Greetings!
Welcome to Creative Characters. This is where I indulge myself a bit and create an unusual character, based on a concept, idea, theme, feat or whatever else catches my fancy. These characters are NOT supposed to be optimized, but they ARE supposed to be INTERESTING. For the sake of reference, and consistency, all characters here are created with the Elite stat array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) and all hit points are rolled as averages (and rounded down). They are also written so that they can be used as either NPCs or PCs as the reader chooses, and are written with all special abilities typed out, so as to ensure a minimum amount of book-flipping throughout your game.
This is a recurring series, and you should be seeing installments of it each week. Should you wish to see a particular build or idea featured here, then please don’t hesitate to comment
This time around, I cook up Buiranar the Blind, a samurai/oracle, whose focus on physical destruction will set her free.
Buiranar the Blind (CR 5)
XP 1,600
Female elf oracle 2/samurai 4 (sword saint)
LE Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +6; Sense darkvision 60 ft., Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 19 (+7 armor, +2 deflection, +2 Dex)
hp 40 10 (class) (3d10+2d8+4 (favored class bonus, samurai))
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +6
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee +1 flaming katana +11 (2d6+9/18-2×20 plus 1d6 fire)
Oracle Spells Known (concentration +4)
1st (5/day)—bane (DC 13), lead blades, shield of faith (DC 13)
0—bleed (DC 12), detect magic, detect poison, resistance, virtue
Mystery: Metal
TACTICS
During combat: Before combat Buiranar takes time to cast lead blades and shield of faith on herself. Buiranar will face up to what she believes is the greatest threat, using Bluff to convince her opponent that she is blind and therefore an easy target. Once the opponent is within striking distance, she will issue her challenge, activate the flaming quality on her katana and use her Iaijutsu strike to maximum effect. (Should she hit, this should be a hit of (5d6 +13 points of damage). She will then continue to focus her attacks on that opponent, using Intimidate to demoralize him or her, while the battle rages. Once the first opponent is down, she will focus upon the next one. Once engaged, she only reluctantly backs down, and then only if she is sure that she’ll be able to return and finish the task. Due to this, she is careful to attempt to analyze her opponents first, before striking into combat.
Base Statistics Without time to cast spells before combat, her stats are:
AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17 (+7 armor, +2 Dex)
Speed 40 ft.
Melee +1 flaming katana +11 (1d8+9/18-2×20 plus 1d6 fire)
STATISTICS
Str 18 (15+1 level + 2 magic item), Dex 14 (12+2 race), Con 11 (13-2 race), Int 10 (8+2 race), Wis 10, Cha 14
Base Atk +5; CMB +2; CMD 19
Feats Armor Proficiency Light, Armor Proficiency Medium, Armor Proficiency Heavy, Improved Initiative, Martial Weapon Proficiency, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Focus (katana), Weapon Specialization (katana)
Skills Bluff +11, Diplomacy +11, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (nobility) +9
Languages Common, Elven
Combat Gear +1 flaming katana, belt of giant strength (+2) +1 breastplate, cloak of resistance (+1); Other Gear backpack, bedroll, blanket, campfire bead, explorer’s outfits (2x), small tent, trail rations (7 days), 3 potions of cure light wounds (1d8+1) Coin 393 gp, 1 sp, (these remaining coins can be spent at the GM or player’s discretion before the start of the game session).
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Air Grievances (Ex)
When Buiranar attempts to demoralize an opponent using Intimidate, she gains a +2 bonus on her check.
Brutal Slash (Ex)
If Buiranar threatens a critical hit with his iaijutsu strike, she adds a +2 bonus to the attack roll to confirm a critical hit.
Challenge (Ex)
Twice per day, Burianar can challenge a foe to combat. As a swift action, she chooses one target within sight to challenge. Her melee attacks deal extra damage when made against the target of her challenge. This extra damage is equal to the samurai’s level (i.e. +4).
Challenging a foe requires much of her concentration. She takes a –2 penalty to her Armor Class, except against attacks made by the target of her challenge.
The challenge remains in effect until the target is dead or unconscious, or until the combat ends. Each samurai’s challenge also includes another effect, as per her samurai order.
Clouded Vision
Buiranar cannot see anything beyond 30 feet, but she can see as if she had darkvision.
Elven Immunities
Buiranar is immune to magic sleep effects and gains a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
Iaijutsu Strike (Ex)
Buiranar can perform a lightning quick iaijutsu strike against the target of her challenge to inflict devastating wounds while drawing her sword. After she has challenged a foe but before she has attacked the target of her challenge, she may choose to use her iaijutsu strike as a full-round action, making an attack roll with her weapon as normal. In order to use this ability, her weapon must be sheathed at the start of her turn. If she successfully hits her opponent with an iaijutsu strike, her attack deals an additional +2d6 points of damage. Any extra damage as a result of a successful iaijutsu strike is not multiplied by a critical hit.
After making an iaijutsu strike, Buiranar takes a –4 penalty to her AC until her next turn, but her weapon is now drawn, and she may continue to fight normally. Regardless of whether she hits his opponent with the iaijutsu strike, she cannot use this ability on the same foe more than once per day.
Resolve (Ex)
Buiranar has a resolve that she can call upon to endure even the most devastating wounds and afflictions. She can use this ability twice per day. Whenever she defeats the target of her challenge, she regains one daily use of her resolve, up to her maximum number of uses per day. Defeating the target of her challenge usually involves reducing the target to 0 hit points or fewer, but the GM might rule that an enemy who surrenders or flees the battle is also defeated. She can use this resolve in a number of ways.
Determined: As a standard action, she can spend one use of her resolve to remove the fatigued, shaken, or sickened condition. If the condition has a duration longer than 1 hour or is permanent, this ability removes the condition for 1 hour, at which time the condition returns.
Resolute: Whenever Buiranar is required to make a Fortitude or Will save, she can spend one use of her resolve as an immediate action to roll twice and take the better result. She must decide to use this ability before she rolls the saving throw.
Unstoppable: When Buiranar is reduced to fewer than 0 hit points but not slain, she can spend one use of her resolve as an immediate action to instantly stabilize and remain conscious. She is staggered, but he does not fall unconscious and begin dying if she takes a standard action. She does fall unconscious if she takes additional damage from any source.
Weapon Expertise (Ex)
Buiranar has an unparalleled expertise with her chosen weapon, the katana. She can draw her katana as a free action as if she had the Quick Draw feat. In addition, whenever she threatens a critical hit with the selected weapon, she gains a +2 bonus on the confirmation roll. Finally, her samurai levels count as fighter levels and stack.
Mystery
Buiranar draws upon the divine mystery of Metal to grant her spells and powers. This mystery also grants her additional class skills and other special abilities. This mystery represents her devotion to destruction through the use of metal weapons, specifically her katana.
Order of Vengeance
Edicts: Buiranar must seek retaliation (legal or otherwise) for any unjustified harm to her person or property. She may not forgive even the slightest insult.
Challenge
Whenever Buiranar issues a challenge against a creature whose kind she has encountered in the past 24 hours, she gains a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls made against the target of her challenge.
Class Skill(s) Buiranar adds Knowledge (local) and Knowledge (nobility) to her list of class skills. Whenever she uses Diplomacy to gather information, she receives a +2 bonus on the check.
Dance of the Blades (Ex)
Buiranar’s base speed is increased by 10 feet.
HISTORY
Buiranar was once the wife of a samurai, but she suffered a tragedy when her village was attacked. She was forced to watch as her husband was butchered and her children killed before the attackers took burning pokers to her eyes. Then they left her, laughing at her despair, thinking nothing of it.
On that morning Buiranar swore vengeance. She sought out spirits to help her regain her sight, but none were able to restore it, though eventually, she came upon a mysterious cave, in which was said to live a devil. The devil offered her a bargain: Power, and the ability to strike back at those who hurt her family, the ability to perceive the world once more. And all it required was for her to indulge her destructive side. Without thinking, Buiranar accepted.
She now travels the land, a burning angel of vengeance, seeking to right all wrongs, any slight, and ever looking for the men who butchered her village. And once she finds them, she will show them, that she is no longer helpless.
