“Your bones ache. Your breath shortens. But you’ve still got rounds in the chamber. That’s enough.”
- Skill Proficiencies: Survival, Insight
- Tool Proficiencies: Tinker’s Tools, one type of artisan’s tools (gunsmith’s tools if allowed)
- Equipment:
- A small tin badge or rusted medallion of the Black Powder Pact
- A tattered cloak or long coat used to cover your firearm
- One box of 10 custom-carved bullets or casings
- A weathered letter sealed in wax (your Oath of Ash)
- A pouch containing 10 gp
You carry the mark of death, and others sense it. Whether through a gaunt face, ragged cough, or the silence that follows your presence, people often give you space—and respect.
You can find free shelter, supplies, or minor services from those who know the ways of the Black Powder Pact, particularly healers, alchemists, apothecaries, and war survivors. They will not turn you away, even if they cannot heal what ails you.
Additionally, commoners, deserters, or desperate soldiers may mistake you for a legendary figure or harbinger and treat you with fearful reverence—especially in frontier towns or places haunted by war.
Suggested Characteristics
Ash Wardens are shaped by suffering, sacrifice, and a sense of unfinished business. Some hope to die meaningfully. Others want to be remembered. A few, quietly, still long to live.
| d6 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I speak in short sentences and fewer words—there’s no time left for poetry. |
| 2 | I keep count of my bullets, my breaths, and my regrets. |
| 3 | I’m calm, even when surrounded by fire. Especially then. |
| 4 | I clean my weapon like a holy ritual. |
| 5 | I rarely look people in the eye—it hurts more when they believe I’ll survive. |
| 6 | I’ve already accepted death. What scares me is not finishing what I started. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Duty. My time is limited. I’ll use every second to do some good. |
| 2 | Vengeance. I was given this time to take them down. All of them. |
| 3 | Restraint. My gun is sacred. I fire only when I must. |
| 4 | Fate. I’m still here for a reason. The Tower isn’t done with me. |
| 5 | Sacrifice. I’ll burn up so others don’t have to. |
| 6 | Freedom. No more orders. No more chains. Just the sound of a shot and the silence that follows. |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I swore an Oath of Ash to someone I failed. I still carry their name. |
| 2 | I walk with the weapon of a dead Pact brother. It whispers when I fire. |
| 3 | There’s a town that still believes I’m their savior. I don’t want them to see the truth. |
| 4 | I promised to return something before I die. I won’t rest until I do. |
| 5 | My bullet has a name carved into it. I pray I never need to use it. |
| 6 | I was saved once by a stranger. I carry their kindness like a debt. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I don’t care if I live or die—but I pretend I do for their sake. |
| 2 | I keep pushing people away. Easier than them watching me rot. |
| 3 | I refuse to ask for help, even when I desperately need it. |
| 4 | I drink, not to forget, but to delay the pain that’s coming. |
| 5 | I’m reckless in battle—I fight like I’ve already lost. |
| 6 | Part of me thinks I deserve this. Maybe all of me. |
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