Creative Characters – Khoh Tash – Leader of the Hunt

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 bring you Khoh Tash, the leader of the Hunt. He is a serious, and patient man, very much unlike Crondor, and possibly the only man who can bring Crondor back whenever he is in a rage. He’s deeply committed to the future of the Stalking Tiger Tribe, and while he is reluctant to leave his tribe behind, he understands the necessity of taking action and has sworn to follow Grig Barr wherever she goes.

Khoh Tash, Hunt Leader CR 5

XP 1,600
Male human hunter 6
LG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +5; Sense Perception +13

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +5 Dex)
hp 48 (8 (class) +5d8+6 (favored class bonus) + 12 (Con))
Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +4

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk longsword +8 (1d8+3/19-20)
Ranged +1 composite (+3) longbow +10 (2d6+4/19-20×3)
Hunter Spells Known (concentration +7)

2nd (3/day)—aspect of the bear, hold animal (DC 13), stone discus
1st (5/day)—abundant ammunition, gravity bow, lead blades, longshot, produce flame
0 (at will)—create water, detect poison, flare (DC 11), know direction, purify food and drink, spark (DC 11)

TACTICS

During Combat Khoh always attempts to shoot his target from a safe distance, while he sends in Mrawr to support Crondor in melee combat, using their shared feats of Ally Shield and Duck and Cover, to give them the maximum amount of survivability. Khoh prefers keeping animals alive (using hold animal) as he realizes that they’re not intelligent as such, but he shoots freely at anyone else, using his feats to the best of his abilities (often starting well outside the range of Crondor, much to Crondor’s dismay).

Unprepared If Khoh is not prepared for combat, see Unprepared Stats below.

STATISTICS

Str 16 (+3), Dex 20 (+5), Con 14 (+2), Int 10, Wis 13 (+1), Cha 8 (-1)
Base Atk +4 CMB +8; CMD 23
Feats Ally Shield, Armor Proficiency Light, Armor Proficiency Medium, Covering Fire, Duck and Cover, Far Shot, Martial Weapon Proficiency (all), Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency (all)
Skills Handle Animal +8, Heal +9, Knowledge (geography) +9, Knowledge (nature) +9, Stealth +14, Survival +10
Languages Common, Goblin
Gear belt of physical might (+2 Strength and Constitution), +1 chain coat, cloak of resilience (+1), +1 composite (+3) longbow, 100 arrows, bedroll, explorer’s outfits (2x), masterwork longsword, small tent, trail rations (7 days), Coins 741 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

Animal Companion (Ex)

Khoh has formed a bond with Mrarw, one of the tigers of his homeland. Mrarw is a loyal companion that accompanies Khoh on his adventures. This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability (which is part of the nature bond class feature). Khoh’s effective druid level is equal to his hunter level (i.e. 6. Khoh may teach his companion hunter’s tricks from the skirmisher ranger archetype instead of standard tricks. Mrawr can use skirmisher tricks when commanded, a number of times per day equal to half its Hit Dice plus its Wisdom modifier.

If Khoh releases his companion from service or Mrawr perishes, he may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer in the environment where the new companion typically lives. While Khoh’s animal companion is dead, any animal he summons with a summon nature’s ally spell remains for 1 minute per level instead of 1 round per level. Khoh cannot have more than one summon nature’s ally spell active in this way at one time. If this ability is used again, any existing summon nature’s ally immediately ends.

Animal Focus (Su)

Khoh can take on the aspect of an animal as a swift action. He must select one type of animal to emulate, gaining a bonus or special ability based on the type of animal emulated and his hunter level. He can use this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to his level. This duration does not need to be consecutive but must be spent in 1-minute increments. Khoh can emulate only one animal at a time.

Khoh can also apply one of these aspects to her animal companion. Unlike with the hunter herself, there is no duration of the animal aspect applied to her animal companion. An aspect applied in this way does not count against Khoh’s minutes of duration per day—it remains in effect until he changes it. The companion’s aspect can be the same aspect Khoh has taken on or a different one. Khoh can select or change the animal foci on both herself and her animal companion as part of the same swift action.

If Khoh’s animal companion is dead, he can apply his companion’s animal focus to himself instead of his animal companion. This is in addition to the normal one he can choose, and (as with a companion’s focus) remains in effect until he changes it instead of counting against his minutes per day.

Hunter Tactics (Ex)

Khoh automatically grants his teamwork feats to her animal companion. The companion doesn’t need to meet the prerequisites of these teamwork feats.

Improved Empathic Link (Su)

Khoh has gained an empathic link with Mrawr. This functions like an empathic link with a familiar, except Khoh can also see through a companion’s eyes as a swift action, maintaining this connection as long as he likes (as long as the companion is within 1 mile) and ending it as a free action. Khoh is blinded while maintaining this connection.

Nature Training (Ex)

Khoh counts his total hunter level as both druid levels and ranger levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats, traits, and options that modify or improve an animal companion.

Teamwork Feat

At 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter, Khoh gains a bonus teamwork feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement. Khoh must meet the prerequisites of the selected bonus teamwork feat.

As a standard action, Khoh can choose to learn a new bonus teamwork feat in place of the most recent bonus teamwork feat she has already learned. In effect, Khoh loses the bonus feat in exchange for the new one. He can change only the most recent teamwork feat gained, and must meet the prerequisites for the newly selected feat. Khoh can change his most recent teamwork feat a number of times per day equal to her Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). Whenever he gains a new teamwork feat, his previous teamwork feats become permanent.

Khoh’s Teamwork feats are: Ally Shield and Duck and Cover (the last one is the interchangeable one). These are also included above, under feats.

Track (Ex)

Khoh adds 1/2 his level to Survival skill checks (+3) made to follow tracks.

Wild Empathy (Ex)

Khoh can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions as a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The hunter rolls 1d20 and adds his hunter level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. (i.e. +XXX in total) The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.

To use wild empathy, Khoh and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

Khoh can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.

Woodland Stride (Ex)

Khoh and Mrawr may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at their normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment.

Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion will still affect them.

Animal Companion: Tiger “Mrawr”

N Medium animal
Init +8; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +8

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+4 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 37 (6d8+6)
Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +4 (+4 morale bonus vs. Enchantment spells and effects)
Defensive Abilities evasion

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +8 (1d6+4), 2 claws +8 (1d6+4)
Special Attacks rake (2 claws +8, 1d6+4)

STATISTICS

Str 18 (+2 from aspect of the bull), Dex 19, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10
Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 21 (25 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack (claw)
Skills Acrobatics +4 (+8 to jump), Perception +8, Stealth +10
SQ devotion

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Devotion +4 (Ex)

Mrawr has a +4 morale bonus on Will saves vs. enchantments.

Evasion (Ex)

Mrawr takes no damage on successful reflex save.

Low-Light Vision

Mrawr can see twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.

Scent (Ex)

Mrawr can detect opponents within 15 feet by sense of smell.

TACTICS

Before Combat Khoh activates his aspect of the tiger on himself, and aspect of the bull on Mrawr and casts gravity bow and abundant ammunition.

Unprepared Stats

Without time to prepare Khoh’s stats are as follows:

Ranged +1 composite (+3) long bow +10 (1d8+4/19-20×3)

HISTORY

Khoh is the eldest hunter in the Stalking Tiger Tribe, and by many viewed as the heart of the tribe. He’s a quiet taciturn man who prefers the company of Mrawr, a Red Tiger that he has raised since it was a cub, and which he almost regards as his own child.

He is of the belief that the Stalking Tiger Tribe should leave the rest of the world alone, in return for being left alone, but he also realizes that this may not be a dream shared by others. As such, he supports Grig in her attempts to strengthen the tribe, so that it may thrive in the face of danger.