Baldur’s Gate is a bustling center of trade, with goods coming from north and south by wagon along the Trade Way and by ship on the Sea of Swords, and from the east along the River Chionthar and from Cormyr and Sembia. Baldur’s Gate is situated on a prominent bluff next to the river, overlooking an excellent natural harbor. It is divided into three distinct segments: the Upper City where the richest and most influential citizens live and where the city’s marketplace (the Wide) is located; the Lower City, which surrounds the harbor and where most of the city’s merchants live and conduct their business; and the Outer City, which lies outside the walls and where most of the city’s laborers reside in conditions that vary from crowded but clean to squalid.
Even the most hardened adventurers watch their steps in Baldur’s Gate, where lives hold prices in copper and greed proves deadlier than dragon fire. Baldur’s Gate has a reputation for being a rough place, where crime and opportunity walk hand in hand, and where anything can be bought, sold, or seized at sword point. If something can be given a price, it’s for sale somewhere in Baldur’s Gate. Drugs and poisons sit on shelves alongside tinctures and remedies. Trade goods from Chult, mechanical wonders from Neverwinter, tomes of magic from Calimshan, and the most believable counterfeits of each can all be found in the city’s stalls.
The Flaming Fist, a mercenary company paid for by the city, protects residents without the barest hint of civil delicacy. The Watch, the guardian force of the wealthy Upper City, exists only to serve the patriars — the city’s detached upper class. Meanwhile, crime flourishes under the control of the Guild, which oversees almost every organized criminal act, from dockside gambling rings to blackmail at patriar garden parties. Either under the Guild’s auspices or in defiance of them, those who cut purses or throats make a decent living in the city, their talents traded as briskly — and often just as openly — as those of any other professional.
For all its shadows and dark dealings, Baldur’s Gate is not without its lights. Some residents earnestly seek to make the city a safer place by banding together to make their own sort of imperfect but effective justice.
History of Baldur’s Gate Since its beginning as a quiet backwater community, Baldur’s Gate has undergone a dramatic transformation, becoming the hub of danger and adventure it is today.
Founding Baldur’s Gate Centuries ago, the hero Balduran spent years questing in lands across the Sea of Swords and beyond. When finally he returned to his village of Gray Harbor, he brought fantastic wealth with him, much of which he gifted to friends and family. These boons greatly improved Gray Harbor’s fortunes, launching businesses, expanding its docks, and seeing the creation of a defensive wall around the town. In honor of their heroic patron, the citizens came to call one of their new wall’s passages Baldur’s Gate. Within a generation, though, the gate became synonymous with the community, and the settlement known as Baldur’s Gate began appearing on maps of the Sword Coast.
The city’s surprising growth attracted all manner of people. Peasants affected by raiding and war, farmers rendered penniless by famine and drought, pirates seeking a neutral port — all types saw a chance to put their mark on the rapidly growing community.
Order in Baldur’s Gate As the city swelled, questions of law and taxation arose. The community’s eldest families — largely those wealthy enough to afford homes within the city walls — came to be known as patriars and grew wary of the influx of strangers settling beyond their walls. The creation of various additional taxes on trade and travel led to violence breaking out between the Upper City — behind the original walls of Gray Harbor — and the Lower City, built on the slopes leading down to the Chionthar River. Patriar houses were ransacked, family heirlooms were lost forever, and heirs were kidnapped, never to be seen again. Gold flowed like blood as families and guilds hired mercenaries to protect them. Only the election of a new group of rulers — known as the dukes and, collectively, as the Council of Four — put the matter to rest. These elected rulers have been a part of the city’s governance ever since.
Another pillar of order in Baldur’s Gate formed when the adventurer Eltan, a noted warrior raised in the area, returned home from exploits abroad. Seeing the chaos that had splintered his beloved city, Eltan united the city’s independent mercenary companies under a single banner, that of the Flaming Fist. Eltan used the mercenaries to quash what pockets of disorder he found, punishing lawbreakers for their crimes. Though plenty of theft, blackmail, and assassination continued behind closed doors, the founding of the Flaming Fist marked a new chapter in the city’s story.
That does cover most facts that people would know about the city, whether it be native born or from abroad. Basically a city ran by the wealthy, a semblance of a government with the council and parliament of peers, a mercenary army serves as standing military and law enforcement. Crime is ran by two factions, those of the Guild and those that aren't while the Dead Three is a thing nearly all baldurians fear. Religion wise, they allow anything as long as there's no violent practices against innocents or disrupt trade.
Is it alright to use any of the other backgrounds that come with a feat? I'm looking at the Rune Carver background since that seems to be the only option to get armor of Agathys without needing to pick up a Warlock level.
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Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Is it alright to use any of the other backgrounds that come with a feat? I'm looking at the Rune Carver background since that seems to be the only option to get armor of Agathys without needing to pick up a Warlock level.
@Mister_Whisker, you probably already know that the Eberron Races, "Mark of Warding" also will give you access to Armor of Agathys at 1st level.
Dwarf Subrace: Mark of Warding
If you’re a dwarf with the Mark of Warding, you have this subrace, with the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Warder’s Intuition. When you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check or an ability check using thieves’ tools, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Wards and Seals. You can cast the alarm andmage armor spells with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast the arcane lock spell with it. Once you cast any of these spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells, and you don’t need material components for them when you cast them with this trait.
Spells of the Mark. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Warding Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Is it alright to use any of the other backgrounds that come with a feat? I'm looking at the Rune Carver background since that seems to be the only option to get armor of Agathys without needing to pick up a Warlock level.
@Mister_Whisker, you probably already know that the Eberron Races, "Mark of Warding" also will give you access to Armor of Agathys at 1st level.
Dwarf Subrace: Mark of Warding
If you’re a dwarf with the Mark of Warding, you have this subrace, with the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Warder’s Intuition. When you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check or an ability check using thieves’ tools, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Wards and Seals. You can cast the alarm andmage armor spells with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast the arcane lock spell with it. Once you cast any of these spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells, and you don’t need material components for them when you cast them with this trait.
Spells of the Mark. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Warding Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Both are fine; Background wise, the only ones that wouldn't work are Ravnica, Ebberon, Dragonlance, Strixhaven, and Witchlight, due to the setting being Faerun. Feel free to pitch feats with legacy/feat less backgrounds here and I'll try to respond if it will be okay or not. Race wise, besides homebrew, anything may apply as long as its flavored to fit Faerun, ie. Eberron's dragonmarked could be a case of a magical mishap, elemental blessing, or how ever you see fit. For hombrew races, you may pitch it here with a link.
And I shall add this, the party assembled shall be random. The applications shall be sorted into accepted or not, then randomly picked among the accepted lot. So while I am checking for backgrounds and races, I am not optimizing the party to have a balanced composition.
Background + Reason for being in Baldur's Gate: Outlander - travelled to Baldur's Gate as part of his enduring pilgrimage to study the world's many natural wonders and convince their local patrons to take better care of them.
Okay, this one is probably a stretch but I hope you will hear me out. Since I don't have access to the 2024 version anyway, would you consider the 2014 version of the Charlton background with the Magic Initiate feat (caster class of Bard)? The schtick is that the character makes ends meet between adventures as a street magician; using a combination of Sleight of Hand, Prestidigitation, Mending, and a Deck of Marked Cards that is one of the background starting equipment options to delight and amaze crowds (and keep them guessing what's real magic and what are just magic tricks).
Okay, this one is probably a stretch but I hope you will hear me out. Since I don't have access to the 2024 version anyway, would you consider the 2014 version of the Charlton background with the Magic Initiate feat (caster class of Bard)? The schtick is that the character makes ends meet between adventures as a street magician; using a combination of Sleight of Hand, Prestidigitation, Mending, and a Deck of Marked Cards that is one of the background starting equipment options to delight and amaze crowds (and keep them guessing what's real magic and what are just magic tricks).
Background + Reason for being in Baldur's Gate: Merchant. Beryl owned an operated a jewelry store in Baldur's Gate for the last three hundred years. Unfortunately, she took out some loans she couldn't repay and lost everything. Beryl has decided to start over in her old age and become a professional magic user.
Before I decide by reason for being in Baldur's Gate, could I please have some background information on the city?
Traeth of the Forge--or, I suppose, Clert Stonehammer--as he was known back in the old days--was never... the strongest, or the most skilled mountain dwarf. He was born short, even for dwarven standards and was often mocked. His peers would call him a "gnome" or a "halfling"; even his parents were no help. They were worse than the rest of them; constantly cold and disappointed in him for what he could not control.
Clert Stonehammer always hated this treatment, hated his tormentors with his heart. He cried himself to sleep at night, and would have gone insane long ago if it weren't for the one thing that he truly enjoyed. The forge. Despite his puny size and the countless voices around him, he would always be forging something new. A sword, a set of full plate--anything one could possibly dream of, completely unbeknownst to his parents and peers around him.
Eventually, Clert had enough. He ran away. Even with the accompaniment of the forge, he simply couldn't bear the constant abuse he suffered. He even changed his name to Traeth, to formally sever his connection with his old clan. He lived a tough life, but it was infinitely better than he was used to. He borrowed another blacksmith's forge and used it to craft a wide variety of items, each with a special and unique touch and incredible quality. Eventually, he settled down in Baldur's Gate, scraping by a modest living with a sizeable amount of gold to spare.
Traeth's life continued in this fashion for quite a long time. He would receive a commission every now and then, and he would create some item or whatever was being requested, and reap the rewards. Simple, sustainable, and he loved his profession. One day, however, everything would change. Traeth received a strange commission from an anonymous client. The request was very specific, and required many precious metals. Needless to say, Traeth was intrigued. He threw himself into this work with vigor, and made progress at an astonishing speed, and astonishing precision.
When Traeth had finished his work, the object began to glow a deep red and silver, bathing his forge in light. Traeth felt a powerful force within the symbol, emnating out to him. Although he was initially scared, something compelled him to step forwards towards his creation. He extended his hand, took a deep breath, and touched his work.
Traeth stood in a great hall. It was vast and expansive, the architecture was fine, and it was beautifully adorned with masterful works of crafting. An axe here, a great helm there, and displayed most prominently, a massive throne. It was lit much like his creation, with silver and a deep red, and a splash of yellow now as well. At the end of this hall stood a vast throne, and upon that throne sat a giant dwarf. A hammer lay at his feet, a masterful helm lay upon his head, and he was looking straight at Traeth. Somehow, Traeth knew: this dwarf was a god.
He began to speak. "Hello, Clert Stonehammer--or shall I say, Traeth. I am Moradin, God of the Forge. I have been watching you throughout these years, and I must tell you--your work is quite amazing. Ever since your birth, you have stood out to me. Despite all the pain that you have suffered throughout your life, despite all the suffering you've undergone, your work still stands out as some of the finest in your land, yet is still underappreciated. That ends today, Traeth of the Forge. I offer you my protection, my power, in exchange for your loyalty and devotion. When you pick up your hammer, I pick up mine. This is my offer to you, Traeth."
And so ends the story of Traeth, though it is sure to be continued.
Heyy--given the physical description in the backstory, would it be okay to swap out the mountain dwarf subrace features for the hill dwarf features? Although I'm still a mountain dwarf, my physical traits are uncommon for my race.
Before I decide by reason for being in Baldur's Gate, could I please have some background information on the city?
Please sign here. And don't read the fine print.
History wise or how it is during the campaign?
Anything that would be common knowledge; so both of those.
Please sign here. And don't read the fine print.
Baldur’s Gate
Baldur’s Gate is a bustling center of trade, with goods coming from north and south by wagon along the Trade Way and by ship on the Sea of Swords, and from the east along the River Chionthar and from Cormyr and Sembia. Baldur’s Gate is situated on a prominent bluff next to the river, overlooking an excellent natural harbor. It is divided into three distinct segments: the Upper City where the richest and most influential citizens live and where the city’s marketplace (the Wide) is located; the Lower City, which surrounds the harbor and where most of the city’s merchants live and conduct their business; and the Outer City, which lies outside the walls and where most of the city’s laborers reside in conditions that vary from crowded but clean to squalid.
Baldur’s Gate Gazetteer
Even the most hardened adventurers watch their steps in Baldur’s Gate, where lives hold prices in copper and greed proves deadlier than dragon fire. Baldur’s Gate has a reputation for being a rough place, where crime and opportunity walk hand in hand, and where anything can be bought, sold, or seized at sword point. If something can be given a price, it’s for sale somewhere in Baldur’s Gate. Drugs and poisons sit on shelves alongside tinctures and remedies. Trade goods from Chult, mechanical wonders from Neverwinter, tomes of magic from Calimshan, and the most believable counterfeits of each can all be found in the city’s stalls.
The Flaming Fist, a mercenary company paid for by the city, protects residents without the barest hint of civil delicacy. The Watch, the guardian force of the wealthy Upper City, exists only to serve the patriars — the city’s detached upper class. Meanwhile, crime flourishes under the control of the Guild, which oversees almost every organized criminal act, from dockside gambling rings to blackmail at patriar garden parties. Either under the Guild’s auspices or in defiance of them, those who cut purses or throats make a decent living in the city, their talents traded as briskly — and often just as openly — as those of any other professional.
For all its shadows and dark dealings, Baldur’s Gate is not without its lights. Some residents earnestly seek to make the city a safer place by banding together to make their own sort of imperfect but effective justice.
History of Baldur’s Gate
Since its beginning as a quiet backwater community, Baldur’s Gate has undergone a dramatic transformation, becoming the hub of danger and adventure it is today.
Founding Baldur’s Gate
Centuries ago, the hero Balduran spent years questing in lands across the Sea of Swords and beyond. When finally he returned to his village of Gray Harbor, he brought fantastic wealth with him, much of which he gifted to friends and family. These boons greatly improved Gray Harbor’s fortunes, launching businesses, expanding its docks, and seeing the creation of a defensive wall around the town. In honor of their heroic patron, the citizens came to call one of their new wall’s passages Baldur’s Gate. Within a generation, though, the gate became synonymous with the community, and the settlement known as Baldur’s Gate began appearing on maps of the Sword Coast.
The city’s surprising growth attracted all manner of people. Peasants affected by raiding and war, farmers rendered penniless by famine and drought, pirates seeking a neutral port — all types saw a chance to put their mark on the rapidly growing community.
Order in Baldur’s Gate
As the city swelled, questions of law and taxation arose. The community’s eldest families — largely those wealthy enough to afford homes within the city walls — came to be known as patriars and grew wary of the influx of strangers settling beyond their walls. The creation of various additional taxes on trade and travel led to violence breaking out between the Upper City — behind the original walls of Gray Harbor — and the Lower City, built on the slopes leading down to the Chionthar River. Patriar houses were ransacked, family heirlooms were lost forever, and heirs were kidnapped, never to be seen again. Gold flowed like blood as families and guilds hired mercenaries to protect them. Only the election of a new group of rulers — known as the dukes and, collectively, as the Council of Four — put the matter to rest. These elected rulers have been a part of the city’s governance ever since.
Another pillar of order in Baldur’s Gate formed when the adventurer Eltan, a noted warrior raised in the area, returned home from exploits abroad. Seeing the chaos that had splintered his beloved city, Eltan united the city’s independent mercenary companies under a single banner, that of the Flaming Fist. Eltan used the mercenaries to quash what pockets of disorder he found, punishing lawbreakers for their crimes. Though plenty of theft, blackmail, and assassination continued behind closed doors, the founding of the Flaming Fist marked a new chapter in the city’s story.
That does cover most facts that people would know about the city, whether it be native born or from abroad. Basically a city ran by the wealthy, a semblance of a government with the council and parliament of peers, a mercenary army serves as standing military and law enforcement. Crime is ran by two factions, those of the Guild and those that aren't while the Dead Three is a thing nearly all baldurians fear. Religion wise, they allow anything as long as there's no violent practices against innocents or disrupt trade.
Is it alright to use any of the other backgrounds that come with a feat? I'm looking at the Rune Carver background since that seems to be the only option to get armor of Agathys without needing to pick up a Warlock level.
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Provide feedback!
@Mister_Whisker, you probably already know that the Eberron Races, "Mark of Warding" also will give you access to Armor of Agathys at 1st level.
Dwarf Subrace: Mark of Warding
If you’re a dwarf with the Mark of Warding, you have this subrace, with the following traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Warder’s Intuition. When you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check or an ability check using thieves’ tools, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Wards and Seals. You can cast the alarm and mage armor spells with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast the arcane lock spell with it. Once you cast any of these spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells, and you don’t need material components for them when you cast them with this trait.
Spells of the Mark. If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Warding Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Mark of Warding Spells
Yes... but that does limit the characters I could play to dwarves whereas anyone could be a Rune Carver.
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Provide feedback!
Both are fine; Background wise, the only ones that wouldn't work are Ravnica, Ebberon, Dragonlance, Strixhaven, and Witchlight, due to the setting being Faerun. Feel free to pitch feats with legacy/feat less backgrounds here and I'll try to respond if it will be okay or not. Race wise, besides homebrew, anything may apply as long as its flavored to fit Faerun, ie. Eberron's dragonmarked could be a case of a magical mishap, elemental blessing, or how ever you see fit. For hombrew races, you may pitch it here with a link.
And I shall add this, the party assembled shall be random. The applications shall be sorted into accepted or not, then randomly picked among the accepted lot. So while I am checking for backgrounds and races, I am not optimizing the party to have a balanced composition.
Looks fun, here we go:
Ability scores: 13 15 12 12 11 17
(I hope all of this is okay.)
Okay, this one is probably a stretch but I hope you will hear me out. Since I don't have access to the 2024 version anyway, would you consider the 2014 version of the Charlton background with the Magic Initiate feat (caster class of Bard)? The schtick is that the character makes ends meet between adventures as a street magician; using a combination of Sleight of Hand, Prestidigitation, Mending, and a Deck of Marked Cards that is one of the background starting equipment options to delight and amaze crowds (and keep them guessing what's real magic and what are just magic tricks).
It passes, you can.
Thank you!
Ability scores: 14 14 13 14 12 11
Traeth of the Forge--or, I suppose, Clert Stonehammer--as he was known back in the old days--was never... the strongest, or the most skilled mountain dwarf. He was born short, even for dwarven standards and was often mocked. His peers would call him a "gnome" or a "halfling"; even his parents were no help. They were worse than the rest of them; constantly cold and disappointed in him for what he could not control.
Clert Stonehammer always hated this treatment, hated his tormentors with his heart. He cried himself to sleep at night, and would have gone insane long ago if it weren't for the one thing that he truly enjoyed. The forge. Despite his puny size and the countless voices around him, he would always be forging something new. A sword, a set of full plate--anything one could possibly dream of, completely unbeknownst to his parents and peers around him.
Eventually, Clert had enough. He ran away. Even with the accompaniment of the forge, he simply couldn't bear the constant abuse he suffered. He even changed his name to Traeth, to formally sever his connection with his old clan. He lived a tough life, but it was infinitely better than he was used to. He borrowed another blacksmith's forge and used it to craft a wide variety of items, each with a special and unique touch and incredible quality. Eventually, he settled down in Baldur's Gate, scraping by a modest living with a sizeable amount of gold to spare.
Traeth's life continued in this fashion for quite a long time. He would receive a commission every now and then, and he would create some item or whatever was being requested, and reap the rewards. Simple, sustainable, and he loved his profession. One day, however, everything would change. Traeth received a strange commission from an anonymous client. The request was very specific, and required many precious metals. Needless to say, Traeth was intrigued. He threw himself into this work with vigor, and made progress at an astonishing speed, and astonishing precision.
When Traeth had finished his work, the object began to glow a deep red and silver, bathing his forge in light. Traeth felt a powerful force within the symbol, emnating out to him. Although he was initially scared, something compelled him to step forwards towards his creation. He extended his hand, took a deep breath, and touched his work.
Traeth stood in a great hall. It was vast and expansive, the architecture was fine, and it was beautifully adorned with masterful works of crafting. An axe here, a great helm there, and displayed most prominently, a massive throne. It was lit much like his creation, with silver and a deep red, and a splash of yellow now as well. At the end of this hall stood a vast throne, and upon that throne sat a giant dwarf. A hammer lay at his feet, a masterful helm lay upon his head, and he was looking straight at Traeth. Somehow, Traeth knew: this dwarf was a god.
He began to speak. "Hello, Clert Stonehammer--or shall I say, Traeth. I am Moradin, God of the Forge. I have been watching you throughout these years, and I must tell you--your work is quite amazing. Ever since your birth, you have stood out to me. Despite all the pain that you have suffered throughout your life, despite all the suffering you've undergone, your work still stands out as some of the finest in your land, yet is still underappreciated. That ends today, Traeth of the Forge. I offer you my protection, my power, in exchange for your loyalty and devotion. When you pick up your hammer, I pick up mine. This is my offer to you, Traeth."
And so ends the story of Traeth, though it is sure to be continued.
Please sign here. And don't read the fine print.
Heyy--given the physical description in the backstory, would it be okay to swap out the mountain dwarf subrace features for the hill dwarf features? Although I'm still a mountain dwarf, my physical traits are uncommon for my race.
As for feats, I'm not sure what I'll take yet.
Please sign here. And don't read the fine print.
That's fine, but the acolyte background already gives you the magic initiate(cleric) feat.
Nvm, I see the redundancy in it. Feel free to suggest the feat you wish to replace it with.