnome clown bard 3)
“Wanna' hear a joke?”
Although Flipflops spent time in greasepaint and colorful clothing to amuse crowds, his skills with buffoonery and physical comedy are exceptional whether he is in costume or not. In the employ of Mistress Dusklight’s Celestial Menagerie, he spent too many routines distracting an audience from an ill-timed accident or evidence of abused animals or performers. He has had enough of that, and the Celestial Menagerie is not his home any longer.
He has since made his way to the Circus of Wayward Wonders near the small town of Abberton on the Isle of Erran, where he hopes to build a new future amongst like-minded performers.
As a gnome, Flipflops insists on going by his stage name (no one in the circus really knows him by any other name in any event) and often chooses to remain in his performance garb whether he is actively performing for others or not. He claims that seeing peoples’ reactions to his clown costume outside of expected settings helps to “make life just a little bit more interesting.”
I'm trying to recreate breadcrumbs at level one in the pathbuilder app and perhaps I'm doing something wrong but with the starting cash of 15GP he doesn't see to have enough to buy everything (this is even ignoring the poison which he can craft).
Breadcrumbs is a 2nd-level character, and thus had starting cash of 30gp, not 15. You can find the rules for characters starting at higher levels here. (All of my characters make use of the Lump Sum option unless otherwise noted.)
Phrasing!
I got tired of having to manually calculate the Learn A Spell costs for adding new spells to my wizard's spellbook(s). So I made a Spellbook Calculations spreadsheet for us all to use.
For example, say I'm working on a 10th-level wizard character and, in addition to the normal spells he gets for free, I wanted his spellbook to contain all of the common spells of 3rd-level and lower. Looking at the Cum Cost (common) column for 3rd-level spells, I can see that it would cost my wizard character 574 gp. If instead, I wanted him to know the common AND uncommon spells, I'd look at the next column over, which tells me it would cost 624 gp instead.
I hope this tool proves as useful to you as it has to me!
Just type "pass" into the password prompt if you wish to edit the sheet to better suit your needs. I only protected it to prevent accidents.
Revised to say "SumCost"
People are more childish than I originally gave them credit for, and I just want all the private messages about this to stop.
Qing “Floating Mountan” Dashan, Philosopher Martial Artist (LG male versatile human teacher monk 13)
“One can do anything, if taught the proper technique.”
Standing at a modest five and a half feet, what Qing lacks in imposing height, he makes up for in rotund girth. Despite his opulent physique, Qing is incredibly strong and agile. Through years of physical conditioning, he has managed to hide a great deal of dense muscle underneath his thin layer of fat.
Deceptively nimble and light on his feet, Qing long ago earned the epithet “Floating Mountain” for his logic-defying ability to make great leaps through the sky as though he were nearly lighter than air. Perhaps even more astounding is Qing’s total control over his musculature. He is not only able to flex any part of his body at will, but he can also distort his general shape well enough to fit into narrow spaces that would prove difficult even for thin people to squeeze through for short periods.
Tactics: As a monk you don't deal as much damage as your more martial-minded allies, but you do have several versatile support role options at your disposal. Therefore it is recommended that you use your great speed and great number of mobility options to be "Johny on the Spot" and position yourself where you are most needed each round.
If no one needs you to assist in a flank, to perform a combat maneuver--such as grapple or trip--to slow an enemy down, to deliver a much needed healing potion to a distant fallen ally (or to carry said ally out of harm's way), consider using simple hit and run tactics to Stride in, Flurry for two Strikes, then Stride out again ending your turn somewhere relatively safe (using your mobility options to navigate terrain in fun and unusual ways).
If necessary, your high AC (particularly with Crane Stance active) and decent Constitution can allow you to absorb a few blows, which can...
I love this character! So much so that I'm going to play something like it in an upcoming Extinction Curse game. To make things interesting, he's going to be an acrobat and tight rope walker.
Question: how would you build him if you had to start at level 1?
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Well, that lets me out. Don’t have an Android device. :-(
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Well, that lets me out. Don’t have an Android device. :-(
Pathbuilder is working on an online component which will make it readily usable to everyone. Can't wait until it's ready for cloud character access.
Yeah, I know. Waiting is... :-)
I can view that link in a web browser! :)How would you build him if you had to start at level one?
Works for me too, at least in Firefox.
And in Safari
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Cool!
If they've finally adapted it for more general use, I'll likely include Pathbuilder links along with all future character sheets.
It came to my attention that She'er Falen could do even MORE damage as an elemental (fire) bloodline sorcerer due to that bloodline's Blood Magic ability. Since she was always supposed to be about laying down the hurt, here is an alternate version of the character.
She'er Falen, Ifrit planar merchant (CG female ifrit human merchant sorcerer 13) - Fire bloodline alt
The original efreeti bloodline character file still exists within the Emporium, for those who prefer it.
The fire bloodline alt presented here sacrifices utility (cozy cabin, globe of invulnerability, invisibility, prying eye, and Safeguarded Spell, among other spells and abilities) in return for a wider variety of elemental blasting spells and additional damage. She does gain back some utility in her new staff of nature's vengeance and Counterspell abilities however.
This might not fit the character concept, but you would definitely do more damage with a Goblin Ifrit which takes 'Burn It!'.
This might not fit the character concept, but you would definitely do more damage with a Goblin Ifrit which takes 'Burn It!'.
It came to my attention that She'er Falen could do even MORE damage as an elemental (fire) bloodline sorcerer due to that bloodline's Blood Magic ability. Since she was always supposed to be about laying down the hurt, here is an alternate version of the character.
She'er Falen, Ifrit planar merchant (CG female ifrit human merchant sorcerer 13) - Fire bloodline alt
The original efreeti bloodline character file still exists within the Emporium, for those who prefer it.
The fire bloodline alt presented here sacrifices utility (cozy cabin, globe of invulnerability, invisibility, prying eye, and Safeguarded Spell, among other spells and abilities) in return for a wider variety of elemental blasting spells and additional damage. She does gain back some utility in her new staff of nature's vengeance and Counterspell abilities however.
Thanks for the advice! :)
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New link for Spellbook Calculations spreadsheet?
The old link should still function and take you to the newly revised sheet. Is it not working?
EDIT: Seems something broke it. That usually doesn't happen with updates.
Here is a new link: Spellbook Calculations Spreadsheet v2
It also includes tabs for other spellcasting traditions, should you want to calculate your witch spells as well.
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Lily Lyrandar, Finder of the Lost (LG female half-elf detective investigator 4)
“The trafficking of sentient beings is not only an injustice to the victim, but an injustice unto the families and friends of that victim as well. It is these sorts of injustices that I intend to correct.”
Lily Lyrandar is an extraordinarily successful private eye and detective living in Absalom. She is widely considered to be one of the best in the business and is well known for her keen sense of deduction and uncanny ability to find missing people.
Though she will take on other kinds of cases, Lily’s specialty lies in finding lost people. A survivor of trafficking, Lily spends most of her time tracking down and rescuing victims of trafficking. This personal crusade has earned her many bitter enemies, a testament to her success. She frequently uses a broad network of contacts (many of whom are people she has—or is working towards—rescuing) to gain access to secure areas, secure peoples’ trust, and get the information she needs—often without anyone ever being alerted to her inquiries and activities.
Tactics: As a strong "roleplaying" character, use your contacts and social skills (and skill feats) to discreetly find hidden information with which to aid the party progress the story quickly and efficiently. Be sure to talk to your GM in advance on how best to accomplish this.
Inspiration: Nancey Drew, Sherlock Holmes, Tom Welles (8MM)
Lily Lyrandar, Finder of the Lost (LG female half-elf detective investigator 4)
“The trafficking of sentient beings is not only an injustice to the victim, but an injustice unto the families and friends of that victim as well. It is these sorts of injustices that I intend to correct.”
Lily Lyrandar is an extraordinarily successful private eye and detective living in Absalom. She is widely considered to be one of the best in the business and is well known for her keen sense of deduction and uncanny ability to find missing people.
Though she will take on other kinds of cases, Lily’s specialty lies in finding lost people. A survivor of trafficking, Lily spends most of her time tracking down and rescuing victims of trafficking. This personal crusade has earned her many bitter enemies, a testament to her success. She frequently uses a broad network of contacts (many of whom are people she has—or is working towards—rescuing) to gain access to secure areas, secure peoples’ trust, and get the information she needs—often without anyone ever being alerted to her inquiries and activities.
Tactics: As a strong "roleplaying" character, use your contacts and social skills (and skill feats) to discreetly find hidden information with which to aid the party progress the story quickly and efficiently. Be sure to talk to your GM in advance on how best to accomplish this.
Inspiration: Nancey Drew, Sherlock Holmes, Tom Welles (8MM)
I really like this character! I'm getting some strong Jessica Jones vibes from her as well.
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I really like this character! I'm getting some strong Jessica Jones vibes from her as well.
Lily Lyrandar, Finder of the Lost (LG female half-elf detective investigator 4)
“The trafficking of sentient beings is not only an injustice to the victim, but an injustice unto the families and friends of that victim as well. It is these sorts of injustices that I intend to correct.”
Lily Lyrandar is an extraordinarily successful private eye and detective living in Absalom. She is widely considered to be one of the best in the business and is well known for her keen sense of deduction and uncanny ability to find missing people.
Though she will take on other kinds of cases, Lily’s specialty lies in finding lost people. A survivor of trafficking, Lily spends most of her time tracking down and rescuing victims of trafficking. This personal crusade has earned her many bitter enemies, a testament to her success. She frequently uses a broad network of contacts (many of whom are people she has—or is working towards—rescuing) to gain access to secure areas, secure peoples’ trust, and get the information she needs—often without anyone ever being alerted to her inquiries and activities.
Tactics: As a strong "roleplaying" character, use your contacts and social skills (and skill feats) to discreetly find hidden information with which to aid the party progress the story quickly and efficiently. Be sure to talk to your GM in advance on how best to accomplish this.
Inspiration: Nancey Drew, Sherlock Holmes, Tom Welles (8MM)
I knew there was something missing from the Inspiration line, but I just couldn't for the life of me remember what it was! That was it!
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I have updated Durin Wrang and Tonto Pollo from the Summoner playtest rules to the official Secrets of Magic rules.
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Straight out of Secrets of Magic, I give you...
Daren Mott, Martial Arts Magus (LG male versatile human martial disciple magus 4)
“Anyone can be a lawless bandit who bullies the innocent. What takes real strength is being the hero brave enough to stop them.”
Daren Mott is a skilled magus and retired adventurer widely known to combine the physicality and technique of a warrior with the ability to cast arcane magic. Always seeking to perfect the art of fusing spell and strike Daren’s hefty tome is testament to endless hours conducting arcane research, while his toned muscles testify to equal time training hard.
Daren was once an itinerant professor at the Magaambya Academy, where he taught his students how to defend themselves in a dangerous world (typically by personally pummeling them with swift strikes from his fiery staff). Despite his great skill, his time there was cut unexpectedly short after a scandalous affair involving an elven lass under his tutelage named Riva.
Despite the admonishments from their peers for their behavior, Daren and Riva were very much in love. Shortly after they left the Academy to travel the world, they came to expect a child, whom they named Allania, after Riva’s grandmother. Giddy with joy, they made plans to be wed. Fate did not favor the union, however; the baby was stillborn, and Daren abandoned his lover in his grief to live a life of isolation. Like Daren, Riva too was stricken with sorrow and could do little more than subsist for many years afterwards.
Old now, Daren spends most of his days simply sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of his humble abode in Nantambu when not training. There he smokes his pipe, daydreaming about what could have been while playfully yelling at the young neighbors’ kids that frequently trek across his front lawn, and generally just waits for the world—or death—to find its way to him.
Tactics: Daren has a number of interesting abilities that allow him to be quite versatile in his approach to dangerous encounters. He can easily kite enemies with his reach (Student of the Staff) and high speed (fleet step). Alternatively, he could deal nova damage with echoing weapon, flame wisp, Spellstrike with telekinetic projectile while in Arcane Cascade stance, and spinning staff. When going on the defensive, good mobility and long range cantrips ensure a great deal of staying power in most any situation save a small room. elemental zone, flame wisp, and produce flame allow him to lay on the hurt on all but fire resistant enemies without having to expend too many resources.
Inspiration: Nothing in particular.
Interesting character, and if memory serves there's a tie-in with other characters you've created in his story. But...itinerant? How so? He didn’t start traveling until after the scandal you mentioned.
Interesting character, and if memory serves there's a tie-in with other characters you've created in his story. But...itinerant? How so? He didn’t start traveling until after the scandal you mentioned.
It's not specified how. It was late and I was trying to get something written up so I could put it out. I might elaborate on those details later, but for now it was basically just "I didn't really see him being a full time professor type."
And yes, he's linked to several other characters in the gallery. Just a couple more characters and I'll have closed all the gaps. Here are some convenient links for those who are interested in reading more about those connections:
Allania Jensen - Daren's daughter (kidnapped, thought deceased)
Riva Sarjenka - Daren's former lover / Jensen's biological mother
Daren Mott - Riva's former lover / Jensen's biological father
Jaha - Foster father to Jensen
Tarka Firefang - Riva's adopted daughter
Janet* - Riva's assistant / Tarka's defacto "nanny"
Lily Lyrander* - One of the detectives responsible for rescuing Jensen from the cult
Dolgrin Tombguard - Jensen's former abuser / current stalker
Hm. Not really sure how these thing work IRL, much less in the Magayaamba. Does the latter have "adjunct" professors? Does it have the concept of tenure? I dunno.
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Here are some very interesting 11th-level adventurers made by some good friends for the Fists of the Ruby Phoenix adventure path:
Ocrox “Oczik” Uarzik, Mana Waste Mutant (N male dhampir fleshwarp barber fighter 11)
“I am neither living nor dead, nor am I undead. I am something far worse: I am in between. I am stuck.”
Having lived for more than an Age, Ocrox (more commonly known by his nickname Oczik) was born thousands of years ago as a Gebbite in the nation of Geb where he served in the military against Nex.
Several years into the war between the two nations, during a climatic engagement in which Geb and Nex personally took part, a magical calamity laid waste to large swaths of terrain. The specific cause of the event is now lost to time, but it was most certainly the result of the mixture of powerful magic being hurled between Geb and Nex. The magical holocaust wiped out Oczik’s unit, killing his father and two of his brothers. There are conflicting sources about who was at fault, but by day’s end most of the battlefield was covered in a gray mist and most of the inhabitants within its borders were dead or horrifically transformed. Entire cities shifted locations or were obliterated, terrain was raised or lowered, or transformed into glass or other materials. Oczik himself was buried alive under a landslide of magically infused black sand that slowly burned his flesh away.
When next he awoke, it was well into a new age. The weather and natural erosion had slowly washed the black sand away over the course of centuries, leaving Oczik’s corpse once again naked to the open sky. He found himself transformed. Instead of flesh, only bleach white bone remained. Though he could still feel himself, and retained all his mobility, senses, and ability to speak, he appeared as little more than an animated skeleton in armor that had long ago rotted away to worthlessness. Instead of eyes, glowing pools of malevolence flickered like small blue flames. Having grown up surrounded by necromancy and the undead, it was immediately apparent to him that something was horribly wrong. He was not merely a new member of the honored undead, but something far more monstrous. Something…in between…a horrible hybrid mutant caught between life and death, but not truly undead.
Tactics: Scare the life out of your enemies as you skewer them on sword and spike.
Inspiration: Skeletor...maybe?
Traxun Sharptooth, Hidden Valley Guardian (CG male forge dwarf bounty hunter druid 11)
“Experience has shown me that it is usually the young and foolish that seek the highest peak from which to fall.”
Many who know of Traxun Sharptooth only know him from the strange tales that surround him and his past. “He’s actually a three-horn who chooses to look like a dwarf,” come whispers from the bar corner, or “he was adopted by the huge beasts as a babe, and is now more thunder lizard than dwarf,” comes a joke from the bartender. In truth, Traxun started life as Aurun Silveranvil, hailing from the Realms of the Mammoth Lords. His family has spent many years at the forge, crafting ornate armor and deadly weapons with which to trade with the Kellid peoples. Their skill was such that they were often sought out by heroes of the land, such as the now forgotten warrior, Mammo Higgins, whom Aurun’s grandfather fought alongside against a frost giant incursion lead by Jarl Gnargorak. (“And a great honor it was!” he would later tell his grandchildren.) After driving the incursion back, the giants seemed to fade from view. Aurun, like many of the prouder Kellids in his generation, attributed this to the superiority of their way of life, bragging that giants can witness “smaller folk” defeating their kin in battle only so many times before they retreat for good. Some Mammoth Lords have already taken to calling the giants a folktale of the past, and so young Aurun scarcely believed his grandfather’s wild tales. Aurun was brave, foolhardy, and impetuous in his youth. His love for beer, battle, and—best of all—the hunt, was insatiable. To him the bigger the trophy the greater the renown—and the more women he could swoon into his bedchambers.
It was one such hunt that changed his fate forever, leading him to the hidden valley: a warm realm hidden far below the icy mountains of his home. He had unknowingly found his way into Deep Tolguth, a vault of Orv in the lowest levels of the Darklands. There he me developed an affinity for the local triceratops herd, and learned a new way of living from The Protectors, a strange group of powerful Orvian druids that dwelled in that strange realm.
Tactics: Transform into a triceratops. Rage. Charge.
Inspiration: "Journey to the Center of the Earth" I suspect.
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Claon Tonkinelm, War Machine Engineer (N male umber gnome tinker summoner 13)
“Please stay calm while my steam giant pacifies the ruffians that have infested your humble community.”
Claon is an adventurous umbral gnome that once possessed grand ambitions of knightly heroism. Frail musculature and the realities of war long ago disabused him of such romantic idealism, however. Now known by many titles and epithets great and small, the loquacious gnome excels at making himself out to be far more than he is. Standing at only a little over three feet tall, Claon has nevertheless built up a fearsome reputation in the lands of Numeria thanks to his bruising intellect, sharp tongue, and—most likely of all—his towering war machines.
Claon was trained from a young age in the construction and maintenance of magical and technological war machines as a member of the Technic League in Numeria. Having become obsessed with weapons of war long ago, Claon nevertheless thought the “modern” devices of the rest of the Inner Sea to be crude and ineffective compared to that which could be found within the ruins of Silver Mount. Claon made quite a living for most of his early adulthood developing weapons of war for the Technic League, then later, for the highest bidder. Over the years he strived to discover the secrets of the mysterious Gearsmen, studied the many devices within Silver Mount, attempted to perfect the League’s other weapons of war, and even invented a few of his own personal battle constructs—many of which were lost during the days of the League’s collapse.
Only the giant, lumbering, war machine called Lumberjack remains. A product of exquisite artistry and skill, this sentient war machine is undoubtedly his Magnum Opus.
Tactics: Against multiple weaker foes, make early use of Battle Cry and paralyze to make it easier for your eidolon to get into position to use eidolon's wrath. Mop up what's left with basic Strikes and cantrips, using shockwave to trip up any enemies that prove especially tenacious.
If fighting a singular superior foe, consider casting fire shield and mantle of the magma heart (heart of fire and warming flames) THEN use Meld with Eidolon, Manifest Eidolon, and Ostentatious Arrival. That way you can brutalize the enemy in melee as your eidolon while punishing them with 4d6 chip damage for every Strike they make against you.
Inspiration: The Iron Giant (animated film), Iron Man, Knights & Magic (anime), Labyrinth (live action film; specifically Sir Didymus and the goblin city's gate guard)
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I have updated Hama, the Wandering Witch, with new spells and item formulas from Secrets of Magic. She is now much more reliant on curses to harm others and to defend herself, lending more weight to her title as the "Master of Curses."
New Tactics: As a servant of evil, you readily curse anyone who displeases you, using your various feats and abilities to conceal your activities. For example, you can use Conceal Spell and Silent Spell to curse someone with cup of dust and/or feast of ashes so that they die slowly. Or you could discreetly cast inevitable disaster for a much faster meeting with the fates (and one that is difficult to trace back to you!). You could also cast bandit's doom on an innocuous item, such as a gold coin, give it to someone (whom you protect from the spell), then use subconscious suggestion to have them offer it to the true (unprotected) target of your ire (the latter spell is also a great way to get people to consume poisons that you never personally offered them). Between the layers of unwitting pawns and your anti-divination wards, the odds of the crime getting back to you are almost nil.
Ideally you would avoid combat altogether, using your myriad skills of disguise, deception, and diplomacy to keep a low profile, staying ever out of harms way. Should you be backed into a corner, however, stay behind your pawns and let them protect you. Should a threat get too close, blinding fury, blood vendetta, and/or your Blood Magic effect might make them think twice about continuing to press you. Ill omen and jealous hex might serve to turn the tide in your pawns' favor. If an opportunity presents itself, use Intimidating Glare to demoralize (or a debuff spell like horrific visage) then follow up with charm or dominate to further sow discord or turn the tide in your favor. Though turning allies against one another is difficult, even with magic, it doesn't take much to make an aggressor "go home and protect your family" or "go beat up that neighbor that you hate." (Everyone has one.) The latter might even serve you well later, if said neighbor takes them out of the equation for you, or perhaps your target will be too busy dealing with the fallout of "their" actions to seek legal damages against you.
If forced to escape, use spells like sanctuary or your hat of disguise to buy you some time, then get to a public place where you can easily disappear into the crowd or else dupe new unwitting victims into helping you. For example, you could scream for help from the city guard to protect you from "the terrible muggers" that happen to be chasing you. If things go really sideways, lay low if you can and use spells like modify memory (via Occult Evolution) to alter witness testimony, or even convince another that they are in fact guilty for the crimes you yourself committed! You can even use occult mental spells like aura of the unremarkable to commit overt crimes out in the open, though doing so should be a last resort, as there are always risks involved to such audacity.
Don't forget that you have an extra set of eyes and ears in the form of your cat familiar. Cats are everywhere. No one ever really looks twice at them. Rely on your familiar to case locations in advance and to keep you apprised of what's going on around you. For example, he might alert you from the nearby rooftops of the fact that the city guard are about to run around the corner to investigate the sounds of the fight you find yourself in, granting you enough time to better set the scene and play the victim, or to disappear entirely before they arrive.
Whatever you do, always try to work the current situation to your favor. New "friends" and favors can be as useful as money and personal power if one knows how to utilize them properly. You're never above extortion and other such socially reviled tactics to get what you want; it's amazing what people will do for you in the hopes that you might lift a terrible curse off of them or their loved ones! (And they might not even be aware that you're the one who put it there!) Such tactics work best at keeping your victims and their potential allies running in circles, especially if you remember to use different disguises around different people.
Above all else, never forget: There's always another town. By the time people start to catch on, you should be long gone.
Inspiration: Almost any skillfully manipulative villain. Notable personalities include: Cersei Lannister and Petyr Baelish (A Song of Ice and Fire), Darth Sideous/Palpatine (Star Wars), the "Evil Queen" (Snow White), Hannibal Lector (Hannibal [2013-2015 television series]), Light Yagami/Kira (Death Note), Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter), Tyler Durden (Fight Club), or Xanatos (Disney's Gargoyles).
^From "Arcane Prepared Spells" and getting the Wizard feat Conceal Spells onto a Sorcerer, I assume a Wizard dedication must be in there somewhere, but I can't find it in the PDF.