It has been said that “no one should live in Phlan.” The city has made enemies of the cult of Orcus, the church of Bane, the Thayan Dominion, and an ancient red dragon. It has burned to the ground, festered in an outbreak of disease, and endured wave after wave of civil unrest. Somehow, incredibly, you’re still here. You are almost certainly an immigrant fleeing the destruction of your home by the Thayan Dominion. You have made a conscious choice to not bend the knee to Bane, Orcus, or Szass Tam, and you have taken repeated, concrete action in accordance with that choice. You have learned to fight both alone and in coordinated teams. At least one cultist or zombie is dead at your hands. You have lost no less than two friends or family members to the forces of evil. You have endured the frightful presence of an all-destroying dragon. You know what it looks like when someone is charmed, cursed, or diseased, and who to go to for assistance. You have a network of friends in the government and on the street whom you have helped and might one day help you. You know how to give quests to heroes. You are a breath away from becoming one yourself.
- Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Insight
- Languages: Two of your choice
- Equipment: Ten daggers, a token of the life you once knew, a set of common clothes, and 8 cp.
Defining Event
You arrived in Phlan with little in mind beyond surviving another day. But something happened that set you on a different path and marked you for greater things. Choose or randomly determine a defining event that marked you as a hero of the people.
| d10 |
Defining Event |
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1
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Martyr. I willingly sacrificed my life to save a group of innocents. I was saved at the last second – or raised from the dead – by a cleric or paladin of the Order of the Gauntlet. I have earned the trust of the citizens – and the hatred of the cults.
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2
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Blood Doll. I donate blood on a regular basis to Phlan’s vampires. Their bite holds no terror for me, and they take any attack on me quite personally. I sleep better at night than most as a result.
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3
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Snitch. I fell in with a group of bad people who turned out to be members of the cult of Orcus. I told the Order of the Gauntlet everything I knew, and my friends died never knowing who betrayed them.
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4
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Animal handler. When the forces of good and evil battle in the streets, no one ever thinks about the animals – except me. I heal and shelter as many beasts as I can, and the Emerald Enclave helps me when they can spare the resources.
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5
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Triple Agent. I am a liaison between the Lords’ Alliance and the Zhentarim. Both factions are aware of my loyalties to both and expect that I will not betray one to the other. I may interact on friendly terms with members of both factions, without any expectations of betrayal or other peril. Neither faction knows that I also report to the Harpers.
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6
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Vigilante. I made a promise on the grave of my parents to rid this city of the evil that took their lives. By day, I am an ordinary citizen. At night, criminals, a cowardly and superstitious lot, call me... something else.
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7
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Wintermane Guard. I was handpicked at a young age to be a member of Elise Wintermane’s bodyguard. I take my job seriously, even though she is far more likely to protect me than the other way around. I’m aware that I’m something of a mascot and a tripwire, but the food is great, my family gets to live in the old city, and I don’t care about the constant death threats, really!
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8
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Errand Runner. I spend my days doing odd jobs for a foreign noble named Alexander Hamilton. Some of these tasks are outright bizarre and others are barely legal, but on the other hand, people who want me dead tend to disappear.
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9
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Quixotic. I follow knights around and try to help them however I can – even in battle! Sometimes I actually make their lives easier, but most of the time I just get in the way. Some of them consider me a pest, but a few see potential in me. Or so I think.
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10
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Child of the Ocean. I was a fisher or sailor who nearly drowned during a dragon attack. I ended up getting to know the merfolk as a result, and I now serve as a go-between of sorts with them and the surface dwellers of Phlan. I’ll never forget the one who saved my life, and how their lips tasted on mine.
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Feature: City of Adventure
Thanks to Phlan’s civic infrastructure, you live tax-free and have access to free (bland) meals, free (common) clothing, and a place to sleep every night. The citizens of Phlan know you’re on their side and will hide you from cultists or even fight alongside you unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. You are known to the five factions and can call on them for assistance, although this assistance is limited by available resources and always comes at a price.
Suggested Characteristics
You have learned to live with the constant dangers of Phlan. You are a survivor, and you have allies, enemies, and scars to prove it.
| d8 |
Personality Trait |
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1
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I don’t run from evil. Evil runs from me.
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2
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I find Phlan’s diversity enchanting, and tend to become enamored with people of a different race than mine.
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3
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I can’t let go of a good mystery, and this city is so full of them!
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4
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I spend money freely and live life to the fullest, knowing that tomorrow I might die.
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5
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I believe – loudly and annoyingly – in the power of friendship.
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6
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I expect danger around every corner.
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7
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I refuse to become a victim, and I will not allow others to be victimized.
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8
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I put my trust in the gods. They’re my best shot of making sense of what has become of my life.
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| d6 |
Ideal |
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1
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I will inflict horrid vengeance on the monsters who wronged me. (Any)
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2
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Survive. (Any)
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3
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I kill monsters to make the world a safer place, and to exorcise my own demons. (Good)
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4
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When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny. (Chaotic)
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5
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I do what I must and obey just authority. (Lawful)
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6
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In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil)
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| d6 |
Bond |
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1
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I have given my heart to Elise Wintermane – in a chaste sort of devotion.
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2
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Gods help me, but I love this insane city and will fight to defend it.
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3
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I am devoted to the ideals of my faction or order.
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4
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There’s nothing stronger than family.
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5
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Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.
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6
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I have made a friend of death.
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| d6 |
Flaw |
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1
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I have difficulty envisioning nonlethal solutions to problems.
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2
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My daily life is a miasma of paranoia and violence.
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3
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“MY PARENTS ARE DEEEEAAAAAAAADD!!!”
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4
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I rely heavily on alcohol and stoneweed to get through the day.
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5
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I must acquire power so I can never be hurt again. Unlimited power!
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6
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My ex joined a cult and has convinced it to attack and harass me nonstop.
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