The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. — H.P. Lovecraft
It is the final day of August... and that gets me in the mood to start thinking all things fall... especially Halloween!! Who would like to join me on a fun Halloween one-shot? I'm thinking four players at level 10 to get through this thrill ride of terror. Since Halloween is 2 months away, please don't apply unless you can post regularly as I don't want this dragging on into next year.
To give you a feel for the story...
The four of you are seasoned adventurers, you've been together since the beginning, stuck through it all through thick and thin. For the past week you've been staying in Baldur's Gate, doing some gambling, drinking, and telling of your adventuring tales. One evening such as this, a person stumbles into the tavern, claiming children have been abducted from a neighboring village. The person tells of a strange clown and an odd Funhouse.
For this story, I will ask you to fill out a backstory sheet that has specific questions once we get going.
So, for this we're going point buy for abilities, level 10, normal equipment. All published races are approved and multiclassing is allowed. Please apply with the following:
Name
Race
Class
Background
Brief Backstory
A short synopsis of one of the adventures you were on with this group prior to the evening in question.
EDIT TO ADD: You will start with an additional 500g, 2 uncommon and 1 rare magic item. These can be flushed out after recruitment. I will probably close this out Saturday night. Thanks!
Name: Myles Ravencroft Race: Human (Variant) Class: Warlock (Great Old One) Background: Occult investigator (Custom) Backstory: Myles grew up in the city of Baldur's Gate, his father an officer with the City Watch who always expected his son to follow in his footsteps. Young Myles was always more fascinated with the occult, studying it in his uncle's private library where he eventually came upon texts that awakened his mind to better see the supernatural. As he came of age he set off on adventure with three good friends, travelling the Sword Coast, encountering unspeakable things in the darkest corners of the realms. One particularly harrowing case they had in Luskan, where they solved a mystery with a series of killings that turned out to be committed by children from a local orphanage who where used as vessels for nightmarish creatures fom the Far Realm to feast on the fear of men. The case took a severe toll on the minds of the friends and they decided to return back home to Baldur's Gate after years on the road. Little did they know their most harrowing adventure still awaited them...
Name:Violet Race: Custom Lineage Class: Sorcerer (Aberrant Mind)/Warlock (The Great Old One) Background: Far Traveler Brief Backstory: Violet is an aberrant creature, born from the dreams of a mad beholder who inexplicably became obsessed with the humanoid form. Her gray skin is covered with slime, and numerous tentacles (ten of them, to be exact) protrude from her back, each one ending with a large eye. And in the center of her face is a huge central eye.
She spent her early life trapped in the laboratory of her 'father,' the Beholder Soumloln, where she was the subject of numerous experiments as the creature attempted to make sense of its spawn. There she would have remained... but...
A short synopsis of one of the adventures you were on with this group prior to the evening in question: ...three adventurers happened upon the Beholder's lair by chance. As soon as they realized the kind of creature they were up against, they knew that they were hopelessly outmatched. When all hope seemed lost, one of them found Soumloln's laboratory and the beholderkin locked within. Violet, seeing what could well be her only chance to escape, agreed to help these three defeat Soulmloln if they would take her with them. It was an incredibly difficult battle... but in the end they prevailed. And true to their word the adventurers took Violet with them when her 'father' was defeated.
Hey! This sounds like a lot of fun! Quick question before I apply... will there be content sharing? I'll still apply regardless, but if there is the option to play something outside of the free subscription content there are some races/classes I would love to try.
Hey! This sounds like a lot of fun! Quick question before I apply... will there be content sharing? I'll still apply regardless, but if there is the option to play something outside of the free subscription content there are some races/classes I would love to try.
I do not have content to share. If someone does moving forward, I would be open to discussing changes as long as it still works with the group. Races would probably be easy to change - classes as long as it doesn't change the balance. Sorry, but that's about as best I can do.
Hey! This sounds like a lot of fun! Quick question before I apply... will there be content sharing? I'll still apply regardless, but if there is the option to play something outside of the free subscription content there are some races/classes I would love to try.
I do not have content to share. If someone does moving forward, I would be open to discussing changes as long as it still works with the group. Races would probably be easy to change - classes as long as it doesn't change the balance. Sorry, but that's about as best I can do.
No worries! Just thought I would ask ;) . I'll come up with something using the content I have access to!
Brief Backstory: A product of humble origins, Ashtar was born to a human woman, and raised in a small rural town several leagues away from the nearest large city. He never knew his father, and his mother never liked to speak on the subject. Genasi were not a commonplace in this region, and for most of his life the older villagefolk weren't sure if his birth was a blessing or a curse, but despite this he was well like with the younger generation. Eventually his town, and many of the surrounding villages fell prey to several raids from bandits and monsters. Ashtar was in his early teens when the first attack hit, but he still did his best to protect his home. Soldiers or adventurers had to come help right? The young genasi soon learned that the larger cities almost never become aware of the plights of the smaller villages, and even when they do, they either don't want to waste resources or it's to late to do anything about it. With this revelation, Ashtar devoted himself to protecting his village. Eventually, with some prompting, the raids died down enough for Ashtar to feel comfortable leaving his home. By this time, he was viewed as a hero in his village and those surrounding it. He promised to return should anything ever threaten them again.
After leaving, he went on to train as a paladin, and later became a wandering adventurer. He will never hesitate to put himself into danger to help someone in need, and he's always looking for an interesting quest.
A short synopsis of one of the adventures you were on with this group prior to the evening in question. One of the parties more recent exploits involved smoking out a dark cult residing in a forest outside of a larger town. The party quickly located the cult's base, and began constructing a plan of action. Unfortunately, one of the cult's scouts found them amidst their planning, and without thinking....Ash tried to stop the scout with his burning hands. He missed.
It had been a dry hot year, and they were upwind from the camp. Needless to say, no one ever had to deal with that cult again. Ash's own party was lucky to escape the blaze, and some quick thinking allowed them to barely contain the fire, keeping it from reaching the town. They did get to keep their reward...plus some for stopping the spontaneous wildfire. However, they've all agreed to never talk about how that blaze started.
Brief Backstory: In spite of being born into a noble family, Nekane never had it easy. His human parents were already under a lot of negative judgement for reasons he didn't know, and having a tiefling child would only worsen their standing as nobles. What could they have done to end up with a demon as a son? For a time, his mother kept him hidden, doing her best to ignore his demonic appearance, but eventually his father had him cast out onto the streets. Being a resourceful child, he quickly adapted to a life of petty thievery, as proclaiming himself the unannounced child of the Jabez family wasn't exactly well received. Once the city grew too hostile, he found himself traversing the wilderness in search of a new place to live. It was during that time that he found a love for the natural world--which couldn't scorn him for his appearance or claims. Eventually, when he'd reached his early teens, he had a run-in with some new adventurers who saw potential in him, and he soon found himself as part of their group.
A short synopsis of one of the adventures you were on with this group prior to the evening in question: One of their earliest quests involved recovering a stolen carriage along with the valuables inside, from a group of bandits. Seeing this as an opportunity to test his skills as a druid, Nekane used wild shape to take the form of a skunk in order to clear out the bandit camp. With some luck, he managed to send every last bandit running. This was the one time he managed to solve an issue of such magnitude single handedly-- but in spite of this he was forced to walk at the back of the company for at least three weeks, and was also not allowed inside any inn until he could rid himself of the stench. Needless to say, the rest of the group will never let him live it down, but looking back on it always brings a good laugh.
Nephvir Krisleth - Life can take you where you least expect... My first big score happened on Delzorin street, at the Ulbrinter house. I waited until night and climbed the outside, in the shadows. The window was easy to jiggle open and inside I went. They had several beautiful jewels and a wonderful emerald necklace that were in a nice little case on the wardrobe that I just had to have. I was on top of the world and the hook was in me like a wriggling fish. I loved the _rush_ of the job.
I've always had a knack of being able to get into things, being a damn good sneak thief. When I made that stupid mistake of revisiting that same house two years later, she caught me, Lady Ulbrinter, and I thought I was done for. Stupid alarm spell. You see she was associated with a group called the Harpers, and she had a different plan for me.
I grew up outside of Waterdeep, the unwanted scion of a Waterdavian well-to-do elven father and a server at the Elfstone, my mother Liora. I never knew my father, she would never tell me who he was. I would love to lift a few things from the bastard but I never got the chance.
I grew up cleaning at the bar, listening to tales from adventurers. I tried the straight life, I learned a trade, for a while I became a cobbler, can you believe it? Me, The Cat, cobbling shoes? Seems so distant now...
I have had the exact sum of one year of happiness, to know what it truly feels like. When I was 85, I met Silara, a beautiful half elf who would play the harp, singing at many of the taverns. We eloped together and got married. When travelling south near Triboar a band of Drow elves caught us at night and killed Silar, and I barely escaped with my life. I vividly remember her murder and Drow cruelty. Carry it with me every day, dream of it at night, and carry it on my face and back with a scar. Lady Ulbrinter bothered to hear my story and took pity on me, trying to get me an apprenticeship at the local church of the Morninglord. As if.
I've been called many things in my life. "The Cat". "Shadow". sometimes "F*&%ing jewel thief." But now I find myself down in Baldur’s Gate, having a nice night with my crew. Heard tales about children being abducted and some weird clown… I know the Drow have to be involved, somehow. I still hold a grudge against ‘em. Maybe we should have a look….
Necyra enters the Temple of Tymora on Drift Street, and silently slithers into the confessional.
Clearing her throat to get Father’s attention:
“They say the under city is a place that no respectable person goes. Thankfully for everyone, I’m not a respectable person.
I was born in the underbelly of civilization, as if that were an excuse for my life. Parents? Who the hell knows. I have no memory of ‘em! A street rat they call me. Right under the level of trash in the caste of life. On the same level as plague buggers, but I don’t mind one bit. Oh no. In fact, I relish my nonexistence. It allows me to slink in and out of people’s homes, liberatin’ them of their goods!
I got me a place….real nice….up in the marshlands north of Driftchapel. A shanty of my own. It even has a roof! How luxurious! But don’t you go thinking I take in guests. Nope. Ain’t got no room for anyone but little ‘ol me.
Here’s the thing. Lately, I’ve been having these nightmares. Real scary and all. Wakin’ me up hootin’ and hollerin’ and sweating like I’m takin’ a bath. See, I was born with skin darker n’ the night sky, with these cute (or so everyone tells me) little star-like freckles dottin’ my face up. But in these dreams, those stars are swirlin’ and swirlin’ round-n-round like they’re going down a drain, real scary and all. Not sure what that’s all about!
But those nightmares are becoming daymares. Freaky deaky like. See, the other day, I was liberatin’ this real pretty gal of her weighty jewelry, when suddenly I had imaginins of my face getting’ sucked into itself, down some sorta drain!
So now tell me, Preacher Man, you got anything in that book of yours that can tell me what’s happening to me? What’s causing these ‘mares?”
And with that, Necyra’s black-as-night wings flutter open, and she promptly runs out of the confessional, leaps into the air, and maniacally laughs as she flies through the front door of the church and out into the dead of night.
Long-story-short: Necyra is a little nutty, a little devious, and a little … not normal, as they say in the underground.
A short synopsis of one of the adventures you were on with this group prior to the evening in question:
Thick as thieves, they called ‘em. Necyra and her buddy Nephvir Krisleth were a match made in heaven. Or hell, perhaps. For their skillsets were perfectly matched, perfectly attuned to the artful career of pickpocketing and burgling, with a dash of pranking and mischief-making on the side for good measure. Necyra would enchant the customers with her polymorphing skills, while Nephvir would swoop in and liberate them of their precious baubles.
Except for last week. Oh, last week. A little too much mead, a little too much herb, and they were off their game. See, Necyra tried to entice a visiting noble with her enhanced, shall we say charm, and managed to trip over her two left feet, polymorphed into a beetle, which flew into the gaping mouth of the noble, where she promptly polymorphed back into her normal tiefling self. Nephvir, sneaking behind the noble, was promptly covered in the noble’s brain matter and generally unidentifiable organs and body parts. Much hilarity ensued.
I think it would be fun to join but My character's description is confusing and I don't want to write it down. Long story short variant human who speaks draconic
Brief Backstory: To'Kurr grew up with eccentric parents who lived off the 'grid'. They home schooled To'Kurr and let him experiment with all of the plants growing on their small organic farm. He was a natural at figuring out what properties each plant possessed and whether it was best to smoke, ingest, or wrap yourself up to get the benefits nature bestowed. To'Kurr was sure there was a plant out there that would provide perfect calm and serenity and he left home in search of it. If he wasn't so mellow he might have become a monk to seek that inner nirvana. Instead he fell in with other adventurers who always seemed willing to delve into the weirdest forests, swamps, and dungeons and never passed judgement when To'Kurr would want to sample the local slime molds or see what the spores emitted by a Myconid taste like. But he's eventually won them over to the point where when in the heat of combat, To'Kurr offers them something to smoke, drink or eat, they do.
A short synopsis of one of the adventures you were on with this group prior to the evening in question: To'Kurr has a keen insightful mind, but so many of the plants he's experimented with have played havoc on his own memories. He's been with this group for ages, but sometimes he feels like he's seeing them for the first time. But, there was one adventure that he seems to recall better than the others. To'Kurr and the group were hired by a rich old guy who's wife had been kidnapped and he wanted the group to deliver the ransom money. But it turned out that the old guy just wanted to use the party for his own ends. They never did rescue the wife as she had never been kidnapped, but they did expose the old guy's dealings with a band of bugbear extortionists. To'Kurr also remembered there was a a group of goblins who thought the party had the ransom money and they tried to steal it. So many goblins to deal with. To'Kurr inhaled and imbibed quite a bit to make it through that adventure.
The man now known as Nodjeim Diabhal was a bit of a scholar, once upon a time. His interest was other people, other cultures. His studies brought him out into the field to learn first hand. He perhaps learned too well. As they say, Nodjeim went a bit native. If by a bit one means totally and completely... His studies of the Diabhal people became an obsession. Then a lifestyle. Then a conversion. Casting off who he was he became one of them. He stopped studying and became one of them. One of the tribe. One of the Sword Dancers. But to become a Sword Dancer one must leave the tribe and earn their swords by doing a deed that is truly worthy of winning the swords, and the title. This must be done before he can ever return to his adopted... No, not adopted. Just to his people. He will either prove himself worthy by winning such an epic battle and returning with the tale, or prove himself worthy by dying trying.
A short synopsis of one of the adventures you were on with this group prior to the evening in question.
The hunt for the Witch Lich was a helluva adventure! In truth she was neither witch nor lich, which was a good thing because we were in over our heads anyway, but she was a hell of a necromancer. She was raising the dead from all the surrounding towns and building up a damn army, she was. She had developed this spike.... A magic spike that she hammered into the center of their skulls. It was some magic shit but I guess it let her command tens or hundreds more of the dead than she had any real right to. Or so the others say, the ones who know about magic and shit. All I know for sure is she was sitting pretty atop a mountain and the only way to get to her was the stairway. Stairway is definitely being might generous. Only one abreast could climb up or down, they were uneven, frozen over and crumbling just when you needed them not to. But it wasn't the climb up that was dangerous... It was what was climbing down. Each and every one of those damned undead of hers.
Gods only know how long that fight lasted. For the most part is was just one on one. Sure zombies and skeletons aren't the most fierce melee combatants but they don't tire... We do. Couple of us managed to alternate being in front a couple times. It was tricky to do and both of us nearly fell off he damn mountain and lost our lives in that most embarrassing way... Lucky the others were able to support from the back just when we needed them most. Arrows flying over our shoulders, spells wizzing by our heads. It took all of us and it took forever... But we reached the top of that damn mountain and we reached the Witch Lich.
Funny thing... She wasn't half bad once you got to know her. Ok, she was stealing corpses but her plan was to use them to work the fields and do the hard labor. She was actually trying to help, in her own not very helpful way. After she served us tea and little cakes we really started to...
Name: Shindo (or "Shin" to his friends)... link is to dndbeyond character sheet Race: Goblin (Monsters of the Multiverse) Class: Wizard (9) (Bladesinging) / Fighter (1) Background: Custom, using Tasha's (urchin adopted by elven bladesinger master) Backstory:
"Everything comes down to proper technique, proper investigation, proper performance," Shin whispered to Pinkytoe, "Everything! Even a child's game such as this. My bladesinging master taught me well."
The owl turned slowly to regard the goblin as only owls can, and rolled her eyes extravagantly in response. Well, extravagantly for an owl, anyway. A slight circular motion of the pupils, a slow blink, then a refocusing. It was at these moments that Pinkytoe was forced to wonder how she, a noble and free fey spirit, had been chosen to be this silly wizard's familiar. Looking a little miffed, she began to preen a little more aggressively than strictly necessary.
But Shin continued undeterred as if he had not noticed, crouched in his 'perfect' hiding spot. "I knew when I asked them what they were doing today, and they looked at each other and drawled that they were going to play hide-and-seek, and that I should go hide - I knew! The perfect hiding spot where they would never find me. I have studied how their minds work, you see. Rogues with their 'jobs', warlocks with their strange 'patrons', sorcerers with their 'aberrant' minds, and barbarians with their... well whatever the deal is with barbarians. And now..." Shin's whisper rises to a triumphant timbre. "... I am the winner! I WIN! They have not found me as I knew they wouldn't! I win the game of hide-and-seek!"
Pinkytoe's telepathic response was flat, deadpan and immediate. No. You lose, you buffoon of a goblin. They ditched you. They all waited until you walked up the stairs of the inn, gave each other knowing grins, then sauntered off to the nearest tavern while you waited cramped in this cobwebbed place for an hour thinking someone was looking for you. They are still there now. There never was a game of hide-and-seek. Can we finally go join them, or are you going to sit here reading your spell book and polishing your rapier for another hour mumbling about investigation and technique?
Shin regarded the owl for a long moment, then stood a bit stiffly, the owl flapping its wings once to maintain balance on the goblin's shoulder. "I... I knew that. But I win anyway. They might not admit it, but they kn-"
It was at that moment that the boulder crashed through the walls of the Inn, missing Shin and Pinkytoe by mere inches, and the Hill Giant attack on the quaint foothill town at the base of the Trollclaw mountains began in earnest.
Goblin and owl had rushed out of the inn to join the battle where they found their comrades already fully engaged, having emerged from the nearby tavern where they had indeed been enjoying themselves until just now. Shin was soon too busy casting spells and Pinkytoe flying in the face of of the giants to ask, in the heat of battle, if his companions had in fact ditched him. And after the corpse of the last giant lay smoldering, well, it would have been rude to bring it up then.
"I guess we'll never know," Shin observed to Pinkytoe cheerfully as they helped their companions tend to the still stunned townsfolk.
Lozak Ikkos Tiefling Great Old One Warlock / Whispers Bard / Aberrant Mind Sorcerer Charlatan Background / Actor Feat
Tiefling by birth, rock prodigy by the grace of...the gods? Orcus? Well, whoever is responsible for Lozak Ikkos has left the world indebted as the influential musician carves a swath across the the Forgotten Realms, aweing audiences in every tavern, inn, dive bar, and auditorium he crosses. With unique use of spells for effect, coupled with the sharp yet distorted sounds of his strange lute, known as the Axe, Lozak puts on a truly memorable show that is often talked about for weeks following.
Lozak has always been kind of dodgy about his past. The truth is that he was a spoiled brat growing up, going to the best schools, getting the best education that money could offer, and really excelling in the musical arts. He doesn't like this posh version of his story, however; he'd prefer to try to make people believe that he grew up impoverished, malnourished, from the mean streets. A real rags to riches story.
He was on his own before he joined his party. That was, of course, the night he had to be rescued during what has since become known as the Brekken's Zombie Uprising, where he was playing so loud in the sleepy little town of Brekken that the necromancer living on the outskirts of town woke up everyone in the graveyard and sent them to cancel all the fun. Three fearless heroes saved him, and he's traveled everywhere with them since. He likes to think of them as his roadies.
Currently, he's on tour through Baldur's Gate with his friends, playing shows for extra gold and good lodging for himself and his friends while partying his tail off every night and disappearing until morning pretty much every single day. In less than a week, his after hours shenanigans are becoming the stuff of myth around Baldur's Gate, and there's a very real debate going about how he hasn't been arrested and carted off to jail...and multiple rumors that he has been arrested and carted off to jail multiple times, multiple nights in a row, for (more or less) being a menace to society. This is now fueling a new rumor (and line of inquisition) about, if he has been arrested, how he keeps getting out. It has to be fame, right? And probably a few palms greased with gold?
(Background, primal path, features and rogue archetype TBD based on what contend can be shared, for now Folk hero)
Pan is trained as a thief, and has very much had a criminal upbringing. Even though he is skilled in stealthy activities things, more often than not, seem to go wrong for Pan on account of his massive temper, he is the absolute Epitome of an angry short man, short even for a halfling Pan makes up for his lack of height by being the loudest most combative person even whilst out doing mundane tasks.
His bright orange hair, and constantly furrowed eyebrows poke our from under an exceedingly tall top hat, he dresses like a gentleman but most everything he owns seems to be splitting at the seems, which couldn't possibly have anything to do with the man's propensity for getting into fights wherever he goes, or that fact that all of his weapons are nearly twice his size.
Hailing from a large mountainside town, the guard were well aquatinted with Pan, as he had a regular bunk in the town's drunk tank, though they would never have expected the loudmouth and short tempered halfling to also be behind a speight of high value gem heists which perplexed even the most seasoned detectives.
Who are you callin' a SHORT SYNOPSIS?
Pan was not one of the original members of the adventuring group, but ended up tagging along after some invasion of the body snatchers type shit started happening in his town. People were disappearing on the daily, and then returning days or weeks later but somehow changed, somehow angrier and more violent. Soon the town descended into chaos and a group of adventurers turned up to figure out just what was going on. Pan however was in his element, people coming to him, for a fight about nothing, yes please! When the adventurers first came across Pan they assumed he was one of the effected townsfolk and fought the halfling, he gave as good as he got but eventually was left defeated in the street, he didn't like that and so followed the adventures as they figured out the location of an aberrant beast which was responsible for replacing people.
With a sudden surge of rage at the beast and despite his recent defeat at the hands of the adventurers, Pan fought the beast alongside the group, slaying te beast and returning the town's people.
Once the townspeople were returned, Pan was the only one left still with a short temper. But the group had a new found respect for the little guy and invited him along to apply his rage to do some good stuff. He obliged, leaving the sleepy town behind him.
(Background, primal path, features and rogue archetype TBD based on what contend can be shared, for now Folk hero)
Pan is trained as a thief, and has very much had a criminal upbringing. Even though he is skilled in stealthy activities things, more often than not, seem to go wrong for Pan on account of his massive temper, he is the absolute Epitome of an angry short man, short even for a halfling Pan makes up for his lack of height by being the loudest most combative person even whilst out doing mundane tasks.
His bright orange hair, and constantly furrowed eyebrows poke our from under an exceedingly tall top hat, he dresses like a gentleman but most everything he owns seems to be splitting at the seems, which couldn't possibly have anything to do with the man's propensity for getting into fights wherever he goes, or that fact that all of his weapons are nearly twice his size.
Hailing from a large mountainside town, the guard were well aquatinted with Pan, as he had a regular bunk in the town's drunk tank, though they would never have expected the loudmouth and short tempered halfling to also be behind a speight of high value gem heists which perplexed even the most seasoned detectives.
Who are you callin' a SHORT SYNOPSIS?
Pan was not one of the original members of the adventuring group, but ended up tagging along after some invasion of the body snatchers type shit started happening in his town. People were disappearing on the daily, and then returning days or weeks later but somehow changed, somehow angrier and more violent. Soon the town descended into chaos and a group of adventurers turned up to figure out just what was going on. Pan however was in his element, people coming to him, for a fight about nothing, yes please! When the adventurers first came across Pan they assumed he was one of the effected townsfolk and fought the halfling, he gave as good as he got but eventually was left defeated in the street, he didn't like that and so followed the adventures as they figured out the location of an aberrant beast which was responsible for replacing people.
With a sudden surge of rage at the beast and despite his recent defeat at the hands of the adventurers, Pan fought the beast alongside the group, slaying te beast and returning the town's people.
Once the townspeople were returned, Pan was the only one left still with a short temper. But the group had a new found respect for the little guy and invited him along to apply his rage to do some good stuff. He obliged, leaving the sleepy town behind him.
"An aberrant beast" was responsible for the event that lead to Pan joining the party? That would tie in perfectly to Violet's backstory if said beast turned out to be her Beholder "father"!
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Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. — H.P. Lovecraft
It is the final day of August... and that gets me in the mood to start thinking all things fall... especially Halloween!! Who would like to join me on a fun Halloween one-shot? I'm thinking four players at level 10 to get through this thrill ride of terror. Since Halloween is 2 months away, please don't apply unless you can post regularly as I don't want this dragging on into next year.
To give you a feel for the story...
The four of you are seasoned adventurers, you've been together since the beginning, stuck through it all through thick and thin. For the past week you've been staying in Baldur's Gate, doing some gambling, drinking, and telling of your adventuring tales. One evening such as this, a person stumbles into the tavern, claiming children have been abducted from a neighboring village. The person tells of a strange clown and an odd Funhouse.
For this story, I will ask you to fill out a backstory sheet that has specific questions once we get going.
So, for this we're going point buy for abilities, level 10, normal equipment. All published races are approved and multiclassing is allowed. Please apply with the following:
EDIT TO ADD: You will start with an additional 500g, 2 uncommon and 1 rare magic item. These can be flushed out after recruitment. I will probably close this out Saturday night. Thanks!
Happy Halloween!!
Name: Myles Ravencroft
Race: Human (Variant)
Class: Warlock (Great Old One)
Background: Occult investigator (Custom)
Backstory: Myles grew up in the city of Baldur's Gate, his father an officer with the City Watch who always expected his son to follow in his footsteps. Young Myles was always more fascinated with the occult, studying it in his uncle's private library where he eventually came upon texts that awakened his mind to better see the supernatural. As he came of age he set off on adventure with three good friends, travelling the Sword Coast, encountering unspeakable things in the darkest corners of the realms. One particularly harrowing case they had in Luskan, where they solved a mystery with a series of killings that turned out to be committed by children from a local orphanage who where used as vessels for nightmarish creatures fom the Far Realm to feast on the fear of men. The case took a severe toll on the minds of the friends and they decided to return back home to Baldur's Gate after years on the road. Little did they know their most harrowing adventure still awaited them...
Myles Ravencroft
Name: Violet
Race: Custom Lineage
Class: Sorcerer (Aberrant Mind)/Warlock (The Great Old One)
Background: Far Traveler
Brief Backstory:
Violet is an aberrant creature, born from the dreams of a mad beholder who inexplicably became obsessed with the humanoid form. Her gray skin is covered with slime, and numerous tentacles (ten of them, to be exact) protrude from her back, each one ending with a large eye. And in the center of her face is a huge central eye.
She spent her early life trapped in the laboratory of her 'father,' the Beholder Soumloln, where she was the subject of numerous experiments as the creature attempted to make sense of its spawn. There she would have remained... but...
A short synopsis of one of the adventures you were on with this group prior to the evening in question:
...three adventurers happened upon the Beholder's lair by chance. As soon as they realized the kind of creature they were up against, they knew that they were hopelessly outmatched. When all hope seemed lost, one of them found Soumloln's laboratory and the beholderkin locked within. Violet, seeing what could well be her only chance to escape, agreed to help these three defeat Soulmloln if they would take her with them. It was an incredibly difficult battle... but in the end they prevailed. And true to their word the adventurers took Violet with them when her 'father' was defeated.
Appearance:
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Provide feedback!
Hey! This sounds like a lot of fun! Quick question before I apply... will there be content sharing? I'll still apply regardless, but if there is the option to play something outside of the free subscription content there are some races/classes I would love to try.
I do not have content to share. If someone does moving forward, I would be open to discussing changes as long as it still works with the group. Races would probably be easy to change - classes as long as it doesn't change the balance. Sorry, but that's about as best I can do.
No worries! Just thought I would ask ;) . I'll come up with something using the content I have access to!
Name: Ashtar (Ash) Conleth
Race: Fire Genasi
Class: Devotion Paladin
Background: Folk Hero
Brief Backstory:
A product of humble origins, Ashtar was born to a human woman, and raised in a small rural town several leagues away from the nearest large city. He never knew his father, and his mother never liked to speak on the subject. Genasi were not a commonplace in this region, and for most of his life the older villagefolk weren't sure if his birth was a blessing or a curse, but despite this he was well like with the younger generation. Eventually his town, and many of the surrounding villages fell prey to several raids from bandits and monsters. Ashtar was in his early teens when the first attack hit, but he still did his best to protect his home. Soldiers or adventurers had to come help right? The young genasi soon learned that the larger cities almost never become aware of the plights of the smaller villages, and even when they do, they either don't want to waste resources or it's to late to do anything about it. With this revelation, Ashtar devoted himself to protecting his village. Eventually, with some prompting, the raids died down enough for Ashtar to feel comfortable leaving his home. By this time, he was viewed as a hero in his village and those surrounding it. He promised to return should anything ever threaten them again.
After leaving, he went on to train as a paladin, and later became a wandering adventurer. He will never hesitate to put himself into danger to help someone in need, and he's always looking for an interesting quest.
A short synopsis of one of the adventures you were on with this group prior to the evening in question. One of the parties more recent exploits involved smoking out a dark cult residing in a forest outside of a larger town. The party quickly located the cult's base, and began constructing a plan of action. Unfortunately, one of the cult's scouts found them amidst their planning, and without thinking....Ash tried to stop the scout with his burning hands. He missed.
It had been a dry hot year, and they were upwind from the camp. Needless to say, no one ever had to deal with that cult again. Ash's own party was lucky to escape the blaze, and some quick thinking allowed them to barely contain the fire, keeping it from reaching the town. They did get to keep their reward...plus some for stopping the spontaneous wildfire. However, they've all agreed to never talk about how that blaze started.
Oh you know I’ve got to apply…
Name : Nephvir Krisleth
Race : High Elf
Class : Rogue (arcane trickster)
Background : Criminal / Spy
Backstory :
Nephvir Krisleth - Life can take you where you least expect... My first big score happened on Delzorin street, at the Ulbrinter house. I waited until night and climbed the outside, in the shadows. The window was easy to jiggle open and inside I went. They had several beautiful jewels and a wonderful emerald necklace that were in a nice little case on the wardrobe that I just had to have. I was on top of the world and the hook was in me like a wriggling fish. I loved the _rush_ of the job.
I've always had a knack of being able to get into things, being a damn good sneak thief. When I made that stupid mistake of revisiting that same house two years later, she caught me, Lady Ulbrinter, and I thought I was done for. Stupid alarm spell. You see she was associated with a group called the Harpers, and she had a different plan for me.
I grew up outside of Waterdeep, the unwanted scion of a Waterdavian well-to-do elven father and a server at the Elfstone, my mother Liora. I never knew my father, she would never tell me who he was. I would love to lift a few things from the bastard but I never got the chance.
I grew up cleaning at the bar, listening to tales from adventurers. I tried the straight life, I learned a trade, for a while I became a cobbler, can you believe it? Me, The Cat, cobbling shoes? Seems so distant now...
I have had the exact sum of one year of happiness, to know what it truly feels like. When I was 85, I met Silara, a beautiful half elf who would play the harp, singing at many of the taverns. We eloped together and got married. When travelling south near Triboar a band of Drow elves caught us at night and killed Silar, and I barely escaped with my life. I vividly remember her murder and Drow cruelty. Carry it with me every day, dream of it at night, and carry it on my face and back with a scar. Lady Ulbrinter bothered to hear my story and took pity on me, trying to get me an apprenticeship at the local church of the Morninglord. As if.
I've been called many things in my life. "The Cat". "Shadow". sometimes "F*&%ing jewel thief." But now I find myself down in Baldur’s Gate, having a nice night with my crew. Heard tales about children being abducted and some weird clown… I know the Drow have to be involved, somehow. I still hold a grudge against ‘em. Maybe we should have a look….
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Name: Necyra
Race: Variant Tiefling (Winged)
Class: Sorcerer/Cleric/Druid
Background: Faction Agent
Brief Backstory:
Necyra enters the Temple of Tymora on Drift Street, and silently slithers into the confessional.
Clearing her throat to get Father’s attention:
“They say the under city is a place that no respectable person goes. Thankfully for everyone, I’m not a respectable person.
I was born in the underbelly of civilization, as if that were an excuse for my life. Parents? Who the hell knows. I have no memory of ‘em! A street rat they call me. Right under the level of trash in the caste of life. On the same level as plague buggers, but I don’t mind one bit. Oh no. In fact, I relish my nonexistence. It allows me to slink in and out of people’s homes, liberatin’ them of their goods!
I got me a place….real nice….up in the marshlands north of Driftchapel. A shanty of my own. It even has a roof! How luxurious! But don’t you go thinking I take in guests. Nope. Ain’t got no room for anyone but little ‘ol me.
Here’s the thing. Lately, I’ve been having these nightmares. Real scary and all. Wakin’ me up hootin’ and hollerin’ and sweating like I’m takin’ a bath. See, I was born with skin darker n’ the night sky, with these cute (or so everyone tells me) little star-like freckles dottin’ my face up. But in these dreams, those stars are swirlin’ and swirlin’ round-n-round like they’re going down a drain, real scary and all. Not sure what that’s all about!
But those nightmares are becoming daymares. Freaky deaky like. See, the other day, I was liberatin’ this real pretty gal of her weighty jewelry, when suddenly I had imaginins of my face getting’ sucked into itself, down some sorta drain!
So now tell me, Preacher Man, you got anything in that book of yours that can tell me what’s happening to me? What’s causing these ‘mares?”
And with that, Necyra’s black-as-night wings flutter open, and she promptly runs out of the confessional, leaps into the air, and maniacally laughs as she flies through the front door of the church and out into the dead of night.
Long-story-short: Necyra is a little nutty, a little devious, and a little … not normal, as they say in the underground.
A short synopsis of one of the adventures you were on with this group prior to the evening in question:
Thick as thieves, they called ‘em. Necyra and her buddy Nephvir Krisleth were a match made in heaven. Or hell, perhaps. For their skillsets were perfectly matched, perfectly attuned to the artful career of pickpocketing and burgling, with a dash of pranking and mischief-making on the side for good measure. Necyra would enchant the customers with her polymorphing skills, while Nephvir would swoop in and liberate them of their precious baubles.
Except for last week. Oh, last week. A little too much mead, a little too much herb, and they were off their game. See, Necyra tried to entice a visiting noble with her enhanced, shall we say charm, and managed to trip over her two left feet, polymorphed into a beetle, which flew into the gaping mouth of the noble, where she promptly polymorphed back into her normal tiefling self. Nephvir, sneaking behind the noble, was promptly covered in the noble’s brain matter and generally unidentifiable organs and body parts. Much hilarity ensued.
Appearance:
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
I think it would be fun to join but My character's description is confusing and I don't want to write it down. Long story short variant human who speaks draconic
Name: To'Kurr Spicoli
Race: Variant Human
Class: Artificer - Alchemist
Background: Hermit
Brief Backstory: To'Kurr grew up with eccentric parents who lived off the 'grid'. They home schooled To'Kurr and let him experiment with all of the plants growing on their small organic farm. He was a natural at figuring out what properties each plant possessed and whether it was best to smoke, ingest, or wrap yourself up to get the benefits nature bestowed. To'Kurr was sure there was a plant out there that would provide perfect calm and serenity and he left home in search of it. If he wasn't so mellow he might have become a monk to seek that inner nirvana. Instead he fell in with other adventurers who always seemed willing to delve into the weirdest forests, swamps, and dungeons and never passed judgement when To'Kurr would want to sample the local slime molds or see what the spores emitted by a Myconid taste like. But he's eventually won them over to the point where when in the heat of combat, To'Kurr offers them something to smoke, drink or eat, they do.
A short synopsis of one of the adventures you were on with this group prior to the evening in question: To'Kurr has a keen insightful mind, but so many of the plants he's experimented with have played havoc on his own memories. He's been with this group for ages, but sometimes he feels like he's seeing them for the first time. But, there was one adventure that he seems to recall better than the others. To'Kurr and the group were hired by a rich old guy who's wife had been kidnapped and he wanted the group to deliver the ransom money. But it turned out that the old guy just wanted to use the party for his own ends. They never did rescue the wife as she had never been kidnapped, but they did expose the old guy's dealings with a band of bugbear extortionists. To'Kurr also remembered there was a a group of goblins who thought the party had the ransom money and they tried to steal it. So many goblins to deal with. To'Kurr inhaled and imbibed quite a bit to make it through that adventure.
The hunt for the Witch Lich was a helluva adventure! In truth she was neither witch nor lich, which was a good thing because we were in over our heads anyway, but she was a hell of a necromancer. She was raising the dead from all the surrounding towns and building up a damn army, she was. She had developed this spike.... A magic spike that she hammered into the center of their skulls. It was some magic shit but I guess it let her command tens or hundreds more of the dead than she had any real right to. Or so the others say, the ones who know about magic and shit. All I know for sure is she was sitting pretty atop a mountain and the only way to get to her was the stairway. Stairway is definitely being might generous. Only one abreast could climb up or down, they were uneven, frozen over and crumbling just when you needed them not to. But it wasn't the climb up that was dangerous... It was what was climbing down. Each and every one of those damned undead of hers.
Gods only know how long that fight lasted. For the most part is was just one on one. Sure zombies and skeletons aren't the most fierce melee combatants but they don't tire... We do. Couple of us managed to alternate being in front a couple times. It was tricky to do and both of us nearly fell off he damn mountain and lost our lives in that most embarrassing way... Lucky the others were able to support from the back just when we needed them most. Arrows flying over our shoulders, spells wizzing by our heads. It took all of us and it took forever... But we reached the top of that damn mountain and we reached the Witch Lich.
Funny thing... She wasn't half bad once you got to know her. Ok, she was stealing corpses but her plan was to use them to work the fields and do the hard labor. She was actually trying to help, in her own not very helpful way. After she served us tea and little cakes we really started to...
Hey... Wait a minute. What was in that tea???
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DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Another thing I wanted to note... OOC chat will be on discord, and the campaign thread will be here on Beyond.
There are some real fun characters posted so far, this is gonna be fun!
Name: Shindo (or "Shin" to his friends)... link is to dndbeyond character sheet
Race: Goblin (Monsters of the Multiverse)
Class: Wizard (9) (Bladesinging) / Fighter (1)
Background: Custom, using Tasha's (urchin adopted by elven bladesinger master)
Backstory:
"Everything comes down to proper technique, proper investigation, proper performance," Shin whispered to Pinkytoe, "Everything! Even a child's game such as this. My bladesinging master taught me well."
The owl turned slowly to regard the goblin as only owls can, and rolled her eyes extravagantly in response. Well, extravagantly for an owl, anyway. A slight circular motion of the pupils, a slow blink, then a refocusing. It was at these moments that Pinkytoe was forced to wonder how she, a noble and free fey spirit, had been chosen to be this silly wizard's familiar. Looking a little miffed, she began to preen a little more aggressively than strictly necessary.
But Shin continued undeterred as if he had not noticed, crouched in his 'perfect' hiding spot. "I knew when I asked them what they were doing today, and they looked at each other and drawled that they were going to play hide-and-seek, and that I should go hide - I knew! The perfect hiding spot where they would never find me. I have studied how their minds work, you see. Rogues with their 'jobs', warlocks with their strange 'patrons', sorcerers with their 'aberrant' minds, and barbarians with their... well whatever the deal is with barbarians. And now..." Shin's whisper rises to a triumphant timbre. "... I am the winner! I WIN! They have not found me as I knew they wouldn't! I win the game of hide-and-seek!"
Pinkytoe's telepathic response was flat, deadpan and immediate. No. You lose, you buffoon of a goblin. They ditched you. They all waited until you walked up the stairs of the inn, gave each other knowing grins, then sauntered off to the nearest tavern while you waited cramped in this cobwebbed place for an hour thinking someone was looking for you. They are still there now. There never was a game of hide-and-seek. Can we finally go join them, or are you going to sit here reading your spell book and polishing your rapier for another hour mumbling about investigation and technique?
Shin regarded the owl for a long moment, then stood a bit stiffly, the owl flapping its wings once to maintain balance on the goblin's shoulder. "I... I knew that. But I win anyway. They might not admit it, but they kn-"
It was at that moment that the boulder crashed through the walls of the Inn, missing Shin and Pinkytoe by mere inches, and the Hill Giant attack on the quaint foothill town at the base of the Trollclaw mountains began in earnest.
Goblin and owl had rushed out of the inn to join the battle where they found their comrades already fully engaged, having emerged from the nearby tavern where they had indeed been enjoying themselves until just now. Shin was soon too busy casting spells and Pinkytoe flying in the face of of the giants to ask, in the heat of battle, if his companions had in fact ditched him. And after the corpse of the last giant lay smoldering, well, it would have been rude to bring it up then.
"I guess we'll never know," Shin observed to Pinkytoe cheerfully as they helped their companions tend to the still stunned townsfolk.
Right, Mr. Investigation, I'm sure we won't.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
As always, music for the mood...
https://youtu.be/YwWVE84OEIA?si=ngBfbR8YGodENq9j
Lozak Ikkos
Tiefling
Great Old One Warlock / Whispers Bard / Aberrant Mind Sorcerer
Charlatan Background / Actor Feat
Tiefling by birth, rock prodigy by the grace of...the gods? Orcus? Well, whoever is responsible for Lozak Ikkos has left the world indebted as the influential musician carves a swath across the the Forgotten Realms, aweing audiences in every tavern, inn, dive bar, and auditorium he crosses. With unique use of spells for effect, coupled with the sharp yet distorted sounds of his strange lute, known as the Axe, Lozak puts on a truly memorable show that is often talked about for weeks following.
Lozak has always been kind of dodgy about his past. The truth is that he was a spoiled brat growing up, going to the best schools, getting the best education that money could offer, and really excelling in the musical arts. He doesn't like this posh version of his story, however; he'd prefer to try to make people believe that he grew up impoverished, malnourished, from the mean streets. A real rags to riches story.
He was on his own before he joined his party. That was, of course, the night he had to be rescued during what has since become known as the Brekken's Zombie Uprising, where he was playing so loud in the sleepy little town of Brekken that the necromancer living on the outskirts of town woke up everyone in the graveyard and sent them to cancel all the fun. Three fearless heroes saved him, and he's traveled everywhere with them since. He likes to think of them as his roadies.
Currently, he's on tour through Baldur's Gate with his friends, playing shows for extra gold and good lodging for himself and his friends while partying his tail off every night and disappearing until morning pretty much every single day. In less than a week, his after hours shenanigans are becoming the stuff of myth around Baldur's Gate, and there's a very real debate going about how he hasn't been arrested and carted off to jail...and multiple rumors that he has been arrested and carted off to jail multiple times, multiple nights in a row, for (more or less) being a menace to society. This is now fueling a new rumor (and line of inquisition) about, if he has been arrested, how he keeps getting out. It has to be fame, right? And probably a few palms greased with gold?
DM of AURYN: The Measure of Devotion - Escape from New York
Pan Fleetfist
Halfling
Rogue 3, Barbarian 7
(Background, primal path, features and rogue archetype TBD based on what contend can be shared, for now Folk hero)
Pan is trained as a thief, and has very much had a criminal upbringing. Even though he is skilled in stealthy activities things, more often than not, seem to go wrong for Pan on account of his massive temper, he is the absolute Epitome of an angry short man, short even for a halfling Pan makes up for his lack of height by being the loudest most combative person even whilst out doing mundane tasks.
His bright orange hair, and constantly furrowed eyebrows poke our from under an exceedingly tall top hat, he dresses like a gentleman but most everything he owns seems to be splitting at the seems, which couldn't possibly have anything to do with the man's propensity for getting into fights wherever he goes, or that fact that all of his weapons are nearly twice his size.
Hailing from a large mountainside town, the guard were well aquatinted with Pan, as he had a regular bunk in the town's drunk tank, though they would never have expected the loudmouth and short tempered halfling to also be behind a speight of high value gem heists which perplexed even the most seasoned detectives.
Who are you callin' a SHORT SYNOPSIS?
Pan was not one of the original members of the adventuring group, but ended up tagging along after some invasion of the body snatchers type shit started happening in his town. People were disappearing on the daily, and then returning days or weeks later but somehow changed, somehow angrier and more violent. Soon the town descended into chaos and a group of adventurers turned up to figure out just what was going on. Pan however was in his element, people coming to him, for a fight about nothing, yes please! When the adventurers first came across Pan they assumed he was one of the effected townsfolk and fought the halfling, he gave as good as he got but eventually was left defeated in the street, he didn't like that and so followed the adventures as they figured out the location of an aberrant beast which was responsible for replacing people.
With a sudden surge of rage at the beast and despite his recent defeat at the hands of the adventurers, Pan fought the beast alongside the group, slaying te beast and returning the town's people.
Once the townspeople were returned, Pan was the only one left still with a short temper. But the group had a new found respect for the little guy and invited him along to apply his rage to do some good stuff. He obliged, leaving the sleepy town behind him.
"An aberrant beast" was responsible for the event that lead to Pan joining the party? That would tie in perfectly to Violet's backstory if said beast turned out to be her Beholder "father"!
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Provide feedback!
Unfortunately, I do not use discord, so I'll have to withdraw my application.
Hope you all have a great game!