Doesnt have equipment or magic items selected yet.
Per new Rules - this build should get him 3 attacks if he doesn't use his bonus action for something else, but two weapon attacks regardless with a Nick weapon.
Backstory: The Stirge lord was abandoned as a baby and left in the gutter. He was so ugly that when Goins found him, they thought he was a goblin, and thus adopted him. He had a rough childhood, with his father regularly bringing home dead adventurers to plunder and his mother succumbing to mental illnesses, he soon became desensitized to the horrors of life. When he reached the age of 16, he moved out of the Goblin settlement and (somehow) got a girlfriend. She was very mentally and emotionally abusive, but he blurred those parts out. He also blurred the part where he fed her corpse to stirges after killing her, but thats a different story. His second girlfriend was a drow. They broke up on friendly terms, as he preferred striges over spiders, and she would live centuries more than the stirge lord. Now age 18, he traveled the world, before approaching a settlement of kua toa. He was so ugly that the kua toa made up stories about him being a deity, and some named him the God of stirges and worshipped him. This was uknown to the stirge lord, so when he found out about a deity called "the God of stirges", he began worshipping it, and got divine power from this. (I don't know how, it just happened). He then, at age 19, opened up a summer camp, with a few similarily aged humans and one 25 hear old elf as camp leaders. The summer camp was very poorly maintained, with various health code violations and stirge infestations, and the stirge lord would occasionally trade campers to gnolls in exchange for gnoll jerky. The operation was eventually shut down, but not before he was able to convert one camper to his now named cult, consisting of himself and the 4 other camp leaders. Now 21 years old, but looking like a 99 year old man and with a impossibly long nose, he seeks to destroy vecna in the name of stirges.
I have been dying to try out a Wild Magic subclass, so why not?
Name: Morgan Arcas
Species: Air Genasi — Willing to change this, should you prefer a 2024 Species as well.
Class: Sorcerer — Wild Magic + 1 level Fighter dip for some much needed AC
Background: Wayfarer
Magic Items: (The 2024 DMG will be coming out in a few hours, and that might change my answers, if possible.) Sentinel Shield (Uncommon) (or Broom of Flying, maybe?) Shiftweave (Common) — if it fits the setting. Otherwise, Clothes of Mending, or a Pipe of Smoke Monsters.
Backstory: Born to a family of meagre means in the Jewel of the North. With a penchant for adventure and a lack of better sense that so often comes with youth, Morgan found himself tagging along wherever possible to any and all expeditions he could find in hopes of striking riches. Not the most physically apt, but making up for it in eagerness (or so he told himself), Arcas spent his teen years working as a porter, hoping to learn whatever he could. His last expedition as a porter at the ripe young age of 17, was a classic: a group of Mages from Silverymoon, craftsmen and scholars from Neverwinter, ancient ruins and old, magical artefacts of great and terrible power. Dangers were ignored, things soured, people lost their lives, and the young porter ended up touched by magic in ways one really shouldn't be: his skin paled, his hair turned shock white, and strength was pulled from his body, as was part of his soul — and he has the scars to prove it. To make matters worse (maybe better, but probably worse), the magic lingered, following him wherever he went, and controlling it proved a serious, serious problem.
17 years have passed since then. Now nearing 35, a once simple porter has been hardened by adventure, and found some level of mastery over his not-so-newfound skills (which mostly involves pretending as though the rampant, strange effects that follow him were actually what he'd intended to do all along). After yet another bust, Morgan once again returned to his hometown of Neverwinter, to get word of the newest artefact, ruin or other source of ancient magic, or up-and-coming great and magical healer... any way he can to restore his body and soul to their natural states — and keep the power.
Tried to keep this very broad, and am more than willing to adapt any of this to better suit the adventure, style of DMing, or even weave the story alongside some other party members.
Backstory: I was born beneath the shimmering branches of the Grove of Corellon on Evermeet, where the Bladesong is more than a martial art—it’s a vow to protect our people. Under my father, Quarion, I trained in the ancient ways of the Bladesingers, learning both blade and forest lore to defend elvenkind. He believed I needed to understand Faerûn’s races and cultures if I was to truly safeguard our homeland, and so he took me with him on his journeys. On one such journey, we encountered a deadly band of cultists. We won, but at a grave cost; my father fell, passing to me his Harper pin and naming me the heir to our family's sword and the Bladesinger’s duty. Following his wish, I traveled to Baldur's Gate to complete my training under a Harper mentor. I studied tirelessly, honing my skills in both arcane and martial arts, embracing my duty to wield the Bladesong as my father had. Now, 30 years later, my mentor’s warning of a looming threat has brought me to Neverwinter, where I seek allies, arcane knowledge, and a way to confront whatever darkness lies ahead—determined to protect Evermeet and all the Free Peoples of Faerûn.
Magic Items: Moon-touched Rapier (common), Boots of Elvenkind (uncommon)
Name: Beshlog Frosthammer Species: Goliath (Frost Giant) Background: Probably going to go with Farmer Class: Warlock 2/Wizard (School of Abjuration) 8
Backstory: Beshlog never fit in especially well among his tribe. He was a quiet, intellectual individual, more interested in the arcane arts than in farming and mastering the mountains. Still, he pulled his weight, so for the most part they didn't mind his eccentricity.
That was until one day, a terrible accident happened... while Beshlog and several of his tribesmen were fishing, the ice gave out beneath the combined weight of multiple goliaths. Only one of them survived... Beshlog. Several hours after the accident, after all hope had been lost, he emerged from the abyss, somehow still alive. But he was changed. Someone... or something... had offered him a deal as he struggled in the darkness.
From that day on his people feared him, and Beshlog didn't really blame them. He could feel that something was trying to claim him... something dark and evil. The goliath mage decided not long after to leave his people and forge his own path, searching for a way to escape the accursed deal that he had been forced to make...
(I'll leave it up to the DM what entity actually saved Beshlog from death in the frozen lake...)
Build notes:
Beshlog's build is a bit of a gimmick melee 'muscle wizard' build, utilizing an Armor of Agathys/Arcane Ward combo plus the Pact of the Blade eldritch invocation to allow him to go into battle with a greataxe and do decent damage, especially when in combo with Booming Blade or Green Flame Blade.
Magic items: Uncommon - Greataxe of Warning. Common - Enduring Spellbook
Class (Subclass): Fighter (Eldritch Knight) 5 / Wizard (Abjurer) 5
Background: Farmer
Ability Scores: Rolled Above
Magic Items: Adamantine Plate (Uncommon), Potion of Healing (Common)
Backstory:
Khessa was born into a peasant family, in a small village.
At the age of 20 she is kidnapped, with her family, during a raid of drow slavers. Her village, Twardens, is wiped out. One of her borthers, Anator, is killed in front of her for having tried to resist. Khessa, her parents (Tobar Cabbagefield and Eshta Finegarden) and her remaining siblings (Yassa, Rethos and Larrya) are enslaved and brought underground, towards an unknown (but certainly not very pleasant) destiny in the underdark.
The brutal behavior of the drow leaves a deep mark in her soul: from that moment on, she always has deep distrust and contempt for the drow. 'I'll show the drow the same mercy they have shown me' she is used to think. Also, from that moment on, she always feels uneasy, anxious when she is in complete darkness.
Combining all of her self-confidence, physical prowess and sharp mind, with a fighting spirit that she discovers in those circumstances, she manages, with careful planning and some luck, to free herself.
She takes the drow completely by surprise and this allows her to accomplish a few not small tasks! She avenges her brother, killing the drow that murdered him. She strangles to death the slaver's wizard, also stealing his spellbook to be able, maybe, someday, to do the same wonders he was capable of. She pushes the drow priestess who was in charge of the expedition into a ravine (she doesn't know if the fall kills her, but it is the chaos that follows that allows her to escape). She steals some equipment and flees, freeing some other villagers in the meantime. Sadly, she has no chance to free her family: they have not been kept near her and she does not have the time to find them.
After a dangerous journey in the Underdark, during which she is forced on several occasions to defend herself in the hostile and unfamiliar environment (risking her life, but also honing her fighting skills), she manages to lead the freed villagers to the surface, then back home. But she decides not to rebuild the burned home of her family. What would matter to her a house, without the family that lived there with her?
She chooses to put to good use her newfound talents instead: she will live free, as an adventurer, she will satisfy the curiosity of the world that, after all, she has always had and will also, when possible, help the defenseless... for deep is her sorrow for not having been able to free her family.
Her main goal is always the liberation of her family (and of as many other unfortunate slaves as possible) from the clutches of the drow and that is why, after having distinguished herself in Neverwinter for some fortunate exploits, such as the discovery of the Forge of Spells and the eradication of a small but dangerous group of Cultists who worshipped a disturbing and mysterious one-eyed master, she makes good use of the network of contacts she has built there and organizes an expedition into the Underdark.
After finally managing to free her family, Khessa is just returned to Neverwinter, since she has heard rumors of a new dark threat... Or is it perhaps a far less new threat than she believes? In any case, Khessa certainly does not intend to leave in trouble the common folk of the city that has seen her grow as a heroine and that she has learned to love...
Backstory: As a child, Ozus traveled with his parents and their theater troupe. They traveled from town to town, playing for whoever would listen. As he got older, Ozus began to notice the looks people would give his family. Most merely seemed curious, as they had never seen a Tiefling before, but there were others. Hushed whispers and nervous eyes, parents pulling their children away just a bit too quickly, and a palpable sense of distrust followed them in nearly every town, with varying degrees of frequency. Eventually, he grew used to such things, distracting himself with his music, and learning how to diffuse many tense situations. Of course, word were not always enough, so he learned to take a punch as well, refusing to meet violence with violence.
Eventually, his parents passed, and deciding it was time to strike out on his own, he bid the remaining troupe members farewell, and simply remained in town after they had left. it was there he met Jewel, a town guard determined to make her way up the ranks, with steely courage tempered only by her kindness. In her, Ozus found, for the first time, a human who truly treated him as an equal. Overtime, the pair fell in love, and managed to purchase a home together, where they raised their daughter, Gem, for five years.
Unfortunately it was not meant to last. One day, upon his return home from a day of earning what coin he could playing in the local tavern, Ozus found his home, everything he had worked for, going up in flames. He rushed in, desperate to save his family. He got to them in time, but the flames only accelerated their growth, trapping all three inside. In one final act of desperation, Ozus attempted to shield his family with his very body, blinding pain scorching through every nerve. By the time the fire died down, the flames had left his back and shoulders scared, but had not touched his wife and daughter. Pulling away, Ozus realized that though they had not burned, the smoke had simply been too much for them. they had died, cradled in his arms.
Ozus let out a cry, a mix of rage, pain, and hopelessness flooding his soul. The emotions of that moment were so potent, that something took notice. A demon appeared in the ashes, claiming to be a representative of Levistus, Lord of the Fifth. Ozus was told that this was no accident, but something that had been done to him, by members of a cult obsessed with purity. He was offered the power to take his vengeance, but in return, he would lose the next ten years of his memories, and when Levistus called upon him to act, he would do so without question. Filled with an anger he had never known before, the tiefling accepted. The next thing he knew, he woke up in an unfamiliar town, with no idea what had transpired in the last ten years. He does not know what he may have done in those ten years, but he can sense the blood on his hands, and feel the weight of his soul. Now he works as a mercenary, completing every job without mercy, believing his soul to already be beyond saving. He also hunts for any trace of the cult that took everything from him. One question hangs over his every action, day in and day out. Will he ever find the vengence he seeks? And if he does... what will that mean for his soul?
Magic Items: Gleaming Plate Armor (Common), Saddle of the Cavalier (Uncommon)
Backstory:
Hailing from a small village outside of Haven, Tristan had a quiet childhood, though he showed early talent for both martial and social pursuits. When adolescence came, however, his faith in Kiri-Joleth became a liability--blessed by the god of righteous combat, he was able to heal a wounded hunting companion...and the Seekers of Haven caught wind of it. Thus began his first epic journey, to find a home where his talents could be applied and not suppressed or persecuted as all expressions of magic were in Haven.
Finding what he sought--and more--in the service of the Crown of Solamnia, Tristan quickly became first a squire, then a Knight of Solamnia. Finding his purpose in the Oath and the Measure, the young knight honed his skills, becoming puissant in combat and blossoming with the blessing of his deity. Joining the Knights of the Crown, Tristain spent his early adulthood accomplishing mission after mission with honor and piety. Finally the time had come for the next step in his career, petitioning to join the Knights of the Sword.
With the knights struggling after the great cataclysm, Tristan's heroic quest to allow entrance to the Knights of the Sword was assigned -- get to the bottom of the great rift separating Ergoth. The largest and most obvious remnant of the cataclysm, the knight leadership wished to know how the damage might be eventually repaired, or at least stabilized, so that the nation could begin to reunite and once more become a strong ally of Solamnia. Given a magical saddle to protect his celestial mount, Tristain rode off into the wilds, determined to earn his next accolade.
The mist was unexpected, as was the massive gate. He had been traveling for a solid month, and deep in the crevasse the odd weather had arisen. Riding through the gate, Tristan was concerned when the structure vanished in the mist behind him, and for a moment he saw a dark land with castles and hordes of undead in flashes through the mists...But then the mist shifted, and he found himself suddenly riding through the cobbled streets of an unfamiliar city. Neverwinter, one of the locals called it. Stopping and praying to a now-distant god, Tristan hopes that this new land might hold the key to healing his own, or perhaps some even greater purpose the gods had for him.
He was ready. "Est Sularus oth Mithas" would be his guide. Yes, he was ready--but what to do next?
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Edit: So, that would be a, what, 51 point buy? Hard to turn your node up at THAT! Now, what to do with it?
Larry Barryson, human Soldier Rogue 3 (Assassin)/Fighter 7 (Champion)
S 16; D 20; C 17; I 16; W 11; H 10
Born the fourth son to a Cormyr farmer, Larry's size, strength, and late birth order made him a perfect candidate as a conscripted soldier. The lord of Hillmarch was gathering an army to serve some purpose or another for the Kingdom. Like most of the rank and file, Larry never really understood why they were fighting, just that he needed to survive. The experience from these few months showed him what a well-organized unit of Purple Knights was capable of, and why so few farmer's sons ever returned home after a campaign. The carnage that the conscripts received had been unimaginable. Larry had almost learned to accept it as how his life was supposed to end. Once the fighting was over and he was released, he joined a small mercenary company known as Tempus' Torment instead of returning to farming.
Toothless Karl, the human leader of Tempus' Torment, knew his chances of survival increased the more skilled and capable his soldiers proved themselves. So he ensured each received the best training he could supply. Larry''s surprising agility and grace proved even more significant than the size and strength which had been getting all the attention as a conscript. Fingers, the company's half-elven lead scout, took charge of Larry's training once his true strength was recognized. Instead of the simple polearms provided to the conscripts. Fingers ensured that Larry learned the control and precision required to use the lightest and quickest weapons effectively, improving his chances of using stealth and misdirection instead of simple brute force.
For years Larry worked for Toothless Karl, helping Tempus' Torment score military victory after military victory across Western Faerun, as well as several losses where they narrowly avoided being killed. Until one day when Toothless Karl announced he was retiring while he was still breathing. As testimony to the strength of the unit, only about half of the members decided to leave with Karl. Larry was one of those who left.
Not really confident that he had a good path forward, Larry decided to seek out opportunities as an itinerant adventurer, figuring that was a role where his skills could be applied, while hopefully not requiring that he spend as much time in kill or be killed situations. Neverwinter is tucked out of the way for much else besides merchants, caravan guards, and adventurers, anyway.
Rest of the character details (primarily gear, really, I did the character mechanics up before this write-up) will be worked through if selected.
Larry normally wields dual light weapons while wading through the battlefield in Full Plate Armor. Obviously, he uses something MUCH lighter if he is planning on being stealthy. As I understand the dual-wielding light weapon Nick rule interaction, if both weapons are light and he has Weapon Mastery with the second weapon which has the Nick property, then he makes the off-hand attack as PART of the primary hand attack. 3 attacks a turn sounds like a lot, but his damage is limited both by them being light weapons and the fact that Sneak Attack is usable only once a turn. Several caster builds and barbarians do more damage per turn.
Looking for a few more players to round out a journey through the new Vecna campaign.
Characters will start at level 10, we'll be using 2024 rules to see how they do. Ability scores can be rolled (always reroll 1s) or use point buy.
In your backstories, include some of your past exploits that led you to the level of experience you have now, and why you're currently in Neverwinter. (No need to write a novel...a couple of paragraphs is fine :D)
Good luck! I'll close recruiting Wednesday or so, and make selections by the end of the week.
Looking for a few more players to round out a journey through the new Vecna campaign.
Characters will start at level 10, we'll be using 2024 rules to see how they do. Ability scores can be rolled (always reroll 1s) or use point buy.
In your backstories, include some of your past exploits that led you to the level of experience you have now, and why you're currently in Neverwinter. (No need to write a novel...a couple of paragraphs is fine :D)
Good luck! I'll close recruiting Wednesday or so, and make selections by the end of the week.
121314121514
S- 12 D- 14 C- 16 I- 13 w- 20 Cha- 12
Name: Thewendy Oneapp
Species: Human
Class/Subclass: Druid - Spore
Background: Farmer
Ability Scores: Rolled Above
Magic Items: Gloves of thievery (Uncommon), Cloak of Billowing (Common)
Backstory: Thewendy grew up in a modest farming village near Baldur’s Gate. Driven by his perserverence and work ethic, Thewendy doesn’t like leaving tasks in the hands he feels are less than capable. While farming and fishing and hunting is good and all, he took it upon himself to protect the innocent from the dangers that abound. His life took a pivotal turn when he met an arch Druid. This Druid had precious little time left in their life due to reasons they didn’t elaborate, and in their prior living they unleashed a terrifying undead horror on the some cities. While the teacher is corrupt, that does not mean the student themselves will be corruptible.
Thewendy has since traveled all over the sword coast trying to help villages and families make it through bad weather, droughts, bad crops, famine, bandits, and any kind of disaster. And that’s what makes him. That guy.
edit: since they are level 10 thought you might want to know the feats: Tough, skilled.
Backstory: The memories of his younger years seemed to grow dimmer and dimmer. Naero barely remembered the moon-horses running free across The Farmeadows, a sight he had adored in his youth. That youth a mere 112 years ago should have been clear in his mind but eleven decades of wandering across the Sword Coast had dulled his memory, filled it instead with images of war, fire and famine amongst other atrocities.
He had vetured from his homeland of Evermeet all those years ago, struck by a trait not often seen in his kind - wanderlust. He spent a vast majority of his time honing his fighting skills, learning more from experience than anything. Combining the martial skills he had gathered with his knowledge of the ways of the natural world, Naero was always willing to join the fight to maintain order and balance.
Currently he stood on the outskirts of Neverwinter having heard rumours of the evil brewing in the area. "Seems it's time to fight, again" he grunts aloud. Of course, no-one is there to hear his words bar a small brown cat that curls its way between his legs.
Narak’s travels have taken him all over the lands, for the last few years slinging his wares to make enough gold to fund his insatiable obsessions of learning and travel. Each trek from one large city to another was more an investment, that later paid dividends when he would take months off at a time adventuring into the wilderness or ruins of ancient culture to learn more about the history of more cultured civilizations than his own. not that being a Goliath bothered him, though it did come with its disadvantages , namely fitting into tavern beds made for smaller folk; he had the lumpy forehead to prove it.
Narak came from a long line of cloud giants once, the more aloof and blow about in the breeze types. His youthful tribal life was spent daydreaming about the few scraps of elvish contraband he could find between sessions of training to be the warrior his father wishes he would become. The weakest of his brethren, and not even the quickest, he leaned towards the arts of convincing banter, and curiosity enough to want to negotiate kindly with those of other species he met whenever he wandered off…
An adolescence of wrestling and hunting and tribal conflicts gave way one day suddenly to him leaving the tribe (an event narak prefers not to discuss) and becoming a traveling merchant… his smile and way with words (spending years refining a mediocre but passable elven and common tongue for the task) and years of hard work finally led to membership in the regional merchants guild.
recent events have invested his time into adventuring and research into the arcane, investing his fortune of gold and reputation into his passion for master of various secrets both magical and historic, his new obsession and addiction: to know, to see, to live, and to have a glorious tale to share whenever and if ever he makes it to old age and dates return home one day…
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https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/136278741/pky71r
Doesnt have equipment or magic items selected yet.
Per new Rules - this build should get him 3 attacks if he doesn't use his bonus action for something else, but two weapon attacks regardless with a Nick weapon.
Ability scores: 13 12 7 16 12 14
Ability scores: 12 16 14 11 16 15.
Name: Stirge Lord
Race: Human.
Class: Life Cleric.
Magic Items: potion of healing and flying broom.
Backstory: The Stirge lord was abandoned as a baby and left in the gutter. He was so ugly that when Goins found him, they thought he was a goblin, and thus adopted him. He had a rough childhood, with his father regularly bringing home dead adventurers to plunder and his mother succumbing to mental illnesses, he soon became desensitized to the horrors of life. When he reached the age of 16, he moved out of the Goblin settlement and (somehow) got a girlfriend. She was very mentally and emotionally abusive, but he blurred those parts out. He also blurred the part where he fed her corpse to stirges after killing her, but thats a different story. His second girlfriend was a drow. They broke up on friendly terms, as he preferred striges over spiders, and she would live centuries more than the stirge lord. Now age 18, he traveled the world, before approaching a settlement of kua toa. He was so ugly that the kua toa made up stories about him being a deity, and some named him the God of stirges and worshipped him. This was uknown to the stirge lord, so when he found out about a deity called "the God of stirges", he began worshipping it, and got divine power from this. (I don't know how, it just happened). He then, at age 19, opened up a summer camp, with a few similarily aged humans and one 25 hear old elf as camp leaders. The summer camp was very poorly maintained, with various health code violations and stirge infestations, and the stirge lord would occasionally trade campers to gnolls in exchange for gnoll jerky. The operation was eventually shut down, but not before he was able to convert one camper to his now named cult, consisting of himself and the 4 other camp leaders. Now 21 years old, but looking like a 99 year old man and with a impossibly long nose, he seeks to destroy vecna in the name of stirges.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/127268130/2P2MOU
I love how level play, so I’ll apply! This sounds like a lot of fun!
Lets see what the dice give me for stats:
Ability scores: 15 16 10 9 15 16
*fingers crossed*
Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master, a young genderfluid actor, writer, explorer, and bass vocalist. Pronouns They/Them/Theirs
My Characters: Brormin the Devout Crusher; Morgrom the Cunning Summoner; Thea the Rebellious Beauty;
Check out my EXTENDED SIGNATUR and don’t forget to join the Anything but the OGL 2.0 Thread!
"I don't make sense to you, and I don't make sense to myself. Maybe the only one I make sense to is God" ~ Me, trying to sound smart
Ability scores: 10 14 16 16 14 17
That 7 is interesting. Hmm.
I have been dying to try out a Wild Magic subclass, so why not?
Name: Morgan Arcas
Species: Air Genasi — Willing to change this, should you prefer a 2024 Species as well.
Class: Sorcerer — Wild Magic + 1 level Fighter dip for some much needed AC
Background: Wayfarer
Magic Items: (The 2024 DMG will be coming out in a few hours, and that might change my answers, if possible.) Sentinel Shield (Uncommon) (or Broom of Flying, maybe?) Shiftweave (Common) — if it fits the setting. Otherwise, Clothes of Mending, or a Pipe of Smoke Monsters.
Backstory: Born to a family of meagre means in the Jewel of the North. With a penchant for adventure and a lack of better sense that so often comes with youth, Morgan found himself tagging along wherever possible to any and all expeditions he could find in hopes of striking riches. Not the most physically apt, but making up for it in eagerness (or so he told himself), Arcas spent his teen years working as a porter, hoping to learn whatever he could. His last expedition as a porter at the ripe young age of 17, was a classic: a group of Mages from Silverymoon, craftsmen and scholars from Neverwinter, ancient ruins and old, magical artefacts of great and terrible power. Dangers were ignored, things soured, people lost their lives, and the young porter ended up touched by magic in ways one really shouldn't be: his skin paled, his hair turned shock white, and strength was pulled from his body, as was part of his soul — and he has the scars to prove it. To make matters worse (maybe better, but probably worse), the magic lingered, following him wherever he went, and controlling it proved a serious, serious problem.
17 years have passed since then. Now nearing 35, a once simple porter has been hardened by adventure, and found some level of mastery over his not-so-newfound skills (which mostly involves pretending as though the rampant, strange effects that follow him were actually what he'd intended to do all along). After yet another bust, Morgan once again returned to his hometown of Neverwinter, to get word of the newest artefact, ruin or other source of ancient magic, or up-and-coming great and magical healer... any way he can to restore his body and soul to their natural states — and keep the power.
Tried to keep this very broad, and am more than willing to adapt any of this to better suit the adventure, style of DMing, or even weave the story alongside some other party members.
Thanks!
Name: Kaelith Valesar
Race: High Elf
Class: Wizard (Bladesinger)
Backstory:
I was born beneath the shimmering branches of the Grove of Corellon on Evermeet, where the Bladesong is more than a martial art—it’s a vow to protect our people. Under my father, Quarion, I trained in the ancient ways of the Bladesingers, learning both blade and forest lore to defend elvenkind. He believed I needed to understand Faerûn’s races and cultures if I was to truly safeguard our homeland, and so he took me with him on his journeys.
On one such journey, we encountered a deadly band of cultists. We won, but at a grave cost; my father fell, passing to me his Harper pin and naming me the heir to our family's sword and the Bladesinger’s duty. Following his wish, I traveled to Baldur's Gate to complete my training under a Harper mentor. I studied tirelessly, honing my skills in both arcane and martial arts, embracing my duty to wield the Bladesong as my father had.
Now, 30 years later, my mentor’s warning of a looming threat has brought me to Neverwinter, where I seek allies, arcane knowledge, and a way to confront whatever darkness lies ahead—determined to protect Evermeet and all the Free Peoples of Faerûn.
Magic Items: Moon-touched Rapier (common), Boots of Elvenkind (uncommon)
Name: Beshlog Frosthammer
Species: Goliath (Frost Giant)
Background: Probably going to go with Farmer
Class: Warlock 2/Wizard (School of Abjuration) 8
Backstory: Beshlog never fit in especially well among his tribe. He was a quiet, intellectual individual, more interested in the arcane arts than in farming and mastering the mountains. Still, he pulled his weight, so for the most part they didn't mind his eccentricity.
That was until one day, a terrible accident happened... while Beshlog and several of his tribesmen were fishing, the ice gave out beneath the combined weight of multiple goliaths. Only one of them survived... Beshlog. Several hours after the accident, after all hope had been lost, he emerged from the abyss, somehow still alive. But he was changed. Someone... or something... had offered him a deal as he struggled in the darkness.
From that day on his people feared him, and Beshlog didn't really blame them. He could feel that something was trying to claim him... something dark and evil. The goliath mage decided not long after to leave his people and forge his own path, searching for a way to escape the accursed deal that he had been forced to make...
(I'll leave it up to the DM what entity actually saved Beshlog from death in the frozen lake...)
Build notes:
Beshlog's build is a bit of a gimmick melee 'muscle wizard' build, utilizing an Armor of Agathys/Arcane Ward combo plus the Pact of the Blade eldritch invocation to allow him to go into battle with a greataxe and do decent damage, especially when in combo with Booming Blade or Green Flame Blade.
Magic items: Uncommon - Greataxe of Warning. Common - Enduring Spellbook
Appearance:
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Provide feedback!
Ability scores: 17 10 14 12 15 11
Ability scores: 17 11 15 12 13 18
Will post character in a bit
If I ever get into a pbp please make sure you add the underscore to my name when I get PMed.
Characters (Links!):
Amzar Starshade - Odyssey Of Greatness
Faelin Nighthollow - 7th Sojourn
Dallas Hullbreaker - Legacy of Iggwilv
Name: Khessa Cabbagefield
Species: Human
Class (Subclass): Fighter (Eldritch Knight) 5 / Wizard (Abjurer) 5
Background: Farmer
Ability Scores: Rolled Above
Magic Items: Adamantine Plate (Uncommon), Potion of Healing (Common)
Backstory:
Khessa was born into a peasant family, in a small village.
At the age of 20 she is kidnapped, with her family, during a raid of drow slavers. Her village, Twardens, is wiped out. One of her borthers, Anator, is killed in front of her for having tried to resist. Khessa, her parents (Tobar Cabbagefield and Eshta Finegarden) and her remaining siblings (Yassa, Rethos and Larrya) are enslaved and brought underground, towards an unknown (but certainly not very pleasant) destiny in the underdark.
The brutal behavior of the drow leaves a deep mark in her soul: from that moment on, she always has deep distrust and contempt for the drow. 'I'll show the drow the same mercy they have shown me' she is used to think. Also, from that moment on, she always feels uneasy, anxious when she is in complete darkness.
Combining all of her self-confidence, physical prowess and sharp mind, with a fighting spirit that she discovers in those circumstances, she manages, with careful planning and some luck, to free herself.
She takes the drow completely by surprise and this allows her to accomplish a few not small tasks! She avenges her brother, killing the drow that murdered him. She strangles to death the slaver's wizard, also stealing his spellbook to be able, maybe, someday, to do the same wonders he was capable of. She pushes the drow priestess who was in charge of the expedition into a ravine (she doesn't know if the fall kills her, but it is the chaos that follows that allows her to escape). She steals some equipment and flees, freeing some other villagers in the meantime. Sadly, she has no chance to free her family: they have not been kept near her and she does not have the time to find them.
After a dangerous journey in the Underdark, during which she is forced on several occasions to defend herself in the hostile and unfamiliar environment (risking her life, but also honing her fighting skills), she manages to lead the freed villagers to the surface, then back home. But she decides not to rebuild the burned home of her family. What would matter to her a house, without the family that lived there with her?
She chooses to put to good use her newfound talents instead: she will live free, as an adventurer, she will satisfy the curiosity of the world that, after all, she has always had and will also, when possible, help the defenseless... for deep is her sorrow for not having been able to free her family.
Her main goal is always the liberation of her family (and of as many other unfortunate slaves as possible) from the clutches of the drow and that is why, after having distinguished herself in Neverwinter for some fortunate exploits, such as the discovery of the Forge of Spells and the eradication of a small but dangerous group of Cultists who worshipped a disturbing and mysterious one-eyed master, she makes good use of the network of contacts she has built there and organizes an expedition into the Underdark.
After finally managing to free her family, Khessa is just returned to Neverwinter, since she has heard rumors of a new dark threat... Or is it perhaps a far less new threat than she believes? In any case, Khessa certainly does not intend to leave in trouble the common folk of the city that has seen her grow as a heroine and that she has learned to love...
Ability scores: 17 10 14 12 15 11
https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/136315190/UZgNfi
Name:Ozus Vindicta
Species: Tiefling (Red)
Background:Haunted One
Class: Bard(2); Warlock(8)(Fiend Patron)
Common: Clockwork Amulet
Uncommon: Spellwrought Tattoo 3rd level
Backstory: As a child, Ozus traveled with his parents and their theater troupe. They traveled from town to town, playing for whoever would listen. As he got older, Ozus began to notice the looks people would give his family. Most merely seemed curious, as they had never seen a Tiefling before, but there were others. Hushed whispers and nervous eyes, parents pulling their children away just a bit too quickly, and a palpable sense of distrust followed them in nearly every town, with varying degrees of frequency. Eventually, he grew used to such things, distracting himself with his music, and learning how to diffuse many tense situations. Of course, word were not always enough, so he learned to take a punch as well, refusing to meet violence with violence.
Eventually, his parents passed, and deciding it was time to strike out on his own, he bid the remaining troupe members farewell, and simply remained in town after they had left. it was there he met Jewel, a town guard determined to make her way up the ranks, with steely courage tempered only by her kindness. In her, Ozus found, for the first time, a human who truly treated him as an equal. Overtime, the pair fell in love, and managed to purchase a home together, where they raised their daughter, Gem, for five years.
Unfortunately it was not meant to last. One day, upon his return home from a day of earning what coin he could playing in the local tavern, Ozus found his home, everything he had worked for, going up in flames. He rushed in, desperate to save his family. He got to them in time, but the flames only accelerated their growth, trapping all three inside. In one final act of desperation, Ozus attempted to shield his family with his very body, blinding pain scorching through every nerve. By the time the fire died down, the flames had left his back and shoulders scared, but had not touched his wife and daughter. Pulling away, Ozus realized that though they had not burned, the smoke had simply been too much for them. they had died, cradled in his arms.
Ozus let out a cry, a mix of rage, pain, and hopelessness flooding his soul. The emotions of that moment were so potent, that something took notice. A demon appeared in the ashes, claiming to be a representative of Levistus, Lord of the Fifth. Ozus was told that this was no accident, but something that had been done to him, by members of a cult obsessed with purity. He was offered the power to take his vengeance, but in return, he would lose the next ten years of his memories, and when Levistus called upon him to act, he would do so without question. Filled with an anger he had never known before, the tiefling accepted. The next thing he knew, he woke up in an unfamiliar town, with no idea what had transpired in the last ten years. He does not know what he may have done in those ten years, but he can sense the blood on his hands, and feel the weight of his soul. Now he works as a mercenary, completing every job without mercy, believing his soul to already be beyond saving. He also hunts for any trace of the cult that took everything from him. One question hangs over his every action, day in and day out. Will he ever find the vengence he seeks? And if he does... what will that mean for his soul?
https://imgur.com/qUwlO1u
(I couldn't get the image to appear for some reason so here's a link to it)
What do the dice gods have to say to me?
Ability scores: 12 10 16 13 11 15
Edit: So, that would be a, what, 51 point buy? Hard to turn your node up at THAT! Now, what to do with it?
https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/136278741/2OfSxa
Added Cloak of Protection and Silvered dagger.
Name: Tristan Everwood
Species: Human
Class/Subclass: Paladin (10) / Oath of the Crown
Background: Knight of Solamnia
Ability Scores: As above
Magic Items: Gleaming Plate Armor (Common), Saddle of the Cavalier (Uncommon)
Backstory:
Hailing from a small village outside of Haven, Tristan had a quiet childhood, though he showed early talent for both martial and social pursuits. When adolescence came, however, his faith in Kiri-Joleth became a liability--blessed by the god of righteous combat, he was able to heal a wounded hunting companion...and the Seekers of Haven caught wind of it. Thus began his first epic journey, to find a home where his talents could be applied and not suppressed or persecuted as all expressions of magic were in Haven.
Finding what he sought--and more--in the service of the Crown of Solamnia, Tristan quickly became first a squire, then a Knight of Solamnia. Finding his purpose in the Oath and the Measure, the young knight honed his skills, becoming puissant in combat and blossoming with the blessing of his deity. Joining the Knights of the Crown, Tristain spent his early adulthood accomplishing mission after mission with honor and piety. Finally the time had come for the next step in his career, petitioning to join the Knights of the Sword.
With the knights struggling after the great cataclysm, Tristan's heroic quest to allow entrance to the Knights of the Sword was assigned -- get to the bottom of the great rift separating Ergoth. The largest and most obvious remnant of the cataclysm, the knight leadership wished to know how the damage might be eventually repaired, or at least stabilized, so that the nation could begin to reunite and once more become a strong ally of Solamnia. Given a magical saddle to protect his celestial mount, Tristain rode off into the wilds, determined to earn his next accolade.
The mist was unexpected, as was the massive gate. He had been traveling for a solid month, and deep in the crevasse the odd weather had arisen. Riding through the gate, Tristan was concerned when the structure vanished in the mist behind him, and for a moment he saw a dark land with castles and hordes of undead in flashes through the mists...But then the mist shifted, and he found himself suddenly riding through the cobbled streets of an unfamiliar city. Neverwinter, one of the locals called it. Stopping and praying to a now-distant god, Tristan hopes that this new land might hold the key to healing his own, or perhaps some even greater purpose the gods had for him.
He was ready. "Est Sularus oth Mithas" would be his guide. Yes, he was ready--but what to do next?
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Larry Barryson, human Soldier Rogue 3 (Assassin)/Fighter 7 (Champion)
S 16; D 20; C 17; I 16; W 11; H 10
Born the fourth son to a Cormyr farmer, Larry's size, strength, and late birth order made him a perfect candidate as a conscripted soldier. The lord of Hillmarch was gathering an army to serve some purpose or another for the Kingdom. Like most of the rank and file, Larry never really understood why they were fighting, just that he needed to survive. The experience from these few months showed him what a well-organized unit of Purple Knights was capable of, and why so few farmer's sons ever returned home after a campaign. The carnage that the conscripts received had been unimaginable. Larry had almost learned to accept it as how his life was supposed to end. Once the fighting was over and he was released, he joined a small mercenary company known as Tempus' Torment instead of returning to farming.
Toothless Karl, the human leader of Tempus' Torment, knew his chances of survival increased the more skilled and capable his soldiers proved themselves. So he ensured each received the best training he could supply. Larry''s surprising agility and grace proved even more significant than the size and strength which had been getting all the attention as a conscript. Fingers, the company's half-elven lead scout, took charge of Larry's training once his true strength was recognized. Instead of the simple polearms provided to the conscripts. Fingers ensured that Larry learned the control and precision required to use the lightest and quickest weapons effectively, improving his chances of using stealth and misdirection instead of simple brute force.
For years Larry worked for Toothless Karl, helping Tempus' Torment score military victory after military victory across Western Faerun, as well as several losses where they narrowly avoided being killed. Until one day when Toothless Karl announced he was retiring while he was still breathing. As testimony to the strength of the unit, only about half of the members decided to leave with Karl. Larry was one of those who left.
Not really confident that he had a good path forward, Larry decided to seek out opportunities as an itinerant adventurer, figuring that was a role where his skills could be applied, while hopefully not requiring that he spend as much time in kill or be killed situations. Neverwinter is tucked out of the way for much else besides merchants, caravan guards, and adventurers, anyway.
Rest of the character details (primarily gear, really, I did the character mechanics up before this write-up) will be worked through if selected.
Larry normally wields dual light weapons while wading through the battlefield in Full Plate Armor.
Obviously, he uses something MUCH lighter if he is planning on being stealthy. As I understand the dual-wielding light weapon Nick rule interaction, if both weapons are light and he has Weapon Mastery with the second weapon which has the Nick property, then he makes the off-hand attack as PART of the primary hand attack. 3 attacks a turn sounds like a lot, but his damage is limited both by them being light weapons and the fact that Sneak Attack is usable only once a turn. Several caster builds and barbarians do more damage per turn.Edit: 750 Gold? Yet to spend. Item thoughts? Common: Moonblade (Shortsword?) Uncommon: Mithral Plate Armor
12 16 17 11 15 15
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S- 12 D- 14 C- 16 I- 13 w- 20 Cha- 12
Name: Thewendy Oneapp
Species: Human
Class/Subclass: Druid - Spore
Background: Farmer
Ability Scores: Rolled Above
Magic Items: Gloves of thievery (Uncommon), Cloak of Billowing (Common)
Backstory: Thewendy grew up in a modest farming village near Baldur’s Gate. Driven by his perserverence and work ethic, Thewendy doesn’t like leaving tasks in the hands he feels are less than capable. While farming and fishing and hunting is good and all, he took it upon himself to protect the innocent from the dangers that abound. His life took a pivotal turn when he met an arch Druid. This Druid had precious little time left in their life due to reasons they didn’t elaborate, and in their prior living they unleashed a terrifying undead horror on the some cities. While the teacher is corrupt, that does not mean the student themselves will be corruptible.
Thewendy has since traveled all over the sword coast trying to help villages and families make it through bad weather, droughts, bad crops, famine, bandits, and any kind of disaster. And that’s what makes him. That guy.
edit: since they are level 10 thought you might want to know the feats: Tough, skilled.
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Name: Naero Meltha
Species: Elf - Wood
Class/Subclass: Druid (2)/Elements Monk (8)
Background: Guide [closest I could manage]
Ability Scores: as rolled previously
Backstory: The memories of his younger years seemed to grow dimmer and dimmer. Naero barely remembered the moon-horses running free across The Farmeadows, a sight he had adored in his youth. That youth a mere 112 years ago should have been clear in his mind but eleven decades of wandering across the Sword Coast had dulled his memory, filled it instead with images of war, fire and famine amongst other atrocities.
He had vetured from his homeland of Evermeet all those years ago, struck by a trait not often seen in his kind - wanderlust. He spent a vast majority of his time honing his fighting skills, learning more from experience than anything. Combining the martial skills he had gathered with his knowledge of the ways of the natural world, Naero was always willing to join the fight to maintain order and balance.
Currently he stood on the outskirts of Neverwinter having heard rumours of the evil brewing in the area. "Seems it's time to fight, again" he grunts aloud. Of course, no-one is there to hear his words bar a small brown cat that curls its way between his legs.
Items: Cloak of Protection & Pole of Collapsing
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sheet-pdfs/Metaphorce_136403237.pdf
Point Buy 15 15 14 10 8 8
Name: Narak CloudStomper
Species: Goliath
Class: Fighter 1/Lore Bard 9
Background: Merchant
Items: Adamantine Half Plate (Uncommon), Santa/Goliath Sized Sack for Wares (flavor, common?)
Backstory:
Narak’s travels have taken him all over the lands, for the last few years slinging his wares to make enough gold to fund his insatiable obsessions of learning and travel. Each trek from one large city to another was more an investment, that later paid dividends when he would take months off at a time adventuring into the wilderness or ruins of ancient culture to learn more about the history of more cultured civilizations than his own. not that being a Goliath bothered him, though it did come with its disadvantages , namely fitting into tavern beds made for smaller folk; he had the lumpy forehead to prove it.
Narak came from a long line of cloud giants once, the more aloof and blow about in the breeze types. His youthful tribal life was spent daydreaming about the few scraps of elvish contraband he could find between sessions of training to be the warrior his father wishes he would become. The weakest of his brethren, and not even the quickest, he leaned towards the arts of convincing banter, and curiosity enough to want to negotiate kindly with those of other species he met whenever he wandered off…
An adolescence of wrestling and hunting and tribal conflicts gave way one day suddenly to him leaving the tribe (an event narak prefers not to discuss) and becoming a traveling merchant… his smile and way with words (spending years refining a mediocre but passable elven and common tongue for the task) and years of hard work finally led to membership in the regional merchants guild.
recent events have invested his time into adventuring and research into the arcane, investing his fortune of gold and reputation into his passion for master of various secrets both magical and historic, his new obsession and addiction: to know, to see, to live, and to have a glorious tale to share whenever and if ever he makes it to old age and dates return home one day…