Chapter 1-20: Plinking by Paladin (2/2)

POOM POOM KRAK!

A Lightning Ray and two glowing shots thundered into it, and with a hollow shriek, it was blown out of existence.

We all felt the faint rush of Karma... yeah, that was definitely worth it.

“Next!” My second flight of Shards cycled up as the incorps, and as they went out, Sir Pellier’s Shotgun flared again.

The second spectre didn’t fare any better than the first. It might have been able to flee, if not attack us, if not for a minor fact. To wit, on the first round of a Smite, the Smite deals double normal damage. So, the +1/Level damage from Sir Pellier, a Six, was +12 per shot instead of +6, and just that little bit was enough to send it to the point of no return, combined with Helix’s 4d6+11 Lightning Ray coming in.

Two spectres were worth ten wraiths, and were a kind of boast, that we could hit hard enough to take one out.

We cycled down to pick off six more wraiths, then shadows, until Sir Pellier’s spell ran out, and he’d have to consume real ammo.

I spent one more Shards, as I had a spare Slot, and they watched me blow apart a Wraith with it solo, although Sir Pellier was scoped on it, just in case.

“Damn. I didn’t really think you could do that,” Helix admitted. “Those have to be the nastiest Shards I’ve ever seen!”

“Thanks! I’m trying to improve them.” Wussy things that they were. I couldn’t even pop a spectre alone! I felt useless...

“” Sir Pellier agreed, after waiting for me to stick my glowing thumb by my ear. “”

“And I had a whole four shots to spend.” I rolled my eyes.

“<You didn’t manage to break through? Even popping a wraith like that?>” Sir Pellier seemed shocked.

“What my Bloodline has planned, and this tie to the Shroud, is advancing me sideways, not up. It’s annoying, but I can’t do anything about it.” I glanced at Sir Pellier. “You need to take a Level in Monk.”

“<Monk?>” He looked down at his flak armor. Monks didn’t wear armor.

“To be precise, Zen Archer Monk, or Gun-Fu Monk, if you prefer. Increases your damage with firearms, and more importantly gives you better dodging, and applies your Wisdom bonus to your shooting.”

His eyes widened slightly, and he thought about that. “,” he admitted. Wisdom was often not high on Paladins, who got by on faith and zeal more than introspection.

“Buy the Ascetic Monk Feat. Changes the Primary attribute for Monk Class abilities from Wisdom to Charisma.”

Both of them looked interested in that. Helix piped up eagerly, “Can I do that?”

I glanced at him, and shook my head. “You don’t have the Faith to do Enlightened Monk, and going Drunken Monk would mess up your spellcasting. It’s a natural fit for a shooting Paladin. Get your Wisdom up to a decent level, and it becomes a nice complement for hitting things. Before then, the increased damage, better foot speed, and dodging ability will be much more effective than some GI flak armor.”

He considered that. “” He thought about it, concentrating and there was a flicker in his eyes, and a strange shifting. I could feel a sudden realignment in his life energy as his Ki flickered and came to the fore.

“Swap Stunning Fist for Heart of Zen/I,” I said promptly, and he blinked. “For your Bonus Feat, take Zen Archery. Buy the Ascetic Monk Feat, take off your armor, and buy Zen Mastery/1.” I turned to look at the sun, only a few minutes from rising. “After Renewal, buy the Dodge Feat, and Zen Mastery/2. That will increase the damage of your firearms two stages, and you’ll basically be as hard to hit as if you were wearing all that stuff.”

“<Some of those undead down there do use guns>,” he reminded me.

“And your next Level, you will take Dodge Missile as a bonus Feat,” I replied calmly. “Then you’re going to buy Dodge Ray, so you can avoid the magical ranged attacks of the ghosts and stuff.”

He hesitated. “,” he admitted.

My eyes flicked to his Shotgun. “Nice toy. Did you Name it yet?”

“<No?>” he asked, reading something in my expression.

“Do so now, before the sun rises, and give it its share of the Karma.”

He looked at me, and at the ornately carved, finely-made Shotgun in his hands. “<Lady Florentine>,” he said without having to think about it.

“Blood her, bind her, Name her,” I repeated, flicking out my jackknife, taking his hand and firmly cutting his palm, which he accepted with only a wince. I ran his palm up all over, up and down the Shotgun, smearing crimson all over it. “Offer her to Aru, and Name her.”

He turned to Salute the Morning, and formally held out the Shotgun. “<By the grace of the morning light, I, Sir Pellier of Mithar, a knight in good standing with the Silver Sun, do dedicate this weapon to the battle against Evil. I Name her Lady Florentine!>”

There was a hiss of Light, wrapping around the Shotgun and his hand, making Helix jump in surprise.