Khas
"Strife is the anvil upon which the best men are beaten into more worthy forms, and the unworthy are broken upon."
Khas, Human Ardent 1
Wealth +4
Abilities (32 pb): Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 10
Key abilities: Vigor (shares this with his psicrystal, so they each get 5 temporary hit points); Guardian mantle ability (can intercept an attack on an adjacent ally as an immediate action, and take the damage himself instead. Expends Focus.); Autohypnosis skill (He makes liberal use of this to memorize important documents. He can hit the DC by taking 10.)
Key Equipment: Longspear (+2 to hit, 1d6+3 damage, reach); Armor spikes (+2, 1d6+2, threatens adjacent); Healing Belt (psicrystal wears this and heals Khas, or other party members in emergencies; Dorje of Share Pain (when he knows a fight is likely, Khas uses this to direct half his damage to his psicrystal.)
Feats: Linked Power (1), Psicrystal Affinity (human)
Skills (ranks): Autohypnosis +5(2), Concentration +7(4), Spellcraft +3(2), Knowledge: Religion +4(3), Profession: Advocate +4(1), Spot +3, Listen +3, Search +1, Sense Motive +6 (0+3wis+3psicrystal), Use Magic/Psionic Device +3(1cc), Tumble +1(1cc)
Psicrystal skills and abilities: Climb +14, Hide +18, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Spot +6, Tumble +3(1cc); Blindsight 40 ft. (Su) telekinetic in nature; anti-magic areas render a psicrystal blind and deaf (replaces the psicrystal's "sighted" ability).
Hit Dice: 1d6+2+12 (hit points 20)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30
Armor Class: 16 Touch: 12 Flat-footed: 14
(10+4armor+2dex)
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/+2
Attack: +2 longspear (1d6+3), +2 javelin (1d6+2), +2 armor spikes (1d6+2)
Full Attack: same
Space/Reach: 5/10
Special Qualities:
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +5
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Languages Spoken: Eastern Greek, Trojan
Equipment of note:
[spoiler]
longspear (9 lbs)(free)
5 javelins (10 lbs)(free)
club (3 lbs)(free)
Chain Shirt with Armor Spikes (4 AC, 4 Max Dex, -2 ACP, 35 lbs)(150 gp, free 1st level item)
Mule, riding saddle, and saddlebags (42 gp, free 1/2 level item)
Magic Items for Dummies book (MW tool of Use Magic Device)(50 gp, free 1/2 level item)
Magic Items and Purchased Powers
Healing Belt (750 gp, 3rd level, DC 19, take 20 to aquire it, lose 2 wealth levels)(psicrystal is wearing this)
Dorje of Share Pain (8 charges left)(720 gp, 3rd level, DC 19, take 20, lose 2 wealth levels)
Wand of Lesser Vigor (10 charges left)(150 gp, free 1st level item)
[/spoiler]
Mundane Gear:
[spoiler]Travelers's outfit (1 gp, 5 lb)
Backpack (2 gp, 2 lbs)
Bedroll (1 sp, 5 lbs)
Chalk (1 cp)
Crowbar (2 gp, 5 lbs)
Flint and Steel (1 gp)
Grappling Hook (1 gp, 4 lbs)
Ink (0.5 oz. vial)(4 gp, free)
Quill (1 sp)
Parchment, sheet x10 (2 gp)
Belt Pouch (1 gp, 1/2 lb)
Trail Rations (per day) x10 (5 gp, 5 lb)
Hempen Rope (100 ft.) (2 gp, 20 lbs)
Signal Whistle (8 sp)
Soap (1 sp)
Shovel (2 gp, 8 lb)
Waterskin x2 (2 gp, 8 lbs)
Whetstone (2 cp, 1 lb)
Torch x3 (3 cp, 3 lbs)
Oil flask x2 (2 sp, 2 lbs)
Fish hook and line[/spoiler]
Encumbrance
[spoiler]
57 lbs total for worn gear and weapons, 63.5 lbs gear on mule (120.5 total)(light load 58, 59-116 medium, 117-175 heavy)
[/spoiler]
Psionic Powers:
[spoiler]
Power Points: 3
Mantles: Physical Power, Guardian
Ardent Powers (ML1):
1st: Thicken Skin, Vigor
Mantle Powers:
Guardian: Expend focus as an immediate action to take a hit for someone. Must do this the after attack roll, but before the damage roll.
Physical Power: Expend focus as a free action to add +2 to Str, Dex, or Con for 1 round.[/spoiler]
psicrystal stats:
[spoiler]
Fine aberration (psionic)
hit points half of master's total (10)
saves same as master (Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +5)
abilities STR 1, DEX 15, CON 11, INT 6, WIS 10, CHA 10
skills Climb +14, Hide +18, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Search +2, Spot +6, Autohypnosis +1(1), Concentration +4(4), Psicraft +1(3), Knowledge: Law +1(3), Profession: Advocate +1(1), Sense Motive +0, Use Magic/Psionic Device +1(1cc), Tumble +3(1cc)
feats Alertness
Blindsight 40 ft. (Su) telekinetic in nature; anti-magic areas render a psicrystal blind and deaf (replaces the psicrystal's "sighted" ability).
Damage Reduction (Ex) 5/magic or bludgeoning
Skills Use DEX instead of STR for Climb checks; +8 racial bonus to Climb while self-propulsion active; can take 10 on Climb checks, even while distracted or threatened; 4 ranks each in Climb, Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot; +16 size bonus to Hide.
Additional Qualities immunity to paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning; not subject to critical hits or flanking; if slain, re-forms 24 hours later; harmlessly feeds on psychic residue of master, requires minimal rest and negligible amount of air to breathe; when deprived of any of these things for long enough, goes into a form of stasis.
All other abilities are the same as a standard psicrystal. psicrystal granted abilities: (improved evasion, personality (Sympathetic: +3 Sense Motive), self-propulsion, share powers, telepathic link)
Description [spoiler]
Psicrystals are tiny, crystallized forms of magical energy that seep onto the Material Plane. Often discovered in places where emotions run extreme, such as war-torn cities, psicrystals are living, sentient creatures comparable to coral found in the sea. Psicrystals feed on cast-off psychic energy and while growing are often mistaken for precious gems. It takes decades for a single psicrystal to develop a level of self-sufficiency in order to survive away from its birth colony, and colonies are often destroyed long before any psicrystals reach "maturity."
Psychic characters with an "affinity" for psicrystals may take one as a companion. A psicrystal, once taken as a companion, merges its consciousness with the psychic and the two develop a symbiotic relationship; the psicrystal often taking on a specific aspect of the character's personality to act as a guide and scout, while feeding on the character's psychic residue. This process of feeding is quite harmless, and even proves to be beneficial for the psychic, as their psychic pathways are kept clean and clear.
A psicrystal taken as a companion is notably stronger and healthier than its wild counterparts. Given its consistent sustenance, it develops the ability to pull itself back from the brink of destruction by pulling together the same energy that formed it originally, coalescing around the seed of personality planted by the psychic.
By far, the largest known colony of psicrystals was discovered in Troy; during the nearly-eighty years of constant intrigue and warfare, it's estimated to have produced dozens of fully-grown psicrystals before it was destroyed during the razing of the city. [/spoiler]
[/spoiler]
Backstory (still needs some work)[spoiler]
Khas fought for Troy, and became a Greek slave after the war. He served his master as a bodyguard, a function he'd been trained in while serving Troy, and studied Greek religious law in what little free time he had. Eventually, he helped defend his masters interests, acting as a legal advisor to him. His master was so impressed with his grasp of the laws of the gods, and grateful for his service, that upon his death, he freed Khas to the service of the church of Athena. He is now considered the property of Athena herself, but is not bound directly to the service of the church. Khas is not overly religions himself (he only studied religious law as it pertained to slavery), but is grateful for his freedom. His former master was a wealthy man, and was particularly generous to Khas when he died, leaving a portion of his wealth to him in his will. While equipping himself in the market, he saw a Resonant Stone (a Trojan artifact, which can be awakened into a Psicrystal) for sale. The merchant had no idea of its value, and he got it for almost nothing. He has since awakened it to sentience, and bonded with it.
He saw some horrific things during the war, including much treachery by the Greeks, and does not fully trust any of them. He has decided to try out for the Order of Orion in hopes of leaving Greece behind, but he knows that he'll never be truly free of it. With his home destroyed, he is forever bound to his conquerers, even in his newfound "freedom". [/spoiler]
Books used[spoiler]
Expanded Psionics, or the SRD (powers, feats))
Complete Psionic (Ardent class, some powers and the Linked Power feat)
Magic Item Compendium (Healing Belt)
Spell Compendium (Lesser Vigor spell, in wand form)[/spoiler]