So I was trying to think of a cool idea for a fun fighter concept and this kinda wrote itself.
I started looking for a reach weapon with sweep for fun AoO and reach options. After looking hard at Fauchard I noticed bladed scarf. It is a TH reach weapon with disarm sweep and trip traits in the Flail group. I though this looks fun. As an uncommon martial weapon I might have issues with availability so I started looking at ways to get around that (Cultural/Feats) and noticed it is the favored weapon of Sivanah. Who's edicts include: show the beauty in illusions, pursue the nature of truth, respect the need for secrets. She is a N deity who accepts the full swath of related alignments. Her Anathemas are to use illusions and shadows to harm another creature, reveal a secret you have sworn to keep.
She has a minor Curse effect of: Your hair becomes a wild variety of colors, which cannot be altered with mundane or magical means, and it somehow grows out from under any cap, scarf, or other headwear intended to disguise it. You gain a –2 status penalty to Deception skill checks to Impersonate anyone else.
I also stumbled on the "rare" background Amnesatic and with this my character identity (or lack thereof) suddenly came together.
Cryptic Incognito or "Cync" to his friends is a tall 6'3" half elven man who looks between 18-24 (human years) with rather plain features except for his shockingly vibrant rainbow colored shoulder length hair that seems to shift colors and sometimes even move wile watching it.
Cync knows nothing of his past aside from his name and that he is a competent warrior specializing in the bladed scarf. His only other clue to his past is a well warn holy symbol of Sivanah that he has always worn. After some research he surmises that sometime in his past he did something to anger Sivanah (hence the hair) and now as he explores the world he trys to follow Sivanah's tenets so as to not further anger her and possibly regain her favor and regain his memories.
Here are my planned starting stats/skills
Name: Cryptic Incognito "Cync" Class: Fighter Ancestry: Human/Half elf
Str:18 Dex:10 Con:14 Int:14 Wis:14 Cha:10
Trained Skills: Arcana, Athletics, Crafting, Nature, Occultism, Religion
Languages: Common, Elvin, Dwarvin, Draconic (Note he has a qirk of taking on the accent of whomever he last spoke with for any decent length of time)
Feats: Elf Atavism(Cavern Elf), Sudden Charge, Shield Block
Equipment:
Chain Mail(get Full Plate ASAP)
Buckler
Bladed Scarf
Spiked Gauntlet
Regular Gauntlet
2 Hatchets
2 Light Hammers
Other basic equipment in particular a wooden or silver holy symbol of Sivanah
I plan to take Witch Dedication(Rune/Jerboa Familiar) and trick magic item at 2nd lvl for more fun mystery Train Stealth, Unconventional Weaponry-Bladed Scarf-(This might not be needed depending on the GM but gives credibility to having/using Bladed Scarf) if not needed might take Nimble elf early.
3rd: inc Crafting to Ex and take magical crafting
4th: Swipe(for fun reach and high hit shaniagins) and Specialty crafting Weapons or maby potions
5th: inc Str/Con/Wis/Int, Nimble Elf ancestry, Flail Fighter weapon Mastery, ex Athletics, train medicine
6th: Basic Witchcraft for enhanced familiar, Titan wrestler
7th: Fleet, Master Craft
8th: Basic Witch spellcasting, Impeccable crafter
9th: Elf Step, Master Athletics
10th: inc str/con/wis/int, Train Society, Combat Reflexes, Battle medicine
After 10th it depends.
So any fun suggestions to improve the character. I considered just being pure human versatile heritage and taking fleet at 1st lvl but I like the idea of Darkvision and being a half elf makes his age harder to pin down.
Fun note the Jerboa is tiny desert native Kangaroo like rodent and is super cute look it up it's crazy.
Note for Society Play(not that it matters much to me) you could easily switch out Amnesiac(just do it with roleplaying) for any other background and reduce wis to 12.
Note that James Jacobs, upon finding out that the released version of Bladed Scarf was more appropriate for a thug in plate mail than a sinuous dancer vowed (kinda) to get that fixed.
Also, with Will your lowest save, I'd keep Wis at 14 at least for Society Play. I'd expect a non-PFS GM also to turn down a Rare background request, though as Timeshadow noted, it shouldn't effect you RPing it that way, only from getting the mechanical benefits.
I'd expect characters (as well as players) to roll their eyes at the PC's name so you may want to cut it to "Cync" off the bat. I know I'd have NPCs asking questions, though I guess that's one method to learn something about them by seeing who's mocking your PC and who's pitying him.
Cync has a big weakness vs. flyers which should be addressed before mid-game. May want some leaping or climbing ability.
I think it's a fun concept. I'm sure by the time he needs it he could find a decent ranged weapon, Comp short bow or something should cover ranged and it's only slightly behind due to fighters being so good at hitting things. Worst case magic for flight covers it.
Note that James Jacobs, upon finding out that the released version of Bladed Scarf was more appropriate for a thug in plate mail than a sinuous dancer vowed (kinda) to get that fixed.
Weird that it isn't a finesse weapon, adding that trait and bumping it up to the Advanced category seems reasonable.
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Please note that you do not get to pick which stat your 'extra' background ability boost is applied to:
Rare
Your background is… well… honestly, you can’t remember! You might have inklings deep within your mind, undercurrents of unusual emotions or unexpected responses to certain people or situations, but ultimately you don’t know who you once were. You might be adventuring specifically to help discover yourself. It’s up to you and the GM how to handle the truth of your character’s backstory. You could leave it to the GM so it’s a secret, work together with the GM, or even choose to leave it undecided until later. In any case, you and your GM should determine a few noteworthy details about your character or their belongings to get the first clues to your past.
You gain three free ability boosts. You choose two, and the GM chooses the third based on their first inklings of your character’s possible history.
One of your 14's needs to be a 12, and your GM gets to pick which of your stats gets the final +2 boost (either one of the 10's, the 12, or the 14 you applied your ancestry boost to).
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I've approached the bladed scarf in a more traditional way, as a non-obvious weapon used by Varisian performers.
As stated in the Rise Of The Runelords Player's Guide: "Knowing their unkind reputation and that their seductive performances can sometimes bring out the worst in watchers, some Varisians craft rows of razor-sharp blades into their scarves. While one side is all color and sequins, the other hides a deadly weapon."
So I have two bladed scarf builds that I made (haven't used either yet), one is a bard and one is a monk.
Not sure how to link to another post, but the Bard version appears in this thread:
Build-Challenge: The occult caster "optimized" for melee!
On likely changes to the bladed scarf, my impression is that it will swap out Disarm for Finesse, and drop from d8 damage to d6. My builds are fine either way.
One of your 14's needs to be a 12, and your GM gets to pick which of your stats gets the final +2 boost (either one of the 10's, the 12, or the 14 you applied your ancestry boost to).Please note that you do not get to pick which stat your 'extra' background ability boost is applied to:
Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 50
Rare
Your background is… well… honestly, you can’t remember! You might have inklings deep within your mind, undercurrents of unusual emotions or unexpected responses to certain people or situations, but ultimately you don’t know who you once were. You might be adventuring specifically to help discover yourself. It’s up to you and the GM how to handle the truth of your character’s backstory. You could leave it to the GM so it’s a secret, work together with the GM, or even choose to leave it undecided until later. In any case, you and your GM should determine a few noteworthy details about your character or their belongings to get the first clues to your past.
You gain three free ability boosts. You choose two, and the GM chooses the third based on their first inklings of your character’s possible history.
I already mentioned that the Amnesiac background can be just roleplayed if there is any issue with it. If the GM was unwilling to just go along with the main idea considering the character is actually starting with a deific curse I don't see an issue with choosing my "extra" att. Having a lore a feat and a skill more isn't gonna hurt the character concept.