Terasaka Takayoshi (TheDude51's Character)

[TheDude51]

Terasaka Takayoshi
N Male Oracle 13 [Dual-Cursed]
Favored Class: Oracle (+3 skill points [1-3]; +1 Spell Known / HD [4-13])

HP: 79
AC: 37 (6base, 10cha, 8arm, 3shield)
Guard: +7
DR: 4/- 4/piercing

Str: 16 (13+3lvl)
Dex: 8
Con: 12
Int: 16 (13+3inh)
Wis: 12
Cha: 20 (15+2race+3lvl)

Morningstar
Attack: +19 (9bab, 6str, 3enh, 1focus)
Damage: 3d8+9 (P and B)

CMB: +15 (+19 during curse)
CMD: 23 (+4 vs trip, bull rush, or overrun; +4 in curse)

Saves:
Fort: +6 (4base, 2con) (+2 vs poison and disease)
Ref: +13 (4base, 9cha)
Will: +10 (8base, 2wis) (+2 vs fear)


Feats:
Human: Improved Feint
HD1: Extend Spell
HD3: Weapon Focus (Morningstar)
HD5: Knowledge Devotion [CChamp]
HD7: Dazzling Display
HD9: Greater Feint
HD11: Strange Revelation (Wind Barrier)
HD13: ??

Daily Buffs:
Divine Insight, Greater Magic Weapon, Air Barrier (Ex)

Spells (DC 21):
0: Create Water, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Stabilize
1 (8/8): Blessed Aim [SpC], Command, Murderous Command, Obscuring Mist, Shield of Faith, Sanctuary, Updraft [SpC], Ill Omen, Cure Light Wounds
2 (6/7): Ancestral Communion, Dark Way [SpC], Divine Insight [SpC], Fuse Arms [SpC], Hold Person, Instrument of Agony [UC], Lesser Restoration, Oracle's Burden, Cure Moderate Wounds
3 (7/7): Blood Biography, Dispel Magic, Girallon's Blessing [SpC], Invisibility Purge, Ring of Blades [SpC], Vision of Hell, Bestow Curse, Cure Serious Wounds
4 (4/7): Air Walk, Aura of Doom, Greater Magic Weapon, Mass Shield of Faith [SpC], Recitation [SpC], Sending, Legend Lore, Cure Critical Wounds
5 (7/7): Cleanse, Fickle Winds, Wall of Stone, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful, (+1), Contact Other Plane, Cure Light Wounds (Mass)
6 (4/4): Word of Recall, Geas, Owl's Wisdom (Mass), Cure Moderate Wounds (Mass)

Concentration: +25 (13CL, 10cha, 2trait)



Skills:
Diplomacy: +25 (13ranks, 10cha, 2trait)
Bluff: +28 (13ranks, 10cha, 5comp)
Intimidate: +25 (13ranks, 10cha, 2trait)
Sense Motive: +15 (13ranks, 2wis)
Perception: +15 (13ranks, 2wis)
Knowledge (Arcana): +14 (4ranks, 10cha)
Knowledge (Dungeoneering): +11 (1rank, 10cha)
Knowledge (Engineering): +11 (1rank, 10cha)
Knowledge (Geography): +11 (1rank, 10cha)
Knowledge (History): +11 (1ranks, 10cha)
Knowledge (Local): +16 (6rank, 10cha)
Knowledge (Nature): +11 (1rank, 10cha)
Knowledge (Nobility) +21 (11ranks, 10cha)
Knowledge (The Planes): +11 (1rank, 10cha)
Knowledge (Religion): +11 (1rank, 10cha)
Spellcraft: +16 (10rank, 6int)
Stealth: +3 (0rank, -2dex, 5comp)


Mysteries (Lore):
Automatic Writing
Sidestep Secret
Lore Keeper
Mental Acuity
Air Barrier

Curses:
Rasetsu's Curse
Haunted

Traits:
Focused Mind
Exile Survivor (+2 on saves vs fear, disease, and poison, +2 init)
Reputation (Mixed): +2 on Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Leadership

Titles:
Hordebreaker: You make activate this title whenever you make a charge attack. All enemies who are shaken must make a Will save (10 + 1/2 [character level + charisma modifier]) or become frightened. This is a fear effect and has no effect no enemies who are not shaken or already panicked.
Your presence on the battlefield sends a chill of terror through those already in doubt.

Equipment:
Worn:
Monks' Outfit
Mwk Morningstar
Dagger
+1 Heavy Wooden Shield
Dragon Headband [MIC]
Healing Belt [MIC]
Steadfast Boots [MIC]
Ring of Communication [MIC]
Ring of Silent Spells [MIC]
Deepcover Cloak (+5 to bluff/stealth)

Owned:
Greater Ring of Communication (Tougou synced)
Greater Ring of Communication (Tokugawa synced)
Silver Watch
+2 Full Plate
+1 Buckler
Scout's Headband [5 charges]
Ring of Silent Spells
Mwk Infiltrator Outfit


Consumables:
Smokestick (5x)
4 days rations

14,135 gp

Background:
 House Asano is an old and honorable house that can trace its lineage back through centuries of famous and powerful lords. In modern times it is waning, with more honor and pride than land or money. However, it retains one of the best-trained cohorts of samurai in JAPAN, whose reputation for honor and prowess is nearly unmatched. Lord Asano Naganori is a loyal retainer of Ashikaga Chousin, and the Asano samurai have lead the vanguard of the Ashikaga armies in dozens of battles.
Takayoshi was born to a lowly peasant in House Asano territory, and faced a life of poverty and backbreaking farm labor. Takayoshi was entranced from an early age by stories of samurai, battles, and honor, and continuously dreamed of achieving honor and glory. When he was 14 a series of skirmishes broke out between Ashikaga and Tokugawa. Takayoshi left his farm to join the army as an ashigaru foot soldier, and served loyally for several years. He distinguished himself in battle when an Asano samurai named Terasaka Kichiemon broke his weapon during a fight with a Tokugawa samurai. Takayoshi recklessly attacked the enemy samurai and was grievously wounded, but managed to buy enough time for Terasaka to grab another sword and eventually triumph. Terasaka's spear carrier had been killed in the battle, and he chose Takayoshi to replace him.
Several years later, Ashikaga became involved in a large-scale campaign against Tokugawa. As usual, Asano forces led the charge in almost every battle, and suffered heavy losses in the ferocious fighting. During one battle, Takayoshi and a squad of other ashigaru held off an entire company of enemy conscripts while Terasaka dueled with a Tokugawa samurai. Takayoshi personally killed several dozen enemy ashigaru, and managed to force the enemy soldiers to retreat, despite being the only survivor of the squad. When Terasaka was injured, Takayoshi took over and killed the enemy samurai in single combat. After the battle Takayoshi was raised to the rank of samurai, taking the surname Terasaka and serving directly under Lord Asano.

Lord Asano was notorious proud and arrogant, contemptuous of anyone who was not a soldier, and extremely touchy about his honor. His prickly attitude did not make many friends in the Ashikaga court. He was respected by those who had fought at his side, but the ministers and courtiers uniformly disliked him. One minister, Kira Yoshihisa, particularly hated Asano, and took every opportunity to subtly insult him. One day, Kira's needling pushed Asano past the breaking point. The enraged Asano attacked Kira with his ceremonial dagger in full view of the entire court, wounding him twice before Lord Ashikaga's guards were able to pull him off. Lord Ashikaga, furious at the incident, ordered Asano to commit suicide, then confiscated his lands and ordered his retainers and samurai to disperse, forbidding them to take revenge against Kira.
Oishi Kuranosuke, the leader of the samurai, refused to accept the judgement. He gathered 46 more of Asano's most loyal warriors and organized a plot to avenge themselves against Kira. The 47 samurai dispersed and waited for a over a year, pretending to abandon the way of the samurai and take up other trades, biding their time until Kira let down his guard. Among these were Terasaka Kichiemon and his loyal protege, Terasaka Takayoshi.
Eventually, Oishi decided that the time was right. He sent out word for the 47 to gather secretly and prepare to attack Kira's estate. The 47 launched their surprise attack just before dawn, charging out of the nearby woods in an attempt to burst into the mansion before anyone even realized there was danger. A volley of crossbow bolts met them before they had gotten more than a few steps out of the trees. Terasaka was gravely wounded in the first volley, and could only watch as the rest of the samurai continued their futile charge. He passed out as he saw Oishi fall, pierced through with a dozen quarrels.

Terasaka came to in a Tenshiist monastery, still in critical condition. The monks there told him that they had happened to observe the attack on Kira's estate, and had taken him from where he fell by the tree line back to the monastery, where they bandaged his wounds and barely managed to keep him alive. Terasaka related his story, telling of Kira's insult to Asano, of the fight at the Ashikaga court, Lord Asano's suicide, the destruction of House Asano, and Oishi's plot for revenge. The monks agree that the samurai have behaved honorably, and decide to hide Terasaka until he has recovered.
Soon after, Kira announced that his estate was attacked by 46 traitorous ronin, betraying their rightful lord Ashikaga Chousin in a misguided attempt at revenge. According to the report, 45 were killed, and one cravenly fled the battle. The names of the plotters were all listed, with Terasaka Takayoshi named as the escapee, and a reward posted for his head. The report made no mention whatsoever of Terasaka Kichiemon. At first, Takayoshi thought that his mentor had simply been overlooked, perhaps because his body had been so maimed in the battle that it could not be identified. Over the remaining weeks of his recovery and return to strength, Takayoshi began to suspect that his mentor had betrayed them.

Eventually, Terasaka left to monastery, intent on discovering the truth. He travelled to the city where Kichiemon had lived, and was horrified to discover that he still lived there, and was even wealthier than before. Convinced that Kichiemon had betrayed his comrades in exchange for Kira's money, he went to his house and challenged him to a duel. The furious Takayoshi attacked ferociously and quickly triumphed, wounding his former mentor grievously before decapitating him in a rage.
 Terasaka then went into hiding, lying low while he decided what to do. As he reflected on all that had occurred since Lord Asano's death, he became increasingly disillusioned with the honorable ideals that he had worshipped as a boy and faithfully upheld throughout his life. His mentor Terasaka Kichiemon, who he had looked up to as the ideal samurai, had betrayed his principles and his comrades for money. Kira had used Lord Asano's honor to provoke and eliminate him, then protected himself with bribery and espionage, yet he achieved ever more power and influence in the Ashikaga court. Terasaka decided that he would achieve revenge against Kira by whatever means necessary, without any care for honor or proper conduct.
Terasaka was not able to figure out how this might be possible. Kira's estate was heavily guarded, and he would not be able to defeat Kira's guards alone even if he completely surprised them. Kira's watchfulness and paranoia made sneaky assassination or poison attempts futile, especially for Terasaka who had no training whatsoever in poisons or infiltration.

Terasaka was wandering aimlessly, at a loss for what to do, when he passed through a small town named Awa. The townsfolk were terrified of a sorcerer named Kuroki Tamemoto who had recently arrived in the area. Supposedly, Kuroki was a necromancer who consorted with Oni and performed evil rituals to gain great power. The townsfolk thought that he was kidnapping people and desecrating graves to fuel his evil magic. A squad of Hojo warriors accompanied by two onmyouji had heard the rumors, and were currently in town gathering information on Kuroki and preparing to apprehend him.
Intrigued by the stories of Kuroki's power, Terasaka travelled into the countryside to Kuroki's home. Introducing himself to the magician, Terasaka told him that a Hojo kill team was in town looking for him, and offered to help defend Kuroki against them if the sorcerer would help him take revenge. Kuroki agreed to help Terasaka if the ronin could protect him from the Hojo.
The two set up an ambush, Terasaka disguising himself as the wizard. When the warriors arrived, the two onmyouji focused all their magic suppressing powers against Terasaka, who engaged the Hojo samurai in a fierce melee while Kuroki attacked from behind with blasts of destructive magic. The Hojo were overwhelmed by the two-pronged bait-and-switch, and quickly fell once the trap was sprung. Terasaka and Kuroki quickly fled the town before higher powers could be called in against them.

Kuroki was already power-hungry when Terasaka met him, willing to commit horrible crimes and break every taboo of society for the sake of his magic. With the vengeful Terasaka urging him constantly on, he took his research to reckless extremes. The two set up a base of operations deep in the wilderness, and began a headlong rush into corruption and evil. Dark rituals, blood rites, and animal sacrifice became the norm. The two began kidnapping peasants from isolated farms and using their lives to power even darker magics. The pair tracked down several other wizards, ambushing and killing them so that Kuroki could steal their spellbooks and learn their magic. Not content with the lore he could take from mortals, Kuroki began searching out evil spirits, bribing them with gold, blood, and souls to gain more and darker magic.
The secrets Kuroki gained from the youkai were like a drug. He quickly progressed to fantastically risky endeavors, intoxicated with the powers he was gaining. Eventually, inevitably, he went to far. The two tracked down a powerful youkai named Beherit, who told the pair it would grant them anything they desired. Kuroki immediately demanded knowledge of magic, while Terasaka asked for the strength to take revenge on those who wronged him. Beherit granted their requests, giving Kuroki great magical knowledge and Terasaka great strength and speed. Both gifts came with a terrible price that would not be discovered until it was far too late for the two to change their minds.

With their newfound powers, Terasaka insisted that the time had come to finally take revenge against Kira. While traveling back to Ashikaga, the Hojo task force that had been assigned to track down Kuroki after the deaths of the initial patrol finally caught up with them. Confronted by over a hundred warriors and a dozen Ying-Yang masters, Kuroki unleashed his newfound powers in an overwhelmingly powerful spell of destruction. Channeling the arcane energy more quickly than the most powerful mages in the world, Kuroki discovered the downside of the youkai's gift. Although he had gained great magical knowledge, his ability to control his powers was no greater than before. The tremendous stream of mana that Kuroki was attempting to fashion into a spell spun out of control, uncontrollable blasts of chaotic energy tearing through the Hojo ranks even as Kuroki was burnt to a cinder by the spell's backlash.
As the surviving Ying-Yang masters worked desperately to contain the rampaging magic and the Hojo warriors dove for cover, Terasaka slipped away into the surrounding forest. Terrified by the effects of Kuroki's "gift", he was desperate to shake off the Hojo and figure out how to deal with his own ability without suffering a similarly horrible fate. For almost a week he thought he had succeeded, and he learned that he could drink human blood to hold at bay the terrible side effects of his curse.
The respite for Terasaka was only temporary, and Hojo's trackers were quickly on his trail again. Pursued by Hojo kill teams, leaving a trail of dessicated corpses in his wake, Terasaka barely managed to stay ahead of retribution. After several desperate weeks, he had given up hope of ever shaking off the relentless pursuit. He decided to take the last option available. Terasaka went to Shikoku, the death lands, and told the slovenly and drunken guards at the gate that he had been exiled from his homeland and his honor demanded that he die in Shikoku. The guards, intimidated by his stature and burning red eyes, let him pass without question.
Alone in the death lands, Terasaka wandered aimlessly, again at a loss for what to do. Although he had avoided certain death at the hands of the Hojo clan, it was only a matter of time before he was killed by starvation, wandering Oni, or his deadly curse. He wandered for days, killing several Oni that he encountered and resting for long hours to conserve his strength and hold off the dark thirst that burned relentlessly within him.
It was during a vicious battle with a group of Oni that Terasaka first met the Blackhearts. Attracted by the sounds of a pitched battle, Katsurou and his followers saw Terasaka, bleeding from a dozen wounds, surrounded by the corpses of a dozen Oni, fighting desperately against a group of the foul ogres. Seeing Terasaka's combat skill and bulging supply bags, Katsurou took a gamble. The Blackhearts charged into battle, taking the Oni by surprise and hacking them apart. Katsurou then made Terasaka an offer he couldn't refuse: either join the Blackhearts, obey loyally, and gain their protection from the horrors of Shikoku, or wander alone until death came. Terasaka agreed, and has followed Blackheart loyally ever since.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Zanaikin]

GM Notes:

Curse: Rasetsu's Curse
Description: You are enhanced by hellish powers often associated with the Oni, as well as with true demons to a lesser extent. While normally dormant, this power comes into effect whenever you will it to, whenever you're dealt a direct hit, and occasionally for no reason at all. Upon activating, your hair turns completely white and your eyes glow in a reddish color, while your body enters a magically-enhanced state of improved physical prowess. The curse can be detected as an evil curse-type spell effect, even while it's dormant.
Benefits: Whenever this power is active, you receive a +4 enhancement bonus to strength, +2 enhancement bonus to constitution, and darkvision 60ft. You may also recover HP or ability damage by draining life directly from the blood of another humanoid creature; you must pin the target first and for each round you maintain you may deal 1 Constitution damage to heal either 1HP/2CharLvls or 1 point of ability damage.
Consequences: You take 1 Wisdom damage for every 1 minute increment you remain in this form, with a minimum of 1 even if you do not use this ability that day. Furthermore, you cannot receive natural healing or magical healing to recover this ability damage unless you have drained fresh blood in the same day.
Advancement: This ability gradually advances when taken as an Oracle's Curse. At level five, you gain Regeneration 1 (Magic) while in your enhanced state, which also makes you immune to bleeding effects. At level ten, you take only 1 Wisdom damage for every 10 minute increment you remain in this form instead. At level fifteen, your bonuses improve to +6 enhancement bonus to strength and +4 enhancement bonus to constitution.



Traits:
Exile Survivor: You receive a +2 trait bonus on saving throws vs fear, diseases, and poisons. You also receive a +2 trait bonus to initiative checks. (This replaces a starting trait).

Reputation +3 (Honorable): You gain +4 bonus to Diplomacy and Leadership scores, and +2 to Intimidate (as well as saving throw DCs of fear inducing effects).



Titles:
Hordebreaker: You make activate this title whenever you make a charge attack. All enemies within 30ft who are shaken must make a Will save (10 + 1/2 [character level + charisma modifier]) or become frightened. This is a fear effect and has no effect no enemies who are not shaken or already frightened.

Castlecrasher: When assaulting any fortification, you may boldly announce your name and intent as a move action. All enemy garrison troops within 30ft must make a will save (10 + 1/2 [character level + charisma modifier]) or become shaken. This is a fear effect; enemies who succeed on the save become immune to this effect for 24hrs.



Equipment:
Sending Strap: A leather strap that can be attached to clothes/equipment or worn as a bracelet. Functions as a Sending Stone [MIC], except you may use it up to two additional times per day by consuming a 5th level spell slot each time. (The other in Todoroki Yuu's hands)

Bloodsap Potion
Prerequisites: Rare grass and seeds requiring a DC25 Knowledge[Nature] + Survival check to find, plus blood sap from a Moonflower Tree, brewed via Craft[Alchemy] DC40. Some of the ingredients cannot be found in herbal markets due to their lack of use.
Effect: Imbibing a single dose of bloodsap potion counts as drinking 1 Constitution point of fresh blood for creatures with vampiric addictions, although it doesn't heal any wounds or prior damage and does not reset the saving throw DCs for losing control.

[TheDude51]

Rebuilt character, should be about done now.

By the way, apparently the Pathfinder SRD is a hotbed of subversion, and is blocked in China. Paizo's PRD, on the other hand, is fine. Wut?

[Zanaikin]

Sorcery is an evil cult, it must be banned to protect our fine young citizens from being exposed!!!

[Zanaikin]

Judson: please mark your sources for anything not core please. I'm trying to figure out where the heck Fury's Fall [feat] and Threatening Defender [trait] comes from...

[Sajuuk]

[Mr_Praetorian]

Consequently, I'm radically changing my character design. Katsurou is now going to be a Samurai (as well as his companions), and the group will be referred to as the Samurai of the Black Banner, or Blackguards for short. The order is oriented around the idea of fighting against the injustices that many innocent tainted have suffered. However, given the situation, you'd hardly need change your motives, so a few edits to names and such should be all that is required.

[TheDude51]

Rebuild: COMPLETED

(Still need to make some edits to backstory)

[Zanaikin]

Terasaka's curse updated. There is a step-up on that at level10.

[Zanaikin]

Note: Exile Survivor does not give +2 to intimidate, not sure where that's from.
Also once you return, you might want to flip through the SpC for some of the usual need-have buffs, unless there's a reason why you avoided them (o.o??), I mean APG's Blessing of Fervor is a great buff and you didn't even bother with that...

[TheDude51]

Oops, I think I misread "Initiative" as "Intimidate". :/

Fixed.

Yeah, don't have access to anything but what's on the pathfinder website right now. Blessing of Fervor is good, but I'm not sure about the effectiveness of round/level buffs that take more than one round to cast.

[Zanaikin]

did you lose all your books in the crash also or did you actually back them up somewhere?

[TheDude51]

I have them all still on my desktop. Which I left in St. Louis over the summer.

So, once school starts I'll have access to everything again.

[Zanaikin]

Typo fixed on the Hordebreaker title: that should be reducing them to frightened, not panicked.

[TheDude51]

Editted for downtime training / access to Spell Compendium:

Added favored class bonus that I forgot, using human bonus spell known. Updated list of spells known.
Added Dual-Cursed Oracle archetype. Dropped Spell Shield and Extra Revelation for Extend Spell and Knowledge Devotion
Switched 4 ranks from Knowledge (History) to Knowledge (Local)