Hi there! After having no more than one player in my game engaged for quite a while, I'm looking to recruit a couple more players for my Play-by-Post game of Dungeons of Drakkenheim. This is a narrative focused game with an emphasis on character development and personal goals.
Since everyone started in other parts of the continent, they have only just reached Emberwood Village, so the adventure proper has only just begun and it is a ripe time for new characters just arriving to Emberwood Village to form a party!
However, this game WILL be moving entirely to Discord and will not be run on the forums any longer.
Please submit your character idea in this thread. Well thought out characters with backstories and clear personal goals for coming to Drakkenheim will be first considered! Also, I will prioritize characters that have specific ties to the setting, or players that would like to, even if they aren't that familiar with the setting yet. It's a WONDERFUL setting full of politics, intrigue, and conflict, and I think you will enjoy it as much as I do!
Four Quick Facts about the World of Drakkenheim
The setting of Drakkenheim diverges from the default assumptions of Fifth Edition in four key ways:
The gods are silent and distant. They don’t manifest physically nor speak with worshippers, and do not interfere in earthly matters. Planar cosmology is mysterious and unknowable, but sages have still developed many conflicting (and wildly incorrect) theories.
Divine spellcasting powers aren’t granted by gods. Instead, clerics, druids, and paladins tap into sacred energies through devotion, meditation, and resolve. Violating one’s religious tenets won’t result in a loss of this ability, but a crisis of faith might.
Individuals can’t become wizards through study alone. The arcane magic of both sorcerers and wizards alike is borne in the blood, which may be harnessed via practice and study. The laws of the land bar arcane spellcasters from holding noble titles.
High-level NPCs and spellcasters are exceptionally rare in the wider world. Despite their few numbers, such people still have a profound impact on society. However, Drakkenheim has attracted an uncommonly high concentration of such individuals.
We are using 2014 rules. Ability scores will be generated after you are selected. Otherwise, feel free to describe your race, class, and planned subclass in your character idea. Also, I am going to allow the classes from Lord of the Rings RP, since this is a low-magic setting! Races and subclasses from other specific settings are NOT allowed (ie, Warforged). The world of Drakkenheim is predominantly human, with many of the other races having different origins from the default Fifth Edition, so please keep this in mind. Whatever you would like to play, we'll work to fit it into the setting and the story.
We are using some gritter variant rules with some modifications, such as:
Vireil and her younger sister were kidnapped by slavers when she was nine years old. Due to their half-elven lineage, it was assumed they may hold some kind of magical potential, and could be thus sold to the Amethyst Academy for ransom. However, the two weren't mageborn, as was quickly determined, and the academy had no need for them, and so, they were treated like the rest of the 'normal' slaves.
Vireil was bought first, but no matter what she did, she couldn't convince the masters to buy her sister as well. And besides, a slave should not tell their masters what to do, she was punished hard for it. The two were separated, and that was the last time Vireil saw her sister.
When the meteorite struck Drakkenheim, the masters' house was destroyed, and with the chaos that ensued, Vireil found a chance to escape. Vireil did not live in Drakkenheim before, and had no way to return home on her own, as a mere 11 years old at the time. Surviving alone as a child was hard enough, even without the meteorite's lingering effects on the city. But as hard as it got, no matter how hungry and cold she was, Vireil didn't return to her last masters.
Years passed, Vireil grew up in the ruined streets of Drakkenheim and learned all sorts of things about surviving, about the world, about herself. What she couldn't learn much of, however, was her sister's whereabouts. She tried searching, but found little to no clues. Not about the slavers who took them, definitely not about her sister, who could be anywhere in the world as far as Vireil knew. She could be dead, too, but Vireil would immediately discard the thought whenever it popped into her mind.
Despite finding no clue about this certain group of criminals (are they? Is slavery legal in this world?), she found clues regarding others. Turning those criminals in to claim a bounty on their head, no matter how small, would provide her with much more than she managed to get by finding, stealing, or any other activity required to survive in this city. Even retreiving delerium for someone willing to pay. This would allow her to invest more time and effort into searching for her sister... or other criminals with bounties on their heads.
Vireil became a bounty hunter, of sorts, sometimes an assassin. To her it mattered little, the difference really was only whom made the request. She kept searching for her sister, but as time went on, she had begun to lose hope. If neither her sister nor the slavers were in Drakkenheim, she had no idea where else they might be. She couldn't search the whole world. And so, except for an occasional hunt in a nearby settlement, Vireil stayed in Drakkenheim, hoping to find some lead one day.
--
Vireil is a Half-Elf, either Ranger or Rogue (haven't decided yet). If Ranger, will probably be a Beast Master. If Rogue, will be one of Mastermind, Inquisitive or Scout. Her background could be either Survivor or Urban Bounty Hunter, though I lean more towards the former.
I see a few options for a Personal Quest, so I'd be happy to discuss it. Family Matter, Find a Cure and Score to Settle could all fit, in my opinion, depending on how the story unfolds. It could be a combination of them too. Without those titles, her main quest is to find her sister, if she's alive, and/or to take vengeance on the slavers who took them.
Story: When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose, or so they say. Xenovia von Wilberforce currently epitomized the saying, although that had not always been the case. He had had something, in fact quite a lot, a few years ago. However, his noble family put their faith in outsourcing the guards and paid the price. Xenovia had been out of the castle that day, chasing skirts as his father would dismissively say, but that pretty brunette ended up saving his life when the guards turned against his family until carpet changed from pearl white to strawberry red.
Xenovia escaped from the results with a few trinkets and the martial knowledge his father and tutors had instilled in him but with a shattered heart and an enfeebled mind that retained the horrifying sight of the carpet. It took him longer to run out of pride than it did to run out of trinkets but eventually both were gone. On that sad, rainy day, he vowed on his empty stomach but surprisingly clear mind to do not only whatever was necessary to survive but to honor the von Wilberforce family name. For on that same day, he recalled the origins of his name - the name originally came from a certain Wilbur whose family name was Force. Xenovia determined that he was to be the Force that upheld the name.
So now he reversed the saying - you have everything to gain when you ain't got nothing - and where better than to gain something than at Drakkenheim. Xenovia dropped the "von" from his name, finally realizing it was preposterous and dangerous to keep it. He took jobs that he previously had shunned and took food he previously had not stolen. Over time, he regained his physical health and then his martial abilities. He then set off for ruined land, if not with hope than with determination, hoping that the result would remove the carpet from his mind and allow him to restore the "von" to his name.
Background: Hermit, Survivor, or Treasure Seeker (the latter two from the Drakkenheim campaign background list) depending on which would most help the party (healing, food, or searching)
Race: Variant Human
Class: Forge Domain Cleric
Story: Born in Drakkenheim, Gern was taught the art of hammering by his parents. His father taught him to smith and his mother showed him how to smash skulls on the battlefield. Gern found joy in both, but was unsure which he wanted to make a career of. The disaster that forced his family to flee Drakkenheim made the choice for him, Gern took up work as a mercenary to make ends meet. Embittered and hungry, Gern focused more on the coin he could earn than his former love of blacksmithing.
Then one day Gern felt something from the makeshift forge he was working in. Whether it was from the god of blacksmiths and flame Gaibhne, his own fire of determination, or something else Gern found he'd been granted the powers of a Cleric. Although he's uncertain where his powers come from, Gern has faith that his new abilities will allow him to reclaim what he lost and make a fortune and his love of crafting had been rekindled.
For Personal Quest would it work if I pick the Lost Heirloom one but have it be Gern wanting to find a magic mace (reflavored as a hammer) that's in the Inner City?
Hello, I would be interested in joining if a spot is still open. I have been playing pbp for awhile now on discord. I briefly played Drakkenheim but not past level 1.
Name: Ravyn
Race: Aasimar
Class: Sorcerer/Paladin
Story: Ravyn is an agent of the Knights of the Silver Order, having been brought into their stronghold under mysterious circumstances as a child. Though seemingly aligned with the Order, Ravyn secretly harbors distain for the organization for a secret that they have hidden from her. Her playful and mischievous ways create conflicts within her faction, but her talents make her indispensable in navigating the arcane and getting information. She works with him with the intention of finding the full truth of where she came from and ultimately finding her place. She also has interest in obtaining a delirium fragment for its power and has some personal interest in the Followers of the Falling Fire.
I wouldn't mind either the Arcane Secrets or A Score to Settle personal quest as I think both fit with the character.
(Purposefully leaving most of her backstory vague as I like to develop things with the GM as I go.)
Story: Styria grew up in Drakkenheim as the only daughter of an apothecary. She would often help her father treat his clients and would wander outside the city to gather plants and herbs. As she grew older she discovered that she had minor arcane talents. Using her skills and magic she became an even greater healer than her father. Along the way she met her husband, a member of the city watch named Florian. On the day the stars fell, Styria was outside the city searching for more plants and herbs to mix into her poultices and elixirs. As she saw the destruction hit the city, she rushed back and ran into her father fleeing the city. Crying she asked him where Florian was and he said he didn't know but the city watch was sending everyone out of the city and that something horrible was happening inside. Styria tried to race into the city to find Florian but her father held her back and convinced her that Florian knew what he was doing and would make his way to the camp outside the city. There they waited for weeks until some of Florian's squad stumbled out of the city. They brought the tale of Florian saving their lives against horrors until he began to twist and become one himself. Broken, Styria let her father lead her to a new life in a new town. For the next 15 years, Styria threw herself into learning everything she could about what happened in Drakkenheim and about the powerful crystals being discovered and the monsters inside. The more she read the more she wonders, what if these crystals could let her reverse what had happened to Florian? What if he was still alive? What if he was still in there? What if she could save him? She grabbed her alchemy tools, and began to make her way back to the city that held her love.
Personal Goal: Find a Cure, Styria will do anything to save her husband.
Heiric was the son of a ruffian and a scoundrel in the city of Drakkenhiem and he was barely in his teens when the meteor hit. Scared and confused, Heiric and his father used the stronghold they had built under their home for hiding those trying to lay low for a while, with his father gettingbadly injuredin the meteors aftermath. He staied close to his old home, learning to find just enough to survive and how to escape the dangers. He had to venture further and further from home to find what be needed and his father never recovered from his injuries. One day some of his father's old aquatances stopped by looking for a little safety from the dangers growing within the city, knowing of the old bunker. Suprised to find the 2 still there, Heiric's father convinces Grogan Crabfoot, a halfling, to take Heiric with them out of the city. Grogan agrees as a payment to use the bunker. When they departed, Heiric never saw his father again, and being unable to get about, Heiric knew his father's fate. Grogan took Heiric in like an older brother, he didn't really watch over Heiric, more like looked out for him, pitying the kid, but also felt like he was a burden. Eventually making there way to Emberwood village, Grogan and crew started hanging out with the Queensmen, Heiric guessed they became members but Heiric never did. Grogan would take him on a errand here and there but was mostly left to his own devices. Heiric spent alot of time back in the haze and wondering about, keeping his distance from the monsters that now dwell in its mist, fending some off that couldn't be avoided. But this haze in the city was starting to take its toll on his body, he could feel the changes happening to him. His eyes started turning a purple hue, he started being able to do things with his mind that men like shouldn't be able to do. He started to develop this mental ability and turn it into physical form, creating shard like daggers in his hands for a blink of an eye, even able to producea protective glowing shards around him like armor. Eager to spend more time delving into the city limits, which seemed to call to him, he was offering his services to those who seeked adventure in Drakkenhiem. Treasure hunters, glory seekers, fools alike, Heiric was one to take a deal to get back to his stomping grounds, they didn't always make it back but he made sure he would. As the different factions get stronger a stronger presence in the city and the dangers grew, Heiric found he needs assistance to get around as time goes on . He wishes to get those in the haze out of 'his' stomping grounds and destroy the monsters contained within as to claim it for himself.
Personal Goal: To make the city safer of monstrous dangers and learn of ways to survive in the haze, hoping to become immune to it, so he can make the haze his own.
I will be closing applications tomorrow (after leaving the post up for one week). Then selections will be made and I will send out messages! Thank you to everyone who applied!
Hi there! After having no more than one player in my game engaged for quite a while, I'm looking to recruit a couple more players for my Play-by-Post game of Dungeons of Drakkenheim. This is a narrative focused game with an emphasis on character development and personal goals.
The game thread so far is here if you'd like to look at how it's been run and what has happened so far:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/play-by-post/202572-drakkenheim-dark-was-the-night
Since everyone started in other parts of the continent, they have only just reached Emberwood Village, so the adventure proper has only just begun and it is a ripe time for new characters just arriving to Emberwood Village to form a party!
However, this game WILL be moving entirely to Discord and will not be run on the forums any longer.
Please submit your character idea in this thread. Well thought out characters with backstories and clear personal goals for coming to Drakkenheim will be first considered! Also, I will prioritize characters that have specific ties to the setting, or players that would like to, even if they aren't that familiar with the setting yet. It's a WONDERFUL setting full of politics, intrigue, and conflict, and I think you will enjoy it as much as I do!
Four Quick Facts about the World of Drakkenheim
The setting of Drakkenheim diverges from the default assumptions of Fifth Edition in four key ways:
We are using 2014 rules. Ability scores will be generated after you are selected. Otherwise, feel free to describe your race, class, and planned subclass in your character idea. Also, I am going to allow the classes from Lord of the Rings RP, since this is a low-magic setting! Races and subclasses from other specific settings are NOT allowed (ie, Warforged). The world of Drakkenheim is predominantly human, with many of the other races having different origins from the default Fifth Edition, so please keep this in mind. Whatever you would like to play, we'll work to fit it into the setting and the story.
We are using some gritter variant rules with some modifications, such as:
Resources for creating characters in Drakkenheim
Video Guide to Creating Characters in Drakkenheim:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc3ToyjcClo
Introduction to Drakkenheim: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/dodr/introduction-to-drakkenheim
The World of Drakkenheim: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/dodr/the-world-of-drakkenheim
Contamination Rules: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/dodr/contamination
Character Backgrounds: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/dodr/character-backgrounds
Hello there!
Character in the spoiler:
Vireil and her younger sister were kidnapped by slavers when she was nine years old. Due to their half-elven lineage, it was assumed they may hold some kind of magical potential, and could be thus sold to the Amethyst Academy for ransom. However, the two weren't mageborn, as was quickly determined, and the academy had no need for them, and so, they were treated like the rest of the 'normal' slaves.
Vireil was bought first, but no matter what she did, she couldn't convince the masters to buy her sister as well. And besides, a slave should not tell their masters what to do, she was punished hard for it. The two were separated, and that was the last time Vireil saw her sister.
When the meteorite struck Drakkenheim, the masters' house was destroyed, and with the chaos that ensued, Vireil found a chance to escape. Vireil did not live in Drakkenheim before, and had no way to return home on her own, as a mere 11 years old at the time. Surviving alone as a child was hard enough, even without the meteorite's lingering effects on the city. But as hard as it got, no matter how hungry and cold she was, Vireil didn't return to her last masters.
Years passed, Vireil grew up in the ruined streets of Drakkenheim and learned all sorts of things about surviving, about the world, about herself. What she couldn't learn much of, however, was her sister's whereabouts. She tried searching, but found little to no clues. Not about the slavers who took them, definitely not about her sister, who could be anywhere in the world as far as Vireil knew. She could be dead, too, but Vireil would immediately discard the thought whenever it popped into her mind.
Despite finding no clue about this certain group of criminals (are they? Is slavery legal in this world?), she found clues regarding others. Turning those criminals in to claim a bounty on their head, no matter how small, would provide her with much more than she managed to get by finding, stealing, or any other activity required to survive in this city. Even retreiving delerium for someone willing to pay. This would allow her to invest more time and effort into searching for her sister... or other criminals with bounties on their heads.
Vireil became a bounty hunter, of sorts, sometimes an assassin. To her it mattered little, the difference really was only whom made the request. She kept searching for her sister, but as time went on, she had begun to lose hope. If neither her sister nor the slavers were in Drakkenheim, she had no idea where else they might be. She couldn't search the whole world. And so, except for an occasional hunt in a nearby settlement, Vireil stayed in Drakkenheim, hoping to find some lead one day.
--
Vireil is a Half-Elf, either Ranger or Rogue (haven't decided yet). If Ranger, will probably be a Beast Master. If Rogue, will be one of Mastermind, Inquisitive or Scout. Her background could be either Survivor or Urban Bounty Hunter, though I lean more towards the former.
I see a few options for a Personal Quest, so I'd be happy to discuss it. Family Matter, Find a Cure and Score to Settle could all fit, in my opinion, depending on how the story unfolds. It could be a combination of them too. Without those titles, her main quest is to find her sister, if she's alive, and/or to take vengeance on the slavers who took them.
Varielky
Name: Xenovia von Wilberforce
Background: Variant Last of Line noble
Race: Human
Class: Likely Fighter
Story: When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose, or so they say. Xenovia von Wilberforce currently epitomized the saying, although that had not always been the case. He had had something, in fact quite a lot, a few years ago. However, his noble family put their faith in outsourcing the guards and paid the price. Xenovia had been out of the castle that day, chasing skirts as his father would dismissively say, but that pretty brunette ended up saving his life when the guards turned against his family until carpet changed from pearl white to strawberry red.
Xenovia escaped from the results with a few trinkets and the martial knowledge his father and tutors had instilled in him but with a shattered heart and an enfeebled mind that retained the horrifying sight of the carpet. It took him longer to run out of pride than it did to run out of trinkets but eventually both were gone. On that sad, rainy day, he vowed on his empty stomach but surprisingly clear mind to do not only whatever was necessary to survive but to honor the von Wilberforce family name. For on that same day, he recalled the origins of his name - the name originally came from a certain Wilbur whose family name was Force. Xenovia determined that he was to be the Force that upheld the name.
So now he reversed the saying - you have everything to gain when you ain't got nothing - and where better than to gain something than at Drakkenheim. Xenovia dropped the "von" from his name, finally realizing it was preposterous and dangerous to keep it. He took jobs that he previously had shunned and took food he previously had not stolen. Over time, he regained his physical health and then his martial abilities. He then set off for ruined land, if not with hope than with determination, hoping that the result would remove the carpet from his mind and allow him to restore the "von" to his name.
Name: Gern Olto
Background: Hermit, Survivor, or Treasure Seeker (the latter two from the Drakkenheim campaign background list) depending on which would most help the party (healing, food, or searching)
Race: Variant Human
Class: Forge Domain Cleric
Story: Born in Drakkenheim, Gern was taught the art of hammering by his parents. His father taught him to smith and his mother showed him how to smash skulls on the battlefield. Gern found joy in both, but was unsure which he wanted to make a career of. The disaster that forced his family to flee Drakkenheim made the choice for him, Gern took up work as a mercenary to make ends meet. Embittered and hungry, Gern focused more on the coin he could earn than his former love of blacksmithing.
Then one day Gern felt something from the makeshift forge he was working in. Whether it was from the god of blacksmiths and flame Gaibhne, his own fire of determination, or something else Gern found he'd been granted the powers of a Cleric. Although he's uncertain where his powers come from, Gern has faith that his new abilities will allow him to reclaim what he lost and make a fortune and his love of crafting had been rekindled.
For Personal Quest would it work if I pick the Lost Heirloom one but have it be Gern wanting to find a magic mace (reflavored as a hammer) that's in the Inner City?
Hello, I would be interested in joining if a spot is still open. I have been playing pbp for awhile now on discord. I briefly played Drakkenheim but not past level 1.
Name: Ravyn
Race: Aasimar
Class: Sorcerer/Paladin
Story: Ravyn is an agent of the Knights of the Silver Order, having been brought into their stronghold under mysterious circumstances as a child. Though seemingly aligned with the Order, Ravyn secretly harbors distain for the organization for a secret that they have hidden from her. Her playful and mischievous ways create conflicts within her faction, but her talents make her indispensable in navigating the arcane and getting information. She works with him with the intention of finding the full truth of where she came from and ultimately finding her place. She also has interest in obtaining a delirium fragment for its power and has some personal interest in the Followers of the Falling Fire.
I wouldn't mind either the Arcane Secrets or A Score to Settle personal quest as I think both fit with the character.
(Purposefully leaving most of her backstory vague as I like to develop things with the GM as I go.)
Name: Styria Taruna
Background: Sage
Race: Firbolg
Class: Artificer
Story: Styria grew up in Drakkenheim as the only daughter of an apothecary. She would often help her father treat his clients and would wander outside the city to gather plants and herbs. As she grew older she discovered that she had minor arcane talents. Using her skills and magic she became an even greater healer than her father. Along the way she met her husband, a member of the city watch named Florian. On the day the stars fell, Styria was outside the city searching for more plants and herbs to mix into her poultices and elixirs. As she saw the destruction hit the city, she rushed back and ran into her father fleeing the city. Crying she asked him where Florian was and he said he didn't know but the city watch was sending everyone out of the city and that something horrible was happening inside. Styria tried to race into the city to find Florian but her father held her back and convinced her that Florian knew what he was doing and would make his way to the camp outside the city. There they waited for weeks until some of Florian's squad stumbled out of the city. They brought the tale of Florian saving their lives against horrors until he began to twist and become one himself. Broken, Styria let her father lead her to a new life in a new town. For the next 15 years, Styria threw herself into learning everything she could about what happened in Drakkenheim and about the powerful crystals being discovered and the monsters inside. The more she read the more she wonders, what if these crystals could let her reverse what had happened to Florian? What if he was still alive? What if he was still in there? What if she could save him? She grabbed her alchemy tools, and began to make her way back to the city that held her love.
Personal Goal: Find a Cure, Styria will do anything to save her husband.
Name: Heiric Sandoral
Background: Survivor
Class: Rouge (Soulknife)
Race: Human
Heiric was the son of a ruffian and a scoundrel in the city of Drakkenhiem and he was barely in his teens when the meteor hit. Scared and confused, Heiric and his father used the stronghold they had built under their home for hiding those trying to lay low for a while, with his father gettingbadly injuredin the meteors aftermath. He staied close to his old home, learning to find just enough to survive and how to escape the dangers. He had to venture further and further from home to find what be needed and his father never recovered from his injuries. One day some of his father's old aquatances stopped by looking for a little safety from the dangers growing within the city, knowing of the old bunker. Suprised to find the 2 still there, Heiric's father convinces Grogan Crabfoot, a halfling, to take Heiric with them out of the city. Grogan agrees as a payment to use the bunker. When they departed, Heiric never saw his father again, and being unable to get about, Heiric knew his father's fate. Grogan took Heiric in like an older brother, he didn't really watch over Heiric, more like looked out for him, pitying the kid, but also felt like he was a burden. Eventually making there way to Emberwood village, Grogan and crew started hanging out with the Queensmen, Heiric guessed they became members but Heiric never did. Grogan would take him on a errand here and there but was mostly left to his own devices. Heiric spent alot of time back in the haze and wondering about, keeping his distance from the monsters that now dwell in its mist, fending some off that couldn't be avoided. But this haze in the city was starting to take its toll on his body, he could feel the changes happening to him. His eyes started turning a purple hue, he started being able to do things with his mind that men like shouldn't be able to do. He started to develop this mental ability and turn it into physical form, creating shard like daggers in his hands for a blink of an eye, even able to producea protective glowing shards around him like armor. Eager to spend more time delving into the city limits, which seemed to call to him, he was offering his services to those who seeked adventure in Drakkenhiem. Treasure hunters, glory seekers, fools alike, Heiric was one to take a deal to get back to his stomping grounds, they didn't always make it back but he made sure he would. As the different factions get stronger a stronger presence in the city and the dangers grew, Heiric found he needs assistance to get around as time goes on . He wishes to get those in the haze out of 'his' stomping grounds and destroy the monsters contained within as to claim it for himself.
Personal Goal: To make the city safer of monstrous dangers and learn of ways to survive in the haze, hoping to become immune to it, so he can make the haze his own.
Edited: cleaned up a bit
I will be closing applications tomorrow (after leaving the post up for one week). Then selections will be made and I will send out messages! Thank you to everyone who applied!
My understanding is it's still open but not sure for home much longer. I would say throw your idea in!
Yes, go ahead! I will post in this thread when I actually close it.
No, they aren't on DndBeyond unfortunately. I'll leave this open until tomorrow.
Thank you to everyone who applied! I'm closing applications now, and I'll be going over them and will send messages to those we select!