Boz, the Arcane Trickster - Human Rogue

[GleefulNihilism]

Boz - Rogue 1

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N

Medium

Human

Versatile Heritage

Humanoid

Perception +5; Low-Light Vision
Languages None selected
Skills Acrobatics +7, Arcana +4, Athletics +3, Crafting +4, Deception +5, Diplomacy +5, Intimidation +5, Lore: Underworld +4, Occultism +4, Stealth +7, Thievery +7
Str +0, Dex +4, Con +2, Int +1, Wis +0, Cha +2
Items Leather, Backpack, Bedroll, Chalk (10), Flint and Steel, Rope, Rations (2), Torch (5), Waterskin, Soap, Climbing Kit, The Old Mage Deck, Clothing (Explorer's)

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AC 18; Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +5
HP 18
Nimble Dodge Requirements You are not encumbered. Trigger A creature targets you with an attack and you can see the attacker. You deftly dodge out of the way, gaining a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against the triggering attack.

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Speed 25 feet
Melee Dagger +7 (Agile, Finesse, Thrown 10 ft., Versatile S), Damage 1d4+4 P
Melee Rapier +7 (Deadly d8, Disarm, Finesse), Damage 1d6+4 P
Trick Magic Item  (General, Manipulate, Skill) Prerequisites trained in Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion You examine a magic item you normally couldn’t use in an effort to fool it and activate it temporarily. For example, this might allow a fighter to cast a spell from a wand or allow a wizard to cast a spell that’s not on the arcane list using a scroll. You must know what activating the item does, or you can’t attempt to trick it. Attempt a check using the skill matching the item’s magic tradition, or matching a tradition that has the spell on its list, if you’re trying to cast a spell from the item. The relevant skills are Arcana for arcane, Nature for primal, Occultism for occult, Religion for divine, or any of the four for an item that has the magical trait and not a tradition trait. The GM determines the DC based on the item’s level (possibly adjusted depending on the item or situation). If you activate a magic item that requires a spell attack roll or spell DC and you don’t have the ability to cast spells of the relevant tradition, use your level as your proficiency bonus and the highest of your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifiers. If you’re a master in the appropriate skill for the item’s tradition, you instead use the trained proficiency bonus, and if you’re legendary, you instead use the expert proficiency bonus. Success For the rest of the current turn, you can spend actions to activate the item as if you could normally use it. Failure You can’t use the item or try to trick it again this turn, but you can try again on subsequent turns. Critical Failure You can’t use the item, and you can’t try to trick it again until your next daily preparations.
Precision Damage Sneak Attack 1d6
Arcane Innate Spells DC 15, attack +5; Cantrips Detect Magic
Additional Feats Arcane Sense, Experienced Smuggler, Gloomseer, Tumble Behind (Rogue)
Additional Specials Rogue's Racket (Thief Racket), Sneak Attack, Surprise Attack

Edited April 22 by GleefulNihilism (see edit history)

[GleefulNihilism]

The Arcane Trickster

Name: Boz

Description and Personality: Boz has that hungry look in his eyes of someone that's had to work, or steal, for everything he's had in life. He keeps his eyes open, his knives sharp, and his mind racing just to survive and it kind of shows. Tends for darker clothing with hoods and often walks on the balls of his feet just out of habit. A bit on the short side with short hair, but also a bit on the handsome side so it kind of evens out.

As for his personality it's like he knows there's a joke going on around him and he's on the inside of it. Mostly he's an unrepentant criminal always looking for the next big score. Secretly though he has a soft spot for those that the nobility and society has tossed aside. He's one of them after all. He's been known to pull jobs on targets just because they were mean to orphans for example. He's aware that he has great magical potential, enough that he can bring some of it to the field if it’s too late for a full education.

 

Bio: You know, normally the betrayal comes *after* the heist. Not before.

Stop me if you've heard this tale before. A group of adventurers making their way through the world, stalwart friends tied together in courage and honor. Among this company being a Wizard named Duran, a Rogue named Ena, and a Druidess named Eimhir. The whole company knew that Duran was an ambitious and selfish man, but they had no idea how much.

When a chance to claim some political power presented itself, Duran sold out all of his "friends" without hesitation leading to many of their deaths. Even more shocking, it was discovered that he secretly had "romantic" relationships going with both Ena and Eimhir, and he dropped them both behind him like they were garbage to marry into a noble house.

Ena and Eimhir's friendship survived, mostly by virtue of recognizing that Duran was the one that really deserved the blame for the sting of betrayal they were feeling. Unfortunately, Eimhir discovered soon after that she was having Duran's bastard as well and she didn't survive the birth. "Aunt" Ena tried to track down the newly appointed Archmage Duran to let him know that he had a son - and Duran responded by trying to kill them both.

Now, put yourself in Ena's shoes. You're now a target for one of the most politically powerful Wizards in the Kingdom, and you have proof of a scandal that could in theory end his political ambitions - proof that also happens to be the son of your recently departed best friend. Where would you go? Where *could* you go? Calling up some old contacts, Ena joined a Thieves Guild and brought her “nephew” with him.

To compound the tragedy, Boz showed a talent for magic at an early age like both of his parents. Fearful for Boz’s safety but wanting to foster his talent Ena did manage to arrange for the Guild to give him some of an education. The results were mixed at best and never enough to meet his ambitions, but Boz did become a member of the Guild at least.

In the Light of Respectable Society, the Archmage Duran shines as an example of a Loyal and Patriotic Mage. And somewhere in the Shadows, his Bastard son plots to take him down a peg or two, because *someone* has to.

Edited April 18 by GleefulNihilism (see edit history)

[GleefulNihilism]

1. What is your experience with Pathfinder 2e?

Answer

Some. Not enough to DM but I've tried to throw a Kobald Bard around and got to play them. Not well, but it was there.

2. What is your experience with PbP?

Answer

Been playing TTRPGs since the early 2000's and started with PbPs not long after. I'm pretty new to this particular site, but I've been around.

3. What is your Role-playing Experience (overall, PbP and otherwise)? And, what makes a game "good"?

Answer

As mentioned, been doing TTRPGs since the early 2000s and started PbP not long after. What makes a game good? This is going sound almost trite but just remembering that everyone's there to have fun. I've had some spectaculrly bad DMs over the years and it's usually just some variation of forgetting that. [Though the DMPCs I've seen over the years would not help.

4. Please link me a couple examples of your Roleplaying here at the Weave (preferred). If no examples, be sure to post an "RP" in the open RP thread (when I get one up) I'd like to see a sample of your game-style writing.

Answer

Site actually went down as I went to get samples but off the top of my head -

VtM - Warl0ck - "Lisa" was the daughter of an NKVD colonel and if the USSR hadn't collapsed she probably would at this point be the head of a cyberwarfare division. Then again, she'd probably also have a pulse. One of the first big Hackers on the then fledgling Internet, her Sire was one of the first to recognize the potential usefulness of the new technology to the Camirilla and "Lisa" was embraced a Nosferatu. Viewing herself as an intellectual equal of any Prince, she has plans to establish herself as a Prince of Cyberspace. With the dissambly of ShreckNet v2.0 her plans have been set back but she thinks she v3.0 is inevitable and she's going to be there to create something beautiful - that will make herself very powerful in the process.

Star Trek Adventures - Commander Bass "The Bass-Thich" Th'ichallaq as a battle-hardened Andorian who infamously has in his medical file orders that doctors are to do nothing about scars he might acquire over the course of his duties, especially if the event also resulted in the death of someone under his command. He calls it the Poetry of a Soldier. A survivor of the failed Amaria Colony, at one point he had to decide whether to let a local predator eat his younger sister or all the fingers on his right hand. The fingers there now are biosynthetic, his sister now teaches wilderness survival courses on Andoria's Laiken Military Academy, and he learned a lesson about making the hard choices and accepting the consequences. Considered shockingly ruthless and pragmatic by Starfleet standards, it's a common mistake by those under his command to think he doesn't believe in the ideals of the Federation. If anything, the opposite. He wants them to be true more than anything - but he also knows that the Universe is a cold place and that Ideals are something that are only true as far as you're willing to fight for them.

5. Tell me about a couple of your favorite characters you've actually played (in PBP or even in TT) and why you enjoyed those characters so much.

Answer

Well, going off site - I noticed a while back I tend to lean into Paladin or Rogue archetypes. lol

Mutants and Masterminds - "Vox" - On paper he's a reformed Anarchist-Terrorist Supervillain. Really he's only "reformed" in the sense that he recognizes that his old tactics weren't really working at spreading his ideals, and on a particularly bad day accidentally got an innocent bystander killed. Seeking a better way and a measure of self-forgiveness, he volunteered to help provide his previous enemies technical assistance with his inventions and eventually got a pardon and was promoted to full team status when he was instrumental in stopping an attempted Fascist takeover the US. Now he fights to make the world a better place, even if he has to work with these well-meaning tools of the state to do it.
Vox is a compelling character that just has to fight with everybody, and is deeply diametrically opposed with even his own teammates save for one very important thing. He's someone who obviously just wants to help and do the right thing, just don't be surprised if you strongly disagree with how the best form of that help should come. Even with himself as he blames himself for the death of an innocent too the point that he was suicidal for a while, an slowly he's trying to be a better person and is making progress little by little. Plus part of his background was that he was mute from a childhood bout with throat cancer, adding extra challenges with communication.
Also, Battlesuits are cool, lol.

DnD 5e - "Captain" Enzo Park - According to the hype-men of the Gladitorial Arenas he was forced to fight in, Captain Enzo Park has the record of being the youngest ever Captain in the Ikkarian Royal Navy and he got to his title from being a tactical and military genius. The only reason they managed to capture him at all was because he was betrayed by his fellow officers, and now he fights for your entertainment.
Except that's pretty much all a lie. Lt. Enzo Park was serving on the Ikkarian Vessel "The Queen's Ascendence" when they were ambused by 4 Kimorian Slaver Ships. They fought valiently, but obviously they lost when they had 4 to 1 odds. The surviving crew captured and sold to Kimoria's main gladitorial arena, Lt. Park is the highest ranking surviving officer so by Ikkarian tradition he is the acting Captain for now but that's as close as it is to true. Though his sense of tactics and strategy is considered pretty good *for a gladiator*, but Genius? That's just the hype-men selling tickets. But make no mistake, he will do whatever it takes to get the rest of his crew Home.
Enzo is an Idealist in one of the world's ugliest places, the slave pits of an arena. Sort of a Non-Paladin Paladin who holds ideals of Honor and Duty above all else. He will keep his fellow gladiators alive if he can, he will get his crew home, or he will die trying. He is determined to make it that simlpe. I liked the clash of what he feels versus what is right in front of him.

6. Name (do not use the "mention" function) one or more players 'applying' for this game ("Shadows of the City") whom you would like to be accepted 

Answer

Sorry, too new to this site to really be able to make that call.

 

[GleefulNihilism]

Tried a quick update. As you might have guessed, the original idea was to go Eldritch Trickster but it occured to me that going Thief and banking into magic with the build would probably fit the better. I'm thinking a bit of Minor Magic, maybe a Sorcerer Dedication. Something like that. I also admit I like the idea that Boz is a full-on member of a Thieve's Guild as you see, but I don't know enough about the setting to pick one.

Anywho, while I can't quite answer question 6 the way you want I do think I can still help you out a bit by dropping any special notes that come up when I look at the other characters.

• Nico - KITTY!
• Enoch Hawkmoor - I always have a weakness for the Paladin / Rogue dynamic. Yes, he's not literially a Paladin but clearly he's going for that vibe.
• Minerva - Let me just say I love the look. Also love the Witch more general vibe/approach to magic and going a bit dark is a great touch. And I admit, like the idea of having a magical mentor for Boz in a hypothetical party.
• Mira doesn't seem done, but I always chuckle at "I'm the Cook".
• Maggie and Bubble - Alright, the leaning into the Theater and Performance bit totally saves this idea for me.
• Razig is not messing around, respect. Like how this pulls in more of the setting too.
• Sareem feels like they could use more meat on the bone so to speak, but I like what I see. Again, the mentor angle comes up.
• Kiptani - Always had a weakness for Kobald Bards, lol.

[GleefulNihilism]

Groovy, now might be a good time to do some fine tweaking for the setting if you want to maximize some hook potential. Off the top of my head -

• Boz’s archmage father’s identity can be tweaked. I’m picturing someone who is a particularly powerful wizard and is considered an archmage, but maybe knowing more for their political power than magical power.
• I like the idea that Boz is in a thieves guild, I don’t know the setting well enough to pick one. I am thinking of the more morally gray ones though, at least not one that’s known for murder. Maybe even one that frowns on its members killing people outside of self-defense situations, if maybe more because they feel like that says you’re not a very good thief than out of actual morals.

[TheDude2371]

Thieves' Guild -- Port Torvin does have its share of organizations. Not all of them are as unprincipled as one would think. I'm putting it that there is one - small as it is - that isn't inclined to violence. Cons, the odd pickpocketing in crowds or breaking and entering, just so long as no one gets hurt. Take from those that can afford it. Some of what's obtained even goes to help others. Well, not those in the Beggars' Guild, they do pretty well for themselves as it is...

 

I'm not playing too much into the politics of the world. Back in that era, I doubt that really came into play, at least not when I was playing back then. Whether your father is from the Port Torvin area, or even from the Sea Princes' Hold region is up to you. It sounds like your ol' Dad wasn't around much, in fact likely despises you... that is, if he's kept tabs on you, which is likely, but probably not high on his list of what's important.

 

[GleefulNihilism]

We seem to be on similiar pages. :P

• Awww, that's adorable. Yeah, maybe it's a branch office of a bigger guild but I do figure I could meet other players halfway on this. Boz is a proper Guilded Thief, and that implies not only crime but enough crime that there's a systemic and organized approach to criminal activity but there are rules the rest of society benefits from. It doesn't have to be puppy-rainbows nice but rules like "avoid unnecessary violence and only kill in kill-or-be-killed situations" and "don't steal from those worse off then you are" can be among them. It might even be a thing that a percentage of takes go toward community projects. Some of the motivation might genuinely be altruism, but just as likely it's just the guild trying to intentionally invoke the power of PR. [Got to have a reason that the Paladin and the Rogue can be in the same room.]
• It's entirely possible that dad thinks Boz is dead at this point actually. So yeah, he won't come up much *at first* but that can change as Boz gets noticed.

[TheDude2371]

Works for me. Granted, you guys won't be in PT for very long...

[TheDude2371]

And I head "That's adorable" in Chris Hardwick's voice... :D

[GleefulNihilism]

Wasn't even going for that, but I'll take it.

And yeah, obviously at some point Papa-Jerk figures it out. Might be a bit depending on how some cards are played, but it'll happen. Wouldn't have it any other way.