Actually I think I don’t have anything to say about this one.
COMPETITOR
You live for victory. You constantly seek to improve yourself, and your greatest triumphs come at the expense of others in your field. Your focus may be on individual accomplishment like a master of games, working with allies as in a team sport, or proving yourself in combat against ever-more-deadly threats. You won’t rest until you’re not only the best you can be, but the best in the world, with all the recognition and perks that entails.
Theme Skills: Acrobatics, Appraise, Intimidate, Perform (any one), Sense Motive
Theme Feats: Agile Maneuvers, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Fleet, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
Theme Quests
Novice Quests: These quests are appropriate for advancing through 3rd tier.
- One of the competitor’s rivals challenges him or her to a contest. The rival is known to be unscrupulous, so the competitor must be on guard for any sort of interference, loopholes in the rules, or sabotages that would sway the result. The rival is not dangerous, so there is no threat to the competitor if he or she loses, but the hit to his or her reputation would be great.
- The competitor arrives in a new location where an event is taking place. Given sufficient preparation and focus he or she is sure to win it. But nobody else seems to care about the event, so winning, even decisively, would not benefit the competitor in any way. He or she must promote the event, build up the other contestants so they seem like credible threats, and possibly even secure a location and equipment, all whole remaining in fighting shape.
Expert Quests: These quests are appropriate for advancing through 6th tier.
- Somebody has accused the competitor of cheating in a past contest very important to his or her career. The only witness is a judge or official who initially ruled in the competitor’s favor but now reveals that they were being threatened or bribed. All available information suggests the official truly believes this, but the competitor must investigate whether the official’s memory has been changed or whether somebody affected the judge’s opinion without the competitor’s knowledge or consent.
- There’s something preventing the competitor from participating the game or sport of his or her choice. It could be broad, like a change to the rules that disqualifies the competitor, or personal, like a major injury, but it is not something the competitor can solve quickly or alone. Whether the competitor adapts to the new situation or tries to reverse it depends on what the situation is, but going about it the wrong way will probably make things worse.
Advanced Quests: These quests are appropriate for advancing through 9th tier.
- The competitor’s career has disappeared. All record of his or her victories have vanished, nobody remembers his or her accomplishments, and, where applicable, history has changed accordingly. Some powerful magic is likely at play, but it might be affecting everybody’s memory, trapping the competitor in a nightmare, or altering time itself.
- The competitor finds somebody who is always one step better than he or she is. Worse, this rival has the same drive to be the best and the means to tout their achievements. Wherever the competitor goes, his or her rival is already there, bragging about their victories over the competitor. The mockery will not stop until the competitor either defeats this rival and spreads the story or finds another way to silence them.
Legendary Quest: A king nearing the end of his life is holding a great tournament. He plans to put all participants through a series of mental, physical, and magical trials to determine who is the mightiest of them all. At stake is the largest prize he can offer, like half of his kingdom or his only son’s hand in marriage. Participants are coming from all corners of the world, and some of them will do anything to win, especially when it’s discovered that the tournament will take place on a demiplane with only one exit and rules very different from normal reality. Victory will cement the competitor’s legacy in the annals of history, but losing might be worse than death.
Theme Abilities
Anything You Can Do (Ex): Group activities are opportunities for you to prove yourself. When you and an ally make a skill check for the same skill at the same time, you gain a bonus to your check. That bonus is equal to one half your theme tier. You can gain this bonus only once for a given check.
Cascading Thunder (Ex): You’re unstoppable when you’re on a roll. If you confirm a critical hit against an opponent, you gain a +1 bonus to your next attack roll against that target. You must be at least 4th tier and possess the steal thunder ability before selecting this ability.
Combat Awareness (Ex): With focus, you can read your opponent’s actions. When you feint in combat, you can make a Sense Motive check instead of a Bluff check.
Competitive Drive (Ex): Opposition pushes you to be your best. You gain a +2 bonus on opposed skill checks.
Honorable Combatant (Ex): There is no glory in attacking the unwary. You cannot attack a creature during the surprise round or before that creature has attacked during combat. Until you act during combat, all attacks and effects only deal half damage to you.
Impressive Showing (Ex): Your actions speak for you. You gain a bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks made to influence anyone who witnessed you winning a contest. This bonus is equal to one half your theme tier.
Last Word (Ex): Nobody beats you without consequences. When you go unconscious from hit point damage, as an immediate action you may attack or cast a damaging spell. If you do, you lose your standard action on your next turn. You must be at least 4th tier before selecting this ability.
Let Me Show You How (Su): You won’t let anybody think they’re a better mage than you are. If you cast a spell on the turn after you see an opponent cast the same spell, your caster level is considered two higher.
Steal Thunder (Ex): Your allies’ victories only make you look more impressive. If one of your allies confirms a critical hit against a creature, you gain a +4 bonus to your next critical confirmation roll against the same creature on your next turn.
Advancement Abilities
Tough it Out (Ex): Minor inconveniences won’t get in the way of your victory. At 4th tier, for a number of rounds per day equal to your theme tier, you can ignore the effects of any of the following conditions: fatigued, shaken, sickened. You can activate this ability as a free action. Also, the DC to demoralize you with the Intimidate skill increases by 5.
Game Face (Ex): Your competitive spirit is stronger than your body or mind. At 7th tier, add the following to the list of conditions you can ignore with the tough it out ability: confused, dazed, exhausted, frightened, nauseated. The DC to demoralize you with the Intimidate skill increases by an additional 5.
Champion’s Advantage (Ex): The only thing more strenuous than winning a title is defending it. At 10th tier you may add a +10 bonus to any d20 roll. If you do, you take 4 damage to the ability score associated with that roll. You may decide to use this ability after you roll but before the results of the roll are revealed. You cannot use this ability if you are immune to ability damage.