Rommal Strithen



Name: Rommal Strithen

Race: Whisper Gnome

Gender: Male

Age: 67

Height: 4’

Weight: 25 lbs.

Description: To those unfamiliar with his true race, Rommal resembles a slender, pale-skinned gnome. His pale grey eyes seem flat and dull, his dark grey hair laced with black. He maintains a neat Van Dyck goatee and wears his short hair slicked back. He prefers simple clothing of blacks, browns and greys. He appears unarmed.

Eyes: Pale Grey

Hair: Grey streaked with Black

Alignment: Neutral

Ambition:

Theme Song:

Several Ages ago, perhaps early as the Fifth or as late as the Seventh, whisper gnomes came into being. Not as they are now, no, but the potential for what they would become. Deep within the bowels Mt. Aluminum, dozens of gnomes were altered on a genetic level. However, the only results appeared to be physical or chemical, the subjects growing taller and thinner, pale of skin, dark of mood. The project was deemed a failure and most of the subjects grew disillusioned with their mountain home.

Upon leaving Mt. Aluminum and its magic suppression field, these gnomes, dubbed whisper gnomes due to their somewhat reclusive nature, found that the direction of their gnomish talents had shifted from tinkering to stealth. They scattered across the continents of Sert, some settling with other Mt. Aluminum refugees, others creating a colony of their own in the land of Shalfoot. A larger portion of these whisper gnomes would go on to become spies and rogues, thieves and assassins; Others would attempt more legitimate business ventures.

Rommal Strithen was born in such a clan as the latter. The Strithens of Al’darish took great pains to stay on the straight and narrow, maintaining a family business that included trapsmithing, scouting and security, work that took advantage of their skills without falling into the less savory elements that whisper gnomes were known to inhabit - That certain members of the Strithen clan still inhabited.

As a younger son, Rommal was overlooked by his parents, both prominent operatives within the guild-family, while his older brother, Liren, was groomed to take a role in the business. But his already potent inherent abilities were not ignored by all, and there were those within the guild that took notice of his potential. And saw where it could be useful in their own endeavors. Rommal started out as a look-out and worked his way down the ladder to become an operative in his own right, all the while working to conceal his activities from his parents.

It was going well until he ran into his brother on a job. Although Rommal came out on top of the fight, he did not fare so well in the arguments and investigations that followed. His parents bargained for leniency for their son, and it was granted on the condition that Rommal be banished from Rytli and disowned from the Family-Guild Strithen.

This led to a very dark period for Rommal. Torn from the moral rudder his family provided and fully ensconced in the elements they opposed, he drifted farther and deeper into the morass of organized and not-so-organized crime, all the while searching for an organization or guild where he could feel at home. Rommal took on more and more work that once would have troubled his conscious, but no longer darkened his heart. He even entered the Baldorn/Acrinolia conflict, working on both sides at several point. It didn’t end well.

Finally, an assignment set him on a different path. While investigating a city official in search of blackmail fodder, he stumbled across "Lowering the Bar", a tavern for men of smaller stature. There he encountered a young halfling bard, Tam, who didn’t take him nearly as seriously as most. He also happened to be a casual worshiper of Barognis.

After finishing his assignment, Rommal found himself drawn back to the tavern and the halfling. As they grew closer, Rommal became more familiar with his companion’s religion and after a great deal of effort became a member. As he worked his way up the ranks, Tam often teased him about how devout he was becoming. But Rommal liked his new work. It generally paid well, he was practically built for it, and it had purpose. If some of it was unsavory, well, it was generally for the greater good.

It wasn’t until later that he began to have doubts. Before a very important and, some might say, evil assignment, Rommal was summoned to the then-meeting place of Barognis worshipers and found himself transported to Barognis’ plane, the plane of Shadow. For the first time he was briefed on the parameters and purpose for his task by the god himself. And as a sign of favour, Barognis gifted him with a greater affinity for the shadows.

Rommal went through his assignment like a golem, completing it with efficiency and without mercy. Rommal thought previously that he’d functioned on such a level, but never like this. The looming prospect of losing his soul in his work again frightened him. It frightened him enough that he took an indefinite leave of absence from the church of Barognis.

Recently, Rommal has returned to work of the secular sort. He’s dabbled in private investigation, scouting for adventuring parties and other mercenary work. Every once in a while, Tam will mention a mission available to higher ranking worshipers of Barognis, and sometimes Rommal will take one.

More recently, Rommal has become involved, partially at the behest of his patron and partially at the behest of a colleague, in a plot to prevent the Weivjex Empire's artificial creation of a new deity. With the success of this endeavor, he found himself wrapped up in the groups next goal: The destruction of the Demon Lord of Spiral Tower Mountain.

But first, he and several other members of this group have decided to improve their odds and undertake the Trial of the Gods.

Race: Whisper Gnome
Whisper gnomes outwardly resemble common gnomes, but they lack the jovial nature and easy outlook on life that their more common relatives enjoy. Instead, whisper gnomes are creatures of stealth and suspicion. In profession and behavior, they range from dangerous spies to peaceful recluses. Few members of other races can match a whisper gnome's powers of stealth, and whisper gnome scouts and rangers always stalk any creatures that come within a few miles of their hidden hillside communities. Whisper gnomes reluctantly ally themselves with common gnomes and other races when necessary. They know that they lack the physical strength and numbers to stand completely on their own.

Personality: Whisper gnomes are quiet, suspicious sorts who find it hard to build lasting relationships with members of other races. Although no other race is openly friendly with these reclusive individuals, no race bears them active malice either. Often, whisper gnomes share information about impending threats when allying themselves with more powerful or numerous humanoid races; in most cases, this arrangement has worked out extremely well for both sides. If the whisper gnomes' allies find themselves short of a few valuables after the gnomes have left their community, the losses are offset by the whisper gnomes' valuable scouting and information-gathering abilities.

Physical Description: Whisper gnomes are slightly taller than other gnomes, standing between 3-1/2 and 4 feet tall. Whisper gnomes are skinny, almost gaunt creatures, and rarely weigh more than 40 pounds. Their skin ranges in color from light gray to light green, although none of this variation in skin tone is noticeable without careful attention. Whisper gnomes have gray or blue eyes, but again they are rarely bright or striking in intensity.

Relations: Many other humanoid races regard whisper gnomes as they would an untrustworthy cousin -- they know that whisper gnomes are unlikely to do any lasting harm or steal their most precious items, but at the same time, they deserve to be watched carefully. Dwarves in particular distrust whisper gnomes; these serious and stoic individuals let whisper gnomes into their cities only under the direst of circumstances. Elves, humans, and half-elves generally tolerate whisper gnomes. Of all the other races, halflings are the most accepting of whisper gnomes, and many whisper gnomes travel for a time with halfling caravans. Half-orcs and whisper gnomes get along very well. Whether because the two races are such opposites that they end up respecting the other's strengths, or because they both often find themselves outcasts from other races, they seem to enjoy each other's company and approach to life. Half-orcs with nowhere else to go occasionally settle in a whisper gnome community.

Alignment: Most whisper gnomes are neutral or neutral good. Whisper gnomes favor personal freedom and choice, but at the same time they value an ordered community and respect the rights of others and -- to an extent -- the property of others.

Whisper Gnome Lands: Whisper gnomes live in and among the communities of more common gnomes, or they form small, carefully hidden communities of their own. They favor the rolling hills and light woods that other gnomes enjoy, and like their distant cousins, they live underground. Whisper gnomes who want a more active lifestyle settle in human lands and find work as spies, emissaries, or as simple thieves.

Religion: Whisper gnomes pay homage to Garl Glittergold, but many also venerate Olidamarra. Whisper gnomes are very open-minded about religion, and they find the single-minded religious devotion of other races strange and confining. Most whisper gnomes believe it expedient to pay attention to whatever deity can help them the most in their current situation, and they do not see it as strange to frequently pray to different deities.

Language: Whisper gnomes speak Gnome, which uses the Dwarven alphabet. Most whisper gnomes also speak Terran, and they sometimes use that tongue as a sort of semisecret code when in the company of other races.

Names: Whisper gnomes consider names as semipermanent aliases at best, and one usually goes by a different name in each nongnome community he or she visits. When among other gnomes (of any kind), whisper gnomes usually stick to the names given to them by their parents. Whisper gnome family names are similar to, but not exactly like, the clan names of common gnomes.

Male Names: Alth, Fash, Threan. Female Names: Bella, Freith, Geim, Mala, Nan. Family Names: Bermin, Daergel, Falath, Shrenan.

Adventurers: Whisper gnome adventurers travel to test themselves. They seek not only to try out their powers of speed and stealth against the physical strength of larger creatures, but also to test their own moral limits. Many adventuresome whisper gnomes know that they are capable of stealing from humans and other creatures that can't hope to compete with their powers of stealth, and they seek some rationale for why they shouldn't take advantage of this superiority.

Whisper Gnome Racial Traits

 * +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Strength, -2 Charisma: Whisper gnomes are agile and tough, but they are Small and therefore not as strong as larger humanoids. Their quiet nature also leads to a lack of personal presence.
 * Small: As a Small creature, a whisper gnome gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
 * Whisper gnome base land speed is 30 feet, despite their size.
 * Low-Light Vision: A whisper gnome can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
 * Darkvision: Whisper gnomes can see in the dark out to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and whisper gnomes can function just fine with no light at all.
 * Weapon Familiarity: Whisper gnomes treat gnome hooked hammers as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.
 * +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids (including goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears): Like their more common cousins, whisper gnomes battle these creatures frequently and practice special techniques for fighting them.
 * +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the giant type (such as ogres, trolls, and hill giants): This bonus represents special training that whisper gnomes undergo, during which they learn tricks that previous generations developed in their battles with giants. Any time a creature loses its Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class, such as when it's caught flat-footed, it loses its dodge bonus, too. The Monster Manual has information on which creatures are of the giant type.
 * +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks: Whisper gnomes have an uncanny knack for stealth.
 * +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks: Whisper gnomes have keen eyes and ears.
 * Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day -- silence (must be centered on whisper gnome's body). A whisper gnome with a Charisma score of at least 10 also has the following spell-like abilities: 1/day -- ghost sound, mage hand, message. Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + whisper gnome's Cha modifier + spell level.
 * Favored Class: Rogue. The best multiclass choices for whisper gnome rogues are fighter, ranger, and cleric. A fair number of whisper gnome wizards and sorcerers become arcane tricksters.
 * Racial Feats: The Extra Silence and Silencing Strike feats can be taken by whisper gnome characters (see Chapter 6: Character Options).

SILENCE

 * Illusion (Glamer)
 * Level: 2
 * Casting Time: 1 standard action
 * Range: Personal
 * Target: You
 * Duration: 1 min./level (D)
 * Spell Resistance: No
 * Upon the casting of this spell, complete silence prevails in the affected area. All sound is stopped: Conversation is impossible, spells with verbal components cannot be cast, and no noise whatsoever issues from, enters, or passes through the area. The spell can be cast on a point in space, but the effect is stationary unless cast on a mobile object. The spell can be centered on a creature, and the effect then radiates from the creature and moves as it moves. An unwilling creature can attempt a Will save to negate the spell and can use spell resistance, if any. Items in a creature’s possession or magic items that emit sound receive the benefits of saves and spell resistance, but unattended objects and points in space do not. This spell provides a defense against sonic or language-based attacks.

GHOST SOUND

 * Illusion (Figment)
 * Level: 0
 * Casting Time: 1 standard action
 * Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
 * Effect: Illusory sounds
 * Duration: 1 round
 * Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with)
 * Spell Resistance: No
 * Ghost sound allows you to create a volume of sound that rises, recedes, approaches, or remains at a fixed place. You choose what type of sound ghost sound creates when casting it and cannot thereafter change the sound’s basic character. The volume of sound created depends on your level. You can produce as much noise as four normal humans per caster level (maximum twenty humans). Thus, talking, singing, shouting, walking, marching, or running sounds can be created. The noise a ghost sound spell produces can be virtually any type of sound within the volume limit. A horde of rats running and squeaking is about the same volume as eight humans running and shouting. A roaring lion is equal to the noise from sixteen humans, while a roaring dire tiger is equal to the noise from twenty humans. Ghost sound can enhance the effectiveness of a silent image spell. Ghost sound can be made permanent with a permanency spell.

MAGE HAND

 * Transmutation
 * Level: 0
 * Casting Time: 1 standard action
 * Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
 * Target: One nonmagical, unattended object weighing up to 5 lb.
 * Duration: Concentration
 * Saving Throw: None
 * Spell Resistance: No
 * You point your finger at an object and can lift it and move it at will from a distance. As a move action, you can propel the object as far as 15 feet in any direction, though the spell ends if the distance between you and the object ever exceeds the spell’s range.

MESSAGE

 * Transmutation [Language-Dependent]
 * Level: 0
 * Casting Time: 1 standard action
 * Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
 * Targets: One creature
 * Duration: 10 min.
 * Saving Throw: None
 * Spell Resistance: No
 * You can whisper messages and receive whispered replies with little chance of being overheard. You point your finger at each creature you want to receive the message. When you whisper, the whispered message is audible to all targeted creatures within range. Magical silence, 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal (or a thin sheet of lead), or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks the spell. The message does not have to travel in a straight line. It can circumvent a barrier if there is an open path between you and the subject, and the path’s entire length lies within the spell’s range. The creatures that receive the message can whisper a reply that you hear. The spell transmits sound, not meaning. It doesn’t transcend language barriers.
 * Note: To speak a message, you must mouth the words and whisper, possibly allowing observers the opportunity to read your lips.

Dark Creature Template
“Dark” is an acquired or inherited template that can be added to any creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature). Dark creatures tend to be much duller in color, with more gray and black skin tones and hair highlights that their Material Plane versions. In general, they also weigh less, as if their very substance was mere shadow stuff. A dark creature has all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Size and Type: Type and size are unchanged. Dark creatures encountered away from the Plane of Shadow have the extraplanar subtype.


 * Speed: As base creature, +10 feet to all modes of movement.
 * Special Qualities: A dark creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following:
 * Darkvision 60 ft.
 * Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): Use the Hide skill even while being observed (except in natural daylight, the area of a daylight spell, or a similar effect).
 * Resistance to cold 10.
 * Superior Low-Light Vision
 * Skills: Same as the base creature, plus Hide +8 and Move Silently +6.
 * Environment: Changes to Plane of Shadow.
 * Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature or same as the base creature +1. See sidebar.
 * Alignment: Usually one step different from the base creature, rarely good.
 * Level Adjustment: +1

Rogue
Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills
The rogue’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) x4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Table: The Rogue {|style="width:100%"
 * Level
 * Base Attack Bonus
 * Fort Save
 * Ref Save
 * Will Save
 * Special
 * 1st
 * +0
 * +0
 * +2
 * +0
 * Sneak attack +1d6, trapfinding
 * 2nd
 * +1
 * +0
 * +3
 * +0
 * Evasion
 * 3rd
 * +2
 * +1
 * +3
 * +1
 * Sneak attack +2d6, Penetrating Strike
 * 4th
 * +3
 * +1
 * +4
 * +1
 * Uncanny dodge
 * 5th
 * +3
 * +1
 * +4
 * +1
 * Sneak attack +3d6
 * 6th
 * +4
 * +2
 * +5
 * +2
 * 7th
 * +5
 * +2
 * +5
 * +2
 * Sneak attack +4d6
 * 8th
 * +6/+1
 * +2
 * +6
 * +2
 * Improved uncanny dodge
 * 9th
 * +6/+1
 * +3
 * +6
 * +3
 * Sneak attack +5d6
 * 10th
 * +7/+2
 * +3
 * +7
 * +3
 * Special ability
 * 11th
 * +8/+3
 * +3
 * +7
 * +3
 * Sneak attack +6d6
 * 12th
 * +9/+4
 * +4
 * +8
 * +4
 * 13th
 * +9/+4
 * +4
 * +8
 * +4
 * Sneak attack +7d6, special ability
 * 14th
 * +10/+5
 * +4
 * +9
 * +4
 * Makeshift Tools
 * 15th
 * +11/+6/+1
 * +5
 * +9
 * +5
 * Sneak attack +8d6
 * 16th
 * +12/+7/+2
 * +5
 * +10
 * +5
 * Special ability
 * 17th
 * +12/+7/+2
 * +5
 * +10
 * +5
 * Sneak attack +9d6
 * 18th
 * +13/+8/+3
 * +6
 * +11
 * +6
 * 19th
 * +14/+9/+4
 * +6
 * +11
 * +6
 * Sneak attack +10d6, special ability
 * }
 * +12/+7/+2
 * +5
 * +10
 * +5
 * Sneak attack +9d6
 * 18th
 * +13/+8/+3
 * +6
 * +11
 * +6
 * 19th
 * +14/+9/+4
 * +6
 * +11
 * +6
 * Sneak attack +10d6, special ability
 * }
 * Sneak attack +10d6, special ability
 * }