Pairing it Down: Mistranslated Heroes

By Kiel Howell

     Come in and sit by the fire as the cold rages outside (at least, here in the USA it’s pretty cold). Listen to a tale about brave men, selfless sacrifice, deception, and love. The Last of the Mohicans is this week’s theme. If you haven’t seen it then you should at least listen to the soundtrack as it is one of the best soundtracks this writer has ever heard.

     So what do we pair down this week? In this column, I’ve gone pretty gaga over story and characters. The games we play are pretty devoid without at least some bit of motivation behind what our characters are doing. Even in games where story is not the main focus, there is still some semblance of an overarching theme. There is also, I’m willing to bet, something the player pictures or has written in their heads for every action they decide their avatar does.

     Perhaps your character is only very broadly defined. The nuances to their behaviors have nothing more apparent than a gruff exterior and tactical acumen. Perhaps they are overly emotional. When it comes down to it, the player has some reason for making their characters they way they are.

     Here’s where I will get straight to the point in this week’s article. Major Duncan Heyward, played brilliantly by Steven Waddington, deliberately mistranslates a key point in Hawkeye’s words and takes his place at the burning stake. The heroic sacrifice. It is a device that is used relentlessly in literature and film but hardly seems to feel cliche. This single act shows truly how good of a person Duncan is despite his earlier actions. It can do wonders for a character who is a heart-of-gold type. It will spark memories for years when a player takes a character he’s lovingly and painstakingly crafted and acted and sacrifices that character for another’s benefit.

     I challenge you, the reader, to relive a memory like that in the comments. Give us a tale or two (or three!) about a time when such and such did something that saved so and so. Keep that memory alive and maybe it will ignite your own character to take that step.

     Until next time dear readers when the wizards tackle The Evil Dead. Remember to shop smart...shop S Mart!

Jeff Crunch: A Soul Bound for the Locker

Ahab - awaiting the white whale by Thomacek from www.deviantART.com

By Jeff Harris

Captain Ahab
male human expert (sailor) 5/deep sea pirate 6
Description: Captain Ahab cares nothing for other ships or other men’s goods, he lives only to be master of the Pequod and to kill what he sees as a devil incarnate, the great white whale.  At five and fifty years his zeal to find the creature that maimed him is undiminished. The man himself is tall and wind burned, his thick dark beard half masks his scowl.  Dressed in a fine but understated black suit and never seen without his bronze studded leather great coat on deck, the Captain cuts an intimidating figure.

Captain Ahab CR 10
NE Medium crusty* humanoid (human)
Init +3; Senses Perception +17
===== Defense =====
AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 18; (armor +4, deflection +2, natural +2)
hp 134 (14d8+68)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +8
Defensive Abilities  Liquid Courage, Stubborn as Hell, Tough as Nails
===== Offense =====
Spd 25 ft. (due to the peg leg)
Melee “Hell’s Heart” +15/+10 (1d8+5/19-20x3), +1 bich’hwa +13/+8 (1d4+4/19-20x2), unarmed strike +12/+7 (1d3+3/20x2)
Ranged “Hells Heart” +12/+7 (1d8+5/19-20x3)
Special Attacks Ranged Grapple (harpoon), Sneak Attack +2d6
===== Tactics =====
Before Combat Captain Ahab is a reasonable man, in so far as he will try iron handed diplomacy before taking more drastic measures.

During Combat Captain Ahab will answer challenges from his crew as needed, he will not hesitate to turn his harpoon on a crewman should his crime warrant it.  However if faced with the white whale Ahab will not relent, taking to the whale boat with harpoon in hand to face his nemesis.                                                  

Morale There is little in this world that can move Captain Ahab from his course, and he fights to the death against his sworn foe.  Such is the fate of a man who thinks he is a hand of god, any god.
===== Statistics =====
Str 16, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +9/+4; CMB +12  CMD 24
Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bich’hwa), Improved Critical (harpoon) Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed, Intimidating Prowess, Lightning Reflexes, Martial Weapon Proficiency (harpoon), Skill Focus (sailor), Toughness, Weapon Focus (harpoon). 
Skills  Acrobatics +10, Appraise +10, Climb +11, Diplomacy +8,  Intimidate +12, Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (nature) +6, Knowledge (religion) +6, Perception +17, Profession (sailor) +14, Profession (whaler) +11, Sense Motive +9, Swim +11.
Languages Common, Shoanti.   
SQ deep breath, farseer, shipboard authority, storm sailor, windrigger
Combat Gear hell’s heart, +1bronze studded leather great coat, +1 bich’hwa (gifted to him after his fateful encounter with the white whale), three 50 ft. spider silk rope coils, ring of protection +2 (his wedding ring); Other Gear peg leg made of whalebone ivory, fine black suite, leather bound journal containing the Pequod’s logs, spy glass, silver pocket watch, brass whistle.
===== Special Abilities =====
Deep Breath (Ex): The Deep Sea pirate can hold his breath for a number of rounds equal to three times his Constitution modifier before he must start making Constitution checks.                                          

Farseer (Ex): Pirates take turns serving as lookouts. A Deep Sea pirate with this ability reduces any distance-based penalties on Perception checks by half when he is at least 10 feet off the ground or above the deck of a ship.                                                                                                                                       

Liquid Courage (Ex): When intoxicated, the crusty creature gains the benefits of a rage spell in place of the normal effects of intoxication.                                                                                                             

Shipboard Authority (Ex): As a full-round action once per day, the Deep Sea pirate can shout orders to his crew. All allies within 30 feet of the Deep Sea pirate who can hear him gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls or on a particular skill check for 1 round per the Deep Sea pirate’s level. The Deep Sea pirate specifies which bonus applies when he uses this ability and may not change the bonus for the duration of this ability.                                                                                                                                                         

Stubborn as Hell (Ex): Those with the crusty template are hardier and more set in their ways then their more youthful peers and gain a +2 to CMD, Will, and Fortitude saves.                                                      

Storm Sailor (Ex): The Deep Sea pirate treats all storms as if they were one category less severe for the purposes of sailing and navigation. (This benefit stacks with the Hurricane Savvy character trait and other effects related to wind conditions.) He can make an Acrobatics check to move his normal speed across uneven ground, and he does not take a penalty on any Acrobatics checks due to slightly slippery, slightly unsteady, or moderately unsteady conditions.                                                                                          

Tough as Nails (Su): Treat this as orcish ferocity, meaning the crusty creature can act in a round that would normally knock them out.                                                                                                                      

Windrigger (Ex): The Deep Sea pirate has learned the tricky art of tacking. With a DC 15 Profession (sailor) check, he increases his ship’s base movement by 5 feet for 1 hour.

Hell’s Heart
Aura faint necromancy, moderate conjuration, moderate transmutation; CL 10th
Slot weapon; Price 20,000; Weight 16 lb.
===== Description =====
Hell's heart is the name the crew have given Ahab’s harpoon. The weapon itself is a mahogany hafted harpoon with a plain but razor sharp barbed head.  Engraved all along the weapons shaft is tiny writing, which seems to ramble on about devil whales and tests of faith.

Hells heart is a +2 returning whale bane wounding harpoon, though instead of returning to you as a normal returning weapon, hell's heart spawns a mundane copy of itself, leaving its “husk” as a permanent steel harpoon, along with the length of line attached at the time, imbedded in the target.  Hell’s heart itself returns to the wielders hands after each throw.  The weapon's wide barbed head ensures the weapon sinks deep and fast, and bleeds the target as well.
===== Construction =====   
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, bleed, fabricate, summon monster I, telekinesis.           Cost 10,000 gp

Armor                                                                                                                                                          
Studded Leather Great Coat (light armor) AC +3 max Dex +4, Armor check penalty -1, Spell Failure 10%, Weight 10 lbs.

*Please note that the “crusty” template is courtesy of FrankGori and Kobold Press.