Mouse, Street Rat on the Run

[technoRomancer]

 

Mouse

"..."

 

Human (Versatile) ANCESTRY     Framed in Ferrous Quarter BACKGROUND     Investigator CLASS

Appearance

No matter her actual mood, Mouse's default expression tends towards the morose. Her posture is perpetually slouched, and she always seems to be staring off pensively at something in the distance. A pale and thin-skinned complexion, unfocused grey eyes, and thin brownish-grey hair suggest someone who is fading away, not entirely present. When she does speak, she's a mumbler and her tone often comes off as bored and monotonous. You can tell she's really gotten worked up when she raises her voice. Few would describe her as pretty, with that offputting air, and she's petite enough to be mistaken for a tall halfling. Still, her features are fair enough; it's mostly her personality that turns people off.

 

Mouse dresses simply, and lightly as possible when weather allows, preferring comfortable and functional clothing in neutral colors. She never learned modesty and finds heavy layers confining and itchy, especially in the atmosphere of the Ferrous Quarter. Her fashion sense isn't entirely bland - she enjoys more subtle decorations, lace or small frills and simple jewelry made with leather, bone, feathers, and scrap metal. In fact, she makes a lot of the jewelry she wears herself in her spare time. When her hands are otherwise unoccupied, she often finds herself putting new braids in her medium-length hair, incorporating whatever materials are at hand into it.

Personality

Mouse prefers to keep to herself, but she's not unfriendly. She likes the company of animals, constructs, and folk who similarly keep things uncomplicated, content with companionable silences. She's very comfortable with platonic physical contact - if someone allows it Mouse will practically drape herself over them, idly playing with hands, hair, or clothes while she reads a borrowed book, works through a problem, or fiddles with a project. She can be prodded into conversation with some effort and patience, particularly when a shared interest comes up, and can get quite uncharacteristically animated when she's really engaged on a subject.

 

While she can be pessimistic, Mouse's moods are much more varied than first blush suggests. She's not suppressing her emotions; she just doesn't express them well. Despite her apparent spaciness, Mouse can pick up on a lot of things others don't notice. She actually has a pretty weird sense of humor and whispers observations that she thinks companions would find as hilarious as she does. She seems fairly innocent and naïve when it comes to worldly ways, but is a frighteningly quick study with a sharp wit. This is fortunate, as "easily distracted" and "eerily observant" turn out to be a potent combination for getting Mouse into unexpected trouble. In conversation she's as timid as her namesake, often trying to keep companions between herself and those she interacts with - but when she has something important to say, she keeps pressing until it gets through. She has strong opinions about self-determination and sometimes feels guilty for relying on others so much.

 

Mouse is flighty and easily startled by loud noises or bright lights; when thrust into dangerous situations, she prefers to book it, or hide and call encouragement to braver folk from safety. Still, she struggles admirably against her fear, with no desire to abandon a friend or someone she's committed to helping. She's learned to value freedom - not just her own, but that of others, and when she sees others getting bossed around, manipulated, or outright enslaved, the young street rat feels a need to intervene. Sometimes this comes in the form of a surprisingly passionate Mouse running her mouth for once and others fending off the people she's rankled. But more commonly, she schemes and waits quietly until the opportunity presents itself for her to enact a more subtle form of karma.

Background

For as long as she can remember, Mouse has been on her own in the grimy streets and dim back alleys of the Ferrous Quarter. It's not the worst place to be a street rat, with a sort of camaraderie among the locals and more than enough places to hide away from nosy shieldmarshals. It was by no means an easy life, but there were plenty of folks in need of a slight frame, keen eye, and nimble fingers - whether that meant getting into the mechanical guts of an engine or automaton, or picking pockets while street performers kept a crowd entranced. Mouse prefers honest work, though she's better suited to fine crafts than manual labor, often seen hanging around the alchemist and artificer workshops and lending a hand when they have coin to spare for her expertise. Still, she won't turn her nose up at taking from those more fortunate than her and her neighbors to keep food in her belly. She's not the gregarious sort, but she's earned a modest reputation for reliability with those willing to employ her talents both above and below board. 

 

Less well known is Mouse's bad habit of meting out petty justice on those who have harmed her neighborhood, usually the sort who the law won't bother to deal with or can't touch. Most of the time this comes in the form of pranks or vandalism, though she can get a bit carried away when someone has particularly earned her ire. She'd managed to pull it off without bringing attention to the quiet, unassuming Mouse for years - until she suddenly earned the wrong sort of attention entirely. She's not sure if she screwed up and someone is retaliating, or if someone noticed the patterns and decided to use her as a scapegoat. Mouse knows she's got plenty of marks on her ledger, but she definitely didn't commit the murder that the Deputy Shieldmarshal has pinned on her! Now with her reputation in the mud and short on folks willing to stick their neck out for her, she doesn't have a lot of options left if she wants to survive with her freedom and life intact.

 

 

STR 10 (+0)

DEX 16 (+3)

CON 12 (+1)

INT 18 (+4)

WIS 12 (+1)

CHA 10 (+0)

 

BASICS	SAVES
Perception +6 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (WIS) Speed 25 feet Alignment Chaotic Good	Fortitude +4 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (CON) Reflex +8 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (DEX) Will +6 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (WIS)

SKILLS

PROFICIENCIES

Acrobatics +6 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (DEX) Arcana +7 🅣🅔🅜🅛  (INT) Athletics +3 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (STR) Crafting +7 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (INT) Deception +3 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (CHA) Intimidation +0 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (CHA) Lore: Engineering +7 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (INT) Lore: Alkenstar +7 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (INT) Medicine +4 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (WIS) Nature +1 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (WIS) Occultism +7 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (INT) Performance +0 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (CHA) Religion +1 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (WIS) Society +7 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (INT) Stealth +6 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (DEX) Survival +4 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (WIS) Thievery +6 🅣🅔🅜🅛 (DEX)

Class DC 10 🅣🅔🅜🅛 Unarmed Attacks  🅣🅔🅜🅛 Simple Weapons  🅣🅔🅜🅛 Martial Weapons  🅣🅔🅜🅛 Advanced Weapons  🅣🅔🅜🅛 Unarmoured Defence 🅣🅔🅜🅛 Light Armour 🅣🅔🅜🅛 Medium Armour 🅣🅔🅜🅛 Heavy Armour 🅣🅔🅜🅛 Languages Common, Dwarven, Kelish, Goblin   Character Sheet

 

FEATS AND ABILITIES

ANCESTRY FEATS	CLASS FEATS	GENERAL FEATS
Cooperative NatureThe short human life span lends perspective and has taught you from a young age to set aside differences and work with others to achieve greatness. You gain a +4 circumstance bonus on checks to Aid.	Known WeaknessesWhenever you Devise a Stratagem, you can also attempt a check to Recall Knowledge as part of that action. If you critically succeed at the Recall Knowledge check, you notice a weakness and gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your attack roll from Devise a Stratagem. If you immediately convey this information to your allies as part of the check, each ally gains a +1 circumstance bonus to their next attack roll against the subject, as long as their attack is made before the beginning of your next turn.

SKILL FEATS	CLASS ABILITIES	ARCHETYPE FEATS
Specialty Crafting (Alchemy)Your training focused on Crafting one particular kind of item. Select one of the specialties listed below; you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Crafting checks to Craft items of that type. If you are a master in Crafting, this bonus increases to +2. If it’s unclear whether the specialty applies, the GM decides. Some specialties might apply only partially. For example, if you were making a morningstar and had specialty in woodworking, the GM might give you half your bonus because the item requires both blacksmithing and woodworking. Alchemical CraftingYour methodology emphasizes chemical and alchemical analysis, collecting information from unusual particles and fluids found on the scene. You possess enough alchemical know-how to whip up a few tinctures to help you with your cases. You're trained in Crafting and gain the Alchemical Crafting skill feat. In addition, you gain a standard formula book for free and learn the formulas for two additional common 1st-level alchemical items, which must be elixirs or tools. Each time you gain a level, you learn the formula for one common alchemical elixir or alchemical tool of any level of item you can create. During your daily preparations, you can create a number of versatile vials—alchemical concoctions that can quickly be turned into elixirs and tools— equal to your Intelligence modifier. You can use the Quick Tincture action to turn one of these vials into an elixir or alchemical tool for which you know the formula. Quick Tincture InvestigatorManipulate Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 57 2.0 Cost 1 versatile vial Requirements You know the formula for the alchemical item you're creating, you are holding or wearing alchemist's tools, and you have a free hand. You quickly brew up a short-lived tincture. You create a single alchemical elixir or tool of your level or lower without having to spend the normal monetary cost in alchemical reagents or needing to attempt a Crafting check. This item has the infused trait, but it remains potent only until the end of the current turn. Subtle Theft (Versatile Heritage)When you successfully Steal something, observers (creatures other than the creature you stole from) take a –2 circumstance penalty to their Perception DCs to detect your theft. Additionally, if you first Create a Diversion using Deception, taking a single Palm an Object or Steal action doesn’t end your undetected condition.	Alchemical Sciences MethodologyYour methodology emphasizes chemical and alchemical analysis, collecting information from unusual particles and fluids found on the scene. You possess enough alchemical know-how to whip up a few tinctures to help you with your cases. You're trained in Crafting and gain the Alchemical Crafting skill feat. In addition, you gain a standard formula book for free and learn the formulas for two additional common 1st-level alchemical items, which must be elixirs or tools. Each time you gain a level, you learn the formula for one common alchemical elixir or alchemical tool of any level of item you can create. During your daily preparations, you can create a number of versatile vials—alchemical concoctions that can quickly be turned into elixirs and tools— equal to your Intelligence modifier. You can use the Quick Tincture action to turn one of these vials into an elixir or alchemical tool for which you know the formula. Quick Tincture InvestigatorManipulate Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 57 2.0 Cost 1 versatile vial Requirements You know the formula for the alchemical item you're creating, you are holding or wearing alchemist's tools, and you have a free hand. You quickly brew up a short-lived tincture. You create a single alchemical elixir or tool of your level or lower without having to spend the normal monetary cost in alchemical reagents or needing to attempt a Crafting check. This item has the infused trait, but it remains potent only until the end of the current turn. Strategic StrikeWhen you strike carefully and with forethought, you deal a telling blow. When making a Strike that adds your Intelligence modifier on your attack roll due to Devising a Stratagem, you deal an additional 1d6 precision damage. As your investigator level increases, so too does the deadliness of your strategic strike. Increase the number of dice by one at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels. On the CaseAs an investigator, you think of your adventures as cases waiting to be solved. You gain one activity and one reaction you can use to investigate cases: Pursue a Lead and Clue In. Pursue a Lead ConcentrateExplorationInvestigator Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 56 2.0 Frequency once per 10 minutes You spend 1 minute examining the details of one potential clue, designating the subject related to that clue as the target of your active investigation. This subject is typically a single creature, item, or small location (such as a room or corridor), but the GM might allow a different scope for your investigation. You don't need to know the identity, purpose, or nature of the subject, but you do need to be aware of its existence. For instance, finding a footprint is enough to investigate the creature that left it, and seeing a hasty sketch of an item or location can be enough to start your investigation of that subject. Whenever you attempt a Perception or skill check to investigate a designated subject, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to the check. The exact checks this applies to depend on the actions you use to investigate and are determined by the GM, but checks to investigate are typically Perception checks or skill checks that use Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. You can maintain two active investigations at a time. If you Pursue another Lead after that, the subject must be different from any of your current investigations (or rather, they must be different as far as you know), and you give up on a current subject of your choice. Once you've given up pursuit of a subject, you can't Pursue that Lead again until after the next time you make your daily preparations. Clue In ConcentrateInvestigator Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 56 2.0 Frequency once per 10 minutes Trigger Another creature attempts a check to investigate a lead you're pursuing. You share information with the triggering creature. They gain a circumstance bonus to their check equal to your circumstance bonus to checks investigating your subject from Pursue a Lead. The GM can add any relevant traits to this reaction depending on the situation, such as auditory and linguistic if you're conveying information verbally. Devise A StrategemYou can play out a battle in your head, using brains rather than brawn to execute an attack. Devise a Stratagem ConcentrateFortuneInvestigator Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 56 2.0 Frequency once per round You assess a foe's weaknesses in combat and use them to formulate a plan of attack against your enemy. Choose a creature you can see and roll a d20. If you Strike the chosen creature later this round, you must use the result of the roll you made to Devise a Stratagem for your Strike's attack roll instead of rolling. You make this substitution only for the first Strike you make against the creature this round, not any subsequent attacks. When you make this substitution, you can also add your Intelligence modifier to your attack roll instead of your Strength or Dexterity modifier, provided your Strike uses an agile or finesse melee weapon, an agile or finesse unarmed attack, a ranged weapon (which must be agile or finesse if it's a melee weapon with the thrown trait), or a sap. If you're aware that the creature you choose is the subject of a lead you're pursuing, you can use this ability as a free action.

Edited June 25, 2022 by technoRomancer (see edit history)

[technoRomancer]

Aside from sorting out her starting gear, I think Mouse is tentatively complete! I am not sure yet what archetype I want to aim for - I have a few in mind, but it will probably depend on the rest of the party.

[Faux Flag]

Hi @technoRomancer, thanks for sending in a character! Apologies for not taking a proper look at Mouse before, I'd only just seen your last post.

 

Mouse looks very well rooted in the AP's setting. She seems to encapsulate the grimy, rough-and-tumble half of the city crammed with those who are less fortunate, as well as the glimmer of hope such as they may find amongst the poverty.

 

Investigators are always interesting and Mouse looks great mechanically! I'll mark her as Complete, but please feel free to make any changes until the application window closes at the end of this month.

 

[technoRomancer]

Thank you, looking forward to seeing who gets in!