Ravenloft is a dark, cruel place, and it spawns dark, cruel people. People who have seen the worst the Mists have to offer. People who have been scarred and hardened by the horrors they have witnessed. People who would do anything to escape from the prisons that are the domains of dread. It is these people who find their way to a place beyond the Domains of Dread, these people who are plucked from their lives, not by the caprice of dark gods, but by a raven bearing a silver token. It is these people who devote themselves to a life of fighting the Dark Powers and finding a way out of Ravenloft. These people make up the ranks of the Mistdrifters, that elite force of terror-scarred things that might be called heroes, who seek power at any cost in order to crack open the Domains of Dread and finally be free.
Greetings and salutations, ladies, gentlemen, boys, girls, neithers, boths, and in-betweens! I may have been consuming too much content relating to extraction shooters lately, and I now present you with a weird and wacky campaign that I can only describe as a cross between Darkest Dungeon, a typical hexcrawl, and an extraction-type game such as Deep Rock Galactic, Dark and Darker, Helldivers, et cetera, where the goal is to get in, get what you need, and get out, perhaps while achieving optional objectives on the way.
Your characters will all be Mistdrifters, people who have been thoroughly scarred by, though unfortunately not entirely desensitized to the horrors of Ravenloft, and now seek freedom from the Dark Powers. The Mistdrifters exist in a space outside the other Domains of Dread, a Shrouded Citadel drifting in the mist and populated by Keepers of the Feather, certain Vistani, priests of Ezra, and other groups sympathetic to their cause. It is not entirely clear who runs the whole operation, but their goals are clear: find a way to free the souls of Ravenloft, no matter the cost. The Mistwalkers exist outside of the typical restraints of those in the Domains of Dread: They understand that the people here are mostly soulless, and that those with souls are trapped anyways, that while in many ways the people of Ravenloft are fully sentient beings with their own hopes in thoughts, in many other ways they are not. Their actions may seem callously cruel to a casual observer, but the narrative fed to them is that the inhabitants of the Domains of Dread are not real people until they're freed. It's up to the individual Mistwalker whether they go along with this narrative or not.
The goal of the Mistwalkers is typically to use a mist talisman to enter a Domain of Dread, and retrieve items of power, destroy certain agents or vestiges of the Dark Powers, recruit allies, or seek out Mist Talismans to enable access to other Domains of Dread. During these jaunts through the Mists, they will likely have to face off against forces sent by the Dark Powers themselves, or against rival groups such as the Order of the Guardians or the Priests of Osybus, as well as the individual threats each Domain of Dread offers. Additionally, they cannot raise too much attention, or else they threaten the ire of a Domain's Darklord, who cannot be reasoned with and whose illusion cannot be broken.
Overall, this campaign is going to be fast-paced and dangerous, with more focus on combat and exploration than roleplay, though you'll certainly get that during downtime or when you need to interact with a Domain's inhabitants without raising too much attention and dropping the facade. I hope to offer a lovely, morally-grey, hexcrawling experience full of untold horrors!
Character Application:
Ability Scores: roll three sets of 4d6 drop lowest, rerolling 1s once. Take the one you like best. You are monsters in a land of monsters, and your stats should reflect it.
Who are you? (name)
What in the gods' name are you? (race/class) Everything from official books permitted, if you want homebrew run it by me first. Multiclassing permitted as well. You are level 9.
What the Hells happened to you? (background/backstory) If you choose a background that gives you a feat, you don't get that feat. I despise those backgrounds. Keep the backstory pretty decently short, but also don't skimp. Tell us how you were found by the Mistdrifters, and were taken into the Shrouded Citadel. Tell us what broke you out of the illusion. Tell us whether your soul has been trapped in these lands for countless reincarnations, or if you are new to these lands. Tell us if you even have a soul.
What did they do to you? Something happened to you. You've endured the horrors of Ravenloft for far too long, and they have left their mark on you, twisted you, shaped you. What have the horrors given you, and what have they taken away? This is an opportunity to give your character a unique curse or alteration, which I will turn into a feat for your character in the style of the Dark Boons presented in the Ravenloft book (if it lines up, I might just straight up give you one of those boons instead of doing the work myself, though not the Mist Walker boon).
What have you become? Describe your character, with words and/or images.
I think that's it, let me know if there are any questions! Recruitment will probably last until March 1 or 2.
Questions:
Tasha's optional stuff is fine. Starting equipment will be standard equipment plus 625 gp and an uncommon magical item.
Who are you? "Razvan, but Raz is fine. I can't recall if I ever had a last name."
What in the gods' name are you? Human (Variant) or Reborn; Fighter (Psi Warrior) 9
What the Hells happened to you? "Far as I can tell, me becoming a drifter started when I asked one of those roving adventurous types if they were gonna kill Councilor Dominic d'Honaire that time. The wording intrigued the mage and she asked what I meant. I said that most of the time the Count just controlled whoever came after him. In the few instances he was actually defeated, he always came back somehow. Apparently it ain't normal to know all that. I always just thought I was in Hell for something I did but can't remember. The fact that hell was called Dementlieu just seemed like on those arbitrary things we just never worry about."
What did they do to you? "I always kind of thought this was eternal punishment for something I did. No idea what. Thought that was a part of the punishment. But folks in my village never seemed to realize we were doing the same thing over and over and over. And seeing all those folks never come back from the castle, I sure wasn't going to go ask our supposed lord. So I lived through a lot of pain and suffering. I never remember deaths, though I remember they happened. Sometimes I dream about them. Other times, the memories help me answer questions that stump even the brightest folks around here. Can't say I enjoy that, though. Some mornings I wake up and have to spend a while looking at my own hands to remember when and where I am."
What have you become? Rasvan looks remarkably ... normal? He's lean but muscular, and wears well used armor. He is also just covered in daggers. Four on his torso, one of each arm, two on each leg. He is never without a small blade of some kind. But he is also never without a kind word or a gentle smile on his scarred and weathered face.
Note: I designed Razvan after reflecting on the Eternal Recurrence that Nietzsche theorized as a way to look at our actions through an ethical lens, as well as the Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus ("One must imagine Sisyphus happy."). I liked the idea of someone trapped in the eternal suffering of the Realms of Dread but who just nods and says, "All right. Guess this is my life now."
1. Are Tasha's racial ASIs allowed? (thinking in terms of race/class combos, if I should be getting the stats as are to match up or if there's flexibility)
2. Is using DDB homebrew to copy official material okay? (For example I don't own Xanathar's, so would a homebrew copy of Word of Radiance be okay?
3. Do we get any additional starting gold? (Thinking in terms of upgrades like from leather to studded leather or other things.)
Application
Ability Scores: third set, STR (17+1 = 18) DEX (10 ) CON (15+ 1 = 16) INT (16 + 2 = 18) WIS (15 + 1) CHAR ( 10) //racial +2 INT, +1 CON, Heavy Armor Master +1 STR, Resilient WIS +1 WIS Name: Ignis Race: Fire Genasi (EE version) Class: Fighter (Eldritch Knight) 7 / Wizard (School of Evocation) 2 Background: Haunted One Backstory: Ignis has had a hard life. Murdered parents. Massacred town. Be orphan in forest. Kidnapped by a hag. Raised by hag, have childhood name stolen ('cuz fey...) and named Ignis instead, filled with evil thoughts. Escape from hag, find the love of his life, of course she gets murdered too. Still have evil thoughts from the hag, but find a new village to live in. A monster comes to that village too, massacres everyone again, spares him for some reason. (Why? Because of the evil heritage from his hag mother?) Finally decides the only way to keep the ones he loves safe is to have no loved ones. Go on the road, have to fight monsters and hunt to survive. Find a travelling companion along the way. Seems he's been through hardship too. Start building a friendship. Think things are starting to be normal, oh wait, he dies to a beast in the woods. $%@&#!!! THIS!!! No! No more! This land is evil and it has got to be stopped. I don't care how many things I need to kill to stop it but the cycle has got to be broken! It's time to find happiness or die trying. And happiness means getting out of the cursed realm. And that means having allies again, so it's time be a Mistdrifter. What did they do to you: Just... a lot. Basically going with an improbable amount of deaths and misfortune pushing him to his breaking point. What have you become: No longer the happy smiling boy of his childhood, Ignis is a grizzled man now that doesn't see the possibility for goodness. What he hopes for is escape. To get away from this domain by any costs. It takes a lot to break him out of this pessimistic mindset, but can be persuaded on rare occasions. Description: Ignis has dark red and black skin akin to a dying fire. His hair glows orange akin to embers. He stands at 6' 2" and is usually dressed in his armor, ready for battle most of the time. His eyes, like most fire genasi's, flame, but there's an extra depth to him from having to live in the domains of dread for so long. He'll usually have a flame from Produce Flame hovering around him with fire being a source of comfort to him from his heritage.
Build: TBD (holding off on the character sheet for now, but getting general ideas down) Haunted One Skills: Arcana, Investigation Haunted One Languages: Undercommon, Draconic Fighter Skills: Athletics, Perception //base class, multiclasses into wizard Fighting Style: tbd, maybe trying for great weapon fighting? possibly protection or dueling; maybe something else lv4 ASI: Heavy Armor Master lv6 ASI: Resilient (WIS) Eldritch Knight spells: Cantrips: Create Bonfire, Mind Sliver 1st lv: Burning Hands 2nd lv: Flaming Sphere, Scorching Ray, Shatter, Snilloc's Snowball Swarm Wizard Spells: Cantrips: Control Flames, Sword Burst, Shocking Grasp 1st lv: Find Familiar, Alarm, Unseen Servant, Shield, Absorb Elements, Grease, Silvery Barbs OR Feather Fall, Expeditious Retreat
Equipment Splint Armor: 200 Shield: 10gp Longbow: 50gp Arrows (20): 1gp Whip: 2gp Greatsword: 50gp Warhammer: 15gp Glaive: 20gp Handaxe x4: 20gp //weapon versatility in damage type for when it matters, plus the option to get reach, swap to weapon/shield, and go two-handed subtotal: 368 Remaining gold: 257 Spellbook: 50gp Backpack: 2gp Traveler's Clothes: 2gp Waterskin: 0.2gp Mess kit: 0.2gp Rations x10: 5gp Rope: 1gp Chains 10ft: 5gp Manacles: 2gp Holy Water: 25gp Arcane Focus (crystal): 10gp //gonna wear it like a necklace or emblazen it into his armor if that's okay Caltrops x5: 5gp Basic Fishing Equipment: 0.1gp Bedroll: 1gp Crowbar: 2gp Grappling Hook: 2gp Healer's Kit: 5gp Hunting Trap x2: 10gp Lantern, Bullseye: 10gp Oil Flask x10: 1gp Mirror, Steel: 5gp Pick, Miner's: 2gp Piton x10: 0.5gp Port, Iron: 2gp Pouch x2: 1gp Quiver: 1gp Shovel: 2gp Soap: 0.02gp //gotta stay daisy fresh Spikes, Iron (10): 1gp Tent: 2gp Whetstone: 0.01gp Hammer, Sledge: 2gp Subtotal: 162.03 Remaining Gold: 94.97 Axe Beak: 50gp //who wouldn't like to ride on a giant bird? Saddle, Military: 20gp Saddlebags: 4gp Bit and Bridle: 2gp Feed x10: 0.5gp Subtotal: 76.5 Remaining Gold: 19.47g
Uncommon Item: Periapt of Wound Closure or Winged Boots are my top choices at the moment
EDIT: read the reply about starting gold, then reread first post that it's not just 625 gold but starting equipment PLUS 625 gold, will redo equipment to account for that if selected (mainly just adding into gold what's already covered by starting equipment and selling redundant chain mail, etc)
1. Are Tasha's racial ASIs allowed? (thinking in terms of race/class combos, if I should be getting the stats as are to match up or if there's flexibility)
2. Is using DDB homebrew to copy official material okay? (For example I don't own Xanathar's, so would a homebrew copy of Word of Radiance be okay?
3. Do we get any additional starting gold? (Thinking in terms of upgrades like from leather to studded leather or other things.)
Yep, sure, starting equipment is going to be 625 gold plus an uncommon magic item.
EDIT: read the reply about starting gold, then reread first post that it's not just 625 gold but starting equipment PLUS 625 gold, will redo equipment to account for that if selected (mainly just adding into gold what's already covered by starting equipment and selling redundant chain mail, etc)
You really do not need to list your entire build and equipment list, that's quite alright XD
‘ too much of a bio to fit here. call me Bananer for short, I’m one of the forum’s resident insane things. I’m a nongender Therian (look it up!) and also a silver dragon (not my kintype, just a me thing.) I’m a rogue and wizard, and if you want more info on me, PM me, or ask someone else. I’m well known.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Character Application:
Who are you? Qel'Hazar (male)
What in the gods' name are you? (race/class) Shadar-Kai, Wizard (Bladesinging)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
What the Hells happened to you? (background/backstory) Haunted One (def matches the theme haha)
Has spent his years since the event that trapped him in Shadowfell in the Fortress of Memories perfecting his craft and studying all magic he can (besides Necromancy). Sage in service of the Raven Queen. The shadowfell ate away anything that could be called a Soul from him. He has witnessed countless a tragedy via the memories he has seen, he can do nothing but watch. Feels robbed of his life by the Raven Queen. Wants nothing more than the power the Raven Queen sought to gain, hopefully it will let him reclaim who he used to be and so much more. Queen sent him into Strahds domain to investigate/recon when Ravenloft/Barovia first appeared in the Shadowfell. The Queen did not know her connection to Qel would be cut off as soon as he crossed the misty border. He has been stuck here ever since, though it started with scraping and clawing for any way out back to the life and quest for power he was on, Strahd inevitably found him out and was able to put him under an illusion. When he is not witnessing the dark rituals Strahd puts on he is cursed with seeing flashes of the memories of Strahd's victims, flashes of his life leading up to the event that landed him in the Shadowfell, flashes of all the lives he took in service of the Queen. One night in his room, a divine light and a portal opened. A whisper came through and he was awoken to where he was and what he was being put through. He became irate; He had already been tormented enough under the Queens control, and he will not accept another master. He stepped through to find himself amidst the Shrouded Citadel. Apparently they had reached out to him for the experience and knowledge he already had of the Shadowfell.
What did they do to you?
The curse Strahd put on him has left Qel'Hazar's memories even more fragmented and chaotic, blending the tragedies he has witnessed over ages into his psyche. He can hear their screams and voices echo almost constantly. He finds the voices sometimes like to visit and pay him visual torture, taunting him as he goes about. "Keep living your wretched life!" "Why couldn't you save us!" "The pain!" "Blood on your hands!". He tries to shake them off, lest he should learn to live with it.
What have you become? He is a Pale Shadar-Kai, almost as white as the Specters that haunt him. His eyes jet black. Since he is in the Shadowfell: he is bald, and somewhat wrinkly. He has small black tattoos below each eye, his right: a Skull, his left: a Scythe. He adorns a plain black cloak with hood, and plain silver mask. His Arcane Focus is a silver rod.
What in the gods' name are you? (race/class) Dhamphir (Paladin, Lunar Sorcerer, Warlock Undead Patron)
What the Hells happened to you? (background/backstory) Krueglarin was a young paladin and worshipper of the Moon Goddess, assigned as a guard to one of her holy temples. However, there was a secret, Deep inside the temple a dark being was imprisoned. One day, Krueglarin's curiously got the better of him and he entered into the prison. There he found the dark being, a greater vampire. He remembers little, but woke to found the clerics, monks, and guards of the temple slaughtered, their throats ripped open. No one was spared. And Krueglarin was covered in blood.
What did they do to you? Krurglarin left the temple, only to find himself lost in the mist. He prayed to the moon goddess, but to no answer. Only the mist which blocked a view of his goddess. He wandered, and then the hunger came. A hunger for blood. Constantly, there was a whisper in his ear. A promise of power and freedom. All he must do is slay and drain the souls of others, and with each death the prison of the Vampire lord becomes weaker. He hunted the mist, becoming not much more than a beast, until finally, he found is way out. And immediately dropped to his knees asking forgiveness of the Moon Goddess. The whisper is still there, and he fights his darker nature as much as he can.
What have you become? A tall pale warrior in armor, dark hair and a beard. Wielding weapons and magics to smite his foes. He is tormented by the evil that he has done and seeks vengeance against the dark powers. He constantly fights against the whisper of the Dark Vampire Lord, and the hunger that comes with it.
Note I have created a variant of the Dark Gift Touch of Death - it's the same as current in effect however if the character drops to below 50% hitpoints he may go into blood lust similar to the bloodhunter order of the Lycan.
Bloodlust. If you start your turn with fewer hit points than half your hit point maximum, you must succeed on a DC 8+(1 per 10 hit points below half) Wisdom saving throw or move directly toward the nearest creature and use the Fanged Bite attack that creature. If you’re concentrating on a spell or are under an effect that prevents you from concentrating (such as the barbarian’s Rage feature), you automatically fail this saving throw.
What in the gods' name are you? (race/class) Shadar-Kai, Wizard (Bladesinging)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
What the Hells happened to you? (background/backstory) Haunted One (def matches the theme haha)
Has spent his years since the event that trapped him in Shadowfell in the Fortress of Memories perfecting his craft and studying all magic he can (besides Necromancy). Sage in service of the Raven Queen. The shadowfell ate away anything that could be called a Soul from him. He has witnessed countless a tragedy via the memories he has seen, he can do nothing but watch. Feels robbed of his life by the Raven Queen. Wants nothing more than the power the Raven Queen sought to gain, hopefully it will let him reclaim who he used to be and so much more. Queen sent him into Strahds domain to investigate/recon when Ravenloft/Barovia first appeared in the Shadowfell. The Queen did not know her connection to Qel would be cut off as soon as he crossed the misty border. He has been stuck here ever since, though it started with scraping and clawing for any way out back to the life and quest for power he was on, Strahd inevitably found him out and was able to put him under an illusion. When he is not witnessing the dark rituals Strahd puts on he is cursed with seeing flashes of the memories of Strahd's victims, flashes of his life leading up to the event that landed him in the Shadowfell, flashes of all the lives he took in service of the Queen. One night in his room, a divine light and a portal opened. A whisper came through and he was awoken to where he was and what he was being put through. He became irate; He had already been tormented enough under the Queens control, and he will not accept another master. He stepped through to find himself amidst the Shrouded Citadel. Apparently they had reached out to him for the experience and knowledge he already had of the Shadowfell.
What did they do to you?
The curse Strahd put on him has left Qel'Hazar's memories even more fragmented and chaotic, blending the tragedies he has witnessed over ages into his psyche. He can hear their screams and voices echo almost constantly. He finds the voices sometimes like to visit and pay him visual torture, taunting him as he goes about. "Keep living your wretched life!" "Why couldn't you save us!" "The pain!" "Blood on your hands!". He tries to shake them off, lest he should learn to live with it.
What have you become? He is a Pale Shadar-Kai, almost as white as the Specters that haunt him. His eyes jet black. Since he is in the Shadowfell: he is bald, and somewhat wrinkly. He has small black tattoos below each eye, his right: a Skull, his left: a Scythe. He adorns a plain black cloak with hood, and plain silver mask. His Arcane Focus is a silver rod.
Uncommon Magic Item: Cloak of Elvenkind
Ability scores: 91218151817
Ability scores 2: 121010141410
Ability scores 3: 131116141211
I just realized this was updating the scores when I edited it: the initial rolls I chose were 11 14 14 15 13 12. No more editing sorry :)
What in the gods' name are you? (race/class) Goliath Barbarian (Zealot) 5/Rogue (Scout) 4
What the Hells happened to you? (background/backstory) City watch/investigator.
When she was a small child (well, small for a Goliath, anyway), Zania lived a carefree life in the mountains among her people, knowing nothing of the horrors in the surrounding lands. But her happy life was shattered when she and several other children were abducted by a coven of Night Hags. They held the children, ate several of them, and were planning to conduct a dark ritual to turn the most 'promising' of their victims into more hags...
But fate had other plans for the young girl. It turned out that the villagers had hired a team of skilled men who knew how to deal with black magic. These men, the Witchfinders, tracked down the coven and slaughtered every hag, rescuing Zania and a few of the other children just in time to prevent the hags from completing their awful ritual.
What did they do to you? Though most of the children had already been slain, Zania and a few others were brought back, traumatized but alive. Since that day, Zania wanted nothing more than to be like those brave men who had saved her from the hags... and as soon as she was old enough, she sought out their Grand Master and begged him for the chance to become one of the Witchfinders. Though initially reluctant to allow a woman to join their ranks, the Grand Master realized that she was strong, and clearly dedicated to the cause of eradicating dark magic wherever it might rear its ugly head. So she was inducted into the ranks, and quickly became one of the most zealous Inquisitors.
This looks AWESOME. Such a cool setting for this type of game.
Who are you? Kyrian Solace
What in the gods' name are you? (race/class) Warlock (Hexblade) 3/Paladin (Redemption) 6
What the Hells happened to you? (background/backstory) Acolyte
For most, the Shrouded Citadel where the Mistdrifters take shelter is a prison. The walls akin to a cage, but more pleasant than the world outside. For Kyrian, however, the Shrouded Citadel is the most beautiful place he's ever laid eyes on. It is the only place with a shred of homeliness in his small, dark world. Kyrian, unlike most other prisoners of the Domains, was born there. Kyrian's parents were not Mistdrifters themselves, merely damned souls. When their child was born, their love for him allowed them to break free from the illusion they were trapped under. Despite having no training at all, they fought their way through through countless perils to make their way to the Citadel, all for a chance at freedom for their son. That chance cost them their lives.
It was an old priest of Ezra named Tel that found the bodies, and the babe clutched between them. He took Kyrian in, raising him as his own. When Kyrian was old enough to learn of his true heritage, he vowed that he would pass on the gift that his parents had given him and find a way to free all those trapped in the Citadel from incarceration, to finally see the sun and taste the air outside. The fact did not escape him that he was born to two people who had their souls locked away, meaning he himself may not have one. He ignored the terror of the idea that he may be unable to survive outside of Ravenloft and redoubled his determination to find a way out. He learned to fight from other Mistdrifters, taking to it quickly. When he was of age, he became a drifter himself and began his search. He had a promise to uphold, after all.
What did they do to you? Kyrian's search for the key to emancipation took him and his team far and wide, through many a domain. Eventually, his wanderings took a dark turn and he lay naked eyes on a Darklord. For his hubris, it killed his friends and took his eyes. It did not leave him blind, however, it returned what it took as a mockery. His curse was not blindness, but being unable to see. Cursed to live life in darkness, to wear a blindfold and never lay eyes on the home he loves again, lest he be an unwilling spy for the enemy - for whatever he sees, so too does it.
What have you become? Kyrian is youthful and tall, with golden hair and a bright smile. Most who are crippled as he appears to have been lose their will to fight, but Kyrian's demeanour is rarely somber. Before his curse his eyes were brown, but they are now heterochromatic - one an emerald green, the other a pale yellow. While in the citadel, he wears a strip of thick black cloth tied around his eyes, leading most to think that he was blinded. His armor is functional, but beautifully made, a gift from Tel.
Greetings and salutations, ladies, gentlemen, boys, girls, neithers, boths, and in-betweens! I may have been consuming too much content relating to extraction shooters lately, and I now present you with a weird and wacky campaign that I can only describe as a cross between Darkest Dungeon, a typical hexcrawl, and an extraction-type game such as Deep Rock Galactic, Dark and Darker, Helldivers, et cetera, where the goal is to get in, get what you need, and get out, perhaps while achieving optional objectives on the way.
Your characters will all be Mistdrifters, people who have been thoroughly scarred by, though unfortunately not entirely desensitized to the horrors of Ravenloft, and now seek freedom from the Dark Powers. The Mistdrifters exist in a space outside the other Domains of Dread, a Shrouded Citadel drifting in the mist and populated by Keepers of the Feather, certain Vistani, priests of Ezra, and other groups sympathetic to their cause. It is not entirely clear who runs the whole operation, but their goals are clear: find a way to free the souls of Ravenloft, no matter the cost. The Mistwalkers exist outside of the typical restraints of those in the Domains of Dread: They understand that the people here are mostly soulless, and that those with souls are trapped anyways, that while in many ways the people of Ravenloft are fully sentient beings with their own hopes in thoughts, in many other ways they are not. Their actions may seem callously cruel to a casual observer, but the narrative fed to them is that the inhabitants of the Domains of Dread are not real people until they're freed. It's up to the individual Mistwalker whether they go along with this narrative or not.
The goal of the Mistwalkers is typically to use a mist talisman to enter a Domain of Dread, and retrieve items of power, destroy certain agents or vestiges of the Dark Powers, recruit allies, or seek out Mist Talismans to enable access to other Domains of Dread. During these jaunts through the Mists, they will likely have to face off against forces sent by the Dark Powers themselves, or against rival groups such as the Order of the Guardians or the Priests of Osybus, as well as the individual threats each Domain of Dread offers. Additionally, they cannot raise too much attention, or else they threaten the ire of a Domain's Darklord, who cannot be reasoned with and whose illusion cannot be broken.
Overall, this campaign is going to be fast-paced and dangerous, with more focus on combat and exploration than roleplay, though you'll certainly get that during downtime or when you need to interact with a Domain's inhabitants without raising too much attention and dropping the facade. I hope to offer a lovely, morally-grey, hexcrawling experience full of untold horrors!
Character Application:
Ability Scores: roll three sets of 4d6 drop lowest, rerolling 1s once. Take the one you like best. You are monsters in a land of monsters, and your stats should reflect it.
Who are you? (name)
What in the gods' name are you? (race/class) Everything from official books permitted, if you want homebrew run it by me first. Multiclassing permitted as well. You are level 9.
What the Hells happened to you? (background/backstory) If you choose a background that gives you a feat, you don't get that feat. I despise those backgrounds. Keep the backstory pretty decently short, but also don't skimp. Tell us how you were found by the Mistdrifters, and were taken into the Shrouded Citadel. Tell us what broke you out of the illusion. Tell us whether your soul has been trapped in these lands for countless reincarnations, or if you are new to these lands. Tell us if you even have a soul.
What did they do to you? Something happened to you. You've endured the horrors of Ravenloft for far too long, and they have left their mark on you, twisted you, shaped you. What have the horrors given you, and what have they taken away? This is an opportunity to give your character a unique curse or alteration, which I will turn into a feat for your character in the style of the Dark Boons presented in the Ravenloft book (if it lines up, I might just straight up give you one of those boons instead of doing the work myself, though not the Mist Walker boon).
What have you become? Describe your character, with words and/or images.
I think that's it, let me know if there are any questions! Recruitment will probably last until March 1 or 2.
Questions:
Tasha's optional stuff is fine. Starting equipment will be standard equipment plus 625 gp and an uncommon magical item.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Character Application
Ability Scores:
Who are you? "Razvan, but Raz is fine. I can't recall if I ever had a last name."
What in the gods' name are you? Human (Variant) or Reborn; Fighter (Psi Warrior) 9
What the Hells happened to you? "Far as I can tell, me becoming a drifter started when I asked one of those roving adventurous types if they were gonna kill Councilor Dominic d'Honaire that time. The wording intrigued the mage and she asked what I meant. I said that most of the time the Count just controlled whoever came after him. In the few instances he was actually defeated, he always came back somehow. Apparently it ain't normal to know all that. I always just thought I was in Hell for something I did but can't remember. The fact that hell was called Dementlieu just seemed like on those arbitrary things we just never worry about."
What did they do to you? "I always kind of thought this was eternal punishment for something I did. No idea what. Thought that was a part of the punishment. But folks in my village never seemed to realize we were doing the same thing over and over and over. And seeing all those folks never come back from the castle, I sure wasn't going to go ask our supposed lord. So I lived through a lot of pain and suffering. I never remember deaths, though I remember they happened. Sometimes I dream about them. Other times, the memories help me answer questions that stump even the brightest folks around here. Can't say I enjoy that, though. Some mornings I wake up and have to spend a while looking at my own hands to remember when and where I am."
What have you become? Rasvan looks remarkably ... normal? He's lean but muscular, and wears well used armor. He is also just covered in daggers. Four on his torso, one of each arm, two on each leg. He is never without a small blade of some kind. But he is also never without a kind word or a gentle smile on his scarred and weathered face.
Note: I designed Razvan after reflecting on the Eternal Recurrence that Nietzsche theorized as a way to look at our actions through an ethical lens, as well as the Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus ("One must imagine Sisyphus happy."). I liked the idea of someone trapped in the eternal suffering of the Realms of Dread but who just nods and says, "All right. Guess this is my life now."
I would love too play. I'll make a character and PM it to you as soon as a I can.
Ability scores Set 1: 16 17 15 14 14 13
Ability scores Set 2: 15 16 15 13 16 12
Ability scores Set 3: 15 12 14 11 13 15
Ability scores: 14 14 13 17 16 12
Ability scores: 13 13 15 16 15 10
Ability scores: 14 10 12 15 11 16
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
Ability scores: 9 11 15 14 10 17
Ability scores: 11 13 16 17 10 15
Ability scores: 10 15 15 17 10 16
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Bel, Aarakocra Hunter Ranger, Friend Campaign
Screechirk, Aarakocra Light Cleric, Wages of Vice
Darath, Goliath Battlemaster, Into the Overlap
Draíocht, Wood Elf Moon Druid, Kholias
Eggo Lass, Drow GOOlock, 100 Dungeons
Drako, Dragonborn Tempest Cleric, Dragon of Icespire Peak
Phait, Mountain Dwarf Wild Magic Sorcerer, Shadowglass
Get rickrolled here. Listen to awesome music here. (selection 27, 4/23/24, One Voice)
Three questions.
1. Are Tasha's racial ASIs allowed? (thinking in terms of race/class combos, if I should be getting the stats as are to match up or if there's flexibility)
2. Is using DDB homebrew to copy official material okay? (For example I don't own Xanathar's, so would a homebrew copy of Word of Radiance be okay?
3. Do we get any additional starting gold? (Thinking in terms of upgrades like from leather to studded leather or other things.)
Application
Ability Scores: third set, STR (17+1 = 18) DEX (10 ) CON (15+ 1 = 16) INT (16 + 2 = 18) WIS (15 + 1) CHAR ( 10)
//racial +2 INT, +1 CON, Heavy Armor Master +1 STR, Resilient WIS +1 WIS
Name: Ignis
Race: Fire Genasi (EE version)
Class: Fighter (Eldritch Knight) 7 / Wizard (School of Evocation) 2
Background: Haunted One
Backstory: Ignis has had a hard life. Murdered parents. Massacred town. Be orphan in forest. Kidnapped by a hag. Raised by hag, have childhood name stolen ('cuz fey...) and named Ignis instead, filled with evil thoughts. Escape from hag, find the love of his life, of course she gets murdered too. Still have evil thoughts from the hag, but find a new village to live in. A monster comes to that village too, massacres everyone again, spares him for some reason. (Why? Because of the evil heritage from his hag mother?) Finally decides the only way to keep the ones he loves safe is to have no loved ones. Go on the road, have to fight monsters and hunt to survive. Find a travelling companion along the way. Seems he's been through hardship too. Start building a friendship. Think things are starting to be normal, oh wait, he dies to a beast in the woods.
$%@&#!!! THIS!!!
No! No more! This land is evil and it has got to be stopped. I don't care how many things I need to kill to stop it but the cycle has got to be broken! It's time to find happiness or die trying. And happiness means getting out of the cursed realm. And that means having allies again, so it's time be a Mistdrifter.
What did they do to you: Just... a lot. Basically going with an improbable amount of deaths and misfortune pushing him to his breaking point.
What have you become: No longer the happy smiling boy of his childhood, Ignis is a grizzled man now that doesn't see the possibility for goodness. What he hopes for is escape. To get away from this domain by any costs. It takes a lot to break him out of this pessimistic mindset, but can be persuaded on rare occasions.
Description: Ignis has dark red and black skin akin to a dying fire. His hair glows orange akin to embers. He stands at 6' 2" and is usually dressed in his armor, ready for battle most of the time. His eyes, like most fire genasi's, flame, but there's an extra depth to him from having to live in the domains of dread for so long. He'll usually have a flame from Produce Flame hovering around him with fire being a source of comfort to him from his heritage.
Build: TBD (holding off on the character sheet for now, but getting general ideas down)
Haunted One Skills: Arcana, Investigation
Haunted One Languages: Undercommon, Draconic
Fighter Skills: Athletics, Perception //base class, multiclasses into wizard
Fighting Style: tbd, maybe trying for great weapon fighting? possibly protection or dueling; maybe something else
lv4 ASI: Heavy Armor Master
lv6 ASI: Resilient (WIS)
Eldritch Knight spells:
Cantrips: Create Bonfire, Mind Sliver
1st lv: Burning Hands
2nd lv: Flaming Sphere, Scorching Ray, Shatter, Snilloc's Snowball Swarm
Wizard Spells:
Cantrips: Control Flames, Sword Burst, Shocking Grasp
1st lv: Find Familiar, Alarm, Unseen Servant, Shield, Absorb Elements, Grease, Silvery Barbs OR Feather Fall, Expeditious Retreat
Equipment
Splint Armor: 200
Shield: 10gp
Longbow: 50gp
Arrows (20): 1gp
Whip: 2gp
Greatsword: 50gp
Warhammer: 15gp
Glaive: 20gp
Handaxe x4: 20gp
//weapon versatility in damage type for when it matters, plus the option to get reach, swap to weapon/shield, and go two-handed
subtotal: 368
Remaining gold: 257
Spellbook: 50gp
Backpack: 2gp
Traveler's Clothes: 2gp
Waterskin: 0.2gp
Mess kit: 0.2gp
Rations x10: 5gp
Rope: 1gp
Chains 10ft: 5gp
Manacles: 2gp
Holy Water: 25gp
Arcane Focus (crystal): 10gp //gonna wear it like a necklace or emblazen it into his armor if that's okay
Caltrops x5: 5gp
Basic Fishing Equipment: 0.1gp
Bedroll: 1gp
Crowbar: 2gp
Grappling Hook: 2gp
Healer's Kit: 5gp
Hunting Trap x2: 10gp
Lantern, Bullseye: 10gp
Oil Flask x10: 1gp
Mirror, Steel: 5gp
Pick, Miner's: 2gp
Piton x10: 0.5gp
Port, Iron: 2gp
Pouch x2: 1gp
Quiver: 1gp
Shovel: 2gp
Soap: 0.02gp //gotta stay daisy fresh
Spikes, Iron (10): 1gp
Tent: 2gp
Whetstone: 0.01gp
Hammer, Sledge: 2gp
Subtotal: 162.03
Remaining Gold: 94.97
Axe Beak: 50gp //who wouldn't like to ride on a giant bird?
Saddle, Military: 20gp
Saddlebags: 4gp
Bit and Bridle: 2gp
Feed x10: 0.5gp
Subtotal: 76.5
Remaining Gold: 19.47g
Uncommon Item: Periapt of Wound Closure or Winged Boots are my top choices at the moment
EDIT: read the reply about starting gold, then reread first post that it's not just 625 gold but starting equipment PLUS 625 gold,
will redo equipment to account for that if selected (mainly just adding into gold what's already covered by starting equipment and selling redundant chain mail, etc)
This is a signature. It was a simple signature. But it has been upgraded.
Bel, Aarakocra Hunter Ranger, Friend Campaign
Screechirk, Aarakocra Light Cleric, Wages of Vice
Darath, Goliath Battlemaster, Into the Overlap
Draíocht, Wood Elf Moon Druid, Kholias
Eggo Lass, Drow GOOlock, 100 Dungeons
Drako, Dragonborn Tempest Cleric, Dragon of Icespire Peak
Phait, Mountain Dwarf Wild Magic Sorcerer, Shadowglass
Get rickrolled here. Listen to awesome music here. (selection 27, 4/23/24, One Voice)
Yep, sure, starting equipment is going to be 625 gold plus an uncommon magic item.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Ability scores: 13 11 16 12 10 18
Ability scores: 14 15 12 17 12 10
Ability scores: 14 15 15 11 13 14
Ability scores 1: 16 12 14 14 11 10
Ability scores 2: 12 14 14 15 17 16
Ability scores 3: 11 16 17 14 11 13
You really do not need to list your entire build and equipment list, that's quite alright XD
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Placeholder
‘ too much of a bio to fit here. call me Bananer for short, I’m one of the forum’s resident insane things. I’m a nongender Therian (look it up!) and also a silver dragon (not my kintype, just a me thing.) I’m a rogue and wizard, and if you want more info on me, PM me, or ask someone else. I’m well known.
PM ME THE WORD BANANA! PRAISE JEFF! Check out my support thread! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/195676-just-a-support-thread
Character Application:
Who are you? Qel'Hazar (male)
What in the gods' name are you? (race/class) Shadar-Kai, Wizard (Bladesinging)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
What the Hells happened to you? (background/backstory) Haunted One (def matches the theme haha)
Has spent his years since the event that trapped him in Shadowfell in the Fortress of Memories perfecting his craft and studying all magic he can (besides Necromancy). Sage in service of the Raven Queen. The shadowfell ate away anything that could be called a Soul from him. He has witnessed countless a tragedy via the memories he has seen, he can do nothing but watch. Feels robbed of his life by the Raven Queen. Wants nothing more than the power the Raven Queen sought to gain, hopefully it will let him reclaim who he used to be and so much more. Queen sent him into Strahds domain to investigate/recon when Ravenloft/Barovia first appeared in the Shadowfell. The Queen did not know her connection to Qel would be cut off as soon as he crossed the misty border. He has been stuck here ever since, though it started with scraping and clawing for any way out back to the life and quest for power he was on, Strahd inevitably found him out and was able to put him under an illusion. When he is not witnessing the dark rituals Strahd puts on he is cursed with seeing flashes of the memories of Strahd's victims, flashes of his life leading up to the event that landed him in the Shadowfell, flashes of all the lives he took in service of the Queen. One night in his room, a divine light and a portal opened. A whisper came through and he was awoken to where he was and what he was being put through. He became irate; He had already been tormented enough under the Queens control, and he will not accept another master. He stepped through to find himself amidst the Shrouded Citadel. Apparently they had reached out to him for the experience and knowledge he already had of the Shadowfell.
What did they do to you?
The curse Strahd put on him has left Qel'Hazar's memories even more fragmented and chaotic, blending the tragedies he has witnessed over ages into his psyche. He can hear their screams and voices echo almost constantly. He finds the voices sometimes like to visit and pay him visual torture, taunting him as he goes about. "Keep living your wretched life!" "Why couldn't you save us!" "The pain!" "Blood on your hands!". He tries to shake them off, lest he should learn to live with it.
What have you become? He is a Pale Shadar-Kai, almost as white as the Specters that haunt him. His eyes jet black. Since he is in the Shadowfell: he is bald, and somewhat wrinkly. He has small black tattoos below each eye, his right: a Skull, his left: a Scythe. He adorns a plain black cloak with hood, and plain silver mask. His Arcane Focus is a silver rod.
Uncommon Magic Item: Cloak of Elvenkind
Ability scores: 13 10 17 15 16 16
Ability scores 2: 15 12 13 9 14 10
Ability scores 3: 13 15 12 16 14 14
Would choose Ability score 3
Using Set 1 above.
Who are you? Krueglarin
What in the gods' name are you? (race/class) Dhamphir (Paladin, Lunar Sorcerer, Warlock Undead Patron)
What the Hells happened to you? (background/backstory) Krueglarin was a young paladin and worshipper of the Moon Goddess, assigned as a guard to one of her holy temples. However, there was a secret, Deep inside the temple a dark being was imprisoned. One day, Krueglarin's curiously got the better of him and he entered into the prison. There he found the dark being, a greater vampire. He remembers little, but woke to found the clerics, monks, and guards of the temple slaughtered, their throats ripped open. No one was spared. And Krueglarin was covered in blood.
What did they do to you? Krurglarin left the temple, only to find himself lost in the mist. He prayed to the moon goddess, but to no answer. Only the mist which blocked a view of his goddess. He wandered, and then the hunger came. A hunger for blood. Constantly, there was a whisper in his ear. A promise of power and freedom. All he must do is slay and drain the souls of others, and with each death the prison of the Vampire lord becomes weaker. He hunted the mist, becoming not much more than a beast, until finally, he found is way out. And immediately dropped to his knees asking forgiveness of the Moon Goddess. The whisper is still there, and he fights his darker nature as much as he can.
What have you become? A tall pale warrior in armor, dark hair and a beard. Wielding weapons and magics to smite his foes. He is tormented by the evil that he has done and seeks vengeance against the dark powers. He constantly fights against the whisper of the Dark Vampire Lord, and the hunger that comes with it.
Note I have created a variant of the Dark Gift Touch of Death - it's the same as current in effect however if the character drops to below 50% hitpoints he may go into blood lust similar to the bloodhunter order of the Lycan.
Bloodlust. If you start your turn with fewer hit points than half your hit point maximum, you must succeed on a DC 8+(1 per 10 hit points below half) Wisdom saving throw or move directly toward the nearest creature and use the Fanged Bite attack that creature. If you’re concentrating on a spell or are under an effect that prevents you from concentrating (such as the barbarian’s Rage feature), you automatically fail this saving throw.
I just realized this was updating the scores when I edited it: the initial rolls I chose were 11 14 14 15 13 12. No more editing sorry :)
Ability scores: 15 13 15 17 14 17
Ability scores: 11 11 13 15 18 13
Ability scores: 12 13 14 10 12 13
Ability scores: Using set 1
Who are you? (name): Inquisitor Zania
What in the gods' name are you? (race/class) Goliath Barbarian (Zealot) 5/Rogue (Scout) 4
What the Hells happened to you? (background/backstory) City watch/investigator.
When she was a small child (well, small for a Goliath, anyway), Zania lived a carefree life in the mountains among her people, knowing nothing of the horrors in the surrounding lands. But her happy life was shattered when she and several other children were abducted by a coven of Night Hags. They held the children, ate several of them, and were planning to conduct a dark ritual to turn the most 'promising' of their victims into more hags...
But fate had other plans for the young girl. It turned out that the villagers had hired a team of skilled men who knew how to deal with black magic. These men, the Witchfinders, tracked down the coven and slaughtered every hag, rescuing Zania and a few of the other children just in time to prevent the hags from completing their awful ritual.
What did they do to you?
Though most of the children had already been slain, Zania and a few others were brought back, traumatized but alive. Since that day, Zania wanted nothing more than to be like those brave men who had saved her from the hags... and as soon as she was old enough, she sought out their Grand Master and begged him for the chance to become one of the Witchfinders. Though initially reluctant to allow a woman to join their ranks, the Grand Master realized that she was strong, and clearly dedicated to the cause of eradicating dark magic wherever it might rear its ugly head. So she was inducted into the ranks, and quickly became one of the most zealous Inquisitors.
What have you become?
This looks AWESOME. Such a cool setting for this type of game.
Who are you? Kyrian Solace
What in the gods' name are you? (race/class) Warlock (Hexblade) 3/Paladin (Redemption) 6
What the Hells happened to you? (background/backstory) Acolyte
For most, the Shrouded Citadel where the Mistdrifters take shelter is a prison. The walls akin to a cage, but more pleasant than the world outside. For Kyrian, however, the Shrouded Citadel is the most beautiful place he's ever laid eyes on. It is the only place with a shred of homeliness in his small, dark world. Kyrian, unlike most other prisoners of the Domains, was born there. Kyrian's parents were not Mistdrifters themselves, merely damned souls. When their child was born, their love for him allowed them to break free from the illusion they were trapped under. Despite having no training at all, they fought their way through through countless perils to make their way to the Citadel, all for a chance at freedom for their son. That chance cost them their lives.
It was an old priest of Ezra named Tel that found the bodies, and the babe clutched between them. He took Kyrian in, raising him as his own. When Kyrian was old enough to learn of his true heritage, he vowed that he would pass on the gift that his parents had given him and find a way to free all those trapped in the Citadel from incarceration, to finally see the sun and taste the air outside. The fact did not escape him that he was born to two people who had their souls locked away, meaning he himself may not have one. He ignored the terror of the idea that he may be unable to survive outside of Ravenloft and redoubled his determination to find a way out. He learned to fight from other Mistdrifters, taking to it quickly. When he was of age, he became a drifter himself and began his search. He had a promise to uphold, after all.
What did they do to you? Kyrian's search for the key to emancipation took him and his team far and wide, through many a domain. Eventually, his wanderings took a dark turn and he lay naked eyes on a Darklord. For his hubris, it killed his friends and took his eyes. It did not leave him blind, however, it returned what it took as a mockery. His curse was not blindness, but being unable to see. Cursed to live life in darkness, to wear a blindfold and never lay eyes on the home he loves again, lest he be an unwilling spy for the enemy - for whatever he sees, so too does it.
What have you become?
Kyrian is youthful and tall, with golden hair and a bright smile. Most who are crippled as he appears to have been lose their will to fight, but Kyrian's demeanour is rarely somber. Before his curse his eyes were brown, but they are now heterochromatic - one an emerald green, the other a pale yellow. While in the citadel, he wears a strip of thick black cloth tied around his eyes, leading most to think that he was blinded. His armor is functional, but beautifully made, a gift from Tel.
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
Ability scores: 12 13 17 15 13 9
Ability scores: 12 12 13 9 14 14
Ability scores: 14 13 11 15 11 12