Laexsanna, The Collector
Personality and Background
All civilizations that are not destroyed, from within or without, eventually reach a point of technological and/or magical singularity. This is the point at the which creations of a society have the capability of designing increasingly intelligent creations. This feedback loop almost inevitably results in the end of scarcity, the development of serial immortality, and an overall level of knowledge and communication that defies the understanding of any pre-singularity civilization. Across myriad worlds and dimensions thousands of such civilzations have joined together in a single, yet far-flung conglomeration. This meta-society is known as the Eschaton.
Ancient yet spoiled, jaded yet childlike, Laexsanna is the epitome of of Eschaton slackers. Being raised by nanny-spirits amidst consequence-free hyper-real virtual worlds prevents her from ascribing objective reality to anything. Its not that she is incapable of loyalty or even seriousness, but nothing is life or death to her. In fact, even the concept of permanent death is alien to her, it is a minor inconvienience, merely requiring the instancing of a new body. And even if Laexsanna is intellectually aware that Eberron denizens are real, deep-down she thinks anyone without transmigratory capability must be a game object.
The great majority of Laexsanna's adult life differs from her childhood only in that the nannies were replaced by various butlers and attendants. For over a milennium games continue to be the focus of her life. But eventually she comes to desire more than a false sense of accomplishment. The Eschaton's great reward for service, usually given only after a century of meritorious deeds, is a world of one's own. Laexsanna, despite her slacker nature has finally become motivated to have that. But, of course, she wants a shortcut. And that is where Eberron comes in. Laexsanna views the threat it is under from the Daelkyr, known in the Eschaton as the Lords of the Outer Dark, as an opportunity. If she gains control of a significant amount of the levers of political power of the world, and helps to head off the threat, precedent indicates that she could gain immediate Eschaton backing to rule.
In the short time that Laexsanna has been in Eberron she has been causing quite a stir in a number of royal courts. It remains to be seen whether she will meet with any success, although she has gained some favor in the eyes of several nobles. But she has definitely succeeded in making some enemies. The Cabinet of Faces has already taken notice of her preliminary manipulations, and shapeshifting, mind controlling competition is the last thing they are willing to accept.
Basic Attributes
Race: Human (Mind-Switched) Alignment: True Neutral (CN tendencies)
| Attribute | Pts. Spent | Base | Level Adjustment | Age Adjustments | Items | Total | Modifier | Cuprilach Form | Modifier |
| Strength | 0 | 8 | +0 | +0 | 8 | -1 | 19 | +4 | |
| Dexterity | 0 | 8 | +0 | +0 | 8 | -1 | 24 | +7 | |
| Constitution | 6 | 14 | +0 | -2 | 14 | +2 | 20 | +5 | |
| Intelligence | 16 | 18 | +1 | +3 | +4 | 26 | +8 | ||
| Wisdom | 6 | 14 | +1 | +3 | +4 | 22 | +6 | ||
| Charisma | 6 | 14 | +1 | +3 | 18 | +4 |
Build
| Level | Class 1 | Class 2 | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Class 1 Abilities | Class 2 Abilities | Feats |
| 1 | Erudite 1 | Ardent 1 | .75 | .33 | .33 | 2.5 | Convert Spell to Power, Psicrystal Affinity (bonus) | Creation Mantle, Physical Power Mantle | Flaw: Curious, Flaw: Short Attention Span, Human: Practiced Manifester, Body Fuel, Overchannel, Inquisitor |
| 2 | Erudite 2 | Ardent 2 | .75 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Time Mantle | ||
| 3 | Erudite 3 | Ardent 3 | .75 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Linked Power | ||
| 4 | Erudite 4 | Ardent 4 | .75 | .33 | .33 | .5 | |||
| 5 | Erudite 5 | Ardent 5 | .75 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Psionic Meditation (bonus) | Mental Power Mantle | |
| 6 | Erudite 6 | Thrallherd 1 | .5 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Thrallherd | Boost Construct | |
| 7 | Erudite 7 | Psionic Mindbender 1 (CArc) | .5 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Telepathy | ||
| 8 | Erudite 8 | Anarchic Initiate 1 | .5 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Chaotic Surge | ||
| 9 | Erudite 9 | Ardent 6 | .75 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Fortifications | ||
| 10 | Erudite 10 | Body Leech 1 | .5 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Metamorphic Transfer (bonus) | Drain cocoon, stasis cocoon | |
| 11 | Thrallherd 2 | Body Leech 2 | .5 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Create tether hound | ||
| 12 | Body Leech 3 | Thrallherd 3 | .5 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Stay Conscious | Psionic Charm | Extra Unique Power: 6th |
| 13 | Thrallherd 4 | Body Leech 4 | .5 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Greater stasis cocoon | ||
| 14 | Body Leech 5 | Thrallherd 5 | .5 | .33 | .33 | .5 | Cheat Death | Psionic dominate |
Skills
| Skill Name | Stat | Stat Bonus | Ranks | Competence | Misc | Total |
| Bluff | 12 | |||||
| Concentration | 17 | |||||
| Craft: Alchemy | 5 | |||||
| Craft: Clothing | 5 | |||||
| Craft: Metalwork | 5 | |||||
| Diplomacy | 17 | |||||
| Disguise | 17 | |||||
| Intimidate | 4cc | |||||
| Know: Arcana | 5 | |||||
| Know: Nature | 5 | |||||
| Know: Nobility | 5 | |||||
| Know: Planes | 5 | |||||
| Know: Psionics | 8 | |||||
| Psicraft | 5 | |||||
| Sense Motive | 5 | |||||
| Spellcraft | 5 | |||||
| UMD | 5cc |
Skill Tricks: Assume Quirk, Second Impression
Factions
| Faction | Adjustment | Reason |
| The MEP | +3 | Rescued Crineth, agreed to arial survey of Mournlands |
| Borealia, oldest daughter of King Boranel | +2 | Coaching her to seize the throne of Breland |
| Lord Ruken ir'Clarn | -3 | Want to end Brelish monarchy has noticed someone coaching Borealia |
| Cabinet of Faces | -3 | Unknowingly interfered with their plans in multiple courts |
| Prince Adal of Aundair | +3 | Seduced by proxie, and promised to help him take the throne |
| Kaius III | -2 | The King senses a threat from her attempts to ingratiate herself into his court, suspects she is Blood of Vol. |
Powers
Ardent powers
1st - Vigor, Defensive Precognition, Astral Construct, Psionic Charm (bonus)
2nd - Animal Affinity
3rd - Greater Concealing Amorpha, Hustle, Stasis Cocoon (bonus)
4th - Greater Skill Knowledge, Metamorphosis, Create Tether Hound (bonus), Psionic Dominate (bonus)
5th - Schism, Greater Stasis Cocoon (bonus)
6th - Mind Switch
7th - Fission
8th - Astral Seed
Erudite Repertoire
1st - Call to Mind, Force Screen, Inertial Armor, Psionic Grease, Synchonicity // Call Item, Crystal Shard, Expansion, Scholar's Touch (RoD), Improvisation (SpC), Repai Light Damage (SpC), Dimension Hop (CPsi), Unseen Sevant
2nd - Bestow Power, Control Sound, Energy Stun, Zone of Alertness (CPsi) // Minor Action, Knock, Psionic See Invisibility, Chameleon, Control Air, Dimension Swap, Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions, Psionic Lion's Charge, Power Claws, Alter Self, Battle Hymn (SpC), Chain of Eyes, Know Vulnerabilities (SpC), Shatter, Spectral Hand, Ray of Stupidity (SpC), Reveille (SpC), Sonorous Hum (SpC)
3rd - Body Adjustment, Dispel Psionics, Major Action, Time Hop // Curse of Putrid Flesh (BoVD), Telekinetic Thrust, Ectoplasmic Form, Hostile Empathic Transfer, Greater Mighty Wallop (RotD), Phantom Steed, Augment Object (ShBG), Sleet Storm, Dimension Step (PHbII), Haste, Shrink Item, Halt, Alter Fortune (PHbII), Unluck (SpC), Ectoplasmic Cocoon, Mass Snake's Swiftness (SpC), Great Thunderclap (SpC), Blacklight (SpC), Wind Wall, Skull Watch (SpC), Ray of Dizziness (SpC), Invisibility Sphere
4th - Correspond, Intellect Fortress, Psionic Freedom of Movement, Psychic Reformation // Control Body, Dimensional Anchor, Temporal Reiteration (CPsi), Psionic Open Chakra (MoI), Greater Mirror Image (PHbII), Assay Spell Resistance, Solid Fog, Black Tentacles, Perfect Summons (BoED), Dispelling Screen (SpC), Mass Resist Energy (SpC), Karmic Retribution (CM), Spell Theft (CS), Resilient Sphere, Ennervation, Improved Invisibility, Sudden Stalagmite, Insidious Suggestion (RoE),
5th - Adapt Body, Anticipatory Strike, Power Resistance, Psionic Major Creation // Psionic Plane Shift, Psionic Revivify, Mind Probe, Sakkratar's Triple Strike (LEoF), Wall of Stone, Friend to Foe (PHbII), Telekinesis, Scry Location (CS), Refusal (SpC), Wall of Force, Spiritwall (SpC), Channeled Lifetheft (CM), Vanishing Weapon (BoED), Unfettered Heroism (RoE)
6th - Psychometry (CPsi), Ethereal Abduction (CPsi), Temporal Acceleration, Mind Over Energy //Personal Mind Blank, Psionic Restoration, Psionic Banishment, Greater Psionic Fabricate, Bite of the Weretiger (SpC), Superior Resistance (SpC), Permanent Image, Planar Binding, Freezing Fog (SpC), Gemjump, Mental Pinnacle, Scalding Mud (Sand), Greater Scrying, Eye of Stone (RoS), Irresistible Dance, Freezing Glance (Frost), Contingency
7th - Deepsight, Evade Burst, Insanity, Psionic Moment of Prescience
Substitute Mantle powers
| Level | Mental Power Mantle | Physical Power Mantle | Creation Mantle | Time Mantle |
| 1 | Call to Mind | Vigor, Claws of the Beast | Astral Construct, Psionic Grease | Deceleration, Defensive Precognition |
| 2 | Read Thoughts | Animal Affinity | ||
| 3 | Hostile Empathic Transfer | Hustle, Claws of the Vampire | Greater Concealing Amorpha | Time Hop |
| 4 | Greater Skill Knowledge, Correspond | Metamorphosis | Psionic Fabricate | Psionic Divination |
| 5 | Schism | Adapt Body | Psionic Major Creation | Anticipitatory Strike |
| 6 | Mind Switch | Crystallize | Temporal Acceleration | |
| 7 | Personal Mind Blank | Fission | Mass Ectoplasmic Cocoon | Fate of One |
| 8 | Hypercognition | True Metabolism | Astral Seed | Mass Time Hop |
| 9 | Metafaculty | Greater Metamorphosis | True Creation | Time Regression |
Wishlist
Persistent Image, Dismissal, Snowsong, Greater Anticipate Teleportation* (SpC), Revenance* (SpC), Energy Transformation Field (SpC), Open Least Chakra* (MoI), Watchware* (UE), Aura Alteration, Antimagic Field, Forceful Hand, Find the Path, Servant Horde (CArc), Sirine's Grace (SpC), Ruin Delver's Fortune (SpC), Heart of Earth (CM), Wall of Dispel Magic (SpC), Touchsight, Summon Undead V (SpC), Catapsi, Howling Chain (SpC), Remove Curse, Implanted Suggestion (RoE)
Equipment
Earring of Intelligence +4 16,000gp
Periapt of Wisdom +4 16,000gp
Twisted Silk Armor (Dr348) 400gp
Combat Stats
Cuprilach form
AC 35 (10 base +7 Dex +3 Armor +15 Natural Armor) Touch 17 Flat 28 (Uncanny Dodge) HP 92 (6*6 + 7*4 + 14*2) Move 40' Climb 20' Fort 9 (Base 4 Con +5) Ref 11 (Base 4 Dex +7) Will 15 (Base 9 Wis +6) BAB 7 Sneak Attack +3d6, Swift Strikes, Dr 10/good or evil or lawful or chaotic, outsider traits, immune to poison and electricity, resistance to acid and sonic 20, SR 25, uncanny dodge, Trap Sense
Build Issues
The build relies on two assumptions that I really should have asked about earlier, a) Ardent powers known and Erudite repertoire are separate for the purposes of unique powers per day b) Overchannel can be used to qualify for Ardent powers early, so long as the power choices are limited. The specific powers are Mind Switch (which she could have taken as a repertoire power later but is necessary to qualify for Body Leech a level early) and Astral Seed (which is redundant for her, but Metamorphosing into a Symbiont would allow her to create and Switch out of Seeds for other players). The cumulative effect here is that the entire party could come back from a TPK within several days. The consequences would still be severe, a choice between losing a level or committing the evil act of allowing Laexsanna to steal them new bodies to avoid the lost level. Despite this, being able to come back from the dead could arguably lessen tension. IMO, facing scaled up encounters where TPK's are possible, more than makes up for the lessened consequences
Do manifesting PrC's advance Erudite unique powers per day? The verbiage mentions "access to new powers as if you had gained a level in whichever manifesting class", but admittedly its a stretch.
How exactly does Fortifications work? I cant find it in the Stronghold Builder's Guide.Is it OK to start having mindswitched with a Cuprilach (FF p.142) via Cheat Death, have a War Troll designated as the next Cheat Death host, and the equivalent of lions in the othe stasis slots at game start?
Is having both Linked Power and access to Schism too much? She does have access to various save or lose powers, but the plan is to mostly stick to buffing others PC's and battlefield control.
Are the substitute mantle powers OK?