Higher Level Psionics PbP (Demon with a Glass Hand)

I had a spare handful of minutes so I wrote a brief story to give a feel for how I envisioned him, also I stated him up (mostly) to give you an idea of what I am thinking. It also gives me a feel for what the character is to stat him up

[sblock=Story]Chenet was in fact a little surprised to see his client at the appointed meeting spot. Working with new people in the wastes was always a gamble, but he had a good sense about people, and the hulking figure, wrapped in cloth had struck him as honest, a rarity in the desert. Besides, he had paid half in advance, paying far more than what he asked. Still the desert is a dangerous place, no matter what the intention of his client, the wastes quite often drank nomad’s final water, making dealing with them a risky proposition.

The trader talked to his security chief and he went to one of the pack animals retrieving a bundle. He and a handful of guards made their way to the large stone sometimes called The Finger of Grinth-Shal by those who knew it, where the nomad took shelter from the sun. Chenet had no idea who or what Grinth-Shal was, but if the large rounded rock was his finger, he would have had a hard time manipulating anything with stubs like that. Still it was large enough that it provided shade, so in that regard he mentally thanked whatever Grinth-Shal was or had been for holding his finger up to the sun.

Arriving in the shade, Chenet dismounted, as did his guards and he approached his client. The man was a towering figure, almost eight feet tall, wrapped in gauzy cloth to protect from the searing sun. His features were obscured. In practiced motions, he unwrapped his head as Chenet approached, revealing the bald gray skinned head of a Goliath. His blue glittering eyes seemed to smile, even if his face did not.

Chenet held his open hands wide, demonstrating he carried no weapons. A traditional nomad greeting, “It is good to see you well.”

The Goliath held his hand to his for, bowing his head forward. A gesture Chenet did not recognize, marking him as someone not born a nomad. His deep voice intoned his own greeting. “I am happy to see you as well, trader. Apparently you reputation for honesty is well deserved.”

Chenet smiled at the compliment, “Honesty has nothing to do with it, I assure you. I am but a greedy trader and you pay well.”

“Were you able to get what I asked for?” The Goliath asked,

“I was indeed.” Chenet produced his bundle handing it to the nomad, “As you know, traders such as myself are not permitted within cities, but deal with intermediaries, I was able to hire one of them to speak with a scholar inside the city. He returned this information.”

He unwrapped the bundle carefully, looking through the pages of information, “Yes, this was even more than I had hoped for.” He continued to look through the pages for a moment and then he rewrapped them. “You have more than earned your payment trader.” He went to the pack, placing the bundle of pages inside and pulling out an urn made of precious green stone, an exact match for the other urn that the Goliath had given him to secure his service.

Chenet smiled as he took the urn, “Then our business is concluded, to the satisfaction of both. May the God-Kings smile at our transaction.” he intoned formally, handing the urn to one of the guards, “With that out of the way, perhaps you will share my water.”

The goliath did the strange hand to forehead gesture again, “You honor me.”

Chenet produced a bowl and poured water from a skin, “As you may have heard, my parent’s chose to honor me with the name Chenet, though they chose not bless me with a family name.” A lack of a family name marked him a bastard or an exile, neither of which held the same stigma in the wastes as it did in the cities.

“My name is Thalnil Agathuma, Far Strider.” He responded politely. An exchange of names was the first step in a solidifying a business relationship.

Chenet drank from the bowl and then offered it to the Goliath, showing it was not poisoned, “It is unusual to see one of your kind so far from your mountain home.”

“I suppose that is true, my people do not usually care for the deep desert.” he drank from the bowl, accepting the hospitality, “My quest, however, brings me here.”

“Ah, this is the Talariic Codex that you are looking for. If you do not mind my asking, what is this book?”

“It is no secret, I suppose, though some look upon it with suspicion. In the time of the Old Gods it was a book that described how to achieve an enlightened state through the pursuit of martial skill. Some few still pursue this state, I am one.”

“The problem is that my understanding of the writing are incomplete. I have searched high and low for someone further down the path of enlightenment than I, but I have failed. My original teacher believes the only way to achieve the next level of enlightenment is to find the original text.”

“So you search for enlightenment in the ruins of the Old Gods? Surely there are safer philosophies.”

Thalnil chuckled, “I imagine there are, but my feet walk this path.”

“If you would like, I could see if it was possible to gather more information on this text in the other cities on my stops. Though, you understand that this information could be blasphemous.”

“The Talariic Codex is not a text of magic, divine or otherwise. It is a way of understanding the world and oneself. It does not bear what the Ur Priest would call the taint of the Old Gods, but I understand that delving into history could draw unwanted attention. I would not place you in danger.”

“Doing what I do, friend, I know how to be discrete when necessary. I would be happy to gather what information I can for you. Of course something to cover my expenses would be expected and times being what they are, payment in advance would be very motivating.”

“Of course. I do not have anything as extraordinary as the urns, but perhaps now that we can trust each other a lesser payment might do?”

“I will admit that they will fetch a handsome price and as you say that the trust between us is greater, the price may be less. Perhaps if you show me what you are willing to part with.”

A bit of haggling later, Chenet smiled, in possession of a set of ancient ivory carvings, “You have quite a collection my friend. I will be back this way in two fortnights.”

“I can not predict where this new information will take me, but hold on to the information you gather, I will find you when I can.”

Chenet bowed, “Of course my friend, of course, that could work to both our benefits. I had best hurry, before the caravan gets too far ahead, the drive master is terrible cruel to the animals if someone isn’t their to rein him in. It was a pleasure Thalnil, I believe we will meet again.”[/sblock]

[sblock=Stats]Thalnil Agathuma, Far Strider
Male Goliath
Ranger 1/Psychic Warrior 4/War Mind 8/LA 1
Alignment: Neutral Good

Str 30 (17 Base +4 Race +3 Level +6 Enhancement)
Dex 14 (12 Base -2 Race +4 Enhancement)
Con 20 (14 Base +2 Race +4 Enhancement)
Int 10 (10 Base)
Wis 16 (14 Base +2 Enhancement)
Cha 9 (9 Base)

Abilities
Goliath: +4 Str -2 Dex +2 Con
Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Powerful Build: Treated as large for most beneficial ways except for space and reach
Mountain Movement: Standing high jumps and long jumps are treated as running, can engage in accelerated climbing without penalty
Acclimated: Does not take acclimation penalties in the mountains
+2 Racial Bonus to Sense Motive
Favored Class: Ranger

Ranger:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).
Favored Enemy: Giants(Ex): Gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival and +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against Giants.
Bonus Feat: Track
Wild Empathy

Psychic Warrior:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Psychic warriors are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Bonus Feat (2)

War Mind:
Chain of Personal Superiority (Ex): Gain +4 Insight Bonus to Strength and Constitution for 1 minute 3/day. Activation is a free action.
Chain of Defensive Posture (Ex): Gain a +4 Insight Bonus to AC for 1 minute 3/day. Activation is a free action.
Enduring Body (Ex): Damage Reduction 2/-
Sweeping Strike (Ex): On each melee attack a war mind makes, he can choose squares he threatens that are adjacent to each other, and his attacks apply to creatures in those two squares equally. A war mind can use this ability on any attack, even an attack of opportunity or a cleave attempt.
A war mind cannot use this ability if he has moved more than 10 feet since the end of his last turn. If a war mind drops one or both of his foes with a sweeping strike, he can attempt a cleave normally; however, he makes only one cleave attempt per sweeping strike, even if he drops more than one foe.

HP: 1d8 +4d8 +8d10 + 78 (148)
AC 23 (10 + 10 Armor +2 Dex +1 Deflection) (+4 Shield +4 Insight)

Saves:
Fort +19 (12 Class +5 Con +2 Resistance)
Refl +13 (9 Class +2 Dex +2 Resistance)
Will +10 (3 Class +3 Wis +2 Feat +2 Resistance)

BAB: 12
Jovar: +28/+23/+18 (12 BAB + 10 Str + 5 Enhancement +1 Feat)
Damage: 3d6 + 20 (+15 Str +5 Enhancement) 15-20/x2

Languages Known: Common, Gol-Kaa

Feats:
1. Power Attack
1. Bonus: Track
2. Bonus: Cleave
3. Iron Will
3. Bonus: Improved Toughness
6. Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Jovar
9. Weapon Focus: Jovar
12. Improved Critical Jovar

Skills (24 Ranger, 8 Psychic Warrior, 16 War Mind):
Concentration +21 (16 Ranks +5 Con)
Hide +3 (4 Ranks +2 Dex -3 ACP)
Knowledge (History) +2 (2 Ranks)
Knowledge (Psionics) +8 (8 Ranks)
Listen +7 (4 Ranks + 3 Wis)
Move Silently +3 (4 Ranks + 2 Dex -3 ACP)
Sense Motive +5 (0 Ranks +3 Wis +2 Race)
Spot +7 (4 Ranks + 3 Wis)
Survival +7 (4 Ranks + 3 Wis)
Armor Check Penalty: 3


Equipment:
36,000 Belt of Giant Strength +6
16,000 Shirt of Health +4
16,000 Gloves of Dexterity +4
4,000 Periapt of Wisdom +2
14,500 Mithral Full Plate +2
53,500 Large Adamantine Jovar +5
2,500 Ring of Sustenance
2,000 Ring of Protection +1
4,000 Cloak of Resistance +2
1,500 1,500 unspent

Psionics:

Power Points: 58

Psychic Warrior: Level 4
Powers Known:
1. Chameleon
1. Force Screen
1. Thicken Skin
2. Hustle

War Mind
Powers Known: Level 8
1. Offensive Prescience
1. Offensive Precognition
2. Body Adjustment
3. Hostile Empathic Transfer
4. Psionic Freedom of Movement[/sblock]

Made several assumptions:
-Favored Class: Barbarian on Goliath replaced by favored class Ranger.
-the Jovar (from the Planar Handbook) was an acceptable weapon (it is a greatsword with a crit range from 18-20). The theory being, in a ruins he was exploring he came across the blade next to a fallen Celestial and taught himself how to use it
-Custom Item: Shirt of Health (as amulet of health, but Shirt) are acceptable. Shirts have an affinity for physical improvement, so Con should be acceptable there.
 
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Creamsteak said:
The impure prince seems fine but it obviously has to be tweaked for the setting as far as entry requirements and the language in certain abilities.

I have no idea what a totemist is, but I'm not particularly interested in adding too many base classes.

The totemist is a primitive that channels the souls of mythic and magical beasts and he uses some of their attributes (like the blink ability of a blink dog or a girallon's claws) in survival and combat.

I was planning on a daelkyr half-blood ranger/fighter/totemist/impure prince/soul stealer but if you don't like it, I have another concept.

My other concept would be an asherati cleric/walker in the wastes who serves as one of the last great defenders of the wastes. Think of something like the lone traveler in the sunrise/sunset series of pictures in the zip file you posted here.
 

Creamsteak said:
I'd be fine with that.

Ok with the go-ahead to pick up a martial stance, I'll officially throw my hat in the ring as a tank. My current plan is a pure fighter (that bit could potentially change to include some psychic warrior and slayer, but I doubt it) bodyguard type.

Since any kind of traveling outside of the cities is dangerous, I see him as a sword for hire who travels with caravans or whatever to help keep them safe. As an added bit of flavor, I'm guessing he will be an "anti-mage" type tank, with a certain amount of skepticism toward manifesters/casters. Assuming this concept is fine with you, I'll write up a more detailed backstory as well as working on the crunch parts.

Edit: I see you said that there isn't a lot of trade going on between cities. I'm thinking then that this guy was one of the few who took up the profession that required traveling the wastes. As a result his life was often threatened, both during travel, and by skeptical guards and inspectors at various cities. Finally he gave up the job seeing it as not worth all the trouble, which could potential be how he ends up with the group (he's out of work and the hired sword/guide role is pretty much the only thing he knows).
 
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Looking over things again, I think Monad fits my favored-soul's concept more than Set does. I was wanting something with the healing abilities with the Earth Domain, and while my character is not a champion of good or evil, I think Monad is perfectly fit for a nomadic person. I really do like how you have your divinity set up, certain classes gravitating toward different pantheons, which have such a diversity inherent among them.
 

Creamsteak said:
The only thing I would change is that an Avoral would not be from the outer planes, but rather from the campaign world. I guess this would imply a native outsider sub-type like an Aasimar or Tiefling. You would also be one a very few, not likely to see another of your own kind.

What if we treated Avoral as an acquired template? (Flavor only. Mechanically speaking still straight-up out of the SRD)

The concept I'm leaning toward (I need to more thoroughly read your posts and the background posts of the other players before I post more detail) is the Crazy Prophet of the Desert.

At a fairly young age he started having visions (again, flavor text unless you choose to use it) and wandered off into the desert. Living in the desert for decades listening to whispers of divine will has started warping his form toward that of an Angel, the main effects of which being a dramatically increased lifespan (Outsiders don't die of old age) and improved survivability in even the deepest desert (Outsiders don't need to eat or sleep)

At the start of the game he'd have been living as a hermit in the desert for [a long time] and would be drawn into current events by a vision foretelling the arrival of a visitor [potentially a PC] at his aerie.

From there, being slightly-to-moderately crazy, he would act in accordance with his "visions", trying to bring some to pass while preventing others.
 

Avalon® said:
The totemist is a primitive that channels the souls of mythic and magical beasts and he uses some of their attributes (like the blink ability of a blink dog or a girallon's claws) in survival and combat.

I was planning on a daelkyr half-blood ranger/fighter/totemist/impure prince/soul stealer but if you don't like it, I have another concept.

My other concept would be an asherati cleric/walker in the wastes who serves as one of the last great defenders of the wastes. Think of something like the lone traveler in the sunrise/sunset series of pictures in the zip file you posted here.

I don't think the totemist sounds like it fits very well. I'm also not remembering what an Asherati is.
 

Pyrex said:
What if we treated Avoral as an acquired template? (Flavor only. Mechanically speaking still straight-up out of the SRD)

The concept I'm leaning toward (I need to more thoroughly read your posts and the background posts of the other players before I post more detail) is the Crazy Prophet of the Desert.

At a fairly young age he started having visions (again, flavor text unless you choose to use it) and wandered off into the desert. Living in the desert for decades listening to whispers of divine will has started warping his form toward that of an Angel, the main effects of which being a dramatically increased lifespan (Outsiders don't die of old age) and improved survivability in even the deepest desert (Outsiders don't need to eat or sleep)

At the start of the game he'd have been living as a hermit in the desert for [a long time] and would be drawn into current events by a vision foretelling the arrival of a visitor [potentially a PC] at his aerie.

From there, being slightly-to-moderately crazy, he would act in accordance with his "visions", trying to bring some to pass while preventing others.

I can see that working.
 

Current Players/Characters
Shayuri - Shard, Human Sorcerer 5/Wild Mage 9
doghead - Troll-bara Ang, Half Celestial Human Soulknife 10

Completed Proposals *as far as I can tell
Insight - Human Monk 6/Psychic Warrior 2, Lucid Cenobite 6
Wrahn - Goliath Ranger 1/Psychic Warrior 4/War Mind 8

Current Proposed Characters
Bloodweaver1 - Soulknife/Illumine Soul
Avalon - Impure Prince/Asherati
Psion - Crystal Proselyte (or other option)
Nazhkandrias - Kenku Rogue/Assassin
Pyrex - Guardinal
Eathandrew - Favored Soul of Monad
Gabrion - Anti-mage Fighter, sword for hire

I know some of these are still works in progress and some people are still changing their minds. Just inform me as you make decisions. I kind of want to wait till I know a few more concepts before I pick any from the list.
 

Alright I've got a concept but the PrC is not on your list. I'm looking at a psychic chirurgeon from Hyperconscious as a psionic replacement for a cleric. A self sacrificing desert nomad who nurtures life in the waste land caring for those who he finds. Dwarf Psion 7/Psychic Chirurgeon 7. I need to read through your setting files a bit more to place him in the world better.

The other possibility I was considering was a similar nomadic concept of a quick light armored fighter/psychic warrior/dervish patterened loosely after Vampire Hunter D. A vigilante who moves into small outposts and settlements in the wastes to protect people from the predators that lurk beyond.
 

I'd like to throw my hat in as well, though I'll have to have to reread the thread to make sure I haven't missed anything. My proposal is a straight ardent, human. Viron grew up in the desert, soon though his people moved to the cities where the God-Kings called home. Viron saw the harshness the desert brought and the even crueler God-Kings. Viron then returned to the desert, and had forsaken the healing "miracles" the God-Kings performed. He wanders the lands trying to right wrongs and to heal those travelers that have risked their lives to travel in the unforgiving heat. A few of the chosen mantles would be: Life, Elements, guardian, natural world, time, conflict....final ones are unchosen, but definately life and elements.
 
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