Jasper Ringlerock: Male halfling ranger 7/darkrunner 1; CR 8; Small humanoid; HD 7d8+14 plus 1d6+2; hp 54; Init +4; Spd 20 ft.; AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15; Base Atk +7; Grp +4; Atk +10 melee (1d6+2/19–20, +1 longsword) or +13 ranged (1d6/×3, masterwork longbow); Full Atk +8/+3 melee (1d6+2/19–20, +1 longsword) and +8/+3 melee (1d4/19–20, masterwork shortsword), or +13/+8 ranged (1d6/×3, masterwork longbow); SA favored enemy (aberrations +4, magical beasts +2); SQ animal companion (Medium viper), animal companion benefits, darkvision 10 ft., direction sense, spelunking, wild empathy +7 (+3 magical beasts), woodland stride; AL CG; SV Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +4 (+6 against fear); Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Climb +10, Hide +23, Jump –1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +4, Listen +10, Move Silently +13, Search +4, Speak Language (Undercommon), Spot +15, Survival +8 (+2 following tracks or underground), Swim +0; Aberration Blood† (sticky fingers), Alertness, Endurance, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Inhuman Blood†, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting. † New feats described earlier in this chapter. Languages: Common, Halfling, Undercommon. Favored Enemy (Ex): Jasper gains a +4 bonus on his Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against aberrations. He gains the same bonus on weapon damage rolls.
CHAPTER 9
Sample Member Jasper Ringlerock only just recently joined the Darkrunner Guild after proving his worth by sneaking through a large nest of cloakers to map a particularly tangled warren of caverns located below a haunted grell outpost. Jasper is eager to build on his reputation in the guild before news of this accomplishment is eclipsed by some new stunt by another darkrunner. As a result, he might be a bit too exuberant and daring in his tactics. A party that hires him is guaranteed to get more than they bargained for when Jasper tries to lead them on a shortcut through the basements of a mind flayer outpost or a “long-abandoned” deep dragon lair. Jasper is a cheerful halfling who has yet to really encounter actual failure or defeat. He knows that most of his past successes are thanks mostly to luck, but he figures that he can handle whatever his good luck can’t.
Against magical beasts, he gains a +2 bonus on these skill checks and on weapon damage rolls. Animal Companion (Ex): Jasper has a Medium viper named Goldeye as an animal companion. The creature’s statistics are provided below. Animal Companion Benefits (Ex): Jasper gains special benefits from having an animal companion. Link (Ex): Jasper can handle Goldeye as a free action. He also gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding his snake. Share Spells (Ex): Jasper can have any spell he casts on himself also affect his animal companion if the latter is within 5 feet at the time. He can also cast a spell with a target of “You” on his animal companion. Direction Sense (Ex): Jasper can study a single underground location he is in and designate that as his directional focus. From that point on, he can find the path (as the spell) to the shortest, most direct route to his directional focus while he is within 5 miles of the designated spot. Spelunking (Ex): Jasper gains a +1 competence bonus on Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, Survival, and Swim checks underground. He is treated as a Tiny creature for the purpose of squeezing into narrow tunnels or confined areas. Woodland Stride (Ex): Jasper can move through natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain at his normal speed and without damage or other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him. Ranger Spells Prepared (caster level 3rd): 1st—longstrider, resist energy. Possessions: +1 mithral chain shirt, +1 longsword, cloak of elvenkind, darkrunner emblem, masterwork shortsword, masterwork longbow with 30 arrows, locket with continual flame cast on the inside of the clasp, mapping kit, 7 days of food and water.
THE ABERRATION HUNTER
monthly dues, which operate on a sliding scale. Entrance dues are 500 gp per character level, and yearly dues thereafter drop to 100 gp per character level. Levels of the darkrunner prestige class do not count when determining how much you owe. Of course, the guild won’t accept just anyone into its ranks. Typically, an applicant needs to have at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) and at least 7 ranks in Survival before she is considered for membership. Members of the guild hire themselves out as spies, explorers, or underground guides. Prices vary from region to region and according to the danger of the job, but typically a member can expect to be paid no less than 5 gp per character level (darkrunner levels count double) per day.
Goldeye: Medium viper; CR —; Medium magical beast; HD 4d8+3; hp 21; Init +4; Spd 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15; Base Atk +3; Grp +2; Atk or Full Atk +7 melee (1d4–1 plus poison, bite); SA poison; SQ evasion, low-light vision, scent; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +2; Str 9, Dex 18, Con 11, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2. Skills and Feats: Balance +12, Climb +12, Hide +13, Listen +6, Spot +6, Swim +7; Toughness, Weapon Finesse. Evasion (Ex): If Goldeye is exposed to any effect that normally allows it to attempt a Reflex save for half damage, it takes no damage with a successful saving throw. Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 12, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Con.
SOCIETY OF THE SANCTIFIED MIND This group’s members dedicate themselves to combating the machinations of evil psionics-using creatures wherever they can be found. The society considers its mission a crusade to rid the world of evil psionics-users, or at the very least to minimize their
219
