Scotley's 4e Swashbuckler

[Shayuri]

Tabitha sniffs the wine and sips it, keeping it in her mouth for a second before swallowing. She eyes Henre speculatively.

"So you studied in the city, moved to the country to manage your family's estates, and you're not altogether friendly with the clergy," she says. "I get the feeling life out here moves a little slowly for your tastes, though you don't miss the politics. You must not, since you haven't asked us much about what we want, or why we're here or what's going on back in court...and since no one new comes here very often, it's not likely the regulars know much that's up to date."

"Are you plying us, Henre? If so, just say whatever's on your mind. I don't think we'll be getting drunk and chatty any time soon."

 

[Leif]

Manous Artouche, Human (Protecting) Paladin 4

Manous listens to as much of the conversation in the room as he is able, and remains quiet himself for the most part. He can't resist tasting the excellent wine, but he consumes no more than the sparest amount so that his senses and reflexes will be in no wise impaired -- he is a little relaxed, but also knows that evil likes to strike at those times when it is least expected, and he can imagine few times when it would be expected less than right now. Manous hopes indeed that he is wrong and that he is able, during his bedtime prayers, to give thanks for a totally uneventful evening.

[sblock=Manous Artouche, character sheet]

Manous Artouche, Human (Protecting) Paladin 4, 25 pt. build

Str 16 +3
Dex 13 +1
Con 13 +1
Int 08  -2
Wis 14 +2
Cha 19 +4

Speed: 5

HP=46-37=9+11=20+11+11=42
Healing Surges per day: 12 (-3 used today)
Healing Surge Value: 11 

[u]Defenses[/u]
AC 23
Fort 16
Ref 16 [10+1/2L+1dex bonus+2shield bonus+1Paladin bonus]
Will 17

[u]Feats:[/u]
Alertness [Manous does not grant CA when surprised, and he receives +2 Perception]
Action Surge [Human bonus feat, +3 to attacks when Manous spends an AP]
Devoted Paladin [+1 healing surge, add cha bonus (+4) to lay on hands]
Virtuous Recovery [Gain resist all when spend a healing surge]

[u]Skills[/u]
Perception [+2(half level)+1(wis)+5(trained)+2(feat)=+10]
Diplomacy [+2(half level)+4(cha)+5(trained)=+11]
Acrobatics [+2(half level)+1(dex)+0(untrained)=+3]
Athletics [+2(half level)+3(str)+0(untrained)=+5]
Bluff [+2(half level)+4(cha)+0(untrained)=+6]
Endurance [+2(half level)+1(con)+0(untrained)=+3]
Heal [+2(half level)+2(wis)+0(untrained)=+4]
Stealth [+2(half level)+1(dex)+0(untrained)=+3]
Streetwise [+2(half level)+4(cha)+0(untrained)=+6]

[u]Paladin Class Features:[/u]
Channel Divinity: Divine Mettle - Encounter [add M's Cha bonus (+4) to an ally's Saving Throw]
Channel Divinity: Divine Strength - Encounter [add M's Str bonus (+3) as extra dam on next att. this turn]
Divine Challenge - At-Will [mark 1 target w/in burst 5]
Lay on Hands  - At-Will special - use # of times equal to Wis mod. = 2 [spend healing surge, for ally to heal ally's own surge value hp]

[u]At-Will Powers:[/u]
Bolstering Strike [Cha vs. AC] 1[W]+ cha mod and I gain +2 temp hp
Enfeebling Strike [Cha vs. AC] 1[W]+cha mod and if target is marked it takes -2 to att untl ENT
Ardent Strike [Cha vs. AC] [A target hit w/ this power is subject to Manous's Divine Sanction untl ENT,
which means that the target takes 3+4 radiant damage in each round that it makes an attack that
does not include Manous as a target.]

[u]Encounter Powers:[/u]

*Heroic Effort [Human Racial Power]
  Personal - No Action
  Trigger - Manous misses an attack or fails a saving throw
  Effect - Manous gains a +4 racial bonus to the attack or saving throw

Shielding Smite [cha vs. AC] [dam = 2[W]+cha mod and one ally w/in 5 gains +2AC untl ENT]
Righteous Smite [cha vs. AC, hit: 2[W]+cha mod plus Manous and all allies w/in 5 squares gain 9 temp hp]

[u]Daily Power:[/u]
*Radiant Delirium [3d8+4 + dazed untl ENT and -2 AC save ends][Miss-half dam+target dazed untl ENT]

[u]Utility Power:[/u]
Bless Weapon [minor action: until the end of the encounter,
the weapon blessed gains +1 on attack rolls, inflicts +1d6 radiant damage,
and crits on 18-20]

[u]Equipment/Magic[/u]
+1 Black Iron Plate Armor [L4] (+9 AC) [50gp+840gp] Property-Resist 5 fire/Resist 5 necrotic
Heavy Shield (+2 AC) [10gp]
+1 Frost War Hammer [L3] (1d10+1 dam., crit +1d6 dam, +2 att, versatile) Power: at-will, free action
change all dam inflicted by this weapon to cold dam. Power: daily, free action inflict an
extra +1d8 cold dam. and target is slowed until the end of my next turn.
Longsword (1d8 dam., +3 att., versatile) [15gp]
Longbow (1d10 dam., +2 att., range 20/40)[30gp]
Arrows [1gp] [29 arrows remaining]
+1 Holy Symbol of Battle [1,000gp] [L5] +1 att/dam., crit +1d8, Power (free) +1d10 damage when hit
Standard Aventurer's Kit [15gp]
Journeybread [50gp]

[sblock=Background
Manous is a "Barbarian Indian" type who was born in the recently discovered "America," but was
brought back to "France" as a very small boy (about 12/13?) by a sea captain as an oddity to be
widely displayed and poked and prodded by various folks. Then said waif was seen by a Duchess
and her heart went out to the poor lad, so she adopted him and had him trained/schooled by the
best Masters in the land, and given very much religious instruction in the 'accepted' faith.
Ultimately, young Manous became a Paladin, but he still looks very unusual, having been
copiously tattooed by his people and subjected to the body modifications of his tribe. I'm thinking
Manous's entire body is tattooed with geometric patterns and star charts, his earlobes have been
greatly pierced with objects of ever-increasing size during his early childhood, so he has great
flapping "rings" of flesh hanging from his ears. Manous Artouche also has a row of "earrings"
around his navel (navel rings?) (but he keeps that covered most of the time), and he also has a
"bone in his nose." (Not a real bone, but a ring of brass much like a bull.)


So Manous looks like a total freak, except when he is shrouded in his Paladin's armor, at which
time he is indistinguishable from any other knight of the realm, but he is always unswervingly
loyal to his benefactor the Duchess, and he is as faithful to his new religion as anyone in
"France." Now, the Duchess is on the outs with the mainstream of nobility in "France" because
she resisted the amorous intentions of the Prince, and he ruined her socially once he got over
the rejection. She may have even been exiled to "Scotland" or wherever, but Manous Artouche
was undergoing his tutelage at that time and had to stay behind in "France" with the Duchess's
cousin, Grand Duke Siegfried von Koln, who was (as it happens) the boy's Paladin Instructor. Now
Siegfried, once Manous was fully trained and set out on the proper path of Paladinhood, fell
victim to temptations of the flesh possibly brought about by arcane mind control, and he wound
up as an Anti-Paladin. [Built-in future BBEG!] His fall from Paladinhood finished off the Duchess's
family's fall from grace and they are all wanted/hunted/shot on sight, and their vast holdings
have mostly been confiscated by the throne. Manous Artouche does, arguably, still
have a valid, legal claim to at least a portion of the Duchess's family holdings, since he was
legally adopted by the Duchess before her downfall.
[/sblock]
[/sblock]

 

[stonegod]

Wilhelm keeps to the stout; he was never a man for wine.

 

[Rhun]

Lucien takes a sip of his wine, and waits to hear Henre's response to Tabitha's questioning.

 

[Scotley]

Tabitha sniffs the wine and sips it, keeping it in her mouth for a second before swallowing. She eyes Henre speculatively.

"So you studied in the city, moved to the country to manage your family's estates, and you're not altogether friendly with the clergy," she says. "I get the feeling life out here moves a little slowly for your tastes, though you don't miss the politics. You must not, since you haven't asked us much about what we want, or why we're here or what's going on back in court...and since no one new comes here very often, it's not likely the regulars know much that's up to date."

"Are you plying us, Henre? If so, just say whatever's on your mind. I don't think we'll be getting drunk and chatty any time soon."

He smiles at Tabitha obviously delighted. "My dear, it is true that I have little interest in the politics in the Capital. It was not my intent to 'ply' you, though I was trying to be hospitable. I realize who you must be for your exploits are known even here. I know I risk offending my guests, but since you have been blunt, I shall be blunt as well. I'm am not impressed with the policies of the current king, which I feel are guided by the hand of the Archmandress. And so I remain here in the shadow of greater events. I simply found you most interesting and chose to offer you dinner as a diversion from the usual crowd. I did not ask as to your business for I thought you might well be traveling in secret or at least doing something you would not wish to discuss over dinner. I can guess something of what you must be about given that the road you travel leads to the border where a civil war is currently taking place involving the machinations of a government we are ostensibly at peace with and yet who's interests rarely coincide with those of Franzia. Having divined this much, I saw no reason to pry further."

Some of the other guests are quite shocked and now very curious having been largely ignorant of what might be going on around them. You suspect that Henre selected the other guests more for their pleasant demeanor than for their perspicacity.

 

[Leif]

Manous Artouche, Human (Protecting) Paladin 4

Manous now speaks up and says, "My Lord Henre, surely such matters should not be discussed in a forum like this. Why, we don't want the others present to doubt our steadfast loyalty to our superiors! Perhaps it might be best to call an early end to the evenings festivities, lest over-generous draghts of wine and over-loose tongues conspire to work great and harmful mischief amongst those who are ordinarily of unquestionable loyalty, do you not agree?"

Manous is rapidly starting to look like a decidedly uncomfortable paladin. He loosens his cravat and mops his brow with a handkerchief. "Either those mussels were spicier than I anticipated and prepared to accept, or else this conversation is moving onto questionable ground. Maybe it was the mussels...."

 

[Shayuri]

Tabitha flaps a hand, dismissing Manous' concerns.

"It's all gossip. We follow this road because it's the road that leads where we're going. If anyone wants to make more of that than it is, let them."

She nods at Henre, with grudging respect.

"I misjudged you. My apologies. I'm a little grumpy when I haven't had enough sleep."

 

[Rhun]

Lucien merely chuckles, and raises his mug in toast of Henre. "Even such as us need to occasionally unwind with a fine meal and drink, and good companions. Thank you for your hospitality, Henre."

 

[Lou]

Ali

Ali finishes his meal and sits back in his seat watching the crowd and trying to see and hear what the priests are going on about.

 

[Scotley]

Ali finishes his meal and sits back in his seat watching the crowd and trying to see and hear what the priests are going on about.

OOC: Perception check?