VE's Shackled City Campaign

[sblock=Grimmjack]Grimmjack Jaggerjaw
Hill Dwarf Rogue 1
LG Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +2 Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +5, Spot +5
Languages Common, Dwarven, Goblin, Orc
[d][/d]
AC 16 (+2 Dex, +4 armor), touch 12, flat-footed 14, +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the giant type
hp 10 (1 HD)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1, +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects
[d][/d]
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares) dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load
Melee dwarven waraxe +4 (1d10+4/x3), +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids
Full Attack dwarven waraxe +2 (1d10+4/x3) and shortsword +2 (1d6+2/19-20), +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids
Ranged thrown +2, +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids
Base Atk +0; Grp +4
Combat Gear alchemist's fire (flask)
[d][/d]
Abilities Str 18, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 10
SQ stability, stonecunning, trapfinding
Feats Martial Weapon Proficiency (dwarven waraxe), Two-Weapon Fighting
Skills Balance +4 [4 ranks], Climb +6 [4 ranks], Disable Device +6 [4 ranks], Hide +4 [4 ranks], Listen +5 [4 ranks], Move Silently +4 [4 ranks], Open Lock +6 [4 ranks], Search +6 [4 ranks], Spot +5 [4 ranks], Tumble +4 [4 ranks]
Possessions alchemist's fire, backpack, bedroll, chain shirt, crowbar, dwarven waraxe, grappling hook, hammer, hempen rope, short sword, thieves' tools, 33 silver coins
[d][/d][/sblock]
[sblock=Background]"You just call me Grimm. You don't need to worry about calling me by my full name until I'm dead and buried."

Grimmjack Jaggerjaw stands 4'1", 51 years of age, and 166 pounds, built thick as an ox. He's tough, tougher than most, and it shouldn't come as a surprise when you look at his family heritage. His father was an adventurer. His grandfather was an adventurer. His great grandfather was an adventurer. If Grimm is not ashamed of one thing, it's his ancestors. It might be unusual for a family to follow such an odd profession, but it's about the only way a dwarf can get by in this world with such a terrible name as Jaggerjaw. What dwarven lass would marry into that name if it didn't belong to the toughest hombre with the biggest, fullest, richest beard?

The Jaggerjaw clan is fairly wide spread. Grimm comes from a segment out of Redgorge. As the youngest son of the youngest son of his family tree, he has a lot to prove to earn his place. He's looking for work as a dungeon delver, one of the more dangerous adventuring professions. Trained by his grandmother, he's taken on a rather specific set of skills a bit different from his other siblings. To do the Jaggerjaw clan proud, Grimm's going to make his mark in the world as both a great fighter and a master lock-pick. To do his grandmother proud, he's also going to need to court a pure dwarven lady to boot, which certainly seems much more daunting to the poor grunt. Maybe with some wealth in his pocket, he can seem a little more interesting.

Grimmjack Jaggerjaw has a personal grudge with all six of his older brothers and sisters. As the last son born, he received his father's oldest and simplest axe. Where his brothers received family heirlooms and magically enchanted doodads of amazing astonishment, Grimm got an ax "good nuff fer hackin kobolds". His sisters received chests of gold and rare jewels to spend as they like, but poor Grimm got stuck with one simple shortsword. At the very least his grandmother tried to teach him how to fight with it properly, but he never really moved past "hittin things so it goes dead." Grimm might be clever in a couple ways, but he's pathetic when it comes to subtlety. That's one of the many reasons he's terrible with the ladies too.[/sblock]

[sblock=Abilities]Skills (Ex): Dwarves recieve a +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items and a +2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal.

Stability (Ex): A dwarf gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).

Stonecunning (Ex): This ability grants a dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings, and the like. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.

Trapfinding (Ex): Rogues (and only rogues) can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

Rogues (and only rogues) can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.

A rogue who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with her party) without disarming it.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency (Ex): Rogues are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. Rogues are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Weapon Familiarity (Ex): Dwarves may treat dwarven waraxes and dwarven urgroshes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.[/sblock]

[sblock=Equipment]Equipment and Encumbrance
alchemist's fire (flask) (20 gp/1 lb.)
backpack (2 gp/2 lb.)
bedroll (0.1 gp/5 lb.)
chain shirt (100 gp/25 lb.)
crowbar (2 gp/5 lb.)
dwarven waraxe (30 gp/8 lb.)
grappling hook (1 gp/4 lb.)
hammer (0.5 gp/2 lb.)
hempen rope (50 ft.) (1 gp/10 lb.)
short sword (10 gp/2 lb.)
thieves' tools (30 gp/1 lb.)

33 silver coins (1 lb.)
gate tax paid (0.1 gp)

66 lb. (light load)[/sblock]

I want to link my Psion's background with someone... and I don't care who. It'll help me settle my character concept.

Ok, I can't pass this up

VE, would a Favored Soul from Complete Divine be acceptable?

Okay, here's my first attempt at a warblade...

[sblock=Ariel]Ariel Tanara
Human Warblade 1
LG Medium humanoid (human)
Deity: Heironious
Init +2 Senses Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common, Dwarven, Draconic, Elf
[d][/d]
AC 18 (+2 Dex, +4 armor, +2 White Raven Defense*), touch 12, flat-footed 14
* When in White Raven Stance and wielding White Raven weapon (greatsword is a White Raven weapon)
hp 13 (1 HD)
Fort +3, Ref +3 (+2 when flat-footed) Will +3 (+5 vs fear; all Will saves reduced to +1 when not in Boltering Voice stance)
[d][/d]
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee greatsword +6 (2d6+6/19-20/x2)
Melee dagger +5 (1d4+4/19-20/x2)
Ranged thrown dagger +3 (1d4+4/19-20/x2)
Base Atk +1; Grp +4
[d][/d]
Abilities Str 18, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 14
Feats White Raven Defense, Weapon Focus (greatsword)
Skills Balance +4 [4 ranks, -2 ACP], Concentration +5 [4 ranks], Diplomacy +6 [4 ranks], Intimidate +6 [4 ranks], Knowledge (local) +7 [4 ranks], Knowledge (history) +7 [4 ranks], Martial Lore +7 [4 ranks], Tumble +4 [4 ranks, -2 ACP]
Stances Bolstering Voice
Manuevers Lead the Attack, Steel Wind, Stone Bones
Possessions
greatsword, chain shirt, dagger, clothes, traveling gear
[d][/d][/sblock]

[sblock=Background]
The eighth child, and fourth daughter, of Lord Tanara of Sasserine, Ariel had brothers ahead of her to learn to govern the district and lead the family armsmen. And she had sisters ahead of her to perpetuate the grand dance of alliances that helped keep Sasserine together. Which left her raised in a tradition of service, and far more free than most to choose the form that service took.

She often played at swords -- and won -- with her brothers, but had not truly thought she could have a career in arms of her own. And she wanted to be a hero, both because there was evil out there that needed to be faced, and because if she did not make something of herself, no one would ever remember the name of the eighth child of a rather major Sasserine nobleman.

But when Dame Winter Iren of the White Raven Knights had come to her father's court when she was fourteen, and Ariel learned of what Dame Iren had done and befriended the knight, Ariel knew what she wanted to be.

She left Sasserine when Dame Iren did, as her apprentice in the arts of the Whtie Raven. And it was quickly apperent to her teacher that Ariel was a warrior born; strong, quick of arm and of study, and a natural with the two-handed blade favored of her discipline. The last five years have flown by, and now Ariel is very nearly a full-fledged martial adept, ready to prove herself a hero.
[/sblock]

[sblock=description]
Age: 19
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 135 lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Blue
Skin: Fair

Tall, fair, slender, raven-haired, and blue-eyed, Ariel can cut a striking figure. Not a classic beauty -- she was too tall and athletic for that -- but striking nonetheless. Grace, power, and elegance were there for anyone to see.

She wears a cloak over a chain shirt and leggings in the field, with her greatsword strapped to her back. The only signs of her high birth are the high quality of the few belongings she carries with her, and the signet ring she wears.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Abilities]
feats Humans recieve one bonus feat.
skills Humans recieve 4 bonus skill points at first level, and one bonus skill point at each level afterwards.

Battle Clarity (ex) As long as you are not flat-footed, you gan an insight bonus equal to your Int bonus (max warblade level) on Ref saves
weapon aptitude (ex) Treat fighter level as fighter level + (warblade level - 2 if warblade level >2) for purposes of qualifying for fighter feats; adjust weapon-specific feats with 1 hour training/feat.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Equipment]Equipment and Encumbrance
50gp greatsword 8 lb
100gp chain shirt 25 lb
2gp dagger 1 lb
5gp signet ring
free explorer's outfit 8 lb
2 gp backpack 2 lb.
0.1 gp bedroll 5 lb.
1 gp hempen rope (50 ft.) 10 lb.
.02 gp whetstone 1 lb
1 gp waterskin 4 lb
1 gp flint & steel -
12 gp lantern, bullseye 3 lb
.5 gp oil, 5 flasks 5 lb
2.5 gp rations, 5 days 5 lb
10 gp tent 20 lb
.8 gp signal whistle -

14 gp 8 cp ; 72 lb

Carrying Capacity
Light load: 100 lb Medium load: 200 lb Heavy load: 300 lb
[/sblock]

[sblock=Default Tactics]
Ariel will try to use diplomacy or intimidate to avoid combat if practical.

If that's not possible, she'll enter melee immedialy upon violence breaking out. She's always in Bolstering Voice stance (as she doesn't know any other stances right now). If hit with a powerful attack, she'll respond by using the Stone Hands manuever. If facing two or more adjacent enemies, she'll use the Steel Wind manuever. And if other party members are side by side with her facing the same opponent, she'll use the Leading the Attack manuever.

Her basic philosophy is that she's trying to break the morale of the enemy commander, and is quite willing to try what others might see as reckless to accomplish this.
[/sblock]

[sblock=NPCs]
Lord Tanara LG Human aristocrat; Ariel's father, and an important man in Sasserine; although wealthy and powerful, the Tanara line has only held a formal title since Lord Tanara's father's time, and the title is not recognized by many outside of the city; ~60 years old

Hantra Tanara LN Human psion [telepath]. The youngest of Ariel's elder siblings, she's closer to Ariel than most of their other brothers and sisters. ~21 years old

Dame Winter Iren NG Human warblade; Ariel's mentor, a White Raven practitioner, with a bit of a reputation as a local hero
[/sblock]

[sblock=advancement]
She'll mostly develop her manuevers and stances in the White Raven discipline, with a small amount of branching out into Iron Heart and Stone Dragon
The plan is to spend her general feats mostly on improving her greatsword technique:
level 6 -> weapon specialization; level 9->melee weapon mastery [ph2]; level 12->greater weapon focus (greatsword); level 15->Slashing Fury [ph2]; level 18->greater weapon specialization (greatsword)
Meanwhile, she'll spend her warblade feats as circumstances indicate, though Blade Meditation (White Raven) seems near-certain at level 5.
[/sblock]

[sblock=story]
Ariel still remembered the first job Dame Iren had taken after acquiring Ariel as her new apprentice. And the months of training the older woman had put her through before she'd even considered taking an offer. How to hold the two-handed blade White Ravens favored, and stand confidently, had been the first lesson. It seemed like Dame Iren had just begun teaching her to block and strike when the offer had come.

"Is the gold insufficient for you?" A more cynical member of the town's council had asked, when he learned that Dame Iren had not set out immediately to face down the demon that had terrorized the town.

"No amount would be." She said. "You sent for a White Raven Knight. You knew the conditions of gaining the services of one. I can give your town a leader and skilled warrior to follow, but no true White Raven fights alone. You promised that you were willing to fight, not just hire a mercenary to fight your battles for you."

"It was the only way you would come." He replied.

"And those conditions are there for a reason. Shall I face your terror with none but an unblooded apprentice at my side? Is the word of your council meaningless? I have no love for any creature of darkness, but if I must shame every man and woman in this town until I find half a dozen with some courage, I will."

And Ariel had felt a dozen eyes staring straight at her. Even at fourteen, she'd been a hand taller than her mentor -- and Dame Iren was taller than most human women, if not by much -- but she knew how young she must have looked, blade on her back or no.

And somehow, a few hours later, she found herself putting five townsfolk through the paces of some of the same exercises she had been studying. Not all of them. Two-handed swordwork was no task to be learned in a day; there were other weapons much easier to become proficient in. And the four men and one woman -- none less than four years her senior -- were not training as White Raven Knights; they had no need to project the same aura of authority that Dame Iren did.

And the next day, they had found the creature that had terrorized their village so. Dame Iren had called the charge, and they -- and Ariel -- had followed. And at her direction, the creature had been destroyed. Some of them had been injured seriously, though Ariel had not.

"I spoke with Jon." The councilman had said, afterward. "You harmed the monster more than all of those you brought with you combined. Your apprentice was a more effective warrior than our people. What did you need them for?"

"Because I will not always be here, and that was hardly the only evil that lurks in this region. I needed to show that you could fight your own battles." She had said.

"It doesn't hurt," Dame Iren had said after riding away, "That with five locals as witnesses they could hardly stiff our pay. Or to get you a little bit of practice teaching. Or even that -- unless I missed my guess about that young woman -- that there will be one more song sung by bards about Dame Winter Iren, and this one will feature her young raven-haired apprentice as well."
[/sblock]

Ariel plot hooks

s@squ@tch/Delkat Krotan (human cleric) - It's quite possible that Dame Iren has had cause to work with Cauldron's temple of Pelor in the past; Ariel would have been assisting her

Creamsteak/Grimmjack (dwarf rogue) - Maybe Grimmjack (or one of his family) has worked with/for Lord Tanara before? Ariel's likely to feel some kinship with the youngest of a big family, out to make a name for her/himself.

Shayuri/Thorn (tiefling wizard [conjurer]) - If the school in Cauldron trains psions as well as wizards, perhaps Hantra was a student there. Ariel may well have met her when she was visitng family.

ethandrew/Hedowann (gnome wizard [illusionist]) - probably the same as Thorn

EvolutionKB/Simon (human factotum) - it looks like Simon could have run into Ariel just about anywhere

Are yo taking concepts or just need some more players?

Eladra
Female jaebra warlock 1
CG Medium fey
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan
[d][/d]
AC 18 (+3 Dex, +4 armor, +1 luck), touch 14, flat-footed 15
hp 8 (1 HD)
Immune enchantment
Resist feign enchantment
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3
[d][/d]
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Ranged eldritch blast +3 touch (1d6) or
Melee sickle +0 (1d6) or
Melee bite +0 (1d3 plus will sapper)
Base Atk +0; Grp +0
Invocations (CL 1):
- Least: voice of madness (DC 18, 1 round)
Spell-like Abilities (CL 1):
- 1/d: dancing lights, prestidigitation, unseen servant
[d][/d]
Abilities Str 11, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 20
Feats Night Haunt
SQ enhanced enchantment
Skills Appraise +4, Bluff +10, Diplomacy +8, Intimidate +8, Spellcraft +3 (+7 enchantment), Sense Motive +4, Use Magic Device +9
Possessions chain shirt, sickle; bell, 4 belt pouches, 10 pcs. chalk, 10 candles, flint and steel, mirror; 37gp, 8sp; 29.5 lbs, light load
[d][/d]
Enhanced Enchantment (Ex) Eladra adds +1 to the DCs of enchantment effects.
Feign Enchantment (Su) Eladra can pretend to be affected by enchantment effects, fooling even detect magic and other magical means. Only a Sense Motive check opposed by her Bluff can discern the Eladra is not affected.
Will Sapper (Ex) Any creature bitten must succeed in a DC 12 Will save or take a -4 penalty on Will saves for 1 minute. Multiple bites do not stack.

Appearance
Eladra is a pale, short waif, barely five foot tall. Her hair is darker than night that shines like the stars, her eyes overly large and willed with the color of the palest sky blue. Most unusual are her large, needle-like teeth, which she rarely hides. Eladra is known to wear the whitest of slips to cover her little form.

Background
Jaebra are known as the jesters of the fey---flighty, enamored of life and themselves. But such is not Eladra. She is touched. Some say she might be 'blessed' directly by the Court of Stars, perhaps even by Morwel herself. In any case, she seems always distracted, as if hearing and seeing things that are not there. Her power is ethereal, her knowledge otherworldly---but whatever the source, it is true.

Eladra appeared in Cauldron a few months ago, about the time the disappearances began. She was seen at the Bluecrater Academy, debating planar philosophy and at Penryn's Creations looking over clockwork music boxes. A week she spent lost in Tygot’s Old Things, whispering over old documents, and in front of the Church of Wee Jas she danced for hours. Of her past before entering Cauldron, she has not told or cannot recall. She only speaks of waiting... but for what, even she does not know.[sblock=Advancement]Level 1 -> Warlock 1 HP: 8 (1d6+2) SP: 16 (2x4+2x4)
BAB: +0; Saves: Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +2
Skills: Appraise +2 racial, Bluff +3 +2 Racial, Diplomacy +3cc +2 Racial, Intimidate +3, Sense Motive +3, Spellcraft +1, Use Magic Device +3
Abilities: Str 13 - 2 racial, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 18 + 2 racial
Feats: Night Haunt (CArc: dancing lights, prestidigitation, unseen servant as spell-like abilities)
Invocations: eldritch blast +1d6, voice of madness (lesser confusion for 1 r + 1/2 lvls)[/sblock]

Do you need any more players - there seem to be a lot of people here already? A human hexblade - multi-ing later into swashbuckler sound ok? (not evil, of course)

drothgery, I'm thinking that my character could be your older sister. Is that cool with you? I'm getting a picture of a noble psion that I think would account for some of the more developed social skills.

Insight said:

drothgery, I'm thinking that my character could be your older sister. Is that cool with you? I'm getting a picture of a noble psion that I think would account for some of the more developed social skills.

Click to expand...

That'd work, I think. Are you thinking the third sister, with a station in life much like Ariel's, or one of the elder two, quite likely with a husband and children of her own among the nobility?

drothgery said:

That'd work, I think. Are you thinking the third sister, with a station in life much like Ariel's, or one of the elder two, quite likely with a husband and children of her own among the nobility?

Click to expand...

One closer to your age, forgotten for the most part, no good in marrying off to anyone. We'd have some kinship, having been left to our own devices most of the time. Your character tended towards violence (you can come up with the reasons for that on your own!), while mine tended towards introspection, but eventually came out of her shell and now makes use of her beauty and social skills to get what she wants.