Ken of the Woods (Character Description).

/ Character idea, Work in Progress. /

Current Stats & Equipment:

Desired build: Monk 12 / Fighter 1 / Weaponmaster 7.

At level 12 monks get diamond soul power, which grants resistance to spells (SR 22 at level 12).

Game-mechanics-wise, there's no point in advancing over level 7 with weaponmaster class, as there are no worthwhile powers above this level. Level 7 weaponmaster is optimal. The only reason to have 8+ levels in weaponmaster class is roleplaying reasons.

Worthy feats:
- Blind Fighting - helps a lot versus invisible or hardly seen foes, including magicians who cast invisibility spells.
- Mounted Combat - mounted combat is superior to combat on feet,

If Ken will have too few feats to choose from as he levels, mounted combat feat can be acquired from appropriate magic item. At least for a while, until he learns that feat.

(Not sure if it's possible at all to learn both all neccessary weaponmaster feats, blind fighting and mounted combat at the same time, within this build).

Worthy skills:
- Ride: mounted combat is superior to combat on feet, and riding skill is symbolically related with skill in sex (in medieval ages, when a boy wasn't skilled in horseback riding at agre of 7, it was said that he was suitable only for being a priest/cleric).
- Tumble - for defensive acrobatics,
- Discipline - for resisting advanced combat tricks/feats,
- Concentration - for roleplaying reasons and for resisting taunts,
- And perhaps Lore - for roleplaying reasons, knowledge of Kara-Tur and other, and for identifying items to sell them better,

Weapon of choice: Eastern Scimitar - Liuyedao: Known as the 'willow leaf saber', this is the most common form of Kara-Turan (Far Eastern) saber, featuring a moderate curve along the blade.

Character Ideas:

Western Warrior Yogin, who practices Eastern Martial Arts.

Planned romance with Crystal.

Brother Of Adeli and of Anheim.

Every Bard is a Girl (Adeli's Tale).

My Beloved Diary,

People joke about bards and their so-called meekness.

There are bards who do not admit to being such, even.

I have a half-orc bard friend, Bon Ausbourn, with whom I regularly go to deeper giants territory, where we do fine.

Should I call him 'Bonnie'?

Many think that every bard is a girl, my beloved diary.

-- Yours, Adeli.

Valley of Red Mist & Beyond (Adeli's Tale).

My Beloved Diary,

With my adventuring Bard friend named: 'Bon Ausbourn', Half-Orc, we ventured deeper into the Giants Territory, into the 'Valley of Red Mist' and deeper.

I spent a lot of gold coins for expensive potions in preparation (Ghost Visage, Haste and Keen Edge), but in the end didn't have to use these. Cheaper potions (Bull's Strength and Barkskin), Bon's inspiring songs, and Bon's bardic spells were more than enough.

It's not worth selling these potions, as the merchants would offer far too low price when compared to the price I paid, so I will keep them for future use, for when there's some kind of more or less unsuspected challenge, or other emergency need.

What we found in the Valley and beyond, was tougher and larger giants, and their tamed wolves (worgs).

I can ride horses pretty well but don't have mounted combat experience, so a helm I bought earlier proved to be very useful. After this adventure, I must admit that having a mount in combat is an Advantage. But what to do with a horse when one has to enter underground cave or other dungeon?

-=- Helm for Mounted Combat. -=-

-=- Mounted Combat vs. Mr Hill Giant. -=-

After we returned from the trip, and sold the spoils, Bon made a small performance - and I've enjoyed it.

-=- Adeli & Bon, Half-Orcish Bard. -=-

-- Yours, Adeli, Rapier-Fencer, Adventuress and a Skilled Horse-Rider. -=-

Spell Scrolls & Other Challenges (Adeli's Tale).

My Beloved Diary,

Our City of Peltarch, The Jewel of the Icelace, is in war with nearby Giants of the Giantspire Mountains, since many years.

As a weapon-able Citizen, I've fought Hill Giants and Outer Spire Giants, ... recently even alone, without any backup.

Experience made me skilled and tough, these Giants are no longer much of challenge for me, at least when I am playing cautious. The quality equipment that I've collected so far is also helpful, makes the difference between victory and death.

I am preparing to venture deeper into Giants' territory, where Giant Savages, Giant Brutes, Tamed Worgs (Big, Bad & Wild Wolves), and Wicked Fomorians (Giants of sorts) dwell.

Did some gossip for preparations, and was advised to invest in the Stone Skin potions or scrolls for when I go there. Also, people advised me to fight on the horseback. Bought special helmet for this too.

-=- Helmet for Mounted Combat. -=-
-=- Can be especially useful against Fire Giants, or other Fire-wielding foes. -=-

I do not know much about magick, about Real Wizardry or Sorcery, but read many books and learned how to cast spells from scrolls. Stone Skin Scrolls are cheaper and easier to find than Stone Skin Potions.

In Spellweaver Keep, in Norwick, they sell Stoneskin Scrolls for 504 gp each. Bought a few and will try it sooner or later. It's pretty expensive for me, but I heard it can be a lifesaver. Thankfully spells cast from these scrolls last for a fairly long duration, for about 70 minutes. Scroll with a spell is 'consumed' when the spell is cast from it.

-=- Scroll of Stoneskin. -=-


-- Yours, Adeli.

P.S. I am already using Potions of Bull's Strength (30 gp each) and Potions of
Barkskin (86 gp each). These potions last for short duration, so usually using 2-3 of each for about a half-hour trip.

Giants (Adeli's Tale).

My Beloved Diary,

I've tried my rapier techniques against Giants, alone this time.

It seems that with use of potions, and with some serious caution, I can beat Hill Giants and Outer Spire Giants.

Being cautious means using of potions such as Barkskin and others, fighting defensively, keeping Invisibility potions for emergencies and luring Giants to 1-on-1 fights.

I should never fight more than one Giant at a time.

... but perhaps this will change with time, after I'll master new combat techniques.

Killing Giants means that they will pose less danger to our city of Peltarch, and I can get some real-combat training, and earn some gold coins for my coinpurse too.

I need gold to pay my debt to sir Atlas, as he borrowed me a lot of coins, so I could buy my rapier.

-- Yours, Adeli.

--
Out of Character: fighting defensively means using the expertise feat.

Anyone can sing (Adeli's Tale).

My Beloved Diary,

... Anyone can sing, but not everyone should.

I am not greatest singer around, but this time it was too much. I've been helping some new adventurers to fight orcs and I've sung a song.

... ~ dum dee dum, deeeeeeee duuuuum ~ ...
Our party's dwarf started to protest, so I said: 'This song makes orcs flee'.

He replied: 'It makes me flee too'.

So I've stopped. Perhaps in future i'll meet someone who can appreciate my art attempts at that.

... My songs make both orcs and dwarves flee, can You believe that, my diary?

... I am better at cooking at least, they say. My dishes are healthy, tasty, spicy and dietetic too.

-- Yours, Adeli, a Spice Girl.