Farranger Bladebiter

[6-13-11]  ^ Yasia Bladebiter, Tiefling Adventurer

Name: Yasia Bladebiter
Race: Tiefling (Tanar'ri descent) __________ Role: PC
Alignment: Neutral Evil __________________ Gender: Female

Classes:  Ranger | Fighter | Horizon Walker | Duelist | (splash of campaign-specific class) 
Ability Scores: -v
 
Skills: Survival, Intimidate, Knowledge (the planes), Craft (weapons), Handle Animal OR Heal
Combat Skills: Spot, Escape Artist (escape grapples), Tumble (avoid AoOs)



 Relevant Feats:
Ranger: Two Weapon Fighting, Evasion (more effective Reflex saves), Animal Companion (underlevelled badger), Vermin Empathy
Fighter: Weapon Finesse (DEX to attack), Combat Expertise (attack to AC), ??? (needs +damage somehow)
Horizon Walker: Astral Plane Dominance (dimension door as SLA), Aligned Plane Dominance (bypass certain DR)
Duelist: Canny Defense (INT to AC), Grace (higher Reflex saves)

Armor & Weapons:
* accessorized blue-purple/brown/iron cloth or light armor, depending upon Duelist variant in use
* mainhand sickle, with damage enhancements
* offhand shortsword, with defensive enhancements

Other Equipment:
* 1x scabbard, since people probably don't make scabbards for sickles
* 1x goggles, not pictured, because dust in the eyes is unfun
* ?x bandages, to fix assorted mishaps with

Goals:
* Survive and if possible thrive, best accomplished by adapting oneself to the region in proper Ranger fashion.
* As a corollary, avoid attracting the interest of any powers that be in the region. On the Lower Planes at least, the powerful are fully expected to enslave the weak, take what they can, and smash rivals into dust. What else would they even do with power?

Thoughts About:
* "Nah, just a ranger won't do. You're in the Lower Planes! Gonna need a farranger to get through the wastes in one piece."
* "Bladebiter? That one's mostly human. Eugh. Keeps to herself, though - you'll probably find her just outside the walls."

General Notes:
So I just finished playing Dragon Age Origins, a City Elf version of Yasia here serving as my character. The combat was better than NWN2's, especially when foes were using neither Fireball nor Overwhelm, although half of the kinda small stable of armor designs were absurd. A pity the DLC did absolutely nothing to provide the story with closure.

After that, I ended up reading some 3.5e homebrew on the D&D Wiki, and that was outright inspiring. An Evil-aligned planar desert? Perfect place to put this character, or at least better than the mundane settings which I'd rather put other characters in.

I'm going to need more practice with these portmanteau profession names, though.

Technical Notes:
Prototyped using HeroMachine 3, which might've helped solidify the concept, but the visual output was... not good. Otherwise, just practicing established techniques and trying out backgrounds.

A Paragon of the Ja'Tazak Empire

 <- Cad'Ayern, Ja'Tazak Admiral
(normally he wears a uniform)

Cad'Mirin, Ja'Tazak Captain ->
(daughter of Cad'Ayern, also his secretary)

Title: Admiral Cad'Ayern
Species: Ja'Tazak
* Sand-blue humanoid raptors which sport dorsal fins and tripartite mandibles.
Homeworld: Neo Skezeek

Role: Antagonist
Gender: Male
Archetypes: Aging Naval Commander, Perfectionist
Themes: Satiation/Discontent, Knots

Is Awesome Because:
* Celebrated for successfully staging the takeover of a couple minor neighboring species' planets, and for forging an arms deal with the Skraz.
* Every bit the ruthless noble which promising individuals of his kind are brought up to be. Really does not care about the lives of enlisted pilots, most aliens, ect., and will sacrifice such readily for tangible benefit.

Equipment:
* 1x navy/black/red Admiral's uniform, customized
* 1x command sash, features prestigious decorations
* ?x digital interface eyewear, for enhanced consumption of information and also intimidation factor
* 1x rather comfortable bed, which dumps occupants who oversleep onto the floor

Resources:
* 1x spacecraft carrier, core component of a small personal fleet - usually operated in absentia by a Commodore
* 1x bunker suite on Neo Skezeek, standard issue for important government types
* 1x Captain/Commodore who would rather be an Agent, of familial relation

Goals:
* Success of the Empire, which means constant expansion; terraforming barren planets and other alternatives simply aren't as efficient as liberating existing infrastructure from inferior alien populations.

Enemies:
* The Coraxyon, who are kind of getting in the way of interstellar expansion.
* Certain Ja'Tazak military brass, eager for a rare opening in the fleet-commanding admiralty.

Weaknesses:
* Blinding pride, is thoroughly convinced of Ja'Tazak Empire's overall superiority. May burn up a resource normally disposable, or waste the element of surprise.
* Aging physically, and finds the looming spectre of mental degradation frightening like nothing else.

Notes:
- www.behindthename.com/name/cadeyrn
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_knot
- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/88/Grossmith_as_Gen_Stanley.jpg
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_absentia
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebensraum

^- Not all Ja'Tazak are angry-looking military types!
(Just, those military types are found on a pretty high rung of the Empire's social ladder.)

Technical Notes:
* In Cartooning class this past semester, we learned to start drawing characters with an action line - which usually follows the spine, allowing for a sense of motion in the drawing, - and to design the underlying structure before the character's fancy clothes.

* In Painting class the previous semester, we learned to layer different colors instead of just swathing a single one onto a whole region. I probably talked about that before, but messing with colors continues to be really fun when it works out. I still have enough trouble getting the lineart to work out first, though.

* Whilst learning how to illustrate my characters, I also hope to learn how to make them more interesting fictional people. Hopefully I'll be able to tell when and by how much I've failed or succeeded.