Trellis, the dual-hearted

[Keante]

Thanks to @bwatford for his excellent template.

Trellis
View Character Sheet

Basic Information

Race: Wyrwood | Gender: Male
Age: 65 | Height: 3' 0" | Weight: 35 lb
Class A (more Trellis): Druid (Avatar)
Class B (more Lumisar): Hedgewitch (Martial, Font of Inspiration)

 

Physical Description

Trellis's body is crafted from resilient wood, resembling the sturdy bark of the ancient trees that surround his wyrwood community. This wooden form is adorned with intricate carvings and etchings, reminiscent of the forest's foliage and patterns that pay homage to his people's connection with nature.

Trellis's aquamarine eyes gleam with a subtle, ethereal light, revealing a quiet intelligence and a keen awareness of his surroundings.

Embedded within his wooden frame, there are faint, luminescent veins that pulse with a soft, radiant energy. These veins trace intricate patterns across his body, particularly concentrated around his dual-heart, where Lumisar's crystalline essence is now seated beside his own.

His limbs are finely crafted, showing a balance of grace and strength. Each digit of his wooden hands is dexterous, capable of delicate tasks such as crafting intricate wooden sculptures, a skill he honed in his early years within the Wyrwood community.

Trellis's attire reflects his practicality and connection to the natural world. He typically wears earth-toned garments made from materials found in the forest, like leafy greens and earthy browns, which allow him to blend seamlessly into his woodland surroundings. Adorning his attire are small trinkets and charms collected from his travels, each holding sentimental value and a story of its own.

Overall, Trellis's physical appearance is a harmonious blend of nature and artifice, a testament to the beauty and complexity of wyrwood craftsmanship. His presence in any setting carries an aura of serenity and connection to the natural world, a testament to his reverence for the ancient forest and the mysteries that lie beyond.

 

Background

Trellis, from the moment of his awakening, displayed a deep sense of commitment to his people and a reverence for the forest that surrounded them.

Lumisar was always a wanderer, driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge. While many wyrwoods were content to remain within their secluded enclave, Lumisar yearned to explore the world beyond and uncover the mysteries that lay hidden in the forgotten tomes and dusty scrolls of distant libraries.

Their friendship blossomed, an unlikely pairing of steadfastness and wanderlust. Trellis admired Lumisar's unrelenting curiosity, while Lumisar marveled at Trellis's unwavering dedication to their people. They complemented each other in ways that only the closest of friends could, their differences forging an unbreakable bond.

Lumisar's frequent journeys outside of the community became a source of both admiration and concern for Trellis. He watched as his friend ventured into the world, returning with tales of distant lands, enigmatic artifacts, and tantalizing fragments of knowledge. But with each journey, Lumisar's wanderlust grew stronger, and he felt an irresistible pull toward the pursuit of ancient secrets.

Lumisar was returning from one of his quests when tragedy struck. A particularly violent storm brought down a large tree limb that crushed Lumisar's body. However, his heart, a radiant crystal imbued with his essence and experiences, survived the ordeal.

Upon finding the heart, Trellis knew that he had to honor Lumisar's memory and continue his quest for knowledge. He incorporated Lumisar's heart into his own body, forever intertwining their destinies and their souls. This transformative act imbued Trellis with a newfound vitality and a burning desire to seek answers to the questions that had driven Lumisar.

As Trellis set out from the wyrwood community, his purpose became clear: to honor his dear friend's legacy by fulfilling Lumisar's quest for ancient knowledge, and using all he found for the good of their home and community. Unlike Lumisar, however, he would not do it alone, so he traveled to Canismini.

 

Personality

Originally, Trellis exuded an air of quiet contemplation and unwavering dedication to his craft. His demeanor was akin to the ancient, gnarled trees that surrounded his wyrwood community, rooted in tradition and patient in his pursuits. Trellis was a symbol of steadfastness, content to labor in the heart of the forest, tending to the community's needs with meticulous care.

However, the incorporation of Lumisar's heart brought about a transformation within Trellis. Now, there's a newfound vitality in his eyes, a spark of curiosity and determination that wasn't there before. He still retains his innate patience and connection to the natural world, but it's tempered by a growing hunger for knowledge and a sense of purpose beyond the community's borders.

Trellis is a blend of the serene and the resolute. He remains deeply rooted in his commitment to the wyrwood community's survival, but alongside that devotion, there's an undeniable restlessness. He seeks answers to questions that extend far beyond the edge of the home he knows, compelled by Lumisar's unfulfilled quest for ancient knowledge.

This amalgamation of traits makes Trellis a complex individual. He is a quiet observer, quick to assess situations and consider the broader implications. His words carry a weight of wisdom and contemplation, and his gaze is often fixed on distant horizons, where mysteries beckon.

Yet, there's an undeniable duality to Trellis now. His once unwavering patience has been tempered by a sense of urgency, a readiness to seize opportunities and confront challenges head-on. He still values loyalty and connection built over old bonds of trust, but no longer can he afford to remain aloof for long years while a potential friend or ally proves himself. Lumisar's experiences have influenced his cautious nature with a strong dose of practicality.

Trellis is a wyrwood caught between two worlds, embodying the ancient traditions of his kind while embracing the uncharted path that Lumisar's heart has set before him. In his presence, one can sense the whispers of ancient trees and the quiet determination of an adventurer poised on the threshold of discovery.

 

 

 

---

 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by Keante (see edit history)

[Keante]

Statblock

0
NonL55
HPTrellis
Wyrwood ♂, Druid 5||Hedgewitch 5
Str 10, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 22, Wis 16, Cha 10
AC 21 (Flat 17, Touch 21) · Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +7 · BAB +3 · Init +4 · CMB +2, CMD 16 · MSB +5, MSD 16

---

Spell Pool 26/26 · Inspiration Pool 5/5 · Hero Points 3

---

Immune: _ · Resistances: _
Conditions: Healthy
Active Sphere Effects: None Currently

Action.

"Thought."

"Speech."

 

Mechanics

Common Skill Modifiers:
Perception: +11 +1d6
Sense Motive: +3
Stealth: +12

Knowledge:
Arcana, Dungeoneering, Geography, Nature, Planes: +14 +1d6
Engineering, History, Local: +11 +1d6
Nobility, Religion: untrained +6

Edited November 20, 2023 by Keante (see edit history)

[Keante]

Druid (Avatar)		Hedgewitch (Martial, Font of Inspiration)
martial tradition	Athletics sphere	casting tradition	Alteration sphere
martial tradition	Expanded Training	casting tradition	Elemental Transformation
martial tradition	Wall Stunt	gestalt equipment	Craftsman
martial tradition	Expanded Training	gestalt equipment	Toolkit Training
wild bond	Nature sphere	path benefit	Divination sphere
wild bond	Swift Movement	combat 1	Alchemy sphere (Salve)
blended 1	Expanded Geomancy	secret 2	Inv Knack: Expanded Inspiration
nature's voice	Speak With The Elements	magic 2	Expanded Geomancy
blended 2	Expanded Geomancy	magic 3	Expanded Geomancy
blended 3	Expanded Geomancy	combat 3	Scout sphere
blended 4	Track The Scene	secret 4	Inv Knack: Underworld Inspiration
blended 5	Create Nature	magic 4	Plant Transformation
		combat 5	Air Stunt

 

Character Feats		Origin
specialized training	ECT: Scale Foe	auxiliary	Darkvision (60ft)
specialized training	EMT: Manipulate Nature	auxiliary->utility	Keen Senses
specialized training	EMT: Hazardous Terrain	utility	Quick Rest
1	EMT: Nature Lord	potent	Specialized Training
1	EMT: Lingering Transformation	potent	Specialized Training
2	Extra Secret: Inv Knack: RT: Stand Up	potent	Specialized Training
3	Extra Secret: Inv Knack: RT: Wall Scramble	phenomenal auxiliary	Void Denizen
4	Extra Secret: Inv Knack: RT: Hidden Space	phenomenal utility	Self-Sustaining
5	Extra Secret: Inv Knack: RT: Hidden Space	variation: partial construction (wood)	Supplemental Artifice
2 trait trade	EMT: Agile

 

Oath Points

Enhanced Abilities (2 pts)
Incredible Metabolism (1 pt)
Quick Recovery (2 pts)

Trait

Favorite Shape - elemental transformation

Martial Tradition

Free Runner

Casting Tradition

Mind

 

Equipment

Item	Value	Weight
+2 implement of Nature	free
+2 implement of Alteration	free
Traveler's Any-Tool	250 gp	2 lbs
Boots of the Cat	1000 gp	1 lb
Iron Spike of Safe Passage	2000 gp	2 lbs
masterwork battle wrench	380 gp	3 lbs

 

Edited October 22, 2023 by Keante (see edit history)

[Keante]

Pummel (Huge branch/tree) -- +9 to hit for 2d6+3 damage

Create Fire of size Small, Affect Fire increase three size categories to Huge -- 5d6 damage, Reflex half

Edited October 20, 2023 by Keante (see edit history)

[Arklytte]

Heya Keante!

Looking good so far. I really like the Wyrwood. Is that an official race, or something you came up with yourself? Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing how it all comes together.

[Keante]

Hi Ark! The Wyrwood is official, first introduced in Bestiary 4, then expanded with alternate options in Inner Sea Races. It also has a little more description in 2e.

Still re-adjusting a lot of things from my initial abandoned idea (the halfling chimney sweep). I also don't know yet how many construct traits I'll try to achieve via Origin talents. That seems like a piece I could finalize after selection, so I'll try to focus more for now on the direction of his magic/combat talent choices.

[Arklytte]

Cool beans. I'm definitely going to be checking them out. 😃

Sounds good. So long as your fluffy bits are done, and your crunchy stuff at least shows me the major direction you're heading in, that's enough for me to make my decisions. Anything more you get done before decision time is gravy.

[Keante]

@Arklytte

I've been waffling quite a bit on my selections within the Hedgewitch class (so many choices!) but I think I want to go with the Martial archetype and the Font of Inspiration path rather than my current selection of the Charlatanism and Tinker paths. Also, wanted to ask you about this Font of Inspiration secret:

Quote

Prescient Dodger: She gains the prescient dodger rogue talent, using her hedgewitch level in place of her rogue level. This stacks with any rogue levels she possesses. If the hedgewitch already has this rogue talent, she can select another rogue talent she qualifies for.

Prescient Dodger is the same thing as the Primal Ward feature from Avatar--that is, a monk-like bonus to AC. Can I just go straight into rogue talents instead of buying a redundant Prescient Dodger first?

 

One more thing: I get Beastmastery sphere as a bonus from my druid archetype. However, I don't see Trellis doing mounted combat, nor do I think I really want to be managing a fleet of tamed animal allies. Even getting the Animal Companion talent is giving me pause, though. We have 5 party members, and I have an elemental summon (another feature of the archetype) that will be good for combat. I have a feeling that adding an animal companion will make things really crowded. What do you think? I think a good solution would be to turn that Beastmastery bonus into a 2nd Nature sphere bonus talent, or maybe Scout or Athletics if we want to keep it combat rather than magic. I'll be allocating talents to all those, regardless.

Edited October 17, 2023 by Keante (see edit history)

[Arklytte]

10 hours ago, Keante said:

Prescient Dodger is the same thing as the Primal Ward feature from Avatar--that is, a monk-like bonus to AC. Can I just go straight into rogue talents instead of buying a redundant Prescient Dodger first?

Meaning you want to trade out Prescient Dodger for both access to the Rogue Talent list, as well as swapping PD out for another Rogue Talent? Sure, I'm down with that.

 

Swap Beastmastery, and any bonus Beastmastery talents you get for other Martial talents of your choice. I'd rather you didn't trade them directly for Magical ones, because that's almost always a pretty significant power leap.

[Keante]

6 hours ago, Arklytte said:

Meaning you want to trade out Prescient Dodger for both access to the Rogue Talent list, as well as swapping PD out for another Rogue Talent? Sure, I'm down with that.

Yeah. The way I was thinking of it was, let's treat this as if I've already taken this Prescient Dodger secret once (since my feature is equal to that initial benefit), so that taking it now activates the clause about getting some other rogue talent instead.

...and now I just realized that this doesn't have the line about selecting it multiple times like the Charlatan's rogue talent secret does:

Quote

Trickery: The charlatan gains a rogue talent of her choice, treating her hedgewitch levels as rogue levels when determining the effects. This stacks with any rogue levels she possesses. She may select this secret multiple times. Each time it is taken, gain another rogue talent.

So I guess this would just work once, taking the PD secret once and saying Primal Ward counts as the PD rogue talent, therefore gaining some other rogue talent of my choice. After that I'd have to take...

Quote

Investigative Knack: A font of inspiration can select an investigator talent, but cannot select any talents that require a class feature they do not have. She may select this secret multiple times, each time picking a new investigator talent.

...which can get me some of the Spheres rogue talents...

Quote

An investigator may select arcane infiltration, catty stalker, chance feat, dim mak, focused infiltration, hidden space, major spherecasting, minor spherecasting, now you see it, purring bandit, shadow shaper, shadow tools, and smokescreen in place of an investigator talent.

...or one of the whitelisted rogue talents from the regular Pathfinder list:

Quote

Rogue Talent (Ex) (Advanced Class Guide pg. 32): An investigator can select one of the following rogue talents in place of an investigator talent: acrobatic assist^CAC, assault leader^APG, black market connections^UC, camouflage^APG, canny observer^APG, charmer^APG, coax information^APG, combat swipe^APG, convincing liar^UC, cunning trigger^APG, deft palm^UC, demand attention^CAC, expert leaper^APG, fast fingers^APG, fast getaway^APG, fast picks^APG, fast stealth, firearm training^UC, got your back^CAC, guileful polyglot^APG, grit^UC, hard to fool^APG, hold breath^UC, honeyed words^APG, iron guts^UC, lasting poison^APG, ledge walker, major magic, minor magic, nimble climber^APG, peerless maneuver^APG, quick disable, quick disguise^APG, quick trapsmith^APG, resilience, rogue crawl, rope master^UC, stand up, strong stroke^UC, terrain master^UC, trap spotter, or wall scrambler^UC. Any talent effects based on rogue level use the investigator’s class level. If the rogue talent has a prerequisite (such as the major magic rogue talent requiring the minor magic talent), the investigator must fulfill the prerequisite before selecting that rogue talent. This talent can be selected multiple times; each time, it grants the investigator a new rogue talent.

If I want more I'd face a tax of spending one secret on Amateur Charlatan first (getting a Versatile Performance I don't want) to gain access to the full rogue talent list with following secrets. But you know what, that list covers more than I thought it did, and now I feel bad for whining about it. 🫣

 

6 hours ago, Arklytte said:

Swap Beastmastery, and any bonus Beastmastery talents you get for other Martial talents of your choice. I'd rather you didn't trade them directly for Magical ones, because that's almost always a pretty significant power leap.

You are both wise and gracious, a gentleman and a scholar!