Hmm...Instead of trying to escape using my Grapple check, a measly +1, I'm going to take a standard action and attempt the same using Escape Artist instead, a much better +3. Rules for this are on page 156 of the PHB, right hand column, half-way down.
If you're looking for a CR4 monster that can do TPK, go with an Electrum Clockwork Horror. And if you feel like stepping it up one notch, the CR5 Gold Clockwork Horror can TPK even faster. I wiped out a party of 10 level 2's with a single Goldie.
Hair: White
Eyes: Blue
Skin: Pale
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 139lbs.
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Languages: Common, Elven, Draconic, Sylvan, Orc
Racial Traits:
+2 Dexterity, –2 Charisma.
Humanoid (Elf).
Medium: As Medium creatures, high elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
High elf base land speed is 30 feet.
Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
Low-Light Vision: A high elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Weapon Proficiency: High elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats.
+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. A high elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
Backstory:
The second son of a scholarly elven man to his second wife, Iston was raised by the community and by himself. His family and home spent their life in the woods, among the magic and the trees and the free-spirited individuals there. Still, Iston felt... uncomfortable there. He was unsure why.
He went through the same drills as everyone else - displaying minor aptitudes for archery, swordplay, and magic. There was nothing wrong with that. He just... had no sense of being there. Though this changed when he met Jeibu.
Jeibu became his rival in everything. They were constantly paired in fencing matches, they made sport out of archery, the two warred over women, they constantly out-wit each other in stealth and hunting, and even shattered each other with flashy spells. Though the elders and older elves were worried about the two, they did not stop them.
Jeibu, however... got sick one day. He and Iston had gotten into a nightly swimming race under a lake. Iston nearly became sick himself with worry over his ailing rival, and he himself went to get the herbs to aid him. The two returned to being fierce rivals after that.
A few months later, the rivals became lovers. The fire for each other bursting into passion, each attempting to outdo the other. They fought with each other joyously for years, before wanderlust struck them... and they split, with no regrets, promising to meet again one day, but free until then.
Oh, and Asmo, Xeno and Karwik both have Evasion, which means that if we succeed on a Reflex save that normally allows for half damage on a successful save, we take no damage instead. Now, I haven't checked yet to see if Karwik made the save, but I know that Xeno did. Yay Evasion!
I just checked Karwik, and yeah, he made it, so no damage for him either.
Forgot to mention - I plan on taking this character into the 'Master Specialist' prestige class as soon as possible, which should be exactly at level 5. The class will give me a little bit more power for the Evoker in exchange for another prohibited school. I'm fond of the class, and Iston really, really likes his boomie. It's in Complete Mage, page 70.
(Checked again, I guess I DON'T need to give up another school for it. Huh. Archmage of Evocation, here I come!)
Master Specialist is the only one I know of that can be received at level 4, since all you need are Knowledge (Arcana) 5, Spellcraft 5, Spell Focus and 2nd-level preparation casting. This makes it a very desirable thing for Wizards, considering that all they'd get otherwise is a bonus feat every five levels.
I'm a level delayed into it, thanks to my character's Ranger level.
A handful more HP, a bunch more skills and skill points, and eventual acess to the feat that allows extra benefits against a Favored Enemy with arcane spells.
That, and I've never really imagined elves as a single-class race. With such long lives, I can't help but think that they've attempted multiple things, even at the slow way they try those things.
As a final RP note, he's a Snow Elf. He grew up in the northern areas, in a Snow Elf ice-city. Living up there, the skills of a ranger are just... smart to have.