To traverse the Planes of the Multiverse is to walk among gods, demons, and far, far stranger things.
Beyond the safety of the Material Plane, conventional reality becomes secondary.
Belief is everything. Metaphysical and abstract concepts shape existence.
The Great Wheel, as we know it, represents the extremities of belief.
Each plane, an entire world shaped by pure ideology.
In a Multiverse of the abstract made tangible, it can be easy to get lost...
Be it in the Planes themselves...
Or within your own belief.
What I'm Looking For
I am looking for four players to participate in a campaign taking place in the Planescape campaign setting.
When it comes to availability, my ideal campaign would have everyone managing to making about 3-5 posts a week, and even more frequently during combat, as PbP combat is excruciatingly slow. However, I completely understand that not all of you have all the time in the world. At the very minimum, I'd prefer you not go the better part of the week without so much as checking the campaign thread.
When it comes to interest level, I would like to have players who like investing themselves in the narrative, and enjoy roleplaying between party members.
What To Expect
I tend to run roleplay heavy games, mostly due to my disliking of Play-By-Post combat (2 round combat encounters lasting almost a month gets kind of annoying). However, I do try to ensure that the combat experience is at least comprehensible (see the "How I Do Combat" section below).
The first part of the campaign is a mish-mash of official Planescape modules converted from 2nd Edition, with my own additions here and there. Thus, the first part of the campaign consists mainly of urban intrigue, mystery-solving, factions and politics, with potential for plane-hopping. However, I intend for you to have a lot of freedom to shape the narrative to your interests. I actually don't have a "main plot" planned, as I intend to put that together from your characters' backstories and motivations, hopefully resulting in a narrative that feels worth the time invested in it.
DISCORD: I've found it makes things a little more convenient to do dice rolling outside your In-Character posts. One advantage includes being able to roll dice before describing your action, allowing you to describe it appropriately for the number rolled. Another is that aesthetically, it makes the thread look much cleaner when there aren't randomly generated numbers interrupting the dialogue or prose. As such, dice rolling and all OOC chat will be taking place on a private Discord server made specifically for the group. This will serve as the medium for all communication outside of game, while the D&D Beyond thread will be where we post our dialogue and prose. For example, you'd roll the attack and damage in Discord, I'd tell you if hits or misses, then you'd describe it appropriately in the thread when describing your turn.
SETTING: The first mini-adventure will take place in the Forgotten Realms setting ('cause it's basic), from which your characters are presumed to originate from. After this, you will have potential access to a much broader roster of worlds. Take this into consideration when creating a character.
Character Creation:
Use either Standard Array or Point Buy to generate your character's ability scores.
You may select any race presented in the Player's Handbook and Monsters of the Multiverse (with the exception of centaurs, eladrin, fairies, Githyanki/Githzerai, harengon, and satyrs)
You begin at 1st level
Feel free to make a custom background if the official ones don't quite fit your character.
For starting equipment, you begin with an amount of gold indicated by your class on the table below (to be spent on equipment of your choice), in addition to any equipment granted by your background. Alternatively, you can use the standard class starting equipment + background starting equipment.
Character Submission:
You can submit your character either in this thread or via PM. Please submit your character in the following format:
A character portrait for combat (see the "How I Do Combat" section below)
Character Name
Race and class
Backstory: How did your character come to be an adventurer, seeking out quests for reward?
Personality: How does your character behave? What are their mannerisms, habits, interests, hobbies, etc.,
Desire: What is a long-term goal of your character? What position would they like to be in at the end of their adventuring career?
Alignment: Alignment is important in the Planescape setting. What are your character's philosophical worldviews? What are their thoughts on big questions like ethics, the meaning of life, human(oid) nature, and the like? Explain which of the 9 alignments they most closely fit into and why.
Click Here For An Example Character:
Bralgo, Last Son of House Gildenkranz
Dwarf fighter
BACKSTORY: The fall of the Gildenkranz Clan was a long, grim process. When their home in the mountains was overtaken by goblins, Bralgo's grandfather was too stubborn and prideful to flee. He was gutted on his own throne. Better to die than be a coward, he had said. Thus began the grand sequence of ironic tragedies that was the fate of House Gildenkranz. Fleeing to the Dessarin Valley to live amongst the farmers and miners, they prospered for a short time, Bralgo's father making a living as an ale merchant. This happiness was interrupted by the rise of the Iceshield orc clan which terrorized the countryside. During the fight, Bralgo's brother fled with his wife and infant son to keep them safe. Intolerant of such cowardice, Bralgo's father banished him from the clan. He hasn't been heard from since. The Gildenkranz brewery was destroyed, and it was here that Bralgo lost his right leg. His mother was next to go. When she was due to have her third child, it became clear that for one to live, the other would die. Bralgo's parents unanimously prioritized the unborn child in vain, for he too died shortly after. Lastly came Bralgo's father who, when confronting an old rival, was challenged to a duel for what remained of both their fortunes. Better to die than to turn down a challenge, his father must have thought. Thus, Bralgo was left alone to carry on the legacy of House Gildenkranz.
PERSONALITY: Bralgo is a world-weary, battle-hardened soul, yet he lacks a warrior's harsh disposition. He is surprisingly calm and slow to anger despite his appearance. He prefers to let his traveling companions do all the talking, using as few words as possible when spoken to. However, he is not humorless, being quick to laugh at a joke, or make merry with friends. When resting, he has the tendency to polish his heirloom warhammer, stare at the stars, or tell stories he'd been told as a child. He avoids discussion of his family when possible, however.
DESIRE: Bralgo is conflicted. He is burdened with the responsibility of keeping his clan's memory alive through acts of valor and heroism, honoring his family by upholding their values. But were not those traditional virtues of unyielding fearlessness and staring death straight in the eyes what dissolved the family in the first place? Is he a fool for upholding tradition? Or is he a coward for wanting to turn his back on their dwarven virtues and values? Bralgo seeks an answer to the question: How should he live his life?
ALIGNMENT: Bralgo believes that he was born with a duty to his clan. He believes all are born with some sort of responsibility or purpose that they must hold onto. He defines evil as those who have a responsibility, yet reject it out of selfishness. However, he has been brought to question this worldview, realizing that his duty to his clan is self-destructive. He now seeks to reconcile his worldview, searching for another way to fulfill his responsibility. Bralgo Gildenkranz is Neutral Good.
How I Do Combat
When a combat encounter begins, I will post a map numbered with coordinates and featuring tokens, as shown below in this example.
Below is a zoomed-in version of the map above, for a better look at the tokens.
Shown here we see a human wizard, a half-elf paladin, and a kobold fighter facing off against a wight and its three zombie minions.
Players inform me where they want to move using the coordinates (vertical number first, horizontal number second). Say, for example, it's the Paladin's turn, and she wants to move forward to attack the zombie right in front of her. She would say (in the Discord chat) "I'll move five feet forward to 8,14 and attack the zombie with my longsword."
Each round, I'll post a new version of the map, updated with everyone's new positions on the grid.
Recruiting Period
I will be recruiting over a period of 1 week. Please let me know during that time if you have any questions concerning the campaign. At the end of the week, I will choose four submissions to take part in the campaign, for which I will post the main thread a couple days later after everyone's settled.
Experiment
This recruiting experiment is completely optional. At some point after submitting your character, I would like it if you could return to the thread and look over all the submissions from other potential players, and choose 1 whom you think you'd like to have as a fellow adventurer in the campaign. PM me this recommendation along with a reason or two why you made that choice. This does not effect your chances of getting picked for the campaign. However, if I do pick you, the person you recommended has a good chance of getting picked. Again, this is completely optional.
BACKSTORY: Among the noble families of Neverdeep, House Scrivnik had never been prominent. Several years ago, Lord Kasper Scrivnik passed away suddenly from some unknown ailment and very shortly after his wife Kaarina disappeared. This left the five-year-old Mikaela as the Lady of House Scrivnik with her two-year-old brother Edvard the only other surviving member. Fortunately, the children were quickly adopted by House Beleron, a somewhat more prominent noble family. Baron Delmon and Lady Skyla were diligent in seeing after the children, although they did favor their own - Treth, just a year younger than Edvard, and Luelle, another four years younger. The family ensured that all the children received proper training and that they were well educated. Mikaela showed a great deal of ability at athletic pursuits and skill at arms. Given the limited means of her own titles, she saw becoming a knight and paladin as a way to build the honor of her house. Both House Beleron and Scrivnik had long been devoted to the worship of Torm. Quite devout herself, becoming a paladin of Torm seemed an obvious path for her. With years of training behind her, Mikaela is now prepared to set off and make a name for herself. Baron Delmon has helped her put together a small group of retainers to serve her along her path.
PERSONALITY: Mikaela is very friendly to all who she meets and tends to have a positive personality. She is however, a very driven woman. She has worked hard to get where she is at and is very serious about making a name for herself. As a result, mirth, playing around, or otherwise goofing off is not something she has much tolerance for. She is also quite devout in her devotion to Torm and believes others should share the tenets of devotion to service and seeking justice. Perhaps part of her focused nature, she is also always keen to maintain her appearance and is quite interested in the latest fashions. She also enjoys spending time playing dragon chess. It upsets her a bit as it feels like a waste of time to play games, but she tries to defend it by claiming it keeps her mind sharp for strategy.
DESIRE: The primary driving factor in Mikaela's life is her service to Torm; it drives much of what she does. Beyond that though, she wants to work to make a name of honor for House Scrivnik. Ultimately, she would like to be able to one day return home, take her place as Lady Scrivnik, and establish a family with the prominence to see justice done and serve other people.
ALIGNMENT: Above all, Mikaela believes in doing what is right. To her that means going out into the world to help those in need and to help maintain the peace and order. And while maintaining laws is important, unjust laws must be opposed. Opposing evil and corruption is an obligation for all that are able to do so. She also feels that on a personal level one should be focused and adhere to a rigorous routine. This would make Mikaela Lawful Good.
RETAINERS:
Squire: Luelle Beleron (age 14): fair-skinned, light brown hair, green eyes, 5'4" Luelle is the adoptive sister of Mikaela. She is still young (14) and hopes to become a knight. While talented and willing to learn, she is not extremely committed to practicing. This bothers Mikaela, but as the true daughter of the family, she is reluctant to push it too far. She is also devoted to Torm, but more as a matter of following what her family does rather than being deeply devoted.
Errand Boy: Tam Stoneriver - light skin with dark freckles, brownish-red hair, blue eyes, 4'1" The Stoneriver family is a prominent merchant family. The Belerons have had no real connection with them, so the boy (8) has been taken as a retainer in hopes of strengthening ties between families. Neither he nor his family is particularly religious, though with the family being heavily involved in trade, they do tend to ask for Waukeen's blessing.
Secretary: Chahni Stirsk - very light brown skin, black hair, light brown eyes, 5'6" She grew up in an orphanage connected to a temple of Torm. Seeing she was very bright, they made sure she was well-educated. She is just a year younger than Mikaela (21) and the two have known each other about as long as both can remember. She was recently hired on to be Mikaela's secretary.
BACKSTORY: Born to modest farmers in the sleepy and picturesque village of Fairmeadows, young Gavyn was always up to something, ever restless and full of mischief he drove his parents to the brink of insanity before he realized he had to leave the peace and quiet to see the Realms, see it all. So one day he sneaked aboard a potato cart, never looking back, taking him on to the next settlement and then soon the next one, never staying for long in one place, even when he reached the great cities of Sword Coast. He quickly learned how to talk his way out of trouble as he snatched what he needed to survive and then some, and when talking didn't suffice his uncanny luck bailed him out more than once after a quick prayer to Lady Luck herself, always keeping his lucky coin in his pocket. In the cities of Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep he inevitably was drawn into the criminal underworld where he picked up other useful skills to get him both in and out of trouble, but mostly he spent his nights at the many taverns where he entertained the crowd with bawdy shanties, drinking, gambling and wooing the barmaids. Eventually even Sword Coast was not enough and so he continued his journey, letting fate and luck guide him on his travels wherever that road may take him, even across the planes.
PERSONALITY: Gavyn is as carefree as they come, convinced that Lady Luck will come to his rescue when he gets into some kind of a pickle. He is charming and entertaining as a company but always restless and hates rules and regulations with a passion. His curiosity and rashness will keep bringing him and any companions into trouble though, something he couldn't live without.
DESIRE: Gavyn wants to see it all, ever restless and curious over what wonderful sights might be seen and what intriguing people might be met along his endless road of adventure and entertainment. He desires his days to be filled with daring adventures and his night filled with entertainment and carousing. To him the goal of his life's journey is the journey itself and he is convinced that if he stops for too long in one place he will quickly wither and die of terminal boredom.
ALIGNMENT: As a lover of freedom and believer in the goodness in every creature, Gavyn is particularly devoted to join any effort to overthrow and topple tyrants and others who would take the free will away, breaking the shackles of oppressive laws where he can and always helping those oppressed and who can't fend for themselves wherever he finds them. Gavyn is Chaotic Good.
Backstory: Left with the Shaara tribe of the wandering Bedine people of the Anauroch Desert as a child, all Maseris (Maz) has to remember her parents by is the tattoo on her left forearm. She remembers their silhouettes against the star-filled sky on the night they left, saying how much they loved her, and that at the right time she would find them again. That was 15 years ago, and she has begun to show signs of magical ability, a mystical connection to the desert which surrounds them - extinguishing or expanding small fires, rumblings in the earth, summoning clouds of dust. Her adoptive mother Tuphia, the tribe's holy woman, had come to love Maz during her time there, and with sadness sent her away - the Bedine were suspicious of magic, and Maz would have been exiled as a Witch. Tuphia gave Maz her own staff of sun-bleached wood, and the information she had held onto for so long - Maseris' parents had come to them from the West, and she had heard them mention the place 'Amphail'.
So Maz set out, excited but sad to leave her desert home, probably never to see it again. Who knew what the future had in store for this druid of the desert.
Personality: Having spent her formative years among the Bedine, Maz has acquired many of their conflicting characteristics - willing to fight hard for what is hers, but also to give freely to those in need; prepared to fight and kill to defend the honour of her and her friends, or where at all necessary, but also incredibly welcoming of strangers, if they are non-threatening. She is also in awe of everything she has seen along her journey - the wide green spaces she had only the barest memory of, and the busyness and luxury of the towns and cities. She does allow herself to get a little too taken with the wide selection of drinks and foods available, especially the drink.
Desire: Her goal has always been to find her parents, when the time is right. However now that the time seems to be here, she is scared of what she might find. Nevertheless, she throws herself at this quest, determined not to give in. She also would like to investigate these new abilities which seem to have been gifted to her by the desert. Even this far from the sands she feels the connection, and it's growing.
Alignment: Maseris most closely fits Chaotic Good. She thinks little of the laws of civilised society, having lived in a society where the core focus had to be survival above all else. The Bedine feel they will be judged on their behaviour in life, so Maz tries to help where she can, to uphold her honour.
Backstory:Kallista’s early years were spent in a moderately sized town helping her father with his woodworking / carpenter shop, her mother having passed away soon after she was born. The people in town were never cruel to her, though sometimes she could hear them talking about her 'heritage' and the circumstances surrounding her mother's death. Her father stared mearly stared them down in stone-cold silence and all but dared them to say their ‘concerns’ to his face. Kallista, ever the peacemaker, did her best to not cause her father more trouble by exploring the hills and forests that surrounded the town when she wasn’t helping carve wooden statues and things for her father to sell. Everything changed when the ranger conclave came to their town, looking for recruits. Ever the eager explorer, and finally of age herself, Kallista’s father agreed to let her join in the simple training exercises the conclave was doing to test the mettle of the other young adults of the town. In these she excelled, taking up archery and tracking better than even the hunter’s own son. Their final test came too soon for anyone to expect, when a group of mud mephits seemed to appear out of nowhere. Many many more then even the rangers seemed to expect. The townsfolk started to panic, and with a show of skill that even Kallista seemed to be surprised by she managed to take down 3 of the things before the rangers could intervene and finish the creatures off. This seemed to spur some kind of change in the town. Even as Kallsita was getting ready to set out to finish their training and be broken into their final conclaves, the town seemed to become more… gentle to her. People smiled and waved at her. Parents didn’t pull young children away when they got ‘too close’. Her father seemed way more relaxed than he had in a very long time. Somehow, over night, she’d not only been accepted, but also seen as some kind of hero. Something she silently vowed she would prove to anyone who refused to see her as anything less.
Personality:Kallista is a kind-hearted spirit, believing that the best way to resolve conflicts is not with weapons but with words, even if she herself is not the best at it. She doesn’t take kindly to people trying to bully others, and will push her way into those situations even if it’s against her own best interests. Her tail often gives away her emotional state, curling around her leg when upset or stressed. Even though she doesn’t have as much time for it as she was when alone, she still enjoys carving wood into little statues to give to children when they seem sad or lonely. Also, having spent far too much time in recent months eating nothing but rations, she really wants to learn how to cook to at least make them taste better.
Desire: The Mephits that attacked her town came out of nowhere, long before the ranger conclave were expecting to be ready to test Kallista and the others. Portals can spring up at anytime, they explained to everyone afterwards. They do their best to patrol the areas around the portals they do know, but they have no way of knowing when portals will open to begin with. Especially since a lot of them will close just as soon as they open. Kallista wishes to find a way to detect portal openings before they form, so that the rangers can be there before it opens and help the people effected by it.
Alignment: Kallista wants to help make the world a safer, and better, place. She’s not afraid to stand against an authority figure if the law is being used to hurt people, but she thinks overall that there’s a place for laws in the world. She’s less concerned with how good work gets done so long as it’s done. She falls along the Neutral Good alignment.
Backstory: Abandoned by his elven father, he was raised by his human mother in the Savage Frontier. The region was dotted with small farming communities, mining towns and wild forests. He grew up poor, living on the fringes of society as his mother went from odd job to odd job, and felt drawn to the wilds at a young age. Drawn by a sense of wanderlust after his mother died, he practiced the skills of a woodsman and hunter and wandered the Savage Frontier protecting those in need from the threats of the wild. Those threats walked on two legs as often as four, and so he also hunted men with evil in their hearts and actions, sometimes for coin and sometimes because it was the right thing to do. With cities such as Triboar and Yartar used as marshaling points for armies and militias facing ever present threats of Orcs, Trolls, and other dangers, he found ample targets.
Personality: A quiet confidence in himself and his abilities. Calm and observant; he thinks before speaking and acting. He doesn’t display many wide swings of emotions, but has a capacity for violence and rash decisions when provoked. Comfortable in both the wilds and in the towns dotting the frontier, he is friendly to others but is slow to build trust. Protective of those that are in need, even if he is outside their circle.
Desire: Coming from a poor upbringing where they could never quite make ends meet, and being a bit of an outcast due to his mixed heritage, he is determined to protect others he feels are being wronged and make a name for himself. He is also insecure about his heritage and fears being excluded from society, he wants to belong.
Alignment: Strong sense of helping others in need, perhaps because he received so little of it on his own when growing up. He is aware of the dark side of society and knows what it is like to be hungry, cold and alone. The frontier often has little semblance of law and order, and the wilds even less so, and he has a strong independent streak. He does what he needs to survive, while looking out for the well-being of those less fortunate. He is Neutral Good.
BACKSTORY: Aruzhal remembers fighting as a fierce devotee of the platinum dragon god Bahamut, seeking evil wherever it dwells and laying it to rest. Yet he also remembers memories of destruction, carving chaos in his wake in service to the draconic fiend Tiamat. The white dragonborn remembers hearing a voice that freed him from the frozen captivity of a greedy White Dragon's treasure hoard, having been imprisoned there after failing to defeat the wyrm. The voice granted Aruzhal strength, strength to break free and begin to forge his own path in life once more.
His memory of the times before his imprisonment are hazy at best, and he knows only that a future lies ahead for him if he makes it himself. So, onward he goes, watched by the two draconic deities eager to win over a new champion.
PERSONALITY: With little previous memory to recall, Aruzhal is often slow on the uptake. However, he is headstrong in his decision making and boldly forges down whatever path he makes. Friends are something he sees as a valuable aid - they have the worldly experience that he only once had. Thus, he stays by them and fiercely defends them like a true dragon defending their treasures.
DESIRE: Aruzhal, above all, wants to regain the strength and memories he had lost during his long imprisonment in the ice. As of now, his strength is all but fully sapped and his experiences are foggy. However, his current path is unclear due to the conflicting guidance of the deities who influence him, and he would prefer to set out on a clear path where his goal is known. Perhaps that means choosing sides. Perhaps it means rejecting both and continuing onward.
ALIGNMENT: Aruzhal tends to be overly cautious and distant when introducing himself into a situation, and has neither a personal code nor a tendency to be wild. He is likely to help people in need if he wants to, but also prioritizes himself the majority of the time. In addition, the good and evil powers that conflict in his head force him to consider all sides of an issue before he chooses, making him True Neutral.
Backstory: Aella is something of a cuckoo -- born into a family of Aarakocra, no one suspected she might be in any way different until one day, her parents realized that the reason Aella outclassed the other two so heavily when it came to pranking was because she was getting a little bit of extra magical help (Prestidigitation does wonders for making it seem like a sibling farted). No one in the village had any magic, they had no idea where these abilities might have come from or what to do with them (other than to tell her to please, Ae, stop turning your brother green). Her parents tried praying, in case it was a divine gift, but no obvious answer came. A druid passing through the area took a look at Aella in return for the offered shelter, but couldn't offer much other than she wasn't under the effects of any spells, good or bad, and pointed out that she was at least healthy, so did it really matter how she had these gifts? Best to make sure that Aella could use them well, to benefit herself and others. The druid didn't return, but a number of years later, a starling fluttered up to Aella's window, with a scrap of parchment tied to its leg -- whispers of other creatures, Aarakocra or not, with similar elemental abilities, had been heard of in [location appropriate to our story]. With her parents' blessing, and a promise of souvenirs for Sarr and Gulic, she set out to finally find someone who could teach her more about how to use these powers (and also to find out where she's actually from and who her parents might actually be, though she doesn't say anything about that in front of her family).
Personality: Aella is a perpetual prankster, very cheerful and has a great relationship with her parents and her brother and sister from her clutch. She's always the first to volunteer with chores -- because volunteering means you get your pick, and can leave your smelly brother with the gross chores. Just don't ask her to work the plow or help with any livestock. She's not great with animals, though that time with Dorr Frostbeard's potbellied pigs was not her fault. She's a bit innocent, never having left her tiny hamlet before now, but she's quick enough to pick up when someone is trying to pull one over on her, though she'd rather just book it than confront someone about it.
Desire: She's eager to find what else is out there and why she might have these powers, though she's not sure she wants to know if she really does have different parents, who abandoned her. Unless, you know, she's a secret princess. Then it might be okay. But for now she's going to focus on her powers themselves, and learning more magic.
Alignment: Aella hasn't thought about this too much, since she's on the young side. But her parents really took the druid's advice to heart, and tried to make sure that she really thought about the consequences of her actions when using her magic, and why it might still be useful to do some things the 'regular' way to build sympathetic relationships with others (read: her siblings and old Mrs. Stockfoot down the road). Not exactly conflict-avoidant, but as mentioned above, if we can just avoid a fight by not getting noticed or getting out of there fast she'd rather do that. She's a little to much a creative and out-of-the-box thinker for Neutral Good, though, she's probably more Chaotic Good.
Backstory: Nimue was born to human parents of a druid Circle in Sembia, off the coast of the Sea of Fallen Stars. Her birth was widely celebrated as a blessing from the sea goddess Umberlee. As a young child, Nimue could often be found making friends with the local wildlife. Her Circle forbade her from interfering too much with what they deemed the will of the natural world, but young Nimue couldn't help but care for wounded creatures or release an animal from a hunter's trap. This led her into some amount of conflict with her Circle over the years.
As she grew into an adult, Nimue began to have increasingly strange dreams, dreams of another realm, one of magic and enchantment. When she tried to speak of this to her Circle elders, they were dismissive, emphasizing that the purpose of the Circle was to be caretakers and stewards of the natural world of this realm. There was no need to go gallivanting off in search of adventure or answers anywhere else. This didn't satisfy young Nimue, and she decided to take leave of the Circle, not permanently of course, but she knew she needed to learn more about the world, especially the other planes of existence that had been revealed to her in dreams.
Personality: Nimue is a dreamer, always lost in her imagination. She is fond of everything whimsical and creative. Gentle and softspoken, she tends to avoid confrontation whenever possible. She loves animals of all kinds and spends more time in the company of the wild creatures of the coasts and the forests than she does with other people. While traveling she keeps a journal where she makes sketches of local flora and fauna and jots down her thoughts and feelings.
Desire: Nimue wants to learn as much as she can about the other realms outside of the Material Plane. Revealed to her in dreams, she believes she has a purpose or destiny that lays beyond the reaches of her Circle. Although her Circle might not agree, at least not yet, she believes that if she manages to travel to these other planes, she can bring back knowledge and maybe even resources that would benefit her Circle and ensure their peaceful stewardship of the natural world.
Alignment: Though her Circle is always reminding her to dedicate herself to the natural balance of nature, Nimue can't help but feel called to help others whenever she can. Though she sees little value in the laws of society, she nevertheless feels it is the responsibility of every sapient living creature to care for those weaker or in need, and that makes her Neutral Good.
BACKSTORY: Isolde came from a good family in the city of Silverymoon. Her mother, Amber Rhiannon, was a seamstress, and her father, Gregor Rhiannon, a smith. They were not rich, but not poor either; just enough to live a comfortable life. Isolde, however, wanted more for her family. She studied hard and outperformed all her peers at school. She wanted to bring her family name to a greater height by joining the Spellguard of Silverymoon in the future, marking the Rhiannon name as one of the protectors of the city and providing her parents with a more comfortable living.
When she was 17, she was invited to learn at the Lady's College, the most prestigious school for mages in Silverymoon. It was here that she discovered that perhaps she was not as extraordinary as she had first thought. She was ordinary -- average -- amongst people with greater backgrounds and purposes than her. Her confidence fell further when her younger brother and sister, Devin and Valka, excelled in the Invocarium and the Conservatory. Still, she prevailed and graduated with distinction, standing in the 95th percentile. Despite this achievement, however, Isolde found that average was not enough to find work -- or even become a Spellguard of Silverymoon. Afraid to disappoint her parents, she made up employment in Waterdeep and left her home in shame, hoping that one day she could return with something that would make her parents proud. She had been roaming from city to city looking for a greater purpose, taking the odd little jobs to pay her living.
PERSONALITY: Isolde was a witty and cheerful child. She was friendly to other people once. Her experience in the Lady's College turned all that upside down. She is no longer an outspoken woman, instead preferring to keep her silence most of the time in fear of appearing not intelligent enough. She becomes a little closed-off, preferring small like-minded companies instead of a large crowd. She cannot suffer the mundanity of small talk and incessant jokes but appreciate dark comedy and conspiracy theories. She has been and always will be loyal to those she holds dear to her heart, always seeking their approval and trying as hard as she can to make them proud. Perhaps, that way she can finally feel enough again -- become that confident, loving, and kind person she once was. At least that's what the many books she had read said would happen.
DESIRE: Isolde only has one goal in mind and that is to become significant enough to make her parents proud. The only way she knows how to fulfill this is to find something -- lost civilization, lost lore, lost magic -- that had never been found before. In the Lady's College, the most fundamental question that had never been answered is how the plane came to be. As such, that is the question that she seeks to answer. Finding that answer would mean that she was smart enough, persistent enough, creative enough, and, most of all, wise enough to be a person that her parents would be proud of. It would show that she is extraordinary.
ALIGNMENT: Isolde's mind had engaged a flight or fight switch and turned to pure logic. Her life had become a dichotomy between action and consequences. During her shameful self-exile from her home, she had mellowed a bit. Action and consequences would only get her so far. She began to appreciate the little people and couldn't help but use her magical know-how to help them once in a while, sometimes without even wanting payment. She still would distance herself from situations that would harm her person, staying out of conflict as much as possible, but would step in to bring a different perspective on the matter so all sides could be considered and a just solution can be found. Isolde is considered Neutral Good.
Half Elf Hexblade Warlock (intending eventual Oath of Ancients multiclass)
Backstory: A century ago, an exiled group of Feywild elves settled in the Faerun seeking asylum and quickly blended into the common people. These elves were servants to primordial powers of creation, and they met in secret every year. The small collective grew to several dozen and lived in peace for years until tragedy fell upon during one of their meeting nights. Rumors spread that they conducted profane rituals to the Elemental Evils, and local lords sent soldiers to snuff out this perceived threat. In a night of blood and terror, only a handful escaped and scattered to the winds. One survivor, Tadriel, settled down and started a family. His oldest son, Fin, received the history of his father's people when he came of age. Fin was eager for the lessons of his people and began his path to enlightenment. In time, one of the primordial forces connected with him: A shard of pure darkness, free from mortal stigma, pure in its nature. Afterward, Fin was tasked by his father with a pilgrimage, to pursue to higher meanings of the Creation, and to hopefully find others of his scattered people.
Personality: Fin is a generally pleasant, unassuming individual but shies away quickly when asked about his family or matters of philosophy. He can often be found wandering around at night, chatting and pondering to himself as he stares off across the night sky or countryside. Despite what others may whisper about the odd young man lurking in the allies, Fin simply prefers shadowy areas where he can converse with "Blank", as he calls it. Blank is as cryptic as it is sagely, and speaks solely to Fin through whispers in the wind and creaks in the dark. It carries no malignant will, for such things are alien to its nature. It just simply....is.
Desire: Fin carries a great longing to know what happened to his father's people. Scattered and persecuted, he can only imagine the very few left alive would never divulge their past without total certainty. Still, if Fin can find even one of them and bring them home, he hopes this would bring a fulfillment to his family. As for his own ambitions, Fin continues a pilgrimage to mine the depths of knowledge on the "Foundations of Creation", as his father called them. "Such a journey of enlightenment cannot be made through books or the words of others; it must be experienced by the seeker, and grown within the soul." Such was the guidance of his father. The strange nature of the direction leads Fin to believe the journey may never end, but in a way it almost seems even more fitting.
Alignment:True Neutral, Balance in all things, for the Foundations of Creation hold to no higher purpose than this. The world, even the planes and cosmos, were created using fundamental elements, and those that shaped these elements were as much products of this primordial foundation as the works they created. These exist all around us in our daily lives, for our lives cannot exist without them. Each lives apart from the others, and yet in harmony with each in their own way. Sentiments such as "good and evil" or "destiny" are far below the concerns of The Foundations, for these are creations of mortals who seek in vain to live outside of balance. The Foundations....simply exist. Mortals see them without realizing, and believe that some are connected by their nature. In reality, this could not be further from the truth. These are lessons taught from father to son, but Fin still struggles to understand their greater meanings.
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Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
BACKSTORY: Ilithienne was born as a daughter of a known slave huntress Ilithar, who planned similar career for her. For many years she was raised with hate for the surface dwellers. She strongly believed it was her destiny to follow her mother steps and despised those few drow that renounced their way. One day, her older cousin, who Ilithiene believed died during one of the raids many years ago, was brought to the city square. As a cought fugitive there was only one punishment and Ilithiene was one of those, who should carry the only possible sentence - death. Lizzerinne looked at her when her body was pierced with bolts. Her eyes were strange. She didn't see any anger nor frustration but sadness and that was very confusing. Why didn't everyone rejoice her sister in arms was found? Later, Ilithienne was told Lizz has chosen to live on the surface. She died quickly but for this day Ilithienne sees her lifeless body whenever she closes her eyes. When she was ordered to take Lizzerinne's body, she has found a small medallion with a beautiful dancing female with sweeping hair of glowing silver engraved she kept without anyone noticing. Following years she gathered bits and pieces of information about the medallion and learned it's Eilistraee, goddess and lover of beauty and peace. Each time she had guard duty up the slave pits, she gathered every piece of information and sought why Lizzerinne had chosen that way instead. Most slaves refused to speak with her, even when she offered them food but those few, who recognized kindness in her heart, shared some pieces of information. During her first slave run, she knew she needed to make a choice. When left with some of the slaves cought, she set them free and asked only one thing in return - to take her with them. Many were against, even thought it's a trap to lead them back to those who managed to escape, but she convinced the leader of the slaves, an old priest, who agreed to her wish. Ilithienne managed to avoid the lookouts and get them to safety. They have kept their word too. For few months she lived among them getting to know the wonders and beauty of the surface world and trying to forget the Underdark, but she is well aware that every day can be her last as well. Lizzerinne's fate is so fresh in her memory she knows it's better to open up her veins instead of being caught... Perhaps her own mother would sacrifice her to Lolth.
PERSONALITY: Curious of the other places, but still looking back if her past will catch her up. Due to this, she hardly ever trusts blindly anyone, unless she has no choice - that's the drow bread and butter. She is full of hope and wants to see as many things as possible.
DESIRE: From one point of view Ilithienne loves to experience those things she didn't see before, like a night sky, joy of village fair, on the other hand she is aware of the drow reputation and how they are viewed by others and her deep wish is to change this and perhaps meet other drow that think alike. Deep down, she seeks redemption for all the evil she has been part of and for the death of Lizzerinne.
ALIGNMENT: Although Ilithienne was raised in a drow city, and was indoctrinated from the very begining all other races are inferior and exist only to serve the Spider Queen's glory, she saw the suffering of those caught by the slavers and something in her refused to accept this. She knows from her experience that laws can be unjust no matter how high those were settled, so she refuses to obey those that do not serve her purpose. Ilithienne is Chaotic Good.
Backstory: She grew up in the Underdark among the other Drow, under the parents of Cinder and Bolber Moonstone. The two of them being Underdark Butchers. She had one sibling, a younger brother under the name of Sebastian. One day, she had to take Sebastian to a friend of theirs, since their parents worked. On the way home from dropping him off, a book fell out of the bag of another Drow in the streets. She looked at it, and it was a spellbook. She wanted to give it back to the one who dropped it, but they were nowhere to be seen. She took the book home and read it. She used what was in the book to cast Identify and was instantly enamored by the art of magic! The spent the rest of her childhood studying this mysterious book she found, and when she graduated, she decided to leave the caverns of the Underdark and explore the vast world in search of more magical knowledge. When she steps out for the first time, however... she... feels... aimless. Like she has no clue what her purpose is besides gaining more knowledge. She never thought of this before, because she always was simply excited by magic, and didn't think much of the future. Realizing this and looking at the vast world in front of her, she realizes that along with gaining magical knowledge, she must figure out what she wants the rest of her life to be! When she hears of what adventuring is, she takes this path for it gives her coin, she can find magical knowledge along the way, and the travels could help her find out what she wants her life to be like.
Personality: They are optimistic, if antisocial. They try to make the best of any situation they're in. She likes to read, and sometimes has her spellbook open while listening to conversations (Still being able to take in what she hears). She has a habit of reading her spellbook when she's in bed trying to sleep. Aside from magic, she is interested in foods and how they're cooked. She barely has any hobbies besides magic.
Desire: Knowlege is the thing that she longs to peruse... but... she doesn't know what her "long term goal" is besides random knowledge... perhaps she'll find out on her adventures.
Alignment: (LG) She believes that her magic, and whatever anyone else has to offer to this world, is a part of everyone's souls and have a good purpose in this world. They know that some people are bad, but never before they're given a chance. She bases her opinion of people on their actions as people and encourages people to peruse good things. She is Lawful Good for she tries her best to obey the law and tries to as good of a person as possible.
To traverse the Planes of the Multiverse is to walk among gods, demons, and far, far stranger things.
Beyond the safety of the Material Plane, conventional reality becomes secondary.
Belief is everything. Metaphysical and abstract concepts shape existence.
The Great Wheel, as we know it, represents the extremities of belief.
Each plane, an entire world shaped by pure ideology.
In a Multiverse of the abstract made tangible, it can be easy to get lost...
Be it in the Planes themselves...
Or within your own belief.
What I'm Looking For
I am looking for four players to participate in a campaign taking place in the Planescape campaign setting.
When it comes to availability, my ideal campaign would have everyone managing to making about 3-5 posts a week, and even more frequently during combat, as PbP combat is excruciatingly slow. However, I completely understand that not all of you have all the time in the world. At the very minimum, I'd prefer you not go the better part of the week without so much as checking the campaign thread.
When it comes to interest level, I would like to have players who like investing themselves in the narrative, and enjoy roleplaying between party members.
What To Expect
I tend to run roleplay heavy games, mostly due to my disliking of Play-By-Post combat (2 round combat encounters lasting almost a month gets kind of annoying). However, I do try to ensure that the combat experience is at least comprehensible (see the "How I Do Combat" section below).
The first part of the campaign is a mish-mash of official Planescape modules converted from 2nd Edition, with my own additions here and there. Thus, the first part of the campaign consists mainly of urban intrigue, mystery-solving, factions and politics, with potential for plane-hopping. However, I intend for you to have a lot of freedom to shape the narrative to your interests. I actually don't have a "main plot" planned, as I intend to put that together from your characters' backstories and motivations, hopefully resulting in a narrative that feels worth the time invested in it.
DISCORD: I've found it makes things a little more convenient to do dice rolling outside your In-Character posts. One advantage includes being able to roll dice before describing your action, allowing you to describe it appropriately for the number rolled. Another is that aesthetically, it makes the thread look much cleaner when there aren't randomly generated numbers interrupting the dialogue or prose. As such, dice rolling and all OOC chat will be taking place on a private Discord server made specifically for the group. This will serve as the medium for all communication outside of game, while the D&D Beyond thread will be where we post our dialogue and prose. For example, you'd roll the attack and damage in Discord, I'd tell you if hits or misses, then you'd describe it appropriately in the thread when describing your turn.
SETTING: The first mini-adventure will take place in the Forgotten Realms setting ('cause it's basic), from which your characters are presumed to originate from. After this, you will have potential access to a much broader roster of worlds. Take this into consideration when creating a character.
Character Creation:
Character Submission:
You can submit your character either in this thread or via PM. Please submit your character in the following format:
Click Here For An Example Character:
Bralgo, Last Son of House Gildenkranz
Dwarf fighter
BACKSTORY: The fall of the Gildenkranz Clan was a long, grim process. When their home in the mountains was overtaken by goblins, Bralgo's grandfather was too stubborn and prideful to flee. He was gutted on his own throne. Better to die than be a coward, he had said. Thus began the grand sequence of ironic tragedies that was the fate of House Gildenkranz. Fleeing to the Dessarin Valley to live amongst the farmers and miners, they prospered for a short time, Bralgo's father making a living as an ale merchant. This happiness was interrupted by the rise of the Iceshield orc clan which terrorized the countryside. During the fight, Bralgo's brother fled with his wife and infant son to keep them safe. Intolerant of such cowardice, Bralgo's father banished him from the clan. He hasn't been heard from since. The Gildenkranz brewery was destroyed, and it was here that Bralgo lost his right leg. His mother was next to go. When she was due to have her third child, it became clear that for one to live, the other would die. Bralgo's parents unanimously prioritized the unborn child in vain, for he too died shortly after. Lastly came Bralgo's father who, when confronting an old rival, was challenged to a duel for what remained of both their fortunes. Better to die than to turn down a challenge, his father must have thought. Thus, Bralgo was left alone to carry on the legacy of House Gildenkranz.
PERSONALITY: Bralgo is a world-weary, battle-hardened soul, yet he lacks a warrior's harsh disposition. He is surprisingly calm and slow to anger despite his appearance. He prefers to let his traveling companions do all the talking, using as few words as possible when spoken to. However, he is not humorless, being quick to laugh at a joke, or make merry with friends. When resting, he has the tendency to polish his heirloom warhammer, stare at the stars, or tell stories he'd been told as a child. He avoids discussion of his family when possible, however.
DESIRE: Bralgo is conflicted. He is burdened with the responsibility of keeping his clan's memory alive through acts of valor and heroism, honoring his family by upholding their values. But were not those traditional virtues of unyielding fearlessness and staring death straight in the eyes what dissolved the family in the first place? Is he a fool for upholding tradition? Or is he a coward for wanting to turn his back on their dwarven virtues and values? Bralgo seeks an answer to the question: How should he live his life?
ALIGNMENT: Bralgo believes that he was born with a duty to his clan. He believes all are born with some sort of responsibility or purpose that they must hold onto. He defines evil as those who have a responsibility, yet reject it out of selfishness. However, he has been brought to question this worldview, realizing that his duty to his clan is self-destructive. He now seeks to reconcile his worldview, searching for another way to fulfill his responsibility. Bralgo Gildenkranz is Neutral Good.
How I Do Combat
When a combat encounter begins, I will post a map numbered with coordinates and featuring tokens, as shown below in this example.
Below is a zoomed-in version of the map above, for a better look at the tokens.
Shown here we see a human wizard, a half-elf paladin, and a kobold fighter facing off against a wight and its three zombie minions.
Players inform me where they want to move using the coordinates (vertical number first, horizontal number second). Say, for example, it's the Paladin's turn, and she wants to move forward to attack the zombie right in front of her. She would say (in the Discord chat) "I'll move five feet forward to 8,14 and attack the zombie with my longsword."
Each round, I'll post a new version of the map, updated with everyone's new positions on the grid.
Recruiting Period
I will be recruiting over a period of 1 week. Please let me know during that time if you have any questions concerning the campaign. At the end of the week, I will choose four submissions to take part in the campaign, for which I will post the main thread a couple days later after everyone's settled.
Experiment
This recruiting experiment is completely optional. At some point after submitting your character, I would like it if you could return to the thread and look over all the submissions from other potential players, and choose 1 whom you think you'd like to have as a fellow adventurer in the campaign. PM me this recommendation along with a reason or two why you made that choice. This does not effect your chances of getting picked for the campaign. However, if I do pick you, the person you recommended has a good chance of getting picked. Again, this is completely optional.
Thank you all and have a good day.
"Remind yourself that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer."
Nevermind what this was before the edit.
Osborne Goodluck | Level 1 | Halfling | Sorcerer (Wild Magic) | Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
I'm totally in for this. I'll submit a halfling bard via PM with in the next 24.
Rogue Quin Oberon /Mercer's Tavern
Ranger Rigel Foresyth /LMOP
Fighter Barnabus Ironheel /North lands campaign
Fighter Flynt McGraw /Stormraider
Mikaela Scrivnik, Knight
Human Paladin
BACKSTORY: Among the noble families of Neverdeep, House Scrivnik had never been prominent. Several years ago, Lord Kasper Scrivnik passed away suddenly from some unknown ailment and very shortly after his wife Kaarina disappeared. This left the five-year-old Mikaela as the Lady of House Scrivnik with her two-year-old brother Edvard the only other surviving member. Fortunately, the children were quickly adopted by House Beleron, a somewhat more prominent noble family. Baron Delmon and Lady Skyla were diligent in seeing after the children, although they did favor their own - Treth, just a year younger than Edvard, and Luelle, another four years younger. The family ensured that all the children received proper training and that they were well educated. Mikaela showed a great deal of ability at athletic pursuits and skill at arms. Given the limited means of her own titles, she saw becoming a knight and paladin as a way to build the honor of her house. Both House Beleron and Scrivnik had long been devoted to the worship of Torm. Quite devout herself, becoming a paladin of Torm seemed an obvious path for her. With years of training behind her, Mikaela is now prepared to set off and make a name for herself. Baron Delmon has helped her put together a small group of retainers to serve her along her path.
PERSONALITY: Mikaela is very friendly to all who she meets and tends to have a positive personality. She is however, a very driven woman. She has worked hard to get where she is at and is very serious about making a name for herself. As a result, mirth, playing around, or otherwise goofing off is not something she has much tolerance for. She is also quite devout in her devotion to Torm and believes others should share the tenets of devotion to service and seeking justice. Perhaps part of her focused nature, she is also always keen to maintain her appearance and is quite interested in the latest fashions. She also enjoys spending time playing dragon chess. It upsets her a bit as it feels like a waste of time to play games, but she tries to defend it by claiming it keeps her mind sharp for strategy.
DESIRE: The primary driving factor in Mikaela's life is her service to Torm; it drives much of what she does. Beyond that though, she wants to work to make a name of honor for House Scrivnik. Ultimately, she would like to be able to one day return home, take her place as Lady Scrivnik, and establish a family with the prominence to see justice done and serve other people.
ALIGNMENT: Above all, Mikaela believes in doing what is right. To her that means going out into the world to help those in need and to help maintain the peace and order. And while maintaining laws is important, unjust laws must be opposed. Opposing evil and corruption is an obligation for all that are able to do so. She also feels that on a personal level one should be focused and adhere to a rigorous routine. This would make Mikaela Lawful Good.
RETAINERS:
Squire: Luelle Beleron (age 14): fair-skinned, light brown hair, green eyes, 5'4"
Luelle is the adoptive sister of Mikaela. She is still young (14) and hopes to become a knight. While talented and willing to learn, she is not extremely committed to practicing. This bothers Mikaela, but as the true daughter of the family, she is reluctant to push it too far. She is also devoted to Torm, but more as a matter of following what her family does rather than being deeply devoted.
Errand Boy: Tam Stoneriver - light skin with dark freckles, brownish-red hair, blue eyes, 4'1"
The Stoneriver family is a prominent merchant family. The Belerons have had no real connection with them, so the boy (8) has been taken as a retainer in hopes of strengthening ties between families. Neither he nor his family is particularly religious, though with the family being heavily involved in trade, they do tend to ask for Waukeen's blessing.
Secretary: Chahni Stirsk - very light brown skin, black hair, light brown eyes, 5'6"
She grew up in an orphanage connected to a temple of Torm. Seeing she was very bright, they made sure she was well-educated. She is just a year younger than Mikaela (21) and the two have known each other about as long as both can remember. She was recently hired on to be Mikaela's secretary.
Mikaela Scrivnik
Rabbit Sebrica | Skarai | Katryl Brightfury | Rylia Lionrage | Roxana Raincrest | Janek Whitmor | Lokilia Vaelphin
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Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
Gavyn Freeflagon, Carouser Extraordinaire
Human Bard
BACKSTORY: Born to modest farmers in the sleepy and picturesque village of Fairmeadows, young Gavyn was always up to something, ever restless and full of mischief he drove his parents to the brink of insanity before he realized he had to leave the peace and quiet to see the Realms, see it all. So one day he sneaked aboard a potato cart, never looking back, taking him on to the next settlement and then soon the next one, never staying for long in one place, even when he reached the great cities of Sword Coast. He quickly learned how to talk his way out of trouble as he snatched what he needed to survive and then some, and when talking didn't suffice his uncanny luck bailed him out more than once after a quick prayer to Lady Luck herself, always keeping his lucky coin in his pocket. In the cities of Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep he inevitably was drawn into the criminal underworld where he picked up other useful skills to get him both in and out of trouble, but mostly he spent his nights at the many taverns where he entertained the crowd with bawdy shanties, drinking, gambling and wooing the barmaids. Eventually even Sword Coast was not enough and so he continued his journey, letting fate and luck guide him on his travels wherever that road may take him, even across the planes.
PERSONALITY: Gavyn is as carefree as they come, convinced that Lady Luck will come to his rescue when he gets into some kind of a pickle. He is charming and entertaining as a company but always restless and hates rules and regulations with a passion. His curiosity and rashness will keep bringing him and any companions into trouble though, something he couldn't live without.
DESIRE: Gavyn wants to see it all, ever restless and curious over what wonderful sights might be seen and what intriguing people might be met along his endless road of adventure and entertainment. He desires his days to be filled with daring adventures and his night filled with entertainment and carousing. To him the goal of his life's journey is the journey itself and he is convinced that if he stops for too long in one place he will quickly wither and die of terminal boredom.
ALIGNMENT: As a lover of freedom and believer in the goodness in every creature, Gavyn is particularly devoted to join any effort to overthrow and topple tyrants and others who would take the free will away, breaking the shackles of oppressive laws where he can and always helping those oppressed and who can't fend for themselves wherever he finds them. Gavyn is Chaotic Good.
Gavyn Freeflagon's Character Sheet
Maseris "Maz" of Tuphia
Wood Half-Elf / Druid
Backstory: Left with the Shaara tribe of the wandering Bedine people of the Anauroch Desert as a child, all Maseris (Maz) has to remember her parents by is the tattoo on her left forearm. She remembers their silhouettes against the star-filled sky on the night they left, saying how much they loved her, and that at the right time she would find them again. That was 15 years ago, and she has begun to show signs of magical ability, a mystical connection to the desert which surrounds them - extinguishing or expanding small fires, rumblings in the earth, summoning clouds of dust. Her adoptive mother Tuphia, the tribe's holy woman, had come to love Maz during her time there, and with sadness sent her away - the Bedine were suspicious of magic, and Maz would have been exiled as a Witch. Tuphia gave Maz her own staff of sun-bleached wood, and the information she had held onto for so long - Maseris' parents had come to them from the West, and she had heard them mention the place 'Amphail'.
So Maz set out, excited but sad to leave her desert home, probably never to see it again. Who knew what the future had in store for this druid of the desert.
Personality: Having spent her formative years among the Bedine, Maz has acquired many of their conflicting characteristics - willing to fight hard for what is hers, but also to give freely to those in need; prepared to fight and kill to defend the honour of her and her friends, or where at all necessary, but also incredibly welcoming of strangers, if they are non-threatening. She is also in awe of everything she has seen along her journey - the wide green spaces she had only the barest memory of, and the busyness and luxury of the towns and cities. She does allow herself to get a little too taken with the wide selection of drinks and foods available, especially the drink.
Desire: Her goal has always been to find her parents, when the time is right. However now that the time seems to be here, she is scared of what she might find. Nevertheless, she throws herself at this quest, determined not to give in. She also would like to investigate these new abilities which seem to have been gifted to her by the desert. Even this far from the sands she feels the connection, and it's growing.
Alignment: Maseris most closely fits Chaotic Good. She thinks little of the laws of civilised society, having lived in a society where the core focus had to be survival above all else. The Bedine feel they will be judged on their behaviour in life, so Maz tries to help where she can, to uphold her honour.
DM - Storm King's Thunder
DM - Torosevia (WIP homebrew world)
Kelytha Meliamne - Matti Silverstorm - Silver - Star-Setting-In-The-East - Tor Baltos
Kallista Dumein
Tiefling Ranger
Backstory: Kallista’s early years were spent in a moderately sized town helping her father with his woodworking / carpenter shop, her mother having passed away soon after she was born. The people in town were never cruel to her, though sometimes she could hear them talking about her 'heritage' and the circumstances surrounding her mother's death. Her father stared mearly stared them down in stone-cold silence and all but dared them to say their ‘concerns’ to his face. Kallista, ever the peacemaker, did her best to not cause her father more trouble by exploring the hills and forests that surrounded the town when she wasn’t helping carve wooden statues and things for her father to sell.
Everything changed when the ranger conclave came to their town, looking for recruits. Ever the eager explorer, and finally of age herself, Kallista’s father agreed to let her join in the simple training exercises the conclave was doing to test the mettle of the other young adults of the town. In these she excelled, taking up archery and tracking better than even the hunter’s own son. Their final test came too soon for anyone to expect, when a group of mud mephits seemed to appear out of nowhere. Many many more then even the rangers seemed to expect. The townsfolk started to panic, and with a show of skill that even Kallista seemed to be surprised by she managed to take down 3 of the things before the rangers could intervene and finish the creatures off.
This seemed to spur some kind of change in the town. Even as Kallsita was getting ready to set out to finish their training and be broken into their final conclaves, the town seemed to become more… gentle to her. People smiled and waved at her. Parents didn’t pull young children away when they got ‘too close’. Her father seemed way more relaxed than he had in a very long time. Somehow, over night, she’d not only been accepted, but also seen as some kind of hero. Something she silently vowed she would prove to anyone who refused to see her as anything less.
Personality: Kallista is a kind-hearted spirit, believing that the best way to resolve conflicts is not with weapons but with words, even if she herself is not the best at it. She doesn’t take kindly to people trying to bully others, and will push her way into those situations even if it’s against her own best interests. Her tail often gives away her emotional state, curling around her leg when upset or stressed. Even though she doesn’t have as much time for it as she was when alone, she still enjoys carving wood into little statues to give to children when they seem sad or lonely. Also, having spent far too much time in recent months eating nothing but rations, she really wants to learn how to cook to at least make them taste better.
Desire: The Mephits that attacked her town came out of nowhere, long before the ranger conclave were expecting to be ready to test Kallista and the others. Portals can spring up at anytime, they explained to everyone afterwards. They do their best to patrol the areas around the portals they do know, but they have no way of knowing when portals will open to begin with. Especially since a lot of them will close just as soon as they open. Kallista wishes to find a way to detect portal openings before they form, so that the rangers can be there before it opens and help the people effected by it.
Alignment: Kallista wants to help make the world a safer, and better, place. She’s not afraid to stand against an authority figure if the law is being used to hurt people, but she thinks overall that there’s a place for laws in the world. She’s less concerned with how good work gets done so long as it’s done. She falls along the Neutral Good alignment.
https://ddb.ac/characters/94103074/1x88uh
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
Quick question: are Motm Aarakocra allowed? You've nixed the other flying race, so I just want to check. Thanks!
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Stor Hornraven
Half-Elf Ranger
Backstory: Abandoned by his elven father, he was raised by his human mother in the Savage Frontier. The region was dotted with small farming communities, mining towns and wild forests. He grew up poor, living on the fringes of society as his mother went from odd job to odd job, and felt drawn to the wilds at a young age. Drawn by a sense of wanderlust after his mother died, he practiced the skills of a woodsman and hunter and wandered the Savage Frontier protecting those in need from the threats of the wild. Those threats walked on two legs as often as four, and so he also hunted men with evil in their hearts and actions, sometimes for coin and sometimes because it was the right thing to do. With cities such as Triboar and Yartar used as marshaling points for armies and militias facing ever present threats of Orcs, Trolls, and other dangers, he found ample targets.
Personality: A quiet confidence in himself and his abilities. Calm and observant; he thinks before speaking and acting. He doesn’t display many wide swings of emotions, but has a capacity for violence and rash decisions when provoked. Comfortable in both the wilds and in the towns dotting the frontier, he is friendly to others but is slow to build trust. Protective of those that are in need, even if he is outside their circle.
Desire: Coming from a poor upbringing where they could never quite make ends meet, and being a bit of an outcast due to his mixed heritage, he is determined to protect others he feels are being wronged and make a name for himself. He is also insecure about his heritage and fears being excluded from society, he wants to belong.
Alignment: Strong sense of helping others in need, perhaps because he received so little of it on his own when growing up. He is aware of the dark side of society and knows what it is like to be hungry, cold and alone. The frontier often has little semblance of law and order, and the wilds even less so, and he has a strong independent streak. He does what he needs to survive, while looking out for the well-being of those less fortunate. He is Neutral Good.
Yes, you may use either the MotM version or the legacy version. Flight speed isn't the reason I'm not allowing fairies, but thanks for checking!
"Remind yourself that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer."
Great, thanks!
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Aruzhal
Chromatic Dragonborn Tempest Cleric
BACKSTORY: Aruzhal remembers fighting as a fierce devotee of the platinum dragon god Bahamut, seeking evil wherever it dwells and laying it to rest. Yet he also remembers memories of destruction, carving chaos in his wake in service to the draconic fiend Tiamat. The white dragonborn remembers hearing a voice that freed him from the frozen captivity of a greedy White Dragon's treasure hoard, having been imprisoned there after failing to defeat the wyrm. The voice granted Aruzhal strength, strength to break free and begin to forge his own path in life once more.
His memory of the times before his imprisonment are hazy at best, and he knows only that a future lies ahead for him if he makes it himself. So, onward he goes, watched by the two draconic deities eager to win over a new champion.
PERSONALITY: With little previous memory to recall, Aruzhal is often slow on the uptake. However, he is headstrong in his decision making and boldly forges down whatever path he makes. Friends are something he sees as a valuable aid - they have the worldly experience that he only once had. Thus, he stays by them and fiercely defends them like a true dragon defending their treasures.
DESIRE: Aruzhal, above all, wants to regain the strength and memories he had lost during his long imprisonment in the ice. As of now, his strength is all but fully sapped and his experiences are foggy. However, his current path is unclear due to the conflicting guidance of the deities who influence him, and he would prefer to set out on a clear path where his goal is known. Perhaps that means choosing sides. Perhaps it means rejecting both and continuing onward.
ALIGNMENT: Aruzhal tends to be overly cautious and distant when introducing himself into a situation, and has neither a personal code nor a tendency to be wild. He is likely to help people in need if he wants to, but also prioritizes himself the majority of the time. In addition, the good and evil powers that conflict in his head force him to consider all sides of an issue before he chooses, making him True Neutral.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/94094795
Aruzhal - Lv 1 Tempest Cleric - Planescape: Lost
Aella
Aarakocra Storm Sorcerer
Backstory: Aella is something of a cuckoo -- born into a family of Aarakocra, no one suspected she might be in any way different until one day, her parents realized that the reason Aella outclassed the other two so heavily when it came to pranking was because she was getting a little bit of extra magical help (Prestidigitation does wonders for making it seem like a sibling farted). No one in the village had any magic, they had no idea where these abilities might have come from or what to do with them (other than to tell her to please, Ae, stop turning your brother green). Her parents tried praying, in case it was a divine gift, but no obvious answer came. A druid passing through the area took a look at Aella in return for the offered shelter, but couldn't offer much other than she wasn't under the effects of any spells, good or bad, and pointed out that she was at least healthy, so did it really matter how she had these gifts? Best to make sure that Aella could use them well, to benefit herself and others. The druid didn't return, but a number of years later, a starling fluttered up to Aella's window, with a scrap of parchment tied to its leg -- whispers of other creatures, Aarakocra or not, with similar elemental abilities, had been heard of in [location appropriate to our story]. With her parents' blessing, and a promise of souvenirs for Sarr and Gulic, she set out to finally find someone who could teach her more about how to use these powers (and also to find out where she's actually from and who her parents might actually be, though she doesn't say anything about that in front of her family).
Personality: Aella is a perpetual prankster, very cheerful and has a great relationship with her parents and her brother and sister from her clutch. She's always the first to volunteer with chores -- because volunteering means you get your pick, and can leave your smelly brother with the gross chores. Just don't ask her to work the plow or help with any livestock. She's not great with animals, though that time with Dorr Frostbeard's potbellied pigs was not her fault. She's a bit innocent, never having left her tiny hamlet before now, but she's quick enough to pick up when someone is trying to pull one over on her, though she'd rather just book it than confront someone about it.
Desire: She's eager to find what else is out there and why she might have these powers, though she's not sure she wants to know if she really does have different parents, who abandoned her. Unless, you know, she's a secret princess. Then it might be okay. But for now she's going to focus on her powers themselves, and learning more magic.
Alignment: Aella hasn't thought about this too much, since she's on the young side. But her parents really took the druid's advice to heart, and tried to make sure that she really thought about the consequences of her actions when using her magic, and why it might still be useful to do some things the 'regular' way to build sympathetic relationships with others (read: her siblings and old Mrs. Stockfoot down the road). Not exactly conflict-avoidant, but as mentioned above, if we can just avoid a fight by not getting noticed or getting out of there fast she'd rather do that. She's a little to much a creative and out-of-the-box thinker for Neutral Good, though, she's probably more Chaotic Good.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Nimue
Water Genasi Druid - Circle of Dreams
Backstory: Nimue was born to human parents of a druid Circle in Sembia, off the coast of the Sea of Fallen Stars. Her birth was widely celebrated as a blessing from the sea goddess Umberlee. As a young child, Nimue could often be found making friends with the local wildlife. Her Circle forbade her from interfering too much with what they deemed the will of the natural world, but young Nimue couldn't help but care for wounded creatures or release an animal from a hunter's trap. This led her into some amount of conflict with her Circle over the years.
As she grew into an adult, Nimue began to have increasingly strange dreams, dreams of another realm, one of magic and enchantment. When she tried to speak of this to her Circle elders, they were dismissive, emphasizing that the purpose of the Circle was to be caretakers and stewards of the natural world of this realm. There was no need to go gallivanting off in search of adventure or answers anywhere else. This didn't satisfy young Nimue, and she decided to take leave of the Circle, not permanently of course, but she knew she needed to learn more about the world, especially the other planes of existence that had been revealed to her in dreams.
Personality: Nimue is a dreamer, always lost in her imagination. She is fond of everything whimsical and creative. Gentle and softspoken, she tends to avoid confrontation whenever possible. She loves animals of all kinds and spends more time in the company of the wild creatures of the coasts and the forests than she does with other people. While traveling she keeps a journal where she makes sketches of local flora and fauna and jots down her thoughts and feelings.
Desire: Nimue wants to learn as much as she can about the other realms outside of the Material Plane. Revealed to her in dreams, she believes she has a purpose or destiny that lays beyond the reaches of her Circle. Although her Circle might not agree, at least not yet, she believes that if she manages to travel to these other planes, she can bring back knowledge and maybe even resources that would benefit her Circle and ensure their peaceful stewardship of the natural world.
Alignment: Though her Circle is always reminding her to dedicate herself to the natural balance of nature, Nimue can't help but feel called to help others whenever she can. Though she sees little value in the laws of society, she nevertheless feels it is the responsibility of every sapient living creature to care for those weaker or in need, and that makes her Neutral Good.
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf - Lvl. 3 Halfling Rogue (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk) ♦ Evelyn Drake - Lvl. 3 Human Wizard (Rule of Change) ♦ Aranea Kendrick - Lvl. 4 Human Warlock (Where the Cold Winds Blow) ♦ Elsenia Vesper - Lvl. 2 Shadar-kai Druid (Strixhaven)
DMing: Curse of Strahd
nvm - posting format needs work.
Jesus saves. Everyone else takes damage.
Isolde Rhiannon
Half-elf wizard
BACKSTORY: Isolde came from a good family in the city of Silverymoon. Her mother, Amber Rhiannon, was a seamstress, and her father, Gregor Rhiannon, a smith. They were not rich, but not poor either; just enough to live a comfortable life. Isolde, however, wanted more for her family. She studied hard and outperformed all her peers at school. She wanted to bring her family name to a greater height by joining the Spellguard of Silverymoon in the future, marking the Rhiannon name as one of the protectors of the city and providing her parents with a more comfortable living.
When she was 17, she was invited to learn at the Lady's College, the most prestigious school for mages in Silverymoon. It was here that she discovered that perhaps she was not as extraordinary as she had first thought. She was ordinary -- average -- amongst people with greater backgrounds and purposes than her. Her confidence fell further when her younger brother and sister, Devin and Valka, excelled in the Invocarium and the Conservatory. Still, she prevailed and graduated with distinction, standing in the 95th percentile. Despite this achievement, however, Isolde found that average was not enough to find work -- or even become a Spellguard of Silverymoon. Afraid to disappoint her parents, she made up employment in Waterdeep and left her home in shame, hoping that one day she could return with something that would make her parents proud. She had been roaming from city to city looking for a greater purpose, taking the odd little jobs to pay her living.
PERSONALITY: Isolde was a witty and cheerful child. She was friendly to other people once. Her experience in the Lady's College turned all that upside down. She is no longer an outspoken woman, instead preferring to keep her silence most of the time in fear of appearing not intelligent enough. She becomes a little closed-off, preferring small like-minded companies instead of a large crowd. She cannot suffer the mundanity of small talk and incessant jokes but appreciate dark comedy and conspiracy theories. She has been and always will be loyal to those she holds dear to her heart, always seeking their approval and trying as hard as she can to make them proud. Perhaps, that way she can finally feel enough again -- become that confident, loving, and kind person she once was. At least that's what the many books she had read said would happen.
DESIRE: Isolde only has one goal in mind and that is to become significant enough to make her parents proud. The only way she knows how to fulfill this is to find something -- lost civilization, lost lore, lost magic -- that had never been found before. In the Lady's College, the most fundamental question that had never been answered is how the plane came to be. As such, that is the question that she seeks to answer. Finding that answer would mean that she was smart enough, persistent enough, creative enough, and, most of all, wise enough to be a person that her parents would be proud of. It would show that she is extraordinary.
ALIGNMENT: Isolde's mind had engaged a flight or fight switch and turned to pure logic. Her life had become a dichotomy between action and consequences. During her shameful self-exile from her home, she had mellowed a bit. Action and consequences would only get her so far. She began to appreciate the little people and couldn't help but use her magical know-how to help them once in a while, sometimes without even wanting payment. She still would distance herself from situations that would harm her person, staying out of conflict as much as possible, but would step in to bring a different perspective on the matter so all sides could be considered and a just solution can be found. Isolde is considered Neutral Good.
Isolde Rhiannon's Character Sheet
Fin
Half Elf Hexblade Warlock (intending eventual Oath of Ancients multiclass)
Backstory: A century ago, an exiled group of Feywild elves settled in the Faerun seeking asylum and quickly blended into the common people. These elves were servants to primordial powers of creation, and they met in secret every year. The small collective grew to several dozen and lived in peace for years until tragedy fell upon during one of their meeting nights. Rumors spread that they conducted profane rituals to the Elemental Evils, and local lords sent soldiers to snuff out this perceived threat. In a night of blood and terror, only a handful escaped and scattered to the winds. One survivor, Tadriel, settled down and started a family. His oldest son, Fin, received the history of his father's people when he came of age. Fin was eager for the lessons of his people and began his path to enlightenment. In time, one of the primordial forces connected with him: A shard of pure darkness, free from mortal stigma, pure in its nature. Afterward, Fin was tasked by his father with a pilgrimage, to pursue to higher meanings of the Creation, and to hopefully find others of his scattered people.
Personality: Fin is a generally pleasant, unassuming individual but shies away quickly when asked about his family or matters of philosophy. He can often be found wandering around at night, chatting and pondering to himself as he stares off across the night sky or countryside. Despite what others may whisper about the odd young man lurking in the allies, Fin simply prefers shadowy areas where he can converse with "Blank", as he calls it. Blank is as cryptic as it is sagely, and speaks solely to Fin through whispers in the wind and creaks in the dark. It carries no malignant will, for such things are alien to its nature. It just simply....is.
Desire: Fin carries a great longing to know what happened to his father's people. Scattered and persecuted, he can only imagine the very few left alive would never divulge their past without total certainty. Still, if Fin can find even one of them and bring them home, he hopes this would bring a fulfillment to his family. As for his own ambitions, Fin continues a pilgrimage to mine the depths of knowledge on the "Foundations of Creation", as his father called them. "Such a journey of enlightenment cannot be made through books or the words of others; it must be experienced by the seeker, and grown within the soul." Such was the guidance of his father. The strange nature of the direction leads Fin to believe the journey may never end, but in a way it almost seems even more fitting.
Alignment: True Neutral, Balance in all things, for the Foundations of Creation hold to no higher purpose than this. The world, even the planes and cosmos, were created using fundamental elements, and those that shaped these elements were as much products of this primordial foundation as the works they created. These exist all around us in our daily lives, for our lives cannot exist without them. Each lives apart from the others, and yet in harmony with each in their own way. Sentiments such as "good and evil" or "destiny" are far below the concerns of The Foundations, for these are creations of mortals who seek in vain to live outside of balance. The Foundations....simply exist. Mortals see them without realizing, and believe that some are connected by their nature. In reality, this could not be further from the truth. These are lessons taught from father to son, but Fin still struggles to understand their greater meanings.
Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser
Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale
Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
Ilithienne, daughter of Ilithar Whisperblade
Drow fighter
BACKSTORY: Ilithienne was born as a daughter of a known slave huntress Ilithar, who planned similar career for her. For many years she was raised with hate for the surface dwellers. She strongly believed it was her destiny to follow her mother steps and despised those few drow that renounced their way. One day, her older cousin, who Ilithiene believed died during one of the raids many years ago, was brought to the city square. As a cought fugitive there was only one punishment and Ilithiene was one of those, who should carry the only possible sentence - death. Lizzerinne looked at her when her body was pierced with bolts. Her eyes were strange. She didn't see any anger nor frustration but sadness and that was very confusing. Why didn't everyone rejoice her sister in arms was found? Later, Ilithienne was told Lizz has chosen to live on the surface. She died quickly but for this day Ilithienne sees her lifeless body whenever she closes her eyes. When she was ordered to take Lizzerinne's body, she has found a small medallion with a beautiful dancing female with sweeping hair of glowing silver engraved she kept without anyone noticing. Following years she gathered bits and pieces of information about the medallion and learned it's Eilistraee, goddess and lover of beauty and peace. Each time she had guard duty up the slave pits, she gathered every piece of information and sought why Lizzerinne had chosen that way instead. Most slaves refused to speak with her, even when she offered them food but those few, who recognized kindness in her heart, shared some pieces of information. During her first slave run, she knew she needed to make a choice. When left with some of the slaves cought, she set them free and asked only one thing in return - to take her with them. Many were against, even thought it's a trap to lead them back to those who managed to escape, but she convinced the leader of the slaves, an old priest, who agreed to her wish. Ilithienne managed to avoid the lookouts and get them to safety. They have kept their word too. For few months she lived among them getting to know the wonders and beauty of the surface world and trying to forget the Underdark, but she is well aware that every day can be her last as well. Lizzerinne's fate is so fresh in her memory she knows it's better to open up her veins instead of being caught... Perhaps her own mother would sacrifice her to Lolth.
PERSONALITY: Curious of the other places, but still looking back if her past will catch her up. Due to this, she hardly ever trusts blindly anyone, unless she has no choice - that's the drow bread and butter. She is full of hope and wants to see as many things as possible.
DESIRE: From one point of view Ilithienne loves to experience those things she didn't see before, like a night sky, joy of village fair, on the other hand she is aware of the drow reputation and how they are viewed by others and her deep wish is to change this and perhaps meet other drow that think alike. Deep down, she seeks redemption for all the evil she has been part of and for the death of Lizzerinne.
ALIGNMENT: Although Ilithienne was raised in a drow city, and was indoctrinated from the very begining all other races are inferior and exist only to serve the Spider Queen's glory, she saw the suffering of those caught by the slavers and something in her refused to accept this. She knows from her experience that laws can be unjust no matter how high those were settled, so she refuses to obey those that do not serve her purpose. Ilithienne is Chaotic Good.
Ilithienne Whisperblade
"I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me..."
Mila Moonstone
Drow Elf Wizard
Backstory: She grew up in the Underdark among the other Drow, under the parents of Cinder and Bolber Moonstone. The two of them being Underdark Butchers. She had one sibling, a younger brother under the name of Sebastian. One day, she had to take Sebastian to a friend of theirs, since their parents worked. On the way home from dropping him off, a book fell out of the bag of another Drow in the streets. She looked at it, and it was a spellbook. She wanted to give it back to the one who dropped it, but they were nowhere to be seen. She took the book home and read it. She used what was in the book to cast Identify and was instantly enamored by the art of magic! The spent the rest of her childhood studying this mysterious book she found, and when she graduated, she decided to leave the caverns of the Underdark and explore the vast world in search of more magical knowledge. When she steps out for the first time, however... she... feels... aimless. Like she has no clue what her purpose is besides gaining more knowledge. She never thought of this before, because she always was simply excited by magic, and didn't think much of the future. Realizing this and looking at the vast world in front of her, she realizes that along with gaining magical knowledge, she must figure out what she wants the rest of her life to be! When she hears of what adventuring is, she takes this path for it gives her coin, she can find magical knowledge along the way, and the travels could help her find out what she wants her life to be like.
Personality: They are optimistic, if antisocial. They try to make the best of any situation they're in. She likes to read, and sometimes has her spellbook open while listening to conversations (Still being able to take in what she hears). She has a habit of reading her spellbook when she's in bed trying to sleep. Aside from magic, she is interested in foods and how they're cooked. She barely has any hobbies besides magic.
Desire: Knowlege is the thing that she longs to peruse... but... she doesn't know what her "long term goal" is besides random knowledge... perhaps she'll find out on her adventures.
Alignment: (LG) She believes that her magic, and whatever anyone else has to offer to this world, is a part of everyone's souls and have a good purpose in this world. They know that some people are bad, but never before they're given a chance. She bases her opinion of people on their actions as people and encourages people to peruse good things. She is Lawful Good for she tries her best to obey the law and tries to as good of a person as possible.
Osborne Goodluck | Level 1 | Halfling | Sorcerer (Wild Magic) | Waterdeep: Dragon Heist