Hi everyone, I want to try something new. I'd like to try running a PBP campaign using only the new 2024 ruleset and character creation options. To make it easier on myself we'll only be using 2024 stuff so that means no legacy content including subclasses and spells. As for the campaign, I'd like to combine Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak. If all goes well, we could eventually do the follow-up adventures to Dragon of Icespire Peak (Storm Lord's Wrath, Sleeping Dragon's Wake and Divine Contention). For this campaign, I will be choosing 5 characters. If you are not selected, your application will still be considered as a backup in case of player dropouts. Now let's get to the character creation info! Also, I hope to choose characters by Sunday night and start the game either on Monday or Tuesday.
Character Creation Rules
Sources: PHB 2024 only
Starting Level: 1
Equipment: Starting equipment or roll for gold; can sell equipment back for half cost. Can choose a free Trinket.
Leveling: Milestone
Carrying Capacity: Yes but ignore coin weight
Hit Points: Roll or take the average if your roll is less than the average
Stats: 27 point buy or roll for stats. Drop the lowest and re-roll 1's once.
Campaign Info
Mash up of The Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak.
All characters will have met at least once prior to the beginning of the adventure. You've all been hired as caravan guards by Gundren Rockseeker in the city of Neverwinter.
Characters will advance to level 5 during the adventure with possibility of advancing to level 13 by the end of the follow-up trilogy.
I will be following the rules as written for the most part. There may be some minor tweaks or house rules that allow the game to run more smoothly in a PBP format such as chunking initiative in combat.
Application Form
Character Name:
Species:
Age:
Class:
Background:
Alignment:
Character Sheet: Please share your character's sheet.
Appearance: You can include a photo or describe your character's appearance here.
Personality: A paragraph is fine. Tell us how your character behaves.
Story: Please give a short 1-2 paragraph history of your character prior to the start of the adventure.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job?: Are they in it for the money? The experience? Do they want to go to Phandalin for some reason? Are they friends with Gundren, etc.?
Character Name: Cyrus Malegaunt Species: Human Age: 24 Class: Warlock Background: Merchant Alignment: Lawful Neutral Character Sheet: Cyrus Malegaunt's Character Sheet Appearance:
Personality: Stern and mirthless. Will often come off as aloof but can be quite persuasive when doing business. Has a strong sense of justice and loyalty with those who have earned it. Story: Cyrus was born to a lesser merchant operating in the Moonsea area under the Black Network. Often travelling, young Cyrus became very close to his younger sister Cyrilia. One fateful night Harper agents struck and killed his father with fiery magic, catching the siblings in the magical blast. In desperation to save his sister Cyrus struck a fateful pact with a fiend, and in exchange for saving his sister's life Cyrus would gather a fortune of gold for his new master or his sister's soul would be forfeit. Using his last gold to get his still weak sister into a secluded hospice near the Moonsea, Cyrus has now journeyed west to continue the work of his father, hoping to find the gold needed in any way necessary, whether it would be as a black network merchant or by adventuring into the wilds. Why did your character accept the caravan guard job?: Cyrus needs both gold and contacts to build a business of his own.
Hmm...I've had a similar experience to Monsterball, though I have no experience with DoISP. Sounds fun though, and since it seems characters are going to be pretty in depth, that should counterbalance the fact most of us have played through that first encounter at least once. I'm in!
Ability scores: 131015151715
Knowing my luck, these scores are about to suck. But point buy is boring, so here I go!
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Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master, a young genderfluid actor, writer, explorer, and bass vocalist. Pronouns They/Them/Theirs
My Characters: Brorminthe Devout Crusher; Morgrom the Cunning Summoner;Theathe Rebellious Beauty;
Personality: Whimsical, Pippin Took with a splash Seth McFarland
Story: Mo grew up in the church of Oghma, being groomed into be a priest, but latching on to the stories of Oghma traveling the realms as troubadour and wrestler. Mo decided to set off on her own and emulate her idol instead of following the church's practice.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job?: happened to be in the right place at the right time and likes to be helpful
Appearance: stout with broad shoulders, thick-boned, skin is the color of dark clay, has a heavy brow, grey eyes, deep auburn hair, long thick beard hand wrapped in blood-stained cloth, with faint black veins creeping out of his forearms
Personality: Quietly resolute: Reidh is a man of few words and deep convictions. He doesn’t speak unless there is something worth saying, and when he does, his voice is steady and deliberate—like stone worn smooth by time. He listens more than he speaks, often absorbing the emotions and burdens of others without asking for anything in return.
Though grief weighs heavily on him, Reidh is not bitter. He is compassionate in action not in speech. He will lift a wounded stranger without hesitation, sit beside the dying with silent dignity, and carry another’s burden on his back without complaint. But don’t expect warmth or smiles—his kindness is stoic, almost grave.
Reidh doesn’t believe in forgiveness for himself. The loss of Tharn has etched guilt deep into his soul. His faith in Ilmater is not a source of comfort, but a call to endure—a commandment to suffer so that others don’t have to. He holds tightly to this duty, even when it brings him pain.
He avoids joy, fearing it would betray the memory of his brother. He declines celebration, keeps his distance from companionship, and never allows himself to grow too close. But despite this, he cares deeply —and those who break through his stone-hard exterior may find a fiercely protective and loyal friend underneath.
He fears failure above all else. Every time he hesitates, every time he falters, he hears Tharn’s laugh—and remembers the moment it fell silent.
Story: I was born in a quiet mountain village, where life was as steady and strong as the stone that cradled us. My father was a skilled mason, my mother a healer, and my younger brother, Tharn, was my shadow. He was small and sickly, but he had a heart twice the size of his little frame. He followed me everywhere, always laughing, always asking questions. “One day, I’ll be big and strong like you!” he used to say. When the plague came, all of that joy was stripped away. We called it það læðist—It Creeps. It turned the skin black, boiled the blood, and moved slowly from the fingertips to the heart. No one was spared. My mother died first, then my father. I watched helplessly as it took our friends and neighbors, one by one. Only Tharn and I remained. But I wasn’t spared—I contracted the plague too. I watched in horror as my hands blackened to the wrists, but the disease stopped there. I was desperate to save myself and Tharn. I carried him with me as I sought help from healers, scholars, and alchemists. They tore at my hands, ran their tests, and made their notes. Each time they failed. And still, I hoped the next would be different. I was so focused on finding a cure for myself that I ignored the signs in Tharn. He trembled when I touched him, hid his blackening fingers in his pockets, and swore he was fine. “It’s nothing,” he’d say with a smile. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. He died in my arms—a boy too young to understand why I couldn’t save him. I buried him myself, with these cursed hands wrapped in bloodied cloth. I wept and prayed to gods I didn’t believe in, begging for forgiveness, for meaning. That’s when I first heard Ilmater’s voice. He didn’t promise to forgive me. He didn’t offer to cure me. Instead, He gave me a purpose: Endure the suffering. Protect others from your mistakes. Bear the burdens they cannot. Since that day, I have wandered the land, healing where I can, protecting those in need. I refuse to touch another with my flesh, keeping my hands bound in thick cloth. Through Ilmater’s grace, I’ve saved lives—but never enough to drown out the guilt. Tharn’s laughter still echoes in my dreams, and every life I save is a prayer to him, asking for his forgiveness. I now seek to understand það læðist, to uncover its origin and, perhaps, find a way to stop it from ever spreading again. I will endure, as Ilmater demands, but my curse will not define me. If I can stop this plague, maybe… just maybe, I can be more than the brother who failed him
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job?: heard a rumor about someone who might be infected with the plague and is on thier way to talk to them and possibly get answers and a potential cure.
Appearance: Liu Yang is a wandering monk with a weathered, eccentric look. He has a long, matted hair, tangled and unkempt, cascading in wild locks around his face and shoulders. The hair appears almost dreadlocked in places, clumped from years of neglect and exposure to the elements. It gives him the air of a hermit sage. He wears layered, tattered robes in earthy tones—browns, grays, and faded greens. Suggesting a life on the road. He carries a gourd of rice wine slung over his shoulder, and sometimes uses as a weapon or distraction.
Personality: Always with a smile on his face, he is a kind person that tries to help others with his meager means. Even though he doesn't have much on himself, he still tries to give to the poor.
Story: Liu Yang hails from the distant eastern kingdom of Kara-Tur. He has been sailing the seas, and traveling the world searching for the mythical Jingu Bang, the fabled golden staff used by the legendary Sun Wukong. A couple of years ago he end up in the shores of Neverwinter, the Jewel of the North. A very strange, yet exciting place. He took odd jobs here and there by the docks. He learned the language of this new place, but all the while he kept looking for information regarding the staff.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job? He dreamed one night that Sun Wukong himself told him that by joining the caravan sponsored by a dwarf would lead him closer to finding what he has been looking for his whole life.
Kazri - Level 10 Human Paladin (Oath of the Ancients) - The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks Droknin Palemane - Level 4 Leonin Barbarian (Path of the Beast) - Where the Cold Winds Blow... A Lost Mines of Phandelver Story Faelan (Cottontail) Whisperwind - Level 3 Ranger (Fey Wanderer) - Zorg's Lost Souls II
"Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life."
Appearance: Towering and broad shouldered, Throg carries a spear and wears a roughspun travelers clothes over his massive frame. His tusks are chipped, and a crooked scar pulls at one corner of his mouth. His hair is shaved at the sides but tied into a topknot at the back, a style favored by the street fighters and thugs of Neverwinter's Dock Ward.
Personality: Quiet, stoic, and precise in both speech and movement. Throg doesn’t waste words ... or punches. When he speaks, it's usually to ask a question others may have overlooked. He has a habit of cracking his knuckles slowly while thinking. Violence comes easily to him, which is exactly why he tries not to use it.
Story: Throg grew up in the alleys near the warehouse docks of Neverwinter, and became an enforcer for a local gang, the Shattered Chain. He collected debts, broke bones, and worse. Then came the Smelter's Row massacre—a job meant to intimidate a rival crew that turned into a bloodbath. Far too many casualties for the authorities to overlook. The Watch needed a scapegoat, the Chains only too happily fed his name to the watch commander and disavowed him, and his face went up on every bounty board south of Blacklake.
The merchant, Gundren Rockseeker was in town and found Throg before the town guard did, half-dead and too proud to beg for help. The dwarf saw past their peoples' ages-long enmity and offered him food and a place to hide for a few nights. Throg never forgot that act.
Why did Throg accept the caravan guard job?: Because it’s time to repay that kindness. Because Gundren didn’t ask what Throg had done — just what he was going to do next. Also, Phandalin is far from Neverwinter, where the name "Stonefist" might not merit an appointment with the hangman's noose.
Throg is not quite sure who he's going to be yet, but it won't be the man who left those bodies behind.
This monk didn’t find enlightenment in a temple. Rather, Throg is clawing toward it one step at a time, trying to learn discipline and control in a world that taught him to smash first.
Appearance: He looks like Washford from Date Everything! Here
Personality:
As a Neverember, Magnus has had a noble upbringing, so he knows his way around a conversation, whether it’s convincing a fellow to join him in his efforts or demoralizing those who would stand against him. Overall, he’s an agreeable fellow full of old stories about his experiences as a mercenary, though he seems somewhat secretive about the details of his past. When faced with a problem, he prefers taking it head on rather than puzzling over more complex ways around it. He is a servant of the god Helm and swears by both him and the Triad. While a skilled and almost vicious fighter, he is also dedicated to the defense and well-being of his allies. He is torn between his duty to Neverwinter and his faith to the gods of the Order of the Gauntlet. Above all, Magnus will never leave a comrade behind.
Story:
Magnus is a cousin of Dagult Neverember, former Open Lord of Waterdeep and current Lord Protector of Neverwinter. While Dagult was running Waterdeep and seizing power in Neverwinter, Magnus was a rebellious young man who did not care much for his noble lifestyle as he grew older. He fell in with a crowd of mercenaries and ran off with them, acting little better than bandits while working for their various patrons. Over many years, Magnus rose through the ranks as a skilled swordsman and soon came to command his own squad that was hired out by various frontier towns for protection, though Magnus would frequently extort the populace through ‘renegotiations’ and ‘requisitions.’ Through his actions, he was something of a black sheep to his fellows in House Neverember.
It all changed when a caravan Magnus had stopped for ‘requisitions’ came under attack by a roving pack of gnolls. He had never faced the beasts before, and Magnus’ usual tactics were not holding up against them. All of his squad and many of the caravaneers were killed before the timely intervention of a cleric of Helm saved Magnus’ life. From then on, he was a changed man. He left his mercenary company behind and traveled to Neverwinter, where he trained with the members of the Order of the Gauntlet to become a paladin of Helm. He then reported to his cousin, Dagult Neverember, and swore fealty to him in an attempt to regain the favor of the leader of his house. Now, Dagult uses his cousin Magnus as a personal representative in important matters. He has served in this role for many years.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job?: Lord Dagult Neverember has invested a good deal of money to the Rockseekers and wants to see Phandalin and other Frontier towns brought into Neverwinter’s purview. As such, he has sent Magnus as a personal representative to oversee the Rockseeker’s efforts and spread Neverwinter’s influence in the Frontier.
Appearance: Jared is a semi-short elf with Pale blond hair, and an average looking face. He hunches over a bit, has a creepy feeling to him, and despite being dressed in armor and adventuring gear 24/10, looks like a hobo. Occasionally he will have the proportions and looks of a supermodel, but that is only due to the lighting.
Personality: Jared is severely antisocial, but isn't rude. He is fine letting others make decisions, putting in a sentence about a completely irrelevant topic. Those who know him describe him as strange, and he isn't above living in the wilderness. He isn't the type to abandon his comrades in time of need, but whether it be affection, loyalty, or him being too stupid to run, is up for debate.
Story: Jared was born in some long off woodland village, and has been wandering the world (Homeless) For centuries, leaving very few, if not none, to know his origins. He frequently took up jobs that required minimal skill, and has been living off of the wilderness and occasional hut. Rather than one traumatic event which drives most adventurers, majority of his life was just kind of bad. He developed a sense of the wilderness and the keenness of a hunter, but not by choice, because he didn't want to starve to death.
Jared throughout his life went through multiple different phases, joining different religious groups, political parties, etc.. It didn't matter if they were good or evil, or what kind of ideologies they had, he just stuck by the one that fed him. Unfortunately for him, all of these were ran by humans, and went dysfunctional in around 40 years. He gained a lot of debt due to trying to find some sort of meaning in life, eventually accepting a state of apathy for a while. Eventually he heard of Gundran's offer, and decided to join.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job? Jared needs money desperately to pay off his debts and afford livable housing.
Rumors swirl of a mysterious newcomer—a striking woman with fiery hair and haunted eyes who arrived under cover of darkness. Olgha Rubyhair keeps to the edges of the frontier town, avoiding crowds and shunning daylight, yet whispers follow her wherever she goes: a Barovian exile, some say, or perhaps something worse. Locals speak of how she’s sought the help of Sildar Hallwinter and the Stonehill Inn’s proprietor, claiming to be on the run from a dark and powerful pursuer.
In truth, Olgha bears a terrible secret. Fleeing the ashes of her past, she is hunted by Leopold Sengor, a cunning vampire lord who once seduced and nearly transformed her into one of his thralls. Her blood carries a lingering curse—she struggles with unnatural cravings and dreams of shadows, and sometimes wakes to find strange wounds on her arms or mud on her boots. Olgha knows Leopold will not rest until he finds her, and the trail of disappearances and drained corpses inching closer to Phandalin means he is drawing near.
Desperate, Olgha seeks allies. She warns the party of a growing evil stalking the countryside—one that preys on the weak and manipulates the hearts of the lonely. If the adventurers agree to help protect Olgha and investigate the strange happenings around Phandalin, they may soon find themselves caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, pitting their wits and courage against a vengeful vampire lord whose obsession with his lost “ember” threatens to set all of Phandalin aflame.
Since I'm new to PBP, as well as these forums, and I'm going to have spotty internet for a couple of weeks coming up, I'm OK if I end up in the backup/waitlist group. I'm also being boring and using Point Buy. But here is mine:
Appearance: He is 6'1", about 185 pounds. He has hazel eyes and thick, wavy brown hair that falls just past his ears. He has a faint scar along his left forearm from a scythe accident when he was younger.
Personality: Hard working, but empathetic and curious. Not naive, but not exactly street smart, either.
Story: Rowan was raised in Briar Glen, a quiet village between the Long Road and the Dessarin River where the rhythm of life followed the seasons and the land’s gentle demands. From an early age, he worked alongside his family, tending crops and caring for livestock. His grandmother, a respected herbalist in the village, introduced him to the old ways—teaching him how to listen to the wind, read the signs in the soil, and respect the delicate balance of nature. Rowan’s affinity for the natural world grew with each passing year, and he often found solace wandering the nearby woods and meadows, learning from the patterns of animals and the subtle changes in the environment.
He felt a gentle pull toward the mysteries of the natural world, but his focus remained on protecting the land and the people who depended on it. When a traveling druid visited Briar Glen, Rowan was inspired by the stranger’s wisdom and began to explore his own budding druidic abilities, practicing in secret and seeking to heal and nurture the world around him.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job?: Are they in it for the money? The experience? Do they want to go to Phandalin for some reason? Are they friends with Gundren, etc.? When Gundren Rockseeker’s offer reached Rowan, he saw it as an unexpected opportunity. The farm had survived a difficult season, and with his family secure for the time being, Rowan felt the pull of the wider world. He was eager to learn more about the mysteries of the land and sky, and believed that travel might reveal new insights. Protecting a caravan seemed an honorable way to help others while experiencing life beyond his village. Rowan reasoned that, as a druid, he could safeguard both people and nature along the road — and perhaps he might find new wisdom beneath unfamiliar stars.
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Hi everyone, I want to try something new. I'd like to try running a PBP campaign using only the new 2024 ruleset and character creation options. To make it easier on myself we'll only be using 2024 stuff so that means no legacy content including subclasses and spells. As for the campaign, I'd like to combine Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak. If all goes well, we could eventually do the follow-up adventures to Dragon of Icespire Peak (Storm Lord's Wrath, Sleeping Dragon's Wake and Divine Contention). For this campaign, I will be choosing 5 characters. If you are not selected, your application will still be considered as a backup in case of player dropouts. Now let's get to the character creation info! Also, I hope to choose characters by Sunday night and start the game either on Monday or Tuesday.
Character Creation Rules
Campaign Info
Application Form
Character Name:
Species:
Age:
Class:
Background:
Alignment:
Character Sheet: Please share your character's sheet.
Appearance: You can include a photo or describe your character's appearance here.
Personality: A paragraph is fine. Tell us how your character behaves.
Story: Please give a short 1-2 paragraph history of your character prior to the start of the adventure.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job?: Are they in it for the money? The experience? Do they want to go to Phandalin for some reason? Are they friends with Gundren, etc.?
Application Deadline: Sunday, July 13th
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Equipment question: for the 2024 rules there is an option to have starting gold not equipment. Are you okay with people using that option?
Ability scores: 11 13 13 18 14 14 7
That's fine with me. I'll update the main post.
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Ability scores: 16 14 11 16 13 16
Character Name: Cyrus Malegaunt
Species: Human
Age: 24
Class: Warlock
Background: Merchant
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Character Sheet: Cyrus Malegaunt's Character Sheet
Appearance:
Personality: Stern and mirthless. Will often come off as aloof but can be quite persuasive when doing business. Has a strong sense of justice and loyalty with those who have earned it.
Story: Cyrus was born to a lesser merchant operating in the Moonsea area under the Black Network. Often travelling, young Cyrus became very close to his younger sister Cyrilia. One fateful night Harper agents struck and killed his father with fiery magic, catching the siblings in the magical blast. In desperation to save his sister Cyrus struck a fateful pact with a fiend, and in exchange for saving his sister's life Cyrus would gather a fortune of gold for his new master or his sister's soul would be forfeit. Using his last gold to get his still weak sister into a secluded hospice near the Moonsea, Cyrus has now journeyed west to continue the work of his father, hoping to find the gold needed in any way necessary, whether it would be as a black network merchant or by adventuring into the wilds.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job?: Cyrus needs both gold and contacts to build a business of his own.
Ability scores: 16 17 11 10 14 12
Ooh, this looks exciting. I've never got far into LMOP without the campaign dying out, so I'd definitely be interested!
Fingers crossed... Ability scores: 14 12 16 12 12 9
Sounds like a cool mash-up!
Ability scores: Ability scores: 16 10 14 8 17 12
I do both party and individual character commissions. PM me for info.
Corti- Warforged bard of lore (Union!); Jean CamGaret - Half-elven draconic sorcerer (Acjots' Rise of Tiamat); Chretien deMarie - High-elven Cleric of Lliira (Owlbear's Phandalin Adventures)
Ability scores: 16 13 8 14 12 14
Hmm...I've had a similar experience to Monsterball, though I have no experience with DoISP. Sounds fun though, and since it seems characters are going to be pretty in depth, that should counterbalance the fact most of us have played through that first encounter at least once. I'm in!
Ability scores: 13 10 15 15 17 15
Knowing my luck, these scores are about to suck. But point buy is boring, so here I go!
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
Character Name: Maughe (Mo) Bristletoes
Species: Halfling
Age: 29
Class: Bard
Background: Acolyte
Alignment: CG
Character Sheet: https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/149140186/6FsC3C
Appearance: See icon on sheet
Personality: Whimsical, Pippin Took with a splash Seth McFarland
Story: Mo grew up in the church of Oghma, being groomed into be a priest, but latching on to the stories of Oghma traveling the realms as troubadour and wrestler. Mo decided to set off on her own and emulate her idol instead of following the church's practice.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job?: happened to be in the right place at the right time and likes to be helpful
Character Name: Reidh Carraig
Species: Hill Dwarf
Age: 84
Class: Cleric
Background: Sage
Alignment: NG
Character Sheet:https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/149084819/4YYMbB
Appearance: stout with broad shoulders, thick-boned, skin is the color of dark clay, has a heavy brow, grey eyes, deep auburn hair, long thick beard hand wrapped in blood-stained cloth, with faint black veins creeping out of his forearms
Personality: Quietly resolute: Reidh is a man of few words and deep convictions. He doesn’t speak unless there is something worth saying, and when he does, his voice is steady and deliberate—like stone worn smooth by time. He listens more than he speaks, often absorbing the emotions and burdens of others without asking for anything in return.
Though grief weighs heavily on him, Reidh is not bitter. He is compassionate in action not in speech. He will lift a wounded stranger without hesitation, sit beside the dying with silent dignity, and carry another’s burden on his back without complaint. But don’t expect warmth or smiles—his kindness is stoic, almost grave.
Reidh doesn’t believe in forgiveness for himself. The loss of Tharn has etched guilt deep into his soul. His faith in Ilmater is not a source of comfort, but a call to endure—a commandment to suffer so that others don’t have to. He holds tightly to this duty, even when it brings him pain.
He avoids joy, fearing it would betray the memory of his brother. He declines celebration, keeps his distance from companionship, and never allows himself to grow too close. But despite this, he cares deeply —and those who break through his stone-hard exterior may find a fiercely protective and loyal friend underneath.
He fears failure above all else. Every time he hesitates, every time he falters, he hears Tharn’s laugh—and remembers the moment it fell silent.
Story: I was born in a quiet mountain village, where life was as steady and strong as the stone that cradled us. My father was a skilled mason, my mother a healer, and my younger brother, Tharn, was my shadow. He was small and sickly, but he had a heart twice the size of his little frame. He followed me everywhere, always laughing, always asking questions. “One day, I’ll be big and strong like you!” he used to say. When the plague came, all of that joy was stripped away. We called it það læðist—It Creeps. It turned the skin black, boiled the blood, and moved slowly from the fingertips to the heart. No one was spared. My mother died first, then my father. I watched helplessly as it took our friends and neighbors, one by one. Only Tharn and I remained. But I wasn’t spared—I contracted the plague too. I watched in horror as my hands blackened to the wrists, but the disease stopped there. I was desperate to save myself and Tharn. I carried him with me as I sought help from healers, scholars, and alchemists. They tore at my hands, ran their tests, and made their notes. Each time they failed. And still, I hoped the next would be different. I was so focused on finding a cure for myself that I ignored the signs in Tharn. He trembled when I touched him, hid his blackening fingers in his pockets, and swore he was fine. “It’s nothing,” he’d say with a smile. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. He died in my arms—a boy too young to understand why I couldn’t save him. I buried him myself, with these cursed hands wrapped in bloodied cloth. I wept and prayed to gods I didn’t believe in, begging for forgiveness, for meaning. That’s when I first heard Ilmater’s voice. He didn’t promise to forgive me. He didn’t offer to cure me. Instead, He gave me a purpose: Endure the suffering. Protect others from your mistakes. Bear the burdens they cannot. Since that day, I have wandered the land, healing where I can, protecting those in need. I refuse to touch another with my flesh, keeping my hands bound in thick cloth. Through Ilmater’s grace, I’ve saved lives—but never enough to drown out the guilt. Tharn’s laughter still echoes in my dreams, and every life I save is a prayer to him, asking for his forgiveness. I now seek to understand það læðist, to uncover its origin and, perhaps, find a way to stop it from ever spreading again. I will endure, as Ilmater demands, but my curse will not define me. If I can stop this plague, maybe… just maybe, I can be more than the brother who failed him
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job?: heard a rumor about someone who might be infected with the plague and is on thier way to talk to them and possibly get answers and a potential cure.
Ability scores: Ability scores: 14 10 14 9 15 15
Hello!! I would like to drop by hat in the ring.
Ability scores: 12 11 7 14 10 16Please discard the above roll. I didn't choose the reroll ones option.
Character Name: Liu Yang
Species: Human
Age: 39
Class: Monk
Background: Sailor
Alignment: Neutral
Character Sheet: Link
Appearance: Liu Yang is a wandering monk with a weathered, eccentric look. He has a long, matted hair, tangled and unkempt, cascading in wild locks around his face and shoulders. The hair appears almost dreadlocked in places, clumped from years of neglect and exposure to the elements. It gives him the air of a hermit sage. He wears layered, tattered robes in earthy tones—browns, grays, and faded greens. Suggesting a life on the road. He carries a gourd of rice wine slung over his shoulder, and sometimes uses as a weapon or distraction.
Personality: Always with a smile on his face, he is a kind person that tries to help others with his meager means. Even though he doesn't have much on himself, he still tries to give to the poor.
Story: Liu Yang hails from the distant eastern kingdom of Kara-Tur. He has been sailing the seas, and traveling the world searching for the mythical Jingu Bang, the fabled golden staff used by the legendary Sun Wukong. A couple of years ago he end up in the shores of Neverwinter, the Jewel of the North. A very strange, yet exciting place. He took odd jobs here and there by the docks. He learned the language of this new place, but all the while he kept looking for information regarding the staff.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job? He dreamed one night that Sun Wukong himself told him that by joining the caravan sponsored by a dwarf would lead him closer to finding what he has been looking for his whole life.
Kazri - Level 10 Human Paladin (Oath of the Ancients) - The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks
Droknin Palemane - Level 4 Leonin Barbarian (Path of the Beast) - Where the Cold Winds Blow... A Lost Mines of Phandelver Story
Faelan (Cottontail) Whisperwind - Level 3 Ranger (Fey Wanderer) - Zorg's Lost Souls II
"Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life."
Ability scores: 14 13 13 16 13 12
Here is my submission. A former criminal-turned-hero on a redemption arc.
Throg Stonefist
Species: Orc
Age: 25 (about middle aged for an orc)
Class: Monk
Background: Criminal
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Character Sheet
Appearance: Towering and broad shouldered, Throg carries a spear and wears a roughspun travelers clothes over his massive frame. His tusks are chipped, and a crooked scar pulls at one corner of his mouth. His hair is shaved at the sides but tied into a topknot at the back, a style favored by the street fighters and thugs of Neverwinter's Dock Ward.
Personality: Quiet, stoic, and precise in both speech and movement. Throg doesn’t waste words ... or punches. When he speaks, it's usually to ask a question others may have overlooked. He has a habit of cracking his knuckles slowly while thinking. Violence comes easily to him, which is exactly why he tries not to use it.
Story: Throg grew up in the alleys near the warehouse docks of Neverwinter, and became an enforcer for a local gang, the Shattered Chain. He collected debts, broke bones, and worse. Then came the Smelter's Row massacre—a job meant to intimidate a rival crew that turned into a bloodbath. Far too many casualties for the authorities to overlook. The Watch needed a scapegoat, the Chains only too happily fed his name to the watch commander and disavowed him, and his face went up on every bounty board south of Blacklake.
The merchant, Gundren Rockseeker was in town and found Throg before the town guard did, half-dead and too proud to beg for help. The dwarf saw past their peoples' ages-long enmity and offered him food and a place to hide for a few nights. Throg never forgot that act.
Why did Throg accept the caravan guard job?: Because it’s time to repay that kindness. Because Gundren didn’t ask what Throg had done — just what he was going to do next. Also, Phandalin is far from Neverwinter, where the name "Stonefist" might not merit an appointment with the hangman's noose.
Throg is not quite sure who he's going to be yet, but it won't be the man who left those bodies behind.
This monk didn’t find enlightenment in a temple. Rather, Throg is clawing toward it one step at a time, trying to learn discipline and control in a world that taught him to smash first.
Character Name: Magnus Neverember (he/him)
Species: Human
Age: 47
Class: Paladin
Background: Guard
Alignment: LN
Character Sheet: Here
Appearance: He looks like Washford from Date Everything! Here
Personality:
As a Neverember, Magnus has had a noble upbringing, so he knows his way around a conversation, whether it’s convincing a fellow to join him in his efforts or demoralizing those who would stand against him. Overall, he’s an agreeable fellow full of old stories about his experiences as a mercenary, though he seems somewhat secretive about the details of his past. When faced with a problem, he prefers taking it head on rather than puzzling over more complex ways around it. He is a servant of the god Helm and swears by both him and the Triad. While a skilled and almost vicious fighter, he is also dedicated to the defense and well-being of his allies. He is torn between his duty to Neverwinter and his faith to the gods of the Order of the Gauntlet. Above all, Magnus will never leave a comrade behind.
Story:
Magnus is a cousin of Dagult Neverember, former Open Lord of Waterdeep and current Lord Protector of Neverwinter. While Dagult was running Waterdeep and seizing power in Neverwinter, Magnus was a rebellious young man who did not care much for his noble lifestyle as he grew older. He fell in with a crowd of mercenaries and ran off with them, acting little better than bandits while working for their various patrons. Over many years, Magnus rose through the ranks as a skilled swordsman and soon came to command his own squad that was hired out by various frontier towns for protection, though Magnus would frequently extort the populace through ‘renegotiations’ and ‘requisitions.’ Through his actions, he was something of a black sheep to his fellows in House Neverember.
It all changed when a caravan Magnus had stopped for ‘requisitions’ came under attack by a roving pack of gnolls. He had never faced the beasts before, and Magnus’ usual tactics were not holding up against them. All of his squad and many of the caravaneers were killed before the timely intervention of a cleric of Helm saved Magnus’ life. From then on, he was a changed man. He left his mercenary company behind and traveled to Neverwinter, where he trained with the members of the Order of the Gauntlet to become a paladin of Helm. He then reported to his cousin, Dagult Neverember, and swore fealty to him in an attempt to regain the favor of the leader of his house. Now, Dagult uses his cousin Magnus as a personal representative in important matters. He has served in this role for many years.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job?: Lord Dagult Neverember has invested a good deal of money to the Rockseekers and wants to see Phandalin and other Frontier towns brought into Neverwinter’s purview. As such, he has sent Magnus as a personal representative to oversee the Rockseeker’s efforts and spread Neverwinter’s influence in the Frontier.
Character Name: Jared
Species: Wood elf
Age: 450 years old, and Three tendays
Class: Ranger
Background: Criminal/thief
Alignment: Neutral
Character Sheet: https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/148340554/gZRNSr
Appearance: Jared is a semi-short elf with Pale blond hair, and an average looking face. He hunches over a bit, has a creepy feeling to him, and despite being dressed in armor and adventuring gear 24/10, looks like a hobo. Occasionally he will have the proportions and looks of a supermodel, but that is only due to the lighting.
Personality: Jared is severely antisocial, but isn't rude. He is fine letting others make decisions, putting in a sentence about a completely irrelevant topic. Those who know him describe him as strange, and he isn't above living in the wilderness. He isn't the type to abandon his comrades in time of need, but whether it be affection, loyalty, or him being too stupid to run, is up for debate.
Story: Jared was born in some long off woodland village, and has been wandering the world (Homeless) For centuries, leaving very few, if not none, to know his origins. He frequently took up jobs that required minimal skill, and has been living off of the wilderness and occasional hut. Rather than one traumatic event which drives most adventurers, majority of his life was just kind of bad. He developed a sense of the wilderness and the keenness of a hunter, but not by choice, because he didn't want to starve to death.
Jared throughout his life went through multiple different phases, joining different religious groups, political parties, etc.. It didn't matter if they were good or evil, or what kind of ideologies they had, he just stuck by the one that fed him. Unfortunately for him, all of these were ran by humans, and went dysfunctional in around 40 years. He gained a lot of debt due to trying to find some sort of meaning in life, eventually accepting a state of apathy for a while. Eventually he heard of Gundran's offer, and decided to join.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job? Jared needs money desperately to pay off his debts and afford livable housing.
Character Name: Olgha Rubyhair
Species: Dhampir
Age:37
Class:Rogue
Background:Criminal - Baldur’s Gate
Alignment:CN
Character Sheet: https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/149080227
Rumors swirl of a mysterious newcomer—a striking woman with fiery hair and haunted eyes who arrived under cover of darkness. Olgha Rubyhair keeps to the edges of the frontier town, avoiding crowds and shunning daylight, yet whispers follow her wherever she goes: a Barovian exile, some say, or perhaps something worse. Locals speak of how she’s sought the help of Sildar Hallwinter and the Stonehill Inn’s proprietor, claiming to be on the run from a dark and powerful pursuer.
In truth, Olgha bears a terrible secret. Fleeing the ashes of her past, she is hunted by Leopold Sengor, a cunning vampire lord who once seduced and nearly transformed her into one of his thralls. Her blood carries a lingering curse—she struggles with unnatural cravings and dreams of shadows, and sometimes wakes to find strange wounds on her arms or mud on her boots. Olgha knows Leopold will not rest until he finds her, and the trail of disappearances and drained corpses inching closer to Phandalin means he is drawing near.
Desperate, Olgha seeks allies. She warns the party of a growing evil stalking the countryside—one that preys on the weak and manipulates the hearts of the lonely. If the adventurers agree to help protect Olgha and investigate the strange happenings around Phandalin, they may soon find themselves caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, pitting their wits and courage against a vengeful vampire lord whose obsession with his lost “ember” threatens to set all of Phandalin aflame.
Since I'm new to PBP, as well as these forums, and I'm going to have spotty internet for a couple of weeks coming up, I'm OK if I end up in the backup/waitlist group. I'm also being boring and using Point Buy. But here is mine:
Application Form
Character Name: Rowan Alderis
Species: Human
Age: 27
Class: Druid
Background: Farmer
Alignment: Neutral Good
Character Sheet: Rowan Alderis
Appearance: He is 6'1", about 185 pounds. He has hazel eyes and thick, wavy brown hair that falls just past his ears. He has a faint scar along his left forearm from a scythe accident when he was younger.
Personality: Hard working, but empathetic and curious. Not naive, but not exactly street smart, either.
Story: Rowan was raised in Briar Glen, a quiet village between the Long Road and the Dessarin River where the rhythm of life followed the seasons and the land’s gentle demands. From an early age, he worked alongside his family, tending crops and caring for livestock. His grandmother, a respected herbalist in the village, introduced him to the old ways—teaching him how to listen to the wind, read the signs in the soil, and respect the delicate balance of nature. Rowan’s affinity for the natural world grew with each passing year, and he often found solace wandering the nearby woods and meadows, learning from the patterns of animals and the subtle changes in the environment.
He felt a gentle pull toward the mysteries of the natural world, but his focus remained on protecting the land and the people who depended on it. When a traveling druid visited Briar Glen, Rowan was inspired by the stranger’s wisdom and began to explore his own budding druidic abilities, practicing in secret and seeking to heal and nurture the world around him.
Why did your character accept the caravan guard job?: Are they in it for the money? The experience? Do they want to go to Phandalin for some reason? Are they friends with Gundren, etc.?
When Gundren Rockseeker’s offer reached Rowan, he saw it as an unexpected opportunity. The farm had survived a difficult season, and with his family secure for the time being, Rowan felt the pull of the wider world. He was eager to learn more about the mysteries of the land and sky, and believed that travel might reveal new insights. Protecting a caravan seemed an honorable way to help others while experiencing life beyond his village. Rowan reasoned that, as a druid, he could safeguard both people and nature along the road — and perhaps he might find new wisdom beneath unfamiliar stars.